Women dressed as men: powerful officials

After hearing Xu Yuan's words, Xu Wenxian was silent for a long time, and finally nodded slowly and said, "Okay."

When I first arrived in Sishui County, I decided to return to the capital city in order to make a wish.

Now that Xuyuan has made his choice, all he has to do is to support Xuyuan.

Xu Wenxian helped Xu Yuan up and said, "Send Prince Cheng back. I won't go to the academy tomorrow. I will wait for the imperial decree granting marriage in the mansion. As for your mother, she won't object. The Fengchang Division will prepare for Prince Cheng's marriage, but we still have to wait for your brother to come back."

"I know." Xuyuan nodded.

A big part of the reason why she was able to talk things out with Bei Yao was because of Zhang Yue.

Even if Xu Wenxian didn't mention it, Xu Yuan would talk about it.

Seeing Xu Yuan was dawdling and had no intention of leaving, Xu Wenxian asked, "Aren't you going out yet? Aren't you afraid that His Royal Highness Prince Cheng will wait for too long?"

"He's not in a hurry." After Xu Yuan finished speaking, he saw Xu Wenxian sitting down to drink tea, so he asked directly: "There is one thing I have wanted to ask my father for a long time."

"There's nothing that can't be said between father and daughter. Just ask."

"Father, haven't you been to the academy these days?"

Xu Wenxian paused with his hand holding the teacup, and subconsciously retorted: "If I don't go to the academy, where else can I go?"

There are only a few ways to take the national exam.

He couldn't enter Wenhua Palace.

It would be unfair for him to go to the Poetry Pavilion.

So, there is only one last way: the academy.

Xu Wenxian added: "The Xu family is not in a good situation in the capital now. Some people think that many ministers in the court are disciples of the Xu family and look up to me. But if I don't have any official position, what's the use of this prestige? I wake up early and sleep late, thinking about taking the national exam as soon as possible and seeking an official position."

"No." Xu Yuan shook his head.

Xu Yuan was unsure at first, but when she saw Xu Wenxian's abnormality just now, she had the answer in her mind.

"Dad, are you investigating the people who hunted me when I left the capital?"

Xu Yuan was not sure about other people’s knowledge, but Xu Wenxian was definitely a knowledgeable person.

Today's Xu Wenxian, and Xu Ze back then, are the youngest winners of the national exam in Tianqi's history. Even today, no one has surpassed them.

If nothing had happened to the Xu family, Xu Wenxian would be a more dazzling existence than Shen Yichuan.

Not only that, even when he was being hunted down and was in poverty and had to teach and copy to make a living, Xu Wenxian never gave up learning.

All the books she read since she was a child were memorized by Xu Wenxian one by one.

Even she is not as good as Xu Wenxian.

For Xu Wenxian, the national examination was just a formality. Whether he went to the academy or not did not affect his winning the top spot.

After asking Huamei that day, Xu Yuan felt confused, but Xu Wenxian went out early and came back late, so it was difficult for them to see each other, so he could only put the idea aside.

"Yuan'er, you are going to get married soon. What you should do now is to prepare for your wedding well." Xu Wenxian put down the teacup, his tone gentle.

"Then I can't just leave Xu's house without knowing anything."

Xu Yuan looked into Xu Wenxian's eyes.

There was a calmness in those eyes.

Just like at that time, when she told Xu Wenxian that she was going to Beijing to study and expected Xu Wenxian to tell her everything about her past, Xu Wenxian chose to remain silent.

This is a father protecting his daughter.

But it is not necessary to make a wish.

"Father, I am not an ordinary girl. I studied in Wenhua Palace and have seen a lot. I am not short-sighted. I can work with you to find the murderer who harmed us and bring him to justice."

The voice of making a wish is earnest.

Xu Wenxian sighed softly and said, "Yuan'er, I know that you are talented, courageous, and determined, but you have already done a lot for me. In the future, I just hope that you can be happy and not be entangled by these old things anymore."

"But the person they want to harm is me." Xu Yuan looked at Xu Wenxian and asked directly, "Father, among the people who framed the Xu family, Song Tiancheng and Wei Chenyi were both ranked as the Three Dukes. Tell me, is the remaining person Qi Chengen?"

Xu Yuan has suspected Qi Chengen for a long time, but she has no evidence.

It was just a feeling and not worth pursuing, but everything Xu Wenxian did after returning to Beijing pointed to Qi Chengen.

Xu Wenxian's expression did not change, and he said in a deep voice: "Xu Yuan, the grudges of the previous generation have nothing to do with you."

"That must be Qi Chengen. I never understood why only the Queen Mother could decide Shen Yichuan's marriage until I knew that he was my aunt's child. Then I understood. It was because the Queen Mother felt guilty towards the Xu family, so she gave him to Shen Yichuan to make up for it. Similarly, she did not agree with Shen Yichuan's marriage with Qi Shengzhu because the Qi family was one of the culprits, right?"

Xu Wenxian said nothing.

Xu Yuan continued, "Father, I have been away from the capital for a long time, but my friend has never given up investigating the truth. I know as much as you do. In this case, why can't we get to the bottom of this matter together?"

"Because I am your father, because I was once as ignorant as you, and the price I paid was a broken leg."

Xu Wenxian tapped his slightly lame leg, his eyes slightly red.

"Xu Yuan, you are everything to your father. I will not let you face any storm. Your father cannot protect you, but Prince Cheng can. Now, what you need to do is to leave the Xu family."

"Things haven't gotten that bad, have they?" Xu Yuan didn't understand. "Father, aren't we all fine now? Even if Qi Chengen wants to do something, he won't be allowed to do so under the Emperor's rule."

"Can you guarantee that there is no one behind Qi Chengen? Shen Yichuan's investigation into the Xu family's injustice ended with Song Tiancheng. Did he not continue the investigation, or could he only find out so much? Qi Chengen's more than 20 years of hard work in the court, how could it be changed overnight? Moreover, you have already guessed it, do you think Qi Chengen would not guess it?"

"Dad, what do you mean by this?"

"The list of ministers who pleaded for the Xu family was written by Qi Chengen. Now no matter what we do, it will be considered ungrateful. The Xu family will bear the infamy from now on. How is this different from 20 years ago?"

What’s more, the biggest culprit is the late emperor.

Without the tacit approval of the late emperor, how could a few ministers force the Xu family?

Qi Chengen must be holding something important in his hand.

And this thing can save his life.

That's why Xu Wenxian has been thinking of conducting a roundabout investigation.

Although the Xu family case could not bring the Prime Minister's Mansion to justice, other matters might be possible.

"There is a difference. We just want to bring the real culprit to justice."

"Yuan'er, you don't understand." Xu Wenxian shook his head gently, "But one day you will understand. What you need to do now is to prepare for your marriage. I will mediate the rest."