Lanqin knew that this servant must have a secret in his heart, and it was the kind of secret that would terrify people if he told it, but he also knew very well that he absolutely could not tell him. Therefore, whenever he asked him something, he would evade the question.

"Little Jinzi, if you don't tell the truth, I, your concubine, will drag you out and give you a beating." Lanqin hardened her heart; she had a feeling that this servant knew something.

Xiao Jinzi knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This servant truly knows nothing! This servant truly knows nothing! Consort, please spare my life!"

"How dare you! I, your concubine, would never take your life. If you continue to spout nonsense and evade the issue, I will show you no mercy!" Lanqin said angrily. She had only said that she would drag him out and give him a beating, and she hadn't even specified how many beatings he would receive, yet this servant was already crying out for mercy, as if she had done something incredibly cruel to him.

"This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare!" Xiao Jinzi's eyes darted left and right, his mind undergoing a fierce chemical reaction. He hadn't expected the concubine to be so difficult to deal with.

"Then tell the truth. If I find out even the slightest bit that you're lying, I'll drag you away and give you thirty strokes of the cane!" Lanqin said, emphasizing her words.

"Your Highness, I have indeed seen Mu Qingyang loitering near our Xinghua Spring Palace. Furthermore, our master enjoys his opera performances and has even invited him to sing at a private gathering. I firmly believe this man is closely related to the disappearance of our master's jewelry, so I secretly followed him without our master's knowledge. One day, I noticed him acting suspiciously in that area. Although I wasn't certain, his behavior that day seemed rather strange, so I dared to inform Steward Lu and have him lead a search. I was rash in my actions; please punish me, Your Highness!" Xiao Jinzi kowtowed, saying.

Lanqin saw that what he said was reasonable and did not seem to be a lie. Seeing that she could not get anything out of him, she said, "Alright, I will believe you for now. Get up."

She then said to Xiao Jinzi, "Go back and talk to your princess properly. This matter is really strange, and Steward Lu can't find any clues either. You suspect it's Mu Qingyang, but that's just suspicion; there's no real evidence. So, I, the concubine, will not arrest him for questioning. He's been in Changyin Pavilion the whole time. If he really took the things, he shouldn't have agreed to my request; he shouldn't have been so eager to leave the manor. Mu Qingyang is currently at Yue Di Yun Ju, helping me teach some of the maids Western opera. If he's the thief who stole the jewelry, he shouldn't have taken on this task."

Xiao Jinzi nodded repeatedly and said, "This matter is really strange. Our master is also very anxious. Please, Consort, investigate thoroughly."

"This matter has been handed over to Steward Lu. Liu Gege will be informed of any progress. You may go now," Lan Qin said.

After Xiao Jinzi left, Lan Qin breathed a sigh of relief. She suddenly wanted to ask Mu Qingyang how he was doing.

"My lady, why don't I help you rest for a while?" Si Hua said when she saw Lan Qin in a daze.

"No, let's go see how they're doing. Let's go to Moon Land Cloud Residence," Lanqin said.

When she arrived at Yue Di Yun Ju, she could hear the laughter of women in the distance. Lan Qin followed the sound and walked inside, finding the courtyard in front of her. The laughter was coming from inside. Lan Qin climbed the steps and walked to the entrance of the corridor, where she saw Putao, Baoqin, Yuxiao, Hongying, and the maids from Song's side, all learning basic stage steps from Mu Qingyang.

Lanqin couldn't help but smile; the influence of young people is truly remarkable.

"The concubine has arrived!"

Someone spotted Lanqin first and quickly ran over to her to pay their respects.

"You don't need to be so polite, I just came to see! Is Master Mu teaching well?" Lanqin said.

“Master Mu taught us very well. He was very patient and even taught us basic vocalizations, body postures, and walking techniques,” Baoqin said.

“Yes, Master Mu even said that we few have a real talent for opera,” Hongying chimed in.

"Good, all of you should learn well from Master Mu. If you learn well, I, the concubine, will reward you." Lanqin said encouragingly, seeing that they were quite enthusiastic about learning.

"Yes, we will definitely study hard!" Yu Xiao said.

Lanqin walked up to Mu Qingyang and said to him, "Master Mu, why don't you show this concubine around Yue Di Yun Ju?"

"It would be my honor!" Mu Qingyang gestured for them to continue, and then he gave the girls a few more instructions, mainly telling them to continue reviewing and consolidating what they had learned.

Lanqin, holding Sihua's hand, followed Mu Qingyang through the covered walkway, winding their way along.

"Young Master Mu, I heard that Princess Liu used to really enjoy listening to your operas?" Lanqin asked.

Mu Qingyang's expression froze. He thought that by locking himself in here every day and not going out, he would no longer hear any information about that woman. But why, even though he was hiding here, did he still hear about her constantly?

Lanqin took in Mu Qingyang's expression and became even more suspicious. She said, "Young Master Mu, actually, as soon as I met you, I felt that you were the kind of person who was upright and honest. Therefore, I treated you with courtesy."

"If Consort has anything to say, please ask," Mu Qingyang said.

"Did you know that Liu Gege's jewelry was stolen some time ago?" Lan Qin asked.

"I know a little bit. Steward Lu even had my room searched," Mu Qingyang said coldly, his clear voice as resonant as a jade bamboo shoot.

"Do you know why they went back to search your house?" Lanqin asked.

"Perhaps it's because I used to frequent Xinghua Chunguan, and also because I don't trust our identities. Heh, actors, you know, the lowest of the low, what do you think, Consort?" Mu Qingyang said.

Lanqin didn't look down on these opera singers; in later generations, they would all be big stars.

“I find this matter very strange. Consort Liu is implying that you, or rather Young Master Mu, are the most suspicious. Does Young Master Mu have any explanation?” Lanqin asked.

A look of pain flashed across Mu Qingyang's face, but it quickly disappeared.

"Qingyang would never stoop to such petty theft. Liu Gege has probably misunderstood," Mu Qingyang said with a wry smile.

"I, the Consort, also think she must have misunderstood. But the thief who was able to enter the Yuanmingyuan and, just like her, steal so much jewelry from her inner chamber must have been incredibly resourceful," Lanqin said.

"Perhaps Princess Liu forgot where she was. Pregnant women don't have very good memories," Mu Qingyang said.

"Perhaps. Did Young Master Mu and Princess Liu know each other before?" Lanqin suddenly asked again.

"I don't know her. I don't know Princess Liu." Mu Qingyang paused for a moment, then immediately replied.