Noticing Luo Xiang's gaze, Concubine Rong quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Thankfully, Sister is not seriously hurt today. Otherwise, I would really feel uneasy."
When she got closer, Concubine Rong lowered her voice to a volume only they could hear. "His Majesty is currently thoroughly investigating a corruption case. If it's discovered that the harem is involved at this time..."
"Sister, don't you think it's better to let this matter rest?"
Xie Rou looked at her with a smile.
Concubine Rong was certain that at this moment, Xie Rou wouldn't want to incur His Majesty's displeasure.
"Sure."
Concubine Rong immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Cui Jintang in the crowd suddenly looked up.
Xie Rou continued, "Then, as Concubine Rong suggests, this matter shall be investigated by Lord Pei."
Concubine Rong's smile froze. She bit her lips tightly in anxiety because of Xie Rou's words.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard Pei Zhaolin say in a deep voice, "Your servant obeys the order."
At that moment, Cui Jintang, who had just looked up, lowered her head again.
This result was not bad.
"Oh, right."
Xie Rou, who was about to leave, turned back.
She looked hesitant, scanned the crowd with her eyes, passed by the furious Concubine Rong, and finally fixed her gaze on Luo Xiang.
Looking at Pei Zhaolin, she asked, "Lord Pei just said that this is Lady Luo?"
"The daughter of the deposed Prime Minister Luo?"
A single stone stirred up a thousand ripples.
Those noble ladies who didn't dare to gossip about the harem disputes were bold enough to speak up about the now-fallen Luo Xiang.
They were quick to kick a man when he was down.
"Luo Xiang? Isn't she already a slave?"
"No wonder she's dressed like an actress. Slaves are just lowly."
Every word she heard made Luo Xiang burn with shame and anger.
No, she was not a lowly slave. She was the most noble young lady in the capital and should be respected and envied every day!
"Your Highness," Pei Zhaolin reached out to help Luo Xiang, who couldn't lift her head, up.
Then he bowed and said calmly, "The Lady Luo is now my betrothed wife."
Hearing this, Luo Xiang looked up in surprise. When she looked at Pei Zhaolin, her face was full of shyness.
Xie Rou squinted her eyes unhappily.
To her, Pei Zhaolin must be crazy to say such a thing.
She couldn't even imagine how sad Cui Jintang would be when she heard this.
Xie Rou said coldly, "Step back."
---
Until the palace banquet ended, Cui Jintang didn't see Pei Zhaolin again.
On the contrary, Pei Ying was still fuming.
She had worn a head full of gorgeous hairpins today and hadn't even had the chance to show them off before getting into the carriage in a huff.
After waiting for a long time, she only saw Fu Li, who came to deliver a message.
Fu Li lowered his head and quickly said, "My lord said that there are still important matters to attend to at the Censorate. He asks the two ladies to return to the mansion first."
After hearing this, Cui Jintang calmly nodded and got into the carriage first.
Pei Ying questioned, "Where did you come from? I've never seen you before. What's your name?"
"I'm a servant my lord bought in the South of the Yangtze River. My lord was kind enough to give me the name Fu Li."
"What a strange name," Pei Ying frowned.
Fu Li was momentarily at a loss for words and then explained, "On the day my lord bought me, his jade pendant fell into the pond. When I fished up the pendant, I also happened to catch a carp. That's why my lord gave me this name."
Pei Ying: "..." She regretted asking.
Given her elder brother's talent for naming, she should have known when she saw him name the cat "Facai"!
Cui Jintang lifted the curtain and was about to urge Pei Ying to get into the carriage when her gaze fell on Fu Li and suddenly stopped.
"Where did you get that jade pendant on your waist?"
Fu Li looked down at the jade pendant on his waist and said, "My lady, after my lord saw me fish up the pendant that day, he gave it to me."
"Let me have a look."
Cui Jintang looked at it and always felt that it was a bit familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
Fu Li immediately took off the jade pendant and presented it to her.
She carefully examined the jade pendant and felt that the carved swirls were overly familiar.
"Sister Jintang?" Pei Ying asked concernedly, "Is there something wrong with this jade pendant?"
After memorizing the pattern, Cui Jintang returned the jade pendant. "It's nothing. I just think the pattern is new."
Hearing this, Pei Ying was just about to take a look when Cui Jintang urged her to get into the carriage.
"It's getting late. If we don't go back, the old lady will be worried."
Pei Ying suddenly realized and quickly got into the carriage.
The carriage slowly drove back to the mansion. Pei Ying thought about what had happened today and got angrier and angrier.
Even though her elder brother had lost his memory, it still wasn't okay.
If he could be angry, why couldn't Sister Jintang?
If her anger could help him regain his memory, maybe she would be a great hero!
Thinking of this, Pei Ying timidly approached Cui Jintang.
"Sister Jintang, I heard from others today that there's a new brothel in Baihua Alley called Jinyu Fang. It gets really lively at sunset!"
Cui Jintang was thinking about the swirls and closed her eyes without listening carefully to what Pei Ying said. She just replied, "Okay."
Pei Ying could hardly suppress the smile on her lips.
---
At the Censorate.
Huang Zuoshi, who had been temporarily called in for overtime work, had a look of "Just kill me now".
He was furious and tried to awaken Pei Zhaolin's conscience.
"Lord Pei! Not to mention that I'm just a censor, I'm on leave today!! Does Lord Pei understand the meaning of the word 'leave'?!"
Pei Zhaolin handed him the broken wood without changing his expression. "I remember your family is in the timber business?"
Huang Zuoshi twitched the corner of his mouth. Reluctantly but obediently, he took it and examined it. "That's all handled by my younger brother... Although this wood is excellent nanmu, it's almost completely eaten by longhorn beetles."
"I roughly calculated that it's been eaten for about half a month."
Pei Zhaolin nodded. "The time matches."
He said, "You go to the Ministry of Revenue later and get all the records of Concubine Rong's construction of the theater stage half a month ago."
Hearing this, Huang Zuoshi got anxious. "Lord Pei, His Majesty is currently strictly investigating the corruption case. Many officials in the court are in a state of self - defense! If you get involved in this muddy water at this time, aren't you just asking to be a target?"
"In my opinion, the reason His Majesty wants to investigate corruption is the national treasury..."
Huang Zuoshi paused, looked around, and after making sure there was no one around, he said euphemistically, "The national treasury is empty! If you really want to investigate, it's better to give some other officials a hint so that they can have a chance to correct their mistakes, right?"
"Moreover, a fire five days ago burned all the account books in the Ministry of Revenue. There's nothing you can investigate even if you want to!"
After waiting for a long time without seeing Pei Zhaolin react, Huang Zuoshi rolled his eyes and said, "I recently heard that the second son of Minister Yan from the Ministry of Revenue just opened a Jinyu Fang in Baihua Alley. If Lord Pei wants to investigate, why not start from here?"
Pei Zhaolin glanced at him. "What's special about this second son of the Yan family?"
Seeing that he had listened, Huang Zuoshi couldn't help feeling a bit complacent. "Lord Pei may not know that unlike the eldest son of the Yan family, who has a prosperous official career, the second son of the Yan family is naturally fond of money."
"If this matter really involves Minister Yan, do you think the second son of the Yan family will be involved?"
"Then, you go with me tomorrow."
After saying that, Pei Zhaolin got up and left.
Huang Zuoshi's smile immediately disappeared.