"Lord Su..."

Su Yuan raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Your Highness, please speak plainly. I have many things to do. This house is not yet ready, and the people in the manor are moving around. I am already too busy to handle everything."

Exhausted like this, and still having to get involved in their affairs, Su Yuan is already being very polite by not swearing.

Sheng Yuanhe briefly explained the Emperor's decision, which essentially meant that he was not blamed and the house could remain vacant.

Su Yuan wasn't very excited when he heard this, as this was his original plan.

Anyway, he only has one life left, so at worst the emperor will kill him.

Su Yuan no longer cared; he was utterly disheartened and too exhausted to cause any more trouble.

Having been rebuffed, Sheng Yuanhe hurriedly left.

They wanted to settle things peacefully, but Su Wenyuan didn't want to. In the following days, people kept going to the Marquis of Anle's residence and peering inside through the gate.

Peeping wasn't enough; some even scaled the wall to get in when no one was around.

This has happened before; some people are looking to see if they can find a bargain and make some money.

However, everyone comes secretly and leaves quietly.

This time, they're practically trying to tell the whole world that they've been inside.

This matter is being discussed at a bustling restaurant in the capital.

"His Majesty bestowed the Marquis of Anle's residence upon Lord Su, so why does Lord Su not reside there?"

"Who knows what happened? The Marquis of Anle's mansion has been empty for so many years, and the Emperor suddenly gave it away. It would be one thing if it were given to someone else, but he just had to give it to Lord Su."

"Now everyone knows that Su Yuan was heartless and ungrateful back then. This time, his son sent the Su family away, which is retribution. The Emperor should not interfere with him."

"Whether Marquis Anle has committed treason is still undetermined, yet the Emperor is in a hurry to appease the unfaithful Su Yuan. I'm afraid the Emperor disliked Marquis Anle back then because his achievements overshadowed the Emperor."

The people in the restaurant were getting increasingly agitated with their words, so the manager quickly came over to persuade them to find another topic to discuss.

Su Wenyuan, who was in the corner, got up and left, continuing her business at another restaurant.

On the way, Ye Shan asked with a worried look, "Your Highness, aren't they going too far?"

"Yes, let's stop here, lest we be unable to withstand the Emperor's wrath." Su Wenyuan was also somewhat worried.

Something's not right.

She deliberately leaked the news to draw everyone's attention to this matter.

But neither she nor Sheng Jingyu arranged for anyone to say such outrageous things.

At most, they'll make a fuss about the Marquis of Anle's residence.

Some people followed them and took advantage of the situation.

They changed restaurants, but the situation remained the same. These people were sharp-tongued and deliberately tried to stab the emperor in the heart.

If she really angers the Emperor, she might be in danger.

Su Wenyuan immediately ordered Ye Shan to withdraw his men and assess the situation first.

Before everyone had even left, the Emperor sent someone to invite her to the palace.

Danger can strike at any time, and sometimes it's best not to push people too hard.

Su Wenyuan had pressured the Emperor several times regarding the Marquis of Anle's matter, but none of them had been as serious as this one.

Previously, she had only requested a reinvestigation and questioned the truth, but she had never questioned whether the Emperor could not tolerate Marquis Anle.

Of course, having doubts in one's heart is another matter; outwardly, she has never said anything about it, nor has she guided anyone to speculate in this way.

People might think that way, but few dare to say it out loud.

The recent rumors seem to suggest a rebellion...

Ye Shan asked anxiously, "Should we call the prince back?"

Sheng Jingyu was not at home. He had been running around these past two days and hadn't had a chance to say much to Su Wenyuan, but he left Ye Shan with her.

Su Wenyuan also asked Ye Shan, who said that Sheng Jingyu was busy with the Crown Prince's affairs.

He had been outwitting the Crown Prince for many years and had now gained some advantage. Fearing unforeseen complications, he needed to put in extra effort.

Not wanting to disturb him, Su Wenyuan smiled and said, "There's no need to call me Your Highness, and you don't need to be so nervous. It's just a trip to the palace, what could possibly happen?"

...

In the past, the Emperor would send Su Wenyuan to the Empress's place, but today he sent her to the Imperial Study instead.

This solemn place made Ye Shan's heart jump again.

The Emperor sat upright in front, his gaze sweeping over Su Wenyuan without any attempt to conceal his intentions, looking her up and down as if trying to see right through her.

Despite the Emperor's intense gaze, Su Wenyuan bowed calmly, showing no sign of anything amiss.

"It's been a while, and you've become quite dignified." The Emperor's deep voice was full of pressure.

Su Wenyuan smiled and looked up, saying, "When I was young, I also learned etiquette and manners."

Her smile made the Emperor somewhat dazed, and he couldn't help but think of Yu Qingzhu from more than ten years ago.

She had a face that was remarkably similar to Yu Qingzhu's, and even their personalities were strikingly alike.

The Emperor sighed and asked, "Since you have learned the rules and etiquette, what about your previous behavior that showed a lack of understanding of the rules?"

Today, Su Wenyuan seemed like a complete stranger to the Emperor…

He was used to being scolded, and it was rare to see Su Wenyuan being so well-behaved, so he felt a little uncomfortable.

In the past, Su Wenyuan's smiles were either gloating or sarcastic, but today they seemed normal and calm.

After thinking for a moment, Su Wenyuan replied seriously, "I suppose I have no other choice."

If there were any other way, she wouldn't choose to solve the problem by going crazy.

The Emperor suddenly laughed, sensing that Su Wenyuan was feigning weakness.

This also proves that Su Wenyuan knew why she had called her over today.

"Are you dissatisfied with the matter concerning the Marquis of Anle's residence?" the Emperor asked directly.

Su Wenyuan gave him the impression of sincerity from the moment she entered, which gave the emperor the illusion that Su Wenyuan would answer truthfully whenever he asked a question.

"Of course there is. I finally managed to get a house back, and then Father Emperor gave him an even better one?"

Although the final result was different from what everyone expected, the emperor's actions in this matter were certainly unethical.

Su Wenyuan then said, "The Marquis of Anle's mansion has been empty for more than ten years, and Father has never had the intention to bestow it upon anyone. Why is it suddenly being bestowed upon Su Yuan?"

The Emperor quickly explained, "That's because what you did was too much; it completely disregarded Su Yuan..."

Halfway through the conversation, the Emperor realized that he was being led by the nose by Su Wenyuan again.

He was clearly in control from the start, and he's only said two sentences so far.

Su Wenyuan said, "From my perspective, it's not excessive at all. Whether my maternal grandfather committed treason or not, my father is unwilling to investigate again. Before the truth is clear, there's nothing I can do."

“But Su Yuan drove my mother to her death, that’s a fact. I just asked him to return the property to its rightful owner. He lived in that house for many years with his mistress and their two children, so he got a good deal!”

The Emperor was powerless to refute it; it was Su Yuan's fault to begin with, and he was too embarrassed to speak up for Su Yuan.

"I had no intention of defending Lord Su..."

“But Father Emperor supported him with his actions.” Su Wenyuan smiled slightly, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her smile.

Is there any need to argue? Actions speak louder than words.