At three o'clock in the ugly hour, in the dead of night, when everyone was sleeping soundly, a fire suddenly lit up in the backyard of Sanshengtang.

Zhui Yun hurriedly walked in and said to Gu Changjin: "Master, the people watching outside Shen Garden said that there was a leak inside. Do you want me to send more people there?"

A leak? Gu Changjin frowned.

After thinking for a moment, he said: "No need. She knew it well and would not cause harm to anyone."

Chang Ji on the side said "poof": "If you tell me, Shen Zhi is an ungrateful white-eyed wolf who eats the inside and outside. It’s better to burn him to death.”

Shen Zhi’s night was thrilling.

When the servants banged on the door and said that Sanshengtang was in trouble, he was sleeping deeply. He opened his eyes drowsily and heard a flurry of footsteps outside. He woke up from his sleep and staggered down.

He was top-heavy as if he was carrying a piece of iron. When he saw the fire outside the window, he was so frightened that his feet shook.

Ignoring the heartbreaking pain, Shen Zhi didn't even have time to put on his outer robe. He hurried to the study, took down the painting hanging on the wall, activated the mechanism, and reached into the dark box until his fingertips touched it. A buckle the size of a copper coin.

The cold touch of the copper buckle made him shiver suddenly. He would not be so out of breath normally.

This moment of pause made him feel that something was wrong.

No, if the fire was as big as what he saw just now, it would be filled with thick smoke, but he could only smell a few faint wisps of smoke.

Shen Zhi endured the huge dizziness and glanced out the window. He removed his hand from the buckle, turned around, walked a few steps, and pushed open the window on the wall.

With a "click", a burning sycamore branch fell against the window.

Sanseido Hall was indeed on fire, but it was not the house, but the trees planted in front of the dormitory and study room.

Those lush trees grew tall, and the firelight shot extremely high, which was very intimidating to look at. But the burning tree was still some distance away from the house, so it wouldn't be able to reach this end for a while.

The fire in front of him continued to grow in size. Shen Zhi shook his head and slapped his face hard twice. When he opened his eyes again, the fire seemed to be smaller.

More and more servants rushed into the yard carrying water. The man looked back, quickly closed the dark box, hung the painting back, then held his head and left the study.

The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away.

The man hiding in the shadow slowly stood up and looked at the painting on the wooden wall.

This was not the first time that water flooded Shen Yuan. The servants carried water to put out the fire in an orderly manner. Under the command of Manager Jiang, the fire was finally extinguished at dawn.

There were more than twenty tall sycamore trees planted in front and back of Sanshengtang. The fire was caused by a few sycamore trees next to the windows of the dormitory and study room.

Manager Jiang wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was so confused that he couldn't remember which servant came to tell him about the fire in Sanseigang Hall.

The man swore that the fire was about to burn down Sanseitang, and urged him to come to Sanseitang like a ghost, scaring him to the point of death.

Looking at it now, it was just a false alarm.

Shen Zhi didn't let out a sigh of relief until the fire was put out. He didn't know if it was because he caught a cold in the middle of the night or just inhaled some smoke. Now his brain was getting more and more painful.

Seeing that his expression was extremely poor, Manager Jiang said, "Master, let's go to the side yard to rest for a while. There is an old slave watching over here. When daybreak, he will ask someone to dig out the burned sycamore tree and plant a new one." "

Shen Zhi nodded, thought of something, looked around, and said, "Where's Zhao Zhao?"

Yi Lanzhu was two cups of tea away from San Sheng Hall. She must have known what was happening here just now. of.

Manager Jiang said: "The girl was originally going to Sanshengtang. I was afraid that the fire would be uncontrollable and hurt the girl, so I advised her to go back to Yilanzhu and wait. Sir, don't worry, I have already sent someone to send a message to the girl. "

After hearing this, Shen Zhi nodded.

The intensity of the fire just now scared even him. If Rong Shu came over, he would be frightened, so it would be better if he didn't come.

"Lock the doors of the study and bedroom. I'll go to Xiangyun Pavilion to rest for two nights."

Xiangyun Pavilion is a guest courtyard in Shen Garden. It is specially used to entertain distinguished guests and is cleaned all year round.

Shen Zhi had an unbearable headache and fell asleep in darkness when he arrived at Xiangyun Pavilion. When he woke up, it was already dark.

After sleeping, his headache didn't get better at all, and he was still groggy.

He only kept the other side of Sanseitang in mind, endured the discomfort, and went back to Sanseitang.

There are several more holes in the yard, all left after burned trees were dug out.

Shen Zhi strode into the study room, activated the mechanism, and touched the copper buckle in the dark box again.

He glanced at the closed doors and windows and twisted his fingertips vigorously.

A dry and hoarse scratching sound sounded in the quiet room.

Not long after, the wooden wall used to hang paintings slowly opened a gap wide enough for one person, revealing a small and narrow secret room.

Shen Zhiji stepped inside.

This secret room can only accommodate one person, and there are only three mud walls carved with grooves. At this time, two account books and several letters are placed in these grooves.

Shen Zhi picked up the account books and letters and looked through them a few times. When he saw nothing was wrong, he put them back and left the secret room.

Turning the buckle, the wooden wall quickly returned to its original shape.

The man stood in front of the wooden wall, his eyes slowly scanning every corner of the study. After a long time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yilanzhu.

The candlelight flickered, and two figures were standing quietly in front of the desk.

Luo Yan was polishing ink for Rong Shu, "Girl, the first thing my uncle did after he woke up was to go to the study. He stayed there for less than a quarter of an hour before returning to Xiangyun Pavilion, and even asked someone to invite him. Doctor, he said he had a headache."

"He was just suspicious of the leakage of Sanshengtang. Now that there is nothing wrong with the account books and letters, he naturally felt relieved."

Rong Shu followed the memory and read the letters . The content was reproduced bit by bit and continued: "Uncle has been in charge of the Shen family these years and thinks that everything is under his control. Therefore, after confirming that there is no problem in the study, he will not be suspicious again."

Shen Zhi and Zhang’s mother understood her, so why didn’t she understand them?

Shen Zhi was accustomed to being cautious and would definitely come back to the study to explore again after waking up. Rong Shu did not dare to stay in the study for too long. After reading the letter in a hurry, she asked Liu Ping to take her out of the study.

In addition to two account books, there were only four letters in the secret room. Judging from the color of the ink, a letter should be sent every few years.

The latest letter is freshly inked. I think it was only received in the past six months.

There are very few words in these letters, and each letter contains only a few words.

This latest letter only contains two sentences: Fujian, lend him his hand to buy goods.

The word "Mr." is written at the signature.

Rong Shu pinched the letter paper, looked at it carefully, dried the ink and put it into the envelope.

Of these four letters, she could only understand this one. She knew every word or word in the other three letters, but she could not understand the meaning of the words.

For example, the letter with the oldest ink on it only has one word and a time stamp on it——

[The agreement was completed on the third day of May in the thirty-seventh year of Jiande. 】

The contract is completed?

Is this a contract between the two of them? If they really formed a contract, why did it happen?

This is the only letter dated. The thirty-seventh year of Jiande was the first year of Jiayou, the year when Emperor Jiayou ascended the throne.

There was another letter that was even more weird, with only one word on it: Change.

Change?

What to change?

The more Rong Shu read, the more suspicious he became. Who was this "gentleman" who corresponded with his uncle?

Reading through these letters, this person's tone sounded more like an order than a conspirator.

"There are two account books inside. I will look for an opportunity to go in and take a look today." Rong Shu put down his pen and said to Liu Ping, who was used to hiding in the shadows: "Can you please Guard Liu to send the letter to Mr. Gu for me?" Maybe Mr. Gu will have some clues after reading it."

Liu Ping stepped forward to take the letter and left as ordered.

Seeing Rong Shu's tired face, Luo Yan felt distressed and said, "Girl, please rest for a while. You haven't closed your eyes all night."

Not only did she not close her eyes, she also smoked a lot of cigarettes in the study. After recovering from the illness, and being a young lady who had never practiced martial arts, Luo Yan was really worried that something would happen to Rong Shu's health.

Rong Shu shook his head and said: "The fragrance can only make uncle sleepy for three or two days. The discomfort for these three or two days can be said to be caused by the fatigue of traveling in the outer boat. No matter how long it goes, I'm afraid uncle will become suspicious. I'm going to do it today." Go find out what's recorded in that account book."

Luo Yan didn't understand the feeling of compulsion with the knife hanging above his head, nor did he understand the urgency in Rong Shu's heart.

Many things in this life are different from the previous life.

Xu Li'er and Pan Xueliang survived, and Yangzhou City also won a complete victory. So, will the disaster of confiscation of homes and dismissal of employees, which was supposed to happen more than a year later, happen in advance?

Shen Zhi's breakthrough point is now, she can't waste any time, the sooner she can find out the truth, the better.

Rong Shu estimated the time and headed to Sanseigang Hall with a few letters from his grandfather in his arms.

The fire she asked Liu Ping to set off yesterday was because Shen Zhi would be the first to rescue those important secret documents at a critical moment.

Although it was a tree that was burned, after Liu Ping set the fire, Luo Yan immediately went to call someone to put out the fire.

But it was really a risk.

If she were not careful, everything in the study might be burned down, and she herself would inevitably be injured.

The tree outside the study has been planted. Manager Jiang was stepping on the soil under the newly planted tree. When he saw Rong Shu coming over with a stack of books, he hurriedly said: "Girl, the people below have just planted the tree. It's a mess here. Do you want to see it?" Come back after cleaning tomorrow?"

"It's okay, Manager Jiang, don't worry about me. I'll go in and pick out a few Buddhist scriptures. You can go on your own."

No one is allowed to enter this study, but Manager Jiang is an old man in Shen Yuan. Seeing Rong Shu growing up little by little, he saw her face pale and frightened, so he unlocked her without saying a word.

Rong Shu went into the study to pick out books, while Luo Yan stood guard outside.

There was no window in the study room, and it was dark. Rong Shu held the lamp and went to the wooden wall, activated the mechanism with ease, took out the account books in the secret room, and quickly looked through them with the help of the weak light.

The account book records the whereabouts of dozens of money, including Shandong, Fujian, Liaodong, and Shangjing.

These are the places again.

Rong Shu hesitated whether to take away the two account books. She could write down and rewrite the contents of the letter, but the account books were not easy to remember. As she was thinking, three slight knocks on the door suddenly sounded outside.

This was the secret signal between her and Luo Yan. When someone came, they would knock three times.

The person who came was none other than Shen Zhi.

Luo Yan really didn't expect that Shen Zhi, who came an hour ago, would come back a second time.

The Menghun incense that was ordered in his room yesterday was given by Mr. Gu's chief attendant named Zhuiyun. It was said that it could make people feel trance-like and confused.

According to Shiiyun, Shen Zhi had to be in a coma for at least three or two days after inhaling the Dream Soul Incense for half a night before he could recover.

How could he come to the study room twice in a row?

Shen Zhi was indeed feeling uncomfortable at this moment, but he was thinking over and over again. After all, he was worried about leaving the account books and letters here, so he turned back.

He had just passed through the Moon Cave Gate when Luo Yan from the other side shouted loudly: "Uncle!"

Luo Yan belongs to the owner of Danzhu County, and Shen Zhi is accustomed to treating her with courtesy. He glanced at her and asked hesitantly: "Why is Miss Luoyan here?"

Luoyan said: "The girl was frightened last night. She was afraid that she would have a nightmare today, so she came to pick out some Buddhist scriptures and said she would play two Qu Qingxin Mantra."

Shen Zhi frowned slightly, walked quickly through the corridor, opened the door and entered the study.

At this time, two wall lamps were lit in the study room, and Rong Shu was standing on a low stool, raising his hand to reach for a Buddhist scripture.

Seeing Shen Zhi come in, he called "uncle" in surprise and said: "Manager Jiang said that my uncle is not feeling well and will rest in Xiangyun Pavilion for the past two days. I also want to go to Xiangyun Pavilion to see my uncle tomorrow."

She jumped off the footstool, walked towards Shen Zhi with the lantern, and asked with concern: "Uncle, are you feeling better?"

Shen Zhi lowered his eyes and glanced at the two Buddhist scriptures in her hands, then glanced at the place where she was standing just now, and walked away He went over and pulled down the Buddhist scripture from high up, and said: "It's better. Sanshengtang is being repaired these days. You should come here as little as possible to avoid causing collisions with the people below."

Rong Shu said calmly: "I'll pick a few I will leave after reading the Buddhist scriptures. I have to go to see Dr. Mou tomorrow to see Mother Zhang. I need to have a good sleep today."

Her expression was really not much better than his. Shen Zhi remembered what Luo Yan said just now and sighed: "Yesterday, two lanterns were blown down by the wind and fell on the trees on the porch, and then a fire broke out. The fire was not big, but it burned a few sycamore trees. Don't be afraid. I'll let someone cook a tranquilizer for you. Eat and then rest. Your courage is getting smaller and smaller. When I came back, I heard from Manager Jiang that you were running around when the pirates attacked the city, and you were about to become a hero among women. "

Speaking of this, she then thought about how she almost had the remaining pirates kidnapped half a month ago. She felt a little pity for a moment and said: "When I went to Qingzhou more than ten years ago, I was also kidnapped by a pirate who was disguised as a fisherman." The pirates had robbed him, but thanks to several thousand households in the guardhouse, he was able to escape smoothly. "

The pirates were extremely vicious, and if it wasn't for the purpose of buying firearms, he wouldn't want to get involved with the Water Dragon King. Fortunately, the Water Dragon King is dead and these things are buried in the past.

Rong Shu pinched the Buddhist scripture in his hand and asked with a smile: "Uncle, was he going to Qingzhou to carry salt?"

"No, it was just a detour in Qingzhou to meet an old friend on the way to carry salt." Shen Zhi said and waved. He waved his hand and said: "If you find the Buddhist scriptures, go back and rest early. Mother Zhang is not here. I will assign someone to take care of Yi Lanzhu for you in two days." When

Shen Zhi said this, his heart sank again.

Zhang’s mother was unconscious, but General Liang was alive and well, and he didn’t know how to explain it to the princess.

On the way back to Yilanzhu, Rong Shu recalled what Shen Zhi said just now, Qingzhou, Weisuo, old friend.

Shen family and Rong family.

Fujian, Shandong, Liaodong and Shangjing.

Rong Shu's steps suddenly stopped, and his heart beat heavily.

She guessed the connection between these places and the Chengan Marquis Mansion!

"girl!"

While she was thinking about it, a thin figure walked towards her quickly and said, "Master Gu, please go to Pingnan Street tomorrow to talk about it. Master Gu said that he knows what the 'goods' mentioned in the letter are."