During this period of time, Song Huaiqing had hardly ever seen Zhao Shi take the initiative to mention his beloved concubine who had died. Most men were unlucky, and their sadness only came in waves, and it passed.
It was rare for him to see Zhao Shi acting so rude. He didn't know what to say for a moment, and no matter how he tried to persuade him, nothing would be right.
Zhao Shi clenched the purse in his palm as if grasping a life-saving straw, tensed his jaw, and with a forbearing expression, he explained in a hoarse voice: "This is her purse."
Song Huaiqing was silent for a long time, raised his eyes and looked at him deeply, and said politely: "Your Highness, it's just a purse."
Aren’t all the wallets in the world the same? Or maybe he made a mistake.
Zhao Shi had a pale face and a thin figure. The breeze had just passed, and the skirt of his light shirt was swaying. His hands began to tremble, and then slowly calmed down. He silently carefully put his purse into his sleeves and lifted it up. Eyelids, said: "It can't be wrong."
She must have escaped in the first place.
…
When Mingzhu returned home, her legs were weak.
She was so frightened that cold sweat stained her thin inner clothes on her back. She changed her clothes and drank a cup of hot tea, and then she gradually regained some of her energy.
Hongling's eyes were complicated, "Zhuzhu, are you really so afraid of him?"
Mingzhu held the cup in both hands and nodded.
Hong Ling felt that the man today did not look like a good guy, and it was really difficult to speak. "It's okay, he won't take advantage of you."
Mingzhu was still frowning and digging her fingernails into her palms. It was only when she felt the pain that she came to her senses. She gave a forced smile and said, "Well, I haven't gone out in the past few months."
So as not to meet him.
Counting the days, more than half a month has passed since Zhao Chi found out he was in Yangzhou until he is here now. He probably won't be able to stay long and will return to Beijing soon.
"It's really unlucky that I have to avoid him even after arriving in Yangzhou." Hong Ling said angrily.
"It's impossible for him to stay in Yangzhou his whole life."
"Do you think he is here to find you?"
Mingzhu shook her head, lowered her eyelids silently, her expression unclear, and her voice sounded soft, "No,"
Hong Ling groaned a few times and did not continue to ask. Suddenly there was a banging knock on the door in the yard outside. Hongling's face turned dark when she saw the sound. She cursed: "It's those little bastards again! I will beat them today until they cry for father and mother." It’s just over.”
There are several families living in this alley, and there are a few ignorant children who often knock on their courtyard doors and stretch out their hands to ask for food.
Mingzhu would give it to him most of the time, but Hongling couldn't see that these bastards were deliberately disturbing people's purity, so she rushed out with a broom and opened the courtyard door with a fierce look.
The bastards ran away when they saw her.
Hong Ling closed the door triumphantly, went back to the house, and said to Mingzhu: "You are too spoiled to those children, and that's why they push you further and make trouble for you every day."
Mingzhu smiled and said, "Children all like to make noises, and I did the same when I was a kid."
Hong Ling didn't quite believe her words. Mingzhu had a gentle temperament and was not like a child who jumped up and down and made a fuss.
It was already dark, Hongling lit a few lamps, and the bright candlelight illuminated the whole room. Mingzhu sat quietly by the window, cutting the wick of the candlestick next to it, and the firelight swayed like a cluster of seedlings. She was naked and lowered her head to adjust the fabric she had brought back from the shop today. Her fingers were thin and white, and she whispered, "Can I use this piece of soft tobacco to make you some clothes?"
There are only a handful of new clothes in Hongling's wardrobe, and she doesn't know how to dress herself up. She obviously has a good foundation, with fair skin, big eyes, and upright and charming facial features. She looks like a little beauty when she dresses up seriously.
Everyone has a love for beauty. She blushed a little after what Mingzhu said. Even though she was coy, she couldn't help but say, "You'd better keep it for your child."
Mingzhu cut off the thin thread in her hand and raised her head, her delicate face reflected in the candlelight, "This piece of cloth was originally bought for you."
Hongling hesitated, "Oh, don't strain your eyes, I'm not in a hurry to wear it."
She didn't say anything, but she was still very happy in her heart.
Mingzhu said yes, she lowered her head and continued to stitch. Her profile in the candlelight was picturesque, her long black hair fell on her knees, her expression was soft, and she whispered: "How many more can I make with the extra fabric?" Purse.”
"But you already have a lot of money!"
Mingzhu moved her hands for a moment, as if she suddenly remembered something. She slowly raised her face, her eyes were dark, and the moist light in her eyes was like a clear spring. She said: "Hongling, help me. Bring me the clothes you just changed into."
Hong Ling didn't know why, "The clothes will be washed tomorrow."
Mingzhu shook her head with a pale face, "No."
Although Hongling didn't understand what she wanted to do, she turned around and went to the cubicle to help her get the clothes and hand them to her.
Mingzhu rummaged through the pile of clothes, her face looking worse and worse, she murmured: "My wallet is missing."
Hong Ling saw her frightened look and thought she had a lot of money in her purse, feeling distressed. She said a few nice words to comfort her, but Mingzhu didn't seem to be relieved. She sat blankly by the window, her little face so pale that it made people feel distressed.
Mingzhu tried hard to think about it, but she really couldn't remember when she dropped her purse. It was most likely when she ran away in a panic to avoid Zhao Shi.
Now I can only pray that the purse will not be seen by Zhao Shi. The man has a delicate mind. As long as he finds something wrong, he can follow the clues to find out the truth.
Mingzhu held back a sip, and she began to comfort herself secretly, how could there be such a coincidence in this world.
Hongling asked her, "Zhuzhu, are you okay?"
Mingzhu cheered up and smiled with her, "It's okay."
As a person who cares about money rather than life, Hongling understands her mood very well at this time. There is so much money in her pocket that it would hurt anyone to lose it! She said with relief: "We will spend money to eliminate disasters, and we will never make enough money."
Mingzhu nodded: "You are right, waste money and eliminate disaster."
On the other side, the prefect of Suzhou City, Xiu Mu, was summoned by His Royal Highness the Prince that day. He had no choice but to crawl out of the gentle village, put on his clothes and hurried to the Prince's collapsed courtyard, flattering him to the best of his ability.
He was waiting outside the study with a smile, his mind was beating a drum constantly, and he thought carefully about what he did wrong that the prince saw? I was called in when I was at a loss.
The prince didn't even look at him, threw him a portrait and asked him to search for the person.
The magistrate hurriedly caught the portrait, finally letting go of his worries. He raised his sleeves to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and hurried to do this.
Finding someone in Yangzhou City is not easy. It's easy to deal with in the city, but it will be difficult if this person hides in the countryside.
When he left the courtyard, he bumped into Mr. Song again, and he said hello quickly.
Song Huaiqing glanced at the scroll in his arms and asked, "Is this ?"
The prefect informed him, "Your Highness asked me to investigate a person."
Song Huaiqing had a suspicion in his mind. He glanced at the people in the scroll and couldn't help but frown. The prince was really crazy and let people search a dead person.
Seeing that they were feeling guilty, the prefect hurriedly said a few words and found an excuse to leave. After returning to the government office, I immediately found a painter and copied a few portraits, and then asked the police officer to search from house to house.
The patrol chief didn't take this matter to heart, and the girl in the portrait didn't look like a heinous villain. Besides, this beauty really lived in Yangzhou and should have been famous long ago.
Hong Ling went out to buy groceries. When she saw the catcher looking for someone with a portrait, her eyes widened, her ears pricked up, and she looked in all directions. She took the vegetable basket and walked up to the door and asked: "Master , who are you looking for?"
The leader of the police officers swept her around and said, "It's none of your business, so hurry up and leave."
Hong Ling cursed his own mother in his heart, and raised a smile on his lips, "Maybe I can help, or I have seen her."
The catcher had a horizontal knife on his waist, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent. He asked, "Why did you kill so many people?"
Hong Ling was afraid that he would become suspicious, and the smile on her lips suddenly became even more ridiculous, "For the reward from the Yamen." She made nonsense, "Last time my cousin caught a wanted criminal, the Yamen rewarded him with a full fifty taels. silver."
The catcher reluctantly believed her lies, spread the portrait in front of her eyes, raised his eyes and raised his eyebrows, and asked, "Have you seen it before?"
Hongling pinched her palm with her hands, her acting skills were very superb. She raised her head with a regretful and angry expression, shook her head and said, "No."
"No, get out."
Hong Ling left their sight in despair, turned the corner into a deserted alley, leaned against the wall and took two deep breaths. They were indeed looking for the pearl.
Her hands and feet gradually recovered, and she ran back home.
I ran home in one gulp. I was so anxious that I didn't even drink any water. I was panting as if I was going to die.
Mingzhu gently stroked her back to help her smooth it out, "What's wrong?"
Hong Ling was panting again and again. She sat on the ground and rested for a while. Her voice was hoarse and dry, and she said, "The government officials are looking for you."
Mingzhu's face changed, her slender body swayed twice, and her white fingers clasped the edge of the table. Before she could speak, Hongling hurriedly got up from the ground, "Zhuzhu, let's run away quickly!" !!”
I really can’t stay in this Suzhou city!
Hong Ling never expected that that bitch man was so powerful. He could cover the sky with one hand and summon the prefect of Suzhou City. With the way they are searching the streets today, they may be checking their household registrations soon!
Mingzhu lowered her head, her belly blocking her sight, and now she could no longer see her feet.
Hong Ling was obviously aware of the problem. She turned around anxiously and stamped her feet, "How about you write a letter to Mr. Wei and ask him to find a way to help you?"
Wei Chiyu still had official duties, so he returned to Changzhou only a few days ago.
Mingzhu shook her head, "This will only harm him."
"What should I do?!" She only knew how to fight, but she wasn't very good at it. She wasn't sure if she could beat a few stronger men.
"Hide." Mingzhu raised her eyes and looked at her seriously, "In the past few days, you told them that I went back to my husband's house to raise the baby."
Hongling nodded: "Okay."
Less than two days after the peaceful days, the patrol leader began to check household registrations one by one. Still knocking on the door late at night.
Their actions were far from polite. Heavy knocking on the door at night could wake people up from their sleep. Mingzhu hid behind the haystack in the woodshed and hid herself tightly.
Hong Ling put on her clothes and went to open the courtyard with a lantern in her hand.
The catcher was deeply impressed by this woman with a delicate appearance and a cunning personality. Even though the light was dim at night, he recognized her as the person who stopped them on the street that day.
The catcher looked inside with an arrogant attitude, "Are you alone?"
Hongling pretended to yawn, "Yes, Guan Ye."
It was so dark in the yard that I couldn't see anything clearly. The catcher pushed her away and barged in roughly. The rooms in the west and east wings were not lit, so it was hard to tell whether anyone was living there.
"You're not the only one on the roster."
"Oh, you're talking about my sister."
"Where's your sister?"
Hong Ling suddenly pretended to be angry and said through gritted teeth: "My sister followed my heartless brother-in-law home. You don't know that my brother-in-law is not only stealing people outside, he is also stealing people's flowers." It’s the money from the sale of my sister’s dowry. I can’t wait to kill him with a knife. He’s a poor bastard. He’ll die..."
The catcher's brows were knotted, and he waved his hand impatiently, interrupting her, "Okay, okay, no one wants to do this."
Hong Ling's eyes were twitching, as if the talkative woman in the village had finally found someone to confide in, and she had the audacity to get the knife at his waist, "Master, can you lend me this one?" Two days? I'll go back and chop that heartless beast to death."
The catcher pushed her away with a serious expression, "Go, go, go."
Hong Ling sat down on the ground, tears bursting out of her eyes, and she cried at the top of her lungs.
He was annoyed by the headhunting and his ears hurt from the buzzing. He was too lazy to pester this shrewd little girl, so he walked around the yard perfunctorily and left with the people.
When the others were gone, Hong Ling got up from the ground, locked the courtyard door with shaking hands, and then sneaked into the woodshed, calling Ming Zhu's name in a low voice.
Mingzhu slowly changed her background and said, "Is the person gone?"
Hongling nodded.
Mingzhu was relieved, but she was still wet and unable to stand up. She simply sat in the haystack. She did not relax completely for the rest of her life. She clutched the straw under her body. , asked: "Hong Ling, how much does the person in the painting look like me?"
Hong Ling didn't want to say anything to her, fearing that she would worry, so she hesitated to cover it up. But she couldn't fool Mingzhu. She stared at her and chased after her, "How similar is it?"
Hongling had no choice but to say: "Seven or eight points."
They are completely different, almost identical, even the charm is captured.
Mingzhu's heart froze and her legs softened. The only thing she could be thankful for now was that she rarely appeared in public, and she wore a veil when she went out. Not many people had seen her face.
The catchers worked all night, but still got something. The overwhelming search lasted for three or four days, but the person in the portrait of His Royal Highness was not found. However, a drunkard from the flower house said he had seen him.
When I asked him carefully, he drunkenly said that he had seen her in his dream.
The catcher smelled the man's wine, cursed him, and threw the man back home.
The magistrate was so worried that his hair was about to fall out because of this matter. He would definitely not be found for a while, and he could not restore the prince's life, so he had to ask Lord Song to tactfully inquire about the date of their return to Beijing.
Song Huaiqing was also a little angry. What Zhao Shi did was too vague, and it was simply not something he could do.
A concubine who was an important member of the Ming family died, so why did she go to such great lengths to start a war and cause panic in the city of Yangzhou
When Song Huaiqing thought of Mingzhu's beautiful face, he just wanted to sneer. She had done many things when she was alive, and her ghost lingered even after she died. She was still a scourge.
Things that Zhao Shi determined could not be easily changed. When the prefect learned that His Royal Highness, with only a lotus-patterned purse, had determined that his runaway concubine was in Yangzhou, he felt complicated.
He bit the bullet and poured cold water on His Royal Highness, "Your Highness, purses of this style are all over the streets."
After saying this, he raised his eyes and looked at the man standing in the corridor. He had a long body and long black hair sticking to his thin back. The hazy mist in the morning was stained with a bit of moisture. He looked calm and warm at the ends of his brows and eyes. , showed a cold chill, his eyes looked coldly in the direction of , and he said: "No."
The prefect actually saw a little sadness on the prince's face, and his hoarse voice sounded extremely bitter.
"My wife's youngest daughter also uses this purse. It has a brocade lotus pattern. If you don't believe it, I can show it to you."
The lotus pattern is a common decoration here in the south of the Yangtze River, and purses made of brocade are also a specialty here.
Mingzhu's mother is from Yangzhou, and Mingzhu's style is also similar to her.
The prefect is not as careful as Zhao Shi. In his opinion, these purses put together are really no different.
"I won't watch." After a long time, Zhao Shi whispered again: "Go back."
"yes."
Three days later, Zhao Shi still found something in Yangzhou City. At this point, Song Huaiqing couldn't stand aside and watch indifferently. He was a bit poisonous, and he spoke without mercy. He called his cousin by his first and last name, and then said: " Didn’t you bring that woman’s urn with you? Why do you still think she is alive?”
The words don't sound like a needle, more like a freshly sharpened knife. Pierce his heart and pierce it hard.
The fingers in Zhao Shi's sleeves twitched twice, and they lost their curled-up movements. The words "She's not dead" were stuck in his throat, making him unable to make a sound.
He pursed his lips, lowered the corners of his mouth, and remained silent.
As his cousin, Song Huaiqing was really not afraid of him, nor did he care about his mood. "I think the young lady from the Gu family is better than her. She is gentle and lovely, young and beautiful, and has a good tutor." Are you still dissatisfied? If you spoil a new love, you can forget about the old one."
It is the most foolish thing to dote on one person alone. It is interesting to have hundreds of flowers blooming in the backyard and watch them fight to the death.
"It's not your turn to give advice on my affairs." Zhao Shi said these cold words and turned to leave.
Zhao Shi's trip to Yangzhou lasted so long that Song Luan, who was far away in the capital, couldn't sit still and sent him a letter asking him when he would be back? There were also letters exchanged in the Prince's Mansion. The letter just said that the flower tree in the backyard was infected with insect disease and asked if he needed to move the book and replace it with new branches.
After Zhao Shi read the letter, he set off from Yangzhou and rushed back to the capital. It was almost early winter when we arrived in Beijing, and the weather got colder the further north we went.
Everyone in the mansion is looking forward to His Highness the Crown Prince's early return. The burned courtyard in Mingzhu has been rebuilt, and even the furnishings inside have returned to their original appearance.
Zhao Shi asked people to carefully protect the flower tree in the backyard. The people underneath took care of it carefully, considering the tree more important than their own children. Unfortunately, no matter how careful they were, the flower tree was still wilted and the branches were dry. , the tree roots also began to die. No one dared to tell His Highness the Crown Prince about this matter.
Zhao Xin is still making trouble, and Wei Liu plays the game of cat and mouse every day. She was a caught rat, and Wei Liu would catch her wherever she went, making her even more angry.
She and Zhao Shi are indeed brother and sister, both have the same stubborn temper.
Zhao Xin was determined to give Mingzhu a place to settle down, and would not let her go to the temple to find a monk for salvation. She ordered someone to find a Feng Shui treasure place and build a tomb for her.
The matter of burial has not been mentioned yet.
The geomantic treasure land was sealed off by the people brought by Wei Liu.
Zhao Xin burst into tears again. She couldn't figure out how her brother could be so cruel and want to humiliate a dead person like this. He was extremely cold-blooded.
Zhao Xin made a big fuss in the Prince's Mansion. Zhao Shi watched her smash things coldly and said, "Let her smash things."
Zhao Xinfei was not relieved, but the anger in her chest burned even louder. She destroyed every room she could enter, and finally broke into his study angrily, reluctant to smash the antique treasures on the shelf. Swept down all the books on the bookshelf.
There was a black sandalwood box niche placed in the small grid behind the desk. Zhao Xin stared at the sandalwood box niche for a long time. She got up from the ground in disheveled clothes and raised her hand to touch herself. With messy hair, he stretched out his hand and just touched the box niche.
"Don't move!" A cold and stern voice startled her.
Zhao Xinfei didn't stop, but hugged the inconspicuous box. She turned around and saw her brother's pale face. The nervousness in her eyes could not be faked. She was proud that she finally caught her brother's hand and held it up high. The niche in his hand threatened: "You are not allowed to let Wei Liu follow me."
"Put the box down." Zhao Shi said hoarsely, with blood oozing from his eyes.
How could Zhao Xin say what he said at this time, "Promise me first."
Zhao Shi closed his eyes and said in a somewhat soft voice, "Okay."
"Don't lie to me!"
"Won't."
Zhao Xin hesitated for a long time, temporarily believing that her brother would not go back on his promise. She was about to put the box back in the niche, but the box was too heavy. She held it for such a while, her thin arms were already sore, and the box accidentally fell from her palm. It slipped out and landed on the ground.
Zhao Shi's pupils shrank suddenly, and he ran up to the door quickly, but he was still a step too slow. He watched with his own eyes as the box filled with her ashes fell heavily to the ground, and all the fine ash inside was scattered out.
The man ran so fast that he hit his knees on the ground and knelt down.
Zhao Xin looked at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. She didn't dare to help her brother up, and stammered: "Brother, what's wrong with you?"
Zhao Shi knelt on his knees, slightly bent over, gripping the ground with both hands, and a few shocking blood bubbles appeared on his fingertips.