Chapter 181 Miss
Shen Anan then stood up again and walked out under the guidance of the maid.
"Has your master always lived here?" she asked casually as she admired the scenery of the mansion along the way.
The maid shook her head. "No, this is just one of the master's many mansions, for merchants to stay. The master's home is in Nanzhou City."
Nanzhou City? Didn't she ask Uncle Zhong to investigate the hometown of the Jiangnan woman favored by the Emperor?
Shen Anan raised her eyes and looked at the maid, her face expressionless, "Is your master's hometown from Nanzhou City?"
"Not really." The maid smiled politely, "I settled there later to do business."
But where is her hometown? The maid pursed her lips and didn't say anything.
Shen Anan nodded, "But Nanzhou City is not rich in Jiangnan, why would your master choose to settle there."
She spoke nonchalantly, as if she was just curious. The maid lowered her head and smiled faintly, and didn't say anything more.
"It's just around the pavilion ahead. It's dark and the road is slippery, so go slowly, girl." She spoke in a soft voice that was very comfortable to listen to.
After walking for a while, they arrived at the banquet hall under the guidance of the maid. At this time, Shen Anan was the only one there, and the others had not come yet.
"Wait a moment, young lady. My master should be burning incense in the small Buddhist temple."
Shen Anan raised his eyebrows.
Small Buddhist shrines are not only set up in families with elders to eat vegetarian food, chant Buddha's name, and pray for longevity. This is the first time I've heard of someone setting up a Buddhist shrine at such a young age. It's quite fresh.
"Okay." She didn't ask any more questions and sat down in the room.
Shen Yunbai is a businessman. Maybe it is because businessmen care about these things, so it makes sense that he believes in ghosts and gods.
Maids and servants came and went, putting food on the table. Shen Anan took a quick look and found that the food was similar to what Shen Yunbai had eaten on the boat.
While he was thinking, Li Huaiyan and Qingfeng walked in. After a slight bow, they sat down next to Shen Anan.
Qingfeng didn't want to sit down at first, but was pulled by Li Huaiyan.
“When you’re out, don’t be too polite and don’t let anyone notice anything.” Shen Anan spoke, and he sat down stiffly.
At this time, Shen Yunbai, wearing a brocade robe, also appeared. After bathing and changing clothes, he no longer looked disheveled and became a humble and handsome young man again.
"Time is tight and the kitchen doesn't have time to prepare a big meal. I'll have to bear with it."
Li Huaiyan exchanged a few polite words with him.
Shen Yunbai walked past Shen Anan, and she smelled a strong smell of incense, the kind offered in the temple's furnace.
Shen Anan smiled faintly and said, "I heard from the maid that Master Shen went to the small Buddhist temple. I never thought that Master Shen, who is so young, would believe in ghosts and gods so much."
Shen Yunbai paused for a moment, then smiled, "Miss, you misunderstood. It's not about worshipping gods, but deceased relatives."
To offer a tablet?
Shen Anan raised her eyes and glanced at Shen Yunbai, only to feel that this person was mysterious and unusual in every way.
Which family would place a memorial tablet in a house that is rarely visited?
But since he was here as a guest, Shen Anan did not continue talking. Shen Yunbai said a few polite words in a very graceful manner and invited everyone to have a meal.
Then, Shen Anan looked at the maid standing beside him again and began to pick and choose.
The most tender and delicious piece of each dish was cut and placed on Shen Yunbai's plate, and the people sitting here seemed to be there specifically to finish off the leftover scraps for him.
Li Huaiyan stared blankly for a while, and his face gradually turned purple.
Obviously, he also remembered the days in the boat room.
Shen Yunbai picked up the fish piece and put it in his mouth, then made a gesture to the maid, who immediately walked to Shen Anan and Li Huaiyan and picked up food for them in the same way as before.
In a dish of drunken goose, only the fist-sized piece of meat was edible. Qingfeng lowered his head and looked at the large piece of fish meat on the chopsticks.
“…”
Finally, he stuffed it into his mouth with a wooden face.
Li Huaiyan, "..."
Shen Yunbai was very busy. He could only squeeze out time to have dinner with Shen Anan and the others. He ate a few bites in a hurry and left.
Li Huaiyan's stomach was not even half full, and he was really unwilling to eat the food that had been picked over. He muttered, "Does that kid have a mine at home?"
I don’t know whether there is Shen Anan or not, but it is definitely not a simple person.
"Send someone out to inquire about the Shen family tomorrow. We don't know much about them, so be careful these two days."
Li Huaiyan nodded and looked at Qingfeng, "How was the trial of the living person?"
Qingfeng frowned, "According to him, the bandit leader Lao Ba's real name is indeed Gu, but his full name is unknown."
"A surname is not enough to prove anything." Shen Anan frowned and thought, "If we say that the people who know the most about it should be the government, let's observe for two days and see what attitude the government has towards the bandits before making the next plan."
When I left the banquet hall, I was already deeply exposed.
After wandering on the road for several days, Shen Anan was indeed very tired. She just stood in front of the window, looking at the unfamiliar environment, and her heart was empty.
"Miss, are you thinking about your husband?" Mo Xiang said after making the bed.
Shen Anan said nothing, closed the window, sat down on the couch, and asked, "Is there any news about Uncle Zhong?"
"Yes, Uncle Zhong sent a letter. There were so many people around just now that I didn't dare to tell anyone." She pulled out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Shen Anan.
I also leaned over to take a look.
Shen Anan glanced at the wax seal on it, then tore it open and took out the letter.
After quickly reading it, Shen Anan frowned and clenched the letter into a ball in his hand.
Mo Xiang knew what Uncle Zhong was doing. She was very surprised and said in a low voice, "Uncle Zhong means that the emperor and that Jiangnan woman may have had a child?"
"It's hard to say." Shen Anan gave the letter to Mo Xiang and asked her to burn it.
Uncle Zhong only found out that an unmarried couple from Nanzhou City went to Beijing to take part in the imperial examination. Later, the man failed the exam and there was no news of him. When his fiancée returned, she was holding a child and was dressed very luxuriously. It was said that she had married a powerful person in Beijing.
But no one knew the details, and Uncle Zhong just thought that the young couple met the criteria of the person Shen Anan was looking for.
"Whether it is or not, we need to continue investigating."
Shen Anan was a little tired, and leaned gently on the soft pillow. Mo Xiang said distressedly, "Otherwise, the girl should go back. With the son-in-law here, he will definitely help the girl achieve her wish. You don't have to work so hard."
"But he's working just as hard, even harder than me." Shen Anan rubbed his temples.
The situation in the capital was unpredictable, and he was also walking on thin ice in it. It was good for her to leave, at least she wouldn't hinder him because of her, especially in the fierce game between him and Xiao Ze.
Her presence might cause him trouble.
She asked Moxiang to spread the paper and grind the ink.
Uncle Zhong said in the letter that after the couple disappeared, the brother of the girl surnamed Cao was suddenly promoted. If they wanted to investigate, Mr. Cao might be the breakthrough.
——
It was two days later when Xiao Yuan received Qingfeng's letter.
Ling Chenyi hadn't had a good rest for several days, and his eyes were red from staying up all night. "Now that a large number of officials under Xiao Ze have been removed from their posts, I think it won't take long before Xiao Ze can be completely kicked out."
He spoke for a long time but heard no response. He looked up and saw Xiao Yuan staring at the letter in his hand with a cold face, as if he wanted to poke a few holes in it.
"What are you looking at?" He took the letter from Xiao Yuan's hand and read it, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"Hey, Shen Yunbai, where did this toad jump out of? It's causing you trouble."
Xiao Yuan remained silent, his face looking gloomy and ugly.
That woman simply ignored his words and was not quiet at all.
Ling Chenyi was frightened by his low pressure and said half jokingly, "Don't worry, with Li Huaiyan and Qingfeng following us, nothing will go wrong. If it doesn't work, just -"
He made a motion with his hand on his neck, smiling playfully.
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and did not respond, but his mood was extremely gloomy, "Where were we talking about just now?"
"???Um?"
"How long will it take for the officials under Xiao Ze to completely collapse?" Xiao Yuan asked in a cold voice.
Ling Chenyi thought for a moment and said, "If we continue with the current progress, within six days, we will be able to completely capture Xiao Ze..."
"Master." Qing'an hurried into the study, his face serious, "The emperor is back."
Xiao Yuan and Ling Chenyi looked up at Qing An at the same time.
"When?" Ling Chenyi quickly stood up and asked.
"Just now, the sedan chair has returned to Fengtian Palace."
The atmosphere became stagnant, and the three of them had cold faces. The veins on Ling Chenyi's forehead jumped, "Uncle Emperor, what does this mean?"
He said he was going to recuperate his body and mind, but now that Xiao Ze was about to be defeated, he suddenly came back to take control of the situation?
Isn’t the bias a little too obvious nowadays?
Xiao Yuan's eyes were filled with a thick darkness, and his lips raised a mocking arc, "I guess he couldn't sit still anymore because he saw that Xiao Ze couldn't bear it anymore."
I thought he had let go completely and really wanted the two brothers to have a fair duel to determine who was better.
Now he used the same old trick again, "Ling Chenyi, tell me, if I was the one at a disadvantage, would he still rush back?"
Ling Chenyi sat back down, unable to utter a word.
Originally, victory was in sight and would be settled within half a month. But now...
"If he protects Xiao Ze, I'm afraid we will end up with nothing again."
A thick black light flashed from Xiao Yuan's eyes. "Since I have already taken action, how can I let him have another chance to turn the tables?"
"Let the spy in the palace pass a message to Duan Mengmeng, and then stage a live sex show for my good father."
Ling Chenyi frowned, "That alone is probably not enough to kill Xiao Ze."
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes calmly, "Then kill the king. This will definitely stop him from thinking about Xiao Ze."
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away." After Ling Chenyi left, Xiao Yuan leaned back in his chair tiredly.
Now it seems that the time to find her can only be postponed again, and all his efforts and hard work have been in vain.
It’s a good thing now. The situation in the palace is complicated and turbulent. She will be safer outside, away from the emperor’s control.
He can plan without distraction.
During the Lantern Festival, all parts of Daliang were very lively. Shen Anan had spent many Lantern Festivals in Jiangnan, but this year was particularly bleak.
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