The Cloud Feather of the Red Chamber: A Marriage Arranged with Gong Yuanzheng at the Start

In a secluded mountain villa on the outskirts of the capital, Gong Shangjiao was in his study, looking at the latest letter from the palace gate, which also included the antidote for Wufeng's temporary relief of the Half-Moon Fly.

The first letter he opened was from Gong Yuanzheng. The letter contained a lot of information, recounting everything that had happened after he left the palace.

The text also mentions an antidote for the Half-Moon Fly. Gong Yuanzheng has already made some progress and, based on Wu Feng's antidote and Situ Hong's Gu poison, has developed a semi-finished product, which is currently in the experimental stage.

Gong Shangjiao smiled slightly. As expected, his younger brother Yuanzheng did not disappoint him. He had achieved results in such a short time.

What surprised Gong Shangjiao the most was that Gong Yuanzheng actually mentioned moving the palace.

Gong Shangjiao's eyes flashed with contemplation. Moving the palace was no small matter, and choosing a new location would also be a major problem.

The problem of miasma in the mountains has long been resolved, so why would Yuanzheng's younger brother still have this idea?

Thinking of Lin Qingyue, Gong Shangjiao put down the letter in his hand. Could it be her idea?

Based on his understanding of Lin Qingyue, she was not someone who spoke carelessly. Could it be that there really was something wrong with this miasma?

Unable to figure it out for the time being, Gong Shangjiao stopped thinking about it. The most urgent matter was to resolve the issue of Wufeng and the relocation of the palace. They could discuss it later.

He opened Gong Zishang's letter, and the moment he saw its contents, Gong Shangjiao couldn't help but laugh out loud. Gong Zishang's letter, like her, was serious yet humorous.

After explaining what had happened recently, she launched into a long string of complaints.

With Qingyue's help, Yuanzheng's younger brother only needs to be responsible for interrogation and medicine making.

She went to ask her younger sister Qingyue for help, but her younger brother Yuanzheng immediately turned cold and showed her no respect whatsoever.

Oh, she's having such a hard time! She's so busy, she has absolutely no time to go to the guard camp anymore.

She also reminded him that he must keep his promise and not treat her like a donkey; he had to give her some benefits.

Gong Shangjiao suppressed a laugh and picked up his pen to reply to her.

Gong Zishang has indeed been working very hard lately, and she definitely needs to find someone to share some of the burden.

Yuanzheng's younger brother now has to deal with the Half-Moon Fly, prepare for the trial in the back mountain, and also squeeze out time to spend more time with Miss Lin.

Feelings still need to be nurtured properly.

If you can't meet in person, you can't develop feelings for each other.

Thinking this through, Gong Shangjiao decisively crossed out Gong Yuanzheng's name.

Xue Chongzi is busy training the Hongyu Guards and studying the secret manuals of the Lianfeng Palace; he doesn't have time.

Young Master Hua is busy developing weapons; he needs them to besiege Wufeng's headquarters, but he doesn't have time for that either.

That leaves only Young Master Xue.

He's the most relaxed one in the palace now. Since he's already handling affairs for both the Snow Moon Palace and the Snow Moon Palace, he might as well take on some work for the Blade Master Hall.

Snow Prince: Thank you!

I had just finished writing my reply when I received a report that Qi Yan'an had arrived with Young Master Yue.

Gong Shangjiao handed the letter to Jin Fu and instructed, "Send out the reply first."

Before leaving the study, he thought for a moment and took Gong Zishang's letter with him.

Young Master Yue sat in a daze in his chair. When he saw Gong Shangjiao arrive, he showed a hint of surprise, though the surprise was fleeting.

"What's wrong with him?" Gong Shangjiao looked at Qi Yan'an with some curiosity.

Qi Yan'an smiled without saying a word, fanning himself, but inwardly he was mocking him, thinking, "He's really making a fuss over nothing. He just went to the Lin residence."

Once you arrived in the capital, did you take the pulses of your brothers' confidants again?

Didn't he himself say that none of the people in the capital were poisoned, but were just physically weak? Why did he maintain that look of disbelief for so long?

“It’s not important,” Qi Yan’an said. “Shang Jiao, let’s talk about the Lin family first.”

As he spoke, he took the lead and walked towards the backyard.

At the Lin family residence, Gong Shangjiao's expression hardened. Without hesitation, he immediately followed Qi Yan'an's footsteps.

Young Master Yue hesitated for a moment, then followed the two.

Jin Fu stopped him. "Young Master Yue, the three elders have also arrived. Would you like to meet them first?"

Young Master Yue was taken aback. "Father and the others have left the valley?"

Upon receiving Jin Fu's affirmative reply, Young Master Yue immediately said, "Take me to see them first."

Upon arriving at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Qi Yan'an got straight to the point: "Lord Lin and I have already traced the source of that poison. It was a New Year's gift from the Jia family a year ago."

"The Jia family?" Gong Shangjiao raised an eyebrow. "Has Wu Feng's people infiltrated the Jia family, the maternal family of Madam Lin?"

“The Jia family doesn’t need infiltration.” Qi Yan’an’s smile was cold. “They are a sieve themselves.”

"That New Year's gift was prepared by Madam Lin's second sister-in-law, and many of the items inside were secretly prepared by the Zhen family."

Gong Shangjiao looked thoughtful. Having been away from home for many years, he had some understanding of some prominent families in the capital, especially after the marriage alliance, when he made a special trip to learn about the Lin family's in-laws.

The wife of the second branch of the Jia family is the eldest daughter of the Wang family. Her niece also married the eldest grandson of the Jia family's eldest branch a few years ago.

According to the information he found, when Madam Wang married into the Jia family, Madam Lin was still young, and the two spent almost ten years together.

After living together for ten years, the relationship between the aunt and sister-in-law must be quite good, right?

"Was Madam Wang deceived by the Zhen family? And who is this Zhen family?"

Qi Yan'an sneered, "Don't be fooled by Madam Wang's usual vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting. She personally administered the poison."

Gong Shangjiao paused in his tea-drinking motion, then slowly put down his teacup. "How did you find out about such a secret matter?"

Qi Yan'an waved his folding fan, "You don't believe it either? Don't even mention you, I didn't believe it at first either. I thought my attendant was lying to me."

"Later, I personally went to see Leng Zixing, the son-in-law of Madam Wang's dowry family, drank with him for a while, and managed to get a lot of information out of him, so I had no choice but to believe it."

“In those years, Leng Zixing was the one who ran errands for the gifts, and he also personally handed the poison to Madam Wang and watched her administer it.”

"As for the reason for poisoning, one is jealousy. Madam Wang was jealous of the loving relationship between her sister-in-law and her husband."

"Secondly, it's for the Lin family's million-dollar fortune."

"The reason why the Zhen family made a move is even simpler: my good seventh brother, his mother, Consort Zhen, is the eldest daughter of the Zhen family."

"My seventh brother failed to win over Lord Lin, so he wanted to replace him with a salt inspector."

Gong Shangjiao stroked the teacup in his hand. "So, it seems Wufeng is cooperating with the Seventh Prince?"

"Not so." Qi Yan'an shook the folding fan in his hand, his smile somewhat mysterious.

"Do you remember when you asked me to investigate the Zheng family of Hunyuan?"

"Their last traces disappeared in Jinling. I thought they went to the Zhen family, but they ended up visiting the Xue family."

"The matriarch of the Xue family is Madam Wang's younger sister, and Madam Wang's older brother, Wang Ziteng, is a supporter of my fourth brother."

Gong Shangjiao's expression remained unchanged, but his mood was somewhat solemn. The waters of the capital were far deeper than he had imagined.

The poisoning incident at the Lin family's residence implicated two princes.

"Is Lord Lin aware of these matters?"

"Of course." Qi Yan'an straightened his expression and put away his fan.

"There are two more things I need to discuss with you. Young Master Yue cannot return to the palace before Wufeng."

"Lord Lin now holds the reins of Jiangnan's destiny, and his safety is of utmost importance. Young Master Yue is highly skilled in martial arts and medicine."

"My brother means that Young Master Yue needs to stay at the Lin residence for a long time to protect Lord Lin and his wife."

Gong Shangjiao nodded, "Of course, there's no problem with that."

"And one more thing."

Qi Yan'an gave a strange smile, "The second young lady of the Lin family and the young master of the Lin family have to go back to the palace gate with you."