In Qujiang's waters, not every area has waterweed, this information provided by Ran Yan made them suspect that Liu Pinrang had not been confined in that tavern after all.

A few members of the Imperial Censorate asked more questions until Ran Yan said there were no other suspicious points, then they stopped.

The vice-censor of the Imperial Censorate expressed his thanks, "Thank you, Lady Yan, for your assistance!"

"You're too courteous, it was my duty," Ran Yan replied.

The vice-censor had gathered many clues and was eager to report them and then send people to confirm, so he hurriedly took his leave.

Ran Yan stood up from the pavilion intending to check on the three little ones in the baby room but saw Liu Qingsong and Cheng Huailiang hurrying over.

"Lady Sister-in-law," Cheng Huailiang, appearing as if he had just been fished out of water, stood dripping wet, quickly soaking the ground around him.

Out of breath, Liu Qingsong asked, "Has Jiulang gone to investigate the case?"

"Obviously," Ran Yan motioned for the two to sit down and ordered Wan Lu to bring some soup to cool them off.

Liu Qingsong plopped down on the mat, "Dejian has been arrested, we couldn't just sit still and wandered around a bit."

"Li Dejian has been arrested? Why?" Ran Yan also resumed her seat.

"Ministry of Justice said they found out Dejian had dined with the Crown Prince's foster son at the Jin Tower; after that, the foster son's whereabouts became untraceable. They suspect Dejian is related to the case," Cheng Huailiang, who had a loud voice to begin with, raised it even further in his agitation.

Liu Qingsong sighed. After Ran Yan checked the stomach contents, the Ministry of Justice had followed up on it and dug out this matter, "Dejian has always been close to the Eastern Palace… Alas!"

"What about the Great General? What's his stance?" asked Ran Yan.

Li Jing was not only good at waging war but was also not a simple military man; he had a clear understanding of the court's affairs.

Leaning against the table lazily, Liu Qingsong said, "What else can his stance be? Just like those Elders, two words, calm. When he heard his son was caught, he just sent someone to ask what happened, and after that, there was no further word."

"This matter could be more complicated than it appears," Ran Yan speculated.

"Sister-in-law, Dejian couldn't possibly be a murderer!" exclaimed Cheng Huailiang.

Liu Qingsong cleared his ears and said, "It's scorching hot, why are you shouting? We all know Dejian couldn't be the killer, but can you guarantee he wasn't involved in this at all? What's more frightening is that it's connected to the Great General!"

Li Jing had already achieved such high merits that he was a threat to authority, so in recent years, he resigned and stayed at home behind closed doors, distancing himself from politics to maintain peace between sovereign and subject. Now that Li Dejian was implicated in matters of the Eastern Palace, if someone with an agenda stirred up trouble, it could escalate from nothing into a serious issue.

Cheng Huailiang might not be the sharpest, but his father was no easy mark, being exposed to this since childhood, he naturally understood the underlying stakes and couldn't help grumbling, "Dejian really, two have already died before, and he still goes to dine with people from the Eastern Palace!"

"Yes, if those two murders hadn't occurred, he probably wouldn't have sought out the Crown Prince's foster son," Liu Qingsong grabbed a grape from the fruit plate on the table and popped it into his mouth, talking indistinctly, "We can't be of help, so let's not cause more trouble. Sister-in-law, have someone bring those three little ones over to play with me for a while."

Cheng Huailiang's attention shifted somewhat, and he looked at Ran Yan eagerly. On his last visit, he found Ruoruo quite amusing, though he felt a bit shy, "This is too abrupt, Qingsong, you should have said earlier, I haven't even prepared a gift."

"Make it up later," Liu Qingsong said indifferently.

Seeing Cheng Huailiang's expectation, Ran Yan didn't want to disappoint, and she thought it would be good for the children to occasionally see new faces, so she turned and asked, "What are the children doing now?"

"Lady, the young master and the young ladies just finished their side meal, they are playing inside," Ge Lan answered.

Ran Yan gave Ge Lan a few discerning looks, and seeing that she truly seemed normal, she said, "Have someone prepare the mats on the Water Pavilion and call the nurses to bring them over."

"Yes," Ge Lan responded and headed towards the Inner Courtyard.

Watching her leave, Liu Qingsong turned back and asked Ran Yan gossipy, "Does Ge Lan really have no feelings for Dejian? I observed her earlier and she seemed indifferent."

"Instead of being concerned about that, you should think about how to prepare for your wedding. You're about to get married yet you wander around idly!" Ran Yan frowned.

"You wrong me there! A'yun won't let me get involved, calling me a prodigal. According to her, if I made arrangements, we'd end up begging after we marry. Isn't that an exaggeration? The money my grandmother left for me is enough to last two lifetimes! I don't even know what she's keeping it for!" Liu Qingsong said helplessly, with the image of a young, beautiful, rich, money-making, and generous girl shattered in his mind.

Ran Yan smiled slightly, "It seems you've finally realized it."

"If the old lady was still around, at worst, I'd just embroider flower patterns," Liu Qingsong sighed, "Having the money is of no use anyway."

This conversation led to an unprovoked sense of melancholy.

Ran Yan did not spend much time with Elder Xiao, but even in that short duration, she could feel her magnetic personality. Having spent over a decade by her side, Liu Qingsong must miss her even more.

After a while, Ge Lan returned, "Lady, the nanny has already taken the young masters over there."

"Let's go," Ran Yan stood up.

Liu Qingsong immediately perked up and, along with Cheng Huailiang, ran toward the Water Pavilion.

The Water Pavilion, built near the lotus pond, lay between the Inner Courtyard and the Outer Courtyard without a clear distinction. In summer, the thick lotus leaves and willow trees obscured the view from the Outer Courtyard, making it part of the Inner; in winter, withered lotus and snow, connected by winding paths, it could be considered part of the Outer Courtyard.

"Kids, uncle is here!" Liu Qingsong opened his arms and rushed over. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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