Sheng Xingan had been waiting for Sheng Xiyan to enter the palace. He was absent-minded in his work and never went inside. He always found excuses to come out and wait.

Finally the wait came and I couldn't wait to ask.

Sheng Xiyan did not answer but asked: "What does father mean?"

Sheng Xingan swallowed nervously and asked cautiously, "Is the child following Governor Xiao Sheng Jue?"

Sheng Xiyan said: "His name is Wei Xiu."

"Wei Xiu..." Sheng Xingan silently recited the name, put it in his mouth and chewed it gently. After a while, he said: "No, he is Sheng Jue, Sister Yan..."

"Now, he is called Wei Xiu." Sheng Xiyan emphasized.

Sheng Xingan was stunned, with an indescribable feeling in his heart.

Yes, Sheng Xiyan did not deny that he was Sheng Jue, but he was now called Wei Xiu.

Sheng Xingan stood there blankly, feeling somewhat distraught.

Sheng Xiyan stood where she was.

Although it was Liu who caused his younger brother to get lost, Sheng Xingan was not completely blameless.

It is too late to say anything now, and it does not make much sense.

Sheng Xiyan always respected Wei Xiu's decision.

Sheng Xiyan bowed to him and said, "My daughter, take your leave." Then she left.

The existence of Wei Xiu cannot be concealed just because you want to. As long as Wei Xiu is in the capital, it is impossible for him to keep it a secret for his entire life. It is impossible for him to stay at home just to avoid being seen, right?

If Sheng Xingan knew, then he would know. He would know it sooner or later anyway.

Sheng Xingan stood there in a daze, and only came to his senses after Sheng Xiyan walked away.

Sister Yan did not deny it, which means that Wei Xiu is really Sheng Yu.

health maintenance.

Well, he had been wandering around for eight years, and it was not unusual for him to be adopted and have his name changed.

Sheng Xing'an's heart was pounding, and when he was in the Imperial Temple, he couldn't even take a good look at Wei Xiu.

Does he still remember himself?

When Jue'er just went missing, Xu fell ill. He took people to look for Jue'er alone, putting aside his reputation and asking for help everywhere, even asking the Jingzhao Yin and the Wucheng Bingmasi, just to ask them to help look for him.

He searched day and night, and because of this, he delayed his assignment. That year, he only got a C grade in the performance review of the Ministry of Personnel and was almost demoted.

He thought he would never see Jue'er again in this life.

Sheng Xingan could hardly suppress the excitement in his heart.

Sheng Jue is still alive and he has returned to the capital

Sheng Xingan was stunned at first, but soon he smiled again. That’s great, that’s really great.

He really wanted to see him, even if it was just for a moment.

Sheng Xingan looked up to find Sheng Xiyan, wanting to ask more about Jue'er. At this time, someone came over and said, "Sir, the Shangshu asked you to come."

Yell, yell, what's the point of yelling? The Queen Mother's funeral is just too annoying.

Sheng Xingan can hardly stay here any longer!

But there was nothing he could do; he had to continue working while receiving this salary.

I can only accept my fate and leave.

Women from other clans had to go into the palace and mourn for seven days.

For Sheng Xiyan, she was just going through the motions and went to the side hall to drink tea.

The young eunuch originally wanted to ask the female teacher to sing some songs, but she stopped him. She just asked him to give her a few storybooks and tell him the time. Then she left the palace and went home when the time was almost up.

Anyway, it is impossible to let her grieve over the death of the Queen Mother.

While she was reading the opera script and eating snacks, the eunuchs in the palace were afraid that she would be bored, so they suggested inviting some acrobats to perform for her.

Sheng Xiyan: “…”

Although I don't want to cry, but watching the sideshow seems a bit excessive, right?

She was being lazy openly, and everyone saw it, but no one said a word of "no".

After returning to the palace, Jingle felt sorry for her hard work and urged her to have dinner and then to take a nap.

In fact, Sheng Xiyan had already taken a short rest in the side hall, but she still listened obediently and went back to her room to sleep.

I have to go to the palace early tomorrow morning.

Women outside the royal family were allowed to mourn the empress dowager for seven days.

She slept for nearly an hour before waking up. Xigui helped her get up and said, "Princess, Master Wei Xiu came to ask you something."

Wei Xiu? !

By the way, I have to tell him that Sheng Xingan recognized him.

Sheng Xiyan yawned, and her dizzy mind finally cleared up. After changing her clothes, she went to the outer courtyard.

It was getting dark.

Wei Xiu actually just came back not long ago.

After leaving the Taimiao, he first went into the palace with Xiao Shuo, and then went to Dongchang with him.

Wei Xiu now follows Xiao Shuo like a disciple, and the people in Dongchang are also particularly polite to him.

"elder sister."

Wei Xiu bowed to Sheng Xiyan solemnly.

Sheng Xiyan felt relieved when she saw that he had changed his clothes. After all, her brother was such a cautious person, it was impossible for him to ignore the epidemic.

"You need me for something?"

"yes."

Wei Xiu told Sheng Xiyan everything that happened in the temple without any reservation.

After returning to Dongchang, Xiao Shuo once asked him what he saw and what he understood.

This was a test, and also meant for him to pass on a message to Sheng Xiyan.

Sheng Xiyan couldn't help but sigh after hearing this.

She was not in the Imperial Ancestral Temple today. When she was in the palace, everyone else was crying for the dead. She had no way to find out, and the young eunuchs didn't know much either. She hadn't expected that such a big drama would happen today.

After Wei Xiu finished telling what he had seen, he added: "The Queen Mother's death was an accident, but it was not an accident."

This is a game, a game with many interconnected links.

At first, Wei Xiu didn’t really understand.

It was only after Xiao Shuo pointed this out to him that he realized this.

In other words, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were destined to have a huge conflict. All they lacked was an opportunity. The meeting in the Imperial Temple created such an opportunity for the two.

"The governor said that he had someone tell the Queen Mother that the Emperor intended to kill him."

"He also had someone tell the Queen Mother about her will."

Xiao Shuo wanted to teach him intentionally, so he would deliberately tell him some things and then let him think about them on his own.

Wei Xiu said with admiration: "The Governor is really insightful."

His eyes were bright and full of admiration.

The Queen Mother thought that the Emperor wanted to kill her, but to the Emperor, the Queen Mother was helping Qin Wei to seize his throne. There was no reconciliation between the two.

In such a situation, the two people are bound to quarrel, and in the heat of the moment, some words will come out of their mouths.

The emperor became even more irritable and impatient because of his "stroke".

No one could predict whether the emperor would kill his mother in a rage. However, the empress dowager had contracted an epidemic and was already dying. It didn't matter whether the emperor killed her personally or not.

After figuring out all the causes and consequences, Wei Xiu realized what an ingenious scheme this was, and that it had been set up long ago.

And it has been guided step by step until now.

"Sister," Wei Xiu asked, "The governor said that the incense in the Queen Mother's room was made by you?"

Sheng Xiyan nodded with a smile and said, "This is called Nightmare. It is a kind of miraculous medicine recorded in my grandfather's medical notes. My grandfather got the prescription when he was traveling. If you want to learn it, I'll show it to you."

Wei Xiu agreed.

Although he had no plans to study medicine, he was curious about everything.

Sheng Xiyan then explained to him the effects of the nightmare medicine.

Wei Xiu nodded slowly.

The Empress Dowager's room is filled with nightmares, and the Emperor is also affected by the murder of his father. Once he arrives at the Imperial Temple, everything will happen naturally.

"Xiu'er, what do you think?"

"Sister," Wei Xiu said in a serious tone, "Zheng Zhongming has put on such a big show. Could it be that he has some leverage over Governor Xiao?"

Sheng Xiyan's eyebrows furrowed, and he asked, "What do you mean?"

Wei Xiu thought for a while and said, "I just think it's a bit strange."

"Zheng Zhongming wanted to see the emperor, and he was willing to use the wife of the Duke of Cheng'en to infect the empress dowager with an epidemic in order to get the emperor out of the palace. He must have been sure that the emperor would trust him, but unless he had a huge handle, the emperor would not trust him so easily."

Wei Xiu added: "After leaving the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Emperor went directly to the garden outside the capital and did not return to the palace. He seemed to be afraid of something."

"Sister, what do you think Zheng Zhongming wants to do?"

Sheng Xiyan couldn't help but touch the top of his head and said, "Master Xiao asked you to look, so you should look carefully."

Wei Xiu thought for a moment, then bowed solemnly and said, "Yes."

In the past few days, he has learned much more than in the past few years, and he likes following Master Xiao like this.

Wei Xiu's eyes were bright.

It's not that he doesn't like to talk, but many times he finds that others can't keep up with his ideas, which makes him feel bored.

Governor Xiao would not do that. Governor Xiao is always one step faster than what he thinks!

It’s great to be in Beijing.

"Xiu'er." Sheng Xiyan could sense his good mood. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Father has seen you."

Wei Xiu nodded.

Today, when he was in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he noticed someone looking at him. Later, he quietly asked the eunuch and learned that it was the Minister of Rites, Sheng Xing'an.

It doesn't matter even if he sees him, he is a guard and this will not change.

He was once Sheng Jue, and this will never change.

He cannot change who he is, he just needs to know who he is.

Sheng Xiyan stopped there and did not ask Wei Xiu what his plans were.

Wei Xiu is a man with his own ideas and he doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do.

Sheng Xiyan didn't mention it, and Wei Xiu didn't mention it either. He just asked, "Sister, are you going to the palace tomorrow?"

Sheng Xiyan was somewhat helpless: "It will take seven days."

Wei Xiu felt that her sister was really pitiful, and said seriously: "Sister, ask someone to sew you a knee pad, so that you won't feel so uncomfortable when kneeling."

Sheng Xiyan smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't take any loss." As she said that, she winked at him.

Wei Xiu smiled faintly.

Wei Xiu didn't need to go to the palace to mourn, but he still had to follow Xiao Shuo every day. Xiao Shuo didn't say anything to him most of the time, and only occasionally gave him some advice. Even these few words of advice were very helpful to Wei Xiu. He followed Xiao Shuo and watched carefully. After three days, he saw the familiar black lacquered flat-top carriage again in an alley not far from the palace.

Wei Xiu lowered his eyes slightly and walked forward pretending to be unaware.

"Brother Jue."

The people in the carriage called him.

Sheng opened the car curtain, looked around briefly, and said, "Jue, it's me."

Wei Xiu paused, as if hesitating for a moment.

Seeing this, Sheng quickly got off the carriage. She didn't dare to walk out of the alley for fear of being discovered, so she had to hide in the corner and looked at Wei Xiu eagerly.

Just when she was about to give up, Wei Xiu finally moved and walked towards her.

"Mrs. Zhao." Wei Xiu bowed slightly.

Sheng frowned and said unhappily, "I am your aunt."

Wei Xiu said calmly, "If you have nothing else to do, I will take my leave now."

Seeing that he was about to leave without saying anything, Sheng didn't care about the name and said quickly, "Brother Jue, what do you think about what I told you last time?"

She looked at Wei Xiu with burning eyes.

Sheng has been waiting for several days, but Wei Xiu has not made any move or response, as if nothing has happened. Of course she is anxious.

Zheng Xintong told her that Rou'er was pregnant, which made her extremely happy and excited. The emperor had suffered a stroke and had no children. King Zhao's son was the one with the closest blood relationship to the emperor. Doesn't this mean that there is a high possibility of inheritance?

Once this happens, Rou'er's mother, relying on her son's status, will be able to ascend to the Phoenix Path and soar to the ninth heaven in the future.

But Sheng also knew that before that, at least Rou'er had to get out of that hellhole.

She thought the Methodist would come to find her, but when he didn't, she had to take the initiative.

Sheng pinched her sleeve pocket. She couldn’t wait any longer!

"I'm doing well in the palace now." Wei Xiu's words were vague, but Sheng understood something of his meaning.

She thought to herself: It turns out that the reason why Wei Xiu didn't move is not because he really doesn't care, but because he is reluctant to give up the benefits of the palace and is afraid of upsetting Sheng Xiyan and getting kicked out.

Thinking of this, she continued, "Brother Jue, you are so stupid. I heard that the King of Zhenbei took Sheng Yan away when he went to war. Do you know what this means?"

She heard this from Zheng Xintong.

She threatened: "This means that your sister wants to support Sheng Yan as the heir of the Sheng family!"

"Jue'er, your aunt will not harm you. You are the one that your aunt cares about the most."

Sheng continued, "Your father has been looking for you. Listen to your aunt and go back to the Sheng family before Sheng Yan comes back and take up your place first."

Wei Xiu resisted the urge to touch his forehead and said, "Didn't you say last time that it was Lord Sheng who abandoned me?"

He really couldn't stand the inconsistency in his words!

Sheng froze for a moment. Isn't this just a case of rushing the conversation?

Wei Xiu was only twelve years old, a half-grown child. Even if Zheng Xintong said that Wei Xiu should not be treated as an ordinary person, she didn't think so in her heart. Her daughter Rou'er was so smart, but she was also dull and inflexible when she was twelve years old.

She held the handkerchief tightly, laughed dryly and said, "Didn't Liu get divorced? Your father disliked Liu, so naturally he didn't like Sheng Ying, the daughter of Liu. You are your father's only legitimate son, and he has high hopes for you."

After she smoothed over her words, she spoke more and more smoothly: "Jue'er, you have to trust your aunt. No matter what your sister is, she is still a daughter of the Sheng family. If you can inherit the Sheng family, your sister will definitely support you."

"Then you won't be living under someone else's roof."

Sheng talked incessantly.

Wei Xiu sighed softly in his heart. He really wanted to remind her that not long ago, she had vowed that she liked Sheng Yan more, so she ignored him.

"I see." Wei Xiu interrupted her, "I'll think about it again."

How long will it take to think about this?! Sheng couldn't wait any longer, and...

She thought of Zheng Xintong's instructions, narrowed her eyes, and said, "Brother Jue, when Sheng Yan returns after performing meritorious deeds, it will be too late for you to replace him."

"Now, while Sheng Yan is away, let your father see you first and let him know that you are still alive."

"Even if you don't want to go back to the Sheng family, can you still meet me for now?"

Wei Xiu looked hesitant.

Sheng was delighted and said quickly, "Brother Jue, listen to your aunt! Don't worry, if your father sides with Sheng Yan, your aunt will speak for you and won't let anyone bully you."

She kept her eyes on Wei Xiu, and when she saw a hint of impatience and hesitation on his face, she continued speaking in a fierce voice.

In the end, she didn't know whether Wei Xiu was convinced by her or annoyed by her, but he finally gave in and said, "Okay."

Sheng was overjoyed and said quickly, "Then let's go now."

Wei Xiu agreed.

Sheng couldn't wait to take him to the carriage and went to Sheng's house together.

Sheng Xing'an had not returned from the palace yet, and the gatekeeper, receiving Sheng Xing'an's instructions, kept Sheng outside.

Sheng was angry and annoyed, but she didn't dare to leave, and her face was frozen with anger.

"Mrs. Zhao," Wei Xiu suddenly turned around and said, "Didn't you just say that Lord Sheng listens to you the most? Why did he dismiss you?"

Sheng: “…”

I always find it annoying that health professionals always bring up issues that are irrelevant.

However, Sheng could only coax him by saying things like "There is no mistress in the Sheng Mansion now", "There was some unpleasantness between you and your father a while ago, your father was just angry for a while", "The situation in the capital is not good now and your father doesn't want to get involved" and so on.

Wei Xiu said "Oh" softly and turned his head to the outside.

They waited until almost curfew, and Sheng was afraid several times that Wei Xiu would get impatient. Fortunately, Wei Xiu showed no intention of leaving.

When she saw Sheng Xingan's carriage stopped in front of the door and the coachman was about to knock on the door, Sheng was so happy that she burst into tears.

She quickly lifted the car curtain and shouted, "Brother."

Sheng Xingan, who was sitting in the carriage, silently lowered the curtain without looking back.

Wei Xiu: “…”

Wei Xiu sighed softly and felt a little tired.

Sheng also heard the sigh and frowned unhappily. If it weren't for her daughter, she really wanted to just walk away.

But now, she could only endure it, and then she shouted again, "Brother, I'm here with Jue Ge'er."

As she spoke, she drove the carriage closer.

Sheng Xing'an was shocked by this sentence. He quickly jumped off the carriage and ran towards the black flat-top carriage. He ran so fast that he almost tripped.

Without waiting for Sheng to say anything, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the guard sitting inside with a dazed look.

It's him!

You can still see her childhood look in her eyes and eyebrows.

It’s just that Jue Ge’er loved to laugh when he was little, but now he seems a lot colder.

"Brother Jue..."

Sheng Xingan couldn't help but called out softly.

Wei Xiu said calmly, "Master Sheng."

Sheng looked at Sheng Xingan.

It turns out that he already knew that Sheng Jue was found. Originally, Sheng thought he didn't know. This makes things easier.

"Brother, don't stand outside, let's go inside and talk first." Sheng said hurriedly.

Sheng Xingan came back to his senses and nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, Jue'er, go in first."

Sheng Xing'an had long forgotten his original order not to allow Sheng to set foot into the mansion again, and hurriedly welcomed them in personally.

The carriage entered the Sheng Mansion and stopped at the ceremonial gate. Sheng Xingan couldn't wait to help Wei Xiu get off the carriage himself, but as soon as he extended his hand, Wei Xiu jumped down by himself.

Wei Xiu looked around, and Sheng Xingan asked hurriedly, "Brother Jue, do you still remember... home?"

"My name is Wei Xiu." Wei Xiu emphasized seriously.

Sheng coaxed: "Brother Jue, don't be so stubborn..."

Before she could finish her words, Sheng Xingan nodded and said, "Okay, okay. Wei Xiu. Wei Xiu."

Sheng Xingan stared at him intently, afraid that if he missed him, he would disappear from his sight.

Sheng frowned.

However, this is not important. Finally, Wei Xiu was brought to the Sheng family.

Sheng curled her lips and said, "Brother, it's a happy thing that Jue'er is back. Let's sit down first and talk." She added, "We have been standing outside for a long time, and Jue'er hasn't had dinner yet."

When she said that, Sheng Xingan suddenly came back to his senses and said hurriedly: "Jue...Xiu'er, are you hungry? Why are you waiting at the door? You are the master of this house, not a guest."

Sheng: “…”

Although she might have misunderstood, Sheng always felt that Sheng Xing'an was saying that she shouldn't have come!

The Sheng family is obviously her mother's family!

Sheng endured it again and again without saying a word.

Wei Xiu said, "Okay."

This "OK" sounded cold and distant, but this was enough to make Sheng Xingan extremely happy. He quickly ordered people to prepare the meal and personally led the guards to the side hall.

After they sat down, Sheng Xingan had tea served and asked cautiously, "Wei Xiu, you, you have been..."

"Dad adopted me, named me Wei Xiu, and raised me like his own son."

"My father is the great scholar Wei Lin from Jiangnan."

Sheng Xingan felt uncomfortable when he heard him calling others "Daddy", but when he thought about the fact that he had not raised him all these years, he felt even more uncomfortable.

"What about you...Mr. Wei?" Sheng Xingan asked.

He felt that he should go to Mr. Wei Lin in person to thank him. It would be even better if the two families could treat each other as relatives in the future.

"My parents passed away when I was eight years old." Wei Xiu said calmly, "Later I lived with my father's disciple Yu Ge..."

He briefly recounted his journey to Beijing.

As Sheng Xingan listened, his eyes couldn't help but become moist and he raised his sleeves to wipe away his tears.

Sheng was a little absent-minded. Halfway through listening, she stood up and said, "Brother, you have a good chat with Jue-ge'er. I'm going out first."

She walked up to Sheng Xingan and said, "Brother, I was impulsive in the past, so I made many mistakes. Please don't hold it against me for the sake of bringing Jue back."

Sheng had never given in to anyone since she was a child, and now that she gave in, Sheng Xingan also softened his heart: "Stay for a while and have dinner before leaving."

"Then I'll go out first." She smiled, "You can talk to Jue'er slowly."

As she spoke, she winked at Sheng Xingan, as if to avoid interrupting their conversation and tactfully avoided the conversation.

After going out, Sheng breathed a sigh of relief.

She did not walk far, but went directly to the side room to sit down, and said to the servants who were waiting on her: "My eldest brother said that Jue-er is hungry, you can bring in some tea and snacks later."

She stayed in the side room, drinking a cup of tea every now and then, looking up at the clock on the antique display shelf from time to time. She felt a little anxious and uneasy, but more of a faint excitement.

"ah!"

After an unknown amount of time, a scream was heard from the direction of the hall. Sheng hurriedly stood up and rushed out, asking, "What happened?!"

The servants were all standing in the corridor, looking panic-stricken.

Sheng pushed everyone away. The door of the hall was wide open. A maid at the door was holding snacks and tea. Inside, Sheng Xingan fell to the ground with blood flowing from his lips.

The bright red blood flowed on the marble, which was shocking to the eyes.