Xiao Xin was stunned.
It took him a moment to come to his senses, and he awkwardly reached out to respond.
The girl's waist was slender and supple, which contrasted slightly with her usual calm and composed nature. Xiao Xin was a little stunned and unable to control himself when he touched her.
It's so thin and soft; it seems like she couldn't withstand even the slightest bit of pressure from him.
His imagination ended there, because Xu Rong had regained her senses and stepped out of his embrace.
"Second Young Master, I was in a bad mood and offended you," Xu Rong apologized.
Xiao Xin felt a sudden emptiness in his arms, and his heart felt empty as well, filled only with a chilling breeze.
He pursed his lips: "It's alright, it's cool at night, let's go inside and talk."
After entering the room, Xu Rong briefly explained the situation to Zhi Tao while taking out the cloth ball again and smoothing it out by the lamp.
Zhi Tao was illiterate, and the last message left to her could only be expressed through drawings.
It was a topographical map, and when viewed under the lamp, it was surprisingly clear.
"She's probably been thinking about it for a while," Xu Rong said in a low voice.
In the final stage of her life, Zhi Tao was kept in confinement and forbidden from seeing anyone. She knew this was for protection, but the isolation must have made her uneasy. She couldn't help but think about the only trump card she had.
—South of the city, Sijing Street, Xiaoshiqiao Hutong.
This is what Xiao Xin deduced. Xu Rong had never been to the South City and did not know the place name there.
There was a bloodstain on the first house at the entrance of the alley.
"Is this where her brother and sister-in-law live?" Xiao Xin asked.
Xu Rong nodded: "That should be it. It seems that her brother and sister-in-law have never left the capital."
Because of the distance, they were able to obtain information more easily than expected. After Zhi Tao entered the Marquis's mansion, they lost contact with her for so long, but they did not show up in a hurry, which made Madam Xiao's search plan make no progress.
"It's too late, Second Young Master. Go to sleep first. I'll find a way to sneak over in a couple of days."
After a moment of silence, Xu Rong spoke again.
Xiao Xin had no objections. After blowing out the lamp, the night passed just like that.
For the next two days, the main courtyard was in chaos. Madam Xiao was dealing with the midwife, who was said to have sabotaged the delivery. If Madam Xiao hadn't noticed something was wrong and called the doctor in time, not only would Zhi Tao have died, but the child would have been lost as well. She also had to settle the child. It was said that Chang Shuyin had come to ask for the child, but Madam Xiao suspected that the midwife was connected to her and refused to keep her promise to hand the child over to her. So, she set aside a room in the main house that night and assigned wet nurses, nannies, maids, and other servants to her...
Xu Rong avoided the limelight and quietly led his men to the southern city.
Xiao Xin did not go with her, not because he did not want to go, but because his examination day was approaching, and he was too busy to go even if he wanted to.
If the East City was the working class district, then the South City was the slum district. A large number of people engaged in lowly occupations or even unemployed gathered here, crammed together in a chaotic mess. Even the magistrate of Daxing County, who was in charge of this area, couldn't say exactly how many people were here. Without any guidance, finding a single person among them was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
Thanks to the accuracy of Yu Zhitao's drawing, Xu Rong only asked once on the way and found the right place, arriving at Xiaoshiqiao Hutong.
There really is a stone bridge here, but it has been abandoned due to years of disrepair. Next to the stone bridge is where Brother Zhitao and his wife live.
Ordinary people usually don't close their doors during the day. When Xu Rong got off the carriage, he saw that the gate of the small courtyard was open. There was a flatbed cart with a wooden frame on it. The frame was full of needle boxes, silk threads, hairpins, hair ornaments and other items. A man was pushing the cart out listlessly.
He was stunned when Xu Rong and Bai Fu appeared at the door.
Immediately, his legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud.
"Miss, young lady."
The cart tumbled back to the ground with a loud thud, the strings of beads jingling. A woman rushed out of the house, shouting, "Liu Dazhu, what are you up to now? Don't think you can live like a king just because you have that sister of yours. Whether she's reliable or not is another matter entirely, it's been like this for ages—"
The woman was quick-witted and talkative, but no matter how fast or talkative she was, she instantly became mute upon seeing Xu Rong.
"..."
Xu Rong walked in, stopped beside the cart, and glanced at it.
She now understood why Xiao Lun had been unable to uncover the communication channels between Zhi Tao and her brother and sister-in-law. Zhi Tao's brother, Liu Dazhu, disguised himself as a peddler, traveling from street to street, and there was no need for a third party to contact Zhi Tao. If Zhi Tao wanted to send money to her brother, she didn't even need to leave the house.
He was determined and ruthless, but ultimately he was defeated by his humble origins.
Neither the Xiao family nor the Chang family could truly be controlled by a servant. If they were provoked, Zhi Tao's life would be lost without even a ripple.
"...Tao'er, she—died in childbirth?"
Liu Dazhu knelt on the ground, repeating Bai Fu's words to him in a somewhat dazed manner.
Sister-in-law Zhitao reacted even faster. She knelt down as well, leaned forward, and hurriedly asked, "What about the child—no, the young master? Was he saved? Is he a boy or a girl?!"
“It’s a boy.” Bai Fu took a step back with a hint of disgust.
Sister-in-law Zhitao breathed a long sigh of relief: "That's good, it's good that it's saved."
Xu Rong smiled and said, "What, do you still want to go and claim kinship with us?"
Sister-in-law Zhitao, with her neck stiff, said, "Although we don't dare to acknowledge his maternal uncle and aunt, we are still related by blood. This child is pitiful; he lost his mother at birth—"
Snap!
A loud slap cut off her further delusions. Liu Dazhu glared at her with bloodshot eyes: "If you want to die, go by yourself!"
Sister-in-law Zhitao was so dizzy from the beating that she covered her face and jumped up, ready to fight back, but she woke up halfway through.
She finally remembered how Zhi Tao had come to Xiao Lun's side and how she had entered the Marquis's mansion.
She clutched her clothes—her heart ached!
A big, chubby little boy, a shiny, treasure bowl—you can't reach out or touch it.
Xu Rong ignored their lawsuit and went inside to retrieve the cloth bundle that Zhi Tao had left behind.
Liu Dazhu took it, his hand trembling slightly. He stared at it for a while, then wiped his eyes. "I knew it wouldn't work. That family isn't like our wife's; they're not easy to mess with. But, I guess I was too greedy..."
The opportunity is right in front of me, and I still want to give it a shot.
“I don’t have much time,” Xu Rong reminded him. “You probably don’t have much time either. Let’s get down to business.”
Liu Dazhu raised his head.
Xu Rong looked at him: "Zhi Tao left this message with me, not just so I could deliver it."
In reality, what Zhi Tao left for her were these two people, and only in exchange for that did she dare to make that request to her.
“Yes, young lady, we know you were pushed down by that heartless Xiao Lun,” Sister-in-law Zhi Tao said, her eyes darting around. “But what good is knowing now? You’re already married into the family, and Tao’er is dead. We don’t even dare to show our faces—”
"Shut up," Liu Dazhu shouted gruffly.
Before Sister-in-law Tao could retort, he glared at her and said, "Get out."
Sister-in-law Zhitao was sullen, but when the man really got angry, she was not without fear, so she had no choice but to turn around and leave.
“Tao’er secretly told me something else,” Liu Dazhu said with his head down. “She repeatedly told me not to tell anyone, but my wife can’t keep her mouth shut, so I didn’t even dare to tell her.”
Xu Rong listened intently.
"The Xiao family has a concubine who is having an affair."
Bai Fu's eyes widened instantly. Her heart pounded, and she subconsciously looked around. She saw Brother Hongliu standing guard at the door, while Sister-in-law Zhitao stormed out in a huff. With no one else around, she clutched her chest and calmed herself down.
Xu Rong was speechless for a moment.
She thought that Zhi Tao might have left her some evidence about Xiao Lun pushing people, but now it seems that she wasn't lying about this. Given her status, it would indeed be difficult for her to get anything from Xiao Lun.
Unexpectedly, she found another secret through a different route.
Although there is probably no evidence, it is not easy to have even this one statement.
How did she know?
“Once, Tao’er heard Prince Xiao talking in his sleep,” Liu Dazhu said sullenly. “He usually doesn’t have this problem when he sleeps, but he seemed to have encountered something those few days. He was particularly annoyed and in a bad mood. Tao’er was quite frightened by him and stayed with him until he fell asleep before daring to go to bed. Who knew that she would hear him mutter, ‘It’s not Father’s child…’”
Even though she was mentally prepared this time, Bai Fu was still stunned.
Xu Rong calmly pressed further: "When did this happen? Is that all? Just this one sentence?"
Liu Dazhu nodded first: "That's the only one. It happened last year. Tao'er had only been by his side for a short time then. She never heard about it again after that. Tao'er didn't know if it was true or not, and she didn't dare to ask. She kept it in her heart and only told me."
Xu Rong pondered.
She was already inclined to believe it; people's dreams are boundless, and they might say anything outlandish, but Xiao Lun's words were so real, as if they were a reflection of reality.
If it is true and there is no misunderstanding, then it's not just about adultery; even the child born isn't Lord Xiao's. He's been thoroughly cuckolded.
Xiao Lun knew about this, but what about Lord Xiao himself? And Lady Xiao?
...
“You should not stay in the capital any longer. Although this place is secluded, it may not be found for a while, but over time, clues may emerge. I have a dowry estate in Zhengding. You should go there first.”
Liu Dazhu knelt down and agreed. He knew that saving his life was the most important thing, and besides, with Zhi Tao gone, he had no other prospects. Was he really going to just become a peddler in this slum?
Why did you leave the Marquis of Ji'an's mansion in the first place? It would have been much more comfortable working under Madam Xu than wandering the streets in the wind and rain.
Xu Rong left Hongliu behind and accompanied Liu Dazhu and his wife to Zhengding, while she took Bai Fu back to the mansion.
The coachman was hired from outside. The master and servant did not exchange a word on the way, until they entered the bedroom in the north courtyard. Bai Fu finally couldn't hold back: "Is it Aunt Ruan? No way, the Marquis dotes on her so much."
What's the point of stealing someone?
But the only other one is Weiss.
Lord Xiao is not actually too promiscuous when it comes to women. He only has two concubines with official titles. But if we guess that it's Lady Wei, then Xiao Xin—?
So Bai Fu didn't even dare to say it out loud.
“It shouldn’t be Aunt Wei,” Xu Rong said for her. “How could Aunt Wei dare to do such a thing? With her abilities, she couldn’t possibly do it.”
Bai Fu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes."
Lacking both courage and ability, how could Lady Wei possibly pin this green veil on Lord Xiao?
Xu Rong didn't say anything more. He changed into his outdoor clothes, rested for a while, and then sat down on the porch to wait.
She was flipping through a book, not looking at the words—she couldn't concentrate on the rigid, formulaic style of classical Chinese literature—but rather at the design and layout of the pages. However, at that moment, she couldn't even focus on those aspects; she was simply fiddling with the pages slowly in her hands.
Just then, light footsteps sounded by the door, and Xiao Xin, carrying an exam basket, walked in.
He went to the examination hall today for the main examination, and there will be a re-examination in three days.
Xu Rong put down the book, stood up, and instead of going down to greet him, stared intently at Xiao Xin's face.
Look at his dark eyebrows, narrow eyes, straight nose, thin lips, and slightly pointed chin, which give him a delicate appearance.
It seems like there's something not quite right—?
Xu Rong's heart wavered for a moment.
She rarely felt this uneasy and confused, so she didn't look away until Xiao Xin walked up to her.
I couldn't help but scrutinize him closely, bit by bit.
There were some things she wouldn't even tell Bai Fu; she kept this doubt to herself until it became clear.
Xiao Xin was very cooperative. If she wanted to watch, he would just stand there and let her watch without saying a word.
The skin tone is also different; it's white.
Xu Rong had some doubts, but perhaps it was because he was a scholar who stayed indoors reading all day and didn't have to go to the training ground to be exposed to the sun and wind?
She stared at it again, trying to find a clue that contradicted her. Sure enough, it did exactly what she wanted; it wasn't so white anymore, it was red—red.
Xu Rong realized what was happening and finally met his gaze.
"Have you seen enough?" Xiao Xin asked her, looking down at her.
His tone and expression were calm, provided one ignored the redness still spreading across his cheeks.
Xu Rong gave a dry laugh: "...That's enough, that's enough."
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