Chapter 73 How could my sister be dead?
The capital city.
As soon as Zhou Congxian returned to the mansion, Xiao Gutou came to greet him at the gate.
It now lives with him.
Little Bone would wait for him at the door every afternoon.
He looked at the little dog wagging its tail and circling around him, and gave a wry smile.
“You wait for me, so why can’t she wait for me for two more days?”
Little Bone didn't answer, but it seemed to understand what he was saying. After circling around his feet twice, it snuggled up and lay down beside him, whimpering several times.
It seems to be saying, "Why didn't you bring it with you?"
He greeted his mother, "Young Master, the Madam requests your presence."
When Madam Gao saw Madam Xiang coming to intercept them, she immediately said, "Madam, please invite the young master."
Zhou Congxian knew what the two wanted to do, so he led Xiao Gutou toward the courtyard.
"I'm very busy right now and don't have time to deal with them."
“Hey…” Gao’s mother wanted to chase after her, but Xiang’s mother stopped her.
“Gao Mama, the young master said he’s still busy, what are you doing?”
Madam Gao glanced at Madam Xiang, said nothing, and turned back to the old lady's courtyard.
This is really no one else's fault.
Madam Zhou brought Song Jiyun to the Duke of England's mansion and even tried to get Zhou Congxian to accept Song Jiyun.
This time, not only was Lady Zhao angry, but even the Duke of Ying was furious.
The Song family is now in a quagmire; no matter what kind of young lady her son is not good enough for.
Do we still need to think about Song Jiyun?
Seeing that her son and daughter-in-law couldn't persuade her, Old Madam Zhou bypassed them and went directly to her grandson.
She had even lowered her expectations, only asking that Zhou Congxian accept Song Jiyun, and no longer coveting the position of his principal wife.
Zhao was so angry she almost vomited blood. The old woman wanted to help the Song family, and was even willing to sacrifice her own grandson.
So she hurriedly arranged for her son to be introduced to potential partners.
We never expected that our son would now be hiding from the whole family and refusing to see anyone.
Zhou Congxian moved his residence to the small courtyard.
He didn't touch Jiang Shiyao's original embroidery room, but added a desk inside, placing it next to the embroidery frame under the window.
It seems that if you look up, you can see Fu'er playing happily with Little Bone in the yard.
And there's Jiang Shiyao, with a gentle smile on her face.
He also had the dead pear tree in the corner of the courtyard removed and a new pear tree planted instead.
Ji Xiaoman placed the wooden box she had brought back on the desk.
Wei Xun went to the Shadow Guard and could no longer follow Zhou Congxian's side as usual.
He transferred Ji Xiaoman from Yanwei Camp to his side.
Ji Xiaoman has good potential. If she learns kung fu from Wan Quan, she can take Wei Xun's place and stand on her own in the future.
This was Ji Xiaoman's first time entering the Duke's mansion.
"My lord, where is Sister Jiang?"
Ji Xiaoman is young and has always been in the Yanwei Camp. Wei Xun has not yet assigned him any tasks.
Therefore, he was unaware of the rumors circulating during this period.
Zhou Congxian paused as he opened the box. "She went back to her hometown."
Ji Xiaoman said "Oh," then scratched her head, "My two little brothers also want to thank Sister Jiang."
"If it weren't for Sister Jiang asking them to help watch the warehouse and get them on the right track, they might still be begging and stealing now."
Zhou Congxian already knew about Jiang Shiyao's secret grain resale.
He pursed his lips slightly; she could trust even servants and outsiders.
But they just don't trust him.
"Wait until she comes back before you thank her."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and continued to ask.
Does Sister Jiang often ask you for help?
Ji Xiaoman thought the prince was dissatisfied, so she quickly waved her hand, "No, no, my sister has helped me a lot, I still haven't done enough!"
Zhou Congxian said, "I didn't mean to blame you, I was just asking."
Ji Xiaoman was relieved. "Not many times."
"Another time, Sister Jiang said that she was afraid of being cheated as a woman, so she asked me to help her put the pearls on consignment at Yubaolou."
"Consigning pearls?" Zhou Congxian frowned slightly.
Ji Xiaoman thought for a moment, "Before the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet."
Zhou Congxian paused for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. Go to the martial arts arena and find Wan Quan."
"yes."
After Ji Xiaoman left, Zhou Congxian looked at the embroidery frame next to him and slowly sat down.
After a long while, he murmured, "To earn travel expenses, they can do such a risky thing."
"Why do you have to leave..."
Zhou Congxian looked at the empty courtyard.
Only now has he realized his own heart; Jiang Shiyao is in his heart.
I felt it from the first moment I saw her.
He was the eldest son on whom everyone placed their hopes, and he pledged at his grandfather's sickbed that he would uphold the future of the British Duke's family.
But my father always said that he wasn't doing well enough.
Only Jiang Shiyao, who was meeting him for the first time and did not know his identity, immediately noticed the weariness in his eyes.
The young man found a sense of peace in a little girl.
The second time they met was the following year; he spotted her from afar.
She seemed to recognize him too, and she was the only one who would turn away and avoid him whenever she saw him.
Jiang Shiyao was noticed by her cousin at that banquet.
My cousin jokingly asked for a maid, and I jokingly refused.
That evening, Jiang Shiyao came to deliver clothes, just as her cousin came looking for her to drink. She was targeted by her cousin again and drugged.
He noticed this and took Jiang Shiyao away, but he underestimated the potency of the drug.
After Jiang Shiyao became pregnant, he took it upon himself to make her a concubine and gave her a separate residence.
She became his only concubine.
He believed from the bottom of his heart that if someone had to enter the room, she would be better than anyone else.
Therefore, he defied public opinion and took a concubine instead of marrying a wife.
This was the first time he had rebelled, and he had no regrets even if he was punished.
Perhaps it was because her presence by his side was too easy that he took it for granted.
When their plans conflicted, he instinctively made her step aside.
He forgot that she wasn't an object; she had legs and thoughts.
She won't stay where she is and wait for him.
Zhou Congxian's gaze fell on the pear blossom on the embroidery frame.
He still lost her in the end...
"Your Highness."
Zhou Congxian looked up and saw Wei Xun returning, looking travel-worn.
He also had a bulging bundle on his back.
The burden was too conspicuous, so no one would know that it contained important evidence of a crime.
Wei Xun didn't even bother to drink a sip of water before heading straight to the embroidery room to unload his luggage.
"These are all Tang Qifeng's secret letters, including correspondence with Grand Secretary Chen in the capital."
Zhou Congxian looked up and saw the injury on his arm.
"Were you attacked?"
Wei Xun frowned. "I encountered a group of people on the road. I don't know who sent them."
"In order to delay them, the other Shadow Guards split up with their subordinates into two groups. The subordinates took a detour through Yingzhou, which delayed them by a day."
Zhou Congxian said, "You've worked hard. After the other brothers return to Beijing, I will recommend you for commendation."
He flipped through the letters. "These letters have all been screened."
Wei Xun explained the suspicious points about his nighttime intrusion into the inn.
He paused for a moment and then added, "Although Prince Cheng's departure from the capital this time seemed rushed, he had actually made thorough preparations long ago."
"The accompanying personnel have all been replaced by Cheng Wang's own men."
"These secret letters are what King Cheng only wanted us to know."
Zhou Congxian pondered, "Prince Cheng is a man of deep thoughts; no one knows how many cards he still holds."
"His Majesty's decision to send Prince Cheng to his fiefdom is neither the right nor the wrong one."
Wei Xun: "There's one more thing."
Zhou Congxian: "What is it?"
Wei Xun paused for a moment, unsure if he was overthinking things.
“In Ningzhou, King Cheng gained a new wife, Lady Yao, and a son.”
"Does King Cheng have a son?"
Your Majesty has never had any children, and King Cheng has never married or taken concubines, nor have we heard of any children.
If this is true, then King Cheng has been hiding his true identity far too well!
"Has that lady been thoroughly investigated?"
Wei Xun shook his head, "I only found out from the guesthouse that the lady's surname is Yao, and she seems to be from Yuzhou."
Yao...
Zhou Congxian's heart skipped a beat for some reason.
He then smiled at his own idea.
Turning his head, he continued, "Since there's a son, there won't be no trace left. Continue the investigation."
"There is another matter. There are counterfeit travel documents and permits in the capital. Investigate all the counterfeit travel records."
"yes."
Zhou Congxian looked at the secret letters and then took them out of the mansion.
Now, the only way he can keep himself busy is to make that empty space feel less empty.
Zhou Congxian's carriage had just left.
Shortly after, a young man dressed in a cloth shirt, looking travel-worn, appeared at the gate of the Duke of England's mansion.
"Young man, I'm looking for my sister..."
Before he could finish speaking, a servant chased him down the steps.
"Go away, go away! Don't you even know where you are? Is this the place you're looking for your sister?!"
Jiang Xingyao nearly fell down the steps. "My sister works as a maid in the manor, why can't I look for her?!"
The servant was getting impatient. "What's your sister's name?"
"Jiang Shiyao".
"What are you calling me?!" The servant looked at him strangely.
Jiang Xingyao frowned. "My sister's name is Jiang Shiyao. Call your manager here. I need to redeem my sister from her servitude."
The servant was momentarily unsure whether to say that Jiang Shiyao was not a maid but the prince's concubine, or that Lady Jiang was already dead.
Although the crown prince doesn't acknowledge it...
The manager came out and asked, "What's going on? What are you all doing gathered at the door?"
The servant hesitated before saying, "He is Lady Jiang's brother. He said he is looking for Lady Jiang and wants to redeem her from her servitude..."
The steward glanced at Jiang Xingyao and said, "Go and ask the Crown Prince."
The servant hesitated, "The young master has just left the manor."
The manager hesitated for a moment, then walked up the steps.
"Young man, is the person you are looking for from Chuzhou?"
Seeing that he was the steward and more polite than the servant, Jiang Xingyao said slowly, "My sister has been in the manor for more than nine years. She is from Chuzhou and her name is Jiang Shiyao."
The steward breathed a sigh of relief. "There is indeed a woman named Jiang Shiyao in the Duke of Ying's mansion, but she is the heir's concubine."
"Concubine, concubine?"
Before Jiang Xingyao could recover from the shock, the steward dropped another bombshell.
"Moreover, Madam Jiang passed away half a month ago."
Jiang Xingyao's face turned deathly pale instantly. "You...you must have made a mistake!"
"My sister was just a maid. She worked in the laundry room, but later she was noticed by the matrons in the mansion and went to work in the embroidery room!"
"In such a large mansion, it's not uncommon for people to have the same name. Look carefully at the roster and find her for me. She's a maid!"
The steward shook his head. "If you're not mistaken, then I'm not mistaken either."
"The maids in the manor are given new names when they enter, only the masters are called by their original names."
"Madam Jiang is dead."
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