The Duke's Daughter is Reborn

After arriving at Guangming Hall, Yang Qi did not rush to deal with other matters, but went straight to the room where the intelligence was stored. She carefully read through the various information she had collected over the past few months, and the more she read, the more uneasy she felt.

These messages seem detailed, but in fact there is not a single valuable clue.

All intelligence shows that the situation is very good and there is nothing unusual.

However, my intuition, previous experience, and what Han Chu said today all indicate that this matter is definitely not that simple.

She couldn't help but think of her experience in the palace. Princess Yuanqi had once deliberately made trouble for her in order to vent the anger of the Fifth Prince.

And as Yuan Qi's mother, even if she was an adoptive mother, how could Concubine Hua let him go so easily?

The more Yang Qi thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. She suspected that Concubine Hua might have known about her businesses for a long time, and that she had secretly cut off her source of information.

Zong Yue has always been a cautious person. If he found that there was a problem with the information network, he would definitely pass on some useful clues in recent letters.

However, Yang Qi did not receive such a letter. This only meant that although Zong Yue had noticed the abnormality, he was probably unable to find the key to the problem for the time being, just like her.

"Adu, Xiaoqing." Yang Qi suddenly shouted.

As soon as Yang Qi finished speaking, Adu and Xiaoqing appeared in the room: "Miss, do you have any instructions?"

Yang Qi looked at Ah Du solemnly and said, "From now on, you have to keep a close eye on the residence of the Minister of Revenue. Make sure to confirm whether Han Renyuan is in the residence, or whether the Han Renyuan currently in the residence of the Minister of Revenue is really him."

"Also, Xiaoqing, go to the East Palace and deliver a message saying that the Fifth Prince may secretly send Han Renyuan away from the capital."

As far as the information network is concerned, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's influence is much greater than mine, and he must be able to find people much faster than me. I just don't know if Pei'er can quickly find out the real intentions of the person behind the scenes.

Adu and Xiaoqing did not hesitate for a moment about the young lady's order and went to carry out Yang Qi's order.

After Hanchu's coming-of-age ceremony, there was a flower-viewing banquet hosted by the Queen.

It was late spring at this time, and the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated. The bluestone pavement in the backyard of the Duke of Song's mansion seemed to be covered by a layer of gauze, appearing a little hazy.

Yang Qi stood quietly in front of the mirror, motionless like a sculpture.

Her beauty today is like the first ray of sunshine in the morning, soft and warm, yet with a hint of imperceptible coolness.

Mother He and Nanny Zhu stood beside her, concentrating on dressing her up.

Entering the palace today was different from the previous times. This was Yang Qi's first time attending a banquet in the palace with those famous ladies in the capital.

For such an occasion, neither Mother He nor Nanny Zhu dared to be negligent in the slightest. They wanted to use all their skills to ensure that Yang Qi would not make even the slightest mistake at today's banquet.

The sandalwood in the upper room was burning brightly, and the air was filled with smoke.

The old lady usually sat in the house, but today she stood in the corridor, which was unusual. She was wearing a plain long gown, with an upright posture and a string of water-sinking incense beads in her hand.

The beads were rubbed smooth and round by her, emitting a faint fragrance. The old lady's knuckles turned slightly white due to the force, showing her inner tension and expectation.

Her eyes fell on Yang Qi who was walking slowly in the distance, and there was a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. Yang Qi walked lightly and gracefully, like a blooming flower, exuding the breath of youth.

"Third girl." The old lady called softly, with a rare hint of kindness and concern in her voice.

She reached out and gently straightened Yang Qi's collar, her fingers touching the raised fine lines under the fabric. This was a piece of clothing that Xu had specially instructed the embroiderer to work day and night to make, and every stitch and thread contained Xu's care and expectations.

The old lady's eyes stayed on Yang Qi, carefully observing her appearance and demeanor. Yang Qi's skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as a painting, and there was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, which was both dignified and smart. The old lady nodded secretly in her heart, and was quite satisfied with Yang Qi's performance.

"When you enter the palace today, you must pay attention to the etiquette of the palace." The old lady pursed her lips and said earnestly. She knew that there were many rules in the palace, and a little carelessness could cause trouble. Although Yang Qi was smart, she was still young after all, so the old lady was still a little worried. . "Some time ago, you stayed in the palace for several months, and I'm afraid you have fallen into the eyes of those who have ulterior motives." The old lady's voice was slightly low, revealing a hint of worry.

"All you have to remember today is to hold the tea with both hands, think twice before speaking, and appreciate the flowers gently." The old lady solemnly instructed that Yang Qi must be careful with his words and actions today and not bring any trouble to the Duke's Mansion.

What the old lady told me today was exactly what Yang Qi was thinking: "Don't worry, grandma, Yang Qi will ensure the dignity of the Duke's Mansion."

Yang Qi's eyes were firm and confident, which made the old lady trust her a little more.

The old lady looked at Yang Qi, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes.

It was not Yang Qi's first time to enter the palace, and the old lady did not have any extra words to say. When the morning bell rang throughout the imperial city, Yang Qi lifted her skirt and walked out of the mansion.

Today, the Queen Mother is hosting a banquet in the Imperial Garden, so after the noble ladies, including Yang Qi, entered the palace, they went to the Imperial Garden first under the guidance of the eunuchs.

The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the vermilion lacquered corner gate of the Imperial Garden was looming in the mist, half open and half closed.

Yang Qi lifted her skirt and carefully stepped over the threshold. The moment she stepped into the Imperial Garden, a rich fragrance hit her face.

She looked closely and saw that it was two young palace maids running by with a gilded bronze crane incense burner in their hands. The sweet smell of ambergris and wisteria flowers in the incense burner intertwined and spread in the wind, as if weaving a fine net that tightly wrapped people in it.

She paused and saw a new scarlet gauze curtain hanging in the corridor. The wind lifted up a corner of it, revealing the pearls and jades inside - it turned out that a few noble ladies were arranging the silk flowers on their hair.

At this moment, the Imperial Garden was like a honey pot simmering over a low fire, with the lively atmosphere everywhere.

Under the east corridor, four young palace maids stood on tiptoe to clean the white marble railings. The leader held a celadon tea tray and shouted after each section: "Be careful, the Empress's teacup should be placed here!"

Next to the Taihu stone on the west side, the flower room manager held a red lacquer tray with freshly picked peonies on it, with morning dew still on the petals. "The Queen's peonies should be paired with a celadon vase, and Princess Yuanyi's should be paired with an agate plate. Don't mix them up!"