Remove the firewood from under the cauldron
Lin Wanru's "reasoning" proved effective. Within two days, Sun Liangyuan took the initiative to come to Hengwu Court to apologize, explaining that she was young and ignorant, and had mistakenly believed rumors, and begged the princess for forgiveness. Lu Qinglan didn't delve into the matter, simply admonishing her with a few words: "Be careful with your words and actions, and stay within your proper place," and then sent her back. After this incident, while Sun Liangyuan might not have truly submitted, she at least appeared to be more restrained, and the rumors within the palace about the princess's "jealousy" gradually subsided.
Su Yueming, entrusted with this "important" task, initially felt complacent, believing she was being put to good use. She busied herself with running around the palace, delivering messages and making purchases. However, within a few days, she sensed something was amiss. These seemingly important errands were, in reality, mere errands, completely alienating her from the palace's core affairs and confining her to the periphery. Even more alarming, she discovered that every time she left the palace, she felt as if invisible eyes were watching her, making communication with Miss Liu and even Steward Hu incredibly difficult and dangerous.
At the same time, Xiao Jingche also made a breakthrough in his investigation of Yongquan Temple, but this progress was tainted with a strong smell of blood.
A trusted guard he sent to secretly monitor Yongquan Temple was killed in a deserted forest outside the capital when he followed Taoist Qingxu out at night. His body was not discovered until three days later by the patrol troops. He had no identity proof on him. If Xiao Jingche had not secretly sent someone to identify the body, the case would have almost become an unsolved mystery.
When the news got back, Xiao Jingche was furious, and a chill ran down his spine. The other party had acted so ruthlessly and decisively, clearly aware they were being watched. This was a warning, a demonstration! The power hidden behind Yongquan Temple was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
He immediately strengthened the guards around himself and Lu Qinglan. At the same time, he combined the news of the guard's death with the clues Lu Qinglan had previously provided about "Western spices" and "mysterious female guests", and finally took this hidden clue seriously.
"Princess, you warned me earlier that something was amiss at Yongquan Temple. I was careless." At night, Xiao Jingche made a rare trip to Hengwu Courtyard on his own initiative. A solemn expression and a subtle hint of fear crossed his face. "Now it seems this temple is no ordinary Taoist temple. It has far-reaching implications, perhaps even... involving the palace."
He didn't explicitly name his suspect, but the word "palace" had already sent a shiver through Lu Qinglan's heart. Sure enough, the palace was involved! Was it the concubines? Or... the almighty emperor? She didn't dare to dwell on it.
"What are your plans, Your Highness?" Lu Qinglan poured him a cup of calming tea and spoke in a steady tone.
"If we stir up trouble, we'll alert the enemy. A forceful attack might not be enough and could even lead to harm." Xiao Jingche said in a deep voice, "But now that we know their lair, we can't let them go. I've already deployed additional personnel to monitor the perimeter. At the same time, I'll try to find a way out by targeting other Taoists in the temple, or those who have contact with them." He looked at Lu Qinglan with a deep gaze. "The princess is very thoughtful. I wonder if you have any good plans?"
Lu Qinglan pondered for a moment and said, "The other party is very thorough and decisive in their actions, so it's probably difficult to find conclusive evidence using ordinary methods. Perhaps... we can start by obtaining what they need." She raised her eyes, a sharp glint in them. "Alchemy requires medicinal materials, especially the rare herbs from the Western Regions, which are limited in source. If we can cut off their supply, we might be able to force them to lose their composure and reveal a flaw."
Xiao Jingche's eyes flashed: "The princess's intention is..."
"I've heard that the Beijing Medicine Guild has very strict control over special medicinal herbs from the Western Regions, and all of them are recorded." Lu Qinglan said slowly, "Your Highness may want to start from here and find out whether a large amount of Western medicinal herbs have recently flowed into Yongquan Temple, or... into the pharmacies and businesses related to Prince An's Mansion and the Third Prince's Mansion." She once again vaguely mentioned Prince An's Mansion and the Third Prince's Mansion.
Xiao Jingche glanced at her deeply, his mind already understanding. His princess was not only cunning, but also had a mysterious source of information. She always found a way out when he was in trouble. "Okay! I'll do it immediately!"
Xiao Jingche acted swiftly. Within two days, through his connections at the Ministry of Revenue and the Maritime Customs, he had reviewed the import and export records of all Western medicinal materials over the past six months. As expected, he discovered that several shipments of Western spices and special minerals, labeled "Purchased by Prince An's Palace," had never made it to the Prince An's treasury. Their transportation routes had shifted several times, ultimately disappearing to the west of the city, right where Yongquan Temple was located!
Almost simultaneously, news arrived from Zhao Tieshou. Steward Hu, seemingly sensing danger, had become increasingly cautious in recent days, and his "chance encounters" with the purchasing manager from the Third Prince's residence had ceased completely. But Zhao Tieshou persevered, and finally learned from an elderly farmer delivering vegetables to Steward Hu's courtyard that he had inadvertently complained the day before that a shipment of "important goods" had been delayed due to being stuck on the canal.
Canal transport? Lu Qinglan's mind raced. That's right! Most of the medicinal herbs from the Western Regions were transported north via the canal! Xiao Jingche's previous efforts to rectify the canal transport system, while primarily targeting grain and salaries, also increased inspections of various goods, especially those of unknown origin or questionable purpose. Could it be that Shen Chong had inadvertently played a role?
She immediately had Fu Yu contact Chen Xing to inquire about any recent irregularities in the canal transport operations of the Shen Chong caravan. Chen Xing quickly replied, noting that Shen Chong had recently detained and inspected a batch of wooden crates marked "Prince An's Palace Expenses" at Linqing Gate. While no contraband was found, they were temporarily detained for several days due to incomplete paperwork and were only recently released. The person in charge of the inspection was none other than Clerk Cui!
As fate would have it, the aftermath of Xiao Jingche's rectification of the canal transportation turned out to be a hand that pinched the lifeline of Yongquan Temple!
Lu Qinglan acted decisively, having Chen Xing, through Shen Chong, secretly pass on the news that Prince An's goods had been detained, potentially delaying the noble's 'cultivation'. She wanted to make Hu the mastermind behind Yongquan Temple anxious!
Sure enough, within two days of the news spreading, Steward Hu became restless. Zhao Tieshou reported that Steward Hu had ventured to the back door of the Third Prince's residence late at night. Although he didn't enter, he whispered for a long time with the person inside, and when he returned, his face was extremely grim.
A day later, Xiao Jingche found out that an official under the Third Prince had contacted the Grain Transport Bureau and urged that the batch of "Prince An's Mansion expenses" be released as soon as possible.
The fox's tail is finally revealed!
Xiao Jingche held these fragmentary yet consistent pieces of evidence, his face dark as water. Prince An, the Third Prince, Yongquan Temple, the medicinal herbs from the Western Regions… it all connected! What on earth were they trying to do? Refining an elixir? What kind of elixir would require such secrecy, even going so far as to collude with the prince?
"Your Highness, although the evidence is still insufficient, the thread is clear," Lu Qinglan said at the right time. "The other party has suffered setbacks one after another, and their supply of medicinal materials has been blocked. They must be anxious. At this moment, they have only two options: either temporarily restrain themselves and wait for the opportunity; or... take a risk and find a new supply channel, or eliminate those who are hindering them."
Xiao Jingche's eyes gleamed coldly, "I want to see if they dare to touch me!" He looked at Lu Qinglan and softened his tone, "Princess, you must be extremely careful these days. Make sure you bring adequate guards with you when you go out."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I understand."
Coming out of the study, Lu Qinglan looked up at the azure sky, his heart not quite at ease. Overthrowing Qiu Sheng was a direct and open struggle; dealing with the hidden plot of Yongquan Monastery was like battling a ghost in the fog, even more dangerous.
She knew that while her plan to cut off the source of the trouble had initially shown success, it had also completely exposed her to the enemy. Since Manager Hu had been able to inquire about her dowry, he must have known her role in it. The subsequent counterattack would likely be even more fierce.
However, she does not regret it.
Rather than passively taking a beating, it's better to take the initiative. Only by muddying the waters and forcing the venomous snake hidden deep within to emerge, will she have a chance to capture and kill it before it reveals its fangs!
Returning to Hengwu Courtyard, she instructed Fu Yu, "Have our people be alert, especially those at Yunshang Pavilion and the Shen Chong Caravan. If any unfamiliar faces inquire about us, or if they encounter any 'accidents' in the near future, report them immediately."
"Yes, Princess!"
The storm is coming.
Lu Qinglan could feel an invisible net tightening around her, but she believed that the other net she had woven had also been unfurled.
It all depends on who will be the one holding the net in the end.
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