"Right, Po Feng is after all someone by your side. Now that Cheng Ying is not here, don't let him run around in two directions. I'll have the lead guard wait here and arrange some errands for him to do. Besides, Zhang's matter should also be nearing its breaking point soon!"

  Five days later, an anonymous letter of accusation appeared on the desk of the Imperial Censor's Office in the capital. As a government official for thirty years, he was known to his fellow officials as the "Iron and Blood Imperial Censor" and to the new crown prince as the stubborn Tan Imperial Censor. He was stroking his mustache while looking at the letter.

  The old man narrowed his eyes, going through the text word by word and sentence by sentence, turning page after page. When he came across something that made him indignant, he would pick up his pen to make annotations. A whole incense stick's worth of time passed before the old man even shifted in his seat.

  Half a day later, an official letter was sent from the Imperial Censor's Office, and it was hastily dispatched on horseback out of the capital, rushing southward along the official road.

  As for Qin Miao, she had just gotten up that morning and felt a bit dizzy. She patted her forehead with her hand and shook it. Alas, why was it so empty?

  Heartless Xie Xun, no matter what happens tonight, he can't even touch a single blade of grass in the main courtyard. After getting up, she ordered Zi Xuan to keep him out of the courtyard tonight. What a joke, does she think she's a mother cat and I'm a mouse?

  "Madam, your complexion is really..." Zixuan wanted to say "bad". But the words were on her lips when they were covered by Qin Miao.

  "Later, go to the front yard and call someone over to see me." Qin Miao held onto Zi Xuan's hand, rubbed her own waist, and struggled to walk to the clean room to wash up, then came out to change clothes.

  The breakfast in the kitchen had been prepared early, but Qin Miao slept a bit late, and some dishes were reheated. Qin Miao propped up her head, barely ate a few mouthfuls of porridge, and then ate a few vegetarian dumplings and a plate of scrambled eggs.

  Suddenly a wave of nausea rose from the stomach, rushing straight up to the throat, and before she could stop it, it reached her mouth. Qin Miao quickly covered her mouth with the handkerchief in her sleeve and signaled for someone to bring a basin.

  "Ugh... ugh..." The dumpling omelette that had just been swallowed by its master was now being spat back out into the bowl. "Ugh..."

  Zi Xuan was worried sick. She got up early and saw that her own daughter's face didn't look too good, and her feet were also very weak. Now she simply couldn't eat anything at all.

  "Quickly, find the doctor from the government office! Hurry!"

  After instructing the little maid in the courtyard, Zi Xuan handed her a cup of tea. Qin Miao propped herself up after vomiting and rinsed her mouth with the water from her hand.

  "Has the person from the front yard arrived?" Qin Miao asked after wiping her mouth.

  Zi Xuan thought she was referring to the doctor, so she looked out and shook her head at her: "I just went to call him a moment ago. I don't think the doctor will come that quickly. Why don't you go lie down for a while?"

  "Not the doctor, but that guard leader, what's his name, Li something?"

  Zi Xun then realized what she meant and had no choice but to bring in Li Shuo who had been waiting outside.

  Li Shuo came in and stood quietly near the door, not looking around. Zi Xuan was about to put up a screen, after all, men and women should be separated. However, before she could give the order, she was stopped by Qin Miao.

  Qin's wife, who was used to seeing all sorts of male bosses in charge, never put those rules designed for women who didn't leave the house or move around outside in her heart. She sat casually on the stool and asked about the progress of the previous task, and after hearing the answer she wanted, she went over the final deployment with Li Suo again.

  Finally, he didn't forget to instruct one more thing: "Tell the brothers in the army below that when doing things, don't talk, especially pay attention to Master Hou's reputation. It's better to delay execution than to act rashly."

  Li Shuo remained calm and serious, nodded slightly, then left the yard in a hurry. Coincidentally, the imperial physician was just arriving with his medicine box.

  Zi Xuan told the old doctor about what had happened that morning, and the old doctor carefully examined Qin Miao's pulse again. After a long time, he finally smiled slightly with relief.

  It was night, and Xie Yun still wore a star-studded hat when he came back. As expected, as soon as he arrived at the door, he was stopped by the servants.

  "Master Hou, Madam said she's feeling tired today and has gone to rest early. Let you... let you go back to the front yard to rest."

  Xie Xuan's clothes still had a sweaty smell, and he hadn't had time to change when he was intercepted by a servant girl. He felt a bit annoyed. But as soon as he heard that Qin Miao had gone to rest early, saying she was physically exhausted, his heart immediately began to worry, and that little annoyance became unimportant.

  "What's wrong with your wife? Has the doctor been called?"

  The little girl was obviously at a loss, and earlier in the morning, Sister Zi Xuan had only instructed her to intercept when she saw Master Hou return, but she didn't understand anything else. Now that she was being questioned, she stammered for half a day and couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

  He was already annoyed in his heart and didn't have the energy to deal with a little girl, so he simply stepped over her and walked straight inside.

  "Master Hou, Madame is resting."

  This time, it was the personal maid Zi Xuan who came forward. She stood respectfully at the tightly closed door, watching him approach with big strides, and didn't budge an inch, showing no intention of opening the door.

  "What's wrong with him today, one by one they all are?" Xie Yunan was puzzled, Ah Nuan slept and just slept, he wasn't someone who never came back late before. Besides, he still had some sense of propriety, every time he would quietly tidy himself up before getting into bed next to her. How come today he wouldn't even let people in the door?

  "Really won't let go?" Xie Yun was suspicious and had to confirm with Zi Xuan again.

  Zixuan, it seems that the young master is also quite a big fool, and he doesn't understand why the girl won't let anyone in. Moreover, what the doctor said during the day still echoes in her ears, making her excited for half a day, but now she has to hold back and not let the young master know.

  Mysterious and incomprehensible, can't figure out what our own daughter wants to do.

  "Ah Nuan! Open the door!"

  Taking advantage of Zi Xuan's self-reflection, Xie Yan suddenly shouted loudly at the door.

  "Hey, hey, Master Hou, don't be like this! The mistress is resting!"

  Ke Xieyun didn't care, and knocked on the door with all her might. The noise wasn't enough to shake the entire courtyard, but at least it disturbed the people inside. Before long, a light turned on in the house.

  Qin Miao put on her clothes, opened the door with a pale face, and stared at Xie Yan. "What do you want to do!"

  Xie Xuan saw his wife come out and without saying a word, he quickly rushed into the house and slammed the door shut with a bang.

  "What's wrong with you? I was thinking of you today, and as soon as I'm done, I'll be back. And yet someone is blocking your way...” Xie Yan, who had been wronged every day, had already lost all sense of shame in front of Qin Miao. She had long gotten used to his spoiled and clingy behavior, sometimes sticking to her like a mud eel.

  "Didn't I tell you I'm not feeling well...?" Qin Miao slapped the big paw wrapped around her waist, being dragged and hugged by him as he walked inside. "Hey hey hey, can't you walk properly?!"

  Xie Xuan insisted on hugging her tightly, regardless of the fact that the smelly clothes had already made people and gods angry together, and still wanted to entwine with her.

  As a daughter-in-law, Qin Miao felt really helpless. With the old and young gathered together, she couldn't help but look up at the sky with a sense of powerlessness that seemed to be hiding behind the clouds.

  "Stop messing around, I want to talk to you about something serious. No, make that two things." She put aside the helplessness in her eyes and prepared to have a proper conversation with him.

  "Go on, go on, I'm listening." Xie Yan really missed her. During the day, he faced a group of stinky boys every day, and only when he came back at night could he smell her scent slightly. Even if they didn't do anything, just smelling her like this made him happy.

  He is now lying on Qin Miao's leg with a very indecent posture, his hands around her waist, his eyes narrowed, ready to listen to her speak.

  "First of all, are you free this morning? Accompany me to watch a great show?"

  Xie Xuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully and hummed, "Finally going to take the stage? Great, as your husband, I have to accompany you in venting this anger. However... is everything arranged properly?"

  Although there was a hint of worry in his words, he still felt comfortable leaning on the girl's bosom.

  "It shouldn't be, after preparing for so long, I should sing this play well!" As soon as she finished speaking, a faint gleam of pleasure and subtle excitement flashed across Qin Miao's eyes.

  "What about the second one?"

  After a good while, everyone saw that there was no movement inside and they all withdrew, leaving only the maids who were preparing to keep watch at night.

  Suddenly, a burst of cheers came from inside the house. Then there were footsteps pacing back and forth. But before long, Master Hou seemed to sigh a few times, followed by Madame's sudden cry.

  Fortunately, it wasn't long before quiet was restored after the lights inside the house went out.

  That night, Xie Yun had a wonderful dream. In the dream, he was riding a white horse on a lush green meadow, holding a whip in his hand. And leaning against his chest was a delicate and lovely child, hugging him tightly and calling out to him affectionately.

  "Dad!"