The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

The north of Xiaoshiqiao in Xicheng is quiet. Here is a large area of ​​residential areas. The people living along the small river are ordinary Yangzhou people. The people have little fun. They all go to bed at the first shift. Hugging a pillow, few people waste money and light a lamp, saving a penny is a penny, this is the living standard of ordinary people.Fastest novel update

Therefore, on a moonless night, this area is dead silent and terrifyingly dark.

However, there are some exceptions in recent times. A house along the river is often extravagantly brightly lit until the middle of the night, and from time to time there will be the sound of punching and drinking and the melodious voice of the charming singer.

The people in the vicinity are very curious, which family has suddenly made a fortune?It is said that good things rarely happen in the slums around Xiaoshiqiao for several years, but bad things happen one after another, either Zhang San was beaten by an official in the street, or Li Si's old lady died on the couch because she had no money to see a doctor Well, it would be strange for anyone in such a place to get lucky and make a fortune.

No matter how hard the days were, they couldn't dampen the curiosity of the common people. They spared no effort to spy secretly and inquire persistently, and finally got the definite news from the owner who rented out the house: This house is the Yangzhou government office. It was rented by Ti Xing, and it was said that he was imprisoning a command envoy from the capital.

The common people are extremely unimpressed with the word "detention". Is this also called "detention"?Obviously it is to enjoy the blessings, drinking, eating meat, boxing and listening to music every day. If these are regarded as imprisonment, everyone is willing to be imprisoned for ten or twenty years, and it is more comfortable than working hard to earn a living.

After talking about it for several days, the common people also lost interest in talking about it. Happiness belongs to others. I still have to get up early in the morning with unkempt hair and go to the streets to earn money to support myself. The only thing worth talking about is occasionally watching It's all about the white neck, snake-like waist, and rolled-up eyes of the singing girl who left the house.

Su Jin and Ma Han dismounted quietly in the distance, the sound of hooves was too loud, not because they were afraid of disturbing the people, but because they were afraid of disturbing Long Zhen.

The two of them walked into the house quietly stepping on dead branches and leaves. It was three o'clock, and the lights were still on inside, but there was no sound of people; Su Jin gestured to Ma Han, and the two gently pulled out the simple knife and pushed it away. The courtyard door is concealed in the courtyard, and the common people's small courtyard has no distinction between the front hall and the back hall. There are three adobe houses facing each other, with the hall in the middle and wing rooms on both sides, which are easy to distinguish.

"Master, which one?" Ma Han asked in a low voice.

Su Jin pointed to the room with the lights on in the east and said: "Long Zhen lives in this room, and the west is where the officers of the Criminal Division live. This son of a bitch knows how to enjoy life, and lives alone for a whole day." Dama."

Ma Han said: "My lord, you go to the east head, I'll go to the west head to block, if there is a fight, you just take the dragon and leave first, don't wait for me."

Su Jin nodded and said softly: "It's just five or six servants, don't be so nervous, they are not your opponent together."

Ma Han raised his chest and said, "Do I seem nervous?"

Su Jin smiled, and rushed out of the shadows with a knife in his hand. Ma Han hurriedly followed. The two came to the door of the house. Su Jinfei kicked the door and opened the two wooden doors. Ma Han was alone. Sprinting in, the figure had already arrived at the door of Xishou's wing room in a flash, swung a knife and split the curtain on the door in half and shouted: "Don't move, I'm ordered to bring the criminal Long Zhen to court!"

Su Jin also quickly rushed to the door of the hands-on room, stretched out his hand to lift the curtain and stepped in, but suddenly, both the master and the servant froze there like clay sculptures and wood carvings.

The rooms on both sides were empty, and there was no one in sight.

"Grandpa, no one!"

"I don't have anyone here..." Su Jin's head grew big, how could it be possible?Song Xiang had sent someone to watch this place long ago, and he himself came to see it. Could it be that someone ran away?Or is there a problem with the person sent to follow?Otherwise, why don't people return when they leave?

Su Jin secretly scolded himself for being too careless. In any case, he couldn't count on that idiot Song Xiang for such a thing. If it wasn't for the fact that he had too few people in his hands, the soldiers of the imperial army were originally Long Zhen's subordinates and it was not suitable to stare at Long Zhen. How could such a thing happen? thing.

Su Jinmai stepped into the East Wing, came to the table, picked up the teapot on the table, shook it to test the temperature, then walked to the bed, reached into the bed, touched it, and cursed: "It's been a long time since I left. , the tea is cold, the bed is also cold, I didn't sleep here at all today."

"What should I do? Grandpa."

Su Jin looked at the candle on the table in thought. The long candle had burned down to the last section, and the wax overflowed and slowly collapsed. The cotton wick fell into the wax and went out with a 'chi'.

"Shouldn't have left the city. This candle must have been lit before leaving. This kind of thick wax can burn for an hour at most, which means that they left here an hour ago. At that time, the four gates were already controlled by our people?" Su Jin asked in the dark.

"It should be so. The Lord gave the order at the beginning of the shift. It would not take an hour at most for Pan Jiang to mobilize troops to guard the four gates. It is now the third watch, and an hour ago it was the second watch. At that time, the city gates should be in our hands In the hand, Long Zhen ran away, and I am afraid that he would not be able to escape Yangzhou City." Ma Han said.

Su Jin patted the table and said: "It doesn't matter, let him hide first, the matter tonight is more urgent than catching him, let's go to Beikou Sanli to see first, there are too few horses, don't make any mistake and it will be troublesome."

The two of them got out of the house and quickly returned to the street, got on their horses and galloped straight towards Beicheng. Just after passing the central area, they heard the faint sound of killing, and the direction was in the direction of Sanli Hutong at Beikou.

Su Jin was startled, did Zhao Dutou and Zhang Long rush in foolishly?This is going to suffer a big loss. How can Ma Jun be an opponent in hand-to-hand combat in the alley?

Su Jin was in a state of anxiety, his whip lashed wildly on the horse's buttocks, and the two horses galloped crazily on the street. Mixed with the screams of injuries, the residents of Sanli Hutong near Beikou were also awakened by the shouts of killing. The timid ones hid at home to listen, and the bold ones got up and dressed and went to the street to check.

Su Jin waved his horsewhip and shouted loudly: "Fathers and fellow villagers, all go back to your houses and close the doors and bolts. Don't come out. There are rioters in the city and the soldiers are suppressing them. Swords and swords have no eyes. Don't move forward. You will hurt your life." This is no joke."

When the people heard the words, they turned around and ran back. Some sharp-eyed people recognized Su Jin and shouted loudly: "Su Qingtian, where did the mob come from?"

Su Jin shouted: "Don't even ask, go home quickly, the government will make an announcement tomorrow morning."

Someone shouted: "Su Qingtian, do you want me to help you? You can't do it alone."

Su Jin galloped past on his horse, and said in a curling voice: "Thank you, but I don't care about the mere rioters. It will be the greatest help for Su Mou if you go back and stay."

After everyone thought about it, it was indeed the case. This envoy from the Soviet Union pulled out his teeth, even the fierce bandits were not afraid of these rioters?So they all greeted each other: "Go back, don't make trouble for Su Qingtian, wait and see the notice tomorrow."

"Do you still need to look at it? The place where the killing took place was Mr. Feng's mansion in Longhumen, three miles north of the entrance. They must be causing trouble."

"Oh, that's a bit embarrassing. Feng Huo has a lot of subordinates, and his subordinates are also tough."

"Don't worry, no matter how fierce he is, can he beat the Bagong Mountain bandits?"

"This... is true. But this Su Qingtian is really kind, Feng Huhu dares to move, and the Yangzhou government is afraid that the sky will change."

"..."

Amidst the chatter, Su Jin and Ma Han had already galloped past, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at the south end of the Sanli Hutong in Beikou. From a distance, they saw dozens of horsemen wandering restlessly outside the alley, but there was no fight. It seems that there was a fight at the north entrance of the alley.

"Who?" someone shouted.

Su Jin said loudly: "Where is Zhao Dutou?"

Zhao Dutou hurriedly rode up to meet him, cupped his hands and said, "So it's Mr. Special Envoy."

Su Jin didn't have time to exchange greetings and said: "What's going on? There's a fight at Beikou?"

"The humble staff is also wondering, and dare not leave without authorization. I just sent two people to the north to check, but I haven't come back to report yet."

"What are you looking for? It's clear that Feng Huhu's thugs are going to protrude from the north. How many people are there in the north?"

"Brother Zhang Long brought more than 70 people to the north."

Su Jin said anxiously: "It's broken, how can more than 70 people stop it? Are you just watching here?"

Zhao Dutou said aggrievedly: "I also want to help you, but if I lead the team away, what should I do if they turn around and rush out from the south?"

Su Jin gritted his teeth and said: "It took two hours for the prefect Song's troops to pick up someone, and I don't know what happened. It seems that we have to rely on ourselves. Zhao Dutou, you quickly send two horsemen out." Beicheng went to urge Song Zhifu, and the rest followed me into the alley."

Zhao Dutou said: "Entering the alley? Isn't this a big taboo?"

Su Jin said: "It was a big taboo in the past, what are you afraid of now? They must concentrate all their hands when they rush out, and there should be no ambush. Let's rush over and apply pressure from the back, otherwise Zhang Long will definitely not be able to defend."

Zhao Du nodded and said, "Listen to your lord."

He turned his head and shouted: "Listen, everyone, the bow and arrow are stringed, and a small team of ten will search and move forward."

Su Jin added: "All get off their horses and walk. If they encounter resistance, they will be killed. This is not the time to be merciful, but indiscriminate killing of the old, weak, women and children in the alley is not allowed."

Everyone agreed with a bang, dismounted one after another, took out the bows and arrows on their backs and set up arrows. Ma Han took the lead and walked in the front, Su Jin and Zhao Dutou followed behind him, and three or four archers on both sides protected the flanks. Heaped into the dark and obscure alleyway.