Chapter 240: Drowning While Washing Face (Two Chapters Combined into One)
Zhao Shiqing was shocked when he suddenly heard the news of Lin Sen's death.
She even suspected that she had done it while sleepwalking.
The conclusion is impossible.
First, she did not have the problem of sleepwalking; second, Lin Sen was imprisoned in the Dali Temple cell, and she did not have the ability to kill people in the Dali Temple cell on her own.
However, she really didn't want Lin Sen to have an easy time.
But, letting this man die like this is really a bargain for this scumbag.
"How did Lin Sen die?" Zhao Shiqing was curious.
The one who brought her the news was Zhao Tingluo. Now Zhao Shiqing knew that little Luoluo's business had expanded from the harem to the six ministries and five temples.
Zhao Tingluo smiled and said, "Sister, this news is worth fifty taels of silver."
Zhao Shiqing......
Zhao Tingluo saw murderous intent in Zhao Shiqing's eyes. He shrank his neck and said quickly, "But you are my sister, how can I accept money? Well, I still need to make money from this information, so..."
Zhao Shiqing understood.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Zhao Tingluo cleared his throat. "Lin Sen was beaten with forty sticks that day. Although he survived, he was seriously injured and was dying. The Dali Temple found a doctor to treat him. He was in good health and has improved over the past few days. His parents have already sentenced him, and the emperor has not withdrawn his decree of marriage, so he is still the future consort of Princess Huixin, and the Dali Temple is ready to release him.
He had been in prison for some time and had been seriously injured. He was dirty and smelly. Now that he was going to be released, he had to tidy himself up. After all, he was the future prince consort.
That day, the jailer brought him a basin of clean water for him to wash his face.
But no one expected that he would dive into the basin and drown.”
Zhao Shiqing: Drowned while washing face?
Is it so crazy now?
Can't we find a better reason?
Seeing her mouth opening wider and wider, Zhao Tingluo chuckled: "This is just to fool fools, no one will believe it, right?
However, the Dali Temple sent people to capture the two jailers on duty that day, but they were one step too late. One of them hanged himself, and the other took poison, and both died.
The Dali Temple knew that Lin Sen was being plotted against, but they had no evidence. Lin Sen also died in a Dali Temple cell, so it was because the Dali Temple did not supervise him strictly enough.
So the cause of death given by the Dali Temple now is that his caning injuries worsened and he died."
Zhao Shiqing breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that the Dali Temple was not stupid. They knew that it was a murder, but there was no evidence.
She thought of what Xiao Luoluo had just said: "You just said that this news is worth fifty taels. Is that cheap or expensive?"
She doesn't understand the market.
Zhao Tingluo smiled and said, "He's probably below average. After all, his status isn't high. Although he has the title of a potential imperial consort, he's not actually an imperial consort yet."
"Is there someone in the capital who specifically receives information?" Zhao Shiqing asked again.
Zhao Tingluo nodded: "Yes, there are many places that receive messages. The largest one is Fengyu Pavilion, and some teahouses also receive messages."
Zhao Shiqing looked envious: "Xiao Luoluo, did you make a lot of money?"
Zhao Tingluo puffed out her chest and said, "It's not bad. If I didn't want to save money for the palace, I could support myself and also provide my mother and brother with good food and drink."
Zhao Shiqing was filled with emotion. They all had the surname Zhao, so why was there such a big difference between them? It was not until she came to the capital that she realized that all those miscellaneous information could be exchanged for money.
"Can the news about Prince Liang's Mansion be sold for money?" Zhao Shiqing's eyes were full of stars.
"Of course I can. Who do you want to sell the news to, Prince Liang or the eldest princess?" Zhao Tingluo rubbed his hands excitedly. Even a small amount is still meat, and he doesn't mind making a profit from the difference.
Zhao Shiqing: "What about Zhao Tingxuan's news? How much is it worth?"
Zhao Tingluo was immediately discouraged: "Second Young Master Zhao is worthless. I'm afraid he can't even sell for five taels."
"It's not even worth five taels? I thought it could be sold for at least a hundred taels." Zhao Shiqing sighed. It turned out that money was not that easy to make.
Second brother, you are so worthless.
Zhao Tingxuan, who was far away in Liang, sneezed several times.
When the news of Lin Sen's death came out, it was just as Zhao Tingluo said, his injuries worsened and treatment was ineffective.
The people were talking about it and looked at the Dengwen Drum with even more fear.
In just a few months, two souls had died under the Dengwen Drum.
First there was the magistrate's mother, then there was Lin Sen, the future prince consort, and no one knows who will die next.
So it’s better not to go and beat the drum for no reason. Those forty strokes of the cane can really kill someone.
However, soon, the news that Lin Sen drowned while washing his face spread, causing an uproar in the city. Most people did not believe it, but there were also wise people who felt that the more incredible something was, the more true it was.
Luo Liqiong took back the Luo family's property. Although a lot of it had been spent by the Lin family over the years, since the Lin family was ordered to pay compensation, she had to sell everything she had to pay it back.
After Lin Sen's death, the Lin family was completely deserted.
The clan sold the Lin family's property, 60% of which was used to return to the Luo family, and the remaining 40% went to the clan.
The Lin family got a fortune for free, and everyone in the family was very happy. They were so happy that they even forgot about collecting the bodies of the three Lin family members. In the end, the government commissioned the charity cemetery to collect the bodies of the three people.
Luo Liqiong took her two children back home, but did not rush back to her hometown. Instead, she settled down in Beijing.
If it were in the past, she would have returned to her hometown, but after coming to the capital, she gained more knowledge and understood a lot of things.
In her hometown, a woman like her who has no husband and two children has no place to live.
Either they are bullied by their neighbors or they are eaten by their relatives.
But it was different in the capital. Although there were all kinds of gossip among neighbors, they were just talk. If you didn't want to listen, you could just close the door and ignore them, or curse back directly, or go to the government office to apply for a female household registration.
Luo Liqiong is not short of money. Although Wang Dashun is dead, the others are still there. These people were previously dismissed by the Lin family. Now that they know that Luo Liqiong has taken over the family business, they have come back and started anew.
These people are not only experienced, but also grateful to Luo's father. Therefore, as long as Luo Liqiong is not cheated of her money and sex, she and her two children will have no worries about food and clothing.
However, Luo Liqiong has a son and cannot apply for a female household registration, but she doesn't care too much.
It just so happened that there was a family in the alley where Loach lived that wanted to sell their house. Loach stepped in to make arrangements, and Luo Liqiong bought the house.
It was very close to Tianjing Hutong. From then on, there were more people, one adult and two children, who came to Tianjing Hutong to eat for free.
Xiao Zhen has been very busy recently, and Zhao Shiqing hasn't seen him for ten consecutive days. Just when she decided to let Xiao Zhen go free, Xiao Zhen suddenly appeared in front of her.
That day, she and her friends were strolling on the street when she suddenly heard someone calling her. She looked up and saw Jiang Ping.
Jiang Ping pointed, and Zhao Shiqing went upstairs as if possessed by magic. When his friends saw this, they followed suit.
Xiao Zhen was sitting alone in the private room. It was obvious that there were other people in the room before.
Seeing Xiao Zhen, everyone felt a little embarrassed. Loach: "How about we open another one?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was not like there were no other private rooms, so who would want to bother others here?
Seeing that everyone had left, Zhao Shiqing sat down opposite Xiao Zhen.
"Where have you been these days?"
Xiao Zhen hurriedly said: "Regarding some matters concerning the mountain gate, I went to Chenzhou Prefecture and just came back yesterday."
Zhao Shiqing's heart moved and she asked, "Is this another family extermination?"
Xiao Zhen shook his head: "They didn't commit a crime this time. I found out something."
"What's the matter?" Zhao Shiqing had a vague feeling that this must be something that shocked Xiao Zhen very much.
"The founder of the mountain gate was Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty." Xiao Zhen said.
Zhao Shiqing was shocked. She had always thought that the mountain gate was originally a killer organization in the martial arts world, and was later used by Emperor Yongjia and became a knife in his hand.
But she never imagined that the mountain gate was related to the last emperor of the previous dynasty.
Xiao Zhen said, “Before Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty committed suicide, he named a baby prince the Crown Prince and entrusted him to his eighteen secret guards.
These secret guards do not belong to the Jinwu Guards or the Jinyi Guards. They have been loyal to successive emperors for generations. No one except the emperor knows their true identities.
Zhao Shiqing was stunned. As a member of the royal family, she knew about the suicide of Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty.
When Taizu invaded the capital, Emperor Ai, realizing the situation was hopeless, climbed up to the Shanyue Tower, the tallest building in the imperial palace, and burned himself to death.
"I remember that during the reign of Emperor Taizu, a man claiming to be the crown prince of the previous dynasty was apprehended. Later, former members of Emperor Ai's palace and the surviving members of the imperial clan confirmed he was an impostor, and was subsequently beheaded in the street. Could it be that this man wasn't an impostor, and was truly the son of Emperor Ai?"
Xiao Zhen shook his head: "This person is indeed fake, but he is indeed a stand-in for the previous prince. That prince had several stand-ins, and this person is just one of them."
Zhao Shiqing thought of something and looked at Xiao Zhen with a sharp gaze: "You just said that the mountain gate was founded by Emperor Ai. Could it be those secret guards?"
"Yes, it's those secret guards. After Emperor Ai died, the eighteen secret guards took the young prince away from the capital and disappeared without a trace.
The fact is that although they hid themselves among the people, they obeyed Emperor Ai's will and established the mountain gate.
Their original intention in establishing the mountain gate was to recruit soldiers and horses for the young prince, intending to restore his power.
However, at that time, Taizu was wise and deeply loved by the people, and the founding heroes were still alive. It was the time when Dayong was at its most prosperous.
They wanted to help the young prince ascend the throne, but there was neither the right time, place, nor the support of the people.
All they could do was to recruit assassins to murder high-ranking officials of the imperial court. They also tried to enter the palace to assassinate Emperor Taizu, but all their attempts failed.
When the young prince was dying, he ordered the Shanmen to carry on his legacy and never forget his original aspirations.
The more Zhao Shiqing listened, the more confused she became. She asked, "Does the young prince have any offspring?"
"Yes, although the young prince was depressed throughout his life, it did not affect his ability to continue the family line. He has three sons. The eldest son has the highest status and is known as the Mountain Master. The second son, Stone Master, is in charge of the front mountain, and the youngest son, Tree Master, is in charge of the back mountain."
Zhao Shiqing almost dropped his jaw in shock.
Of course she knew that the mountain gate was divided into the front mountain and the back mountain. Mountain Master was the boss, followed by Stone Master and Tree Master.
But she never expected that these three gentlemen were originally grandchildren of the emperor of the previous dynasty.
"Has it always been like this? Have Lord Shan, Lord Shi and Lord Shu always been the descendants of the young prince?" Zhao Shiqing asked.
Xiao Zhen smiled bitterly: "Yes, it has always been like this. Isn't it ridiculous? That smart guy actually took over the Mountain Gate."
"Then do you think that person knows the origin of the mountain gate?" Zhao Shiqing asked again.
Xiao Zhen shook his head: "I definitely don't know."
If Emperor Yongjia knew the origin of the mountain gate, then he would not be completely ignorant in his previous life.
Zhao Shiqing asked again, "So the current situation is not that the Jinyiwei took over the mountain gate, but that the mountain gate used the Jinyiwei to get closer to that person step by step?
By the way, the young prince only had three sons, so three positions were established. Will his descendants also only have three sons per generation? If they have more, there won’t be enough to go around.”
Xiao Zhen smiled: "You guessed right, so something happened later.
Traditionally, the three locations of mountain, rock and tree have been represented by one person from each of the three families.
Therefore, Shan Ye's branch has always been the boss, and it is inevitable that there are good and bad people among his children and grandchildren. They have done some ridiculous things, which made the other two branches very angry. They did all the work, so why should the eldest branch get something for nothing?
So the two families joined forces and killed all of Shan Ye's group, with only one girl surviving.
Zhao Shiqing took a deep breath. The most common tactic these people used was to wipe out the entire family. Unexpectedly, when they became ruthless, they would not even spare their own people. The second and third houses joined forces to wipe out the first house.
"What happened next? You must have found out what happened later. That girl escaped. Did she grow up? And the mountain gate, the eldest branch of the family was wiped out. Who became the mountain master later?"
Xiao Zhen smiled and said, "Let me answer your last question first. Since that generation, the position of Shan Ye has been rotated between the second and third wives, every five years. The current Shan Ye comes from the third wife."
Zhao Shiqing twitched the corner of his mouth. He was indeed of royal blood, and what he was best at was fighting among his own family.
"What I want to talk about now is that girl. When the incident happened, she was not at home. Instead, she sneaked out to meet her lover, and thus escaped." Xiao Zhen said.
Zhao Shiqing didn't interrupt him and continued to listen to him.
“Although the girl survived, she became an orphan with no one to rely on.
Her lover never left her and, despite his father's opposition, secretly got engaged to her.
The couple came to the capital, hoping that their father-in-law would approve of the marriage.
The girl's father-in-law was arrogant and old-fashioned. Not only did he not recognize the marriage, he also drove them out of the house and told his son that unless he divorced his wife, he would never be able to use the ancestral medical skills.
The couple left the capital and lived in a small county town. The man found a job picking medicinal herbs in a pharmacy, while the woman took care of the housework at home. Although their life was hard, they loved each other very much.
Later, they had a son.
But the good times didn't last long. When his son was two years old, his wife's whereabouts were exposed.
My wife grew up in the mountain gate and is familiar with the mountain gate’s usual style. She knows that those people will not give up as long as she is not dead.
She took the initiative to seduced a man, which made her husband angry. After a big quarrel, she eloped with the man and was exposed in the sight of the mountain gate.
Soon, the husband found the bodies of the two and understood his wife's painstaking efforts.
He secretly asked someone to send his only son to the capital and hand him over to his father.
After sending his son away, he committed suicide to follow his wife."
Zhao Shiqing was stunned. She wiped away the non-existent tears from her face. "It's so touching. So moving. So touching."
Xiao Zhen: He didn't avenge his wife, left his son to his old father, and committed suicide for love. What's so moving about this? This is cowardice and incompetence, and it's an evasion of responsibility!
But he didn't dare to say it. If Zhao Shiqing said he was touched, then so be it. He wouldn't imitate her anyway.
But the next moment, Zhao Shiqing, feeling deeply moved, suddenly slapped her thigh. "What a coincidence! I also knew an elderly man who used to live in the capital. His son and daughter-in-law also died, leaving behind a little grandson to depend on for survival! Isn't that a coincidence? There's an even bigger coincidence. Do you remember that letter? We followed the map on the letter and searched for it. We actually found the mountain gate's stronghold in Shilipu."
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