Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Don't Believe
"What happened between us old friends has nothing to do with Lord Lu. I am only discussing this with you."
On the waterfront street, Du Lingjing couldn't help but glance at Shao Boju upon hearing this.
Shao Boju turned around and looked into the water. The sun had not risen yet. The faint sunlight was like a veil spread on the water, drifting quietly with the waves, adding a sense of melancholy to people's eyes.
Du Lingjing heard Shao Boju say, "I don't want to make things worse. What good can it do for me, Hu Tinglan, or anyone else? It will only make people see us killing each other and take the opportunity to drag us all into it."
He didn't say what it was.
She looked towards Shao Boju and saw that Shao Boju withdrew his gaze from the sparkling water and cast it on her.
"I know you are also looking for someone, Jingniang, and your new husband, Marquis Lu, must be looking for someone as well. If you can contact him..."
Shao Boju paused here.
Du Lingjing knew that he was talking about Hu Tinglan, the eldest brother of the Hu family.
She heard from Hu Tingjun, the younger sister of the Hu family, that the Shao family was a large and powerful family, but could not accommodate the children of the third and fourth branches. The grudges from their fathers and grandfathers continued to Shao Boju's generation.
His father, a son born out of wedlock, was suppressed by the two eldest sons because of rumors that their aunt had angered their mother to death in a fight for favor. He could not hold his head up in the clan, had no one to help him, and lived a hard life. When Shao Boju was young, he could not even enter the clan school. His father did not dare to say much in the clan, and only paid money to bribe the clan school teacher so that he could listen to a few words from the window.
While other young men of the clan were studying around the fire in the school during the winter, he stood in the snow outside the door with cracked hands and feet, writing down the teacher's homework stroke by stroke with trembling hands, and waiting for the teacher to come out for some fresh air before letting him take a look.
The more this happened, the harder Shao Boju worked to study, determined to make a name for himself.
Later, Dou Ge Lao's staff, seeing that his aunt served the emperor who was then the King of Yin, and also seeing that he was truly talented, introduced him to the Jingji Academy to study.
When the Shao family heard that he had received such help, they were filled with contempt. His father was increasingly oppressed in the family, and when he came to Beijing to study, he couldn't even afford to buy new clothes.
That year, his classmate Hu Tinglan lent him his clothes and asked his sister Hu Tingjun to sew two sets of thick winter clothes for him, which helped him through the entire cold winter.
Shao Boju had nothing to repay. In the spring of the following year, the Hu brothers and sisters had an emergency at home, so they hurried back to Cangzhou. Unexpectedly, they were captured and held hostage by bandits on the way. They killed one bandit every day and fought against the government.
Du Lingjing listened to Hu Tingjun talking about this, her voice still trembled with lingering fear. But that time, it was Shao Boju who heard about it and somehow got into the bandit's den. When he came over covered in blood, she couldn't recognize him. It was her eldest brother who recognized him at a glance, "Boju?"
Shao Boju's eyes lit up at that moment. He didn't care about the blood all over his body. He cut the rope that was connecting the brother and sister, carried his sister Hu Tingjun who was unable to stand on his back, grabbed Hu Tinglan's hand, and ran down the mountain.
That night he said, "I have finally returned a favor to you and your sister."
They formed a life-long friendship. When Tingjun got married, Shao Boju gave her more dowry than her brother Hu Tinglan, which made Hu Tinglan shake his head for a whole day. Shao Boju dragged him to get drunk... ...
Old memories are like the morning light on the water. It is beautiful, but when the wind and waves come, only fragments are left.
Shao Boju paused and continued.
"If you can get in touch with him, give him a message for me."
He spoke in a low voice, "The situation between him and me shouldn't have come to this. As long as he is willing to come out and see me, we can be honest and talk about it, and work together to find a way to smooth things over. It's better than letting others take advantage of the relationship between us old friends. As for the others, I won't touch them again. Can't he trust me again?"
When Du Lingjing heard him say this, her emotions seemed to fluctuate a little. She took a deep breath and slowly calmed down.
Du Lingjing didn't respond for a while, and Shao Boju called her.
"Jingniang also wants to resolve it as soon as possible. If you can get in touch with him, please help me pass on the message to him."
He firmly believed that she could meet the Hu brothers and sisters and other missing people.
Du Ling was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."
"Besides this matter, is there anything else that Brother Shao wants to tell me?"
Shao Boju asked her to convey a message, and his implicit and implicit words were to ask the eldest brother of the Hu family to trust him again, but he kept silent about what had caused the current situation.
Du Lingjing remembered that she had tried the Shaw brothers before. As soon as she mentioned that there might be things left behind by the Hu brothers and sisters on the west side of Jishuitan, they went to search for it impatiently.
Therefore, the evidence of the Shaw brothers' guilt fell into the hands of the Hu brothers and sisters and others. They were eager to snatch the evidence, but the Hu brothers and sisters and others took the evidence and hid.
Shaw couldn't find the person, and was even more afraid that the evidence would get out and become known to everyone, so he anxiously wanted her to pass on the message, intending to negotiate peace based on their old friendship!
But he refused to mention what evidence of his crime was in their hands.
She asked, and saw that Shao Boju still didn't say anything. Instead, he mentioned something else and chuckled.
"I came here in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare a wedding gift for you, Jingniang."
Du Lingjing had no intention of dealing with him, but his eyes swept across the carriage and attendants of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion and changed the subject.
"I really couldn't have expected that Jingniang would marry into the Yongding Marquis's mansion. But Marquis Lu is definitely not an ordinary person."
She heard his tone soften and the meaning of his words became more complicated.
"Lu Shenru is the same age as us, but he already controls the entire Yongding Army. He has countless cronies and holds great power. He is a real powerful and influential person, and his scheming is unfathomable. Whether you are his enemy, friend, or bedmate, you should think twice."
Du Lingjing frowned slightly and heard him slow down his voice.
"What Lu Shenru wants may be difficult for others to give. Jingniang, don't believe it easily."
After saying this, Shao Boju said nothing more. He watched Chong'an ask someone to transfer another group of guards from the side, and said to Du Lingjing, "Lord Lu really cares about you and guards you so strictly."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left.
Du Lingjing was still standing by the water, but Shao Wuxing quickly walked to Shao Boju's side and asked in a low voice.
"Brother, those people are stubborn and unrepentant. Will it really work if she brings a message? Will it make them hand over the evidence and the people?"
But before he could finish his words, Shao Boju glared at him.
"You are not allowed to kill them all, especially the Hu brothers and sisters. Don't touch them!"
Shao Wuxing immediately restrained his expression, lowered his head and responded, "I understand." He remembered what Shao Boju had just said about Lu Shenru in front of Du Lingjing.
"...Will Madam Lu believe it?"
Shao Boju said he didn't know.
"But she only cares about her ancestors in her heart, and Lu Shenru's arranged marriage is a little strange. It's hard to say whether she can trust him. But if we plant a seed in her heart that Lu Shenru is not trustworthy, we may still have a chance."
When Shao Boju said this, he looked up and saw Lord Lu coming from the gate of the imperial city.
The man was sitting on a tall horse. The moment their eyes met, Shao Boju raised his eyebrows, hummed softly, and said to Shao Wuxing.
"Every word I said to Jingniang just now was true, wasn't it?"
... ...
When passing by Shao Boju, Shao Boju smiled at him politely and Lu Shenru pursed his lips.
As soon as he came down from court, he heard that this man had stopped his wife's carriage, but she actually listened to Shao Boju's nonsense.
Chong'an dispersed all the idlers on the street. She did not return to the carriage, but stood alone by the water, the wind on the water floating her skirt.
The man walked forward and untied his cloak. He thought that Shao Boju would not be able to say anything good about him. Yesterday she was suspicious of him because of the Liaohuatang, so she would not say much to him today.
He walked up behind her and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders.
"It's cold and windy, what's blowing here?"
He said this, and Du Lingjing heard the unhappiness in his words, and turned around to look at him.
He was still wearing a crimson court robe embroidered with a kirin, a black gauze hat, a jade belt around his waist, and black boots. He was the most noble of officials.
Just standing there at the side of the street, its tall figure made the entire street look dark and colorless.
He didn't look at her, but just tightened the cloak around her and wrapped her completely in his cloak.
"You'll catch a cold if you get blown by the wind for no reason. Go home."
There was a hint of displeasure between the handsome eyebrows and dark eyes
So he guessed Shao Boju and didn't say anything good about him?
Du Lingjing didn't follow his words and stopped there.
The man couldn't help but laugh when he saw this.
She promised yesterday not to doubt him anymore...
She wouldn't believe what he said to her, but her promise to him was also unreliable.
The man paused, waiting to see what she was going to do, not wanting her to speak softly.
"My Lord, are you free? I have something to tell you."
She held out her hand and invited him to walk down the street.
Lu Shenru was stunned. She looked up at him. He could only follow her to the busy street. He heard her whispering to him word for word what Shao Boju had just said to her as she walked.
The man was surprised. She said everything she wanted to say, and only paused at the end and looked at him.
"Of course Shao Boju didn't say anything good about the Marquis."
She told him the whole truth, which Lu Shenru really didn't expect. For a moment, he wanted to ask that guy how he had ruined his reputation in front of his wife, but when the words came to his lips, he felt that it was useless to ask more questions, so he changed his mind.
"He wants to create a rift between you and me."
Du Lingjing actually felt aggrieved by these words.
But she didn't answer him.
It is true that the marquis beside her is difficult to understand, and he is indeed very cunning, but when it comes to the disappearance of many people, for now, he is more trustworthy than Shao Boju.
If Shao Boju could be trusted, the Hu brothers and sisters would not have reached this point.
They must have secrets and evidence that Shaw Brothers wanted to cover up, which is why the two sides turned against each other.
The Shaw brothers were unable to gain their trust. On the contrary, although Lord Lu might have other plans, the most important thing was to use his power to find talents as soon as possible, as time had already dragged on for too long.
She looked at Lu Shenru, "What does the Marquis think?"
The two walked along the street.
The man hesitated for a moment.
"Shao Boju knew that you and I were already husband and wife, yet he still entrusted me to you. Maybe he had other plans, but I think he was desperate."
This was what Du Lingjing thought, so she nodded.
Lu Shenru continued, "But since he thinks that you may be able to contact Hu Tinglan and the others and pass on the message, you are the only one who can be trusted among the missing people, so you must have a special connection with them."
He got to the point right away.
Originally, Du Lingjing wanted to go to the old house in Chengqingfang today to look through her father's handwritten letters from old years, but Shao Boju stopped her and said something, so she felt that she didn't need to verify it.
"These people should be my father's former allies and followers. The court even gave them names."
Lu Shenru said it out.
"Fuck the party?"
Du Lingjing said yes slowly.
Xunzi said, "Follow the Way, not the ruler." The so-called disobedient ministers can resist the ruler's orders, steal the ruler's important tasks, and do things against the ruler, so as to save the country from danger and eliminate the ruler's humiliation. Their achievements are enough to achieve the great benefit of the country.
In short, it means being willing to sacrifice one's king for the sake of the country.
Her father had always been a follower of Xunzi's school, believing that the way to be a minister was to serve the country and the people, and that the words and actions of the monarch could not eliminate human desires and might not always be true, so there was no need to listen to them.
It is conceivable that such political thinking in the court is only a fine line away from contempt for imperial power and treason.
However, in his later years, the late emperor felt that the country was in trouble, and for these reasons, he recommended her father to the cabinet to implement new policies.
At that time, people who had shared the same political views as her father for many years all stood up to assist Lord Du in promoting his new policies.
They were upright and impartial. When the new policy was first implemented, some people in the court called them "Fu Chen". This name was somewhat alarmist, saying that they were people who threatened the monarch. But the late emperor did not take it seriously.
However, the previous emperor died soon after, and the current emperor had no preference for the new policy after he ascended the throne. Instead, the new policy came to a standstill because her grandfather passed away and her father returned to his hometown to observe mourning. Later, her father returned to Beijing to resume his post, but died in a mountain flood. The new policy collapsed completely like a broken dam.
After the collapse of the New Deal, these former officials completely dispersed.
Because they assisted their father in implementing the new policies, they inevitably offended many people in the court. After their father left, they were no longer able to unite as one. Over the course of several years, some were demoted, some resigned, and some were even slandered and exiled, never to return from their distant hometowns.
After their father passed away, they still kept in touch with Sanlang through letters. Sanlang was in poor health, but he still managed to stay in the court to help. However, Sanlang also passed away, and only Hu Tinglan could still find a place for those officials who wanted to save the country but failed and were scattered.
This year is the tenth year of Yin You. Her father has been dead for six years and there is no one to protect him. These people have long since stopped appearing in the court and only want to return to their hometown to teach and make a living.
It must be that they accidentally got hold of Shaw's secrets that could not be seen by others.
The Shaw family wanted to take away the evidence, which forced them to hide.
Du Lingjing felt a little disappointed.
If her father had not died, or Sanlang was still alive, or if her uncle was capable, would those who followed their father so faithfully in the past not have ended up in this situation?
Or, is she strong enough to protect them?
But right now, there are none.
The hurried pedestrians on the street would occasionally rub the corners of her clothes.
Lu Shenru glanced at her and said, "Since you know what's going on, let's investigate all the members of the Fu Party as soon as possible. It will be easy to find more people or figure out what happened."
With the manpower he has, once there is more information, it will be quick to find someone.
Du Lingjing agreed, but she turned and looked at him.
"It's just that we've been delayed for too long. Instead of us looking for them little by little, why not let them come to me?"
This made the man raise his eyebrows slightly, "What does Quanquan mean?"
Du Ling said quietly.
"I want to spread the news that I want to build another library in the capital and collect books from all over northern Zhili, whether it's ancient editions or official collections, I want them all."
If this news gets out, if the people in the Fu Party trust her and want to find her, they just need to put a note in the book or make a mark, and Du Lingjing will be able to find her!
Outside, Shaw's people were hunting them down everywhere, trying to seize evidence or even kill them to silence them. This made them very cautious and unable to show up. Even when the court and the literati sent people to look for them, they did not dare to believe it easily.
Her method of guiding them to pass on the message is the safest.
When she said this, Lu Shenru couldn't help but look over in surprise.
It had only been a few quarters of an hour since Shao Boju stopped her from speaking, but she had already figured out the key and found a way to crack it.
The man couldn't help but look up and sigh.
Her method is really wonderful.
He asked her, "So what do you want me to do for you?"
It's very simple.
Du Lingjing had very limited staff, and it was difficult for her to spread the news of collecting books quickly.
"Please assign me some manpower, sir."
As long as she has enough manpower, she will soon have news about Fu Chen and his men.
Lu Shenru laughed, "Then I will also offer a plan for you, my lady."
Du Lingjing looked over and heard him say.
"Manpower is easy to say, but as for the spread of news, there is actually a quickest way."
"Speak, sir."
Her words were a little too polite, and Lu Shenru didn't like to hear it, but he still got to the point.
"My lady, have you forgotten the betrothal gift I gave you? If you want to open a building to collect books, why not open this building?"
He spent six years building this building, which was comparable to the Wenlan Pavilion in the imperial palace. Everyone in northern Zhili and even in half of the north knew about it, but it had always been empty.
Today, as long as Madam Lu Hou gives this building a name and opens it to store books, the news will spread quickly like wildfire.
They don't even need manpower from the Yongding Marquis's Mansion, there will naturally be people working hard for them.
The man's eyes fell on hers with a smile.
Du Lingjing lowered her eyes.
She actually thought about this matter.
However, the cost of building this building by Lu was so huge that it could not be compared with the three or five other buildings she had built.
Although he gave her the key as a betrothal gift, Du Lingjing did not think that it was her private property.
What's more, she didn't know why he had gone to so much trouble to build this building in the first place.
After all, it is not for her to collect books.
She said, "That would be too grand, and I don't have enough money."
She had just separated from her family, so it was good enough that she could afford to collect the books this time.
But the man stopped and stood half way in front of her.
"Don't I have money, too?"
"... ..."
Du Lingjing didn't say anything.
The man said, "Oh," "So you don't want it."
It's too valuable. Once the building is opened, I'm afraid he will be more deeply involved.
She will take things one step at a time with him from now on, it is not good to get too deeply involved...
She didn't look him in the eye, and only said, "Let's see how effective the news is first. What do you think, Lord?"
The man doesn't speak.
Du Lingjing had no choice but to stop talking.
The two of them walked along the way and arrived near Longfu Temple without knowing when. When they smelled the sweet aroma of liaohuatang, Du Lingjing couldn't help but look over. She saw that the shop was open and there was a group of people lined up at the door, rubbing their hands and waiting for the hot snacks to come out of the pot.
As soon as she looked over, she heard the man next to her speak.
"Madam, do you want to eat?"
He said, "It's a pity that I can't buy it for my wife, lest I have bad intentions and be suspected."
"... ..."
Why do you still remember what happened last night?
Du Lingjing pursed her lips, felt around her waist and felt like she had some money, so she walked over.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she took a step, she was stopped by him.
"Are you really going? Aren't you afraid of being squeezed by the crowd?"
Du Lingjing couldn't help but look up at him.
So should I go or not?
The man looked at her pair of clear eyes, looking at him quietly, and his heart softened.
He spoke, but she also spoke at this time.
"Ask Chong'an to go."
"Let Acorus run the errands."
They both said it at the same time, paused, and looked at each other.
Their eyes met without warning at this moment. Du Lingjing's heart skipped a beat and she quickly looked away.
The man did not move, but only looked at his wife.
But the most confused one was Chong'an, he couldn't help scratching his head.
Is it him who goes or Chang Pu?
But Acorus did not have such doubts. He jumped out and called the Marquis and Madam first, "I will go."
Chong'an secretly thought, "Okay, queuing up to buy candy, after all, he is the Marquis's personal guard, so he just buys candy..."
He looked at Acorus with admiration, but Acorus giggled and stretched out her hand to him.
"Guard An, give me the money. I'll go buy the Liaohua candy. If you also give me some money for running errands, then the job will be complete, right?"
Chong'an was about to take out the money when he heard it, but he realized something was wrong halfway through.
It is only natural for the Marquis to pay for the snacks for his wife, but why should he also pay for the errand boy?
"... Why should I pay you for running errands?"
"I'll run the errands and you'll pay, isn't that just right?"
"this... ..."
It seems to be fine, but also something seems to be wrong?
The other attendants on the side all suppressed their laughter.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but smile and glanced at Changpu, "Stop messing around, go now."
Changpu said "Yes, sir", turned around and said to Chong'an, "Take your time to think about it, I will buy it on credit for you first, there is no rush."
As soon as the words fell, everyone couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Du Lingjing somehow glanced at the marquis quietly.
The man pinched his brows with amusement and helplessness.
Lu Shenru thought to himself, how come Chongping, who is so capable, has such a younger brother?
He was vaguely aware of being stared at from the side, but when he looked again he didn't see it.
He only saw that the person guarding her side was his attendant, she was wearing his cloak, and she was standing right in front of him.
Compared to before, it feels like a dream.
No rush.
*
Originally, Manager Zhao came to Beijing to ask his employer to build another bookstore in the capital. Now Du Lingjing really changed his mind and wanted to collect books and build a bookstore. Manager Zhao was very happy.
As for the fact that this building is not the tall and majestic building of the marquis outside the city, there is no need to rush.
The news that Du Lingjing wanted to collect books spread rapidly.
She counted the days silently. The news had spread successfully. If the person was still in Beizhili, then she should receive a reply within seven or eight days.
However, after seven or eight days, she asked Qiulin and others to carefully read every book they collected, but found no response.
Du Ling sat quietly at his desk, thinking.
During the years she spent in the capital, she and Hu Tingjun did not always have time to meet.
But both of them would hang out in the bookstores near the Imperial College from time to time.
The books they read were different from those of the students in the Imperial College. Du Lingjing didn't notice this at first, until one day, she suddenly saw a note in one of the books in the bookstore.
These are Tingjun's handwriting. She wrote down the wonderful parts she read and inserted them here.
She secretly read the book and wrote notes about the interesting things she read and put them in the book.
When she went to look at it again after a few days, there were already five or six notes from Tingjun stuck in the book, and he urged her on the back of her note, "Read it quickly, or I'll change the book."
During those years, they secretly put a lot of papers in the books. Later, Tingjun carefully collected the pages, and occasionally they would mention this in their letters.
Du Ling sat quietly at the desk.
It might be possible that others could not understand what she meant at the moment, but Tingjun would not. She would definitely understand it immediately.
Why can’t I see him?
Is it that the news hasn't arrived yet?
Two days later, Du Lingjing couldn't help feeling a little anxious.
Just at this time, Zhan Ming brought her news from Baoding Academy.
Ruan Gong whispered.
"Sixth Master has disappeared in Baoding. Someone went to the place where Sixth Master had been and found a bloodstain on the ground."
Du Lingjing took a breath.
Ruan Gong said that it should be nothing serious. "There is not much blood. The Sixth Master has been studying abroad for many years and still has some skills. He should just be hiding."
Hiding, is he hiding together with Fu Chen and others?
Du Ling remained silent, but unexpectedly Changpu also ran in.
He said that news had also come from the hometown of the Hu brothers and sisters in Cangzhou.
"Mrs. Hu and her husband are both missing, leaving their daughter alone in the care of her aunt. But two days ago, someone broke into the mansion in the middle of the night and tried to snatch the girl away, and even scratched her arm."
Du Lingjing stood up suddenly.
Liu Lang, kid... Is Shao anxious?
But she hasn't received any news yet.
The atmosphere in the room was depressing, no one dared to speak, and even the wind stopped blowing through the crack of the door.
But the guard Chongping suddenly came in person.
He bowed to Du Lingjing, then stood up and spoke.
"Madam, the Marquis asks you to go outside the city."
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