Yun Fenghuang let out a long breath, feeling that the demise of the Xie family was indeed a bit confusing, and it might not be that there was some truth hidden that he couldn't understand.
Unfortunately, the Xie family was from a humble family, and no matter how favored she was, as a palace concubine, she could not reach out to any other country, let alone the frontier.
However, if she really wants to know more information, it seems that she doesn't know everyone in the Dingbei Army...
Thinking of Qi Jiulu, Yun Fenghuang's expression was complicated.
Ever since she rejected him, she had made up her mind that no matter how low she fell in her life, she would never look for him again.
But it was so closely related to the downfall of the Xie family...
Concubine Min thought about it for a long time, finally sighed and ruthlessly put an end to her plan to contact Qi Jiulu.
Although she felt that even if Qi Jiulu changed his mind, based on the familiarity between the two of them, she would be able to guess and make a judgment, but... this man has sacrificed a lot for her. If she drags him into trouble now, her only remaining conscience will be It’s really hard to get through.
But she stopped thinking about looking for Qi Jiulu. Within two days, a messenger came under the banner of Xie Wuzheng. After taking a look, he motioned her to retreat with his eyes, and then revealed the truth, saying that he was sent by Qi Jiulu.
"Since I broke up with the Qi family, there has been no contact between the two families. What did he ask you to do?" Yun Fenghuang looked at the token that the other party took out and recognized that it was indeed something that Qi Jiulu had brought with him in his early years, but he still didn't dare Take it lightly, after all, not to mention whether Qi Jiulu's love for him has turned from love to hatred over the years, Qi Jiulu's wife Chao Jingyou is an old enemy of her.
Even if Qi Jiulu didn't like his wife, they both had daughters, so Chao Jingyou wouldn't be unable to get a few of his things.
The Chao family was instigated by the emperor and made great contributions to the downfall of the Ji family.
Who knows if he is coveting this opportunity and wants to use Yun Fenghuang as an excuse to expose it to Chunjia
Therefore, Yun Fenghuang looked cold and said, "No matter what it is, it has nothing to do with me. You can just go down."
The envoy was not surprised. He took two steps forward and whispered: "Mother, do you still have that moon-white crepe firefly sac?"
"..." Yun Fenghuang raised his eyebrows slightly, but it was impossible for Chao Jingyou to know about this matter, unless Qi Jiulu and Chao Jingyou settled their differences and came to trick her as a couple.
Otherwise, even if Chao Jingyou inquired about Qi Jiulu catching fireflies at night, he would not be able to know such details as the moon-white crepe.
She was silent for a moment, and finally said, "What did he ask you to do? Didn't he say that there would be no further involvement?"
The messenger said slowly: "If it is an ordinary matter, I would not dare to disturb the empress. It only concerns the lives of many people in the Xie family. Even if we don't mention the past friendship between my young master and the empress, it is because the Xie family and the Qi family have always been together in Huizhou. Due to the friendship between Sangzi and my family, my young master dare not stay out of this matter."
Yun Fenghuang motioned for him to continue.
"I must have noticed that with the wisdom of the empress, the city of Huizhou was destroyed the previous time, and the Xie family's losses were particularly heavy, far more than other big families." The messenger said softly, "Actually, before this matter was reported to the Imperial Capital, Huizhou's On the other side, something was discovered. My young master was unable to come forward at that time, so he could only inform the head of the Jiang family privately, your biological uncle Jiang Jin. Please ask him to come forward to seek justice for the Xie family... "
Jiang Jin is the eldest brother of Yun Fenghuang's biological mother, Jiang Kuang. He is six or seven years older than Jiang Kuang. The two brothers have a good relationship. After all, the old lady of the Jiang family is famous for being able to teach children. Not having a good time.
Not to mention sons, daughters like Jiang Kuang, even if they are not loved by their husbands, still firmly hold the power of the back house, which in turn affects the front, has a very high status in the husband's family, and also has an excellent reputation outside.
Such an old lady would naturally not let her own flesh and blood have any discord.
When Xie Fenghuan's incident came out, Jiang Jin was the first to stand up to support his sister and niece. His statement greatly eased the pressure faced by mother and daughter at that time.
Later, because the Qi family broke off the engagement after all, Jiang Kuang was worried that if his daughter stayed in the North, even with the protection of her and the Jiang family, she would be wronged everywhere. If after three or two years, she still couldn't be called a good family, but she was After wasting his youth and even his whole life, he finally decided to send his daughter to his sister-in-law's house in the Imperial Capital to be fostered and look for a suitable husband in the Imperial Capital. It's just that Jiang Kuang doesn't know Xie very well. Although he knows Xie's character and is not the kind of person who thinks one thing on the surface but another behind the scenes, fostering a child is two different things than coming over as a temporary guest. I can't help but feel a little worried.
For this reason, she went back to her parents' house and discussed it repeatedly with Mrs. Jiang's wife, Jiang Jin and others.
At that time, Jiang Jin reminded his sister: "Although your family, Shi Qi, has been pampered and pampered since he was a child, he has been taught and treated like a legitimate son, so even though he is still young now, his appearance and bearing are nothing to say. If it hadn't been for your concubine's fault, As for the matter, even if this child marries into the famous family of those who have had many generations of ministers, I don’t think it will be unbearable. It’s just that the child is only twelve years old. If from now on he will be suppressed and ridiculed everywhere, how can he survive? It’s hard to talk back when you’re wrong, otherwise it will become more and more obvious that you don’t know how to educate children, and neither of the two girls have been taught well. By then, I’m afraid that the tolerance and state of mind that you have worked hard to cultivate over the past twelve years will all be wasted. !”
"If he is sent to the Imperial Capital, no one there will know the ins and outs. Even if he is sent to someone else's house, there will be some suppression, but with the child's intelligence, he may not be able to cope with it."
"It's better than staying in Huizhou and having to swallow your anger to the end without daring to fight back."
These words convinced the old lady of the Jiang family and Jiang Kuang, who were originally reluctant to let her stay away...
Yun Fenghuang's eyes were dazed for a moment, and then he continued to ask: "Is uncle capable of doing this?"
The messenger whispered: "Of course I will not refuse, and I searched many places and asked many people. I even mentioned the name of the commander... However, there was no evidence left among the rebels. In the end, the Marquis of Jingning came forward in person. , the explanation given to the head of the Jiang family is that the empress is very popular, and her reputation for both talent and appearance is well known! Wei He is despicable and shameless, and invaded Huizhou with his troops. After breaking the city, the one who is most interested in... is naturally the Xie clan. People. It’s just that the Xie family is fierce. When the city was destroyed, almost all the female relatives in the clan defended the festival with death! Wei He failed to get what he wanted, so he became angry and targeted the Xie family... "
Yun Fenghuang interrupted him: "Even if Wei He has this intention, how many people of the Xie clan do they know? I am the direct daughter of this palace who left the Xie clan when she was twelve years old. In addition to the main branch, the side branches Distant sect, if you don’t narrate the genealogy carefully for a long time, I may not recognize my family! Moreover, the main branch only recognizes my own bloodline, but the servants are only familiar with the close servants of the same clan who usually come and go. Why is Lian Zhong The children and teenagers taken away by the servants were not spared?"
This is not something Wei He, who is unfamiliar with the place, can do!
"..." The envoy hesitated for a moment. It was the kind of embarrassment that he didn't know how to express. After calming down, he said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking bluntly: The Xie family has experienced such a thing, but even the head of the Jiang family did not make a fuss about it. Big, in fact, it is also because among the people who dedicated the city, there are descendants of the distant branch of the Xie family."
"I know about this. What do you mean, is it the descendant of the distant branch who betrayed the great Xie family?" Yun Fenghuang said coldly, "What is he doing this for? If Xie family is here, he will not be immune to this move. , his parents, wife and children, and maybe the family members to take care of him. Now that Mr. Xie is gone and he is all alone, is there any good ending?! Or maybe Mr. Xie has done something sorry for him, so that he wants to do this. Eradicate the Xie family?!"
As for the latter possibility, to be honest Yun Fenghuang didn't quite believe it.
Because it had only been ten years since she left the Xie family at the age of twelve, and the head of the family was still her biological grandfather, so things in the family must have remained the same as before.
Just look at the Xie family's ancestral motto of emphasizing the long-term flow of water, and you will know that they are not harsh on their own people.
After all, they hope to stay in the capital for a long time. If they don't win over the family, aren't they waiting for other families to climb on them
Furthermore, Mr. Xie has not had any troubles over the years. The main branch has plenty of money, and he often helps supplement the distant branches. The relationship between them is generally harmonious. As for private grievances, it is inevitable when there are more people, but they are mostly trivial matters or conflicts of temper, not the kind of sworn grievances.
If there is, the elders in the clan are not just doing it for a living, and they will definitely come forward.
The messenger sighed: "This is my young master who came to explain to the Queen: Do you still remember that my Young Master was ordered to sweep the Northland and eliminate the bandits? At that time, my Young Master received the report, thank you There were also people from the clan involved in the matter. The young master was responsible for his duties at that time and dealt with them impartially."
"I know." Yun Fenghuang's heart skipped a beat and he said, "I think about this matter, and no sensible person will blame him."
She really didn't blame Qi Jiulu.
Even though this incident made her a little embarrassed at the time... Yun Fenghuang still has to say that the Xie family is prosperous, so it is difficult to avoid the situation of good and bad. The actions of some clan members who are related by blood, Yun Fenghuang I want to clean up the door.
The messenger smiled bitterly: "The descendant of the Xie family who presented the city was the remnant of the hunt for the bandits! In fact, that person should have been imprisoned at that time, but his father died early and his mother only had two sons. His eldest brother's evidence It is indeed true that the crime is unforgivable, so he took the initiative to take over all the crimes and insisted that his brother was innocent. The governor of Huizhou and the young master knew it well, but they thought they had committed many evil deeds but they were indeed filial. After being interrogated several times, they saw their merits. The elder brother refused to change his confession, and the court urged him to do so, so he beheaded his eldest brother, beat him up in court, and then released him."
"After that man returned, he served his widowed mother with all his heart."
"I heard that the main branch of the Xie family still has instructions, so of course I also sent some firewood and rice."
"Anyway, no one noticed anything wrong at the time, and they stopped caring about it after some time."
Who would have thought that this man would contact Wei He and even sell the entire Huizhou and his family
When the city was destroyed and the big family was on the run, trying to identify the Xie clan members from the chaos was something that not even the unsuspecting Yun Fenghuang, the main daughter-in-law, could do, not even Xie Wuzheng, Xie Xiaoyu and others. The legitimate son, probably not good either. It can be seen that that person had such malicious intentions a long time ago and wrote down the appearance of the main branch and even the mount in advance.
"The Marquis of Jingning has pointed this out, and the head of the Jiang family can no longer argue with the Dingbei Army." The envoy continued, "We can only discuss with my young master to investigate thoroughly in private what is going on? The master will wait for that The orphans and widowed mothers were not too harsh. When their brothers were young, they were exempted from rent and received subsidies during the holidays. Later, when they were old, they even went to a clan school for two days. But neither brother was a student. According to the rules of the clan, they will not be allowed to continue."
After all, studying at this time is extremely expensive.
Not to mention the Xie family, even the remote clans such as the Luo family and the Yin family cannot guarantee that all members of the clan can enroll in school.
Therefore, although a large rural family like the Xie family has a clan school, only the direct descendants of the main branch are the ones who are forced to teach their children.
Yes, like Xie Fengnuan, even if she is Xie Jian's biological daughter, because she is a concubine, she would not be qualified to receive education if the Jiang family had not wanted to use her as a memorial arch.
Only legitimate daughters like Yun Fenghuang, regardless of whether the Jiang family believed that it was virtuous for a woman to have no talent, according to the Xie family's rules, she must be sent to the clan middle school for enlightenment when she reaches an age.
As for the side branch, if the family background is not bad, you can pay for it yourself and send as much education as you like to the family. Those from poor families will be subsidized by their principal when they reach an age, and they will also be sent to school for two days. However, if they do not perform well and are deemed not to be the material, they will be sent away quickly to avoid wasting the school's manpower and material resources and delaying further education. Gifted kids.
This may not be fair, but it is impossible for the main Xie branch to bear the tuition fees for all the side branches.
And at this time, studying is an opportunity that only a few people have.
After the two brothers were sent away from the school, according to the tacit understanding passed down from generation to generation, the elders of the clan arranged some jobs for them to try out, so that they could support their mother and save some money to prepare for a wife.
But: "The two brothers were stubborn by nature and refused to learn well. Mr. Xie helped them work in many serious professions. He even thought that they were brave enough to fight and wanted to recommend them to be servants in the main branch..."
Regardless of the fact that the servants are servants, for the distant branch, being able to work as an errand for the main branch is actually a lucrative position.
Especially if the dispatched master is favored by the master and has a bright future, he will have to fight for his head.
Because for people like them, as long as they have some talents, the main branch will definitely not be stingy with rewards and reuse.
Promotion is simply not something that outsiders or family members can compare with.
After all, they are the same race.
Yun Fenghuang listened quietly. The messenger spoke in great detail. The two brothers were both a bit rebellious and unwilling to waste time and endure hardship. In short, they were willing to try the serious business recommended by their elders at first, but then they stopped. interest. I idled around outside all day, and when I ran out of money, I borrowed money everywhere. I even borrowed money outside under the guise of being a wealthy member of the same clan... In the end, the clan came forward to help solve the problem. Of course, there was a lot of beating and scolding after the settlement.
At that time, we did not realize that they had such ruthless thoughts. Otherwise, the clan members were not fools and would not have let them go.
Anyway, after they wandered around for a while, about fourteen or five years ago, they suddenly got money from nowhere and suddenly became prosperous. Not only did they knock down the original ancestral house and build a new house, but they also bought two little girls to serve the widow. mother.
The richer ones have added a lot of expenses to the family.
When the tribesmen are surprised, they rarely ask why. They only say that they made money from doing business with other people. As for how they made it, who they did business with, and what kind of business they did... they all kept silent.
"Thinking about it now, they should have been in the wild at that time. It's just that the two brothers also have some skills and do things flawlessly. Who would have thought of so many things?" The messenger sighed, "Anyway, everyone was curious for a while. Seeing that they refused to say anything, they just said I was afraid of being robbed of my financial resources, so I stopped asking."
After that, the two brothers made a lot of money one after another, and their family situation became increasingly prosperous. Not only did they support their widowed mother to a higher level, but they also each found outstanding girls from the countryside as wives. The two brothers were living a prosperous life. .
It was only when Qi Jiulu came to pick up someone that day that people from all over the country came to know that the descendants of the Xie family branch that they had envied for many years had been working as bandits for many years.
"Fourteen or five years ago..." Yun Fenghuang said thoughtfully, "Isn't that before and after His Majesty ascended the throne?"