Chapter 21: Next OP, I'm not enough for you? ...
The person on the couch was half lying down with his legs crossed.
Seeing him come back, Xie Yan sat up straight and asked, "Is it done?"
Jiang Cichen took off his mask and threw it on the table: "Gu Zhuohan really does have deep feelings for his late wife. Just because her eyebrows and eyes look a bit similar, he is willing to make an exception and take her in."
The Red Mansion is the Gu family's underground industry, specializing in shameful activities.
It is now managed by the eldest son of Duke Gu, and his eldest son is Gu Zhuohan, the owner of the private room above the stands just now.
Unlike his arrogant and eccentric younger brother Gu Sihan.
My brother Gu Zhuohan is a low-key person, but he is cruel and ruthless.
Otherwise, the scale of the Red Mansion would not have expanded more than ten times in just a few years.
In the capital, Gu Zhuohan has a secret known to everyone.
He was obsessed with his late wife.
After his wife died, he never remarried.
It goes without saying what it means for a legitimate son of a duke not to marry among the children of aristocratic families.
Some people sigh at his affection, while others laugh at his stupidity.
Over the years, many people who wanted to cling to power sent various beauties to him, but all of them were rejected. Some people even asked around about his deceased wife's appearance in order to please him.
But I didn't hear any news at all.
Yanyun Pavilion also put in a lot of effort and obtained a portrait of Gu Zhuohan's deceased wife when she was a child. Based on this, they found a physiognomist to guess what she would look like when she grew up, and sent a woman who looked like her to Gu Zhuohan.
The underground activities in the Red Mansion should be cleaned up.
Xie Yan said, "They were childhood sweethearts, beautiful lady and talented man, but it's a pity that beauty has a tragic fate. It's normal that Gu Zhuohan can't let go."
Jiang Cichen remained silent.
Xie Yan suddenly asked, "I heard that you were taking special care of a young man in the Red Mansion?"
Jiang Cichen said, "You are well-informed."
"If Yanyun Pavilion is of no use, then it should just follow that Liu guy from the west of the city and become a pig butcher." Xie Yan snorted and asked curiously, "Why did you become a homosexual?"
Jiang Cichen glanced at him coldly.
Xie Yan suddenly shouted, "I like women!"
Jiang Cichen spat out a word coldly: "Get lost."
"If I leave, who will check your background?" Xie Yan said, picking up the bamboo tube from his hand and throwing it to Jiang Cichen, "We've found out who assassinated Shen Zhiyan."
Jiang Cichen caught the flying bamboo tube, opened it, and found a note inside: The one who assassinated Shen Zhiyan was the second-level assassin Tan Yin.
It turns out her name is Tan Yin.
Without a surname, it really doesn't feel like a name, but more like a code name. Her performance in piano lessons is a bit inconsistent with this name.
Jiang Cichen was just thinking when a sinister voice suddenly came to his ears: "I'm asking you a question."
“…”
Jiang Cichen put the note down and said calmly, "Ask."
Xie Yan was startled: "I asked, it's your turn to answer."
Jiang Cichen said: "Then ask again."
Xie Yan raised his voice: "I say, why are you helping that young master in the Red Mansion?"
Jiang Cichen said calmly, "She is Luo Wan."
Xie Yan's expression hardened. "The assassin who stole the medical book from Jinxi City, how could she be in the Red Mansion?"
From Jinxi City to the capital, the trajectory of her actions overlaps too much. Could it be that she hasn't given up and is still thinking about stealing the medical books?
This makes sense, as the assassins of Tingyu Tower have always followed the orders of Tingyu Tower and have no sense of self.
As long as Tingyu Tower does not issue a termination order, the assassins will continue to act.
Jiang Cichen said: "I don't know."
Xie Yan was puzzled: "I don't know why you are still helping her. If she does anything that takes human life, you are an accomplice."
Jiang Cichen said: "In the Red Mansion, who can be more careless about human life than the Red Mansion. She would not go to the Red Mansion for no reason. I help her, but I think that in the future, she is most likely to become the new owner of the building."
Xie Yan felt wronged: "Isn't it enough for you to have me?"
Jiang Cichen showed no mercy: "That's not enough. Your Yanyun Pavilion knows nothing about the man from the palace running to Tingyu Tower to be a shadow."
Xie Yan said, "Someone must be deliberately trying to cover up the truth. What kind of underworld organization has such long reach that it can reach into the imperial palace? Besides, who would have known that he would give up being a prince and become an assassin?"
Jiang Cichen said: "That's why we need Tingyu Tower."
Seeing that it was hopeless to stop him, Xie Yan lay back on the couch, glaring angrily at the unsatisfied Jiang Cichen, muttering to himself, "Men! Men!"
*
Poria cocos and licorice were sold to Western Hu merchants, but the origins of the merchants were not recorded in the account books.
Finding these two people is the most difficult.
So Luo Wan set his sights on Platycodon and Peony. Compared to Platycodon who was sold to a brothel, it was obvious that Peony would be easier to escape and testify.
Baolin Village is located in a remote area outside the capital.
It was already early morning when Luo Wan arrived.
The village is not big and there are few houses.
Shaoyao was most likely sold to Wang Erzhu as a wife, so Luo Wan asked the villagers where Wang Erzhu's home was.
The man was squatting at the door eating noodles with a bowl in his hand. Villagers rarely saw a young man dressed like this. He was stunned for a moment and pointed to the thatched house at the west end of the village.
Then he looked at the back of the white-faced young man and couldn't understand how he could have any connection with Wang Erzhu.
Wang Erzhu's house had a yard surrounded by a mud wall, where some poultry were raised. When Luo Wan arrived, he saw a woman in coarse linen clothes sweeping the floor.
There was no one else in this thatched hut except her.
Luo Wan tentatively called out from across the half-person-high wall, "Peony."
The broom in the woman's hand fell with a snap. She didn't even look back, but walked quickly into the house and closed the door.
Luo Wan frowned. She could completely understand Shaoyao.
A person has gone through such a change that he has become completely different. Shaoyao is unwilling to face the past because he is in the mud at the moment.
Luo Wan knocked lightly on the wooden door and, with the mindset that less trouble is worse than more, said, "I'm Chi Wanwan."
Luo Wan peeled off her face, let her hair down, and returned to her female appearance.
This broken door couldn't stop her. She knew Shaoyao could hear her, so she gave Shaoyao time to muster up her courage.
Not long after, the door opened from the inside.
Shaoyao twisted her hands in front of her body nervously and her eyes were evasive.
The two stood quietly at the door for a long time.
Shaoyao suddenly realized something and quickly invited Luo Wan into the house. She smiled awkwardly, "It's been a long time since anyone called me that."
She said in a nonchalant tone: "I'm used to hearing Wang Er's wife call me by my real name. I'm not used to it when someone calls me by my real name."
Shaoyao wiped the long bench clean with her sleeves and said, "Miss, please sit down." She then hurriedly poured a bowl of water and said, "Come here. You must be thirsty. Have some water. I washed the tea sets."
Luo Wan grabbed Shaoyao's wrist and signaled her to stop: "I'm here to take you away."
Shaoyao was stunned and asked, "Where are we going?"
Luo Wan said: "Leave here and return to Chi Mansion."
Shaoyao lowered her head and said, "I've sold it all to Wang Erzhu. I can't leave."
Luo Wan said: "I'll just buy it back."
Peony lowered her head and didn't say a word.
It is obvious that Shaoyao's life was not easy after being sold to Wang Erzhu. She lived in a shabby thatched hut. Although Luo Wan had never met Wang Erzhu, he could guess that he was not a good match for her.
A man who can't get married will buy a wife from a human trafficker. You can imagine what kind of man will not be able to get married.
Unless it is absolutely necessary, Luo Wan does not want to use friendship to force Shaoyao to do anything. Shaoyao's life has returned to peace, and it is unfair for her to be involved in right and wrong again.
Luo Wan paused and said, "I came to you to find out the truth about my mother's death."
Shaoyao, who had been silent, suddenly became excited. "You also think the Madam's death was strange, right?! But others say it was due to a long-term illness. She was just frail back then, so logically she should have given birth to a sickly son. How could she have given birth to a stillborn baby covered in bruises?"
Seeing Shaoyao's reaction, Luo Wan felt that the matter was half done.
At this time, there was a sound outside the door, and a man with a limp stumbled into the yard, followed by the man who had shown the way earlier.
I guess this must be Wang Erzhu, his trouser legs are covered in mud, as if he just came back from the fields.
Arriving just in time, Luo Wan took out a banknote and slapped it on the table, saying simply, "I want to take her away."
Wang Erzhu was a little stunned, but he quickly realized what was going on. He had heard Shaoyao mention this before. She used to be a maid in a wealthy family. Later, when the lady died, she was sold by her concubine.
Wang Erzhu looked at Shaoyao and asked, "Do you want to go with her?"
Peony doesn't speak.
Wang Erzhu suddenly flew into a rage: "I'm asking you a question!"
Shaoyao took two steps back in fright.
"I've been good to you all these years, haven't I? If I hadn't bought you back from that place, you'd be dead right now, not even knowing where you are. Do you have any conscience?" Wang Erzhu snatched the banknote and slammed it to the ground. "You want to go back and live a good life? No way!"
Shaoyao's silence made Wang Erzhu even angrier. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Shaoyao by the collar, and raised his hand to hit her, but was hit hard in the abdomen.
Luo Wan kicked Wang Erzhu hard in the stomach. He groaned, clutching his stomach and staggering to the ground.
Luo Wan said coldly: "Are you done going crazy? If you're done, get out of here."
She took Shaoyao's hand and walked out without looking back.
Behind him, Wang Erzhu's heartbreaking howl hit his eardrums: "You heartless bitch! Just wait for me!"
The man who was pointing the way hurriedly picked up the scattered banknotes and stuffed them into Wang Erzhu's sleeves, whispering, "Brother Erzhu, just admit it... We can't defeat these rich and powerful people..."
As the two of them stepped out of the courtyard, a boy of three or four rushed over, hugged her legs tightly, shook her, and asked, "Mom! Where are you going?"
Wang Erzhu chased him to the door, clutching his stomach, and shouted, "Xiao Qiu! Come back!"
The boy shook his head vigorously and made a face at his father: "No! I want my mother!"
"Your mother doesn't want you anymore!" Wang Erzhu's voice suddenly rose, lashing out like a whip: "Get back here!"
The stubbornness on the boy's face collapsed instantly, and tears as big as beans rolled down his face. He clutched the corner of Shaoyao's clothes tightly, and his voice was filled with broken tears: "Dad lied. Mom won't abandon Xiaoqiu, right? Mom... right?"
The heart-wrenching scene before him gave Luo Wan a sudden sharp headache.
She could take Shaoyao away, but she couldn't take the child away. This child was not only Shaoyao's son, but also Wang Erzhu's son.
Wang Erzhu is a person who values family over money.
If not, how could an ordinary farmer spend all his wealth and take out dozens of taels of silver just to buy a daughter-in-law?
He couldn't control Shaoyao's feelings, but he could hold his son's heart firmly.
At this moment, in the ignorant and terrified eyes of the boy Xiaoqiu, she, Luo Wan, might have become the villain who separated his parents and tore apart his little world.
After a while, Shaoyao squatted down tremblingly and hugged Xiaoqiu, who was sobbing, into her arms.
She raised her head and looked at Luo Wan. The tears in her eyes finally rolled down and her voice was hoarse: "Miss, I'm sorry. I won't leave."
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