Song Yixiao and Da Guan Shi were probing each other at the time of the Jingzhao government.

  Back hall.

  Lord Yun Ban Yanxiu walked into the warm pavilion, took over the hot towel handed by the maid to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead: "Liu Zhenxi is after all the vice minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and he was also ordered by the Minister of Rites, Qiu Shuangxia, to come this time. Although I used the excuse that my son fell into the water, I couldn't keep him waiting for too long - Zi Ya, do you think I should agree or not?"

  "Absolutely cannot respond!" The one being asked for advice was Master Zuo Lixian, also known as Ziyan. At this moment, he too broke out in a cold sweat on this deep autumn day, but didn't have the heart to take the handkerchief from the servant girl's hand, and instead used his sleeve to wipe his face hastily. He waved his hand for everyone to leave, then spoke in a serious tone, "Master, at present time is of the essence, don't blame me for speaking harshly: If you respond to him this time and transfer the You Hong case to the Ministry of Punishment, your official career will be almost over!"

  He reminded, "The host was a second-class imperial envoy in his early years. Now he is an official of the third rank and still under 40 - just at the prime age with great potential! Is it because of Qiu Xue Xia that he wants to ruin his future career?"

  "Is it that serious?" Ban Yanxiu was shocked, and casually threw the handkerchief into the water basin that the maid didn't have time to take away. He took a deep breath, sat down at the head of the table, and gestured with his hand, "Zi Ya, tell me carefully, what's going on?"

  "You, Master Dong, were only transferred back to the capital four years ago to serve as the Lord Governor, no wonder you didn't know: this You Hong is the maternal grandfather of Lady Song, the wife of Yan Guo Gong, and his wife, Zhao Shi, still serves in Lady Song's household! Left Li Cen hastily said, "And Lady Song's father, the current Secretary Supervisor Song Yuan, has been married three times. His first wife was naturally Lady Song's birth mother, the current Princess Wei of Hengshan! Later, he took a second wife, who was the younger sister of Minister Liu, Liu Shi!"

  He lowered his voice, "After the Liu family entered the house, they regarded the original wife's eldest daughter as a thorn in their eye and a stab in the flesh. They bullied and mistreated her every day. After she became pregnant, they took advantage of Song's outing to buy birthday gifts for her father and secretly sold her to a brothel owner. If it weren't for the fact that the brothel owner was afraid of Princess Hengshan, after buying Song, she quietly sent her to the Wei family. It can be imagined what happened to Song!"

  "What about afterwards?" Ban Yanxiu wiped the sweat from his forehead again, thinking that he was lucky to have hired this imperial capital native as a teacher when he first took office. Otherwise, if he hadn't been in the imperial capital, he wouldn't have known about these private matters behind the palace, and it wasn't until Zuo Licheng mentioned it that he found out.

  Later, the Wei family would certainly demand an explanation from the Song family! Zuo Lixun sighed, "In the dispute, Liu was secretly attacked and had a miscarriage. Naturally, there was no reason to spare her for the sake of the innocent fetus! So after discussing it, the Song and Liu families decided to drown Liu in a pig cage to restore their family's reputation!"

  Ban Yanxiu suddenly realized: "Although Liu Shi is not virtuous, after all, they are legitimate siblings, it's no wonder that Liu Zhencui would rely on Qiu Shuangxia!"

  He frowned again at this point, "Even if I don't know about the private feud between Liu Zhenxi and Song Nainai, just based on Qiu Xixia, I know he wants to transfer this case to the Ministry of Punishment. He must be trying to drag down the Yan Guo Gong Fu - the problem is that both sides are imperial relatives, and as a mere Jingzhao, I can't afford to offend either side!"

  Jian Yu Bai's identity is well-known to all, both in the imperial court and among the common people. He is the beloved of Empress Dowager, treated by Emperor Xian as if he were his own son. His imperial favor was so great that after being a hostage in Wuhuan for over five years, he still managed to directly take up the position of Langzhong in the powerful Wu Selection Department of the Ministry of War!

  But Qiu Xiangxia didn't give in easily - otherwise, with the way Jian Yu Bai had been treating him for months, constantly finding fault and criticizing him, he would have been sent to some remote place to retire long ago. How could he still be sitting in the position of Minister?

  "It turns out that Qiū Xiǎo Xiá and the Prince of Yān are actually first cousins! " Bān Yán shook his head in frustration, "Qiū Xiǎo Xiá is the biological nephew of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, and also the only male heir of the Qiū family. He's the legitimate cousin of the Princess of Jìn! What on earth is he thinking? After impeaching several people for months, not even stopping when his nephew was involved, seeing that Your Majesty didn't intervene, he still doesn't know what's good for him and has taken private action!"

  Don't drag your feet and get moving, or you'll end up in jail!

  It's totally cheating!

  "The key to the matter lies here!" Zuo Lixian's expression was solemn, "Master Dong, think about it: not to mention the relationship between Chancellor Qiu and Prince Yan, he, as a maternal uncle, personally took the field for his difficult nephew, repeatedly, again and again, how absurd is that? Just talking about the matter of Wu Hu's capture of hostages and forcing our great emperor to retreat and cede territory, who doesn't know it was the son of Marquis Fuyang who instigated it? Speaking of which, Prince Yan, who was only eleven years old at the time, was actually also harmed by his maternal uncle! These two are both Chancellor Qiu's nephews, if Chancellor Qiu wants to uphold justice and eliminate his relatives because of this matter, logically he should target the son of Marquis Fuyang, not Prince Yan!"

  Ban Yanshou murmured: "In the court, there are also many discussions about this... Many people speculate that perhaps Prince Yan has offended Qiu Shuixia?"

  "How is this possible?" Zuo Lixian shook his head repeatedly, "The Duke of Yan was five years old when he succeeded to the title and was immediately taken into the Mingren Palace, where he was personally raised by the Empress Dowager. Occasionally leaving the palace, it was under the leadership of the palace staff, returning to the Jin State Long Gongzhufu to visit his parents and siblings - never having gone to the Qiu family's residence——Qiu Shangshu wanting to meet this nephew can only be when he goes to the Mingren Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager at the right time!"

  Let's not talk about the probability, even if they met, at that age, what could Qiu Xixia say to him? At most, she would politely chat with him for two sentences in front of the empress dowager! In front of the empress dowager, how could Jian Youbai offend this uncle?

  Besides, in front of the Empress Dowager, even if these two cousins had a conflict, could the Empress Dowager not mediate?

  To mention something that happened before the age of five... such a young child, still so innocent, and yet you, as an uncle, still remember it to this day? How narrow-minded do you have to be? Are you even human?

  So Qiu Xiangxia is targeting Jian Yubai because of personal grievances, this speculation cannot be established at all!

  "What do you mean?" Ban Yanshou was appointed as a second-class candidate at the age of 20 and became an official. In just over a decade, he rose to the rank of third-grade official without any ancestral influence. Although luck played a role, he had both learning and ability. However, his vision for the overall situation was somewhat lacking, so he needed assistants to help him.

  Zuo Liuli then pointed out: "Master Dong, have you forgotten how the only son of Grand Secretary Qiu died prematurely?"

  The Qiu family currently only has one male heir, Qiu Xiaoxia. This is the main reason why the Empress Dowager, despite doting on Jian Rongbai to the bone, still tolerated her nephew's bullying of her grandson.

  After all, the Empress Dowager doted on her grandson and couldn't bear the thought of her natal family becoming extinct.

  However, Qiu Xixia actually had a son, but the child died three years ago. The reason is very simple, the child was born out of wedlock and his body was not in good health after birth, so he let his mother take care of him first. His mother thought that giving birth to a child was a great achievement, and she looked down on Qiu Xixia's wife, which made Qiu Xixia furious and sold her far away - as a result, the child missed his mother so much that he didn't eat or drink, and gradually became thin and weak.

  In this situation, both left and right, including his wife, of course, all advised Qiu Xuxia to buy the person back, so as not to let the child get into trouble.

  But Qiu Xiang Xia disagreed: "How can we disrupt the order of seniority for the sake of a mere child?"

  Later, the child gradually fell ill. Qiu's wife was worried and knelt down crying: "It is said that there are three unfilial acts, and having no descendants is the greatest! Now, husband, you only have this one son under your knee. Although his mother is not virtuous, after this separation between mother and child, she should have learned her lesson. I beg of you to consider the family's future and quickly welcome her back home!"

  According to the rules of succession for vassals in ancient times, if there is no legitimate heir, then there is no heir at all. I have no legitimate son, which means that my lineage will actually come to an end. As for whether a bastard son can be raised, it's up to heaven's will! As for his birth mother, she was originally of humble origin, but after giving birth to a son, she didn't put the main wife in her eyes, showing how corrupt her moral character is! Moreover, her son still misses her so much. Now that she has been sold to a distant place, it's already a blessing. If she were to be brought back, how could the child's temperament not be influenced by her in the future? Rather than having an unfilial and arrogant son who disrespects his elders, I would rather he die young and spare me from ruining the reputation of my family!

  Not long after he said this, the child indeed died young.

  It turns out that Qiu Xiangru is nearly fifty years old this year, and he doesn't even have any brothers or nephews. Even if it's because of his position as the head of the Ministry of Rites, he attaches great importance to etiquette and propriety, but in order to emphasize hierarchy and distinction, he actually sat by and watched his only child suffer and die - this kind of heartlessness, even among those in power, is not without its critics.

  However!

  Up to this day, Qiu Xixia did not regret it at all, but instead took pride in it, thinking that what she had done was not abandoning the norms and laws for personal reasons, but a move to support the orthodox!

  Standing at the pinnacle of morality and looking down on the masses!

  "If there is no heir, then there is no successor..." Ban Yanxiu was not a fool after all. With the teacher's slight reminder, he came to his senses and stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced around the room several times. Suddenly, he said, "You mean that Quan Xixia's intention in dancing with her sword this time is not towards Prince Yan, but towards the Crown Prince?!"

  In the past, only the eldest son of a vassal state could inherit. If there was no eldest son, even if there were thousands or tens of thousands of children born out of wedlock, it would be considered as having no heir, and the result would naturally be the abolition of the country.

  "Qiu Shangshu used to be a vassal king during the Yong period, and he insisted on his own way of selecting an heir, even if it meant cutting off his son and grandson. This shows his determination to uphold the rites and laws!" Zuo Licheng sighed, "Of course, the imperial family is different from the common people, and they can't not establish a crown prince just because there's no eldest son. The problem is that the Eastern Palace has already been established, but it's not the eldest son! And Your Majesty has an eldest son! But Qiu Shangshu is clearly insisting on 'establishing sons based on nobility, not age; establishing heirs based on age, not virtue'."

  In other words, in Qiu Shangshu's eyes, the Zhao Wang who was born to Yuan Hou is naturally the most suitable candidate for the crown prince!

  "I thought that in these days, the Princess of Dai would be busy running around for the King of Wei everywhere, and it would cause a huge stir in both the court and the countryside." Ban Yanxiu couldn't help but sigh, "But I didn't expect that Qiu Xixia had already made her move against the Prince of Yan who was on good terms with the Crown Prince since the beginning of the year——this imperial court is going to be thrown into chaos soon!"

  Zuo Li said in a low voice, "So I advise you, Master Dong, not to transfer the case to Liu Shilang! Whether it's Princess Diguogong or Grand Secretary Qiu, they are all relatives of the Emperor who have been treated with favor. If they overstep their bounds, the Emperor may not hold them accountable. But between you and the Emperor, there is only a master-subject relationship! How can you rashly wade into such muddy waters?"

  "Will this offend Qiu Xiaoxia?" Ban Yanshu was a bit worried, "That person even dared to grab the Prince of Yan Country and not let go, if it's against me..."

  "Master!" Zuo Lixun said sternly, "This case was first reported to the Jingzhao Prefecture. You followed procedure in taking over, apprehending the person and collecting evidence. The entire process is well-documented. Even if the Minister of Rites overstepped his authority by intervening, or even if His Majesty asked about it on the Golden Throne, what could you say you did wrong?"

  The key point is that although there are signs of two kings competing for the throne, the East Palace is not empty. Without mentioning who will sit on the big seat in the future, at least for now, it is a matter of course to put the crown prince before the second king!

  Since ancient times, the crown prince has been the most noble among all princes!

  The King of Wei and the King of Zhao are not satisfied? Who made them just vassal kings now?

  You have skills, you should be in the imperial court!

  At that time, it won't just be Ban Yanxiu this Jingshao, the entire court's civil and military officials will change their attitude towards them!

  "Although Your Majesty has tolerated the two princes, Wei and Zhao, they have never shown any intention of changing the heir! The officials in the court also rarely take a clear stand. How can you, Dongjia, express your attitude now?" Zuo Licheng said with a bitter tone, "What if it angers His Majesty? The consequences are unbearable to think about!"

  At first, Emperor Xian of Jin thought he wouldn't live long and wanted to help the crown prince establish his authority. In matters involving the Eastern Palace, he didn't forget to use his thunderous methods!

  Ban Yanxiu thought back to those unfortunate colleagues from before, and couldn't help but have a sudden realization - if he were to truly follow in their footsteps, having no chance of promotion would be the least of his worries; that would be a matter of life and death!

  "What's more, the Crown Prince has always been virtuous and talented, and was personally raised by Your Majesty. The bond between father and son is deep! Although he is not the eldest son, it doesn't necessarily mean he will lose his position. If one day he still becomes the Crown Prince to inherit the throne, how can the East House justify itself?"

  "But if King Zhao ascends to the throne, can we still openly blame Dongjia for being loyal to his duty? At most, he will just retire!"

  "Which is lighter and which is heavier, Master Dong, think thrice!"

  Ban Yanxiu didn't hesitate and said resolutely: "I'll go reject Liu Zhenxi right now!"

  "Wait!" Zuo Li Cen hastily shouted to stop him, "You're using the excuse that young master fell into the pond while playing, and left Liu Shilang in the flower hall to return to the back hall - after seeing young master again, how could he not change his clothes?"

  "Zi Ya is right!" said Ban Yanxiu, awkwardly shaking his sleeve. "You come with me, just in case the Liu family won't let go, it's good to have someone to beat the drum for us!"