good season

Even ordinary people born and raised in Beijing feel a sense of belonging to the city's prosperity.

For example, Aunt Ji.

Despite the fact that no one in her family had ever passed the imperial examinations in eighteen generations, it didn't stop her from looking down on young officials from out of town.

Just like now, she stood in front of Yang Shengqiu, but she wasn't afraid at all.

“Our daughter is not a criminal. This gentleman would better avoid such matters. As Confucius said, men and women should not touch each other. Although our family is of humble origin, we are a respectable and law-abiding family!”

Yang Shengqiu never expected that, even now that he holds an official position, he would still be mocked in the street by an old woman with a thick Beijing accent.

Would she dare to do that if it were one of those sons of noble families?

Aunt Ji: Don't even mention it, I really wouldn't dare. Not to mention the sons of noble families, I wouldn't even dare to approach those sons of officials who have been operating in the capital for many years.

But for these newcomers with no background or connections, she dared to do it—she was incredibly daring.

At worst, I'll sit on the ground, or even lie down. Who's afraid of who?

Yang Shengqiu, observing his expression, knew at a glance that this was a difficult person to deal with.

He quickly explained, "Madam, you've misunderstood. I just wanted to save you the trouble of going to the yamen again, which is why I asked a few more questions. Please forgive me, Madam and Miss."

Aunt Ji rolled her eyes: "Are you done asking now?"

Yang Shengqiu: "I'm done asking."

Aunt Ji: "Please take care, sir. I won't see you off."

Yang Shengqiu: This seems to be on the main street, not your home.

But he didn't say anything more, and got into his sedan chair and left.

Watching the official sedan chair disappear into the distance, Xiuxiu said to Aunt Ji, "Aunt Ji, please don't be so ruthless next time. Look how embarrassed Scholar Yang is."

Aunt Ji glanced at her and suddenly realized, "I was wondering why this pretty boy looked so familiar. Oh, he's the top scholar! I saw him the day he paraded through the streets on horseback. Oh dear, it seems that being the top scholar isn't all that great. He doesn't even have a secretary. He has to come and question me himself."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Xiuxiu was taken aback. Yes, it was just a few insignificant questions, yet Scholar Yang had personally come to ask her about them.

Could it be that Scholar Yang recognized her?

Did they know she was from the Zhen family?

When Scholar Yang came last time, he mentioned that the old master had been kind to him, so it was reasonable for him to give him some face.

However, the thought that Scholar Yang still remembered her brought a slight blush to Xiuxiu's cheeks.

Aunt Ji dropped Xiuxiu off at her doorstep and then hurried away. In the large courtyard in Shihui Hutong, two tenants had moved out before the Lunar New Year, and someone wanted to come and see the apartment today.

When Xiuxiu returned home, she looked around and saw that only Zhang Ye was doing his homework. The primary school started late and wouldn't start until after the Lantern Festival.

Xiuxiu found Wan Ruyi in the kitchen. On the cutting board were all sorts of little hedgehogs, rabbits and pigs, all made of dough.

"Aunt Ruyi, where is the others? The Second Miss isn't home, and the Old Master is out too?"

Wan Ruyi said with a smile, "Grandpa went to walk the birds, and the second young lady and the others all went out. I don't know what they went to do. Doesn't this little dog I sculpt look like Xiaoye?"

Xiuxiu originally wanted to talk to the second young lady about Yang Zhuangyuan, but Zhao Shiqing was not at home, so she had no choice but to wash her hands and knead dough with Wan Ruyi.

At this moment, Zhao Shiqing was sitting in the Duke of Wei's mansion.

Wan Ruyi's mind was focused on the things she liked. She only knew that Zhao Shiqing had gone out, but she didn't notice that someone came looking for Zhao Shiqing, which was why Zhao Shiqing went out.

It was Yan Shiyi who came to find Zhao Shiqing: "Brother Bao, my older brother is treating us to a meal, and he asked me to come and invite you."

Zhao Shiqing's eyes lit up. Yan Xia was treating her? And he even sent Yan Shiyi to invite her specially. This must be more than just eating and drinking.

"Okay." As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Shiqing was stunned.

She looked down at her feet, which were adorned with embroidered shoes. She chuckled; Yan Shiyi had suddenly arrived, and she had forgotten to disguise herself as a man.

“Brother Bao, don’t be shy. I’ve known for a long time that you’re a girl, and my Ninth Brother knows too,” Yan Shiyi said.

Zhao Shiqing's lips twitched: "Yan Jiu knew too? You all figured it out a long time ago?"

Yan Shiyi: "It was Brother Tinglu who figured it out, and it was he who told us."

Okay, Zhao Shiqing understood. Smart kids are not easy to fool. Zhao Tingluo had already figured out that she was a girl, but they just didn't say anything and watched her continue to pretend to be a boy in front of them.

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes."

Zhao Shiqing changed into men's clothing and went to the Duke of Wei's mansion with Yan Shiyi.

Before leaving, she took Lingbo with her and a large, marinated goose, which she put in a basket.

“Brother Bao, my elder brother asked if you can find Young Master Zhen. If you can, please bring him along.”

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback, not expecting that Yan Xia had also sought out Xiao Zhen.

"Okay, but we'll have to try our luck. I don't even know if he's there."

As luck would have it, Xiao Zhen was at Su Ji Tea Shop when he boarded the carriage of the Duke of Wei's mansion.

The group passed by the Prince of Fu's residence and gave Zhao Tinglu a ride.

Upon seeing Zhao Tingluo, Zhao Shiqing's heart stirred, and she said to Zhao Tingluo, "I need to ask you something in a little while, and I'm afraid I might forget, so I'm telling you in advance."

On the way, Zhao Shiqing learned that neither the Duke of Wei nor his wife were there today. The Duchess's family had a happy occasion, and the couple had taken their youngest son back to her parents' home, leaving their two older sons behind. They wouldn't be back until the day after tomorrow.

Therefore, the current Duke of Wei's mansion is now the domain of Yan Xia and Yan Shiyi.

When they arrived, all the brothers of the Yan family who were eight years old or older, namely the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth brothers, as well as the tenth and twelfth brothers, were there. In addition to them, the brothers who broke the big stone were also there.

From a great distance, one could hear a burst of laughter and cheerful chatter.

Xiao Shiyi: "There are only my eldest brother and Brother Zhen here, the two elders. We are all just kids."

燕侠
Xiao Zhen
Yan Xia said, "I've been busy all of December, and it's only today that I've had time to invite everyone over for a get-together. Don't be shy, there aren't many formalities."

Before the words were even finished, the Broken Stone Brothers cheered, and the Yan family members, not to be outdone, simply grabbed a copper basin and started banging on it.

"Don't miss out, everyone! Come and see the chest-breaking boulder!"

Amidst the merriment, Yan Xia invited Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing to the study.

"Brother-in-law, is there any progress in the case of Prefect Huang of Mingtai?" Zhao Shiqing had a feeling that Yan Xia wanted to talk to them about Prefect Huang's case, not Lin Xian's case.

As expected, Yan Xia nodded.

"I also want to thank you for reminding me, which allowed me to conduct a targeted investigation. The case has now been solved, and the relevant perpetrators have all been imprisoned in the Imperial Prison."

Xiao Zhen asked, "Is it the Second Prince's faction?"

Yan Xia said, "The news of the Second Prince's death may not come out until after the first month of the lunar calendar."

Zhao Shiqing gasped: "The Second Prince is dead just like that?"

Yan Xia said, "After the first month of the lunar calendar, the Second Prince may die suddenly from an illness, or he may die from falling off his horse. In any case, he will not have his neck broken."

Yan Xia paused for a moment: "When Lu Qian went to the Second Prince's residence to arrest the person, the person was already dead."

Zhao Shiqing asked solemnly, "Broken neck?"

Yan Xia: "Yes."

Zhao Shiqing: "Could it be that besides the Second Prince, there's someone else behind that case?"

Yan Xia shook his head: "No, I have investigated this case very clearly. At first, the Second Prince only wanted to place his own people in the case, but Feng Ke's protégé got involved and made things worse. The Prefect Huang's brother was killed, and the case was about to reach the capital. So the Second Prince decided to play along, dig a pit for the Third Prince to fall into, and shift the blame onto the Third Prince."

Zhao Shiqing understood: "In other words, the Second Prince was the mastermind behind it all. There was no one else behind him, but why was he killed?"

Yan Xia smiled bitterly: "This case is over and it's no longer my business, but I feel frustrated and want to talk to someone about it."

Xiao Zhen, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "You've already guessed the cause of the Second Prince's death, haven't you?"

Yan Xia remained silent, but Zhao Shiqing looked at Xiao Zhen in surprise: "You knew? He knew too? You all knew? Could it be..."

Suddenly, an answer occurred to her. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Xiao Zhen, then at Yan Xia: "Even tigers don't eat their cubs, could it be..."

Xiao Zhen: "Don't you think this method is very similar to that of the sect?"

Of course they looked alike. Zhao Shiqing felt a sharp pain in her heart. Her parents and her grandmother had both had their necks broken.

"But he is, after all, his son."

Xiao Zhen sneered: "He can kill his own brother, so why can't he kill his own son? He doesn't even have to lift a finger."

Yes, for him, it's just a matter of a word; someone will take care of the arrangements.

"But why? The Second Prince committed a serious crime; why not just order his punishment? Why resort to assassins? Wait, last time the Fourth Prince framed the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, he was only beaten and confined to his quarters to reflect on his mistakes. And Prince Jing also made a mistake, but he's still alive. They're all guilty, so why must the Second Prince die?"

Xiao Zhen's voice was icy: "What he really cares about is not the fratricide, but that his sons are out of his control."

In the past, when the princes framed each other, it was their individual interests that were shaken. To put it bluntly, it was about the son's position in his father's heart. In his view, these were all tricks he had used before and were within his control.

Although Prefect Huang was not a high-ranking official, Mingtai Prefecture was a superior prefecture, and the Prefect of Mingtai was very influential. To that person, this was already shaking his country and the state.

The second prince's reach was too far and his actions too ruthless, making the man feel threatened. This had exceeded his tolerance limit for his sons, so the second prince had to die.

The second prince's "death" severed his connection to the case. Once the minor figures involved were apprehended, the focus was shifted back to the murder of Wang Feihu's wife and daughter. The third prince was thus extricated from the case, because what had implicated him was the wrongful conviction of Prefect Huang, not the case of Wang Feihu's wife and daughter.

Zhao Shiqing felt like she understood, but then again, she didn't. She looked at Yan Xia and asked, "Brother-in-law, did the Emperor really send you to investigate the case of Wang Feihu's wife and daughter?"

Yan Xia smiled bitterly: "Young Master Zhen is right. His Majesty did indeed order me to arrest Wang Feihu's father and brother. This case must be made airtight. A warrant for a nationwide arrest has already been issued. No matter where they flee to, they must be brought to justice."

Zhao Shiqing remained silent.

Admittedly, Wang Feihu's father and brother are both beasts, deserving of death, and it is only right that they be arrested and brought to justice.

However, the emperor wanted to use this case to cover up the truth that the second prince had used a borrowed knife to kill someone and eliminate a local prefect. Moreover, the greater the impact of this case, the less likely the third prince's wrongful handling of the case would go unpunished.

Zhao Shiqing felt a chill run down her spine. No wonder Yan Xia felt so stifled; she would feel the same way if she were in Yan Xia's shoes.

“Brother-in-law, Wang Feihu’s father and brother are worse than animals. It’s outrageous that they escaped the law. If you bring them back, it will be a good deed.”

Yan Xia nodded: "Yes, I will definitely bring these three beasts to justice."

Taking the opportunity, Zhao Shiqing asked, "Are you leaving Beijing again? How's Lin Xian's case going?"

Yan Xia said, "The warrant for the arrest has been issued. I will only leave the capital once I have any leads. Lin Xian has woken up, but unfortunately he has amnesia."

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback: "Amnesia? Brother-in-law, is this really not something you read in a storybook? I thought amnesia only happened in storybooks."

Then, remembering something, she added, "That doesn't count as amnesia. I was just a child then, and it's normal to forget things from when you were little."

A smile appeared on Xiao Zhen's lips. This little girl is too interesting.

Yan Xia confirmed again: "It's not a storybook. Lin Xian has indeed lost his memory. He can't even remember his own name."

However, the imperial physician examined him and said that this condition was only temporary. He was suffering from a shock, coupled with excessive blood loss and a persistent high fever, which caused his condition. This had happened before, but the person gradually regained their memory after a short time. It is hoped that Lin Xian will also remember who harmed him.

Zhao Shiqing was speechless and asked the heavens, "How could such a thing happen!"

"Could I meet Lin Xian? Maybe I can help him remember some things."

Yan Xia hesitated for a moment before agreeing: "He is currently at Lord Xu's house. You can't go directly there, lest you arouse Lord Xu's suspicion. You will disguise yourself as my servant and I will take you there."

Zhao Shiqing was surprised to find Lin Xian at Lord Xu's house. She knew that Lord Xu was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, a cunning old fox who never got involved in any scandals.

Unexpectedly, this cunning old fox also had a time when he wasn't afraid of trouble, and actually hid the witness in his own home.

Perhaps guessing what she was thinking, before Yan Xia could explain, Xiao Zhen said, "Lord Xu is the only Grand Secretary in the Cabinet who has not taken sides, so his presence in the Cabinet is very low."

In his previous life, the political situation in the court was turbulent. After Yan Xia died, there was no one to rely on, but Lord Xu remained firmly in the Ministry of Justice. Everyone knew that he was just going through the motions, and the emperor also knew that he was just going through the motions, but no one could find any fault with him. He had always protected himself very well.

Yan Xia was surprised that Young Master Zhen knew about Lord Xu. Today was the second formal meeting between him and Zhen Gui, not counting the one at the palace banquet.

He had Zhao Shiqing bring Young Master Zhen along today because he wanted to befriend him. Young Master Zhen was someone he despised for his connections among the princes, but he was also Zhen Wuduo's godson and even addressed Zhen Wuduo's granddaughter as brother and sister, which piqued Yan Xia's interest.

Moreover, Zhen Wuduo's godson is related to Zhao Yunnuan, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are family. Therefore, he naturally wants to maintain a good relationship with her.

These days, it's not easy to find a wife, and Master Yan is no exception.

He just didn't expect that Zhen Gui would be so good at judging people.

But for some reason, he always felt that Zhen Gui was somewhat familiar, as if he had known him for a long time. (End of Chapter)