Chapter 238 Marquis Anping and Bai San Niang?
Nangong Qiang said, "She is Bai San Niang, the matriarch of the Chen family in Quanzhou."
Li Nanke looked shocked.
"The Chen family of Quanzhou, known as the 'Chen family of half the city'?"
Nangong Qiang nodded.
Li Nanke recalled what Huang Sheng had told her last time: the Chen family's business in Quanzhou had begun to expand from the sea to the inland, and there were already branches of the Chen family in the capital.
It seems that the matriarch of the Chen family appeared in the capital to expand the Chen family's business.
The Chen family made their fortune through maritime trade, and their businesses mainly dealt in foreign goods, silk, tea, and porcelain. Why would Bai San Niang appear at the Xiangguo Temple fair?
Moreover, it appeared in a tent area where a theatrical troupe was changing clothes.
This is too strange.
"Master Nangong, do you know what Bai San Niang went to the opera troupe for today?"
Nangong Qiang said, "They said they wanted to talk to the head of the Desheng Opera Troupe and wanted to invite the Desheng Opera Troupe to perform a play when the Chen family's business opens."
Zisu said, "Everyone in Bianjing knows that the Desheng Troupe never accepts business of performing outside the area. She is from Quanzhou, so she probably doesn't know the rules of the Desheng Troupe."
Li Nanke nodded.
Indeed, no matter how much money they offered, the Desheng Opera Troupe would never come to perform at the homes of wealthy families or nobles.
Rumor has it that the leader of the Desheng Opera Troupe has a powerful backer, which is why he dares to be so arrogant, but no one knows who that backer is.
Last time, when Marquis Anping invited the Desheng Opera Troupe to perform at the refugee camp outside the city, the troupe leader did not accept any money, saying that he would perform for free for three days as a way to contribute to disaster relief.
Unexpectedly, Nangong Qiang shook her head.
"Desheng Class agreed!"
Li Nanke was taken aback.
Could it be that the leader of the Desheng Opera Troupe has some connection with the Chen family?
Otherwise, why would he have accepted the Chen family's offer when he never accepted the Desheng Opera Troupe, which usually performs outside the area?
She was only puzzled for a moment and didn't think much of it.
The reason I paid attention to Desheng Class was because of Marquis Anping.
"Master Nangong, please keep an eye on the movements of Marquis Anping and the Desheng Troupe for me recently."
By the time I got home, it was past lunchtime.
Judging that Madam He should be up by now, Li Nanke went directly to the main courtyard and brought her the buttered abalone and snails that he had snatched from Shen Cong.
After accompanying Madam He to visit her vegetable garden again, they returned to Fanghua Courtyard.
Li Mu happened to return from outside, looking unhappy.
"What's wrong with Father?"
When Li Mu saw his daughter, he tried to force a smile, but couldn't manage it.
He plopped down in a chair, huffing and puffing, "I ran into your second uncle... Li Yao when I came back just now."
He was used to calling him "Second Uncle," but when he said it, he felt extremely uncomfortable thinking about what Marquis Anping and Li Yao had done, so he changed the way he addressed him back to his name.
Li Yao is not worthy to be Ke'er's second uncle!
Li Nanke poured a cup of tea and handed it to Li Mu.
"Father, have some tea. We don't get angry with bad people. Let me think... Is he urging you to seek justice for my runaway horse?"
The Dali Temple has been investigating the case of the startled horse in the bustling city for five or six days, but there have been no new leads.
Whether it was the beggar's testimony or the dead coachman, all the evidence pointed to the Xue family.
Duke Xue was unable to defend himself and was reportedly already ill.
Li Mu finished the tea in one gulp and placed the teacup heavily on the table.
"Ke'er is so smart. He stopped me to talk about this. He kept saying he felt sorry for you because you were so frightened, but you still haven't received any justice."
He even encouraged me to beat the petition drum, saying, "How can I, as a father, not seek justice for my daughter?"
Li Mu pointed to the tip of his nose, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Ke'er, do I look like a fool? I'm not even wasting my breath on him!"
"Striking the drum for petitioning? That's something only those who have no way to reach the ears of the emperor can do. I am, after all, the heir apparent, someone who can write memorials and send out visiting cards."
Why should we beat the petition drum? Beating the petition drum would be telling everyone that I don't trust His Majesty and fear that he's protecting the Xue family!
Li Nanke chuckled and clung to Li Mu's arm affectionately.
"Of course Father isn't stupid. In Ke'er's heart, Father is the smartest person!"
In fact, Li Mu was an intelligent man. He just didn't like being an official and only wanted to eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy romance.
Li Mu was amused by these words and affectionately pinched Li Nanke's nose.
"You're just good at making your father happy."
"Is Father happy now?"
Li Mu gritted his teeth, recalling Li Yao's perpetually gentle face.
"If I weren't afraid of implicating us, I would really like to rush out right now and tell you that the people who startled your horse were Marquis Anping and Li Yao!"
Li Nanke: "But Father, we have no evidence, and exposing them now will only alert them. Let's be patient and wait. Sooner or later, we will expose them."
Li Mu clenched his fist.
“He deceived his wife, switched his biological child with the child born out of wedlock, poisoned me to prevent me from having children, and plotted to harm you. Sooner or later, I will find the evidence of all these things.”
We'll tear off their hypocritical masks then!
"It's hateful that we can't find any more information about that Bai family member. If we could find her, she would be the best witness!"
Li Mu muttered to himself.
These words exploded in Li Nanke's mind like a thunderclap, and she jumped up immediately.
"Ke'er, what's wrong?"
Li Mu was startled by her sudden action.
Li Nanke grabbed Li Mu's hand, her voice urgent.
"Father, do you still have that portrait of Bai Shi?"
Li Mu asked, puzzled, "Didn't I give you one? Did you lose it?"
Li Nanke blinked.
She didn't actually lose it, but she gave it to Shen Cong and asked him to investigate.
"I don't know where I put it. Father, don't you have it?"
"Yes, there is, it's in the study..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Nanke had already grabbed him and rushed towards the study, urging Li Mu to find the portrait.
Holding the portrait in her hand, she looked at it again and again, and the more she looked, the more she felt it resembled the portrait.
She said that when she met Bai San Niang today, she felt inexplicably familiar.
It turns out that the eyebrows and eyes of the person in the portrait bear some resemblance to those of the Bai family.
Could it be that Bai Shi is the current Bai San Niang?
Did Marquis Anping meet Bai San Niang at the opera troupe today?
"Ke'er, what's wrong? Did you find something?"
Li Mu pressed for an answer, puzzled.
Li Nanke raised his head, his expression one of surprise and uncertainty.
"Father, I saw someone at the temple fair today..."
She recounted the story of Bai San Niang.
Li Mu was utterly shocked. "You mean Bai San Niang might be the Bai family from over twenty years ago? That's impossible, isn't it?"
This portrait of me was drawn by my neighbor from memory, so it might differ from the real person.
Li Nanke: "Is it really just a coincidence that my grandfather and Bai San Niang both appeared in the opera troupe at the same time?"
She instinctively didn't believe it.
"Regardless, this is a potentially useful lead, and we should follow it."
Li Mu also strongly agreed.
Li Nanke went to find Huang Sheng.
"Master Huang, how much do you know about the Chen family of Quanzhou? Have you ever heard of Bai San Niang, the matriarch of the Chen family?"
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