My father Zhao Kuangyin

At the Ganzhi Pavilion, Chen Congxin, Guo Zhi, and Gao Qiong stood side by side gazing into the distance. Upon seeing the scene in the courtyard, they were dumbfounded and looked utterly astonished.

"Who is that?"

Chen Congxin waved his finger, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

Guo Zhi replied blankly, "I...don't know."

Although the person was facing away and their face was obscured by the dim light, their figure and even the voice that had just angrily rebuked Lei Youlin were all too familiar, inevitably sparking a flood of thoughts.

Could it be...?

The three stared wide-eyed for a long time before Gao Qiong finally nocked an arrow and managed to get a clear shot of 'a corner of the Heavenly Palace'.

"It's...it's Jiro?!"

With a gasp, Chen and Guo's expressions changed drastically. After exchanging a glance, they were both incredulous.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Tonight's spring night will have the Prime Minister's residence filled with guests. How could he possibly allow that?"

Even so, Chen Congxin had already summoned servants outside the side room, wanting to confirm the matter with the Prime Minister's residence as soon as possible.

"Should I still shoot...?"

"If you can hit the target at 130 paces, you'll be a master archer. If it really is Erlang... forget it."

Guo Zhi was shaken. He didn't sound the drum for petitioning, but he preemptively struck with the drum for retreating.

If it were truly Zhao Dezhao who slipped out of the mansion under the cover of night to personally persuade Lei Youlin to return, it would be plausible, but it would be utterly unbelievable and unbelievable.

Moreover, this was clearly not a matter of flipping the table, but rather jumping onto the table and slashing across it with a horizontal arm...

"Master Chen, what do you say?"

"Let's wait and see."

Even Chen Congxin, who was trusted by Zhao Guangyi for his composure and shrewdness, was somewhat bewildered and dared not make a decision on his own.

So what if he is the real Jiro?

Inform everyone?

Can this be considered a stigma?

That's far-fetched and extremely impolite, and it offends the official's reputation.

Furthermore, since they are operating in the shadows, if they were to file a complaint, it would be difficult to clarify the situation. Given the numerous clues, they would likely have to argue with the Prime Minister's residence separately.

As for the outcome, Zhao Pu might be dismissed as prime minister due to Lei Youlin's lawsuit, but his own lord might not be able to escape unscathed either. At that time, both parties will be defeated, the position of the Prefect of the Capital will be in jeopardy, and in the end, won't it be Erlang who benefits?

"This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by anyone but our lord."

Thinking back, Chen Congxin said just this.

Of course, this wasn't an attempt to shift blame, but rather because he was simply too insignificant to bear the responsibility...

………………

In the courtyard, Zhao Dezhao, full of enthusiasm, never expected that a real arrow would be shot from mid-air. He could not allow Lei Youlin to come to his senses or understand the reason for the incident, and dragged him to the corner of the courtyard behind the Dengwen Drum.

The first soft arrow was originally Zhao Dezhao's idea for Wei Liang to put on an act so that Lei Youlin would be convinced...

Only when they were two hundred paces away from the red building, with a large drum in their way, did the four of them feel at ease.

"Is the injury serious?"

Zhao Dezhao turned his head to look.

Xu Jiebao gritted his teeth and snapped the arrow embedded in his flesh from his right arm, finding humor in his suffering.

"Minor injuries are nothing to worry about... I'm just afraid of getting poisoned."

Upon hearing this, Wei Liang was the first to burst into laughter in anger.

"Putting aside whether it's poisonous or not, if you go, do you think Ah Lang would mistreat your family?"

In the past, Xu Jiebao would probably have thought to himself that it was hard to say, but Zhao Dezhao just now sacrificed himself to block the arrow, and he already knew that it was not Wei Liang's fake shot. He still stood in front of the inhuman Lei Youlin. How could it not be considered that he came to save you?

I'd give up my life just to become emperor someday... I simply can't even imagine it...

If a ruler is like this, what more could one ask for?

This kind of thinking, though somewhat similar to the success stories sold at street stalls in later times, such as giving a million to traitors and so on, will undoubtedly set a benchmark for people to measure against in their minds.

As for whether it's a sour taste or a feeling of reverence and imagination, that depends on the person.

Before long, the three of them looked directly at Lei Youlin, whose mind was gradually returning to clarity.

"Now that things have come to this, do you still believe me?"

Lei Youlin slowly raised his head, looked at Zhao Dezhao, and his lips gradually curved into a smile. Before he could utter a word, he burst into tears...

"I believe...I believe!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao frowned, but showed no joy, and said sternly.

"What's the use of crying? You can cry all day long! Will it make your father go back to Kaifeng?!"

Lei Youlin was stunned, and then choked up.

"All I ask for is for you to temporarily live under Zhao Pu's roof. Is that even possible?"

Lei Youlin's hatred for Zhao Pu had been building up for years. Upon hearing this, he almost blurted out a refusal, but the shock he had just received was too great, and he swallowed his words.

To be honest, now he not only hates Zhao Pu, but also despises Zhao Guangyi.

He was promised a promising future in government, but before he could even get started, before he could see any fame or fortune, he was already being attacked from behind.

"Since I promised to exonerate you, I will certainly not fail you. And do not listen to what my uncle said; Zhao Pu and I are not unwavering..." Zhao Dezhao pondered, "Listen to me, even if this matter cannot be resolved, how can the Prime Minister's residence and even the Crown Prince's palace not tolerate an upright and outspoken minister?"

Before Lei Youlin could react, Wei Liang and Xu Jiebao were horrified.

Promises and favors are nothing compared to this; the real issue is... has Ah Lang made up his mind to sever ties with Prime Minister Zhao and establish his own independent business?!

"My neighbor has received such great kindness from you, Ah Lang... what more could I ask for?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Dezhao's tense nerves, which had been taut all night, gradually relaxed, and he even fainted for a moment due to the surging blood.

"Ah Lang?"

"It's alright." Zhao Dezhao looked at the trembling Lei Youlin and said, "Come, follow me to the Prime Minister's residence first."

………………

Inside the bridal chamber, the two women, Wang and Chen, were both tall and slender. The former sat inside and the latter outside. Under the red glow of the candlelight, they sat facing each other and performed the traditional wedding ceremony, just like a real husband and wife who treated each other with the utmost respect.

Of course, this is looking from the outside in.

Cheng Dexuan, the magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture, observed for a long time but could not discern anything amiss. Moreover, due to the comings and goings of servants and guests, he dared not look too closely.

As for opening the door to the bridal chamber to find out the truth, that's just wishful thinking.

It must be understood that the Emperor is still sitting in the main hall... If he were to escort the magistrate into the bridal chamber, the seriousness of the matter would be no different from assassinating Erlang in the street.

To put it bluntly, this could be considered... an open conspiracy.

Since we can't tell if it's real or fake, we can't just barge in to check it, can we?

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Startled by the ghostly apparition, Cheng Dexuan instinctively shuddered and turned around. Seeing that it was Princess Gao of Chang Le County, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This princess was extremely clever and active, completely unlike a petite woman who had already married at the age of fifteen.

However, temperament is largely determined by upbringing. Given her father Gao Huaide's unrestrained attitude of playing the flute in public to entertain the officials, it is not surprising that Gao's family acted this way.

"Princess, I am not a good drinker, so I must leave the banquet and rest for a while."

"Rest? Rest outside my brother's bridal chamber?"

"This... I've always been terrible with directions... I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Gao Wanling crossed her arms and looked the junior official up and down. After a moment, she chuckled and said, "I wasn't mistaken. You were just serving Uncle San. Why did you suddenly become so directionally challenged?"

Cheng Dexuan murmured, but remained silent.