Ye Youlan's daily life of traveling through time

Ye Youlan couldn't help laughing. Her daughter was a smart little girl. She could actually learn skills in this way. It was unbelievable. The Prime Minister probably didn't know either. So she would keep it a secret for them!

"Next time the guards deliver the calligraphy, bring a few bottles of good wine for Minister Chen."

Dingxiang happily agreed.

In the evening, Ye Youlan and the Seventh Prince returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion, bringing the two little ones with them.

The adults went to the study to talk, while the children played in the garden, and Erbao was left in the care of the Prime Minister's wife.

When the Prime Minister heard that the Seventh Prince came for Yilan's matter, he thought about it for a long time, but he couldn't imagine that Yilan might have any secrets.

Ye Youlan didn't know much about the few characters in the novel, so why were there so many doubts now?

"Dad, Yilan is the Queen Mother's close friend, but she's five years younger than her. She entered the palace at sixteen, and Yilan was only eleven then. I wonder what they have in common to talk about?"

The Prime Minister pondered for a moment before speaking, "When I first came to the capital, I lived at Huafeng Academy, the predecessor of Jinghua Academy. At that time, Ren Qishan was renowned throughout the capital, and many were proud to be his students. Why he suddenly left the court the year Concubine Li died remains a mystery."

However, it was also because he placed his complete attention on the academy that it took only three years for Jinghua Academy to become nationally renowned, becoming a veritable mini-imperial court. He cultivated a vast array of talented individuals, employing them to his advantage and swaying the court structure. This was a constant source of worry for the late emperor, who, when he tried to eliminate him, was unable to do so due to his already established influence.

Ye Youlan had a bold guess that what Yilan was holding in her hand might not belong to the empress dowager, but perhaps to Ren Qishan.

"But Ren Qishan is already dead." General Ye raised his doubts, "Who is threatened by the thing in Yilan's hand?"

"This is the key. Song Wen wants to find it, which means that Yi Lan has something that can threaten not only the Queen Mother and Ren Qishan, but also others. Finding this person is crucial."

Prime Minister General Ye and Ye Youlan looked at the Seventh Prince together and asked, "Don't you have a very powerful intelligence bureau?"

The Seventh Prince touched his nose awkwardly and said, "I've been away from the capital for three years. The people in the Intelligence Bureau have become too lazy. We're currently reorganizing them."

Ye Youlan clapped her hands fiercely: "I remembered someone."

Everyone looked at her, expecting her to give an answer.

"It shouldn't be him."

"Who?"

"Xiao Lushan. Li Zong married his half-sister. He has a cousin who is the wife of Minister Feng, and another cousin who is Ren Qishan's concubine. However, when the Ren family fell, no one seemed to mention the concubine. Perhaps they just let her go as a pitiful woman. Looking back now, it's possible that someone with a kind heart saved her life."

The Prime Minister's expression was serious. He said, "Xiao Lushan and Minister Feng also graduated from Jinghua Academy. However, Minister Feng only took part in the provincial examination and was then assigned to Yangcheng as a county magistrate. He had several promotion opportunities in between, but for some reason he rejected them all. This time, he returned to the capital in a high-profile manner because of the mine discovery. However, it seems that he and Xiao Lushan have a general relationship and don't interact much."

Ye Youlan said with certainty: "He is an old fox. He is trying to hide his true identity. The more he tries to avoid suspicion, the more it shows that he has something to hide."

The Seventh Prince instructed the Prime Minister to pay more attention to the court's movements and keep a close eye on Song Wen and Xiao Lushan. Xiao Lushan was in charge of the Ministry of War, so he had to be on guard.

Ye Youlan and the Seventh Prince stayed in the Prime Minister's Mansion for one night and were awakened by the noise outside in the middle of the night.

The two men thought something had happened to the prime minister, so they quickly got up to check. They found that there was a fire in a mansion on the street ahead, and everyone was carrying buckets of water to put out the fire.

The Seventh Prince asked Li Mu if he knew which house had the fire.

Li Mu reported to the prince that he was from the family of Minister Xiao Lushan.

What a coincidence? Ye Youlan and the Seventh Prince exchanged a glance.

The Seventh Prince asked Li Mu to send someone to take a look again.

An hour later, the people who went to the Prime Minister's Mansion to help came back one after another, with serious expressions and looks of regret.

Ye Youlan called out to someone, "Uncle Liu, are there any casualties?"

Uncle Liu was the driver of the Prime Minister's Mansion. He shook his head and said, "It's so tragic. Two girls died, and a young master too."

The young master was only six years old this year. He was Xiao Lushan's youngest son, a late-born child. Mrs. Xiao was so distraught as she held her son's body that she almost fainted.

Xiao Lushan had disheveled hair and untidy clothes. He stood beside his wife, his hands clasped together, his eyes bloodshot and bulging.

The imperial court dispatched the Dali Temple to investigate the Xiao residence. The fire had spread from the young master's room. Among the rubble, they found a half-burned broom head, reeking of burnt grease.

Was it a murder of passion, revenge, or something else? We can only wait for the results of the investigation.

The court gave Xiao Lushan a few days off, but Xiao Lushan went to court three days later.

The Seventh Prince’s Intelligence Bureau collected some information. Ye Youlan analyzed it carefully, but couldn’t figure out why Song Wen wanted to attack Xiao Lushan?

Shouldn't they be in the same group?

However, the information obtained by the Seventh Prince's men from Liuji Casino was that Song Wen hired someone to kill someone.

Ye Youlan's starry eyes flickered as she looked at the Seventh Prince and asked him what to do?

"Why not spread some news to Xiao Lushan?"

"what news?"

"Important things disappeared from Qingyue Temple. This may be related to the deaths of Yilan and Madam Xiao."

Ye Youlan nodded: "This is good, let them suspect each other, and it will be a dog-eat-dog situation."

So the tabloids in Beijing spread these secrets throughout the city overnight.

Xiao Lushan crumpled the tabloid into a ball and threw it to the ground in frustration. Song Wen happened to be walking over and bent down to pick it up. He opened it and took a look, a trace of disdain showing on his face.

"Master Xiao, do you still believe these hearsays?"

Xiao Lushan's eyes were sinister as he sized Song Wen up and down. He had once been an unremarkable editor in the Hanlin Academy, but now, after a trip to his fiefdom, he had become the new darling of the Ministry of Rites.

"I heard that you and Xiaoyu went to Qingyue Temple. I wonder what you did there?"

Song Wen was startled, then smiled: "I didn't expect my uncle to be so well-informed."

Xiao Lushan sneered: "This tabloid news may not be true, but it is definitely not groundless."

Song Wen wanted to say something, but when he saw other ministers coming towards him, he bowed slightly and left.

Xiao Lushan gritted his teeth and stared at Song Wen's back: "Bah."

Minister Feng came over and gave Xiao Lushan a wink, and the two went to talk in the corridor. Song Wen looked back and could still see the backs of the two whispering to each other, and he sneered.

Mrs. Feng was sad for two days because of her nephew's death. Feng Xiaoyu came to persuade her mother to be more positive and said that she had good news to tell her.

Mrs. Feng was in low spirits and had no interest in any news, no matter how good it was.

Feng Xiaoyu whispered a few words in her mother's ear, and Mrs. Feng immediately became lively, her eyes shining, and asked her daughter how long it had been.

Feng Xiaoyu said shyly, "It's been more than a month. I think it happened when I was in Gucheng."