The place for questioning was chosen by Lu Heng. After he came out of the Emperor's Palace, he immediately sent someone to look for Wang Yanqing. But he was very unlucky to meet Fu Tingzhou and Cheng Zhifu. Lu Heng temporarily changed his mind on the way and quietly reminded Wang Yanqing to let her arrive before them and hide behind the screen.
It's dusk now, the light is dim, and the house is depressed and unoccupied for a long time, it is not difficult to hide a person. However, after all, there were two court officials sitting outside, including the old enemy Fu Tingzhou. Wang Yanqing was afraid of disturbing the two, so he kept breathing and movements lightly. There are too many limitations, and it does not leave her much room to observe expressions.
Wang Yanqing shook his head slightly: "It's too far apart, I can't see it clearly. However, their reactions don't seem to be specially trained."
Lu Heng felt the same way. During the interrogation, he had been paying attention to the hands of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. They had thick joints, rough palms, and cracked fingers. Wushu will also grow cocoons, but the position of holding the knife and the agricultural implement is different, and the cocoons that grow are also completely different. There is no trace of camouflage based on appearance alone.
Lu Heng believed for the time being that they really came to complain. Lu Heng glanced at the sky outside and said, "People come and go here, and someone may come back at any time. Let's go, let's go back and talk."
Wang Yanqing nodded, she didn't miss what Lu Heng said, "Someone will come back at any time". He described it as Fu Tingzhou or Cheng Zhifu. Cheng Zhifu was only of the fourth rank. Even if he saw that Lu Heng hid outsiders in the house, he would not dare to spread the word. Then Lu Heng was only worried about Fu Tingzhou.
Strange, why did the second brother exclude Fu Tingzhou from seeing her? Although it's shameful to say this, Fu Tingzhou is still infatuated with her. Even if he bumps into Wang Yanqing, he won't go to the top to complain. What is the second brother worried about
Since she met Fu Tingzhou, there have been more and more unexplainable things. Wang Yanqing didn't make a sound, and quietly followed Lu Heng back to the Xingyuan where they lived. Everything on the Southern Tour was simple, and even Wang Yanqing was quietly stuffed into the team. She could no longer bring too many maids, and only brought Lingxi out.
When Lingxi saw Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng come back, she didn't ask anything. After putting on hot tea for them, she skillfully closed the door and left. Wang Yanqing was used to this kind of treatment, and didn't think it was wrong. She didn't have time to drink tea, so she approached and asked, "Second brother, what's going on?"
She had been in the carriage for a day and finally set foot on the ground. Before she could pack her luggage, someone suddenly came and said that the commander was looking for her. Wang Yanqing didn't understand what was going on, and was placed behind a faded, dusty screen. Then, Lu Heng, Fu Tingzhou and an official she didn't know walked in.
Lu Heng leaned on the back of the chair and said casually, "As you heard, someone went outside the palace to complain. The emperor heard it and ordered me to solve the case within three days."
"Within three days?" Wang Yanqing was shocked, "Why is the emperor so powerful?"
Lu Heng tapped the armrest with his slender fingers, and said slowly, "I asked for my order."
Wang Yanqing was speechless for a moment. She looked at Lu Heng, unable to understand what he was doing.
Lu Heng didn't want to explain more, and said, "This is the end of the matter, let's solve the case first. You say, is that piece of life-saving cloth true or false?"
The blood on the cloth is not fake, but it did not say that it must be the blood of the Liu family's son. What if the Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law deliberately exaggerated it in order to attract attention? Wang Yanqing thought for a while, then shook his head honestly: "There is too little information for me to judge. I always feel that there are many things that Aunt Liu didn't say."
"Yes." Lu Heng did not deny this, "I felt it too. They seemed to be very scared, and they were hesitant and vague when they spoke."
"It's normal for them to be afraid." Wang Yanqing said, "You put on the posture of three tribunals. Which common people are not afraid? Besides, there are their local prefects among them. It's normal for them to have scruples."
Lu Heng couldn't do anything about it, he was good at making people fear him, but how to be approachable was not in Jin Yiwei's lesson. Lu Heng said, "If you come to ask, are you sure you can tell the truth?"
Wang Yanqing considered for a moment, and finally nodded slowly: "It should be possible. However, I want to see these two people alone, preferably without officers and guards."
If the person is in Jinyiwei, this is a very easy arrangement, but the person was taken away by Fu Tingzhou. Lu Heng scolded bad luck in his heart, but his face was still light: "No problem, I'll arrange it."
The summer is long, and the heat is shrouded in the earth, and even the air seems to be filled with a layer of blue mist. The officers and soldiers have been raiding for a day, and they have to patrol here at night, and they are miserable. But they didn't dare to neglect the things ordered by Marquis Zhenyuan. A group of people patrolled around the base of the wall. Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes saw a few young and strong men walking towards here.
Jin Yiwei's suit could be recognized at a distance of 800 meters. The officers and soldiers immediately became vigilant, stood in front of the road, and asked loudly, "Who is coming?"
Jin Yiwei, headed by him, quickly showed his waist badge and said, "Master Lu is afraid that the witnesses will make mistakes, so he ordered us to check and check."
The patrolling officers and soldiers are from the military divisions of the five cities, but they don't like Jinyiwei's suit: "The Marquis of Zhenyuan has an order, and no one is allowed to enter without his token."
Jin Yiwei was impatient, and couldn't help raising his voice: "I'm just looking at the witnesses. Do you have any other purpose?"
Xia Ye was so angry that the two teams quarreled when they disagreed. The officers and soldiers guarding the gate kept looking forward, anxious and afraid to leave their posts without permission. Two women in palace costumes came over, and the officers and soldiers paid attention to the front, but did not forget to stop the person: "Who?"
The palace maid performed the palace ceremony in an upright manner, and took the initiative to open the lid of the wooden box in her hand: "We are delivering meals."
The officers and soldiers swept over the two men, who were dressed in ordinary palace maid dresses with waist cards on their waists. The two of them looked at each other, but they were foreign ministers, and it was normal for them not to know palace maids. The officers and soldiers noticed that the edges of their waist cards had been rubbed flat, their clothes were a little old, and the corners of their skirts were still stained with dirt, as if they had walked for a long time.
Generally speaking, these are two very ordinary palace maids, the only unusual thing is that their appearance is so outstanding. Especially the one at the back, she kept her head down, but her exposed forehead was snow-white, and her figure was also slender and slender. Would this kind of woman be just a food delivery person in the palace
The officers and soldiers looked suspicious. He checked the food box. There was nothing in the box except for two simple dishes and two bowls of rice. The palace maid took the initiative to take out the silver needle and tested each dish for poison in front of the officers and soldiers. She held her hand motionless, and after a long time, the silver needle did not change color. The eyes of the officers and soldiers fell on the two of them, and the palace maid was instantly nervous and her voice was stiff: "Master, we are the maids of the Shangshi Bureau, and we were ordered to deliver meals..."
In the summer, the clothes were light and thin, and the sword could not be hidden. He thought that maybe he thought too much, maybe the water and soil in the palace is to support people. With that in mind, he put away the knife and let them in.
The palace maid restored the food box to its original state, performed a palace ceremony very standardly, and walked into the door in small steps. The other woman followed behind her companion, her brows lowered, and she looked like she was keeping herself safe. After the door was closed, Lingxi breathed a sigh of relief. She handed the food box to Wang Yanqing and said, "Girl, I'm watching here, you go and come back quickly."
Wang Yanqing nodded. She knew that the time was tight, so she didn't waste her time, and walked quickly to the room. The door was suddenly pushed open, and the people inside were startled and turned around quickly.
Standing at the door, Wang Yanqing said, "I am the maid of the Shang Palace Bureau, and I have been ordered to deliver meals to the two of you."
Hearing that it was the person delivering the meal, the Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law first relaxed, and then rubbed their hands crampedly: "It turned out to be a noble person in the palace... We can eat whatever we want, how can we let you deliver it."
Wang Yanqing pursed her lips and smiled: "I'm just a palace maid, you don't have to call me noble. Do you two want to eat now?"
The Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have been hungry for a day, and they have long pressed their chests to their backs, and nodded hurriedly when they heard this. Wife Liu took the initiative to take the food box from Wang Yanqing's hand. Madam Liu was a little embarrassed and said, "Wife did not expect to see people in the palace in this life. It's really beautiful like a New Year's picture. No, the New Year's picture can't be better than you. ... whoops, watch out!"
Daughter-in-law Liu came to pick up the food box. The two of them didn't know who was holding on to it. Wang Yanqing let go, but Daughter-in-law Liu didn't catch it. Daughter-in-law Liu subconsciously fished it out, but she didn't hold back. The food box fell to the ground with a bang, and the soup inside spilled on the ground.
Liu's daughter-in-law's face suddenly turned red to her neck, and she knelt down to pick up the food: "I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I didn't catch it..."
"It doesn't matter." Wang Yanqing took the initiative to squat down with her skirt, and cleaned up the mess on the ground, "I'm not doing well. These meals fell on the ground and can't be eaten. I'll have someone give them another one later."
Mrs. Liu looked at the white rice on the ground, and said distressedly, "Why don't you send another portion, just stick it with a little soil, and you can eat it with a pat."
"How can this work?" Wang Yanqing said, "The ground is so dirty, how can I let the two of you enter? Wait a moment, the food will be delivered in a while."
Mrs. Liu hesitated to speak, and finally closed her mouth. In fact, she really thinks it's edible. If such good white rice gets a little soiled, it will be thrown away. It's a waste of things. But the people in the palace were particular about it, and Mrs. Liu didn't dare to say it, so she could only agree.
Liu's daughter-in-law overturned the rice and felt very guilty. She kept kneeling on the ground to put away the broken pieces of porcelain and wiped the vegetable soup. Wang Yanqing put the residue into the food box and closed the lid silently.
In fact, it's not the daughter-in-law Liu's fault for knocking over the food box, it was Wang Yanqing who let go on purpose, causing her to fail.
Surprise happened in an instant and was the hardest of all expressions to hide. Because accidents often represent danger, everyone will reveal their most instinctive self at that moment. When the food box suddenly fell, the Liu family's daughter-in-law was stunned for a while before going to fetch it. Hearing the sound of the porcelain bowl breaking, fear and guilt flashed across her face, and she quickly knelt down to pick up the scraps. Her movements are very quick, like someone who is used to doing housework, not like someone who practices martial arts.
Aunt Liu's expression of distress for food does not seem to be fake. When she was talking to Wang Yanqing, her eyes kept staring at the rice grains on the ground. When she heard Wang Yanqing was about to throw the food away, she pulled down her eyebrows, folded her eyelids, and pursed her lips. He wanted to speak but held back.
If it is an assassin or a spy, the first reaction to seeing something falling should be to be alert, and there should be no guilt. Seeing that the food was spilled, Liu's daughter-in-law immediately knelt down to clean up the mess, exposing the entire back to Wang Yanqing. When Wang Yanqing suddenly approached her, her muscles did not tighten.
Comprehensive performance, this is indeed a pair of rural mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Now that the identity is determined, it is easy to talk about the later things.
The Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn't understand the rules in the palace, so Wang Yanqing excused himself to wait for the meal, so he should have stayed. Wang Yanqing said, "I'm really sorry, but you have to wait a little longer."
Aunt Liu saw that this fairy-like woman didn't despise them for being vulgar, and she spoke gently and softly to them, so she had the nerve to promise: "What's the matter, we usually go to the ground, and we have to eat at the time of Xu, and sometimes the fields are not finished. Eating at Hai is also a common thing. Now we don’t have to do anything, even if we have to bother you to bring it, we should say sorry.”
Wang Yanqing smiled and said, "You two don't blame me. The dishes will not arrive in a while, so sit down and talk."
Wang Yanqing said this, in fact, she knew in her heart that the food would not come. She sneaked in, she must not leave traces, this meal is doomed to fail. After Wang Yanqing left, the real palace maid and eunuch would come to deliver the meal.
The Zhuang households were not so particular, so Liu's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law took their seats when they saw Wang Yanqing greet them kindly. Wang Yanqing pretended to be curious about the countryside, and took the initiative to ask how to farm the land.
Originally, Wang Yanqing was a noble person in the palace, and she was distant and fearful in the hearts of the Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Now that she asks questions, her status has suddenly dropped. Aunt Liu didn't expect that the people in the palace were still inferior to her, and her heart swelled, and she immediately started chatting.
Wang Yanqing stared at Aunt Liu earnestly, smiling and nodding from time to time. In a few words, she figured out Aunt Liu's family situation and age of origin. Wife Liu looked at her mother-in-law chatting, a little embarrassed, and quietly pulled Aunt Liu's sleeve: "Mother, this girl may not have touched the soil before. How can people be patient when you say this?"
"Where." Wang Yanqing smiled, "I actually grew up in the village. When my grandmother went to farm when I was a child, I waited on the ridge, how could I have never seen the land?"
In fact, Wang Yanqing didn't remember these things, she listened to what Lu Heng told her. Wang Yanqing is not without regrets. Her family was destroyed. She lost her parents and grandmother at the age of seven. Now she can't even remember her grandmother's face. If her grandmother was still alive, she would have looked like the old woman in front of her with the same weathered and unyielding appearance.
Wang Yanqing sighed secretly, she had gained the trust of the Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and slowly began to touch the case: "Auntie, I heard that you are here to complain, what is going on?"
When Aunt Liu heard this, her flying eyebrows drooped down, and she sighed deeply: "Yes, my old man and son don't know how to live or die now."
Wang Yanqing asked, "Why?"
"They were called by the court to build a palace in April. In June, the strong men from the neighboring villages came back one after another, but they didn't hear from them. I've been waiting and waiting, and it's already July, and there's still no news. I ran I went to the county government office to ask. At first, the county government office didn’t say anything and just threw us away. Later, I asked people from the village to go together. It is said that the man in Hegu Village encountered a flood on the way to the labor force and was washed away by the flood."
When Aunt Liu said these words, her eyes were dull, and the folds at the corners of her mouth fell heavily, a kind of numb calm. Wang Yanqing thought for a while and asked, "They were swept away by the flood on their way there. The imperial court was recruited in April, why did the county government only tell you in July?"
"I just don't understand this, so I don't think they were washed away by the water." Aunt Liu said, "Later, Li was going door-to-door, saying that the county paid funeral expenses, and each family sent one person to the county hall to pick it up and receive it. Don't mention it again after you get the money. I don't believe my son died like this and didn't go get it."
Wang Yanqing asked, "Did everyone else in the village take it?"
"That's right." Aunt Liu sighed deeply, "The days are going to go on, people are gone, what are you still holding on to? They all say I'm stunned, but I can see it every night when I close my eyes. My son is suffering. I worked so hard to bring him up, and I just married him a daughter-in-law, how can I send him away in such a confused way? Even if there is a flash flood, there must be a corpse."
The Liu family's daughter-in-law was silent, sitting beside her mother-in-law with her head down. The light outside the house dimmed layer by layer, and they sat at the empty wooden table, like statues in a temple, silent and mottled. Wang Yanqing thought for a moment and asked, "Does every village have to recruit labor?"
"right."
"Apart from Hegu Village, has anyone else encountered this kind of thing?"
"I haven't heard of it." Aunt Liu said solemnly, "their people came back early, and our village has been silent, so I feel strange. I went to the county government to complain about my grievance, and the county magistrate called me a lunatic, but they didn't let me. Enter the door. Our osprey flew back, and I finally had the evidence, but I couldn't enter the county government office. I used to hear the village sing a play, saying that someone was wronged and the county magistrate didn't care. He went to Beijing to file a lawsuit successfully. I don't know where the capital is. , I tried to come to the prefect. But I was not familiar with Weihui's life and place. I stayed outside for three days, and I couldn't even get in the door of the prefect."
Wife Liu heard this and added: "Mother has really suffered a lot in order to avenge her father-in-law and husband-in-law. When she went to the county government to file a complaint, the county master almost executed it. After that, we didn’t dare to go to the county government office, so we came to Weihui. But the prefect was busy picking up the car, and even the gate of the government office wouldn’t let us approach. After the flowers are over, my mother is not willing to go back like this, so she risked her life and came to the palace to try her luck."
Couldn't tell if it was good luck or bad luck, the emperor really heard it. Wang Yanqing sighed for the hard-working mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She suddenly realized that something was wrong, raised her head suddenly, and her eyes suddenly lit up: "You said that you first went to the county government to complain about your grievance, and then you saw the Osprey. There is no evidence, why do you? Do you think they were not surprised?"
Wang Yanqing's eyes were different from the gentle and kind maid just now. Aunt Liu was immersed in her own thoughts and did not feel abnormal. Aunt Liu licked her lips, struggled for a moment, and said in a low voice, "Actually, it's not just the flood this time. Before the recruitment, other people also went out and disappeared for no reason. Moreover, some time ago, at night, in the mountains There was a rumbling sound. Others said it was an earthquake, but our old man said no. If there was a real earthquake, the fish in the river would definitely run away. I didn't pay attention to it at the time. Who knows how long it will be before the county government Many people came to recruit strong men, but no one from the village came back. The more I think about it, the more wrong it is, how can this be called a natural disaster, there must be some ghosts!"
The information revealed by Aunt Liu was very useful. Wang Yanqing was about to ask again when there was a knock on the door behind him. Lingxi's voice sounded from outside the door, slightly tense: "It's time, we should go."
Only then did the Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law know that there was a palace maid outside. They stood up at a loss and apologized again and again. Wang Yanqing knew that things had changed, so she stopped the Liu family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and said, "It's all my fault. As soon as I talk, I forget the time. We have palace rules, so we have to go back quickly. You two stay, you don't need to send them off."
When Aunt Liu heard this, she didn't dare to stop her, and Wang Yanqing came out with the food box. When Lingxi saw her, she lowered her voice and said, "Girl, don't talk for a while, and walk along the dark place."
Wang Yanqing nodded in understanding. Lingxi and Wang Yanqing went out. The officers and soldiers guarding outside saw them come out and frowned and asked, "Why did you go in for so long?"
Lingxi lowered her eyebrows and said, "Auntie is in charge. We have to wait for them to finish eating and get the food box back."
The officers and soldiers did not understand the rules in the palace, and could not hear anything wrong for a while, so they let them go. Wang Yanqing lowered his head and walked away quickly. There was a corner in front of him, and there was a sound of neat and powerful footsteps from behind. Lingxi's heart tightened, and he quickly moved behind Wang Yanqing to block Wang Yanqing's figure.
The two turned around the corner without any risk, and Lingxi was not sure whether it was exposed or not, so they could only urge Wang Yanqing to leave quickly. Wang Yanqing said nothing, but said, "Don't forget to bring them food later."
Lingxi nodded: "The commander will arrange it."
Fu Tingzhou always thought that Lu Heng would not live so peacefully, and sure enough, when the sky was about to fall, he heard a message that a few Jin Yiwei were provoking trouble at the door. Fu Tingzhou came to check in person, and when he approached, he vaguely swept two women past the corner of the wall.
Even if the woman's figure was only revealed for a moment, Fu Tingzhou still recognized that it was Qingqing.
Fu Tingzhou didn't say anything. After he appeared, the troublesome Jin Yiwei quickly dispersed. Fu Tingzhou pushed open the door and came in. Aunt Liu saw that it was him, and hurriedly dragged her daughter-in-law to her knees.
"Caomin pays respects to Lord Hou."
They knelt on the ground with improper etiquette. Fu Tingzhou's attention was not on the pair of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
He was all too familiar with this fragrance, because Fu Tingzhou didn't even feel surprised because he had a hunch. Fu Tingzhou asked the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on the ground, "Who was here just now?"
Aunt Liu shivered and said, "One... No, two palace maids who deliver meals."
"What does she look like?"
This question stopped Aunt Liu, she frowned and said, "He's quite tall, white and thin, and he has a special appearance."
Fu Tingzhou nodded lightly and asked, "What did she tell you?"
"I just asked about the daytime..." Aunt Liu became nervous, "Could it be, isn't that a palace maid?"
If only Lu Heng did things, Fu Tingzhou would definitely not be merciful. But Qingqing was also involved. He didn't want to expose Qingqing, so he calmly said, "It's a palace maid. It's nothing, I'm just here to check."
Aunt Liu snorted, and her face relaxed. Fu Tingzhou glanced at them one last time, then turned around and went out. After closing the door, he instructed the guarding officers and soldiers: "Watch out, don't let anyone approach."
The officers and soldiers should be solemn. After he finished speaking, the Marquis of Zhenyuan did not move, and the officers and soldiers became nervous. Could it be that what did he do wrong just now
When the officers and soldiers were sweating from fear, Fu Tingzhou said, "Next time the two palace maids will come to deliver meals..."
He stopped halfway through, and finally shook his head: "She won't come again. Forget it, keep on duty."
The Marquis of Zhenyuan left an inexplicable remark, but he did not say it again inexplicably. The officers and soldiers did not understand what he meant, and they promised it in surprise.
Fu Tingzhou walked towards his residence in the dark of night. The weather in July was like a steamer, and the ground was filled with the heat of dust. Fu Tingzhou was walking in the palace where the guards were obviously chaotic, and a vague idea came to his mind.
He probably knew how to save Qingqing back.