The baggage was prepared by Lin Rong in advance. Not only was it wrapped with clean clothes in kraft paper, but it also contained some soft, readily available medicinal materials, and a knife made by craftsmen in Xuanzhou. To avoid shoes getting wet, he took them off in advance and sealed them with waterproof kraft paper. Pack it up, now there is nothing left.
Lin Rong sat up and saw that the rain was gradually easing, the river slowed down, and the water level dropped. Except for this large stone platform, it was surrounded by cliffs. There is a narrow wall behind the monolithic platform, which seems to allow people to pass through.
Lin Rong stood up with bare feet, and within two steps, the small stones on the ground made his diaphragm hurt. When he saw Lu Shen still lying on the side, sleeping, he suddenly became angry. If it weren't for his meddling, he would have swam ashore long ago. , the baggage prepared in advance will not be lost, how can it be so embarrassing.
When I walked up to him, I kicked him twice, but the muscles on his body were as hard as rocks. I didn't wear shoes, so I kicked my little finger off my fingernail. I bent over and covered it for a long time in pain.
Lin Rong sighed and took off Lu Shen's boots, regardless of whether they fit or not. He thought to himself, I have done a good deed by fishing you out of the river. Let's go our separate ways. If you are lucky, you won't die. .
After that, he turned around and walked towards the narrow stone wall behind him.
Chapter 48
After walking a few steps, Lin Rong stopped again. His baggage was washed away. Lu Shen must have something like gold and silver on his body. He went back and searched Lu Shen's body again, but he couldn't find any money. He had to pluck out all the rubies from the purple gold crown on his waist, put them in his sleeves, and whispered: "It's mental compensation! "
The big stone platform is surrounded by cliffs, and there is only a stone wall behind it with no way to go. The stone wall was extremely narrow, and it was dark when looking in from the outside. Even with a petite figure like Lin Rong, she could barely pass through. Unless Lu Shen knew how to shrink the bones, he would never be able to pass it. Even if he woke up, he wouldn't be afraid. After walking straight along the stone wall for more than ten steps, it gradually became wider, and there was faint light coming from the front.
Lin Rong continued walking for about a hundred steps, and gradually a very rich scent of osmanthus came. Although he was in a dark and narrow cave, he was not discouraged but felt that his steps were light and he walked faster and faster.
After walking several hundred steps forward, the scent of osmanthus became stronger and stronger. Along with the singing of birds, the narrow wall suddenly opened up, and a vast expanse of green came into view.
Lin Rong knew how dangerous the virgin forest was at night. She had to find a safe place to live before it completely darkened and headed straight for higher ground. Sure enough, she saw some vague animal footprints on the ground, heading in the opposite direction. After a while, a small wooden house appeared on the high slope.
Lin Rong flew out like a light swallow and saw a vast fertile land.
…
It was approaching the Double Ninth Festival, and the air was getting colder. Hang Qing was waiting on the porch, waving his hands and saying, "The old lady and the madam are talking, please wait." While he was looking through the tray in the servant's hand, he saw two red chicken heads. It was fresh in season, and he put a white jade plate of crabs and a large pot of chrysanthemums in front of him, and asked: "Which room did they come from?"
The servant woman replied: "It's the fourth master! He said these are red water chestnuts and chicken heads from the south of the Yangtze River. The taste is different from what we have here, so he asked someone to hurry up and ask the old lady to have a taste."
Hang Qing laughed after hearing this and asked: "It's a coincidence. Grandma Yu Si came to say hello this morning. The old lady also asked the Lord and Fourth Master where their soldiers and horses were stationed now. They marched hundreds of miles a day. It was also Maybe, the things will arrive in the evening. I don’t think I’ve even arrived in Jiangnan, and it’s not far from Jiangnan.”
The servant girl smiled and flattered her: "What Miss Hangqing said is that I heard someone delivering something from outside said that the Lord is coming to Jiangzhou soon."
Hang Qing smiled and said nothing. After waiting for a while, he opened the soft red door curtain and quietly went in.
She gently closed the door, and only a few oil lamps were lit in the room. The dim light fell on the green brick floor. In the dim light, she could see an old woman with silver-white temples sitting in front of her. Wearing a jasper inlay to wipe his forehead, he looked like an old feudal lord from a wealthy family. She was sitting cross-legged, holding a four-inch long cigarette rod in her hand. She blew the cigarette pot before speaking, and her voice was quite loud: "That girl from the Cui family in Jiangzhou, didn't you say she had no more? Why did she say it again? One comes out of nowhere?"
The wife sat aside and nodded: "I heard from the waiter that he had a quarrel with his sixth brother and committed suicide by jumping off a cliff. He ordered Zhao Menghuai of Xuanzhou to mobilize five to six thousand soldiers and search along the river for more than half a year. We found more than a dozen corpses scattered around, none of them intact, so we withdrew our troops and turned around."
As he spoke, he sighed: "He is also very angry! But why did the couple end up committing suicide after they quarreled?"
As the old lady got older, her heart softened, and she sighed: "Amitabha, I am so young. I don't know how sad my parents will be when they pass away like this. Have they been sent away? Where are they buried? On the Fourth of July and the Third Festival, it is indispensable to have a fast and sacrifice." Fan’s.”
The wife shook her head: "I was still talking about it a year ago. It's been almost a year and I haven't been buried yet. I wrote letters several times, but Sixth Brother put them aside. Now he has taken over the flag and is the king. , I can’t say much.”
The old lady took a puff of saliva, smacked her lips and said, "You should have told me about this earlier. Brother Six did not handle this matter well. No matter how unvirtuous Mr. Cui is, now that he is gone, forget it. So be it." , I made the decision on this matter. Since the body could not be found, I set up a tomb in Yongzhou, and asked Taoist priests to build a water and land dojo to wash away disasters and cleanse their karma. For seven or seventy-nine days, two teams of Qingyi, deacons, etc. It’s also indispensable. After all, she is Sixth Brother’s first wife, so etiquette is indispensable.”
The wife nodded, acknowledged her, and said: "Master Taixu's ritual of redressing grievances and cleansing karma is very effective. It would be best to invite her to come and recite sutras, and you can talk to the old lady and reminisce about the past."
After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law agreed, the wife served the old lady and smoked a few more water pipes, and said: "The first one is gone, no, the Cui family in Jiangzhou sent another one, but he is too young, only eleven years old. He is not tall either, and he looks as if he is less than ten years old. I saw him yesterday. He was very thin and his face was sallow. I guess it was because he was not accustomed to the local environment. "
The old lady yawned and said in a low mood: "You can do what you want, just don't treat me badly." Seeing her half-crouched daughter-in-law, who was nearly fifty years old, she advised: "Although the issue of the heir is a big deal, You don’t have to worry too much, Sixth Brother knows it well, and when he is free, it will happen naturally.”
The wife smiled and said, "Yes, I heard that a beauty has been hired to accompany the camp. She brings luck almost every night. I guess there will be good news soon."
The old lady clapped her hand and said, "That's it." She caught a glimpse of Hang Qing standing at the door and scolded with a smile: "You hozen, you didn't even say a word when you came in. Just listen to your wife's corner, drag her out and beat her twenty times." .”
Hang Qing had already put her hair in a woman's bun at this time. She was not afraid when she heard the words. She smiled and said: "The old lady beat me out, but there are no good things that the fourth master promoted." As he ordered people to come in, the old lady took a look Then, my wife joked next to me: "It's hard for the fourth child's filial piety to bring a pot of flowers like this."
The old lady was quite happy and said: "The fourth child knows what is good and what is bad." She called someone to ask how the battle was going when the march arrived. The visitor replied carefully: "My lord is victorious and has already entered Jiangzhou."
After hearing this, the old lady clapped her hands repeatedly: "It seems that Sixth Brother can come back to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival."
While everyone was talking happily, another woman came to announce the good news outside the door. As soon as she came in, she kowtowed: "Congratulations to the old lady, madam, congratulations to the old lady, madam, the fourth grandma has given birth to another brother, weighing seven pounds and eight taels, mother and son are safe." .”
The old lady said: "Okay, okay, today is a double blessing. Let's go and see her." As she walked away, she told Hang Qing: "The person who serves today has merit, let's see the reward."
Hang Qing agreed with a smile and walked back. With a wave of his hand, someone came out carrying several large baskets of wedding money. Not only the maids and maids who served in the inner and outer courtyards, but also those who served the flowers and trees were rewarded. Copper coins were scattered all over the ground, scattered among the bright yellow chrysanthemums, and the whole scene was filled with joy.
When Hang Qing finished sending the money and went to Grandma Yu's yard, the old lady was sitting by the bed and told Grandma Yu: "Although you already have three brothers, you still need to be more careful about raising them after childbirth. Don't do this." You are careless. You should not be exposed to wind or cold during the confinement period, and you should take nourishing medicine on time."
He babbled for a long time, making everyone in the room laugh, and the second mistress laughed: "The old lady is partial. What kind of talk does she make us village goods look like, so she doesn't like the old lady like this? Hey? Alas, it’s just that we didn’t live up to expectations and couldn’t compare to the fourth family.”
Everyone laughed louder. The old lady was so amused that she was out of breath. She reached out to pick up the second grandma. The lady also laughed: "Stop making people laugh. The old lady just ate a cold pear. This cold smile, be careful." Cause her to gasp."
Although Grandma Yu Si had just given birth, except for her hair, which was a little messy, she didn't look haggard at all. She was like a jade-like figure. When she saw this, she said: "Don't worry, old lady, I can save it. I used to give birth to my eldest brother and Brother Qi's milk." My mother-in-law is here and she will not fail to do her best."
The old lady nodded and sat for a long time before going back and ordering Hang Qing to serve her to sleep. Then she patted Hang Qing's hand and said, "The marriage my wife chose for you is also a good one. It's just that there are swords and guns on the battlefield." Eyeless, he is a poor man, don't be too sad. I asked you to come back, just to stay in front of me and not suffer the pain of keeping filial piety. There are many good sons and daughters, wait until I find them for you. Just one.”
Hang Qing lowered his head and shed tears: "I was originally the girl next to the old lady. Later I followed the lady and then served you. Now, I don't think about anything else in my life. As long as the old lady doesn't dislike me, I will follow the old lady for the rest of my life. This is the slave’s blessing.”
The old lady herself was born as a girl. Because she gave birth to Lu Shen's father and killed Lu Shen's grandfather, she became an old feudal lord respected by everyone. When she saw Hang Qing, she felt like she saw herself before, and scolded: "Confused By the way, how old are you? What about a lifetime? When I was your age, I was still bathing in the lower house? "
Hang Qing looked up: "Old lady?"
But the old lady turned over again, leaned against the brocade tent and said slowly, "It's better to choose someone outside. Men in the Lu family all have eyes on the top of their heads."
Hang Qing hummed softly and slowly exited the door.
Grandma Yu Si’s Rongxi Courtyard here didn’t get quiet until ten minutes past midnight. Grandma Yu Si was leaning against Jin Dun, half-lying. She raised her eyelids slightly and watched the old lady counting the gift list: "Girls must be valued by old ladies and madams. People below know that she has high eyebrows and low eyesight, but she just gave birth." , It’s not just a three-day bath, or a hundred-day celebration, I’ve given you everything. Look at the list, the gifts given to each room are not light.”
Fourth Grandma Yu smiled and patted her little son who was sleeping soundly: "It's because Fourth Master is so helpful outside that I have such a reputation in the inner courtyard."
The old grandma looked at the gift list and exclaimed: "Why did she also give something as a gift? She really put her mind into it. Such large pieces of topaz are rare. To carve such a little tiger, I won't mention the materials. I've made a lot of it." Kung fu."
Grandma Yu Si took it and took a look. It was indeed a rare treasure. She said clearly: "Mommy, this aunt is really interesting."
The old grandma thought for a moment and understood: "The girl is confused. I don't understand what my aunt means. I'm afraid it's because of their sister. There is no one of the right age in Yongzhou City who she likes. I'm afraid it's because of her." Are you planning to go to your parents' house and marry her back? My cousin and my grandmother are watching over me, so I won't feel uneasy anymore."
Grandma Yu smiled, put down the little yellow jade tiger, and said mockingly: "Her abacus is really good, I'm afraid it won't go as planned."
…
In Jiangzhou, Shen Yan received the letter and hurried to the Chinese army's tent. As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw the beautiful lady Wang Nana coming out. Her voice was so soft that it could drip water: "Your Majesty has just fallen asleep. If there is nothing else important, please come back tomorrow."
Shen Yan respectfully greeted him and waited aside without saying a word. He did not say whether he would go in now to report or whether he would come back tomorrow.
Wang Meiren was a very kind person, and she was a little angry when she saw this. In addition, Lu Shen only brought one female family member with the army, so she felt quite favored. She immediately said with a serious face: "Your Majesty has been sleepless for days, so you are going in to disturb me now." It is a great crime of disrespect for him to sleep peacefully."
Shen Yan raised his head slightly, listening to her voice that was very similar to the princess of Jiangzhou. She didn't say yes or no, she just said: "I don't dare."
This is neither yin nor yang. Wang Meiren is so angry that her fingertips are trembling: "You are so presumptuous! Why is it so important? Your Majesty has insomnia. You don't know it."
Beauty Wang was born in the market and did not understand the rules of these wealthy families. After all, the maid next to her understood and hurriedly came forward to persuade: "Beauty, your Majesty said, the white fungus soup you made is very delicious. Your Majesty has not eaten all day today. It’s nothing, not as good as you…”
Only then did Wang Meiren get off the stage, waved her sleeves, and walked away angrily.
When Shen Yan entered the tent, Lu Shen had already woken up and was sitting in front of the desk. Without stopping to write or raising his head, he asked, "What's the matter?"
Shen Yan presented a sandalwood box, opened it, and saw a jade pendant with glass patterns. He reported, "Zhao Menghuai found this jade pendant the day before yesterday. He found it in a medicine shop. The owner of the medicine shop said that he was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old man." The girl paid for the medicine. It was said that the girl fell seriously ill in the first month of last year..."
Having said this, he looked up at Lu Shen's face. Seeing that his face was as usual, he became even more uneasy and continued: "I was seriously ill and had no money to buy medicine, so I had to pay for this jade pendant. Zhao Menghuai has already examined it. Said to have died of illness."
Shen Yan lowered his head. He didn't know how long it took before he heard Lu Shen say: "Bring everyone in."
Chapter 49
The drug store owner, who was about forty years old, was dragged up and slipped up. His face was bruised and bruised, and he was lying limply as soon as the sergeant who was holding him let go. He was breathing normally and looked like he had been tortured.
He didn't know how many days he had been imprisoned, and he understood how serious these people were and feared further suffering. He poured beans out of a bamboo tube and said all at once: "That girl is a street doctor, and she is followed by an old mute doctor in his sixties, who says he is a descendant." The deserters who came out from the south also had Jiangnan accents. They arrived in Guyuan County in the twelfth month of last year. As soon as they arrived, they set up a stall under the Nanmen Building to practice medicine..."
As he said that, the drug store owner coughed violently and spit out a mouthful of black blood: "Such a charlatan is just walking around the streets with a bell ringing and carrying a medicine box to sell some unsavory things like dog-skin plasters and powerful pills. Dr. Ling Sitting in the hall for consultation, everyone laughed to death. Except for the occasional sick person who rushed to the doctor, no one came to see her. Although the girl had a big scar on her face, her features were still visible, she had a good figure, and her voice was soft and gentle. , but I have only been here for three to five days and I haven’t earned a penny for the consultation. Instead, I provoked some green-skinned hooligans to gather around the stall and make fun... make fun of me..." As he spoke, he couldn't catch his breath, and he rolled his eyes and fainted.
Shen Yan leaned over and breathed: "I still have breath, but I fainted."
Lu Shen sat upright, his face still expressionless, and said coldly: "Wake up."
Shen Yan said, "Okay," and ordered someone to bring in a large bucket of cold well water and pour it all over the person's upper body. Only then did he see the drug store owner slowly wake up. He shivered and calmed down for a while, feeling a little confused. He said: "That girl...where did I say it...where did I say it..."
Shen Yan did not dare to answer this. He lowered his head for a long time and listened to the drug store owner reciting three or four sentences of "Where are you talking about?" Then he heard the prince above him calmly said: "Green-skinned gangster! You are teasing me. !”
The drug store owner shook his head and continued: "Oh, by the way, it's a joke. Those green-skinned hooligans just teased with words at first, and then gradually used their hands and feet to take advantage. That girl has a fierce temper and looks like something is going to happen. Who knows, There was an epidemic in the village under the city. Within five or six days, hundreds of people died one after another. As long as one person in a family got infected, almost the whole family died. Even the county magistrate was so frightened that he closed the gate of the county government and sent people to guard the city gate. , no one from the village under the city is allowed to enter the city."
As he spoke, the drug store owner turned over and lay on the ground panting: "At this time, the doctor in the drug store will naturally not dare to go out to see a doctor. Speaking of which, the grandfather and grandson are quite capable. In order to avoid those The green-skinned gangster, I don’t know when he left the city and what prescription he prescribed. But within a month, the epidemic in the village gradually dissipated. The grandfather and grandson also established themselves in the village, and slowly connected with the people in the city. Instead, he went to the village to see a doctor."
The drug store owner had been severely tortured and looked like he wouldn't live long. He disappeared without knowing where he was talking: "I don't know what kind of medicine there are in that prescription, and what kind of medicine primer is used, but it is so useful. It would be great if I could know, but it's a pity that I have offended the ancestors and the grandson, and they refused to tell me how much money they paid..."
He muttered a lot, so verbose that even Shen Yan frowned and felt that it was noisy. Junhou, who was looking up, listened quietly without interrupting, and had no choice but to endure the complaints of the drug shop owner.
I don't know how long it took, but then he talked about Lin Rong again: "In the first month of the year, the grandfather and grandson were seriously ill. They could have been cured, but a pair of medicine cost one tael of silver. They took it for a month." Keep it. The girl bought a ruby and a jade pendant, thinking of using it in exchange for medicine."
At this point, he became a little vague: "Later, the father-in-law died first, and the girl had only one breath left. She was thrown in front of Shuiyue An, where she lived for a day or two. I heard the nuns at Shuiyue An said , the person is gone and buried in..."
Hearing this, Lu Shen immediately interrupted: "The ruby and the jade pendant are worth thousands of gold. Since the disease can be cured and there are medicines, how could the person be missing? It must be you who took the money by clever means, greedy for wealth, and then The one who refused to give medicine and forced his grandson to death."
The drug store owner shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, I don't have it. I don't have it. That gem and jade pendant is not worth anything... it's not worth anything..."
Lu Shen waved his hand and stopped listening to his excuses. He threw out a sign and ordered the people around him: "Drag him out and beat him hard."
The sergeants on the left and right immediately carried the man out and beat him down hard with a thick military stick. At first there were some screams and begging for mercy, but gradually there was no sound outside. But after a while, someone came in and reported: "The man has died."
At this time, outside the military tent, the nun Shuiyue'an was waiting to be interrogated. The doctor at the medical center was trembling with fear and collapsed on the ground. The Guyuan County magistrate who was waiting outside felt like the world was spinning for a moment. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and asked Shen Yan who came out with a smile: "Shangchao, what kind of incestuous and evil things happened in the area under the jurisdiction of the lower official? Jun?" Hou Ke, do you have any instructions?"
Shen Yan shook his head, expressionless: "I don't know."
The torture lasted until dawn and then stopped.
It was raining heavily outside the tent and dark clouds were approaching. Lu Shen stood in front of the window for who knows how long before he turned around and said, "Go and ask Mr. De to come."
Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief and listened to his instructions: "Order three thousand elite soldiers and go to Qingzhou."
Shen Yan couldn't help but remind: "Master, you just wrote a letter. You are going back to Yongzhou on the Double Ninth Festival. My aunt has already left, and all the relatives in the mansion are waiting. If you go to Qingzhou, you will definitely not be able to return home in time to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. .”
Lu Shen didn't say anything, only glanced lightly. The coldness made Shen Yan's back feel cold. He didn't dare to say anything more, so he bent over and retreated.
…
At Xiaoxuanqing Temple in Qingzhou, at noon that day, the heavy rain began to stop, and occasionally birds chirped in the mountains, which became increasingly quiet. Lin Rong looked at the "Huang Ting Jing" in his hand and felt worried. Just as he was about to put down the pen, he heard footsteps outside. The master of this Taoist temple, Taiyuan Zhenren, was strict by nature. Lin Rong did not dare to be lazy openly. She quickly opened the book and pretended to copy it carefully.
The door opened with a creak, and a woman wearing a lotus crown and neon clothes quietly pushed the door open and said with a smile: "Miao Xuan, there is no need to copy."
When Lin Rong saw that it was her, she put down her pen, leaned forward, and changed into a more comfortable sitting position: "It's Senior Sister Miaozhen!"
The female crown named Miaozhen smiled, closed the book, and said: "This morning, Daxuanqing Temple in Yongzhou sent someone to say that the wife of the Junhou of Yongzhou died, and ordered Daxuanqing Temple to do seventy-seven forty-nine. He also said that the elixir sent by our temple last month was very good, and ordered us to make another furnace and send it over. For this reason, Daxuan Qing Temple organized a ritual ceremony in our temple. It was sent. We have a lot of things here, and now we don’t have to worry about spending the winter. You said, the master wants you to make elixirs, do you still need to copy these scriptures?" Yes, Lin Rong, who originally thought he could support himself with medical skills, is now relying on his high school chemistry knowledge Deceiving people in Taoist temples.
Lin Rong listened quietly for a while and asked, "Is the lady of Yongzhou dead?"
