After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

The Third Princess narrowed her eyes and sent someone to find Fang Jin.

The men they sent out hadn't found anyone in almost half an hour.

The Third Princess knew something was wrong and ordered a search of Fang Jin's residence. They found that the silver and other valuables were missing, but other items were still there.

The Third Princess was truly enraged. Fang Jin had actually run away! A useless dog! She hadn't even had a chance to deal with him, and he dared to run away on his own.

"Investigate for me! If you find the person, kill them on the spot!"

The Third Princess's pride wouldn't allow it; a traitor had appeared by her side.

The Third Princess's search for someone wasn't exactly discreet, and those who were paying attention to her, such as the Crown Prince, noticed it immediately.

Qingyan sat in his study, the candlelight flickering, making his figure appear even taller and more slender.

He put down the folded document in his hand, and when he spoke, his voice was a little hoarse.

"What time is it?"

A young eunuch hurriedly emerged from behind a pillar.

"Your Highness, it's almost 9 PM."

Qingyan put down the memorial, rubbed his temples, and the clever eunuch stepped forward to pour him some warm water.

It's already night, and if I drink tea any longer, I won't be able to sleep.

Since Qingyan recovered from his illness, he has been regularly sleeping at 9 PM and waking up at 3 AM.

He cherishes his current health, which was saved by the young girl's painstaking efforts, and he must protect it.

Just as Qingyan was about to get up, a bodyguard appeared.

"Your Highness."

"Fang Jin is missing, and the Third Princess is searching for him all over the capital."

Qingyan said expressionlessly, "Keep a close eye on the other members of the Fang family, especially Old Master Fang."

"Yes."

The guard acknowledged and went out again.

Qingyan sat for a while longer. He never underestimated anyone, but Fang Jin was more troublesome than he had imagined.

After the murder, Fang Jin lost his value, and given the Third Princess's temperament, he wouldn't live much longer.

Qingyan hadn't made a move yet, but he was keeping an eye on the Fang family, intending to "remind" the Third Princess to eliminate them completely when she started to have designs on Fang Jin.

The main problem is Old Master Fang. As long as this old man is alive, there will always be people who can use him to put pressure on Fang Tong's family.

Unexpectedly, Fang Jin ran away.

He's surprisingly clever this time, but I wonder what kind of trouble he'll cause this time.

However, Qingyan wasn't too worried. Fang Jin always ended up losing more than he gained by trying to steal a chicken. Whether it was because he wasn't smart enough or because he was unlucky, he would always eventually drive himself to ruin.

Qingyan thought that since he was so capable of causing trouble and his two daughters were very much under his tutelage, he should also have someone keep an eye on Su Qingya and Su Xiran.

They've been so quiet lately.

The person they once hated, envied, and looked down upon has become the daughter of the Prime Minister's younger sister. Su Qingya and the others will not remain indifferent.

After issuing another order, Qingyan went to rest.

As dawn broke, Fang Nanzhi packed her bags and prepared to depart for the Yun residence.

Unfortunately, Yun Congsheng wasn't there, but it's alright.

Fang Nanzhi, Madam Yun, and her daughter had a very pleasant conversation.

They ate snacks together, talked about health preservation and medicinal cuisine, and corrected some of Madam Yun's movements.

Later, they chatted about everyday things and learned that Yun Congsheng came from a poor family.

“My parents-in-law refuse to move to Beijing, and my brother-in-law’s family prefers to stay in their hometown, so our family can only get together once a year during the Spring Festival.”

Madam Yun didn't know why she was talking to a girl who was only ten years old.

The main reason was that Fang Nanzhi was too enthusiastic. She talked about her hometown and went on and on.

Madam Yun should also mention her hometown.

Although her tone was regretful, it wasn't much.

Although they can only meet once a year and he cannot be there to fulfill his filial duties, he often sends money back to his hometown, which shows his filial piety.

It's much more comfortable for the young couple to live alone rather than with their in-laws, and Mrs. Yun is somewhat relieved about that.

But it's hard to say it out loud.

Fang Nanzhi understood, but she wasn't curious about the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship or anything like that.

He wanted to find out if the Yun family had any distant relationship with the Chen family, such as if someone in the Chen family had done Yun Congsheng a favor.

Fang Nanzhi skillfully guided the conversation to topics.

"I don't have many relatives, but my dad has many friends, and each of them is about the same as my uncle."

Actually, it's not that they don't have many relatives; the Fang family is considered a large clan in the village, but wasn't their family removed from the clan?

Once the clan is removed, those relatives will no longer have contact.

“Those uncles and elders are all benefactors to my family. During the most difficult times for my family, they were always there for my father.”

He is a benefactor.

When they were exterminated from the clan, when they fought against the Qin clan chief, when the village suffered famine, Qiu Shiliu and his brothers survived it all together.

How can you not consider him a benefactor?

"Yes, in this world, one can never do without the help of others; those who lend a hand are always benefactors."

“I heard from my husband that his family lives in the countryside and has also encountered difficulties.”

Why does Madam Yun always talk about the Yun family? It's because she's from the capital and doesn't have experience living in smaller towns.

To continue the conversation about the southern branch of the tree, we have to talk about the husband's family.

“My husband’s family was a small local family. They had a business and land, but no promising members.”

That's equivalent to having no backing.

That's just how the world is. If your family doesn't have officials or strong backing, no matter how much wealth you accumulate, you can't protect it.

They have plenty of ways to steal it legally.

"The Yun family's clan lands were coveted by a powerful local family. In order to protect the clan property, my husband's second uncle and aunt died in a fight."

Lady Yun sighed.

Fang Nanzhi's eyes widened: "A fight?"

"Yes, my second uncle and aunt are the head of the household. Fights in the countryside usually only happen when farmers have conflicts. Unfortunately, on that day, my second uncle and aunt were inspecting the fields when their own tenants got into a fight with others, resulting in a brawl involving more than twenty people."

"My second uncle originally wanted to separate the people, but he didn't expect things to escalate. He got caught up in the chaos and lost his second aunt along with him."

Madam Yun genuinely felt that her husband's second uncle and aunt had died unjustly and tragically.

Fang Nanzhi was even more surprised. From childhood to adulthood, she had seen many fights and even participated in quite a few herself.

But how many cases have resulted in death? If there were, her father would have been arrested long ago.

She was born into a farming family, so she knew some things much better than anyone else.

Farmers also value their lives. Sometimes when they get angry or argue, they might resort to violence, but they are used to physical labor and know their limits. They would never want to kill someone.

Nobody's stupid; murderers pay with their lives.

Why would someone kill another person just to spite them?

Unless it's a fool or one of the very few who has lost their mind, Fang Nanzhi keenly sensed that something was wrong.

"And then what happened?" she asked.

A tenant farmer got into a fight with someone and ended up killing his master. Anyone who heard this would suspect something fishy was going on.

"It seems that several people on the other side also died, and the authorities imposed heavy penalties on both sides."

Madam Yun was not quite clear on the matter. She only knew that her second uncle and aunt had not received anything, but she was unaware of the subsequent events surrounding the aristocratic families' attempt to seize the Yun family's land.

It probably ended in a muddle after someone died.

Fang Nanzhi felt that it wasn't that simple, but she couldn't ask any more questions. Asking too many questions would be like harping on someone's painful past.

She chatted with him about all sorts of things, from her second uncle and her father's hobbies to find out about Lord Yun's preferences.

As they chatted until nearly noon, Madam Yun warmly invited her to stay for lunch.

Fang Nanzhi waved her hand and said, "Thank you for the invitation, Madam. But before I came out, I told my family that I would be back soon. I got so engrossed in chatting with you that I have already gone astray. It is time for me to go home."

The young girl was very polite, and Madam Yun understood.

She wanted to see the person off, but Fang Nanzhi stopped her. Although she had already settled in for exercise, it was still quite a distance from the backyard to the front gate. She shouldn't see them off, or they would catch a cold.

Yun Congsheng's daughter, Yun Yun, patted her little chest, acting like a little adult: "Mother, don't worry, I will escort my sister out of the manor."

Madam Yun smiled and said, "Alright, then leave it to Yun'er."

The young maid was very responsible; she held Fang Nanzhi's hand and saw her out of the mansion.

"Sister, come again next time!" The little maid waved to Fang Nanzhi after she got into the carriage.

Fang Nanzhi replied earnestly, "Okay, next time I come, I'll bring you candied hawthorns."

Yunyun smiled even more sweetly.

As the carriage drove away, Fang Nanzhi thought to herself that she had gained little today.

Indeed, from Madam Yun's words, there was no indication that Yun Congsheng had any connection with the Chen family of the past, let alone with the Chen family's retainers.

Could it be that Madam Yun was also unaware of this? Or perhaps Yun Congsheng kept it from her?

Oh, by the way, the Chen family's retainers that she brought stayed with the Yun family.

It was about the person they found at the Yun residence last time. He was acting suspiciously, and they wanted to interrogate him, but he was too tight-lipped and they couldn't get anything out of him.

We can only leave it to Lord Yun to handle, to see if he should report it to the authorities or what.

Madam Yun was only surprised at the time, and even thanked them a few times, showing that she didn't mind at all that they had arrested and interrogated the person before sending them back.

As for the rest, we'll have to wait until Yun Congsheng returns to his residence to find out.

After having lunch at her residence, Fang Nanzhi rushed to the Zhou residence to continue learning medicine.

She's quite busy every day.

Just as the clouds were rising, and I was on duty, I heard from the servant that Fang Nanzhi had sent someone to our house.

The person he captured at his residence was interrogated by General Fang Yin for several days, but they couldn't get any information out of him before he sent him back.

Yun Congsheng suddenly thought of the letter he had seen in the study that day. It had appeared without anyone noticing and must have been sent by the person who had been arrested.

As for Fang Yin's private interrogation of people, Yun Congsheng was particularly understanding.

Given the numerous assassination attempts targeting the Fang family recently, it's reasonable to assume that the people who entered their home were after Fang Nanzhi.

Even with Fang Yin's methods, he couldn't find out the other party's identity, which made Yun Congsheng even more wary and curious.

He was very wary of the group that was threatening him. Who exactly were they?

Yun Congsheng longed to return to his residence immediately, but after thinking about it, he suppressed his anxiety and continued working until the end of the day before finally going home.

Upon returning, the first thing he asked was, "How are the Madam, Miss, and Young Master?"

The servant hurriedly replied, "Madam has had the wet nurse take the young master over to play with him. Miss should be in her room writing."

Yunyun has already begun her studies, but the child doesn't like reading and only studies sporadically.

He said he was writing in his room, but Yun Congsheng thought he was probably being mischievous again.

But he didn't say anything, ignoring the children, and went straight to the room where the man was being held.

Shadow Six was bound hand and foot, his body covered in wounds, but none of them were fatal; Fang Yin's men had never used lethal force.

Actually, Ying Liu was quite surprised that he knew Fang Yin.

How come I got arrested at Fang Mansion while doing a mission?

In a sense, Fang Yin was one of their own, and he could have revealed his identity to avoid punishment.

But Shadow Six didn't say.

Their grand plan has finally begun, and they cannot reveal even the slightest clue before it is accomplished.

He remained steadfast and didn't utter a single word. Just as he had guessed, the General's Mansion couldn't get any information out of him, so they handed him over to Lord Yun.

With Lord Yun in charge, Shadow Six is ​​actually more confident.

Yun Congsheng entered the house but forbade the servants to follow him, and kept the door tightly closed.

The man stood tall and straight, his body covered in blood, seemingly a prisoner, but his gaze remained calm.

The two looked at each other, but Ying Liu's eyes revealed no emotion.

Yun Congsheng realized that the other party's confidence seemed to come from the very core of his being.

"Who are you? Why are you looking for me?"

Yun Congsheng asked him the two questions he cared about most.

A shadow fell over Ying Liu's eyes: "Lord Yun, have you seen our people?"

"No, you changed your mind at the last minute and rescheduled for another day," Yun Congsheng said truthfully.

He suddenly wondered if the Fang family had arrested the suspicious people in his mansion and then sent people to keep an eye on him.

It's very possible.

Now that the people have returned, the Fang family's secret guards should have withdrawn, right?

On the rooftop, the bodyguard dressed in black blended perfectly into the darkness.

He clung to the roof like a gecko, deftly lifting a tile to see what was happening inside.

A look of understanding flashed in Shadow Six's eyes.

It seems that Lord Yun is not one of them yet, but that's alright, it's enough. It shows that Yun Congsheng has the intention to meet them.

Perhaps it's time to bring people onto the ship.

"Lord Yun, is there a convenient place to talk in your residence?" Ying Liu asked directly.

Yun Congsheng looked at him suspiciously for a while, wondering what important matter he was going to talk about that was already enough after sending the servants away.

Why worry about being overheard?

However, considering his own secrets, Yun Congsheng became more cautious.

He released Shadow Six from his restraints, and the other party did not attack him.

If you approach him, it's because you need him to do something; why would you actually do it?

Yun Congsheng found a vase on the bookshelf on the left wall. He turned it around a few times, and the bookshelf trembled and moved backward, revealing a door.

Sure enough, there was a secret room.

How could Yun Congsheng, a minor official harboring resentment towards his parents and being extremely cautious, not take precautions at home?

The two entered the secret room one after the other.

The guard on the roof: ...

He can't follow them in; he'd definitely be exposed.

He thought for a moment, then gestured for his companion to continue watching the area, as he was leaving for a while.

Where to go? Of course, back home.

"The day Bai Wu followed Lord Yun, the man was acting suspiciously, changing his clothes twice, probably to meet someone. But after eating a bowl of vegetarian noodles and receiving a stone, he left. Could it be that the man Lord Yun wanted to meet with the Chen family's troops that day?"

Upon hearing the report from the secret guards, Fang Nanzhi immediately connected it to this matter.

It's very possible.

"So it seems that Chen's troops and Lord Yun have only just made contact? And they're not familiar with each other?" Qian Fengping frowned.

It's really strange. The Chen family's retainers don't want to see their young master, Fang Nanzhi. They finally managed to send Shadow Four, but it's only to avoid trouble.

But why are they secretly contacting outsiders?

"Lord Yun is quite something. There's even a secret room in his house. We should get a few of those in our own house too. Ideally, we should build a secret passage that leads directly to the outskirts of the capital, so we can escape if anything happens," Fang Tong pondered.