Qin Yun's expression grew serious, and he asked with a hint of confusion, "A maid by my mother's side?"
Xiao Ju nodded. "Yes, wet nurse Tian told me so!"
"Go and summon wet nurse Tian!"
"Yes, Young Master!" Xiao Ju scurried out of the room.
Qin Yun sat down at the wooden table and poured himself a cup of cold water, his mind finally calming down.
Granny Zhao, a maid by his mother's side?
Calculating the time, he was seventeen now. That meant this Granny Zhao was from seventeen years ago!
After so many years, why did she reappear in the Qin Mansion?
What was she doing at the Qin Mansion the day before yesterday?
Did she meet someone? Or was she passing information?
In an instant, countless questions flooded Qin Yun's mind.
A moment later, Xiao Ju returned with wet nurse Tian.
Upon entering, Xiao Ju tactfully closed the door.
"Young Master, you sent for this old servant?" Wet nurse Tian said as she knelt to pay her respects.
Qin Yun quickly helped wet nurse Tian up. "Wet nurse Tian, no need for formalities. I sent for you because there are some things I wish to inquire about."
"Is the Young Master referring to Granny Zhao Rongfang?"
Qin Yun nodded. "Yes, Granny Zhao's original name was Zhao Rongfang? Was she someone who served my mother?"
Qin Yun voiced the doubts in his heart.
Wet nurse Tian nodded. "Yes, back when I was still young, Zhao Rongfang and I served the Madam together. Later, the Madam died in childbirth, and Zhao Rongfang also left the mansion."
Thinking of this, wet nurse Tian couldn't help but shed tears. "This old servant doesn't know why I encountered Zhao Rongfang the night before last!"
"What was Granny Zhao's purpose for coming to the mansion? Whom did she meet? Where did they meet?"
Wet nurse Tian answered sincerely. "We were hiding in a corner of the woodshed, and we saw Zhao Rongfang talking to a man. Because the man was standing in the shadows and was disguised, this old servant did not recognize him." Wet nurse Tian looked somewhat ashamed as she said this.
Xiao Ju also stepped forward. "It's mainly because that man was too cunning, disguised even late at night, so only Granny Zhao was recognized by wet nurse Tian and I!"
Qin Yun began to ponder.
A disguised man appeared in the Qin Mansion?
"So Zhao嬷嬷 entered the mansion late at night to meet someone! This implies that the man is someone from the Qin Mansion?"
"But there are dozens of people in the Qin Mansion, how can we investigate?" Xiao Ju frowned.
Qin Yun stroked his chin in thought. "Indeed, there are dozens of people. The mansion has many maids and old women. There are over ten young servants, and five middle-aged men. Among them are Mr. Jin, who handles the accounts, Mr. Wu, who handles procurement, Old Steward Gao, Old Steward Pang from the kitchen, and Uncle Fu, who is by father's side!"
As he spoke, Qin Yun looked at Xiao Ju and wet nurse Tian and asked, "Do you two recognize the man's voice? Can you tell his approximate age?"
Xiao Ju and wet nurse Tian exchanged glances and both shook their heads.
"Young Master, that man's voice was hoarse, as if deliberately disguised, so we couldn't tell at all," Xiao Ju said disappointedly.
Wet nurse Tian thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "This old servant guesses it was a man of some age, possibly around Zhao Rongfang's age!"
Hearing this, Qin Yun suddenly understood!
That was right! Seventeen years had passed, and anyone who knew and had dealings with Granny Zhao would certainly be around her age!
It seemed this man could be one of those five people.
But what was the purpose of their meeting?
Catching up?
It didn't seem like it.
Could it be that the two had an affair seventeen years ago?
That didn't seem right either!
If they truly liked each other, they would have been together long ago, so why the secrecy?
Anything done secretly was unlikely to be a good thing.
"Besides this, were there any other discoveries?"
Wet nurse Tian seemed to recall something and suddenly said, "This old servant saw that man give something to Zhao Rongfang!"
Qin Yun asked, "What was it?"
Wet nurse Tian shook her head. "This old servant doesn't know, because it was wrapped in black cloth, so I couldn't see what was inside!"
Xiao Ju also added, "But I saw that the man's tone seemed very unhappy, and Granny Zhao's tone was full of threats!"
"Because it was too far, I didn't hear clearly, but I vaguely heard Granny Zhao say... if you don't behave, that person won't end up well!"
That person?
Who was the "that person" Granny Zhao referred to?
Could it be that this man was working for someone else?
"After Granny Zhao left the mansion, did you follow separately?"
Xiao Ju quickly replied, "Yes, wet nurse Tian and I discussed it. Wet nurse Tian would follow the man, and I would follow Granny Zhao."
"And then?"
Xiao Ju lowered her head. "Unexpectedly, Granny Zhao was very cunning. She went around different alleys and eventually we lost her!"
Qin Yun frowned. "Could it be that Granny Zhao discovered you?"
Xiao Ju shook her head. "No, I can guarantee that Granny Zhao did not discover me. I guess Granny Zhao always does this after coming to the Qin Mansion late at night, all for safety!"
"This person is quite cunning!" Qin Yun said, then looked at wet nurse Tian. "Where did that man go in the end?"
Wet nurse Tian shook her head. "This old servant didn't even have time to follow before that man disappeared!"
"That man knows Qinggong?" Qin Yun said.
"Yes, so this old servant doesn't know who it is in the mansion! I've thought about it, but I can't think of anyone in the mansion who knows martial arts!"
Mr. Jin, Mr. Wu, Old Steward Gao, Old Steward Pang, Uncle Fu.
None of these five seemed to know martial arts.
Not knowing martial arts didn't mean they weren't hiding their skills.
It seemed the water in the Qin Mansion was getting deeper!
"I will be going to the academy tomorrow. You two, keep an eye on things in the Qin Mansion. If Granny Zhao comes again, remember to notify me!" After speaking, Qin Yun took out five small bottles of different colors from his sleeve and gave three to Xiao Ju and two to wet nurse Tian.
"What you hold in your hands is a medicinal scent. If even a drop of this scent is on someone, it cannot be washed off unless it is burned."
"And the scent of this medicinal liquid is undetectable by ordinary people, so the other party will not find any clues! However... it is difficult to successfully drip it onto someone without being discovered!"
"Young Master, please rest assured, leave this task to us. You only need to focus on your studies at Blue Mountain Academy," Xiao Ju said with conviction, and wet nurse Tian nodded in agreement.
"Young Master, this medicinal scent seems very faint. Even if this old servant were to apply it, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to detect any abnormality," wet nurse Tian frowned.
Qin Yun smiled. "If everyone could smell it, wouldn't the purpose of this scent be defeated?"
"Xiao Ju, you are responsible for placing these three bottles of different medicinal scents on Mr. Jin, Mr. Wu, and Old Steward Gao. Wet nurse Tian, place the two bottles in your hands on Old Steward Pang and Uncle Fu. Remember clearly which bottle of scent was placed on whom, do you understand?"
"Yes, Young Master!" Both replied in unison.
"Alright, you may go."