Chapter 69: Not a Good Person
Meeting Xie Jinyu's eyes, Zhao Hu spoke calmly, "I have a hidden illness and have no children. My brother has few offspring, and my only son died early, leaving only this daughter."
Zhao Hu stared at Su Cheng with a determined look, "If I find her, I will definitely take her home to inherit the family business and recognize her ancestors."
The courtyard was quiet for a moment. Su Cheng met his eyes, smiled nonchalantly, and returned his purse. "It seems that you two are not just passing through here, but have come to look for me on purpose. I have had my tea, please."
Zhao Hu's face flashed with surprise, and then his brows frowned even tighter, "You don't want to?"
Although the Zhao family wasn't a century-old family, they were still a noble family. Just by looking at the clothes he was wearing, it was clear that they were wealthy. Yet, she flatly refused...
Is it possible that the capital city is not as good as this small village?
"I'm not the person you're looking for. I'll treat you to tea. Goodbye." Su Cheng didn't want to get involved in other people's karma. The jade bracelet wasn't hers, so her life story naturally couldn't fall on her.
Unfortunately, she is not a pushover and will not reveal Yao Suer's whereabouts.
That woman plotted against Cuicui and had a black heart. How could Su Cheng help her live a good life?
"You..." Zhao Hu's face turned cold. He was about to explode when he suddenly remembered something. He suppressed his temper and pushed the purse and jade bracelet back to her. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he said patiently, "I will stay in Pingchuan Town for a month and then return to the capital. If you change your mind, feel free to come find me."
"Don't pawn this jade bracelet anymore. It's worth far more than thirty taels of silver."
After he finished speaking, Zhao Hu slowly stood up and left the Xie family yard. Shao Dong behind him hurriedly put down his teacup, bowed to Su Cheng, and caught up with his master.
After the Xie family closed the gate, Shao Dong cautiously began to persuade them, "Sir, if you want to inherit the family business, you'd better adopt a member of the royal family. Her mother was raised outside. If you bring her back, it's hard to say whether she will be successful. Her reputation... is probably tainted."
"My eldest brother died young, and I was injured on the battlefield when I was young. Those side branches are eager to make a move and have long been unable to restrain their desires. Recently, several families brought their children to hang around me, and their intentions are obvious."
Zhao Hu looked back at the Xie family, his lips curled up slightly, "From the moment I saw her, I knew she was not an easy person to deal with. She is not afraid of me, nor is she afraid of those relatives from the side branches."
"If I can bring her back and raise her under my name, claiming she's my biological daughter from outside, it will not only quell the rumors about me in the capital, but also help suppress the side branches. Since she has Zhao blood, even if that concubine leaves my eldest brother and marries someone else, she's still a member of the Zhao family and won't change her race."
Shao Dong was puzzled. "If she doesn't appreciate it, what will you do?"
Zhao Hu's eyes were deep, revealing an emotion that others could not understand. "She is not a fish that can be kept in a pond. A small puddle cannot support a big fish. Sooner or later, she will come to me for help."
"But...handing over the family fortune to a concubine's daughter..." Shao Dong was so anxious that he kept scratching his head, his voice a little hoarse, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Zhao Hu just curled his lips and smiled, then fell silent.
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"Mom, what is a concubine?"
Xie Cuicui couldn't understand what the adults were saying, so she sat on the stone bench and swung her little feet.
Xie Jinyu reached out and rubbed her head, messing up the little girl's hair into a mess, then smiled with a mischievous look, "Children are not allowed to ask questions."
"Third Uncle is bad!" Xie Cuicui slapped his hand away and turned to grab the purse on the table. "This purse is so bulging, how much money can it have?"
"At least twenty or thirty taels." Du Heng was secretly shocked, with the corner of his mouth curled down. "Although I have never seen this person, I hid in the house and listened for a long time. So much money for two cups of tea, it seems that this person has set his sights on Ah Cheng."
"He's most likely not a merchant. There are obvious calluses on his palms, indicating he's used to holding swords." Su Cheng threw the purse into Xie Jinyu's arms with a calm expression. "He doesn't say a single truth. I wouldn't recognize a man like him even if he were my biological father."
"My sister-in-law is very observant. He is indeed not a businessman." Yan Ci picked up the teacup beside him, which was steeped with tea leaves he had brought from his home. "The tall one is called Zhao Hu, and he is the Minister of War. There are indeed rumors that he was injured in the battlefield and has difficulty in having children, so he has not married yet."
"Zhao Hu?" Du Heng sat up straighter because the name sounded familiar. "The Imperial Hospital has records of him, so he's indeed useless. No wonder they're looking for the only bloodline left in the world from my eldest brother."
"But I always feel that things are not that simple." Su Cheng shook his head gently, his face solemn. "This Zhao Hu gives me a sinister feeling. When his eyes stare at me without blinking, I feel like there are several poisonous snakes crawling on my body. It's very uncomfortable."
"He's searching for his relatives across the sea, and it's definitely not for his eldest brother."
"Your Highness, there is news about Pang Shan." A masked man jumped out from the roof of the east room, tapped his toes a few times, and landed steadily beside Yan Ci.
The aroma of tea lingered on his handsome face. Yan Ci's eyes flickered as he whispered, "Just tell me."
"We listened to Mr. Xie and kidnapped Pang Shan's men and the people who had seen Pang Shan's true face. His men were all assassins. When they fell into our hands, they committed suicide by poisoning before we could interrogate them. However, we did interrogate one family and found some useful clues."
Yan Ci raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing a hint of interest, "Which one?"
"Gan Ping Zhou family, they are also cruel, they sent their own nephew, the Zhou family mistress took charge of this matter, and after several rounds of torture, he confessed, saying that he had heard women crying and screaming at Pang's house, and not just one. Zhou family mistress was suspicious, so she quietly followed and took a look. Those women were dragged out of Pang Shan's house, all naked."
"Your Majesty, Pang Shan might be a fake eunuch."
"Look, look, what did I say!" Du Heng was furious, his old face flushed red. "He must be the one who defiled the harem. No wonder he was so determined to take my life. He was so desperate to kill me. He ran all the way here... He's completely awful!"
Yan Ci's face was grim as he looked at his confidant, "Besides this, did you find out anything else?"
"Pang Shan raised a Saker Falcon. Every day at 1:15 PM, it would depart from Pang's house and fly towards the capital. At night, another Saker Falcon would return. I observed carefully and saw that the two birds were different sizes. Pang Shan used the two birds to report safety to the palace, one for each flight. If they tried to intercept it, they would surely discover it if the Saker Falcon didn't return in time, so I didn't dare act rashly."
Yan Ci curled his lips, a cruel look flashed in his eyes, "Could it be that I can't do anything to a eunuch?"
"It's just a bird. If he can raise one, why can't we?"
Su Cheng's words made everyone's attention fall on her.
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