Do you know the long song of laughter?

Chapter 432 Distrust

"Zhong Huai, stop keeping us in suspense." Shen Congxing urged.

"Since it's not a vendetta, the only possibility is Zhao Tuanlian's identity!" Gu Tingye said.

"Identity?" Everyone looked at Gu Tingye with some confusion.

Zhao Zongquan's face changed drastically, with panic in his eyes, and he shouted, "Shut up! This is a revenge killing, what does it have to do with my identity? Ying'er, show me away!"

Zhao Zongquan thought that Gu Tingye had also guessed that it might be someone sent by the government.

If this matter is not exposed, he still has a chance to survive.

Once this gets out and causes rumors to spread, how can the government let him go?

But he didn't think about it. If Gu Tingye really believed that it was someone sent by the government, how could he have the courage to say it out loud.

But Zhao Zongquan was so flustered that he didn't think that much.

"Father..." Zhao Ceying didn't understand why his father suddenly became so emotional and wanted to persuade him.

"I said show you away!" Zhao Zongquan shouted.

Shen Congxing shook his head at Zhao Ceying and said, "Zhong Huai, it's getting late. I'll take you back first."

"Farewell!"

Gu Tingye didn’t know why Zhao Zongquan reacted so strongly. He bowed and followed Shen Congxing out.

Shen Congxing brought Gu Tingye to the outer courtyard, and seeing that there was no one around, he said, "Zhong Huai, I apologize to you on behalf of my brother-in-law, please don't take it to heart."

"It's okay." Gu Tingye shook his head.

Shen Congxing lowered his voice and said, "Zhong Huai, tell me your guess."

"As far as I know, there are more people in the north who keep assassins, and Zhao Tuanlian also said that he never makes enemies with anyone, let alone those in the north. Since it is not a vendetta, the only possibility is Zhao Tuanlian's identity." Gu Tingye said.

"Zhong Huai, tell me the truth, is it that person?"

Shen Congxing said this, pointing to the sky.

Gu Tingye was stunned at first, then he said with a smile: "How is it possible? If it was that person, would I dare to say it?"

He finally understood why Zhao Zongquan reacted so strongly just now.

"Then who are you talking about?" Shen Congxing asked.

"Prince Yan's maternal family is the Wei family, a northern military family." Gu Tingye said.

"Prince Yan and the Wei family have no grudges against my brother-in-law, so why did they send people to assassinate my brother-in-law?" Shen Congxing felt very puzzled.

"Normally there is no reason, but what if Prince Yan wants to rebel?" Gu Tingye said.

"Even if Prince Yan wanted to rebel, why did he want to assassinate my brother-in-law?" Shen Congxing asked puzzledly.

"Except for the royal family in Bianliang, Zhao Tuanlian is the royal family member closest to Bianliang." Gu Tingye said.

"Impossible, this is all your guess. And how do you know that the King of Yan is planning a rebellion?"

Shen Congxing felt that this was a bit ridiculous. Not to mention whether Prince Yan would rebel, even if he really would rebel, he hasn't taken any action yet, but he sent people to assassinate his brother-in-law. Isn't this nonsense?

"The assassin first attacked outside the city, and just a few days later, he entered the city to attack even though he knew there was defense. He made such a big noise. He wouldn't do that even if he had a grudge. Moreover, the assassin's behavior seemed very urgent. Do you think this is normal?" Gu Tingye asked back.

"It's abnormal, but what is the basis for your speculation? And how do you know that Prince Yan is preparing to rebel?" Shen Congxing asked.

Gu Tingye recounted his discovery that the Rong family had bought a large number of women from Jiangnan and gave them to the officers in the imperial guards.

"Since you know it, why don't you expose it?" Shen Congxing asked.

"I have no evidence, this is just my guess. After all, sending concubines to each other is a very common thing. Concubine Rong is the emperor's favorite concubine. I have no evidence, and I go to report that the Rong family is colluding with Prince Yan and wants to rebel. Do you think the emperor will believe it?" Gu Tingye said.

Shen Congxing fell silent after hearing this. Gu Tingye was right. It was just giving concubines to each other and it could not be used as evidence of a crime.

In ancient times, concubines were divided into two types: good concubines and bad concubines. The so-called good concubines were those who did not have a physical bond and became concubines for various reasons.

When this kind of concubine is brought into the house, she must be carried by a servant and enter through the side door.

A lowly concubine is one who has a bond. Their sources are more diverse. Some are maids or concubines who were promoted to concubines, while others are bought from brothels.

One of the most important sources is gifts from superiors.

Because of the bond, this kind of concubine is actually considered part of the property, and it is allowed to give it away or buy it.

Like in the original drama, Fengxian was given to Gu Tingye by General Gan.

Although I am a concubine, I was given to her by my boss and represent his face, so it is so difficult to deal with.

In that era, it was normal for officials to give concubines to each other, just like giving gifts.

"Then it's normal for Rong Xian to give concubines to his subordinates. Why do you conclude that the Rong family is in collusion with Prince Yan?" Shen Congxing said.

"Brother Shen, Yuzhou is not far from Bianjing, and you should know all the news from Bianjing. I don't need to explain the inside story of Rong Fei's sister, right? The imperial guards protect the emperor's family. In order to avoid suspicion, they usually interact with each other normally. There is almost no such thing as exchanging gifts or concubines. However, the Rong family went against their norm and sent so many women away. If there is no problem, do you believe it?"
As for why it is said that the Rong family colluded with Prince Yan, it is because no one else has the courage except Prince Yan. "Gu Tingye said.

Shen Congxing was speechless for a long time after hearing this. According to what Gu Tingye said, he could not find any words to refute.

"Prince Yan wants to rebel, so he naturally cannot completely control the situation in a short period of time. What he fears most is that someone will raise an army to attack him before he completely controls the situation. By then, all the royal families in the world, whether out of ambition or because they really want to restore order, will surely gather their followers.

Zhao Tuanlian is the closest to Bianjing, and he is the target he wants to get rid of the most. "Gu Tingye continued.

The more Shen Congxing listened, the deeper his frown deepened, and at the same time he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

He didn't want to believe what Gu Tingye said, but the assassins' actions tonight were so loud that they had already gone beyond the scope of ordinary grudges.

He set fire to the city, killing so many people, and the victims were members of the royal family.

Regardless of success or failure, once the news reaches Bian Jing, it will lead to a strict investigation by the court.

"I have always lacked strong evidence before. Now, as long as Zhao Tuanlian is willing to go to Beijing to report, it will definitely attract the attention of the government. What Prince Yan and the Rong family have done will not be able to withstand the test. By then, not only can we escape danger, but we can also prevent the Song Dynasty from a turmoil!" said Gu Tingye.

"What if the government doesn't believe it, or can't find any evidence? Wouldn't that be a false accusation, and then wouldn't my brother-in-law be held accountable by the government?" Shen Congxing shook his head.

"Brother Shen, the assassin is so anxious now. It is obvious that the day when Prince Yan takes action is not far away. Does he dare to let the government investigate? Moreover, if we don't report Prince Yan, the assassin will continue to attack. Even if he escapes by chance, no matter whether Prince Yan succeeds or not, Zhao Tuanlian will not be able to escape if he is tracked down." Gu Tingye said.

"I can't make the decision on this matter. I have to ask my brother-in-law. Zhong Huai, thank you very much. It's late at night. I'll take you back to the inn." Shen Congxing said. "I know the way. There are many things to do here. You should stay and help." After Gu Tingye finished speaking, he left by himself.

Shen Congxing stood there in thought for a while, then turned and went to the east courtyard.

When he returned to the room where Zhao Zongquan was, Lao Geng and the others had already left. Only Zhao Zongquan and his wife and Zhao Ceying were in the room.

"You all go down."

Shen Congxing waved to the servants in the room.

The servants in the house knew Shen Congxing's identity, and when they saw that Zhao Zongquan and his wife did not stop him, they bowed and left.

"Brother-in-law, just now..."

Shen Congxing repeated what Gu Tingye said and said, "Brother-in-law, I think what Zhong Huai said makes sense. We should go to Bianjing to report it."

"What did he report? Reporting Prince Yan's treason? These are just his guesses, and don't you think the timing of his appearance in Yuzhou is too coincidental?" Zhao Zongquan said.

"Dad, do you suspect that the assassin is related to Zhong Huai? That's impossible!" Zhao Ceying shook his head.

"I didn't say that the assassin had anything to do with him, but his appearance in Yuzhou was definitely not as simple as he said. He is the legitimate son of Ningyuan Hou. If he went directly to Jiangnan to find Duke Yingguo, would Duke Yingguo still let him be an ordinary soldier? But he chose to go all the way back to Bianliang. Even if he joined the army, he would not be able to catch up with the rebellion in Jiangnan. What credit did he get?" Zhao Zongquan said.

He felt that Gu Tingye's appearance was very abnormal. Not to mention that those were just Gu Tingye's guesses, even if they were true, he didn't dare to listen to Gu Tingye's suggestions.

Shen Congxing and Zhao Ceying looked at each other. This was indeed a suspicious point.

"Dad, if we don't go to Bian Jing to report it, if Prince Yan really rebels, Zhong Huai has clearly warned us, but we remained indifferent, the emperor will definitely blame us. And no matter whether it is Prince Yan or not, if we go to Bian Jing to cry to the emperor, it can also intimidate the people behind it. I think we can go to Bian Jing to report it, but we only need to state the actual situation. Don't mention any speculations." Zhao Ceying said.

"How do we get to Bianjing? Imperial family members are not allowed to leave Bianjing without imperial decree. Have you forgotten that?"

Zhao Zongquan said, "This time the assassination has made such a big noise, and all the officials in Yuzhou will come here soon. Our family is a member of the royal family, and we were assassinated in Yuzhou. These people cannot escape responsibility. They will definitely send people to protect us, and the assassin will have no chance. As for Gu Tingye's speculation, it's all hearsay and can't be taken seriously. Even if Prince Yan really rebelled, will the government blame me for this?"

Zhao Zongquan actually already believed Gu Tingye's guess.

But for the sake of caution, he was still unwilling to go to Bian Jing.

What Gu Tingye said was very right. If they were really from Prince Yan’s faction, it meant that Prince Yan was not far from taking action.

According to the rules, he was not allowed to leave Yuzhou without an imperial edict.

If we send someone to Bian Jing to ask for instructions, by the time we get back and forth, Prince Yan might have already taken action.

If Prince Yan succeeds, how can we let him go?
Zhao Zongquan’s idea was very simple. He would just stay quiet. Even if Prince Yan succeeded, he would not be likely to take action against him because he saw that he was not a threat.

If Prince Yan failed, it would be even simpler. He would abide by the rules and dare not leave Yuzhou without permission. Even if the emperor was dissatisfied, he would not do anything to him.

Anyway, as a descendant of Taizu, he is not well-received, so if the emperor is unhappy, then let him be unhappy.

The most important thing is that now the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, and we don’t know how many assassins there are in the dark. Wouldn’t it be more dangerous to leave the city now?

Seeing that Zhao Ceying wanted to say something else, Shen Congxing pulled him.

Zhao Ceying looked at his uncle with some confusion, and saw him shaking his head slightly. He hesitated for a moment and said nothing more.

"Okay, you have worked hard today. Go and wash up quickly. The officials from Yuzhou will be here soon." Zhao Zongquan said.

"Yes."

Zhao Ceying and Shen Congxing left the house and couldn't help asking, "Uncle, why did you stop me just now?"

"Ceying, my brother-in-law is right. There are indeed some suspicious things on Zhong Huai's side." Shen Congxing said.

All in all, this was only the second time he and Gu Tingye had met.

Although we had a pleasant conversation the last time we met, we didn't build enough trust.

Zhao Ceying opened his mouth but had nothing to say.

"Okay, let's go thank Zhong Huai early tomorrow morning and then ask him and see what he says." Shen Congxing patted Zhao Ceying on the shoulder and said.

Although nearly half of the house was destroyed, Zhao Ceying's yard was intact.

Shen Congxing followed Zhao Ceying to his yard to wash up briefly, and then came to the house where Zhao Zongquan lived again.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, the officials from Yuzhou finally arrived.

At this time, nearly two hours had passed since the Zhao family was attacked by assassins. Yuzhou was not a big city like Bianjing. Given the speed at which these officials traveled to the Zhao family, it would not take so long.

After these officials arrived, they just pretended to be concerned, said that they would investigate the whereabouts of the assassin, and then left. They did not even mention sending anyone to protect him.

"Dad, look at these people. Do you still expect the governor of Yuzhou to arrange people to protect us?" Zhao Ceying said angrily.

Zhao Zongquan's face also looked a little gloomy. The prefect of Yuzhou was transferred from Bianliang by the court after Wang Anshi was escorted back to Bianliang.

He had heard before that this person seemed to have some relationship with King Yan, but he didn't take it seriously.

After all, when Prince Yong and Prince Yan were fighting, all kinds of rumors were flying around.

There were even rumors that Grand Chancellor Han Zhang supported one of the sides.

Are you kidding? The Prime Minister is second only to the emperor. No matter who becomes the emperor, he will have to win over Han Zhang, the Prime Minister. Does he need to take the risk to take sides?
However, the performance of the Yuzhou prefect now made Zhao Zongquan a little frightened.

After all, he was a member of the royal family, and he was assassinated in Yuzhou City. All the officials in Yuzhou, big and small, were responsible.

Moreover, he is a descendant of Taizu, and his identity is sensitive.

At that time, the government will severely punish the officials of Yuzhou, whether for the sake of showing it to the world.

However, he was assassinated in the city, causing such a big commotion, and the officials from Yuzhou took such a long time to come, and they didn't even have the intention of protecting him.

Combining with Gu Tingye's words, Zhao Zongquan guessed that the governor of Yuzhou was the Prince of Yan's man, and that Prince of Yan had already informed him when he sent the assassin.

But Zhao Zongquan did not say all this, instead he said: "Well, the prefect and his men did not send anyone to protect us, probably because they thought that with such a big commotion, the assassin would definitely not come again, so they did not want to cause any trouble. It's so late, you all should go back and rest."

Zhao Ceying and Shen Congying had no choice but to retreat.

However, Shen Congxing was still worried, so he sent people to the Xiang army to transfer dozens of people over.

The next morning, the Zhao family's servants were busy cleaning up the burned house, while Zhao Ceying and Shen Congxing went to Fuyuan Inn.

(End of this chapter)