At night, at the Xu Residence, someone got out of bed and lit an oil lamp.
The mattress next to her was empty. Xu Zhiheng was sleeping in the study again tonight.
He Xinying walked to the table, picked up an outer robe, and put it on. She looked at the flickering wick of the oil lamp with a complicated expression.
She didn't know when it started, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier between her and Xu Zhiheng. To be more precise, after the last palace banquet, Xu Zhiheng became particularly strange. Later, she met her eldest sister, Marquis Wu An, He Yan, at Yu Hua Temple. Not long after she returned to the residence, He Rufei came to visit her. Rather than calling it a visit, it was better to call it a probe.
There were some things that once there were signs of suspicion, it couldn't be dispelled. He Xinying could feel that the Xu Family was hiding a big secret. Perhaps it was related to her eldest sister who had passed away, or perhaps … it was also related to the He Family.
She stood in front of the window. The winter in the capital was extremely cold. On such a cold night, the servants had all returned to their rooms to sleep. He Xinying looked at the bare branches outside the window. After thinking for a long time, she finally put on a cloak, picked up an oil lamp, and left the room.
Her movements were very light and she walked very carefully. She didn't disturb anyone else. The Xu Family's night watch was outside the main courtyard and wouldn't come in. The light of the oil lamp was very dim. It could only barely illuminate the path under her feet. He Xinying felt her way in the dark until she arrived in front of an abandoned courtyard.
This abandoned courtyard was the courtyard where her eldest sister, He Yan, had once lived. Even after He Yan's death, Xu Zhiheng still maintained the courtyard's original appearance. The last time He Xinying was here, she saw Xu Zhiheng frantically rummaging through the drawers. She hadn't been able to see what Xu Zhiheng was looking for before she was discovered. This time, there was no one around, so she wanted to take a look.
Although no one lived in this courtyard, the snow in the courtyard had been swept clean. She walked to He Yan's room. The room wasn't locked. With a gentle push, the door opened.
He Xinying walked in.
There was a musty smell in the room. It was cold and damp. He Xinying was slightly surprised. Didn't they say that Xu Zhiheng often missed his elder sister? But if he really missed his elder sister, why didn't he clean the room? Instead, it was covered in dust. It was as if no one had set foot here for a long time, and he couldn't wait to avoid it.
He Xinying looked around with the lamp in his hand.
This was a woman's boudoir. In front of it was a shelf with some inexpensive vases and ornaments. In the middle was a small table covered with a thick layer of dust. The teacups and teapot were even covered with cobwebs. Further inside was a large wooden bed. In comparison, this bed seemed to be cleaner as it was covered with a thin blanket. This room looked cold and empty. It was not as warm and exquisite as a girl's boudoir. As soon as he entered, he felt a chill in his face.
Although He Yan had married not long after he came back to live in the He Family, the boudoir before marriage was still meticulously decorated. If this was the house where He Yan used to live in the Xu family, and this house still retained the original appearance of He Yan when she was alive, then He Xinying thought that her elder sister who died early most likely didn't live as well as the rumors said in the He family.
If it was because he was blind, then it wasn't appropriate to put too many things in the room to avoid tripping over the master, but the furnishings and utensils here were too shabby and perfunctory. There was also nothing to relieve boredom. A blind man living alone in such a large room. If it was him, he would have been driven crazy long ago.
He Xinying walked to the front of the table. Last time, she saw Xu Zhiheng rummaging through the boxes and cabinets. She didn't know what he was looking for. She pulled out a wooden drawer, and as expected, it was empty. Thinking about it, if there really was something, it would have been taken away by Xu Zhiheng long ago.
She didn't realize that she had unknowingly placed Xu Zhiheng in an opposing position. Towards this gentle and considerate husband, she no longer relied on and trusted him like she did in the past. Instead, it was replaced by vigilance and suspicion. Even the warmth and warmth of the past had become hypocrisy in He Xinying's eyes.
He Xinying walked around the room and checked all the wooden drawers and shelves. She didn't find anything useful. She had been out for too long, and it was too cold outside. The wind directly drilled into her knees. She rubbed her numb legs, looked at the relatively clean bed, and sat on the edge of the bed.
In the room, only the oil lamp in her hand emitted a faint light. Sitting here, she inexplicably felt a bit strange. When she calmed down, He Xinying was a little regretful. Why did she come here all of a sudden? There was no one here. It was said that the souls of the dead would linger in the place where they lived. If his elder sister was here … Although they were blood relatives, they weren't very close before. Moreover, if they really saw a ghost at night, it could scare people to death.
He Xinying couldn't help but grip the bedpost tightly. This was a habit she had developed since childhood. When she was young, she was timid and always slept with her mother. When she grew older, she couldn't sleep with her mother anymore. He Xinying had her own courtyard. When she lived alone, she was still very afraid. When she was most afraid, she would lean against the inside of the bed at night, tightly holding the bedpost against the wall, and softly praying for Bodhisattva's protection.
It was the same today.
However, when her fingers slid down the bedpost, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. He Xinying was startled. She stretched out her hand to touch the spot just now and felt that something was wrong. She climbed up to the head of the bed and raised the oil lamp to look inside. Suddenly, she found that on the bedpost against the wall, there was a slightly protruding piece of wood.
The girl was careful. She used her fingers to pull it out, and that piece of wood fell off. From inside, a roll of yellow paper was revealed. It seemed to have something written on it. Her heart was beating fast. She only knew that if this thing was hidden here, it must be very important. Perhaps this was what Xu Zhiheng was looking for.
She couldn't tell when someone would come here. He Xinying exerted her strength and pulled out something that looked like a book from the bed post that had been deliberately hollowed out. She hurriedly hid the book in her bosom and hurriedly fastened the wood of the bed post. Only then did she carefully leave while holding the oil lamp.
The surroundings were strangely quiet. He Xinying secretly returned to her room. Only then did she dare to take out the book from her clothes. She used the weak light of the oil lamp to take a look. Sure enough, it was a book. She looked at a few pages and was stunned. This was a … military book?
All kinds of military strategies were recorded in it. On the side, there were notes and opinions written by the reader. Looking at the handwriting, it definitely wasn't Xu Zhiheng's. No one in the Xu Family practiced martial arts. Moreover, it was hidden in such a secretive way. It was also in He Yan's room. No matter how she looked at it, this military book was left behind by her elder sister who died early.
But … how could He Yan read a military book?
If it was her cousin He Rufei, it would be more likely. However, He Rufei's military book didn't appear in the Xu Family. Why would they hide it so carefully?
He Xinying held the military book in her hands. She couldn't understand what was going on. At this time, someone's voice suddenly sounded from outside. He Xinying was startled. She quickly blew out the oil lamp and hid the book in the lowest box under the table. She quickly walked to the bed and lay down. Just as she lay down, a maidservant knocked on the door. "Eldest Young Mistress? Eldest Young Mistress? "
"What's the matter?" He Xinying pretended to be sleepy as she answered.
There was silence outside for a while. Then, someone said, "A thief entered the courtyard. Eldest Young Master told us to come and ask Eldest Young Mistress."
"A thief entered?" He Xinying was a bit nervous. However, she still pretended to be surprised. She put on her outer clothes and opened the door for the maidservant. She asked in confusion, "How could a thief enter the fu?"
"I don't know." That maidservant saw that He Xinying was really safe and sound in the room. She seemed relieved and said, "Eldest Young Master is currently interrogating the thief."
"I'll go take a look." He Xinying said. She closed the door and followed the maidservant to the main hall.
In the main hall, Xu Zhiheng was sitting on a chair in the middle. A group of servants stood around him. A person dressed as a servant was kneeling on the ground. He continuously kowtowed to Xu Zhiheng. "Eldest Young Master, please spare my life. Eldest Young Master, please spare my life. This little one really didn't take anything. I didn't take anything!"
Xu Zhiheng's face was so dark that it was about to drip water. He stared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Hand over the things you stole from Young Mistress' bedpost. Otherwise, you will die here today!"
When he said this, his eyes were gloomy and fierce. He was completely different from his previous gentle and amiable appearance. He Xinying was startled. When she heard the words' bedpost ', she became even more nervous. She reluctantly squeezed out a smile and walked to Xu Zhiheng's side. "Husband, what happened?"
Seeing He Xinying, Xu Zhiheng's expression relaxed. He pointed at the servant on the ground and said, "This person sneaked into A He's courtyard at night and stole A He's old things from the bedpost. He is extremely hateful!"
Fu Wang, the servant on the ground, hurriedly explained, "Eldest Young Master, it really wasn't this little one. When this little one found the bedpost, it was already empty. This little one really didn't take anything from inside!"
Fu Wang was also complaining incessantly in his heart. Today, he took advantage of the night when there was no one around. It was a good opportunity to sneak into Eldest Young Mistress's room to find the mysterious person's old things. As a result, he walked around the room and found that there was one place that was different from the others. It was the bedpost in the inner room. He originally thought that there would be some secret hidden inside, but when he opened it, it was empty. He didn't have time to feel regret. He didn't know when the people outside were alerted, but he was caught and brought to Xu Zhiheng.
"Eldest Young Master, it really wasn't this little one who did it. If you don't believe me … you can search this little one's body and the place where this little one lives … this little one is innocent!"
He Xinying looked at the servant who kept kowtowing and begging for mercy. He couldn't help but be frightened. It seemed that this servant had become her scapegoat. However, if it was just ordinary property, with Xu Zhiheng's temperament, he wouldn't be so harsh. At worst, he would just beat him with a plank and drive him out of the residence. Why did it seem like he was going to fight to the death? Could it be that Xu Zhiheng knew what was inside the bedpost? But it was just an ordinary military book!
He Xinying didn't understand.
"I see that your mouth is full of lies and not a single word of truth. Since it's like this, I won't be able to get a reason from you even if you stay here. I'll hand you over to the authorities to be dealt with," Xu Zhiheng said coldly.
As soon as these words came out, Fu Wang's face changed color. Since ancient times, most of the servants who were handed over to the authorities by their masters would die. Moreover, their deaths were especially torturous. He was just a little greedy for money, but he didn't want to lose his life. Moreover, he was so wronged. It had to be known that he didn't get anything. Since it was like this, of course protecting his own life was the most important thing. Fu Wang pleaded, "I beg Eldest Young Master not to hand this little one over to the authorities. In fact, this little one was entrusted by someone to steal something. This little one will tell Eldest Young Master everything I know. Can Eldest Young Master spare this little one's life?"
"Entrusted by someone?" Xu Zhiheng looked at him.
"That's right, that's right." Fu Wang kowtowed loudly, "Even if this little one was given a hundred guts, this little one still wouldn't dare to steal from the estate!"
Xu Zhiheng stared at Fu Wang, as if trying to discern whether Fu Wang's words were true or false. After a moment, he said to the surrounding people, "All of you can leave. I have something to ask this thief."
He Xinying glanced at the manservant on the ground, "Husband, I …"
"You also leave." Xu Zhiheng's attitude was very firm.
He Xinying didn't say anything and left. After the door closed, she looked in the direction of the room. She didn't know when, but her palms were already soaked with sweat.
That military book … What exactly was going on?
Inside the room, Xu Zhiheng opened his mouth and asked, "Speak. Who told you to steal from the Xu Estate?"
"It's … It's General He."
"You dare to lie to me?" Xu Zhiheng was furious.
Fu Wang was so frightened that he immediately knelt down, "This little one doesn't dare to lie to Eldest Young Master. This little one's acquaintance said that their master was General He! "
Xu Zhiheng's hands clenched into fists, and he suppressed his emotions as he said, "Why did He Rufei ask you to steal things?"
"This little one also doesn't know," Fu Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead, "They gave this little one a sum of money, and this little one was momentarily blinded by greed. I thought that I was only going to steal a few things and inquire about a person. It wasn't anything outrageous, so I agreed. "
"Inquire about a person?" Xu Zhiheng's eyes narrowed, "What exactly did they want you to do?"
Fu Wang only hoped that he could get out alive. He didn't care about anything else and simply told him everything he knew, "They wanted this little one to find some old things from Eldest Young Mistress's life, as well as people related to Eldest Young Mistress. When this little one entered the estate, Eldest Young Mistress had already passed away. I really couldn't find her, so I just thought that maybe I could steal something. " He was also very cunning. He only said that he was caught before he could do anything for the other party, and he didn't mention the matter of Mother Qin at all, "Tonight, I snuck into Eldest Young Mistress's room, but before I could find anything, I was discovered. But Eldest Young Master, the things in the bedpost really weren't taken by this little one. When this little one found the bedpost, it was already empty! "
These words weren't false, but unfortunately, Xu Zhiheng was still skeptical of him.
"I beg Eldest Young Master to spare this little one's life. This little one won't dare to do it again!" he pleaded.
Eldest Young Master Xu, who had always been soft-hearted and easy to talk to, didn't answer today. Fu Wang gathered his courage and looked up. He saw that under the light of the lantern, the man's face was half bright and half dark. Half of his face looked like an ordinary person, but the other half looked like a malevolent demon. It was so twisted that it made people's hearts turn cold.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Fu Wang felt that his little life was about to be lost, the people above spoke. Xu Zhiheng said, "Since you said that General He asked you to do something, this Eldest Young Master will spare your life. But … "His voice deepened," The next time they ask you to meet, you need to tell them that you didn't find anything. Also, you can't tell anyone that I found you. "
Was he going to lie to He Rufei's people? Fu Wang's suspicions flashed through his mind. He quickly lowered his head and said with tears of gratitude, "Many thanks, Eldest Young Master! This little one will definitely do a good job for Eldest Young Master! "
Xu Zhiheng looked at the servant kneeling and kowtowing at his feet and didn't say anything.
He Rufei actually secretly sent people to investigate He Yan's old belongings. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to use this information to threaten him?
Yes, a few days ago, there was a big fire in the Xianchang Restaurant. Coincidentally or not, it just happened to burn He Rufei's childhood notebook. As soon as the news reached the Xu Family, Xu Zhiheng guessed that He Rufei was behind it. It seemed that He Rufei wasn't as calm about the appearance of his cousin who had the same name as him.
The He Family had too many secrets that could be used against them. Madame He, He Rufei, He Yuansheng, and He Yuanliang. In comparison, the Xu Family had too few secrets that could be used against them. Even He Yan's death wasn't done by him. If the truth was revealed, Xu Zhiheng could completely escape unscathed.
Perhaps it was because of this that He Rufei felt uneasy. That was why he tried every possible means to get hold of He Yan's secret in the Xu Family. This way, as long as he could prove that he also knew about He Yan and He Rufei swapping identities, the Xu Family wouldn't be able to escape when the truth came to light one day.
He Rufei was afraid. That was why he wanted to drag the Xu Family down with him at this time.
Xu Zhiheng's face darkened.
Even though he knew about this matter from the beginning, he also understood that the He Family and Xu Family were in the same boat. However, when this matter really happened right under his nose, he still felt displeased. In the past, when he was safe and sound, he naturally hoped that they could live well and enjoy glory together. However, once something happened … He Rufei's actions were truly unethical.
Since He Rufei was going overboard, then he didn't need to care about their feelings. Speaking of which, just like how Fu Wang went around He Yan's room but didn't find anything, if something really happened, as long as there was no evidence, Xu Zhiheng could still protect himself.
At night, He Yan tossed and turned on the bed, unable to sleep.
She knew that He Rufei wasn't General Feihong and that his story was full of loopholes. However, everyone had to pay attention to evidence. It was impossible for the truth to come out with just one sentence from her. Furthermore, the truth sounded so inconceivable.
For the time being, there were no living witnesses in the Fuyue Army. Just Mother Qin alone wasn't enough. If they wanted to get hold of He Rufei's weakness, they had to start with the battle at Hua Yuan. During the battle at Hua Yuan, He Rufei and Uto must have had an unspeakable relationship.
He Rufei was very cautious. If they wanted to find evidence that He Rufei had colluded with the enemy and committed treason, perhaps they had to go to the He Residence.
The He Residence …
He Yan sat up from the bed and leaned against the head of the bed. She looked at the curtains and her thoughts gradually drifted away.
In reality, she wasn't afraid to step into the He Residence again. She had enough of being used and treated coldly by that "He Family". When she returned to the He Residence, she wouldn't have any old feelings for them.
However, when she thought about meeting Madame He again, she didn't know how to face her.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
