Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
“A lonely, deserted palace—isn’t that the Cold Palace?”
The nanny hurried to explain.
“Commandery Princess, you’re mistaken.”
“The Cold Palace is where the consorts who have committed offenses are sent to live.”
Duoduo’s face was full of curiosity.
“Consorts?”
“Grandfather’s consorts?”
The nanny glanced at the Empress Dowager, who waved her away. The nanny retreated to a distance and stood guard at the entrance.
The Empress Dowager held out her hand, and Duoduo quickly stepped forward to support her by the arm.
As they walked, the Empress Dowager explained.
“The Cold Palace holds not only your grandfather’s consorts, but also the consorts of your great-grandfather.”
Surprise flashed through Duoduo’s eyes.
“Great-grandfather’s consorts? They’re still alive?”
The Empress Dowager nodded slowly.
“After the late emperor passed away, all his consorts were supposed to be buried alive with him.”
“But your grandfather thought that was too cruel, so he changed the rule.”
“He simply sent all the consorts who had no children to the Cold Palace.”
Duoduo frowned.
Her father had asked her to investigate her grandfather’s consorts in the Cold Palace. But now, there were also consorts of her great-grandfather there.
Things seemed to have become much more complicated.
Duoduo tilted her little head and pretended to be very interested.
“Great-Grandmother, are all of them still alive?”
The Empress Dowager shook her head.
“I’m not sure either. But I’m already quite old, and those consorts should be around my age.”
Duoduo was very curious.
“Don’t they come to the Palace of Benevolent Peace to pay their respects to you?”
The Empress Dowager was amused by her question.
“Without an order from the emperor, the consorts in the Cold Palace cannot take even half a step outside.”
Duoduo blinked.
“Then wouldn’t no one know if they died in the Cold Palace?”
The Empress Dowager walked a few more slow steps.
“Have you forgotten? Didn’t that eunuch just say that he used to serve his mistress in the Cold Palace?”
“If a consort dies there, they report it to the Office of Palace Affairs.”
“The Office of Palace Affairs naturally sends people to verify it. Then the report is passed up through the various levels until it finally reaches the emperor.”
A flicker passed through Duoduo’s eyes.
“Great-Grandmother, then doesn’t the Office of Palace Affairs control the entire imperial palace?”
“Do they know everything about everyone and everything in the palace?”
The Empress Dowager nodded at that.
“More or less.”
“The Office of Palace Affairs manages all the large and small affairs of the palace.”
“From the emperor’s food and daily life to the daily expenses of every palace…”
“To the smallest flower, plant, and tree in the palace—they are responsible for it all.”
Duoduo understood.
If she wanted information about the consorts in the Cold Palace, the best thing would be to make a trip to the Office of Palace Affairs.
Unfortunately, that was unrealistic.
Leaving aside the fact that it would be improper for a commandery princess to ask for information about the emperor’s consorts, even if she went there, no one would pay attention to her simply because of her status.
She would have to think of another way.
“Great-Grandmother, have you never thought about finding out how many people are still in the Cold Palace?”
“What if some of the consorts in the Cold Palace have already died, but the people below never reported it and have continued drawing their stipends?”
Duoduo recalled some of the unofficial history Li Jin had told her.
The Empress Dowager looked startled.
“That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“Deceiving the emperor is a serious crime! Who would dare to break the rules deliberately?”
Duoduo shook her head.
“Didn’t you just say that the consorts in the Cold Palace aren’t allowed to leave, and only eunuchs can go in and out?”
“Then couldn’t the eunuchs say whatever they wanted?”
“Besides, if a consort is out of favor, surely no one above would bother investigating…”
Duoduo had only spoken halfway when she noticed the Empress Dowager looking at her suspiciously.
She hurriedly stopped.
“Changle, why are you suddenly so interested in the Cold Palace today?”
Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
“It’s because of that eunuch just now.”
“This is the first time I’ve learned that the eunuchs from the Cold Palace can actually leave.”
The Empress Dowager paused.
After living in the palace for so long, anyone would understand some of its unspoken rules.
Duoduo did not live in the palace, so it was only natural that she did not understand.
The Empress Dowager did not want to explain too much to her. After all, Duoduo was still very young.
“The key lies with the Office of Palace Affairs,” the Empress Dowager hinted.
“Then, according to what you’re saying, Great-Grandmother, isn’t the Office of Palace Affairs second only to Grandfather?”
The Empress Dowager gently tapped the back of Duoduo’s hand.
“Don’t say such nonsense!”
“They’re merely a bunch of eunuchs. How could they dare to place themselves above their masters?”
Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
“Yes, Changle was wrong.”
Yet the Empress Dowager began pondering what Duoduo had just said.
People became nostalgic as they grew older.
She could not help feeling curious. She wanted to know which of the people who had once been with her were still alive.
With that thought, the Empress Dowager turned around.
The nanny, who had been standing at a distance, immediately saw her mistress’s gaze and hurried over.
“Your Majesty, what are your orders?”
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment.
“Go to the Office of Palace Affairs and have them bring me a copy of the Cold Palace registry!”
Duoduo’s eyes lit up.
Great-Grandmother was amazing!
She had actually thought of exactly what Duoduo needed!
The nanny paused.
“Your Majesty, do you want the complete registry?”
The Empress Dowager nodded. “They recently replaced the eunuchs in the Cold Palace, didn’t they?”
“With the emperor unconscious, I should help him inspect the matter.”
The nanny understood.
If the emperor passed away, the consorts in the Cold Palace would have to be buried with him as well.
If someone tampered with the records in advance and allowed anyone to escape, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor!
“Yes! I’ll go at once!”
The nanny called over a palace maid to accompany the Empress Dowager and Duoduo, then went to the Office of Palace Affairs herself.
Seeing that it was getting late, Duoduo helped the Empress Dowager walk back.
“Great-Grandmother, that’s enough exercise for today.”
“Let’s go back!”
The Empress Dowager felt relieved. “Oh, thank goodness it’s finally over!”
“If we walk any farther, my legs won’t belong to me anymore!”
She was joking.
“Great-Grandmother, you should walk like this every day from now on!”
“If you don’t want to walk, I can teach you some exercises instead!”
The Empress Dowager hurriedly shook her head.
“I can walk! I’m the Empress Dowager—what would it look like for me to practice martial arts?”
“No exercises! No exercises!”
Duoduo pressed her lips together and smiled. “If you walk, there won’t be any exercises!”
The Empress Dowager shook her head helplessly. “I’m truly afraid of you!”
Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
“Great-Grandmother, Changle is only doing this for your health!”
“You don’t know—your nanny went to the Prince of Pingyang’s residence and told Father that you were dying.”
“You should have seen how pale Father’s face turned!”
“Without saying another word, he ordered Changle to hurry into the palace and treat you.”
“Father kept reminding me that I absolutely had to cure you!”
“Please, for Father’s sake, take better care of yourself.”
The Empress Dowager patted Duoduo’s hand with emotion.
“Your father is a filial son!”
“Your grandfather knows that very well too.”
