The dim back

Liu Zhongqing felt very strange and asked the Third Prince in a stern voice: "Uncle, you are the current Third Prince, why do you have to worry about so many things?"

Seeing that the Third Prince hadn't spoken a word, Liu Zhongqing felt that something more was happening.

Zhang Yulu gently probed: "Third Prince, I am Zhang Yulu from Yiren Villa. Did my father make any deal with you?"

This sentence surprised everyone. The Third Prince looked at Zhang Yulu from left to right and said, "I didn't expect you to have grown so big. I remember when I first saw you, you were still in your mother's arms."

Hearing the Third Prince say this, Zhang Yulu became interested: "Tell me about it. I have never seen my mother since I was a child."

The Third Prince said as if reminiscing, "How should I put it? Your mother was a person who could be described as extremely beautiful and charming at the time. There were many men who liked her. Your father was indeed very scheming. He used some tricks to win your mother over."

Zhang Yulu finally knew something about her mother and said hurriedly, "Tell me about it. I just want to hear you finish your story."

The Third Prince slowly recalled as his thoughts went on: "In the beginning, apart from the princes and princesses, there were only a few sons of noble families who attended our Royal Academy. At that time, your father Zhang Shaohua was the son of a first-class Gonghou. Later, because a first-class Gonghou died on the battlefield, Zhang Shaohua had no intention of watching from the court, so he established Yiren Villa."

Zhang Yulu was very surprised: "Why didn't father cherish his title?"

The Third Prince smiled bitterly: "He excels in this aspect. He seems to be indifferent to everything and never fights or competes. He doesn't seem to be a person who is eager for quick success. In fact, he is the smartest one."

Zhang Yulu waited for the next words: "What does this have to do with my mother?"

The Third Prince laughed and said, "Do you know who your mother is?"

Zhang Yulu shook her head: "In Yiren Villa, my father never allowed anyone to talk about my mother. We don't even know her name."

The Third Prince then revealed the reality: "Your mother is famous, a royal merchant named Liu Yue'e, with a very sweet appearance and beautiful handwriting."

Zhang Yulu only now realized what happened to her mother. Her mother turned out to be such a powerful woman. No wonder her father never wanted to mention her.

The Third Prince went on to say, "Your mother was studying at the Imperial Academy with us at the time. Your father was very smart and he would often get close to your mother whenever he had the chance to discuss academic matters."

Zhang Yulu doesn't think so: "As long as they don't discuss academic matters, they can be together."

The Third Prince shook his head: "Your father teamed up with Liu Xiangdong, the two of them are doing all kinds of evil."

When Liu Xiangdong was mentioned, Liu Zhongqing felt a little sad: "Could it be that my father's story is involved here?"

The third king also nodded: "At that time, Liu Xiangdong and Zhang Shaohua had always had a good relationship. Liu Xiangdong fell in love with a woman and wanted Zhang Shaohua to be the matchmaker. Then, as the only bargaining chip, Liu Xiangdong had to help Zhang Shaohua pursue Liu Yue'e."

Zhang Yulu found it particularly unbelievable: "Don't you think it's ridiculous? Why would you gamble with a woman's happiness?"

Hearing what Zhang Yulu said, the Third Prince shook his head and said, "I trusted these two thieves too much at that time. On that day, Zhang Shaohua asked me to pass on a message saying that he wanted to discuss literature with Liu Yue'e by the lake. I thought it was true, so I went."

Zhang Yulu didn't think it was an exaggeration when she heard this: "Then we can discuss literature if we want. What big deal can come out of this?"

The Third Prince sighed, "It's all my fault for being careless at the time. After I called your mother to the lake, I saw Zhang Shaohua waiting there early. Liu Xiangdong and the second young lady of the Duke's Mansion came together."

Zhang Yulu finally understood clearly: "So, my mother is friends with the second young lady of the Duke's Mansion?"

The Third Prince nodded and said, "That's right. It's because we are friends that we don't have so many grudges. But who would have thought that the Second Miss of the Duke's Mansion, in order to gain Liu Xiangdong's concern, actually designed a drug and gave Liu Yue'e to Zhang Shaohua."

Zhang Yulu felt particularly ashamed, "So I gave birth to the child because of my father's despicable behavior?"

The Third Prince said without hesitation: "It's just like what you said. If that incident hadn't happened, I'm afraid Zhang Shaohua would never have been loved by Liu Yue'e in this life."

Zhang Yulu couldn't figure it out: "What's going on with Zhang Fengxue?"

The Third Prince felt even more angry when he heard this: "Since mother married into the villa, she has been crying every day, especially after giving birth to you, she became stupid and stupid."

The Third King also stopped here because he didn't want to recall that incident.

But Zhang Yulu wanted to listen to it, so she said to the Third Prince: "Hurry up and explain this matter clearly. I just want to listen."

The Third Prince was helpless and had to say to Zhang Yulu: "It turns out that Zhang Shaohua's family arranged a marriage for Zhang Shaohua, and that was the child bride he raised at home since he was a child. Zhang Shaohua later married this child bride. Think about it, two women living in the same mansion, there must be a lot of conflicts."

Zhang Yulu understood immediately: "According to what you said, my father died in such a tragic way, my mother must have hated him to death, plus the marriage arranged as a child, so my mother committed suicide."

The Third Prince nodded angrily: "Speaking of this matter, it makes me very distressed. In fact, I clearly had a sign, but I really couldn't save your mother. He is simply too stubborn."

Zhang Yulu felt that the matter was not that simple: "Then why didn't you take him away when you asked my mother so much?"

When the Third Prince heard these cultural stories, he felt as if he had heard a fairy tale: "This marriage was granted by the Emperor. Who can refute it? It is all because of Zhang Shaohua. I begged the Emperor to marry Liu Yue'e based on the merits of his ancestors."

Zhang Yulu never expected that her father was so despicable that he actually made such a request to the emperor in order to get his mother.

Liu Zhongqing suddenly remembered: "No wonder my mother and father had an argument once. They seemed to have mentioned Liu Yue'e. So what was going on?"

The Third Prince picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of tea, and then said to Liu Zhongqing: "Your father is such a coward. He clearly knows that what his brothers did is wrong, but for the sake of wealth and glory, he is willing to let the woman he likes be his second wife, so your mother is his first wife."

Zhang Yulu thought of something: "Logically, the eldest princess should marry a prince, general or minister, so why would she marry an imperial merchant? Logically, her status doesn't match."

When the Third Prince heard this, he snorted, "This is what makes me angry. For the sake of his own glory and wealth, he took advantage of Liu Yue'e's trust in the Second Miss of the Duke's Mansion to help Zhang Shaohua complete the task. In order to consolidate his own position, he used sweet words to deceive the trust of the Imperial Sister."

Liu Zhongqing thought his mother was very smart and felt incredible: "How could my mother be deceived by my father? When we were at home, my mother always had the final say."

The Third Prince disagreed and said in denial: "Don't you realize it? Sister, no matter what you say, Zhang Shaohua always obeys with words, but she doesn't think so in her heart, and she won't do that when she does things."

Liu Zhongqing recalled: "It is indeed like what the Third Prince said. I do feel it is very strange. Every time my mother and father died, they would quarrel. I always thought that they just had different ideas, but I didn't expect that they were fundamentally incompatible."

The Third Prince nodded and said, "I remember that it was in the summer of one year. Your father knew that the eldest princess was going to burn incense. He arranged some bandits on the way and pretended to rob her. Later, your father would come to rescue her as a hero."

Zhang Yulu cursed in her heart: "I didn't expect that such a cliché would be so popular here. It seems that Liu Xiangdong, like Zhang Shaohua, is a bad guy."

Liu Zhongqing finally understood: "Why doesn't my father like me to serve as an official in the court? He is afraid that one day I will find out about this matter and he will feel ashamed."

Zhang Yulu remembered something: "After my mother gave birth to me, Zhang Fengxue said that my father and that childhood sweetheart had me together?"

The Third Prince said with certainty, "That was natural, because that childhood sweetheart angered your mother that day, and both of them fell into the water at the same time. In the end, your mother was not rescued because Zhang Shaohua rescued his childhood sweetheart first. Even if she had been rescued first, both of them would have died at the same time."

Zhang Yulu finally understood: "That should be said, my father liked my mother's beauty before, and he used some tricks to marry her. Afterwards, because my mother treated me badly, she turned around and treated my childhood sweetheart very well, so the two women quarreled, fell into the river at the same time, and drowned at the same time."

After the Third Prince told those facts, he felt particularly sad: "Do you know what I was thinking at the time?"

Hearing the Third Prince's question, Zhang Yulu didn't know how to answer.

Zhang Yulu had no choice but to ask another question: "What do these things have to do with Zhang Laojiu and Concubine Xiao?"

When the Third Prince mentioned this matter, his face began to twist. "It was because of this Imperial Concubine Xiao. At that time, she was a tribute girl from a different gang. She was just learning etiquette with us in the palace. She gave us all the poison. She is the culprit."

After hearing this, everyone realized that perhaps without Concubine Xiao's Miao medicine, the series of events that followed would not have happened.

The Third Prince began to remind Liu Zhongqing: "Nephew, even if you know it is the Miaojiang poison, we still have no way to solve this mystery."

Zhang Yulu also thought so: "This medicine has so many effects, so it must have its own special features. I think we should go to the black market to have a look. Concubine Xiao can't carry this poison with her forever."

Liu Zhongqing also thought of something: "Since someone can poison someone, there must be someone who can detoxify him. Let's go to the black market and take a look. Maybe we can find some clues."

Liu Zhongqing thought of something: "I discovered something. Since I came to the capital this time, my father once reminded me that if I encounter any difficulties, I should go to the black market to find a man with a scar. I think it can come in handy this time."

Hearing Liu Zhongqing's words, Zhang Yulu was particularly confident: "It seems that your father had expected something to happen. Who knows if this scarred man can provide us with clues. Let's go over and take a look without delay."

Before leaving, Zhang Yulu turned to the Third Prince and said, "We really want to find you to understand the situation. We hope that you can explain Mr. Qiu's affairs to the emperor in the future."

The Third Prince immediately refused: "You want me to explain this matter clearly? I think you are just dreaming. I have already done what I can do to entertain you today. I don't want to say anything to you anymore. Please leave me here quickly."

Seeing the Third Prince's face gradually turn pale, Zhang Yulu felt that something was wrong, so he winked at Liu Zhongqing and said, "Since the Third Prince is already feeling unwell, let's visit him another day. I believe the Third Prince will not disappear out of thin air."

Liu Zhongqing knew the meaning of Zhang Yulu's look, so he said to Zhang Yulu: "If you want to do this, then I will accompany you to the end."

As soon as the two men walked out of the door, the two people hiding at the entrance of the alley saw the Third Prince hurriedly walked out of the Nan Family Inn and walked towards the west of the city.

Zhang Yulu patted Liu Zhongqing's shoulder and said, "How is it? It's just as I thought. I feel like there must be something we don't know about."

Liu Zhongqing was not in a hurry to investigate the case. He wanted to know where his uncle was going next. He said to Zhang Yulu, "Should we go there and take a look? It's not a surprise, but we have to wait until night to go to the black market. They don't open during the day."

Zhang Yulu nodded: "I feel that he should go to find Zhang Laojiu. After all, when Zhang Laojiu just left, he also talked about something with the Third King. I think it should be related to the Qiu family's case."

Liu Zhongqing had already bought the horses, so he took Zhang Yulu and rode on them. The two of them hurried over, and soon, they followed the Third Prince into an alley and stopped at a corner gate. There was a word "Bie Ya" written on the foot gate.

The two people were wondering where this place was.

Suddenly, the door opened from the inside and a little girl walked out.