Chapter 435

“Empress…”

Jiang Chuan stood behind her, his deep purple eunuch robe giving him an air of elegance: “Mu Qianqian is dead. Her body has been sent to the Ministry of Justice.”

Jiang Xinyue didn’t even look up, her eyes fixed on the “battle” on the table as she tentatively threw out a tile: “Tell the Ministry of Punishment to investigate thoroughly. Find out who Mu Qianqian really worked for.”

Jiang Chuan hesitated for a moment, glancing at the other three consorts before speaking: “When she was killed by the assassin today, the human skin mask on her face fell off. Your Majesty, she didn’t resemble you much naturally—it was all painted on.”

Consort Shu’s hand trembled, and the tile she was about to play fell onto Jiang Xinyue’s tile. She didn’t even notice, her innocent eyes wide with shock: “A human skin mask? Could it be the kind of mask made from peeling the skin off a living person, the one that’s been rumored in the martial world?”

Jiang Chuan nodded: “Yes, Consort Shu, that’s the one.”

Consort Liang grimaced, even reaching up to touch her own face as if she had been skinned herself.

Her empathy was a bit too strong.

Noble Consort Ye didn’t look much better either. She stopped playing altogether, cradling her face in her hands: “Peeling… peeling the skin off a living person? How could anyone do something so vile?”

Men die for wealth, birds die for food.

As long as people have desires, they can do the most unimaginable things to achieve them.

None of those sitting here could honestly claim they had never done anything bad.

Even Jiang Xinyue didn’t consider herself a virtuous person.

To achieve her goals, she too could be ruthless.

But she had her limits. She held onto her principles, refusing to make deals with the devil or sell her soul.

“A human skin mask…”

Jiang Xinyue murmured to herself. This was indeed outside her realm of knowledge.

But it didn’t matter. The Jiang family now had no shortage of skilled professionals. Solving cases like this was best left to the Ministry of Punishment.

“Send Ma Yiyang to the Ministry of Justice personally. Tell the Minister of Justice that Mu Qianqian was also a member of the inner palace. Though she held no official title, she had served the Emperor. I cannot stand by and do nothing. Separate this case from the assassination case. I want to find out who it was that painted Mu Qianqian’s face.”

“We must get to the bottom of this.”

Consort Liang nodded in agreement: “Whoever mastered such a skill to paint Your Majesty’s face so accurately must be someone who has seen you often in the palace. Could it be someone close to the three of us?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Consort Shu and Noble Consort Ye quickly scanned the maids and eunuchs around them, clutching themselves tightly in a protective stance, their eyes filled with terror.

Jiang Xinyue watched their antics and couldn’t help but tease: “Paranoia, much? If they were face-stealing monsters, my face would’ve been peeled off countless times by now.”

Everyone serving in Kunning Palace was loyal to the Empress.

As she said, if it were someone from Kunning Palace with such skills, they would’ve already peeled her face off and worn it themselves.

That way, the Emperor would look at the fake and remember the real one.

“Ah!”

Consort Shu finally noticed the tile she had dropped on the table and wailed: “My winning tile! Damn those face-stealing monsters!”

“You can’t take it back now.”

Consort Liang grabbed her restless hand: “Once a tile is played, it’s final. You can’t just take it back.”

With a mournful face, Consort Shu reluctantly withdrew her cheating hand under the table.

Qingyang Palace—

“​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Thud!”

Noble Consort Jin was struck down by a heavy object, the chamber pot in her hand falling to the ground with a dull thud.

Blood seeped into the cracks of the bluestone pavement, staining the soil a dark red.

“Waaah…”

The cries of the Seventh Prince shattered the tranquility of Kunning Palace, and the palace lights flickered on one by one.

“Ahhh! Dead… dead body!”

“Noble Consort Jin… Noble Consort Jin is dead!”

Before Jiang Xinyue could finish her breakfast, a servant from Qingyang Palace arrived at Kunning Palace, bringing along Hui Yuan, who was crying her eyes out.

“Wait here for now. Her Majesty is still having breakfast. She will summon you shortly.”

Hui Yuan nodded, her face full of gratitude, her red-rimmed eyes streaked with bloodshot veins. The maid, overwhelmed with sympathy, patted her shoulder to comfort her.

The Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince had finished their meal and were about to head to the library for a lesson with Grand Preceptor Jing. When Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xiangzi entered, the two little ones had already eaten.

They bowed to Jiang Xinyue with all the formality they could muster: “Mother Empress, we are done eating. We bid you farewell.”

As they skipped to the door, the Crown Prince peeked his head back in: “Mother Empress, see you tonight. Don’t let Rou Rou and Yuan Yuan sleep too early. Wait for me to come back.”

The youngest Crown Prince had suddenly become the older brother to two little ones overnight. He had recently taken a liking to his new role, coming back from the library every day to tease his younger siblings and assert his authority as the eldest.

After the two young princes left, Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xiangzi exchanged a glance before speaking softly: “Your Majesty, Noble Consort Jin was found dead this morning by her personal maid behind the latrine in Qingyang Palace. Her body was already stiff.”

What a tragic way to die.

A princess of a nation, dead in the filthiest part of the palace, her body cold before anyone noticed.

Jiang Xinyue nodded in understanding: “What are people saying outside?”

Mu Qianqian had just died, and it was discovered that her face was a painted mask.

Now, coincidentally, the Goryeo princess, known for her skill in makeup, was also dead.

Jiang Xinyue didn’t need to think hard to know this was another conspiracy—either targeting the true mastermind behind the human skin masks or aimed directly at her.

Xiao Xiangzi didn’t hesitate: “The palace is buzzing with rumors. They say Noble Consort Jin resented you for punishing her and ordering the servants to mistreat her. So, she deliberately found a new concubine who resembled you slightly and had her face altered. This angered you, so you killed the person who altered her face.”

See? See?

She knew it. Even if it had nothing to do with her, people would find a way to smear her name.

Seeing her expression, Xiao Xiangzi quickly added: “The rumors started from Qingyang Palace. I’ve already taken control of the situation, but since Qingyang Palace was the first to discover the body, some gossip has already spread.”

“Consort Liang’s guess wasn’t far off. The person who altered the face is indeed close to me.”

“Someone very close to me.”

Jiang Chuan was puzzled: “Your Majesty means…”

The person skilled in face-altering is hiding in Kunning Palace?

That’s horrifying.

Or rather, are the people around them still the same ones who had weathered hardships together?

Could they have been killed, and the ones wearing their skins now be the masterminds plotting against Her Majesty?