Song Yi

Chapter 283 Strange Theft
"The humble minister leads the order." Du Wenhao said with a bow.

Eunuch Ning was still worried, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, private visits in Weifu are of great importance, isn't it..."

The emperor took out a piece of folded rice paper from his sleeve and handed it to Eunuch Ning: "Look, what is this!"

Eunuch Ning took it carefully and unfolded it. Du Wenhao and Yu Ge'er went up to have a look. They saw a painting with an ancient road, a few crows on the dead trees, and countless dead bodies on the road, all shriveled and starved to death.There are also a few people who helped the old and brought the young and dragged their families to flee the famine, and they all looked dying.The fertile fields along the road cracked and the crops fell.On the corner of the painting, write this line: "The drought is caused by Anshi. If you go to Anshi, it will rain." The signature is Zheng Xia who came to Jian'an.

It turned out to be a real-name report letter.

Song Shenzong sighed: "This picture of refugees was drawn by a small official who watched the city gate. He said that he had witnessed this scene with his own eyes. He said that the severe drought in the world is caused by the reform. As long as the reform is cancelled, the sky will be destroyed within ten days." There will be heavy rain! If the minister wrote the letter, I would not take it seriously, but if a small official at the gate saw it with his own eyes, I would be shocked."

Song Shenzong stood up, walked to the gazebo with his hands behind his back, and sighed: "A few days ago, thousands of people in Dongming County gathered at the gate of Wang Anshi's house, complaining that the reform made them unable to make a living. The officials of the royal residence suspected that there was someone behind the scenes, so they arrested a few leaders and interrogated them carefully, but they failed to find out who was the envoy. They thought that these thousands of people were jobless people who took money from others to cause trouble, but after extensive investigation, they found But they are all ordinary people in Dongming County, if only a few people show up, thousands of people will oppose the reform together, how can I not be shocked!"

Only then did Du Wenhao and others understand why the emperor hid in the upper study and did nothing these few days. It turned out that he was sad and shocked by this incident.Song Shenzong suddenly wanted to visit Weifu privately, just to verify this matter, the reform was Song Shenzong's life-long painstaking efforts, if he didn't verify it, he would be unwilling.

Now that the emperor has made up his mind, it would be unwise to stop him. Du Wenhao thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, my sister is very skilled in martial arts, and she often travels around the rivers and lakes. She is very familiar with handling affairs. Why don't you invite my sister to follow the emperor for a private visit? There is a follow-up."

"That's fine. She's an outsider, so don't worry about leaking the news. Well, you just take her with you." Song Shenzong turned around, his face darkened, and he glanced at the three of them, "No one can say anything about this matter. I can't let you know, anyway, this time I'm really here for a private visit. Anyone who dares to leak the word, just wipe your neck!"

The three hurriedly bowed and agreed.

"Then what capacity should we go out with, Your Majesty?" Eunuch Ning asked.

Instead, the emperor asked him, "What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, since it is a micro-clothes, you might as well dress up as a businessman, for example...a medicinal material dealer, and Lord Du just happens to be following you. There should be no problem in this regard."

After Song Shenzong heard it, he also felt very good, and the matter was settled because of a casual sentence from a court lady.

That night, Du Wenhao returned home.

The moonlight was very good, the moon was very round, the flowers exuded a fragrance, and the wind was blowing gently on his face. After dinner, Du Wenhao asked Lin Qingdai to go to the bamboo forest behind the house.

The two found a secluded place, and first they warmed up for a while before sitting down and talking.

Since receiving Du Wenhao's nourishment, Lin Qingdai's complexion has gradually improved, her small face is pink and white, and her big eyes under her black eyebrows are even clearer and brighter, making people unable to resist kissing her.

Du Wenhao put his arms around the beauty's slender waist in one hand, and held the beauty's small hand in the other. The wind blew the bamboo leaves rustling, and the moon only showed half of its face from the clouds, blinking ambiguously, shining on the on the faces of two people.

"Sister Qingdai, why did I find you more and more beautiful?"

"Really." Lin Qingdai turned her head to look at Du Wenhao delicately, and Du Wenhao took the opportunity to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'm serious." Du Wenhao leaned forward again with a playful smile.

Lin Qingdai giggled but didn't dodge, allowing Du Wenhao to run amok on her.

"Okay, you said you have something serious to do with me, so tell me quickly, Qin'er will come to you soon." Lin Qingdai couldn't help Du Wenhao's thieves, worried that if she couldn't live in this bamboo forest, she would do that. The blushing and heartbeating thing came.

"Okay." Du Wenhao finally stopped and told about the things that happened in the palace during the day.

Lin Qingdai thought for a while: "I don't want to deal with the palace, but since you are going, I will go."

"I think so too, but when I think we have more opportunities to be together, I naturally want you to go together, so that we..." Du Wenhao couldn't help but kissed Lin Qingdai again.

Lin Qingdai smiled softly and said, "What are we? We can't do anything before the filial piety period is over."

Of course Du Wenhao understood this truth, so he nodded repeatedly: "I understand this, so it's settled. I'll tell Qin'er later, you get ready and leave early tomorrow morning. This matter must be kept secret, and nothing can be revealed, including Qin'er and the others can't let them know."

"Well, I can save it."

The next day, Tiantian was slightly bright, and occasionally a few late-set stars in the sky were still blinking. The city gate just opened for a while, and a carriage left the city.There were four men and two women in the car, all dressed as businessmen.

Du Wenhao saw Wang Anshi for the first time. He was a tall, thin old man with a white beard, big and bright eyes, he didn't talk much, and his brows were tightly knit. He thought to himself, could this thin old man be a famous writer in history? Wang Anshi?

Wang Anshi's expression was a little haughty, giving people a feeling of indifference and aloofness.So it's not easy for Du Wenhao to talk to him too much.

Song Shenzong looked at Wang Anshi who was sitting across from him: "The purpose of going out this time is to see what the common people think about the reform. I'm afraid you will have to work hard."

"The emperor cares about the common people in the world. It is the blessing of thousands of people, and the blessing of the humble minister. There is no hard work. The humble minister just wants to come out with the emperor to see the lives of the common people."

Du Wenhao was sitting with Lin Qingdai and Wang Anshi, Yu Ge was sitting next to the emperor, and Eunuch Ning was driving outside. Lin Qingdai closed her eyes slightly, said nothing, with a solemn expression, but Yu Geer opened the curtains and looked around, with a look on her face. Excited look: "Your Majesty, where are we going first when we come out this time?"

Song Shenzong's face darkened: "What did you call me?"

It was agreed at the time of departure that Song Shenzong would act as the boss of the owner, ranked fifth, and was called the fifth master, Eunuch Ning would act as the butler, Du Wenhao and Wang Anshi would act as the shopkeepers of medicinal materials, and Yu Ge'er would act as the maid.So Yu Ge'er slipped his tongue and stuck out his tongue: "Master! Where shall we go first, master...?"

At this time, the car suddenly bumped, and Yu Ge'er let out an ouch, and accidentally fell into Song Shenzong's arms.Eunuch Ning lifted the curtain of the car, waved his hand embarrassingly, and said: "I didn't pay attention, the wheel got stuck in a low-lying place, I'll go down and have a look."

Yu Ge'er was a little embarrassed and touched her butt.

Seeing Yu Ge'er frowning slightly, Song Shenzong pouted his small mouth and said with a smile, "It hurts from the fall."

"Yes, it hurts! Your Majesty, are you okay?" Yu Ge asked with concern.

Song Shenzong shook his head.

When Lin Qingdai got out of the car, she saw that the wheel had sunk into a low-lying area. Eunuch Ning squatted on the ground and pushed the wheel with great effort.But the car only shook twice, but couldn't come out, Wang Anshi poked his head out and said, "This won't work, let's get down and push it."

Lin Qingdai waved her hands and said: "No, let me try!" After walking to the back of the car, she pressed her palms on the shaft of the car and gave it a few creaks, and the cart finally came out of the pit.

Song Shenzong also saw it, and praised: "Good work!"

Du Wenhao was very proud, as if he was boasting himself.

Lin Qingdai's pretty face flushed slightly, she found a suitable stone from the side of the road to fill in the hole, got into the car with Eunuch Ning, and continued on the road.

Song Shenzong said to Yu Ge'er: "Girl, what you said just now was too much, have you thought about where we are going first?"

Yu Ge'er shook her head: "This is a big deal, I'm just a girl, it's still up to the master, we follow."

Song Shenzong smiled and looked at Wang Anshi: "What do you mean?"

Wang Anshi cupped his hands and said, "Fifth Master, in my opinion, it's better to go to Dongming County."

Song Shenzong stared at him and nodded slowly: "That's a good idea. Thousands of people in Dongming County are making noise at your doorstep. You should go to Dongming County to find out what's going on. ——How long is the journey to Dongming County?"

Wang Anshi shook his head.

"It takes three days to reach Dongming County." Lin Qingdai said.

"Have you been to Dongming County?" Wang Anshi asked.

Lin Qingdai said: "Dongming County produces turmeric, I have been there a few times, the turmeric there is very good for medicine."

Wang Anshi snorted.

Talking all the way, at dusk, the carriage drove to a place called Wanxia Town.

When Eunuch Ning was a young eunuch, he often went out to the palace to run errands, and Yu Ge'er also helped out, like a bird released from a cage, along the way. She was the one who talked the most, so that everyone didn't feel tired. Only Wang Anshi kept squinting his old eyes, looking like a pedant, and pouted his lips as if someone owed him money and didn't pay it back.

The car stopped at the entrance of an inn called "Xiankelai". It seems that the town is not big. This inn only has the shopkeeper, his wife and three clerks. The store is very clean. There are only two tables of guests eating, and the clerk who greets at the door Seeing a car stop, hurry up to say hello.

"Guest officer, do you want to stay at the tip or stay in the hotel?" The clerk greeted him with a smile and asked respectfully.

"Let's take a look first!" Eunuch Ning put down his stirrup, helped Song Shenzong get out of the car, and said, "Fifth Master, what do you think of this inn?"

"Guest officer, our Xiankelai is the best inn in Wanxia Town. The guest rooms were renovated years ago. The rooms are clean and our charges are very reasonable." The clerk hurriedly started publicity before Song Shenzong could speak.

Song Shenzong waved his hand, and said to Ning Gonggong: "You just stop when you see that it's okay,... I'm tired too."

Eunuch Ning glanced into the yard and said, "Then live here."

Hearing this, the clerk quickly nodded and bowed his head and said yes, then ordered another clerk in the store to lead the carriage and horses to the backyard, and bowed to welcome the group of people into the door.

Du Wenhao walked up to Lin Qingdai and said in a low voice, "Are you tired? I see that you don't look very well."

"It's okay, just take good care of fifth master."

After entering the door, the clerk found a place near the street and window to invite everyone to sit down. Yu Ge'er went to the counter and tapped the counter surface lightly with his hands. He slammed and said, "So many delicious things?"

The shopkeeper is a short man in his forties, with narrow eyes and a mole the size of a mung bean with a white hair growing on the corner of his mouth. When he smiles, he reveals two gold teeth: "Young lady, just tell me what you like to eat. The chef of our inn was invited from the capital, and his craftsmanship is very good."

Yu Ge'er clapped his hands and said, "That's good, I'm really hungry." Turning around and walking in front of Song Shenzong and the others, seeing the waiter serving tea, he picked up a teacup and frowned slightly Pointing to a stain on the cup noodles, he said loudly, "Guys, why don't you use this cup for our master to drink tea?"

The guy squinted at Yu Ge'er, and said casually, "You thought you were at your house when you were away from home."

Yu Ge'er was not happy when he heard that, and slammed the cup on the table with a bang. The guy was startled, and his face sank, Yu Ge'er scolded: "You are wrong, stay at home Parents, rely on friends when you go out, we are customers when you come, you guy only takes the salary of the shopkeeper, but secretly dismantles the shopkeeper's desk, how can you attract repeat customers like this."

"You... When did I dismantle the shopkeeper's table?" The clerk couldn't hold his face anymore. Yu Ge's voice was so loud that the people at the next table started to look this way.

Yu Ge'er turned her head and said to the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, since you are renovating this store, you must have the intention of doing this business for a long time. If this is the case, why don't you pay attention to the details? If things go on like this, who would want to come here? "

Eunuch Ning came down from the upstairs to see the guest room, and when he heard Yu Ge'er's voice, he hurried forward to check what happened.

"I think what our Yu Ge'er said is correct. Your teacups can't be washed clean, so don't worry about how we can eat the food. Lord, how about..."

The shopkeeper saw that these six people were rich masters, so he was not willing to let them go easily, so he quickly walked out of the counter and went to the table to smooth things over: "I'm really sorry for the guests, this guy was hired by us. If you are rude, I hope you will have a lot of fun, I will exchange cups and tea for you, don't be angry."

"That's right, kindness can make money. Hey, you buddy, learn a little bit." Yu Ge'er proudly looked at the buddy who dared not speak out, and sat down beside Lin Qingdai.

The shopkeeper gave the guy a hard look, and took the tea tray down to change it himself.

Song Shenzong pointed at Yu Ge'er and said with a smile, "Look at this mouth, it's not forgiving."

"Since ancient times, women have rapped..." Wang Anshi gave Yu Ge'er a contemptuous look.

Yu Ge'er stared at her almond-shaped eyes: "Shopkeeper Wang, don't say that, Ling Ci is also a woman."

Wang Anshi was annoyed, and said indignantly, "You... maid, how can you talk to me like this?"

Song Shenzong smiled and watched them arguing, the old and the young, and found it very interesting.

While talking, the shopkeeper came over with newly changed tea and put them on one by one, bowed and said to Song Shenzong: "Master, what do you want to eat?"

Eunuch Ning on the side hurriedly said: "Give us some good wine and food, but cleanliness is the most important thing."

"That's, that's, rest assured, the guest officers, the impoliteness just now will never happen again." After speaking, he smiled and backed away.

A few people were drinking tea and talking slowly, and the food came out after a while, six dishes and one soup, although the craftsmanship was naturally not comparable to that of the royal chefs in the palace, but fortunately everyone was hungry all the way, and they didn't feel it. It was too unpalatable, and after filling their stomachs in a hurry, everyone went upstairs to rest.

Lin Qingdai was in charge of security, so her room was arranged across from Song Shenzong's room, next to Du Wenhao's.The rooms of Wang Anshi and Eunuch Ning are on the left and right of Song Shenzong.Yu Ge'er is the emperor's servant girl and lives outside the emperor's suite.

Early the next morning, Du Wenhao heard a woman's voice yelling and scolding: "Oh, that wicked person is really too much, if you have the ability, come out to me, Ming people don't do secret things, what, do these scumbags Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning if you do something indiscriminate?”

Du Wenhao opened his eyes and saw that Eunuch Ning, who was in the same room, was no longer in the room, so he quickly got up, put on his clothes and went out. He only heard the sound coming from the yard behind the house, and went downstairs to find out what happened.

When Du Wenhao came to the backyard, he found that Eunuch Ning and Yu Ge'er were both there, and the scolding turned out to be Yu Ge'er.

"What's going on?" Du Wenhao stepped forward and asked.

Eunuch Ning pointed to the carriage shed, and Du Wenhao discovered that one of the wheels of the unloaded carriage shed had been removed.The beams were padded with a few big stones.

Yu Ge's voice quickly attracted the people staying in the store to watch the excitement, and everyone stood there and talked a lot.

The shopkeeper also rushed over, and was taken aback when he saw this situation, and quickly stepped forward and said, "Why is this happening? The doors to our backyard are closed at night, and no one will come in."

Yu Ge'er sneered and pointed at the shopkeeper: "You mean we dismantled it ourselves?"

"But our door is really closed! Isn't it you..."

Yu Ge'er got angry and grabbed his collar.

The shopkeeper's wife who rushed over after hearing the sound said with a smile: "Girl, don't worry, I will look for it for you right away, if you can't find it, we will accompany you on a wheel."

"Hmph, where can you find it for me? We have to hurry, but you unloaded our carriage. What do you mean?"

"It wasn't us, it must not have been done by us." The shopkeeper argued.

Du Wenhao walked up to Yu Ge'er and said, "Put down the shopkeeper first, don't do this."

Seeing what Du Wenhao said, Yu Ge'er let go of his hand, watched and said livelyly, "Since outsiders can't get in, it must be the people in this inn who did it."

"You can't say that. Since the inn is free to come and go, it doesn't necessarily mean that the people in the inn do it." An old man next to him seemed unhappy, and immediately retorted.

The man said: "What do you do when you take apart someone else's wheel? If you steal it, which valuable item in the store is not better than this wheel? Why steal a wheel?"

"That's right, I see, this is deliberately making trouble!"

Yu Ge'er sat on the carriage, dangling her legs, looking at the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper's wife with her arms crossed, "Hurry up and find the carriage. The carriage became like this in your inn, and you have to pay us for it."

The guy who quarreled with Yu Ge'er the day before got into the crowd, pointed at Yu Ge'er and said angrily: "I said you girl is unreasonable, why should we pay for it?"

Yu Ge'er jumped out of the car and walked up to the guy. The two of them were nose to nose, like fighting cocks: "I'm being unreasonable? I think it's because you wanted to take revenge and took off the wheels of our carriage and hid them." got up."

"You! You spitting blood!"

"Spitting people? It's cheap to slap you. I pissed off this girl, and I beat you!" Yu Ge'er rolled up his sleeves quickly.

The guy sneered: "You beat me up? Okay, come on! You stinky girl, beat me up! I'll just stand here and let you beat me up—oh! You really beat me up!"

Yu Ge'er slapped him across the face, and beat the guy in a circle.He covered his face and stared at Yu Ge'er.He said sharply: "I must teach you a lesson!" He punched Yu Ge'er's towering chest.

"Looking for death!" Yu Ge'er scolded, twisting her willow waist, dodged the punch, and kicked in the air, hitting the buddy in the stomach.

The guy groaned in pain, and fell to his knees clutching his stomach in pain. It took him a long time to straighten up, his face turned pale, and he looked at Yu Ge'er in horror.

Du Wenhao looked at the guy kneeling, and suddenly let out a sigh, his eyes lit up.

Yu Geer waved his fist triumphantly: "How about it? Try again?"

The guy shook his head repeatedly, stood up and turned to leave, Du Wenhao shouted: "Stop!"

The man stopped, clutching his stomach and looking at Du Wenhao.

Du Wenhao walked over, walked around him, and said with a sneer, "That's right, you are the one who stole the wheel!"

"You guys! Don't bully others with your power!" The guy said sternly.

Du Wenhao smiled coldly, and pointed to his shoulder: "How did you get the oil on it? Did it get on the axle when you were carrying the wheels?"

The guy looked sideways, and sure enough, there was a small piece of oil stain on his shoulder, and his face suddenly changed: "What are you talking about, it was stained in the kitchen!"

"How did the kitchen oil stick to the shoulders? Besides, you can tell when you smell the oil. It's not vegetable oil, but the oil used to lubricate axles. It smells like rust."

The guy involuntarily sniffed, his face was a little pale: "So what? It might be stained by me helping other guests unload the carriage."

"Hehe," Du Wenhao turned his head to look at the shopkeeper, "Does the guy in your store have the habit of unloading the wheels for customers?"

"This one……"

The shopkeeper's wife at the side already saw that something was wrong, so she bent down and picked up a stick, and slammed it on the clerk's back: "You useless thing, did you do it? Why don't you hand over the wheel to me quickly?" Press on the guest officer's carriage."

"Sister-in-law! It's not me, it's really not me..." the man waved his hands, dodging and shouting.According to the title, this guy turned out to be the shopkeeper's younger brother, no wonder he spoke so awkwardly.

Du Wenhao stared at the guy, thoughtful, and slowly said: "Let me guess where you put the wheels. ——It should be in the haystack of the stable. That's right? Besides, you got up early It was dismantled when it was not lit!"

The man looked at Du Wenhao in horror, as if he saw a ghost.

"Don't be so surprised!" Du Wenhao sneered, "You told me yourself."

(End of this chapter)