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

Chapter 900 Suspicion
Zhang Lurong has a lively personality and is very proactive in what he says and does.

He respectfully greeted Ma and Haitang, introduced himself, and claimed that he could freely enter and leave the Jinyiwei Yamen, was very familiar with the situation in the capital, and was good at driving carriages and getting information. Since Haijiao had specifically instructed him, he knew exactly what he needed to do after arriving at the Hai family.

He told Ma and Haitang that Haijiao was doing well in Jinyiwei and had all the necessary equipment for his duty. He was also able to contact his uncle Hai Changan of the Banner Guard and learned that the latter was in the same situation. The necessities of life for the uncle and nephew had been prepared long ago, but they lacked plain clothes to change into. If there were any extra black, white and gray robes at home, he hoped to send more to them, and Zhang Lurong would be the one to do the errands.

As for the rest, if there were any instructions from home, they would also be handed over to Zhang Lurong. Even if the latter didn't know what to do, he could find a way to contact Shanghai Jiao or Hai Chang'an for instructions. When necessary, even if it was the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Lurong would have a way to deliver the letter.

Although it was unclear where Zhang Lurong came from, since he was recommended by his grandson Haijiao, Ma believed that he would be a helpful figure.

She said hurriedly, "Everything is fine at home, but I am worried about whether the three of them, the grandfather, grandson, uncle and nephew, are living well in the government office. I just sent someone to deliver bedding and clothes to the master. Since Chang'an and Baoshun... Chang'an and Jiao'er are in need of clothes, I will pack the things and take care of you to deliver them to the government offices of the Banner Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Zhang Lurong agreed: "Madam, just give it to me. I will make sure that I can deliver the things to Master Hai and Master Hai Jing in a safe manner."

Ma took her granddaughter back to the main courtyard to get busy. Hu also hurriedly took her son back to the west wing. She had already packed her husband's luggage, but now she heard from Zhang Lurong that there was no need to send another set of bedding and daily necessities, so she had to unpack the baggage and repack it.

Xie Wenzai walked over slowly and started chatting with Zhang Lurong. He mainly inquired about Zhang Lurong's family background and identity, and asked about his cousin Sun Haijiao's experience after joining the Jinyiwei. Although Haijiao had already introduced himself in a letter, the content that can be recorded in the letter is limited after all, and who knows if this child will deliberately conceal something? Xie Wenzai cares about this student who has taught him the longest, and pays more attention to him than to the other students.

Haitang quickly helped her grandmother Ma pack up the clothes for her brother Haijiao, and also gave the clothes that her second aunt Hu was sending to her second uncle Hai Changan to Zhang Lurong.

At this time, Qiu Shugen, who was responsible for driving Cui Dazhuang, came back. Ma asked him to drive and took Zhang Lurong and two large bags to the direction of the Qibiaowei and Jinyiwei Yamen.

Not long after they left, Qiu Shugen's son Qiu Baisheng and Xie Wenzai's long-time attendant Wang Defa returned to the Hai family.

On the day when the Hai family entered the city, they were ordered by their master to escort the Jin family's coffin to the pre-booked temple for burial. Since Jin Jiashu was called back to the capital by Consort Xu in advance, he could only entrust his family's coffin to his mentor and the elders of his future wife's family and leave first. On the day of entering the city, Hai Xiya and Xie Wenzai were worried that the convoy hired to escort the coffin and the guards left behind would not be attentive enough to the coffins of the Jin family, so they specially sent people to follow the car and go to the temple to take care of it. They thought that Qiu and Wang would have to wait at least a few days until Jin Jiashu received the letter and went to the temple to inspect the coffins of his family before they could come back. Unexpectedly, they would arrive at the Hai family today. Qiu Baisheng told his mistress Ma: "I heard that Master Jin is still in the palace. An old eunuch named Pu came and arranged for someone to look after the coffin, so he sent me back. He has Master Jin's keepsake in his hand, and he has arranged everything properly. He also brought Miss Chunyu to introduce me. I am embarrassed to stay in the temple any longer."

Wang Defa reported to Xie Wenzai about the same thing, and added: "Young Master Jin asked Miss Chunyu to bring silver and ask the monks in the temple to perform a ritual for his family. It will take more than three or five days to complete, and we can't help much if we stay there. And that old eunuch Pu also said that the emperor has passed away in the palace, and all the officials in the capital have to go to mourn, so he is afraid that there will be a shortage of people at home, so he asked me to come back and wait for instructions. I was worried that there were not many people around the master, so I rushed back immediately."

Neither Ma nor Xie Wenzai would be angry because Qiu Baisheng and Wang Defa returned early. The family really needed help now, and it was a good thing that they could come back. As for the coffins of Jin Jiashu's family, since the palace had sent people to take over, and Lian Chunyu didn't say anything, they naturally didn't have to worry about it anymore.

Ma sent Qiu Baisheng away to rest, and Xie Wenzai also asked Wang Defa to go see his wife. However, Wang Defa's son Wang Xiaoqing was still with Cao Gengyun, so the family of three could not be reunited for the time being.

Ma asked Xie Wenzai, "Uncle, should we send someone to check on Lord Tao? He just left the palace to meet you yesterday and was at home resting at night. Who knew something happened to the emperor in the middle of the night? Is he okay?"

Xie Wenzai was not worried about this: "He was on duty outside the palace, and there were other important ministers in the palace with him. He did not violate any rules. What could possibly happen?" Since Tao Nanshan dared to leave the palace at this time, he would not be caught. However, as soon as he left the palace, the emperor, who should have been in a stable condition, died. God knows if there was any inside story?
If there were no problems, why didn't the palace issue an imperial edict to summon all the civil and military officials to listen to the will? Even the various laws and regulations during the national mourning period were currently arranged by the Minister of Rites according to the old practices of previous years. There was no imperial edict from the palace so far, and the cabinet seemed to have no movement. How could people not be suspicious?

Ma didn't think much about it, and she felt relieved when she heard him say that nothing would happen to Lord Tao. She hadn't made her own plain clothes yet, and if she was going out later, she couldn't do without them. She hurried back to her room and took people to do needlework.

Haitang was originally ordered by her grandmother to do needlework in the upper room, but she found an excuse to stay and talked to Xie Wenzai for a few more words: "Uncle, we have been in the capital for two days. Before, Brother Jin did not say to send anyone to the temple to check on his family's coffins. Instead, he asked Grandpa Park and Chunyu to go today and sent our people back. Is there really no problem here?"

Xie Wenzai paused, remained silent for a moment, then asked with a smile: "What do you think is the problem here?"

What could be the problem? Haitang herself couldn't explain it clearly. She only knew that Eunuch Park had long since left the palace to retire, and was responsible for guarding the empty tomb of "Jin Xu" in the suburbs of Beijing, while Chunyu was someone close to Ma Shangyi, who was also an old maid who had left the palace. These two were not active palace maids, so how did Jin Jiashu contact them while he was in the palace?
Was it so easy for him to contact Empress Dowager Zhou and Noble Consort Xu's people outside the palace when the emperor had just passed away?
Moreover, the emperor passed away, and the Hai family had three men who were officials who needed to mourn and keep vigil, which might lead to a shortage of manpower in the family - what kind of emergency was this? When the palace was in chaos, Jin Jiashu couldn't stay with the new emperor and protect his safety, but for such a small matter as the lack of manpower in the Hai family, he specially contacted people outside the palace to take over the coffin of his family members in the temple, so as to return the servants borrowed by the Hai family to their masters...

This wouldn't be an excuse, right?
Is he trying to find a way to send a message outside the palace?