After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 412 Mark
Mrs. Zhou Ma was persuaded by her granddaughter and immediately sent Caijuan to the study to invite Zhou Shigong to come over.

Zhou Shigong came here with Hai Jiao. Seeing the old letter in his wife's hand and listening to the explanation from his sister-in-law and granddaughter, he couldn't help but feel dazed: "This...this means...the stepmother did not deliberately collaborate with the enemy, but was entrusted by others to do the work for those spies." For convenience? The one who is colluding with the Hu spies is Mrs. Wang from Liangzhou!"

Zhou Ma said hesitantly: "From what Ajia said, that's what it meant. But this letter... I don't know whether it is true or not. Even if it is true, it may not be what Ajia said... There is no name on the letter, and it is not signed. Time has eaten away again. If this letter is used as evidence to prove Ah Jia’s innocence, I’m afraid it won’t win people’s trust..."

Zhou Shigong frowned and asked again: "Then let Tu Tongzhi arrest this Mrs. Wang and interrogate her thoroughly."

Zhou Ma smiled bitterly: "But there was a fire at Wang's Grain Store in Liangzhou more than ten years ago. Mrs. Wang and her son's confidants all died in the fire..."

Zhou Shigong couldn't help being surprised: "Is this true? Why haven't I heard of it?!"

Zhou Ma still remembers how shocked the female family members of the generals of Chang'an were when the news came. Everyone has dealt with Mrs. Wang and received gifts from the Wang family every year. Some people who had been stationed in Liangzhou with her husband had more and closer contacts with her. Suddenly they heard that she was dead and that her whole family had died so badly. Too bad, who doesn't want to say a few words?

Zhou Shigong didn't understand that it was because he had been concentrating on his studies and not paying attention to outside affairs. When the Wang family was in flames, he had already passed the Jinshi examination and worked as an official outside, but his success was not very successful. After several years of ups and downs in the officialdom, he finally returned home. When he came to Chang'an, he relied on his family to find a civilian position in the army. Since the others were not in Chang'an, they naturally would not have heard about the fire at the Wangjia Liang Store in Liangzhou. By the time he returned to his hometown, two years had passed since then, and no one would talk about it again.

Zhou Ma told her husband the matter in detail.

Zhou Shigong suddenly became frustrated again, threw the letter on the table, and said listlessly: "What's the use of all this? There is no cure for the disease, and the letter is unclear. Who can prove that the Hu spies are from the Wang family?" Sent here? Besides, since the rumors about the Wang family have spread to the Sun family, and their family is related to Hu spies, how could the Sun family not find out when they caught someone? In order to avoid being implicated, the Sun family would only kill people and silence them. , how could he take the initiative to let people publicize the matter? His family took this matter as an excuse for our Zhou family, and they were not afraid that they would be dragged into the water!

"How many years has it been? Even if the Wang family really had something back then, I'm afraid the Sun family has already wiped out their hands. The Wang family is almost extinct. There was really no way to prove that there was anything shady in that year. Even if we send the letter, Tu Tongzhi will not find the Sun family and the Wang family. He may think that the letter is a forgery. Otherwise, he should have searched the letter when he searched the west courtyard. That’s when we get there.”

Zhou Yijun said hurriedly: "The letter paper is so old and smells of camphor. I'm afraid it has been packed in the box for many years. After Tu Tongzhi found something that day, he felt that he had gained something. Maybe he missed something?"

"Yes, yes." Zhou Ma persuaded Zhou Shigong with a bitter face, "Master, why do you have to worry so much? This letter was handed over by the Ajia on its own initiative. Even if it is fake, it is the Ajia's own fault. Uh-huh. Hand it over first and let Tu Tongzhi investigate. Before he finds out, we can buy some more time to discuss with the chief how to deal with it next..."

"What is there to discuss with the eldest brother?!" Zhou Shigong immediately darkened his face, "I have already told you not to disturb the eldest brother about this matter! Our third brother's family was unfortunate, and a poisonous woman was attracted to him. Our whole family can't escape, even at the cost of our lives and future. The eldest cousin has a high position in the border army. If he is implicated by us, it will cause unrest in the northwest border!"

Zhou Shigong didn't want to discuss this topic anymore. He had given the order anyway, and his wife and granddaughter only needed to obey the order.

He stood up and said, "I'm going back to the study first. Don't disturb me if you have nothing to do." He nodded to his sister-in-law Ma, pointing to Haijiao who was getting up to see him off and said, "This kid is smart and kind, but he's a little It's not something he can get involved in. My second aunt can persuade him to just concentrate on his studies and not meddle in other people's affairs." After that, he raised his feet and left. Zhou Ma couldn't help crying again: "What is this?! I haven't even finished what I said!" She also wanted to ask her husband if she could go to the fourteenth room to inquire about the news, but her husband impatiently said What should she do if she leaves early? !

Zhou Yijun gritted her teeth: "Since grandpa doesn't want to be disturbed, let's not let him worry about it. Grandma, will I go to Room 14 to pay my respects to the elders later?"

Zhou Ma took the handkerchief and wiped her tears: "I'd better take you there. The concierge can't stop the mistress like me from going out!" After a while, she excused herself to send her sister, grandparents and grandchildren out. Room went. Even if her husband gets angry at her after hearing the news, she still admits it. It’s business to get things done first.

Just do it. Mr. Zhou Ma immediately took his granddaughter to the fourteenth room. However, she had just cried a few times, and now she looked a little embarrassed. She had to wash her face and put makeup on again, comb her hair, and change her clothes before she could see anyone.

While Ma helped Caijuan and Cailuo change Zhou Ma's clothes, Haitang sat outside and asked Zhou Yijun for paper and pen, and drew on the paper the two ebony combs with gold that she just saw. He then glanced at Haijiao and asked Zhou Yijun: "Yijun, do you know what this mark is?"

Zhou Yijun glanced at it for a few times, with a hesitant look on his face: "What... is this? Is it a mark of something created within? I remember that there seems to be something like this in the Zhenguo Palace... but it's a little different... "

There was a Queen Mother of Zhou from the Zhenguo Palace, so it was normal to have items produced by the palace. It's just that the things the Empress Dowager Zhou gave to her mother's family cannot be the creations of the inner palace fifty or sixty years ago.

Haitang was about to guide Zhou Yijun further when she heard Hai Jiao interject: "Is this thing the mark of the inner palace's creation? The mark on Jin Jiashu's box of inner palace gold seems to be somewhat similar to this, but not completely. Same." He looked up at his younger sister, "Where did you see this?"

Haitang returned her brother's look with satisfaction: "Just now in the main room in the west courtyard, Mrs. Ma was dressing up in the mirror. I saw that in the box where she kept the jade combs, there were two ebony combs with gold accents. They looked very old. , it was at least fifty or sixty years old, and there was such a mark on it, so I looked at it a few more times and wrote it down."

Zhou Yijun was surprised: "Such an old thing? I've never heard of it..." Shortly after she was born, she followed her parents to Zhongwei, Ningxia. She had not stayed in Chang'an for more than ten years. When she came back this time, The west courtyard has been sealed off again, and Mrs. Ma has a bad relationship with her tribe, so she has never seen the cheap great-grandmother's dressing box and didn't know there was such a thing in it.

Hai Jiao frowned: "The Zhou family are also relatives of the emperor. Sanfang has been in the spotlight for so many years, so it's not surprising that Mrs. Ma has something made inside her hands."

At this time Zhou Ma came out of the room. She had already heard the conversation of several children, and hurriedly came over to take a look at the mark painted by Haitang, with a puzzled look on her face: "It's so strange... The family has always disliked things made from home. In the past, the Queen Mother sent an envoy from the capital. Come here to give gifts to the eldest brother, and he also doesn’t forget the clan members like you, but the Ah family never goes there, and even tells the master of the clan that he is a scholar who will take part in the imperial examination, and will be a high-ranking civil servant in the future, so he must not She should have less contact with relatives and military commanders, so as not to be looked down upon by famous scholars. She would not refuse the gifts from the eldest brother, but she would never go to the palace envoy to express gratitude. "

(End of this chapter)