The eldest sister was reborn and the younger sister traveled through time. I just want to survive.

Xue Wanhe refused calmly, "I don't like the smell of pollen, so I won't go. You two sisters can go and have a look!"

Yan Muqing was just being polite; she knew Xue Wanhe would not go.

In her previous life, Xue Wanhe was the prince's concubine. They lived together in a palace for twelve years, so she had some understanding of his personality.

Xue Wanhe looks aloof and somewhat arrogant, but in fact, she is very smart and insightful. She never takes sides or makes friends casually, and she doesn't like to curry favor with others. She is devoted to studying the art of playing the piano and only wants to hide away and live a quiet life of her own.

But in times of trouble, those who seem cold-hearted actually provide the most help.

After leaving the pavilion, Yan Muxi followed the palace servant who stole the scent beads all the way to the rose garden.

She pretended to be admiring the flowers casually, and clearly saw the palace servant put the beads into the pocket of a palace concubine and then left quickly.

When he got closer, Yan Muxi realized that the person who had the beads secretly stuffed into her was actually the third prince's mother, Concubine Qin.

Rumor has it that Concubine Qin is not very favored by the province and has a low presence in the harem. Apart from her offspring, she has no advantage in competing for favor compared to other concubines.

What's the point of someone behind the scenes framing an old and unloved concubine? Yan Muxi couldn't figure it out for a moment.

According to her previous personality, she would never care about trivial matters, but now she will think more before encountering things.

Concubine Qin is the biological mother of the Third Prince. If she helps Concubine Qin, it would be equivalent to helping the Third Prince. If she does good things for the Third Prince, she might be able to gain some convenience from him in the future.

Anyway, it was extremely easy for her to transplant flowers and trees. It was just a matter of moving her fingers.

Concubine Qin and her entourage stood beside a bush of yellow and white roses, with more than a dozen concubines and palace maids beside them.

Yan Muxi and Yan Muqing saluted at the same time.

"This subject greets all the masters and ladies!"

"Get up quickly, there's no need to be so polite!" Concubine Qin smiled very casually, without a trace of airs in her every move.

Compared to the young concubines around her who all have their own merits, Concubine Qin is older and not extremely beautiful, but her big almond-shaped eyes seem to contain a clear spring, and she looks timid and gentle, as if she would not harm others but would only be harmed by others, as if she can easily arouse others' desire to protect her.

After standing up, Yan Muxi stood three steps away from Concubine Qin, waiting for the opportunity to attack.

After just a short wait, the opportunity came. A young concubine saw a beautiful white rose and was amazed and wanted to get closer to admire it, but she lost her balance and stumbled forward.

"Oh, sister, be careful!" Qin Guiren said as she reached out to help.

Yan Muxi stepped forward at the same time and bumped into Concubine Qin as expected, and successfully took the scent beads from her pocket.

After she regained her balance, she bowed and apologized, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I did not mean to offend you."

Concubine Qin waved her hand without caring, "It was just a slight touch, how can it be considered an offense? Second Miss Yan, please don't be scared, I don't eat people."

Yan Muxi smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Madam, for not blaming me for being reckless."

Lady Qin also narrowed her big almond eyes, her cheeks blushing as if she was a little embarrassed, "Don't blame me, don't blame me, Miss Yan, please don't take it to heart."

After a round of dealings, Yan Muxi was basically certain that Concubine Qin and A Niang were the same type of people. They were both naive older girls who were sold and still helped others count the money.

In fact, she could have taken the fragrance beads more low-key. She did so to leave her name in front of Concubine Qin and leave some evidence of her good deeds.

The scent beads had been retrieved, and Yan Muxi had originally planned to throw them away somewhere, but when he looked up and saw the imperial concubine's procession approaching from afar, he changed his mind.

Concubine Li was sitting on a tall sedan chair. Before the guard of honor arrived, all the concubines knelt down and saluted.

When passing by the concubines, the eunuchs carrying the sedan chair did not stop, and Concubine Li on the sedan chair just glanced at them, slightly parted her red lips and uttered a few words lightly, "Everyone, stand up!"

After the imperial concubine's guard of honor walked away, Yan Muxi and Yan Muqing hurried back to the pavilion along the path on the other side of the garden.

No matter what the reason is, if they arrive later than the imperial concubine, they will definitely be accused of being disrespectful by someone with ulterior motives.

The small path was not much closer than the main path, and the two of them hurried and entered the pavilion one step earlier than Concubine Li.

After another round of greetings, Concubine Li finally looked at the gifts on the stone table. "Your Majesty is really something. He always gives me so many gifts. My small storeroom is almost full."

"The Emperor loves His Majesty, others want it but don't have it yet!"

"That's right. I haven't seen any rewards from the Emperor all year round. It turns out that all of them have gone to you, Your Majesty!"

"The Emperor claims that he is not biased, but it is clear that he is biased to the point of being biased!"

After hearing enough flattery, Concubine Li smiled and said, "The Emperor only gave me some small gifts, but you are so jealous that you even made up stories about the Emperor!"

"I know I was wrong. I was just jealous that Your Majesty is favored by the Emperor, but I would never dare to slander the Emperor!" The young concubine's words seemed to be an apology, but in fact she was still flattering Concubine Li in a roundabout way.

It was obvious that Concubine Li was very impressed by this, and her smile became even bigger. "Mrs. Gao, don't learn from those short-sighted people. I will give you some good things later. This white jade carving is nice, and the water content of the green jadeite top is also very good... Oh, isn't this the Hundred Flowers Fragrance Beads? I just said I liked it, and the emperor actually sent a whole box of it!"

Concubine Li picked up a scent bead and put it to her nose and sniffed it, her face full of joy, showing that she really liked it.

Lady Gao said enviously, "I heard that there are only a dozen or so incense beads found in Nanyang. I'm afraid the emperor gave them all to the queen!"

"That's right, all sixteen beads should be here!" Concubine Li put the beads in her hand into the box and ordered the palace servant beside her, "Please keep the fragrance beads well. I like them very much. Please be careful and don't damage or lose them!" After that, she sat down in the main seat beside her.

Everyone took their seats, but as soon as they sat down, the palace servant in charge of collecting the beads came running over in a hurry.

"Oh no, one of the Fragrance Beads is missing!"

Concubine Li was surprised, "How could there be one less? Have you counted them clearly?"

"I counted them three times and there are only fifteen. There is indeed one missing."

Hearing this, Concubine Li ordered her personal maid, "Mammy, go and count again. How could a good bead be missing for no apparent reason?"

After a while, the nanny returned, "There are indeed only fifteen beads, and the reward list shows sixteen. We counted them twice before and after they were shipped out of the warehouse, so there is no mistake. I guess the beads just disappeared."

Concubine Li raised her eyebrows, "Mammy, what you mean is that someone stole my incense beads?"

"Hmph," Li Chan'er snorted, "We'll know if anyone stole it once we check. Anything the scent beads touch will retain its fragrance for half a day. Auntie only needs to check everyone's clothes one by one to find out where the scent beads are."