Xia Chen pondered whether there was any other way, and stared at the money bag on the witness's waist again and again, always feeling that there was no difference, and then he put his mind at ease.

As soon as the yacha walked to the door, a middle-aged man in green clothes walked out of the crowd and bowed deeply: "My lord, the villain heard on the street that someone picked up a money bag and handed it to the court, and the villain just lost one and wanted to recognize it." ”

Kochi Prefecture looked surprised: "What kind of money bag did you lose?" How much money is in it? Could it be true as the boy said?

The middle-aged man replied calmly: "The money bag with blue satin embroidered silver edge, there are forty-five copper coins in it, and three halves of silver are tattooed. ”

Xia Chen turned his head and saw that it was the middle-aged man who asked for directions, and he couldn't help but be happy when he heard him say so accurately. But when this man asked for directions, he had clearly picked up the money bag, and besides, didn't he go to Wenxing Academy? How did it end up here? While wondering, his eyes searched the crowd, and sure enough, he saw the young man in white standing on the side and winked at her.

Xia Chen immediately realized that they were here to help. "My lord, I remember, this uncle did come to our melon stall and talked for a long time."

Kochi Prefecture heard this and said, "In this case, this money bag is this ......"

Zhou Fu shouted: "My lord, this person must have come to pretend to be after hearing about the hall, please ask the shopkeeper of the cloth village to ask." ”

Kochi Prefecture stared: "Hmph! No one in the Shicai Hall said that there were three or a half pieces of silver in the bag, forty-five dollars, but you couldn't say it, I think it was you who pretended to be you! ”

Zhou Fudao: "The villain is wronged, my lord, they, they may be in a group." ”

Kochi County was a little impatient, this middle-aged man was wearing a robe, although it was not glamorous, but it was very flat, it could be seen that the clothes were good, and the ordinary people in the Great Cloud Country would not be able to wear such clothes, how could such a person be with such cloth as Han Yi. However, for the sake of justice, I still asked the shopkeeper of the cloth village to call. ”

Xia Chen was apprehensive in his heart, this middle-aged man was impersonated, they seemed to have just come from other places, the shopkeeper of the cloth village would not recognize it, if he was recognized, wouldn't he also be implicated.

The shopkeeper of the cloth village came to the hall, and Kochi County asked people to take the money bag to him to recognize, and the shopkeeper of the cloth village took a look: "Lord Hui, this money bag is indeed a small shop." ”

Kochi said: "Have you read carefully?" ”

"Look carefully, the green satin that makes money bags, only the small shop has two horses." All the cloth villages in the county are going to buy goods together, one is to fight a low price, and the other is to take care of each other on the road. Several other families thought that the pattern was too fancy, and they were afraid that the people here would not recognize it and didn't want it, but he had a unique vision, and he bought two horses to make a money bag, and sure enough, he made money.

Zhou Fu immediately said: "My lord, the villain said that they were colluding, and the villain did not lie." Then he pointed at Han Yi very arrogantly: "Hurry up and return my one or two halves of silver." ”

"Silence!"

Xia Chen glared at him: "What happened if you bought it in Xiuchun Cloth Village?" You can buy it, but others can't? After that, he looked at the shopkeeper of the cloth village: "Uncle, how many of these money bags have you sold in your store?" Can you remember who bought it? Hearing that the shopkeeper said that there were two horses, she believed that this money bag was definitely not unique.

The shopkeeper of Buzhuang was stunned for a moment, and said with a slight meaning: "This style sells very well, hundreds of them have been made before and after, and now there are only a dozen left in the store." As for who bought it, how can I remember it. ”

Zhou Fuyi's face changed greatly when he heard this: "My lord, it's the villain who remembered it wrong!" Indeed, it is three and a half pieces of silver. ”

Kochi County patted the wood: "There is no noise above the court, now the truth is revealed, and the court will listen to the verdict." Han Yi picked up the money bag and took the initiative to find the owner, and he found gold and silver. Zhou Fu pretended to admit that he was the first, and the blackmail was the last, and he was fined three taels of silver and thirty canes to serve as a warning. Now return the money bag to the real owner. ”

Zhou Fu suddenly softened in the hall: "Wronged! My lord! Immediately, he was pressed to the ground by two officials, and it was a good beating to lift the hem of his clothes and tear off his pants.

The officials had long seen that this guy was not pleasing to the eye, and their subordinates did not leave any behind, and the bottom was beaten firmly, and the white buttocks soon opened and flesh and blood flew away.

Hearing him scream like killing a pig, Xia Chen was happy in his heart, and he saw that this ancient criminal law was really a little inhumane, and this cane punishment seemed to be quite light.

Outside the hall, everyone who watched the excitement also said that Zhou Fu deserved it, and they all clapped their hands and said that they were happy.

Zhou Fu's servant took the silver and handed it to the hall, picked up Zhou Fu, who was beaten so that his butt was blooming and howling miserably, and walked away.

Kochi Prefecture handed over the fine to Han Yi in the court and announced his withdrawal.

Xia Chen immediately ran out, and as soon as he went out, he saw the young man in white and the middle-aged man in Tsing Yi standing under a willow tree diagonally opposite the gate of the county government.

She ran over and said, "Thank you two for your help." ”

The middle-aged man smiled: "This is all what my son-in-law meant." ”

Hearing the middle-aged man call the young man in white a son, Xia Chen said in his heart, it turned out to be a child of a family. In the Great Cloud Kingdom, "Gongzi" can usually be used as an honorific title, and the only people who call their own servants Gongzi are eunuchs, children of families or people with meritorious reputation.

The young man in white owes himself: "In Xia Cen Shaoze." ”

Xia Chen stretched out his hand: "My name is Xia Chen." Seeing the puzzled eyes of the young man in white, he immediately reacted and waved his hands instead. Because I was so happy, I almost forgot that the ancients didn't like to shake hands.

Han Yi came over at this time, saw Xia Chen talking to the young man in white, and said, "It's all because I didn't figure it out, I was almost deceived by the villain, and now I have returned to the original owner." ”

Cen Shaoze saw that the people who were watching the excitement had walked away, and a trace of cunning flashed in his eyes and whispered: "This money bag is indeed Zhou Fu's." ”

Han Yi was stunned: "What? ”

Xia Chen said: "Grandfather, this son and this uncle only helped when they saw that we were kind but were wronged. ”

The middle-aged man nodded: "Coincidentally, when I asked for directions before, I just heard this old man say how much silver was in the money bag." I just heard the little boy in the hall say that there might be someone else who lost the money bag, and I said that I knew how much money was in it, so my son-in-law ordered me to come forward and pretend to confess. ”

Xia Chen smiled: "Don't dare to be a son, just call me Chen'er." "This middle-aged man is really interesting, is it possible to call "Childe" a habit?

In fact, the middle-aged man himself wondered, this honorific title blurted out, and he didn't feel awkward at all, he was obviously a cloth boy, but his eyes were very clear and quiet, so people couldn't see him as a child.

Seeing that Han Yi still didn't understand, Xia Chen said, "Grandfather, I'll talk to you slowly in a while." Then he looked at the young man in white: "Aren't you going to Wenxing Academy?" ”

Cen Shaoze said: "We rushed for a day and a night, just passed by a hotel, rested for a light meal, and when we went out, we happened to meet a group of people who were noisy to go to the yamen, so we came up to take a look, but I didn't want to be a destined person." ”

Xia Chen suddenly remembered something: "It was really dangerous just now, in case the shopkeeper of the cloth village really recognized that the money bag was bought by Zhou Fu from him, I am afraid that it will affect the two of them." ”

The middle-aged man smiled slightly: "That's okay, what is the identity of my son-in-law, how can he rely on his few taels of silver, my son-in-law is ......"

Cen Shaoze coughed lightly, didn't wait for the middle-aged man to continue, looked at Xia Chen and said, "Presumably you have seen the money bag on the witness's body, which is the same as Zhou Fu's." ”

Xia Chen smiled slightly: "It turns out that Gongzi Cen has also noticed. ”

"Well, so it doesn't matter if we don't come forward and confess." At most, it will be judged as ownerless.

Xia Chen said: "In that case, we will only prove our innocence, but Zhou Fu will not be punished." ”

The middle-aged man took out the money bag and handed it to Xia Chen: "This money bag should belong to you." ”

Xia Chen said: "If it weren't for the help of the two of you, it would be difficult to get out of this evil breath, and besides, we have already received a reward, and this money bag can no longer be collected." ”

The middle-aged man's eyes were full of appreciation: "Chen'er has read a book, right?" "This kid talks well, and he can tell the truth at a young age.

Xia Chen said: "I don't read much, but I can recognize some words." ”

The middle-aged man sighed: "Wow." ”

Cen Shaoze said: "We have to admit it as a last resort, we must not keep this money." ”

Xia Chen thought to himself, too, the son of a dignified family, wouldn't he become greedy and cheap after taking this money.

"It's better to use the money to buy some pen and ink and give it to Mr. Qiao from the academy. I heard that Mr. Qiao never took the education of the children of poor families, and often paid for pen and inkstone to supply them, so we used the money of the bad people to do some good deeds. "In this way, you can see the famous Wenxing Academy, and you can take a look at the third uncle by the way.

Cen Shaoze said: "That's very good. ”

came to a shop that sold the four treasures of the study, Xia Chen found out that this Cen Gongzi was also an expert, so he asked him to help him choose an inkstone with two pine smoke ink, because he got a reward, Han Yi asked him to help pick four brushes for his grandson.

Zhou Fu bought two large bags of pen and ink with those money. Three taels of silver is not a small amount, like Mr. Li's income from selling melons in a year only adds up to seven or eight taels. A tael of silver can be exchanged for a thousand copper coins, and a good brush is no more than 100 yuan.

Leave Xiaoliu Street and come to the long alley, quickly walk to the end, there is a large mansion surrounded by a blue brick wall, the green shade outside the door, there is a small black lacquer flat on the forehead of the door, and there are four upright words "Wenxing Academy" carved on it.

A handsome scholar invited them into the door, inside the door is a bamboo path, on both sides of the cypress screen cover, turn the cypress screen is three wide main houses, blue bricks and gray tiles, extremely elegant.

Walk through the verandah, come to the West Wing Hall House, hang a landscape painting on the middle seat, on the wall on both sides are the four gentlemen's vertical scrolls, tables and chairs, the color is clean, there is a pot of orchid grass on the jujube wood shelf, the flowers are blooming at this time, exuding a faint fragrance.

The scholar invited them to sit down and brought tea: "Sir is lecturing, I'll be here later." He said that he would go out.

The tea is made of bamboo leaves and rush grass, fragrant and penetrating, Xia Chen took a sip and gently put down the teacup, not wanting to make a noise to break the silence.

The middle-aged man never sat down, standing beside Cen Shaoze with his hands down, looking at Xia Chen. This child has handsome eyes and eyebrows, stretches his neck and shows off his neck, although he is young, he has already revealed his quality, and the more he looks at it, the more he feels that it is unspeakably expensive: "Childe, Chen'er seems to be very close to you, why don't you think of him as a brother?" ”

Cen Shaoze smiled and said: "I also have this intention, I don't know what Chen'er thinks?" ”

Xia Chen was not used to being so polite, she was already sore at the root of her teeth, and nodded: "I can't ask for it, you are older than me, I will call you Brother Cen." "What kind of young master, brother Taixian, it's very awkward for her.

Han Yi said: "Chen'er, Gongzi Cen is a nobleman, you must not be rude, you must call your brother." ”

Cen Shaoze smiled and said, "It's good to call Brother Chen, I also call Chen'er Brother Chen, right?" ”

Xia Chen was amused for a while, and recognized a little brother in a daze, but she has always liked to make friends, this young man looks handsome but not rigid, and he does not have the arrogance of a rich son, which is very likable. "Brother Cen is still called Chen'er."

"It's fine."

At this time, a middle-aged man with an elegant face, a flowing beard, and a clear skeleton walked in from outside the door, and the scholar from before followed him, Xia Chen thought that he must be Mr. Qiao.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man arched his hand and said: "Shicai is teaching students a book, and there is a lot of neglect." ”

Several people stood up, and Han Yixian returned the salute: "We disturbed Mr. ”

Cen Shaoze made a gesture: "Mr. Qiao, my father asked me to invite Mr. to come to the state capital for a while." ”

Mr. Qiao returned the salute very solemnly, and then asked, "Cen Shangshu is in the state capital?" There was a hint of surprise in his tone.

Cen Shaoze nodded: "My father is now demoted to Qingzhou, and he is too obedient." ”

Mr. Qiao sighed: "In the past few days, I will visit Cen Gong and sit." ”

After everyone sat down, Han Yi asked, "Mr. Qiao, has Qi'er made any progress recently?" ”

Mr. Qiao bowed slightly: "Qi'er works very hard and makes rapid progress." After that, he turned his head and instructed the scholar: "Go and call Qi'er, hasn't he always wanted to visit the youngest Tanhualang since the opening of our Great Cloud Kingdom?" ”