Chapter 8 Chapter Seven Full of Ice and Snow
The three sentences of "awakening" are Xin Qiji's old works. They say that the bright moon is bright and bright, and they can see the pure heart and gall of our generation as ice and snow, and the mighty mind like the rushing rivers, just like the famous poet Zhang Xiaoxiang, , liver and gallbladder are ice and snow".At this moment, the chanting from Lu You's mouth can be described as expressing his feelings directly and heartily, which makes those who hear it feel proud.
Using economic means, or even directly making a big fuss about the currency in circulation, to attack enemy countries has existed since ancient times.As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, due to the lack of metals in the country, the Liao and Jin countries in the north purchased a large number of copper and iron coins from the south, and smelted them to make weapons.During Song Huizong's reign, Cai Jingzuo asked him to cast tin coins, which were specially used to deal with hostile takeovers by enemy countries.Tin money is a copper-iron-tin alloy currency. Tin is added to the money to make the money brittle, so that even if the enemy country gets copper and iron coins, it cannot be used to make weapons.But because of the low fineness of copper in money, common people often refuse to use it.
In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, the treacherous Prime Minister Qin Hui also used "clip tin money" brilliantly to extract folk wealth.At that time, there was a lack of cash circulation in the market, and the goods of traders could not be sold, resulting in a large backlog.Cao Yong, the prefect of Lin'an at that time, was Qin Hui's in-law, and he was very depressed about this.When Qin Hui learned about it, he immediately sent someone to call the official of Wen Siyuan, and ordered: "Just now, the imperial decree was issued, the government is going to change the current banknote law, and cash banknotes must be abolished immediately. Please cast a coin according to the style of the past. , and presented it to the palace to study and determine the style of the new banknote. The sample banknote must be minted at noon tomorrow."
Seeing that time was running out, President Wen Si hurried back to carry out the work and ordered the craftsmen to cast it overnight.At this time, the news had spread, and the people, rich or poor, took out the money they saved at home to purchase grain and other daily necessities, so as to spend the old money before the new money came into the market.As a result, prices in Lin'an skyrocketed, and cash overflowed, flooding the market.However, after Mr. Wen Siyuan presented the minted new banknotes, there was no more follow-up.People later found out that this was Qin Hui's trick. There was no such thing as exchanging banknotes at all, and it was completely fabricated by Qin Hui. The purpose was to solve the problem of shrinking market and lack of cash.
The banknotes are the banknotes of the Kingdom of Jin.After Wan Yanliang, the king of Hailing, moved his capital to Yanjing, due to the lack of copper in the country, he had to accept the suggestion of the Han minister Cai Songnian, imitating Jiaozi in the Northern Song Dynasty, and issuing banknotes.There are two types of gold banknotes: large banknotes and small banknotes.There are five denominations of big bills, namely guan, two guan, three guan, five guan, and ten guan, and five denominations of small banknotes: 100, 200, 300, 500, and 700.Within a limit of seven years, the old banknotes will be invalidated and new banknotes will be issued.Old banknotes are exchanged for new ones at a cost of 15 cents per pen.Later, the seven-year deadline was abolished, and banknotes can be used for a long time, and new banknotes can be exchanged for new banknotes after they are worn out, which can be regarded as a great progress in the history of banknotes.
In the early days of the issuance of banknotes, they could be freely exchanged with copper coins. They could be "exchange money for banknotes" or "exchange banknotes for money", so their currency value was relatively stable.Because handing in banknotes is far lighter than copper coins and easy to carry, merchants often come to exchange them and use them in distant places.However, in the later period, due to various political, military and economic reasons, the Kingdom of Jin lost control over the issuance of banknotes, and inflation was severe. Copper coins and cash silver were still popular among the people.
Although the Jin people plundered a lot of treasures when the Northern Song Dynasty fell, with the strengthening of exchanges between the two countries after the peace talks, the Jin people's dependence on the materials of the Southern Song Dynasty increased, and a large amount of cash flowed out, and they were increasingly disadvantaged economically.For example, after the Song Dynasty tea was introduced to the Kingdom of Jin, it was deeply loved by the Jin people, and soon developed to the point of "competition between top and bottom".When envoys from the Kingdom of Jin went to the Southern Song Dynasty, they first asked for tea, which later became a customary hospitality etiquette: when the northern envoys arrived in Que, the Southern Song court first sent someone to present a catty of dragon tea and thirty taels of silver.Of course, this catty of dragon tea was a personal gift for Jin Shi.For ordinary gold people, if they want to drink tea produced in the south, they have to pay a lot of money to buy it.Although the Song Dynasty had to pay a certain amount of tea to the Kingdom of Jin every year as "year-old coins", due to the surge in demand for tea in the Kingdom of Jin, the amount of tribute tea was far from enough. Buy tea in bulk.Later, the number of private tea smugglers increased, which directly led to a large amount of physical currency such as gold, silver, copper coins, and silk from the Jin Kingdom flowing into the Song Dynasty.
After Jin Zhangzong Wan Yanjing, the current emperor of the Jin Kingdom, came to the throne, he immediately realized that the large amount of tea consumed by the Jin people was "expending the country's use and benefiting the enemy", which consumed a lot of money in the country and caused great harm to the economy.Therefore, Jin Zhangzong ordered the ban on the import of tea from the Song Dynasty, and restricted people from drinking tea, stipulating that "officials with a seventh grade or above, their families are allowed to eat tea", but they are not allowed to buy, sell and Contribute.
The most incredible thing is that Jin Zhangzong also tried to solve the problem of Chinese people’s tea consumption by producing tea through self-reliance. He sent officials to Jinjing Henan, Shandong and other places to urge the people to plant tea trees and set up tea houses.However, the so-called "there is good wood in the south", this "south" refers to the fact that the growth of tea trees requires not only specific geographical conditions, but also a warm and humid climate. Jin Zhangzong's efforts inevitably failed.However, he successively took two major measures of banning tea and planting tea to get rid of his dependence on tea in the Southern Song Dynasty, which shows that tea consumption had a great impact on the Jin people's economy, and even reached the point where the Jin country's finances were strained.
The Kingdom of Jin did not have enough cash reserves in its treasury, and was eager to solve the economic crisis, so it adopted a method of printing and distributing a large number of banknotes.In order to prevent the depreciation of banknotes and the outflow of large amounts of copper and silver, Jin Zhangzong even took tough measures. It is strictly forbidden to discuss the issue of the currency system. ;Business travelers are not allowed to carry more than ten pennies of cash, and the rest must be exchanged for banknotes, which is called the "money limit law".
Xin Qiji is a reformed person. He is well aware of the pain of the Han people who have no sense of belonging to the country under the rule of the Jin people in the Central Plains.It's a pity that he was excluded from the circle of power for a long time. It wasn't until Han Yuzhou came to power, intending to go to the Northern Expedition, and vigorously promoted the main fighters, that he was reused. The current pacifier of Eastern Zhejiang and also knows the Shaoxing Mansion, and is secretly training troops to prepare for the future Northern Expedition.
What's interesting is that although Xin Qiji saw that he was more important than Han Tuozhou, he didn't really appreciate this Grand Master Han.When Xin Qiji was appointed as the criminal secretary in Fujian, he had to give up the treasure of Qin Hui that he had finally found to the brothers and sisters of Yang Anguo and Yang Miaozhen, the descendants of the old man in Shandong. A large number of banknotes were issued as currency in circulation.The Jin people’s printing skills were far less developed than those of the Song people, and the printing level of handed-in banknotes was not even as good as some Jianben. If a large number of large banknotes could be imitated and sent to Yanjing, the capital of the Jin Kingdom, to be distributed secretly, the real handed-in banknotes would be devalued.In this way, Jin's economy collapsed and the country was in chaos, which would be of great benefit to the Northern Expedition of the Southern Song Dynasty in the future.
However, the irony is that Cai Songnian, the Han minister who first suggested the implementation of handover in the Kingdom of Jin, was Xin Qiji's mentor, and Cai Song's young daughter, Cai Yuzhu, was his childhood sweetheart.
In order to verify the feasibility of this plan, Xin Qiji successively sent several groups of spies to the Kingdom of Jin to inquire, and made careful steps for this.To implement this plan, the key, of course, is to engrave banknotes that can be faked.After Xin Qiji considered for a long time, he chose Yu Wenxing - he is the only successor of Qin Youtang, the best engraved book in the world. A person who can entrust great things.
Xin Qiji then summoned Yu Wenxing, and directly said that he was going to be invited to participate in the engraving and handing over of Jin Guo's banknotes.Yu Wenxing was silent for a long time, and replied: "Okay."
So the plan was decided.Only Xin Qiji, Yu Wenxing, and their confidantes Chen Chengfu and Chen Zhi knew about the whole matter. The process of writing, sample loading, engraving, proofreading, repairing, and printing was all done by Yu Wenxing alone.After the banknotes were handed over and printed, they were mixed into the history books, and they were prepared to send people to pretend to be traders and transport them to Yanjing, the capital of the Kingdom of Jin, in the name of book sellers.Jin people love to read Song books, and the built version is especially popular. The Jin soldiers at the checkpoint are also very polite to the book sellers. They often glance at them and wave to let them go.Yu Wenxing took the initiative to ask Ying because the matter was of great importance, and asked to personally escort the books to the north.Xin Qiji admired his arrogance, so he sent a number of attendants, dressed as businessmen, to go on the road with Yu Wenxing.
Unexpectedly, the sixteen chariot books were seized by border patrol officers and soldiers before they left the Song Dynasty, claiming that they violated the imperial court's ban on books, and all the books were confiscated without explanation.Yu Wenxing and others were arrested and sent to the capital.
Yu Wenxing's servant, Xiang X, happened to be behind because of something, so he escaped because of this. Seeing that his master was arrested, he couldn't help panicking.He didn't know that the master was working for Xin Qiji, and he had no other way, so he had to rush to Laian to find Yu Wenxing's sister Yu Yueyue for help.
Instead, it was Song Ci who accidentally ran into Yu Wenxing outside the Grand Master's Mansion before Yu Yueyue heard the news. He was very upset when he learned that his brother-in-law was arrested for selling history books to the Kingdom of Jin.But he still didn't know what was going on inside, so he came to Dutingyi to ask Xin Qiji.
Xin Qiji gave a general account of the process of counterfeiting banknotes, and said: "In the current situation, Wen Xing has never said anything about the banknotes. It can be seen that the old man is not blind, and he has not misjudged the wrong person." He also wanted to send someone to call Song Cihe Yu Yueyue came in and comforted her face to face.
Yue Ke hurriedly said: "It's not very convenient at the moment. Luo Ri, the commander of the imperial army, is willing to follow Song Ci and me under the order of Grand Master Han, and others are also outside." He roughly talked about the incident in Fengle Building and the investigation of the case.
Xin Qiji said "hehe" twice, and said: "It seems that the capital is not peaceful, and there are many people who want to take the life of Grand Master Han." He also said: "Bi Gong and Huo Yi are here, it is not convenient for outsiders to see. I will not see you for now. Song Ci. Yue Ke, tell him in private that Wen Xing's affairs should be left to the old man, so that he can rest assured."
Yue Ke said: "Yes." Then he said: "Perhaps there is no need for Xin Gong to come forward, Grand Master Han's confidant Shi Dazu is also a book lover, and he promised Song Ci face to face, and will try his best to get around and rescue Yu Wenxing."
Xin Qiji murmured: "That's fine, you don't have to tell Taishi Han about the fake banknotes. Lu Gong, please try to get back the history books with the banknotes in the sixteen carts."
Lu You smiled and said, "I happen to be a historian, so asking for books is a matter of course. Don't worry, Mr. Xin, this matter is on my shoulders."
Xin Qiji nodded, and said, "I didn't mean to hide Grand Master Han. It's just that this matter is no small matter. If one more person knows about it, there will be more danger of leaking. The letter sent by Huo Yi is that the spies I sent to the north were killed. The secret letter I tried to send to Yang Anguo before. The letter said that the Jinren had a spy organization in Lin'an for many years, which was responsible for spying on our dynasty's intelligence and secrets. Now they are carrying out a major conspiracy. Host, intending to overthrow our Great Song Dynasty. Unfortunately, he was caught and killed by the Jinren before he had time to find out what the conspiracy was and the name of the spy leader." He was deeply regretful and sighed endlessly.
Lu You said: "Last night's Fenglelou assassination incident, could it be that the Jin people did it? Han Taishi intends to go north, and the world knows it. The Jin people are currently struggling to deal with the Mongolian invasion in the north and the domestic Khitan uprising. When Song and Jin go to war, they will face the situation of being attacked from both sides. In order to eliminate the war, the Jin people may consider the means of assassination."
Xin Qiji said: "There is a possibility, it is very likely that this is the great conspiracy of the Jinren that the spies said."
Yue Ke said: "It just so happened that Song Ci and I were ordered to investigate the assassination case, maybe it has something to do with it. Let us handle the matter of Jinren spies." He asked again: "It is a lie that the brothers and sisters Yang Anguo surrendered to the Jinren. In fact, I have been secretly communicating with Xin Gong, right?"
Xin Qiji said: "That's right. But there is also a bad news. A few days ago, the Yang Anguo brothers and sisters were ordered by the Jinren to go to Moqi Mountain to pacify Li Quan and Li Tieqiang's rebel army. Then Li Quan took advantage of the convenient location and arranged in advance. The trap has caught Yang Miaozhen, and now she doesn't know whether she is alive or dead."
Yue Ke was startled when he heard the words, and asked: "Is Li Quan's nickname Li Tieqiang?" Xin Qiji nodded and said, "Do you recognize him?" Yue Ke said: "No, I don't, but there is a strange thing , It seems to have something to do with this." He talked about the fact that the censor Deng Youlong was knocking on the post at night when he was an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin.
Xin Qiji pondered and said: "This matter is indeed a bit strange. There are many villains in the court, Yue Ke, you should be more careful. In order to prevent falling into the trap, no matter who gave you the iron spear, don't accept it, let it It will be left in Deng Youlong's hands for the time being."
Yue Ke said: "Yes. But I guess Deng Yushi will report this matter to Taishi Han. Taishi Han is curious and suspicious, and will definitely ask Deng Yushi to send the iron spear head to Nanyuan first." Xin Qiji said: "It's the best .”
Just as Yue Ke was about to resign, he thought of another matter, turned around and asked, "Have you seen Dugu Ce recently, Mr. Lu?" Lu You said. "No, brother Dugu also came to the capital?"
Yue Ke said: "I saw him yesterday." He told about Dugu Ce's singing tour in the lake and Wu Xi's recognition in front of Fengyu Gate.
Lu You thought for a while, and said: "I'm just saying this here. Dugu Ce, like Brother Yang Wanli, doesn't advocate rashly sending troops to restore the Central Plains. He is generous and courageous, daring to act, and it is possible to try to assassinate Grand Master Han But there is one thing, he will never collude with the Jinren." He said again: "Don't worry, Mr. Yue, if I see Dugu Ce, I will naturally ask him face to face."
Lu You and Yang Wanli are both the four great poets of Zhongxing. They were best friends, but because of their different political views, one advocates war and the other advocates peace.Dugu Ce is not as extreme as Yang Wanli, and he still maintains contacts with people with different political views such as Lu You and Xin Qiji.
Yue Ke expected that since Dugu Ce appeared, he would try to meet Lu You, and hurriedly said: "Thank you. Now Wu Xi and Taiwei Wu have sent Dugu Ce's portrait to the guards at the city gate and patrolling guards in the city. His situation It's extremely dangerous, Duke Lu must be careful." Lu You said, "Okay."
Xin Qiji asked again: "Is Song Ci still studying at Taixue?" Yue Ke said: "Yes. But because Taishi Han appointed him to investigate the assassination case, he probably won't be able to take the monthly exam at Taixue this month." Said: "I think Song Ci himself is quite contradictory. He knows what kind of person Han Taishi is, but he still works for him. I guess he has been complained by Yueyue." As soon as the words came out, he realized that Lu You in front of him was in a similar situation, and he regretted it endlessly. , but I don't know whether I should apologize to Lu You Mingli.
Xin Qiji said: "Song Ci is a good boy, as long as he maintains the righteousness in his heart, he will naturally know what to do. What does it have to do with Grand Master Han!"
Although he and Lu You were both promoted by Han Tuozhou, their circumstances were completely different - Lu You was criticized and accused of losing his old age; while Xin Qiji had high hopes from countless people with lofty ideals.The famous Confucian Zhu Xi's proud disciple and son-in-law Huang Qian once wrote to him: "Duke Ming is really a hero for the whole life with his perseverance and audacity. Starting in the valleys, and entrusting it with respect, Peng Gong doesn’t care about leisure time or family affairs, just rides on the road with a bike, and the style is awe-inspiring, which is enough to travel thousands of miles away.” The reason why there is such a heaven and earth Farewell, naturally it is because Xin Qiji has the talent of managing the world and governing the country, which has long been known to the world.However, Lu You accepted the position of historian at a time when Han Yuzhou was vigorously prohibiting the revision of private history, so he could not help but feel flattered.
Xin Qiji said again: "My generation is doing things for the country, for the court, not for a certain grand master, a certain prime minister, or a certain minister. A man is a man who stands up to the heavens and the earth. He is worthy of the sky above and below the earth. He doesn't care what others say or do. what?"
Lu You responded with emotion: "That's right, my generation is just like this. Awaken a bright moon, and illuminate my chest full of ice and snow, and the mighty rivers and rivers flowing."
The three sentences of "awakening" are one of Xin Qiji's old works "Water Tune Getou Touring the Moon Wave Tower with Ma Shudu". The man Zhang Xiaoxiang said "you should remember the years of Linghai, the solitary light shines on yourself, and the liver and gallbladder are ice and snow".At this moment, the chanting from Lu You's mouth can be described as expressing his feelings directly and heartily, which makes those who hear it feel proud.
The old poet who came from a famous family, felt the distress of the times, actively and enthusiastically devoted himself to it, and was never a cold-eyed bystander.He has experienced such ups and downs in his life, but he has never lost his ambition to restore his homeland and his pride in serving the country. He is still awe-inspiring and independent, and he is not afraid of people's words or praises.
Yue Ke immediately stood up in awe, cupped her hands and said: "Yue Ke is being taught today." He briefly greeted his brother-in-law Chen Zhi, and said, "I will come to find you when it is convenient for me." Then she bowed and retreated.
After coming out of the Plum Garden, Yue Ke said: "Xin Gonggong was very interested in talking about poetry and articles with Lu Gong. I was impatient to hear other things, so I had to back out." While speaking, he winked at Song Ci.
Yu Yueyue said: "Did Mr. Xin say why Wen Xing was arguing to see him?" Yue Ke said, "Mr. Xin wanted to re-edit the old poems for publication, so he sent someone to find your brother to do the engraving. Probably for this."
Yu Yueyue said: "But..." Song Ci hurriedly said: "Wen Xing will be fine."
Even Luo Riyuan persuaded him from the sidelines: "Song officials are so trusted by Grand Master Han, and his future is boundless. How can Grand Master embarrass his brother-in-law? It's just that there are outsiders present, so he has to put on a show. Yueniang said Take it easy."
Only then did Yu Yueyue nodded, and said, "Okay then, go do your own work, I'll go back to the Yinzi shop first. If the person surnamed Xiang comes to me again, I can tell him about Wenxing's situation." , lest he worry in vain." Let's go first.
Song Ci then discussed with Yue Ke: "At present, the Fengle Building assassination case has been investigated by Ren Hui. For the rest, we only need to find out the traitor who sent the signal on the third floor. But there is no clue about the Fengyu Gate assassination case. Why don't we go to the Dianqiansi army camp first to see if we can find clues from the corpses of Qin Da and others."
Yue Ke was also wondering if Dugu Ce really had something to do with Qin Da and the others, and said, "Very good."
Luo Riyuan suddenly shouted: "I remember!"
He had a loud voice, and when he uttered it suddenly, the two of them were startled, and they hurriedly asked what happened.
Luo Riyuan said: "Xiaguan thought of one thing, last night at the same time as Yanniang Yangexing, there were the female envoy Xiaohuan and the coachman, Xiaguan felt that the coachman looked familiar at the time, but he couldn't remember where he saw him. Just now when I heard what Yue Niang said about the surname Xiang, the officer suddenly realized that the coachman was Xiang Yushu, the son-in-law of former Prime Minister Jing Tong Jing."
Song Ci and Yue Ke were surprised when they heard this.Jing Tong used to be Han Yuzhou's right-hand man, the official was the prime minister, he was named the Duke of Yi, and he was an extremely human minister. After his death, he also showed great kindness, gifted it to the Taibao, and gave him the posthumous posthumous title of Zhuangding.
Luo Riyuan said: "It's not surprising that Xiang Yushu is poor and destitute. What I want to tell the two officials is that he has a personal grudge against Taishi Han."
Although Jing Tong has a prosperous official career, his offspring are not prosperous. He has only one daughter named Jing Hu.A few years ago, Jinghu went to the West Lake for a spring outing, and met Xiang Yushu, a down-and-out scholar, and fell in love with her at first sight.Although Jing Tong was dissatisfied with Xiang Yushu's background, he couldn't resist his beloved daughter's stubbornness, so he finally agreed to the marriage and forcibly recruited Yushu as his son-in-law, and asked him to be his official to assist in handling the documents.
The strange thing is that Xiang Yushu himself doesn't seem to be proud of marrying the prime minister's daughter, and his speech and demeanor are always indifferent.When attending a private banquet in South Garden with Jing Tong, he lost his temper after drinking and rushed forward to speak rudely to Han Tuozhou, claiming that he and the Han family had an unshakable hatred.Fortunately, Han Yuzhou didn't care too much about Jingtang's face, and only ordered Xiang Yushu to be prohibited from entering Nanyuan again.After returning home, Jing boring severely reprimanded his son-in-law and fined him to kneel in the courtyard for a day and a night.
Afterwards, Xiang Yushu became more and more indifferent, often patronizing the place of fireworks behind his father-in-law and wife's back, and finally leaked out over time.Jing Hu also cried and fussed over this, but Xiang Yushu ignored her.Jing Bo ordered his son-in-law to be tied up and whipped several times, preparing to teach him a lesson.Jing Hu is always distressed, crying and begging for mercy, but she still can't change her husband's temperament.
Three years ago, Jing Hu never came back after going out to relax, and both the envoy and the coachman disappeared.Jing boring like crazy sent people to search everywhere, but there was no whereabouts of her beloved daughter.In a rage, he beat his son-in-law Xiang Yushu and kicked him out of the house.Not long after, Jing Tong was bedridden after finishing his work on electing Zhao Wei as the prince for Emperor Ningzong, and quickly let go.
Some days later, someone found a female body near the West Lake Long Bridge and hurriedly reported it to the authorities.The government sent someone to pick up the woman's body, but because it had been soaked for too long, she could no longer recognize her face.However, some officials recognized that the golden jade ring with hair tied on the woman's head was the heirloom of Jingtong's family. Only then did everyone know that Jinghu committed suicide by throwing herself into the West Lake because of her unlucky marriage. I have been on the run for a long time.
Luo Riyuan briefly recounted the story, and said: "Xiang Yushu is the driver of Yangehang, and he must have followed her into Fengle Building early. Could it be that he colluded with the assassin and tried to sneak up on the third floor, and took the opportunity to go to Fengle Building?" The accomplices in the lake sent a signal to cut off the bamboo ropes?"
Yue Ke said: "It's easy for Xiang Yushu to enter Fengle Building, but there are imperial guards guarding the stairs, and he needs an invitation card to go up. It's not so easy for him to go up to the third floor."
Luo Riyuan said: "Then Jia She who caused trouble just went upstairs in a hurry?"
He felt that this was an important clue, and he should immediately go to Jiang Kui's mansion or Lichun Courtyard to interrogate and investigate Xiang Yushu, and then detain him to prevent him from absconding after being aware of it.Luo Riyuan was originally the inspector sent by Han Tuozhou. Since he insisted, Song Ci and Yue Ke could only listen to him.
When he came out of Dutingyi, he met Shi Miyuan, the Minister of Rites, leading a group of people in. Except for Shi Miyuan who was wearing the official uniform of the Song Dynasty, the rest of them were all in the same style of Hufu.
Yue Ke and Shi Miyuan's younger brother, Shi Mijian, both worked in the Military Weapons Supervisor, so they were acquainted with each other. He came forward to greet him, and asked in a low voice, "Is this the Jinren envoy's party?"
Since the peace talks between the Song and Jin Dynasties, envoys will be sent to each other to send gifts to each other on major holidays, such as New Year's Day and the emperor's birthday.But there is no big day at the moment, Yue Ke purposely asked one more question, because she felt that a lot of important events had just happened in Lin'an, and it was a bit too coincidental that the envoy from the Kingdom of Jin arrived just at this time.
Shi Miyuan was a deep person, so he just nodded slightly, and said in a low voice: "The envoy's name is Wanyan Bi, he is the teacher of the current Emperor of the Kingdom of Jin, and he has a distinguished status. I heard that his original name was Wanyan Kuang. The name of the emperor is taboo, and before going on a mission, he was ordered by the emperor of the Jin Kingdom to change his name." Yue Ke said: "In this case, the Jin people have shown some respect."
Shi Miyuan nodded, shook his head again, and said: "If there is any respect, it should be returned to the mausoleum."
"The current emperor of the Jin Kingdom" refers to Jin Zhangzong Wanyan Jing, whose Jurchen name is Ma Dage, who is the sixth emperor of the Jin Kingdom and the one with the highest level of education among the Jin Kingdom emperors.It is rumored that his biological mother was the daughter of a certain princess of Song Huizong.He also has many characteristics that are obviously similar to Song Huizong, such as his love of calligraphy, and he has been keen to copy the thin gold body of Song Huizong since he was a child. Later, he was able to confuse the real ones. A famous Song artist once bought Jin Zhangzong's handwriting as Song Huizong's authentic handwriting at a high price. .
"Emperor Taizu" refers to Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. "The place of the mausoleum" refers to Gong County, Henan Province, where the mausoleums of the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty are located. It fell into the hands of the Jin people as early as after the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty.In the Northern Song Dynasty, nine emperors passed down for a total of 166 years. Except for the last emperor Huizong and Qinzong, the mausoleums of the other seven emperors and empresses are here.The fall of the ancestral tomb was an unspeakable shame and humiliation for the Southern Song Dynasty.When Song Xiaozong was in power, he tried to exchange the four states for the land of the mausoleum in Henan, and sent envoys to Jin twice to ask for the land of the mausoleum, but they were all rejected by the Jin people.Song Xiaozong was full of resentment, tired of contacting state affairs again, abdicated as the Supreme Emperor, and Song Guangzong ascended the throne. This is how Empress Guangzong Li Fengniang acted out of control, and Han Yuzhou contacted everyone to support Emperor Ningzong's ascension to the throne.
What Shi Miyuan said about "returning the place of the mausoleum" refers to the matter that Song Xiaozong and other monarchs and ministers have been brooding over for many years.Because he had a reception duty, it was inconvenient for him to talk to Yue Ke, so he led Jin Shishi and others to Heyuan.
Song Ci, Yue Ke and Luo Riyuan came back to Zhongwazi again.Along the way, people in the neighborhood were discussing that last night I came to steal Yan Ge Xing, a famous courtesan in the capital.There were those who gloated, some who sighed with emotion, and more people bet on whether the beauty had been frivolously touched by the gentleman on Liang Shang, but they didn't hear a word about Fengle Tower.It seems that eclectic topics such as Flying Thieves and the Head of the Court are much more popular than the court grand master and prime minister.
Yue Ke whispered Xin Qiji's words to Song Ci, and then gifted him with the sentence "Arouse the bright moon in the sky, and shine on my chest full of ice and snow".
Song Ci said, "I understand what Gong Xin means."
Although he has been doing his best to investigate the case, he is a little hesitant deep in his heart, and occasionally reflects on whether he should do things for Han Tuozhou.Now, after hearing what Yue Ke relayed, his heart suddenly became clear - the person who assassinated Han Tuozhou may be a Jin man, or he may be someone who wants to compete with this grand master for power and profit.Naturally, we cannot forgive those who disturbed the world and Chao Gang of the Great Song Dynasty; if it is really those who are for the sake of the people of the world, unwilling to resume the Song and Jin wars, and even want to take the risk of assassinating Han Yuzhou to turn the tide, although their thinking is a bit naive, it is also true. Trying to make a difference, and risking his life to pay for practical actions, is more worthy of respect than those cynics, bombasts, cold-eyed bystanders, and hermits in the world.In any case, he needs to find out the truth, and the final ending will be based entirely on the truth.
Seeing Song Ci and Yue Ke whispering at the side, Luo Riyuan couldn't help being surprised, and asked: "What are the two officials whispering?" The two of them looked at each other and smiled, and stopped talking.
When I arrived at Chaotianmen, I happened to meet Mr. Zhao, the prefect of Lin'an, who was notified that Fengle Building could be reopened, and wanted to go to Nanyuan again to meet Han Tuozhou.
Master Zhao hurriedly got off his horse, beckoned to Yue Ke, and said in a low voice: "Yuejun horse, you came to Anfu this morning to intercede for the man Jia She who offended Wu Xi and Taiwei Wu, do you still remember?" Yue Ke said: "Of course I remember. Thank you, Mr. Fu, for your face."
Master Zhao said: "It's easy to say, they are all from our own family, so you don't have to be polite. But there is one thing I have to tell you. After Jia She left Lin'an Mansion, he was stopped by several burly men and forced to stand up. The gate of Lin'an Mansion saw it from a distance, and hurried over to stop it. But that group of people had horses and carts, and they disappeared in an instant."
Yue Ke said: "Can you see the kidnapper's face clearly?" Master Zhao said: "It's too far away, the gate didn't see clearly. But with Yue Junma's ingenuity, you don't need to see the face clearly, you should guess who did it Right. It's a pity that there is no evidence, and there is no bitter person to report Jia She's disappearance, so we can't send people to search his house rashly." The implication is nothing more than implying that Wu Xi, the commander in front of the palace, sent someone to kidnap Jia She.
Yue Ke also thought that Jia She was robbed in the street, most likely by Wu Xi's subordinates, and thought: "Before, Wu Xi sent someone to greet Zhao Zhifu, and sent his confidant Xu Jingwang to look for me, hinting that Jia She would be involved in the assassination case. Of course, I politely refused. Xu Jingwang's attitude changed abruptly, and his words were threatening. He originally wanted to blackmail me with Dugu Ce, but unfortunately I didn't know the truth at the time. Even if he knew that Wu Xi suspected me and Dugu Ce Collusion, I will not agree to him. He probably guessed that it might not be effective. He reserved a trick in advance and sent people to guard near Lin'an Mansion. When Jia She was released, he would be taken away immediately. But just as Zhao Zhifu As I said, Wu Xi is not an ordinary person, not even an ordinary official. He has no proof, so it is impossible to go directly to him to ask for someone. Jia She fell into his hands, and I am afraid that there will be no good fruit to eat. How can we rescue Jia She? Woolen cloth?"
After Master Zhao said his goodbyes, Luo Riyuan asked suspiciously: "What is the magistrate Zhao whispering to Yue Guan alone, so mysterious?"
Yue Ke told the truth about Jia She, saying: "Actually, I don't know Jia She either. Yesterday he went to Fengle Building to make trouble. I saw him for the first time at that time, and I thought he was very brave. Besides, he was only in public. It's not a big deal to blame Wu Taiwei for a few words. Except for telling his father Jia Wei that Wu Ting killed him, the rest of the words, such as Wu's army's self-respect, are all public opinions of the court. But I don't know Wu Taiwei Why are you so obsessed?"
Luo Riyuan said "hehe" twice, and said: "Wu Taiwei is still holding on to his heart. I'm afraid Jia She said in public that he is befriending the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty, and he wants to go back to Sichuan to be the leader of the third generation Wu family army."
Yue Ke pretended to suddenly realize: "So that's the case. I didn't expect this. But now that Jia She is missing, others can't help but suspect that it was Wu Taiwei who sent someone to do it. If it is true, Wu Taiwei treated a commoner like this. Doesn't that mean admitting that what Jia She said is true?"
Luo Riyuan said: "Yue Junma is very right. It is important for us to find Xiang Yushu as soon as possible." He did not mention Jia She anymore.
Yue Ke asked Song Ci in a low voice: "Do you think Wu Xi will kill Jia She?" Song Ci said: "If Wu Xi kills Jia She, even if the body cannot be found, others will suspect that it is related to him. Just like Brother Yue What he said is equivalent to confirming Jia She's words - he wants to return to Sichuan to take charge of the Wu family army. Thinking about the time when Wu Xi was just a sanitation officer and was suspected by the court, but now he can sit as the highest officer of the forbidden army, he is not a fool .I guess at most he wants to teach Jia She a lesson, to let him retreat in spite of difficulties, but nothing really happens."
Yue Ke thought about it for a while, and it was indeed the truth, so he stopped worrying about Jia She's safety for the time being.
When I came to Jiang Kui's mansion in Qingbo Gate, I asked the doormen, and found out that Yan Gexing left in a car shortly after Yu Yueyue left.
Song Ci asked: "What about my classmate Lian Shirong?" The door said: "Mr. Lian is here to see Yanniang, but Yanniang has something urgent to do, so I asked Mr. Lian to go back first, saying that I can make an appointment at another time." he."
Afraid that he would run away to Yushu, Luo Riyuan hurriedly summoned a team of imperial guards and hurried to Zhongwazi Lichun Courtyard.
The old bustard hurriedly came up to him and said, "Are all the officials here to look for Yanniang again? Yanniang just came back and is bathing and changing in her room..."
Luo Riyuan shouted: "Where is Yanniang's coachman Xiang Yushu?" The old bustard said: "The coachman... should be in Yanniang's yard."
Luo Riyuan ordered the guards to guard the exit, and rushed to the "West Building" where Yan Gexing lived with Song Ci and Yue Ke.
The West Building is located in the quietest courtyard in the West Wing of Lichun Courtyard. Its name is taken from the phrase "Who in the cloud sends brocade books? The host, Yan Gexing, loves the words of the poet Jiang Kui's "Partridge Sky", "Have you ever been used to a mandarin duck living alone, and it has turned into a wisp of cloud in the west building", and named the banquet hall and study on the second floor "A wisp of cloud", which is quite elegant. .
The west building is two stories high, covered with veils and decorated quite gorgeously.It is divided into a front yard and a back yard. There is a small gate in the front yard that connects with the main courtyard of Lichun Courtyard, and a gate in the back yard directly leads to Houshi Street.To the west of Houshi Street is the Taichang Temple and the Provincial Office of the Secretary.This setting is mainly to facilitate the entry and exit of clients with special identities.In the entire Lichun Courtyard, only Yan Gexing enjoyed this treatment.
When he entered the courtyard, he saw the coachman Xiang Yushu fetching water from the well and carrying it to wash the van.Luo Riyuan shouted: "It's taken."
Then a guard stepped forward, took the bucket from Xiang Yushu's hand, grabbed him with both hands, and cut him behind his back.
Although Xiang Yushu was surprised, he still acted quite calmly and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Luo Riyuan said: "I asked you, but you..." Suddenly hearing Yue Ke coughing heavily, he changed his words: "We are here to investigate my case, just now we just wanted to try you." Order the guards to release Xiang Yushu.
Song Ci suddenly noticed bloodstains on the front seat of the car, his heart moved, he walked over and leaned over to have a look, the car board and the seat were all bloodstained.There are some blood spots that have just clotted and look like new blood.
Song Ci asked: "Whose blood is this?" Xiang Yushu said: "It's mine." Suddenly remembering that he was a coachman, it was impossible to get in the car, and changed his words: "It's the blood of the maid Xiaohuan ” Paused, but still felt that something was wrong, and changed his words: “It’s Yanniang’s blood. She was injured by an arrow in Fengle Building last night, and she accidentally broke the wound when she was riding in the car.”
Luo Riyuan sneered and said, "The people in the west building are really getting weirder and weirder." He ordered the guards to watch over Xiang Yushu, and took the lead to break into the west building.
As soon as she entered the hall, the female envoy Xiaohuan hurried over to stop her, and then put on that fierce look, shouting: "The lady is taking a bath, what do you want to do?" Luo Riyuan said: "I just want to see the beauty It looks like you're out of the bath."
He knew that Yan Ge Xing rested on the first floor on weekdays, and the second floor was the study room and dance hall, which were specially used for entertaining guests, so he pushed Xiaohuan aside, rushed inside, and kicked open the door of the boudoir——
Yan Gexing was dressed in white, her skirt was stained with large bloodstains, her face was also covered with white gauze, only two eyes were exposed, she was sitting on the side of the bed holding a towel.床榻上躺着一名赤裸着上身的男子，身上鞭伤伤痕犹新。一旁方桌上铜盆里的水尽是红色，还有一碗半液体状的黑色药膏。房中弥漫着浓重的药气。
罗日愿也不愿意平白无故得罪艳歌行，忙道：“下官是来调查我来也案子的，见到外面车上有血，还以为艳娘遭了不测。没事就好，没事就好。”
艳歌行倒也没有生气，只柔声道：“将军请到外面稍坐，奴家马上出来为将军奉茶。”
罗日愿道：“艳娘客气了。”却不肯就此离开，假意问道：“听说我来也不但偷光了娘子的全部积蓄，还在娘子脸上留下了墨字。娘子挂着面纱，是为了遮住墨字吗？这可是重要的证据。”一边说着，一边有意走近床榻。一眼瞟见那受伤男子的面容，登时惊住，忙回头叫道：“岳官人，你要找的人在这里。”
岳珂和宋慈不便鲁莽闯入女子闺房，正等在外面，闻声忙跟了进来，果见那床榻上伤痕累累的男子正是不久前还谈到的贾涉。
岳珂惊奇得无以复加，问道：“贾兄，你……你怎么会在这里？”
贾涉受伤甚重，神志却还算清醒，道：“我被吴曦手下捉住暴打了一顿，是艳娘……艳娘救了我。”
罗日愿道：“艳娘，请你出来一下，有些话得问清楚，是关于案子和你手下车夫的。”艳歌行道：“玉书？他怎么会跟我来也的案子有关？”忙站了起来，又望望床榻上的贾涉，一时踌躇。
宋慈忙道：“我对治疗外伤有些经验，不妨让我来为贾兄擦药。”艳歌行道：“宋公子贤伉俪妙手医术，奴家昨晚早就见识过了。”便放心将药膏交给宋慈，自己跟罗日愿走了出去。
宋慈坐到贾涉身边，先用竹片挑起少许药膏，闻了一闻，道：“这是上好的金创药，但要见效快，最好是一层一层涂抹，可能会有些疼，还请贾兄稍稍忍耐些。”贾涉慨然道：“宋兄尽管动手。”
宋慈问道：“贾兄是一出临安府就被人绑架了吗？”贾涉道：“是。我虽然早料到吴曦会设法报复，可没想到他竟然派人在光天化日之下动手。”
宋慈道：“你如何能肯定一定是吴曦的手下？”贾涉道：“他们自己都承认了。”
原来贾涉在临安府大门前被一些人强行拖上车后，便被打晕了过去。再醒过来时，手脚已被绑住，眼睛也被黑布蒙住，侧躺在地上。他听见有人进来，便问道：“是不是吴巴子派你们来的？”
有人爽快地承认道：“不错，我们是吴太尉的手下。你小子吃了熊心豹子胆，敢到丰乐楼闹事，当众侮辱太尉，说，是不是有人指使你？”贾涉道：“吴挺害死家父，我跟吴家有深仇大恨，哪里还需要什么人指使？”
那人叫道：“给他点苦头尝尝。”
有人上前将贾涉拖到一口水缸边，抓住头发，将他的头强按进水中。等到他即将窒息时，才放他起来。如此几次，他连挣扎叫骂的力气都没有了，只能躺在地上喘着粗气。
等贾涉气息平复些，最初那人问道：“小子，这下服气了吗？你昨日当众说你有证据证明太尉如何如何，说，是什么证据？”贾涉道：“原来你们绑架我、折磨我，就是要得到这个。我偏不告诉你，如何？”
那人气极，便下令将贾涉绑到柱子上，取来马鞭，死命抽打，鞭下如雨。等到他昏死过去，又用凉水泼醒，继续拷问，火炙、刀割等各种酷刑都轮番上阵，对方甚至还威胁要割下他胯下的阳物。
贾涉开始尚觉得疼痛难忍，后来身体慢慢失去知觉，对高高扬起的鞭子完全麻木，神志也开始模糊起来。也不知道过了多久，终于有人将他身上绑绳解开。他倒在地上，完全不知道将要发生什么事情，不知道吴曦还要派手下人对自己下怎样的毒手。
有人朝他身上吐了一口唾沫，道：“哼，你自命英雄好汉，最终还不是要靠女人活命？若不是艳娘在太尉面前为你求情，你这次死定了。”又狠狠踢了他两脚，这才扬长而去。
忽然闻见一股淡淡的香气，有人进来，惊叫道：“他们怎么把你打成了这样？快，快扶他上车，带他回去。”
便有人上前搀贾涉起来。他勉强站直身子，虽见面前的白衣女子挂着面纱，但还是依稀可见绝代美人的风华，不由一愣，问道：“你……你不是昨晚在丰乐楼的女子吗？你……你为什么要救我？”不及等到回答，便晕了过去。
再醒来时，人已在丽春院西楼了。艳歌行告诉了贾涉事情的经过——整件事情吴曦一无所知，是他手下人偷偷做的。有神秘人同情贾涉，暗中通知了她，她遂赶去求见吴曦。吴曦知道后很是惊讶，立即下令放人，还责罚了那些绑架拷打贾涉的人。
贾涉开始尚且不信，一是不信吴曦居然不知情，二是有神秘人向艳歌行通风报信，三是吴曦这样的人物居然会买一名妓女的账。
艳歌行柔声道：“贾郎也许瞧不起奴家身份卑微，但报信的人是奴家恩人，他托付的事，奴家自然是竭尽全力去做的。吴太尉应该是真的不知情，他昨晚遇刺，受了重伤，没有心思理会别的事情。吴太尉肯立即下令放人，其实也不是给奴家面子，而是给奴家某位恩客的面子。”
贾涉见她柔情似水，言语一片至诚，这才信以为真。可无论他如何打听报信的神秘人是谁，她始终不肯透露名字。
宋慈听了经过，沉吟道：“贾兄这次得罪了吴太尉，后患不小。艳娘救你，也不过是暂时之计。等贾兄伤好些，还是考虑尽快离开京师吧。”贾涉愤然道：“家父冤情一日未能洗清，我决不会离开京师一步。”
宋慈道：“但贾兄之前也试过往官府申冤，却始终无人理睬，该知道只要吴曦尚在位上，令尊的案子是不可能翻转过来的。”
贾涉道：“这个我当然知道。所以我才千方百计地要揭发出吴曦的野心，绝不能让他如愿以偿回去四川当第三代吴家军首领，那样便会衍生出第四代、第五代吴家军首领，吴家坐大一方，家父的案子更是没有昭雪的希望了。”顿了顿，又道：“宋兄，你既是岳珂兄的好友，应该也是个有正义感的好人，难道你忍心看到一个无辜蒙冤的人永远背负通敌叛国的恶名吗？”
宋慈道：“听岳兄说，你昨晚在丰乐楼高喊你有证明吴太尉包藏祸心的证据，大概这也是吴太尉手下人不肯放过你的原因。他们拷打你，也是为了得到它。那证据到底是什么？”
贾涉神秘一笑，道：“其实我没有证据。我只是有意那么说，目的就是要吓吓吴曦，让他从此睡不好觉。”
宋慈这才恍然大悟，既赞赏贾涉为父申冤的毅力和勇气，又惋惜他的莽撞和笨拙，想了想，问道：“这件事……我是说，贾兄并没有证据这件事，可有告诉艳娘？”贾涉道：“适才艳娘也问过我这个，我直言不讳地告诉她了。”
宋慈道：“甚好。贾兄只要不再去惹吴太尉，暂时不会有事。”又道：“药上完了。贾兄请先坐一会儿，等药膏晾得干些，才能再上药布。”贾涉道：“是，多谢。”
艳歌行跟随罗日愿和岳珂出来客厅，罗日愿便径直问她车夫向玉书昨晚可有上过丰乐楼三楼。
艳歌行道：“玉书说想见见世面，奴家便带了他上去，但他一直躲在人群后面，没有碍官人们的正事啊。”
罗日愿道：“那么艳娘该知道向玉书跟韩太师有私仇了？”艳歌行支吾道：“这个……应该是陈年旧事了，具体奴家也不十分清楚。”
罗日愿道：“昨晚西湖水中弹出机关，除了藏在水中斩断绳索的任会外，应该还有一个同伙在三楼向他发出信号。这个人，就是向玉书吧？”
艳歌行这才知道对方不是为西楼失窃案而来，惊得花容变色，忙道：“将军说玉书跟刺客同谋？不，不可能，绝对不可能。”着慌之下，眼泪都流了出来。
岳珂忙道：“艳娘别慌。其实，三楼的许多人都有嫌疑，我们只是在一个一个地排查。当然，像向玉书这种不在宾客名单上却想到三楼看热闹的，嫌疑肯定是要大些。”
艳歌行道：“玉书是绝对不可能这么做的。”举袖抹了抹眼泪，幽幽道：“他本是宰相贵婿，为了奴家才落到今日的地步。奴家当时就站在上首，他亲眼所见，怎么可能还发信号催促刺客发射机关？”
罗日愿道：“也许向玉书怀恨艳娘，正想连你一并铲除呢？”
艳歌行道：“将军也许不信奴家的话，但玉书是绝不会害奴家的，他宁可赔上自己的性命，也不愿意看到奴家受伤。”又问道：“奴家想多嘴问一句，如果真是有内奸，要如何发出信号呢？”
岳珂道：“从现场的情形来推测，最大的可能是，内奸走到宴会厅的西南或西北位置，向湖中同伙打出手势。”
艳歌行摇了摇头，道：“那么就肯定不会是玉书了。他当时正要离开三楼，楼梯口可是在东南角。奴家留意到当时宋嫂宋易安也站在那里，她应该可以为玉书作证。”
罗日愿发现了向玉书的线索后，急不可待地赶来丽春院追查，原本是想立个大功，此刻听到向玉书很可能与行刺无关，不免有些气馁，到门口挥手令卫士放人，再进来往一旁闷闷坐了。
岳珂问道：“机关弹起时，艳娘正站在东首屏风前，视线正好对着西湖，可有留意到有什么不同寻常的事情？”
艳歌行道：“当时陈丞相举杯致辞，全体人都站了起来，奴家只能看到南、北两面最前排的情形，看不到岳公子所说的西南或西北角位置。不过一定要说有什么不同寻常的话，奴家看到南首末位的礼部侍郎兼刑部侍郎史弥远史官人转头去看西湖了。因为所有人都望着东首的陈丞相，唯独他转过了头去，所以显得相当突出，奴家一眼就看到了。”
史弥远是名臣史浩之子，跟韩侂胄一向不大和睦，从来不肯巴结依附，由此被朝中正直大臣视为未来的中流砥柱。韩侂胄为此很是不满，偏偏史弥远是名家子弟，文章写得极好，很讨宁宗皇帝的喜欢，又跟后宫贵妃杨桂枝结盟，韩侂胄也拿其无可奈何。
史弥远还兼任资善堂直讲，专门负责给皇子讲书。昨晚荣王赵曮到来时，他显是十分意外，还特意上前道：“下官实在料不到大王会出宫来参加寿宴。”现在想来，这句话着实可疑。如果史弥远真是参与了刺杀，他早知道当晚坐在首席的人将死于乱箭之下。然而荣王既到，理该他替代韩侂胄坐在首席，这大概就是史弥远的忧虑了，所以才有那么一句话。
罗日愿重重一拍桌子，道：“哼，还是韩太师看得准，早就猜到行刺这件事不简单，多半跟宫里那位姓杨的有关。果不其然是这样！内奸一定就是史弥远了。”
艳歌行最害怕听到涉及宫闱秘密一类的事，忙道：“几位官人来到奴家这里，不是来调查我来也的案子吗？”
正好宋慈为贾涉上完药出来，罗日愿便道：“我来也的案子由宋官人主持。艳娘也别小觑了他，他目下可是韩太师眼中的大红人。”
他听到艳歌行适才指认了史弥远，急于赶回南园向韩侂胄禀报，便问道：“下官已经打发卫士走了。天色不早，两位官人……”
岳珂抢着道：“我和宋慈今晚想留在这里。”罗日愿道：“那下官就先回去了。明日一早再来这里与二位会合。”古古怪怪一笑，拱手去了。
艳歌行嘤嘤泣道：“那我来也不但窃走了奴家的全部家当，还在奴家脸上留字侮辱。之前奴家派女使小环到临安府报案，赵知府称目下京师大事甚多，不予理睬。还请宋官人为奴家做主。”
宋慈本没有受命调查我来也一案，但到了眼前这个地步，也不得不应了下来，先请女使小环取来纸笔，又道：“可否请艳娘将面纱取下来？我得描下我来也留下的字样，作为采样证据。”
艳歌行犹豫了下，还是举手摘下了面纱，捋起刘海。她白皙如玉的脸颊上各写着一个“我”和“也”字，额头正中则是一个“来”字，两边还各画有一只乌龟。墨字都是近两寸见方，尽可能地占据了整个脸颊和额头。
艳歌行泣道：“奴家请人看过，据说这墨里加了什么粉，水洗不掉，要半个月后才会自行褪色淡去。”
岳珂道：“前一阵同知枢密院事程松家里也被我来也光顾，因为他的宅子正好在军器监官署附近，我与同僚到他家去看过，见到我来也在墙壁上留下的粉字。艳娘脸上的虽是墨字，但的确是我来也的笔迹。”
小环忍不住插口道：“那我来也盗走钱财也就罢了，却为何还要在娘子脸上留下水洗不掉的墨字？干嘛不用他的老手段，用粉笔在墙壁上留字？”
宋慈道：“我来也这次换用墨笔，只有一种可能，他跟娘子有私人恩怨。”
艳歌行停止哭泣，愕然道：“私人恩怨？此话何解？”宋慈道：“就是说，艳娘一定在什么地方见过我来也，并因为什么事结下了什么仇怨。”
小环惊道：“宋公子是说艳娘认得我来也？”宋慈道：“艳娘不一定认识对方，但一定因为什么事得罪过他。”
小环道：“我家娘子出门都是乘坐车子，没有什么机会跟外人打交道。若真要说得罪人，就是那些慕名来访、却被拒之门外的风流公子了。”又道：“会不会是赵知府家的赵三公子？他一直怀恨艳娘，而且我去临安府报案时，赵知府还不断推诿搪塞。”
岳珂摇头道：“不会是赵三公子。且不说他不可能有一身飞檐走壁的功夫，单是从这字便可以看出，我来也是个粗人，字写得乱七八糟，笔画也没有写全。他应该读书不多，长期混迹于市井之间。”
宋慈道：“我描好了，请艳娘戴上面纱吧。”
艳歌行忽然盈盈下拜，恳求道：“请二位公子务必捉住我来也，追回奴家的失物。别的财物也就罢了，那里面有一只金盒，是奴家祖传之物，意义重大，请二位公子援手。”
岳珂忙示意小环扶她起来，道：“我来也来无影、去无踪，单从艳娘这件案子极难追踪，还得查阅之前他犯下的案子，寻找共通点，才能有迹可寻。”
艳歌行道：“是。二位公子需要什么，尽管开口，奴家一定尽力去办，只求帮忙找回母亲的遗物。”
岳珂见她一脸倦色，忙道：“艳娘忙了一天，先去歇息吧。我来也的案子就交给我们。”
艳歌行明日一早还要赶去清波门姜夔府邸为师傅高琼娘守灵，便点了点头，道：“楼上有现成客房，小环会准备妥当。奴家已在前院订了酒菜，一会儿就会送到，请二位公子用餐后早些歇息。奴家告退。”
趁旁人都不在的工夫，宋慈便将余月月提及的西域奇花彼岸一事说了。岳珂极是骇然，道：“既然彼岸生长在昆仑之巅，极为难得，这布置毒局的人，一定相当不简单了。”
正好小环出来，问道：“客房在楼上，二位公子是这就要上去看看吗？”宋慈道：“不用麻烦娘子。我和岳兄正好有点事要说，实在困了，往交椅上一靠就行。”
小环冷笑道：“宋公子是嫌那些嫖客脏吧？”
宋慈确实是这么想，可被对方明语揭穿，又极是尴尬，不知该如何回答。
岳珂忙道：“小环，我正好有事问你。你家娘子又是中箭、又是中毒，还被我来也窃走了全部家当，你怎么好像无事人一般，一点也不难过？”
小环道：“我没必要难过啊。我家娘子中箭未死，大难不死，表明她必有后福。至于财物被窃，更不值当了，娘子的钱来得容易极了。这次我来也窃走了所有金银财宝，不出几月，她房中便又是金山银海了。况且，丢的又不是我的钱，我为什么要难过？”
岳珂道：“你年纪虽小，却有见识。我瞧你不像是走投无路的人，你是有意留在艳歌行身边的吗？”小环从容道：“小环丧父丧母，京师虽大，却无小环容身之地，是艳娘好心收留了我，我没有什么目的。”
岳珂道：“那你为什么……”小环道：“我为什么对西楼失窃无动于衷，对吧？因为我觉得对艳娘来说，最重要的不是金银珠宝，而是自由和爱她的人，这些都是我来也偷不走的。最珍贵的东西都还在，又有什么可难过的呢？”
岳珂和宋慈相视一眼，心中各自大为惊叹，愈发觉得此女不凡。
忽听得有人在外面叫道：“艳娘订的酒菜到了。”小环道：“进来吧，就放在这里。”
几名小厮鱼贯而入，各自将食盒中菜肴、器具摆