Spring Drunk Chang'an

"The Minister of Revenue? Qu Qiutong?" Song stood up in shock, knocking over her chair. She shook her head in disbelief, "No, it can't be. How could it be her?"

"She is the daughter of a criminal. My father confiscated her entire family. Master, how could you support her?"

"Have you checked it out?"

She was trembling and asked through gritted teeth.

His face was as pale as paper.

Liu Laishun knelt down, his voice muffled as he spoke, "Madam, I've done a thorough investigation. The Duke, under the alias Liu En, bought a small courtyard with two entrances in Yong'an Lane, West City, which suited him and Qu Qiutong."

"His neighbors all say that the Duke is a merchant from Jingbei, Qu Qiudan is his wife, and they have a son who was born with a leg disease and is being raised in a farm in the suburbs."

"They have lived in Yong'an Alley for nineteen years."

Song was stunned. "Nineteen years?"

The Minister of Revenue, Qu Zheng, was once the teacher of Liu Ye, the second master of the Ningguo Mansion. Twenty-one years ago, he embezzled funds for river repairs and was reported by Song Bin, the father of the Song family and the Duke of Cheng'en. The current emperor sentenced him to death, confiscated all the property in the mansion, exiled the male members of the family, and imprisoned the female members of the family in the Jiaosifang.

"It's been so long, I didn't even realize it..." She murmured with tears in her eyes.

Liu Laishun knelt with his head down, not daring to say much.

Liu Changan pursed his lips, feeling sad and sorry for his biological mother and himself.

Twenty-one years ago, the Qu family was ransacked. Twenty years ago, Duke Liu and Qu Qiutong tied a love lock at Yuantan Temple. In the same year, Song married into the Duke's Mansion.

Perhaps, when Song was in the bridal chamber, Duke Liu was thinking of Yuanniang!

Aunt Lai was not the favorite of Duke Liu, and Song was not his acknowledged wife. Qu Qiutong was the moonlight in his dreams, and they even had a son.

No wonder, no wonder he never took the daughter he had been mistakenly adopted seriously!

In his eyes, his daughter, who was not born to the one he loved and whom he had never raised, was probably just like a piece of trash.

How ridiculous of her that she had ever entertained the illusion that her father would cherish her, even just a little bit?

Liu Changan drooped her eyelashes, hiding her tears. "Madam, now is not the time for you to be sad. The Duke is colluding with the Qu family. Perhaps, it's more than just a love affair."

In the previous life, when the Cheng'en Mansion was confiscated, there was a shadow of the Liu family's involvement. Later, when the crown prince was deposed for the second time, the Qu family was directly rehabilitated and returned to the court.

This must be due to Duke Liu and Qu Qiutong.

"The Qu family was once the most steadfast vassal of King Yan."

"Ah, yes, yes!" Song was startled for a moment, then reacted immediately, not even caring about crying. She hurriedly stood up, wiped her tears, and said anxiously: "I have to tell Dad about this."

She hurried out, took two steps, and then stopped and shook her head, "No, Dad won't believe some romantic stories. If I tell my eldest brother and the others, they have bad tempers and might come directly to the Duke and alert the enemy."

"He just kept a daughter of a criminal outside, with no other evidence. Who would think he had ulterior motives?"

"Madam, you can report this to the Crown Prince," Liu Chang'an suggested. "We at the Duke Cheng'en and Duke Ning's mansions are both firmly on the Crown Prince's side. Now, the Duke has married the daughter of a convicted minister of the Prince of Yan's lineage. What does this mean? We don't understand, but the Crown Prince will surely understand!"

Anyway, she had already reported to the Crown Prince that the Duke had ulterior motives, and the Crown Prince would believe it.

"He has people under his command, so it will be easier to investigate."

"Chang'an, what you said makes sense." Song nodded heavily, holding her hand and said, "Come with me to see the prince."

Liu Changan responded, "Yes!"

Afterwards, the two of them took Liu Laisun out of the main courtyard and walked towards Chunliyuan.

Xiao Chuo received them.

Song endured the humiliation and told the story of how Duke Liu treated the woman as his wife outside and how the woman was a criminal.

Xiao Chuo's eyes were deep and she asked Liu Laishun to come forward and explain in detail.

Liu Laishun did not dare to delay and reported everything he had found out.

Xiao Chuo's smoky eyes flickered slightly, and she raised her long fingers slightly.

In the corner, the secret guard received the order and respectfully retreated to investigate.

"Don't worry, aunt. I will handle this matter. Just wait for my news!" Xiao Chuo stood up and comforted her in a calm voice.

Song looked bitter and miserable.

Seeing this, Xiao Chuo lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Aunt, please wait for a while. I will make the decision for you after I find out something."

Song was loyal to him and did not hide the family scandal from him. He would not let Song suffer any consequences.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Song choked up and responded.

Xiao Chuo signaled her and Liu Laishun to step back.

"Liu Changan stay." He said lightly.

Song was slightly startled, and Liu Laishun looked at his daughter worriedly.

Liu Changan forced a smile and comforted them.

Song took Liu Laishun away.

In the room, Xiao Chuo and Liu Chang'an stood facing each other in silence for a long time.

Xiao Chuo's brows were slightly furrowed and his voice was low and dark.

"Liu Changan."

He called her name.

Liu Changan's almond-shaped eyes were bright from the tears, and she twisted her hands nervously, "Why did the prince call me?"

"You, a servant, grew up in the Ningguo Mansion and have rarely left the mansion in the past sixteen years. How could you possibly have heard clearly about the important events in the court and the struggle between Prince Yan and me?"

Xiao Chuo's eyes dimmed slightly as she stared straight at her face.

Fingertips moved slightly.

He said, "You actually knew about the Ministry of Revenue corruption case twenty-one years ago?"

"Uh."

Being asked directly to the face, Liu Changan held his breath nervously, lowered his head and dared not look at Xiao Chuo.

She knew she had a flaw.

Given her status, she shouldn't have known about the past affairs of the Qu family in the Ministry of Revenue and the dispute between the Prince of Yan and the Crown Prince. Song hadn't noticed just now because she was too panicked and confused, and she also believed her, but the Crown Prince...

he asked.

Do you doubt her?

Liu Changan's face turned pale and he was filled with regret.

Living her life over again, she clearly told herself to be calm, steady, and considerate, but...

It’s so difficult. It’s really so difficult.

She knew nothing and understood nothing, and she only relied on the few words she heard in the Taoist temple in her previous life to struggle on.

Her biological father harbors evil intentions, her brothers are arrogant and contemptuous, and Aunt Lai and Liu Qingru are eyeing her covetously. She is like a traveler holding a willow branch, walking in the dark night full of tigers and wolves, with her elderly parents and weak siblings behind her who need her protection.

She was also panicked and afraid, but for the sake of her family, she had to cheer up and put on an impenetrable disguise.

"Your servant, I...my wife is the Empress's sister. The palace has always favored you. My parents will also ask about it, and I will know it!" Liu Changan bit her lip and murmured. Suddenly, her cheek was pinched, and she turned back in a daze.

The first thing you see is Xiao Chuo's misty eyes, filled with a faint smile.

"is it?"

Xiao Chuo withdrew her hand and spoke in a low voice, lowering her head.

The little girl with dim and confused almond-shaped eyes looked like a puppy surrounded by wolves. She bared her teeth in a pretentious manner, but looked at him with pleading eyes.

For a moment, Xiao Chuo couldn't bear to ask.

"If you say yes, I won't doubt you!"

Liu Changan stared blankly at the fleeting smile on his thin lips. It was as if his eyes, shrouded in mist, looked directly at her, with a little bit of...

As if out of pity.

And it seems gentle.