The imperial capital is at the feet of the emperor. Four hundred years of being the capital have made this city extremely large, with nearly five million people living in this city.
From the inside to the outside, there are the majestic Imperial City, the inner city with eight streets and nine roads, and the huge outer city.
The reason why the outer city of the imperial capital is said to be large is because it has stood for four hundred years. The original outer city of the imperial capital has long been accommodated in the inner city territory, and the current outer city has undergone several major repairs. At the earliest time, it expanded to a vast area of fifty miles!
Therefore, it is fifty miles from any gate in the inner city to the corresponding city wall in the outer city. This vastness makes the current outer city nearly a hundred times larger than the earliest outer city!
However, although it is within the Imperial City, the outer city is divided into 8 squares. Taking Zhengyangmen Street as the coordinate, Zhengdong Square, Chongbeifang, and Chongnan Square are in the east; Zhengxi Square, Zhengnan Square, Xuanbeifang, and Xuanbeifang are in the west. Nanfang and Baizhifang.
The outer city has an area of 8 square meters, and the largest Baizhi Square is as large as half of the inner city. Because it is located in the most remote part of the imperial capital, Baizhi Square is mostly populated by civilians, and the situation is complicated.
There is a place in Baizhifang called Qingping Alley, which can be said to be the poorest place in the entire imperial capital. In this alley, nearly a thousand families live, a mixture of fish and dragons, and three religions and nine streams. On weekdays, even the county government's police officers and the captain of the Jinyiwei dare not enter. This is really the most chaotic area under the emperor's feet.
Just outside Qingping Lane, the three horses came hand in hand, but they did not enter Qingping Lane directly. Instead, they found a restaurant on another street away from the two streets and placed the three horses.
This was strategic material and we didn't dare to be careless, so Liu Xin and the other three had lunch here and spent nearly an hour and a half on the way there, leaving Liu Xin speechless. Asking the waiter in the restaurant to take good care of these three horses, Xiaoqi accidentally showed off his Jinyiwei waist badge. The waiter's expression immediately changed and he almost knelt down, saying repeatedly that he was optimistic about these three horses.
By this time, Ding Mingfu had understood that the place Master Liu wanted to go to was Qingping Lane. But one thing made him slightly doubtful, and that was the matter of leaving the horse in this restaurant. If it were him, he would certainly have reason to do so, because he knew what the situation was like in Qingping Lane. But Liu Xin had only been in the imperial capital for a few days, so he already knew about Qingping Alley.
Although he had doubts in his heart, the place he was going to next was Qingping Alley, and Ding Mingfu did not dare to be careless, especially since he could not let anyone know the identity of his Jin Yiwei, otherwise there might be trouble in Qingping Alley, so those doubts were all gone now. Was pressed down.
"Sir, are we going to Qingping Alley?" Ding Mingfu approached Liu Xin and asked in a low voice, knowingly asking.
Liu Xin smiled and nodded: "Remember, don't call me Sir next time, just call me Young Master!"
Ding Mingfu sighed secretly and said nothing. He had no independent opinions and always followed other people's instructions. It was also because of this that Liu Xin brought him here. If it were Guo Yong, he would probably have to give him a few words of advice at this time.
Qingping Lane is actually a place name, not an alley. It contains four streets. The area is relatively large, but because of the dense population, the roads here are more crowded and muddy.
Entering from an intersection called Sanqing Street, there are some people setting up stalls on both sides of the street, most of which are some daily necessities. Walking all the way in, because it has stopped raining now and it is noon again. Generally speaking, ordinary people do not eat at noon. There are only two meals a day, so the streets are crowded with people.
Xiaoqiguan has the lowest official position among the three, and he came here to attack, so he blocked the way for the two of them with great foresight. With his burly figure, he had a crushing advantage over the passers-by on the street. The people on this street are basically thin, because it is under the emperor's feet. No matter how poor the place is, it is actually much better than other cities. The people here are fairly well-dressed, but there are more patches on their clothes and their faces are... Some dishes are a bit frail.
The clothes that Liu Xin and the other three wore were not the kind of brocade robes and jade robes worn by the rich and powerful, but they were also relatively good cotton clothes. Such outfits were outstanding in Qingping Alley. At first, there were some people who wanted to get angry because the flag officer was blocking the front and opening the way, so there were some people who wanted to get angry. However, when they saw the clothes of these three people, those people immediately gave in.
The congestion of the road and the large flow of people made the three people move slowly. However, these three people attracted the attention of people in some dark corners of the street. Many eyes followed the three people as they advanced slowly. Finally, when The three people disappeared from their sight, and they slowly walked out of the shadows.
Liu Xin's goal this time was Jiuli Street, Qingping Lane, where there was a residential area where the person he wanted to find lived. It is estimated that no one from Dongchang or Jinyiwei will be willing to investigate this place until the last minute, so it is the key to whether Liu Xin can be one step ahead.
When you reach the end of Sanqing Street, you only need to walk through a narrow alley to go directly to Jiuli Street, which is parallel to Sanqing Street. But in this narrow alley, Liu Xin was stunned by the people coming towards him. .
Time goes back to an hour ago, the same Sanqing Street intersection, the same three people, except that these three people are two women and one man. The women all have their faces wrapped in gauze, and the men have a cloth tied behind their backs, and they don’t know what’s inside. What is it.
The man looked at the flow of people in Sanqing Street, with a complicated look on his face and a slight frown on his face, and whispered:
"Miss, it's a mixed bag here. You'd better not go in. Just let me go in alone. You and Xiaoran should go to the inn and wait."
The person called Miss is a young woman wearing a light purple gauze shirt and a cyan jacket. Her appearance is not visible, but her temperament is extremely outstanding. She wears a string of sapphire bracelets on her hands. , at this time, he was looking at Sanqing Street with his hands on his hips and a fierce look in his eyes. Her voice is clear and crisp, not like the gentle and delicate voice of ordinary official ladies. Instead, it is like an oriole emerging from the valley, giving people a sonorous, powerful and ringing feeling.
"Hmph, if you dare to steal my jade pendant, I have to catch the thief myself!"
"But...Miss, you are wearing a skirt today..." The woman on the side, whom the man called Xiaoran, echoed. Her dress was not as luxurious and gorgeous as the lady, but an ordinary and elegant one. She is wearing a shirt and skirt, but it is not what a maid would wear.
"I don't care, Uncle Lian, I will definitely capture that person myself!"
The man named Uncle Lian looks like he is in his early thirties, but in fact he is already a middle-aged man in his forties. However, due to his martial arts training, his face looks much younger.
This trio came from Xuzhou. The man was a famous charlatan named Lian Subo. However, the originally carefree charlatan later became the personal bodyguard of this official lady for unknown reasons.
And this official lady came from the royal family. She was the only daughter of the current Xuzhou County Prince, the princess An Huan'er.
The woman next to her is her personal maid, but in fact they are distant relatives. They are said to be maids, but in fact they are more like sisters.
Lian Subo helplessly raised his eyes and looked at Sanqing Street again, and could only say helplessly: "I don't think there will be anyone so blind at the emperor's feet. After all, the people are mostly kind, that's all. Miss, I will protect you." You go in!"
An Huan'er snorted softly and said: "Uncle Lian, I don't need your protection. I am also a martial arts practitioner. Although this is a place where three religions and nine streams gather, I, a female hero of my generation, will still be afraid of this!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Lian Subo said yes repeatedly, and then An Huan'er took the lead and started walking towards Sanqing Street.
But just after entering Sanqing Street, Lian Subo's helpless expression turned livid, because within a distance of less than a hundred steps, there were no less than five people who wanted to get close to An Huan'er, although they didn't know they were there. What do you want to do, but this situation makes Lian Subo extremely angry. Although blocking these people and giving them some small lessons is not a big deal to him, such small troubles continue one after another.
In order not to affect An Huan'er's mood, Lian Subo could only protect her all the way, giving him a massage and a beating. It was not difficult for him, but it was disgusting.
Miss, miss, you said you can't wear those clothes into a place like this. How can the people here be kind?
As for the thief who stole An Huan'er's jade pendant, it was actually not troublesome to find him, because the jade pendant contained the secret fragrance specially prepared by the Prince's Palace, and the maids around An Huan'er had special abilities and could easily capture it. With this dense fragrance, she led the way, and the three of them moved forward with clear goals.
After passing through a narrow alley, they arrived at Jiuli Street. The flow of people here was not that big because it was mostly residential buildings. At this time, most of the men here had gone out to look for a living, leaving mostly old, young, women and children.
Following the dense fragrance, the three of them quickly found a residence. Although the residences here were separated by a low wall, the low wall was only about three feet long, and they could see everything at a glance.
It seems that this is a residential house where women and children live mostly. There are many women's clothes hanging outside the house, and there are two or three boxes of unknown plants under the eaves, which are green and brown.
"Xiao Ran, are you sure this is here?" Lian Subo asked.
The maid named Xiao Ran nodded, then turned her head and said softly to An Huan'er:
"Miss, this looks like a home for women and children. It's inconvenient even for my uncle to go there. Miss, don't go there. Just let me go and take a look."
An Huan'er looked at the house with an upright look at this moment. When she heard Xiao Ran's words, she shook her head and said, "I'm with you!"
"Miss! Your skirt is not suitable for going in." Xiaoran said softly.
An Huan'er looked at what she was wearing. Although the hem of the skirt had been lifted up deliberately, it was already stained with mud. This was already unbearable for her who loves to be clean. If it weren't for the anger in her heart, she wouldn't have walked on this muddy road for so long!
"Then you have to be careful!" An Huan'er warned, but she no longer insisted on entering.
Xiaoran smiled and said softly: "I am also a master, don't worry, miss!"
After that, Xiaoran slowly opened the door of the small courtyard. There were a few people around who looked at them curiously, but because Xiaoran was a woman, they didn't do anything when they entered like this. They still looked at them curiously. But if Lian Subo went in, the neighbors would be filled with indignation.
This family is indeed composed of women and children, with more than a dozen people living in this small courtyard. They have been here in Qingping Lane for several years. I heard that they moved to the imperial capital from other provinces more than ten years ago. It stands to reason that ordinary people in this era could not move thousands of miles here, but I just don’t know what happened in these years. These women and children actually moved to Qingping Lane, the poorest place.
The neighbors around them often looked after them. If it weren't for the woman they saw, they wouldn't have continued to be curious.
An Huan'er naturally saw the onlookers slowly gathering nearby. She also thought of something, and a little fear rose in her heart. Although she has some martial arts skills, her father never lets her get close to some things in the world. This is the first time she travels alone. Although she has Subo, a master, to protect her, she still has some problems at this time. scared.
At this moment, Xiaoran had arrived at the door of the residence, knocked on the door, and the door slowly opened. Xiaoran seemed to say a few words there, and then entered the residence. This made An Huaner's heart tighten, and she subconsciously He grabbed Lian Subo's sleeve and asked:
"Uncle Lian, will Sister Ran be okay?"
Lian Subo glanced around with the corner of his eye, and then said calmly: "Don't worry, Xiaoran's martial arts skills are still good, and the little thief will be brought out by Xiaoran by the neck later!"
Lian Subo's words made An Huan'er feel reassured, but the hand holding her sleeve still did not loosen.
Not long after this time passed, Xiao Ran slowly exited the door. Lian Subo's eyes suddenly turned sharp when he saw this, and he shouted in a low voice: "Miss, be careful!"
An Huan'er was shocked by this low shout. Although she was not very courageous, she had a good vision. Even with Sub Bo's soft drink and Xiao Ran's slowly retreating figure, An Huan'er could already imagine. Behind the door frame, where they couldn't see, there was a thief holding a weapon, pointing at Xiaoran, and forcing her back!
Lian Subo's hand slowly touched his back. At this moment, the surrounding environment seemed to be frozen, full of chilling meaning.
The number of onlookers has increased to more than ten people. Stimulated by Lian Subo's murderous intent, everyone felt their whole bodies tense up and goosebumps appeared. Some people even subconsciously took two steps back.
Just when the tension reaches a critical point, Lian Subo is waiting for this critical point. Once that time comes, he will take action boldly!
But just when the atmosphere slowly rose and was about to reach its peak, Xiaoran had already exited the door frame. She suddenly turned around and waved towards An Huan'er and Lian Subo.
Lian Subo's cold face was startled, and then he suddenly frowned. What's going on?
Seeing that there was no response, Xiaoran took three steps and two steps at a time and walked here quickly. Behind her, a woman walked out of the room with a face of shame and looked here.
"Miss, even uncle, it's all a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!" Xiao Ran said repeatedly when he came to An Huan'er and Lian Subo.
"Ah?" Subo hasn't even turned the corner yet. What's going on? Where are the thieves? What about weapons? What about the chilling atmosphere?
"Misunderstanding? How could it be a misunderstanding? Sister Ran, what's going on?" An Huan'er was also a little confused, but she trusted her sister very much, so she asked like this.
Xiao Ran took An Huan'er's hand and said with a smile: "Let's go in and take a look and we'll find out!"
An Huan'er was still confused, but Xiaoran had already taken her hand and started walking forward. Halfway through, Xiaoran seemed to remember and said to Lian Subo:
"Uncle Lian, there are many female relatives inside, so it is inconvenient for you to come in. Please wait outside for a while!"
Lian Subo coughed lightly. He didn't know much about Xiaoran, but he also knew that this was a person whom the young lady trusted very much, so he nodded and agreed.
Immediately, An Huan'er was taken into the house by Xiao Ran, and she saw more than a dozen women and children, crowded into a small house. Although the house was not small, with an outhouse and two inner rooms on the left and right, but after all With more than a dozen women and children living there, the space can be said to be very crowded.
Then An Huan'er also saw the thief who stole her jade pendant. It turned out that the thief was not a man, but a sixteen-year-old girl dressed in a man's clothes. Because of her thin body, An Huan'er did not notice her at that time. It's a woman.
The eldest in the family was probably the girl's grandmother. She almost knelt down and kowtowed to An Huan'er to admit her mistake, and just begged An Huan'er not to take her granddaughter to the government.
Then An Huan'er also learned about what happened to this family, and in the process of understanding, she couldn't help but have tears in her eyes.
The final outcome is of course the return of the jade pendant, because that jade pendant means a lot to An Huan'er. When leaving, Xiaoran left some scraps of silver behind. The total amount was only two taels of silver, but it was enough for the family to buy some food and eat for a while.
Amid the family's endless gratitude, An Huan'er, Xiao Ran, and Lian Subo, who looked blank and had not yet come out of some emotion, prepared to leave Qingping Lane.
At this time, An Huan'er was still immersed in the tragic situation of the family. Walking in the narrow alley connecting Jiuli Street and Sanqing Street, An Huan'er waved her fist and said bitterly:
"When I return to Xuzhou, I will definitely ask my father to write a letter to punish the gang of dog eunuchs! None of the eunuchs, Dongchang, and Jinyiwei are good! Sister Ran, don't you think so?"
"Hey, it's you!"
"Sister Ran, what did you say?"
An Huan'er raised her head and looked at Xiaoran, then followed Xiaoran's gaze and turned around to see the three people coming in from the other end of the alley.
The young man headed over there was stunned for a moment, and then he saw Xiao Ran who had taken off his veil before he could put it on because he was among the women and children.
"Ah, long time no see!" The man was stunned for a long time before he said this.
"Do you still remember me?" Xiaoran seemed to be a little surprised in her tone, which made An Huan'er on the side even more suspicious, her eyes full of gossip.
Liu Xin naturally remembered that the girl standing in front of him was the girl named An Ran. Eleven years have passed, and her appearance has not changed much.
