Long Guang was his nephew.
And this person was now the personal bodyguard of the Ninth Prince.
Given the personalities of the Ninth Prince and the Duke of Wei, how could they possibly tolerate someone whose uncle was involved with the First Prince's faction to be by their side?
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it became.
"Investigate this person thoroughly. I need all his information as soon as possible."
"Yes!"
Besides the Dali Temple, Feng Jin Xu also mobilized the forces of the Ding Prince's manor. Some secrets might not be discoverable by the Dali Temple, but the Ding Prince's manor was different.
As Feng Jin Xu had expected, news soon reached him.
After reading it, Feng Jin Xu was shocked by the information. Although he didn't have concrete evidence of Long Guang colluding with the Ninth Prince, judging from Long Guang's past, there was definitely something fishy between him and the Ninth Prince.
Thinking that they had gone to the northwest together for reinforcement, and all the generals by the Ninth Prince's side had died, yet he alone survived, made Feng Jin Xu even more suspicious.
So he found Xiao Mu Qian and, using their relationship, inquired about it.
Xiao Mu Qian was initially surprised when Feng Jin Xu came to him, asking about an inconspicuous bodyguard by the Ninth Prince's side.
But after recalling, he realized that this bodyguard had become inseparable from the Ninth Prince.
A personal bodyguard staying by his side was understandable.
However, he had never seen Long Guang display any extraordinary skills, which was suspicious, wasn't it?
"That bodyguard looks very ordinary. If you hadn't mentioned it, and I hadn't deliberately thought about it, I wouldn't have noticed his presence much."
Moreover, he hadn't seen Long Guang when he set fire to those generals. Otherwise, how could he have escaped alive?
After hearing this, Feng Jin Xu felt even more that this matter was worth investigating.
So, that night, he had the bearded man arrested.
With evidence in hand of him extorting grain, forcing people to their deaths, and selling his children, it was enough for him to spend his life in prison.
And his reaction was within Feng Jin Xu's expectations.
He cursed, saying he had powerful backing and they should stop posturing, and that he would be released in a few days anyway.
Unfortunately, this time he had encountered Feng Jin Xu.
How could someone who didn't even give face to the First Prince give face to a bodyguard by the Ninth Prince's side?
The bearded man's plan had gone awry.
Seeing that he had been imprisoned for several days with no reaction, he finally panicked.
He shouted, demanding to see Long Guang.
His loss of composure allowed Feng Jin Xu's plan to proceed more smoothly.
Sitting at his desk, Feng Jin Xu obtained another piece of evidence that made him suspicious.
The house where the bearded man was currently living was actually in the name of the brother of Lin Lang's mother. It seemed that the Luo family had been guided by a master to be transferred from that remote small place to the capital.
Unfortunately, he didn't know if this master was the Ninth Prince?
What leverage did the Luo family hold to rise so rapidly?
A series of questions lingered in Feng Jin Xu's mind. He sent people to investigate the Luo family again, but found no evidence. It seemed someone had deliberately covered their tracks, and done so flawlessly.
Such skill made Feng Jin Xu even more curious.
On the outskirts of the capital, Yue Jian was already eight months pregnant, her belly as round as a basket. She was no longer as steady when walking, and had to support her waist with her hands to feel more comfortable.
The Liang family's manor in the suburbs of the capital and the manor that Wei Lan Xuan brought as dowry were quite close.
She got along well with the former steward couple of the Liang family's manor, and from them, she had learned a lot of the Liang family's secrets.
On one hand, she was gathering information for her own lady, and on the other hand, she was winning people over.
She had been a top maid by Wei Lan Xuan's side. If she hadn't taken a wrong step, she would now be wielding power in the Liang family, instead of enduring hardship on this manor.
Shortly after lunch, the steward's wife brought some seasonal fruits.
"Ah Li's wife, the fabric you gave me last time was truly good. I made a undershirt for my grandson, and he said it was cool and comfortable to wear, much better than his previous linen clothes." Yue Jian said with a sincere smile.
"That was fabric my lady gave me before she got married, so it's naturally good. I get along well with Hu Zi, so it's perfect to make him clothes."
The steward's wife's face lit up when she heard this.
"We farmers don't know how to say nice things, but we know you've been good to us. These fruits are grown well, so I brought some for you to try."
She pushed the fruits in her hands forward. They were very simple and honest, and Yue Jian didn't play any tricks.
"My parents passed away early. After coming here, Auntie took care of me, and Ah Li was helped by Uncle Liang. It is we, your couple, who should thank you."
The two of them exchanged pleasantries.
It wasn't until Yue Jian felt the baby kick her that her attention shifted.
"You're in your advanced months, and you're about to give birth. Let Ah Li call us when the time comes. Our manor has a midwife with excellent skills. With her, you'll have a smooth delivery."
"Thank you, Auntie."
"Why are you being so polite with me? Oh, by the way, have you heard? There was a bad person among the Li family's farmers, and he has been arrested and brought back to the capital. It looks like he won't survive. But he deserves it. How dare he cause trouble at this time of year? It's no wonder His Majesty is punishing him so severely."
The steward's wife was indeed honest and blurted everything out without reservation.
"Yes, this rain is making even someone like me, who doesn't know how to farm, feel miserable, let alone the tenant farmers. But I heard that the Feng family's manor wasn't much affected and even made a profit by planting lotus roots."
"Who says not? If my old man and I had known about this heavy rainfall this year, we would have dug up the land and planted lotus roots. Even if eating them every day is tiresome, it's much better than having nothing to eat."
They were currently eating their stored rice. If their masters hadn't been kind and hadn't forced the tenant farmers to pay rent, their manor would probably not have been so peaceful.
The steward's wife didn't think much of it, but Yue Jian's mind was not for nothing.
How could there be such a coincidence in this world? Did the Feng family know in advance that the weather would change, or what? They turned their good rice fields into mud pits. Now, with a bumper harvest, they even hired some temporary workers to help.
Other manors were at a loss, but they became more energetic and prosperous.
Lotus roots, which used to not sell for much, had become a hot commodity this year. The Feng family had probably made more profit from this, yet no one could find fault with them.