Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 50
Chang'an County, Xuanyifang.

The gate of Yang Zhao's dilapidated small house was wide open, and there were people coming and going inside, brimming with the joy of a good harvest.

Most of the piles in the yard were cloth, food and other bulky items brought from the storeroom of Yang Shenjin's other house, and an accountant was counting them.

A few right guards had already removed their armor, and were sitting by the well, drinking and eating meat, feasting their eyes on the accountant by the way.

Someone came in and knocked on the open door.

Someone in the right Xiaowei recognized Xue Bai, got up quickly and said: "Mr. Xue Lang is here, Yang Canjun is inside."

"Thank you."

Xue Bai nodded his thanks and walked towards the lobby.

Several right guards sat down again and muttered.

"Who is that?"

"You have to remember him, young age is worse than chicken tongue plague. Hey, Tian Da, Tian Er, what are you doing outside? Come in and have a drink, you are different now!"

……

Relatively valuable items were being counted in the lobby. A young man was sitting on a large table staring at them. When he saw Xue Bai coming in, he yelled impolitely.

"Who are you? Don't mess around, you know?"

"Dare to ask, but the eldest son of the Yang family is in person?" Xue Bai heard from Yang Zhao that his eldest son Yang Xuan was 17 years old at the time, so he must be this one.

"Who is the uncle?"

Probably because few people in Chang'an City regard Yang Zhao as an uncle, Yang Xuan is quite confused.

He is exactly like his father, tall and burly, with a dignified appearance, but he looks like a straw bag when he speaks.

"Da Lang is too modest. As a relative of the imperial concubine, he keeps quiet."

Yang Xuan opened his mouth, finally came to his senses, turned his head and shouted in the direction of the backyard.

"Mother! The imperial concubine recognizes grandpa as her uncle, and our family is going to be rich!"

After a while, a servant girl hurried over and said anxiously: "Don't shout, Da Lang, are you afraid of waking up Ah Lang?"

After all, she took Xue Bai to the backyard.

"Ah Lang is asleep, Mr. Junlang wait a moment, let the lady go and wake him up."

"There's no need to wake Uncle Guo, I'll just wait."

Xue Bai knew that Yang Zhao would not be able to sleep for long, because there was an accountant in the lobby who was about to write a gift list.

For things like the gift list, it is important to know who to give and how much to give. Yang Zhao can only do it himself, which shows that he also has talents that others cannot do for him.

Suddenly, a figure flashed in front of him.

Xue Bai turned his head to look, and saw a man wearing a belt running from the west wing to the back door, bypassing the main room and disappearing.

Afterwards, Pei Rou, Yang Zhao's regular wife who was a prostitute, came out of the West Wing quickly, her face still flushed, and very enthusiastically led Xue Bai to sit in the West Wing.

"Young man, don't misunderstand, just now the concubine's brother came to talk about some family affairs."

"It turns out that he is Mr. Pei's family. I was too rude. I thought it was someone from the Yang family who had reported the matter and was in a hurry to do it."

Xue Bai responded casually, and gave Pei Rou the steps very intimately, and quickly took a look at the west wing.

There are brand-new books on the table, which are the nine classics that need to be read in the Mingjing exam. The ink in the inkstone is already dry and cracked, and there is a piece of paper spread there, which is full of crooked "Xuan".Everything was piled thick with ash, except for a few jugs.

This is Yang Xuan's room.

Going around the screen, the bedding on the couch was in a mess, and a red cloth fell on the ground... no, it was a bellyband.

Pei Rou hurriedly stepped forward to pick up the bellyband, and said with a smile, "This is Da Lang's. That kid has liked to wear these things since he was a child."

"Yes, warm."

"Young man also wears it?" Pei Rou said with a teasing smile, and pushed Xue Bai with her hand, "Sit on the couch? It's warm."

Xue Bai yawned heavily, sat down on the wooden stool, and said, "Don't blame the lady, last night I worked with Uncle Guo all night, and I was very sleepy."

"I think your spirit is much better than that heartless one. The young man's body is better, and his anger is also strong...Huh? Young man?"

Pei Rou flaunted her charm and said halfway, but saw Xue Bai closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The warm winter sun sprinkled on the young man's face through the window paper, she couldn't help but want to peck him.It's a pity that before the red lips moved forward, Xue Bai shook his head and buried his head.

~~
Xue Bai pretended to be asleep at first, but later he really fell asleep.I don't know how long it took before being woken up by Yang Zhao.

"Uncle Guo laughed, I actually fell asleep in your house?"

Yang Zhao's face was tired, his eyes were empty, and even his smile seemed empty, he said: "It's okay, don't see each other between you and me, I will secretly speak good words for you this morning, when you interrogate those two right guards, you Can you see it?"

"I owe uncle Guo too much."

Xue Bai already felt that he couldn't afford the cost of making friends with Yang Zhao.

After all, you have to let others help you with the burden.

"I came today because I have a windfall that I want to give to Uncle Guo."

"Oh?" Yang Zhao suddenly became more energetic, "Say it quickly."

"Since Ji Wen colluded with the East Palace..."

Yang Zhao yawned, waved his hands and said, "I still need you to say that? But why do you need to mobilize the sixteen guards to check something like chicken tongue plague? It's not ours to copy."

In the morning at the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, Wang Ji dismissed other people and talked with Li Linfu alone. Yang Zhao only saw that Ji Wen was taken away by Luo Xishi, and he didn't know the inside story of many things.

Xue Bai then said in a low voice: "Mr. Wang and Prime Minister Right reported that the deceased in the Eastern Palace was hiding in the other house in Jiwen."

"How did you know?"

"I found out and told Wang Langzhong." Xue Bai asked, "You Prime Minister didn't ask Uncle Guo to search."

Yang Zhao raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, "Is this matter left to Wang Chi?"

"It's so, can Uncle Guo still go?"

"I have to go." Yang Zhao's eyes rolled, and he thought about it in a moment, and said, "Wang Chi also needs manpower to do things. After I win his favor, I will be able to be loyal to the right minister again."

"Uncle Guo's clever plan."

Yang Zhao rushed to the courtyard, picked up the snow and wiped his tired face, cheered up, and took a desperate attitude to do things.

He rushed to the hall, and the accountants were checking the gift list.

"It's been changed. Add twice the gift to Wang Langzhong of the Household Department. Except for the right minister and Mrs. Guo Guo, the others will each reduce some. Pack it for me immediately. I want to send it over now, hurry up."

~~
Arriving at the palace with two large boxes of gold, silver, jade, and rare treasures, Wang Ji accepted the gift directly and asked the steward to guide Xue Bai and Yang Zhao to the front hall to sit down.

Yang Zhao was triumphant, and said: "Look, what I tell you is worth a thousand gold, right?"

"Uncle Guo said so."

"Then I'll give you another word of gold." Yang Zhao said with a bit of resentment: "What is the essence of making progress? Gaining the favor of a saint. What is the greatest ability of the right minister and Mr. Wang? To collect money for a saint What is the use of running around all night doing practical things?"

Make money, make money, make money.

Only by understanding this truth can we understand the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Linfu and Wang Chi got lucky by offering sacrifices to saints, but their talent and reputation were not enough to convince the public, and they were in danger all day long.

I understand everything when I say it, but the experience is not profound but it is often easy to forget.

For example, Ji Wen, if Ji Wen hadn't been inspired by Li Linfu to compete with Xue Bai to investigate the case and do "fake things", how could he have ended up like that?Far less transparent and firm than Yang Zhao.

If Xue Bai does this again in the future, Yang Zhao will break up with him.

After talking and waiting for a while, Wang Chi came to see him in person.

"Yang Canjun's gift is too generous."

"The New Year's Eve is approaching, I can't do anything with a little heart. It makes Wang Langzhong laugh."

Wang Yu took his seat on the main seat, his tone became calm, and said: "I heard that You Xiaowei took some things from the Yang family's other house, but is it true?"

Yang Zhao was startled, and immediately panicked, not daring to respond.

He didn't understand, did Wang Ji want him to return the property to Yang Shenjin?Let's talk after receiving the gift, I'm used to skinning, but on the head of the noble concubine's brother?
"This……"

"Since cousin asked me, I have to ask for him. If someone in the right guard has dirty hands and feet, just return some items to him."

"Yes Yes."

After hearing this, Yang Zhao was a little puzzled, not sure what Wang Chi meant.

He hesitated, but still asked: "I heard that the dead man in the East Palace is hiding in Ji Wen's other house, and the right minister handed it over to Wang Langzhong for investigation. I wonder if someone is needed?"

Wang Ji smiled and looked at Xue Bai.

Xue Bai hurriedly saluted.

Although he didn't say a word, he actually gave Wang Chi another big gift.

——I don't doubt the Wang family, only Ji Wen. I have to check Ji Wen carefully.

"That's fine." Wang Chi said, "I'll send someone to go with Yang Canjun."

Yang Zhao was overjoyed, and immediately understood what Wang Chi meant.

Taking some worthless items and returning them to Yang Shenjin casually, publicized Wang Chi's heart of repaying gratitude.No matter how dissatisfied Yang Shenjin was at that time, it had nothing to do with Wang Ji, it was shameless.

Yang Zhao had to take Xue Bai to the Yamen of Youxiaowei to transfer people, and waited for Wang Ji to send him.

~~
"Has Pei Mian arrived?"

"Already waiting for Ah Lang in the study."

Wang Chi turned from the front hall back to the study.

In the study room, a man wearing a dark blue official robe quickly stood up, saluted Wang Ji respectfully, and called out, "Your Majesty."

"Zhang Fu doesn't need to be too polite, just sit down."

Wang Ji sat on the main seat first, looked around, and saw that Pei Mian waited for a while, and then sat down on the stool one step later, he couldn't help being very satisfied.

Pei Mian, courtesy name Zhang Fu, was 43 years old at the time, older than Wang Chi.

He was born in the Pei family of Hedong, and has been an official for generations. He was awarded Weinan county lieutenant when he entered the officialdom, and he was appointed as Guanji county when he first entered the officialdom.

When Wang Yu was in charge of He Zhen and served as an interviewer and deposed envoy in Gyeonggi Pass, he was still just a judge under Wang Hao.

However, Pei Mian was decisive in dealing with affairs, loyal and diligent, and what was even more rare was that he never underestimated the bastard Wang Hao as a son of a noble family, and had a humble and respectful attitude.

He also stepped forward when Wang Hao was assassinated, and blocked a knife for Wang Hao...

"The dead man in the East Palace is hiding in my brother's other house." Wang Hao asked directly: "You went last night, do you know?"

In order to earn money, the two did more dirty things than this heinous crime. Pei Mian didn't react much after hearing this, and replied slowly.

"The prince also knows that I live very close to the other house of the second brother. Last night, before the time of the child, the second brother sent someone to say that an old manager in the other house passed away, and the funeral had to be held at night, so as not to waste time." The day affected the master's house, and I was suffering from no one to host. I didn't dare to neglect, so I went straight there. I also noticed that the servants in the other house were all strong and sturdy. At that time, I didn't think in that direction .”

"Where did the man go?"

"I did the ceremony at night and sent it to the Yanping Gate in the southwest. I waited until dawn to open the city gate before sending it out of the city for burial. I left at that time."

Yanping Gate is in the southwest of Chang'an, and the Sixteen Guards of Nanya searched the northeast corner of Chang'an all night, and it was too late to investigate further.

Wang Ji didn't care much about this matter, and said: "It's not that my brother colluded with Donggong, he was used by Ji Wen, and someone died in Ji Wen's other house last night...do you know how to do it?"

Pei Mian got up, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I have never made a mistake in my work for the Maharaja."

Wang Chi nodded, and the topic suddenly changed.

"The sage loves the imperial concubine more and more, this matter also gives some benefits to Yang Zhao, let him bring You Xiaowei to investigate with you."

"Here."

"Your Prime Minister has a new dog named Xue Bai. You have confirmed Ji Wen's crime and let him and Luo Xishi hear about it."

Wang Yu didn't notice, Pei Mian was slightly taken aback for a moment.

~~
Xuanyangfang, Jiwen's other house.

Yang Zhao and Xue Bai stood in front of the blocked gate, yawning and waiting, and finally heard a cry.

"coming."

Xue Bai turned his head to look, and saw Luo Xishi coming side by side with someone, and was slightly taken aback.

"You don't recognize that man, do you?"

"I don't know."

Xue Bai shook his head, thinking of the document that he tore into a small piece.

Yang Zhao said in a low voice, "Pei Mian, Wang Langzhong's capable officer, don't provoke him."

Xue Bai praised: "Since he is someone Wang Langzhong relies heavily on, he must be able to find evidence that Ji Wen colluded with the East Palace."

……

Over there, Pei Mian glanced and said casually, "Is that man Xue Bai? I've heard of him before, so he's so young."

Luo Xixi said: "Don't look at him as young. He tracked down the dead man last night and found all the clues. It's a pity that he was one step too late."

Pei Mian looked calm, doing his own thing, and just commented casually.

"That's really good, it will definitely become a master in the future, right?"

~~
This gang of right-hand lackeys entered Jiwen's other house, and immediately they were in a panic.

Xue Bai always followed Yang Zhao.

He stayed up all night, and gradually felt that his eyelids were getting heavy.

Suddenly, Luo Xishi rushed out from the backyard quickly, without saying hello to Yang Zhao, and without even asking about his belongings, he left quickly.

Xue Bai glanced back, knowing that Luo Xishi had found evidence.

He knew that since this evidence was given by Pei Mian, it would definitely satisfy Li Linfu.

But, in this way, can the prince be brought down?Xue Bai suddenly became suspicious again...

"What are you thinking about?" Yang Zhao put down the turquoise in his hand, and praised, "Ji Wen copied a lot of good things these years."

"Yes."

"What do you want? Just ask!"

Xue Bai's eyes fell on the west chamber where the servants were being imprisoned. Several figures in colorful skirts were kneeling in the corridor, looking very pitiful.

Yang Zhao followed his gaze and couldn't help laughing.

(End of this chapter)