Chapter 94: The Lie is Exposed

  In the Pingxi royal residence, early in the morning, Qiao'er, the maid serving the crown prince's consort, was carrying a basin of water for washing her face when she saw that the crown prince's consort, who should have been lying in bed, had already gotten up and was standing by the screen with no strength. Qiao'er put down the basin of water and was about to go over to support her when she saw the crown prince's consort suddenly lower her head and start dry heaving into a small spittoon on the floor.

  "What's wrong with you, Princess?" Cui'er was startled and looked at the princess, who actually seemed more like she was pregnant. But she couldn't be sure, afraid that if she said so and the doctor came to take her pulse, it would turn out that the princess wasn't pregnant after all, and they would have been happy for nothing. So Cui'er didn't dare say what she suspected. But Yang Lian looked too haggard, and as Cui'er approached her, she began to doubt her own judgment again.

  "My stomach feels terrible." Yang Lian slowly said these few words, and only then did she feel a bit better. Qiao had already seen that she was almost done vomiting, and quickly brought over a bowl of clear water. Yang Lian took it and repeatedly rinsed her mouth, and the strange taste in her mouth finally felt a bit better. Qiao supported her as she sat down on the intricately carved chair, then said: "Miss, I'll go invite the doctor to come take a look at you!"

  Yang Lian raised her head and said, "No need, this little thing doesn't need to trouble the doctor when I was young, I'm much better now."

  "Quickly, my good mistress! I see you like this, eight out of ten chances that you are pregnant! This needs a doctor to take your pulse to confirm!"

  Yang Lian suddenly grasped Qiao Er's hand and asked anxiously: "You...you said I'm pregnant? Is this true?"

  Qiao'er asked: "Princess, I remember that your monthly flow was supposed to come a few days ago, but it didn't. Is that right?"

  Yang Lian nodded. Qiao said: "Princess, eight or nine out of ten you are! But still need a doctor to confirm it."

  Yang Lian was immersed in great joy, ignoring Qiao Er's words. Qiao Er saw the situation and couldn't help but become anxious, and hastily said it three more times. Yang Lian only then heard her, nodding repeatedly: "It's indeed time to invite a doctor to take my pulse. Then Qiao Er, you go invite the doctor!" As she spoke, she stretched out her hand to caress her belly. She hadn't expected that she would actually have a day of becoming a mother!

  When Qiao'er invited the doctor to come, Princess Pingxi also came with her. She had already learned from Qiao'er that Yang Lian was pregnant and was overjoyed.

  Yang Lian had finished washing up and having breakfast. After seeing Princess Pingxi, she paid her respects to the princess. However, she was pulled back by Princess Pingxi.

  "My good Lian'er! What are you doing asking for peace at this time? Don't move, let the doctor take your pulse." Princess Pingxi pressed her down into a chair. She called the doctor to come and take her pulse, while she herself stood anxiously beside her, not blinking an eye. Yang Lian saw her like this and couldn't help but feel anxious too. If she weren't pregnant, Mother would be so disappointed!

  Isn't it more disappointing than being disappointed by others? Yang Lian thought.

  The doctor took his pulse for a long time, with a serious expression on his face, finishing one arm and then the other. The expressions of Princess Pingxi and Yang Lian became increasingly tense, even Cui'er was so nervous that she couldn't bear it. If the princess is pregnant, everyone will be overjoyed. But if she's not pregnant at all, just having a stomachache, not only would everyone's joy be in vain, but also her husband's days would be difficult to get through, and Cui'er would still have to endure the princess's complaints, making her life even more unbearable.

  When everyone's heart was in a state of anxiety, the doctor finally stood up with a smile and said to Princess Pinghe: "Congratulations, Princess, the Crown Prince's wife is pregnant! It has been over a month already."

  Everyone's heart finally fell to the ground. Yang Lian heard the doctor's words and a big smile appeared on his face, and Princess Pingxi was also unable to close her mouth, shouting: "Reward, heavily reward! Everyone is rewarded!"

  Qiao'er hastily took out the silver to reward the doctor. Turning back, he withdrew the silver from the account house and gave rewards to all the slaves in the mansion, from top to bottom. Within a day, the joyful news of Princess Pingxi's pregnancy spread throughout the streets and alleys.

  Princess Pingxi treated Yanglian like a treasure, and her diligent appearance even surpassed that of Xuan Yuan Qiyue, who was originally the most favored by Princess Pingxi. Yanglian saw that her mother-in-law suddenly became enthusiastic towards her, sending all kinds of precious supplements to her room every day without spending money, and in just a few days, the small storage room in her courtyard was filled to capacity. Yanglian knew that these things were all given for the sake of the child in her womb, and had little to do with herself.

  However, Yang Lian didn't mind. What she was worried about now was whether she could give birth to a boy. In that case, the eldest grandson of the Pingxi King's mansion would be born from her own belly. With this child, her position as the Crown Princess would be unshakeable. She stayed indoors every day and ate with extreme care. In this regard, the Pingxi King's wife was even more meticulous than Yang Lian had thought. She had a small kitchen built in Yang Lian's courtyard. This way, all of the Crown Princess's food, soup, and medicine would be under her own supervision. With such close monitoring, no one could possibly make any moves.

  His wife became pregnant. Xuan Yuan Xi knew it at the first time. He calculated the date, it was that night when he got drunk.

  Should he keep this child or not? Xuan Yuan Qi was infinitely entangled. He didn't care about Yang Lian giving birth to a child for him. It's just that the more time he spent with her these days, the more Xuan Yuan Qi discovered that his wife had some literary talent under the influence of Yang Ge, and the title of talented woman was well-deserved. If he hadn't met Xu Mingjin first, he thought he would have liked this woman. Unfortunately, there were no ifs. His recent mood had changed a lot. He knew that he actually owed Yang Lian. Any woman who was treated with such indifference by her husband would be heartbroken and cold-hearted. Yet Yang Lian still treated him as usual, as if she didn't mind at all.

  Xuanyuan Ze thought for a moment, sighed and decided that since Yanglian was pregnant, he would let her give birth to the child. It could also be considered as a way to make up for what he owed her. Having made up his mind, Xuanyuan Xizhi's attitude towards Yanglian, who was now pregnant, slightly improved. The concubines in the mansion had originally been brought back on purpose to annoy Yanglian, but this time, Xuanyuan Xizhi chased them all away.

  Yang Lian was overjoyed at the sight. As long as Xuan Yuan Qi could be slightly better to her, she would be content, regardless of whether it was for the sake of the child or someone else's face. Yang Lian knew he absolutely wouldn't do it for her own sake. But this was already good enough.

  Xuanyuan Qi swore to those concubines, seeing the once unfavored Crown Prince's consort suddenly become pregnant. Each and every one of them was extremely jealous. When they wanted to take action, they found that Princess Pingxi had protected Yang Lian so tightly that not a single drop of water could leak out, making it clear that she cared deeply about the child in the Crown Prince's consort's belly. They could only glare with envy, but were completely powerless. Just as they were feeling frustrated, they suddenly heard that the Crown Prince was going to expel all of them. This was like a thunderbolt on a sunny day, and it took several people half a day to react.

  "Your Highness, please, don't let the Crown Prince drive us out!" After realizing this, several people rushed to Princess Pingxi and begged in tears. As for why they didn't go to Xuan Yuan's place to beg, the reason was simple: Xuan Yuan wasn't even in the mansion. The people he sent were constantly urging them to hurry up and pack their gold, silver, and valuables to leave the palace. At Princess Pingxi's place, it was still because they had managed to squeeze in a visit.

  After Princess Pingxi understood the situation, she fell into deep thought. Her daughter-in-law was pregnant, and it would be best to send these concubines away. That way, her grandson's position would be secure. Besides, she had never liked these concubines anyway. Each of them looked a bit like Xu Mingjin. Although Princess Pingxi didn't dare to openly hate Xu Mingjin now, the resentment in her heart hadn't faded one bit. These women, who resembled Xu Mingjin, suffered from guilt by association. As long as they didn't ask for anything, Princess Pingxi would be fine, but once they did, she would speak up: "Since this is the young master's intention, I, as his mother, can only comply. Zhang, the steward, where does the young master want to sell them?"

  Those women who were kneeling on the ground and kowtowing suddenly turned pale. The prince only said to drive them out, not to sell them! It seems that they have brought this upon themselves. Several people cried out in distress and began to kowtow and beg for mercy. However, Princess Pingxi remained unmoved. In her heart, she thought: Heaven has a way, but you don't take it; Hell has no door, yet you rush in! Don't blame me for being impolite then, go blame Miss Xu Liu instead!

  It's just that this remark is not easy for Princess Pingxi to say. If she says it, her own son will be the first to not let her off.

  Zhang Guan's face turned pale and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. The prince's intention was to drive them out, but the queen not only wanted to drive them out but also sell them! If the prince found out, he would definitely blame him for being inefficient. But if he didn't follow the queen's arrangement, she could use this as an excuse to remove him from his position as a manager. He had worked hard all his life and had only managed to get this job, how could he let it be ruined by these few women? Zhang Guan glared at the kneeling women and spoke obsequiously to Queen Pinghui: "Your Majesty, please take a look at this Zhang Niangniang." He pointed to the woman in the middle and said: "Her father is Li Daren, the commander of the nine gates, although she is an illegitimate daughter." Then he pointed to another woman and said: "This Lin Niangniang, her father is a teacher in the government office." After introducing all the women to the queen, he said: "Your Majesty, these women are all daughters of respectable families with clean backgrounds, not those lowly people from brothels without parents. The prince said that giving them 50 taels of silver each and driving them out would be enough, let them go back to their respective homes. If we do it the way you just said, I'm afraid these families will gossip outside and harm the prince's reputation. Please think thrice, Your Majesty."

  The princess listened, and every sentence Zhang Guan said was reasonable. If she really sold these women, their families would definitely be dissatisfied and gossip outside. The Pingxi royal family is a big and powerful family, after all, it's the imperial clan. Can't just kill all these people, can they? There's still the emperor above! It seems that these people cannot be sold. Princess Pingxi was unhappy in her heart. She couldn't do anything to Xu Mingjin, could she still not dispose of these concubines and maidservants in her own son's house to vent her anger? For a moment, Princess Pingxi really wanted to sell these women without hesitation. Since they were already married into the Pingxi royal family, their lives and deaths would be decided by the Pingxi royal family!

  However, the reputation of her son was something she had to care about. Princess Pingxi thought for half a day, thinking that it was a headache, and said in her heart: Forget it, they are not Xu Mingjin, even if they were tortured to death, Xu Mingjin would still be fine. It wouldn't have any impact on him at all. What's the point of doing all this? Princess Pingxi suddenly lost interest, waved her hand and said: "Since Yu'er has already spoken, just do as he says!"

  This time, those women obediently followed Zhang's housekeeper out of the mansion and didn't dare say another word.

  Everyone in Ping Xi Wang Fu finally settled down peacefully.

  In another month, Xu Mingjin will be getting married. Old Lady Xu often calls Xu Mingjin to Chunhuiyuan to give her some instructions. Xu Ruoyi himself has a thin face and is too embarrassed to go, so he sends Lady Xu to personally come to Feicuigarden to whisper in Xu Mingjin's ear, saying the same thing as Old Lady Xu: after Xu Mingjin marries the Second Prince, she must not forget to bring her natal family along. Only when her natal family prospers can she be looked up to by the Second Prince and live a good life. Xu Mingjin listens with a cold smile, does he want her to forget to bring him along? Lady Xu sees the cold smile on Xu Mingjin's face and becomes anxious in her heart, what does Xu Mingjin mean, is she unwilling to bring Old Master along? If she's unwilling to bring Old Master along, then that means she's also unwilling to bring her along. Lady Xu's heart becomes uneasy.

  "Mother, do you think Father's official position can be further elevated? But have you ever thought about how many years Father has been in the position of Minister? Has the Emperor promoted him? Anyone with discerning eyes can see that Father being able to become a Minister is already his limit. Now, as long as he diligently guards this position and waits for retirement, that's enough! Don't bother trying to make unnecessary moves! With Second Prince as our son-in-law, let Father focus on being a good Minister!"

  Mrs. Xu did not expect that Xu Mingjin would understand her old father's mind so clearly. Listening to Xu Mingjin's analysis, which was thorough and to the point, she couldn't help but sit there in contemplation.

  Xu Mingjin slowly drank his tea, and after a while, he said: "Mother, actually what you told me last time, that when you gave birth to Ceng Er, you hurt your body and couldn't have any more children, was that a lie?"

  Mrs. Xu's face suddenly turned white, and she forced a smile: "How, how is that possible? Of course it's true!"

  Xu Mingjin looked at her and slowly said: "Oh? Then why are you secretly drinking fertility medicine? People who can't give birth still drink fertility medicine, what's the reason for that?"

  Mrs. Xü's face turned even paler, as pale as death. She was only thinking to herself that taking the abortion medicine was an extremely secretive matter, how did Xü Míngjǐn know about it?

  How did Xú Míng Jǐn know? There was a Jade Bamboo by her side, didn't she know anything about it? Don't look at what Madam Xú said last time with such sincerity and think that Xú Míng Jǐn believed her. But she didn't know that in the Xú family, the only person who could make Xú Míng Jǐn completely believe was Xú Míng Xuān alone. She wouldn't even trust Xú Ruò Yì, let alone Madam Xú?

  This matter was still discovered by Yuzhu unintentionally. She went back and told Xumingjin. Xumingjin remained calm and asked her to go to the several doctors who were invited when Mrs. Xu gave birth to investigate. The result was that the doctor had never said such a thing. Xumingjin knew that she had been careless last time, and hadn't even asked before believing what Mrs. Xu had said. After all, no woman would tell others that she couldn't bear children. But Mrs. Xu was just such a person, and Xumingjin knew that she had underestimated Mrs. Xu in the past.

  Mrs. Xü wanted to deny that she hadn't taken the fetal medicine, but Xü Míngjǐn interrupted her lightly: "Whether or not you took it is unimportant. If Mother isn't deceiving me, then let this servant girl take your pulse and see how it is? She also understands some of the techniques of Qigong. Whether or not Mother is pregnant can be known at a glance." As she spoke, she pointed to Yùzhú who was standing beside her. Yùzhú, understanding the cue, stepped forward and stood in front of Mrs. Xü.

  Mrs. Xu was there, and she didn't know what to say. If she disagreed with the pulse diagnosis, it would be equivalent to admitting that she had taken fertility medicine. If she agreed with the pulse diagnosis, her pregnancy would definitely be exposed by that maid, no matter what. Her pregnancy would be revealed today by Xu Mingjin without mercy. The lie she told Xu Mingjin about being infertile would also be exposed, and the agreement they had reached with great difficulty would collapse on its own.

  Mrs. Xue couldn't bear to part with her. Xu Mingjin was about to become the imperial son's consort, a powerful backing that she didn't want to lose. However, now that she was pregnant, all the promises she had made to Xu Mingjin were null and void. She had nothing left to offer Xu Mingjin, so why would Xu Mingjin continue to cooperate with her? Mrs. Xue racked her brains but couldn't think of a way to change their current predicament.

  Xu Mingjin sat there leisurely, sipping his tea slowly and deliberately, not even glancing at Mrs. Xu, as if he didn't consider her worthy of his attention. Mrs. Xu thought to herself: I'm still your mother after all, how can you treat me with such disdain? Even if you're going to be a princess, there's no need to be so arrogant! Mrs. Xu felt indignant and suddenly found it easier to speak her mind. She smiled and said: "No need for that maid to take my pulse. That tonic I drank was indeed for nourishing the fetus, you guessed correctly, I am pregnant."

  After finishing, Mrs. Xue looked at Xu Mingjin. She originally thought that Xu Mingjin would definitely mock her after hearing her words, but unexpectedly, Xu Mingjin's expression didn't change in the slightest, still smiling brightly as if he had already anticipated what she would say. Mrs. Xue became suspicious. Xu Mingjin calmly asked: "Hasn't any news been leaked out of the mansion yet? Has Mother not told Father and Grandmother?"

  Mrs. Xu didn't understand what Xu Mingjin meant by this, so she could only say: "Because the month is too early, the doctor said that the fetal condition is a bit unstable, so mother hid it from everyone. When the fetal condition becomes more stable, I will tell your grandmother and father." After finishing speaking, Mrs. Xu looked at Xu Mingjin again and found that she was still smiling brightly. She became even more confused about what Xu Mingjin was trying to do.

  Xu Mingjin was impatient with the twists and turns in Madam Xu's mind, so she spoke directly: "Mother being pregnant should be a joyful event. You should also have a child of your own. However, it would still be better to tell Grandmother and Father about it. Let them share in the joy too. As for what we discussed between us, let's just forget about it. Mother, you just take good care of Seventh Sister and the child in your belly, that's all. Mingxuan has me as his older sister, so he doesn't need Mother to worry about him anymore. He's grown up now, and at the academy, he doesn't need anyone to worry about him either. Mother only needs to take care of herself."

  The underlying message of Xu Mingjin's words is: Even if you're carrying a boy in your belly, don't even think about comparing him to Mingxuan! If you dare harm a single hair on Mingxuan's head, I won't hold back against you! As for the child in your own belly, I couldn't care less! As long as you don't provoke me, I won't provoke you either. Let's just forget about our previous agreement. And as for how you deceived me, I won't bother to settle accounts with you. We'll each go our separate ways. This conversation, of course, Xu Furen understood perfectly well. Her expression turned unnatural. From the fact that Xu Mingjin knew about her pregnancy, which she had tried every means to conceal, she could see that Xu Mingjin had an overwhelming power in the Xu household. Every move she made was under Xu Mingjin's control... No, it should be said that the entire Xu household was under Xu Mingjin's control! If she dared to touch Xu Mingxuan, Xu Mingjin would absolutely not let her off!

  Madam Xu's face turned red and white, ever since she became pregnant, she had an idea in her mind. If she gave birth to a boy, then everything in the Xu household would be hers, without Xu Mingxuan having any share! Once her child was born, she would think of ways to get rid of this stumbling block. But unexpectedly, her plan was discovered by Xu Mingjin so quickly. From now on, it would be even harder for her to make a move against Xu Mingxuan.

  Thinking about it is unbearable, Xu Mingxuan is clearly the stumbling block of his own son! But Mrs. Xu knows that the power behind this stumbling block is too great. No matter what, he can't win, in this life, he can only watch with his eyes open as the stumbling block blocks his son's path, but has no way to stop it. If he really dares to move that stumbling block, he will definitely be hurt. Maybe even lose his life.

  Mrs. Xu thought it over and finally decided to save her own life, so she said to Xu Mingjin: "Jin'er, mother will remember what you said."

  After Madam Xü left, Xü Mingjin sat there, deep in thought. The fact that Madam Xü had become pregnant was always a hidden danger; how could he eliminate this threat once and for all? Yuzhu, who was standing beside him, looked at his expression and said: "Miss, why don't I secretly give Madam Xü some abortion medicine?"

  Xu Mingjin glared at him and said, "You're quite ruthless, aren't you? That's a life! No wonder you're used to being an undercover agent, you enjoy taking lives."

  Yu Zhu was about to retort a few words to Xu Mingjin, but seeing Xu Mingjin's worried expression, she thought better of it.

  Xu Mingjin thought for half a day and still couldn't come up with a good idea, so he could only pay more attention to Xu Furen's movements in the future and let Mingxuan return home less often.

  Mrs. Xü went back and indeed told Mrs. Xü and Xü Ruòyì about her pregnancy. The whole house celebrated. Xü Míngjǐn also followed suit and smiled a few times. However, Mrs. Xü dodged and didn't dare to meet Xü Míngjǐn's gaze.

  Xu Mingjin couldn't help but laugh at herself, she couldn't even eat her own cooking, how could she be so afraid of herself?

  Since then, Mrs. Xü no longer brought Chán'ér to play in the Emerald Garden. Xü Míngjǐn knew that Mrs. Xü was afraid of losing her child while playing at her place. She didn't dare think about it either - if she really lost her child in her own courtyard, wouldn't the rumors outside drown her? Was she that foolish?

  On this day, Fan Yicheng suddenly came to find Xu Mingjin. Coincidentally, Xu Ruoyi was also at home. He looked at the young man in front of him with a calm and composed expression, and his heart was full of doubts. Who is this person who has come to find Jin'er? However, when the young man claimed to be Xu Mingjin's uncle, he couldn't believe it and sized up the young man again. Indeed, he found that the young man looked a bit like Jin'er's mother. It seemed that what the young man said was true. But wasn't the prodigal son of the Fan family reduced to being a beggar? When did he become the rich young master he is today?

  When mentioning past events, Xu Ruoyi had indeed done some shameful things. Now facing the victim, he was somewhat guilty in his heart.

  Fan Yicheng naturally saw through Xu Ruoyi's guilty conscience. He couldn't help but clench his fists secretly, the decline of the Fan family indeed had something to do with him! Thinking about the death of his parents, thinking about his little sister being forced to become a concubine for the person in front of him, and thinking about himself becoming a beggar and suffering all sorts of humiliation, living from hand to mouth every day, Fan Yicheng needed to use great force to suppress the anger in his heart, or else he would have gone forward and slapped Xu Ruoyi to death with one palm.

  Xu Ruoyi was lost in thought about another matter, wondering whether to let Jin'er meet this uncle of the Fan family who had somehow made a fortune. Jin'er was getting married in just one month, and it wouldn't do if this uncle came seeking favors from her. Thinking this, Xu Ruoyi apologized to Fan Dicong: "I'm sorry, Jin'er is still learning etiquette and manners, the Empress Dowager has even sent a nanny to teach her personally! This time is not convenient, why don't you come another day?"

  After hearing Xu Ruoyi's words, Fan Yicheng stood up from his chair and said: "Since that's the case, I'll come again another day. But I heard that Jin'er is getting married next month, just don't know which day? I want to come over and see her off on her wedding day. Her mother has passed away, so as her uncle, I should take care of my niece on her big day. Does Lord Xu agree?"

  When mentioning Fan's wife, Xu Ruoyi also felt a pang of sadness. Fan Yicheng was right, Jin'er's mother couldn't watch Jin'er get married, so it wasn't bad for her uncle to replace her mother. Thinking of this, Xu Ruoyi nodded and said: "Uncle is right, Jin'er will get married on the sixth day of next month, please come at that time."

  Since Xu Ruoyi had already agreed, Fan Yicheng proposed to take his leave. Xu Ruoyi pretended to persuade him to stay a bit longer and then sent him off.

  Xu Ruoyi returned home and immediately sent someone to investigate this uncle who suddenly appeared out of thin air. How did he come to the capital? And how much did he know about what happened that year?

  Xu Mingjin soon learned that Fan Yicheng had come to visit her but was blocked by her father. She was also puzzled, if Fan Yicheng wanted to see her, couldn't he just send someone to say a word? Why did he have to come in person and get blocked by others? Now she wouldn't even be able to go out to find him casually, Xu Ruoyi would definitely send someone to keep an eye on her. But after Yuzhu finished telling the story of Fan Yicheng's visit, Xu Mingjin understood that he wanted to openly send her off as a bride. Since her father had already agreed, then Yan Yuwei, Yuzhi and Zhang Shouzhi could also come together at that time. Xu Mingjin thought about this and felt both warmth and amusement, after all, it was just a wedding, not like they wouldn't see each other again in the future, did they have to be so serious?

  Xu Mingjin forgot, as a princess consort, how could she casually leave the mansion?

  A few days later, Xu Mingjin suddenly received four maidservants sent by Mrs. Xu, which was also a custom. Every time a young lady from a wealthy family got married, her mother would prepare four maidservants to accompany her. The four maidservants prepared by Mrs. Xu were only average-looking. Xu Mingjin took one look and knew that Mrs. Xu didn't have the guts to cheat on this matter. However, she didn't lack maidservants herself, so she decided to reserve the positions for Yu Zhu and others, therefore, Xu Mingjin returned all the maidservants to Mrs. Xu.

  This was also within Madame Xu's expectations. However, she made a request to exchange these maidservants for the jade bamboo beside Xu Mingjin.

  Xu Mingjin flatly refused.

  Mrs. Xü was slightly annoyed in her heart, but she was just a maid, so petty? She cried to Xü Ruòyì in front of him, wanting him to personally bring Yùzhú over, but he bluntly refused: "That maid is Princess Jìnglín's gift to Jǐn'ér, not an ordinary maid. Don't think about her again. Jǐn'ér won't give her to you. If you're uncomfortable, isn't there a doctor? Stop finding fault all day."

  Mrs. Xu was disappointed and had to give up her idea.

  On this day, Yu Zhu ran over to tell Xu Mingjin: "Miss, Yan Zhifu brought a family of fellow villagers to Beijing!"

  Xu Mingjin was delighted when he heard the news, but unfortunately, he had no way of going out to take a look and felt very depressed.

  Xu Ruoyi had been paying attention to Fan Yicheng, and of course, he also knew about this matter. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: This Fan Yicheng is indeed so lucky! Nowadays, not only has he become rich, but he has also found an official father-in-law for himself. It's said that he has been studying hard recently, and who knows, maybe next year he'll really be able to take the imperial examination and get a government position. Who would have thought that even a prodigal son like him could have a day of prosperity? Truly astonishing!

  Xu Ruoyi didn't know that Fan Yicheng would have today, and his own daughter couldn't get rid of the relationship. He was just thinking there, this Fan Yicheng shouldn't be so clever to investigate what happened back then, right? In that case, wouldn't he have an extra helper? And Jin'er would also have an extra helper? Xu Ruoyi had this thought, and whether or not it's possible to win Fan Yicheng over in the future is not clear. Let's talk about Xu Mingjin first. The next day, she received a letter sent by Fan Yicheng through someone else. The letter told her that this time when he returned to Liu City, with the help of Yan Zhifu, he had already investigated the truth, and it was indeed true that back then Xu Ruoyi, in order to form an alliance with the Ye family, had joined forces with the head of the Xu family to destroy the Fan family, who had a marriage contract with them. However, there was no evidence for all this, and Yan Zhifu also advised him to let it go, considering that Xu Ruoyi was Xu Mingjin's father.

  Xu Ming sneered, looking at her face? Why look at her face? Does Xu Ruoyi have a father-daughter relationship with her? Maybe there are a few points for Xuaner, or maybe it's because he is the only son. As for her, even if she does, it's because she is about to marry the second prince, all of which are benefits and have nothing to do with family affection.

  Xu Mingjin immediately replied, asking Fan Weichen to do something or not. Don't worry about her. After Fan Weichen received the letter and read it himself, he turned around and took the letter to find his father-in-law.

  Mr. Yan took over the letter, read it and asked: "Isn't Miss Liu extremely resentful of her father?"

  Fan Yicheng nodded and told his father-in-law about how Xu Mingjin and her younger brother had grown up in Liu City since they were young, and how Xu Ruoyi would go back to visit them once a year.

  "Yan Daren fell into thought for a moment, then said: 'Wei Chen, what do you plan to do? Are you going to have Xu Ruoyi accompany your parents in death? You'd better think carefully about this, as the road ahead is extremely arduous and with your current abilities, it's simply impossible. Unless you rely on the power of Miss Xu Liu. But that's her father, you should consider her feelings more, even if she herself can't wait to kill her father, that's not something you can do. Wei Chen, for the sake of Miss Liu, you cannot take his life.'"

  Fan Yicheng's face was as calm as water, but it seemed like he was struggling intensely in his heart. Yan Daren didn't disturb him either, only coming over to look at him for a long time before saying: "A person's greatest pain is losing the thing they care about most. As long as they lose that thing, it's better to be dead than alive."

  Fan Yicheng's eyes lit up, and he said: "Father-in-law, your meaning is that I don't need to kill Xu Ruoyi, just take away the thing he cares about most. This will make him suffer even more than killing him, right?"

  Yan Daren nodded and said: "What is it that Xu Ruoyi cares about most?"

  Fan Yicheng thought for a moment and said, "Official position and power! This is what he has been pursuing for most of his life. If he loses his official position, he will certainly be miserable!"

  Yan Daren smiled and nodded, saying: "I'm afraid that's exactly what the Sixth Miss has in mind. It seems that there's no need for you to do anything, with the Second Prince around, Xu Ruoyi's official position won't last much longer."

  Fan Yicheng couldn't help but admire his father-in-law even more: "Father-in-law is right. I, your son-in-law, have learned from you."

  Yan Daren was enjoying the flattery from his son-in-law. He said, "Is Yuwei doing any better now? Even if she still can't eat anything, you should try to persuade her a bit."

  When it comes to his wife, Fan Yicheng's eyes become gentle as water: "She is much better now, and she can eat a lot of food for three meals a day. She loves sour things, so now every dish has a lot of vinegar in it. Every time she eats happily, my teeth are about to ache." Although the tone is mostly complaining, the doting and happiness contained within are evident.

  Yan Zhifu was even more pleased with this son-in-law. Although he had suffered a lot in the first half of his life, he was now on top of the world. The money in his hands may not be as much as it was when Fan's family was prosperous, but it was still considerable. Just look at the large mansion he bought specifically for his return to Beijing this time, which cost tens of millions! He didn't even blink an eye when he bought it. Next year, he will participate in the imperial examination and has a good chance of becoming a jinshi. His niece is also very close to him and married a highly favored prince. With this relationship, his official position will only continue to rise. Most importantly, he treats his daughter extremely well and is very respectful to him and his wife. Yan Zhifu now feels that his daughter marrying Fan Daimin was a good match. What's more gratifying is that his daughter has a good eye for people.

  Fan Yicheng discussed with his father-in-law and returned home to write a letter to Xu Mingjin, writing down all the analyses given by Yan Zhifu. He sent someone to deliver the letter to Xu Mingjin, then went back to his room to look for his wife.

  Xu Mingjin received the letter and opened it to read. He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

  Uncle is right, Xu Ruoyi no matter what, is her nominal father, whether she admits it or not, in the eyes of outsiders, he is still her own father. It's really unnecessary to take his old life. Just let him live in his own remorse as Uncle said! Xu Mingjin made up his mind and wrote a letter to the Second Prince with determination.

  Xuan Yuan Ze received a letter from Xu Ming Jin and thought it was a love letter. He eagerly opened the letter, but inside, there were only matters about Xu Shang Shu, and even the greetings for him were just one sentence: "You shouldn't be busy lately, right?" There was nothing else. Xuan Yuan Ze flipped the letter over and over again, but didn't see any other words. He couldn't help but get angry. He really wanted to run to the Shang Shu Fu and drag Xu Ming Jin out to spank him.

  But he could only think about it, and couldn't bear to spank Xu Mingjin's butt. Giving him a couple of kisses was okay. Xuan Yuanze thought about Xu Mingjin's appearance in his heart, and guessed what Xu Mingjin was doing now? It was already time for dinner, so she should be eating, right? Xuan Yuanze immediately shouted: "Baozhu, serve the meal!"

  As for what Xuming Jin asked him to do, it's not urgent anyway, let's eat first!

  Baozhu hastily responded with a "yes" and ordered someone to go to the imperial kitchen to serve the meal. He stood there, thinking to himself, the master has never eaten on time before, what's going on today? Why is he being so enthusiastic about eating?

  In the Emerald Garden, Xu Mingjin was lounging around, listlessly flipping through the book in his hand. Yu Zhu brought back Xuan Yuanze's reply letter.

  Xu Mingjin's spirit suddenly came, and he hastily took over the letter and opened it. He read it in one glance, but his face turned redder as he read on. Xuan Yuanze had written a whole page of sentimental words, only mentioning the main topic at the end: "I already know about this matter, we'll take care of it after you get married."

  Xu Mingjin understood what he meant. If Xu Ruoyi were to be removed from her position now, then the matter of her marrying Xuan Yuanze would become complicated. Therefore, it was said that they would get married after the matter was settled. Xu Mingjin put away the letter and revealed a smile.

  Hurry up! If Xu Ruoyi retires and returns to his hometown, then the whole family will follow him back. Mingxuan still has to study and can't go back. This way, she won't have to worry about Mingxuan being secretly plotted against by those with ulterior motives in the Xu family. However, Xu Mingying and the others are already 16 years old, they must want to get married in the capital and won't be willing to follow Xu Ruoyi back to their hometown. Considering that they haven't caused any substantial harm to her and Mingxuan, let's hurry up and find a family for them to marry into in the capital!

  Xu Mingjin tactfully conveyed this meaning to Xu Ruoyi, but how could Xu Ruoyi not have taken this matter to heart? It's just that he thought about giving his other daughters a good marriage like the one his sixth daughter had. Xu Mingying and others also told Xu Ruoyi that they wanted to marry someone like their sixth sister. But is this an easy thing to do? In the capital, many families had originally thought that Xu Mingjin would marry the second prince, so they came to Xu Ruoyi wanting to form a marriage alliance with him. If it were in the past, Xu Ruoyi would have definitely agreed, because those families were considered to be of equal social status as the Xu family. But times have changed, and now Xu Ruoyi looks down on those families. He wants to find an even better match for his daughters, so their marriages have been delayed.

  Xu Mingjin's proposal, Xu Ruoyi didn't listen to it at all, and was wholeheartedly immersed in the beautiful dream of each of her daughters marrying well. Seeing this, Xu Mingjin also stopped mentioning the matter. Anyway, those people were not on good terms with her, so she had already done enough by reminding them once. Xu Mingjin only reminded them because they were after all her sisters.

  Xu Ruoyi didn't know that his proud daughter had been secretly plotting to end his career, and he was still proudly strutting around. As the day of Xu Mingjin's grand wedding with Xuan Yuanze approached, he became more and more pleased with himself. He no longer put his heart into doing things, and as a result, he botched several matters in a row, provoking the emperor's great anger. It was only because of the second prince's intercession that the emperor didn't pursue his responsibility. After this incident, Xu Ruoyi finally became more restrained. However, the emperor had already developed a strong dislike for him in his heart. In private, he called over his own son and said: "Your father-in-law is really not likeable, I used to think he was stable when handling matters, but now he's becoming more and more unscrupulous."

  Xuanyuan Zedao: "I suppose it's because of his age that he's become like this? Why don't we wait until our son gets married, and then you can let your father-in-law retire early and return to the countryside? The officialdom is treacherous, it's better to retreat wholeheartedly earlier."

  The emperor's sharp eyes stared at his son for a long time, and after a while, he slowly said: "It's just a Shangshu, it won't lead to your elder brother's suspicion, so let Xu Shangshu keep that position!"

  Xuanyuan Ze said, "Your Majesty, you misunderstood! I'm not afraid of the Crown Prince's suspicion, that's why I let my father-in-law retire and return to his hometown. He is old now, many things don't have the energy of young people, it's better to make way for the younger generation!"

  The emperor smiled and said: "Your father-in-law is only forty-five years old now. He won't be retiring until he's sixty!"

  Xuanyuan Ze said calmly, "Isn't the current Taifu the one who retired at the age of 38? I remember that not a single word was mentioned by the entire court."

  The emperor looked at Xuan Yuan Ze with a seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling expression: "But it was Taifu who brought it up himself. Do you think your father-in-law would be willing to leave the official circle so early?"

  Xuanyuan Ze smiled and said: "He will take the initiative to mention it."

  The emperor's doubts arose, and just as he was about to ask, Xuan Yuan Ze had already swaggered out. The emperor's words were swallowed back into his stomach. He glared angrily in the direction of his son's departure, cursing: "You little brat, playing tricks on your old man!" But Xuan Yuan Ze had already walked far away and couldn't hear him. The eunuch beside the emperor wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. His face was tense, yet twisted. Upon closer inspection, the muscles on his face were actually trembling.

  Xu Mingjin was sitting at home when he suddenly received a large gift and a letter sent by Xuan Yuan Jinglin. Xu Mingjin opened the letter and read it carefully. After finishing, he cursed: "Nonsense!"

  "Miss, what did the princess write in her letter that made you so angry?" Jade Bamboo asked hastily.

  Xu Mingjin said with a huff: "See for yourself!" As he spoke, he tossed the letter to Yuzhu, who hastily reached out to catch it. After reading it, she looked surprised: "So, the princess didn't want to be forced into marriage by her mother and ran away to the border without saying goodbye?" She thought to herself: No wonder Miss was angry, it turned out that the princess hadn't even attended Miss's wedding before running off.

  Xu Mingjin excitedly opened the gift that Xuan Yuan Jinglin gave her, which was placed in a purple sandalwood box. Xu Mingjin carefully opened the box and saw that inside was a book. Xu Mingjin curiously opened it, but after reading just one page, she blushed bright red and threw it away, cursing: "Still such an indecent woman! How can you be so unvirtuous!"

  Yu Zhu stole a glance at the book on the ground, and it turned out to be a spring palace picture. Yu Zhu's face also turned red. Xu Ming Jin said: "Pick that up and get rid of it for me, don't let anyone see it!"

  Jade Bamboo hastily picked up the painting album, put it in her bosom, slipped out of the mansion, and found a secluded place to secretly bury it. Only then did she return to report back to Xu Mingjin.

  Xu Mingjin, however, discovered that the purple sandalwood box still had something inside after Yu Zhu left. Curious, she took it out and found a long string of pearls, each one full and round, obviously very valuable. This must have been Xuan Yuan Jinglin's dowry gift to her. At the bottom, there was also a book, Xu Mingjin thought: If you dare to give me another erotic picture, I'll fight you! Opening it up, she saw that it was an introduction to the personnel system of the Second Prince's mansion, with detailed descriptions of each person. With this book, Xu Mingjin would not be in the dark after marrying into the Second Prince's mansion. As she slowly flipped through the booklet, she thought: It seems that the erotic picture was Jinglin teasing her, and this was her real intention. Xu Mingjin couldn't help but smile at this thought. This little girl!

  Jade Bamboo returned to see her own young lady smiling happily, and couldn't help but feel puzzled. Hadn't she just been angry and embarrassed? How did her mood improve so much in such a short time?

  Digression

  Everyone, tomorrow is the grand finale! I don't know what kind of ending you hope I'll give them. By the way, I'm currently working on a new book, "The First Poisonous Woman in the City" will meet with everyone in two days.