AUBTN -Chapter 97 The Upcoming Flower-Viewing Banquet

For the next two days, the study in Yu Garden became a battlefield for Su Hewan and Yu Qing.

Shen Jue had moved all the ancient medical texts collected from the Eastern Depot into the room, stacking them so high that there was barely space to step.

“Ah—I can’t do this anymore!”

Yu Qing pressed a book on medicine against her face, collapsing hopelessly into the pile of books.

“My eyes are going blind! All these traditional characters are making my head ache! I miss my phone, my tablet, my puzzle games!”

Su Hewan held a yellowed volume of Miaojiang Poison Manual, not even looking up. “Hang in there a little longer. If we can really find a solution, this will be the key evidence to take down Zhao Shuo. Once we purge the court of corruption, the two of us can walk this world freely.”

“But it’s already been two days… We’re not doctors. Can you really understand this?”

Su Hewan put down her book. “Trust me!”

Yu Qing flipped over and suddenly pointed at a line of tiny text in the book. “Okay… Hey, Wanwan, look at this. What kind of bug is this? So gross.”

Su Hewan leaned over to take a look, and her tired eyes instantly lit up.

On the yellowed page, it was recorded: “The poison of the Red Flame causes blood to boil; only things of extreme cold can counter it. In the southern mountains there is a strange insect called the Ice Silkworm. Its saliva is transparent like water, radiates intense cold, can neutralize all poisons, and is especially effective against fiery toxins…”

“We found it!”

Su Hewan was so excited she nearly jumped. “Ice Silkworm saliva! This is the counter to Red Flame Herb!”

With the Ice Silkworm saliva, they could concoct an antidote to neutralize the Red Flame Herb’s toxicity!

“But…” Yu Qing poured cold water on the excitement.

“It says here that Ice Silkworms grow in extremely cold regions and are exceedingly rare. Where are we supposed to get one? Go catch one in Antarctica?”

Su Hewan’s smile froze on her face.

Indeed, distant water cannot quench nearby thirst.

Just as the two were at a loss, a deep voice came from outside the door.

“If it’s Ice Silkworm saliva, the palace might have some.”

Lu Yan pushed the door open, followed by a stone-faced Shen Jue.

“Do you have a lead?” Su Hewan asked eagerly.

Lu Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the messy pile of books.

“I once heard my father say that, long ago, foreign nations presented a pair of thousand-year-old Ice Silkworms as tribute. The late emperor treasured them. After the late emperor passed, their whereabouts became unknown. But according to the Jinyiwei intelligence network…”

He paused and looked at Shen Jue.

Shen Jue continued with a teasing tone: “They’re in the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace.”

“Empress Dowager?” Su Hewan’s heart skipped a beat.

If that was the case, the current Empress Dowager was Zhao Shuo’s own grandmother!

Everyone froze for a moment, clearly realizing the same implication.

“We’ve overlooked one question—does the Empress Dowager know Zhao Shuo’s identity or not?” Lu Yan was the first to speak.

Yu Qing chimed in: “She’s his grandmother, of course she knows! Don’t forget, this National Preceptor was recommended by the Empress Dowager herself!”

Su Hewan fell silent. 【But I remember the Empress Dowager might not know… Well, I can’t really recall clearly. This is all unofficial history anyway. Surely she didn’t watch her son plot a coup and die, only to now watch her grandson walk the same path, right?】

Shen Jue, hearing Su Hewan’s thoughts, smirked. “Whether she knows or not, why not just ask?”

“The Empress Dowager happens to be holding a flower-viewing banquet in the next couple of days, inviting concubines from the palace and young ladies from the capital!”

Lu Yan nodded but frowned. “But the Empress Dowager’s private treasury is notoriously impenetrable. It’s like a copper wall and iron gate. Taking something from there is harder than reaching the heavens.”

“Flower-viewing banquet…”

Yu Qing’s eyes rolled as an idea suddenly struck her.

“This name… why does it sound like some kind of… massive matchmaking event?”

Shen Jue replied casually, “You’re not wrong. The late emperor just passed his filial period, and the old hardliners in court couldn’t sit still. They started clamoring that the nation must never be without an heir, and they’ve been scheming to shove people into His Majesty’s harem. This Hundred Flowers Banquet—on the surface, it’s for enjoying the plums and tasting tea, but in reality, it’s meant to scout potential future empresses and concubines for the young emperor.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Lu Yan, and a faint, half-smile curved his lips.

“Commander Lu, I heard your father is also on the guest list. What, is the Lu family planning to send a daughter in, hoping to grab a slice of that incredible wealth?”

Lu Yan shot him a cold glance and leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed.

“I have no younger sisters.”

Shen Jue clicked his tongue. “A cousin counts too! Didn’t your second uncle have a little girl who hasn’t come of age yet?”

Lu Yan snorted coldly. “From the sound of it, Master seems fond of climbing up family connections.”

Their eyes met in midair, sparks flying—so much so that you could almost hear the crackle of electricity.

Su Hewan sighed helplessly and pressed her palm to her forehead. These two really were naturally incompatible; it only took three sentences for them to start squabbling.

【Guys, is now really the time for arguing? Our focus right now is stealing something! This is not a time to be playing with your brains like a toy!】

Shen Jue seemed to hear that inner voice; the shadow in his eyes lightened a bit.

“Let’s get to business. The Empress Dowager’s private treasury key is usually kept on her person. It only leaves her side briefly when she changes clothes at a grand banquet. The Hundred Flowers Banquet is the only opportunity.”

“But…” Su Hewan furrowed her brows, analyzing.

“On the day of the banquet, the Empress Dowager’s palace will be on high alert. There will be experts surrounding her. To sneak into the treasury in that short window and come out unscathed—that’s almost an impossible task.”

“That’s exactly why we need to work together.”

Yu Qing suddenly snapped her fingers.

“I have a bold idea!”

She leaned in mysteriously, lowering her voice, her eyes gleaming.

“This is a classic palace-struggle scenario! I know these kinds of situations! We can pull a trick—create a diversion in the front while making a stealth move in the back!”

Lu Yan frowned. “Speak human.”

“Tsk, no sense of flair,” Yu Qing rolled her eyes at him, then cleared her throat and began to gesture.

“The plan is this: Wanwan and I disguise ourselves as palace maids and infiltrate the inner area of the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Our mission is to stir things up openly, attract attention, and create chaos—drawing everyone’s focus, especially the experts around the Empress Dowager.”

She pointed at Lu Yan and Shen Jue.

“And the two of you? While the front is in an uproar, sneak into the back and steal that… whatever it is, the Ice Silkworm!”

Lu Yan twitched at the corner of his mouth and delivered a ruthless blow: “Just the two of you? The Empress Dowager’s Hundred Flowers Banquet is full of the capital’s noblewomen—each more scheming than a sieve. Do you really think you can pull it off?”

He was genuinely worried about their safety!

“Hey! Who are you looking down on?”

Yu Qing instantly flared up, then pretended to wipe tears from her eyes.

“Lord Lu, how can you say such things about your humble servant… I may be clumsy, but I still want to do my part for His Majesty… boohoohoo…”

Lu Yan: “…”

Even Su Hewan was speechless.

Shen Jue watched this little farce with great amusement, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yan’s flustered face, feeling inexplicably cheerful.

“Our household thinks this plan is feasible.”

He spoke lazily, effectively casting his vote of approval.

“Commander Lu, don’t underestimate women. Sometimes, they can accomplish what we cannot.”

Lu Yan took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore Yu Qing’s fake crying, and gritted his teeth: “Fine. Since Master Shen says so, I have no objections—but safety comes first.”

“Of course.” Shen Jue snorted.