The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

Yingluo was horrified, but she remained calm and said, "What are you saying, Eunuch Qin? I don't understand. You've been with me the whole time. Did you see me rummaging through things?"

Qin Li stood up, holding a small, transparent film in his hand: "Although I've been watching you the whole time, and you haven't done anything under my nose, you may not have noticed that there's a silkworm thread dyed with ochre stuck to the edge of this drawer. The thread can only be kept intact by opening the drawer in a specific way, and when I checked just now, I found that the thread had been broken, which means that someone other than me must have rummaged through the drawer."

He shook the thin film: "There is a kind of white sand in the East China Sea. After it is melted, it is mixed with tung oil. This tung oil looks no different from other tung oils, but as long as someone touches it with their hand, it will leave a mark. This tung oil will solidify into a thin film, and after peeling it off, you can see the mark left on it."

Every morning I apply oil to this mahogany table, and I always wear gloves when I rummage through the drawers, but there are still a few fingerprints on this thin film. Miss Yingluo, you say you haven't rummaged through them, so why don't you press your fingerprint down and let us compare?"

Seeing the unexpected turn of events, Yuan Yi quickly turned to Yingluo and said, "Ms. Wei, please allow me to temporarily take over your body so that I can erase his memories!"

Yingluo responded in her heart: "Didn't you say that you can't interfere in this world at will or you'll be exposed?"

Yuan Yi said, "We can't worry about that now. If he makes a big fuss, you'll be in danger! If all else fails, abandon the mission and teleport your souls away!"

Yingluo replied, "No, with only these two flimsy pieces of evidence, he can't do anything to me. Besides, there must be something fishy going on! Give me a little more time!"

Yingluo steadied her breathing and calmly said, "Eunuch Qin, I'll say it again: I've been under your watchful eye since I came in. How could I possibly rummage through your things in front of you without being caught red-handed? If you want to frame me, you need to come up with a plausible explanation. Otherwise, it's unwise of you to implicate the Empress's head maid based on just a single silk thread and a few fingerprints."

"With so many tricks up your sleeve, it seems you're being wasted in the Imperial Household Department. You should be working in the Ministry of Justice. Yingluo, I don't understand, as the head of the Imperial Household Department, why do you need to resort to such methods? Is there something shady going on in your drawer?"

Qin Li smiled, his smile no longer obsequious, but rather one of confident nonchalance: "Of course you can't, unless you use some means to make me turn a blind eye and a deaf ear."

A servant came down and said, "You and Miss Mingyu both came today, but only you entered. Was Miss Mingyu gossiping about palace matters with the eunuchs outside?"

Yingluo was even more surprised. How did Qin Li even know about spatial distortion? She quickly calculated that Qin Li's ability to say such things, which seemed unbelievable to ordinary people, and to have even set up a method to leave traces, meant that he also knew this place was strange and had taken precautions. With such a person, perhaps continuing to play dumb or hide the truth was pointless; winning him over was the best strategy.

She took a deep breath and, with a mix of truth and falsehood, told a lie: "Eunuch Qin, the reason I came to the Imperial Household Department is because we witnessed some strange things after returning to the palace. Mingyu is a maidservant of the Empress, and she grew up with the Empress. They have a deep bond, and I was worried that she might pose a threat to the Empress, so she came with me to investigate. I didn't know Eunuch Qin was so perceptive and far-sighted. I've really offended you in this mess. But Eunuch Qin, how did you discover the strangeness in the Forbidden City?"

Qin Li sighed, "Alright, since we've come this far, let's be frank. I'll have someone deliver Her Majesty the Empress's things. Please invite Miss Mingyu over, and I'll start from the beginning to tell you everything."

Inside the Imperial Household Department hall, steam rose from the teapot on the tea stove. Qin Li personally picked up the teapot, brewed two cups of tea for Yingluo and Mingyu, and then sat down with a cup of tea in his own hand: "This is the finest Biluochun tea. Please enjoy it while you listen. It all began with the disappearance of my master, Steward Liang."

Qin Li gazed into the distance and began to recall: "Back then, my master undertook a major renovation of Yongshou Palace, which earned him the favor of the late emperor and Consort Xi, and he was very proud for a while. Later, my master retired, and since he had no relatives left in his hometown, he bought a house in the suburbs of the capital to live in."

After the Emperor ascended the throne, I succeeded my master as the head of the Imperial Household Department. Not long after, my master sent me a letter saying that he was plagued by nightmares every day, always dreaming that he was standing on the edge of an abyss and always wanted to jump down. I was worried, so when I had some free time, I personally delivered some calming incense to him. But when I arrived at my master's residence, he was gone.

The room was undisturbed, and no note was left behind. On my master's bed, the bedding was unmade, and a pair of casual shoes lay beneath the bed. Afterwards, I reported it to the authorities and inquired with my master's former colleagues, but he seemed to have vanished into thin air; we searched everywhere but could not find him.

Yingluo and Mingyu knew that Steward Liang had not simply disappeared, but had fallen into a rift in the world.

But this inexplicable thing couldn't be explained to the native inhabitants of this world. They had no choice but to remain silent for the time being.

After Qin Li finished speaking, he remained silent for a long while. Then he told Yingluo and Mingyu something else.

On the night his master disappeared, he also had a dream.

In his dream, he found himself standing on a vast, white expanse of land. There was no wind, no rain, no sun, no moon; only whiteness above and below.

Master Liang Duorui, though dressed in the official robes of a chief steward, was no longer the noble and dignified figure he once was. His cheeks were sunken, and his messy black and white hair hung down his back, making him appear insane, yet his eyes gleamed with a strange light.

He was shouting something and gesticulating wildly as he walked forward. Before them appeared a massive chasm that seemed to split the place in two.

Beneath the crack, the bottom is unfathomable.

The wind howled from beneath the crack, like a wail, like a sob.

Liang Duorui, however, seemed oblivious, singing and dancing wildly as she walked straight toward the crack.

Terrified, he scrambled forward to block his master's path, crying out, "Master, it's dangerous ahead! Don't go any further!"

Liang Duorui continued to sing excitedly: "Weeds and sycophants corrupt righteousness, glib tongues and falsehoods confuse faith, and the music of Zheng is chaotic. Hypocrites and false virtues are corrupting morality. Where can I go? Go back, it's better to go back!"

He was so frightened that he cried out and begged his master.

As if awakened by his pleas, his master stroked his head as he had when he was a child, and scolded him in a hoarse voice, "Little Qinzi, you little rascal! You've followed your master, yet you're still like this coward! Who bullied you this time, expecting your master to stand up for you? Your master can't help you now!"

He hugged his master's leg and cried, "Master, I still have so many things to ask you. You must live! Please don't go any further!"

Liang Duorui gently pried his hand open, placed an enamel snuff bottle in it, and said kindly, "My dear disciple, let your master go. This is no longer your master's territory. Your master is in a hurry to leave and has nothing to leave you, so keep this snuff bottle as a keepsake!"

With that, he walked forward without looking back until he was swallowed by the crack.

Qin Li woke up in a fright that night to find his pillowcase soaked with his tears and an enamel snuff bottle clutched in his hand.

Qin Li forced himself to stop recalling, avoiding mention of the snuff bottle, and instead went into the inner room to retrieve a birdcage covered with a cloth. He lifted the cloth, revealing a myna bird inside. Upon seeing the light, the myna opened its mouth, its voice sharp and loud:

"Have you heard? The Empress Dowager has sent Qingzhu back to her former residence to observe mourning for her father!"

"His Majesty cherishes Qingzhu'er and will surely release her soon!"

"Have you heard? Consort Xian was sent to Shou Kang Palace by the Emperor, and just the other day she was released, but she was reassigned to the most remote Yanxi Palace!"

"It seems the Emperor doesn't like her very much!"

As the story progressed, the same words appeared again, sending a chill down Yingluo and Mingyu's spines.

Qin Li took out a small bottle, added its contents to the water cup of the myna bird in the cage, covered it with a cloth, and continued, "After Master disappeared, another thing happened. A few days ago, an official presented a parrot as tribute, which was kept in the livestock shed. One day, when I went to inspect the livestock shed, I heard the parrot gossiping about the palace."

This must be some sycophant spreading rumors in the livestock shed, which allowed the parrot to pick it up. I severely punished everyone in the livestock shed that day, but the supervising eunuch said he hadn't heard anyone gossiping. I initially thought it was just an excuse from those sycophants, but even after sending people to investigate myself, I couldn't find anyone spreading rumors. Finally, I personally used binoculars to keep watch. I clearly saw several people slacking off and about to start chatting, but then I suddenly lost focus, and when I came to my senses, they were back to work.

Thinking of the parrot, I got a well-trained myna bird and hung it in the yard, continuing my surveillance from a distance. A few days later, I observed closely and noticed that whenever someone started to slack off and was about to speak, a flash of white would appear before my eyes. However, this flash of white was always fleeting; unless one was already subconsciously paying attention, they would only think they had momentarily lost focus. The myna bird had also learned this trick. In other words, the instant the flash of white appeared before my eyes, they had already been gossiping for quite some time.

I recalled what my master had said about the vast white land in my dream, and I wondered if, when others started saying these things, I had actually disappeared just like my master, but I hadn't realized it myself.

I don't know if these strange events are related to my master's disappearance, but in order to gather more clues and to prevent anything else from happening that I'm unaware of, I took these precautions. Just now I felt a momentary lapse in concentration, so as soon as I came to my senses, I immediately checked the silk and tung oil film, which is why I was able to catch Miss Yingluo red-handed.

Just then, a mournful, hoarse bird call came from inside the house. The bird then called out a few more times, its voice broken and hoarse, unable to form coherent sentences or melodies.

Yingluo and Mingyu understood that Qin Li had poisoned the myna bird to make it lose its voice in order to keep the secret. They secretly admired Qin Li's caution, while Yuan Yi in the conference room also sat up straight. They hadn't expected that in this chaotic world, there would still be such a clear-headed, decisive, and cautious person.

Yingluo suddenly remembered something and asked, "Since Eunuch Qin is being so frank, then I'll just ask directly, is the inferior goods you gave to Consort Xian related to this matter?"

Qin Li took out the book: "It seems you haven't finished flipping through it yet. Keep flipping through and take a look."

Yingluo took the book and flipped through a few pages. On the later pages, "Consort Xian, Ulanara Ruyi" was written haphazardly and densely, and filled with marks symbolizing favor. The handwriting was rather childish and completely different from the handwriting of Liang Duorui and Qin Li on the earlier pages, and it was also messy and disorganized.

Yingluo and Mingyu were both startled. Could this be the influence of an evil spirit?

Qin Li sighed, "Ever since my master disappeared, I've felt that things in this palace are quite different from before. My master once told me that Consort Xi was a shrewd and cunning woman, but not someone who was solely focused on scheming. After the late emperor passed away, she arranged for her own son, the Sixth Prince, to be adopted out, precisely to reassure the current emperor, to ensure the stability of the court, and to guarantee the Sixth Prince's lifelong prosperity. But now, this Empress Dowager..."

He paused, giving a knowing look. "It's so different. I think it might be related to the crack in Master's dream. Maybe Consort Xi is like Master... If I may be so disrespectful, the so-called crack is probably..." He raised a finger and pointed upwards. Yingluo and Mingyu knew that he meant that Liang Duorui's nightmares, her subsequent unexplained disappearance, and the stark contrast between the Empress Dowager and Consort Xi all happened after the Emperor ascended the throne. Therefore, the crack in the dream might have been caused by the Emperor's ascension.

The two thought that Qin Li's guess was actually quite close, although there was a difference of a few years in the timeline. But how did he manage to connect all of this to Consort Xian?

Qin Li seemed to notice the puzzled expressions on their faces and continued, "Consort Xian is the niece of the Empress Dowager's enemy, Consort Jingren, and also a concubine of the new emperor and the Empress Dowager's daughter-in-law. Previously, the emperor also ordered her to go to Shou Kang Palace to attend to the Empress Dowager when she was ill. After thinking it over, I realized that she is the one who is closest to the late emperor, Consort Xi, and the current emperor. Moreover, she has always been the most unconventional one. In addition, the Spring Grace Book suddenly showed such marks without anyone flipping through it. It seems that all the clues to the strange events point to her."

But how can we servants arbitrarily question our masters? Therefore, I can only test the waters. The Book of Favors says she is the most favored, so I will do the opposite and treat her particularly harshly. If she truly acts strangely, something else will surely happen. Then I can glean clues from that.”

Yingluo said, "But since your master has disappeared, it means that these things are not only strange, but also very dangerous. If you do this, at the very least, if Consort Xian really gains favor, who knows how she will retaliate against you. At worst, if there are really some supernatural or bizarre things, you might get yourself into trouble."

Qin Li said solemnly, "I come from a poor family. My family suffered a disaster, which forced me to enter the palace. After entering the palace, I had no money to bribe my superiors and subordinates, and I was often bullied. If it weren't for my master's appreciation and care, would I be where I am today?"

We, the people who have been castrated since birth, are destined to have no descendants and be left with few children. Even if our master disappears without explanation, the authorities will not investigate further, and he will have no children to search for him. If even I, his disciple, accept this, who will give our master justice? If I end up like him, who will come looking for me and give me justice?

Let Consort Xian take revenge if she wants; it will only result in her being dismissed from her post and punished. If it's really some kind of supernatural or bizarre thing, even if it brings trouble upon myself, I will let those filthy things know that even if we are born to serve others, we are still human beings, not to be treated however those filthy things want!

However, I now seem to be affected by these strange and supernatural forces, and there are many areas where my strength is insufficient. Since Miss Yingluo and Miss Mingyu know about these strange phenomena and are unaffected by them, they must know the reasons behind them and have some methods to counteract them. If you two ladies do not mind, I, Qin Li, am willing to form an alliance with you to investigate this matter together! If you two are willing to serve, I, Qin, will certainly do my utmost!

Yingluo stood up solemnly and bowed, saying, "Eunuch Qin is so righteous, I admire you greatly! Since the three of us share the same goal, all we can be sure of now is that we will not be affected. We don't know much more than Eunuch Qin, but if Eunuch Qin needs our help in the future, I will do my duty without hesitation!" Mingyu also stood up admiringly and bowed as well.

In the conference room, Yuan Yi fell into thought.

This world, though severely eroded, still has native inhabitants like Qin Li who can sense something amiss and retain their judgment and ability to act—this is ultimately good news. As a result, the hope for this world to return to normalcy is even greater. Hope lies not only with Him and the three-person team, but also with every native inhabitant like Qin Li.