40 Chapter 040
◎Bright and shining◎
At 1 p.m., the scorching sun scorched the earth, and the weeds by the roadside looked like frost-bitten eggplants, their stems and leaves drooping with drooping hands.
Yao Sanniang was wearing a heavy wedding dress and was stuck in the airtight carriage. She was soaked in sweat and felt suffocated and unable to breathe.
It was because of the weather, but also because of the terrifying speculation in my heart.
The three words "out of breath" always lingered in her mind. Whenever she thought of them, a fishy and sweet taste rose in her throat.
The carriage swayed and stopped suddenly.
"What happened up ahead?"
"I'll go and take a look."
Several attendants who were "escorting the bride" murmured a few words and sent someone to investigate.
After a while, the spy reported back.
"There's a checkpoint ahead. They say the Imperial Guards are arresting a high-ranking criminal. All vehicles and people passing through will be subject to spot checks."
"Jinyiwei?" The attendants were inexplicably guilty. "Are they really Jinyiwei?"
"Absolutely true."
There is only one official road from Anlu to Yingshan. If you want to avoid the Jinyiwei, you can only take the small road.
But the wedding carriage was too wide to pass through the narrow path.
The servants were puzzled.
"What are you afraid of? We are going to escort the bride. Even the Jinyiwei can't find out anything. Everyone, cheer up." The leader of the team spoke in a low voice.
Everyone thought so too.
The Jinyiwei can’t kidnap the bride, right?
Due to the inspection, the team moved slowly, and it was not until 1:00 AM that it was the turn of the team sending off the bride.
The chief flagman of the Embroidered Uniform Guards looked at them discreetly, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Last night, I received an urgent secret order from my superiors to set up a checkpoint on the official road from Anlu to Yingshan today. They said they were arresting a wanted criminal, but they didn't mention what the criminal looked like. They were only told to focus on the wedding procession.
I didn't expect to meet the bride's escort.
He said expressionlessly, "The Jinyiwei are arresting the wanted criminal. Everyone, please submit to inspection."
The leader naturally did not dare to disobey the Jinyiwei, and immediately called his men forward, allowing the Jinyiwei to observe their appearance and search their bodies.
They were very cautious and did not carry any weapons. No matter how sharp the Jinyiwei were, they could not fabricate information out of thin air.
Seeing that they looked calm, the general turned his gaze to the carriage wrapped in red silk.
The carriage is located in the middle of the team and is the tallest and most magnificent. It must be the wedding carriage for the bride.
He motioned for several of his men to go over and search.
"Sir, sir, you can't do this." The leader begged for mercy, "There's a bride inside, we can't just..."
"Get out of here!" The Jinyiwei had a bad reputation and didn't care about these rigid rules.
The leader was pushed and staggered, and asked his men behind him to steady him.
Seeing the Jinyiwei approaching the wedding car, he bent his knees and fell to the ground, begging loudly: "Sir, please let my young lady go! Please let my young lady go!"
The men behind him also knelt down and shouted in unison: "Sir, please let my young lady go!"
This statement was too ambiguous, and the faces of the merchants and travelers waiting for inspection changed slightly. If the people in front of them were not Jinyiwei, they would have cursed them as "shameless people" long ago.
General Flag: “…”
Although the Jinyiwei have a bad reputation, they don't want to be burdened with non-existent stigma for no reason.
The several strong men approaching the wedding car could no longer move their legs, so they turned their heads to look at the general flag, waiting for instructions.
"It's just a routine inspection," the general flag said loudly, "If there are no criminals hiding in the wedding car, you will be allowed to pass. If you try to stop us, you will be charged with harboring a criminal."
Everyone thought it made sense.
The wedding car is tall and wide, it is more than enough to hide two people, let alone one person. It is definitely worth checking.
No matter how the wedding procession cried and wailed, the general turned a blind eye and, facing either questioning or approving gazes, lifted the curtain of the wedding car.
There was a woman sitting inside.
She was wearing an exquisite wedding gown and a veil covering her head, so her face could not be seen. She seemed frightened, with her hands clenched into fists on her knees.
Apart from this, there are no other abnormalities.
The general's mind resurfaced with his superior's secret order, and he was doubtful. He examined the carriage again, but still could not find anything strange.
He couldn't possibly lift the bride's veil in front of so many people, right?
"Please show some mercy, sir!" The leader approached with his men and tried to pull the curtain back from the general's hand.
The general's eyes were sharp and his hands did not loosen.
"Please do me a favor, sir." The leader bowed repeatedly and requested.
The general frowned, feeling that something was wrong.
"If we delay any longer, the auspicious time will be missed. I beg you to be kind and ask us to send the young lady there in time."
After hearing what the leader said, everyone nodded.
Since we haven't found the wanted criminal, let him go quickly. We can't miss the auspicious time for the wedding.
Before the general could figure it out, his mind was already overwhelmed by the marriage tradition, and his hands loosened a little, and he immediately asked the other party to pull the curtain back.
The dowry boxes and the wedding car were checked, but there was indeed nothing. The general could not find any extra excuse to stop them.
He had no choice but to wave his hand and was about to call his men back when the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from a distance.
The sound was extremely fast, coming from far away and getting closer, causing everyone to look back.
The man who came was no more than twenty years old. He rode a chestnut horse, wore a sky-blue cloth robe, and had a very handsome appearance.
Before the general flag could say anything to stop him, he stopped beside the wedding car, without saying a word, reached out and lifted the curtain, took a quick look, let go before the wedding party attacked, dismounted and clasped his fists towards the Jinyiwei.
"My name is Lin Fan, nice to meet Mr. Hu."
Hu Zongqi was surprised: "You recognize me?"
"I've heard of your great name, General Hu," Lin Fan said politely. "I have important business to attend to at Yingshan, so I'd appreciate it if General Hu could help me."
Hu Zongqi: "Go to the back and queue up."
Although he was answering Lin Fan, his peripheral vision was always focused on the wedding procession. When they saw Lin Fan appear, their expressions changed, and they couldn't help but be wary.
"Team Leader Lin, it's Team Leader Lin!" Someone in the crowd recognized Lin Fan and exclaimed.
"Oh, it's really Team Leader Lin!"
"Is Captain Lin investigating a new case?"
Hu Zongqi raised his eyebrows: "Team leader?"
"I used to work in the county government office," Lin Fan said without further ado, "and just now I saw the team behind me was not moving, so I came to ask for clarification."
General Hu thought about it and decided to give this favor, explaining, "To apprehend the wanted criminal, all passing merchants and travelers must be inspected. This wedding procession is causing trouble and delaying us. Squad Leader Lin, please."
"We will naturally cooperate in apprehending the wanted criminal." Lin Fan glanced at the carriage and, as if to report back to General Hu, expressed his opinion, "Does General Hu feel that the size of this wedding car is inconsistent inside and out?"
General Hu was stunned for a moment, then an idea came to him.
This is what's wrong!
He waved his hand, ordering his men to surround the wedding car, pointed his sword at the leader, and shouted sternly, "Tell the truth!"
It was a hot day and the leader was sweating all over.
The carriage looks tall and wide from the outside. After lifting the curtain, people are often attracted by the red color. In order to avoid desecrating the bride, even the Jinyiwei will not check it carefully and will not notice the difference between the inside and the outside.
Another strong man pointed a knife at the "bride" in the car and forced her to leave.
Hu Zongqi stepped straight into the carriage and fumbled carefully on the back wall. Finally, he touched the mechanism and twisted it gently, and a secret door appeared on the back wall.
When the secret door opened, all the Jinyiwei, including General Hu, were shocked.
A young woman in a wedding dress had her mouth blocked and was fixed to the car wall. Her neck, hands and feet were all tightly bound with chains. She couldn't even hit the car wall with her body to attract outside attention.
"Why is there a bride?!"
The woman's numb and empty eyes suddenly lit up with spirit, and a whimpering sound came from her throat.
Everyone outside the car was stunned.
General Hu reacted very quickly and immediately ordered his men to kidnap the suspect of "trafficking in women" and capture the entire wedding procession.
Could it be that the woman in the dark room had a special identity? Otherwise, why would Shangguan issue a secret order and ask him to pay special attention to the wedding procession?
Two more carriages passed through the queue of waiting merchants and stopped beside the wedding car.
Xie Mingzhuo lifted the curtain and got out of the car. Coincidentally, the woman was unchained and walked out of the wedding car.
Their eyes met.
"Sanniang." Xie Mingzhuo stepped forward.
Yao Sanniang had been tied up for too long, and her blood circulation was blocked. Her legs became weak, and she staggered a few steps and fell off the car.
Xie Mingzhuo was quick to catch it and helped him stand firmly before asking, "Are you injured anywhere?"
"Second mother..."
Yao Sanniang hugged her tightly and buried her head in her shoulders. Her tears soaked her collar and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Even though Meng Erniang's appearance was inexplicable, even though the Jinyiwei's deployment was unusual, even though there were too many strange things, Yao Sanniang had no time to think about it.
She only knew that she was saved.
After being stuck in the dark room for a whole day, the smell on her body was a bit pungent, but Xie Mingzhuo didn't care, and neither did Yao Sanniang.
Before the joy of surviving the disaster could even begin to subside, the worry about his mother's life or death came to his mind.
But now is not a good time to return to the palace.
Yao Sanniang raised her head, took advantage of Xie Mingzhuo and others' shelter, wiped her tears with her back to the crowd, tidied her hair and clothes, and then turned around.
All the fragility she had just shown disappeared, and her eyes were filled with the arrogance unique to a daughter of a royal family.
"I am the daughter of the King of Liang. I was accidentally kidnapped by bandits. They wanted to send me to Runing Prefecture in Henan to be their chief consort. If it weren't for General Hu setting up a checkpoint today and Squad Leader Lin's help in rescuing me, I would have fallen into the bandits' lair and never seen my father again. Sanniang thanks you very much."
It was common knowledge that Ru'ning Prefecture in Henan Province was plagued by banditry, and Commander-in-Chief Zong Zhen had tried to suppress the bandits many times but to no avail.
This statement is reasonable.
General Hu: “…”
She's actually the daughter of King Liang?!
Shangguan ordered the checkpoint to be set up just to rescue the daughter of the royal family who had fallen into the hands of thieves?
When did the Jinyiwei become involved with the prince's palace?
General Hu was in a state of confusion, but his face didn't show it. He simply said, "We were ordered to apprehend a wanted criminal and happened to encounter such a heinous act. Fortunately, Squad Leader Lin was quick-witted and discovered the trick to the carriage."
He did not doubt Yao Sanniang's identity. After all, no one would have the leisure to pretend to be the prince's daughter.
He didn't dare to talk about his friendship with the prince's daughter, so he turned the topic to Lin Fan.
Yao Sanniang nodded and said, "I will never forget the kindness of Lin Bantou in saving my life. When we return to the palace, my father will definitely reward you handsomely."
"You're too polite, Madam San. It was just a small favor." Lin Fan naturally wouldn't be proud of himself. "It was thanks to Madam San's great fortune that the bandits ran into General Hu, who was hunting them down, that they were able to escape harm."
Great blessings?
Yao Sanniang sneered inwardly, if she was blessed with such great fortune, how could she be betrayed by her own father?
How could her mother...
Her heart suddenly ached. She took a deep breath, forced herself to cheer up, and said, "The journey is long, and I'm not feeling well. I want to rest in Yingshan County for a night before returning to the palace. As for these bandits, I'll leave them to General Hu to deal with."
"Third Lady!" The leader was horrified. "No, Third Lady, we are here to serve the King—"
"Sanniang, are you the daughter of a royal family?" Xie Mingzhuo seemed to have just reacted and exclaimed in surprise, interrupting the leader's warning.
Yao Sanniang smiled bitterly: "Second Mother, Ninth Mother, I concealed my identity and lied to you earlier. I'm sorry."
"Don't say that. No matter who you are, you're the Yao Sanniang we know." Li Jiuyue quickly tried to smooth things over. "Second Mother, Sanniang just got frightened. We can talk about this later. Why don't we send Sanniang to Yingshan County first?"
Xie Mingzhuo nodded: "Sanniang, you are in good health and everything else is just a small matter."
"General Hu," Lin Fan said at the right moment, "These bandits disguised themselves as a wedding procession and even dared to rob the prince's daughter. They are truly vicious and cruel. They might be related to the criminal you are trying to capture."
General Hu: “…”
No matter how dumb he was, he could tell something was wrong. This was clearly a hot potato, but he still had to continue with the show.
"Come here, shut their mouths and take them back!"
The Jinyiwei were extremely efficient and silenced their leader before he could open his mouth to argue again.
Seeing how miserable and hopeless they looked, Yao Sanniang felt a surge of pleasure in her heart.
These were all my father's confidants. They used to look down on me and only showed superficial respect to me when they saw me. In fact, they looked down on her from the bottom of their hearts.
Now it has fallen into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Even if her father was all-powerful in Anlu, he couldn't ask the Jinyiwei in Yingshan County for help.
What's more, these people have been accused of being bandits.
Although Yao Sanniang was eager to return home to find out what had happened to her mother, her reason still overwhelmed her emotions.
Returning home in a panic, she had only one option left, which was to be quietly sent away again.
She had finally gotten this opportunity, and she absolutely couldn't let it go. If she went back tonight, she and her mother would still be unable to escape the fate that was arbitrarily arranged for them.
She faced the crowd and said calmly, "I'm afraid my father and mother are worried about this disaster. Is there anyone willing to help me make a trip and inform them of the whole matter? I will reward you handsomely when I return safely to the palace."
She knew that she could not entrust the Jinyiwei, so she hired someone else to run errands for her for a large sum of money.
There are those who are not in a hurry to get on with their business and will raise their hands to grab the opportunity.
Yao Sanniang picked out three smart people and said, "The palace is heavily guarded. If you approach rashly, you might be mistaken for thieves and accidentally injured. You might as well report to the prefectural magistrate Shen first, and then go to the palace to inform them."
The three nodded: "Got it."
"Also, you must see my mother and tell her the news of my rescue as soon as possible. Then you can come back to me and report back."
The three of them took the order and left.
The others who didn't get any assignments were full of envy.
Being able to establish a relationship with the royal palace is a blessing earned through several lifetimes!
Yao Sanniang boarded Xie Mingzhuo's carriage, and when the latter came in, her forced calmness collapsed in an instant.
She was still frightened and leaned on Xie Mingzhuo's shoulder, tears flashing in her eyes.
"Second Mother, don't blame me for lying to you."
Xie Mingzhuo patted her shoulder and said gently, "No."
"How can he be so cruel?" As the carriage started to move, the car shook, and Yao Sanniang's tears suddenly rolled down.
Xie Mingzhuo didn't say anything. Yao Sanniang didn't need any empty words of comfort now.
She raised her hand and wiped Yao Sanniang's tears with an embroidered handkerchief until the handkerchief was completely wet, and then the latter recovered.
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Second Mother." Yao Sanniang covered her red and swollen eyes and turned her back.
Xie Mingzhuo said, "It's human nature to cry when you're sad."
"Second Mother, I forgot to ask you just now, why are you here?"
Xie Mingzhuo took out the words he had said to Aunt Jin and repeated them to her.
"Lin Fan was dismissed?" Yao Sanniang, having just learned of this, was surprised. "Both the fast and strong squads are under the command of Huang Ding. Who knows how chaotic Anlu will be in the future. Is he also going to Yingshan to avoid the limelight?"
Xie Mingzhuo said, "I wanted to thank him for his help several times before leaving. When he learned we were going to Yingshan County, he kindly escorted us."
"I heard earlier that Aunt Jin was arranging a marriage for you two," Yao Sanniang said, her eyes flickering with suspicion as she turned her back to Xie Mingzhuo. "Is that true?"
Xie Mingzhuo's gaze fell on the back of her head. He thought that her mood was just like the hair on the back of her head, messy and chaotic.
She is testing.
Yao Sanniang is not a naive person. Once she calms down, she will definitely become suspicious.
Too many coincidences are no longer coincidences.
Xie Mingzhuo knew it well, and lowered his eyes and said, "Sanniang, I lied to you too."
There was silence in the carriage for a moment.
After a moment, Yao Sanniang turned around, stared at Xie Mingzhuo, and said in a hoarse voice, "What did you lie to me about?"
"We are not going to Yingshan County to hide."
"What's that for?"
Xie Mingzhuo met her deep gaze and said, "I came here specifically to look for you."
"Looking for me?" Yao Sanniang was surprised. "How did you know I was here?"
After calming down, she realized that Meng Erniang was not surprised to see her.
The secrets of Prince Liang's Mansion are not so easy to learn. Even the prefect does not dare to pry into it, let alone a merchant with no foundation?
"I'm sorry," Xie Mingzhuo said sincerely, "There's one more thing I've kept from you."
Yao Sanniang has become numb.
After being betrayed by her biological father, these things no longer aroused her anger.
But the person in front of her was a friend she truly recognized, and she still felt a little lost.
Is it possible that in this world, apart from her mother, no one can treat her sincerely?
"you say."
"Jiuniang and I are here regarding the fire at Longxing Cloth Shop," Xie Mingzhuo said. "The boss feels the case is suspicious and has sent us here to investigate."
"Longxing Cloth Shop?" Yao Sanniang thought for a moment. "I seem to have heard of it. What's so strange about it?"
Xie Mingzhuo did not hide anything: "The steward found iron-framed silver and bullets for muskets."
Yao Sanniang was speechless for a moment.
She could still deceive herself into thinking Tie Taiyin had nothing to do with the palace, but the bullets from the musket...
In Anlu County, who else can own a musket?
"Second Mother, listen to my advice. Don't investigate this matter any further."
"Is it related to the Eastern Suburbs?"
Yao Sanniang suddenly stared at her, her eyes filled with shock. After a long moment, she said self-deprecatingly, "I've also been wrong sometimes."
Xie Mingzhuo did not reply.
There are some things that the two of them already understand tacitly.
"So the Jinyiwei checkpoints aren't just a coincidence," Yao Sanniang's eyes suddenly sharpened. "You were able to mobilize the Jinyiwei."
In this world, the only people who can make the Jinyiwei general obey his orders are the emperor and the Jinyiwei superiors.
"Are you a Jinyiwei?!" Yao Sanniang was shocked by her own guess.
Xie Mingzhuo shook his head: "I am not a Jinyiwei, but my boss has some connections with Jinyiwei."
She was not lying. She was indeed not a member of the Imperial Guards. She just had some "relationship" with them as superiors and subordinates.
Yao Sanniang: "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell on you back at the palace?"
"Can you?"
"Why not?" Yao Sanniang asked, "How long have we known each other? Do you think I would ignore the palace because of our friendship?"
Xie Mingzhuo smiled: "And then? Willingly marry Wang Xin?"
"You even know about Wang Xin?!"
Yao Sanniang's heart was in turmoil. She couldn't help but wonder how much Meng Erniang had found out and what her attitude towards the palace was.
From the time they met in the dilapidated temple until now, she sorted out every detail bit by bit and finally found something amiss.
In their daily interactions, Li Jiuniang and others clearly put Meng Erniang's wishes first, but she just thought it was her aunt's love for her niece.
besides……
"When did you find out who I am?" Yao Sanniang clenched her hands, her gaze fixed on Xie Mingzhuo, not missing the slightest sign of something unusual. "Tell the truth."
Xie Mingzhuo: "I treated you as a friend and didn't want to lie to you. When I first met you."
Yao Sanniang was stunned.
The carriage swayed as it entered Yingshan County.
The magistrate of Yingshan County heard the news in advance and led a group of servants to wait at the city gate to welcome them.
The prince's daughter has come to the county town, so we must not neglect her.
He greeted him respectfully and asked someone to arrange accommodation for him. It was a three-story house near the government office, and there were servants serving him in the yard.
Xie Mingzhuo and others then moved in.
Yao Sanniang was exhausted, but she forced herself to stay awake before entering the house. She turned to ask Xie Mingzhuo, "Do you think I'm ridiculous?"
Xie Mingzhuo answered simply: "I don't think so."
"You could have continued to lie to me."
"That's not necessary."
As dusk fell, Xie Mingzhuo stood at the bottom of the steps, his head slightly raised, his expression calm and composed.
Yao Sanniang instantly felt a little annoyed, and she knew clearly where this anger came from.
Compared to the shy, introverted Meng Erniang who needed protection, the generous, confident and confident man in front of her made her feel a little threatened.
This threat reminded her of her previous self-conceit.
It's ridiculous enough to be betrayed by your own father, and now even your true friends are fake. Xie Ni, Xie Ni, you are such a complete failure.
She was extremely angry, but she calmed down.
"Meng Zhuo, you're so confident, do you really think I'll let you go so easily?"
Xie Mingzhuo climbed the stairs and slowly stopped in front of her.
Lanterns were lit outside the yard, and the dim light shone on her temples. Her face was hazy and could not be seen clearly, but her eyes were shining brightly, gentle and deep.
"Sanniang, I'm not going to keep it a secret from you anymore. It's not because I'm betting on our friendship, but because I feel I shouldn't keep it a secret from you any longer. We first met in a dilapidated temple. You didn't recognize me, but you helped me and even gave me hot soup. I knew you were kind-hearted and a remarkable woman with great ambitions."
Yao Sanniang lowered her eyelashes and said nothing.
"I was able to find a place to live, a carpenter, and successfully open a shop and do business, all thanks to your generous help. I am grateful to you."
"Don't try to coax me with these words," Yao Sanniang raised her eyelashes and said seriously, "Meng Zhuo, for the sake of our previous relationship, I sincerely advise you again: don't get involved in this mess. After tonight, leave here immediately and go wherever you need to go."
Xie Mingzhuo said, "Although our positions are opposite, you are sincerely advising me, and I am also sincerely advising you."
"What are you advising me on?"
"Sanniang, you know what it means to privately manufacture firearms and privately cast counterfeit silver."
“…”
"Even one of these offenses alone is punishable by death," Xie Mingzhuo said sternly, "and everything you did before was aiding and abetting the evil, so you will be punished equally."
Yao Sanniang sneered, "It's all done. What's the point of you telling me all this? I'm tired and need to rest."
She turned and went into the room, not giving Xie Mingzhuo any chance to persuade her.
Xie Mingzhuo returned to the yard and Li Jiuyue and others were waiting for her.
She walked into the main room, sat down at the head of the table, and said, "Everyone come in and sit down."
Yang Yunkai, Li Jiuyue and the other four looked in the same direction.
A few feet away, Lin Fan stood alone, clearly separated from the five people.
Lin Fan was very discerning and bowed, saying, "I dare not bother you, but I have something I want to ask you."
"At Wuliting, since I promised to cooperate with Mr. Lin, I will not go back on my word. Mr. Lin, please take your seat." Xie Mingzhuo extended his hand to invite him.
The courtyard was dark, but the hall was brightly lit. Under the light, the woman, in her straw hairpin and cloth skirt, was radiant.
Lin Fan secretly thought that he was confused. He had actually thought that she was the daughter of an ordinary merchant.
"I would be disrespectful to refuse."
After the five people had taken their seats one after another, he sat down at the last seat, his eyes watching his nose and his nose watching his heart, only paying attention to his ears without moving his eyes.
"Second Madam," Yang Yunkai said, feeling uncomfortable addressing her as "Your Highness" because of the presence of outsiders, "News has come from Anlu: Miss Yao from the eastern suburbs passed away this morning."
After staying in Anlu for more than a month, Yang Yun not only ran errands for the grocery store, but also secretly established a news channel in the direction of the eastern suburbs.
"Sanniang's mother?" Li Jiuyue was shocked and regretful. "How could she die so suddenly?"
"The reason is unclear. Second Madam, have you informed Third Madam Yao about this?" Yang Yun asked.
Xie Mingzhuo pondered for a few breaths and said, "She just experienced her biological father's betrayal and suffered in the dark room for a whole day. She is already exhausted. Let's talk about this tomorrow."
"yes."
"Second Madam," Li Jiuyue said with some worry, "Third Madam, if she knows the purpose of our visit, will she..."
Xie Mingzhuo said firmly: "No."
After being rescued, Yao Sanniang deliberately emphasized the need to inform her mother. Although this action was reasonable, it was unusual.
Yao died suddenly, and on the morning the wedding car left the eastern suburbs, there must be something fishy about it.
Could it be that Yao Sanniang emphasized this so much to the errand runner in order to confirm the situation of her biological mother?
If she hadn't had any doubts in her heart, she wouldn't have done this.
During the conversation just now, Yao Sanniang also mentioned "informing" several times. Someone who really wants to inform would not say these two words.
Xie Mingzhuo could feel the hesitation and wavering in her heart.
Yao Sanniang's only weakness is Yao Shi, and now Yao Shi's death is mysterious. What will she choose?
"Mr. Lin, you just said you had something to ask me. What is it?" Xie Mingzhuo suppressed his thoughts and looked at Lin Fan.
The two sat at the main seat and the last seat respectively, facing each other.
Hearing this, Lin Fan raised his head and met her eyes, and then he thought of the scene on the street that day.
The hustle and bustle around me suddenly stopped, leaving only the endless noise in my heart.
He shifted his gaze to the corner of the table before replying, "Miss Meng has been ordered to investigate the fire at Longxing Cloth Shop because the owner discovered a hidden story. I wonder what it is?"
On the way here, Xie Mingzhuo simply told him about Yao Sanniang and did not mention the cloth shop fire.
Xie Mingzhuo: "Firearm."
This seemed to be within Lin Fan's expectations, and he did not look surprised.
"Mr. Lin already knew about this?"
"Yes." Lin Fan didn't hide it. "Tuiguan Shen discovered this and reported it to the prefect, but the case was eventually closed as an 'accidental flood'."
"The prefect of De'an seems to be called..." Xie Mingzhuo pretended to think for a moment, "Tang Song?"
The house behind the government office.
The servant reported from outside the bedroom: "Sir, Tui Guan Shen wants to see you."
"It's already so late, what is he doing here?" Tang Song pushed his concubine away, muttered a few words impatiently, and finally stood up.
He casually put on an outer coat and went to the main house to see the sunken stone.
Chen Shi, in high spirits and dressed in a green official robe, greeted the visitor with a greeting: "I, your humble servant, am disturbing you so late at night. I hope Your Excellency will forgive me. However, the matter is urgent and I have no choice but to come and report it."
"Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Over a thousand taels of gold were looted from the Prince of Liang's mansion, but fortunately, a righteous man rescued them and they are currently being housed in Yingshan County. There have been lapses in public security in De'an Prefecture, and I was about to go to the eastern suburbs to apologize, so I've come to report this to the prefect."
Tang Song: “…”
The lax security in De'an Prefecture was ultimately the fault of the prefect. How could it be your turn as a magistrate to ask for punishment?
What a Chenshi, are you deliberately provoking him?
"I'm going to change my clothes, you wait here."
Tang Song asked someone to prepare the carriage, quickly changed into a crimson official robe, and climbed into the carriage with his round belly.
Chen Shi accompanied him on horseback.
Halfway through the journey, Tang Song finally remembered to ask, "Is the news reliable?"
"Of course they are reliable." Chen Shi pointed behind him and said, "The three people who reported the case are following behind. If you want to ask them questions, just call them over."
Tang Song called the three people over, and after asking about the situation, he sighed, "She is indeed the daughter of a royal family. She is blessed with good fortune and God has saved her."
After a moment, he suddenly reacted, opened the curtain and said, "Good of you, Chen Shi, I was wondering why you were so active this time. It turned out to be because of that rescuer Lin Fan!"
Chen Shi said innocently: "I really want to ask for forgiveness."
"Lin Fan had previously offended Dong Jiao, and in less than a day he saved the daughter of the royal family. How could such a coincidence happen in the world? Could he have done it on purpose?" Tang Song asked suspiciously.
Chen Shi rolled his eyes behind his back, but said respectfully, "Your Excellency is very perceptive, and I admire you. But the palace is heavily guarded. How could Lin Fan have the ability to kidnap someone from it?"
"How did the third young lady get lost?"
Chen Shi: "It's impossible to speculate, we can only inform the palace first, and Prince Liang will investigate the reason."
"That's right." Tang Song retreated back into the carriage.
When the prefect traveled, a ceremonial guard led the way.
When he was so close to the Eastern Suburbs Palace, he was not shot as a bystander.
The prefect's arrival was so strange that King Liang had to get up and meet him in person.
He was old and had trouble sleeping. He finally fell asleep, but was woken up again.
King Liang's mind was slow most of the night, and it wasn't until Tang Song said it a second time that he finally realized what was going on.
Sanniang was kidnapped by bandits to be their leader's wife? And then she was rescued along the way? And the rescuer was the recently dismissed Lin Fan?
What the hell is going on!
His head was buzzing and his face looked extremely ugly.
Tang Song took a careful look and thought to himself that King Liang really loved his daughter. He usually did not show his emotions, but now he was so angry.
"Your Highness, please calm down. The bandits have been apprehended by the Embroidered Uniform Guards. The Third Miss is also safe and sound and has been settled in Yingshan County."
Chen Shi echoed, "Yeah, thanks to the Jinyiwei and Lin Fan."
Jinyiwei? !
King Liang's vision became darker and darker, and his mind became increasingly sluggish.
"Your Highness, the Third Miss specifically instructed us to inform her mother of this matter," Chen Shi said dutifully. "I wonder if Your Highness could give us a favor?"
Prince Liang suddenly came back to his senses, restrained his expression, and said calmly: "I will tell you about this matter myself, so there is no need for you, Judge Shen, to worry about it."
"The Third Young Lady was kidnapped due to my negligence. I will personally lead people to Yingshan tomorrow to retrieve her and apologize in person."
"No need." King Liang waved his hand, "I will send someone to pick it up myself."
Chen Shi sighed, "But we just had a robbery incident, and I'm worried. If I run into bandits again on the way, the consequences will be disastrous. Your Highness, you don't know, the area around Yingshan is very chaotic. A few days ago, more than a dozen people died at the hands of bandits. It would be safer to bring more people with you, Your Excellency, don't you agree?"
"Ah? Oh, that's true." Tang Song couldn't figure out what Chen Shi was planning, so he could only agree with him, "Your Highness, please rest assured. We will bring the Third Miss back safely tomorrow."
King Liang: “…”
Did Tang Song get kicked in the head by a donkey? Can't you see he's reluctant? Why is he agreeing with Shen Shi?!
Having said this, he could only say, "Then I'll have to trouble Magistrate Tang and Magistrate Shen. It's late, please go back."
Chen Shi and Tang Song left the main house and were led out of the mansion by servants.
They didn't go through the main gate.
It was pitch dark, and two lanterns were hung outside the side door, illuminating the small area.
Chen Shi couldn't help but mutter, "The Third Miss said she would send a messenger to inform her mother in person, but it's a pity that she didn't get to see Madam Yao."
He lowered his head as he spoke, but his peripheral vision was fixed on the servant, accurately capturing the fleeting stiffness on his face.
After meeting the messenger, he asked questions carefully and figured out everything everyone said.
The third young lady emphasized the need to inform her mother, which must have a deeper meaning.
Just now he was testing King Liang in the house, but King Liang remained calm and there was nothing special about him.
But the servant beside him had not yet mastered the cunning of King Liang, and his flaws were exposed after just a few tries.
After he finished speaking, the servant even glanced towards a certain part of the stairs.
After sending the two men out of the house, the servant immediately returned and closed the door.
Chenshi stood at the bottom of the steps, looking intently at a corner of the steps.
"What are you standing there for?" Tang Song urged as he got into the carriage.
Chenshi lifted up his clothes and stepped up, carefully observing the stairs in the dim light of the lantern.
He was extremely perceptive and experienced in trace detection, and he almost instantly determined that there were traces of blood here.
But the bloodstains that had been washed away were nothing.
He returned to the carriage with a frown, feeling inexplicably heavy in his heart.
Inside the palace, Prince Liang's mind gradually became clear, and he realized that his response was wrong.
If he had simply denied her just now... No, Sanniang is his blood relative after all. If he was really regarded as a suspect who pretended to be the daughter of a royal family, how would everyone in the palace view him?
He sent for his two sons and told them what had happened.
Prince Xie Yi was surprised and puzzled: "How could it be such a coincidence?"
"You also think it's too much of a coincidence?" Prince Liang's eyes were heavy. "If they were just ordinary yamen runners, there would be no need to worry about them. But they are the Jinyiwei. If they fall into the hands of the Jinyiwei, they will be nothing more than bandits."
"Father, do you really want to take Sanniang back?" Xie Yi lowered his voice, "But Aunt Yao has already..."
Xie Yu didn't care: "Madam Yao accidentally slipped and fell to her death. It was her own bad luck. What is there to worry about?"
"I'm worried that Sanniang can't bear the blow."
Xie Yu secretly scoffed at his hypocrisy, but said on the surface: "Life and death are determined by fate. No matter how sad she is, she is still my father's daughter. My father has pity on her, so please keep her for a while. When she recovers, send her to Henan."
"Erlang is right," King Liang said decisively. "Tomorrow morning, you and Chen Shi will go to Yingshan County to bring back Sanniang."
Xie Yu said, "I can't get along with her, so I won't go."
"You don't even listen to me?" King Liang looked annoyed.
Xie Yu had no choice but to agree reluctantly.
【Author’s words】
Another big fat chapter! Hands on hips!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
