"Godfather, someone there sent things to Xiaoye Chamber in the morning. I guess Gu Yunyao has already been eaten by the snakes."

Seeing Ming Lan step into Weiyan Chamber, Gu Yunjin in full costume rushed up happily, holding his arm and questioning.

Ming Lan pulled a long face suddenly, and gagged Gu Yunjin with his left hand wearing a deerskin glove. Then he dragged her into the cabinet.

"Hold it down, my lady!"

When the warm red curtain fell, Ming Lan released Gu Yunjin and frowned. He looked unhappy.

"I have taught you so many times. How can you forget that? You shout so loudly for fear that others will not know that I did it."

Gu Yunjin bowed her head with her coquettish face suppressing a gloating smile.

Ming Lan came to the Palace quite frequently recently.

A few days ago, Gu Yunjin arbitrarily took the responsibility for a decision and snared to Zhaoyi Yu secretly in Chuxiu Palace, but Concubine Xu beat around the bush to find out something. Gu Yunjin, with a guilty conscience, hurried to Yongning Palace immediately after leaving Chuxiu Palace.

Wan Yuyao, who learned of the whole story, was immediately furious and scolded Gu Yunjin.

Wan Yuyao believed that Gu Yunjin relied on the forces of Yongning Palace. She was simple-minded and did such dark things. Although it was aimed at Zhaoyi Yu, others might think it was inevitable that Gu Yunjin had been instructed by Wan Yuyao.

Later, Gu Yunjin cried and mentioned that Concubine Xu recently took the meals and pastries as an excuse to invite concubines in the imperial harem to get together and deliberately direct Wan Yuyao's anger to Chuxiu Palace.

As the Imperial Noble Concubine, Wan Yuyao was in charge of affairs in the Palace for a long time, and even the Empress Qian of the Eastern Palace had to pamper to some extent. How could she tolerate other concubines forming parties and threatening her power?

After that, Wan Yuyao took the State Landau to Qinming Hall, whispered with the Emperor, and transferred all the responsibility for the incident to the female slave of Chuxiu Palace, Tu Muxue.

Helping Gu Yunjin deal with the issue, Wan Yuyao asked Ming Lan to Yongning Palace and gave her awe-inspiring preaching. She hoped that Ming Lan could teach Gu Yunjin how to behave in the Palace.

It was also that time that Ming Lan had the opportunity to get close to the Imperial Noble Concubine again. However, Gu Yunjin's troubles also sounded the alarm for Ming Lan.

Gu Yunyao felt well now and came close to Xu Yuanjiao. It seemed that she would be cherished by the Emperor again soon.

Gu Yunjin worried that Gu Yunyao would become the Emperor's love again and wanted to kill her. Ming Lan hated Gu Yunyao as Leng Qingtang's informant, and also wanted to kill her.

He never forgot the hatred that Leng Qingtang once killed his godson and 90-odd informants.

Therefore, Ming Lan and Gu Yunjin worked together to find a wonderful way to secretly frame Gu Yunyao without leaving a trace.

Coincidentally, Gu Yunjin and Ming Lan got the news on this day. Someone bribed the eunuchs of the Royal Flower House and put more than ten pots of tuberoses in Gu Yunyao's Xiaoye Chamber.

Tuberoses were poisonous flowers that could cause people to be psychedelic and unconscious, but they were not fatal. It took a long time to be effective, from half a month to one month.

Ming Lan believed that opportunities could not be missed. On the night when the poisonous flowers were sent at Xiaoye Chamber, he found a snake trainer and drove no fewer than a hundred snakes to Xiaoye Chamber...

In Weiyan Chamber, Ming Lan turned around and lifted his robe, sat on the fragrant couch with a wicked smile, and said,

"That task was not too difficult. Cairen Zhao bribed the eunuchs of the Royal Flower House to do it. When Gu Yunyao dies, Cairen Zhao will become the scapegoat if the senior investigates."

Gu Yunjin walked to the couch, crossing her fair fingers, pouting her lips. Her beautiful eyes gleamed and looked tempting.

"If Gu Yunyao hadn't dominated the imperial harem, my daughter would have been promoted to a few ranks long ago. How can I still be a rank-fourth Jieyu? However, I can enter the Palace with the blessing of my godfather. I should be diligent and enterprising and won't make you lose face."

"Hum, you are good at speaking this time."

Ming Lan raised his eyes, squinting frivolously as he saw Gu Yunjin's exquisite little face that became rosier. He curled his lips and smiled ambiguously.

"Godfather..."

Gu Yunjin took this opportunity to call out, deliberately prolonging the ending sound, lingering and magnificent, like a hint.

Gu Yunjin saw the brilliance sparkling in Ming Lan's narrow peach-like eyes, lifted her dress and sat next to him. She tilted her head, with her arms hooking his neck and leaned against his chest.

Because of entering the Palace, Ming Lan restored his previous coquettish makeup, applying powder, eyebrows, and lips. He still looked feminine and charming.

Since a year ago, Emperor Jingxiao filled the imperial harem with a great number of beautiful women. Now, Gu Yunjin had not had sexual intercourse for three months. How could a sixteen-year-old young woman who had tasted the sweetness of love bear this?

The night was dark outside the window. With Ming Lan at her side, Gu Yunjin couldn’t help feeling itchy in the heart.

How about Ming Lan? Thinking of killing the informant of his rival and avenging his godson tonight, he felt very happy.

There was no reason for refusal when a beauty took the initiative to throw herself on him.

He had always been cautious, and he knew that the Emperor's women couldn’t be touched. However, it was fine to break the rule occasionally as long as they didn't get caught.

Ming Lan pondered, spread his mutilated left hand around Gu Yunjin's waist, and skillfully plugged the other hand into her dress.

As soon as he held Gu Yunjin's breasts, the woman in his arms trembled. Her cheeks flushed, and she couldn't stop groaning.

Ming Lan smiled evilly and immediately touched her skillfully.

At this moment, Mao Qiwang, the Chief Eunuch of Weiyan Chamber, ran in and saw that the cabinet’s curtain was down. He didn't dare to rush in, so he knelt on the ground. His high-pitched voice revealed a bit of anxiety.

"My Master, just now there were snakes in Xiaoye Chamber biting people. And this alarmed the imperial doctors. At this time, the Imperial Hospital is sending realgar powder and snake-venom ointment to the palaces!"

Gu Yunjin was shocked and left Ming Lan anxiously. She tidied up her messy clothes and raised her brows, asking the person separated by the curtain.

"Bite people? Great! Come on, did Gu Yunyao get killed by the snakes?"

"What the hell do you know!"

Ming Lan was much wiser and more prudent than Gu Yunjin, and he jumped directly from the couch, and the stern voice broke out.

"Send realgar powder? Is Gu Yunyao alive or dead?!"

Behind the curtain came the stumbling sound of Mao.

"Master Ming, the injured were the eunuchs and maids... Because of the poisonous snakes, Xiaoye Chamber invited the imperial doctors to come that night... At that time, Madam Mu of Chuxiu Palace was also there and asked the imperial doctors for realgar powder."

"The imperial doctors were afraid of the consequences, so they distributed medicine to all palace masters. The whole imperial harem knew the incident of Xiaoye Chamber, and His Majesty went to Xiaoye Chamber to visit Zhaoyi Yu."

"Did His Majesty go there personally?"

Ming Lan became angrier and angrier as he listened, raising his hand and throwing the teacup to the ground.

Gu Yunjin sat on the couch in a daze and stuttered.

"It's not that... His Majesty is not well recently. Why... Why did he hear that Gu Yunyao was in trouble and went to see her by himself?"

"Hey! Our plan benefits Gu Yunyao! Look, she will soon be spoiled again."

After Ming Lan finished speaking, he gritted his teeth and felt annoyed.

What was meant to beat a dead horse and benefit others? This was!

Gu Yunjin immediately panicked when she heard the words, jumped off the bed, and grabbed Ming Lan's arm, shaking him coquettishly.

"Godfather, godfather, what should we do?"

"Are you asking me? Who shall I ask?"

Ming Lan sternly stopped her, and released her irritably. He silently thought for a moment, narrowing his peach-blossom-like eyes wickedly, and muttering.

"It's the misfortune that doesn't come singly. Tu Muxue, who made trouble, was also there and asked for realgar powder. It seemed that she was deliberately reminding imperial doctors to make things worse..."

"Godfather, you see that it's Tu Muxue again! If it weren't her last time, Xu Yuanjiao wouldn't have humiliated me in public!"

Gu Yunjin looked resentful.

"She is good at cooking, and seems to master Kungfu. I didn't find that in the Garden at the beginning. She hides herself deep enough..."

Ming Lan muttered to himself, and slowly sat down on a high mahogany chair, sinking into his own contemplation.

…

In the morning

In Sixiang Hut, smokes were enshrouding, and the light sandalwood flowed into the lungs with the breeze from the tall buildings, making people feel refreshed.

Yu Xuanji offered the fragrant tea to Leng Qingtang, and an elegant smile appeared on his handsome face.

"Try the newly-made tea."

Leng Qingtang opened the lid of the cup after hearing it, and the little brilliance of the delicate phoenix-like eyes was hazy by the white smoke of tea.

Quietly sipping the tea, he dropped the lid of the cup.

Leng Qingtang said faintly,

"You should know we had better see each other rarely."

Yu Xuanji curled his lips and smiled disapprovingly.

"Aren't you here yet?"

Leng Qingtang blinked, staring directly at the handsome man across the table with sharp eyes, and said in a deep voice.

"Yu Xuanji, you pretend to be sick to induce me to come over. When do you become so naive?"

Yu Xuanji laughed for a while. His expression of dominance reduced, and he held up the teacup with both hands, saying slyly,

"Your words are offensive. Could I use tea to replace wine to thank you, Master, for finding the finest cinnabar and amber as a gift to Elixir Chamber for alchemy?"

Leng Qingtang glanced at him, looked down, drank the tea, and stopped talking.

As the atmosphere cooled down, Yu Xuanji raised his eyebrows helplessly, turned his eyes to Leng Qingtang, and fixedly looked at him and asked,

"You want me to take time as an excuse to subtract the quantification of Huanan Ze. What is going on?"

"This... You don't need to worry about it."

Leng Qingtang replied in sorrow and continued to drink tea.

Yu Xuanji smiled and squinted tightly on Leng Qingtang's handsome face.

"I heard that Huanan Ze suddenly punished a rank-fifth maid from Chuxiu Palace two days ago. I wonder if Master Leng retaliated personally for this accident?"

This matter puzzled Yu Xuanji.

Even if Huanan Ze punished him with flogging and put him to the central prison, Leng Qingtang didn't want to use the pill as a hostage to cause the Emperor to be ill.

The two looked at each other silently, and Leng Qingtang put the teacup on the red sandalwood table.

A short and powerful "bang" sound showed the anger in someone's heart appropriately.

Yu Xuanji gradually put a smile away, and said seriously,

"Master Leng is a person who has compassion for womanhood. If you are kind, you don't have to do it yourself. Anyway, the five-stone golden pill has been made. I only need to pour him a few pills, and everything will be done, right?"

When he finished speaking lightly, Yu Xuanji spread his palms, blew the palms with his exquisite lips, and made a gesture of "the smoke vanishes". With wide and empty eyes, he looked at the blue sky outside the bamboo curtain.

"The Imperial Ceremony Office should have heard of the snake incident in Xiaoye Chamber last night? Zhaoyi Yu has no family to rely on in the court, but someone wanted to kill her for knowing the relationship between you and her. If you don't make decisions, I am afraid that our informants will be found out and killed one by one sooner or later."

Leng Qingtang looked solemn.

"I'm not hesitating, but the former Emperor did not leave a legacy or a token before his death. Even if the Huanan Ze is killed at this time, the Wans hold the military power, and then another new Emperor will be introduced."

"I was entrusted by Empress Qian to investigate the evidence of the Wans' expropriation and sale of officials as well as the loss of the country's revenue. Now there is a clue that the Eastern Depot has been following for a year, and it is almost time to end."

"I'm not afraid to make things worse, but I must first beat the Wans and vindicate your family."

Yu Xuanji listened carefully, squeezed a hand into a fist to support half of his cheek, and rested his elbow on the edge of the table.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed, and he looked surprised.

"What did you say just now? Select a new emperor? Do they want to..."

Leng Qingtang lowered his eyes and sneered with the deep eyes gleaming coldly.

"The evils we bring on ourselves are the hardest to bear!"