The night in Guangling City is still noisy.
There was no curfew in the Southern Qi Dynasty. Busy places like Guangling were constantly lit with lights, and the night market had begun to take shape. There is a poem that says: Thousands of lights in the night market illuminate the blue clouds, and there are many customers with red sleeves in the high-rise buildings. Nowadays, unlike usual times, I can still hear the sound of singing and singing.
For example, the Zhouqiao Night Market in Dongcheng not only has a dazzling array of goods, but also a variety of snacks and snacks from all over the world, such as lychee cakes, sweet candies, fried sheep, gold-threaded plums, and so on.
Another example is Yongle Street in Xicheng. There are brothels and restaurants one after another that are enough to make people forget to leave. There are also teahouses, dance viewings, pearls and jade, paper paintings, and operas, and there are countless romantic charms.
Deep in the bustling city, there is a simple-looking blue-gray building that looks ordinary and inconspicuous, but it is like a door leading to a terrifying place that ordinary people dare not approach.
This is the Yamen of Guangling Prefecture of the Sutra Weaving Department.
The Sutra Weaving Department has three offices in Huaizhou, namely Guangling Prefecture, Taixing Prefecture and Lai'an Prefecture.
Taixing Mansion is the residence of the governor of Huaizhou, and Lai'an Mansion is the residence of the governor of Huaizhou. This shows that the importance of Guangling Mansion is no less important.
The night was dark, and the lights inside the Yamen were brightly lit.
Su Buqing led two subordinates to a side room. One of them raised his hand and knocked on the door. A clear voice came from inside: "Please come in."
The interior of the house is spacious. It was originally made up of a partition between two rooms, with a cypress screen in the middle to block the view.
The two subordinates opened the food box they were carrying, took out the dishes and two bottles of wine, and then bowed and left.
Su Buqing opened the chair at the table and sat down, looked up at Lu Chen and said, "You look good."
Lu Chen sat down opposite him and said calmly: "To be honest, sir, I haven't slept very well these past few days. Unexpectedly, I fell asleep as soon as I got here, and I have been sleeping since evening until now."
Su Buqing nodded and said: "I heard that, so I asked people to go to Zhouqiao Night Market to buy some food for you to fill your stomach. If you are allowed to cause trouble here, your father will definitely ask the Warp Weaving Department for one at all costs. statement."
"Thank you, sir."
Lu Chen took the initiative to ignore the temptation hidden in his last sentence, and tasted the Jiangnan-style delicacies in front of him generously, occasionally raising a glass to each other.
The alcohol content of drinks in this era was relatively low, but he only tasted it briefly and did not drink excessively.
Su Buqing used chopsticks casually for a few times and then stopped. Seeing that Lu Chen was eating quite happily, he watched quietly.
After about a stick of incense, Lu Chen finally put down his chopsticks, picked up the handkerchief and wiped his mouth, and said calmly: "I'm sorry, please don't take offense."
"Eating is the most important thing. If people don't fill their stomachs, they will often cause trouble."
Su Buqing sighed as if pointing something out, and then turned to the topic: "You must have understood why I brought you here by force."
Lu Chen did not answer the question and asked instead, "Has your Excellency checked the whereabouts of Gu Yong?"
Su Buqing smiled faintly and said: "He has been working with me since seven years ago. He has always been diligent and down-to-earth over the years and rarely made mistakes. That's why I promoted him to the position of inspector, with fifty people in charge. In public and private matters, It’s hard for me to believe that Gu Yong would collaborate with the enemy. As for what you said earlier, I asked my subordinates who went outside the city today. Gu Yong did not deliberately stop after taking them out of the city. Although he was moving at a somewhat slow speed Slow, but within the understandable range.”
Lu Chen also smiled and said leisurely: "Since your Excellency trusts Gu Chashi so much, why don't you ask him face to face instead of using someone else's words?"
Su Buqing choked.
This question made the rhetoric he prepared later useless.
Lu Chen accepted it and said calmly: "Junior knows that it is difficult to win your trust, so please tell me frankly. What are you still worried about?"
Su Buqing's expression gradually became serious, and he no longer regarded Lu Chen as a young man who was inexperienced in the world. He said slowly: "As you said, what happened to the Lu family was caused by someone secretly setting up a trap to mislead the Warp Weaving Department. , thus covering up the identity of the traitor and their intentions. I have been fighting with the Beiyan Procuratorate for these years, and I don’t doubt their ability, but this may also be a method you use to escape guilt. "
Lu Chen said calmly: "In any case, Gu Chashi's abnormal behavior is real. According to your Excellency, he has always been diligent in his work, so he should quickly rush outside the city to inspect the Lu family's caravan."
Su Buqing nodded and said: "This is common sense, but I still want to know where is the boy named Sun Yu in your house now?"
Lu thought for a moment and said, "Junior, you can hand this person over to your lord."
In fact, now he has roughly figured out Su Buqing's thoughts. The other party should have nothing to do with the mastermind behind the scenes, otherwise there is no need to do these useless efforts.
Regardless of whether the intention of the mastermind behind the scenes was as he suspected, to frame the Lu family and make the Warp Weaving Department go into a dead end, or simply to attack the Lu family, if Su Buqing is a participant, he only needs to continue targeting the Lu family.
Now it seems that the warp weaving inspector wants to use the information he has to detect this extremely involved and detailed crime.
This is a truly great achievement.
The captain Zhang Xi is not enough to alarm the capital. If another traitor with a more important identity is discovered, and the Beiyan fine craftsmanship in Huaizhou is uprooted, Su Buqing can rely on this skill to enter the core senior management of the Sutra Weaving Department. .
Gu Yong is just one line, and Sun Yu, who has met the people behind the scenes, is another line.
Su Buqing watched the subtle changes in the expression on Lu Chen's face, rubbed the wine cup in front of him and said, "After this incident, the Lu family firm may be able to take the lead in Guangling Mansion."
This sentence is not an exaggeration. After all, he is the Huaizhou inspector of the warp weaving department. Although he is not ranked high in the capital, he is considered to be of high status in Jiangbei. Even the governor of Huaizhou and the governor of Huaizhou are against each other. He will also treat you with courtesy.
If he is willing to help with his status, at least no one in Guangling will be able to stop the Lu family business from making further progress.
Unconsciously, the relationship between the two changed, and Lu Chen seemed to have the qualifications to do business with him.
At this time, Su Buqing would inevitably think of Divine Doctor Xue. If the old man hadn't come forward, the Sutra Weaving Department's torture tools would have allowed Lu Chen to tell him all the information he wanted to know.
That's all...how can things in this world go as everyone wishes?
Lu Chen said calmly: "My lord has misunderstood. How dare I pretend to be reserved and wait for the price? It's just that Sun Yu was taken away by the commander of the nursing home of my family. This man's name is Li Cheng'en. He is a loyal and stubborn man." Man. If he can't see this junior in person, I'm afraid he won't hand over Sun Yu. Therefore, I would like to trouble you to allow this junior to meet him."
Su Buqing muttered: "Okay."
Lu Chen smiled and thanked him, and then said: "May I ask, sir, what will this junior do next?"
Su Buqing raised her eyebrows and said, "You don't know?"
Lu Chen shook his head honestly.
Su Buqing said: "You don't need to do anything, you just need to stay here and accept the interrogation from the Weaving Department."
This was not a particularly clever trick, but in the eyes of outsiders, Lu Chen, a young and immature merchant's son, seemed unable to make any effective resistance except for being constantly tortured by the agents of the Weaving Department.
Lu Chen nodded in agreement.
Su Buqing stood up and left. Before leaving, he said: "Don't worry, it's just an illusion for some people. You stay here and wait for a while. After this case is solved, I will naturally give you the benefits that the Lu family deserves."
Lu Chen seemed to believe it, and left the table to see him off with great respect.
Su Buqing walked slowly to a side hall. Inspector Gu Yong, who was waiting here, came forward and saluted with a look of shame on his face: "This is a humble and incompetent position. No evidence of the Lu family's collaboration with the enemy has been found. Please convict me!"
Su Buqing waved his hand and said calmly: "Lu Tong has a deep mind. I'm afraid he was already prepared when Zhang Xi was captured. You can't be blamed for this."
Gu Yong sighed and asked, "Sir, do the Lu family want to continue the investigation?"
Su Buqing said sternly: "Of course we have to investigate. Although Doctor Xue has to give him face, the Warp Weaving Department can't just retreat in spite of difficulties. I am detaining Lu Chen here because I want Lu Tong to worry about gains and losses and then expose his flaws. This is a Take in the way of relaxation."
Gu Yong said with admiration: "Your Excellency is wise, and my subordinates are ashamed of themselves."
A smile appeared on Su Buqing's face, and she looked into his eyes and said, "You will be fully responsible for the Lu family's case. At the same time, you will assign all the manpower in Guangling Mansion. Remember, we must not only find out the evidence that Lu Tong and his son are collaborating with the enemy as soon as possible. , and we must follow this line to dig out the traitor."
Gu Yong bowed and responded: "I will do my best when I receive my order!"
After he resigned, Su Buqing sat quietly and said after a long time: "From tonight on, people will be watching Gu Yong's every move, and even what he said in his sleep will be reported."
A man in mysterious clothes appeared beside him and said coldly: "Yes."
At the same time, the servants in the yamen had already cleaned up the leftovers in Lu Chen's room. He opened the window halfway, and the fresh late night air poured in, which was refreshing.
A bright moon hung above the night, and everything between heaven and earth was silent.
Lu Chen looked up and tapped lightly on the window lattice with his right hand.
He never told Su Buqing about the situation at Panlong Pass. On the one hand, he couldn't trust the spy chief, and on the other hand, he hoped to leave a trump card for himself.
Judging from the information currently available, Guangling Mansion is just a lively front, and the place where Beiyan's secret work must be located is at the border.
From Panlong Pass to Guangling Mansion, he encountered difficulties all the way, just because he was the son of a merchant, and he obviously had no ability to protect himself in such an era of jungle.
Even though he was tossing and turning in every possible way, all he wanted was a chance to breathe.
That's why he proposed to meet with Li Chengen, and before the previous letter was sent, he reorganized the situation he analyzed in detail, and then distributed the credit to another person who might be more trustworthy. .
Thinking of this, Lu Chen looked towards the deep night in the north, his eyes clear and bright.
