Lu Xingjian remained silent for a long time, expressionless, before finally saying, "No need."

With Xiao Bin around, no matter how much Gu Ziyu tried to curry favor, she would always be mindful of her boundaries.

This is also why he sent Xiao Bin to the Su family.

He refused to believe that this despicable woman would dare to have multiple relationships at the same time.

He then quickly made a major decision.

"Where is Prince Ning's memorial requesting his birth mother to be granted the title of imperial concubine?"

Steward Li's heart pounded, and he quickly offered his advice:

"Your Majesty, this is a serious matter and requires caution. At this critical juncture, it is not advisable to cause any trouble!"

Prince Ning is quite the clever fellow; he knows how to please the emperor.

He first submitted a memorial requesting the restoration of all warehouses, military farms, arsenals, moats, and official ponds in Nanchang Left Guard.

Then he submitted another memorial requesting that his birth mother be granted the title of Dowager Princess of Ning.

This was the first time the emperor had recognized his own birth mother.

They guessed the emperor's little scheme very accurately.

However, at this time, the court is not yet fully stable, and taking action against the harem at the same time would be too risky.

Lu Xingjian replied calmly, "It's alright."

The news that Prince Ning had requested and received permission for his birth mother to be made a concubine spread quickly.

The "Zheng Wang seditious rumors case" from the year before the late emperor's death quickly returned to the public eye.

People in the capital were talking about it, and rumors were spreading.

When Su Wanwan went to check the accounts at her stationery shop, she happened to hear a group of scholars talking loudly in the reading room next door.

"The legitimate son is the legitimate son, and the illegitimate son is the illegitimate son. If the distinction between the legitimate son and the illegitimate son is not made, it will cause chaos in the family and will cause chaos in the country."

"Brother Yang, you are mistaken. After Emperor Yingzong passed away, Emperor Xianzong honored both his stepmother and his birth mother equally, which neither violated the proper order of legitimate and illegitimate children nor violated the bond of blood ties."

Su Wanwan paused.

Emperor Xianzong's birth mother was Zhou, who raised Su Wanwan.

"That's because Lady Zhou had been a Noble Consort for many years, and her status and position were fully recognized. Now, based solely on a few slanderous words from a soldier, how can the people of the world be convinced that an unknown palace maid has been honored as the Empress Dowager?"

“Brother Yang is right. Even the late Emperor did not acknowledge Zheng Jinlian as the Crown Prince’s mother. If Your Majesty really insists on elevating her to the position of Empress, people may doubt whether her bloodline is truly that of the late Emperor. Otherwise, why would you go against the late Emperor?”

That was a dangerous statement, and there was a moment of silence.

Su Wanwan immediately tensed up.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Mama's maiden name has become widely known.

What would the woman who had remained unknown in Qingning Palace for over a decade think if she knew she would one day become known to everyone?

Someone said with a gossipy tone, "No wonder the late emperor wanted to burn down Qingning Palace to kill his grandmother and son together. Later, the crown prince was often in danger. Maybe he really wasn't the late emperor's biological son?"

"That's right. Even tigers don't eat their cubs. This is even more terrifying than what's recorded in history."

Someone deliberately lowered their voice, raised their tone, and spoke with an air of mystery.

"You say that the late emperor died after only one year on the throne, not even forty years old. Was it really a misdiagnosis by the Imperial Hospital, or did someone tamper with it?"

The conversation was getting increasingly dangerous; if it continued, it would be a matter of life and death.

The man addressed as "Brother Yang" coldly rebuked him: "Don't discuss these things without any evidence, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself."

Everyone laughed and said, "After returning to the capital from the autumn examination, the young master has indeed become much more cautious."

Brother Yang said seriously, "Times have changed. My father has just returned to the capital to take up a position in the cabinet, so it's best to be careful."

He paused, then added, “The Emperor has been the Crown Prince for over ten years. If he were not of the late Emperor’s bloodline, how could he have been recognized by the late Emperor? Such rumors must not be spread again.”

"Confucius said: 'When the father is dead, observe his conduct; if for three years he does not deviate from the father's ways, he may be called filial.' Now, less than three years have passed since the late emperor's death, yet the emperor has demoted veteran officials and openly acknowledged his birth mother, which goes against the late emperor's conduct and can be called unfilial."

"Once someone is labeled as unfilial, it will be difficult for them to convince others of their actions."

Su Wanwan's ears twitched, and she quietly asked He Ying, "Has a new Grand Secretary Yang been added to the cabinet recently?"

He Ying said with a smile, "That's right, he's someone you know, the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing, Lord Yang Ting."

"His wife, Mrs. Yu, hit it off with you at first sight and you've had quite a few interactions."

Su Wanwan shook her head and smiled: "Lord Yang Ting's lectures on Zizhi Tongjian are exceptionally good; I have benefited greatly from them."

"It's just that Madam Yu talks too much and keeps urging me to return to the capital, which is overwhelming."

When she was still in Qingning Palace, Yang Ting was the lecturer of the Crown Prince.

For a time, Zhou arranged for her to audit Yang Ting's lectures on the Zizhi Tongjian so that she could better understand and apply the text when she imitated the handwriting to review memorials.

The "Brother Yang" we just saw was very likely Yang Zhen, the stepson of Madam Yu and the son of Yang Ting's first wife.

I heard that Yang Zhen was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and his talent was widely known.

He was also highly praised by Li Dongqian, a Grand Secretary renowned for his poetry, who not only accepted him as a student but also called him "young friend".

He Ying chuckled, "Later, you would hide whenever you saw Madam Yu, which made things difficult for Sister Yan Rong. She really went to great lengths to stop her."

What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.

When Su Wanwan heard the name "Yan Rong", the smile on her face instantly froze.

He Ying immediately realized her mistake and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "It was my fault for saying the wrong thing."

He Ying didn't want to mention the maid who betrayed her master, lest she upset Su Wanwan.

That night at the Changpingzhou Inn, Yan Rong said she was keeping watch over Su Wanwan.

As a result, Su Wanwan disappeared.

"Make arrangements so you can visit Yanrong's house on your way back." Su Wanwan's mood had dropped considerably.

She was deeply hurt by the betrayal of the person she was closest to and relied on.

Because she is involved in a treason case, Yan Rong is still imprisoned in the imperial prison, and it is unclear how she will be dealt with.

No matter what, she could never go back to serve Su Wanwan.

As a former mistress and servant, Su Wanwan wanted to do something for her first and also wanted to figure out why she had betrayed her.

As I left the stationery shop, a group of scholars were discussing where to go for a drink and get together.

The person being fawned over was a tall, slender scholar.

He wore a simple and elegant blue robe, exuding a strong scholarly air.

He had a handsome face, a high nose bridge, and bright, intelligent eyes.

Everyone called him Brother Yang or "Little Master," and let him decide which restaurant to go to.

Brother Yang smiled faintly from his clear, bright eyes:

"There's no need for drinking. Yongxiu will be participating in the imperial examination next year, so he needs to go back to his studies as soon as possible."

Seeing that the door was blocked by them, Su Wanwan had no choice but to remind them, "Please make way."

Brother Yang had his back to the gate. When he turned around, he made eye contact with Su Wanwan. After apologizing, he stepped aside.

Su Wanwan bowed and left.

After entering the carriage, I could still hear the group of scholars whispering:

"Whose young lady is this? She's so beautiful."