Chapter 31: Secret Knowledge

Deep in the night.

In the vast palace, a few scattered lights were not enough to add any warmth to the pitch-black, cold, and silent imperial grounds.

In the abandoned courtyard not far from Qingfang Palace, Zhu Xu stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless, looking down at a palace maid who was bound tightly on the ground, trembling all over.

The sisters Wu Qing and Wu Rou each held a short dagger in hand, their pretty faces frosty as they stood not far away.

The already desolate abandoned courtyard gained an extra layer of chill.

Not a trace of emotion could be seen on Zhu Xu's face. After who knows how long, he suddenly raised his head to look at Wu Qing and Wu Rou and said coldly, "Didn't I tell you before to arrange for her to be replaced?"

The moment Zhu Xu's voice arose, the maid trembled again.

Wu Qing glanced at her younger sister and replied, "She is an old hand in Kunning Palace. Sister Huan'er couldn't bear to part with her."

Zhu Xu's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the maid and said, "What is your name?"

The maid had kept her head lowered the whole time, her body shaking incessantly. Hearing this, she raised her head to glance at Zhu Xu, then quickly lowered it again, and said in a trembling voice, "Ai'er."

"Age."

"Sixteen."

"Native place."

"I was sold into the palace as a child; I don't know where my home is."

"Which consorts have you served?"

"Always in Kunning Palace."

"How did Madam Ke buy you over..."

This Ai'er opened her mouth to answer, but in an instant clamped her lips tightly shut, lowered her head, and said not a word.

Zhu Xu's expression was cold as he said flatly, "Since you are an old hand in the palace, you naturally know the rules. To plot against the Empress and the prince—such a crime, even if I let you go today, do you think Madam Ke, who can barely protect herself right now, can shield you?"

Ai'er still said nothing, kneeling there with her head lowered, her expression unreadable.

Zhu Xu frowned slightly and said, "Since you won't speak, you are of no use to me. Wu Qing, Wu Rou, throw her into the dry well in the back, then seal it up."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Wu Qing and Wu Rou acknowledged the order and stepped forward to grab this Ai'er and drag her out.

Suddenly, Ai'er cried out, looking at Zhu Xu with a face full of terror. "Your Highness, Your Highness, I have something to say, something to say..."

Wu Qing and Wu Rou's movements stopped at once. Ai'er struggled to kneel upright, steadied herself, and shouted loudly to Zhu Xu, "Your Highness, the Old Ancestor has already returned to the palace. You can't do anything to me!"

Zhu Xu sneered coldly and said, "Don't you know? Every year, who knows how many palace maids and eunuchs vanish from this palace. One more of you makes no difference, and one less of you makes no difference either!"

Ai'er knelt there, head lowered, her expression fearful, biting her lip, her eyes flickering.

A cold light gleamed in Zhu Xu's gaze as he said, "I'll give you one last chance. Say something useful to me, or you'll go fill the well!"

Ai'er bit her lip until it broke, then suddenly raised her head to look at Zhu Xu and said, "Your Highness, if you can guarantee to let me go and arrange for me to leave the palace, then I'll tell you a great secret!"

Zhu Xu's brow arched. Sure enough, no one who followed Madam Ke was any good—so young, yet with such deep schemes.

Zhu Xu said coldly, "That depends on whether your secret is enough to buy your life."

Ai'er knelt there, her body as if cold, occasionally shrinking her neck, pursing her lips, looking at Zhu Xu as she said, "This is absolutely a great secret, certainly enough to buy my life. Swear that you will send me out of the palace."

Zhu Xu took a few steps, bent down with narrowed eyes to look at her, and said with a smile, "You can gamble now. Either you don't speak and I'll fill the well with you directly, or you speak and I'll send you out of the palace."

Ai'er looked at Zhu Xu, her face pale, shivering uncontrollably.

Zhu Xu straightened his back, looked down at her coldly, and said, "Speak."

Ai'er was still hesitating. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine. If you don't let me go, I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

Having said that, she looked around front and back, bit her lip, and said, "The Old Ancestor—she—she has raised more than a dozen fake eunuchs in Xian'an Palace, in a secret chamber behind the bed. I discovered it by accident."

Zhu Xu's eyes suddenly narrowed sharply as he lowered his head to size up this Ai'er. Indeed, she was no ordinary goods—she even knew such a secret, and had lived to tell of it. Had he not caught her off guard, she might well have succeeded.

Still, this secret of Madam Ke's was indeed no small matter to Zhu Xu—it was highly significant. He had been worrying over how to deal with Madam Ke. Whether it was the earlier court upheaval or the earlier proposal about leaving the palace, neither touched Madam Ke herself—either Wei Zhongxian was swept along in it, or it arose from ritual propriety.

These things were of no consequence to Zhu Youxiao and did not damage Madam Ke's standing in his heart in the slightest. No matter how great the court upheaval, as long as Zhu Youxiao still cherished Madam Ke, she would always find a way back.

But this time was different. Madam Ke's relationship with Zhu Youxiao was special, and this kind of matter was especially sensitive.

Zhu Xu pondered for a long while, then turned his head to look at Ai'er, who was still kneeling there, gazing at him with a face full of expectation. He hummed thoughtfully and said, "You may go back. Consider today's matter as never having happened. Think about how you'll explain it to Madam Ke."

Having said this, he looked at the Wu Qing and Wu Rou sisters and said, "Let her go back. Not a single word of today's matter is to leak out."

The two sisters did not know why Zhu Xu was letting go of this maid who had plotted against the Empress and the prince. They hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes, Your Highness."

That Ai'er was untied, her whole body going limp as she collapsed to the ground. By the time she remembered that she was supposed to leave the palace, Zhu Xu's figure was already gone.

He had only just returned to Jinghuan Palace not long ago when Zhu Xu wore a look of relief.

Because Consort Feng had miscarried.

Cao Huachun stood before Zhu Xu, his heart full of trepidation. He too was an old hand in the palace, but this was the first time he had seen such an open plot against a prince.

"That old witch's methods are truly formidable."

Zhu Xu had to admire it. Though Consort Feng was invisible in his eyes, even the Empress did not know such news, yet the old witch had made her miscarry directly. When it came to penetration of the harem, no one could surpass her.

'Still, I must deal with Zhou Yingqiu first.'

Zhu Xu thought to himself. With a Zhou Yingqiu of unfathomable methods operating outside, if he did not scheme against him while Zhou Yingqiu was still unaware that the man behind it all was him, it would not be so easy later.

As for Consort Feng's matter, he was powerless to do anything. He waved a hand at Cao Huachun and said, "Let His Majesty worry about this matter. Go back and sleep."

Cao Huachun could guess that this matter would probably be dropped without resolution. He acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Zhu Xu had no desire to sleep. He came to the study and had just sat down when he saw a line of delicate, elegant handwriting on a sheet of white paper on the desk.

'Yesterday the flute's sound drifted, this morning a sickly face adorned; in a daze I cannot care for myself, another line of tears falls.'

Looking at this little poem, Zhu Xu shook his head inwardly. Yao Qingqing's feelings for Bi Maokang ran deep, yet the two were both cautious, neither daring to take a step forward, and so it had dragged on until now.

"It seems I need to arrange for her to go out on some official business."

Zhu Xu thought of the arsenal on the mountain being secretly constructed. It was time to go meet this future inventor of the flintlock.

Zhu Xu picked up the sheet of paper, folded it neatly, and set it aside. He took out a book himself and slowly began to read.

Comparing simplified and traditional characters was troublesome—some characters were easy to recognize, while others were completely unrelated, and even now he still found it hard going from time to time.

Zhu Xu read for a while, then suddenly thought of the allusion of a fair maiden adding fragrance by the scholar's sleeve. He couldn't help muttering to himself, "Yao Qingqing probably hasn't gone to sleep yet. Should I call her up to read it aloud for me?"

He immediately shook his head again—Yao Qingqing was hardly his fair maiden by the sleeve.