Rong Ting lowered his eyes, his expression still seemed soft, he waved his hand lightly, and the dark guard understood his gesture and continued to protect Jiang Rao.

Not long after the dark guard left, a figure entered Bei Shen's courtyard.

Huaiqing walked in a hurry and came back from the outside, the front of his clothes was blown by the night wind and smelled of burnt charcoal fire.

When he knocked on the door and entered the study, Rong Ting was writing.

Huai Qing looked at the back of him sitting on the armchair and reported in a low voice, "There are seven charred corpses in the Shen residence, and the emperor was also afraid that they would get away with fake death, so he asked Zhu Zuo to check, there are three from the Shen residence. Maid, two little servants, it's not wrong to have Mrs. Shen and her daughter."

Huai Qing's feet trembled a little when she thought of the scene of a living person being swallowed up by the fire. Looking at the lamp hanging outside, her eyes were not right.

When see a dead person, heart always shakes.

Before the case, Rong Ting's writing hand was slow for a while, but he did not turn around, "Where are they?"

"they?"

"The seven dead bodies."

His voice was cold, but today the wind was strong, the sky was dark, and it was draped over his shoulders, and there was no fluctuation in his eyes, and he was indifferent.

"Those maids and servants were taken by their families." Huai Qing paused, "Mrs. Shen and Miss Shen were single, and no one was willing to spend the money to take them back. I heard that they were directly taken over there. The people brought it to the stone forest in the west of the city for mass burial."

"Go to the farmer who guards the stone forest and ask where the mother and daughter are."

When Rong Ting asked about the whereabouts of the dead corpses, Huai Qing vaguely sensed something was wrong, and when she heard Rong Ting's order, she finally shivered uncontrollably.

Find out where the body is and what to do.

He didn't dare to think about it and didn't dare to ask more questions. After answering the matter, he closed the door and went out. Before closing the door, he glanced inside.

Rong Ting was still writing in front of the desk, the ink droplets from the tip of the pen hung down on the paper and slowly smeared on the rice paper, his pupils were so deep that the ink seemed to melt away.

Perhaps he had seen Rong Ting holding a knife, but seeing him writing and writing, Huai Qing also felt a little bit of fear inexplicably.

Holding a knife is the same as holding a pen.

too gentle.

...

After Jiang Rao returned to the mansion, some old maids in the court inquired about some things about Xie Tao.

Xie Tao is not only the daughter of King Xiang's mansion, but also the only daughter, without any brothers and sisters, only a younger brother.

Since Xie Tao was born, her body and bones are not good. The older she gets, the more sick she gets. A few years ago, the fortune teller said that the word Xiang in her name was too hard. She was weak and could not afford the word "Xiang". It was changed to the word "xi", and he stayed at home. Xie Xi is now in his 28th year, and it is time to wait for the word in the boudoir.

Xie Xi was sick and did not leave home. The only time she would go out was when she went to Guangliyuan to listen to a play with her mother Xu Xie, the concubine sister of Empress Jiahe, Xu Lanying.

Guangli Garden, which opens every two days, is located in the east of Qinhuai River, on the same side as Jiang Rao's several shops.

Jiang Rao often stayed in the shop these days, and sent an informant to Guangliyuan to inquire. Once she saw Xie's family listening to the play in Liyuan, she came to inform her that she would be better off.

She knew that she didn't have any scheming means and could only start from such a small place, hoping to get something useful from Xie Xi and Xu Lanying.

Even if you can't get it, you should go to Guangliyuan to listen to a few plays to relieve the boredom.

Not bad either.

She was staying in the shop that day, and the eyeliner arranged at Liyuan happened to come with Hutang, so Jiang Rao went with her to Guangliyuan.

On the stage, gongs and drums began to sound.

Hu Tang is not a temperament that can settle down and listen to the play.

The troupe had only performed half of the show, and her eyelids twitched. She was excited by the sound of gongs and drums on the stage. She shuddered a bit and began to draw circles with her fingers around the teacup.

She looked at Jiang Rao opposite, and saw that her gaze was not on the stage, she followed her gaze, as if she was looking at a table of mothers and daughters on the west side of the second floor.

Liyuan has three floors, a stage is set up in the hall on the first floor, and guests are sitting at the tables around the railings on the second and third floors. They are on the third floor and occupy the best place for sight.

Hu Tang saw the mother and daughter sitting on the second floor.

"Isn't that Princess Xiang and Xie Tao?"

"Xie Xi." Jiang Rao corrected.

Xu Lanying and her daughter watched the play alone and did not talk to others. Jiang Rao didn't see anything useful, so she turned around to chat with Hutang.

"I'm used to it." Hutang muttered, and immediately after listening to Jiang Rao's words, he changed it, "Xie Xi."

Jiang Rao smiled, Hutang held her cheeks and looked at her, "Why didn't you see your brother following today?"

"He was locked in the academy and went to study."

Jiang Rao thought about Jiang Jinxing a little.

Her father suddenly changed his laid-back temperament and became more and more popular.

After talking with her grandfather half a month ago, the next day her grandfather wrote a letter of invitation, which was sent to Emperor Zhaowu, and asked for the golden seal of the title, and passed the title to her father.

And her brother became

The prince in the house.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at his every move, and he definitely couldn't make a fool of himself as usual.

Even though the younger brother was carrying a small burden and burst into tears in her house these few days, Jiang Rao changed her heart to "don't help if you see death".

Learning is learned through hardship. He can't stand the hardships of today, so he has to endure the hardships later.

Luckily dodged today's whip, a moment of relief, tomorrow's whip will only come more ruthless and merciless.

When Hutang heard that Jiang Jinxing was locked in the school, he straightened back in a little panic, "It's so pitiful."

Jiang Rao looked at her shrinking appearance, and when she thought about her reckless act of robbing Xie Xi's book, she could think of what she looked like in a girl's private school when she was a child. smile on.

Hu Tang seemed to know what she was thinking, "Don't look at me like that, I also learned something in the school before, grab Xie Xi's book, just once, if she saw me, she would be afraid and give it to me. ."

After the small group fan, Jiang Rao smiled even more, and softly replied "Okay".

On the stage, actors with heavy makeup were still singing.

A pair of resentful eyes stared at the actor's colorful costume with a gloomy face.

The seventeenth prince was wearing a blue brocade robe and a white velvet crown, sitting on the table on the second floor on the same side as Jiang Rao, which happened to be a blind spot for Jiang Rao and Hutang.

The person sent by the seventeenth prince came back and put his ear in his ear, "His Royal Highness, she can't get close to her body, someone is guarding her in secret."

The seventeenth prince slammed his fist on the table, shaking the tea in the cup.

According to his mother's arrangement, Rong Ting was supposed to be engaged to Chen Congyun, and since then under their control, there will be no more wind and waves.

Who knew that in the end his father's imperial edict of marriage gave Jiang Rao the marriage to Rong Ting.

The direct daughter of Ning Anbo's house, the granddaughter of Concubine Yun Gui's most loved... Such a background, even if you say it to him, it is more than enough to say it to that disabled... Why?

His mother didn't know what she was afraid of, but she actually agreed with it and didn't argue at all!

The seventeenth prince had a gloomy face.

There was some movement on the first floor.

The play that was being sung on the stage was "Wu Gang Cuts Gui". As soon as the actor dressed as Chang E came out, she was pulled by the sleeves of a well-known playboy, who told her that she could not dance or sing.

The eunuch next to the seventeenth prince glanced down and saw the bully's behavior, his face changed, and reminded the seventeenth prince: "There are many people here, if your highness can draw a sword to help, the good name will spread to the emperor's ears. Here, you will be rewarded."

"Whose son is the troublemaker?" The seventeenth prince tapped on the tea cup, thinking about it.

If he offended the people on his grandfather's side for this momentary limelight, it would not be worth it.

At this moment of hesitation, someone had already threw the long whip on the gangster bully, and the skin was split open in an instant.

The bully pulled the sleeve of "Chang'e" on the stage, looked back, saw a young girl, and ignored it, "Little girl, don't meddle in your own business, what's the decency?"

"Auntie never knew what it meant." The whip in Hutang's hand raised again, "Will you let go? If you don't let go, I'll send you to my father to feed Saibei's dog!"

The man knew Hu Tang's identity, but he didn't dare to make trouble again, and slipped away.

The seventeenth prince saw that the storm had calmed down in an instant, and his eyes darkened.

The eunuch beside him saw that his gaze stopped on Hu Tang, but he didn't move away, and said, "Your Highness, don't look at her beautiful, this girl is too self-willed and rude, even if her father is General Hu, I'm afraid she will marry stay home."

The eunuch wanted him to learn from his tone, and the seventeenth prince withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes. In the sight blocked by the shadow, there was full envy and longing.

Jiang Rao blinked, Hutang disappeared in front of her eyes, and she trotted down the stairs to the second floor. Hutang had already cleaned up the troublesome bully, which made Jiang Rao not know whether she should go down. Instead, go directly back to the third floor and wait at the corner of the second floor. Hutang quickly came to her, looking unhappy, looking down at the whip in his hand, sighing, "Why is this person so unbeaten?"

Hutang's maid's face changed with fright, she frowned and said, "Girl, be careful of getting into trouble."

Hutang didn't take it seriously, and the whip shook his head and walked upstairs without looking back.

Jiang Rao took some silver taels from the purse hanging on her body, and asked Ming Shao to go down and find out who was making trouble today, as if to help Hutang clean up the mess.

Then he returned to his original seat on the third floor.

When he went back, there was an indigo figure beside the table.

Jiang Rao glanced at it and was quite surprised, "Miss Chen?"

Chen Congyun withdrew his gaze, smiled lightly at her, and was blessed.

On the contrary, Hu Tang is no longer here.

Seeing that Jiang Rao was looking for Hutang, Chen Congjun said, "Miss Hu was found by the owner of Liyuan."

Jiang Rao nodded and greeted, "Why is Miss Chen here?"

"I have always loved coming here to listen to the play, but this is the first time I have seen

Ginger girl. "

Jiang Rao nodded again and asked Chen Congyun to take a seat. Soon after Chen Congyun took his seat, he pointed to the second floor and said to Jiang Rao, "There, it's Princess Xiang and her daughter."

Jiang Rao raised her eyes, her eyes slightly wary.

Chen Congjun said: "Princess Xiang has only one daughter, but she has no children. When she first married to Prince Xiang's mansion, she was like glue with Prince Xiang, but she didn't have a son by her side. Later, she made her concubine fight for the limelight. Xie Xi was weak and also It’s not easy to get married, these years, Princess Xiang’s life has not been very good.”

Jiang Rao was a little surprised why Chen Congjun told her this, but he listened instead.

Chen Congyun's voice became lower and lower.

"Princess Xiang is very disgusted by Xu Guozhang for marrying her into the Xiang Wangfu, but let her sister enter the palace. In recent years, the relationship with Xu Guozhang has not been good. She is angry and her body is getting worse and worse. "

"Why did Miss Chen tell me this?" Jiang Rao finally couldn't help it.

"You helped me last time." Chen Congyun looked grateful.

Jiang Rao shook her head, earnestly and sincerely, "Although it is to help you, I have also benefited myself."

Chen Congyun smiled, "No wonder even someone like Hutang who doesn't look down on him can play with you."

So good that want to make people want to have such a daughter in the future.

She smiled and said softly: "Tomorrow, my mother and I are going to Xiaobanpo for an outing. Would you like to come with me? The Spring Festival there is the earliest, so maybe we can meet it."

Jiang Rao thought for a while and was silent for a while.

Seeing Jiang Rao's hesitation, Chen Congjun lowered his eyes, "I have been confined by my family since I was a child, and I don't have any other friends."

Jiang Rao's expression became a little guilty, "But... I have made an appointment with Hutang to go to Sanqing Temple tomorrow to offer incense."

Xiaobanpo and Sanqing Temple are not only two places, but they are located in the two directions of the south and north of the city.

Hu Tang happened to be back here. When she heard Jiang Rao's response to Chen Congyun's words, her face was surprised, and she almost blurted out, "When will it be agreed?"

Why doesn't she know?

But when he received Jiang Rao's eyes, he closed his mouth, nodded towards Chen Congjun, and somewhat domineeringly stopped between Jiang Rao and Chen Congjun, "That's right."

In order to thank her for rescuing her, the owner of Liyuan gave her a peacock feather fan for singing, which she put on her body and nodded like a male peacock with an open screen on her head.

Chen Congyun felt a little regretful, "Then I won't bother you any more."

She took a few steps away, looked back, and sighed softly.

Jiang Rao and Rong Ting were engaged. If she could get closer to her, it might be beneficial to the third prince and her future husband.

The last time she was pitiful, Jiang Rao directly took her back to the warm pavilion of Shuxiang Palace. In her clear eyes like a stream, the sympathy and kindness from the heart could not deceive anyone, making her think she had a little heart. None, it will be very close.

She thought she had seen through people, she was a little selfish and approached deliberately.

Unexpectedly, it was my own eyes.

Chen Congjun bowed his head regretfully. She really likes Jiang Rao's temperament that doesn't hurt others, but doesn't give others a chance to hurt herself.

After she left, Hutang asked Jiang Rao, "Why didn't you agree to her?"

"Just don't want to."

Jiang Rao said quietly.

Her impression of Chen Congyun was not bad, and she even felt pity for her, but their identities were indeed a little embarrassing.

She was accused of marrying Rong Ting, and Chen Congyun promised the third prince in the future. Whether Rong Ting and the third prince were far or near, their relationship would be far or near.

When she was in the academy, she never felt how good the relationship between the third prince and Rong Ting was.

Sometimes he even felt that Rong Ting's relationship with his third brother might not be as good as his relationship with her. She saw that when he saw his brothers, there was always a little fear in his eyes.

Jiang Rao knew that she didn't have enough experience and scheming.

Since Chen Congjun said that her father used her as a chess piece since she was a child, she must have been taught a lot of strategies since she was a child.

Asking her to compare her heart with this kind of girl is like asking her to compare her martial arts with Hutang.

But if Chen Congyun wanted to deceive her a little bit, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to see it.

It would be better to directly cut off Chen Congyun's chance to deceive her.

Jiang Rao couldn't help sighing in his heart.

It's really not easy for someone like her who is not so smart and timid.

Hu Tang was delighted, "You haven't gotten married yet, but you really put yourself in the position of the Ninth Prince's wife."

Jiang Rao was drinking tea and choked a little.

Although she had never regarded marriage as a big deal, she had a subtle feeling when Hutang mentioned it like that.

Marry a chicken and follow a chicken, marry a dog and follow a dog?

seems like it.

She herself was amused, "That's how it should be."

Hutang pursed her lips, "Since you used me as an excuse to block Chen Congyun, then you can't go back and accompany me to the Sanqing Temple tomorrow to offer incense."

Jiang Rao couldn't help her pestering her, so she had to answer.

The two went to the Sanqing Temple to offer incense, and it was noon when they came out of the main hall.

Hu Tang change

Holding the fan with peacock feathers that she got yesterday, it is very beautiful under the sunlight.

Seeing that the feathers on her fan were messed up by the wind, Jiang Rao reached out to help her sort it out.

The more Hu Tang smiled, the happier he became, "Yinian, you like me so much."

Her eyes turned into a crescent moon with a smile, "Chen Congyun, her name, my mother can't say anything in my ears, she's good in everything, I'm not as good as her in everything, but you didn't walk with her, but you were with her. I'm here."

Jiang Rao was infected by her smile, and laughed along with her. Just as she was about to say something more to her, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the person in a wheelchair waiting under the steps, and she couldn't help but look away in that direction.

The person who hadn't seen each other for more than a month after they got engaged looked at her and Hutang with mournful eyes, and even had a hint of ecstasy and slight blame.