Chapter 496: Records of Daily Life
"Your Highness, the Dingbei Marquis Mansion is indeed on very close terms with Ye Chutang. They say that when the Heir of Duke Dingbei was stabbed, his life hanging by a thread, it was Ye Chutang who saved him. Add to that the Eldest Princess’s considerable patronage, and yes, their bond is much closer than what she shares with others."
Who in the entire Capital City didn’t know that both the Long Princess Mansion and the Dingbei Marquis Mansion were Ye Chutang’s backers?
Xiao Chenglin was lost in thought.
From the scene just now, he was certain that Shen Yanchuan’s feelings for Ye Chutang were anything but ordinary.
And as for Ye Chutang...
"Your Highness, shall we send someone to investigate them secretly?"
Xiao Chenglin shook his head. "There’s no need."
"Yes."
The more pressing matter at hand was the scene he was about to face upon entering the palace.
Xiao Chenglin scoffed, remembering the frantic way the palace attendants had come to summon him.
’There’s bound to be a good show today...’
...
After parting ways with Shen Yanchuan, Ye Chutang returned to the Ye Mansion.
Upon entering her room, Ye Chutang walked over to the desk and took a thin booklet from within her robes.
Xiao Wu, who was playing nearby, glanced over casually and briefly saw what looked like the words "Daily Record" on it.
She didn’t think much of it and went back to setting up the chessboard.
Her big sis had left her with an endgame puzzle last time, and she’d been thinking about it for days without finding a solution.
Ye Chutang gazed at the booklet, her eyes serene.
This was Emperor Muwu’s daily record for the past three months. It clearly documented the hours he rose and went to bed each day, as well as the food and drink he consumed for his three daily meals.
This was top-secret information; under normal circumstances, there was no way Ye Chutang could ever have seen it.
This was, in fact, a copy—made by the Eldest Princess’s own hand.
Ever since she diagnosed Emperor Muwu with a heart condition, she had suspected someone was poisoning him by tampering with his daily routine.
After Chutang hinted at her suspicions, the Eldest Princess had deliberated for a long time before giving her this daily record today.
Ye Chutang flipped open the first page.
’Being the Emperor might be the dream of countless people,’ she thought as she read, ’but this highest of positions is always steeped in bloodshed and cruelty.’
’That Dragon Throne is the most magnificent cage in the world.’
’Freedom?’
’It’s the greatest luxury of all, even for an Emperor who stands above all others.’
Ye Chutang read quickly, flipping through the pages. She lost all track of time, and before she knew it, night had fallen.
She lit a lamp and continued to read by the dim, yellow candlelight.
Shortly after, a loud GROWL came from beside her.
Ye Chutang was pulled from her thoughts. She turned her head and was met by a pair of large, sheepish eyes.
Xiao Wu clutched her little tummy, her face red.
’She really hadn’t meant to disturb her big sis! But her stomach was just so unruly!’
Ye Chutang gently rubbed her head.
"It’s so late. You must be starving. Why didn’t you remind me?"
Xiao Wu smiled shyly.
A maid had come to call them for dinner earlier, but seeing how engrossed her big sis was, she couldn’t bear to interrupt and had waved the maid away.
’She rarely saw her big sis so focused on a book!’
Ye Chutang could naturally guess what she was thinking. She smiled and gently pinched her cheek.
"It doesn’t matter if I read this booklet today or tomorrow. A little while won’t make a difference. Let’s eat first."
’Emperor Muwu has already been afflicted, anyway.’
’It’s only a matter of when the truth will be revealed.’
With that, she stood up, ready to close the booklet and go to dinner.
Just as she was about to go, she gave it one last casual glance but suddenly froze in her tracks.
As she looked at a line of text on the page, her eyes slowly narrowed—