Zhou Ma and Zhou Yijun reacted immediately.
Someone tipped off Mrs. Ma!
When Zhou Shigong escorted Zhang Pinggui, he acted so carefully and secretly that he packed the people into the carriage directly at the entrance of the main courtyard and did not let anyone else get close. He even sent people to the west courtyard to keep an eye on Mrs. Ma. The reporter learned the news that Zhang Pinggui was tied up. Who is the mole? !
Haitang helped Zhou Ma analyze: "Mrs. Ma just said that Zhang Pinggui was kidnapped when he came to the main courtyard to greet your aunt. If she heard this from the person who reported the news, instead of making an excuse herself , then the person who reported the news should not be the servant of the chief."
Zhou Jinpu's family and the servants around them knew very well that Zhang Pinggui was dragged here by Zhou Jinpu in a daze, and the so-called "please greetings" was out of the question.
Zhou Yijun also said: "The old lady also said that it was my grandmother who ordered Zhang Pinggui to be tied up... I guess the person who tipped off the information didn't know the whole story. He just saw Zhang Pinggui being tied up and didn't know that it was his grandfather who ordered the tied up person. In this case, the people who sent the message should not be the stewards and guards summoned by my grandfather."
Haitang felt that this conclusion was a bit hasty: "The people who helped escort Zhang Pinggui to the Zhenguo Palace have not come back yet. They cannot go to the West Courtyard to report the news. However, if they tell their accomplices about the matter, that accomplice will go there After reporting the news to the West Courtyard, Mrs. Ma didn’t have time to see this accomplice until she sent Zhou Jinpu’s family away, and she could also get the news.”
Zhou Yijun thought thoughtfully: "That's true...if one of the guards could only say a few words to his accomplices in a hurry and didn't have time to go into too much detail, it would be reasonable for the old lady to have a wrong understanding of the truth."
Zhou Ma said: "Eh, no matter whether that person asked someone else to pass on the message or not, if he dares to tell the truth to the master, he will not be tolerated! When the master comes back, I must tell him about it and let him thoroughly investigate the contents around him. ghost!"
Zhou Yijun thought for a while, then came up to Zhou Ma and whispered an idea: "Grandma, why don't you try to find a way to find out who sent the message to the West Courtyard, and where he was with the housekeeper or guard before. We have met. So, when my grandfather comes back and asks about it, you will have something to say, right? My grandfather has always ignored the family affairs. Even if the old man wanted to inquire after he found out, he would leave it to his confidants. But these confidants... Who knows if it’s reliable? It’s better that grandma does it herself!”
Mrs. Zhou Ma felt that her granddaughter's words made sense: "That's right. I should have taken care of the master's worries, instead of telling him the matter and letting him worry about it by himself."
Even though Ms. Zhou Ma was miserably bullied by her step-mother-in-law and step-son's family in the third room of the Zhou family, she had been married for more than thirty years. She also learned some house fighting skills at home and knew how to gain a foothold in a deep house. She couldn't get the power of housekeeper, but she didn't stop gathering her own manpower. Even if these people can't help her seize power, they can at least give her all the information and help her avoid the big hole dug by her step-mother-in-law.
She immediately sent Caijuan out, but within half an hour, the latter came back with new information.
When Mrs. Ma sent Zhou Jinpu away, she said that when the head of the village where his late mother was married years ago comes, he can ask the head of the village whether she is really greedy for money, and the Tu family will not help her to lie.
Zhou Jinpu was dubious, but it was already the twelfth lunar month, and there were only a few days until Zhuangtou went to Chang'an to report the accounts. He could wait patiently for a while, and believed that Zhuangtou would definitely favor him. He also agreed with his wife that no matter what the outcome would be, they would keep all of their late mother's dowry in their own hands and could no longer entrust others to take care of it.
When Zhou Ma heard this, he couldn't help but said: "These two stupid children, the Tu family is looking at the old lady's face now, how can they say bad things about her?! If they were really good for Zhou Jinpu, they would have said it long ago!"
Zhou Yijun whispered to Zhou Ma family: "Grandma, how about you think of a way to send a message to the Tu family? As long as the Tu family knows that the old lady has lost power, and takes her side, they will offend the entire Zhou family. I won’t dare to do it again!”
Zhou Ma was a little hesitant: "The Tu family used to say bad things about me in the early years, and I never had any dealings with his family. How can I pass on the news? If Zhou Jinpu knew about it, he would misunderstand that he was deliberately sowing discord."
Haitang thought of Uncle Ma. He had always had private contacts with the Tu family, but it seemed that Zhou Ma was not informed about this matter. But it doesn't matter, she can send a message to Uncle Ma on behalf of Zhou Ma.
The little interlude came to an end for now, and Caijuan continued to report the follow-up.
Mrs. Ma had no comment on Zhou Jinpu and his wife's plans and quickly sent them away. Afterwards, she returned to the house. Many mothers in charge came to comfort her and please her. The west courtyard was always very lively. When there were fewer people, Mrs. Ma rushed to the main courtyard angrily to question her daughter-in-law.
The last person who went to see Mrs. Ma was said to be the servant girl who was responsible for sweeping the house in the second gate, and her husband was working as an errand in the concierge in the front yard. In other words, her husband probably saw the carriage escorting Zhang Pinggui drive out of the gate while on duty today, and probably saw his face.
Zhou Ma was immediately annoyed: "The people in the front yard concierge have just changed. The master doesn't want the old lady to meet foreigners anymore, so he specially arranged for his confidants to go there. Unexpectedly, the newly arranged manpower There’s actually a mole inside?!”
Haitang said: "But isn't the carriage well covered? My great-uncle and my brother are also in the carriage. How could the people in the front yard be so sharp-eyed and see Zhang Pinggui being tied up in the carriage?"
Zhou Ma was startled, and then thought about it: "Could it be that the wind blew the car curtain at that time?"
Haitang didn't think that Haijiao would carelessly leave such a big flaw in the carriage. She began to think about the problem from another angle: "The fourth general of the Zhenguo Palace personally brought people to escort the car. If the person who tipped off such a big battle was really in the concierge, how could he not tell Mrs. Ma? Then she would Knowing that Zhang Pinggui was escorted away by the heavy troops of the Zhenguo Government, how could she believe the lie that her aunt just made up? She would not rush over to question her aunt. Because that meant that Zhang Pinggui was exposed and she would continue to protect this person. You’re going to get into trouble.”
Zhou Ma and Zhou Yijun both looked surprised: "That's right!"
Therefore, when the spy tipped off the news, he or she did not see General Thursday and his entourage, otherwise he or she would have no reason to ignore this large group of people and not mention a word to Mrs. Ma.
It can be inferred from this that the servant girl who sent the message could not have obtained the information from her husband. She got the letter in the back house and had never met General Thursday and his entourage.
So, did she see Zhang Pinggui herself, or did she learn about it from others?
Caijuan Cailuo was very sure that today's sweeping work around the main courtyard was completed as early as early in the morning. The maid in charge of sweeping could not have been near the incident. She should only be responsible for reporting the news, not the real mole.
So who is the mole? Did he or she see the situation when Zhang Pinggui was helpless in the main courtyard? Perhaps it was when Zhou Shigong left that the highest-ranking person in the house was Zhou Ma, so Madam Ma thought that it was Zhou Ma who ordered someone to tie up Zhang Pinggui.
But Caijuan remembered clearly that when Zhou Jinpu's family came to make trouble, she sent away the people in the main courtyard. When Zhou Jinpu turned around and went to the west courtyard, she sent a few people to follow to watch the excitement. Basically empty.
Cailuo also said that the three servants in the backyard can testify to each other that no one has left.
So...after Zhang Pinggui was tied up and before General Zhou showed up, who else among the servants in the main courtyard could be the mole?
Was it the housekeeper who drove over, or the guard who carried Zhang Pinggui to the car? Or someone else?
Zhou Ma took a deep breath: "Check again! Check who among the people who went out with the master today spoke to the servant girl who reported the news!"
(End of chapter)
