Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Arrested

The chief examiner in charge of Chunwei this time is Zhang Tingyu, a bachelor of Baohedian and also a minister of the Ministry of officials.It is not known whether an official is clean or not, but he is cautious and cautious, and has always adhered to the attitude of "everything is worse than silence".He was highly valued by the former emperor, and has been an official for two dynasties. Today's emperor even thinks that he is "pure in stature and sincere in his service", and praises him as the most capable minister among the ministers. The important minister who enjoyed such praise was cited as the humerus, and he was fully responsible for the examination of the Tribute Academy.However, such a big accident happened, and he couldn't help feeling anxious, and soon fell ill.Before he lay down on the couch, he found out that there is a very secret place in the capital, which specializes in buying and selling palace examination questions. Its supernatural powers are shocking.

According to the rules of the DPRK and China, after passing the general examination, a candidate can be used as an alternate official and is already qualified to be an official.However, the number of official vacancies left idle every year is extremely limited, so there are very few people who are promoted to be officials.There are too many monks, and most of the candidates are looking forward to successfully entering the palace examination in the end, becoming a disciple of the emperor, an imperial scholar, and then being an official.Those who went to Beijing to take the exam by virtue of favoritism and fraud, if they didn't want to get water from a bamboo basket, they could only dredge up relationships or buy and sell exam questions, and they might still have a chance to enter the palace exam.

Inside the Candidate Posthouse in Dongcheng, the candidates were scattered all over the place to review their homework.The servant in charge of the posthouse came in, first looked around, and saw that the clothes were bright and expensive, and the food on the table was good, so he handed over a post, nodded and bowed, and tried his best to please. On this day, Zhao Fudong came in with a thick stack of name cards, scanned around, but found nothing.In fact, all the Juren with good family backgrounds and solid foundations have all lived in inns - superior rooms, separate living rooms, clean and undisturbed.Or contract a courtyard in the capital, with a single door and a single courtyard, which shows an extraordinary family background.Most of those who can live in post houses have no family background to speak of, they just wash the sand with big waves, and every one they find is one.Zhao Fudong glanced over leisurely, but stopped in front of a small round table.

There were two people sitting at the table, one was quite young and the other was handsome. They were sitting together, holding a book and shaking their heads while reciting it.The meals are not much different, but the clothes on his body are not ordinary. If his eyesight is not clumsy, it should be the satin material in Jinxiu Zhai. A bolt of ten taels of gold is worth more than palace satin. The one white and one black are two colors Satin, shimmering like gold and silver in the sun. "What is this, I don't want to eat it. Is there anyone? Serve me a plate of crispy duck, pear flower stuffed dumplings, Sixi soup, and two pots of good Nurhong!" The cry came from the young examinee. He shouted out from his mouth, he thought it was a restaurant, but he started to order food and wine.This could not help arousing the resentment of other candidates reviewing books, they all frowned and cast dissatisfied glances.But the young master knocked on the table again without realizing it, and said loudly: "Where are people? Everyone is dead!"

At this time, the young man in charge of the accounts ran over, with an impatient expression on his face, his nose was not his nose, his face was not his face, and said, "What are you doing? If you want to eat some duck, go to He Fu Lou to buy it. There is no service here!" As soon as he finished speaking, he was hit on the head by a flying object. Covering his face with a cry of "Ouch", the boy was about to yell, but when he took a closer look, what fell on the ground was a shiny object, and he was stunned for a moment——gold, he was hit by a gold ingot up! "The food here is really bad. My fourth brother and I don't like it. Change it quickly. If you can't make it, go buy it!" The young examinee took out another gold ingot from the embroidery bag without looking at it. Just put it on the table with a snap.The man next to him looked up at this moment, but because of that sentence, his eyes fluctuated slightly.

The boy had changed into another face, he picked up the gold ingot with his hands on his forehead happily, and then said flatteringly: "Yes, yes, yes, I'll do it now, you two. Wait a moment, wait a moment." !” After saying that, he ran out to prepare dishes in a flash. But he said that Zhao Fudong was watching coldly from one side, seeing this posture, he might as well walk over quickly.When I got closer, I took out a famous post and put it on the table, "You two young masters, please excuse me. Our master is one of the few private school teachers in the capital. If you take this post and ask him to tutor the two of you, high school There must be more opportunities than others."

Lian Xin picked up the name post and glanced at it. It only wrote the words "Bright future", "It says it's Mr. Private School, but you don't even have an address on it, how can we get there?" Zhao Fudong gave a bow, and said with a pleasant smile: "Don't worry, young master, there is a carriage at home, and I can pick you up when the time comes." "It's quite interesting. But let me tell you, neither of us has ever studied anything, and we were forced by our parents to take the exam. If we fail the exam, we can just play it, it doesn't matter."

"Where there is a will, there is a way. Look at the two masters who are generous and have an extraordinary bearing. If you don't fly, you may fly. You may fly to the sky. The two masters can wait for the carriage to pick them up at any time!" Others walked away happily holding the famous post in their arms. Lian Xin and Yin Zhen looked at each other, and there was a trace of solemnity in their eyes. After that, for three consecutive days, every day after Yinzhen finished his morning court, he would take Lian Xin to the post house.The two of them got tired of staying in the whole post house and walked around the whole street, but they didn't wait for the person who said they would come to pick them up that day.

The sun was setting.At this moment, the wine shop on the street was about to close, and all the guys in the shop came out, moving door panels one by one to block the front of the shop.After the lock was locked, the shopkeeper who was banging on the abacus beckoned them to go over and pile up the tables, chairs and benches.The golden-orange sunset has lost its last gleam of brilliance in the sky, and night is approaching. Lian Xin, who was still dressed in men's attire, was bored watching the Beijing opera faces on the stall, but none of them caught her eye.The emperor just went to a teahouse to drink some tea, and chatted with some of the scholars.It is said that in the examination of the Gongyuan, the most evil ones were the Juren from Henan. Most of them were illiterate, but some of them could not even recite simple poems, let alone the Four Books and Five Classics.Halfway through Lian Xin's hearing, a servant from the Bachelor's Mansion arrived, dressed as an examinee, but came to deliver news.In order not to attract attention, she simply came out for a stroll first.

These days, I have been waiting for the day when I vowed to find the steward of Mr. Private School for them, but just because he didn't show up for a long time, it just shows that there is something strange in it.The Tribute Academy will try to engage in private fraud, and if you are not careful, you will lose your head. If there is no perfect plan, it will not be easily exposed.Before that, Zhang Tingyu had already prepared the identities of her and him. If someone came to check, they would only find out that they were unlearned and incompetent sons of a wealthy family in Shanxi, and even the rural examinations were bought with money.

Lian Xin was holding a Peking Opera mask, thinking ecstatically, at this moment, a carriage suddenly came galloping.The horse's hooves raised dust, and even the stalls were overturned wherever they passed.When Lian Xin turned her head, the carriage was already approaching, her eyes widened, she wanted to dodge to one side but it was too late, she exclaimed, it was too late, but the next moment she was hit by the hand stretched out from the carriage Pulled into the car. "Save..." Before the word "life" could be uttered, it was tightly covered in his mouth. In broad daylight, she was kidnapped into a carriage on the streets of the capital.The coachman outside raised his whip, shouted loudly, and drove the carriage straight to the west city and galloped past. Her heart was beating like a drum, Lian Xin was clinging tightly to her sleeves, the car windows were tightly covered by thick black curtains, so she could neither see the outside nor let in a ray of light.Lian Xin tried to turn her head to look at the person who dragged her into the carriage, but she was tied behind her back and couldn't move her hands.The hand covering her face was released at this moment, and Lian Xin was about to yell when she heard a slightly familiar voice, "Don't be afraid, young master, this slave is the person in charge who gave you the name card for Mr. Private School that day... " Lian Xin's shoulders trembled slightly, and she froze suddenly when she heard these words.The post house, the famous post... It was the person who proposed to take them away, but he appeared in this way after waiting for three full days.While her thoughts were spinning, her heart calmed down, but she still said in a trembling tone: "You...where are you taking me?" After Lian Xin finished speaking, she naturally followed the voice, her eyes It was covered with a black cloth. A moment later, the voice sounded again leisurely, "Young master, don't worry, you'll know when you arrive. My servant, I'm leading you to find Qiancheng." The carriage was driving northward along the flat road, and the driver galloped with a whip. It was still stable at first, but when it turned a corner, it bumped suddenly.The people in the carriage swayed with the carriage, Lian Xin couldn't sit still, and when she fell, her head hit the carriage hard, grinning in pain.The person sitting next to her patted the floor of the car and shouted: "Slow down, don't knock the young master down." The coachman answered indistinctly, but the speed of the car did not slow down.It took half a cup of tea like this, and finally stopped in front of an old and quaint pavilion. The four-story red-painted building is an open house with open doors on three sides, and the front porch and attic are painted with baked blue paintings.The inner room imitates the style of the south of the Yangtze River with blue bricks and gray tiles. The foundation of the building is very high, and it is padded with snow-white marble for three inches. It is a lotus brick, with stone pillars and bluestone fences with animal heads on both sides.But it is a pavilion with Tang style. Lian Xin was brought in blindfolded, unable to see the scenery of the courtyard or the appearance of the pavilion. It was not until she entered the main hall that someone took off the black cloth from her face.The sun came oncoming in an instant. When I opened my eyes, I was a little uncomfortable with the glare of the light. Lian Xin raised her hand to block it, and the luxurious and bright decoration in the hall came into view - rosewood chairs on three sides, and the ground in the middle was made of gold thread brocade The red carpet of prosperity and auspiciousness, a black lacquered and gold-plated plaque is hung in the hall, and a person stands with his back facing himself under the plaque. "Everyone has worked hard all the way. Today, my master specially invites you to come to the house because he knows that you are all young masters from rich and noble backgrounds, and they all have lofty aspirations. They want to get good grades in this exam and are qualified. Enter the palace examination." The man did not turn around, but only said in a leisurely tone. Only then did Lian Xin realize that it wasn't just her, there were other people who were brought in one after another, all dressed in brocade costumes, of different ages, rubbing their eyes at this moment, everyone's face was full of shock Fu Ding's expression—it turned out that he was picking someone up, but he was actually robbing him.I don't know if I just disappeared out of thin air. Will the emperor, who was receiving news from the people in the scholar's mansion in the posthouse, be aware of it... "Did you do this? Do you know who I am? I am a cousin of Mr. Daotai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If the broken carriage accidentally knocked me off, would you be able to afford it?" Several of the people who were brought in had the same reaction as this person, showing their identities in a hurry.Lian Xin stood on one side and listened quietly, watched quietly, and memorized the appearances of the candidates present in her mind. Zhao Fudong, the steward of the posthouse, was standing next to him, lowering his eyebrows and drooping his eyes, without saying a word.At this moment, he turned his back to the person standing in front of the plaque, and it turned out to be an old man about fifty years old, with gray hair and a gray beard, squinting his eyes, looking at the inner hall with a pleasant smile. As soon as he opened his mouth, he didn't save any face, "If you talk about your status, I don't think you all add up to the weight of my master alone. The cousin of Mr. Daotai? Is it even counted if you can't beat it? What else? The aunts and uncles of the prefect, the cousin of the magistrate... If anyone has the ability to stand in the Hall of Supreme Harmony and participate in the Emperor's Palace Examination without passing the general examination, get out from here now." The few high-spirited scholars at first were rendered speechless by his words.If anyone really has that ability, what are they going to do for a while... Lian Xin was speechless for a while, what kind of powerful identity, dare to say such outrageous words?Or... If you really have such a great ability, your hands and eyes can reach the sky! "Now, my master pities that you are all talents but you are underappreciated. I am afraid that you will be squeezed out by those who have connections in the court. I will give you a chance. Sit down now and write down your names, ages, flags...etc. My master has read and checked it, and will naturally give you special counseling and teaching." After he finished speaking, a young man came up with a tray, which contained pens, inks, papers and inkstones. Lian Xin was assigned to sit on one of the open chairs, looked at the rice paper in front of her, picked up a pen, glanced around, and glanced at the person next to her seemingly absently.But seeing that everyone is full of inexplicable and confused expressions at this moment, frowning, but the pens in their hands are still not falling - they all know that this is not a child's play, so they just write down their family background, just in case If someone sees it or accidentally leaks it out, isn't it just a matter of moving your head? "You want to have a bright future, but you are still so afraid of wolves and tigers, don't you guys have the guts?" The old man in a brocade suit stroked his beard, raised his eyebrows, and glanced at everyone's faces. In the past, "my master has a heart of cherishing talents, and he doesn't want to hand over the rare opportunities to you? It's still the same sentence, if you want to stay in the official career, if you don't want to, the slaves in the mansion are here anytime, anywhere. I can send you all back!" The dudes who were born in a wealthy family were more or less fearful and suspicious, but couldn't bear the face after hearing this, gritted their teeth secretly, picked up a pen and wrote on the rice paper.When other people see that someone is willing to write, they start to write. Lian Xin looked at the snow-white rice paper in front of her and thought for a while, then bent her index finger and wrote crookedly: Zhang Junxin, weak crown, Shanxi native, Han... When everyone finished writing, Zhao Fudong came over and put them away one by one, glanced at them a few times, and then took them behind the screen for a while, during which there was the sound of pages being turned and the crisp sound of the brush touching the pen holder.After he came out, he pointed out a few of them to the young man and ordered them to lead them to the side hall first. The people left in the main hall looked at each other, and after waiting for a long time, they heard him say slowly: "I just saw it, the family background of the few... is really not decent. The people who were invited in just now are all the family members of the officials from all sides. If you have status, if you pave the way for them, it will naturally not take much trouble, but the few present here..." He said this with a lot of meaning, and smiled meaningfully, "If my father is a mansion, a Taoist , I don’t need to take the imperial examination anymore!” "That's right, just give me a quick word. I don't have any family background. The young master is the only son of the rice grain king in Yixing, Jiangsu. He has no family background and no knowledge, but there are plenty of bank notes. Let's make a price!" "Examination at the Tribute Court, policy questioning in front of the palace, how can it be so easy..." Zhao Fudong said with a smile, waved his hand, and asked the servant to come in with a few antique calligraphy and paintings, "My master is very fond of everyone. Plus, I won’t treat you badly. How about this, let’s transfer the depreciation of these items to the young masters first, so we can make a decision first.” It's all simple stuff, it's stoneware, it's fake, but who cares?The value of these objects is not in themselves... "Masters, you can bid as you wish. Of course, one thousand taels is one thousand taels, and one hundred thousand taels is one hundred thousand taels. If you are sincere, you will surely get what you want." Lian Xin looked at the vases in front of her, the three-color square vase with two dragon ears on the ink ground, and the Jun kiln, not to mention one hundred thousand taels, even ten taels were worthless.At this time, someone exclaimed, but they touched something in the porcelain bottle.She turned the square bottle upside down, shook the bottle mouth downwards, and saw a piece of paper fluttering down from it, with two large characters written in red cinnabar on it—examination questions. "This……" "Daxing Bank must have bank accounts all over the place. If you young masters can afford the money, you will naturally see a bright future. Once you are admitted to the imperial examination, are you afraid that the things you spilled will not be recovered?" In three years, the prefect was cleared, and one hundred thousand snowflakes were awarded.If everyone can afford to be an official if they can afford it, wouldn't it be possible that the children of the rich and the rich all over the world can be named on the gold list?Lian Xin looked at the gold sprinkled paper in her hand with a broken smile. At this moment, one of them stood up suddenly, "If your master can really let me be awarded the top three Jinshi, let alone one hundred thousand taels, even one million taels can afford it!" The young son who claimed to be the only son of Jiangsu Rice King. The old man turned around slowly, with a look of tranquility on his face, "Young master, don't just talk but don't practice." At this moment, many people present took out bank notes from their pockets, and those who did not carry a lot when they went out also took off the tokens worn on their belts.Lian Xin looked at herself, but found that apart from a gold folding fan, she didn't even have a purse.Originally, I was doing men's clothing, so I took off all the jewelry from my daughter's house, and didn't buy any pendants. The boy who collected things came to him holding the tray, Lian Xin stood up in embarrassment, cupped her hands and said, "Sorry, I was in a hurry to go out, and I didn't have any valuables. I'm too shy, can I have a next time..." Zhao Fudong had seen her in the posthouse, so he recognized her naturally, walked over with a pleasant smile, and just about to speak, he heard the old man say: "This young master... has a very sweet face." Lian Xin's face tightened, "All of you here are Juren who came to Beijing from different places to take part in the examination. It's normal if you haven't seen them before." "That being said, the old man looked at the young master's face..." The old man walked over with his beard stroked, his eyes fixed on Lian Xin's face without blinking, as if he didn't let go of every expression on it, as if he had something to say think. Lian Xin stood motionless, letting her scrutinize her.Suddenly, the old man's eyebrows trembled, but he squinted his eyes and turned around her, and then said in a serious tone: "It's really strange, the young master is a man, and he doesn't even have an Adam's apple..." After finishing her sentence, her heart sank suddenly, "Late-borns have wonderful bones, they are born with this, old people don't want to make jokes." The old man stared at her, "Yes, but why doesn't this old man look like you? Besides, the young master not only doesn't have an Adam's apple, but also has pierced ears on his earlobes... Just as soon as you walked in, the old man felt that there was something wrong with you, and everyone else felt that there was something wrong with you." It's self-contained, but your eyes keep rolling around. Tell me, who are you, are you playing tricks?" Lian Xin looked slightly stagnant, and forced a smile, "What is the old man talking about? Those who come here are all looking for career and career prospects. Could it be that the old man doesn't have the ability to know the sky at all, but he is deliberately fooling people here, After receiving the money, you don’t want to do anything anymore, just relying on bragging to get money?" She bit back, and everyone present showed puzzled expressions when they heard the words. "What a smart doll, but the old man can't be fooled by you. Come on, take off his hat and see if it's a male or a female!" As soon as the words fell, a servant rushed up fiercely. Lian Xin wanted to defend herself, but she was already framed by people from left to right, and it was too late to struggle at this time.The hat was taken off abruptly, the braids on the top of the hair fell on the shoulders, and a few strands of black hair hung down the cheeks, a little messy due to pulling, but it was her daughter's dress. "It's really a woman!" The people present were in an uproar. Lian Xin shook her hands and wanted to break free, but her arms were twisted backwards and she couldn't move, she said in a high voice, "Can't a girl be an official? What if I came here instead of my father and brother?" Hearing the words, the old man looked up to the sky and laughed until tears came out, "I don't know what the little girl wants to say? Of course women can be officials, but it's not in our Qing Dynasty. If the girl was born in the previous dynasties, Maybe I can go to war as Hua Mulan and Mu Guiying!" After he finished speaking, the others also laughed. At this moment, the old man's complexion was condensed, his brows were half raised, and his eyes showed a chill, "It turns out that he is not only a troublemaker, but also a saboteur. Come here, take this little girl down and lock her in the woodshed. " Lian Xin knew that she couldn't resist, but she still shouted "Let go" and struggled hard.The servant impatiently escorted her out of the main hall, and went straight to a dilapidated housing estate on the west side. Pushing open the door, there was a musty smell coming from inside, the servant pushed back and pushed Lian Xin inside.When the door closed behind her and the latch was locked, she saw that the people outside had gone far away, and then she fell to the ground weakly. It's called a firewood house, but it doesn't even have a straw pile, only a few bundles of broken cotton batting piled up in the corner, showing a gray-black mottled color, and it has been damp for many months, exuding a musty smell. Lian Xin lowered her head, a complicated look flashed across her eyes.Being found out like this, and then being locked up, if there is no foreign aid, it may be difficult to survive, let alone get out. This mansion should be the source of the scientific examination fraud case, and the people inside are the participants and perpetrators, and the accomplices are all there, and the mastermind is still owed. If she is allowed to escape, all these people will not be able to escape.What kind of huge official power is involved in this, and how many people's lives are related to it?It's no wonder they don't come and work hard if they block their way of making money. She is too careless and too conceited, just relying on herself and the few clues she got with him these two days, she wants to find out the long-standing malpractice, in the end, it may even cost her life catch up.However, it's not without chance, isn't it... The hand hidden in the sleeve is holding a piece of paper tightly at this moment, pinching it a little tightly, the paper is already wrinkled. Lian Xin squatted on the ground with her back facing the door, so that she could not see what she was doing from the outside.This note was stuffed into her hand by one of the servants who was escorting her just now, and Lian Xin didn't even bother to brush up her messy hair. Lian Xin smoothed the note slowly, but there was only one word written on it: Wait. Perhaps because of her relationship, the people in the main hall quickly dispersed, and the snatched candidates were covered with black cloth and sent back to the post house in a carriage.Lian Xin was sitting on the floor of the woodshed, listening to the noisy footsteps outside hurriedly sounding and then disappearing, they should have already left, and after that, even the voice of the guard boy's conversation disappeared.The sunlight came in through the window sills, casting a layer of mottled shadows on the ground, and the inner courtyard was silent. If he found out that he was lost, he didn't know what he would think.Lian Xin hugged her knees, resting her sharp chin on her knees.In front of her life is vast and life is slim, but at this moment, her heart is surprisingly peaceful. Will someone come to rescue her?At the foot of the emperor in the capital, it should not be difficult to find this place.However, this place is also the hiding place of the people involved in the case. If it is so easy to be discovered, how can it be so peaceful all the time?What is the difference between being able to find it and not being able to find it?I just discovered a little sign, there are not enough clues, and there is not enough evidence. If I rashly lead troops here, wouldn't it be a warning?It will not be so simple to catch clues in the future. Compared with a concubine, the court fraud case in the court really has more weight.Don't say that it's only a few days of getting along with each other, the relationship is light, even if the relationship is deep, if it's me, I won't take immediate action under the balance.But these people involved in the case will definitely not wait too long...There have been people who disrupt the situation, and keeping her is keeping the disaster.In case someone finds here one day, won't the crime be leaked?Maybe before tomorrow morning, they will attack her... Lian Xin sighed softly, it turned out that there is nothing more fragile than human life.To live, one is destined to struggle for the rest of one's life, to die, everything in the world is cut off from it.I just vowed to stay in the palace well, I just decided to be a substitute, and it will be over so soon... Time passed by little by little, and it was really hard to be confined in such a narrow and simple housing estate.She fell on her knees and gradually fell asleep.When the coolness slowly invaded the upper body and chilled the thin brocade robe, the sky outside was already dark, and the night quietly permeated up. In the middle of the night, the sky was dark and dark, without even a single star, only a crescent moon hanging in the distance like a sickle, shining a faint and cold silver light.At this moment, even the magpies and birds were silent, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing the leaves, making it even more desolate and dead.At this moment, there was a rattling sound in the courtyard, and it was very clear that there was something flickering in the dim moonlight—someone was sharpening a knife. In the firewood room, the girl sitting on the ground with her knees hugged, her clothes were messed up and covered with mud, she looked extremely embarrassed.Her slender shoulders trembled a little due to the cool night breeze, but she was already weak and pitiful before she saw her.However, on the face buried between the knees, a pair of eyes were wide open, and the eyes were as cold as the moon. The footsteps of someone passing by in the yard just now were heavy, as if they were under a heavy weight, so there was a heavy panting sound, and then there was the sound of sharpening a knife.Sharpening a knife in the middle of the night is neither a clerk in the kitchen, nor is it just a meaningless act to scare her deliberately. And poisoned wine, either of them would easily kill her. At this time, footsteps sounded in the courtyard, getting closer, but they stopped outside the window, showing no intention of coming in.Lian Xin quickly closed her eyes, breathing long and evenly, as if she had slept peacefully for a long time.The person outside the door looked inside on tiptoe for a moment, then left. "It's said that she fell asleep, you still don't believe it!" said the boy who was straddling the whetstone, spit on the edge of the knife, and began to grind vigorously back and forth. The person next to him glanced at him, as if he was smiling, "Sir, the person inside is our reminder, and no one is allowed to talk casually. If she listens to a sentence or a sentence, it will be fatal. It's just strange, if it's a disaster, it's over if you kill it, why is it so troublesome to buy her a coffin?" "What do you know, at the feet of the Son of Heaven, if you say you kill someone, you will kill him. Do you think it's in your hometown in Henan?" Henan, Henan again. Lian Xin could hear their conversation clearly, but her thoughts were in a thousand turns.The coffin...was prepared for her?So, she is about to be dealt with?Before being escorted in, the note that the man gave her had already been torn into shreds. The word "waiting" on it was supposed to make her calm down and wait and see what happened, but would someone really come to rescue her? Will there be a turning point... This is the first time that she hates herself so much for being a daughter. If she has a half-movement of martial arts, how can she be caught so easily, without even a chance to fight back? At this moment, the lights in the scholar's mansion were all on.Twelve red paper lanterns were hung in the corridor, and the wind lanterns under the moon eaves were also on. Bright night pearls were inlaid on the wall of the study room, and the bright light illuminated the inside as bright as day. Armored guards guarded the entrance of the mansion with sharp knives in their hands.After receiving the order, the Wucheng Bingmasi guards who drove here quietly were about to arrive, and the mansion shrouded in the night was filled with a tense and stagnant atmosphere. A handsome man stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, his face sinking like water.Standing behind him were Zhang Tingyu, Jiang Tingxi and Su Peisheng, all bowing their heads in silence, not even daring to breathe. At this moment, a man in an official gown of the skylark pattern hurried across the threshold, breaking the solemnity of the room.He walked straight up to the man, cupped his hands and bowed, "Report to the emperor, I have found clues to the person who kidnapped the young lady." "Say." "My minister found out that the people who took Miss away during the day had been in and out of the fireworks area many times. According to the old bustard there, not all of them were locals, but most of them were Fuding guards from other places. Working as an errand in a courtyard on the outskirts of the city, he enters and exits in style and spends money generously, not like ordinary servants of the mansion." Yinzhen's eyes were dark, squinting, and a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes, "So, it's not just that there are relatives of the emperor who are behind the scenes, but also a certain feudal official is involved, setting up private courtyards and private meetings in the capital to conspire. ?” It was Tian Wenjing who was wearing the official robe of the Skylark. At this time, his face was a little gloomy, and he said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, according to the old bustard, the accents of those servants in the mansion sound like...Henan people." The candlestick on the table slapped, the flame flickered, the jumping blue flame exuded weak heat, tears rolled down, and a thick layer of wax oil was piled up on the smooth rosewood table top. The man in front of the window frowned for a moment of silence, and said decisively, "Let Erdo bring the elite of the Eight Banners with the White Banner to go over immediately." "Your Majesty, I feel that something is wrong." Zhang Tingyu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke out. He paused, and continued, "Except for a few shrimps and crabs, no real big fish has been caught. If we rashly send troops at this moment , not only can’t catch the people behind the scenes, but also scare the snakes. Once those thieves feel a little trouble, they will immediately hide and hide deeper, and it will be very difficult to catch them in the future.” Jiang Tingxi also cupped his hands and said: "Yes, Your Majesty, I have finally found a clue, so we must not give up all our previous efforts..." Su Peisheng was listening, and secretly raised his eyelids, and he saw that the face of Long Live Lord was serious.Only he knew that what kind of young lady was kidnapped, she was obviously the newly-appointed Concubine Xi.I don't say it on the surface, because I have taken into account the dignity and reputation. If outsiders know that a dignified empress has been kidnapped, her reputation will be over. Even if she can return to the palace safe and sound in the end, she will be overwhelmed by those contemptuous voices.After serving the emperor for so many years, I haven't seen him take care of any concubine with all his heart. "Your majesty, I also think that it is not the best policy to send troops to encircle and suppress at this moment. Now there are clues. Just wait a little longer, and those thieves and thieves will show their true colors and they will be wiped out." Tian Wenjing hesitated for a moment, still saying out. Yinzhen turned around, and the three humerus ministers whom he regarded as his confidants stood behind him, all of them looked like they were swearing to persuade him to the death, he couldn't help frowning, and a complex look flashed in his eyes. The night was deep, and a heavier coolness invaded. Sitting on the cold ground, Lian Xin could not help shivering, feeling the chill from the soles of her feet to her whole body.At this moment, there was a sound of unlocking outside the firewood room, and then the dilapidated door was opened.In the cold moonlight, a figure stood in the porch, against the background of the dark night, ghostly. Lian Xin raised her head and squinted against the light. It took a long time before she realized that the person was the steward she had seen in the posthouse that day.He was holding on to the door right now, with a weird smile on his naive face, "Young master...ah no, it should be this young lady, is she comfortable in the woodshed? Didn't fall asleep?" After he finished speaking, he walked in with trembling steps, looked at the crude environment in the woodshed, and couldn't help but click his tongue twice. "Sleeping now, I'm afraid I won't be able to open my eyes in the future?" Lian Xin resisted such a condescending look down, she simply stood up, brushed the dust off her skirt, clasped her hands lightly, raised her chin slightly, and brought out a smile. Naturally noble and elegant. Liu Fudong squinted his eyes, and suddenly noticed a clue, "The slave looks at the young lady's demeanor and demeanor, which is not what an ordinary woman in the market should have. I don't know the identity of the young lady..."