Chapter 132 Acting
The emperor was in his prime, not yet old enough to believe in Taoism and take elixirs.
Although the empress dowager was old, she was still in good health and was a Buddhist. The last time Feng Qingsui went to the palace to see her, she had a string of Buddhist beads wrapped around her left wrist.
The longevity elixir refined by the Taoist priests of Qiyun Temple should not be supplied to them.
Eunuch Dai, who was once resourceful and favored by the Empress Dowager but was in poor health, was most likely the person behind the scenes.
To confirm this, she sent Wuhua to investigate Eunuch Dai's residence at night.
Wuhua replied, "There are experts guarding his mansion, so it's not easy to go in."
Feng Qingsui thought of the Taoist leader with great skills, and he was already 80% sure in his heart.
If we want to go into the house and check, we have to lure that person away.
She was just thinking about how to lure the tiger away from the mountain when a servant who usually ran errands and delivered messages between the main gate and the second gate of the Ji Mansion suddenly came to her.
"Madam, someone gave me fifty taels of silver and asked me to tell him the news from the mansion."
Shunzi said with a playful smile.
"I was afraid if I rejected him, he would find someone else, so I agreed."
He is the grandson of the old doorman. Both grandfather and grandson were recruited by Ji Changqing after he returned to Beijing to take up his post and set up a mansion.
Feng Qingsui didn't expect that he looked so careless on weekdays, but was so loyal and reliable at the critical moment.
The Ji family really doesn't keep idle people.
After carefully inquiring about the transaction, she said, "You keep the money, but I'll decide what news to pass on."
Shunzi nodded vigorously: "Okay, I'll listen to my wife."
Feng Qingsui suspected that the person who bribed Shunzi was arranged by Eunuch Dai. After thinking for a moment, he came up with an idea.
Then he went to the gate to wait for Ji Changqing to return home.
Ji Changqing, who had been drinking heat-reducing tea for two days and almost had diarrhea, walked in and saw her: "..."
What? Three flower tea is not enough to clear the liver, so you want five flower tea and seven flower tea?
He subconsciously looked at Feng Qingsui's hands.
But I didn't see the jar.
Feng Qingsui smiled and said, "Second Master, I got the wrong rose tea I sent you yesterday. I want to ask you to go back and exchange it for another one."
Ji Changqing said woodenly, "It's just a small matter. You can just send a maid to find me. Why bother coming here in person?"
"I'm just sitting around doing nothing anyway."
“…”
Ji Changqing resigned himself to his fate and walked towards his study.
When he arrived at the study, Feng Qingsui opened his mouth and immediately felt that even Wuhua tea could not relieve his heat.
"You want to use yourself as bait to lure the snake out of its hole?"
He frowned.
"No, it's too dangerous. I don't agree."
Feng Qingsui asked in return, "Second Master, do you have a better idea?"
Ji Changqing: “…”
"Not yet."
He had ordered people to investigate and found that Eunuch Dai had no other private property except the mansion and land rewarded to him by the Empress Dowager.
All his family members died during the famine, so he fled to the capital alone and became a eunuch in the palace. He had no brothers or nephews to rely on.
In addition, he usually stays at home and rarely sees outsiders. He is like a turtle curled up in its shell. Even if you want to move him, it is difficult to do so.
Feng Qingsui spread his hands and said, "If we can't find any evidence against him, none of us can do anything to him. The expert beside him knows all his details. If we can capture him, the case at Qiyun Temple will be solved."
Ji Changqing knew that what she said made sense, but he still didn't want her to take any risks.
"I'll find someone to pretend to be you, so you don't have to go yourself."
Feng Qingsui chuckled: "The person you are looking for may be able to make Peregrine Falcon obedient?"
Ji Changqing: “…”
"Just do as I say." Feng Qingsui made the final decision. "I'll treat Madam Xu and the others to dinner tomorrow. Remember to meet me at the White Crane Tower and send me back home."
The massacre at Qiyun Temple exposed Ji Changqing's strength. She was worried that Eunuch Dai would not be easily fooled, so she planned to create the illusion that she was at odds with the Ji family, and then "run away from home" to lure Eunuch Dai to send people to hunt her down.
Ji Changqing held his forehead.
"All right."
What else could he do except cooperate with her?
The next evening, Feng Qingsui invited Xu Mama, Qing Li A Yu and others to have dinner at Baihe Tower on the pretext of rewarding them for their contribution in putting out the fire.
During the meal, Aunt Xu sat on her left, Wuhua sat on her right, A Yu sat on Wuhua's right, and the others sat between Aunt Xu and A Yu.
Qing Li and others rarely had the opportunity to dine at Baihe Tower. After the waiter served the dishes, everyone was dazzled by the delicious food. When Feng Qingsui asked them to start eating, they just picked up the dishes and ate.
Nanny Xu washed her hands and was about to peel shrimp for Feng Qingsui.
Feng Qingsui smiled and refused: "Mammy, I can do it myself, you don't have to take care of me."
Wuhua echoed: "Mammy, the Madam has me to serve her. You are a meritorious official, so eating and drinking well is the real thing."
Aunt Xu had no choice but to give up.
When Feng Qingsui lowered his head to pick up his chopsticks, he found a peeled shrimp in the bowl.
I was wondering when the pork belly was peeled for her - the girl was clearly gnawing on the duck head, and another shrimp was put into her bowl.
When I turned around, it was A Yu.
Ah Yu smiled and said, "Madam, please taste this shrimp and see if it is sweet."
Feng Qingsui: “…”
"You have to eat well too."
Ayu nodded obediently: "Okay."
Ji Changqing, who had received the script and came to chase people away, happened to see this scene when he "passed by" the private room where Feng Qingsui and others were. His face sank without even pretending.
He walked into the private room, glanced at everyone, and fixed his eyes on Feng Qingsui's face.
Feng Qingsui looked surprised: "Second Master is here, why don't we have a drink together..."
Ji Changqing interrupted her: "Mother has been looking for you for a long time but couldn't find you. It turns out you are here rewarding the troops. What a refined mood!"
Feng Qingsui was immediately confused: "What does mother want to talk to me about?"
"If there's nothing, why can't I look for you?" Ji Changqing sneered, "As a wife, you should serve your mother-in-law at home. How can you hang out with the servants outside? You have brought shame to our Ji family."
A Yu stood up suddenly and asked: "Master Ji, why don't you stay at home to serve your mother? Have you left all your filial piety to our boss?"
"You're still scolding our servants even when our boss treats them to a meal. I don't know how much we've been wronged by you in our mansion. People like you are not even worthy of carrying our boss's shoes!"
Ji Changqing glanced at him and said, "It's not your turn as a foreigner to interfere in our Ji family's affairs."
A Yu picked up the tea and was about to pour it over.
Wuhua took the photo with one hand.
Feng Qingsui hurriedly said, "Second Master, don't be angry. I will go back to the mansion with you right away."
Then he looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, enjoy your meal. I'm going back home first. We'll have a drink together another day."
Aunt Xu looked worried.
"Madam, how about I go back home with you?"
Feng Qingsui comforted him, "Don't worry, Mother and Second Master are both open-minded people, they won't do anything to me."
Is that so? Aunt Xu glanced at Ji Changqing. This man's face was like a coffin lid. How could he be an open-minded person?
Ji Changqing chased Feng Qingsui onto the donkey cart, then he got on the horse himself and "escorted" Feng Qingsui back home.
When he arrived at the mansion, his tense face finally relaxed.
"Thank you for your hard work, Second Master." Feng Qingsui chuckled, "Second Master, you acted really well."
Ji Changqing said coldly, "Those guys of yours are eager to rush over and beat me up."
Feng Qingsui smiled and said, "After this is over, I will make it clear to them and will not let them misunderstand the Second Master."
Ji Changqing snorted coldly: "Who cares whether they misunderstood or not."
After saying that, he turned and went back to the courtyard.
The next day, someone received news that Ji Changqing and uncle Feng and his sister-in-law were not getting along.
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