Every year at the turn of spring and summer, the harem holds a peach blossom festival, usually hosted by the queen and co-organized by concubines.
The ladies and ladies from famous families in the royal capital were among the invitees. On the surface, they drank tea and had fun, but in reality, it was another form of socializing with ladies that was not inferior to that of the court.
What is special about this year is that the Queen was unwell, so Concubine Shu took over directly and became the host of this Peach Blossom Festival.
The other big families were talking secretly, and before leaving, they repeatedly told the ladies of each family to wait and see again to see if there were any changes in the harem.
Some well-informed people felt that there was something wrong with the Gu family, but the specific reason was unknown, and it was still covered up too well.
Lu Anran watched the ladies and ladies greet each other with smiles or whisper cordially, but his mind was not on it. He frequently turned his head and looked deep into the flower path, waiting for the host of this banquet to arrive.
Compared to the bustle of others, her place seemed to be two separate spaces, incredibly quiet.
It seems that Lu Anran's thoughts are not here. After she went to Jingzhao Mansion the day before yesterday, she kept Chunmiao secretly paying attention, but there was no movement. Is it because Yuan Fang is too calm or her tricks have been seen through long ago.
When she was in a state of confusion, a figure of Pingting fell in front of her, "Miss Lu."
Lu Anran raised his head, met Su Xiangxiang's reserved and slightly distant smile, and nodded to greet him.
Zhu Xin gently wiped the stone bench with a handkerchief and brushed off a red petal stained on it. After Su Xiangxiang sat down, he stepped back a few steps behind.
Lu Anran watched quietly, admiring in her heart. She was indeed a daughter of a noble family raised in a fine place like the royal capital. In comparison, her life was much rougher.
"Miss Lu, do you have anything to say?" Su Xiangxiang asked.
Lu Anran lowered her eyes, "I'm just a little bit surprised. There are many seats here, and this is not a good location. Why did Miss Su choose this place alone?"
Su Xiangxiang pursed her lips and smiled, "What about Miss Lu?"
Lu Anran glanced sideways and said quietly: "Quiet."
Su Xiangxiang's smile froze for a moment, "Actually, there is something that I am curious about."
Lu Anran looked at her and smiled slightly. After thinking for a moment, he realized that she was just telling the truth. Su Xiangxiang probably misunderstood that he was mocking her, so he didn't bother to explain and asked: "What?"
"The male corpse found at the bottom of the lake in Yaxianju on the Shangsi Festival, was the identity later found?"
Lu Anran stared at Su Xiangxiang for a moment, shook his head and said, "I don't know about the investigation by the Criminal Division."
"Miss Lu, it's funny. It's the first time in my life that I've seen a corpse." Su Xiangxiang raised a finger and rubbed his forehead, "I always think that my death will be unknown, and that person is a bit pitiful."
Lu Anran nodded and took a sip from the teacup.
"Isn't Miss Lu afraid of corpses?"
"Me?" When Lu Anran spoke slowly and leisurely, his voice seemed dull, "I'll get used to it after seeing it a lot."
Su Xiangxiang covered her mouth with a handkerchief, "Speaking of the Criminal Division, there are rumors that Miss Lu is helping the Criminal Division, but I don't know if they take it seriously."
There was something strange in Lu Anran's eyes. It was clear that the Su Xiangxiang he saw last time was a little aloof and didn't disdain to interact with others. Although he didn't show it, he still had a sense of being superior to other girls from aristocratic families. The one in front of him was probably not fake.
"There are too many rumors to tell." Su Xiangxiang smiled, "Some people say that you and Prince Yun are ambiguous. Didn't Miss Lu even think of clarifying it?"
After all, Su Xiangxiang has no experience in initiating conversations, so he talks directly to the topic.
Lu Anran said without thinking: "Those who are clean will be clean themselves."
"Is that a lie? But Miss Lu went in and out of the Sentence Division several times, but someone saw her with her own eyes."
Lu Anran was confused: "Miss Su, do you want to know about me or about Yun Qi?"
Su Xiangxiang didn't expect Lu Anran to be more straightforward. At least she still had something to do and turned around. This person just said what he said and swung it in his face. He couldn't help but look a little red, "If nothing else, Miss Lu and Prince Yun are more straightforward than others." Close." They were all called by their first names.
"Is your name meant to be called by others?" Lu Anran said frankly, which made Su Xiangxiang slightly embarrassed.
The show should have ended if there was no discussion, and for some reason Su Xiangxiang seemed to be sitting still and refused to leave. As the silence fermented, the atmosphere between the two of them was inexplicably awkward.
Fortunately, Concubine Shu finally arrived, and all the ladies from aristocratic families came forward to greet her.
Before Lu Anran took a step forward, he heard Su Xiangxiang ask again: "Ms. Lu really doesn't know the origin of the body at the bottom of the lake?"
"I don't know."
"Then why did I hear that the day before yesterday, Miss Lu went to Jingzhao Mansion to play drums on behalf of someone who was wronged?"
The two of them were a step behind the others, so people would notice. Lu Anran took two steps faster, turned his head and said, "The so-called hearsay is almost the same as the rumor. If Miss Su is interested, it's not a bad idea to chat for fun."
Su Xiangxiang's steps suddenly stopped, her beautiful face turned from red to white, she bit her lower lip, and a flash of anger flashed in her eyes.
"Miss, this person is so ungrateful." Zhu Xin stepped forward to support Su Xiangxiang.
Su Xiangxiang had never been so humiliated in front of someone, so she felt a little embarrassed and couldn't express it. She reluctantly suppressed it and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I have no friendship with her. Why did she say such heartfelt words to me?"
"It's just the eldest princess and the second prince..."
Su Xiangxiang winked at Zhu Xin, who looked around and covered his mouth, "I made a mistake."
Concubine Shu sat down elegantly, and Su Xiangxiang followed the others to worship together, and then sat down according to their respective positions.
While dealing with the girls from aristocratic families nearby, Su Xiangxiang looked at where Lu Anran was.
The eldest daughter of the Lu family in Mengdu had a distinguished status. She sat in the third position to the left of Concubine Shu. Next to her were either relatives of the emperor or the family members of important ministers in the court. Compared with her middle and lower positions, there was a huge difference.
Therefore, Su Xiangxiang suddenly felt that this peach blossom festival was boring, until a handsome figure jumped into view.
In this aspect, Lu Anran and Su Xiangxiang had a rare understanding of each other. After finally supporting the ladies to finish their compliments, Concubine Shu told everyone to disperse.
Lu Anran moved quickly, but as soon as she took half a step, the eldest maid next to Concubine Shu called out, "Your Majesty, please step forward and speak, Miss Lu."
It was probably because the royal capital had nurtured people. Even though the second prince was almost an adult, Lu Anran felt that Concubine Shu was still very young, with her red lips and pink face like a seventeen or eighteen year old girl.
"I was not able to speak to you properly during my last summons." Concubine Shu's lips curved slightly, and her attitude towards others was friendly. "You have been here in the royal capital for a while, but are you still used to it?"
Lu Anran didn't think that Concubine Shu had the time to chat, and said respectfully: "Thank you for your concern, your Majesty, everything is fine."
Concubine Shu nodded as if she was reassured, "You have no relatives or reasons in the capital. If you have any grievances, just come to the palace to find me."
Lu Anran naturally did not take this sentence seriously, but still thanked him.
"I heard..." Concubine Shu twirled the jade bracelet unconsciously with her right index finger, and her eyes fell on Lu Anran by mistake, "You helped the Criminal Division solve many cases."
When they arrived, Lu Anran was shocked and said with a calm expression: "My lord, I don't dare to exaggerate, I'm just trying my best."
Concubine Shu chuckled softly: "There is no need to be modest, the emperor has personally praised you a few times. By the way, there have been several strange cases in Wangdu City in the past few days, which seem to be related to some kind of fox fairy. Please tell me about it." "
"I don't know if it's a fox fairy, but I just have a tattoo on the deceased's arm, which is a fox shape."
"Oh? Who are the deceased?"
"My daughter only knows that the Young Master of the Liu family is one of them, but I don't know the others."
Concubine Shu laughed again, this time with a hint of scorn, "Then why don't you tell us about the corpse that appeared in Ya Xianju and why you went to Jingzhao Mansion to beat drums and redress the injustice on his behalf."
Lu Anran suddenly clenched her fingers, "My maid..."
Concubine Shu raised a finger and said, "If I don't want to listen to anything else, I just want to ask you, do you know about Qiongxian Tower in Qingyan Lane, the capital city?"
Lu Anran didn't say anything. Concubine Shu smiled, but there was a bit of chill in her eyes. "The people who died were all related to Qiongxian Tower, but the Criminal Division did not investigate deeply. Is it possible that there are people in Qiongxian Tower that the Criminal Division cannot touch?" figure."
Lu Anran looked at her nose and said, "Back to your Majesty, I am not a person who is in charge of punishment, so I don't understand these things."
Concubine Shu stared at her closely, "What's the important thing when you say we are together?"
"Autopsy, investigation of the scene."
"Isn't it to avenge the corpse and restore justice to the world?"
"I believe that in my position, I plan my affairs and fulfill my duties. The trial and prosecution of cases should be handled by the government. I dare not and cannot go beyond the rules."
Concubine Shu's smile faded, and her expression suddenly became colder, "Other than that, you have nothing else to say to me."
Lu Anran lowered his head and lowered his eyes to the ground.
Concubine Shu sent the person away and snorted coldly: "I don't know how to praise."
Concubine Shu was angry at leaving such a good opportunity and watching it go away.
That day Hongshang said that something was wrong with the Gu family, and she sent a message to her father, the Duke of Zhenguo, to inquire about it. Only then did she find out that Qiongxian Tower was originally a property purchased by Gu Qinmu secretly. I didn't know this happened a few days ago, and someone died in the building. Woman, and something happened to the one from the Liu family who went to Qiongxian Tower.
Concubine Shu had a good plan in mind. If the Gu family fell, the queen would be unable to survive, no matter how talented she was. Although she was the mother of a country and it was difficult to shake her, the queen was not important. Whoever sat in the position of the queen mother would have the last laugh.
Unexpectedly, Hongshang came back yesterday and said: "The ronin broke into Qiongxian Tower and killed and injured many people. What a coincidence, the madam and the boss in the building were both seriously injured and died."
Concubine Shu sneered: "It's a good idea to take care of your family."
Hongshang said: "They acted too quickly. Before the Duke could take action, all the clues had been cut off."
They all know that the master behind Qiongxian Tower is Gu Qinmu, but without evidence, the Gu family still pretends to be stupid.
"Everyone named Lu loves to go against me." Concubine Shu threatened and lured her, but Lu Anran remained unmoved.
"The empress gave her face because she thinks highly of her. Since she doesn't accept it, she will deliberately go against our Guanju Palace in the future."
"The little girl's films are not in my eyes yet."
Hongshang said with a smile: "That's right, so your Majesty, please relax. You see, the Emperor has made it clear that he dislikes this person by asking His Majesty to host the Peach Blossom Festival. The Emperor is clear in his heart."
Concubine Shu stood up and asked Hongshang to change into a more formal outfit, just as the maid outside the door announced the arrival of the time.
"Mother, the Peach Blossom Festival has begun."
As soon as the door opened, the sun was shining brightly outside, shining on Concubine Shu. She was dressed in expensive clothes and looked more graceful. She glanced in the direction of Jiaofang Palace from a distance, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, and her eyes were full of contentment.
