Chapter 146
Seeing that Xie Zheng didn't answer, Fan Changyu looked up at him in confusion: "What's wrong?"
Xie Zheng took the small sack with a subtle expression and said, "Nothing."
This scene is just too familiar.
In the distance, the sound of horse hooves and chaotic footsteps could be heard, and the officers and soldiers from the Dali Temple began to search the streets.
Fan Changyu didn't dare to let his guard down for a moment, he carried the man on his shoulders and said, "We have to leave here quickly!"
It was late at night, the streets were under curfew and every household had their doors closed.
The sound of the carriage wheels and the clatter of the horses' hooves were too obvious in the silent night. In order to make it easier to escape after the jailbreak, they did not take a carriage or ride horses on this trip.
If the officers and soldiers from the Dali Temple catch up with us on horseback, it will be difficult to get rid of them.
Xie Zheng held the child with a sack on his head in one hand, put his index finger to his lips and blew a whistle, and the guards hiding in the dark jumped down from the houses or trees.
Xie Zheng said calmly, "Go and lead the pursuers away."
Several bodyguards were also wearing night clothes and carrying a large burlap bag on their shoulders. It looked bulging and no one knew what was stuffed inside. Upon hearing what was said, they formed groups of two and quickly left in the direction where the officers and soldiers were chasing.
Fan Changyu was stunned: "You have a backup plan?"
Xie Zheng said: "I can't let you take risks without a foolproof plan."
The words "a foolproof plan" made Fan Changyu feel inexplicably guilty.
Both of them are generals who deploy troops. Compared to them, it seems that I have lost to him.
Although her original plan was very thorough, who could have expected that the old man in the prison would suddenly shout and attract the soldiers outside?
What we fear on the battlefield is this kind of mistake.
Seeing that she suddenly blushed and stopped talking, Xie Zheng thought that she was suddenly shy. He couldn't help but look at her for a second longer. He felt a little numb in his heart, and the feeling as if there were ants biting his heart during the day came back again.
He quickly looked away and said, "Follow me."
When Fan Changyu followed him through many twists and turns and turned into an alley, he saw Dali Temple officials and soldiers on horseback passing quickly on the street outside with torches.
From a distance, I could hear them shouting, "The jailbreakers are running towards the east of the city! Chase them!"
"My Lord! My Lord! General Yuan Qian said that two men in black were seen running away with people on their shoulders in Wuliu Alley in the north of the city, Jinluo Alley in the south of the city, and Shunkangfang in the west of the city!"
"Damn it! How many smoke bombs have been set off for me? Separately chase them, one of them must be the real one!"
…
Amid the cursing of the officers and soldiers, Xie Zheng knocked on the back door of a house in a dark alley.
An old man opened the door. When he saw Xie Zheng, he bowed and respectfully led them in without asking any questions.
Fan Changyu noticed that in the rooms he passed through the corridor, there were plaques with the words "天地玄黄" hung on the doors, and he thought to himself that this should be an inn.
After being led to a private room that was clearly different from the other guest rooms, and after the old man left, Fan Changyu asked, "This looks like an inn. Is this your place?"
Xie Zheng replied: "It is a business under the name of the Zhao family."
Fan Changyu was secretly shocked, thinking that the owner of the Zhao Family Bookstore had too many businesses.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Xie Zheng said, "The Zhao family of Xiling made their fortune from the tea business. During the reign of Emperor Chengzu, the Zhao family was even granted the title of imperial merchant. Later, their prosperity turned to decline. Although they have fallen, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse."
Fan Changyu nodded in acceptance.
For some reason, the woman with her head still covered couldn't help but tremble when she heard Xie Zheng talking about the Zhao family.
Xie Zheng frowned slightly, reached out and took off the sack on the woman's head. His black eyes were particularly cold and attractive in the dim candlelight: "Do you know Zhao Xun?"
The woman's mouth was still stuffed with cotton cloth. Her face turned pale when she heard the words. She just shook her head violently, but tears were almost coming out of her eyes from fear.
At this moment, a young man's voice came from outside: "I heard that you came to visit me late at night. I am sorry for being so rude. I hope you can forgive me. I have something to tell you. Is it convenient for you?"
Fan Changyu recognized the voice as Zhao Wen and couldn't help but look at the woman.
"Think about it before answering."
Xie Zheng's cold voice echoed in this small room, as if it was a long time ago.
The house has good sound insulation. Unless you speak louder inside, people outside can hardly hear you.
The woman nodded anxiously with tears in her eyes.
Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng looked at each other. They were surprised by the result, but after careful consideration, it seemed reasonable.
-
Zhao Wen stood outside the house for less than half a minute before the door opened.
He was able to take over the Zhao family at such a young age and secretly spread the Zhao family's business throughout Dayin. He must have some ability. He didn't even look up after entering the house. He just glanced at them with the corner of his eyes, then smiled slightly and bowed to Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu with some respect: "Hello, two nobles."
Xie Zheng didn't like to be polite, so he asked directly: "Do you know this woman?"
Zhao Wen was startled, raised his head and carefully looked at the mother and son sitting beside the bed with a sullen look for a moment, then he curved his lips and said to Xie Zheng, "I recognize them."
Xie Zheng raised his eyelids slightly, indicating that he should continue.
Zhao asked, "When I was working for the eldest grandson of the emperor, I often went in and out of the Changxin Palace. On the surface, I naturally had to do some business with the Sui family, and I had to manage personal relationships. Zhao had had a few drinks with the steward of the Changxin Palace and met this young woman in his house. This young woman is the daughter-in-law of the steward of the Changxin Palace, and her husband is the long-time attendant of Sui Yuanqing."
Fan Changyu frowned and looked at the woman: "The attendant who was beaten to death in broad daylight is your husband?"
The woman nodded with red eyes.
Fan Changyu originally thought that the old man who suddenly shouted during the jailbreak was afraid that they would harm Sui Yuanhuai's concubines, so he shouted to protect his master. Now he vaguely guessed some of the hidden truth and asked, "Is the old man who called the soldiers in the prison your father-in-law?"
The woman was so scared that she just nodded, her tears soaking her cheeks.
Fan Changyu's brows furrowed even deeper.
It is no wonder that this woman was sent to die as a substitute for Yu Qianqian. Even if she did not want to be a substitute, she and her child would not be able to escape death because of the relationship with her husband's family.
She asked, "What do you know about the Sui family?"
The woman raised her tearful eyes. It was obvious that she had suffered a lot on the way to Beijing. She was thinner than when Fan Changyu first saw her in the Lucheng prison. Her eyes looked unusually large and filled with tears, making her look even more miserable and pitiful.
She probably recognized Fan Changyu as the one who brought her food and clothes in prison, and she said with tears in her eyes, "Miss, I am just a woman, a slave of the Sui family. After I married my husband, I stopped working for the Sui family. How would I know what the men are doing?"
It seems that nothing can be learned from this woman, but the old man is the steward of the Changxin Palace, and he must know a lot about the Sui family.
Keep the mother and son, and find a chance to kidnap the old man later. With the grandson as a clue, I think we can get something out of the old man.
Fan Changyu looked at Xie Zheng, who did not ask any more questions. He only said to Zhao, "The whole city is under martial law tonight. It is not convenient to take the mother and child away. Is it convenient for them to stay with you for the time being?"
Zhao Wen readily agreed: "Of course it's convenient. You can come and pick me up anytime."
Xie Zheng nodded slightly, and Zhao Wen walked to the door and stroked his palms. A moment later, the old man came again.
Zhao Wen ordered: "Take the mother and child in the house downstairs first, and send more people to keep a close eye on them."
After the woman was taken away, Zhao Wen bowed and said to Xie Zheng, "You asked me to keep an eye on the Wei Mansion. Wei Yan has been sick for several months and has stayed at home. The hawks and dogs raised in the mansion rarely go out. However, his son Wei Xuan has caused a lot of trouble. Recently, he had a fight with the son of Minister Han in the Jingque Tower."
This was not the first or second time that Wei Xuan and his friends had fought over who was the leader of the group, but Xie Zheng remained indifferent.
Zhao Wen also noticed this, and then he quickly added the next sentence: "I heard that it was the son of Han Shangshu's family who was disrespectful to the prime minister's wife."
Hearing that it was about Madam Wei, Xie Zheng raised his eyes slightly.
Madam Wei has a very low presence in the entire Wei Mansion. It can be said that if it weren't for Wei Xuan, who has been causing trouble since childhood, Xie Zheng would almost forget about his aunt.
She fasted and chanted Buddhist scriptures all day long and never left her own courtyard. The servants in the mansion rarely mentioned Madam Wei. Why would the boy from Shangshu Han's family suddenly become disrespectful to her?
Xie Zheng asked, "What's going on?"
Zhao Wen paused for a moment, as if he didn't know if it was appropriate to say those words. "There are many impeachments against Wei Yan in the court now. There are rumors that Wei Yan's tenure as prime minister has come to an end. Some playboys said that after the Wei Mansion was confiscated, Wei Yan did not keep concubines and dancers, and did not recruit new people in the Ministry of Education. There was no future for him. Some gossipers mentioned Madam Wei, saying that Wei Yan has only kept one wife for 20 years and has not taken concubines. I think Madam Wei is still a beauty even though she is middle-aged..."
Xie Zheng's face was already somewhat ugly. Zhao Wen had already started the conversation, so he had no choice but to continue: "The son of the Shangshu Han family, when he was drunk, joked that Madam Wei was not as pretty as the servants in his house. She was able to marry Wei Yan because she was still a girl and went to the barracks to find Wei Yan. She got pregnant and became Madam Wei. She was able to tie Wei Yan down for more than 20 years. Her skills must be extraordinary..."
As he finished speaking, cold sweat broke out on Zhao Wen's forehead.
Xie Zheng asked, "How did Wei Xuan beat him?"
His voice was calm, as if he didn't care about the matter.
Zhao Wen replied: "It is said that four of his ribs were broken and one of his legs was fractured. Han Shangshu Yang said that he would report Wei Xuan to the emperor."
Xie Zheng uttered two words coldly from his thin lips: "Idiot."
Minister Han was attached to the Li family and dared to criticize Wei Xuan because he knew that Wei Xuan would not dare to bring those disrespectful words about Madam Wei to the court.
Zhao Wen pondered over these two words, and for a moment he was unsure of Xie Zheng's attitude towards Madam Wei, so he could only remain silent.
Logically speaking, Xie Zheng and Wei Xuan are incompatible, so he should not be in a good mood towards Madam Wei, right?
But Xie Zheng just said coldly: "Back off."
After Zhao Wen left, Fan Changyu asked, "Are all the rich young men in the capital so mean?"
Xie Zheng raised his eyelids and looked at her: "Are you speaking up for her?"
Fan Changyu said: "Wei Yan is a treacherous minister who has done all kinds of evil, and Wei Xuan is not a good person either. But even if Madam Wei is a woman with a treacherous heart, she can be scolded by the world for being bad and vicious, but she should not be humiliated with such words. It seems that no matter what mistakes a woman makes in this world, she must be labeled a □□ to feel relieved. But the father and son of the Wei family have done so many evil things, why don't others slander them like this?"
Xie Zheng lowered his eyelashes and said nothing.
Fan Changyu looked at him and said, "I see that you are not very happy either. Is Madam Wei very nice to you?"
Xie Zheng replied: "Not good, but not bad either."
In the past he hated Wei Xuan. Whenever the family sat together for dinner, the only time during the New Year, and he saw Mrs. Wei's bodhisattva-like smile, he would think she was hypocritical and disgusting.
But many years after leaving the Wei Mansion, he occasionally received one or two winter clothes she had sewn in the north, and he realized that Madam Wei seemed to be really unaware of what Wei Xuan had done to him.
When Fan Changyu heard Xie Zheng's answer, he frowned slightly, thinking that since he knew that Xie Zheng had lost his mother at a young age, perhaps he had received some motherly love from Madam Wei when he was young.
But because of what Wei Yan did to his parents, that hatred is bound to never go away.
She rolled up her sleeves and said, "Why don't we go beat up that Shangshu Gongzi before it gets dark?"
Although he had never met her, Fan Changyu admired her deeply for the girl from an official family who dared to go to the army to look for Wei Yan before she even left the palace.
Xie Zheng's dark eyes slowly turned towards her.
Fan Changyu blinked, ready to make a move: "If a son is not well-disciplined, it is the fault of the father. That so-called Shangshu has the nerve to impeach him. He doesn't look like a good guy. He must have allowed his son to bully men and women a lot. Why not just beat him up so that he can't even attend the court!"
The author has something to say:
Xie·Melancholy Beauty·Zheng: Not very happy.
Street Fighter Changyu (rolling up his sleeves): Unhappy? Who made you unhappy? Let's go and beat him up!
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