Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

After Yuanzhi and the woman became friendly, Yuanzhi asked her if she knew about the Su family who lived here twenty years ago.

The woman shook her head, saying that her family had moved here less than ten years ago, and their ancestral home was not here. However, she said that the old woman next door had always lived here and might know about her maternal grandparents' family.

Yuan Zhi rose to take his leave, and the woman handed him the hairpin.

"Since I haven't been of any help to you, I won't accept this."

"It's fate that I met you today, sister. Consider this a small gift. I might have to bother you again in the future, so how can I visit again without leaving something behind?"

The woman beamed, "Then... I'll accept it."

Yuan Zhi nodded, "Sister, please wait. You have children at home, so you don't need to see me off. I can go out by myself."

"It doesn't matter."

The woman took her son's hand, saw her to the door, and pointed out the location of the old woman's house.

Yuan Zhi thanked him, walked a short distance, and then knocked on the door of the neighboring courtyard.

After a while, the door creaked open, and an old woman with a full head of silver hair appeared behind it.

She is in good spirits, but she has lost all her teeth and her speech is slightly unclear.

Yuan Zhi explained his purpose, and the other party opened the door and said, "Please come in."

The old woman's yard, like the woman's yard, was piled high with all sorts of odds and ends. In fact, it was even more cluttered than the woman's, looking like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

The old woman said, "Young lady, please don't mind. I'm old, and my son and daughter died young, so I haven't cleaned up in a long time."

Afraid of upsetting her mother-in-law, Yuanzhi didn't ask if she had any grandchildren. Seeing her mother-in-law's unsteady steps, she quickly went forward to support her arm.

"Slow down, Mother-in-law."

Once inside, Yuanzhi didn't let her do anything; he personally boiled water and poured a bowl for the old woman.

The two sat facing each other. Yuan Zhi repeated the question, and the old man's cloudy eyes rolled as he began to recall.

"No, there is no family with the surname Su here! More than 20 years ago, the owner of this place was surnamed Wang, but they became wealthy and stopped living here."

Yuan Zhi's eyes widened. How could her mother lie to her?

"Grandma, think about it carefully again. Has a woman surnamed Su ever lived next door?"

The old woman sipped her water a few times, then suddenly put down her bowl. "I remember now, there is such a person! But she's not alone; there's a man living with her too!"

What do they look like?

"They were all like goddesses in a painting, incredibly beautiful! Once, I was returning from the fields when I ran into that girl. I chatted with her for a bit, and as I turned around, my rake accidentally snagged her clothes. The fabric looked unusual, but she didn't hold it against me at all; in fact, she gave me a jar of rice wine!"

Yuan Zhi's heart pounded like thunder. The woman's surname was Su, and she knew how to brew wine. She must be his mother!

"Where is the man? What does the man she lives with look like? Is he a local from Shuozhou?"

“I don’t remember very clearly, but I’m sure he’s not from around here.”

Yuan Zhi pressed on, "Anything else you can think of?" She took out a jade pendant. "What about this? Have you ever seen either of them wear it?"

The old woman shook her head. "I can't remember anything else, except that the man didn't come back for a while, and not long after, the woman moved out overnight. But that night, the man was home, and he was the one who arranged the move!"

Yuan Zhi burst into tears of joy, "Grandma, thank you! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known that my mother had such a fortunate encounter with you when she was young!"

She took out some loose silver coins and placed them on the table.

"Please take this; it's just a small token of my appreciation. At your age, you're prone to injuries, so it would be best to hire a maid to take care of you!"

"How can this be?" the old woman refused, "I can't accept it!"

“Keep it! If my mother were alive, she would also want my mother-in-law to have a happy old age.”

Yuan Zhi left the money and went out the door.

Sitting in the carriage, she thought that the man and woman must be her father and mother. However, her mother's background didn't seem as simple as she had described.

Could it be that Mother was originally a young lady from a wealthy family, who fell in love with Father, abandoned her family, and eloped with Father to the capital?

He was betrothed as a wife, but eloped to become a concubine.

If my mother were truly a lady from a respectable family, why would she willingly become a concubine?

She couldn't figure it out and returned to the inn with her questions.

After dinner, Xiao Zong came to her room and asked her where she had gone that day. She remained tight-lipped, saying that she had wandered around but found nothing particularly interesting.

"And you, have you found any clues?"

Xiao Zong shook his head, "It's been too long, and many documents and records have been lost. We have no clue how to investigate further."

Yuan Zhi massaged his temples and said, "If you can't figure it out, take a break and get some sleep. Maybe you'll find a solution tomorrow."

Can I stay the night?

"If you follow the rules, I can consider it."

Xiao Zong grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Am I not following the rules enough?"

"You've performed well these past few days, that's why you're staying!"

Yuan Zhi asked the waiter for hot water, and after the two of them showered, they finally lay down on the bed. Xiao Zong was exhausted after a long day and fell asleep quickly, but Yuan Zhi nestled in his arms without feeling sleepy at all.

The next morning, Xiao Zong got up and dressed. Yuan Zhi's eyes were clear as she slowly sat up.

"Don't you want to sleep a little longer? Back in Shengjing, you could eat and sleep well, so why are you waking up so early here? Are you having trouble sleeping in this bed?"

"No, it's even worse not being able to sleep."

Yuan Zhi had a terrible headache and felt sore and weak all over, but she didn't want to lie down anymore.

Xiao Zong carried her off the bed and personally helped her get dressed. Yuan Zhi squinted and said that he was now better at serving people than Luo Mei.

The man pinched her waist, "Isn't it just because I want to please you!"

Why would you try to please me?

"What do you say?"

Yuan Zhi realized what was happening and gently slapped him. "What nonsense are you thinking about so early in the morning? Come on, come on, have some porridge to clear the heat out of your stomach!"

Xiao Zong laughed loudly and was pushed out the door by her.

The two sat in the lobby. Yuan Zhi suddenly remembered that they were still in a secret state. After the waiter finished serving the dishes, she picked up a plate and silently got up.

Xiao Zong pressed her down, "Where are we going?"

Yuan Zhi struggled, "Let go quickly, or your men will see us!"

"So what if I saw it? Who says a divorce can't be mended?"

"That can't be done so quickly. What will others think of us? You're on official business this time by imperial decree. If His Majesty finds out that I accompanied you, you'll be punished!"

She broke free from him, walked to the corner table, and sat down with her back to him.

Xiao Zong felt terrible and couldn't eat. Just as he was about to get up, Dou Zhao arrived with the Leopard Guards.

"Sir, the food hasn't been touched. Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm not hungry, you guys eat!"

Xiaoqi continued, "That won't do, you still need to eat breakfast!"

Dou Zhao glanced around and, seeing the young mistress, understood. He picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into the little flag's mouth, saying:

"Don't say anything, just eat!"