Chapter 7 Yao Er 7 Zheng and the Third Young Master
The person who quarreled with Sumei was none other than County Magistrate Zhao's mysterious concubine, Zheng.
It was an argument, but in reality, Sumei was just pointing at Zheng, her face flushed and her voice furious. Zheng, holding the boy's hand, stood quietly before her, her face calm, unaffected by Sumei's emotions.
One of them was still and the other was moving, and there seemed to be an invisible barrier in front of them, separating them into two worlds.
After Su Mei finished speaking and her emotions calmed down a bit, Zheng slowly spoke.
"Why would I kill her?" Her voice was calm, neither smiling nor angry. "I have no interest in the position of the master's principal wife. That position is more suitable for the mistress and should be hers. Why should I fight for it?"
"Of course it's to let your son inherit all the master's property!"
Zheng chuckled softly, as if she had just heard a huge joke. A mocking expression appeared on her face, and every word she said was heartbreaking: "You are such a lowly servant, so shallow-minded. The Zhao family's meager fortune is not worth killing for. Do you think everyone is like you, staring at these little things all day, afraid that they will be stolen?"
Zheng was very eloquent and Sumei couldn't argue with her, so she could only point at her, her lips trembling, gasping for breath, unable to utter a word.
Zheng snorted coldly and continued, "Don't think that no one knows what you've done. You instigated your daughter to seduce the young master, hoping to leverage the little friendship you had with the mistress so that your daughter could marry into the mansion, into what you thought was a 'high-ranking family'. You call me a murderer, but I think you're more of a murder suspect! The mistress knew about the dirty business between your daughter and the young master, so she naturally wouldn't allow it. She tried every possible means to separate them, but didn't that mess up your plan? You were so angry that you simply killed the mistress. Am I right?"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Sumei could no longer contain herself and rushed forward to engage Zheng in a fight. Zheng was no match for Sumei's brute strength, so she could only scream. Nearby servants, hearing the commotion, dropped their work and trotted over to break up the fight. As they tried to mediate, their anger was spurred on by the violence, some siding with Zheng, others with their former friend Sumei. The whole situation became entangled.
For a moment, the small courtyard was in chaos.
Xun Shu took a few steps closer, shouting at them to stop with all her might, but her voice was already weak, barely audible amid the commotion. Without hesitation, she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to step forward to help the servants separate the two men fighting when a sudden, earth-shaking, sky-shattering bang rang out beside her, drawing the attention of everyone in the courtyard and leaving them frozen in place, oblivious to their movements.
Xun Shu looked in the direction of the sound and found that an incense burner as tall as a person in the yard had been pushed to the ground, with incense ashes scattered all over the ground and dust filling the air.
He Xuan stood beside the tripod-shaped incense burner, patting the incense ash on his hands. Under the piercing gazes of the crowd, he looked innocent and said, "I accidentally knocked it over. Sorry, sorry."
That incense burner had stood in the courtyard for countless springs, summers, and autumns. Its weight was heavier than a person, so how could it be so easily knocked over? Everyone's expressions varied, but no one expressed doubt or accusation. The loud noise finally brought them to their senses, realizing this was the madam's funeral hall, not a fighting arena.
Xun Shu glanced at He Xuan and saw that he looked relaxed. Aside from some redness on his fingers and a small cut on his palm, he seemed fine. She felt relieved. She glanced at the crowd, observing their various expressions: frustration, panic, excitement to join in the fun, and sadness over Madam Zhao's death.
What a big show.
Zheng was still standing straight, her clothes were a little messy from being pulled, and her hair was no longer in order, but her eyes were still calm, without any fluctuation, as if the person who had just mocked Sumei and fought with Sumei was not her.
Xun Shu's gaze continued to slide to the side and fell on Su Mei.
Su Mei's expression was very strange, her brows were tightly furrowed, her eyes were drooping, as if she was avoiding something, not daring to look at He Xuan or Xun Shu.
The mourning hall, clamoring at its peak, instantly fell silent, the atmosphere frozen like the cold frost of December. For a moment, everyone was unsure whether to leave or stay. Finally, a servant turned away first, like a clever switch, resetting the silence of all things.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and Su Mei was among them. Before leaving, she glanced in the direction of Xun Shu. After looking at her briefly, her eyes quickly shifted away, and she walked away hurriedly without lingering any longer.
She seemed to be hiding something, avoiding something.
After a while, only Zheng and the little boy beside her were left in the yard.
He Xuan was afraid that Xun Shu might say something shocking, so he took a half step forward and spoke first, politely and humbly: "Madam Zheng, may I have a moment with you?"
Zheng was very pleased with his attitude. She nodded slightly, took the boy's hand, and said softly, "My yard is nearby. The scenery is nice. If you two don't mind, you can come and sit with me."
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There are three roads in Zhao's house: east, middle and west. On the south side of the west road is Mrs. Zhao's yard, and on the north side is the yard of the second daughter of the Zhao family; the three yards in the middle road, from south to north, are the yard for entertaining guests, the study of County Magistrate Zhao, and the yard of the eldest son of the Zhao family; the east road also has three yards, and Zheng's yard is on the northernmost side, close to the garden on the north.
Zheng led the two of them toward the courtyard where she lived. Xun Shu looked around as they walked. When they reached the door, he suddenly said, "This is very close to where Madam Zhao's body was found."
Zheng glanced at her and said, "Oh? You doubt me too?"
Xun Shu nodded calmly, as if this was the most normal thing: "Well, I suspect everyone. I think everyone here could be the murderer."
This seemed to please Zheng, and her expression relaxed a little: "That's fair."
Zheng's courtyard was considerably smaller than Madam Zhao's, elegantly and warmly furnished. The ground was paved with smooth, tidy bluestone slabs. In the east corner stood a lush osmanthus tree. Though not in bloom at the moment, one could already imagine the fragrance that would fill the garden once it did.
The layout of this courtyard matches the feng shui location of the entire house.
There was a stone table and stone bench under the osmanthus tree. Zheng led the two to sit down at the stone table, leaving the third young master, who was still a child, to chat with them. She went back to her room to wash and change her clothes, and sent a maid to prepare tea.
The third young master looked about two or three years old, with a fair and round face and a pair of big grape-like eyes. He looked at the two strangers in front of him curiously, without any fear in his eyes.
He Xuan looked at him, thoughtful.
Xun Shu scanned his features but couldn't see anything special. Seeing that Zheng hadn't returned yet, He Xuan was sitting quietly, not knowing what he was thinking. Xun Shu was bored, so he started chatting with the child casually.
"My name is Xun Shu, what's your name?"
"Zhao Yuanan."
"What do you like to play on weekdays?"
Zhao Yuanan blinked his eyes. Although his voice was childish, he had an inexplicable air of maturity: "I like reading and practicing calligraphy on weekdays."
Xun Shu, whose handwriting looked like a ghostly scribble, was speechless. "You're quite impressive, then. When I was your age, I spent all day catching insects in the mountains."
The two chatted enthusiastically, as if they were friends of the same age. He Xuan watched from the side and found it so interesting that he couldn't help laughing out loud.
Zhao Yuanan glanced up at him, mistakenly thinking he was mocking Xun Shu's lack of knowledge. After a moment's thought, he added, "Actually, I also like to climb trees to play sometimes. I can see far away from there. But my mother doesn't like me climbing trees. She says that's something only wild children do... This is a secret. You must not tell my mother."
There is only one tree in the Zheng family courtyard, which is the osmanthus tree on the east side. If you climb to the top of the tree, you may be able to see the passage between the west road and the middle road, as well as the passage between the two courtyards on the north side of the middle road. If the moonlight is bright and you climb high enough, you may even be able to see a corner of the back garden.
Xun Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he pretended to ask casually, "Did you climb a tree last night?"
Zhao Yuanan nodded obediently: "Yes, last night after dinner, my mother locked me in my room and didn't let me go out. I climbed out of the window when she wasn't paying attention, and wanted to climb up the tree to see the moon. Unfortunately, there were no stars or moon last night, and the sky was dark and gloomy. It was not a good view."
"Besides these, did you see anyone else last night? Or anything unusual?"
Although Zhao Yuanan was young, he was very smart. He turned around and looked at the main house. Seeing that the door was still closed, he jumped off the stool, walked to Xun Shu and waved to her.
Xun Shu instantly understood what he meant. He bent down, put his ear close to his mouth, and then heard him whisper, "Last night, after I climbed up the tree, I saw someone walk into my brother's yard. A while later, two people walked out of the yard, one in front and one behind, some distance apart."
"Maybe I can see their faces?"
Zhao Yuanan shook his head. "It was too dark. I could only see two shadows." He scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and added, "Although I couldn't see their faces or their clothes clearly, they both seemed to have buns, so they must be women. I saw them walking east, turning a corner and disappearing. Later, I was afraid that my mother would notice I was not in the room, so I didn't dare to stay any longer and climbed down the tree and returned to my room."
"Do you remember which direction they turned when they reached the end of the road?"
Zhao Yuanan thought for a moment, then gestured and said, "As I recall, it should have turned left."
This passage, which runs east-west, turns left at the end, heading towards the garden. Could the two people Zhao Yuanan saw be related to Madam Zhao's death?
Xun Shu didn't say anything. She looked up at He Xuan, but saw that his expression was quite amused. He was talking nonsense, more like a charlatan than her. Xun Shu didn't know if he had heard what Zhao Yuanan had just said. She thought to herself that she would tell him after they left.
A carved wooden door creaked nearby, and Zhao Yuanan hurriedly climbed onto a stone bench and sat down, pretending nothing had happened. A moment later, Zheng emerged from her room, already tidying up. She walked over to the stone table, took the tray from a nearby maid, and placed it on the table. "This is the scented tea I made myself. It's not expensive, but it has a unique flavor. Please try it."
Zheng sat down on the last empty bench and looked gently at Zhao Yuanan beside her: "Yuanan, have you finished your homework for today?"
Zhao Yuanan was a man of great intelligence. He immediately understood what Zheng meant and stood up, bowing politely with a courtesy that rivaled even the younger generations of the wealthy families in Beijing. "The calligraphy that Master left behind yesterday is still unfinished, so Yuanan will take his leave."
Xun Shu stared at the child, who was no taller than her waist, in amazement. He Xuan smiled and praised, "Your son will become a great man."
Zheng sighed, "Every mother hopes her child can live a safe and happy life, but with my status, I can't give Yuan An much protection. If he wants a smooth life, he must endure some hardships and do more than others. I am sorry for him."
Zheng's words were confusing and Xun Shu didn't quite understand. However, He Xuan, who was standing next to her, had a clear look in his eyes and kept looking at Zheng and smiling. This made Xun Shu feel depressed, as if a big rock was pressing on him.
She was obviously a person who didn't care much about other people's opinions, so why did she feel as if she was abandoned and betrayed at this moment?
This feeling is really uncomfortable.
After Zhao Yuanan returned to the room and closed the wooden door, Zheng turned to look at Xun Shu and He Xuan and said softly, "Ask whatever you want to ask."
He Xuan didn't exchange pleasantries with her and went straight to the point: "Just now in front of Madam Zhao's mourning hall, you said that Su Mei's daughter had an affair with the eldest young master of the mansion. Is this true?"
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