Chapter 96: Praise from Niece

Xiao Zhen asked in a deep voice: "Is that a nanny?"

Zhao Shiqing nodded. "She's just a respectable nanny from a wealthy family. How should I put it? Even though she's on par with the Second Madam, she still gives me the impression of a nanny. This has nothing to do with her attire; it's evident in her small movements and expressions."

Xiao Zhen could understand. Just like Nanny Bai who was beside the eldest princess, her demeanor was enough to make her a master to the noble ladies in the capital. She usually ordered servants around and lived a life of luxury. However, people like Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing, who were used to seeing wealth and luxury, could still tell her identity at a glance.

Some things are engraved in our bones and will be revealed inadvertently.

What's more, the woman Zhao Shiqing saw was dressed like a nanny from a wealthy family and did not deliberately conceal her appearance.

Zhao Shiqing tilted her head and looked at Xiao Zhen: "Based on your understanding of the Zhong family, which nanny can be on par with the Second Madam?"

You know, this second lady has an imperial decree.

Zhao Shiqing also thought of the Nanny Bai she had met in the Stargazing Tower: "Is the Nanny Bai in your mansion qualified?"

Xiao Zhen: "First of all, Nanny Bai may be arrogant and her words may be sharp, but she will never be on the same level as a royal consort. If a Nanny from the palace doesn't even understand this, she wouldn't be alive today."

Zhao Shiqing thought about it and it made sense. For example, Nanny Zheng who was beside Nie was very well-mannered.

What Xiao Zhen couldn't understand, Zhao Shiqing certainly couldn't understand either. She grew up in Liangdi and knew very little about the princes and nobles outside of Liangdi.

Xiao Zhen asked, "Have you ever learned Danqing?"

Zhao Shiqing: "I've learned a little."

Xiao Zhen pointed at the table. The Zhong family was a scholarly family, and even the guest rooms were equipped with the four treasures of the study.

This means asking Zhao Shiqing to draw the picture of that nanny.

Zhao Shiqing was very happy. She hadn't painted for a long time and her hands were itching to try.

So she immediately picked up her brush and drew the nanny she had just seen.

Xiao Zhen leaned over to take a look, and finally understood that Zhao Shiqing was not being modest when he said he had learned a little.

She really only learned a little.

Zhao Shiqing: I really like painting, but later I developed other hobbies and didn’t continue learning it.

Xiao Zhen shook his head, spread out another piece of paper, and said to Zhao Shiqing, "Tell me in detail what that person looks like."

......

Half an hour later, a face that was 70% similar to that person appeared on the paper.

Zhao Shiqing has always been a person who is generous in praising others.

"Ah, your painting is so lifelike, it's simply divine. If the painters in the government office had half your skills, those bandits would have been arrested long ago. From today on, you are the person I admire the most! Uncle Zhen!"

Xiao Zhen: I was already feeling ecstatic, but when I heard the three words "Uncle Zhen", I fell straight down from the sky. It hurt so much!

"We are brother and sister." Xiao Zhen had no expression on his face.

Zhao Shiqing quickly covered her mouth exaggeratedly, her words slipped and she forgot that this was the Zhong family.

Zhao Shiqing pointed at the portrait and asked, "Have you seen it before?"

Xiao Zhen shook his head. He always had a good memory. If he had seen someone before, he would feel that the person looked familiar even if he couldn't remember the name. However, he had never seen the person in the portrait in his past or present life.

Xiao Zhen put the portrait away and said to Zhao Shiqing, "I'll have someone investigate this matter. You should go back to sleep to avoid being discovered by the night watchman."

Zhao Shiqing pointed out the window: "Xiaoguai is on guard, don't worry."

The little demon in his arms yawned, and Zhao Shiqing followed suit: "I'm sleepy, I'm going back to sleep, see you tomorrow."

They are brother and sister, so the guest rooms arranged for them by the Zhong family are connected wing rooms separated by only a wall.

Zhao Shiqing left as soon as he said he would, jumped out of the window, and went back to his room to sleep.

The next day, the brother and sister said goodbye and left Baifeng City with the Cheng Yi given by the Zhong family.

However, the two of them took a walk outside the city. Xiao Zhen changed into a human skin mask, and Zhao Shiqing washed off the disguise on his face. Then the two of them went back into the city and returned to the inn where they had stayed before.

Xiao Zhen returned to his room, but Zhao Shiqing started chatting with the female waitress in the inn.

Baifeng City is an upper city. In order to accommodate female guests, the inns in the city also followed the example of the capital and hired female waiters. The female waiters were all around 30 years old, with a cheerful personality and good speaking skills.

It was not busy at the moment and the female waitress was free anyway, so Zhao Shiqing gave her a piece of silver. The female waitress was very happy and started chatting with Zhao Shiqing.

So when Zhao Shiqing came to ask Xiao Zhen to go out for dinner, she already knew a lot of interesting things in Baifeng City.

"You know what? Everyone in Baifeng City knows that you're dead. The girls in Hongxiu Tower even pooled their money to hold a ritual to pray for your soul."

Xiao Zhen: "Hongxiu Tower? I don't know it, I've never been there."

The name doesn't sound like a serious place.

Zhao Shiqing's eyes widened. "Ah? How can you be so heartless? The girls in Hongxiu Tower have all wet their handkerchiefs with tears for you."

Xiao Zhen: "I don't care."

Zhao Shiqing sighed, "Those girls are so silly. Just because they heard that the prince consort is a handsome man, they think you are handsome too. They haven't even seen you, but they are sad for you. But they won't do that in the future."

Xiao Zhen was curious: "Why not?"

Zhao Shiqing: "I told the female waitress, you have all the flaws of your parents' faces. You look three parts human and seven parts ghost. People in Beijing call you the ghost-seeing one."

Xiao Zhen......

Zhao Shiqing had enough of her nonsense and finally got back to the point. "Zhong Ziyang has a mistress who lives in the alley behind this inn. This is no secret in the Zhong family. Zhong Ziyang's wife didn't come to catch him cheating, but she didn't bring the mistress into the house either. The mistress has been living here for more than half a year. The female servant saw her a few days ago. She was pregnant and looked to be six or seven months pregnant."

Xiao Zhen was shocked. He didn't know that Zhong Ziyang had a mistress.

Calculating the time, when he met Zhong Ziyang in his previous life, the child of his concubine was at least two years old.

Where were the mother and son when Zhong Ziyang left Baifeng City?

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Zhao Shiqing continued, "Zhong Ziyang's wife is his cousin, the Third Old Lady's niece. Her surname is Gong, and her family name is Gong. Gong gave birth to Zhong Zhanbo, but Zhong Zhanbo was not born at full term. Did you know about this?"

Xiao Zhen shook his head. The Zhong family was a complete mess. They had even spread the news that Zhong Zhanbo was not a full-term baby.

Zhao Shiqing lowered her voice, "Gong married Zhong Ziyang and gave birth to Zhong Zhanbo seven months after their marriage. They announced to the public that Zhong Zhanbo was a seven-star child, but the midwife who delivered him said that Zhong Zhanbo was white and plump when he was born, and was stronger than many full-term babies.

Originally, no one knew about this, but more than 20 years later, last year, the midwife somehow spread the news everywhere, and everyone in Baifeng City knew about it."

Xiao Zhen asked, "Is the midwife still alive?"

Zhao Shiqing: "When the Zhong family heard about this, they went to seek an account with the midwife, but they came up empty-handed. No one knew where the midwife and her family had moved to, and the house was empty."

Xiao Zhen: "It sounds like this midwife is being instructed by someone."

Zhao Shiqing continued, "After this incident, Zhong Zhanbo didn't leave the house for quite a while. By the way, you know that Zhong Zhanbo has been married for many years but has no children, right?"

Xiao Zhen: "I know. The Zhong family has a rule that a man can only take a concubine if he is forty and has no children. Therefore, Zhong Zhanbo doesn't even have a concubine."

Zhao Shiqing: "Generally speaking, in this kind of situation, everyone would think that the wife is infertile, but when it comes to Zhong Zhanbo, it's different.

Zhong Zhanbo's wife's surname is Shen. The women of the Shen family are well-known in Baifeng City for their fertility. There is no woman in the Shen family who cannot give birth to a child, so everyone in Baifeng City believes that Zhong Zhanbo is not good in that aspect. "

Xiao Zhen touched his ear, thinking there must be something wrong with it. Zhao Shiqing, a simple and lovely girl, would definitely not say something like "I'm not good at that."

Xiao Zhen asked, "Why do you only hear about this kind of thing?"

What kind of thing?

Of course it's something to do with having children.

Zhao Shiqing said three things.

Zhong Ziyang's mistress is about to give birth;

Zhong Zhanbo was the full-term child born seven months after Gong's marriage;

Zhong Zhanbo can't let the woman give birth to the child.

Zhao Shiqing blinked. "Gossip about other people's affairs. What do you think they're all about? It's all about this kind of thing."

Xiao Zhen: I understand. I am just ignorant.

However, Xiao Zhen had a new opinion of Zhong Ziyang.

He held back and didn't say anything, but looked at Zhao Shiqing: "What do you think is going on?"

Zhao Shiqing's eyes sparkled: "Zhong Ziyang is not the Third Old Lady's biological son. He was most likely brought back from outside by the Third Old Master and raised by the Third Old Lady.

The third old lady has three sons, but she let this Zhong Ziyang, who came from an unknown background, take the position of the eldest son. How could she not be angry?

She endured it silently and finally waited for the time to get engaged to Zhong Ziyang.

The third old lady's niece, Gong, lost her virginity before marriage and became pregnant, so the third old lady decided to make Zhong Ziyang wear the green hat.

Of course, she must have set a trap and let Zhong Ziyang jump into it himself. He might even think that the child in Gong's belly was his.

But Zhong Ziyang was not stupid. After a long time, he gradually figured it out.

When Zhong Zhanbo grew up, he was the best among the grandchildren of the Zhong family and passed the imperial examination when he was less than twenty years old.

It would be fine if Zhong Zhanbo was a loser, but he happened to be so outstanding. How could Zhong Ziyang not be angry?

I guess he must have done something to Zhong Zhanbo, otherwise Zhong Zhanbo would have passed the imperial examination before he was twenty, but he only went to Beijing to take the exam once and then lost interest in the imperial examination. Although he is polite, he is listless and has no vitality. He must have suffered a blow, and a very heavy blow.

As for Zhong Ziyang, he openly kept a mistress, but Gong Shi didn't make a fuss. I think it has something to do with Zhong Zhanbo. Zhong Zhanbo is infertile, and Gong Shi only gave birth to Zhong Zhanbo as a son. If she didn't allow other women to have children, then Zhong Ziyang's lineage would be cut off, and the Third Old Master would definitely not agree."

Xiao Zhen was silent. It could be said that Zhao Shiqing's guess was very reliable.

Xiao Zhen suspected that Zhong Zhanbo's inability to have children was due to Zhong Ziyang's involvement.

If that's the case, then the kidnapping of Zhong Zhanbo in the previous life...

Since Zhong Ziyang knew that Zhong Zhanbo was not his son, and he already had a son from another woman, would he still risk his life to redeem Zhong Zhanbo?

No wonder the ransom could not be found at that time.

The story about the robbers plotting to scare the horse and steal the ransom seems to be a fabrication. It was all a scam set up by Zhong Ziyang.

In that scam, Zhong Zhanbo became a disabled person.

And if Xiao Zhen and Xiao Yue had not happened to pass by, believed it to be true, wiped out the bandits and rescued Zhong Zhanbo, then according to Zhong Ziyang's original plan, Zhong Zhanbo would have been killed.

Zhong Ziyang not only wants money, but also Zhong Zhanbo's life.

The 20,000 taels of silver were obtained by the Zhong family by selling the calligraphy, paintings and books left by their ancestors.

After going around in circles, the money went into Zhong Ziyang's own pocket.

Xiao Zhen thought of the persistence and sincerity shown by Zhong Ziyang in his previous life, and couldn't help but laugh at himself.

If there wasn't this little girl who was like the sun in front of him, if it was just him, even if he was reborn, he wouldn't ask anyone about having children.

That’s right, although both men and women are trying to gather information, they have different perspectives and will get different information.

If he were to inquire, he would only inquire about the Zhong family's friends and enemies. But Zhao Shiqing was different. What she inquired about were all the private matters in the backyard.

Moreover, she would not only inquire, she would also imagine. Just like the three stories about childbirth that the female waitress told her, she imagined a story of love, hatred and vengeance spanning more than forty years.

Xiao Zhen regretted again. If he had brought Zhao Shiqing back to the capital, the Princess's Mansion would have been filled with laughter and joy.

After they had their meal, they returned to the inn.

Three days later, Zhong Zhanbo woke up in the middle of the night and found himself lying in Hongxiu Tower. The two Hua Niangs were both angry and amused. They poked his forehead with their delicate jade fingers and said, "You wretch! No wonder even the Shen family's wife couldn't give birth to a child for you. It turns out you're a eunuch."

Zhong Zhanbo was both embarrassed and angry, and wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

"Nonsense, I'm not a eunuch, I was murdered, murdered!"

Hua Niang covered her mouth and giggled, obviously not believing it.

This sudden humiliation made Zhong Zhanbo unable to think about why he was in Hongxiu Tower. He saw the shadow of his wife in Hua Niang's face. His wife's ridicule and abuse had long become his nightmare.

After ten years of marriage, his wife has been mocking and scolding him.

But what could he do? He couldn't even argue with his wife. Whenever his wife called him a dead eunuch, he would close the doors and windows for fear of being overheard.

He lived like this for a full ten years and endured it for a full ten years.

Back then, he was young and successful, in the prime of his life.

Zhong Zhanbo covered his face and cried like a child.

Suddenly, a hand fell on his shoulder, and the strength of the hand made him intuitively know that it was a man.

Zhong Zhanbo looked up in surprise and saw a strange face.

"You said you were murdered?"

The man was very young and had a very ordinary appearance, the kind you would forget once you see him.

The man took out two silver ingots weighing ten taels each and threw them to Hua Niang. Hua Niang smiled happily and walked out with the silver ingots.

The room was decorated with flowers. The man sat down on the stool in front of the bed and looked at Zhong Zhanbo gently.

For some reason, facing a stranger, Zhong Zhanbo suddenly wanted to talk.