It had been only a few days since Ye Zhiqiu's conversation with Song Yan when he sensed that the atmosphere in the palace was a bit off. Every maid he passed by looked terrified, as if something extraordinary had happened. An odd atmosphere pervaded the entire palace.
"What is the master thinking about? You seem so absorbed!" Le Ning was writing a topic on the paper. By chance, she glanced aside and saw Ye Zhiqiu in a daze. Perhaps he was so deep in thought that he didn't even hear her calling him. So she waved her hand in front of his eyes.
Le Ning's voice pulled Ye Zhiqiu's wandering thoughts back. Looking at Le Ning who was tilting her head to look at him, he said, "Maybe I haven't had a good rest recently. Thank you, Princess, for your concern."
"Is it that the maids in the palace haven't served you well? If so, I'll talk to Mother later. We mustn't treat the master badly." Le Ning frowned gracefully with her head down and said this discontentedly.
Ye Zhiqiu just made up an excuse casually and didn't want to discuss this topic anymore.
When he returned to his palace, he always felt that the maids around were acting strangely. Their faces were full of panic, and the dark circles under their eyes showed that they hadn't had a good rest for a long time.
"Has anything happened in the palace recently?" The more Ye Zhiqiu thought about it, the more strange he felt. So he stopped a maid who was pouring tea and whispered this.
He used the same tone as usual, and his words sounded like an ordinary chat, just not to seem too deliberate.
But when the maid heard this question, her shoulders trembled violently. The next second, she buried her head low, and even her voice was trembling. "R...Returning to Young Master Ye, there is... nothing unusual in the palace..."
Ye Zhiqiu frowned when he heard this. The maid's reaction didn't seem to match what she said. There must be something going on in the palace.
"If it's really as you said, why are your shoulders trembling so much?" Ye Zhiqiu softened his tone a little to make the other person less nervous.
But unexpectedly, the maid just knelt down on the ground with a thud when she heard this. She pressed her forehead against the back of her hand and bowed in Ye Zhiqiu's direction.
"I really don't know anything. I hope Young Master Ye won't ask anymore..." The maid said this tremblingly, and her shoulders were still shaking.
She looked extremely terrified. Seeing this, Ye Zhiqiu clenched his fist in his sleeve. He didn't want to embarrass this maid anymore, so he waved his hand in her direction. "I see. You can go."
Hearing this, the maid quickly lowered her head and rushed out of the room. After the door was closed, Ye Zhiqiu was left alone. He looked at the water cup on the table and fell into deep thought.
Judging from the current situation, something must have happened in the palace, and the news must have been blocked, especially from him.
Even if he asked others, he probably wouldn't get a real answer.
But what on earth could have happened to make the maids so scared?
Ye Zhiqiu thought for a long time but couldn't come up with an accurate answer.
And his doubt was finally revealed that night.
That night, when Ye Zhiqiu turned off the light and was about to go to bed, a shrill scream suddenly came from the courtyard. The scream was so sharp that it startled the larks on the branches. Hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu thought something was wrong and quickly put on his coat and rushed to the courtyard.
When he arrived, there was only a body under the flowerbed in the courtyard. He took a step forward and saw the face of the body clearly.
It was the maid he had asked during the day whether there was anything unusual in the palace.
She was still standing in front of him pouring tea during the day, but in just a few hours, all that was left in front of him was a still-warm body.
Her eyes were wide open, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying before she died.
Ye Zhiqiu squatted down and examined for a while. He found that the cause of her death was the knife wound on her neck. She died of excessive blood loss after her artery was cut by a sharp blade.
He was very familiar with this method. It was the same as the method used by the serial killer who had once made the common people panic, and it was also the method used to kill him.
But this time the method was a little different from usual. The murderer just cut the artery and didn't mess up the body with the blade. Instead, he left a complete body and appearance.
Although the body was not disfigured, her chest was empty. Her heart had been taken away.
It seemed that the murderer just wanted him to know who the dead person was.
This was a threat and a reminder.
It reminded him that if he continued to investigate this matter, more than just this maid would die.
He frowned, and his hand in his sleeve tightened. Facing this situation, he needed to make a decision.
He didn't know the murderer's purpose yet, but if he really ignored this matter, the murderer would definitely not let him go. On the contrary, there would be more victims.
He reached out and covered the maid's face, closing her wide-open eyelids. Then he stood up. He looked up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky!
He closed his eyes slightly.
At the same time, on the eaves on the other side, a man in black was standing not far away, looking at Ye Zhiqiu standing in the courtyard. A strong killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"It's not the time yet..."
The man in black murmured this in a low voice. Then he flashed and melted into the night.
That night, Ye Zhiqiu wrote a letter and asked someone to send it to the Investigation Department outside the palace. But the letter was intercepted before it could leave the palace gate.
Liu Shiyao looked at the letter. The things written on it were very cryptic. Presumably Ye Zhiqiu also knew that the letter would be intercepted, so he didn't write the matter clearly.
But Liu Shiyao could still tell what information was being conveyed on it. Thinking of what had happened in the palace recently, it wasn't hard to guess what Ye Zhiqiu wanted to express to the Investigation Department.
She rubbed her forehead and put the letter back into the envelope.
"Master... what should we do with this letter?" The man in black kneeling on the ground lowered his head and didn't dare to look at her. He just said this respectfully.
Liu Shiyao half-closed her eyes and pointed at the letter. She said unhurriedly, "Let it go. Send the letter out. I'd like to see what waves these two people can stir up."
"Yes." Hearing the order, the man in black lowered his head in response. After taking the letter, he withdrew from the palace.
After the door closed with a soft sound, Liu Shiyao couldn't bear the pain anymore. She covered her forehead. She didn't even have the strength to pour a glass of water.
Her headache had lasted for a long time, but it was particularly severe today. It was as if her brain was being gnawed by countless insects and ants. The pain made her fall to the ground.
She supported the corner of the table. Now her vision was blurred. Everything she saw was double. The severe pain in her head made her out of control.
Just then, the palace door was pushed open. Liu Shiyao looked in the direction of the door and roared, "Who!"
"I'm here to save you. I think... you should need this."
The person's voice was very low. Liu Shiyao watched as the person in front of her walked towards her step by step. Blood was still dripping from her palm.
She held out the thing in her hand in front of Liu Shiyao, with no expression on her face.
Liu Shiyao took the thing from her hand and took a big bite. The smell of blood spread in her mouth. She could never get used to this disgusting smell no matter how many times she experienced it.
After eating the thing in her hand, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes. The feeling of being gnawed by insects and ants in her head gradually faded away. After a while, the pain was completely gone.
She rubbed her forehead, supported the table and stood up. She sat back on the chair. Looking at the person standing in front of her, the person was wrapped in a black robe, and the smell of blood on her body lingered for a long time.
There was a strong killing intent in her eyes. At this moment, she was looking at Liu Shiyao and smiling.
Although she was smiling, her appearance made people feel panicked.
"What's his move?" The person stood with her hands behind her back and walked to the candle. She picked at the wick and asked in a low voice.
Liu Shiyao had just recovered from the severe pain in her head. Her voice was still a little weak. "He sent a letter to the Investigation Department."
"Oh? It seems that he wants to involve the Investigation Department in this matter. But it's okay. We can just get rid of the annoying guys together." The corner of the person's mouth curled up into a cold smile. The dancing candle flame was reflected in her eyes. As she spoke, she exerted force on her hand and extinguished the candle.
"You should know what to do next, right?"
"Of course I do."
"Okay. It's getting late. Go to bed early." After saying this, the person put on her hat and turned to leave.
In the Ganlu Palace on the other side, Qing Jing looked at the moon covered by clouds in the night sky. For some reason, he felt a sense of uneasiness in his heart.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty? You seem to be in a bad mood. Is there something bothering you in the court?" Shen Mingyue walked up to Qing Jing and put the outer robe in her hand on his shoulder. She asked with concern.
Qing Jing reached out and covered Shen Mingyue's hand. He lowered his eyes and let down his guard. "I'm just worried that there will be a bloodbath in the palace. I don't know if my decision back then was right or wrong..."
"Your Majesty must have already made a decision in your heart, right? Since Your Majesty already knows which pieces should be discarded, why are you so unhappy now?" Shen Mingyue gently patted the back of his hand and spoke in a tone like coaxing a child.
Qing Jing looked at Shen Mingyue's face and said in a low voice, "I'm just afraid... that I won't be able to protect you at that time."
"I'll always be by Your Majesty's side." Shen Mingyue showed a smile. She leaned on Qing Jing's shoulder and looked at the distant sky. It looked like a storm was coming.
She didn't know what would happen in the days after today, but all she could do now was to live in the moment.
On this night, everyone was lost in complex thoughts looking at the moon.