Chapter 165 Zhao Qi’an, you should take the first credit!
Zhao Qi’an placed a document on the table.

What Zhao Guanxiang handed him were just a few scribbled pieces of paper with his own handwriting on them, so Zhao Qi’an took it to heart and copied a copy himself and bound it in a booklet, showing that he attached great importance to it.

But after he placed the letter on the tea table between him and Ji Haoyu, he did not look at it again, but just picked up his teacup.

Ji Haoyu looked at the document on the tea table, suppressed his excitement, and asked, “Does Haiqing know what he is talking about?”

Zhao Qi’an lowered his eyes, held the tea lid with his right hand, and carefully wiped away the tea foam on the edge of the tea bowl. He said calmly: “Why don’t you take a look yourself, Your Highness?”

Ji Haoyu looked at him steadily for a while, then slowly picked up the document on the tea table.

He only took a few glances and could not hide the shock on his face.

This document was filled with official titles and names, including some officials who were still serving under the Second Prince.

The large number is enough to attract attention.

Ji Haoyu did not ask in a hurry, but patiently read on carefully.

After half a quarter of an hour, he finally raised his head and asked, “Hai Qing, where did you get this list? How do you know these people are secretly colluding with Lao San? Do you have any other evidence?”

Although he suppressed his inner emotions, his tone was still gentle when he asked Zhao Qian’an.

But he asked three questions in one breath, and it was obvious that his heart was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Zhao Qi’an only replied: “This is the list of guests that Yifeng Royal Manor has received over the years. Whether these officials have secret connections with His Highness the Third Prince… I dare not speak rashly, but I just thought that this list might be useful to His Highness, so I presented it to His Highness as soon as I got it.”

“It’s useful. Very useful!”

Ji Haoyu’s eyes lit up a bit, he pulled Zhao Qian’an’s hand and patted it vigorously: “Hai Qing has done a great job this time!”

He was very happy in his heart, and he looked at Zhao Qian’an with a more favorable attitude.

On the other hand, the Zhao family is willing to hand the list over to me through Zhao Qi’an. Does this mean… the Zhao family is showing goodwill to me?
When he thought of this, the smile on his face became even brighter, and he said to Zhao Qian’an, “Let’s stay in Chengping Palace for dinner tonight. Haiqing and I can have a few drinks.”

“I dare not disturb Your Highness.”

“You must stay.”

Ji Haoyu did not allow any objection this time, and smiled again: “I have something important to discuss with you.”

……

Ji Haoyu could not refuse Zhao Qian’an’s kindness and quickly ordered the palace servants to prepare dinner.

During the dinner, Zhao Qi’an finally understood why Ji Haoyu asked him to stay for dinner.

He looked at the Second Imperial Concubine Qin Muwan, who was personally supported by Ji Haoyu into the palace. His eyes quickly fell on Qin Muwan’s bulging belly, and his expression was obviously dazed.

It was not until Ji Haoyu coughed lightly that he seemed to come back to his senses and bowed to Ji Haoyu and congratulated him: “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Then he bowed to Qin Muwan and said politely, “Meet the Emperor’s sister-in-law.”

Ji Haoyu pointed at Zhao Qian’an and said to Qin Muwan beside him with a smile: “Look, even someone like Hai Qing who has just entered the official career would be stunned when he sees your belly.”

Qin Muwan covered her mouth and laughed softly, then returned the greeting to Zhao Qian’an.

“Okay, everyone, take a seat.” After Ji Haoyu called out, he took Qin Muwan to sit on the main seat.

After Zhao Qi’an sat down, he couldn’t help but glance at Qin Muwan beside Ji Haoyu, with a more serious look in his eyes.

His dazed look just now was not fake, he was really surprised after seeing Qin Muwan.

He knew that Qin Muwan was pregnant, so what surprised him was not this, but Qin Muwan’s belly.

If his calculations were correct, Qin Muwan was only five months pregnant, but her belly was already bulging, and she looked like a woman who was about to give birth.

He also noticed that Qin Muwan had a lot of white hair on her temples, her eyes were full of fatigue, and her skin was yellow and wrinkled… This was no longer an ordinary blood deficiency, but a loss of essence and blood in her body, which had reached the point where it affected her lifespan.

This made Zhao Qi’an start to doubt, could Qin Muwan really give birth to the monster in her belly alive?
If Qin Muwan went into labor prematurely, or if two people died before giving birth, many things would happen prematurely, and the situation might be out of Zhao Qi’an’s control.

But right now…all Zhao Qi’an can do is wait and see.

The palace maids entered the hall like fish, carrying dishes one after another. They placed the dishes on the low tables in front of them and then left.

Ji Haoyu picked up the wine glass and said to Zhao Qian’an, “Besides the palace maids in Chengping Palace and a few of my confidants, only you, Haiqing, know about Wan’er’s pregnancy. I treat you as one of my own.”

Zhao Qi’an also raised his wine glass and replied, “Thank you for your highness’s appreciation. I am very grateful for your care.”

Ji Haoyu drank a glass of wine and then sighed, “But do you know why I hid the fact that Wan’er was pregnant?”

“I don’t know.”

“Because I can’t tell who is loyal and who is treacherous around me!”

Ji Haoyu slammed the wine bottle on the table and said in a deep voice: “Just because I have no children, they think I can’t be the emperor. They even disregard the position of the Wu Party and secretly contact and collude with the Third Brother. They have even found a way out for themselves!”

“I won’t hide it from you. I used to be discouraged. Even though I knew about these things, I didn’t want to care about them. But it’s different now. Wan’er is pregnant…”

He stroked Qin Muwan’s pregnant belly from behind, and Qin Muwan considerately placed her hand on the back of Ji Haoyu’s hand.

Ji Haoyu smiled and looked at Zhao Qian: “It is precisely because Wan’er is pregnant that I have regrouped and am determined to purge the team. I concealed the fact that Wan’er was pregnant in order to find out which people around me are with me but their hearts are with the third brother!”

“To be honest, this is not an easy task. Once I close the net, there will always be fish that slip through. If they are small fish or shrimp, it’s fine, but I’m afraid it’s a crucial person.”

He took out the list Zhao Qi’an had given him again and said, “This list at least helps me identify the candidates, and lets me know which ‘big fish’ around me I need to investigate carefully.”

“Haiqing, this time, you should take the first place!”

This was the second time Ji Haoyu said this. It seemed that the list submitted by Zhao Qi’an was indeed very important.

Zhao Qi’an asked, “What is your highness going to do?”

Ji Haoyu did not hide it and said with a smile: “I will hand this list to Grandpa, and Grandpa will have his own way.”

Zhao Qi’an stood up, bowed to Ji Haoyu and said, “Then I will wait for good news from His Highness.”

Tomorrow’s court will surely be very lively.

It’s a pity that Zhao Qi’an couldn’t attend the court meeting in person, and missed the chance to witness the rare internal strife within the Wu Party.

(End of this chapter)