Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xiao Juan said slowly, “That dead eunuch’s name is Wangfu. When we found him, he was already dead. This is definitely not a coincidence. He was probably silenced.”
Yu Niaoniao nodded in agreement.
“Those two dossiers were forged by Wangfu. The mastermind was afraid that he would leak the secret, so Wangfu was silenced.”
“In that case, our previous guess was probably right. We’re one step closer to the truth.”
Xiao Juan exhaled softly. “I have to enter the palace again tomorrow.”
Yu Niaoniao picked up the two corns on the ground and handed one to Xiao Juan.
“Eat something. Eat and sleep well. Only then can you have the strength to nab the mastermind.”
Xiao Juan took the corn and peeled it layer by layer, revealing the golden corn kernels roasted inside.
He took a bite. It was fragrant and sweet, with a faint charred fragrance unique to charcoal.
After eating the roasted corn and roasted sweet potatoes, Xiao Juan felt full.
He washed up briefly and went to bed with Yu Niaoniao.
The next morning, Xiao Juan entered the palace again.
He brought people to the Internal Affairs Division and thoroughly investigated Wangfu’s residence from the inside out. Even the people who were usually close to Wangfu were carefully interrogated.
Everyone said that Wangfu thought highly of himself because he had studied and could read and write. He rarely interacted with the other eunuchs in the Imperial Attendant Division and was a particularly withdrawn person.
And because of that, no one would care what he usually did, let alone know if he was hiding any secrets in private.
Xiao Juan returned to the Justice Department at noon.
It was just in time for lunch. He and Niaoniao sat in the private room of the dining hall to eat.
Yu Niaoniao asked curiously, “What did you find out today?”
Xiao Juan finished the soup in his bowl and said, “Wangfu used to be a descendant of an official family. Later, because something happened to his elders, his entire family was sentenced. He was forced to enter the palace and become a eunuch. Because of his background, he felt that he was different from other eunuchs. He was usually alone and never had a deep relationship with anyone.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “So no one knows about Wangfu?”
Xiao Juan nodded slightly. “Yes.”
Yu Niaoniao looked disappointed.
Xiao Juan said, “Although we didn’t get anything out of others, we found a few things from his residence.” Yu Niaoniao was very curious. “What are these?”
Xiao Juan did not answer directly.
“Let’s eat first. I’ll show you after.”
Yu Niaoniao could only suppress her curiosity and eat obediently. After eating and drinking her fill, she could not wait to pull Xiao Juan back to Mirror House. Xiao Juan looked at her in amusement. “Don’t you want to take a nap?”
Usually, she would go back for a nap after lunch. Today, in order to satisfy her curiosity, she had even forgotten to take a nap.
Yu Niaoniao urged, “I’m not napping anymore. Hurry up and show me those things.”
Xiao Juan was helpless and returned to Mirror House with her.
He ordered someone to bring over a wooden box.
Opening the box, they saw a sachet, a purse, sweat towels, and a pillowcase.
xlao Juan said, “‘l’nese were all round m wangnrs room.”
Yu Niaoniao picked up these things and looked at them. She did not find anything unusual.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something wrong with these things?”
Xiao Juan said, “Didn’t you notice? The stitches on these things are very delicate and neat. It’s not something a man can do.”
Yu Niaoniao blinked.
Although she was good at cooking, she never did needlework and knew nothing about needlework.
Yu Niaoniao took these things to the window and looked at them carefully under the sunlight outside. She realized that their stitches were indeed very delicate.
She did not dare to say anything else. Anyway, she could not sew such delicate stitches herself.
Yu Niaoniao thought for a moment. “Maybe Wangfu was good at sewing?”
After all, he was a bachelor and did not have anyone to mend his clothes. Wouldn’t he have to do it himself?
Xiao Juan had naturally thought of this and said.
“I’ve seen the clothes he was wearing and the clothes stored in his closet. The stitches are only passable. They’re definitely not as delicate and neat as these things. These things must have been given to him.”
Yu Niaoniao was deep in thought. “It’s most likely a woman who can gift such a thing. ”
Xiao Juan continued, “Moreover, she’s a woman who’s very good at needlework.”
If he could trace this mysterious woman, he might be able to find out who Wangfu was working for when he was alive.
Yu Niaoniao flipped the few things in her hand several times.
The colors of these things were very plain. Among them, the sweat towel and sachet were embroidered with the name Wangfu. Two orchids were embroidered on the sachet, and a pair of lively little carps were embroidered on the surface of the pillowcase.
Whether it was orchids or carp, they were very common. There was nothing special about them.
Xiao Juan had already gotten someone to investigate the origins of these things, but he found nothing.
No one knew from whom they came.
Seeing that Niaoniao did not move for a long time, Xiao Juan could not help but persuade her.
“Forget it, you should take a nap. I’ll get someone to investigate these things. Someone who could deliver things to Wangfu from time to time should live in the palace.”
“The palace is only so big. If there’s really no other way, I’ll get someone to investigate all the women in the palace who are good at needlework.”
Although this was very troublesome and might not yield anything, this was the only solution they could think of at the moment.
After all, they had so few clues.
Yu Niaoniao suddenly said, “This sachet feels a little familiar.”
Xiao Juan was slightly stunned. ‘You’ve seen this sachet?”
Yu Niaoniao shook her head. “No.”
Xiao Juan was puzzled. Since she had never seen it before, why did it feel familiar?
He couldn’t resist. “Could it be your imagination?”
Yu Niaoniao did not answer.
She stared at the embroidery on the sachet for a long time. A thought suddenly occurred to her.
“I remember! It’s that sachet!”
Berore mao Juan coma asK ror me reason, YU INIaomao ran away witn me sachet.
Xiao Juan immediately chased after her.
They returned to the lounge one after the other.
Yu Niaoniao opened the dressing table and took out a small and exquisite sachet.
Xiao Juan was rather puzzled when he saw the sachet.
“Where did this sachet come from?”
Yu Niaoniao explained quickly.
“Do you remember when we entered the palace to pay our New Year greetings on the first day of the Lunar New Year?”
“That day, Noble Consort Shu gave me a sachet. I had a feeling there was something wrong with that sachet.”
“When I returned, I poured out all the spices in the sachet and handed them to Little Lo to check. Little Lo said there was a very rare plant in the spices. Its scent was very stimulating to snakes. It was because I was carrying it that the poisonous snake attacked me that day.”
“The spices are still with Little Lo. I put away the sachet. That’s it..”