bastard returns

They also enjoy the right to enter and leave the study room to discuss state affairs at any time, but historically only those who are highly educated and recognized by most of the incumbents can enter the Imperial Academy as a bachelor, so the number of incumbent scholars has always been small, and the scale of the Imperial Academy is also small , Similar to today's tedious tasks of organizing files, we disciples are asked to come to help. "

"The emperor agrees?"

"Pang Song has been able to get to where he is today in the short time since he came to Beijing. The biggest skill is that he is good at flattering horses." Xie Changqing showed the same disdainful expression as Tian Buwei, "He spoke to the emperor and said the letter The province has always been in charge of the promotion of officials across the country, but the admission system of the Hanlin Academy is independent. In addition, with the efficiency of the Ministry of Education, recruiting talents and expanding the ranks of bachelors will be of great benefit to both the court's employment and the development of Chinese studies. Although the emperor did not immediately agree, it can be seen that what he said is vivid, so let him go personally Come to discuss with the Grand Master, if the Grand Master does not object, there is nothing wrong with carrying this matter forward."

"I think the teacher will be very clear about the stakes in this, and he probably won't agree. Mr. Tian may be worrying too much." Ning Yuan looked at the gate, and Gao Yu had led Pang Song into the inner hall.

"Forget it, anyway, this kind of thing is not something you and I can control. Even if you want to get involved in official affairs, you have to go through Chunwei first." Xie Changqing sighed, then narrowed his eyes again, "By the way, Brother Ning , I will do my best during the Spring Festival, please don't let me down."

"Brother Xie is serious, there is only one champion. Do you still want me to compete with you?" Ning Yuan laughed.

Pang Song talked with all the scholars in the room for a long time, but he obviously didn't get any good response. When he came out, his face was gloomy, and he endured for a long time before he spit out a mouthful of phlegm at the gate of the Imperial Academy.

Previously, because of the Ningguo government affairs, their family lost all face, and he made up his mind to let the Pang family stand out in the capital, so he will work harder to implement the previous strategy. He has already thought very well. Once he can By placing the Hanlin Academy under the jurisdiction of Zhongshu Province, he can openly expand the ranks of bachelors. At that time, not only will he be able to control the scientific examination to a certain extent, but there will be more people who ask him, and his authority in the capital The position will be more consolidated.Now Mr. Zhongshuling is old. Once Zhongshuling retires and returns home, with his merits and other people's recommendation, it will be a breeze to take the position of Zhongshuling. At that time, how can he look at Ningguo's mansion like this? With such an expressionless face, he could even slowly get the place back from Mr. Ning Guo.

That's right, even if you give in to Duke Ning's government for a while, it doesn't mean that you are really afraid of them. The so-called man can bend and stretch, and it's nothing to endure a moment of unhappiness. When you really feel proud, you will naturally make the other party crawl at your feet Bow down.

Thinking of this, Pang Song couldn't help showing a smile. He looked at the people who were drying the files in the yard, and suddenly turned his face to the bachelor who sent him out and said, "I heard that Mr. Gao has a new closed disciple. who is it?"

The scholar had a goatee and his eyes were narrowed. He scanned the yard before pointing at Ning Yuan and said, "That's him. His name is Ning Yuan. I heard he's a relative of Duke Ning's mansion." .”

"A relative in Ningguo's mansion?" Pang Song snorted lightly when he heard the words, then glanced at Ning Yuan again, then flicked his sleeves and strode away in a hurry.

The daily affairs of the Imperial Academy were not disturbed by Pang Song's sudden arrival. After Gao Yu clearly rejected Pang Song's proposal, he never appeared again, and everything was back on track.The scholars are busy with the upcoming spring, and Ning Yuan has also started to travel frequently to Gao Yu's mansion.

Including Ning Yuan, Gao Yu has received a total of four disciples. Except for the second prince, Si Kongxi, who only has a name, the other two were once the most talented and brilliant generation in Huajing City, and they were both in the spring of the year. It is a pity that the sky is probably jealous of the talents, and one of them died of a serious illness shortly after the scientific examination.The other person may be too handsome, and soon after he became an official, he was favored by the emperor's eldest daughter, Princess Linghua, and insisted on recruiting him as a concubine. His official position, unfortunately, less than a year after the man married Princess Linghua, the princess passed away due to illness, he left Huajing in despair, and lived in seclusion without knowing what to do.

That happened many years ago, perhaps because he hadn’t been a teacher for too long, Gao Yu’s enthusiasm for Ning Yuan’s studies even surpassed the scientific examination that he should have been more worried about, no matter how busy he is, every day Ribi must spare time to give lectures with Ning Yuan. For a Juren, he is already familiar with the ordinary scriptures of etiquette and righteousness, but Gao Yu is very knowledgeable and can talk about many unorthodox things, and these things even in his previous life Ning Yuan had never heard of it, so he sounded very interested, and treated Gao Yu with more respect.

"When the emperor went to court this morning, the emperor issued an imperial decree. This year's spring will be postponed for one month, and the notice will be posted in two days. Let me tell you first." After finishing the homework for this day, Gao Yu took a sip of fragrant tea Moisturize your throat, and said to Ning Yuan who was packing up his books.

"Postponement?" Ning Yuan frowned slightly, "The scientific examination is the ancestral system of the past dynasties, and it cannot be postponed unless there is a major change. Can the emperor explain the reason?"

"Naturally, because there was a delegation from the Xia Dynasty, there was a lot of pomp and circumstance. In order to show the goodwill between the two countries, the emperor deliberately postponed the imperial examination to allow the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Accounts to make more preparations for the reception." Gao When Yu said this, his expression was quite disdainful, "A group of foreign barbarians, relying on their own strength and strength, are going around to show off their might. The emperor made this decision, as if I, Da Zhou, were afraid of them."

"Is Xia Guo a mission coming?" Ning Yuan seemed to be interested, "Teacher, do you know what kind of mission it is?"

"I don't know anything else, I only know that the leader of the mission is the uncle of the current emperor of Daxia, and he has a title called Prince Yongyi."

Ning Yuan nodded his head in understanding, "He is still the elder of Emperor Xia, so it is understandable for the emperor to treat him seriously."

"Hmph, while stationing hundreds of thousands of troops on the border of Yanzhou, and at the same time pretending to send out missions, I don't think any of these Xia people are at ease." The turmoil in the imperial court is actually quite severe, but unfortunately their affairs in the inner court have always been kept under wraps, and we can't even detect the slightest bit of information through our secret work, otherwise we can know the depth of that Prince Yongyi and take some measures to deal with it."

Ning Yuan was quite curious. Because of the lack of channels, he knew very little about Daxia's affairs. He didn't even know why Huyan Yuanchen suddenly returned to the court a few years ago. The emperor of the Rixia Dynasty passed away, and the crown prince ascended the throne. The entire court was in turmoil. He was still worried for a while. The head of the embassy who was going to come this time was actually Emperor Xia's uncle, so naturally he was Huyan Yuanchen's uncle. I don't know if I can have the opportunity to ask these people about Huyan Yuanchen's recent situation.

Thinking of this, Ning Yuan had already left the Gaofu, but was suddenly blocked by a man dressed as a servant.

The man respectfully handed a letter to Ning Yuan, saluted again, and then hurriedly retreated.

There was no sign of the recipient on the letter, only a signature. Ning Yuan's eyes fell on the signature, his pupils shrank, and he silently put the envelope into his sleeve robe, and got into the carriage that was waiting for him not far away.

The letter was written by the Marquis of Changsheng, and even signed by Pang Song himself. In a rather polite tone, he wanted to invite Ning Yuan to the residence.

Pang Song actually invited himself to his house?Sitting on the carriage, Ning Yuan repeatedly looked at the letter paper in his hand, and couldn't figure out what the Pang family was thinking. Could it be that Pang Qiushui or Lin Chong hated him so much and wanted to take this opportunity to take revenge?No, this method of not having 300 taels of silver here is really stupid, and why did they borrow Pang Song's name.

But the problem is, I have never met this huge man before, so why did he send such an invitation to himself, and seeing that Pang Song didn't seem to want to take this opportunity to stand up for his daughter and nephew, then what was he beating? What idea, Ning Yuan thought for a while, then smiled again, no matter what idea he had, it was none of his business, he had no intention of going to the appointment at all, so why waste his energy thinking so much?

Therefore, Pang Song's letter was only a flash in the pan, and was forgotten by Ning Yuan.

Ning Yuan originally thought that as long as he ignored him, that powerful and powerful person would not care too much about him, but his thinking was obviously wrong, because he really did not expect that Pang Song would still Han Tao led them to the door.

Han Tao actually didn't want to come, and he didn't know why he wanted to. Ever since Ning Yuan extorted 200 taels of silver from his hands, he was a little angry with Ning Yuan, but he had no choice but to find someone for his current father-in-law. No one knows who lives in the streets and alleys of Huajing better than the imperial guards guarding the comfort of the capital. After finding out Ning Yuan's residence, he can only bite the bullet and lead Pang Song to come.

126 Conspiracy and Trick

Pang Song apparently seldom went to places like this where civilians gather in the west of the city, and even walked with his clothes on his heels, as if he was afraid that the dust on the ground would stain his silk and satin, and if Han Tao hadn't repeatedly assured him, he would not have believed Ning Yuan. To live in such a remote place.

After all, since Ning Yuan became Gao Yu's disciple, a lot of information is no longer a secret in the eyes of interested people. The sons of scholar-bureaucrats, relatives of Ning Guogong's mansion, and friends of Meng Guogong's son, with such backgrounds, they should live in the prosperous place in the east of the city. , greeted and sent off every day with the sons and daughters of officials of the same background, instead of living in such a remote and barren place.

Pang Song's ostentation was the same as when he went out on weekdays. He brought ten guards with him, including Han Tao and himself, a total of twelve people, all stuck in the small garden in Ningyuan. It was too crowded and he had no choice. , Pang Song had no choice but to drive the guards out, and sat on the stone bench with Han Tao, waiting for Ning Yuan to come out.

This is what Zhou Shi who opened the door for them said, saying that the young master is taking a bath, and the living room is being cleaned, so I can only trouble the two of you to wait outside.

Pang Song has never received such a cold reception since he was promoted, and he almost couldn't hold back his temper. However, Zhou Shi's sincere and fearful appearance all the way seems to be deliberately neglecting them, and considering the purpose of coming here today, he still sat calmly , sipping the tea served by Zhou Shi.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, Ning Yuan came out of the room wrapped in steam, bowed to Pang Song, and apologized.

Pang Song waved his hand, apparently already impatient, he opened his mouth and asked, "Did Mr. Ning ever receive my letter?"

"Letter?" Ning Yuan half-covered his mouth pretending to be surprised, "Could it be that the letter was really written by Da Da?"

Pang Song originally thought that Ning Yuan hadn't read the letter since it was sent out, but now that Ning Yuan had read it, he felt angry for a while, "Since Mr. Ning has seen the letter, why didn't he respond at all? It's Mr. Ning, you look down on me?"

"Pang Daren, Xiaosheng absolutely didn't mean that." Ning Yuan shook his head like a rattle, and his expression was terribly frightened. A colleague from the Confucian Academy was joking with me for fun, but never thought it was true."

Pang Song was taken aback, Ning Yuan's words seemed to make sense, he didn't know what face to put on, coughed twice and said: "That's all, I'm here in person today, not to question Mr. Ning, you Xingshi, Mr. Ning, don't get me wrong."

Zhou Shi bowed his head and stood on the side, thinking in his heart that the ostentation was set up like this, and he even said that he didn't come to Xingshi to inquire about the crime. It was really a thick-skinned family. Thinking of this, Zhou Shi quietly looked at Ning Yuan again, seeing that Ning Yuan was still the same. It was that "frightened and nervous" look, and he couldn't help laughing secretly again, the young master is really good at pretending.

"I have something to discuss with Mr. Ning. It's inconvenient to talk here, so let's talk in detail in the inner room." After Pang Song finished speaking, he said to Han Tao who had been standing behind him: "You don't have to follow me in if you wait here. gone."

Ning Yuan's eyes flicked on Han Tao. The commander of the imperial guards, who is next to Pang Song, is like a guard who comes and goes. It seems that his son-in-law is better than marrying Ning before. Rui was still a wimp when she was a child.

When the two entered the room, Ning Yuan closed the door knowingly, and then sat down beside him, showing an expression of listening carefully. Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Pang Song relaxed a little, coughed lightly, and said to Ning Yuan: "I know Mr. Ning is a smart person. I came here in person today because I have something to ask."

"It's a big man, but it doesn't matter."

"In the early court three days later, there will be a censor who will report to the emperor to impeach Gao Yu, a scholar of the Imperial Academy." Pang Song spoke slowly, but the corners of Ning Yuan's eyes twitched when he said it. Then, Ning Yuan heard him say again: "Of course, to catch a thief, you have to take the dirt. You must know that Gao Yu's embezzlement of silver is not a small amount. If the emperor finds out, he will be shocked."

"Pang Da, you must have made a mistake somewhere." Ning Yuan pretended not to understand, "I have never heard of any greedy behavior by the teacher, so where does this come from?"

"That's why I need your help, Mr. Ning." Pang Song didn't intend to beat around the bush at all, but went straight to the point: "Gao Yu was worried that those greedy money would be a big hit in his house, so for safety reasons, he put The silver was placed in the residence of the disciple he had always trusted, but unfortunately, his disciple was a man of righteousness, and he absolutely could not tolerate the corrupt behavior of his teacher, so righteousness killed his relatives, handed over all the silver, and exposed The evil deeds of my own master... Mr. Ning, did you understand what I said?"

Ning Yuan blinked, and suddenly showed a terrified expression, and even stood up: "You are the teacher who asked me to frame myself!?"

"It's not framing, it's righteous killing relatives." Ning Yuan's reaction seemed to be in line with Pang Song's expectations, "Of course, Mr. Ning's rare and profound act of righteousness also made me and other officials in the court admire me and immediately After I have made great achievements, I will ask the emperor for orders, and I will directly give you an official title, Mr. Ning, and even let you enter the Zhongshu Province. This is much more convenient than relying on the scientific examination to become an official. Before entering the three provinces and six departments, it may take two years, but who knows if something will happen during those two years, maybe two years later, even the threshold of the three provinces and six departments will not be touched."

A slap first, and then a candy, Pang Song fully demonstrated his coercion and lure skills, and at the same time carefully observed Ning Yuan's expression, seeing Ning Yuan's shocked face, waiting for him to say When it was over, he still shook his head violently, "No, you guys are framing me, I can't do this, I can't join forces with you!"

"Hmph!" Seeing that Ning Yuan still refused to agree, Pang Song slapped the round table in front of him, "It doesn't matter if you don't agree, but after you become Gao Yu's greedy accomplice, don't regret it!"

Ning Yuan's face turned pale, and his voice trembled, "You...what do you mean...!?"

"Isn't Mr. Ning very smart, why can't you understand what I mean, you can choose for yourself, whether you want to stand on our side, soar in the official career, enjoy a lifetime of glory and wealth, or stand on Gao Yu's side, Became his co-conspirator, Chun Wei was thrown into prison even if he failed to participate, and was asked to be executed after Qiu." Pang Song pinched the mustache on his chin, and said with a triumphant smile: "Gao Yu, we It must be removed no matter what, if you don’t do it, someone else will naturally do it, but at that time you will be toasted and not eaten or punished. What kind of path you will take in the rest of your life depends entirely on what you do now, Young Master Ning chosen."

Ning Yuan's face had turned from white to blue, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. His eyes gleamed, as if he was making a difficult decision. After a while, he nodded his head with great difficulty, "...I Do."

"Very good." Hearing Ning Yuan's reply, Pang Song seemed relieved, stood up and brushed off the non-existing dust on his sleeve robe, "Tomorrow someone will bring you enough silver and jewels to put Gao Yu to death. , Mr. Ning, you just need to keep it well, and then when the adults who investigate the case from the Ministry of Criminal Justice come to investigate, you can hand it over. What should I say then, Mr. Ning, don’t need me to repeat it.”

Ning Yuan pursed his lips tightly and nodded, as if he was still deeply in fear, Pang Song sneered in his heart, "It's too tender after all", and with a kind expression on his face, he stepped forward and patted Ning Yuan shoulder, "There is nothing to be afraid of. Think about the boundless future and prosperity in the future. If you are intimidated by such a small matter, then even if you become an official, you will not have much success."

After finishing speaking, Pang Song laughed twice, and swaggered out from the door.

Han Tao was waiting outside the courtyard anxiously, when he saw Pang Song coming out of the room with a smile on his face, he immediately leaned over and asked cautiously, "Master Yuezhang, this matter..."

"Of course that kid agreed. The old man has already told him all the powerful relationships, and he can't help but disagree." Pang Song was obviously very happy that he had achieved today's goal, "Wait until that guy Gao Yu is sent to hell. , I will naturally strongly recommend Ma Xueshi, who has always been close to us, as a bachelor. At that time, there will be no resistance at all for the Ministry of Education to incorporate the Imperial Academy. Look at this group of scholars full of sour stomachs and can still be rampant in front of me! "

Han Tao blinked, and said uncertainly, "He really agreed? Mr. Yuezhang, it's better to be careful about this matter. Ning Yuan used to be my brother-in-law, and I know some of his temper. He has always been scheming." Very well, in case..."

"There is no chance, do you still want to doubt my vision?" Han Tao's words obviously aroused Pang Song's dissatisfaction, "Don't be an old man who is easy to deceive, if the boy agreed very simply from the beginning, On the contrary, there is deceit, but just now I saw the truth, the kid kept pushing and refusing, his face turned pale with fright, there was no pretentiousness, and finally he had to agree under my coercion and lure, this kind of person has the guts As small as a mouse, even if it is for your own life, you will do what we say, you don't have to worry about it."

"But……"

"Okay, don't talk so much nonsense, we still have to see Mr. Zhao Yushi. Gao Yu has been in the court for many years, and even the emperor respects him. Can such a simple framing be able to overthrow him? Apart from Zhao Yushi, even Jing Zhaoyi has to be informed about this matter. Fortunately, you and Jing Zhaoyi have always been on good terms. Otherwise, relying on me, I might not be able to convince him." Pang Song hurried out of Ning Yuan's yard and got into the carriage outside while talking.

And Han Tao still looked back towards the yard suspiciously. For some reason, perhaps because Ning Yuan had tricked him a lot, he always felt that there was a huge trap slowly opening, waiting for them to come to him. Get in.

Suddenly, he shivered.

127 Misfortune to the East

In the middle of the night, several big men took advantage of the darkness to carry three half-person-high boxes into Ning Yuan's house.

And in order not to attract attention, they still walked through the side door in the alley. It was already late at night, but Ning Yuan hadn't slept yet. Instead, he waited in the yard, watching the big men unload the boxes, and a man who looked like a butler was leading the way. He said to Ning Yuan: "Please trouble your son to put away the things. The master also asked the younger one to pass a word to the son. This matter is of great importance. Since the son has already boarded this boat, there is no reason to return. Otherwise, what will happen?" I'm afraid you can't afford the consequences."

The leader looked pleasing to the eye with lowered eyebrows, but his words were not polite at all. After finishing speaking, he took the big men and left in a hurry.

Ning Yuan stepped forward and opened the three boxes one by one, and they were full of gold, silver and jewels, a considerable amount.Ning Yuan picked up a gold ingot casually, put it on a cushion in his hand, and said with a smile: "This time of prosperity is really a big deal. You can take out so much property casually. I don't know how many are still hidden in the house. It didn't take long in Beijing, but a lot of oil and water were made."

"Deputy promotion of Zhongshu Province has always been a fat job. There are a lot of people in this world who want to be promoted and make a fortune, especially now that the positions that are promoted are vacant, and the power is all in the hands of the deputy promotion. For the sake of future, there will naturally be many Send the money to the Marquis of Changsheng." Nuxuan said in a deep voice behind Ning Yuan: "This official position cannot be done by a person like Pang Song, and I don't know father... the emperor has taken a fancy to it." What about him."

Ning Yuan didn't answer, but gently put back the gold in his hand, clapped his hands and said, "Has Zhou Shi left yet?"

"I went out an hour ago, and Xue Lihong didn't send the letter back. Thinking about it, everything should be fine." Nuxuan said, "It's just that young master, I don't understand why you didn't tell Mr. Meng about this. As long as Mr. Meng comes forward, it will be for Pang Don't be afraid, he wouldn't dare to use such dirty means to frame Mr. Gao."

"Whether Meng Guogong wants to meddle in this kind of nosy matter is another matter, and there will be no pie in the sky, and others will help you unconditionally? It is not a good thing to owe too much favor." Ning Yuan turned to look at Nuxuan, "Late at night Let’s leave quickly, Zhou Shi’s side may have already started to act.”

Nuxuan nodded.

By the wharf in Huajing, in what should be a quiet night, there were many scattered laughter coming from several brightly lit cruise ships.

It is said that the wealthy people in the world will find some new ways to have fun after they are tired of the existing pastimes. These painting boats docked at the pier are typical representatives.In the eyes of the famous noblemen in Huajing, those brothels and brothels these days are places only for the upstarts. Proficient in chess, calligraphy and painting, apart from being able to sleep with others, he is no different from those famous ladies.

Of course, the cost of such a place is extremely high, so those who can come here for a long time for entertainment must be the children of high-ranking officials from wealthy families, or relatives of the children of high-ranking officials-such as Chang Shenghou's nephew Lin Chong.

In the private room on the second floor of Huafang, the young Lin Chong was holding a plump prostitute in his arms and teasing and laughing non-stop, drinking a sip of wine from time to time, and biting the other's snow-white breasts, having a great time.

Some time ago, because of Pang Song's whipping, he had been lying on the bed for a full month. During that time, he was bored. Fortunately, although Pang Song was angry with him, he still loved him more. The best doctor in the capital was invited to treat his injury, otherwise he wouldn't heal so quickly, and ran here to have fun as soon as he could get out of bed.

All the expensive spirits were provided in the boat, and after flirting with the prostitutes for a while, Lin Chong’s energy also picked up, and he was about to take off his clothes and get ready for work, when suddenly, something hit him on the forehead, causing him so much pain. He jumped up from the prostitute at once.

"who!"

"Mr. Lin, what's wrong with you?" The prostitute looked at him inexplicably.

"Someone is plotting against me!" Lin Chong looked a bit like a soldier. He looked around the wing room, and there were only him and the prostitute in the room. Then he took a closer look and saw a stone the size of a baby's fist beside the couch, and a piece of paper not far away. There was also a big hole in the plastered window, and someone had apparently smashed the window with the rock before it hit him in the head.

"Who the hell dared to plot against me like this!" Lin Chong was furious, put on the clothes he had just taken off, and was about to rush out of the wing to find the person throwing stones outside. Xingshi asked the crime, but just opened the door of the wing room, he bumped into a young man in white who was passing by outside.

"Damn it!" Lin Chong yelled and cursed loudly, "Which bastard dares to block my young master's way!" Seeing the appearance of the young man in white and his gloomy expression that seemed to drip water, Lin Chong's back stiffened, and his underwear was immediately soaked in cold sweat.

"Mr. Ning...Mr. Ning..." Lin Chong's next tone was the same as before, not only his breath was weak, but his words were also stuttering, "I, I didn't see it was you... Seriously, it was a misunderstanding ..."

Ning Zhongkun was so angry that the corners of his eyes twitched. It was the first time he was insulted with such ugly words, but the other party was the little bastard from the Pang family who had some old grudges against him. Originally, I didn't want to let Lin Chong take a few whips and let it go. It's a pity that Ning Guogong said that he and Pang Song were officials in the same dynasty, and he bowed his head and didn't see him. Moved Mrs. Wu.Although Mrs. Wu has a hot temper, she is not ignorant of the general situation. Seeing that Pang Qiushui has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Criminal Justice for so long, Lin Chong has also been whipped. After making a decision, Ning Zhongkun, a junior, couldn't say anything even if he felt uncomfortable, so he held back.

It's just that this Lin Chong is really a person who doesn't know how to gain wisdom through a pitfall, so how long has it passed, and there is such a flamboyant person who comes to him to make trouble in front of him!

Ning Zhongkun clenched his fists tightly, and as soon as new and old hatred surged up, he really wanted to press this dude on the ground and beat him up violently, but he lived a good life since he was a child, and he only had a superficial knowledge of martial arts, but Lin Chong didn't He has been practicing martial arts since he was a child, so he must be at a disadvantage when he starts to fight, and today he has a distinguished guest by his side, so it is really inappropriate to make troubles.

"That's all." Ning Zhongkun flicked his sleeves, never looked at Lin Chong again, and walked away with another handsome man who was taller than him. Lin Chong kept his head down, waiting until Ning Zhongkun left After a long distance, he raised his head, spit at his feet, cursed, then remembered his purpose of coming out, and hurried down the stairs towards the splint below.

The plywood of the pleasure boat is very spacious. As the night was dark, there was no one on the deck. Lin Chong walked around under the window of his own room, and he really saw two servants in servant clothes gathered together, rustling and chatting. What's the matter? He was furious, and just about to step forward and grab the two of them to question, but their conversation drifted into his ears with the night wind. He was shocked, stopped walking, and listened quietly. Come from the corner.

I only heard one of them say: "I've heard it too, but I don't know that a juren can be so rampant and accept bribes before he enters the officialdom. If such a person enters the officialdom, won't he become a disaster for the country and the people?"

Another person said: "Who made him the closed disciple of Mr. Gao of the Imperial Academy? With Mr. Gao taking care of him, the future is bright. There are too many people who want to curry favor with him."

"But he is not afraid of being discovered when he does this? Taking bribes and embezzling ink is a felony, what if someone finds out."

"Hey, you forgot, he is just a juren! He is not an official, he has no official title, and he just collects some money. Others can take care of it, just like the guests on this painting boat give you a few taels of silver. rewards, the law has nothing to do with it.”

"That's right, it's really lucky that he took advantage of such a loophole!"

"But there is one more thing, I also heard it whispered by others." One of them said this, his tone suddenly became serious and tense, and he raised his head and looked around vigilantly. Lin Chong hurriedly crouched in the shadow of the corner, listening to the person continue Said: "This Juren seems to be related to Ning Guogong's mansion. Some people want to honor Ning Guogong, but Ning Guogong is very popular. They don't dare to take risks, so they send all the money to the Juren. In this way, Ningguo is sold. To save face, there will be no risk, and kill two birds with one stone."

"No way!" The other person was stunned, "It's still like this?"

"I passed by the gate of Juren's house in the evening, and I saw him sneakily directing his servants to move a few dark boxes into the cellar. I think it was full of gold and silver... By the way, if you want to get rich Well, why don't we sneak into that cellar tonight to find some, that person probably thinks that no one will know that there is money hidden in his dilapidated house and cabbage cellar, there is not even a guard, this is an empty plan Although the singing is wonderful, it can naturally benefit us in vain."

"This... don't go, don't go, if something happens, if we are caught in our identities, we won't be beaten to death!"

"Cut, coward, that's all, I'm also a little guilty. After all, we can't afford to mess with these people, but if I were the young master of some high-ranking family with a backer, I would secretly search for all the money and earn it myself." Not to mention a single thing, but also make these ink-greedy guys suffer a dumb loss, and they dare not come to trouble me."

After the two of them finished speaking, they seemed to feel that it was meaningless to talk any longer, so they got up one after another, patted their buttocks and left.

Lin Chong, on the other hand, has been squatting in that corner without moving, his face full of thoughtfulness. After a while, he sneered and stood up quickly, but he didn't go back to the second floor of the painting boat to continue having fun with the prostitute. He got off the boat in a hurry, passed the servant who had been waiting for him under the boat, got into the carriage and left.

After the two servants who were squatting on the deck chatting said goodbye to each other, one of them walked from the bow to the stern with his head down, took off the hat he had been wearing all the time, exposed Zhou Shi's company, and stood facing each other. His figure said respectfully: "Master, everything is done."

Ning Yuan turned around, nodded, motioned to Nuxuan beside him to hand a cloth bag to Zhou Shi, and said, "Change your clothes first, we have to meet another person."

128 Jackal Tiger Leopard

In the private room of Tianzihao on the third floor of Huafang, Ning Zhongkun and the handsome man who has been following him are sipping fine sake. It is the current popular tune and music in Qingping tune, and the string music is curling, and its skill is not inferior to that of court musicians.

"Young Master Ning really enjoys it." The man may be overwhelmed with alcohol, his eyes are a little hazy, but his words are full of air, "I didn't know that there is such a secret place for recreation, and it is not like ordinary brothels."

"Your Highness, you are welcome. Although this place is a bit out of the way, it is really an elegant place. I just know that Your Highness will like it, so I recommend it to you." Ning Zhongkun bowed his head respectfully, "If Your Highness can enjoy it , that would be even better."

"Brother Ning is so polite, I don't know what to say." The man called "Your Highness" clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "Brother Ning, don't worry, I will find an opportunity to speak to the emperor, and I will be canonized as soon as possible." Brother Ning is the eldest son... But I really don't understand what the old man Ning Guogong is thinking. Brother Ning is clearly a man of talent, but he has not been able to prove it. Is it true that the Duke of Ning really intends to abolish his father and establish his concubine as rumored outside? "

As soon as the words Abandoned Concubine Li Shu came out, Ning Zhongkun's face froze for no reason, because Ning Guogong valued his uncle and his two concubine brothers more than him, and what he hated the most in his life was when someone treated him in front of him. He mentioned the words "abolishing the concubine and establishing the concubine", but he didn't have the guts to lose his temper at the person in front of him, so he could only suppress his temper and echoed: "Grandfather has his own considerations, and we, as descendants, dare not act rashly." Add assertions."

At this moment, someone knocked lightly on the door of the private room.

Ning Zhongkun was taken aback for a moment, he had clearly explained that no one was allowed to disturb him, and who on earth was so ignorant of flattery.He raised his hand, and the prostitutes who were playing the music immediately put down the instruments in their hands, and one of them walked to the door with small steps, and gently opened the door.

"It's you?" Ning Zhongkun frowned when he saw the person standing outside the door, "Why are you here?"