Du Xiao Li moved a chair over for herself, sitting down across from Du Yun Han. "That year, the previous Emperor died from illness, the crown prince succeeded the throne, and the second prince launched a coup. Although in the end, it was subdued, eliminating a bunch of officials that supported the second prince, there's still quite a bit of power grasped in the hands of the people that supported the second prince. Afterwards, we encountered foreign aggression, the Emperor, whose wings have not fully grown out, had no choice but to have some of the power once again placed into the hands of those officials, causing this current situation, where the imperial power is not centralized. In the military side, although General Ji supports the Emperor, many military officials below don't truly support the Emperor. And now, with father also weakening the Emperor's powers, the imperial power appears to be in imminent danger. If this was a cowardly Emperor, this state of affairs wouldn't be a problem, but Han Ming Ze isn't a sheep. He's a lion biding for power. It's very hard to ensure that he won't, for the sake of regaining power, do something unfavorable to father, thoroughly resolving this hidden danger."

Du Yun Han listened to Du Xiao Li a.n.a.lyze the current state of affairs, holding a smile in the corner of his mouth, his eyes revealing a praising light.

The things Du Xiao Li said, he was long aware of, and have also carefully pondered over how to walk the next step. Originally, he wanted to scheme for an even brighter future for Du Xiao Li and them, but seeing Du Xiao Li's att.i.tude, he already knew what she wanted, and at the same time, made a decision in his heart.

"This matter, I'll go take care of in the next two days. What were you looking for me for?" Du Yun Han asked.

Du Xiao Li knew that these things, Du Yun Han was definitely aware of, letting her explain was merely wanting to see her att.i.tude and stance. And now, since he was saying this, he should have already made his decision.

"Yesterday, big brother Yi was present, so there were some things I didn't tell you."

"Oh? What things?"

"Yesterday afternoon, after I was brought to the foot of Swallow Mountain, someone else was there too." Du Xiao Li said, "She and the deceased Luo Fu know each other, calling him uncle Luo."

"What?! Such an important information, why are you only telling me now? Who's that person?" Du Yun Han asked.

"Second sister."

"Ke Xin? Why would she go there? Isn't she unconscious?" Du Yun Han realized something and said, "Ke Xin fell unconscious because of your poison?"

"She wanted to kill me and came into the horse carriage. There just happened to be poison inside the horse carriage, that's all." Du Xiao Li said, shrugging her shoulders. If not for her wanting to kill her, she wouldn't have gotten poisoned either.

When Du Yun Han heard that Du Ke Xin wanted to kill Du Xiao Li, he slammed his hand against the table, "She actually wanted to do something like this?! I definitely won't let her off!"

"Right now, she's still unconscious, how are you going to 'not let her off'?" Du Xiao LI looked to Dun Yun Han's palm, inwardly thinking to herself, since he doesn't have inner energy, and with that slap just now this loud, would his hand hurt?

"Alright, we'll wait until after you wake her up." Du Yun Han said, "Just now, you said Ke Xin recognized Luo Fu?"

"Yes, and their relations.h.i.+p is even quite good! When you all are investigating, you can try investigating along this line." Du Xiao Li said.

"En, this I know."

"Also, there's one more thing I need to tell father."

"What thing?"

Du Xiao Li smilingly looked to Du Yun Han and said, "Father, you and Cabinet Minister Fu's relations.h.i.+p seems to be quite good."

"Indeed, what's wrong?" Du Yun Han looked to Du Xiao Li and asked, "Aren't you and that Fu Ya Lan also quite close?"

"En, however our family and their family can become even closer."

"You're saying......." Du Yun Han narrowed his eyes at Du Xiao Li, this girl even wants to be a matchmaker?

Du Xiao Li nodded, and giddily said, "Father, big brother and big sister Ya Lan both like each other, and big sister Ya Lan also reached marriageable age yesterday, can you go propose marriage for big brother?"

"This Xiu Heng, not knowing to properly study, and actually stirring up spring waters?!" Du Yun Han's face was somewhat not good. "If he doesn't perform well in next year's imperial exam, I will have him skinned!"

"Big brother is also at the age to settle down and get married, setting up an engagement is very normal. Besides, youths are frivolous, when you were big brother's age, you already left home to travel around, right? And not long after, encountered my mother, right?" Du Xiao Li gave Du Yun Han a side glance, instantly having Du Yun Han's anger inside extinguished.

"Keh, keh." Du Yun Han unnaturally coughed a few times. When this daughter of his spoke, it really made him somewhat unable to hold his own. "Letting me go propose marriage is also doable, but need to wait until after the compet.i.tion this time has ended. This time, he's also one of the partic.i.p.ants. If he performs well, I will go propose this marriage for him. When your father, I, go propose, still need to have some face. If he doesn't perform well, the cabinet minister might not be willing to have his daughter married off to him."

"Then, in other words, father has agreed?"

Du Yun Han nodded, "I have agreed, but don't forget my conditions just now."

"Ha, I'll go pa.s.s on your words to big brother right away. Must let him stand out during the compet.i.tion this time."

With that said, Du Xiao Li got up and left. Du Yun Han looked to her retreating figure, and helplessly shook his head. However, carefully looking, one would discover that he was actually smiling.

He rubbed his own face and muttered, "Am I very old.....?"

(T/N: In the previous line, Du Xiao Li had referred to him as 'lao ren jia' which means 'this elderly person', it's a polite term to address the elderly, but it doesn't fit well in translation. So she'd said, 'your (insert polite term for elderly) words')

Du Xiao Li went to Du Xiu Heng's courtyard, having Du Yun Han's intention clearly relayed to him, and letting him work hard for his own happiness.

When Du Xiu Heng heard Du Xiao Li's words, he was so excited that he almost had the cup in hand dropped onto the floor and got laughed at by Du Xiao Li and Xi Gu.

In the following three days, Du Xiao Li occasionally practiced her sound attack at home, and in between, went out on one of those days. In the morning, she went to Sui Yuan. The s.p.a.ce for the compet.i.tion was already prepared, right now, just waiting for the people from the other countries to arrive and check in. In the afternoon, she went to Feng Xue Lou, teaching the chefs two new dishes. All the way until the night of the third day did she finally set out to prepare the antidote for the smelly fragrance. After she finished, she called up Xia Yuan, and personally went to deliver it.

When she arrived in Du Ke Xin's courtyard, aside from Zhong Mei Qing, Du Yun Han was surprisingly also there.

Seeing Du Xiao Li, Zhong Mei Qing quickly asked, "Xiao Li, did the antidote come out already?"

Du Xiao Li glanced at Xia Yuan. Xia Yuan had the container handed before Zhong Mei Qing. Zhong Mei Qing looked to the container and asked, "This is the antidote?"

"Yes, second mother, quickly feed it to second sister." Du Xiao Li said, "That umm, this smell is a bit stinky. Before opening the container, you need to be mentally prepared."

Zhong Mei Qing didn't wait for Du Xiao Li to finish speaking, having the container opened directly. Instantly, a wave of stink a.s.saulted her, and she nearly dropped the container on the ground.