Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 59 Qihuang Garden! The late Empress Dowager actually left a mountain of gold for her granddaughter-in-law.

Ten days later, in Hangzhou.

The carriage passed through the bustling streets and finally stopped in front of a house with white walls and black tiles.

Above the door hangs an ebony plaque with three gilded characters: Qihuang Garden.

Jinshu got out of the carriage first, looked up at the plaque, and paused, "Miss, this name..."

"The '栖' in '栖息' (to rest, to perch, and the '凰' in '凤凰' (phoenix)." Ye Huang carried Bao'er out of the carriage, her gaze lingering on the character "凰" for a moment. "What a coincidence."

It's more than just a coincidence.

The land deed that Xiao Jue gave her had her new name embedded in the name of the house.

If this is a coincidence, then it's too much of a coincidence.

Uncle Fu stepped forward and knocked on the door.

The door opened a crack, revealing a deeply wrinkled old face.

He was an old doorman who looked to be in his sixties or seventies. His eyes were cloudy and his back was severely hunched, but he opened the door with remarkable steadiness.

"Who are you looking for?" The voice was hoarse.

Uncle Fu handed over the land deed and the token given to him by Xiao Jue.

The old doorman squinted and looked around, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes—so fast it seemed like an illusion.

He opened the door, stepped aside, and bowed in greeting.

"This old servant, Zhao Bo, respectfully welcomes my master."

Ye Huang stepped into the courtyard.

The moment she stepped inside, she paused slightly.

This garden... is not quite what I imagined.

Xiao Jue described it as a "mansion with a garden," which she assumed was a typical private garden in Jiangnan, but what she saw before her was...

Upon entering, one is greeted by a spacious front courtyard, with tall sycamore trees lining both sides of the bluestone path. In early summer, their canopies provide ample shade. Further ahead lies a three-tiered hall, spacious in size, furnished with fine mahogany furniture, though some pieces have aged, all polished to a spotless shine.

Only after passing through the hall can you reach the true "garden".

A garden covering at least ten acres suddenly unfolds before you. Pavilions and towers are scattered in a well-organized manner, with artificial hills and ponds dotting the landscape. A winding corridor meanders through the garden, and exotic flowers and plants are planted everywhere outside the corridor. The most wonderful part is the lake in the center of the garden, with its wide expanse of water covered with lotus leaves, and several koi carp swimming leisurely among the lotus leaves.

"This..." Jinshu's eyes widened in disbelief. "How much silver is this worth...?"

Mo Shisan also gasped.

Having spent many years in Jiangnan, he naturally knew his stuff—the location of Qihuang Garden was one of the most secluded spots in Hangzhou, not far from West Lake, yet tranquil amidst the hustle and bustle. The land alone would cost at least 50,000 taels of silver, not to mention the exquisite landscaping and furnishings within the garden.

Xiao Jue's generosity is truly astounding.

"Uncle Zhao," Ye Huang withdrew her gaze and looked at the old gatekeeper, "whose property was this garden originally?"

Uncle Zhao lowered his eyes and said, "Reporting to Master, this garden was built more than 20 years ago. The original owner... this old servant doesn't know. I only know that it changed hands several times, and three years ago it was bought by a nobleman from the north. It has been vacant ever since, and people are occasionally sent to clean it."

A noble person from the north.

Zhenbei Palace.

Ye Huang didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Show us around."

"Yes."

Uncle Zhao led the way, and the group slowly walked along the corridor.

The garden was indeed large. In addition to the usual features such as the main courtyard, guest courtyard, study, and flower hall, there were also separate kitchens, storerooms, stables, and even a small training ground—the ground was covered with fine sand, and unsharpened swords, spears, and halberds were displayed on shelves next to it.

"This place..." Ye Huang stopped at the edge of the training ground, "was it already here?"

"Yes." Uncle Zhao nodded. "This old servant has heard that the original owner of this garden was a descendant of a military family."

Descendants of a military family.

Ye Huang's heart stirred, and she suddenly remembered what Xiao Jue had said that day—his mother was the late Empress Dowager's adopted daughter, so could this "descendant of a military family" be related to Xiao Jue's mother?

However, now is not the time to delve into this.

She turned to Mo Shisan: "Where do you think would be a suitable location for a branch of Tingfeng Tower?"

Mo Shisan, who had been observing the terrain, immediately said upon hearing this, "Master, I just checked and there is a secluded two-story building in the northwest corner of the garden. It is located in a quiet place, not too far from the main courtyard. If the downstairs can be converted into a secret room and the upstairs can be used as a study, it would be most suitable."

"lead the way."

The group moved to the northwest corner.

Sure enough, there was a small, quaint building made of blue bricks, with several clumps of green bamboo planted in front of the door, creating a serene atmosphere. Pushing open the door, the first floor was a spacious hall, and the second floor contained a study and two small rooms. The furniture was complete, but a thin layer of dust had accumulated on it.

"Where is the entrance to the secret room?" Ye Huang asked.

Mo Shisan walked around the hall, finally stopping in front of an antique display shelf. He reached out and felt around the side of the shelf for a moment, then suddenly pressed down on an inconspicuous protrusion—

"Click".

The display shelf silently slid half a foot to the left, revealing a downward stone staircase behind it!

Even Uncle Fu raised an eyebrow.

Jinshu exclaimed in surprise, "This...this garden originally had a secret room?"

Uncle Zhao then spoke up: "Yes. This old servant only found out after taking over the garden. This secret room should have been built when the garden was first constructed, and inside... there are some old items."

Ye Huang was the first to descend the stone steps.

The stone steps were short, about twenty steps, leading to a stone chamber about thirty square meters in size. Luminous pearls were embedded in the walls, casting a soft light. The room was quite empty, with only a few camphor wood chests against the walls, all of which were locked.

Mo Shisan lit the candlesticks he had brought and looked around.

"Master, this secret room is amazing!" His voice held suppressed excitement. "The walls are three feet thick, with excellent soundproofing. The floor is paved with blue bricks, making it moisture-proof. The ventilation openings are cleverly designed, hidden in the crevices of the artificial rockery, completely undetectable to outsiders. This is practically tailor-made for an intelligence outpost!"

Ye Huang walked up to the boxes.

The box wasn't locked, and she casually lifted one of the lids—inside were dozens of neatly stacked booklets, their pages yellowed, resembling account books. But upon flipping through them, she found they weren't records of financial transactions, but rather…

"Map," she said softly.

It was indeed a map. Detailed maps of the prefectures and counties in Jiangnan, clearly marking mountains, rivers, official roads, and even some little-known hidden paths. There were also booklets recording local specialties, customs, officials' preferences, and the distribution of power in various places.

This is not something an ordinary house should have.

It looks more like... an archive from some intelligence outpost.

Ye Huang closed the booklet, a vague guess forming in her mind.

This Qihuang Garden was probably a hidden plot planted by the late Empress Dowager or Xiao Jue's mother long ago. It's just unclear why it was left vacant for so many years, and now it has come to her through Xiao Jue's hands.

"Mo Shisan," she turned around, "from today onwards, this is the Jiangnan branch of Tingfeng Tower. You are the branch leader."

Mo Shisan knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate obeys!"

"Your first task," Ye Huang looked at him, "is to obtain all the information on Zhao Wenkang, the prefect of Hangzhou, within three days—his background, resume, family, assets, interpersonal relationships, especially his dealings with the Liu family. Can you do that?"

Mo Shisan's eyes blazed with fighting spirit: "Three days? I can get it to you in two days!"

"Okay." Ye Huang nodded. "Make a list of how many people and how much money you need and give it to Jinshu. She will make the arrangements."

"yes!"

After finishing her business, Ye Huang carried Bao'er out of the small building.

The little guy woke up in the secret room, and now he's looking around curiously with his big, bright eyes. Seeing the flowers and plants in the garden, he excitedly waves his little hands and babbles.

Jinshu followed beside him, teasing him with a smile: "Does the young master like it here? It's much bigger and brighter than the palace."

When they reached the lakeside, Bao'er suddenly stretched out her little hand towards the water.

"Fish...fish fish..."

He was only a few months old and his speech was still unclear, but he pronounced the word "fish" quite accurately.

Ye Huang looked in the direction he pointed and saw several red and white koi swimming among the lotus leaves.

"Does Bao'er want to feed the fish?" Jinshu took out some pastry crumbs from her small bag—she always carried these with her in case Bao'er got hungry on the way.

Bao'er shook her head, her little hand still pointing at the water, making a soft sound that was like humming or gurgling.

Strange things happened.

The koi that had been swimming leisurely suddenly turned around and swam towards the shore. More and more of them gathered, until they finally formed a single group on the lake surface in front of Bao'er, their mouths opening and closing as if waiting for something.

Jinshu was dumbfounded.

Even Uncle Zhao looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy eyes.

Ye Huang remained calm.

She crouched down, holding Bao'er, so the little one's hand could get close to the water's surface. Bao'er stretched out her little hand and gently patted the water—not forcefully, but more like a greeting.

The koi carp were not scared away; instead, they came even closer, and some even leaped out of the water, splashing small droplets.

Bao'er giggled, her little face full of joy.

Ye Huang smiled too.

She picked up Bao'er and kissed his little face: "Bao'er likes it here, doesn't he?"

Bao'er nodded vigorously, wrapped her little arms around her neck, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Wet drool stains.

Ye Huang smiled even more gently.

In the distance, Mo Shisan stood at the window of the small building, looking at the mother and child by the lake, then at the personnel list he had just drafted, and took a deep breath.

He knew he had chosen the right person to follow.

A woman who could gain the full support of the Prince of Zhenbei, restore the century-old secret chamber of Baixiaotang to the light of day, and enable infants to communicate with schools of fish—

It is destined to stir up a storm.

And he was fortunate enough to be the first drop of water in this wave.

[Next Chapter Preview: Mo Shisan's Efficiency! In less than two days, the Hangzhou prefect's true colors were laid bare—but behind him lay an even more terrifying secret!]