The Duke's Daughter is Reborn

Chapter 480: Melting Mountain Zhaoye Game (2)

When the sound of the carriage rolling over the bluestone slabs seeped in with the night dew, Yang Qi was stroking the gold edging on the edge of his cloak with his eyes lowered, recalling his conversation with Gao Xian with his eyes closed.

The molten mountain warm jade warmed Yang Qi's heart at the moment, suppressing his current uneasiness, while the temperature seemed to remain in his palm.

Just now in the main hall of Gaozi Escort Agency, the candlelight reflected Gao Xian's pupils that suddenly shrank, and his fingertips almost pinched into his palms: "The jade pendant left by His Highness can really command the secret guards?"

Yang Qi just lowered her eyes and smiled softly at the time, but she didn't say that this jade pendant was the first gift given to her by the prince after they became close. The meaning behind it was even hotter than the warm jade itself.

"We're here." Song Ri deliberately lowered his voice, shattering Yang Qi's thoughts.

Today, Song Ri really saw a lot from following Yang Qi.

At first, knowing that the young lady was going to the palace today, Song Ri thought it was just a joke.

After all, for the Duke's Mansion today, entering the palace is not a trivial matter. After all, after receiving the news of the nobles in the palace, it spread throughout the mansion. But today, I didn't get any news.

And the young lady actually succeeded in entering the palace, and the guards at the palace gate were so respectful to her!

Yang Qi opened the car curtain, and the night wind blew her hair half an inch messy.

When I looked up, I saw the lanterns at the back door of the Duke's Mansion swaying in the corridor, and a slender figure standing next to the vermilion door - it was Yang Lan.

Yang Lan was wearing a moon-white shirt with a lotus pattern today, which made her look slimmer than usual. When she saw Yang Qi getting off the car, a hint of anxiety first appeared in the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it into calmness: "Third sister." Her voice was hoarse from having been up all night.

Looking at Yang Lan's increasingly thin face, Yang Qi paused slightly.

Including the days I spent in the palace, I haven’t seen my second sister for a long time.

"Second sister." Yang Qi called out and walked into the mansion.

Yang Lan slightly turned her body to block Yang Qi's way. Seeing half of the black lining under her cloak, her pupils shrank: "This material..., you really entered the palace today."

In the mansion of Duke Song, even an old lady of high moral character and prestige must be summoned by a noble in the palace before she has the opportunity to enter the palace for an audience.

During this period of time, Yang Qi has been the focus of attention in the Duke of Song's Mansion and has been the talk of the town.

Having experienced the ups and downs of life, Yang Lan is well aware of the interests involved, so she never dares to take it lightly and has always sent people to secretly monitor Yang Qi's every move.

If it were in the past, with Ah Du and Xiao Qing always guarding Yang Qi like a shadow, it would have been difficult for Yang Lan to succeed so easily.

However, the situation is very different now. Ah Du is sent by Yang Qi to Jiangnan to deliver important information to the Crown Prince, while Xiao Qing is ordered to closely monitor Pei Er's every move.

You know, when Yang Qi discovered the news that Han Renyuan had secretly left Beijing, he asked Xiaoqing to go to the East Palace to reveal the news to Pei'er.

Therefore, this time Yang Qi specially arranged Xiao Qing to keep an eye on Pei Er. Even if Xiao Qing's whereabouts were accidentally discovered by Pei Er, there would be a reasonable explanation.

"The craftsmanship of the Clothing Bureau." Yang Qi lowered his eyes and adjusted the cloak straps, "Second sister recognized it?"

Yang Lan dug her nails into her palms, her voice tense, "How can you enter the palace?"

This question was like a tiny needle that pierced the respect that the sisters had maintained for many years.

Yang Qi suddenly smiled, her eyes slightly curved: "Since Second Sister knows that I'm going to the palace, she must have gotten the approval of the noble in the palace. But the noble hasn't spoken yet, how can I answer for her?"

Yang Lan's fingertips turned pale as she clutched the handkerchief. "Tell me the truth. Do you have a say in front of the Queen now?"

The night wind made the lanterns under the corridor sway, casting a flickering shadow on Yang Qi's face.

She looked at the light flickering in Yang Lan's eyes, and suddenly remembered that a few days ago, Yang Lan used Yang He to deal with her and prevented her from going to the flower-viewing banquet.

From a very young age, Yang Qi understood that there are some things that cannot be told even to the people closest to you.

But when Yang Lan really attacks him, how can Yang Qi remain unshakable?

"Second sister," Yang Qi's voice was a little softer, like cotton wool soaked in water, "Do you know how much contact the Marquis of Yongyi has with the Fifth Prince in secret? How can I touch the network that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to build now?"

After a pause, Yang Qi continued, "Second sister, I don't deny that I did enter the palace today and met the Queen.

But, second sister, you have had quite a few dealings with nobles in the palace. Just ask yourself, how much does the Queen have to like someone for her to stop attacking the political enemies of her own son?

I didn’t try to avoid the matter of Marquis Yongyi on purpose, I just wanted to but I didn’t have the strength to do so.”

Yang Lan took a half step back, leaning her back against the courtyard wall. She remembered the secret letter she received yesterday, saying that plague had recently broken out in the imperial prison where her grandfather was staying, and the infected prisoners had already begun to be carried out. If her grandfather could not be transferred to the villa outside the capital as soon as possible, at his advanced age of seventy...

"Third sister," she suddenly grabbed Yang Qi's wrist, her nails almost digging into the flesh, "Aren't you afraid that I will tell father and grandmother about what happened today?"

Yang Qi let her hold her, but her eyes turned cold: "Second sister," she gently grabbed Yang Lan's wrist with her backhand, "What do father and grandmother want? It's the power of the Duke of Song's Mansion, a ladder to climb up."

She leaned closer, "Why should I worry about this? Don't you think that if father and grandmother knew that the queen gave me permission to enter the palace, they would be more excited than angry that I kept it secret?"

Yang Lan's hand slowly loosened.

"I'm tired." Yang Qi pulled back his hand and straightened his wrinkled cuffs. "I'll go back to my room first."

She turned and walked towards the lakeside courtyard, the hem of her skirt sweeping across the ground.

Yang Lan stood there, watching her figure disappear behind the moon-shaped door, and suddenly took out the ink-stained letter from her sleeve - on it was the urgent report on the epidemic in the imperial prison that she had copied.

The wind brought the fragrance of flowers, but she smelled a smell of rust. She couldn't tell whether it was the ink on the handkerchief or the blood from her bitten lip.

When the door of Linhuyuan closed with a creaky sound, Yang Qi felt as if all his strength was sucked away at once. He could only lean against the door frame and take a breath.

She tightly grasped the Rongshan Warm Jade in her hand - Fang Hua brought too many secrets today. She met the Queen Mother in the palace, discussed the follow-up response plan with Gao Xian, and dealt with Yang Lan here. Now her mind was a mess.

But she knew that these were just the beginning.

The night was deeper.

After Yang Qi sorted out all her thoughts, she blew out the candle, wrapped her clothes tightly and lay down on the bed.

In a daze, she heard the night watchman's clapper gong outside the mansion: "It's dry, be careful with fire--"

This voice was like a thread, stringing together the nights of the Western Barbarians, the escort agency, and the Duke's Mansion, stringing together the temperature of the molten mountain jade, stringing together the letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and stringing together all the words that had not been spoken.

Some situations have just begun.