Although Lord Zhao was currently in a daze, he still managed to catch a few bits and pieces of the discussion his family was having around him.

He coughed a few times with difficulty, trying to sit up a little, and vaguely tried to put on his usual authority: "No, you mustn't move rashly."

Having worked in officialdom, Lord Zhao knew very well what he could and could not do.

The Qiao family is definitely not to be trifled with; anyone who has offended them has suffered greatly.

Zhao Rushuang: "Father, do you really think the Qiao family is innocent? At this critical moment, you suddenly fell ill. The Ministry of Personnel and the Court of State Ceremonial usually have almost no overlap in their work, but the good job of receiving foreign guests has fallen to Mu Xinghe. Anyone with eyes can see that something is wrong."

Lord Zhao wanted to say something more, but he was too ill. This exertion reversed his blood and qi, and his body suddenly lost all strength. He fell back onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

His hand was still clutching the corner of the blanket, clearly showing his deep worry.

"My son," Old Madam Zhao said, her eyes welling up with tears.

She understood her son's thoughts, and her face became more stern: "Even if the Qiao family is suspected, without clear evidence, we should not make that conclusion. Even if we can produce evidence, we should present it to the Emperor and ask him to give us justice, instead of acting recklessly in private."

"You two better behave yourselves."

Zhao Rushuang and Zhao Ruye could only say that, but when they left the room, they exchanged a glance, clearly showing their unwillingness and resentment.

Qiao Lian'er waited for a while, but they didn't come up with any ideas. They just kept talking and speculating, and kept adding to the discussion. So she went to the Bai family again.

A group of people surrounded Master Bai's bedside, but everyone in the family was busy caring about his condition and had no time to think about anything else.

The Bai family is slightly weaker, and its members are all relatively quiet and down-to-earth. The atmosphere is filled with worry and anxiety, but not with hostility or speculation.

Qiao Lian'er herself also felt that the illness of Lord Zhao and Lord Bai came about strangely.

Two adults fell, and only Mu Xinghe was transferred to replace them. If we're talking about conspiracy theories, it's quite obvious that this is stirring up hatred.

It seems she still intends to start the investigation with the highest-ranking official in the Court of State Ceremonies, Minister Gu, because this is his decision.

The foreign guests will arrive in the capital in seven or eight days. There are many things to prepare, and Lord Gu is very busy and simply cannot spare the time to meet them.

However, Lord Gu has an extremely beloved only daughter, Gu Nianhe, who is sixteen years old this year. She often goes to the theater to listen to operas, and Qiao Lian'er plans to start her pursuit from there.

Before taking action, she found Mu Xinghe and gave him the token.

"Sister Lian'er, what are you doing? This is such a valuable item, you should take it carefully." Mu Xinghe was somewhat surprised.

“Brother-in-law, this is the Princess Pingyang Decree that the Emperor just gave me. It represents the Emperor’s face and has a certain deterrent effect. You’ve had some good opportunities recently, and some people might be jealous and try to find fault with you. Keep this with you and show it when necessary.”

Mu Xinghe was puzzled: "I was just entertaining some foreign guests, who would want to make trouble for me?"

Qiao Lian'er told him directly, "Lord Zhao and Lord Bai suddenly fell ill, and this opportunity has fallen to you. You should know that at this time of year, the Zhao family and the Bai family will receive a lot of rewards if they perform well. Some people may suspect that our Qiao family has used some means, so brother-in-law, you should be more careful during this period and be cautious in everything you do so that no one can find any fault with you."

Mu Xinghe recalled Qiao Lian'er's earlier reminder that if anything was wrong or confusing, he should ask her. It turned out that Lian'er had sensed something was amiss from the very beginning.

He became wary and deftly put away the token: "Okay, I'll be careful."

Before leaving the Zhao family, Qiao Lian'er went to Zhao Ruye and Zhao Rushuang's room and took a small token so she could hear their conversation. However, this was not a foolproof plan, as they would try to find ways to avoid her since they suspected she had special abilities.