treacherous world

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang entered the Tianyu shop, looking for Feng Tianyu to inquire about the news.

In the jade shop, Feng Tianyu was sitting at the table in the backyard, gently polishing a piece of jade with a piece of water and sand.

Seeing Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang coming, she put down the stone music, "Where did you go after having the engagement wine? Let me find it!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang also laughed, and sat down to talk with her.

"Go to the Three Treasure Hall for nothing, you two came to me suddenly, do you want to inquire about something?"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang didn't go around in circles, but they couldn't just say that the imperial tomb was stolen, so they had to ask Feng Tianyu, "Has anyone got any fancy gadgets lately?"

Feng Tianyu was stunned for a moment, looked at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, and smiled, "This is too general, please understand a little bit more?"

Zhan Zhao thought for a while, "Just these few days, the kind that surprises people."

Feng Tianyu nodded after hearing this, "Well... I probably guessed what you were going to talk about."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao glanced at each other, is it really rumored?

"Actually, many people are guessing. Recently, the number of guards around the imperial tomb has increased a lot. Is there something wrong with the imperial tomb?" Feng Tianyu asked, and it was indeed on point.

Knowing that it was difficult for Zhan Zhao to answer this kind of thing directly, Feng Tianyu looked at the expressions of the two of them, and guessed it was almost the same, so she continued, "It's just that this time it's definitely not something that people from this area did. "

"So sure?"

"En!" Feng Tianyu kept waving her hands, "Who dares to steal the imperial tomb, but... I have heard a legend about the imperial tomb."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang immediately listened attentively.

"When Taizu went to the South and the North, he got some treasures." Feng Tianyu smiled mysteriously, "I also heard about Manhu. It is said that I got it when I went to sea. It seems that I stopped a floating ship. The broken ship and found a lot of rare treasures."

"The broken boat..." Zhan Zhao frowned, "What are those treasures?"

"Then I don't know where to go." Mrs. Tianyu spread her hands, "But I know someone who understands, maybe he can give you some clues.

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded, and Mrs. Tianyu lowered her voice, "I know, there is an old man named Tupao Li who is a famous carpenter. He must be a little old. When Taizu was alive Ask his master to make a mechanism box, saying that it is a treasure box that hides the secrets of heaven, and it will be brought into the grave in the future, so as not to cause harm to future generations."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang naturally wanted to ask what kind of treasure it was, but Feng Tianyu probably didn't know, so they searched for the bottom line, trying to find out as much as possible about the carpenter nicknamed "Earth Claw" and his master, who probably passed away. "

"The earth claw civet was mentioned by someone in the early years." Feng Tianyu thought for a while, "It has been gone for a few years, but he is very good at craftsmanship, I guess he should find a carpenter or some old people in the area , and I can hear some more."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang thought it was a clue, chatted with Mrs. Feng for a few more words, and left.

After that, the two went to the imperial mausoleum and found that it was well guarded.Zhan Zhao had Zhao Zhen's order to thoroughly investigate the case, so he could go through without any hindrance. Bai Yutang was familiar with the secret passages of the agency, so he entered the interior of the imperial tomb with him.

"It's the first time for me to enter Taizu's imperial tomb." Zhan Zhao looked at the murals around him, most of which recorded the achievements of Taizu's battles.

"The gate of the imperial mausoleum is sealed, and there are still organs. Did robbers come in?" Zhan Zhao asked Su Dong, the general of the imperial army who accompanied him in.

Su Dong shook his head, "All the guards had their acupoints tapped that night. Someone destroyed the organ and opened the door to enter the inner room, and all the organs were easily opened. We checked the list of funeral objects, and nothing was lost."

Zhan Zhao asked him for a list, and he didn't know much about this kind of gold, silver and jade wares, so he handed it to Bai Yutang to see.

Bai Yutang took it over and looked at it carefully.

Taizu was born in the army, and he didn't like gold, silver and jade wares very much, but there were many weapons and pottery figurines as funeral objects.After looking at it for a long time, Bai Yutang raised his head and asked Chen Dong, "Is there a mechanism box?"

Chen Dong blinked, puzzled, "Trick box?"

"Yeah." Bai Yutang nodded, "The kind of mechanically closed box with an exquisite design that is not easy to open."

"No." Chen Dong shook his head without thinking.

"So sure?"

"We have carefully compared everything on the list, and there is nothing missing. The key is... there is no wooden box in the funeral objects!" Chen Dong told Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang very confidently, "The only thing in a box It is a few engravings and a dagger that Taizu liked. The engravings are packed in a brocade box, while the dagger is packed in a gold-plated box without mechanism."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao glanced at each other, it seemed—the other party might have taken the legendary wooden box?Of course, if that box actually existed.

Afterwards, Bai Yutang turned around in the underground palace, and Zhan Zhao stood by and waited patiently.

Chen Dong didn't quite understand what Bai Yutang was doing, but he didn't dare to ask further questions, so he had to wait aside.

Bai Yutang searched for a long, long time, and finally pressed down on a brick on the wall and stopped moving.

Zhan Zhao hurried over, knowing that he must have found something.

"Yutang?"

Bai Yutang stretched out his hand and gently pulled Zhan Zhao to his side, and motioned Chen Dong to move away.

Chen Dong didn't quite understand, so he moved aside, and suddenly, he heard a "whoosh", and something flew past his ear.

Chen Dong was startled, and suddenly turned around to find a short arrow stuck in the wall behind him.Taking a closer look, my heart skipped a beat—because there seemed to be a small black hole next to the short arrow.

Chen Dong's brow was sweating subconsciously. Bai Yutang did look around that wall for a long time just now, and then went to the opposite... Did he find the hole?Hundreds of their soldiers have almost turned the imperial mausoleum upside down in the past few days, but no one paid attention to the hole.

Bai Yutang pressed lightly on the place where the mechanism was ejected... With a click, the hidden grid opened, and there was an empty grid inside.Turning his head, Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao nodded, this mechanism has been opened before, and what was taken away should be the things here, indeed it can be put into a big wooden box.

Chen Dong also came over, stared at the hidden compartment dumbfounded, opened the checklist and flipped through it back and forth, shaking his head, "There is no record of this on the checklist!"

Zhan Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked him, "How did you find out that the imperial tomb was stolen?"

"The door wasn't closed."

"Strange." Bai Yutang was a little puzzled, "Why would a treasure thief leave such an obvious opening?"

"That's right." Chen Dong himself nodded, "If he remembers to seal the door before he leaves, we may not find anyone coming in for a year or so.

"It's not like someone who would make such a low-level mistake..." Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang muttered to themselves, looking up at the top at the same time.

Chen Dong also raised his head, not quite understanding what the two of them were looking at.

Zhan Zhao suddenly frowned slightly, and jumped onto the roof.This underground palace is very high, the dome is curved, and the four walls are not particularly easy to grasp.

Zhan Zhao got on the top and raised his face, rowed his face towards the roof for a while, then fell, turned over and landed firmly on the ground, pointed to the top of his head and told Bai Yutang, "There is a handprint."

Bai Yutang frowned, "Is someone ambushing there?"

"Or they hid on it after following them in." Zhan Zhao reminded, "This person has extremely high lightness kung fu and deep inner strength."

The two already knew that more than one person might come in, and after one person took the box, the other one would suddenly come out to snatch it.Maybe it was robbed, and the person who was robbed deliberately didn't close the door to attract attention, or maybe he was not robbed, and that person ran away in a hurry without closing the door in time.

Afterwards, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang began to look for footprints... Originally, the ground of the underground palace should have been covered with a layer of dust, and it should be easy to leave footprints.But just as Chen Dong said, a large group of them came in and trampled on it in a mess, leaving no clues.

Zhan Zhao shrugged his shoulders, not without regrets, if there were clear footprints left, he could deduce the general size of the person who stole things.It would be even better if there is a fight, and the martial arts sect can be deduced.

Chen Dong was very embarrassed. Not only did he not find any clues, but he also added confusion to Zhan Zhao and the others. However, Kaifeng Mansion investigated the case very quickly, and there were clues in no time.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang hurried back to the Kaifeng mansion, and first went to the oldest yamen servant in the mansion, Old Man Jin who was also known as Kaifeng's know-it-all.

"Claw civet!" Uncle Jin nodded, "Haha, I know."

"Where can I find him?" Zhan Zhao was quite anxious.

"It's hard to say." Old man Jin shook his head, "I haven't seen you for many years."

"You know him?" Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were both pleasantly surprised, what a coincidence?

"I know him. Although he is a carpenter, he has a weird temper. Besides woodwork, he is also good at stone work." Old man Jin said, curling his lips, "It's just that there are many problems, this man is suspicious. Extremely heavy, always saying that he will be taken in one day, or that some disaster is imminent. He will move every two or three months, and he must install traps at home, and dig three or four tunnels in all directions. It is convenient. It will be used for escaping in the future."

Bai Yutang wanted to laugh a little, he was right in calling that man's paw civet, he loves digging holes more than rock and scissors.

"Why is he running away?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled, "Someone caught him?"

"Who knows." Uncle Jin shook his head. "I know him purely by coincidence. He dug a hole and accidentally opened someone's cellar. Others thought he was a thief, and reported him to the police if he was caught."

"Then Master Bao also knows him?"

"At that time, the adults did ask him about his situation. The old man was a little crazy when he was old. The adults asked him to help him repair the cellar, so he didn't make things difficult for him." Old man Jin said, and he was a little worried, "What happened to him? Is that right? I remember that he is pretty good, and he is normal except for occasional madness. When my granddaughter got married, I asked him to make a jewelry box, which was very beautiful."

"Earth Claw, what's your real name?"

"It's called a fort."

"Surname Tu?"

"That's right, man, he's not young, he must be five or sixty years old, with white hair, and looks like a thin monkey. He has a more obvious feature, there is a red birthmark on the left cheek near the chin , very recognizable."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang got an important clue and hurried back to the study.

Zhao Cong and the Eighth Prince have already gone back, and everyone is preparing to go to the palace to attend Zhao Zhen's dinner party, and they will wait for them after everything is packed.

Zhan Zhao really wanted to say that he would not go to investigate the case and find an excuse to escape, but Bao Zheng's face darkened, "We must go!"

Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang smiled gloatingly, planning to go to Taibaiju to have a drink at night, or to sleep early, it was better than sitting in the palace anyway.

Unexpectedly, Bao Zheng looked at Bai Yutang in the blink of an eye, "Bai Shaoxia is going too!"

Bai Yutang was taken aback, and Zhan Zhao also said, "He's not an official, why must he go?"

Bao Zheng laughed, and said in his heart that he turned his elbows out just after getting married, and stretched out his hand to stroke his beard lightly, "He is a family member of an official, and the emperor's imperial decree said that he should bring his family to attend."

Zhan Zhao blinked, then smiled happily, reached out and patted Bai Yutang's shoulder, "Juan, go change your clothes!"

When Bai Yutang returned to his room, he suddenly realized that he was classified as a "family member".Zhan Zhao stretched out his arms to wrap his arms around his shoulders in joy, "Beautiful as a flower!"

Bai Yutang stretched out his hand to grab him, Zhan Zhao turned over and jumped out, standing at the door angrily at Bai Yutang, "Jian, hurry up!"

Bai Yutang sighed, Zhao Zhen obviously did it on purpose!

After everyone had changed their clothes and it was almost time, they went out together and rushed to the palace.

On the way, Gongsun and Zhao Pu sat on Hei Xiao's back, while Xiao Sizi and Xiao Liang rode rocks and scissors respectively, traveling in a large group.

Zhan Zhao went to the sedan chair, and told Bao Zheng about the general investigation results.

Bao Zheng nodded secretly, and asked Zhao Pu, "Did the late emperor have a wooden box buried with him?"

Zhao Pu looked bewildered, "Then I really don't know, but what's the big deal in it? Why dig a secret compartment to hide them after they're buried together?"

"How many people are likely to know?" Gongsun asked.

"I think...there are really not a few left." Bao Zheng was also a little embarrassed, and after a second thought, "I can ask Pang Ji, maybe he will know."

"Don't you want to ask the Eighth Prince?" Gongsun asked, "He may know more than the Grand Master."

Zhao Pu smiled, "Ask the Grand Master, which means asking him to inquire about it."

Everyone thought it was a good idea, the grand master had a lot of thieves, so he probably considered all aspects carefully.

Zhao Pu winked at Gongsun, "Concubine Pang has it all, so he will have a good relationship with you in the future, and he will definitely help."

……

"Hey, small things, hug this old man!"

Sure enough, everyone got off their horses and entered the palace at the gate of the palace, and by such a coincidence, they ran into Taishi Pang.

When Zhao Pu told him, Pang Ji patted his chest and agreed, with a beaming smile on his face.

Bao Yan asked Pang Yu, "Is your father in a good mood?"

"My sister is pregnant again, isn't dad happy!" Pang Yu crossed his arms and bared his teeth at Bao Yan, "No one can stop him from being happy now, hehe!"

Zhan Zhao suddenly remembered that Pang Yu had a lot of friends, so he asked him if he had ever heard of a carpenter named "Earth Claw".

Pang Yu scratched his head, "I really don't know, but I know where the most expensive boxes are sold in Kaifeng."

"The most expensive box?" Bai Yutang was curious.

"Those big girls and young wives, who don't have a few pieces of jewelry, right?" Pang Yu is obviously quite knowledgeable, "Good things can't just be wrapped in a rag, they have to be packed in a box, that's good Boxes ain't cheaper than jewels."

Bao Yan shook his head and sighed, "It looks like someone who often hangs around brothels."

Pang Yu was wronged, "Little Mantou, what are you talking about, you don't know how many women I have in my family!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other, "What shop?"

"That shop is called Jinxia Mantang." Pang Yu took out a jade pendant and handed it to Zhan Zhao, "This shop only accepts regular customers, and you have to queue up to buy things, but the boxes are really exquisite, and it is said that you can find the best ones." It was carved by a carpenter. Probably all the carpenters in the world can have some contact with them.”

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang raised their eyebrows, thinking that this was indeed a good clue. Didn't old man Jin also mention that the earth claw civet made a jewelry box for his granddaughter?

Walking into the imperial garden, because Zhao Pu is here, all the officials came to greet him.As soon as he was seated, he saw Zhao Cong walking over, "Uncle Jiu."

Zhao Pu nodded, seeing that the Eighth Prince was not there, he frowned slightly, "Where is Myna?"

"Oh, my empress suddenly fell ill, my father asked me to come first."

"What?" Zhao Pu frowned, "Are you seriously ill?"

Zhao Cong shook his head and sighed, "I don't know, I suddenly felt unwell in the afternoon, and I invited several doctors, but they didn't find out the cause of the disease, and my father stayed with me all the time."

A trace of worry obviously flashed across Zhao Pu's face. After all, Princess Chai was taking care of her all the time. To Zhao Pu, he was no different from his own mother.

"Why don't I go and have a look." Gongsun saw that Zhao Pu was worried, and he was also worried about Princess Cheshire's health.

Zhao Pu wanted to go with Gongsun very much, but if he was the one who greeted them today, if he left...

"Guard Zhan, Shaoxia Bai." Bao Zheng immediately came to the rescue, "Should you two take Mr. Gongsun there?"

Zhan Zhao stood up, but Zhao Cong said, "No, let me see you off, you guys are the protagonists today, how can you leave the table?" He waved to behind him.

A man in black came up, and Zhao Cong ordered, "Send Mr. Gongsun back to the palace. If anything happens, I will ask you!"

The man nodded, but before Gongsun could move his legs, he was grabbed by the fourth son.

When Gongsun turned his head, the fourth son held his arm and stared nervously at the man in black, "Daddy, don't go."

Gongsun touched his head, "You stay here with Jiujiu, I'll come to see Princess Cheshire."

"I also don't think it's appropriate." Zhan Zhao reached out his hand at the same time, stopped Gongsun, and looked at the man in black behind Zhao Cong, "Why does the prince keep a killer by his side?"

Zhao Cong was taken aback for a moment, then turned around, the man behind him was still standing calmly, with a hint of a smile on his lips.

Zhao Pu frowned and looked at Zhan Zhao, "Killer?"

Zhan Zhao nodded, his expression darkened, "Killer Dead Leaf."

The person standing behind Zhao Cong was wearing half a bark mask, wasn't he the dead leaf that attacked Kaifeng last night?

Zhao Cong was surprised, and looked back at the dead leaves, "Are you a killer?"

Withered Ye slightly shrugged, "I'm afraid Mr. Zhan has identified the wrong person."

Just at this time, a notification sound came, "The emperor and the queen mother are here."

All the ministers quickly returned to their seats and sat down, and the rest of Kaifeng Mansion and Zhao Cong also returned to their seats.

Gongsun looked at Zhao Pu, and Zhao Pu sat down with him.He didn't let go of his hand after sitting down, as if he was afraid of losing it.

Zhan Zhao saw that Bai Yutang's expression was also unfriendly, so he stretched out his hand and pressed the back of his hand, signaling - take your time.Reminiscent of what Dead Leaf said yesterday that they should meet more often in the future, both of them realized that he had taken refuge in Zhao Cong... The trouble this time seems to be serious.

Zhao Zhen waived the etiquette, saying that it had been a long time since we got together, and he took the time to get together with the officials, and he also washed the dust for Zhao Pu and the others, so there is no need to be restrained.Of course, he also found out that the Eighth King was not there at the first time, and asked Zhao Cong in surprise. When he learned that Princess Chai was ill, the queen mother was the first to be anxious.

"Empress Dowager." Zhao Cong said, "I just asked Uncle Jiu to ask Mr. Gongsun to see a doctor for the Queen Mother. It would be best if I can stay in the Palace for a while and help the Queen Mother recuperate."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang sneered at the case, and Zhao Pu around him was full of murderous intent—Zhao Cong is going to die?

Bao Zheng and Pang Yu shook their heads secretly, is Zhao Cong pretending to be stupid, or is he harboring evil intentions?But the bad thing is that what he said was right, he pretended not to know, and he didn't know anything about him. Let Aijia's Feng drive to bring his sister-in-law into the palace, and Aijia will take care of her personally." After speaking, he looked at Gongsun, "Mr. Gongsun will help Aijia to give the emperor's sister-in-law a good pulse soon! And Concubine Pang too."

Gongsun smiled knowingly and nodded in agreement.

Pang Yu winked at Bao Zheng—Jiang is still old and spicy.

Zhao Cong got up to thank the gift, but he couldn't see anything wrong, and he even thanked the Queen Mother for taking care of him, looking very happy... Is his acting skills good or heartless?

Looking back, Zhao Cong bowed his hand to Gongsun, "Thank you, Mr. Gongsun."

Gongsun smiled, indicating that it's okay, Zhao Cong looked at Zhao Pu again, but was startled.

Zhao Pu sat there with a sullen face, his eyes were cold, Zhao Cong got goosebumps unconsciously, and felt a sense of fear in his heart. Fortunately, the dead leaves behind him patted his back lightly, so he didn't lose his composure and dropped the wine glass in his hand.

Putting down the wine glass and secretly holding his own stiff hand, Zhao Cong understood why there were people on the battlefield who frightened Zhao Pu to death, their eyes were different, and they looked very strange.

Zhan Zhao shook his head at Bai Yutang - Zhao Pu really turned his back on him.

Bai Yutang laughed helplessly—that is, the idea was all on Gongsun's head, so Zhao Pu had to turn his face.

Afterwards, Zhao Zhen asked people to open the banquet and asked all the officials to do whatever they wanted, and everyone came to toast Zhao Pu, Bao Zheng and Grand Master Pang.

Zhan Zhao pulled Xiaosizi over, stuffed meatballs into his mouth, and asked him, "Little Sizi, why didn't you let your father go just now?"

"Huh?" Little Four chewed a ball and his cheeks bulged, "I've seen that person before, he's a bad guy."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were slightly taken aback, staring at the fourth son, "Which one?"

The fourth son covered half of his face, "This!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang immediately understood the dead leaves and asked, "Where did you see it? When?"

The fourth son raised his face, "Hmm..."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were waiting for the fourth son to speak quickly, but the fourth son's posture seemed to be lost for a while, so Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang scratched their heads in a hurry.

The fourth son thought for a long time, then flattened his mouth, "I forgot, but I remember hating this person."

"Think about it again!"

"Hmm..." The more anxious the fourth son became, the more he couldn't remember.

"Little four, come here, Grandma Huang!"

At this time, the empress dowager called the fourth son, and the fourth son ran over to accompany the empress dowager.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang felt their hearts were lifted in an instant - it is impossible for the fourth son to have seen dead leaves, when did he see them?And I know he's a bad guy...