"That child, he is that bastard child. The Emperor detested him, but after a secret conversation with Prince Shun, the child was left in the Imperial Palace. Since then, Prince Shun never stepped into the palace again. That night, the woman died. Two years later, on the same day, Prince Shun also died. The child was sent back to Prince Shun’s Mansion. It’s utterly ludicrous how a dirty and lowly illegitimate child, through that woman, became part of the Royal Family’s bloodline."
Reading this, Feng Bailing had already understood.
The child mentioned in the record was Dugu Wu.
"Lady Dugu indeed had a connection with the Emperor, but unexpectedly, she was the Emperor’s woman and had Dugu Wu with Prince Shun in an affair."
Feng Bailing was secretly shocked.
The Empress repeatedly called Dugu Wu a lowborn bastard in the records, clearly convinced that Dugu Wu was not the progeny of Prince Shun.
Indeed, Dugu Wu was born with heterochromia.
Both Prince Shun and Emperor Yongye were ordinary people. If Lady Dugu had normal-colored eyes as well, Dugu Wu’s heterochromia, in the past and present, would seem utterly disgraceful.
However, to Feng Bailing, who had the experiences of the 22nd century, it wasn’t necessarily so.
Heterochromia isn’t always the result of parental genetic influence; it could very well be related to the child’s grandparents or even earlier ancestors.
Putting aside the bloodline of Great Chu, if Lady Dugu was of foreign descent, then the emergence of heterochromia in the bloodline is very likely.
Alas, Lady Dugu is already dead, and so is Prince Shun. The truth is now known to no one.
Feng Bailing continued to read. It’s already been over twenty years into Emperor Yongye’s reign, and the case of the body in the pond happened over a decade ago. Logically, the Empress should have recorded something about it.
Just as she was about to continue reading, she heard the voice of a palace maid from outside.
"Greetings to the Empress."
The Empress has returned.
Feng Bailing was startled.
She hurriedly closed the record, placed it back into the secret compartment, and planned to leave through the window.
But just as she reached the windowsill and was about to climb out, she felt a pain in her foot. Something had wrapped around her ankle.
Feng Bailing looked down and saw that a vine from a lush green pot plant by the windowsill had suddenly sprouted a sharp thorn, which was now coiled around her ankle.
The vine thorn had grown backward-facing barbs, piercing into her flesh and causing beads of blood to emerge immediately.
Feng Bailing was inwardly alarmed and swiftly turned around to survey Luan Palace.
She had a vague feeling that Luan Palace was different from other palaces when she entered.
But she was too rushed at the time to take a closer look.
Now looking around, she noticed that there were more potted plants in Luan Palace.
And these were not the favorite flowers of the ladies but more climbing green plants.
The Wooden Holy Seal.
Feng Bailing’s ankle was tightly ensnared, and it was difficult to break free in a short time.
Outside the palace, footsteps approached.
The Empress, followed by palace maids and eunuchs with bowed heads, hurried along. What was going on with the Empress today?
Her complexion had changed abruptly after delivering medicine to the Emperor, and she wanted to return to the palace at once.
Anger was reflected in her beautiful eyes.
Someone had intruded into Luan Palace.
From within her sleeve, the Jade Box kept issuing warnings.
Her gaze was piercing, as she stared intensely at every corner of the palace.
The palace was empty; not a soul to be found.
The Empress walked briskly to the window, where a segment of the vine thorn had been cut off, fresh blood still on it.
The Empress picked up that vine thorn, looked at the bloodstains on the ground, and snorted coldly. With a flick of her sleeve, she followed the bloodstains out with large strides.