Chapter 157: Dont spook the Villian 3 (1/2)
The Crown Prince Mansion
Zhu Faye wasn't the only person to receive a letter from an anonymous person, two of such letters were sent to the Crown Prince's mansion. One was addressed to the Crown Prince while the other was addressed to Zhu Fenfang. No matter how much Zhu Faye tried to find out who it came from but found nothing,
Whoever sent him the letter hid well, although he had a few suspicions because of the content of the letter. While he couldn't find where or who the letter came from he discovered that two of such letters were sent to the Crown Prince's mansion. This pricked his interest since instead of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess consort being the recipient of the letter.
He was surprised when the other recipient apart from the Crown Prince was Zhu Fenfang. This got him investigating his younger sister, he was curious about what the sender found in her.
Meanwhile, at Zhu fenfang's end. The letter never arrived through the proper channels, which was through the door but was sent through her maid Xiao Chu. Concubines, we're pretty much confined to their room and hence wasn't allowed much outside correspondence.
To combat this rule Zhu fenfang received messages and other things through Xiao Chu. She was shocked when Xiao Chu handed a letter over to her. There was no name on the letter indicating who the letter came from, only her name was written on the envelope.
Zhu Fenfang turned the envelope back and forth a few times while looking carefully to check if the sender left any initials but got nothing. She glanced at Xiao Chu and frowning slightly asked, ”Where did you get this?”
”Eh,” Xiao Chu raised her bent head, stepped forward and gazed at the envelope in her mistress's hand. ”It was among the correspondence given by steward Li. The rest was from my hometown but only this was addressed to you”
Zhu Fenfang pressed her lip into a thin line and stared at the letter for a few seconds. While she did know who the letter came from, she would be lying if she claimed not to be a little curious about the content of the letter. She picked up the small letter knife in a basket beside her table and cut the envelope open.
She pulled the flat folded paper out and unfolded the paper. She slapped the table in range after reading the letter. The writer provided evidence of Su Liya and Lu Yaozhu's involvement in her nearly losing an opportunity to get married to the Crown Prince. Zhu Fenfang never liked Su Liya so she believed the evidence without question.
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Back at the Crown Prince Study
The Crown Prince held a similar envelope in hand but unlike Zhu Fenfang's letter, his was thicker. The sender left a rather cryptic message.
”Noble Consort Tong didn't die a natural death, she was poisoned by the Empress. Look for the old Nanny that server her at the Noble Consort's Palace surnamed Chu.”
He dropped the piece of paper on the table I don't of him and sorted out the other reports added into the letter. He read through a few that was correspondence between Minister Zhu the past Duke of Wu, Lu Hongli and the Empress. He passed at the correspondence that came sent four days before his mother's death.
A memory of his mother bringing him over to the Empress's palace a few days before her death suddenly came up.
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it was a cool spring day, instead of sending him over to Chengkun hall for his daily lessons with his Imperial Tutors. His mother asked for a day's leave, it was a very memorable day for him because his mother personally made his favourite breakfast.
His mother took him out to play for hours after they had eaten their breakfast.
Imperial Consort Tong watch got tearful as she watched her six years old son run through the small garden adjacent to her palace with glee. Her Ling'er was a very beautiful and obedient boy, it was always a good sight watching him run around. Although she tried to put on a cheerful expression, she was far from cheerful.
She wiped her eye with the back of her eyes as the beautiful memories they shared, ran through her mind. Imperial Consort Tong ignored the fatigue she felt as she sat on a blanket and watched her son run around. Nanny Chu her old Nanny and dowry maid gaze went from her weak mistress to the energetic young Prince and shock her head.
Ignorance was bliss, the young Prince was too young to notice that his mother wasn't as strong as she usually was. Nanny Chu had watched her mistress grow up, she more than most was familiar with her young Mistress's health conditions. While her mistress wasn't the healthiest, her health wasn't this bad until she was entered the Imperial harem. Her health seemed to have worsened after the young prince was born.
When Imperial Consort Tong couldn't tolerate the harsh weather outside, she called the young Zhongshan Ling back. It was almost 3 pm, they needed to get to the Empress's palace. The Young Zhongshan Ling was neither aware of his mother's inner thoughts nor her health condition.