Xu Chengxuan’s injuries had recovered. During the time he was recuperating, he was about to have fleas. It was not easy for him to get up and walk around. He immediately went to his father’s courtyard.
“Where’s my father?” Xu Chengxuan didn’t see Xu Shao in the room.
The servant who was cleaning the room said, “Young Master, Master went to the study room.”
“The study.” Xu Chengxuan turned around and strode to the study. However, he still missed him. The study was empty and Xu Shao had disappeared.
Xu Chengxuan entered Xu Shao’s study.
The study room was considered an important place in the Xu Manor, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter or leave. However, Xu Chengxuan was his only legitimate son, and he was doted on by the Old Madam and Worthy Consort Xu.
Xu Chengxuan had been lying on the bed for a long time and did not like to sit. He strolled around the study. When he passed by the desk, he inadvertently glanced at a letter that was pressed under a scroll.
“What is it?” He picked it up curiously.
“What are you doing in my study?”
Xu Shao’s deep voice suddenly sounded behind him. Xu Chengxuan was shocked and turned around in shock.
Xu Shao walked up to him, took the letter from his hand, folded it, and placed it back on the table.
Xu Chengxuan saw that his father was unhappy and quickly gestured with his fingers. “I swear I didn’t see anything!”
Xu Shao looked at him solemnly. “Why didn’t you recuperate in your room? Why did you come out?”
Xu Chengxuan curled his lips and said, “Recuperating, recuperating. All you know is to let me recuperate. I’ve long recovered!”
Xu Shao ignored him. He walked around the desk and put the letter he had just folded into the drawer.
Xu Chengxuan glanced at it without batting an eyelid and said seriously, “Dad, my injuries have recovered. Can I go out now? I haven’t been to Tianxiang Restaurant in a long time and want to take a walk.”
When Xu Shao heard this, he said fiercely, “You still have the cheek to go out? Do you know how much damage Tianxiang Restaurant has suffered because of you?”
Xu Chengxuan could not refute. His covering up for Chef Yang was the source of the Tianxiang Restaurant’s misfortune. He admitted that he was in the wrong. He did not expect the Yu family’s backer to be so strong that they even had a relationship with the Young Master Manor. If he had known earlier, he would have pushed Chef Yang out to be dealt with by the Yu family.
However, he did not think that everything was his fault alone. At least, losing to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in the Master Chef Competition was not his problem.
He muttered, “I told you not to come to the Capital. How carefree is it to stay in Prefecture Xu? Why did you have to come here and take over the Tianxiang Restaurant? I don’t think the Tianxiang Restaurant earns much. We might as well open another sea route in Prefecture Xu!”
Prefecture Xu was close to the sea, and there were many businesses at sea. Every transaction was a huge fortune.
Xu Shao glanced at his son coldly. “When is it your turn to judge the family matters? If you have nothing to do, go back to school and study! Don’t go out and cause trouble!”
“I want to see my cousin,” Xu Chengxuan said stubbornly.
“Say that again?” Xu Shao threatened.
Xu Chengxuan suppressed his fear and straightened his back. “I want to see my cousin!”
“You!” Xu Shao raised his palm.
“Old Madam, why are you here?” A servant greeted her from outside the study.
Xu Shao’s palm came down. Xu Chengxuan was secretly delighted.
Old Mrs. Xu entered the study with her walking stick. “Xuan’er!”
Xu Chengxuan threw himself into Old Mrs. Xu’s arms and said coquettishly, “Grandma, I want to look for my cousin.”
“You’ve recovered? Why didn’t you come and greet me?” Old Mrs. Xu said angrily.
Xu Chengxuan smiled and said, “I was just about to greet you. Just tell Dad to let me out of the manor. I haven’t been to my cousin’s manor in a long time!”
“Okay, okay, okay. You go, you go!” Old Mrs. Xu doted on her grandson the most. She agreed in a fit of impulsion.
Xu Shao couldn’t refute. His face darkened as he watched Old Mrs. Xu take Xu Chengxuan away.
Xu Chengxuan went to Old Mrs’ Xu’s courtyard to sit for a while before he stood up and went to the Prince Manor. All the adult princes would move out of the palace, and only the Crown Prince could stay in the Eastern Palace. When they were young, everyone was envious of life outside the palace and looked forward to leaving the palace. However, when they really set up a manor outside the palace, everyone was eager to return to the palace. This was because once they moved back to the palace, it meant that they had the qualifications to become the Crown Prince and were about to inherit the throne.
“The position of Crown Prince will definitely belong to my cousin!” Xu Chengxuan said firmly and jumped off the carriage to enter the manor.
During this period of time, Xu Chengxuan was locked up at home and did not know much about the major events in the Capital. He only heard that the Second Prince had taken on a case, but he did not know whose case it was.
“Cousin!” Xu Chengxuan saw Yan Huaijing playing chess with Jun Chang’an in the pavilion. His face darkened. “Why are you playing chess with him? His chess skills are so bad!”
Jun Chang’an smiled faintly, put down the black piece in his hand, stood up, and gave his seat to Xu Chengxuan.
Xu Chengxuan sat down happily.
“Are you feeling better?” Yan Huaijing asked.
“Yes, yes! Thank you for your concern, Cousin!” Young Master Xu, who was vicious on the outside, was like an obedient young master in front of Yan Huaijing.
Yan Huaijing said, “I heard that Uncle is sick. I was just about to visit him.” In the afternoon, he had invited Xu Shao over for tea, but Xu Shao had asked someone to pass a message to him saying that he suddenly felt uncomfortable and would visit another day.
Xu Chengxuan didn’t know about this and said in confusion, “Is my father sick? Who did you hear that from? He was fine just now and still had an appointment in the afternoon!”
Appointment? Yan Huaijing’s hand that was holding the chess piece paused. Jun Chang’an glanced at Xu Chengxuan.
Yan Huaijing said in his usual tone, “Did you remember wrongly?”
Xu Chengxuan patted his chest and said, “That’s impossible! I saw his letter! At five o’clock, at the Purple Bamboo Hill of the Old Xiguan Temple, I definitely didn’t remember it wrong!”
Xu Chengxuan sat in the Prince Manor for a while and only returned after dinner.
After he left, Jun Chang’an walked over. “Your Highness, Master Xu is clearly lying. He had already made an appointment with you, but he changed his mind at the last minute. Do you need me to investigate?”
Yan Huaijing thought for a while. “…There’s no need. He’s my uncle. If I investigate him, how will Mother deal with it? I don’t have anything important. We can drink tea any day.”
The Old Xiguan Temple was an abandoned temple located at the top of Purple Bamboo Mountain. After crossing the top of the mountain and heading north, he arrived at a lush purple bamboo forest. This place was already deserted.
Xu Shao asked the carriage to stop at the foot of Purple Bamboo Mountain and walked to the Purple Bamboo Forest. In the forest, the person who met him was wearing a veil and had been waiting for a long time.
Xu Shao looked at the back view and said, “Didn’t I say that it’s best if we don’t meet in private?”
When the woman heard his voice, she slowly turned around and lifted the veil of the hedge, revealing a shocking face. Who else could it be but Yan Ruyu?
“Young Master! It’s here!”
Shadow Six jumped off the carriage, lifted the curtain, and helped Yan Jiuchao down.
Yan Jiuchao had been sick all the way, but he did not seem to have improved after drinking the medicine. He was wearing a thick fox fur coat, looking like he was dressed for winter. His pale face was shockingly pale in the night.
Shadow Thirteen stopped the carriage at the side and went forward to knock on the door.
The door was pulled open and a pageboy walked out. He scanned them and was shocked to see Yan Jiuchao. When did such a good-looking person come to Gong City?
Shadow Thirteen took a step to the side and blocked his vision with his burly figure. “Is your master around?”
The pageboy was frightened by Shadow Thirteen’s aura and nodded blankly. “Yes, yes, you… who are you? Why are you looking for my master?”
Shadow Six said, “Tell your master that Young Master Wang is here. He’ll understand.”
Young Master Wang was an alias that Shadow Six had casually chosen.
The pageboy did not dare to be negligent. He closed the door and quickly went to look for his master. Indeed, not long after, a fat middle-aged man welcomed him politely. “Young Master Wang? Is it really Young Master Wang?”
The middle-aged man’s surname was Zheng. He was a local merchant. He did a small business and could not make a fortune, but he could not starve either. His son had committed a crime in his early years and was imprisoned by the authorities to work in the mine.
The mine was heavily guarded and there were many checkpoints. It was difficult not to alert the enemy when they brought a grown man out. However, Shadow Six told him that he had a friend with outstanding qinggong. As long as he was willing to tell the truth, he would help him save his son.
“Young Master Wang!” Old Master Zheng seemed to have seen his savior. He went forward and held Shadow Six’s hand. Then, he saw the noble young master beside Shadow Six.
Having lived for so long, Old Master Zheng had seen countless people, but he had never seen such a handsome young master. It was just that… his body was a little weak and his face was pale.
“My young master’s surname… is also…” Shadow Six’s brain suddenly short-circuited and he couldn’t think of any other surname. Just as he was about to say “his surname is also Wang”, Yan Jiuchao said indifferently, “Yu. ”
Shadow Thirteen whistled.
“Young Master Yu, please come in!” Old Master Zheng gestured for him to come in and looked at Shadow Thirteen. “This is…”
“Little Wang’s brother,” Shadow Thirteen said.
“The eighth,” Shadow Six said, unwilling to show weakness.
Old Master Zheng was stunned. Wang Ba? [T/N: In chinese, it also means bastard.]
Old Master Zheng invited Yan Jiuchao and the others into the house. Yan Jiuchao’s sacrificial soldiers were hidden in the dark. When necessary, they would save Old Master Zheng’s son, but the prerequisite was that Old Master Zheng had to tell them the details of what happened back then.
“I’ve already told Young Master Wang about the residence. I’ve also drawn the portrait for him based on my memories. Hurry up and save my son!” Old Master Zheng said.
Yan Jiuchao said unhurriedly, “There’s no hurry. Remember what happened back then carefully and see if there is anything you missed.”
Old Master Zheng thought to himself, Even if you’re not anxious, I am. My son is doing manual labor in the mine and might be beaten to death at any time!
Old Master Zheng wanted to flare up, but he could tell that this group of people was not to be trifled with, especially this sickly young master. He looked sickly, but he gave off a feeling that he was even more dangerous and terrifying than that burly bastard.
“Then let’s start from the first time I saw that woman four years ago… That woman was here to buy a house. My family’s ancestral mansion happened to be for sale. Once the middleman pulled the strings, the transaction succeeded. At that time, a man appeared.”
Yan Jiuchao spread out Xu Shao’s portrait. “Can you confirm again if it’s him?”
“It’s him,” Old Master Zheng said. “It’s much more similar than what I drew. Actually, I’ve only seen the two of them once when they bought the house. However, that woman’s appearance was too stunning, and I couldn’t forget her for a moment, so I even remembered the two of them.”
Although they had only met once, Old Master Zheng could tell that the man was very protective of the woman. After Old Master Zheng sold the house, he moved to the new house, but he had a rice shop near the old residence.
He occasionally went to the rice shop to take care of business. Sometimes, he could hear the commotion in the old residence.
A few months later, the cry of a baby came from the old residence. Old Master Zheng thought that the madam must have given birth. The cry lasted for five to six months and was never heard again. Just as Old Master Zheng thought that their family had moved away, he accidentally saw the woman going out, pregnant again.
The woman put on a veil, but he still recognized her. The woman did not notice him and passed by with a maidservant.
“That child should have died prematurely,” Old Master Zheng said regretfully.
A few days later, the cry of a baby came from the old residence again. Old Master Zheng was very puzzled at that time. He was the father of six children and was quite familiar with the stomachs of pregnant women. In his opinion, that woman was definitely not pregnant for more than seven months, but she actually gave birth?
“Premature birth?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
Old Master Zheng nodded. “I guess so. That child’s cries are also very weak. After a heavy rain, I didn’t hear any more cries. Perhaps he caught a cold and didn’t make it. He’s not even a month old. What a pity.”
This could explain why there were two urns, one big and one small.
Yan Jiuchao tapped his fingers gently on the table. “This information is not very useful to me. If you want to save your son, you have to provide more valuable information.”
“Huh?” Old Master Zheng was stunned.
Shadow Thirteen said, “Didn’t you hear what my young… young master said?”
“May I ask who Young Master Yu is to that madam?” Old Master Zheng asked.
Shadow Thirteen said coldly, “This has nothing to do with you. You just have to answer my young master. The mine is not a place for humans. Those who are exiled there are all death row prisoners. They won’t be punished even if you beat them to death. The more time you delay, the more risk your son will be in. At that time, you’ll be collecting his corpse.”
“I, I, I… I’ll think! I’ll think now!” Old Master Zheng broke out in a cold sweat. He stood up and paced around the room nervously. He had not met that madam much and had only met her twice. The rest was based on the voices he had heard. Where could he think of more information?!
Yan Jiuchao reminded, “For example, did she bring her own servants, or did she hire servants from the local area?”
“I remember! There’s indeed one!” An idea flashed across Old Master Zheng’s mind and he said excitedly, “But I didn’t see it with my own eyes. I heard from the shop assistant’s wife that a pregnant foreigner fainted at the back door of her house. Her servants carried the girl in. After that, the girl stayed at her house. Does this-this count?”
“When did this happen?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
“It happened not long after her second child passed away,” Old Master Zheng said.
Shadow Six whispered to Yan Jiuchao, “Young Master, could that pregnant woman be the little masters’ biological mother?”
Yan Jiuchao clenched his fists. “What does that outsider look like?”
Old Master Zheng said, “I’ve never seen her before, but I heard from the shop assistant’s wife that the outsider was in a sorry state. She seemed to have begged all the way here. That madam is really kind. She even took in a beggar.”
Kind? She probably had other motives! Shadow Six felt a little upset when he thought about how the little masters might have suffered in the womb when their biological mother was begging.
“You didn’t see what she looked like. Wouldn’t it be a waste of time?” Shadow Thirteen rolled his eyes.
Old Master Zheng scratched his head.
Yan Jiuchao continued, “How long has that outsider lived there?”
“I’m not sure.” The rice shop was opened at the back door of the old residence, but most of the time, the people in the residence used the front door.
“Who lives in your old residence now?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
“No one. The house has been empty since that madam moved away two years ago,” Old Master Zheng said.
Yan Jiuchao paused. “Let’s go to the old residence to take a look.”
That night, the group was led by Old Master Zheng to the old residence. The old residence’s door was locked, and Shadow Thirteen easily pried open the copper lock. Old Master Zheng was terrified, afraid that someone would discover them and report them to the authorities.
“Go in!” Shadow Thirteen shouted.
Old Master Zheng braced himself and entered the house. He pointed to a row of rooms and said, “This is the main room, this is the greenhouse, this is the study, and that is the kitchen…”
Yan Jiuchao gave Shadow Six and Shadow Thirteen a look, and the two of them started rummaging through the house.
“Young Master! There’s a secret compartment under the bed in the room. This is what we found in the secret compartment!” Shadow Six walked over with a small gray box.
Shadow Six squatted down and placed the small box on the ground. He unscrewed the copper lock with his bare hands. Inside the box were some women’s clothes. Looking at the pile of tattered clothes, they definitely did not look like they belonged to Yan Ruyu.
“It’s that girl’s!” Shadow Six’s eyes lit up. He flipped open the clothes and saw a scroll lying at the bottom.
Yan Jiuchao personally took the scroll, pulled open the ribbon, and slowly unfolded it, revealing the person in the portrait.
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Xu Chengxuan’s injuries had recovered. During the time he was recuperating, he was about to have fleas. It was not easy for him to get up and walk around. He immediately went to his father’s courtyard.
“Where’s my father?” Xu Chengxuan didn’t see Xu Shao in the room.
The servant who was cleaning the room said, “Young Master, Master went to the study room.”
“The study.” Xu Chengxuan turned around and strode to the study. However, he still missed him. The study was empty and Xu Shao had disappeared.
Xu Chengxuan entered Xu Shao’s study.
The study room was considered an important place in the Xu Manor, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter or leave. However, Xu Chengxuan was his only legitimate son, and he was doted on by the Old Madam and Worthy Consort Xu.
Xu Chengxuan had been lying on the bed for a long time and did not like to sit. He strolled around the study. When he passed by the desk, he inadvertently glanced at a letter that was pressed under a scroll.
“What is it?” He picked it up curiously.
“What are you doing in my study?”
Xu Shao’s deep voice suddenly sounded behind him. Xu Chengxuan was shocked and turned around in shock.
Xu Shao walked up to him, took the letter from his hand, folded it, and placed it back on the table.
Xu Chengxuan saw that his father was unhappy and quickly gestured with his fingers. “I swear I didn’t see anything!”
Xu Shao looked at him solemnly. “Why didn’t you recuperate in your room? Why did you come out?”
Xu Chengxuan curled his lips and said, “Recuperating, recuperating. All you know is to let me recuperate. I’ve long recovered!”
Xu Shao ignored him. He walked around the desk and put the letter he had just folded into the drawer.
Xu Chengxuan glanced at it without batting an eyelid and said seriously, “Dad, my injuries have recovered. Can I go out now? I haven’t been to Tianxiang Restaurant in a long time and want to take a walk.”
When Xu Shao heard this, he said fiercely, “You still have the cheek to go out? Do you know how much damage Tianxiang Restaurant has suffered because of you?”
Xu Chengxuan could not refute. His covering up for Chef Yang was the source of the Tianxiang Restaurant’s misfortune. He admitted that he was in the wrong. He did not expect the Yu family’s backer to be so strong that they even had a relationship with the Young Master Manor. If he had known earlier, he would have pushed Chef Yang out to be dealt with by the Yu family.
However, he did not think that everything was his fault alone. At least, losing to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in the Master Chef Competition was not his problem.
He muttered, “I told you not to come to the Capital. How carefree is it to stay in Prefecture Xu? Why did you have to come here and take over the Tianxiang Restaurant? I don’t think the Tianxiang Restaurant earns much. We might as well open another sea route in Prefecture Xu!”
Prefecture Xu was close to the sea, and there were many businesses at sea. Every transaction was a huge fortune.
Xu Shao glanced at his son coldly. “When is it your turn to judge the family matters? If you have nothing to do, go back to school and study! Don’t go out and cause trouble!”
“I want to see my cousin,” Xu Chengxuan said stubbornly.
“Say that again?” Xu Shao threatened.
Xu Chengxuan suppressed his fear and straightened his back. “I want to see my cousin!”
“You!” Xu Shao raised his palm.
“Old Madam, why are you here?” A servant greeted her from outside the study.
Xu Shao’s palm came down. Xu Chengxuan was secretly delighted.
Old Mrs. Xu entered the study with her walking stick. “Xuan’er!”
Xu Chengxuan threw himself into Old Mrs. Xu’s arms and said coquettishly, “Grandma, I want to look for my cousin.”
“You’ve recovered? Why didn’t you come and greet me?” Old Mrs. Xu said angrily.
Xu Chengxuan smiled and said, “I was just about to greet you. Just tell Dad to let me out of the manor. I haven’t been to my cousin’s manor in a long time!”
“Okay, okay, okay. You go, you go!” Old Mrs. Xu doted on her grandson the most. She agreed in a fit of impulsion.
Xu Shao couldn’t refute. His face darkened as he watched Old Mrs. Xu take Xu Chengxuan away.
Xu Chengxuan went to Old Mrs’ Xu’s courtyard to sit for a while before he stood up and went to the Prince Manor. All the adult princes would move out of the palace, and only the Crown Prince could stay in the Eastern Palace. When they were young, everyone was envious of life outside the palace and looked forward to leaving the palace. However, when they really set up a manor outside the palace, everyone was eager to return to the palace. This was because once they moved back to the palace, it meant that they had the qualifications to become the Crown Prince and were about to inherit the throne.
“The position of Crown Prince will definitely belong to my cousin!” Xu Chengxuan said firmly and jumped off the carriage to enter the manor.
During this period of time, Xu Chengxuan was locked up at home and did not know much about the major events in the Capital. He only heard that the Second Prince had taken on a case, but he did not know whose case it was.
“Cousin!” Xu Chengxuan saw Yan Huaijing playing chess with Jun Chang’an in the pavilion. His face darkened. “Why are you playing chess with him? His chess skills are so bad!”
Jun Chang’an smiled faintly, put down the black piece in his hand, stood up, and gave his seat to Xu Chengxuan.
Xu Chengxuan sat down happily.
“Are you feeling better?” Yan Huaijing asked.
“Yes, yes! Thank you for your concern, Cousin!” Young Master Xu, who was vicious on the outside, was like an obedient young master in front of Yan Huaijing.
Yan Huaijing said, “I heard that Uncle is sick. I was just about to visit him.” In the afternoon, he had invited Xu Shao over for tea, but Xu Shao had asked someone to pass a message to him saying that he suddenly felt uncomfortable and would visit another day.
Xu Chengxuan didn’t know about this and said in confusion, “Is my father sick? Who did you hear that from? He was fine just now and still had an appointment in the afternoon!”
Appointment? Yan Huaijing’s hand that was holding the chess piece paused. Jun Chang’an glanced at Xu Chengxuan.
Yan Huaijing said in his usual tone, “Did you remember wrongly?”
Xu Chengxuan patted his chest and said, “That’s impossible! I saw his letter! At five o’clock, at the Purple Bamboo Hill of the Old Xiguan Temple, I definitely didn’t remember it wrong!”
Xu Chengxuan sat in the Prince Manor for a while and only returned after dinner.
After he left, Jun Chang’an walked over. “Your Highness, Master Xu is clearly lying. He had already made an appointment with you, but he changed his mind at the last minute. Do you need me to investigate?”
Yan Huaijing thought for a while. “…There’s no need. He’s my uncle. If I investigate him, how will Mother deal with it? I don’t have anything important. We can drink tea any day.”
The Old Xiguan Temple was an abandoned temple located at the top of Purple Bamboo Mountain. After crossing the top of the mountain and heading north, he arrived at a lush purple bamboo forest. This place was already deserted.
Xu Shao asked the carriage to stop at the foot of Purple Bamboo Mountain and walked to the Purple Bamboo Forest. In the forest, the person who met him was wearing a veil and had been waiting for a long time.
Xu Shao looked at the back view and said, “Didn’t I say that it’s best if we don’t meet in private?”
When the woman heard his voice, she slowly turned around and lifted the veil of the hedge, revealing a shocking face. Who else could it be but Yan Ruyu?
“Young Master! It’s here!”
Shadow Six jumped off the carriage, lifted the curtain, and helped Yan Jiuchao down.
Yan Jiuchao had been sick all the way, but he did not seem to have improved after drinking the medicine. He was wearing a thick fox fur coat, looking like he was dressed for winter. His pale face was shockingly pale in the night.
Shadow Thirteen stopped the carriage at the side and went forward to knock on the door.
The door was pulled open and a pageboy walked out. He scanned them and was shocked to see Yan Jiuchao. When did such a good-looking person come to Gong City?
Shadow Thirteen took a step to the side and blocked his vision with his burly figure. “Is your master around?”
The pageboy was frightened by Shadow Thirteen’s aura and nodded blankly. “Yes, yes, you… who are you? Why are you looking for my master?”
Shadow Six said, “Tell your master that Young Master Wang is here. He’ll understand.”
Young Master Wang was an alias that Shadow Six had casually chosen.
The pageboy did not dare to be negligent. He closed the door and quickly went to look for his master. Indeed, not long after, a fat middle-aged man welcomed him politely. “Young Master Wang? Is it really Young Master Wang?”
The middle-aged man’s surname was Zheng. He was a local merchant. He did a small business and could not make a fortune, but he could not starve either. His son had committed a crime in his early years and was imprisoned by the authorities to work in the mine.
The mine was heavily guarded and there were many checkpoints. It was difficult not to alert the enemy when they brought a grown man out. However, Shadow Six told him that he had a friend with outstanding qinggong. As long as he was willing to tell the truth, he would help him save his son.
“Young Master Wang!” Old Master Zheng seemed to have seen his savior. He went forward and held Shadow Six’s hand. Then, he saw the noble young master beside Shadow Six.
Having lived for so long, Old Master Zheng had seen countless people, but he had never seen such a handsome young master. It was just that… his body was a little weak and his face was pale.
“My young master’s surname… is also…” Shadow Six’s brain suddenly short-circuited and he couldn’t think of any other surname. Just as he was about to say “his surname is also Wang”, Yan Jiuchao said indifferently, “Yu. ”
Shadow Thirteen whistled.
“Young Master Yu, please come in!” Old Master Zheng gestured for him to come in and looked at Shadow Thirteen. “This is…”
“Little Wang’s brother,” Shadow Thirteen said.
“The eighth,” Shadow Six said, unwilling to show weakness.
Old Master Zheng was stunned. Wang Ba? [T/N: In chinese, it also means bastard.]
Old Master Zheng invited Yan Jiuchao and the others into the house. Yan Jiuchao’s sacrificial soldiers were hidden in the dark. When necessary, they would save Old Master Zheng’s son, but the prerequisite was that Old Master Zheng had to tell them the details of what happened back then.
“I’ve already told Young Master Wang about the residence. I’ve also drawn the portrait for him based on my memories. Hurry up and save my son!” Old Master Zheng said.
Yan Jiuchao said unhurriedly, “There’s no hurry. Remember what happened back then carefully and see if there is anything you missed.”
Old Master Zheng thought to himself, Even if you’re not anxious, I am. My son is doing manual labor in the mine and might be beaten to death at any time!
Old Master Zheng wanted to flare up, but he could tell that this group of people was not to be trifled with, especially this sickly young master. He looked sickly, but he gave off a feeling that he was even more dangerous and terrifying than that burly bastard.
“Then let’s start from the first time I saw that woman four years ago… That woman was here to buy a house. My family’s ancestral mansion happened to be for sale. Once the middleman pulled the strings, the transaction succeeded. At that time, a man appeared.”
Yan Jiuchao spread out Xu Shao’s portrait. “Can you confirm again if it’s him?”
“It’s him,” Old Master Zheng said. “It’s much more similar than what I drew. Actually, I’ve only seen the two of them once when they bought the house. However, that woman’s appearance was too stunning, and I couldn’t forget her for a moment, so I even remembered the two of them.”
Although they had only met once, Old Master Zheng could tell that the man was very protective of the woman. After Old Master Zheng sold the house, he moved to the new house, but he had a rice shop near the old residence.
He occasionally went to the rice shop to take care of business. Sometimes, he could hear the commotion in the old residence.
A few months later, the cry of a baby came from the old residence. Old Master Zheng thought that the madam must have given birth. The cry lasted for five to six months and was never heard again. Just as Old Master Zheng thought that their family had moved away, he accidentally saw the woman going out, pregnant again.
The woman put on a veil, but he still recognized her. The woman did not notice him and passed by with a maidservant.
“That child should have died prematurely,” Old Master Zheng said regretfully.
A few days later, the cry of a baby came from the old residence again. Old Master Zheng was very puzzled at that time. He was the father of six children and was quite familiar with the stomachs of pregnant women. In his opinion, that woman was definitely not pregnant for more than seven months, but she actually gave birth?
“Premature birth?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
Old Master Zheng nodded. “I guess so. That child’s cries are also very weak. After a heavy rain, I didn’t hear any more cries. Perhaps he caught a cold and didn’t make it. He’s not even a month old. What a pity.”
This could explain why there were two urns, one big and one small.
Yan Jiuchao tapped his fingers gently on the table. “This information is not very useful to me. If you want to save your son, you have to provide more valuable information.”
“Huh?” Old Master Zheng was stunned.
Shadow Thirteen said, “Didn’t you hear what my young… young master said?”
“May I ask who Young Master Yu is to that madam?” Old Master Zheng asked.
Shadow Thirteen said coldly, “This has nothing to do with you. You just have to answer my young master. The mine is not a place for humans. Those who are exiled there are all death row prisoners. They won’t be punished even if you beat them to death. The more time you delay, the more risk your son will be in. At that time, you’ll be collecting his corpse.”
“I, I, I… I’ll think! I’ll think now!” Old Master Zheng broke out in a cold sweat. He stood up and paced around the room nervously. He had not met that madam much and had only met her twice. The rest was based on the voices he had heard. Where could he think of more information?!
Yan Jiuchao reminded, “For example, did she bring her own servants, or did she hire servants from the local area?”
“I remember! There’s indeed one!” An idea flashed across Old Master Zheng’s mind and he said excitedly, “But I didn’t see it with my own eyes. I heard from the shop assistant’s wife that a pregnant foreigner fainted at the back door of her house. Her servants carried the girl in. After that, the girl stayed at her house. Does this-this count?”
“When did this happen?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
“It happened not long after her second child passed away,” Old Master Zheng said.
Shadow Six whispered to Yan Jiuchao, “Young Master, could that pregnant woman be the little masters’ biological mother?”
Yan Jiuchao clenched his fists. “What does that outsider look like?”
Old Master Zheng said, “I’ve never seen her before, but I heard from the shop assistant’s wife that the outsider was in a sorry state. She seemed to have begged all the way here. That madam is really kind. She even took in a beggar.”
Kind? She probably had other motives! Shadow Six felt a little upset when he thought about how the little masters might have suffered in the womb when their biological mother was begging.
“You didn’t see what she looked like. Wouldn’t it be a waste of time?” Shadow Thirteen rolled his eyes.
Old Master Zheng scratched his head.
Yan Jiuchao continued, “How long has that outsider lived there?”
“I’m not sure.” The rice shop was opened at the back door of the old residence, but most of the time, the people in the residence used the front door.
“Who lives in your old residence now?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
“No one. The house has been empty since that madam moved away two years ago,” Old Master Zheng said.
Yan Jiuchao paused. “Let’s go to the old residence to take a look.”
That night, the group was led by Old Master Zheng to the old residence. The old residence’s door was locked, and Shadow Thirteen easily pried open the copper lock. Old Master Zheng was terrified, afraid that someone would discover them and report them to the authorities.
“Go in!” Shadow Thirteen shouted.
Old Master Zheng braced himself and entered the house. He pointed to a row of rooms and said, “This is the main room, this is the greenhouse, this is the study, and that is the kitchen…”
Yan Jiuchao gave Shadow Six and Shadow Thirteen a look, and the two of them started rummaging through the house.
“Young Master! There’s a secret compartment under the bed in the room. This is what we found in the secret compartment!” Shadow Six walked over with a small gray box.
Shadow Six squatted down and placed the small box on the ground. He unscrewed the copper lock with his bare hands. Inside the box were some women’s clothes. Looking at the pile of tattered clothes, they definitely did not look like they belonged to Yan Ruyu.
“It’s that girl’s!” Shadow Six’s eyes lit up. He flipped open the clothes and saw a scroll lying at the bottom.
Yan Jiuchao personally took the scroll, pulled open the ribbon, and slowly unfolded it, revealing the person in the portrait.
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