novelones Chapter 34 Mantis Catching Cicadas
Chapter 34 Mantis Catching Cicadas
Two flowers bloom, each representing a branch.On the Emperor Wu's side, he was caught up in the sorrows of romantic affairs and his family's evil son. On the other side, Zhou Junce looked at the orderly carriages of the palace gates and indoors, but only saw his own carriages and horses. A trace of panic flashed in his eyes.
Shen Xie, who was ordered to investigate the case, asked the grooms of each family separately one by one.
"The Zhou family? When I went back to the adults, the villain really didn't pay attention. Some of our acquaintances here are playing cards together, and they are having a good time, so I didn't pay attention for a while."
"My lord, we have participated in many banquets. We know the time well. If we go out to play occasionally, as long as we come back before the banquet is over, the host will not say anything."
"..."
Shen Xie investigated and found that the groom also had his own circle, they gathered together in the small room for people to rest, played cards, gossiped and chatted, and some useful information was revealed from Jia's groom Wang Sanhua.
"My lord, isn't Miss Zhou's family soon to become the eldest mistress of my family? Many maids in the mansion asked me to inquire about some news. I saw the groom of Zhou's family staying outside alone, and I heard that the monthly salary of Zhou's family is a bit low. Opening up to invite someone to lose is my fault, even if you don’t want to play, it’s good to get together and gossip. But the person refused with a look of concern, and just drove away! Really, I don’t know what to pull?” Wang San said with a ribbon With a look of disdain: "They are all grooms, but they seem to be superior. By the way, my lord, I suspect that there is someone hiding in the car. In the car I approached earlier, this person looked obviously flustered. There was also a groaning sound, a car like the Zhou family, haha."
Zhou Junce frowned.
After Shen Xie confirmed that Zhou's groom rode away on his horse, he asked people to step back, cupped his fists and said to Zhou Junce who was silent at the side: "Master Zhou, please rest assured, we will definitely find out the truth of the investigation of this case and keep it quiet." Rest assured, it will definitely not damage the reputation of the lady."
"Thank you, Mr. Shen." Zhou Junce seemed to be energetic, and after saying a few words, he looked as if he was in a mourning examination, confused and not knowing what he was doing.
Because it involved Miss Zhou's disappearance, Zhou Junce heard these contents so clearly that it didn't matter, but it was not easy for people to listen to the trial of the maid Cailian.
Shen Xie asked his subordinates to take Cailian back to the Yamen for interrogation, and then went to look for Zhou Zhu, the groom, and sent Zhou Junce back to Zhou's house, and then ordered the housekeeper to gather all the people in the house in the yard for interrogation.
There are only 36 people in the Zhou family, including two masters, and a young master Zhou Yue who lived in temporarily.
It is reported that Zhou Yue has not returned home for more than ten days in order to take care of his future brother-in-law who fell into the water.
Shen Xie glanced sharply at everyone present, and couldn't help sighing in his heart: Zhou Junce is a rare decent person.Not only is he a clean and honest official, but he has been a breeze for many years.And from one to the end, after losing his wife for many years, he only had one daughter, but he didn't even have a concubine.
Now he has to solve this case as soon as possible.Not caring about the darkening sky at the moment, Shen Xie sent someone to question the servants one by one, and took a few female yamen servants to Zhou Wenlan's attic.
Seeing this, Steward Zhou couldn't help trembling in his heart.
Pushing open the door of Lanyue Pavilion, Shen Xie stepped into Zhou Wenlan's boudoir, glanced around, and took in all the furnishings in the room.
Apart from the bedroom partitioned by the Clivia screen, Miss Zhou's boudoir is furnished with only a set of elm desks and bookcases.The bookcase with a full wall is very eye-catching.
"Tsk..." Thinking of the dressing table in the boudoir that almost occupied one wall of her younger sister before she got married, and the bronze mirror that was half a person's height specially hired by a skilled craftsman, Shen Xie couldn't help but sigh, "Look at other people's daughters."
However, for a girl, isn't it too plain?And... Shen Xi sniffed, there was not even a faint fragrance in the air.
Not to mention his younger sister, even his wife and others will not even leave the house unless they put some incense on them!
Is it possible to be poor?
Shen Xie looked at the elm cabinet not far away, thinking silently.
The key point is to ask the female yamen servant to ask about Miss Zhou's temperament and hobbies. Shen Xie went back to the Ministry of Criminal Justice and glanced at the transcript of the inquiry. Seeing the above said that he was replaced by jealousy and colluded with the groom Zhou Zhujun to assassinate the sick Zhou Wenlan, his eyes darkened. He sighed, and poked the word sick in white and black with his fingertips, flashing a trace of suspicion.
"Bring him up, and retrial!"
Not long after, Cailian, who was still wearing a fine attire, was pressed onto the hall.
Cailian had the fearlessness of going to death bravely, and a trace of determination flashed across her face: "The sin slave has already explained everything clearly, if you want to kill, you can cut it up!"
"Oh?" A playful smile flashed across Shen Xie's face: "A woman can go to death so happily, either for revenge or for her sweetheart. By the way, is the charm of the groom so great?"
Opening the small portrait of the groom Zhou Zhu, looking at the ordinary face, Shen Xi was very puzzled, and said like a friend chatting: "According to the investigation, you were sold to a brothel by the father of a gambling ghost when you were five years old. , rescued you, and treated you as a sister for more than ten years, for a man, why do you do this?" Said while looking at Cailian quietly.
Cailian's figure is the same as Miss Zhou's, with a delicate appearance, but there is a tear mole in the corner of her eye, and there is a romantic and charming look in her eyes.According to the mother in the palace, this woman is not perfect.
"This money belongs to the master!" Cailian replied subconsciously, with a hint of resentment on her face: "If it wasn't for the master, where would she have lived in glory and wealth?"
"what?"
"Why don't I have such a father? I'm jealous, jealous!" Cailian screamed with madness in her eyes, "Don't ask, it's all my idea, mine!"
"Bold!" Shen Xie patted the gavel, scolded, locked Cailian tightly with a stern light, and asked word by word: "Everything above is true? You colluded with the groom and knocked the seriously ill woman unconscious. Miss Zhou?"
"That's right!" Cailian replied loudly.
Hearing the words, Shen Xi knew that this person would not shed tears when he saw the coffin, so he didn't say much, he just waved his hand to let people go down, and returned to Zhou's house by himself, holding the records of Zhou's servants, watching what many maids said, because the young lady was ill He asked the butler to manage the backyard, his eyes darkened a bit.
Stepped into Zhou Wenlan's yard again.
Simple and unadorned boudoir, a dreary room that is completely more boring than a big man like him, there is no smell of medicine in the air, even... Shen Xi walked to the small dressing table next to the bedroom, casually flipped through a few boxes of rouge powder, Looking at the dry powder on it, his brows were tightly knit into a river.
"My lord, the groom has news."
"Let's go!" Putting aside the doubts in his heart for a while, Shen Xie led the people away immediately.
While they were leaving Zhou's house, Steward Zhou whispered something to Zhou Junce.Zhou Junce nodded, signaling to himself to take a rest, and asked someone to leave before blowing out the lights.After waiting quietly for about a quarter of an hour, listening to the rhythmic beeping sound outside the window, she got up quietly, took out a set of patched clothes from under the cabinet, opened the window, and the familiar person turned into a servant of Ye Xiang, from the Backyard left.
If it wasn't for the fact that the groom disappeared today and things went beyond his expectations, he wouldn't have taken such a risk when the Ministry of Criminal Justice was investigating the case.
After arriving at the agreed old place smoothly all the way, Zhou Junce looked at the man who had been waiting, and said in a low voice, "Baye."
"Lord Zhou, please sit down." Situ Zhao cut to the chase and said, "I shouldn't have come to look for you tonight. But this matter is unusual, and I think it's better to let you know."
"Thank you Ba Ye." Zhou Junce said again.He and Situ Zhao could be regarded as cooperating with each other.If you stand in line with Situ Chen, this perfect prince, not to mention unchallenging, has too many talented people around him, and I don't know when he will be able to make his mark.
Therefore, among the remaining princes who are capable of aspiring to the top, after careful consideration, he finally chose the eighth prince who was the first to recruit him, who was courageous and resourceful, and whose mother's family background was also good.
The two have been working together for more than five years now, and they have a tacit understanding with each other.
"Lord Zhou, the son-in-law you have chosen with all your heart and soul is amazing." Situ Zhao's eyes flashed with lust: "If it wasn't for my mother and concubine asking me to inquire secretly, I happened to know about Jia She. I don't even know how anyone can stand up to him." Walking in the harem with Princess Cheshire. But it's really beautiful."
After Zhou Junce was stunned, he immediately came back to his senses: "You mean that the exposure of the unfilial daughter has something to do with him?"
Situ Zhao walked wholeheartedly and said, "Hehe, it's reasonable for a swinger to want to see a woman before marriage."
Zhou Junce wanted to strangle Jia She to death.
"Master Zhou, what you have to be wary of is that my father's love for the Jia family can even make him walk in the name of Princess Cheshire. You should know what it means. If someone disagrees, it is quite easy to regret the marriage." " Situ Zhao said slowly, with a hint of hatred in his voice.It's nothing more than being nice to Situ Chen, but spoiling the heirs of the Jia family like this, and showing his own son as nothing, is quite annoying.
"Moreover, what's more important right now is that I got news that the non-prince in the Eastern Palace."
Zhou Junce stared, surprised: "How is this possible?"
"Hehehe, what is impossible for that person?" Situ Zhao sneered a few times: "For the present plan..."
Seeing that the two discussed in whispers for more than half an hour, although they might be spotted by Situ Zhao's hidden guards if they approached, Xiao Jia was still quite happy when he glanced at the extra Zhao Qiansun and Li beside him.At least the presence of the emperor's hidden guards meant that their task was half-easy.
After Zhou Junce returned to the mansion, each of them turned around and exchanged opinions before flying back to report to their master.
Seeing the figure of the hidden guard, Emperor Wu smashed Jia Daishan who was about to avoid him with a memorial, "Which ear do you hear that I want you to go?"
Jia Daishan bent down to pick up the memorial on the ground, looked at the furious Emperor Wu on the imperial case, for no reason felt that the Emperor Long Yan was a little more lively than before, and there was some sincerity in his joy, anger, sorrow and joy.
He was also very curious about Zhou Junce's case, so he immediately stopped and stood aside, as if listening attentively.
In order to distinguish Zhao Qian, Sun Li, the inner eunuch in front of the imperial court, the secret guards were sorted according to the surnames of hundreds of families, but the secret guards were named.
Emperor Wu pointed to the hidden guards and said to Jia Daishan, then said: "I won't send someone to that evil son, so as not to say that I am monitoring him, not protecting him. But it is a waste for me to keep so many people, so I will distribute them generously to you." Ten, nothing more."
"This……"
"Why, you also think I'm watching?"
"No..." The corners of Jia Daishan's mouth twitched. The emperor was too sincere and emotional, which seemed not very good.He didn't want this gift at all.
"I just think I'm pretty good, so why don't I leave it to Xi'er. He often goes out to fight with others, so it's good to have more people."
"Why don't you think about yourself, you think you are young!" Emperor Wu was annoyed, he could guarantee that the "stepmother and stepfather" were lies, but when he saw Jia Daishan, he couldn't help thinking .
But no matter what, the incident of saving someone and dying must never happen again.
An Zhao looked at the two people who seemed to be immersed in bickering, silently looked at his dark clothes, and comforted him: "You really deserve to be the leader of the dark guards, you really don't have any sense of existence!"
At the same time, Situ Chen looked at Xiao Jia's report, with the corners of his mouth curled up, he patted his fat brother who was already stupid, and said kindly: "Brother, look, this is the officialdom, or the battle for the throne, understand? "
Shisan shivered, looked at the deposed prince who occupied his palace, and gritted his teeth: "Aren't you afraid that I will be the mantis, the cicada, and the oriole?"
Situ Chen didn't care: "I've never seen such a fat bird."
He is taller than a short man, so he naturally chooses the one that is beneficial to him.Although Thirteen is a little fatter, but at any rate, when he was a child, he would call his brother kindly behind his buttocks, and he didn't feel sorry for him in his previous life, and even dropped a few golden beans to him.
"I'm fighting with you!"