Hearing Concubine Xu’s call, Gu Yunxi put down the work in her hands, straightened her clothes and hair, and walked into the Main Hall.

Concubine Xu had woken up from the nap, changed her clothes to a white long-sleeved robe, and pulled the hair back into a round bun. She was drawing in front of the desk while governor Jinzhu was standing beside her.

"Your Grace."

Gu Yunxi bowed before the desk.

"Forego formalities."

Concubine Xu stopped drawing, raised her clear eyes, and smiled softly at Gu Yunxi.

"I've tasted that Lychee Jelly with ice water. The taste was unique, but the color was different from what I usually ate. Come and tell me. Where did you get the lychee and how did you do it?"

Gu Yunxi knelt on the ground with a plop, then kowtowed and said.

"Your Grace, please forgive me for hiding the truth."

Concubine Xu already knew it in her heart. She was neither anxious nor annoyed, smiling.

"Stand up. Don't be afraid. Just tell me the truth."

Gu Yunxi stood up, with her hands folding under her sleeves. She said respectfully.

"There is no lychee in my Lychee Jelly. It is made by mixing three main ingredients: smoked plum, cinnamon and ginger juice."

"I believe that Your Grace's spleen would be hurt by eating cold food during a hot season, but smoked plum water can quench thirst and moisturize the throat. Amomum villosum can soothe the nerves and relieve the heat. Cinnamon and ginger juice can also heal the cold spleen. When the three are matched with cloves, the aroma of lychee can be produced."

"Your Grace talked about the Lychee Jelly at noon, but there's no lychee in this season. So I thought of this so-called Lychee Jelly. I ask Your Grace's mercy. "

While speaking, she knelt on the ground again.

Concubine Xu looked at Jinzhu. Jinzhu nodded, and went to help Gu Yunxi stand.

Concubine Xu continued to draw on the rice paper and said to Gu Yunxi.

"You don't have to be afraid. I ask you to come, because I like your ice-dessert. I have no intention to blame you. In the morning, I just made a question casually to see your skills. Now I am very satisfied."

"You are so ingenious and daring, and the things you made are exceptional and uncommon. Even the Imperial Noble Concubine is satisfied with you."

Gu Yunxi was delighted, but remained her expression calm.

"Thanks, Your Grace."

Speaking of Wan Yuyao, the topic of small talk between the master and maid returned to the Girl's Meeting in the morning.

Jinzhu ground ink again, with a mocking smile.

"Jieyu Sun really deserved it. She showed off the sharp tongue just after entering the Palace. She wanted to step on others to flatter the Noble Concubine Wan, but she didn't expect that beating."

Concubine Xu kept on drawing, dipping in ink and drawing a line. She smiled and said lightly.

"I teach you not to be competitive in everything, and it could be a blessing to suffer some losses."

Jinzhu smiled and nodded.

"I always keep in mind Your Grace's instructions. However, there were rumors when you were sleeping. The rumors said that the Imperial Noble Concubine ordered people to spank Jieyu Sun twenty times but was still angry, and then locked her in the Violent Room to starve her. Now, the wounds will not be healed for at least two months. It will be difficult for Jieyu Sun to serve the Emperor."

Concubine Xu smiled coldly, but did not answer.

Jinzhu frowned at this moment, looking a little puzzled.

"I couldn't figure out what happened in the morning. Everyone thought the Noble Concubine Wan would punish Zhaoyi Yu severely for her lateness. How could she suddenly change her mind and get annoyed at Jieyu Sun? After all, she is the daughter of the rank-second governor!"

The moist pen traced a leaf of orchids. Concubine Xu held the pen and looked closely, with a light smile on the rosy lips.

"This is Wan Yuyao's scheming. Everyone knows that Sun Shengsheng came from a good family and was born beautiful and clever. But people like this cannot appear in Wan Yuyao's eyes."

"But Jieyu Jin and Zhaoyi Yu are different. They are both charming and beautiful, but they are only the adopted daughters of the former governor of the Garden. They are humble and pose little threat to Wan Yuyao. Jieyu Jin is backed by the Commander-in-chief of the Western Depot, so she is the best one to be controlled by Wan Yuyao."

"Jieyu Sun is just a newborn calf. She not only burned the bridge when she talked and dealt with people, but also didn't care about her clothes. She chose the red that coincided with Wan Yuyao, which naturally made her unhappy. Think about it. The truth that all the present concubines, including Gu Yunyao, dared not speak out, but Jieyu Sun told it in public, pointing out Yingluo from the Yongning Palace. If the Imperial Noble Concubine really wanted to set Zhaoyi Yu up, she had nowhere to stand."

"If the example didn't be made, all the concubines in the imperial harem would step after her in the future. How would Wan Yuyao make her mark in the harem?"

"As for Zhaoyi Xu, I can tell she was indeed wronged. But she was more sensible than anyone else, knowing that she was trapped by Wan Yuyao and still taking all the blame in public. So Wan Yuyao sent her a favor and reduced her punishment."

After hearing the analysis of Concubine Xu, Gu Yunxi told Concubine Xu and Jinzhu what she heard and saw behind the rockery in the Imperial Garden when she went to look for the golden bird hairpin in the afternoon.

After hearing, Jinzhu shook her head and said anxiously.

"Zhaoyi Xu was already in poor health, but now the sisters had broken up, and she was set up by her sister behind her back. It's a pity for her. Noble Concubine Wan is the most protective of her powers. Even if she knows that her palace maid is crazy, I'm afraid she will just turn a blind eye."

Concubine Xu simply dropped the pen and sighed with a serious face.

"No wonder that, Jieyu Jin is such a cruel person. She has already been the Emperor's favorite, but she never stops hating her sister who refused to let her go."

Gu Yunxi's expression remained as usual, but she was extremely anxious internally, and asked tentatively.

"Your Grace, Zhaoyi is already the head of the nine concubines in the imperial harem, and this position is not low. Zhaoyi Yu can go so far today. She must have a glorious past. Why did she fall down like this?"

Concubine Xu gave a flick of her sleeves and sat down, her face showing a touch of sadness.

"It's really pitiful to say. She had been favored by the Emperor, but a year ago she heard that her closest sister outside the Palace suddenly disappeared. After a serious illness, her health went worse and she was no longer able to serve the Emperor."

"The imperial harem has been filled up over the past year, and her depression all the day finally made the Emperor forget her."

Gu Yunxi felt her heart shaking for a while, and her liver and gallbladder were about to explode. She only felt painful physically and mentally.

She didn't expect that her sister lost the favor and fell ill due to her disappearance.

Perhaps because the topic was too heavy, Concubine Xu had no intention of painting at this moment. She got up and asked Jinzhu to serve her for changing the clothes. Muxue took her robe to the laundry.

Bowing her back, Gu Yunxi sent the master into the bedroom, and started to organize the things on the desk.

When thinking of Gu Yunyao, her heart seemed to be crushed by a heavy stone, and the pain was beyond words.

——

At midday, Leng Qingtang entered the Palace to meet with Emperor Jingxiao, and reported to the Emperor the progress in the recent investigation of mannequin case in the Palace held by the Eastern Depot.

The day after tomorrow was the traditional Girl's Day on July seventh in the Country of Dayi. On the day, the gate of divine prowess of the Palace would open.

Considering the frequent entry and exit of maids in the Palace, and avoiding the masked man from making trouble in the Palace again, Leng Qingtang specially asked Emperor Jingxiao for a special permission to let the guards from the Eastern Depot keep the gate of divine prowess.

The Emperor approved Leng Qingtang's proposal, and then ordered him to retire.

Leng Qingtang walked out of the imperial study room and walked side by side with Chiliarch Cheng Wanli on the palace road under red walls, followed by more than a dozen eunuchs a fixed distance away from the Master and Chiliarch Cheng.

"Master, this mannequin case helped the Eastern Depot as a good reason to detain people everywhere."

Cheng Wanli lowered his voice while walking, with his relaxed and cheerful expression.

As soon as the mannequin case came out, the Eastern Depot sent three squads to arrest people in the capital day and night. In just a few days, dozens of officials in the imperial court had been sent to the Royal Prison.

Apparently, Leng Qingtang was arresting the main culprits involved in the mannequin case, but it was not actually.

Most of these officials in the prison were closely related to the case of Baishui Gate twenty-four years ago and the case of Lord Protector Zheng eleven years ago.

Leng Qingtang walked slowly, slightly raised his chin, and looked straight ahead. His gaze was like a blade.

"Wanli, tell the Royal Prison to step up, and be sure to find the truth of those two cases from those people. I also want them to confess their confession personally!"

"I got it!"

A burst of laughing interrupted the secret discussion between the master and the servant. They stopped at the same time to turn around and look.

On the opposite side of the palace road, two eunuchs were walking hurriedly and carrying a bench, and a young maid followed closely.

The person on the bench with a disheveled hair looked like a woman from her clothes. She must commit some unknown crime that made her end up in such an unbearable situation.

It was Huanan Xin, demented Prince Chen and Emperor Jingxiao's eldest son, who followed that group of people.

He chased after the bench all the way while grinning, raising his hand from time to time to pat the person on the bench.

The maid on one side saw it, and said.

"Get out of the way!"

Leng Qingtang looked surprised and asked.

"Who was in the team over there?"

Cheng Wanli stretched his neck and shook his head.

At this time, that young maid got angry completely. She frowned and went around the bench. She walked to Prince Chen's side, kicked him down, and sternly reprimanded.

"Such a dumb stupid, do you also have your ears deaf after a sick brain? Didn't I tell you to get out of the way ——"