Chapter 203: Hero Yan is angry (two chapters in one)
People who were born and raised in Beijing, even if they are just ordinary people, have a sense of belonging to the prosperous city.
For example, Aunt Ji.
Even though her family has never produced a Jinshi in the past 18 generations, this does not prevent her from looking down on young officials from other places.
Just like now, she was standing in front of Yang Shengqiu, but not timid at all.
"My daughter is not a criminal, so this gentleman had better avoid her. Confucius also said that men and women should not touch each other. Although our family is small, we are a decent family with good status!"
Yang Shengqiu never expected that even today, when he had already become an official, he would still be mocked in the street by an old woman speaking in Beijing dialect.
If it were the sons of noble families, would she dare?
Aunt Ji: Don’t mention it, I really don’t dare. Not to mention the sons of nobles, she wouldn’t even dare to do that to the sons of officials who have been doing business in the capital for many years.
But for these small officials who have just arrived and have no background or connections, she dares, she is very bold.
At worst, you can sit on the ground, or lie down. Who’s afraid of who?
Yang Shengqiu observed the man's expression and knew at a glance that this was a difficult person.
He quickly explained: "Auntie, you misunderstood. I just wanted to save you the trouble of going to the yamen again, so I asked a few more questions. I hope you can forgive me."
Aunt Ji rolled her eyes: "Are you done asking questions now?"
Yang Shengqiu: "I'm done."
Aunt Ji: "Sir, take care. I won't see you off."
Yang Shengqiu: This seems to be on the street, not your home.
But he said nothing more and got into the sedan chair and left.
Looking at the official sedan chair going away, Xiuxiu said to Aunt Ji, "Aunt Ji, please don't be so aggressive next time. Look how embarrassed Yang Zhuangyuan is."
Aunt Ji glanced at her and suddenly realized, "I was wondering why this pretty boy looked familiar. So he's the top scholar. I saw him the day he was paraded through the streets. Oh my, it seems being the top scholar didn't do him very well. He doesn't even have a mentor, and he has to come here in person to be questioned."
The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Xiuxiu was stunned. Yes, it was just a few insignificant questions, but Yang Zhuangyuan actually came to her in person to ask.
Could it be that Yang Zhuangyuan recognized her?
Do you know that she is from the Zhen family?
When Yang Zhuangyuan came last time, he said that the old man had done him a favor, so it was okay for him to give him some face.
However, when Xiuxiu thought that Yang Zhuangyuan still remembered her, her cheeks flushed slightly.
Aunt Ji sent Xiuxiu to the door of her home and left in a hurry. She lived in a large courtyard in Shihui Hutong. Two tenants had moved out before the New Year, and someone wanted to come and see the house today.
Xiuxiu returned home and looked around. Only Zhang Ye was doing his homework. The elementary school started late and would not start until after the Lantern Festival.
Xiuxiu found Wan Ruyi in the kitchen again, and saw all kinds of hedgehogs, rabbits and pigs on the chopping board, all of which were made of dough.
"Aunt Ruyi, where are the others? The second young lady is not at home, and the old master is out too?"
Wan Ruyi smiled and said, "Grandpa went to walk his bird, and the second young lady and the others are all out. I don't know what they are doing. Look at this puppy I made. Does it look like Xiaoye?"
Xiuxiu originally wanted to talk to the second lady about Yang Zhuangyuan, but Zhao Shiqing was not at home, so she had no choice but to wash her hands and knead the dough with Wan Ruyi.
At this time, Zhao Shiqing was sitting in the Duke of Weiguo's mansion.
Wan Ruyi's mind was on the things she liked. She just knew that Zhao Shiqing had gone out, but she didn't notice anyone coming to look for Zhao Shiqing. That's when Zhao Shiqing went out.
The one who came to see Zhao Shiqing was Yan Shiyi: "Brother Abao, my eldest brother is treating, let me treat you."
Zhao Shiqing's eyes lit up. Yan Xia's treat? He even asked Yan Shiyi to come all the way to treat her. This definitely meant more than just eating and drinking.
"Okay." As soon as the words fell, Zhao Shiqing was stunned.
She looked down at her feet wearing embroidered shoes. Haha, Yan Shiyi suddenly came to her house, and she forgot to dress as a man.
"Brother Abao, don't be embarrassed. I have known for a long time that you are a girl. My ninth brother also knows it." Yan Shiyi said.
The corners of Zhao Shiqing's mouth twitched: "Yan Jiu also knows? You have already seen it?"
Yan Shiyi: "Brother Tingluo noticed it, and he told us."
Okay, Zhao Shiqing understood. Smart kids are really hard to fool. It turned out that Zhao Tingluo had already seen that she was a girl, but they just didn't say it out loud and watched her continue to pretend to be a man in front of them.
"Okay, wait a minute, I'll go change my clothes."
Zhao Shiqing changed into men's clothes and went to the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion with Yan Shiyi.
Before going out, she took Lingbo with her and also took a pickled goose and put it in a basket.
"Brother Abao, my eldest brother asked if you could find Master Zhen. If you can, bring him along."
Zhao Shiqing was stunned. She didn't expect Yan Xia to also look for Xiao Zhen.
"Okay, but I'll have to take my chances. I don't know if he's there."
Coincidentally, Xiao Zhen was at Su's Tea House and got on the carriage of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion.
The group passed by Prince Fu's Mansion and took Zhao Tingluo with them.
Seeing Zhao Tingluo, Zhao Shiqing's heart moved, and she said to Zhao Tingluo: "I want to ask you something later. I'm afraid I'll forget it, so I'm telling you in advance."
On the way, Zhao Shiqing found out that the Duke of Wei and his wife were not at home today. There was a happy event in the wife's family, so the couple took their youngest son back to her parents' home, leaving the two older ones behind, and would not be back until the day after tomorrow.
So now the Weiguo Mansion is the world of Yan Xia and Yan Shiyi.
When they arrived, all the brothers of the Yan family who were over eight years old, that is, the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, as well as Yan Ten and Yan Twelve, were there. In addition to them, there were also the brothers Zuidaishi.
I could hear laughter from a distance.
Xiao Shiyi: "There are only two old people here, my eldest brother and Brother Zhen, and we are all children."
Yan Xia......
Xiao Zhen......
Yan Xia said, "I've been busy all December, and only today did I have time to invite everyone over for a get-together. Don't be shy, there aren't too many rules."
Before he finished speaking, the brothers of Breaking Big Stone started cheering, and the Yan family members were not willing to be outdone, so they simply picked up a copper basin and started banging it.
"Don't miss it if you're passing by. Come and see how the heart breaks the stone..."
Amidst the cheers, Yan Xia invited Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing to the study.
"Brother-in-law, is there any progress in the case of Prefect Huang Mingtai?"
Zhao Shiqing intuitively felt that Yan Xia wanted to talk to them about the case of Prefect Huang, not the case of Lin Xian.
Sure enough, Yan Xia nodded.
"Thank you for reminding me, I was able to conduct a targeted investigation. Now the case has been solved, and the relevant criminals have been imprisoned."
Xiao Zhen asked, "Is it the Second Prince's faction?"
Yan Xia said, "The news of the Second Prince's death may not be announced until after the first month of the lunar year."
Zhao Shiqing gasped: "The Second Prince...died just like that?"
Yan Xia said, "After the first month of the lunar year, the Second Prince might have died of a sudden illness, or he might have fallen off his horse. In any case, he wouldn't have had his neck broken."
Yan Xia paused and said, "When Lu Gan arrived at the Second Prince's residence to arrest the man, he was already dead."
Zhao Shiqing said solemnly: "Break your neck?"
Yan Xia: “Yes.”
Zhao Shiqing: "Could it be that besides the Second Prince, there are other people behind the case?"
Yan Xia shook his head. "No, I've investigated this case thoroughly. Initially, the Second Prince only wanted to plant his own people, but Feng Ke's disciples got involved, and things got out of hand. Prefect Huang's brother was murdered, and the case was about to reach the capital. The Second Prince simply took advantage of the situation and set a trap for the Third Prince to jump in, shifting the blame onto him."
Zhao Shiqing understood: "In other words, the Second Prince was the mastermind behind this. There was no one else behind him, but why was he killed?"
Yan Xia smiled bitterly: "This case has been closed. I have nothing to do with it. But I feel depressed and want to talk to someone."
Xiao Zhen, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up: "You have guessed the cause of the Second Prince's death, right?"
Yan Xia remained silent, but Zhao Shiqing looked at Xiao Zhen in surprise: "You know? He knows too? You all know? Could it be..."
She suddenly thought of an answer, her eyes widened in disbelief, looking at Xiao Zhen, then at Yan Xia: "Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, could it be..."
Xiao Zhen: "Don't you think this technique is very similar to Shanmen?"
Of course they were similar. Zhao Shiqing felt a pang of pain in her heart. Her parents and her grandmother all had their necks broken.
"But he is his son after all..."
Xiao Zhen sneered: "If he can kill his own brother, why can't he kill his own son? He doesn't have to do it himself."
Yes, to him, it’s just a word, and someone will make the arrangements.
"But why? The Second Prince committed a serious crime, so why use assassins? Hey, last time the Fourth Prince framed the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, he just beat them up and sent them to reflect on their mistakes. And Prince Jing also made mistakes, but he is still alive. They are all guilty, so why must the Second Prince be killed?"
Xiao Zhen's voice was cold: "What he really cares about is not the fratricide, but his sons escaping his control.
In the past, the princes framed each other, which shook the interests of each prince. To put it bluntly, it was the status of the son in the father's heart. In his view, these were all tricks he had used a long time ago and were within the scope of his control.
Although Magistrate Huang was not a high-ranking official, Mingtai Prefecture was a higher-ranking prefecture and was of great importance. For that man, this was already shaking his country.
The second prince's hand reached too far and his attack was too ruthless, making the man feel threatened. This was beyond his tolerance limit for his sons, so the second prince must die.
The Second Prince's "death" severed his connection to the case. Once the implicated thugs were brought to justice, the focus would be shifted to the murder of Wang Feihu's wife and daughter. The Third Prince would then be freed from the case, because it was the unjust case of Prefect Huang that had ensnared him, not the murder of Wang Feihu's wife and daughter.
Zhao Shiqing felt like she understood, but it seemed like she didn't. She looked at Yan Xia and said, "Brother-in-law, did the emperor really ask you to investigate the case of Wang Feihu's wife and daughter?"
Yan Xia smiled bitterly, "Master Zhen is right. The Emperor did order me to apprehend Wang Feihu's father and brother. This case must be brought to justice. A warrant has been issued for their arrest. Even if they flee to the ends of the earth, they must be brought back to justice."
Zhao Shiqing was silent.
Indeed, Wang Feihu's father and brother are both beasts. They deserve to be put to death, and it is only right that they be arrested and brought to justice.
However, the emperor wanted to use this case to cover up the truth that the second prince had used a knife to kill someone else and removed the local prefect. Moreover, the greater the impact of this case, the more likely it would be that the third prince's mishandling of the case would be left unresolved.
Zhao Shiqing felt a chill down her spine. No wonder Yan Xia felt so depressed. She would feel the same if she were in his place.
"Brother-in-law, Wang Feihu's father and brother are worse than beasts. It's unjust for them to escape the law. It would be a good deed for you to capture them."
Yan Xia nodded: "Yes, I will definitely bring these three beasts to justice."
Zhao Shiqing took the opportunity to ask, "Are you leaving Beijing again? How's Lin Xian's case going?"
Yan Xia said, "The arrest warrant has been issued. I will leave the capital only if I have a clue. Lin Xian has woken up, but unfortunately he has lost his memory."
Zhao Shiqing was shocked: "Amnesia? Brother-in-law, this is really not something you saw in a storybook? I thought amnesia only existed in storybooks."
Thinking of something, she added, "That wasn't amnesia. I was still young, and it's normal to forget things from childhood."
A smile appeared on Xiao Zhen's lips. This little girl is so interesting.
Yan Xia confirmed again: "It's not the storybook, Lin Xian has indeed lost his memory, he can't even remember his own name.
However, the imperial physician examined him and said that this condition was only temporary. He was suffering from a shock, coupled with excessive blood loss and a persistent high fever. This had happened before, but not long after, the man gradually remembered. I hope Lin Xian can also remember who hurt him."
Zhao Shiqing asked the heavens speechlessly, how could such a thing happen?
"Can I meet Lin Xian? Maybe I can help him remember something."
Yan Xia thought for a moment and then agreed: "He is now at Lord Xu's house. You can't go there directly, lest you arouse Lord Xu's suspicion. Then you can pretend to be my servant and I will take you there."
Zhao Shiqing didn't expect that Lin Xian was actually at Lord Xu's house. She knew that Lord Xu, an official from the Ministry of Justice, was an old sly man who had never been involved in anything.
I didn't expect that this old fox would not be afraid of trouble and actually hid the witness in his own home.
Perhaps guessing what she was thinking, Xiao Zhen said without waiting for Yan Xia to explain, "Lord Xu is the only elder in the cabinet who has not taken sides, so his presence in the cabinet is very low."
In the previous life, the court was in turmoil. After the death of Yan Xia, Lord Xu, who had no one to use, remained firmly in the Ministry of Justice. Everyone knew that he was slacking off, and the emperor also knew that he was slacking off, but no one could find any evidence against him. He had always protected himself very well.
Yan Xia didn't expect that Master Zhen actually knew Lord Xu. Today was his second formal meeting with Master Zhen, not counting the palace banquet.
He asked Zhao Shiqing to bring Master Zhen here today because he wanted to make friends with him. Master Zhen was involved with the princes, and he originally despised such people. But Master Zhen was Zhen Wuduo's godson, and he also treated Zhen Wuduo's granddaughter as a brother, which made Yan Xia very interested.
Moreover, Zhen Wuduo's godson is related to Zhao Yunnuan, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is her mother's family. In this case, of course he has to maintain a good relationship with her.
It’s not easy to get married these days, and Hero Yan is no exception.
But he didn't expect that Zhen Gui was so good at judging people.
But for some reason, he always felt that Zhen Gui was somewhat familiar, as if he had known her for a long time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com