At one midnight of March, the Court of Justice suddenly caught fire. Despite the utmost work of servants and guards, the warehouse which was used to store the palace records was burned down.

In the Eastern Depot, Leng Qingtang was writing official documents when Chiliarch Cheng Wanli walked in.

"Back so soon?"

Leng Qingtang stopped writing and looked up, smiling very beautifully.

Cheng Wanli gave a salute, his dark square face looking serious,

"I went into the Palace to see Bingbi Liu and heard some important news. Also, I've fetched this from the Master's Mansion as you required."

He raised his hand and presented a block of something wrapped in red silk.

Leng Qingtang took the thing and placed it on the desk. He asked,

"What did you hear at the Imperial Ceremony Office?"

"My Master, Bingbi Liu reported that Ming Lan had not shown up in the Palace since his visit with the Shenle Marquis five days ago. However, a new maid came to work for the Imperial Noble Concubine. It seems that her beauty has provoked Wan Yuyao. She often abuses her and even beats her in the Violent Room. Yongning Palace is hence in turmoil..."

Lifting one eyebrow, Leng Qingtang chuckled,

"I see the Etiquette Bureau is not good at their job. Sending a pretty maid to the Imperial Noble Concubine is pushing her into the abyss of suffering."

Cheng Wanli's face changed as he hurried to explain,

"Master, Bingbi Liu has already checked. The girl's name is Xier. And she is not from the Etiquette Bureau, but from the Garden directly to the Palace."

"Really?"

Leng Qingtang's long eyelashes quivered. He suddenly looked up at Cheng Wanli,

"Have the Imperial Ceremony Office checked her palace record?"

Cheng Wanli shook his head,

"The warehouse where the palace records were stored was burned to ashes in that fire. The Imperial Ceremony Office has no place to start."

Leng Qingtang hissed as the corners of his mouth drooped. He lowered his eyes in contemplation for a while and then whispered,

"That succubus Wan Yuyao has always been moody. It's very common for her to change maids. But... I feel this matter so opportune... How are things at Jingyang Palace?"

Cheng Wanli replied, "All is good."

"Well."

Leng Qingtang took a breath of relief and closed his eyes. Resting one hand on his forehead, he mocked himself for being too sensitive.

Concubine Yu was pregnant. The unborn child was not only her amulet but also a potential timebomb. In short, they ought to be cautious.

After a moment of silence, Leng Qingtang ordered,

"Wanli, go to call Yunxi over."

...

It was dusk in the Palace. The setting sun was red like blood.

Concubine Yu Gu Yunyao wore a thin bisque brocade cloak, waiting anxiously in the Kanfang Pavilion.

Song Qin had already covered the stone stool with a square tasseled cushion, but her mistress was too agitated to sit.

Not waiting for too long, she spotted a tiny girl show up from behind the green branches, whose thin figure was shivering under the warm sunshine.

Today, the chief maid arranged Tu Muxue to sort out the taoist scriptures in the side hall of Yongning Palace.

Emperor Jingxiao valued taoism. Thus, Wan Yuyao, the Imperial Noble Concubine, was naturally dedicated to Emperor's preferences. She started to study the scriptures early so that she could show off what she had learned to win the favor of Emperor.

The young eunuch who had been informing Tu Muxue sneaked into the side hall and told her to meet with an acquaintance in the Kanfang Pavilion.

Tu Muxue knew that Concubine Yu must have taken action, so she quickly dressed up and went straight to the meeting place.

When she walked to the Kanfang Pavilion, she was stunned. She didn't expect Concubine Yu to meet her in person.

Now that she had seen her, she had to finish the show.

Tu Muxue immediately put on a pitiful face as tears sprung to her eyes. Her body went soft and she collapsed on the ground,

"Your Grace... You finally come..."

Gu Yunyao stopped wandering in a sudden and froze in the pavilion. Her eyes widened and tears dropped like pearls to the ground.

"Yunxi? Yunxi!"

She trotted out of the pavilion, which frightened the chief maid and eunuch. Song Qin's face turned pale as she chased after her lady to assist her.

"Yunxi, arise!"

Gu Yunyao cried as she helped the girl up. She looked at the girl who had been missing for two years as her eyes blurred with tears. At last, the repeated scene in her dreams was realized.

Yes, it wasn't a dream at this time. She really grasped her sister's little hands.

Longing, surprise, sorrow... In a variety of emotions, Gu Yunyao studied the girl from head to toe many times before she opened her mouth, sobbing,

"You are finally back to me. I miss you so much... I even had the heart to die when you were gone that year..."

"My lady, don't be too sad. You are pregnant now and you need to be careful about everything."

Regardless of her deep hatred, Tu Muxue pretended to be caring. She wiped her eyes and forced a smile to the woman before her.

"I must live well for you. I look forward to having the opportunity to meet you again."

Gu Yunyao nodded sorrowfully and entered the pavilion hand in hand with the girl. She asked,

"Why did you come late? I was worried to death. I thought you were caught by the Imperial Noble Concubine and she was punishing you again."

The girl replied naturally,

"My lady, don't worry. I was just lost. It was my fault to be late and made you worry."

Gu Yunyao pouted her lips and pulled her to sit next to her,

"You don't have to be so courtesy with me. Just call me sister as before. Also, don't act like a maid now."

Blushed, the girl smiled awkwardly. She lowered her eyes and started to sob again,

"Only you treat me so kind like your true sister... How stupid I used to be. When I entered the Palace, I heard Master Leng had a female attendant by his side... I did so much for him, but he abandoned me. Sister, I hate him so much!"

Gu Yunyao was excited to hear that, her eyes shining brightly.

Her sister finally came around to the idea. Nothing would be better than this change. She squeezed the girl's little clammy hands and comforted her,

"Don't worry, I will not let him go easily. You should have heard that my father is Min Rui, the rank-top official and the commander of Dongqing Fleet. I am now pregnant with Emperor's child. If it is born a prince, I will have a say in the harem. And then I will take revenge on Leng Qingtang for us."

While Gu Yunyao was making her promise to the girl, Zhao An stood quietly behind her, with his arms down. He stared at the humble girl before Gu Yunyao and frowned suddenly with doubts.

Gu Yunyao saw that her sister's hair on her smooth forehead was messed by the breeze, so she reached to pin the strand behind her ear, and then she asked with a sad smile,

"Tell me where you were in the past two years? The Eastern Depot had searched for you everywhere to no avail. Who dared to kidnap you from the Western Depot?"

The girl sighed and confided with her eyes down,

“I went to Ming Lan's mansion alone for Master Leng's antidote. The captains and guards failed to save me and angered Ming Lan, so he sent me to the Palace to let me wither. The person who destroyed the wagon was a member of the Clan of Swords. He came to the capital to loot because the imperial court had destroyed several branches of the Clan. I was taken to the western tribes and appreciated by my host for my cooking skills. He had other ideas about me, so I managed to drug him and escaped.”

“In order to reunite with you and Master Leng, I went through hardships all the way. I did part-time jobs in the wine shops to save money along the way and finally returned to Da Yi.”

“The plague in the capital before January blocked my way. However, as soon as I came into the city after it passed, I was caught by the Western Depot and sent to the Palace.”

When Tu Muxue finished her story in one breath, even herself was moved to tears by the lies she had fabricated. She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears again.