Chapter 709 Means

Zou Pingping returned to Zou's house in a daze and burst into tears.

After crying, she knew that she must not let Zou Wanshi know about this, otherwise she would definitely think of marrying her to that eighth-rank official.

Zou Pingping clutched the handkerchief, her mind full of thoughts on how to break the impasse, and she actually came up with a clue!

Previously, her mind was full of Yu Chongjie, and she forgot to find out how the eldest daughter of that luxurious mansion that looked like a fairy's residence knew her mother?

It seems that the eldest daughter still has leverage over her mother, who gave her silver and pearl hairpins...

Zou Pingping pouted unwillingly, but suddenly an idea came to her mind.

Since the eldest lady has the leverage in her mother's hands, then... can she also take advantage of it?

…

"Mom, I want to go to the mountains to see my second brother."

Yu Mingzhu went to see Jiao.

After Yu Chongen was stabbed by Wei Shuangyan, his wound had not yet healed, but he struggled to go to the prison to see Wei Shuangyan. After returning, he asked Wei Shuangyan for a lot of things and moved directly into the compartment of the White Horse Temple outside the city, saying that he wanted to be quiet for a while.

Jiao had just visited Yu Chongen a few days ago and found that Yu Chongen's injuries were better than when he was in the capital, but he had lost a lot of weight.

Jiao was moved to tears and did not dare to persuade Yu Chong'en to return home, for fear that her second son's condition would worsen after returning to the capital.

Now that Yu Mingzhu said she wanted to visit Yu Chongen, Jiao was naturally willing to do so.

However, Jiao happened to have something to do these few days and could not go out with Yu Mingzhu, so Yu Mingzhu had to go out by herself with her maids and servants.

Yu Mingzhu said sympathetically, "Mom, just mind your own business. I've been to the White Horse Temple many times. It's okay."

Jiao sighed and touched Yu Mingzhu's head lovingly: "It would be great if your two brothers were as sensible as you."

Yu Mingzhu shook her head in disapproval: "Mother, that's not what you mean. My elder and second brothers are in different situations from me. If I were in their position, I might not be able to handle it better than them. Both of my brothers are the most prestigious sons of noble families in the capital. In the past, when people mentioned them, didn't they all praise them?"

Yu Mingzhu mentioned it casually, "Come to think of it, it seems that since two years ago, our family has always had good luck, but suddenly it has become not so good... Is there someone who is unlucky for our family?"

Yu Mingzhu's words seemed unintentional.

Jiao's heart sank slightly as she recalled what Jiao's third aunt had told her before.

With a complex emotion in her eyes, she looked at Yu Mingzhu and continued Yu Mingzhu's words: "Two years ago, now that you said that, it seems to be true. Two years ago... two years ago, was there something going on?"

Yu Mingzhu also acted as if she couldn't remember.

Xianglan, who was beside Jiao, suddenly murmured, "Two years ago, if I remember correctly, Princess Fusui and her family came to the capital around that time, right?"

Yu Mingzhu said, "It may be a coincidence. Princess Fusui was personally conferred the title of a blessed person by His Majesty."

Xianglan whispered, "I don't know if it's a coincidence, but I've heard that some people's fate will absorb other people's fortunes and turn them into their own good fortunes... I think Princess Fusui has such good fortunes, but since they came to the capital, many of our masters have... met with bad luck. Isn't it too coincidental?"

Jiao was in a state of confusion and said with a sullen face, "Who allowed you to speak ill of the princess like this? Go out and get ten slaps on the palm of your hand."

Xianglan knelt down and kowtowed, feeling wronged. "Yes, Madam. I know I have overstepped my authority. But these coincidences have been stuck in my mind for a long time, and I have to speak them out."

Jiao was very upset when she heard this: "Alright, stop talking, go out and get twenty lashes of the cane!"

Xianglan's face flushed, tears welled up in her eyes. She replied "yes" aggrievedly and stood up to receive the beating.

"Okay, mother, don't be angry with a maid." Yu Mingzhu gently advised, "I will go to the White Horse Temple and pray for a Bodhisattva to be blessed. I will put it in the small Buddhist temple for worship. I think our family will not always be unlucky."

Jiao sighed and said nothing more.

…

At the deserted corner of the mansion wall, Xianglan had been beaten with ten boards on each hand. Her palms were swollen. She looked around and saw that there was no one around, so she took an ointment from Qihuang.

"This is a gift from the eldest lady. Apply it carefully and it won't leave scars." Qi Huang lowered his voice, "Don't worry, the eldest lady has already hired a doctor for your father who has been seriously ill for a long time. The fifty taels of silver required for the medicine has also been paid for you."

Xianglan said gratefully, "Miss, you are so kind to me. I am willing to repay you with my whole life."

Qi Huang curled his lips: "Young Miss is so kind, why do you need to work so hard for her? You are Madam's personal maid, you just need to take good care of Madam. At most, you can say a good word for Young Miss occasionally, and Young Miss will remember your kindness."

Xianglan agreed immediately and expressed her gratitude profusely.

…

Yu Mingzhu took Qihuang and several servants and planned to go to the outskirts of the city where the White Horse Temple was located.

Yu Mingzhu had to get out. Qi Huang found a group of desperate criminals who were willing to take over her business. But Yu Mingzhu planned to secretly see if the desperate criminals had such means first, so as to avoid any mistakes.

As a result, just as Yu Mingzhu's carriage left the Xinguo Mansion, a person rushed out from the side and asked, "Is this the eldest lady's carriage?!"

Yu Mingzhu and Qi Huang were both stunned. Yu Mingzhu opened the curtain and saw that the person who rushed out was Zou Pingping, who was grabbing the wall of her carriage to prevent her from leaving.

The drivers did not dare to act rashly.

Yu Mingzhu frowned, but before she could say anything, she heard Zou Pingping lower her voice and said quickly, "I already know about what happened between you and my mother...! If you don't want it to be revealed, arrange for me to meet the young master!"

Yu Mingzhu was filled with shock!

But when she saw Zou Pingping pretending to be calm, but actually her eyes were rolling around, and she looked obviously very nervous, Yu Mingzhu knew at a glance that Zou Pingping was probably lying to her.

This fool!

If she really knew what she and Zou Wan were hiding, she wouldn't have this attitude towards her today!

Just one word "sister"!

Yu Mingzhu's eyes were heavy, but she smiled slightly: "Miss Zou San, you are joking. What could possibly be hidden between me and your mother?"

After a pause, she deliberately said, "Miss Zou San, please don't hold me back. I need to go to the White Horse Temple to burn incense. I'm almost late now. It would be fine if I were alone, but I need to go see my brother..."

Having said that, Yu Mingzhu signaled the servants to drive Zou Pingping aside, lowered the curtains, and drove away in the carriage.

Zou Pingping's eyes lit up, but she was not angry.

She felt that she had heard the hidden meaning in Yu Mingzhu's words!

Yu Mingzhu said that she was going to the White Horse Temple to see her brother. Doesn't that mean she is also going to the White Horse Temple, the eldest master Yu Chongjie!

Zou Pingping felt that she understood!

She hurried back to Zou Mansion, dressed up, and told Zou Wanshi that she was going to the White Horse Temple to burn incense and pray, praying that her brother Zou Minglei's injury would heal quickly, praying that her brother could successfully enter Zhizhi Academy next month, and also praying that she could marry smoothly into the Xin Guo Mansion.

Zou Wanshi did not suspect anything and gave Zou Pingping some money for incense and offerings so that she could buy more incense and offerings.

Zou Pingping took the money and left the city happily.

At this time, Yu Mingzhu's carriage was almost reaching the White Horse Temple.

She didn't deceive that delusional woman.

She came to the White Horse Temple to see her brother.

However, it was not her elder brother Yu Chongjie, but her second brother Yu Chongen who was recuperating in the meditation room in the backyard.

Yu Mingzhu rented a small room at the place where pilgrims from the White Horse Temple stayed. Half an hour later, Qi Huang dressed up as an inconspicuous teenager, slipped out of the room, and went straight to the back mountain.

Yes, who would have thought that one of the resting places of these desperate criminals roaming around would be a secret cave in the back mountain of White Horse Temple.

——Yu Mingzhu has already thought of how to test the methods of these desperate criminals.

Yu Mingzhu went to find Yu Chongen, and accompanied Yu Chongen in his room to write scriptures.

Yu Chongen said that these sutras for the afterlife were for the baby in Wei Shuangyan's belly and Fang Ai who died after falling from a building.

Yu Mingzhu's eyes were filled with sorrow: "...Second brother, don't worry. I also found a master to perform a ritual for the child in private a few days ago. The child will definitely be reborn into a good family."

Yu Chongen's heart moved slightly.

His treatment of Yu Mingzhu was somewhat dull in the past few days, but when he heard Yu Mingzhu say this, he felt a little warm in his heart.

The brother and sister wrote scriptures in the room quietly for a long time.

Until Qihuang came and knocked on the door, saying that it was getting late and asked if the young lady wanted to have dinner.

Yu Mingzhu knew that this was the signal she had agreed with Qi Huang. She stopped writing and looked at Yu Chongen: "Second brother, do you want to have dinner with me?"

Yu Chongen nodded.

The brother and sister ate the vegetarian meal provided by the White Horse Temple together.

After dinner, Yu Mingzhu talked with Yu Chongen for a while, then calmly came out of Yu Chongen's room and went to the small courtyard room she rented.

When they arrived at the chamber, Qi Huang looked around and then closed the door. He lowered his voice and said to Yu Mingzhu, "It's done. I saw with my own eyes that they dragged Zou Pingping into the woods."

Yu Mingzhu was very satisfied, with a smile on her face: "...Okay, this is a small gift from me to Zou Pingping. A girl like her dares to covet my elder brother. I think she is really short of men...After this incident, I want to see if she still has the nerve to pester my elder brother again."

Qi Huang replied, "I have also negotiated with them about the other commission to destroy a family. It will cost 20,000 taels of silver and the job will be completed within seven days."

Yu Mingzhu was even more satisfied, and asked Qi Huang: "When you went to their place earlier, you were dressed up properly, right?"

Qi Huang nodded: "Miss, don't worry, I am very careful and will present myself as a teenager. Even if someone is investigated, they won't find us."

Yu Mingzhu's smile deepened.

…

Zou Pingping lay in the woods in great pain, crying until her voice became hoarse, and she looked at the dim sky without any strength left.

She couldn't understand why.

She just came to the White Horse Temple to see her lover, but she met a bandit who captured her in the woods and did such a thing to her!

Zou Pingping was devastated.

After they finished their work, the men pulled up their trousers and ran away, leaving her alone in the woods, her clothes torn and her body in a mess.

The sky was getting darker and darker, and the howling of wolves could be heard faintly around the woods.

And it's getting closer...

Zou Pingping got up devastated and ran out holding her torn clothes!

People probably unleash endless potential when they are facing life and death. Zou Pingping didn't know how long she had been running until she fell on a mountain road.

"…Miss, are you okay?"

She lay on the road with little strength left and could hear a voice that seemed to be asking her something.

The voice sounded familiar. She looked up and saw from her messy hair that the man had dismounted to check on her. Who else could it be but Yu Chongjie, the man she had been longing to see?

Zou Pingping was devastated!

Her most vicious and most unbearable side was actually seen by Yu Chongjie!

Yu Chongjie saw the girl lying on the ground, her body stiff, her clothes in tatters and torn in some places. It was obvious what had happened to her.

Yu Chongjie couldn't bear it, so he took off his cloak and put it on the girl on the ground.

——Yu Chongjie obviously didn’t recognize Zou Pingping, but Zou Pingping thought that Yu Chongjie’s kindness meant that he recognized her. She collapsed and got up from the ground, threw herself into his arms, crying and shouting: “Why did you come just now! Why did you come just now!”

Yu Chongjie was completely frozen!

No, they know each other?!

The servant beside Yu Chongjie took a breath and recognized Zou Pingping first.

He approached and lowered his voice to remind her: "Master, this is, this is Miss Zou..."

Yu Chongjie's body stiffened even more fiercely!

He also felt a little horrified.

Although he said he didn't want to have anything to do with this Miss Zou anymore, but how could this Miss Zou be so unlucky to encounter such a thing? !

And Yu Chongjie didn't know why, but he had a feeling that this matter had something to do with him!

Yu Chongjie's whole body was so stiff.

Zou Pingping was already exhausted, and after crying in Yu Chongjie's arms, she had no strength left and fainted in Yu Chongjie's arms.

Yu Chongjie was extremely distressed.

He had just finished his shift when he heard from his mother that Yu Mingzhu had come to the White Horse Temple outside the city, so she asked him to come as well and escort Yu Mingzhu back to Beijing the next day.

Yu Chongjie met a colleague on the road, and his colleague talked to him for a long time, which delayed him for some time, so he came here just now.

But Yu Chongjie never thought that while he was riding up the mountain, a girl rushed out from the side of the mountain road and fell to the ground. This girl turned out to be Zou Pingping!

What kind of bad fate is this?

Now that Zou Pingping is fainting again, he can't just ignore it, right?

Yu Chongjie finally let out a long sigh, wrapped Zou Pingping's body with his cloak, rode up the mountain, and prepared to ask the maidservants that his sister brought with her to help deal with the matter.

——When Yu Mingzhu saw Yu Chongjie coming in carrying a woman wrapped in a cloak, she was stunned.

When she saw clearly the face of the person wrapped in the cloak, it was Zou Pingping, she froze for a long time!