After coming out of the library, Li Qi went back to the mountain, but when he was walking halfway, he suddenly saw a beautiful figure standing in front of the courtyard door. It was Mrs. Qin, who was looking around.
"Li Qi, you are back."
Li Qicai walked to the door when Mrs. Qin came over and pointed out: "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, Madam."
Mrs. Qin's face turned slightly red and she asked, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to see sister Qingzhao."
Although Mrs. Qin had vaguely guessed that Li Qi was going to see Li Qingzhao, she thought that based on Li Qi's personality, he would definitely lie to her again. However, she never thought that this time Li Qi would be so honest, and she was stunned.
He got off and then said: "You--you agreed to take me to see you together."
Li Qi nodded and said, "I did, but I didn't say when I would take you to see Sister Qingzhao."
Mrs. Qin was too lazy to play word games with him and asked with concern: "How is Sister Li now?"
Li Qidao: "So far - so good."
"Then why don't you rescue Sister Li?"
"Please! This is the crime of parricide, and it is known throughout the city. Can I just let him go?" Li Qi rolled his eyes.
Mrs. Qin was shocked and said: "Did sister Qingzhao really kill her husband?"
"This ---." Li Qi shook his head and said: "Nothing is known yet, but the current evidence is extremely unfavorable to Sister Qingzhao."
"What?"
Mrs. Qin's body swayed, and Li Qi subconsciously stepped forward to support her and asked with concern: "Madam, are you okay?"
"ah?"
Suddenly, there was an exclamation from the stairs.
Li Qi looked up and saw Master Li standing on the stone steps, looking at the two of them in surprise.
Li Qi and Mrs. Qin separated like lightning.
Oops! I'm going to be misunderstood again. Li Qidao: "Miss Shishi, it's not what you think."
Mrs. Qin's face was red, but this time she did not blame Li Qi because she understood that Li Qi also had good intentions.
Master Li smiled and said: "What am I thinking? What am I thinking?"
I almost forgot that this woman was not easy to deal with. Li Qi shrugged and remained silent.
Mrs. Qin kept Li Qingzhao in mind and said hurriedly: "Li Qi, Sister Li, she---she---."
Master Li's face tightened when he heard this, and he walked over quickly and said, "Sister, what's wrong with her?"
Li Qi raised his hand and said: "Madam, Miss Shishi, you don't need to be nervous. No matter what, I won't let sister Qingzhao get into trouble. Leave this matter to me. All you have to do is trust me."
.”
Mrs. Qin nodded vigorously a few times, and she had no choice but to believe Li Qi, and then said: "Then can I see Sister Li."
Li Qi nodded and said, "I will arrange this, but remember, this must be done secretly. If the news leaks out, it will be detrimental to Magistrate Ouyang."
Master Li hurriedly said: "I want to go too."
Li Qidao: "Okay. Just get ready and I'll arrange for someone to take you to see Sister Qingzhao."
He also felt that Li Qingzhao needed the support of his relatives and friends at this moment, and needed someone to talk to, so he agreed to let Mrs. Qin and Master Li go to see Li Qingzhao. In addition, even Li Qi did not want to have two women by his side while investigating the case.
Go up and chirp.
That night, Li Qi quietly asked Ma Qiao to escort Mrs. Qin while Master Li went to Li Qingzhao's place.
...
The next day.
In the south of the city, a carriage was walking slowly on the street.
"Bu Shuai. In front is Mr. Zhao's home."
"Slow down."
"yes."
Li Qi, who was sitting in the car, gently opened a corner of the curtain and looked sideways. On the left was a small courtyard surrounded by wooden fences. This type of small courtyard was very common in the Song Dynasty, although for ordinary people,
This small courtyard is very nice, but for Zhao Mingcheng, it is really shabby. Usually the people who live in this kind of courtyard are either small businessmen or some of the lowest officials.
The yard is really not big, with one room on the east, west, and north, and the main room on the north, with one living room and one bedroom. From the outside, the total is probably only twenty or thirty square meters, which is pitifully small. There is also one bedroom on the east side, which is only ten square meters.
There is a small room to the west, which looks like the kitchen. There is also a small open space in the middle of the three rooms, which is surrounded by wooden fences. The longest diameter is probably only three or four meters.
Li Qi frowned and thought, Zhao Mingcheng should have lived in the master bedroom in the north, and Liu Qin lived in the bedroom in the east. If sister Qingzhao had not entered Liu Qin's bedroom at that time, the yard would have been like this.
It's so big that it's clear at a glance, and there's only one door for entry and exit. If someone goes in, it's impossible to escape her eyes, and Zhang Hao just chatted with her for a few words in front of the door, and it's even more impossible for someone to be able to know what's going on.
Sneaking into the kitchen while sleeping.
"Bu Shuai, that's Granny Zhang."
When Li Qi heard this, he hurriedly moved to the right and opened the curtains. He saw that opposite Zhao Mingcheng's house there was also a small yard surrounded by wooden fences, but there was only one room in the small yard. At this time, a man with silver hair
An old woman stood in the courtyard feeding chickens. Li Qi looked at the old woman carefully and saw that the old woman had a kind face and kind eyes. As Nan Bo Tu said, she looked like a good person. Of course he would not be
I was confused by this appearance, but after looking at it for a long time, I didn't notice anything.
Since Li Qi did not want to attract attention, he did not order the carriage to stop, but pretended to be passing by and left slowly.
Li Qi asked: "Is there a back door behind Zhao's house?"
"No. There is only a small alley in the back, which is so narrow that even a carriage can't get in."
"Go over and have a look."
"yes."
After a while, the carriage came behind. Li Qi turned around and saw that it was a narrow alley, and there should be a small house behind the Zhao family courtyard. He asked: "Who lives in this house?"
"
"Oh, there is a businessman named Jia who lives in this house. It's just that this guy named Jia has been out doing business all year round. No, he just went out to do business again just after the Chinese New Year, but this time he went with his whole family.
Yes, it was said that he was going to Fuzhou, but before he left, it was said that he asked a distant relative to help him look after the house."
By the way, there seems to be a confession from Jia, but she has been in the house and never came out. Strange? Zhao Mingcheng died years ago. Why is there no confession from Jia? Only the confession from her wife? Li Qi asked
: "Then when Zhao Mingcheng died, was he at home?"
"No. He came back only on the seventh day after Mr. Zhao's death."
"That's it." Li Qi nodded, and thought, someone had just died here, and this distant relative named Jia dared to live here, wouldn't he be afraid? He asked again: "Who is this relative named Jia?"
"
"I have never seen this villain, but according to neighbors, he is a very handsome scholar. However, this scholar rarely goes out. He probably studies at home."
"Is he the only one?"
"Well, he's the only one."
"Let me investigate this person carefully. And that person named Jia."
"Yes. Bu Shuai, where are you going now?"
"Let's go to Lei's Pharmacy again."
Since there are no clues to clear Li Qingzhao's charges, Li Qi doesn't know how to start, so he can only wander around and come to the Lei Family Pharmacy in Xicheng. As Nan Botu said, the store is very big and the business is very good.
Well, at this time Lei Laoshi and a few apprentices were busy working in the store.
Based on many years of business experience, Li Qi understood that no matter how good you are at doing business, quality of your products is the key. If Lei Laozhi was not as loyal and honest as he is rumored to be, business would never be so good.
We walked around for a while. Everyone was busy with their own things and everything was fine. It was calm.
Because it was inconvenient for Li Qi to show up, many things could not be investigated in person. So he could only rely on Nan Bo to slaughter them.
Soon, two days passed.
Nan Botu came to Zuixian Villa again. Since there were many people here, it served as a good cover, so Li Qi arranged the meeting place in the library. For this reason, he also sent away the gatekeeper.
He will be replaced by someone else.
As soon as Li Qi saw him, he hurriedly asked: "How is it? Have you heard about the woodcutter?"
The woodcutter was also one of the key figures. It was because of him that Li Qingzhao found the mango flower. However, because Li Qingzhao did not know the name of the man and did not see his face clearly, and Li Qingzhao had never mentioned it before Li Qi came.
Ouyang Che naturally didn't know about the existence of such a person, let alone investigate, so the first thing Li Qi ordered Nan Bo Tu to do was to find this person as soon as possible.
Nan Bo Tu shook his head and said: "Reporting to your lord, I am incompetent and have not been able to find this woodcutter yet."
Li Qi knew that this was just like finding a needle in a haystack, so he did not blame Nan Bo Tu. He nodded and said, "Then did you try to alert the enemy?"
Nan Bo Tu hurriedly said: "My lord, please rest assured. I asked someone to pretend to be a woodcutter and go to the forest where Madam Li mentioned to cut firewood. If you meet the woodcutter, just go over and have a chat, and make a few remarks by the way.
We met the two woodcutters who had met Mrs. Li at the beginning, but we did not find out about the woodcutter who showed Mrs. Li the way. Moreover, we met a total of more than ten woodcutters and hunters in the past two days, none of them.
I know there are yamabana flowers nearby.”
"Yeah?"
Li Qi frowned and said, "Then have you found the col?"
"Based on the route provided by the adults, the little people discovered that there is indeed a mountain col there, but the place is very hidden. There is only one path to go there. If the adults hadn't told the little people in advance, it would be difficult for the little people to find it."
Is Sister Qingzhao really so lucky that she happened to meet a woodcutter who knew that mountain col? This must be too lucky. If this is the case, then it can only be said that God will also accept Zhao Mingcheng. Li Qi thought for a while,
I thought to myself, it seems I have to go there myself.
...
The sun sets in the west.
Liu Yunxi walked over from the room. With her personality, she had left long ago and would not live with Li Qi and the others. However, she never asked to leave. This shows that she also likes this place very much, and she likes this place the most.
At Zuixian Villa under the setting sun, she would come out to look at the scenery at this time. She could still be with Mrs. Qin, Master Li and the others before, but now the two women have gone to Li Qingzhao and stayed with them for a month or two.
, Liu Yunxi still felt a little uncomfortable after the sudden separation.
Because Li Shishi is so perceptive and good at talking, under her influence, Liu Yunxi has slowly become more gregarious and no longer keeps to herself.
This shows that she is not withdrawn by nature.
"Shi Niang, Shi Niang."
Liu Yunxi suddenly heard someone calling her from below. She looked down and saw Li Qi waving towards her. He walked down and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Of course it's dinner."
Li Qi pointed to the table by the fence and said, "How lucky are you, I made this myself. Please, please."
Liu Yunxi didn't have much to say, because these days, they all ate together, but today they were a little earlier. He and Li Qi walked over and sat across from each other. They saw a braised crucian carp and a bunch of spring bamboo shoots on the table.
A dish of duck tongue is not much, and it can only be eaten by two people. Li Qi does not like waste. Of course, if someone invites him to a banquet, that is another matter. After all, waste can also be said to be a part of Chinese cuisine.
A not so good tradition.
Li Qi stretched out his hand and said, "Try it quickly."
Liu Yunxi picked up the chopsticks, but put them down again. He looked at Li Qi thoughtfully and said, "Do you have anything else to ask me for?"
Li Qi rolled his eyes and said, "Of course not."
"Yeah?"
"Absolutely."
Although Liu Yunxi is simple and not familiar with the world, she has been fooled by Li Qi several times and learned some lessons. Li Qi's expression and tone all seemed to her before. She couldn't believe Li Qi's lies and hesitated for a moment.
He said: "Let me state this in advance. Don't wait for me to take a bite and then say that I owe you a favor. No matter what you ask me to do, I will never agree."
Sweat! When did this weirdo become so shrewd? Li Qi was stunned when he heard this, but he didn’t know that this was all trained by others. He thought to himself, this woman always does what she says. If this is the case, then my meal
Isn’t it all in vain? This can’t be done, it’s such a loss. He smiled and said: “Then—then inviting you to go on a spring outing shouldn’t be considered a request for something, right?”
"Spring outing?" Liu Yunxi shook his head and said, "Not interested."
"Don't you like to go to the mountains the most? Besides, the mountains in Jiangnan are much more beautiful than those in Bianliang."
"You are right, but I am not interested in going with you."
How embarrassing!
Fortunately, there was no one around. Li Qi forced out a smile and said, "Shi Niang, you really know how to joke."
"I'm not very good at joking."
This woman is really hateful. Why do I always beg her, but she never comes to beg me? God, this is so unfair. Li Qi wiped the sweat on his forehead and said, "Yes.
So, I have a little thing, and I would like to ask you to help me."
Liu Yunxi said calmly: "Fortunately I didn't eat it."
"Don't think I'm so snobbish. Even if you eat it, I won't force you to agree. Besides, I just want you to accompany me for a walk in the mountains."
"Not going."
Li Qi clicked his tongue and said: "It's such a small thing, there's no need for you to refuse so quickly, right?"
Liu Yunxi didn't answer but asked: "Since it's a trivial matter, why do you want me to go with you?"
"Uh..., it's like this. In fact, this is about the case of Sister Qingzhao. You should also know that Zhao Mingcheng died from eating too much sage flowers, so I plan to go to the mountains to have a look, but I don't know
I don’t know much about it, but one thing is for sure, I am definitely not doing this for myself.”
Liu Yunxi did not hesitate at all, nodded and said: "Okay. I will go with you."
Li Qi opened his eyes wide and said, "Do you agree?"
"yes."
"Why?"
"Because Mrs. Zhao is a good person, if I can help her, I am willing to contribute a little bit," Liu Yunxi said bluntly.
Although she had no contact with Li Qingzhao, she had read Li Qingzhao's articles during the Kaifeng Defense War, and she was deeply touched. It was the first time she understood what patriotism was, and she also knew that Li Qingzhao had a chance to leave.
, but did not, but stayed in Kaifeng to share the hardships with the people. She had a very good impression of Li Qingzhao, so when Li Qi suggested that it was because of Li Qingzhao, she agreed without thinking.
Logically speaking, Li Qi should be very happy when Liu Yunxi agreed, but he couldn't be happy at all. He said: "I said Shiniang, aren't you? I invite you, and you just take a bite without even thinking about it."
You refused, but as soon as I mentioned Sister Qingzhao, you immediately agreed, and you said that Sister Qingzhao is a good person, aren't you saying that I am not a good person?"