Chapter 196 Carpenter Zhang Disappears
After the young master left, Chunxiao and Qiuyue nodded to Ye Huaizhen and left quickly.
In a blink of an eye, the courtyard returned to peace.
The evening breeze blew, refreshing and pleasant. Ye Huaizhen turned around, closed the door, walked through the corridor, entered the patio, sat down at the stone table, stretched his arms on the table, supported his head lazily, and looked up at the starry night sky.
A bright moon hangs high in the sky, emitting bright light, sprinkling on all living beings and also falling on her, quiet and peaceful.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze caressing her face, listening to the croaking of frogs coming from the farmland in the village at the end of the street, and the crickets in the grass, which sounded like they were singing or playing the piano, intoxicating.
If Dad were still alive, the family would still be there. On a night like this, how wonderful it would be for the whole family to sit happily under the porch, enjoying the cool breeze and a peaceful life!
But a false accusation destroyed her family and killed her father, and they could never go back to the way things were.
When she suddenly opened her eyes, Ye Huaizhen's eyes were filled with hatred. If she didn't find the murderer of her father, her heart would never be at peace in this life. How could she build a home again without peace?
Turning her head, she looked outside the moon cave door. There was faint noise of playfulness coming from the other side. She put down her arms, lowered her head and remained silent for a long time... a long time...
It’s true that I helped Uncle Hua, and it’s also true that I couldn’t sleep well after changing the bed.
A night passed and Su Ruojin didn't know how many pancakes she had baked. Finally, dawn came. She got up yawning and prepared to go home to Beijing.
After breakfast, she asked, "Uncle Hua, do you want to stay?"
Hua Ping glanced at the busy figure behind the counter, looking disappointed and melancholy, "Go back."
"You don't want to stay and cultivate feelings?"
Hua Ping sighed, "I finally understand. How can I return home if I don't take revenge?"
Su Ruojin: ...Maybe, Sister Ye might not like your style?
She didn't dare to attack Uncle Hua, because she couldn't tell whether Ye Huaizhen had any feelings for Hua Ping. From the first time she met her, she was always so cold and aloof to everyone, and there was no difference at all.
Forget it, let young people solve their own problems, there is nothing she can do about it.
How Su Ruojin came here, how will she go back?
When the carriage passed through Wenshan Street and turned onto the official road to Beijing, she saw through the window someone painting lotus in the pond on a distant path. She stretched her head and asked, "Uncle Hua, is that Master Shangguan the one painting?
Hua Ping glanced and said, "Yes."
"Really hardworking."
That was someone else's story. Hua Ping was not interested. He sat next to Mangzhong, thinking only about how to help Ye Huaizhen get revenge and then win the beauty.
Su Ruojin didn't sleep well at night. The carriage was shaking, and she leaned on Mao Ya and fell asleep.
She didn't know how long it had been, the carriage suddenly bumped into something and shook. She was awakened and pulled open the curtain, "Brother Aman, what's wrong?" She found that they were almost at Su's Breakfast Shop.
I'm almost home.
Mangzhong had already jumped down from his seat and was talking to a little child. The child seemed very worried and scared, and his words were unclear.
Su Ruojin recognized the child and quickly jumped out of the car, "Zhang Xiaolu, what's wrong?"
"Young master, young master, my father is missing..." Seeing his backbone, Zhang Xiaolu burst into tears.
Su Ruojin stood in front of him, took out a handkerchief and wiped his tears: "Tell me slowly what happened."
Zhang Xiaolu was similar to Su Sanlang, rubbing his eyes and shedding tears. "Yesterday someone was looking for my dad, so he went out with him, saying he would be back soon. But he hasn't been seen since yesterday morning. My grandparents and mother have been looking for him since last night, but they still can't find him."
Could it be that Mr. Shen hired Carpenter Zhang? But Su Ruojin changed her mind and felt that it was not right. If it was someone hired by Mr. Shen, and he said he would let him come back later, he would definitely let him come back. It is impossible for him to be detained and not let him leave. Even if he did not let him leave, he would also let someone inform the Zhang family and would not let the Zhang family look for him everywhere.
Suddenly I thought of what Carpenter Zhang had said about Carpenter Li. Could it be...
Su Ruojin's heart sank. Oh my God, could it be the musket that caused this? Then she would be a sinner for all eternity.
"Don't panic, don't panic. I'll find someone to help right away. Don't worry. Go back and take good care of your brothers and sisters. I'll go to your house and tell you as soon as I have any news."
With a backbone, the little guy was not so scared anymore. He stopped crying, nodded with sobs, and turned around to go home.
His small and lonely figure is heartbreaking.
Su Ruojin took a deep breath and forced herself not to panic. Carpenter Zhang would definitely not disappear without a trace like Carpenter Li. He definitely wouldn't.
"Sister Maoya, go to the store and pack a breakfast box and take it back with you to Xiaolu. If the adults are not at home, don't rush back. Take care of the three children first."
"What about you, Jinniang?"
Su Ruojin turned around and said, "Uncle Hua, you came here with Mr. Shen yesterday. I was the one who told Carpenter Zhang about this."
Hua Ping shook his head: “If it was Mr. Shen, it would be impossible for the Zhang family to look for people everywhere.”
She also thought of this.
“I want to meet Mr. Shen.”
When Hua Ping heard this, he glanced at the people following Su Erniang. No matter whether it was Chunxiao, Qiuyue, or the coachman Mangzhong, they were all the young prince's people. After thinking about it, he nodded and agreed, asked them to get in the car, and asked Mangzhong to drive.
Mao Ya waited until the carriage had gone far away before taking Zhang Xiaolu to Su Ji to get breakfast and going to Zhang's house.
Half an hour later, Su Ruojin arrived at a place that seemed ordinary, but seemed very secretive if one didn't pay attention. She guessed that Hua Ping often sneaked out of Su's house and probably came here.
“Would it be inappropriate for me to come here? Otherwise, why don’t you ask Mr. Shen out?”
Hua Ping glanced around cautiously, and when he saw nothing unusual, he smiled and said, "Since you're here, come in quickly." After that, he whistled, and the door suddenly opened.
The person who opened the door also looked behind them carefully to cover their retreat.
After walking around the screen wall, passing through the patio, and walking through the hall, Su Ruojin finally entered a room after making three turns and five bends. Sitting on the couch was a familiar middle-aged man - Mr. Shen.
"Su Er Niang."
"Sir." Su Ruojin bowed hurriedly and asked nervously, "Did you take Carpenter Zhang away?" When she asked this question, she actually already knew the answer and just wanted to confirm it.
Mr. Shen shook his head. "I left Su Ji yesterday and was indeed going to look for Carpenter Zhang, but he was not at home, so I asked the servant to ask him one more question, and he said that he was called away at the end of Chen time, which was when I went to Su Ji for breakfast."
"and you……"
"At that time, I realized something was wrong and told the young prince, and he has sent people to track him down." The musket is now the young master's self-defense weapon, it is not an ordinary thing, so they are very cautious.
"So now there is news..." Has it been transmitted? It has been a night now. If we can't find it, it will be difficult to find it.
Mr. Shen said, "The young prince is now the deputy commander of the Imperial City Department, which makes it easier to mobilize personnel. At noon yesterday, all the major gates of Bianjing City were secretly searched. In the evening, the gates were closed early. Early this morning, it was difficult to enter and exit the city gates, and the inspection was strict. It was determined that the people were still in the city."
Su Ruojin didn't sleep well last night and fell asleep in the carriage. He didn't notice what was happening at the city gate at all. Now he sounded very annoyed.
Mr. Shen seemed to see the young lady's guilt and comforted her, "Don't worry, the young prince will come in person, and the person will definitely be fine."
Even Zhao Lan had gone out personally, Su Ruojin could only secretly worry, but she still had to be polite on the surface, "That really troubles the young prince."
If it wasn't the musket that Su Erniang made for the young master, Carpenter Zhang would probably have just sent someone to check it out as a routine matter, and it would have been impossible for him to let a deputy commander with the status of a prince go out to look for it in person.
Mr. Xue didn't expect that he would get into trouble again just when he was getting by in the Ministry of Works. He was detained in a dark little room and questioned again and again: "I have seen Carpenter Zhang, and I know that he is doing business in partnership with the second wife of the Su family. I am also doing business in partnership with Ajin, but I swear to God on my son's life that I will never collude with any foreigners to get Carpenter Zhang anywhere."
Since he had even gambled with his only son's life, Prince Wei felt that he was not lying. When his men wanted to torture him, he secretly waved his hand and turned to leave the interrogation room.
Zhao Lan was standing outside waiting.
Prince Wei shook his head, "Not like him."
Zhao Lan glanced towards the interrogation room and said, "Thank you."
"You're too polite, Zijin." Prince Wei asked him, "Are you sure the person is in the city now?"
"Yes." Zhao Lan trusted his instincts. "There are a few more suspects. Please help me interrogate them."
Prince Wei saw that he was about to leave, "Where are you going?"
"Let's go out for dinner."
Prince Wei laughed angrily, "Why don't you go and have your meal instead of leaving me here to be interrogated."
"Hard."
"You..." Prince Wei laughed, "Okay."
Prince Wei - Wei Jinghuai, son of Princess Yuyang, commander of the Imperial City Division. Seeing that Zhao Lan, who is seven years younger than him, was promoted to deputy commander, this kid's strength should not be underestimated!
After Zhao Lan came out, Wu Fu, who had been like an invisible man, stepped forward and said, "Master, we have checked all the small inns, brothels, and gambling houses, but we didn't find any suspicious people."
Zhao Lan raised his eyes and squinted slightly. "This method of searching is a conventional method of searching, right?"
Wufu nodded, "Yes, Master."
"Then find another way."
"What does the master mean?"
"Look for inns that receive candidates, brothels of medium or higher quality, and...residential houses in the Xiqiao Lane area, especially those that have been rented out in the past two years."
"Yes, Master."
Wu Fu turned around and disappeared.
Shuang Rui then stepped forward and asked, "Sir, where are we going to have lunch?"
"Is the Zhang family still looking for it?"
Santai stepped forward, "Yes, sir, someone just came to report that Zhang Dalang waited for Madam Su Er to come back, stopped her and told her that Carpenter Zhang was missing."
Zhao Lan looked over coldly.
Santai broke out in a cold sweat, "It was my negligence. I thought I had caused the Zhang family to look for someone in a panic, which would have alarmed the hiding person. I didn't expect that Zhang Dalang would have stopped Madam Su Er."
"When the matter is settled, go get the board yourself."
"Yes, Master."
Zhao Lan looked up: "Where is she?"
"Hua Sicha has taken the man to see Mr. Shen."
Zhao Lan immediately asked someone to prepare the carriage.
Su Ruojin sat opposite Mr. Shen, feeling nervous but unable to show it. In boredom, she took the pen and ink from Mr. Shen's desk. If Carpenter Zhang was still in the capital, he might be hidden somewhere.
Think about it another way. If she wanted to take a craftsman away, what would she do? Under the strict inspection of the city gate, if this person is not taking a time-controlled means of transportation, such as the train or ship that needs to buy a ticket in the future, once he misses the time, he must buy a new ticket and wait for the next one; there should be no event that requires Zhang the carpenter to be in place at a specific time, so he must be hidden somewhere, waiting for the storm to pass before finding a way out of the city;
If he was still in Bianjing, where would he be hiding? It was best to hide in a place where good and bad people were mixed together. Where were such chaotic places in the capital?
She wrote and drew on paper as if this would help her find Carpenter Zhang and alleviate her sins.
She kept writing... Suddenly, she put down her pen and looked dejected.
Even Zhao Lan went out to search for a day and a night but still found nothing. That carpenter... I'm afraid...
If Carpenter Zhang really ends up with the same result as Carpenter Li, Su Ruojin cannot escape the blame, as it was her selfishness that ruined him.
Her selfish desire was that she wanted to cling to the Jin Palace but didn't want to owe it anything. To put it bluntly, she didn't want to owe Zhao Lan anything. So in her daily life, she often paid attention to things that could repay favors, such as delicious food, handy tools, etc. The more favors she could repay, the better. So when she accidentally got the blueprint of the musket, although she thought that this thing was too shocking, she thought that such a thing also existed in real history and it was not too contrary to the laws of production and development, so she thought about making one for Zhao Lan for self-defense.
Now the favor has been repaid, but Carpenter Zhang is in danger. If he can't find him and Zhao Lan is in a tight spot, will the person who took Carpenter Zhang away kill him? If so, she will never forgive herself in her life.
Cover your face with your hands.
Let you be able to, something might happen!
Just when Su Ruojin wanted to punch herself a few times, someone called out softly above her head, "Ajin?"
Little prince?
She suddenly looked up and said, "Have you found it...?" Her beautiful almond eyes were moist.
Obviously, she cried!
Zhao Lan's heart tightened, his eyes dimmed, "Ajin, you..." his voice was low.
"I..." Su Ruojin didn't realize that she was crying. She wiped her eyes and stood up quickly. She couldn't put her emotional pressure on others.
He smiled slightly, "It's okay."
He stood aside stiffly, "Little Prince, please sit down."
Zhao Lan calmed down, remained calm, and sat down as she asked.
Since the young master came in, Mr. Shen has been paying attention to the two of them without making a sound. He has seen the young lady's self-blame and the young master's distressed look.
Zhao Lan leaned back in his chair and asked, "Carpenter Zhang, do you have all the blueprints for the musket?"
He made the two key parts of the fire gun, and he assembled it in the end, so he must have a complete set of drawings. Su Ruojin nodded, "However, he also knew that this thing was shocking, so he memorized the drawings and burned them."
Zhao Lan raised his eyes. "Did you remind him?"
I guess so.
Su Ruojin wanted to ask him how his search was going, but she didn't dare to ask.
Zhao Lan felt Mr. Shen's gaze and followed his gaze to the paper on the small table next to him. There was a mess of writing on it, and he reached out to pick it up.
Transmigrating to Dayin, and being the daughter of a doctor from the Imperial College, Su Ruojin had a beautiful handwriting, but today her handwriting was so scribbled, with clumps of ink, her handwriting was not as good as that of a child who had just learned to write.
"Hidden in an inn or a house near a carriage and horse shop?" Zhao Lan looked at the young lady. "Why do you think so? These places are the focus of the Imperial City Bureau's search."
"I don't understand these things either. I'm just guessing. I think that what we can think of, others can also think of. Then what if they do counter-reconnaissance?"
(End of this chapter)
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