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

Chapter 477 gradually revealed
Haitang's words reminded everyone present.

There were some things that they didn't pay attention to at first, but now that they noticed it, they couldn't help but feel a little weird.

Both Zhenguo Gong and his wife still clearly remember that Mrs. Ma's daughter Zhou Shuyi came to Beijing to meet the young Marquis Yingchuan. However, due to the long distance, the latter already had a sweetheart when they arrived in Beijing, so the marriage had to be abandoned. The Empress Dowager Zhou originally planned to betroth Zhou Shuyi to the legitimate son of another noble family, who was both talented and beautiful, but she refused and insisted on marrying the brother of Yingchuan Hou.

The third wife of the Zhou family was originally very dissatisfied with the marriage. Master Zeng had mediocre qualifications, no title, and no matchmaker from the Queen Mother. How could he be worthy of his daughter? But Mrs. Ma firmly supported her daughter's decision, tried her best to persuade her husband, and prepared a generous dowry for her daughter.

However, she was so enthusiastic about her daughter's marriage that she refused to go to Beijing to get married no matter what. The tribesmen secretly suspected that she was actually dissatisfied with her daughter's marriage, but she only persuaded her husband to agree because she loved her daughter so much. She denied it repeatedly, saying that she couldn't let go of her husband and family affairs, so she suppressed the gossip.

Zhen Guogong and his wife never thought much about it before, but now they know that Mrs. Ma was once engaged to Marquis Yingchuan's grandfather, but the engagement was broken off due to an affair, and they feel very uncomfortable. It's just that Marquis Yingchuan didn't know about the connection between the two families. Mrs. Ma knew clearly who her daughter wanted to see when she came to Beijing. What kind of mood did she have in sending her daughter away? Zhou Shuyi couldn't marry the Marquis of Yingchuan, so she would rather give up other better marriage partners than marry a descendant of the Marquis of Yingchuan. Is it really just a moment of anger? Madam Ma didn't tell her anything in advance?
The Duke of Zhen and his wife did not believe that with Mrs. Ma's temperament, she would feel that she could not live with him because she lost her fiancé, and would marry her daughter to his children and grandchildren as compensation. If Zhou Shuyi married into the Tseng family to apologize for her mother's sins, then by coveting the family's inherited title and trying to kill the marquis' eldest son, was she repaying a debt or taking revenge? !
Mrs. Zhen Guogong couldn't help but asked Mrs. Ma: "Third Aunt, you...did you marry Shuyi into the Zeng family intentionally? Could it be that you had an affair with the hostage of a foreigner back then, and Prince Pingxihou discovered it?" Why did you break off the engagement later? Because of this, your father turned against you. Are you holding a grudge and intending to take revenge on the descendants of Prince Ping Xihou? "

Zhou Ma also said in a daze: "My aunt wants the title of Marquis of Yingchuan so much, and she also wants to kill the Marquis of Yingchuan. Could it be that you ordered it from Ajia? You... you really hate this person. Five days later, Even if it takes ten years, his family will lose a life!"

Mrs. Ma's face changed, but she still firmly denied it: "No such thing! What grudges do I have with the Yingchuan Hou Mansion?! What happened back then... Prince Pingxi Hou didn't know anything about what happened back then! I didn't know anything about it! My parents canceled the engagement for me and then sent me away. Prince Pingxi even caught up with me and asked me why! He was completely infatuated with me. If my father had not insisted on canceling the engagement, we would have got married in the following spring. "However, the ex-fiancé who acted so infatuated at first, after confirming that Duke Qin could not change his mind, made a marriage contract with another woman without even waiting for her to return to Beijing...

Mrs. Ma couldn't help gritting her teeth when she thought of this: "In short, it's just a coincidence that Shuyi married into the Zeng family. No matter how good Chang'an is, it can't compare with the prosperity of the capital. It's rare that the Queen Mother is willing to be a matchmaker, so I naturally hope that Shuyi can marry She went to the prince's mansion in the capital and enjoyed a lifetime of glory and wealth. When she failed to marry the Marquis of Yingchuan, Shuyi took advantage of the situation and married his brother. I had made up my mind, what could I do? I could only let my child get married happily. Later she said she wanted a title, but I couldn't get her to do it, but she was my biological daughter, so I still wanted to do it. How can you wrong your own daughter for the sake of your unmarried fiancé?”

It sounds reasonable.

However, Duke Zhen's suspicion was not so easy to dispel: "The third aunt is indeed too doting on Shuyi, your biological daughter. Shicheng is also your flesh and blood, and you value her more than Shuyi since childhood. But after he was released, you You haven't worried about his affairs much. Even marrying a wife and having children are all decided by your third uncle. On the other hand, since your daughter Shuyi married into the Zeng family, your preference for her has only increased. You not only give money to others. , and also bought and transported kerosene for her. When she said that she wanted to murder the Prince of Yingchuan, you did not hesitate to use all your achievements in Chengdu to make her happy. People who didn't know it thought that Shuyi was the only one. My biological child!"

Mrs. Ma pursed her lips. She did originally value her son more because he could inherit the family business. But who said that the husband took the son with him and taught him? Zhou Shicheng refused to listen to her and warned her from time to time. Even the wife he married was not of her liking, and the children and grandchildren he gave birth to were even more unwilling to be sent back to her for upbringing. How can such a son like his obedient daughter? !

But she couldn't tell the truth, so she could only quickly make up an excuse in her mind. Just as she was about to defend herself, Tu Rong suddenly said: "Shortly after Zhou Shuyi secretly purchased the first batch of kerosene without telling anyone, Zeng There was a fire in the family ancestral hall, and there were traces of kerosene on the scene. Does this matter have anything to do with you, mother and daughter?" Madam Ma paused for a moment before replying: "What does this matter have to do with us? Related? I don’t know about this at all!”

Tu Rong continued: "Zhou Shuyi's plan for a title began soon after she married into the Yingchuan Hou Mansion. As soon as she gave birth to her son, she urged Yingchuan Hou to adopt her son as his heir. At that time, Yingchuan Hou was only married for two or three years. It is not surprising that she has no heirs. She once spread rumors that Mrs. Yingchuan Hou was in poor health and could not have children. The birth of the Yingchuan Hou Crown Prince was enough to prove this lie. In addition, the fire in the Zeng family ancestral hall... …Could it be that Zhou Shuyi is seeking the title of Marquis because only the Marquis and the Crown Prince are qualified to enter the main room at the back of the ancestral hall? What is there in that room that you want to get even at the cost of your own daughter’s life?”

Mrs. Ma's breath tightened, and she quickly tried to calm herself down, pretending to be nonchalant: "I don't know what you are talking about." However, the change in her expression had clearly betrayed her.

Tu Rong felt that he had vaguely touched the truth. He looked at Zhenguo Gong and his wife, then at Ma Shangyi, then turned around and told his lieutenants: "Go and invite Commander Zeng over."

He was talking about Zeng Qingxi, the commander of the Chang'an avant-garde who had just arrived. This is the adopted son and old subordinate of the previous Marquis of Yingchuan, and the adopted brother of the current Marquis of Yingchuan. He grew up in the Marquis of Yingchuan's Mansion. He once saw the man who did not inherit the title of Marquis of Pingxi but became the first Marquis of Yingchuan. The former Prince of Pingxihou must know the story of the Zeng family better than he, the cousin of Marquis of Yingchuan, does.

Moreover, Zeng Qingxi and Tu Rong received their assignments from the court almost one after another, but they arrived in Chang'an much later than the latter to take office. The delay in the process was said to be caused by the affairs of the Yingchuan Marquis Mansion. After he took office, he once visited Tu Rong. Although he didn't say some words explicitly, Tu Rong could guess a little bit.

It is estimated that Marquis Yingchuan interrogated Zhou Shuyi, the younger sibling who attempted to murder the Crown Prince, and finally got some useful information.

Today, Tu Rong, the Zhenguo Duke and his wife, and the Queen Mother's envoy Ma Shangyi went to the west courtyard of the third room of the Zhou family to interrogate Mrs. Ma. This was not a formal trial, but a secret hearing. Since the royal family and the clan's government had confirmed Mrs. Ma's identity as a clan daughter in advance, the emperor did not want the family scandal to be publicized, so Duke Zhenguo had greeted Magistrate Huang of Chang'an Mansion in advance, and the latter wisely avoided it. Although Zeng Qingxi was also a foreign minister, he was from the Yingchuan Hou Mansion and was considered one of the victims. Tu Rong asked him to stay at Dusi Yamen to wait for news.

Now, it's time for him to step forward.

(End of this chapter)