Chapter 226 Back
Su Qingqing never expected that the conversation would lead to this point.
Is Mrs. Zhao Ji’s younger brother a member of the Su family army?
For a moment, Su Qingqing couldn't tell whether she was sincere or just trying to trick him, so she didn't respond. She just sighed, "It's a pity for the Su family army. They were so powerful and majestic in the early years. No one would mention the Su family army without saying how powerful they were. But now... Alas."
Her face was already pale, and with her sigh, she looked even more haggard.
Perhaps because she was reminded of sad things, Mrs. Zhao Ji's eyes were a little red, but she managed not to cry in front of Mrs. Cong, whom she met for the first time.
“Who says it’s not true? When General Su was here in the early years, there were Su’s army guarding the place, so how could there be the chaos we have now?
Every time my brother writes home..."
Suddenly realizing that it was inappropriate to talk about the general who was convicted of treason by the late emperor in front of Mrs. Cong, Zhao Ji's wife stopped talking.
He just sighed and changed the subject.
"Mrs. Cong should know the previous owner and assistant of the pen and ink shop. They are indeed good at it, but it's a pity that they sold the shop a month ago and are no longer in Datong.
If they were here, they would indeed be a good helper.
The shopkeeper and clerk of this shop now seem to be from another place, but I can't tell what his accent is like."
Su Qingqing was a little surprised, "Are you familiar with them?"
Mrs. Zhao Ji looked at Su Qingqing in confusion: "The owner of this shop was originally a soldier in the Su family army. He happened to be in the same battalion as my brother. How come you didn't know this before?"
Su Qingqing was a little surprised that Mrs. Zhao Ji knew so much, and pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Haven't they opened a store in Datong for many years?"
Mrs. Zhao Ji smiled and shook her head but said nothing more. "Look at me. I was so busy talking that I forgot that you are a patient. Take care of yourself. If you need anything, just tell the maid outside. Mr. Cong helped us fight the bandits. He is the benefactor of Datong County. Please don't be shy."
As she spoke, she stood up and said goodbye.
Su Qingqing didn't try to force him to stay.
As soon as Mrs. Zhao Ji left, Su Qingqing called Jixiang, "Go and find out her brother's name when you have time."
Zhao Ji's wife came here under Zhao Ji's arrangement to get Su Qingqing to talk. After leaving Su Qingqing's place, she went directly to Zhao Ji's study.
When she went in, she just happened to hear Zhao Ji's staff say, "Those people were acting sneaky. I asked someone to check and found out that a young clerk in their shop disappeared last night and they are looking for him.
I said, there are bandit problems nowadays, and the streets are in a state of panic. Most people don't go out. There is something wrong with them looking around. I didn't expect that this was the reason.
This is strange. They are from other places. When someone is missing, shouldn’t their first reaction be to call the police?
Instead of reporting to the government, I went to look for him in an unfamiliar place."
Zhao Ji shook his head. "Since they won't report it, let them find it themselves. I'm also very worried here."
Seeing the lady coming, the aide swallowed what he was about to say, bowed and left.
"How?" Zhao Ji asked immediately.
Madam Zhao Ji said, "There should be some people stationed outside, but it's hard to say how many there are. When I went there, Madam Cong had just woken up and her face was as white as paper. It was obvious that she was very ill. I asked her suddenly, but she answered her questions promptly."
After a pause, she took a sip of the tea and suddenly smiled.
"We actually have a connection with her. Xiaobao's comrade in the Su Family Army is actually an old acquaintance of hers."
Zhao Ji was startled for a moment.
The lady didn't know who she was, but he knew it very well.
This Crown Princess is a princess of the Zhao Kingdom. How come she is an old acquaintance of the soldiers of the Su family army?
Is it because of the prince?
Has the prince always been in contact with the former ?
"Did you find out what the acquaintance was about?"
Mrs. Zhao Ji shook her head. "I think she seems to be a little confused, and her words are incoherent. She said she was an old acquaintance, but she didn't know that the owner of the pen and ink shop had transferred the shop a month ago, and she didn't know that the shop had been open for five or six years.
I told her that my brother was a member of the Su family army, but she didn't react. I told her that my brother knew the owner of the shop, and she was puzzled and asked me how my brother, who was a soldier, knew those people.
Seeing her like this, I didn’t dare to say anything more. ”
Zhao Ji nodded, "You are right, we should be more cautious. But it is strange that today's events are all about this ink shop."
His wife asked, "What happened to the pen and ink shop?"
Zhao Ji repeated what his staff had said, "If they were not the previous owners of this shop and they had sold the shop to someone else, I would have arrested them long ago because their behavior was so strange."
…
The bandits who usually attacked the county town during the day did not come all day today. Rong Que and Wang Yu came back only at dusk.
Zhao Ji personally went to the city gate to meet them. When he saw no one else following Rong Que, he asked, "Do you need to send some food and quilts over there? It's winter, and I can't even give them a cup of hot water. I feel bad."
Rong Que waved his hand, "Master Zhao, you don't have to be polite. Everything is fine over there. Let's go to the bandits today to find out what's going on. We'll talk about it in detail."
Wang Yu followed on the side, and was really worried about their general's condition. As soon as Rong Que finished speaking, Wang Yu asked, "Is our wife awake?"
Zhao Ji hurriedly said, "Wake up, wake up."
He looked at Rong Que, his expression unable to conceal his respect, "Don't worry, the mansion has done everything we can. We have picked out all the good ones we have and sent them there. I have also sent my confidants to buy the medicines prescribed by the two doctors. There is nothing missing."
Rong Que's heart had long flown to Su Qingqing, but it was not convenient for him to just leave while using someone else's government office, so he patiently accompanied Zhao Ji all the way to the gate of the government office.
When they reached the door, he couldn't wait any longer and pushed Wang Yu forward. "Let him tell you the details of the bandits. I'll go wash up and come back to discuss with Lord Zhao."
After saying that, he ran towards the inner courtyard.
Zhao Ji was stunned. "Your Highness and the Queen have such a good relationship?"
Wang Yu thought to himself: Not to mention Your Highness, I also want to run over now.
When Rong Que went in, Su Qingqing was having dinner.
I still didn’t dare to eat too much, just pigeon soup, rice porridge, steamed buns, and some pickles.
Su Qingqing finished half a bowl of soup when the door curtain outside was suddenly lifted up and Rong Que rushed in, shrouded in cold air.
His chest was heaving, his breathing was heavy, his face was bearded and looked very haggard, only his eyes were scorchingly bright.
Su Qingqing's hand trembled, and some of the soup in the half bowl in her hand spilled out. She didn't bother to wipe her hands, put the bowl down, stood up and walked towards Rong Que.
Jixiang retreated silently.
Rong Que wanted to hug the person, but he took a step back, "You feel cold, wait for me to change clothes."
