Zhu shi was lying on the couch with her back to the outside, Jiang Yu was beating her lower back, and the other maid knelt beside her, kneading her legs and feet.

"Madam, do you feel more relaxed?" Jiang Yan asked softly.

Zhu Shi closed his eyes and complained: "She makes offerings to the Buddha, she just takes her good grandson-in-law to make offerings, why bother to ask me to go with me. I went back to Zhongshan, why didn't I see her calling me? I expected that Qiao Nv. In front of her, she will definitely say that I am not."

Jiang Yan glanced at the maid beside her and motioned her to go down. When only himself and Zhu Shi were left in the room, he leaned into her ear and whispered a few words.

Zhu Shi suddenly sat up: "Really?"

Jiang Mi nodded: "Just as Zheng Shu had instructed before, the maid asked people to take advantage of today's rare opportunity to move a little on it. As long as the man sees it, he will definitely question it. Then we will see how the Qiao girl shirks. !"

Zhu Shi exhaled: "I remember Erlang kept this mahogany box for many years, and he valued it very much. On weekdays, the servants in the Westinghouse swept the dust and did not let it move easily. Even I don't know what was inside. I remember a few years. A while ago, when I went to his house, I saw him and asked, but he didn't tell me, it was like some rare treasure."

Jiang Li said: "What else. It must be the token that Su Nu gave to the male gentleman in the past! Speaking of which, the male gentleman is really in love. After so many years, it is still well kept."

As soon as she heard the word Su Nu, Zhu shi frowned: "Is it really her thing?"

Jiang Li said: "Otherwise, what else would it be that the male gentleman can keep carefully for many years?"

A look of disgust appeared on Zhu Shi's face, and after a moment of trance, he asked, "Are you doing things safely?"

Jiang Ni said: "Among the rough servants in the courtyard over there in the east house, there is a man named Sun, who secretly benefits me a lot on weekdays, saying that the box is now in the man's study. , No trespassing is allowed. Recently, Qiao Nv has frequently entered and exited by herself. Today, the east room is empty, so I will let Sun Li sneak into the study while no one is prepared, and deliberately leave traces of manipulation on the lock of the box. Once the man finds out , must be angry with Qiao Nv. Even if Qiao Nv doesn't recognize it, the male gentleman will not believe it. The male emperor has not only not married, but also has no concubines by his side for ten years. Marrying Qiao Nv, even if she is temporarily bewitched by her beauty, she must not be compared with Su Nv in her heart. Qiao Nv tried to break the lock and peep. With the temperament of a man, how could she forgive her lightly? Call that Qiao Nv here Slandering Madam in front of the old lady!"

Zhu Shi said hesitantly: "What if Erlang is fascinated by that Qiao Nu and listens to her defense?"

Jiang Ni said: "Don't worry ma'am. According to what Sun Ni said, she had seen Qiao Nv move the box a few days ago with the door, and then put it back. Qiao Nv has been married to the Wei family for more than half a year, so she must know about Su. The woman used to have a relationship with the man, and she also guessed what was in the box, so she felt uneasy, peeping at the man's private property, then trying to unlock it is logical, what's the point?"

Zhu Shi nodded and smiled wide-eyed: "God help me too! It turns out that Qiao Nv moved first, so I can't blame us! Is that Sun woman foolproof?"

Jiang Li said: "Sun Li once stole the property in the East House, and now I have the handle. When I ask about this, she will come forward and testify that Qiao Nv had entered the study alone and moved the box. There is evidence, the male gentleman's heart. The disease has been touched again, how can you not believe it?"

Zhu Shi said: "Very good. Thank you for your hard work. After Chu Yu left, there is only one confidant like you who is willing to plan for me. Last time I made you suffer a lot for my business. , after lying down for a long time, the legs and feet can stand up."

Jiang Concubine was very grateful, and said with sincerity and fear: "When the maid was in trouble in the past, if I hadn't received the kindness of the madam to keep me by my side, and now I have become a lonely ghost, how could I have survived in the world? As long as the madam is happy, the maid is willing to repay me with death. !"

Zhu Shi was quite moved when she heard it, and ordered her to stop beating her waist and go down earlier to rest. At this time, the maid came to report, and the prince came.

Jiang Yan immediately showed a look of panic. Knowing that she had suffered the last time, Mrs. Zhu had lingering fears, she avoided her son when she saw her from a distance, and was afraid that she would anger her son again in front of her, so she hurriedly let her go.

Jiang Hao hurriedly got up and only reached the door. When she looked up, she saw Wei Shao's figure striding forward. In the sound of her footsteps, in a wrong eye, someone else had already reached the door, and she couldn't hide, so she hurriedly retreated one after another. After a few steps, he bowed to Wei Shao, and then hurriedly wanted to leave. Hearing Wei Hou shouted "you stay", he shivered, had to stop, and slowly stood by the wall.

Wei Shao walked in front of the Zhu family and looked at his mother who had stood up and sat on the couch with a serious expression and said nothing.

Seeing that his expression was not good, Zhu Shi felt a little guilty, and forced a smile: "My son came here all of a sudden, but something happened? It's not early, I just want to rest."

Wei Shao slowly knelt down in front of the Zhu family and said, "My son is here, there is something I want to ask my mother."

"What's the matter?"

"There is a box in my study, and the servants are not allowed to tamper with it. Today, I found scratches on the lock, which shows that someone tried to open the lock. I want to ask my mother, do you know about it?"

Zhu Shi pretended to be surprised, and said angrily: "Who dares to be so bold! If you tell me, I will not forgive you!" She paused, "You can ask that Qiao girl. In your room, the servant will be Don't dare to move, let alone leave scratches? She is the Mistress of the Westinghouse, and she should know best in her heart when something like this happens."

Wei Shao stared at Zhu Shi: "Mother's meaning is that she forcibly broke the lock?"

Zhu Shi coughed dryly and said, "It's not that I don't believe her. It's just that it's really hard to tell. She relied on you to give her a bit of color before, and she was inevitably arrogant. If she didn't take your words to heart, she even tried to spy on you. private matters. Women in the world are shallow, most of them are."

Wei Shao smiled: "Mother doesn't know, that box originally contained some of my old things, and then I removed the contents and it was empty. Some time ago, she saw that the nine-square grid lock of the box was interesting, and she didn't care if I asked. She wants it. My mother also knows that I dote on her. She wants it, so I naturally give it to her, and I also tell her how to unlock it. She played with the unlocking method for a few days, but she didn't have a fresh start, so she put some jewelry gold in the box. The silver is left in my study. Today I found that the lock was forcibly picked."

Wei Shao's smile gradually disappeared, and his voice became cold: "I think about it, if someone has ulterior motives, or the hands and feet of my servants in the Westinghouse are not clean. There is no property in the box, only an empty box. , I can't tolerate such a crime, and dare to spy on the master's secrets. Mother has been in charge for many years, so she should know how to deal with such a thing? My son came here to ask for advice on how to deal with it!"

Just now when Wei Shao said that he had given the box to Xiao Qiao and told her how to unlock it, Zhu Shi's expression changed. When Wei Shao finished speaking, Zhu Shi was already sitting on pins and needles, reluctantly calmed down, and prevaricates: "I know about this matter, you go back first, and I will deal with it tomorrow..."

Wei Shao stared at his mother, an indescribable expression of disappointment and complexity flashed in his eyes, and slowly said: "So the son will leave the matter to the mother, and I hope the mother will give an explanation as soon as possible. I'll turn to Zhong Li and ask her to help a group of mothers."

Zhong Li's methods were known to everyone in the Hefu, and no one was in awe.

Wei Shao's two knife-like eyes swept aside to Jiang Li, whose face changed greatly when she heard Zhong Li's name, got up from the ground, turned around and walked out.

…

After Wei Shao left, Xiao Qiao sat alone in the room with her cheeks facing the candlelight, falling into contemplation. After a long while, Chunniang entered, saying that she had cross-examined a few servants who were left behind during the day, and that even Lin Li said that no outsiders had come in.

"My lord, there should be a traitor in the Westinghouse. There must be a subordinate who is instructed to carry out alienation schemes, intending to provoke the relationship between the monarch and the prince. There are thirty-two servants and maids in the Westinghouse. The most suspect is that they have access to The sweeping maid in the man's study. I just heard Lin Ni's words again. Today, during the day, she saw someone dangling in the corridor in front of the man's study. She didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but now that I think about it carefully, she said that the back She looks like Sun Li who is on duty in the hospital. I asked Sun Li just now, but she denied it. I have asked people to look at her. Madam, this matter can be big or small. In my opinion, it is better to report it tomorrow. The old lady, please make a clear decision."

Xiao Qiao frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "What you said is that this matter can be big or small. Don't be alarmed at the old lady's side. Go to the study and help me fetch the box."

Chunniang was stunned: "What do you mean, ma'am?"

Xiao Qiao said, "Just bring it to me."

Chunniang hesitated for a while, and finally went out. After a while, she took the box and gently placed it in front of Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao stared at the box and let her out.

Chunniang hesitated: "Men, isn't the man not letting the box be moved? You are..."

Xiao Qiao didn't seem to hear it, her eyes fell on the nine-square lock, and she didn't move.

Chun Niang saw her as if fascinated.

Over the past two years, Chunniang has gradually come to know that although the lady loves to be coquettish in front of her and beg for comfort when encountering trivial matters, she has always been very assertive when it comes to major events. Seeing how she looked at the moment, it didn't seem like she acted rashly because of sadness. She seemed to have other thoughts, so she stood to accompany her, and when she saw the lady raised her hand, she gently dialed a grid of nine palaces and locked the one represented by Tiangan. Number grid.

…

The night was getting darker.

Wei Shao finally returned to the door of the Westinghouse. In the window of the bedroom from a distance, the lights were still on.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally walked in.

Chunniang and a few other servants were still standing in the hall next to the ear, and when they saw him finally showing up, they all came up to greet him.

"Is the lady in there?"

Although it was a bit difficult to ask, Wei Shao finally asked.

Chunniang said softly, "The lady is inside."

Wei Shao said nothing, stepped up the steps and opened the door. After entering, he looked up at first glance, and was stunned for a moment.

Xiao Qiao knelt down on the opposite couch, with the table in front of him and a box upright.

It was his box that she was not allowed to touch.

Wei Shao's eyes stopped on the box for a while, and then turned back to her face to meet her eyes.

His expression solidified slightly, and there was doubt in his eyes.

Although he has tried his best to maintain a peaceful mood, perhaps only he himself knows, and a faint new dissatisfaction has arisen in his heart.

He really didn't understand.

He had made it clear to her again and again that he didn't want her to touch the box. Although he also regretted that he had made such a big fire at her at the beginning of the night, and when he came in just now, he was still thinking that he should have really scared her at first, what should he say and do after he entered What, can let her eliminate the fright caused by that unpleasant experience tonight as soon as possible.

But after coming in at this moment, the scene that caught his eye really made him unable to control it again.

He didn't understand why she had to go against him and not listen to him. Is it really like what his mother Zhu Shi said, once a woman is favored too much, she will inevitably become arrogant and ignore her husband?

"What do you mean?"

After a pause, he asked, walking towards her.

Xiao Qiao raised his hand, and his fingers skillfully moved the Jiugong position on the Jiugongge lock. Soon, there was a slight "pop" sound in the box, which was the sound of the lock mechanism being correctly triggered.

Wei Shao looked surprised, as if he couldn't believe it.

Xiao Qiao's hand left the box, placed it on his lap, maintained a standard sitting posture, raised his eyes and looked at Wei Shao and said, "Husband, the heavenly stems on the Jiugong Lock represent numbers, and they are arranged in numbers, whether vertically or horizontally. , the oblique term, the numbers in the three directions are added together, and the sum is equal to fifteen, with five in the middle, and eight different magic squares can be transformed. This is not difficult, as long as you learn to calculate, you can solve it. I unlocked it in front of you, just to let you know that I didn't move the lock. If I really couldn't control myself wanting to see what's in the box, I would have already opened it secretly behind your back, so why leave a scratch The mark makes you suspect me?"

Wei Shao stood in front of her, didn't move, didn't say a word, but his expression gradually became ugly.

Xiao Qiao's expression was very calm: "Since I can unlock it, my husband must suspect that I have opened it and seen what is inside. I can swear to God that I just opened the lock in front of you for the first time. I do not deny that I was really curious about what was in the box. Especially after I went to Zhongshan with my grandmother and met Mrs. Yulou, I became even more curious. Then I saw it by chance the day before yesterday, so I couldn't help but take it out. Action. To tell you the truth, I was shaking it a few times at the time, and I felt that there were letters and paper inside. Then I put it back. "

Wei Shao heard "Mrs. Yulou" coming out of her mouth very naturally, her eyelids jumped, and her expression became even more ugly.

"Just now, whether you believe it or not, it's all up to you. I don't force it, and I don't care. And the reason why I clarify to you that I didn't try to pick the lock is not to shirk my guilt in this matter. My mistake. After you left in anger just now, I did reflect on myself. What I did is not fundamentally different from prying the box. I ignored your previous warning and moved it without your permission. It is true that I was at fault first. I admit it again, and I swear that I will never make the same mistake again, and I will never have the slightest interest in thinking about what is going on here."

Wei Shao kept looking at her, his expression changed from being relaxed when he first came in, to being surprised, and then to ugly, until now, he finally recovered a little bit slowly.

"Then what do you want to unlock in front of me?"

"I will admit my fault. I didn't do it, and I don't want to be framed and wronged. That's why I just opened the lock in front of my husband."

Xiao Qiao replied in a calm tone.