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  The door was gently pushed open, and Liang Jun saw a young man in a purple shirt standing by the window, gazing out at the bustling streets of Shengjing. His profile was handsome, but his cheek, as smooth as jade, seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gloom. His eyes were deep and melancholic, lost in thought, as if pondering something.

  He recognized the young man as Gu Mingxuan, the seventh miss of Yongning Marquis Manor, who had a few encounters with him and almost became his wife. Although he had expected it, when he saw her in person, his eyebrows twitched involuntarily. He knew why she was here, and no one understood the difficulty of that matter better than him.

  The northwest border is not peaceful, and the imperial court actually knew about it early on.

  But the Emperor has spent three years operating, and it's not easy to grasp the current situation. He really doesn't want any sudden changes, but if he wants to go to war, no one in the court knows more about the northwest than Han Xiuzhi. Since it concerns military power, the Emperor will certainly not let go easily, so he can only send Han Xiuzhi.

  But if Han Xiuzhi is the emperor's confidant, the only powerful minister in the court who can rival Pei Xiang, and the war with Western Xia doesn't know how long it will last, if he leaves the court for a long time, the imperial situation that has just been turned around may change again.

  His Majesty is now in a dilemma between war and peace.

  And that would humiliate the prestige of the Zhou Dynasty. Now, the borders are calm and the four seas are obedient. If the Zhou Dynasty shows even a little weakness, I'm afraid it won't be just the Western Xia who will become restless.

  War, Han Xiubing is the general, then there are losses in the court, except for Han Xiubing, good generals are not on the four borders, either old Lian Po or the remaining ones are people that the emperor cannot trust. Wu Dinghou Lu's family and Lin Nanwang have a close relationship, Ding Xianghou Fu Shen's family and Pei's family are relatives by marriage, Yong Ninghou Fu's fourth son is a talented general, but he has received a secret order from the emperor to go to Lin Nan and will not return for the time being.

  In this situation, whether it is war or peace, neither can be decided quickly.

  The longer the delay, the more dangerous the lives of the Tang officials detained by Western Xia would be. He Gui and others were in a precarious situation, if they were also imprisoned, they would naturally be in danger. If they had parted ways earlier, at this moment within the borders of Western Xia, if their identities were not discovered, it would be fine, but once their identities were exposed, there would be no chance of survival.

  Changgeng saw Liang Jun arrive and hastily paid his respects. He also quietly reminded Mingxuan, "Madam, the Duke of Jian'an, Mr. Liang, has arrived."

  At the end of October, the autumn atmosphere in Shengjing was strong and prosperous. A gust of cool wind blew in through the gap in the window, and Ming Xuan shivered slightly before coming to her senses. Hurriedly turning around, she saw that the young waiter had already withdrawn, and there was no one else in the house, so she also stopped hiding and frankly revealed her identity and purpose.

  She said softly. In a low voice, she asked, "Whether to fight or make peace with Western Xia is a major national event, I am just a woman and do not understand it nor do I want to guess. But He Gui is my important subordinate, this time again for the sake of my husband's affairs, going to Western Xia to risk his life, if something happens to him, I will never be at peace for the rest of my life."

  Brother-in-law, I want to rescue He Gui and his party as safely as possible. Please give me some advice. Now that things have come to this point, is there still a way to salvage the situation?

  Jian'an Bo's first wife was the eldest daughter of Yongning Houfu, and even though he later married Ming Xuan's ninth sister, Ming Xuan still had to address him as brother-in-law.

  Liáng Qún was shocked in her heart, Míng Xuān disguising herself as a man to see him was already an act of extreme audacity. It's understandable for ordinary women to worry about their husbands, but Hé Guì and his group were just slaves. If they died in Western Xia, it would be considered a loyal death for the sake of their master... But she said that for her whole life, she would never be at peace...

  That's all well and good, but she actually spoke out loud about the "war and peace" problem that had been troubling him and the emperor.

  Although the struggle in the imperial court is connected to the harem, among women who have such insight into state affairs are extremely rare. Liang Kun looked at this bold and determined woman, and a faint bitterness suddenly flowed through his heart.

  He suddenly felt a little envious of Pei Jingchen.

  He couldn't help but think that if he had persisted at the beginning, he would be the one envied now.

  But this thought had just arisen, and Liang Kun resolutely extinguished it. He gathered up the unintentional longing and admiration that flowed out of his eyes, and with a solemn expression said, "The officials who were detained by Western Xia are all in danger now, whether or not they are on this list. It's hard to escape being captured, and I'm powerless to rescue them."

  He paused slightly and continued, "But as for finding out what happened to them, I can try my best."

  There were fifty-six people who went to Western Xia, and He Gui's party had ten people. The report from the front will be sent in a few days, and the number of people can be verified. Moreover, although Western Xia is now showing a posture of war, there are still people who advocate for peace and not war. Han Xiu has been operating in the western border for many years, and there are his spies in the court of Western Xia. If he asks for help with this matter, it should not be difficult.

  But this, Liang Kun couldn't say directly.

  He thought for a moment and then said, "Seventh Sister, there's something I don't know if I should say or not..."

  Ming Xuan hastily said, "Brother-in-law, just speak directly."

  Liáng Qún's expression slightly solidified, and he solemnly said, "When Shi Yí sent envoys to Western Xia, there were ten more people in the entourage. This matter will eventually be exposed, and it will inevitably implicate, and the prince's illness may not be able to be concealed."

  No need to worry about me, I had already reported this matter to the Emperor earlier. The Emperor took pity on my years of following him and the hardships I've endured over the years, and didn't want to pursue it further. However, there are always people in the court who like to stir up trouble... I've long been suffering from rumors, and I'm not afraid of having a few more bad names, but it's different...

  He said in a low voice, "There are some things, I hope Seventh Sister will make preparations early."

  The Zhou family attaches great importance to the reputation of their women. If Ming Xuan is exposed for having asked Liang Kun to do something, the consequences will be unthinkable if driven by malicious people. However, if they can take a step ahead, there might still be room for maneuver.

  Ming Xuan also knew that rumors could be frightening after using public opinion several times, so she nodded solemnly and said, "Thank you brother-in-law for reminding me, I understand now."

  Bai Jingchen's illness can no longer be hidden, and rather than others finding out, it's better that she speaks out herself. Before those with ulterior motives tarnish her reputation, she wants to take the initiative first. She doesn't want to become a so-called "virtuous wife" who endures and makes sacrifices for her husband, but she also can't let people gossip and humiliate her and Bai Jingchen's reputation behind their backs.

  Having said that, Liang Kun felt he had already said what needed to be said. Since it was a secret meeting, it wasn't convenient to linger for long. He nodded slightly and said, "There are still matters to attend to in my yamen, Seventh Sister should also return early to make preparations."

  He thought for a moment, then added another sentence and said, "Pei Xiang is a veteran of three dynasties, with extensive connections. The illness of the prince is not easy to cure, and even if we invite famous doctors, there may not be any chance of recovery. Although the Zhen Guo Gong Fu is a muddy swamp, there is a saying that goes: the most dangerous place is also the safest place. Seventh sister, please think thrice."

  In the quiet room, Ming Xuan leaned against the wall with her cheek in her hand, thinking about what Liang Jun said before he left.

  Is he subtly reminding her that Pei Xiang has no malice towards Pei Jingchen, this eldest grandson? However, she has been married into the Pei family for more than four months and only occasionally sees Pei Xiang at family banquets. She doesn't have much impression of this legendary powerful minister who can turn the clouds and rain upside down. In their limited encounters, Pei Xiang never showed any special treatment towards Pei Jingchen, not even as warm as he was to other grandsons and daughters.

  Bai Jingchen also harbored suspicion and hostility towards this grandfather.

  Suddenly, she remembered that when she first entered the door, Pei Xiang gave her a blood jade bangle as a gift, saying it was left by Pei Jingzhen's grandmother. At that time, Yang Shi and the expressions of the uncles and aunts were still vivid in her memory, which showed that this blood jade must have some extraordinary meaning.

  If Pei Xiang really had no feelings for Pei Jingchen, he didn't need to give himself such a grand gift of meeting, because even if he didn't give it, it couldn't reduce Yang's and others' hostility towards him by one bit. As long as she married Pei Jingchen, she was already doomed to wade through this muddy water.

  After careful consideration, Ming Xuan found that after getting married, apart from Yang's family, the other families, although they had some gossip and secretly hindered her, were all polite on the surface, and there was no intense conflict as she had imagined.

  Could it be...

  Her face suddenly changed, and after a long time, she asked Changgeng, "I ask, what about Lord Pei and the masters in these years? What about the young master? And how are the other old masters and wives?"

  Changgeng saw Mingxuan suddenly ask this, although he felt a bit strange, but still honestly replied, "Master Xi has always been very cold to me, but it's slightly better than the Crown Prince. Occasionally at family banquets, he would also ask about my daily life and well-being, unlike the Crown Prince who never inquires or seems to care, as if I didn't exist as the eldest son. As for the other masters and madams of the various houses, they mostly ignore me and don't care, but have never harmed me."

  He paused for a moment and added, "However, the young master is equally cold towards Second Master and the other children."

  The eldest son of the Marquis of Zhen Guo, Pei Xiao'an, is a mediocre and idle person who likes to indulge in sensual pleasures, often sleeping with flowers and courtesans. He doesn't care much about his family or children, leaving behind only beautiful women and almost making the brothel his home, which is well-known throughout the entire city of Shengjing.

  Ming Xuan hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked again, "I once heard Grandfather mention that before Mother entered the household, the young master had a pregnant concubine who jumped into the pond. Have you ever heard of this?"

  Chang Geng nodded and said, "In those years, the old family members related to this matter have died one after another under strange circumstances. Grandfather had sent me to investigate this matter before, but there were few clues, and I was frequently obstructed. Until now, I still don't know what the truth of that year's affair is."

  He thought for a moment, then said, "However, relying on the sparse clues, I still found some clues. It is said that the concubine who had become pregnant was surnamed Han and was brought over by the young master from his hometown in Xining. The young master was very fond of her, but because Pei wanted to establish a relationship with King Chu Xiang, he demanded to marry Princess Yongjia, so..."

  People who understand the rules, in order to show respect for the new daughter-in-law, will not take concubines before the big wedding. Even if they have one, they must be sent away. Not to mention having a pregnant concubine, that's a dead end. Because when a large family welcomes a wife with status, they absolutely won't let the children of concubines be born before the children of the legitimate wife, that's a great taboo.

  Ming Xuan was even more puzzled, "If so, then Pei Xiang had no reason to harm Chu Xiang Wang, nor did he have a reason to harm his mother..."

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