NOVPUBHearing the story, Shen Roujia felt a profound sense of discomfort. The immense sorrow permeated the entire atmosphere.
Only the sound of pages being gently stirred by the wind broke the silence.
Yun Jin spoke with a hoarse, trembling voice, “The Empress was a very good person…”
Shen Roujia, also feeling uneasy, nodded. She rarely comforted others, but this time she was deeply moved.
Perhaps it was because she had come to understand Xu Zening through the original text and her own observations, making Yun Jin’s account resonate deeply with her.
“Auntie, everyone knows about the late Empress’s kindness, but how did she die? She was so good, surely someone would have sought justice for her. Why has no one cared about her fate?”
After Shen Roujia asked this, Yun Jin slowly smiled and nodded, “Now I believe you are truly sent by the Crown Prince.”
Shen Roujia asked in confusion, “Why do you say that?”
Yun Jin stood up slowly, speaking as she walked, “Because he asked me the same question.”
Yun Jin gently pushed aside two merged bookshelves and retrieved a box from the gap in the wall.
“Everyone thought the Empress took her own life because she couldn’t overcome her grief.”
“Only I know that wasn’t the truth.”
Shen Roujia hesitated, staring at the timeworn box and then at Yun Jin.
“This is...”
Yun Jin motioned for Shen Roujia to open the box.
Shen Roujia felt as though she was holding Pandora’s box, unsure of what she might find inside.
With a slight purse of her lips, she slowly opened the long-sealed box.
Inside was a large stack of land deeds and various letters from martial arts associations. Shen Roujia quickened her pace, flipping through them.
Many of them bore Qiao Chuyi’s name.
The shops and farmlands, which were now quite valuable, had been bought by Qiao Chuyi with great foresight, likely planning for the future.
Beneath the papers was a small box, seemingly containing a balm. Before picking it up, a mesmerizing fragrance filled the air.
Shen Roujia’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly covered her mouth and nose, sensing something was amiss.
She put down the balm and asked, “What are you trying to show me?”
Yun Jin, unaware of Shen Roujia’s reaction, quickly took the box back.
“After the Empress’s incident, she spent her days with me in the library. These were things we researched and acquired after leaving the palace.”
Shen Roujia listened attentively, her lips pressed together. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
Yun Jin’s face showed admiration.
“Despite everything that happened, the Empress remained confident, unlike the melancholy and lost person outsiders described.”
“The Empress married into the palace for the Qiao family’s sake. Later, the Emperor’s actions disheartened her, so she began planning for herself and the Crown Prince.”
Shen Roujia looked up at Yun Jin, “You mean the Empress was prepared to leave the palace when she suddenly died?”
Yun Jin nodded without hesitation, “The Empress longed for the mountains and rivers, never wanting to be confined in this four-walled cage. If it weren’t for the Crown Prince, she wouldn’t have stayed so long.”
Shen Roujia calculated the timeline and the dates on the land deeds, noting an interval of about six months.
