When Qin Nan heard that Su Shi had entered a haunted house, although he was a little worried and scared, he was more curious.
Now she was really scared, her hands and feet were cold, and her face turned pale.
Su Shi was startled and asked quickly, "Are you okay?"
Qin Nan didn't speak, just shook her head, but the handkerchief was crumpled into a ball by her.
Su Shi asked, "Do you know what I'm checking?"
Qin Nan just nodded, and then shook his head violently.
Su Shi looked at her with bright eyes and said, "You must know."
Qin Nan sighed sadly and said slowly: "Father doesn't want me to know, so I can only pretend not to know."
Su Shi was shocked again: "Master Qin? What does this matter have to do with Master Qin?"
At this time, Su Cai suddenly remembered that Qin Zhidao also left the capital ten years ago and became the governor of Jiang'an Prefecture.
Thinking of this, Su Shi suddenly asked in a deep voice: "Is Zhong Lingyao's father Zhong Lichuan the eunuch beside the prince?"
Qin Nan nodded and whispered: "Yes."
Su Shi also lowered his voice and asked with some confusion: "Is Master Qin also investigating the cause of the prince's death?"
This time Qin Nan hesitated for a long time, as if she was recalling some distant events. When she came back to her senses, she slowly said: "The first time I met Sister Zhong was three years ago. When Sister Zhong was in Jiang'an Mansion, Red Hall.”
There was no need for Qin Nan to explain clearly, Su Shi naturally knew where the Lianhong Pavilion was.
"On Chinese Valentine's Day that year, the Qiushui Academy in Jiang'an Prefecture held a Chinese Valentine's Day Poetry Festival, and invited my father to be the judge. At the poetry festival, Sister Zhong once performed on stage, and that was the first time I met Sister Zhong."
"You seem to be very close to Zhong Lingyao?"
"At the Qixi Festival Poetry Party, I was alone in a room with her. Sister Zhong was very enthusiastic, so we talked for a while. And I found that although Sister Zhong was in a brothel, she never felt sorry for herself, but was optimistic and cheerful, which I admired endlessly. .”
"We met several more times at later parties, so our relationship gradually became closer, and later we often met in person."
Su Shi suddenly asked: "Do you know that your father saved Zhong Lingyao?"
Qin Nan shook his head and said: "I didn't know it at first, but more than a year after I met Sister Zhong, one day I returned to the house and found Sister Zhong coming out of my father's study..."
At this point, Qin Nan's face suddenly turned red.
Seeing Qin Nan's shy expression, Su Shi couldn't help but joked: "Did you think your father had an affair with Zhong Lingyao at that time?"
Qin Nan couldn't help but glare at him and said, "Only you have dirty thoughts. My father is upright and dedicated, and Sister Zhong is also a clean and tidy person. How could they have an affair?"
Su Shi smiled and said, "Then why is your face red?"
Qin Nan said coquettishly: "I just suspect that they have known each other for a long time and are hiding something from me, but I definitely don't suspect that they have an affair."
Su Shi hurriedly admitted: "You're right, it was indeed my dirty thoughts."
Qin Nan continued: "Later, under my questioning, Sister Zhong confessed everything. Back then, her father Zhonglichuan served the prince personally, and the prince had great trust in Zhonglichuan. But the prince died suddenly, the emperor was furious, and Zhonglichuan Bear the brunt of it.”
Speaking of this, Qin Nan suddenly lamented: "How favored Zhonglichuan was by the prince's side at the beginning, how miserable his end was. Although other people who served the prince were sentenced to death by the emperor, their crimes were not as bad as those of their family members. Only Zhonglichuan, The emperor issued an order to kill everyone in the family."
Su Shi frowned and said, "Since the emperor was so angry that he ordered everyone in Zhongli Chuan to be executed, how did Zhong Lingyao survive?"
Qin Nan explained: "Sister Zhong was not originally named Zhong. She was abducted and trafficked when she was very young."
Speaking of this, Qin Nan couldn't help but sigh: "I don't know whether it was her luck or misfortune. When she was about to be sold to a brothel, she happened to be seen by Zhonglichuan. Zhonglichuan saw that she was pitiful and smart. , so he bought her out of compassion."
"Sister Zhong was deeply favored by Zhong Lichuan. Although she was still young at the time, she knew how to repay kindness, so she did everything with dedication. Zhong Lichuan had been getting along with Sister Zhong for a long time, and he saw that she was not only smart, but also had a pure character. , taking care of herself meticulously. Zhong Lichuan himself has no heirs, so he wants to accept Sister Zhong as his adopted daughter."
"It's just that something happened to Zhong Lichuan before the adoption ceremony could be held, so Sister Zhong shouldn't have died in the first place."
Su Shi couldn't help but frown and asked, "In that case, why do you say Master Qin saved her life?"
At this time, Qin Nan showed a look of admiration, and she said slowly: "When the house was ransacked, there was a lot of wailing in the house, but Sister Zhong was the only one holding Zhong Lichuan's memorial tablet, kneeling in front of the gate, facing the officers and soldiers who ransacked the house alone. "
"When the officials who came to search the house asked her who she was, Sister Zhong resolutely replied that she was Zhong Lichuan's adopted daughter. She also said that since she could not repay her adoptive father's great kindness in this life, she could only accompany him to death to prevent his father from being lonely on the road to hell."
Su Shi couldn't help but admired: "I didn't expect Zhong Lingyao to be so loyal and loyal, which would put many men to shame."
Qin Nan sighed again: "Since Sister Zhong admitted that she is Zhong Lichuan's adopted daughter, she was naturally sent to prison by the officers and soldiers, and was prepared to be executed at a later date."
"After my father heard about this incident, he was grateful for Sister Zhong's righteousness, and since he and Zhong Lichuan were old acquaintances, he asked to see the Crown Princess and told the story to the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess was also a kind-hearted person and promised to tell the Emperor I begged for mercy, and my father went to the prison to persuade Sister Zhong and gave up her will to die, so Sister Zhong was spared death."
Speaking of this, Qin Nan sighed: "Although Sister Zhong has been exempted from the death penalty, she still cannot escape the fate of being reduced to a brothel."
Hearing Zhong Lingyao's twists and turns of fate, Su Shi couldn't help but sigh.
After sighing, Su Shi vaguely felt that something seemed wrong.
He thought for a while and suddenly asked: "Why do you guess that Mr. Qin is investigating the cause of the prince's death?"
Qin Nan said quietly: "Before we were about to leave Jiang'an Mansion and return to Beijing, I saw Sister Zhong entering my father's study. I was curious for a moment, so I hid outside the door and eavesdropped."
"Although I didn't hear it clearly, I vaguely heard words such as prince, wasted death, capital city, layout, etc., and coupled with Sister Zhong's life experience, I naturally guessed it."
Su Shi couldn't help but ask: "Does Master Kong have a good relationship with the prince?"
Qin Nan shook his head and said, "I don't know, but I have never heard my father talk about his relationship with the prince."
Su Shi wanted to ask something else, but then he heard a rush of footsteps in the distance, and then he heard Lin Mo's voice.
"Second Young Master."
When Qin Nan heard that someone was coming, he suddenly panicked. Su Shi smiled and said, "You go first, I'll take care of it here."
Qin Nan nodded and left quickly.
When Lin Mo came to find him, Su Shi was the only one left in front of the flower garden.
