The Flower - Seeking Festival is the grandest annual event in the State of Cangwu. It has been held since the founding of the state. No matter what happens, nothing can stop the common people from celebrating this festival. The royal family and nobles in the palace also attach more importance to the Flower - Seeking Festival than anything else.
At this time, Qin Anxin and the king of Cangwu would leave the palace and take luxurious sedan - chairs to parade through the capital. By then, the roads on both sides would be lined with extremely colorful and blooming flowers.
This was also the time when Zhao Shuning could accompany them as the imperial dowager - consort. As long as she could get close to Qin Anxin, things would be much easier.
"You mean Qin Anxin carries a secret key with her?" Zhao Shuning and Gu Han had searched many secret chambers in the palace in the past few days, but they hadn't found Ye Feng's trace. Just now, when they were talking, they accidentally mentioned Gu Han's childhood, and he brought up this matter.
Gu Han nodded. "But this prince has only seen that secret key and never touched it. At that time, I was still young. I was playing with the elder brother in the back garden. He said that Qin Anxin had a very precious thing and was going to show it to me."
"Did you see it?"
"Yes, but before I could touch it, Qin Anxin came back. Because of that incident, I was punished to kneel outside the Fanghua Palace for three days and three nights."
Zhao Shuning looked at Gu Han. He said it so casually even though it was three days and three nights.
"What are you still standing there for? Find an opportunity. I'll go with you to visit her. At that time, you hold her back, and I'll check that room."
"Do you think Qin Anxin is an ordinary person? Do you think she would still keep that thing there?"
"Of course, I know it's not that easy to succeed, but we always have to try."
"We must try, but not in this way. I've used some informants. Now I roughly know that Qin Anxin should wear the key with her."
Wear it with her? Wouldn't it be even more troublesome? Zhao Shuning was still counting on the time of the Flower - Seeking Festival when Qin Anxin and others would go out of the palace for the parade. She could search the palace then.
"What should we do then?" Zhao Shuning looked at Gu Han. Since he had raised this problem, he should have prepared a countermeasure.
Gu Han clapped his hands. The maids in the Chengxun Hall came in with two delicate trays, on which were placed colorful and exquisitely made clothes. Zhao Shuning rarely dressed up, but when she saw these clothes, she couldn't help being amazed.
"What are these?"
"Ningning, do you know that on the Flower - Seeking Festival, there is a character most popular among the common people, and she is also the one most likely to get close to Qin Anxin."
"Who?"
"The Fairy of a Hundred Flowers."
The Fairy of a Hundred Flowers? What a tacky name!
"Gu Han, quickly tell me in detail."
Yingzi, who was listening beside them, showed a mysterious and hard - to - describe expression on his face.
"Yingzi, why are you making that expression?" Zhao Shuning asked.
But Yingzi closed his mouth tightly and didn't dare to say a word.
"Speak."
Yingzi looked at Gu Han. Gu Han smiled and nodded at him. Then he began to speak. "Second princess - consort, as everyone knows, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers in our State of Cangwu must be the most beautiful woman on the Nine - State Continent. This subordinate has heard that there is a peerlessly beautiful woman from Ruoqiang, the most beautiful in the Nine - State Continent. Although our Fairy of a Hundred Flowers in Cangwu can't invite a girl of that level, at least she should be the most beautiful woman in our Cangwu."
Zhao Shuning nodded. This made sense. Look, the common people in Cangwu attached so much importance to the Flower - Seeking Festival. An ordinary person really couldn't hold up the scene of the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers.
"So?" Zhao Shuning looked confused.
Gu Han chuckled.
Zhao Shuning said, "What are you guys up to?"
"Master means to let you dress up as the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers on the Flower - Seeking Festival. I didn't agree with this idea from the beginning. Second princess - consort, well, anyway, second princess - consort, that's what master means."
Zhao Shuning looked at Gu Han. "You want me to dress up as the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers?"
Gu Han nodded. He took out a very beautiful beaded veil from the tray and said softly, "Come here."
Zhao Shuning walked over.
"Squat down."
"What for?"
"Just squat down."
Zhao Shuning squatted down and looked into Gu Han's eyes. Gu Han gently put on the delicate beaded veil. At this time, Zhao Shuning's eyes became the most prominent feature on her whole face.
"Beautiful, really beautiful. Second princess - consort's eyes are really good - looking." Gu Han smiled gently, looking extremely warm. When he first saw her, he thought her eyes were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, very similar to his aunt's eyes.
Speaking of his aunt, she should be the woman who was very kind to Gu Han in his life. When he was a child, his mother - consort was always very busy, so it was his aunt who took care of him. But later, his aunt met the prince of the State of Hailing, fell in love at first sight, and then married into the State of Hailing. Later, not long after giving birth to a child, his aunt passed away.
Zhao Shuning just looked at Gu Han like this. Gu Han was a bit absent - minded for a moment.
"Auntie—"
"Gu Han, what's wrong with you?" Zhao Shuning waved her hand in front of Gu Han, and then he came back to his senses.
"Ningning, your eyes are really nice."
"Master, just relying on this veil on the Flower - Seeking Festival will surely not convince the public. Most of the common people in the capital come to catch a glimpse of the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers. If the second princess - consort takes off the veil and shows such a face at that time, it will be hard to handle the situation."
Zhao Shuning was about to speak, but was interrupted by Gu Han's voice. "Don't worry. Since I dare to let you take that position, I will surely come up with a fool - proof method. This year, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers will wear a veil in advance, which can add mystery and better arouse the curiosity of the common people. Moreover, before going to the top of the mountain to pray, after the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers meets the queen, she will go to the back room to change into another ordinary dress. Only then will she take off the veil in front of everyone."
Zhao Shuning said, "Do you mean that when I'm changing clothes, we'll replace me with another person?" If so, it would be a good thing. If she showed her face, the queen would probably find out that she was the daughter of the marquis's mansion in Ruoqiang after a little inquiry. Zhao Shuning didn't want to involve the Luo family in this incident when she was out on this mission. So Gu Han's arrangement was actually the best for her.
"Let her in." A figure appeared at the door of the Chengxun Hall. It was Qi Yue. But Qi Yue was the daughter of a criminal official. Didn't she also have a branding mark on her face?
As if seeing through Zhao Shuning's doubts, Gu Han nodded at Qi Yue. Qi Yue reached out her hand and peeled off the branding mark on her face. Zhao Shuning was stunned. The branding mark on Qi Yue's face was actually fake? So, Qi Yue was also one of Gu Han's people? Sure enough, Gu Han was a person not to be underestimated. His influence must have extended to unknown places.