Chapter 16

Following the conclusion of the polo match that day, a tragedy occurred within the palace. The infant princess, who had just celebrated her first birthday, died suddenly overnight.

The Emperor was consumed by fury and ordered the Grand Court of Justice to conduct a rigorous investigation to determine the cause of death. Consequently, the entire palace was placed under lockdown, and no one from the inner court was permitted to receive outsiders. The Yu family initially believed the matter had nothing to do with them—perhaps even viewing it as a fortunate turn of events—until they realized that even the Empress was being kept incommunicado.

Rumors soon spread that the Grand Court of Justice had dispatched officials into the palace to interrogate everyone, including the imperial concubines. The palace was gripped by terror, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The Yu family became deeply anxious, fearing that the Empress might be implicated.

The strategy previously devised by the patriarch, Elder Yu, now proved useful. Although they had not yet become in-laws with the Zheng family, Yu Ying and Zheng Boru were on good terms, providing at least a channel to gather information. Concerned for her elder sister, Yu Ying was about to act on her grandfather’s instructions when Zheng Boru, sensing the urgency of the situation, sent a message to the Yu residence first. He claimed that his niece was impatient to begin the polo lessons Yu Ying had promised, and asked if she had any availability.

Yu Ying, naturally, replied that she was free, accepted the invitation immediately, and arranged to meet the following day.

The next day, Yu Ying donned simple attire and took her polo mallet to the designated polo field. The field was a private venue where the dirt had been tamped down and covered with fine sand; because of the sweltering heat, few people were present. The young girl, only twelve or thirteen, lacked the typical playfulness of a child, possessing instead the refined modesty of a well-bred lady. As Yu Ying taught her, the girl learned diligently and conducted herself with grace.

Zheng Boru watched from the sidelines. After they had practiced for nearly an hour, he called for them to rest in a pavilion, where he had prepared bowls of shaved ice with cream. The young girl ate in small, delicate bites, but Yu Ying, unusually, had no appetite and watched him with eager anticipation.

Sensing her anxiety, Zheng Boru spoke quietly: "The Grand Court of Justice has full authority over this matter; the Ministry of Justice cannot intervene."

"Is it that serious? How did the little princess actually die?" Yu Ying asked.

Zheng Boru nodded. "It is grave. The information I have received suggests that the princess’s death was not an accident, but the result of foul play."

Yu Ying was shocked. "Is that... really true? How could that be? She was a princess, and this happened in the palace!"

Zheng Boru replied, "Precisely because the news is so shocking, people dare not spread it loosely. It is highly likely to be true."

Yu Ying was stunned. Who would dare lay a hand on a princess? The Emperor, now over thirty and married for more than a decade, had finally produced his first child. It was because of this that Consort Su Ruyue had been elevated to the rank of Noble Consort, and why the princess’s first birthday had been celebrated with such grandiosity. The Emperor had pinned his hopes on this child, believing that a daughter would lead to a son, ensuring his dynasty would not be left without an heir. And now, the princess was dead—murdered?

"Has the Grand Court of Justice discovered who did it?" Yu Ying asked.

Zheng Boru shook his head. "Only the Grand Court knows that. How far the investigation has gone and who the suspects are remains unknown to the outside world."

Yu Ying pondered the fact that the Empress held the authority to govern the inner court—a position of both power and responsibility. Although Noble Consort Su assisted in these duties, if someone had to be held accountable for the death of the Noble Consort’s child, would it not fall upon the Empress? Would the Empress be blamed for negligence? Yu Ying frowned and drew a long, troubled breath.

Zheng Boru comforted her: "Do not worry too much. The matter is of extreme importance, and the Grand Court of Justice will surely uphold the law impartially."

Yu Ying reasoned that he was right; her elder sister was the Empress, after all, so she should not be implicated. She only hoped the Emperor would not be too biased or use this as a pretext to further elevate Su Ruyue. What would become of her sister then? Having lost all interest in amusement, she left Zheng Boru and returned home to relay the news to her grandfather. He, too, wore a deeply furrowed brow, and Yu Ying could only offer him the same reassurances she had received from Zheng Boru.

The next day, however, a group of officials from the Grand Court of Justice arrived with a warrant to take Yu Ying away. Her mother was frantic, refusing to let her go, but the officials remained relatively polite, explaining that they only needed to ask a few questions. They claimed all the palace concubines had already been questioned and released, and that if the Yu family refused to cooperate, they would be forced to take her by force.

Yu Ying was not afraid. She stepped forward to go with them, reasoning that the constant uncertainty was more agonizing than the truth, and if they had the audacity to come for her, resisting would be futile.

She traveled by carriage, allowed to bring an attendant, but upon reaching the gates, she had to proceed alone. As her servant, Nanny Feng, began to weep with worry, Yu Ying thought to herself, *Surely they aren't taking me to my death?* She lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and followed the bailiffs inside.

After crossing the courtyard, they led her through a guarded passage. Beyond it, the atmosphere grew grim. Passing one room, she caught a glimpse of various implements hanging against the wall; she recognized one as a spiked whip, which made her blood run cold. They brought her into a room containing nothing but a table, a lamp, and a few chairs, and told her to sit. Yu Ying eyed the peeling paint on the stool and did not sit immediately.

The bailiffs ignored her and left. A short while later, two men in official robes entered. The one leading them was unexpectedly handsome. "Mistress Yu, please sit. I am Meng Jue, a judge of the Grand Court of Justice. I am only here to ask you a few questions; there is no need to be alarmed."

Yu Ying looked him up and down. She was not alarmed; she knew the Grand Court of Justice would not dare touch her lightly. If they truly dared, the Yu family would already be in ruins, and her panic would change nothing. Still, she had not expected an official of the Grand Court to look like this.

Meng Jue sat, and Yu Ying followed suit. Another man sat beside him, seemingly a clerk, who opened a thin ledger.

"The Empress is your elder sister by the same mother, is she not?" Meng Jue asked.

"Yes."

"You used to visit the palace frequently, but stopped doing so later, did you not?"

"I was in Luoyang. How could I visit?" Yu Ying replied.

Meng Jue probed further: "Was it not because the Empress was displeased with you?"

Yu Ying was bewildered and immediately denied it. "Nonsense. Why would the Empress be displeased with me? She is very good to me!"

"So, in your opinion, even though the Empress and Noble Consort Su are not on good terms, she never vented her anger on you?"

Yu Ying frowned. "Where did you hear that the Empress and the Noble Consort are on bad terms? You must be using torture to force false confessions from people who are lying. The Empress and the Noble Consort are not on bad terms at all; she is the gentlest person."

"And what of you and the Noble Consort? Were you not close friends before she entered the palace?" Meng Jue asked.

Yu Ying nodded.

"Is that nod a 'yes'?"

"Yes."

"And now? You seem to have never visited the Pilan Palace." (The Pilan Palace was the residence of Noble Consort Su.)

"The Noble Consort never summoned me. How could I go?"

Meng Jue began to feel the pressure. He lowered his eyes, fighting the urge to look behind him. On the other side of the wall, his superior, Chen Qing, the Chief Justice, was listening to every word, and so far, he had learned nothing. Yu Ying had deftly navigated every trap; he could not tell if she was being honest or intentionally deceitful.

After a moment of silence, he asked: "There is a rumor in the capital that Censor Cheng suffers from a hidden ailment. Did that rumor originate with you?"

Yu Ying was surprised. "What does this have to do with the palace case?"

"Regardless of whether it is related, you must answer truthfully," Meng Jue insisted.

"I only said a tiny bit. Everything else was just other people gossiping," Yu Ying said immediately.

"For five years, there was peace. Why did you suddenly expose his flaws after five years? Was it because Censor Cheng was going to marry the sister of the Noble Consort, and that displeased you?"

"It wasn't exposing flaws; consider it my nonsense. He doesn't have any hidden ailment," Yu Ying said, unable to resist defending Cheng Xianzhang's reputation. Previously, when talking to other noblewomen, she figured Cheng Xianzhang would never know, but here, among his peers, she instinctively felt she could not let them be misled.

This was clearly not what Meng Jue was focused on. He quickly asked: "You slandered him suddenly—was it because you didn't want him to marry the Su girl? Why?"

"There is no 'why.' I just dislike the Cheng family, is that not allowed? Did he bribe you to arrest me? You are all cut from the same cloth—how despicable!" Yu Ying retorted angrily.

Meng Jue gave a soft cough. "That is not the case. We do not engage in such transactions. I am questioning you today regarding the palace case; do not make baseless accusations."

Yu Ying was annoyed. "Then stop asking about irrelevant things."

Meng Jue’s expression darkened. "We have inquired, and you have stated more than once that the Noble Consort is a small-minded, scheming person. So you are lying. Your slander of Censor Cheng was not because you dislike him, but because of the Su family. You hate the Noble Consort, and therefore hate the Su family, and consequently did not want Censor Cheng to marry a Su girl."

Yu Ying hesitated, then decided to simply admit it. "Fine. I hate Cheng Xianzhang, I hate the Noble Consort, and I hate her sister and the rest of the Su family too, is that enough for you?"

Watching the official frantically scribbling, Yu Ying added, "So what if I hate her? Am I not allowed to? I treated her with all my heart, and she stole my brother-in-law. If it were you, would you like her?"

Meng Jue looked at her. "So you hate the Noble Consort. What about the Empress?"

"Of course I don't hate the Empress. She doesn't even let me speak ill of the Noble Consort," Yu Ying replied.

"Why not? Shouldn't the Empress hate her even more?"

"Why should she?" Yu Ying exclaimed. "Why is it assumed the Empress should hate her more? I hate her because I am small-minded, but the Empress is a person of vast, magnanimous heart. The Emperor has so many concubines—if she were to be jealous of every one of them, how could she go on living?"

Meng Jue asked again: "Do you know a person named An Hui?"

"An Hui?" Yu Ying pondered. "Who is that? Should I know her?"

Meng Jue noted that she was a rare suspect who dared to question him back. "She was a palace maid in the Qingning Palace."

"Then how would I know her?" Yu Ying said.

Meng Jue watched her steadily. "But she knows you. Witnesses saw you enter the palace last month and meet with her."

Yu Ying thought again. "A palace maid... is she a small, petite girl? It was so long ago, I don't remember clearly. Tell me more about her."

Meng Jue replied: "She has identified you as the one who instructed her to poison the little princess."

Yu Ying was shocked, doubting her own ears. "What is all this? I don't even know who she is, so how could I instruct her? And why would I ever want to harm the little princess?"

"Because you hate the Noble Consort, and naturally, you would hate her child."

Yu Ying stood up in a fit of rage. "You! How did you become an official in the Grand Court of Justice? Just because you don't like eating chicken, does that mean you don't like eating eggs? Use your brain! You should know that I could never harm the princess. What possible benefit would that bring to me or the Empress?"