Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 165
In the early morning of the next day, before dawn, Fanning was awakened by a slight bang. He opened his eyes in a daze, but unexpectedly found a black figure sitting on the chair.

Fanning's hair suddenly exploded, and he sat up abruptly, "Who are you?"

The person on the chair smiled softly: "The vigilance of the little official is still too low, I have been sitting in the middle of the night!"

Fan Ning recognized this voice, it was Xu Qing who used to be elusive.

Fan Ning felt relieved, he sat up, put on a coat, saw Xu Qing was playing with his Ru porcelain official kiln tea cup, couldn't help but glared at him, and said angrily: "I didn't do anything wrong, I want to So high vigilance for what?"

Xu Qing smiled slightly, and put the teacup back on the tea tray on the table, "Since I advise petty officials to be vigilant, there is always a reason."

"What do you mean by that?" Fan Ning heard something in Xu Qing's words.

"You'll know when you look at the window. Be careful and look behind the curtain."

Fanning was puzzled, and quickly walked behind the curtain, opened a gap, and looked into the street.

It was still dark at this time, and the street was still pitch black, but the lanterns of the inn and snack shop exuded a dim yellow light, making these two places faintly distinguishable for a distance of ten feet around.

"Don't look too far, it's just below!"

Xu Qing reminded from the side: "There is a person squatting next to the pole of the snack shop, do you see that?"

Fan Ning saw it. Under the dim light, there was indeed a black shadow squatting beside the pole of the snack shop. It was really strange that there was a black shadow squatting there before dawn.

"What is he squatting there for?" Fanning asked puzzled.

"Spy on you!"

"Spy on me?" Fanning was stunned, "What do you watch me do?"

"That man is just a rogue, someone paid five hundred coins a day to hire two rogues to monitor your every move, mainly to see who you come into contact with.

Yesterday outside the bookstore, I knocked out a rogue who was following you. After interrogating him, I learned that it was a middle-aged man who hired them to watch you. They didn’t know who the hirer was, and they didn’t know why they watched you. "

When Fan Ning thought of Ouyang Xiu's words, he vaguely guessed, and his face immediately became gloomy.

After a while he asked, "Is this the only monitor?"

"There is another one, diagonally opposite the gate, squatting in an alley, you can't see him now."

Speaking of this, Xu Qing looked at Fan Ning, "My little master wants to know why someone is watching you."

Fan Ning sighed slightly, "I haven't thought it through yet, I'll think about it later."

In fact, Fan Ning had already guessed that these people were not targeting him, but his cousin Fan Zhongyan. Some people didn't want Fan Zhongyan to go to Beijing, so they collected evidence against him everywhere. Maybe they thought they would become his grandfather's contact person.

"I understand!"

Xu Qing saw that Fan Ning refused to speak out, so he stopped forcing him, and said: "My young master hopes that you can leave the inn, concentrate on preparing for the exam, and don't get involved in these gossips."

Fan Ning gave a wry smile, why is he willing to get involved in these right and wrong again, but there are some things that he can't just avoid if he wants to.

He thought for a while and asked: "I only came to the capital two days ago, how could I be found by the other party?"

"It should be that your name is on the register of the inn. You'd better live in a residential house, so that it will be difficult for the other party to find you."

After a pause, Xu Qing said again: "I can help the little official find a residential house. If it is convenient, we will move out today."

Before dawn, Fan Ning called Su Liang and Li Dashou to his room and explained the situation to them.

In amazement, the two immediately expressed their willingness to move out immediately.

Half an hour later, it was just dawn, and the three of them settled the bill. At this time, Xu Qing was driving a two-ox cart that had quietly parked at the back door of the inn. The car started slowly and drove towards the misty morning light, before disappearing into the morning mist.

Until noon, the two people monitoring Fan Ning at the door discovered that another stranger had opened the window in Fan Ning's room. Then he checked out and left, as if he had left the capital for Chenliu County.

The news left the two stunned and helpless, so they had no choice but to report the unexpected news to their employers.

Not far from the south of the inn, in Chunmingfang, there is a huge mansion covering an area of ​​about [-] mu, with carved beams and painted buildings in the mansion, and exquisite small buildings hidden among green trees and ponds.

This is the mansion of Zhang Yaozuo, a famous dignitary in the dynasty and the head of state. Zhang Yaozuo was favored by the emperor because of his daughter Zhang Guifei. In recent years, he has also been favored by the emperor. The two sons were also given the same background as Jinshi.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yaozuo woke up from a nap. Two concubines helped him get up, washed his face, and put on a large white Zen robe.

At this time, the maid reported at the door, "Master, Housekeeper Liu has something urgent to report, and he has been waiting for half an hour."

"Let him come to see me!"

Zhang Yaozuo took a cup of tea, waved his hand, and the two concubines retreated.

After a while, a middle-aged man came in hurriedly. This man was Liu Ling, the third butler of Zhang Yaozuo's mansion. He was in charge of dealing with the outside world and was very shrewd and capable.

He walked into the room, knelt down and said: "You are humble and incompetent, you didn't do what the master asked you to do, and you are here to apologize to the master!"

"What didn't you do well?" Zhang Yaozuo asked after taking a sip of tea.

"Reporting to my lord, the lord told me to monitor Fan Zhongyan's grandson, but he disappeared."

Zhang Yaozuo's face sank, and he said dissatisfiedly: "What do you mean by being missing, please explain clearly."

"Reporting to my lord, I humbly followed my lord's instructions. Instead of showing up, our servants in our own mansion found two rogues to keep an eye on Fan Ning secretly. It turned out that something was wrong at noon today. Fan Ning had already paid the bill and left without a trace. .”

"Bastard!"

Zhang Yaozuo slapped the table hard, and cursed angrily: "Such a simple thing can't be done well. Needless to say, he must have discovered it. What kind of idiots are you looking for? You can't even keep an eye on a child. Tell me Severe punishment!"

"The villain has beaten each of them with fifty sticks, but what should we do now? Please show me!"

Zhang Yaozuo stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, looking out of the window a little distractedly. Of course, a Fan Ning would not disturb his mood. The key is that the emperor's attitude towards Fan Zhongyan began to change.

Fan Zhongyan is a banner of the reformers, and all conservatives are worried that once Fan Zhongyan returns to the court, will some reform measures that have been frozen for several years be restarted.

Preventing Fan Zhongyan from returning to the court is the consensus of all conservatives. Zhang Yaozuo, as a representative of the conservatives, of course will not stand idly by. He is mainly responsible for monitoring Fan Zhongyan's relationship with his party. in the eyes.

Others may not be clear, but Zhang Yaozuo is well aware of Fan Ning's weight in Fan Zhongyan's heart, and the humiliation three years ago still hurts him from time to time.

Although Fan Ning and Fan Zhongyan have been very low-key in the past two years and basically have no contact with each other, the fact that Fan Ning is Fan Zhongyan's heir cannot be denied.

After pondering for a long time, Zhang Yaozuo asked, "Did you ask the innkeeper where Fan Ning went?"

"I have asked, and the shopkeeper said, it seems that they said that the capital city is not safe, and it is better to go to Chenliu County."

"To Chenliu County?"

Zhang Yaozuo frowned slightly. Chenliu County belongs to the county of Kaifeng Prefecture. It is located forty miles southeast of Kaifeng Prefecture. Among the counties of Kaifeng Prefecture, its population and size are second only to Tokyo Bianliang.

Living in Chenliu County is inconvenient to take part in the imperial examinations. Zhang Yaozuo doesn't quite believe that Fan Ning and others have gone to Chenliu County. This is most likely Fan Ning's intention to cover it up. He must still be in the capital.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yaozuo turned back and said: "Continue to look for his whereabouts in the capital, remember, don't disturb him if you find him, he is a tribute scholar of Pingjiang Mansion, don't be caught by some people and make things big, understand Yet?"

"Humble, I understand."

Butler Liu bowed and saluted, then turned and walked away quickly.

After Zhang Yaozuo walked a few steps, he said to the maid at the door: "Go and bring Chang Ya Nei to see me!"

Not long after, a young man came over. He was wearing an embroidered gold brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a golden crown on his head. He had a long, thin face and a pointed chin. He looked a bit like Zhang Yaozuo. Still relatively delicate.

This boy is Zhang Yaozuo's eldest grandson, Zhang Chun, who fought against Fan Ning in Pang Taishi's residence three years ago.

Zhang Chun is 14 years old this year. He has been specially recommended by the Kaifeng government. As a tribute scholar of the Kaifeng government, he is preparing to take the boy's provincial examination in January next year.

Zhang Chun entered the room and kowtowed, "Grandson pays respects to grandfather!"

"Get up!"

Zhang Chun stood up and stood beside his grandfather with his hands down. Zhang Yaozuo glanced at him and asked, "How is your review going?"

"The grandson is doing his best to study for the exam."

Zhang Yaozuo was very satisfied with grandson's attitude, but attitude alone is not enough, strength is also needed.

Zhang Yaozuo said again slowly: "Grandfather asked you to come to tell you that Fan Ning, who lived in Grand Master Pang's residence three years ago, was going to take part in the imperial examination in Beijing. Like you, he also took the boy's exam. You will be defeated by him again."

Zhang Chun's eyes widened suddenly. Is that Fan Ning coming again?

(End of this chapter)