After making the arrangements, Xiao Sheng was about to return to the palace when Li Xingran poured out her heart again, so Li Ting kept Xiao Sheng there for a while longer.
Destroying opium is simple; just take a dagger and stab the soil near the opium rootstock, severing its main stem.
The root regeneration ability of opium poppy is relatively weak. It only has one taproot and thin fibrous roots. Compared with most weeds, its regeneration ability is simply not on the same level. Moreover, opium poppy only bolts and branches during the flowering stage, so there is no possibility of it growing back after the roots are cut.
[Once we sever the taproot, the amaryllis will be unable to obtain the water it needs to grow. Because the above-ground leaves are lush, and the roots are severed and regeneration is very slow, they cannot keep up with water absorption and will wilt and die. It's very similar to the death of a flower we've managed to kill, completely eliminating any possibility of suspicion.]
[The opium in the cold palace was probably directly sown, so the roots should grow relatively straight. You can slightly dig up the soil to check if the opium there has a taproot structure.]
Then, take the dagger and stab downwards repeatedly, so no one will notice. Because opium won't kill immediately.
"Father, please remember to have the guards erase all traces of the crime, bury the dug-up soil back up, and water it. That way, even a celestial being wouldn't know who did it."
[However, we need to be wary. There's a concubine in the Cold Palace who, although banished there by Zhao Yunwan, is actually one of her subordinates.]
When Li Xingran was awake, she took out the book in the brocade pouch and looked at it again, discovering more details that she hadn't noticed when she stayed up all night reading before.
This concubine's name was Shen Qingqing. She was part of the Zhao family's dowry given to Empress Zhao Yunshu. She entered the palace with Zhao Yunshu and served her closely. She was quite beautiful and, after being favored by the emperor, was given the title of "Talented Lady." However, unbeknownst to many, Shen Qingqing was a trained assassin by Huangfu Chuying.
After gaining the emperor's favor, Shen Qingqing left Zhao Yunshu, which angered the emperor, and she requested to be sent to the Cold Palace.
[This was all arranged! Going to the Cold Palace was to guard the opium in Zhao Yunwan's place.]
[Shen Qingqing is skilled in martial arts, Father, you must send some powerful guards. Uncle Fan has several kinds of sleeping potions that are unavailable throughout the entire Cangxuan Continent, so for safety's sake, we must put that concubine to sleep.]
[Also, she has practiced seductive arts. If the drug doesn't work and Shen Qingqing appears to stop it, we need to find a resolute male or female guard to ensure the operation isn't affected.]
Li Ting replaced one of the newly selected male guards with Leng Yu. The male guard who was replaced became the coachman.
He went to Fan Zuan's courtyard and asked for several kinds of sleeping pills. After inquiring about their usage and effects, he handed the sleeping pills over to Leng Yu.
Little Ma was left at the Li family's residence. Leng Yu quickly disguised herself as Little Ma. The six of them then headed towards the palace.
Upon arriving at the East Palace, Xiao Sheng discovered that Qianmian had already been transferred there, and he was overjoyed, finally having his own people in the palace.
The first thing Leng Yu noticed when she saw Qianmian was that he had a restrained aura and his appearance seemed to have been modified using special techniques, but Leng Yu was certain that it was not a disguise.
The four imperial guards that Zhao Yunwan had arranged for Xiao Sheng have now become the dedicated guards for those ten beauties.
When Xiao Sheng occasionally returned to the palace, he would not summon them.
Those people wanted to get close but couldn't.
Sure enough, upon hearing that Xiao Sheng had returned to the East Palace, they flocked over, but before they even reached the Crown Prince's palace, they were stopped by Qianmian, who made it clear that His Highness the Crown Prince was tired and that they could talk about it tomorrow morning.
Leng Yu asked Xiao Sheng if Qianmian could be trusted, and Xiao Sheng nodded.
Leng Yu then asked Qianmian if he had any helpers in the Cold Palace. Qianmian replied that there was an old palace servant working there, responsible for patrolling at night.
Leng Yu handed the sleeping potion to Qianmian, explained its usage and effects in detail, and asked Qianmian to make the arrangements.
Qianmian handed Lengyu the best route map from the East Palace to the Cold Palace that he had drawn beforehand, and Lengyu and the other three guards memorized the route map.
Qianmian left to arrange the sleeping potion. Who was that old palace maid, you ask? It was none other than Zhao Yunshu's wet nurse. Hearing that she was to help His Highness the Crown Prince, how could she refuse?
"Little Maozi, don't worry, I'll do this even if it costs me my old bones. If I fail, there's a hole in the floor under my bed in my room with some things left behind. Please help me deliver them to His Highness the Crown Prince."
By the time the palaces quieted down at night, it was already past 1-3 AM.
Fearing something might go wrong, Qianmian rushed back to the East Palace, leading Lengyu and the other three, dressed in night clothes and each carrying two daggers, and quickly ran through the palace.
After years of observation, Qianmian had long been familiar with the gaps in the palace guards' shifts.
Before arriving at the Cold Palace, Qianmian imitated the chirping of crickets, and soon he responded with a rhythmic chirping of crickets.
Qianmian gave a signal to act, and the group quickly leaped into the garden.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Leng Yu provided cover outside the garden. Qianmian and three other guards went into the garden and destroyed all the opium.
An hour later, Qianmian and the others returned to Lengyu's guard post.
Leng Yu nodded to the group and quickly left the Cold Palace.
Xiao Sheng blew out the candle and sat quietly on the bed waiting.
The five men entered Xiao Sheng's palace, reported to him that they had successfully completed their mission without leaving any trace.
Everyone was tired, so Qianmian arranged for Lengyu and the others to rest in a separate room in the Crown Prince's palace.
Tonight, Xiao Sheng slept soundly for the first time in the Eastern Palace.
Xiao Sheng didn't wake up until the end of the next morning.
Hearing the commotion outside the palace, Leng Yu, disguised as a pony, muttered, "The women in the palace are such a hassle."
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