20demayo Chapter 251: Shadow Exploration in Danger
Chapter 251: Shadow Exploration in Danger
Zhen Huan's eyes were solemn. "This Shadow Valley is mysterious and unpredictable. We must not enter blindly. Lingrong, you are quite knowledgeable about spices. Have you heard of any unusual spices in this Shadow Valley?"
An Lingrong pondered for a moment. "Huan'er, I haven't heard of this before. But Prince Shen and the important officials at court value this place so much. There must be something behind it, perhaps some secret recipe for a spice that could change the situation."
Concubine Hua said anxiously, "Who cares about the secret recipe? I can't wait to lead my men to flatten the Shadow Valley right now!"
Zhen Huan advised, "Don't worry, sister. Let's send someone to the valley entrance to investigate and understand the surrounding situation before making a decision. Little Yunzi is smart and can take on this task."
Xiao Yunzi quickly responded, "I will do my best to live up to your trust!"
After Xiao Yunzi left, Zhen Huan continued, "We still need to prepare some items to deal with danger. Lingrong, can you mix some spices for self-defense?"
An Lingrong nodded. "I'll prepare it right away. I'll concoct a fragrance that can dispel obsessions and clear the mind, just in case there are traps like incense in the valley."
Concubine Hua instructed Zhou Ninghai: "Go and select some guards with strong martial arts skills and loyalty, and have them on standby at all times."
Zhou Ninghai accepted the order: "I will obey your order and select the most capable people."
A few days later, Xiao Yunzi returned to report, "Your Majesty, I found some strange footprints at the entrance of Shadow Valley. They are large and have strange patterns, unlike those left by an ordinary person. There is also a faint fragrance around them, which is almost imperceptible and difficult to detect."
Zhen Huan frowned, "There must be something strange about this strange fragrance. Lingrong, what do you think?"
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, this might be the scent of some rare fragrance. I need to smell it myself to make a judgment."
Concubine Hua was worried: "Lingrong, it's too dangerous for you to go this way. If something goes wrong..."
An Lingrong smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister. I will be careful. I have prepared spices with me. If anything unusual happens, I can keep myself safe."
Zhen Huan thought for a moment and said, "Then my sister and I will meet you near the valley entrance. If anything happens, you must retreat immediately."
An Lingrong entered the Shadow Valley and moved forward cautiously. Suddenly, she saw a strange flower patch in front of her. The flowers were gorgeous and radiated a dizzying fragrance.
An Lingrong hurriedly took out the spices she had concocted and sniffed them, secretly shocked. "This flower spice is so potent! If I hadn't been prepared, I'd have been in trouble."
She continued to go deeper and found a cave. From the cave, she could hear faint whispers.
An Lingrong approached quietly and heard someone say, "My lord, the spices in Shadow Valley are almost ripe. If we make them into sachets and send them to the palace, the concubines will surely be thrown into chaos. Then Prince Shen will have the opportunity to take control of the harem."
Another person laughed and said, "Humph! This plan is flawless. Zhen Huan and the others would never have expected it."
An Lingrong was shocked and turned around to walk back. As soon as she left the cave, she encountered several men in black.
The man in black shouted, "Who are you? How dare you trespass into Shadow Valley!"
An Lingrong forced herself to remain calm and said, "I am a herb-collecting girl from the mountains. I accidentally strayed into this place. I beg you elder brothers to let me go."
The man in black didn't believe it: "A herbalist? I think you are a spy!" As he said that, he was about to take action.
An Lingrong hurriedly threw the spices in her hand, and the spices scattered, blinding the man in black and making him move slowly.
She took the opportunity to flee, shouting as she ran: "Han'er, sister, retreat quickly!"
Zhen Huan and Concubine Hua heard the shouts and led the guards to meet them.
Zhen Huan asked anxiously, "Lingrong, what happened?"
An Lingrong panted, "Huan'er, they're developing a dangerous spice in the valley, intending to send it into the palace to cause chaos. We have to find a way to stop it!"
Concubine Hua angrily said, "These traitors are so despicable! After returning to the palace, we will immediately inform the emperor and have him send troops to encircle and suppress this Shadow Valley!"
Zhen Huan shook her head, "Sister, this matter requires further consideration. If we tell the Emperor now, Prince Shen and the important officials in the court will surely notice and take precautions. Let's return to the palace first, make secret arrangements, and when the time is right, we can capture them in one fell swoop."
An Lingrong agreed: "Huan'er is right. We still need to find their accomplices in the palace and eliminate them, otherwise it will be difficult to completely crush their conspiracy."
Back in the palace, Zhen Huan arranged for Xiao Yunzi to continue monitoring the movements of Prince Shen and important officials in the court, while An Lingrong secretly checked various places in the palace to see if the dangerous spices had already entered.
In her own palace, Concubine Hua said to Zhou Ninghai, "Go and keep an eye on the eunuchs and maids in each palace. If anyone looks suspicious, bring them to me immediately."
A few days later, An Lingrong found some suspicious spice powder in the room of a young palace maid.
An Lingrong brought the young maid to Zhen Huan's palace and interrogated her: "Where did you get these spices?"
The young maid was so frightened that she knelt down and begged for mercy: "My Lady, this was given to me by a eunuch. He said that if I placed this spice in the palace of the Imperial Noble Consort Xi, he would give me a large sum of money."
Zhen Huan asked, "Who is the eunuch? What does he look like?"
The young palace maid trembled and said, "My Lady, the eunuch had his face covered. I could only see his eyes, and they looked very fierce."
Hua Fei shouted angrily: "Useless thing! You can't even see a person clearly."
Zhen Huan soothed her, "Don't be angry, sister. This little maid has also been used. The key now is to find this eunuch."
At this time, Xiao Yunzi came to report: "Your Majesty, Prince Shen has been meeting frequently with a mysterious eunuch in a remote corner of the Imperial Garden recently."
Zhen Huan's eyes flashed, "It must be this person. We must catch him and uncover the full extent of this conspiracy."
So, Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Concubine Hua carefully planned a capture operation. They set up an ambush in the imperial garden, waiting for the mysterious eunuch to appear.
The battle between the palace and the conspiracy is getting more and more intense. Can they successfully break the deadlock and protect the peace of the harem? Everything is full of unknowns and suspense in this careful layout and tense confrontation.