Qingyue was also shocked. If this wasn't her own business, she would have wanted to run away.

Does Zhao Yuanrou understand the situation? Who is she trying to show off to by acting so righteous and aloof?

This is Dongchang. It's the best outcome that Dongchang is willing to take the people away directly. Is Zhao Yuanrou trying to cause trouble and get her house confiscated? Oh, this isn't her Zhao family anyway, so she doesn't care if it's confiscated, right? !

Qingyue thought of her father's instructions and did not get angry. She advised in a gentle voice, "Miss Zhao, the Dongchang will investigate thoroughly."

Zhao Yuanrou was not stupid. She naturally understood that everyone was afraid of Dongchang. However, Zhou Jingxun was about to be taken away. Once he entered Dongchang Prison, his life or death would be uncertain. How could she ignore him?

She and Zhou Jingxun are sincere to each other.

Originally, Zhao Yuanrou thought that after all that she had gone through, her feelings for him had faded. However, when Zhou Jingxun was captured by the Dongchang with wounds all over his body and was about to be taken away, she had to admit that she still had feelings for him. She couldn't let him go.

She didn't want to deceive herself anymore and still hoped to give them another chance.

She must save Zhou Jingxun.

"So what about the East Factory?" Zhao Yuanrou stepped forward and said without looking away, "I don't think Governor Xiao would be unreasonable."

She stood in the cold wind, her face showing only calmness and determination. Her skirt fluttered in the wind, making her figure look even thinner, but she remained steadfast and did not back down.

Zhao Yuanrou planned to use provocation.

Throughout history, those who hold high positions and have great power are always skilled in both tactics and scheming. Xiao Shuo was able to take control of the Dongchang at such a young age, so he is definitely not a soft-hearted person.

Dongchang has been decisive in killing people over the years, and he must have offended quite a few people.

I don't know how many people are watching him, waiting to find something to hold against him.

As the saying goes, it is lonely at the top.

Xiao Shuo does have tremendous power now, but as a eunuch, his success or failure depends on the emperor.

If he were not careful and let others say nonsense in front of the emperor, would the emperor still trust him as much as he does now?

Without the emperor's trust, what would he be?

By then, you might even be beaten up by someone.

Zhao Yuanrou quickly figured out the key point. She straightened her back and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Today, if Dongchang really wants to take Prince Zhou away, please give me an explanation!"

There was an unyielding determination on her beautiful face, as if no one and nothing in the world could change her will.

Zhou Jingxun stared at her blankly, his eyes a little dazed.

He still remembered the first time he met Zhao Yuanrou, she was protecting a ragged little girl. She herself was so weak and petite, but when facing a big man who was twice as strong as her, she still did not yield or back down. Her unyielding will to face challenges made him fall in love with her at once.

There has never been a woman like her. Never.

Later, Zhao Yuanrou's talent and insight made him fall completely on her.

Now, Zhao Yuanrou even dares to face Dongchang and argue with him. Who else can do the same as her?

He had nothing more to ask for than to have a woman like this as his wife.

Zhou Jingxun's eyes were glued to Zhao Yuanrou. He was in so much pain that he could hardly make a sound. He could only whimper and say, "Rou'er, you don't have to beg for mercy anymore. I know you have me in your heart, that's enough."

It was all his fault. They clearly loved each other, but he always hurt Zhao Yuanrou for some trivial things, which made Zhao Yuanrou disappointed in him.

He is wrong!

Zhao Yuanrou: “…”

At this moment, she knew Zhou Jingxun's feelings, and she also knew her own feelings. She would never waver or hesitate again.

Zhao Yuanrou's eyes became more determined: "Don't worry."

After watching the two exchange glances, Eunuch Wu said slowly, "Miss Zhao, are you not convinced?"

He said with a smile: "We in the East Factory have always been committed to making people convinced. Since Miss Zhao is not convinced, we have to make you convinced. Miss Zhao, what do you think?"

Zhao Yuanrou felt that her words worked. As expected, no matter how powerful Xiao Shuo was, he was not without weaknesses.

She calmed herself down and said, "It's good that the father-in-law knows."

"Then we will make Miss Zhao convinced."

When saying the last four words, Eunuch Wu deliberately paused after each word, his voice neither light nor heavy, but the coldness that came through it gave Zhao Yuanrou a very bad feeling.

Qingyue's face turned pale and she clutched the handkerchief tightly.

Eunuch Wu: “Search!”

Qingyue's pupils shrank sharply and she said in fear: "What do you mean, eunuch? This has nothing to do with..." This has nothing to do with their Prince Cheng's Mansion.

Eunuch Wu was still smiling, and it was this smile that made people tremble with fear: "Miss Zhao thinks that we, the East Factory, are abusing our authority by arresting people, so we must make people convinced. We can't let people say that our governor is 'unreasonable'."

The word "unreasonable" had a weird tone when it came out of his mouth.

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the four Dongchang guards he brought with him immediately took action and went in four directions.

Eunuch Wu said in a friendly manner: "I hope you all will stay here and don't move. The Dongchang people are rough in their work. If you get hurt by accident, it will be bad."

He paused and added, "We didn't bring many people with us. If we are short of manpower, it won't hurt to call more people."

What he meant was that if they had done something behind the scenes, there would be more than just these few people coming to the East Factory.

Qingyue understood and said quickly, "Don't worry, Eunuch Wu."

Qingyue turned pale with fright, and so did the others.

Who in the capital city is not afraid of the Eastern Factory? When they go out for a banquet or a meal, they may run into a search by the Eastern Factory. Is it because they didn't check the almanac before going out?

They looked at each other, and the brave ones were almost crying with fear. All their eyes filled with resentment fell on Zhao Yuanrou, the culprit.

Zhao Yuanrou was stunned, and then she reacted and asked quickly, "What are you doing?"

Qingyue was filled with hatred. She quickly grabbed Zhao Yuanrou and warned her in a low voice, "Miss Zhao, it's not enough that you want to die yourself, do you want to kill us all?"

"If you keep making trouble, don't blame me for having someone knock you out!" Qingyue said coldly, "I think everyone here will be happy to do this."

Zhao Yuanrou: “…”

Zhao Yuanrou pursed her lips, but in the end she didn't say a word, her eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness.

Eunuch Wu ignored her and just smiled and said to Sheng Xiyan, "Miss Sheng, please go back first."

Sheng Xiyan nodded slightly and said, "Please do as you please, eunuch."

Eunuch Wu diligently picked up the safety lock on the ground, wiped it with a clean towel until there was no trace of mud left on it, and then presented it to Sheng Xiyan with both hands.

The safety lock had been stepped on and flattened, and even the two words "safety" on it were distorted and almost invisible.

Jiuyang's eyes were a little dim, and Sheng Xiyan also sighed slightly.

Jiaoyang was an insecure child, so she held on to the small blanket all the time and even brought it back to the Zhenbei Palace.

The same is true for this security lock.

Now the security lock is broken.

Sheng Xiyan thanked Eunuch Wu, who said hurriedly, "You're welcome, young lady."

Everyone present was stunned to see Eunuch Wu being so attentive to Sheng Xi Yanxian. They were completely dumbfounded.

As everyone knows, the Dongchang never gives face to anyone. Eunuch Wu's attitude made them wonder if they were blind or dreaming.

If one were to say that Yun Yangzi's respect for Zhao Yuanrou just now made people somewhat envious, then now, it can no longer be described as envy.

That's the East Factory. Can't you see they are standing here now, not even daring to move! ?

Everyone looked at Sheng Xiyan with envy as she walked away with Jiaoyang.

Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen were still in the private room. A small wine bottle was placed on the table, and the air was filled with a faint aroma of wine. Seeing them come in, Chu Yuanchen smiled and asked, "Are you scared?"

Sheng Xiyan pretended to be ignorant and asked back, "Who is scaring who?" As she spoke, she started laughing first.

Someone must have been scared today, but it definitely wasn’t her!

Sheng Xiyan smiled so that her eyebrows were curved, and the pear-shaped ridges on her cheeks were faintly visible.

She sat down naturally and asked, "Can you find out anything?"

Such a small matter, if it was just to support her and Jiaoyang, it wouldn't be necessary to confiscate the property. It was obvious that Xiao Shuo wanted to take advantage of the situation to see what was hidden in the left building.

Sheng Xiyan thought of the phoenix.

"Let's take a look first." Xiao Shuo's smile carried an inexplicable deep meaning.

He slowly picked up the wine cup and gently rubbed the wall of the cup with his fingertips.

Sheng Xiyan wrapped the safety lock with a handkerchief and said to Jiaoyang, "Shall we go to the gold and jade shop and get another one later?"

Jiuyang was silent for a while, then responded obediently, "Okay." He looked a little depressed.

"Give it to me," Xiao Shuo said gently, "I'll take it to the craftsmen in the palace to repair it."

Jiuyang looked at Xiao Shuo expectantly, with the corners of his mouth curving up.

Xiao Shuo smiled at her and promised, "It can be fixed."

Xiao Shuo rarely makes promises to others, but if he says something, he will definitely be able to do it.

He added: "Don't worry."

Jiuyang is happy.

My sister once said that she should remember any kindness others show her.

She stood up and said earnestly, "Thank you."

Chu Yuanchen smiled and said, "You were so fierce just now, how come you have become a rabbit now?"

Jiuyang Chong pouted, leaned against Sheng Xiyan again, rubbed his little face on her arm, and then showed a victorious expression.

Chu Yuanchen: “…”

He wants to lean on it too!

Chu Yuanchen sighed secretly, unable to lean on the chair, and lazily leaned back: "Has the ordered food not arrived yet?"

Eunuch Wu had gone out to do some work, so Xiao Shuo would not be left without someone to serve him, so a strange young eunuch came and served tea and water without even looking away.

Xiao Shuo gave a look and the eunuch quietly retreated and came back soon.

Not long after they came back this time, the dishes they ordered were served immediately. Not only the dishes they had ordered, but I heard that Zuo Lou also served all of the signature dishes. The shopkeeper brought the dishes himself, trembling with fear and trembling all over. Sheng Xiyan was afraid that he would accidentally smash the dishes.

Chu Yuanchen was halfway through the meal when he suddenly pointed downstairs and said with a smile, "Prince Cheng is here."

A carriage just stopped along the street, and Prince Cheng jumped out of the carriage with a big belly, and rushed to the left floor of the auditorium with a pale face.

Soon, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and a respectful voice came from outside: "Master, I am Qin Yue."

Qin Yue is the name of King Cheng.

"Master, I heard you were having dinner here. I am sorry to bother you."

Prince Cheng is going crazy.

His restaurant is quite famous, but he never expected that Xiao Shuo would come.

I've come, so why do I have to confiscate my property as well?

When Prince Cheng heard the report that everything went well, he was secretly happy. However, he did not expect that his happiness would turn into tragedy after a short while.

"Master..."

Before Prince Cheng could say anything, the door to the private room opened from the inside.

The person who knocked on the door was a young eunuch who was as cold as ice. He stared at him expressionlessly and said only one sentence: "The governor is having a meal. If you have nothing else, please leave."

Prince Cheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and thought: He doesn't want to come over either.

He did not dare to complain, nor did he dare to look inside the open door. He could only bite the bullet and smile dryly, "Master, if I hear that there is any negligence in the left building, I will definitely punish him." Can you please stop copying for now?

"Prince Cheng, please step down first."

The young eunuch didn't need to explain anything to him and just closed the door.

Prince Cheng hesitated for a moment and wanted to knock on the door again, but in the end he didn't dare.

He could only think to himself that he hoped to clean up the mess completely and not leave any evidence for the Dongchang to catch him.

I originally thought that since the left building had a good location, once Feng Nu appeared, word would spread quickly. If I had known this, I would have chosen another place.

It all comes down to one question: why did Xiao Shuo come?

Prince Cheng's expression changed again and again, and finally he did not go to the garden, but returned to the first floor to wait.

He waited and waited, until he could hardly sit still any longer, when he finally saw a young eunuch coming out from the garden. His heart skipped a beat.

Prince Cheng stood up quickly, and the young eunuch, who looked like a nobleman, went upstairs directly without even looking at him.

He hesitated for a moment, his heart almost jumping out of his throat, and cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Eunuch Wu went up to the second floor. He knocked on the door, then walked in and bowed, saying, "Master, I found a painting."

As he spoke, he unfolded the painting in his hand.

This is a picture of a phoenix spreading its wings. It is not painted on a scroll, but on a piece of silk paper as thin as a cicada's wing.

The phoenix is ​​depicted vividly, especially the way the phoenix holds its head high and flaps its wings, as if it will break through the silk paper at any moment and soar into the sky.

"It's the one just now." Jiuyang pointed at the phoenix on the paper and said.

Sheng Xiyan also nodded.

Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo arrived late and did not see the phoenix. However, Jiaoyang had a good memory. She pointed at the phoenix's feathers and said, "The one just now also had a tuft of feathers with a particularly dark color, and the way it tilted its neck was exactly the same."

Sheng Xiyan praised at the right moment: "Jiaoyang is right!" After she finished speaking, she confirmed, "It's the same phoenix."

Xiao Shuo nodded and signaled Eunuch Wu to put the picture away.

He didn't ask, and Eunuch Wu didn't say anything else either, and left respectfully.

They continued their meal leisurely.

When the entire Dongchang was searched, Eunuch Wu brought up two more things. They finished their meal and left the private room.

Prince Cheng was still wandering downstairs. When he saw Xiao Shuo coming out, he immediately went over to greet him. Then, his steps froze and he stared at Chu Yuanchen in a daze, as if he had not expected that Chu Yuanchen was also there.

Dongchang is undoubtedly the sharpest knife in the emperor's hand, and Chu Yuanchen...

A few days ago in the Golden Palace, Chu Yuanchen and the emperor had been at loggerheads, how could Chu Yuanchen be with Xiao Shuo? !

It shouldn't be a private meeting, Prince Cheng thought, otherwise, they wouldn't be together openly.

"Lord Governor." Prince Cheng forced a smile that was uglier than crying.

Prince Cheng was a prince of superior rank, and his throne had been passed down from generation to generation, but when facing Xiao Shuo, he still did not dare to show even the slightest bit of arrogance.

"Your Majesty," Xiao Shuo said calmly with a smile on his face, "The dishes in your restaurant are good. I will take my leave now."

Prince Cheng did not dare to keep him, and wished that he would leave as soon as possible, so he hurriedly said, "Farewell, my Lord." He did not even think of saying something polite like "Come again next time."

As soon as Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen left, Prince Cheng raised his sleeves to wipe the sweat from his face, and with his big belly bulging, he ran towards the garden.

All the people from the East Factory have left.

But everyone was still frightened and stood still, not daring to move.

Seeing Prince Cheng running towards her, Qingyue couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and walked over quickly: "Father..." She ran up to Prince Cheng, almost crying out of fear.

"What's going on?" Prince Cheng didn't care about anything else and just asked, "Why did the Dongchang suddenly come to raid?"

"It's all her fault!" Qing Yueqian glared at Zhao Yuanrou angrily.

Zhao Yuanrou's face turned pale. She originally thought that no matter how bad the reputation of Dongchang was, they would not really do things without scruples.

Unexpectedly, the Dongchang searched and copied whatever they wanted, and they could easily accuse us of any crime, without any restraint at all! Moreover, the dignified Prince Cheng's Mansion did not even dare to stop these extremely arrogant Dongchang men.

Xiao Shuo is so domineering, does he really take the emperor seriously?

Aren't you afraid that someone will sue him?

Zhao Yuanrou's heart was in turmoil.

Qingyue has now explained the whole cause and effect. Facing the unhappy look of King Cheng, she said aggrievedly: "Father, I didn't expect that Dongchang would be standing behind that Miss Sheng. Isn't Sheng just an ordinary third-rank official?" Why did Sheng Xiyan win the favor of Dongchang?

"If I had known this earlier, I would never have..."

Qingyue bit her lower lip, tears welling up in her eyes, looking very pitiful.

Prince Cheng finally said, "That's enough."

He also knew Sheng Xingan. Some time ago, for the sake of King Zhao's great cause, he had met Sheng Xingan privately, hoping that Sheng Xingan would join King Zhao, but Sheng Xingan just gave him a few ambiguous words and refused to respond. He originally thought that Sheng Xingan was ignorant of courtesy, but now it seems that this is not ignorance of courtesy, it is clearly to climb up to a better person!

However, it doesn’t seem right to say “climbed up”…

From what my daughter just said, the father-in-law from Dongchang was clearly respectful to Sheng Xiyan.

No matter how much "respect" there was, he had never seen any Dongchang man "respect" anyone except Xiao Shuo.

Prince Cheng swallowed his saliva and couldn't help thinking that, leaving aside the past few years, in the past two years alone, it seemed to him that Dongchang was not very respectful to the emperor.

"What happened next?" Prince Cheng came to his senses and asked again.

Qingyue said cautiously: "Originally, that eunuch Wu just wanted to take Zhou Jingxun away, it was all Zhao Yuanrou..." She was frightened and exaggerated what she said.

"Then they started searching, and my daughter was afraid to stop."

"It's better not to stop it." Prince Cheng said with a lingering fear. If he stopped it, it might not be a search, but a copy.

He glanced at Zhao Yuanrou coldly.

It has been said for a long time that this woman is unreliable, but King Zhao seems to have lost his soul. Not only does he not want you, but he also insists on putting Feng Ming on her to build up power for her.

Prince Cheng began to doubt whether it was worth it to bet his entire family's life and property on Qin Wei.

In the final analysis, Qin Wei not only regarded Zhao Yuanrou as his life, but also wanted to go headlong into a fight with Xiao Shuo...

Before Prince Cheng came to the left building, he was with Qin Wei. When Qin Wei heard that Zhao Yuanrou was "bullied" by Dongchang, he insisted on coming with him. It was difficult for him to persuade him. If he really let him come, I'm afraid this matter today will not end well.

Prince Cheng held his breath and said, "Let's first let someone see if Dongchang has taken anything away."

Dongchang had just left, and they hadn't had time to take a closer look.

He was quite cautious and didn't hide anything outrageous here. Even if the Phoenix's affair was discovered, it shouldn't be linked to him.

"Fortunately, it was just a search," Prince Cheng consoled himself, "and they didn't just raid this place."

"My Lord, something bad has happened!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the shopkeeper rushed over breathlessly, stumbling and stammering, "The Dongchang people are here to close the store!"

Prince Cheng: “…” He almost couldn’t catch his breath.

His hands were shaking and his mouth moved again and again, but no sound came out.

A group of Dongchang barbarians rushed in. The captain who led them casually bowed and said, "Your Highness, I'm sorry. Don't worry, our governor said that if we are rough and damage anything, we will pay for it. At least you won't suffer any loss."

Even though he said this, Prince Cheng was not moved at all.

I heard that Zuolou has always been quite famous in the capital, and everyone knows that it was opened by Prince Cheng's Mansion. Even so, Dongchang sealed it without any compromise. In just an incense stick of time, the white seal was pasted on the door. I heard that all the guests in Zuolou were driven out, and the whole street where it was located was quiet, and not even a pedestrian dared to pass by.

Many people in the capital city have several pairs of eyes. After hearing from Zuo Lou that the phoenix and the phoenix girl had just appeared a moment ago, many people had been paying close attention to it. Now, no one dared to pay attention to it anymore.

I wish I knew nothing.

As soon as the "Phoenix Fate" appeared, even the Tingzuo Building, which had been open for decades, was closed. No one knew whether this "Phoenix Fate" was really the Phoenix Fate or some other kind of fortune-telling.

After further inquiries, it turned out that Dongchang did not go there for Feng Ming, but to support the eldest daughter of the Sheng family. Was it because the eldest daughter of the Sheng family was bullied in the left floor of the auditorium?

This is quite interesting.

Of course, Xiao Shuo could not hide these discussions in the capital.

He smiled slightly, and his gentle voice made people feel like a spring breeze: "Miss Shengda, how about I take you as my sister?"

As he spoke, he took out the white jade pendant from his arms and pushed it in front of Sheng Xiyan.