Chapter 278 The Opportunity to Repay Has Come
After hearing what was said, Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan went into the house to wash up and prepare to go to Shi'an Hall to pay their respects to the Duke and the old lady before going into the palace.
The couple had just arrived at the entrance of Shi'an Hall when they ran into the Duke, who had just returned from his trip. However, after not seeing him for a day, the Duke, who had been so energetic, now had dry eyes and a haggard, aged appearance.
Shen Qingtan guessed that the Duke was devastated by Zhao Jue's death.
She looked calmly at the Duke's boots, the soles of which were covered with a circle of red mud.
The place where the villa is located is a red mud ground, different from the yellow mud ground in other places.
It was obvious that the Duke had returned from the other courtyard.
"grandfather."
Shen Qingtan calmed down and paid his respects together with Zhao Yi.
The Duke was very disappointed with Zhao Jue. After all, he was his grandson and they had the same blood. How could feelings be severed just like a status?
Now that Zhao Jue has died tragically, he is once again devastated by the loss of his loved one, and he feels very sad.
He sent his steward to take care of Zhao Jue's funeral. The steward came back with a message that Zhao Jue's death was suspicious.
He received a message and took the coroner to check. It turned out that Zhao Jue and Shen Mingzhu died of poisoning.
The fire in the villa was not an accident, but a deliberate murder.
He called in the servant who had been guarding the villa to question him, and learned that Shen Mingzhu had lost her child and hated Zhao Jue for abandoning her, so she dragged Zhao Jue to die together.
The Duke suspected that Shen Qingtan was behind this. Given the grudge between her and the second house, why would he give the villa to Shen Mingzhu?
Even if Shen Qingtan did not do it himself, he at least played a role in promoting it.
The Duke arranged for someone to investigate and found out that after the Second Master was expelled from the clan, he had been hanging around in brothels and staying in the room of a prostitute named Yue Niang every day.
Zhao Jue married Yue Niang for money.
When he found out this, the Duke stopped the matter, as he really couldn't afford to lose face.
Zhao Jue was not ambitious enough and ended up in such a tragic situation. It was all his own fault.
The Duke looked at Shen Qingtan inquiringly, and saw that her eyebrows and eyes were as soft as flowing water, and she had a kind of indifference that was not interested in competing with the world, and she did not seem like a cruel person.
"You're back." The Duke withdrew his gaze and glanced at Zhao Yi's casual clothes. "Are you going to the palace?"
Zhao Yi saw that the Duke was not as strong as before, so he reached out to support him. "The Emperor sent someone to tell me that Man Man and I should come to the palace."
The Duke raised his hand to stop them: "It's getting late, you should go to the palace first."
After saying this, the Duke staggered into the yard and climbed the stairs step by step. When he was about to cross the threshold, he slowly turned his head and looked at the backs of Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi as they left together.
The Duke raised his hand to hold the pillar. There was a couplet engraved on the pillar. He looked up at the lower line: The family has virtue and good fortune.
The general meaning is that the host is kind and virtuous, so the family will prosper and have long-lasting good fortune.
The Duke stared at the couplet, feeling a sudden sense of sadness in his heart.
He withdrew his hand and went into the house.
The old lady sat on the couch, her back leaning against a soft pillow, looking listless.
She heard footsteps, looked up at the Duke standing beside her, and sat up straight: "What's going on in the courtyard?"
"It's nothing." The Duke said in a deep voice, "It's his own fault."
Upon hearing this, the old lady slowly lay back down, pressing a handkerchief to the corners of her eyes. "This child has loved competing with his second brother since he was young, wanting to be better than him in every way. As time went by, his ambition and desire grew, and it eventually killed him."
If the eldest family's child was a healthy child who could withstand the difficulties, there wouldn't be so many twists and turns in the mansion.
"Fate, it's all fate."
The old lady turned over and faced the Duke with her back.
The Duke remained silent, glancing at a booklet on the desk. This booklet contained evidence and charges of Luo Lingzhi's corruption.
Now the second brother has suffered a blow, is listless and spends all day drinking.
The second son's wife is paralyzed in bed and cannot take care of herself.
Zhao Jue and Shen Mingzhu are already dead.
The Duke took the book, tore off the pages one by one, and burned them in the stove.
-
The carriage stopped at the gate of the palace, and Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi took a sedan chair to the Taiji Hall.
Eunuch Deng, who was on duty in the Taiji Hall, saw them approach and hurried over to greet them. "Master Xiao Zhao, Madam Xiao Zhao, the Emperor is resting in the hall. Please wait a moment while I go in and pass the message along."
Zhao Yi said in a gentle voice, "Thank you, eunuch."
"This is my duty." Eunuch Deng went to the palace to pass on the message. After a while, he came out and invited Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan into the palace: "The emperor is waiting for you two."
Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan walked into the hall and paid their respects to Emperor Jing'an.
"No need to be so polite."
Emperor Jing'an threw down the memorial in his hand and gave them seats.
His gaze fell on Zhao Yi's face. Seeing that Zhao Yi's usually pale face was faintly flushed, he felt a little more relieved.
Emperor Jing'an asked with concern, "Yier, how is your health?"
Zhao Yi replied, "My health has improved a lot and my life is safe."
Emperor Jing'an learned about Zhao Yi's physical condition from Chen Yuanshi.
Zhao Yi had been ill for many years and was in serious health.
Although it is cured now, it still needs to be recuperated slowly.
Emperor Jing'an stared at Zhao Yi's face, as if he was looking at him, but also as if he was looking at an old friend. The sadness in his eyes slowly turned into joy.
"Your illness has been cured, and one of my worries has been put to rest." Emperor Jing'an's tone was unusually relaxed, and the gloom on his face dissipated, revealing a gentle and loving expression. "I heard from Cao Chunxiang that you and your wife went to the Western Hills to relax. I sent someone to invite you to the palace, but I am sorry to disturb your leisure."
"Uncle, you've been so worried about my illness all these years and have put in so much effort." Zhao Yi stood up and bowed to Emperor Jing'an with the etiquette of a junior. "Now that I've recovered from my illness, I should come and report that I'm safe."
Emperor Jing'an looked at Zhao Yi with deep emotion, his fingers clenched on his knees. He just looked at the child before him, his face no longer as pale as paper, nor so weak that he struggled to breathe, as if he would disappear at any moment.
He still clearly remembered that when Zhao Yi was over one year old, he was a small ball, curled up in his arms, making a sound like a bellows in his throat, and his little face was cyanotic, as if he would never grow up.
In the blink of an eye, I have grown up and recovered.
Emperor Jing'an's eyes were filled with warmth: "Remember what your uncle has done for you. Get well soon and share his worries."
Zhao Yi's ability was obvious to all the cabinet ministers. Everyone felt sorry for him. If he hadn't been hampered by illness, he would have made great achievements in the court.
Emperor Jing'an pulled out a document of appointment and handed it to him: "Your chance to repay me has come."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
