Reincarnation of the powerful minister

The third day of the first month.

Shen Qi rode her horse to the door of Su's residence, dismounted and knocked on the door.

After a while, Su Xiaobei answered the door, but did not invite him in.Shen Qi made a gesture of "Excuse me, give way", but Su Xiaobei stuck between the door like a lamppost.

"Master Su isn't at home? Where did he go?" Shen Qi asked.

Su Xiaobei replied: "Your Excellency is at home. I have nothing to do, just read miscellaneous books."

"Then why don't you let me in. Go and report and say that Qilang is here."

Su Xiaobei smiled a little strangely, "My lord has ordered in advance, if Shen Tongzhi comes to the door, tell him, 'Don't talk about Qilang, even the god Erlang will not let you in'. Please do as you please, Lord Shen."

He was about to close the door, but Shen Qi stretched out his arm to block it, "Your family isn't investigating the case anymore?"

"Investigate. To investigate the case, of course you have to go to the government office. My lord also said that if Shen Tongzhi asks about the case, tell him to go home and sleep for two days. When the time comes, the case will be solved."

After Su Xiaobei finished speaking, she pushed back Shen Qi's arm, closed the door and unbolted it.

Shen Qi ate the door shut, frowned and thought for a moment, then slowly walked down the steps.He rode a horse to the alley at the back door of Su Mansion, and blew a short whistle.

Not long after, a figure emerged from the shadow of the eaves, turned down from the wall, and saluted with fists together: "My lord."

It was Gao Shuo, the spy of Jinyiwei.

Shen Qi dismounted, and asked: "What happened yesterday, and what happened in the Su residence?"

Gao Shuo replied: "Lord Su was ordered to enter the palace to face the saint. He entered the palace at the beginning of Shenshi and left the palace at the end of Youshi. It is said that the emperor asked him to have dinner."

"I know that. What else?"

"The emperor appointed four imperial guards to act as his guards temporarily, and they lived in the front yard of the Su Mansion."

"I know that too."

"The rest is gone. Last night, the Su mansion was very quiet. Because the lord told me to only pay attention to the changes, and there is no need to monitor them all the time, so I didn't dare to stare at Mr. Su."

Shen Qi nodded, and began to ponder over the few words Su Xiaobei had just said.

"Did something happen?" Gao Shuo couldn't help asking, rarely seeing Shangguan showing such a troubled look.

Shen Qi figured out the three flavors in the words, and sneered slightly: "No wonder you don't dare to see me, it's to avoid suspicion."

"Avoid suspicion? Avoid suspicion? Didn't everything go well before yesterday? My lord even had the New Year's Eve dinner in Su Mansion—"

Shen Qi raised her hand to stop Gao Shuo from continuing.

"He has already told me the reason through the mouth of the boy."

"What's the reason? I just saw the adults knock on the door, so I jumped over the wall and listened. I didn't hear the reason."

"'Don't say Qilang, even if Erlang God comes, he won't let you in' - Erlang, God, don't let him in." Shen Qi's face was stern, "Isn't it clear enough, it's the emperor who is staring at me and him. The imperial guard is in the front yard, he couldn't say it clearly, so he used this to hint me."

It was only then that Gao Shuo realized that among the late emperor's many sons, the current one is indeed Xing Er.It is not an exaggeration to say that the Son of Heaven is a "God".

Naturally, he was very clear about the personal relationship between his lord and Su lord, and he was surprised when he heard this, "Does the emperor know?"

He thought for a while, and then suddenly said: "That's right. Now the position of the commander of the palm seal is vacant. My lord holds the Beizhen governor in his hand. It can be said that he is the most powerful in Jinyiwei. Lord Su is also the emperor's favorite civil servant. This civil servant and Jinyiwei Getting too close is indeed a big taboo for the Son of Heaven."

Shen Qi murmured: "I'm worried, it's not just that...Feng Que got close to the Wei family back then, it was still a taboo, but the emperor was not so nervous, he sent people to watch day and night."

"Probably because the emperor values ​​Mr. Su very much, and he wants to entrust him with important tasks in the future, and he is worried that he will go astray? Therefore, we need to pay more attention to correcting him from time to time." After thinking about it, Gao Shuo could only guess this step.

"Not only to prevent him from going astray, but also to firmly trap him." Shen Qi's face seemed to be a little pale, and it was even more obvious that there was a bright red smell of blood on his lips, "It seems that what King Yu said at that time was true .”

"King Yu? What does this have to do with King Yu?" Gao Shuo was puzzled.

At the Hongmen Banquet, King Yu's resentment could still be heard in his ears:

"So what if you are full of hostility towards me? In the eyes of the emperor, you and I are a joke. He has just won the hand now, and he has to demote him due to the situation, and he can't take care of us. Wait Once you find him, transfer to the capital again. By then, you will be a hungry tiger protecting food. Do you still want to have a hand? Wake up, Shen Qilang, let alone monopoly, in the future you may even meet him in private Difficult on one side!"

"Hungry tiger protects food, he really hit the mark." Shen Qi gritted her teeth, her brows and eyes were full of sternness, the peaceful look she had cultivated recently because of getting her wish fulfilled, at this moment, it was as if she was wearing a demon. The painted skin on his body disappeared.

Gao Shuo didn't dare to respond, and tried to straighten out the complicated situation between these parties in his heart, but in the end, the more he reasoned, the more chaotic he became, so he simply gave up.

Shen Qi took a deep breath, suppressed the evil spirit that was about to move in her heart, and said: "But Qinghe still made an appointment for the time and place to meet me."

Ah, is there?Gao Shuo began to wonder if his brain was not working well.

"Two days later, Beizhen Fusi. And regarding the case of Honglu Temple, he still has key clues, and we will see the result at that time."

After Shen Qi finished speaking, she got on the horse and ordered: "You continue to lurk nearby, but be careful, don't be discovered by the imperial guards. If there is any change, report it to me immediately."

"Yes, my lord." Gao Shuo clasped his fists together again, then jumped and hid in the layers of rooms.

Shen Qi walked out of the alley and walked through the bustling market, always feeling that there were pairs of eyes peeping behind her.He didn't turn his head, and continued to ride on the horse. After returning home, he didn't go out for two days.

And Su Yan wasn't busy with business these two days. Apart from sleeping, he just went shopping, eating and drinking.A bunch of New Year's greeting cards delivered by colleagues were accepted, and they were returned one by one.

They also specially prepared several annual gifts, among which the most precious one was sent to the old mansion of Li Chengfeng, Li Ge, the nominal "master".

Other acquainted officials, such as Cui Zhuangyuan from the Imperial Academy, Jia Yushi from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Tian Siqing from Dali Temple... everyone has a share.Even the famous courtesan Ruan Hongjiao, he didn't forget the friendship he had been dating for half a year, and asked the servant to send a New Year's gift to Yanzhi Hutong.

Ruan Hongjiao received too much hair, jewels and silver from dignitaries, this was the first such serious annual gift.

After she opened it quite unexpectedly, she found that the annual ceremony was prepared according to the specifications between brothers and sisters of a rich family, and a handwritten letter was attached, explaining that she had been sent to Shaanxi for more than half a year, not because she became an official because she relied on her status. I don't want to see her.Now that I’m back in Beijing for the New Year, I’m busy with business again. I’ll wait for a few days to be free, and then I’ll take the time to pay New Year’s greetings.

Every word is sincere, without any perfunctory or flirtatious meaning, as if she is only a relative or friend who can talk to her.

Ruan Hongjiao was holding a box of worthless dried peanuts, dates, and longan. With tears in her eyes, she said to Su Xiaobei, "Your family...you really don't look like an adult."

Su Xiaobei understood, and said with a smile: "Indeed. We two boys always look like servants in front of Mr. Su, he is used to it."

Ruan Hongjiao imprinted the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief embarrassingly, and said: "My family thought that once he jumped the dragon gate, he would... cough, let's not talk hypocritically. I don't know what my family's identity is. Today Welcoming and sending off to the children to fight for praise, tomorrow people will be neglected in front of the old Zhuhuang family, what else can we expect. That is to say, Mr. Su has a sincere heart and always treats his family as ordinary people. He has never done anything frivolous, and he will not cheat Coax, contempt in my heart."

She went to the back kitchen herself, picked up some mushrooms, pine nuts, kelp, seaweed and other dried goods from mountains and seas, as well as some citrus, olives and milk cakes, wrapped them in oiled paper, tied them into two bags, and asked Su Xiaobei to take them back to her. Su Yan, in return.

"I'm not afraid of my little brother's jokes. My family has given men flowers, drinking cups, and even used aprons, but they have never given such a commonplace gift. They are really like the daughter-in-law of a good family." Ruan Hongjiao blushed slightly, and said to Su Xiaobei, "Tell Lord Su, if it's inconvenient, don't come to Yanliu Land again, it will bring him a bad reputation. I will always remember his kindness in my heart."

Su Xiaobei returned home with the oiled paper bag, handed it directly in front of Master Su, and said, "Here, the villain has recovered the adult's romantic debt."

Su Yan said with a smile: "What strange things did you say. I want you to send a New Year's greeting. You don't care if he is the leader or the leader."

Su Xiaobei said: "Ruan Xingshou is a sensible person, and I told my lord not to go to her place again. After all, my lord is an official, and the court has a ban on whoring, so it would be bad for my reputation to go there."

Su Yan knocked him on the head: "Got it, little housekeeper. It's hard to leave Ah Zhui, the jealous vat, master, I can be happy for a few days, and you are here again."

Su Xiaobei rubbed his forehead and thought to himself: Butlers are just butlers, so I have to add the word "small". Does your lord think I'm young?No, I have to be more mature and stable to manage this house for the adults.

In the early morning of the sixth day of the first lunar month, Shen Qi left the house and rode straight towards Beizhen Fusi.

At the hour of Chen, the carriage of the Su Mansion stopped at the gate of Beizhen Fusi.Su Yan got out of the car and walked into the lobby under the escort of four imperial guards.

He bowed his hands to Shen Qi in a friendly manner: "Master Tongzhi, wish you a happy new year."

Shen Qi also returned a clasping salute: "Happy New Year to Master Su."

The two sat down as guest and host, and drank two cups of tea in the hall.The four guards, two stood on the porch outside the door, and two stood behind Su Yan, all with expressionless faces, like the four heavenly kings guarding the Nantianmen.

Shen Qi only pretended that they didn't exist, and said to Su Yan: "In the case of Honglu Temple, we still have no idea who the murderer is. Mr. Su asked me to wait for a chance to solve it. Have we found anything and already have a decision in mind?"

Su Yan picked up a candied fruit from the tea tray and ate it. It felt sweet and sour, so he picked up another one and said, "Let's put this case aside for now. I came to the Fusi of Beizhen today to see the imperial court." two prisoners."

"Who?"

"Yan Chengxue and Huo Dun."

Shen Qi got up and said: "Master Su, follow me."

Arriving at the entrance of the imperial prison, the four guards still followed Su Yan, Shen Qi stretched out her hand to stop her, and said: "The important place of the imperial prison, idlers are not allowed to enter."

One of the guards said: "We are imperial guards, not idlers."

Shen Qi said: "The imperial prison detains very important prisoners. The Holy Majesty has long issued an edict that no one who is not a criminal officer or those involved in the case will be allowed to enter."

The guards did not back down: "The emperor also has an order, let us guard Mr. Su every step of the way, and we must not let him have the slightest mistake."

Shen Qi had a cold face: "It means that I, Beizhen Fusi Jinyiwei, are unreliable and can't guarantee Master Su's safety?"

Su Yan sneered: "It's an exaggeration to keep walking every step of the way. Could it be that my lord is sleeping, bathing, and going to the toilet, and you have to watch from the side?"

The guards hurriedly clasped their fists at him: "Don't dare! Some kind of vulgar person, his words are inappropriate, please be patient with Mr. Su."

Su Yan said: "Since you're on their territory, don't break their rules. You just wait at the entrance of the prison. I'll come out after I've asked the two prisoners. It won't take much effort."

The guards hesitated.After all, the emperor added another sentence after that sentence: "If Su Shaoqing resists strongly, you don't have to follow by force, so as not to annoy him. Listen to his orders first, and report to me later."

So the leading guard bowed his head and said: "Everyone who listens to Mr. Su, I will wait here. If Mr. Su has any orders, just let someone come out and pass them on."

Su Yan nodded, and said: "Thank you for your hard work, please go back and invite the brothers to the restaurant." Then he and Shen Qi entered the imperial prison one after the other.