Chapter 301 He's been hiding it quite well.

When Jiang Yu returned to the Duke of Chu's residence from the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion, she felt no longer uneasy, nor even angry. Only when one is calm can one make accurate judgments.

Upon entering the manor, she first went to her mother, Lu Yifang. Knowing that she had eaten dinner at the Marquis of Anyuan's residence, Lu Yifang inquired about the health of the Marquis of Anyuan and his wife.

“My maternal grandparents are both in good health,” Jiang Yu replied with a smile. Then she took Lu Yifang’s hand and didn’t know how to tell her that the switching of Jiang Jiamu and Jiang Jiarong, as well as her own abduction, could all have been done by the Lingnan Prince’s Mansion.

"What's wrong?" Lu Yifang noticed the confusion on her face and asked with some concern.

“Mother,” Jiang Yu said to Lu Yifang, “the Prime Minister’s sister, Pei Tinglan, may not be dead.”

The seemingly random remark left Lu Yifang somewhat stunned. She even had to think for a moment before realizing who Pei Tinglan was.

"Is that Pei Tinglan, who was once engaged to the old Duke?" she asked.

Jiang Yu nodded, but Lu Yifang hadn't yet realized that the root of her lifelong suffering might be Pei Tinglan. However, after a moment's thought, she understood. She grabbed Jiang Yu's hand tightly, staring into her eyes, and asked, "You mean... the one who harmed you and Jiamu is her?"

Lu Yifang looked excited, and Jiang Yu sat down next to her and said, "It's not certain yet. My grandfather and I will continue to investigate."

Jiang Yu then recounted how the Lady of Anyuan Marquis encountered the Sixth Young Master and Pei Fengshuang's argument, and what happened afterward. She added, "Mother, I'm telling you this now so that when you interact with those ladies and young women, you can pay attention to the Prime Minister's residence and the families that are on good terms with the Prime Minister's residence. Perhaps you can find some clues from them."

If it really was Pei Tinglan who harmed us, my grandfather and I will certainly not let her off. You must remain calm now and act as if you know nothing in public.”

Hearing her words and seeing her resolute expression, Lu Yifang shed tears, but smiled nonetheless. She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and said earnestly, "Zhu'er, don't worry, I won't hold you back."

Jiang Yu smiled. Her mother was much stronger than before. She said, "Those hardships are over. We will no longer dwell on the past, but we will not let go of those who hurt us."

Lu Yifang nodded emphatically, "I know."

“I see that my brother’s health has improved a lot recently,” Jiang Yu changed the subject.

Mentioning this made Lu Yifang feel much better. She smiled and said, "The weather is getting warmer, and he's been practicing the Five Animal Frolics with the doctor lately. His health is visibly improving. The doctor also said that if this continues, his health might even improve significantly."

Jiang Yu was also very happy. "If you need any expensive medicine and can't find it here, just tell me. I always have more connections than you do."

Lu Yifang looked pleased. The siblings had a good relationship, and as their mother, she was naturally very happy. She held Jiang Yu's hand and said, "I know, but for the past two years I have been searching for precious medicines. The storeroom is even more abundant in precious medicines than Mingchuntang."

This also reflects her love for her son as a mother.

The mother and daughter talked for a while longer before Jiang Yu left. Back in the front courtyard, instead of resting, she went to her study, wrote a letter, and handed it to a guard, instructing him to "personally deliver it to Prince An."

The guard left with the letter, and Jiang Yu sat in the study for a while before taking a bath and resting.

Meanwhile, the steward of Prince An's residence, upon seeing the secret guards from Duke Chu's residence, immediately went to report. Upon arriving at Prince An's bedchamber, knowing he had just entered the bathroom, he hesitated for a moment before going to report, "Your Highness, someone from Duke Chu's residence has arrived. When would you like to see them?"

Prince An, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them. "What happened?"

“No,” the butler said, “that person wants to see you first.”

"I'll be right there." Prince An stood up from the bathtub with a splash. The two maids guarding outside exchanged a glance, then immediately grabbed some clothes and prepared to help him get dressed.

Although Prince An had just begun his bath, even the veteran servants who had served him for many years dared not say a word. Those who served Prince An vaguely sensed that their lord treated the Duke of Chu differently, but they dared not utter a single word, nor even reveal a hint of emotion. They knew better than anyone how ruthless their lord could be.

Prince An emerged from behind the screen, and two maids rushed to help him dress. Before his belt was even properly fastened, Prince An said, "I'll do it myself," and strode away.

Upon entering the study, they saw a man in his twenties dressed in black, waiting with his head bowed at the door. Prince An recognized him; he was one of the bodyguards protecting Jiang Yu.

"Come in." Prince An stepped into the study, followed closely by the guard. After bowing, the guard presented a letter with both hands, saying, "My lord, the Duke, instructed me to deliver this to you personally."

Prince An took the letter, tore it open, and read it quickly, but he didn't speak. Instead, he frowned and pondered. After a while, he said, "Tomorrow at 3:45 PM, I invite the Duke of Chu to Tingsong Pavilion for tea."

"Yes." The guard responded, bowed, and turned to leave. Prince An sat there, pondering two words: Prime Minister.

When it was first discovered that the Xie family was colluding with the Prince of Lingnan, the emperor suspected that the Prime Minister was also colluding with the Prince of Lingnan, since the Prime Minister and the Xie family were related by marriage. At the time, the Prime Minister explained to the emperor that after his wife passed away, he had almost completely severed ties with the Xie family. The reason was that he disagreed with Xie Yun.

The Emperor then ordered him to investigate, and the results showed that the Prime Minister had indeed not had any contact with the Xie family for many years. Upon learning this, the Emperor believed the Prime Minister's words, but he did not.

The Prime Minister rose to power through the Xie family's influence. Although Xie Yun wasn't as cunning as the Prime Minister, he was still a shrewd and calculating man. With the Prime Minister at the height of his power, how could Xie Yun possibly sever ties with him?

The only reason the two families severed ties could be that they had huge vested interests involved, with the Xie family in the open and the Prime Minister in the shadows.

Of course, this was just a suspicion, and even after he continued his investigation, he found no clues. He hadn't expected the Prime Minister to be so deeply involved with the Prince of Lingnan. If the Prince of Lingnan's mother was indeed the Prime Minister's deceased sister, Pei Tinglan, then that meant the Prince of Lingnan was the Prime Minister's nephew.

My dear maternal uncle!

This relationship is naturally very close!

So how did the Prime Minister become associated with the Earl of Qingshan? This was something he couldn't understand. How could the cunning Prime Minister have taken a liking to the Eighth Prince?

Or perhaps, is there a connection between the Eighth Prince and the King of Lingnan?

Thinking of this, Prince An narrowed his eyes. If that were the case, it meant that Consort Su and the Prince of Lingnan were involved.

Now that the Eighth Prince is the Crown Prince, what would he do if he were the Prince of Lingnan?

Naturally, the eighth prince should inherit the throne, and he should become the regent!