Yun Xi nodded gently, fully agreeing with what her father said.
The old lady and the others were so carried away by the current glory that they were reluctant to think about the huge hidden dangers beneath the surface.
Concubine Yu was the niece of the Empress Dowager, and her son, the Second Prince, represented all the hopes of the Li family.
Although Concubine Yu had the support of the Empress Dowager and was favored by the Emperor, enjoying a moment of great glory. But after all, the current mistress of the six palaces was the Queen!
The Queen came from an extraordinary family background, no less prestigious than the Li family. Moreover, the Crown Prince was about to come of age, highly talented and widely renowned. How could the mediocre Second Prince compare with him?
Concubine Yu openly rewarded Yun Qi and made him the Second Prince's study companion. In fact, she was trying to win over the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Just like the Queen. Although she knew that Yun Xi was in poor health and might have difficulty having children in the future, she still intended for Yun Xi to be the Crown Princess. Wasn't it precisely because of the power and wealth of the Prime Minister's Mansion and the Su family in Jiangcheng?
Her father had warned her since childhood that "the tree that stands out in the forest will be the first to be broken by the wind". He pretended to be deaf and dumb in the court, neither forming cliques nor offending any faction.
That was why, after Qi Hong ascended the throne, many senior court officials were removed, but her father still managed to hold on to his position as Prime Minister!
However, after today's imperial edict, it would be extremely difficult for her father to stay out of the fray.
"Since Father is so worried about Brother Qi, why not talk to him in person? I believe that with Brother Qi's wisdom, he will surely understand Father's good intentions."
When it came to imperial power and political parties, the downfall of a great family could happen overnight.
Although she was at odds with the Jiang family, she had no intention of dragging the entire Prime Minister's Mansion down with her. She couldn't do such a thing!
Seeing that his daughter was quick to understand, Yun Sheng was very pleased. But suddenly remembering what he had seen that early morning, he couldn't help frowning and said:
"Actually, Father is more worried about you."
Yun Xi was surprised and didn't know what her father meant.
"I'm just a woman. I don't participate in politics or pursue an official career. Although I have some dealings with the Queen, I always keep my distance and never get too involved."
Suddenly remembering something, Yun Xi said sarcastically and bluntly:
"Father, if you're worried about my relationship with the Crown Prince, you don't have to be."
"After the royal hunt, the Jiang family set me up to have a private meeting with Jiang Qing. Although it seemed to have been cleared up at that time, it still attracted criticism. With my reputation, the Queen has already given up that idea and has never mentioned it again."
"Not only the Crown Prince, but I'm afraid any intelligent man wouldn't marry a woman as notorious as me. So, you don't have to worry needlessly!"
Before, she thought her father had never found out the truth, which was why he had let the Jiang family get away with it.
She even defended her father when she was on the verge of death in her previous life. Even though she was resentful, she had never hated her father.
But after that conversation in the study, she finally realized that she was the only one who had been kept in the dark!
She had been so eager for her father to find out the truth and seek justice for her, but in the end, she had become the biggest fool!
Yun Xi's words were full of thorns, piercing through the last layer of paper between them. Yun Sheng felt a pang in his heart and looked guilty. He knew his daughter had misunderstood his meaning and quickly explained:
"Xier, Father is not worried about his own official career, let alone the Prime Minister's Mansion! Father is worried that you're getting too close to the King of Xian and falling for him for real!"
Hearing her father mention Qi Rong, Yun Xi couldn't help frowning and looking confused:
"Father, are you mistaken? What does this have to do with the King of Xian?"
Moreover, falling for real? Her and the King of Xian?!
Don't be kidding! She was getting goosebumps all over!
Seeing that Yun Xi didn't admit it, Yun Sheng looked around. After making sure there was no one else, he lowered his voice and said:
"Don't think you can hide it from Father. Father knows you've met the King of Xian privately many times, and..."
Saying this, Yun Sheng couldn't help clenching his teeth and said with a gloomy face:
"Father saw with his own eyes that the King of Xian came out of your courtyard early in the morning!"
When he saw the King of Xian coming out of his daughter's courtyard, he thought he was seeing things because he hadn't slept all night. However, Qi Rong seemed to be deliberately letting him know. He stood there without any hesitation, sneered at him coldly, and then walked away leisurely.
He was so shocked that he wanted to question his daughter at first. However, the words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them.
If his daughter hadn't misunderstood his meaning today, he might still not have been able to speak up. He would only have arranged for the guards to strengthen the defense of the mansion.
Yun Xi, who had been acting cold and aloof, was exposed like this by her father. She suddenly felt embarrassed.
Her fair face turned bright red, and she even stammered a bit:
"Qi Rong is just a lawless bandit. His legs are on him. Who can stop him from going anywhere? Besides, I never invited him here on my own initiative!"
Yun Xi wanted to excuse herself, but instead, she made things worse. Yun Sheng's eyebrows frowned even tighter:
"So, he's been to your courtyard more than once? Why didn't you tell Father in advance? What if he hurts you?!"
There was a look of sternness in Yun Sheng's eyes that he had never shown before. Yun Xi couldn't help shrinking her neck, but she still stubbornly argued:
"He never tells me in advance when he's coming. Otherwise, do you think I'd let him into my courtyard?"
She always remembered to be on guard against Qi Rong, just like guarding against fire and thieves. The first two were easier to deal with, but Qi Rong was so unpredictable that she had to be extra vigilant to cope with him!
"Also, he won't hurt me. Father, you don't have to worry about this."
She was absolutely certain about this and didn't want her father to misunderstand Qi Rong.
"How is that possible? The King of Xian clearly hates the Prime Minister's Mansion. You're so sure. Be careful that one day he really hurts you!"
"Also, I forbid you to have any contact with him in the future. Otherwise, don't even think about going out of the mansion!"
Yun Sheng was already furious when he found out that Qi Rong often visited his daughter's courtyard. Now that his daughter was speaking up for Qi Rong, he got even angrier.
So, in order to cut off his daughter's contact with Qi Rong, he deliberately said such harsh words. His only purpose was to protect his daughter.
Yun Xi rarely had such a confrontation with her father. She got angry for a moment.
"You said he hates the Prime Minister's Mansion, or rather, you, not me."
"Speaking of which, Daughter can't help but ask you: Besides the matter of the late Emperor back then, was Father involved in the death of Lord Luo?"
Yun Xi's eyes were sharp, and her stare made Yun Sheng feel a shock in his heart.
"How did you know about these things?"
He had never mentioned the affairs in the court to anyone and didn't want his family to get involved. However, his daughter's tone seemed to indicate that she knew a great deal about what had happened back then, which made him panic.
Yun Xi didn't answer her father's question. Instead, she noticed the change in her father's expression and suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Father, was Father really involved in the death of Lord Luo?"
At this moment, she suddenly remembered that night in the King of Xian's Mansion when Qi Rong had cried and questioned, "Why was it you?" And the guard named Zhan Feng had suddenly changed his attitude towards her after Lord Luo's death.
In the past, even though others had called her father a "treacherous official" and mocked her as the daughter of a treacherous official, she had never taken it to heart.
Because she always believed that her father was a good official who served the country and the people. He just had a more flexible way of realizing his ambitions.
But Lord Luo was a man of great prestige, known to the world for his integrity and honesty!
If his death had really been caused by her father, she didn't know how she would view her father from now on!