The maidservant is too charming. I want to help her become the queen.

Send off Yuzhu.

Lu Qingqing continued to lie on the chaise longue and read the storybook.

Life in the palace is boring. Apart from figuring out how to win favor, Lu Qingqing doesn't have to take care of anything else herself. Storytelling is her newfound way to pass the time.

These stories mostly told folk tales and legends. The witty words and exciting plots made her love them so much that she always asked Sanpang to ask his friends outside the palace to deliver the latest edition of the storybook to the palace.

Among them, my favorite is the storybook that tells the love story between men and women. Reading it issue by issue is more exciting than modern online novels.

Just as she was immersed in the plot of the story, in a flash, all the doubts she had before were ignited one by one in her mind like firecrackers, crackling and emitting bright sparks.

Today, the concubines of each palace took out silver to raise funds for the Wanshou Festival. However, these silvers cannot be counted as income for the national treasury, but they can reduce the expenditure burden of the national treasury funds.

Then, perhaps it is possible that the pure gold statue presented by Concubine Zhao's family every year is very valuable and does not go through the national treasury. Instead, it is a huge sum of money presented to the royal family in the form of a private gift!

This must be a secret deal between the Zhao family and someone in the royal family!

Lu Qingqing could no longer continue to immerse herself in reading the storybook. Perhaps, the conspiracy story in the deep palace was a thousand times more exciting than what was in the storybook!

Thinking of this, she hurriedly asked, "Erxi, you told me that day that Xiaotao from our palace was assigned to take night duty. When was it?"

Erxi stopped fanning herself. Although she didn't know why Lu Qingqing suddenly asked, she still answered quickly, "My lord, it is today."

She thought Lu Qingqing was going to tell Xiao Tao to do something, so she added, "My lady, do you have anything to tell Xiao Tao? How about I go and discuss with the Ministry of Internal Affairs to see if we can change someone else?"

"No need to consult with the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Lu Qingqing gave Erxi a look, motioning for him to come closer and talk, and lowered her voice and said, "I will switch with Xiaotao tonight."

Erxi was shocked by Lu Qingqing's words. He lost his grip on the fan and it fell directly onto the couch.

She always believed in Lu Qingqing's judgment, although she had never said it to her explicitly, but she had also seen how Lu Qingqing jumped from a maid in the flower room to a noble lady. In addition to her stunning beauty, she had also seen how Lu Qingqing was able to move with ease among the people in the harem.

However, no matter what the reason, the noble lady had to pretend to be a palace maid and keep watch alone in Mingjing Hall. This was no trivial matter.

Erxi was about to dissuade her, but Lu Qingqing seemed to see through her thoughts and comforted her first, her tone gentle and firm, but unquestionable.

"Erxi, you don't need to worry about me. I just have some doubts in my heart that I need to find out."

She traveled through time and space, and being able to live in an ancient harem was a miracle in her life. Now a bigger mystery was in front of her, and she didn't mind making her life a little richer.

at last.

At nightfall.

Lu Qingqing changed into the clothes of a third-class palace maid, but her beautiful face was too eye-catching, so she put on makeup to make herself look ugly.

Erxi stayed in Yinglan Pavilion as planned. She helped Xiaotao change into Lu Qingqing's usual outfit and asked Xiaotao to stay in the bedroom and pretend to sleep. Everything was arranged seamlessly.

The sky gradually darkened, with only a full moon hanging high in the sky. The entire Forbidden City was even more solemn and dignified than during the day. Occasionally, the sharp chirping of cicadas could be heard, but soon disappeared into the long night along with the palace people's sticking to their posts.

After Lu Qingqing reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, she was led by the eunuch in charge and walked with other palace servants all the way to Mingjing Hall.

This is her first time here.

Although she had heard about it from Erxi, she was still deeply shocked when she saw it with her own eyes.

The palace in front of him was so majestic and magnificent, even more luxurious than the Qianqing Palace where Li Xuansheng lived.

Under the moonlight in the dark night, the golden glazed tiles on the roof of Mingjing Hall sparkle with soft silver light, like thousands of stars falling on the earth. The eaves are carved with exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns, winding and circling, lifelike.

As you step into the courtyard, you will be greeted by a faint scent of sandalwood. The walls of the palace are inlaid with various gems and jades, each of which seems to have been carefully polished and exudes a charming brilliance, which vaguely gives you a glimpse of the luxury and refinement of the interior of the palace.

Is this a Buddhist temple?

Although the previous emperor had worshipped Buddha here, the decoration and furnishings are too luxurious!

Just as she was about to walk into the hall to take a closer look, she was stopped by the eunuch in charge.

"You little slut, what did I tell you just now in the Ministry of Internal Affairs? You can only be on duty in the outer courtyard, and you are not allowed to set foot in the inner hall!"

Lu Qingqing quickly stepped back and stood still. She didn't want to cause trouble in front of everyone.

The eunuch in charge assigned Lu Qingqing to guard a corner of the courtyard. After the eunuch was far away from her, she dared to raise her head and carefully observe the palace in front of her.

Mingjing Hall is very large, unlike ordinary palaces, which only have the main hall and the east and west side halls. From a distance, Mingjing Hall not only has the east and west side halls, but also the front hall, the middle hall and the back hall.

Further away, the road was not clear, and I could only vaguely see some tall trees in the distance, as if there was a garden behind the backyard.

In addition to the third-class maid who was selected to be on duty tonight, there is also a team of guards patrolling outside the courtyard.

Such a strict personnel arrangement made her even more certain that the pure gold statue that the Zhao family would present to Concubine Shufei on the Wanshou Festival would definitely be placed in Mingjing Hall!

After a long time, the sound of the night watchman came from the long street. It was late at night, and Lu Qingqing was still alert. She wanted to find a chance to sneak into the inner hall to find out what was going on.

She saw that the heads of several palace servants around her were heaving, probably because they were hit and bruised, so she found the right moment and tiptoed along the wall to the entrance of the main hall.

She carefully pushed the side door of the main hall open a narrow gap, slipped in sideways, and quickly closed the door.

The room was pitch black, without a sound.

When she entered the room, she was prepared to be choked by the dust and held her breath for fear that she would sneeze and alarm others. However, to Lu Qingqing's surprise, the air in the Mingjing Hall, which had not been used for many years, was actually free of dust.

Maybe the people in the palace took good care of it, ventilating and dusting it from time to time.

She didn't have time to think about it, so she quickly took out a tinder from her bosom and lit it. With the faint light of the tinder, she could see the furnishings in the room clearly.

There are many Buddhist items on display in the hall, including various exquisite ornaments that are all luxurious, but there are no tall pure gold statues.

Lu Qingqing thought that the height of the east and west side halls was not enough, and if there really was a pure gold statue, it would not be placed there. Now there was no statue in the main hall, and only the middle hall and the back hall were left to be checked.

Now that we are here, we might as well go all out and take a look at the other two palaces!

She walked along the wall and tiptoed to the central hall, but still there was no sign of the pure gold statue.

Maybe this year the Zhao family will not give the statue but something else instead?

Or is it that my guesses are wrong and are all groundless?

She was confused, but she still insisted on sneaking into the last palace. As soon as she opened the palace door, the soft and graceful moonlight shone in through the gap, falling squarely on a huge creature.

Lu Qingqing glanced into the hall and her heart skipped a beat.

Found it! It's right here!