In the palace, after the Empress Dowager Zhong came back from the news of Gonggong Fu, she learned what Emperor Jingxi meant, searched, firstly, she was on official business, and she did not intend to blame others, and secondly, she wanted to give Zhong Xuanlan a warning.

However, Empress Dowager Zhong didn't feel that this was a warning to Zhong Xuanlan, it was a bit like Emperor Jingxi's dissatisfaction with her, and he was slapping her in the face, so she went to Emperor Jingxi with anger, and she had to save her face, otherwise the matter would not be over.

The Imperial Study

Emperor Jingxi had just returned from Xu Meiren, and before he sat down and drank a sip of hot tea, Empress Dowager Zhong arrived.

Empress Dowager Zhong sat down and wanted to speak, but Gonggong Li reported outside the door: "Your Majesty, Lord Li is here." ”

Empress Dowager Zhong's eyes flashed brightly, just in time, and said with a smile: "Why don't you hurry up and invite in, the mourning family wants to know what happened to the mourning family's mother's family?" ”

Seeing this, Emperor Jingxi was very helpless and said, "Xuan." ”

Lord Li entered the door, and after saluting, Empress Dowager Zhong asked, "Lord Li, how is the mourning family's mother's family?" ”

Master Li bowed his hand and said: "Back to the Queen Mother, the Zhong Mansion is fine, and the thieves did not appear in the Zhong Mansion." ”

Empress Dowager Zhong said: "How did Lord Li know that the Zhong Mansion was a thief?" ”

Without hearing the joy and anger in his tone, Master Li hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard a report from someone before I entered the palace to ask for a search." ”

Empress Dowager Zhong said: "Oh? The Zhong family is a thief? So is this thief related to the Zhong family or did he escape into the Zhong family without permission? ”

Master Li was shocked, how to answer now? After thinking about it again, he replied: "It was the thief who took advantage of the banquet held by the Zhong family to escape into the Zhong family. ”

Empress Dowager Zhong said: "So you went to search like this?" I searched the Zhong family in front of everyone, right? Can there be results? ”

Lord Li's heart sank, and he remembered Zhong Xuanlan's words, yes, the Zhong family and the Empress Dowager Zhong, who had been low-key for many years, almost forgot, the Zhong family is still the Empress Dowager Zhong's maiden family, how should I explain today's affairs?

raised his eyes and looked at Emperor Jingxi, but unfortunately Emperor Jingxi did not give him a good face, it seems that the person who agreed with his search was not planning to help him.

Master Li replied: "Back to the Queen Mother, no thieves were found. ”

Empress Dowager Zhong looked at Emperor Jingxi and asked, "Does the emperor just look at others like this and don't take the mourning family in his eyes?" ”

Emperor Jingxi said: "Queen Mother, why do you say that? ”

Empress Dowager Zhong said in a light tone: "The Zhong Mansion is a merchant, but no matter what, it is also the emperor's foreign family, all these years of keeping to himself, doing things in a low-key manner, and never bullying others, but now his face is being trampled on the ground, how will the Zhong family stand in this Kyoto city in the future, and what face does the mourning family have to see their father?" ”

Emperor Jingxi narrowed his eyes, thought for a while, and asked, "What about the queen mother?" ”

Empress Dowager Zhong didn't say what she wanted, and pushed the right to dispose of this matter back to Emperor Jingxi again, and said, "It depends on what the emperor wants?" After all, this is a political matter. ”

Emperor Jingxi was unhappy in his heart, but he also knew that if this matter was not dealt with, the Zhong Mansion would be discussed tomorrow, and even the royal family might be implicated. looked at Lord Li: "If there is a mistake in the report, Lord Li will be fined for half a year." ”

Seeing that Emperor Jingxi was obviously helping him, Lord Li exhaled, and the stone in his heart fell to the ground, wanting to receive punishment, but was stopped by Empress Dowager Zhong.

Empress Dowager Zhong said: "The mourning family feels that the whistleblower should be interrogated, if this is really the case, then Lord Li does not need to be punished, this is also an errand." If this matter is false and the intention is to frame the Zhong family, it should be severely punished, otherwise where will the face of the mourning family go.

Your Majesty, the mourning family wants to see who this whistleblower is, and he is not afraid of power, so it is better to try it here, right? ”

Emperor Jingxi said: "Gonggong Li, you go to Dali Temple to bring the whistleblower." ”

"Yes."

On this side, Empress Dowager Zhong and Emperor Jingxi are arguing over their faces, and on the other side, Zhong Xuanlan is dealing with family affairs.

After the banquet was over, Zhong Xuanlan returned to the study of Qingyou Courtyard, sat on the Taishi chair, and listened to Zhong You's report.

"Big boss, we suppressed the side branches this time, let them close twenty stores, and took away ten shops from them, five of which fell into the hands of the Lu family, three of which fell into the Liu family, and two of which fell into unknown forces."

Zhong Xuanlan raised his eyes slightly to look at Zhong You and said, "Didn't there be an accident at Qiushui Villa?" ”

Zhong You said: "After the accident at Qiushui Villa, although some shops in Kyoto City changed hands, they still fell into the hands of unknown forces. Tingfeng Lou is investigating the matter. ”

Zhong Xuanlan knocked on the table, thought for a long time, and said: "It seems that this person is quite mysterious, follow the line of Qiushui Villa, I am afraid that the change of ownership is just a change of manager by the person behind it." ”

Zhong You said: "Yes." After hesitating for a while, he said, "Do you want to inform Childe about this?" ”

Zhong Xuanlan stopped tapping and asked, "How did he learn?" ”

Zhong You said: "Childe is very smart, and he should be able to deal with things in the building in a month." ”

Zhong Xuanlan said: "Just find something for him to do, he is not allowed to interfere in this matter." ”

"Yes."

"The big boss, his subordinates have important things to report."

Zhong Xuanlan commanded: "Zhong You, the suppression of the side branches continues, you retreat!" The summer solstice comes in. ”

"Yes."

Zhong You left, and after Xia Zhi came in to salute, he reported: "The person arrested today is Zhao Tai, but he did not confess useful information. ”

Zhong Xuanlan raised his eyes slightly, looking at the scenery outside through the glass window, the light snowflakes fell from the sky, fluttering in the wind, very beautiful, and also covered up the footprints left in the Qingyou Courtyard today, as if it was also covering up today's events, as if it had never happened.

She would never allow it to end there, and said, "Send people to the palace tomorrow." ”

"Yes."

Zhong Xuanlan said: "How is the venue arranged?" ”

Xia Zhi said: "It will take another three days to complete." ”

Zhong Xuanlan said: "Keep an eye on it, I don't want accidents." ”

"Yes."

Zhong Xuanlan said: "You step down!" ”

"Yes." Summer Solstice retreated.

Zhong Xuanlan got up, opened the window slightly, and the cold wind blew in, blowing away the heat inside, the slightest coolness, diffused in the study, and also blew away a little unhappiness in her heart, picked up the account book on the table, and began to check the accounts.

I don't know how long later, it was getting dark, I put down the pen in my hand, and wanted to pick up the teacup to drink tea, but was stopped by a hand.

Zhong Xuanlan looked up and found Wang Xuannian standing opposite her, lowering her eyes, it seemed that she really trusted him more and more, otherwise she would not have noticed that he entered the study.

"The tea is cold, drink this cup!"

After speaking, Wang Xuannian put the tray in his hand on the table and brought the teacup on the tray to Zhong Xuanlan.

Zhong Xuanlan came back to his senses, took the teacup, lifted the tea lid, glanced at the tea inside, pursed his lips, and said, "Can Xiaofujun change the tea next time?" ”

"No, Lan'er's body is cold, and she hates to drink medicine, so she has to drink jujube tea and the like to regulate her body."

Zhong Xuanlan was stunned and said, "I have internal strength to protect me." ”

"But you're menstruating, your face is pale, and your stomach hurts badly."

Zhong Xuanlan's heart was warm, like drinking honey, sweet and silky.

Slightly raised his head to look at Wang Xuannian, and saw that he was looking at her with a serious face, and the meaning of not allowing refusal was obviously on his face, and he said with a smile: "Little husband, you are really virtuous!" After that, he drank tea.

Wang Xuannian smiled at her and said, "Do you want to take Yang'er back?" ”

Zhong Xuanlan said: "Let's go and have a look, if you get along with your father well, put him over there!" ”

Wang Xuannian nodded, even if it was unpleasant, he had to leave people there, so as not to stick to Lan'er all the time.