Enter Chang Xiangsi and help Jingzhai fight

Chapter 185 Breakthrough

I sighed, knowing that he was sad and upset. But since it was already a done deal, I couldn't think of a better way to comfort him, so I could only pat him gently through the towel and said, "Young Master, don't be too sad. This fire was strange. We will find out the truth for them, which will comfort their souls in heaven."

Tu Shanjing pulled off the towel, his eyes were watery and burning, he frowned and said, "I really don't want to believe that my elder brother could be so cruel! Although Li Cong was not a high-ranking servant in my house, he had stayed for a while, and he must have seen it. And the servant who suffered such a misfortune, he had only been in the house for two months, and he died not long after the Chinese New Year. I don't know how to face his family! My elder brother was talking and drinking with me on my birthday night, riding in the same carriage at night, and he also sent Chang off for me. I thought, I thought he..."

I sighed again, twisted the towel between my fingers, and whispered, "Desire is insatiable. At first, he thought it would be good enough to get the treasure, but later, if anyone stood in his way, he had to get rid of him. In the end, I'm afraid..."

I looked up and saw Tu Shanjing frowning and shaking his head, his eyes full of sadness, so I didn't have the heart to finish.

But I had already reminded him secretly before, so even though I didn't finish speaking, silence is more powerful than words here, and everything is implied.

In order to divert his attention, I asked, "Young Master, have you just returned from the woodshed? Is the fire completely out?"

He nodded, no longer so lost, his eyes regained some of their former spirit, and replied: "Yes, I rushed there as soon as I returned to the mansion, but I was still a step late. Fortunately, Changbao escaped today, otherwise I..." After that, he raised his hand to press his eyes and continued: "Then it rained heavily, and the fire was quickly put out. I saw them carrying Chengman, Li Cong and the servant out, they were already burnt beyond recognition. Including the morning dew, there were exactly four lives saved."

Although I am not familiar with them and Li Cong has beaten me before, I couldn't help but feel hot in my eyes when I heard their miserable end. At this moment, there was a knock on the door and Ruo Feng's voice rang out: "Young Master, the Madam wants you to come in for questioning."

Tu Shanjing heard this and said, "You go and tell them I'll be there soon after I change my clothes." Then he stood up.

Seeing this, I hurriedly found a set of light and dry clothes for him to change into, and also found an oil-paper umbrella for him. He took the umbrella, nodded, opened the door and walked into the drizzle.

I was worried and had no appetite for the meal. After dinner, I waited in his room, wondering what the lady had to say.

After waiting for him to come back, I hurriedly asked, "How is it? Did the young master confess?"

Hearing this, his bare hand holding the oil-paper umbrella paused for a moment, and he turned around and shook his head gently: "Big brother only admitted that he was temporarily confused and wanted to pay off his gambling debts, so he sent people to steal the map to find treasures. He did not admit that he ordered them to kill people, and knelt down and swore that he was wronged. I told grandma that the secret treasures of all tribes were destroyed. Grandma went into the holy land to check and saw with her own eyes that they were burned to ashes. She came out and warned us not to spread it outside. She also said that she believed that big brother was just confused for a moment, and it was not good to let the family shame be exposed. In addition, the secret treasure was destroyed and Gui Fangqian was If word of the murder gets out, we won't be able to explain it to the clans. I'll punish my eldest brother by not letting him go out for three months and not gambling again for five years. He must also make back three times the gambling debt I paid for him before. That's it. Grandma told the coroner that Li Cong knew he had committed a serious crime and committed suicide out of fear of punishment, but accidentally implicated others. The government will pay a large sum of funeral expenses to their family. Lan Mei instructed Li Cong to murder others, and the coroner also reported him to the government office. They will arrest him secretly and slowly, without making it public. Once they are caught, they will be taken for questioning."

When I heard this, I realized that this old lady was really good at smoothing things over. She pushed all the blame onto those who died and escaped, while her own beloved grandson did not suffer any physical pain and escaped in the smoke caused by the destruction of the secret treasure.

Tu Shanjing saw me deep in thought and continued, "I did question grandma's handling of the matter, but grandma cried and asked me if I wanted to send my eldest brother to the government to be sentenced for murder, and asked me not to interfere anymore. I... I also didn't believe that my eldest brother could really order them to kill and silence them, and there was indeed no physical evidence. My eldest brother also swore that Chaolu's death had absolutely nothing to do with him, I..."

I looked at him and said softly, "Young Master, since the Madam has decided to protect the Young Master, we have no choice but to investigate in secret. As time goes by, there is no need to worry that he will reveal any traces. One day, the truth will finally come out. But there is one thing. If the one who turned into Ruiyang that day was really the Young Master, have you ever thought about why he couldn't enter the Holy Land?"

Tu Shanjing trembled slightly when he heard this, and said softly: "I have thought about it... but I dare not think too deeply about it, you tell me."

I sighed. I really didn't want to be the one who told him, but I had to do it. I could only answer softly in a voice that I was afraid would break: "It's because the eldest young master and you are not born of the same mother, and his true body is not a fox, so he can't enter the holy land. The lady felt sorry for him being treated differently since he was a child, and she felt guilty, so she always indulged and protected him. Young master, you must always be on guard against the eldest young master in the future."

Tu Shanjing's whole body shook violently, and for a moment an expression of disbelief and helplessness appeared on his face. Then, just as I had feared, he felt broken.

"Father, father, he..."

Of course he wanted to believe that his father loved him and his mother, this was the common perception of all children in the world. Unfortunately, his father was not like that. He was a heartless man who left his mother and son for his beloved. He had feelings, but unfortunately he gave them to someone else. I couldn't bear to shatter his perception myself, so I just bit my lip and looked at him.

There were pools of tears in his eyes and his mouth curled up as if he was about to cry. Then he immediately turned his back, took a deep breath, and grasped the edge of the table tightly with his hands, leaving me with a trembling and thin back.

"You go back first, let me calm down and think about it."

I responded, but I didn't know how to comfort him. It would be better to say less and make fewer mistakes, and let him sort out his emotions by himself. After all, he is a smart man, and no one else can persuade him when it comes to his parents' affairs.

Thinking of this, I stood up and walked towards the door.

"Wait! You, you better stay here." His voice sounded behind him.

I turned around again and saw that he still hadn't turned around to look at me.

"Okay, then I'll go call Ruofeng to get some hot water and come back." I still gave him some time alone.

After washing up, he quietly went to the bed, wrapped in a quilt and sat with his knees hugged, like a huddled cub waiting for the female animal to return to the nest after foraging for food.

I didn't dare say much. I quietly went to my little bed next to me, made the bed, and lay down under the quilt.

After a while, he waved his hand and extinguished the candle.

I heard him lie back down on the bed.

In the darkness, his voice rang out: "Lanxiang."

"Ah."

"Don't leave."

"I'm here."

The rain fell all night long, like the endless tears of a sad person.

By the time I tossed and turned, falling asleep and waking up again, the sunlight was already shining through the open window. The clouds and rain outside had long since disappeared, and it looked like a perfectly sunny day.

Tu Shanjing woke up earlier than me and was standing quietly in front of the window, leaving me with a silhouette covered in light from afar.

I rolled out of bed and tiptoed behind him.

He turned around, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he said to me softly: "The flowers are blooming."

I looked out the window. After the spring rain, the branches were indeed green. A few red snow-covered apricots on the wall, a few green hills on the screen. The drizzle mixed with the swallows' mud, and the morning orioles were singing outside the window. *

He stood in the beautiful spring scenery, looked down at me, and said with red and swollen eyes: "Spring water turns into waves, and there is nothing we can do about it.*"

I knew what he was thinking, so I replied, "There is nothing we can do. We might as well just go with the flow. When we get to the south of the Yangtze River, we will turn the south bank green."

His eyes moved, and then he looked at me and said, "When it flows to the north, it freezes to the edge of the cold water."

I nodded: "Spring water can hardly stain anything, it is better to stain the light silk."

Jingye happened to be passing by the window at this time, carrying a copper basin of hot water. Seeing us standing in front of the window, he smiled and said from outside: "You guys are up? What are you doing here writing poetry? I am late."

Seeing that she looked cheerful, I smiled too: "Sister Jingye, you've come at the right time, neither early nor late." Then I went to open the door for her.

*Quoted from Hu Zhiyu's "Yangchun Qu·Spring Scene" and Shao Yong's "Spring Water Song".