CHAPTER 546: CHAPTER 545: CHEN FAMILY SIBLINGS, SO TRAGIC

That day, after Su Bai left her palace, Chu Yu had a bold idea.

She instructed her palace maid to frequently wander to the favorite spots of the concubines and talk about how the Emperor was infatuated with Su Bai.

Casting a wide net to catch more fish, isn’t it?

So, no matter who took action against Su Bai, Chu Yu was pleased to hear it.

She did not expect these women of the harem to actually be able to kill Su Bai, after all, even she was no match for her.

But every now and then, hearing that Su Bai had been targeted by someone or was suffering misfortune, Chu Yu felt utterly joyful and lively, as if there was something to look forward to in her days.

What Chu Yu had not expected was that the foolish Concubine Mei’s actions would be too drastic.

She even dragged her mother’s family into the mess.

However, that had nothing to do with her, as long as someone troubled Su Bai, she was happy.

While Su Bai was speaking, the leader of the Emperor’s Personal Guards stepped forward and whispered something in her ear.

Su Bai nodded, then waved her hand, and the leader stood aside.

"Ladies, you’ve been through a lot today, there’s nothing more to address, so please, everyone, return to your quarters," Su Bai said.

The concubines were utterly confused.

Call them together, only to send them away without an explanation.

What exactly was Su Bai up to?

But they didn’t dare to express their doubts as Chu Qi was also present, so they could only leave one after another.

The guilty Concubine Mei immediately left without looking back.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report,"

On the way, Mei’s little maid hesitantly spoke.

"Mhm."

"This morning, Sister Juanjuan took a basin of water, claiming she was going to help you freshen up, and she has not been seen since. She couldn’t have been attacked by an assassin..." the little maid said, tears welling up in her big eyes.

Concubine Mei did not want to create a fuss, so she replied, "I had sent her out of the palace to take care of some matters; she’ll be back after a while."

The little maid nodded, "Then I’m relieved."

Upon returning to the palace, she heard from the staying-behind palace maid that the Personal Guards had searched the palace thoroughly inside and out during their absence.

Concubine Mei’s eyelids twitched nervously.

"That Su Bai, to think she does such things, truly taking advantage of His Majesty’s favor, acting recklessly, not putting us concubines in her eyes," yelled Concubine Mei loudly, her eyes darting around as she slammed a vase onto the floor.

"Your Majesty..." the palace maids dared not intercede.

"Get out!" Concubine Mei seized the opportunity to explode in anger.

Once the palace maids had left, she went over to the table alone, grabbing a pot of cold tea and started pouring it into her mouth.

Luckily, she had ordered Thirteen to take the body away in the early morning, or else she would have been caught by Su Bai.

She gulped down a whole pot of cold tea.

Concubine Mei was finally able to calm her frantic nerves.

From now on, she could only face the challenges as they came and take things step by step.

For the sake of her mother’s family and her own future, she had to be even more vicious and selfish.

Recently, Concubine Chen Jieyu’s child had died; if she could now conceive a son for the Emperor, her status in the palace could be restored or even elevated.

Then, the Mei Family would regain its former glory.

Thinking this, a plan began to form in Concubine Mei’s mind.

She started to look forward to the arrival of night.

In the Imperial Garden,

Chu Qi watched as the Personal Guards unearthed items that should not have been in the Imperial Palace, his eyelids twitching.

All sorts of medicinal pills, miscellaneous books, and some indescribable instruments.

He swiftly threw a tablecloth over them.

"Your Majesty...this?" A nearby eunuch, seeing his frown, quickly approached.

Chu Qi waved his hand dismissively: "Dispose of them!"

Useful items hadn’t been found, but a whole lot of useless ones had.

Some of these items he had even used with the concubines...

At this moment, under everyone’s eyes, he truly didn’t know where to put his face.

Su Bai, adopting the attitude of ’see no evil, hear no evil’, stood aside with a detached air.

Perhaps wanting to salvage some dignity in front of her, Chu Qi cleared his throat and said, "As there are three thousand beauties in the harem, and they oft have nothing to do, this... is understandable, right?"

After he spoke, he wanted to slap himself.

What nonsense had he spoken?

It would have been better to remain silent.

Fortunately, Su Bai knew how to take a hint: "Your Majesty is wise; your words ring true."

Chu Qi: "..."

Su Bai slightly bowed, "Concubine Chen Jieyu was injured, and she has a brother living outside her palace. I am concerned and must personally visit him. If Concubine Chen Jieyu awakens, I hope Your Majesty will send someone to notify me."

Chu Qi’s words stuck in his throat as he watched her walk away.

"It’s better not to explain; the more you explain, the messier it gets."

Su Bai led a team of people out of the palace, heading straight to the residence of Chen Jieyu’s younger brother.

Upon arrival, they found that the place was already empty.

"This tea looks like it was just made this morning; it’s still warm."

Su Bai looked around, the place was small, but everything was in order.

This indicated that people lived here often.

"General Su, the neighbors said they saw Chen Family’s younger brother this morning, thinking he was always at home studying,"

a subordinate reported after inquiring outside.

Su Bai nodded, "There are no signs of a struggle in the house, and no one has left the house, which only indicates one possibility."

"What possibility?" The subordinates scratched their heads.

"Chen Family’s younger brother was knocked unconscious and taken away," Su Bai said.

At the moment, she was somewhat unsure whether this was indeed Mei Fei’s doing.

The Mei Family did not have such clean and decisive methods.

"Take people around, especially the deserted houses and temples nearby; go and check them all," Su Bai instructed, and the people she brought quickly dispersed in all directions.

Only a tall and sturdy man remained by Su Bai’s side.

The man made another round inside the house and finally went to the corner of the bed, reaching out to touch it.

His fingertips were sticky.

"It’s blood," he said in a gentle voice, which did not match his rough exterior.

It was Yan Li’an in disguise.

Su Bai stepped forward and saw the fresh red on his fingertips.

"Chen Family’s younger brother might have bumped into something before he was taken away."

It wasn’t a wound from a fight.

The likelihood was that the person who took him was very careless and thus knocked Chen Family’s younger brother’s head against the bed corner.

"It must have been quite painful with all that bleeding,"

Su Bai couldn’t help commenting.

Chen Family’s siblings, truly pitiful.

Yan Li’an’s tone was icy, "This clean and decisive act must be the work of a martial faction, possibly an experienced assassin or the like."

"Do you mean there are concubines in the palace colluding with assassins?"

"Otherwise, there’s no explanation for such actions, and today you only searched for items but missed one most critical thing," Yan Li’an pursed his lips, looking at Su Bai, "People."

"The palace has a high volume of people; this can’t be investigated in a short time." Su Bai hadn’t overlooked it, but investigating people might involve some complications that she didn’t want to entangle herself with.

She did not wish to make countless enemies.

Yan Li’an knew that Chen Jieyu and her brother’s early troubles were most likely related to the advice he had given.

It was very likely that they were hated by someone in the palace who then arranged for their murder.

He just didn’t expect these concubines to be so cruel and merciless as to act directly within the palace.

"Yan Jing has already drawn Song Huaxu’s attention; he won’t enter the palace for a while, but we can’t delay too long. You also said he’s very suspicious; we must make a quick decision while we have the chance," Yan Li’an spoke gravely.

Su Bai stood still, silent for a long time.

"If I really have lost my memory, would my brother simply let it go?"

"If it’s true, then Chu Qi and Song Huaxu deliberately used me for their own purposes for three years. During these years, my hands became stained with the blood of Dawei’s soldiers..." Su Bai looked at her palms, her expression complex.

She had also slaughtered many villages.

If it’s true... what right did she have to return to Dawei?

"I can’t accept being used, so I must make them pay,"

Su Bai said firmly.

Yan Li’an stared at her for a long time before he managed to say, "Aren’t you being a bit melodramatic?"

Su Bai, "?"

"Who told you our family was in Dawei?" Yan Li’an wanted to crack open his sister’s head to see what was inside, "Stop pretending you’re some kind of savior. What does the state of the world have to do with you? You’re also being used; don’t let your emotions get the better of you—it’s not time yet."

Su Bai was so scolded she couldn’t say a word.

This brother’s methods were truly unconventional.

"If Yan Xiaoliu were here, it would be great; just a few needles from him, and no need to look at any damned secret room," Yan Li’an muttered to himself, doubting that even seeing the secret room would restore his memory.

The problem was, no one knew where that rascal Yan Xiaoliu was right now.

"So what do we do now?" Su Bai felt his scolding actually made a lot of sense.

"How about we just run now, head to the Qin State border? Then that little rascal Chu Qi won’t be able to touch you," Yan Li’an suggested.

Su Bai’s lips twitched, "Good idea, except we can’t run away now."

Footsteps approached from outside.

The captain of the Personal Guards, slightly out of breath, stood in the courtyard and shouted, "General Su, Concubine Chen Jieyu has awakened."

Yan Li’an, "Damn," the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.