So what if I traveled through time? I'll continue to roll in another place

In fact, Xiao Yueshan had no choice but to think too much. When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Since Prince Jin holds Zhou Yao's life in his hands, the Zhou family has no choice but to cooperate with him.

With Wang Huai'en's advice, she tried hard to recall everything she saw in the writing room. Chu Yuanming and Song Pu were both deploying their own personnel in the court. Now it seems that in addition to deploying troops in the six central ministries, the rich areas in the nine prefectures and forty-eight states are also an important area for them to win over.

Huainan Prefecture has fertile land and a large population, and is an important grain-producing area and economic powerhouse. Rebellion and suppression both rely on money, food, and troops, so it is naturally an object of contention between the two.

Chu Yuanming would be very happy if Song Pu's brother-in-law Xie Wenchang could be removed from this lucrative position. If Zhou Yaopan bites harder, he could even make the prime minister lose face.

Do you really want to side with Chu Yuanming? The royalists at least have a legitimate reason. Rebellion is no joke. Xiao Yueshan doesn't want to be used as a pawn, and for a moment he can't think of how to deal with it.

Just when she was at her wit's end, an unexpected guest came into the dark room.

"Thank you, Lord Wang, for your care these days. My daughter is young and naughty, and has disturbed Your Majesty's peace. Today I am here to take her home." A middle-aged man with a fair face, a slightly plump face and a goatee bowed to Wang Huai'en.

He wore a black gauze hat, a scarlet brocade round-necked robe, and a plain leather belt with flowers around his waist. He exuded a warm scholarly air and a kind and teacher-like manner. Xiao Yueshan thought this must be the original owner's father, Xiao Zheng.

"I dare not. I should thank you very much, sir." Wang Huai'en also bowed respectfully and helped the maid brought by Xiao Zheng to help Xiao Yueshan onto the carriage.

As soon as Xiao Yueshan got into the carriage, Xiao Zheng told the servants to drive the carriage and follow the servants in the palace to quietly go out through the small door, and he followed Wang Huai'en back to the front hall again.

Today is the birthday banquet of Jin Prince Chu Yuanming. There are a lot of people and vehicles in and out of the palace. It is not easy to be noticed if you sneak in. Xiao Zheng just thought that they came to celebrate the birthday and drink. There are many nobles at the banquet, and no one cares about the whereabouts of a marginal official like him.

Xiao Yueshan was worried. Chu Yuanming must have agreed to Xiao Zheng's conditions to let him take her away. Xiao Zheng was an official in the court, so Chu Yuanming could ask for more than what he could ask from a woman in the backyard. Could the original owner's family be so bold as to agree to a rebellion so easily? She didn't even dare to think about it, and could only wait for Xiao Zheng to come back from the banquet.

As soon as her carriage returned to the mansion, her mother, Madam Yu, hurriedly came up with her maids and servants, and said with tears in her eyes: "Shan'er has suffered! Come on, come in! Let me take a good look!" Madam wiped her tears and said, "You look much thinner." She turned to her mother and ordered: "Hurry up and serve the meal." She also pulled Xiao Yueshan's hand and said: "I made you your favorite green plum dumplings with my own hands."

Madam Yu pulled her tightly and walked quickly. Xiao Yueshan didn't even have time to take a closer look before she was surrounded and brought to her parents' main courtyard. Shu Tong had already prepared the table. Although there were tears in the corners of his eyes, he tried hard to smile at her, looking both cute and funny.

Xiao Yueshan nodded to her and sat down beside Madam Yu. After a while, a young woman came into the room and sat down on the other side of Madam Yu. Xiao Yueshan thought that this was the sister who was engaged that Shutong had told her about before, so she smiled at her.

"Yueshan has only been married for two years, but I just think of it as if it was more than ten years ago. I think of you every day. Now your brothers are all sent out, and only Yuerong is with me. Yuerong will also be getting married next month. Mother is really sad and happy at the same time."

At first, Xiao Yueshan thought that Madam Yu was just like Zhou Yao's mother, Madam Ji, a lady from a noble family, who spoke politely and behaved elegantly. However, she did not expect that the original owner's mother's family was the Minister of the Honglu Temple, and she was used to the customs of the people, and she turned out to be lively and cheerful.

Seeing that all the dishes were served, Madam Yu sent all the servants and maids away, and the three of them sat at the table to talk privately.

"Yueshan has experienced a lot of changes in the world in the past few months, and she has matured a lot." Madam Yu looked at Xiao Yueshan carefully and said, "Shutong came back and told me about the Zhou family. The Chen family is really ruthless. The whole family has worked in my Yu family for many years, and they are actually plotting against my own daughter!"

Although several months have passed, she still spoke angrily: "Don't worry, Shan'er. I have executed them and her sister as well, to serve as a warning to others. Shutong and the others are loyal, and I feel at ease with them following you."

Madam Yu looked at Xiao Yuerong again after she finished speaking: "When Yuerong gets married, mother will have to carefully pick out some good ones for you." The bright girl smiled brightly: "My daughter will listen to mother."

"Rong'er is going to marry Chu Hao Ning, a deputy minister of the Ministry of War's Chariot and Imperial Clerk Division. His father died young. Although he is the only son of the royal family, he has no title because he is out of the fifth degree of mourning. He only does miscellaneous work in the Ministry of War to manage carriages and horses."

"His mother and I were good friends in the boudoir. Several sisters have already married, and only mother is left to be taken care of at home. The family is very simple. Although Rong'er's life will not be as prosperous as Shan'er's in the future, I'm afraid her life will be better." Mrs. Yu said earnestly.

"Mother is always thinking about her daughter. She won't argue with her sister. Children and girls are one in the family. She has been deeply educated by her parents and won't do anything foolish." Although Xiao Yuerong was answering Madam Yu's words, she smiled at Xiao Yueshan.

"But it's really not easy for my sister this time. I heard from father a few days ago that Lord Zhao Congjian has found my brother-in-law and will be returning to Beijing soon." She said in a low voice.

Xiao Yueshan also saw that the Xiao family seemed to treat their children equally in their education. The original owner could learn to read and write, and Xiao Yuerong was also quite free and easy in her speech and behavior. Now that Xiao Yuerong was the only child at home, she had to be informed of the major events in the family.

After a slight hesitation, she quickly told Madam Yu and Xiao Yuerong everything she had learned in the palace, omitting only the part about how she was punished by Lu Dehou, so as to prevent the mother and daughter from worrying about her.

Madam Yu had never expected that her daughter would be involved with these important figures in the palace these days, and she was terrified when she heard about it. Xiao Yuerong, on the other hand, acted like a chivalrous woman, and was very excited about her sister's thrilling experience.

"Because I felt it would be related to the factional struggle between Chu Yuanming and Song Pu, I did not dare to easily agree to Chu Yuanming's request and wrote a letter to report to Xie Wenchang and his colleagues in Huainan Prefecture." After Xiao Yueshan finished explaining the whole story, he quickly drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

"Why not?" The three of them were talking excitedly, and they didn't even notice Xiao's father came in.

As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them looked up. "Yueshan, father only wants to ask you, if what Xie Wenchang and others did is true, should they be punished?" he said in a persuasive manner.

"Yes." Xiao Yueshan replied.

"If the evidence is conclusive, then you should be punished. Why should you hesitate or be afraid to speak frankly to the emperor and plead for the people to help them out of their difficulties?" His words were upright and frank, like a fearless sword, cutting off the myriad thoughts in Xiao Yueshan's mind.

"Zhou Yao's advice was not for the prince or the prime minister, but for the people and for the truth. If you think about this clearly, your doubts will be dispelled."

He changed the subject and said, "For the sake of the people, it's not a bad idea to let Chu Yuanming's forces help us find out the truth."

"My Xiao family has always served as an official with a righteous heart, upright and incorruptible, serving the monarch and being loyal ministers. Although loyal and honest ministers do not participate in party struggles, it does not mean that they cannot take advantage of party struggles." He laughed so hard that his goatee trembled.

Xiao Yueshan didn't expect that Xiao's father had such a cunning side, and she laughed too.

It is true that old ginger is still spicy.