Gu Lan lowered her eyes, not telling You Ying that this was indeed a wild guess of her own.
However, she probably guessed it right.
"Now I suspect that the reason the forr Emperor suddenly drafted an edict to depose the Crown Prince back then was because he discovered sothing. Since Consort Jia could unintentionally discover the edict to depose the Crown Prince, the likelihood of Empress Dowager Su knowing is naturally greater. Perhaps Rong Jing and Empress Dowager Su acted first, leading to the forr Emperor’s sudden severe illness and death, and Zhang Ruoshui being publicly executed by Zhang Fengcai...
In any case, continue your investigation. Didn’t Su Wenzhong retire to his hotown? Send soone to find him there. Since he warned Xie Yun before, he must know sothing. But handle this matter cautiously, don’t alert the enemy."
You Ying nodded, "Understood, I will contact Lin He and have the Inner Supervision step in to gain Su Wenzhong’s trust."
In her ear, she could still hear the noise from the front hall.
Xie Yun had just returned not long ago, he was a bit drunk, and, finding the Marquis Mansion too noisy, he staggered to the ladder in the backyard to head ho, while Yuan sent the two young girls to the house next door.
Climbing the ladder every day cured Minister Xie’s long-standing acrophobia.
As for his matters with the Emperor, Gu Lan hadn’t told him yet. She didn’t know how to broach the topic and could only let You Ying look for evidence first.
If the Empress Dowager really had a relationship with Xie Xu, based on Rong Jing’s age, this matter happened over thirty years ago.
As for whether Xie Yun could also be the Empress Dowager’s child, that can be mostly ruled out.
Xie Yun is five or six years younger than Rong Jing. He once said that his parents had a very good relationship, so it’s unlikely that Xie Xu was tricked into bed by the Empress Dowager years ago or sought thrill by wearing the Emperor’s clothes, only to marry a virtuous wife many years later and repeat the act.
"Understood, then I’ll take my leave," said You Ying.
Gu Lan suddenly had a thought and called out to him:
"By the way, how is Nian Xia?"
It was agreed that Nian Xia would travel the world with Du Changning after Consort Jia passed away, but there hasn’t been any movent recently.
You Ying was slightly stunned, dropping his gaze:
"The Market Master has everything in order and is currently handling the daily intelligence matters at a residence in the Capital City. The Crow Building will soon close, but because the master left in a hurry, the Market Master wants to wait for his return to the Capital before leaving with Old Mr. Du."
Gu Lan breathed a sigh of relief. In the original book, only You Ying was in Rong Heng’s Crow Building. It seems Nian Xia went on to travel the world, allowing her perhaps to no longer feel guilty about Xia He’s matters every day.
Initially, Rong Heng and Nian Xia used Zhou Xing’s Magpie Workshop as a base, utilizing the brothel’s chaos to gather intelligence and conceal identities, because Rong Heng was too young at the ti. Although the Xiao Family left many informants and Hidden Guards in the dark for him, they didn’t have much Silver Tael to maintain them. Additionally, it was due to Nian Xia’s personal wishes that the Magpie Workshop beca an intelligence agency.
Now, both Rong Heng and she feel that in a certain sense, although the brothel is good for hiding, it is also the center of attention from all sides, making it better to disperse and operate secretly.
Rong Heng has been granted a title, independent at the Southern Border, far from imperial oversight, so there’s no need to cautiously make money—especially since Young Master Gu doesn’t lack funds!
Gu Lan touched the Crow Order in her sleeve, sowhat missing Rong Heng.
If Xie Yun and Rong Jing’s matters ca to light, she wondered how he would feel.
The deranged brother he thought he had wasn’t his brother at all.
After You Ying left, Gu Lan returned to the banquet laden with cups and vessels.
At a glance, most of the guests had already left.
It was now late afternoon nearing evening; the old madam was too sleepy and had Madam Zhou accompany her back to the inner hall to rest.
Shiqi, carrying a fruit platter, approached Gu Lan and whispered:
"Young Master, Princess Ning’an left in haste just now, apparently to handle official matters, and asked to give you this note before she left."
"Miaoyan?" Gu Lan took the note from Shiqi’s hand, "Did she give it to you to give to ?"
Since when are they so familiar?
Shiqi scratched his head and said helplessly, "Yes, the Princess was targeting the entire birthday banquet, couldn’t you tell?"
"And she still..."
"Her Highness regarded as a rival, so she paid special attention to . She deduced that I am your trusted subordinate." There was a hint of marvel in Shiqi’s tone.
Being able to tell in just one banquet that he was not an ordinary rchant’s daughter but a subordinate cultivated by the Marquis Mansion... Princess Rong Miaoyan was indeed as brilliant as the rumors suggested.
Gu Lan opened the note, on which was only a very brief sentence:
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