Song Yinghuai twirled the teacup as he watched the scenery downstairs. "He used to be the deputy minister of the Ministry of War. With his superior ousted, it's only natural to promote him... If I try to install a new minister of the Ministry of War, he's been in the ministry for years and has a strong foundation. My man would be constrained by him everywhere..."
He paused, his train of thought seemingly jumping. "Brother Xiao, have you ever heard the saying 'pride goes before a fall'?"
Xiao Rencheng was no ordinary man. He actually understood what Song Yinghuai meant. "Oh, so you're going to let him climb to a higher position, get carried away, and expose his flaws. Then, after getting hold of his handle, you'll root him out of the Ministry of War completely?"
Song Yinghuai nodded. "Yes, but... I'm just afraid it'll be difficult for you, Brother Xiao."
Xiao Rencheng's fingers on the table curled slightly. A forced smile flashed across his face. "What's difficult for me? As long as they're corrupt officials, it's our duty at the Censorate to investigate and report them... Once I have evidence against him, I..."
Song Yinghuai just smiled without saying a word, watching as the usually cold - faced man frowned so tightly that it seemed he could crush a fly.
Xiao Rencheng swallowed hard a few times and fell silent.
He actually had evidence against Wen Zilong.
You can't avoid getting your feet wet if you often walk by the river.
Once you enter the officialdom, you're bound to leave some handles. This was especially true for an insatiable official like Wen Zilong.
Although the evidence wasn't enough to bring him down completely, it was easy to use it to control him.
The only reason he hadn't taken action was because of that woman -
It was widely known in the capital that Lan Caiqin, the eldest daughter of the former Marquis of Yongchang, and Wen Zilong, the third - place scholar in the imperial examination of the 27th year of Yuanzheng, had a harmonious and loving marriage.
They were the envy of all the noble couples in the capital.
If he brought down Wen Zilong, what would happen to Lan Jinqin?
The Lan family had already declined. If the Wen family also fell, wouldn't Lan Jinqin be like a floating duckweed with no roots in the future?
In the silk shop diagonally opposite, Caiyu was busy selecting fabrics.
They had traveled light to the capital for the journey before and didn't bring many clothes.
Although Ji Ming, the chief steward, had made arrangements in the capital in advance, Caiyu was a restless person. After resting in the mansion for two days, she came out.
Summer was approaching. Caiyu came out to buy some summer clothes for Song Yinghuai.
The silk shop was also one of Song Yinghuai's secret properties in the capital, but Caiyu was unaware of this.
Song Yinghuai's eyes were fixed on the busy figure of the young girl downstairs, with a faint smile on his lips.
Xiao Rencheng forced down his chaotic thoughts and changed the topic. "Your Highness invited me out today just to watch me make a fool of myself?"
Song Yinghuai withdrew his gaze from downstairs and looked back at Xiao Rencheng. He sincerely denied it. "Of course not. I only admire Brother Xiao's magnanimity. How could I laugh at you?"
This was truly from the bottom of his heart.
If it were him, watching the woman he loved marry someone else and still worrying about her useless husband's future, he didn't think he could be so magnanimous even after seven years of practicing Buddhism.
Xiao Rencheng bared his teeth. He still thought Song Yinghuai was mocking him and couldn't help but urge, "Then what on earth do you want?"
Song Yinghuai chuckled, then put away his faint smile and said seriously:
"Four days ago, Brother Xiao reported to the emperor in the South Study Room about the unjust case of the Lan family of the Yangzhou Escort Bureau. How's the progress?"
Xiao Rencheng looked at him, his eyes full of scrutiny.
He had noticed that Song Yinghuai was acting strangely that day in the South Study Room.
But he couldn't figure out why.
Xiao Rencheng slowly pulled the corners of his mouth, meeting Song Yinghuai's eyes. His eyes flickered slightly. "The progress... is smooth."
After saying these four words, he refused to say anything more.
Both of them stared straight at each other, waiting for the other to reveal the truth first.
Song Yinghuai's knuckles tapped gently on the table, one by one.
Suddenly, Song Yinghuai said, "Brother Xiao, just name your conditions."
Xiao Rencheng raised his eyebrows.
Oh?
Since he met Song Yinghuai, this was the first time he saw His Highness the Prince of Yan offering such attractive conditions for an unimportant case.
Could there be someone important to His Highness the Prince of Yan in this case?
Xiao Rencheng smiled slyly. "Your Highness is so generous. Naturally, I can't be stingy. What does Your Highness want to know?"
"The file of the Lan family, Lan Caiyu!" Song Yinghuai said without hesitation, "I want to see her file."
Xiao Rencheng smiled thoughtfully. "Lan Caiyu..."
Caiyu...
Wasn't this the name that had been on the lips of all the officials in the past few days?
The woman who was rumored to be loved by Sheng Jiangli and chased from outside the pass to inside.
Suddenly, Xiao Rencheng's expression changed. "Hey, something's wrong. Lan Caiyu has been dead for four years..."
He blinked frantically.
Lan Caiyu, Caiyu...
"Your beautiful maid in the mansion?" Xiao Rencheng's mouth twitched. "Impersonation?"
Song Yinghuai tightened his fingers around the teacup and said in a deep voice, "Please keep it a secret. After you get the file, I'll give you a new one."
Xiao Rencheng continued to blink, as if he didn't recognize Song Yinghuai. "Is this still the Prince of Yan I know?"
"You're actually perverting the law to swap files for an unknown maid, a maid who's lurking beside you with ulterior motives..."
Xiao Rencheng leaned closer, with a curious look on his face. "Fallen in love?"
He thought the high - and - mighty Prince of Yan would fly into a rage and deny it.
Unexpectedly, Song Yinghuai calmly replied with an "mm".
Xiao Rencheng was greatly shocked. He straightened up and stared at him. "So straightforward!"
Song Yinghuai nodded. "If I like someone, I like them. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Unlike you, who liked someone but hid it in your heart for years and didn't dare to say it. In the end, you just watched her marry someone else. Coward!"
Xiao Rencheng felt hurt. He struggled to defend himself. "She doesn't remember me. She likes Wen Zilong. I..."
"Brother Xiao can continue to silently protect her for the rest of your life." Song Yinghuai interrupted his defense. "I also need Brother Xiao's help to investigate someone."
"Who?"
Song Yinghuai's gaze passed through the late - spring sunlight and landed on the busy girl downstairs again.
His eyes were deep, clear yet obscure. He said, "Sheng Jiangli."
Caiyu selected several bolts of heavy lotus silk and moon - colored brocade from Sichuan, as well as the materials for making boots.
She was never good at needlework, so she could only choose the materials and then ask the other maids in the mansion to make the clothes.
Ji Ming had bought a batch of outer - courtyard maids and servants in advance, so there was no need to worry about this.
Caiyu was directing Ning Wang and the others to carry the things when she was suddenly attracted by a familiar figure.
In the pharmacy opposite, the woman with a figure similar to hers...
Willow catkins were floating on both sides of the street. Time seemed to stand still at this moment, and everything was silent.
Caiyu stared at the woman in the pharmacy.
She was lowering her head, whispering something to the shopkeeper and didn't notice that someone across the street had been watching her.
Elder sister...
Emotions surged in Caiyu's eyes. Even though she had a thousand words to say, she could only hesitate and not move forward.
Lan Jinqin was waiting for the shopkeeper to get a kind of carp powder when she suddenly felt a gaze on her. She instinctively turned her head.
However, when she looked over, there was no one looking at her on the opposite side.
There was only an ordinary carriage, with several people going in and out of the silk shop, carrying things.
There was a flag on the carriage, with the character "Yan" written on it.
Lan Jinqin squinted slightly. So it was the people of His Highness the Prince of Yan, who had just entered the capital, buying things.
The Prince of Yan had hardly any contact with the Lan family. Lan Jinqin didn't care. Thinking it was just an illusion, she turned back.
Caiyu, who was hiding behind the carriage, covered her pounding heart and let out a sigh of relief.
Then, a layer of mist welled up in her eyes.
Now... she couldn't even recognize her elder sister.
Since her elder sister was in the capital, she had to find a way to avoid her.
If her elder sister knew that she had become a maid in the Prince of Yan's mansion and had been...
With her elder sister's temper, she would definitely beat her to death, right?
Caiyu urged Ning Wang and the others to drive the carriage away quickly. She didn't notice the man upstairs who had been staring at her. There was a look of confusion and excitement in his eyes.
Song Yinghuai tightened his grip on the teacup in his hand and watched the speeding carriage.
He had seen clearly just now. Caiyu was looking at Lan Jinqin and then avoiding her...