That night, Su Juan was kept in the Duke Ping's mansion on the grounds that the Su mansion was too far away.

Liu Miaoqing and Liu Xuan came out of the Duke's Mansion. Liu Xuan recalled his previous guess and said in a very light voice, as if he was just casually saying, "It's so late, and the Su Mansion didn't even bother to find someone to look for the eldest daughter of the mansion. They don't care about anything like this. How can there be such parents in the world?"

At this time, the Liu family's carriage had stopped at the gate of the Duke's Mansion, and two guards were standing beside the carriage. It was obvious that the Minister of the Central Secretariat saw that it was getting late and his daughter had not returned, so he sent someone to pick her up.

Next to it was the carriage that Su Juan rode in during the day. There was only one coachman, but he had gone somewhere lazy and the carriage was tied at the door.

From this contrast, it can be seen that the Su family does not actually care much about their daughter Su Juan.

Liu Miaoqing understood the hidden meaning behind Liu Xuan's words. It was clear that he wanted to ask her about Su Juan.

Her gaze lingered on Liu Xuan. Liu Xuan inherited his outstanding looks from the Marquis of Pingbo and his wife. At the age of only twelve, his talent had astonished everyone. He was always kind to others, gentle in words and deeds, and always had a calm aura about him. He had always taken care of and advised Xie Xun, a friend who had long been defined as a playboy by everyone in the capital.

In fact, many families in Beijing wanted to propose marriage to the Liu family. There was no girl who would not be attracted by such a handsome and talented gentleman, and everyone who knew him praised him.

Even Lord Zhuo, who had been cared for at home for many years, once personally wrote the four characters "A gentleman should be cautious when alone" as a gift to him.

After knowing each other for many years, Liu Miaoqing sometimes thought that a person like Liu Xuan, who had no selfish motives, no personal desires, did things openly and aboveboard, followed the rules in everything, was calm and self-controlled, and was too much of a gentleman. Such a person should be hung high in the sky, like the bright moon, and be admired by others.

But now, he had selfish desires, and although they were not obvious, Liu Miaoqing still discovered them.

From Su Juan’s reaction when she was in danger at Tianyun Mountain, to her subsequent instructions, to the bowl of sobering soup she had been looking for early in the morning, to her dissuasion from drinking today, and to this seemingly unintentional but obviously intentional statement.

At that time, Su Juan had not even divorced yet.

"Ajuan's biological mother died when she was very young, and Master Su quickly made his pregnant concubine his wife. Perhaps most children who lose their biological mothers are like children who lose their fathers."

"Perhaps the Su Mansion is not as intimate to her as the Duke's Mansion."

Liu Miaoqing got on the carriage, slightly lifted the curtain and looked at Liu Xuan who was standing at the door. He waited until the Liu family's carriage left before getting on the carriage of Pingbo Houfu.

She smiled and let go of her hand.

If you only meet someone once, you will be attracted to him/her. How can you remain calm after knowing each other for several years?

A year ago, the Marquise of Pingbo had privately proposed marriage to the Liu family. When she found out, she asked her father to politely refuse.

She didn't want to be the canary in the courtyard, and Liu Xuan wouldn't be the kind of person trapped in love. They both had their own paths to go. The sky was high and the sea was vast, and it was a blessing for them to meet each other.

...

After returning to the Marquis Pingbo's residence, Liu Xuan was almost certain that Su Juan was the heir of His Majesty who had been stranded outside.

He walked to the study of Marquis Pingbo, but stopped, as the door of the study was already open.

"Father."

Ping Bohou rarely saw him come back so late, and he still smelled of alcohol. "With Xie Xun?"

Liu Xuan nodded, "There are also Miss Su and Miss Liu, they are in the Duke's Mansion."

Hearing that Su Juan was also there, Pingbo Hou's face flashed with something strange. The father and son entered the study. After the door was closed, Liu Xuan asked, "Miss Su is the person you and the Duke want to assist."

Pingbo Hou looked at his son in front of him and was not surprised that he guessed Su Juan's identity. It was really that Pingguo Hou was too obvious. Just the fact that he hired someone to spend a lot of money to renovate the yard for Su Juan would be easy to guess as long as people knew that he had a niece.

Everyone in the capital says that Xie Xun is ostentatious, but little do they know that his father is even more ostentatious.

The father and son are exactly alike. It is true that they are from the same family but they are two completely different people.

Ping Bohou asked, "What do you think of Su Juan?"

He knew that his son couldn't hear what Su Juan said, and he wanted to know what kind of person Su Juan was in his son's eyes.

Liu Xuan pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Miss Su is a righteous person. Although she doesn't talk much, it's not hard to see that she is a smart and strategic person."

Listening to his son's words, Ping Bohou said: "Although he didn't say much..."

Su Juan indeed spoke very little, and only spoke what she was thinking.

Liu Xuan looked puzzled, somewhat puzzled by his father's reaction at this moment, "Miss Su is indeed a man of few words."

When they first met, she came with Prince Jing and was particularly quiet. Later, as they got to know each other for a longer time and became more familiar with each other, she began to talk more.

Ping Bohou didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "If you could hear what she was thinking, you probably wouldn't think so."

Liu Xuan said slowly, "Father, why do you say that? How can people hear what others are thinking?"

Ping Bohou immediately changed the subject, "What your father meant is that perhaps Miss Su has a side that is unknown to the public, but you just don't know it. If you see it one day, you may not feel that way anymore."

Liu Xuan frowned slightly, "If Miss Su really has another side, I shouldn't try to peek. It's normal for people to have a side that is unknown to others. Even if it is known, if you don't want others to know, others should close their ears and eyes. That's the way to be a good person."

Ping Bohou was choked with words, and was lectured by his son again, "It's getting late, go back and get some rest."

He suddenly felt that it was a good thing that his son, who was always very methodical in doing everything, could not hear what Su Juan said.

Liu Xuan seemed to be a man who knew when to stop, "Father, you should rest early. I'll take my leave now."

Pingbo Hou nodded slightly. If his son could hear it, he would probably be driven crazy by Su Juan, or Su Juan would be driven crazy by him.

Without rules, there will be no order. If you break the rules, everyone will be kicked out.

Very good, very good.

...

That night, Su Juan had a dream.

Under the gaze of court officials, she, wearing a dragon robe, walked step by step towards the dragon throne located at the highest point of the Golden Palace.

Liu Miaoqing, Xie Xun and others were standing there and suddenly disappeared...

Song Qianfan was sitting on the dragon throne, with a crazy and bloodthirsty smile on his face, "Kill."

The swords were raised and heads fell, and most of the civil and military officials in the court died.

In the blink of an eye, Duke Ping died on the way to exile, his body was eaten by rats and ants. Xie Xun was dressed in tattered clothes, with shackles on his hands and feet. He was dragged forward in a panic, his face pale and bloodless.

Song Qianhang poured a cup of poisoned wine on the ground. Until his death, he was still thinking about the people in Jingwang Mansion. As a younger brother, he should respect his elder brothers, and as a son, he should be filial to his parents.

After the Liu family was destroyed, Liu Miaoqing was imprisoned in the palace. He stared at a tree that grew outside the palace wall every day and died in depression.

The Marquis Pingbo suffered an unjust accusation and his entire family was thrown into prison. They were harmed by treacherous officials and it was decided that their entire family would be executed. Marquis Pingbo left a letter written in blood to prove his innocence, and the Marquise's wife followed her husband.

The emperor ordered a re-investigation, and the Liu family's injustice was cleared. The family members who escaped died on the way. In the huge Marquis Pingbo's Mansion, only Liu Xuan was left. He eventually died in the chaos and was buried among thousands of corpses.

Su Juan suddenly woke up and broke out in a cold sweat.