Du Wulang was sitting on the porch in the front yard, drowsy and yawning, but refused to go to sleep.
Lu Fengniang went to see her son in person and cried several times when she saw the bruises on her son's face.
Du Jin told her that Wulang and Xue Bai went to Qingmen for dinner yesterday, but met some scoundrels and were beaten up. They missed the curfew, so she and her eldest sister had to pick them up after dawn.
But Lu Fengniang didn't believe it. She couldn't tell what was strange and couldn't explain it. She was thinking hard when she looked up and saw Caiyun standing there pinching her fingers and her face turned red.
"You know about it, right?" Lu Fengniang immediately said with a straight face, "Tell me what happened to these little ones?"
"Madam, I..."
Caiyun was so embarrassed that she didn't dare to speak at all. It wasn't until Lu Fengniang glared at her that she had no choice but to speak hesitantly.
"When they first came back in the morning, the slave saw... saw that the aunt followed Xue Langjun into the guest room... maybe just for fun, and took off his clothes." Caiyun closed her eyes and finally said it in one breath, "
Xue Langjun was so frightened that he ran away..."
"What?"
Lu Fengniang didn't believe it at all.
Although she was only a stepmother, she knew that Du Wei was a dignified and well-behaved person and would never do such a thing.
"You must have read it wrong, it's nonsense."
Caiyun quickly prostrated and responded in fear: "Not only the slave, but also many people have seen it with their own eyes, otherwise the slave would not dare to say such a thing..."
"Shut up, shut up, shut up." Lu Fengniang quickly interrupted.
She was so frightened that she didn't know what to do, so she could only open her eyes wide and show a fierce attitude to scare the maid.
"Don't mention it again, or I'll tear your mouth apart. Also, if anyone else has seen it, please bring them over quickly."
She said she didn't believe it, but after several maids were brought and everyone said they had seen it with their own eyes, Lu Fengniang inevitably started to mutter.
Speaking of which, after Xue Bai went out today, Du Si felt a little strange. She stayed in the room and didn't even eat lunch. Usually the two sisters are the closest, but this time Du Si didn't even answer the door when Du Si knocked on the door.
I guess it's uncomfortable.
Thinking about it again, although Xue Bai is too young, he is actually a mature young man with both talent and beauty, while Du Wei is as young as a flower and stays alone in the empty boudoir...
Lu Fengniang quickly shook her head, thinking that her daughter was a widow at home and people would misunderstand her. It was inevitable that there would be such rumors, so it would be better to remarry as soon as possible.
This time I had to choose carefully.
But it seems that remarriage is not as easy as expected, and the right husband is hard to find...
Suddenly, a report came from outside, interrupting Lu Fengniang's thoughts.
"Madam, a guest has sent me a list. It is signed by Yang Zhongcheng from Yushitai. He has left."
Lu Fengniang didn't pay attention to it for the moment and ordered: "It's the New Year's gift. I'll receive it and return the gift when I get it."
After saying that, he stood up, opened a box, took out a few bunches of money, hesitated for a moment, and then put a bunch back.
"It's almost the Chinese New Year. I'll give you some reward money and keep your mouth shut."
"..."
After buying these maids, Lu Fengniang hurried to the study and chattered endlessly to Du Youlin.
"Two daughters, one is widowed and the other is divorced, what will happen in the future? Wu Lang was beaten to a terrible state, pitiful, these people, why on earth do these people always beat my son? Wuwu..."
"Hey, don't bother me."
"Lang Jun, you should take care of them. What is this family like?"
"good!"
Du Youlin threw the book in his hand and shouted loudly: "Tie up that beast who dares to fight with others outside. I will practice my own methods!"
Lu Fengniang was also from a high family. When she heard that he was going to beat her son, she finally got angry and screamed.
"Old man, are you bullying my mother-in-law?"
~~
Xue Bai was drunk and helped out of the carriage. Du Wulang was in the front yard. He quickly caught up and took Xue Bai from the Tian brothers with Quan Rui.
When I walked to the fourth courtyard and entered the hospital, I saw Du Youlin in front of the main door, giving Lu Fengniang good words.
"Don't I think about it? Even though we no longer have a salary, our Du family still has some land outside the city. As long as we save a little..."
Du Youlin saw someone coming, straightened his back, put his hands behind his back, and coughed twice.
Looking at the two young men, one had a bruised nose and a swollen face, and the other was very drunk. He couldn't help but yelled angrily: "Two useless people are wandering around outside all day long. See for yourself how decent they are!"
"Mr. Sir, calm down." Lu Fengniang's temper was still good, so she comforted Du Youlin, gave him enough face, and coaxed him back to his room.
When he turned around again, he saw Xue Bai shaking his head, trying to wake up.
"This child." Lu Fengniang sighed helplessly and asked Du Wulang to help Xue Bai into the house.
"Caiyun, go ask the kitchen to make a bowl of hangover soup. Qinglan, help him wipe the snow water from his hair. What are you looking at? Don't catch a cold in this weather."
After Xue Bai was settled and called twice more, Qinglan turned her head stupidly.
Lu Fengniang was so confused that she scolded this maid as a demon. When she looked at Xue Bai again, she suddenly understood something and quickly sent Qing Lan to the back courtyard to do some work. She then turned back to the main room and murmured with Du Youlin.
"Thinking about it this way, I made a big mistake. I arranged for such a handsome man to live in the backyard. Sir, please think of a way."
"Oh, women do things like that." Du Youlin said impatiently, "I will make arrangements."
"Great, sir, as long as you are willing to take care of the housework, everything will be fine."
Lu Fengniang had completely forgotten that she had scolded Du Youlin for being stupid. At this moment, she only felt that he was majestic and upright. What was majestic was his appearance and bearing, and what was upright was his ethics of not taking concubines. Well, he was also well-read, so of course he would have some ideas.
The dusk drums sounded and the sky became dark.
After dinner, Lu Fengniang was a little worried about Xue Bai and walked back to the east chamber.
In the darkness, she was suddenly startled when she saw two figures quietly approaching the door of Xue Bai's house without lifting a lantern.
The door of the house was pushed open, and a little moonlight came through, and you could see the fluttering skirts. It was the Du sisters who ducked in.
Looking again, Lu Fengniang also found that Qu Shui was standing at the corner to watch, and she couldn't help but feel worried.
~~
Xue Bai was sleeping soundly when he felt someone pushing him and smelled a faint scent of styrax in his nose.
When he opened his eyes, it was Du Jin leaning in front of him.
"How much did you drink? Are you drunk?"
"Three cups, I'm on guard against him. I'm not too drunk, but mainly because I'm sleepy and drunk. I feel better after drinking hangover soup."
"We were all worried to death, but you didn't sleep well."
"Don't worry, Pei Mian took action and secured Ji Wen's position." Xue Bai asked, "Do you recognize him?"
Du Jin shook his head and said, "I have never heard of this person."
"Li Heng's hidden clues are buried in key areas of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion."
Du Wei said worriedly: "If you know his identity, will he silence you?"
Xue Bai was very sleepy and without opening his eyes, he said casually: "So I tell you, if I am killed, you will report it to the Prime Minister."
"It's true that we will die together then." Du Jin snorted coldly and replied: "I will go to Grandpa Bo tomorrow and ask him to protect us."
"Well, thank you for your hard work."
Playing both sides is one of the taboos in officialdom, but now there is no other way but to survive in the gaps.
Xue Bai remembered and took out a stack of deeds.
"What's this?"
"The deed of the Ji family's servants. When the spoils were divided, all the valuables were divided. Yang Zhao took the initiative and gave me twenty servants. Today I am still detained by Luo Xishi and will be interrogated again. In two days
Please ask your uncle or aunt to go to the East City Office to sign a deed and bring the person back."
The Du sisters took the deed, but their eyes dimmed.
They all thought in unison that if Xue Bai hadn't rushed to rescue them that day, the Du family would have been divided up like this.
Maybe they will also have a physical bond, and their fate will be changed by such a casual hand...
Du Wei wiped her eyes and asked Xue Bai in a low voice: "Is it because of these people that you have to run all day regardless of your fatigue?"
"Promised."
Xue Bai explained the matter, turned over and murmured: "I'm drunk and want to sleep, please go."
Du Mei was stunned, surprised that he could be so artistic when he was reciting a poem casually when he was sleepy.
"Let's go."
Du Jin wanted to wake Xue Bai up and asked, "What did you say to the eldest sister? You don't trust me?"
Unexpectedly, she saw it.
"The man was killed in front of you, and the bargaining with Donggong was entrusted to you. How can I not believe you?" Xue Bai comforted Du Jin with just one sentence, saying: "You can take a look if you want.
.”
So, Du Wei closed the doors and windows tightly, turned her back, and took out those secret objects again...
~~
"As mentioned before, Princess Xianyi married Yang Wei, the son of Princess Changning, and lived in Princess Chang'an's Mansion in Pingkangfang. It was there that you were rescued from a coma, so Xin Twelve forged the deed and said that you were sold to Xianyi
Princess?"
"It's not me." Xue Bai said: "The person mentioned in the deed is Xue Pingzhao. You always ignore this."
"It's written in your likeness. Who could read this deed and not say it's you?"
"By the way, you haven't told me in detail who this Xue Xiu is."
"Get up and I'll talk to you in detail."
Xue Bai had no choice but to sit up again, while Du Jin lit the candlestick and poured a cup of hot water, while Du Jin spoke eloquently.
"The Xue family in Hedong is indeed prominent. The children are famous for their graceful appearance, and they often have princes and princes. For example, Xue Guan is the prince's prince, Princess Chengyang's direct daughter, Xue Shao is the prince's prince, and Xue Juan is the prince. The princess’s consort.”
"In Xue Xi's generation, his eldest brother Xue Chongyi married the head of Yijun County; his sister married Prince Li Ying as the crown princess; and he himself married Princess Tang Chang, the fourth daughter of the saint."
Hearing this, Xue Bai already understood and asked: "Xue Xiu is involved in the case of the deposed prince?"
"Well, it has something to do with Li Linfu." Du Jin sighed slightly, "It's a long story..."
It is not easy for today's saints to ascend to the throne after experiencing persecution by Wu Zhou when they were young.
But no one expected that he would later fall in love with Wu Luoheng, the daughter of the Wu family, and he would get out of control and even destroy his wife, Queen Wang, who had shared the joys and sorrows with him and "exchanged robes for cakes" for him.
As soon as Empress Wang died, he wanted to appoint Wu Luoheng as his queen. Unexpectedly, he encountered fierce opposition from the officials, so he had to create the name "Hui Fei" to comfort her.
Although Concubine Wu Hui did not win the post, she wanted to help her son Li Chan become the crown prince. However, the officials who had experienced Wu Zhou's dynasty were extremely wary of her and obstructed her in every possible way.
At that time, Li Linfu only wanted to be a junior official, but his relatives ridiculed him, "A senior official must be well-qualified to be considered a high official. How can I be a senior official?"
With no hope for his official career, Li Linfu had no choice but to attach himself to Concubine Wu Hui and vowed to work for the longevity king Li Xuan to establish the heir. From then on, he rose through the ranks and became the Minister of Rites...
"In the 24th year of Kaiyuan, Prince Li Ying's biological mother, Concubine Zhao, passed away. Concubine Wu Hui immediately accused Li Ying of being a gangster. The saint wanted to depose the prince, but was stopped by Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling, who even scolded Concubine Wu Hui. Li Linfu then secretly criticized Zhang Jiuling for interfering. Saint’s Family Matters.”
"In the 24th year of Kaiyuan, Li Linfu framed Zhang Jiuling to dismiss him as prime minister. They finally removed the biggest obstacle. In April of that year, Concubine Wu Hui summoned the prince Li Ying and his two brothers, the consort Xue Xi, to enter the palace to arrest the thief. When he entered the palace in armor and accused him of rebellion and treason, Li Linfu forbade all officials to intercede in the name of the emperor's family affairs. The saint demoted the three brothers of the prince to common people and later ordered them to die. Xue Xiu was ordered to die in Lantian Post."
"The people who led this matter were not only Concubine Wu Hui and Li Linfu, but also Concubine Wu Hui's daughter, Princess Xianyi, and her consort Yang Hui. The funny thing is that Concubine Wu Hui died of illness that year. And two or three years later, it was at Princess Xianyi's Cuju venue Above, the saint fell in love with Li Xuan’s wife. After all, Li Xun has no chance of becoming the heir apparent..."
Hearing this, Xue Bai's eyes moved and he pondered: "In other words, Li Linfu, Princess Xianyi, and Yang Wei were all related to Xue Xi's death, so Xin Twelve wrote the buyer of the official slave as Princess Xianyi? "
"I don't believe that a domestic slave can have such a scheming mind." Du Jin said.
"Um."
Xue Bai looked thoughtful and frowned.
Du Wei said: "What I'm worried about is...there are often two copies of the documents establishing the deed."
The atmosphere in the room was stagnant.
They all know that the deed may be fake, but it may also be true.
Of course, Xue Bai may not be the same Xue Pingzhao.
"If you want to check," Du Jin said slowly, "I can go to the Princess Xianyi Mansion to visit..."
"No checking."
Xue Bai said: "Xin Twelve has just found that Nu Yalang. The auspicious greetings have not been sent out yet, and I am still alive. Princess Xianyi must not know about it yet, so we can't alert the snake."
"This may be a clue to your life experience..."
"Fake."
Xue Bai doesn't care about the authenticity of his life experience at all.
When he woke up in the Tang Dynasty, the truth and falsehood no longer meant the slightest to him.
He has his own parents, and although they were gone long ago, his memories of his previous life are still there. So, life and family status are only about interests, that's all.
If one day this life experience is valuable to his future, he can admit that he is Xue Pingzhao, and the fake can be made real; but now this is just a fatal danger, all he has to do is cover it up, and the real thing must be made.
Fake.
Xue Bai seemed very indifferent and felt that he was a dirty and ruthless politician.
"I must have a safe life experience as soon as possible, before this matter is revealed, and I must have the most powerful person endorse it and let the world recognize it."
