At the beginning of the day, the bustling and noisy streets are still brightly lit, and people come and go. There are countless inns, wine shops, teahouses and shops of all kinds. And all of them are like guests, and they are very lively. Who made this place Chang'an! "The city is a jewel, the household is profitable, and the competition is luxurious" is its best portrayal.

Suddenly a group of seven people came to the bustling street, and one of them was thin and tall, wearing an extremely ordinary green cloth robe. The straw hat on his head was so low that it almost covered half of his face, revealing only his resolute chin with a lot of cyan stubble. He was followed by two girls wearing conical hats to cover their faces, and the rest were all men with shimmering eyes, although their clothes were simple, they all carried steel knives at their waists. It's just that they don't have special family marks on their clothes and steel knives, so it's hard to see the calendar.

The seven of them went straight to an inn at the end of the street, and a shopkeeper immediately ran out of the inn, nodded and said with a smile: "How many masters live in the hotel or eat?" ”

The leader looked up and looked inside the inn, and saw that there were seven or eight tables of guests sitting inside, drinking, boxing, and singing, so it was not lively. He frowned and said in a deep voice, "We want to stay in the hotel!" ”

"Great! Please live in the store, "The shopkeeper responded with a smile, and then raised his throat and shouted in a low voice: "The shopkeeper, a few masters live in the store"

The shopkeeper with a goat's beard suddenly lit up when he saw these seven people, and an old face smiled as bright as a chrysanthemum. He said with a smile: "It's a coincidence that the guest officer came, and there happen to be five empty rooms in our inn." Tianzi 1, 2, 5 rooms. There are also No. 9 and No. 10 rooms, which are all sitting south and facing north, ventilated and clean. I don't know which ones the guest officer wants? In his opinion, two girls and five big men, how can they choose three rooms!

The leader pressed the brim of his hat. He whispered, "We only need one." ”

The shopkeeper's smiling face stiffened suddenly, he stretched out his little finger and plucked his ear, and said in disbelief: "Only one?" He looked at the two timid girls suspiciously. He looked at the five big burly men again. He really couldn't imagine how these seven people could sleep crammed into one room. Could it be that his eyes suddenly became obscure when he looked at the two girls.

The leader coughed heavily in annoyance, and then pulled back the shopkeeper's unbridled imagination. He said impatiently: "Don't be verbose, we want the third room of Tianzi." ”

The shopkeeper hurriedly said with a smile: "Did the guest officer hear it wrong?" There are already people living in room No. 3 of Tianzi, so the guest officer might as well consider room No. 1 of Tianzi. Room 1 is much larger than room 3. Custody allows the guests to sleep comfortably. ”

The shopkeeper's voice just fell. The leader's hand patted, and a silver ingot weighing at least ten taels smashed heavily on the counter. He said in a deep voice: "The troublesome shopkeeper will tell the guests of the No. 3 room of Tianzi and ask them to let out the No. 3 room, and this silver ingot will be compensated by me." ”

"As for these two ingots," he put two more ingots of silver of the same weight on the counter, and said slowly, "it is considered to be your reward." ”

Twenty taels of silver can book his inn for three days and three nights, but now it's just taken out to change rooms! Those who don't agree are simply fools. Of course, the shopkeeper was not a fool, he neatly put the silver ingots into his bag, and then said with a smile: "Wait a while." I'm going to ask them to vacate the room! ”

This kind of task of offending people naturally fell to the unlucky shopkeeper, and he went up to the second floor with a bitter face. The shopkeeper secretly checked the heavy silver ingot in his sleeve pocket. Said with a smile: "How many guest officers still need some meals?" The braised beef, eight-treasure fat duck, and steamed mandarin fish in our store are still very famous. ”

"No need." The leader's eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and he stared closely at the movement upstairs, only using the back of his head to meet the smiling face of the shopkeeper.

Not long after, there was a sudden noisy shouting and scolding from upstairs, and then several big men walked down scolding. The shopkeeper was sandwiched between them, trembling like a chick waiting to be slaughtered.

One of the big men strode to the counter, he slapped the table with his thick eyebrows, stared at the shopkeeper with yellowed fierce eyes, and shouted, "Who wants to change rooms with your grandfather?" ”

His shouting was like a thunderbolt on the ground, and it shook everyone's eardrums. The shopkeeper immediately recognized that the big men in front of him were all members of the Cao Gang, and they were usually overbearing on this street, but no one dared to provoke them.

The shopkeeper immediately took a few steps back vigilantly, and then pointed to the culprit who did not change his face very cheerfully and said, "The few masters are angry, that is, they want to change rooms with you." He secretly cried in his heart that he should not offend these terrible stars for a few ingots of silver.

The man from the Cao Gang looked at the group of people suspiciously in the direction of the shopkeeper's finger, and shouted at the leader in an extremely unkind tone: "Hey! Boy, you want to change rooms with your uncle? ”

The leader arched his hand, and said in a deep voice that was neither humble nor arrogant: "Yes, I wonder if Brother Tai can make it convenient?" ”

The rest of the big men pushed away the shopkeeper who was like ashes and trembling, and the murderous generals surrounded the middle. The woman following him moved slightly, but he secretly grabbed her arm. Four of his subordinates were all vigilant, and some even put their hands on the scabbards, and the atmosphere suddenly became extremely solemn.

The Cao Bang man who had spoken before grabbed the silver ingot on the counter, threw it in the palm of his hand, and then looked at the leader again with his eyes raised. Suddenly, his mouth cracked, and he laughed. also patted him on the shoulder and said meaningfully: "Yes, yes, remember to find your uncle next time you have this good thing!" ”

The leader smiled slightly, clasped his fists and arched his hands: "Thank you!" ”

Dahan threw the silver ingot in his hand that was not yet hot directly into the arms of the shopkeeper, and said with a big grin: "Shopkeeper, three catties of braised beef, two eight-treasure fat ducks, a steamed mandarin fish, two altars of burning knives, and you can do the rest." All sent to the No. 1 room of Tianzi. ”

A burst of gunpowder smoke was silently dissolved, and the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief. Busy with a smile on his face: "Yes, yes, the things that the guest officer wants will be sent upstairs immediately." These Cao gang men hooked their shoulders and walked away with a smile.

Enter the No. 3 room of Tianzi. The two girls couldn't wait to take off the cone hats on their heads, it was Zhong Ziyuan and Cai Yin. The leader also slowly removed the hat on his head, revealing his angular and slightly haggard handsome face, but it was Guo Chenghe, who Zhu Yi thought had been poisoned and died.

Zhong Ziyuan looked around at the small room, frowned, and said, "People come and go here, and there are people living and cleaning every day. I'm afraid it's hard to preserve. ”

Guo Chengsi said in a deep voice: "Since Duan Ling dares to hide things here, it must be an extremely hidden place and will not be easily discovered. It's such a big place. It is not difficult to find out if everyone looks for it separately. ”

"Yes." The four men answered with a clenched fist and began to rummage around the room.

The furnishings in the house are extremely simple, nothing more than a bed. A wardrobe. A table and a few round chairs. They quickly turned over all the pieces of furniture, even the beds were dismantled, and the quilts and pillows were cut to pieces inch by inch, but they didn't find the account books they wanted.

Faced with the chaos of the room, everyone couldn't help but look at each other and fall into deep thought.

Suddenly, I heard a few soft sounds of "coo, coo, coo", and a foul smell emanated from the room, and one of his subordinates covered his stomach and said with a sad face: "My lord." Subordinate, subordinate" He looked a little embarrassed.

Zhong Ziyuan. Cai Yin's face flushed. Guo Chengsi waved his hand impatiently and said, "Go ahead!" Go ahead! Don't be embarrassed here. The man hurried away, clutching his stomach, as if he had been pardoned.

Who knew that he was just making a start, and it didn't take long for the other three's stomachs to scramble. Guo Chengsi looked at their backs scrambling, touched his chin and muttered thoughtfully: "It seems that the fruit of the underground river is really undrinkable!" ”

Zhong Ziyuan was angry and funny, she stretched out her palm and fanned her nose, and said angrily: "This smell is really unbearable, Cai Yin, you go out for a walk with me!" ”

"Good!" Cai Yin laughed, followed Zhong Ziyuan out of the room, and left Guo Chengsi alone in a room full of foul odors.

When Zhong Ziyuan and Cai Yin were walking in the corridor, they happened to pass by the shopkeeper with a large tray. The eight-treasure duck with thick fragrant sauce on the tray, the dark red braised beef cut as thin as cicada wings, and the steamed mandarin fish with white and tender meat with its tail cocked, exude a burst of tempting fragrance.

When Zhong Ziyuan went downstairs, he couldn't help but look back, and happened to see the shopkeeper pushing open the door of Tianzi No. 1, and the noisy noise inside poured out. Cai Yin said curiously: "Madam, what are you looking at?" ”

Zhong Ziyuan turned around, smiled indifferently, and said, "It's nothing!" ”

After sitting downstairs for a while, the smell in the room should have dissipated, and the two returned again. Back in the house, only Guo Chengsi was still sitting quietly alone on the round stool. Cai Yin continued to rummage through the room, and she searched very carefully, not even sparing every wall tile.

When she pressed an inconspicuous wall tile behind the bed, she obviously felt that the wall tile was loose, and she was overjoyed, and hurriedly said: "My lord, I found it!" ”

Guo Chengsi and Zhong Ziyuan came over when they heard the news, Cai Yin took out a sharp dagger and carefully inserted it through the gap in the wall tile, and took out the wall tile with a light prie. The ledger that everyone had to find their heads was lying quietly inside.

Cai Yin carefully took it out and handed it to Guo Chengsi, and after Guo Chengsi cautiously turned a few pages, there was a hint of surprise on his face. He neatly put the account book in his arms and said calmly: "The things have arrived, let's go!" ”

"What about the others?" Zhong Ziyuan hesitated.

Guo Chengsi said helplessly: "This thing is very implicated, and it can't see the light at all, so the less people know about it, the better." They didn't see us when they came back, so they would naturally go back to the palace to restore their lives. He picked up his hat again and buckled it above his head, lowering the brim to cover half of his face.

Cai Yin hurriedly opened the door a few steps first, only to see that two of his subordinates had already returned and were standing at the door. Facing their surprised eyes, Guo Chengsi didn't explain much, but said in a deep voice: "Go!" ”

He took Zhong Ziyuan to take the lead, and Cai Yin hurriedly followed. The two men looked at each other and hurriedly chased after each other.

A few people quickly walked through the lively lobby with their heads down, not noticing that the Cao Gang men who had changed rooms with them were leaning on the stairs and watching them leave coldly.

The night was dark, and the five of them were in a hurry to return to the palace to recover their lives, so they took the nearest path. It is a secluded alley, the alley is pitch black, and all the residents are closed with their gates. Only one of the broken oil lamps hanging under the eaves of one of the houses brought a dim light to the alley.

Guo Chengsi's two subordinates walked at the back, they looked at Guo Chengsi's defenseless back, and after glancing at each other silently, their eyes were fierce. They finally quietly pulled out the steel knives at their waists and waited for an opportunity.

At this time, I happened to walk around the corner of the alley, and without the dim oil lamp, it was really pitch black. This was the perfect time, and they rushed forward a few steps ahead and slashed down with a single blow.

The bright moon in the sky seemed unwilling to see this earthly tragedy happen, and hurriedly hid behind the clouds. After half a ring, it quietly poked its head out, and through the faint silver moonlight, Guo Chengji condescendingly and coldly stared at the former subordinates in front of him who were spitting blood and his eyes were scattered. Cai Yin shrewdly protected Zhong Ziyuan behind her, and she still held a blood-dripping dagger tightly in her hand.

One of them gasped and spat out a mouthful of blood, and he said in great puzzlement: "You, you, how do you know that we are Prince Rui's people?" ”

Guo Chengsi smiled faintly and said, "You didn't drink the water of the underground river, but you just pretended to have diarrhea, isn't it obvious enough?" ”

"I see!" The man smiled miserably and said, "My lord, don't blame, in that account book, several of the elders under him are all on the list, and the subordinates are also forced to do it. ”

The man said with difficulty: "If you can't send this account book to the palace, you should give it up!" ”

"I only ask my conscience when I do things, as long as it is right, even if it is my life, I will not hesitate to do it!" Guo Chengsi stood there, watching him quietly. The eyes that were as dark as midnight were very calm, neither the anger after being betrayed, nor the panic after being warned. The man laughed miserably, spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, and finally slowly closed his eyes.

Zhong Ziyuan clutched her neckline tightly, and she said extremely uneasily: "This account book is like Pandora's box, as long as it is opened, I don't know how many disasters are waiting for it." ”

Guo Chengsi didn't know what Pandora's box was, but he said very firmly: "Even if it's a disaster, it's a disaster for those national moths." Naturally, they did not want this account book to see the light of day, lest it ruin their innocent reputation and ruin their splendid future. But in the end, it was the people of the world who were unlucky, and I had the obligation to expose them to the world as a group of sanctimonious hypocrites. (To be continued.) )