After traveling through time, I became the aunt of the loyal dog emperor

The grain donation activity was in full swing, and Princess Le Yan's fame was growing.

Residents of Nanye City were surprised by the sudden appearance of the princess, but fortunately, because the princess's starting point was to help the disaster relief, most of the comments were positive. It was also because no one had ever seen the real body of this princess before, which aroused everyone's enthusiasm for this event. So even though many people knew that they could not get the final prize, many people still rushed to the scene to donate food for the victims.

When the news reached the palace and the ears of the emperor, he was naturally furious. However, because more people were paying attention to Princess Le Yan at this time, the emperor could not take action against her outside the palace.

Wan Ning no longer acted timidly and pretended to be afraid of him. The more high-profile she was, the more people who wanted to hurt her would have to consider the consequences. She didn't need Wan Tao to pretend to be her and return to the palace these days. She could just leave them all outside the palace to help.

The progress of grain collection was smooth. Ziheng was also busy dealing with the disaster in Sangcheng and promoting the investigation of Liu Xueyu's case. The officials sent to Sangcheng to investigate have not arrived yet, and no valuable information has been received for the time being. However, Liu Xueyu had been an official in Nanye. Although he resigned voluntarily, he became depressed and self-destructive after returning home. I guess something happened. We can start the investigation from his life in Nanye.

Ziheng sent people to visit those who had interacted with Liu Xueyu in Nanye at that time. Everyone spoke very highly of him: he was humble and had the world in his heart!

Among the people being investigated, there was an idle minor official who caught Ziheng's attention - an official who entered the government at the same time as Liu Xueyu, named Wang Ji. The two were very similar in age and experience, both born in peasant families in small villages, and there had not been a single scholar in their families for generations. God was kind, and when they were young, they showed great talent and enthusiasm for studying. Fortunately, the two families supported them to study and obtain official titles, so that their talents would not be wasted and become like Zhongyong.

When the two lonely, stubborn and learned young men met for the first time in Nanye because of an exam, they got along very well and felt sorry for not meeting each other earlier. They talked about their ideals and aspirations every day and understood each other. They often studied together and talked about everything, becoming inseparable to the point where all their classmates at the time had a deep impression of them.

This classmate is called Wang Ji, and he is still an official in Nanye. Although he has been an official in the court for eight years, he has never been promoted. He is still an unknown official. I don't know how much of his ideals and ambitions are left now. He rarely has the opportunity to be summoned by the emperor. So today, when he was summoned by the new emperor alone, he was very nervous and worried all the way, thinking about what to do. His wife got up in the early morning to pack clothes for her husband to meet the emperor, hoping to get the emperor's promotion.

When he saw the emperor, Wang Ji lowered his head and said nothing, not daring to look up at the emperor. He folded his hands on his waist, and nervously stroked the raised patch under the sleeve of his coat with his right hand. He stood respectfully by the side, awaiting the emperor's questions, and actually seemed a little timid.

"I called you here today because there are some things that require your answers. Just answer truthfully." The emperor sat on a high place and looked at Wang Ji, who was nodding his head timidly. He thought that Liu Xueyu's good friend back then should at least be high-spirited, but he didn't expect him to be so "mediocre" and cowardly.

"I will tell you the truth and say everything I know." Wang Ji looked calmer, not as nervous as before.

"I heard that when you entered the court as an official eight years ago, you had a close friend named Liu Xueyu. Do you still remember him?"

Wang Ji was obviously a little surprised to hear Liu Xueyu's name again, especially when the emperor mentioned it eight years after their separation. He was caught off guard by the flash of light in his eyes, and his heart seemed to be shot with an arrow. His emotions were complicated, reminding him of the long-forgotten time, the hopeful life of two lonely and helpless friends who were eager to make a career in Nanye, and then looking at his current miserable appearance: he was still a small official with no achievements after years of hard work, and he had no one to rely on in Nanye for many years, and he hadn't even seen his good friends for many years. He was speechless.

"Your Majesty, before I entered the officialdom, I studied in a temple to prepare for the exam. Among my companions there was indeed a student named Liu Xueyu, who was from Sangcheng. I wonder if this is the one the Majesty is mentioning?" He didn't even know why the emperor mentioned him.

Ziheng looked down at his expression and replied, "That's right. I heard that he passed the imperial examination with you and became an official, but he resigned after only one year. Do you know the reason behind this?"

"Brother Liu," Wang Ji realized his mistake as soon as he said this, and quickly changed his words, "Liu Xueyu is a rare talent. He is not only knowledgeable and well-informed, but he can also often quote classics to criticize current ills. He cares about the world and shares its worries and happiness. What a young and handsome man in his prime! In the year he was an official in Nanye, he made bold reforms and did many practical things. It's a pity that he suddenly asked to resign and return to his hometown before the end of the year."

"We haven't seen each other since he left Nanye. I heard that after he returned to Sangcheng, he actively repaired the river and changed the long-term water and food shortage in Sangcheng. He also attached importance to education and opened a school, which is admirable. After that, we completely lost contact."

The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, but his tone still showed his admiration and respect for Liu Xueyu.

At this moment, Wang Ji still didn't know why the emperor suddenly asked about his old friend. He just thought that the emperor had just ascended the throne and his foundation was not yet stable and he needed to promote him.

"Maybe they want to call him back to serve as an official?" Wang Ji thought secretly in his heart.

"He's dead," Ziheng replied softly, but it was like a mountain falling on him, completely shattering Wang Ji's final guess.

I thought we would meet eventually, but what I received unexpectedly was the news of my friend's death. I will never have the chance to meet him again in this life.

It was as if he was struck by lightning, and all his five senses were gone. He had no choice but to pretend to remain calm in front of the emperor.

"Sangcheng suffered a disaster due to severe drought in the past few months, and Liu Xueyu's letter for help to the court has never been delivered. So he set out to Nanye in person two months ago to speak for the people of Sangcheng, but he disappeared and was killed on the way, and his body has not been found yet." Ziheng looked at him and explained.

"Your Majesty, how can it be considered death if the body is not found!" Wang Ji suddenly raised his head and asked loudly, then realized his mistake and knelt down in a hurry.

Ziheng stood up and walked in front of him, helped Wang Ji to stand up, patted his hand and comforted him: "There must be a hidden story and conspiracy behind this matter. I called you here today to confirm whether Liu Xueyu has any enemies in Nanye?"

Wang Ji was still in grief over his old friend's death. His eyes were red and his body was shaking uncontrollably. He forced himself to answer calmly, "Brother Liu was an official in the capital for less than a year, and as far as I know, he didn't make any enemies. It's inevitable that some people are jealous of his talent. But he has been a minor official in his hometown for eight years. Why would people hate him so much that they want to kill him?"

Seeing that the time was right, Ziheng suggested, "You are right, but this case may involve a wide range of people and there must be hidden stories behind it. We need to find a trustworthy official to conduct a thorough investigation. Does Lord Wang have any recommendations?"

Without hesitation, Wang Ji knelt down again in front of him and recommended himself in a firm tone that would not tolerate rejection: "Your humble servant Wang Ji, I beg Your Majesty to allow me to be in charge of the investigation of Liu Xueyu's disappearance. I will investigate the case thoroughly and live up to my mission!"