Zhou Qi looked at Hu Zhong's angry old face and smiled softly.
Now in this scene, I look more like a villain.
"Hu xx, you don't want anything to happen to your family, right?"
Hu Zhong's hair was gray and messily scattered on the ground, stained with mud and blood.
"You are tough, I can't help it." Zhou Qi's voice was very calm, "But whether your family is tough, I'm not sure."
Hu Zhong was lying on the ground with his face buried in the soil.
There's a fight going on in his head.
Having said that, I'm done.
If you don't tell me, your family is finished.
His life is worthless, but Hu Wen is only twelve years old, and Hu Wu is only sixteen years old.
His shoulders finally slumped.
Like an old house, it finally couldn't hold on any longer and started to fall apart from the inside.
"Yes..." His voice came up from the ground, hoarse like sandpaper, "Master Ke asked the old slave to do it."
Zhou Qi didn't answer the call. He waited.
Hu Zhong's voice was intermittent, and every word seemed to be cut out from his throat. "Liu Wenyuan... it was Master Ke who asked him to poison himself and frame Guiyuan Hall."
"Later... then Liu Wenyuan disobeyed, and Master Ke wanted to frame Guiyuan Hall, so he asked the old slave... to have something added to his medicine."
"What was added?"
"Hundred-Day Sleep." Hu Zhong's voice became lower and lower, so low that it was almost inaudible, "A prescription to help you sleep, Liu Wenyuan's body is already weak, if you take it... you will..."
After he finished speaking, he lay on the ground like a snake with its bones removed.
Zhou Qi stood up.
He glanced at Hu Zhong lying on the ground, and then at Liu An next to him who was already paralyzed with fear.
One in each hand, carry it to Yao Qing's Separate Courtyard.
Yao Qing's Separate Courtyard.
Zhou Qi strode in, holding Hu Zhong in one hand and Liu An in the other.
When the boy guarding the door saw the two people he was carrying, his expression changed and he quickly informed them.
Yao Qing is discussing countermeasures with Yang Zhenshan in the hall.
He was restless, had changed positions several times, drank three cups of tea, and hadn't read a single word.
Yang Zhenshan was sitting opposite, holding a tea cup. He was quite steady, but his fingers were twirling around the rim of the cup, obviously he was also waiting for news.
"Young Master Qing! Mr. Zhou is back!" The boy's voice came from outside, sharp and bright.
Yao Qing stood up suddenly, and the chair slid back half a foot with him, making a harsh creaking sound.
He ignored this and strode out. When he reached the door, Zhou Qi had already come in.
Hu Zhong and Liu An were thrown to the ground like two dead dogs.
Yao Qing was stunned for a moment when he saw Hu Zhong.
This Hu Zhong has been domineering under the Yao Family for more than 20 years.
Relying on his own strength and Yao Ke's trust, even Yao Qing is not taken lightly.
At this moment, he was lying on the ground, his arms hanging limply, his face as white as paper, and his lips were covered in blood.
Yao Qing's eyes moved from Hu Zhong to Zhou Qi's face.
"Mr. Zhou!" Yao Qing's voice was trembling, "You..."
"Liu An did it, it was Hu Zhong who instigated it." Zhou Qi told the story in a few words.
Yao Qing took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions. "What... did he recruit?"
"Yao Ke asked Liu Wenyuan to poison himself and frame Guiyuan Hall. After Liu Wenyuan fell ill, Yao Ke asked someone to add Hundred-Day Sleep to Liu Wenyuan's medicine. Liu Wenyuan is weak and will die if he takes it."
Yao Qing After listening, the expression on his face changed again and again.
Yang Zhenshan stood aside, his eyes swept between Zhou Qi and Hu Zhong, without speaking, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
Yao Qing calmed down quickly.
He glanced at Hu Zhong on the ground, then looked at Zhou Qi: "Let's go to see father with me."
After saying that, Yao Qing bent down and personally pulled Hu Zhong up from the ground.
Hu Zhong's arms were still hanging limply, and his leg bones were broken. Yao Qing pushed him to the guard behind him. "Watch it, follow me, don't let him die."
The guard responded and put Hu Zhong up.
Yao Qing straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and said to Zhou Qi, "Let's go, Mr. Zhou."
After saying that, he strode out.
The group of people walked through the corridor and walked to Yao Jingyi's study.
Yao Qing walked in the front, walking much faster than usual, and the wind blew at the corners of his robe, making a whistling sound.
A little more energetic than usual.
I met several servants of Yao Residence on the road, and their expressions changed when they saw Yao Qing escorting Hu Zhong with his guards.
Hu Zhong has been the housekeeper of Yao Residence for twenty years, who doesn't know him?
At this moment, he was being held up by someone, his arms were hanging limply, his face was covered in blood, and he was in an unbelievable state of embarrassment.
The servants all moved to the side of the road, lowering their heads and not daring to look, but they were peeking out of the corners of their eyes.
The news spread like it had wings, and the second young master escorted the eldest young master's people to the master's study.
What is this going to do?
No one dared to ask, but everyone was guessing.
When I walked to the door of the courtyard where the study was located, the boy guarding the door trembled when he saw the battle.
He subconsciously wanted to go in and report, but Yao Qing raised his hand to stop him. "No, I'll go in by myself."
The courtyard door opened, and Yao Qing strode in.
The door to the study room was closed, and orange light leaked from the crack in the door.
Yao Qing walked to the door, took a deep breath, and raised his hand to knock on the door.
Yao Jingyi's voice came from inside, and there was no hint of joy or anger. "Come in."
Yao Qing Push the door and go in.
Zhou Qi follows behind.
The guards escorted Hu Zhong and Liu An in, pushed them to the ground, and then left.
Yao Jingyi was sitting behind the desk, holding a book of approval documents in his hand, and raised his eyelids.
His eyes swept over Hu Zhong who was kneeling on the ground, Yao Qing, and Zhou Qi.
Yao Jingyi looked at the three people in front of him, put down the approval document, looked at Yao Qing, and waited for him to speak.
Yao Qing told what happened.
From the time Guiyuan Hall was framed, to the suspicion surrounding Liu Wenyuan's death, to Liu An's confession that Hu Zhong instigated it, to Hu Zhong's personal admission that Yao Ke asked him to do it.
He spoke very quickly, but in a clear and logical manner. There were witnesses and confessions at every step, just like a confrontation in court.
After he finished speaking, the study became quiet.
Yao Jingyi leaned on the back of the chair and was silent for a long time.
He put his hand on the armrest and tapped his fingers slowly, once, once.
After a long time, Yao Jingyi spoke.
Not to Yao Qing, not to Hu Zhong, but to Zhou Qi.
"Mr. Zhou, I wonder if I will gain anything from seclusion for a month?" The tone was calm, even a little polite.
Zhou Qi stood beside Yao Qing, clasping his fists and saying, "Luckily, there was a slight breakthrough."
A slight breakthrough.
Not saying much and not being modest.
Yao Jingyi nodded, with a slight curl in the corner of his mouth. "Congratulations, Mr. Zhou."
He paused, looked away from Zhou Qi, glanced at Hu Zhong on the ground, then at Yao Qing, and then looked at Zhou Qi again.
"However," his voice was low but every word was clear, "This matter is Yao Family's family matter after all. It is inconvenient for Mr. Zhou to be present. Please move aside so that Quanzi and I can have a few words alone."
This was said very politely, but the meaning was very clear.
You are an outsider and it's time to go out.
Zhou Qi glanced at Yao Qing.
Yao Qing nodded slightly, with apology and gratitude in his eyes.
Zhou Qi looked away, cupped his fists and said, "Mr. Yao is saying that Zhou resigned."
He turned around and walked out of the study, closing the door behind him.