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  Yongning Hou gazed at the letter on the table, his head bowed in silence for a long time before he finally looked up and stared at Ming Xuan. His eyebrows were furrowed, his tone laced with deep impatience, and a hint of tension and wariness, "Did Luo's people come looking for her? What did she say?"

  He addressed Madame Hou as "Luo Shi" rather than the more familiar "Dabo Mu", revealing his coldness and distance.

  Ming Xuan's mouth curved into a faint, gentle smile. Her voice was calm as water, without any ripples. "In response to Uncle's words, I was actually planning to visit my aunt in the southern suburbs today. Since I didn't see Aunt on New Year's Day, it just so happens that I'm passing by, so I'll go pay my respects. We only chatted about trivial matters. I noticed that Aunt isn't feeling well, so I didn't stay long. After paying my respects, I took my leave."

  Her gaze swept through the solemn and cautious study, then fell on Yongning Hou, "Before leaving, my aunt entrusted me with a letter to you. Although she said it's not urgent, I thought that if it's an important matter, it can't be delayed, so I came back directly to the Hou Mansion. It just so happens that you're taking a rest today, and your niece has come to ask for an audience."

  Although she had lived in this mansion for more than three years, to be honest, Ming Xuan and Yongning Hou did not see each other much, and they hardly communicated with each other. With only a few family banquets sitting at the same table, she didn't have any understanding of Yongning Hou, but from others' words and the handling of events in Yongning Hou's mansion over the past few years, she believed that her judgment of her uncle was not too far off.

  At this moment, after seeing the reaction of Yongning Hou when he saw the unsigned letter from his wife, she deeply felt that her uncle's treatment of her aunt was not just a simple matter of marital discord.

  So she chose not to tell the truth but continued to probe him.

  As expected, Yongning Hou's expression relaxed, as if he had let out a sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "What could be so important that Auntie would need to send someone? Besides, even if there was something, she could have just asked one of the servant girls to run back home for her. Why did she have to send Xiang'er on this cold snowy day?"

  He paused for a moment and asked anxiously, "How is Master Pei recently? Has his leg injury shown any improvement?"

  So hastily changing the subject, it's clear that he didn't want to continue talking about Madame Hou.

  Ming Xuan's eyes slightly lowered, and she said softly, "Don't worry, Grandfather. Jing Zhen has been in good spirits lately, but his leg injury is still the same."

  The Yongning Marquis's gaze softened for a moment, and he sighed softly. "The Zhou Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, with numerous talented individuals. There must be someone who can cure Lady Pei's leg injury. Fortunately, she is still young, and the Emperor has shown great kindness by breaking precedent to confer a royal title upon her. With time, there will surely come a day when she can be cured."

  He waved his hand, "I think it's getting late and the road is slippery outside. Uncle, why don't you go back to the Town Country Public House after paying respects to Grandmother at An Tai Temple? Don't worry Mr. Pei."

  Ming Xuan lightly patted her body and then backed out.

  They had arrived at the Yongning Marquis's estate and naturally went to pay their respects to Old Madame Zhu in the An Tai courtyard. The grandmother and grandson chatted for a good while, and it wasn't until the western sky gradually sank that they reluctantly bid each other farewell.

  When I returned to Jingyi Temple, it was already three quarters past noon.

  Ming Xuan pushed open the thick warm curtains and entered the house, bringing a chill. She saw that hot food was already laid out on the table. Pei Jing Chen hobbled forward with his custom-made cane to greet her. The knot in his heart for the whole day unknowingly dissipated. He asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you eat first?"

  "Pei Jingxuan looked at her and said, 'I'm not hungry, so I'll eat when I get back.'"

  His tone was extremely calm and serene, but it revealed a deep and sweet meaning, with a hint of playful coquetry.

  Daiyu was the most aware of the situation, and with a smile on her face, she said, "Master and mistress can take their time eating. Yiren has left me some food, I'll go to her room to keep her company while we eat. If you two have any orders, just call out and I'll have one of the little maids waiting outside attend to it."

  She covered her mouth and smiled as she backed away, gently closing the door.

  After dinner and washing up, Ming Xuan lay in Pei Jingzhen's arms and told him everything she had seen and heard today. "At first, I only suspected that my mother's death was not as simple as it seemed, but after seeing Madame Hou today, I realized that it was much more complicated than that. Although the wife of Dingguo Gong is just a pawn, she wouldn't have taken the lead without reason. It seems that the deaths of my parents and elder sister are all related to the Dingguo Gong Manor."

  Regardless of anything, Yu Huifei's current status is not unrelated to the death of Yuan Fei. The emperor often finds the shadow of his late wife in Yu Huifei, who had a good relationship with Yuan Fei, because of his guilt towards Yuan Fei. With Yuan Fei as a common topic that Pei Huanghou does not have, Yu Huifei can thrive. Yuan Fei's death is undoubtedly beneficial to Huifei.

  Ming Xuan's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she said in a low voice, "Whenever the Dingguo Duke's estate is mentioned, I always involuntarily think of the Lin'nan King. However, the Lin'nan King has long been residing in seclusion, already being the most powerful vassal king of the Zhou Dynasty. If he truly had a connection to the events of that year, then his intention must have been to sabotage the alliance between the Emperor and the Pei and Gu families, thereby harboring even greater ambitions."

  "Could it be that Prince Lin Nan wants to rebel?"

  Apart from this, she couldn't think of anyone else or any other reason that would lead someone to do such a thing.

  Pei Jingchen held his wife tighter, "As long as we investigate, the truth will eventually come to light. Ah Xuan, I promise you, no matter who it is that harmed your parents and Empress Yuan, I will find this person and make them pay the price they deserve."

  The lamp went out, and there was silence for the whole night.

  On the second day, the imperial edict appointing Pei Jingchen as King of Anping was formally issued. The former Xiangchu Wangfu had been maintained by old slaves in recent years, so it only needed some minor repairs before they could move in.

  Ming Xuan originally thought that the cause of Yongjia County's death was suspicious, and if she moved away from Zhen Guo Gongfu, it would be difficult to investigate the truth again, so she wanted to delay her departure.

  "However, Pei Jingchen said, "I had someone follow up on the clues from last time and found out that it was indeed good. We just need to wait for the person who went to Xining to return before we can make a conclusion. Whether or not I stay in the Pei residence doesn't have much significance anymore. Although this Jingyi Temple has our two best memories, it also has many unbearable things from my childhood. I don't feel a sense of belonging here, and rather than being cooped up and unable to do anything, it's better to move out early and make it easier to take action."

  His legs had basically recovered after more than a month of training, although he couldn't run vigorously, but walking was already normal. However, in order to guard against the people from the Pei family, he still had to sit on his wheelchair, even inside Qingyi Courtyard, and didn't dare to make any sudden movements, fearing that someone would see through his disguise and reveal his tracks.

  In the Xiang Chu Wang Fu, however, they were all his maternal grandfather's former servants. Over the years, they had been in secret contact with each other. Those people were extremely loyal and managed the mansion that had lost its master for twenty years as tightly as a copper wall and an iron fortress. It was his territory, where he could do more things freely.

  Since Pei Jingchen said so, Ming Xuan no longer had any reason not to do so.

  For several days, she and Yan Niang had been counting the boxes in Qingyi Courtyard with Dan Hong. Some infrequently used items in the warehouse had already been sent to Anping Wangfu by someone, and her several capable attendants had also gone ahead, gradually emptying Qingyi Courtyard, leaving only daily necessities behind.

  Because the sacred will had already been known to people, this time in the Zhennan Gongfu had no such great influence as before.

  The young master's wife, Yang, unusually did not send any of the maids from Ping Sha Tang to cause trouble, nor had she even sent Gui to take stock of the original furnishings in Jing Yi Yuan. Although this made Ming Xuan feel a bit strange, it was also something she couldn't ask for more. Since marrying into the family, she had always been engaged in a battle of wits with Yang, and although she had emerged victorious each time, Yang had not come out unscathed. However, the process had been quite vexing and exhausting, so if she could leave quietly and peacefully, that would be for the best.

  As expected, the second wife, Mrs. Pang, was exceptionally enthusiastic and even brought Yan Shi over to help out frequently. Regardless of what Mrs. Pang's true intentions were, she had indeed been a great help to Ming Xuan in recent days, so Ming Xuan didn't decline her kindness excessively. After all, they were family, and it wasn't as if they could sever ties just because they wanted to; rather than being awkward and strained, it was better to just let things be and mutually understand each other's kind intentions.

  No one made trouble, someone helped, and it was surprisingly smooth to get everything in order.

  But when it came time to move away, Ming Xuan suddenly had a hard time with Huang Yi.

  Huang Yi was her guest and should have followed her to the Anping Wangfu, but Huang Yi was also treating Pei Xiang's illness. If she had followed her, what would happen to the poison on Pei Xiang's body? But she couldn't leave Huang Yi alone at the Zhen Guo Gongfu either, which not only went against reason but also made it easy for others to gossip.

  Just as she was hesitating, the steward of Rong An Tang came to report, "The young master has been recovering well under Huang Yi's treatment these days, but he felt a bit stifled after staying in the mansion for too long. He went to the villa early this morning to relax and clear his mind. Please don't worry, Master Sun is following him, and he didn't want to trouble Huang Yi again, so she wasn't invited to come along this time."

  He took out a purple sandalwood box from his bosom and said, "This is a small gift from Master Xiang to the Yellow Dress Maiden. Please give it to her, Madam."

  Although Ming Xuan found it strange, she still accepted it as promised.

  She waited until she personally took the box to deliver it to Huang Yi, and asked about Pei Xiang's illness. "Last time at Rong An Tang, it was said that his condition was so severe, I thought Grandfather really only had a month left to live. But now that the one-month deadline is approaching, Master Pei can still go out for a stroll, I suppose his body shouldn't be that weak after all."

  Huang Yi furrowed his brow, "Pei Xiang's body is already at its last gasp, it's only a matter of one or two days now. I have great confidence in the poison, I won't be wrong. But he didn't stay in the mansion to arrange his affairs after death, instead he went to another villa, surely there must be something that needs to be done."

  The beaded curtain rustled as Pei Jingxuan pushed it open and entered the house. In a low voice, he asked, "Has Grandfather gone to the other estate?"

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