Mo Qinghuan returned to the Regent's Mansion, with Mu Yanming silently following behind her.
Suddenly, Mo Qinghuan stopped, turned around, and looked at Mu Yanming. "Well, now we can look for the key openly."
Seeing her beaming, Mu Yanming, almost unconsciously, reached out and tapped her nose.
This scene happened to be seen by Lu Zixiu. Realizing his impoliteness, he quickly averted his eyes.
Mo Qinghuan reached up to brush the tip of her nose and stared blankly for a while.
It was not until she heard Mu Yanming's voice that she came to her senses.
"Aren't you coming in? What are you standing there for?"
She let out a soft "oh" and followed him in.
Back in the room, she sat on the edge of the bed, watching Mu Yanming gracefully take off his outer robe. He then sat at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip. After that, he glanced at the teacup.
"Why don't you ask me about the 750,000 taels of silver?"
Mu Yanming finally looked up at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, propping her hands on either side of her body, looking at him with a skeptical expression.
"You've chosen to trust me, and I'll give you the same trust. So there's no need to ask. You'll tell me when you want to. Well, I still have some business to attend to. Have your dinner by yourself."
He lifted his foot and walked out. Mo Qinghuan sat alone on the edge of the bed, lost in thought for a long time.
As the sky gradually darkened, after dinner, Qing Heng came back to report.
"Your Highness, everything has been packed up. However, before dinner, the general's wife sneaked out through the back door. The person I sent to follow her reported that she went to the Left Prime Minister's Mansion and stayed there for about half an hour. But since the Left Prime Minister's Mansion is heavily guarded, to avoid arousing suspicion, the person didn't follow her in."
Mo Qinghuan had previously guessed that when Lan was desperate, she would inform the Left Prime Minister. But today's incident was really Lan shooting herself in the foot. She had never thought of such a wonderful plan.
"Thank you, General Qing Heng." She handed Qing Heng a small bundle. "A little token of my appreciation. Take it and buy some wine for your brothers."
Qing Heng declined politely and took a step back. "Your Highness, there's no need for this. The Regent has strict rules. Drinking on duty will be punished according to military regulations!"
After saying that, he retreated.
Mo Qinghuan stayed alone in the room until late at night, but Mu Yanming still didn't come back.
So she went to bed.
The Left Prime Minister rushed into the palace that night to see the emperor.
Mu Linyi was sitting in front of the imperial desk with a gloomy face. "Left Prime Minister, what's the matter that you come to the palace so late?"
The Left Prime Minister knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, according to the informant, the Regent has already obtained a large number of clues about the incident back then. And the person who provided the important clues is actually..." He deliberately paused.
Mu Linyi was already unhappy about being woken up from his sleep. He glared at the Left Prime Minister. "Actually what? Don't play games with me!"
"Your Majesty, it's Ling Xianyin!"
Hearing Ling Xianyin's name, Mu Linyi narrowed his eyes slightly and clenched his fists tightly. "Good for you, Ling Xianyin! You've been double - crossing me behind my back!"
Seeing Mu Linyi's gloomy face, the Left Prime Minister continued to add fuel to the fire. "Your Majesty, do you still remember the incident when Ling Xianyin's son privately imprisoned the youngest son of Prime Minister Gu and was suspected of taking away that woman?"
Mu Linyi's face turned even darker. "Is there any connection between these things?"
The Left Prime Minister lowered his head, a sinister smile curling up on his lips.
Before he entered the palace today, he received a secret report saying that Ling Xianyin and Censor Du were secretly investigating his embezzlement and taking bribes when the palace was being built last time.
It was said that they had already obtained a lot of secrets. So he couldn't hold back anymore and rushed into the palace at night to impeach Ling Xianyin. However, for the time being, he didn't plan to deal with Censor Du, otherwise, it would be too obvious that he was taking revenge.
"Your Majesty, the incident of Prime Minister Gu's youngest son last time was because Ling Xianyin revealed the clues about that year to the Regent. That's why his son was able to return home safely from prison. Otherwise, Your Majesty, think about it. With Prime Minister Gu's character, would he let someone go unharmed?"
Mu Linyi let out a cold snort and looked at the Left Prime Minister.
"All right, you can step back first. I'll make my own decision on this matter."
Seeing that the emperor's attitude was not clear, but if he continued to talk, he might arouse the emperor's suspicion about his motives. Gritting his teeth, the Left Prime Minister had no choice but to step back.
After Lan Yiming stepped back, Mu Linyi picked up the memorial he had just read. His face was extremely gloomy.
"Good for you, Lan Yiming! In order to save your own skin, you've implicated so many people. You've really let me down!" He angrily slapped the table, then got up and headed for Concubine Li's courtyard.
...
In the Regent's Mansion, Mu Yanming was still in the study. After he finished reading the secret report from the spy, he compiled it into a booklet and put it into the mechanism before returning to his room.
Mo Qinghuan was already asleep. He stood by the bed, watching her breathing evenly and steadily.
Suddenly, her lips moved. "Mu Yanming! Be careful!"
He leaned over slightly and reached out to smooth the frown between her eyebrows.
Finally, he lay down beside her.
...
At this moment, in the General Ningyuan's Mansion, Zhao Yiyi was glaring at Mo Yao with red - angry eyes.
"Yiyi, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time. We're good sisters!" She covered the clothes on her chest and slumped to the ground.
Hearing this, Zhao Yiyi sneered and pointed at her. "Shut up! I don't have a sister like you! Moreover, if you really regarded me as a sister, you wouldn't have shown up here today."
After Zhao Yiyi finished speaking, she turned to look at Ning Shouzhang, who was burning with anger.
"General Ningyuan, let's just forget about this matter..." After saying that, she lowered her head. It seemed that even asking him was embarrassing for her.
General Ningyuan stared fixedly at Zhao Yiyi. The anger in his eyes subsided a little. "Do you know what the consequences will be if we just let it go and then someone spreads the news that she came here?"
Zhao Yiyi frowned, looking pained. "But..."
Ning Shouzhang held her shoulders. "She has cast aside her affection for you and done such a thing..." He couldn't continue. Zhao Yiyi looked at Mo Yao, who was in a disheveled state, and bit her lips. "Send her to her eldest sister. After all, she's the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion. It'll be easier for her eldest sister to handle this matter."
Hearing that Zhao Yiyi was going to send her to Mo Qinghuan, Mo Yao angrily pointed at her. "Zhao Yiyi, I never thought you were such a person! I was really blind to be your sister! Don't you know that Mo Qinghuan and I are like fire and water? Sending me to her is no different from killing me directly!"
Zhao Yiyi let out a bitter laugh. "I'm the one who was blind to make a friend like you. First, you got entangled with your sister's sweetheart, and then you did such a disgraceful thing with Young Master Du. Now, you even come to the General Ningyuan's Mansion to seduce my fiancé! Well, there's a saying that a dog can't change its habit of eating shit. I think you'll never get rid of your habit of seducing men!"
Mo Yao got up and was about to tear at Zhao Yiyi. Ning Shouzhang stepped forward to protect Zhao Yiyi and then struck Mo Yao on the shoulder with a palm. She was sent flying by the force, fell to the ground, and spat out a large mouthful of blood!
"Someone, go and invite people from the General's Mansion and the Regent's Mansion. I'd like to see what kind of family - teaching the General's Mansion has today!" Ning Shouzhang said with a gloomy face, looking at Mo Yao out of the corner of his eye.