Long'er looked at the letter from Da Ni'er in her hand, read it, and then instructed Xiao Cao:

"Go and summon the sword."

Li Jian no longer works at the Hanlin Academy; he now spends his days helping Chen Yunsong with official duties.

Being the prime minister's deputy seems like everything was predetermined.

Li Jian, dressed in official robes, arrived at the Imperial Study and bowed to Long'er.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

"Forget Your Majesty, come and see."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the girl in the bright yellow dragon robe. They had grown up together since childhood. What emperor? That thing was just for show in front of others.

Li Jian took the letter, quickly read it through, then looked up and asked:

"Does the Emperor want me to investigate the Minister of Rites?"

Long'er shook her head and replied:

"Did you see what the Minister of Personnel said?"

“I see. I can check the Minister of Personnel as well.”

Huo Xiaolong's backside was a little sore from sitting on the dragon throne. The young woman stood up, walked to the sword, and said earnestly:

"No matter what, I can't keep my position as Minister of Personnel this time. Even if I show special leniency, my whole family will still be exiled."

The sword didn't understand, so it asked:

Why does the Emperor grant this favor?

These words made Long'er so angry that she put her hands on her hips.

"The teacher you admired before was the son of the Minister of Personnel, wasn't he? Now that he's gone, you might never see him again in your lifetime."

"So what?"

The woman in official robes had a very serious expression on her face.

"Your Majesty, you cannot grant them leniency by requesting a new post for Li Jian and allowing me to personally lead the investigation into the confiscation of the Minister of Personnel's property."

Li Jian was afraid that Long Er would show leniency because of her own little matter, so she quickly knelt down in front of Long Er and begged for her life.

She had already sent her secret guards to investigate, but they couldn't find any obvious evidence against the Minister of Rites, so she couldn't take any action.

However, with the Huo family's secret guards and the Lan family's secret guards working together, they can find evidence no matter what. One letter from the former empress is not enough; they need more.

“You can take your people there in a few days,” Long’er replied.

"Seize their property?" Li Jian continued to ask.

Huo Xiaolong's head was buzzing. "Even if we weren't sisters, you'd still be thinking about ransacking our house?"

So you're going to inherit my mantle, Your Highness?

"Surround them first! Scare them a bit!"

"yes!"

I'm really worried.

Long'er watched Li Jian's departing figure and felt that she had worried about her for nothing.

The Minister of Personnel's surname is Shen, and the teacher who had developed feelings for Li Jian at the Imperial Academy was named Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe was still a little confused when he saw Li Jian and his men surround the Shen residence. Then his father called him over and told him the reason.

The man then realized what kind of trouble his family had been caught up in.

The usually aloof and scholarly gentleman was momentarily flustered, but he calmed himself down and prepared to go out and ask the Emperor Lijian what he meant.

As soon as Shen Qinghe stepped out of the room, the swords of the Imperial Guards were immediately held horizontally in front of his chest.

"Young Master Shen, please return. Scholar Huo has ordered that no one in the Shen household is allowed to leave without permission. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy."

The man didn't force his way in; he nodded in understanding.

They didn't go out; they just left the door open, waiting for the sword to pass by their door.

Persistence pays off. After waiting for a long time, Shen Qinghe finally saw the neat woman in short clothes.

There might be some violence today, so Li Jian wasn't wearing his official robes.

"A sharp sword."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Li Jian turned his head and then walked towards the door.

"gentlemen."

Upon hearing the word "sir," the man's eyes immediately fell into a melancholy.

After all this time, she still refuses to call herself Qinghe.

"I know the Shen family has made a grave mistake. What... what does the Emperor mean by this?"

The man's question wasn't really about anything in particular; he just wanted to know whether Huo Xiaolong intended to kill or punish them.

Sharp Sword was silent for a moment, then, without pausing, she answered directly:

I can't tell you.

After saying that, the woman turned and left.

Li Jian understood that Shen Qinghe couldn't possibly know these things.

Why did she like Shen Qinghe when they were at the Imperial Academy?

It's because the man possesses a spirit as clear as his name, with only the classics and his ambition to teach and educate people in his heart.

People tend to want what they lack most.

Huo Pan's sword lacks nothing, except for this kind of spirit.

She cannot be clear, not even a little bit clear.

She has to be bad; she has to be wicked and dark-hearted.

The brain too,

She still remembers the first lesson her husband taught her.

It is harder to be an honest official than a treacherous minister, and it is even harder to be a pillar of the court.

If you want the people in the court to respect and obey you, you have to be more cunning and ruthless than those treacherous officials.

You can choose not to do bad things, but you can't be incapable of doing them.

Li Jian glanced at the setting sun; it was time to meet Lord Shen.

Having been imprisoned for a day without receiving an imperial decree, the stubborn fellow must be extremely anxious.

The woman smiled and walked briskly toward the main hall.

Inside the main hall, the Minister of Personnel and his wife had been waiting all day for the imperial edict. As dusk approached, there was no movement inside the courtyard or outside the gate.

Then, the leader of the group, Scholar Huo, strode up to the door.

Bachelor's degree

Many people work their whole lives and still can't reach this position.

The Minister of Personnel felt somewhat pathetic; at his age, he wasn't even as successful as a young woman in her early twenties, the same age as his son.

Moreover, Lord Shen was well aware that his son's beloved was her.

The painting shop in the study? Do you really think your own father is blind?

"This humble official greets Lord Shen," Li Jian said, bowing to him.

"I am not worthy of being addressed as 'Sir' by Scholar Huo. In a few years, you will be second only to the emperor in the court. I should pay my respects to you."

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