When Consort Hui hurriedly arrived, Cining Palace was already enveloped in an atmosphere of impending storm.
Yunxiu followed closely behind Consort Hui, her face tinged with worry. After paying respects to the Grand Empress Dowager, she held her breath in silence, her gaze slowly sweeping across the grand hall until it landed on Noble Consort Liang, kneeling in the center, her body trembling as silent tears streamed down her face.
Before the Grand Empress Dowager could inquire, Sumalagu stepped forward and whispered a few words into her ear. Upon hearing them, the Grand Empress Dowager nodded at Yunxiu with relief and sighed deeply, "As it should be, as it should be. Grant her a seat."
Earlier, in Yikun Palace, when Sumalagu mentioned "the Eighth Prince is missing," Yunxiu had frowned and, before Consort Hui could react, immediately ordered Zhang Youde, the chief eunuch waiting outside the curtain, "Quickly gather people to search for the Eighth Prince. Comb through Yanxi Palace, the Imperial Garden, and every palace pathway meticulously. Do not overlook the rockeries, ponds, or any seldom-used hidden doors."
Once Zhang Youde accepted the order, she turned to Sumalagu and sighed softly, "Sumalagu, Zhang Youde has long handled affairs for me and knows the palace inside out. With him leading the search, it will be more efficient. The Eighth Prince is so young, barely older than Yintang..."
She paused, then added, "My heart aches to hear of this. I must do my part."
As Sumalagu expressed solemn gratitude, Consort Hui found herself unable to voice her distress. Her face grew increasingly ashen with anxiety.
This was Yikun Palace, not Yanxi Palace. She had only brought Ying'er and three second-tier palace maids—how could she possibly dispatch people to search for Yin Si?
Consort Yi’s sudden move not only earned her a good reputation but also made Consort Hui appear neglectful by comparison. Consort Hui was so furious she nearly lost her composure.
Forcing a smile, she turned and urgently instructed, "Ying'er, return to Yanxi Palace at once and send out every available hand. If the Eighth Prince isn’t found, don’t come back to report!"
It was no wonder Consort Hui was frantic.
Regardless of why the Eighth Prince had gone missing, as his foster mother, she could not escape the charge of negligence. Even if the Eighth Prince had been with Noble Consort Liang today, she could not shift the blame.
Who didn’t know the rules of Yanxi Palace? The Eighth Prince’s daily life was entirely under Consort Hui’s control; Noble Consort Liang had no authority to intervene.
In the imperial harem, young princes were cared for by wet nurses, with attendants watching over them even as they slept. For one to go missing was unthinkable. Yet under such strict supervision, the Eighth Prince had vanished. With such an absurd incident occurring, who else would the Grand Empress Dowager hold accountable but her?
During the Fifth Princess’s full-moon celebration, the Emperor had praised her maternal devotion. Now, this had happened. If the Emperor were to learn of it...
A sense of foreboding washed over Consort Hui, chilling her heart.
Her intuition told her the Grand Empress Dowager would not treat her kindly. Sure enough, the moment she rushed into Cining Palace, the elderly matriarch granted Consort Yi a seat before casting a cold glance at her and asking icily, "What kind of mother are you?"
Consort Hui knelt on the ground, offering no defense, her voice strained as she admitted, "Grand Empress Dowager, this subject has failed in her duties."
"And so you have!" The Grand Empress Dowager slammed the table in anger. "Not only did you neglect supervision, but you also placed treacherous servants around Yin Si. Because of their laziness and dereliction of duty, a royal prince has gone missing right under your nose in Yanxi Palace..."
Consort Hui looked up in shock. Treacherous servants?
"Grand Empress Dowager, this morning I entrusted Yin Si to Noble Consort Liang, thinking to allow them some time together as mother and son. Afterward, I went to Yikun Palace to speak with Consort Yi." She steadied herself, her cold gaze flickering toward Noble Consort Liang, who wept silently beside her, before she prostrated herself. "I assigned no treacherous servants. I beg the Grand Empress Dowager to see the truth!"
The Grand Empress Dowager pinched the bridge of her nose and waved a hand. "Noble Consort Liang, you speak."
Noble Consort Liang choked back a sob, wiping her reddened almond eyes before speaking haltingly, "Yin Si’s disappearance is not Consort Hui’s fault. Today, by her grace, I was reunited with my son... Everything was fine at first. Who could have imagined... who could have imagined..."
She wept soundlessly, as if overwhelmed by grief and on the verge of fainting. "The Imperial Household Department happened to send winter fabrics and my monthly stipend. Upon receiving the news, I went to the front hall, instructing Yin Si’s wet nurses to watch over him carefully... Yet they paid no heed, instead lounging on the veranda to bask in the sun and gossip. When I returned to the side hall after collecting my stipend, Yin Si was already gone!"
A beauty’s tears always stirred pity, and her words reignited the Grand Empress Dowager’s smoldering fury.
Though the Grand Empress Dowager disliked Noble Consort Liang’s lowly origins and her delicate, melancholic beauty—which reminded her too much of Lady Dong'e, who had bewitched the Former Emperor—she was still the Eighth Prince’s birth mother and long out of the Emperor’s favor. For Yin Si’s sake, the Grand Empress Dowager suppressed her prejudice.
Over the years, Noble Consort Liang had lived in seclusion, showing no interest in vying for favor. The Grand Empress Dowager had noticed this, and her dislike had gradually faded.
Now, seeing Noble Consort Liang in such a state, the Grand Empress Dowager restrained her anger and felt a twinge of sympathy. "You’ve suffered. Sumalagu, grant Noble Consort Liang a seat."
Then, pointing at Consort Hui’s pale face, she asked coldly, "If those wet nurses aren’t treacherous servants, what are they?"
Consort Hui’s lips trembled. She could no longer maintain her composure.
Those wet nurses had been carefully selected and assigned by her to care for Yin Si. How could she explain this? Even if she leaped into the Yellow River, she could never wash herself clean of this.
Yunxiu raised a handkerchief to her lips, concealing a faint smile.
The Grand Empress Dowager closed her eyes briefly before declaring in a grave tone, "I’ve already sent word to the Emperor and dispatched search parties. May heaven protect little Yin Si and return him unharmed."
Consort Hui’s vision darkened. It was over—the Emperor knew.
"As for those treacherous servants..."
Before she could finish, the four wet nurses assigned to the Eighth Prince were dragged in, bound and gagged, their faces filled with terror as they begged for mercy.
Spotting Consort Hui, they cried out as if she were their salvation, tears and snot streaming down their faces. "Consort Hui, save us! We were wrong, we admit our faults!"
Wretched slaves! Have you not ruined me enough?
Consort Hui wished she could cut them down with a sword!
She took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with ruthlessness, and snapped, "How dare you beg me for mercy! What were my orders? Neglecting the Eighth Prince—who gave you the audacity?!"
"Your Highness, save us..." One of them, utterly terrified, babbled mindlessly, "If not for your words—'you may relax a little'—we would never have dared to slack off... Please, save us!"
These wet nurses, tasked with serving a prince, were all from respectable backgrounds, selected by the Imperial Household Department. They were not Consort Hui’s trusted confidantes.
They might have been loyal, but what was loyalty compared to their lives?
Before Consort Hui could stop them, they had spilled everything like beans from a split bag.
"With Noble Consort Liang looking after Yin Si, you all can take a breather," Consort Hui said to the nursemaid, her words meant to display benevolence rather than carry any deeper implication.
In the past, such a remark would have been seen as a gracious act of consideration toward subordinates. But in this context...
It became evidence of her negligence and lack of oversight.
