"Princess Fucha, is there anything else?" Lanqin asked, seeing that Lady Fucha had not yet left.
"Consort, then we'll have to do it another time." Lady Fucha curtsied, suppressed her thoughts, and helped her maid out.
After the two left, Lanqin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Why did both of them come here to learn opera! And Liu doesn't seem to care about her jewelry at all; it seems that entering Yue Di Yun Ju is more important to her!"
Si Hua said, "I think so too. They all came in one after another, as if they really wanted to go in."
Lanqin thought for a moment and said, "Go and have Steward Lu come and give us an answer. There should be some explanation for Liu's jewelry." She didn't want to get involved in so many things, but unfortunately, the Fourth Master was not here, and the letter she sent back also told her to take good care of the courtyard.
Lanqin originally didn't want to get involved in their affairs, but now it seems she has no choice but to.
After Steward Lu came to report, Lanqin asked, "Are there still no traces of Liu Gege's jewelry?"
After receiving Xiao Jinzi's secret report, Steward Lu led his men to search the area, but after a while, they found nothing, which led him to give Xiao Jinzi a severe scolding. For the past few days, he had been preoccupied with this matter, leading his men to investigate and question everyone he found suspicious, but to no avail. He then remembered Liu's maid saying that the person could scale walls and roofs, so he focused his search on the guards and servants within the Yuanmingyuan Garden, especially checking the guards of the Xinghuachun Pavilion. The result was still fruitless.
"Reporting to Consort Lanqin, this servant has been investigating this matter. I was planning to report back to you once there was progress," Steward Lu said, noticing that Lanqin had specifically summoned him to inquire.
"Is there really not a single clue?" Lanqin asked.
"Well, a few days ago someone gave us a clue, saying it was under the artificial hill in front of Changyin Pavilion. I sent people to search, they searched everywhere, but still couldn't find it," said Steward Lu, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Who provided the clue?" Lanqin asked suspiciously.
"It was that little Jinzi who serves Lady Liu. He suddenly ran over and said someone saw it. I didn't ask any questions and led people to search, but we found nothing!" Steward Lu said dejectedly.
Lanqin frowned slightly and said, "Didn't you ask that little Jinzi properly afterward how he got the information?"
Steward Lu said, "I asked him again afterwards, but he couldn't say anything either."
Lanqin frowned and said, "Manager Lu, continue the investigation, and then go and tell Xiao Jinzi to come to my quartermaster's place."
After Steward Lu withdrew, Lanqin picked up a blue-and-white porcelain teacup, took a sip of tea, and said, "The theft of Liu's jewelry sounds like something that was orchestrated by the Liu family themselves."
Si Hua said, "Yes, no one saw it at all; it was only the people around her who said it. It's very strange. According to what they said, they probably suspect those actors who live in Changyin Pavilion."
Lanqin smiled slightly at Sihua and said, "That's right, I feel the same way."
Meanwhile, when Liu heard that Lanqin had summoned Steward Lu for questioning and then sent someone to call Xiao Jinzi over, she immediately became nervous.
“Little Jinzi, do you know what you should say and what you shouldn’t say?” Liu said.
"Don't worry, Master, I know how to respond. I will definitely not bring this matter to our Xinghua Spring Pavilion," Xiao Jinzi said, and then he went out to Wanfang Anhe.
"Don't worry, Master, Little Jinzi knows what she's doing," Cuizhu said. Because Liu Shi had been pacing around the room with her pregnant belly, her anxiety and fear were palpable.
"Why would she suddenly call Xiao Jinzi over? Is she suspicious of me?" Liu asked.
“Whether she suspects it or not, Master cannot afford to lose his composure right now. Princess, as long as the child in your womb is there, Master will not do anything to you. After all, that is just a thing of the past,” Cuizhu said.
"Is that really the case?" Liu asked.
“Of course. His Majesty would never neglect his offspring. Princess, as long as you take good care of the child in your womb, even if Mu Qingyang reports it to His Majesty, you won’t be severely punished. You have never had any improper relationship with him; you were chosen by the Empress to be a princess by the Prince during the palace selection process,” Cuizhu said.
These words gave Liu a great deal of confidence, and her previously anxious heart gradually calmed down. Originally, her reason for telling Lanqin today to let Cuizhu also go to Yue Di Yun Ju to learn opera was naturally an excuse; her real purpose was to get closer to Mu Qingyang.
“Princess, think about it. Mu Qingyang isn’t stupid. If he wanted revenge on you, he would have said so long ago, but he’s been holding back until now. Just as I said, he’s afraid the Prince will kill him. Tell me, what man can tolerate a rival in love? As for the concubine, she probably doesn’t know about his past with you,” Cuizhu said.
"I hope so, but now she's called Xiao Jinzi over again. What's she doing there?" Liu asked.
"It's likely that Steward Lu mentioned the matter of searching under that fake stone to her. Little Jin is quick-witted; she should be able to handle it," Cuizhu said.
"Hmm. Cuizhu, I feel tightness in my chest. Help me go for a walk outside," Liu said.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jinzi was already standing in front of Lanqin. The moment Lanqin saw this eunuch, she felt uneasy. She thought he had shifty eyes and looked like a treacherous villain.
"Where did you find out that Liu Gege's things were under the artificial rockery in front of Changyin Pavilion?" Lanqin asked.
"Well, I only heard from others that someone heard noises over there at night, and the night watchman saw someone moving stones there," Xiao Jinzi said haphazardly.
"Whoever heard this, state your name! I, the concubine, want him to come and confront me!" Lanqin felt that this person was speaking.
"This servant doesn't remember either, it's just hearsay. This servant is guilty, this servant shouldn't have run to tell Steward Lu without any evidence, just based on hearsay." Xiao Jinzi hurriedly fell to the ground with a thud.
Lanqin frowned as she looked down at Xiao Jinzi, thinking that this servant was much better at changing the subject than most people. She actually had nothing to say to him anymore. He had simply listened to what others said without thinking.
"Get up. Let me ask you, did your master used to go to Changyin Pavilion often and become familiar with the people there?" Lanqin asked.
"Your Highness goes there occasionally and enjoys listening to opera, but you wouldn't say you're familiar with them. They're all actors, and as a princess of a prince, you wouldn't know them well. May I ask, Consort, is this because you have any information about the whereabouts of our princess's stolen jewelry?"
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