"Brother Ran, there is Splendid City in front, send you to the place, and I will go to Beijing."

Outside the splendid city, a carriage stopped on the hillside, Guan Xiu lifted the curtain, pointed to the city gate not far away, and said to a man with a somewhat pale face next to him.

"Thank you for sending me all the way." The injuries on Ran Qiubai's body were not yet complete, and when he saw the familiar city gate, there was also a little emotion in his eyes.

"What's polite, I became an official in the imperial examination, just to be able to benefit one party and protect the people. In your situation at that time, how could I see death and not save me? From Shuzhong to the capital, it happened to pass through Splendid City, and it didn't delay at all, but it was also a fate between the two of us. ”

Guan Xiu waved his hand, said he didn't care much, thought of something, and asked with some concern: "I was ordered to return to my hometown to worship my ancestors, and I must return to Beijing to report on my work within ten days, but you, go back like this, nothing will happen, right?" ”

"It's okay, after I return home, I have my own way to settle the old accounts, and the person who harmed me is just relying on me to be defenseless against him."

Ran Qiubai coughed twice, and his eyes, which had always been gloomy, finally brought a little coldness.

"If Brother Guan has more time, I really want to invite you to look around the city, there are a few interesting places in Splendid City. No matter what, I dare not forget the grace of saving my life, and if there is a place for me in the future, just ask, as long as I can do it, I will never refuse. ”

"You're welcome, then." Guan Xiu didn't shirk, but he didn't feel that he could have anything to bother Ran Qiubai to help, although he said so, he didn't take it to heart, and he didn't save people in return.

The carriage walked to the gate of the city as the two men talked.

After entering the city, the carriage went straight to Ranfu.

As he got closer to home, the haze in Ran Qiubai's heart became less and less, and when he remembered what Guan Xiu told him about his fame in the current department, he naturally remembered Xiao Yin, who also ended up in this department, and he also had a little bit of interest.

"I don't know what the result of my eldest brother's imperial examination is, I left home early, and I haven't had time to see the news from Beijing. However, with my eldest brother's knowledge, he should not fall off the list. ”

In just a few days, Ran Qiubai's mood has not been very high, in addition to reporting the name of his family, this is the first time Guan Xiu has heard him take the initiative to talk about family affairs, and he can't help but be a little interested.

"Your brother? That's a coincidence, he and I are half classmates. The surname Ran has never been heard of in the first class jinshi......"

Guan Xiu recalled, not only did there be no surname Ran in the first class of jinshi, nor did there be any in the second class, and he didn't pay attention to it again, and he was not embarrassed to tell Ran Qiubai that this person might not have passed the exam at all.

"My brother's surname is not Ran, his surname is Xiao." Ran Qiubai smiled, he could see that Guan Xiu wanted to say something, but he didn't take it to heart.

"I see, among the first-class and second-class Jinshi, there are many surnamed Xiao, I don't know what his name is? Maybe I'm still impressed. ”

Surname Xiao? The first thing Guan Xiu thought of was Xiao Yin, the champion of Jinke who had pressed him, but he soon laughed at himself and thought about it, how could it be so coincidental, the person who was saved on the road was the kid's family.

"My brother's name is Xiao ......"

Ran Qiubai was about to tell Guan Xiu's name to Xiao Yin, when he suddenly heard movement outside, he and Guan Xiu stopped talking at the same time, and focused on the place where the noise outside came from.

"Ran Qiubai smuggled iron ore, and the entire caravan was seized by the official uniform, and he himself absconded in fear of crime, and his whereabouts are still unknown. The news had already spread in the government. ”

"Maybe people were stolen and hidden by the master's family, the good reputation of the Ran family has been ruined by this unscrupulous descendant, today the old lady must give an explanation, and we can't let our Ran family be ashamed of such an unscrupulous descendant."

The voice came from the gate of Ran's house, and after Ran Qiubai heard those ugly words, his face became even more ugly, he opened the curtain and looked at the people who were saying those words at the door.

Everyone crowded in front of the gate, there were some shopkeepers and stewards of large and small Zhuangzi, and there were some relatives who had been friends with each other every day, how enthusiastic these people were about themselves in the past, and how many words they said at the gate of Ran Mansion today made Ran Qiubai feel cold.

"You are clearly framed, these people are really indiscriminate."

Guan Xiu looked outside, and then looked at Ran Qiubai's ugly face beside him, and couldn't help but feel upset for him.

"I'm going down to plead with them."

Ran Qiubai gritted his teeth and moved towards the outside of the carriage, those troublemakers obviously deliberately spread rumors at the door, attracting many people to stop and watch, if these rumors spread, the reputation of the Ran family will inevitably be greatly damaged.

"No, your injuries haven't healed yet, and those people are all bad people, don't you go out now, aren't you going to be pushed to the forefront?"

Guan Xiu pressed Ran Qiubai's shoulder and persuaded.

Between the two of them arguing, they saw a young man with red lips and white teeth running out of the door of Ran's mansion, pointing at those noisy troublemakers and scolding angrily:

"Don't spread rumors here. What is the matter of the caravan, the government has its own conclusion, and when my eldest brother transfers the closing letter from the county order of Lingzhou City, you will know at a glance. While there is no one in my house, you will come to spread rumors, which is really shameless. ”

Ran Qiu wanted to scold angrily, but these people came to ask in a good voice two days ago, saying that they wanted to see the official documents.

It was precisely because of the mountain bandits on the road that Qi Ruoyun pressed that the batch of goods could not be delivered to Splendid City, so Zhang Shaoxian's case could only be closed temporarily, but the official documents were in Qi Ruoyun's hands and were detained together with the state capital.

Xiao Yin rushed to the neighboring city a few days ago, and these people took advantage of the emptiness of the Ran family's mansion now and directly made trouble.

They were messing around so much in front of the door, although the grandmother could still calm down, Ran Qiunian couldn't bear it, and rushed to the front directly.

"You are also the main family, so naturally you prefer to help the main family speak, if you are really innocent, why can't you pay the official documents? Why is there no trace of Ran Qiubai until now? ”

The troublemakers below were not frightened by this strange little boy who suddenly appeared, and immediately relied on the old man to sell the old, looking like a commanding man, which made Ran Qiu grit his teeth angrily.

"Who's that?" Guan Xiu in the carriage looked curiously at the puffing young man at the door, and asked Ran Qiubai with a complicated expression, "Your brother?" ”

"It's a housemate." Ran Qiubai's tone was a little complicated.

Girl? Guan Xiu's eyes widened, and he looked at the bold kid outside who was not afraid of the troublemakers at all, and he was a little stunned.

It's the first time he's seen such a girl.

After Ran Qiubai finished saying that, he didn't care about anything, he was full of Ran Qiunian's safety, and he just wanted to get out of the car and go over to relieve Ran Qiunian.

Seeing this, Guan Xiu couldn't stop it anymore, so he could only get out of the car with Ran Qiubai uneasily.

"The official documents, which is said to be transferred, it has been clearly said before, check the documents three days later, the eldest brother has already gone to the state capital to get it, you suddenly reversed, it is not a gentleman's doing."

Ran Qiunian tried her best to refute, but she had never set foot in the Ran family's business, and she had no prestige in front of these profit-seeking businessmen, and they didn't listen to Ran Qiunian's words at all.

"It's clear that the heart is weak, there is no paperwork at all, and who can't see the trick of delaying time?"

"That's it, little boy, we are not gentlemen, we are businessmen, and it is the nature of businessmen to pursue profits, and now Ran Qiubai is afraid of crime and absconds, hurting the reputation of the entire Ran family. This Ran clan is not the only one of your main family, and our side branches also have to eat by credibility. ”

"Without credibility, who will do business with us?"

Everyone chimed in.

"You ......" Ran Qiunian clenched his fists, finally realizing that he and these people who came with a purpose could not make sense.

"Who said I absconded in fear of sin?"

Ran Qiubai's voice suddenly came from the back of the crowd. The noise of everyone quieted down suddenly, and Ran Qiunian looked behind everyone with a face full of disbelief.

"Brother Qiubai." Ran Qiunian blurted out.

I saw that although the young man's face was still a little pale, the steps under his feet were steady, from the aisle where everyone unconsciously separated, through the crowd, and stood in front of the door of Ran Mansion, in front of Ran Qiunian.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Ran Qiubai turned his head sideways and said to Ran Qiunian gently, turned his head to face the crowd with different expressions below, and said loudly:

"You are all stewards of the Ran family, some of you are still relatives, I believe you are all clear, your biggest suspicion is that my whereabouts are unknown, and now I am back openly. It will take up to three days for the final documents to arrive. ”

Ran Qiubai paused and continued: "If there are still people who suspect the caravan's smuggling, they can't wait for three days, they can go and report to the official now." I only hope that by then, the truth will be revealed, and you will have the confidence to undertake today's actions. ”

didn't expect Ran Qiubai to appear at this time, and those stewards who were only instigated to make trouble because of Ran Qiubai's disappearance suddenly hesitated and retreated.

If Ran Qiubai really disappeared and his whereabouts were unknown, then it would be easy to say anything, and sooner or later the Ran family would be divided and eaten up by each family because there was no successor.

But now, everything is different. Looking at what Ran Qiubai said, no one still doubted the authenticity of the official documents, and most of the stewards retreated at the moment.

The few who were stirring up trouble among them, when they saw that everyone had the intention of retreating, their hearts suddenly became anxious. They all received a large sum of money, and if they couldn't get things done, wouldn't all the money they got be beaten with chickens and eggs?

"We can't take his word for it, don't be deceived by him, if he's okay, why didn't he show up a few days earlier, instead of waiting until today when we came to the door to ask for an explanation? He must not be able to hide, if we let him go today, he would have escaped in three days! ”

"yes, we can't just let him go! Report to the official, go to the Imperial Guard Mansion to report to the official! ”

Seeing that the crowd who had finally been appeased began to be angry again, Ran Qiu took a few steps forward angrily, and before he could speak, he listened to Guan Xiu, who had been watching his change for a long time.