The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Who is so audacious as to steal from the Thousand Autumns Palace?"

Tang Xixue picked up the oil paper with her delicate hands, carefully wrapped up a few pastries, and naturally placed them into Yan Ci's hands.

The pastry was still warm, and the warmth reached my palms through the oil paper.

Yan Ci accepted the pastries she offered, a subtle warmth rising in his eyes, like the morning light filtering through the eaves and falling on cold jade.

He is always extremely efficient, and in such a short time, he has already gotten to the bottom of this matter.

"After my investigation, I discovered that it was Granny Jufang, who was sweeping and cleaning in Qianqiu Palace, who stole the string of Buddhist beads and the jade pendant out of the palace and sold them."

Yan Ci is concise, calm, and clear in its expression.

"Jufang?"

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes, which, though weathered by time, remained clear.

She recalled the old nannies in Qianqiu Palace, whose names were all bestowed with the four characters of plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, symbolizing nobility and purity.

The name Jufang is derived from the phrase "the fragrance of chrysanthemums spreads far and wide."

When this name was given to her, it was because of her kind and honest nature and her prudent actions.

"She used to be a dutiful person. I remember she was always diligent in her work and never spoke much."

The Empress Dowager spoke slowly, her tone tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"Now that you've reached the age to retire from the palace, how could you have committed such a grave mistake?"

"Your Majesty, I have already investigated."

Yan Ci bowed slightly and recounted in detail what the Tianji Pavilion had found during its investigation.

"That Granny Jufang's nephew, Xiao Shunzi, used to be a servant in the Hall of Longevity. Unfortunately, he was dishonest and embezzled a lot of money in secret."

"Later, when the truth came out, he was sent to the execution ground to receive punishment, ordered to make up for the embezzled silver, and pay a fine."

"I have discovered that Xiao Shunzi is a gambler who has already squandered all his money and has nothing left."

"It seems that Granny Jufang resorted to such a wicked scheme and took such a risk in order to save Xiaoshunzi's life."

"How could a mere old sweeping maid like her possibly manage to smuggle things out of the palace?"

Tang Xixue's eyes shifted slightly, keenly noticing the strangeness in the situation.

The palace was heavily guarded, and entry and exit were subject to inspection. It would be extremely difficult for Jufang to accomplish anything on her own.

If it were that easy, the palace would have been emptied long ago.

Is Shen Cuo, the commander of the Imperial Guard, just a figurehead?

Only the Changsheng Palace dared to openly sell items with the order, while other palace staff had to undergo rigorous investigation.

"This was partly orchestrated by Consort Zhao."

Yan Ci continued.

"I have discovered that Consort Zhao wanted the string of Buddhist prayer beads and sent someone to make contact with Granny Jufang. She secretly bribed the guards leaving the palace to allow Granny Jufang to pass."

"But after Granny Jufang left the palace, she probably didn't trust Consort Zhao and didn't give her the Buddhist beads. Instead, she secretly sold them to the film market."

Yan Ci presented these clues, which he had painstakingly uncovered, one by one, making the overall picture clear.

Granny Jufang had worked in the palace for many years, and even though she was just a cleaning lady, she knew that some people could not be trusted.

If she had handed the Buddhist prayer beads to Consort Zhao, she probably wouldn't have survived.

The fate of those who are abandoned is, of course, to die silently.

Unfortunately, although she hid with Xiao Shunzi, she was still found by the shadows of the Tianji Pavilion.

"Oh? Consort Zhao?"

Tang Xixue raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

"What would she want with the Empress Dowager's prayer beads? Surely she doesn't have any ill intentions towards my mother?"

She secretly recalled that Consort Zhao, who had always been at odds with her mother and had often opposed her in the past.

When that time-traveling woman took over her body back then, she also clashed with Consort Zhao, causing quite a commotion.

Consort Zhao already harbored great hostility towards Princess Jing. The time-traveling woman, unaware of the rules, was publicly humiliated and forced to kneel by Consort Zhao, leading to a conflict between the two.

Later, the Zhao family was severely warned by Emperor Shengchen and had three-tenths of their power reduced. From then on, they kept a low profile and dared not overstep their bounds in the slightest.

"Hmph, shameless thing."

When the Empress Dowager heard that it was Consort Zhao's doing, she immediately understood the key point. A cold smile appeared on her lips, but her eyes were filled with disgust and disdain.

"Those prayer beads were not given to me by Bu Ran."

"Some people can't get what they want even after praying at Huguo Temple, so they start to have other ideas. It's really laughable."

She didn't say everything, but some people present had already picked up on the implied meaning.

Back then, Crown Prince Tangxi Qingyuan was an exceptionally handsome and talented man.

He stood atop the nine-layered palace, his features exquisite and his demeanor refined and elegant, a white moonlight that countless people could never forget upon first sight.

These are the love poems hidden in the dreams of countless young ladies in the capital.

Consort Zhao had secretly admired Tangxi Qingyuan for a long time, and no matter how deeply she hid her feelings, she could not hide them from the Empress Dowager's eyes.

When a rival in love looks at another rival in love, he can be very accurate at a glance.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was indifferent to her and never gave her a second glance.

The words "Unstained" are engraved on the string of Buddhist prayer beads, written and engraved by Tangxi Qingyuan himself.

Consort Zhao had seen the string of Buddhist beads before and used it as leverage to complain to the late emperor, her words full of provocation.

As a result, the late emperor also wanted that string of Buddhist beads and wanted to possess it for himself.

Bai Yining resolutely refused in front of the late emperor, showing no mercy whatsoever.

"Things that are not stained."

The Empress Dowager's voice was clear and cold, carrying an imposing and dignified air.

"They'd like to take any dog ​​they could get their hands on."

"cough."

Yan Ci knew that the biological father of the young prince in front of him was Tang Xi Qingyuan. Hearing the Empress Dowager's words, he couldn't help but cough lightly.

Tang Xixue became increasingly certain that her mother was very fond of Master Buran.

Master Bu Ran is so clueless about romance, it's outrageous!

"It would be troublesome if that stuff got into the Seven Worlds Cinema."

Yan Ci composed himself and said.

"The film market is a mixed bag, and the transactions of the Seven Worlds Pavilion have always been secretive. Once something from there enters the market, it disappears like a stone sinking into the sea, making it very difficult to investigate."

"Difficult to investigate does not mean impossible to investigate."

Tang Xixue took out a token from her sleeve. The token had an ancient pattern, with the words "Seven Generations" engraved on the front, and a star map that shone brightly.

"Can this be checked?"

"able."

The moment Yan Ci saw the token clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted.

He naturally recognized it as the token of the Seventh Pavilion Master, which allowed him to access the Seventh Pavilion's most secret files. Its authority was so great that it inspired fear.

Seeing the token is like seeing the Pavilion Master in person.

They can even access the Seven Generations Pavilion's vast treasury!

"Your Highness, this..."

Yan Ci took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and spoke with concern.

"You can't steal this!"

"When Si Xing Zhe Yue really goes crazy, he won't care about His Majesty's feelings."

"Moreover, Si Xing Changxi is fiercely protective of his own, and he'll definitely stand up for his younger brother. With an emperor brother to indulge him, Si Xing Zheyue really dares to piss off the heavens!"

Last night, Yan Ci and Shen Cuo chased after them and saw Tang Xiye fighting with Yun Boyan.

The two fought fiercely, and Yun Boyan was taken away by his elder brother Xie Jinlian midway through the battle; otherwise, they might have fought all the way outside the city.

Therefore, he did not witness any interaction between Si Xingxuan and Tang Xixue.

"It wasn't stolen; it was a gift from Si Xingxuan. It came from an honorable source, so it's safe to use."

Tang Xixue handed the token to Yan Ci.

"A-Ce, take this order and go investigate."

"Yes."

Yan Ci accepted the token with both hands, his fingertips touching the cool, dark gold token, his eyes slightly lowered.

He gazed at the heavy token of the Seventh Generation Pavilion Master in his palm, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This is not a token at all.

This is clearly Si Xingxuan's dowry!

His Highness the Prince of the Starry Empire, the seventh generation of Pavilion Master—possessing the wealth of the Nine Provinces, is the undisputed richest man in the world.

Unfortunately, he was also a master of medicine, his skill with silver needles was unparalleled, he could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, defying fate was nothing to him.

This has led countless people to both love and hate him, and to both respect and fear him.

That person was extremely cold-hearted, always keeping people at arm's length, with aloofness and coldness in their eyes and brows.

But once you fall in love with someone, you give your all and offer all your feelings to that person without reservation.

Your Highness, will you be tempted?