After instructing Sister Jin and a few others to continue preparing the pills, Yang Mengchen stepped into the next room, looking at Long Xuanmo who had closely followed: "On the day you set off for this place, that carrier pigeon began to relay messages. Upon hearing the reports from the birds, I immediately had them divert the pigeon here.

These are several confidential reports I've intercepted." Having said that, she pulled out several small pieces of paper and handed them to Long Xuanmo.

Long Xuanmo took them and looked over the contents, his already chilling face growing even colder, a bloodthirsty aura emanating from him.

"Rest assured, Prince, I've imitated this person's handwriting and changed the content. I believe the person behind the scenes is unaware of your exact whereabouts."

"Who is it?"

"I asked Mo Mei and Qing Qing to secretly observe all the sisters, maids, servants, and guards. In the end, Sister Lu, from the Eldest Princess's side, was identified."

Based on the content and handwriting of the secret messages, Yang Mengchen concluded that the spy was near the Eldest Princess and was a woman, so she paid special attention to those maids and sisters. Indeed, she noticed something odd about Sister Lu.

Long Xuanmo's brows furrowed slightly: "Sister Lu has been serving my mother since she was young and was deeply trusted and valued by her. My mother couldn't bear to have her go to the Imperial Palace, so she returned her servitude contract and gave her some money to return to her hometown and marry her betrothed fiancé before entering the palace;

One and a half years later, she sent a message to my mother saying that a flood in her hometown had killed her husband and son, leaving her alone and begging to be taken in by my mother;

Out of pity, my mother agreed to let her enter the palace, where she remained loyal. A few years ago, when the Eldest Imperial Sister was getting married, my mother arranged for her to become the Steward sister for Eldest Imperial Sister and did not detect any malicious intentions."

"If you do not trust me, you can send someone to investigate discreetly," Yang Mengchen said with a cold expression, discomfort rising in her heart for the first time due to Long Xuanmo's distrust: "All you need to do is to look into Sister Lu's whereabouts during the year and a half she left the Empress to return to the palace, and then you will know the truth."

Feeling the chill and irony in Yang Mengchen's voice, Long Xuanmo's heart began to panic. He placed his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes: "Ah Jiu, don't be angry, I trust you. I just don't understand, why would Sister Lu betray the Empress and the Eldest Imperial Sister given their trust and value in her?"

The bond between him and Ah Jiu had only recently grown closer. If it were to revert back or become even more distant because of Sister Lu, it wouldn't be worth it!

Lowering her eyelids, Yang Mengchen pursed her lips and remained silent.

"Ah Jiu, I might doubt anyone, but I will never doubt you, not even a little. Please don't ignore me, okay?" At this moment, Long Xuanmo appeared unsettled and cautious, a far cry from his usual pride and aloofness, and entirely unlike his ruthless and iron-clad demeanor on the battlefield.

Raising her eyes to see Long Xuanmo in such a state, Yang Mengchen felt a prick in her heart, a faint pain, a faint bitterness, faint sweetness, and a faint sourness, a whirlpool of emotions swirling around her, uncertain of how to resolve this complex torrent of feelings, so she broke free from Long Xuanmo's hands and stepped back.

"May I ask, Prince, does Sister Lu have any other relatives?"

"My mother mentioned that when Sister Lu was twelve, her parents died of illness one after another, leaving her with no family. However, her fiancé's family, simple peasants, were kind and affectionate towards Sister Lu, and her fiancé was even a Scholar; otherwise, my mother would not have allowed Sister Lu to return to her hometown," replied Long Xuanmo, feeling uplifted.

As long as Ah Jiu still spoke to him and paid attention to him, no matter how angry or annoyed she was, it was okay.

"What is Sister Lu's character and behavior like?"

"She is gentle, respectful, thrifty, and discreet. Everyone has a good impression of her, but... "

"But what?"

"Once, I overheard my aunt warning my mother to be wary of Sister Lu. She also said that back when Sister Lu was a maid, she never mingled or spoke with folks like Sister Qi and the others, and she looked at them with disdain and contempt. She also paid a lot of attention to her clothes and appearance, definitely a restless person.

Although my mother agreed outwardly, I knew she didn't take it to heart. In my mother's view, Sister Lu had been the Eldest maid, and after entering the palace, she became the second-in-command Steward sister; being particular about her clothes and appearance was not a big deal, and as for looking down on Sister Qi and the others, they must have misjudged her."

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