Minister

140【Eight Years of Jiankang】

"Third wife! The slave is wronged!" Shi Shi was about to get up when he was pushed back to the ground by several courtiers.

"You guys!" Seeing Xu Xiaonian lazily sitting in the main hall, Liao Qiushui felt an unknown fire in his heart.

A courtier got up and replied: "Tonight, the villain is on duty. I went to the east before I opened the door, but I remembered that the jacket was in my room, so I turned back the same way. I just passed by the door of the study and saw it. The figure swayed. The villain was startled, and hurriedly knocked on the door of the study and told the courtyard door, they said that no one came out just now, and asked the big girls again, but they also said they didn't know. The villains dare not neglect, Quickly searched one by one, and it turned out that he..." The courtier didn't know what to call the stone: "Hiding behind the flower wall, we don't know who it is, and we won't find out until we tie it up."

"Retire first." Feng Shixun also felt strange: "Which room are you from?"

"He is a servant in my yard." Liao Qiushui said so, but looked at Xu Xiaonian coldly.

"What did he steal? Search first." Feng Shixun ordered everyone to sit down, and asked his personal attendant to go forward and search.

After tossing around for a while, what they found surprised even Xu Xiaonian.

A dagger!

"This?" Stone himself was surprised.

"Master, send me off?" Xu Xiaonian stood up nervously.

Now even Liao Qiushui hesitated.

"...Why hasn't my wife come over yet?" Feng Shixun thought for a long time.

"Third wife! Third wife, save me! I was wronged!" Shitou suddenly cried out in grief and anger.

Sending off officials is indeed a bit unkind, but ordinary people cannot hide knives privately. Although Feng Shixun's place is regarded as an official residence, the stone is indeed white. Where did the dagger come from and why it was brought in, there must be an explanation.And if it's really for evil, isn't it going to endanger the lives of the family?

"Send off to the official." Feng Shixun thought for a while: "If you are innocent, I will give you an innocence, everyone go to sleep."

Now that the host has spoken like this, everyone should do whatever they want, and those who have nothing to do go to sleep.Liao Qiushui vaguely felt that this matter was not that simple, otherwise Xu Xiaonian would not look at her with that expression.But the suspicion was the suspicion, but the matter was settled quite neatly.

"Go back to sleep first, don't catch a cold." Feng Shixun took Liao Qiushui's shoulder.

Some servants talked a lot: "Do you want to report this to the eldest lady?"

"It's so late at night, and I've already been sent to the official." Xu Xiaonian's voice was cold, and the servant quickly shrank his neck and retreated.

So when Qi Yuan knew, it was already time to say hello the next morning.Xu Xiaonian said it lightly, and Feng Shixun also left in a hurry because he was going to the Yamen.Liao Qiushui was dissatisfied with the secret discussion between the fourth and fifth rooms, looked at them coldly, and pouted.

Qi Yuan took a sip of tea: "Apart from the dagger, what else was found?"

"I didn't investigate it carefully, but because there shouldn't be a murder weapon, I sent it to the police."

Qi Yuan didn't blame Xu Xiaonian for stealing the conversation, but just smiled lightly: "The yamen hasn't opened yet, why don't you wait for me to ask you a question before sending me to the officials."

Xu Xiaonian also laughed: "My sister doesn't know about this matter. It is said that men can handle it. Maybe the master gave it to me."

Qi Yuan stopped asking her: "Which one was watching last night?"

The night watchman hurriedly stepped forward: "It's a villain."

"I heard you went back to get the jacket?"

"Yes."

"Where did you see the shadow?"

"It just passed by in a flash, right at the gate of the study yard."

Qi Yuan didn't seem to be listening to him, but just flipped through the account book: "Two days ago, the second wife was ill, so the collection of New Year's goods was delayed. , should I wait for two days first. So the lights at the gates of the yards and on the corridors were all blown out after the third shift in the past two days..." Qi Yuan paused: "It's really good eyesight, such an empty place, you mentioned You can see people with a lantern."

The watchman blushed a little.

"That's it for this morning, let's go." Qi Yuan didn't say any more.

"Ma'am!" Liao Qiushui blocked the door: "You are the head of the family, how can you let Xu Xiaonian stop things? I have been with the master this morning, and the stone was sent to the official before the master got up. It is not our room." It wasn’t from you, nor from someone sent by the master, who could it be? I said that this matter is not clear, and then I; Liao Qiushui’s yard has never raised such a My wife! It's time for my wife to ask for justice!"

A trace of indifference flashed from Qi Yuan's ever-changing smile, and the menacing Liao Qiushui froze for a moment.

Even Xu Xiaonian was stunned.

"The steward will send someone to the government to bring him back later, let's go."

"Get someone!" After Qi Yuan had left for a long time, Liao Qiushui regained his composure and yelled at the housekeeper, "The rest! See off the guests!"

After everyone had left, the mother of the Liao family came up to support Liao Qiushui's shoulders and persuaded, "My little ancestor, you are still pregnant, why are you willing to be so angry?"

Liao Qiushui shook off her hand: "Heh...you dare to stare at me today! It's the opposite! Are you afraid of Xu Xiaonian? This time, I want you to know who to be afraid of!"

"Ma'am, do you think the housekeeper will go back to fetch people?" Mama Liu asked secretly after they were far away.

"Of course not."

"The wife asked the housekeeper to go."

"Just let him go."

Liu Ma thought about it carefully, and it was also - if the housekeeper was not allowed to go, it would be clear that the housekeeper and the second room were together, and if the second room went to the master and said something, it would be the wife's fault.But even though the third room is hateful, the second room is really not a good person. The eldest wife does not say anything on the face, but she is like a mirror in her heart. There must be something strange about this time.

When the two of them entered the room, they happened to see Mei Yue hiding something. Mother Liu felt unhappy, so she grabbed her hand. Mei Yue was startled, and a bird food box rolled out.Mother Liu was about to scold, Qi Yuan coughed: "Today you go to take care of the maids on the second room, and they are all in the study now, if the third room wants to come over to argue, you can tell me quickly, after today you will It's coming to wax, and the master won't go to the yamen anymore, and I won't be able to care about other things after that."

Mother Liu knew that Mei Yue was not a bad girl, she was just dumb and stupid.Although the wife is not angry on the face at this moment, she probably is not happy in her heart, so it is better not to talk too much.So he just hated Mei Yue and went to the study alone.

Mei Yue saw that there was no one in the room, so she came to claim credit with a smile: "Returning to my wife, I saw mynah today, and his tail has grown hair."

"Have you grown hair after only one night?" Qi Yuan couldn't help laughing.

"What's the matter, madam?" Mei Yue saw that Qi Yuan had half smiled and suddenly stopped smiling. Thinking of Liu's mother's strange appearance just now, she finally became suspicious.

"...you should do your sewing well these two days, don't leave the hospital if you have nothing to do, and don't ask around... Maybe it's like you said, it's a good thing that mynah was given to the next door." Qi Yuan sighed.

Feng Shixun, who was supposed to come back in the afternoon, rushed back at noon with a very ugly expression on his face.Liao Qiushui came up to meet him: "Master will be back at noon, why didn't you send someone to tell you?"

Feng Shixun avoided Liao Qiushui's approaching hand, his eyes were very strange: "Let's eat first, let the eldest and the second bedroom come over to eat together! Those two also call over together."

Because there was no special preparation, it was already past the meal time, so everyone barely ate.Except for serious festivals, this family will not get together. Even if they want to get together, they will choose the main hall. It is the first time that they are crowded in the study room, and everyone feels a little embarrassed.

The second and third rooms still ignored each other, and the fourth and fifth rooms were both trembling. Qi Yuan didn't like fish very much, so she hardly moved her chopsticks.

After finishing the cold meal, everyone was about to leave when Feng Shixun stood up and ordered the housekeeper to close the door.

"Master Zhang from the admiral's yamen came to see me in person today, just to talk about the thief in our family. Heh! Only then did I know how powerful the thief in my family is! Since everyone has already eaten today, please give me a good time." Stay here. Steward! Order everyone to close the gates of the courtyard, and search every courtyard carefully!"

The housekeeper responded tremblingly: "Where are the wives also searching?"

"Why don't you search! If you are told to search, go! If you dare to be in a trance, you don't have to stay in this yard in the future!"

"Where is the eldest lady?"

Seeing Qi Yuan's face, Feng Shixun held back his anger, but still shouted: "Search! Say one more word, and you won't have to stay in this yard!"

The butler hurriedly withdrew.

The crowd didn't know what happened, and they were too scared to speak.

About half an hour later, the person who searched the second wife closest to the study came back, and there seemed to be no abnormalities. The people from the west courtyard also came back.

"How about it?"

The housekeeper went to search the west courtyard himself: "If you go back to the master, if you go back to the eldest wife, nothing was found."

Qi Yuan sneered: "What are you doing back to me? I didn't ask you to search."

The housekeeper blushed with embarrassment, and just when he didn't know how to explain himself, the last group of people finally came back from the courtyard where the third wife lived.

A group of people blocked the door, and the leader Zhizhiwuwu didn't know what to say.

"Respond!" Feng Shixun slammed the table.

The leader walked forward tremblingly, and first presented a handkerchief from the tray of others. Although Feng Shixun had already thought about it, he couldn't help being furious after reading half a sentence, grabbed the handkerchief, and snapped. It fell on Liao Qiushui's face.

Liao Qiushui was overwhelmed by the fall, and couldn't help crying before he could speak.

There was also a pair of insoles and a few letters on the plate. Feng Shixun picked them up one by one and threw them on Liao Qiushui's face: "You slut! If it wasn't for the admiral's yamen to ask that lowly slave in private for the sake of Feng's family. , today your scandal is going to be brought up in the lobby! Let me tell you how a servant who is a servant in charge of the yard would run into the study. It seems that you have entered the study and hindered your private meeting! Which one is in Feng's house? How many servants and servants are there in the yard? A stone popped out of itself today, maybe there are more than one of them!"

Liao Qiushui was dizzy by these words.

"Uncle!" It was still her nanny who was clever, and quickly knelt down: "Master! This must be framed. My lady is a girl from a clean family. How can anyone teach her this? Even the stone, you can't enter it normally." Room's..."

"Go away!" Feng Shixun kicked the man away: "...That's right, how can such things be done without someone to pass the word? I don't think you can get away with it, right? Come on, I dare not keep such a person Now, send it back to their yard and close it, and then ask her father to come and lead her!"

When the maids came to help Liao Qiushui, she suddenly jumped up from being limp: "Master! Master! I was wronged!!!" Liao Qiushui, who has always behaved dignifiedly, hugged Feng Shixun's arm tightly: "I was wronged! ! I was wronged!"

No one in the room dared to go forward to persuade her. After a while, Xu Xiaonian came up to hold her back: "Sister, be careful, there is still a child in your stomach..."

"You!!!" Liao Qiushui suddenly grabbed Xu Xiaonian: "It must be you! I said how you let me move into the study so easily! I said why you suddenly became kind! I said how you are so active Come to catch the thief! You actually used such a thing to frame me! You bitch...! Ah!"

Liao Qiushui was stunned by the sudden slap.

"Miss!" Her mother cried out in distress.

"Pull away!"

In the end, with the support of a group of nuns, Liao Qiushui was dragged away.Feng Shixun turned blue with anger, and rushed to the admiral's office.Xu Xiaonian breathed a sigh of relief, and prepared to arrange for someone to clean up the house.When she walked out, she saw Qi Yuan sitting in the yard, showing no intention of leaving.Xu Xiaonian wiped off his sweat, walked over, and asked Ann: "Madam, do you want some tea?"

Qi Yuan didn't speak, but took a sip of the tea she had already had in her hand.

Xu Xiaonian couldn't help clenching his fists nervously.

"...Don't kill anyone, it's a matter of moral loss..." After saying this, Qi Yuan left without looking back.

Xu Xiaonian was stunned for a long time before he regained his breath.The butler watched the eldest wife talking to Xu Xiaonian from a distance, and did not dare to approach him for the time being. After the eldest wife left, Xu Xiaonian was stunned for a long time, and then quietly came over: "Second wife, don't worry, the admiral has already said That's it, that person has finished."

Results?

Xu Xiaonian felt an unprecedented fear welling up in his heart, but this fear was mixed with happiness, extreme happiness, and instantly washed away the fear without a trace.

During dinner, the maids and wives in Feng's residence had already turned their panic at noon into talk.Especially the maidservants in the fourth and fifth rooms were really elated, and they talked about what happened at noon vividly, and those who couldn't enter the study room in the outer courtyard all came over and listened to it strangely.

"I just said that the third-bedroom wife doesn't invite the master to see her, and she's still showing off like that. It turns out that there is a lover who keeps her in the yard!"

"Isn't it? I heard that the stone was not careful before, and it didn't avoid anyone who saw the big maid and the little daughter-in-law. It made me laugh so disgustingly."

"Didn't the master just say a few words to our wife last time, she was jealous like that, and even went against the second wife, huh! She thought the master would obey her every time? I think she should be kicked out of the yard , really deserve it!"

"That's right, I'm not the maid in their room, she would scold and punish us every now and then, let's not talk about the other rooms, she would point fingers at someone as kind as the eldest wife, she simply forgot her identity , don’t talk about being a wife, it’s even worse than our maids. Don’t you just rely on your own money? Why don’t you be a young man if you’re so great?”

"Even the people in the room with them are showing off their power! The maid she brought, Osmanthus fragrans, said she was raised at home, hum! Which of us was not raised at home, it seems to be a rarity from her family! Others came from Jiangnan The people here are not as arrogant as her! It’s okay to act as a master in front of us, and she’s also rude when meeting your wife in private! I think she’s so dignified that she only pours footwashing water for her young lady!”

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

"Tell me, who does that child belong to?" Someone asked with a good intention.

Everyone was stunned and laughed even more happily.

"Don't laugh, she's here..."

When all the maids saw Osmanthus coming to serve the meal, they all dispersed.Osmanthus lowered her head, took the food, and ran out of the outer courtyard.Now the master is furious, the nanny in his house has been locked up in the outer courtyard alone because of talking too much, and the maids in the third room are all from the Feng family who have been kicked out of the inner courtyard. Only myself is left.Osmanthus had no choice but to hold the lantern in one hand and the lunch box in the other, and rushed to her yard.

Liao Qiushui was locked in a side room of the third room. The surrounding windows were nailed up, and all the furniture was taken away. Only two beds of cotton wool were left on the ground.The nurse saw that Osmanthus fragrans had come, but said coldly, let's go in, and stopped looking at her.

Osmanthus had nothing in her hands, so she had to put the plate on the ground first, and then went to open the door.

Liao Qiushui sat up vigilantly when he heard the noise.

"Miss, it's me..." Osmanthus closed the door tremblingly, picked up the lunch box and walked in front of Liao Qiushui.

Liao Qiushui stared at her blankly, and suddenly burst into tears, the more she cried, the more miserable she became, until the osmanthus shuddered.

"Miss...Miss..."

"I was wronged..."

"The wronged..."

"Xu Xiaonian wronged me..."

"I'm wronged..." Liao Qiushui cried, and Osmanthus just read one sentence in a daze.

"What do my father and brother say?" Liao Qiushui suddenly grabbed Osmanthus's arm tightly.

The sweet-scented osmanthus was pinched by her, and she was shocked: "...Master?"

"talk!?"

"He...he, he said he can't control this matter..."

He said he couldn't handle it anymore?

Liao Qiushui felt his eyes go dark, and finally passed out.