On the other side, Xiao Jingming also got the information he wanted.
"Your Highness, those two women are Grand Tutor Xu's granddaughters, Xu Wanqing and Xu Wanyan."
"Granddaughter of Grand Tutor Xu?"
Xiao Jingming suddenly thought of what his mother said before she passed away. When he was born, his grandfather the emperor had arranged a marriage with the Shen family.
"Master Xu only has these two granddaughters?"
"Your Highness, Grand Tutor Xu's eldest son and his family have taken up a post in Linzhou and have not returned to the capital for over ten years. His daughter is older and already married. Grand Tutor Xu's second son has only one son and one daughter, and the younger daughter is only four or five years old."
"Xu Maocai only has these two daughters?"
"Your Highness, it is indeed true. Both of them were born to the first wife."
Xiao Jingming felt a little upset. The daughter of the Xu family seemed unsatisfactory.
One daughter was meeting with a man in someone else's house as if no one was around, while the other daughter was hiding in a rockery and keeping watch.
Yes, he thought Xu Wanyan was covering for Xu Wanqing.
He had to find a time to ask his father to cancel the marriage.
"What about the Crown Prince and the King of Qi?"
"Your Highness, the Prince of Qi came to congratulate Master Shen on his birthday. As for the Crown Prince, I heard that he gave the gift and left. It seems...the Crown Princess is ill."
"Is she sick? Seriously?"
The subordinate shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be serious. We didn't call the doctor."
Xiao Jingming was a little surprised. He had clearly received information that the prince would meet an important person at the Shen family today, so how come he didn't notice it?
Could it be that he even disappeared from the person he wanted to see because of her?
Xiao Jingming smiled bitterly. If Xiao Muchan could really do that, he would be careful.
"Did the prince see anyone suspicious?"
The subordinate thought for a while and said, "I didn't see it."
"Okay, go get ready, we'll go back to the border tonight."
"yes!"
After his subordinates left, Xiao Jingming sat alone for a while until night fell, then left.
////
Xu Wanyan and Qiao Yun returned to the Grand Tutor's Mansion in a carriage and heard crying as soon as they entered the door.
Qiao Yun looked at Xu Wanyan worriedly. The eldest lady had always been deeply loved. If she and the lady blamed the young lady for what happened today, the young lady would be in trouble.
Seeing her worry, Xu Wanyan smiled gently: "Don't worry, I didn't hurt her."
That being said, the key is who the master will believe.
"Master, you don't know that Qing'er was completely humiliated by Xu Wanyan at the Shen family today."
"What did she do?"
Xu Maocai's voice reached Xu Wanyan's ears, and she paused.
"She gave a fake jade pot to Master Shen, which displeased Old Madam Shen. She actually pushed the blame onto Qing'er. In order to protect her sister, Qing'er endured all the ridicule!"
"Dad, Mom, I won't live any longer. I don't have the face to live any longer."
"My dear daughter, don't scare your mother. When that damn girl comes back, your father will take care of things for you."
Xu Wanyan raised the corner of her mouth and strode in.
"Father, mother, sister, what happened?"
Xu Wanyan pretended not to hear anything and asked doubtfully.
When Zhao Yaru heard Xu Wanyan's voice, she immediately got angry and started cursing at her: "How dare you ask your sister what happened? What did you do today? Have you forgotten?"
As soon as Zhao Yaru finished speaking, Xu Maocai's face darkened and he looked at Xu Wanyan with displeasure.
Xu Wanyan pretended to be frightened, her pretty face turned pale, and her eyes instantly reddened, "Father, Mother, I, I didn't do anything at the Shen family today."
"You damn girl, it was obviously you who took the fake goods, but you framed your sister."
Xu Wanyan hurriedly shook her head anxiously: "I didn't, I didn't take any fakes. What I gave to Madam Shen today was a jade pot, which is real. The calligraphy that my sister gave was fake, not from Mr. Mo Bai."
"What did you say?"
Xu Maocai stood up quickly. He remembered Zhao Yaru saying that Wanqing had gone to great lengths to obtain an authentic painting by Mr. Mo Bai, which she wanted to leave for Master Shen.
"Father."
Xu Wanyan knelt down at Xu Maocai's feet and cried, "Father, I have never been able to read. How could I possibly send you calligraphy and paintings? I don't know them."
At this moment, Xu Maocai looked at Zhao Yaru in shock. "She, she can't read?"
Zhao Yaru hadn't thought of this at all. Xu Maocai's sudden question made her unable to react for a moment, "She doesn't like to study and refuses to learn to read."
“Bang!”
Everyone was startled and lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
"She can't read, how can she find a fake one?"
"I, I..."
Zhao Yaru panicked instantly. Yes, this little girl Xu Wanyan was illiterate and she had never let her learn to read.
"You..., what did I say before? No matter what, she is still the daughter of the Xu family. You let her be illiterate. How can she get married if she is illiterate..."
Xu Maocai realized that he had said something he shouldn't have said and was so angry that he threw his sleeves.
Zhao Yaru also realized the seriousness of the problem at this time. If outsiders knew that Xu Wanyan was illiterate, let alone marrying Wanqing to Prince Chen's Mansion, she would probably be accused of mistreating her stepdaughter.
"Master, it's not that I deliberately didn't let her learn. It's that she didn't want to learn. I tried my best to persuade her, but she refused to agree."
Seeing Zhao Yaru's tearful face, Xu Maocai softened his heart and his tone also softened.
"Such a big thing, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I'm just afraid you'll beat the child. Master has always valued children's learning. If he knew about this, Wanyan would definitely suffer physical pain. How could I bear it?"
Xu Wanyan, who was kneeling on the ground, sneered. It turned out that this was how she coaxed Xu Maocai.
"Father, I really didn't steal my sister's calligraphy. I haven't even heard of Mr. Mo Bai."
"So you still have the nerve to do that? You're uneducated and illiterate. Are you a descendant of the Xu family? You've brought shame upon the Xu family!"
"But, today at the Shen family, Old Madam Shen actually praised me."
"Huh! Is that a compliment? Stop flattering yourself."
When Zhao Yaru thought about what happened at the Shen family, she felt like vomiting.
"Alright, alright, let's forget about it. Wanqing, stop crying. Dad will definitely find out who did this and avenge you."
Hearing this, Xu Wanqing stopped crying, nodded with red eyes, and looked pitiful.
Seeing that Xu Wanqing had stopped crying, Xu Maocai looked at Xu Wanyan with cold eyes, "Although this matter has nothing to do with you, but when you are away from home, you share the same fate. How can you let your sister be bullied?"
Although Xu Wanyan was upset, she knew that no matter how much Xu Maocai said, he would always protect Xu Wanqing.
She sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "Father, this is my first time going out. I'm scared. If it weren't for the Shen family, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to go home."
Xu Maocai then remembered that she had just returned with her maid.
"Look at what you have done?" After saying that, he turned around and left.
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