After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

Thousands of miles away, inside the Regent's Palace in Kyoto

A middle-aged scholar, carrying a intelligence report, hurried into the study.

"Your Highness, news has come back from Danzhou."

The man behind the desk looked up when he heard this. His gaze was sharp, and his face was solemn and dignified. The aura of someone who had long held a high position pressed down on you silently in just that one glance, making it hard to breathe.

But the visitor remained calm and composed. He walked over and handed over the intelligence report in his hand.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Fan." Gongsun Yi accepted the official report.

This man was named Fan Sui, the chief strategist of the Regent's Palace, and was highly trusted by Gongsun Yi.

After carefully reading through the contents of the letter, Gongsun Yi pondered for a moment, and then asked:

"Has Mr. Fan read the message in the letter?"

"Your Highness, I have reviewed it," Fan Sui replied.

"What is Mr. Fan's opinion on this matter?"

"According to the intelligence gathered by the Heavenly Secrets Camp, there is nothing unusual about Du Ke, the eighth son of the Du family. I wonder why Your Highness suspects him of being suspicious?"

“Last month, Yao Yong celebrated his fiftieth birthday, and the Empress attended the banquet at Yao’s residence. According to reports from our spies, she had a private meeting with Lu Yu there. When she returned to the palace, she had touched up her makeup, and her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying a lot,” Gongsun Yi said slowly.

Fan Sui frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "As the father-in-law of the emperor, it is perfectly reasonable for the empress to go and offer birthday wishes to Yao Yong."

"Yao Yong was celebrating his fiftieth birthday, so he held a grand banquet and invited about thirty or forty officials from the court. Lu Yu was an official in the same court as him, and they had a decent relationship, so it was not surprising that he was among the invitees."

"As for the Empress summoning Lu Yu alone, it seems reasonable that the Empress would express her concern for him to show the Emperor's great favor when he was still a prince, since Lu Yu had taught him painting for several years. "

"This is it." Gongsun Yi stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard.

"Mr. Fan, don't you think that everything here can be explained in just the right way, and that it's all too logical?"

"If something fits perfectly from any angle without any flaws, then that thing itself is the biggest flaw."

Fan Sui pondered for a long time after hearing this, then stroked his beard and shook his head again: "If His Majesty really did replace his eldest son back then, then the timing is not right."

“Du Ke was born half a year earlier than the eldest prince Gongsun Yun. His birth time is recorded in detail in the Du family genealogy. This cannot be faked.”

"Moreover, from the time Gongsun Yun was born until his death, he spent every day in the Eastern Palace, constantly under the Prince's watchful eyes, and never left the palace. If he had been replaced, we would not have been completely unaware."

"I still think that Your Highness's guess is too far-fetched, and perhaps you are overthinking it."

Gongsun Yi surprisingly nodded.

"On this point, I haven't figured it out either, so I only have doubts. If this is true, hehe, then I will really have to look at this tenth brother with new respect."

"Since Your Highness has some doubts, why not simply eliminate them to prevent future troubles? There's no need to bother guessing whether it's true or false," Fan Sui suggested.

"That's not appropriate," Gongsun Yi rejected the suggestion.

"If this child is indeed His Majesty's eldest son, he might even be made crown prince in the future. In that case, his life is far more useful than his death."

"If he isn't, why should I get myself into trouble for nothing and give those old foxes something to use against me? It would be a losing proposition."

“No wonder the Prince’s arrangements in Danzhou were all probes, not kills. The Prince’s considerations are indeed thorough.” Fan Sui nodded knowingly, completely convinced.

Fan Sui thought for a moment and then suggested, "Since this boy can't die, let's leave him half-dead. That way, it will be easier to control him later, and it will also be safer for the prince."

Gongsun Yi turned to look at Fan Sui, pondered for a moment, and said, "Mr. Fan's words are indeed reasonable. Let's do as you say."

"By the way, what's the situation with the Orchid Pavilion Boat?" Gongsun Yi asked.

"He is said to be a once-in-a-century genius, with exceptional learning. Since the last examination, from the county exam to the provincial exam, he has always ranked first, achieving the top score four times in a row. He has caused a sensation in Danzhou and is a household name," Fan Sui replied.

"Is he very close to Du Zhong?" Gongsun Yi continued to ask.

“These two people have no special relationship, and they don’t interact frequently,” Fan Sui said, shaking his head.

"His wife, on the other hand, runs two embroidery shops and has a good relationship with the concubines in the Du household. This time, when Du Ke went to the capital, it was because Concubine Zhao was worried that someone in the Du household would mistreat Du Ke, so she asked her to look after Du Ke."

"Go and investigate his wife's background."

"Yes, my subordinate will do it now."

After saying this, Fan Sui turned to leave the study. Unexpectedly, Gongsun Yi called out to him again.

What is the relationship between Lantingzhou and Lan Yaoshi?

Fan Sui paused for a moment before answering.

"They are father and son."

Gongsun Yi remained silent for a moment, then said with a look of disdain.

"Ha, Lan Yaoshi is a real tough guy, very proud. In his eyes, integrity is the most valuable thing, and he will never bend his back for money or fame."

"In his view, the false notion of fairness and justice is far greater than heaven and higher than imperial power."

As he spoke, Gongsun Yi waved his hand impatiently.

"These pedantic literati are best at nitpicking and writing articles that spread far and wide. It's best to avoid them if possible. Unless absolutely necessary, don't touch the Orchid Pavilion Boat."

"Otherwise, it will only bring harm and no benefit, and you will only incur a bad reputation."

"Mr. Fan, go and send a message to the spies planted by the Tianji Camp to keep a close eye on the person. We can talk about the rest later."

"They're going to come to Kyoto eventually. When that happens, every fox will eventually show its tail."

"Yes, I will make arrangements now."

Gan Cai'er and her companions, thousands of miles away, were unaware that people in the capital were already on high alert for them.