Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 2
A gust of cool wind hit, Xiaoluzi shivered, and then he heard the sound of thunder rolling over the bridge hole.He moved his sleepy and numb legs and was about to get out of the radish field, when suddenly there was a "pop" from the north room of the east courtyard, as if something had been broken, and then he heard He Daotai's voice: "How are you doing this?" I'm so entangled with you, I look down on you more and more! Since you don't want to quit, I'll be lying on the couch tonight, so I can only ask you to sit and wait until I wake up, and then I will continue to fight with you!"

"Does such a big man still bicker?" Xiao Luzi became curious, thinking that he was running out of stomach anyway, so he might as well just stay in the carrot garden and eat lunch.Taking advantage of the flashes of lightning, he tiptoed across the radish ridge, and shivering in the cool wind, he sneaked under the north window and sat on the stone strip under the old mulberry tree.After staying for a while without hearing any movement in the room, I couldn't help getting up, licking the broken window paper with the tip of my tongue and looking inside.

The light in the room was very dark, except for a tiled soybean oil lamp on the kang table, which was not raised high enough, and the bright green flame of the lamp, which was as bright as a bean, shone with a faint green light, which seemed a bit eerie.Xiaoluzi squinted and stared for a long time before he could see clearly. He Daotai was lying on his back on the kang, facing the window as if he was closing his eyes and resting his mind. Cao Rui and Ruier were leaning against the window sill, standing with their hands down, unable to see clearly.Liu Kang didn't wear a big hat, he was pacing slowly along the edge of the kang, stroking his forehead with one hand and gently shaking the Concubine Xiang's bamboo fan with the other.Standing by the door was Li Ruixiang, Liu Kang's personal entourage in the yamen, who was also sullen and silent.

"I don't want to fight He Xun, your lord." After a long time, Liu Kang seemed to have made up his mind, raised his face and stared at He Daotai coldly, with a cruel smile on the corner of his mouth, and said slowly: "Go your way!" Jinan Road, I live in my Dezhou mansion. Well water does not interfere with river water. It is your lord who traveled thousands of miles here to find my bad luck. I don’t understand: deficits can be found in any mansion; Eat. Why do you insist on biting me, Liu, and not letting go? What are you thinking about, and what do you want to do?"

He Daotai didn't even open his eyes, it was probably too hot, so he slapped the fan twice before saying, "None of what you said is right. I'm a grain storage road, and all the money in the province is passed through my hands. If you want to get money, you can't find it." You, Liu Kang. Dezhou government treasury was not at a loss. You have been in office for less than three years, and there is a shortfall of 13 taels. You said it was a waste of fire, but I think it was a waste of people, so I want to participate in you—— There are no officials in the world who are not corrupt, you can tell this to Lord Yongzheng. I am just a kitten in the court, and if I catch a mouse, it counts as one. I took the court's money to support Lian, and I didn't catch mice when I was full, can I do it?"

"One hundred thousand snowflake silver from the magistrate of Qing Dynasty in three years." Liu Kang grinned grimly.

"I do not want."

"Thirty thousand."

"..."

"fifty thousand."

"..."

"Sixty thousand! No more!"

He Daotai lying on the kang said "hee": "I raise 6000 taels of silver a year, which is enough. You take the [-] silver into the coffin!" This sentence is like a gate, firmly The topic got stuck, and there was a sudden silence in the room.At this moment, Xiaoluzi watched so much that he even forgot the pain in his stomach.Suddenly a bright light flashed across the sky, and the cool rain fell rustlingly.Xiaoluzi couldn't help laughing inwardly: I didn't expect that going to the latrine tonight would be such an eye-opener, and I felt a little suffocated. I was about to leave, but I saw Li Ruixiang on the other side winking at the window. He thought he saw him eavesdropping on Bigen. shock.Just as he was surprised, he saw Rui Er, who was leaning against the window sill, stuff a small paper bag into Cao Rui's hand from behind.Cao Rui remained calm, took the teacup on the Kang table and poured the residual tea, carefully unfolded the paper bag, shook something in the bag into the teacup with trembling fingers, then the tin pot on the table was filled with water, and shook again Huang, said softly: "Master He, please have some tea."

"Poison!" Xiao Luzi was so frightened that his eyes were straightened, his mouth was open and his body was dripping with cold sweat, and he stood frozen outside the window like a stone man, unable to speak!Na He Daotai lazily got up and picked up his teacup.

"I brought tea to see off the guests, but the cup broke, and you refused to leave. At this moment, I have no choice but to serve tea to quench my thirst." He Daotai said in a cold tone, he toasted his glass and drank it down, his eyes sparkled, and he rushed Liu Kang said: "I was taught by my own hair. I read the books of sages and followed the Tao of Confucius and Mencius. I was born as a child at thirteen, entered school at fifteen, was promoted to Xiaolian at the age of 20, and became a Jinshi in the hands of the late emperor at the age of 21. I have been an official in the hands of Lord Yongzheng for 13 years, and I have a lot of experience in the officialdom. I have never seen you so brazen! At this time, I really understand that the reason why a villain is a villain is because he is not ashamed to be a villain alone People. You are a corrupt official yourself, and you still want to drag me! Listen to my advice, go back and write a self-impeachment article, quit the stolen money, and accept the small punishment. I can still deal with Li Zhitai for you— -Ouch!"

He Daotai suddenly let out a cry of pain, and tightly covered his stomach with his hands. Huo Di turned his face away, stared at Cao Rui angrily, and couldn't say a word.Suddenly there was a flash of light, and Xiao Luzi really saw that He Daotai's face was as pale as a sheet of white paper, cold sweat dripped down his forehead and cheeks, and one pair of eyes was bloodshot, staring at his two. The servant took a long time to say a few words with difficulty: "I have been murdered by evil slaves..."

"By the way, He Luying!" Cao Rui snorted and sneered, "We've waited for you to the end, next year today is your anniversary!" Said waved his hands, Ruier and him rushed onto the kang like hungry tigers, and the two of them wiped their hands The tablecloth tightly covered He Luying's mouth, and pressed it firmly.Rui Er grinned grimly and said: "When people go out with officials, who doesn't expect to get rich? You want to be an upright official, and my family will drink the northwest wind—" As he spoke, he pulled He Luying under the shoulder blades and shoved vigorously: "My name is You Qing! I call you Qing! Go to hell to 'Qing'!"

The heaven seemed to be enraged by the human tragedy that happened in this small shop. A flash flashed through the thick black clouds, illuminating the vegetable garden brightly, and a deafening thunder exploded almost at the same time, shaking the old house rustling. After falling down Xiaoluzi's neck, he immediately fell into a boundless darkness.The torrential rain poured down without thinking, the branches of the old mulberry tree danced wildly in the howling wind, and the wet leaves made a heart-stopping rustling sound...

"Undo his belt."

Xiaoluzi looked at him like a wooden man: Liu Kang and Li Ruixiang had already gathered in front of the lamp, Li Ruixiang half-kneeled on the kang in a hurry, untied He Luying's belt, stood on the kang and put the cover on the beam.Liu Kang was sweating profusely, rinsed the poisoned cup with residual tea, and said hastily with a pale face: "Don't wait for him to die, then hang him up. If you don't stick out your tongue, there will be trouble in the autopsy tomorrow..." He Luying, who had no strength to struggle, put a buckle around his neck, put his head on the beam, and the four of them pulled together, He Luying only had time to spurt a mouthful of blood, and was already hung up leisurely.

A gust of cool wind rolled down the old mulberry branches, whipped Xiaoluzi's shoulder like a whip, and he shivered, only to realize that the horrible scene just now was not a dream.He suddenly came to his senses, and his first thought was to leave the place of right and wrong.He looked through the window paper again, only to see Cao Rui was wearing He Luying's official uniform, and while putting on his hat, he said to Liu Kang, "I promised us [-] and we still owe [-]. This is a beheading. My lord." If you renege on your debts, the villains will go all out..." Rui Er said: "We will just send you to the second gate, and you will be able to see the surname He vaguely under the lamp." Xiao Luzi didn't dare to stay any longer, and moved cautiously Two numb and cold legs, leaning against the base of the wall, slowly left the north window, and I heard Liu Kang's calm voice: "Remember, I will sit in the hall tomorrow, no matter how much I yell and threaten, I will insist that he committed suicide... what he wrote Burn it clean, be quick with your hands and feet..."

Xiaoluzi turned slightly to the north room before letting out a sigh of relief, his heart was beating wildly, his eardrums were beating strangely, he subconsciously rubbed his stomach, the pain was no longer there, he just felt empty in his heart, Dizzy and dizzy, his legs trembled as if he was about to faint, and he heard Rui Er sing loudly from the wall: "Master He is seeing off the guests!" Xiao Luzi managed to support himself and went back to the front door, and saw Rui Er holding a lamp of oiled paper at the side door The watermelon lantern led the magistrate Liu Kang in front, and Li Ruixiang waited beside him to put on Liu Kang's oil coat.When the false He Luying sent Liu Kang to the side door, Xiao Luzi's heart was about to jump out of his chest. When he stared at him with dazed eyes, he only heard Liu Kang say:

"My lord, please go back. I'm looking at you in a daze, so I can rest in peace for the night. I will be waiting at the Yamen tomorrow."

The fake He Luying mumbled something, then returned to the courtyard.Xiao Luzi huddled in the ear room, watched Liu Kang and Li Ruixiang approach slowly through the curtain, and only looked at the pair of murderers with frightened eyes.Boss Shen in the outer room flattered and asked for peace, but the sound of everyone leaving in a chaotic footsteps was not heard clearly.He couldn't figure it out, Liu Kang, who had done such a horrible thing just now, was so peaceful and unrestrained!

Everyone left, and the three frontages facing the street were messed up. Hao Er took a few boys to swear and clean up the chicken bones and fish bones all over the floor. Boss Shen went into the ear room and saw Xiao Luzi lying on the bed with bright eyes and lost his mind. He just cursed with a smile: " Where did you go drilling sand? Are you urinating in the Yellow River in the backyard?" Seeing that Xiaoluzi's expression was not right, he gasped again, leaned down and asked in concern: "What's wrong with you, your face is sallow—don't Did you bump into some kind of demon?"

"Sixth Uncle, I'm fine." Xiaoluzi sat up, staring at the candlelight in a trance, and said in a trembling voice for a long time: "I just have a headache, maybe the wind is blowing from behind..." Boss Shen examined The color of Xiaoluzi became more and more wrong the more I looked at it, and said: "I have been in the store for so many years, what disease have I never seen? It seems like I have lost my soul, or I was frightened—" Hao Er came in and said "Boss, I think of one thing. There are several leaks in the room where Mr. He lives in the East Courtyard. Mr. He is a good-natured person, so he doesn't say anything, but we don't look good when we go in tomorrow. Look at this." The rain never stops..."

Boss Shen slapped his thigh and said: "Thank you for reminding me! Liu Taizun just left, maybe Master He hasn't slept soundly yet. Go over and report, please ask Master to show you his favor, and move to the main room here. It is also convenient for guests to come and go "Hao Er promised to turn around and leave, Xiaoluzi's face had already turned green and white like a ghost, and he yelled in a strange voice: "Slow down!" Hao Er was startled by him, stopped and turned to look at Xiaoluzi , laughed and said: "Did you see the devil? You scared me!" Boss Shen said: "I'm talking about this too! You go to He Ye's place and put the "Jade Box" on the top of He Ye's cabinet. "Take it out and have a look. It might be something evil, and I burned a piece of paper to give it to Xiaoluzi. It's so pitiful, it was fine this morning, and after a few trips to the latrine, it became like this. If you want something good, go back to the village. How do you explain to my old widow and sister-in-law?" After speaking, he let out a sigh.

"Come back to me!" Seeing that Hao Er was about to leave again, Xiao Luzi jumped off the kang barefooted in a hurry. He didn't know where he could find the strength to pull Hao Erniu's tall and burly body, and pulled him alive. He dragged him into the room, looked at Boss Shen and Hao Er who were in a daze, with will-o'-the-wisps in his eyes, and said through his teeth: "Uncle Six, we have suffered a catastrophe, prepare to file a lawsuit!"

(End of this chapter)