Criminal investigation in ancient times

Outside the carriage, Duan Xiao Bai climbed up the tree by himself at some point, holding a jug of wine and drinking it to his heart's content. This wine was secretly brought out with the prince when he went to Fengxuan Winery. There was only a small jar, and he was reluctant to drink it on weekdays. It's a bit cold today, drink some wine to warm up your body.

Under the tree, two guards sat back to back by the fire to rest.Occasionally, a few wolf howls came from the mountain to wake them up, and they continued to rest with some dry firewood.When it was midnight, the two patrolling guards came back, their clothes were covered with dew, they were shivering from the cold, and they hurriedly drank a bowl of hot water to relieve themselves, and replaced them with the two guards who had rested enough to continue patrolling.

Early in the morning, Zhang Rui was woken up by a group of birds singing, rubbed his eyes, and opened the curtain to reveal the white belly in the east. Uncle Han woke up early, boiled hot water, and cooked some dry steamed buns on the pot.

Zhang Rui stretched his waist and jumped out of the car, went to the grass behind the car to solve his personal problems, walked to the fire, two guards were cleaning their weapons, saw Zhang Rui got up and saluted.

Zhang Rui nodded, took the wet cloth towel handed by Uncle Han to wipe his face and hands: "You worked hard yesterday, can we make it to the next town today?"

One of the guards nodded and said, "We should be there before sunset."

Zhang Rui nodded, rinsed his mouth with hot water, saw Duan Xiaobai jumping down from the tree, and said with a smile, "Did you sleep well on the tree?"

Duan Xiaobai rubbed his stiff neck and said, "Master, do you want to go up and have a try?"

Zhang Rui quickly waved his hands and said, "Don't dare, I'm afraid that if I accidentally go up, I'll fall down and break my arms and legs."

The two patrolling guards also came back, and they were fine except for looking a little tired.After everyone had eaten, Lin Xiaoze and He Ming arrived late from the car.

Zhang Rui glanced at the two of them, seeing that they had different expressions, He Ming looked at them with a spring breeze, Lin Xiaoze was a little... shy? !What's happening here?

After eating and putting out the fire, Uncle Han packed everything back into the carriage and we continued our journey.

The weather turned better today, and the sun got a little hot when the sun rose. Uncle Han raised the curtains of the car, and he could see unknown blue wildflowers blooming on both sides of the road. The dots were very beautiful.Duan Xiaobai rode a horse and dangled behind the carriage. At some point, he took out a bamboo flute from his bag and played an unknown tune, which was quite wild.

Zhang Rui sat in the front of the car, looked back, somehow suddenly thought of Zhou Yin, his chest seemed to have been cut a hole, a little sad and a little lost, people always think of the one they love when they encounter beautiful and sad things.Sitting back in the carriage, he took out a pen and ink and wrote with a thick book on a pad of paper: "Ai Jian, I wish you the best of luck, I will cherish it for a long time..."

In Kyoto, Zhou Yin held the letter sent by the dark guard, screened away the people in the house, and opened the thin paper. The familiar handwriting almost made his eyes red, but just a few days seemed like three autumns.In Beijing, he heard from the secret guards that they were stunned when they encountered a black shop. Although no one was injured, he was so scared that he almost started to chase after them.After reading the letter and pressing it on his chest, he remembered the kiss that the man grabbed his collar before leaving, it was sweet and astringent.

***

The emperor's health has become worse these days, and his temper has become unbearably irritable. Yesterday, the minister of the Ministry of Rites quarreled with the Ministry of Households because of a trivial matter. Bloody and bloody, only half breath left.Everyone in the court was so scared that they didn't dare to say a word.

In the next dynasty, the emperor specially left Zhou Yin.The two eunuchs supported him and walked towards the imperial garden, Zhou Yin followed behind him silently.

The emperor coughed suddenly, and Chang Sheng, the eunuch who was serving the emperor, hurriedly took out a box from his cuff. Inside the box were the emperor's commonly used pills, and put them into the emperor's mouth.

The emperor stopped coughing by pressing the pill under his tongue, his face flushed abnormally.

Zhou Yin frowned: "Is the emperor still taking the elixir?"

The emperor shook his head, walked to the pavilion in the garden and sat down panting heavily: "I haven't eaten for several months, if I eat any more, I'm afraid I will soon be playing chess with my father."

The corner of Zhou Yin's mouth twitched and he said: You still know.

The emperor sighed and said: "I know that elixir is not a good thing, otherwise I would not see any effect after taking it for so many years, but my body is getting worse and worse."

Zhou Yin said: "It's good that the emperor knows, I won't persuade you."

The emperor smiled and said: "It's you, your little Lan Yan went to a place as far away as Tongzhou, don't you miss it?"

Zhou Yin froze: "This is his choice, I respect him."

The emperor patted him on the shoulder and said: "You really don't look like a child of our Zhou family, look at the eighth and ninth, don't even the little thirteen just find something they like and keep it by their side?"

Zhou Yin recalled the smile on Zhang Rui's face: "That man is different from others, I don't want to hold him in the palm of my hand, sometimes giving him freedom is to tie him more tightly."

The emperor raised his eyebrows: "Whatever you want, if your little Lanyan runs off with someone else, then you will be the one to cry. Can the poison on your body...can be cured?"

Zhou Yin was silent...

The emperor sighed: "I owe you this. When I die in the future, if these two sons cannot be good emperors, you will take their positions."

Zhou Yin was startled, and hurriedly knelt down and said, "Please take back your words, or I will prove my will with death!"

The emperor closed his eyes and sighed: "Forget it, it's just you and I talking about it, how could I fall into your injustice. I don't know what little calculations my two sons have in their hearts? Now It's getting more and more unrestrained, it's because I can't wait for me!"

Zhou Yin bowed his head, not knowing how to answer.

The emperor: "Forget it, go back, I'm tired too, and my energy is getting worse day by day, alas..."

When Zhou Yin came out of the palace, his heart was still "thumping", and what the emperor said just now was clearly a test for him!As long as he shows any intention of usurping the throne, he will not be able to leave the palace today!Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, he said in his heart, the emperor's health may really be getting worse, is he going to take these princes for surgery now...

Returning to the palace, he hastily called his hidden position. At this time, he couldn't let himself be in a passive position anyway, and now he could only do so!

***

Zhang Rui and his party walked for a day, and Male, panting heavily, walked more and more slowly, and finally saw the smoke curling up from the kitchen.

The guard said: "My lord, it will take half an hour to reach the town."

Zhang Rui said: "Then let's go, it's not too late to rest when we get there."

After being whipped twice, the horse quickened its pace, and sure enough, it arrived in the town in less than half an hour.This town is named Taolin Town because it is rich in peach trees.

It was already Youshi, and the sky was getting dark, so I found a bustling inn and asked for four rooms.After experiencing the incident in the black shop last time, everyone became more cautious. Before eating, they smelled and smelled all kinds of things. There is such a point that you can meet black shops wherever you go?

After dinner, Uncle Han wanted to go to the street to buy some food on the road, and the two guards took the initiative to go out to buy with Uncle Han.The others went back to the guest room early to freshen up and lay down on the bed to rest.Sleeping in the carriage was really uncomfortable last night, and I couldn't stretch my legs, not to mention the plank, and my body hurt.

After a night of calm and calm, the next day started as normal, and met a caravan on the way. The owner of the caravan was surnamed Qian, in his early thirties, with a mustache, and he was quite friendly, so he asked them about it. It was the one who went to Tongzhou to inherit the ancestral property and hurriedly said: "Young master, tell me more, this Tongzhou is not a good place. I heard you say that the family has no descendants, so your ancestral property may have been taken over long ago. I hope the young master will think twice."

Zhang Ruidao: "I didn't go there for money, but to take back the family ancestor's tablet and enshrine it."

Boss Qian laughed and said, "Young master's filial piety is truly commendable!"

Uncle Han secretly said on the side: Hmph, it would be good if the Zhang family in Xuzhou cut off their roots, and the ghosts will clean up the tablets for them!

Because they were on the way with the caravan, the boss kindly asked them to go with the caravan. The caravan was not small, with a dozen or so carriages in front and back, and there were many warriors in the car. It seemed that they were doing big business.

Boss Qian: "Young Master is going to Tongzhou, but we dare not go from Tongzhou, so we have to go northward by detour. There have been frequent border wars in recent years, and the prices of goods at the border have skyrocketed, but the risks are also very high. I plan to finish this trip I won’t run away once.”

Zhang Rui nodded and thought about it in his mind. It would take at least half a month longer for the boss to travel northward through Tongzhou. During this half month, the damage to the goods, the consumption of personnel, and the unpredictable expenses basically accounted for the money. This trip earned a third of the silver.

Tongzhou is like a piece of rotten ringworm. Others dare not come forward. If no one treats this ringworm, it will definitely not be cured. It will only spread and become bigger and bigger.

After walking with the caravan for more than ten days before leaving, the boss Qian also warmly gave Zhang Rui a lot of souvenirs before leaving.

Boss Qian: "Young Master Zhang, since we met by fate, there's nothing I can do about it. I hope you don't dislike this little thing."

Zhang Rui hurriedly thanked him. Although the item was not expensive, it was a thought after all. The two exchanged pleasantries, and the caravan headed towards another road.And Zhang Rui and the others began to enter the territory of Tongzhou!

There is a nursery rhyme circulating in the streets and alleys of Tongzhou: Tongzhou is poor, Tongzhou is suffering, Tongzhou changes magistrates every year, Tongzhou robbers occupy the mountains, and Tongzhou is full of bones.

It's no wonder that the common people make up such nursery rhymes. In the four years of Tongzhou, three prefects have been changed, and the last one was wiped out. I wonder who else dares to come to Tongzhou to work without fear of death?

Of course Zhang Rui doesn't count, at most he's an outlier.Not afraid of death?Just kidding, who is not afraid of death, especially those who have died once know how much they cherish this hard-won extra life.

The carriage traveled through Tongzhou for two days without seeing a single bandit, which made everyone doubt the authenticity of the rumors.But the poor mountains and bad waters are undoubtedly revealed. At a glance, the mountain roads are rugged and the strange rocks are jagged. It seems that the road to Shu is difficult and it is difficult to go to the blue sky.

The carriage broke down halfway, and everyone had to stop and repair the car before moving on.

At this moment, suddenly many people surrounded him!I saw these people with fierce faces and menacing weapons in their hands.Zhang Rui spat in his heart: I'm really afraid of something!Except for the guards and Duan Xiaobai, the few people here are all useless people, especially himself and Lin Xiaoze, if they don't cause trouble, they will be Amitabha.

The guards surrounded Zhang Rui and the others who were powerless, drew their long knives from their waists and said angrily, "Who is the one who came here? Do you know who we are and dare to block the way?"

A burly man came out from the crowd and said, "Fucking old man Ge, I don't care what your origins are, even if the king of heaven passes by my Niujiazhai, he still has to leave money for the journey!"