The side hall in Xia Fengyi's courtyard.

Yuming was standing in front of Xia Fengyi, Xia Fengyi handed Xue'er in her arms to the nurse, and then asked the nurse to take Xue'er away, and motioned for Yuming to sit down and talk.

"Big lady, the slave still stands and listens to your orders."

Xia Fengyi approvingly: "It's quite sensible, okay, it's the Mid-Autumn Festival soon, the lord means that there are a lot of happy events in the family this year, get ready to do some good, invite some guests, and then you will have to work hard." ”

"The slave is not hard, he must try his best to do the things assigned by the eldest lady."

"Well, that's right, in the past, when the ears were there, he did it to support guests, send invitations, and pack gift boxes, but now there is something going on in the cottage, so he has to go over for a while, and the ears are good, that is... Alas, don't talk about him, it's like this, you still have to take the time to go to Defu Silk Village, where we have been customizing clothes, to make a few sets of new clothes for the four children, and last time I discussed it with the master, Su Su and Ruofan will probably pass the door after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and you probably won't be idle after the festival. ”

Yuming listened, his heart was happy, he had just been here for only ten days, and he had already gained the trust of the eldest lady, and he also assigned himself to do so many things, these things were also said by the eldest lady just now, they were all done by the ear before, it seems that if he behaves well this time, the position of the housekeeper should be just around the corner in the future, thinking of this, Yuming couldn't help but show a smug smile.

"Don't worry, the eldest lady, the slave will do his best, and he will not disappoint the eldest lady."

"Well, I know, but there is a rule in the house, that is, the subordinates of the house and the maid must not have any personal affairs, and the ears are at a loss in this, do you understand?"

"Understood. Understand, a minion wouldn't do that kind of thing to disappoint the eldest lady. ”

"That's good, you go down and get busy. If there is anything you don't know, go and ask Ruofan, she will soon be the ninth lady in the family. ”

"The slave understands, the eldest lady, the slave will go and get busy."

"Go ahead."

Yuming walked out of the door and left the yard, and couldn't help humming a little song, when suddenly someone behind him whispered to him, he turned around and saw Yuqin waving to himself behind a rockery. He looked around nervously, hurriedly walked over, pulled the jade qin behind the rockery, and said solemnly: "Is there anything that can't be said when we meet in the evening?" ”

Yuqin smiled and said, "Good news for you." ”

Yuming also said proudly: "I also have good news for you." ”

When Yuqin heard this, she saw Yuming's triumphant appearance, so she said, "Then you should say it first." ”

Yuming: "I just came from the eldest lady, I will be very busy from today, and the eldest lady has given me a lot of things to do." ”

When Yuqin heard this, she said happily: "Did you let you be a housekeeper?" ”

Yuming: "That's not so fast. However, the eldest lady is very dissatisfied with her ears, and I think I will do a few things to show the eldest lady and the master, and the position of housekeeper is not a matter of time or time. ”

Yuqin couldn't help but kiss Yuming on the cheek when she heard it, but Yuming didn't react. Hurriedly looked around and said solemnly: "What are you doing!" ”

Yuqin thought that Yuming would be happy. Who would have thought that Yuming would be angry, and he was a little stupid. Yuming couldn't bear it anymore, and coaxed in a low voice: "Good, I didn't yell at you, just now the doctor said that the subordinates in the house and the maids can't have personal feelings, if we let people see it, aren't we all in vain?" ”

Yuqin said aggrievedly: "But everyone knows that I am your sister, what is there to doubt?" ”

Yuming: "But it's always bad in broad daylight, okay." Don't be angry anymore. Tell me what good news you have? ”

Yuqin showed a smile and whispered, "The ear is really gone." ”

Yuming also became excited when he heard this. "How do you know?" ”

Yuqin: "It was the people from the Yin family's cottage who came to pick it up in person, and I saw the ears carrying the salute and getting into the car and leaving." ”

When Yuming heard this, there was a trace of greed and smugness in his eyes, and then he pulled Yuqin into the cave of the rockery, and kissed without saying anything, Yuqin tried her best to cater to it, and after the two kissed for a while, they reluctantly separated

Yuqin leaned on Yumingdi's arms and gasped softly, "Yuming, when do you think we can be together in the open?" ”

Yuming hugged Yuqin's shoulders, his eyes were a little trance-like, Yuqin saw that Yuming didn't speak and looked up at Yuming, Yuming hurriedly pecked Yuqin on the forehead, and said, "As long as we are heart-to-heart, we will be together one day, give me time, okay?" ”

Yuqin got up and looked at Yuming, and said, "Yuming, do you have two hearts?" ”

Yuming hurriedly said: "Look at you, you're thinking nonsense again, the two of us have gone through so much, why do you still think like this at every turn?" ”

Yuqin hugged Yuming's waist tightly and said, "Yuming, you must not leave me." ”

Yuming reassured: "How come? Without you, there would be no me today, how could I leave you? After speaking, he hugged Yuqin tightly in his arms.

For three days in a row, Li Xin stayed in the room of Ainu in the crisp red mansion and did not come out, and the opinions of the guest officers who asked to see Ainu every day were getting bigger and bigger, Zhang's mother didn't dare to speak, knowing that something big had happened in Li Xin's family, and at this time to provoke him was undoubtedly to make trouble for herself, Zhang's mother walked to the door of Ainu's room, put her ear on the door and listened carefully, and couldn't hear the slightest sound after listening for a long time, thinking that this Ainu and Li Gongzi didn't know what they were doing in the room in broad daylight, just thinking, the door suddenly opened, Zhang's mother almost fell into the room, but fortunately she quickly held on to the door frame, and looked at Li Xin who opened the door and came out with an embarrassed face. Li Xin looked at Zhang's mother coldly and said, "I was looking for you, come in and talk." ”

Seeing Li Xin's expressionless face, Zhang's mother hurriedly followed into the door with a smile on her face, took the initiative to close the door, and saw that Ainu was lying on the bed, only wearing a short skirt and obscene clothes, and her eyes were slightly closed. The folding fan in his hand is placed on his chest and gently shaken, looking very leisurely.

Li Xin pointed to the chair and said, "Mother Zhang, sit down." ”

Zhang's mother smiled and agreed to sit down, but she muttered in her heart what Li Xin was going to say to herself.

Li Xin sat down next to Zhang's mother. said: "I want to redeem my slave, my mother will make a price." ”

When Mother Zhang heard this, she chuckled in her heart, but she still smiled on her face and said, "Gongzi Li, why are you so sincere to our love slaves?" ”

Li Xin turned his head and glanced at Ainu, and said: "I am her first man, I don't want other men to touch her again, I want to redeem her, I want her to be my Mrs. Li Xin Ming Media is marrying." ”

Mother Zhang suddenly smiled and said, "Yo." I can't see that our Li Gongzi is still a good man who values love and righteousness, and it's really a good life for us to love slaves. ”

Li Xin smiled indifferently and said, "Let's make a price." ”

Zhang's mother coughed dryly, looked at Ainu, as if she was asleep, and said to Li Xin: "But Ainu has only been in my Crisp Red Mansion for a month, and it is the signboard of my Crisp Red Mansion, this Li Gongzi also knows, if you poach Ainu for me, what will I rely on to eat in the future?" Li Xin: "Mother Zhang means she doesn't want to sell?" ”

Zhang's mother smiled and said, "Well, this one." This one... If Li Gongzi wants me to be a girl in the Red Mansion, I won't be so embarrassed, but I love slaves..."

Li Xin: "Mother Zhang, I'm not a stingy person, as long as you offer the price, I Li Xin will give it." I will not have mercy on the silver. ”

Zhang's mother was a little embarrassed and said, "Why don't you let my mother think about it again?" ”

Li Xin: "Yes." But it's only for three days. ”

When Zhang's mother heard this, she said, "So anxious? ”

Li Xin: "My godfather has been anxious to let me marry and continue the incense for my Li family, you said that it was easy for me to find a woman on the ground, can I not be in a hurry?" ”

Zhang's mother: "This... This one. ”

Li Xin took out a piece of silver of one hundred taels from his sleeve and put it in front of Zhang's mother, and said: "In the three days you are considering, Ainu is not allowed to meet guests, if I don't come, she is not allowed to meet guests, even if she eats and chats with guests." You know? ”

Zhang's mother: "Li Gongzi." xx, aren't you embarrassed by Zhang's mother? ”

Li Xin sneered: "Ha, do I have it?" I'm telling you. Now the Li family is I, Li Xin, have the final say, I don't lack anything, but I lack a wife who will take care of the housekeeper for me, understand? ”

Mother Zhang saw Li Xin's fierce eyes, and she was also a little timid in her heart, knowing that Li Xindi's backstage was a big celebrity around the emperor, once this kind of person was offended, let alone opening a brothel, it would be difficult to survive.

Thinking of this, Zhang's mother hurriedly put the silver in her sleeve and said again and again: "Okay, okay, Li Gongzi will give me three days." ”

Li Xin: "Okay, you go out." ”

Zhang's mother quickly got up and walked out of the door, and then closed the door.

The lobby of the government office.

Song He first looked a little indifferent, and after walking up to the hall, the officials on both sides said: "mighty" made him somewhat restrained, and then saw that the prefect did not sit in the hall, but placed a table and chair alone on the side to sit, and the one sitting in the hall was still the first day to capture his own patrol lord, Song He peeked at Cai Zhao, only to see Cai Zhao looking at him coldly, his heart still sank, in the end, he and this Cai Zhao still have some friendship, Cai Zhao's wife often goes to their Song family's shop to buy silk and jewelry, Many times it is half sold and half sent, coming and going, the relationship between the Song family and Cai Zhao's family is also good, and they will even sit together for a few drinks during the New Year's holidays, but looking at today's posture, this Cai Zhao has no intention of helping himself.

Song He knelt down very reluctantly, he had never suffered from prison, he didn't sleep all night, cockroaches, mice, bed bugs, these are all unbearable for Song He, the food will not even be eaten by the underground people in the family, he would rather be hungry, he believes that his eldest sister Song Yu will not really ignore him, from childhood to adulthood, the person who loves him the most is the eldest sister, and even for him to be in his twenties now and has not married, he has always lived a life of clothes to reach out for food to open his mouth, It's this bullshit patrol who is about the same age as himself in the hall who caught him, thinking of this, Song He raised his head and was about to look at Meng Tianchu, and found that Meng Tianchu was also looking at him, so he quickly lowered his head again for some reason.

Meng Tianchu first coughed lightly, and then said, "Song He, three days ago. That is, on the night of the third day of the eighth month, where did you go? ”

"Of course I went out to spend money."

Meng Tianchu raised the startling wood and slapped it on the case fiercely, and Song He chuckled in his heart. Then he hurriedly added: "I went to the Red Mansion to see Ainu." ”

Meng Tianchu: "Song He, do you know the truth that the Son of Heaven is guilty of the same crime as the common people?" ”

Song He: "Yes. ”

"Tell the official in detail where you went that night and what you did, and there must be no half-truth, if it is verified, the official will not be spared."

"Yes, sir." Then Song He told the things about his quarrel with Li Xin in the crisp red mansion one by one.

"Then when did you come out of the Red Mansion, what was the approximate time? Where did it go? ”

The grass people panicked in their hearts, knowing that they couldn't compete for the eunuch's cultivation land. I had no choice but to leave and go to Jiaqing Mansion. At the time, I didn't know very well, it seemed that I had already knocked the second watch. ”

"I heard that your Song family is second to none in Hangzhou, how can you not compete?"

Song He smiled bitterly and said: "Although my Song family is indeed not short of 10,000 taels of silver, but the family is in the management of all of me, and my expenses cannot exceed 1,000 taels a month. ”

"It stands to reason that you're married. Why hasn't your eldest sister handed over the house to you? ”

"It's... This is also my father's deathbed testament, saying that he will not hand over the business to me when I have a son to continue the incense for Song He, and I can also worry about the business of the Song family. ”

"Okay, let's not talk about that. Since you said you left, you went to Jiaqing Mansion. So what are you going to do in Jiaqing Mansion? ”

"Naturally, I went to find a woman."

"What woman?"

"The Oiran Red Rui of the Spring Moon Tower of Jiaqing Mansion."

"Bring the red stamen to the hall."

As he spoke, a woman wearing red makeup came in, who was really as good as her name, probably sixteen or seventeen years old, just a good age, but she looked a little older.

After the woman knelt down beside Song He, Meng Tianchu said, "What is the name of the woman in the hall?" ”

"If you go back to your lordship, the slave's name is Hongrui, and she is sixteen this year. It's the girl of the Spring Moon Building in Jiaqing Mansion. ”

"Didn't let you say that much."

"Yes"

"Do you know the person next to you?"

Hongrui looked at Song He. Throw him a wink and smile charmingly. said: "Naturally, I know, Song Gongzi of Hangzhou Mansion, who doesn't know who doesn't know." ”

"Have you seen him lately?"

"Yes, we were together the night before yesterday."

Song He looked at Meng Tianchu proudly and said, "I said, I won't lie." ”

Meng Tianchu: "I didn't let you speak." ”

Meng Tianchu: "Then do you remember when Song Gongzi came to you?" ”

Hongrui thought for a while and said, "Actually, it's not night, it's dawn, I still remember that there were still guests in my room who didn't leave, and Song Gongzi knocked on the door and scared me." ”

Meng Tianchu looked at Song He and said, "You said that it was already past the second watch when you left the Crisp Red Mansion, so did you go by car or on horseback on the road from Hangzhou Mansion to Jiaqing Mansion?" ”

"Naturally, it's driving."

"Then there's no reason why you spent nearly three hours on the road, and Miss Red said you went when it was almost dawn."

Song He panicked when he heard this, and said, "What... It was almost dawn, and when I went, it was not yet dawn. ”

Meng Tianchu: "You don't have to say it, we will naturally check, come here, bring Li Si up." ”

Song He turned his head to look, only to see a man bowing down and walking in, he saw a familiar face, but he didn't know where he had seen it.

After the man knelt down, Meng Tianchu: "Song He, have you seen this person?" "I think I've seen it, but I don't remember where I've seen it."

Hongrui reminded in a low voice: "Look at your memory, it was in my room the day before yesterday..."

Meng Tianchu: "Miss Hongrui has reminded you, have you remembered?" ”

Song He thought about it and said, "I remember." ”

Meng Tianchu: "Li Si, have you seen this Song Gongzi before the day before yesterday?" ”

"If you go back to your lordship, the grass people haven't seen it, and the morning before yesterday was the first time."

"The morning before yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Do you really remember it was morning?"

"How could I not remember. This Song Gongzi knocked on the door and asked people to pull me out, I was not dressed at the time, and I had never seen such a domineering person. He didn't open the door again, so I had to borrow a piece of clothing downstairs with my upper body naked and put it on before leaving, and when I left, the people in the Spring Moon Building began to clean the yard, so I remember. ”

Meng Tianchu asked Li Si to retreat, and Song He defended: "My lord, this person resents me, he lied, and it was not dawn when I went to the earth." ”

Meng Tianchu: "You don't have to talk first, I still have something to ask Hongrui." ”

Song He shut up at this time.

Meng Tianchu: "Song Gongzi is a frequent visitor to your place?" ”

"Yes. My lord. ”

"Where did Song Gongzi go to you at that time, did he tell you anything?"

"Hmm..."

"You have to be honest, otherwise..."

"The slave family understands, my lord, it's just" Hongrui cautiously looked up at Song He, bit her lip, and said after a while: "But it's all private words between men and women, so let's not say it." ”

Song He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, Meng Tianchu: "When you saw him, how was he in the mood?" ”

Hongrui said with a smile: "Song Gongzi is in a good mood every time he sees the slave family. ”

Cai Zhao snickered on the side. Meng Tianchu looked at him coldly, and he quickly covered his mouth to stop.

Meng Tianchu: "Hongrui, do you still have anything to remember to tell this official?" ”

Hongrui thought for a moment and said, "No." My lord. ”

"Okay, then you go down."

Wait for the red stamen to retreat. Meng Tianchu said to Song He: "According to our examination of the bodies of the four victims of the Li family, it was found that all four of them died around the second watch, and you happened to leave the Suhong Mansion during the second watch, and there was not a two-hour road from Hangzhou Mansion to Jiaqing Mansion, so where did you go for nearly an hour?" ”

When Song He heard this, he immediately panicked and said, "This... This, I just went straight to Jiaqing Mansion when I went out, and it was dark. Naturally, the road should be slower. ”

"Who was with you at the time?"

"I'm a family of four."

"Someone's coming. Take Song Gongzi to Jiaqing Mansion that day, and bring the four families to the Song family. The servant went out of the house. Song He looked a little flustered, and Meng Tianchu sat in the hall and looked at Song He under the hall. At this time, Tu Long came out of the back hall and walked to Meng Tianchu's side and whispered: "My lord, we asked a maid next to the butterfly, and she said that the butterfly asked her to take something to the crisp red mansion to find Li Xin, that Li Xin didn't want to go home, but then he went home immediately after seeing that thing." ”

"Did you ask, what is it?"

"I asked, and I said it was a jade pendant."

"Jade pendant?"

"Yes, and I heard that little maid say that the jade pendant has always been worn around Mrs. Li Qian's neck."

Meng Tianchu immediately became interested when he heard this, and said, "Did you bring that little girl?" ”

Wang Yi: "That little maid didn't dare to come, I heard her say that Butterfly was about to become the second lady of the Li family, and she was afraid of losing her current job." ”

Meng Tianchu: "Second lady? ”

Wang Yi snickered: "Yes, that little maid said, it seems that this butterfly is not simple." ”

Meng Tianchu: "Then now that jade pendant is in Li Xin's hand?" ”

Wang Yi: "It stands to reason that it should be. ”

Meng Tianchu: "Go and bring the butterflies up." ”

Song family.

Song Yu was lying on the low couch under the pavilion in the back garden, there were maids gently shaking fans on both sides, and occasionally one or two frogs were crying in the lotus pond not far away, and the fragrance of lotus flowers made people feel a little drunk.

Mo'er walked to Song Yu's side softly, and before she could speak, Song Yu closed her eyes and said, "Mo'er, is there something wrong?" ”

"Miss, Second Young Master, he..."

As soon as Song Yu heard the news of Song He, he immediately opened his eyes and sat up directly, and said, "How is He'er?" ”

"Don't worry, I'll go to Lord Song's mansion to find Mrs. Song, Mrs. Song sent someone to the yamen to inquire, but the Lord Patrol did not punish the second young master."

Song Yu let out a long breath and said, "That's good, it seems that Master Meng is not a local official who speaks with a whip." ”

Mo'er: "The slave thinks the same way, but..."

Song Yu became nervous again, "But what? ”

"But I heard from a servant who listened to the hall that the second young master couldn't explain it for a while that night, and it happened to be the time when the four members of the Li family were killed."

Song Yu's face changed suddenly when she heard this, and she immediately walked down the pavilion, followed by Mo'er, and said, "Miss, where are you going?" ”

"Mo'er, prepare a generous gift for me, I want to go to Lord Cai's house."

"Miss, I don't think you should go."

Song Yu listened, stopped, looked back at Mo'er, and said, "Why?" ”

Mo'er stepped forward and whispered: "The slave maid saw Lord Cai today, and he seemed to know that you would go to him, so he said that the patrol had already intervened in this case, and the capital had already known about it, so he couldn't say anything about this case." ”

"Old thing, I can't say anything, it's just that I'm worried about offending that Gonggong Li and losing his black yarn hat."