A little devil has arrived at the Marquis's mansion, and all the powerful officials in the cour

"Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

Zhang Wenxiu greeted him with a smile, but her heart was filled with unease.

The constable said in a deep voice, "The clothes in your clothing store are poisoned. Starting today, the store will be closed. You will be coming with us back to the Dali Temple."

Zhang Wenxiu's face was filled with terror, and her voice trembled slightly: "Sir, could there be some misunderstanding? I have never done such a thing."

"The clothes worn by Scholar Zhang's son belong to your clothing store. He almost lost his life today, but the Little Celestial Master burned the clothes and saved his life." The constables stepped forward and surrounded her. "The evidence is conclusive. If you have anything to say, go to the Dali Temple."

The embroiderers in the clothing workshop were too frightened to move and could only watch helplessly as Zhang Wenxiu was taken away.

After everyone left, things erupted in chaos.

"How could the clothes be poisonous?"

"Was the boss framed?"

"But we embroidered all the clothes, won't the investigation eventually come back to us?"

Upon hearing this, the embroiderers' expressions changed, and they nervously packed their things to go home.

Zhang Wenxiu shrank back and entered the Dali Temple, her legs trembling like a sieve, her throat tight and her throat bobbing up and down.

Scholar Song also came to the Dali Temple, staring at her with eyes blazing with fury. If looks could kill, she would have torn him to pieces long ago.

"You probably already know why I summoned you," Su Xuance said in a deep voice. "Who embroidered the clothes sold to the Song family?"

Renbao sat beside Su Xuance, her chubby face pressed against his arm, holding a string of candied hawthorns in her hand, eating them with relish.

Zhang Wenxiu swallowed hard: "Replying to your question, sir, it was all embroidered by a seamstress. If you want to know which seamstress it was, I would have to see the garment myself."

All the clothes are burned!

Scholar Song was a little anxious. He looked at Su Xuance and said, "Lord Su, bring all the embroiderers from the embroidery workshop here for questioning."

Su Xuance said, "The embroiderers already know that Master Zhang has come to the Dali Temple. If there really is a murderer among them, they would probably have packed their things and left long ago."

"What should we do then?" Scholar Song suddenly stood up, his eyes revealing anxiety.

Renbao sat up straight and calculated with his fingers: "Renbao knows who it is."

"Who goes there!" Scholar Song stared intently at Renbao.

Zhang Wenxiu also looked at Renbao.

She went through all the embroiderers' faces in her mind, but couldn't guess who it was.

"It was a lady wearing light green, and she had a red mole below her ear," Renbao said crisply.

Zhang Wenxiu's mind went blank for a moment. She looked up at Renbao in disbelief and blurted out, "It's Lady Luo."

at this time.

Lady Luo, her face half-hidden by a light veil, was preparing to leave the city gate. She carried a heavy bundle filled with valuables.

She planned to escape to Jiangnan and open an embroidery shop.

"Close the city gates!"

Just as it was almost Luo Niangzi's turn, a shout suddenly rang out, startling the people who had left the city and causing them to show uneasy expressions.

Startled, Lady Luo looked at the city gate that was about to appear before her and steeled her heart to rush straight through.

The soldiers guarding the city gate were startled and immediately closed the gate.

Her behavior was so guilty that the constables from the Dali Temple immediately spotted her and surrounded her.

"Sir, my grandfather is ill. I just bought medicine and I'm in a hurry to get back," Madam Luo said to the constable with a pitiful look on her face.

The constable asked expressionlessly, "Where's your medicine?"

Lady Luo said, "I'll take it out and show it to the official right away."

She bent down and rummaged into her bundle, pinched a silver needle in her hand, and poked it into the constable's eyes.

The constable reacted quickly, dodging backward, while another constable stepped forward and kicked Luo Niangzi in the back of the knee.

boom!

Lady Luo fell to the ground, and the bundle in her hand was opened, revealing ingots of silver.

The onlookers were in an uproar.

Lady Luo's hands were tied, and she was taken back to Dali Temple.

As soon as she appeared, several gazes fell on her at the same time.

"Madam Luo, do you know your crime?" Sizhi slammed his hand on the table and questioned her.

Su Xuance was at the next table, writing a letter to Pei Yuru.

Renbao will set off for northern Xinjiang tomorrow; time is too tight.

Lady Luo was forced to kneel down.

Zhang Wenxiu couldn't help but look at her and asked in a low voice, "Why?"

Lady Luo remained silent.

Scholar Song could no longer contain himself. He rose and approached her, his voice filled with rage: "I have no grudge against you, why did you harm my son!"

"No grudge? Lord Song, you really have a bad memory. Why don't you take a closer look at my face?" Madam Luo looked up, her eyes flashing with anger no less than his.

Scholar Song looked slightly bewildered. He stared intently, then slowly asked incredulously, "What is your mother's name?"

"It seems you've remembered, Lord Song." Madam Luo curled her lips in a mocking smile.

Su Xuance glanced at Scholar Song; it was a romantic entanglement.

Renbao exclaimed, "You two are related! Uncle Song, this older sister is your daughter!"

Scholar Song's mind was buzzing.

Zhang Wenxiu looked at Luo Niangzi in disbelief.

"Are you my daughter?" Scholar Song asked hesitantly. "How old are you this year?"

Lady Luo remained silent.

Zhang Wenxiu couldn't help but say, "Lord Song, she's sixteen."

sixteen.

That age certainly matches.

Scholar Song sighed deeply: "Where is your mother?"

Luo Niangzi's tears instantly burst forth, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at him: "You're dead. After you and my mother secretly pledged your lives to each other, you went to the capital to take the imperial examination and never returned."

My mother faced much criticism after I was born. She refused to remarry and was kicked out of her home by my maternal grandfather. She found a cave in the mountains to give birth to me.

She passed away when I was three years old.

Scholar Song looked stunned, his throat tightened, and his eyes reddened.

"I don't know. My parents told me that your mother got married, and I didn't know you existed either," Scholar Song said with difficulty.

Madam Luo sneered, "If you went to my mother's village to inquire, you would know our situation. You have no heart!"

Scholar Song took a few steps back, finding it hard to accept this fact. He said bitterly, "So you came to the capital for revenge."

"Yes." Madam Luo nodded directly, clenching her fists tightly, and said unwillingly, "Do you know what kind of life I have lived all these years? After my mother died, my maternal grandfather took me home and treated me like a maid."

I get up early to cook, fetch water to water the vegetables, go up the mountain to chop firewood, sleep in the chicken coop, and wake up every day to the smell of chicken droppings.

As I grew older, they had me learn embroidery and gave me many jobs to support my cousin's education.

Lady Luo stretched out her calloused, rough hands and stared stubbornly at Scholar Song.

"I secretly hid my savings, thinking about what my mother said before she died: 'Your name is Song Yi, you are well-educated and responsible,' and I must find a chance to come and find you."

I have come and seen that you already have a wife and children, hold a high position, enjoy wealth and honor, and have a bright future.

As for my mother, she died of illness in a cave thirteen years ago. Do you still remember that you promised her you would marry her?

When Luo Niangzi spoke of her mother, she couldn't help but cry, covering her face tightly.

Scholar Song knelt down, his fingers trembling as he touched her shoulder: "I'm sorry, I really didn't know."

Renbao spoke up at this moment: "Uncle Song, it is you who owe my sister and her mother, and the cause and effect have been borne by my brother."

Now that you know, you should make it up to your sister.

Lady Luo looked up at Renbao with teary eyes, disbelief welling up in them: "Little Celestial Master, don't you think I'm a wicked person? I harmed a child, and I used my own blood to embroider. An old embroiderer taught me to curse while embroidering, using my own blood to poison the other person, which could be fatal."

Renbao sighed like a little adult: "As the saying goes, even the most hateful person has a pitiable side. No one has ever truly loved my sister. You haven't harmed anyone. The cause of this is Uncle Song's doing; the root of the problem lies with him."

Lady Luo burst into tears: "Thank you so much, Little Celestial Master."

Little Celestial Master! Zhang Wenxiu shuddered and lifted her eyelids to glance at Renbao.

Renbao caught her gaze and gave her a sweet smile.

Zhang Wenxiu's heart melted.

They completely forgot that she had been brought to the Dali Temple by captors.

"Little Celestial Master, my clothing shop has many ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses) for children. Come and browse when you have time, and I'll give them to you. Take your pick!" Zhang Wenxiu said with a smile.

She could already imagine how beautiful the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) from Renbao Clothing Store would be.

"Thank you, Auntie, but I'm busy right now. Wait for me to come back." Renbao said softly, then gently tugged at Su Xuance's clothes. "Daddy, Auntie and Sister are innocent. Why make them kneel?"

Zhang Wenxiu quickly waved her hand.

It's alright!

She was terrified of officials and wouldn't let them kneel; she would tremble if she stood up!

"Get up," Su Xuance said, then looked at Scholar Song, "Since this is a family matter for Lord Su, the court session will not be held today."

Scholar Song nodded and said to Madam Luo, "Child, come back to the Song family with me. I will put you on the family register and register you under your mother's... my current wife's name, making you the legitimate daughter of the Song family. This will make it easier for you in the future, okay?"

"I will not enter the Song family, nor will I change my surname. I will always take my mother's surname," Lady Luo refused directly.

Zhang Wenxiu, standing nearby, grew anxious and gently tugged at her sleeve: "Madam Luo, don't be foolish! Your own father is a high-ranking official, a scholar of the imperial court!"

Now that you've become the legitimate daughter of the Song family, your future will be extraordinary. Don't hold a grudge.

Lady Luo looked at her and said sincerely, "Master, I understand what you mean, but I am unwilling."

She was unwilling to betray her mother.

She also didn't want to live under someone else's roof.

She saw it clearly: her father felt more guilty than loving towards her.

Scholar Song was somewhat at a loss.

Renbao said, "Then what do you want, sister? You don't have to go back to the Song family; you can set up your own household."

A word to awaken the dreamer.

Lady Luo looked at Renbao gratefully; she had been too attached to appearances.

She could also take advantage of her father, who was an official.

"If you buy me another house and give me some money, that will be enough for me to live on in the capital. I won't bother you then," Madam Luo said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Scholar Song felt both relieved and uneasy. He nodded emphatically, "I promise you everything."

Scholar Song acted swiftly.

He spent 300 taels to buy a house and then gave Lady Luo another 500 taels in one go.

When Lady Lü learned of Lady Luo's identity, she had mixed feelings, but she did not object to Scholar Song's actions.

He also specially sent a set of gold and silver jewelry, plus one hundred taels of silver notes.

Renbao saw that their karma had been cleared up, and she went back to the Su residence for a good night's sleep.

When Su Xuance woke up, he only saw a note on the table with crooked and messy writing on it.

"Father, I'm leaving!"