On the day Liu Miaoqing returned to Beijing, the Minister of the Central Secretariat hurriedly left the palace and returned home. When he saw his daughter intact in front of him, his eyes were red.

Liu Miaoqing's eyes also turned red, and her voice choked with sobs, "It's my daughter's unfilial behavior that has made my father worry about her."

After going to Xuzhou, she thought several times that she would never be able to return to the capital.

First he encountered criminals, and then he went to take care of the sick victims. He himself also had a fever several times and almost died.

I knew in the past that the outside world was not as prosperous as the capital, and many people were not well fed and clothed. But after going on an experience like this, I realized that what I had imagined before was just empty imagination, and the reality is far more cruel than I had imagined.

The Minister of the Central Secretariat wiped his tears and said, "I'm glad you're back. I'm just a little thinner. I'll stay at home to recuperate these few days. I can't let anything get me sick."

Liu Miaoqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Father has become thinner, and his hair has turned a lot whiter."

"Looking old?"

"Not old."

The father and daughter smiled, and the housekeeper next to them watched, feeling relieved.

During the more than half a year that the girl was away, the master could not eat or sleep. He fell ill twice and had to invite the imperial physician to see him.

Now it’s all right. I have to ask the kitchen to prepare a few more dishes tonight.

He was still thinking about asking the kitchen staff to make some soup, but he didn't expect that the father and daughter had already gone to the study to discuss matters. They didn't seem like an ordinary father and daughter at all.

Liu Miaoqing talked about some of her experiences in Xuzhou. She said that when she was hiding, she didn't even dare to go out. It was not until the government office posted a notice and the news spread that she dared to come out.

When talking about the Su family driving up the price of rice, the Minister of the Central Secretariat laughed, "It has spread throughout the court and the country. The prefect of Xuzhou sends a memorial every five days. His Majesty is tired of reading it, so he urgently summoned you to return to the capital."

In fact, he knew to some extent that the reason why the prefect of Xuzhou sent these memorials was because he was afraid that the family in Beijing would worry about the two girls in Xuzhou. His Majesty also knew the intention of this, so he read all the memorials to his ministers.

After all, news came from Xuzhou that day that his daughter was missing and he had fainted. Later, the man from the Su family ran to Xuzhou, found her and sent him a letter as soon as possible. Only then did he feel better.

Liu Miaoqing smiled, "No wonder, Prefect Zeng originally wanted to keep us in Xuzhou for the New Year."

Her eyes fell on the table, but she could not see the painting she had seen in the study. When she was in Xuzhou, she remembered that the pattern in the painting was very similar to the jade pendant that Lin Xizhi gave to Su Juan at the banquet at home when she had just met Su Juan.

She knew her father well enough to know that he would not keep useless things in his study.

"Father, I saw a picture on your desk before. It seemed to be some special pattern. I wonder what it is?"

The Minister of the Secretariat was slightly stunned. Painting?

He smiled and said, "That was something a friend of mine asked me to find for him. Why are you asking about it all of a sudden?"

Liu Miaoqing suddenly felt strange. How come the thing her father's friend was looking for was in Su Juan's hands?

"I seem to have seen the pattern in that painting before."

Hearing this, the Secretary of State was startled and stood up suddenly from his chair, "You have seen it!"

"Miao Qing, have you really seen it? Where did you see it?"

Seeing his excited expression, Liu Miaoqing was stunned for a while, then nodded, "It was the banquet held at home two years ago. At that time, Lin Xizhi gave Su Juan a jade pendant. I saw it at that time and thought the jade pendant was of good quality and the pattern was also very special. I have some impression of it."

I couldn't remember it when I saw it in the study. I just had some impression that I had seen it somewhere. It was not until I saw Su Juan in Xuzhou that I remembered it.

"Su Juan?" The Minister of the Central Secretariat looked surprised. Why was she there?

"Tell me what her jade pendant looks like. No, no, no, draw the jade pendant now."

As he said this, he hurriedly pushed his daughter to sit down, placed writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone in front of her, and asked her to draw.

Liu Miaoqing thought carefully for a long time before vaguely drawing an outline and pattern. "It's been too long, and my daughter has only seen it once, so I can only draw a rough outline."

The Minister of the Central Secretariat picked up the painting and examined it carefully. Although the patterns on the half of the jade pendant in the painting were slightly different, it roughly matched the other half in the emperor's hand. He was so excited that he could hardly speak clearly, "Yes, yes, yes! This is it, this is it!"

He held the paper in his hand and paced back and forth in the study, but he couldn't figure out how the jade pendant ended up in Su Juan's hands. What was the relationship between Su Juan and the princess?

He suddenly thought, didn't Su Juan live in the Duke's Mansion? Duke Ping took such good care of Su Juan. Could there really be some relationship between them?

But if that is the case, why didn't Duke Ping report this to Your Majesty? Was he worried about something?

I still have to see the jade pendant with my own eyes to confirm whether it is the other half.

Seeing his father's reaction, Liu Miaoqing was suspicious, "Father, is that something important?"

The Minister of the Central Secretariat looked at his daughter in front of him. If she wanted to take the jade pendant from Su Juan to have a look at it, he would have to let his daughter go.

Thinking of this, he pulled his daughter over and said in a serious tone, "Father has something to ask you to do. It's a serious matter and you can't be careless at all."

Liu Miaoqing nodded slightly, "Father, please speak."

"My father's friend is investigating a very important matter. This jade pendant is the only clue, so be careful. I want you to see if you can find a way to get the jade pendant from Su Juan and take a look at it. Don't alarm others."

The Minister of the Central Secretariat spoke tactfully and did not use the word "steal", but he thought his daughter should be able to understand what he meant, so he secretly took a look at the jade pendant and returned it after seeing it.

After all, nothing is clear yet and we cannot alarm anyone, including Su Juan, and especially that old bastard, Duke Pingguo.

He now even suspected that Duke Ping was deliberately concealing something.

Liu Miaoqing nodded without hesitation and agreed, "When will father want to see the jade pendant?"

The Secretary of State was very excited. He had been looking for the person for such a long time, and now the clue was right in front of him. He suppressed his pounding heart and tried to look more normal. "It would be best if I could see him tomorrow."

Liu Miaoqing nodded, "Okay, after meeting His Majesty tomorrow, I will go to the Duke's Mansion and find a way to borrow the jade pendant for father to take a look at."

The Secretary of State smiled and said, "Okay."

My daughter is steady and must be reliable. Look, she described stealing the jade pendant as borrowing it. How nice and reliable!

The next day, he went to the palace to meet the old emperor, who rewarded the group of people who had gone to Xuzhou according to their merits.

Su Juan was promoted to the rank of fourth-rank assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Liu Miaoqing was promoted to the rank of fourth-rank junior minister of the Ministry of Agriculture. All the people were greatly rewarded, and the families of the officials who died in the line of duty were given pensions and condolences. After the New Year, the Secretariat drafted an imperial edict and sent it to the Ministry of Personnel for execution, and they were officially appointed to the posts.

When Su Juan came out of the Imperial City, she was holding an umbrella. Before she had gone far, Liu Miaoqing quickly caught up with her. She said to Su Juan with a serious face, "Juan, I have something to discuss with you."

Su Juan blinked, "What's the matter?"

Liu Miaoqing held Su Juan's hand and said, "I remember you have half of a jade pendant in your hand, the one that Miss Lin returned to you before. I wonder if you can lend it to me for two days?"

She looked sincere, but Su Juan's heart was filled with alarm, and her eyes were suspicious and vigilant. [What does Miao Qing want the jade pendant for?]

Liu Miaoqing was also stunned, "?"

Why is Ajuan's reaction so strange?

Father Liu (plotting in a low voice): My daughter, can you get the jade pendant from Su Juan so that I can have a look at it? Don't alarm others.

Liu Miaoqing: Of course, father, don’t worry, your daughter will go tomorrow.

—The next day—

Liu Miaoqing (with a frank look on his face): Ajuan, can you lend my dad your jade pendant for a few days?

Su Juan:?

Father Liu: ???