Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

Xie Jingcheng?!

Xie Jingyuan's entire body trembled violently, as if struck by a thunderbolt. This name, which had been forgotten for so many years, suddenly pierced his ears. He was still alive?

Xie Jingyuan clenched his fists tightly, suppressing the surging blood and energy. A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "I haven't met Jingcheng recently. Third brother suddenly mentioned him... Could it be that he has also come to Shengjing City?"

Xie Laosan shook his head and sighed, "I'm not sure. Ever since Jingcheng failed the imperial examination, this place..." He nodded his head, "It hasn't been very effective."

"Later, his family members died or dispersed, so the elders decided to lock him up in the abandoned courtyard in the western suburbs and assign two servants to watch over him. Anyway, he couldn't cause any trouble."

He gulped down his tea, his Adam's apple rolling. "To be honest, I've completely forgotten about him all these years. But while we were escorting the goods to Beijing, there was a sudden rustling sound from the carriage's cargo box. I ordered someone to open it and found Xie Jingcheng hiding inside. I pulled him out and asked him what he wanted, but he just laughed foolishly and kept mumbling 'Looking for Jingyuan'."

Xie Laosan spread his hands and said helplessly, "I was just about to send someone to take him back, but the moment I turned around, he disappeared. We searched all along the official road, but couldn't find any trace of him."

Xie Jingyuan's face suddenly turned pale. He clasped the armrests of the armchair tightly with both hands and slowly sank into it. His voice trembled a little, "Third brother, do you know... why Jingcheng is looking for me?"

Seeing Xie Jingyuan's expression change drastically, Third Brother Xie couldn't help but rub his hands and said cautiously, "Brother, you... let me tell you, when brother and Jingcheng took the same exam, brother won the first place, but Jingcheng failed. Even if he is crazy, I'm afraid he still remembers this incident in his heart, so he came to find brother..."

Seeing Xie Jingyuan's expression becoming increasingly gloomy, Xie Lao San hurriedly patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, big brother! Since that madman didn't make it to Shengjing, he must have returned to Qingzhou. Even if he got lost along the way, I, Xie Lao San, will definitely send people to look for him. I'll find him alive or dead!"

The table was filled with delicacies, but Xie Jingyuan found the food tasteless and could not swallow it. He took two quick bites, put down his chopsticks, stood up, and hurriedly left the guest house, saying that he had something to do.

Outside the study, four trusted servants were guarding the four directions with vigilant expressions. Xie Jingyuan pushed the door open and walked in. His eyes swept over the neatly stacked camphorwood boxes, and his gloomy expression eased a little.

He spread out the rice paper, recalled what Xie Jingcheng looked like when he was young, and drew a portrait. He then pulled out a few banknotes from his sleeve, called Zhao Lu, and told him to go to Tingyu Tower.

Listening Rain Tower is a newly emerged secret organization in Shengjing City, specializing in locating individuals and investigating crimes. In just six months, it has already gained widespread fame. Rumor has it that they can uncover everything from the secrets of royalty and nobles to the grievances of ordinary people – for the right price, there's nothing they can't uncover.

Xie Jingyuan believed that as long as he was willing to spend money, he would be able to find Xie Jingcheng's whereabouts.

As soon as Zhao Lu left, Xie Jingliang rushed into the study. Seeing the piles of camphorwood boxes in the room, he asked with a puzzled look on his face, "Brother, what's in these boxes? I just heard that someone from my hometown in Qingzhou has arrived. Where are they now?"

Xie Jingyuan's heart tightened. Only he and his mother knew about the Qingzhou incident; his brother had been kept in the dark. He stared closely at Xie Jingliang, fearing he might suddenly open the box to check.

He glanced at Xie Jingliang and said perfunctorily, "They are just some poor people from our clan. They are having a hard time this year and are here to ask for some money to get by. What? Second brother, do you want to help them?"

Xie Jingliang waved his hands repeatedly and laughed dryly: "Brother, you are joking! Where did I get the money?"

He took a half step closer and lowered his voice, "To be honest, big brother, I'm here today to ask you something. A while ago, by chance, I met Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Revenue. With the New Year approaching, if I can prepare a decent holiday gift, maybe Mr. Zhou will be so pleased that he'll transfer me to the Ministry of Revenue."

He rubbed his hands, a flattering smile on his face: "So, please lend me some money..."

A hint of impatience and annoyance flashed in Xie Jingyuan's eyes. This useless younger brother had always caused him trouble since he was a child.

He snorted coldly, took out a silver note from his pocket, held it between two fingers and threw it in front of Xie Jingliang, saying coldly: "Take it. The other day, the wife of the Jiang Mansion almost emptied the silver and money in my private treasury, and now this is all I have left..."

Xie Jingliang took the banknote and after seeing the amount, he curled his lips in disdain: "Two hundred taels? This little bit of money can't even bribe the doorman of Zhou Mansion..."

Xie Jingliang's face darkened and he said in a cold voice, "You think it's too little? Then return it to me." As he spoke, he tried to grab the banknote.

Xie Jingliang hurriedly put the banknote into his arms and said with a grin, "My elder brother gave it to me, so there's no reason for me to take it back." Before he finished speaking, he had already rushed out the door.

Xie Jingyuan's eyes darkened as he watched Xie Jingliang hurried away. He raised his hand and summoned the steward, ordering him to gather twenty servants to guard the gate and not let anyone in. Then, leading a few trusted servants, he headed towards the backyard of the study.

On the eaves, Xie Qingli, wrapped in a pristine white cloak, blended seamlessly into the falling snow. She held her breath, her long eyelashes frosted with a layer of fine ice crystals, yet she stared intently at the movements in the courtyard...

……

That night, the north wind howled, snowflakes flew, the snow piled up to the ankles, and the entire mansion was shrouded in dead silence.

Outside the study, the daytime guards had long since departed, leaving only a few night watchmen leaning against the doorframe, their heads dozing off. Inside the study, Xie Jingyuan was fast asleep on the carved wooden bed, its curtains drawn low.

Xie Qingli's figure was as graceful as a swallow, and she landed in the courtyard. She flicked her fingertips, and several strong winds broke through the air, and the dozing servants collapsed limply to the ground.

She moved to the window again, pulled out a thin bamboo tube from her sleeve, and gently poked a hole in the window paper. Her red lips parted slightly, and a wisp of green smoke curled into the inner room. In a moment, the once even breathing in the room gradually became heavy and long.

Xie Qingli's footsteps left no trace in the snow, and in a flash she was at the study's backyard. She clapped her hands three times, the applause barely audible in the snowstorm. Then she saw dozens of men in black clad in black, like ghosts, clamber over the towering courtyard wall and descend in unison before her.

These people were all dressed in night clothes, with black scarves covering their faces. Each of them carried a bulging cloth bag on his shoulder, and no one knew what was inside, but it was weighing heavily on the bottom of the bag.

Xie Qingli nodded slightly to the leader, and quickly walked to the inconspicuous rockery in the corner of the wall. He stretched out his hand and fumbled around the bottom of the rockery for a while. Suddenly, his fingertips touched a protruding stalagmite. He pressed it hard a few times, but the rockery did not move at all.

She frowned slightly, carefully recalling Xie Jingyuan's actions during the day. Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind. She pressed and twisted the button, and sure enough, she heard a crisp "click". The bottom of the rockery slowly moved away, revealing a dark hole...