FID – Chapter 944

Chapter 944: Unable to Recall That Person’s Full Appearance

During the meal, no one spoke; only the soft clinking of chopsticks against dishes could be heard. Yet inexplicably, a warm atmosphere quietly enveloped the surroundings.

It was soothing to the heart.

The granny stood behind, watching the scene, and a smile unconsciously spread across her face.

For so many years, the Yangxin Hall had always been cold and desolate, especially during the Empress Dowager’s meals, where her silver hair seemed to carry the weight of loneliness so heavy it felt as if it might break her not-so-strong back at any moment. But now, that loneliness had not appeared on Her Majesty for quite some time.

With the two little masters, Badou and Hongdou, and the Emperor who unfailingly came by two or three times a day to disturb them, plus the King who, no matter how busy, would stop by daily for at least a cup of tea before leaving—

The Yangxin Hall could hardly be considered quiet anymore.

The meal was eaten very slowly.

The Empress Dowager ate the slowest of all.

What could normally be finished in half an hour was stretched to twice that time today. 

Since she hadn’t finished eating, naturally none of the others could leave either. It was so Badou and Hongdou could stay here a little longer.

Liu Yusheng sat beside them, resting her cheek on one hand, watching the Empress Dowager’s childish delay with a smile at the corner of her eyes, but she didn’t rush her.

If the old lady wanted to play little tricks, what could anyone do? Just let her be.

Even the grandmother at home sometimes threw little tantrums, and the family would always indulge and soothe her.

Eventually, the Empress Dowager seemed to realize that her behavior was a bit childish and might make others laugh. 

Besides, such actions wouldn’t affect the outcome of the matter at all. It was pointless.

She put down her chopsticks, instructed the old maid to have someone clear the table, then slowly got up and sat down on the soft couch. “The situation on Feng Qingbai’s side won’t be resolved anytime soon, and there’s still that dangerous person Xue Zhong in the manor. If Badou and Hongdou are taken back now, can you guarantee nothing will happen to them?”

She realized that appealing to emotions didn’t work, so now she was trying to reason with them.

A desperate struggle?

Feng Qingbai rubbed his brow. “Every day, I will bring them into the palace to keep you company.”

“Only for one day?”

“……”

Seeing their expressions were unwilling, the Empress Dowager also grew displeased.

When she was unhappy, she just flicked her eyelids, leaned back on the soft couch, hugged Badou and Hongdou, and said nothing.

The atmosphere suddenly became desolate. That loneliness radiated from the Empress Dowager so strongly it was impossible to ignore.

Liu Yusheng, Feng Qingbai, and Feng Mohan, “…”

After spending these days together, not only did they understand the Empress Dowager better, but she also understood them. Knowing that in this state, unlike the other two who were cold and indifferent, she could absolutely manipulate Liu Yusheng.

Liu Yusheng would definitely feel sorry for her.

“Fine, let Badou and Hongdou stay with you the whole day,” the woman immediately gave in, “But at night, the two must be taken back to the King’s Manor. During this time, you’ve been taking care of them and haven’t slept well at night. You can’t keep being so exhausted.”

The Empress Dowager lightly cleared her throat, sat up, and said, “Alright, it’s settled.”

Then she glanced outside at the sky, “It’s already noon, and you’ve eaten. You should go now. Come back tonight to pick up the two.”

She was afraid if they stayed a moment longer, they might change their minds again, so she hurried them away.

It was both distressing and laughable.

Badou and Hongdou got tired after playing for a while and fell asleep after eating the egg custard. They were now in a deep, sweet sleep.

Liu Yusheng went over to gently touch the little hands of the two children. Under the Empress Dowager’s watchful gaze, she reluctantly followed Feng Qingbai out of the palace.

After stepping outside the hall, seeing the woman’s still helpless expression, Feng Qingbai chuckled, “If you’re reluctant to part, you can stay in the palace during the day. I’ll come pick you up and the kids after I finish my official duties.”

Feng Mohan said with a sigh, “The Empress Dowager is counting on your soft-hearted nature, and you just fall for it every time. Just wait, Badou and Hongdou won’t be coming back.”

“They are close to the Empress Dowager. If someone forcibly takes them away, they’ll definitely cry,” Liu Yusheng said with a smile.

Though the two kids got excited when she arrived and played with her for a while, they immediately crawled back to the Empress Dowager’s side, showing more affection for her than their own mother.

One reason she agreed so readily was that the Empress Dowager needed the children’s companionship even more than she did.

It was also Feng Qingbai’s way of repaying a debt of guilt toward the Empress Dowager: a debt from father to son, letting the two kids bring some comfort to her.

She could tell the loneliness that showed on the Empress Dowager back then wasn’t an act.

“You just said you were going to thoroughly investigate the people in the palace. I suppose you won’t have time to return to the manor this afternoon?” Liu Yusheng asked Feng Qingbai, recalling what he had said before the meal.

“I’ll take you back first. As for the matters in the palace, Feng Mohan can handle them. If I have to do everything myself, what’s the point of having him as emperor?” Feng Qingbai said calmly as he took her hand.

Feng Mohan, who had just been utterly dismissed, twitched at the corners of his mouth.

How was he useless? He had intelligence too! It was just that in front of his uncle, it didn’t stand out as much.

At the very least, he had sacrificed his good looks and pretended to be a certain way in front of Shan Lai for quite some time!

“Uncle, at least tell me where I should start the investigation!” he called out, then hurriedly chased after the two who were walking farther and farther ahead.

“Start by checking all the palace maids and eunuchs who have left the palace in the past two months. Narrow it down first to the servants who have previously attended Shan Lai.”

That afternoon, the entire imperial palace was on high alert. Everyone was on edge, fearing they might be implicated.

At the emperor’s command to thoroughly investigate the harem, all the concubines immediately tensed up, fearing that an unknown fire might burn its way to them. When the Imperial Guards came to question them, everyone revealed everything they knew without holding anything back, no matter how trivial.

The results came quickly.

Shan Lai’s former personal maid, Ling Xiang, had left the palace half a month ago.

Someone had seen her leave, but when they investigated, the palace gate guards who had let her through couldn’t give a reason. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t recall someone like her leaving the palace.

Extremely strange.

And when the Imperial Guards rushed to the Palace Laundry Service to arrest her, they discovered that the palace maid had vanished into thin air.

They searched the entire palace but couldn’t find the slightest trace of Ling Xiang.

When Feng Mohan received the guards’ report, his expression darkened.

A lowly palace maid disappeared into thin air in a heavily guarded palace? Aside from being dead, what other way was there for a living person to vanish completely?

It sounded like a joke, yet it had actually happened.

Sitting in the chair behind the imperial desk, Feng Mohan lightly tapped his fingers and furrowed his brows, trying to recall that servant girl named Ling Xiang—only to realize that his impression of her was extremely vague.

No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t recall the person’s full appearance.

He had been to the Changle Palace a few times and had seen Ling Xiang a few times as well, but she was extremely inconspicuous and easily overlooked.

Timid and shy, very cowardly. The most vivid memory he had was that time by the lotus pond, when Shan Lai was being bullied by other concubines in the palace. That young maid named Ling Xiang had once knelt and begged him to help Shan Lai, even crawling on her knees trying to grab his robe.

Beyond that, he couldn’t remember anything else.