"Shall I ask my mother-in-law to come out?" Haihuaniang asked.
Wen Liunian shook his head, looking at Granny Shi's appearance, she obviously knew something, but she was under some kind of pressure and dared not say it, she couldn't force it.
The cakes in the cage had already been steamed, Granny Shi's hands trembled a little, and when she lifted the bamboo cover, she almost scalded herself.
"Mother-in-law be careful." Wen Liunian held her for her.
"Master Wen." Granny Shi became more and more flustered, "I really don't know."
"If you don't know, then you don't know. I don't want to ask." Wen Liunian smiled, took out a pastry from the drawer, it was so hot that he couldn't let it go, he took a bite carefully, it was full of honey Sugar heart.
"My lord, take it easy." Granny Shi looked worried, the glutinous rice and sugar were hot, no one would eat them right out of the pot.
"It's delicious." Wen Liunian praised, "It's different from the ones sold in Da Kun City."
"I came up with this myself. I added eggs and red bean paste." Granny Shi said, "I can't buy it outside."
"No wonder." Wen Liunian took another bite, and closed the kitchen door by the way.
"This..." Granny Shi was a little nervous again.
"The two people outside didn't tell me to eat more." Wen Liunian curled his lips, "If I'm seen, I'll nag again." It's better to close the door.
"Your Excellency is skinny, you need to eat more." Granny Shi said.
"That's right." Mr. Wen admitted with a cheeky face.
Zhao Yue and Haihua Niang climbed onto the roof and listened attentively to the movement in the room.
"After your lord finishes eating this, take the rest home." After a while, Granny Shi said, "Eating too much glutinous rice will hurt your stomach."
Zhao Yue supported his forehead.
Wen Liunian reluctantly put it back, it was really delicious.
Granny Shi took a small bamboo basket and put the remaining snacks into it one by one.
"Before, I thought that the people in the East China Sea area were safe and prosperous." Wen Liunian said, "But I didn't expect that when I arrived at the Great Kun City, it would be full of desolation, which is completely different from Tianhai City today."
"With the pavilion master here, no one dares to make trouble." Granny Shi said.
"Protecting one side's stability and wealth is what the government should do, and has nothing to do with Jianghu sects." Wen Liunian said, "The reason why the Great Kun City is ruined is because the government does not do anything, not because there are no Jianghu sects in charge. .”
Granny Shi remained silent.
"The people there should have a better life." Wen Liunian sighed, "Although I don't know what happened that year, I can vaguely guess who it was related to. If my mother-in-law doesn't want to tell, I won't." Persecution, but the people in the city are afraid that they will suffer for a few more years."
Granny Shi's hands froze, and the bamboo basket almost fell to the ground.
"No matter what the mother-in-law decides in the end, she can continue to live in this Tianyahai Pavilion safely." Wen Liunian said, "It's just that there are tragedies, one occurrence is enough, and if the murderer goes unpunished, there will only be more innocent people suffer."
Granny Shi supported the chopping board, almost unable to stand still.
"I offended you today, mother-in-law should go back and rest earlier." Wen Liunian bowed and saluted, and then left the kitchen.
Haihuaniang called the doorman and sent Granny Shi back to her bedroom.
"What do you think?" Zhao Yue asked after arriving in the front hall.
"Grandma Shi's son died strangely and violently in Chu Heng's barracks more than twenty years ago." Wen Liunian said, "After careful calculation, it happened to be the time when the eye-gouging ghost appeared in the city."
"You suspect that the two things are related?" Zhao Yue poured him a cup of tea.
"It can't be said, but it may not be there, and Granny Shi obviously knows something." Wen Liunian said, "Otherwise, she wouldn't show panic when she first heard about it."
"I just hope I can convince her this time." Zhao Yue sighed, "I'm leaving in a few days, and there are so many things going on here, how can I feel at ease without you alone."
"Of course I'm not the only one. There are leader Shen and the others, and now the leader of the Shanghai Pavilion is added." Wen Liunian patted his chest, "Just go to Luoying Island with peace of mind."
"I want to do more things for you." Zhao Yue wrapped his arms around his waist.
"Save it for the future." Wen Liunian smiled, "There is still a lifetime." Not in a hurry.
After a while, Hai Hua Niang coughed at the door.
The two quickly separated.
"Grandma Shi's attitude has softened a little," Haihuaniang said.
"So fast?" Wen Liunian was overjoyed.
"Although she is willing to cooperate, it's just that the mother-in-law is old after all, so she should be gentle when asking questions." Haihuaniang urged.
"Naturally." Wen Liunian nodded, and they returned to the courtyard again.
Granny Shi's eyes were red, obviously she had just cried a while ago, she hurriedly stood up after seeing everyone.
"Mother-in-law, please sit down." Wen Liunian stepped forward to support her.
"That Prince Chu, he is not a good person." Granny Shi burst into tears.
Wen Liunian and Zhao Yue looked at each other, sure enough.
Granny Shi's son is named Liang Lei. He was originally a blacksmith in Da Kun City. He was extremely valued, and after passing the screening, he was incorporated into the pro-guard army, and soon became a small leader.
Granny Shi was naturally happy about this, and she also felt that her face was bright. The only dissatisfaction was that Liang Lei was getting more and more busy, and he didn't go home for almost ten days and a half months.
In those days when the eye-gouging ghost first appeared in the city, Granny Shi, like all the people in the city, was worried and uneasy, and had to check the door latch several times at night. It wasn't until one month of dark and windy night that Shi Lei suddenly returned home covered in blood, dragged her away without saying a word, and stopped until he reached the woods outside the city without stopping.
"Leizi, what's the matter with you." Granny Shi's hands and feet were cold, she was too shivering to speak.
"My lord wants to kill me." Liang Lei was out of breath.
"That's fine, why did the prince kill you?" Granny Shi took his hand, "Did you do something wrong, huh?"
"It was my son who did something wrong in a moment of confusion." Liang Lei regretted endlessly, "Mother, don't ask any more questions."
"I was confused for a while, what did I do?" Granny Shi asked anxiously, "Where did all this blood come from?"
"Mother, don't ask." Liang Lei was upset, "Let's find a secluded small fishing village and start our lives again."
"Speak clearly, or I won't leave." Granny Shi broke away from his hand.
"Mom!" Liang Lei's forehead was bulging with veins.
Granny Shi sat on the rock, obviously determined.
Time was running out, Liang Lei simply knocked him out with a palm, and he carried it on his shoulders and ran for a few steps, but there was a sound of footsteps behind him.
"Stop!" The other party was approaching menacingly, there was no time to think about it, there happened to be a low slope below, Liang Lei rolled his mother down, and it happened to be buried by weeds.
After the group caught up, the two sides quickly fought together. Liang Lei was outnumbered and was captured not long after.
But Granny Shi hid under the low slope, she was not completely unconscious, and only after listening to the people above in a daze, did she realize that what her son did in the army was to goug Chu Heng's eyes, which would lead to a disaster , Immediately, his eyes darkened and he passed out.
I can't tell how long it took, but after waking up, I struggled to climb up the short slope, and there was no one around. Originally, he wanted to die, but thought that his son might still be alive, so he begged along the road and ended up in Tianhai City, where he was introduced by distant relatives to Tianyahai Pavilion.
"It's Leizi who is confused." Granny Shi broke down in tears.
"The one who is more confused is Chu Heng." Wen Liunian clenched his fists. Although he had guessed it a long time ago, but this time it was confirmed, he still felt that anger and chills almost covered his whole body. It is not an exaggeration to be so vicious as a person.
"Do you want to report it to the emperor?" Haihuaniang asked after leaving the courtyard. If the sect of the Jianghu was so rebellious, Shen Qianfeng would naturally be able to solve it, but the other party was a prince with the surname of the emperor. I am afraid that no one would dare to do it except Chu Yuan.
"I will write a note on this matter." Wen Liunian said, "But during this period of time, please keep it a secret."
"Don't worry." Haihuaniang said, "Tianya Haige has never dealt with outsiders. If I don't tell you, no one will know."
"This trip has yielded something." Wen Liunian said, "Thank you Pavilion Master."
"As for the Pinglang Gang, Tianya Haige can also make a move." Hai Huaniang said, "To be honest, Liu Xiangnan is still involved with me."
"Really?" Wen Liunian was surprised by this.
"When you asked about it earlier, I wanted to say, it's just that Taohua is involved in this matter, so I have to ask her first." Haihuaniang said.
"Sister Peach Blossom?" Wen Liunian still remembered the woman in pink from yesterday.
"It happened more than ten years ago. Taohua was originally married to Liu Xiangnan's nephew." Hai Huaniang said, "Later, she found out that this person was misbehaving and lewd, so she said she wanted to divorce the engagement. But the parents at home didn't agree. He said that he was afraid that outsiders would make a joke and lose face, so on the day of the wedding, he forcefully drugged her and stuffed it into the sedan chair."
"These parents are really confused." Wen Liunian frowned.
"When Taohua woke up, it was already the next morning. The Liu family knew that she didn't want to marry, so people watched her all the time, fearing that she would sneak away. Taohua didn't know kung fu at the time, so she could only swallow her anger and pretend to be obedient until half a year later. Later, taking advantage of the opportunity of burning incense, he escaped from the Pinglang Gang and came to Tianyahai Pavilion all the way."
"It's a pity what a good girl is." Wen Liunian sighed.
"Taohua seldom mentions the Pinglang Gang, but occasionally." Hai Huaniang said, "From top to bottom, no one in the Liu family seems to be a good person."
"Things of a feather flock together." Wen Liunian said, "If it is really so absurd, good people will be forced to leave."
"Liu Xiangnan adopted this nephew as his adoptive son. When Tao Hua was married, she was often abused by her mother-in-law, and now she has scars all over her body." Hai Huaniang said, "She originally wanted to practice kung fu, and then went to Pinglang Gang It’s for reckoning. If you have any questions, just ask them.”
"Okay." Wen Liunian nodded, "I'm going to find Sister Taohua right now." I really have a lot of things to ask.
*****
When Wen Liunian came to find him, Taohua was instructing his disciples to practice swords. When the little girls saw Zhao Yue, they couldn't help but take a few more glances. When they came back to their senses, they were a little shy, and retreated after hastily saluting.
Mr. Wen: "..."
It feels like a loss.
"Master Zhao, Mr. Wen." Taohua asked, "What do you two want from me?"
"About the Pinglang Gang." Wen Liunian didn't play around, "The Pavilion Master said something, maybe you can ask the girl."
Tao Hua didn't seem too surprised: "I think the pavilion master has already told me about my previous affairs, what do you want to ask?"
"I don't know anything about the Pinglang Gang, and I have a lot of doubts, but I don't know where to start asking." Wen Liunian said, "If the girl feels that there is something missing in my question, just say it."
Taohua nodded: "Okay."
"About Liu Xiangnan's daughter, the leader of Pinglang Gang, what impression do you have, Miss?" Wen Liunian asked.
"Liu Wanzhi?" Taohua shook her head, "When I first married, she was only eight or nine years old. She was pampered to be lawless and self-willed, and treated the lives of her subordinates as worthless. She had a vicious heart at a young age, and she was ruined by Liu Xiangnan. In the hands of the couple, why do adults care about this?"
"He asked a matchmaker to come to his house a while ago, saying that he wanted to marry his daughter to his next friend." Wen Liunian said, "Since we have never met before, everyone is at a loss."
"My lord still wants to tell that friend, you'd better be more vigilant." Tao Hua said, "Liu Xiangnan's character is extremely cautious, so there must be a reason for coming to the door so rashly."
"Is there any sect in Jianghu that is particularly close to the Pinglang Gang?" Wen Liunian asked again.
"Probably not." Taohua said, "There are not many sects in the East China Sea area, and the Pinglang Gang is located in a remote place and is not large, so they rarely deal with people in the Jianghu."
Wen Liunian nodded, which was consistent with what Shen Qianfeng said earlier.
"When I first married, the Pinglang Gang was just a small local sect. But in the past two years, I don't know who I climbed up to, and suddenly became rich and wealthy, becoming one of the richest households in the East China Sea." Taohua said, "It seems There are a lot of business routes out of thin air."
Who else can climb up, I'm afraid it's Chu Heng again. Wen Liunian scratched his chin, but he couldn't figure it out. If he really had something to do with Chu Heng, why did he suddenly come to propose marriage? Everyone knows that there is a problem, maybe it is deliberately trying to lure myself to investigate.
Thoughts were slightly confused, Wen Liunian shook his head, remembering what the emperor had said before he came to the East China Sea - to do everything possible to stabilize Chu Heng, follow the clues to find out all his accomplices, and then catch them all in one go. The Chu family's father and son have been intertwined in the East China Sea for 20 years, and they did not know how big a net was behind them. Liu Xiangnan, who took the initiative to send it to his door, at least gave himself an opportunity to track it down, no matter what his ultimate goal was.
"When does your lord plan to go to the Pinglang Gang?" Taohua asked.
"After fifteen years here, we will go back to Great Kun City." Wen Liunian said, "According to the previous agreement, Liu Xiangnan should come here in person at the end of the first lunar month."
"I don't know if my lord minds, take me there together?" Taohua asked.
"Miss, aren't you afraid that he will recognize you?" Wen Liunian said, "If it wasn't for worrying about this, I would have wished for it."
"Of course I won't take the initiative to show up." Taohua said, "Even if it's revenge, I will wait until the dust settles on my lord before acting."
"Alright." Wen Liunian nodded, "If Master Haige agrees, the girl can follow us back to Dakun City."
At the inn outside the city, Ye Jin frowned and asked Shen Qianfeng: "Are you sure that nothing will happen? My lord has no strength to restrain a chicken, and the head of the family has no skills. Why haven't I come back yet?"
"Tianya Haige is a sect of Jianghu, not a den of bandits." Shen Qianfeng said, "Besides, the master of Haige has sent someone to inform him, saying that your lord is the son of an old man, and it is reasonable to stay overnight. Why worry?"
"Do you believe what others say?" Ye Jin glared at him.
Shen Qianfeng didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "If you're really worried, I'll just go and have a look."
"Let's go together." Ye Jin made a decision.
"Let's go too!" The dark guards raised their hands in unison.
"And me!" Wuying followed to join in the fun.
"Want to go?" Shang Yunze asked Mu Qingshan.
"Thought." Mu Qingshan nodded.
Shen Qianfeng: "..."
"Go!" Ye Jin opened the door.
"Xiao Jin." Shen Qianfeng stopped him with a headache.
"I know, there are rules in Tianyahai Pavilion." Ye Jin pouted, "If you don't go in, you don't go in, but you have to come out and show me." That's how I feel relieved.
The two red-armored wolves squatted on his shoulders, agreeing to shake their whiskers.
"Why, this doesn't work?" Ye Jin put her hands on her hips.
"Naturally." Leader Shen sighed helplessly, "It's up to you."
The dark guard applauded in his heart, Master Gu did a good job!
A group of people just left the inn, but they saw Taohua coming over with a few disciples. After seeing them, they saluted and said with a smile: "It's just right, my pavilion master invites you all to come over tonight and have a light meal together."
Good meal! The dark guard was elated when he heard this.
Ye Jin was a little surprised, it seemed that Lord Wen really liked Haihua Niang, not only could he let Zhao Yue stay overnight, but now even the rest of the people could have a meal with him.
After all, it was the Tianyahai Pavilion, and I really never thought that so many men would be let in openly.