Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

The smell of the potting soil made Li Qingyan feel nauseous, so she quickly moved away.

Seeing her like this, Yan Li quickly pushed the soil away.

"The most precious thing to His Highness and his group isn't the orchid, but the potting soil. We're not allowed to touch it or smell it."

They had to wear black clothes and black gloves when carrying soil. Their masks were also scented with incense.

The aroma was so strong it made me feel nauseous.

Moreover, this potting soil is transported from a very far place. Each time, the delivery team travels a long way to bring it.

Yan Li tried to find out where these people came from, but they were tight-lipped and he couldn't get any information out of them. Some of them even tried to kill him. Luckily, Yan Li was quick-witted and managed to escape.

Li Qingyan quickly called Zheng Taohua over, "Taohua, can you tell what's in this soil?"

Zheng Taohua's mother was a renowned gardener, so she naturally learned some of the skills as well. She quickly came over, picked up a clod of soil, and brought it close to her nose to smell it.

These potting soils are carefully prepared, and there's one more thing: human blood.

Zheng Taohua's hands were trembling; she knew this smell all too well. Having had her blood drained for three years, she knew this smell all too well.

Moreover, this potting soil is much more fertile than normal soil. And it's not just because of the blood...

"Your Highness, besides human blood, there is something else in this soil that I can't identify, but I know it's much more fertile than ordinary soil."

"Even the best land in the north is not as fertile as this soil."

Li Qingyan tapped her fingers on the table. "It seems those girls' blood was used here. Did Yan Li have anyone with those who brought the soil?"

Hearing Li Qingyan's question, Yan Li scratched his head. "Yes, but we've lost track of them all. That group is really cunning. No matter where they live, they always split up into smaller groups. It's impossible to keep up with them."

This group is extremely vigilant; even highly skilled bodyguards can shake them off.

Hongyu was much faster than the others. She had been following one person for a long time, but then several people with similar clothes and builds appeared in the market, and she eventually lost track of them.

Li Qingyan picked up a pastry from the table and took a couple of bites. Looking down, she felt a little irritated. "We can't have planted so many flowers just to look at them, can we? We need to find out where those flowers went."

Every time I search, I feel like something's missing. It's quite frustrating.

Orchids are very delicate, especially those that have been carefully cultivated, so moving them would be quite troublesome. This makes them much easier to find.

Yan Li took a sip of water and headed outside, leading his men to investigate. Lately, they'd been so focused on the group transporting the soil that they'd forgotten about the flowers, which also needed to be moved. He'd arranged for some people to tend to the flowers; the rest of the group should be back by now.

Just as Yan Li left, there was a loud thud at the window. Zheng Taohua opened the window and saw a crow. She was startled and quickly grabbed a vase to hit it.

"Don't hit him, don't hit him, that's Xiaobai. I know him."

Little White flew onto the table and snatched the pastry from Li Qingyan's hand, pecking at it without any hesitation.

Li Qingyan grabbed its neck and started shaking it, "Can't you have any manners?"

Zheng Taohua was so frightened that she raised her hand and then lowered it again, wanting to persuade her but then shut up.

Little White cackled a few times and raised its foot towards Li Qingyan, gesturing for her to look at its foot.

Li Qingyan pulled out the bamboo tube from its leg, inside which were letters written by Li Yan and Yan Xu.

There wasn't much else, just asking her what troubles she'd encountered recently, whether she was safe, and if she was eating well.

Li Qingyan answered each question one by one.

However, Li Yan added one more question than Yan Xu: "Did that bastard Yan Li cause you any trouble?"

Li Qingyan rubbed her face, recalling how Yan Li had almost shouted "Dog Emperor..." several times, but had managed to hold it back.

These two really can't stand each other.

After finishing the letter, Li Qingyan fed Xiaobai some food and water and then released it. The crow flapped its wings, circled once in the air, and then flew away.

It then cackled twice, and Li Qingyan's lips twitched at the sound; the bird was definitely cursing her.

"The bird that the young prince keeps is quite temperamental."

Zheng Taohua covered her mouth and smiled slightly.

Li Qingyan turned to look at her. Her eyes were extremely beautiful. If those beasts hadn't ruined her appearance, she would have been a beauty.

"Peach Blossom, when we get back I'll take you to see Physician Zhao. He'll heal your face."

The scar on Li Yan's stomach was treated by Imperial Physician Zhao, and there is no way to tell that her stomach had ever been cut open.

Zheng Taohua touched her face. Actually, she didn't have much hope; she just wanted to be able to live a normal life.

"You've seemed preoccupied ever since we came back from your uncle's. Is something wrong?"

Li Qingyan had been observing her for several days and always saw her frowning and hesitant to speak.

Zheng Taohua stopped pouring water. Having been by Li Qingyan's side recently, she had noticed the young prince's intelligence, but she hadn't expected him to be so observant.

"My uncle told me I was going to Yuzhen back then; I didn't know..."

Li Qingyan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her small eyes sparkling as she looked at her. "If you have any doubts, just ask. Are you afraid your uncle is a bad person?"

Zheng Taohua lowered her head, "My uncle has always treated me and my parents very well, but I'm afraid that if something happens to him..."

What if they really are bad people? What if they're really involved in this? If their identities are exposed, will it affect Li Qingyan's situation?

Li Qingyan understood everything, so she hadn't been idle these past few days and had sent people to investigate Zheng's eldest uncle. He had suffered a lot these past few years, constantly searching for his daughter and his younger brother's family.

If you want to pretend, you can put on an act in front of others, but there's no need to suffer like that in private.

He tossed and turned day and night, unable to sleep, only able to manage with the medicine prescribed by the doctor. The doctor even said that if Uncle Zheng continued to exhaust himself like this, he would pass away within five years.

After hearing this, Zheng Taohua covered her face and cried, trembling. If it weren't for those beasts who tied her up and her cousins, this family wouldn't have fallen apart.

After crying until she was exhausted, she took some medicine and fell asleep.

Cuiping helped the person into the house and sighed.

Everyone in this world has their own pitiful side.

Li Qingyan frowned. She wanted to catch these human traffickers one by one, and even if they were dead, she would dig them out of their graves and whip their corpses.

When Yan Li returned, it was almost midnight, and everyone was in a terrible state. Yan Li, in particular, was covered in soot, looking exactly like Li Yan's black hunting dog. Only his eyes were visible. It took several basins of water to wash his face before he finally looked presentable.

Yan Li wiped his face before saying, "We found out that the orchids were transported to Yu Town."

Li Qingyan, who had been laughing at Yan Li, froze. "Yu Zhen?"

Are you taking them for a walk?

No wonder there hasn't been any uproar over the trafficking of so many girls; how can an ordinary person investigate this?

"We're going to Yu Town tomorrow, and..."

Li Qingyan narrowed her eyes. Zheng Taohua came from Yuzhen. Going back there might reveal other clues.

Being led by the nose like this is not a pleasant feeling at all.

-----------------

"Sir, everything has been taken care of."

A middle-aged man stood respectfully at the back, looking at the young man in front.

The man turned around, and it was clearly Mr. Zhou, who had been missing for a long time.

He was dressed in a silver brocade robe, looking every bit the businessman.

"Since it has nothing to do with us anymore, we don't need to worry about it anymore."

"Make it clear to him what he should and shouldn't say."

The middle-aged man bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes."

Mr. Zhou looked up at the moon in the sky. Under the moonlight, the embroidered orchid pattern on his clothes was visible.

Scholars and writers often use plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums to symbolize a virtuous person.

This outfit really gives off a refined and elegant vibe.