Chapter 452: It’s so lively. Do you mind if I’m one more person? (6k)
Beijing.
Early in the morning that day, the entire capital city of the Yu Kingdom fell into a grand atmosphere. Before dawn, the forbidden troops in the city lined up to cross the street. Each soldier personally carried a bucket and swept the palace leading to the south. The main road of the city gate.
Every major government office posted notices, all officials were dispatched, and the Red Flower Society was warned to restrain the people and not cause chaos.
And all these movements are only because Her Majesty the Empress will go south to enshrine Zen today.
In the imperial palace.
Xu Zhenguan spread her arms and stood in front of the huge dressing mirror in the room. Two palace maids dressed her in dragon robes and a crown with hanging pearl curtains.
"Your Majesty, that's it." The accompanying maid said.
Xu Zhenguan's eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking at himself standing in the mirror. The hem of his gorgeous dragon robe hung on the ground, dragged out for a long time, and his majestic eyes were embedded in his ice-skinned skin. .
"Your Majesty, sword." Another palace maid stepped forward and respectfully held up the Tai'a sword left by her ancestors with both hands.
The Tai'a Sword was firmly locked in the scabbard and was extremely quiet. This magic weapon, representing the royal family of the Yu Kingdom, had been invited out of the Ancestral Temple last night and would follow the empress south to Luoshan.
Xu Zhenguan reached out, grabbed the scabbard, hung it on his waist himself, turned around and stepped on the shiny marble floor, and walked out of the palace.
At the door, Mochou, the female official of the Sixth Rank, and Sun Lianying, the supervisor of the White Horse Supervisor, stood on the left and right, with their heads bowed: "The chariot is ready, and we welcome His Majesty out of the palace!"
"Let's go!" "Okay." Xu Zhenguan said calmly, stepping out of the threshold, Mochou and Sun Lianying personally took over as palace maids, one on the left and the other on the right, holding up the hem of the extremely long dragon robe to prevent it from being stained with dust.
The dragon chariot had been parked in the Meridian Square for a long time. Xu Zhenguan got on the dragon chariot and left the imperial city surrounded by hundreds of people relying on the team.
As a result, the team following him expanded to hundreds of people.
The majestic march was southbound along the main road, Zhuque Street. Along the way, the Imperial Guards had been cleaning the streets on both sides of the road, and the people were allowed to watch from a distance.
On both sides of the road, at every other section, there were solemnly dressed officials from the imperial yamen standing to greet them. When the chariot passed by, they followed it.
There are also palace maids holding flower baskets and throwing petals from time to time.
Amidst the sound of ritual music, the empress walked out of the city gate and came to the south pier of the city. The entire pier had already been under martial law.
Li Yanfu, Yuan Li, Dong Xuan, Xue Shence and other important officials were waiting here.
There is only one ship in the dock today. It is the largest warship of the Yu Kingdom. It is almost as tall as a city tower. It is freshly painted and the bow is decorated like a dragon head.
The majesty and solemnity made the people who saw him off outside the pier intimidated.
"Mom, what a big boat," Zhao Pan stood in the crowd, looking longingly:
"Your Majesty, are you going to Luoshan? The place where my eldest brother went in advance. ? It would be great if we could go to the ceremony together. ”
Eugene Hua dignified, pinched his daughter's buttocks with his hand, and said with a tiger face:
"You dare to say anything? You can also sit on the dragon boat?"
Zhao Pan is very Unhappy:
"Maybe after the Feng Chan is over, my eldest brother will come back with His Majesty on this ship. At that time, I will ask my eldest brother for help and let me go up and have a look."
Eugene Hua had a stern face, but he had some thoughts in his heart.
"My dear friends, please stop. During the period when I am going south, all affairs in the court will depend on your ministers. If you have any doubts, you can ask Grand Master Dong."
Xu Zhenguan said to all the ministers.
"I will live up to the divine grace and do my best."
Xu Zhendian nodded and stepped onto the first-class battleship-level dragon boat. This time, the journey south to Fengchan was long. Every place we pass along the way will be greeted at every place.
Before she left, many arrangements had been made to ensure the stability of the situation in Beijing and the DPRK. In addition to the officials from the Ministry of Rites, the only people accompanying her on this trip were Mo Chou and Sun Lianying, two of the three imperial concubines. confidant.
After getting up the gangway, Xu Zhenguan walked to the dragon's head position on the wide deck and felt the huge dragon boat vibrating slowly as it sailed away from the capital.
She looked towards the south and thought in her heart:
"At this time, it's time for you to arrive at Jianning Mansion."
"The wealthy families in the south have deep roots for hundreds of years. How can you defeat them when you are alone?"
"But it doesn't matter, I'm here to help you."
……
……
“A letter from He Xiaolou?”
In the Caoyun Yamen, Ning Zechen was stunned for a moment. This important minister of the Yu State tightened his grip. Brows, he stepped forward, handed the sword in his hand to Master Wen, and raised his hand to grab the envelope.
As the governor of water transportation, Ning Zechen was no stranger to He Xiaolou, the leader of the water gang.
I know that this man is generous in his righteousness and wealth. He comes from a humble background. When he was young, he joined the Cao Gang. Every time he got gold and silver, he did not keep it but distributed it all to his subordinates. According to his words: "Others save money, I save favors."
He At that time, there was already a potential to hide the dragon. Later, he successfully replaced the previous gang leader and took over the water transport gang. He used his long-sleeved and dancing attitude to deal with the government, local wealthy families, and even various forces in Prince Jing's palace.
Ning Zechen did not dare to underestimate him.
"He didn't come to see me personally, but wanted to see what was going on."
Ning Zechen tore open the envelope, shook out the letter, and scanned it, as if struck by lightning, his face suddenly changed. Pale, then anger surged: "How brave!!"
Master Wen was startled: "Sir, this is..."
Ning Zechen was breathing heavily and his eyes were red. He handed the letter to him. After reading it, Master Wen's expression changed.
The content of the letter is simple. The general idea is that He Xiaolou heard that the governor's wife was kidnapped by "water bandits" on her way back to the city and has now disappeared. The letter attached an address and specially invited the governor to come and talk about it in person tonight. thing.
He immediately drove out the official who reported the news, and then said in panic: "Sir, this matter..."
Ning Zechen's face was ashen, his lips were white, but his eyes were like lightning. : "It was made by He Xiaolou."
What kind of kidnapping by water bandits... He is not stupid. Where did the water bandits from Jiancheng Road come from that had the ability and courage to kidnap his wife and daughter? He Xiaolou's attitude couldn't be clearer.
Master Wen said: "He Xiaolou has no reason, he must be doing things for others."
Ning Zechen bit his lip, his eyes turned red, and suddenly smiled:
"It seems that some people dislike me as the governor for blocking the way, and finally couldn't help it, and even risked beheading, and asked me to bow my head."
Master Wen hesitated and said: "Should we send him first?" Someone go and confirm the authenticity..."
Ning Zechen shook his head. There was no possibility of joking about this kind of thing. He pondered for a moment and said:
"Don't reveal the news to anyone. I will go to the banquet alone tonight."
Talking , he raised his hand and grabbed the sword in his master's hand, suppressing his anger:
"What a gangster, what a group of monsters, my sword is not bad at all!"
...
Just when the Governor of Water Transport and He Xiaolou were preparing to meet and negotiate.
Without anyone knowing, a group of people from the north had changed their identities and quietly entered Jianning City as a caravan.
Zhao Duan sat in the carriage, opened the curtain and looked at the busy traffic on the street, people coming and going, and said with emotion:
"It is indeed a prosperous place. Just look at the weather in the city. Not inferior to the capital.”
Damn it, the territory that Prince Jing has been managing for many years is indeed not simple.
Just looking at the appearance, it looks like a python swallowing a dragon.
While thinking about it, I saw that many shops on the street were hung with white lanterns and white silk ribbons, looking like a funeral.
But it is not a shop selling coffins, paper money, etc., but various shops. They are open as usual, but there is a sense of dejection.
"What does this mean? Is it popular to decorate for casual decoration in Jianning Mansion? Isn't this depressing? It's not like everyone died, right? Then how can it still be open?"
Zhao Du An was a little confused.
"My lord, you are joking. Although Jianning Mansion is far away from the capital and there are some local customs, it is not a good thing."
The governor's wife was sitting in the same carriage, leaning against her daughter, crying. Don't laugh Yes, he glanced out of the car window and said:
"These shops are the property of the Shen family. If my guess is correct, it should be the death of the second master of the Shen family who was seriously ill in bed."< br>
The second master of the Shen family? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment:
"The most powerful local family with hundreds of years of history? The Shen family that has been a prime minister for three dynasties and has two generals?"
Mrs. Ning nodded: "Exactly."
Zhao Duan's expression became subtle. Of course he remembered the Shen family.
In the Taicang Silver Mine case, it was this member of the Shen family who came to Beijing to cause trouble and instigated Zhenbao and the "Li Party" to widen the rift.
Killed the magistrate of Taicang County in prison, the second master of the Shen family, who was the second son of the head of the family. Later, Zhao Duan was imprisoned and killed Gao Lian. Zhenbao sent people to deal with the aftermath, and he learned from Mochou Know some inside information.
I heard Mrs. Ning mention it again, that the second master of the Shen family was dying when he came back from Beijing... Zhao Duan still didn't understand that this man's death was clearly caused by Zhenbao's beating of the Shen family. An idle chess move.
It's just that...it seems that the bridge of life was broken, but he was able to resist for so long before dying...I can only sigh with emotion at the profound heritage of the big family.
"So, what Mrs. Ning means is that when a member of the Shen family dies, all subordinate shops must wear mourning? What a grand pomp... Tsk, but is it such a coincidence? As soon as I arrived, he How many days are you going to die?" Zhao Duan joked.
Mrs. Ning shook her head and said: "I guess he has been dead for a while, but the wealthy families here have strict burial rules, so the time will be prolonged."
After her popular science, Zhao Duan was Get it.
In ancient times, people were generally required not to be buried for the first three days after death. Some people were not allowed to be buried for the first seven days, which was the "first seven". A rough saying is that seven days after death, the soul will go home to say goodbye...< br>
However, this statement is just a folk rumor. The truth is that the common people have not perfected the technology of preserving corpses. They can keep them for up to seven days. If they are not buried, they will stink...
The same is true for burials, such as when the old emperor died. , that was enough for a month or two. During this period, on the one hand, it was to calm down the aftermath of the coup, on the other hand, it was a series of etiquette preparations for burial in the mausoleum, and on the other hand, it was to give the embalmers in the palace enough time to handle the corpse, disinfect it, and marinate the corpse with precious materials to make it Keep the body's fragrance after death... and various antiseptic methods.
The Shen family is a wealthy family. Although it is not as good as the emperor, it still has a large set of burial procedures.
"But the average Shen family is not like this. Mr. Shen is very favored by the old lady of the Shen family, so it is not surprising that he receives such super-standard treatment." Mrs. Ning analyzed calmly.
Old lady... in the information, that "grandmother" of the Shen family? The actual family controller? Well, probably similar to the role of Jia Mu in Dream of Red Mansions?
Chaotic thoughts were running through Zhao Duan's mind. Seeing the expressions of mother and daughter, he smiled and said:
"Thank you for informing me. Oh, I know that my wife is eager to return home, but the attack on her shows that the situation in the city is complicated. I'm afraid it's inappropriate to show up rashly, so please be patient."
He was smiling when he said this.
What Zhao Duan did not tell the mother and daughter in front of him was that while on the ship, he ordered the ministers to use harsh methods to "persuade" some of the surviving Cao Gang killers.
And from Zuo Rong, I learned the method of contacting He Xiaolou.
He ordered the killers of the Cao Gang to send a message back, informing He Xiaolou of the false news of the "successful kidnapping", and simultaneously contacted the hidden royal "shadow guards" in Jianning Prefecture.
Want to see exactly what will happen.
The convoy arrived at the scheduled inn. The group entered the inn without encountering an accident like being rounded up on Binhai Road. Zhao Duan met the strange shadow guard waiting here in the inn room.
“So, He Xiaolou made an appointment with the Governor of Water Transport to meet at a restaurant called ‘Zhu Pavilion’ in the city at night?”
Zhao Duan sat cross-legged and looked at the ordinary shadow guard in surprise:
"Are you sure?"
The shadow guard cupped his hands and said: "I tell you, sir, it is absolutely true, Ning Zechen has ordered to block the news and prepares to attend the banquet alone ."
Zhao Duan was very interested: "Your intelligence work is so good that the governor of the place can't block it?"
The shadow guard slowly raised his head and revealed Master Wen's face. He opened his face and said calmly:
"Your Excellency, you are so complimentary. This is a humble duty."
In the past, the old emperor dared to re-appoint Ning Zechen as the governor of water transportation with important responsibilities. Later, the empress also felt particularly reassured about him. How could he do it just because of a simple "Don't use it when you doubt others, don't doubt when you employ people"?
Only the roster of the Beijing Film Guard records the true identity of this man who has been following Ning Zechen for ten years and is both a close friend and an effective subordinate.
Name: Wen Liang
Codename: "Master"
A "gold medal" shadow guard who is much older than the "scholar" in the Imperial Intelligence System.
“Not bad.” Zhao Duan nodded with satisfaction, pondered for a moment, and asked:
“Do you think there is Prince Jing’s Mansion behind He Xiaolou?”
< br>Master Wen was surprised by this question. He was stunned for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
“Prince Jing’s Mansion has secret spies who cultivated him.”
The implication: Although there was no lack of motivation for King Jing to do this kind of thing, there seemed to be no need to borrow the help of Caobang.
Zhao Duan nodded, thought for a long time, and said:
"I understand, you go back first."
Master Wen bowed his head and asked for instructions. He said: "Your Majesty, are you curious, how will the governor choose when faced with threats?"
Zhao Duan glanced at him, and the smile spread on his face:
"A long time ago, someone taught me a truth, don't test human nature."
He waved his hand: "Go."
Wen Liang had no choice but to retreat.
The others left.
The door was pushed open again, and Song Jinxi, who looked like a hozen, asked:
"My lord, Eunuch Hai asked you if you have any instructions."
Zhao Duan sat cross-legged in front of the characteristic low table of Jianning Mansion, closing his eyes and concentrating, and said after hearing this:
"Please ask my father-in-law to take a few people with me to go there tonight. "Zhu Pavilion."
"Okay." Song Jinxi responded and was about to close the door and leave, but was suddenly stopped by Zhao Duan:
"Wait a minute, Shen family. Second Master, I was in the capital back then..."
The best assassin among the Ouchi masters had his back to the room. He stopped when he heard the words, and looked back with a harmless smile: "It's a humble job."
"Well, you did a good job, go ahead. . ”
……
……
In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun fell, and the green willows in Jianning Mansion were dipped in a layer of red.
Ning Zechen, who is in his fifties, has a strong body and thick black hair, is sitting in the carriage, closing his eyes to relax.
As the carriage trembled as it walked, the sword placed horizontally on his knees also swayed slightly, and there was a slight sound in the gap between the blade and the scabbard.
“We’re here.”
The carriage stopped, and Ning Zechen, who was in civilian clothes only, opened his eyes, held the scabbard, stepped out of the car, raised his head, and saw half of the sun. It was blocked by a red restaurant.
On the plaque, the word "Zhu Ge" is written.
At this moment, the entire restaurant has been booked, and there are Cao Gang thugs standing guard downstairs.
Ning Zechen walked alone, striding forward: "Where is He Xiaolou."
The leader of the Caogang gang flashed his eyes and said with a smile:
" The governor came in person, but he was not welcomed from afar. The gang leader carried some wine upstairs and waited for a long time. "
Ning Zechen walked in with his sword in hand with an expressionless face.
The leader of the thugs raised his hand to stop him and forced a smile: "Why use a sword to eat? How about leaving the governor's sword to the villain for safekeeping?"
Ning Zechen stared at him with a sneer and said nothing.
The two sides were in a stalemate for a while, and suddenly the upstairs window painted red was pushed open, and He Xiaolou's voice came out:
"You must not be rude, why don't you invite the distinguished guest up? ”
The Cao Gang thugs humbly gave way.
Ning Zechen frowned coldly, strode into the building, climbed the stairs, and soon saw He Xiaolou standing next to a large table of Feng Sheng dishes with a kind smile on his face.
On this entire floor, there are only two of them.
The leader of the Cao Gang looked like a Confucian scholar. He was wearing a blue gown and holding an antique folding fan in his hand. He was almost gentle and elegant, and he welcomed him with his hands:
"The Governor is coming in person, why didn't you come in advance? Announcement, please come downstairs to greet me.”
Ning Zechen walked to the table with a sarcastic look on his lips:
"He Gang Leader is so majestic. I don't even take off my armor when I enter the capital, but your men dare to take off my sword."
He Xiaolou smiled apologetically and said seriously: "If the Governor is displeased, I will give him a gift." How about using one arm to drink? "
He looked serious, as if Ning Zechen would seriously give the order if he said "yes".
Ning Zechen stared at him expressionlessly and said, "I have underestimated you in the past."
He Xiaolou smiled slightly and raised his hand to make a "please" gesture. ：
"I know that the governor likes Linfeng cuisine. The chef at Zhuge is best at Linfeng cuisine. If you have any questions, please sit down and discuss it?"
Ning Zechen stared at him and actually smiled. He smiled, pulled out the chair, and sat down with Da Ma Jin Dao. The sword was placed beside him, ready to be drawn out at any time.
He Xiaolou seemed to turn a blind eye to the murder weapon. He gently shook the paper fan, picked up the wine pot himself, and poured wine for each other.
Ning Zechen covered half of his face with the red light coming from the window: "Where are my wife and daughter now?"
He Xiaolou said in surprise:
"Didn't the Governor read my letter? My Caobang men only heard that they were robbed by water bandits and don't know their whereabouts yet. But don't worry, Governor. Although my Caobang brothers are far inferior to the government officials, they are better at knowing both sides of the canal very well. , the world is fairly well-informed
When I learned that the governor’s wife was in danger, I immediately ordered the entire Cao Gang. Let’s go and search for them. I believe that it won’t be long before we can rescue the governor’s wife and daughter.”
Ning Zechen stared at him with a pair of tiger eyes and said:
“This is your choice. I came here alone, is there any need to tell these lies?"
He Xiaolou smiled and did not continue.
Ning Zechen suddenly sighed, not only in hatred, but also in admiration: "He gang leader is so cautious."
He Xiaolou sighed softly, put down the wine bottle, sat down slowly, and said with some sadness:
“My lord turned out to be a carp. After practicing for five hundred years, he jumped over the dragon gate, got married, and became a dragon.
As for me, it turned out to be just a carp. The loach first practiced for a thousand years and became a carp, and then practiced for five hundred years before he was lucky enough to jump over the Dragon Gate... No, how could he be counted as going to the Dragon Gate? At most, he had entered the river from the river... but he still had some wealth.
If you fall down, you will still be a carp, and I will become a loach. How can I be careless in my actions?”
Ning Zechen was silent for a moment and sighed:
"I don't like to beat around the bush, tell me, what conditions. What conditions can help me...find my wife and daughter."
He Xiaolou He laughed and said: "Why should the governor know? What's the matter?"
Ning Zechen stared at him: "The new policy is not my new policy, it is the new policy of the imperial court!"
He Xiaolou said seriously: "But what is done? The person is you, the Governor.”
The two looked at each other, refusing to give in. The light coming in from the red carved window of the Zhu Pavilion seemed to be dyed red, shining on the banquet between the two, so all the dishes became bloody.
Ning Zechen suddenly grasped the hilt of the sword, stood up without warning, unsheathed the sword, and pressed the sharp blade against He Xiaolou's eyebrows!
"As long as my sword pushes you forward one inch, you will die!" He said every word.
He Xiaolou sat quietly in the chair with a smile on his face. He slowly raised the folding fan in his hand and gently pushed away the bloodthirsty sword with the extremely precious fan bone.
Said slowly:
"The Governor is a smart man. He should know that even if you kill me, you won't be able to find Mrs. Ning. The kidnapped person cannot be in my hands."
Ning Zechen sat back in his chair slumped, and the sword clattered. On the table, the dishes were knocked over.
Yes, how could he not know? After a person is kidnapped, he will definitely not be taken back to the city, but will be sent directly to other people.
It is impossible to stay in the hands of this gang leader.
He Xiaolou had a strange smile on his face, and seemed to be very interested in a dignified governor, a second-grade official, being so rude in front of him.
He stood up with a smile, held his chopsticks, and personally served Ning Zechen with food, saying:
"The governor is also a human being, after all, he is not an emotionless sword in the hands of the emperor. Why bother giving it to someone thousands of miles away?" People sacrifice their lives and ruin their families?
In fact, this matter is very simple, not that difficult. The governor does not even need to go too far. The new policy is still advancing. He just needs to relax a little and take it slow, and everyone will be happy. Isn't it beautiful? "
Ning Zechen remained silent.
Seeing his appearance, He Xiaolou's smile became even brighter. He was about to persuade him again when he suddenly heard noise coming from downstairs, as if his subordinates were interrogating someone.
Immediately, short exclamations and screams erupted from downstairs, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, and all the sounds lasted only a few breaths before disappearing.
As if it had never appeared before.
Then, the sound of someone climbing up the stairs was heard.
As Zhao Duan slowly walked up to this floor, his eyes swept over the scene calmly, and his lazy and casual voice also rang in their ears:
" Tsk, it’s so lively. Do you mind if there’s one more person?”
......
Formatting changed first and then
(End of this chapter)