"A middle-aged man came to the gate of Xiao's House, holding a hairpin, claiming he was following his deceased father's last wish to see his birth mother." Long Xuanmo spoke slowly, "He also said his father and mother had a love at first sight encounter at Ning'an Temple and soon after, he was born;

knowing his mother was already married to someone of high status, his father took him away as a newborn to distant lands, not revealing his origins until on his deathbed;

He tried several times to send letters to meet his birth mother to no avail, and as a last resort, he had no choice but to show up in person."

Yang Mengchen chuckled inwardly, though outwardly feigned curiosity, "This is indeed a very interesting matter, how did the Xiao family react?"

"Of course, the Xiao family denied it, but the man shares a striking resemblance, about fifty to sixty percent, with Old Lady Xiao, and the hairpin is indeed her property.

Most importantly, it's well-known that Old Lady Xiao did visit Ning'an Temple back then and subsequently stayed at the villa for over a year, claiming to be recuperating from illness; whether the Xiao family admits it or not, it doesn't make any difference;

Now, the Capital is abuzz with rumors, Old Master Xiao, livid and humiliated, wanted to divorce his wife, but he was eventually swayed by the desperate pleas of his sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren, and did not divorce her. Instead, he confined Old Lady Xiao to the Buddhist hall, forbidding her to leave and handed over the power to manage the household to his eldest daughter-in-law;

The Xiao clan still relies on Old Master Xiao for their livelihood, so they didn't intervene in the matter, but many clan members are already feeling dissatisfied."

"Could it implicate Uncle Xiao's family?"

Hai Tang mentioned that the man's skills in disguise were incredibly lifelike, to the point that ordinary folks couldn't discern his true appearance, and it turned out to be true.

"Xiao Hongtao, being a common son, has been away from the Capital for over a decade; it won't affect them much."

"That's a relief," Yang Mengchen exhaled, "After this incident, the Xiao family's reputation will surely be damaged. They wouldn't have killed the man, would they?"

"On the night of the incident, the inn where the man was staying caught on fire, and he was burned to death in his sleep. Jingzhao Yin found an iron label at the scene, inscribed with the character 'Xiao,' which is uniquely owned by the Xiao family guards. The outside world is spreading rumors that the Xiao family killed the man to silence him."

Yang Mengchen, catching a fleeting hint of mockery in Long Xuanmo's eyes, arched an eyebrow and queried, "Does the Prince mean that the Xiao family is not behind this?"

"Old Master Xiao once served as the Minister of Revenue for many years; he's extremely cautious and shrewd, especially during such turbulent times, he wouldn't make such a foolish move."

"Old Master Xiao might not, but that doesn't mean others won't," Yang Mengchen stated dispassionately, "That man's arrival completely ruined Old Lady Xiao's reputation, and as her sons, involved in their official reputations and careers, must have loathed him to the bone; thus, it's reasonable to assume they might have killed him."

Long Xuanmo shook his head, "Mo Yun has thoroughly investigated and found someone else was responsible for the arson. However, I ordered Mo Yun to clear up any loose ends. All evidence now points to Xiao Hongjin. Old Master Xiao dotes on his second son, Xiao Hongjin, who has always been eager to supplant his elder brother, Xiao Hongquan, and take over as head of the family.

Xiao Hongquan is deep-thoughted and shadowy, ruthless and cold-hearted in his methods. The two brothers have long had a façade of harmony but discordant hearts. By the time we left the Capital, the Xiao family was already in complete disarray."

"It's a pity for that man, who came looking for his kin but ended up inviting his own demise," Yang Mengchen sighed.

The great fire was a pre-planned escape strategy concocted by Hai Tang and the others, which unexpectedly left traces behind. Fortunately, Long Xuanmo took timely action. From his demeanor, it seemed they hadn't found out it was the work of Youming Palace People. Could it be that Hai Tang and the rest had involved others as well? Why hadn't they told her?

Without expressing any opinions on the matter, Long Xuanmo reassured, "Now the Xiao family is too caught up in their own troubles to spare any effort to deal with Xiao Hongtao's family, Ah Jiu can rest assured."

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