Chapter 229 Running
At this time, Chen Qushui was sitting in the home of his old friend Wu Zhipeng.
Wu Zhipeng was five years older than him and was a fellow examiner. As his family was well-off, Wu Zhipeng failed the imperial examinations many times, but his family still supported him until he passed the imperial examination at the age of 51. However, he was no longer interested in a career in government, and his two sons also passed the imperial examinations one after another, so he simply became a grandfather at home.
Chen Qushui's family fell into poverty that year, and he came to Kyoto to seek refuge with him.
Seeing Chen Qushui, Wu Zhipeng was very moved and sighed, "Since you are still alive, why don't you come to me? I heard that Duke Dingguo killed Zhang Kai and I thought you were killed as well." He added, "If I had known this, I shouldn't have recommended you to Zhang Kai. Lord Ye also appreciated you very much. If you stayed in the Ye Mansion, even if you had no hope of starting a business, you could still become a schoolmaster or instructor in a prefecture. It's also your bad luck. I didn't expect that not long after you left the Ye Mansion, Lord Ye would become a Grand Scholar!"
The Ye Gong he was referring to was the former Cabinet Minister Ye Shipei.
"How can I blame you for this?" Chen Qushui was a little embarrassed when he mentioned what happened back then. "If I have to blame anyone, I can only blame myself for being young and arrogant. I heard that Zhang Kai was guarding Fujian and was thinking about fighting against the Japanese invaders. But when I arrived at Zhang Kai's house, I showed my arrogance that I had been appreciated by Mr. Ye. This aroused Zhang Kai's disgust. Not only was I not reused, but I was excluded by Zhang Kai. Over the years, every time I think about this, I feel ashamed of Brother Zhipeng's kindness, and I am even more ashamed to meet Brother Zhipeng."
"We have been friends for many years. It's too polite to say these things." Wu Zhipeng said as he looked at Chen Qushui. Although his clothes were not gorgeous, they were simple and generous, and the materials were exquisite. The jade pendant on his waist was made of Hetian jade. It was shiny and delicate, and the whole body was white. It was not an ordinary item. Thinking that he should have lived a good life in the past few years, and suddenly came to his house, it must not be for money. So he didn't beat around the bush and said, "You came to see me, but what difficulties have you encountered?"
He was a native of Kyoto, kind and generous. One of his two sons was the prefect of Jingzhou Prefecture in Huguang, and the other was the county magistrate of Tongxiang County in Zhejiang. The three of them were Jinshi, and there were many people in the same year. He had many friends, so he could handle any trivial matter. Many friends from other places liked to ask him for help when they encountered any difficult problems when they came to Kyoto.
Since Chen Qushui came to see Wu Zhipeng, he had already planned to ask for help, so he did not hide anything. He narrated to Wu Zhipeng how he returned to his hometown from Fujian, how he met Dou Zhao, how he won Dou Zhao's appreciation and became Dou Zhao's aide, how Dou Zhao was remarried, how he got engaged to Song Yantang, the eldest son of the Duke of Ying, etc.
Wu Zhipeng had no contact with the Dou family in Beilou, but he had heard of them.
He was shocked when he heard that. He said, "How could Lord Dou be so foolish! Even if that's the case, you can't just marry your daughter off so easily!" He added, "Since you are an aide to the Dou family, you must have inquired about the affairs of the Duke of Ying's son. The Duke of Ying's son is not insane, how could he kill all his guards for no reason? And it happened shortly after his mother's death, which shows that something shameful happened in the mansion, and he killed people to silence them. How could the Dou family be willing to marry their daughter to the Song family?" He added, "I think you should take this opportunity to resign. Although I am a farmer, I have enough for you to eat. If you feel uncomfortable living with me, I will recommend you to be a teacher at the home of Mr. Yao Shizhong and Mr. Yao Ge. Mr. Yao Ge is from Jingzhou Prefecture in Huguang, and his hometown is under the jurisdiction of my son. I am also very close to the chief steward of Mr. Yao Ge's hometown. Their home is in need of a teacher, but it is just to teach a few young masters in elementary school. There is little work to do and the salary is generous. The Yao family will still give me this little face."
Chen Qushui was very grateful.
Although he knew the inside story of Song Mo's murder, it was a serious matter and Song Mo's private affair, so he didn't mention it to Wu Zhipeng. He only said, "The fourth lady of the Dou family has been very kind to me. If she had married well, I could have taken the opportunity to resign. But it's not easy to say that now." He tactfully rejected Wu Zhipeng's kindness.
"You!" Wu Zhipeng shook his head, half regretful and half admiring, "You still have the same temper as before, you haven't changed at all."
Chen Qushui smiled shyly and said, "I came to see Brother Zhipeng because of the matter of the Prince of the Duke of Ying's Mansion!"
"Oh?" Wu Zhipeng looked at him in confusion.
Chen Qushui smiled and said, "Three people make a tiger. I also think that the killing of the guard by the Prince of the Duke of Ying's Mansion is very strange. I would like to ask you to help me find the Prince of the Duke of Ying's Mansion's wet nurse to find out about the Prince's childhood."
"This is easy to do." Wu Zhipeng said with a smile, "For a noble family like the Duke of Ying's, most of their wet nurses are selected from the wet nurse's mansion. We can find out by asking in Daxing and Wanping. I just don't know what you want to ask."
As soon as Chen Qushui heard it, he knew he had found the right person.
The wet nurses were mostly selected from Daxing and Wanping counties. He had already found out who Song Mo's wet nurse was. However, he was sensitive about his identity and the people around him were familiar with Song Mo's subordinates. He was afraid that if he sent someone to find out, it would attract Song Mo's attention and he would mistakenly think that it was Dou Zhao's intention, which would make Song Mo suspicious, and that would be a loss.
After much thought, he had no choice but to ask Wu Zhipeng for help.
"As the saying goes, a child's character can be seen at the age of three. I just want to ask if anything unusual happened during the years when the prince was born? How did Madam Jiang treat the prince after he was born? How did the Duke of Ying treat the prince? Why was the prince sent to the Jiang family to learn martial arts at such a young age? Could it be that the prince was too naughty and had to be sent to the Duke of Dingguo for discipline? How does the prince treat the people around him..."
"Wait a minute," Wu Zhipeng interrupted him with a smile, "How can you ask about something? You are clearly asking about someone's family background! I am old now, and I can't remember all this even if you tell me. Well, I will find Wu Sheng, and you can tell him in person if you have anything to say!"
Wu Sheng was Wu Zhipeng's personal attendant. He was smart and capable. Whenever the Wu family had any major event, he would be the one to handle it. Chen Qushui naturally knew this person and thanked him repeatedly.
"Why are you so nagging now?" Wu Zhipeng scolded with a smile, "If you continue to be like this, get out of here!"
Chen Qushui apologized again, but his expression became more casual and less polite.
After telling Wu Sheng what he wanted to find out, Wu Zhipeng said, "Do you still remember Xiao Shuqin? He is now working as a staff member in the Changxing Marquis's mansion. After you left Kyoto, he often came to my place to sit. It's a rare occasion for you to come home, why not invite him over and have a drink together?"
Chen Qushui met Xiao Shuqin when he was working as an aide in Kyoto. It has been more than 20 years since they last met.
Hearing that he was working as an aide to the Marquis of Changxing, Chen Qushui was moved, clapped his hands in approval, and urged Wu Zhipeng to invite him.
Wu Zhipeng gave the order and told Chen Qushui about Xiao Shuqin: "... He doesn't have your talent. He has been in Changxing Marquis's mansion for seven or eight years, but he usually helps write eulogies and invitations. He can never get close to Changxing Marquis. He is just wasting his time!"
Chen Qushui said with a smile, "The families of nobles are different from those of officials. Officials can still seek a position, but nobles themselves sometimes can't even find a job, let alone help their staff to seek a position. It can be seen that Brother Shuqin is really tired of being a staff in an official family, and is ready to retire in the Changxing Marquis's Mansion."
Wu Zhipeng thought for a moment and said with a smile, "You have a point. I think he has nothing to do all day and is very idle."
Chen Qushui followed up on this topic and asked about the noble families in Kyoto. In the end, the topic turned back to the Duke of Ying, Song Yichun: "...I heard that he has the title of a scholar, and he has just turned thirty and is in charge of the seal of the vanguard of the Five Armies Commandery? It shows that this man is quite talented!"
Civil officials dispatched generals, and military officials mobilized troops.
Although the Minister of War is a civilian, he has to go through the Five Military Governorates to mobilize troops. The five military governors-general appointed by the emperor and in charge of the tiger talisman are the emperor's true confidants.
"It's true that he can write a couple of crooked poems." Wu Zhipeng didn't think highly of Song Yichun. "He was able to become the governor because of his gentle nature and the loyalty of the Duke of Ying's family."
"Oh!" Chen Qushui said with a smile, "What do you mean?" He looked very interested.
When Wu Zhipeng thought that Chen Qushui might go to the Duke of Ying's Mansion with the fourth daughter of the Dou family, it was not difficult for him to understand Chen Qushui's curiosity.
He smiled and said, "This has to start with my origins in the British Duke's Mansion..."
The two of them drank tea while setting up the dragon gate formation. When Xiao Shuqin came over, the tea had been changed several times. After being so excited to see their old friends in their old age, who would care to talk about the Duke of Ying's Mansion?
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Chen Qushui got drunk and slept until noon in Wu's house.
The hangover gave him a splitting headache and a bitter and astringent taste in his mouth. He was rubbing his temples when Wu Zhipeng walked in with a smile on his face: "Qushui, Chunlin and the others are very excited to know that you are still alive. They are rushing over here. Liangzhu has even booked a private room in Zuixianlou to welcome you. Hurry up and wash up, Chunlin and the others will be here soon."
Chen Qushui smiled bitterly.
It was hard to refuse the invitation, so that night, several people got drunk at Zuixianlou.
When Chen Qushui woke up the next day, he was about to say goodbye when Wu Sheng, who had gone out to inquire about the news, came back.
Chen Qushui drank two cups of cold tea and talked to Wu Sheng in the guest room.
Wu Sheng didn't come out of the guest room until the sun set.
Wu Zhipeng did not ask what they talked about. He and Xiao Shuqin, who had rushed over, warmly treated him to dinner. After Chen Qushui repeatedly declined, they sent a sedan chair to take Chen Qushui to the writing shop on the street below the Drum Tower.
Sulan has been waiting here for a day.
Seeing Chen Qushui, she couldn't help but angrily said: "Uncle Chen is such a jerk! He never leaves a message before going anywhere, making the young lady wait for him!"
Chen Qushui was shocked to realize that today was already August 16, and there were only eight days left before Dou Zhao got married.
He apologized repeatedly: "I don't know what the lady wants to talk to me about?"
"I don't know either." Su Lan smiled, "It's urgent anyway. They sent me here yesterday, but you weren't there, uncle."
Chen Qushui didn't care that it was getting late, so he changed his clothes and went to Jing'an Temple Hutong with Sulan.