It's night in Yanqing Tower.
Yanqing Tower is located in the west of Siyang City, which is considered one of the most prosperous areas.
There are no high-rise buildings or noisy businesses within ten miles of the Emperor's Seventh Palace. Although it is solemn and solemn, it still lacks some lively atmosphere.
Yanqing Building is surrounded by avenues extending in all directions, with many shops including jewelry, tailors, pharmacies, and bustling people coming and going. Among this bustling new and old buildings, the brightly lit Yanqing Building stands in the center, overlooking the surroundings. All residential buildings.
If you stand on Yanqing Tower, you will feel the dizziness of overlooking all living beings.
The building was quiet, with only the music of Sizhu and the beautiful voices of female actors. It was by no means as noisy and lively as an ordinary restaurant.
There is only one private room on the top floor, which can only accommodate one table of guests a night.
On the pavilion in the center of the building, a group of actors were wearing costumes. In the middle, a beautiful female actor was holding water sleeves and singing:
"It's stormy outside the Spring and Autumn Pavilion,
Where the sad sounds break the silence.
There was only a sedan chair visible across the curtain.
It must be a wedding crossing Magpie Bridge.
Let’s laugh on auspicious days and good days,
Why did the shark beads turn into tears and were thrown away——? "(1)
Under the pavilion, there was a small table standing. A young man was sitting behind the table, his eyes closed and he was shaking his head as he listened.
In front of him was a jade bottle filled with crystal clear wine.
There is a pair of jade bowls and chopsticks beside the jade bottle, but there is no food in front of it.
It was Tantai Fu's son, Tantai Ming.
"My lord, please use tea cake."
A servant placed a small plate on a silver-plated gold-plated tray, inside which lay four small and transparent pastries. The pastry skin was white with emerald green inside, and it was extremely elastic and light.
The inside is wrapped with good bean paste filling, and the skin is even more fragrant with tea.
Half of the snacks that accompany wine should be spicy, and if you eat spicy food, you should use sweet snacks to make up for it.
The tea cakes at Yanqing Tower can be said to be the best in Siyang. I heard that the imperial kitchen could not make them. If the emperor wanted to eat them, he could only send someone to buy them from Yanqing Tower into the palace.
The tea cake was brought to Tantai Ming. He opened his eyes slightly, but did not move his chopsticks. He only leaned forward slightly and leaned forward to smell it.
Then he sighed and shook his head.
Therefore, the servant did not dare to neglect, and quickly removed the small plate, then turned around and put it directly into the table drawer - which is also the leftovers basket.
"Why are you dissatisfied?"
A middle-aged man walked up the steps behind Tantai Ming with a smile and happened to see this scene.
This is the boss of Yanqing Tower.
Tantai Ming did not turn around. On the contrary, he remained motionless, still listening to the play with his eyes closed.
When the middle-aged man came to his side, Tantai Ming opened his eyes and showed a smile: "Boss Gong, business is booming."
Boss Gong waved his hand and bowed slightly: "It has always been our honor for Mr. Tantai to come to Yanqing Tower. If this tea cake does not suit your taste, I will ask someone to send you some other snacks..."
"No need."
Tantai Ming shook his head, still looking at the female dancer on the stage: "I just want to eat tea cakes today."
Hearing what he said, Boss Gong was stunned: "Then just now..."
"well."
Before he finished speaking, Tantai Ming sighed: "Tea cake, tea cake, doesn't it mean that tea must be used well?"
Boss Gong was silent for a while, and then he said in a good voice: "What kind of tea do you think Sir Tantai should use?"
Tantai Ming smiled and finally turned his gaze from his head to look into Boss Gong's eyes.
"I don't know. I just thought I was here to eat tea cakes, but I didn't expect that I would teach you how to make tea cakes."
The air seemed to become cold all of a sudden. Boss Gong bit his lower lip but did not make a sound.
Only the one who lifted the string was still making noise.
Tantai Ming gently raised his hand.
Then the sound of strings and singing suddenly stopped.
Dead silence.
silence.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Tantai Ming suddenly laughed out loud, as if he suddenly heard a very funny joke, and he laughed so hard.
"Uh, uh hahaha, haha."
Boss Gong laughed along with him, his smile a little stiff.
"Okay, Boss Gong, don't panic."
Tantai Ming lightly swept his fingers towards the stage, and the troupe immediately stood up quietly, quietly packed up the things on the stage, and left the pavilion one after another.
The few lights that were lit were also extinguished, and on the top floor of Yanqing Building, only the light coming from downstairs and the starry sky outside the window were left.
"I called you here because I know you want to know about the major events of the past two days."
He picked up the wine glass and studied the liquid in the glass.
"You are worried that His Highness's assassination was carried out by the National Justice Department, and they dared to do so because they were already sure of it."
"No, no, just curious, curious..."
Boss Gong wiped his sweat.
Tantai Ming smiled disapprovingly: "You don't have to hide it, I'm not my father. If you don't care about this level, you can't afford to open this Yanqing Building."
He raised his head and poured the wine in the glass down his throat, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.
"At present, it is difficult for the Department of National Law to do this."
After hearing this, Boss Gong said anxiously: "Then, who else dares to assassinate the Holy Emperor? Could it be the country..."
"Snapped!"
Tantai Ming knocked the wine glass on the table with slight force, interrupting Boss Gong's words.
"Be careful with your words and deeds. The National Finance Department has nothing to do with this matter."
He said it word for word.
Boss Gong nodded quickly.
"Besides, according to the feedback from my men, I'm afraid that the target of the murderer was not the emperor. He slaughtered all the people in the teahouse. I'm afraid that the National Law Department wants to catch this person more than us."
Tantai Ming smacked his lips.
Xinran Teahouse has connections with the National Law Department, and they all know it.
Tantai Ming poured himself another glass, stood up with the glass in hand, turned his back to Boss Gong and said:
"The An Haijin incident has already given them a blow, and things in Haizhou will only be easier to handle from now on. You can continue to operate as usual, don't worry."
"If, that's great, then I won't bother Mr. Tantai. Do you need any other food or drinks? I'll just..."
Tantai Ming only raised his hand and swept it lightly with the same gesture he used to dismiss the troupe.
So Boss Gong also waited for others to leave, and he was the only one left on the top floor.
"Han Dongwen..."
He whispered to himself.
"You are so lucky, it can be regarded as God blessing our Tantai family."
Tantai Ming raised his head again, drank another glass of wine, walked to the window lattice, and hummed softly:
“There are no rich people in the world.
There is also the embrace of hunger, cold and sorrow,
There are also those who cry and howl in frustration.
The people in the sedan played different tunes,
There must be something hidden in my heart
…
"(2)
——————
In the sleeping palace.
Han Dongwen had already walked around the room.
"Ten, seven, fifty!"
He felt itchy at the base of his teeth.
How is he going to conjure up sixty-seven gold dollars?
Ten minutes ago, he slapped his thigh.
"I'll take the things and let Xiao Hongdou leave the palace and sell them to a pawn shop!"
But now, he was on his eighth lap.
There are a lot of things, such as the enamel mirror inlaid with gold and the pen holder with pearl polish, which look like they are in excellent condition.
However, under the pen rest and on the back of the enamel mirror, there are all engraved with dragon, seal and phoenix inscriptions. You can tell at a glance that they are from the palace.
Let a palace maid go out to pawn the things in the palace?
That means beheading!
Anyone who is not a fool knows that this palace maid should be turned away and sent to the official position.
"Can not be done……"
Han Dongwen sat back on the bed and pulled his hair.
Not to mention that he had it, the biggest thing that passed through his hands was Li Zai's twenty gold dollars.
I’ve already given it to Xiaohongdou, why do you have the nerve to come back!
And even if he comes back, after deducting the five gold yuan reimbursed to Xiao Hongdou, there will only be fifteen gold yuan left.
"fifteen……"
It's quite close to seventeen.
Han Dongwen gritted his back teeth in annoyance and looked helplessly at himself in the enamel mirror.
"Is it possible that I'm going to be so poor that I lose my bones?"
PS (1)(2): Excerpts from the Cheng School Peking Opera repertoire "Suolin Bag" and "Spring and Autumn Pavilion".
