Xia Houyi smiled calmly, shook his head and said, "I was playing chess with my father in the study last night and didn't go back to my room until midnight. Even if I wanted to follow you, I couldn't do anything."
"If you didn't follow me, how would you know that I was out?" Xia Houshu obviously didn't believe it, and he was very pleased that he had caught the flaw in his words.
Xia Houyi sneered at the joy in his sister's eyes, and ruthlessly cut off the unrealistic thoughts in her heart: "Yesterday, my father came back early. He originally sent someone to summon you to play chess with him. If I hadn't known
I volunteered to block the thunder for you, do you think you have time to go out?"
Is this happening? How come she doesn’t know?
Xia Houshu looked unbelieving.
Xia Houyi continued to look at her and said calmly: "Yunxi in your room has always been on good terms with Xieying and Xiefang in my courtyard, and she has been particularly attentive these days. How about you ask her to ask?"
"It seems I have to thank you." Xia Houshu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Speaking of which, she really overestimated herself. That day when they came back from a trip to the lake together, she forced Xia Houyi to draw a map of the Prime Minister's Mansion for her, promising never to ask him for help otherwise, and even asked him to
Xia Houyi promised not to interfere, otherwise he would look down on her. Now that he is disgraced, it would be boring to blame him for not helping.
The authorities are obsessed, and bystanders are clear. Before doing it, she had no idea that there would be so many coincidences in this mission. However, Xia Houyi has been trained in Changqing Sect for many years, and has already developed a pair of discerning eyes for identifying people and objects, and a sharp eye that can quickly uncover mysteries.
Xia Houshu told his brother what he had seen and heard last night in detail.
Xia Houyi listened carefully and asked for details from time to time, but his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. Especially when he heard about the man in the silver fox mask, he looked at Xia Houshu with a little more worry.
Xia Houshu immediately understood that the man in the silver mask was not sent by Xia Houyi. Then who was he?
Xia Houshu secretly thought about the man in black wearing a silver fox mask. His hand unconsciously touched the slender wound on his neck, and he said with lingering fear: "His mask is exquisite and rare. You will like it at first sight.
If he hadn’t really hurt me later, I would have thought you sent him to watch my jokes... So do you think this person is related to Yi Wu?"
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Xia Houshu realized that her purpose was too obvious and ran counter to the Haikou she had boasted about that day. She quickly pretended to ask casually and teased the two thrushes in the birdcage with her fingers.
, but his ears stood up like a rabbit, for fear of missing any beneficial words.
Unexpectedly, Xia Houyi thought for a long time but just shook his head gently and said with his usual expression: "It is difficult to determine whether there is a connection at the moment."
Xia Houshu stopped what he was doing and looked at his brother in surprise.
Xia Houyi turned a blind eye to her reaction and continued to speak calmly: "The Prime Minister's Mansion is the first palace in the capital. It is heavily guarded and no one can come near. Who would wander there in the middle of the night? Theft is even more nonsense. Then
It's unusual for someone to dare to go there alone. If you were smart, you could just avoid him. But you followed him and expected him not to murder you, which is totally unjustifiable."
He paused, glanced at Xia Houshu, and then said: "And you are doing this for a small thing. For an unrelated person, not only did you not find any clues about Yi Wu, but you alerted the snake and even almost harmed yourself."
lives. If we check in the future, it will be even more difficult to carry out, which is really the last resort."
"Of course I understand the stakes, but the situation at that time really doesn't allow me to think too much..." Xia Houshu tugged on two belts and wondered whether face was more important or mission was more important. In the final analysis, this matter was still her own problem. Who told her
Did she praise Haikou in the first place? But now it is difficult to recover, so she can only admit it and ask her brother to help her again regardless of the past grudges. Otherwise, she will not be willing to give up an excellent breakthrough point.
She gritted her teeth and said what she had been holding in her heart: "I'm not here to ask you for advice. For the sake of our brother-sister relationship, you can't just sit idly by, right?"
"You are right. For the sake of brother-sister relationship, I have to help, otherwise it will appear that my brother is stingy." Xia Houyi nodded and acknowledged her words. Then he changed the subject and continued to say seriously: "
Since you and I are brothers and sisters and have known each other for many years, you should know that I am a very principled person who keeps my promises. A gentleman does what he does and what he does not do. You have told me before that I must not interfere in this matter, otherwise I will
There is no way to prove your strength. I think, in order to prove that you are strong and shrewd enough to handle this task, it would be better for me not to get involved."
"You..." Xia Houshu was immediately speechless. What does it mean to shoot yourself in the foot? She understood it deeply.
The two thrushes began to call excitedly again, seeming to be cheering for Xia Houyi's four or two moves.
Xia Houshu just couldn't find a place to vent his anger, so he yelled at the two of them angrily: "Why are you arguing? You didn't see that I was annoyed! If you argue again, I will make you stew and drink it!"
The two poor thrushes seemed to understand what Xia Houshu meant, and they immediately crowded together and stared at her with bated breath, trembling slightly.
Xia Houyi sighed and shook his head. He took off the birdcage and consoled him: "Today, someone is too angry. We can't afford to offend him. It's better to stay away from this place of right and wrong."
Seeing Xia Houyi really carrying the bird cage and leaving, Xia Houshu thought that he might be too angry, and then he shouted at his back very spinelessly: "Will you help me or not?"
Xia Houyi waved his hands and walked away without looking back.
Xia Houshu returned to Qingfeng Pavilion angrily. On the way, he saw several housekeepers and a group of maids and servants carrying brooms and basins, going to Xiafei Court in a hurry.
Seeing this battle, it seemed that something had happened to Xiafei Court. Xia Houshu was worried that it was Xia Houling, so he followed them all the way to take a look, but saw that they had met with the steward of Xiafei Court, Aunt Feng, and said they were following the rules.
Cleaned up and then went in.
Xiahou Shu felt bored and continued walking to his residence.
As soon as he entered the yard, he saw that Yun Xi was also directing several maids in the yard to do general cleaning. At the same time, he took out all the bedding in the house and hung them in the sun. A dozen people were busy inside and outside the house.
, did not take into account that the real owner had returned, nor did he notice the surprise on her face.
Xia Houshu raised his head and looked at the clear blue sky. The sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds in the sky. It was indeed a good weather. But the rainy season had just ended. Didn't the whole house just undergo a general cleaning? It had only been less than a month, so why bother?
frequently?
She was confused, so she called Yun Xi over to ask.
When Yunxi heard Xia Houshu calling her, she quickly explained a few words to her servants, then ran over quickly and replied with a smile: "Girl, you went out early today and haven't had time to have breakfast. You should be hungry."
Are you ready? I saw that the Qingfeng Pavilion was now smoky, so I asked the small kitchen to warm breakfast on the stove. There are your favorite japonica rice porridge, fresh bamboo shoots and chicken soup, scallion pancakes, golden pastry, red date cake, sour
Beans. Do you want to eat some now? I'll arrange for them to be used in the yard."
Xia Houshu shook his head. She was disappointed with Xia Houyi. How could she still be in the mood to eat? Then she pointed to the little maid who was busy nearby and asked her: "What day is it today? How come everyone seems to have made an appointment?"
Are you cleaning the house?"
"It's not a special day." Yun Xi waved his hand and said, turning to the little maid next to him to notify the kitchen to bring breakfast. Then he continued to explain to Xia Houshu: "Just now the princess sent Sister Qingfang to various places.
The yard was circulated, asking everyone to clean the yard thoroughly. Although our yard is cleaned every day, we are still busy in accordance with the wishes of the princess."
"Didn't it just be swept a few days ago? It hasn't rained recently, so it won't get damp and moldy, right?" Xia Houshu was very puzzled.
"It's not that I'm afraid of getting wet." Yun Xi smiled, "I heard that the young master of Taichang Temple Qing Huo's family was accidentally bitten by a poisonous insect when he was playing in the mansion a few days ago. He has been in coma and fever for several days. Even the palace officials
I have called the imperial doctor several times, but there is still no improvement. The princess thought that there were many mosquitoes in the summer and was worried that similar things would happen in the house, so she asked us to clean it again. "
"That's it." Xia Houshu nodded. Suddenly, she remembered that she had been bitten by a mosquito when she was lurking in the Prime Minister's Mansion last night. She quickly opened her sleeves and took a look, and found the marks on her hands left by mosquito bites.
The redness and swelling also subsided, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's really time to clean it thoroughly, then you can continue cleaning." Xia Houshu did not continue walking into the house, turned around and sat down on the stone bench under the wisteria flower stand, thinking carefully about Yi Wu.
Yunxi quickly brought people to prepare the dishes, and Xiahou Shu just took a few bites of the food before he lost interest and asked people to leave.
Xia Houshu has always regarded herself as smart, smart, and good at martial arts, so she firmly believed that even without Xia Houyi's advice and help, she could still find out what happened to Yi Wu.
I heard that there is an antique shop called Canglanzhai in the south of the city. Its owner is knowledgeable and knowledgeable, and the clue she knows so far is the mutton-fat jade tablet. Maybe she can get some clues from Canglanzhai.
After making up his mind, Xia Houshu drew the rough appearance of the white jade plaque from his memory, then found a piece of mutton-fat jade from the warehouse, ordered Yunxi to disguise himself, and found a small jade shop in the city.
The shop made a copy of it.
A few days later, Yunxi went to get the jade tablet back.
Xia Houshu looked at the mutton-fat jade plaque again and again, compared it with the white jade plaque in his memory, then changed into plain clothes and walked out from the main entrance of the Duke of Yue's Mansion.
It happened to be the 15th day of the lunar month. My father had gone to the military camp early in the morning to train. As usual, he would not be able to come back until after sunset. My mother had to fast on every 15th day of the lunar month. After taking care of the affairs of the house, she would go to the Buddhist hall to meditate. She would not scream.
The brother and sister went over to have lunch together.
The weather, location, and people make it the perfect time for her to go out.