Chapter 88

Proofreader: Mim

The more fearful a person is, the more they dread seeing others band together.

Li Zhi was fully aware of Xie Shencong’s intent when he chose to reveal the truth to Lu Yao—not earlier, not later, but precisely when the bond between them had grown strong. His actions were calculated, designed to sow seeds of discord.

It was a testament to how fragile his inner world was.

He feared people nobler than himself, people more capable than him, and even the idea of lowly women in the harem forming alliances strong enough to challenge his authority.

His illegitimate claim to the throne had left a deep-rooted fear buried in his heart.

Li Zhi mentally added this to the growing list of wrongs she intended to see repaid to him in the future, one by one.

But for now, her priority was uncovering the truth behind the ghostly disturbances at Changqiu Hall.

Though she hadn’t caught the cloaked figure the previous night, she hadn’t returned empty-handed either.

The next morning, after reporting for duty in the palace, Li Zhi made her way to the Bureau of Attire, which was in the same section of the palace.

The female officials on duty at the Bureau of Attire grew visibly nervous upon seeing the Director Li herself arrive. They exchanged uneasy glances, worried that someone in their department might have violated palace regulations.

“I’m out of incense and came to pick up some more,” Li Zhi said with a polite smile.

The officials collectively sighed in relief. A female official in a green dress stepped forward and said, “Director Li, please follow me.”

Li Zhi followed her into the inner chambers of the Bureau of Attire and entered a room specifically dedicated to storing incense. The walls were lined with cabinets that looked like traditional medicine chests, each with countless small compartments for different types of incense.

“What kind of incense would you like?” the official asked.

“During one of my inspections, I caught a whiff of an orchid-like fragrance. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Do you have something like that here?”

“Orchid?”

The official opened several compartments, pulling out samples of incense for Li Zhi to smell.

“Is it this one?”

Li Zhi sniffed a few samples, but while they all carried orchid-like scents, none matched the crisp, cool fragrance she had smelled on the cloaked figure the other night.

“The one I smelled was cleaner, sharper—like a cold orchid. These are a bit too heavy,” Li Zhi explained.

The official furrowed her brows in thought before her face lit up in realization. “Could it be Cold Orchid Incense that you’re referring to?”

“Cold Orchid Incense?”

The official led Li Zhi to a cabinet in the far corner of the room. As she opened one of the compartments, the scent wafted out before the incense itself was even revealed.

“That’s it!” Li Zhi exclaimed.

“This incense is only used by the imperial consorts—the empress and Noble Consort Yi,” the official explained with a smile. “It’s an imported treasure from overseas, extremely rare.”

“Are you sure only Noble Consort Yi and the empress are allowed to use it?”

The official hesitated before replying, “This servant would not dare to deceive the Director Li. Cold Orchid Incense is indeed extraordinarily precious, reserved exclusively for the empress and Noble Consort Yi. Otherwise, I’d be happy to make an exception for you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Li Zhi said. “Is there a record of who has received Cold Orchid Incense from the Bureau of Attire?”

“Yes, yes!”

The official led Li Zhi back to the main hall of the Bureau of Attire and retrieved a usage record from a stack of files.

Because Cold Orchid Incense was so rare and only available to a select few, the records were concise—a single sheet covering five years’ worth of distributions. Li Zhi skimmed through the list and committed the names of all recipients to memory.

“Is it possible for anyone outside this list to obtain Cold Orchid Incense?” Li Zhi asked.

“If it didn’t come through the Bureau of Attire, then no,” the official said firmly. “Taking such incense without authorization is a crime punishable by death. None of us would dare do such a thing! However…” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “The Consorts are generous and might gift it to others. That’s beyond the control of the Bureau.”

“I understand,” Li Zhi said with a nod. “Thank you for your help. I won’t trouble you further. For now, I’ll just take some of the first incense I smelled earlier.” She smiled as she made her request.

After leaving the Bureau of Attire, Li Zhi headed straight to Yaohua Palace.

With the empress’s seat vacant for many years, the only person in the harem entitled to use Cold Orchid Incense was Noble Consort Yi. Unsurprisingly, all the names on the Bureau’s record came from Yaohua Palace.

At Yaohua Palace, Li Zhi was greeted by the chief palace maid, a woman of striking beauty and sharp eyes that betrayed her cunning.

“The records of Cold Orchid Incense distributions?” the chief maid repeated, her brows furrowing tightly upon hearing Li Zhi’s request.

“Is the Director Li now managing whom our consort chooses to gift her incense to?” she said sharply.

“The Palace Administration Bureau is investigating a matter concerning the harem,” Li Zhi replied calmly, her tone unwavering. “I ask for your cooperation, Madam.”

The chief maid sneered, her voice dripping with hostility. “If you need someone to cooperate, why don’t you go bother Zhaoyi Lu instead? How dare you show your face in Yaohua Palace after what you did…”

“Why all the noise outside?”

A cold, impatient voice interrupted the maid’s tirade, cutting her off mid-sentence.

“Noble Consort!” The chief palace maid hurried back to Noble Consort Yi’s side. “Director Li has come, saying she’s investigating some case and asking about who received our Cold Orchid Incense as a reward.”

Upon hearing this, Noble Consort Yi let out a cold snort, her disdain written clearly on her face. “Who I reward with my belongings is my business. Does the Director Li think she has the right to meddle in my affairs?”

“Exactly! I was just about to send her packing,” the chief maid said obsequiously. “Noble Consort, your headache hasn’t healed yet. You should go back and lie down.”

“I’ve rested enough—so much that I feel dizzy from lying around,” Noble Consort Yi replied impatiently.

“Then let me escort Noble Consort to the garden for a stroll.”

Seeing that the two were about to dismiss her entirely, Li Zhi stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Noble Consort Yi.

“Noble Consort,” she began with a calm and composed tone, “as the Emperor’s beloved Imperial Consort and the acting holder of the Phoenix Seal, you have governed the harem with unparalleled grace and wisdom. Under your leadership, the consorts, concubines, and female officials of the palace each perform their duties flawlessly.

“I’ve come to seek your assistance today, Noble Consort, because as you stand in place of the Empress, the Palace Administration Bureau serves you just as it serves the Empress. I have only a few questions to ask, and this matter concerns the stability of the harem. I humbly ask for your help.”

Noble Consort Yi, who was known to be easily swayed by flattery, wavered at Li Zhi’s words. Sure enough, her hostility began to fade as a hint of bewilderment crossed her face. Half-convinced and half-confused, she asked, “What is it you wish to know?”

“The Cold Orchid Incense you received from the Bureau of Attire—aside from your own use, did you reward any of it to others?”

“How am I supposed to remember such a trivial thing?” Noble Consort Yi frowned. “It’s just some worthless trinket. If I gave it away, I gave it away. Who would bother keeping track of that?”

Li Zhi turned her attention to the chief maid, hoping to glean more information from her.

“Madam, as someone who’s always by Noble Consort’s side, surely you must have some idea?”

The chief maid sneered. “The Cold Orchid Incense we get from the Bureau of Attire is so limited each year. We hardly ever use it ourselves, let alone give it away freely—”

She stopped mid-sentence, her expression changing as if something had just dawned on her.

“Oh! I remember now!” The chief maid turned to Noble Consort Yi, her eyes wide with realization. “Noble Consort, didn’t you give away quite a bit of it once?”

“When was that?” Noble Consort Yi asked, still confused.

“It was when…” The chief maid leaned close to Noble Consort Yi and whispered something in her ear.

Noble Consort Yi’s face lit up with understanding.

“Ah, yes, now I remember. I don’t lack for such things. Yaohua Palace has more incense than I could ever use. He helped me handle a matter, so I rewarded him with some.”

When Noble Consort Yi uttered the name of the person she had rewarded, it was like Li Zhi had found the loose thread in a tangled ball of yarn. Now that she had the thread, unraveling the whole truth was only a matter of time.

Everything was starting to fall into place—bizarre yet perfectly logical.

—

Night descended quickly.

Feeling inspired, the Emperor had decided against summoning any consorts that evening. Instead, he spent the night in Ziwei Palace tinkering with his woodworking projects.

As the Emperor’s chief eunuch, Gao Shan was well aware of his master’s dual nature. On one hand, Xie Shencong was diligent to the point of obsession—his attendance at court sessions since ascending the throne far surpassed that of his predecessors combined. On the other hand, he had peculiar hobbies and was always eager to try new things—painting, woodworking, music… the list went on.

The Emperor often remarked that, as a child from a poor family, he couldn’t afford to pay for lessons. Instead, he wandered the streets aimlessly. Becoming Emperor, he said, had finally given him the opportunity to learn whatever he wanted from the best teachers.

To Gao Shan, these remarks were nothing more than polite rhetoric. Everyone knew the true perks of being Emperor had little to do with education.

As Xie Shencong stifled a yawn, Gao Shan promptly presented him with a cup of hot tea.

The Emperor took a sip and handed the cup back. Gao Shan understood—this was the Emperor’s signal that it was time for bed.

He summoned the palace maids, who quietly entered in a line to attend to the Emperor.

Once the Emperor had changed into his nightclothes and lain down on the golden dragon bed, Gao Shan waited until the sound of his even breathing filled the room. Only then did his day’s work temporarily conclude. He handed the Emperor over to the night attendants and silently withdrew from Ziwei Palace.

As the chief eunuch, Gao Shan had his own quarters within Ziwei Palace, sparing him from the cramped and foul-smelling dormitories shared by other eunuchs.

His room was sparse, almost barren, as though it were uninhabited.

Returning to his chambers, Gao Shan was just about to undress for a bath when a eunuch hurried in and whispered something in his ear. Without even bothering to refasten his half-removed sash, Gao Shan grabbed a lantern and made his way to the Cold Palace.

Carrying the lantern, Gao Shan walked briskly along the silent palace paths, his footsteps echoing faintly in the stillness. A young eunuch scurried after him, holding another lantern. The mingling light of the two lanterns and the moon cast their shadows, one tall and one short, faint and blurred like wisps of night mist.

Upon reaching the Cold Palace, the two eunuchs standing guard opened the gates without needing to be asked.

Gao Shan and his attendant entered, heading straight to a dilapidated courtyard with a lit room. Gao Shan handed his lantern to the young eunuch and instructed him to stay outside before stepping into the room.

Moments later, Gao Shan’s voice could be heard from inside.

“…How many times do I have to tell you? Staying inside is for your own good.”

“Here, I brought your favorite milk candy. Eat this, and you’re not to go out again tonight.”

“The Sixth Prince is doing well—he’s put on some weight and looks more and more like you. He was already asleep when I came, but if you want to see him, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Patiently, Gao Shan coaxed the tearful woman until her weary eyes finally closed.

In the dim candlelight, his usually pale complexion seemed almost warm. Gently, he brushed aside the strands of gray in her hair as she rested her head on his lap.

After a long while, he carefully laid her head back on the pillow, tucked in the blanket, and blew out the candle. With one last glance at the sleeping woman, he turned and left the courtyard.

For ten years, he had done this without fail.

As he exited the Cold Palace, the faint trace of warmth on his face was swept away by the night wind. By the time he walked past the guards, he was once again the fearsome Chief Eunuch Gao Shan, whose name alone made people tremble.

After leaving the Cold Palace, Gao Shan gave the guards a stern warning to remain vigilant. They quickly and nervously assured him they would keep their eyes wide open.

Taking the lantern from the young eunuch, Gao Shan headed back toward Ziwei Palace.

But as he turned a corner on the palace path, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Standing by the wall, Li Zhi straightened up and smiled as their eyes met.

“Chief Eunuch Gao,” she said lightly, “what brings you to the Cold Palace so late at night?”