To The Land of Nevernight

In November of the 33rd year of Kaiping, there was a heavy snowfall in Shengjing.

Thick and fine snowflakes, like goose feathers, fell from the sky one after another, decorating the capital city in silver.This snow lasted for three days, and on the last day, the road was already difficult to walk on.The government mandated that every citizen must clean the snow from the roof to avoid collapse accidents.

In previous years, the Ministry of Industry was responsible for this task, and the Ministry of Industry and the Shengjing government worked together to supervise and clear the snow.

This year Tang Shen became the right servant of the Ministry of Industry. He called Yuanwailang who was in charge of this matter, and asked, "How many households are there in Shengjing?"

Yuanwailang replied smoothly: "There are [-] registered households."

Shengjing was the capital of the Great Song Dynasty, and this Yuanwailang said it was "registered", but in the huge city of Shengjing, black households had nowhere to hide.The ancients liked to have many sons and grandchildren, and a family of five would have a population of 50.In fact, there are more than one million people in Shengjing.

Tang Shen carefully told the other party to check the snow cleaning this year.By the time he went back to Shangshu's mansion, the snow had stopped.Tang Shen returned home, but did not wait for Wang Qin.

The Ministry of Industry has been busy with the construction of Chengqing Palace recently, and Tang Shen is extremely busy every day.But who doesn't know, the busiest person in the entire court is Shang Shu Zuo Pu She Wang Qin Wang.

Wang Qin was in charge of Yinyinsi in Youzhou and Shengjing, and now the emperor decreed to change the Yinqizhuang of the Ministry of War in the 36 states to Yinqizhuang of the Great Song Dynasty.Since then, it has not only served the generals of the military department, but also served the people of the world.

For everything in the world, the emperor only needs to issue a decree, which seems casual and light, but it is not easy to realize the few words in the decree.

The bloody case that happened in Du Zhisi five years ago is a lesson from the past.Now Yinyinsi can neither repeat the same mistakes, but also achieve perfection.Even under the premise that all the officials were helping Wang Qin, it took him a lot of effort.

It was the twelfth lunar month of winter, and seeing that all the officials were about to take a vacation for the New Year, most of the Yinyin Division's errands were put on hold until next year.

Yu Chaosheng, the left deputy censor of the Yin Yin Division, is currently working in the Ministry of Criminal Affairs. As the secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, at the end of the year, all the prison divisions in the Song Dynasty need to send all the murders that happened this year to Shengjing, and send them to the warehouse of the Ministry of Criminal Justice. Kucha used.

Yu Chaosheng was busy dealing with internal affairs every day. On this day, he was giving orders to several principals in the Ministry of Punishment, when he saw an official put his hand on his official hat and walked into the room quickly.Yu Chaosheng stopped talking and looked up at him.The official sent a half-kneeling salute, and said, "The left servant of the Shangshu has shot your lord."

In the hall, everyone was shocked.

Yu Chaosheng was stunned for a while, he hurriedly got up and went out to welcome him, just in time to see Wang Qin coming in from outside the Ministry of Punishment.

Yu Chaosheng approached and bowed: "Your official, Yu Chaosheng, has met Wang Xianggong."

Wang Qin was wearing the official robe of a first-rank official, and he held a white folding fan in his right hand.Although it hasn't snowed in the past few days, no one will hold a fan for no reason, which seems a bit arty.If it were someone else, it would make people feel that this person is too contrived, but when Wang Qin holds it, it is like a match made in heaven, and there is no disharmony.

The officials of the Ministry of Punishment muttered in their hearts, "Master Wang is really unusual", but no one showed it on the surface.

Wang Qin folded the fan together, and with a snap, his slender fingers turned the bones of the fan around, and finally turned the fan handle towards Yu Chaosheng.

Wang Qin said in a gentle voice, "When I was in Youzhou last year, Mr. Yu once said that I liked the fan in my hand. Now I brought it for you. Do you like it?"

Yu Chaosheng was completely stunned, he quickly recalled, and then remembered this incident from the corner of his memory.

Last year, Wang Qin and Yu Chaosheng went to Youzhou on business together. Both of them had their own carriages, but there were always times when they needed to be alone.It was a long journey from Shengjing to Youzhou, and Yu Chaosheng and Wang Qin had been friends for a long time.The so-called long-time friendship often refers to the fact that Yu Chaosheng has heard the name for a long time and has never met him. Yu Chaosheng was embarrassed. One day when the two of them were having dinner in the posthouse, he casually praised Wang Qin: "Master Wang, this fan is very exquisite. The handwriting seems to be the handwriting of an adult. The handwriting is strong and clear, and the writing is really excellent."

As this happened, Yu Chaosheng could only stretch out his hand and bite the bullet to take the folding fan with Wang Qin's own inscription.He also had to thank: "I never thought that my lord would still remember this matter, and my subordinates are not very grateful."

Wang Qin smiled: "Why don't you go into the room and talk?"

Yu Chaosheng turned sideways: "Please."

The two entered Yu Chaosheng's Shangshu room, and the other officials of the Ministry of Punishment looked at each other one by one, but no one dared to follow in the end.After a while, the left and right servants of the Ministry of Punishment heard that Wang Qin was coming, and immediately came to see Wang Qin.

In the room, only the three top officials of the Ministry of Punishment, Wang Qin, and a little-known Sizheng Lin Xu, the fourth-rank Yin Yinsi, were left in the room.

Yu Chao made tea for Wang Qin himself, he had many speculations in his mind, and he already guessed Wang Qin's reason for coming.

But Wang Qin didn't mention other things at all. Instead, he talked about calligraphy and the tea in his hand.Yu Chaosheng's mind was shaken, and he even began to suspect that Wang Zifeng's trip was really just to deal with him?

Wang Qin gently dialed the tea water with the tea lid, and said calmly, "Is it 14 years?"

Yu Chaosheng thought for a moment: "It has indeed been 14 years."

Wang Qin sighed: "The sea has changed."

Yu Chaosheng tasted the tea and said nothing.

Wang Qin: "Master Yu, do you still remember that day after getting the title on the gold list, I waited to ride a horse and parade through the streets together?"

Yu Chaosheng said with a smile: "It has been 14 years, and the memory of the next official is blurred."

Wang Qin took a deep look at him and smiled slightly.

Yu Chaosheng looked at his calm and composed appearance, and an almost irreversible hatred suddenly invaded his heart.However, it is powerless, it is weak and powerless, it was only produced for a moment, and then it was abandoned by its master.

Because jealousy is never the most useless emotion.

14 years ago, in the 19th year of Kaiping, in April, he won the second place in that session and paraded through the streets together with the number one scholar and Tanhua.

Memory fuzzy?

How can memory be fuzzy!

That year, from the Jiying Hall, the three of them followed the white jade dragon vein all the way, and walked out of the gate of the palace.That should have been the most glorious moment in his life, but from the emperor who appointed him second in the list to the people of Shengjing who had been waiting outside the palace gate, no one reflected his shadow in their eyes.

Everyone only saw the number one scholar standing at the forefront, and Yu Chaosheng burned that person's name deeply in his heart.

Wang Qin, Wang Zifeng.

Now he has reached the age of [-], but every scene of that year is engraved in front of his eyes.How can forget!

Yu Chaosheng said with a smile: "Speaking of which, my lord and my lord can be regarded as classmates, but it's a pity that not long after the parade, only one year later, my next official left Shengjing and hasn't returned for many years."

Wang Qin: "I remember, Mr. Yu went to the south of the Yangtze River to serve as a commander."

"Your Excellency, you still remember? Yes, I went to Qiantang to serve as a commander for half a year, and then I was transferred to Xingzhou."

"How long has Master Yu been to Jiangnan?"

"It seems to be three years old."

"It's time to go again next year."

Yu Chaosheng was stunned, and looked up at Wang Qin.

Wang Qin's expression was peaceful, he smiled and looked at Yu Chaosheng, his eyes were deep, and he said calmly: "I'm afraid I'm still waiting for Master Yu to go to Jiangnan Yinyinsi."

Yu Chaosheng opened his mouth, and after a long time, he said: "Of course the lower officials know, it's just that the Criminal Department is busy with errands, and I'm afraid it will be a little urgent for the spring next year."

"Are you in a hurry?" Wang Qin looked at the left and right servants of the Ministry of Punishment sitting at the bottom, and asked with concern, "How busy is the Ministry of Punishment these days?"

Zuo Shilang is Yu Chaosheng's confidant, he answered immediately: "Returning to your lord, the whole year's case has been handed over to the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and now we are very busy."

Wang Qin: "Because you dare to put it into the warehouse before the end of the year, why are you so busy?"

At this time, Yu Chaosheng and Zuo Shilang had already found out that they had fallen into Wang Zifeng's trap, but neither of them could argue, they could only open their eyes wide and honestly say: "...Yes."

Wang Qin said with a smile: "Master Yu will miss Jiangnan very much if he hasn't been to Jiangnan for a long time. I have been to Qiantang a few times. Now why not go to Jinling. Jinling and Qiantang have different scenery."

Wang Qin took Lin Xu and got up to leave.

Yu Chaosheng hadn't planned to take care of Jiangnan Bank Yinsi's affairs at first, at least he wanted to delay the time so that Wang Qin's affairs would not go smoothly.This is what he and his teacher Xu Wei had agreed a long time ago.Since it is powerless to change the fact that Dasong Yinqizhuang must be established, it can be delayed as long as it can.

Xu Wei said to him: "If it is too late, there will be changes. There will always be people who don't want Dasong Yinqizhuang to appear."

Thinking of this, Yu Chaosheng stood up and hurriedly said, "My lord..."

"Master Yu." Wang Qin stopped abruptly, turned around, his eyes were slightly cold, "Is there anything else?"

Yu Chaosheng's lips moved, but in the end he didn't say a word.

Wang Qin said with a smile: "Xianzhi, you and I are the same Jinshi, and we haven't talked to you in these years. How about having a banquet together when you come back from Jiangnan next spring?"

"Yes."

Wang Qin led the people and left the Ministry of Punishment almost single-handedly.

Soon, it will be the twelfth lunar month.

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the day when officials rest and take a bath is getting closer.Tang Shen was busy running errands for Chengqing Palace before the Chinese New Year, and at the same time was busy cleaning the snow from the roof.However, Wang Qin was busier than him, often returning home in the middle of the night, and even simply resting in the yamen.

On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, after four days of absence, Tang Shen finally saw his senior brother again.

Tang Shen's heart moved, before he could speak, Wang Qin hugged him into his arms.

"Don't talk, it's getting late, let's rest together."

"……it is good."

As soon as he got on the bed, Wang Qin fell into a deep sleep.Looking at his handsome and elegant eyebrows, Tang Shen felt a little distressed.Five years ago, when he told Wang Zifeng the contents of that notebook, he never imagined that there would be the current situation.

His senior brother has exhausted his mind and soul for Yin Yinsi. This is the greatest thing he has done for the emperor, and it is also the greatest thing he has done for the Song Dynasty.He is for generations to come, and the common people will be blessed.

Tang Shen let out a long sigh and fell asleep.

The morning court was over the next day, and Wang Qin was busy again, so Tang Shen also went to the Ministry of Industry.Not long after he arrived at the Ministry of Industry, an official came to report, saying that he had an old acquaintance who came to see him.

Tang Shen raised an eyebrow: "Old acquaintance? Where did it come from?"

The official said: "Reporting to Mr. You Shilang, that man is from Qinzhou, and he seems to be a Xiaoqiwei."

Tang Shen was surprised: Captain Xiao of Qinzhou?Does he know such a person?

Xiaoqiwei is a sixth-rank official and a local military attache.

Tang Shen: "Bring people up."

"Yes."

After a while, the officer led a middle-aged man in.The man kept his eyebrows low and his eyes fixed on the ground, making Tang Shen unable to see his appearance clearly.Looking at his figure, Tang Shen felt a little familiar, and said, "Who are you, raise your head."

It was only then that Xiao Qiwei dared to raise his head.

The two looked at each other, and Tang Shen asked in astonishment, "Xu Hui?"

Xu Hui showed a wry smile, and said: "Xu Hui, Captain Qinzhou Xiaoqi, pay my respects to Master Tang."