The whole family died tragically? The eldest daughter is the most powerful in the capital after her

At this point, it is enough to just stop there.

"Nanyuan," the emperor's voice became majestic and deep again, "I don't want to see innocent people implicated in the affairs of the Qi family. You are in full charge of this matter. No matter what means you use, I only care about the results."

Gu Nanyuan bowed slightly, and said firmly: "I will definitely live up to the trust of the emperor."

The emperor looked at him and patted his armrest heavily: "Okay! As long as the person behind the scenes reveals his true colors, the rest will be left to you. Find out the truth and ensure the stability of the court."

Gu Nanyuan took the order and retreated, with a plan in mind.

He walked out of the imperial study, and a cold wind blew in his face, mixed with the complex and oppressive atmosphere of the palace.

The inner courtyard of the Qi family.

Qi Zeshen's return was like a shot in the arm, cheering up the entire family.

After discussing with Mrs. Qi, Qi Zeshen rearranged the staff in an orderly manner.

Every servant and every thing were arranged in an orderly manner. Under his control, the Qi family's main branch finally stabilized.

Mrs. Qi still looked worried and looked outside from time to time, obviously unable to let go of the rumors outside.

Seeing his mother like this, Qi Zeshen comforted her softly, "Mother, you just need to guard the inner house, and leave the rest to me and father. These rumors outside are not to be trusted, we just need to have a clear conscience."

Mrs. Qi nodded. Although she was still worried, she felt a little relieved when she saw how calm her son was.

Qi Zeshen had just finished dealing with household affairs and was about to take a break when a servant suddenly came to report: "Master, Prince Gu is here."

When Qi Zeshen heard this, he immediately stood up and went to the study to greet him.

Gu Nanyuan was dressed in an official robe and had a stern face. As soon as he entered the room, he signaled Qi Zeshen to close the door.

"Nanyuan," Qi Ze frowned, obviously feeling the urgency of the matter, "but what happened?"

Gu Nanyuan said without further ado, "The Emperor has given me full authority to handle this matter. What he wants is not the simple truth, but to expose the person behind the scenes."

Qi Zeshen frowned slightly, as if pondering the meaning behind this sentence: "You mean, the emperor has already suspected some people, but needs us to reveal the evidence?"

Gu Nanyuan nodded and said slowly: "That's right."

"Although the emperor did not say it explicitly, his words and deeds have revealed some signals. He not only wants to use the Qi family's affairs to make a warning, but also wants to test the reactions of different forces in the court."

Qi Zeshen was silent for a moment, clenched his fists, and felt heavy-hearted: "But my Qi family's eldest branch is now involved in this, and my father is still in prison. If this matter is not solved as soon as possible, I'm afraid that the reputation of the Qi family will be ruined."

"Don't worry, the emperor has made it clear that as long as we can get evidence, Lord Qi's innocence will not be damaged. I have asked people to secretly monitor the movements in the capital and collect possible clues."

"There will be progress within half a month." Although Gu Nanyuan's voice was calm, it revealed his unquestionable determination.

Qi Zeshen nodded, feeling a little more at ease.

The two discussed the next action plan in detail until late at night.

For the next half month, Qi Zeshen and Gu Nanyuan had almost no free time.

The two were busy investigating the real culprit behind the scenes.

At the same time, Qingxiang was ordered to secretly monitor Lin Ruoxuan's movements.

He recorded Lin Ruoxuan's itinerary, people she came into contact with, and places she entered and left in detail every day, and reported everything to Gu Nanyuan.

I thought Song Yuqing and Wu Qingfu would be more restrained after being taught a lesson by Lin Ruoxuan, but I didn't expect them to continue to be sarcastic with their sisters at the poetry meeting, showing no sign of repentance.

During the dinner, Song Yuqing deliberately said, "Some people, relying on their family background, wantonly bully others and even dare to do it in public. They are really uneducated."

Wu Qingfu sneered and continued, "Yes, you really think you are born noble. Unfortunately, the vulgarity in your bones can never be concealed, and you look like a country bumpkin no matter how you look at it."

Song Yuqing pretended to sigh: "Alas, how can we, decent girls, compare to some people who, in order to climb up the social ladder, seduce men by any means necessary. It's really amazing."

They did not try to lower their voices, and the ladies beside them all covered their mouths and chuckled, obviously agreeing with their sarcastic tone.

The news spread quickly and soon spread throughout the capital.

People started talking about it on the streets. Some people said that the seventh daughter of the Lin family was fickle and seduced men everywhere; others accused Lin Ruoxuan of being arrogant and domineering and bullying others.

Suddenly, the girl from the Lin family was pushed to the forefront of public opinion, but no one in the Lin family was aware of it.

Until a chat one day.

Those gathered here were all the prominent ladies in the capital, the wives of dukes, several princesses, and the families of many high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

They chatted and laughed, exchanged pleasantries with each other, and the topics revolved around current affairs in the capital and gossip among aristocratic families.

At first, Lotus Sun just sat quietly aside, listening to everyone's discussion.

She is always cautious and never interrupts casually.

However, it wasn't long before the topic suddenly turned to her.

"Mrs. Sun, there have been a lot of rumors in the capital recently. I heard that your seventh daughter from the countryside is really amazing!"

The wife of the Duke's Mansion, who was sitting opposite, took a sip of tea, her tone full of teasing, and her voice was neither too loud nor too low, just enough for everyone present to hear clearly.

The princess took over the conversation and smiled meaningfully: "Yes, I heard that the seventh girl is very good at 'socializing'. She hooked up with men everywhere and ruined the reputation of the Lin family. Even your eighth girl has become a laughing stock in the capital."

The ladies around covered their mouths and chuckled, their eyes full of mockery and disdain.

Their words were merciless, and every word stabbed Sun Rong's heart.

Sun Rong's face changed slightly, and the fingers that were tightly holding the teacup turned pale.

She suppressed her anger and tried to calm herself down, but she couldn't ignore the continuous sarcastic voices.

"People from the countryside are from the countryside. They are not presentable. Their methods of doing things are no different from those prostitutes."

The voice of the Duke's wife came again, her tone was sharp and sarcastic, with obvious contempt.

When Lotus Sun heard this, she could no longer hold back.

She suddenly put down the teacup, making a crisp sound, which startled everyone around her and made them look at her.

"Ladies and princesses," Sun Rong said coldly, her voice filled with suppressed anger, "May I ask if you have seen all these rumors with your own eyes? Or did you hear them from someone else and spread them around as if they were the truth?"

Her eyes were as sharp as torches as she stared directly at the wives and princesses of the Duke's Mansion without any fear.

She knew that there were powerful family forces behind these people, but for the sake of her daughter, she could not back down.