Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Just as Tao'er was about to speak, the door was pushed open, and her mother, Zhang, walked in carrying a tray with a big smile on her face.

On the tray were two bowls of steaming hot meat porridge.

"Peach Girl, you can eat here too!"

My mother cooked it herself.

Tao'er nodded, "Okay, thank you for your hard work, Mother!"

She felt that her mother was acting strangely today; why was she always glancing at Xiao Yi?

"Young Master Xiao, where do you live?"

How many brothers are there in your family?

"Auntie, I live in the capital."

There are five siblings in my family. I am the fifth child, with three older brothers and one older sister.

Xiao Yi thought to himself that saying this shouldn't be considered lying!

After all, once their family was exonerated, they quickly returned to the capital.

If I tell her the truth, that her whole family has been exiled to the north, will it scare her?

Xiao Yi hesitated for a moment, then decided not to say anything.

"You have quite a few siblings, are they all married?"

Zhang Su'e continued to ask.

"Auntie, all my brothers are married and my sister is married, so I'm the only one who isn't married yet."

Xiao Yi told the truth.

"Do you have an engaged spouse?"

"Mother, why are you asking people this?"

Mom, you go ahead and do your work, we're going to eat.

Brother Xiao has been starving all night.

Tao'er quickly stopped her; even a fool could see her mother's intentions.

"Oh, you guys eat first, I'll come back to collect the dishes later!"

Zhang Su'e smiled awkwardly, then turned and left.

Tao'er was a little embarrassed. What was wrong with her mother? Was she really afraid that she wouldn't be able to get married?

"Hey, Brother Xiao, have some porridge!"

My mom was just asking casually.

Don't overthink it!

"You drink your porridge first, I'll go wash up and then come back to eat."

After saying that, Tao'er got up and went out to wash up.

When he returned, Xiao Yi had already finished a bowl of meat porridge.

"Tao'er, I'm full, you should eat too!"

Xiao Yi pointed to another bowl of porridge on the tray.

Tao'er touched the outside of the bowl and shook her head. "It's still a little hot. I'll eat it later."

Let's get down to business first.

Do you know anything about the Zhang family in Beijing?

Xiao Yi was taken aback, then asked, "Why are you asking about the Zhang family?"

Do you know anyone from the Zhang family?

Tao shook her head. "I don't know them, I just want to know a little about them."

I've heard the Zhang family is a centuries-old family, is that true?

She wanted to find out more first before deciding whether to tell Xiao Yi.

Maybe he can help investigate the Zhang family's situation in the future, so I won't have to wander around aimlessly like a headless fly.

"The Zhang family is one of the four most powerful families in the capital, and they hold a very high position in the aristocratic circles of the capital."

However, their family has always remained neutral and has not gotten involved in the mess that is going on in the imperial court.

There are family members who hold official positions in the imperial court, but these are all prestigious positions with little real power.

"Then how come the Zhang family was able to join the ranks of the four great families?"

Tao'er found it very strange.

"Because the old lady of the Zhang family is a princess, and also the daughter of a prince who had the best relationship with the late emperor, Princess Chaoyang."

I heard that Princess Chaoyang has a special imperial edict bestowed by the late emperor, which can protect her entire family from death three times.

Therefore, as long as the Zhang family does not rebel or do anything that is against heaven and reason, the Zhang family can ensure that their descendants will live in peace and prosperity.

It's just a pity...

"What's the pity?"

Tao'er shifted her slightly sore body and continued to ask.

"It's a pity that Princess Chaoyang's youngest son disappeared when he was very young and has not been found to this day."

Princess Chaoyang fell ill from overwork and reportedly needed medication year-round.

The Zhang family used to be so prestigious and lively.

Princess Chaoyang used to frequently host flower-viewing banquets and tea parties, but now she closes her doors to guests.

Xiao Yi's tone was also quite regretful.

"Do you know the name of the son that Princess Chaoyang lost?"

I'm just curious..."

Tao'er grew increasingly excited; it seemed her father was very likely...

"I heard my dad mention it once, I think his name was something like Zhang... Hengsheng, if I remember correctly."

Tao'er, why do you keep asking about the Zhang family?

Why did you inquire about such detailed information?

Are you hiding something from me?

Xiao Yi keenly sensed that this little girl was hiding something from him.

"I……

Brother Xiao, I do have something on my mind.

But I didn't mean to hide it from you.

It's a long story, and I'm afraid I might make a mistake, which would be bad.

Because I only have doubts right now!

Tao hesitated for a moment before explaining.

"Tao'er, it's okay. You can tell me anything, and I'll definitely keep it a secret."

Don't worry, I definitely won't leak anything. On the contrary, I will help you and protect you.

Tell me what happened first, then I can help you!

It would be very difficult for you to find out on your own!

Xiao Yi didn't know what was troubling this little girl, but his intuition told him it must be something very important.

"Okay, I'll tell you. I suspect my father is the missing child of the Zhang family in Beijing, but I'm not 100% sure."

"I just asked you about the name of Princess Chaoyang's lost youngest son, and it matches the name on my father's longevity lock."

Tao'er thought Xiao Yi was right; asking him for help might be faster.

"Could I take a look at that longevity lock?"

Xiao Yi asked.

Tao nodded and turned to take out the box.

Then he handed the box to Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi opened the wooden box, took out the gold lock inside, and then examined it carefully.

"Brother Xiao, have you noticed anything different?"

Seeing how intently he was looking at her, Tao'er wondered if he had discovered something.

"Tao'er, I'm sure this longevity lock is from the capital, and it's an ornament from the largest treasure pavilion in the capital."

Their jewelry is all engraved with the words "Treasure Pavilion".

Look, these three words are on the biggest bell.

However, these three characters are too small to be seen without careful attention.

Xiao Yi pointed to a certain spot on the largest bell and said.

Tao'er leaned closer and saw those three words.

I never expected that there would be anti-counterfeiting marks at this time. Could it be that the people in this Treasure Pavilion are also time travelers, or that they have advanced awareness?

That person was truly remarkable.

"Brother Xiao, you are really observant. You can even see such an inconspicuous place."

I didn't even notice it.

This man is rough around the edges but meticulous, and his observation skills are top-notch. No wonder he became a great general at such a young age.

"It's not that you're not careful enough, it's that you don't know about the Treasure Pavilion in the capital!"

If this longevity lock really belongs to your father, then your father is very likely the lost youngest son of Princess Chaoyang.

Besides this, is there anything else?

Xiao Yi never expected that Tao'er's father had such a distinguished background.

Tao'er is also from a prestigious family.

Tao'er shook her head, "No more..."

This longevity lock was brought back by Qingge last night.

"Peach Girl, what are you planning to do?"

Xiao Yi wanted to hear the little girl's thoughts.

"I want to find my father's family."

As for what happens next, we'll talk about that later.

At least I won't let my dad have any regrets!

Could you help me?

"Alright, later we'll take your father with us to the capital."

That way we'll know whether your father is indeed the Zhang family's lost second son.

What are the Zhang family members like?

Is she easy to get along with?

Tao asked again.

"I've heard that the Zhang family members are all very good people. They have a good family tradition and often contribute to disaster relief. They also built a shelter to take in some homeless children."

Everyone in the capital knew about it, so the Zhang family was highly praised.

But we'll have to wait a bit..."

"Okay, then we'll wait a bit."

Tao'er nodded; things were finally looking up.

Haha! Maybe she can even latch onto someone powerful now.