Xie Miao and her entourage mingled among the crowd, taking in the excitement of the reunion of the Dingyuan Marquis family after a long absence and the enthusiasm of the people watching.
Fu Lu, Lan Xia, and Qiaogu were all in tears. Infected by the emotions of others, they all shouted "The Marquis of Dingyuan is mighty"! No one noticed that Xie Miao's face was dull and her eyes were covered with frost.
She looked around and saw clearly the happy and excited faces. There are men and women, old and young, beautiful and ugly... Their mood at the moment cannot be faked. They truly and sincerely believe that Marquis Dingyuan is an unparalleled hero and Dingyuan Marquis Mansion deserves the best praise in the world.
How many of them easily turned against the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion when they were slandered? As many compliments and praises as they have uttered, in the past they have uttered twice as many dirty words.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it down; when the drum is broken, thousands of people beat it.
The common people are naive and simple, and can easily be led and incited by people with aspirations. For them, cheering and shouting for others today and scolding them shamelessly tomorrow are all ways to vent their abundant emotions in their spare time. Even if they learn the truth in the future and feel regret for at least a quarter of an hour, they can quickly join the side of justice. They will occupy the moral high ground with an awe-inspiring attitude, and accuse others of their ignorance and viciousness.
Completely forgetting that they were once one of them.
The Buddha has five precepts: do not kill; do not steal; do not engage in sexual misconduct; do not drink alcohol; do not lie. (quoted from "Zengyi Agama Sutra")
Do not speak evil words, do not speak lies.
After being born as human beings and practicing for a long time, there are only a few people who can cultivate their true body.
Xie Miao withdrew her gaze and slowly landed on the Dingyuan Marquis family.
In her previous life, she had only heard about the heroic deeds of Marquis Dingyuan, but now that she had seen him, she knew what it meant to be upright, brave, and extraordinary. Years and months of fighting did not leave any violence in him, but instead precipitated a kind of unparalleled toughness. His temples are white, his eyes have a reserved but sharp light, and his tough face shows the vicissitudes of time, but more importantly, it is the calm gift of time.
Looking at the heir of Dingyuan Marquis again, he is twenty-five or six years old. He is handsome, cheerful, and full of energy. He is in his prime years for great ambitions.
Zhou Niannan, on the other hand, is handsome and suave, Madam Marquis Dingyuan is stunningly beautiful, and the whole family standing together is truly a dazzling sight to behold.
Xie Miao thought that she was really not a saint, otherwise she would have racked her brains to help everyone change their tragedy when she was reborn. But she is too lazy and just wants to take care of her own one-third of an acre of land. Only the Dingyuan Marquis family, Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was loyal but was brutally destroyed...
The loyal and righteous family should be recompense with good things.
*
Fu Lu once again received the errand of delivering a letter. It was also a letter to the Second Young Master. This time it was not sent to the letter bureau, but to Fan Yuanzheng, the head of the Ministry of War.
Fan Yuanzheng returned home from the government office. As soon as he changed out of his official uniform, he heard the butler knock on the door. The butler claimed that a letter had been delivered to the house in the afternoon, asking him to deliver it to Cui Muli, the second son of the Cui family.
When Fan Yuanzheng heard this, he was stunned at first, and then shocked.
He was Cui Muli's senior in the Imperial College. Cui Muli was born into a noble family, was extremely talented, and had outstanding talents and learning. Fan Yuanzheng's family background is relatively ordinary and he usually follows the rules. The two were not from the same period and were very different from each other. No one could have imagined that they would have contact in private, and Fan Yuanzheng had been working silently for Cui Muli for a long time.
Who discovered the relationship between him and Cui Muli?
Fan Yuanzheng was so worried that he didn't even bother with dinner. He hurriedly rode to Cui Mansion, entered through the small door, and was led by his servant to Cui Muli's study.
Behind the desk, Cui Muli was wearing a light crimson official uniform with a round collar and a gold belt around his waist. His handsome face had not faded, as if he had just returned to the house.
Fan Zhengyuan bowed his hands and said, "Young Master Cui."
"There are no outsiders now. Brother Zhengyuan, there is no need to be polite." Cui Muli raised his hand and gestured for him to take a seat. He said politely: "Sit down."
Fan Zhengyuan lifted up his robe and sat across from him, and said impatiently: "I have something to tell you."
Cui Muli has known Fan Zhengyuan for many years. When has he ever seen him look so impatient? Countless speculations flashed through his mind, but his face remained calm as he asked, "Have you had dinner?"
Fan Zhengyuan took out the handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the sweat on his cheek, "No."
"If there is any matter, let's talk about it after dinner."
Fan Zhengyuan was speechless, but seeing Cui Muli's calm look, he couldn't help but regain some composure.
The dinner prepared by Cui Mansion was very sumptuous. It included gourd duck, hydrangeas and scallops, colourful beef tenderloin, mountain delicacies, spiny dragon buds, butterfly shrimp rolls, colorful seasonal vegetables, and a seasonal mushroom tofu soup.
The taste is absolutely delicious.
After dinner, Qiao Mu served two cups of Yuqian Longjing. Fan Zhengyuan sipped the tea leisurely and sighed with satisfaction: "Muli has really good taste."
Cui Muli said with a smile: "The predecessors planted trees and the next generation enjoy the shade. We are all benefiting from the influence of our ancestors."
Fan Zhengyuan joked: "It's a skill to be born into a wealthy family." After saying that, his face straightened and he said seriously: "I'm afraid your relationship with me has been noticed by others."
"Oh?" Cui Muli remained calm, "From where do you bring up this matter?"
Fan Zhengyuan took out a letter from his pocket and said, "Today someone sent a letter to my house, asking me to deliver it to you."
Letter.
A faint light flashed in Cui Muli's eyes, he took the envelope and rubbed the rough paper with his fingertips, "Do you know who sent the letter?"
"The servant reported that it was sent by a middle-aged man. I asked someone to check his identity. He is a salesman nearby. He claimed that a young man paid him twenty copper coins to send the letter."
A familiar routine.
Cui Muli unfolded the slightly wrinkled envelope and saw a line of crooked characters as expected.
To be opened by Cui Muli personally.
Fan Zhengyuan asked: "Since I have been exposed, the things I have handled have to be re-planned, how about..."
Cui Muli said: "You don't have to worry too much, just feel at ease for now."
Fan Zhengyuan was surprised, "What do you mean by this?"
Cui Muli thought for a while, and shook his head. He said, "I'm not sure, but you don't need to worry. If there is any change, I will send you a message as soon as possible."
When Fan Zhengyuan saw Cui Muli being calm and composed, he couldn't help but murmur in his heart: Why does this kid always look so calm even when he is facing the top of the mountain? Was it because he secretly took reassurance pills... He couldn't help but underestimate himself: he is obviously three years older than him. It's really shameful to throw himself into confusion when something happens, shameful!
*
After Fan Zhengyuan left, the study was silent. Only the occasional "crackling" sound of the burning candlewick breaks the tranquility of the room.
There are still gaps in the edge window, and the west wind passes through. The candlelight flickers gently, reflecting on Cui Muli's handsome and clear face, his long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under his eyes.
He opened the envelope and took out the thin letter paper.
Eight characters in the letter: It started with Liao and ended with Zou.
What does this mean?
He thought about it over and over, pondering the possibilities, and finally guessed: Liao and Zou are clearly surnames. This was to warn him. Why did something start with the surname Liao and end with the surname Zou?
He thought about it for a long time, but could not find anyone related to the two surnames in the recent cases. However, he is not a person who makes trouble for himself. If he couln't think of it, he would put it aside for the time being.
He began to carefully examine the writing paper again. The difference from last time was that the pen, ink, and paper this time were of poor quality. It can be guessed that the person who wrote the letter did it deliberately.
It's a bit thoughtful.
Cui Muli smiled silently and noticed that the writing paper was stained with ink, as if it had been hurriedly folded and put away before it was dry.
From this point of view, the person was very panicked.
Who is it? Is it male or female? Friend or foe? How could they know that the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was being plotted against, and how could they know that Fan Zhengyuan had a close friendship with him?
With questions swirling in his mind one after another, Cui Muli was not alarmed, but instead became interested.
In order to avoid being tracked by him, they bypassed the letter bureau and delivered it directly to Fan Zhengyuan. They seem to know himself very well, and is either an opponent who cannot be underestimated, or a very close person. But throughout his life, he has always maintained a close distance from others, and even his grandfather and father do not know his private feelings.
Cui Muli has never had such a strong curiosity about any person.
Who is it? What is their purpose?
Cui Muli held his jaw with one hand and was lost in thought. He didn't know how much time had passed before Shen Yang knocked on the door, and handed over a bag of letters. He said: "Young Master, these are the records of your cousin's actions in the past five days."
This was Shen Yang's own act. Cui Muli refused to comment on his self-assertive behaviour and said calmly: "Put it down."
The bag of letters was flat and contained very little content. Cui Muli didn't have the habit of spying on people, so he threw it deep into the drawer and turned around to deal with official duties.
*
After more than half a month of investigation into the attack on Zhou Niannan at the racecourse, the clues gradually became clear.
The two tundra wolves were confirmed to have escaped from a circus troupe. The circus troupe traveled to various places all year round and visited foreign countries such as the Western Regions and Rakshasa. It was not unusual to have two tundra wolves. The damaged fence at the racecourse was accidentally damaged due to the presence of wild boars some time ago.
As for why the hungry wolf is targeting Zhou Niannan alone? Maybe it's just a coincidence.
"Coincidence?" Zhou Nianbei laughed angrily and slapped the table hard, causing the tea cup to vibrate. "You mean, it's a coincidence that some refugees caused trouble when my Mother was serving porridge some time ago?"
Zhou Niannan and Cui Muli looked at each other, but did not speak. Instead, they both looked at Marquis Dingyuan.
Marquis Dingyuan stroked his short beard and asked, "What else did you find?"
Cui Muli said slowly, "When Niannan was attacked, someone once detected the smell of Houttuynia cordata from Jifeng's snacks. However, Niannan was infected with the cold and his sense of smell was blocked, so he did not notice anything unusual."
Zhou Nianbei heard the trajectory of the matter and frowned: "You mean, someone took advantage of Niannan catching the cold and tampered with Jifeng's food?"
Cui Muli said: "I have consulted with the imperial physician and found out that there is a kind of grass called 'gu bei', which smells like Houttuynia cordata and is produced in southern Xinjiang. When used for humans, in the right dosage, it can be used as a medicinal herb, which has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying. But if this grass is used on a wolf's body, over time it will cause dependence. If the supply is cut off suddenly, the spirit may become listless at best, or violent and insane at worst."
"It's similar to Five Stone Powder." Zhou Niannan gave an example enthusiastically, "Father, Brother, you know Five Stone Powder, right? It has the effect of confusing people, but if you use too much, you will become addicted. It tastes like smoke... "
Marquis Dingyuan looked at him, Zhou Nianbei looked at him, and even Cui Muli looked at him.
Zhou Niannan was speaking vigorously, but when he noticed three cold gazes, his voice involuntarily weakened. He laughed a few times as if trying to make up for the situation. Then he curled up his index finger and rubbed his nose and said: "I... I heard Baili Sheng and Qin Tianyu before. Speaking of which, as you know, they hang out in Goulan Courtyard every day and have a little involvement in these messy things, haha, a little bit."
Zhou Nianbei looked like he looked down on and despised him. Grinding his molars, he said, "Niannan, it seems that you have learned a lot of good things in the past few years. Why don't you talk to me in detail later?"
Marquis Dingyuan ignored the quarrel between his two sons. He looked at Cui Muli again, and said firmly: "There is something wrong with the people around Niannan."
Cui Muli nodded and said: "On the day of the wolf attack, the groom who was serving Jifeng and an attendant in Niannan's courtyard died unexpectedly. The methods of death were different, but the time was similar."
Zhou Nianbei's eyebrows were dark, no longer as clear as yesterday, "Very good. The dead cannot testify."
"All the relevant suspicious witnesses are dead, and all that remains are speculations." Cui Muli said: "And just speculations may not be convincing."
To put it bluntly, it is okay to say that the wolf attack was a coincidence, or to suspect someone of scheming. However, the key to handling a case is evidence, and you cannot convince the public just by relying on verbal reasoning.
Marquis Dingyuan certainly knew this. He pondered for a moment and then asked: "Nianbei and I have been stationed in northern Xinjiang all year round and don't know much about the affairs of the capital. In your opinion, who is most likely to be behind the scenes?"
Zhou Niannan said: "On that day, Zhang Xianzong's legitimate son, Zhang Mingchang, was also at the racecourse." He also harassed Cui Muli's sister, Cui Xijun.
Of course, the second half of the sentence could not be uttered. Zhou Niannan said: "Five years ago, he frequently visited the underground colosseum. There were many rare and ferocious beasts in it. Not to mention the tundra wolf, there were even two northern white tigers. Later, due to some fatalities, the colosseum was forced to close, and the whereabouts of those ferocious beasts are unknown since then."
Everything seemed to go smoothly. Zhang Xianzong and the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion were political enemies. Zhang Mingchang had an old grudge with Zhou Niannan. He secretly bribed people around Zhou Niannan and created an "accident" for him...
Zhou Nianbei was no longer as angry as he was at the beginning. He calmed down, thought for a while and said: "If it was really Zhang Mingchang who ran to the racecourse in such a big way, wouldn't he be asking for it? Although he is a fool, he is not that stupid."
"Brother Nianbei is right." Cui Muli said, "That's why Niannan and I suspect that there may be a third party disrupting the situation."
This person launched a surprise attack on Niannan, but led the clues to Zhang Mingchang. His intention was obviously to get them to make trouble with Zhang Xianzong, so as to gain the advantage of being a fisherman.
Marquis Dingyuan inspected the three young men back and forth and sighed, "I am old. These confusing conspiracies and tricks are really dizzying."
Anyone could hear the weariness in his words.
Since the age of eleven, Marquis Dingyuan has followed the old Marquis into battle to kill the enemy. Thirty years have passed and the Marquis Dingyuan's mansion has become more glorious in his hands, but countless conspiracies and schemes have followed.
He didn't want to fight with others, but they refused to let him go.
Cui Muli and the other two called out in unison: "Father/Lord Marquis."
Zhou Nianbei clasped his fists, "Father, this child will support the burden of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion!"
Cui Muli said with a smile: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis. The Emperor will definitely be able to recognise the loyal and good, get rid of the sycophants, and bring clarity to the court."
Zhou Niannan remembered the words of a certain person, and murmured: "This child can also do it. I will also clear up the schemes and plots for the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion and protect the peace of the Zhou family."
A smile appeared on the corner of Marquis Dingyuan's lips, and he looked at the three of them with relief, "The next generation is to be feared."
The joyful atmosphere only lasted for a moment. Zhou Nianbei lowered his face and asked unhappily: "Could it be that this matter can only be exposed in one go? The grievances Niannan and my Mother have suffered will be in vain?"
After resting for a short while, Zhou Niannan's wound still hurt slightly.
He seemed nonchalant, lazily raising his eyelids and looking carefully. His starry eyes were floating and condensed, "No matter who that person is, I will pull him out from behind and return all the injuries to him. However, right now, we might as well take advantage of this... Ever since Zhang Xianzong ascended to the position of Prime Minister, Imperial Concubine Zhang and Li Hongye have become more and more arrogant. It's time to destroy their prestige, right, Cui Er?"
Cui Muli smiled and said, "That's exactly what I intend."