♂?，，

  Gu Yuanjing lifted the thick warm curtain and entered, Chang Geng pushed Pei Jingxuan to follow behind him.

  Ming Xuan saw that her brother's gaze was as soft as water, and she knew she had guessed correctly. Her brother was not indifferent to Huang Yi, but was constrained by worldly rules and the sense of responsibility he carried on his shoulders, so he could only control and suppress his emotions. For a moment, she felt a little nervous, wondering if she had said too much earlier, and called out to him in some embarrassment, "Brother."

  Some things are hidden from each other, not because they don't know, but because they don't want to say. Because if they don't say it, maybe there's still a false illusion in their heart, leaving a faint hope. But once they start talking and tear through this thin layer of paper, some things can no longer be dragged on.

  Either charge forward together, live and die together, or retreat backward, maintain a safe distance and regret for life.

  Gu Yuan Jing smiled warmly, his tone with a hint of indulgence and helplessness. "Xuan sister, you're absolutely right, I indeed thought that way, but I always assumed Huang Yi was just a naive child, she's never seen a man like me before, so she's just...I thought after some time, she'd get tired of the life in Shengjing and be willing to return to Lin Nan, back to the Miao village, living the life she should live."

  He gazed at Huang Yi, his eyes tangled and complex, with a hint of disapproval, some heartache, but deep down, there was also a sense of being moved and sweetness. He softly called out, "Huang Yi..."

  When he heard the woman's true feelings pouring out from her heart, her determination to be with him even if it meant sacrificing everything was so shocking. She said that she would gladly die for the chance to be with him, and this massive impact was something no man could withstand. With countless words wanting to be spoken stuck in his throat, he found himself suddenly at a loss for words when trying to express them. For a moment, all he could do was softly call out her name, unsure of what else to do.

  Ming Xuan and Pei Jingchen exchanged a glance, then quietly left the house.

  The courtyard was a sheet of pure white. Only the red plum blossoms in the corner of the wall were open, defying the cold. Ming Xuan pushed Pei Jing Chen to stand under the corridor and said with a worried face, "Huang Yi is a good girl, I can see that brother also likes her, they truly love each other, originally they could be a loving couple envied by others, but now the Emperor is heavily relying on brother. He will absolutely not allow him to marry Miao girl as his wife, what will happen to them then..."

  She was as determined as Huang Yi, making efforts regardless of whether her brother responded or not. Even she was shocked, let alone her brother. This feeling was deep and strong, but it was uncertain whether it would bear fruit.

  Pei Jingxun smiled lightly, "Ah Xuan, you're worrying too much. Uncle is a steady and tolerant person, he's someone with responsibility and strategy. He's also firm enough. If he wants to do something, he'll definitely succeed. If he's willing to open his arms and put down his worries to accept Huang Yi, I believe he has the ability to protect the woman he loves. Moreover..."

  His tone slightly changed, and his eyes sparkled with a hint of sharpness. "Moreover, Huang Yi is not just any ordinary Miao girl, she's the beloved youngest daughter of the Miao village chief, a princess of the Miao tribe. The situation in Lin Nan is complicated. Perhaps the Emperor will still need to rely on the Miao family for some matters. As for Shu Xiong and Huang Yi's affair, although it's difficult, it's not necessarily impossible. Let's not worry about it first, we can think of a solution together."

  The Yongning Marquis Manor's Gu family is about to divide the household, and Gu Yuanjing is the only male heir of the third house. Naturally, he will have to move out and live separately in the future. Once they are separated, his marriage will be managed by only one person - Old Lady Zhu. This marriage, as long as it does not affect the country's stability and has been approved by Old Lady Zhu, others can only gossip about it at most. Who else can really interfere with other people's family affairs? The Emperor might even strongly approve of it, considering his relationship with Lin Nan.

  Ming Xuan said in a low voice, "Lin Nan, it's Lin Nan again..."

  She didn't continue speaking, but in her heart, it was as clear as a mirror. From last year when King Lin Nan wanted to marry off his daughter, to her brother going to Lin Nan to carry out the emperor's secret order, King Lin Nan was like an invisible hand that kept appearing in many major events, and even in the good fields and water lands of Jiangnan, she could see his shadow.

  "Recently, the King of Lin Nan has become increasingly restless," said Pei Jingchen in a low voice. "The Emperor had been trying to appease him due to internal worries, but he became more and more unmanageable. It is said that now Lin Nan is like an independent country, with the people only knowing of the King of Lin Nan and not even aware of the Emperor's existence. With Yang Youzhong gone and our ancestors constantly delegating power, how can the Emperor tolerate the King of Lin Nan now that he has taken control of the court?"

  He snorted, "By the bedside, how can others sleep soundly? Lin Nanwang is becoming more and more overbearing, he's actually been blinded by power and can't even see this clearly."

  Ming Xuan's heart moved slightly, and she asked in a low voice, "I heard that Lin Nan Wang and Ding Guo Gong Fu are on good terms? The Empress Yu Hui in the palace is close to the princess of Lin Nan Wang, I don't know if it's true?"

  Pei Jingchen's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, "The Lin Nan Wangfu and the Ding Guo Gongfu are relatives by marriage, and they do indeed interact frequently. However, Empress Hui is very aware of the Emperor's thoughts, and since her brother went to Lin Nan last time, the Ding Guo Gongfu has not been as close to the Lin Nan Wangfu as before. But what's the point of asking this?"

  Ming Xuan took out the blue gemstone earrings from her bosom and quietly told the story, "Eldest sister has a hairpin made of the same material. I heard my grandmother say that it originally belonged to Madame Dingguo. Four years ago, when our family was in turmoil, my mother fell ill in bed. She was fine at first, but suddenly passed away. At that time, I hadn't woken up from my daze yet, and my brother had been demoted and sent to the northwest. So, we hastily held a funeral for my mother."

  She paused for a moment, "But when I think back, I always feel that something is fishy. My mother's body has never been good, but her personality was very strong. At that time, my father had an accident and was detained in the Ministry of Justice, his life and death were uncertain. She was bedridden with illness, but she still tried every means to rescue my father. How could she have died from excessive grief at such a time?"

  If grief could kill, it should have been the day of the incident, but since I survived that day and several days passed, how could I be gone just like that?

  Pei Jingchen remained silent for a long time before speaking, "If the father-in-law had known in advance that he would be arrested and taken to the Ministry of Justice, how could his wife not have heard any rumors when they were so close? Since she was aware of it, and had already escaped danger at that time, Empress Yuan was still alive and well. Thinking carefully, it doesn't make sense that the mother-in-law died from excessive grief as diagnosed by the imperial physician."

  He paused and asked, "Since that piece of sheep fat jade is so precious and rare, as long as you pay a little attention to the few jewelry shops in the city, you can find out where the pendant is. If it really belongs to Madame Dingguo, then if you investigate whether anyone from the Dingguo Mansion came to Yongning Hou Mansion on the day of Madame Yue's death, there will be some clues."

  Ming Xuan furrowed her brow and said, "But I don't understand, without any grudges or grievances, why would the wife of Duke Dingguo harm my mother? What good could it do for them?"

  Apart from crimes of passion, every crime has a motive and purpose. As the wife of Duke Dingguo, how could she possibly commit such a heinous act without rhyme or reason? Lu Shi was not only the daughter-in-law of the prestigious Gu family but also the sister of Wu Dinghou and the mother of Yuan Fei. She was not someone who could be harmed at will. If there were no enormous benefits involved, it would have been impossible for Madame Dingguo to behave in such a manner.

  If it were just because of the harem's favoritism, it wouldn't have gone this far.

  Yu Huifei was not the biological daughter of the Princess of Dingguo, and at that time there was already Empress Pei, who harmed Yuanyuan Fei. Yu Huifei could not dominate the imperial harem alone. Moreover, Yuanfei lived in a cold palace at that time, and there were many ways to harm her, but it was impossible to start with the Lu family.

  Lu's death was indeed the beginning of a series of tragedies for the three houses of Gu. On the second day after Lu's death, Gu Changping hanged himself to death. His parents died, and Yuanyi, who was grief-stricken, abstained from food for seven days and eventually died. From then on, the three houses of Gu completely declined, leaving behind only a demoted son who was sent to the northwest battlefield and a weak daughter who had suffered brain damage and was left alone.

  Ming Xuan always felt that there was a connection between them, but for the time being, she couldn't think of the key point.

  Pei Jingchen grasped her hand and softly consoled, "As long as there's a clue, we can follow this thread to investigate step by step. It's okay if it doesn't make sense now, let's take our time, one day we'll clarify the facts and find the murderer who killed your parents, to comfort their spirits in heaven."

  He could deeply empathize with Ming Xuan's current emotions, so his tone became even softer, "Don't worry, I'll let Chang Geng pay attention to this matter. The day the truth arrives won't be too far away."

  It snowed again after a while, and the snow got bigger and bigger. Because of the concern that the road back to the house would not be easy to walk, the dinner that was originally still being prepared was cancelled. Old Lady Zhu reluctantly held the hands of several granddaughters and said, "You few, if you have time, also come back to see your grandmother often. Grandmother is old, and I don't know how many years I have left to live. The more I see you children, the less I want to leave."

  These words are heart-wrenching to hear, and all the sisters have tears in their eyes.

  Ming Xuan hugged Mrs. Zhu and said, "Grandma will definitely live to be a hundred years old, at that time we will all bring our children here to disturb you. Okay, it's cold outside, you don't need to see us off, after a few days when we have some free time, we will come back to visit you."

  It's hard to part, but eventually they had to say goodbye. Madam Zhu watched as the soft sedan chairs left one by one, and the large Antai Courtyard returned to its usual quietness. Her heart was filled with a sense of loss, she didn't know why, but recently she had been especially afraid of desolation, and especially missed these children, even Mingwu, whom she used to dislike the most, seemed more endearing this time around.

  Ming Xuan and Pei Jingchen's carriage finally drove out of the Yongning Marquis' manor, but was suddenly stopped at the gate by someone. A clear voice spoke to the coachman, "Is it the Eldest Lady of the Town National Duke's Manor inside the carriage? I am Ping Zhang Zheng Shi Han Furen's maid, my mistress has a letter that needs to be delivered to your esteemed lady, please pass it on."

  Complete works txt download, full text free, e-book, remember 77 reading books