Chapter 1088

Lu Datou was called to the office, a smile on his face.

As soon as he entered the door, he shouted: "Brother, I've found out everything. Guess who I ran into today? It was a coincidence; I went to inquire about the Qin family's affairs, and halfway there, I ran into the Qin family's eldest son being surrounded and beaten by a group of people. The sticks in their hands were clearly aimed at breaking the Qin family eldest son's legs. Fortunately, I had brought a few brothers with me. As soon as I revealed my identity, that bunch of people scattered like beasts and birds, all running away. I wanted to chase after them, but the conditions didn't allow it."

Chen Guanlou raised his brows slightly, a guess forming in his heart.

He asked: "Someone said you brought people in from outside without permission and locked them in the Bing-block prison. Could it be the Qin family's eldest son!"

"Yes, yes!" Lu Datou nodded repeatedly, looking slightly excited, secretly asking for credit: "The Qin family is clearly being targeted. Brother, you asked me to investigate the Qin family, and I thought, since I ran into it, if I didn't bring the Qin family's eldest son back, the person would probably be killed sooner or later. Wouldn't that delay the important task you entrusted to me?

So, I took the liberty of bringing the person back first and temporarily placed him in the Bing-block prison. I greeted Prison Clerk Huang about this. I was just about to tell you, brother, when you sent someone to call me over. Hehe, we really have a tacit understanding!"

Chen Guanlou nodded repeatedly: "You did the right thing. In broad daylight, brazenly surrounding and beating the Qin family's eldest son—it was clearly aimed at killing him. There is no national law in their eyes; they treat the law as child's play."

When he wants to kill someone, he does it secretly and quietly, ensuring he doesn't alert anyone and leaves no traces that can be traced.

Liu Changrong, on the other hand, was afraid others wouldn't know he was dealing with the Qin family. He was arrogantly surprising.

His methods were actually mainly aimed at applying pressure to the Qin family and increasing their mental stress.

'I'm going to kill you all! Are you ready? Use whatever methods you have. Haha, but it's all useless; you're all going to die!'

It's just like a cat playing with a mouse. The viciousness of his intentions truly opened one's eyes.

Just because of a broken engagement?

The Qin family supported his studies and imperial examinations, provided him with food and drink, and gave him the chance to change his fate—doesn't that count as compensation?

In any case, Chen Guanlou couldn't stand it!

For example, when he was young, he followed his eldest sister Chen Xiaolan to sponge off the Su family, and he inevitably had to endure some disdain. Especially that mouth of Mother Su's, those eyes—every day there was no lack of sarcastic remarks.

But he never thought of taking revenge on the Su family; on the contrary, after he started making money, he repaid the Su family a lot. No matter what Mother Su's attitude was, those years, he and his sister did indeed receive the Su family's kindness; that was a fact.

If it were Liu Changrong in his position, the grass on Mother Su's grave would probably be a person's height by now.

The difference between people is even greater than the difference between people and dogs.

"Tell me first, what have you found out these past few days? What is the situation between the Qin family and the Liu family?"

Lu Datou recounted the news he had found these days: "I found the old neighbors of the Qin family and asked about the situation of the two families. It is said that the broken engagement went through the proper channels, and they even hired a middleman; Liu Changrong agreed on the spot. It is also a fact that the Qin family compensated him and let him stay in the Qin household to study for the imperial examinations.

Later, I found a few old servants who used to serve in the Qin household, as well as merchants who delivered firewood and rice to the Qin family; they all said the Qin family treated Liu Changrong impeccably, raising him like their own son. Whatever their own son had, Liu Changrong had. Pens, ink, paper, inkstones, seasonal clothing, monthly allowances, expenses for social outings—the Qin family provided as much as they could.

I was worried these people were biased toward the Qin family, so I asked the brothers from the Garrison Command to help, and finally found the servant who served by Liu Changrong's side back then. The servant also confirmed that the Qin family was never harsh to Liu Changrong; on the contrary, they took care of him in every way. The key is that this servant was brought by Liu Changrong from his hometown, not a servant of the Qin family."

"This servant you speak of—why didn't he continue to serve by Liu Changrong's side later?" Chen Guanlou was very puzzled.

Usually, a servant by a master's side is meant to serve the master for a lifetime. When young, he is a servant; when older, he is a long-term attendant; after gaining experience, he is a steward. When older, he is the only choice for a housekeeper.

Because a servant follows the master, studying and learning to read together, greeting guests, and understanding human affairs. A talent cultivated over decades, after becoming a housekeeper, is the master's second pair of eyes, watching everyone in the mansion for the master. Absolutely loyal and reliable.

"According to the servant himself, Liu Changrong disliked him for being too talkative and knowing too much."

"Since that's the case, Liu Changrong could leave the servant's life." Chen Guanlou judged others by himself; if he were Liu Changrong, he would never leave the life of a 'talkative' servant.

"Naturally, he couldn't. The servant confessed that not long after Liu Changrong passed the imperial examination—it was around the time the Qin family's second daughter had her accident—he went out to handle a matter and was plotted against. He inadvertently learned that it was Liu Changrong who sent people to take his life. Fortunately, he was alert and lucky, escaping and hiding in a small temple in the city, mixing in as a monk. If it weren't for the help of the brothers from the Garrison Command, relying on myself, I probably wouldn't have found this servant in a few years."

"Hiding so strictly, yet the Garrison Command only spent a few days finding him. Did Liu Changrong not try to find him?"

"I reckon the one surnamed Liu thought the servant was already dead. This is what the servant said himself."

"Did you ask him what exactly the servant knew that made Liu Changrong want his life?"

"The servant only talked about matters related to the Qin family; he wouldn't say anything else."

Chen Guanlou raised his brows slightly; clearly, the servant was still vigilant and was still hiding many things.

"Did you ask him what the situation was with the Qin family's second daughter back then?"

Lu Datou nodded repeatedly; this was an important matter, of course he wouldn't forget.

He hurriedly said: "I asked! According to the servant's confession, after Liu Changrong entered the Qin mansion, he pondered revenge. Seeing that the Qin second daughter was beautiful and very innocent, he artificially created opportunities to meet her. They became familiar after a few times.

He would occasionally send gifts to the Qin second daughter and promised that after he made it big, he would definitely marry her and also get her a title of nobility. At that time, the Qin family had already settled a marriage for the Qin second daughter; the other party was a scholar, a family of farming and reading. The Qin second daughter was so fooled by Liu Changrong that she was desperate, forcing her parents to break off the engagement by threatening to starve herself.

The servant said the Qin second daughter was sincere to Liu Changrong, worried that he had no silver to spend when he went out, so she saved up all her monthly allowance and even deceived silver from Mother Qin, all of which she handed over to Liu Changrong to support his expenses. She even took the initiative to contact other students to get information to help Liu Changrong successfully find a mentor. The reputation of her being promiscuous that spread later was also because of this matter."

Chen Guanlou curiously asked: "How did the Qin second daughter die back then?"

"At first, the Qin family planned to send the second daughter to a temple. After everyone forgot about this matter, they would bring her back and send her far away. According to the servant's confession, he delivered a letter from Liu Changrong to the Qin second daughter, and that very night, the Qin second daughter hanged herself!"