Chapter 274 Cricket Fighting
After Han Ruifu was sent back to the mansion, he instructed his servant Xingwang: "Find out as soon as possible who the personal servants of Cui Liu and his nephew are, whether these people have family members or mistresses outside, and where their family members and mistresses live."
Xingwang replied "yes" but complained in his heart.
The Duke's Mansion must be the same as the former Rongchang Marquis Mansion, where the people who take care of the master personally are all family-born children.
These servants and their families all live in the Duke's Mansion, and outsiders cannot see them, so it is not easy to find out about them.
But since the master has given the order, he has to investigate it first, regardless of whether he can find out the truth or not.
The next day he went to a vegetable shop and bought a basket of eggs. He pretended to be a countryman who came to the city to sell eggs and waited diagonally opposite the Duke's Mansion.
Unexpectedly, the guards of the Duke's Mansion were so sharp-eyed that they recognized him as Han Ruifu's personal servant, and came over to chase him away without saying a word.
He had no choice but to retreat to the intersection and wait.
However, he hadn't seen anyone from the Duke's Mansion for two days in a row, and he was so anxious that he didn't know what to do.
Han Ruifu has never treated servants like them as human beings. If this matter cannot be done, he will definitely be sold by him to pay for wine.
Just when he was getting anxious, he suddenly saw the sixth young master of the Cui family, who had been humiliated by Han Ruifu and his men, walking towards the intersection with two servants.
He quickly turned around and looked down at the eggs in front of him.
I heard the Sixth Young Master of the Cui Family instruct one of the servants, "Go to Guixianglou and buy me two boxes of mung bean cakes. After buying them, hurry back home and don't hang around outside."
The servant nodded respectfully and said, "Don't worry, Master. I have changed my ways and will never watch cricket fights again."
The Sixth Young Master of the Cui Family snorted coldly: "You'd better really change your ways. If you make mistakes again, don't follow me."
After saying that, he took another servant and walked towards the street on the left.
Xingwang secretly glanced at the servant who stayed there, and seeing that his round face was full of cunning, he knew that he was planning to obey in public but disobey in private.
He had never seen this servant around Cui Liu before, so he was probably a newly promoted one.
The servant hummed a little tune and walked towards the street on the right.
Xingwang picked up the basket of eggs and quickly followed.
I saw the round-faced, slightly fat servant go to the North-South Street where Guixiang Tower was located, but he did not go straight to Guixiang Tower, but turned into an alley on the north side.
I have been to this alley many times before. It was prosperous and was full of people selling crickets and watching cricket fighting.
The round-faced, slightly plump servant watched people fight several cricket games before reluctantly leaving the alley and going to Guixianglou to buy mung bean cakes.
Xingwang guessed that this person would come to North Sixteenth Lane again to watch people fighting crickets, so he went back home to ask Han Ruifu for credit.
"I discovered that Young Master Cui Liu has a servant who is obsessed with cricket fighting."
Han Ruifu had fought crickets for a while before, but he stopped playing after the excitement wore off. However, his younger brother was extremely obsessed with it. He spent all his monthly allowance on buying crickets. He had a "victorious general" in his hand and always won every fight.
He thought for a moment and said to Xingwang, "Steal the Eighth Young Master's 'Ever-Victorious General' and sell it on credit to Cui Liu. Then, secretly kill the 'Ever-Victorious General' and force him to pay back the debt. If he doesn't, he'll work for you."
Xingwang said in horror, "If the Eighth Young Master knew about this, he would beat me to death."
Han Ruifu looked at him coldly: "If you don't do it, I will beat you to death."
thriving:"……"
He had no choice but to find ways to steal the Eighth Young Master's "Ever-Victorious General".
The next day, he took the "Ever-Victorious General" to North Sixteenth Lane and waited for half a day. Sure enough, he saw Cui Liu's round-faced, slightly fat servant coming over.
The servant was just watching but not fighting, just like yesterday. Xingwang found someone to fight with several times and won every time.
"You're such a powerful cricket!"
The boy's eyes lit up.
"Looks exactly like my dream cricket."
Xingwang asked him, "Why don't you leave?"
The servant shook his head and said, "I don't have much money. I can't afford to buy good crickets. I can only enjoy the sight of them."
Xingwang said, "I can lend it to you. If you win, we'll split it in half."
The servant opened his eyes wide: "Really?"
"Of course it's true," Xingwang replied, "but if you lose, you have to pay."
The servant stared at the "Ever-Victorious General" for a few seconds and said with certainty, "It will definitely not lose."
Xingwang then took out the contract that had been drafted earlier and asked him to sign and put his fingerprints on it.
The servant glanced at the contract briefly and signed it.
After signing, Xingwang gave it the cricket and warned it, "Watch it carefully. If it runs away or dies in the fight, you will have to pay me a large sum of money."
The servant looked at the cricket in the clay pot and said solemnly, "I will never let it get into trouble."
Then he excitedly played a game with someone with a bet of ten taels of silver.
The fight was won.
Another fight, and another win.
The servant said happily, "I'm going to get rich!"
Xingwang smiled and said, "You have good fortune in wealth."
"Thanks to my elder brother for lending me the cricket."
After the servant thanked him, he started fighting with the man again.
The cricket's movements suddenly became slow, and its opponent bit off one of its legs, and then bit off its head.
The servant was in a state of despair: "How could this happen?! He was fine just now..."
Xingwang's eyes flashed.
Before lending the "Ever-Victorious General" to the servant, he fed the "Ever-Victorious General" honey added with arsenic.
He said expressionlessly, "According to the contract, you have to compensate me with three thousand taels of silver."
The servant was stunned: "Three thousand taels? Isn't that thirty taels?"
Xingwang rolled his eyes.
"Just ask anyone and see if you can buy it for thirty taels. I spent a thousand taels on it!"
The servant's face turned pale.
"Where can I get three thousand taels to compensate you..."
Xingwang sneered and said, "If you can't afford the compensation, then follow me to the government office."
The servant grabbed his arm and said in panic, "Brother, we can discuss this. I have two taels of silver a month, and I can pay you back slowly."
"Two taels a month, twenty-four taels a year. Even if you pay it back for your whole life, you will never be able to pay back these three thousand taels."
Xingwang said coldly.
The servant slowly lowered his head.
"However," Xingwang paused, "If you are willing to do something for me, you don't have to pay me."
The servant's eyes lit up again as if he had been pardoned.
"Brother, just tell me what you want. Even if it means I have to climb mountains of swords and plunge into seas of fire, I will do it without hesitation!"
"Who asked you to go through fire and water?"
Xingwang curled his lips.
"Let's find a place where there's no one and talk slowly."
Then he took the servant to a secluded and deserted alley and whispered to him what he wanted the servant to do.
When the servant heard this, his face changed drastically.
"No, our whole family is in the Duke's Mansion. How dare we put drugs in the young master's food? Even if it's a laxative, we can't do that."
Xingwang: "Then you have to compensate me three thousand taels."
The servant: “…”
"It's just some laxatives." Xingwang said, "Your young master is the young master of the Duke's Mansion. I was just bullied by him and wanted to get revenge, but I didn't dare to take his life. It's a cold spring now, and people are prone to catching cold and diarrhea. He can't suspect you if he took the laxatives."
The servant was silent for a long time, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'll help you."
Xingwang handed the laxative to the servant and warned him, "Remember to avoid being discovered by others, or you will suffer the consequences."
The servant nodded.
After the two parted ways, Xingwang returned home and reported to Han Ruifu: "Master, I have already given the medicine to that servant. I think there will be news soon."
Han Ruifu's wounds from the beating had not healed yet and he was still confined to bed. Upon hearing this, a rare hint of relief appeared in his eyes.
"Go to the Duke of Qing's mansion and keep watch. Come back and report as soon as you receive any bad news."
The road to prosperity is good.
Then he picked up a few pairs of straw sandals and went to the gate diagonally opposite the Duke of Qing's Mansion.
This time he learned his lesson and put on a big straw hat to cover his face.
The guards of the Duke of Qing's Mansion failed to recognize him, so he squatted there quietly waiting for news.
After squatting for about an hour, a slightly fat figure suddenly ran out from the corner door. It was Cui Liu's servant.
The other person's face was full of panic, as if he had been greatly frightened.
Could it be that Cui Liu is already dead?
He pondered to himself.
The next moment, he suddenly saw the boy running towards him.
"Brother, didn't you say it was a laxative? Why did my young master vomit and have diarrhea after eating it and even die?"
Xingwang was dumbfounded.
"H-How did you know I was here?"
"I just saw you wearing this outfit today, how come I don't recognize it?"
“…”
Xingwang then remembered that he had forgotten to change his clothes.
"Go, stop yelling here."
He quickly pulled the servant away.
When they were alone, Fang asked, "Is your young master dead?"
The servant said, "That's right! He died half an hour after eating it! You gave me poison, didn't you? You really killed me!"
Xingwang flatly denied it: "What I gave you was a laxative. Your young master's death may not be related to my medicine."
"How is that possible!"
"Didn't your young master just get the cowpox vaccination? Maybe the rash conflicted with this laxative, which is why the accident happened."
The servant covered his face with his hands. "How could this happen? What should I do now? The government will definitely find out about me."
Xingwang comforted him, "Don't panic yet. Your young master might have died for other reasons. Find a place to hide for a few days and avoid the limelight."
Just as he finished speaking, Cui family guards suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley.
"He's here!"
The servant ran away.
Seeing this, Xingwang, who was a step slower, also started running.
After shaking off the Cui family guards, he ran back to the mansion and reported the news of Cui Liu's death to Han Ruifu.
Han Ruifu clapped his hands and laughed.
"Good death!"
Cui Liu dared to whip him, he deserved to die at his hands.
He laughed and said to Xingwang, "Go find a few people and spread the news on the streets that the young master of the Duke of Qing died after being vaccinated with cowpox."
Xingwang then took the people in the yard out.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he pulled someone to gossip, he was caught red-handed by the runners from the East City Bingmasi.
"Spreading rumors to confuse the people? Come back to the government office with us."
Xingwang was stunned.
"We didn't spread rumors. The Sixth Young Master of the Duke of Qing's Mansion really died after being vaccinated against cowpox."
The yamen runner sneered: "He was alive and well, and you said he was dead, and you said it wasn't a rumor?"
Xingwang hurriedly explained: "He just died, you haven't received the news yet."
Just as he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from behind him: "Sixth Young Master, he was the one who asked me to drug you."
Xingwang was shocked.
Turning his head, he saw the round-faced, slightly plump servant leading the sixth young master of the Cui family towards him.
Suddenly I felt like the sky was falling.
What's going on? Why is the Sixth Young Master of the Cui family still alive?
Let’s go back to the night when Han Ruifu had evil thoughts.
Ji Changqing had been sending people to keep an eye on the Marquis of Cheng'en's Mansion, so he naturally knew that the Marquis of Cheng'en had sent his followers to approach Xingwang and revealed to Xingwang that everyone in the Duke of Qing's Mansion had been infected with cowpox. He then passed the news to Han Ruifu through Xingwang's mouth, arousing Han Ruifu's desire for revenge.
After he told Feng Qingsui about this, Feng Qingsui, who has always been keen on "helping others", decided to help Han Ruifu.
So Wuhua was asked to pretend to be Cui's sixth servant and pretend to be obsessed with cricket fighting, so that Han Ruifu could seize her "weakness" and set up a trap to force her to attack the sixth young master of the Cui family.
After Xingwang was arrested, he gave Han Ruifu away.
Han Ruifu poisoned and killed people and spread false rumors to confuse the public. With all the witnesses, he was sentenced to beheading.
Before going to the execution ground, he "confessed" a suicide letter left by his father Han Zhaozhong.
This suicide note was once posted all over the capital, and many people still remember it.
In the letter, Han Zhaozhong said that he was assassinated by the former crown prince Zhao Bixiang, revealing that Zhao Bixiang was the culprit of the Rongchang Marquis Mansion bone case and the real leader of the Ruifeng Society.
However, after the government investigated, they blamed Han Zhaozhong's death on the remnants of the Ruifeng Society, claiming that the suicide note was forged by the Ruifeng Society.
Now, after investigation by the Pursuit Department, it has been confirmed that the suicide note was written by Han Zhaozhong himself, and more crimes of Zhao Bixiang were discovered during the investigation.
These included, but were not limited to, occupying the mountains as a bandit, raising a private army, capturing multiple counties in Hezhou under the banner of the "Chengtian Army," commanding refugees to besiege the capital, creating numerous chaotic incidents in the capital, and brutally murdering ten of his own brothers...
The crimes are so numerous that they cannot be listed in numbers.
Both high-ranking officials and ordinary people were shocked by Zhao Bixiang's cruelty and bloodthirstiness.
If the government had not announced that Zhao Bixiang had been executed on the night of the coup, they probably would not have been able to sleep that night.
The old lady of the Han family, who was the ancestor of the Han family and had received birthday celebrations from a hundred children including Xiao Yu, finally couldn't bear it and passed away after seeing off several of her children and grandchildren.
The Han family was completely defeated from then on, and their descendants were destitute. Some became beggars, some sold themselves into slavery, and some were exiled to serve in the army...
The former prosperity has vanished like smoke.
During the Qingming Festival, Feng Qingsui visited his sister's family's grave and told them all these things. At the end, he said, "There is also good news. I will be getting married soon."
She glanced at Ji Changqing who was squatting beside her and continued, "And the guy next to me, he cooks delicious food and is very nice to me. We will come to visit you together in the future."
Ji Changqing burned paper money and said, "Sister, brother-in-law, don't worry, I will treat Sui Sui well for the rest of my life."
The sound of pine waves echoed in the mountains, as if in response.
After coming down the mountain, Ji Changqing picked a lot of shepherd's purse in the mountains and made shepherd's purse tofu soup and shepherd's purse and meat wontons when he returned home.
Feng Qingsui and Wuhua had dinner at Ji's house before returning to Zong's house.
Then he took Mobao and Juanmao for a stroll in the inland river.
The new willows on both sides of the inland river are turning yellow, and the whole place is filled with the vigor of spring.
The calligraphy is more lively than in winter, chasing after the curls.
Feng Qingsui and Wuhua were chatting casually when Wuhua suddenly stopped and looked to the right.
Feng Qingsui also looked over.
They saw a handsome man wearing a dark ramie robe, with steep brows, cold eyes, a high nose bridge, thin lips, and as solemn as the wind under a pine tree standing diagonally opposite them, looking at them quietly.
She seemed to have seen this person before.
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