Being scolded by his father, Wan Li pursed his lips with disapproval and leisurely got closer to the dinner table. He took a candied date and threw it into his mouth.

"Aren't you talking about the Emperor's events in his youth? The secret of how a deposed crown prince succeeded to the throne? I knew it a long time ago!"

"You..."

Wan Zong became speechless and paused for a while, then he showed an angry look and was about to direct his anger at Wan Li again.

Wan Li raised both hands to make a "stop" gesture with disdain.

"Father, I have listened outside for a long time. I think that what you and the guests keep arguing about strays away from the point..."

"The silly boy, what do you know—"

Being defied by his son in public, Wan Zong was fuming and glared at Wan Li angrily.

Ignoring him, Wan Li picked up an empty wine cup and drank up a cup himself, and then he spoke.

"My men in Jing City brought back some news. The Eastern Depot is searching around recently. On the surface, they are to arrest the culprit of the Palace mannequin case, but secretly, they arrested Shen Kun, Sun Yuan, and Ding Qiwei."

The guests got in an uproar.

The news that the three got arrested reminded all of them Zhong Siyou, the one who unexplainably died in the Eastern Depot's Royal Prison two years ago.

The secret of Emperor Jingxiao's enthronement was inseparable from Baishui Gate's event and the Zhengs' getting slaughtered. The three people caught to the Royal Prison by the Eastern Depot were precisely the two things' informed participants!

Wan Zong kept silent thoughtfully and suddenly stopped smoothing his beard with his fingers.

The clues Wan Li brought were so timely and useful that it made Wan Zong have to change his attitude towards him now.

The Eastern Depot arrested the three people at this time. Could it be that the Eastern Depot's Commander-in-chief...?

Minister Yang Kang left his seat and leaned sideways to Wan Zong. He arched his hands and whispered.

"Your Grace, the Eastern Depot does like this many times, and we have to be much more on the watch. Since the Emperor is in a high position and always believes in the Eastern Depot, he may not know that Leng Qingtang acts so unrestrainedly. In my opinion, why don't we find an opportunity to remind the Emperor?"

Wan Zong narrowed his eyes, and saggy pouches under his eyes immediately shook twice.

He thought for a while and then turned his head to order Wan Li.

"Li, there is good peach wood in my mansion, and you go to find a craftsman to carve it into a sword tomorrow. When you enter the Palace to present it to the Emperor, you can take the opportunity to sound him out about what that da*ned Leng Qingtang has said to him."

Wan Li frowned and looked reluctant.

"You can ask Eldest Sister to do it. Why do you want me to go to the Palace to see the Emperor?"

Wan Zong snorted and responded with a dark face.

"Imperial Concubine Wan does not know that past event. Getting her involved hastily might enrage the Emperor and ruin her hard work for many years in the Palace."

"If you come to the Emperor, he will give you some face because of your status as his brother-in-law, even if he notices something from your words."

Wan Li shook his head coldly and tut-tutted.

"Okay. I'll plan for it."

——

It was hot and sticky in mid-July. There were thunderstorms occasionally, but the damp air couldn't give people any sense of cool.

Chuxiu Palace was much more bustling than before these days.

After Girl's Day, it became more and more sultry, and the concubines couldn't enjoy the flowers in the garden with the sun over their heads, so they came to visit each other in leisure.

They talked about the ice-dessert ghee hill that Concubine Xu brought to Girl's Meeting that day during the chat.

They thought that there should be some capable people in Chuxiu Palace. At this time, Concubine Xu should be hiding in the summerhouse with ice, while being fanned by maids, and savoring all kinds of novel ice-desserts that no one else had ever tasted.

The more concubines talked, the more eager they became. Finally, they couldn't resist their craving. On a sultry afternoon, they ran to Chuxiu Palace in groups to visit Concubine Xu on the grounds of seeing the little prince.

Concubine Xu generously offered desserts to entertain the concubines, fulfilling their wishes and satisfying their addiction.

In this way, Gu Yunxi became rather tired.

Concubines went to the Chuxiu Palace on the afternoons of two days running. Naturally, the small kitchen had to make a large number of various ice-desserts for them.

Gu Yunxi would be sent to the small kitchen and worked with the cooks non-stop until sunset after serving lunch every day.

After several attempts, Gu Yunxi successfully improved the ghee hill and produced many novel styles.

She mixed butter and goat cheese with purple, green, and red flower juice separately, and then she spooned them into the molds of different shapes to get iced. Finally, she made various delicate ghee hills with shapes of flowers, birds, fish, and insects.

Then, she developed more delicious cold drinks, such as the kumquat shake with the effect of moistening the throat, the herbal tea mainly composed of ginger, honey, and fermented glutinous rice, being able to nourish the stomach and spleen, and the snow-liked iced ball made of soybean powder and sugar.

She also made the crushed ice by adding the fruit puree or the plum wine, coconut milk wine, and sugar into mashed ice.

These various ice-desserts were both delicious and good-looking, making the concubines feast and, at the same time, rave about them and their producers.

Gu Yunxi quickly became famous, but her prestigious condition laid a hidden danger for her in Chuxiu Palace.

Many of the cooks in the small kitchen were of the age of past their prime, and they especially liked to be two-faced.

Gu Yunxi was well aware of it. Except for Lanxin, who was helping her sincerely and willing to be under her command, the maids all stood in Madam Liao's camp.

They obeyed Gu Yunxi's words on the surface. But as soon as Gu Yunxi walked away, they immediately turned to be bitter and surrounded Madam Liao to gossip.

"Madam Liao, you need to be concerned. The little bitch seems to be highly valued by our Concubine Xu. Only a few days, she looks every inch the kitchen master!"

Cook Li pouted and gave the outside of the door a sidelong glance.

Aunt Wang, who was preparing vegetables, immediately came over and agreed with her, with her wrinkled old face full of embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah! Madam Liao, don't say we didn't warn you. Didn't you tell Jinzhu in the first half of this year that you planned to go back to your hometown? Is it that Concubine Xu is planning to arrange for that girl to take your place? Didn't you notice that our Concubine Xu even ordered her to come over to cook dinner starting from last night?"

Madam Liao shook off the water in her hands and grabbed the ruffled apron around her waist to wipe her fingers, saying with a faintly vicious smile.

"At that time, my mother-in-law was ill, and my husband wanted me to go home to take care of her. Now she is dead, and I have no worries behind. Naturally, I want to earn more money in the Palace. How come could such a plain girl replace me?"

Aunt Wang still insisted on her own opinion. She was the one who most liked to make a fuss among them.

"The earlier you plan, the earlier you can feel at ease. All of us can see that that girl works hard in the kitchen."

Madam Liao looked around. Seeing that Lanxin was not here, she beckoned mysteriously to motion them to approach, speaking with her lowest voice.

"Don't worry. That little bitch's days will be over soon. She will surely get out of our Chuxiu Palace in a day."

——

In the evening, Concubine Xu, together with several servants, went to Xiaoye Chamber to help Zhaoyi Yu copy the scriptures.

As soon as Gu Yunxi went back to the side room to rest after a busy day, she heard a noise outside the courtyard as if many people had entered.

"Oh, Bingbi(eunuch officials in charge of drafting imperial edicts or documents) Liu, what do I owe the pleasure of your coming to our Chuxiu Palace?"

Chief Eunuch Yan Gui walked out to the outer court to greet the comers. His voice sounded so soft and gentle that it could make people outline a flattering face without seeing him.

The other one's voice was also tinny, but its tone was solemn and cold.

"How are you, Lord Yan? I am really in a hurry for official business today and have no time to greet Concubine Xu. Lord Yan, please help me give my regards to Concubine Xu and the prince. One other thing, please take the maid Tu Muxue here immediately."

Hearing the outside mentioning her, Gu Yunxi felt uneasy suddenly.

Soon, someone knocked on the door of her room.

Gu Yunxi did not dare to delay and opened the door. Yan Gui stood outside with an unnatural expression on his face.

"The Imperial Ceremony Office's men were looking for you. Go ahead."

Everyone knew that there was a theft in the Palace on the night of July 7th, and the Imperial Ceremony Office was offering a reward for finding clues to suspicious persons.

It was not a good thing that Bingbi Liu led his men into Chuxiu Palace and called for Tu Muxue directly right now!

Gu Yunxi and Yan Gui both felt nervous and worried at this moment.

Gu Yunxi knew in her heart that the Eastern Depot's men were narrowly searching the masked man, and now they should have found some clues and so came to her.

What must be, must be. What should come would finally come, sooner or later—

Gu Yunxi clenched her fists and followed Yan Gui to the outer court of Chuxiu Palace. She saluted Bingbi Liu of the Imperial Ceremony Office.

"I'm Tu Muxue. It's an honor to meet you, Bingbi Liu."

Facing the imposing dense crowd of the Imperial Ceremony Office' guards, Gu Yunxi bowed her head and made a curtsy deferentially.

The Imperial Ceremony Office? Was not it that... Master Leng's Office?

All of a sudden, her feelings became mixed. She felt excited, embarrassed, and miserable... Her mood seemed like a mixture of sweet, sour and spicy in a spice jar, indescribable for a while.

It became abruptly silent around. An intense gaze with coldness and arrogance fell on Gu Yunxi's head. The old eunuch with white skin and thin purplish lips standing in the head of the team shook the horsetail whisk hard and shouted in an artificial voice.

"Guards, take her away!"