The hall fell silent.
Yuan Shen and Cao Jin both lowered their eyes.
Chen Dehai stood beside the emperor, even his breathing became soft.
Gu Moran knew that this question was the emperor testing him.
Could it be that they deliberately orchestrated this in the south of the city because of Su Yao, old grudges, or the poetry gathering?
Gu Moran looked down at the dust on the toes of his boots and slowly began to speak.
"Father, Su Yao is already my wife."
" Ye Qingyun is nothing but a poor, ignorant commoner. If I were to take him seriously, wouldn't I be disgracing Father Emperor?"
The emperor's brow twitched.
Gu Moran continued, "Last night, Ye Qingyun's case was handed over to the government, and the person was put back into the case file."
Ye Qingyun injured someone with a knife, so it should be handled as an assault with a knife.
"I can't be bothered with him, otherwise I'd look petty."
The emperor tapped the memorial with his fingertip.
"You're quite discerning."
Gu Moran up, smiling lazily.
"Your subject may not know much else, but you do understand that one shouldn't recklessly pursue matters like being cuckolded or facing lawsuits."
Cao Jin's eyelid twitched.
Yuan Shen looked down at his cuffs, forcing himself to suppress his expression.
Chen Dehai wanted to cough, but ultimately held it in.
The emperor looked at Gu Moran for a long while before speaking.
"You didn't know this much when you were in my presence before."
Gu Moran's mind went blank.
They've arrived.
The most dangerous sentence has finally arrived.
He slowly raised his hand and touched the back of his head.
"Father, I was truly ignorant before. But after marrying six wives, I was scolded every day. After being scolded so much, one always learns a lesson."
The emperor asked, "Who has insulted you the most?"
Gu Moran barely stopped.
" Shen Ling'er."
Chen Dehai was taken aback.
The emperor also paused for a moment.
Gu Moran looked serious.
"After she finished yelling at me, she made me drink medicine, and now my mouth tastes bitter."
Cao Jin almost lost his composure and quickly lowered his head.
The emperor tossed the memorial back onto the table.
"You bastard."
Upon hearing those two words, Gu Moran actually breathed a sigh of relief.
He swore.
At that moment, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the hall.
A young eunuch rushed in, carrying a document whose seal was still wet, and knelt down to present it.
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from the south of the city."
Chen Dehai took it, opened it, read two lines, his expression changed, and then handed it to the emperor.
The emperor glanced at the secret report.
"The people from the Crown Prince's Residence's residence went to Chang'an County to retrieve the old accounts of the Dragon Abyss Martial Arts School and the roster of martial arts workshops."
Yuan Shen's face darkened.
Cao Jin looked up, his jaw clenching.
The emperor looked at Cao Jin.
"You say."
Cao Jin took half a step forward, his knees still bent, but the words were already on the tip of his tongue.
He knew that if he backed down now, Chang'an County would never be able to hold its head high in front of the Prince's Mansion again.
But if he insists on resisting, it depends on whether the emperor wants to uphold the rules today.
"Your Majesty, the roster of the Martial Arts Academy has been transferred to Chang'an County. Anyone wishing to access it should have an official document."
The emperor did not interrupt.
Cao Jin continued, "If the Crown Prince's Residence wants to investigate clues, they can request a letter from the Censorate, request instructions from the Jingzhao Prefecture, or submit a memorial to His Majesty."
The Prince's residence has overstepped its authority by obtaining the register; Chang'an County cannot provide it.
Yuan Shen continued the conversation.
"I also believe that since the South City Martial Workshop has already been set up on a trial basis, it should not be changed overnight."
Otherwise, if the Crown Prince's Residence takes the register today, the Second Prince's Residence takes the medicinal herbs tomorrow, and another family takes people the day after, the government will lose face."
The emperor looked at Gu Moran.
Why aren't you saying anything?
Gu Moran up, her face completely innocent.
"Father, I'm afraid that if I open my mouth, I'll upset you again."
The emperor said, "I want you to speak."
Gu Moran paused.
"Then, if I may say something that is unpleasant to hear?"
"Explain."
"If my elder brother, the Crown Prince, wishes to investigate me, so be it."
You can check the accounts, the banknotes, and whether I have privately kept any military men.
But if he bypasses the Jingzhao Prefecture and Chang'an County and obtains the roster directly, will the people of the southern part of the city recognize the Crown Prince's Residence or the official government's?"
The hall was eerily quiet.
Yuan Shen's eyes flickered, but he immediately suppressed it.
Cao Jin looked at Gu Moran, his gaze becoming somewhat complicated.
The emperor did not scold him, but simply said to Chen Dehai, "Remember this."
"This old servant will remember it." Chen Dehai bowed.
Gu Moran, however, felt no relief whatsoever.
The second express delivery arrived quickly.
After opening the package, Chen Dehai first glanced at the emperor.
The emperor raised his hand.
"Read."
Chen Dehai said in a low voice, " The Second Prince's Residence sent someone to Shun'an Lane, saying that the medicinal materials sent to the free clinic last night may be incorrect, and they need to retrieve several boxes for retesting."
Chu Tianxing refused, and the yamen runners left behind in Chang'an County also refused to let him go. The two sides blocked the front of the emergency shelter.
The emperor handed the secret report to Gu Moran.
What do you think?
Gu Moran took the express delivery; the ink on the paper was still damp.
The second prince indeed became anxious.
If it's really just about delivering medicine, then it's out of kindness.
However, Ye Qingyun's injuries have flared up, and Chu Tianxing was also injured because of the medicinal herbs he sent.
These medicinal herbs became evidence of his wanton attempts to win them over.
Gu Moran couldn't say that the Second Prince wanted to destroy the evidence.
He placed the urgent letter back on the imperial desk, his fingers quickly leaving the paper.
"Father, since the medicinal herbs have been entered into the emergency shelter's ledger, they should be sealed up in place."
The emperor asked, "Only the medicinal herbs are sealed?"
"The people who deliver the medicine, the people who test the medicine, the people who receive the medicine, and the people who move the boxes are all written in the book."
"Who delivered the medicinal herbs, who affixed the seal, who touched them along the way—leave all their names."
"Isn't this the rule of conduct that Father Emperor taught me since I was a child? I remember it all, hehe."
The smile in the emperor's eyes faded.
"This time you remember it clearly."
Gu Moran his hands in greeting.
"Father, I am truly terrified this time. With such a serious accusation against me, not only will you scold me, but I will also be reprimanded by all six of my wives when I return home."
The emperor looked at him and frowned.
"You can't even manage women?"
"What a useless piece of trash!"
"Deliver an imperial order."
Chen Dehai immediately stepped forward.
The Emperor said, "Until the Shun'an Lane case is resolved, neither Ye Qingyun nor Chu Tianxing shall leave. The medicinal herbs shall be sealed in place and jointly guarded by Chang'an County and Jingzhao Prefecture. No one from the Crown Prince's Residence residence, the Second Prince's Residence, or the Prince Yi's Residence's residence is permitted to enter without permission."
Yuan Shen and Cao Jin bowed simultaneously.
"I obey the decree."
Gu Moran also lowered her head.
"Your subject obeys the decree."
The emperor looked at the three men, his hand pressing down on the urgent mail from the south of the city.
"I'd like to see who else dares to ask for help."