Prime Minister Jian immediately looked displeased and said, "What do you mean by that?"
Jian Yang then recounted everything Jian Hong had told her the previous night to her adoptive father.
Finally, she asked, "Father, since Wang Shi returned this time, have you noticed any difference in her behavior compared to before?"
To her surprise, Prime Minister Jian did not answer her question at all. Instead, he said with a stern face, "Ayang, your father knows that Wang Shi and your sister wronged you before, but your father also punished them. Why do you still hold onto the past?"
Jian Yang: "???"
What kind of idiotic language is this person speaking? Why can't she understand a word of it?
Seeing that his daughter did not respond, Prime Minister Jian continued, "Since Wang returned to the manor, her temperament has changed drastically. Whether it is taking care of her father or managing the Prime Minister's manor, she has been devoted to her work without any complaints. I will not allow you to slander her without cause."
Jian Yang's face immediately fell.
She knew it; there was a reason why she hated her stepfather before!
This person is a leopard that can't change its spots.
Even if he felt some fatherly affection for her, it was only temporary and unsustainable!
"Believe it or not, it's up to you." Jian Yang said this and walked out the door without looking back.
There's no point in explaining anything to such a fool.
Prime Minister Jian said displeasedly, "You little brat, how dare you treat your father like this!"
Seeing his sister leave, Jian Hong immediately became furious and said, "A-Yang's words are absolutely true. Last night, I saw Wang Shi get into the carriage with my own eyes, and then I lost her near that alley. Why don't you believe me, Father?"
"Are you two siblings trying to conspire to kill your father?" Prime Minister Jian continued, "Wang Shi slept beside me all night. Do you think I didn't know whether she went out or not?"
Jian Hong's mind went completely blank.
how so?
But the woman who got into the carriage last night was clearly Wang Shi.
"I originally wanted to come and see your sister, but now you two have ruined my mood!" After saying this, Prime Minister Jian turned and left, leaving Jian Hong standing there looking completely bewildered.
"Brother, has Dad left?" A little head suddenly peeked in from outside the door after a short while.
"Why are you back again?" Jian Hong asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Jian Yang laughed and said, "I was eavesdropping."
She had thought the father and son were going to have a fight, but the battle ended so quickly, which was extremely boring.
"Did you hear what Father just said?"
“I heard everything,” Jian Yang nodded. “But brother, you’re not starting to doubt yourself, are you?”
Jian Hong awkwardly touched his nose and denied it, saying, "No."
Jian Yang could tell from his guilty look that he must have been influenced by his cheap father's words and his mind was definitely a mess.
So she smiled and said, "Brother, Father can only guarantee that Wang will be with him before he falls asleep, but he can't guarantee that Wang will still be with him after he falls asleep. What do you think?"
Jian Hong suddenly realized.
Yes, if Wang intended to leave the Prime Minister's residence that night, she could easily get her father drunk with a bowl of sleeping potion. Even without the potion, a single stick of calming incense would be enough to make him sleep soundly until dawn.
His father had no idea what happened during that time.
“A-Yang is right!” Jian Hong’s resolve hardened. “I will continue to investigate!”
Just then, a soldier came to report: "Reporting to the general, Lord Xiahou has come to visit."
Jian Hong asked curiously, "Lord Xiahou? Which Lord Xiahou?"
How come he doesn't remember having any dealings with Lord Xiahou?
Jian Yang's eyes widened immediately, and she asked, "Is this Lord Xiahou tall, fair-skinned, handsome and refined, and always has a stern face?"
The soldier nodded: "Yes, that's him!"
Jian Yang smiled and said, "Quickly, invite him in."
The soldier looked at Jian Hong.
Since his sister had agreed, he naturally nodded in agreement as well: "Please invite Lord Xiahou in."
The soldier quickly ran out to fetch someone.
Jian Yang then told her brother about Xiahou Riyue's identity and how he had helped her in her early years.
Because Jian Hong had been stationed on the frontier for many years, Xiahou Riyue had already been demoted to Jiangnan after he returned to the capital. Although he had always known his name, he had never met him.
Upon hearing that this person was his sister's good friend, Jian Hong immediately said warmly, "I see. I will certainly treat him well, brother."
Then Jian Hong looked her up and down.
Jian Yang hesitated and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
Jian Hong sighed and said, "At least freshen up a bit. How can you meet guests like this?"
Jian Yang then remembered that she had just heard that her adoptive father had come and had jumped out of the bedroom like a carp. She said somewhat embarrassedly, "Then I'll be right back. Please help me receive Xiahou."
After saying that, she ran off in a flash.
When she returned, Xiahou Riyue and her brother had already finished two cups of tea.
The two men seemed to get along very well, and Jian Yang could hear their hearty laughter from a distance.
She coughed lightly and raised her hand to knock on the door.
"Come in."
“Young Master Xiahou, it’s been a long time. How have you been?” Jian Yang stepped forward and bowed gracefully to Xiahou Riyue.
Jian Hong quickly returned the greeting, but laughed and said, "I didn't expect you to have changed so much, I didn't recognize you at all."
He was teasing her that she had changed her appearance again.
The three of them burst into laughter.
The cheerful atmosphere broke the awkwardness of not seeing each other for a long time, and Jian Yang's dignified demeanor could not be maintained for long before she began to reveal her true colors.
"Didn't the Emperor say that you were not allowed to come to the capital without being summoned? How dare you come?" Jian Yang popped a segment of orange into her mouth.
Xiahou Riyue remained as composed as ever: "I came back to visit my mother, and then I heard you were in the capital, so I came to see you."
Jian Yang and Jian Hong were both taken aback upon hearing this.
Jian Hong, in particular, immediately tensed up.
"Has the news of my sister's return to the capital already spread throughout the capital?"
Jian Yang was so frightened that she couldn't eat the oranges anymore.
Xiahou Riyue shook his head and said, "No, I have my own way."
Jian Yang then remembered that he used to be the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the highest-ranking official in charge of the empire's criminal justice system. It would be impossible for him not to have an intelligence network.
She continued eating the oranges without worry.
Jian Hong also breathed a sigh of relief.
“However,” Xiahou Riyue continued, “this news will likely not be kept secret for long. There are many people in the capital now searching for proof that Empress Wende is still alive.”
"Cough cough cough..." Jian Yang choked on the orange juice.
Jian Hong quickly patted her back to help her catch her breath.
Jian Yang finally stopped coughing, but a strong sense of crisis rose in her heart.
The imperial city is full of hidden talents; if those people are determined to find her, they can easily do so.
She suddenly felt that her future was bleak.
"Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to see me, Lord Xiahou," Jian Yang said weakly.
Xiahou Riyue laughed and said, "I'm not only here to see you, I'm also going to take you away."
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