Chapter 352 (1/2)

Chapter 352: Reaping what you sow

Qi Yun didn't look pleased, but Nan Xun had said what he wanted to say. Jun Huang was still waiting for him outside. He walked away without a word.

Watching him go, Qi Yun's expression relaxed somewhat. He sighed and called out for the captain of the imperial guards he'd sent for.

“What has Your Highness summoned this official for?”

“Take your most trusted men and surround the Palace of Compa.s.sion and Tranquility,” Qi Yun said. “Don't let anyone leave.”

The captain looked at Qi Yun in shock. “Why? It's the empress dowager…”

“Oh, do you think I need your permission to do anything?” Qi Yun's face clouded. The captain accepted his order obediently and left.

Not long after, the palace was surrounded by the imperial guard. All entrance and exit were restricted. The empress dowager almost fainted when she heard. She spat, “b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Is he going to make this my prison? Not even my son had done that to me. How dare he?!”

The maids were too afraid to even make a sound. The old caretaker smoothed a hand over the empress dowager's back to help her breathe, worried that she'd black out from her fury. “You have to take care of yourself, Your Royal Highness. The prince has only committed such an atrocity because he's blinded by anger. Don't forget that he's known for his filial piety. Once he finds out the truth, he won't make things difficult for you.”

“Ha, piety?” The empress dowager scoffed, dismissing the caretaker's words. “Do you think I don't know how my unfortunate son died? I have eyes.”

The maids broke into a cold sweat, terrified. The old caretaker dropped down to her knees with a loud thud. “There are always unwanted ears listening in, Your Royal Highness. You must not say something like that. If the prince hears it, he…”

The empress dowager realized her mistake before the caretaker finished. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and her breathing quickened. She wiped her forehead with the handkerchief the caretaker handed her.

It had been an eventful day. Those in the Palace of Compa.s.sion and Tranquility soon fell asleep. Under the moonlight, a person dressed in black rushed to the wall by the door. Once they made sure no one was around, they slipped something through the bottom of the wall and left.

The imperial guards had been watching. The captain waited until the person left before quietly making his way to the door.

Slipped through the crack beneath the wall was an envelope. The captain swapped it with an empty one and had his people keep watch. He would find out who had been getting intels from the mole within the palace.

“Your Highness, the captain of the imperial guard asked for an audience,” the eunuch said.

Qi Yun looked up from the reports and let the captain in, who handed him the letter without a word. Qi Yun's expression clouded as he read it.

Written in detail was what had happened to Jun Huang in the Palace of Compa.s.sion and Tranquility. He narrowed his eyes and huffed. “Did you catch the one recieving the message? How about the mole?”

The captain held his breath and shook his head. “Forgive this official for my incompetence. I was too far away, and whoever it was had disguised themselves. To avoid alerting them, I kept my distance. And no one has shown up to take the letter yet.”

Qi Yun kept his questions to himself and dismissed the captain, telling him to keep a close eye on the palace. If no progress had been made, he'd go to the Palace of Compa.s.sion and Tranquility himself to investigate tomorrow.

That night, no one showed up for the letter, and they still didn't know who the mole within the palace was. Enraged, Qi Yun took his men to the palace. He didn't want to worsen his relations.h.i.+p with the empress dowager, so he summoned only the servants and didn't notify the empress dowager.

The servants exchanged a puzzled look. Qi Yun looked them over with a dark expression.

“Who among you left the palace last night?” he asked in a frigid tone.

The servants shook their heads. Qi Yun frowned. He couldn't tell who the suspects could be, but the issue was too serious for him to not take action now. It could easily come back to bite them.

Not wanting to leave anything to chance, Qi Yun waved the captain of the imperial guard over. “Take care of them. Keep everything a secret. Rea.s.sign some of the servants in my palace here for the moment.”

The captain nodded and watched Qi Yun go. He s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the servants. They trembled in fear, but their pleading was lost on a man with a hardened heart. The captain made his order to his subordinates and left.