Hearing Wei Shuxuan's voice, Xiaoxiao turned around nervously. Head down, she replied to her master in a trembling voice, "Y-yes... I wonder what Lord Wei wants?"
"Hahaha," Wei Shuxuan laughed heartily, trying to ease the tense atmosphere between them. "Don't be so nervous. You make me seem like a big bad bully. Come here and sit beside me."
At the sight of Wei Shuxuan inviting her to sit beside, Xiaoxiao dropped to her knees with a thud and began to sob pitifully. "Lord Wei, please don't! If I've done anything wrong, just tell me!"
It seemed this method didn't work in the palace. People here would assume they had done something wrong and were afraid the kindness from their master was but a deadly poison.
Wei Shuxuan couldn't help but sigh. She even lost the mood to ask questions. Forget it. She waved her hand. "All right, go and rest. I want to be alone for a while."
"Thank you, Lord Wei! Thank you, Lord Wei!" Having received the order to leave, Xiaoxiao kowtowed repeatedly and scurried out of Wei Shuxuan's room.
Watching Xiaoxiao's fleeing back, Wei Shuxuan mumbled, "Am I really that scary? It's as if I'm some kind of a fierce beast."
It wasn't just Xiaoxiao. Other maids and eunuchs were the same, looking terrified. This made Wei Shuxuan feel the atmosphere in the palace was extremely oppressive and uncomfortable. She really hated this feeling.
In the evening, Xin Zizhao and Wei Shuxuan had dinner together. Xin Zizhao noticed that Wei Shuxuan was just pushing the food around with her chopsticks and hardly ate anything. This was quite unusual for her.
So, Xin Zizhao put down his chopsticks and looked at Wei Shuxuan. "What's wrong with you? You usually like to eat heartily. Why aren't you touching your food today?"
"...I have something on my mind, but I'm not sure if I should say it."
Wei Shuxuan put down her chopsticks and turned to look at Xin Zizhao. Xin Zizhao followed suit. "Just say it. Why do you have to hesitate with me?"
"Forget the fancy words. I just feel that since we returned to the palace, the atmosphere here is so oppressive. I haven't even asked the maids and eunuchs anything, and they just kneel down and kowtow to me. I'm so frustrated."
Xin Zizhao thought for a moment. "You don't have to tell me. I feel the same way. It's just that... I don't want to get involved in trouble. But you seem to be eager to do so."
"You know it and still ask? Hurry up and find someone to get some information. I'm about to go crazy dealing with those maids and eunuchs."
"All right," Xin Zizhao nodded. Then he turned to the guards outside the door. "Go and fetch Chief Eunuch Li. I have something to ask him."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Wei Shuxuan picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth. "By the way, what's the era name of your dynasty?"
"Jinzheng. Don't you know?" Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan suspiciously.
"I lost my memory. You know that."
Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan's face, which showed a hint of evasion. He didn't expose her. "Really? I didn't know that."
"Now you do."
Just then, Chief Eunuch Li arrived and asked to see the Fifth Prince outside Fenghe Hall.
"Let him in," Xin Zizhao said to the guard outside. Then he turned to Wei Shuxuan. "Ask him whatever you want."
"Got it."
A thin middle - aged man rushed in. As soon as he saw Xin Zizhao, he knelt down. "Your servant pays respects to the Fifth Prince."
"Get up."
"Yes."
Xin Zizhao looked at Chief Eunuch Li. "If Lord Wei asks you any questions later, answer them truthfully. If I find out you're hiding something, don't blame me for being merciless."
"Your servant understands."
Xin Zizhao signaled Wei Shuxuan to start asking. Wei Shuxuan cleared her throat. "Chief Eunuch Li, I want to ask you, has anything strange happened in the palace recently?"
Having been warned by the Fifth Prince, Chief Eunuch Li didn't dare to hide anything. If he did, he would surely be punished.
"Reply to Lord Wei and the Fifth Prince. Recently, there have been deaths in the palace. People have also seen white shadows in some parts of the palace. And... in the places where people died, there would always appear..." Chief Eunuch Li trembled as he spoke.
"Appear what?" Wei Shuxuan looked at him impatiently.
Chief Eunuch Li looked up and met Xin Zizhao's cold eyes. His eyes were like looking at a dead man. This scared Chief Eunuch Li so much that he quickly replied, "The symbol of the Wei Army!"
"What! The Wei family!" Wei Shuxuan stood up in surprise and stared at Chief Eunuch Li, who was shaking like a leaf.
Wei Shuxuan's reaction scared Chief Eunuch Li so much that he knelt down completely. "Y-yes, it's the Wei Army."
Seeing Wei Shuxuan so agitated, Xin Zizhao seemed to understand something. He looked at Chief Eunuch Li. "Go on."
"Your Highness, the rest is just what your servant heard from others. If it's not true, please spare your servant's life!" Chief Eunuch Li was on the verge of crying.
"There's no smoke without fire. Just say it, Chief Eunuch Li. I'll ask the Fifth Prince to spare your life."
Before Xin Zizhao could say anything, Wei Shuxuan spoke up. Chief Eunuch Li kowtowed to Wei Shuxuan. "Your servant thanks Lord Wei and the Fifth Prince for sparing my life. People in the palace are all saying that Miss Wei Shuxuan of the Wei family didn't die. When the Wei family encountered trouble before, our dynasty sent people to look for her, but they couldn't find her body. So they all say that these deaths are because Miss Wei has come back for revenge!"
"Revenge?" Wei Shuxuan murmured. Then she looked at Chief Eunuch Li. "Is that all? Is this all the information you have?"
"Y-yes, Lord Wei."
"All right, you can go back first."
Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan with undisguised concern in his eyes. Wei Shuxuan was a bit confused. "What are you doing? Your look makes me feel weird."
"I don't know if you really forgot or if there's some other reason," Xin Zizhao's voice was low. His next words would make Wei Shuxuan's eyes pop out...