No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 613: The daughter of the Fang family does not betray her father [5k4, monthly ticket requested! ]

The books that had accumulated dust on the bookshelf for years were opened one by one and examined page by page.

The walls, floors, and ceilings near the bookshelves were carefully knocked to prevent any secret compartments from being missed.

The library in the attic was filled with female officials who were professional investigators, searching through all the drawers and cabinets.

Dust rose from the pages of the book and filled the air in the attic.

A bit choking.

Fang Yiwu's face was pale, his mouth was wide open, staring at everyone, he was not even aware that he had a mouthful of ashes.

Rong Zhen put her hands in her sleeves and walked around the study room. Then she raised her hands, covered her nose slightly, walked over and pushed open a tightly sealed small window.

Then, she walked towards the door with an expressionless face, and passed by Fang Yiwu, who was already frightened and speechless, and waved her hand casually:
"Master Fang is looking for something, so our Supervisory Office can help you find it. You're welcome. Someone, help Master Fang up and ask him to leave first."

Two female officials stepped forward, grabbed Fang Yiwu and dragged him downstairs.

Rong Zhen walked down the stairs with her sleeves rolled up, and said calmly:
"Why are Master Fang's legs shaking? He can't even walk. Is he so afraid of the female official from our Supervisory Council? When he saw me just now, he was so scared that his legs went limp?
"Ha, did I say all those things in the lobby of the Jiangzhou Governor's Mansion this morning in vain? I have already said that our Supervisory Office and Xuanwu Camp will not affect the good people. Everything will be based on evidence. We will never wrongly accuse a good person, and we will not let go of anyone who harbors evil intentions. Master Fang can rest assured now, right?

"Let's go. Your beloved Governor Ouyang is waiting for you in the main hall. He is having a very pleasant conversation with your wife."

Rong Zhen left the heavy workload of searching the attic to the female officials, and temporarily left the three-story building with Fang Yiwu, who looked pale and speechless.

Came to the main hall of Fang family manor.

Fang Yiwu saw that his wife, three sons, concubines, and old housekeepers were all there.

They sat in two rows of chairs in the center of the main hall.

At the top of the main hall, his wife was drinking tea with a handsome young man in crimson official uniform.

The handsome young man had a kind face and spoke gently.

Only to see that the black-armored soldiers who came with him also retreated far away from the main hall, instead of surrounding it like they did when the lady historian was "talking about two small things" in the governor's mansion in the morning.

When Fang Yiwu came in, he found that the expressions of his eldest son, second son, third son, concubines and housekeepers who were sitting in the main hall were relatively calm. The atmosphere was somewhat harmonious, without the chaos and panic he had imagined.

The young governor turned his head and looked him up and down.

"Master, what are you..."

Mrs. Fang also saw her husband's dusty and grieve-ridden appearance, and she turned pale with fear and dropped the teacup.

"With a snap.

The originally joyful atmosphere in the main hall suddenly fell into deathly silence.

Ouyang Rong's gentle smile did not change much. He turned to look at Rong Zhen and handed her a cup of tea.

Rong Zhen nodded slightly.

After seeing this, Ouyang Rong sighed.

The look he gave Fang Yiwu was a little complicated.

Rong Zhen first took out a confession list with ink marks on it from his sleeve and handed it to Ouyang Rong. He also took the teacup and moistened his pink lips.

Ouyang Rong glanced at the list. Fang Yiwu's name had been circled by the lady historian with a red pen. The red ink on the paper was still fresh and had not dried yet. It must have been drawn on the way when Fang Yiwu was brought here.

Directly sentenced to death.

Ouyang Rong moved his eyes away from the list, raised his head, and found Rong Zhen sipping tea while glancing at him from the side.

Look at him.

The lady historian had a blank expression on her face.

Seems to be urging something.

Ouyang Rong did not stand up for the time being, and asked softly:

"Where's the Yunmeng Order?"

"Searching, it's in the library. The Fang family master hid it quite well, but he is a man of few patience, he took the bait once it was offered.

"Ouyang Lianghan, your suggestion is quite good. Although I know you are trying your best to protect them, it does save us a lot of trouble for the Supervisory Council."

Rong Zhen said in a serious tone, with an expression of disgust and boredom on her pretty face.

But the lady historian didn't know that the impatient look in her eyes as she glanced at Ouyang Rong was particularly bright and shining.

"This manor is quite large. If we search it directly, it will take more than three days. If the Fang family master is as stubborn as Li Yu, it will be like picking up a stinky stone, a waste of time."

After saying this, he didn't wait for Ouyang Rong to speak again.

Rong Zhen turned around and spoke coldly to Fang Yiwu, who was stunned, and Mrs. Fang and her family members who were silent around him:

"I know that you may still be hoping for the best. You kept silent all the way because you were longing for that one in ten thousand chance that our Overwatch Council had found the Yunmeng Order without even realizing it."

Rong Zhen slowly took out a bronze dagger carved with an evil dragon from his sleeve, held it in his hand, and shook it in front of everyone.

"Well, after all, no one who has never seen it would have thought that Yunmeng Ling looked like this. Maybe we should just ignore it as some strange collection. Don't you think so, Master Fang?"

She just nodded slightly and said:

"I'm sorry. I lied to you this morning. I don't like to lie, but I will do so once I know I've been lied to."

Fang Yiwu felt as if struck by lightning when he heard this, and his whole body trembled.

Ouyang Rong, who was standing by, for some reason, glanced at the cold back of the girl in palace dress.

Under Rong Zhen's calm, judgmental gaze, Fang Yiwu lowered his head deeply, curled up his body, and put his head on the ground, his voice unable to conceal the trembling.

"I don't know..."

"it is good."

Rong Zhen nodded, put away the Yunmeng Order, drank tea and waited.

When Rong Zhen took out the Yunmeng Order, Ouyang Rong looked around at the expressions of the other people present.

"Lord Governor!"

At this time, Mrs. Fang, who was over 40 years old, rushed forward, knelt at Ouyang Rong's feet, and cried out for justice:

"Sir Governor, what did Fang Lang do to offend Lady Historian?
"Fang Lang definitely didn't do it on purpose. I have been in charge of the Fang family's account books all these years. I have never done anything to evade taxes, and I have never had any dealings with the rebels in the southwest. We know the rules of the court.

"Is there some misunderstanding? What is this Yunmeng Order, and what is this short sword?
"Did you find the wrong person, or is it that the mouth is the source of trouble? Although Fang Lang likes to brag and occasionally brag in front of the younger generation, he is just talking and he definitely doesn't have the guts to do it."

Mrs. Fang cried and spilled all her knowledge like a bamboo tube pouring out soybeans:
"When he was young, all those things he did while traveling around the world were just boastful stories. My father-in-law said that he actually just went out and spent money to make some bad friends. They said that they were some kind of chivalrous young men and chivalrous women who were happy to take revenge, but in fact they were just drinking buddies. They took him around to brag about it. It's impossible that there was really any robbery at night to save a hero, or any sword that could defeat thousands of troops...

"Only my children and nephews believed it, but it was all just bragging. He couldn't even beat me..."

The crying woman's plea came from the heart and was full of emotion.

Ouyang Rong was slightly startled.

The onlookers, who were originally frightened and pale, looked at each other in bewilderment.

After his true colors were exposed in public, Fang Yiwu, who was in despair, suddenly blushed.

"Mrs. Chrysanthemum, you..."

A person lives for his reputation. In the eyes of Fang Yiwu, who believes that "one's identity when he goes out is given by himself", this kind of public death is worse than just killing him directly.

"Shut up, Fang Lang. Why are you still being stubborn? The governor is kind and generous, and treats his people like his own children. If you have any grievances, please tell us what's going on. What's the matter with this Yun Shijie order? Please clear up this misunderstanding!"

"Yes, father! You should explain quickly. You can't bear the injustice in vain. Governor Ouyang is the one who decides..."

The other sons and concubines all fell to the ground and grabbed Fang Yiwu to dissuade him.

Fang Yiwu pretended not to hear anything. He kept his head turned away and stared at his wife who was still unaware of the situation and was trying desperately to explain things to her.

His eyes were red, his expression was full of guilt, and his sobbing voice sounded like a dream:
"Mrs. Chrysanthemum...Mrs. Chrysanthemum..."

Ouyang Rong looked at it for a while, then turned to Rong Zhen and said thoughtfully:
"Ms. Rong, the others should not know about this and do not recognize this item. I just talked with Madam Fang and the others. If they knew about this and had something to hide, they would not have welcomed me so warmly just now. They must have been kept in the dark. We only need to find the Yunmeng Order and interrogate Fang Yiwu. This means that everyone has their own share of responsibility."

Voices of begging and pleading suddenly rang out in the main hall. Rong Zhen frowned slightly when he heard this, and took a look at the messy and confusing scene, and was about to speak.

"Ms. Shi, the search is over."

At the door, a middle-aged female official, her dress stained with attic dust, hurried in, holding a small wooden box in her hands.

"Our people searched the attic thoroughly and found this item, hiding it in a secret compartment. As for the Yunmeng Order... they didn't find it."

The main hall, where people were originally crying and begging, suddenly became quiet.

Rong Zhen was just about to stand up to take the small wooden box he had found, but when he heard this, he paused.

"Didn't find the Yunmeng Order? Are you sure?" she asked seriously.

The middle-aged female official nodded vigorously, with a serious expression:
"No, I have checked several times myself, and there is indeed no Yunmeng Order... Anyway, there is definitely no Yunmeng Order in the attic. As for whether it is somewhere else in the mansion, I don't know. Madam, should we search other places?"

Rong Zhen didn't answer. He slowly turned his head and looked straight at Fang Yiwu.

Madam Fang, several sons of the Fang family, as well as the concubines and stewards all turned to look at him, but they were crying with joy, with expressions of relief and delight as they had finally been cleared of their grievances.

"Ah?" Fang Yiwu's expression seemed to be stunned.

Rong Zhen asked with a serious face:

"You are guilty of your crime and have hurried back. What are you looking for?"

Fang Yiwu opened his mouth wide and stammered:

"What am I looking for... What am I looking for... Yes, what am I looking for? No, I don't know..."

He looked dazed and felt as if he had been in a dream and had walked through the gates of hell.

Ouyang Rong looked around at the people on the field who were staring at Ms. Rong, and his expression couldn't help but reveal a little strange.

"If it's not Yunmeng Order, then what is this?"

He walked forward and opened the wooden box directly. He saw a thick stack of letter paper inside and took it out out of curiosity.

Rong Zhen also immediately stepped forward and looked at Ouyang Rong together with his head lowered.

After reading it for a while, she frowned: "What kind of letter is this? Is it about secretly communicating with the rebels?"

The middle-aged female official at the side shook her head:
"It's not to the rebels, Madam. It's some ordinary letters. The sender is from Yangzhou. He should be an old acquaintance..."

After a pause, without looking at Fang Yiwu, the middle-aged female official sighed and continued:
"Our people have carefully checked the words and sentences, and found that they are all long-winded and sentimental content... They have nothing to do with what we want to investigate."

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen quickly flipped through the stack of letters.

After putting down the letter, the two looked at each other, and then looked at Fang Yiwu, whose face had flushed red. There was a strange look in their eyes that made Mrs. Fang and others feel puzzled.

"Cough cough."

Ouyang Rong covered his mouth and coughed lightly, stuffed the stack of letters back into the box, and then placed the wooden box casually on the nearest table.

"No wonder you came back to look for it... You really need to keep it well..."

Everyone vaguely heard the handsome young man in crimson official uniform mutter something, and then saw him turn around and ask the cold and tense girl in palace dress.

"Ms. Rong, are you still searching?"

Rong Zhen did not answer, but walked over, gazing down at Fang Yiwu who was lying on the ground, as if he wanted to find some subtle expression on his bearded face.

She was about to speak when a young general in black armor and black robe came running towards the door.

"Report! Governor, Lady His Majesty, according to your arrangement, Qin Changshi led the soldiers to raid the Guo residence on the list and arrested the head of the Guo family who had just returned from the Governor's residence to sell the stolen goods. He was arrested on the spot and the evidence is irrefutable.

"This Patriarch Guo really had a Yunmeng Order in his possession. When he was arrested, he wanted to hide it by throwing it into the lake. However, he didn't expect that we would be quicker and follow him..."

After the young general in black robe finished his report, he looked around the silent main hall and asked in a low voice:
"Sir Governor, Madam Historian, how is the situation here? If everything is fine, Chief Clerk Qin asks you two to go over there. The head of the Guo family has been taken to the state prison, and Elder Yang is interrogating him. This time, the scope of the case may be quite wide..."

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen exchanged glances.

After a moment of silence, the two of them turned around almost simultaneously and walked out of the main hall, followed by a group of female officials.

Fang Yiwu was helped up by his son. He looked dazed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master, it's okay, get up quickly, thank God the governor and the lady historian for their wisdom..."

The eldest son spoke happily, and he was just about to nod and say a few words.

Suddenly, a group of female historians came from the direction of the back house, escorting a man with shifty eyes, and reported.

"Madam, our people found a sneaky guy in the yard next to the library. It was this guy who was deliberately hiding from us."

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen stopped instantly and looked over.

Fang Yiwu's legs almost gave out and he fell over. Madam Fang walked forward and glanced at the young man dressed as a young master who was escorted to the door. She said with a somewhat apologetic look:

"Sir Governor, Madam Historian, this is the young master of the Li family in Xiushuifang in the city. He has been coming to my house frequently recently, saying that he admires my eldest daughter, Xiu Niang. He also brought a handwritten letter from his elders to propose marriage. I think he is sincere, so I originally arranged for them to meet today, but I didn't expect... Xiu Niang was not here."

After being strictly searched and his identity checked, Mr. Li raised his hands, looking a little embarrassed:

"My Lords, I am not a bad person, nor am I a flower thief. I just met Madam Fang on Lantern Riddle Street on the night of the Lantern Festival. Her elegant and graceful figure was unforgettable, so I followed her to get to know her. Although I had a small unpleasant conflict with Madam Fang afterwards, it is not important..."

Ouyang Rong saw that Mr. Li was rubbing his aching lower back while speaking affectionately.

Rong Zhen was too lazy to pay attention, turned around and asked coldly in the direction of the main hall:

"By the way, I remember that your Fang family has two daughters. Where are they?"

Mrs. Fang looked a little unhappy and said awkwardly:

"They disappeared early in the morning. They ran away together. The second girl even left a letter saying that she was going to venture into the world and would not come back until she made a name for herself... What do you think she was going out to venture into trouble? But according to my experience, she will have to come back in disgrace in half a month and eat her food obediently."

Everyone was speechless after hearing this. Rong Zhen's lips twitched slightly. What a mess this family is in.

At the urging of the young general in black robe, Rong Zhen turned and left.

But before leaving, she gave an order in a cold voice and kept a team of female officials behind.

The Fang family members were not allowed to leave the main hall for the time being. They had to wait until this team of female officials had thoroughly searched the manor before they could clear most of the suspicion. In addition, they had to immediately send a letter to call them or send someone to bring back the two daughters of the Fang family. After they returned home, they had to report to the Supervisory Office as soon as possible... The Fang family members agreed one by one.

The main hall suddenly became empty after experiencing such a thrilling experience.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Yiwu raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead and lowered his head. He seemed unhearing the congratulations and consolations from the people around him, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Mrs. Fang asked curiously:

"What's wrong with your face, Master?"

"When did Xiu Niang and Sheng Nan leave?" Fang Yiwu asked anxiously in a low voice.

"She ran away early in the morning. It was mainly because Shengnan was naughty and Xiuniang was so quiet. She was the one who instigated her..."

Fang Yiwu frowned, not knowing whether he had heard or not. He turned around and asked the old housekeeper at the back of the crowd, "Did the eldest and second young ladies go anywhere in the mansion before they left this morning?"

The old housekeeper replied in a weak voice: "It seems that they went to the back garden where the master was studying to look for the master, but you were not there. They came out quickly, took some silver and documents from the old servant, and left..."

Madam Fang sighed and said, "Shengnan probably wants to ask you about some Jianghu things. Hey, everyone has wild thoughts when they are young. Didn't the master have wild thoughts when he was young... Don't be angry. Wait until they come back and I will teach them a lesson."

Fang Yiwu's face did not show any annoyance, and his eyes seemed to be thoughtful.

He lowered his head and rubbed his face, murmuring imperceptibly: "No wonder... So that's how it is... Fortunately... Fortunately... This daughter was not born by mistake, she can really save Dad..."

Mrs. Fang asked curiously, "What did Fang Lang say? What about saving old father?"

"No, it's nothing."

Fang Yiwu swallowed secretly, and under the scrutiny of the female official at the door, he held his head high and chest out, keeping his eyes straight.

After a while, the image of his old wife who risked her life to protect him in the thrilling scene just now flashed before his eyes again. Fang Yiwu's eyes were moved and he choked silently:
"Mrs. Ju, thank you for your hard work this time..."

He turned around with a touched look on his face and eyes full of affection, but he saw that his wife had been standing by a table since he didn't know when, holding the letter paper in the wooden box in her hands, and reading it page by page with her head down.

Before Fang Yiwu's face could change suddenly, a wooden box flew over and hit him in the face.

"Ah." A scream.

But it was hard to hide Mrs. Fang's roar with her hands on her hips:
"You are such a jerk, Fang Yiwu! Big-headed Fang! You are still flirting with that worthless female knight you hooked up with when you were young. She has married someone in Yangzhou now, and you two are still reminiscing about the past and saying sweet nothings to each other. You have no shame!

"If the top beam is not straight, the bottom beam will be crooked. Look at Shengnan who has been led astray by you. She keeps nagging about going out to explore the world and looking for some messy Jianze... Mr. Fang, you are so shameless. You are really committing a sin..."

Fang Yiwu: ...

Looking at the embarrassed figure of the man who was being chased and scratched on the face by the lady who roared like a lioness.

In the main hall, the Fang family's sons, concubines, the housekeeper, and the Li family's young master who just came here for a blind date, all looked confused.

The female officials guarding outside the door also looked at each other.

Can this family be good rebels?
……

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(End of this chapter)