Chapter 504 The Perfect Victim
Chapter 504 The Perfect Victim
“Brother Yun’er, Brother Yun’er!!”
In the main hall of the Lu Mansion, Lu Yunyi was drinking porridge from a bowl with sleepy eyes.
Suddenly I heard Liu Heiying's urgent shout.
He paused with the spoon in his hand, raised his head in surprise and looked towards the main entrance.
Liu Heiying, dressed in his casual clothes, rushed in hurriedly.
His dark face was filled with murderous intent, and his personal guard Hu Xiaowu followed closely behind him.
Liu Heiying walked quickly into the main hall and saw Lu Yunyi and Mu Chuting sitting at the table. He raised his hand and bowed, saying loudly:
"Brother Yun'er, sister-in-law!"
"Black Hawk, please sit down and have some food."
Mu Chuting greeted quickly with a friendly smile on her face.
Liu Heiying was not polite either. He sat down carelessly and said angrily:
"I came here in a hurry today and was impolite. Please don't be offended, sister-in-law."
"Okay, stop being so literary."
Lu Yunyi rolled his eyes at him and said, "Do you know about the business?"
"Got it! Brother Yun'er, what's going on?
They burned down the huge Yingtian Commercial Bank, but chose to target our small family. Isn't this bullying?"
Liu Heiying was so anxious that veins popped out on his forehead and he spoke at an unusually fast speed.
"Hey." Lu Yunyi looked at him and told him to be patient.
“Don’t jump to conclusions before the matter is fully investigated.
We still need to investigate who did this and whether it was an accident or not. "
"How can it be!"
Liu Heiying almost jumped up from his chair.
"Brother Yun'er, I've brought people here.
Now the fire has been put out by the capital. Let’s go and check it out to see what happened!
Damn, the fruit and vegetable business I worked so hard to open,
It was burned down by a fire. The money was wasted!"
Liu Heiying became angrier as he spoke. Fire seemed to be spitting out of his eyes, and his breathing became more and more rapid.
Lu Yunyi knew that Liu Heiying had no great ambitions.
I just wanted to do some business to get rich, but now all my efforts have been wasted. It would be strange if I wasn't angry.
He picked up the bowl, drank the last mouthful of porridge, took the handkerchief handed to him by Xiaohong, and wiped his mouth slowly.
"Go and have a look."
When Liu Heiying heard this, he quickly stood up.
When he reached the door, Lu Yunyi looked back at Mu Chuting and said:
“Today, the capital and the governor’s office are going to arrest some local gangs. They are the ones who spread rumors these days.
Tell your servants not to get into trouble with them if they hear any more rumors."
"Yes, I understand."
Mu Chuting slowly stood up and bowed slightly in response.
Lu Yunyi nodded, and headed towards the fruit and vegetable shop with his personal guards and Liu Heying.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, the sound of loud horse hooves rang out on Zhongzheng Street, and a group of more than 20 people came rushing over like lightning.
From a distance, you can see that many people have gathered at No. 1 Zhongzheng Street.
Inside were yamen runners and guards from the imperial palace, and outside were a group of people watching the fun.
Feng Yunfang and Hu Xiaowu took the lead and squeezed out a passage through the crowd.
Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying walked over quickly.
Feng Kezhao, who was originally busy dealing with the aftermath,
Seeing the two of them walking hurriedly towards him, his heart skipped a beat and a helpless expression appeared on his face.
"Lord Lu, General Liu, you are here..."
The corners of Lu Yunyi's mouth slightly raised, revealing a smile.
Liu Heiying didn't give them a good look. He glanced at Feng Kezhao coldly and asked:
"Master Feng, is there any result? Who set the fire?"
"This this."
Feng Kezhao looked embarrassed and hesitated, not knowing how to answer.
He turned around, pointed to the ruins behind him, and whispered:
"Lord Lu, General Liu, the Royal Guards came last night, and they didn't want us in the capital to interfere.
Now they have been busy all night, and I don’t know how it is going. Why don’t we ask them?”
The two of them passed Feng Kezhao's figure and looked towards the ruins.
The flames were completely extinguished, with only wisps of white smoke still rising from some places.
People in Jinyiwei uniforms were carrying buckets of water.
He walked back and forth in the ruins, and when he encountered areas with thick white smoke, he poured water to put it out, looking very responsible.
Moreover, most of their bodies and faces were covered with soot, and they looked a little disheveled.
At this time, a middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a Jinyiwei Qianhu came over hurriedly.
He had a long sword on his waist and there were a few streaks of black and gray on his face.
He clasped his hands together and said loudly:
"Lord Lu, General Liu, I am Ma Yi, a captain of the Imperial Guards. I am here on the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to investigate the matter of the melons and fruits flowing into the water."
Lu Yunyi looked this man up and down.
He was tall and looked honest, but his eyes were calm and somewhat cold.
If I remember correctly, this person took over Deng Ming's job.
He is now very popular in the capital and his position is rising steadily.
Liu Heiying also turned his gaze to Ma Yi, memorizing his appearance, while looking back and forth among the Jinyiwei in the ruins.
Soon, he raised his eyebrows, as if he had discovered a few familiar faces, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Did you find anything?"
Lu Yunyi nodded towards Ma Yi and asked lightly.
Ma Yi's face was solemn, and he replied in a deep voice:
"Reporting to Lord Lu, there are three fires in the fruit and vegetable market.
They are the main entrance, the back door, and the location near the east wall in the lobby.
Judging from the arrangement, someone must have set the fire intentionally.
Moreover, the arsonist seemed to be afraid that we would not be able to find the fire, and piled up firewood at the place where it started. "
After hearing this, Lu Yunyi's eyes narrowed instantly, and a hint of danger flashed in his eyes.
"Oh, a show of force?"
Liu Heiying on the side was furious. He snorted coldly and waved his hand behind him:
"check!"
More than twenty people rushed forward from behind him, instantly occupying the position where the Jinyiwei were originally investigating the case.
This made Ma Yi look a little embarrassed, but he didn't get angry.
In the eyes of others, the Jinyiwei Yamen was like a demon, and they avoided it as much as possible.
But from the perspective of the military, it was just that.
What's more, the identities of these two people in front of them are extraordinary.
If they don't come to provoke the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei will be very lucky.
Seeing Liu Heiying leave, Ma Yi walked closer and said in a low voice:
"Sir Lu, I want to ask you, have you made any enemies recently?
Such blatant arson must be revenge, and even a warning."
Lu Yunyi put his hands behind his back, looked at the ruins in front of him, and sneered:
"Master Ma, the Jinyiwei monitors all officials.
How could the Jinyiwei not know who I have offended?"
Ma Yi's face flashed with embarrassment, and he bowed and said:
"Lord Lu, you are joking. The Jinyiwei is currently short of personnel and cannot be so powerful.
Moreover, His Majesty has strictly ordered us not to investigate officials above the fourth rank in the court.
So we don’t know who Lord Lu offended.”
This is naturally an excuse.
After the Hu Weiyong case, although the palace and the court officials had an agreement not to investigate the third-rank officials,
But the court officials did not believe it, and the palace would not really strictly enforce it.
After all, even the dukes and marquises were investigated, so what could a few third-rank officials matter?
Lu Yunyi looked at the busy figure in front of him and smiled gently:
"I appreciate Master Ma's kindness.
I won't bother the Imperial Guards with finding the real culprit behind this."
"What do you mean, Lord Lu? Do you not trust the Embroidered Uniform Guards?" Ma Yi was horrified.
Lu Yunyi turned his head sharply, his eyes as sharp as a knife:
"I have said so. Do you dare to check?"
Ma Yi's face froze, and he instantly realized that there was something wrong with his attitude. He complained inwardly, "Oh no, oh no, I'm a little too proud. How can I talk like that?"
Ma Yi kept muttering to himself, thinking about how to make amends.
But Lu Yunyi ignored him.
Walk straight in the opposite direction of the ruins, where two carriages are parked.
Seeing him coming, Song Wan'er jumped off the carriage first. Her face looked a little bad, and her whole body was shrouded in a gloomy aura.
Qin Qing, who was dressed as a man, looked even uglier.
To them, the fruit and vegetable business and the lost money were nothing.
But after all, I have worked here for quite a while and put in a lot of effort.
Now it has been burned to ashes by a fire, how can I not be angry.
"Master Lu."
Song Wan'er bowed and saluted, her long dress making her look graceful and elegant.
But the murderous look in her eyes gave her an aura that kept people at a distance.
Qin Qing was much more direct and said through gritted teeth:
"Who did this? I'm going to skin them alive!!"
Lu Yunyi said calmly: "We are still investigating, but I don't think there will be any results."
"Why!" Qin Qing's eyes widened, and the anger in her heart grew even stronger.
Lu Yunyi reminded:
“This matter involves a struggle in the imperial court. It is not appropriate for you to get involved, and don’t seek help from your family.
This matter has nothing to do with them. If you rashly get involved, it will embarrass your parents."
Song Wan'er's eyes flickered, she looked around, and suddenly realized:
"No wonder Lingyun came today and left in a hurry. There is no trace of her until now."
"She came and left?"
Lu Yunyi looked thoughtful and was calculating in his mind.
Qin Qing was a little slow to react and went to find Liu Heiying angrily.
Seeing that there were only two of them left,
Song Wan'er's lips curled up into a faint smile.
She moved closer to Lu Yunyi, with her head slightly tilted, as if examining whether they were a perfect match.
Lu Yunyi noticed her strangeness, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, he stepped back quietly and asked:
“Miss Song, now that the fruit and vegetable shop has been burned down, the imperial court’s business has just begun to be rebuilt.
If you have nothing to do and want to work, you have nowhere to go, I'm sorry."
Song Wan'er smiled, her voice clear and pleasant, like a lark:
“Does Lord Lu have any other business in Beijing?
We are idle anyway, so we want to find a place for ourselves to go so that time will pass faster if we are busy.”
Lu Yunyi was stunned. Why is he still relying on this?
"Miss Song, this is the only fruit and vegetable shop I have in Beijing, and I scraped together more than 10,000 taels of silver to open it.
Now that it’s all burned down, there’s no other business left.
I appreciate Miss Song's kindness."
Hearing this, Song Wan'er was a little stunned.
He turned his head to look at the young man next to him, his eyes full of surprise, and then filled with deep admiration.
"Lord Lu is indeed a young hero. In the court, there is a powerful person like Lord Lu.
Even if one does not participate in business affairs, his family members will participate.
It's rare to see Lord Lu alone."
Lu Yunyi smiled:
"I am a border dweller from the north. There are only three people in my family. How can I have relatives to run the business?"
The more Song Wan'er listened, the happier she became, and the slight sadness she felt about the fruit shop being burned down disappeared at this moment.
She tilted her head slightly to take in the whole body of the person next to her.
He was nearly a head taller than me, with an upright figure and an incredibly handsome appearance.
Especially after my only business was destroyed.
He could still act so indifferent, which made her deeply intoxicated and her breathing unconsciously quickened.
"Sir Lu, if the business near Yingtian Prefecture is built, won't you be in charge?
Well, it's your business, too."
Speaking of this, Song Wan'er felt a little embarrassed.
He seemed to feel that he was speaking too directly, and quickly explained:
"Don't misunderstand, Lord Lu. This is a hot topic in the capital.
They all say that the company was opened by Lord Lu who took money from the imperial court, uh."
Song Wan'er suddenly realized that she couldn't say this, and her cheeks turned red.
Lu Yunyi glanced at her sideways, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
He suddenly realized that perhaps the burning of the fruit and vegetable market could turn out to be a good thing.
Lu Yunyi did not hesitate and said softly:
"Don't trust the rumors outside. Yingtian Commercial Bank is funded by the imperial court.
Naturally, it is the court's business, and after it is completed, it will be taken back by the court and managed by specialized officials.
All I have done is to help with trivial matters and lend a lot of manpower."
Lu Yunyi still maintained his indifference.
But Song Wan'er looked at him in astonishment, her pupils shaking slightly.
"Yingtian Commercial Bank, Master Lu, don't you plan to get involved?"
"Why should I get involved?"
"You are the one who took care of this."
“Success doesn’t have to be mine.”
Suddenly, Song Wan'er looked at him in a daze, and suddenly felt a little distressed for the man next to her.
The only business was burned down, and the business that I was busy running could not participate.
So after all the hard work, nothing was left out? How can this be?
A surge of anger rose in Song Wan'er's heart, and her pretty face showed a hint of annoyance.
“How could this happen? Lord Lu is so dedicated to his duties, but he gets nothing?
There are still so many rumors about Lord Lu in the capital. What are these people thinking? "
Lu Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking secretly in his mind that this was exactly the effect he wanted.
People in this world always sympathize with the weak, especially the kind-hearted people.
When word got out that the business was no longer under his control, and the fruit and vegetable shop was burned down,
There were also rumors in the capital that he was childless and hysterical.
A perfect image of a victim emerges!
Lu Yunyi couldn't help but applaud in his heart.
It is not terrible for a person to be strong, but it is more terrible to pretend to be weak.
The most terrifying thing is to make others believe it.
Lu Yunyi is well versed in the ways of the military, and knows it better than anyone else.
Reputation is irrelevant, substance is what matters.
What he is worried about now is the problem of too much or too little.
He looked at the ruins in front of him, and suddenly a thought popped into his mind:
"Damn it, no one will think that I directed and acted this out myself, right?"
While Lu Yunyi was in deep thought, Song Wan'er was also thinking, but she couldn't think of any good way to help him.
Song Wan'er pursed her lips, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes:
"Master Lu, I still have some money in my boudoir, why don't we do some business together?
Although my family is not that prominent, it still has some reputation, which can deter some villains.
If Lord Lu doesn't mind, I can go back and ask my father and grandfather."
Lu Yunyi looked at Song Wan'er in surprise.
"Miss Song, do your family know that you have been coming to the fruit shop these days?"
"Of course he knows. Grandpa has disciples all over the world. He knows where I go."
Song Wan'er pouted, feeling a little annoyed.
Lu Yunyi nodded. Since he knew about it and did not try to stop it, this already showed his attitude.
"What kind of business does Miss Song want to start?"
"I, I don't know either. I've never done business before. Why not open a fruit and vegetable shop?"
Lu Yunyi shook his head:
“The fruit and vegetable market will definitely open again, and it will be right here.
This is the hard work of Black Hawk and I, and it cannot be wasted.
Even if the enemy obstructs us in every way, we must continue to move forward and not admit defeat."
Song Wan'er's eyes were full of little stars, and she felt that such a man was a real man!
"As for Miss Song, she is a lady from a wealthy family, it is not good for her to always be in the spotlight.
There are only a few types of businesses you can do, and you have to be respectable at the same time.
Then the only ones left are the zither stage, music house, chess club, singing house, tea house and ice house.
Which one would you like to do, Miss Song?"
Song Wan'er's eyes moved:
"They are all good businesses, but I heard that most of these businesses are not profitable.
They are all supported by their employers, and the people who go there are all friends.”
Lu Yunyi had a faint smile on his face, and his face was full of confidence:
"Miss Song, just say it. It's too easy to make money in these places."
The little stars in Song Wan'er's eyes became even brighter, and she nodded repeatedly.
"Let me think about it."
(End of this chapter)