Chapter 148
Zhao learned that the soldiers had withdrawn, and when he rushed over, he saw that the lights in the room were still off.
In order to prevent the mother and son from being found by the soldiers, he personally took them to the dark room under the inn and only let the restaurant manager come here to deal with the matter.
Seeing that there was still no movement in the room, he did not dare to push the door open and just bowed outside the door and said, "Sir, the search officers and soldiers have left."
From inside the house came the heavy sound of a stone chamber opening, along with a muffled sound, like something hitting the stone wall heavily.
Zhao Wen stood outside the door with his hands clasped, feeling puzzled but not daring to be curious about anything, and just waited quietly for the call from inside.
After a while, the door was finally opened. He glanced at it calmly and found that Marquis Wu'an and General Yun Hui looked normal, but the Marquis was wearing a mask again, probably for the convenience of going back later, while General Yun Hui looked a little cold.
After just one glance, Zhao Wen quickly lowered his head and said, "It will be the fifth watch in half an hour. The carriage has been prepared at the door of the inn as the Marquis ordered before."
As he spoke, he glanced toward the door, and immediately a maid came in with clothes, placed them respectfully on the table, and then quietly retreated.
Zhao asked, "These are clothes prepared for the marquis and the generals."
In order not to reveal the identities of Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng in front of outsiders, he always called them nobles. Only when there were no one else around did he use their official titles as a respectful title.
After Zhao Wen left, Xie Zheng took off his outer robe, picked up the clothes on the tray, put them on, tied the leather belt and changed. He glanced at Fan Changyu and said with interest, "I'll go out and wait for you."
After the door opened and closed, Fan Changyu picked up another set of clothes from the tray and gritted her teeth.
That person is born in the year of the dog!
As they kissed, he began to bite her with his teeth, wishing he could eat her alive.
When she took off her outer robe and changed into her guard uniform, the flickering candlelight revealed the porcelain-white skin under her neck, and the two extra red marks on her collarbone were particularly glaring. Further down, there was another mark that was half-hidden by the collar of her inner garment, which inevitably aroused people's reverie, whether there were similar marks in the skin that was completely covered by the clothes.
-
Fan Changyu dozed off in the carriage all the way back to Jinzouyuan, and didn't even glance at Xie Zheng when he entered the gate.
Xie Zheng watched her back as she walked away among the guards in the carriage and smiled silently.
He seems to have pissed someone off?
But since they separated at the farm in the suburbs, they had only seen each other yesterday. He felt that the little benefit he had gained was far from enough.
-
Fan Changyu worked as a thief all night. After returning home, he simply washed up and fell asleep. When he woke up, it was almost noon.
After she finished her breakfast and lunch, someone came from Tang Peiyi's place and said that he wanted her to go over there for something important.
After changing into clothes suitable for meeting guests, Fan Changyu went to Tang Peiyi's yard.
As soon as I entered the room, I found that He Xiuyun and Zheng Wenchang were also there, but they all looked very unhappy.
When Tang Peiyi saw her coming, he ordered his attendants, "Prepare a seat for General Fan."
The waiter in the room brought a chair and placed it next to He Xiuyun. After Fan Changyu sat down, he asked, "Did something happen in the court again?"
Tang Peiyi slapped the table hard and said angrily, "Wei Yan is simply too arrogant. He just beat a wanted criminal to death yesterday, and now he dares to break into the Dali Temple prison and kidnap people at night! Does he think that the whole world belongs to the Wei family?"
Fan Changyu was drinking the tea brought by the waiter. He was almost choked when he heard the words. He coughed several times before he recovered.
Facing the gazes of Tang Peiyi, He Xiuyun, and Zheng Wenchang, Fan Changyu felt guilty for a moment, then put the teacup heavily on the table and said with an honest face, "This is really too much!"
The three of them then withdrew their gazes.
He Xiujun glanced at the faint dark circles under Fan Changyu's eyes and suddenly asked, "General Fan, did you not sleep well last night?"
Fan Changyu was not a good liar. He picked up the teacup in front of him and continued drinking to cover up, saying, "Well, I read a military book before going to bed. I didn't understand many of the offensive strategies in it. When I studied it carefully, I forgot the time."
He Xiuyun became more curious after hearing this: "What kind of military book could make General Fan so enchanted?"
Thanks to the fact that she had really read the military books that Xie Zheng had given her a few days ago, she could say without blushing or beating her heart: "I'm ashamed. I read the "Wei Liaozi" annotated by the Duke of Wei in the previous dynasty."
Although Xie Zheng added many new insights to that annotation.
He Xiuyun said "No wonder" and said with a smile: "The Wei Liaozi annotated by Duke Wei is now a unique copy. It is no wonder that General Fan has been so obsessed with this precious book that he has forgotten to eat and sleep."
Fan Changyu didn't know much about the origins of these military books and strategies. He didn't expect that Xie Zheng would hand him such a valuable book. He was so surprised that he said "I'm sorry" several times to He Xiuyun.
Fearing that he would continue to ask, she quickly looked at Tang Peiyi and asked, "Have you confirmed that it was Wei Yan's people who hijacked the prison? Was this matter discussed at the court this morning?"
Unexpectedly, when Tang Peiyi heard her question, he turned his head away and sighed heavily.
Zheng Wenchang said, "The Dali Temple and the Wucheng Bingmasi teamed up to search overnight, but they didn't find any evidence. This morning, the son of Minister Han was hanged in his own room with his tongue cut out and his eyes gouged out. Minister Han cried bitterly in the Jinluan Palace and begged Your Majesty to make a decision, saying that his son must have been killed by Wei Yan because his son had an argument with Wei Xuan two days ago. But they didn't get any evidence, so they couldn't convict Wei Yan of the crime."
Fan Changyu's eyes changed immediately.
Wei Xuan had an argument with the son of Han Shangshu's family and beat him up. She knew about it when Zhao Qu reported it to Xie Zheng last night.
But she had never expected that the son of Minister Han would be hanged in his room with his tongue cut out and eyes gouged out last night.
With such cruel means, was Wei Yan announcing to all the civil and military officials in the court that he, as a powerful prime minister, had not reached the limit of his power?
Tang Peiyi smiled bitterly and said, "The imperial power of Dayin has long been in name only... The current emperor... ah..."
Although he didn't say much, everyone present knew what he was about to say.
Qi Sheng was nothing more than a puppet helped by Wei Yan to sit on the throne. He was still counting on Wei Yan to help him keep the throne, so he would never punish Wei Yan.
He Xiuyun thought of his father's death, and his hands on the table unconsciously clenched into fists: "If the Li family really finds the descendants of Prince Chengde..."
Tang Peiyi interrupted him immediately: "Zi Fu."
Zifu was He Xiuyun's pen name. He kept silent.
Even if the one sitting on the dragon throne was just a monkey, as long as he put on the dragon robe, he would be guilty of treason and would be guilty of the heinous crime of exterminating his entire clan.
Tang Peiyi changed the subject and said, "Okay, this competition with Wei Yan has not yet come to an end. The war has been intense in the past few years, and the treasury is empty. The palace has sent a message that the celebration banquet will be combined with the annual banquet. You all should not go out today. Someone from the palace will come later to measure your clothing sizes."
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Fan Changyu was worried all the way back.
When the Li family impeached Wei Yan, Xie Zheng said that Wei Yan must have a backup plan. Now at this critical juncture, he dared to order his men to directly kill the son of a third-rank official in the dynasty. His actions can be said to be cruel and arrogant.
Did he realize that the Dali Temple could not obtain evidence and therefore could not convict him, or was he really so crazy that he would not take it seriously even if the Dali Temple had witnesses and evidence in their hands?
If it is the former, it means that Wei Yan is still cautious in his actions.
If it is the latter... Wei Yan has been lying in wait for so long, his plan is bound to make people daunted.
Zheng Wenchang came out a step behind her and called out to her, "General Fan, please stay."
Fan Changyu paused for a moment, turned around and asked, "General Zheng, is there anything wrong?"
Zheng Wenchang was taciturn but had a hardworking character. Among He Jingyuan's disciples, his appearance was not the best, but because of his hard work and honesty, He Jingyuan was quite interested in him.
He said shyly, "Excuse me, I would like to borrow General Fan's copy of Wei Liao Zi annotated by Duke Wei for a day."
As if he was afraid that Fan Changyu would not finish reading this precious book, he hurriedly said, "It is ok to borrow it for one night. I will finish copying it and return it to General Fan tomorrow morning."
Now that he had said this, there was no reason for Fan Changyu to refuse to lend it.
She said, "Okay, I'll have someone deliver the book to General Zheng's yard when I get back. The general doesn't have to rush to return it to me. Just take your time transcribing it."
Rare copies are valuable, and people of the time often copied them and circulated them for reading.
After hearing Fan Changyu's words, Zheng Wenchang felt as if a huge stone had fallen from his heart. He thanked him and then went back with a beaming face.
Fan Changyu went back, found the book in the room, and asked Xie Wu to deliver it to Zheng Wenchang.
Coincidentally, the maid from the palace who came to measure her clothes and make her court robes also came. Fan Changyu opened her arms and let them measure with a tape measure, but she found that this was different from the way the tailors measured her when she usually made clothes.
The maid from the clothing department measured me as meticulously as possible, from the forehead to the ankles, and even the area under the ribs.
After measuring her feet and neck, Fan Changyu guessed that she was going to make official boots, but as for the circumference of her head, she was a military commander and didn't need to wear an official hat, so why would she measure her head?
Fan Changyu was a straightforward person and asked immediately.
The maid in charge of taking the measurements was a serious person, but she did not dare to show off in front of Fan Changyu, a third-rank general, and said respectfully, "General, you have a second-rank imperial robe that needs to be made, and this headband is for making a phoenix crown."
The headdress that matched the imperial robe worn by the lady was a phoenix crown inlaid with pearls and jade.
If Fan Changyu was still a lady of the imperial court, the emperor would not have granted her an imperial decree. However, she had previously married Xie Zheng in a fake marriage, which was recorded in the Ministry of Revenue. She also personally admitted in the Golden Palace that she had a husband, so she was granted an imperial decree.
Knowing the purpose of the measurement, Fan Changyu stopped asking questions and continued to measure the size with the help of the nanny.
After measuring each area, the nanny would whisper to the maid beside her to write it down on paper.
Changning was taken to the side by Aunt Zhao to watch, her eyes sparkling and her face flushed with excitement.
After the people in the palace took the measurements and left, she ran over and threw herself into their arms: "Are they going to make new clothes for my sister?"
Fan Changyu said: "It is court dress."
Chang Ning didn't quite understand, so he held her waist with both hands, raised his head and continued to ask: "What is court dress?"
"It's the clothes you need to wear when meeting the emperor."
Chang Ning said "Oh" and then asked, "Can Ning Niang see the emperor?"
Aunt Zhao laughed and said, "You are just talking nonsense, girl. Not everyone can see the emperor. Only high-ranking officials can see him."
Chang Ning said "Oh" with some disappointment, and then asked: "Then can Ning Niang become a high-ranking official?"
Fan Changyu squatted down and touched her head and said, "Not yet, but if Ning Niang studies hard, when you grow up, maybe women can also become officials."
Having come to this point, Fan Changyu not only wants to find out the truth behind Jinzhou and clear her grandfather's name, but she also wants to add a clause to the "Da Yin Law" so that women can inherit their parents' property and start their own business.
The one who almost pushed her and Chang Ning into despair was the Fan family, who relied on the law to try to occupy the house left by her parents.
She is a resilient person. No matter how many bumps and twists there were along the way, she managed to get through them step by step. However, there are many orphans in this world who have not been able to make it through.
Chang Ning seemed to be encouraged by Fan Changyu's words, and immediately started to shout again: "Sister, sister, please hire a teacher for Ning Niang, Ning Niang wants to study!"
When Fan Changyu has free time, he can teach the two little guys, but when he is busy, he can't take care of them anymore.
She thought that the palace would not allow them to be transferred out for a while, so she said, "Okay, I'll find you a husband tomorrow."
Chang Ning's smile almost reached her ears. She pulled her sleeve and shook it: "Sister is the best!"
When Fan Changyu saw Changning jumping and skipping to find Yu Baoer to tell him the good news, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.
Just then, Xie Wu came back with some books, so Fan Changyu said to him, "Xiao Wu, please look around the capital to see if there are any suitable teachers. I want to hire a teacher for Chang Ning and Bao Er to teach them how to read and write for the time being."
After a pause, he added, "There is no need to invite those famous and knowledgeable teachers. The two children are still young. It would be a waste of talent to invite such teachers."
Xie Wu agreed to all of them, but his expression was a little subtle.
Fan Changyu then noticed that he was holding a book in his hand. She asked in confusion, "General Zheng didn't want it?"
Xie Wu said, "No, the son of Li Taifu gave you a few military books with annotations, and you showed them to the generals under you. This book was passed to General Zheng. I just went to deliver the book, and General Zheng asked me to take it back, saying that it was returned to you."
Fan Changyu couldn't help but frown. She had almost forgotten that Li Huaian had given her the military book.
Those military books were indeed given as a reward to her subordinates, but Zheng Wenchang was a stubborn person. He probably felt bad for borrowing books from her again, so he returned the book.
Fan Changyu didn't take it seriously and said, "Forget it, just put it on the shelf over there."
Xie Wu walked in with the military books and glanced at the books on the shelf that Fan Changyu often read. Among them were the Four Books that Xie Zheng had annotated for her at the beginning, as well as the military books that he annotated for her later.
Xie Wu hesitated for a moment, picked a spot in the corner, and placed the military book annotated by Li Huaian on it.
-
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the New Year's banquet.
What Fan Changyu heard from Tang Peiyi every day was still the Wei faction and the Li faction arguing endlessly in the court, each holding their own opinions.
However, with the shock of the tragic death of Minister Han's son, no one, from the court to the common people, dared to openly criticize Wei Yan again.
Xie Zheng had to start preparing to sneak into the cold palace on the night of the palace banquet and kidnap the housekeeper of Sui Mansion from the Dali Temple. During this time, he was also secretly investigating the whereabouts of Master Tao. He was too busy to spare time, and various forces were keeping a close eye on him. During this period, he only sneaked into the Jinzouyuan to see Fan Changyu once and brought her a dagger that could cut through iron like mud as a gift.
On the night of entering the palace, Fan Changyu's left eyelid kept twitching for some reason.
Xie Zheng had made many plans for this event, and Fan Changyu was afraid of any accidents, so he tied a small boning knife to his left leg and a dagger that could cut through iron like mud to his right leg before leaving, thinking that even if something happened, he would have a weapon to defend himself.
After she gave Changning and Yu Baoer a big red envelope to commemorate the New Year, she got on the carriage to the palace with Tang Peiyi and others, under Changning's eager gaze.
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