The next day in Peng County

Leng Qingtang awaited news at an inn near Bailipo. Before noon, all the secret guards came back to report to him.

After the fire went out last night, the local government had deployed personnel to investigate. Now the people on the street had confirmed that Yuqing Temple was set on fire. Not only were there traces of oil on the scene, but the eight gates to the four yards and thirty-six rooms were also all locked tight. Seventy-one corpses were found. Some were scorched while others awakened by the fire were burned alive in the locked monastery.

In addition, an underground secret room was found by one remnant wall where traces of living remained. Priest Wu was nowhere to be found now.

After hearing the report carefully, Leng Qingtang lowered his eyes and smiled coldly,

"Wu Laiye, 'I was here'（TL: they are pronounced similarly）. Hmph, Priest Wu, you escape fast!"

In the Palace—

After a noontime snooze, Concubine Xu was summoned by Empress Qian to visit Kunning Palace and hence did not play the piano or paint as she used to.

Gu Yunxi went to the kitchen and warmed the freshly-made rice porridge that was mixed with lotus seed. As soon as she finished, Concubine Xu returned to Chuxiu Palace.

When Gu Yunxi brought the dessert to the main hall, she saw Concubine Xu cuddling on the couch with Jinzhu standing behind. The maid was brushing Concubine Xu's hair with a tortoiseshell comb while whispering to her.

Concubine Xu closed her eyes slightly. Her lips moved tiredly, showing her exhaustion.

"Your Grace is having a headache again?"

Gu Yunxi carefully put down the bowl and asked with concern.

Smelling the rice fragrance, Concubine Xu's frown relaxed. She raised her hand slowly to stop Jinzhu.

"Well, the Empress summoned me to talk about Zhaoyi Yu."

Concubine Xu pinched the spoon with her slender fingers and absently stirred the sticky sweet porridge.

Heart-tightened, Gu Yunxi frowned and inquired,

"Zhaoyi Yu? Forgive me, Your Grace, may I ask if she has run into trouble again?"

Concubine Xu raised her eyebrows and turned to her. Her limpid eyes flickered as she gave her a meaningful smile,

"I find that you seem especially concerned about Zhaoyi Yu?"

Speechless, Gu Yunxi blushed and lowered her head in a panic.

"It's because I have heard about Zhaoyi Yu when I was trained in the Garden. She impressed me greatly..."

Concubine Xu took a mouthful of porridge and said generously,

"Relax. I'm just curious. The trip to Kunning Palace was no big deal. It's just that Duke Min and his wife recognized Zhaoyi Yu as their lost daughter when they saw her by Jinli Lake last time..."

"Huh? Really..."

Bewildered, Gu Yunxi was instantly stunned on the spot and felt she was daydreaming.

Her eldest sister Gu Yunyao was the daughter of Duke Min Rui?

If it was true, her sister was no longer an orphan. She had a father and a mother who ranked high in the court. What great news!

Thinking of that, Gu Yunxi was impatient with excitement. She asked again with eyes shining radiance,

"Your Grace, has Zhaoyi Yu recognized the Duke yet?"

Frowning, Concubine Xu sighed and shook her head,

"Don't mention it. Zhaoyi Yu hated her parents for abandoning her in the past. She refused to recognize them and smashed the jade pendant that could prove her identity."

The cloud-shaped jade pendant?

Gu Yunxi's eyes turned, bringing her back to the past.

She had seen that jade pendant, which her eldest sister had kept close to her skin treating like a treasure when young. Only when she took a bath would she take it off gently and rest it on a handkerchief on the table for fear that the gold lace might lose color. Afterwards, she would put it back on in case she lost it.

Gu Yunxi once asked who gave the jade pendant to her. Every time her eldest sister would contemplate silently.

Why would she destroy her treasure so easily?

Concubine Xu continued,

"The Duchess was also unreasonable. After returning to the residence, she hung herself on a whim before anyone could notice..."

"What?"

Horrified, Gu Yunxi yelled in astonishment. But soon she knelt down with her head ashamedly lowered.

"Your Grace, pardon me for my rudeness."

Concubine Xu waved to get her up and complained,

"Fortunately, the servants found out in time and took her down so the Duchess was saved. The Emperor values Duke Min and was annoyed by Zhaoyi Yu after hearing the incident. Alas, she has just regained His Majesty's favor."

"..."

Gu Yunxi was in shock. She didn't know what happened between Gu Yunyao and her parents in the past that made her hate her biological parents so deeply.

"Your Grace, did Empress Qian ask you over to coax Zhaoyi Yu?"

Concubine Xu nodded and sneered helplessly,

"I don't need the Empress's explanation to understand. Duke Min commands the Dongqing Fleet and is an important minister in the court. It's tedious to involve kinship with politics. Now that Empress Qian has asked me, I will embarrass myself before both the Eastern Palace and Zhaoyi Yu if I fail."

Concubine Xu was always thoughtful, and her concerns were not unreasonable. Seeing the worried lady, Gu Yunxi and Jinzhu exchanged looks with solemn expressions.

However, the Empress's task must be completed. The mistress and her two maids discussed and decided to contact one individual before visiting Zhaoyi Yu at Xiaoye Chamber.

One day later, Concubine Xu personally visited Xiaoye Chamber with her honor guards. Gu Yunyao, looking sullen, went out to welcome her.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was pale and dehydrated. It looked like she was having a hard time lately.

They were seated face-to-face in the main hall. Concubine Xu took a sip of tea, looked at Gu Yunyao, and sighed. She then went straight to the point,

"You're too stubborn and unyielding. No matter what, Duchess Min is your mother. We may make many choices in our life but not parents. They are predestined and you have no choice."

Gu Yunyao smiled bitterly and replied faintly,

"Dear, you are close to me. Yet, if you came to persuade me into taking them as my parents, you might as well go back to Chuxiu Palace."

Shaking her head, Concubine Xu murmured helplessly,

"I know you'd say this. They are your parents. It's your decision. I came to advise you to let go of your hatred and face your heart."

Gu Yunyao was startled. Her eyes opened wide and her eyelashes quivered.

Concubine Xu said sympathetically,

"Why are you lying to yourself? If you really hate them, you won't be so upset about the Duchess's attempted suicide. From the first day I met you, I know that your heart is not on His Majesty. Thus, you will not be affected by his attitude, let alone worry about whether he is annoyed or not. You're obviously worrying about your mother in your heart like this, right?"

Gu Yunyao lowered her head in silence and dried her eyes with her embroidered handkerchief,

"Why would I worry about her? She heartlessly abandoned me, and now she wants me back after I got a position in the court. I might as well kill myself! If I weren't abandoned by that woman, I would not have been locked up in the Palace!"

Concubine Xu smiled bitterly,

"You are wrong. Duke Min holds the navy's military power and ranks high in the imperial court. As a true-born daughter, there is no guarantee that your family would not send you into the Palace if you stayed with your parents until sixteen. If that's the case, you must rank much higher as a concubine than you are now."

Gu Yunyao bowed her head silently.

Gu Yunxi took out a shaved coconut from the food box and removed the lid. She poured a bowl of steaming milky stew from the coconut and delivered it into Gu Yunyao's hands with a smile,

"My lady, this is called 'Coconut Milk and Snow Clam Stew'. Snow clams are rare and comparable to cubilose. The dish takes two days to cook. The cook must love her children dearly. She knows you're unwell so she made it by herself."

"As the saying goes, hot soup warms one's heart. Your Grace, this bowl of snow clam soup is full of the enthusiasm and sincerity of a mother. Give it a try!"

Gu Yunyao looked at the stew. In the sunlight, her pair of watery eyes gleamed with colors. After a long while, the eyes became cold. She handed the bowl to Song Qin and gave an indifferent order,

"Put it away. I'll eat after I have an appetite."

Being turned down, Concubine Xu forced her no more and took her farewell after a few sips of tea.

After stepping out of the gate of Xiaoye Chamber, Zhao An rushed out, looking extremely embarrassed,

"Your Grace, please don't take it personally. My lady has been upset for the past two days, and she didn't mean to offend you just now."

Concubine Xu had sat on the sedan chair. She looked down at the chief eunuch and smiled munificently,

"Don't you know the friendship between me and your lady? Don't worry about it. I'm tired now and will visit her again."

With heavy hearts, they returned to Chuxiu Palace and ran into Prince Chen, Huanan Xin, who was hopping out of the vermillion gate of the outer yard. After greeting Concubine Xu, he grabbed Gu Yunxi and grinned,

"Finally, you are back! I've been waiting for you for a long time!"