"The deceased is the most important person. You have offended me. Kowtow three times. Isn't that too much?" Song Che pointed at the reinstalled urn and raised his eyebrows at Jia Dai.
Jia Dai gritted his teeth and kowtowed three times to the ashes altar. He raised his head and glared at Song Che fiercely: "You dare to leave your name if you have the guts?"
"Why don't you dare to do this?" Song Che said loudly: "Prick up your ears and listen carefully. I can't change my name but I can't change my surname. Chen Ren is the one!"
Jia Dai secretly nodded, "Let's go!" He led the gangsters and left Jiuyue Zhai in despair.
Song Che picked up the urn and hurried forward to check on Cao Lin. He felt her breath and sighed: "What a pity, God is jealous of beauty."
When the guests saw that the person was really dead, they quickly dispersed for fear of being implicated.
In the originally crowded courtyard, there were only a few bewildered maids left.
"Sister Nong Yue...you are finally here!"
I saw Yue Yue, a beauty who was twenty-five or sixty-six years old. She was dressed in azure blue palace clothes. Her aura was as independent as heaven and earth, and her charming appearance was rare in the world. She hurriedly stepped into the courtyard and saw Cao Lin lying on the ground. She sighed secretly and greeted the maid beside her: "Take her down."
"Wait a minute." Song Che took the lead and held up Cao Lin, "She is my distant cousin. Now that she is gone, let me take her body back for burial, right?"
"Even if she dies, the funeral affairs should be taken care of by the Red Mansion, not to mention——"
"Big beauty."
Song Che took out the Purple Gold Token and threw it to Nongyue, "Can I spare you a little time so we can have a private chat?"
Nongyue was surprised with the token in her hand. She looked Song Che up and down for a while, then turned around and said, "Follow me into the boudoir."
Song Che picked up Cao Lin and followed Nong Yue upstairs.
After entering the boudoir, Nong Yue closed the door and windows and said softly: "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Song Che put Cao Lin on the bed, tore off a piece of bed curtain, and bandaged the wound on her forehead.
"You are so immoral. Why did you tear down my bed curtain?" Nong Yue scolded softly.
Song Che said: "Everyone has been saved, so why care about a bed curtain? I can accompany you a hundred times later."
Nonyue frowned: "When did I save her?"
"You and I both know that she is not dead, she just fainted."
"It's best this way, it saves me having to explain to the officials."
"But her life would be worse than death, so it would be better to let her die."
"What do you mean?"
"You should understand what I mean."
"Do you want to cheat and fake death to help her leave the Red Mansion?"
Women who can write poetry are really smart. But she decisively refused: "This is absolutely impossible!"
Song Che said calmly: "Leaving the Red Mansion is the only reason for her to live. If you force her to stay, sooner or later you will get a corpse. In this case, why not show mercy and help her escape from the sea of suffering?"
Nong Yue'er's eyebrows tightened and her mind was struggling.
"Furthermore, I taught Jia Dai a lesson today. If you still keep Cao Lin in the Red Mansion, he will definitely come back to cause trouble in the future. But if Cao Lin dies, he is worried that he will be implicated, and maybe he won't be able to do it for a long time." If he shows up in the Red Mansion again, Miss Nong Yue will probably be disgusted by such a playboy and bully, right?"
Song Che gently caressed the wound on Cao Lin's forehead. Originally, he was worried about how to help this woman redeem her life. Unexpectedly, tonight she bumped into him and an opportunity came to him.
"Do you think she is an ordinary person? She is a registered official prostitute. Who do you think I am? I am just..."
It was hard for Nong Yue to say that no matter how much she was a star, she was just a prostitute.
"You don't have to worry about this at all. After all, Jia Dai is closely related to Cao Lin's death. He would never think of making a big deal out of it. Besides," Song Che took out the "feather letter" from his sleeve and wrote it in Nonyue waved in front of her face: "Do you know He Xuanzhang?"
Nongyue was stunned. Who doesn't know He Xuanzhang?
Song Che smiled and said, "I happen to know him too, and we're very familiar with him."
Use chicken feathers as arrows to eat fresh food all over the world.
Nongyue stared at the purple gold token in her hand again. After a moment, she finally raised her head and looked at Song Che: "Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am, what matters is what I'm doing... Miss Nongyue, isn't this a good thing? It can build virtue for you."
Song Che picked up Cao Lin and walked outside the house.
When passing by the dressing table, I also found a familiar earthenware jar.
"Is this thing easy to use?"
"What?"
"Hangzhou specialty, pearl white jade paste."
Yes, the porcelain jar on the dressing table is pearl white jade paste.
Song Che once remembered that this facial mask was only sold in Jiangnan. When did it spread to Luoyang?
"Does it have anything to do with you?" Nong Yue was a little confused.
Song Che turned around and gave her a mysterious smile: "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Nong Yue, tonight. I owe you a favor."
Nong Yue was disdainful, "I know half of the dignitaries in the capital, so what does your favor mean?"
Song Che smiled and said nothing, pushed the door open and left.
"etc."
"Um?"
"There is a carriage in the backyard to take care of drunken guests. You can choose to take one... Also, if the fire can't be contained, I won't accommodate you."
"good."
After Song Che left the boudoir, Nong Yue closed the door, moved to the window, and opened it slightly, just enough to see the backyard.
After seeing Song Che leaving in the car, the beauty behind the window sighed quietly, touched the purple gold token in her hand, and muttered to herself: "Traveling around the world to seek her phoenix..."
If she wasn't a close person, how could she have shown mercy?
"The phoenix is in a cage, what does the phoenix want..."
She sighed again, closed the window, and hid the envy and helplessness in her eyes.
…
Out of the red building.
In order to avoid being crowded with people, Song Che specially found an inconspicuous small inn and stayed here for the time being.
A delicate and wealthy young lady probably didn't have the strength to hit herself to death. Although Cao Lin was still in a coma, her heart rate and breathing were very steady, and she would wake up soon.
Song Che lay on the table and took a nap.
"Dad! Mom! Don't... don't..."
When I woke up, it was already dawn.
Cao Lin frowned, the quilt had been kicked over under the bed, and her little hands kept scratching. Song Che quickly mixed a cup of painkillers and fed her to drink. After a while, she fell asleep peacefully again.
"How kind you are, how lucky you are."
Song Che covered Cao Lin with the quilt again, left a letter, and left the inn.
If you want to make things seamless, the finishing work must be done well.
The morning market has opened.
Song Che first went to a birthday shop to order two coffins. Then, through the recommendation of the owner of the shop, he hired a group of gangsters to do secret work. Then he went to a paper shop to buy some funeral items... In short, it was a one-stop service. You have to have everything.
In order to be on the safe side and make Cao Lin's death look realistic, Song Che also made a special trip to Yizhuang and picked out the unclaimed female corpse of a stranger in a foreign land for burial.
After everything was settled, Song Che led the funeral procession back to the inn. At this time, Cao Lin also woke up. Song Che asked her to change into linen clothes, wrap herself in mourning cloth, and quietly get into the carriage.
Seven miles away from the city is the ancestral grave of the Cao family.
Song Che was given enough money and the pole pullers worked very hard, building two new tombs in one noon.
Cao Tian's tomb, Cao Lin's tomb, and "Ai's Tomb" next to it, should be Cao Lin's biological mother.
Is it a blessing or a tragedy for a family of three to reunite in this way?
After the funeral team left, Cao Lin got off the carriage. Finally she couldn't hold back her tears and knelt down in front of Cao Tian's tombstone and cried loudly.
Song Che didn't know how to comfort her. He only waited until she was tired of crying, then handed over the handkerchief and said lightly: "People can't be resurrected after death. Please bear with me and accept the change."
"Brother Song, you helped me escape from the Red Mansion and sent my father to his grave. Cao Lin has nothing in return. I am willing to be a cow or a horse and serve you in this life!"
Cao Lin was about to kowtow, and Song Che quickly supported her, "Miss Cao, you don't have to be like this. Now that you are free, you should change your appearance, forget the past, and start a new life."
Cao Lin's eyes were filled with tears and she bit her lip, "Brother Song, although I entered the Red Mansion, my body is still innocent."
"No, no, no, Miss Cao doesn't know something. I already have a family, and I am a married woman, so——"
"What's the problem? Cao Lin is willing to be a concubine, even a slave or a maid, she just wants to stay with Brother Song to repay her kindness!"
Cao Lin changed her appearance and had to give up all her personal relationships. She was a weak woman, and if she wandered around the world, her life would be worse than that of the Red Mansion.
Song Che pursed his lips and thought for a moment, then asked, "Can Miss Cao know how to embroider?"
Cao Lin nodded, "I learned it at the age of five. It has been seventeen years ago. I know everything about birds and animals, including pine, bamboo, plum orchid."
"That's good. My family is in Suzhou and is well-known in Jiangnan for its embroidery business. The shop is short of skilled embroiderers. If Miss Cao doesn't mind, how about joining my house to help? If your skills are passable, I recommend you to be a steward. .”
"I am willing with all my heart!"
"Cao Lin died last night, you have to change your name."
"My mother's surname is 'Ai', how about I call her 'Irene'?"
"Sounds good!"
…
On the way back to the city, Song Che asked Cao Lin about the reasons for his family's changes.
turn out to be:
It is still related to the court parties.
There were many groups in the imperial court, among which the two largest forces were the main war faction headed by Gao Chen and the main peace faction headed by Jia Taishi.
When you become an official in the court, you are not allowed to keep your integrity, and you must choose a side.
Compared with the coward of the peace faction, Cao Tian recognized Gao Chen of the war faction more. Differences in political views would lead to conflicts, overt and covert fights to the death.
As the main war faction, Cao Tian was ordered to go to the south of the Yangtze River and was responsible for the transfer of the Sui coin business. His death was probably related to those of the main war faction who had lost their interests.
After Cao Tian was assassinated, the Cao family was not implicated at first. However, a few days ago, a fire broke out at the post station outside Yingzhou Mansion, burning fifty carts of silk in one fell swoop;
In this way, the Lord He Faction had another clue. The sycophant exaggerated the situation, made slanderous remarks, and confused right and wrong. In addition, the emperor was old and fatuous, and Long Yan became angry at every turn.
Of course, the dead are the most suitable candidates to take the blame. When Cao Tian took over the post of Coin Transfer Envoy, he was destined to become a victim of partisan struggles.
About Jia Dai——
From the conversation between Jia Dai and Cao Lin last night, it can be roughly understood that the two families have already had conflicts.
Jia Dai's family name is Huang. His father and Cao Tian were family friends. They were officials in the same court when they were young. However, the Huang family was naturally greedy and was later deposed for corruption. From then on, the Huang family fell into decline. In addition, Jia Dai was uneducated and incompetent. Then he lost all his family property and became a common man in Luoyang city.
Later, Jia Dai didn't know what happened to his ancestors, but he was lucky enough to have the support of Master Jia. Jia Dai changed his surname and recognized himself as the godson of Master Jia.
Grand Master Jia was a high-ranking official, and due to the influence of Chao Gang's ethics, he couldn't do some things openly, so he accepted a few godsons to launder money and make money for him. Jia Dai was one of them. He was ruthless and smooth in dealing with people. He quickly stood out among his godsons.
Today, the Jia family has three entire streets of property under its command. In Luoyang, a land where every inch of land is worth a lot of money, three streets are already quite impressive.
After Jia Dai gained power, he visited the Cao family three times to propose marriage. Cao Tian knew full well that his wealth came from a shady way and was contrary to the political parties in the DPRK, so he refused them all. Because of this, the two families formed a lot of hatred.
…
Song Che still regarded the struggle for interests in the court too simply. He thought that transferring tribute to the Xiqiang could bring the generals and generals together. Little did he know that in such a large court, there were not only sycophants but also traitors.
The Liang Dynasty was in danger.
"Brother Song, Jia Dai is ruthless and ruthless. He uses the support of Grand Master Jia to do all kinds of evil in Luoyang City. Last night you made a grudge with him. If you stay in Luoyang for a long time, he will definitely not let you go. .”
A court official far away in Suzhou was also assassinated. A powerful villain like Jia Dai would have no use escaping anywhere unless he was completely crushed to death.
"Don't worry, I have a way to kill him."
