The sound of motorcycle bells gradually approached.
After asking around, Chen Tang trotted back, pretending to be mysterious: "Why didn't Yuan Liang ask me? Aren't you curious about that person's news?"
Qi Shan was able to keep his composure and calmly said something that made people's fists stiffen: "Youli is not a person who can hold back her words."
Chen Tang: “…”
I always want to jump up and perform a craniotomy on Qishan.
"It's really rare for someone with such a big mouth to live to this age in peace." Chen Tang teased and complained, but Qi Shan didn't even frown. She could only say, "According to the butcher in the butcher shop, the old man is a 'celebrity' in the area, and his family name is 'Chu'."
Qishan asked: "Which word is it?"
There are many surnames with the same pronunciation.
Chen Tang specifically asked the butcher and the others about this, and they replied, "It should be the 'Chu' in 'take the clothes and hats and Chu', and the clothes should be 'Chu'."
Hearing that it was this Chu, Qi Shan's brows frowned slightly, but Chen Tang, who was two steps behind him, didn't notice it.
"Chu... This surname is rare in both Xin and Geng countries."
Chen Tang asked, "Which country has it more common?"
Qi Shan shook his head, avoiding the question and changed the subject: "Besides the surname, did you find out anything else?"
Chen Tang said, "The butcher also said that Mr. Chu was a slave who was sent to the market five years ago to be sold cheaply. At that time, there were more than 30 slaves. I also heard that there were originally more than 200 slaves who were going to be taken to other places to sell, but a plague broke out on the way and only a few were left. They could only be sold to Xiaocheng nearby. Because of the plague, the price of slaves is very cheap..."
Qi Shan asked: "Five years ago? Are you sure it was this time?"
Chen Tang carefully recalled the butcher's words: "The butcher doesn't remember clearly, maybe it was more than five years and a few months... Mr. Chu was bought by Yuehualou as a gift, and it has been until now. I even made a special trip to find out what Yuehualou is..."
Before he finished speaking, Qishan said, "It's Xianggu Pavilion."
Chen Tang paused, looked at Qi Shan's back with a strange look, and muttered: "How do you know so clearly?"
Where is Xianggu Pavilion
A place where men and women can go to have fun.
Qi Shan did not answer directly, but turned his head and said in a child-like tone: "Youli is not old enough to understand these things."
Chen Tang: “…”
She gave him a middle finger in her heart.
Your sister reached adulthood eight hundred years earlier than I did, thank you!
Qi Shan: "What is this gentleman doing in Yuehua Tower?"
Chen Tang said with a puzzled look on his face: "He must be working as a handyman in the kitchen. Mr. Chu is old and has no strength. He can't do heavy work. At most, he can help wash dishes and serve food. What else can he do at his age?"
Qishan: “…”
He bet three cents that Mr. Shen must have thought wrong.
in addition-
Qi Shan said calmly, "This person is a bit strange and full of contradictions. I could tell from my previous conversation with him that his attainments in literature and words are not low, at least not inferior to mine. This Xiao City is really full of hidden talents, very interesting."
Chen Tang was surprised: "Not inferior to you?"
“Perhaps, it’s even above this.”
Chen Tang was confused: "With such talent, even if he fell into such a miserable state as to be bought back by Xianggu Pavilion, he wouldn't have to do so many odd jobs in the kitchen, right? If he wanted to live a better life, it shouldn't be difficult, but judging from the way he's dressed, it doesn't seem like that."
Even if they are slaves, they are slaves with skills.
Qi Shan lowered his eyes and sneered.
"Who knows what he thinks? However, speaking of the surname 'Chu', it reminds me of an old case."
When Chen Tang heard this, his gossipy soul was awakened and he immediately became alert - according to the usual routine, the so-called "old case" was most likely inextricably linked to Mr. Chu.
Even if he is not the party involved, he is still a close friend of the party involved.
This is all a routine!
"What old eucalyptus?"
Qi Shan smiled and said, "There are hundreds of countries in the world that have intermarriages, and there are in-laws everywhere. A few years ago, Xin State was very powerful, and the surrounding small countries followed its lead and offered their own princesses to Xin State. One of the princesses who became a concubine was named 'Chu'."
"Oh, and then?"
Qi Shan continued to tell Chen Tang the story: "This concubine named Chu from another country was favored by the king of Xin State as soon as she entered the palace. She was so popular that even the favored Zheng Qiao had to avoid her. It is said that this concubine was well-read, kind and benevolent. Not long after, she became pregnant and had the potential to become the master of the palace. However, she miscarried in the fifth month of pregnancy and died suddenly."
Shen Tang listened carefully to every word, afraid of missing the point.
"I bet there's more to this than meets the eye."
Qi Shan nodded and said, "Of course it's not that simple. There are rumors everywhere. Some say that the concubine and the guard were having an affair and were discovered by the king. There are also rumors that the baby in the concubine's belly is actually Zheng Qiao's. And not long after that, Zheng Qiao returned to his country, and the Xin Kingdom sent troops to destroy the concubine's country. It is said that when the country was destroyed, the king of Xin secretly ordered a massacre in the city and tortured the princes and nobles of that small country... Judging from the attitude of the king of Xin, I guess those rumors are somewhat true. Of course, it is also possible that Zheng Qiao cheated and framed the concubine in order to return to his country smoothly."
Chen Tang: “…”
Is this the legendary "fortunes change over time"
The Xin State had also done things like destroying nations and massacring cities, harassing the royal family, and not giving prisoners of war any dignity. Now it was Zheng Qiao's turn to destroy the Xin State. Not only did he copy the Xin State's previous operations, he also came up with new tricks, forcing the royal princess of the Xin State to surrender naked.
This is called "the pupil surpasses the master".
Chen Tang guessed, “Yuan Liang means that this Mr. Chu might be a member of the royal family of that small country?”
"It's hard to say. It may be, and it may not be." The largest surname of the small country that was destroyed was "Chu". The scope was too large, and its identity was difficult to determine, but it definitely had a grudge with the Xin State.
Qi Shan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, temporarily suppressing the complex emotions rolling in his chest: “Let’s not talk about this for now, Mr. Shen, let’s go to the place where we stay and settle down first, and the rest will come slowly.”
I will have to spend the next period of time in Xiaocheng.
Chen Tang shrugged indifferently: "Everything is up to Yuan Liang."
Since we are unfamiliar with the place, we can only count on this "guiding NPC".
Qi Shan took Chen Tang to a small house in a remote location.
Although the house is small, it is well-equipped and shows the owner's ingenuity everywhere. The owners of the house are an elderly farming couple, who look about fifty years old. As soon as the two appeared, the old woman came up to them with a smile and led Chen Tang to her room.
The room was close to the courtyard. When the wooden door was opened, one could see the courtyard patio. Qishan lived next door. After the old couple left, she asked, "Does Yuanliang know these two?"
The old couple communicated with Qishan in a very familiar manner, as if they were old acquaintances.
Qi Shan said: "I have known him for five or six years..."
Shen Tang raised his eyebrows.
I don’t know if she is too suspicious and cares about “five or six years” for no reason.