That scoundrel is quite perceptive. Tao Wanniang doesn't know how Ling Yunzhou could suspect her, a weak woman, but she can say with a clear conscience!
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my business. General Ling, don’t forget to settle the bill.” Tao Wanniang said, then stepped forward.
"Aren't you going to ask about your grandson?" Ling Yunzhou asked, pulling Tao Wanniang aside.
“With people from your General’s Mansion taking care of him, why should I worry?” Tao Wanniang retorted. “Such a tiny child, isn’t anyone who feeds him his mother?”
Hearing Tao Wanniang's blunt and vulgar words, Ling Yunzhou had no choice but to let go of her hand.
"Wan Niang, Chen Bin is an official appointed by the imperial court. If you know anything about him, please tell me."
"The General thinks too highly of me. I spend all my time cooking in restaurants, what could I possibly know?" Tao Wanniang said, and walked away.
Tao Wan's mother, her eldest son and daughter-in-law, and Bai Yumei were all at the restaurant. Ling Yunzhou thought to himself, if he didn't go to the Tao family to investigate now, when would he? He still had his own people in the Tao family!
With this in mind, Ling Yunzhou simply paid the bill and left Zhaixing Tower.
Gao Cuiniang's days at the Tao family's house were quite leisurely. The two children were well-behaved, and the older one mostly played with the younger one. Xiao Qiao'er mostly learned various things from Chen Lian and didn't cause much trouble. Even the guards mostly spent their time sunbathing in the yard.
Ling Yunzhou knocked on the door, and Zhang Liang, seeing it was him, intentionally tried to stop him.
"The master is not here. If you wish to visit, Lord Ling, please return."
“I’ve been to the restaurant. Wan Niang and I need to avoid suspicion, but I can still see my grandchildren, right?” Ling Yunzhou said, so that even if Tao Wan Niang blamed him afterward, he would have a valid reason to do so.
"If you continue to obstruct me, I won't be polite!" Ling Yunzhou also had some prejudice against Zhang Liang. He was very suspicious of Tao Wanniang's intentions in having such a handsome man as a bodyguard.
"Also, Gao Cuiniang is from my General's Mansion, and Wanniang knows this too," Ling Yunzhou said deliberately.
Zhang Liang was taken aback. To remember a servant's name so clearly was indeed unlikely unless he knew him. In terms of martial prowess, he was no match for Ling Yunzhou, and in terms of social status, he should certainly avoid Ling Yunzhou.
After careful consideration, Zhang Liang stepped aside.
“Gao Cui’s mother is in the hospital with the two children. I’ll take the general there with me,” Zhang Liang said, closing the door behind him.
In the main courtyard, two children were playing with ants on the ground. Gao Cuiniang watched from the side. When she saw Ling Yunzhou, her expression tightened. When she saw Zhang Liang, she could only pretend not to know him.
“Gao Shi, I’ve come to see Rui’er and Xiao Feng,” Ling Yunzhou said. “Wan Niang already knows your identity.”
"General!" Gao Cuiniang was somewhat surprised, as the chief hadn't mentioned this matter!
Seeing this, Zhang Liang realized it was none of his business and withdrew, figuring it was best to stay away from the government officials.
Ling Yunzhou saw his grandchildren hiding behind Gao Cuiniang and patiently waved to them.
“General, Zhi’er and Xiao Feng are shy and rarely see you, so…” Gao Cui Niang explained, patiently introducing Ling Yunzhou’s identity to the two children.
"Gao, let me ask you, does the Tao family have any guards with decent martial arts skills?" Ling Yunzhou asked in a low voice.
Gao Cuiniang was taken aback. There were guards, but she didn't know how skilled they were.
"Besides Zhang Liang, who else could I possibly be?" Gao Cuiniang asked truthfully. "Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be a skilled martial artist."
"Besides that person, who else?" Ling Yunzhou surveyed the main courtyard, finally settling on the room where the hidden weapon had been fired that day. "Whose room is that?"
“It’s the chief’s room,” Gao Cuiniang replied after glancing at it.
Ling Yunzhou raised an eyebrow. Tao Wanniang's room—surely she wouldn't be hiding anyone there. His gaze fell on the door, and he felt an urge to go in and take a look.
“General, there’s nothing in the room.” Gao Cuiniang said truthfully, seeing Ling Yunzhou’s gaze. “I clean the room every day.”
So, was he overthinking things again? Ling Yunzhou had some doubts, but with Gao Cuiniang there, if she said there was no one else, then he must be overthinking things!
"Rui'er, Xiaofeng, and Zhi'er are at Grandpa's house. If you want to go, you can go and see them," Ling Yunzhou said to the two children.
Ling Rui, the magistrate, shook his head and said, "We're not going. We need to tell Grandma where we're going."
“Then your parents can take you,” Ling Yunzhou said patiently, bowing his head.
"Then we'll talk about it when Father and Mother get back," Ling Rui said after thinking for a moment.
"If anything unusual happens here, you need to report back to me immediately." Ling Yunzhou didn't say much to the two children.
Gao Cuiniang nodded, pledging her loyalty.
Ling Yunzhou had nothing else to do, so he turned and left. Gao Cuiniang, along with the two children, saw Ling Yunzhou off at the door.
"Gao Cuiniang, are you from the General's Mansion?" As soon as Ling Yunzhou left, Zhang Liang couldn't help but ask. Why would Tao Wanniang arrange for such a person to stay in the house? Wasn't she of unusual status?
“Yes, I’m from the General’s Mansion. These two children are General Ling’s grandchildren. I’m always worried about having outsiders take care of them,” Gao Cuiniang admitted.
Zhang Liang was speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth and mumbled, "Does Sister Tao know?"
"I just learned from the general that the chief knows my identity," Gao Cuiniang said truthfully. "I guess the chief doesn't see anything wrong with it!"
This is a big problem. Who would have an informant at home? Zhang Liang looked at Gao Cuiniang thoughtfully, then suddenly realized, could it be that she was watching him? Tao Wanniang and the others all left early and returned late, while Gao Cuiniang stayed home taking care of the two children. So, was she on guard against him?
Thinking about it this way, Zhang Liang became alert and recalled whether he had given himself away in the past.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room," Zhang Liang said after a moment's thought.
It was nothing serious, Gao Cuiniang nodded, and coaxed the two children back to the main courtyard. She didn't understand why Ling Yunzhou had come all this way.
The eldest princess of Chaotian Palace learned of Chen Bin's death from Liang Shangkun. When no one else was around, she angrily smashed everything in the room to the ground.
Looking at her own ferocious face in the mirror, the princess gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, "Chen Bin, how could you be so useless!"
"I only asked you to sever Tao Wanniang's tendons, and you actually died! Who killed you? Don't tell me it was Tao Wanniang. How could a country woman possibly kill you!"
The emperor's confidant, who was secretly keeping an eye on the princess, reported all of the princess's movements to Zhao Zhe.
"It's strange that the Princess really sent Chen Bin to harm Tao Wanniang. Why was Chen Bin the one who died in the end?" Zhao Zhe murmured. "Don't let anyone know about this. I'd like to see if any more amazing things will happen."
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