Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 336 Something bad happened!

The Embroidered Uniform Guard operates under imperial orders, and the many shady dealings within its ranks are common knowledge. How could Shen Qingzhou possibly believe that He Ping was any simple person?
But if the He family were to be won over by the Yan family at this juncture, the case at hand would be immediately hindered. This is absolutely unacceptable!
Fortunately, He Ping only recognizes the emperor and doesn't have to act according to the Yan family's wishes.

After leaving the Embroidered Uniform Guard office, the lights in He Ping's house behind him went out.

The Shen and Yan families each have two powerful ministers, one civil and one military, who came one after the other to curry favor, their intentions quite obvious.

One side was threatening, while the other treated them with courtesy. Plus, this side was genuinely doing something with a clear conscience. Wasn't the choice obvious?

The Yan family is not an easy ship to board. Yan Shu even dared to delay and deduct the annual allowance for the Crown Prince. Of course, he would worry that the Crown Prince would deal with him after ascending the throne! The Shen family, on the other hand, has not made any enemies and has military prestige. Even if a new emperor ascends the throne, he will have to rely on them to defend the territory. This path is obviously more promising.

He Ping sat in the office for half the night before leaving at dawn.

Shen Qingzhou watched him enter the palace gate from behind the tree, then turned to Tang Yu and instructed, "Go and tell Shen Zhui to do his thing!"

……

He Ping entered the palace. The lights were still on in the palace corridors. The Forbidden City was like a giant beast lying on the ground, silent and majestic. The dim light outlined its shape.

The eunuchs of Qianqing Palace informed He Ping of his purpose in advance, and by the time he arrived at the palace gate, the palace lights had already been turned on.

A gust of wind rushed in the moment the door opened, and the emperor, who had just stepped out wearing a robe, coughed lightly twice, covering his mouth with his fist, and sat down on the couch: "Have you found Jin Huai's body?"

"That's right. The investigation revealed that Jin Huai did indeed die by poisoning."

As He Ping replied, he handed over the autopsy results compiled by the coroner, as well as another report on the search for the body. "Not only did Jin Huai die by poisoning, which is completely different from the result submitted to the palace by the Dali Temple back then, but the Jin family also buried his body in another grave. This shows that the Jin family was intentionally lying and covering up the truth."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the emperor, then lowered his eyes again.

The emperor flipped through the two documents, reading them twice, before finally uttering cold words through clenched teeth:
"How dare they! They even dare to embezzle my money! The Jin family has no nerve!"

He Ping stared silently at the ground.

The emperor walked over: "Summon Jin Yun!"

"Yes."

……

Madam Jin left home yesterday morning and never returned. Although she later sent someone to inquire about her whereabouts, Madam Yan gave her a gentle reply, even asking why she was in such a hurry to return to her parents' home. This made it difficult for the person sent to ask further. As a result, Madam Jin was filled with anxiety and didn't sleep well all night.

She woke up when the wind rattled the windowpanes. She got up to close the window and saw the sky turning a pale white, just like her own hazy mood, which made her even more wide awake.

When Jin Yun opened his eyes, he saw her standing blankly by the window. He was also awakened and sat up, saying, "What are you doing? You scared me."

Madam Jin sighed, "I always felt that something was amiss with my daughter's departure."

Jin Yun was stunned: "How could this be?"

Mrs. Jin remained silent.

Having dealt with the Yan family for so many years, what wouldn't they do? Although Madam Jin has been highly regarded over the years, she might still be punished for her mistakes. How she'll be punished is another matter entirely. It wouldn't have been so bad before, but just yesterday, before she left, she learned the truth about her marriage to Yan Liang. She knows the Yan family's weaknesses; wouldn't she do something foolish?!
"somebody is coming."

While Madam Jin remained silent, Jin Yun heard hurried footsteps approaching from afar and quickly got out of bed: "Could it be that they're back?"

"Master, Madam!" A servant's voice came from the doorway. "An eunuch from Qianqing Palace has come to deliver an imperial decree. The Emperor summons you to the palace to give a report!"

"……emperor?"

The couple felt a simultaneous sinking feeling in their hearts. The emperor rarely summoned his ministers directly; what was with this sudden...?

After a brief pause, Jin Yun quickly slipped on his shoes and put on his clothes. Madam Jin watched her husband leave, her heart filled with even more anxiety!
"Go and guard the palace gate, and send plenty of money inside! Report back immediately if there's any news!"

"Mrs!"

"What's the matter?!"

"Someone delivered a letter..."

Mrs. Jin impatiently snatched it and opened it.

Upon seeing this, she suddenly felt dizzy!
"Mrs!"

The maids and servants rushed forward to help him up.

Madam Jin shoved them aside and screamed, "Prepare the carriage! I need to go to the Yan residence! Prepare the carriage now!"

……

The gatekeeper of the Yan residence had just unlatched the gate when it was suddenly shoved open!
"Where are your master and mistress? I need to see them!"

The gatekeeper froze, recognizing Madam Jin, and immediately sent someone to announce her arrival. But Madam Jin, her face still cold, asked him, "Where is the eldest young master? Where is the eldest young mistress? Where are they?!"

The gatekeeper stammered and couldn't speak. Just then, an old woman from the main house came out from inside the gate and, seeing the situation, stepped forward: "What brings you here, Madam Jin? Please come in and have a seat!" As she spoke, she dragged and pulled Madam Jin across the threshold.

Mrs. Jin shoved her aside: "I want to see my daughter! Where is she? I'm asking you, where is she?!"

Ever since hearing yesterday that He Ping had visited the western suburbs cemetery, Madam Yan had been feeling uneasy. Ultimately, He Ping wasn't one of their people, and if he truly had something on them, their chances of survival were slim.

Later, Yan Shu went to find He Ping and learned that He Ping had given up the idea of ​​entering the palace, which put her at ease.

She had barely closed her eyes for a short while when she heard the same shouting from the front yard early in the morning. She was so angry that she had someone carry Madam Jin to the flower hall.

"What's the big deal that you're making such a fuss about?"

"I want to see my daughter!" Madam Jin burst into tears before she could finish speaking. "What have you done to her?"

Madam Yan was agitated: "Who did something to her? She's perfectly fine in the backyard! She's a daughter-in-law of the Yan family, where else could she be but here?!"

"I don't believe you! Unless you let her out!"

Madam Yan gritted her teeth. She was just one step away from taking action last night, and Madam Jin was still full of resentment. Wouldn't it be bad if she let the mother and daughter meet at this moment?

How exactly did the information leak?
Why do things always go wrong at such crucial moments?!

She patiently said, "She has caught a cold and should not see guests. The children at home are young and they might catch it from all the comings and goings. You should go back home, and I will let her come back to see you in a couple of days."

"I want to see her now!" Madam Jin's eyes were red. "Even if it's just from a distance across the courtyard! I just want to see her alive!"

Madam Yan slammed her hand on the table—

"Mother!"

Before she could speak, Yan Qu walked in from outside: "Something terrible has happened! Uncle Jin has been summoned to the palace, and just now, the Embroidered Uniform Guard came to the Jin family and arrested many servants for questioning..."

"what?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Madam Yan had already stood up.

Madam Jin was stunned. Then she screamed, turned around, and ran away!