Not Your Typical Villianess

The Crown Prince Mansion 

Zhu Faye wasn't the only person to receive a letter from an anonymous person, two of such letters were sent to the Crown Prince's mansion. One was addressed to the Crown Prince while the other was addressed to Zhu Fenfang. No matter how much Zhu Faye tried to find out who it came from but found nothing, 

Whoever sent him the letter hid well, although he had a few suspicions because of the content of the letter. While he couldn't find where or who the letter came from he discovered that two of such letters were sent to the Crown Prince's mansion. This pricked his interest since instead of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess consort being the recipient of the letter. 

He was surprised when the other recipient apart from the Crown Prince was Zhu Fenfang. This got him investigating his younger sister, he was curious about what the sender found in her. 

Meanwhile, at Zhu fenfang's end. The letter never arrived through the proper channels, which was through the door but was sent through her maid Xiao Chu. Concubines, we're pretty much confined to their room and hence wasn't allowed much outside correspondence.

To combat this rule Zhu fenfang received messages and other things through Xiao Chu. She was shocked when Xiao Chu handed a letter over to her. There was no name on the letter indicating who the letter came from, only her name was written on the envelope. 

Zhu Fenfang turned the envelope back and forth a few times while looking carefully to check if the sender left any initials but got nothing. She glanced at Xiao Chu and frowning slightly asked, "Where did you get this?"

"Eh," Xiao Chu raised her bent head, stepped forward and gazed at the envelope in her mistress's hand. "It was among the correspondence given by steward Li. The rest was from my hometown but only this was addressed to you"

Zhu Fenfang pressed her lip into a thin line and stared at the letter for a few seconds. While she did know who the letter came from, she would be lying if she claimed not to be a little curious about the content of the letter. She picked up the small letter knife in a basket beside her table and cut the envelope open. 

She pulled the flat folded paper out and unfolded the paper. She slapped the table in range after reading the letter. The writer provided evidence of Su Liya and Lu Yaozhu's involvement in her nearly losing an opportunity to get married to the Crown Prince. Zhu Fenfang never liked Su Liya so she believed the evidence without question. 

*******

Back at the Crown Prince Study 

The Crown Prince held a similar envelope in hand but unlike Zhu Fenfang's letter, his was thicker. The sender left a rather cryptic message.

"Noble Consort Tong didn't die a natural death, she was poisoned by the Empress. Look for the old Nanny that server her at the Noble Consort's Palace surnamed Chu."

He dropped the piece of paper on the table I don't of him and sorted out the other reports added into the letter. He read through a few that was correspondence between Minister Zhu the past Duke of Wu, Lu Hongli and the Empress. He passed at the correspondence that came sent four days before his mother's death.

A memory of his mother bringing him over to the Empress's palace a few days before her death suddenly came up. 

********

it was a cool spring day, instead of sending him over to Chengkun hall for his daily lessons with his Imperial Tutors. His mother asked for a day's leave, it was a very memorable day for him because his mother personally made his favourite breakfast.

His mother took him out to play for hours after they had eaten their breakfast.

Imperial Consort Tong watch got tearful as she watched her six years old son run through the small garden adjacent to her palace with glee. Her Ling'er was a very beautiful and obedient boy, it was always a good sight watching him run around. Although she tried to put on a cheerful expression, she was far from cheerful.

She wiped her eye with the back of her eyes as the beautiful memories they shared, ran through her mind. Imperial Consort Tong ignored the fatigue she felt as she sat on a blanket and watched her son run around. Nanny Chu her old Nanny and dowry maid gaze went from her weak mistress to the energetic young Prince and shock her head.

Ignorance was bliss, the young Prince was too young to notice that his mother wasn't as strong as she usually was. Nanny Chu had watched her mistress grow up, she more than most was familiar with her young Mistress's health conditions. While her mistress wasn't the healthiest, her health wasn't this bad until she was entered the Imperial harem. Her health seemed to have worsened after the young prince was born.

When Imperial Consort Tong couldn't tolerate the harsh weather outside, she called the young Zhongshan Ling back. It was almost 3 pm, they needed to get to the Empress's palace. The Young Zhongshan Ling was neither aware of his mother's inner thoughts nor her health condition. 

He only remembered that his play was cut short and he was led to the Empress's palace by his mother. This wasn't his first visit to the Empress palace, he went there three times a week to greet the Empress. The Empress was always warm to him during the visits, after asking about his studies. She usually gave him gifts, this is it wasn't any different. 

The only difference was that he was visiting the Empress with his mother, after saluting the Empress. He was sent out to wait by his mother, the Empress face him with a small ball before he left. For some time he was busy but the ball suddenly rolled towards the wedged door leading into the main room.

He ran after the ball, as he bent to pick up the ball. He caught a glimpse of his mother Kneeling with the Empress warning by the window with her back turned away. He was curious what caused quite a scene, however as he raised his hand to push the door open and walk-in. A maid caught sight of him and let him out.

******

Now years later, as he read at the old browning pieces of paper that contained the alleged conversation between his adopted mother the Empress, her brother, the deceased Duke of Wu and Minister Zhu that pointed out to his mother being poisoned. The event of that day kept coming up especially since that was the day his mother handed him to the Empress to raise. 

Four days later, his mother slept and never woke up again. The more he thought of these two events, the more he doubted the innocence of his imperial mother. Zhongshan Ling picked up the pieces of paper and put them back into the envelope. 

He pulled out a small compartment in the table and put the letter in. He intended to carry out a thorough investigation, before making any moves. Meanwhile, he would try to handle the more pressing issues of stopping the spread of malicious rumours about his marriage before his Imperial father got involved.

**********

The Empress's palace 

Su Liya accepted that there was a little truth in Lu Yaozhu's words before they left the mansion when the Empress called in a popular fertility doctor in the Imperial academy to check on her. She was still getting over that check-up when the Empress called in another "fertility expert". This time the Expert was female took it to new heights.

Su Liya's face heated up and turned nearly cheery red when the Female fertility expert Madam Cai asked 

"How often do you two have sexual relations?"

Su Liya's mouth fell, she turned to Lu Yaozhu with a rather scandalized expression. Lu Yaozhu didn't seem bothered by the madam's words and just smiled. He quickly supplied her with the answer, he continued to answer each question. Finally, Madam Cai just focused on him and abandoned the suddenly mute Su Liya. 

Su Liya sat there completely still, without saying a thing. While Lu Yaozhu became her spokesman, not that she minded. It was better he supplied the answers than she did but it didn't stop the second-hand embarrassment from overtaking her. Luckily the arrival of a messenger from the Emperor's palace put her out of her misery.

That was until she heard the message he delivered.

The messenger a thin young eunuch bowed, "Your Highness, there has been an incident at his highness at the sixth Prince's mansion. The Sixth Princess consort surnamed Zhu has been arrested for the murder of the Imperial grandson".

The smile on Empress Zhu's face fell, " What! when did this happen?"

"Answering your Highness, it happened two a day ago".

Empress Lu pressed her lips into a thin line and sighed. She glanced at her nephew and daughter, "it seems like I cannot accompany you anymore".

Lu Yaozhu and Su Liya both stood, "these citizens understand, we won't keep your highness waiting".

"Alright, I won't see you off. Please take care of yourselves" Empress Lu said.

"Yes", they saluted Empress Lu and retreated.