Nanny Qin was stunned.

This person was very young, even younger than Xu Zhiheng, but when he looked at her, his eyes were like a cold pond, chilling her to the bone. She had never seen this person before, and didn't know who he was, but she had a feeling that he was more dangerous than Xu Zhiheng.

Qin Ma became a widow at a young age, but she was pretty when she was young, so she was not unmarried after her husband died. But she was unwilling to give her son to distant relatives. Other men were willing to marry her, but they were unwilling to raise a burden. Only Niu the blacksmith was willing.

But Nanny Qin looked down on Niu the Ironsmith's status, thinking that he was a little poor. After he entered the He Mansion and his life became much better, she gave up the idea of ​​getting married. However... there was also an unclear relationship between her and Niu the Ironsmith. Nanny Qin didn't care much about Niu the Ironsmith at first, but after He Wanru got into trouble, it was Niu the Ironsmith who showed her a way out. During the days when the two of them shared hardships, Nanny Qin did develop some true feelings for him. This young man hit the snake at its most vulnerable point and threatened Niu the Ironsmith's life right away, so Nanny Qin was very moved.

She said, "Aunt He...Aunt He made a mistake and was punished by the mistress. She was beaten with a stick. Aunt He was weak and couldn't hold on, so she passed away." After she finished speaking, she looked at the young man, sizing up his expression.

The other party's expression was still indifferent, and his voice was calm, "I don't have the patience to listen to your rambling. If you think this man's life is not enough, I can add the lives of Wu Han and his son."

As soon as these words came out, Nanny Qin cried out, "No!"

Wu Han was her son, and this man… was using his children and grandchildren’s lives to take her away. The other party was not Xu Zhiheng. If Xu Zhiheng killed her children and grandchildren, he would be afraid that Nanny Qin would go all out and tell the truth, but this strange man didn’t seem to care.

He has no evidence against himself, yet he knows himself very well.

Nanny Qin collapsed to the ground, and for a moment, a feeling of despair arose in her heart.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to take your life." He leaned forward slightly and stared into Nanny Qin's eyes. There seemed to be a sharp edge in his clear eyes. "Xu Zhiheng's people have been staring at Wu Han and his son to force you to show up. But if you tell me what you know, I can save their lives."

Nanny Qin was shocked. This condition was really tempting.

For the first time in her life, she was bold and asked, "How can I trust you?"

The other party smiled nonchalantly and stretched out his hand. The man in black behind him stepped forward and handed a bracelet to him. The young man waved the bracelet in front of Madam Qin.

Nanny Qin was shocked.

This bracelet was made by her when her grandson was born, and she also asked a monk to bless it, hoping it would protect her grandson's safety and health. Now it is in the hands of the other party... She knows that she can no longer negotiate with the other party. All she can do is to say something that will satisfy the other party and let her family and Niu the blacksmith go.

"I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything." Nanny Qin said sadly, "Madam He was executed by the eldest master. The family law was just a cover. Madam He was locked up in the mansion. They were afraid that outsiders would see what was going on, so they gave her medicine every day. She died in a few days."

The young man was not surprised and only asked, "Why did Xu Zhiheng want to execute He Wanru?"

"Because... because Aunt He made a big mistake and had to die."

"What's wrong."

Nanny Qin's hands trembled for a moment, and she took a deep breath, as if to muster up some courage. After a long while, she spoke, "Because Aunt He killed Grandma."

After these words were spoken, the room fell silent for a moment.

Luanying and Feinu behind him were both shocked. Everyone in Shuojing knew that the old lady of the Xu family was blind and couldn't see the road clearly. She accidentally fell into the pond and drowned. Now they said that the old lady died at the hands of a concubine. How ridiculous? You have to know that no matter what, the eldest daughter of the He family, He Rufei's sister, is not of low status. If she died because of jealousy with a concubine, it would be too ridiculous.

No wonder Xu Zhiheng couldn't wait to execute He Wanru and all the people who knew about it. Otherwise, he would be reported to the emperor for not managing his family properly, and Xu Zhiheng would have to throw away his black veil. But if the He family didn't know about it, and one daughter had already died, why would they send another daughter to the afterlife? If the He family knew about it, why would they just let it go so easily?

Xiao Jue's eyes moved slightly. Nanny Qin's words confirmed his guess.

"Why did He Wanru want to kill Grandma Xu? Or," he said in a different way, "Why did Xu Zhiheng want to kill Grandma Xu?"

Nanny Qin was startled and quickly said, "No, Master, Aunt He killed the Grandmother, it was just a matter between women in the house, and it has nothing to do with others. Why did the Grand Master kill the Grandmother for no reason? The Grand Master is kind and gentle, how could he do such a thing?"

Xiao Jue looked at her indifferently: "I've said before, I don't have the patience to listen to your lies."

The next moment, the sword in Fei Nu's hand was against Niu the blacksmith's neck.

Blood was flowing down his neck. No one could remain calm when life and death were at stake. The man who had always been calm and composed couldn't help but show a trace of panic in his eyes. Nanny Qin was so frightened that her face turned pale, "No, stop it!"

Fei Nu's sword did not move any further, Xiao Jue said: "I ask again, why did Xu Zhiheng want to kill his wife."

Nanny Qin was still hesitant and unwilling to tell the truth at this critical moment. It seemed that the thing she was hiding was definitely not a small secret.

Nanny Qin closed her eyes, as if she was extremely panicked. The opponent's sword seemed to be slowly pressing deeper into Niu the blacksmith's neck, and the bracelet engraved with scriptures was clearly placed in front of her eyes... She suddenly shouted: "I don't know... I don't know... I was too scared. I advised her not to do it... But she said that this was the eldest master's intention and it didn't matter. She just did what the eldest master said and nothing would happen. I was far away and I was extremely scared at the time. I only vaguely heard Aunt He say to the eldest grandmother: General He..."

Xiao Jue raised his eyes, and for a moment, his eyes were as sharp as a knife, piercing Nanny Qin so much that she dared not speak. He asked, "What did you just say?"

Nanny Qin said tremblingly, "Aunt He told Grandma... General He..."

She was scared to death at that time. Although there were many bloodless sword fights in the house, Nanny Qin herself had never been directly involved in a life. Of course, she also wanted He Wanru to have a stable position in the Xu family, but Nanny Qin saw clearly that He Wanru's family background would never allow her to become Xu Zhiheng's wife. So when He Wanru told her that she wanted to kill He Yan, Nanny Qin was shocked and kept trying to persuade her to give up this idea.

But He Wanru was determined and refused to listen to her advice. Nanny Qin found it strange, and finally He Wanru told the truth. It was Xu Zhiheng who ordered He Yan to die. But He Wanru refused to tell the reason why Xu Zhiheng wanted to kill He Yan, and only said that it was a secret between Xu Zhiheng and her.

At that time, Nanny Qin had actually realized that something was wrong.

Unfortunately, He Wanru was spoiled by her family when she was young. When she married into the Xu family, Xu Zhiheng was a gentle man. Even the mistress above her, He Yan, was a person who didn't care about things. She had ambitions but no brains. She didn't listen to a word that Nanny Qin said. By the time Nanny Qin wanted to do something, it was too late.

When He Yan was drowned, she hid among the maids outside, and was extremely horrified. He Wanru's army was too large, with so many people... and she seemed to have no scruples. She vaguely heard the conversation between He Wanru and He Yan, as if they were playing a riddle, and what they said was not clear, but there was one sentence that Nanny Qin remembered very clearly, He Wanru called He Yan "General He".

"General He" is General He Rufei of Feihong, who is He Yan's brother. What does this have to do with He Yan? Nanny Qin was in a panic and didn't figure it out. It was not until she escaped from the Xu family and went around with Niu the blacksmith that she thought about it carefully and smelled something unusual. She seemed to have caught a glimpse of the secret, but... this was too shocking. Once this secret was exposed to the world, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, Nanny Qin would never tell anyone about this matter unless it was absolutely necessary. And now, whenever she thinks of the scene on that day, she feels cold all over.

In front of everyone's eyes, Grandma Xu was forced into a pool of cold water with a stick and never came out. But the arrogant people at the scene were already dead in the eyes of others. Even He Wanru didn't expect that Xu Zhiheng would kill her soon after taking his wife's life.

It's all cause and effect, it's all destined.

No one spoke in the room. Nanny Qin couldn't help but raise her head and glance at the other person. She felt uneasy. This was her biggest secret. She didn't know who the other person was, so why did she want to know all this?

"Go on." Xiao Jue said.

It was better to have someone speak than to remain silent. Nanny Qin simply spoke out, "After the death of the eldest grandmother, I expected that Aunt He would most likely be silenced by the eldest master. I was afraid and wanted Aunt He to escape with me, but Aunt He refused. At that time, the servants in the mansion, especially those who were present in Aunt He's courtyard that day, were forbidden to leave the mansion. When I escaped later, I also asked someone to inquire, and heard that now all the people in Aunt He's courtyard in the Xu family have been replaced by new ones... They are all dead."

"My Lord..." Nanny Qin wiped away her tears, "This is all I know. Although I served Aunt He before, Aunt He never told me why the eldest master wanted to kill the eldest grandmother. I am just a servant of the Xu family. I know nothing. Please let us go!"

Xiao Jue stood up, glanced at the two of them, and said, "You can live here for the time being." Then he walked out of the house.

The guards outside the door followed him in, and Xiao Jue walked forward. This was not the Xiao family, but a separate courtyard. Luanying and Feinu walked beside Xiao Jue, and they were both shocked.

Xiao Jue walked to the flower wall at the end of the yard and stopped. He had already reached the east and west. There were only green leaves on the flower wall, but no red flowers. His voice fell into the wind, carrying a chill, "Luanying, when is He Rufei and Grandma Xu's birthday?"

Luanying replied, "It was the Spring Equinox. Madam He Da and Madam He Er gave birth at the same time that day. He Rufei and Madam Xu were born at the same time, and their birthdays were both the Spring Equinox." After saying that, she and Fei Nu looked at each other, and they each saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

When in Jinling, he had already learned from Hua Youxian that the "He Rufei" at that time was a woman. Now what He Rufei did in the battle of Huayuan showed that he was indeed not the "He Rufei" at that time. Xiao Jue had always asked Luanying to investigate the women who were close to He Rufei, but now, it seemed that there was no need to investigate anymore. Although Nanny Qin only said "General He", these three words had already made it very clear.

The He Rufei who studied in Xianchang Hall, went to Ruyun Tower with the young men in Jinling, and won great military exploits in the Fuyue Army was actually the cousin of Grandma Xu, who was born with him. But now, Grandma Xu is dead. No one in the world knows this secret, so He Rufei has become a real "Flying General".

"You continue to collect all the information about Grandma Xu's life." Xiao Jue said: "The relationship between Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei may not be simple. Xu Zhiheng should know that He Rufei and his cousin exchanged identities."

Luanying nodded in agreement, and suddenly thought of something, and hesitated for a moment before speaking, "But Master, Miss He bribed the gatekeeper of the Xu family to find out the whereabouts of Madam Qin, I think it was for this matter. It is a secret that He Rufei and Madam Xu exchanged identities, how did Miss He know? And why did she want to investigate this matter? He Rufei and the Xu family targeted Miss He at the same time. Previously, I thought that their real target was Master, but now it seems that this may not be the case."

"What role does Miss He play in this?"

Luanying is much older than Xiao Jue, and has watched Xiao Jue grow up. Many times, she is not as nervous about Xiao Jue as Chiwu Feinu. She said whatever she thought.

Xiao Jue said nothing. But Fei Nu, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but say, "Miss He has the same name as Grandma Xu."

"That's just a coincidence." Luanying continued without thinking: "I checked, Miss He is Miss He, there is no replacement identity, and Miss He's name has been this name since the beginning. There is no other possibility. I originally thought about whether Grandma Xu had twin sisters or something, but the age is not suitable, and the neighbors of the He family can testify that Miss He looks like her mother."

Therefore, He Yan could not possibly be the twin sisters of Grandma Xu.

"That's all about He Yan." Xiao Jue said, "I know my limits."

Fei Nu and Luanying looked at each other in bewilderment. No one had expected that just one incident would lead to so many consequences. Not only did they discover the shocking secret that He Rufei and his cousin had swapped identities, but now even He Yan's behavior had become confusing.

But since Xiao Jue had spoken, they could only do as he said.

Xiao Jue said: "Keep an eye on these two people, don't let them escape."

The two men agreed.

When Fei Nu and Luanying went away to do their respective things, Xiao Jue looked up at the clear and quiet sky.

In the winter of Shuojing, there are only a few stars scattered on the black velvet cloth, like the faint glow in the sky beside a spring at a certain time. The surface and underwater of the water are all filled with the bright and lively lights of lanterns.

The longevity noodles on the boat were steaming, and the cups rolled up with leaves were filled with sweet syrup like honey. The girl's face was hidden behind the lights. The night was so beautiful and the wind was so cool that people ignored the fact that her eyes were red from the heat.

He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Isn't today your birthday?"

The girl smiled and said, "Commander-in-chief, you are so kind to me. Thank you."

He slowly lowered his head, his eyes falling on the edge of his boots and the reflection in the pond.

That day was the Water God Festival in Jeyang, the Spring Equinox.

…

He Yan was in a really bad mood.

She was not able to find the blacksmith Niu and the whereabouts of Nanny Qin, which made her suspicious. If Xu Zhiheng found Nanny Qin before her, Nanny Qin would have been in danger, and she would have lost an important witness.

She originally wanted to go see Fuwang, but she was now short of money, and the servants of the Xu family were particularly greedy. If she went empty-handed, she would probably not get any useful information. So from the second day after He Yan came back from the market, everyone in the He family noticed her low mood.

"Yanyan, Dad passed by East Street today and heard that the young ladies who came to Shuojing are popular with a kind of perfume. Dad bought you one. You can put some on your hands every day, and it will smell good."

He Yan said listlessly: "Thank you, Dad."

He Sui was also very distressed. Originally, his daughter was born with a beautiful face and a bit arrogant, but girls are cute and lovable. Colleagues and friends all knew that his daughter was delicate and beautiful. Now that He Yan had returned, her personality was completely different from before. She would just do boxing and chop wood every morning. She didn't use the rouge and powder that I bought for her in the past. She had a plain face all day long and didn't even have a skirt to wear when she was working.

Although this is also good, the gap is too big. Sometimes He Yan looks at it and misses the adorable daughter in the past. So he tried to buy some small things to remind He Yan that she is a woman. Although he thinks He Yan is also good, General Feng Yun is marrying a wife, not a brother. He Yan and Xiao Jue can't go out together. Outsiders say that He Yan looks more like a man than Xiao Jue. What kind of situation is this!

He Yan didn't know that what she did had made He Sui so distressed. She was only thinking about Nanny Qin. Although she knew that Niu the Ironsmith would most likely never appear in Changmao Iron Shop again, she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart. Two days later, before dawn, when He Sui and He Yunsheng hadn't left the house yet, He Yan quietly got up in the dark, folded the quilt, and ran to the town again with Xiang Xiang.

So when Qingmei got up to feed the horses, she screamed again like she did a few days ago. This time she was much calmer than last time. She didn't burst into tears when she saw that there was no one in the room. Instead, she walked to Chiwu's room and knocked on the door politely.

Chiwu opened the door: "What's the matter?"

Qingmei smiled and rebuked him, "Master Chiwu, you slept too soundly. The girl took Xiangxiang out again. Didn't you notice?"

Chiwu: “…”

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

I recommend my friend Miaozi’s new book “Big Mansion Small Things”, ancient Chinese, one V one, sisters who like it can collect it~