"What do you mean...... The officials of the Liao State are also investigating Xiao Caoqiu? ”

Lei Yanfang asked. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Xiao Caoqiu is Xiao Yixiu's uncle and the current prime minister of the Southern Privy Council of Liao.

The bureaucratic system of the Liao State was different from that of the Great Song Dynasty, and it set up two bureaucratic institutions under the emperor: one was the northern bureaucracy, which was in charge of the affairs of the imperial court and the Khitan headquarters; The other is the southern official system, which is in charge of the Han prefectures and counties in the territory.

It is commonly known as the northern official and the southern official.

Among the northern officials, there are also northern and southern privy councils, the northern privy council is in charge of the country's military affairs, similar to the military department of the Tang Dynasty; The Southern Privy Council is in charge of the election, Ding Fu and other policies.

The Privy Council has the Prime Minister as its highest officer.

The prime ministers of the north and south have always been controlled by the royal Yelu clan and the descendant Xiao clan.

Yu Jiayu seemed to be soliciting Lei Yanfang's thoughts, and seemed to be muttering to himself: "Xiao Yixiu's cup bow snake shadow is here, it can be seen that Tianji Mansion has not investigated them for a day or two...... However, the Xiao family of the Bali clan is the most loyal to the Yelu clan, why does Tianji Mansion want to ......? ”

"My lord," Lei Yanfang lowered his head, hiding the weird smile on his lips, and reminded respectfully in his tone: "No matter how loyal the Xiao family of the Bali clan is, but now the Empress Dowager of the Liao Kingdom is not surnamed Xiao." ”

Yu Jiayu suddenly realized and couldn't help but take a breath.

Right!

Then everything can be explained.

Empress Dowager Xi Yebe's family!

He hurriedly ordered: "You tell the people on the Liao side to take care of this matter, maybe you can make good use of it." ”

"Understood," Lei Yanfang nodded, and asked again: "Xiao Yixiu's side, do you want to ask Guan Linshu to continue to follow up?" ”

"No, I don't have to."

Yu Jiayu said decisively.

No matter what Xiao Yixiu is suspicious of, continuing to investigate will only startle the snake.

Besides, it's just a privy deputy envoy of the Southern Yuan, and it's not worth the trouble of the Imperial City Division.

"It is enough to ensure that the 'mutual year' does not go wrong."

"The subordinate officer takes the order."

Lei Yanfang received instructions and was about to leave to explain the task to his subordinates as usual.

When you turn around—

"Slow ......"

When the armor was lightning, he noticed that something was wrong.

"You repeat the conversation between Ye Mingcheng and Xiao Yixiu with me again."

Lei Yanfang was stunned for a moment, immediately returned to his normal expression, and replied: "After Xiao Yixiu finished reading the "Bianjing Magazine", he first praised the talents of the Great Song Dynasty, and then regretted that he could not attend the 'lecture......' in person."

"No," Yu Jiayu interrupted, "not here. It's a carp there. ”

"Hmm......"

Lei Yanfang pretended to think about Xiao Xu, imitated the tone of Guan Linshu's relay, and said: "The original words of Xiao Yixiu were: 'This seat loves to eat carp the most, but it's a pity that in the middle of winter, it is about impossible to eat in Bianjing'. Then, Ye Mingcheng replied: 'If Lord Xiao comes back after the beginning of spring, he can enjoy the wonderful scenery of the eagle fishing', and he also mentioned: 'The azaleas also bloom at that time'. ”

Yu Jiayu exhaled deeply and frowned.

He had a gut feeling that there was an article in the conversation.

But carp, eagle ...... And azaleas?

The three things that are not related to each other cannot be pieced together.

- "Crackling! Crackling! ”

The sudden sound of firecrackers woke Yu Jiayu back to his senses.

"What's the matter?"

"It's Shang Chengxing."

"Shang Chengxing?"

"Today is the twenty-sixth day of the lunar month," Lei Yanfang said: "Have you forgotten, my lord, as in previous years, Shang Chengxing will hold a banquet in the house and have a reunion dinner with the shopkeeper and senior guys in advance." ”

Yu Jiayu's musings were interrupted by the continuous sound of firecrackers, and he suddenly lost his mind.

After the sound of firecrackers, there were cheers, conversations, and toasts.

The Xiyuan study of "Yu Mansion" is directly connected to Shang Chengxing's backyard. Yu Jiayu looked out the window, it was brightly lit, and it was so lively.

Lei Yanfang saw that his face was uncertain, his heart tightened, and he asked intimately: "My lord, do you need to dissuade them from lighting firecrackers?" ”

"Not necessarily."

Yu Jiayu replied.

The Imperial City Division and Shang Chengxing have no intersection, but he has some friendship with his owner.

The dental walkers are the most knowledgeable. Sometimes, the Imperial City Division collected some treasures that he had never seen or heard, and Yu Jiayu would ask Shang Chengxing's owner Wei Shaotang for advice, and he came and went, and became familiar with a lot.

It was a very ordinary old man, tall, with sparse white beard, always pleasant and smiling. If I have to say any characteristics, it's probably just that the eyes are more bright than other old men.

For no reason, there is no need for him to have a problem with Wei Shaotang for such a trivial matter.

"Yanfang, you step aside."

……

Shang Chengxing's New Year's banquet was set up in the backyard.

Twelve large lanterns lined up illuminated the venue.

After the owner Wei Shaotang toasted everyone with a few glasses of wine, he didn't wait to start the chopstick, and suddenly frowned, his expression was slightly painful.

Seeing this, Lin Sutang, the big shopkeeper on the side, hurriedly asked, "Dongjia, what's wrong with you?" ”

Wei Shaotang took a deep breath and said slowly: "Old man...... There was something uneasy in my chest, maybe it was...... I drank alcohol on an empty stomach, and it was not very comfortable. ”

"Do you want to call the doctor?"

Lin Sutang has no doubt about him, after all, the owner is also an old man who is nearly seventy years old, and the banquet here uses strong horse fur wine, which is not surprising that it will hurt the stomach.

"Don't bother," Wei Shaotang waved his hand at him lightly, and said, "The New Year's banquet calls Langzhong, and the color is not good." The old man can go to the study to rest for a while. ”

As he spoke, he beckoned to Zhong Fu, the housekeeper who was waiting next to him: "Chunsheng, help me to the study." ”

With Zhong Fu's support, Wei Shaotang walked slowly in the direction of the study.

Lin Sutang looked at the back of the owner and was a little worried, but when he was in a trance, a few guys came to toast, a few glasses of stomach, and he forgot about this matter in a dizzy state.

……

Wei Shaotang walked to the corner where everyone couldn't see step by step, straightened his waist, shook off Zhong Fu's supporting hand, and walked in great strides, his spirit was better than ordinary people, where was there any discomfort?

He asked Zhong Fu, "Are you all here?" ”

Zhong Fu said respectfully: "No, but the young master of the Xin family, Lord Ye, Pavilion Chief Yang, and Ji Shanggong have all arrived." ”

"Hmm......"

In the middle of the words, they had already arrived in the study.

The two went straight to the antique shelf, and Zhong Fu gently turned a white porcelain vase on the upper right, turned left once, and then right twice.

There was a "boom", followed by the sound of the mechanism turning.

A hidden door opens in the wall behind the shelf, and inside the door is a short corridor with a stone staircase leading to the ground at the end.

The two of them entered the door, turned the handle on the wall, and the door slowly closed again.

Follow the stone staircase to the lower level, where the entrance to the basement is the size of two study rooms.

At the end, there is a richly decorated door. In front of the door stood four strong men with masked faces and dark clothes.

One of the leaders stepped forward and bowed his hand to Wei Shaotang.

Wei Shaotang nodded, and took out a palm-sized token from his arms. The token was made of fine iron, and it was black and shiny. There is a relief peony flower on the top, and I don't know if it is carved or inverted, lifelike, ingenious.

The strong man in Xuanyi took the token, looked at it carefully, and after confirming that it was correct, he stretched out his hand and compared it in the direction of the door, and said respectfully: "Dangerous hall master, please." ”

Wei Shaotang was about to push the door when he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.

- "Why, even the host has to show the token?" ”

Looking back, it was Xiao Yixiu, the envoy of the Liao State.

Also, Du Yan, the former governor of the Great Song Dynasty.

……