Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 9

Jingzhao Mansion, criminal chamber.

The shackles rattled, and Du Wulang entered the execution room, where he was pushed down on a stool.

Prisoner Liu Liu was sitting in the dim candlelight grinding ink, and from the corner of his eye he could clearly see the prisoner sitting down, but the sound of the shackles continued, so he looked up and saw a pair of trembling feet.

"Stop shaking."

The shackles were still clattering, as if they were dying.

Liu Liu stroked his beard, wiped off the residual ink on his hand, picked up a pen, and said, "The criminal, Du Yu."

No one answered.

Liu Liu scolded, "Ask you! Is the criminal Du Yu?"

"Dudu Du, Du Zhuan."

"Stomachache? Don't worry about your stomachache and headache, just answer!"

"I, I, I, the criminal Du Chuan, whose surname is Du and whose name is Zhuan, who wrote it."

Liu Liu pushed the Chinese book in his hand to the candlelight, squinted his old eyes to read it carefully, and suddenly became angry.

"The criminal Du Quan! The fifth son of the criminal Du Youlin, handed over to build the East Palace, hired a Taoist priest Fang Daxu to hide the prophecy books, denounced Chengyu, was convicted and fled, and set fire to Liuji's house in Dunyifang, Chang'an County..."

After reading it with the paperwork, he said coldly, "Can you plead guilty?!"

"I'm wronged!" Du Wulang howled.

"If you don't plead guilty, you will be punished." Liu Liu asked, "Are you arrested at this time, or after you are sentenced?"

Du Wulang was so nervous that he didn't know where to look with his small eyes, so he closed his eyes tightly, clenched his fists, and just shivered.

He looked like he was being slaughtered.

"I'm asking you, whether to be imprisoned or tortured?!"

"Kill me!" Du Wulang yelled in fright: "Just kill me, I won't draw a bet!"

"Kill you? It's not that easy." Liu Liu waved his hand impatiently and said, "Put it to death."

The jailer was still preparing torture tools, but Du Wulang was already screaming.

"Ah! Ah!"

"..."

Xin Twelve was sitting outside the prison, drinking from a wine bag, when he heard screams from inside, he raised his hand to beckon.

The two bad guys who were squatting under the eaves and joking got up immediately and strode into the execution room.

"Jingzhao Prefecture arrested Niu Shuan and Tian Da, and was ordered to hand over the criminals to Dali Temple!"

After shouting, he could not help but escort Du Wulang, who had not had time to be punished, and left.

Xin Twelve put away the wine bag unhurriedly, got up, and rushed to You Xiaowei.

~~
"It's so bright."

Du Wulang was escorted out of Jingzhao Mansion, he squinted his small eyes and looked around, only to realize that it was already afternoon.

He missed the prison meal today, and his stomach involuntarily grumbled.

Niu Shuan immediately slapped him on the back of the head and cursed: "I'm not hungry yet, but the dog is hungry first."

"You have nothing to say." Du Wulang smiled apologetically when he saw this bad man's face was round and big, and he had a very kind face. "You have nothing to look like."

Niu Shuan stood behind him, kicked him, and shouted, "Go!"

Du Wulang trotted down the steps, looked around in a daze, and asked, "This is the first time I've been imprisoned, may I ask if I have a car?"

Without waiting for an answer, he quickly added: "No, no, it's not that I'm lazy, I'm just thinking that criminals are often dangerous, so when they are usually handed over..."

"Dangerous fart. Return the car? A big fart will crash to Dali Temple for you."

"Yes Yes."

Du Wulang didn't dare to talk any more, and hurried to the direction of the imperial city.

"Wait! Ding Ding Dang Dang, it's too noisy." Niu Shuan actually slapped him, took out the key, unshackled his hands and feet, threw it to Tian Da, and said, "Put it back, Jingzhao Mansion Shackles, don't take advantage of Dali Temple... let's go."

Du Wulang was taken aback, wondering if this was a process, or because he was not in danger?Anyway, he was honestly walking beside Niu Shuan.

Jingzhao Mansion is in the southeast corner of Guangde Square, and Dali Temple is in the northwest corner of the imperial city. It is not far, but if you walk, you will have to walk for less than half an hour.

gone for a long time.

Seeing a stall selling soup cakes on the side of the street, Niu Shuan pulled Du Wulang past him, stepped forward, sat down carelessly, and shouted, "Old Huer, two soup cakes!"

Du Wulang heard that it was "two copies", he was stunned for a while, and hurriedly said: "It's actually a waste of money for the chief official, if in the future..."

"Shut up, who told you to eat?!" Niu Shuan slapped him on the head again, and said to himself, "Tian Da hasn't come yet."

Only then did Du Wulang know that Tian Da was coming, and he thought to himself that it was enough to escort him alone, so why bother?

I had to look at the two bowls of soup cakes and swallow my saliva.

"Ouch." Niu Shuan had just taken a bite, and suddenly clutched his stomach and complained of pain, looked around, and shouted, "Tian Da, this way! You look at the criminal, I'll come as soon as I go..."

Du Wulang looked away from the soup cakes, watched Niu Shuan run into the alley, then turned his head to look at Tian Da who was walking in the distance, he wanted to escape but didn't dare, so he hesitated.

The butt raised slightly and then sat down, repeated several times, seeing that Tian Da hadn't approached, he finally gave up his heart, picked up the bowl on the table and took a big gulp, then ran away.

"Hey!"

The stall owner, Lao Hu'er, was shocked and shouted, "I haven't paid you yet!"

Du Wulang was so scared that he ran faster.

He was wearing Xue Bai's quilted jacket, which was the most common clothes. He squeezed into the crowd, like water droplets flowing into a river, and disappeared immediately.

"You son of a bitch, you haven't paid me yet!"

"Snapped."

A string of money fell on the soup cake stand.

Niu Shuan had come out of the alley, but he had a dog on his hand, and followed Du Wulang calmly.

On the watchtower, a Marquis Wu raised a small flag and pointed to the Ten Kings' House in Yongxingfang.

~~
In Yongxingfang, there is a guest house along the street.

In the guest room on the second floor, Xue Bai set up the window, looking towards the long street, he could see the tea shop at the intersection.A few men were sitting there drinking tea, but their eyes were always on the alley leading to the prince's other courtyard.

A guy behind him smiled and said: "The scholars who live in this hotel are more successful than those who live in Wubenfang and Chongrenfang Inn every year, and this is the best wing room. Are you satisfied?"

Xue Bai asked, "Can you hire a car here?"

"There are stables in the backyard, and a harnessed carriage is always available."

"Then let's make a decision, stay for three days first." Xue Bai signaled Qing Lan to pay the money.

"Good!" The clerk said with a smile: "Your Majesty, please go to the lobby to record the store book. If you have a family record, you can also show it to the villain. When the Ming Dynasty is in high school, you can waive some rent for the guest officer."

Xue Bai reached into his bosom, touched it twice, and said in surprise: "I'm afraid I fell into the Spring Gate, I have to find..."

"Wait a minute, sir, the curfew is coming soon, why don't we go tomorrow?"

Xue Bai took the money from Qing Lan and handed it over, "Then don't record it for now? Don't worry, I'm not a bad person."

"The villain knows." The clerk said with a smile: "The villain has been in this business for a long time, and you can be sure of it. You have an official air on your body, so you must be a generation of high school."

"By the way, I have a friend from my hometown who arrived in Chang'an a day or two earlier than me. He took a mule cart with a green cover and said he was going to stay in Yongxingfang. Did you see it?"

"No." The clerk shook his head and said, "Yesterday, a bad person impounded a mule cart with a green canopy. I wonder if it's your friend?"

Xue Bai was surprised and said: "My good friend is over forty years old, has three beautiful beards, wears a plain gown and holds Buddhist beads, but he was taken? Why?"

"No, the one who was taken was a beautiful lady, with her slaves and maidservants. The mule cart was hired from Chang'an County. I don't see any scholars in their [-]s."

"Beautiful lady? What did you do?"

"I don't know this villain. In recent years, Jingzhao Mansion has taken many people."

Xue Bai asked again: "When I entered the city today, I heard that the crown prince reconciled again, but what happened?"

"Look at what Lang Jun asked, how can we ordinary people know this?"

"I'm kidding, I'm new to Chang'an, so I'm curious about everything..."

After chatting for a few words, the guy stepped back.

Qing Lan put the latch on the door, stepped forward and asked anxiously in a low voice, "Did Niang and Wu Lang be taken? What should we do?"

Xue Bai looked out the window and said in a low voice, "Even though they were taken, those people are still staring there."

"Are you looking for us?"

"It's hard to say." Xue Bai kept looking out of the window, and said, "But this case is directed at the East Palace. Those who can destroy the Du family will come, and those who can save the Du family may also come."

The evening drum sounded again.

Xue Bai turned his head to look south, and saw a familiar figure in the distance through the wall of the square.

He was surprised at first, then a look of vigilance flashed in his eyes, and after observing for a while, he turned around abruptly.

~~
"Boom."

With the sound of evening drums, Du Wulang ran into Yongxingfang.

He ran for a full hour, so tired that he was out of breath, but he was still urged by the drumbeat of the curfew and did not dare to stop.

There are still tea shoppers sitting in twos and threes in the tea shop at the intersection of the square.He didn't dare to look too much, he ran into the alley with his head down, glanced back, he was relieved to see no one was following, and hurried towards the Prince's other courtyard.

"Boom."

"Boom."

He has already entered the Ten Kings' House area, surrounded by high-walled courtyards, and there are no pedestrians.

Passing by an alley, a figure suddenly appeared from the corner.

Du Wulang was so frightened that his heart jumped out of his throat.

"what!"

He was still exclaiming, but there was a soft drink in his ear.

"Don't shout."

It was a young man in a plain jacket and gown. Du Wulang couldn't help being pleasantly surprised when he took a closer look.

"Xue Bai?"

Xue Bai pulled him away, hurriedly, and asked, "You were arrested? How did you escape?"

"Yes, the eldest sister was also arrested. I relaxed their vigilance and escaped while they were not paying attention on the way to Dali Temple."

Xue Bai looked back while walking, but no one was following, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Du Wulang said: "I checked carefully, but no one followed me."

"They put it far away because there are dogs." Xue Bai sniffed Du Wulang, and said, "Take off your clothes."

"what?"

"quick!"

After hearing his commanding tone, Du Wulang didn't dare to say any more, and took off his coat honestly.

"Take off again."

"It's winter, how cold it is."

"quick!"

Du Wulang had no choice but to take off his white sweatshirt and shiver in the snowy alley.

"You run east. Go through three alleys and then run south until you see a stable. Qinglan will meet you."

"how about you?"

"Watch the footprints and run along that."

Xue Bai pointed to the snow print in the alley that had been messed up by the wheels and quickly explained.

He picked up the clothes that Du Wulang had taken off, and continued to run north, towards the Prince's Courtyard, tying up the clothes in his hands as he ran.

"Boom."

The evening drum has come to an end.

The winter sky darkened rapidly.

Hurrying footsteps sounded behind him, Xue Bai restrained his nervousness, maintained a normal pace, and quickly looked back, seeing that it was a group of dudes rushing home, he was slightly relieved.

He quickened his pace and followed the location of the prince's other courtyard.

Ahead, two lanterns were hung at the back door of the Prince's Courtyard, and guards could be seen standing by the door holding halberds.

Xue Bai thought that they might recognize him, so he took two deep breaths, trying to be as calm as possible.

Finally, he came under the high wall of the other courtyard.

He turned around, with the guards behind his back, facing the way he came, and suddenly threw a ball of clothes in his hand into the high wall.

At this moment, his heart was in his throat, for fear that someone would shout.

Fortunately no.

After finishing this task, Xue Bai went back the way he came, walked more than [-] steps, leaned over and held a large ball of snow and rubbed it in his hands, calmed down his anxiety, and slowed down his pace.

"Boom."

The last twilight drum sounded.

Suddenly, dense footsteps came from the front and rear.

"you!"

Someone shouted at Xue Bai.

It was a bad man who came running with a dog, pointing at Xue Bai.

"Wang! Wang! Wang!"

The dog being led barked.

Xue Bai crossed his hands in a somewhat perfunctory manner, and said to the bad person, "What's the matter?"

This is the ten king's house, the other party was not sure who he was, but his momentum weakened, and he said: "The curfew is coming soon, hurry up."

"Ah."

The bad guy strode past him.

The more the dog barked, the more excited it became, and it rushed past Xue Bai.

Then there was the clang of armor, and a figure passed by.

"You Xiaowei takes the thief, no one who has nothing to do with it, get out!"

"You Xiaowei is chasing dangerous fugitives, and the prince's safety is involved, so don't let him go!"

"..."

Shocking shouts resounded through the alley.

As for the figure that passed them by, it has disappeared into Chang'an Yexue.

(End of this chapter)