How did such immense wealth fall into my family?

Chapter 124 should have given me a grandson.
While the Duke of Jin was still wandering along the road, the Emperor suddenly sent someone to summon him back to the capital.

The Emperor immediately reprimanded the Duke of Jin upon his return. "What, just because you won a battle you think you're so great, that you can use the excuse of visiting the Dowager Consort to go sightseeing?"

The Duke of Jin quickly admitted his mistake. "Your Majesty, I was wrong. Please calm down."

The Emperor snorted and then looked at Chief Eunuch Hu.

Chief Steward Hu immediately led the palace maids and eunuchs out of the room.

As soon as they left, the Duke of Jin stood up from the ground, leaned close to the Emperor, and whispered, "Your Majesty, have you found out something?"

The Emperor nodded. "Although I don't think Prince Xuan would collude with the enemy, we still need to investigate. Firstly, to show the people behind it. Secondly, we might discover something."

“A few days ago, my people got some news from an old woman in Prince Xuan’s residence. That old woman had a friend who worked at one of Prince Xuan’s secluded villas. Her friend told her that she had accidentally discovered that your eldest daughter-in-law had actually been living in that villa for over a year.”

"When my men heard what she said, they went to find her old friend. They discovered that the villa had already been burned down by King Xuan. My men then went back to ask King Xuan."

"King Xuan thought for a long time before he remembered that his steward had told him two years ago that his villa was plagued by an epidemic. He sent people to check and found that everyone inside was dead, so he ordered the villa to be burned down."

The Duke of Jin thought for a moment. “They are really cautious. They think that even if we find out that my eldest daughter-in-law has a problem, we will only trace it back to King Xuan.”

The Emperor nodded. "They didn't try to pin the blame on Prince Xuan just because they knew the Northern Di King had fallen into our hands. They planned it from the beginning, in case the matter was exposed, they would pin the blame on Prince Xuan."

Duke of Jin couldn't help but sigh, "Fortunately, King Xuan only abducted women or men. If King Xuan's reputation were even slightly better, we wouldn't have thought much of it."

"Hmm. I think there's another reason why Prince Xuan was framed. Prince Xuan is older than me, and he's always fooling around with those young men and women. In a few years, he'll be serving the late Emperor. And those people behind the scenes clearly want to wait until I'm old, until your child and the child from the Duke of Wei's family can inherit your mantle before they make their move."

"My men have investigated carefully. Your eldest daughter-in-law returned to the Jiang family the day before she was to marry your eldest son. All signs indicate that there is something wrong with your eldest daughter-in-law."

The Duke of Jin recalled the condition proposed by the Jiang family and the words of the Duke of Wei. The Duke of Wei said that the child in his family might not even be his bloodline. The Jiang family demanded that his eldest son leave a child for his daughter before going to war.

The Duke of Jin told him what he had thought of. "Your Majesty, that girl from the Jiang family is probably pregnant when she married into our family."

The Emperor also thought this was highly likely. "Have you asked Heng'er if his wife was particularly careful during their wedding night?"

"No." Why would a father-in-law ask such a question? He's not a pervert.

"Write a letter to Heng'er right now. I always feel that by following your eldest daughter-in-law, we can find out who's behind this."

"Yes."

After the Duke of Jin finished writing, the Emperor sent a special envoy to deliver it.

Soon, the emperor received a reply.

The Emperor summoned the Duke of Jin. "This is Heng'er's reply."

The Duke of Jin was embarrassed to look. "You should look at it. After all, I am the eunuch."

"Alright." The Emperor finished reading in a short while. "Heng'er said that night was quite normal, and the bride didn't complain about his roughness. If he had to say what was wrong, it would be that the bride's arm and leg muscles were a bit hard."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Jin exclaimed, "That girl from the Jiang family knows martial arts?"

"Perhaps." The Emperor rubbed his forehead. There was clearly a problem, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. Never mind, he decided to stop thinking about it for now and try to clear his head with something cheerful. "The Dowager Consort Tao said that the eldest grandson of the Duke of Wei keeps calling you 'Brother Jiang'?"

"Don't even mention it. I eagerly ran to deliver the reward money to that little girl, but she made Twenty call me brother."

The Emperor smiled. "What reward money? You're clearly trying to show off to the Duke of Wei."

"Hehe...Your Majesty, please don't tell the Duke of Wei."

"I already told you, that's why you're so carefree."

Duke of Jin: "..." It's so hard to be a person. Being too hardworking is no good, being too carefree is no good either.

"Hahaha... Just wait until the Duke of Wei makes you call him grandpa." The Duke of Jin was extremely annoyed. "That little girl is too wicked."

"Hahaha... You and that little girl seem to have a special connection. I remember that little girl stayed at your house for several months."

"Yes. I was so good to her back then. I even wanted to take her to her older cousin's wedding."

"Hahahaha... Didn't they also take Doctor Chang to the border to treat your injuries?"

"Hehe... By the way, any news about her older cousin?" Qian Chunhua's affair caused quite a stir back then.

"Not yet. Is she in a hurry?"

"No, not at all. She is a grand-disciple of Master Daoyi. She must have had Master Daoyi do her divination. Master Daoyi is currently living at her house."

The Emperor also knows about this.

The Emperor couldn't help but sigh, "Consort Tao said that Physician Chang is also at her house. Why do I feel that her resources are better than mine?"

The Duke of Jin thought about it and realized it was true. "I ran into Jiang Shenglin on my way back."

The Emperor: "..." He then sent the little maid a money rake. "Tell me, if I give her two beauties, will she return Jiang Shenglin to me?"

"Is your beauty as beautiful as Old Master Dong?"

"..."

"Is your beauty as formidable as Dong Laoqi?"

"..."

"Your Majesty, your words are law."

Okay, let's change the subject.

"Ahem, have you ever considered that the woman who slept with Heng'er might not actually be that girl from the Jiang family?"

"Really? My eldest son has excellent eyesight."

The Emperor was aware of this as well. However, "Heng'er was at least half focused on our war with the Northern Barbarians at the time. Coupled with his intentional attack on the unsuspecting, it wasn't impossible to fool him."

"That's true. My eldest son was discussing with me how to wipe out the Northern Di's stronghold before he went to his wedding night."

Having a direction makes investigation easier, especially since the emperor's people are all elites among elites.

A few days later, the Emperor summoned the Duke of Jin to the palace. "The person who consummated the marriage with Heng'er that day was definitely not that girl from the Jiang family."

"Who was that? Were they dealt with too?"

"They should have been dealt with, but the Imperial Advisor says they're still alive. I just don't know where they've hidden them. If we can find them, I'll have a reason to interrogate that girl from the Jiang family."

"Indeed. Who is that woman?" After all, she had slept with his eldest son for a night, so he should ask her.

"Qian Chunhua, Qian Gousheng's eldest cousin."

"What?!" Duke Jin's eyes widened in surprise.

"I never expected it to be Qian Gousheng's eldest cousin."

The Duke of Jin recalled that when he was at the Qian family's house, he vaguely heard his eldest son arguing with him...

"Your Majesty, Qian Chunhua was not hidden by them, but was rescued by Qian Gousheng and Dong Laoqi. In addition, Qian Chunhua should have given birth to a grandson for me."

(End of this chapter)