The girl was extremely lively and did not have the manners of the noble ladies in the capital at present.

She lifted the carriage curtain and looked out without any attempt to hide her gaze.

Seeing that she was simple-minded and knew nothing of etiquette, and unaware of her true nature, Duke Cheng'en asked with an air of superiority, "Where are your parents?"

“They’re all dead,” the girl replied quickly, her eyes greedily scanning the people walking by on the street.

"Who else is in your family?"

"Brother."

Where does he hold office?

"I don't know, I haven't seen him for ten years." The girl finally turned her head, her eyes filled with longing, and asked, "Can you really help me find my brother?"

"Is it just you and your brother, whom you haven't seen for ten years, in your family?"

"Yes, it's just the two of us now."

"How old is your elder brother? Does he have any distinctive physical features?"

"He is fifteen years old this year. I don't know what he looks like, but he probably looks like his father and mother."

The Duke of Cheng'en was immediately relieved. At fifteen years old, he was either a servant or a beggar.

No father or mother, very good, an orphan!

With this thought in mind, he wore a lewd expression, took a fine jade pendant from his waist, and handed it to the girl, saying, "Since it's our first meeting, I don't have any gifts for you, so I'll give you this jade pendant."

The girl then turned her head, took the jade pendant, and seeing that it was of very good quality, she asked in confusion, "Why did you give me a jade pendant? It must be very valuable."

"It's more than just valuable. Take it if you want. I have plenty of money. I like you, so I'm giving it to you."

The girl put the jade pendant in her sling bag and said happily, "Thank you, sir."

Then he turned to look at the pedestrians on the street.

Cheng'en Gong said, "What are you looking at? If you like anything on the street, or want anything, just ask someone to buy it for you."

“I’m looking for people, hoping to see my brother.”

The little girl saw a candy shop on the street and immediately tried to jump off the carriage.

Cheng'en Gong grabbed her, nearly twisting his back, and said, "You silly girl, the horse is still running, if you jump like that you'll fall and break yourself, won't you? You're so reckless."

"I want to eat a candied fruit," the little girl said greedily. "Those candied fruits look so translucent, they must taste delicious."

Cheng'en Gong ordered the driver to stop the carriage and go down to buy some candied hawthorns.

The driver soon brought two skewers, and the little girl happily took them, opened her mouth wide, and ate one with delight, her eyes crinkling up.

"It's delicious."

Glistening sugar balls, and beautiful red lips.

Cheng'en Gong took the water bottle from the carriage, poured it onto a cloth, and helped her wipe her face.

The dust on her face was wiped away, making the young girl appear even more delicate and beautiful.

While wiping his face, Cheng'en Gong touched the corner of her lips and couldn't resist bending his index finger, dipping it in the syrup from her lips, and putting it in his own mouth.

With his eyes half-closed, the syrup, sweet with rock sugar and the fragrance of a young girl, stirred Cheng En Gong's heart.

The girl stared at him, stunned.

She stopped eating the candy, blinked her big eyes, and asked, "Are you teasing me?"

The Duke of Cheng'en hadn't expected her to ask so directly, but men are always thick-skinned. He gave a lewd smile and tentatively asked, "How about I tease you?"

The girl looked at him innocently and said, "Do you often tease people like this?"

"I don't need to flirt with them; they'll just throw themselves into my arms."

When faced with such a powerless and vulnerable young girl, the Duke of Cheng'en made no attempt to hide his true feelings and shamelessly said, "Because they are all willing to please me."

"You're so old, what do they want from you?"

"Power and money."

Duke Chengen has every reason to say this: the royal family of Daqian is surnamed Zhou, but the Wei family's influence is present in every corner of Daqian.

He was a local tyrant, even more powerful than Emperor Hui.

The girl looked at his face and reminded him, "You're already in your eighties, aren't you? Are you still able to do this? My dog ​​couldn't mate anymore at fifteen."

Once the girl spoke, Cheng'en Gong truly broke down.

He's not even as good as her old dog?

His face darkened, his imposing aura intensified, and he roared, "Insolence!"

The coachman, Zhu Tou, turned his head and asked, "Sir, do you need my help?"

Before Cheng Engong could say anything, the girl was already unhappy and threw the candy ball in her hand at him.

"Pah, you old bastard! I thought you were a good person. Help me find my brother? You want to imprison me at home, don't you? You're so old you can barely keep your eyes open, and you're still in heat?"

After saying that, he jumped out of the carriage without a second thought and dismounted from the carriage shaft.

Cheng'en Gong quickly changed his expression and shouted, "Hey, where are you going?"

The girl ignored him and ran off, saying, "Where I go is none of your business!"

The girl moved very quickly, and disappeared into the crowd in no time.

Duke Cheng'en stamped his foot in regret. The duck that was about to be eaten had flown away again. What a pity for such a little thing that he had taken a liking to!

"Master, shall we return to the manor?"

"Go back? Go to the palace, go find the Imperial Observatory." Suddenly, the Duke of Cheng'en was gripped by unbearable abdominal pain. Despite the cold January weather, the pain caused him to break out in a cold sweat. "Go, go to the clinic..."

Zhu Tou quickly took him to the Wei family's pharmacy, where the doctor on duty was none other than Qing Langzhong, the most famous physician under the Chengen Duke's mansion.

When Physician Qing examined Cheng'en Gong, he was in so much pain that he couldn't even speak. His facial muscles were contorted in extreme pain, and it felt as if a million insects were gnawing at his body.

Because of the pain, Cheng'en Gong's body curled up like a shrimp.

The doctor was terrified, but couldn't diagnose the illness.

I had no choice but to search my memory for the disease that corresponds to these symptoms.

Finally, the conclusion was: "My lord, you probably ate something cold and developed gastrointestinal spasms."

Zhu Tou said, "Quickly prescribe the medicine and brew it. The Duke is in excruciating pain; you must get him painkillers quickly."

The doctor, having no other recourse, gave him one of the pain-relieving pills prescribed by Jin Fang.

Half an hour later, Cheng'en Gong's abdominal pain gradually subsided, and his underwear was soaked with sweat.

Zhu Tou took him back to the mansion. After bathing and changing his clothes, he rested for a while, but suddenly had diarrhea and was in pain for half a day.

Duke Cheng'en ordered Zhu Tou to drive the carriage, with guards accompanying him, to the palace to see the people from the Imperial Observatory.

Shi Jiepu, the official in charge of the Imperial Observatory, was in charge of celestial observation and divination. He was bribed by the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion.

He was invited by the Duke of Chengen and the Vice Minister of Rites. The Duke of Chengen told him that he suspected the remains in the coffin were no longer those of the Empress Dowager and wanted to open the coffin to examine the body.

Shi Jiepu was startled and said, "My lord, the coffin cannot be opened lightly. How confident are you?"

“If not ten points, then nine points,” said Cheng En Gong. “When the coffin nails were being driven in, none of the Wei family members were present; they were kept at the doorway.”

"Did you see any place in the funeral hall where corpses were hidden?"

"No, but the pallbearers said the weight of the coffin had changed, and the eunuchs said they heard the sound of the coffin being opened at night."

Shi Jiepu did not recommend opening the coffin. If the coffin were opened and the Empress Dowager herself was found inside, then the Duke of Chengen and His Majesty would have publicly broken off relations.

Neither side could kill the other, but both could eliminate him.

The Duke of Cheng'en's face darkened: "What, you're unwilling to help?"

Shi Jiepu closed his eyes briefly and said, "Then I will do as Your Excellency wishes!"