After Jin Xiao entered the capital, his every move showed great grace, as if he were from a scholarly family.
"Before, they were just an opera troupe. Later, I gave them some money, and their lives got a bit better," Duke Di sighed. "If the Jin family had been wealthy earlier, Jin Xiao's illness might not have dragged on like this."
"So, you mean Jin Xiao's etiquette and behavior are because the Jin family used to be an opera troupe?" Yi Qing asked curiously.
"What's wrong with an opera troupe?" Duke Di thought Yi Qing looked down on opera troupes. "When the Jin family was prosperous, they had been to all kinds of grand mansions. They were well - traveled people."
Yi Qing laughed. "Oh, so Jin Xiao traveled far and wide with the opera troupe since childhood."
"That's not the case. By the time Jin Xiao was born, the Jin family's opera troupe was already gone. Jin Xiao never left the north of Shanxi," Duke Di only thought of him as a poor child.
Yi Qing didn't ask further. A person from an ordinary family who had never left the north of Shanxi was actually drinking sea cucumber congee and eating delicate steamed fish. Steaming fish was the most challenging cooking method and required high - quality fish.
Moreover, the bowls and dishes for the rice were the same as those in her family. Yi Qing couldn't help but smile. For someone used to luxury, this was already considered shabby.
Xiao Jinghan was waiting for Yi Qing at the gate of Duke Di's mansion. Only then did he learn that Yi Qing had separated from Duke Di and the others on the way and gone home. Xiao Jinghan quickly rode his horse back and just saw Yi Qing getting off the carriage at the gate.
"General," Yi Qing said in surprise. "You just got back too."
"Yeah," Xiao Jinghan walked over and took Yi Qing's hand. "Where did you go? You smell all over of medicine."
"I deliberately let myself smell like this to keep the bats away," Yi Qing knew the smell was a bit strong. "I've already moved Jin Xiao to a new place. You send someone to keep an eye on his original residence."
"Okay," Xiao Jinghan nodded.
Lu Tianxun hadn't slept since he got the city gate entry and exit register. He had read all the registers and analyzed several people who might be problematic.
"This Lin Da is from the north of Shanxi," Lu Tianxun showed the register to Xu Maozhi. "He said he came to visit relatives and has never left the capital since then."
"The north of Shanxi..." Xu Maozhi repeated. "Why do you think he's problematic?"
"After he entered the capital, he seems to have completely disappeared."
Xu Maozhi nodded. "Okay, you go and rest first. I'll go and look for him."
Lu Tianxun felt dizzy but still propped his head up and stood firm. "Hasn't anything else happened on your side?"
"Thank goodness, no," Xu Maozhi was encountering such a tricky matter for the first time.
In the next few days, there was no progress in this matter. The bats didn't appear again. They checked every household but still couldn't find the man named Lin Da.
Xiao Jinghan had someone keep an eye on Jin Xiao's previous residence. After it was empty, it was completely silent.
The only good news was that Deng Xiao could already get out of bed. His wound just needed to be nursed, but he didn't plan to leave the general's mansion for the time being. If he went out like this and met assassins again, he might not be so lucky.
Yi Qing wondered if Lin Mo had overfed the bats. Maybe the bats weren't hungry these days, so they didn't come out.
Jin Xiao also didn't leave his residence. Apart from sending servants to buy some vegetables, there was nothing else.
The matter of finding Wu Min was quite urgent. She didn't know if Wu Min had fallen into Lin Mo's hands. What if Lin Mo tried to turn Wu Min into a human gu again?
Just as she was worried about these things, finally there was news from Lord Ghost. The people of the Ping family had been investigated. All the women were alive and well. Some were arranging marriages, and some were learning female handicrafts.
"She won't be that stupid to use the faces of her own family members," Lord Ghost said disdainfully.
He no longer wore black tight - fitting clothes and a mask. He liked to wear silver - white tight - fitting clothes. The coldness on his face was also gone. Walking on the street, he was a heart - breaker.
"No, only by using the faces of her own family members can Ping Xinian return to the Ping family," Yi Qing said with certainty.
Lord Ghost thought about it and agreed. "So what should we do now?"
Yi Qing had already sent Tie Ying to investigate Jin Xiao. "Aren't you committed to bankrupting the Ping family? Keep going."
"I recently met a business genius. By cooperating with him, I can quickly bring down the Ping family. I'll introduce him to you some other day," Lord Ghost said proudly.
"Male or female?" Yi Qing became vigilant.
Lord Ghost thought it was meaningless. "Does it make a difference?"
"If it's a woman, you two can be a perfect match," Yi Qing said jokingly.
Lord Ghost glanced at Yi Qing sideways. "I'm not a vulgar person like you, just thinking about getting married and having children. I have greater ideals."
"Killing people?"
"Eliminating the resentment of the living," Lord Ghost thought this made his occupation sound more noble.
Yi Qing didn't want to talk to him. "Since you're free these days, go and help Xu Maozhi catch the bats."
"Why catch the bats?"
"The previous children were bitten to death by the bats sucking their blood. Those bats are refined gu insects, and there are a large number of them. He's at a disadvantage because he doesn't have enough manpower. Go and help him."
"No way," Apart from Yi Qing and Xiao Jinghan, no one else could order Lord Ghost around.
"I can find Ping Xinian," Yi Qing said.
Lord Ghost immediately perked up.
"As long as you can help Xu Maozhi catch the bats," Yi Qing added.
"What does the bat have to do with Ping Xinian?" Lord Ghost was not convinced.
"Both are in the shadows," Yi Qing said with a smile.
The emperor came to find Xiao Jinghan through the tunnel for two consecutive days but didn't find him. He was so angry that he stopped coming. After a few days, he still came to find Xiao Jinghan, but he was very angry.
"Where have you been all day long?" The emperor put on airs.
"What do you think I've been doing?" When Yi Qing saw the emperor complaining, she retorted. "If it weren't for those troublesome things in your court, wouldn't it be good for my general to enjoy a happy family life every day?"
Hearing what Yi Qing said, the emperor had no temper at all. "When does the queen plan to return to the palace?"
"When the bats are caught," Yi Qing didn't know either. "Is it our fault that your woman doesn't go back?"
Hearing about the bats, the emperor had a headache. "Let's not talk about this for now. What was the secret letter sent to you by the Southern Border Empress?" He asked directly.
Yi Qing thought for a while. "You've been monitoring us?"
"The fast - riding messenger swaggered into your general's mansion. It's impossible for me not to know," The emperor had been too busy recently. Xiao Jinghan was not at home the last two times he came. He just remembered it again today.
"It's nothing much. Among the things left by Xiang Beizheng before, it was mentioned that he cooperated with an evil witch. The Southern Border Empress found out that the evil witch was the second uncle of the Saintess of Wu Gorge. He was killed by Wu Gorge back then because he was too cruel in refining human gu. No one knows how he came back to life. He may have come to the capital," Xiao Jinghan explained.
"Why didn't you tell me such a big thing?" The emperor was surprised. "Is he the one behind the bat incident this time?"
"If I had told the emperor, the court officials might only have cared about the relationship between the Southern Border and the Great Jin and would have said it was a conspiracy of the Southern Border."
"Then you could have told me secretly," The emperor also knew that if this matter were known, the situation would be expanded.