Rebirth of the Star General (128 onwards)

196

     After receiving Xiao Jue's verbal promise that she would bring He Yan to the palace banquet, He Yan slept exceptionally soundly that night. When she woke up the next morning, as usual, Xiao Jue was not there. There was only Bai Guo sitting in the courtyard, waiting for her to wake up and have breakfast, just like yesterday.

He Yan was used to waking up early in her previous life. Now that she had slept until late in the morning, she felt embarrassed to let a little girl wait for her. She asked Bai Guo, "Bai Guo, did your Second Young Master say where he went?"

Bai Guo shook her head, "Is Young Master He looking for Second Young Master for something urgent?"

He Yan smiled, "I'm just asking casually." However, she felt a little strange. After returning to the capital, Xiao Jue seemed to be very busy. What exactly was she busy with?

However, she did not think too much about it. She had other things to do today.

He Yan greeted Bai Guo, changed her clothes, and went out. She did not call for a carriage. Instead, she wore a curtain hat and walked on the streets by herself. She could walk past the Xu residence with her eyes closed. Not long after, she stopped in front of the vermilion door.

He Yan stood at the door and looked at the residence in front of her.

Looking in from the outside, the residence looked even narrower. It was so narrow that it seemed like it could not contain one's ambition. It was so narrow that it was like a coffin, burying her in it.

He Yan thought that after so much time had passed, she had already calmed down. However, when she really stood here, she found it difficult to calm down. It was here that He Wanru had pushed her into a pool of cold water and she had never seen the sun again.

The servant at the door was sweeping the floor. Xu Zhiheng was a very particular person. The residence had to be clean at all times. He did not like blemishes, just like how he did not like scars on a woman's skin.

He Yan walked forward and said, "Little brother, I want to ask you about someone."

The manservant who was sweeping stopped and looked at He Yan, asking, "You are …"

"I was asked by someone to inquire about someone," He Yan said in a low voice. "Is there a concubine mother called He Wanru in your family?"

As soon as these words came out, the manservant's face changed. "You …"

The next moment, he felt a heavy object in his hand. Looking down, he saw that it was an ingot of silver. The manservant swallowed his saliva and subconsciously put the silver into his sleeve. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention and said in a low voice, "Young master, please wait for me under the locust tree in the alley ahead. This is not the place to talk."

He Yan nodded. "I understand. You will definitely come. If you can help me find out about this person …" She smiled. "I won't forget to reward you."

The young servant was overjoyed. "Of course, of course!"

He Yan did not say much to him. Just as the manservant was worried, this was not the place to talk. Moreover, with the relationship between Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei, it was inevitable that He Rufei's men would be walking around outside. She lowered her veil hat and waited under the locust tree in the alley where they had agreed to meet.

He Yan was not afraid that the manservant would take the silver and not admit it. Although the Xu Family was also an official family, they were not generous to their servants. It was probably because Xu Zhiheng was originally a Hanlin scholar and learned to be a scholar. He was more willing to spend money on decorations, such as the tiles of the residence. Madam Xu's favorite saying was: If you treated your servants too well, it would not be good if they became disloyal. You have to know that one should be grateful for one's worth and hate for another. Servants and masters should not get too close.