concubines

Qi Yunruo froze all over, he gritted his teeth and said, "Only you are not qualified to ask Lao Tzu's name."

An officer next to Su Yuan also saw that Qi Yunruo seemed to be stern and soft-hearted. Up to now, he was all threatening words, but he didn't reveal a clear identity, so he couldn't help but sneered and said: "I really don't want my life, to say such stupid things in front of Deputy General Su, How dare you attack Vice-General Su, come on, brothers! I want to see which young master this is with such great abilities."

Su Yuan rubbed his nose, and said with a sinister smile: "Don't slap your face, it's a pity for such a good skin."

Qi Yunruo's pupils shrank slightly, and a woman's voice came from behind him, "Isn't this Mr. Li? Why did you condescend to come to our place?"

Qi Yunruo turned around abruptly, and saw Rong Sanniang followed by two little maids coming out gracefully. She looked at Qi Yunruo and then at Su Yuan with beautiful eyes, "Why hasn't Deputy General Su gone far?"

Su Yuan looked at Qi Yunruo and frowned, is the surname Li?The surname Li Ke is very particular. The Li family has passed on the throne for five generations, and the Li family has gradually multiplied. Although not everyone with the surname Li is a clan, there are really not many people who are so arrogant in the capital——Su I remembered from afar that in the army, including now, every time this young man dressed exquisitely, his skin was fine and tender, as if he had been preserved in a heap of pearls and agates, he must not be from a poor family—and there was Rong Sanniang, the biggest in the capital. The owner of Hualou Zhiyalou, she doesn't give face to everyone. Zhiyalou has stood firm in the capital for decades, and it is said that she has a great backer behind her.

Qi Yunruo collected himself, and continued to look at Su Yuan with a ferocious expression.

Su Yuan was lucky because he didn't have much contact with the clan. He didn't know which county king or clan in the capital had such a son. Qi Yunruo stood with his hands behind his back and looked at him with disdain. Su Yuan snorted coldly: " If the green mountains don’t change, the green waters will flow forever, and we’ll see each other in the future!”

Qi Yunruo said coldly: "Next time we meet, let's talk about it."

Rong Sanniang said with a smile: "You are all masters, next time we come to Zhiyalou, I will arrange a few caring girls to serve you. Is there any misunderstanding that cannot be explained?"

Su Yuan and others are still on duty at the Xishan Camp, and they can only come to Beijing to relax during the ten-day round of rest. It would be inappropriate for others to know, Su Yuan said: "Let's go!"

The group left in a mighty manner, Qi Yunruo let out a long breath, Rong Sanniang watched those people go away, frowned and said: "Why did you mess with these bastards?"

Still in shock, Qi Yunruo followed Rong Sanniang into the Zhiya Building and rested in a quiet room. Rong Sanniang poured tea for Qi Yunruo herself, and Qi Yunruo took it and said, "Thank you."

Only then did Rong Sanniang go out when she heard the commotion outside, and after listening to them talking for a while, she didn't know if Qi Yun deliberately provoke Su Yuan and the others in order to hide from others, she said with a worried look: "Su Yuan, deputy general Su, is winning the limelight, so it's not a good match people."

Qi Yunruo said: "I will stay away from him from now on."

Rong Sanniang didn't continue to ask, she found another topic and said, "Did you receive the reply letter I sent this morning?"

Qi Yunruo nodded, and after a moment of silence, he said: "I sent it to Ziyangbo Mansion."

Rong Sanniang understood what he meant, her eyes looked around, and Qi Yunruo followed her gaze, only to find that the room was so clean that no one lived in it, there was no piano on the piano stand, no pillows on the bed, and desks. There were only two or three booklets with yellowed pages.

"This is……"

Rong Sanniang said: "After Linglong left, I never asked anyone to live here again."

Qi Yunruo looked at her, stood up and walked past the chairs her mother might have sat on, the vases she might have touched, and the chessboard she might have played chess on. Rong Sanniang said flatly: "She shouldn't be here. , even if it is a daughter of a small family, her talent is covered up, her face gradually loses her luster, it is better than Zhiyalou."

There was some sadness in Qi Yunruo's eyes, he touched the desk behind him, stroked it lightly, raised his head and asked, "Where is she from?"

Rong Sanniang recalled: "She and I are both from the south of the Yangtze River. When we were seven or eight years old, our hometown was flooded. The two of us fled together and walked all the way to the north... Later, we both entered the Zhiya Building for a bite of food. At that time, Zhiya Boss Lou took a fancy to the two of us and took him in as foster daughters, not like other prostitutes. Later, when we grew up, I loved making accounts. Linglong made her mark in piano, chess and painting, but within a few years, she was trained by her adoptive mother to become Zhiya. Lou Huakui."

"Why?" Qi Yunruo puzzled, "Since she is already the adopted daughter of the boss, she should not be an oiran, and she can even marry out."

Rong Sanniang said lightly: "It's all fate."

If Qi Yun still wanted to ask again, Rong Sanniang said: "There are some things I can't tell you, one day sooner or later... maybe you will understand that it may be the best choice for you to be with King Chun now, I heard You already have a sixth-rank official position, good boy," Rong Sanniang Laqi Yunruo sat down beside her, her voice was very soft, "good boy, when King Chun becomes the crown prince, you leave him, men can't be trusted."

Qi Yunruo's eyes widened, and Rong Sanniang stood up, "Go, it's not good to stay here for too long."

Qi Yunruo stood up, and Rong Sanniang had already opened the door to lead him out. Along the way, Qi Yunruo wanted to stop her, tell her that the prince was different, or wanted to question her, asking her what else she was hiding about herself, but in the end Qi Yunruo just walked out of Zhiya Building in a daze, and the gate of Zhiya Building closed behind him. Qi Yunruo seemed to have been awakened, blankly looking at the bustling crowd on the street.

Qi Yunruo hadn't walked out of Huajie when he heard the sound of hoofbeats. He raised his head and saw Fang Ge with an anxious expression on his face. Fang Ge dismounted and said, "We have found you, Master Qi."

Qi Yunruo waved his hand and asked, "Where's that girl?"

Fang Ge said: "That girl took your official seal and was sent to our duty room. After she made it clear, Eunuch Su Ge went to the household department yamen to look for the prince. I will find you all the way to find the present."

Qi Yunruo nodded, followed by riding back to the palace.

Li Chen and Qi Yunruo arrived almost at the same time. Li Chen got off his horse and saw Qi Yunruo sitting on the horse in disbelief. He was almost tripped when he got off the horse. Li Chen frowned and walked to Qi Yunruo's side, and patted his face lightly.Qi Yunruo raised his head, Li Chen took his hand and went into the house.

Li Chen and Qi Yunruo went all the way back to Molian Courtyard, and asked someone to bring Zi'er. Now this girl looked like a frightened bird, with a worried expression. When she saw Qi Yunruo, she said in surprise, "My lord, you are finally here."

Qi Yunruo nodded casually, Su Ge said: "This is His Royal Highness Chun Wang."

Zi'er was dumbfounded all of a sudden, and looked at Qi Yunruo helplessly, but Qi Yunruo sat on the side with his head bowed, not knowing what he was thinking about, Li Chen asked, "Are you a servant of the Si family?"

Zi'er said: "I serve Madam." She glanced at Qi Yunruo again, and said: "Since our master committed suicide, many people who said they were relatives of Madam have come to our house, and they don't ask us to serve you closely all day long. One day when I went to deliver food, I heard Madam's 'distant nephew' say that he wanted to avenge the master, and he couldn't let the master die in vain, and also said..." She looked at Li Chen with a little fear, and dared not continue.

Qi Yunruo reacted and asked, "What else are you talking about? Miss Zi'er, you should know that he is not a good person, and I'm afraid it will be bad for your wife."

Zi'er nodded in panic and said: "That time I heard that person say that even if His Royal Highness Chun Wang forced the master to death, he still has a way to avenge the master, as long as the madam obeys him."

Qi Yunruo frowned, looked at Li Chen, "My lord, what should we do? Shall we send someone there now?"

Li Chen said: "Go and inform the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple!"

"Yes."

Li Chen stood up, and suddenly said: "No! Let's go to Si's mansion now, I'm afraid something will happen to Madam Si now!"

Zi'er screamed, Qi Yunruo said: "Go!" Yes, he and Zi'er were found running away today, if those people jump over the wall in a hurry...

When the people from Prince Chun's Mansion arrived, Mrs. Si had committed suicide and left a suicide note beside her. Officials from the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple arrived and tremblingly picked up the suicide note under Li Chen's calm gaze. After walking through the Si mansion several times, he found that the so-called "nephew" and others had long since disappeared.

Mrs. Si died of poisoning, and the concubine of the Si family, Mrs. Zhu, disappeared with her maid.

Qi Yunruo blamed himself and felt that if he hadn't appeared there, maybe Mrs. Si wouldn't have to die. Li Chen said flatly: "That's what they planned to do, they tried every means to force Mrs. Si to commit suicide, and she had no choice but to commit suicide if she wanted to avenge her husband. illusion."

The suicide note was indeed exactly as Li Chen said. Mrs. Si wept blood every word, and kept saying that her husband was forced to death by King Chun, and that she was just an ordinary woman who had nothing but her life. The imperial court thoroughly investigated and gave her husband justice.

King Chun became the target of public criticism in an instant, and officials from Yushitai came forward one after another, demanding that King Chun be removed from all positions on the grounds that "the prince violated the law and the common people are guilty of the same crime", and the military merits will be taken back for further discussion, and they will go home and reflect on themselves.

Zi'er has been staying in Chunwang's mansion, and she has been depressed after learning of Mrs. Si's death. Fortunately, she is a sensible girl, knowing that her wife was actually killed by those who claimed to be relatives to frame Chunwang. I always know everything I ask, and I can't say enough.

The study outside Prince Chun's Mansion.

"... Si De hasn't come back for so many years, and the two of them have no children. Does Mrs. Si have such deep feelings for him?" Qi Yunruo said, "Although Mrs. Si has not been appointed by imperial order, she also has a court official in her family. Official, when Si De was in custody, Mrs. Si never asked his family to walk around and explain clearly for him, but once Si De died, Mrs. Si died for love, I don't quite believe it."

Li Xiuqi said: "Maybe Mrs. Si really has a deep affection for General Si."

Cao Manjin shook his head and sighed, "Unfortunately, we can't see that suicide note."

The person sent by Prince Chun's Mansion to the northwest has not sent back any news. Qi Yunruo has been thinking about Mrs. Si, and continued: "Si De has been in the northwest for many years, and the relationship between the two will fade away. That Mrs. Ru is a concubine of a good family. , Si De and his wife were hired back soon after they got married, how could the two have a deep love for each other?"

Li Chen suddenly thought of something, and said: "At that time, Si De's status was such that he married Mrs. Si, an official lady, even if Mrs. Si had no children, but they were married for a short time, why did they suddenly take concubines?" ?”

Old Ouyang said: "It's a coincidence that Mrs. Zhu disappeared."

Everyone felt that there must be something hidden in that Zhu Shi, and maybe seeing that Zhu Shi, the mystery would be solved.

Qi Yunruo found someone to accompany Zi'er to find her mother who was living in the countryside for the elderly. This old woman had an ordinary appearance and a dull expression. She didn't believe in King Chun at first, but finally listened to her daughter and sighed: "With us The lady is talented and beautiful, and she is more than enough to serve as a general. Then Mrs. Zhu is the master's distant cousin. The two have been in love for a long time. Our lady has been married for less than half a year, and the master proposed to take a concubine... Madam is not willing, but Madam's family is afraid of people saying The adopted daughter of the family was jealous and agreed on behalf of his wife, and the Zhu family gave birth to a child eight months after entering the house..."

"Si De has a child?" Qi Yunruo asked in shock.

The former little maid Putao, now Zierniang said flatly: "It's a pity that the child is not blessed, and died soon after landing."

Qi Yunruo looked at this woman, and she said with a flat face: "Even if she was born, she is still a private girl in terms of identity, and she can't get on the stage."

Zhu Shi, the concubine of the Si family, did not return to her hometown, and she was not found in other relatives' homes. She seemed to have disappeared in the world.

Although the emperor didn't make a decree, Li Chen still took the initiative to write a letter, saying that this matter is related to him after all, and he should reflect on it, and the emperor also allowed him to stay in the mansion.

Qi Yunruo was a little worried, but Li Chen didn't care and said, "I'm too busy these days, it's better to stay in the mansion and have a rest."

Qi Yunruo was relieved now. Qi Yunruo felt that there was an invisible enemy who was always stumbling them, and he was always worried about what he would do. After he told Li Chen, Li Chen looked at him for a while, and suddenly smiled and said, "Xiao Qi , you are really my lucky star."

Qi Yunruo was so stupid that he couldn't understand it at all.

Li Chen hugged him and said with a smile: "From the beginning to the present, we have been in a passive position, and we have been guessing who is leading this matter through the changes in the matter, but your words remind me that we can First guess the candidate for this enemy, and use various means to see how this enemy will behave in the future."

If Qi Yun didn't understand, Li Chen's face gradually turned cold, "There are only a few people who can oppose me, and one of them may be the mastermind behind it. I just need to see who makes the biggest move."

Qi Yunruo was a little flustered, "My lord, are you saying that this person is..."

Li Chen said indifferently: "Could it be my brothers and the people behind them."

Qi Yunruo's heart was a little cold, but Li Chen didn't care and said, "My going to the Northwest really caught too many people's eyes, from the county magistrate of Heluo to Si De, to the people behind them, they can't see that I'm really serious. to take such great credit.”

"Will the emperor believe them?"

Li Chen was silent for a while, then said, "I don't know."

Qi Yunruo turned sideways and hugged Li Chen tightly. Li Chen smiled, "I understood from the beginning that there are no friends on this road, only enemies."

Qi Yunruo said sullenly: "But I will always be with you, my lord."

"En." Li Chen hugged Qi Yunruo back, lowered his head, and sniffed the fragrance in Qi Yunruo's hair.