Xiao Jinghan knew that Yi Qing was worried about the case of the Xie Family. Even Xu Maozhi was at his wit's end this time. The culprit was too cunning.
"By the way, who in the capital knows more about Prime Minister Guo?" Yi Qing suddenly asked.
Xiao Jinghan paused for a moment. "After the Rebellion of the Deposed Emperor, most of the officials from that era who survived were exiled. Some who knew how to protect themselves retired to their hometowns." Xiao Jinghan thought carefully. "Duke Yuan."
Yi Qing was surprised. "How did Duke Yuan manage to protect himself back then?"
"Duke Yuan left the capital when the Deposed Emperor usurped the throne."
Yi Qing suddenly understood. Those who lived longer were indeed good at fleeing. "Then let's go and ask him about Prime Minister Guo back then."
Xiao Jinghan looked solemn. "If you find out that Prime Minister Guo was wronged and killed by Xie Xiuxian, will you rehabilitate him?"
"I will." Yi Qing answered without hesitation.
"Okay." Xiao Jinghan looked at Yi Qing lovingly, as if she could turn the sea upside down and he wouldn't care.
When the Yuan Family heard that Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing were coming, they all came to the door to greet them. Although the matter of the Xie Family had nothing to do with the Yuan Family, seeing the Xie Family in such a state, the Yuan Family was secretly happy.
However, Yuan Hecong hadn't come back for a long time, and the Yuan Family was very worried.
"We're here to visit Duke Yuan this time." Xiao Jinghan directly stated their purpose to the old master Yuan.
"Father goes to bed early. I'll go and check." Yuan Wenqu said and went to the back yard in person.
Madam Yuan led them to the main hall. "I heard that Lady Xiao wants the Sanxi Workshop?"
Yi Qing was surprised. "How does Madam Yuan know that?"
"Miss Chen can't keep a secret. After suffering a loss from Lady Xiao, she told everyone about it." Madam Yuan asked someone to serve tea to Yi Qing. "If Lady Xiao wants the Sanxi Workshop, I can act as an intermediary and get it for you at a lower price."
Yi Qing looked at Xiao Jinghan.
"We just passed by at that time and haven't made a decision yet." Xiao Jinghan neither agreed nor refused.
"I see." Madam Yuan suddenly understood. "I was too hasty. I thought Lady Xiao liked it."
They then talked about Yuan Lingfei. Yuan Lingfei was already discussing marriage. She was going to be a second wife. The other party's wife died in childbirth, leaving two children. It was quite a match for Yuan Lingfei.
Just as they were talking, the old master Yuan came over. Duke Yuan wasn't sleeping. He wanted to see the two of them.
The two went to Duke Yuan's yard. Duke Yuan was already waiting for them in the main hall.
"General Xiao and Lady Xiao are visiting so late at night. Is there something important?" Duke Yuan motioned for them not to bow and asked them to sit on one side.
"Duke Yuan is really a prophet." Xiao Jinghan sat down.
"Just say it." Duke Yuan looked ready.
The Xiao Family had done a favor to the Yuan Family. Duke Yuan knew that he would have to repay it sooner or later. He just didn't know what conditions the other party would put forward.
"I want to ask about Prime Minister Guo." Xiao Jinghan said directly.
Duke Yuan looked at Xiao Jinghan in surprise. He thought Xiao Jinghan came to him to ask him to come forward and agree to the reduction of vassal states. "Prime Minister Guo?"
"We suspect that the murders in the Xie Family might be the revenge of Prime Minister Guo's descendants or someone related to him." Yi Qing explained.
"Is Xie Mingen dead?" Duke Yuan looked surprised.
"Not the old master Xie. It's the two sons of the old master Xie." Yi Qing saw that Duke Yuan's reaction was that he really didn't know about this.
"Oh—" Duke Yuan lowered his head and thought for a while. "How did they die?"
"Their hearts and livers were dug out, and they were sitting on their knees on the ground." Yi Qing watched Duke Yuan's reaction.
Duke Yuan suddenly raised his head.
"As far as I know, Xie Xiuxian knelt and served Prime Minister Guo on Dongjie Mountain back then, which caught Prime Minister Guo's eye." Yi Qing thought Duke Yuan also thought of this.
Duke Yuan nodded. "Indeed. Prime Minister Guo was a person who cherished talents. He saw that Xie Xiuxian was humble, but unfortunately his background was humble. Plus, Prime Minister Guo's youngest daughter took a fancy to Xie Xiuxian, so he recruited him as a son-in-law and helped him with his future. It's a pity—" He sighed deeply.
After the emperor ascended the throne, there were too many things to do. Duke Yuan also had a lot of things happen at that time, so he didn't think about these things. But when Lady Xiao mentioned them, he remembered everything.
Maybe he didn't forget, but just didn't want to think about the past right and wrong. Three emperors had already sat on the throne. What else couldn't they let go of?
"What's a pity?" Yi Qing felt she was getting to the key point.
"Back then, when the Deposed Emperor ascended the throne and persecuted the loyal officials, it was Prime Minister Guo who helped us escape from the capital. He clearly had the chance to escape, but he chose to stay. Later, we heard that he became a close official of the Deposed Emperor and helped the tyrant do evil. We were very sad. When we followed the emperor back to the capital, we all wanted to ask Prime Minister Guo why he did this. It's a pity that he and his whole family were beheaded by Xie Xiuxian. For this, Xie Xiuxian became a hero." Duke Yuan had always been brooding about this, but no one could give him an answer.
"I have a question." Yi Qing was confused.
"Please speak, Lady Xiao."
"How much family wealth was found when Prime Minister Guo's whole family was beheaded?" Yi Qing asked.
"This—" Duke Yuan didn't pay attention. "The royal archives should have the records."
Yi Qing nodded. "Does the duke know anyone who had a good relationship with Prime Minister Guo back then and is still alive?"
Duke Yuan shook his head. "It was too chaotic at that time."
"Beheading Prime Minister Guo's whole family couldn't have been done by Xie Xiuxian alone. Are there any survivors among those who participated in the beheading?"
"Those who beheaded the Guo Family were Xie Xiuxian's men. Later, Xie Xiuxian led them into the palace. All of them died during the attack on the palace. Oh, right. For this, Xie Xiuxian even buried them together specifically and offered incense to them." Duke Yuan suddenly said.
"Thank you." Yi Qing nodded.
Duke Yuan thought for a while. "You suspect that it was the descendants of the Guo Family who killed the people of the Xie Family?"
"We just suspect so for now. There's no evidence." Xiao Jinghan saw the inquiring look on Duke Yuan's face. "What does the duke want to say?"
"If... the Guo Family was really wronged, I'm willing to come forward for them." Duke Yuan said with red eyes.
The Guo Family had done favors for many people. Without the Guo Family, many people couldn't have left the capital. But Prime Minister Guo followed the Deposed Emperor and ruined his late reputation. No one dared to pay homage to him.
"Okay." Xiao Jinghan bowed his hands.
Duke Yuan also said some more things about Prime Minister Guo. The Guo Family was a noble family. Prime Minister Guo was upright. The only thing people criticized him for was following the Deposed Emperor.
When the two left the Yuan Family, the street was very deserted. Yi Qing looked up and saw the cold stars twinkling. Suddenly, she felt that there really was a god three feet above one's head.
"Let's go and see the tombs of those who followed Xie Xiuxian to behead the whole Guo Family tomorrow." Yi Qing thought it was too strange that those people died so neatly.
"Okay." Xiao Jinghan also had this feeling.
He had led troops to fight and knew that swords and arrows were merciless. But it was really strange that they could all die so precisely.
Those people were buried on Xifeng Ridge outside the city. This place was a geomantic treasure land. The Xie Family bought it to bury those who followed Xie Xiuxian. There were also tombstones on one side to record their merits.
"This place..." Yi Qing originally wanted to dig open the tombs to examine the corpses, but when she saw the tombs here, she changed her mind.