Chapter Thirty-Four: An Unexpected Visitor, The Storms Rise Anew

"Treasure... the treasure vault..." The guard stammered, his face paler than snow, as if he had seen a ghost.

My heart skipped a beat. Had something actually gone wrong? This was my treasury, after all!

"Speak slowly. What happened?" I tried to remain calm, though my mind was already racing to calculate how I would cover any losses.

"Someone... someone is here," he took a deep breath, finally managing to finish his sentence. "Someone wants to see you. They claim to be... Pavilion Master Qin."

Pavilion Master Qin? Who the hell is that? I scoured the dusty corners of my memory but couldn't find a trace of such a person. How could such a prominent figure enter the palace without me knowing? Could it be some old fox plotting against my vault? My internal alarm bells rang, but I kept a composed expression. "Show him in."

The man who entered was dressed in dark robes. He had a tall, upright frame and a handsome face, yet he carried an inscrutable aura. He smiled slightly and bowed. "Lady Lu, I have heard much about you."

I offered a polite, hollow smile. "Master Qin is too kind. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Internally, I was scoffing—this guy didn't look like a good person. He wasn't here to borrow money, was he? Because I certainly wouldn't lend him any!

"I have long admired your management of the imperial treasury, Lady Lu," he said, offering vague pleasantries while his eyes darted toward the vault behind me. It made my skin crawl.

"You flatter me, Master. It is merely trivial administrative work." I shifted to block his line of sight, my vigilance rising. This man was definitely up to no good.

As we stood in a tense standoff, I caught a glimpse of a furtive figure out of the corner of my eye—it was the maid Liu, who served Noble Lady Su! What was this little brat up to now? I rolled my eyes and formulated a plan.

"Maid Liu," I raised my voice, "what are you doing lurking over there?"

Caught red-handed, the maid’s face changed, though she tried to feign composure. "I... I was just passing by."

"Passing by?" I sneered. "Do you usually pass by while hiding behind a pillar? What information did your mistress send you to dig up?"

The maid stiffened her neck, looking entirely unbothered. "I only take orders from Noble Lady Su. That is none of your concern, Lady Lu!"

I was about to lash out when Pavilion Master Qin suddenly spoke up. "Lady Lu, shall we step aside to talk?" He gave me a meaningful look, the corner of his mouth curling into a cryptic smirk.

My alarm bells rang again. My intuition told me something was about to happen.

"Very well." I pushed down my anxiety and followed him into the inner chamber.

"Master Qin, please speak plainly," I said, cutting straight to the point. I didn't want to play games.

He simply smiled and said slowly, "Lady Lu, have you ever considered that there are secrets in this palace that you are not meant to know?"

Before he could finish his sentence, He Yunsheng suddenly appeared, pulling me behind him. He glared at Pavilion Master Qin with fierce, sharp eyes, like a young wolf protecting its food.

"Pavilion Master Qin, what business do you have running to my sister Wan'er in the middle of the night?"

A warmth spread through my heart; this boy was truly reliable when it counted. With He Yunsheng by my side, my confidence surged. I straightened my back, adopting the posture of the "Imperial Treasure Oversight Official."

Unfazed by the interruption, Pavilion Master Qin just smiled meaningfully. "The young prince jokes. I am merely discussing official business with Lady Lu."

Official business? As if I’d believe that! I was about to retort when I caught a whiff of a peculiar scent on him—it was faint, smelling a bit like... aged wine? No, it was more like... soil? Wait! Why did this smell so much like the antique gold artifacts I had discovered in the secret chamber last time?

Could it be... does this man have some connection to that treasure? My heart sank as I realized I might have stumbled upon something monumental. I narrowed my eyes, staring at him, deciding to stop dancing around the issue.

"Master Qin, what exactly are you after? You might as well tell me."

He was caught off guard by my sudden, direct interrogation, but he quickly regained his inscrutable expression. "Lady Lu, you are very clever, but some things are not to your benefit to know."

"Spare me the nonsense!" I wasn't buying it. "If you dare lay a finger on the palace treasures, I will be the first to make you pay!"

He Yunsheng chimed in from the side, "Pavilion Master Qin, I suggest you leave at once, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Seeing our firm resolve, Pavilion Master Qin realized he wouldn't gain anything today and left, looking disgruntled.

The moment he was gone, I grabbed the maid Liu from behind the pillar. "Well, well, you little brat! Lurking and eavesdropping again!"

The maid turned deathly pale, stammering and unable to get a word out. I scoffed, too tired to deal with her, and turned to He Yunsheng. "Yunsheng, thank you. If not for you today, I wouldn't have known what to do."

He Yunsheng smiled, looking at me tenderly. "Sister Wan'er, it is my duty to protect you."

I felt a sweet sensation in my heart, but the thought of Pavilion Master Qin left me unable to truly relax. This man would certainly not give up so easily. And that maid Liu... she would surely go back and embellish the story when reporting to Noble Lady Su.

Just as I was thinking this, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded outside, followed by a sharp voice: "Lu Wan'er, get out here!"

It was Noble Lady Su! I sneered. It seemed the real show was about to begin.