It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Concubine Xue nodded slightly and replied, "She is highly skilled in martial arts. Although she has only been with the Concubine Dowager for a short time, she is one of her most capable assistants."

"So, have you ever heard anything about her origins?"

Su Wanyu's questioning seemed particularly serious.

Concubine Xue’s thoughts drifted back to many years ago, and she recalled the scene when she entered the palace with Cuifang’s sister Biyu.

Biyu failed in the selection and then disappeared mysteriously. Rumors arose. Some said she eloped from the palace, while others said she angered the emperor and empress, and was eventually buried in the melancholy lotus pond.

Su Wanyu didn't take those rumors seriously. She firmly believed that there were unknown secrets behind Biyu's experience, and that Concubine Xue seemed to hold some crucial clues.

Xue Fei opened her red lips slightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito: "She is in Connecticut."

"And now? Where is she?"

There was an urgency in Su Wanyu's voice that could not be ignored.

Xue Fei's expression suddenly changed, and she seemed to be hesitant to speak. It was obvious that the answer was not simple.

Sensing Concubine Xue's hesitation, Su Wanyu raised her voice slightly, with an irresistible majesty in it: "Concubine Xue, my trip is of great importance. If you can't help me, I'm afraid your fate will be similar to Biyu's."

Upon hearing this, Xue Fei trembled and shuddered as she told the truth: "In... the lotus pond..."

"Who is responsible for this murder?"

Su Wanyu stared at Xue Fei with sharp eyes, vowing to uncover the truth.

Xue Fei lowered her head and shook her head, her voice full of bitterness and helplessness: "I don't know..."

Su Wanyu seized the fleeting opportunity and pressed forward step by step, with an unquestionable force in her words: "May I ask, is the place where Biyu disappeared the famous lotus pond of Concubine Pei?"

Within the imperial palace, the only places with a lotus pond are the emperor's bedroom and the quiet place where the highly respected Concubine Pei resides.

According to previous reports from spies, Biyu had indeed set foot in the elegant palace of the concubine on the eve of her disappearance, which makes people imagine a lot.

That day, Concubine Xue was like a gust of spring breeze, inadvertently passing through the corridor outside the palace, leaving behind a faint fragrance.

If the speculation is correct, Concubine Xue may be hiding an unknown secret in her heart. The secret is so heavy that her attitude towards Concubine Pei seems unusually cautious, even with a hint of imperceptible fear.

You know, Concubine Pei has always been known for her gentleness and kindness in the palace, and very few people dare to complain about her.

Facing Su Wanyu's questioning, Concubine Xue took a few steps back unconsciously, her eyes flickering. After a while, she finally raised her drooping eyes, with a barely perceptible tremor in her tone: "Your Highness, can you really guarantee my safety?"

Su Wanyu nodded slightly, her eyes as firm as cold stars: "I never break my promise."

Those words also implied the harsh punishment just mentioned, leaving no room for maneuver.

Xue Fei's eyes narrowed suddenly. It was obvious that Su Wanyu did not intend to give her any room for bargaining.

"Yes, it is in the lotus pond of the Concubine Dowager. For so many years, I am the only one who knows this secret. Your Highness, I hope you will keep your mouth shut and never reveal that it was I who said it."

There was a hint of pleading in Xue Fei's voice, almost begging.

Su Wanyu raised her eyebrows and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Okay, I promise you."

Xue Fei's shoulders relaxed instantly, as if a heavy stone from her heart had been lifted.

Before leaving, Su Wanyu handed the black-clad guard to Xue Fei. This was not only the fulfillment of her promise, but also a ray of hope for her when she was in despair.

When I walked out of the palace, Tan Xinyue and Siqi were already standing side by side outside the door, waiting for a long time.

Seeing Su Wanyu walk out, Tan Xinyue quickly stepped forward and asked impatiently: "How is it? Did she confess?"

Su Wanyu nodded slightly, confirming her guess: "Yes, she said it."

Tan Xinyue and Siqi smiled at each other, and the three of them walked slowly towards the outer palace.

Fate seemed to favor coincidences. As soon as the group stepped out of the palace, they met Emperor Xuan who was in a hurry.

"elder sister!"

He smiled widely, his surprise evident in his expression, "Why did you come to the palace without informing me in advance?"

Su Wanyu explained with a smile, her voice as gentle as the drizzle of early spring: "I just sent some clothes for Empress Xue, and I wanted to go and come back quickly, so as not to disturb Your Majesty from handling government affairs."

"How can it be a bother if my sister comes to see me?"

Emperor Xuan smiled with his eyes curved. He accidentally glanced at Tan Xinyue beside him and frowned slightly, "Why is this ugly girl here?"

When Tan Xinyue heard the word "ugly girl", she frowned slightly, and a familiar and unpleasant emotion arose spontaneously.

Seeing this, Su Wanyu immediately stood in front and rescued Tan Xinyue: "This is the fifth lady of Pingxuan Marquis Mansion. I have a deep affection for her."

In order to protect him, Su Wanyu also specifically emphasized the deep friendship between the two.

Hearing his sister's words, Emperor Xuan's attitude softened immediately. He smiled at Tan Xinyue and said with an apologetic tone, "So it's the Miss Tan family. I was rude just now."

Tan Xinyue had never had much affection for this unruly emperor, so she just performed a respectful ceremony without saying much: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Xuan motioned for her to stand up, then turned to Su Wanyu and said, "Sister, the Princess's residence has been renovated. When will we move in?"

The original plan was to rebuild the Princess's Palace, but due to the huge scale of the project, it would take several years.

But he couldn't bear to see his sister living away from home for a long time, so he found an old house with an elegant environment and renovated it day and night, just to welcome his sister back as soon as possible.

Now, everything is ready, only the east wind is missing, and that east wind is naturally Su Wanyu and her husband moving into their new home together.

"As you wish."

Su Wanyu smiled and agreed gently.

Hearing this, Emperor Xuan clapped his hands and said, "It's settled then. It's better to do it today than to wait for a better day. How about tomorrow? At the same time, I will also spread the edict of enthronement throughout the world."

Although her identity had been announced in the court before, this time the enthronement ceremony was to be celebrated by the whole country and announced to the world.

Knowing the hard work he put into this, Su Wanyu didn't want to let him down, so she agreed to all his suggestions, just hoping to get a smile from him.

"Everything is up to your Majesty's will."

She nodded slightly, her eyes full of tenderness.

Emperor Xuan was very happy and turned to leave: "Then I will prepare it immediately."

Looking at his hurriedly leaving back, Su Wanyu and Tan Xinyue bowed and saw him off until his figure became blurred.

Then, Su Wanyu took Tan Xinyue's hand and said, "I'm sorry to bother you to accompany me today. Since you have some free time, why don't you go to the teahouse at home and sit for a while?"

The words "take a short sit" actually contain a deeper meaning.

Tan's Teahouse is located in a bustling street. Since the plum blossoms fell, the teahouse has been crowded with customers in recent months, especially officials, nobles, merchants and travelers.

Where people gather, news is naturally well-informed. Hiding in the exquisitely decorated box, you can listen to countless fresh and strange stories in a day, the interest is far better than the forbidden area deep in the palace.

Tan Xinyue was moved by what she heard and gladly accepted the invitation: "In that case, I'm sorry to bother you."

After saying this, she bowed slightly to show her gratitude...

Just as Emperor Xuan was about to leave, the past events of Marquis Zheng suddenly flashed through his mind. His heart was moved, and he decided to turn back and look for Su Wanyu.