I am a consultant in Kaifeng

Du Xiaoning didn't think so before, but now she heard her adoptive father talk about the Liu family and her brother, and she thought that Ren Minling also died in the moat. Cursed River of the Dead.

Du Xiaoning was silent.

The maid Siyao served hot tea, not only made Du Xiaoning her usual health tea, but also bought a new cup of tea for Du Ruoyu.

Du Ruoyu held the tea, "What are you thinking about?"

Du Xiaoning folded his hands on the table and tapped his fingers silently, "I was wondering how many people have drowned in this moat. The adoptive father thinks that the Chizhou man who jumped over the moat did not commit suicide, right?"

Du Ruoyu looked at Du Xiaoning approvingly, "It's a pity that it's been a while. Those who deserve death are all dead, and many things cannot be traced."

Du Xiaoning pondered for a moment, "Father, I have something to tell you."

Du Ruoyu looked at her.

"I'm investigating a case. It was supposed to be about a girl committing suicide by jumping into a river, but she wrote a manuscript before she died. In the manuscript, besides her own experience, it also wrote about the past of many women. Those women are all They came from a foreign land and were kept in captivity in a place in the northern city. Those women were from better backgrounds, and they were a bit deviant in their bones, quite different from the women who were generally raised in the boudoir. They were all kidnapped and lost their freedom after being kidnapped. Israel served people in the tall buildings in the northern city. Among them, some would rather die than submit, and died in the high buildings, and some were humiliated and survived like walking corpses."

Du Ruoyu listened to Du Xiaoning's words with a dignified expression.

Du Xiaoning looked at Du Ruoyu's expression, "Father didn't seem surprised when he heard such a thing."

Du Ruoyu smiled, "You also said that this is a manuscript written by a young girl. It doesn't matter what kind of manuscripts you have in Baiwei Study? There are more weird and bizarre books than this manuscript. Why should I be surprised?"

In order to show that what she said was true, Du Ruoyu added, "But she is young and a little girl in the village, so it is rare for her to think of such a thing."

Du Xiaoning: ""

The adoptive father was really careless in perfunctory about this matter.

Du Xiaoning didn't want to hide from Du Ruoyu, and said bluntly: "I have been to Xun Paradise."

Du Ruoyu was startled.

Du Xiaoning: "Not only have I been to Xunyuan, I've also been to Wenxianlou. Has foster father heard of Xunyuan and Wenxianlou?"

Du Ruoyu stroked his beard, "Of course I've heard of it. A few years ago, I also went to Xunyuan. Well, it's not just me, Master Bao of Kaifeng Mansion, Zhanwei, these people have all been there, it's King Duan——"

After a pause, Du Ruoyu glanced sideways at Du Xiaoning, and then said, "He's been there too."

Du Xiaoning said "oh", "That was the Xun Paradise before. I heard Mr. Zhan said about it. But today's Xun Paradise is no longer the Xun Paradise of the past. Yifu, Ren Minling wrote in the manuscript that a man named Changqing The woman in question has the same name and surname as Changqing in Wenxian Tower, and even the encounters are not much different."

Du Ruoyu frowned, "What are you talking about?"

Looking at Du Ruoyu's expression, Du Xiaoning was finally sure that her adoptive father might know that women had been kept in captivity all these years, but he didn't know that Wenxianlou was doing this kind of thing.

So, Du Xiaoning told Du Ruoyu about her and Shou Fengye's exploration of Paradise and Wenxianlou.

Du Ruoyu scolded angrily, "Nonsense!"

Siyao, who was standing beside her, had a complete expression, and took two steps back calmly.

Du Ruoyu: "Break into a dragon's lake and a tiger's lair with a young boy, how can you mess around like this? Who gave you the courage?!"

Du Xiaoning didn't take it seriously, "What Longtan and Tiger's Cave? That place is very remote. It's probably because all the weak women are kept in captivity, and the nursing home is very lax. Didn't I come back with a full beard and tail? Not a single hair is missing."

Not a single hair missing?

Du Ruoyu's eyes fell on Du Xiaoning's gauze-wrapped right hand, almost having a heart attack.

Du Shangshu took a deep breath, once again he felt that it was not a good idea to let Du Xiaoning go to Kaifeng Mansion as an idler.Duan Wang was always at odds with him about Du Xiaoning's affairs, but he was right about this matter.

There are so many idle jobs in the sixth department, which one can't he find?Still have to find Kaifeng Mansion.

——It really hit the devil.

Du Shangshu, who was hit by evil, looked gloomy.

Du Xiaoning didn't realize it, and she brought the topic back to the high-rise where the women were kept in captivity.

"Father, you just told me about Yang Silang's mother Liu Shi, do you suspect that she was also raised in captivity back then?"

Du Ruoyu said with a straight face, "I didn't say that."

Du Xiaoning bent her eyes: "But you think so."

The righteous daughter is too smart, I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing.

Du Ruoyu remained silent, seeming to seesaw in his heart. After a long while, he finally said to Du Xiaoning: "I tried to track down the matter of Mrs. Liu. But the Chizhou man who claimed to be her brother is dead. I secretly sent People went to Chizhou to investigate. There used to be a family surnamed Liu in Chizhou. The daughter also disappeared and followed back to Bianjing. Later, both the head of the family and the mistress died of illness, and their son also left Chizhou. There is nowhere to ask whether this person is the Chizhou native who jumped into the river and died."

"Does the adoptive father know that these years, someone has been raising young and beautiful women in captivity, and gave them to dignitaries in Bianjing?"

Du Ruoyu glanced at Du Xiaoning inexplicably, "You searched quite deeply."

Du Xiaoning frowned, "It's just a coincidence."

If it weren't for being able to read minds, how could it be possible to play well with people like Yang Silang.

"I have heard about the matter of raising women in captivity, and I have tried to investigate it, but the clues have been cut off. That bastard from the Yang family seems to be acting absurdly, and it is not a fuel-efficient lamp. Since you can find out about him, I think it is There is a certain certainty."

Du Xiaoning couldn't help laughing when he heard this.

She looked at Du Ruoyu with a smile, and said in a playful tone, "My adoptive father saw that I was sure about this matter, and he was afraid of delaying my solution to the case, so he rushed to provide me with clues, right?"

Du Ruoyu: ""

Du Shangshu's face was paralyzed, "No, I saw that you seemed to be acting like a demon again, so I hurried to remind you not to do it. If you do it again, your hand will probably be useless."

"Okay, okay, whatever the foster father says is fine. I won't do it, I'll go back to the library in Kaifeng mansion tomorrow to look through the files, okay?"

Du Ruoyu snorted softly, stood up, flicked his sleeves, maintained the crumbling image of a strict father, and left without a cloud.

The next day, Kaifeng Mansion Library.

Gongsun Ce sorted out the files on the desktop, and looked at Du Xiaoning's book manuscript by Ren Minling.

Gongsun Ce said with a smile: "Could it be that there are any secrets hidden in her manuscript?"

Du Xiaoning looked up from the manuscript, "I think there should be."

Gongsun Ce: "Why?"

"I know Yang Silang. Since Ren Minling's death, everything we have done has been calculated by him. From the Shrimp Bracelet, to the Cangjin Pavilion, to Xunyuan, ask Xianlou and Li Qi, which one? Is the matter not in his calculations? He obviously wants Kaifeng Mansion to investigate this matter to the bottom, but Mr. Zhan and I searched for him three times and four times, but he is unwilling to tell the truth."

Du Xiaoning lowered his head, turned the manuscript in his hand again, and said softly: "I think there must be something we haven't discovered yet, and Yang Silang made such a gesture."

Gongsun Ce: "You said that Du Shangshu also tried to investigate the matter of raising women in captivity?"

Du Xiaoning nodded, "Yeah. Father-in-law said that every time there is some clue, the clues are cut off, and someone probably won't check for him."

Gongsun Ce thought for a while and said with a smile: "This matter sounds very involved. I think someone has been watching Du Shangshu for a long time. It's just that no one thought that the death of a little orphan Ren Minling could be related to this matter." , so that we could make mistakes, follow the vines, and pull this matter out."

Du Xiaoning smiled, "I always have a hunch that this matter will be resolved satisfactorily soon."

Gongsun Ce looked at the smile on the third young master's face, and remembered the appearance of himself and Mr. Bao when they first met Du Xiaoning. At that time, neither he nor Mr. Bao expected that this young man would be so capable.

Du Xiaoning lowered her head and concentrated on flipping through the manuscript.

Suddenly, she let out a "huh".

Gongsun Ce looked over, "Have you found anything?"

Du Xiaoning's fair fingers landed on a certain position in the manuscript, "Gongsun, read this paragraph."

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and I saw Changqing again, she was sitting by the moat and throwing zongzi into it.

Seeing me, she smiled and said to me——

I heard that the willow tree in your family has lived for hundreds of years and can become fine.All things have spirits, and these trees that have lived for many years can bless people's wishes.I have a wish, which may not come true in this life, but I still want to ask the gods, can you help me?

Gongsun Ce looked at that passage and was stunned for a while.

Du Xiaoning: "At the entrance of Renjia Village, there is a big willow tree, which is said to have lived for hundreds of years."

Gongsun Ce: "Do you think the thing that Changqing makes a wish is on the willow tree?"

Du Xiaoning nodded, "Go and have a look, whether it's useful or not, you have to go and see first. I'm sure that Changqing in the manuscript is the beautiful woman on the top floor of Wenxian Building."

Gongsun Ce thought it was the same reason.

Du Xiaoning thought about Changqing, and suddenly remembered Mr. Zhang.

She smiled and said to Gongsun Ce, "My handwriting is not very good, but I can still draw pictures. I will draw a portrait of Changqing. You can take it to Zhang Qingping and see how he reacts."

Gongsun Ce did not object, "That's fine."

After a while, Du Xiaoning handed the portrait of Changqing to Gongsun Ce.

Gongsun Ce took a look, and looked at Du Xiaoning with some surprise, "It seems that this is more than just for viewing, right?"

The third son's painting skills are a bit strong, you can tell by looking at the pair of eyes of the person in the painting, it is lifelike.

With her hands behind her back, Du Xiaoning walked out of the study with an air of a hidden master.

Gongsun Ce looked at her back and raised his voice to ask, "Where are you going?"

Du Xiaoning didn't turn her head back, and a smiling voice came from afar, "Look for Shoufeng to hang out with me."

Du Xiaoning failed to find Shoufeng, because Shoufeng asked Mr. Zhan to take care of other physical work.

The person who can accompany her to Renjia Village today has become Mr. Zhan.

Zhan Zhao looked at Du Xiaoning who looked surprised, and couldn't help raising his eyebrows, "What? Master Zhan isn't happy to accompany you?"

Du Xiaoning was not unhappy, she just glanced at Zhan Zhao with some puzzlement, "Master Ke Zhan is usually very busy, isn't he?"

Zhan Zhao has already taken his sword, "We are very busy on weekdays, but not today. Let's go."

Du Xiaoning: ""

Ok.

You are what you say.

Just go, whoever is afraid of whom.

Du Xiaoning and Zhan Zhao went to the willow tree at the entrance of Renjia Village.

The willow tree is still there, and the girl who always liked to sit under the willow tree and wait for her lover to pick her up has disappeared.

Du Xiaoning looked up at the lush willow branches and leaves, and felt that it was a bit difficult to find Changqing's wish letter here.

There is a wishing tree in the Great Buddha Temple outside the city, covered with red wishing letters.

But it is clear at a glance whether there is a red wishing letter on the willow tree.

Du Xiaoning couldn't help sighing, if only she could read not only people's hearts, but also trees' hearts.

Zhan Zhao looked at Du Xiaoning's appearance, thought for a while, and handed her the saber in his hand.

Du Xiaoning was a little confused: "Master Zhan, what is this for?"

Mr. Zhan said concisely: "Climb the tree."

Thus, for the first time in broad daylight, the third young master appreciated Lord Zhan's lightness kung fu that the current emperor is full of praise for.

Quiet and flexible, it really looks like a big cat.

A moment later, Master Zhan jumped down from the willow tree.

Du Xiaoning handed the saber in his hand to Zhan Zhao, "Didn't you notice?"

Zhan Zhao took the saber, "I've checked all the holes in the tree or places where things can be hidden, but I didn't find any."

Master Zhan said, looked up at the height of the willow tree, and jokingly said to the third son: "And are you sure that Ren Minling can climb as high as me?"

Du Xiaoning:? ? ?

This doesn't seem like something to be particularly proud of, does it?

After all, Ren Minling wasn't called a royal cat either.

The third son complained in his heart, but he didn't say anything.

She walked around the willow tree slowly, and when she walked to the other side, she found that the grass on this side seemed to be extraordinarily long.

It's nothing if the grass grows, but why the grass only grows in a circle, with a small piece of space in the middle.

Du Xiaoning wanted to take a look in the middle, when he stepped into the grass, his feet suddenly stepped on the ground.

Seeing that he was about to fall, he could only grab the arm of the person beside him in desperation.

Zhan Zhao reacted quickly, his arm was pulled by Du Xiaoning, he turned around, and his other hand had already wrapped around Du Xiaoning's waist.

Du Xiaoning: ""

Zhan Zhao: ""

The two stared at each other.

Du Xiaoning felt that she was frightened, "I didn't mean it, I missed it."

Zhan Zhao was silent, his eyes slowly moved away from Du Xiaoning's face, and his eyes fell on the place where she had missed.

That's a very simple little trap that most people fall into.

Dig a hole in the ground, put wooden branches on it, and spread leaves and turf. It looks like the ground next to it.

Zhan Zhao exerted a little force on his arm and brought Du Xiaoning to the flat ground beside him.

Du Xiaoning: ""

Mr. Zhan's action made her feel like a helpless and weak little rookie.

She looked at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao didn't look at her.

Following Zhan Zhao's gaze, Du Xiaoning looked at the ground, and saw a mahogany box lying half-buried among dead branches and leaves where she stepped on the ground just now.

A smile appeared on Zhan Zhao's handsome face, and he said in a deep voice, "Xiao Ning, I found what you were looking for."