Everyone immediately understood in their hearts that Master Cheng had found a gunman.

Yan Kuan, the eldest son of Qi Guogong on the side, slapped his face and said: "No wonder Lord Cheng's painting style has changed too much, he is good at flowers, birds, landscapes, and figures, and even boundary paintings can be painted, and the level is up and down." ”

"But someone left my name in the secret place of my "Jinling Map"." Shopkeeper Chen looked around at everyone, "Master Cheng was furious when he found out and drove us away. ”

An Ying added: "When Yongkang was twenty years old, the painters of the Cheng Mansion were all driven away. But Lord Cheng has been exchanging paintings with Qi Guogong later, so who painted the paintings at this time? ”

Mrs. Cheng looked at the young lady kneeling on the ground, "Is it the green lady?" ”

"Yes." An Ying said: "When the four painters were in Chengfu, Steward Jiao often arranged for Qingniang to study with them. ”

An Ying brought another man, "This is Painter Wang." Cao Meng remembered that when you were driven away, you once said, "Teach the apprentices, starve the master." This apprentice of yours is the Qing Niang, right? ”

Painter Wang nodded.

An Ying continued: "When I investigated, I found that Qingniang seemed to be favored, but her situation in the mansion was very delicate. She is different from another concubine, her deed is not with the main mother, but with Lord Cheng. ”

Mrs. Cheng nodded, "Indeed." I thought that she was bought by my lord for recreational painting, and she never asked for a deed. But what does it matter, the master has always treated her well. I've never done anything to her. ”

The young lady bowed her head and was silent.

An Ying said: "But Qingniang didn't know that she was bought to be a gunman. She used money and tried all means to get rid of the four painters, all in order to gain favor. ”

Shopkeeper Chen and Cao Meng both looked at her, and An Ying nodded and said, "Shopkeeper Chen, Cao Meng, the person who attacked you was not Master Cheng." With his character, he must have attacked on the spot, and he will not retaliate in such a shady way afterwards. This method must just be to cut off your way back to Chengfu. ”

An Ying continued: "Steward Jiao doesn't know the specific condition of Lord Cheng, he often accompanies Master Cheng to the Teaching Workshop Division, and sees that the female prostitutes ordered by Master Cheng in the Teaching Workshop Division are all good at painting, and it is estimated that he also instigated the young lady to win the attention of Master Cheng with paintings. ”

Mrs. Cheng said at this time: "Steward Jiao should know about Lao Cheng's condition, and he is also familiar with Dr. Chen, who is used in the house, this..."

An Ying shook his head, took out some other papers, and said, "Mrs. Cheng, Master Cheng actually goes to the Jiaofang Division every month not to have fun, he is to go to the doctor. ”

"See a doctor?" Mrs. Cheng didn't understand it at all, and even Xiao Tao, who was following behind, Steward Jiao, and Qing Niang, who were kneeling on the ground, raised their heads.

"Actually, Master Cheng's illness is much more serious than what you Dr. Chen sees, and every time he goes to the Jiaofang Division, he goes to the medical shop of the Houtou Liang family to see a doctor. I guess he's hiding it from you, probably just because he doesn't want you to worry. Because he is not long to live. ”

"This, this." Mrs. Cheng held those pieces of paper as if they weighed a thousand catties, and Xiao Tao next to her was already in tears, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have given the ice drink to the master, I killed the master." ”

Mrs. Cheng wiped her tears and asked tremblingly, "What are these young ladies and Steward Jiao going to do?" What does the young lady do in the study? ”

"Deed." An Ying said: "Master Cheng's study personal belongings are all sorted out by Steward Jiao, and Steward Jiao has not lost anything. But our criminal department checked the list, and there was no Qing Niang's identity deed. ”

Mrs. Cheng was puzzled: "Qing Niang, if you want to be generous, I am, why do you want to do this?" A concubine who has not given birth, and we are so young, we are not the kind of harsh people, so naturally ......"

At this time, Mrs. Cheng suddenly closed her mouth, she pointed at Qingniang and said, "Qingniang, you, you." ”

An Ying said to everyone: "Yes, Qingniang is pregnant. ”

"It is not difficult to guess who the child's father is. In order for her to enter the study to find a deed, she deliberately transferred the guards of the whole house, and it was Steward Jiao. ”

"Master Cheng has passed away, and if she can get her own deed at this time, she can go away. Wait a little longer, and it will be too late when the belly is big. An Ying said

Mrs. Cheng pointed to the two kneeling on the ground, trembling and speechless.

An Ying gently soothed Mrs. Cheng's back and said, "It's not your fault, Steward Jiao is Lord Cheng's confidant." A lot of things aren't where you can get them. ”

Qingniang, who had not spoken, suddenly raised her head and said: "Madam, when I was bought by the master, I thought that I would be able to give birth to a son and a half daughter in the future, and I could be regarded as having a dependence." I never wanted to compete for favor. However, the master only asked me to draw, and I kept drawing. But I just want to have a baby. ”

An Ying sighed, "Qi Bei doesn't have children either. ”

"But she is Madame's dowry. I, if I don't have children, what will I do? The young lady sat on the ground and muttered to herself.

Mrs. Cheng slowly stood up and said, "There are no children, you are willing to stay in Cheng's Mansion, and you will not be short-lived to eat and drink." You are still young and willing to go out, I will definitely repay your deed, and your single-handed painting skills will not worry about your livelihood when you leave Chengfu. Why are you so confused! ”

Qingniang lowered her head and did not speak, she stroked her belly, like the most precious treasure in the world.

An Ying turned around and said, "So the first case was actually not complicated. Master Cheng died of illness, and Qingniang and Steward Jiao just wanted to take advantage of the chaos to get Qingniang's deed, and leave the Cheng family before her stomach was obvious. ”

"So far, the truth of the first case has been revealed."

Everyone in the hall was discussing, and the Duchess of Qi Guo looked at An Ying, who was tall, and kept nodding and said, "Xiao An Sizhi is really good." What about my old man's case? ”

An Ying nodded, "I was about to talk about the next case." That is, the case of Qi Guogong. ”

"But before I do that, I have one more thing to say."

Xiao Yi came up with a bunch of scrolls, Yan Kuan glanced at it and said, "Isn't this the painting I gave you last time?" How can there really be an important clue? He turned back and said triumphantly to the Duchess of Qi Guo: "Mother, I just said that there is something strange about these things. ”

An Ying took out a scroll and opened it and said, "Actually, Lord Cheng should have known about someone to write for him. ”

Duchess Qi asked, "How do you know?" ”

"I don't know how to draw, this is what we said after Yun Pingshi and Master Su read it." An Ying said: "These are all paintings that Qi Guogong took out separately and inscribed. However, the level of these paintings is obviously not high, and there is a big gap compared to others. But for other better paintings, Qi Guogong didn't have a single word. ”

Mrs. Cheng opened her mouth, "Are you saying that Grandpa Guo recognized it and deliberately singled it out?" ”

Duchess Qi also came over and took a look, "Hey, the old man is really, don't tell people earlier." He grabbed Mrs. Cheng's hand again and said, "Ace, you relax." What Master Cheng did in the Ministry of Rites is obvious to all, and the old man of our family has long said that he was interested in Lord Cheng's ability back then. ”

"Think about it, it is not easy for a military general in his thirties to learn four books and five classics, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting from scratch. and have made many achievements in the Ministry of Rites, so you can handle his posterity with peace of mind. ”

Mrs. Cheng's tears that she had endured for a long time finally came down, she lay in the arms of the Duchess of Qi and cried loudly, "Old Cheng, why should he be like this, he just lives too hard." ”