I'm watching the gate in the jail

On the morning of the third day, the rain gradually subsided, and the chirping of birds could be faintly heard. It seemed that today would be a long-lost good weather.

Not long after the inn opened, a group of idlers came, and they sat or stood in a circle around the hotel, wanting to see who ordered such delicious snacks and let them follow the light and smell it for two days. Heavenly pastry aroma.

Wanda and his party have been waiting for a long time with food boxes in their hands.

In order to prevent this box of dim sum from being stolen again, Gao Hui sat in the room yesterday, staring at the food box for a whole night.

His "staring", that is, really staring at the box.

One night, I didn't even turn my neck.

Seeing Wanda and Qiu Zijin's surprised looks, Yang Xiuxian explained that this is the basic skill of Jinyiwei spies.

He once lay down in the grass for three days and three nights in order to ambush a felon of the imperial court, even though all kinds of snakes, insects, rats and ants crawled over his body, he never moved.

In the end, when the prisoner let down his vigilance and came out of the hidden house, he was killed in one fell swoop.

Hearing this, Wanda involuntarily rubbed her chilly neck.

Being watched by Jin Yiwei is really a terrible thing...

Yang Xiuxian followed Lord Xiaowan's hand, saw his snow-white neck, and bit his back teeth calmly.

Around noon, when the rain was clear and the sky was finally clear, the group of Liao people appeared.

Different from the embarrassment when it was raining that night, the two of them today not only dressed very well, but also brought two or three followers behind them.

Different from these two, the men behind them were also dressed in black, with red headscarves and blue cloth belts around their waists.But they were all barefoot, stepping directly on the slippery stone road.

Seeing so many people in the hotel looking at them curiously, these servants immediately became vigilant, and even deliberately showed a ferocious expression, scaring away the two idlers who were watching.

"It's really exquisite."

The leading man opened the suit and nodded in admiration when he saw the snacks arranged neatly inside like a work of art.

He reached out, twisted a piece of Shaqima from inside, and put it in his mouth.

"Well... it would be nice if it was a little sweeter. But it's already pretty good. I've been doing business in the southern provinces for so many years, and this is the first time I've seen dim sum like this."

The man clicked his tongue and praised.

Wanda is immune to the question of whether it is sweet or not.He forced a smile, and cupped his hands at the man, "Thank you for your appreciation."

"Friends in the north, in order to thank you for making such a good snack for me. Let me give you another gift."

The man winked at the tall man, who turned around and took a pot slightly larger than a palm from the attendant's hand.

"This……"

Looking at the obviously expensive white porcelain jar in front of him with the pattern of "lotus leaves supporting peaches", Wanda looked at Yang Xiuxian with some hesitation.

Although I don't know what's inside, but just looking at the jar, I know it's not ordinary.

Generally speaking, such good jars are used by merchants in the Jiangnan area to store valuable tea.

"The things in this jar were supposed to be sold to a 'noble man' yesterday. But it's strange that the 'noble man' didn't show up as promised yesterday. I'll just give it to you, it doesn't count Live up to this good thing."

Seeing Wanda showing hesitation, the man explained.

"In that case, thank you, big brother."

Wanda said obediently.

"You don't need to thank me, this is what my master meant."

The man smiled. He seemed to be in a good mood after receiving the snacks, so he talked a lot.

"Your master? Aren't you the leader of the merchants? I thought he must be in command of a large caravan with his bearing and demeanor."

Thousands of wears, no flattery.

This is Wanda's life experience gained from years of wandering in the market, and it has been proved to be very useful.

"Hahaha, that's because you haven't seen the demeanor and demeanor of my master."

The man was obviously amused by Wanda, and he looked up to the sky and smiled.

"My friend, I heard that you are going to open a restaurant in Guilin Mansion in the future?"

He leaned down and asked with great interest.

"Yes... yes, but I'm not sure yet. Let's take one step at a time."

Wanda was a little terrified by his black eyes, which were so dark that they seemed to be able to suck people's souls away, so he hugged the jar and laughed.

"As long as you are in Guangxi, we can meet you. If you have a chance next time, try your craft again."

The man spoke, and without waiting for Wanda's answer, he scolded and left with a group of people.

Wanda watched their leaving backs, and then looked down at the white porcelain jar.

After making trouble for a long time, I still don't know what these people are called and where they are from...

There were a lot of people downstairs. To prevent accidents, everyone turned around and went upstairs, waiting for Gao Hui, who had gone to the pier to inquire about news, to come back.

Seeing that the two groups of them had left, the people in the inn also gradually dispersed, and the small shop returned to its former calm.

The weather gradually cleared up before noon, and it stands to reason that Yang Fan should be able to continue his journey.Yang Xiuxian asked Gao Hui to go to the pier first to find out when the boat boss planned to set off, and they could make some repairs before heading over.

About a quarter of an hour later, Gao Hui walked into Wanda's room with a strange expression on his face.

"Can't go today. Something was stolen from the ship."

"what?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Yesterday, a Cantonese businessman on board lost a piece of finely woven Nanjing calico. That person has already reported to the government. When I first went to the dock, the government's men and horses were waiting to board the boat to search."

Fortunately, they didn't rush to the pier early in the morning, otherwise if they encountered officers and soldiers, it would be another trouble.

"No...was that 'Yijianmei' doing it again? Stealing my snacks the day before yesterday, and stealing other people's floral cloth yesterday?"

Wanda asked uncertainly.

"it's him."

Gao Hui nodded his head, "The sign of 'One Cut Plum' was left in the cabin with the calico cloth, it is indeed his doing the right thing."

"Wait, what about the things in our warehouse? My dried chili, chili powder, cumin, and my own fried scallion oil, are they all right?"

These are all the things he can use when he goes south to open a shop, and he specially rents a warehouse to store them.

"That's not true. The entire cargo ship was stolen with a piece of calico. Other merchants' tea, silk, and various north-south goods are all fine."

Hearing what Gao Hui said, Wanda breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's not right, why just steal a piece of calico, what's so special about that calico? Is it expensive?"

Qiu Zijin shook his little head.

"According to the sufferer, it's worth about two taels of silver."

This "one cut plum" just got a full 50 taels of silver the day before yesterday, and turned around to see the floral cloth worth only two taels of silver. Would it be too much of a jump?

"Don't you think it's strange? This 'Yijianmei'...he doesn't seem to be stealing things for money. Instead, he has other purposes."

Qiu Zijin couldn't help saying.

"I'm afraid that he is coming for us. The most direct consequence now is that we are trapped here and cannot escape."

Yang Xiuxian said in a low voice.

"Alright, since he won't let us pass through the door, let's not let him go either. Find a way to catch him and torture him. We must find a Chou Yinmao."

His slender fingers flicked twice on the table, and Yang Xiuxian's eyes fell on the white porcelain jar placed in the middle.

This jar is too delicate, and it really doesn't fit in the inn room with peeling walls and water-stained windows.

To use an inappropriate analogy, it's like a beautiful woman who appears in a country shop.

That feeling can only be described as weird.

"Qiu Zijin, aren't you from Jiangxi? Can you understand the way of this porcelain jar?"

Wanda suddenly remembered that Qiu Zijin was from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi.The thief in the family is rich, not only rich, but also has fields, land, and shops. This is the authentic "super rich second generation".

Their family has been doing business for several generations, and they hoped that there would be a scholar in the family, who would gain fame in the examination, honor their ancestors, and get rid of their lowly status as a businessman.

Finally, Qiu Zijin, a child who can read, was born in this generation, and the whole family treated him like a treasure, which was why he was so innocent that he could do whatever he wanted.

"This... But it has reached the level of tribute. Even if it is given to the palace, it is not considered rude."

Qiu Zijin picked up the jar, touched the glaze color on it, and looked at the signature on the back.

"It really is white porcelain made in Fujian..."

Dehua County in Quanzhou, Fujian is also one of the well-known producing areas of ceramics.

In particular, the local white porcelain is famous for its milky white enamel, warm and jade-like, elegant and pure white, which is comparable to the ceramics produced in Jingdezhen.

Although the white porcelain pot in front of me is small, it can be seen that the craftsmanship is quite good, and it is a top-notch boutique.

Such a good jar, what will it be used for?

Qiu Zijin lowered his head, leaned close to the mouth of the can and smelled it, his eyes lit up suddenly.

"My lord, this smells so good."

The faint aroma wafted slightly from the mouth of the jar, which made Qiu Zijin, a big foodie, suddenly refreshed.

"My lord, let's open it and have a look."

He couldn't help licking his lips, "It's really fragrant and sweet, it must be something delicious."

Hearing what he said, Wanda was quite curious, nodded, and asked Qiu Zijin to open the seal.

As soon as the seal of the jar was opened, a vision filled the room.

It is said to be meaty, but it has a refreshing breath, it is said to be the aroma of vegetables and fruits, but it is mixed with the fragrance of oil.Thick, full-bodied, with a little sweetness, it is really indescribably fragrant.

Wanda lowered her head and looked at the glistening amber ointment in the jar, and heard the sound of everyone swallowing saliva in unison.

"Gao Hui, go downstairs and bring some spoons up."

He said, carefully sealed the mouth of the jar again, and looked around vigilantly.

It's fine if the dim sum is stolen. If such a good thing is taken by a wicked and smoking thing like Yijianmei, the loss will be too great.

Gao Hui walked out of the room, put his arms on the railing, and jumped down, startling Xiao Er who was serving the guests.

Before Xiao Er could recover, he saw a figure flashing in front of him, and the big man who didn't talk much on weekdays had actually returned upstairs.

"My lord, Shao'er!"

Gao Hui took a breath, raised four spoons, and said while swallowing.

It's rare that even Gaohui is so impatient, which shows how exciting the things in this jar are.

Everyone learned their lesson and locked all the doors and windows to prevent any smell from leaking out. Then they put their spoons into the mouth of the jar, and they all scooped up a spoonful.

Wanda looked at the trembling, jelly-like amber paste on the spoon, and carefully put it into his mouth.

In an instant, the taste buds exploded.

The aroma is stronger than aged wine, bursting in the mouth with a hint of sweetness.Silky, soft, and glides softly down the mouth.

The indescribable taste is like the spring breeze across the skin of a 16-year-old girl. Before you savor it carefully, it floats away with a dreamy figure, leaving a lingering residue in your eyes. The shadow is unforgettable in this life.

"This smell...is wonderful."

Wanda looked at the fascinated expressions on everyone's faces, shook his head, and sighed in a low voice.

What ingredients are used and how can this taste be made?

Even the imperial dining room in the palace can't make such a thing.

"What is this? Two rich men, talk about it."

Fearing that she couldn't help but take a second bite, Wanda put down the spoon cleanly and sealed the mouth of the jar.

Qiu Zijin looked at him with the eyes of an abandoned woman.

"I've never seen..."

Yang Xiuxian shook his head.

He is not a person who is greedy for food and drink. Although the Yang family has a good family background, they have never put their energy on eating and drinking.The Yang family's cook was originally from the army, so he could only cook the most common home-cooked dishes, not even "delicious".

In the past few months, eating and drinking with Master Xiao Wan has been a rare thing in more than 20 years.

"Could this be... a tribute?"

Wanda speculated.

Such delicacies can only be enjoyed by the emperor.

"It is indeed a tribute. But I have only heard that this is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes."

Qiu Zijin's eyes were still glued to the jar, "If I'm not mistaken, this is the 'benny sauce' given to Daming when the Cochin Kingdom entered the palace. Only the forbidden and a small number of royal families are eligible to enjoy it. No wonder this jar It's so well-crafted."

"What is 'Konko Sauce'? Why have I never heard of this ingredient?"

Wanda is really curious, how come such a delicious food has never been heard of after 600 years.

"This 'betel tree' was originally a special product of the Nanyue Kingdom in the pre-Qin period, but it is rarely seen in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that only a small number of betel tree species are preserved in the Jiaozhi country. According to ancient books, this betel tree's The wood is like a hub tree, and its leaves are like mulberry. The fruit is only two or three inches long, and the key is that the number is very small. It matures after September every year. The local natives pick the fruit and brew it into this "benny sauce". .”

It turned out to be a plant that was almost extinct in the Ming Dynasty... No wonder later generations have never seen it.

Wanda suddenly realized.

"Even if the entire Jiaozhi Kingdom is able to use the power of the whole country, it can only produce two or three altars. Part of the tribute is given to the king of the Jiaozhi Kingdom. The other part is the tribute to our Ming Dynasty. Sometimes the times are not good, and it may be a few years. Even the fruit can’t make a jar of betel sauce. So even if it’s a tribute, it’s not available every year, and it depends on whether God rewards him or not.”

"So... did we eat such a precious tribute?"

Wanda lowered her head, feeling her facial nerves twitching.

I just made a box of snacks for those two Liao people, and they gave such a valuable gift in return...

This is too strange.

"Have you forgotten? This jar of Konjac sauce was originally intended to be sold to a 'noble person'. Isn't it obvious that 'tribute' and 'noble person' are not enough?"

Yang Xiuxian sighed, "The eunuch from yesterday should be this mysterious buyer. But his money is gone, and this transaction is a failure, so it is cheaper for us."

If it can be considered "cheap".

When Wanda heard this, he finally realized something.

"I see. That eunuch came out privately with so much money to purchase tributes... No, the royal tributes are in charge of the 'purchasing servant' who is in charge of the 'year-old office'. If he is purchasing the servant, If you lose money, you can report it to the officials in an upright manner, so why hide?"

"The palace will naturally send eunuchs in charge of procurement, but when it comes to specific places, the tributes are still prepared by the local county officials and even the guard eunuchs."

Yang Xiuxian looked at the exquisite white porcelain jar, narrowed his eyes, "Oh no, we were tricked."

"How to say?"

Wanda asked suspiciously.

"Yes... we were calculated."

Qiu Zijin rolled his eyes and immediately guessed what Yang Xiuxian meant.

He bit his lip and said bitterly, "Those two Liao people left this jar for us on purpose. They wanted to throw away this hot potato."

He glanced at the porcelain jar on the table and shook his head, "I knew I would never have eaten that one."

"Wait, two smart people, explain to me, what's going on?"

Wanda couldn't make up her mind.

"In such a small port, if our ship didn't need to come here to take shelter from the heavy rain, it wouldn't stay here at all. But the Liao people are not, they came here on purpose."

Yang Xiuxian said seriously.

"If I'm not mistaken, the eunuch must have ordered this jar of betel sauce last year, or even a few years ago. Recently, there will definitely be eunuchs from central Beijing who will come to Yongzhou Mansion to buy tributes."

Qiu Zijin also said before that Konjac is rare, but if you offer something like this, you will definitely be appreciated by the eunuch who buys it, and you will get a great reward.

Eunuchs cannot be promoted to nobles, but they can be added as officials.At least, you can leave Yongzhou and change to another place for defense.

Not everyone wants to serve the country loyally, even the supervising army or even the general who is in charge of guarding one side.

This place is located in a barren place, surrounded by miasma, the key point is - war may break out at any time.In the past, the imperial army had been repeatedly defeated, and the regiment and battalion probably had no "morale" to speak of. There were probably not a few people who had the idea of ​​"get a fortune and run away".

He sneaked out of the camp before to hide it from other people in the camp, fearing that his chance of making meritorious service would be taken away by his colleagues.

It is not a loss if the money is stolen, but the key to the matter is that he cannot pick up the goods and cannot deliver to the purchasing eunuch on time.

Therefore, he will never let it go.

Yesterday's departure, I'm afraid it was to move rescuers!

The Liao said that it was his "master" who gave this jar of betel sauce to Wanda.The master probably thought of this too.

They didn't want to have a direct conflict with the eunuch forces of the Ming Dynasty, so they took the opportunity to get some snacks and threw this hot potato to Wanda and these same "outsiders" in public.

No wonder he had to confirm again just now whether he was going to Guilin Mansion. If he was a local, he probably wouldn't have chosen them as his target!

"Sure enough, it's nothing to be courteous, it's either rape or robbery!"

Wanda patted her thigh bitterly.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

At this moment, there was a commotion outside the building.Listen carefully, there is a faint sound of horseshoes.

Gao Hui walked to the window, opened a corner of the window vigilantly, and looked down.

"My lord, it's the eunuch from yesterday. He also brought a group of people, about 100 people, and they are walking towards the hotel. There are still about three streets to get here. Seeing their aggressiveness, I am afraid that the visitors are not good."

"It really came."

Wanda gritted her teeth, "I've really been tricked. What is this—killing someone with a knife?"

Qiu Zijin looked at the bottle of betel sauce on the table, wondering why, "It would be fine if I didn't eat it just now, just give him the jar and return it to Zhao as a finished product. But just now we each dug a big spoonful, and half the bottle was gone in a blink of an eye .This is how to do?"

"How about we give him 50 taels and treat it as if we bought it?"

he asked naively.

"After this betel sauce is sent to the capital, it is only worth 50 taels of silver? Even 50 taels of gold can't be bought. Besides, is this eunuch short of these 50 taels?"

Wanda is also very angry.

He had no grievances with those people, but was he bullied just because he was a foreigner?

Made!

First of all, the "Yijianmei", and then these two bureaucrats, why did my trip to Guangxi get off to such a bad start.

This guarding eunuch, even though he can dominate the local area, he is considered half a local emperor.As soon as Xiaoqiu showed the seal of Guangdong and Guangxi inspection, he could lie on the ground and call him "Dad".

But in this way, their identities are also exposed.

But now the merchant ship is stuck in the port and cannot leave.

Otherwise, take advantage of the fact that they have not yet arrived, and immediately detour to the pier.As long as the boat is sailing, the river is vast, and the eunuch's pursuers have nothing to do with them.

"What should we do now? We cannot clash with the local defenders."

"Don't worry, my lord, there are still ways."

Yang Xiuxian's eyes flashed in seriousness.

"The master of the Liaoren used 'borrowing a knife to kill' us. We can also use this trick. Isn't it?"

Yang Xiuxian pointed to the plum blossom seal on the wall.

When everyone went downstairs, they saw the old shopkeeper nervously talking to the eunuch from the night before.

Seeing Wanda and the others come down, the shopkeeper's eyes were a little erratic, and then he turned his head away guiltily.

"Step aside!"

No longer wearing casual clothes, today's fat eunuch, wearing a black official hat and a blue dress, pushed the shopkeeper away and walked towards them aggressively.

"It's you! Come here!"

"Hello, my lord."

Wanda took two steps forward and saluted first.

"The miscellaneous family is Huang Ren, the garrison eunuch of the regiment battalion of Yongzhou Prefecture. Today, the troops are here to arrest Yijianmei and his accomplices."

He looked Wanda up and down, then looked at Yang Xiuxian and the others standing behind him, and snorted.

"Hmph, let me tell you, why did he focus on me when I cut plums that night. It turns out that the person who cooperated with him and stole my money was not the shopkeeper, but you guys who live next door."

He cocked his orchid fingers and screamed in a sharp voice.

"You were all there that night! I saw it all."

"What is your lord saying? When we came to the investment shop that night, your lord had already rested, and he had never met us before. How could you say 'inside should be combined with outside'?"

Yang Xiuxian held up his fan and asked, "We also slept halfway. We heard that someone had stolen something, so we went downstairs to visit, and then we met your lord."

"Then why did the two Yao people give you that pot of stuff? I asked, and many people have seen it. You must have cooperated with 'Yijianmei' and instigated him to steal the money from Zajia. It made it impossible for me to trade on time. The Yao people gave you what they originally wanted to sell to me."

The eunuch was at a loss for words when asked, so he could only ask another question.

"Now that everyone has seen it, my lord should also know that it is because my shopkeeper is superb in cooking and makes exquisite and delicious dim sum, which was appreciated by the master of the house, so he gave us a jar. The things are free, But there is no deal."

Yang Xiuxian pretended to be confused, pretending to understand, "Besides, we just took the jar upstairs, we are packing our luggage, and we are going to the port to take a boat, but we haven't opened the jar yet."

"It hasn't been opened yet?"

The fat eunuch also found it strange that the Yao people gave away such a valuable thing as they said.

But when he heard this sentence, he immediately put that question behind him.

"Isn't it just a tea caddy? I just packed it in my luggage."

Wanda said nonchalantly.

"Yes, yes! That's a can of tea. It's a can of fine Dianhong."

Seeing that they really didn't know anything, Huang Ren secretly let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's fine if it's not opened, it's fine if it's opened."

Suddenly seeing a few of them being generous and composed, the key is that they kept saying that the jar was still intact and placed upstairs, and immediately received the aggressive face just now.

"Quick, go upstairs and bring the jar to me."

"Ah... But, that jar is so beautiful, and Dianhong is considered a famous tea, so it's worth some money, right?"

Wanda said, showing an expression of seeing money, "It's okay for the adults to give you the jar... At least you can give me a penny or two, if you want to."

"Bold, dare to bargain with adults!"

A soldier following behind the guard eunuch reprimanded loudly.

"Hey, as long as the jar is still there, everything is easy to talk about. Let's go upstairs first."

The eunuch saw Wanda's appearance of a snob who wanted money, and he was even more sure that this person didn't know the value of the contents of the jar.

One money, two money?

If he knew how big an official title this thing could change after it was delivered to the capital, it wouldn't scare him to death!

Little people just don't know it.

Wanda led the way, leading Huang Ren and two soldiers to his room upstairs.

Opening the door and seeing the scene in the room, everyone showed a surprised expression.

The window was wide open, and the quilt was scattered with packages that had been turned over in a mess.

The clothes and socks inside were turned everywhere and scattered all over the floor.There was also an empty duffel bag hung on the back of the chair, which shook twice.

"Ah! my money! the capital of my business!"

Seeing this situation, Wanda let go of her voice and let out a "wailing", and threw herself to the side of the bed with a "plop".He turned over the furoshiki with trembling hands, and pinched the inner layer of the bag.

"It's gone, it's gone. It's only been a while, and my money is gone. Who the hell actually stole my things. My money, my money, it's gone."

"Money, money is nothing! The key is the jar, is the jar still there?"

The fat eunuch pointed at Wanda's back, and asked very ironically.

"Ah, there's the jar!"

Qiu Zijin pointed to the white porcelain pot on the table that was covered by a huge teapot and said.

The fat eunuch walked over in three steps and two steps.

What came into view was an empty white porcelain jar that had been unsealed, and the inside was completely hollowed out, leaving nothing behind.

Strictly speaking, nothing was left behind, at least the scent was still there, filling the shabby hut.

Under the jar, there is still a note pressed.

Huang Ren pulled out the note with trembling hands.

On the note, there was a red plum that was very familiar to him.

The night before yesterday, such a plum blossom appeared in his room, and then the 50 taels of silver he used for trading disappeared like this.

He squinted his small eyes, looking at the swaying ink-colored branches under the red plum.

Every branch seemed to be mocking him, mocking him for being captured by the same thief again this time.

What made the official most angry on the spot was that there were three words provocatively written on the note - no, enough, sweet!

"'One-cut plum'... You have eaten the tribute that Zajia waited for for two years, and you still think it's not sweet enough! How unreasonable!"

"Bang!" a voice.

The exquisite white porcelain jar was lifted high by eunuch Huang Ren, and it was thrown on the ground, breaking into eight petals.

"Pass down the order of the Zajia, and the whole city will search for 'Yizhimei'! After catching him, the Zajia will dismember him and dismember him!"

With that said, he led the soldiers and walked downstairs.

"My money! The capital of my business... ah..."

Wanda walked to the bed with her bundle in her arms, looked at the horse team that came and went in a hurry, turned her head and blinked at Yang Xiuxian.

Murder with a knife?

Who wouldn't.

The author has something to say: Betel sauce was common before the Ming Dynasty, but it has been a legend since the middle and late Ming Dynasty.

Now, some experts have verified that this is konjac, while others say that it is a gallinaceous fungus, or some kind of fungus.Anyway, what exactly it is, there are so many different opinions, no one knows.