The venomous snake bites back

The medicinal material channels between Yongquan Temple and Prince An's Mansion were blocked, like pinching a venomous snake's vital points. The other party's counterattack was faster and more insidious than Lu Qinglan had expected.

That afternoon, Lu Qinglan was handling the chores of the palace when Fu Yu came in panicking and whispered, "Princess, something bad has happened! Something's happened at Yunshang Pavilion!"

Lu Qinglan's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm: "Tell me slowly, what's going on?"

"Just now, Chen Xing sent someone to report urgently that Shuntian Prefecture officials suddenly surrounded Yunshang Pavilion and found several packets of... several packets of banned drugs in the storeroom! They said it was the Western Region's psychedelic drug 'Jile San'! The shop has been sealed off, and Chen Xing and several employees have been taken away!"

Bliss Powder?! Lu Qinglan's pupils suddenly constricted. This substance had been listed as a banned drug in the previous dynasty, due to its ability to confuse the mind, drive people insane, and cause great harm. In this dynasty, the possession and sale of Bliss Powder is a serious crime! If proven, not only would Yunshang Pavilion be doomed, but even she, the owner behind it, would be implicated!

What a cruel trick! They actually framed her with such a crime!

"Has the news been blocked?" Lu Qinglan's voice was cold.

"The people from Shuntian Prefecture arrived suddenly. There were several customers in the shop at the time. I'm afraid... I'm afraid the news has spread." Fu Yu's voice was filled with tears. "Princess, what should we do now?"

Lu Qinglan forced herself to calm down. The other party had chosen this moment to attack, clearly desperate, intent on completely destroying her and even implicating Xiao Jingche. This was no coincidence; it must be a carefully planned conspiracy.

"Prepare the car immediately and go to Shuntian Prefecture!" Lu Qinglan stood up suddenly. She had to go there in person, at least to protect Chen Xing first. She couldn't let Shuntian Prefecture use torture to force a confession.

However, as soon as she reached the gate of the mansion, she was stopped by the guards sent by Xiao Jingche.

"Princess, please stay." The head guard bowed and said, "His Highness has ordered that Princess stay in the palace for the time being. The situation outside... is not peaceful."

Lu Qinglan's heart sank. Did Xiao Jingche also get the news? Was he preventing her from leaving because he was afraid she'd get sucked into the vortex, or... did he have other considerations?

"I must go to Shuntian Prefecture. The owner of Yunshang Pavilion is my man." Lu Qinglan said in a firm tone.

"His Highness has personally gone to Shuntian Prefecture to negotiate," the guard leader whispered. "His Highness has instructed me to tell the princess that the innocent will be innocent, and the tainted will be tainted. Please remain in the palace and await news. Do not panic and give others an opportunity to exploit you."

Xiao Jingche went there in person? Lu Qinglan was slightly stunned. He was using his status and influence to shield her from this initial wave of attacks. Although she still felt worried, she felt a little relieved. She took a deep breath, knowing that if she forced her way out now, she might fall into their trap and cause trouble for Xiao Jingche.

"I understand." She turned back to the mansion and said to Fu Yu, "Immediately ask Zhao Tieshou to investigate how the Bliss Powder got into the Yunshang Pavilion warehouse! No one who handled the goods in the warehouse should be left out!"

Back at Hengwu Courtyard, Lu Qinglan forced herself to sit down and collect her thoughts. For the other party to have been able to secretly place the banned drugs into the Yunshang Pavilion's warehouse, there must have been an insider. Who was it? Was someone within Yunshang Pavilion bribed? Or... She suddenly remembered Su Yueming's recent frequent outings and his interactions with Miss Liu! Su Yueming was one of the few people who knew about her relationship with Yunshang Pavilion!

"Fuyu, where is Su Yueming now?"

"She...she left the house early this morning, saying she was going to deliver an embroidery sample to Miss Liu's house. She hasn't returned yet."

A cold glint flashed in Lu Qinglan's eyes. What a perfect timing!

"Send someone to the area around Liu's house to watch her and see when she comes out and who she interacts with. Also, search her room immediately to see if there's anything suspicious!"

As soon as the order was given, Lin Wanru hurried over, her face pale: "Princess, I just heard rumors outside, saying... that Yunshang Pavilion is selling banned drugs, and also saying... that the shop is your property, and has the support of His Highness behind it..." Her voice trembled, and she was obviously frightened by the horrific accusation.

The news had indeed spread, and it was directly pointed at her and Xiao Jingche. The other party was trying to kill two birds with one stone!

"Don't panic." Lu Qinglan held her cold hand, his tone steady, "It's just a frame-up and slander. His Highness has already dealt with it personally. You should remain calm and control the people in the palace. Don't discuss it, and don't panic."

After calming Lin Wanru down, Lu Qinglan paced the room alone. This move by the other party was extremely ruthless. Not only did they want to cut off her financial resources, but they also wanted to destroy her and Xiao Jingche's reputations. If they couldn't clear their suspicion quickly, even if Xiao Jingche could suppress the matter, it would still leave a stain on the emperor's mind, which would be extremely disadvantageous to them.

In the evening, Xiao Jingche returned to the mansion with a gloomy face.

"What's the situation?" Lu Qinglan stepped forward and asked.

"That old sly old Shuntian Prefecture Governor keeps claiming they've caught the perpetrator red-handed, with irrefutable evidence, and that they're reporting the case to the Ministry of Justice." Xiao Jingche's tone was filled with suppressed anger. "I've suppressed it for now, but I can only delay it for two days at most. Those packets of Bliss Powder were indeed seized from the Yunshang Pavilion's warehouse, and the packaging is identical to the Yunshang Pavilion's usual packaging."

"Where's Chen Xing?"

"She insisted she knew nothing about the matter, saying only she and two of her trusted associates had the key to the warehouse, and that there had been no unusual activity recently." Xiao Jingche rubbed his brows. "I've already made arrangements, and she's fine for now. But if we can't find the real culprit, she might..."

Lu Qinglan's heart sank. The other party had done it perfectly, with witnesses and evidence all around. It was practically a dead end.

"Your Highness, this is absolutely no coincidence. Someone must have framed you!" Lu Qinglan said firmly, "The target is not only me, but also you, Your Highness! I suspect that Yongquan Temple and Prince An's Mansion are closely related!"

Xiao Jingche looked at her sharply: "What is your basis, Princess?"

"Timing!" Lu Qinglan said, "We just cut off their supply of medicinal herbs, and Yunshang Pavilion had an incident. This is too much of a coincidence! Moreover, to be able to put the banned drugs into the warehouse so accurately, there must be an insider. I have sent someone to investigate, and the results will be out soon."

As he was speaking, Fu Yu hurried in, holding a small, empty sachet in her hand. Her face was ashen, "Princess! This was found in the secret compartment under Su Yueming's bed! The powder inside... the residual powder inside, identified by the palace doctor, is exactly Jile Powder!"

It’s her!

Almost simultaneously, Zhao Tieshou also reported back. He had captured a Yunshang Pavilion employee attempting to leave the capital overnight. Under torture, the employee confessed that Su Yueming had approached him the day before and offered him a large sum of money to smuggle several "special" packages into the warehouse, telling him he would escort him out of the capital upon completion.

All the evidence and witnesses point to Su Yueming!

"What a treacherous slave!" Xiao Jingche was furious. "Catch her immediately!"

"Wait a minute, Your Highness!" Lu Qinglan stopped him. "If we arrest her now, she could easily shirk responsibility or even bite back. Why not... take advantage of her own strategy?"

A cold glint flashed in her eyes. Su Yueming was just a chess piece, and she wanted to use this chess piece to uncover the person behind it!

"What does the princess mean?"

"Let her come back." Lu Qinglan's lips curled up in a cold arc, "Pretend everything is normal. Once she completes the mission, she will definitely report it to the person behind the scenes and take credit. We just need to keep a close eye on her and see who she contacts, and then we can follow the clues to find out!"

Xiao Jingche pondered for a moment before understanding Lu Qinglan's intention. "Alright! I'll follow your plan!"

That night, Su Yueming returned to the palace as if nothing had happened, even with a subtle hint of smugness on her face. She thought she had done it perfectly, but she didn't know that her every move was already under strict surveillance.

The venomous snake has already bitten back, revealing its ferocious fangs.

But what Lu Qinglan wanted was not only to block the attack, but also to follow the snake's body, find the snake's head hidden in the dark, and then kill it with one blow!