Chapter 318
Chapter 318
"This is the Zhou family residence?" Zhu Jingchen asked, frowning.
"To reply to the Empe... to the Master, this is indeed Lord Zhou's mansion," Eunuch Liu quickly replied.
"It looks like nothing more than this," Zhu Jingchen said with a look of disdain.
He thought to himself, this old madam of the Zhou family actually dared to extort his son?
Is she tired of living?
"Go knock on the door!" Zhu Jingchen ordered in an unfriendly tone.
"This old servant will go at once." Eunuch Liu hurried forward to call at the door, but before he could even knock, it gently pushed open.
Eunuch Liu was stunned. In such a large mansion, was there not a single porter or servant boy?
Eunuch Liu curiously peered inside, but saw absolutely nothing.
No one?
"Master, this door wasn't closed. It seems there is no one around," Eunuch Liu quickly added.
"Let's go in and take a look." Zhu Jingchen thought that if Xu Qingshi really had an accident here, he should probably still be in the Zhou family residence at this moment.
Eunuch Liu quickly stepped in front of Zhu Jingchen to protect him, afraid that someone might suddenly kick the door out and offend the Emperor.
Zhu Jingchen was completely unafraid. He looked around, thinking that perhaps he could find someone to ask for directions.
Unfortunately, half of the servants in the courtyard had gone to Tingyun Courtyard for questioning, while the other half were still being disciplined by Lady Qin.
All Zhu Jingchen could do was wander around aimlessly, just like Zhu Hanyu did when he first arrived.
"Go find out where Xu Heming is," Zhu Jingchen instructed the hidden guards lurking in the shadows.
A dark figure flashed by.
"Tell me, this Zhou Zhonghe only has a monthly salary of twenty-five taels of silver. Maintaining this courtyard must require quite a bit of money, right?" Zhu Jingchen asked curiously as he looked at the courtyard.
"Master, you are absolutely right," Eunuch Liu replied with a smile.
"Back then, Zhou Zhonghe wanted to marry his daughter to Prince An, thinking that by clinging to Prince An's mansion, he could experience a meteoric rise. Who would have thought that his daughter was a woman without fortune." Thinking of this, Zhu Jingchen sighed.
"Master, they are in a deserted courtyard to the southeast." After a short while, a hidden guard returned and reported.
"Take me over to have a look," Zhu Jingchen said, frowning.
By the time Zhu Jingchen arrived, he saw Xu Heming personally leading people to search for something in the courtyard.
"Lao Xu!" Zhu Jingchen waved at Xu Heming.
"Master? Why are you here?" Hearing this, Xu Heming quickly walked up to Zhu Jingchen and wanted to bow, but Zhu Jingchen held his hand up to stop him.
"I came here secretly, so don't make a fuss with the formalities. How is it? Did you find him?" Thinking of Xu Qingshi's disappearance, Zhu Jingchen looked at Xu Heming, his eyes also filled with worry.
"No," Xu Heming said gloomily.
"No news is good news," Zhu Jingchen patted Xu Heming on the shoulder to comfort him.
"Thank you for your concern, Master," Xu Heming quickly said.
"If he is not here, he must have been rescued. Come with me to see the Zhou family." Zhu Jingchen was planning to stand up for Xu Heming.
Oh, and for his Xiao San'er too.
"Father, did you bring silver?" Zhu Hanyu was happy in his heart to see that Zhu Jingchen had actually come.
Thinking that Zhu Jingchen was not wearing his dragon robes at the moment, he smartly called him Father.
"Don't worry, there are plenty of bank notes." Zhu Jingchen rubbed his son's head, thinking to himself that this boy probably didn't have the guts to start a fire.
However, he was wondering, how did this fire start?
"Have you asked why a fire broke out in this courtyard? Or did it catch fire as soon as Qingshi moved in?" Zhu Jingchen asked as they walked.
"This courtyard was originally a deserted, old place. The Zhou family settled Qingshi here, and it was in a state of disrepair. Qingshi and the others spent the whole afternoon cleaning the courtyard. When his servant went to the kitchen to ask for food, he was refused, and the servant boy assigned to him was beaten with boards. The other two people, along with Qingshi, disappeared without a trace." Xu Heming gloomily recounted the whole course of events.
"What a Zhou Zhonghe, treating his own nephew like this. Blood is thicker than water; how could they be so cruel?" Zhu Jingchen was extremely indignant upon hearing this.
Xu Qingshi was, after all, the nephew of the Zhou family. Not only did they make him live in a dilapidated courtyard, but they also made him clean it himself.
When had that little fellow Xu Qingshi ever suffered such hardship?
"Where is that old scoundrel Zhou Zhonghe?" Zhu Jingchen asked in dissatisfaction.
"Your subject hasn't seen him since arriving. I did see the old madam, though, and she even mistook His Third Highness for Qingshi," Xu Qingshi said with some sarcasm.
"So, they said Xiao San'er burned down their courtyard and asked me to compensate them with silver?" Zhu Jingchen finally understood. His Xiao San'er wanted to vent his anger on behalf of Xu Qingshi, which was why he called him over.
This old fellow Xu Heming was probably intentionally using Xiao San'er's hands to get him to punish the Zhou family.
The Zhou family was indeed behaving disgracefully.
Xu Heming did not speak, silently acknowledging the meaning behind Zhu Jingchen's words.
"In this matter, you indeed wanted to use me. But don't worry, I am on your side," Zhu Jingchen said, patting Xu Heming lightly.
However, thinking that Xu Heming actually sent the person to the Zhou family just to coax Ah Zhiwei and make her happy, he felt in his heart that even a hero has a hard time passing the trial of a beauty!
"Your Highness." Just as Zhou Changfeng came out of Old Madam Zhou's courtyard, he saw a man standing next to Xu Heming, looking quite imposing.
He was a bit puzzled in his heart. Why did Prince An always bring strange men to their place?
However, he didn't dare to object.
He just didn't understand what business Prince An had coming to see his mother again.
"This is Zhou Zhonghe's eldest son?" Zhu Jingchen looked Zhou Changfeng up and down, tutted twice, and said nothing more.
"Yes, and it was Eldest Young Master Zhou's wife who made Qingshi stay in that dilapidated courtyard," Xu Heming said with a faint, mocking smile.
"Someone who doesn't know what's good for them," Zhu Jingchen concluded.
Zhou Changfeng's mouth twitched as he stood to the side, thinking to himself that he was still standing right there.
Even if they wanted to humiliate him, couldn't they at least wait until he wasn't around?
However, even if Zhou Changfeng had complaints, he didn't dare to voice them.
After all, Xu Heming was already dissatisfied enough with their Zhou family. Since this person was his friend, he should treat him with a better attitude and avoid offending him.
After all, following today, the Zhou family's reputation would probably be completely ruined. He had already sent someone to deliver a message to his father, but he didn't know when his father would be able to return. He was really struggling to deal with this Prince An on his own.
Seeing that Xu Heming was about to enter his mother's courtyard, Zhou Changfeng had no choice but to follow.
If the old madam's temper flared up in a moment and Xu Heming directly punished her, he really wouldn't be able to fight against such a powerful force.
Old Madam Zhou was already feeling a bit guilty. Now, seeing Xu Heming walk in leading a dignified and imposing man, she was taken aback. Then, she thought to herself, could this be the person they found to compensate for the silver?