Chapter 166: Another Secret

Chai Mengqing pushed the brewed tea toward Lian Yue. "I believe it is you who has things you wish to know."

Upon hearing this, Lian Yue realized she had asked the right person. She had not expected her eldest brother’s hunch to be correct. If that were the case, then Concubine Yun's ambitions were far greater than what she had shown thus far.

"Could I trouble you to tell me about it in detail, sister?"

"Of course." The Yanyu Pavilion had stumbled upon a fragment of this secret by pure coincidence. Once Chai Mengqing received the report, she had assigned people to monitor the matter closely. After subsequent investigations, it could be said that apart from those directly involved, Chai Mengqing was likely the person most knowledgeable about the affair.

Outside the window, sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling glass, casting dappled patterns on the carpet. The fine shards of light shimmered like translucent diamonds, creating an indescribable sense of tranquility. Chai Mengqing’s elegant voice rose and fell with the shifting light and shadow in the room, gradually drawing her tale to a close.

Compared to the stillness of her surroundings, Lian Yue’s heart—which had been churning with curiosity—gradually calmed into a pool of clear water, undisturbed save for the occasional ripple. As the fragrance of the tea grew stronger, Chai Mengqing’s narrative reached its end.

Lian Yue finally understood the full scope of the matter. To put it simply, the culprit behind all of this was Qiao Yu. When Qiao Zhi had rejected the Prime Minister’s daughter, there had still been room for reconciliation. However, the vicious Qiao Yu had gone so far as to destroy both the innocence and the beauty of the Prime Minister’s most cherished youngest daughter.

Yet, the Emperor insisted on protecting his own daughter. Although the Prime Minister was a subject, his influence within the royal court could not be underestimated. Thinking of how the royals, to whom he had loyally served, had treated his daughter, the Prime Minister—as a father who doted on his children—began to harbor forbidden thoughts under the instigation of his advisors.

Before entering the palace, Concubine Yun had actually been a concubine the Prime Minister kept at an outer estate. She already possessed seductive charms, and after deliberate training, the Prime Minister used his connections to send her into the palace as a common maid. He then orchestrated a situation where the Emperor, in a moment of clouded judgment, made her his own. Naturally, the Emperor later investigated the maid’s background.

The Prime Minister had already meticulously scrubbed away the history of Concubine Yun’s origins. The only trail left to follow was her close connection to the Prime Minister’s estate—a connection the Prime Minister had intentionally allowed to be discovered.

After the Emperor personally questioned the Prime Minister, Concubine Yun’s identity was shifted to that of an orphaned daughter of a distant branch of the Prime Minister’s clan. With tears streaming down his face, the Prime Minister knelt in the Golden Throne Hall, playing the card of kinship. The Emperor, already feeling a sense of guilt toward the Prime Minister, naturally treated Concubine Yun well.

Unlike Concubine Jin, who was granted a noble rank immediately, the Concubine Yun of that one-night affair was initially only titled a "Shujie." Later, thanks to her seductive ways, she truly captured the Emperor's heart. After she was found to be pregnant, she was elevated in rank, and her final title of "Concubine" was bestowed only after she gave birth to a prince.

However, that child was not of the Emperor’s bloodline. As for whether it belonged to the Prime Minister, even Chai Mengqing could not be certain.

The Prime Minister had reached his current position because he understood the Emperor well. Even though the Emperor feared his power, as long as the Crown Prince, Qiao Ke, remained, the Emperor would never dare to move against the Prime Minister’s estate.

Upon hearing this, Lian Yue felt a genuine sense of pity for the current Emperor. To be a sovereign of a nation and yet be played in the palms of his own subject—he was likely the first in many years.

Lian Yue was not curious about the source or reliability of Chai Mengqing’s information. If it were merely speculation without absolute certainty, Chai Mengqing would never have shared it. Doing so would bring no benefit to the Yanyu Pavilion; on the contrary, if the truth were exposed, the Pavilion would offend several major factions simultaneously. It would not be a wise choice. Since she had spoken, the information carried significant weight.

Now that the power behind Concubine Yun was known, Lian Yue had a direction to move in, making future actions much easier.

She set the matter aside for now; she would need to consult her elder brothers before making any decisions. After all, it involved the eight major factions and could not be handled carelessly. If necessary, she would have to coordinate with the other factions as well.

Lian Yue had achieved half of her goal—the most important half. However, she still felt that although her eldest sister’s miscarriage centered on that prescription, it was certainly linked to these people. Since she was already asking, she might as well get to the bottom of it.

Lian Yue took the prescription she had prepared from her sleeve and handed it to Chai Mengqing. "Sister Chai is knowledgeable and well-traveled. Could you please take a look at this?"

Since Lian Yue trusted her, she believed in her integrity. If she had been evasive, the other party might have misunderstood, causing her to miss what she truly sought. Thus, Lian Yue held nothing back from Chai Mengqing. Perhaps for this reason, Chai Mengqing did not hold back either, though she truly could not make heads or tails of the prescription.

Sensing this, Chai Mengqing figured Lian Yue was not entirely clueless either, so she spoke plainly: "Sister Yue, I suspect you are not asking about the contents of this prescription."

Dealing with a clever person was simple. Lian Yue took the initiative to tidy the tea set on the table and brewed a fresh pot. "Yuwen Lingxi has already shown this prescription to the Old Master of Medicine." She then explained the peculiar aspects of the prescription to Chai Mengqing one by one.

Chai Mengqing was amazed as she listened, and she quickly associated it with the miscarriage of the Princess of Nanping a month ago. Her expression turned serious. According to Lian Yue, if this prescription were to be widely used in the palace, it must have been written by a highly respected imperial physician trusted by the royal family.

"Sister Yue, you want me to help you investigate the origin of this prescription, don't you?" Beyond that, Chai Mengqing could not imagine what else Lian Yue might ask.

Lian Yue nodded. "The person who prescribed this was the once-prominent Physician Wen in his later years. I want to ask you to help me inquire about his situation back then. It is said that the Wanxiang Tower was a place he frequented, so I would like you to check the records from that time." When she said this, Lian Yue felt a bit embarrassed. She did not belong to the Yanyu Pavilion, and to be so blunt about the role of the Wanxiang Tower was perhaps a bit presumptuous.

Chai Mengqing, however, did not mind at all. Everyone knew the true purpose of brothels and teahouses, even if they tacitly agreed not to point it out. If any major faction lacked its own intelligence channels, that would truly be a fantasy. Chai Mengqing had intended to befriend the Yue family, so she would naturally not refuse Lian Yue’s request.

"This may take some time. Once I have gathered everything, I will have Duoli deliver it to the Prince's estate personally." She then glanced at the prescription in her hand. "I will keep an eye on this as well."

"Thank you, sister!" Lian Yue felt a weight lift from her heart once Chai Mengqing agreed. She poured the brewed tea, and the two began to savor it in earnest.

Looking at the spacious and exquisitely decorated surroundings, a phrase suddenly occurred to Lian Yue: "The years are quiet and good." This legendary Hua Yanyu must have been a woman who knew how to enjoy life. It was the first time Lian Yue had realized a room could be decorated in such a way.

As her gaze wandered, it rested on a honeycomb-like decoration hidden behind a beaded curtain.

Chai Mengqing was impressed by Lian Yue’s keen eye; she had even noticed the mysteries of this room. Chai Mengqing made no effort to hide it. "Sister, you have a wonderful eye. Come, let me show you something good."

She rose from the brocade couch and gestured for Lian Yue to follow. Although Lian Yue did not possess the insatiable curiosity of Yao Yao, the room had piqued her interest the moment she entered. Especially knowing it had been left behind by Hua Yanyu, she knew that no more than five people in the entire Yanyu Pavilion were permitted to enter.

Such a room was certainly not as simple as it appeared. At the very least, the long-haired carpet under their feet—beyond providing comfort—likely served the primary purpose of muffling sounds from above.

Lian Yue followed Chai Mengqing to the honeycomb decoration. Chai Mengqing smiled, pulled out one of the holes, and signaled for Lian Yue to look inside.

Lian Yue did so with a puzzled expression. Once she leaned close to the dark opening, she was deeply captivated by what lay within.