Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Today is art class.

Qin Lixue finally became an art teacher.

When Wu Qing saw him, she immediately smiled brightly. Her attitude was too enthusiastic, which attracted the attention of the princes.

At the same time, Princess Xiyan also returned to class, but the pens in the studio were too big for her.

Jinxiu was ordered to go to the Imperial Household Department to ask the craftsmen to make a new set of brushes. When they saw that it was made for Concubine Ji, the craftsmen pushed and shoved for a long time, and only reluctantly agreed when they heard that it was made for the princess.

Before leaving, someone slipped a note into Jinxiu's skirt pocket, inviting her to a gathering at Jingyixuan in the evening.

Six o'clock in the evening.

Jinxiu told Wu Qing about this and showed the note.

Wu Qing took the note, unfolded it, frowned, and asked, "Did you see who it was?"

Jinxiu shook her head, "No, the other party's whereabouts are secretive, hiding his head and showing his tail. I'm afraid he has bad intentions."

Wu Qing closed the note and said, "It doesn't matter. We will just wait and see what the other side wants to do."

After saying that, Wu Qing took out the landscape painting that Qin Lixue had painted today.

"...Jinxiu, how much can these be sold for?" Wu Qing stroked the scroll gently, his eyes shining with gold, as if he was caressing countless gold and silver treasures.

Jinxiu suddenly realized. No wonder Wu Qing was so kind to Qin Lixue today.

But she still wanted to burst Wu Qing's fantasy and reminded him: "My lady, painting sells fame. This painting is not signed, so it will be difficult for you to sell it at a high price."

Hearing this, the smile on Wu Qing's face disappeared instantly.

She hung her head like a wilted eggplant and complained, "What a pity to waste such a good painting."

Jinxiu looked at Wu Qing's lost look and came up with an idea.

She said, "My lady, how about this? You give me this painting, and I may be able to find a suitable buyer."

Seven o'clock in the evening.

The lights in Jingyixuan are dim, and it is hard to imagine that this place was so bustling a few days ago.

The person who handed over the note lived in Room 1 in the North Courtyard and was actually Miss Qiao Xiao who was still staying there.

Seeing Jinxiu, Qiao Xiao smiled and invited her into the house to talk in detail.

Jinxiu was a little surprised. She didn't expect that he would come to see her in person. She walked into the room calmly and found two sets of tea sets on the table.

Obviously, Qiao Xiao had entertained someone before her.

After sitting down, Miss Qiao Xiao spoke gently, but the meaning of her words was horrifying: she knew that Concubine Ji and Qin Lixue had been engaged, and she wanted Jinxiu to help her.

Jinxiu quickly denied the affair between Wu Qing and Qin Lixue.

She said, "Miss Qiao has misunderstood. Although my young master and Lord Qin were engaged, that is a thing of the past. Now that my young master has entered the palace, she no longer has any private relationship with Lord Qin."

Qiao Xiao smiled without saying anything and handed her a cup of tea. "Don't rush to refute me. You've worked hard to come all the way here. Have a sip of tea to moisten your throat first."

Jinxiu rudely drank the tea in the cup.

It was good tea. No wonder Qiao Xiao wanted her to drink tea, it was both a gesture of kindness and a show-off.

Qiao Xiao looked at her with a smile and asked softly, "How is it?"

Jinxiu replied: "It tastes great. I didn't expect to be able to taste such a refreshing tea in winter."

Hearing her words, Qiao Xiao smiled even more.

She said meaningfully, "Lady Ji must have had this tea too, but it's a pity that she seems to have forgotten your share."

Jinxiu raised her eyebrows slightly, keenly aware of the provocation in the other party's words.

"I know you are a loyal person." Qiao Xiao changed the subject, "But now that Ji Guiren has lost power, you should also make some plans for your future."

Jinxiu: "Lose power?"

Qiao Xiao nodded, "No need to say, you should be able to feel it."

She fiddled with the teacup in her hand and said slowly, "When Lady Ji was in favor, did the Ministry of Internal Affairs ever treat you badly? After that, they only bullied you even more severely."

Jinxiu didn't say anything.

Qiao Xiao smiled lightly and continued, "Noble Lady Ji has really offended someone this time. The emperor hates corruption and bribery the most. The Wu family got into trouble, and on the surface, Noble Lady Ji has nothing to do with it. But if it weren't for Noble Lady Ji's reputation, how could they have donated money to Wu Huahou?"

"Although the emperor doesn't say it, he still has a grudge against Concubine Ji in his heart. Now Concubine Ji is not allowed to enter the Yangxin Palace. Will the emperor still remember Concubine Ji in the long run?"

"You have been following her for a long time. I heard that she dismissed all the palace servants and only kept you. You must be worried and exhausted, but I see that you... have not gained any benefit."

Qiao Xiao pointed to the tea in his hand, the hint was obvious.

Jinxiu's expression relaxed slightly, as if she was persuaded by Qiao Xiao.

She thought silently for a while, then asked, "What did you want to do when you asked me about Qin Lixue before?"

Qiao Xiao was delighted, knowing that Jinxiu was moved.

She quickly asked, "Is it true that Lady Ji and Qin Lixue have correspondence?"

"If it's true, so what?" Jinxiu asked.

"Help me get it." Qiao Xiao said, "If this is done, when I become a palace concubine, I will definitely choose you to be my chief palace maid."

Jinxiu looked at her for a while and shook her head.

Qiao Xiao frowned: "What do you mean?"

"I can get you a letter, but... I don't want to be your maid."

Jinxiu smiled slightly, "I am tired of being someone else's slave, and I also want to learn from Master Zhu Hanfei and become a female official."

The smile on Qiao Xiao’s face froze.

Among this year's contestants, the one she disliked the most was naturally Zhu Hanfei.

This person had an extraordinary appearance and attracted everyone's attention as soon as she arrived. So during the talent test, she deliberately had someone secretly break her musical instrument, but no one expected that she could dance.

Afterwards, everyone in Jingyixuan suffered, including her. However, Zhu Hanfei suddenly became a female official in the Imperial Hospital and stayed in the palace openly.

She should obviously be the most dazzling beauty in this show.

Qiao Xiao suppressed her dissatisfaction and forced a smile, saying, "Don't worry, after this is done, I will definitely speak for you to the Queen Mother and help you realize your dream of becoming a court lady."

"It's hard to say what will happen in the future, so please help me now, girl."

Jinxiu took out a scroll of landscape painting from her bosom and placed it on the table.

Qiao Xiao didn't understand why, so he flipped through two of them at random and found that the quality of the paintings was not bad. However, each painting was unsigned, and no one knew who made it. They were worth at most ten taels of silver in the market.

Jinxiu smiled and said, "I have recently obtained some excellent works, but unfortunately I have no chance to sell them. I would like to ask Miss Qiao Xiao to help me."

——Are you asking her to help sell the stolen goods?

Qiao Xiao pondered it over and nodded in agreement, "It's just a small favor. I wonder...how much do you think a painting is worth?"

Jinxiu said calmly: "At least fifty taels."

Qiao Xiao's eyelids twitched violently a few times.

It was a long time before she finally squeezed out the word "yes" from her teeth.

These paintings were naturally not worth the price. The difference between ten and fifty taels could only be paid by her.

In order to overthrow Concubine Ji and win the favor of Concubine De, Qiao Xiao tried his best.

Jinxiu showed the same obedient smile as Wu Qing.

"Then it's settled. Don't worry, Miss Qiao. I will definitely give you the letter as soon as possible."