At midday, in the Yongning Palace—

The fine wind ran through the window lattices, and the gold gauze curtains hanging from the Main Hall were wafting. The pendants of the crystal chandelier swayed under the inlaid blue carved beams. Just as it made a subtle and crisp sound, it was brutally obliterated by a roar and beating from below.

Wan Yuyao was so angry that she lifted her hand and overturned the jade wine cup. She frantically ripped away the Hunan embroidery satin from the four-sided table and threw the cups, plates, and delicacies on it all over the place.

Wan Li, the Shenle Marquis was silent and his face was black and blue. Ming Lan and other palace maids lifted their robes and knelt down one after another.

At this moment, Wan Yuyao's beautiful eyes were sharp and red, and two fierce rays of light were revealed dazzlingly.

"Gu Yunjin is really a good-for-nothing. It was a waste of time for me to train her for a long time. I suffered a big loss last night. Why did she go to the Jinli Lake to show her face in public today? She has no brain at all—"

Ming Lan's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his awl face piled up with powder and cream looked worried. He slapped his hands upwards.

"Your Grace, please cool off. After the incident of the Jinli Lake happened, I also asked Caiyue of Weiyan Chamber. According to her, Jieyu Jin learned in the morning that Your Grace would go to the lake, so she led her attendants to the lotus pond to collect dew. I think some wicked people deliberately took advantage of her filial piety to Your Grace..."

"Hum!"

Before Ming Lan finished speaking, Wan Yuyao snorted. Her narrow eyeliner flew up, and she squinted at Ming Lan with cold eyes.

"You are talking in her favor! I even feel angry when I think about it. I'm used to using Gu Yunjin as a chess piece, and I've put a lot of effort into her, but now she is useless. Are my efforts in vain?"

Wan Li rubbed his chin with two fingers, pondering and puzzling,

"Eldest Sister, calm down. This matter needs to be discussed for a long time. Now I'm confused that recently there have been frequent incidents in the imperial harem, and it seems that everything is related to Tu Muxue of the Chuxiu Palace. It is somewhat unbelievable."

Ming Lan's peach blossom eyes lit up brightly and he bowed to Wan Yuyao,

"I think so, too. Your Grace, there are many questionable points about the incident of Jinli Lake. I need to find out the cause in case that someone will secretly plot against Your Grace. Besides, Your Grace needs to train other people in the imperial harem to suppress the power of the Eastern Palace."

Wan Yuyao sat down slowly and supported her head with hands, looking sad.

"Hey, it results from my fate. If I hadn't hurt the body veins when giving birth to the Sixth Princess, I would not have lost the opportunity to give birth to a son. Empress Qian had a son. Even if the child passed away, His Majesty would remember the dead crown prince and still respect her..."

After a pause, Wan Yuyao sucked her nose with a grievance and continued to complain,

"I originally planned to help Gu Yunjin. She was born of humble parentage and was the most easily controlled by me. After she successfully conceives the child, if she gives birth to a boy, I can take advantage of my position to adopt the child and raise him in the Yongning Palace. Well, I'm afraid it will be difficult for Gu Yunjin to rise again in this life."

Wan Li stepped up behind his Eldest Sister and patted her shoulder with the warm hand,

"Don't be sad, Eldest Sister. Don't you just want a son? If you are not in a hurry, there are newcomers every year in the imperial harem. We can then ask Ming Lan to spend some time choosing beautiful and humble girls from the Garden to train. If you want to spend less time, isn't there one right now in this Palace?"

For a while, Wan Yuyao and Ming Lan turned around at the same time. Their shocked eyes locked on Wan Li's evil and grim face.

"Master, what do you mean...?"

Wan Li's dark brown eyes flashed by, and he sneered at Ming Lan's suddenly bright peach blossom eyes and said,

"Ah, we still have to think about the issue more......"

In Wanhua Tower in the capital—

"I received the news that Lei Huan's fleet encountered pirates in the Wei Sea area more than a month ago, and the Dongqing Fleet of Da Yi intervened by ships. The main ship of the pirate Ji Yaoguang was battered, but Lei Huan's whereabouts is a mystery."

In the room of the top courtesan, the gorgeous Fu Danqing knelt down sincerely and told Lu Qiange the latest information.

Immediately after the night duty, Lu Qiange took off the official suit of the imperial bodyguard and changed into a short plain ordinary white shirt with trousers, a narrow waist, and fast boots with thin soles. As the Third Prince of Udan, Solo Hua, he rushed to Wanhua Tower to meet his spy.

After Fu Danqing finished her report, Lu Qiange's expression was slightly stagnant, and he whispered with low eyes,

"Pirates? Could it be Madam Yaoguang?"

Fu Danqing replied with certainty, "Exactly!"

Lu Qiange inhaled a trace of cool air between the teeth into his mouth.

Madam Yaoguang’s name was like a thunderbolt. She was a famous female pirate who traversed the waters of the Dongzhou Islands. It was said that the strength of her ships could reach half of the Dongqing Fleet of Da Yi.

When it came to Ji Yaoguang, Lu Qiange was in awe of her. She and his master Wenren Junzheng had interesting affairs.

At this time, Lu Qiange paid more attention to the battle between Ji Yaoguang and Lei Huan. Was it also for the Kunhuang Island map in his hands?

It seemed that the news that Udan could know was already known by other forces. He must find Lei Huan as soon as possible and get the Kunhuang Island map so as not to fail to live up to his mother's expectation!

Thoughts were waiting to drift away. He only heard Fu Danqing beside him said,

"The day before yesterday, Zuo Le came to Jing City and didn't find Your Highness. He got contact with me and told me the information about Miss Yun."

"！"

Lu Qiange's purple eyes widened, and he stood up from the chair suddenly. He was very excited,

"Really? What did he say?"

Fu Danqing lowered her eyebrows and spoke slowly to ensure that the excited Third Prince could hear her answer clearly enough,

"Your Highness, it was the Shengtu Festival of Udan seven days ago. That day King Solo led the crowds for the autumn hunt, and Zuo Le's subordinate found an old man under the cliff. This person was dressed like those in the Central Plains. Perhaps he accidentally fell off the cliff not long ago. For months, he ate poisonous herbs and insects to survive until now..."

Lu Qiange was too impatient, and he couldn't help but interrupt her when he heard this,

"A piece of poisonous weed under the miasma cliff of Udan can knock down a fierce lion. This person can survive by eating poisonous weeds and insects for a long time. What does this have to do with Yunxi?"

Fu Danqing looked serious and hurriedly explained with hands folded,

"The old man knows medicine, the principle of mutual generation, and restraint of poisons well. Therefore, although poisoning may accumulate toxins in his internal organs, it will not be immediately fatal."

"Zuo Le also felt it inconceivable. After rescuing the man from the cliff, Zuo Le placed him in the outer yard of the Palace and sent a witch doctor to treat him with all his strength. When the old man was awake occasionally, he talked to Zuo Le intermittently that he once personally performed face changes for the female apprentice of Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot."

"What? Face-changing?"

Lu Qiange's chest was trembling for a while, only to feel that a gloomy cool breeze filled his back like the death breath of the Hell. The creepy feeling was beyond words.

Lu Qiange didn't know what kind of operation it was to change the face. But just hearing the name would make people shiver for no reason, and the hairs on the whole body were erected. He couldn't imagine what kind of brutal and bloody experience Yunxi had suffered while she was alive.

Lu Qiange strode forward desperately and pulled Fu Danqing up forcefully. The young and handsome facial features were trembling. He tried to suppress the indescribable pain,

"Go on. What's going on with the old man? Does he mention where Yunxi is?!"

Fu Danqing's eyebrows were panicked and sad, and her voice was depressing,

"Your Highness, I also heard of the fascination in medicine of Da Yi, so I boldly speculate that if the old man really performed the face-changing operation on Miss Yun, he must be Master Tantai Zhufeng, the medical sage."

"But I don't know what the old man encountered before. According to Zuo Le, he seemed to have been strongly stimulated, and there is poison in his body for a long time. Now he is faint and crazy. I can only hope that he recovers and wakes up as soon as possible. So he can bring more news about Miss Yun to Your Highness."

Lu Qiange stayed in place for a long time. His mind wandered between reality and dream in a daze.

For a long time, he finally knew the whereabouts of a person he looked for. Instantly a hundred kinds of emotions converged on his chest, and he was unable to lift them out or swallow them. In the end, a slight sigh slipped across his heart, just leaving deserted places.

After a moment, Lu Qiange looked at Fu Danqing again and said with a strong spirit,

"Thanks for your hard work. Immediately inform Zuo Le to speed up healing Tantai Zhufeng. I will give him many rewards when I come back."

……

Lu Qiange walked straight along the street preoccupiedly. He didn't notice that the moment he stepped out of the Wanhua Tower, three more people appeared behind him.

"Her, no, His Highness, hurry up."

Fifty steps away from Lu Qiange, Huanan Jiyan was dressed in a long light green gown with a high-banded official bun, and she was completely dressed in a pretty men's dress. The two female slaves of the palace Yaoer and Jin'er, who looked like boys, quietly followed behind.

The late autumn season in Da Yi was blessed with the golden breeze and pleasant temperature. Huanan Jiyan couldn't stay in the Palace anymore. Knowing that it was the first day of the month and that there were markets in every main street in the capital, she disguised herself as a man with her maids dressed like attendants. They left the Palace with her golden waist card.

A moment ago, when Huanan Jiyan was standing in front of the sugar-coated haws workshop and eagerly watching the artist painting a sugar painting, the female slaves of the palace in the boy costume found that Lu Qiange came out unexpectedly from the Wanhua Tower next to them.

"Your Highness, you were right. That guy is really a fop!"

The maid Jin'er stared at Lu Qiange's back and said indignantly at the same time.

Huanan Jiyan folded her arms and nodded triumphantly,

"My premonition has always been very spiritual. It's really time to ask Tu Muxue over to see this toy boy so that she won't favor him again and be deceived by him!"

" Your Highness is the mightiest!"

Yaoer raised her thumb.

The three people discussed happily. Turning their heads and looking in front of the street, they saw Lu Qiange turn around leisurely and enter a tavern on the corner of the street.

Jin'er pointed to that direction and yelled,

"Oh, Your Highness, Lu Jian is indeed not a good person. Look at him! He was out of the brothel just now and went into the tavern to drink and have fun."

Huanan Jiyan snorted coldly and stopped, raising her eyes to look at the beautifully decorated three-story small building. Her delicate apricot eyes flashed with a hint of light.

Picking up the thumb and scrapping her nose, Huanan Jiyan chuckled proudly,

"Yaoer, Jin'er, after a while, prepare the money and follow me into the backyard of this tavern. Today, let’s give the defiant fop a lesson!"

……

Lu Qiange had meals in the lounge of the tavern on the second floor, put down an ingot of silver, and walked down the stairs quickly.

As soon as he stepped out of the threshold, a bucket of thick black sewage that was glowing with ink fell from the sky and snapped it straight down to Lu Qiange.

He didn't panic or dodge. His calm attitude seemed to indicate that he had eyes above his head and he had already seen the trick upstairs clearly.

Lifting his right arm in the air and then dexterously stepping forward, with only two movements, he knocked back the sewage that hadn't touched him. The sewage turned back on the same path. In the blink of an eye, he sprayed the sewage on the three girls impartially who were wearing men's clothes.

In an instant, they became filthy and looked at each other dumbfoundedly. Then, amidst the chattering of countless onlookers on the street and the dozens of people upstairs, they screamed, "Wow! Wow!"

Huanan Jiyan looked down at herself and suddenly felt angry. She stood in front of the handrail on the third floor, jumping and screaming,

"Yaoer, Jin'er, catch the shameless fop Lu Jian for me—"