Shichahai, Li Family Courtyard, Inner Hall.

Li Nai's face was a little haggard, and his eyes were already sunken. He is ten years older than Li Ding, and now he has passed the age of establishment. Although he sometimes has some jealousy in his heart for his younger brother, who has been brilliant since childhood, it has not affected the brotherhood between them.

Today, October 26, Suzhou received news from the capital on the 19th. Li Xu and Li Nai, father and son, are both worried and uneasy.

Li Ding is not a person who does not know the rules, even if he really has something to do in Beijing, he will not ask for leave from the guards.

Where the hell did it go? But was it calculated by others? Their Li family still has some face in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is nothing to go to the capital, a place where powerful people gather. Even if it was the Cao family, there was a Pingjun palace as an in-law in the early years, and Cao Hao was almost beaten to death.

Li Xu thought of his son's surname, after all, he was old here, he was sensible, and his heart and surname were stronger, who would know which one he would offend in ordinary dealings?

However, he was worried that before he received the holy decree, Li Xu did not dare to enter Beijing without violating the law, so he sent his eldest son Li Nai north to investigate Li Ding's whereabouts.

Li Nai set out from Suzhou on October 19, with a few long guards, along the way to the post station, changing horses but not people, and catching up with the capital this morning.

Qian Zhongxuan, the chief housekeeper of the Li Mansion in the capital, is Li Xu's confidant, but he is not too close to Li Ding, the little master. Qian Zhongxuan has been in the capital for more than ten years, and he can represent his master to come forward in various provinces, and he is a very transparent person.

When Li Ding first entered Beijing, Qian Zhongxuan originally wanted to sincerely assist this little master, and he also warmly pointed out the inappropriateness of Li Ding's actions. Li Ding is used to being smart, and there is no one else in his eyes, thinking that this big housekeeper relies on the old and sells the old, and is suspected of bullying his own tender face.

After the Wanshou Festival was over and Li Xu returned to Suzhou, Li Ding no longer saved face for Qian Zhongxuan, so that a few stewards who followed him spent half a month to put the old housekeeper in the air.

Qian Zhongxuan's kindness was not repaid, and he was also depressed in his heart, he had the heart to write to the old master to express his grievances, and he was afraid of the suspicion of provoking the relationship between the master and his son, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it. Unexpectedly, in just half a year, there was such a mistake.

Although Guo Mao was a lot of mouths a few years ago, talking about the master's selfishness made Qian Zhongxuan, the big housekeeper, very angry. But if you think about the characters that their second master usually talks about, everyone knows it. The one who entertained alone in the outer mansion acted in a more concealed way, and only Li Ding's henchmen knew.

After checking Li Ding and still nowhere to be found, not only Guo Mao, whose son disappeared at the same time as Li Ding, was suspected, but Qian Zhongxuan was also suspected of Baiyang's head.

Although the courtyard on this side was not sealed, it also caused the people who came from Li Mansion to confine the people in this courtyard in the courtyard, just waiting for people from the south to deal with it.

Li Nai, who is just this younger brother, now has no one alive or dead, and his heart is also burning, and his mouth is already full of bubbles. After listening to Qian Zhongxuan's general situation, he was also blind, so he had to come to the house here to interrogate people.

* Yang Ruixue is not a smart person, but looking at the situation in the past half a month, she also figured out some reasons. If Li Dingren is still alive, how can he be gone? This Li Ding, I'm afraid that he has already given his life like her dead ghost husband.

Does this count as "good and evil will be rewarded in the end"? Yang Ruixue thought about it a little. What is there for her to be uncomfortable? She hasn't hurt anyone, she's just a helpless little woman, what's the big sin in going with the flow? .

But people only live for a lifetime, why does Lao Shizi have to wipe her neck and hang herself?

However, she also knew that if Li Ding really died so inexplicably, she would have to suffer from the disaster of the pond fish. In order to be angry, it is common for the people of the Li family to ask for her surname.

She thought about escaping, but the courtyard here had already called Qian Zhongxuan, the chief housekeeper of the Li Mansion, to make people see her dead. Although she was anxious, she could only endure and wait for the opportunity.

A few days ago, the steward Shen Liu was also afraid of being implicated, packed his package, and thought about escaping, but he was caught by the Li family's nursing home, and threw his leg into the firewood room.

There are lessons from the past here, and Yang Ruixue has to think of another idea. The Li family has no other masters in the capital, and even the big housekeeper Qian Zhongxuan has no right to dispose of everyone. In this way, I just waited for someone from the south to come.

If it was Li Xu, Yang Ruixue couldn't help but look forward to it. Li Xuchun said that he really loved her at that time, and he returned to Suzhou later, and he also sent things to the capital every month. With his favor, Yang Ruixue has nothing to fear.

I was afraid that Li Xu would not be able to come, so I replaced other nephews and nephews...... Yang Ruixue made two preparations, one was to clean up plain and pretty, which did not look public, but also looked neat and lovely; The second is to wear all the bracelets and hairpins that Li Xu gave her on her body, if it really doesn't work, she will be a concubine of Li Xu, and those people will not be presumptuous at will.

Now, I heard that it was Li Ding's brother and Li Xu's eldest son, Uncle Li, Yang Ruixue remembered that the Li family's father and son had different habits from ordinary people, and she couldn't help but feel a little feverish. Sitting in front of the dresser, looking at the makeup in the mirror, her heart was like a deer, and she couldn't move.

The people who watched Yang Ruixue in the inner house were all grandmothers from Li Zhai, where would they put her in their eyes? Seeing that she couldn't get up, the two grandmothers were a little impatient, and one of them muttered: "Grandma Yang, the uncle is waiting, don't embarrass the old slaves!" ”

Although it is with an honorific title, there is a hint of respect on this grandmother's face, and this is also hard to say.

Yang Ruixue's heart was on fire, and she glanced at the grandmother, wanting to scold her, but she felt that it was really not the time. At this juncture, there was really no need to worry about the same person, she held back her anger, got up and followed the two grandmothers out of the house and into the inner hall.

Li Nai, who was waiting impatiently to send someone to take a look, saw a young woman come in with the two grandmothers. The snow-blue shirt, the lotus-colored skirt, the face is plain and light, and there are two beaded flowers on the head.

Li Nai was quite surprised, because he heard Guo Mao say that the woman raised by his brother here was not serious, so he came over to interrogate, wanting to see if it really had anything to do with his brother's disappearance.

Now it seems that this woman does not look like a dusty woman, but like a good family.

It's strange to say that when Yang Ruixue was a young grandmother in Jiangning earlier, she liked bright clothes and delicate makeup; Now that he is forced to follow Li Ding, he is less and less fond of fiddling with those, and some of them are back to basics.

Yang Ruixue followed the two grandmothers to the hall and saw a man in fancy clothes sitting on the main seat. In his thirties, he has a Chinese face and a short beard, and his appearance is somewhat similar to Li Xu.

Come to think of it, this is Li Nai, the uncle of the Li family, Yang Ruixue said secretly in her heart.

Seeing Li Nai looking at her, although Yang Ruixue was touching the deer in her heart, her face was very solemn. She lowered her eyes, her body was blessed, and she said, "The concubine Yang has seen the uncle!" ”

She did this way, but she confused Li Nai. He knew that his younger brother was a merry man, and there were many women around him when he was in Suzhou in his early years, but this Yang family didn't look like everyone else.

Moreover, although this Yang is polite, there is no humility in his words. She has a southern accent and she has a Jiangning accent...... Li Nai was a little surprised and asked, "Yang's? Are you from Jiangning? ”

Yang Ruixue restrained her solemnity, nodded lightly, and said, "The concubine is a person from Jiangning!" ”

Li Nai vaguely remembered that his younger brother had proudly talked about getting a pearl field in Jiangning last year. Because Li Nai heard his father mention the Cao family's this, he was afraid that his younger brother would act like this, and the Cao family was careful, and he also persuaded a few words.

Li Ding was a little unimpressed, he mentioned that he had taken in a little widow to make this windfall, and there was nothing to hide. He also said that this widow's mother's brother is small, and her mother-in-law's family is pressing, so it is better to fall into his hands than to cheapen outsiders.

Yang Ruixue was wearing colored clothes, obviously out of filial piety.

Li Nai thought of her status as a good family, and she didn't believe what she said before. Therefore, his face was much gentler, pointed to the chair in the hall, and said to Yang Ruixue: "Mrs. Yang, please sit down and talk!" ”

Yang Ruixue thanked her, and then sat on the chair with her waist straightened and did not squint.

Li Nai asked about the first eight nights, Yang Ruixue blushed, and told when Li Ding came and when he returned. In the end, she suddenly remembered something, thought about it for a while, and said: "The concubine remembered that night, on the third watch, the little girl sent by the house was led to the window to reply, and she was in a trance, as if she mentioned something about Miss Tong......"

Before she could finish speaking, she heard someone hate and say, "You silver woman, don't spray people with blood!" ”

As the saying goes, "hitting people doesn't slap their faces", but this sentence stepped on Yang Ruixue's sore feet alive.

She immediately stood up, blushed, and rushed to speak. I saw that behind the chief housekeeper Qian Zhongxuan, a delicate and pretty young woman flashed sideways, staring at her with raised eyebrows.

Although Yang Ruixue is virtuous in front of her husband, she is also a "little white sheep" in front of Li Ding, and she is also delicate in front of other men, but after all, she is a businesswoman, not as shy as ordinary ladies.

In the past six months in Beijing, she also knows a little about Li Dingzhi's favorite maid Xiangtong in charge of the inner house on the Li Mansion.

With a sneer on the corner of her mouth, she looked at the maid and said: "There is no inner ghost, you can't attract external thieves, you are so weak-hearted, could it be that you are a black-hearted traitor?" ”

Xiangtong knew more about Li Ding's affairs because she was a person who relied on Li Ding's inner house, so Li Nai and the big housekeeper took her with her.

In Xiangtong's heart, the most suspicious person is naturally the silver woman on this side. Since returning from the fight, because there are Ye Xian and Zhixian sisters in front of him, Miaoyun in the back, and he has to prepare for family affairs, Li Ding has stayed overnight in the outer house less often than in the past. Could it be that this silver woman couldn't bear the loneliness, seduced outsiders, and murdered the second master?

Unexpectedly, now, in front of the uncle, this silver woman bit her like a mad dog. Xiangtong gritted her teeth and glared at Yang Ruixue, tearing her heart.

This room was full of people from the Li family, and although Yang Ruixue was apprehensive in her heart, she was strong on her face and sat on the chair again.

Li Naiyin had heard the big housekeeper say it before, but it was Li Ding who was invited by the little maid in the name of Xiangtong. However, it has been checked, Xiangtong rested early that night, did not come to the front yard, and did not send anyone to invite Li Ding.

Xiangtong's parents and brothers are the children of the Li family, and she herself has been by Li Xu's side for many years, so Li Nai does not doubt her.

This matter is not complicated, someone bought off the little guy on the other side of the Li house, and under the banner of Xiangtong, Li Dingyu was taken away. How can such a person be a well-intentioned person?

Li Naizhi felt that his hands and feet were cold, although he had such a vague guess in his heart before, but he still held on to a hope, thinking that maybe his younger brother would have other hidden feelings and couldn't prepare for it.

He just felt that his mind was in turmoil, and he really didn't know what to do.

I heard a little servant come to report: "Uncle, the young master of the Cao family and two poor masters in the palace are here!" ”

The cousin of the Cao family, the cousin Cao Hao! Li Nai suddenly had a backbone, and immediately got up from the chair and greeted him in person.

Before entering Beijing, my father instructed that if you need help, you must find Cao Hao. The Cao and Li families are close relatives, and his cousin is also a good one.

Yang Ruixue sat on the chair, but she was a little dazed. Even if she can pose as a serious woman in front of Li Nai, she has no face to act in front of Cao Hao.

No one thought of calling her anyway, and she couldn't wait to stay in the inner hall.

But it's not that no one can't think of her, and when Li Nai took everyone out, Xiangtong slowed down and followed at the end.

When she walked up to Yang Ruixue, she stopped, stretched out her hand and shaved with a big ear, and scolded in her mouth: "You prostitute with a rotten tongue...... The prostitute who raised his wife ......"

Yang Ruixue was defenseless, she was slapped upright, her body was in a row, and she brought down the chair. She wanted to get up, but Xiangtong stretched out her legs and kicked her little feet twice, and a mouthful of spit had already spit on her face, and then she snorted coldly and left.

Yang Ruixue sat on the ground, covering her face, looking at Xiangtong's back, and she didn't cry, but her face was gloomy and scared......

(To be continued)