Ruyi’s triumphant smile froze on her face.
She couldn’t understand why Yonghuang had changed his mind.
Beside her, Gao Xiyue was grinning like a flower in full bloom.
She immediately waved to Yonghuang.
“Yonghuang, come over here to High Consort Gao. High Consort Gao will take good care of you from now on.”
Yonghuang glanced toward his Imperial Grandmother.
Seeing Zhen Huan nod slightly, he walked over and allowed Gao Xiyue to take his hand.
Even Hongli looked somewhat embarrassed.
He asked again:
“Yonghuang, are you certain? You want High Consort Gao and not Consort Xian?”
“High Consort Gao often comes to see me and brings me delicious pastries. I want High Consort Gao to be my mother.”
The moment she heard that, Gao Xiyue’s smile became even brighter.
She even shot Ruyi a smug look.
Rejected twice in a row, Ruyi’s expression stiffened further.
Hongli had no choice.
After all, he was the one who had insisted that Yonghuang choose his own adoptive mother.
Zhen Huan secretly rolled her eyes.
If he wanted to give the First Prince to Ruyi, he could have simply issued an imperial decree.
Instead, he insisted on pretending to respect the child’s wishes.
And now look what happened.
The whole thing had backfired.
She genuinely didn’t know where Hongli had gotten the confidence to assume Yonghuang would definitely choose Ruyi.
It was completely baffling.
“Xiyue has never cared for a child before. Suddenly taking responsibility for the First Prince will certainly leave her scrambling.
I will assign you two experienced eunuchs and palace maids to help. That way you won’t find yourself short of capable hands.”
And, more importantly, hopefully they could prevent Yonghuang’s intelligence from declining under Gao Xiyue’s care.
To this day, Zhen Huan still couldn’t understand how Gao Xiyue had managed to accuse Hailan of stealing charcoal.
The woman’s palace-intrigue skills probably weren’t even superior to Xia Dongchun’s.
But what could she do?
Hongli clearly preferred giving the child to Ruyi.
If Zhen Huan suggested anyone else, he would undoubtedly produce countless excuses to refuse.
Gao Xiyue, however, was different.
For some reason, Hongli seemed reluctant to reject her directly.
Instead, he wanted to shift the responsibility onto Yonghuang, a mere child.
Just look at Ruyi.
The Imperial Household Department mistreated her every few days, and the Emperor never intervened.
And Hailan?
She was supposedly Ruyi’s closest friend, yet after suffering all sorts of grievances, Ruyi had simply let everything go the moment it concerned Hongli.
Compared to Ruyi, Gao Xiyue at least treated her own people well.
She never lacked food or clothing.
With two additional attendants sent by Zhen Huan, she wasn’t a bad choice at all.
Gao Xiyue was currently overjoyed.
She vaguely sensed that the Empress Dowager had helped her obtain the First Prince.
Under such circumstances, whatever the Empress Dowager said was absolutely correct.
She happily agreed.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Hongli lost all interest in remaining.
Claiming that state affairs required his attention, he quickly departed.
Ruyi soon followed, wearing her usual gloomy expression.
Gao Xiyue, meanwhile, suddenly had a child to prepare for and felt there was much to organize in Xianfu Palace, so she departed as well.
Very quickly, only Zhen Huan and Fuca Langhua remained in Changchun Palace.
Resting her forehead against one hand, Zhen Huan continued pondering the First Prince’s situation.
Could a group of servants really be so bold?
This wasn’t just any child.
He was an imperial prince.
And not even a neglected one—both the Emperor and several high-ranking consorts paid attention to him.
Especially now.
The old nanny, Madam Li, who had failed to care for him properly, had only recently been dismissed after the New Year.
As Yonghuang’s former wet nurse, her arrogance and sense of entitlement at least possessed some degree of plausibility.
There were always foolish people who overestimated themselves.
But these new servants?
They had fought tooth and nail for the opportunity to serve an imperial prince.
Yet instead of doing their jobs, they were behaving exactly like the dismissed nanny and neglecting him as well.
Who would believe nobody was directing them?
The real question wasn’t whether someone was behind it.
The real question was who.
More importantly—
How much did the Empress know?
And what role, if any, had Fuca Langhua played?
After all, every one of these newly assigned attendants had passed through the Empress’s hands.
Either the Empress herself was responsible…
Or someone beneath her had caused the problem.
Perhaps they were incompetent and allowed someone else to exploit a loophole.
Perhaps someone had developed divided loyalties.
Whatever the answer, one thing was clear.
The Empress could no longer be allowed to handle this matter personally.
“The original attendants who served the First Prince cannot remain.
I will have them thoroughly questioned and find out exactly who gave them the courage to act this way.
For the time being, you should not involve yourself further.”
Fuca Langhua immediately understood.
The Empress Dowager now suspected her.
She felt deeply wronged.
She had never done anything of the sort.
Yet the neglect of an imperial prince had occurred under her administration.
That failure alone was enough to implicate her.
There was nothing she could say in her own defense.
Lowering her head, she quietly accepted the order.
Beside her, Sulian became increasingly anxious.
She repeatedly glanced toward the Empress, silently hoping Fuca Langhua would object.
But the Empress never looked back.
As a palace maid, Sulian could say nothing.
All she could do was watch helplessly as the Empress Dowager ordered the servants taken away to the Office of Punishments.
And for the first time in a long while, she felt something dangerously close to unease.
Because if the Office of Punishments truly dug deep enough…
Some secrets might not stay buried forever.