Chapter 85
Why are Prince Huan so involved in the affairs of his mother's family?
Lin Yunwan didn't want to talk to the steward at the Lu family, so she asked him to wait and went back to Chuisi Hall to write a letter to her brother.
"Recent affairs at home are delaying his studies. Manager, tell Yun Yi that you can just reply to me and don't make a special trip here."
The steward agreed, took the letter and returned to Lin's house. He gave the letter to Mrs. Lin first and asked Mrs. Lin to leave it with Lin Yunyi.
He went to one of the largest pawn shops in the capital to pawn the jade pendant.
The pawn shop owner took a quick look at it, nodded and said, "It's a good thing. Come with me."
I took Manager Lin to write the pawn ticket.
Pawnbroking is very particular. A layman would not recognize the words on it. The shopkeeper wrote it slowly and chatted with Manager Lin: "Have I seen you before?"
Manager Lin said: "...Really?" He looked very confused: "I don't recognize you."
Soon he no longer wanted to look into the shopkeeper's eyes.
During the years when the Lin family was hit by disasters, they were frequent customers of pawn shops. Later, some items were redeemed and some were not.
This time it was just for the sake of being an insignificant jade pendant, and he was unwilling to admit that he was the manager of the Lin family.
If rumors spread, I would think something happened to the Lin family.
The shopkeeper didn't ask any more questions. He wrote out the pawn ticket and said, "Please put your thumbprint."
The steward pressed his fingerprints, and the shopkeeper said: "The money and goods are all paid. Please take it."
Manager Lin nodded, collected the money and left. After returning, he muttered: "After all, in the capital, the money you pawn is more."
It was dozens of taels more than when he inquired in Zhongzhou, so he agreed readily.
The owner of the pawn shop accepted the jade pendant and said to the clerk: "You look at the shop, I'll go see the owner."
He took another jade pendant and took it to Prince Huan's Mansion.
Ah Fu heard that the owner of the pawn shop had something important to do, and Qi Lingheng happened to be in the house, so he found out about it.
In general, most business matters are handled by others for him, and he does not take care of it or deal with merchants.
After hearing that it was related to the Lin family, I went there in person.
"What extraordinary items have you collected? Why do you want to see the prince again?"
Ah Fu followed Qi Lingheng in and spoke for his master.
Qi Lingheng sat drinking tea.
The shopkeeper smiled and handed over the two items and said, "It's a bit remarkable, please take a look."
Ah Fu has been in and out of the palace and has seen many good things since he was a child. He knew at a glance that one of the jade pendants was truly remarkable. He said "yo" and said, "Where did you get such a treasure?"
He handed it to Qi Lingheng to read.
Qi Lingheng glanced at it, raised his brows, and said, "This is not something from the Lin family."
The shopkeeper quickly took out another item, the one that Manager Lin had pawned.
"This is the jade pendant pawned by the Lin family. Your Majesty, you have told me before to let me take care of Taifu Lin's family. People from Taifu Lin's family have not come to pawn for a few years, but I dare not forget your instructions. , This time I still didn’t let Taifu Lin’s family suffer.”
Qi Lingheng looked at the jade pendant pawned by Manager Lin and asked, "Is the Lin family going to pawn something again?"
Ah Fu was also stunned.
What happened to the Taifu family?
The shopkeeper said quickly: "Probably not. It doesn't look like he is in urgent need of money. The shopkeeper is not reluctant to part with this jade pendant and cherish it."
Since there was nothing wrong, Qi Lingheng didn't care.
Only then did he ask about another jade pendant: "Who bought this jade pendant?"
What he was asking about was the jade pendant that Ge Baoer asked his mother-in-law to pawn.
The shopkeeper paused and then said: "...he is from Wudinghou Mansion."
"Wudinghou Mansion?"
Qi Lingheng frowned slightly and said, "How do you know?"
The pawn ticket only states the weight, value, and appearance of the item, but does not include the identity of the pawnee.
The shopkeeper explained what happened that day in detail: "This jade pendant is first-class mutton-fat jade and top-notch carving. Look at the back. There is a leopard's tail..." It symbolizes who's identity is in his line of work. , recognized at a glance.
Qi Lingheng said nothing.
He also recognized the leopard's tail.
"You go on."
The shopkeeper said: "The young one was shocked when he saw it. The pawnbroker is still a lowly woman. How dare you accept it!"
At that time, he suspected that a servant had picked up or stolen the master's treasure and pawned it secretly.
If it were traced, the prince would be blamed if he knew that the jade pendant fell into his hands.
"The villain pretended to give it up and asked the assistant to chase him. He actually saw the carriage of the Wuding Hou Mansion. There was the mark of the Hou Mansion on the car, so he recognized it. The woman is from the Wuding Hou Mansion."
Qi Lingheng frowned even more.
How did this jade pendant fall into the hands of the wife of the Marquis of Wuding?
The big shopkeeper said: "What I know is of great importance. I thought that if this jade pendant was lost in the mansion, people would definitely be looking for it all over the capital. But the jade pendant came from Wudinghou's house. I couldn't make up my mind and was delayed for some days." When I heard about it, I sent it over with the things from Taifu Lin’s family..."
I originally thought that one more thing would be better than one less thing. If the owner of the jade pendant was really found, he would return it to the Wuding Hou Mansion and avoid the trouble.
But things didn't develop in the direction he expected at all. Instead, another Lin family appeared.
The matter between the two families was now in a turmoil, and he had no choice but to leave it to his employer to make a decision.
If Qi Lingheng was thoughtful, he finally collected the two jade pendants and said, "Go back."
Ah Fu also warned: "Keep your mouth tight!"
The big shopkeeper said: "The villain knows."
Zuo Yi resigned.
Ah Fu waited for the shopkeeper to leave, followed Qi Lingheng back to the inner courtyard of the palace, and said confusedly: "How could this jade pendant be pawned?"
"It was someone from Wudinghou's mansion who took over the job."
Qi Lingheng was silent for a while, his eyes deep.
He told Ah Fu: "Go and investigate in private."
Ah Fu went there, and soon there was news, which was really surprising.
"My lord, do you still remember? The Duke of Xingguo lost a legitimate daughter during the Lantern Festival twenty years ago! This jade pendant must have been lost for twenty years."
Qi Lingheng was indeed a little surprised, but he had seen many princes and noble daughters, and he didn't pay attention to any legitimate daughters.
Ah Fu continued: "It is said that this jade pendant was bought by the wife of the Marquis of Wuding when she was passing away...the eldest uncle and aunt of the Lu family were passing by."
He was afraid that Qi Lingheng wouldn't know about it, so he specifically said, "It's the concubine who was involved in the Lu family's affair of doting on concubines and killing their wives."
Qi Lingheng made a guess. Could it be that the aunt of Wudinghou Mansion was the lost legitimate daughter of Duke Xingguo Mansion?
"Don't make any noise yet."
He said to Afu.
How dare Afu speak nonsense?
Qi Lingheng walked to the study in silence.
Duke Xingguo lost his legitimate daughter, which had nothing to do with him, but it would be very troublesome if she was really the same person as Lu Zhengliu's aunt.
Should he tell the Lin family?
This is not a good thing for Lin Yunwan.
