MCSCPM -Chapter 115 Knowing Everything

“After that, the imperial palace was actually quite peaceful. Nothing happened,” the man in black said, his expression somewhat strange.

“Then what about my mother, the Imperial Consort? Could it be that before this, she hadn’t already fallen out with the Empress?” Nangong Mei asked, puzzled.

“This matter… perhaps it was precisely because your mother knew too much that she was framed,” the man in black said, his voice gradually lowering.

What Nangong Mei found most curious was what kind of matter could cause the Noble Consort to be framed like this.

She understood the saying ‘curiosity killed the cat’, but this secret was extremely important to her.

“If your mother hadn’t known about this matter, she probably wouldn’t have reached her position, nor would she have died. These things both elevated her and destroyed her.”

“What do you mean by that?” Nangong Mei’s eyes glimmered in the darkness.

“This story must begin from when your mother first entered the palace.”

At that time, Consort Sun was not yet a noble consort. He Minmin had only managed, through her own efforts, to climb to the position of Empress.

“Back then, the Empress had done something she felt guilty about. She often had nightmares at night. Later, unable to sleep one night, she went alone to burn paper money for the former Empress, and your mother happened to see her.”

“Did Mother use this to threaten the Empress?” Nangong Mei asked. She knew her mother had always loved to compete, constantly clashing with the Empress during her lifetime.

“Mei’er, you’ve grown up. There are some things you were bound to learn sooner or later. Even if I didn’t tell you, you would find a way to learn them.”

Hearing this, Nangong Mei suddenly felt a wave of sorrow. She had been obsessed with medicine and had never truly cared about her mother.

“Back then, your mother wrote letters to me, telling me about her life in the palace. Your Sun family was originally a declining clan. It was only through your mother’s efforts that it gradually grew strong.”

“Godfather, what did Mother say in her letters?” Nangong Mei asked, struggling to suppress her emotions.

“These are the letters your mother wrote to me back then. Take them and read them,” the man in black said, taking out a yellowed piece of letter paper from his sleeve.

Nangong Mei accepted the letter. The dark clouds in the sky drifted away, and moonlight spilled across the forest.

A bitter scent drifted through the air. Nangong Mei knew—it was the smell of tears.

“Godfather.”

“Let me be alone for a while.”

Nangong Mei’s expression slowly dimmed. Her mother had so many past experiences, yet she had never once mentioned them in front of her.

In the end, it was because she herself was useless, unable to help in even the smallest way.

A gentle breeze brushed her face. This was the bamboo grove her mother, Consort Sun, had loved most in life. The faint fragrance of bamboo leaves entered her nose, and Nangong Mei could not help but feel secretly sorrowful.

The fragrance remained, but the person was gone.

“Mei’er, after your mother obtained the Empress’s secret, she began to threaten her.”

“No matter what my mother did, she had her own reasons,” Nangong Mei said firmly.

As soon as her words fell, the man in black visibly let out a sigh of relief.

“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease,” he said with a forced smile. How could one truly smile while speaking of the affairs of one’s childhood sweetheart?

“Mother must have interfered with the Empress’s interests. Otherwise, so many incidents wouldn’t have occurred.”

The man in black nodded. “After your mother obtained the Empress’s secret, it was like holding a talisman that could save her life—or, you could say, a death warrant.” His words were always layered, broken, and indirect.

“If that’s the case, given He Minmin’s personality, why didn’t she act sooner?”

“You should know your mother’s temperament.”

“I’m so tired.” Several palace maids passed by near the bamboo grove. They had been guarding outside the Empress’s sleeping quarters for a long time and had barely slept all night.

Only then did Nangong Mei realize that dawn had already arrived. She had been talking with the man in black for nearly the entire night.

“Godfather, it’s already quite late now. Mei’er must hurry back to my quarters to avoid arousing suspicion,” Nangong Mei said, glancing repeatedly toward the small path near the bamboo grove. This was the route palace maids and eunuchs had to pass through—if she didn’t leave quickly, she would soon be discovered.

The man in black nodded and vanished in an instant.

Holding a small green herb in her hand, Nangong Mei slowly walked out of the bamboo grove.

“Isn’t that the Second Princess? Why is she coming out of the bamboo grove so early in the morning?” several palace maids whispered among themselves.

“I think she’s lost her mind. Ever since Consort Sun passed away, I’ve heard the Second Princess has been acting like a fool.”

Nangong Mei walked toward her residence, completely ignoring their words.

Her endurance and silent suffering—no one but herself knew of them.

“Found it. I’ve finally found it,” Nangong Mei kept murmuring.

Behind her, the palace maids continued whispering, “I think the Second Princess is acting confused again.”

“Let’s go. Better keep our distance.”

“Exactly. If we get involved, we won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.” The gossiping maids quickly left.

“Second Princess, where have you been? You’ve worried this servant to death,” the little palace maid from Nangong Mei’s quarters said anxiously, beads of sweat glistening on her face.

“I just went to look for this herb. What, were you afraid something would happen to me?” Nangong Mei said with a smile, placing the small green herb directly into the maid’s hands.

“This is…?” the maid asked, confused. What was this thing?

“Go to the kitchen and boil this for at least four hours. The longer, the better,” Nangong Mei said, then walked into her chambers.

The maid stood at the door. “Second Princess, you haven’t eaten breakfast yet. This servant will bring it to you.”

“No need. I’m not hungry. Just make sure the herb is prepared properly,” Nangong Mei said. She wanted to be alone so she could quickly read all the letters.

Before leaving, her godfather had given her more than just one letter.

“Yes, Second Princess,” the maid replied softly and left gently, afraid of making any noise that might disturb Nangong Mei.

Nangong Mei quickly found a stool and sat down, slowly spreading out the yellowed letter paper.

The familiar handwriting soon came into view—it was her mother’s writing.

Through these words, she came to understand her mother once again.

In the Rose Pavilion, everything was silent. Such silence made Nangong Mei feel afraid; loneliness was a terror that was hard to resist in this world.

“Second Princess, I’ve placed the food at the door,” the maid’s voice reached Nangong Mei again.

“Bring it in,” Nangong Mei said, quickly putting the letters away and pretending to sit by the bed, looking utterly exhausted.

“Second Princess, your health hasn’t fully recovered yet. You shouldn’t be wandering around. The morning fog is heavy—leave the task of gathering herbs to this servant,” the maid said with concern as she set the dishes on the table.

“You wouldn’t recognize medicinal herbs anyway. Now, the only thing I can still pursue is searching for herbs,” Nangong Mei said, her expression darkening.

“This servant was wrong. I shouldn’t have mentioned something that saddens my mistress,” the maid said nervously. She was good at reading expressions, and seeing Nangong Mei like this immediately threw her into a panic. After all, the person she served was the Second Princess—if the Emperor blamed her, her life would be forfeit.

“How is the herb boiling?” Nangong Mei deliberately changed the subject, though the sadness on her face had not faded.

“It’s still boiling in the kitchen. Once it’s been boiled for four hours, this servant will bring it to Your Highness,” the maid said with her head lowered, afraid of saying something wrong again and upsetting the Second Princess.