On the sixth day of December, Baoding Prefecture.
Not far away is the city gate of Baoding Mansion. His subordinates clasped their fists at Lu Heng and said, "Commander, Baoding Mansion is in front."
Lu Heng nodded, took the reins vainly, and said, "From now on, don't call me a commander. You are the chief in this line. Your parents made a marriage plan for you in your hometown. Now you are going back to your hometown to get married. Go ahead. , come up with the groom's posture, don't worry about me."
After hearing this, his subordinates sweated, and his name was Chen Yuxuan. Two days ago, Commander Lu suddenly called him over and asked him to do a task. The commander personally came forward, and Chen Yuxuan thought that there was a major case, and suddenly became solemn. Unexpectedly, the commander arranged for him a somewhat strange task.
The commander asked him to disguise himself as returning to his hometown to get married, and he also changed his name to his entourage and wandered in the team. Chen Yuxuan was restless all the way, how could he be, how dare he be the master of Commander Lu? But the commander insisted, Chen Yuxuan did not dare to disobey, so he could only bite the bullet and show the Jinyiwei token to the guards at the gate of Baoding Mansion.
It was fake that Chen Yuxuan returned to his hometown to get married, but the identity of Jin Yiwei was real. The guard soldiers saw the token and their expressions changed immediately. They didn't dare to check the luggage of Chen Yuxuan's entourage, and let them go without saying a word.
Lu Heng hid in the team and easily entered the city. He restrained the horse, walked slowly to the side of the carriage, and asked through the curtain, "Qingqing, are you okay?"
Wang Yanqing sat in the carriage, opened a crack slightly, and said, "I'm fine. Second brother, are you going to Baoding Mansion?"
"Yes, we've already entered the city." Lu Heng said, "It's been a long journey for you, is the injury on your head okay?"
Wang Yanqing shook his head. Originally, from the capital to Baoding, he would be able to arrive in the evening, but Wang Yanqing had a brain injury and could not be bumped, so the carriage went very slowly and arrived at Baoding this afternoon. Wang Yanqing dragged down Lu Heng's schedule, and she felt very guilty, so she dared to cry out: "My injury is not in the way. Second brother, you don't have to worry about me, it's important to investigate your case quickly."
"It doesn't matter." Lu Heng said leisurely, "It's only one day, and it's not too short of time. But you only have one. If you leave any root causes, it's more than worth the loss."
Wang Yanqing pursed her lips, the more Lu Heng said this, the more guilty she felt. Lu Heng took advantage of the fact that there was no one left or right, and explained to Wang Yanqing, "We're going to Liang Wei's house next, they shouldn't know me, but just in case, don't call my name or official position in front of people, just call my brother. Now we are the servants of Chen Yuxuan's family, who are thousands of households in Jinyiwei. We went back to our hometown with our master to get married. We passed through Baoding Mansion and learned that Liang Wei had passed away. We came here to express our condolences. You don't have to say anything when you enter Liang Mansion, you just need to observe those people. the expression. If there is something wrong, keep it in mind and let me know when no one is there."
Wang Yanqing nodded and promised, "Okay."
Chen Yuxuan's Jinyiwei costume was very eye-catching, no one dared to provoke them on the way, and the group quickly arrived at Liangfu. When Liang Wei's family heard that Jin Yiwei from the capital was coming, they were surprised and happy, and hurried out to greet him.
After entering Baoding Mansion, Lu Heng returned to the back of the team without saying a word to Chen Yuxuan. With the commander standing behind Chen Yuxuan, he was under great pressure. He bravely stepped forward to socialize with the Liang family, daring not to behave in the slightest. Lu Heng was in the crowd with a relaxed and natural expression. He didn't move forward, but went to the carriage first and helped Wang Yanqing to get off.
Wang Yanqing opened the car door and was surprised to find Lu Heng standing outside. She glanced in front of her and said in a low voice, "Second brother, I'll just do it myself."
Many Jiao young ladies do not go out the door, do not walk through the second door, and even get in and out of the car and have to be helped, but Wang Yanqing has been practicing martial arts since she was a child, and this level of exercise is nothing to her. What's more, ordinary maids just need to help her. Lu Heng is the commander of Jin Yiwei.
Lu Heng shook his head. Although his voice was not high, his tone was very firm: "Your injury is not yet healed, so you can't be careless."
If it was delayed any longer, it would attract the attention of others, so Wang Yanqing had no choice but to hold Lu Heng's hand and get out of the car slowly. Lu Heng's hand was warm and strong, and he supported her with one arm without shaking. Wang Yanqing landed smoothly and didn't feel the slightest collision. After she stood up, she found that Lu Heng had no intention of letting go, so she whispered, "Second brother."
Lu Heng let go of her hand. Wang Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and silently looked around under the cover of the crowd.
Chen Yuxuan and the Liang family were chatting in front of them. There were three old men standing at the front, who seemed to be elders of the Liang family. Behind the clan elder was a woman. The woman wore sackcloth and filial piety. Although there was no decoration, it was obvious that she was well-dressed. Next to her was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, who was no different from an adult man, but his body had not yet developed, and his clothes were a bit empty.
Wang Yanqing easily guessed that the woman was Liang Wenshi, the successor of the deceased Jinyiwei Qian household Liang Wei, and that young man was probably Liang Wei's youngest son, that is, Liang Wenshi's biological child. Wang Yanqing glanced at the crowd in front, and asked Lu Heng in a low voice, "Second brother, it's not that Liang Wei has two sons, why didn't he see the eldest son?"
Although Chen Yuxuan is not a big man, he is still a thousand households from the capital. Liang Wenshi, as a female family member, has welcomed him at the door. If the young master of the Liang family is at home, how can he not show up? Lu Heng shook his head slightly, and said, "Wait in and see."
Wang Yanqing's current status is that of an ordinary servant in the Qianhu Mansion. She can't wear too gorgeous clothes. She only wears a white jacket with a stand-up collar. It is impossible for a "maid" to wear fox fur, but Lu Heng is afraid of freezing Wang Yanqing, so although the color of this dress is plain, the lining fabric is very good, especially Bijia, the interlayer is filled with fine tribute Cotton with a ring of rabbit fluff on the outside. Wang Yanqing's neck is slender, even with the white stand-up collar, her neck is still showing a slender part, lining her slender chin and white cheeks, making her more beautiful and soft.
She is such a stunning beauty standing at the door, which is much more eye-catching than the brocade guards brought by Chen Yuxuan. Chen Yuxuan thought to himself that it was almost time to greet him, so he brought the "attendants" into the mansion. Chen Yuxuan went to the main hall to offer condolences. Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing, as entourages, did not need to worship and could move freely.
Liang Wenshi and the Liang family were all around Chen Yuxuan, and no one paid attention to them. The servants of the Liang residence knew that they were following a distinguished guest from the capital and did not dare to stop them. Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing walked around the house at will, which was more convenient for investigation than revealing their identities.
Liang Wei's family is a hereditary family of thousands, and is a fifth-rank military attache. His rank is not high, but if he does not leave Baoding Mansion, it is enough to live a very good life. The Liang family’s house has three entrances in the front and back. The first one is the main hall, the living room, and the place where Liang Wei’s two sons lived. At this moment, it has been converted into a mourning hall. Although Liang Wei’s coffin has been buried, the white flags, lamps and candles have not been removed. The second entrance is where Liang Wei and his wife Liang Wenshi lived, separated from the outside by a hanging flower door; the third entrance is the embroidered building of Miss Liang Da, the embroidered building is in the northeast corner, and there is a small garden to the west.
In the past few days, Liang Wei's funeral has been held, and many foreign guests have come to the door. There are people coming and going in Liang's house, and everything is in a mess, which is convenient for Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing. Lu Heng seemed to walk aimlessly, and when he arrived at a clean and uninhabited place, he asked, "How is it, what did you see?"
Wang Yanqing had only seen the Liang family once at the gate of the mansion, but the first face was often the most important, and the face-to-face effort was enough to explain a lot. Wang Yanqing was afraid that someone would eavesdrop on him, so he approached Lu Heng and said in a low voice, "When Liang Wenshi saw Jin Yiwei coming to the door, his eyes widened, his eyebrows pressed down, his upper and lower lips slightly opened and closed, and when he heard Chen Yuxuan say he came to the door to offer condolences, She breathed a sigh of relief, her lips finally closed, but her eyes were still rolling. Even if Jin Yiwei's visit was really not a good thing, she was too scared."
Lu Heng laughed when she heard the last sentence, and she was the only one who dared to say in front of him that it was not a good thing for Jin Yiwei to come to the door. Lu Heng asked, "Do you suspect Liang Wen's family?"
Wang Yanqing sighed: "Second brother, is your judgment so arbitrary? I just judged that she was frightened when she heard Jin Yiwei came to the door. As for what she did, she still needs to be investigated. Besides, it's not just her, Liang Wei's second son... "
Wang Yanqing paused slightly, not knowing how to address this person. Lu Heng thought to himself that he had been in Jinyiwei for ten years, and this was the first time he heard someone say that his judgment was arbitrary. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Liang Bin."
Wang Yanqing raised her eyes, glanced at Lu Heng lightly, and continued: "Liang Bin's performance is not quite right. At his age, when he sees people coming from the capital, he must be more surprised and more curious than afraid, but he was the whole process. Shrinking his shoulders, hanging his head, not making eye contact, and in just a few moments, he touched his nose three times."
Lu Heng hummed and asked, "What does touching your nose mean?"
"He has something to hide." Wang Yanqing sighed and said, "Don't test me, everyone reacts differently. Touching your nose doesn't mean you're lying, and not touching your nose doesn't mean you're not lying. You have to look at the situation and specific actions together. ."
Lu Heng smiled and asked, "Anything else?"
Wang Yanqing thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "No more for now. The expressions on the faces of those clan elders were a bit deliberate, but just after Liang Qianhu died, rumors of adultery broke out in the inner house. It makes sense for them to hide it. The specific situation may be We will have to wait until we get more information and question them face to face before we can judge."
Lu Heng nodded and replied: "Okay. I'm still curious why Liang Bin touches his nose. Let's go and find out what they are hiding."
Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing were standing in the corridor and talking, just across from a little maid walking by holding something. Lu Heng stopped the person, walked over unhurriedly, and said, "Chen Qianhu has something to ask the head of the Liang family. Where is Liang Rong?"
Liang Rong was Liang Wei's eldest son, and Lu Heng had already thoroughly investigated the family's background. The little maid saw a tall and handsome man coming over to ask questions. Although his clothes were ordinary, the surrounding aura was like a mountain. The little maid instinctively felt scared, so she hugged the thing in her arms tightly, and said nervously: "I don't know. ."
Wang Yanqing followed from behind, Lu Heng was used to walking in Jinyiwei, and even if he took off his flying fish suit, his terrifying authority would not disappear. Wang Yanqing stroked Lu Heng's arm lightly, took over the conversation and said, "Don't be afraid, we are not bad people. We followed Chen Qianhu to the Liang residence to offer condolences. Qianhu was very saddened that Mr. Liang passed away at a young age, and he wanted to talk to Liang. Your lord's son Liang Rong said. I don't know, where is Liang Rong?"
Seeing Wang Yanqing, the little maid relaxed a bit, but her shoulders were still tight: "I really don't know. The eldest young master disappeared a few days ago."
Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing were shocked when they heard this. Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng looked at each other and asked tentatively, "Missing?"
"Yes. The eldest young master went out to visit friends last month, and then he never came back. The wife sent someone to ask relatives, friends and old friends, and no one has seen the eldest young master."
Lu Heng remained calm and asked, "Since he disappeared, why didn't he report to the officials?"
Even if Lu Heng didn't put pressure on it deliberately, what he said was like an interrogator. The little maid was even more frightened, and her voice was as thin as a mosquito: "The wife said that the eldest young master is just having fun, maybe he will come back after a while, there is no need to report to the official."
Wang Yanqing raised her eyebrows secretly, her daughter had committed adultery, and Liang Wenshi stabbed the government without a word, but she said that there was no need to report the disappearance of the eldest son of the original partner. It seems that Liang Wenshi concealed a lot of things.
Wang Yanqing declined to comment on this, and asked softly: "Liang Rong is actually missing, which is really worrying. I don't know where Liang Rong lives. Let's go and have a look. Maybe we can help."
When outsiders wanted to see the master's room, the little maid should have refused, but when she saw Lu Heng's mixed eyes, she didn't dare to say "no". She tremblingly pointed in a direction: "The eldest young master's room is over there, the one with the door locked."
Wang Yanqing glanced in the direction of the front yard and locked the door. It seemed that this place became more and more suspicious. Wang Yanqing smiled reassuringly at the little maid and asked, "When did you find out that Liang Rong was missing?"
"Three days ago, my wife saw that the eldest young master hadn't come home for half a month, and sent someone out to ask, only to find out that the eldest young master did not go to a friend's house. Neither did he see his relatives."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
The little maid thought for a while, and said, "It was the seventeenth day. The eldest young master went out very early, and the waiter saw him and said hello, but the eldest young master ignored it. The wife complained unhappily."
Lu Heng squinted slightly and asked suddenly, "Do you remember the days of last month so clearly?"
As soon as Lu Heng spoke, the little maid was frightened, her teeth trembled consciously, and hurriedly said, "It's not that the slave maid is doing a ghost, but that the wife went back to her mother's house that day, so the slave maid remembers the day."
Wang Yanqing secretly moved in her heart and asked, "November 17 is not a season, what did Mrs. Liang do when she went back to her mother's house? Could it be, what happened to Mrs. Liang's mother's house?"
The little maid shook her head: "I don't know. My wife didn't let anyone follow her. She only took the second young master. She went out in the morning and came back in the evening."
Lu Heng asked, "What do you mean with only Liang Bin?"
The little maid thought this question was very strange, she clasped her fingers, and said in embarrassment: "I only take the second young master. The wife thinks that the old slave who is driving the car smells bad, so she won't let him follow, and let the second young master drive the car away."
The Liang residence was considered a middle-class family, no more servants than the Gongqing family, nor did they have to rush for a living like ordinary people. There are cooks and servants in their family, but it would not be worthwhile for the Liang family to spare a labor force for driving cars. Therefore, when the female family members of the Liang family go out, the servants who can drive the car also serve as the driver.
But Wang Yanqing felt that Liang Wenshi's actions were too much. Her husband just died, what did she do when she returned to her parents' home for no reason
Lu Heng asked the answer he wanted. Seeing that the little maid couldn't ask anything, he signaled her to leave. The little maid was amnesty and ran away with her things in her arms. After they were far away, Lu Heng asked, "Is she telling the truth?"
Wang Yanqing said, "I don't see any signs of lying."
"That's the truth." Lu Heng raised his sleeves and took a slight step to block the cold air from the air vents. He sighed inexplicably, and said, "Liang Wei passed away, the eldest son of the Liang family disappeared, and the eldest daughter committed adultery. The Liang family is really unfavorable during this period of time."
Wang Yanqing pouted and said, "Second brother, since you know everything, why test me?"
"How can there be." Lu Heng held Wang Yanqing's hand, his eyes like water waves locked Wang Yanqing, and said seriously, "Thanks to Qingqing for helping me to ask some secrets. They should have said almost, let's go, let's look back. Look."
Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing returned to the front yard, and without disturbing anyone, they quietly walked into the living room. Chen Yuxuan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the commander coming back. But after returning, Chen Yuxuan would not be able to act any longer if the commander did not show up.
He and Liang Wei only have two sides, and to be careful, they really don't have any friendship. The Liang family didn't care about the people who came in and out of the back, just a few attendants. There was nothing to pay attention to. All of their attention was on the young and promising Chen Qianhu from the capital in front of him.
The clan elder weighed Chen Yuxuan's face and asked roundly, "Chen Qianhu, you didn't forget to drop off Liang Wei when you returned to your hometown. It really moved me. I don't know if Chen Qianhu came to Baoding for this trip, is there anything else? matter?"
After the clan elder finished speaking, Liang Wenshi's eyes followed, staring at Chen Yuxuan motionless. Chen Yuxuan and Liang Wei had only been on a mission a few years ago, so they didn't have a deep friendship. Chen Yuxuan passed by Baoding and came in to give Liang Wei a stick of incense, which was enough loyalty, but he still stayed in the Liang family and talked with the Liang family for a long time. With such a move, several elders of the Liang family and Liang Wenshi felt that Chen Yuxuan had other intentions.
Chen Yuxuan came from the capital... Is there any news from the capital? You must know that Liang Wei's position of a thousand households has not yet been determined. How to pass it on is still waiting for the approval of the big figures in the capital.
Chen Yuxuan glanced behind him quietly and said, "There is nothing else. I learned on the way that Brother Liang Wei had passed away, and I deeply felt that the world was impermanent, so I came to pay homage."
Chen Yuxuan has been sloppy and refused to speak. The clan elder was anxious and asked tentatively, "We are humble and don't know what the capital is going to do. I wonder how Mr. Lu is doing these days?"
Chen Yuxuan glanced quickly towards the corner of the living room, smiled reluctantly, and said, "Lord Lu is fine."
The clan elder gave an "oh" and asked again, "Where is the commander, Lord Chen?"
"Master Chen is also healthy and smooth."
The clan elder wanted to get close to the capital, so he pretended to be concerned and asked, "I heard that Mr. Lu has been promoted again this year. Mr. Lu is only twenty-two years old, and he has already entered and exited the Nanzhen Fusi. He is really a young talent with an unlimited future. Mr. Lu seems to be I haven't married yet, and Mr. Lu's official fortune is so prosperous, I don't know which lady to marry?"
Chen Yuxuan couldn't even keep the smile on his face anymore, and talking about his private affairs in front of the chief, he had ten heads that weren't enough to drop. Chen Yuxuan hurriedly coughed and said sternly, "This is the personal affairs of the commander. As subordinates, we should share our worries for the commander, and we must not overstep it."
When the Liang family heard this, they quickly stopped talking and laughed dryly. Lu Heng stood at the door and listened to these idlers discussing why he didn't marry a wife. After he had heard enough, he said calmly: "Chen Qianhu, we have been in for so long, and it seems that we haven't seen Liang Qianhu's eldest son, Liang Rong. I don't know. Where is Liang Rong?"
Chen Yuxuan finally heard the commander's words, secretly relieved, and quickly answered: "Yes, where is the eldest young master of your residence, why haven't you seen him?"
Liang Wenshi was a little nervous, so he rushed in front of the clan elder and said, "Liang Rong is a playful person and ran away from home a few days ago. My concubine invited the three elders of the clan to come out today, and I was just about to discuss this matter."
When the clan elder heard it, he nodded with his beard and said, "That's right. The old man was invited by the eldest wife today to discuss matters in the mansion, and happened to meet Chen Qianhu to offer condolences. It's really fate."
Wang Yanqing listened for a long time, and then answered softly: "Running away from home is not a trivial matter. Did someone as big as Liang Rong suddenly leave, did he encounter any problems?"
A young woman's voice suddenly sounded in the living room, and everyone in the Liang family looked at each other and looked at Chen Yuxuan tentatively: "Master Chen, this is..."
"This is me..." Chen Yuxuan opened his mouth, but didn't know how to introduce it. This is the woman brought by the commander. On the way, they saw the commander take care of her like eyeballs with their own eyes. Chen Yuxuan did not dare to call her a maid. But if he was introduced as his cousin, he would take advantage of the commander, Chen Yuxuan would not have the courage...
Chen Yuxuan hesitated, not thinking about what to say for a while. However, the Liang family misunderstood his pause and automatically read the information, with a comprehensible expression. Chen Yuxuan broke down in a cold sweat, what did they know? Don't harm him with these people!
Chen Yuxuan looked at the door tentatively, the commander stood under the bright light with his hands behind his back, and he could not see his expression against the light, but he could only feel that his eyes fell on Chen Yuxuan with unknown meaning.
The author says:
Lu Heng: I'll give you one more chance to say it again.