"It should be here."
Jiang Miao looked at the sign on the vermilion gate in front of him, then looked at the piece of paper with the detailed address in his hand, and after comparing them again and again, he said.
Pei Che nodded, and the servant behind him immediately went forward to knock on the door. After a few "dangdangdang" sounds, the door creaked open a crack.
An old man dressed as a doorman looked out cautiously, and when he found that the people in front of him were dressed unusually, his attitude immediately softened. He had been a doorman for 10 to 20 years, and his eyes were shiny. The man standing in front was clearly wearing a pair of official boots, and the man behind him even had a faint sense of nobility.
"I wonder what business you have brought me to your house for?"
"My master is here to visit Mr. Zhao. Please tell him that an old friend is visiting."
The doorman felt a little strange, but he still obeyed the instruction, although he had no idea who this old friend was.
Pei Che was a little excited. He had already left two of the three families named Zhao Wei. Zhao Wei from the west of the city was not tall. He opened a tavern to make a living. He went out early and came back late every day. His life was busy but fulfilling.
When he saw Pei Che and his friends coming, he thought they were businessmen, so enthusiastic. Pei Che talked with him for a while, then said he had something to do and left. Jiang Miao was a little puzzled. Pei Che didn't even ask him if he knew about Tzu Chi Temple, so why did he leave
Pei Che sighed and said, "He just said that his tavern has been open for more than ten years. During these ten years, he has been guarding the tavern. How could he have the opportunity to leave Liangjing City?"
That's right, Jiang Miao nodded. His father-in-law, Prince Pei and his wife, were killed seven or eight years ago, and they really had nothing to do with Zhao Wei. But what if this guy was lying
Pei Che seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "This man is not lying. You see, although he owns a tavern and his business seems to be pretty good, his clothes and things are the same as those of ordinary people, or even worse. His hands are also very rough, and you can tell at a glance that he is used to doing housework. This shows that he is usually very frugal. Such a person, even if he leaves the city, would not be able to take out 500 taels of silver in one go as incense money."
Seeing his well-organized analysis, Jiang Miao couldn't help but tease, "Not bad, you observe very carefully, just like a famous detective."
Famous detective? Pei Che silently memorized this word in his heart. This was another new word spoken by A Miao. He no longer believed that this was some kind of idiom from his hometown, because no one else could say these words except Jiang Miao.
Seeing Pei Che staring at him with interest, Jiang Miao felt his face flushed for some reason, and he felt a little embarrassed. He hurriedly said, "Let's go to the next one. The next one is also in the outer city, but in the east of the city."
The group rushed to the east of the city and finally found the place, but found that Zhao Wei was a born cripple. Years of inconvenience in walking made this person very gloomy and irritable, and he looked at people with hostility and inquiry. Pei Che and others did not say much, just said a few words, and then left. This person was disabled, and he was definitely not the one who added the incense money. His characteristics were so obvious that if Master Wuchen had come into contact with him, he would definitely remember him.
This is the last one in front of him. If it is not the one, the clues he got with great difficulty will be useless again. While Pei Che was waiting for the doorman to pass the message, he clenched his fists and sweat oozed from his palms.
A hand came over and held his. The slightly calloused palm was slightly smaller than his hand, but just this one grip made his heart calm down.
Even if it wasn't him, so what? He had waited for so many years, was he afraid to wait a little longer? Even if Zhao Wei wasn't from the capital, he must be from a nearby town. Even if he had to go from city to city to find him, he would find him and figure out the truth.
Jiang Miao turned his head to look at him, and found that his emotions were no longer tense, and he felt at ease. Although he had not experienced such an irreconcilable hatred, he could understand it.
His parents died, his brother became mentally ill, his grandmother was old and helpless, and the whole family had to rely on his uncle's family. He was the owner of the Duke's Mansion, but he felt like a guest. Although he didn't receive too much criticism, it was obviously a world of difference compared to before.
"Gentlemen, our master invites you in." The doorman's voice reached their ears through the door. The two men looked at each other and walked forward.
This man named Zhao Wei lives in the east of the inner city. Whether from the imposing gate or the layout inside the gate, it shows that the Zhao family is wealthy. From this point of view, it is very likely that he is the one who donated money to the Tzu Chi Temple. However, it is obviously very arbitrary to make a judgment based on just one point. It is still necessary to meet the person in person and ask him before we can know.
They followed the guide for a while and came to the flower hall for guests. As soon as they sat down, maids served them fragrant tea and desserts. The service was very thoughtful.
"I'm sorry for not welcoming you personally." Following the source of the voice, a tall man about the same age as Uncle Pei appeared in front of them. He had a square face, broad eyes, and a beard on his chin, and looked quite upright.
After Zhao Wei saw Pei Che's appearance clearly, his eyes changed slightly, and his eyes flickered for a moment, then he laughed loudly and said, "Excuse me, both of you. Please sit down and talk. I heard from the doorman that an old friend is visiting. I wonder where he is now?" He pretended to look around, with just the right amount of confusion on his face.
Pei Che pretended to be ashamed and said, "Master Zhao, this is an excuse I made to come and visit you. I don't have any old friends. However, I am not lying. Although no old friends are visiting, the son of an old friend is here."
"Oh? Son of an old friend? May I know your name, sir, and who your elder is?" Zhao Wei asked curiously, as if he really couldn't figure out Pei Che's background.
"Master Zhao, can you really not recognize me? I look very similar to my father. Everyone who has seen me tells you about me. How come Master Zhao has never seen me?" Pei Che asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Master Zhao frowned and squinted his eyes as he looked Pei Che up and down. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Young Master is extraordinarily handsome. If I had seen someone with such a natural appearance, I would have had an impression of him. I have never seen one before."
"Really?" Pei Che frowned. "It seems that I am being rude. I hope Master Zhao will not be offended by my rash visit. Since you are not the old friend I am looking for, I will take my leave now."
Mr. Zhao said, "It is fate that we meet. Why should we be so abrupt? Since you have something to do, I will not stay any longer."
Pei Che bowed to him, then left with the confused Jiang Miao.
"Isn't it him either?" Jiang Miao asked cautiously, "Then maybe he was overlooked among the people we eliminated earlier. Shall we take another look at the rosters?"
"No need, it should be him." Pei Che said firmly.
Jiang Miao was shocked: "It's him?! Then why did you say you recognized the wrong person just now? That person also pretended not to know you, he was lying?" He had seen the portrait of his father-in-law, and he did look very similar to Pei Che. Such a handsome and elegant man, as long as you take a look at him, you will definitely not forget him.
"Yes. When ordinary people hear that an old friend is visiting, they will definitely ask questions. But that person only asked a few words casually and didn't care if he didn't get an answer. It's not that he didn't have curiosity, but he already knew my identity but pretended not to know."
Jiang Miao nodded and asked, "Then is he the one who attacked your parents?"
Pei Che did not answer immediately. He thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"He is not?"
"... I don't know." Pei Che was troubled for once. "When he looked at me, his eyes didn't try to avoid me, nor did he show any fear or worry, or even any guilt. But he obviously knew me, so why would he lie?"
"He must be hiding something. Let's go find him and ask him clearly!"
"Not busy for now. He lied before, so he won't tell me easily." Pei Che thought for a moment and said, "I'll send someone to keep an eye on him for a while and see who he associates with."
Although the Zhao family is rich, it is nothing unusual in this inner city. Such a person seems to have nothing to do with the prince of the Duke's Mansion. Was the incident that year instigated by someone or was there another hidden story
(End of this chapter)