As time passed, Yebusu and Sose began to feel scared. Da Yuer stayed with them the entire time. Usually, they had little chance to spend time with Zhuang Fei, and only now did they realize that her words were far more interesting than those of many elders in the palace.
Shortly after, lunch was delivered. The meals for Da Yuer and the princes were the same as usual. The imperial kitchen seemed to be operating normally, and the guards at the door, apart from conveying the Empress's order that no one was to leave, were polite and respectful. Yet, everything felt slightly off.
In the afternoon, Sumala lulled the two princes to sleep. Once asleep, they wouldn't be afraid. The room was warmed by the underground heating, and someone was clearly keeping the fire well-tended. Everything felt just as it had before.
But as Da Yuer stood by the window, gazing at the roof of Fenghuang Tower, her heart was filled with unshakable doubt. She ordered Sumala to fetch Sonin from the adjacent room.
As expected, Sonin's movements were closely monitored by the guards, but since he hadn't left the study area and had been summoned by Her Highness Zhuang Fei, they couldn't stop him.
Normally, due to the distinction between monarch and subject, as well as between men and women, Sonin had stayed with the tutors in another room. Now, he entered with his head bowed, not daring to look directly at Zhuang Fei.
"Lord So, were you born in Shengjing?" Da Yuer suddenly asked.
"Replying to Your Highness, I settled in Shengjing in the fifth year of the Tianming reign. For the past sixteen years, I have spent most of my time away, with little time in Shengjing," Sonin replied.
"It seems that I've lived in Shengjing longer than you," Da Yuer said with a bitter smile. "I've never left since I came here, except for one trip to Hetu Ala."
"Yes, but Your Highness, what do you mean by this?" Sony asked.
"Lord So, have you ever heard of an epidemic in Shengjing?" Da Yuer's tone was cold.
Sonin's heart was filled with admiration—Her Highness was indeed astute. He replied, "Shengjing spends most of the year covered in ice and snow. Compared to the warm southern regions, it rarely suffers from epidemics."
"Fan Wencheng once told me that it's not just about the difference between the north and the south, but also the gap between the rich and the poor. In impoverished places, where people and livestock barely have enough to eat, even the rats go hungry. The diseases they carry then spread to humans and continue to circulate. Shengjing is the capital of the Great Qing, where the people are prosperous, and the nobility lead refined lives. Isn't it laughable that an epidemic would originate from within the palace? If it were smallpox, that would be understandable, but to this day, no one has mentioned what disease it is. And the ones who died were merely palace maids."
"Your Highness, I understand your meaning," Sonin replied. "But if we confront them head-on now, we don't even know who the enemy is. They could take advantage of this chaos to commit murder, and the consequences would be disastrous."
"But waiting is not a solution either," Da Yuer said. "Her Highness Chen Fei is pregnant and trapped in the palace, living in constant fear. This will affect her health. Two or three days is the most she can endure. And how can you guarantee that if we wait, they won't start killing?"
Sonin replied, "Your Highness, my subordinates and I had an agreement—if anything changes in the palace and I don't issue orders within a day, they will take action. But before that, if they act rashly, it will expose the forces the Emperor has secretly arranged both inside the palace and in Shengjing. Those arrangements must remain hidden until the critical moment."
"One day is too long. Anything could happen in a single day," Da Yuer said anxiously. "I'm truly afraid that by now, the Empress, Chen Fei, and my daughters might already be gone."
She clenched her fists tightly and said to Sonin, "If we don't get any new information by tomorrow morning, I will leave this place. I want to see if these guards dare to stop me."
Meanwhile, in Rui Qinwang's residence, Eshuo had arrived with his men to protect Qiqige. It was only then that Qiqige learned that there was no epidemic in the capital. The panic was confined to the palace alone.
Since Hong Taiji wasn't in Shengjing, apart from several ministers on duty, most of the ministers were not in the palace. Women in the inner palace and palace maids were the ones who were confined.
"Before His Lordship left the capital, he was already worried that something might happen in Shengjing and instructed me to protect you and the princess at all costs," Eshuo said to Qiqige. "Please, My Lady, stay at home for now and do not go out."
Qiqige asked, "In your opinion, is this incident real or fabricated? And if it's a fabrication, who is behind it?"
Eshuo clasped his hands and replied, "I dare not make reckless assumptions. However, on my way here, I heard that Li Qinwang is looking for his son."
"Yoto?"
"Yes."
"The Emperor did not take him on this campaign to Joseon. His position as a Qinwang is as good as gone," Qiqige said coldly. "Yoto must understand that Hong Taiji can no longer tolerate him. No matter which path he chooses, it's a dead end. So, he might as well take one last gamble before he dies."
Eshuo remained silent, but before he had arrived, he had already made all the necessary arrangements.
In the palace, Jeje sat calmly in Qingning Palace, while Hairanju lay behind her. Apart from the meals delivered on time, all other communication with the outside world had been cut off. They were left with only the adults and children in the inner court.
Jeje had never ordered the palace to be sealed, nor had she given any orders to prevent anyone from moving. Yet, they were suddenly surrounded by soldiers, and how could these women and children possibly resist swords and spears?
"Aunt, will Yuer be okay?" Hairanju asked worriedly.
"She'll be fine. She has great fortune and will overcome this," Jeje reassured her. "But you, you must not come to any harm. Yuer is surely thinking about you right now. If the palace could be taken down so easily, the Emperor and all of us would have died long ago. Though the Emperor is not in the capital, he must have left people to protect us. Don't be afraid."
Hairanju asked, "If they have already seized the palace, why haven't they killed us?"
Jeje sneered coldly, "Since when does an epidemic kill everyone in a single day? They want us to die slowly. If they act too soon, we would resist, and that would be a loss for them."
"Aunt..." Hairanju tightly gripped Jeje's hand and solemnly said, "I can't move quickly, so if there's a chance to escape, take the children and go. Don't worry about me."
"Silly girl, talking so bravely." Jeje smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I've been through everything with the Emperor. When the entire Beile Mansion was surrounded and I had a knife to my throat, I still survived."
Hairanju listened with her heart pounding, but seeing the unwavering determination in Jeje's eyes, she clenched her teeth and said, "Aunt, I'm not afraid either."
As night fell, nothing changed in the palace. It truly looked like a lockdown to prevent the spread of an epidemic. Meals were still delivered on time to Jeje and Hairanju, as well as to Yanqing Palace and Linzhi Palace. No one was mistreated.
However, Jeje did not allow Hairanju and the children to eat the delivered food. Instead, she distributed the stored dry rations and snacks from Qingning Palace to them.
In Linzhi Palace, Nam Jung leaned against the window, her body tense. She clutched a packet of medicinal powder that Hooge had given her through Tesina before he left Shengjing. But when she had gone to Qingning Palace that afternoon, she hadn't even been able to enter the door.
At this moment, in the study where Her Highness Zhuang Fei and the princes were, their meal was delivered on time. But the person who delivered it acted suspiciously, glancing around furtively, which aroused Da Yuer's suspicion. Just then, Sonin and her teacher came to collect their food. The man delivering the meal happened to make eye contact with Sonin, who froze in surprise. "Tung Tulai?" Sonin exclaimed.
The man motioned for Sonin to be quiet, signalling that he should keep his mouth shut. Da Yuer stepped forward and asked, "Lord So, who is he?"
Sonin, who had followed his father and uncle to Shengjing with Nurhaci, knew that Tung Tulai's family had deep roots in Liaodong. He also didn't believe that an epidemic would suddenly break out in the palace. He had previously been entrusted by Eshuo to pay closer attention to matters within the palace, and after hearing about the palace lockdown, Eshuo sent him a message.
"I'm just taking a look," Tung Tulai said to Sonin. "I'll bring people in tonight and deal with them. I know you're in the palace, and I didn't want your people to get in my way, so I wanted to check the situation first."
Da Yuer watched Tung Tulai with suspicion. "How did you get in?"
Tung Tulai whispered, "I came in hiding in the food waste cart."
"The food has been delivered, leave!" a guard shouted from outside.
"Your Highness, Lord So, I'll leave now," Tung Tulai said quietly. "If you hear fighting in the middle of the night, close the door tightly and don't come out."
Da Yuer asked, "Do you know who locked the palace?"
Tung Tulai whispered, "It's probably Yoto, but it's hard to say right now."
Da Yuer's fingers made a soft cracking sound as she released her fist and calmly said to Tung Tulai, "If you manage to take them down tonight, continue to seal the palace. Make it look like nothing happened during the day, do it quietly."
Tung Tulai was taken aback, but the guards outside were urging him to leave. He had no choice but to grab the food box and hurry away.
Sonin, watching Tung Tulai leave, muttered to himself, "Why is he getting involved in this?"
Da Yuer turned to him and said, "Lord So, if that person can control the situation in the palace, go and bring Li Qinwang to see me."
"Y-yes…" Sonin hadn't quite figured out why Tung Tulai was getting involved, but it seemed that Her Highness Zhuang Fei had already planned everything.
Da Yuer quietly watched as Yebusu and Sose ate, telling Yebusu that he would see his mother tomorrow.
Sonin quietly took the food and left, casually asking Da Yuer's teacher, "What has Her Highness been learning recently?"
The teacher replied, "She's been studying the history of Joseon, and we just talked about the tyrant, Yeonsan gun."
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