The matter of the Grand Commissioner taking Xu Li away from the Supreme Court did not alarm anyone, so it was already two days later that Liu Hao received the news.
His original plan was to let Yin Yuanrong go to the Xue family to arrest someone and then talk to his maternal grandfather, Yin Tianhou, so that Yin Yuanrong could get involved and find out the truth. It would be best if he could find some dirt on the Xue family.
Now that the Grand Commissioner had taken Xu Li away, it was obvious that he had received the Emperor's permission to interrogate him in secret.
However, Liu Hao still went to Prime Minister Yin's residence and found Yin Tianhou, who was fishing by the fish pond in the backyard.
"Grandfather, someone told me that Yuanrong brought people to the Xue family to arrest a servant?"
Yin Tianhou sat by the pond, the corner of his robe tucked into his belt, one trouser leg rolled up to his ankles, a pair of straw shoes stained with mud, and a straw hat on his head. At first glance, he looked no different from those old men who often went fishing on Lake Jade Lion.
He held the fishing pole with one hand and took out meat bait from the crock with the other. He was distracted and talked to Liu Hao, "Someone took down the imperial notice and went to find him. He had no choice but to go. He said that he arrested a chief steward of the Xue family and went to the Supreme Court to question him."
Liu Hao saw that he looked as if it had nothing to do with him, so he couldn't say anything. He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for him to put down the pole. Only then did he think of an excuse.
"I'm just a little worried about what other people will think if they know about this. A while ago, Yuanrong and Xue Chengbi had a conflict in Heng Wu Building. In the end, Yuanbo from my second uncle's family was arrested and sent to the Supreme Court. If someone talked about it, it would be hard to avoid linking these two things together."
Yin Tianhou steadily held his bamboo pole and looked up at Liu Hao. He was born with a kind face. Even when he frowned, he didn't show any fierceness.
"What did that bastard Yuanbo do this time?"
He had a lot of children and grandchildren. Not all of them were raised in front of him. Some were valued, while others were neglected. However, he could clearly see who was successful and who was not.
Liu Hao hesitated and said, "I think Second Uncle was afraid that you would be angry, so he didn't dare to come to you to complain. I've asked around and this is what happened …"
As he said this, he roughly told him the story of how Yin Yuanbo insulted the Celestial Commissioner in Heng Wu Mansion. He didn't add anything and only hid the fact that he was the one who instigated it.
"It just so happens that Xue Chengbi is the sworn brother of Lady Messenger Miao Ling and they have a close relationship. Since Yuan Bo had ruined the lady's reputation like this, he definitely wouldn't let it go. Therefore, he confronted Yuan Rong on the spot and proved that Yuan Bo was spreading rumors and wanted to bring Yuan Rong back for interrogation and punishment. Yuan Rong put down his pride and begged for mercy from him, but Xue Chengbi didn't let it go. In the end, he brought Yuan Rong back to the yamen.
When Yin Tianhou heard this, his face darkened and he scolded, "Useless thing."
He was angry for a while. After all, he was his grandson. He couldn't help but worry, "Do you know where he is now?"
Liu Hao sighed and said helplessly, "He's still locked up in the Supreme Court's prison. He was beaten dozens of times, but Xue Chengbi refused to let him go. Second Uncle went to the prison and couldn't get him out. Two days ago, he came to me. You know that Guo Huaian doesn't listen to anything in the Supreme Court. Even I can't do anything. Coincidentally, Xue Chengbi went out to do some work, so no one could release him."
"You went to the prison to see him?" Yin Tianhou asked.
"I was afraid people would gossip, so I sent someone to see him. He said that he suffered some physical pain and was beaten until his skin was torn, but his life was not in danger."
Liu Hao lied and didn't tell the truth. He sent someone to visit Yin Yuanbo in the prison and saw that Yin Yuanbo didn't just suffer some physical pain. Xue Chengbi was ruthless and didn't go easy on Yin Yuanbo, hitting his lower body with the rod. When Yin Yuanbo came out, he was pretty much crippled.
Yin Tianhou snorted and said, "Don't worry about him. Let him stay in there and reflect. It's time for him to learn from his mistakes."
As he said this, he shook the fishing rod in his hand. He turned his head and stared at the bobber. He grabbed the fishing rod and pulled it up. The silver fishing line flashed in the air, and in the next moment, a white carp jumped out of the water.
Yin Tianhou caught the lively, fat fish, took the hook, and threw it back into the pond. He put away the rod and stood up with the basket.
"You're not fishing anymore?" Liu Hao asked.
Yin Tianhou took off his hat to cool himself, revealing a head of messy white hair. He looked like an old man. "If I'm in a bad mood, how can I have the appetite to eat fish?"
After grumbling, he ignored Liu Hao and walked back alone with his fishing gear.
Liu Hao knew that he had the temper of an old child and didn't have any discontent. He picked up the snuff bottle that he had dropped on the rock and followed.
***
In the afternoon, Liu Hao returned to Ning Wang Fu. The noon meal was at the Yin Fu. Following Yin Tianhou's tastes, there was a table of vegetarian chicken and duck. He didn't eat well, so when he came back, he had the servants cook a Sichuan spicy meal and set it up in Wang Feng Pavilion. He ordered two of the fu's entertainers to come and sing for the afternoon.
After Liu Hao's wedding, he had promoted his two shiqie to shu fei. One of them was called Yaohong. She had a beauty that shamed the moon and the flowers. She had entered the fu for three months and was in the middle of being pampered. Hearing that Liu Hao was in the garden, she hurriedly dressed and came to find him.
Liu Hao saw her come and beckoned her to his side. With one hand on her shoulder, he allowed her to feed him wine. He carefully served, occasionally grumbling. His mood was just right. Suddenly, a taijian that was in charge of managing the inner courtyard jogged over from the other end of the fake mountain. He stopped outside Wang Feng Pavilion and called out in a low voice to Liu Tan:
"Your Highness, please report."
Making a hand gesture that others didn't understand, Liu Hao waved his hand to interrupt the babbling entertainers. He lightly pushed Yaohong and pointed at a patch of flowers not far away. He said: "There's a bunch of begonia blooming over there. Pick a big one back and ye will put it on for you."
Yaohong knew that he was driving her away. She sensibly got up and smiled coquettishly as she covered Liu Hao's chest. Turning her head, she walked towards the patch of flowers.
The taijian hurriedly came forward and whispered in Liu Hao's ear. He quickly said: "The lady in the courtyard is about to give birth. Her illness flared up four hours ago. Since you weren't here, this servant boldly brought an old woman in to help her with the birth."
Liu Hao's eyebrows jumped. Counting the days, the woman's child was conceived in February. It was now nine months. It was about time for the child to be born.
"Can she give birth?" He asked.
"The midwife said that the position of the fetus is very good. It won't be too difficult."
Liu Hao suddenly couldn't sit still. Half a year ago, he stepped forward to protect Ji Xingxuan. He put her under his eyelids. He wanted to find out who the child in her belly belonged to. He wanted to find out who snatched him first. The truth was about to be revealed. He couldn't wait a moment longer.
"Go, let's go see."
In a place that no one could reach in the houyuan, wang ye was raising a woman that couldn't see the light.
.....
That high wall was covered with red silk grass all year round. On the other side of the wall, there was a sealed little yard. There was only a secret door behind the vines that could only be opened from the outside. If the people outside didn't go in, the people inside couldn't come out.
Liu Hao stood under the only old locust tree in the courtyard. He could clearly hear the woman's painful screams, but he didn't feel any pity. He just waited impatiently. He had been waiting here for half an hour.
"Why hasn't it been born yet?" He waved his hand for the taijian Zheng Cheng who was under the wall to come over. He didn't have any children in Ning Wang Fu. It was the first time he saw a woman give birth. He didn't know that some women could endure a day from labor to birth.
"Wang ye, don't blame me. Giving birth is like this." Zheng Cheng had a smile on his face. In his mind, the child in the belly of the girl in the room was definitely wang ye's flesh and blood. He took Liu Hao's impatience as worry.
At this time, a heart-wrenching scream came from the room. Not long after, the clear cries of a baby filled the yard.
Zheng Cheng smiled when he heard this. He hurried to the door and asked inside: "Is it gongzi or xiaojie?"
The older woman inside panted as she answered: "Great joy, great joy, it's a gongzi!"
Inside the room, Ji Xingxuan was lying on her back on the bed. The towel on her forehead was already soaked. A few strands of black hair stuck to her face. She narrowed her eyes and struggled to turn her head. She found the wrinkled little fellow in the midwife's hands. In an instant, it was like a fire was burning in her heart. It was so hot that tears flowed uncontrollably.
.....
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Ji Xingxuan was moved to the next room by two strong and mute servants. They fed her a cup of ginseng soup and changed her into a clean bedding. A quilt was placed over her body. She washed her face and wrapped her hair. Then, she went to the yard and asked Liu Hao to come in.
The room was filled with a cold fragrance that covered the smell of blood on her body. When Liu Hao came in, he stared straight at Ji Xingxuan. Since her belly grew bigger day by day, he didn't come to see her. After two or three months, when he saw her again, he felt that she was a completely different person from the cold and aloof woman that he was infatuated with.
Her cheeks were plump and her eyelids were swollen. She was no longer beautiful. All that was left was a body that made people feel sick.
Liu Hao frowned and sat down in front of her. Ji Xingxuan opened her eyes. She was not surprised to see him. She opened her mouth and asked: "Where is my child?"
Liu Hao said: "He is next door. Don't worry, he is fine."
Without waiting for Ji Xingxuan to heave a sigh of relief, his next words caused all the muscles in her body to tense up. "However, if you don't answer me honestly, I can't guarantee that you'll ever see that bastard again."
When she heard him call her child a bastard, Ji Xingxuan did not get angry. On the contrary, she was very calm and retorted him word by word:
"My child is not a bastard. If you want to know who his father is, don't try to provoke me. I can tell you some secrets that you can't even dream of. I promise that I won't let you down. But you have to promise me something first."
She was very clear that the birth of the child was equivalent to letting Liu Hao control her life. So what she needed to do now was to protect the mother and child.
Liu Hao was very interested in the "secret" that she mentioned. He crossed his legs and raised his chin to ask her:
"What do you want? Tell me. "
Ji Xingxuan slowly exhaled so that her voice would not tremble and sounded more confident.
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