Taohuaxi

Chapter 48 Crisis in Cheng Mansion

Master Zhang was not surprised or angry after hearing this. He calmly smoothed the corners of his clothes and straightened the black gauze hat on his head.

The moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival is golden and plump.

On this day of family reunion, his biological son Feng Gao led a large group of troops to surround his mansion.

The moonlight shone on his long beard, which was particularly bleak.

He waved his hand to the servants and said: "Preach my message, everyone in the family, please wait in the house quietly and don't go out. I will go out to greet the guests."

"Yes." The servant left tremblingly.

The door of Zhang Mansion opens——

Feng Gao stood outside the door holding a whisk in his hand, with a faint smile on his lips, and said leisurely: "Master Chief Assistant, please excuse me."

Master Zhang looked at him with a bit of helplessness and a bit of love in his eyes.This kind of look was something Feng Gao didn't understand.

"Mr. Feng is here late at night, what are you doing?"

Feng Gao pursed his lips and waved the whisk: "Long Live received a secret report tonight that there is a tax problem. Someone cleverly created a name to make the people of the two counties in the south of the Yangtze River pay tens of thousands more taxes. In order to make up the amount, the local people , desperate, sold their sons and daughters. What's more, they were forced by heavy taxes and all committed suicide in the river. The people were filled with resentment. Now, the magistrates of those two counties have confessed. This move was ordered by important figures in the court. . And, the excessive taxes were not put into the national treasury, but were made by the Minister of Household Affairs to make false accounts and flowed into private pockets. There are all the witnesses and physical evidence——"

He paused, cupped his hands upwards, and continued: "Long Live heard the report and cried bitterly. He knelt in front of the late emperor's soul and had not gotten up until now. If it were anyone else, the imperial edict would have been issued at that time, and everyone in the house would be copied and beheaded. It’s not an exaggeration. Long Live has said that your house is no better than other families, and the First Assistant is even more different from others. The ancients said that the king of heaven and earth is the teacher. The First Assistant is Long Live’s teacher. He has been teaching the Long Live Sage’s book for more than ten years, and his kindness is overwhelming. Long Live He said to everyone, "You must find out this matter and don't let our master be wronged." Therefore, I ordered the minister to come and tell the chief minister that in the future, you don't have to go out or go to court. Until the case is investigated Until it is cleared.”

Master Zhang smiled and said: "Wang live, do you mean to put me under house arrest?"

Mr. Zhang is very famous in the court.With a wave of arms, there are many followers.

If Mr. Zhang contacts his old disciples, the court will inevitably be in turmoil.

Confining Mr. Zhang in the house actually cuts off Mr. Zhang's contact with the outside world.

Feng Gao waved his whisk: "Hey, what did the Chief Assistant say? Long live the relationship between Gu Nian and the Chief Assistant, and I mean to protect you."

He seemed to be waiting for Mr. Zhang to say something in rebuttal. While looking at him, he hid his right hand behind his back and pointed at the group of masters from the East Factory.

As long as he moves his hand, the group of people will immediately rush towards him.

At this time, Master Zhang said softly: "Have you eaten mooncakes tonight?"

Feng Gao was stunned, wondering what kind of medicine he was selling in the gourd.

"...I never ate it."

Master Zhang said softly: "I want something to eat. Mooncakes mean reunion. A good sign. Do you like bean paste or fruit puree?"

When I heard these words from behind the door, I burst into tears.

Feng Gao coughed twice: "Our family doesn't like moon cakes."

"In Jingzhou, Huguang, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the elders feed their children glutinous rice cakes. Do you know what glutinous rice cakes are? Steam the glutinous rice, put it in a stone trough, and pound reed bamboo into a paste..."

He was talking immersedly when Feng Gao interrupted him: "Master Chief Assistant, our family is from the north and we don't eat southern food like this."

"Beiren..." Mr. Zhang came back to his senses: "You still have to try it, the chance is running out. The cook in my house does a good job, I will ask someone to bring you a bowl..."

"No need, Mr. Chief Assistant!" Feng Gao interrupted, looking embarrassed.

When did Zhang Taiyue, who was so powerful in the court, be so courteous to Dongchang?Thinking of "bribing" the factory owner with a bowl of glutinous rice cake?
"My lord, you should obey Long live's instructions."

Hearing that he refused to eat glutinous rice cake, Mr. Zhang looked disappointed.

"Oh, the oral order... I obey it. You tell Long Live, I can only bear the responsibility for the guilty, and don't involve the Minister of Household Affairs. He is young and ignorant, and he is just following my order." Master Zhang said.

Feng Gao obviously didn't expect that this mission would go so smoothly.

Shouldn't a loyal person like Zhang Shoufu have to resist?

He had made every plan, but this was it.

He looked at Mr. Zhang.

Mr. Zhang has turned around and returned home, looking at the silvery glow between the sky and the earth, and murmured: "The white trees in the courtyard have crows roosting, and the cold dew wets the sweet-scented osmanthus silently. Tonight, when the moon is bright and everyone looks around, I don't know who is missing in the autumn mood..."

Feng Gao turned around.

I wanted to go up and call him, so I fulfilled Mr. Zhang's wish and went into the house to eat a bowl of glutinous rice cake.

Master Zhang held me tightly.

His hands are strong and strong.

He shook his head at me.

I am silent.

Behind the door, he watched Feng Gao get on his horse.

The masters of Dongchang did not leave, and one person at a time, like iron barrels, surrounded the Zhang Mansion tightly.

He returned to the backyard without entering the study. He sat on the stone steps and ordered the housekeeper to bring glutinous rice cakes.

"Sang Yu, have a piece of it."

He sighed to Yue: "Before the death of the late emperor, he held the minister's hand and said, 'I wanted to work with you on state affairs together, but unfortunately we parted ways, so I bothered you to give the edict to the prince. Don't take it as common saying, I hope you can teach me everything!" The husband is a talented person in the world, and the prince is young. I hope that he will be well-educated and live up to the expectations of the world.' Over the years, I have not dared to fail to do my best, to show my loyalty, and then to die! I have been ruined to repay the kindness of the late emperor! Late Emperor..."

I sat next to him, picked up a piece of glutinous rice cake, took a bite, and started crying.

Like a loving father, he patted me gently and said, "Sangyu, don't be afraid. I brought you up all by myself, so you have to take care of your feelings. I have a wishful knot given by the late emperor. You can take it back with you." , when giving it to Huai, ask him to keep it close to his body. As a last resort, I hope Ruyi knot can save his life!"

"Sir-" I leaned on his shoulder.

"I'm old, and I'm sick all over. I'm bound to die sooner or later. Huai Shi is still young. It was I who led him into the path of the New Deal. He really doesn't deserve to die... Feng Gao is my child, and I have ways to protect him. He is fine. Nothing will happen to Huai Shi. You, the younger generation, are all living well. I, an old bone, will feel at ease even if I am in a coffin..."

"Sir, please don't say that... You won't die. His Majesty is just confining you now. Things can change..."

He smiled and waved his hands. "Sang Yu, don't cry. More than 20 years ago, your father and I were ministers of the same court. Your father is a strong-willed man! A rare and open-minded man in the world. But my friendship with him as a gentleman is as important as Mount Tai! In this life, I am very relieved to see his child. The disaster has come, you have to be strong. She is a good daughter of your father who cannot fall in the wind."

"Yeah." I nodded heavily.

He wrote a few lines on the paper and asked me to give it to Mrs. Qin.

The people from Dongchang were guarding the gate. Since I was not from the Zhang family, and the gangsters had seen how Feng Gao treated me so kindly, they didn't feel embarrassed and helped me get into the carriage.

When I got back to Cheng Mansion, I remembered that I had forgotten to ask Mr. Zhang what he meant by "there is a way to protect Feng Gao from danger".

Mrs. Qin was waiting for me under the eaves, and I handed her Master Zhang's reply.

She looked at it, walked back and forth a few steps, remained silent, and went back to the west wing to rest.

Xiaoyin brought warm water and I was washing up when the eldest young lady walked in.

She looked like a different person, her eyebrows were lowered, her face was full of respect, and she said to me guiltily: "Sang Yu, at that time, my sister-in-law was in grief, confused by phlegm, and talking nonsense. Don't take it to heart. My sister-in-law was wrong. .Sister-in-law, I will apologize to you."

I took off the hairpin ring on my head.

She approached me and said: "Sang Yu, if Shu'er is gone, my sister-in-law will treat your child as her own child in the future. You and the second child are the backbone of the Cheng family. The whole family, young and old, depends on you." You guys..."

She said, covering her face with a veil.

I said, "Sister-in-law, please go back and rest. Something happened to the Cheng family. As the eldest daughter-in-law, I should care about the old lady and not let her worry."

"Sang Yu, you are right. From now on, my sister-in-law will listen to you. You can go to sleep. My sister-in-law will not disturb you anymore. You can have a good baby."

She leaned over and before leaving, she held Xiaoyin's hand affectionately and said, "Take good care of the Second Young Mistress."

Xiaoyin felt proud.I am happy that I have the upper hand and overwhelm the young mistress.

But I was confused.

At that moment, her eyes were full of hatred.Why did it suddenly change so quickly?
It's midnight and Cheng Huaishi hasn't come back yet.

The room was empty.

The only thing left was the huge full moon outside the window.

Kyushu has a total of one month.Cheng Huai didn't know where he was under the moon.

In the past, even if I came home late, I would still send He Ming back to say something.

But tonight, he didn't reply, and neither did He Ming.

I rubbed my belly and turned over with difficulty.

Early the next morning.

Xiaoyin washed my face and rinsed my mouth, and as usual, brought me a bowl of carp soup.

Ever since I became pregnant, the old lady had asked the kitchen to stew me a bowl of carp soup every morning.

I took the carp soup and drank it.Xiaoyin said: "I just saw the eldest young lady in the kitchen. She said she was making custard for the old lady with her own hands. She has never been so diligent. It seems that she has really changed her ways."

I frowned.

The boy outside the door hurriedly came in and said: "Second Young Madam, there are a few people outside. They said they were entrusted by the Second Master to deliver a message to you."

I walked out quickly.

Those people were all dressed in black.

"Where did the second master go?" I asked.

The leader said politely: "Mrs. Cheng, please take a step to speak——"

I followed them a few steps outside, and suddenly felt something was wrong.

They carried me to a carriage covered with thick soft satin, and I wanted to shout.

But the man said: "Mrs. Cheng, don't panic! I will take you back to Dongchang Mansion on the order of Factory Master Feng."

"Put me down! I'm going home!"

The man knelt in front of me: "Mrs. Cheng, Mr. Feng said that today, Your Majesty will order the Cheng family to be confiscated! We must not bring harm to you! Mr. Feng is wholehearted and considerate of you!"

"I'll say it again! Put me down!" I snapped.

There was a weird pain in my lower abdomen.

Cold sweat broke out from my forehead.

blood.

Blood oozed from the mattress skirt.

Those people were terrified.

The carriage stopped.

"Feng Chang's bus will take care of it, so we can't hurt Mrs. Cheng even a hair..."

They looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

I struggled, got off the carriage, and walked back.

go all the way.

Blood flowed all the way.

Huaishi, where are you?
(End of this chapter)