Chapter 265 Worship
There was a wine gourd hanging on a pine branch in the pine forest. The wine gourd had obviously been used for many years and had been polished to a shiny finish. Such an object could not have belonged to Tao Huan, as Tao Huan did not drink and had never carried a wine gourd with him.
The worship took an hour.
The weather was cold, and Su Qianqian was worried that Madam Qin and Madam Du were too sad. Seeing that He and Xin, who were dressed in mourning, were also overwhelmed with grief, she signaled the second and third madams to support Madam Qin and Madam Du respectively, while Qin Mian and Qin Li supported their mothers, and got back to the car.
He hadn't seen Qin Mian for a long time. If it weren't for today's memorial service, she would still refuse to step out of her own yard. Even if Qin Mian carefully supported her, her expression was indifferent.
Seeing that He kept looking back every few steps, while Xin didn't dare to look back, Mrs. Du couldn't help but sigh, not knowing what to feel in her heart. Which one was better?
Not long after returning, Su Qianqian asked the driver to stop.
"My purse seems to have fallen at the family grave. Let's go back and look for it." Su Qianqian instructed the coachman. Qin Hanzhang glanced at her but did not stop her.
She got off the carriage in front of the archway, told the maids to wait outside, and walked inside with her skirt lifted. However, Qin Hanzhang, who got off the carriage after her, grabbed her wrist and asked, "Why do you always act alone?"
Qin Hanzhang's face was gloomy, and the same expression he had when he returned home last night appeared again.
"So the Marquis was unhappy last night because I went to see Qi Mincheng yesterday?" Su Qianqian finally figured it out. It turned out that it was not because of the ruptured wound or hidden illness, but because she acted on her own.
"Did you just meet Qi Mincheng? You know, although Qi Mincheng distracted Lu Jing's attention, he would be more afraid of you, and you could come up with such a method to force him to show up."
Qin Hanzhang was filled with both admiration and worry, and took her hand and walked into the family cemetery together.
When the gravekeeper saw the marquis and his wife coming back, he hurried over to ask if they had any instructions.
"Has anyone come to the old marquis' grave to pay homage earlier today?" Su Qianqian asked the gravekeeper.
"To be honest, ma'am, in recent years, someone has come early to pay homage to the ancestors on this day every year. However, the family tomb is not allowed to be entered by outsiders. He must have sneaked in from somewhere. I have never met this person.
This person would prepare wine and some food. I knew the masters were coming today, so I quickly packed them up when I saw them. It was my fault. I will keep a close eye on them in the future. ”
The gravekeeper hastily confessed his crime.
"It's okay. Those who come to pay tribute to the old marquis are naturally his old friends. You did a good job." Su Qianqian comforted the gravekeeper and continued to walk towards the tomb of the old marquis and his son.
Still far away from the grave, Su Qianqian signaled Qin Hanzhang not to make a sound, and she tiptoed, bent over, and walked around the pine and cypress bonsai like a kitten, approaching the grave.
Sure enough, there was a man kneeling in front of the grave, with his back hunched and facing Su Qianqian and Qin Hanzhang. It was unclear whether his short jacket was brown or black, and the big wine gourd was placed next to him.
"Old Marquis, I will pour you another bowl of wine, and then I have to go. I don't know if I can come next time. If I can't come, please don't blame me. I will go there to serve you. It's a long way, so you have to be patient..."
The old voice was hoarse and sad, and the wine sprinkled in front of the grave gave off a strong aroma that gradually dissipated.
He wiped his face with his sleeve, then struggled to get up from the ground. He put the wine gourd on his back and limped slowly towards the pine forest.
Su Qianqian and Qin Hanzhang looked at each other and followed him quietly. Just when he was about to climb over the fence, Qin Hanzhang went over and stopped him.
A pair of cloudy eyes looked at Qin Hanzhang in horror. His gray hair was tangled and disheveled, and his face was covered with wrinkles and scars, which were mixed together and could not be distinguished. His hands instinctively protected his lapels, as if he had something important in his arms.
"Don't be afraid, old man. Who are you and why are you worshipping my father?"
Qin Hanzhang asked in a gentle voice, but quietly blocked his way.
"You are the young marquis... Sanlang..." The man looked at Qin Hanzhang greedily, and it was obvious that he was looking at another person through him.
"Yes, I am Sanlang. Old man, you must be familiar with my father. Why do you avoid us Qin family members and worship alone?"
Qin Hanzhang naturally knew the answer in his mind, but he was worried that he had recognized the wrong person, so he asked tentatively.
The old man suddenly became alert: "No, I have never been familiar with the old marquis. I just heard that the young marquis was the third son, so I called him abruptly.
How could I have the honor to meet the young marquis? I was just... just hungry, so I came here to steal some of the offerings. Please spare me, young marquis! ”
The old man was about to kneel down as he spoke, but was supported by Qin Hanzhang.
"It's okay. If that's the case, you and my father have a connection and we both received offerings. Please follow me back to the Marquis of Wuning's mansion. I have something to ask the old man."
Qin Hanzhang spoke soothingly, reached out and held the old man's hand, leading him forward.
"I don't know what Young Marquis is asking. Young Marquis, please don't ask..."
Qin Hanzhang said no more. He let the old man lend him support and led him forward. At the same time, he untied his cloak, wrapped it around the old man, and used the hood to cover his head and face.
The long cloak dragged on the ground, wrapping the old man's hunched body.
Qin Hanzhang led the old man to another carriage and ordered people to take good care of him before returning to Su Qianqian's carriage and ordering them to catch up with the Qin family's team.
[Xiao Tong, is it possible to find out who this person is?] Were you in the Northern Frontier Army nine years ago? 】Su Qianqian asked the system at this time.
[Nine years ago... this man was indeed in the Northern Frontier. He was Feng Shuangyi, the personal attendant who served tea to the old marquis. However, he has now changed his name to Ma Furen...
What he experienced nine years ago was very confusing... The old marquis led his troops out of the camp at night, and he accompanied them to the camp gate.
On the way back, his fellow villager had a stomachache, so he stood guard at the lookout for him. His fellow villager slept in his tent. When he was changing shifts at dawn, he saw three people who had been chopped into pieces being carried out of their tent.
He realized something was wrong and hid himself quickly. He tried to find a way to escape from the military camp. His face was disfigured and he injured his leg while escaping, becoming disabled. He slowly begged and worked his way back to his hometown.
He didn't dare go back to his hometown to meet his parents, wife and children. With his disfigured appearance, he only worked nearby, occasionally sending some money to help others, always trying to hide himself. 】
The system dug out Feng Shuangyi's past bit by bit.
[When he was in the military camp nine years ago, before the old marquis led his troops into Mount Xumi, did he see or hear anything in the tent? 】
Su Qianqian asked, this is the most important thing.
The system was silent for a long time.
[Feng Shuangyi and two other close followers who served tea and food at that time changed shifts every two hours. Before setting out for the expedition to Mount Xumi, he had seen two people coming to deliver messages. One of them was Zhou Tang, and the other had his entire face covered.
But Zhou Tang asked the old marquis to dismiss his attendants, so Feng Shuangyi walked out of the tent. He just suddenly remembered that he hadn't taken the tea tray and wanted to go back to get it. He vaguely heard a few words in front of the tent...】
The system fell silent again after saying this.
What did you hear? 】Su Qianqian couldn't help but feel nervous.
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