Chapter 97 You are the murderer (two chapters in one)
"Thinking back to the time when I passed the imperial examination at the age of eighteen, who in Wu wouldn't say that the Zhong family had a successor?
My mother only gave birth to me as her son, and she specifically asked for a girl from the Shen family for me to marry.
Back then, I was as fearless as a newborn calf and went to the capital to take part in the imperial examination the following year.
Although I failed the exam, I was not discouraged. I originally wanted to come to the capital to see the world. I am still so young, and it would be bad for me to enter the officialdom too early.
I excitedly returned to Baifeng City to prepare for my wedding, but who would have thought that when I was almost there, I had diarrhea and could only walk and stop, thus missing the time to enter the city.
I am a descendant of the Zhong family. Normally, I could enter the city by simply talking to the city guards or giving them some silver. But that day, the city guards refused to make any concessions. In desperation, I had to go to my family's farm outside the city.
But on the way to the village, I encountered some bad guys. They didn’t want any money, nor did they steal the carriage. They just held me down, beat me, and kicked me hard…”
Zhong Zhanbo's face flushed red, he was filled with shame and anger, and he choked with sobs and couldn't continue speaking.
The person opposite was Xiao Zhen. He frowned slightly. He still remembered Zhong Zhanbo back then. He was young and handsome, with a good figure. He came to visit Zhong Zhanbo after arriving in the capital. An eighteen-year-old scholar was rare even in the capital.
"Can't it be cured?" Xiao Zhen asked.
Zhong Zhanbo nodded in shame and said, "My two servants were not seriously injured, so they sent me to the village. However, there was no doctor in the countryside. Therefore, it was not until the next day at dawn that the servants went into the city to report the news, and my father brought a doctor here.
I stayed in the village for three whole months. Although all my other injuries had healed, I could no longer be humane.
My grandfather and father kept this a secret. Apart from my mother, no one else in the house knew about it, not even my grandmother.
I originally didn't want to get married and wanted to cancel the Shen family's marriage proposal, but my mother refused. She hoped for a miracle.
I've been married to Shen for many years, but she's never been happy. The elders in the mansion don't know the truth and often mock her. Shen gives me face outside and doesn't say anything, but when she comes home, she takes her anger out on me. I... I've had enough of this kind of life!"
Xiao Zhen looked at Zhong Zhanbo silently. Compared to the first time he met him ten years ago, Zhong Zhanbo had gained two times more weight and even looked a bit feminine.
Although Zhong Zhanbo is no longer as good as he was when he was young, one can still see the shadow of his youth between his eyebrows.
However, the young Zhong Zhanbo is more similar to the current Zhong Ziyang.
Gong was already pregnant when she married Zhong Ziyang. Could it be that the two of them had the baby before they got married, and that Zhong Ziyang was not raising a son for someone else?
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain the fact that Zhong Zhanbo and Zhong Ziyang look alike.
Back then, Xiao Zhen ran away from home and went to Baifeng City to see Zhong Ziyang because Zhong Zhanbo looked like Zhong Ziyang, whom he had seen in his dream.
But if Zhong Zhanbo is Zhong Ziyang's biological son, then who was it that asked the midwife to spread the news? Wasn't it Zhong Ziyang who did it?
Xiao Zhen asked in a deep voice, "Do you know that your father has a mistress?"
Zhong Zhanbo was stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously: "No, my father is a man of high rank and dignity, why would he have a mistress? If he wanted to take a concubine, my mother wouldn't stop him. He doesn't have to have a mistress."
Xiao Zhen understood. It seemed that although Zhong Ziyang's wife Gong knew about his mistress, she did not tell Zhong Zhanbo.
Due to health reasons, Zhong Zhanbo seldom went out and just stayed at home studying. Therefore, he had no chance to hear the rumors outside. Or perhaps, these rumors were blocked by Zhong Ziyang and his wife and did not reach Zhong Zhanbo's ears.
Xiao Zhen asked, "You are an only child, you can't be without descendants, what are your plans?"
Zhong Zhanbo smiled bitterly: "Grandfather told me not to think too much, I think he wants to adopt me."
Hearing Zhong Zhanbo mention his grandfather, Xiao Zhen asked, "Are you close to your grandfather?"
Zhong Zhanbo: "My grandfather loved me very much. Even though I was already disabled, he still didn't give up on me."
It seems that this is all Zhong Zhanbo knows...
When Zhong Zhanbo woke up again, he was back in his bed. Over the years, he and Shen had their own bedrooms, and his servant was still sleeping soundly in the outer room. Zhong Zhanbo didn't know whether it was all a dream or reality.
When Xiao Zhen returned to the inn, he found that Zhao Shiqing was not asleep and was actually in his room.
Originally, Zhao Shiqing wanted to go with him, but Xiao Zhen didn't let her. The place he wanted to take Zhong Zhanbo was Hongxiu Tower, which was not a place Zhao Shiqing could go.
"Tell me quickly, what's going on?" Zhao Shiqing couldn't wait, and the little demon in her arms meowed anxiously. Both the man and the cat looked gossipy.
Xiao Zhen picked out what he could say and told Zhao Shiqing. As for Zhong Zhanbo's health, he didn't say anything. He didn't know how to tell the little girl.
But Zhao Shiqing is good at using his imagination!
"Zhong Zhanbo has become a eunuch?"
Xiao Zhen: "You can't say he's a eunuch. There's a difference between him and a eunuch."
Zhao Shiqing: "I understand. Although it's not purified, it's also useless. It can't be humane, right?"
Xiao Zhen: You know so much.
Zhao Shiqing actually wanted to know whether Zhong Zhanbo urinated while standing or squatting, but as a noble lady of the royal family, she had also learned the rules and regulations for women. She had learned everything that the noble ladies learned, but she had never put her heart into it.
There is no way. Her interests and hobbies are endless and she really can't spare more energy on this aspect.
Therefore, she knows what to ask and what not to ask.
Although I was extremely curious, I still endured it.
Of course, the first thing she did when she returned to her room was to ask Xiaoguai to help her find out.
The next day, Xiaoguai came back. In front of Xiao Zhen, the man and the bird huddled together and whispered. As for what they were talking about, only Zhao Shiqing herself knew.
However, Xiao Zhen also expressed his doubts, which were about Zhong Zhanbo's life experience.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Shiqing opened her mouth and said, "What if Zhong Zhanbo is Zhong Ziyang's younger brother or nephew? Would they also look alike?"
Xiao Zhen was stunned. No, what was Zhao Shiqing thinking about all day?
Zhao Shiqing: You must not have read the storybook!
Xiao Zhen took a deep breath: "Zhong Ziyang's wife, Xiao Gong, is the niece of the third old lady. It's impossible..."
Zhao Shiqing rolled her eyes: "You can go check it out."
Xiao Zhen actually went to investigate. Two days later, he came back and said to Zhao Shiqing, who was playing with a cat, "I found Xiao Gong's maid from back then. Everything you said was correct."
Zhao Shiqing suddenly became interested: "Ah, am I right? Then Zhong Zhanbo is Zhong Ziyang's younger brother, or nephew?"
Xiao Zhen looked at her and said, "Back then, the Third Old Lady had been married for many years without having any children. The Zhong family had an ancestral precept that one could take a concubine only if he was still childless after the age of 40. Therefore, although the Third Old Master was anxious to have a son, he did not take a concubine.
He secretly kept a concubine, who became pregnant, and the third old lady also became pregnant. The third old lady didn't know about this. It was not until Zhong Ziyang was fifteen years old that she learned that Zhong Ziyang was not her biological son, but the son of that concubine.
That year, she gave birth to a daughter, and her concubine gave birth to a son. The third old master bribed the midwife and took advantage of her coma after giving birth to replace the two children.
The concubine's son suddenly became the eldest legitimate son, but her biological daughter died on the same day after being moved out of the house.
After the third old lady found out about this, she unexpectedly learned that her sister-in-law was also involved in this matter. The mistress was a distant relative of her sister-in-law, and even her brother knew about it.
At that time, Queen Zhong was still alive, and the Zhong family was the Marquis Cheng'en Mansion, the Queen's family.
The Zhong family is the richest family in Baifeng City, and everyone wants to marry into their family.
The third old lady was very angry. She not only hated the third old master, but also hated her brother and sister-in-law.
She pretended to love her niece, and would invite her niece Xiao Gong to stay in her house every now and then. She originally wanted to marry her niece to Zhong Ziyang, and then she would control her daughter-in-law as a mother-in-law.
But she never expected that Xiao Gong was having an affair with her uncle, the Third Old Master.
When the third old lady learned about this, she drugged Zhong Ziyang and Xiao Gong respectively and made them sleep together. Then she deliberately caught them in the act, so Zhong Ziyang and Xiao Gong got married, and the third old man had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept this daughter-in-law.
The Third Old Master and Xiao Gong have been in contact for many years. Zhong Ziyang is a smart man and I think he knows this very well.
After Xiao Zhen finished speaking, Zhao Shiqing's eyebrows danced. This was the only thing that made her happy since she found her parents' bodies.
Gossip makes people happy!
It’s just that this gossip is a bit dirty.
Xiao Zhen's face was gloomy. In his previous life, he didn't know people well and didn't even realize that Zhong Ziyang had been lying to him from the beginning.
Zhong Ziyang had long known that Zhong Zhanbo was not his son, but his younger brother. Seeing that Zhong Zhanbo had a promising future, he hired someone to kill Zhong Zhanbo, and threatened Xiao Gong with the affair, tacitly agreeing to his mistress.
He had a child outside, so he spread the news and let everyone in Baifeng City know that Zhong Zhanbo was a bastard.
When the third old master was alive, he could only make small moves and didn't dare to act rashly.
As soon as the third old master died, he began to plan for the Zhong family's property. It was even possible that he was pretending to be not good at business, and in fact he pretended to lose money in business but secretly transferred the property behind the scenes.
Later, he hired someone to kidnap Zhong Zhanbo, intending to embezzle the 20,000 taels of silver that the Zhong family obtained from selling calligraphy, paintings, and books. However, he was accidentally rescued by the Xiao Zhen brothers, who helped him "silence the witnesses", wiped out the group of bandits, and rescued Zhong Zhanbo.
Thinking of this, Xiao Zhen wanted to slap himself.
Having such a sinister person around me, he deserved to die in his previous life!
As for the Zhong family, it is rotten from the root!
"I'm going to go out for a while."
Xiao Zhen turned to leave, but Zhao Shiqing stopped him; "Are you going to kill Zhong Ziyang?"
Xiao Zhen nodded. Just because Zhong Ziyang hadn't harmed him in this life, he wouldn't kill Zhong Ziyang.
The reason why Zhong Ziyang hasn't harmed him yet is, firstly, he hasn't given Zhong Ziyang a chance, and secondly, the time has not come yet.
Who says you can’t take revenge after a lifetime?
Revenge must be taken, no matter if it is in the past life or this life.
Zhao Shiqing: "I'll go with you."
Xiao Zhen: "This is a grudge between him and me, don't get involved."
Zhao Shiqing blinked: "You can't do this without help, I'll let Xiaoguai go with you."
Xiaoguai is her eyes, and Xiaoguai comes back to tell her the same thing.
This time, Xiao Zhen did not refuse. He really needed help, so he left Jiang Ping, Da Zhuang and others in Luzhou City.
In the evening, someone came to the back door of Zhong's house and handed him a handkerchief.
When Zhong Ziyang saw the handkerchief, he hurried out of the house through the back door and headed straight for the outer house located in the alley behind the inn.
His concubine was about to give birth, and the handkerchief belonged to her. Her name was Yan'er, so she liked to embroider swallows on handkerchiefs the most.
Yan'er is well-behaved and sensible. She would never go to him unless there was something serious.
"Is Yan'er about to give birth?" As soon as he entered the door, Zhong Ziyang asked the old woman who was serving Yan'er.
The old woman's face was filled with fear, and her voice was trembling: "Yes, yes, it's time to give birth, it's time to give birth."
Zhong Ziyang has always been cautious, but he cares too much about the baby in Yan'er's belly. He is so concerned that he doesn't think too much about the abnormality of the mother-in-law. He just thinks that Yan'er is about to give birth and the mother-in-law is worried.
He yelled at the woman, "What are you still standing there for? Go get the midwife!"
The old woman was eager to hide away, and ran out immediately after hearing the words. Just this morning, Yan'er discovered that she had stolen her gold bracelet, and said she would tell Master Zhong and have him hand her over to the authorities.
She is not stupid. If she doesn't run away now, when will she run away?
It would be best if the villain killed the couple, so that there would be no evidence to prove the matter of the gold bracelet.
Zhong Ziyang had already strode into the bedroom. As soon as he entered, he saw Yan'er tied up and gagged.
Yan'er looked at him expectantly with tears in her eyes.
Zhong Ziyang did not move because there was a knife across his neck.
"The friend just named a price, and Zhong asked his family to deliver..."
Before he could finish his words, a stream of hot liquid gushed out from Zhong Ziyang's neck. He was stunned and subconsciously wanted to cover it with his hand, but when his arm was raised halfway in the air, his body fell backwards.
......
Xiao Zhen looked coldly at Zhong Ziyang who was lying on the ground, walked to Yan'er, and slashed the rope on Yan'er with a knife.
Yan'er was very agile despite her big belly. She ran away and Xiao Zhen did not chase her. Yan'er ran out of the house and wanted to shout for help, but before she could make a sound, her hair was grabbed by someone. However, she soon found out that it was not a person who grabbed her, but a bird, a big bird!
Then the bird grabbed her hair and dragged her back, and she finally crawled back into the house.
It was not until she was dragged in front of Xiao Zhen that Xiaoguai let go of his claws and flew away.
Yan'er was so frightened that she lost her soul. It was not until Xiao Zhen stuffed the knife into her hand that she reacted. She subconsciously wanted to throw the knife away, but she heard Xiao Zhen say, "Kill him and I will spare your life."
Zhong Ziyang was still alive, and blood was gushing out of his neck.
He looked at Yan'er's belly. There was his son, his, his own child.
But the next moment, Yan'er used all her strength with trembling hands to stab the knife into his chest.
Xiao Zhen smiled slightly and said to Yan'er: "Remember, you killed him, you are the murderer."
After saying that, he turned and walked out.
Xiao Zhen walked to a corner, took off the blood-stained outer garment and handed it to Xiaoguai. Under the outer garment was a clean set of clothes.
Xiao Zhen returned to the inn wearing this outfit. He changed back into the human skin mask he usually used, opened the window, and waited with Zhao Shiqing to watch the fun.
A moment later, Yan'er ran out of the yard screaming. Her forehead was broken and blood was all over her face. Xiao Zhen whispered to Zhao Shiqing: "I didn't hurt her. She must have caused the wound on her forehead herself."
Zhao Shiqing: "How clever!"
Yan'er yelled in the alley: "Murder! Robbers! Help!"
The neighbors and the government officials came. Yan'er cried as she recounted the story, "Mr. Zhong came to see me today, but not long after, two men broke in and killed him. One slit his throat, and the other stabbed him. They also stole all the valuables from him. Mr. Zhong, you're gone like this. How can I live like this?"
"Do you still remember what the murderer looked like?" asked the man from the yamen.
"Remember. Even if I die, I won't forget. One of them has a big beard and a scar on his left cheek, and the other has a large blue birthmark on his right cheek. Oh, and one of them wields a knife, and the other wields a sword!"
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