Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 397 - 372: Yuwen Family

Chapter 397: Chapter 372: Yuwen Family

When Shen Erxian came to his son’s room again, he was carrying a large food box from which he took out two big bowls full of mutton soup and several shredded mutton pieces, as well as two roasted chickens.

Zhang San expressed his gratitude and continued to concentrate on the content of the scroll while eating.

Shen Erxian sat opposite Zhang San and stared at him intently.

After Zhang San finished eating, he wiped his hands with Shen Bao’s clothes and looked up at Shen Erxian.

"I’m done eating, take it away."

Shen Erxian was furious!

"Am I here to serve you?"

"Then if you have something to say, just say it!"

Shen Erxian glanced at Shen Bao, who was cluelessly not making himself scarce, and could only ask directly, "What brings you to my home all of a sudden?"

Zhang San sighed and said, "I am wanted, and the Stone Buddha Temple where I was hiding has been found. Plus, I need to ask you for something. I thought that going directly to the Government Office of the Magistrate of the Metropolitan Prefecture could bring you unnecessary trouble, so I figured it would be better to come to your home."

Shen Erxian’s eyes widened as he looked at Zhang San and asked, "Do you really think coming to my house won’t cause me any trouble?"

"Eating some of your mutton isn’t that big of a deal, is it?"

Shen Erxian was speechless and glared at Shen Bao beside him.

Shen Bao straightened his neck and said, "Grandpa! If you think about it, Zhang San has so many friends. Why didn’t he go to someone else’s place and thought first of coming to me, Shen Bao? This shows that I, Shen Bao, am a trustworthy and honorable friend. You should be happy that your son has such character!"

Shen Erxian had already lost the urge to talk to his son, and turned his head to Zhang San, saying, "Because of the failed attempt to catch you, the Principal Officers of both the Town Martial Office and the Town Demon Office have gone to file a complaint before Emperor Kaihuang."

Zhang San gave a faint smile and said, "Since that is the case, it seems they no longer have ways to continue searching for me. Don’t you think this is good news, Second Master Shen?"

Shen Erxian didn’t feel like speaking.

Because he knew that with Zhang San coming to his home, he had practically agreed to everything.

"By the way, Second Master Shen, are you familiar with the Yuwen Family?"

Upon hearing this name, Shen Erxian couldn’t help but be taken aback.

"The Yuwen Imperial Clan has been wiped out by Emperor Kaihuang, he even didn’t spare his own grandson by marriage back then. The only surviving bloodline of the Yuwen Imperial Clan in this world is probably the Princess Qianjin who married far off into the Tujue people."

"However, when referring to the Yuwen Family today, it mostly points to the Yuwen Family within the Capital."

Hearing about this Yuwen Family within the Capital, Zhang San couldn’t help but become curious and asked, "There are still people with the surname Yuwen?"

Shen Erxian nodded, "This family was originally followers of the Yuwen Imperial Clan. They saved the Emperor’s life and were extremely brave on the battlefield, so the Emperor granted them the surname ’Yuwen’."

"You should know, not just anyone is qualified to be granted the surname Yuwen."

Zhang San naturally understood that the surname of the emperor was rarely granted to others.

At this moment, Zhang San thought of the Yu Family and casually asked, "Why did the Northern Zhou emperors like granting surnames so much?"

Shen Erxian laughed and said, "Many of the current great families, including the Northern Zhou Imperial Clan, are not of the purest Central Plains bloodline to begin with. Emperor Kaihuang’s family originally bore the surname Pu Liuru. And this Yuwen Family, which was granted the surname by the Yuwen Imperial Clan, originally bore the surname Po Yetou!"

Upon hearing the Yuwen Family’s original surname, Zhang San felt that being granted the surname was justified. After all, while he respected the original surname, it indeed sounded a bit odd.

"So, during the Northern Zhou dynasty, the Emperor granted surnames to quite a few people. But the surname Yuwen was granted only twice, once to the Yuwen Family. The other time was to a young clerk in the Imperial Palace who was responsible for the archives. He had only achieved a modest merit, but the Emperor of that time wanted to grant him the surname Yuwen. However, due to opposition from the officials and even upheaval in the harem, the matter was eventually dropped."

A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Zhang San’s mind.

"Is it the surname Yu?"

"How did you know?"

After Shen Erxian finished speaking, he couldn’t help but think of the Floating Corpse Case at Qu Pond Fang, where a family of six from the Yu Family had died.

"Zhang San, have you stumbled upon some extremely important clue?"

Zhang San nodded and then said to Shen Erxian, "The eight corpses on Shouyang Mountain are all from the Yuwen Family."

Upon hearing this, Shen Erxian couldn’t help but be startled.

"How is that possible? The identities of those eight people couldn’t be found by my Government Office, yet you were able to?"

Zhang San asked curiously, "So, people from the Yuwen Family always make a show when they go out?"

Shen Erxian shook his head, "No, they’re discreet. So discreet that many have even forgotten that there is such a family with the surname Yuwen in the Capital. Since the Yuwen Family were originally Military Generals and have started studying in recent years, with few appearances in major or minor battles, they have gradually been forgotten from the public eye."

Zhang San said with a smile, "So, it’s normal that nobody knows something has happened to the Yuwen Family and that the Yuwen Family themselves have not gone to the Government Office to inform you that the eight deceased belonged to their family. Moreover, there’s another thing I need help with from Second Master Shen. I heard that, originally, when the fire broke out in the Imperial Palace, nine people died?"

Shen Erxian nodded and said, "Didn’t you get called to the Imperial Palace the next day and then were adopted by Empress Dugu as her godson?"

"But at the time, the Crown Prince said there were traces of the Formation from the Floating Corpse Case at the scene, so I want to know the identities of the nine people who died in the Imperial Palace that night."

Shen Erxian’s brow furrowed as he said, "That matter involves the inner workings of the Imperial Palace, so there is no information on it in the Town Martial Office. But I will find a way to get it for you. However... you could ask the Chamber Head of Changle!"

Although it was the first time Zhang San had heard the title Chamber Head of Changle, he roughly guessed that the person referred to was his adopted sister, Lady Yu of the Yu Family.

"But since Emperor Kaihuang has issued a warrant for my arrest, do you think there won’t be informants watching at the Yu Family? So, it’s impossible for me to go. I hope Second Master Shen will make the trip on my behalf and obtain the information of those nine people. Perhaps, among the identity information of those nine individuals, we may find the clue we are looking for!"

After the chat with Zhang San, Shen Erxian left his son’s room, taking the finished plates and bowls with him.

But he had only gone a short distance when he suddenly realized something very unsettling.

Wasn’t I here to persuade my son to stay away from Zhang San?

What am I doing!

So, after returning the dishes to the kitchen, Shen Erxian made another trip.

However, when Shen Erxian opened the door this time, he found only Shen Bao alone.

"Where’s Zhang San?"

"He said that after discussing matters with you and having his fill, he left first. Before leaving, Brother San said he definitely wouldn’t cause you any trouble."

"Oh."

As Shen Erxian closed the door and stepped out, he looked at the quiet night around him, wondering what big event Zhang San would stir up tonight!

Meanwhile, Zhang San, having obtained information about the Yuwen Family from Shen Erxian, had already arrived outside the Yuwen Family’s mansion.