Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve Embroidered Clothes Staff and Golden Ax Flying in Guangling in the Spring Breeze

On the second day after leaving the Qihua Palace, Weiyang Palace's studio order came to Xiaowu's residence in person to read out the imperial edict, and then personally tied two newly cast silver seals on his belt. It looks extremely luxurious.After finishing the seal and ribbon, the commissioner said with a solemn face, congratulations to your lord, you have obtained two new silver seals.Woohoo, respectful! After congratulating him according to the etiquette, he explained respectfully that although the embroidered clothing direct commander is not a permanent official position, he is more honorable than the county guard. In the past, officials at the middle two thousand stone level took up the post.It is truly an honor for the Ming government to go on inspection tour.

Xiao Wu felt an indescribable joy in his heart. It was the first time he was officially called the Ming Mansion, which he never imagined in his dreams.A year ago, he was still working in such a humble official position in a small pavilion in Yuzhang County. When he mentioned Chen Buhai, the prefect, he was always afraid.Even if Chen Buhai went down to the county for a tour, there would have been crowds of six hundred shi officials surrounding him, and it would be difficult for him to see him from a distance.But this time the emperor sent himself to take over his official position, and if he wanted to, he would have the power to imprison Chen Buhai and behead him for Ren Erqianshi's incompetence to establish his prestige.However, when I was in Yuzhang, I felt that although Chen Buhai could not be regarded as a capable official, he did not have a serious fault in keeping his duties, so it is enough to dismiss him this time.Thinking of this, every pore in his body seemed to relax with joy, and his excited heart was pounding.He respectfully replied that the minister has received the emperor's kindness and will definitely do his duty.

Zuo Shiling said with a smile, the talents of the Ming House are admired by the ministers, otherwise the emperor would not have relied so much on the Ming House.He respectfully handed over an exquisite leather pouch with both hands, and said, this is the golden ax bestowed by the emperor. If you see this golden ax, if you see the emperor, you can use it to recruit soldiers from the counties to fight against bandits, and to recruit more than two thousand stones from the five counties in the southeast. Don't dare not follow. Xiao Wu took the leather pouch with his head down, opened it carefully, and pulled out a golden ax with a head and handle cast together, which was shining brightly.On the back of the ax are vaguely cast a few lines of fine and well-proportioned flat-body seal script: In May of the first year of Zhenghe, Jiayin Shuo Gengshen, the emperor made an imperial edict to make the office of the Shaofu. Take this ax as a festival letter, and seeing it is like seeing the emperor.

The studio orders and presents embroidered clothes.An attendant hurriedly put a gorgeous deep coat on Xiao Wu's shoulders.Xiao Wu saw the light green gardenia pattern on the clothes, so familiar, yes, Zhang Chong wore similar embroidered clothes, pretending to be a censor.Judging from the workmanship of the genuine product, the embroidered garment can indeed be mistaken for the real one, perhaps it is the real one, and it was obtained from the Qi County Sanfu official who specializes in making Chengyu utensils.Changyi Kingdom is close to Qi County, so it is convenient to make such an embroidered garment.Thinking of this, Xiao Wu felt a little annoyed again. Jiang Chong was obviously jealous that the emperor used him so much, and maybe one day he would be tricked by them if he was not careful.That Li Guangli was only relying on his relationship with his relatives, and he didn't seem to have much talent, he was just a martial artist.It's not a good thing for Liu Qushou to be in trouble with him.On the contrary, Bao Shengzhi, Yan Yannian, Prime Minister Si Zhitian Ren, Jianzhang Supervisor Ren Guangguo, Northern Army Wei Wei Ren An and others were more upright.According to their own ideals, it is naturally better for them to gain power.Yes, this time, I will find a way to expose the treachery of King Changyi, so as to get rid of Li Guangli and Liu Quyao, but in this way, the prince will be safe and sound. I just exposed the big case of Gongsun He, and they may be hating me To the bone?How can I come up with a way to get the best of both worlds?

On the way to Yuzhang County, Xiao Wu kept thinking about this question.Only when he was greeted solemnly by county officials would he temporarily forget it.Because those county guards and captains, even the princes and kings, who were once unattainable by themselves, were respectful like servants in front of him.He also passed through the state of Chu specially, and met Chu King Yanshou and his princes, ministers, internal historians, captains and other officials. Is this the King of Chu that Zhao Heqi has repeatedly boasted about?In the singing and dancing palace of the King of Chu, Xiao Wu looked at the thin body of the King of Chu, and concluded in his heart that this is actually a cowardly king. Maybe he just wanted to enjoy the comfort brought by the hereditary title quietly, but because of the relationship with Jin Shang His blood relationship is far inferior to that of King Guangling. He was afraid of the interruption of this enjoyment, so he went to curry favor with King Guangling, hoping that King Guangling would become emperor.However, this is too stupid.How could King Guangling be the emperor?The emperor has been in Yuyu for decades, don't you guys understand his character?He is a smart and courageous person, although he is sometimes emotional, but he has always been calm in major affairs. Since he has long looked down on King Guangling, he will never be able to make him the eldest son.This king of Chu was really ill and rushed to the doctor, or he was simply bewitched by Zhao Heqi.If this matter fails, he will fall into the abyss of eternal doom. At that time, how can he be a common man?There is an old proverb that says "a harsh man pities the king". Yes, as long as I am willing, this king will immediately end up in a more miserable end than a harsh man.

In the middle of drinking, the king of Chu asked the singing girls to drink.One of the singing girls walked to Xiao Wu's table and stared blankly at him. It was a rather pretty young woman with a slender figure.Seeing Xiao Wu staring at her in turn, his face flushed, he lowered his head and walked over.This made Xiao Wu feel an inexplicable excitement in his heart. He pretended to be drunk and said to King Chu, "My lord, what was the name of this woman just now?" The King of Chu flattered and said, oh, Ming Fu asked that woman, it was sold to the widow by Dongyang Wuji, a wealthy businessman in Pingyin, Henan County, two months ago, and it is said that he also bought it from a poor Qianshou family.After buying it, I kept it in my own mansion, trained in singing and dancing for several months, and then sold it to princes and nobles. This is a profit-making method commonly used by businessmen.At that time, five local women were also sent together.

Oh, Pingyin rich businessman, Xiao Wu thinks the name of this county is very familiar. By the way, it is Guo Pohu's hometown.He felt a touch of kindness, a smile appeared on his face, and he praised, what a beautiful woman! The king of Chu quickly said that if Mingfu likes it, the widow will give her to Mingfu. Xiao Wu hastily and subconsciously waved his hands and said, "Your Majesty's words are serious, how dare you take away your Majesty's love, absolutely not." The King of Chu put Jiu Jue on the case, and said very sincerely that the Ming government hadn't married a wife yet, and it really put the country first, which was quite like the general Hussars back then.However, in the spare time of official duties, how can there not be a few caring women to accompany them.If the Ming government thinks highly of the widow, it must not refuse.The widow has always admired a minister as upright as Ming Fu.

Xiao Wu was full of emotion in his heart, alas!Compared with the past, there is really a difference between clouds and mud.Just two months ago, don't let the king of Chu flatter me so much, but if I wanted to come here for a meal, I would have been blown away before I even got to the door.Now I just took a second look at his servant, and he is watching her words and will give her to me immediately.Since this woman is from Pingyin County, it's okay to accept it, maybe take her to Guangling and see Guo Pohu, he will feel more cordial.Or I will give her to Guo Pohu to be his wife.Hehe, probably he would like to marry a woman from his hometown, it's a good idea.

So Xiao Wu said respectfully, since the king loves his minister so much, how dare he not accept it?It's just that I don't get paid for nothing, and I feel very ashamed. King Chu said sternly, the widow just sent a girl to be a concubine to the Ming Mansion, and it was entirely because of admiration for Ming Mansion's character, out of a public heart, without the slightest personal gain.Ming Fu should stop being humble. An old man next to him snorted, and suddenly interjected, "Isn't being an official just for fame and fortune, so why pretend to refuse it." Xiao Wu was startled, who is this old man, how dare he be so rude?He followed the prestige and saw that he was an old man with a gray beard, a few years older than the King of Chu, and he was dressed in gorgeous clothes.When he uttered this sentence, he seemed to be consciously slipping his tongue and being too offensive, so he immediately picked up the wine cup and drank, hiding his face as a cover.Xiao Wuzheng didn't know how to respond, so the King of Chu quickly explained that this Mr. Zhao is the widow's in-law, Mr. Zhao Changnian from the Dingtao clan.He may be a little drunk, Wanwang Mingfu forgives him.

Xiao Wu shook his hand and almost dropped the wine glass.Seeing that the King of Chu was too humble, Zhao Changnian put down the wine jue again, and interjected with a little emotion, the king does not need to be introduced, the dog He Qi is very familiar with Shen Shijun.Thanks to Shen Shijun's recommendation, he is now working in Jianzhang Palace. The official worships Ye Tingling, eight hundred stones, and bestows on Zuo Shuzhang. This is a high-ranking official position that the Zhao family has never obtained. Xiao Wu suddenly understood, no wonder he had such a big temper, of course he blamed himself for harming his son.But since he worships two thousand stones as an official, he must look like two thousand stones, why bother to be as knowledgeable as him.So he left the table and thanked him. It turned out to be Mr. Zhao's A Weng, and the family was disrespectful.Speaking of Mr. Zhao's matter, it really came as a surprise to the government.When I was in Chang'an, I also apologized to Mr. Zhao face to face, and I didn't expect this to happen.Mr. Zhao is an elder, Wanwang don't care about it, and invite Mr. Zhao to drink this cup.

Zhao Changnian was clearly still full of breath, so he sat still.The King of Chu hastily persuaded, Mr. Zhao, since Mr. Shen is so respectful, you might as well drink this cup.While talking, he kept winking, the implication is nothing more than: You old man is too ignorant and arrogant. Your son has become an eunuch, although he has some relationship with him, but now he is the direct commander of Xiuyi appointed by the emperor. This time the tour was only in the five counties in the southeast, but when accidents occurred in other counties, it was not impossible to recruit county soldiers with golden axes and arrest two thousand stone officials.As the king of a country, the widow wears a golden seal and purple ribbon, and his title is higher than that of the prime minister, so he still wants to curry favor with him.As a businessman with a city background, if you oppose him, you are hitting a stone with a pebble.Fortunately, he has just taken up a new position, and he doesn't know how to be a domineering person. If it was the violent victory back then, or the current Jiang Chong, I'm afraid you would be killed on the spot. Undoubtedly, Zhao Changnian understood the hint of the King of Chu, he reluctantly raised the wine cup, and left the table to thank, Ming Fu is a humble servant, how can the common people dare to resent.Alas, maybe this is the fate of the dog, so why blame Mingfu.He drank the wine in one gulp.I still feel sad in my heart, I really lost my head just now, and even ridiculed the two thousand stone officials.This is really Aizi's eagerness. If it was the past, if there were two thousand stones toasting to him, he would not be able to sleep for three days and three nights, and it would not be too much to boast to his peers when he went back.But now... After the Sanjue passed, everyone drank to their heart's content and said some affectionate words to each other, so Xiao Wu went back to the envoy's post for bed. As soon as he returned to the post and sat down, the envoy of the King of Chu arrived. His Majesty, these two maidservants were ordered by the King to be sent to serve the Lord.Saying that, he handed over a sealed wooden box, which is the bond deed of the two maidservants, and the gift documents have been sealed, the Lord Fujun should rest earlier.The minister waited to leave. The messenger left, leaving the two women standing aside with their eyes downcast.The lights shone on their pretty faces, which looked extraordinarily enchanting, and Xiao Wu couldn't help feeling distracted.This king is really well-behaved. He said it was one just now, but he sent two at once. Go down and rest first.I want to take a shower, and I will have to read the paperwork later. I have been running all day, and I am really sloppy.Little Budo. The two women said timidly that the servant girl should serve the envoy to take a bath.They approached lightly, carrying the intoxicating aura unique to young women.Xiao Wu hurriedly said, I will do this myself.Since he was a child, he didn't like others to help him take a bath. Now, this weird temper has not changed at all. Seeing that he insisted on pushing back, the two women didn't dare to insist anymore.After Xiao Wu took a bath and changed his clothes, his head was wet and he felt refreshed.This is a gorgeous post house. Dozens of his entourage soldiers all live next door, and there are trusted soldiers who change guards at the door. Although as imperial envoys, local officials are very nervous, it should be absolutely safe, but The ostentation of the halberd guards in shifts all night is still necessary.Xiao Wu opened the window wide, looked at the night sky washed by water, and listened to the dragon singing of bamboos near the post house, and suddenly recalled the scene of staying overnight at Fat Niu Pavilion that day in his mind.Alas, what a world of difference. Back then, he was a fugitive prisoner, but now he is the prefect who dragged his fortune.However, there was a beautiful woman accompanying him that day, but today that beautiful woman is nowhere in the sky, which is very emotional.A warm longing rose in his heart, hoping to fly to Guangling with wings and meet the beautiful woman he had been thinking about day and night. From his bag, he took out the letter that Liu Lidu entrusted to the envoy of Guangling Kingdom to bring him last month, and a bronze mirror that came with the letter. A circle of arc patterns, followed by an eight-character inscription, forming an arc around the pattern in the middle: When you die, you will feel sad.Long time no see, wait for me. Then there is another circle of continuous arc patterns, and the outer circle is another series of circular inscriptions: Shen Mi is poor and beautiful, and externally entertaining is joyful.Mu Yao is in Lingquan, wishing to think forever and never give up. Xiao Wu held the bronze mirror, sat there for a while, then stretched out his hand to take the letter, although he had read it countless times, but every time he thought of her, he couldn't help it.The letter was written on a very smooth catalpa board, with beautiful words: Concubine Lidu bows to the ground and invites Zhongqing's step, good and bad!All the way hard, the concubine is not allowed to serve and accompany, and the death penalty is the death penalty.May you have no worries.As soon as you go to Chang'an, you are like a yellow crane, and you are a royal family, so you can't be free for a while; will you abandon the old man in the sky?I live in Guangling, everything is boring, I miss you every day, hoping to turn back in time.If you don't forget the arm-gripping alliance on the Lingbo platform, the concubine will be very lucky.If Mr. Gou is not caught by news, the concubine is dead.The book is delivered with the postman, and the book is fortunately paid by the voice of gold and jade. Xiao Wu looked at the letter, pondered for a while, and couldn't help laughing, why did he feel that she was a willful and savage person at first?Judging from this letter, it looks like a frail woman who is too thin to wear clothes. The tone is so lingering and subtle, which makes people really feel unsympathetic.While he was thinking wildly, he heard the maidservant's voice whispering in his ear, is your lord's native place in Yuzhang County, Yuzhang County? Xiao Wu was stunned, then raised his head, and the woman sent by the king of Chu was standing in front of him.She has a clear face, pale complexion, long hair draped over her shoulders, and a light-colored dark dress with embroidered patterns on her body, she is really graceful and lovely.Xiao Wu opened his mouth wide, ordered subconsciously, and took off his clothes. The woman blushed for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand and lifted the skirt of the skirt, almost exposing her whole body to Xiao Wu's eyes.Her body is very exquisite and graceful, and her skin is quite smooth and greasy.Xiao Wu seemed to be insane, his eyes were dazed, and he scanned her whole body, and he didn't know how many times he went back and forth.He still held the wooden tablet of the letter in his hand.The woman took off her clothes, groaned, and suddenly stepped forward to hug Xiao Wu's body, a strong young woman's breath suddenly hit him and enveloped him.He hastily put down the wooden tablet, opened his left arm, wrapped around the woman's waist, bowed his head, and kissed the woman's lips with his mouth. After kissing for a while, the woman whispered softly in his arms.Xiao Wu took a breath, what did you ask me just now?It seems to be asking about my hometown, isn't it? Yes, the woman sighed, and heard from her peers that the envoy whom the king grandly received this time was from Yuzhang County, Yuzhang County, and the concubine suddenly remembered that her elder brother of the same birth had been a soldier in Yuzhang County , Curious and a little sad. Xiao Wu stroked her smooth shoulders, and said with a smile, oh, even if your brother was a soldier in Yuzhang County, why did it cause you sadness? The woman frowned and sighed, alas, Lord Shi Jun didn't know something, my brother was killed in an operation to hunt down exiled officials last year, and the place where he was killed was in a county called Yuhan in Yuzhang County.However, none of the corpses of the soldiers who died in battle were found, because this was also implicated in the beheading of a pavilion chief.It is said that the fugitive official stayed overnight in that pavilion. Xiao Wu was surprised, what's your brother's name?Who was the exiled official he was ordered to arrest at that time? The woman shook her head and said, my elder brother's name is Guo Pohu, I don't know the name of the official he is chasing, I only heard that he is a county magistrate who committed a capital crime. Xiao Wuchang sighed, alas, the world is really small.He said to the almost naked woman in his arms, it is really lucky that you met me today.With his left arm, he pulled her up.Put on your clothes.he ordered. The woman's cheeks were blushing, and then suddenly her eyelashes clotted with tears, she knelt down and bowed her head, resting her hands on the fine-lined peach branch mat, and said in a trembling voice, the king has already given his concubine to the envoy, and the envoy wants to do anything , the concubine is very happy, just now I thought of my brother, and I was sad for a while, it was not deliberately trying to affect the mood of Mr. Shijun, I hope that Mr. Shijun will forgive my death crime. In the Han Dynasty, the status was strict, and a servant who was vassal to others, seeing the prefect was really as awed as seeing a god.What's more, she still knows that this prefect has an extraordinary status, with the emperor's edict in his arms, and two sets of seals tied around his waist, he has the power to kill or kill ordinary two thousand stones.The king of Chu would tell her all these interests. Now seeing that Xiao Wu suddenly didn't want her to get close, he was so scared that he didn't have time to put on his clothes, so he hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground to plead guilty.She knew that if the prefect expressed dissatisfaction with the king of Chu, she would die. Seeing her like this, Xiao Wu once again lamented the power of Guanjue.He looked at the smooth curve of the woman's back, suppressed the desire in his heart, took her deep clothes, and put them on her body, you misunderstood.This government doesn't dislike you, just put on your clothes, this government has a happy event to tell you. The woman sat up dubiously, and put on her clothes. The curved skirt of the dark clothes wrapped around her small waist, showing an indescribably graceful appearance.Her figure is really a bit like Liu Lidu, but her face is not as beautiful as Liu Lidu.Xiao Wu stared blankly for a few moments, and said with a smile, you know what?I am Shen Wu, the exiled official that your elder brother chased and arrested back then, former Yuzhang County Prime Minister. The woman opened her eyes wide in astonishment, and suddenly fell to the ground and cried, ah, is it Mr. Envoy?The elder brother who was a concubine was also ordered to be arrested, please don't take offense.Besides, the concubine's elder brother has passed away, so Lord Shijun should spare the concubine.She wept bitterly, wondering how the exiled official of those years climbed to such a high position all of a sudden, he was really a dog in the clouds, and the world was unpredictable.She was worried that this person would take revenge on herself. Xiao Wudao, don't worry, I haven't finished talking yet.Not only will I not blame your brother, but I am also very grateful to him.Your brother is the savior of this manor, how could I blame him?And I have great news for you.Your brother was not killed in battle, but assisted me in fleeing to Guangling Kingdom.Later, he saved my life in Guangling Kingdom.This time, according to the emperor's edict, I am going to tour the Guangling Kingdom, and I will take you there to reunite your brothers and sisters... Xiao Wu kept talking for a while, afraid of pausing, and the woman in front of him would tremble and tremble again if he didn't understand. .He patted her on the back with his palm, don't worry, I'm telling the truth, and I will immediately make your brother the governor of the government, so that he can be promoted to county lieutenant or capital lieutenant in the future.Now tell me, what's your name? The woman raised her face, smiling through tears, really like a pear blossom with rain, her voice was particularly pleasantly surprised, making Mr. Jun, is this true?It was like a dream.By the way, my concubine's name is Guo Qinu.My lord will tell me to abandon my slave in the future. Xiao Wudao, okay, abandoning slaves, this is not a dream. The reason why I fled in a hurry was because I was framed by the traitor Gongsun He. Fortunately, your brother understood the righteousness and saved my life.Don't worry, the future of your brothers and sisters will depend on me.As Xiao Wu said, remembering the scene of seeing Guo Pohu at Broken Heart Cliff, he couldn't help sighing, in fact, Guo Pohu was in danger at that time, so there was nothing to save him.Even if he fled back, he would be beheaded for the crime of thieves.But Xiao Wu is willing to exaggerate the benefits of others to him.He knew that there are many people who repay kindness with grievances in this world, but as long as you happen to meet someone who is willing to repay kindness with kindness, there may be unexpected gains.That being the case, why not buy as much as you want while you have the ability to buy people's hearts? Guo Qinu said in a low voice, thank you Lord Shijun... Lord Shijun is so kind to my brother, why doesn't he want to be a concubine today?Her voice is as thin as a mosquito, do you think this concubine is not good-looking enough? Xiao Wu smiled and said, "Abandoning slaves with beautiful appearance, how can you be so presumptuous? When I first saw you at the banquet, I was very moved. Otherwise, the king of Chu would not be able to read your words and give you to me."But today I am a little tired and want to sleep, so you should rest first.He was secretly ashamed, thinking, since she is Guo Pohu's sister of the same birth, if he wanted her like this now, he would always feel a little frivolous.This is also unexpected. Today, the other woman should be recruited and used to relieve the desire, but if this is done, the abandoned slave will complain even more that the problem lies with herself.Forget it, let's go to bed today and think about what to do first. So the abandoned slave responded and helped Xiao Wu make the bedding.However, Xiao Wu didn't feel sleepy at all. He sat by the table, looked at the letter and wooden slip, and thought of Liu Lidu again.A tinge of shame welled up in his heart, he almost did something wrong just now, if he had a happy relationship with Qi Nu, he would feel embarrassed in front of Guo Pohu and Lidu in the future.He took out the bronze mirror with a full size from his book bag, and muttered, yes, Mu Yao is in Lingquan, wishing to think about it forever.How can I forget you?Why is there such a great power to be happy with each other?He was immersed in meditation, and after an unknown amount of time, he suddenly heard a noise outside. Startled, Xiao Wu suddenly knelt up and shouted, come on, what happened outside? A soldier armed with a halberd walked in, bowed and said, "Go back to your lord, you have already sent people out to check, dozens of us brothers are here to protect you, don't worry, my lord, everything will be safe." Xiao Wu sat down again, thinking, the law and order in this Chu country is also bad, the envoy's post house is close to the palace, and there is such a noise in the middle of the night, it is impossible for a similar situation to happen in Yuzhang County.In the Han Dynasty, a day was divided into sixteen time periods. Generally, when the sun was rising, the streets would be curfewed, and no one was allowed to walk, including officials and nobles. Ordinary people could only move around inside the inner gate.The curfew was not lifted until Pingdan the next day.Xiao Wu was born as a pavilion chief, so he is very familiar with these rules.At that time, in Yuzhang County, there was no county magistrate's talisman festival, and no heroic family dared to openly haunt at night.However, Pengcheng, the capital of the Chu Kingdom, is so noisy at the time of day and hour, which is totally unreasonable.How did the Pengcheng order govern politics?Xiao Wu felt a little displeased.He lifted the curtain and saw a hundred torches shaking in the direction of the palace from a distance, as if they were recruiting soldiers.Could it be that the king of Chu wants to harm me?A thought flashed through Xiao Wu's mind, but he immediately rejected it.How could this be possible, although his in-law Zhao Changnian was very dissatisfied with him, but just now he toasted him as an envoy of the imperial court and an official of Erqianshi, and he still accepted it, apparently he was still a little moved.Besides, even if he can't let go of his resentment, he will never be able to recruit soldiers, and it is impossible for the king of Chu to listen to him.It is obvious that even if the King of Chu was lent a thousand guts, he would not dare to attack and kill the envoy of the Han Dynasty.Unless he has the disease of madness.Even if he makes a wild deal, the Prime Minister and Internal History will stop him.So what is the reason? At this time, Tan Chongguo, his entourage supervisor, hurried in, Mr. Fu Jun, something very strange happened. What's the matter?Little Budo. Just now I got a notice from Pengcheng Order that Liu Guangming, Prince of Chu, was hijacked by thieves, which happened half an hour ago.Now the order of Pengcheng is rushing to inform the king of Chu, who is very panicked and hastily dispatched the palace armor, ready to rescue the prince.Therefore, there is noise and disturbance in the palace, and the arsenal is being opened to send troops. Xiao Wu was secretly a little funny in his anger, what happened?Hijacked again.At the beginning, it was because of the hijacking incident that I had such a strange experience. Although there were many dangers, I finally saved the day.Of course, I have lived to this day because of two hijackings. One is hijacking fake embroidered clothes at Fat Niu Pavilion and escaped Gongsun Chang's pursuit; Liu Bao, let yourself have enough time to bargain with Zhao Heqi.But hijacking a false envoy is not a crime; hijacking Liu Bao is not his own doing.As a big Han official, I have always hated Jiezhi the most, but always formed an indissoluble bond with Jiezhi, it was God's will.His curiosity was aroused, he stood up immediately, and ordered, charge the country, call a dozen soldiers, and we will go and have a look.The status of the person who was robbed this time is extraordinary, and I can't sit idly by. Tan Chongguo bowed and said, "Don't worry, Fujun, I will arrange it right away." As soon as they got into the carriage, suddenly the attendants came to report again, Mr. Fujun, Pengcheng ordered Xiao Pengzu to ask for an audience outside. It turned out that the official in charge of the posthouse heard that the imperial envoy was alarmed, and rushed to the county court to report.Upon hearing this, Xiao Pengzu, the county magistrate, hurried to the pavilion to meet him. Invite him to come in, Xiao Wudao. Xiao Pengzu hurried over with his head down, followed by several county officials.He walked to a place far away from Xiaowu, kowtowed to the ground immediately, ordered Peng Zu, the order of Pengcheng, to meet the envoy. There is no need to be formal, Xiao Wu waved his hand, and Ming Gong asked, what happened? The envoy asked the Lord, but the minister dared not accept the order.Xiao Pengzu raised his head. He was about forty years old, with a white face and a slim figure. He was covered in armor, with a yellow bronze seal hanging on his waist, and a black ribbon hanging from his bag. Flustered and nervous.Xiao Wu felt a burst of pity, he thought of the dead Wang De, Gongsun He was really vicious, a cautious and hardworking official like Wang De was innocently beheaded by him, just because of this, he deserved to die.The county magistrate in front of him is also as miserable as Wang De was back then.Alas, although being an official is majestic, but the responsibility is heavy, and there is always the worry of being reprimanded, especially for such a small rank as the county magistrate, it is like a chicken rib, tasteless to eat, and it is a pity to discard it.If you do a good job, of course you can be promoted, but if you don't do it well, you will have to offer your head as an apology.For such a big event as the hijacking of the crown prince today, if the rescue is not successful, Xiao Pengzu will definitely lose his head.According to the law, he will be sentenced to abandon the market for the crime of incompetence and loss of princes and princes.Back when he was born, did his parents ask him about his future?They named him Peng Zu, naturally hoping that he would live as long as the legendary Peng Zu who lived to be 800 years old, but now it is very likely that this beautiful expectation will be broken. Xiao Pengzu wiped off his sweat, and said, "Return to the envoy, the official received the news at night that the crown prince was hijacked by several thieves on a dilapidated building in Yanzili, the county. The thieves asked the official Report to the king of Chu and pay a ransom of a thousand gold before releasing him.The subordinate officials rushed to inform the king of Chu, who was terrified, and ordered hundreds of palace guards to rush to the tower.I don't want the noise to disturb the envoy, and it will be a death penalty. Oh, Xiao Wudao, who are the robbers?Have you ever checked?In the middle of the night, even the crown prince could not go out of the palace and run around the market without getting the talisman of the king of Chu or the letter from the king of Chu or the captain.If the crown prince does not leave the palace, how can the thieves have the opportunity to hijack him? Xiao Pengzu said, this is exactly what the subordinates don't understand.According to common sense, the crown prince has no chance to walk outside late at night, is it inexplicable that he was hijacked? Xiao Wu pondered for a while, okay, now take me to the tower in Yanzili, I want to see with my own eyes, what kind of thief is so bold and dares to kidnap princes and princes, isn't he afraid of being punished by the axe? Xiao Pengzu kowtowed and said, the servant will lead the way for the envoy.He was a little relaxed. When he rushed to the palace to report the news, he was extremely worried, and he always wanted to go back and say goodbye to his mother and wife first.But if he could get the help of Xiu Yi Zhi Zhi Shi this time, he would have some hope of survival again.With the golden ax of the emperor, this man can recruit soldiers from the county, and both the prime minister and the internal history are under his control. With this power, maybe the thieves will be scared out of their wits.Moreover, he seemed kind-hearted, and he was unlikely to reprimand himself after the matter was resolved. It seemed that this time he was saved.Overjoyed, he quickly got up, ran outside like a gust of wind, and ordered loudly: "Drive the horse quickly, so that Mr. Jun has business to go out." A convoy of motorcades galloped towards the northeast corner of Pengcheng, and saw a group of soldiers holding torches from afar. Since a forward had already delivered orders, the soldiers immediately moved out of the way as soon as Xiao Wu's convoy arrived.As soon as the carriage stopped, the King of Chu had already rushed over. He said with a mournful face that the dog was hijacked and alarmed Mr. Shijun, and the widow was really sorry.Shi Jun has been working hard all the way, and he has to worry about cheap things before he has a little rest. He is really ashamed.Xiao Wu Dao, you don't need to be polite, the ministers are all doing things for the Holy Son of Heaven, how can they be absorbed in comfort and forget their duties.He raised his head and looked at the place where everyone was paying attention. It was a three-story building with a gable roof.It turns out that Yanzili is the most fringe of Pengcheng. There is a small mountain not far from the Limen. The so-called buildings are not inside the Limen. The path winds up, and on the other side of the mountain, a big river winds through, which is the famous Surabaya. In the Spring and Autumn Period, a series of princes established their country along this Surabaya, and they are all famous for their clothes and etiquette.Confucius once stood here and sighed: "The decline of Lu and Dao is just like that between Zhu and Si."Pengcheng belonged to the State of Song in the Spring and Autumn Period, and there is still the tomb of Sima Huanyu, a famous power minister of the Song Dynasty, on the side of the mountain. When Confucius passed by Pengcheng, he saw Sima Huanyu enlisting the people to build a huge stone coffin for him. He said angrily that he did not hesitate to do so. Minli, build such an extravagant corpse, the corpse should rot as soon as possible.But this building is called Peng Zulou.According to legend, Pengcheng was the fiefdom that Yao gave to Qian Keng, the third son of the Lu Zhong family. Qian Keng was named the Da Peng family.Later, the city was simply renamed Pengcheng. Xiao Wu laughed secretly, it couldn't be more interesting for Xiao Pengzu to come to be the Pengcheng order.But today, if the Crown Prince of Chu cannot be rescued from the Pengzu Tower, Xiao Pengzu will be slaughtered in the Pengzu Tower soon.He thought about it again, alas, what is the real intention?What is he happy about when others are killed.He collected his thoughts and asked, why is this building built in the middle of the mountain? Back to Mr. Ambassador.Xiao Pengzu said, because the mound at the foot of the mountain is said to be the tomb of Peng Zu in Yao's time.Since the Zhou and Qin Dynasties, the local people have continued to rebuild and repair it. After all, Peng Zu is the ancestor of this city for thousands of years. Xiao Budao, oh, that's how it is.Is there a road on the back side of this building? Yes, there is a post road, along Surabaya, you can travel to Lu and other places.Xiao Pengzu said. Well, Xiao Wudao, I think the intention of the hostage-takers is to get money and escape from the post road.He thought, this mountain is not as high as the Broken Heart Cliff in Shanyang back then.However, standing on that upstairs, overlooking Surabaya, what kind of spirit should it be?Can you see the stone coffin of Sima Huanyu on the other side of the mountain? It is said that the stone coffin is gorgeously carved, and it is full of images of turtles, dragons, phoenixes, and watered with copper juice and the mountain.What a spectacle it should be!When dawn comes, we must take a good look.For the current plan, the hostages must be rescued first. How many thieves are there?Xiao Wu asked. Xiao Pengzu said, there are less than ten.But our skills are not weak, and we are equipped with strong crossbows. We dare not attack by force, and they have already shot three county officials to death.Their arrow skills are excellent, and the terrain of the tower is steep, so it is difficult to be caught off guard by a strong attack.Now the prince of Chu was hijacked with two personal assistants, one of whom had his ear cut off and was thrown out.The thief threatened that if he did not agree to the ransom, he would punish the prince with a tattoo.This is terrible. If they really tattooed the prince's face and cut off his nose, how can he inherit the throne and the ancestral temple in the future. Xiao Wu said angrily, this thief is so arrogant, how dare he impose punishment on behalf of the government?This government wants to see and see. On the other side, Li Sui, Prime Minister of Chu, was also walking up and down the field anxiously.That's natural, if something happened to the crown prince, Xiao Pengzu would of course be executed, and his fate as the king of Chu would not be much better.After all, the imperial court sent him to the state of Chu to assist the king of Chu. If even the crown prince died at the hands of thieves, wouldn't he be too incompetent? Li Sui turned around a few times and suggested to the king of Chu that since the thief asked for a thousand pieces of gold, the king can only agree to his conditions, so there is nothing else to say.If you hurt the crown prince, there will be endless troubles. The King of Chu was silent for a while, then sighed and said, that's all.Ugh. Nei Shi responded from the side, I'm afraid it's against the law.The emperor has repeatedly ordered all counties and states all over the world that those who take hostages and ask for money and things must not be tolerated and raised, and they must attack them quickly.Anyone who pays ransom to the robbers should be tattooed as a prisoner of Chengdan. Prime Minister Li Sui stomped his feet and said, alas, the laws are harsh, so I am really anxious.If the crown prince is lost, he will be executed, and if the ransom is paid, he will be sentenced to Chengdan.Now that there are two evils in power, we can only choose the lesser, and I think it is better to pay the ransom.Although a thousand gold is not a small amount, it can be handled by relying on the treasures of the Xiangfu Shaofu. At most, we will try to save the expenses of the government officials in the future. The king of Chu said happily, since this is the case, it is of course the most convenient to pay the ransom.He heard that the thieves demanded a ransom of thousands of gold, and he was very worried at first, but he couldn't bear it.Now that he heard that the young mansion of the Prime Minister's Mansion was willing to pay the money, he was overjoyed and wished that they would pay the ransom right away. 内史和国相皆鄙夷地看了楚王一眼，心想，人说楚王贪婪，果然不假，一个堂堂大汉的诸侯王，当初屈尊和一个定陶的富商结亲，只为着那商人有钱。现在自己的太子被劫持，却连千金也舍不得交纳。及至听到国相府愿意出这笔赎金，又一下子改换态度，喜不自禁如此，实在是令人可鄙。 内史道，既然大王和国相都同意，臣也无话可说，只是现在沈使君正在那边和萧县令商量，如果他不同意交纳赎金，我们却也无可奈何。向贼盗屈服毕竟是违背律令的啊。况且还为此死了三个县吏。 楚王讷讷地说，事关紧急，恐怕沈使君也不会有什么异议的。 内史道，这可不一定了。我听说沈使君就是因为消弭一起劫持事件而扬名天下郡国的。当时有群盗六百余人劫持了豫章郡的高辟兵都尉，众人都一筹莫展，便是这位沈使君力排众议，矫诏征发郡兵，将群盗全部翦灭。为此皇上对他十分欣赏，不但赦免他矫诏之罪，而且大大重用，才有今天的加封，成为人臣之贵。倘若当初他也畏软，为了保全长吏性命，交纳赎金，恐怕不但得不到赏赐，还将受谴丢命呢。 楚王一下子默然，李遂沉吟道，也罢，既然沈使君有如此才干，我等自然先听听他的看法。 他们一起环到小武身旁，把刚才商讨的意见一说，小武一口否决，斩钉截铁道，大王和诸位大人怎么如此糊涂，劫持人质是重罪，尤胜过普通的盗窃劫掠。因为普通的劫掠虽然可恨，然而是突然发生，突然结束，给人的心理恐吓不大。而劫质却常常摧毁人的意志，后果极为严重。在劫掠中，财物的损失倒是小事，而对我大汉风俗的破坏远远不是可用金钱来计算的。凡曾遭到劫持的百姓，都日日心惊胆战，无心劳作，将用于耕作的钱货用来购买兵器，杜门不出，以为防卫。如此导致田地荒芜，公事废弃。如果是官吏遭到劫持，而我们一旦满足贼盗的要求，则天下郡国贼盗劫持各自长吏的事会时常发生。懦弱长吏将因此不治公事，奸猾长吏则将以此为借口，滥捕良民，以残杀邀功，郡国将骚扰不安。高皇帝早就知道劫持人质的极大危害，所以《二年律令》的《盗律》上早就申申告诫：“恐吓人以求钱财，皆磔之；谋劫人求钱财，虽未得或未行，皆磔之。罪其妻子，以为城旦舂。”劫持人质皆当判处磔刑，割裂肢体，比腰斩还重，而且家属都要受牵连，输入官府为刑徒。倘若今天这事本府不在场，倒也罢了；既然本府在场，就绝不能坐视大王和诸君违背律令，使劫质者逍遥法外。试想，贼盗这番得逞，他日又劫持大王的其他王子、翁主，大王难道都要乖乖地交纳赎金不成。 楚王和国相、内史等听小武这样滔滔不绝地一说，个个面面相觑，心里颇不以为然：难道大汉就没有向劫质者束手的案例吗？明显的就有那个死在公孙贺手里的朱安世，他以连续劫持数名中二千石的大吏，次次成功获得赎金而闻名天下郡国。元封三年，朱安世劫持水衡都尉阎奉，曾经震动三辅，朝廷传命解救的使者冠盖相望于道，那次朱安世也是要求赎金千金，当时的京兆尹是著名的酷吏王温舒，他率领冲车几十辆，围住了朱安世，本来朱安世万无逃脱之理，可由于阎奉是皇上的宠臣，危急关头皇上竟然给王温舒下诏书，让他交纳赎金，因此朱安世得以顺利逃脱，王温舒气得发昏，却也无可奈何。连皇上自己也曾罔顾律令办事，你这个绣衣使者就装得这么严格。但是他们都只敢在心里想，这样默然了片刻，李遂陪笑道，大人所说诚是，臣等远远不及，不过依大人的意见，现在怎么办才好呢？ 小武道，先别忙，我们尽量捱到早上，天一亮，事情就好办了。他突然转头面向楚王，大王，臣想知道太子是否认识这帮贼盗？ 楚王的神色一下子变得有些忸怩，讷讷地说，使君大人明鉴，据现在情况看来，犬子的确和这帮贼盗认识。 小武暗道，果然。否则的话，就无法解释宵禁后王太子怎么能被贼盗劫持。必然是太子和贼盗本就认识，贼盗早有预谋，只是不巧在今天晚上，我来到彭城的第一个夜晚动手而已。 那大王应该知道这伙贼盗是什么人罢？小武问道。 楚王尴尬地说，寡人的确也不知情。犬子一向爱好斗鸡走狗，结交游侠。寡人曾教训申斥过几次，他也收敛了许多，按理说不会发生这样的事。这次可能又是那个畜生择友不慎所致了。 小武道，王太子的太傅少傅是干什么的。大王别怪臣多嘴，太子择友不慎，当髡钳太傅少傅为城旦。——唉，这件事也不归我管辖，一切事情等解救太子之后再说罢。 他们正商讨着，这时楼上突然射出一枝火箭，啪的一声钉在一辆冲车树立的旌旗杆上，那旗杆因为是军中所用，和一般戈戟的柲一样，也是用细细的竹条圈在木芯外面，用丝线重重捆扎而成，外面再髤上了一层厚厚的黑漆，但是比戈戟的柲粗许多，非常柔韧坚固。这箭能从老远准确射进旗杆，可见力量不凡，准头也极好，射手一定非常职业。况且那箭杆上还系着一枝竹简，本来这也会影响准度的。小武看了，心里也是暗暗一惊，这贼盗的武功比当年的朱安世高出远甚，王太子到底结交了什么人，竟然这般厉害。唉，这回倒不可掉以轻心了。 一个士卒拔下那枝箭，将那枚竹简递给楚王。楚王扫了一眼，赶紧递给小武，贼盗的书信，请使君大人过目。 小武将那竹简在火把下一看，上面写着： 伏地再拜请，死罪死罪：胐明之前臣等若未见千金，辄立给太子施黥劓之刑。无忽，自省。敢言之。 字迹苍劲，而且运笔熟练，尤为好笑的是，辞气竟然如此谦恭。小武暗暗奇怪，这些贼盗看来还颇通文墨呢。尤其是书信后还来一句习惯性的“敢言之”，这分明是官府小吏上书的口吻，端的是一件奇怪荒唐的事。竟然有这样素质高的贼盗突然出现在彭城，难道又是逃亡官吏不成，这信颇有官府文牍之风啊。 小武望了楚王一眼，有点怀疑，楚王既然早和广陵王有勾结，自然也会瞒着国相和内史，暗中招纳亡命。眼前的国相和内史看上去都没什么才干，而且多谋寡断。楚王自然可以肆无忌惮、恣所欲为了，这些贼盗说不定就是楚王招纳的。只是不知为了什么，楚王太子和这伙贼盗有了龃齬，导致贼盗反而劫持太子，索要财物。整个事件真是头绪纷繁，自己牵扯进来，不管如何，都没什么好处。因为即便抓获了贼盗，也不敢穷鞠。当初无奈之中，不小心和广陵王有了牵连，如果揭露出楚王的阴事，广陵王也跑不掉，那自己也就凶多吉少。况且，楚王也很乖巧，一出手就送了自己两个美女，自己又何必跟他为难呢。他眺望那栋楼阁，蹙眉道，离胐明时间还早，我们尽可好好想出个万全之策。 他把那枚竹简上的字翻来覆去地吟诵了几遍，突然心头一亮，对楚王道，大王请将你的宫甲撤回，并和国相、内史大人回府休息，让彭城令萧彭祖和县尉率领几十个县吏跟着我就行了。 楚王和国相都奇怪地说，我们这么多人在这，贼盗犹且如此嚣张，倘若撤走，他们岂非更加肆无忌惮了？这样哪里还能救得了太子？ 小武道，大王有所不知，我们这么多甲士，重重包围彭祖楼，除了给盗贼造成心理压力，没有别的用处。这帮亡命之徒既然敢劫持王太子，就已经知道骑虎难下，不管有多少人包围他们，结果都是一样。逼急了，他们绝望之中杀了王太子，那我们就追悔莫及。如果我们将大部分人撤走，将会使他们心理顿时松懈下来，丧失必要的警惕，至少王太子暂时不会有生命危险。说了这里，小武顿了一下，突然压低了声音，对楚王说，还有，从这封书信上的字迹和用词来看，这个劫盗文才不低，熟悉公文格式，说不定就是以前的官吏，有罪逃亡民间的。 楚王点头道，既然使君大人这样说，寡人就先走了。犬子的性命都在使君大人身上。他这样说着，心里其实十分怀疑，这个年轻官吏十分自信，但是既然他愿意承担责任，自己也只有让他试试。反正他不准许交纳赎金，自己又能如何呢？这回倒要看看，他是否真有什么本事，能让皇上那样欣赏。 于是楚王传令，带着国相和内史，哗啦一声，全部撤退了。火把的亮光渐行渐远，刚才的热闹顿时削减了一大半。