The walls of the house were built using mud and a few broken bricks and stones. There was only one room inside. A stove stood in one corner, and two sleeping mats lay on the floor on the other side. Presumably, the bigger mat was for an adult, and the smaller one a child.

Apart from that, the room contained only a few odds and ends: a few chipped bowls and plates, and a water jar with a crack in it.

A few bundles of dried vegetables lay on the stove. It was unclear how long they had been left there, but their moisture had long since evaporated into nothing.

From this room alone, one could tell that the owner was extremely poor. It was a perfect example of the saying, “Owning nothing besides four bare walls.” However, the items were arranged neatly, and the place was spotlessly clean. There was even a small dent in the child’s sleeping mat. One could almost imagine a child curled up inside, fast asleep.

The room was far too clean. It was clear it was maintained regularly. It was starkly different from the other houses in the vicinity.

Wei Yuan scanned the entire room with his perception, then picked up a wooden comb and a wooden hairpin near the straw pillow on the adult’s sleeping mat. He remarked, “It looks like a woman lived here alone with her child. I don’t see anything that might indicate a man’s presence.”

Considering the circumstances and the environment, Wei Yuan could only imagine how difficult it was for the single mother to raise her child. That said, this was within the palace. Other variables might have come into...