good season

Chapter 240 Drowning While Washing One's Face (Two Chapters Combined)

Zhao Shiqing was shocked to hear the news of Lin Sen's death.

She even suspected that she might have done it while sleepwalking.

The conclusion is that it is impossible.

First, she did not have a sleepwalking problem; second, Lin Sen was imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison, and she did not have the ability to kill someone in the Dali Temple prison on her own.

However, she certainly didn't want Lin Sen to have an easy time.

But letting this person die like this is too good for that scumbag.

"How did Lin Sen die?" Zhao Shiqing asked curiously.

The news came from Zhao Tingluo, and now Zhao Shiqing knew that Xiao Luoluo's business had expanded from the inner palace to the Six Ministries and Five Temples.

Zhao Tinglu smiled and said, "Sister, this news is worth fifty taels of silver."

Zhao Shiqing.
Zhao Tinglu saw the murderous intent in Zhao Shiqing's eyes. He shrank back and quickly said, "But you're my sister, how can I take money? Well, I still need to make money from this information, so..."

Zhao Shiqing understood.

"Don't worry, I will never tell anyone."

Zhao Tinglu cleared her throat: "Lin Sen was beaten with forty strokes of the cane that day. Although he was lucky enough to survive, he was seriously injured and on the verge of death. The Dali Temple found a doctor to treat him. He has a good constitution and has been getting better in the past few days. His parents have been sentenced, and the Emperor has not yet revoked the decree of marriage. So he is still Princess Huixin's prospective husband, and the Dali Temple is preparing to release him."

He had been in prison for some time and had suffered serious injuries. He was filthy and smelly. Now that he was about to be released, he should tidy himself up, after all, he was the prospective son-in-law.

That day, the jailer brought him a basin of clean water for him to wash his face.

But no one expected that he would plunge headfirst into the basin and drown.

Zhao Shiqing: Drowning while washing your face?

Has it gotten this outrageous?

Can't we find a better reason?

Seeing her mouth widen, Zhao Tinglu chuckled: "This is only good for fooling idiots, no one will believe it, right?"
However, the Dali Temple sent men to arrest the two jailers on duty that day, but they were too late. One of them hanged himself, and the other took poison; both died.

The Dali Temple knew it had been set up, but there was no evidence. Lin Sen died in the Dali Temple's cell, so it was clear that the Dali Temple was not supervising him properly.

Therefore, the Dali Temple now states that the cause of death was the worsening of his caning injuries, leading to his death.

Zhao Shiqing breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that the Dali Temple wasn't stupid after all; they knew it was murder, but there was no way to prove it with the dead.

She then recalled what Xiao Luolu had just said: "You just said this news is worth fifty taels. Is that cheap or expensive?"

She doesn't understand the market.

Zhao Tinglu laughed and said, "I'd say it's below average. After all, his status isn't high. Although he has the title of prospective imperial son-in-law, he's not actually one yet."

"Are there people in the capital who specialize in collecting information?" Zhao Shiqing asked again.

Zhao Tinglu nodded: "Yes, there are many people who collect information. The largest one is Fengyu Pavilion, and some teahouses also collect information."

Zhao Shiqing asked with envy, "Little Luoluo, have you made a lot of money?"

Zhao Tinglu puffed out her small chest: "It's alright. If I didn't want to save money for the Prince's Mansion, I could support myself and let my mother and brother live a life of luxury."

Zhao Shiqing was filled with emotion. They were all surnamed Zhao, so why was there such a big difference? It wasn't until she came to the capital that she realized that all sorts of random information could be exchanged for money.

"Can news about the Liang Prince's Mansion be sold for money?" Zhao Shiqing's eyes sparkled.

"Of course I can! Whose information do you want to sell, Prince Liang or the Grand Princess?" Zhao Tingluo rubbed his hands excitedly. Even a small amount of information is still information, and he didn't care about making a profit.

Zhao Shiqing: "What about news about Zhao Tingxuan? How much is it worth?"

Zhao Tingluo immediately deflated: "Young Master Zhao is worthless, I'm afraid he can't even sell for five taels."

"Not even worth five taels? I thought it would sell for at least a hundred taels." Zhao Shiqing sighed. Sure enough, money isn't so easy to earn.

Second brother, you're so worthless.

Zhao Tingxuan, far away in Liang, sneezed several times.

When news of Lin Sen's death came out, it was indeed as Zhao Tingluo had said: his injuries had worsened and he could not be cured.

The people were talking amongst themselves, and their gazes toward the Dengwen Drum became even more fearful.

In just a few months, two souls have already perished beneath the Dengwen Drum.

First came the prefect's elderly mother, then Lin Sen, the prospective son-in-law; who knows who will be next to die?

So it's best not to go and beat the Dengwen Drum unless you have to; those forty strokes of the cane could really kill someone.

However, the news that Lin Sen drowned while washing his face soon spread, causing an uproar throughout the city. Most people did not believe it, but some wise people felt that the more unbelievable something was, the more likely it was to be true.

Luo Liqiong got back the Luo family's assets. Although the Lin family had taken a lot of them over the years, since the Lin family was ordered to pay compensation, she would sell everything she owned to repay them.

After Lin Sen died, this branch of the Lin family was completely wiped out.

The clan sold off the Lin family's property, with 60% used to repay the Luo family and the remaining 40% going to the clan.

The Lin family received a large sum of money for nothing, and everyone in the family was overjoyed. They were so happy that they forgot about collecting the bodies of the three Lin family members. In the end, the government entrusted the mortuary to collect the bodies of the three.

Luo Liqiong took her two children back, but instead of rushing back to her hometown, she stayed in Beijing.

In the past, she would have definitely returned to her hometown, but after coming to the capital, she broadened her horizons and understood many things.

In her hometown, women like her, without a husband's family but with two children, have no place to live.

They were either bullied by their neighbors or eaten by their relatives.

In the capital, however, things were different. Although there were various gossips among neighbors, they were just idle talk. If you didn't want to listen, you could close the door and ignore it, or you could directly curse back, or you could go to the government office to apply for a female household registration.

Luo Liqiong was not short of money. Although Wang Dashun was dead, the others were still there. These people had been dismissed by the Lin family before, but now that they learned that Luo Liqiong had taken over the family business, they all came back to start over.

These people were not only experienced, but also grateful to Luo's father. Therefore, as long as Luo Liqiong was not cheated out of money or her virtue, she and her two children would be able to live a life of comfort.

However, Luo Liqiong has a son and cannot apply for a female household registration, but she doesn't care too much.

It just so happened that a family in the alley where Mudfish lived was selling their house. Mudfish stepped in to help, and Luo Liqiong bought the house.

It was very close to Tianjing Hutong, and from then on, there were more people in Tianjing Hutong, including one adult and two children, who would freeload on meals.

Xiao Zhen has been very busy lately, and Zhao Shiqing hasn't seen him for ten days. Just as she decided to set Xiao Zhen free, he suddenly appeared in front of her.

That day, she and her friends were strolling on the street when she suddenly heard someone call her name. She looked up and saw Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping pointed, and Zhao Shiqing went upstairs as if possessed. When her friends saw this, they followed suit.

Xiao Zhen sat alone in the private room; clearly, there were other people in the room before.

Seeing Xiao Zhen, everyone felt a little embarrassed. Mudfish said, "How about we open another room?" Everyone nodded in agreement. It wasn't like there weren't other private rooms available. Who wanted to be disliked here?

Seeing that everyone had left, Zhao Shiqing finally sat down opposite Xiao Zhen.

Where have you been all this time?

Xiao Zhen hurriedly said, "I went to Chenzhou Prefecture to discuss some matters concerning the mountain gate, and I just returned yesterday."

Zhao Shiqing's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Is this another massacre?"

Xiao Zhen shook his head: "They didn't commit any crimes this time because I learned something."

"What is it?" Zhao Shiqing had a vague feeling that this must be something that would greatly shock Xiao Zhen.

"The founder of the mountain gate was Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty," Xiao Zhen said.

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback. She had always thought that the original Shanmen was a killer organization in the martial arts world, which was later used by Emperor Yongjia and became his weapon.

But she never expected that the mountain gate was related to the last emperor of the previous dynasty.

Xiao Zhen said, "Before Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty committed suicide, he named an infant prince as the crown prince and entrusted him to his eighteen secret guards."

These secret guards belong neither to the Imperial Guards nor the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Their loyalty is passed down through generations, and no one except the emperor knows their true identities.

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback. As a member of the imperial family, she naturally knew about the suicide of the previous emperor, Ai.

When Emperor Taizu captured the capital, Emperor Ai, seeing that all was lost, climbed the highest tower in the palace, Shanyue Tower, and committed suicide by burning himself.

"I remember now. During the reign of Emperor Taizu, a man claiming to be the former crown prince was captured. Later, former officials from Emperor Ai's palace and members of the imperial clan confirmed that he was a fraud, and he was executed in the street. Could it be that this man wasn't a fraud, and that he really was Emperor Ai's son?"

Xiao Zhen shook his head: "This person is indeed fake, but he is also the stand-in of the former crown prince. That crown prince had several stand-ins, and this person is just one of them."

Zhao Shiqing thought of something and looked at Xiao Zhen with bright eyes: "You just said that the mountain gate was created by Emperor Ai. Could it be those secret guards?"

"Yes, those are the secret guards. After Emperor Ai died, the eighteen secret guards took the young crown prince and left the capital, disappearing without a trace."

The truth is that although they went into hiding among the common people, they followed Emperor Ai's dying wish and established a mountain gate.

Their initial intention in establishing the mountain gate was to recruit soldiers and horses for the young prince, with the aim of restoring the secluded place.

However, at that time, Emperor Taizu was wise and won the hearts of the people. The founding heroes were still alive, and it was the most prosperous time of the Great Yong Dynasty.

They wanted to support the young prince to ascend the throne, but they lacked both the right timing and the right location, and had no popular support.

All they could do was hire assassins to murder high-ranking officials. They also attempted to enter the palace to assassinate the founding emperor, but all their attempts failed.

On his deathbed, the young prince commanded the sect to uphold his will and never forget their original aspirations.

Zhao Shiqing grew increasingly puzzled as she listened, and asked, "Does the young prince have any descendants?"

"Yes, although the young prince was depressed throughout his life, it did not affect his ability to continue the family line. He had three sons. The eldest son had the highest status and was known as the Mountain Lord. The second son, the Stone Lord, was in charge of the front mountain, and the youngest son, the Tree Lord, was in charge of the back mountain."

Zhao Shiqing was almost speechless with shock.

Of course she knew that the mountain gate was divided into the front mountain and the back mountain, with the Mountain Lord being the boss, followed by the Stone Lord and the Tree Lord.

She never expected that these three gentlemen were originally grandsons of the previous dynasty's emperor.

"Has it always been like this? The titles of Mountain Master, Stone Master, and Tree Master have always been held by the descendants of the young prince?" Zhao Shiqing asked.

Xiao Zhen smiled bitterly: "Yes, it always has been. Isn't it ridiculous? That guy thought he was so clever that he actually took over the sect."

"Then do you think that person knows the origin of the sect?" Zhao Shiqing asked again.

Xiao Zhen shook his head: "He definitely doesn't know."

If Emperor Yongjia knew the origin of the mountain gate, then he wouldn't have been completely ignorant in his previous life.

Zhao Shiqing asked again: "So the current situation is not that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has taken over the mountain gate, but that the mountain gate is using the Embroidered Uniform Guard to get closer to that person step by step?"

By the way, the young prince only had three sons, so three positions were created. Surely his descendants won't also only have three sons per generation? If they have more, there won't be enough to go around.

Xiao Zhen smiled: "You guessed right, so something happened later."

Historically, the positions of mountain, rock, and tree were each represented by one person from each of the three households.

Therefore, Shan Ye's branch has always been the eldest, and among his children and grandchildren, there are inevitably good and bad ones. They did some outrageous things, which made the other two branches indignant. They felt that since the eldest branch did all the work, why should they get all the benefits without working?

So the two heads of the household joined forces and wiped out Shan Ye's branch of the family, with only one girl surviving by sheer luck.

Zhao Shiqing gasped. These people often used the tactic of wiping out entire families. She never expected that they would be so ruthless as to not even spare their own people. The second and third branches of the family joined forces to destroy the eldest branch.

"And then what happened? You must have found out what happened afterward. That girl escaped. Did she grow up? And what about the mountain gate? The eldest son's family was wiped out. Who became the mountain lord afterward?"

Xiao Zhen smiled: "Let me answer your last question first. From that generation onwards, the position of Mountain Master has been rotated between the second and third branches of the family, changing every five years. The current Mountain Master comes from the third branch."

Zhao Shiqing twitched her lips. As expected of someone of royal blood, their greatest skill was fighting among themselves.

"What I'm going to talk about now is that girl. At the time of the incident, she wasn't home. Instead, she secretly slipped out to meet her lover, which is why she escaped unharmed," Xiao Zhen said.

Zhao Shiqing did not interrupt him and continued to listen to him.

"Although that girl survived, she became a helpless orphan."

Her lover remained devoted to her and, despite his father's objections, secretly pledged their lives to each other.

The couple came to the capital hoping that the father-in-law would approve of the marriage.

The girl's father-in-law was arrogant and old-fashioned. Not only did he not acknowledge the marriage, but he also kicked them out of the house. He even told his son that unless he divorced his wife, he could never use the family's traditional medical skills again.

The couple left the capital and lived in a small county town. The man found a job picking medicinal herbs at a pharmacy, while the woman stayed home to take care of the household chores. Although life was hard, they loved each other dearly.

Later, they had a son.

But the good times didn't last long. When their son was two years old, his wife's whereabouts were exposed.

His wife had grown up in the mountain gate and was familiar with its usual practices. She knew that as long as he lived, those people would not give up.

She seduced a man, which angered her husband. After a big argument, she eloped with the man and was exposed to the mountain gate.

Soon after, the husband found the bodies of the two women and understood his wife's good intentions.

He secretly arranged for someone to send his only son to the capital and hand him over to his father.

After sending his son away, he committed suicide to follow his wife in death.

Zhao Shiqing was stunned. She wiped away imaginary tears from her face and said, "It's so touching, so moving, sob sob, I'm so moved."

Xiao Zhen: He didn't avenge his wife, abandoned his son to his elderly father, and then committed suicide for love. What's so moving about that? It's cowardice, incompetence, and shirking responsibility!

But he didn't dare say it. Zhao Shiqing said she was moved, so be it. Anyway, he wouldn't imitate her.

But the next moment, Zhao Shiqing, who was still moved, suddenly slapped her thigh: "What a coincidence! I also know an old man who used to live in the capital. His son and daughter-in-law died, leaving behind a little grandson who depends on him for survival! Isn't that a coincidence? And there's something even more coincidental. Do you remember that letter? We used the map on that letter to search, and after searching and searching, we actually found the stronghold of the mountain gate in Shilipu."