The day moved westward, hung in the sky, and noon came.

Li Xiao and the two walked all the way to Dongcheng, walked several streets, passed several archways, and after more than an hour, they finally arrived at Dongchang under the leadership of Zhou Shuyi.

Wiping a sweat, Li Xiao couldn't help but regret why he wanted to install this b, isn't it fragrant to find a carriage in An'an, Jingshi is not small, walking from Wencheng Street in Xicheng to Dongchang in Dongcheng is no less than a half marathon.

"Please...... Please let me know, Jingzhao Yin Mansion has joined the army...... Zhou Shuyi asked to see Governor Xu. Zhou Shuyi gasped for breath and arched his hand to the Dongchang officer by the door, his tone respectful.

Jing Zhao Yin Mansion sounds powerful, and now it just sounds.

The messenger at the door glanced at Li Xiao and Zhou Shuyi, and saw that the two had no papers, so they were ready to shout back. The sharp-eyed officer hurriedly grabbed his companion and said softly to understand Li Xiao's identity. The predecessors listened to it and nodded, although Li Xiao did not have any official title, but at the current moment, this person is not easy to mess with, if something goes wrong, it is inevitable that he will be caught by the procuratorate, and it will be difficult for Dongchang to explain in front of His Majesty.

The messenger said "Wait a minute" and walked in quickly, but after half a pillar of incense, he hurriedly came out, arched his hand at Li Xiao, and said, "Li Gongzi, the overseer invites you in." ”

It's you, not you. It shows that the errand officer did not take Li Xiao in his eyes, and such an action at this time is just polite.

In this regard, Li Xiao has no need to care, Dongchang has been in charge of real power for many years, Rao is a servant of the six departments, and it is estimated that he will not be in his eyes, he is a small ordinary person without official and position, and it is normal.

smiled, walked inside, and before he moved, the messenger grabbed Zhou Shuyi, raised his head slightly, and spoke arrogantly: "The East Factory is heavy, and idle people are not allowed to enter." ”

Lord Xu invited Li Xiao, who had received the emperor's order, not Zhou Shuyi, who was following behind. His Majesty the Emperor who was in charge of Governor Xu, not the accompanying Jingzhao Yin Mansion joined the army. Today's Jingzhao Yin Mansion is completely out of the eyes of Dongchang.

Zhou Shuyi, who was stopped, was about to resist, but Li Xiao on the side stretched out his hand to stop him.

This is the East Factory, where people do their own work, and they will only suffer from themselves, and they just come to ask something, do it, and the gains outweigh the losses.

took out twenty taels of silver tickets from his arms and put them in Zhou Shuyi's hand, Li Xiao said with a smile: "Brother Zhou, you are tired after walking a lot, and you can wait for Li at the tea stall on the opposite street, you don't have to accompany you." ”

Turning his head to look at the plaque hanging high, he continued: "The East Factory is His Majesty's East Factory, and Li will come out when he goes in to ask something." ”

I don't know why, the messenger always felt that something was wrong when he listened to Li Xiao's words, Dongchang was indeed His Majesty's, but what did he mean by saying it now.

Zhou Shuyi didn't feel it, he didn't feel anything about Li Xiao's words after not reading many books. But since Li Xiao asked him to wait outside, he waited. took the silver ticket, looked at Li Xiao with a worried face, and under the latter's signal, walked slowly to the tea stall and found a safe place to sit down.

"Lead the way, sir." Li Xiao arched his hand at the messenger and said.

The messenger glanced contemptuously at Zhou Shuyi, who was not far away, and then walked in with Li Xiao.

As soon as you enter the East Factory, what comes into your eyes is a stone stele, which is about one foot wide and more than one foot high, three zhang high and slightly less, dark black system, and there are two big characters on it: "loyalty". Then there are several lines of small print.

Li Xiao smiled, and was about to look at the small print on it, when the errand officer who led the way in front of him said impatiently: "Li Gongzi, the overseer can wait, don't waste time." ”

I had no choice but to put aside the curiosity in my heart for the time being and continue walking. After walking for dozens of steps, he smelled an unpleasant fishy smell, accompanied by a thick smell of corruption in the middle of the period, which made him feel nauseous. A few more steps, and there were bursts of screams rushing to the ears, and the sound was repeated, like a ghost crying wolf.

"This is the East Factory Prison." The messenger turned his head and his eyes were slightly cold: "You have to be careful when you enter the official career in the future, but don't enter here." ”

Arching his hand to the officer, Li Xiao smiled faintly: "Thank you for reminding me, but Li has no fame, but he can't enter the official career, and naturally, he can't enter the prison of Dongchang." ”

The officer did not continue to speak, turned around, and continued walking.

After passing the Dongchang prison, and then walking through the three moon gates with the errand servants, it is a quiet courtyard and garden system. A few steps further in, you will see a gorgeous pavilion hidden in it, the eaves teeth are high, the wood used is mahogany, under the sun, there is a smell of money, its gorgeousness, compared with the pavilion built in the bamboo forest is also a lot stronger.

Less sober, more cheesy.

The messenger raised his hand towards the pavilion, motioned for Li Xiao to come over, and then retreated.

Li Xiao glanced at the pavilion and saw that there was a person sitting and a person standing. It is estimated that the person sitting there is the overseer of the East Factory, and he walked over the clean stone path. Standing outside the pavilion, he arched his hand to the person inside, and said, "Li Xiao, a grass man, has seen the director of Dongchang. ”

The man in the pavilion did not speak immediately, but picked up a piece of tender meat, put it in a bowl, rolled up a few grains of white rice, ate it in one bite, chewed it carefully, and tasted it.

Xu Youzhen is not in a hurry, the other party is just a rich businessman with no official position, this is in his territory, it is not so easy to investigate the case in Dongchang, if he doesn't have a little shelf and doesn't grind Li Xiao's temperament, wouldn't it seem that Dongchang is easy to bully.

Li Xiao knew what Xu Youzhen was thinking, so he stood quietly and did not continue to speak.

Seeing Li Xiao's acquaintance like this, Xu Youzhen smiled faintly, put down the jade chopsticks in her hand, took the handkerchief in Xu Shengliang's hand, and wiped her mouth with her orchid fingers.

Seeing this, Li Xiao arched his hand again, "Li Xiao, a grass man, has seen the superintendent of Dongchang. ”

Xu Youzhen put down the handkerchief, did not look at Li Xiao, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned. Xu Shengliang, who was on the side, sensibly took a few steps forward and said to Li Xiao: "Li Gongzi, please come in." ”

Nodding towards Xu Shengliang, he walked into the Huating with a smile on his face, and then bowed his hand to Xu Youzhen again.

"Li Gongzi has walked all the way, and he hasn't eaten." Xu Youzhen took a sip of warm tea and said, "Xiao Liangzi, prepare a pair of dishes and chopsticks, Li Gongzi is a guest from afar, but don't be lazy." ”

Xu Shengliang on the side was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then put down the wine jug in his hand and got busy. As for Li Xiao, although he didn't know what Xu Youzhen meant, he didn't care so much because he was very thick-skinned, and he really didn't eat lunch, so he sat down unceremoniously.

Seeing Li Xiao's move, the corners of Xu Shengliang's mouth couldn't help twitching, is this person really stupid. Shaking his head, he poured a glass of wine for Li Xiao under Xu Youzhen's instructions, during which he frowned slightly and hinted that Li Xiao should pay a little attention.

Li Xiao is naturally Xu Shengliang's meaning, he has long heard that Xu Youzhen, the governor of Dongchang, is ruthless and insidious, at this time Xu Youzhen actually let him go so politely, it will never be simple. It's just that he is not afraid, no matter how Xu Youzhen is, he will not dare to do anything to him in Dongchang, unless Xu Youzhen ignores the pot of the Wencheng Street incident. Collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country and misappropriating national weapons are not trivial matters. For a nobody to bear this charge, I believe Xu Youzhen knows that it is never worth it.

Even if Dongchang is really related to the Wencheng Street incident. Nor will they choose to do it here and now.

He thanked Xu Shengliang softly for pouring wine, and he chewed a piece of meat without shame.

Xu Shengliang was stunned for a moment, and a flash of joy flashed on his white face. Straightened up and stepped aside.

He knew that the protagonists at this time were the two people sitting in the pavilion.

Xu Youzhen put down the wine glass in his hand, squinted his eyes and said lightly: "Li Gongzi is here for the matter of Wencheng Street this time?"

Li Xiao didn't raise his head, and continued to eat: "Yes, no." ”

"Huh?" Xu Youzhen's face was filled with suspicion, then she smiled and did not continue to speak.

Li Xiao didn't speak, he ate by himself, although Dongchang has a bad reputation in Haoguo, but the food made by this chef is really excellent, salty and suitable, and the meat is fragrant and sweet.

Xu Shengliang on the side was holding the wine jug and looked at the two people in the pavilion with a puzzled face.

The sky is faint, the warm wind comes from outside, and blows into the Huating slowly, bringing a fishy smell that is not there, which melts into the fragrance of the vegetables, which is a little disgusting. It's summer, and the floral fragrance is faint, catering to the fishy smell, which is somewhat ironic.

Xu Youzhen seemed to enjoy the strange smell, sitting with her eyes closed, swaying the wine glass in her hand.

The back garden of the East Factory is located near the prison. Sitting in the courtyard, you can hear the screams coming from the prison, and it is also at this time that the screams seem to be particularly prominent and extremely miserable.

"Li Gongzi, can you eat?" Xu Youzhen opened her eyes and looked at Li Xiao who stopped her hand, "If not, our family can wait for you for a while." ”

The last sentence was faintly marked with a hint of fierceness.

"Eat it." Li Xiao smiled, picked up the wine glass and took a sip, and said with a smile: "The food in Dongchang is very good, and the cooking skills are also excellent." ”

Xu Youzhen smiled with satisfaction, and before he could speak, he heard him continue: "Compared with the imperial kitchen in the palace, it is much better, and the food that the grass people ate in the imperial study that day was not as delicious as today. ”

After that, Li Xiao raised his eyebrows and wiped his mouth, and his movements were frivolous.

Li Xiao's last sentence made Xu Youzhen frown, staring at Li Xiao for a few breaths and not speaking. Xu Shengliang saw Xu Youzhen's reaction, his heart tightened, Xu Youzhen looked like this, I was afraid that he was already unhappy in his heart, such a compliment always made people uncomfortable to listen to.

A trace of murderous intent flashed in Xu Youzhen's eyes, and she disappeared with just one breath. Then I heard him say in a dark voice: "If there is anything Li Gongzi wants to ask, you might as well say it bluntly." ”

Li Xiao didn't avoid Xu Youzhen's gaze, looked directly at the person opposite, and squinted slightly: "The first question, is the assassination on Wencheng Street related to Dongchang?" ”

As soon as the words fell, Hua Tingzhong fell silent for a moment, surrounded only by the sound of the two people's tight breathing.

Xu Shengliang on the side couldn't help but hold his breath, he couldn't understand Li Xiao's behavior at all, and he didn't know what the young man in front of him was thinking. Why do you ask like this, this is in the East Factory, isn't Li Xiao afraid that Xu Youzhen will be angry.

Xu Youzhen didn't speak, but stared at Li Xiao, rubbing the jade wrench between her fingers with one hand, and there was no expression on her wrinkled face.

Li Xiao didn't speak, smiling, his fingers lightly clasped the wooden table, quietly waiting for Xu Youzhen to answer.