Coroner's Diary

Qin Guan felt a pang in her heart as she stared at Yan Sui in astonishment. "Why would Your Highness think that way?"

Though Qin Guan was usually adept at concealing her emotions, she now feared her expression might betray her. Yan Sui studied her for a moment, but being young, he noticed nothing amiss. He simply lowered his head and muttered, "Because Father Emperor isn't good to me anymore."

Qin Guan's heart softened further. Yan Sui added in a hushed tone, "Father Emperor used to cherish me dearly."

With a sigh, Qin Guan reassured him, "Your Highness mustn't think that. The Emperor rules over Great Zhou—countless matters demand his attention daily. He is merely overwhelmed."

Yan Sui shook his head stubbornly. "No... that's not it at all..."

His face was full of grievance, lips pressed into a tight line of defiance.

A bittersweet ache stirred in Qin Guan's chest. Children might lack an adult's discernment, but their intuition was pure and sharp—they could keenly sense whether they were truly loved. She managed a faint smile, patted his head, then formed a fist before him. With a flip of her wrist, she opened her palm to reveal a small treat wrapped in oiled paper that had magically appeared there. "Regardless of how the Emperor treats the Ninth Highness, the Empress Dowager still cares for you deeply. I bought this specially for you earlier but forgot to give it. It's very sweet—just one piece now."

A faint glimmer lit Yan Sui's eyes as he looked up at her. Only when he saw Qin Guan's gentle smile did his expression brighten. She peeled away the oiled paper to unveil a chestnut glutinous rice cake dusted in golden sugar powder. "Here, but you mustn't tell the Empress Dowager."

Yan Sui was at the age of losing baby teeth and was strictly forbidden sweets. The chestnut cake had actually been prepared by Fuling that morning. Though breakfast was lavish, Qin Guan had been in a rush to enter the palace and barely ate. Fuling had wrapped one cake and pressed it into her hand, and though Qin Guan accepted it to end Fuling's nagging, she had no appetite and tucked it into her sleeve, forgetting about it until Yan Sui's woeful expression sparked her memory.

Though Yan Sui was a boy, he was at that age where sweets were irresistible. Yet the Empress Dowager strictly controlled his diet, denying him even a grain of sugar. Now, soothed by the sugary treat, his attention was effortlessly diverted.

After a cautious glance around, Yan Sui carefully picked up the chestnut cake, smiled, and began nibbling it delicately.

Watching him, Qin Guan felt her heart melt entirely.

Once he finished, she produced a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and hands before they continued toward the Hall of Contained Light.

As they walked, Yan Sui declared with childish yet firm conviction, "If not Father Emperor, then it must be the Empress or a high consort. My mother was no ordinary consort—others wouldn't dare harm her."

His voice was tender, still carrying a milky softness, yet his words held a weighty certainty.

Qin Guan sighed inwardly. What even a child could grasp, she had only dared speculate after utmost caution. This thought made her glance at the small figure beside her. If Consort Jin's death truly involved the Emperor... how could such truth ever be revealed to Yan Sui?"This matter is quite complex. Your Highness is too young to understand it all at once. You simply need to focus on your studies."

Yan Sui listened and shook his head, but pressed his lips together without saying anything. Qin Guan sighed inwardly and decided not to pursue the subject further.

Soon after, the two arrived near Eternal Peace Palace.

Eternal Peace Palace was Consort Jin's residence, while the Hall of Contained Light was a chamber located to the west of it.

Eternal Peace Palace covered a considerable area. Although somewhat remote in location, Consort Jin had moved here after being promoted to consort rank. For someone of her age to occupy such a large main palace was quite rare, which established Consort Jin's status. Qin Guan had learned that the Hall of Contained Light was where Consort Jin usually read. Hailing from a scholarly family in the Hunan-Hubei region, she had an uncle who served as Vice Minister of Personnel. Through this uncle's connections, she caught the emperor's eye during the palace selection and rapidly rose through the ranks, advancing from a low-ranking concubine to consort status in less than two years. From Yan Sui's delicate features, one could easily imagine Consort Jin's exceptional beauty. More remarkably, she was accomplished in music, poetry, and calligraphy, with painting skills that earned the emperor's admiration. Given her combination of talent and beauty, her favor with the emperor came as no surprise. Many in the palace even believed she would surpass Feng Lingsu within a couple of years.

Yet no one could have predicted that such a favored consort would meet a sudden, premature death.

Both the main and side gates of Eternal Peace Palace were sealed. However, the area near the Hall of Contained Light, long left neglected, remained unobstructed. It was already past noon, and Qin Guan felt uneasy bringing Yan Sui here. If anyone spotted them approaching this area, it would surely raise suspicions.

After brief hesitation, Qin Guan dared only to gaze toward the Hall of Contained Light from a distance. "Is that the Hall of Contained Light?"

Yan Sui nodded with a quiet "Mm." Qin Guan pondered for a moment, then glanced westward. On the day of the incident, a palace banquet was being held. The Empress and others had clearly attended, and even Yan Sui had been taken there early by the nannies. Why hadn't Consort Jin gone with them? Instead, she had come alone to the Hall of Contained Light.

After roughly assessing the layout of Eternal Peace Palace, Qin Guan promptly led Yan Sui away from the vicinity. They reached a waterside pavilion near the Imperial Garden where, assured of their privacy, Qin Guan lowered her voice and asked, "Your Highness, could you tell me why Consort Jin didn't accompany you to the banquet that day?"

Yan Sui thought for a moment before replying, "Mother Consort originally intended to go with me. But halfway there, she suddenly felt cold and asked the nannies and others to take me ahead while she returned to the palace with her attendants. I grew frightened at the banquet when Mother Consort didn't arrive, so I ran out of the Brocade Hall alone. The nannies chased after me... When we returned to Eternal Peace Palace, we found Mother Consort's attendants waiting outside the main hall. When I asked her maid, she said Mother Consort had gone alone to the Hall of Contained Light and forbidden anyone to follow. They were afraid of Mother Consort, but I wasn't, so I went to the hall alone to look for her. I never expected..."

Qin Guan gripped Yan Sui's hand tightly. "That's enough, Your Highness. You needn't dwell on it. Just tell me—did Consort Jin spend much time daily in the Hall of Contained Light? You mentioned before that she seemed very fearful during that period. Do you know what she was afraid of?"Yan Sui said with a serious expression, "At first... it wasn't much, but before the incident happened, Mother spent most of her time in the Hall of Contained Light."

As he spoke, Yan Sui looked at Qin Guan, indicating he felt what he was about to say was important. "Mother often didn't allow anyone to enter the Hall of Contained Light..."

Qin Guan frowned. "Did she say why?"

Yan Sui shook his head. "No. During that period, Mother was reading—she read many books, and there were paintings... She most enjoyed painting with Father. Whenever Father came to the Eternal Peace Palace, she would paint with him, and they would carve seals together..."

Listening to Yan Sui's fragmented account, a faint glimmer suddenly flashed in Qin Guan's heart, as if something awaited her beyond the mist, yet she remained just out of reach. Painting and seal carving—these refined pursuits of scholars were indeed things Consort Jin would engage in. The Emperor had favored her for precisely such qualities. Nothing seemed particularly unusual. After pondering for a long while, Qin Guan frowned and asked, "Did Your Highness find anything strange about it?"

Yan Sui shook his head, his face blank with confusion. He had been even younger then and naturally hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Seeing Qin Guan's serious expression and silence, Yan Sui continued reminiscing on his own. "Back then, Father treated Mother very well. Everyone in the palace was kind to me too—no one dared speak to me without bowing. Whatever Mother liked, Father would give her. Mother loved calligraphy and paintings, so Father would bring out valuable works from the Household Affairs Department for her to appreciate. Many gifts and tributes were also sent by Father to the Eternal Peace Palace. Mother... Mother was about to start teaching me how to paint, but she suddenly changed her mind. By then, I could already write the first few passages of the Thousand-Character Classic, yet she stopped teaching me..."

Yan Sui had been less than five years old at the time. A woman like Consort Jin would surely have wanted to personally pass on all she knew to Yan Sui. Why had she suddenly changed her mind?

Yan Sui's voice grew soft. "Mother and Father would paint together, then spend half a day admiring their work. Sometimes, she would shut herself in the Hall of Contained Light to appreciate it alone. I didn't understand what was happening to Mother. Later, I began to feel that she was afraid... but Father clearly treated her so well... and me too... Father often held me in his arms back then... Yet after Mother passed away, he never held me again..."

The more Yan Sui spoke, the more aggrieved he sounded, his small face filled with desolation.

Qin Guan looked at him and couldn't resist gently stroking his head again. But then, a thought struck her: Consort Jin began frequently admiring the Emperor's paintings, and then she started to feel afraid... Could it be that she had discovered something in those paintings?

Qin Guan considered this possibility but quickly found it somewhat absurd. What could the Emperor's paintings possibly reveal? For a couple to paint together was an elegant and affectionate activity—something that had likely begun since Consort Jin first gained favor. Why would she suddenly develop such peculiar behavior?

Qin Guan felt her thoughts had hit a dead end, unable to unravel the mystery. "Your Highness, during that period, did Consort Jin only look at the Emperor's paintings?"Yan Sui thought for a moment and shook his head, "I don't know. I just saw her staring blankly at Father's painting a few times. Once, she kept gazing at Father's painting, and when I asked what she was doing, she said Father's painting was... grand and heroic, and she wanted to appreciate it carefully... Later, when she went alone to the Hall of Contained Light, she sometimes brought Father's painting with her, but I don't know whose painting she was actually looking at inside..."

It was indeed true—no one knew what Consort Jin was really doing inside the Hall of Contained Light.

Qin Guan gently patted Yan Sui's head, forming an idea in her heart. She instinctively felt that whatever Consort Jin was doing in the Hall of Contained Light might be related to her murder.

"Your Highness, did your mother have any close friends in the palace?"

Yan Sui pursed his lips, "I don't know. Mother rarely left her palace on usual days."

"Did she often have visitors?" Qin Guan asked again.

Yan Sui shook his head, "Very rarely. My mother disliked noise."

Qin Guan nodded. It seemed Consort Jin had few close friends in the palace during her time.

Come to think of it, she gained favor immediately upon entering the palace. To the older consorts, she was a threat; to the newer ones, her rise was too rapid. The rear palace was filled with women—all serving one husband. Even ordinary sisters would compare and compete, let alone in the Inner Palace.

Consort Jin had no close friends, and given her temperament, it was unlikely she had made enemies either. Qin Guan asked softly, "Did Consort Feng ever bully Consort Jin?"

Yan Sui thought for a moment and shook his head, "No... Mother seldom went out, so she had no opportunity."

After all, as a principal consort who was both favored and had borne a prince, no matter how much Feng Lingsu resented her, she wouldn't dare let the Emperor perceive her as a venomous woman.

Moreover, with even the Empress in Kunning Palace turning a blind eye, if Feng Lingsu overstepped, it would only make her appear more ruthless.

Qin Guan pondered carefully, wondering what else she could ask Yan Sui, but no new questions came to mind. Many things were only vague concepts to Yan Sui, and she couldn't bear to make him keep recalling the scene of his mother's death. From what she had observed earlier, the Hall of Contained Light was some distance from the main hall of Eternal Peace Palace. Why did Consort Jin return to the main hall, and why did she go alone to the Hall of Contained Light? The Hall of Contained Light belonged to Eternal Peace Palace's grounds. Even though it connected to the Imperial Garden, others wouldn't casually stroll over. Only Prince Jin's claim that he was drawn by the scream seemed somewhat plausible...

"Mother had no enemies, but no one was particularly kind to her either. I could tell—because Crown Prince brother doesn't like talking to me, Prince Cheng brother dislikes me, and others don't initiate conversations with me either. Only Prince Jin brother and Yan Li brother are the best to me... I don't believe Prince Jin brother would harm my mother."

Yan Sui muttered to himself with his head lowered. Qin Guan sighed—it was a pity Prince Jin was gone.

"I can see that Prince Yan Li treats you well. Don't worry, this matter will be investigated thoroughly." After a pause, Qin Guan added, "I also believe Prince Jin wouldn't have harmed Consort Jin."

Yan Sui lifted his head to look at Qin Guan, "Really?"His eyes sparkled brightly, revealing how long he had struggled with this matter. He truly admired Prince Jin, yet had to accept the fact that Prince Jin was accused of murdering Consort Jin. He must have questioned others and even doubted himself. Poor child, losing his mother at such a young age and being neglected by his father. Qin Guan reached out and wrapped an arm around Yan Sui's small shoulders. "Yes, I'm certain. His Highness Prince Jin did not harm Consort Jin. He... he was merely wrongfully accused."

Yan Sui's eyes glistened with unshed tears, clearly relieved by Qin Guan's words. Though feeling compassion for the boy, Qin Guan didn't forget to lower her voice in warning. "What we discussed today must remain between us. You must never speak of it to anyone, understand?"

Yan Sui extended his hand. "I understand. Let's pinky promise—"

Qin Guan smiled, curling her little finger to hook it with Yan Sui's.