Xiao Nanhui stared at the treasure that suddenly appeared beneath the surface, and was a little dazed for a moment.
"Don't forget, it had been in that swamp for many years before it was found."
Hao Bai's eyes could not leave the newly revealed charm of Baoyu, and the big white face got closer and closer.
With a snap, Zhongli closed the wooden box neatly.
Hao Bai touched his nose, and then as if remembering something, he took out the jade seal that Xiao Nanhui had snatched from Zou Sifang and placed it in front of A Lu.
"You swapped this with someone else before, right? Who gave it to you?"
A Lu turned his head slightly, his eyes showing stubbornness: "It's mine."
Hao Bai couldn't help but ask, "The person who gave you the item must know a lot, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to create such a near-authentic fake. What did he say to you that made you willingly work for him?"
A Lu remained silent. Hao Bai wanted to ask more questions, but Zhongli, who was standing beside him, calmly took out a green silk handkerchief from his body and spread it in front of A Lu.
There was a lily of the valley embroidered on one corner of the silk handkerchief. It was the same handkerchief Xiao Nanhui used to cover his face that night.
"Do you know what this is?"
A Lu's lips curled up in a sneer. "Of course, this is something my sister embroidered. What? Do you think I'll tell you everything just for a handkerchief?"
Zhongli actually stroked the lifelike lily flowers on the handkerchief. The texture of the flowers was so clear that even the veins on the petals were visible, demonstrating the exquisite craftsmanship. "Then did you know that there is an embroidery method created by women specifically for their loved ones, using the embroiderer's hair as the embroidery thread?"
Zhongli's words were calm, but Anlu seemed to hear thunder. His lips trembled for a moment, and suddenly he rushed forward like a madman, trying to snatch the handkerchief.
Xiao Nanhui was startled. Ding Weixiang had already made a lightning-fast move and knocked A Lu out with a palm.
Ali was hit in the chest, his blood boiling, and he coughed violently on the ground.
Xiao Nanhui felt a little reluctant, but Zhongli Jing's expression never changed from beginning to end.
"A severe plague once struck Huozhou, and the very mention of it was truly terrifying. Ayun died of the plague, and her body was cremated, along with her bedding, clothing, and other belongings, to prevent the spread of the plague. The person who approached you promised to bring back your deceased sister if you could find what he wanted. I suspect that something belonging to Ayun would be necessary to summon her spirit. However, when you received the news and rushed to Wangchen Tower, nothing of hers remained. You searched the entire building, every dressing table she used, every comb, but couldn't find even a single hair. Undeterred, you became a servant in the building, searching Murhe for the whereabouts of that belonging while collecting every scrap of Ayun's remains. Am I right?"
A Lu was panting and staring at the person in front of him, as if he was a monster.
"Who are you? Why..."
"An Lu, do you know that the surname An was once a name of great nobility? Do you think that the so-called kindhearted person who wanted to help you find your sister was really doing it out of kindness?"
An Lu's emotions towards the person in front of him had changed from suspicion to fear.
He and his sister were born as slaves. If An Yun had not been so beautiful and had made it in Wangchen Tower, he would probably have been the lowest slave in someone else's house all his life and would never have been able to get rid of this status.
He once asked his sister why some people were born as masters and ladies, while others were born as slaves. His sister told him: Because only in this way can they survive.
As An Lu grew older, he gradually understood who was born a slave and could be bullied by even fellow slaves. An Yun was older than him and could name three generations of his family, but none of them were still alive. This was called the extermination of three generations of his clan, a crime worthy of high treason.
As for An, he never used the surname again after he understood this principle, and the same was true for his sister.
But the person who came to him said his last name, which he had almost forgotten, for the first time.
That scene is just like now.
He grew up in the worst environment, so he still has the ability to judge people. The person in front of him, like that person, is someone he can't afford to offend.
An Lu pursed his lips tightly, and spoke with difficulty after a long time: "He told me that the jade is not ordinary jade, but has magical powers. If I have the jade, I can call back my sister's soul."
Xiao Nanhui, who was listening from the side, couldn't help but interrupt, "Isn't this nonsense? It's just a piece of jade. Can it really bring someone back to life?"
An Lu shook his head stubbornly, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion and excitement. "No, this is true! He said that the emperors of the past did this."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was surprised.
After a long time, Zhongli's cold voice sounded.
"Emperor? Which emperor are you talking about?"
An Lu shuddered inexplicably and his voice became softer.
"Nie, the Emperor of Nie Hyun."
An Lu's words were soft and trembling, but to people's ears, they sounded like a huge rock falling into the sea.
Even though the old land has been lost for nearly a hundred years, matters concerning the royal family of the previous dynasty have always been a taboo in this dynasty.
How taboo can it be? It is rumored that the former Nie Xuan Emperor Qiu Yuan loved red lotus, and it could be seen everywhere in the imperial palace. After his fall, Tiancheng spent just three years to eradicate all the red lotus that could be seen within the borders.
This level of paranoia sometimes puzzled Xiao Nanhui. But how could she, a person of humble origins who had never been involved in government affairs, know what the emperor was really thinking?
Perhaps everyone was so shocked by these sudden words that no one noticed the fleeting emotion in Zhongli's eyes. When he spoke again, his voice had returned to a calm tone.
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