The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

After Zhou Qing left, the round-faced girl whispered, "Master, is she still thinking about the Prince?"

Princess Yi raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "What, aren't you all interested?"

The slender girl quickly waved her hand: "Master, please stop teasing us. We know our place. Once the prince's marriage is settled, we'll gracefully retire."

Princess Yi sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with Zhou Qing. Ayan's behavior is so obvious, why is she still so stubborn?"

She paused and then instructed, "You guys, keep a close eye on her from now on. I never suspected her before, but now that Ayan has a wife, I have to be wary of this woman."

All three agreed and got up to leave.

In the study in the front courtyard, Prince Yi was reclining in a grand chair, flipping through a travelogue. Seeing Xiao Jingyan push the door open and enter, he raised his eyelids, glanced at him, and said indifferently, "Is Zhou Qing still here?"

Xiao Jingyan sat down opposite him, poured himself a cup of tea, took a big gulp, and said with some annoyance, "Women are such a hassle."

Prince Yi put down his book, smiled, and shook his head: "Not all women are troublesome. Your mother is not troublesome at all. All those women who flit around me are dealt with by her. See how relaxed I am?"

Xiao Jingyan raised an eyebrow and teased, "Father is naturally relaxed, with Mother protecting you, you can just relax. I'm different from you, I won't let my wife suffer such injustice."

Prince Yi pointed at him and laughed, scolding, "You little rascal, how dare you mock your father?"

Xiao Jingyan quickly waved his hand with a smile: "No, no, I was just telling the truth."

Prince Yi snorted, his laughter fading, and then said solemnly, "Ayan, Yun Jin is a good girl. She is intelligent, decisive, and unpretentious. Your mother and I both like her very much."

Since you've chosen her, you must treat her well and never let her suffer the slightest grievance.

Xiao Jingyan also stopped joking and nodded seriously, replying, "Father, rest assured, I have only ever been committed to her in this life."

After having dinner with Prince Yi, Xiao Jingyan returned to his courtyard, where Jin Hu greeted him and said in a low voice, "Master, Jin Yu, the brother who was keeping an eye on the second young lady of the Zheng family, has returned. He says he has something to report to you in person."

Xiao Jingyan walked behind the desk, sat down, and nodded: "Let him in."

Jin Yu pushed open the door and entered, knelt on one knee and bowed, then recounted in detail what had happened to Zheng Jie over the past two days.

After listening, Xiao Jingyan tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table and asked, "After Granny Liu received the wax pill, did she give it to Ya Min?"

Jin Yu shook his head and gave a slight smile: "No. Granny Liu turned around and went to see the Princess. She must have given the wax pill to the Princess."

Xiao Jingyan sneered. Zheng Jie thought she was clever, but little did she know that she would be sold out in the blink of an eye.

He looked at Jin Yu and asked, "Has Vice Minister Zheng found out?"

Jin Yu replied, "Minister Zheng found out early yesterday morning, and the whole household is searching for him. Madam Zheng was so anxious that she kept wiping away tears, and Minister Zheng didn't want to make a fuss, so he just sent his trusted confidants to search again."

Xiao Jingyan nodded, then asked, "Where is she?"

"She's still at the inn. She's probably planning to go to the side gate of the Princess's residence to find Granny Liu again tomorrow at 9 AM and wait for her reply."

He paused for a moment and then asked, "Sir, should we inform Lord Zheng? Have him send someone to the inn to bring the person back?"

Xiao Jingyan waved his hand, leaned back in his chair, and said meaningfully, "No need. Find a way to erase her whereabouts and prevent Minister Zheng from finding her for the time being."

Now that the princess already knows, she won't let her escape. We'll just wait and see what happens.

Jin Yu accepted the order and withdrew.

After Jin Hu left, he stepped forward again and lowered his voice, saying, "Master, there's something else. The people watching Liu Zhixue have sent word back that Liu Zhixue went to the Princess's residence early this morning and stayed there for almost an hour before coming out. Our men didn't dare get too close and couldn't hear what they were saying."

Xiao Jingyan frowned. The Eldest Princess summoned Liu Zhixue? These two getting involved together could never be a good thing.

He was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Have someone keep an eye on Liu Zhixue and see what she does next. When I see Jin'er later, I will remind her to be more careful."

Jin Hu responded and turned to leave.

Not long after, he returned with a letter in his hand. He presented it to Xiao Jingyan and said boastfully, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has sent a letter."

Xiao Jingyan raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "You've done a good job lately. Go collect your reward from the steward later."

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness." Jin Hu quickly bowed and saluted. He didn't expect to receive a reward just for calling her "Princess." It seems he should call her that more often in the future.

Xiao Jingyan took the letter and unfolded it. The more he read, the darker his expression became. After finishing, he remained silent for a long while before coldly saying, "That Liu family member, what a cruel heart she has!"

Jin Hu's expression hardened, and he quickly asked, "Master, what did the letter say?"

Xiao Jingyan casually tossed the letter to him: "Read it yourself!"

Jin Hu took the letter, glanced at it, and his expression instantly changed. He blurted out angrily, "That vicious woman! How can there be such a heartless woman in the world! Master, in my opinion, it would be better to just kill her with a single blow, to prevent her from causing any more trouble and harming people!"

Xiao Jingyan shook his head.

He stood up from his chair, walked to the window, opened it, gazed at the deep night outside, and remained silent for a long time before saying in a deep voice:

"No. She is no ordinary woman confined to her home; she is from the Mu family of Southern Xinjiang. She has gone to great lengths to infiltrate the capital for so many years; there must be a bigger scheme behind her."

We still don't know why she came to the Central Plains, or how many spies she has planted in the capital. Making a move against her rashly would only alert her.

Upon hearing this, Jin Hu's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise, "She's actually from Southern Xinjiang? From the Mu family?"

Xiao Jingyan nodded: "Mu Yanqing of the Mu family has been hiding in the capital for many years. The Xu surnamed man in the Qiu family's courtyard in the south of the city is him. Recently, he suddenly disappeared from the capital. I don't know if he returned to the southern border or is hiding somewhere."

Did the Qiu family know his true identity, and why did they let him live in their courtyard? These matters need to be investigated.

Turning around, he ordered, "Send men to keep an eye on everyone in the Qiu family. I need to know if they've been involved in the Southern Frontier affair. If they have… humph!"

He didn't say what would happen, but the outcome was self-evident. After a pause, he gave the order again.

"Send more people to protect Jin'er, Madam Yun, and Yun Lang. From today onwards, assign two more bodyguards to Yun Lang's side, and they must stay by his side at all times when he goes out."

"We also need to reinforce Madam Yun's side to prevent Liu Zhixue from making a desperate move. And Yun Heting, we need to send people to keep an eye on him; any unusual activity must be reported immediately! In case of any extraordinary circumstances, act first and report later!"