Li Desheng frowned: "If you ask what happened, it's that His Majesty favored Consort De. He had been keeping her around but had never summoned her to his bedchamber. However, on that day, he slept with Consort De in a side hall of the Jade Pavilion..."
v79
Huangfu Mi and Huangfu Yu exchanged a glance: "Double Ten Festival? What happened that night?"
What happened?
Li Desheng frowned: "If you ask what happened, it's that His Majesty favored Consort De. He had been keeping her around but had never summoned her to his bedchamber. However, on that day, he slept with Consort De in a side hall of the Jade Sheng Tower..."
Li Desheng continued to ramble on, but the two brothers lost interest in listening. They instructed Li Desheng to keep a close watch on Zhengyang Palace, and then the two brothers headed towards Yusheng Tower together.
Since it all started back then, there might be some clues there.
As always, several guards stood watch outside the Jade Sheng Tower. When they saw the brothers Huangfu Mi and Huangfu Yu, they bowed, but the two brothers paid no attention and went inside on their own.
Yusheng Tower was a place where banquets were held in the palace during the day, and there were usually not many people there. The way to the side hall was very smooth. They went straight in and no one stopped them. The two of them then split up to look for clues in the hall.
Actually, we don't know if anything will be left behind. After all, several days have passed since that night, and the palace maids and eunuchs have cleaned up. Even if there was anything, it would probably have been cleaned up. But we should still check if there is any hope.
The side hall of Yusheng Tower was used exclusively for the emperor's rest. The two brothers had never been inside before, and this was their first time. The furnishings were not much different from those in the inner hall of Zhengyang Palace. The beds, tables, and chairs were all made of the same material. However, the inner hall of Zhengyang Palace had a large incense burner specifically for burning incense, while Yusheng Tower used a smaller table incense burner.
Huangfu Mi didn't pay much attention at first, just searching around the room to see if there was anything unusual, when suddenly he smelled a pleasant fragrance. The scent wasn't strong, but it wasn't like ordinary incense. It seemed like he had smelled it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.
He walked to the table where the incense burner was placed.
The incense burner was still on the table, the incense inside had burned out and there was nothing left. However, even so, the fragrance emanating from it still allowed him to pinpoint the source; the fragrance came from here.
But after searching around, he couldn't find any spices anywhere. The familiar feeling made him wonder where he had seen them before.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside, and a man who looked like a eunuch came running in from outside the door.
Huangfu Mi recognized the man; who else could it be but the Empress's personal eunuch? He exchanged a glance with Huangfu Yu, and just then, the eunuch approached them: "My lords, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."
Their tone was urgent. The two exchanged a brief glance, and Huangfu Yu nodded slightly. Huangfu Mi understood and temporarily suppressed her doubts. She then left with the eunuch and Huangfu Yu.
--
In the Chonghua Hall, the Empress sat in the center, dressed in a bright red court robe, adorned with jewels.
Upon seeing Huangfu Yu and Huangfu Mi, his tense expression relaxed, and he raised his hand to them, saying, "You've arrived."
Her tone was so gentle, as if nothing had happened. If Meng Wan hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, Huangfu Yu and Huangfu Mi would never have believed that the Empress would send a woman to the Emperor's side to bewitch him.
Unfortunately, the facts are the facts. After two days of observation, it's clear that the Empress is plotting something—to capture the Emperor, or something even bigger... But for now, they can only pretend they know nothing.
"I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"
Fearing that Huangfu Mi might say something rash in anger, Huangfu Yu gave him a wink before speaking first.
Although Huangfu Mi acted impulsively, he now knew to think things through. After all, they had no evidence, and the Empress hadn't actually done anything. If they broke off relations, it would only harm them.
The Empress smiled slightly, pleased with their restraint. She nodded and stroked her long nails, saying with a soft laugh, "It's nothing. I just haven't seen you two brothers in a long time and missed you dearly, so I sent someone to summon you."
That's a really weak reason. They had no idea that the Empress still had feelings for them.
However, he had to pretend to be nonchalant. Huangfu Yu cupped his hands and said, "It was my fault for not paying my respects to the Empress Dowager. Please do not take offense!"
The Empress's smile deepened.
Several months have passed since Huangfu Yu broke off relations with her, and he really hasn't changed at all. He can always remain calm and collected, and he's still the same pathetic person.
She raised her hand and said, "Now that your father is getting old, he hasn't attended court for the past two days. He still has to trouble you with the affairs of state, so I don't blame you for not coming. State affairs are the most important!"
They remained outwardly respectable, as if it were truly the case.
Huangfu Yu nodded, but Huangfu Mi sneered coldly from the side: "What Mother said is very true. However, as far as I know, Father's absence from court is not due to physical illness, but because Consort De has bewitched him, causing him to indulge in pleasure and neglect state affairs. As the head of the harem, why doesn't Mother step out to stop him, but instead turns a blind eye?"
The Empress was taken aback by the insightful remark and couldn't help but glance at Huangfu Mi again.
He really has an eccentric personality. He dares to say things that Huangfu Yu wouldn't dare to say. He's truly not to be underestimated.
"It's not that I don't care, it's just that His Majesty dotes on Consort De so much that I'm afraid I can't do anything about it!" The Empress said with a smile, "Think about yourself. Didn't you get beaten by His Majesty because of this? He loves you so much that he's willing to hurt you, so what can I do?"
She completely denied everything, just as they had expected. Now, unless they produce evidence, she will never confess!
"Whether it is a lack of power or there is another reason, Mother knows in her heart. If it is truly a lack of power, then Mother can work with us brothers to come up with a solution. We must not let a vixen bring disaster to the country and the people. Otherwise, it will be Mother's fault."
Huangfu Mi said something indifferently, and after speaking, without waiting for the Empress to react, she gave her a slight curtsy and then left with Huangfu Yu, leaving the Empress sitting there with a dazed expression.
"Fifth Brother, did I say anything inappropriate just now?"
After leaving Zhengyang Palace, when only the brothers Huangfu Mi and Huangfu Yu remained, Huangfu Mi asked a question in a low voice.
He felt there was nothing wrong with it, but he was worried about alerting the enemy, so he sought Huangfu Yu's opinion.
Huangfu Yu shook his head: "There's nothing wrong with it. But the Empress, judging from her expression, there really is something wrong. I think the reason she sent someone to call us from Yusheng Tower is probably because she's afraid we'll find out something."
This was also what Huangfu Mi was thinking. The Empress must have learned that the two of them had gone to Yusheng Tower and was worried that something might be discovered, so she summoned them there. In that case, could Yusheng Tower really have left any clues? But just now, they clearly did not see anything.
Thinking this way, upon returning to the mansion, I felt as if something had been overlooked. However, the Empress's meddling prevented me from remembering it. With a heart full of thoughts, I ate my meal and went to bed early, my mind still a jumble of ideas.
What was the Empress's purpose in having Consort De bewitch the Emperor? What clues were there at the Jade Pavilion? And why did the Emperor favor Consort De so much, to the point of being insane?
Thinking this, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, morning arrived, and as the first rays of dawn shone down, he rushed back to the palace. Before it was fully light, he planned to sneak into Yusheng Tower to take a look. But as soon as he passed Desheng Gate, he saw Li Desheng hurriedly walking out of the Imperial Kitchen, followed by a group of palace maids.
Huangfu Mi was clearly taken aback. His visit to Yusheng Tower could be put on hold for now. But what was Li Desheng doing so early in the morning?
He stepped forward: "Eunuch Li, it's not time for breakfast yet, why are you serving it so early?"