Pan Zhuqing decided to give up discussing the issue of "uncle" and "aunt" with him, and just replied with a faint smile: "It is better to read more books when you have time to get angry. Only if you have some conversation, the girl you like will be willing to listen to you."
Xue Jiu felt a little embarrassed when he said this, and said with a silly smile: "I remember it, little one!"
"Brother Zhuqing, don't you care at all?" Fu Yun, who is as meticulous as dust, has been observing Pan Zhuqing thoughtfully, guessing that although he looks calm and relaxed on the surface, he is actually very uncomfortable in his heart. He has been used to it since he was a child. Bury the stress in your heart and digest it yourself.
Pan Zhuqing asked her nonchalantly: "What do you care about?"
"Those rumors..." She couldn't bear to continue.
"You said it was a rumor, so what else is there to care about?" he asked with a smile.
Before Fu Yun had time to talk, Yu Lian, who was holding a teapot and pouring tea for everyone, couldn't wait to speak righteously: "That's right! Those people are full of gods and ghosts, otherwise, that magic stick Li Fengyan wouldn't be able to do it back then. He will succeed frequently. Brother Pan is innocent and upright, how can he say such a thing as his wife? Is it necessary to pay attention to nonsense? "
Fu Yun was a little embarrassed when the little maid choked her unceremoniously. She was also a sharp-tongued character, but it was too inappropriate to argue with the little maid in front of Pan Zhuqing, so she swallowed her anger. , just said: "It seems that Yun'er's worries are unfounded."
Pan Zhuqing lost his mind because of Yulian's words. He looked at her thoughtfully and murmured inadvertently: "It seems that someone once said this to me."
"Yes...is it..." Yu Lian was flustered when he saw her, her cheeks turned red, and she couldn't speak clearly for a while.
Du Ruotong suddenly recalled something and excitedly interrupted: "I know, it was Yue Yue who said it!"
Suddenly hearing Gong Yueyue's name, everyone on the table seemed to have some chemical reactions. Xue Jiu raised his eyebrows and quickly glanced at Pan Zhuqing. Pan Zhuqing's eyes moved slightly, and the corners of his indifferent mouth held an imperceptible gentle smile. Yu The blush on Lian's face faded, and some unnatural shadows appeared. Fu Yun was stunned for a moment, then smiled knowingly, and praised generously: "Mrs. Zhao is indeed a unique and outstanding woman. By the way, Yun I even went to her place this morning to take her pulse."
Du Ruotong hurriedly asked: "How is she? Is everything okay?"
"It's good. She also asked Yun'er to tell Brother Zhuqing, be yourself and don't worry about what boring people say." When saying this, Fu Yun's eyes inadvertently glanced at Pan Zhuqing and Yu Lian. Although the former did not speak. , but his smile grew stronger, and the latter's face became increasingly unnatural.
"It turns out that this girl really has such thoughts... She is really fanciful and has no self-awareness." Fu Yun thought in his heart, and a contemptuous smile appeared on his face unconsciously.
"Among the little girls, this Mrs. Zhao is by no means an ordinary person. I, Xue Jiu, admire her very much. Her skills in catching thieves, blowing up the sky prison, crossing the river to rescue people, and all her decent kung fu... She was born in the wrong life. If she was a Man, he is definitely a powerful character. Having said that, if she had been here just now, she would have supported me in punching each of them with a sandbag!" Xue Jiu was still thinking about the bad breath she had just swallowed at the door.
Du Ruotong smiled and argued with him: "You're talking nonsense, how can she be so violent..."
Master Jiu asked her unconvinced: "No? Have you never seen her interrogating prisoners when she was working in the Yamen before?" To this day, the Yamen's detectives and Xue Jiu's subordinates often discuss this with relish.
Gong Yueyue's tough style of handling cases and reviewing cases is even worse than that of men.
"That's for bad people too!" Du Ruotong reminded him of the difference between ordinary people and prisoners, dumbfounded.
"In my opinion, Xue Jiu, anyone who is harmful to our eldest young master is a bad person!" He patted his chest to express his loyalty, but Pan Zhuqing suddenly changed his face and looked at him, lost in thought...
Pan Zhuqing saw that his father's face was so gloomy, how could he sit still? He quickly washed his hands, wiped his face, and rushed to the study. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Pan Yu standing by the bookshelf with his hands behind his back, looking at him.
"Dad!" he called and strode in.
Pan Yu sighed heavily and shook his head angrily: "Zhuqing, Zhuqing, you said that you have always been calm and steady since you were a child, and you never let dad worry about you. Why did you cause such an ugly incident this time? This makes dad...
Where can I put my face?"
Pan Zhuqing responded to her father's anxiety with a calm face: "Does it mean that Dad also believes in the nonsense about those people outside who have strange powers? Do you think it was a child who killed that woman?"
"If only it were that simple!"
"Dad, what do you mean?"
Pan Yu furrowed his brows and sat slumped in the Grand Master's chair. "You said that people have strange powers and deranged gods. It's nonsense. But these lies have spread throughout the city within a few days, and even reached the ears of the emperor!"
Hearing what his father said, Pan Zhuqing was shocked and his expression changed slightly, but then he regained his composure: "So what? The emperor is the emperor, and I believe he will never be as knowledgeable as those ignorant commoners."
"Yes, everything you said is right. You always understand the truth. But why don't you even understand something as basic as officials not allowed to stay with prostitutes? Fortunately, you are still the censor Zhongcheng appointed by the emperor! How can you be so confused!"
Only then did Pan Zhuqing understand the real reason why his father was so angry tonight, and he said disapprovingly: "Dad, the child was framed."
Seeing his invulnerable and invulnerable attitude, Pan Yu became even more angry: "Someone saw that woman leaving our house early in the morning. Could it be that Ruotong kept her? Or was it dad? Your brother
In a war, who else could it be but you?"
Pan Zhuqing did not answer him directly, but asked with a wry smile: "Dad, you don't trust the child so much?"
"Why don't you understand? It doesn't matter whether dad believes in you or not. What's important is whether the emperor believes in you!" The so-called bosom friend Mo Ruofu. Pan Zhuqing's stability and intelligence were appreciated by Pan Yu, but his character was not as good as his own.
The dark side, the emotional stubbornness and extremeness, naturally could not escape Pan Yu's eyes. Even what he did to Gong Yueyue had more or less reached Pan Yu's ears. The old man decided to beat him personally today.
"I have long wanted to advise you, don't go out to seek evil, just find a girl who is honest and willing to listen to your words. If you have to commit yourself to this, if you don't say anything else, just marry her.
Don’t you think it’s dirty? That’s a prostitute!”
"So the child is now dirty in the eyes of the father?" His father's words finally stung Pan Zhuqing's nerves. In order to prevent her from losing control of her emotions and causing a dispute with her father, Pan Zhuqing had to suppress her anger and said coldly: "My child has nothing to say.
, Don't disturb dad's rest." After saying that, he turned around and left. Before he walked out of the room, Pan Yu carefully said to his back: "Zhu Qing, the emperor wants our family to be loyal to the country, and your brother is fighting on the battlefield again.
To protect our country, I will pardon your sins for the time being, but in the recent period, I will let you reflect at home so that you don’t have to run errands.
Pan Zhuqing stopped at the door and suppressed it for a long time before swallowing his anger. He turned around and said to his father expressionlessly: "Although my child doesn't understand what he is guilty of, after all, he has taken advantage of his father and brother...
…I’m so grateful.” After saying that, he turned around and disappeared from his father’s sight.
Du Ruotong spent several days in the Zhao Mansion fooling around with Gong Yueyue. Although he didn't say it explicitly, the faint worry between his eyebrows could not hide from Gong Yueyue's shrewd eyes. "You seem to be quite idle recently.
Well, you stayed here with me for three days in a row. Your husband’s family won’t think you’re wild, right?”
"Alas! My husband's family is in trouble right now. Who has time to take care of me..."
Gong Yueyue said with a smile: "Why? Isn't it just such a big deal? As time goes by, the rumors will pass sooner or later. Who can keep staring at him and talking."
Du Ruotong bit his lip and said, "Actually, things are not as simple as you know."
"Anything else to hide?"
After all, this matter was about Pan Zhuqing's private affairs. Du Ruotong still hesitated for a moment as to whether he should talk about it, but in the end he couldn't hold it back. "Well, I can't hold it in anymore, so I'll tell you. Anyway, you are also Brother Pan's friend. Say
Maybe I can still think of ways to help him..."
"Say it, I'm listening."
Gong Yueyue pushed away Xiaomei and Xing'er who were following her, took Du Ruotong on her arm and came to the secluded corridor to sit down.
"Someone reported to the emperor that Brother Pan stayed with the dancer. You should know that it is a big crime for an official to stay with a prostitute, not to mention someone with an official position like Brother Pan... Now he has been suspended from his job and spends all day doing himself
I'm locked in my room and can't go out. The house is so gloomy and gloomy that I really can't stay here..."
Gong Yueyue listened quietly to what she said, touched her belly, and sighed in her heart, "It is difficult for a hero to be a beauty." She said helplessly: "This matter, to be serious, is knowing the law and breaking the law... He can only blame himself for not being careful...
…What did your father-in-law say?”
Du Ruotong cheered and said helplessly: "The father and son are going to quarrel now when they meet. Dad asked him to go and plead guilty to the emperor, but he refused no matter what."
"Hey, he's quite stubborn!" Gong Yueyue was somewhat impressed by Pan Zhuqing, who had always been quite dignified.
"Isn't it? Moreover, he refused to admit that he had that kind of relationship with that woman, but dad just doesn't believe it."
Du Ruotong's words made Gong Yueyue fall into deep thought for a moment, and then asked her: "Do you believe it?"
"Well... a widower and a prostitute, locked in the same room... it's really hard for people to believe that nothing happened..." Du Ruotong actually hoped that Pan Zhuqing, who had always been innocent, would be wronged.
Gong Yueyue asked her: "But, you have known Pan Zhuqing for so long, do you think he would be such a stupid man?"
Du Ruotong understood that her friend must have a reason for asking this, so she immediately became energetic and hurriedly asked her: "How do you say it?"
Gong Yueyue thought for a while and told her her doubts: "I think something might be really fishy. Think about it, so many people saw that woman kissing him that day and blatantly seducing him. He knew clearly that this would happen the next day.
The matter might spread to the whole city, but he would still be so uncontrollable that he would do anything to others that night?"
Du Ruotong followed her thoughts and put forward his own thoughts to her: "But what if he is drunk? He drank so much that day that he couldn't walk steadily!"
"You have only been in contact with one man, Mr. Bad, so I can't blame you for not understanding. If you drink alcohol to the point where even a person like Pan Zhuqing loses his mind, then nothing can be done."
"Then what?" Du Ruotong blinked and asked her. (To be continued)