After Xiao Fubao's life was stolen, he became the favorite of everyone in the capital

Chapter 454: Letter of Inquiry
The prefect of Jingzhao was sleeping soundly in the middle of the night yesterday when Xie Xingchuan and his men knocked on the door of the yamen so loudly that it shook the heavens.

Although Xie Xingchuan is young, he is the only son of General Xie. This time he came to the capital to receive rewards on behalf of the border town generals. It is said that the emperor praised him again and again.

With such status, the Jingzhao prefect did not dare to neglect him, and Xie Xingchuan was determined to live in the government office, so even if it was a small matter like interrogating a thief, the Jingzhao prefect could only endure the other party's urging eyes and conduct the interrogation overnight.

"Sir, my father has always been strict in military management. If he knew that such a thing happened in his mansion, he would definitely ask you to punish him severely, just like I do." Xie Xingchuan said.

The prefect of Jingzhao naturally understood that there must be some privacy involved in the general's mansion, but he took it for granted that Mrs. Xie had only one son, Xie Xingchuan, and there must be no overnight hatred between mother and son.

Even though Nanny Xie kept saying that she was the Madam's person, Jin Zhaofu Yin didn't take it too seriously. After all, Xie Xingchuan was the future of the General's Mansion, and he was happy to do Xie Xingchuan a favor.

"Thank you, General, for your fairness and strictness. You are worthy of being a role model for our generation. However, this family of three has committed a crime against the rich and has stolen a total of three thousand taels of property from the master's family. According to the deliberations of this dynasty, the three of them should be punished with a hundred strokes of the cane and a thousand miles of exile."

Xie Xingchuan hurriedly said: "Your Excellency enforces the law impartially, I admire you!"

When Aunt Xie and her family heard about this punishment, they immediately cried for their parents.

"Master, after a hundred strokes of the cane, will my Dabao still be alive? Please, for the sake of my husband and I's years of service, let the child go!" Aunt Xie begged while crying.

The couple's son Dabao was captured from the gambling house by Xie Xingchuan last night.

He may really not know where his parents got the money from, but his parents spent all the money on him, so both Xie Xingchuan and the prefect of Jingzhao felt that he was not innocent.

"It is really hateful to have an unfilial son and bring trouble to his parents!" The prefect of Jingzhao sighed. He even wanted to increase the punishment for Dabao.

Xie Dabao is the couple's only son. No one knows where he got the gambling habit from. He lost more and more money, and the couple had to rack their brains to make money from the Xie family to make up for their son's losses.

"Sir, Madam Xie sent someone to deliver a note." Someone came and delivered the item to the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, and conveyed Madam Xie's request.

The prefect of Jingzhao glanced at Xie Xingchuan.

Xie Xingchuan said loudly: "Sir, does my mother also ask for severe punishment?"

Madam Xie was like grabbing a life-saving straw, and said anxiously: "Madam will definitely save me! She will not abandon me for a little bastard like you!"

Now that Madam Xie's life was in danger, she did not continue to hide this huge secret.

The prefect of Jingzhao was embarrassed about being involved in the mess of the Xie family, but at the same time he was sighing in his heart that although the Xie family seemed so glamorous on the surface, it turned out that there were so many messy things inside.

Xie Xingchuan remained calm and said, "Sir, no one's face is as important as the law of the country."

The prefect of Jingzhao had already made the judgment, but since Mrs. Xie's letter was delivered a little late, he finally chose to uphold the judgment.

Aunt Xie's face was ashen as death, and she kept cursing Xie Xingchuan: "Little bastard, if you treat me like this, Madam will not let you go! Even if our whole family turns into ghosts, we will not forgive you!"

The Jingzhao prefect couldn't help but frown when he heard about such a deep hatred. He waved his hand and asked the officers beside him to shut up Nanny Xie's family.

After Xie Xingchuan confirmed that the family of three could not turn things around, he did not return to the Xie family after leaving the government office, but went straight to the Gu family. "My son, what's wrong with your eyes? Didn't you sleep all night last night? You have such big dark circles under your eyes!" Zhang Yunniang could tell at a glance that her son was not in good condition.

Xie Xingchuan nodded and said, "I was busy catching mice all night last night and didn't sleep well."

Zhang Yunniang watched him eat two bowls of chicken noodle soup and wanted to have a third bowl, so she quickly stopped him.

"You need to make up for your sleep later. It's easy to get into trouble if you eat too much and sleep too late. Walk around the yard three times before going to bed. Remember?" Zhang Yunniang reminded.

Niuniu held Xie Xingchuan's hand and said, "Brother, I'll take a walk with you!"

Xie Xingchuan obediently followed his family's instructions and walked around the yard three times before entering the room that the Gu family had specially prepared for him.

The quilt in the room seemed to have been dried in the sun again recently, and you could smell the scent of the sunshine when you lay in it.

He had just laid down when Zhang Yuniang knocked on the door and came in.

Seeing her son putting on a mask, Zhang Yunniang said, "It's so uncomfortable to wear a mask while sleeping. I'm not an outsider."

Xie Xingchuan hesitated for a moment, and finally took off the mask, but he didn't dare to look at Zhang Yunniang.

Although they are biological mother and son, they have been separated for too long, and Xie Xingchuan is already so old, so he still feels a little awkward when his mother enters his room.

"Mom, do you have anything you want to tell your son?" Xie Xingchuan asked.

Zhang Yunniang couldn't help feeling sad when she heard this. Gu Zhao never spoke to her like this. Xie Xingchuan always said "orders" when he opened his mouth. She couldn't help but wonder, did Mrs. Xie often order her son to do something?
She suppressed her doubts, sat down beside Xie Xingchuan's bed, and said softly: "Niuniu is so old, but she still likes to listen to me singing songs to coax her to sleep. Zhao and Yan were also like this when they couldn't sleep before."

Xie Xingchuan suddenly felt as if his whole body was wrapped in something warm. He had also heard from his comrades in the border town that when they were young, their mothers sang ballads to lull them to sleep.

In Xie Xingchuan's memory, it seemed that he always lay alone in a big bed when he was a child, with darkness all around him. He used to be scared, but later he got used to it and let it go.

Xie Xingchuan had always thought that he didn't need these things, but when he heard Zhang Yuniang humming softly, he fell into a deep and sweet dream unknowingly.

Zhang Yunniang sat on the edge of the bed, watching Xie Xingchuan's frown finally relax, then looked at the criss-crossing scars on her son's face, her heart felt like it was being pricked by a needle.

She stretched out her hand, wanting to touch him, but was afraid of disturbing her son's sleep. After a long time, she turned around, wiped the tears from her face, and tiptoed out of the room.

Gu Mingda asked outside the door: "Are you asleep?"

Zhang Yunniang nodded.

"I really don't know what he has been through over the years. I don't know if it's my illusion, but I always feel that he has a hard life." Zhang Yuniang said softly.

Gu Mingda was also upset and said, "Don't worry, I have asked someone to take gifts to the border town to send a letter to ask about General Xie's past."

(End of this chapter)