A spring rain stopped before nightfall, but the damp smell still filled the air.

Raindrops fell from the eaves onto the bluestone slabs, and although it was a faint ticking sound, the listening of the preoccupied people undoubtedly increased the irritability.

Fan Li listened to Gao Zhen's voice, and the three words Baili Han fell into his heart one by one like stones, hitting him painfully.

"How can it be Bailihan? Tell me about it."

Gao Zhen explained, "I rushed to Tiger Hill to explain my intentions, and Mrs. Xia took out a seal."

Fan Li asked, "Baili cold?"

Gao Zhen nodded and took out the seal from his arms, and the bottom was indeed engraved with the word Baili Han.

"Madame also said that Baili Han often brings students to Huqiu to give lectures." Gao Zhen continued to explain.

The sound of the raindrops gradually became quieter until it was no longer noticeable.

Fan Li said, "A seal and a few words from a woman alone don't mean anything."

Gao Zhen nodded, agreeing with Fan Li's words, but he was still a little worried, and said, "There is no wind and no waves, should we still check."

"Investigation must be investigated, but how to investigate is also a problem." Fan Li said.

Qin Shu, who returned from going out, brought back a piece of news.

"Sir, there is movement in the Zhou Mansion."

"Zhou Qi went to the Criminal Department."

Fan Li asked, "Is anyone staring?"

"Yes."

Fan Li asked, "Has Lord Shangshu of the Criminal Department returned to Beijing?"

Qin Shu shook his head and said, "Not yet."

Fan Li nodded, thought for a while and said, "Qin Shu, you go to the Criminal Department to take a look, what are you going to the Criminal Department to do this week."

"Yes."

After Qin Shu left, Gao Zhen asked his puzzlement, "Why do Master and Ah Luo care so much about Master Shangshu of the Criminal Department?"

Fan Li explained: "Xia's case is under the trial of the Criminal Department, and Master Shangshu has to make the final confirmation of the case in accordance with the law, but he is out now, and the affairs of the Criminal Department will be handed over to the chief department, so it is equivalent to him having the right to decide the case, this person belongs to the Jin family, if he is allowed to decide, then Xia's case will be an iron case."

Gao Zhen took stock of the court officials he was currently in contact with, and suddenly thought of something, and said tentatively, "This Jin family is really a good plan."

"How?" Fan Li asked.

Gao Zhen explained: "If the Jin family wants their son to become the prince, they have to pave the way for him, according to the practice of ordinary people, they must go to the six Shangshu, but they choose to be the next level of officials, because they understand that the future is more important."

Fan Li wiped his beard, looked at Gao Zhen appreciatively, and nodded solemnly, "Yes, your analysis is good."

He couldn't help but sigh and said, "So, do you understand now why we want to keep our summer registration?"

Gao Zhen nodded, "Lord Xia is from the Imperial History Terrace, he is a rare pure minister, if he falls this time, then the ministers will start to be jealous, and they will start to worry, is it just against the Jin family, this is the end."

"Aren't we, then, also courting our courtiers?" Gao Zhen voiced his concerns.

Fan Li asked, "You already know the ins and outs of Lord Xia's affairs, so do you think Lord Xia is really unforgivable?"

Gao Zhen did not answer immediately, thinking about what he had experienced in the past few days, he said: "Although I have only been in Guozijian for a few days, I can feel the clear boundary between the family and the Hanmen, which is obviously an academic institution, but it is a bureaucratic school."

"As a person in power, naturally there is no way to consider the interests of everyone, but they are the future." Gao Zhen said.

Fan Li asked, "So, what is your answer?"

Gao Zhen was silent for a while, and said seriously, "It's not legal but reasonable."

"But." Gao Zhen continued: "In the current form, the Xia people represent a cold family, and they can't chill their hearts, nor can they allow such unfair things to continue to happen."

Gao Zhen sighed, "I see, Master, I know how to solve this matter

now."

Fan Li smiled and said, "How to solve it?"

Gao Zhen said: "The cause of the incident comes from unfairness, students from poor families cannot enjoy the same teaching as the family, and the poor family can only learn by themselves, but the family has had a private school since childhood."

"Go on." Fan Li was a little excited.

Gao Zhen continued, "Establishing a college on a large scale is naturally the best choice, but it is difficult to measure the time and money it will take, so it is imperative to write a book, simplify the obscure knowledge, and then publish and sell it through the bookstore."

He seemed to think of something again, "That's why Xia Ji started to write books...... He already knew the solution, or rather, someone didn't want him to do it."

Gao Zhen's words were excited, "So, Lord Xia annoyed the people behind him because of such a thing."

Fan Li nodded in agreement, "The county lord also thinks the same, we are not sure who the person behind this is."

Gao Zhen asked, "Who is Ah Luo more suspicious of?"

Fan Li shook his head, "In terms of interests, it is the Jin family that does not want the rise of the Hanmen the most, but it is not clear what role Guozijian plays in this matter."

"Indeed," Gao Zhen nodded, "Even if the Hanmen rises, the impact on the Guozijian will be minimal, why do they want to bite Lord Xia to death."

Fan Li said, "Luo Chen found out that he had a serious illness two years before the Yuan Festival Wine."

"Sick?" Gao Zhen wondered, "What does it matter?"

Fan Li asked, "When you are in the Guozi Prison, can you often see the Lord of the Sacrificial Wine?"

Gao Zhen shook his head, "I have almost never seen it, Guozijian is all Qi Siye arranging a matter."

Fan Li looked at the movement outside the house, thought for a while and said, "Luo Chen, they are staring around, it's not early, you rest early, and enter the palace tomorrow to tell Ah Luo the news."

Gao Zhen thought for a moment and nodded.

Leaving the study and returning to his room, Gao Zhen still couldn't figure out the connection, and couldn't fall asleep after tossing and turning, so he simply got up and came to Luo Qingzhi's room.

Lying on her bed in her clothes, she turned her head to smell the scent of the pillow, the corners of her mouth rose, and she fell asleep peacefully.

Luo Qingzhi in the palace also couldn't sleep, she didn't know why Huang Shi was the one who betrayed Gao Yan, she recalled the details of the past relationship in her mind.

As the closest person to Gao Yan, he has always maintained a neutral role, and he has no special connection with Concubine Shu, why is he at this time......

Luo Qingzhi was lying on the bed with her clothes closed, and there was a sound of armor rubbing outside the house, and she thought that she should have changed her guard.

When the door opened, she was a little surprised, she didn't know who was coming, so she had to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.

The person who came in was light, and it seemed that he was a person who practiced martial arts, Luo Qingzhi clenched his fists and defended himself.

The man walked to the side of the bed but did not make any further movements, she subconsciously judged that it was Gao Yan, after all, the people outside the palace did not warn, and only he should be able to do it in the entire palace.

Luo Qingzhi felt that the person continued to approach, she opened her eyes suddenly, but what she saw was not Gao Yan.

The man in the nightcoat was slightly surprised and took a half step back.

"Who are you?" Luo Qingzhi asked.

The man didn't speak, just looked at her, threw down a letter, and jumped out of the window.

Luo Qingzhi followed behind and looked at the forbidden army lying on the ground.

Maybe the movement was too big, and the forbidden army from another place rushed over and surrounded Luo Qingzhi.

Luo Qingzhi saw the man in black slip away and sighed deeply.

Such a noise also attracted Gao Yan's attention, and he walked out with his clothes on the support of the eunuch.

The moment I saw Luo Qingzhi, I was a little surprised.

"Arlo, what are you doing?"

Luo Qingzhi pointed in the direction where the man in black had left and said, "Someone just sneaked into my room."

Gao Yan glanced at the scene in the dark night and ordered, "Go and see."

Luo Qingzhi turned around and was about to return to the room, when Gao Yan asked, "Are you hurt?"

"Nope." Luo Qingzhi replied softly, without any emotion.

Luo Qingzhi, who returned to the room, looked at the envelope left by the man in black on the ground, she bent down to pick it up, and there was no signature on the envelope.

She opened the envelope, black on white, with only a simple sentence.

"Parents love their sons, and they will plan far-reaching things."

Luo Qingzhi didn't understand at all, thinking, "Parents? Child? Who are the parents? Whose child?"

The chaos of the night was not over, and news came from the Guozijian that Lord Jiu Yuan had been poisoned and fell into a coma.

That night, the imperial doctors in the palace entered the Guozijian in batches and treated them all night, until the sky turned white and the Yuan Sacrifice Wine showed no signs of awakening.

Early in the morning, Gao Zhen woke up in Luo Qingzhi's room, looked at the time, and estimated that he could enter the palace to find Luo Qingzhi, and his heart was happy.

After learning the news of the Guozijian last night in the hall, the happy mood was suppressed again.

"How so?"

Fan Li shook his head, with a rare trace of worry on his face, "Today is the second day of the second month of February, and this year's imperial examination examiner should have been announced in the court."

"Master thinks it won't be announced today as usual?" Gao Zhen asked.

"I don't know." Fan Li replied, thought about it and explained, "Originally, we thought that it was the people behind the scenes who prevented today's reading, but now that too many things have happened, we can't be so sure."

Gao Zhen asked rhetorically: "Why not, although there are many things, but, no matter what, the core is the dispute between the family and the Hanmen."

Fan Li was stunned, "Yes, you're right, maybe ......" He paused, surprised by the thought that flashed through his mind.

"Master?" Gao Zhen asked.

"There's one person who's always outside the center, but he's the key." Fan Li said.

Gao Zhen asked tentatively, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

Fan Li nodded, "The change in things started yesterday when His Majesty put the county lord under house arrest."

"But." Gao Zhen said, "Didn't Sir say that Your Majesty is trying to find out who is behind it?"

"That's right," Fan Li said, "Your Majesty is going to be tempted, but his goal is to find out who is planted next to him, not the person behind the Xia Ji case."

Gao Zhen still wanted to say something, but Fan Li said, "Ah Chao, you enter the palace quickly, this matter must be known to Ah Luo as soon as possible."

"Yes."

"Also." Fan Li continued, "No matter what the situation, don't act rashly, we will think long-term."

Gao Zhen nodded, "I understand, I still entered from the dog hole at the root of the city wall, it is the time of the upper dynasty, and the guards are concentrated in the Taiji Hall."