Han Changmu nodded: "That's right."
Yao Yao stood not far away and interjected: "In recent years, Buddhism has prospered and Taoism has declined. Most of the Taoist temples in Chang'an City have fallen into decline. There are not many Taoist priests left, and even fewer can make elixirs. It shouldn’t be difficult to find the source of green vitriol oil.”
Sun Ying also raised his head, stared at Bao Cheng, and said sadly: "Aren't you a Taoist priest?"
Bao Cheng frowned: "I am a Qimen, not a Taoist priest."
Sun Ying snorted and said in a rather uneasy tone: "Aren't they all the same? Even if you don't know how to make pills, you should know who can make pills."
"..." Bao Cheng was speechless.
Han Changmu added lightly: "It's okay if you don't know. The Qi Sect and the Tao Sect are connected. Check carefully in Chang'an City to see who can make elixirs and obtain green vitriol oil."
"..." Bao Cheng wailed, struggling with a grimace: "The humble job will end tomorrow." The more he spoke, the more sad he felt in his heart, and he almost cried: " It’s too difficult for me to take exams for nine days in a row.”
Yao Yao patted Bao Cheng's shoulder heavily several times, smiling slightly with eyebrows and eyes gloating: "I express my deepest sympathy for your misfortune."
As she said this, she laughed out loud.
Bao Cheng blushed and gave Yao Yao a fierce look: "I see you are very happy."
Han Changmu smiled as he watched the two of them joking in a relaxed manner, but several of them were laughing at a corpse in red clothes, which looked weird no matter how they looked at it.
Han Changmu suppressed his smile and said calmly: "The provincial examination is the most important thing. If you think of anything, just write it down and give it to me. I will have my own internal guards to check it out."
Bao Cheng responded with a sad face. He was really under a low eaves and had to bow his head.
Han Changmu curled his lips and turned to look at Yao Yao: "Yao Canjun is very good at lightness and good at hiding. He is also very familiar with Chang'an City. In the past few days, you have taken Ding Zhi's inner guards to check where there are tortoise shells in the city. bamboo."
Yao Yao had no objection at all and said yes.
The long and melodious sound of the dusk drum spread throughout the sky above Chang'an City. When the last dusk drum fell, the sky had darkened safely.
The stone lamps on the floor lit up one after another, reflecting the blue brick floor.
A group of people walked out of the extremely cold inspection room. As soon as they reached the door of the third house, they met Meng Suigai, who was rushing over.
After returning to the capital, he was promoted to the rank of General Banner of the B Branch of the Internal Security Department. He was originally Han Changmu's personal bodyguard, and he became even more useful after joining the Internal Security Department. He was basically never leaving Han Changmu's side.
He hurriedly walked forward, saluted and said, "Sir, I am not waiting for the visitor in the Tutu Temple."
Han Changmu looked solemn, paused slightly as he pushed the door in, and turned around with a cold voice: "No one is coming?"
Meng Suige nodded: "Yes, when I arrived with the people, it was still bright. There was indeed a bag on the shrine of the Tutu Temple, with twenty taels of silver in it. I put the swaddling clothes on the shrine and took it away. After getting the money, I kept hiding in the dark, but no one came."
Han Changmu walked into the dormitory unhurriedly and tapped the desk with his finger: "The person you want to contact has never shown up, or someone has discovered your whereabouts, or the barbarian is lying." His face was worried, and his voice became louder and louder. His hair grew cold: "Where is Sheng Lao Si? Have you caught him?"
Meng Suige lowered his head: "
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Before that, the inner guards took people to Sheng Laosi's home and several gambling houses he frequented, but they all failed and are still searching. "
Han Changmu's face darkened, he glanced at Meng Suige, and said coldly: "Take the barbarian to the Prison of the Department of Internal Security and interrogate him again."
After finishing these things, Han Changmu raised his head and said to Bao Cheng, "You go back first, we have to leave tomorrow."
At this time, the eighty-one dusk drums had finished ringing, and the city had already imposed a curfew, but Bao Cheng was now a member of the Department of Internal Security, and he already had a badge from the Department of Internal Security on him, so he had easy access and was not afraid of staying at night.
Hearing Han Changmu's words, Bao Chengru was granted amnesty. He hurriedly responded and raised his legs to leave. He turned around and saw Yao Yao again. He asked tentatively: "Um, Ah Yao, let's go together?"
Before Yao Yao could speak, Han Changmu said coldly: "Yao Yao still has something to do when he joins the army."
Yao Yao opened his mouth and snorted: "Go back first. I'll leave tomorrow. I hope you do well in the plenary exam and get everything right."
Bao Cheng chuckled: "I just hope I don't fall asleep during the exam and drool on the paper."
When Sun Ying heard this, she burst into laughter.
Han Changmu also smiled and waved his hand: "Go."
Night rolled in, gradually covering the entire city of Chang'an. The lights were lit in the streets. It was the time for the evening meal, and the winding alleys were filled with the warm and natural atmosphere of market fireworks.
It was late at night under curfew and the gates of the square were closed, but there were still passers-by coming and going in the square, all in a hurry. There are also small food stalls in the square, a few benches and food tables surrounding the walls, and a pale white mist is thickening in the night.
People who come home late sit around the food table. Familiar and unfamiliar people can take advantage of the heat of the food to strike up a few conversations and talk about their parents' differences.
After bypassing this winding alley full of fireworks, the winding alley at the back is particularly remote and less crowded. The entire winding alley is narrow and deep, and the sycamore trees on both sides are elegantly trimmed.
The floor of the narrow alley is paved with neat green bricks of the same size. It seems that they have been repaired and maintained regularly. There are no cracks on the green bricks, and the walls on both sides are also pink. This color of the wall looks good in the daytime. It's nothing, but at night, when everything is dark, whenever someone walks under the wall, the shadow will be reflected gracefully on the wall, with nowhere to hide.
Although this narrow alley is secluded, most of the houses in the alley are mansions with three or four entrances to the courtyard. The red couplets are carved with regular script and the lintels hang high. At first glance, they are the mansions of aristocratic families with profound heritage.
At the end of the alley, two high-hanging lanterns swayed in the night wind, their lights shining gracefully, illuminating the ancient Chinese characters "Li Mansion" on the lintel.
The Li family's residence is a three-entry courtyard, which is considered small in this winding alley, but no one dares to underestimate the Li family, because the second son of this family is young and has served as a fifth-level official in the official department. A good doctor really has a bright future.
The ancestors of the Li family were from a Jiangnan aristocratic family. Since the three husbands in the family were all officials in Beijing, they moved to Chang'an City to settle down in recent years. They spent a huge sum of money to buy such a three-in courtyard.
This house was already dilapidated when they bought it. The Li family thought that instead of renovating it, it would be better to tear it down and rebuild it. They demolished all the original dilapidated houses and built the current mansion with white walls and black tiles.
The scenery in the mansion is also built according to the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, with whirling bamboo shadows, meandering strange rocks, and each scene is exquisite and graceful.
These scenery look elegant and charming during the day, but late at night, when the lights are not burning for long, a few rays of light occasionally fall on the sun.
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On the lake rocks, there are strange shadows, which add a bit of gloomy atmosphere, making it a bit scary.
A maid held a lamp to lead the way, and a maid behind carried two chicken wing wood three-layer octagonal food boxes, walking through the courtyards and towards the depths of the mansion.
"Sister Mei'er, the second lady is due to give birth next month, right?" the maid who was walking behind carrying a food box asked playfully.
The maid in front smiled softly: "Yes, the second lady is pregnant with twins this time. This is a great joy."
The maid at the back struggled to carry two heavy food boxes and narrowed her eyes with a smile: "Then we will have a silver reward next month."
The maid in front paused and muttered something vaguely: "Then you have to survive."
The maid behind didn't hear clearly and asked with a frown: "Sister Mei'er, what did you say?"
"Nothing." The maid in front was stunned for a moment and walked forward briskly.
There are several two-story pavilions in the back house. The Li family has no daughters, but only three husbands, all of whom are married. These two-story pavilions are the residences of the three husbands.
The two maids walked to one of the pavilions and handed the food boxes to the maids waiting in front of the door.
The maid named Mei'er said with a smile: "Sister Lanxiang, this is the second lady's evening food and decoction."
The maid named Lan Xiang at the door thanked her, handed Meier a pouch, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, sisters."
The maid at the back immediately beamed with joy and hurriedly thanked her: "Thank you, Sister Lanxiang. Sister Lanxiang is so generous."
Lan Xiang pursed her lips and smiled, carrying the food box and walking to the building.
Each small building is an independent courtyard, and the courtyard is also decorated with small landscapes. The first floor is the main hall for entertaining guests, the second floor is the living room of the owner, and there is a row of reverse-side rooms at the back of the building for the servants to live.
Lan Xiang carried the food box upstairs and stepped on the wooden stairs, making a soft creaking sound.
A lamp was lit in the building, and the dim yellow light filtered through the wooden steps with carved handrails.
Lan Xiang walked upstairs through the thin light and shadow, and handed the food box to an old woman at the top of the stairs.
The old woman put the food in the food box on the dining table, then took the white porcelain medicine bowl with an enlarged mouth, walked to Hu's bed, and said to the woman on the bed in a hoarse voice: "Second lady, it's time to take medicine."
The woman was lying on her back, her face was sallow, and she was covered with a thick brocade quilt, which outlined her skinny figure. Only her belly was bulging high, and her whole body formed a strange arc.
Hearing the hoarse voice of the old woman, the woman sat up with support on her waist, held the medicine bowl and drank it in one breath. Some dark brown medicine hung on her lips. She wiped it with her handkerchief and smiled gently. : "Mother Qi, it's really good of you to do this. I just drank two cups and I don't feel so weak anymore."
The old woman smiled. The wrinkles on her face were criss-crossed. Her hands were as skinny as old tree bark, but she was full of energy. She said in a hoarse voice: "Second wife, if you have taken good care of your body and have strength, your delivery will be smooth next month." Dangdang."
The woman took a breath, got off the bed with great difficulty, walked to the food table and sat down: "Yes, I want to eat more, after all, there are two children in my belly."
The old woman's eyes fell on the woman's towering belly. Her eyes seemed to be hooked, and she narrowed her eyes with greedy desire: "The more you eat, the more the baby will grow."
(End of chapter)
