The fox minister in the late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 15 Knocking on the Mountain Drum ([-])

When Geng Qing woke up in a daze, it was already the next morning, the thin mist on the street cleared, and the vendors set up stoves, tables and stools amidst the rising noise.

Soon, the shopkeeper who opened the door came over and kicked Geng Qing up. He was not annoyed at being reprimanded, and packed the bedding with a smile. The woman beside him had already left before he woke up.

'It's really a walk away. '

Geng Qing touched the wall and got up, wondering if the woman had done something to him last night, or because she was a little bit cold, feeling a little dizzy and sore all over, when something fell to the ground with a 'slap' just now, it was pitch black The sheath, the brass handle, is the dagger commonly used by women, the wall he is supporting, and a string of elegant and small official script.

——Thank you for saving me twice, and I will give you the dagger for self-defense.

'Tsk tsk. Wouldn't it be a token of love? '

Picking up the dagger and playing with it for a while, Geng Qing chuckled and put it into his arms, embraced the quilt, and went to a pawn shop on the street. It was equivalent to fifteen Wen, and then went to a nearby alley to look for it. I opened the well, watched the women who got up early to buy vegetables and talked there, and took some fresh water from others to wash.

He glanced at the chattering women in a circle over there.

"Last night, did you hear that, ouch, they were catching assassins again. Why are these assassins so courageous?"

"Whoever said it wasn't, my guy saw it with his own eyes. He went to help the widow next door. When it got dark, a fight broke out on the roof. It looked like a woman. She flew over my guy's head at that time. Falling on the roof of the courtyard gate, and jumping into the street, you can’t fall to your death.”

"People from the rivers and lakes come and go, so they must have martial arts, but I heard that the assassin hid in the county lieutenant's house, disguised as a maid, and injured the county lieutenant's hand, and was beaten away by a young man. "

"Young man, it's An Sibing, right? Even big bugs beat him. A female assassin can beat him? If you escape with your life, it's all fate."

The fine details of Ishii's words, plus the situation of Geng Qing's encounter with that woman last night, probably restored what happened. It's really bold to sneak into the county lieutenant's house to assassinate.

He casually took a child who wanted to look into the well, and a woman who was talking over there turned her head in fright, grabbed the child and yelled a few words, and slapped her butt hard.

Amidst the child's cries, the woman quickly thanked Geng Qing, who waved his hands with a smile, walked out of the alley and bought a hot pancake on the side of the street, held it in his hand and ate it while rushing to the county government office.

The county office looked busier than yesterday, and when they went up the steps, Geng Qing took out the note from the county magistrate from his arms and handed it to the office worker at the door, who took it and looked at the young man in front of him with a smile.

"Thank you brother for the reward, I will inform you of the county lord, you wait outside for a while."

"It's work!"

Geng Qing cupped his hands, smiled and nodded at another guard, stepped back and waited for the land deed to be taken out, and said a few words to another guard from time to time to make some homework, the guard who was talking suddenly straightened his body, turned his face back, Standing straight, with a low voice: "Quickly step back, the county captain is here."

The sound of horseshoes came from the street, Geng Qing took a few steps back, and in the direction he looked, the sound of horseshoes stopped at the gate of the county government office. With a sound, he turned around and came, with a square face and wide mouth, long eyebrows and thin eyes showing a hint of ferocity, a tuft of beard on his chin, swaying on his chest with his steps.

Walking up the stone steps, he glanced at Geng Qing who was standing nearby, and summoned the guard by the door, with a stern voice: "Who is this? Just drive away if there is nothing to do, how can you stay in the yamen at will."

The officer was trained to lower his head, hesitating to speak, but Geng Qing stepped forward first, and arched his hands with a smile.

"Qixian Lieutenant, the little Niujiaji Gengjia Villager came to the Yamen to change the land lease. In fact, the little one met you before, that day when the assassin was on the street, the little one and a few villagers were in front of a rice shop , Seeing the county lieutenant wielding a knife on his horseback, it was really majestic, and the assassin who beat him ran away in embarrassment."

Ha ha
The county lieutenant was stunned for a moment, then chuckled, and then he stroked his long beard and laughed out loud when he heard "so majestic, the assassin fled in embarrassment". If it were someone around me who said these words, they would have slapped them with a big ear, but when they were spoken by ordinary people in front of them, the feeling was different.

"Hehe, folks, don't worry, but you don't have to worry about those who hide their heads and show their tails. I will arrest these assassins soon."

After finishing speaking, he stopped talking and led his soldiers into the yamen with laughter. The guard standing beside him glanced at Li, and bowed his hands to Geng Qing to thank him for his help.

"Thank you, why don't you help me?"

While talking, there was a sound of footsteps inside the door. Four yamen servants and a long-distance running official brought out a large stack of documents. There was another person behind him, wearing a brown close-fitting leather armor, with a horizontal knife in his waist, and walking with a black hand. Lu crossed the threshold and came out. Seeing Geng Qing, he seemed a little unhappy, but let the yamen servant pull the brown horse with a bow and an arrow to turn over.

"Get out of the city quickly, and come back before dark."

He took a long spear and waved it away, greeted the yamen servants and officials who were carrying the documents, urged the horse to step forward, and turned to the street.

The yamen servant at the gate saw the young man standing still at the gate, so he hurried over to urge him: "What are you still doing in a daze, hurry up, the county lord specially asked An Sibing to escort you back."

"Oh, thank you."

After reacting, Geng Qing hurried to catch up, seeing the calm expression of the young man on horseback, he probably understood that the other party didn't like this errand, his eyes rolled in his sockets, he quickly caught up and leaned to one side He arched his hands towards the figure on horseback.

"An Sibing is unhappy?"

"A flatterer." The young man glanced at Geng Qing who was smiling all over his face, and then turned his gaze back, not wanting to talk to him, but the latter was not angry, but just smiled and said: "I have no money, no land Mother, not to mention Si Bing who is skilled in martial arts, has to rely on one mouth to live."

An Jingsi didn't speak, and continued walking while holding the reins, passing through the bustling streets and alleys of the city, and after exiting the city gate, amidst the sound of horse's hooves, he suddenly spoke. "How did you get the 50 taels of rich man Liu? What are these land deeds going to be used for?"

The sun rose above the clouds, shining golden on his face, Geng Qing looked at the half sun on the other side of the mountain with a smile.

Bewitching Lizheng, defrauding a deposit, and drawing closer to the county magistrate. After every step, this game of chess has finally reached the last move. Beat the mountain drum, shake the beasts, and kill the game!

"An Sibing knew about it when he came to Gengjia Village."

He said softly with a smile.

******
"Knock the tambourine—"

In the village surrounded by smoke, there is a lot of voices. The thin man stands on the stone mill and looks up to the sky, shouting loudly, "Spring is coming, knock on the mountain to drive away all the beasts, all the men, big and small, come out from the village!!"

At the beginning of April, chase mountain beasts.

(End of this chapter)