Xu Lingyi came back in the evening: "I heard that Fifth Aunt came. Is there anything?"

"The Marquis is back!" Eleventh Lady smiled and took the cloak. She could smell a faint scent of alcohol on him. "Fifth brother-in-law also heard about the child and asked Fifth Sister to come over to ask about it. He had lunch at the Madam's place and sat for a while before going back."

Xu Lingyi nodded and went to the bathroom to wash and change clothes.

"What did you have for dinner?" he asked as he took off his shoes and got on the big kang by the window.

"Let's eat mutton hotpot." Shiyi Niang took the tea from the maid and handed it to Xu Lingyi. "There is a kind of dried wild vegetable called Amaranthus, which is cooked in hotpot and tastes very good." Then she asked him with a smile, "Did the Marquis drink alcohol today?"

Xu Lingyi took a sip of hot tea and leaned back on the big pillow with a comfortable look on his face: "Wang Li is here, let's drink some together."

Eleventh Lady went to make the bed with a smile.

Xu Lingyi pulled her hand and said, "Let's sit for a while!"

Eleventh Lady sat on the kang as she was told.

Xu Lingyi took a long breath, "I've never been so embarrassed in my life." He smiled bitterly at Shiyi Niang, "There are all kinds of things to say. There's really nothing you can't think of."

Eleventh Lady laughed and said, "That's what rumors are like!" The general public has an extraordinary interest in the secrets of the nobles and the royal family, not to mention the Qu family fanning the flames.

"I wanted to explain, but looking at their shifty looks, it was obvious that they were here to watch me make trouble. It would have been fine if I didn't explain, as I was afraid that the more I explained, the more excited they would be. So I simply said nothing." Xu Lingyi smiled helplessly. There was no anger on his face, and it was obvious that he didn't care about the commotion of his friends.

"Rumors stop with the wise." Eleventh Lady still said to comfort him, "It will be fine after a few days."

Xu Lingyi nodded: "It just so happens that the Minister of Works' family has a case of murder and wife-stealing. I have sent people to spread the word. Everyone has heard the new story, and after a few days, they will gradually forget about our case."

Instead of going to great lengths to dispel rumors, it is better to replace them with other things, divert people's attention, and let them gradually forget about them.

While the couple were discussing how to make a big deal out of a small matter, the emperor went to Kunning Palace with a smile on his face.

The eldest prince had just returned to the palace yesterday, and the queen asked the maid beside him for questioning. After hearing the eunuch's report, she hurried out to greet him.

The emperor took the queen's hand and went into the inner room.

The maid served tea and tiptoed away.

The emperor smiled and said, "I was discussing the defense of Fujian with several ministers this afternoon, and I heard an interesting story."

The queen was shocked and thought of the Qu family.

"If the emperor says it's interesting, then it must be very interesting. Your Majesty, please tell me about it." The queen said with a smile, "Let me also broaden my horizons."

The emperor laughed and said, "It is said that the Marquis of Yongping brought back a female village chief from Miaojiang three years ago and raised her in the Horse Trading Lane in the west of the city. Now the child is three years old."

"How is it possible?" The Queen was shocked. "How could the Marquis do such a reckless thing?"

You know, the suppression of the Miao was the first time the emperor used military force after ascending the throne. To show the might of the Great Zhou, all the captured village chiefs were beheaded... Bringing a female village chief back was equivalent to releasing prisoners of war privately. If the censors caught them, it would be possible to raise the charge to the level of "collaborating with the enemy and treason." This would mean the extermination of nine clans!

"This must be a rumor!" The queen looked anxious, with beads of sweat on her temples.

"I know." The emperor lowered his head and brushed the tender leaves in the teacup, not noticing the queen's strangeness. "The fourth son has always been cautious and prudent. Even if something like this happened, it wouldn't make a big fuss." He looked up, a sharp light flashed in his eyes, "However, what Liang Laoge said is very detailed, even describing what the child looks like. I'm afraid this matter is not that simple. I think you should arrange it as soon as possible and invite the wife of Yongping Marquis to the palace to talk - the seal will be sealed tomorrow, and the imperial censor's memorial cannot be sent in for the time being, but it will be opened on the third day of the first lunar month..."

By then, I’m afraid impeachment memorials will come flying like snowflakes!

"I understand." The Queen hastily responded, and then tactfully consulted with the Emperor, "It's just that the wife of the Marquis of Yongping is young, and I'm afraid she won't be able to explain it clearly at the moment. Why not ask the Madam to come to the palace..."

"We should invite the wife of Yongping Marquis to the palace!" The emperor pondered. "The wife is old, and the younger generation will most likely keep things secret. If she gets angry, it will be inappropriate."

The queen felt a little chilly when she heard this.

The emperor heard the news in the afternoon, and only told himself at this time. He also ordered Eleventh Lady, who had not yet reached the age of marriage, to enter the palace... Time flies, and the former husband has become the current husband!

But when she saw her beautiful and intelligent younger sister-in-law, she felt a little relieved.

"Your Majesty is right," she said. "I will call the wife of Marquis Yongping to ask about this tomorrow morning."

The emperor nodded and ordered the eunuch He beside him: "You all should leave now!"

It means we will rest here today.

Then he smiled at the queen and said, "The 'bone-in abalone snails' you made when I came last time were extremely delicious. Let's use that for our midnight snack today!"

The queen smiled and said "yes". She asked the maid to bring her supper, but she was thinking secretly: Are you still worried? Are you afraid that I will report to the Marquis of Yongping, and want to see with your own eyes how I order the eunuchs?

The next morning, he got up early and asked someone to call Eleventh Lady into the palace in front of the emperor.

"…They said they brought a female village chief back to Yanjing and raised her in Fanma Hutong. They also said the child had a pair of phoenix eyes. What on earth is going on?"

The warm room was silent and no one was around. The Queen frowned with a serious look on her face and asked in a somewhat aggressive tone.

Eleventh Lady was shocked.

Although they were hurriedly summoned to the palace without any warning, Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang had carefully considered many possibilities, including the possibility that the palace had heard about Feng Qing and sent someone to inquire about it, that the Qu family would explain the whole story from a political perspective in order to strike at Xu Lingyi, or even that the Queen heard the rumors and summoned Shiyi Niang to the palace for a reprimand... But what they didn't expect was the Queen's attitude - when the two were alone together, she still displayed the majesty of the royal family, wearing a phoenix crown with nine dragons and four phoenixes, and a dark blue dress with twelve phoenix patterns, sitting on the phoenix throne.

Her mind was racing.

From the few brief encounters with the Queen, it can be seen that the Queen is not a rigid and indifferent woman. Moreover, when they were talking about the life and death of the Xu family, how could she be so solemn and cold? Was she afraid that there were ears on the other side of the wall? But this is Kunning Palace, the Queen's palace, who dares to peek in?

The thought flashed through my mind and sweat soaked my clothes.

In this palace, the only person who can truly make the queen fearful is the emperor!

She couldn't help but take a deep breath, but her heart became as calm as an ancient well without ripples.

"Empress, this is such a huge injustice. The Marquis has a good character and behaves uprightly. How could he do such a thing?" She said while blinking her eyes, hoping that the tears would fall quickly. "I don't know who said such a thing. If this gets to the ears of the emperor, will the Marquis still be alive?" As she spoke, her eyes were slightly moist. "Empress, you have to make a decision for the Marquis! It's clear that someone wants to frame the Marquis! To murder the Marquis!"

The Queen was startled for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curled up and a smile flashed across her face.

She didn't say anything, but Eleventh Lady knew how to answer. It was obvious that her brother had been prepared, and she felt very relieved and couldn't help laughing. Then she thought of the emperor who was resting in the inner room and could hear everything clearly, and her smile quickly disappeared.

"Don't cry." There was a hint of gentleness in her voice that she didn't even notice. "Sit down and talk first." Then she pointed to a brocade stool on the right.

Eleventh Lady listened to the Queen's calm voice and knew that she had done the right thing.

She breathed a sigh of relief and half sat on the brocade stool.

"Let me ask you, have you heard this rumor?" Although the queen believed her brother, even the elders seemed to be making convincing arguments, and she felt unsure again.

"I heard about it." Eleventh Lady nodded, choking with sobs, "Not only did I hear about it, but the child is still being raised in Banyuepan!"

"Ah!" The queen's face changed drastically.

Eleventh Lady pricked up her ears and heard a slight noise in the inner room.

It seems that the emperor is really listening in the inner room.

"So the Marquis is wronged!" Before the Queen could say anything, she immediately said, "The child is not the Marquis's at all, but the Fifth Master's."

"What?" The Queen's face changed drastically.

She hadn't thought about the possibility of having a child.

Eleventh Lady, who had been paying attention to the movements in the inner room, heard very light footsteps stop at the door curtain.

"I don't know exactly what happened." She told the queen everything that happened that day, but she didn't point out who wanted to buy the child. She just said that she couldn't find out: "... Suddenly I heard a rumor. It said that the child was born to the marquis and a camp prostitute. It also said that my sister was intolerant and would not allow the marquis to bring the child back." As she spoke, she began to cry, "Your Majesty, these people are so hateful. They even don't let go of the dead. Your Majesty, what do you think I should do? The marquis will definitely not explain, but without the marquis's consent, I didn't dare to say a word even in front of the lady..."

The Queen was in a state of confusion at this moment.

Although this child is not Xu Lingyi's, he is still a child of the Xu family.

If they defended Xu Lingyi, they would inevitably have to bring up Xu Lingkuan, and then Danyang, and Xu Lingkuan's father-in-law, Marquis Dingnan. But if they didn't defend Xu Lingyi, the Xu family would really not be able to bear this big hat.

It's like the palm and the back of the hand - even though we know that the flesh on the palm is thicker, it still hurts more when we hit it.

She couldn't help but glance at the curtain in the inner room.

After all, they have been married for more than ten years, and when things come to a head, they still habitually hope that person will help solve the problem.

Eleventh Lady, who had been keeping an eye on the Queen, couldn't help but sigh secretly in her heart, but there were some things she couldn't say - she had to complain for Xu Lingyi at this moment.

"The Marquis hasn't had a good sleep for two days. If I tell you, what will you do? Your fifth brother's wife is pregnant. If I don't tell you, there will be rumors out there that are terrible. The Marquis is afraid of ruining the reputation of the Yongping Marquis's Mansion, and even more afraid of bringing shame to the Emperor and the Empress. It's really like being stuck in a dilemma..."