Wang Zhenwen’s brows furrowed slightly as he responded in a deep voice, “Come in!”

He knew that given his eldest daughter’s sense of propriety, she wouldn’t disturb him at this time without good reason.

The study door opened, and Wang Simu stood at the entrance, curtsying gracefully with perfect poise. “Father, Official Xu urgently requests an audience.”

Assuming the “Official Xu” Wang Simu mentioned was Secretary Xu or one of the others from Xu Qi An’s group, Wang Zhenwen’s eyes suddenly lit up with great interest.

Though this troublemaker was annoying, his ability to stir things up had long since won the recognition of the court officials.

What could be Xu Qi An’s intention in visiting the Wang residence at this time?

Wang Zhenwen’s spirits lifted as he said, “Please show him in.”

Wang Simu turned her head to look to one side. A few seconds later, Xu Er Lang, with a bruised and swollen face, emerged from beside the door. He stepped over the threshold and bowed, saying, “This humble official greets the honorable ministers.”

So it was him… Qian Qingshu and the others shook their heads.

Xu Ci Jiu was indeed an excellent talent, with outstanding knowledge and courage, but compared to his elder brother, he was truly far inferior.

In their eyes, Xu Ci Jiu was a very promising junior. But Xu Qi An, in their view, was an opponent that made one’s scalp tingle.

The difference in their caliber was incomparable.

A flash of disappointment crossed Wang Zhenwen’s eyes, but he quickly recovered and nodded, saying, “Official Xu, what matter brings you to see me?”

Xu Xin Nian pulled out a stack of confidential letters from his sleeve, strode quickly to the table, and pushed them towards Prime Minister Wang, saying, “These things should be of use to you, Prime Minister.”

Prime Minister Wang glanced at them, picked them up without much interest, and flipped through them. Suddenly, his gaze froze.

He quickly scanned through the first secret letter, then somewhat impatiently opened the second, the third…

After reading them all, Prime Minister Wang remained seated, motionless, as if in a daze or deep in thought.

Minister of Justice Sun and Grand Secretary Qian Qingshu exchanged glances. The latter leaned forward slightly and probed, “Prime Minister?”

The Minister of Personnel and others also exchanged looks, realizing these letters were no ordinary matter.

Prime Minister Wang gathered the letters, handed them to the nearest Minister Sun, and as he reached out to take them, hurriedly cautioned, “Be careful.”

Minister Sun was startled, somewhat taken aback. He nodded and then focused his attention on the letters, beginning to read.

As he read, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening slightly.

After a few seconds of silence, he abruptly and somewhat roughly opened the other letters, his movements brusque and hasty. Seeing Prime Minister Wang’s eyebrows raise, he feared the old fox might damage the letters.

Minister Sun’s reaction, observed by the Grand Secretaries and Ministers, made them increasingly curious and confused.

They were eager to know what was recorded in the letters.

“Good, very good! With these things, we won’t need to concede any interests to win over a large faction. His Majesty wants to investigate. Heh, even if he investigates until next year, he won’t find anything,” Minister Sun chuckled coldly.

“Let me see,” the Minister of Personnel was the first to snatch the letters. He opened them to read, and after about ten seconds, he excitedly exclaimed “Excellent” three times.

“I had thought about gathering evidence of Yuan Xiong and others’ crimes to counterattack, but there was too little time, and they had already tied up loose ends. This path wasn’t feasible. This, this is exactly like someone offering a pillow when you want to sleep.”

In the study, the bigwigs read the letters one by one, their earlier heaviness replaced by excited smiles.

Wang Simu stood at the door, quietly observing this scene. She had watched as her father and uncles went from solemn expressions to jubilant laughter after reading the letters.

Although the letters belonged to Xu Qi An, her father couldn’t possibly ignore the favor of Er Lang delivering them… She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling increasingly confident about her future.

Prime Minister Wang retrieved the letters, placed them on the table, then looked at Xu Er Lang, his tone gentle: “Official Xu, where did these letters come from?”

Minister Sun, Minister Xu, and several Grand Secretaries all turned to look at Xu Er Lang.

Xu Er Lang bowed and said, “From my elder brother.”

So it was him after all… Minister Sun’s feelings were complex, so complex that even he didn’t know how to feel. Undoubtedly, he hated Xu Qi An.

The grudge from the Sangbo case, that little brat opposing him several times, the most outrageous being when he wrote a poem mocking him, nailing him to a pillar of shame.

Yes, not kidnapping his son, but writing a poem to mock him.

According to official circles’ rules, this was a matter of life and death. Minister Sun wished he could finish him off, and had been constantly working towards that end.

Until the Chu Prefecture massacre case, which was a turning point.

Some people are just like that. You may wish them dead, yet inevitably find yourself genuinely admiring them for certain things.

And now, at this critical moment when the Wang faction was in dire straits, Xu Qi An had sent such important items. With these in their hands, this crisis was practically resolved with a close call.

This favor was enormous, and Minister Sun found himself unable to refuse it.

Qian Qingshu and the others were both surprised and unsurprised. These secret letters were left by Duke Cao, and at whose hands did Duke Cao die?

The surprise was that they couldn’t believe Xu Qi An would help them.

Prime Minister Wang exhaled and asked, his expression unchanged, “What does he want?”

Xu Er Lang bowed and said, “Once the court matters are resolved, my elder brother will pay a visit in person.”

Prime Minister Wang pondered for a few seconds, then nodded, “Very well.”

At this moment, Wang Simu softly said, “Father, to obtain these letters, Er Lang nearly fell out with his elder brother. The injuries on his face were inflicted by Xu Qi An. Er Lang is simply not taking credit for it.”

Prime Minister Wang was taken aback. He scrutinized Xu Er Lang, his gaze gradually softening.

Qian Qingshu and the others glanced at Xu Er Lang, then turned to look at Wang Simu, their expressions quite peculiar.

All being old hands in officialdom, they immediately discerned much information.

If Xu Qi An had been unwilling, Xu Ci Jiu couldn’t have obtained these even at the cost of his life. After retiring from officialdom, he was consciously seeking a backer for the Xu family… Qian Qingshu’s heart warmed at this thought.

In his view, it was a good thing that Xu Qi An was willing to extend an olive branch. Although he was Wei Yuan’s confidant, and Wei Yuan was at odds with the Wang faction, beyond that, if the Wang faction ever needed to use Xu Qi An, he certainly wouldn’t refuse based on this connection with Xu Xin Nian. The two sides could achieve a certain degree of cooperation.

Xu Qi An was a handy, useful tool.

After the year of the Imperial Examination, most court officials had similar notions.

If the Wang faction could control this tool, it would certainly be of great use in the future.

This lad is extremely sharp in verbal combat. If we could support him to rise, he would be unmatched in future debates. Hmm, he seems to have some ambiguous relationship with his niece Simu… Most importantly, by accepting Xu Ci Jiu, we could use Xu Qi An as our tool… Minister of Personnel Xu pondered.

The others had similar thoughts, quickly weighing the pros and cons, and speculating about the relationship between Xu Xin Nian and Wang Simu.

Prime Minister Wang coughed and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s divide these secret letters and each of us make some rounds.”

He didn’t look at Xu Xin Nian again.

…

Wang Simu managed to see Xu Er Lang out of the Imperial City before dusk, giving him a large bundle of medicinal wine and powder for treating bruises. Upon returning to the residence, she heard her eldest brother, second brother, and mother talking in the hall.

The second young master Wang was speaking in a rather relaxed tone, “Father and uncles seem to have found a strategy. I saw them leaving with light steps, their brows no longer furrowed. I went out to ask, and Uncle Qian said not to worry.”

The eldest young master Wang laughed, “Father even specially instructed the housekeeper to tell the kitchen to make deep-fried meat tonight. He hasn’t eaten that dish for a long time due to health concerns.”

The second young master clapped his hands, “This shows that father’s worries are gone, and he feels completely at ease.”

Madam Wang, listening beside them, also smiled, “Simu was right. Your father has seen all sorts of storms. There’s no need to worry.”

Seeing Wang Simu enter, the second young master smiled and said, “Sister, father just left the residence. I have good news for you. Uncle Qian said they’ve found a way to break the deadlock.”

He paused, then continued, “Where’s that lad? I want to take this opportunity to test him and see if he’s someone who can share hardships. Take me to find him. I’ll say the Wang family is facing great trouble, with a bleak future, and see how he treats you.”

He was speaking enthusiastically when Wang Simu coldly interrupted, “Compared to the second brother who can only boast here, he is far superior.”

The second young master Wang glared, “Sister, how can you speak like that?”

The eldest young master Wang, in high spirits and willing to humor his second brother, smiled and said, “The scholars from Yunlu Academy are trustworthy. But your second brother means well. If he wants to test, let him.”

Wang Simu pursed her lips, sat down, took a sip of tea, and slowly said, “Father and uncles’ solution to the deadlock is evidence of corruption and abuse of power by several high officials in the court.”

“How do you know?” The eldest young master was startled.

“Because Xu Er Lang brought it, and he paid a great price for it,” Wang Simu said, both sweet and pained.

“What Xu Er Lang brought…” the second young master mumbled.

“This… this is valuable leverage. He just contributed it like that?” The eldest young master also muttered.

Madam Wang, observing her sons’ expressions, realized that the Xu boy her daughter favored had made a crucial contribution in this matter.

…

Over the next three days, undercurrents surged in the capital’s official circles. At first, the neutral faction coldly watched as the Wang faction faced pressure from imperial power, with the Wang faction in turmoil. Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao, representing the “imperial power faction,” were sharpening their knives.

But as the situation developed, first the Court of Judicial Review chose to side with the Wang faction, joining with the Ministry of Justice to clear the imprisoned Wang faction officials, engaging in a tug-of-war with the Censorate.

Then, many of the Six Offices of Scrutiny defected, impeaching Qin Yuandao and Yuan Xiong for partisan attacks and abuse of power. The fire suddenly burned to their heads.

Soon after, several influential figures from the nobility group also submitted memorials impeaching Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao.

In a short time, various factions emerged to protect the Wang faction, while the Ministry of Justice and Court of Judicial Review stalled on the “Wang faction criminals,” unable to reach a verdict, thus thwarting Yuan Xiong and others’ subsequent plans.

With no verdict forthcoming and impeachment memorials raining down in court, rumors began to spread in official circles that Emperor Yuan Jing was settling scores after autumn, and all those who had forced him to issue the self-blame edict would be purged.

For a time, hearts were restless and rumors flew.

This wasn’t the end. The Six Offices of Scrutiny and the censors led by Zhang Xingying, like sharks smelling blood, excitedly submitted memorials impeaching Emperor Yuan Jing for narrow-minded revenge, damaging the imperial family’s dignity and the emperor’s majesty.

The greatest joy for the Offices of Scrutiny was to pick out the emperor’s faults and then write memorials to criticize him. This represented their loyalty while also quickly gaining fame and prestige in official circles and among scholars.

By the fifth day, after Emperor Yuan Jing raged in his bedchamber, he called a halt to the matter and released the imprisoned Wang faction members.

Yuan Xiong was demoted to Right Censor-in-Chief, with the original Right Censor-in-Chief Liu Hong taking his position.

Vice Minister of War Qin Yuandao was so angry he took to his bed.

…

On this rest day, the Crown Prince, who had been observing the changes in the court situation, eagerly summoned Minister Xu of the Ministry of Personnel under the pretext of flower viewing.

In the garden of the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Prince sat in a cool pavilion, took a sip of wine, and asked, “The changes in the court these past few days have been astounding. I still haven’t figured it out. Please, Minister Xu, enlighten me.”

Minister Xu of Personnel, being both part of the Wang faction and a supporter of the Crown Prince, was most suitable to be summoned.

Minister Xu, dressed in casual clothes, enjoying the cool breeze in the garden with its faint floral scent, smiled contentedly and said:

“There’s no great mystery to this matter. A while ago, Hanlin Academy scholar Xu Xin Nian delivered several secret letters left by Duke Cao.”

He then told the Crown Prince the whole story.

The Crown Prince’s breathing quickened slightly as he pressed, “Where are the secret letters? Are there more? There must be. Duke Cao held great power for many years; it’s impossible there were only a few letters.”

If he could get those secret letters, his power would greatly increase, and his position as Crown Prince would become more secure.

“This humble official thinks the same, but unfortunately, that Xu Qi An is Wei Yuan’s man…” Minister Xu smiled, not continuing further.

The Crown Prince’s thoughts immediately became active. If the Wang faction couldn’t get them, it didn’t mean he couldn’t.

Thinking back, Lin’an’s letter at that time must have had an effect. Otherwise, why would Xu Qi An use his cousin to pass the secret letters to Prime Minister Wang?

Xu Qi An not replying was to avoid suspicion, given his sensitive position.

I should go to Shaoyin Palace and have Lin’an find a way to contact Xu Qi An and test the waters. Perhaps I can get more secret letters from him… The Crown Prince found the wine tasteless and felt as if sitting on pins and needles.

Patiently, he chatted a while longer with Minister Xu before seeing him out of the palace.

He immediately headed for Shaoyin Palace.

…

In Shaoyin Palace.

After lunch, Lin’an had taken a nap. Now dressed in a light robe, she sat up, lazily stretching her waist.

In the sweltering summer, her clothes were thin. Though she couldn’t be said to have an ample bosom, her figure was quite good. It was just that compared to Huai Qing, it was a story of cup envy.

As she stretched, a small section of her snow-white, slender waist was revealed.

Her wasp waist had beautiful curves, with two sexy and cute dimples at the small of her back.

After being dressed in elaborate and beautiful palace robes by her maids, rinsing her mouth with tea, and washing her face, Lin’an sat in the cool pavilion fanning herself with a beautiful fan, lost in thought.

The personal maid who had been spanked by Xu Qi An was reading a storybook aloud. Taking advantage of a pause to breathe, she secretly glanced at Her Highness the Princess.

Compared to her melancholy of the past few days, Her Highness had recovered a lot recently but still seemed somewhat listless.

“Do you think if the young lady in the book wasn’t from a wealthy family, would that poor scholar still like her?” Lin’an asked suddenly, gently fanning herself and gazing into the distance absent-mindedly.

The maid thought for a moment and said, “I suppose so, after all, the scholar eloped with her.”

Lin’an shook her head and said softly, “But someone told me that scholars deliberately elope with rich young ladies so they don’t have to pay an expensive bride price to marry a beautiful wife. A truly responsible man shouldn’t do that.”

The maid asked, “Then what should they do?”

Lin’an looked up, somewhat desolately saying, “I don’t know either. I used to think it was like him…”

At this moment, a guard came from outside, stopped at a distance, and bowed, “Your Highness, Hanlin Academy scholar Xu Xin Nian requests an audience.”

Lin’an was stunned for a moment before remembering that Xu Xin Nian was that person’s cousin. She frowned slightly, wondering what business this scholar could have with her, as they had no previous interaction.

After pondering for a few seconds, she said, “Go and escort him into the palace.”

A quarter of an hour later, Xu Qi An, disguised as his younger brother, dressed in a sky-blue brocade robe, and cloud-pattern boots, with a gold crown binding his hair, followed the guard of Shaoyin Palace into the reception hall.

Biaobiao sat upright behind the table, straightening her small back solemnly, and instructed the maid to serve tea. In a calm tone, she said, “What brings Official Xu to see me?”