Xiao Tian bowed three times and bowed nine times in front of the ancestral tablet in a regular manner.

Old Lady Chu and Mrs. Chu looked at him quietly from behind, and in his kowtow again and again, the eyes of the second elder were moist.

Even if Xiao Tian couldn't see the expressions of the two elders from his position at the moment, he could feel their burning gaze and feel their mood.

Xiao Tian, who was kneeling on the futon, turned his body to the right slightly, and solemnly bowed to the tablet of Chu Junxian and his wife.

His feelings were similarly mixed.

When he was in the capital last year, he always doubted whether he was Chu Tingshu or not, and always felt that the Chu family was mistaken.

Therefore, when he returned to Jinju this time, he also used his own method to verify.

He asked a few of his brothers who had entered the game before him.

They told him that he was only five years old when he came to the game, and that he was obviously a child who had been sold to a foreign land, but he was not afraid of life and had a very lively temperament.

At that time, he was wearing the broken Guanyin jade lock on his body, saying that when he first arrived at the dart game, he often had to pinch the jade lock to sleep;

said that when he was young, he often said that although his mother was a little confused, she was very good to him;

He said that he had called his sister in a dream before, and when he woke up, they asked him, but he said that he did not have a sister......

Not only that, Xiao Tian also went back to Longzhou and went to Xiaojia Village, where he lived when he was young.

Xiaojia Village is still there, but the villagers have already changed a batch.

In the past, those villagers moved away because they couldn't get by, and most of the people who live there now have only moved in the last ten years, and there is no one in their memory, let alone anyone who knows about him and his mother.

The village was both familiar and strange to him.

Xiao Tian walked around the village and found the small river, hill, and bamboo forest where he played when he was a child......

When he was in Xiaojia Village, he vaguely remembered some of the past events in the village, in his memory, he only had the mother Xiao who was crazy and sober when he was crazy, and he had no impression of his father, or rather, he couldn't remember anything before he was three years old, maybe he was too young to remember, or maybe it was because his father died in the hands of Pu Guoren, which stimulated him and his mother.

At that time, the children of the village did not like him, and often threw stones at him, calling him a little madman.

Following the distant and vague path in his memory, Xiao Tian also found the ruined temple where he lived when he was a child.

The ruined temple is still there, the wall is half down, the cobwebs are dense and dusty, and the statue of Guanyin enshrined in the temple is dull and dilapidated, but the expression is still compassionate.

When standing in front of the statue of Guanyin, Xiao Tian remembered another thing from the past.

One night, my mother rarely sobered up, and asked him to kneel in front of the Guanyin statue and swear that no matter what happened, he would not lose the Guanyin jade lock on his body.

She said that Jade Lock would take him home.

Now chewing on this sentence carefully, Xiao Tiancai realized that his mother's words contained deep meaning.

Although she was confused most of the time, deep down in her heart she still knew, knowing that she was not her son.

Xiao Tian's heart was filled with a thick sourness.

When he was in Xiaojia Village, he already believed that he was Chu Tingshu.

Coming to the Xuanguo Mansion again today, seeing that the second elder of the Chu family, who had not been seen for a few months, was getting older again, Xiao Tian had an indescribable feeling in his heart.

The second elder is not young......

Therefore, when Old Lady Chu cautiously asked about recognizing his ancestors and returning to his ancestors, Xiao Tian agreed.

He hadn't said yes before because he wasn't sure, but now that he's sure, there's nothing to hesitate about.

After kowtowing to the tablet of Chu Junxian and his wife, Xiao Tian didn't get up immediately, his eyes looked at the tablet of Chu Qingci next to him.

A senior brother in the dart bureau said that he had called his sister in a dream when he was a child, and he actually had the impression that since he was a child, he would occasionally dream, and in the dream, there was a little girl with picturesque eyebrows who called his brother gently and gently.

The little girl would comb his hair, wipe his sweat, read to him, and put him to sleep......

The picture in the dream was like a thick fog, he couldn't see her face clearly, he couldn't hear her voice clearly, and he couldn't even remember what she said, only the repeated words echoed in his dream, "brother", "brother is so good"......

Xiao Tian also made a big salute, his eyes were sour and hot, and he almost used all his strength to suppress his tears.

From beginning to end, Old Lady Chu and Mrs. Chu kept looking at his back motionlessly.

Suddenly, Xiao Tian stood up from the futon, this time, he walked to the second elder, knelt directly on the ground, and kowtowed to the second elder.

This is him visiting his grandparents and grandmothers, and this is also his gratitude to his grandparents for never giving up looking for him for so many years.

From this moment on, Xiao Tian is Chu Tingshu.

"Good boy, good boy!" Old lady Chu said continuously, her voice hoarse.

Looking at the lost grandson, Mrs. Chu was almost about to cry again, but she couldn't help it.

Today is a day of great joy, and there is no need for tears to increase sorrow.

After Chu Tingshu finished saluting, Mrs. Chu personally helped him up.

The other Chu family members were also in tears, emotional, embarrassed, joyful, and sentimental...... It's all there.

The second master of Chu was full of spring breeze, and said busily: "Okay, Xiaotian is back, and our family is finally reunited." ”

The others chimed in, saying festive words.

The atmosphere was lively and lively.

Mrs. Chu took Chu Tingshu's hand and refused to let go, and after walking out of the ancestral hall, she still held his hand tightly, and while walking, she chattered:

"Xiaotian, your house is all for you, and everything hasn't been touched at all."

"I asked the sewing room to help you make your summer clothes in advance, you are a young man, you have a good temperament, you can wear it now."

"I ordered the kitchen to prepare a lot of snacks that you like to eat, and eat more later."

"By the way, the Orihe Orchid in your yard has bloomed, don't worry, I let people guard it carefully, and I didn't let Xue Yu gnaw the leaves......"

“……”

Mrs. Chu said a lot of things, but she actually said it again in her letters.

Chu Tingshu listened with a smile, not impatient at all, and occasionally coaxed Mrs. Chu to say:

"It's still my grandmother thinking about me!"

"You have to continue to let people help me watch the yard, I'm afraid that Xue Yu will gnaw my Orihe Lan while I'm not careful!"

“……”

He has always been sweet-mouthed and able to speak, he used to be vigilant and often perfunctory, but now that he has changed his mentality, the whole person has suddenly become enlightened, and the good words are easy to come by, coaxing Mrs. Chu to close her mouth.

Second Master Chu and the other brothers looked at Mrs. Chu with embarrassment, and secretly exchanged glances.

The mother they remember has always been elegant and calm, and it is rare to see her like this, just like an ordinary grandmother.

Along the way, they talked and laughed and had a good time.

The group walked along the bluestone path towards the outer courtyard, and a housekeeper came to meet them, and curtled to everyone: "Old lady, Mrs. Tai, the emperor and the fourth girl of Duanmu are here." ”

After speaking, there was a moment of silence around them.

The emperor came in person, and everyone naturally did not dare to let the Son of Heaven wait for a long time, so they all quickened their pace and went to the main hall of the outer courtyard together.

Mu Yan and Duanmu Fei had already drunk a cup of tea, and their expressions were very comfortable.

The two of them already had a small escort here, the white cat Xueyu was lying on Duanmu Fei's lap obediently, "purring" in her throat, and occasionally "meowing" twice, very satisfied.

Seeing that everyone from the Chu family was coming, Mu Yan grabbed them and said with a smile before saluting: "I am a guest today, I came to beg for wine and food, so I don't need to be polite." ”

When he said this, the Chu family did not salute.

However, this time is different from the past, Mu Yan is now the emperor, and although the Chu family did not salute, they did not dare to be too presumptuous.

Second Master Chu and the others all adhered to the principle of saying less and making fewer mistakes, and for a while, the atmosphere in the hall was a little more restrained.

Chu Tingshu was very comfortable, and changed his name to Mu Gongzi from being kind and fluent.

Although Mu Yan had already ascended the throne, Chu Tingshu looked at him and still felt that he was more like a fiancé with a small injustice than an emperor.

Chu Tingshu looked at Duanmu Fei, and shouted very warmly and casually: "Little injustice, I haven't seen you for a long time." ”

His gaze stayed on Xue Yu for a moment, and said secretly: This tsundere cat still looks at people like this!

What a small injustice?! Second Master Chu and the others exchanged glances with strange expressions.

Chu Ting Shule said hehehe: "I brought you some good things back from Jinzhou, since you are here today, why don't you take them with you." ”

Duanmu Fei saw Chu Tingshu looking at Xue Yu, thinking that he liked Xue Yu, so he intimately stuffed Xue Yu into his arms.

The fluffy, soft, and hot feeling made Chu Tingshu freeze.

Xue Yu was also dumbfounded, and her originally half-squinted green eyes instantly widened.

One person and one cat stared at each other with big eyes.

Looking at the frightened appearance of this tsundere cat, Chu Ting was happy, learned to smooth it like Duanmu Fei, and continued: "By the way, you are very familiar with Xiaoxi, right? I still have one here, you can help me bring it to her, thanks to the gold silk soft armor she gave me, otherwise I am afraid that my life will be folded into it this time. ”

Little life? Fold in? Duanmu Fei's eyes widened slightly. Did he encounter any danger in Jinju?

Chu Junshu seemed to just say it in passing, and he couldn't tell whether it was true or not. He smiled and continued: "The two boxes are almost the same, as long as you have two more jars of wine in your box, she is keeping filial piety, so I won't send her wine." ”

The Chu family was also present, and when he heard Chu Junshu mention Jun Lingxi, he was very familiar with it, and he couldn't help but feel a move in his heart: Could it be ......

The Chu family couldn't help but glance at Mrs. Chu and wanted to ask with her eyes, but unfortunately, Mrs. Chu only looked at Chu Junshu and didn't pay attention to her daughter's eyes at all.

Mu Yan looked at Chu Junshu and raised his eyebrows, feeling that this kid just couldn't speak.

He was afraid that Duanmu Fei would be in a hurry, so he directly interrupted Chu Junshu: "Xiaotian, you make it clear, what kind of life is folded in, don't let you ...... Grandmother worries about you. ”

He stiffly changed "your sister" to "your grandmother".

"......" Chu Junshu subconsciously looked at Mrs. Chu, and saw that the old man was really worried, he touched his nose and said, "It's nothing, it's just that soft armor that blocked a stray arrow for me, and it was no big deal, and that arrow was also the end of the strong crossbow." ”

Mrs. Chu and Duanmu Fei were relieved.

Chu Junshu touched his nose again, and now he didn't dare to talk nonsense anymore.

Hey, he is no longer "one person feeds the whole family and is not hungry", he is also a person who "drags the family with his mouth".

Thinking about it, his mood became indescribably strange. It's a good feeling.

At this time, a housekeeper came to pay tribute, saying that the fourth aunt and the fifth aunt were here.

Mu Yan smiled and said, "Old lady Chu, even if you go and get busy, there will be a lot of guests coming to the door today, so there is no need to greet us." ”

"Then I'll be out of company." Old lady Chu arched her hand with a smile.

Today, the Chu family only held a small banquet, and all the relatives of the Chu family were invited, but there were many acquaintances who sent congratulatory gifts, and the old lady Chu was in a good mood, and personally brought a few sons over to greet the guests, and also took Chu Junshu away.

Chu Junshu took Xue Yu away by the way.

Xue Yu was not willing at all, and poked out half of the cat's face from the crook of Chu Junshu's arm, and shouted at Duanmu Fei.

Duanmu Fei felt that Xue Yu was saying goodbye to him, and waved his hand happily, meaning, see you later.

Mrs. Chu, Mrs. Chu and other female dependents stayed here to greet Mu Yan and Duanmufei.

Chu Shi watched Chu Junshu walk away with Xueyu in his arms, his expression was complicated, and he couldn't imagine how those guests felt when they looked at Chu Tingshu who was hugging a cat, after all, this teasing cats and walking birds was a hobby of a gentleman.

Forget it, let them go, the Chu family is not afraid of what people say. Besides, the nephew has made great achievements, who dares to say that he is a gentleman!

Chu thought open-mindedly.

Mrs. Chu doesn't think as much as her daughter at all, she is in a good mood today, and she has endless words.

Looking at Mu Yan and Duanmu Fei, Mrs. Chu inevitably thought of Jun Lingxi in her heart, and she was in a better mood, and the pleasure that came from her heart naturally emanated from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows without words.

Mu Yan and Duanmu Fei did not stay for long, seeing that there were more and more guests in the Xuanguo Mansion, it would be a little "inconvenient" for Mu Yan to stay any longer.

Half an hour later, he left with Duanmufei, Duanmufei was reluctant to give up, so he could only follow him.

In the carriage, Duanmu Fei also opened the curtains from time to time to look in the direction of the Xuanguo Mansion, Mu Yan understood her mood and said comfortingly: "Zhen Zhen, at the celebration banquet in three days, I'll let Luofeng pick you up, okay?" ”

Duanmu Fei is impatient with the banquet, but it is good to see Chu Tingshu.

"Hmm." She nodded vigorously and happily responded, and the reluctance in her heart was swept away.

Anyway, three days later, I can see my brother again.

At this moment, she couldn't wait to go back to Muguo Mansion to see what gifts her brother had prepared for her.

Duanmufei's eyes sparkled, and he took Mu Yan's hand and said, "Ah Yan, did you see it just now?" Snow Jade It especially likes Xiao Tian! ”

"They are really in love, this must be fate!"

Duanmu Fei said with a determined face, Mu Yan recalled Xue Yu's unwilling cat face, opened his eyes and said nonsense: "It's fate." ”

Mu Yan didn't directly send Duanmu Fei back to Muguo Mansion, it was difficult to get out of the palace, he simply put down those official things, took Duanmu Fei to Half Moon Lake to play around, and didn't send people back to the mansion until dusk, and collided with Duanmu Xian, who had just returned to the house.

Duanmu Xian sent Mu Yan away with a helpless face.

In the next few days, there were waves in the capital, and after Chu Tingshu's celebration banquet, Yang Xuyao was handed over to the three divisions for trial, and he was convicted of treason, and the crime was unforgivable.

Because the emperor's wedding is approaching, in order to avoid secrecy, Yang Xuyao and other cadres are scheduled to be executed after the autumn, and they will be executed without amnesty.

After Yang Xuyao was convicted, Duanmu Heng went to the Jingzhao Mansion prison and met Duanmu Chao and Xiao He.

After being locked up in the prison for nearly a month, Duanmu Chao and Xiao He both lost a lot of weight and were embarrassed, even in the cell, the jailer would not embarrass them, they also suffered a lot, the environment and food in the cell were unimaginable for the couple who had always been pampered, and they could not eat enough or sleep well.

Duanmu Heng didn't say hello, and directly told them the cause of his sister Duanmuqi's death and Yang Xuyao's plan:

"Yang Xuyao is a descendant of the Yi family of the previous dynasty, and several generations have been lurking in the court, intending to seek the country."

"It was he who deliberately coaxed the second sister to ask the eldest sister to go to the Qingjing Temple, and it was he who deliberately made the remarks that the fourth sister was attacked by evil spirits."

"It was also he who killed the second sister, intending to blame the eldest sister, but he didn't want to punish the eldest sister, but wanted to use this as a handle to pinch the eldest sister and the fourth sister, and then let the pregnant Fu Yingxuan enter the palace and confuse the royal bloodline."

"You and your second aunt are just guns in Yang Xuyao's hands."

“……”

Duanmu Chao and Xiao He in the cell were stunned on the spot, and they couldn't believe their ears.

Xiao He's mouth opened and closed, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

How is this possible!

How could Yang Xuyao rebel, how could he kill his daughter!!

Xiao He's first reaction was not to believe it, but those words did not come out after all, her eldest son was upright and would never deceive himself about this matter.

In other words, what he said was true!

Xiao He was stunned and sat in the cell in a daze, lost his soul.

Suddenly, she suddenly burst into tears, crying and scolding heartbreakingly: "Yang Xuyao, you are so ruthless!" Qi'er and you are also the original husband and wife, a one-day husband and wife! You can actually do it! ”

"Qi'er, my hard-working Qi'er, why did you die so unjustly!"

"Duanmujun, all this is to blame Duanmujun! That's right, if it weren't for Duanmujun, how could Qi'er have been involved in this marriage! ”

If there was no Duanmujun, her Qi'er would still be alive and well!

Xiao He gritted his teeth, his face turned red, his eyes were covered with hideous bloodshots, and he really wanted to go to Duanmu Jun desperately.

"Second aunt," Duanmu Heng calmly interrupted Xiao He's with a deep look in his eyes, "You know best how this marriage came about." ”

After the words fell, the surroundings fell into a dead silence, and only the lantern in Duanmu Heng's hand illuminated the surroundings in the dark cell.

"......" Xiao He froze again.

Her mouth opened and closed for a moment, and then she covered her face and began to cry, crying so violently that tears rained down.

Duanmuqi is her most beloved daughter-in-law, who was born from her pregnancy in September, she has always regarded this daughter as the pearl of her palm, and her daughter's death is a pain in Xiao He's heart.

Before, Xiao He's hatred supported her as a belief, but now when her faith collapsed, she collapsed all of a sudden.

She repented, and she hurt more.

Oh, yes. If she hadn't deliberately tried to calculate Yang Xuyao to Duanmujun, how could she let her daughter get involved in this marriage and die at a young age.

She was the one who killed her daughter!

This realization made Xiao He's heart like a knife, as if someone was holding a knife and stabbing her heart again and again.

Xiao He cried even harder.

Duanmu's face changed in white, turning into a long sigh.

Duanmu Heng didn't even move his eyebrows, and said: "The emperor is gracious and allows the second sister and Yang Xuyao to be righteous, otherwise, the second uncle, you and the second aunt will not be falsely accused now, but the same crime as the treason." ”

Righteousness is excellent, it should be righteousness, and only then can you get rid of the relationship with the Yang family, a chaotic minister and thief! Duanmu Chao was relieved at first, and then he was afraid.

As early as March 15, when he was ordered by Jing Zhaoyin to be reprimanded and taken into custody, he was already afraid, and now he is even more afraid.

The crime of treason is a capital crime, and it will also bring disaster to the nine clans, implicate the whole family, he has a son, a daughter, and a grandson, they don't know anything, they don't do anything!

Besides, this family affair between Yang Xuyao and Duanmuqi was originally a decree of the abolished emperor to give marriage, so I won't count it!

Duanmu Chao convinced himself in his heart.

"Ah Heng, fortunately, the emperor is aware of everything." Duanmu Chao said happily, "Me and you...... The second aunt was deceived by Yang Xuyao's villain. ”

"Your sister died so suddenly, and the two of us are also indignant and want to seek justice for your sister."

Xiao He nodded frequently. Yes, they were blinded.

"Now that the truth is revealed, it can be regarded as justice for your sister." Duanmu Chao sighed with relief, and then excitedly grabbed the railing of the cell with both hands, "Ah Heng, you go to your grandfather to plead and save me and your second aunt." ”

"If we are imprisoned, this Duanmu family will also have no face, isn't your fourth sister going to be the queen soon?"

"The queen's own uncle is in prison, how can she gain a foothold? Wouldn't it make her criticized by the world? ”

The more Duanmu Chao said, the more he felt that this was the case, his eyes were shining, and he felt that his father Duanmu Xian was for Duanmu Fei, and he would also save himself.

When he gets out of here, everything can be discussed in the long run, and when his father is discouraged, he can ask his father to arrange an errand for him.

For my father, this is not a trivial matter that can be done by raising his hand.

Duanmu Heng looked at Duanmu Chao steadily, already out of disappointment.

He didn't expect that until now, Duanmu Chao had not reflected, let alone faced up to what he had done wrong.

No wonder grandfather made such a decision.

Duanmu Heng held the long handle of the lantern tightly, and replied, "I came this time because of my grandfather's meaning." ”

"My grandfather asked me to tell the second uncle that the Duanmu family will be divided from now on, and the second uncle's family will be separated from the main sect."

This time, because Duanmu Chao was almost involved in the rebellion case, the Duanmu family was also panicked for a while, for fear of being raided by Dongchang.

The patriarch and clan elders of the Duanmu clan were all afraid, so as soon as Duanmu Xian mentioned the division of the sect, no one objected at all, and the patriarch and clan elders all agreed without saying a word.

To put it mildly, the Duanmu family did not exclude the Duanmu Dynasty from the clan, which is already an extra favor.

They didn't think about Duanmu Chao's face, but Duanmu Fei's face.

In a few days, Duanmufei will marry the new emperor, which is the biggest event after the new emperor ascends the throne.

There are so many pairs of eyes staring at Duanmu's family in Jingli and outside Beijing, and at this time, nothing can happen in the clan to make Duanmu scarlet faceless.

“……”

As if he had been poured cold water on his head, Duanmu Chao's eyes were almost glared to the extreme, and his body stiffened.

The division of the sect is to separate the Duanmu Dynasty from the clan, from then on, starting from the Duanmu Dynasty, they have become a family, and the opening of the ancestral hall and the pseudo-genealogy also means that he has nothing to do with the Duanmu Xian and Duanmu Fei clans.

In the future, their room will not be considered the queen's family.

In the future, if Duanmu Chao does anything again, it will have nothing to do with the queen.

Duanmu Chao and Xiao He glanced at each other, as if they had been struck by lightning.

For them, it's nothing short of exclusive.

As the saying goes: a tree has roots, and water has a source; People have ancestors and know their origins.

A clan is not just a surname, not just which family he belongs to, it is the root of a person.

The Central Plains has changed dynasties for thousands of years, but many families are still standing tall in the changes of dynasties. It is because of this that the four great families of Chu, Wen, Zhang, and Qi have experienced unlimited scenery in the two dynasties.

Clan is also a kind of inheritance, a kind of faith.

From now on, he will be a duckweed without roots!

Duanmu Chao felt as if he was in a dark place, and his heart fell sharply, falling into the bottomless abyss......

(End of chapter)