Li Mao didn't rush to get up, he opened his eyes and pillowed his arms, thinking about one thing: what the man in green shirt said to him outside the Qingniyi Station yesterday. If Wang Bingchen was assassinated, who would be the murderer? Li Shigu? Who but him will take the life of an old man who is about to return to his hometown?

This judgment is divided equally equally between reasonable and unreasonable. Wang Bingchen is dying of old age, and has worked for the Li family for 20 years, and there is no oil and water to squeeze. At this time, what is the benefit of sending someone to assassinate him to Li Shigu?

Or you can change the angle, he has been a prefect for many years, and it is inevitable that he knows many secrets, and at this moment he wants to jump out of the feudal town and return to the imperial court, in Li Shigu's opinion, this is undoubtedly an act of betrayal, with his eloquent character, how can he tolerate such a thing.

As soon as this case is opened, there will be endless troubles, how can he not kill a hundred people?

The more he thought about it, the more Li Mao felt that Wang Bingchen was more likely to be assassinated, and the culprit behind the scenes was Li Shigu, the envoy of the Ziqing Festival who he had served for more than 20 years.

He suddenly thought of another person, Qin Zaomian, this person's various behaviors after Wang Bingchen's death were very suspicious, could he have something to do with Wang Bingchen's death?

Li Mao sat up excitedly, and Xiao Ru, who was sleeping, shuddered suddenly, Li Mao looked at Xiao Ru who was sleeping, and suddenly laughed. He had a way to test Qin Zaimian's identity.

Early in the morning of the second day, Li Mao called Qin Zaomian to the duty room and said: "Yesterday I heard a secret news in the palace in the Fenwang Mansion, and I urgently need someone to go to Yunzhou to report to the festival marshal. ”

He also said: "The Jinjuan is a core and vital institution, and the officials are not cronies and cannot be reused, and no one in the courtyard has ever been to Ziqing, which is a major drawback." I have made a guarantee in the book, and I ask the marshal to allow you to go through the military for a while, which will be of great benefit to you in accumulating qualifications and expanding your network. Giving Power Literature Network"

Qin Zaomian said: "The cultivation grace of the courtyard master, the humble duty is grateful, but the humble position is only a secretary in the courtyard, and his intelligence is mediocre, I am afraid it is difficult to meet the expectations of the academy master." However, the judge Chen Ru is loyal and reliable, diligent and capable, and he is even more malleable. ”

Li Mao said: "Of course, Judge Chen is not bad, but unfortunately you are old, but you are young and promising, and you have a great future." Qin Zaimian wanted to say something, Li Mao had already picked up the tea bowl to send off the guests.

The next day, Qin Zaomian began to hand over affairs to Qingmo, and in the evening, Qingmo complained to Li Mao: "A small secretary is in charge of more things than you, the head of the courtyard, I can't read those letters, how to write, I can't do this errand." ”

Li Mao said: "Did you find the Chen Shu I asked you to find?" ”

Chen Shu is a native of Chengwu County, Caozhou, a well-known local talent, who became acquainted with Li Mao because of the Yuehua of the Moqi People, and later sold his property to Chang'an for scientific research. Caozhou's talented son was unfavorable, fell for three consecutive years, exhausted his entanglement, and wrote letters to others on the streets of Chang'an to live.

After Li Mao took over as the head of the hospital, Qin Zaomician still served as his personal secretary, and Qin Zaomician's talent Li Mao recognized, but considering that he was inextricably linked to Wang Bingchen's death. Li Mao decided not to trust this person anymore.

He originally intended to call Hu Nanxiang to Chang'an, but considering that he would use dead people before he had a stable foothold, it would inevitably provoke right and wrong, so he thought of Chen Shu. He sent Qingmo to find Chen Shu, it was best for him to come, if he didn't, he could recommend a scholar to come over.

Qingmo said: "Originally, I said that I would come over tomorrow, but yesterday I said that I was infected with a disease, and said that I would come two days late, I think he can't wipe his face." Li Mao said: "Thirty old Ming Jing, fifty young Jinshi, it is difficult to take the Jinshi examination, and it is nothing to fail the list three times, why are you so discouraged?" Said to Qingmo: "Tomorrow we will go to him together." ”

After Chen Shu failed the list for the second time, he borrowed wine to drown his sorrows, and after drinking, he fought with others, and the old slave was beaten with a stick on the back of his head, and he died not long after. Although his family is ruined, he still spends money lavishly, and he was restrained by the old housekeeper earlier, and he can still get by, but now no one cares and no one asks, and the money from the sale of his ancestral property is spent by him like flowing water, and he is on the street in less than half a year.

At the moment, he is living in the Xianliang Temple in Dunyi Fang, relying on copying scriptures and painting murals for monks to find a place to live, and he has time to write letters on behalf of people on the street, in exchange for a small amount of money to drink.

Li Mao and the two came to Xianliang Temple, and offered a sincerity to the merit box, which made it clear that he had come to the intention, and the fat face of the presiding monk was a little red, and he hurriedly led Li Mao to the firewood room in the backyard, so that the little novice opened the door, and Chen Shu, who was lying on the hay dreaming, jumped up when he heard the sound of the door, and rushed out with a shout, his eyes were pierced by the sun, and he suddenly screamed.

Qingmo said angrily: "You monks, why do you abuse Mr. Chen so much? ”

The old monk's face turned red, and he said Amitabha, and the little novice beside him shouted: "Why do you lock him up, you ask himself, shouldn't he be locked up when he is drunk and drunk?" The old monk sang the praises of the Buddha, and the Tao was good.

Chen Shu rubbed his eyes and said with a smile: "Brother Qin, blame me, blame me." I have violated the rules of the temple and deserve this punishment. ”

Qingmo has been a slave in the Xue family since childhood, his surname is lost and cannot be examined, after his career, people heard him call him Qingmo, thinking that the surname is Qing, after the Hu people, Qingmo is the original Qingyuan, take Qin who is close to Qing as the surname, and call himself "Qin Mo", and then Li Mao also wrote Qin Mo when he asked for the official name.

Chen Shu was not familiar with Qingmo, and when he heard him claim to be surnamed Qin, he called him Brother Qin.

Li Mao said: "Two days ago, I heard that you were sick and couldn't go to the appointment, so it turned out that you were detained for violating the precepts. I ask you, would you like to come to my hospital as a secretary? ”

Chen Shu said: "If I don't want to, I won't sell my property to buy alcohol and drink, if I don't drink, I won't be drunk, and if I don't get drunk, I don't have to lie that I am sick and can't go to the appointment." Li Mao laughed and wanted to take Chen Shu out, Chen Shu saluted the old monk and said: "Please reward a monk's robe, borrow a basin of water, and repair your head and face, so that you can be a new person." ”

The old monk said: "If you can give up the past, what if you are unkempt." Chen Shu said: "Makeover, the last trace of concern is broken." The old monk said in a good voice, ordered the little novice to prepare hot water, razor, personally repaired Chen Shu's head, and took out a green coat, and said: "This is the clothes you pledged in the temple, and from now on you will go back to Caozhou Chen Shu." ”

Chen Shu changed into old clothes, thanked the presiding monk, and went out with Li Mao. When he came, Qingmo brought an extra horse, and asked Chen Shu with a smile at this moment: "Do you know how to ride a horse?" Chen Shu said with a smile: "Although I have not been admitted to the Jinshi for three years, I am also a Confucian student, how can a Confucian student not be able to ride a horse?" "Flying on the horse, the movement is extremely chic.

Li Mao placed Chen Shu in the scribe's room, with Qingmo as the main and his deputy. After Qin Zaomian packed up, he came to say goodbye to Li Mao, Li Mao asked Qingmo to send him out of the city, Qingmo returned and asked Li Mao: "As soon as he left the city, he flew away, and there was no nostalgia." Li Mao smiled: "I promoted him to be an official, but it was too late for him to be happy, what is nostalgic." ”

Less than three days after Qin Zaomian went, Ziqing Dao recommended a newcomer, surnamed Lin Mingying, Gao Mu said in the recommendation that this person was quick and talented, and suggested that Li Mao be used as a personal scribe.

Qin Zaomian left Beijing, Li Mao appointed Chen Shu as a scribe, and it was only three days before and after Lin Ying came to Chang'an, it seemed to be a coincidence, but Li Mao didn't think so, his mind moved, and he already had a plan in his heart, he appointed Lin Ying and Chen Shu as the secretary of the study, and transferred Qingmo to the head of the academy with him.

Chen Shu knew that Lin Ying was recommended by Yunzhou, and he also found out that Lin Ying had real talent and learning, and he had nothing to say about Li Mao's arrangement. (Dissertation College)