Leng Qingtang strode back to the Eastern Depot under the moon.

The guards at the gate were alarmed when they spotted a man approaching in the night suit. Yet they immediately bowed to him after discerning his face.

"Master."

Leng Qingtang entered the main hall where Cheng Wanli awaited inside. After saluting, the captain asked about Gu Yunxi urgently while having tea,

"Have you seen Yunxi?"

"Yes."

Leng Qingtang glanced at his dark square face and then turned to sit on the chair. He raised the cup but did not drink, his impeccable face looking solemn in the candlelight.

Cheng Wanli hesitated but couldn't help asking,

"She... really..."

Leng Qingtang closed his eyes,

"I tried her martial arts on the way to Song's Mansion. It is indeed the same as the masked man pursued by us... I just don't know if they are related to Lei Huan."

Silent in surprise, Cheng Wanli opened his black eyes wide suddenly and fixed them on the Master.

This was what they feared the most.

Since Gu Yunxi was imprisoned and given severe punishment, Leng Qingtang was forced to let her go under Xu Yuanjiao's pressure. But he planted a lot of spies in Chuxiu Palace.

Now, the conclusion drawn based on many clues had finally become a fact.

Leng Qingtang took a deep breath,

"Summon the secret guards of the third, fourth, and fifth team. Act by the plan."

Cheng Wanli was flustered, "Then... Yunxi..."

"I won't let anything happen to her!"

Leng Qingtang cut off Cheng Wanli's words, his eyes looking into the distance, clear and determined.

"This time, I will not miscalculate again. I will bring her back to the Eastern Depot safely!"

...

It was dark and cold in the middle of the night, and the freezing wind whimpered like a ghost wandering in the earthly world.

There was no one on the street, only the ice dams of various lengths and girths hanging under the eaves of roofs and occasionally shining under the moonlight.

Around two o'clock, a black shadow suddenly flashed by the archway on Xuanwu Street. He jogged into the South Alley and stopped in front of the well.

Looking around cautiously, he tremblingly took out a porcelain bottle under his clothes and unplugged the cork to pour the powder into the well.

A group of the Eastern Depot guards then swarmed up and trapped the person who had thrown unknown powder into the well.

Seeing the shining broadsword in the guards' hands, the man immediately collapsed by the well and started wailing,

"Forgive me, sir. Forgive me..."

Bai Qiying, the captain of the fourth team, made his way through the encirclement and took the long-necked porcelain bottle handed over by one guard. He closely studied it by the moonlight and then turned his sharp eyes to the humble figure kneeling on the ground,

"Who are you? Why are you here in the middle of the night? What did you pour into the well? Speak!"

The man was trembling. His face almost dropped onto the ground. Curling up, he looked like a turtle,

"Sir, have mercy. I confess. I'm a ninth-ranked clerk working for Director Song. He ordered me to put the antidote into the well."

The man knew he was guilty of a felony, so he fell to the ground weakly after the intermittent confession.

Bai Qiying smiled coldly and waved his arms,

"Very well. Take this man down."

Meanwhile, the fifth team of the Eastern Depot rushed into the mansion of the Observatory Director in civilian clothes. Seeing pale-faced Director Song, Captain Luo Zixun bowed and spoke in a gentle and submissive tone,

"Lord Song, don't panic. The Eastern Depot Master knows that someone will try to hurt you and thus sends me to invite you over. Now the wagon is waiting outside. Please come with your humble servant."

With these words, he extended his arm as an invitation.

Frightened, Director Song fell shiveringly into the armchair. Two guards had to step forward and carry him up into the wagon.

...

Another morning, the sky was unclouded and the snow had stopped.

The plague receded overnight, and tens of thousands of people in the capital cheered. They gathered before the gates of the imperial city and knelt down, shouting "Thanks for Your Majesty's wise reign" to express their appreciation for aborting the evil fetus.

Emperor Jingxiao was pleased to accept Leng Qingtang’s proposal. The gate of the Palace opened in the evening of the next day. A grand feast was offered in Baohe Palace. The Emperor invited the civil and military officials and the concubines along with a hundred young men and a hundred seniors selected from the common people to celebrate with him.

Colorful lanterns hanging high, hundreds of people gathered together to dine and wine themselves, singing and dancing in the beautifully lit and celebrated night, which formed the most vivid and extravagant scenery in the Palace.

Concubine Xu was not in the mood to enjoy songs and wine. She looked sadly at the seats of the harem and missed Concubine Yu among the many charming faces.

Today Gu Yunxi took leave, saying that people from her hometown came to see her in the capital. They had been blocked on the way by the plague. Now that it had passed, they rushed to an inn in the capital to settle down and send news early in the morning to invite Gu Yunxi to the reunion.

Naturally, Concubine Xu believed what Gu Yunxi said. She had been working in Chuxiu Palace for six months, so she allowed her two days off to reunite with her relatives.

With the two of her most beloved people absent, Concubine Xu felt so bored that she could not lift the spirits at the banquet.

After another song, noises came from outside Baohe Palace. There seemed to be a crowd having clamorous conversations.

"Who are making noises outside?"

Emperor Jingxiao put down the golden cup, raised his eyebrows slightly in displeasure, and craned his neck to ask.

A young eunuch ran into the hall and knelt in the middle of the red carpet,

"Your Majesty, Concubine Yu is here. I was worried for her wellbeing, so I did not let her in recklessly."

The eunuch insinuated.

According to folklore, Gu Yunyao's abortion was counted as a miscarriage. It was ominous for her to show her face publicly without resting for a whole month.

Her arrival caused a great stir on the platform where whispers rose among the officials, the concubines, and the common folks.

The Imperial Noble Concubine kept her silence, but her narrowed eyes were shimmering coldly.

The day before yesterday, she heard that a clerk of the Observatory Director was taken away from a brothel by the Eastern Depot.

The Eastern Depot was getting out of the line by interfering with an official's romantic life. Or were they after that matter?

Soon, Director Song also called in sick and refused any visits...

Had the situation really changed?

The Emperor's face darkened behind the table. Empress Qian sternly spoke to the eunuch,

"How can Concubine Yu be so ignorant of the rules? Baohe Palace is not the place for her to set foot on tonight. You go back to her and ask her to rest in Xiaoye Chamber."

Concubine Xu found that Empress Qian's words a little harsh but she didn't know what to say for a while.

"As you wish."

The young eunuch kowtowed. Yet before he straightened his upper body, a clear voice came straight into the hall from outside,

"Your Majesty, Your Grace, I know that one who has had a miscarriage should stay home to rest."

"However, I have a guilty confession to make. Dare I ask if I'm still pregnant, may I enter Baohe Palace to celebrate with the Emperor? I await your instruction, Your Grace."

Gu Yunyao's words hit the audience like a tossed stone that raised a thousand ripples. Everyone was shocked and the surging crowds clamored.

The Emperor's mind went blank. While he was sitting at the table in a daze, the Imperial Noble Concubine glared in disbelief, her fists shivering. Empress Qian's eyebrows relaxed and revealed faint joy after the initial shock.

To be honest, as the mistress of the harem, she once had doubts about what the Observatory Director had said. After all, she had lived in the deep Palace for a long time, and she had experienced too much sinisterness.

It was just that the plague had been so fierce that hundreds of doctors in the capital were helpless. She gradually followed the rumors and did not dare to stop the Emperor after he was determined to take action against Concubine Yu.

Now that Concubine Yu was outside Baohe Palace, Empress Qian had to grab the opportunity. She reacted first and hurriedly got up,

"Summon Concubine Yu. She needs to tell His Majesty the truth of the past in person."

The little eunuch kowtowed again and ran out afterward.

Soon, Gu Yunyao walked slowly into the hall. She was wearing a white wide-sleeved loose gown with silver threads and simple jewels.

Chief maid Song Qin followed her lady, holding the fox fur cloak in her hands and staring at her lady's back.

Gu Yunyao walked to the center of the hall and stopped. Flipping her skirt, she knelt and confessed,

"I, Gu Yunyao, have sinned by deceiving the Emperor. Today, I do not ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness but only hope that my baby can be proven innocent. And then I will be content."

Emperor Jingxiao's wide face twitched in coldness and astonishment. After a long silence in the dragon chair, he stammered and asked,

"Have you not...? Why, Concubine Yu? I saw you drink the abortion decoction that day..."

Gu Yunyao nodded emotionlessly. As a sneer flashed across her face, she said calmly,

"I'm guilty..."

"If Concubine Yu is guilty of protecting the royal offspring by deceiving the Emperor, how should we make of those who try to use the celestial phenomenon to smother His Majesty's flesh and blood?"

With his melodious voice, Leng Qingtang stepped into Baohe Palace in the Master's python robe. He steadily walked to behind Gu Yunyao, knelt down, and saluted to the Emperor on the platform,

"I failed to arrive at the banquet on time due to my investigation. Please pardon me, Your Majesty."

The Emperor waved his hand and said,

"Qingtang, thank you for your hard work. Yet I don't understand what you said just now."

Leng Qingtang raised his eyebrows to hide a hint of ridicule,

"Your Majesty, the capital was caught in the plague since the start of Concubine Yu's pregnancy. The Observatory Director used the celestial phenomenon to befog the minds of the people. I found it suspicious, so I secretly investigated the matter and provided a safe plan for Concubine Yu. We replaced the abortion decoction with miscarriage prevention medicine. Therefore, we protected the child and made the rumor self-defeating."

"Now Concubine Yu is still pregnant but the plague is gone. It can be seen that the story of the cursed fetus is pure nonsense!"

Concubine Xu was already righteously indignant. After hearing Leng Qingtang's explanation, she stood up and walked before the table. Bowing deeply, she said decisively,

"Your Majesty and Your Grace, those who maliciously spread celestial rumors are abhorrent. The attempted murder of the royal baby shall be punished by executing the criminal's whole family. I plead that Your Majesty thoroughly investigates the matter, arrests the culprit, and proves the innocence of Concubine Yu and her baby."

The concubines in the harem all rose to curtsy in unison,

"We implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the culprit and prove the innocence of Concubine Yu and her baby."

The Imperial Noble Concubine froze on the chair, staring silently as cold sweat covered her temples.

Empress Qian read the situation like a book. A cold smile flashed across her rosy lips as she curtsied to the Emperor,

"Although Concubine Yu and the Eastern Depot inappropriately concealed the truth of the child from Your Majesty, they did their best to protect the royal blood. The royal family and the nation should thank them! Their merits offset the faults. May Your Majesty forgive them and catch the real culprit soon."

The Emperor smoothed his knitted brows and nodded happily. Then he clenched his fists and spoke in an unrelenting tone as a cold glow burst out of his resentful eyes.

"Master of the Eastern Depot, since you have used a scheme to protect my child, you must have found out who the perpetrators are behind the scenes, right?"

Leng Qingtang made a stringent assertion,

"Your Majesty is wise. I have sent the Eastern Depot guards under secret investigation in cooperation with the Imperial Hospital day and night since the plague began. We found that the disease spreading among the folks was not the plague. Instead, someone has deliberately put some poison in the 38 wells across the city."