Chapter 129

  Zai was also very happy to see his children again, and he hugged his son tightly, reluctant to let go.

  Lu Ming had always admired his father because he could fly high.

  Zhan Zhao didn't let go of his son not because he valued boys over girls, but because his daughter was sleeping and he was afraid of waking her up and making the little one unhappy.

  Little Phoenix

  Lu Xiaofeng, who was cleaning the surgical instruments, asked without lifting his head: "What's up?"

  "I picked up a kid on the street today."

  "It can't be your illegitimate child, right?"

  Zhan Zhao: "......"

  He immediately looked at his brother-in-law with vigilance while playing with the child.

  "Xiao Feng..." Can't you think before speaking?

  Lu Xiaofeng said: "You picked up this child and brought him back to Kaifeng Prefecture, didn't you? Is another incident going to be stirred up?" There's basically no need to suspect anything, otherwise Xianzhao wouldn't mention this to her for no reason.

  His wife's words made Xian Zhao feel a bit embarrassed, "Yes, the child's mother went missing ten years ago. His father was heartbroken and fell ill. Recently, he heard from neighbors that they saw a woman who looked like his mother in Kaifeng Prefecture, so he left home alone to find his mother, hoping to comfort his father."

  Lu Xiaofeng, who was picking up his knife, was taken aback for a moment. This story seemed familiar, as if he had heard it before.

  "What's his mother's name?"

  "Shen Rou."

  Lu Xiaofeng wiped the knife clean and put it back in its original position, then picked up another one to wipe. "Zhan Zhao, have you ever thought about why that child's mother disappeared for ten years and his father never thought of going out to look for her?"

  Zhan Zhao was taken aback.

  Lu Xiaofeng continued: "Since he misses her so much, they have become lovesick. He didn't even think of going to find her, which can only mean that he doesn't dare to go find her, can't go find her, or is too ashamed to go find her. Whatever the reason, it can only be said that he has wronged his wife. Does such a man need consolation?"

  Zhan Zhao: Xiao Feng sometimes has a sharp tongue that even makes him feel a little afraid.

  "Although the child is innocent, I don't know whether it would be fortunate or unfortunate if you really help that child find his mother."

  Zhan Zhao was silent. Sometimes Xiao Feng's words were sharp and even ruthless, but they might have really hit the nail on the head and gotten to the heart of the matter.

  Lu Xiaofeng closed the cleaned knife box, but as she closed the lid, she let out a soft sigh. She had already figured out why she felt a sense of déjà vu earlier - it was because of the "Mandarin Duck and Butterfly Dream" episode in The Legend of Judge Bao, where she always thought that Shen Rou, the weak and gentle woman, was the most innocent one.

  A childless husband designs a trap to frame his wife for adultery, and she is eventually put to death on charges of adultery. Fortunately, she meets her future husband who saves her, and she can start a new life, but ten years later, she is again entangled in the past, and all three men related to her die one by one, leaving only her and her son behind.

  Actually, Lu Xiaofeng always thought that Shen Rou's ex-husband and the scholar who borrowed a womb should die, but her later husband, although lovingly tyrannical, did not deserve to die.

  However, Shen Rou's ex-husband was also a pitiful and tragic man. In this world where being unfilial is considered one of the three greatest offenses and having no descendants is considered the greatest offense, he did not want to abandon his deeply loved wife. With no other choice, he made a decision that pierced his heart like a knife, but ultimately led to his wife's death and ruined his own life.

  It's really hateful, this world where people prey on each other!

  Xiao Feng couldn't help but think of Pang Yu, who was being troubled by infertility, and thought that this case should be used to educate that kid.

  "Zhan Zhao."

  "What's wrong?"

  Lu Xiaofeng hesitated for a moment before speaking out, "If possible, I'm very interested in handling this case."

  His wife having expressed herself thus, Zhan Zhao naturally turned around and went to tell Bao Da, he never thought his wife would suddenly come up with such an idea without any reason.

  Bao Zheng heard what Zhan Zhao said and couldn't help but exchange a glance with Gong Sun Ce.

  "What does Mr. Gong Sun think?"

  Gongsun Ce smiled slightly and said, "I think Miss Lu wouldn't make such a gesture without reason."

  Bao Zheng said: "In this case, it seems that our prefecture should go down to the lower states and counties."

  Gongsun Ce smiled and nodded.

  Zhan Zhao immediately knew that his superior was intentionally giving his wife a chance to handle this case.

  "Zhan Huwei, you stay in Kaifeng Prefecture."

  "Your Excellency——" Zhan Zhao's face showed confusion, "It would be better for me to follow Your Excellency closely."

  Gongsun Ce smiled and said, "Zhan Huwei, don't waste the good intentions of the adults again. You can also take this opportunity to get together with Lu Niangzi. At that time, I will borrow Xian Dong from Lu Niangzi for a while. Don't worry about the safety of the adults, Zhan Huwei."

  Upon hearing Gong Sun Ce say this, Zhan Zhao also stopped talking.

  "What? You're staying behind while Lord Bao goes out in the severe winter?" Little Feng was surprised to hear this from her own little cat.

  "Doesn't the young lady seem a bit unhappy?" Zhan Zhao said with a seemingly genuine tone.

  "Go, this expression doesn't suit you," Little Phoenix Maiden directly spat out, "I'm just surprised, Lord Bao really takes care of his subordinates."

  "Outsiders always say that adults are heartless and impartial, but in fact, adults have a lot of human feelings."

  "I know."

  Zhan Zhao stretched out his hand and put it around her shoulder, smiling: "You should also be considered a kindred spirit of adults."

  "What's 'should'? What's 'ought to be'? I am what I am." Little Phoenix said with a rather self-satisfied tone.

  Zhan Zhao lost his smile, "Yes, yes, the young lady is right." Xiaofeng and the adults may have chosen different methods, but their goals are the same. They have a sense of justice in their hearts, with something called "clear sky" by the people on top of their heads.

  The grown-ups are too righteous and too straightforward, so they are impartial and merciless.

  Xiao Feng - Zhan Zhao couldn't help but quietly admire, Xiao Feng's wrist was relatively soft, not sure if it was because she was a woman. However, when the time came to be ruthless, her hand didn't go soft either.

  No punishment is the best punishment. Both adults and Xiaofeng have said this before, and they have always acted on it. It's just that adults sometimes use laws to deter bad people, making them stricter, while Xiaofeng is relatively more gentle.

  Zhan Zhao didn't know which method was better, he could only say that because they were in different positions, their methods were also different.

  Lu Xiaofeng sighed and put his arm around Zhan Zhao's waist, saying: "This way we'll have to send Lu Ming and Mei Ying to the Taishi Mansion again."

  "It's actually fine if they stay by my side."

  Xiaohe will be very tired, Lu Ming that little guy's spirit is getting better and better, and Meiying is also full of energy. It's still better to send him back to Taishi Fu, there are many people there.

  Zhan Zhao gazed out the window at the moonlight, and his thoughts suddenly became somewhat unsettled. His daughter was not in their room tonight, so it was quite suitable for the couple to do something.

  The moved heart thought of noble cat, certainly did not let the night empty pass.

  No matter how she was tossed about at night, Little Phoenix still had to get up early the next day, now that she was a mother of two children, and she also had to consider her image.

  That stinky cat!

  Zhan Zhao, who was on duty at Kaifeng Prefecture, unfortunately let out a sneeze.

  Bao Zheng was a man of action and soon set out on an inspection tour of the prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction.

  Considering Little Phoenix's powerful background, she was only interested in a certain case, and of course, the case wouldn't fall into someone else's hands.

  Little Phoenix Maiden said that the pressure was really not great, after all, she still had a brother who was an emperor!

  Is it easy for someone from our village to become an official?

  Lu Xiaofeng followed Zhan Zhao into Kaifeng Prefecture and also met the child he had picked up - Shi Qing.

  A ten-year-old child in ancient times was already considered half an adult, and he understood many principles.

  Xiao Feng always thought she was very reasonable, so she patiently told Shi Qing some stories about human relationships and ethics.

  "Madam, that woman is so pitiful."

  "Poor thing?" Lu Xiaofeng reached out and patted Shi Qing's head.

  Shi Qing nodded, "It's clearly not her fault."

  "Yes, it was clearly not her fault, but she almost lost her life in this cruel world."

  Shi Qing's eyes sparkled with brightness, "Was her later husband really good to her?"

  "Uh-huh, okay."

  "Is this what they mean by 'after bitter comes sweet'?"

  "Right."

  "This is just too good."

  Lu Xiaofeng shook his head, "But if everything in this world were as beautiful as people imagine, it wouldn't be a troubled world."

  "What's wrong?" Shi Qing asked with a worried face.

  "Because that child from back then grew up, he who knew nothing about the past set out to find his mother for his father, and the peaceful life that woman had finally obtained was about to be destroyed all at once."

  "Is it?" Shi Qing slightly furrowed his brow, wondering why he suddenly felt like this was similar to his own situation.

  No, Father wouldn't be that incompetent husband in the story, nor would he be that child in the story...

  But Shi Qing looked into Zhan Furen's eyes, and as he did, his own eyes slowly welled up with tears. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't deceive himself.

  "Madam."

  "Huh?"

  "Is that story true?"

  Lu Xiaofeng nodded, "It's true, very real."

  Shi Qing bit her lower lip and after a long while said: "I was that child?"

  "Hmm." Lu Xiao Feng gave him a definite answer.

  "Does your wife know my mother?"

  "We've met a few times."

  "So, madam knew after I described my mother's appearance and drew a portrait that..."

  "Uh-huh." I'm a bit familiar with the story, kid. It's not that I want to hurt your young heart, but some things can only be understood once you know the whole situation. Your mother doesn't not want you, it's just that she was treated cruelly by this world and couldn't take care of you.

  "My wife doesn't want me to disturb my mother's life."

  "It's better if such past is not mentioned."

  Her ex-husband was weak, her current husband is overbearing. Her ex-husband could only watch as his wife was banished to a wooden raft by their clan, the only thing he could do was tie a handkerchief around her wrist. That kind of love is too powerless! But now her husband is too overbearing, not allowing his wife's reputation to be tarnished in the slightest, anyone who would bring shame to his wife he would ruthlessly eliminate, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

  But after he died, what about Shen Rou?

  Lu Xiaofeng could understand Sambo's approach, but he really didn't approve of his methods.

  In the end, Shen Rou was still that unfortunate woman.

  "If she marries me, won't she be ridiculed by others? And thrown into the river?" Fear and worry appeared in Shi Qing's eyes.

  Lu Xiaofeng nodded silently.

  "Then I..." Shi Qing wiped his eyes with his sleeve, "I won't look for Mother anymore, I don't want Mother to die."

  "What about your father?" Lu Xiaofeng asked him a very practical question.

  "I..."

  "If you really decide not to look for your mother, then go back and tell him that your mother is already dead, and there will be no Shen Rou in this world again. A man who does not take responsibility when he should, regret cannot change anything."

  "Madam, today General Zhang took me to a general's mansion. The lady of the house asked me many questions. She..."

  Lu Xiaofeng shook his head gently.

  Shi Qing lowered his head, "She looks just like Mother."

  Lu Xiaofeng thought to himself, "Has he already met Shen Rou, now known as Shen Wuguang? If so, then Sangbo will surely send someone to kill Shi Qing. It seems she has no choice but to head to the General's Manor."

  It's best if things can be resolved quietly; otherwise, this case will inevitably end in tragedy.

  She still clearly remembers Zhan Zhao's heavy bow after San Bo killed himself.

  As a general on the battlefield, Sangbo was blameless in his duty. His final crime was only to preserve his wife's honor.

  Iron-blooded man, great husband, Sambu is worthy of it, but unfortunately!