As soon as she opened her eyes, she was forcibly carried back to the East Palace by the paranoid pri

After Duan Zan returned to his own house, he was drunk under the service of Madam Lu and had no idea what was going on in the world.

After he passed out from drunkenness, the servant came in and asked Madam Lu to leave, and presented her with a bowl of contraceptive medicine.

Madam Lu drank heartily, ignoring the cold feeling in her stomach, she put on her clothes and left. She was an old hand in the world of romance, very knowledgeable about relationships and tact. These young men from aristocratic families, even if they were playboys, would never show the slightest mercy when it came time to be ruthless!

After Madam Lu left, the servant took advantage of Duan Zan's drunkenness and asked softly, "Master, I wonder what the emperor said to you today?"

Duan Zan was drunk and confused, and he told everything that happened today in his sleep. The servant wrote it down carefully and then helped Duan Zan to get on the bed.

The moment the dormitory door closed, Duan Zan opened his eyes, turned over lazily, and continued to sleep.

He thought indifferently that perhaps another letter would be sent to the Duan family.

Four days later, as Duan Zan expected, a secret letter arrived in the hands of the Duan family.

The spring sunshine still had a bit of winter chill, which penetrated into the bones. The rouge shop near the Duan family had been closed for several days. The tall and thin woman who had wanted to send some wedding fruits to Mr. Duan saw that the shop door was locked and returned in disappointment.

"The boss hasn't opened the shop for quite some time. How come he's not doing business anymore?" the tall and thin old woman muttered in confusion.

The shopkeeper who was selling flowered silk hairpins next door, leaning against the door, sneered when he heard what the tall and thin woman said.

She glanced at the signboard of the Rouge Shop and swung the handkerchief in her hand. The Rouge Shop's monthly turnover was not enough to buy the red agate on Boss Duan's hairpin. She just wanted to have some free time to show off. She wore a veil all day long. I'm afraid she didn't want people she knew to know that she was a merchant!

In a house inside the Duan family, He Yue sat in front of a desk, reading the secret letter over and over again in his hands.

After a long silence, she said slowly, "His Majesty has not discovered that I am in the Duan family, but he has some doubts about the identity of the mistress of the Duan family. He will definitely send someone to investigate."

The clan elder opposite nodded, stroking his cane in his skinny hand, "The identity of the mistress was arranged very reasonably by the head of the family, and there will be no abnormality found."

The second elder of the clan pondered for a long time, his hawk-like eyes scanning He Yue's elegant and peaceful face.

He said, "Madam, there is nothing absolute in this world. No one knows His Majesty's methods better than you. What if..."

He Yue naturally understood what was left unsaid.

She lifted her thin eyelids and spoke calmly, as if discussing someone else's business, "If that day really comes, the responsibility will be borne by me alone. I will do my best to keep the Duan family safe."

The Duan family has a profound heritage and has produced many great scholars. In the hearts of scholars, they are irreplaceable. Ning Rushong will not touch it easily. It is too troublesome and not worth it. It will not bring any benefits, but only endless troubles.

After getting the answer he wanted to hear, the clan elder took the secret letter back and burned it on the lamp, then scolded the second elder indifferently, "You are rude!"

The second elder walked down the steps given by the first elder and bowed to He Yue, "I am old, my mind is muddled and I said some nonsense, please don't take it to heart, Madam."

He Yue smiled gently and turned her eyes to the screen not far away. The screen was a new object and didn't fit in here. She picked up the tea and took a sip. She said casually, "Of course I don't take it to heart. The Second Elder is also a straightforward person. He speaks directly, which makes people feel comfortable."

Later, the Great Elder smiled so hard that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were all pulled together. "Madam, what do you think of Duan Chuanhe? I have discussed with the other elders and plan to hold a ceremony in the sacrificial hall in two days to make him the young master. This position has been vacant for many years, so it's not a big deal."

"I have no objection." He Yue said calmly.

He Yue chatted for a while and then left. Hui Qing bent down and helped her up.

Before leaving, He Yue's distant yet gentle gaze fell on the screen again.

After He Yue left completely, Duan Chuanhe came out from behind the screen, with a look of anxiety on his young and handsome face, "The mistress should have discovered me."

The sect leader tapped his cane calmly and said without surprise, "Nothing, you are about to become the young master, there are some things you must understand. Did you hear anything from the conversation just now?"

Duan Chuanhe felt an itch in his throat and swallowed his saliva. Those words revealed too much shocking information!

What do you mean His Majesty didn't notice the mistress was at the Duan family? What do you mean no one knows His Majesty better than the mistress?!

Could it be that the mistress is a member of the royal family?

"I can't guess." Duan Chuanhe said in a dry voice.

The clan elder, trembling with his crutches, put some other secret letters he had read on the fire, which produced wisps of black smoke.

"There are only a few kinds of intimate relationships in the world: wife, daughter, and siblings. Guess which one it is?" The clan elder said slowly. Duan Chuanhe vaguely grasped a corner of the terrifying secret!

His Majesty has several concubine sisters, who are either in Yuncheng or have already married. None of them are missing.

And judging from her age, it is even less likely that the mistress is His Majesty's daughter, so there is only one possibility!

The mistress only appeared sporadically a year ago, and a year ago was the day when Empress Yuanmu passed away!

No matter how mature Duan Chuanhe was, he was just a thirteen-year-old boy. His wrists began to tremble involuntarily. The Queen Mother became the mistress of the Duan family!

From what was said just now, we can know that His Majesty does not know that the mistress is dead, and that the mistress faked her death and left the palace.

"Since you have guessed it, there is no need to say it. Just keep it to yourself." The elder sighed and looked at Duan Chuanhe, "You are a child who can hide your thoughts. You are much better than Duan Zan. Sooner or later, the Duan family will be completely handed over to you. Sooner or later, you will know about this."

Duan Chuanhe was a little dazed as to how he got out of the inner house. He even staggered when getting into the sedan chair. Fortunately, the servant was quick.

…………

The next day, Duan Chuanhe handed the essay to his mistress for review as usual. The schoolwork had become increasingly heavy recently, so the review had been changed from once a month to once every five days.

"You look empty today. Are you nervous about going to the sacrifice hall tomorrow?" He Yue asked him gently while flipping through the neatly written policy paper.

Duan Chuanhe came back to his senses and smiled shyly, feeling a bit embarrassed about being seen through. He twisted his hands together and said, "My mother found out. Yes, I always feel that it's a little unrealistic."

Runbai held the pen in his hand and circled the problematic parts of the policy paper, and annotated them with a few words. Duan Chuanhe stared at that word. The mistress's handwriting was just like her personality, looking gentle and timid, with a proper and decent structure, but in fact, she concealed a piercing and ruthless intent in her bones.

If He Yue knew what Duan Chuanhe thought of her handwriting, she would probably laugh out loud. She would just write neatly in front of others, but behind others' backs, for example, in the account books of the rouge shop, she would write as casually as she could. Sometimes her handwriting was a mess, not to mention any elegance.

"You are an outstanding person, don't be too nervous." He Yue changed a note without even raising his head.

"Manager Ma spoke well of you to me before. It shows that most people recognize and appreciate you." He Yue's voice was smooth, and her posture of lowering her head while commenting made it sound even more gentle.

Duan Chuanhe still maintained an embarrassed look on his face. Only he knew how fast his heart was beating. His mistress' likes and dislikes were already deeply hidden inside him. He often had to chew on every word his mistress said before he could figure out the deeper meaning.

He didn't know whether the mistress was really praising him or giving him advice.

Layer upon layer of identities shrouded the woman in front of him in layer upon layer of impenetrable fog.