He first quietly landed inside the house. The first to notice was Cui Qizhou.
Even though he was currently unable to use his martial arts skills, his inborn alertness was unmatched by anyone.
When he saw clearly who had landed, he pursed his lips. "The eldest young master has come at just the right time."
Saying so, he was about to ask the newcomer to detoxify him when Shi An spoke first.
"Don't be hasty. I just changed my mind on the way here. However, this matter requires us to discuss it together."
Hearing his voice, Shi Muwǎn came to her senses, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
"Brother, shouldn't you rescue us first?"
Shi An gave her a reassuring look.
"Brother just overheard the Ye family's conspiracy next door. Little sister, the woman you saved has many secrets. We must figure out the Ye family's conspiracy."
Shi Muwǎn twitched the corner of her mouth. This was the first time her elder brother didn't prioritize rescuing her.
"Brother, why don't you go back first?"
"I'll first detoxify you so that you can protect yourselves in case of an emergency."
Saying so, he took out the pre - prepared antidote from his body. It was a special one made by the divine doctor back then, and it finally came in handy at this moment.
Seeing the two of them take one pill each and gradually recover, he turned around and left with relief.
Shi Muwǎn was originally worried that Ye Ranran wouldn't listen to him, so she specifically told him a sentence.
"You're a fool. This is the secret signal between me and Miss Ye. As long as brother tells her this, she will cooperate with you."
Shi An looked blank, repeated it, then nodded and left.
But subconsciously, he always felt that something was not quite right.
With doubts in his heart, he returned to the palace. After greeting the young emperor, he went straight to find Ye Ranran.
At that time, Ye Ranran was taking her aunt to stroll in the imperial garden.
There was an indelible melancholy between her aunt's eyebrows.
"Daughter, do you think something might happen to the Empress Dowager? It's been a long time since we last saw her."
"Mother, don't worry. There are so many people around the Empress Dowager. Maybe she's just too busy recently. If you want to find an opportunity to thank the Empress Dowager, just wait a little longer."
Her aunt sighed helplessly.
"The kindness of the Empress Dowager to us must be repaid. However, an ordinary way of repayment surely won't do."
Just then, Shi An came over and heard this. His eyes lit up. "If you really want to repay her, there's an opportunity right now. I wonder if the two of you could find a quiet place with me?"
At first, when they saw him, there was a look of caution on their faces. "Who are you? Why are you in the harem? Don't you understand the principle of gender differences?"
Hearing this, Shi An quickly spoke up, afraid of being misunderstood by her.
"Miss Ye, don't be alarmed. I'm the elder brother of the Empress Dowager. Now that the Empress Dowager is missing, it has something to do with the Ye family. I just have something to ask you."
Ye Ranran was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, she couldn't quite believe it.
"How is that possible? Didn't the Empress Dowager just go out for a few days and then come back? Are you lying to us?"
While she was asking, Ze, who had come after getting the news, stepped forward to agree.
"Miss Ye, don't worry. This gentleman is indeed the elder brother of the Empress Dowager's maternal family. The matter of the Empress Dowager's accident should not be publicized. Let's find a quiet place to talk it over."
Ze had been by Shi Muwǎn's side, and Ye Ranran knew his status.
Since there was already a witness, the doubts in Ye Ranran and her aunt's hearts were dispelled. The two of them followed them back to the Palace of Longevity and Peace.
When the palace door was closed, Shi An hurriedly spoke. "Miss Ye, do you know the Ye family's secret?"
At first, when hearing this, there was a fleeting panic in Ye Ranran's eyes.
"What does the eldest young master mean by this? I'm just a concubine - born daughter. How could I possibly know the Ye family's secret? I think someone must have misled you. Moreover, didn't the eldest young master just say that the Empress Dowager's disappearance this time is just a bit related to the Ye family?"
Following her words, Shi An looked at the people in the room. Her aunt had just been taken away to rest. Now, the people present could basically be trusted.
"Since things have come to this, there's no point in hiding anymore. I'll just tell the truth. Ye Xinxin, in order to take revenge, had the Ye family's death - soldiers kidnap the Empress Dowager. Now, both the Empress Dowager and the national master are in their hands. I just overheard that the Ye family has a secret. And besides them, only you know this secret."
Ye Ranran looked at him suspiciously. Although he was Shi Muwǎn's elder brother, she wouldn't easily reveal that matter unless it was absolutely necessary.
"I'm just a concubine - born daughter. What secret could I possibly know? The eldest young master has asked the wrong person."
Not wanting to waste any more time, Shi An remembered what his little sister had said before and blurted out, "You're a fool."
Ye Ranran's first reaction upon hearing this was anger. "I really can't help the eldest young master with anything. There's no need for the eldest young master to swear at me, is there?"
But after asking, she hesitated. This was the secret signal she had set with Shi Muwǎn. If he could say this, it could prove that most of what he had just said was true.
She pursed her lips and let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
"This is the secret signal between me and the Empress Dowager. Since the eldest young master knows this, I presume that what you just said is also true. In that case, I have nothing to hide. I originally planned to keep that matter as my last trump card. Now, in order to repay the Empress Dowager's kindness, the Ye family actually has the intention of rebelling all along. They've raised a lot of private soldiers outside the city."
After saying this, there was a slight look of exhaustion on her face. It seemed that she had gone through a great ideological struggle.
Shi An never expected that the person who had been so submissive in front of him for so many years would actually dare to have such a huge plan of rebellion behind his back.
When he came to his senses, he realized that the current situation was unfavorable for everyone.
Since Lord Ye had brought up this matter and there had been such a big upheaval, he was probably going to take action soon. He had to quickly gather troops just in case.
After thinking for a moment, he first informed the imperial guards.
"Han Suo, there aren't many people around the emperor that I can trust. I know you're absolutely loyal to the emperor. I'll be most at ease leaving you by the emperor's side at this time. Remember, no matter what, strictly check the identities of those entering and leaving the palace recently. Don't leave the emperor's side for a single step. Guard the entire imperial palace tightly for me."
His sudden seriousness made Han Suo couldn't help but start to feel nervous.
"Has something happened? Eldest young master, why don't you just tell me the truth? If I don't know what's going on, I won't be able to feel at ease."
"Don't worry about it. Just remember what I said."