The beauty of the Hou family and the king's plan

Meanwhile, Shen Baozhao and his daughter also returned to Chenxiang Garden.

The second master sat in the study with a dejected look on his face, looking at his daughter with guilt in his eyes.

"Zhao Zhao, I am a useless father. I cannot protect your mother's dowry. I am sorry to you and your sister, and even more sorry to your mother."

Shen Baozhao sighed. The Second Master Shen had always lived a pure and peaceful life since he was a child, and he never knew how evil people could be. What happened today was a big blow to him.

She thought that if there was something even more sinister hidden behind her mother's death, would he be able to bear it?

He walked to the second master's side and comforted him, "Don't worry, father. How can this be so easy for the first house? If they want to embezzle it, it depends on whether we agree or not."

Master Shen Er was very confused when he saw Shen Baozhao's confident expression.

Bao Zhao ordered Bi Xiao to get the sixth book from the second row on the antique shelf in the Chenxiang Garden study.

Master Shen Er had no idea what his daughter was up to, and he wasn't anxious either. The two of them just waited quietly.

In just a cup of tea, Bixiao came with a book in hand.

The second master took it and saw the title of the book "Golden Branch Sorrow" written in small calligraphy on the cover.

It turned out that after Shen Baozhao received the golden hairpin with phoenix pattern from Aunt Lan, he began to think about how to make the first wife give up all the dowry.

This storybook describes a story about a princess from a prince's mansion and a scholar who fall in love, and how they love each other very much after they get married.

However, he did not expect that there were jackals, tigers and leopards in the top scholar's family. In order to defraud the princess of her dowry, they murdered the princess and embezzled the dowry.

The storybook also describes in detail the spectacular wedding scene, with red makeup stretching for ten miles.

Also attached was a list of the princess's dowry, which contained items of great value.

After Mr. Shen flipped through it, he immediately matched the Princess of Nanhua County with himself, the third place in the imperial examination.

Moreover, the dowry list in the storybook is indeed the real dowry list of Princess Nanhua.

There were originally three copies, one for Prince Yu's Mansion, one for the government, and one for Nanhua County Lady. It should be in Baozhao's hands.

After reading the storybook, the second master seemed to have experienced the process of meeting, understanding, and falling in love with Nanhua all over again.

Seeing the second master in tears, Shen Baozhao hurriedly called Xia Song into the house to get some water and wash up.

After the second master calmed down, he asked Bao Zhao: "Zhao'er, what are you going to do?"

"Throw the silver, throw it hard." Shen Baozhao was still keeping the secret.

"How do you smash it?" The second master was still very confused.

Shen Baozhao then asked Xia Song: "Do you know how many famous storytellers there are in Kyoto?"

"Copy this storybook to them, and from today on, have them only tell this story when they open teahouses and taverns.

I will give you one tael for each speech, and if you speak well and attract many people, there will be another reward."

“Also, find someone to find abandoned children near the imperial city, memorize all the items on the dowry list, and sing it in the streets.

Make sure all the princes, ministers, ladies and girls hear it."

"This matter should be handled quickly rather than slowly." Shen Baozhao said very seriously.

Master Shen Er suddenly realized: "Are you trying to put pressure on the Marquis' Mansion through public opinion?"

Shen Baozhao was disdainful: "What does public opinion mean? I want them to spit out everything they have eaten."

Master Shen Er was pleased and sympathetic to see Bao Zhao was confident. His daughter should have been enjoying herself at home, but instead she had to worry about their family.

Xia Song works very quickly.

Before evening, a new story had suddenly appeared in every restaurant, and people who had heard it spread it by word of mouth, and the storytelling places were packed. Even the teahouse business improved a lot.

Everyone heard the storyteller say that the top scholar donated the proceeds of his wife's dowry to the court ten years after his wife's death, in order to help Dali fight against the Northern Rong.

Yesterday, people who saw the Ministry of Revenue collecting debts on Duobao Street took their seats according to their numbers.

"Have you heard that the princess in the storyteller's story is the Princess of Nanhua County, and the number one scholar is the second master Shen, the third scholar."

"How could I not have heard of it? I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. The officials in the Ministry of Revenue all praised Mr. Shen Er for his dedication to the country and the people."

"In that case, the mansion that stole someone's dowry in the story must be the Ning'an Marquis Mansion?" The man was surprised and shouted out loud.

The person drinking tea with him quickly covered his mouth and said, "Don't tell anyone. Ning'an Marquis's Mansion is the Fourth Prince's maternal family. If you offend the Fourth Prince, you will lose your life."

The people who were listening to the book at the tables in front and behind them looked in their direction, all with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

When the various government offices in the imperial city were closed, they heard the ballads sung by the little beggars: "Blue phoenix and peony carved in red sandalwood, a square table made of golden nanmu...Xu Bohong's landscape painting on the river, the blue sky harp, the blood jade flute..."

Each of these items was not something that ordinary people could have. The officials stopped to look in confusion, and a curious official stopped the beggar to ask him questions.

Only then did I realize that this was the dowry list in the story told by the storyteller in the teahouse today.

They were curious, so they went into teahouses in groups of three or five to listen to books.

At the same time, in Prince Huai’s Palace.

Xiao Yuanhuai has always asked An Yi to pay attention to the actions of Ning'an Marquis Mansion.

Xia Song's actions were also fueled by An Yi.

"You did a great job." Xiao Yuanhuai stood in front of the window with his back to An Yi and praised.

It was rare for An Yi to be praised in person by his master, and he touched the back of his head embarrassedly.

He knew that as long as it involved the fourth young lady of the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion, he could act first and report later to provide help, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with doing so.

He thought to himself that he was worthy of being the most trusted secret guard beside his master, and he was the only one who could understand a little bit of his master's mind.

Thinking about the comparison with his own younger brother An Er who was still cleaning the toilet, he couldn't help but feel proud and called him a fool for not using his brain and talking too much.

"But it's not enough." Xiao Yuanhuai continued.

"Tell Jin Yuxin to distribute the county lady's dowry list to all the pawnshops. Any items on the list will not be accepted."

"Yes." An Yi accepted the order.

Xiao Yuan was thinking about Shen Baozhao whom he met at Ning'an Marquis Mansion today, who was so dazzling and charming.

Thinking of the time when he saved her in Luoyang in his previous life, he was covered in mud, his face was completely ruined, and he was struggling with only one breath left.

No matter what, they couldn't overlap. When he thought about what she might have experienced, he wanted to tear Ning'an Marquis's mansion into pieces.

Fortunately, fortunately, he is back again, and he still has a chance to help her.

She is so smart and clever. When I think of the girl my grandfather mentioned, she is the only one that comes to my mind.

If possible, he hopes to marry her and let her be the mistress of the Prince Huai's mansion.

In the previous life, she was killed by someone with ulterior motives before she could ascend to the supreme position with him. He also thought of the heart-wrenching pain after losing her.

How he spent the long nights alone in the palace during the rest of his life without her.

I never want to experience that kind of loneliness and despair again.

It was just a cold, how could it kill him? He had no will to survive, hoping to find her on the road to the underworld.

God had been kind to him after all, and he still had a chance to start over again. He really cherished it.

The night slowly fell, Xiao Yuanhuai called Xiaobai and stuffed the note into the bamboo tube.

Watching Xiaobai slowly disappear in the darkness.