And when that happened, it would have nothing to do with them.
Breaking into a wide grin, he quickly agreed—his godfather was truly brilliant!
***
The emperor was preparing for his annual Nanyuan hunting expedition, and with countless nobles, officials, and their families coming and going from the summer palace, the place felt even livelier than the height of summer.
With frequent summons from the emperor, the palace servants of Qianqing Palace were all kept busy, running around non-stop.
It was only after half a month that Fang He finally found time to visit Wei Disheng at Anping Hall.
Qiao Cheng had sent word through someone that Wei Disheng had been unconscious for three days but had finally woken up.
However, the internal injuries from his beating made it difficult for him to get up.
Fang He had heard in her past life about the hidden tricks behind Qing dynasty punishments—whether the wooden boards made noise or not could make a world of difference.
If Wei Disheng were to become crippled from this, he might never have another chance to climb up the ranks.
She wasn’t skilled in medicine, but her hotel training had covered how to serve injured and disabled guests.
It wouldn’t hurt to give Wei Disheng some advice—better safe than sorry.
Due to the summer palace’s lockdown, Xiao Chenzi couldn’t move around freely.
At the moment, he was helping the Internal Affairs Department transport supplies for the nobility back to the main palace and was not in the summer palace.
However, Qiao Cheng had already introduced Xiao Chenzi to Eunuch Xu, and all that was left was for Xiao Chenzi to formally offer tea as a sign of respect.
Then, his status would be confirmed.
So when Fang He arrived, Eunuch Xu was particularly welcoming.
He loudly dismissed the nearby junior eunuchs and wandering eyes, ensuring that Fang He could speak to Wei Disheng in peace.
The moment Wei Disheng saw Fang He, tears welled up in his eyes.
He had already heard from Eunuch Xu about Fang He’s previous concerns for him.
Now, he regarded her as his own sister, choking up so much that he could barely speak.
“Big Sis… it’s my fault. I already heard from Godfather… because of me, you were forced to be more ambitious. I’ve let you down…”
Fang He patted his head and smiled.
“Oh, come on. You’re calling me your sister, so why act like a stranger?”
Wei Disheng shook his head, his tears spilling onto Fang He’s hand.
“It’s not that… I once overheard Godmother and Godfather talking. They said they didn’t know if bringing you into the palace was a blessing or a curse. No matter what, they had to suppress you and make sure you didn’t catch the emperor’s eye.”
He had been sharp since childhood and knew that his sister wasn’t bad-looking.
When he overheard them speaking, he sensed that something was off in their tone.
Godmother even seemed to dislike Fang He—not because she was worried about her appearance, but as if there was some hidden reason.
Fang He caught the implication in his words, and in her mind, a dozen dramatic storylines from TV dramas played out in rapid succession.
Could her original body be an abandoned noble child?
The secret daughter of a tragic love story?
Or… a lost heir from the previous dynasty?
No, that didn’t make sense!
She touched her face thoughtfully.
The original host didn’t remember what her father looked like, but neighbors and her mother had always said she took after him.
Her father had been weak and sickly—a delicate beauty.
Her mother had married into the struggling Xu family precisely because she thought he was gentle and wouldn’t mistreat her.
But in the end, both parents were too soft-hearted, and life had been so tough that even beggars would shed tears at their plight.
They both died, leaving the original host nearly starved to death—until she was sent to the palace.
If she wasn’t a lost noble, then what could be the reason?
Could it be that Eunuch Xu had somehow seen the potential of a future courtesan in a twelve-year-old girl?
That was ridiculous!
Since she couldn’t figure it out, Fang He decided not to dwell on it.
If Eunuch Xu had been able to get his niece into the palace, it couldn’t be anything too life-threatening.
She patted Wei Disheng’s head.
“Disheng, you’re still recovering, so don’t overthink things. It won’t do you any good.”
“When you get better, find a way to return to His Majesty’s service. If we work together, we’ll have a better shot at leaving the palace safely.”
As long as they could leave the palace, many of her current worries would no longer matter.
Wei Disheng wiped his eyes and lowered his head in silence for a long moment before speaking in a muffled voice.
“Big Sis, don’t call me Disheng anymore. From now on, there is no Wei Disheng—only Wei Zhu.”
The reason Liang Jiugong and Li Dequan had found an opportunity to take him down was because he had spoken too freely.
He had carelessly mentioned to Gu Wenxing how overbearing those two were in front of the emperor, not realizing that someone had overheard a key part of his words and reported it back to them.
That was why Li Dequan had shattered an inkstone right in front of him, using the excuse of “leaking imperial secrets” to threaten him.
Now, he finally understood why Eunuch Gu had chosen the name Zhu for him—a word meaning “precious pearl.”
In the palace, being smart wasn’t enough.
He had to learn to keep his mouth shut.
Fang He nodded without hesitation.
“Alright, I won’t call you Disheng anymore. Once you recover and return to serve His Majesty, sooner or later, everyone will remember your name—Wei Zhu!”
This hardship might not have been a bad thing.
With Wei Zhu’s intelligence, once he learned the art of silence… not just the eunuchs and palace servants in front of the emperor, but the nobles, officials, and even the imperial family would all come to know the name of Wei Zhu.
***
As Fang He walked out of Anping Hall, she carefully thought over Wei Zhu’s guilty words.
Whether or not it was life-threatening, any hidden dangers had to be snuffed out while they were still in the cradle.
She went to find Qiao Cheng.
“Uncle, when I was serving in the hall earlier, His Majesty praised me… but Chief Eunuch Liang didn’t seem too pleased.”
“With what happened to Wei Zhu before, do you think he’ll investigate my background and have me kicked out of the palace?”
Of course, being expelled from the palace was exactly what she wanted—but unfortunately, she knew she wouldn’t be that lucky.
What she really wanted to find out was whether the oddity Wei Zhu had overheard would not only prevent her from being sent away but also land her directly in the Office of Punishments for a one-day tour.
Since neither Xu Mama nor Qiao Cheng had ever mentioned anything to her before, they were likely trying to keep it from her.
So, she had to use this exaggerated scenario to probe for information.
As expected, Qiao Cheng’s expression changed several times.
He stared at Fang He for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
“To be honest, I don’t know either. Your aunt never explained in detail. She only mentioned that your father carried a debt of sin.”
“She said that if anyone found out, it could bring disaster. She didn’t seem to like your father much. When I pressed her for details, she refused to say anything more.”
Fang He carefully considered the phrase ‘could bring disaster’ and recalled how her father had spent his final days shut inside their home before passing away.
That thought settled her nerves.
Given his weak personality and frail health, it was unlikely he had committed any major crime.
Maybe… his face had simply caused trouble?
That would explain why this so-called “disaster” was so vague—something that wasn’t easily discovered but also couldn’t afford to be exposed deliberately.
Fortunately, ever since she arrived in this world, she had kept a low profile.
She hadn’t even offended Bai Min, and she always kept her face well hidden.
Feeling reassured, Fang He was now just left with curiosity.
What exactly had happened that made Xu Mama both worried about and resentful of her niece?
But now the people involved were all dead and buried—she would never get to uncover this juicy drama!
What a waste!
***
While Fang He was scratching her head in frustration over the missing pieces of the puzzle, she had no idea that she had let her guard down too soon.
Even though Xu Mama was gone, the melon field was still there to be harvested.
Li Dequan, determined to do a thorough job, spent extra silver and sent people to investigate the area surrounding the former Xu family residence.
Originally, he had only wanted to fabricate convincing evidence of Fang He’s ulterior motives, but unexpectedly, following the trail led to a discovery far beyond what he had anticipated.
When his subordinates delivered a full report on the history of Xu Jiashi’s family, Li Dequan was so delighted he almost burst out laughing.
Without delay, he rushed to present the findings to Liang Jiugong.
Liang Jiugong, too, was thoroughly amused.
This was like a weasel running into a chicken—no, wait, a rat stumbling right in front of the ancestral cat!
Fang He was doomed from the start—she simply wasn’t destined for ambition!
Seizing a moment when His Majesty was not too occupied, Liang Jiugong wasted no time in presenting the report to Kangxi’s imperial desk.
To his surprise, Kangxi—who had nearly forgotten all about Fang He—couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in astonishment.
“She is a descendant of the Zasghuri clan?”
Liang Jiugong, barely restraining his grin, nodded vigorously.
“Your Majesty, the investigation is absolutely solid!”
“Forgive me for not mentioning it earlier, but I have long found that girl Fang He rather familiar-looking. I had assumed it was because of the good karma left behind by Xu Mama.”
“But now I understand—Fang He is the spitting image of the once-famous Grand Madam Zasghuri of the capital!”