Consort Xu didn’t notice Consort Mei giving birth for two reasons.
First, the death of the Noble Consort and the wrongful accusations against herself during that time weighed so heavily on her that she barely had time to breathe.
Second, it never occurred to her—nor did she dare to think—that Consort Mei would have the audacity to switch babies, passing off an illegitimate child as royal blood.
It was only that night, when the Third Prince lost his composure outside the Xiaonan Pavilion and cried out, “Mother!” that she was prompted to reexamine the events of that year.
The world is full of outrageous events. Sometimes, it’s not that one cannot imagine them—it’s that one dares not.
What couldn’t be unraveled in a day or two, what about a year or two, or over many years?
Consort Xu was not foolish. It didn’t take her long to piece together the suspicious points.
The contraceptive drug, though harmful to pregnant women, was relatively mild in its effects. As a result, the child born was still alive and could be raised safely in the Xiaonan Pavilion for so many years.
According to the imperial physician, the traitor had been very cautious in administering the drug, even halving the dosage of many potent medicines. If the Noble Consort had not been injured at the border and consequently suffered from chronic illness, she might have survived that critical period.
For a traitor willing to risk everything to orchestrate such a scheme, a stronger dose would have been a safer option if their goal was to harm someone.
So why bother sending a carefully concocted bowl of contraceptive soup?
Was it merely to induce premature labor?
Consort Xu was startled by her own bold conjecture.
But the more she thought about it, the more she was alarmed—her daring idea might very well be the truth.
After days of restlessness, Consort Xu made a bold move.
She went to the Xiaonan Pavilion to meet Li Fuxiang, who was imprisoned inside.
She loosened the fence outside the Xiaonan Pavilion and used her pet kitten to lure Li Fuxiang, who was confined inside.
Curious, Li Fuxiang peeked through the small gap.
That pair of eyes and brows—they were exactly the same as the late Noble Consort’s.
The truth finally began to surface.
Gao Yuexing: “Consort Mei drugged the Noble Consort to induce labor, then quietly swapped the babies. In this way, her own biological child could survive under the emperor’s watchful eye and be doted upon endlessly… No wonder she died so resolutely—she had nothing left to regret.”
Consort Xu: “You have to admire that woman’s scheming. She managed to time it perfectly so that the Noble Consort and she gave birth simultaneously.”
Gao Yuexing glanced at her and thought, Unlikely.
Timing it so precisely would require divine intervention.
If Consort Mei could conceal her pregnancy from everyone, she could certainly give birth without anyone knowing.
The Noble Consort’s child was a variable.
Even with the labor-inducing drug, no one could guarantee exactly when the child would be born.
Would someone as meticulous as Consort Mei allow such a flaw in her plan?
For Consort Mei’s plan to succeed, two conditions had to be met simultaneously.
One: Have her own child ready in advance.
Two: Station someone by the Noble Consort’s side at all times. The moment the Noble Consort gave birth, act swiftly amidst the chaos and switch the babies.
The Noble Consort’s unexpected premature labor would have thrown the palace into a temporary state of disarray, but not for long. Therefore, the window of opportunity for Consort Mei was extremely narrow, leaving no room for error. If the people around the Noble Consort regained their composure, and the Emperor arrived, it would have been almost impossible for her to switch the children with the Son of Heaven overseeing matters.
From this, it could be deduced that Consort Mei must have given birth before the Noble Consort.
Earlier, not later.
Clearly, Consort Xu had not figured this out.
Otherwise, had she taken a different approach and investigated Consort Mei’s childbirth timeline earlier, the outcome might have been very different.
Gao Yuexing carefully analyzed all the suspicious points in her mind and said, “So, you’re saying the Third Prince was wandering outside Consort Mei’s former residence—the Xiaonan Pavilion—late at night, saw what he thought was a ghost, and called out ‘Mother’? Does this mean he knows the truth about his origins?”
Consort Xu: “How could a child know such a thing? Who told him?”
Gao Yuexing: “He must have come into contact with someone from the past.”
Consort Xu: “Or perhaps even his biological father?”
The Emperor and Consort Xian’s decision to imprison Li Fuxiang in an attempt to lure out the traitor who had an affair with Consort Mei was fundamentally flawed—completely and utterly wrong.
Gao Yuexing caught on immediately and said to Consort Xu, “I understand what you mean. I will pay close attention to the people coming and going around the Third Prince. I won’t let a single suspicious person slip through.”
Consort Xu touched Gao Yuexing’s cheek. “Thank you, child. Do it quickly—we don’t have much time.”
Her tone carried a hint of ingratiation.
Consort Xu was not naturally skilled at scheming. She had been consumed by hatred and sorrow for so long that when someone suddenly appeared to share her burden, she instinctively placed all her trust in them, letting them become her anchor.
Gao Yuexing opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated, ultimately saying nothing before leaving the room.
The key flaw in the whole matter still lay in pinpointing Consort Mei’s childbirth timeline.
To uncover the truth, Consort Xu might not be of much help, but there was one person who was crucial—Fu Yun.
Gao Yuexing quickened her pace on the way back. Passing by the Xiaonan Pavilion, she saw the Imperial Guards carrying tools and sandbags, moving busily back and forth. From a distance, she glanced at the towering palace walls, then walked even faster.
Upon returning to Jingmen Palace, the front courtyard was eerily quiet.
Outside Li Fuqiu’s door hung a cloth rope with a dead bird dangling from it.
The sight gave her a sudden shock.
He had killed the young cuckoo and hung it at the entrance to his room.
Gao Yuexing’s eyes darkened as she entered her room and shut the door.
Fu Yun lifted the curtain and came out to greet her. “Miss Gao, something strange happened. The fox-fur short jacket I made for you is missing…”
Gao Yuexing had no time to explain the disappearance of the fox-fur jacket. She walked straight to her inner chamber with Fu Yun following behind, still puzzled. “What’s wrong with you?”
Standing in a concealed corner of her bedroom, Gao Yuexing got straight to the point without wasting words. “Fu Yun, you once served in the Xiaonan Pavilion. I need to ask you something: In the days around Consort Mei’s childbirth, was there anything unusual in the Xiaonan Pavilion?”
Fu Yun sighed helplessly. “Why is this coming up again? Didn’t we agree not to mention it?”
The bedroom was silent, with the wind seeping through the cracks in the paper windows, bringing a faint, soft whimper. Gao Yuexing, her tone commanding, said, “The legitimacy of the royal bloodline is under suspicion and has already drawn the attention of the court officials. If it can’t be suppressed, chaos will erupt soon! Fu Yun, I’m the one questioning you now. Wait a few more days, and when the situation escalates, someone else will be interrogating you.”
Fu Yun panicked instantly. “The royal bloodline is under suspicion? What do you mean? Who’s going to interrogate me?”
Palace maids, confined to the inner palace for years, were often isolated from outside news and dared not inquire into matters of the court. Fu Yun was especially slow and gentle in nature. She wasn’t aware of many things, but she understood one point.
Gao Yuexing’s father was the head of the Ministry of Justice, responsible for reviewing cases and overturning wrongful convictions.
As for the interrogation methods within the Ministry of Justice, they were notorious enough to strike fear into the hearts of common people.
Miss Gao, despite her young age, would not make baseless accusations. She must have evidence.
Gao Yuexing stood with her back to Fu Yun, next to the down-filled canopy bed that draped to the ground. Her expression was proud, completely unlike that of an uninformed child.
She had once been granted a title by the Son of Heaven and was the legitimate Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace.
She had once received the bows of all court officials, the most honored woman in the capital.
Raised in a grand household, married into the royal family.
Beauty, scheming, and tactics—she lacked none of them.
When Gao Yuexing set out to investigate something, she would stop at nothing, pursuing the matter to its ultimate conclusion.
Fu Yun murmured, “Let me think… let me think…”
She had found nothing unusual for over a decade. How could she suddenly piece things together now?
Gao Yuexing prodded, “Did Consort Mei have any trusted imperial physicians by her side?”
Fu Yun replied, “No, Consort Mei rarely summoned imperial physicians. Even after she became pregnant, she waived the routine pulse checks.”
Gao Yuexing nodded, her tone firm. “Then she must have had someone proficient in medicine by her side.”
Fu Yun gradually recalled. “Yes, there was someone. In the past, there was an older woman with the surname Chen in the Xiaonan Pavilion. She worked in the small kitchen. Her family ran a medical clinic, and she was skilled in medicine. Whenever anyone had a minor ailment, they would ask her for help.”
Gao Yuexing asked, “Aunt Chen? What happened to her?”
Fu Yun replied, “Not long after Her Ladyship Mei passed, she fell ill and died.”
Died.
Gao Yuexing closed her eyes in frustration.
Consort Mei had indeed left no loose ends.
Gao Yuexing asked, “Does Aunt Chen have any family?”
Fu Yun strained to recall.
In her memory, Aunt Chen had been an honest and kind servant, never cutting corners in her work, and her friends were similarly straightforward and reliable.
So much time had passed that many details were blurry, but Fu Yun vaguely remembered that Aunt Chen seemed to have a relative in the Imperial Medical Bureau who was also surnamed Chen.
At the time, it was that very Doctor Chen who took care of all the arrangements for Aunt Chen’s funeral.
As evening fell and the palace gates were about to be locked, Fu Yun brought Gao Yuexing to the entrance of the Imperial Medical Bureau, where they lingered.
Gao Yuexing’s attention was caught by a gourd trellis in the courtyard. She crawled under it to play, giving Fu Yun a meaningful glance.
Fu Yun, hesitating and nervous, glanced back at her before mustering her courage and stopping an official outside the Imperial Medical Bureau.
—“Doctor Chen, please wait.”
Gao Yuexing stood at a measured distance, close enough for their conversation to be carried clearly to her ears by the wind.
Doctor Chen was an elderly man, thin and wiry, with graying hair and a beard. His facial bones were sharp and prominent, giving him an overall appearance of aged severity.
Doctor Chen scrutinized Fu Yun from head to toe. “And you are?”
Fu Yun introduced herself. “Doctor Chen, I don’t expect you to recognize me. I once served in the Xiaonan Pavilion and was on good terms with Aunt Chen for some time.”
Doctor Chen’s expression softened slightly, though it was unclear whether it was due to the mention of the Xiaonan Pavilion or Aunt Chen.
He asked, “What brings you to me, Miss Fu? Are you feeling unwell?”
Fu Yun glanced in Gao Yuexing’s direction, then forced a smile as instructed. “Not at all, Doctor Chen. I apologize for the imposition, but I’d like to inquire about some matters from the past.”
Doctor Chen raised an eyebrow. “Matters from the past?”
Fu Yun said, “I was wondering if I might borrow the Imperial Medical Bureau’s records of Consort Mei’s medical history.”
Doctor Chen’s expression darkened immediately, his beard quivering as he frowned deeply. “What are you trying to do?”
Fu Yun hastily reassured him. “Please don’t misunderstand, Doctor Chen. To be honest, I’m in a difficult position. Recently, my superiors have been calling me in repeatedly, asking me over and over about the period when Consort Mei was pregnant. It’s strange…”
Doctor Chen asked sternly, “Who is your superior?”
Fu Yun replied, “I currently serve in Consort Hui’s Jingmen Palace and occasionally help take care of the Third Prince.”
Doctor Chen’s lips trembled, and he remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. “So, the Consort is looking into Consort Mei’s past?”