The Mystery in Observation

The words "Yongquan Temple" were like a stone dropped into the lake of Xiao Jingche's heart. Although it didn't immediately stir up a ripple, it quietly sank to the bottom. He didn't go there in person as Lu Qinglan had suggested, but instead sent two trusted guards, disguised as ordinary pilgrims, to investigate. This move reflected both his appreciation for Lu Qinglan's information and his usual cautious nature.

Meanwhile, Lu Qinglan didn't pin all her hopes on Xiao Jingche. Through Chen Xing, she arranged for Shen Chong's caravan to take advantage of the opportunity to deliver rice, flour, and groceries to the temple and keep an eye on the situation there, especially the Taoist priest Qingxu.

Late at night a few days later, Zhao Tieshou sneaked into Hengwuyuan again and brought more detailed information.

"Princess, I bribed a mute servant in charge of sweeping the temple and learned that Taoist Qingxu is indeed proficient in alchemy. The furnace and medicinal materials he uses are quite exquisite, some of which are not even from the Middle-earth and have Western characteristics. I once happened to see Taoist Qingxu having a private conversation with a distinguished, veiled female guest in the backyard. The female guest... exuded a very faint, cold fragrance, very similar to the 'Ice Soul Roland' described by Princess!"

A masked female guest? Leng Xiang? Lu Qinglan's heartstrings suddenly tightened! Who was this female guest? What was her relationship with Prince An's Mansion? She forced herself to calm down and asked, "Did you see the female guest's figure clearly? Or did she have any other characteristics?"

Zhao Tieshou shook his head. "The mute servant couldn't speak, and his handwriting wasn't fluent. He only gestured to indicate that the female guest was tall, and her manners seemed... to bear traces of palace etiquette. Furthermore, he mentioned that the quiet room where Taoist Qingxu refines the elixir is usually off-limits to anyone; even the abbot needs permission to enter."

Palace etiquette? Lu Qinglan frowned. The scope seemed to narrow again, yet it became even more confusing. A woman related to Prince An, with traces of the palace... could she be a concubine? A princess? Or perhaps... a member of Prince An's household?

"What about Prince An's Mansion? What has Manager Hu been up to lately?"

"Manager Hu remains a recluse, but the other day, the unmarked carriage visited Yongquan Temple again late at night, staying longer this time, for nearly an hour. As the carriage left, I vaguely saw another figure besides Manager Hu. The figure resembled the female guest described by the mute servant, but the darkness was too dark to confirm."

Clues gradually began to connect like scattered pearls. Prince An's Mansion, Steward Hu, Yongquan Temple, Taoist Qingxu, a mysterious female guest, spices from the Western Regions, alchemy… all pointed to a vast conspiracy hidden behind the scenes. And the contact between the Third Prince's Mansion and Prince An's Mansion only made Lu Qinglan more certain that their intentions were far from ordinary.

Just as she was concentrating on analyzing the situation, Fu Yu hurried in with a rather grim expression, "Princess, something happened to Sun Liangyuan."

Lu Qinglan's eyes turned cold: "Speak."

"Sun Liangyuan went to pay her respects to Consort De today, and when she returned, her eyes were red and swollen. She said...that Consort De blamed her for not having enough children for His Highness after being in the palace for so long. She also implied that you, Princess...you dominate His Highness and are jealous and intolerant." Fu Yu said with resentment, "Now this rumor has spread quietly throughout the palace."

Lu Qinglan laughed instead of getting angry. Concubine De's tactics were far too shallow and direct. She probably wanted to trouble her from the harem, ruin her reputation, and alienate her from Xiao Jingche, as the Third Prince's faction had suffered a loss at court.

"Also," Fu Yu lowered her voice, "Su Yueming left the house this afternoon to go to Miss Liu's residence on the pretext of looking for embroidery patterns for Sun Liangyuan. She stayed there for nearly two hours before returning."

Lu Qinglan tapped the tabletop lightly with her fingertips. Sun Liangyuan's impatience, Su Yueming's erratic behavior, Concubine De's pressure... Compared to the hidden plot at Yongquan Temple, these harem disturbances seemed insignificant, but they were also annoying and could become a breakthrough point for her enemies to attack her. They needed to be dealt with quickly.

She pondered for a moment, then instructed Fu Yu, "Go and ask Concubine Lin to come over."

Not long after, Lin Wanru arrived. Lu Qinglan briefly recounted the events of Sun Liangyuan's life, concluding, "It's only natural for Consort De to be concerned about Your Highness's offspring. However, I don't deserve the reputation of being 'jealous.' Your Highness is busy with government affairs, and doesn't come to the harem often. It's only natural to treat everyone equally. Sister Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Wan was so smart that she immediately understood Lu Qinglan's intention. He wanted to use her as a tool to both warn Sun Liangyuan and show Concubine De and the outside world that the Seventh Prince's harem was harmonious and his mistress was magnanimous.

"Your Highness is absolutely right." Lin Wanru nodded slightly, a glint of understanding flashing in her eyes. "Sister Sun is young, and perhaps she hasn't thought things through. I'll find an opportunity to explain the pros and cons to her. I'm sure she'll understand your earnest intentions."

Lu Qinglan nodded in satisfaction. Lin Wanru's intervention would be more appropriate than her own handling of the matter. It would maintain her image as a benevolent consort while also achieving her goal.

"As for Su Yueming..." Lu Qinglan's tone turned cold. "Since she likes running around so much, let her run as much as she wants. Fu Yu, from tomorrow onwards, all the errands and errands that require liaison with other mansions, such as purchasing and delivering letters, will be assigned to Su Yueming. Doesn't she want to 'serve me like a slave'? I will give her this opportunity."

Fu Yu's eyes lit up: "Yes, Princess!" This was equivalent to promoting Su Yue in name only but demoting her in reality, making her busy with trivial matters, which not only consumed her energy but also kept her away from the core. At the same time, her frequent ins and outs of the mansion made it easier for her to expose her whereabouts and flaws.

After dealing with these, Lu Qinglan turned his attention back to Yongquan Temple. The guards sent by Xiao Jingche reported that everything was normal at the temple, with few incense offerings and no obvious abnormalities. They only mentioned that Taoist Qingxu was indeed living in seclusion, and the alchemy room was strictly guarded.

This result was within Lu Qinglan's expectations. The other party was acting so secretly, how could they easily let someone catch them?

She spread out the letter paper, carefully considered her words, and cryptically wrote the information Zhao Tieshou had found about the mysterious female guest and the spices from the Western Regions into her daily letters to Xiao Jingche, using the phrase "heard rumors from the market." She couldn't directly reveal the source of the information, so she could only use this indirect method to remind him.

After sending the letter, she stood alone in the courtyard, the cool spring night breeze ruffling her clothes.

Yongquan Temple was like a fortress shrouded in mist, seemingly peaceful, yet lurking within. She knew that these indirect clues alone would be insufficient to shake it. She needed more solid evidence, or... an opportunity to disrupt its position.

This opportunity may lie in Manager Hu, who frequently travels between Prince An's Mansion and Yongquan Temple, or it may lie in Su Yueming's growing ambition and frequent external contacts.

She needs patience and even more luck.

Looking up at the moon obscured by dark clouds, Lu Qinglan took a deep breath.

The game has reached its mid-game, and her opponent's moves are becoming increasingly cunning. She needs to be cautious at every step, not only observing the fierce battle in front of her, but also discerning the true killer moves hidden beneath the surface.