On the afternoon of this day, Ren Yaoqi had just returned from the princess's Jiuyang Palace, but found that Xiao Jingxi, who had gone out in the morning, was in the house.

"Didn't you say you would come back in the evening?" Ren Yaochi was surprised.

Xiao Jingxi smiled slightly, got up and said, "Is there something wrong in the afternoon?" ”

Ren Yaochi thought for a while: "I'm going to go to the Lanfan Hall to copy the Buddhist scriptures later." ”

Xiao Jingxi stepped forward and gently pinched Ren Yaoqi's nose: "I'll ask people to go to the concubine and say that you won't go today, you go and change into lighter clothes that can go out." ”

Ren Yaoqi slapped Xiao Jingxi's hand away and said suspiciously: "Want to go out?" ”

Xiao Jingxi blinked: "Take you somewhere." ”

Ren Yaochi was very curious: "What place?" Since they got married, the two rarely go out together, and looking at Xiao Jingxi like this, it doesn't look like there is anything important.

Xiao Jingxi gently pushed Ren Yaoqi's shoulders and pushed her to the inner room, while saying with a smile: "Go change your clothes first, and then talk about it later." ”

Ren Yaoqi was helpless, so she had to call the maid in and wait for her to freshen up and change her clothes.

Xiao Jingxi sat on the side and waited for Ren Yaoqi to finish her makeup before she stepped forward, bent over to look at Ren Yaoqi from the mirror, and frowned after looking at it for a long time.

Ren Yaochi was a little inexplicable: "What's wrong?" ”

Xiao Jingxi turned her head to look at herself, and then said, "It seems that something is wrong." ”

Ren Yaochi laughed, squinted at him and joked, "What's wrong?" Could it be that you just saw that I had a painted skin today? Xiao Gongzi, you should read less messy books in the future. ”

Ren Yaoqi's words started from the fact that she accidentally flipped through Xiao Jingxi's bookshelf to the popular words and novels among the ladies in the boudoir.

Xiao Jingxi coughed lightly when he heard this, and the roots of his ears were slightly red, which surprised Ren Yaoqi.

In fact, since the two got married. Someone's skin is getting thicker and thicker, and Ren Yaoqi hasn't seen Xiao Jingxi's red ears for a long time.

Ren Yaoqi didn't know what to do. Xiao Jingxi worked hard in order to pursue beauties. is as reserved and arrogant as Xiao Ergongzi, so naturally he can't let go of his body to ask others how to pursue the girl he likes. However, Xiao Ergongzi believes in a sentence, as long as he wants to learn any knowledge, there is nothing he can't learn.

So for a period of time, Xiao Ergongzi read in the study at night in the dead of night, and no one knew that the noble and cold Xiao Ergongzi was secretly reading a novel in the study at that time.

Everyone has secrets, and Xiao Ergongzi is no exception, he didn't expect that these books would be seen by Ren Yaochi in the future, and they would be taken out by Ren Yaochi from time to time to make fun of them in the next few decades.

If he had known the Dao......

Xiao Jingxi casually avoided Ren Yaoqi's playful gaze, took out a piece of snail Dai from her dressing box, dipped it in water, and said seriously: "The eyebrows on the right are lightened." I'll draw it for you. As he spoke, he lifted Ren Yaoqi's chin with his hand and drew her eyebrows intently.

Ren Yaochi looked at Xiao Jingxi with a smile for a while, and forced a smile to let him go.

Xiao Ergongzi was still frowning and dissatisfied: "Don't laugh, don't blame me if you paint for a while." ”

Ren Yaochi couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then Xiao Jingxi's hand shook, and his eyebrows really spent.

After the two of them packed up, Xiao Jingxi finally regained his usual nobility and coldness in front of outsiders, and only the smile on Ren Yaoqi's face couldn't be suppressed.

After getting into the carriage, Xiao Ergongzi finally couldn't bear it anymore: "Madam." If you smile at me again, do you want to spend the lipstick? ”

Ren Yaochi was stunned for a moment before he realized what he meant, and couldn't help glaring at him fiercely, turning his head away and ignoring him.

Originally, Ren Yaochi thought that Xiao Jingxi was just taking her somewhere in Yunyang City. But he didn't expect the carriage to go out of the city gate and onto the official road. Ren Yaoqi was a little surprised to find that the carriage was actually heading in the direction of Baihe Town.

"Where are we going?" Ren Yaoqi lowered the curtain and asked.

Xiao Jingxi gave Ren Yao a cup of tea and smiled slightly: "You guess? ”

Ren Yaoqi: "......"

After entering the town of White Crane, the buildings along the way became more and more familiar. Ren Yaoqi calmed down. When the carriage stopped in front of the gate she was familiar with, Ren Yaochi was just silently helped out of the carriage by Xiao Jingxi. Looking up at the dusty door plaque, he was speechless.

Xiao Jingxi took Ren Yaoqi's hand and led her up the steps. When I entered, no one greeted me, and the porter was empty, and there was no one.

Ren Yaoqi stood in front of the shadow wall in the front yard, looking at the empty house, and suddenly felt like a world away.

"This mansion is already in the hands of the Han family, right?" Ren Yaochi turned his head to look at Xiao Jingxi.

Although she doesn't go out of the door, she still knows the affairs of the Ren family clearly.

Xiao Jingxi nodded, pulled him into the weeping flower gate, and walked along the verandah to the inner courtyard.

Ren Yaoqi had walked this road countless times, but it was the first time she walked here side by side with Xiao Jingxi, and the empty silence around her made her feel very strange. I don't know if Lu Dao has a relationship with this person around her, this house that she usually dislikes very much doesn't look so depressing today, she adjusted her mood a little and followed Xiao Jingxi forward, and even had the leisure to discuss the feng shui pattern in this big mansion with Xiao Jingxi.

Xiao Jingxi smiled: "The feng shui pattern here is surprising. ”

Ren Yaochi sighed: "The book says that fate and feng shui complement each other, but it's a pity that no matter how good the feng shui is, ordinary people like the Zhai family and the Ren family can't hold it down after all." ”

The two owners of this house did not have a good ending in the end.

Xiao Jingxi didn't know what Lu Dao had in mind, and couldn't help but think thoughtfully.

"What are you bringing me here for?" Ren Yaoqi asked with a sigh.

Xiao Jingxi glanced down at her, and was about to speak when she was interrupted by Ren Yaoqi: "I don't guess!" ”

Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but chuckle, squeezed her hand and said, "Han Yunqian said that he wanted to give Yanbei Wangfu a thin gift, and I will take you to take a look." ”

Ren Yaoqi was stunned when she heard this, and she couldn't help but guess what the thin gift in Han Yunqian's mouth was, and she had some guesses in her heart.

Xiao Jingxi looks familiar. There was no need for Ren Yaochi to lead the way, Ren Yaochi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and glance at him: "You have already been here before?" ”

Xiao Jingxi blinked innocently: "No." I want to come with you. But Han Yunqian drew a picture for me before. ”

Ren Yaoqi stopped talking.

Xiao Jingxi took Ren Yaochi to the garden, and Ren Yaoqi couldn't help frowning as he looked at the newly dug deep holes around the garden. Although these holes are not big, they are dug very deep, not to mention there are seven or eight feet, and the garden flowers are destroyed by these messy holes to lose their former beauty, and if they come here at night, they may accidentally fall down.

However, because of these holes, it is easy to find if there is a secret chamber underground.

Xiao Jingxi led Ren Yaoqi to avoid the few dark holes and came to the pond.

There is a lotus pond in the middle of the garden of the Ren family, and Yanbei in May is still a little cool, and the lotus flowers in the lotus pond have not bloomed. Even the lotus leaves are a little listless. Xiao Jingxi led Ren Yaoqi around the rockery on the edge of the lotus pond, and then gestured behind him.

Xiao Hua, who was dressed in gray, came out of nowhere, and after saluting Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi, he turned around and went into the rockery.

Ren Yaochi raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Here?" ”

Xiao Jingxi smiled back at Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yao can't help but be very different, this garden is not a secret place, the daughters and children of the Ren family like to come to the yard without trouble, and the maids and women sometimes come in, especially because there is a lotus pond in the rockery, it is a good place to enjoy the shade in summer. Ren Yaoqi didn't expect that the Han family's secret passage would be here.

Xiao Hua stayed in the rockery for about a quarter of an hour, if it weren't for Ren Yaoqi's faint knocking sound coming from the rockery, he would have thought that Xiao Hua had gone out of the other exit.

Fortunately, both Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaochi are extremely patient. There was no impatience, Xiao Jingxi was thinking about asking Ren Yaoqi if he wanted to walk around, but there was a sudden clicking sound in the rockery, and then after a slight vibration, I don't know what was opened.

Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but glance at each other.

Xiao Hua quickly got out of the rockery. He bowed his head and reported: "Master, there is indeed a secret passage inside, and it has been opened according to the method you said." To be on the safe side. The subordinates will go down to investigate first, and you and the young lady will go down again. ”

Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment. Still nodded. If it were him, he wouldn't be afraid of any traps. However, if you go in with Ren Yaoqi, it is better to be careful.

Without saying a word, Xiao Hua went into the rockery again, and this time he came out of it after another quarter of an hour.

"Master, there is no mechanism."

Xiao Jingxi nodded, and led Ren Yaochi into the rockery.

This rockery is naturally no stranger to Yao, when she was young, she and a few sisters often came to play, the center of the rockery is hollow, the place is not small, because there is a light opening at the top of the rockery, so it is quite bright inside during the day.

However, when Ren Yaoqi went in, he found that even this rockery had been dug a hole about six or seven zhang deep, and he couldn't help laughing.

"The secret passage hasn't been discovered?"

Xiao Jingxi glanced at Ren Yaoqi, and then gently held her face with her hand to make her turn her head, Ren Yaoqi saw that behind her, the stone wall near the pond of the rockery was actually opened, and Xiao Jingxi pulled her over to take a look, under the stone wall was a staircase that only allowed one person to pass, and it was inclined to the bottom of the lotus pond.

Ren Yaochi was surprised: "How can this be? This lotus pond is very deep, and the bottom is full of soft silt. ”

Xiao Jingxi smiled, blinked, and said, "Go down and take a look." ”

Xiao Jingxi walked down the secret passage, Ren Yaoqi hurriedly followed, because the secret passage only allowed one person to pass, Xiao Jingxi put his right hand behind his back and carefully led her, while reminding her to be careful not to bump her head, because he was prepared that his left hand was still holding a fire fold that could illuminate.

This secret passage is very narrow, and Xiao Jingxi bends slightly to pass through.

Ren Yaochi found that the secret passage was not only narrow but also very long, the air around him was very humid and cold, and there was a smell of rotten mud that penetrated into the tip of his nose.

Xiao Jingxi reminded Ren Yaoqi to be careful, and said with a smile: "Do you know why it took nearly a quarter of an hour for Xiao Hua to open this secret passage just now?" The elegant voice sounded in the narrow and long confined space, and it seemed to echo.

Ren Yaochi thought for a while: "This secret passage is not easy to open?" ”

Xiao Jingxi said: "Hmm." I actually used a trick. If someone tries to dig this passage with violence, the stone steps of this secret passage will collapse. Block the entrance to the secret room inside. ”

Ren Yaochi couldn't help frowning: "It stands to reason that the Zhai family is just an ordinary rich family, why would they spend so much effort to build such a secret room?" Is there really any rare treasure hidden? ”

Xiao Jingxi smiled: "Are there any rare treasures?" Go down and take a look. ”

Because they had to take care of Ren Yaoqi, the two of them didn't go down fast, but they finally stepped on the flat ground, and Ren Yaochi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This is already the bottom of the pond, and the underground air is not circulating all year round, which makes her a little uncomfortable.

Xiao Jingxi glanced back at her and frowned: "Uncomfortable? Why don't you go up? It's me who doesn't think about it. ”

Ren Yaochi grabbed Xiao Jingxi and said with a smile: "It's already down, I'm not willing to go in to see the rare treasures." I'm fine. It's good to get used to it. ”

Xiao Jingxi saw that Ren Yaoqi really didn't have any major incidents, so he was relieved.

There was a stone door in front of them that had been opened, and only one person was allowed to pass through.

Xiao Jingxi lit a grease lamp hanging on the stone wall with a fire fold, and then led Ren Yaochi into the secret room with the lamp.

At this point, Ren Yaoqi's heart was really curious and looking forward to it.

She has known this secret room for a long time, and the Ren family has wanted to find the entrance to the secret passage since her great-grandfather, and part of the reason why the Zhai family caused the murder was because of this guilt. It's a pity that the Ren family didn't succeed until they moved out of this house, and they didn't expect her to see this day with her own eyes.

After walking in, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but be a little disappointed, this was just a very ordinary stone house. Although it was not as narrow as the passage outside, it was only the size of her mother's bedroom, and there were more than a dozen large wooden boxes stacked on both sides of the stone house, and the red paint on the boxes was peeling off badly. It looks like it's been a few years.

There is an offering table in the direction of the door, and there is a fruit bowl with incense on the table, and the incense ash is all over the incense table. The fruit bowl was dark and I didn't know what it was, Ren Yaoqi pulled Xiao Jingxi closer to take a look. After discovering the jade statue enshrined behind the table, I couldn't help but be stunned,

"This is ......," Ren Yaoqi tilted his head and carefully looked at the jade statue that was only a foot high.

"It's the Nine Heavens Xuannu." Xiao Jing West Road.

Ren Yaoqi frowned: "Nine Heavens Xuannu? Very few people worship this ...... at home"

Xiao Jingxi groaned and continued: "Except for the generals. ”

Ren Yaochi raised his eyebrows and looked at Xiao Jingxi.

Xiao Jingxi said with a smile: "Legend has it that the Nine Heavens Xuannu is the military advisor of the Yellow Emperor. The goddess of war in ancient times was well versed in military strategy, so some generals would worship this at home. ”

Ren Yaochi nodded, and said suspiciously: "The ancestor of the Zhai family is a military general?" ”

Xiao Jingxi pulled Ren Yaoqi to approach the statue and looked down at the wooden box under the statue. The box was placed on the offering table, which seemed to be made of sandalwood, smaller than the dozen or so alleys piled up next to it, and there was a lock on it.

Ren Yaochi looked around, trying to find out if there was a key to open the box, but he found nothing.

Xiao Jingxi grabbed her and said with a smile: "What are you looking for?" This is not an ordinary lock, but a shrunken machine, and the key cannot be opened. ”

Ren Yaoqi took the oil lamp in Xiao Jingxi's hand and looked at it, and found that it was a very ordinary-looking double tiger head brass lock, because the air here was humid, and there was already a blue-green patina on it, if you looked closely, you would find that there were five gears that were bitten together, and each gear was engraved with dense and small characters.

Ren Yaoqi had seen this kind of machine lock in a book, and the lock could be opened by turning five gears to align the correct word in the right position.

Ren Yaochi looked at it with interest for a while, and then asked Xiao Jingxi, "Since Han Yunqian has the mechanism to tell you the secret passage, then he should also tell you the secret words of this lock, right?" ”

Who knew that Xiao Jingxi shook his head: "No." ”

Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but be a little disappointed when he heard this: "So you can't see it as a rare treasure?" ”

Xiao Jingxi thought for a while, frowned, and said, "You really want to see it?" ”

Ren Yaochi deliberately embarrassed Xiao Jingxi and said: "Yes, it's a pity that you can't open it, so forget it." ”

Xiao Jingxi just raised his eyebrows and smiled when he heard this, and he didn't defend himself, he just pulled Ren Yaochi and walked away. He said softly: "Let's see what's in the other boxes first." ”

Except for the one box on the confession, the other dozen or so large boxes in this room were not locked. Xiao Jingxi opened one casually and found that it was a box of porcelain. From the pastel generals in the four directions to the small snuff bottles, there are different types and sizes, Xiao Jingxi carefully identified the pastel general, then nodded and concluded: "It's a treasure." Then he closed the box and went to open another one.

A large box next to it contained jade pieces, which were also peerless treasures, and Ren Yaoqi even recognized that one of the pair of glow-in-the-dark cups was the craft of a small country in the south.

However, Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi saw so many good things, and they just looked at them casually, and they were not surprised.

It wasn't until he opened the third box and found that there was a box of well-preserved calligraphy and paintings inside, Xiao Jingxi smiled and said to Ren Yaoqi: "This box has to be moved back if you say anything." You can please Lord Tarzan. As he spoke, he took out a painting from it and looked at it carefully, looking very satisfied.

Ren Yaoqi: "......"

The two of them walked around the secret room and found that these boxes contained some valuable and difficult to carry utensils, although they only glanced at it casually, they could also see that the Zhai family's family background was indeed not thin.

After reading the box, Xiao Jingxi pulled Ren Yaoqi to the front of the confession and looked at the locked sandalwood box.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jingxi's slightly thoughtful expression and said curiously: "What?" Can it be opened? ”

Xiao Jingxi replied to Ren Yaoqi with a bright smile, and almost dazzled Ren Yaoqi's eyes: "Since you want to see it, I have to find a way to open it." ”

Saying that, Xiao Jingxi handed the oil lamp in his hand to Ren Yaoqi. Leaned over and fiddled with the lock.

Seeing this, Ren Yaoqi didn't stop it, and stood aside and watched.

Xiao Jingxi turned around and read the words on the gears, and then tried to guess the secret words on the lock, but unfortunately Xiao Ergongzi was not a god after all. I guessed twice and got it wrong.

Ren Yaoqi saw him frowning and looking serious, and couldn't help but smile: "Forget it, let people get it up and find someone to open it." I'm afraid this kind of lock is ......"

Before Ren Yaoqi finished speaking, he suddenly heard a "click". Then there was the sound of the machine running, and I couldn't help but be stunned.

Xiao Jingxi slowly showed a smile on his face. Looking back at Ren Yaoqi, he blinked.

Ren Yaoqi looked at the secretly smug look on someone's face, and couldn't help but laugh, so he praised without hesitation: "Childe is so powerful, admire and admire!" ”

Xiao Er Gongzi looked at Ren Yaoqi and said in a serious whisper: "As long as it is what you want." ”

Ren Yaochi couldn't help blushing, Xiao Jingxi bowed his head and kissed Ren Yaoqi on the forehead, and then pulled her over: "If it's not a rare treasure inside, wouldn't you be disappointed?" ”

Ren Yaoqi was still so confused by Xiao Jingxi's gentle kiss just now that he didn't come back to his senses, and said without thinking about it: "You opened it, how could I be disappointed." ”

When he met Xiao Jingxi's shining gaze, Ren Yaoqi realized that what he had just said was so similar to what Xiao Jingxi said.

Ren Yaochi was a little embarrassed, but Xiao Jingxi chuckled, gently pinched Ren Yaoqi's palm, and said, "That's good, because I guess there are no surprises in this box, just don't be scared." ”

Ren Yaoqi was stunned when he heard this: "Before the box is opened, you know what is in the road?" ”

Xiao Jingxi sighed, looked at the statue of the Nine Heavens Xuannu and said, "That's not true, but I guessed the true identity of the owner of this box." ”

Ren Yaochi frowned: "The true identity of the owner of the box?" Isn't this the Zhai family's secret room? Could it be that this box was not left by the Zhai family? ”

Xiao Jingxi said: "That's not it, this person should have a deep relationship with the Zhai family." ”

Ren Yaoqi was aroused by Xiao Jingxi's words, and couldn't help but look at the sandalwood box: "So the reason why you were able to open this machine lock just now was not because you guessed it casually, but because you guessed the identity of the owner of this box?" ”

Xiao Jingxi nodded: "That's right." He smiled at Ren Yaoqi, "Don't you want to see it?" Do you want to open it? ”

Ren Yaoqi blinked, wondering what the fright in Xiao Jingxi's mouth meant.

Xiao Jingxi didn't speak, just looked at Ren Yaoqi with a smile, as if she said open it, she said open it, and she said that if she didn't look at him, she would pull her away.

Ren Yaochi didn't hesitate for too long, after all, curiosity overcame everything. And she knew in her heart that if there was really any danger, Xiao Jingxi would not let her open the box, so at most she would be frightened. (To be continued......)