Chapter 349: Honest Man
The Du family’s house is large, and it has a complete set of housekeepers, maids, servants and guards.
After receiving the news yesterday, Mr. Du ordered the main courtyard to be vacated and moved into the guest courtyard himself. He also instructed the housekeeper to personally lead people to clean and put things in order, and to replace all the necessary utensils with new ones, to ensure that the distinguished guest would live comfortably.
After entering the house, Lu Fei simply put down his luggage and led his men to inspect the house's security. Based on experience, he made some adjustments, patched up some obvious loopholes, and increased the number of patrol shifts.
All the guards in the main courtyard were replaced by guards brought from the capital. The defense was so airtight that not even a mosquito could fly in.
In the front hall, the maid served tea and left. Zhou Yuande brought in the long-awaited Master Du to pay his respects.
"Jinyiwei secret envoy Du Qian greets the young master." Du Qian knelt respectfully and kowtowed three times to Xiao Jingfan. His hands trembled with excitement at the thought of this man's true identity.
"Get up and answer." Xiao Jingfan raised his eyelids and glanced at him. "How have you investigated the matters in the letter?"
Du Qian stood up and said with his head down, "I have already checked everything. The prefect of Xiancheng, Lord Jiang, is indeed ill in bed. Doctors come to his house every two days. According to them, Lord Jiang's illness is very severe and will take at least a year or two to cure."
Xiao Jingfan asked: "What disease is it?"
Du Qian said, "It is said that the cold air has entered the body and damaged the lungs. It has also caused some symptoms in the spleen and stomach. There is no rush. We can only slowly recuperate."
Xiao Jingfan tapped the armrest of his chair thoughtfully and asked, "Who's handling the affairs of the government office?"
"The affairs of the government office are now managed by a legal advisor named Liu," Du Qian said. "This legal advisor Liu is a close confidant of Lord Jiang."
Xiao Jingfan paused his tapping hand and asked, "There's only one legal advisor in the government office?"
Du Qian shook his head. "Originally, there was a Master Qin, but he was suddenly dismissed half a year ago. I heard that he violated Master Jiang's taboo."
Such a coincidence?
Xiao Jingfan's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, "Where is this person now?"
"Not far away, just outside the city," Du Qian said. "This Qin Shi Huang is a native of Xiancheng. The day after he was fired, he bought a large house on the outskirts of the city. He also hired many maids and servants, and decorated the house beautifully."
At this point, he added a few more words: "It's a pity that his wife was unlucky. She died just after he bought the house. Mr. Qin asked someone to find a matchmaker to marry him back, and he also took in two concubines. A few days ago, my subordinates were out of town on business and saw him enjoying an outing with his beautiful wife. He seems to be living a very carefree and happy life."
I'm quite envious of the sound of the voice.
Xiao Jingfan glanced at him and asked, "Are you quite close to this Master Qin?"
"I've treated him to a few drinks," Du Qian said truthfully. "Master Qin is easy to talk to, so it's easy to get information from him."
Being easy-mouthed is hardly a compliment.
Xiao Jingfan stroked the bodhi beads on his wrist and asked, "Besides his loose tongue, what do you think of Master Qin as a person?"
Du Qian replied: "He has good character and real talent. He is an honest man."
Hearing this, Feng Jing, who was listening to the excitement, interrupted: "How can an honest man remarry and take a concubine right after his wife dies?"
Du Qian's smile froze, and when he met Xiao Jingfan's gaze, he mumbled, "To be honest, Master, I also think this matter is a bit strange."
"What do you mean?" Xiao Jingfan asked as he picked up the teacup and took a sip.
In the past, no matter what the tea tasted like, the water temperature was always just right.
But this tea seemed to have been brewed for too long. Not only had it lost its flavor, but even the water temperature was wrong.
Xiao Jingfan immediately frowned and slammed the teacup heavily on the table.
If this happened in the palace, the maid who served tea would be beaten with a stick.
Seeing his unhappy expression, Du Qian immediately scolded the maid and asked her to make another cup of good tea.
The maid was so frightened that her face turned pale. She hurried to make tea and even forgot to take the cup of tea on the table.
Zhou Yuande sighed lightly. The outside world was completely different from the palace. The rules were much different.
He walked over, took the tea away, and took it out, preparing to make a cup himself.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I walked out of the front hall, I saw Chu Liuzheng, Chen Xing and Si Yue coming from the other end of the corridor.
Chu Liuzheng, dressed in green, walked in front, holding a tray with a white teacup on it. Siyue and Chenxing lagged behind, each holding snacks and fruit.
Zhou Yuande smiled immediately. Miss Liu Zheng is really capable. No wonder His Majesty likes her.
As they got closer, Chu Liuzheng smiled and asked, "Where are you going?"
"I was just about to make some tea, and you're here just in time, girl. Please bring it in quickly." Zhou Yuande pointed at the teacup he was holding, with the corner of his mouth turned down, looking very disgusted.
[Tsk, I guessed the tyrant would be picky.]
Chu Liuzheng walked in with tea.
[This gentleman was able to hold back at the inn, but now that he's on his own, he's not going to let his temper get the better of him. Luckily, the kitchen is fully stocked, so preparing things wasn't a big deal.]
"Master, please have some tea." She leaned over and placed the teacup next to Xiao Jingfan.
Xiao Jingfan picked it up and smelled the familiar tea fragrance as soon as he opened the lid. He took a sip and found that both the taste and the temperature were just right, exactly to his liking.
His frown relaxed, and the anger in his heart dissipated a lot.
Chu Liuzheng saw that he looked satisfied. Just as she was about to leave, Xiao Jingfan raised his chin towards her and said gently, "Sit down and listen."
"Yes." Chu Liuzheng bowed and walked to the chair next to Feng Jing and sat down.
Feng Jing was handing snacks to Chen Xing and Si Yue who were standing behind him. When he saw her coming, he handed her a piece as well.
Xiao Jingfan placed the teacup on the table beside him and gestured to Du Qian: "Go on."
Du Qian then continued, "Everyone in Xiancheng knows that Master Qin and his first wife grew up together as childhood sweethearts. They have a deep affection for each other, have a pair of children, and live a happy life."
"His first wife died young. Normally, Master Qin should have mourned for a while and cherished his memory. However, he unexpectedly hired a matchmaker and arranged to marry a second wife before the funeral."
"Less than two weeks after his new bride came into the house, he took in two concubines. At the concubines' instigation, he even sent his two filial children to their maternal grandparents' home. He hasn't brought them back yet. He's really like a completely different person."
Du Qian's tone was somewhat emotional, as if he felt sorry for Master Qin's first wife.
Chu Liuzheng munched on some snacks while quietly asking Feng Jing, "Who is Master Qin? Why is the young master asking about his marriage and concubines?"
Feng Jing had been listening in, and when she asked, he repeated what Du Qian had said before.
Chen Xing came over and said, "You married a second wife right after your first wife died. You're not afraid of bringing her back to life and dragging her into the coffin with you."
"That's right." Feng Jingshen agreed. He took a bite of the sticky snack and echoed, "It's simply smearing the reputation of us honest people."
Chu Liuzheng and the other two looked at him together and asked, "Can you be considered an honest person?"
Feng Jing:?
Do you have any misunderstanding about me?
Is there anyone in this world who is more honest than me?
Mitsuki brushed off the glutinous rice flour on his hands and whispered, "Perhaps there is something unspeakable."
Chu Liuzheng disagreed: "What kind of unspeakable secret could make him marry a second wife and take in two beautiful concubines?"
Feng Jing and Chen Xing echoed in unison: "That's right!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
