My years as a soldier

Hu Jiuzhang didn't expect Bai Muyun to get up on his own initiative after saying those words.

"Hey... Seeing that you have a lot on your mind, I won't bother you." Bai Muyun went into the back room without turning his head, and Hu Jiuzhang sat there staring at the screen in front of him for a long while before saying the next sentence.

"Go to bed early, since your home belongs to Chang'an, it would be nice to go home and live in it as soon as possible."

Inside, Bai Muyun snorted lightly, as a response.When Hu Jiuzhang heard his voice, he didn't think too much about it. He laid down the bedding and lay down to catch up on sleep.

In his sleep, Hu Jiuzhang dreamed that he appeared in court.In the dream, Hu Jiuzhang lost his voice somehow.No matter how much he yelled, he couldn't make a sound.He saw the county magistrate sitting in front of the hall, and he knelt in the hall, opened his mouth, and said a lot of words, but those words were blocked out of thin air by something, even he himself couldn't hear them.

Hu Jiuzhang panicked on the spot. He was sweating profusely, nervous, flustered, and even afraid—he had never been so panicked even when he was deep in the battlefield.For a moment, Hu Jiuzhang even forgot that this was just a dream. He desperately wanted to speak, but he couldn't make a sound, and even the knocking couldn't bring out any echo. No one in the lobby looked at him anymore.Gradually, he became transparent, disappearing in the hall of the county government little by little...

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning, and the chill instantly invaded the whole body——

Hu Jiuzhang couldn't help shivering, he opened his eyes, it was dawn.

It was just dawn outside, and the room was still dark, but Hu Jiuzhang could already see the faint light seeping in from the paper window beside him. He turned over and sat up from the mat, and looked down at himself again.His innermost white shirt was already wet with sweat, while the gray-black robe outside was also slightly chilled by the moisture of the morning mist.

Hu Jiuzhang stood up lightly. In the middle of the small shop, the night watchman was still dozing off behind the desk, but Hu Jiuzhang was already so energetic that he couldn't wait for a moment.He turned around and packed his big rattan box, but he never put on the light armor that he took off at night.

He has carefully considered what Chen Fan said, even what Bai Muyun said.He will ask for justice, but it is only he who seeks justice, not Han Haijun—so he will not wear Han Haijun's light armor, nor will he carry a horizontal knife.He put all his things back into the rattan box, and put them on the edge of the screen near Bai Muyun's back room.

When Hu Jiuzhang went out, the opening horn of Chang'an West Market had just sounded. He was wearing a short gray-black cloth jacket, with only a three-foot-long short knife pinned to his waist. He didn't look like a soldier anymore. He looks like a guy who works in the West Market.

Passing by the breakfast shop, Hu Jiuzhang went to buy brown sugar biscuits from yesterday's store again, but this time he ordered two, and after eating two biscuits, he felt that it was not enough.His appetite was full, but Hu Jiuzhang felt that something was missing.Subconsciously, he touched his waist with his right hand, but he couldn't touch the straight handle of the horizontal knife, and he felt a little empty in his heart, without a trace.

Yesterday Chen Fan had informed him of the location of King Su's Mansion, but Hu Jiuzhang still felt inappropriate to go directly to find Zhang Si.He always thought about what Bai Muyun said to him yesterday.

As long as things are put on the bright side, everything will be easy to handle.I'm most afraid of those things that happened in the dark, without seeing the light...

If Hu Jiuzhang wanted to succeed, he would expose the matter to the sky. He couldn't let the power press him to death—so instead of going to Su Wang's mansion, he turned around and went to the Chang'an county government office.

All the county offices are the same. When Hu Jiuzhang arrived at the gate of the county office, he saw the familiar porch, but felt a little trembling in his heart. After a shiver, he couldn't stop thinking about that dream.In the dream, he couldn't speak, but now that he has reached the gate of the county government, the mouth is on his face, and he can speak as long as he wants to.

Hu Jiuzhang took a deep breath, and stood on the street in front of the county yamen with frowned, making a lot of determination, maybe because he stood for too long, he stunned the gatekeepers guarding the gate.The gatekeeper turned his head from behind the gate, and the eyes that hit Hu Jiuzhang's face were full of sarcasm.

"What are you doing? Don't you know where this is?"

Hu Jiuzhang was not wearing light armor, but was dressed in commoner clothes. It was not surprising that he was treated as a commoner if he was polite, or as a slave if he was not polite.When Hu Jiuzhang saw people looking at him, he quickly walked a few steps to the little official, raised his hand and bowed respectfully to the doorkeeper.

"I'm here to report to the officer."

"What's the matter to report to the official?" The little official standing by the door didn't like him. The more respectful Hu Jiuzhang became, the more sarcastic the door official's eyes became. Before he could say a few words, his head flicked Turn, the nostrils will rush to the sky.Hu Jiuzhang wasn't annoyed, he just said in a calm manner.

"My brother was beaten for no reason half a month ago, and now he is missing. I will report to the police to find my brother."

"Huh... half a month?"

The gatekeeper snorted softly, his tone becoming more and more contemptuous.

"It's been half a month before you came to report to the official? What did you do before?"

"I……"

Those words stuck in Hu Jiuzhang's heart, how could he not feel it at all?But that's how the county government works.Hu Jiuzhang comforted himself to endure this for a while, but at the same time suppressed his temper, and answered obediently.

"My brother went to Beijing alone. When I heard the news, I was still in Longyou Road. After rushing here, I didn't dare to delay for a moment, so I came to report to the officials. I also asked Xiongtai to report on my behalf."

"Longyou? Hehe... You came all the way here just to report to such an official? Don't say I didn't report to you, even if I did, would our county magistrate handle this case for you? Besides, the news Whether it’s true or not, you probably won’t be able to tell. The county government has its own rules! You idiots, don’t come here to mess around.”

"..."

Hu Jiuzhang lowered his head slightly, his face was ashen, but the purpose of his visit here was to let Chang'an County accept his case. Once the county government files a file, there will be traces of the matter. When he went to look for Zhang Si again, Then he is not afraid that the other party will take advantage of his power and deceive him wantonly.He had thought that he might be embarrassing in the county government, but he didn't expect that the officials' words would be so ugly.

"...The news I have received is undeniable, and I would like to ask Xiongtai to report it on my behalf."

Hu Jiuzhang's voice sank, but the doorman smiled when he saw his voice change.

"Hehe, it's fine if you want to report to the officials. You go back and find someone who understands the situation and learn the rules in Chang'an City. Anyway, you have waited for half a month, so it doesn't matter if you wait another half month."

"you--"

Hu Jiuzhang couldn't bear it any longer. He clenched his fists tightly and his body was trembling slightly.But what else can he do?

It's not that Hu Jiuzhang didn't understand the doorman mentioned "rules" over and over again.The doorman was asking for favors from him, but when he went out this day, he came here with the intention of fighting against the odds. His luggage was packed and placed in the store, and he only brought a dozen or so big coins with him. How could he have thought that, A mere door official actually wants a bribe of two taels of money before he is willing to report?

Of course, Hu Jiuzhang could also name Zhang Si by name, but the person behind Zhang Si is Chen Fan who leaked the secret yesterday.Hu Jiuzhang can't sell Chen Lushuai just to make things easier for him——

Thinking of this, Hu Jiuzhang gritted his teeth sullenly, squeezed out a blunt smile, took out all his dozen or so big coins from the skirt of his clothes, and stuffed them into the doorman's hand.

"I... I'm new here, I don't know these..."

Before Hu Jiuzhang could finish his sentence, the big money handed out in his hand was swept into the doorman's pocket.

"Hehe, I think you know a little bit about the rules, all right, just wait, the government officials who handle the case will come out to look for you in a while."

The gatekeeper left quickly.Hu Jiuzhang stood in front of the gate of the county government and let out a long sigh. He was full of worries, but he still had nowhere to put them down.

The Chang'an County Yamen servant who came out to take Hu Jiuzhang to record the case was a taciturn official. He would remember what Hu Jiuzhang said, and he rarely spoke, and he didn't even look at Hu Jiuzhang.Hu Jiuzhang was also annoyed by the doorman just now, and now he felt very happy.

The yamen servant truthfully recorded Hu Jiuzhang's statement, but when Hu Jiuzhang was about to leave, the man accidentally spoke.

"Mr. Hu, it's been half a month since the incident happened. It's really too late to report to the authorities at this time. Besides, Chang'an City is so big, it's not easy to find a missing foreigner."

"No problem." Hu Jiuzhang calmed down, "As long as this is reported in the official newspaper, I will feel at ease."

The yamen servant looked at Hu Jiuzhang and shook his head again and again, but after Hu Jiuzhang left the county yamen, his confidence became stronger invisibly.

When they arrived at King Su's Mansion again, Hu Jiuzhang followed Chen Fan's words and found the back door of the mansion all the way. With a smile on his face, he came to call the door slave, and gave Zhang Si's name.As soon as he heard the word Zhang Si, the gatekeeper really responded, turned around and entered the door, and after a while, Hu Jiuzhang led a burly man in a red round collar robe from the back door of the palace.

The man had big arms and a round waist, and there was fat horizontally under the black belt. When he walked, his steps were breezy and full of momentum. He was half a head taller than Hu Jiuzhang, but his body width could directly destroy Hu Jiuzhang's two.

This is Zhang Si?

Hu Jiuzhang only thought of the name in his heart, and unconsciously put his right hand on his waist.It's a pity that he didn't bring a horizontal knife, otherwise, facing such an enemy, he really couldn't help but want to chop him up on the spot.

"Your Majesty looking for me?"

The big man in the red robe asked very sophisticated questions.

This piece of Si is about forty or so years old, with a dark complexion and a swollen face, which is a rakshasa-like ferocious appearance.But the corners of his wrinkled eyes are always slightly upturned, with a slight smile on his face, and his tone of voice is also elegant, if you look carefully, it is actually somewhat similar to Bai Muyun.But when this tune came out of such a fat man's mouth, Hu Jiuzhang didn't know how many goosebumps he would lose.He subconsciously took half a step back, and cupped his hands again.

"Yes, I'm looking for you."

Hu Jiuzhang also had a little smile on his face.

"I know you?"

"Your name is Zhang Si, right? I'm here to find Zhang Si."

Hu Jiuzhang said calmly that he was not afraid of being heard by the gatekeeper behind the gate of the palace.Instead, Zhang Si slapped Hu Jiuzhang on the back and pushed him forward three or four feet.

"Hehe, brother, you have something to do with me? Come on, let's go over there and talk, don't block the way of the nobles."

As Zhang Si said, he led Hu Jiuzhang into the dark alley on the side of Wangfu Street, but Hu Jiuzhang was not afraid.He was not Hu Yan, who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, how could he be afraid of fighting with such a fat man, besides, he still had a short knife pinned to his waist—even with bare hands, Hu Jiuzhang was not afraid.

"Who is Xiongtai? Come here, can you tell me?"

In the dark alley, it was Zhang Si who spoke first.

"Who I am is not important to you. Zhang Si, I just want to ask you, have you met a scholar named Hu Yan half a month ago?"

As soon as Hu Jiuzhang said the word Hu Yan, the smile on Zhang Si's face disappeared instantly.

"who are you?"

"I'm his brother—"

Hu Jiuzhang said word by word, with anger pouring out of his eyes.But when Zhang Si saw his expression, a sneer of contempt appeared on his face.

"Hehe, who told you I'm here? You tell me the name of that person, and I'll give you ten taels of silver, how about it?"

Hu Jiuzhang didn't expect Zhang Si to say such words, he didn't have time to react for a while, but the anger in his heart became more intense.

"Let me ask you—where is Hu Yan now? I have already gone to the government to keep a record. If something happens to me, the government will definitely investigate you. Don't think that you can calm things down by resorting to some dirty tricks!"

"Oh?" Zhang Si was unhurried, with a fat hand even rubbing against his chin.

"You went to the government to report to the government? Hehe... Who told you, give me my name, 20 taels, how about it?"

"I don't want money!" Hu Jiuzhang was already a little anxious, and when he spoke again, his voice was tearing.

"Tell me where Hu Yan is now! Is he alive or dead—"

"Want to know? Then you give me 20 taels, and I'll tell you after you give me the money."

Before Zhang Si finished speaking, the dagger in Hu Jiuzhang's waist was already out of its sheath.He moved neatly, how could a fat man like Zhang Si be able to keep up.Before Zhang Si finished speaking, Hu Jiuzhang's knife point had already reached his neck, which was half as thick as his head.Before Zhang Si's complexion had time to change, he had already held his breath. After a long while, panic appeared on that face belatedly.

"You...you calm down, and speak well if you have something to say."

"Where is my brother?" Hu Jiuzhang narrowed his eyes slightly, already full of viciousness.

"You go somewhere with me, and I'll tell you where Hu Yan is. The knife... put away the knife first."