Yan Cigui

 Yu’s father-in-law lived in an alley in the south of the city.

Although the house is small, it is well-equipped. I bought a mother-in-law to take care of food and clothing, and a boy to help run errands. It is tidy inside and outside.

 There are six or seven bird cages hanging in the yard, and there are starlings and parrots.

The door of the house was open, and as soon as my father-in-law entered, several birds began to chirp.

Hearing the noise, the mother-in-law popped her head out of the kitchen. When she saw the visitor, she greeted him with a smile: "You are here, the old man is reading in the house."

"No need to say hello, I'll bring someone over to talk to my godfather for a while," Mr. Yu said after finishing speaking, he turned around and led Lin Yunyan, "Be careful where you step."

Lin Yunyan entered the yard.

 Eunuch Yu was sitting under the window. He saw Eunuch Yu first, so he didn't get up.

Looking around, he saw a young woman coming in behind Mr. Yu, and he couldn't help but take a closer look.

Wearing luxurious clothes, he behaves in a palace style, and at first glance, his facial features look like those of an old friend.

 Eunuch Yu guessed the identity of the visitor at once.

He got up in a hurry and came out of the room: "Why are you here? It's been more than ten years and you have grown up."

Lin Yunyan nodded to him: "I came to bother you suddenly."

"What the hell," Eunuch Yu asked them to come in, saying, "You can come here, it means that the queen still remembers me, I am really happy."

　A few people came inside and sat down.

Smaller than the father -in -law did not let the mother -in -law pour tea, and took tea tanks and tea sets in a cooked door.

Mama Ma went to chat with the old woman. Lin Yunyan didn't have to worry about being overheard by outsiders. She got straight to the point: "I came here today to inquire about some people with Eunuch Yu."

Being able to be accompanied by his godson shows that he has the approval of the Empress Dowager.

 Yu Gonggong would not shirk the answer: "You ask."

"The late emperor's father-in-law, Ruan Guiren, had a father-in-law named Tong next to him. I wonder if he remembers his father-in-law?" Lin Yunyan asked.

"Eunuch Tong?" Eunuch Yu recalled carefully, "He has been gone for almost thirty years, right?

He was a pretty good guy, but he couldn't find a way to get ahead. He suffered a lot in the first ten years after entering the palace, and it wasn't until he was transferred to Ruan Guiren that he finally took root.

It's a pity that the muscles and bones were injured when I was young and I didn't take good care of them. As I got older, I couldn't bear it anymore. I was only in my fifties when I left, right?

 It was not a short life, but compared to the younger one, he still died earlier. "

“It sounds like Eunuch Yu still has some friendship with him?” Lin Yunyan asked.

"We can't talk about friendship. The younger one works for the queen. He knows more or less everyone everywhere and can speak a few words," Mr. Yu said. "You also know that the master is the face of the younger ones. They all know each other more or less." It’s a small face, but it’s hard to say how much sincerity and how much falsehood is behind the scenes.

The younger one said that Mr. Tong was a good person. He didn’t like to flatter others and was very honest.

Had he not been an honest man, he wouldn't have had to endure more than ten years of hardship before he finally found a master. "

"Ruan Guiren once lived in Bihua Palace for a period of time. At that time, His Royal Highness Prince Jin's biological mother Zhang Xuanshi also lived in Bihua Palace. Do you have any memory of this?" Lin Yunyan continued to ask, "Zhang Xuanshi had a chamberlain there. He seems to be called Little Mouse, does Eunuch Yu know his details? "

 “The younger ones know him.” Yu Gongzhengdao.

Lin Yunyan was surprised and happy.

I thought that after many years and being an unknown little chamberlain, Eunuch Yu would have to reminisce more even if he knew about it, but he didn't expect that he would blurt it out.

　　　Grandfather-in-law is also quite surprised: "Do you remember him, godfather?"

“Remember,” Eunuch Yu sighed, “the rules in the palace are all fixed.

Eunuch Tong died of illness, and the housekeeper collected his coffin and sent him out of the palace for burial.

It’s almost half a year later and it’s Qingming Festival. Who in the palace doesn’t have a few relatives alive? Everyone wants to secretly burn some paper.

 According to the rules, paper cannot be burned randomly in the palace, and the inspection will be tight during those days.

The younger one went to the internal affairs department to find something to do. They arrested several of them, and each of them mentioned demerits and punishments, so he took a second look at them.

 Others were burning it for their parents, but there was a young butler who looked like he was only ten years old and nodded and said he would burn it for his cousin.

The younger one asked him, who is your cousin?

 He said that his cousin was the father-in-law of Tong.

The housekeeper also remembered it and said that this boy was there during the burial. He cried so hard that his eyes were as big as walnuts. He was pitiful.

The young man asked him a few more questions. Since his cousin was a chamberlain, how could he be allowed to come to the palace?

No matter how bad things were for Eunuch Tong before, he was pretty good after following Ruan Guiren. It was always no problem to make do with enough money to support a nephew.

 I have never had a son in my life, and if I raise my nephew as a son, someone will die after all. How come both the uncle and nephew have died?

The boy said that he only recognized this cousin after entering the palace. He was young and couldn't do things. He relied on the old uncle's guidance to get a foothold in the palace. It was a pity that the old uncle was gone.

He cried while talking. The young man and the housekeepers felt bad for crying, so in the end they didn’t punish him much.

 After all, for people like you, no one at home cares about us. How rare it is for someone to burn paper after we are buried.

　　Yes, Little Mouse is his nickname. His real name is Lao, so everyone calls him Little Laozi. When he barks, he becomes Little Mouse. "

Lin Yunyan asked again: "After Zhang Xuanshi passed away, was the little mouse transferred to work elsewhere, or did he continue to stay in Bihua Palace and learn his skills from Tong Gonggong?"

"He was transferred," Yu Gonggong said. "Concubine Dong transferred the person to her palace. She said that after all, she had served His Highness's birth mother, so don't send him anywhere, just stay with His Highness."

Lin Yunyan couldn't help but squeeze the handkerchief tightly.

The line gradually became clearer.

 Before, Eunuch Cao could not find a suitable Eunuch Tong.

Leaving aside what Feng Chang told us, the boy's father-in-law Su Chang met in Chenmi Hutong was not of the same age as all the boys' father-in-law.

  However, the little mouse’s age is just right.

Little Mouse recognized Eunuch Tong as his cousin, and he seemed to have a deep affection for him. So it would make sense for him to walk around a few decades later and call himself Tong's surname.

Having said that, if it weren’t for the father-in-law in Chen Mi Hutong, Lin Yunyan would have to speculate more about the role played by the little mouse.

The little mouse killed Zhang Xuanshi on the orders of Concubine Dong, and he was Li Du's enemy. Or maybe he was just a little servant who didn't know anything back then. He gained Li Du's trust because he had served his biological mother, and he also found out who his biological mother was from Li Du. It comes in handy when you die, either way.

However, when it comes to Chenmi Hutong, it’s probably the latter.

Of course, Lin Yunyan fully agreed with the Empress Dowager's words. Now that we have found clues, we must be cautious and cautious, try to get as much circumstantial evidence as possible, and don't make mistakes, let alone be blinded by the light.

 “What does that little mouse look like?” Lin Yunyan asked again.

Eunuch Yu frowned.

 It’s been so long that I can only remember a few relevant things, but I really can’t remember the facial features.

“There is no clear characteristic,” he said. “He was young at the time, and now that he has grown up, I don’t know how much he has changed.”

 This answer does not discourage Lin Yunyan.

Su Chang once said that "Tong Gonggong" looks ordinary and has no characteristics that can be described. If the little mouse in father-in-law Yu’s memory has distinct characteristics, then the clue will be lost again.

Leaving the part about Little Mouse and Eunuch Tong for the time being, Lin Yunyan asked another question: "In Eunuch's impression, is there any chamberlain with a monkey face? In terms of age, when the incident at Dingguo Temple happened, the monkey-faced chamberlain looked... He is forty or fifty years old.”

Eunuch-in-law couldn't help but take a breath.

He said that the things the Empress Dowager would ask the princess to ask must be important matters.

He couldn't see what the important issue was between the young father-in-law and the little mouse, but he knew very well about Dingguo Temple.

 There must have been new clues that night.

Eunuch Yu was extremely cautious. He closed his eyes and thought about it carefully. After a while, he said dejectedly: "Princess, I can't remember. Either I haven't seen it, or even if I have seen it, I am not very impressed."

Lin Yunyan had no choice but to ask the person next to her: "How many of the chamberlains who served Prince Jin in the past do you remember?"

This question is much easier to answer.

 Yu Gonggong thought about it and answered them one by one.

 At first, Concubine Dong selected the people. When King Jin grew older, he selected a few more...

He only answered what he remembered, and Lin Yunyan was not worried about omissions. Since she had contacted Prince Jin, Eunuch Cao would have to check the roster and sort out all the palace attendants who had been around Prince Jin over the years.

 The sun is setting to the west.

Lin Yunyan stood up and said goodbye.

Eunuch-in-law Yu sent it out and said, "If you have anything else you want to ask later, the princess will send someone to say hello, and the younger one will go to the Duke's Mansion."

"I don't have to worry about my father-in-law running back and forth," Lin Yunyan said with a smile, "Speaking of which, how are my father-in-law's legs and feet doing lately? The doctor who treated the father-in-law's leg injury is still living in the house. I'll ask him to come over tomorrow. Father-in-law, look at the legs too."

"What's wrong with this!" Eunuch Yu waved his hands hurriedly, "You're still young at this age. Anyway, it doesn't interfere with your daily life, so I don't have to worry about it."

"Why can't you do it?" Lin Yunyan said, "It's just a medical consultation."

Eunuch Yu couldn't refuse, so he agreed with a smile.

 The carriage left the alley.

Eunuch Yu was about to return to the palace to resume his duties, and he felt very uneasy: "Just relying on the Eunuch Tong called out by Feng Chang is not enough to confirm that the person hiding behind it is King Jin."

Lin Yunyan understands.

Su Chang's confession was obtained by Xu Jian through extraordinary means. Only they knew about it and had never reported it.

I can't report it now. Firstly, it seems deliberate, and secondly, I can't explain that I concealed the report at that time.

The two of them have done a lot of little things in private, and if they rashly expose it to the Holy Father, it will be difficult for them to be in the dark in the future.

“The Empress Dowager said that the passing geese leave traces,” Lin Yunyan said, “Don’t worry, let him catch them all bit by bit.”

This matter may be said to be simple, but it is not that difficult to say that it is difficult.

 At night, Lin Yunyan and Xu Jian talked about the day's harvest.

 The two of them reviewed the information they had learned so far from beginning to end, and decided what to do next.

 It only takes five days.

Everything in the court was as usual, and no one made a fuss about the death of a chamberlain in Yongji Palace. However, under the water, an undercurrent was surging.

Eunuch Cao checked the little mouse.

 It is consistent with what Eunuch Yu said. After this man was transferred to Li Du, he only stayed for four years before leaving the palace due to illness. Naturally, his whereabouts and whereabouts in the palace after that were unclear.

And the servants around Li Du were transferred very frequently in those years.

 Some of them left the palace, and some were transferred out because they made mistakes.

Eunuch Cao investigated carefully and found that most of the eunuchs who made mistakes were replaced by Concubine Dong.

 Concubine Dong took special care in raising Li Du. After many adjustments to the people around her, those who were not clever or too clever were eliminated.

“Rather than saying they are Li Du’s confidants,” Xu Jian and Lin Yunyan said, “it’s better to say that they are all Concubine Dong’s confidants. Concubine Dong has staked all her treasures on Li Du, and she cares more about him than her eyes.”

Lin Yunyan understood: "No wonder that little mouse left the palace. If he stays in the palace, sooner or later he won't be able to follow Li Du."

"Since the little mouse is Li Du's own, he cannot win Concubine Dong's trust," Xu Jian agreed, "Besides, after all, he has served Zhang Xuanshi before, so it is a surprise. It would not be surprising if Concubine Dong had someone deal with him without her noticing. .

 Li Du was still young at first, so keeping the little mouse just made him feel at ease.

 When Li Du grows up, Concubine Dong will naturally not stay any longer.

Li Du didn't want to have any conflict with his adoptive mother over this, so it would be the best of both worlds to let the little mouse take advantage of his illness to leave the palace. "

Lin Yunyan nodded: "He may have realized at that time that Zhang Xuan's death was strange. Then he was not awakened by the death of King Ding, but discovered the clues early. But his arms could not twist his thighs, so he could only Concubine Dong pretends to be filial to her son.

Maybe he didn't know, and neither did Little Mouse. He just knew that Concubine Dong had taught him to be meticulous and sincere. He was surrounded by Concubine Dong's people, so he simply sent Little Mouse away to avoid conflicts. "

 Speaking of which, regardless of whether Concubine Dong killed Zhang to choose a servant or not, she was serious about raising a son.

 It is not easy to educate a prince.

 It is difficult to feed, difficult to raise, and even more difficult to raise well.

 Concubine Dong has a strong desire to control, so Li Du is surrounded by her people. This is not to mention an adoptive mother and her son. It is easy for biological mother and son to become estranged.

“Only Li Du and Little Mouse know which one it is,” Xu Jian said.

 The next day.

In Shuntian Mansion, Shan Shen stayed up late for several days. After hard work, he finally handed in an answer sheet to Xu Jian.

The owner of that house asked him to dig to the end.

"It goes around three times and four times, one layer inside another," Shan Shen said with itchy teeth. "The real owner's surname is Lao. As for who this person named Lao is and where he comes from, I don't know. I found out on his head , the person who worked for him has long been buried. Where can I find him? Now the boss is named Yao, and he is from Shu. Even if I want to ask him, I have to call several people in Shu. moon."

Xu Jian smiled: "Lao is enough. I happen to have a person named Lao who can do business."

This time, Shan Shen chuckled and didn't ask any more questions.

 After leaving the government office in the evening, Li Shao returned to the palace, and Xu Jian also entered the palace together, and then went to the imperial study.

Wang Gouzi looked at Xu Jian's back and asked Li Shao: "Your Highness, it seems that the Duke of Fu has often been in front of you recently."

"What's strange," Li Shao said, "he was originally recovering from his injuries and refused to enter the palace. When he first followed me to observe the government at the Ministry of Rites, he was often called for questioning by his father."

Wang Gouzi responded with his mouth, but his heart was not at ease.

 He followed Li Shao's footsteps and stared at Li Shao's back.

 He had a feeling that he had missed something important. What was it...