Chapter 48 Book Fair

With such a result of a "discussion of knowledge", the fate of Wu Yingji, Jin Sheng, Jiang Tianyi and the other three is a foregone conclusion.Not only that, Hong Chengchou finally took Wu Yingji's name off the post on the grounds that he had no fame and was not a major criminal, and no longer reported it to the court.Therefore, Wu Yingji ended his stubborn life even faster than the other two. Regarding such a small matter, in Governor Xingyuan's staff team, people discussed it for a while as usual, then put it aside and continued to work on their own affairs.However, there is one exception, and that is Huang Shu.As a person closely related to this incident, Huang Shu has been extremely concerned about the fate of Jin Sheng and the other three people for more than a month.This was not only because those people were old friends who were betrayed by him, but also because when he was in Huizhou, he made up such a lie in order to avoid being interrogated directly.Originally, he thought that Hong Chengchou would execute Jin Sheng and others immediately in a fit of anger.Unexpectedly, Hong Chengchou didn't do that, but brought Jin Sheng and others back to Nanjing.As a result, Huang Shu was very nervous, and he was worried all day long, for fear that if the lie was exposed, he would be overwhelmed and walk around.Now, this kind of situation has not happened. On the contrary, Jin Sheng and the other three have been sentenced to death and are only waiting to be executed.This really dropped a stone in Huang Shu's heart, and he felt indescribably relieved in private.But then again, during the interrogations held in Nanjing, Hong Chengchou did not call him to discuss again, nor did he let him participate.In this regard, Huang Shu guessed that it was the intentional care of his boss, but at the same time he was somewhat suspicious: his lie had actually been exposed, but Hong Chengchou was scheming and kept quiet for the time being.Thinking that if the latter situation is true, his future future may become a little bit bad, Huang Shu began to feel uneasy again.Because in fact, up to now, Hong Chengchou has never arranged any official position for him, and he is still just an ordinary staff member in Xingyuan.

Now, Huang Shu was walking slowly on the streets of Nanjing city in a small sedan chair with such a mood of worrying about gains and losses.This is a thoroughfare connecting the southwest of the Dazhong Bridge, called Wensiyuan Street.Only half a year ago, this area was still a bustling place full of shops and pedestrians, but now, because the old imperial city east of the Dazhong Bridge has become a military camp for Qing soldiers, it has changed rapidly.Although many shops are still open for business, most of the customers have been replaced by Qing soldiers in livery.A while ago, when Ledkehun and Ye Chen were still in Nanjing, there were especially many soldiers who came to patronize them, and many of them were Manchurians.While speaking the few Chinese words they just learned, they made gestures, pointing to this, buying that, but nine times out of ten they would not be able to bargain. Made a windfall, so the shot is quite generous.As a result, those big merchants and peddlers, as long as they have the courage to stay and not leave-and of course they have to be sweet-tongued, they can even make a fortune by coaxing and deceiving.However, since the departure of the Manchurian soldiers, this lively scene has also disappeared.Up to now, although those shops are still open, the business has been much lighter, and even the pedestrians on the street have obviously decreased.

However, Huang Shu didn't pay attention to these.Because he came out this time not to buy anything, but to visit his old friend Liu Jingting at the Changyin Pavilion next to Taoye Ferry.Speaking of which, although Huang Shu knew the name of "Liu Mazi" a long time ago, and had heard the other party's storytelling, the two had a close relationship when Zuo Liangyu was guarding Wuchang.At that time, Huang Shu served as the supervisor of Zuoying, while Liu Jingting was hired by Zuo Liangyu as an aide.Since both of them have some relationship with Donglin and Fushe, in the vicious fight against Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng, they were especially congenial to each other, and they worked hard both overtly and secretly.Later, when Zuo Liangyu raised an army "on the side of the Qing emperor", after dying of illness halfway, they went their separate ways.Huang Shu surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, while Liu Jingting returned to Nanjing and still made a living as a storyteller.Not long ago, Huang Shu also came to Nanjing, learned the news of his old friend, and found Changyin Pavilion, and the two had contacts again.However, in the past month or so, it was Huang Shu who ran here whenever he had something to do, and Liu Jingting hasn't paid a return visit so far.

Now, he has come to Changyin Pavilion again.As Huang Shu was a regular customer, he got out of the sedan chair and walked in without waiting for the attendant to inform him.This Changyin Pavilion, which is famous for its storytelling venue, can be said to be known to almost everyone in Nanjing.In the past, when Liu Jingting gave a lecture, needless to say, it was always crowded with the audience, and even during the closing break, this place became a place for people to hang out and hang out.However, since the great change half a year ago, this pavilion, like many other famous places, has obviously declined.Not only did the crowded and mesmerized scene have disappeared, even the signboard by the door announcing the bibliography of the lectures was peeled off, giving it a gloomy and absent-minded look.However, Huang Shu has been here several times, so he is no longer surprised by this.He stepped into the threshold and found that the bookstore was empty, and there was no one on the benches arranged in a circle, so he turned his head and said to the attendants who followed:

"Go find someone to ask, is Dad Liu at home? Just say I'm here!" The long follower agreed, and put a jug of wine and a bag of wine in his hand on the bench first, and was about to turn around to find someone, when he heard footsteps coming from the second door, and then, a sixteen A seven-year-old servant stepped in. "Oh, so it's Mr. Huang!" The young man stood still quickly, and said with a salute, "Mr. Huang is looking for my father? Unfortunately, my father has gone out." When Huang Shu heard this, he frowned immediately: "What, did you go out? Where did you go?"

"It's easy to teach Mr. Huang to know that it's not far away. My father said that he will be back in half an hour. It has been a while since I went." "Okay, I'll wait for him!" After saying that, Huang Shu walked to the bench and sat down. "Master Huang, won't you sit in the pavilion?" The boy blinked and asked flatteringly, "Two guests came just now, and they also want to see my father, and they are serving tea in the pavilion now!" "Oh?" Huang Shu was a little surprised when he heard that someone had arrived before him, "What kind of guest?"

"A husband-in-law Yu Dan is also familiar with my father. There is also a monk, but he has never met." "Yu Danxin! Why, he's here too?" Huang Shu stood up suddenly.Because of this Yu Huai, we are not only old acquaintances, but also met each other when he visited Changyin Pavilion last time.Now that Liu Jingting is not here, I ran into an acquaintance, just to avoid the boredom of waiting. "Okay, I'll go up and meet him now!" After saying this, without waiting for the boy to answer, Huang Shu went straight to the stairs at the end of the arena. The so-called pavilion refers to the one-story room on the top of the bookstore.Huang Shu has been there more than once, and knows that it also faces the street, but it is half smaller than the bookstore.There are some tables, chairs and antiques inside, as well as a couch, which is where Liu Jingting receives guests on weekdays.Now, when he boarded the pavilion, he found two people sitting inside, one of them was indeed Yu Huai, so he greeted him loudly:

"Aha, Brother Danxin! Coincidence, coincidence!" Yu Huai must have recognized Huang Shu as well, stood up quickly, cupped his hands and said, "Oh, Mr. Huang..." "When did Brother Danxin come? How could it be such a coincidence?" Huang Shu walked over, returning the salute while continuing to express his surprise, then turned to the thin monk, "This master is..." "Why doesn't Mr. Huang recognize it?" Yu Huai said with a smile, "He is Shen Kuntong!" Shen Kuntong is Shen Shizhu.Huang Shu naturally knew it too.However, Shen Shizhu in his memory was dressed as a Confucian scholar, even if he shaved his hair now, he was just like himself and Yu Huai.However, Shen Shizhu shaved not a single hair left, and became a monk at all.This really came as a surprise to Huang Shu.

"Oh, so it's Brother Kun Tong!" He said in surprise, and immediately recognized it: with black eyebrows, bright eyes, and a thin face, the person in front of him was indeed Shen Shizhu.As for the reason why the other party shaved all his hair, Huang Shu also guessed.Since the hair-shaving order came down, some people simply lost their hair and became monks because they didn't want to change their hair to braids, but couldn't keep the style of the previous Ming Dynasty.For this kind of behavior, the Qing court still allowed it, so Huang Shu didn't shy away from it, and greeted the other party happily as usual:

"It's only been a few years since I don't want to come here. Brother Kun Tong has become an outsider! It's just that I don't know where Zhu Fa is, and how can I call him by the Dharma name?" "Don't dare!" Shen Shizhu clasped his palms against his chest, "The poor monk named Fa Ming converted to my Buddha at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou in June this year." "Congratulations! I just don't know if my brother has converted to Buddhism, will the "Six Secret Teachings" and "Three Strategies" still remain in his mouth?" Thinking of Shen Shizhu's usual speech, he likes to swallow the sentences in the book of war, Huang Shu continued jokingly said.

"Amitabha!" Shen Shizhu hurriedly lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes, "Sins and sins, Fa Ming's past, everything is as if he died yesterday, how can he dare to have a sliver of delusion in his chest. Now I only feel that the four elements are all empty, and this is the supreme state!" "Hey, Mr. Huang, please sit down!" Yu Huai stepped in from the side, making a gesture of concession, "I heard from Father Liu that your lord is busy with work, why do you have time today, so come here for a walk?" Huang Shu sat down on the chair and said, "It's true that I'm busy. But what's the use of doing those things for him even if I work hard for him? Anyway, I, Huang, am at best an aide, with neither right nor responsibility. You should come out to relax, you still have to come out to relax!" Hearing what he said, Yu Huai and Shen Shizhu looked at each other, but neither made a sound. Huang Shu saw that the two friends were suspicious, but it was not appropriate to bring out the complaints in their stomachs, so he waved his hands and said indulgently: "Hey, why are you still standing?" Come on, come on, I brought wine and side dishes here today, I wanted to have a conversation with Mazi, but he ran off somewhere. Then let's drink him three cups before talking!" After saying that, Without waiting for the other party to agree, he turned his head and told the long follower standing by the stairs: "Quick, put everything up!" The long follower agreed, and approached, put a jug of wine and a lotus leaf bag on the table, and followed his instructions, first went to the cupboard to get three cups, three pairs of bamboo chopsticks, and then Pour the wine for them one by one, and then open the lotus leaf bag, but it is half a cooked goose with a pile of spiced beans. "Come, come!" Huang Shu held up the cup first, "Although I have met Brother Danxin, I haven't conspired to get drunk together yet, but I met Brother Kuntong for the first time after the catastrophe, which is especially rare! Let's drink this cup full cup to celebrate!" After speaking, seeing Yu Huai also picked up the cup, he turned to Shen Shizhu, but found that the latter was sitting still, so he urged, "Hey, brother Kuntong!" "Amitabha!" Shen Shizhu clasped his hands again, "The poor monk is abstaining from meat!" "Then—just drink. This wine is vegetarian!" Shen Shizhu still shook his head: "The poor monk has given up drinking since he entered Buddhism!" Huang Shu couldn't help frowning, feeling a little disappointed.Seeing this, Yu Huai quickly suggested: "It's rare that Mr. Huang is so kind, Kun Tong can replace wine with tea!" To this, Shen Shizhu did not refuse, and obediently raised his teacup.So Huang Shu also nodded, no longer reluctant.The atmosphere on the table became harmonious...