Chapter 11 Chapter 11 My goodness, a time management master! ...
Shuangxu's original surname was He. Her eldest brother, He Liang, was Shen Ming'an's personal servant. Her second brother, He Rong, usually ran errands for the steward of the outer courtyard. He was lively and had a wide circle of friends on the street.
Ever since He Rong took over the task from his sister, he had been determined to make a name for himself. He had received money and treated his brothers to food and drink, but he still couldn't find any fault with Han Zhihuan.
Now that there's finally a new development, I'm rushing back to report.
Shen Lingyue quietly left the mansion in a carriage, with He Rong sitting on the carriage shaft pointing the way. They soon arrived near Bitao Lane.
She got off the carriage and walked into the alley with He Rong.
At the entrance of the alley stands an old peach tree with a trunk so thick that it takes several people to encircle it. It is estimated to be over a hundred years old, hence the name Bitao Alley (Peach Blossom Alley).
Bitao Lane is located in the east of the city. This area is mostly composed of two-courtyard houses. Those who can afford to own a house here are considered to be relatively well-off. The overall environment is quite tranquil.
He Rong stopped and pointed to the door of the second-to-last house in the alley, "This is it."
Qingchan rolled up her sleeves, eager to get started. "Miss, let's rush in now and tear that vixen to shreds!"
The young lady is so wonderful, yet the son-in-law still dares to keep a woman outside the marriage. Shameless!
Shen Lingyue stopped her, both amused and exasperated. "To catch a thief red-handed, or an adulterer caught in the act, do you think they'll admit it if you go to their door now?"
She thought for a moment and asked He Rong, "When was the last time Han Zhihuan came here?"
He Rong recalled, "Three days ago."
"That means, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be coming over this afternoon."
It was still early, so Shen Lingyue pretended to stroll around, walked around the alley to get a general idea of the layout, and then stopped in front of a somewhat dilapidated door. "Is no one living in this house next door?"
He Rong had already inquired about the situation in the area and immediately said, "Miss, this is a famous haunted house in the neighborhood. It is said that a fire broke out three years ago, and a family of seven was burned to death. Afterwards, the people living nearby often saw dark figures moving around in the middle of the night, which was very frightening. The house was abandoned and no one dared to buy it."
If you look closely, you can see traces of smoke and fire on the wall.
"No wonder it's so quiet here." Shen Lingyue narrowed her eyes.
Han Zhihuan is quite clever; by placing the outer residence next to the haunted house, no one would dare to approach, making it even more secluded.
Shen Lingyue wasn't afraid of that. She raised her head and looked at a tall tree in the courtyard that stretched towards the sky, and a plan came to her mind.
She asked He Rong, "Can you find a way to let me in?"
He Rong picked up a stone and smashed it a few times against the rusty lock hanging on the door, then pushed the door open a crack.
Shen Lingyue darted inside, and Qing Chan, unable to stop her, could only follow in fear.
The yard was overgrown with weeds, almost waist-high. When the wind blew, rustling sounds came from the weeds, and it was unknown how many snakes, insects, rats and ants had made their home there.
What should have been the main hall of the courtyard was burned down to ruins, which became increasingly dilapidated due to wind and rain.
Shen Lingyue arrived at the tree, looked up to estimate the height, rubbed her hands together, and then jumped up in a flash, climbing upwards with nimble movements.
In her previous life, her parents died unexpectedly when she was very young. Both sides of the family refused to raise her, and she was eventually sent to an orphanage where she lived for five or six years.
Back then, Shen Lingyue was the king of the kids in the orphanage. She could climb trees to steal bird nests and go down to the river to catch small fish and shrimp. She was incredibly mischievous.
Neither Qingchan nor Shuangxu kept an eye on her, and she had already climbed five or six meters high, straddling the branch with the most lush foliage.
The two maids were dumbfounded and anxiously stretched out their arms under the tree, pleading, "Miss, stop fooling around, come down quickly!"
Shen Lingyue sat firmly and explained with her head down, "The view is good here."
It provides a clear view of what's happening in the neighboring yard.
The layout next door is similar to this one. After entering the gate, there is a courtyard with some flowers and trees planted in the small courtyard. Under the eaves, there is a clothes rack made of bamboo poles, on which several women's dresses with exquisite patterns are hung.
A young maid sat by the well, a large wooden basin in front of her, washing clothes.
A moment later, the door creaked open, and a graceful figure emerged, humming a little tune, her eyes and brows exuding captivating charm.
Is this Han Zhihuan's mistress?
Shen Lingyue straddled a tree branch, craning her neck to look forward, wanting to see more clearly.
Qingchan turned pale with fright and paced around the tree like a mother hen.
Good heavens! When did Miss learn to climb trees, and she's so good at it!
He Rong, who was keeping watch at the gate, suddenly ran over and shouted to the tree, "Miss, it seems someone is coming this way."
Shen Lingyue looked at the sun hanging in the sky and asked in confusion, "Wasn't Han Zhihuan supposed to arrive this afternoon?"
She had a better view from the top, and when she turned her head, she saw a carriage heading into the alley.
Shen Lingyue hurriedly urged the people below, "You guys quickly go around to the back of the alley and drive our carriage far away so we don't get discovered."
If Han Zhihuan recognizes the Shen family's carriage, then we'll be exposed.
Qingchan hesitated, "Then what about you, Miss?"
"Don't worry, I'm sitting right here, I won't fall."
Shen Lingyue waved her hand repeatedly, letting Shuangxu pull Qingchan out first.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the gate next door, and an unfamiliar young man stepped out.
He waved his folding fan, feigning a dashing demeanor, and stepped forward to knock on the door knocker. "Yao Niang, open the door quickly, I've come to see you."
The woman in the courtyard went over and opened the door, hooked her arm around the man's belt and pulled him inside, her voice sweet and charming: "My dear, why did it take you so long? I've been waiting for you until I was starving."
The man hooked her chin, his smile lewd, "Hungry? Wait, I'll feed you right away..."
The two of them huddled together like glue, and entered the room in a sticky, affectionate manner, soon followed by embarrassing sounds.
Shen Lingyue sat on the tree, her eyes wide open.
Wait a minute, isn't this woman Han Zhihuan's mistress? And who is this man?
Could it be that Han Zhihuan's mistress cheated on him again?
Shen Lingyue almost burst out laughing. What is this called? This is called "the one who is cuckolded will always be cuckolded by others"!
Serves you right!
However, if that's the case, then her plan needs to be slightly modified...
The commotion inside the house wouldn't stop anytime soon. Shen Lingyue successfully climbed down the tree, left the courtyard, and went around to the back alley to meet up with Qingchan and the others.
"He Rong, go ahead and see if you can find out who the person is."
Judging from the way the man acted as if he were coming home as soon as he entered, it must have been more than once before.
He Rong nodded and jogged off, quickly returning with the information.
"That man is the youngest son of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and a well-known playboy and frequent visitor to brothels."
Shen Lingyue whistled.
At noon, she asked Qingchan to buy some food from a nearby restaurant, while the four of them continued to keep watch.
Then, that very afternoon, she met the son of the Bai family, the imperial merchants; the nephew of the Earl of Wuling; the brother-in-law of the commander of the Beida Camp; and even the brother-in-law of the sister-in-law of the Princess Consort of Qi's family...
Holy crap, he's a time management master!
This Yao Niang was not Han Zhihuan's mistress at all; it should be said that Han Zhihuan was just a fish in her pond!
Qingchan asked uncertainly, "Should we still tell the young lady?"
"No rush, let's take another look."
Shen Lingyue fell into thought.
She now wondered, did these men know of each other's existence? Or did they all believe they were Yao Niang's "only one"?
After all, they all arrived at different times, perfectly staggered.
Moreover, Shen Lingyue had just observed from the tree that the house seemed to contain only women's clothing and furnishings. Yao Niang and the maid were very careful and did not leave any trace of men...
He Rong rushed in from outside, her voice hurried and excited.
"Here he comes! This time it's the eldest son-in-law!" Shen Lingyue perked up and skillfully slipped into the haunted house next door, then scrambled up the big tree.
It's much clearer to see from the tree!
Soon, Han Zhihuan knocked on the door like a thief, and as soon as he entered, he asked the maid, "Where is Yao Niang?"
The maidservant said innocently, "Miss isn't feeling well today and is lying in her room."
Han Zhihuan became anxious upon hearing this and quickly scrambled into the house.
Shen Lingyue curled her lip in disdain.
When other men came to visit, Yao Niang would come out to greet them.
It seems that her brother-in-law, the heir of the Marquis of Pingxi, doesn't even rank highly in Yao Niang's heart.
That's true. Everyone else comes in carrying big bags and small bags, giving jewelry and supplements as gifts, while he comes in empty-handed. Who wouldn't look down on him?
The Pingxi Earl's Mansion sounds impressive, but it's really just a facade; Han Zhihuan probably doesn't have much money on hand...
In the bedroom, Yao Niang lay lazily on the bed, listening to Han Zhihuan's caring words to her.
"Yao Niang, the situation has changed, I'm afraid I can't bring you into the manor."
Han Zhihuan looked troubled. "You know, my wife is a jealous woman. She can't have a son and won't let me take a concubine... Her maternal grandfather is the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. If he impeaches me, it will affect my career."
Yao Niang turned her head away to hide the cold smile on her lips, then turned back around with a gentle and pitiful expression.
"It's alright, Han Lang. As long as you have me in your heart and come to see me every now and then, I'll be content."
She raised her hand, feigning to wipe away tears, "I'm just a frail woman, how could I dare to compete with your wife for favor? As long as Han Lang remembers, no matter what troubles you encounter outside, I will always be here waiting for you..."
"Yao Niang, I knew you were the one who cared about me the most!"
Han Zhihuan was almost moved to tears. He looked around and saw that the bedroom was bare and had no furnishings. He hardened his heart and took out a few silver notes from his pocket.
"Here, take this. Go buy some jewelry and make some new clothes tomorrow. You're still so young, you should dress up nicely."
Upon seeing the silver notes, Yao Niang's eyes lit up. She threw off the covers and rushed into his arms, her voice filled with sincerity, "Han Lang, you're so good to me. But you've given me all the money, won't your wife be angry?"
Han Zhihuan said with an air of pride, "I can give my money to whomever I want. She's just a woman, what right does she have to tell me what to do?"
With the beauty in his arms, he became somewhat distracted, and his hands began to wander restlessly over Yao Niang's body.
Yao Niang rolled her eyes, lowered her head, and turned away. "Han Lang, I'm not feeling well today..."
Han Zhihuan awkwardly stopped, rubbing his nose. "Alright, alright, then you should get some rest. I should go home too."
He stood up, suddenly sniffed, and asked in confusion, "What's that smell in this room?"
Yao Niang hurriedly said, "It's probably because the taste of the medicine I drank this morning hasn't dissipated yet. That prescription is terribly bitter, and I still can't eat anything."
Han Zhihuan was fooled. He covered Yao Niang with the quilt, looked back several times, and left reluctantly.
Shen Lingyue watched the whole thing from the tree, and it was truly an eye-opening experience.
I didn't realize Han Zhihuan was such a love-struck fool. Didn't he notice something was wrong all this time?
Now that it was confirmed that Han Zhihuan had been here, Shen Lingyue no longer had the hobby of eavesdropping. She stretched, loosened her wrists, and prepared to climb down and head home.
Just as I was about to make a move, I suddenly heard two thuds.
She turned her head to look behind her and saw that two men had climbed over the wall and come in!
The two men climbed over the wall into the courtyard, walked a few steps this way, and stopped right under the tree.
Shen Lingyue immediately froze, clinging tightly to the tree trunk with both hands, holding her breath and concentrating.
She carefully adjusted her position, using the dense foliage to conceal herself, and peered down through the gaps in the leaves.
The man on the left, dressed in a long black robe with a hood covering him completely, reached out to the man on the right: "Did you bring the things?"
The man on the right handed over several letters and said coldly, "These are letters between Gu Yuan and his uncle. It can be basically confirmed that he disobeyed orders, delayed military operations, and caused Brother Gu's death."
Shen Lingyue: !
Even if you're catching someone cheating, you can still find out about Gu Yuan!
Is her birth chart incompatible with that of the Duke of Lingguo's family?
Wait, are they talking about something related to the death of Prince Gu Lin?
Also, why does this voice sound a little familiar?
Shen Lingyue was holding her breath so hard she was about to suffocate, but she couldn't control her curiosity and stretched out her ears to listen.
The hooded man on the left carefully put the letter away. "Have you thought this through? Gu Lin is dead. If this gets out, the entire Duke's mansion will suffer. Those are all Gu Lin's closest relatives."
The man on the right clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the tree trunk. "Brother Gu has been playing with me and teaching me martial arts since I was a child. I will make Gu Yuan pay the price!"
He punched with all his might, causing the tree trunk to tremble and leaves to fall with a rustling sound.
Shen Lingyue was startled, letting out a soft gasp before quickly covering her mouth, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
She kept praying silently, "They didn't notice me. They didn't notice me."
Fortunately, the two people under the tree didn't seem to hear them. After exchanging a few more words in hushed tones, the hooded man left first.
Another man stood under the tree, motionless for a long time.
Shen Lingyue heard her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to explode, and she was extremely anxious.
Brother, this is a haunted house! You'd better get out of here!
Suddenly, the man raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the treetops.
"Are you going to come down yourself, or should I go up and grab you?"
A note from the author:
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Moon Child: Eating melons is risky, climbing trees requires caution!
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