The first paparazzi in the Red Chamber

"Have you ever heard of the White Lotus Sect?" Jia She asked suddenly.

Concubine Dou's wide open mouth suddenly became smaller. He stared blankly at Jia She, and then asked him, "What White Lotus Sect?"

"Your son-in-law has seen this thing before?" Jia Amnesty showed the white lotus made of paper the size of a palm to the son-in-law Dou.

Concubine Dou stared at the white lotus for a while, then immediately shook his head to express that he hadn't seen it, and then continued to question Jia She and Song Xi why they wanted to break into the princess mansion.

"Don't tell me that the two of you treat the Princess's Mansion like a vegetable market on the East Street just because of this white lotus flower made of paper. Come and leave as soon as you say. You must give me an explanation today. , or the three of us will go to the emperor to judge." Dou Consort said angrily.

A disdainful smile appeared in Song Xi's cold eyes, and he did not deny Concubine Dou's disapproval.

Concubine Dou saw his arrogance and knew that he didn't take himself seriously, so he took two steps forward angrily, and stopped at a distance of about half a foot from Song Xi, angrily shouting that Song Xi had nothing to do. polite.

At this time, the Yacha has gathered all the people in the Princess's Mansion, counted the number of people, and registered them in the register.

Jia Amnesty took a look at Song Xi who was confronting Concubine Dou, and went with the Yacha first.

More than [-] people from the Princess's mansion, divided into men and women, gathered in the two courtyards.

Jia Amnesty planned to go to the women's family's yard first, and after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and asked the yamen messengers if they had found the basket of eggs that Aunt Zhang had given them.

The Yacha was stunned for a moment, but he forgot about it, so he went to search, and soon found Aunt Zhang's egg basket in the kitchen, which was already empty.

Jia Amnesty asked people to take all the kitchen staff to the small courtyard for questioning. Jia Amnesty then asked these women who had seen this basket.

At first, no one answered the question, and the judge from the Gyeonggi Prefecture said: "I am not playing with you, hindering the handling of the case by the Gyeonggi Prefecture, and even the people from the Princess's Mansion can beat it. This basket was found in your kitchen. If you say no one has seen it, I don’t believe it. Since you refuse to tell, then everyone will be punished together, and everyone will slap their mouths twenty!"

Jia Shen looked at it coldly and winked at him.

Among the yamen servants, there is a yamen servant named Li Xing, who is very strong and strong.When he walked, he was full of vigor, and he stepped out, making people feel that even the ground around him was shaking.

After Li Xing came out, he raised his hand to hit a woman nearby.

The mother-in-law was so frightened that she knelt down with her head in her arms, trembling and begging for mercy, "I have seen that basket before, but when I saw it, the basket was already empty, and the other servants didn't know anything, the servant really told the truth !"

Jia Amnesty agreed, so she let the woman go and replaced her with another one.

All the women knelt down and begged Jia Amnesty for mercy.Some women got angry because of fear, and shouted: "Who got the eggs, just admit it, so as not to embarrass everyone!"

After saying this sentence, other people immediately echoed.

"I beg you, don't drag us down!"

"That's right, whoever comes out quickly."

"Don't worry, my lord is just asking questions. As long as you cooperate and tell the truth what you saw, nothing will happen. If there is no punishment, the government will give rewards according to the clues you provide as appropriate."

Jia She probably glanced at these women, feeling pure fear, completely puzzled about what happened.There were a few who seemed to be flustered and hesitant, with their heads down, as if they wanted to hide themselves.

Jia Amnesty ordered these people to come out and asked the Yamen to take them back to Gyeonggi Prefecture for questioning.

The women who had been named glanced at each other, they didn't expect the lord to be so accurate, did they already know the truth?Everyone was so frightened that they kowtowed on their knees and wept bitterly, expressing that they were all confessing.

"We are the only ones working in the kitchen at noon today. The woman who came to deliver the eggs is the wife in charge of the eldest princess's mansion. Her surname is Zhu. We all call her Mrs. Zhu."

"She's the only one, and she hasn't seen anyone else?" Jia She asked.

Several women nodded, indicating that it was indeed the case.Every once in a while, they would receive a basket of eggs from Mrs. Zhu.

"It is said that the sisters of a poor farmer's family have a hard life, so they always buy eggs from her family. We all thought it was nothing, so we didn't ask any more questions."

"Since that's the case, my lord is just asking about the origin of this basket, why are you guys so guilty and afraid, and dare not confess?" Zhu Mao asked.

The woman was busy explaining, which was a little messy, but Jia Amnesty understood everything, and made some conclusions in his heart.

The reason why these women dare not speak of her is mostly because they fear and respect Mrs. Zhu.This Mrs. Zhu is only 28 years old now, but she is in charge of the big and small affairs of the eldest princess's mansion. This person is the most straightforward in handling things. If someone below fools and insults her, it will definitely end badly.But she has a sweet and clever mouth, and when she was Dou Cong's nanny, she wholeheartedly treated Dou Cong well, so she was very much relied on by the eldest princess. Never made things difficult for her.And this Mrs. Zhu is not serious about her servants, if anyone's family has difficulties, illnesses, etc., she will greet them and help them.It can be said that he is the person who puts equal emphasis on grace and power to the extreme.Therefore, all the servants of the Princess's Mansion are afraid of and grateful to Mrs. Zhu, they respect her very much on the surface, and dare not speak ill of her behind their backs.

Jia Amnesty heard that Mrs. Zhu was quite capable, and felt that things were a little hopeful.After dismissing the people in the kitchen, they immediately called Mrs. Zhu.

Not long after, a woman wearing a lake-blue butterfly-patterned double-breasted gown and ten brocade goose-yellow bixia skirts walked over in a leisurely manner.

Jia She raised his eyes to look at the woman, and looked her around again in a blink of an eye.

This woman has an enchanting figure, a slender waist, and looks elegant and elegant. Her black hair is tied into a concentric bun, and she wears a jade bracelet on her temples. Her face is rosy, and her whole body is Immortal and jade-like, standing among the servants of the eldest princess's mansion, she stands out from the crowd, with a very different temperament.This appearance doesn't look like a slave, but more like a housekeeper's daughter-in-law who is as beautiful as a fairy.Such a woman is even honored as "Mrs. Zhu" in the mansion.But I heard that she was chosen as Dou Cong's nanny because of her beauty, so it is reasonable to think so.

Mrs. Zhu saluted politely, and when she saw Jia Amnesty, she said neither humble nor overbearing: "My lord, please feel free to ask questions. I will tell you everything, and I will do my best to help Mr. Jia solve the case. But please find out the truth of the case as soon as possible, Mr. Jia. The eldest princess's mansion is quiet. Although the servants are soft-spoken and don't understand the affairs of the officialdom, the servants are the servants of the eldest princess. They should try their best to think of their own princess. Please understand and calm down the disturbance in the princess's mansion as soon as possible. This servant really doesn't want the eldest princess to be disturbed by the chaotic scene in front of her after she returns from the palace."

"That's... well said." The corner of Jia She's mouth curled up into a smile, praising Mrs Zhu's eloquence.

"What are you laughing at?" Song Xi entered the courtyard, and walked to Jia She's side in two or three steps. From the corner of his eye, he inadvertently glanced at Mrs. Zhu, then paused, and then fell on the corner of Jia She's mouth with a slightly admiring smile.

"I lament that having a woman in charge like this in my family is a blessing and a curse. The ability to manage affairs is unmatched, and the ability to cause trouble is unmatched." Jia She said while staring at the change in Zhu's complexion.

Surprise flashed across Song Xi's eyes, and he turned to look at Mrs. Zhu again.Song Xi didn't know much about this case, but he knew Jia She deeply. Since Jia She said so, then this person in front of him should be... the leader of the White Lotus Sect?

It was unexpected that this beautiful woman with stunning looks would be related to the leader of the White Lotus Sect.

Grandma Zhu glanced at Song Xi who was observing her just now, then turned to look at Jia She, with a barely visible smile on the corner of her mouth.

"Master Jia, why did you say such a thing? The slaves are sincere and frightened."

"I don't see you feeling panicked at all." While Jia She was speaking, Song Xi sat down beside Jia She, and together with Jia She confronted Mrs. Zhu in front of her.

Grandma Zhu lowered her eyes and bowed slightly, "This servant is extremely terrified, but she is just pretending to be calm in front of the two adults at this moment. As a member of the eldest princess's mansion, how can this servant lose the majesty of the eldest princess's mansion in front of outsiders. "

Song Xi also laughed when he heard this, but he somewhat understood why Jia She had shown admiration for her just now, "This slave is better than that son-in-law."

Song Xi had always looked down on Consort Dou, but now that he was in front of Jia She, he naturally showed his disdain even more brazenly.

When Mrs. Zhu heard the name Dou's son-in-law, disdain flashed on her face, and she hurriedly bowed and asked Mr. Song not to compare her with Dou's son-in-law.

Jia Amnesty stared at Mrs. Zhu's face, "Why?"

Zhu Pozi gave Jia She a cold look, then continued to bow and said: "This servant is a lowly person, not worthy to be compared with the noble son-in-law."

When Mrs. Zhu spoke of "the noble son-in-law", her tone was so forbearing that the ending trembled a little, and it sounded like there was a lot of hatred.

Jia Amnesty then immediately asked Song Xi, "Where is the son-in-law?"

"Be honest and stay in the room." Song Xi said.

"Go and invite the son-in-law!"

Jia Amnesty asked her about the eggs again, and when Mrs. Zhu heard that someone confirmed it, she didn't deny it, admitting that she only bought Aunt Zhang's eggs because she felt sorry for Aunt Zhang.

This Mrs. Zhu is unruffled in times of crisis, she speaks clearly and confidently, and she is the one who directly took over Aunt Zhang's eggs. Jia Amnesty will definitely investigate her, and immediately have someone search Mrs. Zhu's residence.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhu was shocked for a moment, and then her expression returned to calm, without arguing.

Jia Amnesty immediately added another order, "As long as she can come in and out at will, and the place she is in charge of must be investigated."

Only a trace of panic appeared on Zhu Pozi's face.

Jia Amnesty immediately asked someone to get the key from Mrs. Zhu, and asked the government officials to cooperate with the guards and several stewards of the Princess's Mansion so that no one would say that the government officials in Gyeonggi Province had stolen something during the search.

Seeing that Jia She had thought so thoroughly no matter what he did, Song Xi praised Jia She without hesitation.Jia Amnesty is such a meticulous person, even if someone wants to find fault with him, they can't find it.

There was a contented smile on the corner of Song Xi's mouth.

Compared with Song Xi's cheerfulness, Mrs. Zhu's face is very interesting.She was panicked and worried, but she didn't want to show it on her face. She strongly suppressed her emotions, and her face was calm.Ordinary people don't pay attention to her subtle expressions, they will be deceived by her current calm state.

Concubine Dou cursed and entered the courtyard under the guidance of the Yachai. When she saw Mrs. Zhu there, she was taken aback for a moment, and then became furious again, pointing at Jia She and Song Xi, and blaming them for interrogating them at will. person without his consent.

"The eldest princess, or you?" Song Xi asked.

Concubine Dou was at a loss for words, and turned to stare at Song Xi.

Seeing this, Jia Amnesty guessed that Song Xi must have used the authority of the eldest princess to silence Prince Dou's mouth.I just don't know if the eldest princess really knows about this matter. If Song Xi just asked the queen to temporarily lure the eldest princess to the palace, the eldest princess will know what happened in her mansion afterwards, and I'm afraid she won't let Song Xi go. Xi.Especially when Song Xi showed such obvious disdain for Consort Dou, Jia She worried that the eldest princess would sue Song Xi in front of the queen mother and the emperor because of taking care of her husband's emotions.If it turned out like this, he would have caused trouble for Song Xi.So today's matter of breaking into the princess's mansion must be found out, so as not to let Song Xi down on the risk he took for him.

"Does the son-in-law know her?" Jia She pointed to Mrs. Zhu.

Concubine Dou laughed loudly, "It is widely rumored in the court that Mr. Jia is a geek who can plan for a rainy day and spy on the leopard. Hehe, I just found out today that these news are all based on bragging. Mr. Jia has such big eyes and looks pretty good." , I can’t see that this woman is from our eldest princess’s mansion. As the consort of the princess’s mansion, do I know her? Are you kidding me!”

Song Xi squinted his eyes, and the eyes that looked at Dou's son-in-law were suddenly cold to the end.

Jia Amnesty had already figured out Concubine Dou's temperament, so naturally he was not annoyed at what Concubine Dou said, but continued to explain to him with a normal attitude: "Maybe Dou Concubine didn't understand what I meant, I mean whether the Concubine and her have any relationship?" A deeper understanding?"

Jia Amnesty emphasized the pronunciation of the words "one step deeper".

Concubine Dou was stunned for a moment, the expression on his face was as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue.

Mrs. Zhu was originally in a calm mood, but when she heard this, she suddenly denied it immediately: "No!"

Jia She raised his eyebrows and looked at Mrs. Zhu.

It was only then that Mrs. Zhu realized that she had made a flustered slip of the tongue.Mrs. Jia was asking Concubine Dou about it, and she interrupted suddenly, obviously showing that she had a guilty conscience.Grandma Zhu was so remorseful that she wanted to bite off her own tongue, and hurriedly kowtowed to Jia She to make amends, expressing that she hated being insulted and innocent more than anything in her life, just now she heard what Jia She said, because she was in a hurry all her life and wanted to prove her innocence, that's why she spoke like that Indiscriminately offended.

"This explanation makes sense, but why do you think that the 'deeper step' I mentioned is the kind of thing that makes you not innocent? How do you know that it doesn't mean a deeper understanding of your situation?"

Grandma Zhu was stunned, then lowered her head, clasping her hands tightly.

Concubine Dou said angrily: "Marquis Jia En, what do you mean? Are you trying to frame me and Mrs. Zhu?"

"When did you frame up, please repeat what I said about your relationship with Mrs. Zhu." Jia She said.

Concubine Dou: "You..."

Jia Amnesty smiled, and asked Concubine Dou to sit down and have a cup of tea, and to be calm, and when the mood stabilized, it would not be too late to talk to him after thinking about the reason.

Jia Amnesty continued to wait patiently, and sent his subordinates to inquire about Mrs. Zhu's situation from other servants.

Not long after, there was a reply.

Mrs. Zhu entered the eldest princess's mansion ten years ago. Not long after she gave birth to her son, it is said that her husband eloped with a prostitute, and she could not make ends meet with her newborn son. wet nurse.Over the years, Mrs. Zhu has treated Dou Cong with more dedication than her own son. Even when Dou Cong had chickenpox, she served day and night, almost sacrificing her own life.It was also because of this incident that the eldest princess gradually appreciated and relied on Mrs. Zhu.

After Dou Cong was five years old, the eldest princess gradually handed over all the big and small matters in the family to Zhu Pozi, and everyone in the mansion was convinced. In the following five years, Zhu Pozi's status in the eldest princess' mansion became higher and higher. Under the eldest princess, Concubine Dou and Dou Cong, he can almost be called the fourth master in the eldest princess's mansion.

"So you have a son."

Jia Amnesty sighed casually, but suddenly found that Concubine Dou was extremely nervous, and he subconsciously moved towards the gate of the courtyard, revealing that he really wanted to escape.

As for Mrs. Zhu, her face was even more depressed, with remorse flashing in her eyes, she gritted her teeth secretly.

Jia Amnesty looked at Song Xi.

Song Xi looked back at Jia She, naturally he couldn't see any special problems between the two, but after seeing Jia She's winking at him, Song Xi immediately understood.

Song Xi immediately opened his mouth to mock Prince Consort Dou: "Oh, I never expected that you would dare to raise a woman's son under the eyes of the eldest princess. Why didn't you come before the emperor to judge this matter?"

Concubine Dou was horrified, and angrily said to Song Xi, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

At this time, another yaman came to report. They found a box of paper-folded white lotus flowers, a set of white dresses, a white veil, and a roster in the depths of the warehouse of the princess's mansion.The roster records the names and specific addresses of all believers who participate in the White Lotus Sect.

Jia Amnesty took over the quota, flipped through a few pages, and saw the name of Miss Chang, Aunt Zhang, White Widow and Xiong Widow, etc.At the back of the roster is a record of some people who have been helped by their White Lotus Sect. The true face prince Heng Jun is impressively listed, and there is also a Master Huang who is also on the list, but he did not write his full name.

Jia Amnesty threw the roster on the table, looked at Mrs. Zhu, "Do you have any explanation?"

"How does your lord know that this roster belongs to me? I am indeed in charge of the keys to the storeroom of the Princess's Mansion, but there are five other keys in the hands of others. Besides, when the storeroom is fetching things, it always comes and goes. A lot of people came in, but it’s not clear who took the opportunity to hide the things secretly, how can it be seen that I put these things.”

"You were smart before." Jia She smiled and looked at Mrs. Zhu's figure, "Your figure is incomparable to ordinary people, with a slender waist and a comfortable grip. My seventeen or eighteen year old mushroom girls are no match for you."

Zhu Pozi sneered: "I never thought that Mrs. Jia, who is famous outside, is also a wretch who is greedy for beauty."

Immediately, Mrs. Zhu showed an expression of "I misjudged you", looking very disappointed.

Hearing this, Consort Dou glanced at Mrs. Zhu, and then at Jia Amnesty angrily.

Jia Amnesty immediately asked someone to take out the white dress and threw it in front of Mrs. Zhu. "I'm afraid this dress will only fit you."

It was only then that Mrs. Zhu understood what Jia She meant when she said about her figure, and her face immediately turned pale.She forgot about it. The clothes were indeed tailored according to her figure, and she never thought that she would expose herself because of this.

Concubine Dou stood up in amazement, and looked at Mrs. Zhu: "Ah Zhu, it's, it's really you?"

Mrs. Zhu stared at Consort Dou in disgust: "Don't call me Ah Zhu, disgusting!"

"You..." Concubine Dou turned pale, pointed at Pozi Zhu angrily, then immediately put down her hand, and asked her why.

Seeing that the two of them were hesitating to speak, Jia She said: "The Zhu family has all the evidence, so they must be guilty. If you have something to say, if you don't say it today, there will be no chance in the future."

Grandma Zhu sneered, but she laughed and cried again, with tears streaming down her face, and asked Concubine Dou: "You still have the face to ask me why? Back then when you and I made a private appointment to worship heaven and earth, what did you say? I will hold hands and spend my whole life together. But looking back, you are the grand son-in-law of today's fame and wealth, and I have become your second wife. If I were any other woman, I would still have hope to fight, princess , what do you want me to do? Do you know how painful it is for me to hear the news of the thunderbolt when I was nine months pregnant. I asked you to reason clearly, but you sent someone to push me into the water and murder me! If I hadn’t been lucky enough to rely on the pond The lotus flower in the garden climbed up to the shore, and it had already rotted into a pair of bones. From that day on, I swore that I must make you pay the price. One day, I will let you surrender at my feet, please don’t leave!"

"What are you talking about? When did I send someone to push you down the pond?" Concubine Dou looked at Grandma Ezhu in surprise, "I was so surprised when you suddenly appeared at the Princess's mansion when I was looking for a nanny. If I wanted to kill you You, how could you have softened your mind back then and let you stay in the eldest princess's mansion."

"That's because I pretended to be confused about falling into the water, and I swore to you again and again, that you would agree to me." Zhu Pozi was no longer rational, and shouted at Concubine Dou, correcting the mistakes in his words.

"So all these years you have been by my side just to take revenge on me? Then you are taking revenge on me. Why did you set up the White Lotus Sect to harm those widows. I'm sorry that your people are here, why didn't you attack me!" Concubine Dou patted Patting himself on the chest, he frowned anxiously and questioned Mrs. Zhu in confusion.While speaking, a few teardrops ran across his face.

Jia She narrowed his eyes, and was a little curious about Concubine Dou who suddenly became calm. He didn't seem to be born with a bad temper.

Zhu Pozi's eyes were red, and she was furious, "You think I don't want to? I wish I could cut you into pieces, but every time I see you, I realize that I can't do it! So I want to become stronger, Aren't you following the princess because you are greedy for power, wealth, clothing and food? When I have these too, you will follow me, and I will take you far away."

"Stupid you!" Concubine Dou laughed, tears still flowing, "You are so troublesome, why didn't you tell me earlier. I don't want to stay in this ghostly place. Why bother to do this, why bother to lie to me about you I like the present day."

Concubine Dou knelt beside Mrs. Zhu, holding her hand tightly.

"I wanted to go far away with you, from the first time I saw you, but the day I planned to go, the princess was pregnant, I, I couldn't... why didn't I know you earlier, otherwise I would definitely not do it What Lao Shizi's son-in-law."

Dou's son-in-law was so angry that he was a son-in-law who was originally used by the emperor to restrain his father.He had no choice but to follow his fate, and he thought that he would be able to get by like this for the rest of his life.But he didn't expect that he would meet Ah Zhu later.When he met her for the first time under the peach blossom tree, she surprised his heart like a fairy.He tried to get close to her, and lied in a strange way, telling her that she was just a down-and-out son, but she didn't despise herself at all, and even gave him the most precious thing, and made a private decision with him for life.

"I betrayed you!" Concubine Dou frowned in pain and lamented.

Zhu Pozi's body was up and down, her mouth was open, but she couldn't cry.

"You failed me!" A sonorous female voice came from outside the courtyard.

The eldest princess walked into the yard holding a bouquet of white lotus flowers, quickly walked up to the two of them, and threw the flowers on them hard.