Chapter 86 Chapter 86 First Arrival in Beijing (Part 2) Jinjiang Literature…

Lu Zheng remembered the inn's name: Four Seasons Inn. He could no longer see the man, but his eyes slowly began to well. He wanted to go home and tell his wife about this, but then he realized he hadn't brought his servant with him. He had just come from Lao Jin's hot pot restaurant, and his meal wasn't finished, and the bill hadn't been settled yet.

Fortunately, he often went to the hot pot shop and was considered a well-known figure in the capital. The waiter did not catch up with him, but just waited at the door.

Seeing him return, he hurried over to greet him, "Lord Lu, the table isn't cleared for you, and I'm watching over it. No one's touching it, so just continue eating."

The waiter greeted him with a smile and didn't ask what happened, so Lu Zheng left in such a hurry. When he saw it at that time, he felt like he had lost his soul.

Lu Zheng shook his head, looking dazed. "No, no, no, let's pay the bill."

He had no mood to eat; he just wanted to quickly figure out what was going on. The child looked exactly like Minzhi, especially the nose and features. They were exactly the same as when Minzhi left. His eyes and lips were more like the young woman beside him, except for the straight nose. And looking at the child, Lü Zheng felt a sense of familiarity.

So many years have passed, and Lu Zheng has never seen anyone who looks so similar.

Seeing his anxiety, the waiter quickly paid the bill, and Lu Zheng hurried home.

At the gate of Anyang Marquis's mansion, the butler rubbed his hands while waiting. Before Lü Zheng even arrived, the butler came to greet him, "My dear Marquis, where have you been? Madam just told me the other day not to eat at night. How can you hide the smell of mutton?"

The butler was not young anymore, his face was full of wrinkles, "My Lord, I will also have to eat the spoils today."

Lü Zheng was sixty-two years old, a ripe old age. Age brings with it many health problems, which are inevitable even with power and influence. Lü Zheng knew he didn't have many years left, so he couldn't help but eat. Whenever he left the house, he would tell his servants not to follow him.

They didn't follow, and Lu Zheng went out to eat, but was discovered by Mrs. Qin and was fined for the last piece.

Lu Zheng glared at the steward, "Stop nagging."

The steward shut up and said, "Isn't this also for your own good? If you eat a meal tonight, you will feel uncomfortable again tomorrow..."

Lu Zheng didn't want to listen, and walked towards the main courtyard after entering the mansion. The steward hurriedly caught up with him, "Hey, you are going to the main courtyard, at least wash and change clothes..."

The smell is too obvious.

Lu Zheng was too anxious to pay attention to all this. He strode to the main courtyard, pushed the door open, and then lifted the thick curtain.

Lu Zheng stood at the door, blinking his eyes, with thousands of words on his lips, but he didn't know which to say.

A cold wind blew into the room. Madam Qin put down her reading mirror. She smelled the aroma of meat and stood up from the inner room. When she saw Lu Zheng, she frowned and was about to explode. "My Lord, you don't take your life seriously. You should just hang yourself. You're making others worry about you."

Lu Zheng shook his head and asked all the maids to leave.

Madam Qin: "You're still avoiding the maids. You're embarrassed. Stop eating secretly."

Lu Zheng didn't make any distinctions. He walked up to Madam Qin and said, "Madam, do you know who I met today? I met Minzhi's child. The nose, the features, and the demeanor... they're exactly the same."

Mrs. Qin was suddenly stunned. She was over sixty years old, her hair was already gray, and she had become shorter and shorter in recent years. Although she was not hunchbacked, she looked old.

Her attire was not luxurious, but rather elegant and dignified. When she was stunned, the hairpin on her head did not move.

The cold wind outside was blowing against the window, making a whistling sound. Lu Zheng's face still had a dreamlike fanaticism.

It had been a long time since the events of the past were mentioned, and when Lu Zheng brought them up abruptly, Mrs. Qin didn't know how to respond.

But soon, she said, "Are you senile? If you are still there, you are so old now. How can you be exactly the same as when you were a child?"

Besides, they only resemble each other in outline and nose, not exactly. Even if they were, what would that mean? This is in the capital, how could we possibly meet in the capital?

Lu Zheng was anxious, "What are you talking about? How could I be so senile? Maybe I've already married and had children, and the children are so grown up!"

Lu Zheng's heart was still pounding. It would be fine if there was really no chance for them to recognize each other, but the wind direction of the court had changed in the past two years. Two years ago, there were disasters everywhere and there were many corrupt officials. The emperor cleaned up the government, and now a lot of people have been replaced in the court.

Mr. Zhao of the Ministry of Justice took office last year. Minister Jiang bluntly stated that there was injustice in the Shen family case, and now he has begun to investigate previous unjust and wrong cases.

However, the Shen family had no one, and the Anyang Marquis's Mansion was powerless in the court, so there had been no progress in the case.

Lu Zheng still remembered the war in the northwest twenty years ago. The Shen family army suffered a disastrous defeat due to delayed military intelligence, and countless soldiers were killed and wounded. The entire Shen family was executed, but because the youngest son was young, the emperor showed mercy and pardoned the youngest son of the Shen family and exiled him to Lingnan, three thousand miles away.

Although he was given a break, Shen Yi was only three years old at that time. It was tantamount to death for him to walk to Lingnan on his own. Lu Zheng could not bear to see his grandson suffer, so he secretly had someone take him away and found a dead child to replace him. He told the public that Shen Yi died on the way.

Of course, the little boy was also a poor creature, a beggar who died of starvation.

The person must be taken away and definitely not brought back to the capital. The situation was urgent at the time. The person in charge of this matter found out that a couple had been married for a long time but had no children, so he placed Shen Yi on the road they had to pass.

Lu Zheng hoped that the child could live well. He was just three years old and could not remember anything. He could live a stable life and stay away from the troubles in the capital.

At that time, Shen Yi had been in exile for some time. He was thin and although he was tall, he looked like a child from a poor family.

Lu Zheng was indeed worried that the child would have a hard time in the future, but if the child wore silk and brocade clothes and had silver and valuables hidden on his body, he might be robbed by someone with ulterior motives. Others would also worry that the child had a strange background and might bring disaster upon him, so he dressed the child in coarse cotton clothes.

The person who originally handled this matter was a steward in his fifties in the mansion. He passed away more than ten years ago without getting married and having no children. Before he left, Lu Zheng did not ask where the child was because he was afraid that if he knew, he would go looking for him. Therefore, no one knew about this matter since the old steward died.

Now heaven knows, earth knows, Lu Zheng knows, and Madam Qin knows.

Fearing that the child would not have a good life, the old steward buried some things in the family's vegetable garden. They were two pieces of gold jewelry prepared by Mrs. Qin, enough for a villager to live a stable life.

If there are more, it would be like an innocent man being guilty of possessing a treasure.

Lu Zheng made all the plans for this child, and innocent soldiers were killed or injured, but who can live his whole life without losing a battle? The only fear is that he will be too successful and be framed by others.

He had hoped that the child would live a simple life and never be involved in the right and wrong of the capital again. But there must be a will of heaven, otherwise how could he meet someone so similar when the court was re-investigating the Shen family case?

There have been wars in the northwest for the past two years. When the Shen family fell into decline, the late emperor valued General Zhao. General Zhao is now in his forties and has been in power for more than ten years. However, he suffered several defeats in a row. The current emperor now values ​​a deputy general named Xiao Xun.

Lu Zheng said: "If you saw her, you would know how I feel now. Even if her features are not similar, I still feel the same. When I saw that child, my heart..."

Lu Zheng found this feeling strange, like seeing his grandchild at home. His heart softened, but he didn't feel the same way when he looked at other children on the street.

Madam Qin straightened her expression and asked, "How is the child dressed? Is there anyone with him?"

It didn't look like what he had met in the capital. If he was really sent to the village, it would be thousands of miles away from the capital, and at this time, why would he come to the capital?

Lu Zheng said, "They were dressed just like ordinary people. There was a lady in her forties with them, who looked like the child's grandmother, and a younger one. They seemed very close. The three of them came out to eat together. They were very cute while eating, and they were more sensible than Brother Jie in the mansion."

Mrs. Qin didn't take it seriously at first, but after hearing what Lu Zheng said, she couldn't help but take it seriously. Lu Minzhi was Mrs. Qin's favorite daughter. It had been a long time, but Mrs. Qin still missed her daughter and her grandson, and she felt a little uncomfortable.

If he is really Minzhi's descendant, she must meet him no matter what.

In a few years, Madam Qin and Lu Zheng will be seventy years old. They will never see each other again. When they are both buried, how will she face her daughter in the afterlife? She still won't be able to recognize her.

But she quickly calmed down. If it was true, then she should not be disturbed.

Madam Qin said, "Don't forget, the Shen family is still guilty. Since they've been sent away, it has nothing to do with us. We can live our lives well instead of putting all this pressure on them. Sometimes it's a good thing to know nothing."

You send someone away and don't look for them for so many years. If they are really fine and have married and had children, but now they want to see you and don't want you to leave with regrets, and you have to tell them all these old stories, who can bear it?

He has parents, children, and a wife. Would he be willing to recognize a relative who suddenly appears?

Besides, Madam Qin and Lu Zheng have never thought about overturning the verdict for more than 20 years. Lu Minzhi's brother and nephew are also officials in the court, and they have never thought about it. Why should they put these things on the child for their own selfish reasons?

Lu Zheng thought this made sense and went to recognize his relatives openly, but it failed.

But he changed his mind and said, "Well, I can take a look and help. I won't say anything else. I can take him back when the case is overturned. I think it will be done soon."

It's not like only family members can talk and help, so we can't talk about other things? Lu Zheng and the child got along well, so let's just say a few words.

Lu Zheng calmed down now. He said, "Well, I just took a few glances. Maybe it's not him."

Mrs. Qin nodded. It was absurd to say yes just by looking at the resemblance.

On the other side, there were many people in the capital, and Lin Qiuran didn't notice anyone following her. They returned to the inn and asked a few maids and servants to go eat first. She didn't need anyone to follow her.

Because they were going to be staying here for a while, Lin Qiuran tidied up the house briefly, covering himself with the quilt he had brought from home and taking out some thick clothes, as it looked like it was going to snow.

Lin Xia had almost finished cleaning up, and had taken out the hot water bottle and other things. Lin Qiuran simply tidied things up, played with Tangyuan for a while, and then let him sleep.

After a long journey, I was so excited to finally arrive in the capital. Now that I was full and tired, I was so sleepy that I fell asleep quickly.

Sun ate a lot today and was not very sleepy. They lived on the third floor and looking down through the window, the street was still very lively.

Sun said, "It's already the 11th hour, and there are still so many people here. There are so many shops and so many people. I don't think there are any empty shops on the street."

Sun was worried. She didn't know whether she could find a shop, whether to rent or buy it, and whether the business would be good... This was the capital city, and a meal cost more than one penny of silver, and it was just a casual meal.

Lin Qiuran smiled and comforted Sun, "You'll find it eventually. Didn't we just set up a small stall before? We're just starting from scratch. And anything is better than starting from scratch. Yu An's Jinding Building is still open, so we don't need money. Don't worry. There are many people in the capital, and it's close to the northwest. Who knows, you can even ask about Xiao Xun. Maybe he will return to the capital one day."

Jindinglou charges two hundred taels of silver per month. Is it possible to spend that much in the capital in a month?

Sun nodded, "That's true."

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. Lin Qiuran asked Lin Ming and Lin Xia to go to the brokerage to inquire about the houses and shops for sale. She didn't believe there weren't any houses and shops to buy. Besides, there were definitely more choices in a place like the capital. As long as you had money, you could buy anything.

The house bought this time should be bigger. Lin Qiuran wants a big house, preferably with several small courtyards so that family members can live separately.

Lin Qiuran thought a lot. Living together would cause quarrels, and Tangyuan was a boy and couldn't always be with female elders.

Tangyuan is grown up now. If there is a maid to watch over her at night, she can sleep by herself. The child can live on her own, and Sun can also have her own courtyard. It may be difficult to get used to it at first, but there are also advantages.

A person is free, can do whatever he wants, and has maids to serve him in the yard.

Lin Qiuran didn't want to spoil his child, and he didn't want Sun Shi to spoil him all the time. In short, a big house was better. In Yu'an, a house like this would cost eight or nine hundred taels, and sometimes even over a thousand. His family had never considered it, but in the capital, it would probably cost several times more.

Fortunately, I have saved a lot of money in the past few years, otherwise I really can’t afford to buy a big house.

Lin Qiuran brought all the money with him, but of course he didn't bring silver. He wanted to exchange it for silver notes at a reliable silver shop, and then he could exchange it when he came to the capital. Otherwise, it would be unsafe to carry so much silver on the road.

These days, Lin Ming and the other two went out to do business, while Lin Qiuran and the others rested. After all, they were tired from traveling, so they occasionally went out to bring Tangyuan and Sun to experience the local customs and culture.

They slept in the inn for a few nights without any fever or discomfort, nor any signs of acclimatization. Looking at Lin Xia and the others, they were also fine.

Lin Qiuran said to Tang Yuan, "Let's take a look at the restaurants and hotels on the street today. If you're tired, go back with your grandmother and rest at the inn."

Tang Yuan raised his head and said, "Mom, I'm not tired."

He loved to be out, he had had enough of being in the carriage. He wanted to stay out there forever and eat meat!

Lin Qiuran nodded. If Tangyuan was tired, an adult could hold him for a while and they could just walk around nearby. It would be convenient to go back to the inn.

It was early winter, and the streets were sparsely populated that morning. The sky was overcast, and soon snow began to fall, though not heavily, like grains of salt. It was snowing in October; what Captain Xu had said was absolutely right.

Lin Qiuran held Tangyuan's hand, and Tangyuan looked up at the sky. Last year, when he was still young, he was not allowed to go out when it snowed, so he had no memory of snow in his mind.

"Mom, why is sugar falling from the sky? Or salt?" Tangyuan looked curious and even wanted to grab it and taste it.

Lin Qiuran quickly grabbed Tangyuan's other hand and said, "This is snow. It turns into snow when it rains in spring, autumn, and summer, and when it's too cold in winter. You can't eat it. It looks white, but there's dust inside it."

Tang Yuan: "It's so white and yet there's dust!"

Lin Qiuran nodded.

Tang Yuan nodded and said, "Mom, it feels so good when it hits my face. It feels so cool."

The glutinous rice balls were now more like little stoves, melting snowflakes instantly in his hands. Lin Qiuran didn't want him to play any longer, so she urged him to hurry up and go to a teahouse to sit and watch the snow while she spoke to the waiter.

The fastest way to ask about the local customs and habits is to find the waiter, and then you can check with Lin Ming and the others.

Now in the south of the city, it is similar to Yu'an. The rich people in the north and the center of the city still live there. There is also a royal palace in the north of the city, and dignitaries and common people are everywhere in the east, west and south of the city.

It is now located on South Street.

"Sir, you are from another place, right? I can tell from your accent." The waiter has seen many outsiders, some who come to do business, some who come to live with relatives, and Lin Qiuran and the others don't look like any of them.

There were no men, only a woman with an old man and a child, dressed simply. She didn't look like someone from a wealthy family, but more like someone who had come from afar because her husband became an official and didn't want her anymore.

The waiter whispered, "If you want to know which family has just gotten married, or if you have any personal matters, you can ask me. I'm sure I'll know."

Lin Qiuran was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "I want to ask about someone. Do you know Xiao Xun?"

The waiter said, "I really know that. I don't want your money. He is now a hero of Dai Viet and has won many battles. Who is he to you?"

Lin Qiuran said, "He's nobody. I just asked around. I hear him on the street all the time."

Before leaving, Lin Qiuran told Tangyuan and Sun not to react too much to what others said, otherwise it would bring trouble.

What if they reveal that they are Xiao Xun’s family members and are kidnapped?

Lin Qiuran gave the waiter a small piece of silver, asked some other questions, finished his tea and left.

When I came out of the house, the snow on the street had become thicker.

Tangyuan had never seen snow before, and he was stepping on it here and there. Sun was afraid that he would fall, so she stared at him closely as if he were her own eyeball.

Lin Qiuran wanted to say that Tangyuan was wearing thick clothes, so it was not a big deal if he fell, but Sun said, "Mom, don't just focus on Tangyuan, watch your step too."

Sun: "I'm old and I'm fine, Tangyuan, please be careful."

Tangyuan slipped, but he quickly found his footing, and then he slid on the ground like a happy puppy.

Lin Qiuran asked Liu Niang to follow, "Follow closely, don't bump into anyone."

Tangyuan was running on the street with a whooshing sound, wearing a tiger-head hat made by Liu Niang on his head. When Liu Niang caught up with him and asked him to slow down, he obediently slowed down and did a good thing.

An elderly man slipped and Tangyuan held him up, "Grandpa with white beard, be careful!"

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The author has something to say: Because the heroine and the second female lead flapped their butterfly wings, the hero's way home was also easier.

Tangyuan is a lucky doll~[panda head][cat head] And Xiaoxun is just Xiaoxun, and his main focus is on doing business, making money, and raising cubs~