Chapter 205 Xiaobao's Identity (Two Chapters in One)
Zhao Shiqing sighed. No matter whether it was a dream or a life that Xiao Zhen had really experienced, it was all from Xiao Zhen's perspective. Xiao Zhen didn't know her, and of course didn't know Niu Qiu, so she didn't know what happened to Niu Qiu and Xiao Bao in the end.
Xiao Zhen told Fatty Si to go to the Beijing government office to inquire about the news, and he took action immediately. Dazhuang went to inform Fatty Si. Two hours later, Dazhuang came back and brought back the news that Fatty Si had inquired about.
It has to be said that it is easier to get things done if you have money, especially for someone as versatile as Fatty Si. There are people in almost every government office who do things for him for money.
Da Zhuang said, "That day, the Ministry of Revenue officials indeed brought in four kidnappers, including the rickshaw driver. These four kidnappers were already registered in the Beijing government, and the one carrying the load even had a warrant for arrest. So there's no need to worry about this case. The Beijing government will definitely sentence them severely. Miss Xiuxiu is from a good family, but based on this alone, these four will also receive forty lashes of the cane. Add to that their previous crimes, even if they don't get beheaded, they can be beaten to death with the cane."
Zhao Shiqing frowned slightly. Although these four people deserved their punishment, Zhao Shiqing still felt that it was a bit of a coincidence.
There is no doubt that these four people wanted to kidnap Xiuxiu, and there is no doubt that Xiuxiu cried for help and was rescued by the Ministry of Revenue officials, but this was too coincidental.
With a lot of questions in his mind, Zhao Shiqing returned home. Well, Zhao Tingluo hadn't left yet. His eyes were red and swollen, but he had already become brothers with Niu Qiu.
However, Loach was very timid. Even when Zhao Tingluo called him brother, he didn't dare to agree.
My God, who would dare to agree? This man is the grandson of Prince Fu and the great-nephew of the retired emperor. Anyone who can be called brother by him is either a royal family member or a noble. He, Little Loach, is just a poor child abandoned in a muddy pond. Living in Prince Liang's Mansion for a few days is the greatest fortune in his life.
Zhao Shiqing understood it at a glance. Xiao Luoluo was too enthusiastic and Niuqiu couldn't adapt.
She quickly helped Niu Qiu out of the predicament and said to Zhao Tingluo, "Xiao Luoluo, are you sure that Xiaobao is your brother?"
This time, Zhao Tingluo did not correct the nickname. He said with a smile: "Although I haven't seen Xiaobao yet, I have a hunch. My intuition tells me that this is my brother. I will tell my mother when I get home, and then we will go to Liangdi together to bring Xiaobao back."
Zhao Shiqing looked at Niu Qiu: "You have no doubts?"
Loach was stunned: "What doubts?"
He used to think that Xiaobao was a child from a wealthy family, but he never thought that he would be so wealthy.
Oh my God, this is Prince Fu’s Mansion!
Xiaobao is the young master of Prince Fu's Mansion. He can just lie down and do nothing, and he has no worries about food and drink. How wonderful it is.
Zhao Shiqing knew what Niuqiu was thinking. Niuqiu himself was an orphan, and he adopted Xiaobao in the hope that Xiaobao could find his family. Now someone came to find him, and the conditions were so good, Niuqiu wished he could send Xiaobao to enjoy a good life immediately.
Zhao Shiqing no longer counted on Niqiu. She said to Zhao Tingluo, "Have you been looking for your brother all these years?"
Zhao Tingluo nodded: "Yes, I have been looking for it."
Zhao Shiqing said, "Xiaobao had been living in the capital before. All the neighbors knew he was an adopted child. Prince Fu's mansion is rich and well-connected, so how come they didn't hear any news?"
Zhao Tingluo looked confused. Yes, why didn’t he find out?
Zhao Shiqing asked again, "You said your family was looking for someone, how did they do it, and who arranged it?"
Zhao Tingluo hurriedly said, "My mother, her companions have been looking for my brother."
Zhao Shiqing sneered: "In other words, the people who are really looking for your brother are not from your Fuwang Mansion, but your mother's family?
Where's your father, your grandfather, your grandmother, and your uncles? Didn't they look for him? Why not? Your brother's last name is Zhao."
Zhao Tingluo was stunned and sighed: "Ever since my brother was lost, my father and mother have become enemies, no, more like enemies than enemies.
Let me put it this way, my father has a scar on his neck, which was cut by my mother with scissors. My mother wanted to avenge my brother, so she sneaked into my father's room in the middle of the night and wanted to kill my father. My father wanted to send my mother to the clan house, but my grandfather suppressed her and beat my father.
Later, they met face to face at home, but neither of them paid any attention to each other.
Let’s not talk about them anymore, let’s talk about my family.
About three years ago, my grandfather found out that Aunt Gu had an older sister. The couple had been away from home for many years, but suddenly they brought back a little boy, saying that he was born outside. The child was raised by the mother-in-law, and then they left again.
My grandfather found out about this and felt something was wrong, so he ordered someone to bring the child back.
My mother took one look and said that this was not my brother.
But a blood test between my father and the child proved that the child was my father's biological child.
In addition, the child's age and the time when Sister Gu and her husband sent the child back all matched my brother's. Most importantly, the child looked very similar to our family members, so my grandfather made the decision and recognized the child.
During this time, my mother kept making a fuss. She said that the child was not hers, but when asked why she thought so, she couldn't explain.
During that six months, my mother scolded my grandfather and my grandmother because of this child. In short, my mother offended the whole family."
When Zhao Shiqing heard this, a thought flashed through his mind. The young master of Prince Fu's Mansion has not been found until now, which means that the child is fake.
But it can be tested by blood test, and he looks like a family member, so...
"Is that child your father's concubine?" Zhao Shiqing asked tentatively. Little Luoluo is a smart person and should not be angry.
Zhao Tingluo nodded with tears in her eyes: "The child was born to my father and Aunt Gu's sister. He is two months younger than my brother."
Zhao Shiqing......
"How did you find out?" Zhao Shiqing was extremely curious.
Zhao Tingluo: "I found out. Humph, if I can't find this out, I've lived in vain! My mother doesn't like that kid, and I thought it wouldn't work this way, so I wanted to find more evidence to convince my mother that this is my brother.
Yes, I thought that was my brother at that time.
But after much investigation, I discovered that my father and Aunt Gu's sister were also having an affair. Ahhhhh, I still get angry when I think about it now."
Zhao Shiqing didn't ask him how he found out. As the know-it-all of the Forbidden City, how could he not find out about his own affairs?
But that was three years ago, when he was only seven years old.
Zhao Shiqing almost cried. What was she doing when she was seven years old?
Still running all over the mountain.
As expected, before coming to the capital, she thought she was smart, but after coming to the capital, she realized that she was just not stupid.
Zhao Shiqing asked, "So, did you, Prince Fu's Mansion, decide to keep this a secret, acknowledge the child, and register the child under your mother's name?"
Zhao Tingluo nodded heavily: "Yes, that's what they did. They used both soft and hard tactics to get my mother to recognize the child. My mother refused and even went to the emperor to ask him to judge the matter. So they had no choice but to give up.
But since then, no one in the palace has come to look for my brother again. The only one who is still looking for him is my mother, who lives in the palace's inner chambers."
Zhao Shiqing asked again: "Where is that child? Is he still being raised in the mansion?"
"Originally, I wanted to keep him in the mansion, but my uncle came over and made a scene. He said that if I wanted to keep him in the mansion, I had to break an arm or a leg. Otherwise, he would make the matter public. It's such a big handle. Let's see if anyone is interested."
Zhao Shiqing couldn't help laughing. It must be so difficult for Prince Fu to survive until now. Using a wild child with an unknown background to pretend to be a royal family member, isn't this like handing a knife to someone else and letting them stab him?
Zhao Tingluo continued, "After my uncle caused a scene, the child was sent away. I checked and found out that he's being raised in a farm in Longshuling, but he hasn't been registered in the Imperial Book of Documents yet."
"If your brother is found, life in the mansion won't be easy, right?" Zhao Shiqing asked.
Zhao Tingluo firmly denied it: "Of course not. I'm here. I'll take him to the palace with me. While he's still young, I'll let him walk around the palaces and make himself familiar to everyone. Then he can act like a spoiled child in front of the Empress. Humph, I'll see who dares to bully him in the palace."
Zhao Shiqing patted his shoulder and said, "How about this, you can take him back, but if he doesn't live well in the mansion, or if he doesn't want to stay there, don't force him. I have two mountains, I have a village, and yes, I have many houses. I can afford to support him."
Loach was listening on the side and was already anxious. It turned out that Prince Fu’s Mansion was so terrible. Would his Xiaobao be bullied if he was found?
Hearing Zhao Shiqing say this, Niu Qiu immediately said, "And I can also support him for the rest of his life!"
Zhao Tingluo suddenly felt very ashamed, for himself, for his father, and for his family.
If it weren't for his mother's insistence, that bastard would have replaced Xiaobao and would have become the legitimate descendant of Prince Fu's Mansion, enjoying the glory of the royal family.
Thinking of this, he couldn't wait to go back and tell his mother the good news.
"Don't worry, I'm here, Mom is here, and Uncle is here. We will never let Xiaobao suffer any injustice!"
After saying that, he ran away. He wanted to go home and tell his mother that his brother was still alive, really alive!
Interrupted by Zhao Tingluo, Zhao Shiqing forgot about asking Xiuxiu about that matter. She had heard too many things today and was a little tired. She dozed off while combing Xiaoyao's hair. Lingbo made the kang and she couldn't wait to lie down on it. She fell asleep almost as her head touched the pillow.
At her age, she can eat and sleep well.
Early the next morning, before Zhao Shiqing got up, Yan Xia's long-time servant Walnut came to pick him up.
Zhao Shiqing was woken up by Ling Bo. She rubbed her eyes in a daze and then remembered the appointment she had made with Yan Xia.
But you didn’t say yesterday that you would go early in the morning.
Ling Bo deftly changed the clothes that Walnut brought for her. Zhao Shiqing finally woke up from her nap, did some manipulation on her face, and transformed herself into a servant of the Duke of Wei.
In the carriage, Zhao Shiqing met Yan Xia.
It was the first time she saw Yan Xia riding in a carriage.
"Brother-in-law, why are you so early?"
Yan Xia explained, "Lord Xu is a cabinet minister, and his residence is always guarded. Today is the first day of the lunar month, and all officials in the capital must enter the palace. Those who like to guard the various residences are all wandering around the palace right now. If we go there at this time, we will miss them."
Zhao Shiqing understood. As for those who liked to wait in various mansions, she had also seen them. Even outside the deserted Prince Liang's Mansion in the capital, there would occasionally be some.
Lord Xu's mansion looked unremarkable from the outside. It was just an ordinary three-courtyard official residence. Yan Xia took Zhao Shiqing and Walnut in through the back door. A teenager came out to greet them. From the conversation between Yan Xia and him, Zhao Shiqing knew that the teenager was Lord Xu's second son, Xu Bo.
Moreover, Zhao Shiqing also discovered that Xu Bo seemed to admire Yan Xia very much, with a pair of sparkling eyes. If he were not a man and Yan Xia did not have any special hobbies, Zhao Shiqing would have fought a vixen for her sister.
"Brother Yan, can you take me with you next time you go out on business? As long as you are willing, my father will definitely agree."
"Brother Yan, when are you going to get married? Oh, can't you just not get married? What's so good about getting married? It will only slow down your progress."
Zhao Shiqing thought this person was too noisy, but fortunately they soon arrived at their destination for today.
However, Zhao Shiqing never expected that Lin Xian was not staying in the guest room, but in Xu Bo's room.
Xu Bo: "My father said that this man is very important, so he let him live with me. I am about the same age as him. If someone really comes to kill him and accidentally identifies the wrong person and cuts me with a knife, his life can still be saved."
Zhao Shiqing twitched the corner of his mouth. This Second Young Master Xu was also a character. After all, there were not many people who could come up with such brilliant ideas.
Xu Bo continued, "Oh, Brother Yan, you don't know how annoying Lin Xian is. At first, he asked me who he was and where he was ten times a day. I told him, but he forgot. After a while, he kept asking. I taught him countless times before he finally remembered."
Soon, they met Lin Xian.
Yan Xia winked and asked Walnut to pull Xu Bo out. Even after the door was closed, Xu Bo's voice could still be heard.
Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "This Second Master Xu is a chatterbox."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Lin Xian looking at her.
His injuries had not yet healed, and he was lying flat on the bed. Yan Xia walked over, helped him up, and let him lean half on the big pillow.
Zhao Shiqing sat down on the small stool beside the bed and said, "Do you still remember your name?"
Lin Xian: "The young man who just left said my name is Lin Xian and I'm a scholar."
Xu Bo didn't know him at all before, so this was all he could tell Lin Xian.
Zhao Shiqing said, "You're from Wu. Your ancestral home is in Zhushan'ao, Qinglu County, Luzhou Prefecture. Zhushan'ao is surrounded by bamboos. The village is small, with only about twenty households, but every household knows how to weave. Sitting on the hillside, the mountain breeze rustles the bamboo branches, and the sound of weaving echoes. You grew up in this environment until later, when you went to study in Baifeng City, a hundred miles away."
Lin Xian looked bewildered: "A hundred miles away? That far?"
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