What Wei Heng did was indeed not fair. No wonder old Mrs. Zhao is still brooding over it after all these years.

Fortunately, Shen's first child was a daughter. If a concubine's eldest son was born first, the Jiang family probably would not have been so tolerant.

But……

Wei Hanzhang said with a strange look on his face: "I always feel that you are right. My father treats my mother..."

"I was wrong!" Old Zhao sighed, "I saw that he was gentle and polite, and his eyes were full of affection when he looked at your mother. I thought he was a smart young man who knew how to cherish this blessing. I promised my daughter to him. It is possible that the two of them would fall in love with each other and have a long and happy life in the future."

Unexpectedly, although they are lovers, they can reach the point of treating each other with respect.

Wei Hanzhang was speechless for a moment. She had always thought that Wei Heng had been in love with Jiang for many years, but she didn't expect it had been so early, so early that he had been attracted to her from the very beginning. Even her mother-in-law saw it and promised her daughter to her.

result……

Jiang noticed her daughter's gaze and smiled gently: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just," Wei Hanzhang frowned deeply and said sullenly, "I just don't know what father is thinking. Even if he doesn't like his wife, few people would take a concubine during the wedding period. Besides, he obviously..."

"Don't talk about elders without permission," Jiang shook her head slightly, disagreeing, "I was the one who raised my concubine. Your father did nothing wrong. If there was any fault, it was because he secretly married Shen and brought her back to the capital. Only then did I know that the concubine's daughter had been born."

This incident alone caught Jiang, who had just gotten married, off guard. Looking back now, she still remembers the anger she felt at that time.

He was dissatisfied with the concubine she arranged for him to sleep with and insisted on finding one for himself outside.

After Shen, Jiang no longer felt angry towards Wei Heng.

She had already seen through what kind of person this was, so she made all the arrangements. In the years that followed, she brought in many women who followed Shen's example.

As long as they don't act like evil, what difference does it make whether they have three or five concubines or thirty or fifty?

Wei Hanzhang felt annoyed just by listening to this, and said, "Aniang is in the capital serving her parents-in-law, taking care of household affairs, and raising children, while he has another beautiful concubine and daughter outside. Do you feel sad?"

Jiang shook her head with amusement, "There's nothing to be sad about. There are thousands of kinds of couples in the world, some live in harmony, and some hate each other. Your father and I are already very good friends. I will find him whatever he likes. As long as the harem is peaceful and doesn't cause me a headache, that's good enough."

"..." Wei Hanzhang choked. She still couldn't believe that the vicious female supporting character in the original novel really didn't care about the male protagonist at all.

But Mrs. Zhao snorted coldly, "If this is the case, then my son will not be happy no matter who he marries."

…

Xiao Junzhan, who had listened to the whole thing outside, suddenly glanced sideways at his future father-in-law. Looking at Wei Heng's stiff expression, his eyes were somewhat complicated.

He liked Ranran. From the first moment he saw the little girl, he learned how to coax her without any instruction, and no matter how much he doted on her, it was never enough.

Xiao Junzhan didn't know much about love between men and women. He always felt that he was not doing well, but he didn't expect that there were people as dull as Wei Heng in the world.

Since you like each other, how can you not treat each other well?

He just couldn't bear to bully Ran Ran, and only wanted to be closer to her. He didn't want to let another woman drive them further apart.

No one knew what Wei Heng was thinking. In the inner hall, Old Zhao, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly reached out and held Wei Hanzhang's hand, saying, "Ran Ran, you know, grandma is not telling you this to sow discord between you and your father."

Wei Hanzhang vaguely understood what the old man meant, and lowered his head, not knowing what to say.

Old Zhao tapped her forehead and continued, "Don't learn from your father. Now that you have found a man you love, you should cherish him and not be too arrogant and willful, or you will hurt His Highness's heart."

"...He is a supreme ruler who cares about the lives of the people of the world. His words can decide the life and death of thousands of people. How could he be bound by the petty love in the world and be sad because I treated him badly?" Wei Hanzhang muttered unconvincedly: "And I didn't treat him badly either."

He has taken a bath with her, so she can't do anything to him, right?

Outside the door, with Xiao Junzhan's hearing ability, he could hear the little girl's mumbling clearly. He smiled slightly, turned his head and whispered to Wei Heng: "I won't bother you anymore."

...It was indeed a bit rude of me to eavesdrop on this for so long without realizing it.

Wei Heng's acupoints had been unblocked. He stood outside the door in a daze, forgetting to take the first step.

It was not until the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren had finished chatting and old Mrs. Zhao was exhausted and ready to take a rest that Wei Hanzhang and Mrs. Jiang's mother and daughter came out.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Wei Heng standing on the steps like a wooden stake.

He stood there in a daze, as if he had lost his soul. Seeing this, Jiang frowned and asked, "When did your husband come? Why didn't you ask someone to inform you?"

As she spoke, she looked at the two maids guarding the door. She saw that their faces were flushed and they seemed to be so nervous that they were at a loss for words. She was a little puzzled.

Wei Hanzhang, however, smelled a familiar scent in the air and tilted his head to ask, "Dad, are you here alone?"

Wei Heng finally came back to his senses. He glanced at the two maids and said, "I came here after my husband left the court. I am the only one here."

Hearing that he came after court session, Wei Hanzhang did not ask any more questions.

...Maybe it was because I smelled a bit of that person in the hall? Seeing that both my parents looked a little strange, how could a daughter get involved in her parents' emotional entanglement? After she realized what was going on, she said, "My second cousin asked me to go and talk to her. I'll take my leave now."

Jiang smiled slightly: "Go ahead, she just got rejected, and she doesn't have any sisters of the right age to confide her misery to, it would be good for you to go and keep her company."

…………

Changji Palace.

Xiao Junzhan went out of the palace. Although he did not see his sweetheart in person, he felt very comfortable after hearing a few of her words.

...I just hope that his Ranran can listen to her grandmother and be nicer to herself in the future.

When Ning Hai brought in the tea, he saw that although his expression didn't change much, his eyes and eyebrows showed joy, and he couldn't help but feel happy for his master.

He offered the teacup and whispered, "Your Highness, the eunuch Changmen has arrived and is asking for an audience outside."

Xiao Junzhan paused for a moment while holding the pen, and said, "Let him in."

After a while, Xie Li walked in, bowing slightly. After entering the door, he knelt down and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Xiao Junzhan put down the pen in his hand and said, "Ziyi is here to see me now, but has there been any progress in the case of the insect powder?"

Xie Li stood up and replied, "I have found out that the insect powder this time is different from what the imperial physicians know. Ordinary insect powder can only attract snakes and insects within a hundred meters, and some highly poisonous ones have little effect. But when Miss Wei came, almost all the snakes in the palace came."

"The insect-pulling powder that Miss Wei encountered is from Miaojiang. Miaojiang is densely forested and full of miasma, with snakes and insects everywhere. Unlike Gu poison, insect-pulling powder has the effect of driving away snakes and insects, and is also a must-have for some Gu masters to raise Gu."

After many twists and turns, we finally got to Miaojiang. Did the clues lead us back to the Liu family? "The insect powder originated from Miaojiang, and I also found out that Jinyi Pavilion was the dowry of the wife of the Duke of Anguo..."

Xie Li bowed and said, "The embroiderer who made the clothes for Miss Wei died suddenly and mysteriously the day after the clothes were delivered to the Wei residence. She was once an embroiderer for the Liu family, but was later released from the residence and entered the Jinyi Pavilion."

All the evidence pointed to the Duke of Anguo's Mansion. Xiao Junzhan pondered for a few breaths and said, "Have you asked the Liu family?"

In addition to being kept alone for fear that Liu Wanning might really have the same fate as him, all the more than 300 members of the Liu family have been thrown into the prison. Xie Li thought of the Duke's Mansion, which had been glorious for a hundred years, and sighed in his heart, and replied: "The Liu family has confessed. Except for the wife of Duke Anguo who kept saying that she didn't know, Liu Wanning, the Liu family, and Duke Anguo have all confessed."

Xiao Junzhan remained calm and asked, "Where is Liu Bosheng? Does he know about this?"

Liu Bosheng is the name of the old Duke of Anguo who has been bedridden for many years.

This iron-willed general, whose hands were stained with countless blood, who suppressed the Miao region, suffered from an old illness in his old age and had not come out to see guests for many years. He should have been famous for a hundred years and his name should have been recorded in the history books of the Daling Dynasty. But now he is in prison and his integrity has been ruined.

Xie Li shook his head slightly. "The old Duke is old. His family was in trouble and he was so emotional that his old illness relapsed. He lost consciousness after being imprisoned. Lord Li invited the imperial physician to treat him. He said that he had died in the past few days."

Xiao Junzhan was silent for a few breaths, then stood up and said, "It is true that the Liu family intends to murder the Crown Princess, but they would not do it frequently. It has only been a few days since the insect powder was used, and the poison has started to work again. Even if all the evidence is related to the Liu family, I don't believe it is just a coincidence."

As for why the Liu family confessed, there is a saying that when there are too many lice, you don’t feel itchy.

The crime is already unforgivable, so it doesn't matter if I take on one more person.

...Or maybe, the Liu family is related to the real mastermind behind the worm powder.

He walked down the steps, stopped in front of Xie Li, and said, "Keep investigating. The Liu family must have a reason for wanting to take the blame for the person behind the scenes. Investigate from this aspect."

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Xie Li's cheeks and he quickly agreed.

Xiao Junzhan added: "From Ziyi's point of view, who would want something to happen to my Crown Princess and have a motive to attack Ranran?"

The two had known each other since childhood, and the relationship between the monarch and his subject was deep. Upon hearing this, Xie Li hesitated a little before saying, "You have never thought of marrying in these years, and the royal family has also been interested. But now the decree has suddenly been issued to appoint a crown princess..."

He paused and continued, "Perhaps this will frustrate many people."

As for what the plan was, Xiao Junzhan understood it, and Xie Li also understood it.

It is nothing more than adopting an heir from the royal family to inherit the throne.

This is also what Xiao Junzhan is suspicious of. The Liu family is not stupid and will not keep jumping in front of him.

Even if they were to jump, they would not do it in their own shop, using such simple and easy-to-detect methods.

"Then we should start with the royal family and see who has a close relationship with the Liu family, or if there are any members of the Liu family who have slipped through the net." Xiao Junzhan said, "Prince Ping, Prince Yan, Prince Yu..."

He suddenly paused, his eyes dimmed, "In fact, in terms of adopted children, my two younger brothers are the best choices due to their close blood relationship."

Xie Li froze when he heard this and knelt down hastily, not daring to answer the question.

Xiao Junzhan was not a suspicious person, but since it was related to his Ran Ran's safety, he didn't think it was too much to investigate carefully, so he ordered: "Get up, this case is solved, your investigation will be changed from open to covert, and no third person can know, understand?"

Xie stood up and promised solemnly.

After the ministers left, the huge hall became empty and silent. Xiao Junzhan stood by the window, looking at the towering phoenix trees outside the hall, wondering what he was thinking.

After a long while, he turned around and walked to the imperial desk, and ordered, "Go, summon Li Yue to the audience."

Li Yue has been ordered to rush back to Beijing to investigate the poisoning case for several days. The case, which was originally a case with solid evidence, fell into anxiety because of the emergence of the poisoning Gu.

Your Highness is afraid of harming the innocent, and as a minister, he should relieve Your Highness's worries and find out the authenticity of the Tong Ming Gu.

Can……

Li Yue stepped into Changji Hall with trepidation. Xiao Junzhan was not reviewing memorials, but was sitting in front of the tea table, burning incense and making tea.

Seeing him coming, Xiao Junzhan pointed to the seat opposite and said, "Sit down."

Seeing that they were going to have a long talk, Li Yue became more and more nervous. He only sat on a small half of the couch, looking very restrained.

Seeing this, Xiao Junzhan was slightly startled. He held the teacup in his hand and drank it all before saying, "Tell me, how is the investigation of the Liu family case going?"

Li Yue filled his empty cup with great tact and said, "After I returned to the capital, I surrounded the Duke of Anguo's mansion overnight and found many strange and bizarre things, including the insect powder and several poisonous insects recorded in the Gu Ji."

These were two different cases. Both he and Xie Li were the prince's confidants and they were also competitors with each other. Naturally, they would not tell each other about the discovery of the insect powder during the search.

Therefore, Xie Li did not know that when Xiao Junzhan first heard that the Liu family also had worm powder, he not only did not think that this case was related to the Liu family, but instead felt that it was a coincidence.

If there is another mastermind behind this, this person would be much more cautious than the Liu family.

But right now he was focusing on something else.

Xiao Junzhan asked, "Where is the same fate Gu?"

"We didn't find the Life-Same Gu, but..." Li Yue paused and said, "I have interrogated the servants and stewards of the Liu Mansion. Many of them were soldiers who helped Liu Bocheng pacify the Miao border. They said that the Life-Same Gu is indeed real."

"The Same Life Gu is the same as the Joy Gu, and is a rare Gu from the Miao region. When Liu Bosheng killed a Gu Master who had committed many evil deeds, he got one of each and brought them back to the capital."

I brought it back to the capital, but I didn't find it...

Xiao Junzhan's expression suddenly turned fierce: "So, Liu Wanning and my Ran Ran are really connected by the same fate?"

"Your Highness, calm down!" Li Yue was startled, and hurriedly stood up, kneeling on one knee and said: "I have obtained some information from several of Liu Bosheng's confidants who have been to the Miaojiang battlefield. It is possible that the Tongming Gu is no longer there."

Xiao Junzhan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he lowered his eyes to look at him, "Speak."

"Unlike the Joy Gu, the Life Gu is said to be extremely difficult to maintain and requires rare treasures from the world. This is also the reason why the Miao Gu Masters are constantly causing trouble. It is too difficult to raise Gu, especially rare Gu. Even the Duke's Mansion, which has been passed down for hundreds of years and has a deep heritage, has been somewhat stretched after decades."

"Money is a small matter, but there are many rare treasures in the world that are priceless and simply cannot be found." Li Yue said quickly: "According to the testimony of the chief steward of the Liu Mansion, the Tong Ming Gu may have died five years ago due to insufficient nourishment and lack of spiritual energy."

"...Possibly?" Xiao Junzhan repeated, and suddenly kicked Li Yue's shoulder, saying, "You investigated for several days, and all you gave me is 'possibly'?"

(End of this chapter)