Xie Yun did not return to the Xie family’s main residence. Instead, he stayed in his villa.

  When Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen went to visit him, they saw that everything inside looked very familiar.

  Xie Yun placed some pastries and tea in the welcoming hall and said, “Your Majesty, why did you come to my residence? Do you have any advice?”


  Qiao Jin asked Xie Yun, “Do you know Mei Canruo?”


  Xie Yun nodded and said, “I know her. She is the daughter of My Xie family.”


  “Rumor has it that she is the concubine of the Xie family’s head. Is that true?”


  Xie Yun frowned and nodded. “Yes.”


  Qiao Jin asked curiously, “Then why hasn’t she entered your Xie residence despite her age?”


  Qiao Jinniang remembered that Mei Canruo was one year older than her. She was considered the youngest among her peers in the academy, and Mei Canruo was almost twenty-five years old.

  Twenty-five was not young.

  Xie Yun explained, “Five years ago, the Xie family’s second son once wanted her to be a concubine, but she wasn’t willing. At that time, the Xie family’s leader was still undecided. After the decision was made, I didn’t marry my first wife, so naturally, I wouldn’t take a concubine.”


  “Then you just let her waste her youth like that?”Qiao Jinniang raised her eyes and asked, “She was actually willing?”


  Xie Yun said, “I never thought of wasting her youth. I already told her that the Xie family would give her a dowry and let her marry someone else as her first wife. I didn’t want to waste her youth. It’s just that she wasn’t willing.”


  Qiao Jinniang Glanced at Lu Chen. Lu Chen said to Qiao jinniang, “If you really suspect her, there’s no need to look for evidence. Just order someone to capture her and interrogate her.”


  Qiao jinniang said, “Okay!”


  Xie Yun asked Lu Chen, “Did something happen to Mei Canruo?”


  Lu Chen said, “Why have you not taken a wife these few years? Not to mention that you have a daughter in Chang ‘an?”


  Xie Yun said, “The matter of the Xie family head’s wife is of great importance. Naturally, we have to look for her slowly. Later, there was Jiang Yu. I thought she could be the wife of the Xie family head, but who knew she would be so crazy!”


  Qiao jinniang teased, “It’s harder for you to find a wife than for the crown prince to find the crown prince’s consort. I really don’t understand you. Do you still think that one day, the aristocratic families will be able to stand above the imperial power?

  “Now that the people and the prosperous era are in their prime, it’s much better when the people don’t have to face the difficulties of the aristocratic families.”


  Lu Chen followed, “Xie Yun, Jinniang is right. We have known each other for ten years. I am very grateful to you for helping me during the three years when I lost my memory. Otherwise, those three years might really have been wasted.

  With the trend of the times, so what if you have all the money in the world? The legend of the undefeated aristocratic family should have fallen. The imperial examinations had been filled with talented people for many years, and great Tang has been around for more than a hundred years now. Look at the aristocratic family that was rampant a hundred years ago. Look at what their descendants have become now.

  You, the Xie family, can not change great Tang!

  When Father abdicated, he told me to get rid of the root of the Xie family’s problem.

  “However, in consideration of your three years of kindness, as well as your contribution to the imperial court, I can not be ruthless towards you.

  “You are almost 30 years old now, but the Xie family has no successor. Even the descendants of the fallen aristocratic families can not shoulder the burden. You should follow the trend of the times. “With your abilities, giving up the name of the aristocratic families and enlisting the private soldiers of the Xie family into the imperial court, you might be able to rank high in the imperial examinations.”


  Xie Yun listened to Lu Chen’s words and believed him. When she helped Lu Chen back then, it was to let the Jin Niang live a good life, but later on, it was also because he admired Lu Chen?

  Everyone said that the Hui Lin Emperor was an emperor who only appeared once every thousand years, and the Tang empire had flourished for more than twenty years.

  After Lu Chen ascended to the throne, almost every law was trampled on the bottom line of some scholars. But surprisingly, not only did Lu Chen not let the scholars criticize him, but the market became more and more prosperous.

  The days between the common people were far better than when the Hui Lin Emperor was on the throne.

  “Master, Miss Mei brought you new tea outside!”


  “Let her in,”said Lady Qiao, “So I don’t have to look for her.”


  Mei canruo gently walked in. When she saw Lady Qiao and Lu Chen, she bowed and said, “I, Mei canruo, pay my respects to your Majesty, Your Majesty.”


  Qiao Jinniang did not say no, and Lu Chen naturally did not say no either.

  Mei canruo half bent her legs, not daring to stand up.

  Xie Yun asked Qiao jinniang, “Did something happen to her?”


  Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen could not ask about Mei canruo for no reason.

  Qiao Jinniang said to Xie Yun, “Mei canruo, I only know today why I suddenly broke off contact with those young sisters in the academy ten years ago. It turns out that someone is sowing discord behind your back. I wonder if someone is sowing discord between you and me in front of you?”


  Mei canruo said, “At that time, I didn’t have a good relationship with the empress and other classmates, so naturally, no one came to sow discord.”


  Qiao jinniang said, “But they told me that you were sowing discord behind my back. Oh right, you also said to my husband that I was unruly and willful…… is that true?”


  “No……”Mei canruo said repeatedly.

  Qiao Jinniang smiled. “So, you’re saying that His Majesty deliberately wronged you? The crime of deceiving the emperor can take your life. Kneel down!”


  Mei canruo held the handkerchief in her hand tightly and knelt on the ground

  Qiao Jinniang looked at the handkerchief in Mei Canruo’s hand, tSK TSK. “I remember that you used this handkerchief ten years ago. Fortunately, Lin ‘an’s silk is good and won’t break. It’s just that there’s a flaw in the beauty. After all, the color has faded too much.”


  Qiao Jinniang naturally couldn’t remember what handkerchief Mei Canruo used ten years ago.

  But when Mei canruo heard this, her face flushed red.

  “Master, outside, fifth Miss Qiao, uncle Qiao Xiaoguo, and Monarch Fu Lu are breaking into our xie residence regardless of the obstruction!”


  The gatekeeper hurriedly came to report.

  The gatekeeper had just arrived when the guards beside Lu Chen brought Qiao Ruoyi and the others over.

  Qiao ruoyi saw that Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were also there, so she quickly bowed and said, “Your Majesty, Sister, there should be someone else who killed Luo Wei! I met Luo Wei’s adoptive parents two days ago when I set off from the dock.

  They learned that Luo Wei’s death was said to be a letter from Zhou Shihui to them. However, Zhou Shihui was already dead at that time, so they couldn’t write a letter at all!”


  “We returned to Lin ‘an and interrogated the servant girl beside Zhou Shihui. Only then did we learn that Zhou Shihui was only on the surface on good terms with Jiang Yu. In reality, Zhou Shihui often went to a tea mountain to drink tea. In that Tea Mountain lived a woman who claimed to be Xie Yun’s concubine!”


  Fu Lu held the portrait of the servant girl’s confession and looked at the kneeling woman. “Jin Niang, it’s her!”


  Qiao Jinniang looked at Mei Canruo who was kneeling on the ground and said, “There were five horses and ten thousand pieces of corpses that were dismembered after being executed. There were also those who died from exposure to the sun. For the sake of the ten years that we were classmates, I’ll let you choose a way to die!”


  Mei canruo said, “I didn’t, I didn’t. I don’t understand what you guys are saying. Family Head Xie, save me.”


  Fu Lu said, “Your Luck isn’t good. Do you remember that when you won first place in the Jiangnan calligraphy and painting competition, your handwriting was copied and displayed in he Cheng Teahouse for people to Admire. My husband has always had a photographic memory for handwriting.

  “The handwriting on the letter you wrote to the Luo family’s adoptive parents is exactly the same as the handwriting on your painting. Are you still pretending to be stupid?”