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

Yun Jin exchanged a glance with Xiao Jingyan before speaking, "Grandmother, I suspect that Liu Zhixue's original target was not Yun Heting, but our General's Mansion. The only person in the mansion of her age is my eldest uncle."

Xiao Jingyan interjected, "Yes, Madam. Liu Zhixue came from the Southern Frontier. She traveled from the Southern Frontier to Jizhou, then from Jizhou to Jiangnan, and finally to the capital. The person she went to such lengths to get close to could not possibly be Yunheting. Her target may have always been the General's Mansion."

Therefore, we speculate that Liu Zhixue's initial target was likely General Wan Xiong. However, due to his upright character, Liu Zhixue couldn't find an opportunity to act, so she opted for a different approach and turned her attention to Yunhe Pavilion.

After listening, Lan Ying thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly slapped her forehead and said, "I remember now! Wan Xiong had just gotten married not long ago. One day he came back and complained to me that he had met a young woman on the road who was selling herself to bury her mother. He kindly gave her a few taels of silver, but the woman wanted to repay him with her body, which frightened him so much that he turned around and ran away. Not long after, he went to war with the army. At the time, I just thought it was a joke, but now that I think about it..."

Yun Jin and Xiao Jingyan exchanged a glance and said in unison, "That's it then. It seems her initial target really was the General's Mansion."

Chu Duanshan and Lan Ying fell silent.

After a long silence, Chu Duanshan broke the silence first, but his words were full of uncertainty: "Aren't you all overthinking this? There are many generals with military power in the court, not just the Chu family. Why are they targeting the Chu family? Why can't it be someone else?"

Lan Ying slapped him on the head in exasperation, saying with a look of disappointment, "You're so stupid, how did you become a general? You're right, you're not the only general with military power in the court, but that Liu family is from the Southern Frontier, and Wan Xiong is stationed at Qingyun Pass, which is right on the border with the Southern Frontier!"

Qingyun Pass is the first gateway from the southern border into the Central Plains. Beyond Qingyun Pass lies a vast plain with no further natural defenses.

"If the Southern Frontier people want to advance unimpeded, the first person they must capture is Wan Xiong. If Wan Xiong is dragged into their schemes, and the Southern Frontier army presses in from within, our Great Zhou's southwestern gateway will be nothing more than fish on a chopping board, to be cut however they please!"

After being scolded by her, Chu Duanshan immediately chuckled and admitted his mistake: "What you say is true, Madam. You see things very clearly. My mind is indeed not as sharp as yours."

Lan Ying rolled her eyes at him, too lazy to argue with him anymore, and turned to look at Xiao Jingyan, asking him with her eyes if his analysis was correct.

Xiao Jingyan said in a solemn tone, "Madam, this matter is probably not that simple."

Lan Ying looked at him and asked directly, "Is there perhaps another hidden story behind this?"

Xiao Jingyan glanced between Lan Ying and Chu Duanshan before saying in a deep voice, "Madam, General, there is something else you may not know. The Fifth Prince, Xiao Yifan, is not the son of Consort Shu; he is the son of Liu Zhixue."

Years ago, Liu Zhixue conspired with Consort Shu to switch the two children. Liu Zhixue's son was sent to the palace and became the Fifth Prince, while Consort Shu's daughter was sent to the Yun family, becoming the current eldest daughter of the Yun household, Yun Xiu.

Lan Ying was shocked. Even though she had lived half her life and seen many storms, she was still taken aback by these words and her face changed color.

She lowered her voice, incredulously saying, "The Fifth Prince is actually Yun Heting's son? They're distorting the royal bloodline! If this is discovered, their entire family will be executed!"

Chu Duanshan slammed his fist on the table and roared, "How dare you! What is Yun Heting trying to do? He's trying to plunge the Yun and Chu families into utter ruin!"

Xiao Jingyan shook his head and said, "General, please calm down. Yun Heting probably doesn't have that much courage. He must have been kept in the dark."

Lan Ying was taken aback, exchanged a glance with Chu Duanshan, and then looked at Xiao Jingyan, asking, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

Xiao Jingyan explained, "Madam, General, I have carefully examined the Fifth Prince's face, and he bears no resemblance to Yun Heting. He should not be Yun Heting's son."

So who is his biological father? Liu Zhixue is from Southern Xinjiang, could his biological father also be from Southern Xinjiang?

Liu Zhixue went to great lengths to send her son to Consort Shu's side, probably not just to help Consort Shu consolidate her position.

They also want to put the Fifth Prince in that position. This is probably no longer just a power struggle within the inner quarters; I suspect it might be a scheme orchestrated by the Southern Frontier.

He paused, then dropped another bombshell: "If the Fifth Prince's biological father is not from the Central Plains, but from the Southern Frontier, or even a prince from the Southern Frontier who holds great power, or the son of the King of the Southern Frontier."

Then everything Liu Zhixue has done over the past ten years makes sense; their goal in the Southern Frontier is probably to subdue the enemy without a fight.

Chu Duanshan abruptly stood up, slammed his hand on the table, and roared, "These barbarians from the Southern Frontier have such audacity, daring to covet His Majesty's empire! In my opinion, we should just lead the troops and march straight over there to wipe out their stronghold! What's the point of all these schemes and tricks? It's much more satisfying to fight them head-on on the battlefield!"

Lan Ying rolled her eyes at him, then pulled him back into his chair. "You brute! Military strategy is used in warfare, in court politics, in factional struggles, and between nations. These people from the Southern Frontier have spent over a decade setting up this scheme, step by step, link by link. Do you really think you can solve it with just a sword?"

If you act impulsively and alert the enemy, you'll not only fail to catch them, but you'll also be bitten by them. If the people of the Southern Frontier can plant their pawns in the palace and in the Yun family, why can't they plant them in our Chu family?

After being scolded by his wife, Chu Duanshan sat back down in embarrassment and remained silent.

Yun Jin watched this scene from the side, secretly admiring it.

My maternal grandmother was indeed a shrewd and capable woman. The Chu family's current glory is probably largely due to this remarkable old lady who was just as capable as any man.

She composed herself, took a half step forward, and said earnestly, "Grandmother, as you just said, they've been planning this for so many years, it's hard to guarantee that there aren't any of their people in our household. Perhaps some are hiding very well, appearing loyal on the surface, but secretly passing on messages for the Southern Frontier. Grandmother and Grandfather need to be extra careful."

Lan Ying nodded and said, "Don't worry, Grandmother understands. I will screen everyone carefully again in the next two days and will not give them any chance to take advantage."

Yun Jin hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Grandmother, Jin'er has a special ability: I can see the good and evil in people's hearts. If you trust me, tomorrow you can find an excuse to gather everyone in the manor together, and Jin'er will come and check them over for you. At that time, I will know whether they are loyal or treacherous at a glance."