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

As he turned around, his eyes were drawn to Tan Xinyue's gradually receding figure. His steps stopped involuntarily and his brows furrowed, as if at that moment he wanted to remember this picture deeply in his heart.

"Your Majesty, why did you stop?"

Eunuch Jiang asked softly.

Hearing this, Emperor Xuan's frown gradually relaxed, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Eunuch Jiang, I seem to have found that person."

"Who is it?"

Eunuch Jiang asked curiously.

Emperor Xuan's gaze still stayed in the direction where Tan Xinyue disappeared, and he slowly said: "That lantern..."

"lantern?"

Eunuch Jiang looked confused, then suddenly realized: "Oh, it's that lantern!"

The joy is beyond words.

"Your Majesty, where is that young lady now?"

Eunuch Jiang asked anxiously.

Emperor Xuan raised his finger and pointed in the direction where Tan Xinyue left: "The fifth lady of Pingxuan Marquis's Mansion."

Eunuch Jiang was surprised: "You mean, the one I met at the Lantern Festival that day was actually the daughter of the Pingxuan Marquis Mansion?"

"That's right. Although I didn't notice it at first, I definitely wouldn't mistake that figure."

Emperor Xuan smiled, recalling the chase scene that night, and he was certain of it.

Eunuch Jiang was speechless for a moment, his expression changed rapidly, then his eyes sparkled with excitement, and he said excitedly: "This is really great news, Your Majesty, I will go to Pingxuan Marquis' Mansion and inform everyone in the mansion of this matter, so that they can all enjoy the emperor's grace together."

"Wait, what are you doing there?"

There was a hint of majesty in Emperor Xuan's voice that could not be ignored, and he stopped Eunuch Jiang from taking a step in time.

Eunuch Jiang smiled broadly, like ripples on a lake surface blown by a spring breeze. "Of course, invite Miss Fifth to the palace, so that Your Majesty can see with your own eyes how graceful and elegant that legendary talented woman is."

Emperor Xuan put away his usual gentle smile, and his expression became serious and deep: "Why do you want to take an innocent woman into the palace walls and restrict her freedom? She is not a bird in a cage, she should fly in the vast world."

There was an unusual determination in his tone, and he seemed to have thought deeply about this issue.

Eunuch Jiang looked a little confused, obviously not expecting such a reaction from the emperor. He frowned slightly, as if trying to understand the deeper meaning behind it.

Emperor Xuan turned around, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes flashing with complex brilliance, and instructed: "She may not have recognized me yet, so don't make this public in advance to avoid unnecessary trouble. When the time is right, I will tell her everything in person."

"What about the princess?"

Eunuch Jiang pursued relentlessly, and his curiosity about the royal secrets forced him to ask.

"Don't tell my sister yet."

Emperor Xuan pondered for a moment and answered, his voice was low, as if every word carried a heavy consideration.

Eunuch Jiang accepted the order and bowed respectfully. When he withdrew, his voice was as gentle as always: "As you wish, I will keep it in mind."

Emperor Xuan was in a very good mood, as bright as the warm spring sun, with a smug look on his face. He strode towards his own bedroom with brisk and confident steps.

Along the way, palace servants bowed their heads to greet him, and his unconsciously upturned mouth corners became the warmest scenery in the palace.

On the other hand, at the other end of the capital, Tan Xinyue returned from the teahouse. The moment she stepped into the house, she unexpectedly discovered that there was a gorgeous lantern in the yard. The lantern emitted a soft and mysterious light, like a star in the night sky descending to the earth.

Although she felt that this item was too luxurious and did not fit in with her family's usual low-key style, she did not want to delve into it and just casually asked the maid beside her: "Where did this lantern come from? Why is it so exquisite?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across the maid's face. She had already received favors from others, so she could only perfunctorily say, "It might be sent by the Second Young Master or the Third Young Master. They are always like this, and like to express their concern for you in various ways."

Tan Xinyue did not think too much about it, thinking it was a thoughtful gesture from the brothers. She gently placed the lantern on the side of the porch and hurried back into the house to change her clothes, ready for the night to fall.

Night, like a huge piece of black jade, gradually covered the entire sky.

Su Wanyu returned to the mansion with an elusive expression on her face. She secretly ordered her personal maid Siqi to quietly write an anonymous letter, and then use the cover of night to quietly deliver the letter to Cuifang's boudoir.

The moonlight was like silver, shining in the quiet courtyard, giving this secret operation a cloak of mystery.

After finishing a busy day, Cuifang just stepped into the room and planned to go to bed to relieve her fatigue, but she accidentally found an anonymous letter on the bed.

The texture of the envelope was ordinary, but it glowed with an unusual luster under the dim light.

"what is this?"

Cuifang unfolded the letter in confusion, only to see that what was written on it was actually about her elder sister who had been missing for many years. The letter stated with certainty that her sister was currently in Concubine Pei's lotus pond.

Cuifang and Biyu are sisters with a deep love for each other. After entering the imperial palace together, they suffer misfortunes. Her elder sister ends up in the palace of Concubine Pei, while she becomes a close attendant to Emperor Xuan.

Who would have thought that in one day, the elder sister disappeared in the crowd without any warning. After seeking help everywhere, there was no one to turn to. In the end, what he got was that his sister died tragically in the lotus pond, and the murderer was pointed directly at the almighty emperor.

Cuifang was furious and believed it without a doubt. From then on, she carried a deep hatred for her sister and took refuge with Concubine Pei, vowing to avenge her sister.

But now, this sudden anonymous letter was like a gust of wind, which suddenly overturned all her cognition and beliefs and filled her heart with doubts.

She hurriedly hid the letter in a secret place, opened the door, and looked around in the night, but found no signs of anything unusual.

She was weighed down with worries and felt that the matter was too strange. Just as she decided to take the letter and report it directly to Concubine Pei to find out the truth, her footsteps unconsciously stopped on the road near the lotus pond.

Every word in the letter echoed repeatedly in her mind, like a heavy hammer hitting her heartstrings, making every step forward seem extremely difficult.

Finally, after a fierce psychological struggle, she made up her mind, turned around and jumped into the deep embrace of the pool, vowing to find out for herself.

The lotus pond appears exceptionally quiet and ordinary under the cover of night, but the underwater world hides unknown secrets.

Cuifang grew up by the water and was an excellent swimmer. She swam around the pond easily for a few laps, then mustered up her courage and dived into the unknown deep water.

Just as she was about to touch the bottom, a bunch of pale and thin hand bones suddenly emerged from the mud, disturbing the tranquility of the pool like a ghost. Cuifang was so horrified that she took several steps back.

In the dim moonlight, she looked closely and her face turned as pale as paper in an instant.

There was actually a skeleton hidden at the bottom of the pond!

This discovery completely shocked Cuifang. Although she still had some hope in her heart that she didn't want to believe it, her reason told her that the concubine might really have an unknown side.