The grass in the factory should be plucked

Jiang Li rolled her eyes: "Thank you, sir. I was indeed a real weak woman before!"

"When I was young, I met a master who said that we had a master-disciple relationship and gave me a secret book on body training."

"I have been practicing according to your instructions for the past few days. Perhaps I am very talented and have developed some internal strength. These are just trifling skills, and cannot compare to Lord Xie's outstanding martial arts."

In such a short period of time, you can develop internal strength and even be able to fly over eaves and walls?

Xie Changan glanced at her coldly and asked, "Do you think I'm a fool?"

Seeing that he didn't believe it, Jiang Li said, "I have already burned the secret book. If you don't believe it, wait for me to write it down and you will know it after reading it."

Xie Changan's eyes moved slightly. This "secret book" was really as she said. It could help one cultivate internal strength in such a short period of time. Wasn't it a priceless treasure?

This kind of thing that attracts so many martial artists is just given away by her?

"Really? If it's a secret book, aren't you afraid that I'll read it?"

Jiang Li chuckled: "Not everyone can practice that body-refining method. Sir Xie, you can try it. You can't blame me if you fail."

Xie Changan became somewhat interested in the so-called "secret book". He wanted to see whether what the woman said was true or just nonsense.

"I wonder what the Queen's conditions are?"

He didn't believe that this devilish girl would give him any secret book for no reason.

"I just hope that Master Xie can take care of me on a daily basis. I just want to live in peace."

Jiang Li had a sad face, she didn’t want to be stared at every day, so she begged to be let go!

She continued, "The secret book contains a recipe for a medicinal bath. There are some rare medicinal ingredients in it. If you can help me find them, I will give you this as a reward."

It turned out that she was waiting for him here.

That medicinal bath recipe, is it from the secret book?

Xie Changan curled his lips slightly: "Deal!"

Jiang Li hugged her knees and sat up, smiling and said, "Thank you, sir. I have some news about you. Do you want to hear it?"

"what news?"

"One tael of silver." Jiang Li stretched out his hand and smiled like a cunning little fox.

Her eyes were extremely beautiful, as if the stars in the sky fell into her eyes, sparkling in the moonlight.

Xie Changan's heart skipped a beat for unknown reason, and he took out an ingot of silver and placed it in the snow-white little hand.

Jiang Li took the silver, his eyes slightly curved: "Congratulations, Mr. Xie, congratulations, Mr. Xie!"

"Where does joy come from?"

"I heard that Concubine Xiao Shufei wants to marry the daughter of the Xiao family to you, my Lord!"

Xie Changan's face suddenly darkened: "Are you serious?"

"I heard it from a palace maid passing by when I was digging out rat holes yesterday."

"They were very sorry, saying that Master Xie's beauty was so beautiful that they didn't know which woman would get it."

"Cough, cough, cough..." Xie Changan started coughing violently.

"They also said that you are the one the palace maids most want to marry! Sir Xie, what is a match?"

“Cough, cough, cough…” Xie Changan coughed even harder, “Shameless!”

The angry and humiliated Qianhu fled in panic.

The next day, when the spy from Yong'an Palace presented the relevant information to Xie Chang'an, he was charged with dereliction of duty.

Ten lashes and a three-month salary deduction.

Even the people in the cold palace knew about it, and he only came to report it now. Isn't this dereliction of duty?

After Liao Wuyong learned about Concubine Xiao Shufei's outrageous behavior, he couldn't find any words to describe it.

It turns out that the eldest prince is so stupid because of Xiao's mother.

Liao Wuyong went to see the emperor, and the old emperor was so angry that he smashed a cup on the spot, "Stupid woman!"

He actually wanted to marry the daughter of the Xiao family to Xie Changan. Isn't this telling others clearly that the eldest prince wants to get involved in the East Factory?

The emperor summoned Nangong Taihe, scolded him severely, and confined him to house arrest for a month for the crime of "forming a clique for personal gain."

Concubine Xiao Shufei was also placed under house arrest at the same time.

The one who laughed the most happily was naturally Concubine Zhou.

"Xiao Ruyue, you have come to this day! The East Factory really helped me a lot this time!"

Concubine Zhou was looking for another beautiful palace maid. She had spent several thousand taels of silver on the mother-and-child cup, so she had to use it quickly while she had the chance.

It just so happens that the eldest prince has lost the emperor's favor, so isn't it only natural and inevitable for him to make the second prince the crown prince?

At this time, Xie Changan was looking at a piece of information with a frown on his face.

According to Xu Diantou's investigation, the person with the most records of leaving Yuhua Palace was Madam Gong who was beside Concubine Zhou.

The streets and alleys of the capital were filled with the East Depot's spies. It didn't take long before they learned the approximate routes that the maids in charge of leaving the palace took.

The place this nanny went to most often was a rouge shop called "Cui Xiang Ge" in the east of the city, and she stayed there for a long time each time.

As everyone knows, all the cosmetics in the palace are supplied exclusively by the Imperial Household Department, and their quality is strictly controlled. It is absolutely impossible to use products from the public.

Who would dare to give cosmetics from outside to the empress in the palace?

Why does Madam Gong frequently visit this rouge shop?

No matter how good the quality of the rouge was, she couldn't bring it into the palace.

The spies kept a close watch on the shop for several days and discovered that his business was surprisingly good.

In addition to people from brothels, there were also many maids and servants from the homes of high-ranking officials who went in and out of the rouge shop.

Apart from this, no particular abnormalities were found.

The owner of Cuixiang Pavilion was surnamed Yang. The shop was his ancestral property. He married a woman named Mu and had a son. He lived in Huaihua Lane in the east of the city.

The spies once sneaked into Cuixiang Pavilion late at night to investigate, and found that it was just an ordinary courtyard with two entrances.

There is a shop in the front and a workshop for making rouge and powder in the back. Usually, only the shopkeeper Yang and his wife run the business here.

Why would Madam Gong frequently visit an ordinary rouge shop and stay there for a long time?

"Is there anything unusual about those rouge and powder?" Xie Changan asked.

Xu Dangtou replied, "I asked the imperial physician to examine it, and there was nothing unusual."

“How’s the quality?”

"Above average, far inferior to Hanfang Pavilion and Hongxiuzhao."

Hanfangguan and Hongxiuzhao are famous rouge shops in Beijing.

"Our people asked several servants of noble families and they said they were purchasing for the concubines and maids in the mansion."

That makes sense.

Xie Changan thought for a moment and asked again: "Is there any secret room, mezzanine, secret passage, etc. in the shop?"

“None.”

Xie Changan frowned and pondered in silence. He had a feeling that there must be something fishy going on in this shop!

"Keep watching Yuhua Palace and Cuixiang Pavilion. Report immediately if Madam Gong leaves the palace."

"I obey your command!" Xu Dangtou clasped his fists and left.

That night, Xie Changan went to the cold palace to see Jiang Li again.

"Have you ever seen the rouge and powder from Cuixiang Pavilion in Yuhua Palace? Or have you ever heard anyone mention it?"

"Suixiang Pavilion? Never heard of it."

"Please think carefully, did the Imperial Concubine mention any rouge shop during her private conversation with Madam Gong?"

Jiang Li snorted, "Didn't Lord Xie say that it's not appropriate for others to interfere in the East Factory's investigation? Why are you asking me now?"

Xie Changan raised his eyebrows: "If there is no solid evidence, Your Majesty will not be able to escape the crime of false accusation."

"Okay, okay, tell me in detail, what happened to Suixiang Pavilion?"

Xie Changan told Jiang Li the information the spies had found.

"You suspect this shop has a secret room or secret passage? But you can't find it?"