Chapter 667: Chapter 667 - 655: You’re Insulting Indirectly_2

So the Emperor thought, and he stormed into the room!

Seeing the Emperor return to his room, Xie Pan’Er finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Princess Ata quickly looked at her. "Thank you for what you did just now..."

"I did nothing. I only scolded you."

Xie Pan’Er interrupted, not accepting her thanks.

"No! If you hadn’t come out and intercepted His Majesty the Emperor of Da Han, I fear the National Master and I wouldn’t have been able to dissuade him today! He most certainly would have insisted on having his own way!"

Hearing this, Xie Pan’Er took a deep breath and gazed towards the distant horizon.

"I hope Xiaosuisui can return safely!"

"That is my hope as well!" Princess Ata said.

The large ship sailed on, heading towards the Yunhang Coast.

「Yunhang County.」

Minister Lu and the Imperial Envoy team had been in the city for several days. They had already discovered some alarming signs regarding the local populace. They were deeply worried. The audacity of the County Magistrate of Yunhang was staggering! He had even dared to have people impersonate registered households to collect disaster relief funds. Furthermore, he had secretly plotted to send men to intercept them, preventing them from inspecting the disaster situation in the Yunhang region!

"Yun Sheng, from now on, you will lead a team to secretly investigate. Find evidence of the County Magistrate of Yunhang’s corruption, bribery, deception of superiors, and embezzlement of the National Treasury funds. The evidence must be ironclad. As long as you can solve this case, your future official career will surely be secure. Our Emperor has a keen eye for talent!"

Lu Yunsheng stood before his father, his face lit up with a wide smile.

"Rest assured, Father. I will investigate this matter meticulously. I absolutely will not miss this opportunity; I will make sure this case is solved. Father, if I manage to solve this case, could you promise me one thing?" Lu Yunsheng quickly asked Minister Lu.

Minister Lu lightly stroked his beard and chuckled. "Speak!"

"I was thinking, if I could find evidence of the County Magistrate of Yunhang deceiving the Emperor, and if I can smoothly enter an official career in the future, would Father be willing to help me propose a marriage alliance with the Xie Family?"

"The Xie Family? Are you referring to the family of Lord Xie, Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments?"

"It used to be that Xie Family, but not anymore."

Not anymore?

Minister Lu frowned, pondering for a long moment, his expression involuntarily turning gloomy.

"That Xie Pan’Er, who abandoned her ancestors just to ingratiate herself with the Eldest Princess?"

Lu Yunsheng’s expression changed. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Father, please calm your anger. There must be some misunderstanding in this matter."

"HUMPH! A misunderstanding? I’m not senile yet! There are several unmarried adult men in the Ji Mansion. Don’t you know that Xie Pan’Er often stays there? What exactly are her intentions?"

"Father, might you be overthinking this? These are all rumors. I’ve investigated; they were all spread by Xie Yingying. Pan’Er has no such intentions!" Lu Yunsheng desperately tried to explain everything he knew.

"Enough! How dare you even mention Xie Yingying to me! Do you know who she is? She is born with the Phoenix Destiny; in the future, she will undoubtedly hold a high position. She clearly despises Xie Pan’Er. If you marry Xie Pan’Er now, and Xie Yingying gains power in the future, wouldn’t our Lu Family have then offended an influential figure?"

Minister Lu’s words struck Lu Yunsheng like a sudden blow to the head, jolting him awake.

"Father, your words make sense. But, Father, before this, the Xie Family was intent on forming a marriage alliance with our Lu Family. Why was there no follow-up later?"

As soon as Lu Yunsheng voiced this doubt, Minister Lu’s face darkened.

"You still dare to bring that up! The reason the Xie Family wanted to form a marriage alliance with us before was because the Emperor had no intention of selecting an Empress, let alone appointing imperial consorts. Xie Yingying and Xie Pan’Er are growing older by the day. In another two years, they’ll be considered old maids. They couldn’t afford to wait, which is why they were looking for suitable husbands among us nobles and high officials. But look, the auspicious sign of a phoenix appearing during the Double Ninth Festival Palace Banquet has made everything clear. Now, the Xie Family will undoubtedly cling desperately to the prospect of one of them becoming an imperial consort!"

It had to be said, Minister Lu’s judgment was correct. At that very moment, the Xie Family was indeed discussing this exact matter.

「Inside the Xie Family’s Main House.」

Old Madam Xie was seated in the main seat, with her eldest son, Xie Zian, seated just below her.

"I heard that Xie Si likely won’t be getting out in this lifetime?"

Xie Zian nodded. "The assassination case of the Princess of Nanjiang... ever since Princess Ata entered the Palace for a short stay to recuperate from her injuries, it has just quietly fizzled out."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Xie sneered and said, "Last time at Qixia Temple, I saw that wretched girl, Xie Pan’Er. I didn’t expect her to be constantly by the Empress Dowager’s side. Do you think that girl has caught the Empress Dowager’s eye?"

There was a hint of worry in Old Madam Xie’s voice.

"That girl is destined for a short life, Mother; you needn’t worry. The most important thing right now is our Xie Family’s properties. With Xie Si in prison and Xie Pan’Er being short-lived, we should now focus on how to reclaim those properties that were separated from us!"

As Xie Zian uttered these shameless words, Old Madam Xie was swayed.

"Go and inquire. See if there’s any chance at all of Xie Si getting out. If the information can be confirmed, then make good use of it to bring all the Xie Family’s properties back!"

"That was my intention as well."

"Mm! One must always prepare in advance, just in case. How is Ying Hui doing now? Is it possible for his Martial Arts to advance another level after the New Year?"

In today’s world, the Emperor valued both martial prowess and literary pursuits. The Xie Family could no longer walk the path of civil service; the branch capable of literary achievements had been thrown into turmoil by Xie Pan’Er, leading them to renounce the clan. Now, their only hope was for Xie Yinghui to win the title of Martial Arts Champion Scholar in the grand competition to be held after spring began.

"I went to see him before I came here, Mother. Ying Hui said that if he wins the title of Martial Arts Champion Scholar, could he ask Mother to show mercy and forgive Madam Liu’s transgressions?"