Chapter 164 Meeting (Two chapters in one)
"Su Ji Tea Shop?"
Yan Xia looked at the plaque on the small building, then looked at the surrounding environment, and then he remembered the origin of this Su Ji Tea Shop.
This is a haunted house where several people died!
He was in the Ministry of Justice, so he knew about the case, but he only knew that the case had been solved long ago. As for what happened later, he didn't know, and naturally he didn't know who the current boss was.
A waiter was soliciting customers in front of the tea shop. When he saw Yan Xia, he was stunned. Although Su Ji Tea Shop's business was much better than before, it was still just an ordinary tea shop. Later, with the help of the versatile Sister A Ping, the tea shop had more wealthy customers, but most of them were women. Young men like Yan Xia, who looked extraordinary at first glance, were rare.
"Sir, please come in and sit down. It's dry and it's easy to get irritated. I have some cool-down tea in the shop."
Yan Xia nodded slightly and handed the reins to the waiter. The waiter was stunned for a moment before realizing that it was not because he was slow, but because Su Ji Tea Shop did not provide customers with the service of tying up or watering their horses.
He hurriedly took the reins, but he couldn't split himself, so he shouted inside: "A distinguished guest has arrived, come out to greet him!"
"Here I come!" A dark and thin young man ran out. Seeing Yan Xia, the young man grinned, revealing a mouthful of small white teeth. "Sir, please come in!"
Yan Xia is an expert in criminal justice. With just one glance, he can tell that the dark and thin young man in front of him is not a tea shop waiter at all!
The shoes worn by waiters in restaurants are mainly made of thousand-layer soles, and they pay attention to the idea of "walking up a hundred stairs a day without feeling tired". However, the shoes worn by waiters in shops like teahouses are mostly thin-soled. The waiters in the shops greet and see off customers all day long and their feet never touch the ground. Therefore, they all wear lightweight thin-soled shoes, which are light and convenient.
But the dark and thin young man in front of him was wearing a pair of brand new thousand-layer soles.
Also, although the guy just now was also smiling, his smile was flattering and humble, while the smile on this young man's face was sunny, confident, and relaxed!
Yan Xia remained calm and let the dark and thin young man take him upstairs.
The little eagle flew in from the second-floor window.
The second floor is decorated like a private room in a restaurant, but in fact it is just a teahouse. Even a teahouse is different. These private rooms obviously have other uses.
The dark and thin young man pushed open a door and said to Yan Xia, "Prince Yan, please come in."
Sure enough, even he knew that he was Prince Yan.
Yan Xia walked in without hesitation.
The room was decorated simply and elegantly. A young man was sitting at the table, making tea. A young man opposite him was reading a book with his legs crossed. He looked so engrossed that it was obvious that he was reading a storybook.
In front of the window on one side, a young girl with her back to him was feeding the eagle intently. The maid standing next to her was holding a cat in her arms.
And the eagle that was eating the dried meat was the one that led him here!
The dark and thin young man who led the way also followed into the house. He patted the young man who was reading the storybook on the shoulder and said, "Let's go out and buy some snowflake cakes."
The storyteller jumped up upon hearing this and was about to run out when the eagle-feeding girl and the cat-stroking girl quickly called out to him, "Two bowls! We want two too!"
"Okay!" The dark-skinned young man looked at the man who was making tea, "Master Zhen, do you want some?"
Master Zhen shook his head: "You guys eat."
The dark and thin young man looked at Yan Xia who was still standing there: "Brother Yan, do you want it?"
As familiar as if he were one of them.
Yan Xia was a little surprised, but replied with a smile: "I want a bowl too, no green and red shredded vegetables."
The eagle-feeding girl seemed to be reminded by him and said to the boy, "Add more raisins to my bowl."
The dark and thin boy grinned: "Raisins are very expensive, they cost extra."
The man making tea said, "Add more if you want. Just add whatever you want. It's my treat."
As he spoke, he took out a piece of silver and threw it over. The dark and thin young man reached out to catch it and smiled: "I'm rich, thank you, Master Zhen!"
After saying that, the two teenagers ran out.
The scene before him was leisurely and comfortable. Although they were strangers in a strange place, they felt very familiar, as if they had known each other for a long time.
The young man who made tea placed a cup of tea on the table and looked at Yan Xia: "Come, try the tea I made."
He looked at the girl who was feeding the eagle and asked, "Would you like one too?"
The girl shook her head: "I'm waiting to eat the snowflake cake."
The girl turned to Yan Xia and said, "Brother Yan, you'd better not drink tea. The sudden change of temperature can easily cause stomach upset."
The girl's voice was as clear and sweet as a yellow oriole singing out of a valley. For a moment, Yan Xia even suspected that he really had a little sister who had been lost for many years.
What the Yan family lacks is a girl. If they really have a little sister, she will definitely be praised to the sky.
Yan Xia sat down at the tea table, picked up the teacup and sniffed it: "I am a rough man and don't know much about tea, but this tea smells very fragrant."
The man making tea smiled slightly and said, "Prince Yan is too modest. My last name is Zhen, and I am Zhen Gui."
Yan Xia clasped his fists and said, "So you are the famous Master Zhen. I have heard of you for a long time!"
"My last name is Zhao, Zhao Shiqing." Zhao Shiqing pointed at the eagle feasting on its meal. "This is my precious child, Xiaoguai."
She pointed to the girl holding the cat and said, "This is Ling Bo, and the one in her arms is Xiao Yao."
It was the first time that Yan Xia saw someone introduce his own eagle and cat. He felt that everything in front of him was fresh and interesting. Moreover, he did not feel any malice. On the contrary, he felt very relaxed.
"Thank you for what happened last time."
Yan Xia didn't say what it was, but he knew that the girl named Zhao Shiqing would definitely know.
Sure enough, Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "You're welcome, it's just a small matter."
Yan Xia frowned slightly. Is this girl's surname Zhao?
"The girl's surname is Zhao, but that Zhao?" He pointed to the sky.
Zhao Shiqing nodded: "I am from the Liang Palace, and Zhao Tingxuan is my second brother."
In a flash, Yan Xia knew who she was.
She is the adopted daughter of King Liang, the little girl who, according to legend, followed her master to the mountains to practice since she was young. It is said that she became a nun a long time ago.
But no matter how you look at it, Zhao Shiqing in front of him doesn't look like a Taoist nun.
"Didn't you become a monk?" Yan Xia asked.
Oddly enough, there was no barrier between him and the people in front of him, as if they were friends who had known each other for a long time.
Zhao Shiqing sighed: "It was only after I came to the capital that I realized that I had become a monk a long time ago."
She didn't look like a nun, nor did she look like a lady from a wealthy family who was kept in seclusion.
When Yan Xia saw Zhao Shiqing, he thought of Zhao Yunnuan.
Today, just as A Niang mentioned his elder sister Zhao Yunnuan, he met his younger sister Zhao Shiqing. They are sisters.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. By the way, you didn't run away from home secretly, did your family know about it?" Yan Xia said.
It goes without saying that Zhao Shiqing's trip to Beijing must be a secret. Perhaps Prince Liang's Mansion is looking for her.
Zhao Shiqing said, "Now I know."
Yan Xia thought to herself, as expected, she must have run away secretly. Since she had arrived in the capital, she must have met Zhao Tingxuan. Zhao Tingxuan wrote a letter to inform his family, and his family also knew about it.
But Yan Xia still has some doubts, such as why Zhao Shiqing is with Master Zhen.
Although he was obsessed with solving cases, he also knew that there was a new little god of wealth, Master Zhen, in the capital.
It was impossible for him not to know this because Master Zhen was very famous in their circle. The sons of noble families were trying their best to do business with him. Even the second son, Yan Yuan, came to ask him.
Yan Xia's eyes wandered between the two men's faces. Zhao Shiqing guessed what he was thinking. She pointed at Master Zhen and said, "He's my uncle! My grandfather's last name is Zhen."
At this moment, Yan Xia understood everything.
It is said that this Mr. Zhen is the godson of Zhen Wuduo, a man from Fujian who is known for having a lot of money, many ships, many brothers, many sons and many women. However, it is unexpected that Zhao Shiqing's grandfather is actually this old man Zhen Wuduo.
However, Yan Xia did not notice the flash of disappointment in Master Zhen's eyes.
Well, he can’t get rid of the title of uncle.
Young Master Zhen cleared his throat and asked, "Prince Yan, do you have anything else to ask?"
Yan Xia thought for a moment and then asked, "Last time, it was this eagle that brought me the clue. This time, it led me here again. But I got another clue?"
Zhao Shiqing said seriously, "He has a name. His name is Xiaoguai, not the eagle."
Yan Xia hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, it was a slip of the tongue. Xiaoguai, I remember, his name is Xiaoguai."
Hearing his name, Xiaoguai proudly raised his noble head and looked down at Yan Xia.
Yan Xia repeated his previous question: "Last time, it was Xiaoguai who brought me the clue. This time, Xiaoguai led me here, but he has another clue?"
Both Zhao Shiqing and Xiaoguai were very satisfied with Yan Xia's immediate changes.
Zhao Shiqing said: "Yes, of course there are clues, but I don't know if these clues are useful."
Yan Xia hurriedly said, "Please explain clearly, Miss Zhao Er."
Zhao Shiqing said, "I know what case you're investigating. It's the weapons case, right? To be honest, I was there when the weapons were dug up. I suppose you've heard about how the Dong brothers killed Mr. Dong and then used his immortality as a pretext to defraud people back in Tong'an."
Yan Xia nodded: "Indeed, I heard about it."
Zhao Shiqing continued, "The Dongxian Temple has been in Tong'an for a year, and the government has never investigated them. But that day, they suddenly became suspicious of them and immediately arrested them. Do you know why?"
Yan Xia shook his head.
Zhao Shiqing said, "I was there at the time and saw with my own eyes that someone took a badge from the Ministry of Justice. Captain Li's face immediately changed, he bowed and scraped, and then he arrested all the members of the Dong family. The next day they dug up Scholar Dong's body, but when they dug up the body they dug a little too much and found the box of weapons.
Although the body and the weapons were buried under the same tree, their locations were different. The body had already been dug up, and it was common for those people in the government office to dig a hole and not bury it. But that day, not only did they not fill it back in, they continued digging, and that's how they found the weapons. Brother Yan, I think you can follow this clue and investigate further."
Yan Xia suddenly understood: "You mean someone in the Tong'an County government deliberately guided us? No, they didn't just guide us, they actually dug it out with their own hands."
Zhao Shiqing chuckled: "I didn't say that, you guessed it yourself."
Yan Xia clasped his fists again and said, "Yan Xia thanks Second Miss for the enlightenment."
Zhao Shiqing smiled: "Brother Yan, you're too polite."
She kept calling him Brother Yan, which made Yan Xia feel a little embarrassed. However, he couldn't think of a more appropriate name, so he continued to call her Second Miss.
He stood up and said, "I still have a case to handle, so I'll take my leave today."
Zhao Shiqing hurriedly said, "Don't be anxious. Eat the snowflake cake first before you leave."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two young men who had gone out earlier came back with a large tray in their hands, on which were several bowls of snow-flake cakes.
The dark-faced young man first handed a bowl of food covered with raisins to Zhao Shiqing, then placed the food without any green or red threads in front of Yan Xia. The remaining three bowls were divided equally among the three of them, and he didn't forget to ask Master Zhen, "You really don't want to eat it?"
Master Zhen shook his head: "You guys eat it, I don't want to eat this."
Although his injuries have healed, his foundation has been damaged after all, so he cannot eat any cold foods for the time being.
Yan Xia hadn't eaten snowflake cakes for a long time. He had been busy this summer, working in the wind and rain, and often didn't even have time to eat. He had to rely on dry food to fill his stomach, and when he was hot and thirsty, he could only drink a few sips of cold water.
He took two bites of snowflake cake, breathed a sigh of relief, stretched his legs, and said with emotion: "Ah, it's still good to be in the capital. I almost forgot that I'm still a prince."
Zhao Shiqing couldn't help but burst into laughter.
She thought of what Sister Ping had told her, and said whatever came to her mind: "By the way, is it true that Zhu Yu stripped naked in front of you?"
As soon as these words came out, the corners of Master Zhen's mouth twitched and the fake face almost fell off.
Yan Xia didn't expect that this matter would be reported from the Ministry of Justice, and even Zhao Shiqing heard about it.
He was somewhat helpless: "That damn eunuch is like a madman, no, he is already a madman. Not only did he take off his clothes, but he also talked nonsense. I had to have him tied up with his quilt. Oh, and he also spoke in a strange tone, pinching his throat. His voice was no less than that of the old eunuchs in the palace."
Zhao Shiqing laughed so hard that she slapped her thigh. Yan Xia didn't know why Zhao Shiqing reacted so strongly.
Of course she is, and Zhu Yu has to thank her. If it weren't for her, Zhu Yu would never know what it feels like to be a eunuch until his death.
Zhao Shiqing asked about Zhu Yu's death again. Yan Xia did not hide it. Before his death, Zhu Yu was not only a commoner, but also had been expelled from the Zhu family. So he was just an ordinary prisoner. There was no need to hide his affairs. It was not a secret.
What he said was not much different from what Sister Ping said. Zhao Shiqing asked, "Do you also think that he was killed by the Baoqing Marquis Mansion?"
Yan Xia: "What else?"
Zhao Shiqing didn't hide it either: "He died of a heart attack, and my father also died of a heart attack. Brother Yan, you are in the Ministry of Justice, so you must know more than me. Don't you think that there are too many important figures in our Great Yong Dynasty who died of heart attacks?"
Yan Xia hummed and said, "Yes."
Fortunately, Zhao Shiqing only mentioned it briefly and did not continue.
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