Just in time for rain [恰逢雨连天] - Chapter 174

[174. Chapter One Seventy Three]

This is the anti-theft chapter when Su Jin first met Liu Chaoming, in the late spring of Jingyuan’s 23rd year.

It was always rainy in that season, and it fell densely in the Qinhuai area of ten miles, causing a lot of melancholy.

It is indeed very sad. Just after the spring season, one of the famous Gong Shi on the list lost one. I went to his residence this morning to see the half-transcribed “Da Gao” on the table. No corpse was seen.

Gong Shi’s disappearance was due to go to the Dali Temple to report the case. Unfortunately, the god of heaven is not beautiful. Halfway there, the spring thunder rumbled, and it rained in an instant.

Su Jin traveled all the way in the rain and crossed the Suzaku Bridge. Seeing that the Dali Temple was right in front of her, someone stepped ahead of her and got off the sedan chair outside the official office.

The big sedan chair was carried in all directions, and the officer who got off the sedan was dressed in black casual clothes, and someone next to him held an umbrella for him. After getting out of the sedan chair, I took a pause and looked towards the rain screen.

Su Jin was stunned for a moment, and then greeted him through the rain curtain.

This is an eventful spring. The water transportation case and the Hyogo corpse case have occurred concurrently. The Dali temple minister is so busy that he spends his days tying his head to the waist of his trousers. Therefore, the yamen outside the department saw the famous post of Su Jin, However, a district governor of the capital yamen said: “Your Excellency is discussing matters, please ask the officials to wait a moment.” He did not invite anyone to the office.

Su Jin didn’t have to wait, and handing the document to the top was considered a transaction.

But the missing Gong Shi and her are friends of righteousness and righteousness. She was expelled from Hanlin more than four years ago.

The rain slowed down for a while, and there was a row of people sheltering from the rain standing next to each other under the eaves of the corridor. Looking at the patterns of the official robes, like Su Jin, they were all sesame officials who were sent to wait.

Su Jin was thinking about whether to squeeze with them, and the sky above his head was resting. He turned around and saw that a living Bodhisattva had come to hold an umbrella for her, dressed as a servant, and said: ” The official is careful to catch a cold.” She shoved the umbrella into her hand and went straight to the yali.

The umbrella surface is azure, and the whole body is awe-inspiring. The yacha of Dali Temple has already taken her to the office looking for the extravagance of this umbrella. Su Jin then remembered that this distinguished umbrella was the sedan-laden lord just now. use.

It is also surprising that in this world, the face of an umbrella is easier to use than the face of a person.

Seeing the Dali Si Qing, Su Jin bowed his head and saluted: “I’m an official Su Jin, I have seen Master Zhang.”

Zhang Shishan knew Su Jin.

He was born in Hanlin and was transferred to Dali Temple last year. At that time, Su Jin was the second-ranked student, and he was still in the Hanlin Academy to repair the “Biography of Lie Zi” with him for a while. Unfortunately, the wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it. Now I will see the next generation. A little mildly, he pointed to a chair of the Eight Immortals and said, “Sit down and talk.”

Su Jin sat down according to his words, and then he noticed that the sedan chair master was drinking tea on the other side of the seat. She knows a lot of people from a young age. Although the person in front of her looks like she can’t pick out any flaws, her eyes are covered with fog, and she doesn’t know what is hidden.

Su Jin remembered a sentence, and Xiao opened a smoke wave.

Zhang Shishan said: “I have already read the documents you entrusted to Liu Sicheng. You can rest easy on Chao Qing’s case. After all, he is a tribute to the court. I will make another official document to be handed over to the Ministry of Rites, and I must find someone.”

In the difficult years, when the three judicial divisions encountered thorny cases, they all pushed it out. It is a great feeling that Dali Temple is willing to take over, but when the Ministry of Rites has finished reviewing the official documents, when will they start looking for someone? Scholars look forward to the title of the Golden List all their lives, and the day after tomorrow will be the palace exam, Chao Qing can’t afford to wait.

Su Jin thought of this and said, “Don’t hide it from your lord, the capital’s yamen has also investigated this matter. Chao Qing has been working hard at the place for the past few days, and there is nothing suspicious. Only on the day of his disappearance, the third son of the Taifu’s house came to him. , It seems that there has been a dispute, and it is not always obvious after that.”

Yan Ziyan, the third son of the Taifu’s mansion, who is currently the prince’s attendant, has been promoted to the clerk of the Zhanshifu. Zhang Shishan asked, “How to prove that it was Shaozhan’s affair?”

Su Jin said, “Holding a jade seal of Yan’s family, it was checked by the military guard at the Gongshi’s place.”

Zhang Shishan became embarrassed. The matter was related to Yan San. How should he handle it? Is it possible to take a jade seal to the Taifu’s house to get someone? It’s enough to offend the Taifu, and if you offend the East Palace, you can’t eat and walk around.

Zhang Shishan was speechless for a moment, looking at the dark sky through the window gap.

On the other hand, the man sitting in the sedan chair opened his mouth leisurely: “Yan Ziyan came here before, and then left again?”

“Gone.”

“When you left, was Chao Qing still there?”

“Still.”

That one He held a cup of tea and looked at Su Jin calmly: “If that’s the case, it’s not like doing anything with Yan Ziyan. The capital yamen doesn’t want to accept this hot potato, so you come to Dali Temple and ask Master Zhang to look at the past. , take the mere resignation to try Shao Zhan?”

Su Jin was blocked by this, and after a while he spat out a “yes”, his knees fell to the ground, and he kowtowed heavily, “Please, Master Zhang help the students once. ”

In the end, he is a scholar, and he is full of poetry and books, and he has read it to the core, and he has turned into a proud. It is said that there is gold under your knees, and if it is not for old friends, you will not ask for it in your life.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Shishan was already moved, and he wanted to get up to help, but was stopped by a hand stretched out from the side. With tea in hand, Mr. Lujiao slowly walked to Su Jin and looked at her condescendingly: “This official will tell you a few truths, listen carefully.

” Not to mention the loss of a person, even if someone died and several temples were burnt down, as long as the world is generally at peace, it will be over if it can be uncovered. An official should be an official, and he will negotiate with Dali Temple for love and business, and Look at your own identity first.”

At night, Su Jin returned to Yingtian Palace’s premises and sat on the couch in a daze.

Zhou Tongjuan from the next house saw it and asked, “Did that Master Zhang reject you?” He shook his head and sighed, “I persuaded you, these old officials who don’t cultivate, live like stones in a stinky pit. One is pedantic, and the other is addicted to ‘fly’, so why should you bring shame on yourself.”

Zhou Tong sentenced the word Gaoyan to a single name with the word “ping”. Su Jin turned to look at him, and suddenly said: “Gao Yan, the imperial court is young and is a senior member of the third rank and above, how many do you know?”

Zhou Ping was startled: “You are an official at a young age. Worshiping high-quality products?” Then he pondered, “But since Emperor Jing Yuan has recruited talents, such officials are not only six or seven, but three or four.”

Su Jin remained silent, smoothed a piece of paper on the table, and polished it with water. The pen fell on the paper, and in an instant, a portrait was drawn. Zhou Ping frowned and looked at it slowly. The man on the paper was very good-looking, and his eyebrows and eyes seemed to have been dyed with landscape ink.

Su Jin put down his pen and asked, “Do you know this person?”

Zhou Ping said, “Although there are several court officials of the third rank and above, but with such looks and bearing, if it weren’t for Shen Xi, the minister of household affairs, then It must be the newly-appointed second-rank Zuodu censor Liu Chaoming, Lord Liu.”

Su Jin was silent for a while, and his voice was light: “I guess

it is too.” The way of Dali Temple was completely blocked. Su Jin lay down on the couch, remembering that more than four years ago, she was put on her body by a stick and passed out on the side of the road. Only Chao Qing came to look for her. It was windy and rainy, the mud stained the sleeves of his white clothes, he put her on his back, and even threw the umbrella away. Su Jin said thank you in a daze, Chao Qing paused, and replied in a muffled voice: “Between you and me, don’t mention thank you.”

Being in danger, he tied a grass and put a ring in return.

When Zhou Pingfang got up, he heard a knock on the door. It was not yet dawn, Su Jin stood outside the house, his eyes were dark blue, and he thought about it all night: “Where’s the secret note of the little Marquis? Bring it to me.”

Zhou Pingyuan was still drowsy, and when he heard this, he was suddenly shocked. : “Are you crazy?”

Su Jin didn’t say a word, and took out the secret post from a mahogany box. There was a hollowed-out redbud pattern in the lower left corner of the post, and a policy question was written in it.

This kind of letter seems to be nothing on the surface, but it has a lot of articles in it – today’s sages rule the country with culture, order the Hanlin academicians to distribute policy questions every month, and ask the princes to answer, the time limit is three days, no reward for answers, no answer There is a penalty for going out. When I received such a secret message, it was probably which His Royal Highness was lazy and asked the person below to answer it.

The rules in the palace are strict, although there are very few people who handle secret messages, but if they are determined to investigate, it is not impossible to find out. Half a year ago, a Si Chen in the Qintian Supervisor was beaten to death for helping His Fourteenth Highness draw up a strategy on his behalf.

Su Jin poured a cup of cold tea on the table into the inkstone, rolled the ink and spread the paper, and answered when he wrote. Zhou Ping was shocked to see it on the side, and quickly closed the door, came over and asked, “I was going to burn this secret post yesterday, you stopped it, you have this plan in your heart?”

Su Jin said “um”. Zhou Ping

hurriedly said: “Are you courting death? Knowing and acting cautiously, a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.”

Su Jin said lightly: “Although a dangerous wall is dangerous, there is still a chance of life. It is better than bending over to ask for help.”

Persuade, someone outside urged him to pay. He washed his face in a hurry, walked to the door, and looked back at Su Jin, who was still describing how he was going to die generously, so he could only instruct: “If you want to find Chao Qing, I will think for you, don’t be impulsive, remember Think twice before you act.”

Su Jin didn’t raise his eyes, and replied, “Remember to help me draw Mao.”

Ce asked about the foundation of ZTE, and Su Jin answered and packed up his brush and ink and went out. It was raining again outside, and the rain was like a broken thread, thin and dense. She went back to the house to get the mink jacket, thought about it, and then took the sky blue oil-paper umbrella. This is Liu Chaoming’s umbrella. Su Jin thought that if he could meet Liu Chaoming during this trip, he would return the umbrella.

Zhou Ping said to think twice, but she didn’t listen. What can be done? She really didn’t want to owe others anything, and she would have to repay the kindness of a little bit of kindness, but Chao Qing’s kindness of supporting each other was going to fight with her life. Her life is destined to be difficult and dangerous. In the long run, it is better to have less connections with others.

Ren Xuan was stunned for a while, but Shen Xi, the servant of the household who came to visit the door first, listened to the corner for a long time and said with a smile: “Mr. Jiang, I remember that you have a grandson who is about the same age as Mr. Liu, you call Mr. Liu old man, no. Is it suitable?”

Director Jiang broke the jar and smashed: “What’s wrong? My grandfather is the one who can kill me.”

Shen Xi pulled on the third-grade peacock embroidery on his official robe and asked, “Director Jiang, what about me? ”

You?” Mr. Jiang raised his head to look at him with tears in his eyes: “You are in charge of money, my ancestor!”

Shen Xi laughed at the other end, and Ren Xuan sat down next to Mr. Jiang at the threshold. Inexplicable.

The Supreme Court has the power to impeach hundreds of officials, and it is best for them to try the Chao Qing case. If Su Jin and Liu Chaoming knew each other, why would he come to him with a secret letter? Not to mention the near and far, there is still a handle left and right.

He just went to Zhanshifu to inquire about news, and bumped into His Highness the Thirteenth. Only then did he know that Zhu Nanxian had returned to Beijing from the northwest.

Ren Xuan didn’t know that Su Jinji didn’t remember Zhu Nanxian, but when His Highness the Thirteenth made a fuss about the official department for a former Hanlin, it was a momentary talk.

If Chao Qing’s case had nowhere to go, His Highness Thirteenth would be undecided and willing to take care of this business.

Ren Xuan rushed back excitedly, originally wanting to tell Su Jin and Zhu Shisan the good news that he was returning to Beijing, but Liu Chaoming stepped in out of thin air, like a basin of cold water, making his kindness seem superfluous. A Li prepared the sedan chair, came in and asked, “Little Marquis, should I go to the Tianfu

Yamen to find Mr. Su?”

Ren Xuan waved his hand: “No need, let’s go back to the house first.”

It was already dark, and when he returned to the premises, Zhou Ping came out of the main room, grabbed her and asked, “I haven’t seen you for two days, where have you been?”

Su Jin saw that he was sweating profusely and his clothes were messy. Said: “Don’t ask me, what’s the matter with you?”

Zhou Ping let out a long sigh: “Don’t mention it, those fallen officials are making trouble at the Confucius Temple again today. I took the yacha to coax people, and there was a conflict. Some of them took advantage of the chaos and overturned me to the ground. It’s okay. The soldiers from the five cities came, and they drove the troublemakers away, and I just came back.”

Su Jin walked to the front of the case, poured a cup of tea and handed it to him: “Everyone in this yamen knows that you are honest, but it’s normal. I’m leaving a difficult case to you. It’s better now. Someone is making trouble outside and also asks you to go. You are a scholar, are you going to teach the troublemaker?”

Zhou Ping took the tea and comforted her: “This time the trouble It’s also a scholar, so it’s also suitable for me to preach and teach.” Su

Jin thought of the list of tributes he read in the morning, and couldn’t help but say, “If there are any more troubles, you can’t go there.

He answered in a row, and asked again, “Have you noticed anything about Chao Qing’s disappearance?”

Su Jin poured a cup of tea for himself: “A little bit.”

Zhou Ping looked around, dragged her to the porch, and lowered her to the ground. He said: “Yesterday you left, and I went to Gongshi’s office to inquire again, but I happened to bump into the servant girl of the third son of the Yan family, saying that the son of his family left the jade seal here, and she came to pick it up specially.”

“Yesterday? ”

Judging from the current look, Yan Ziyan only learned this morning that a jade seal in the Yan family had fallen on the tribute. Where did this maid come from, who has the ability to predict the future?

Zhou Ping said: “Isn’t that jade seal taken away by you? I told her that Chao Qing has disappeared, and the yamen wants to investigate the case and take away the evidence. If she wants the jade seal, she can only come to the capital yamen in two days. Su Jin asked, ”

Would she like to come?”

Zhou Ping said, “She said she couldn’t get out of her body the next day, and she would come before dawn the next day.”

Zhou Ping saw that Su Jin was silent, and added: ” I thought this maid acted strangely, so I wrote down her appearance, and when Lord Yang returns to the mansion, I can ask him about this person.”

Su Jin shook his head and said, “No, I already know who she is.”

Mrs. Yan had only one wife and four sons, the eldest son and the second son were not in the capital. Apart from the third son, Yan Ziyan, who was usually in the mansion, there was also a young lady who had been sent back three times and was waiting for her in her boudoir.

Yan’s jade seal is only passed down to the direct line. Since the three young masters have no time to spare, the only person who left the jade seal at the Gong Shi’s that day can only be the infamous Miss Yan, Yan Ziqi.

On duty the next day, there was always talk about the officials making troubles in the government office. Seeing Zhou Ping coming, he hurriedly grabbed and questioned the details.

Zhou Ping answered them one by one, and finally said: “The chief examiner of Chunqi is Mr. Qiu Ge, who is fair and honest, and everyone in the world knows that it’s hard to feel bad, let these officials make trouble, and when they calm down, they will dissipate. Now , it’s not a big deal.”

Liu Tuiguan laughed and said: “At the moment, Zhou Tong will judge you for being lenient. Did you know that last night, the Supreme Court came to invite Master Yang to drink tea, so he discussed it all night and returned it. He didn’t come back.”

Zhou Ping was shocked: “The Metropolitan Court is also in charge of this troublesome official?”

Liu Tuiguan said: “Do you think it’s a trivial matter? Last year, Mr. Gao from Quzhou was transferred to the inner court. Just because he was born in the second division, the people in it didn’t even look at him, so he couldn’t stand it a while ago, so he just started his career.”

[End of This Chapter]