Even without picking it up to take a closer look, Sheng Xiyan could recognize it at a glance. This was the jade pendant she had given to Chu Yuanchen a few days ago.

After giving it to him, Sheng Xiyan felt relieved and never urged him again afterwards.

Xiao Shuo took the initiative to say: "This jade pendant originally belonged to me." As he spoke, he took out another identical jade pendant from his sleeve pocket.

The same white jade, both carved with a kirin, the two jade pendants are exactly the same in terms of jade quality and craftsmanship, the only difference is that one is a kirin and the other is a kirin. Anyone can see that they are definitely a pair.

Sheng Xiyan picked up the jade pendant and raised her eyebrows.

In other words, I guessed correctly that the reason why the Yongning Marquisate was able to have power, glory and wealth in the previous life was indeed because of this jade pendant.

Because of Xiao Shuo's support, the Yongning Marquisate was able to rise rapidly in a short period of time and become one of the most noble families in the capital.

"This is my mother's dowry." Sheng Xiyan knew that Chu Yuanchen should have told him everything, so he still explained it in person. "My mother has passed away seven years ago, and my grandfather is no longer alive. There is no one left in my maternal grandfather's family. So, I don't know where this jade pendant came from. I only know that it was my mother's dowry, and it has been kept in the warehouse for all these years."

Her attitude was quite calm.

She didn't know whether the jade pendant originally belonged to the Xu family or was bought by her grandfather later to buy dowry for her mother. If it was the latter, then the family that had a connection with Xiao Shuo was not the Xu family.

She didn't want Xiao Shuo to recognize the wrong person.

"I know." Xiao Shuo glanced at Chu Yuanchen, who didn't care about anything, and said calmly, "I have sent people to Liangzhou."

What he meant was that he had sent people to investigate, but Liangzhou and the capital were more than a thousand miles apart, so there was no result yet. Whether or not to recognize his adopted sister had nothing to do with the jade pendant.

Sheng Xiyan understood.

Xiao Shuo wanted her to have a reputation, and this jade pendant could be used as a reason.

Of course, that's no problem! With the support of Dongchang, she can walk across the entire capital.

She really likes his arrogance like today!

Sheng Xiyan first tied her jade pendant back around her waist, then stood up, poured a cup of tea, walked in front of him, held the tea in both hands, and handed it to him solemnly: "Brother."

Xiao Shuo raised his hand to take the tea and drank it in one gulp.

He smiled and said with a gentle look, "After I drink your cup of tea, you will be my sister from now on."

He stared at the jade pendant on Sheng Xiyan's waist, his eyes slightly dazed, and slowly said: "This pair of jade pendants belonged to my mother. Someone saved my life back then, and when I left, I left this jade pendant behind."

At that time, he had nothing but this pair of jade pendants, and he could not help but thank them for saving his life.

To Xiao Shuo, this memory is very far away, so far away that it seems like a lifetime ago, but he can still remember every scene of that time clearly.

The flames shot up into the sky, burning even the air to an unbearable temperature. Every breath I took burned my throat and internal organs.

The entire city was filled with stinking kerosene. In the sea of ​​fire, there were terrified wails and screams everywhere, as well as the cries of young children... Hell on earth was no more than this.

His mother took him to hide in the secret passage of the palace. His mother told him not to be afraid and told him to stay alive. The secret passage was getting hotter and hotter. He was dry and thirsty. Every breath he took was worse than death. However, he knew that he could not die.

He endured, he could not close his eyes, could not lose consciousness, he could not die.

Later, he was dug out from a pile of corpses. The man knew that saving him would bring disaster upon himself, but he still took him in and took good care of him, saving his life.

He survived.

No matter how difficult it is to live, you must live. Only by living can you take revenge.

Xiao Shuo closed his eyes. There was no hesitation or helplessness in his eyes, only the determination to move forward.

Even if he was torn to pieces and damned to hell, he would never look back.

Chu Yuanchen sighed secretly, then smiled nonchalantly, "Brother, your sister has also accepted it, shouldn't you give her a meeting gift?"

He raised his hand and stretched it in front of Xiao Shuo with his palm facing upward.

Sheng Xiyan also extended her hand, with the same smile as Chu Yuanchen: "Greeting!"

Jiaoyang tilted his head, looked around, put down the jujube flower cake in his hand, stood next to Sheng Xiyan, imitated her movements, and spread his hands: "Gift for meeting!"

Xiao Shuo: “…”

He responded helplessly: "Okay..." His sharp eyebrows became gentle, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, and his breath was delicate and gentle.

Xiao Shuo stayed at Qingming Tea House until dusk.

From time to time, the Dongchang guards would report to him about the goings-on in the capital. In just the time it took him to drink tea, he would already know everything about the capital.

After coming out of Qingming Teahouse, Xiao Shuo entered the palace with the phoenix painting.

Without reporting, he walked directly into Yu's study.

The emperor had just received a painting and was admiring it. When he saw Xiao Shuo, he smiled and said, "Ah Shuo, you are here. Come and look at the painting with me."

Xiao Shuo lowered his eyelids slightly to hide the darkness in his eyes, and said, "Your Majesty, I also have a painting here."

He gave a wink, and Song Yuan hurried over, took the painting, and spread it out on the table.

This is a picture of a phoenix spreading its wings. It is a pretty good painting. In the eyes of the emperor, it is just pretty good and does not look like the work of a famous artist.

The emperor looked at Xiao Shuo in confusion.

"Today, a phoenix appeared in the left floor of Prince Cheng's hall..."

Xiao Shuo briefly explained what had happened, and then said, "I found this in the left building of the auditorium."

"Listen to Zuo Lou..." The emperor had a blank expression on his face.

Tingzuolou is a property of Prince Cheng's Mansion and has been open in the capital for more than ten years. Before the emperor ascended the throne, he was also a frequent visitor to Tingzuolou.

The emperor didn't care what was going on with the phoenix and the Taoist priest. It was just that someone used some kind of sleight of hand to get the phoenix in the painting to the sky, claiming it was a good omen to fool the people.

What the emperor was concerned about was: "Has Prince Lian Cheng also been bought by this kid Qin Wei?"

The emperor did not believe that Prince Cheng had no involvement in the "Phoenix Fate" incident on Prince Cheng's territory.

He sneered and said, "Qin Yue thinks that Prince Cheng's title is not high enough, and he wants to be a follower of the dragon."

Prince Cheng, who inherited the title of prince from generation to generation and never had to be demoted, was already a first-rate honor in the Great Rong Dynasty. Yet he was still not satisfied?

"He is so greedy, I wonder if he can swallow this merit of following the dragon!"

The same goes for Qin Wei. The emperor believed that he had always been kind to his younger brother and always thought of him in everything. The only times he scolded him were all because of the Zhao family. In the final analysis, it was also for his own good. He was a prince and could find any kind of lady from a noble family he wanted, but he chose to do such a stupid thing as competing with someone else for his wife.

Just because he scolded him, he held a grudge against him and coveted the throne, which really chilled the emperor's heart.

The emperor gnashed his teeth and said, "They think I'm going to die soon and have no children, so they want to find a new master!" He was in his prime, but his subjects were already eager to serve him and they even wished he would die!

Xiao Shuo said insincerely: "Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Ah Shuo." The emperor breathed a sigh of relief. He stared at the phoenix picture on the table for a long time before he spoke, "What do you think I should do?"

"Your Majesty, you'd better let Prince Zhao do as he pleases." Xiao Shuo said with a smile.

"Let... Qin Wei?" The emperor didn't quite understand his intention.

Xiao Shuo followed up and said, "In the current situation, if Prince Zhao wants to become more powerful, he has no choice but to fight for the Zhenbei Palace."

The emperor turned the jade plate on his finger, thinking silently, and after a long time, he nodded slightly.

Indeed, no matter how much Qin Wei manipulates the court officials, he cannot get the military power, and it is impossible for him to give him the military power. If he wants the military power, he can only start from the Zhenbei Palace and seek the support of Chu Yuanchen.

The Zhenbei Palace was a serious concern for the emperor, and Qin Wei made him feel uncomfortable from the bottom of his heart.

Chu Yuanchen had just accomplished a great feat. If he attacked the Zhenbei Palace, people would say he was reckless. And if he dealt with Qin Wei rashly, people would think he could not tolerate his younger brother, and even the Queen Mother would turn against him.

Once Chu Yuanchen surrenders to Qin Wei, Qin Wei's ambition will gradually grow. Whether he wants to deal with him or the Zhenbei Palace, he will have a legitimate reason!

Then he could just eradicate them completely and he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

"A Shuo, you are really thoughtful." The emperor sighed, "You are the only one who can consider this dilemma for me."

Seeing that the emperor had figured it out, Xiao Shuo said, "Your Majesty, why don't you arrange a marriage for Prince Zhao? Prince Zhao is devoted to the girl from the Zhao family, so why don't you help them get married?"

The emperor lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then nodded lightly.

Qin Wei had fallen out with him because of Zhao. Since he had decided to appease Qin Wei, it was okay to grant him this marriage.

"Since Qin Wei doesn't appreciate my good intentions, I don't want to bother with him anymore."

The emperor said this indifferently and asked someone to call Qin Wei over.

Zhao Yuanrou was greatly frightened when she heard that Zuo Lou was sealed, and all this made Qin Wei furious.

If someone hadn't stopped him, Qin Wei would have run to the emperor to ask for an explanation. Originally, the emperor summoned him because he had discovered his relationship with the phoenix and wanted to reprimand him. Unexpectedly, the emperor actually agreed to his marriage with Zhao Yuanrou.

Qin Wei was surprised and delighted, almost forgetting the unpleasantness between him and the emperor, and asked hurriedly: "Brother, do you really agree?"

The emperor looked at him. The younger brother who used to look up to him as the most respected had grown up and become ambitious without him noticing.

It turns out that the royal family has no family affection.

The emperor calmly withdrew his gaze and said, "Isn't this what you wish for?"

Qin Wei was overjoyed and thanked him, "Thank you, my brother."

He paused, and then said, "Then listen to Zuolou..." He said in one breath, "Xiao Shuo is not distinguishing between public and private matters. Please ask the emperor to make a decision for Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng's mansion has worked hard over the years, even if it has no merits."

"Brother, you don't know that Xiao Shuo is in the listening left building and is very powerful. He can copy and seal anything he wants. Everyone is angry but dare not speak out, for fear that Dongchang will be angry."

Qin Wei said angrily, "Uncle Cheng is also surnamed Qin after all. If word gets out that he bullied us like this, people will probably think that we, the Qin family, are not as good as a concubine."

After he finished speaking, he glared at Xiao Shuo, who was sitting leisurely by the window, and he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.

My brother and I are both here, but Xiao Shuo is sitting by the window drinking tea as if no one is around?!

This is Yu’s study!

Xiao Shuo is just an eunuch, how dare he? !

Qin Wei pointed at Xiao Shuo and said angrily: "Brother Emperor, do you know how he is called in private in the court? Nine thousand years old!"

Qin Wei just didn't like Xiao Shuo.

This is their Qin family's dynasty, and it is not up to a eunuch to make things happen at will.

He had advised his brother many times, but his brother trusted Xiao Shuo extremely much, even more than his younger brother. He even let Xiao Shuo supervise the government when he was sick a while ago. Why?! He was the one who was closest to his brother by blood.

"Royal brother, this is simply a joke. You are the emperor of heaven, but they are calling a eunuch the emperor of nine thousand years old. Isn't this comparing you with the eunuch?" Qin Wei chattered on and on.

He believed that if he said this, the emperor would be angry. Given his brother's temper, he would never tolerate others being on an equal footing with him.

It's just that these people in the court are timid and dare not say these things in front of the emperor. They don't think about the fact that the more they dare not, the more arrogant Xiao Shuo will become.

Qin Wei couldn't help but look at Xiao Shuo, and saw that he was still calm and composed, sipping hot tea slowly, as if he was a madman who was making trouble for no reason in front of him.

This realization made Qin Wei even more annoyed, and he wanted to stab Xiao Shuo with a sword.

"Royal brother." Qin Wei continued to encourage, and said, "If you don't take care of it, in the future, the Great Rong Dynasty will only know about Xiao Shuo, but not about you as the emperor, Royal brother..."

"Enough." The emperor interrupted him coldly, with undisguised coldness in his eyes.

Even now, Qin Wei still wanted to sow discord in front of me! No wonder he always said that Dongchang was domineering in the past. It turned out that he had evil intentions long ago. It was also stupid of me to think that he had not grown up yet.

The emperor's voice was flat as he said, "Qin Wei, I have granted your marriage, but that does not mean I will obey you in everything. Don't push your luck. Dongchang's work is not something you, a prince without real power, can control. I am behind Dongchang, do you understand?"

Qin Wei's heart turned cold.

He originally thought that his brother had finally come to his senses, but the result was still like this, which really disappointed him.

That’s right, in the eyes of the emperor, his own brother is not as important as a concubine!

In that case, there is nothing more to say.

Qin Wei bowed and said expressionlessly, "Yes."

The emperor was completely hopeless as he was being manipulated by an eunuch.

"My humble words may be unpleasant to the ear. If you are unwilling to listen, I will take my leave."

Qin Wei bowed and left without looking back.

Since my brother is so stubborn, the foundation of Darong will only prosper if it is in my own hands!

Qin Wei left.

He did not notice that the emperor's eyes, staring at his back, were cold and full of murderous intent.

We can’t keep this brother!

"A Shuo, please draft an edict for me to grant me marriage."

Originally the emperor was still somewhat hesitant, always thinking that after all he was his brother and perhaps the situation could be saved. However, Qin Wei disappointed him time and time again.

In that case, don't blame him for not being able to tolerate even his own brother.

The decree of marriage was delivered to Zhao Mansion that day.

This imperial edict also shocked the entire capital city.

The Zhao family was a second-rate family. Although the Yongning Marquisate was a marquisate, there were many nobles and royal families in the huge capital city. A small marquisate was actually nothing. Their engagement and marriage would not have attracted the attention of other people. It was only because the two betrothal proposals from the Yongning Marquisate were more outrageous each time that people paid more attention to it.

What does the imperial edict mean?

Zhao Yuanrou and Zhou Jing are engaged, and even the marriage certificate is about to be signed.

Wait! The marriage between Zhao Yuanrou and Zhou Jingxun was arranged by imperial decree, and now the emperor has another imperial decree to arrange marriage between Zhao Yuanrou and Prince Zhao. Is this a blatant marriage between one woman and two men?

People really couldn't figure out the emperor's intention, and this imperial edict was really incomprehensible!

Could it be because of the "Phoenix Fate" that the emperor wanted to give the Phoenix Girl to his own brother?

Thinking of the "Phoenix Fate", they couldn't help but think of the Tingzuo Building which had been confiscated by the East Factory after the "Phoenix Fate" was revealed, and they all became quiet at once.

The Zhao family went about arranging the marriage with a numb look on their faces.

Now they just hope that Zhao Yuanrou can get married as soon as possible, whether it's to the Zhou family or the Qin family, as long as she doesn't stay in the Zhao family anymore, they will be thankful. The old man of the Zhao family even took the initiative to go to the Yongning Marquis's mansion to cancel the engagement. The Yongning Marquis held his breath and broke off the engagement with the Zhao family. As soon as the old man of the Zhao family left, the second and third rooms of the Yongning Marquis's mansion invited the clan leader and insisted on changing the prince.

The wife of the Yongning Marquis's mansion has not passed away yet, so the family has not been divided yet. The second and third branches are both legitimate. Now Zhou Jing has made the Yongning Marquis's mansion a talking point in the capital, and he himself has been taken away by Dongchang. It is unknown whether he can be released, and it is even more unknown whether he will implicate the Zhou family. The Zhou family is so scared that they can't sleep at night.

The wife of Marquis Yongning wanted to find a legitimate son for Zhou Jing, but the position of crown prince could not be given to a bastard's son. The second and third houses came together and demanded that one of their legitimate sons must be chosen as the crown prince.

Of course Marquis Yongning refused.

No matter how bad his son was, he was still his own son. There was no reason for him to abandon his son and give the title to his nephew.

Marquis Yongning refused to agree, and the second and third wives were unwilling to give up. There was a great commotion in Marquis Yongning's mansion, and many people in the capital were watching their excitement.

Sheng Xiyan learned all this from Sheng Xingan and was stunned.

In his previous life, Zhou Jingxun had been rising rapidly and became a powerful official. Even the Yongning Marquisate, which had already been marginalized, was promoted by him to become one of the most powerful and aristocratic places in the capital. In the end, he even turned the Marquisate into a duke's mansion, which made people extremely jealous.

Unexpectedly, in this life, he could hardly keep his position as the crown prince.

Sheng Xiyan found it a bit ironic.

"And then?" Sheng Xiyan asked with interest.

Sheng Xingan picked up the teacup, took a few sips to moisten his throat, and said, "Marquis Yongning is unwilling, and I don't know how long he can hold on."

In Sheng Xingan's opinion, Marquis Yongning was also in a very bad situation. Originally, the title was in the hands of the eldest son, but now it was hard to say whether he could keep it.

"However, Zhou Jingxun has caused quite a big mess this time, and Marquis Yongning can no longer handle it. I'm afraid he will have no choice but to agree in the end."

Sheng Xingan put down the teacup, stroked his beard, and said, "He has offended the East Factory. It is hard to say whether he can come back. He still wants a title. Dream on!"

Sheng Xing was happy to see the excitement.

As he spoke, he stared at Sheng Xiyan with burning eyes and asked cautiously, "Sister Yan, have you met Governor Xiao?"

His voice was extremely soft and gentle, as if he was afraid of scaring her.

Someone told him that Xiao Shuo copied Ting Zuo Lou to support his daughter. He was so scared that he almost fell to the ground.

"I have seen it before." Sheng Xiyan said, "Mr. Xiao said that he was saved by my grandfather in the past, and he recognized me because of the jade pendant."

She pointed to the jade pendant around her waist.

What she said was half true and half false. No one knew Xiao Shuo's background before he entered the palace, and Old Lady Xu had been practicing medicine everywhere for many years. It was impossible for anyone to know whether she had saved him.

“Help, help, help!?”

Sheng Xingan was so shocked that he couldn't even finish his words.

Yan Jie'er is more than ten years younger than Xiao Shuo. Xiao Shuo was already in the palace before Yan Jie'er was born. Sheng Xing'an thought that the person related to Xiao Shuo was not Yan Jie'er but his father-in-law. He never expected it to be such a relationship.

No wonder Xiao Shuo would come to his rescue.

Sheng Xingan's heart was pounding. Xiao Shuo held great power in the government and controlled the whole country. If he could get Xiao Shuo to look at him differently, he would surely be able to follow him all the way.

Sheng Xiyan looked at him silently. She could tell what he was thinking at a glance. She attacked him mercilessly, "Father, if you want to repay me, you are overthinking. Who is Governor Xiao? If Governor Xiao recognizes this affection, it is my daughter's luck. If Governor Xiao does not recognize it, what can you do?"

Sheng Xing'an felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured over his head. He felt freezing cold and shivered.

yes.

Xiao Shuo was a man who could treat Sheng Xiyan with some respect. If he dared to rely on this little bit of affection to get close to her, he might end up dead if he annoyed her. By then, no one's affection would be of any use.

After all, if Xiao Shuo is willing to care about this affection, it is a favor. If Xiao Shuo is unwilling to care about it, he is worse than fart.

Sheng Xingan was trying to calm down and was about to take a sip of tea when someone outside came in and said, "Master, someone wants to see you."

"Who is it?" Sheng Xingan asked casually. Just as he was about to say no, the person outside continued to report, "He said his last name is Xiao, and he said you know him, sir."

Last name, last name Xiao? !

Sheng Xingan's hand shook, and a cup of five-minute hot tea spilled directly onto his body, and a corner of his robe was immediately wet.

Sheng Xingan didn't care about all this, and quickly stood up, saying helplessly: "Where is the person now... Come in quickly!"

Sheng Xingan was about to run out, but he turned around and thought of his daughter, and quickly said flatteringly, "Sister Yan, come with me."

Seeing his shocked expression, Sheng Xiyan nodded and said, "Yes."

Sheng Xiyan followed him out.

Along the way, he was heard mumbling non-stop: "Why is Governor Xiao here? Sister Yan, do you think he is here to confiscate our property?"

At first, Sheng Xiyan was too lazy to pay attention to him. She was really annoyed and asked, "Father, does it require Supervisor Xiao to come in person to search our house?"

Sheng Xingan: “…”

It seems so. For a family like the Sheng family, sending a thousand households to confiscate their property is considered a high honor.

Thinking about it this way, it seems a bit sad.

Finally, he calmed down, and when he met Xiao Shuo, he did not get so scared that his legs went weak, but completed the ceremony smoothly.

"Master Sheng, there is no need to be so polite." Xiao Shuo said elegantly, "I have recognized Miss Sheng as my adopted sister, and I have come here to pay my respects."