South of Chang'an City.
Wan Xiong is the head of the Treasury Department of the Ministry of War, managing military supplies.
It was half a month ago, and as usual, he prepared a table of wine and food in his mansion.
Tonight, Chang'an was still as lively as usual. He sat on a chair, sometimes looking at the bright moon, sometimes looking at the open door. All the maids and servants in the mansion were driven back to their rooms to rest.
After waiting for a long time, dull footsteps came in.
"Brother Wan, you've been waiting for a long time!"
The person who came was dressed in simple and simple clothes, but it could not cover his big belly.
"Master Jian, if you are there, I should wait for you. Come on, come on, sit down quickly."
Wan Xiong warmly greeted his boss, Jian Fu, Minister of War. The two came to the table, which was filled with delicacies from the mountains and seas, and delicacies on jade plates.
"Master Jian, these are the Hericium mushrooms that I specially ordered from Changbai Mountain." Wan Xiong said, pointing to a plate of steamed Hericium mushrooms on the table.
"Oh, the Changbai Mountains press the Yanzhou Dragon Vein, and the spiritual energy is strong. This is a great tonic."
Jian Fu's eyes shone as he stared at the Hericium mushroom. Wan Xiong handed over the chopsticks and said, "Master Jian, can you try one?"
Jian Fu took the chopsticks and immediately picked one and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, a fresh fragrance bloomed in his mouth. He closed his eyes and felt the taste buds on the tip of his tongue being opened one by one.
After he had eaten, he opened his eyes even more in surprise. He had been lingering with his newly married wife every night for the past few days, which made his back hurt and his body very weak. But now he felt comfortable and refreshed. Cool.
"Brother, this is a good thing!" Jian Fu praised while feasting on the Hericium mushroom.
"Hahaha, don't worry, Master Jian, look at this!" Wan Xiong rolled up his sleeves and opened a dish covered with a lid.
Jian Fu took a quick look and saw red and green contrasting in the pure white dish. The red ones are the skinned plump lobsters, and the green ones are the distinct, round bean sprouts.
"What's so wonderful about this dish?" Jian Fu asked curiously. In his opinion, the lobster and bean sprouts were just ordinary things and would never be on his dining table.
"This lobster looks ordinary, but it's actually a first-grade lobster monster I secretly bought from the South China Sea. The texture of the meat is far better than ordinary lobsters." Wan Xiong saw Jian Fu's surprised look on his face, and then introduced, "As for these bean sprouts, they are also unusual. I specially hired someone to plant it, and the land used and the fertilizer applied were of the best quality."
"It's embarrassing for me to bother and spend so much money." Jian Fu said while eating another plate of lobster.
"It's nothing to spend. It's just a small amount of money. Besides, it can satisfy Lady Jian's food. I'll be happy with any amount of money."
"Hey, you're the only one who can talk. Come on, let's eat together."
The two of them exchanged glasses for a while. In the blink of an eye, they had gone through three rounds of wine and five dishes, and the two of them started chatting.
"Brother, I heard that the Huo family is also planning to run away." Jian Fu said with a loud tongue.
"Yes, after all, the Huo family was close to the eldest prince before. Now that the eldest prince has lost power, the second prince will ascend the throne in a few days. If he doesn't run away, then he will wait to be liquidated." Wan Xiong said with drunken eyes. .
"But having said that, the second prince is also very generous. We used to help the eldest prince resell a lot of military supplies to the Huo family, but now he has accepted us without saying a word. What a character he is."
Jian Fu took a sip of wine and continued, "In today's court, the second prince is in control of the wind and rain. Even the prime minister was attracted by him. Those who are still loyal to the eldest prince are getting better day by day. It’s getting harder and harder every day.”
"On the surface, everyone is abandoning the dark side and turning to the bright side. No one knows that secretly there are still a few people who want to be the helpers in times of trouble." Wan Xiong said with a smile, "Everyone in this officialdom knows that providing help in times of trouble is more useful than the icing on the cake."
"But brother, you still haven't seen through. The second prince doesn't care what we think in our hearts. He just wants us to obey him openly now. When he ascends the throne, who will have other thoughts? What's the difference? I can only keep my thoughts in my heart forever."
"Lord Jian is really far-sighted. Listening to your words is worth ten years of studying." Wan Xiong picked up his wine glass and said, "In response to what Lord Jian said, I have to toast you."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Jian Fu drank another drink with him with a smile, then smiled and said, "These are just clichés. In fact, everyone understands the truth, but it is difficult to control these emotions."
Wan Xiong poured him another glass of wine, then picked up his own glass and said with admiration, "Master Jian is really wise and knows the officialdom and people very well. Come, let me toast you again!"
"It's just a casual comment."
Jian Fu had another drink with him. After this drink, his neck was already red.
Seeing that Wan Xiong was about to fill him up with wine again, Jian Fu quickly took away the cup. Meeting Jian Fu's drunken eyes, Wan Xiong's eyes flashed with panic.
"Why doesn't Mr. Jian stop drinking?" Wan Xiong asked hesitantly.
"I almost forgot something important. I'm here to ask you. Tomorrow the Prime Minister will send someone to check the accounts of our Ministry of War. Have the accounts of your munitions warehouse been settled?"
"It's settled a long time ago. Don't you trust me when I do things? I checked again yesterday and there will definitely be no mistakes." Wan Xiong assured, patting his chest.
"Of course I can trust you when you do things." Jian Fu stretched out his cup to receive the wine and said with a smile, "In this court, you are the one I trust the most. When you were still a minister, I I see that you are a talent."
"Thank you for your support over the years, sir. I would like to give you a toast again!"
The luxurious banquet is full of the smell of money decay, although it is still fragrant and attractive. No one knows how many tables there are for such a banquet in Chang'an at night.
On the street, He Shengbai had just finished handling a case at hand and was about to return to Dali Temple to rest. When passing an alley, he suddenly stopped. There was a sound of children crying.
"Mom, I'm hungry..."
"Don't cry, don't cry. Go to sleep. You won't be hungry when you sleep. When your father comes back tomorrow, he will buy you something delicious."
"But didn't my father say he would come back the day before yesterday? It's been two days, why hasn't he come back yet?"
…
He Shengbai was stunned for a while, then left silently.
He can solve cases like a god, but he can only save the poor. Because he himself is poor. Other first-grade officials lived in mansions with dozens of maids, and were extremely rich, but he lived in extreme poverty with his small salary.
I remember that when the previous Minister of Dali Temple was imprisoned for corruption, he left him a few words.
He said that people all have desires, and your desire is to turn the entire court into white. But have you ever thought about it, your little whiteness can't stir up the blackness in the entire officialdom.
Pushing open the door, He Shengbai stepped lightly. An oil lamp flickered dimly on the old and mottled table. On the small bed, Yin Xiaolian had curled up and fell asleep.
He Shengbai moved two benches to the bedside, carefully lifted up a corner of the quilt, and slept next to Yin Xiaolian's thin body.
Yin Xiaolian felt the movement, snorted twice, turned over, put her arms on his neck and continued to sleep soundly.
He Shengbai raised the corners of his mouth slightly and closed his eyes.
The oil lamp in the room went out at some point. Under the moonlight, the elongated shadows of the pine trees in Dali Temple are still tall and straight.
Late at night, in the dark imperial mausoleum, Yan Mo sat cross-legged by a small lake.
"General."
Yan Mo turned around following the sound and saw Chu Tianhe leading a tall young man with a heroic look on his face slowly walking towards him.
"Why did you bring him here?" Yan Mo asked quietly.
"I've taught him everything I can." Chu Tianhe yawned and said, "It's time to return it to you now. I guess this world will be in chaos soon, so you should take good care of him."
"It's not up to you to decide whether the world is in chaos or not." Yan Mo turned his back to the lake and said calmly, "Take him back, now is not the time."
"This is your son, you..."
"This is the Yan Guard Regiment. There are only superiors and subordinates."
Chu Tianhe hesitated for a moment and said, "This is also his own idea."
"I said take him back! Vice General Chu!"
Yan Mo's majestic and deep voice carried a hint of disobedience.
"Yes." Chu Tianhe clasped his fists and saluted.
Bang.
A duller voice sounded. The silent boy knelt down.
Chu Tianhe didn't say anything more, just looked at the two similar figures, turned around and left silently.
It's quiet all around, and there are fewer mosquitoes in early spring. The moon in the sky sometimes hides behind the clouds and sometimes shows its face.
Yan Fang didn't know how long he had been kneeling. He just kept staring at his back by the lake. That back figure gradually overlapped with the one he had recalled in his mind for ten years.
The sky in the distance began to whiten slightly, and it was almost dawn. After twisting his neck, Yan Fang also felt a little tired.
But when he looked towards the lake again, Yan Mo was nowhere to be seen.
Phew~
A gust of cold wind suddenly blew from behind. Yan Fang rushed forward like a thorn on his back, then put his hands on the ground and rolled as slippery as a carp turning over.
Just a moment later, a fist set off a violent wave of air and hit him hard at his previous position. After the dull sound, a deep pit was left on the ground.
Before he could see clearly who was attacking, the figure disappeared behind a locust tree nearby.
Yan Fang's ears twitched slightly, and the sound of a strong bow stringing made his heart twitch.
According to what he heard, the string of this stiff bow was at least as strong as an ox. Even if the arrows used were the most ordinary arrows, this arrow would be enough to shoot through three of him.
He hurriedly jumped around, trying to get away from the locust tree.
Buzz.
An arrow hit the trunk of a tree where he had just been hiding. Although the arrow had stopped in the tree trunk, the tail of the arrow was still swinging.
hiss.
After a while, bursts of harsh sound filled the air.
Yan Fang hid behind the tree, feeling terrified in his heart. He really didn't expect the power of this arrow to be so terrifying, and now he couldn't guess who the other side was, and he would actually attack him, regardless of the fact that this was an imperial mausoleum.
"Your Excellency, the Yan Guards will be here in a few moments. Are you serious about not running away?"
While Yan Fang was shouting, he secretly glanced at the locust tree not far away from behind the tree. He also knew that since the opponent dared to cause trouble in the imperial mausoleum, he must have found a way out. Maybe Yan Mo was deliberately lured away by the opponent.
Just when he was wondering why there was no movement on the other side. Suddenly, a figure as fast as the wind flashed behind the locust tree, and at the same time a sharp arrow as fast as lightning was shot towards him.
His pupils dilated for a moment, this distance, such a fast arrow. He almost subconsciously retracted the exposed half of his head.
The flying arrow flew almost close to his nose, and the wind brought by the sharp arrow whipped his face hard, and he immediately closed his eyes. There were several scars on his face and a cut on his eyelid.
He leaned against the tree trunk, holding his chest, feeling his heart beating wildly, and gasping for air. If he had been slower at that time, the arrow would have penetrated his head directly.
After a while, he felt something strange. The surroundings were too quiet. Not only did the expected Yan Guards not come, but the person who attacked him also made no further movements.
At this time, he didn't know that a figure was quietly beside him, and he didn't know how long he had been looking at him.
