Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

Inside Fuding Tower, lanterns were hung high, banquets were held and noisy, and the people coming and going were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

Zong Xian had returned to the court three days ago and was currently entertaining guests in a private room on the second floor. He was dressed in a dark blue casual robe, exuding an air of nobility.

He was surrounded by officials from the imperial court.

The private room doors were tightly closed and guarded by designated personnel; unauthorized personnel were not allowed to approach easily.

"Speaking of this salt tax case, apart from you, Prime Minister, no one else could have handled it. I admire you greatly!" An official toasted Zong Xian, flattering him vigorously.

Zong Xian is now the highest-ranking person in the cabinet and deserves the title of "Grand Chancellor".

Zong Xian wore a lukewarm smile and responded smoothly.

Fan Siyuan sat down beside him.

At this moment, a portly middle-aged official couldn't help but glance at him twice, finding him familiar, and asked:

"This young master looks very familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before... He does bear some resemblance to a third-place scholar from previous years."

Fan Siyuan picked up his cup and stood up, smiling politely: "Lord Wei has a good eye. I am indeed Fan Siyuan, the third-place scholar in the imperial examination back then. Now, thanks to the Prime Minister's patronage, I serve by your side and do some paperwork and miscellaneous tasks."

As soon as he finished speaking, several low gasps of surprise rang out from the audience.

Everyone remembers the imperial examination a few years ago. The newly appointed third-ranked scholar was exceptionally talented and should have risen to a high position, but for some reason he suddenly disappeared without a trace. Rumors circulated among the people.

No one could have predicted that the once-glorious third-place scholar would now be willing to settle down in the imperial family and become an insignificant advisor.

Fan Siyuan showed no sign of embarrassment, gently swirling his wine glass, his smile remaining warm and restrained.

"Ups and downs in one's official career are common. Back then, I was young and impetuous, and I didn't know how to navigate the court. Even with my talent and learning, it was difficult to gain a foothold. Fortunately, the Grand Secretary was magnanimous and allowed me to work by his side. Having a place to settle down is already a great blessing."

He attributed everything to his own shortcomings, which sounds reasonable.

Zong Xian, standing beside him, glanced at the various expressions on the faces of the people at the table and said calmly, "Young Master Fan is exceptionally talented, and it would be a waste for him to stay by my side. However, there are many trivial matters in the court at the moment, so I will keep him here to assist you for the time being."

With one sentence, Fan Siyuan's talent was both praised and his subordinate relationship was clarified, thus silencing any further discussion from others.

Everyone at the table was shrewd and immediately understood the implication. They all changed the subject, returning to the salt tax case, and took turns flattering and toasting Zong Xian.

The brief interlude about Fan Siyuan has quickly come to an end.

Tonight, the Duke of Ying is hosting the banquet, and most of the officials present are from his camp.

Duke Ying was a lean middle-aged man who was a neutral figure in the court, but he was not exactly an upright or good official.

However, with the political situation in turmoil and factions vying for power, this person had been observing from the sidelines, but tonight's banquet for Zong Xian indicated that he was taking sides.

But what he valued was Zong Xian's abilities, not the emperor.

Zong Xian understood that he also needed the Duke of Ying's help, so he gave him face.

After several rounds of drinks, Duke Ying clapped his hands and summoned a group of Hu women to dance and entertain the guests.

When Lord Wei saw the beautiful woman, his eyes widened, and he stared at her lecherously.

After the Hu women finished their dance, they did not leave. Instead, as instructed by the Duke of Ying, they went to serve the adults wine.

However, he hesitated to approach Zong Xian, unsure of what to do.

Zong Xian held immense power in the court and exuded a chilling aura. Ordinary women were afraid to even look him in the eye, let alone dare to get close to serve him.

Upon seeing this scene, Duke Ying casually pulled out the most beautiful Hu woman beside him and gently pushed her towards Zong Xian.

"Go and serve the Prime Minister well. If you can please him, I will reward you handsomely!"

Zong Xian did not refuse. He smoothly wrapped his arm around the woman's slender waist, pulling her halfway to his side.

The woman had never seen a man who possessed both such handsome looks and imposing presence. Her heart pounded wildly, and she momentarily lost her composure.

She mustered her courage, raised her arm, and gently placed her slender hand on his shoulder, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

Zong Xian frowned slightly, turned his head away without making a sound, and glanced at her sideways with a faint look.

There was no harsh rebuke, but the innate aloofness and pressure in his eyes instantly extinguished any remaining illusions in the woman's heart.

Hu Ji shuddered and immediately snapped back to reality. Her face drained of all color, and she hurriedly withdrew her hand, becoming instantly obedient.

Zong Xian still amiably embraced Hu Ji, his gaze fixed on the cup, but his thoughts drifted far away, lost in thought.

At this moment, Fan Jing was anxiously waiting outside the door because she couldn't get in.

The gatekeeper was a subordinate of the Duke of Ying, and Fan Jing, lacking an identity token, was not given any leeway.

What if she went in to assassinate some high-ranking official? They couldn't afford to take that responsibility, so they just told her to wait.

Inside the private room.

Fan Siyuan glanced at Lord Wei's groping of the Hu woman, then looked at the others, and felt utterly disgusted by this kind of situation.

He pushed away the woman beside him, making an excuse to go out and sober up, and no one noticed him.

Fan Jing waited and waited, and finally saw a young man come out. Her eyes lit up and she hurried forward.

But when she got closer and saw Fan Siyuan's face clearly, she suddenly stopped and her expression changed.

I started to hesitate about whether or not to go.

But for Ji Mingyi's sake, she mustered her courage and stepped forward.

...

Before long, Fan Siyuan returned to Zong Xian's side, leaned down slightly, and whispered a few words to him.

Upon hearing this, Zong Xian, seeing that it was almost time, got up and made an excuse to take his leave.

Duke Ying did not stop him, but Zong Xian raised his hand to signal him to stay and left first.

Once outside, Zong Xian met Fan Jing, who immediately explained the whole story of the gold leaf in detail.

Zong Xian took the gold leaf from her hand, examined it for a moment, and said, "It is indeed something only found in the palace."

"The guys downstairs said the person asking for information was a man, but his behavior was a bit strange, and he had a feminine air about him... Could he be up to no good for Miss Ji?" Fan Jing looked worried.

Zong Xian said, "It's alright, I've already arranged for people to secretly follow her, nothing will happen."

Zong Xian didn't say much. Judging from Manager Fan's description, the man was most likely a eunuch from the palace.

It was nothing more than the Empress Dowager or the Emperor's people secretly watching him, trying to find his weakness.

Therefore, he cannot appear too concerned, otherwise he will only harm her.

Once the matter was settled, before Fan Siyuan recognized her, Fan Jing excused herself, saying she was busy at the restaurant, and hurriedly took her son and left.

"Miss Ji? Wasn't she a relative of yours? Last time she fell into the water, you were so worried that you rushed to pull her out, and even broke the young master of the Lu family's leg in the process... No, how did she leave like this? So suddenly."

After Fan Jing walked away, Fan Siyuan asked curiously.

No wonder he sensed that Zong Xian was in a bad mood today. Even with a beautiful woman in his arms, he was always lost in thought. Could it be that he was thinking about that girl?

"She's not anyone from the Zong family; she can leave whenever she wants. What's so strange about that?"

Zong Xian had drunk some wine, so he couldn't hide his emotions as well as usual. Fan Siyuan noticed his displeasure and immediately knew that the source of his displeasure was Ji Mingyi.

Fan Siyuan asked again, "Didn't you confront her about it?"

Fan Siyuan was mostly surprised that the woman would abandon the wealth and glory of the Zong family and leave. And Zong Xian, would he really let her go?

This guy, if he sets his sights on something, even if it's a woman, he'll definitely hold onto it and won't let it go easily.

Did something happen in between?

Why bring up something you shouldn't talk about? Zong Xian pursed her lips, ignored him, and boarded the carriage without saying a word.

Fan Siyuan then followed him inside.

He racked his brains, then suddenly a thought struck him. He looked at Zong Xian and said, "You wouldn't have already made a move on her, would you? You beast!"