In the evening breeze, the lanterns swayed and cast shattered shadows under the dim moonlight.

Gu Yunyao and her servants knelt to greet Emperor Jingxiao, who suddenly graced the Xiaoye Chamber.

Emperor Jingxiao was full of delights and high spirits. He stretched his arms to help Gu Yunyao up and asked her eagerly,

"Yunyao, something just came up in the Palace. Have you heard of it?"

Gu Yunyao cuddled in the Emperor's arms, looking obedient, tame, and marginally shy. She pursed her perfumed rouge lips and replied,

"I heard that a group of carriages suddenly arrived at sunset, which was quite a splendor. The strict rules forbid the entry of foreign carriages, so it's very unheard-of."

Emperor Jingxiao chuckled with his face beaming with smiles. He declared loudly,

"Leng Qingtang is indeed resourceful. I thought he would be recuperating in his mansion after a good beating. Yet he has not been idle for these three months and secretly handled a major case of speculation and malfeasance in another province. Those carriages are loaded with three million taels of confiscated silver!"

Gu Yunyao gazed at Emperor Jingxiao intently, listening patiently to him with a smile.

As Leng Qingtang’s informant, she naturally knew that earlier than Emperor Jingxiao. Moreover, the truth of the arriving carriages had already caused a sensation throughout the imperial harem two hours ago.

Now Gu Yunyao faked her ignorance and naivety merely not to spoil the Emperor's overjoy.

After he finished, Gu Yunyao immediately raised her slim eyebrows in surprise, under which her bright eyes glittered.

"Huh? So much silver! My sincere congratulations, Your Majesty. It is indeed a happy event for the country and your people."

Then she left Emperor Jingxiao's embrace to curtsy.

Grinning, Emperor Jingxiao clasped her exquisite wrist to save her the trouble. Hand in hand, he paced her quietly to the sandalwood tea table as he spoke,

"This was timely done! Jiangan’s snow disaster and the rebellion on the northern border have eaten up into the treasury."

"To celebrate Princess Anhe's birthday, I sent envoys to the western tribe, Udan, and the gifts had drained the treasury. Just when I was worried, Leng Qingtang presented me with a considerable amount of money!"

Huanan Yue, also known as Princess Anhe, was the eldest sister of Emperor Jingxiao. She was married into the western tribes years ago to strengthen the relationship between Dayi and Udan. Now she was the concubine of Udan’s reigning King Solo Yeli.

Seating Emperor Jingxiao and serving his tea, Gu Yunyao was kissed by a faint smile between her eyebrows.

"Your Majesty has a kind heart and values Confucianism and Taoism. Even the heavenly gods are helping you."

Emperor Jingxiao nodded in satisfaction but suddenly ran into a worrying thought. Frowned, he lowered his eyes and muttered,

"Well... Leng Qingtang is capable, yet he's growing more eccentric and unruly. I summoned him just now, meaning to appease him with this case. However, he dared to use his poor health as an excuse and refused to present himself before me. How arrogant! I see he still needs a lesson, and I'll teach him when I spot his fault!"

Gu Yunyao was fiddling with the delicate tea sets on the table. Hearing this, she raised her eyes to the Emperor and drawled coyly with a helpless smile.

"Your Majesty."

Offering the freshly made tea into his hands, she consoled mildly,

"Impermanence is natural in eunuchs. It's unnecessary to mingle with one of them. He must have known that his negligence made Your Majesty startle at the palace banquet and felt guilty. He can hide from you today, but he won't be able to forever. But I guess Your Majesty must have mixed feelings to the Eastern Depot Master, or else why would you care about his deeds?"

Emperor Jingxiao was drinking tea, and he almost spat it out when he heard her. He looked up and found Gu Yunyao covering her smiling mouth with his brocade sleeve. Putting down the cup, he pointed at her and laughed,

"You're getting naughty to make fun of me. Well, well, let's see how I will punish you later!"

Seeing that she was still in her day gown, he asked in surprise,

"It's already time for bed. How come you are still wearing the makeup, my dear?"

Smiling charmingly, Gu Yunyao turned her limpid eyes. She stood up and knelt at the feet of the Emperor, apologizing softly,

"I didn't expect Your Majesty's arrival. Please forgive me for being unprepared."

"Since the Imperial Noble Concubine's birthday is approaching, I was having the treasures out in the Xiaoye Chamber to select the best as the gift. But I cannot make up my mind..."

Emperor Jingxiao smiled softly, pulled Gu Yunyao back into his arms again, and said to her,

"Why, she has all the finery in the world. You don't have to worry about this. Just take one as you please."

"If you are still unsatisfied, I will order people to bring a novelty from the Imperial Ceremonial Service to your chamber. Then you can present it on the Imperial Noble Concubine’s birthday. After all, it's your etiquette that counts."

Sitting on the Emperor’s lap, Gu Yunyao leaned against him and pouted with a frown.

"Alas! I know my humble origins are inferior to those of the Imperial Noble Concubine. Her Grace was born in a rich merchant family in Dayi. She has been spoiled by her parents and indeed seen many treasures."

"Whenever I think of this, I would panic for fear that my birthday gift would be too shabby. As a result, Her Grace would be displeased, and I would be laughed at by other concubines."

"They dare not!"

Seeing the beauty saddened, Emperor Jingxiao felt distressed. Sullen-faced, he raised his voice and then swept over Gu Yunyao with a fawning smile.

"Your talent and integrity are unmatched, and I know it in my heart. No one is as gentle as you, except for the Empress. Although you don't have a reliable family, I will shelter you in the Palace, so don't sigh in sorrow."

"Yes, I thank Your Majesty for your sympathy."

Gu Yunyao responded as she pressed her powdered cheek against Emperor Jingxiao's chest and snuggled. The soft and itchy touch stirred the Emperor's mind.

With the cloud lifted between her eyebrows, Gu Yunyao whispered,

"I've been favored by Your Majesty and cared by Her Grace since entering the Palace. Naturally, I'll express my gratitude by serving Your Majesty wholeheartedly... Yet I'm a woman who chats with her sisters in the imperial harem often. When I heard about the Imperial Noble Concubine, jealousies festered in my heart..."

"Oh? What did they say?"

Emperor Jingxiao asked flirtatiously as he held Gu Yunyao's slender waist in one hand and fondled her body through layers of clothes with the other.

"It's nothing more than the mirror that can reflect people, the jewelry box that can sing, and all kinds of things that are strange to my eyes and ears. When I visit the Imperial Noble Concubine the next time with my sisters, I shall take a closer look."

"However, the most talked about in recent days is the mansion that the Shenle Marquis is constructing in Nanyuan."

"I heard that there are three-story buildings with colorful glazed tiles as the roof and gold carpets as the floor. Even the ice cellar has emerald walls. How much money does it cost for such a magnificent mansion?"

"With such a lavish family, it would be wise of me to select Her Grace's gift carefully."

Gu Yunyao suddenly muted her voice as she felt Emperor Jingxiao’s palm halted from the free roam on her body one moment ago.

Turning her head silently, she saw the Emperor's stiff face with darkness crawling between his eyebrows.

The Country of Dayi had strict restrictions regarding the size and architecture of the civil and military ministers' mansions.

Although the Shenle Marquis was a royal family member, he had yet gained the title of a prince. How could he build three-storied mansions?

After a moment of thought, the Emperor said to himself,

"How could this happen?"

A hint of coldness flashed across Gu Yunyao's eyes, sharp and complicated.

During the leisurely conversation, she finished the mission from Leng Qingtang.

Charming like a fairy descending from the heaven, She hung her smooth arms around the Emperor’s neck with a half-smile and shimmering eyes.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Emperor Jingxiao did not answer but looked at Gu Yunyao intently.

Her eyes were clear, and her expression was amorous. A flush rose to her cheeks, indicating that his caressing had aroused her.

The scent of lip rouge on her glittering cherry lips entered his nostrils, appealing to his heart and titillating his senses.

Bowing his head, Emperor Jingxiao tasted the beauty's lips and licked the rouge clean in a blink of an eye. He carried her in his arms and rushed towards the bedroom despite of her high-pitched moans.

"Your Majesty, I have not removed my makeup... Your Majesty!"

...

At dawn, Ai Qing led ten guards to escort a carriage into the imperial mausoleum in Mount Yin.

Mount Yin was located in the northwest outskirts of Dayi's capital, engulfed on the Huan River’s three sides. Since it was a favorable geographic location surrounded by mountains and rivers, Dayi’s first emperor chose it as the holy place for the imperial mausoleum. Now twenty-five emperors of Dayi rested here.

The convoy traveled across the Baiyu Bridge over the Huan River and followed the mountain road that was flat and broad with lush cypresses on both sides.

It did not take them long to climb the mountain and see a majestic white-jade archway towering before them.

It was carved exquisitely and originally. In the middle was the gilt plaque with the words "Mount Yin" engraved on it, which was shining brightly under the veil of sunlight, particularly eye-catching.

Under the archway stood a few people led by two, one of who was in a dark red inner servant's gown, and the other was in deep green casual clothes with a sword hanging from his waist. Seeing Ai Qing arriving with the convoy, they hurriedly moved up to meet him.

Ai Qing dismounted and saluted to both of them.

"I'm Ai Qing. Greetings to you, Lord Hu and Commander Li."

"You're being courteous, Captain Ai." Lord Hu waved his hand and said calmly.

"Now that the girls have been rescued, let Lord Li and I have a look so we can return to the Palace as soon as possible and report to His Emperor and Her Grace."

"Please, this way."

Ai Qing led the way, and they stopped before the carriage, where the coachman lifted the curtain and revealed the inside to Lord Hu and Commander Li.

There were two beautiful women dressed like peasant girls.

One of them trembled at their strange faces before the carriage door, crying out dully in alarm.

The other looked at them with glassy eyes. Instead of panicking, she grinned and babbled nonsense.

With the curtain down, Ai Qing said to them,

"These two were rescued by the Eastern Depot secret guards from the Country of Rong outside the southern border. One was poisoned dumb and wandered around with a circus troupe of Rong. The other was enslaved and abused at a frontier military camp. Now she has gone mad. There is one more missing, and the secret guards have given up rescue operations."

"Oh! What a sin!"

Lord Hu was full of bitterness and sighed deeply as he shook his head slowly.

Commander Li said,

"Master Leng is far-sighted, not to rush the damsels into the Palace for fear that they might disturb His Majesty."

"His Majesty considered this. He sent us to meet them on his behalf for Lord Hu and I were both present at the Spring Banquet. With what we have seen here, we'll be the witnesses and report the truth to His Majesty and Her Grace."

Ai Qing saluted again.

"I'll rely on you, my thanks! I have also heard that it was Lord Hu who persuaded His Majesty to spare the damsels' lives after they returned to the court. I express my thanks to you on their behalves."

According to Dayi Palace precepts, a defiled damsel would suffer the death penalty even if she had not served the Emperor.

Though they were in the plot framing Leng, he did not want them dead for it.

Leng Qingtang worked hard to rescue the two damsels and did not wish to put their lives on the line as soon as they returned. They might as well stay in the foreign land if they ended up like that.

Consequently, Leng Qingtang entrusted Lord Hu to seek an opportunity to advise the Emperor and Empress not to execute them.

It happened to be the one-hundredth day after the birth of Concubine Xu's son. Lord Hu took the opportunity, and the Emperor did not want to spill more blood. Hence, the two were spared and wedded to the guards at the imperial mausoleum. They would have to see what the future held for them.

Lord Hu waved his hand and looked back at the curtained carriage with a solemn expression.

"It was not their will to be kidnapped. They were not damsels anymore, but they remained the daughters of Dayi. I was only doing what I could, and hopefully, this will be the end of it. I wish nothing afflicts Lord Leng or whoever and everything goes smoothly from now on."