Everyone is staying up late in Mrs. Gantang's courtyard, but Huaixu's courtyard is still deserted.
In previous years, no matter how bad Xie Heng's health was, the two of them would always watch the New Year together, but this year Qiao Yinzhi was left alone to sit opposite Bai Zhu.
This year Xie Hengzai's new clothes have been ready a long time ago, and their new clothes are still made of the same material. He chose it himself.
Although she was a concubine, he treated her like a wife.
After being in a daze for a long time, she heard the midnight clock, and the old year was replaced by the new one. Qiao Yinzhi was tiredly preparing to take a rest, but she heard footsteps coming from outside.
It's so late, and the female envoys are all gathering together to watch the New Year's Eve. They won't be here, and they don't know who it is.
Qiao Yinzhi put on her coat and stood up to open the door, but there was no one outside.
She looked out suspiciously, but there was no movement outside the door. She had no choice but to close the door and return to the house, but her steps suddenly stopped.
Behind the screen, a figure was reflected. The man walked into the study at some point.
Qiao Yinzhi stood there, the gentleness of a concubine from an aristocratic family gradually faded away from her face, revealing some rare determination. She walked slowly behind the screen and bowed calmly, showing no signs of panic.
"The head of the family."
Qiao Yinzhi walked slowly inside, not surprised by Xie Queshan's appearance.
Three cups of tea were poured on the table, one was Xie Queshan's own, and two cups were placed opposite.
"These two cups of tea, one for brother and one for you," Xie Queshan said after a pause, "one is poisonous and the other is not."
Qiao Yinzhi sat down and said nothing. She picked up a cup of tea and drank it calmly.
Sandalwood smoke curled up beside the table. After a while, Qiao Yinzhi was still safe and sound.
Xie Queshan smiled, took another cup of tea, opened the lid, and let the heat steam out.
"Ms. Qiao, it seems that you are lucky. You still have a chance to say your last words before this cup of tea goes cold."
It's just a simple test, but it's full of potential.
If Qiao Yinzhi refused to drink, she was greedy for life and afraid of death. Xie Queshan would immediately use his sword to kill her without saying any more nonsense.
No one can be fooled by how a person reacts before facing death.
Judging from her expression at this moment, she was determined and sad. A betrayer shouldn't have such a reaction.
After all, she has been with her eldest brother for more than ten years. After her eldest brother died, she should have had many opportunities to escape, but she did not. Instead, she waited quietly in the house. At this moment, he also wanted to hear the twists and turns.
"Master, if you want to ask anything, feel free to ask. By now, I will tell you everything I know."
"You have been with the Xie family for more than ten years. How did Husha convince you to work for him?"
She replied calmly: "I was originally a jobber. At first, I was just an informant installed by the court officials into the Xie family. Later, the entire organization was sold to Qi Ren, and I was assigned to work for General Husha."
"Is there any weakness in his hands?"
"my child."
"Have you ever been married?"
"No."
Xie Queshan paused for a moment.
Wandering women are trained as craftsmen when they are young, and the dirty things during this process can be imagined. As for who the child's father is, I'm afraid she herself doesn't know.
Being a mother means being strong, no wonder no matter how much Xie Heng protected her, she couldn't shake her stance.
"Did you come up with the plan to support King Ling'an?"
"yes."
"Did you kill my eldest brother?"
Qiao Yinzhi raised his eyes, with tears in his eyes.
"Dalang left you a letter. He told me that if you find it, I will give this letter to you."
A letter sealed with a wax seal was delivered to Xie Queshan. The wax seal had Xie Hengzai's private seal. His private seal was sealed by Xie Queshan himself in the coffin and buried with Xie Heng. It cannot be faked.
This letter was indeed written by Xie Heng before his death.
Xie Queshan was a little surprised: "You haven't opened it?"
"Da Lang said that you can only watch it."
Xie Queshan opened the letter, and there was only a thin piece of paper inside. There was no word on the paper.
He tried putting the letter on a candle to dry it, but nothing happened.
I put it under my nose and smelled it. There was no smell of ink at all, just a blank piece of paper.
Qiao Yinzhi didn't say anything, and Xie Queshan didn't ask any questions.
After sitting quietly for a long time, he caught a clue and raised his eyes to Qiao Yinzhi: "So, the eldest brother committed suicide?"
If he hadn't predicted his own death, how could he have handed such a strange letter to the person next to him.
"I have no idea."
Her tears fell. She really didn't know the cause of Xie Hengzai's death. She thought about many possibilities, and naturally she vaguely guessed that it was suicide, but she didn't dare to believe this possibility.
She would rather not know it, so as not to face the hidden affection, until the moment when Xie Queshan exposes it.
She recalled that on the day the tiger knelt on the mountain to welcome the bride, Xie Heng realized that the information had been leaked and that there was a spy around him. He had already suspected her at that time.
After Xie Xiaoliu went to support Hu Kneeling Mountain, they were the only two people left in the study.
He asked her: "Zhi Niang, have you ever betrayed me?"
She was a well-trained spy, and no matter how tortured she was, he could not get a word out of her mouth. But he looked at her so seriously, with the same gentle tone as usual, and she dropped her armor one after another, panicking.
Then she forced out a smile and covered it up hastily, making even herself feel bad.
This is a huge flaw. Someone as smart as Xie Hengzai must have discovered the clues.
They have been respectful to each other for more than ten years. He is a reserved person, decent and gentle, without too much emotions, flowing like fine water. Others think they are in love, but in her opinion, it is just a thank you. Heng was grateful for her meticulous care and gave her respect.
She first believed that the relationship between them was based on the gentle and considerate face she pretended to be. If Xie Heng discovers her identity again, he will definitely deal with her.
On that day of war and chaos, the wedding plan failed, a fierce battle was about to break out, and the bride entered Xie's family again. He had too many urgent things to deal with. She thought that when these things were over, he would come to settle accounts with her.
She even thought about running away and making up countless excuses to cover up. She also received a secret message from Usha asking her to kill him.
She also thought about it, but she couldn't do it.
Then, he died unexpectedly without leaving a single word.
"Have you ever given poison?"
"I had it in the first few years, but then I never did it again. I didn't expect Dalang to be weak, and the chronic poisoning in those years damaged his fundamentals."
Xie Queshan closed his eyes, thinking about how to deal with the woman in front of him.
He originally wanted to kill her, but afterward he pushed it to Bingzhusi and quietly removed a hidden stake in Wangxuewu.
After the eldest brother knew that the first response plan failed, he drank poison and let King Ling'an enter the city based on his own life and death. This was his righteousness. He didn't kill her. He used silence to preserve the woman who had been with him for more than ten years. This was his selfish intention.
And this blank letter...is his silent plea.
Xie Heng has been cautious all his life. His weak body since childhood prevented him from putting himself in dangerous situations. He is more careful than others and wants to minimize the risk of every step he takes.
But he had never even seen what was under this woman's skin, whether it was good or evil, but he still interceded for her and kept her in Wangxuewu. This was a huge gamble on his part.
Qiao Yinzhi did not let go of his painstaking efforts. Since his death, she has not spread any news to the outside world.
It's a pity that when they were alive, they didn't know that the other one loved them. When I first saw the separation between yin and yang, I saw the majestic love hidden in the situation of life and death.
Xie Queshan did not open his eyes, and there was endless fatigue hidden in his voice: "You can leave early tomorrow morning."
Qiao Yinzhi, who had long been determined to die, raised his head in surprise and looked at Xie Queshan.
