Until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the capital will be in a half-drunk state, idle, with a kind expression, with a hint of smirk, visiting relatives and friends, as long as you are full of food and drink, to satisfy your appetite.

Only a few people were forced to stay awake and gently support the huge "drunk" to prevent him from falling.

This is a drudgery, if you do it well, you will not be shocked, the boss will not see the credit, but if you don't do it well, it will cause big trouble, and everyone can see it.

Therefore, when Hu Guiyang walked into the West Factory with a smile, he saw sad faces.

"What do I need to do to guard the West Factory?" Hu Guiyang strode towards the main hall and was stopped by the accompanying scribe, which was the exclusive public hall of the factory and the lieutenant on duty could only go to the side hall to stay.

"There's not much to do, it's mainly a roll call." The scribe had a roster in his arms, and all the people who should have come today were on it.

Even in the side hall, the captain on duty was not qualified to sit in the main seat behind the desk, and there was another set of tables and stools on the right side of the doorway for him to use.

Hu Guiyang sat down, took the roster and glanced at it, "Hey, there are so many people." ”

"There are few expatriates in the first month, and everyone is in the capital, just over to be on duty." The scribe laughed, unclear about the details of this Captain Hu.

Hu Guiyang remembered that there were a lot of people here on the first day of the Lunar New Year yesterday, "It's the first month of the new year, don't you take a few days off?" ”

The scribe's smile was even greater, "Business is important, and everyone in the West Factory must be on call at any time in case of emergency." ”

"Factory fathers often have whimsical ideas?" Hu Guiyang asked with a smile.

The scrivener's smile became embarrassed, "The factory has a heavy responsibility...... Captain Hu should be named first. ”

The West Factory has a large number of captains, executioners, stationed in various places, most of them are not used to report in the yamen, and the guards are some scribes, guards and errands, there are more than 100 people in normal times, and they do not rest in the first month, they are basically here, and they enter the hall to meet the people on duty.

Hu Guiyang was only a school captain, and many officials with grades could only stand after they came in, not daring to talk about dignity and humility.

Hu Guiyang was very quick to take the roll call, and after the roll call was over, he ordered everyone to go home, leaving only more than ten people on duty with him, "Have a good year, recuperate, and then serve the West Factory." ”

At first, no one dared to leave, Hu Guiyang got up and picked up people, "The factory boss asked me to be on duty, which is to give me the right to be the master, if you don't listen to my orders, you are ......"

The crowd hula dispersed, and when they walked out into the street, they believed that there was such a good thing.

The more than ten people left behind looked at each other, thinking that this Captain Hu was going to cause trouble, but as long as they were not implicated, no one would talk too much.

Hu Guiyang asked: "The factory father said that he would allocate me a house, does anyone know about this?" ”

A scribe immediately stepped forward and handed over the book in his hand, "The factory sent someone to leave a message, and the mansion above is selected with the Hu school field." ”

"It's okay, I didn't let you go just now."

The scribe smiled: "Captain Hu actually let me go, I don't think the matter has been explained clearly, so I will stay for a while." ”

"Well, that's good." Hu Guiyang opened the book, glanced at it, and said in surprise: "So many, the West Factory has been established for less than a year, right?" ”

"Less than a year. Some of these houses were received from other yamen, some were handed over by the captains and fans of the factory, and a few were prisoners' homes, which were confiscated and transferred to the West Factory ......."

Hu Guiyang made a two-hmm sound, and checked the books one by one with his fingers, "Nan Si's room is also inside, is this what I handed in?" ”

The scribe smiled: "It should be, in short, it should be written in the booklet of the West Factory first, and I don't know how to record it in Jinyi Weinansi." ”

Hearing this answer, Hu Guiyang no longer felt that there were many houses in Xichang, and continued to check with a smile, and after a few pages, his finger stopped, and the smile on his face disappeared.

"Won't the captain and fan of the West Factory come to the school?" Hu Guiyang asked.

"There are a number of captains and executioners, and each group assigns one or two people to come to the West Factory to do something, usually in the afternoon to hand over the envelope, we don't have to move, we have to wait for the factory or other adults to open the seal and check."

Hu Guiyang's position is too low, even if he is sent to be on duty, he doesn't have much power, he wants to write and draw a circle behind a line of addresses, "I want this house, after the original owner comes, please come over." ”

The scribe should be, took the book and looked at it, the original owner of the house was also a school captain, he wrote down his name, quit the hall, found a messenger who stayed behind, and sent him to give advance notice.

In the afternoon of the same day, the school captain Shi Guida was the first to arrive, and after handing over the seal, he came to the side hall.

Hu Guiyang was sitting alone in the side hall eating a roast chicken, and when he saw Shi Guida, a smile immediately appeared on his face, "Who would have thought that Xichang even has roast chicken, and it tastes good, but it's a little cold, not freshly made." ”

"The roast chicken is delivered on time from the old shop outside, and if necessary, the chef will arrive at the same time."

"Delivered on time? The West Factory will not treat guests every day, how to deal with these roast chickens if no one eats them? ”

"I don't know if I threw it away, or if it was taken home by someone from the yali."

Hu Guiyang nodded, "No wonder everyone loves to come to the West Factory, no matter how hard they work, they can bear it." ”

Shi Guida stood across the table, Hu Guiyang handed over a chicken leg, Shi Guida shook his head, "You requisitioned the old mansion in the Hutong of Guanyin Temple?" ”

"How do I remember that you sold the house?"

"There were so many dead people there that the buyers didn't dare to live there, and they went back."

"Murderous house? Hehe, that's exactly what I want. ”

"Why does it have to be this house?"

"Big enough, I'm more familiar with it, not too far from my house. Can I requisition? If you don't want to, I'll do it somewhere else. ”

"No, the house is empty now." Shi Guida hesitated for a moment, if it was someone else sitting there, he would never question him face to face, but to Hu Guiyang, he wanted to make it clear, "I hope you don't bother me." ”

"How so?" Hu Guiyang was very surprised, "Let's all work for the West Factory, what I want to do is all approved by the factory." ”

Shi Guida glanced out of the hall, didn't see outsiders, and pressed his hands on the table, "You shouldn't come back." ”

Hu Guiyang put down the chicken leg and said with a smile: "What to do or what not to do, sometimes I can't decide." ”

"You shouldn't have come back, but you came back, I don't know what you told the factory father, but I can be sure that you are lying to the factory father, this time you returned to Beijing, there must be another purpose, if you succeed, it will definitely affect many people."

"It may also save many people, just like in Yunyang Mansion."

Shi Guida was silent for a while, "Although you use the house, I want to tell you in advance that the big and small things that happened in the alleys of Guanyin Temple are all under my surveillance." ”

"That's your territory." Hu Guiyang smiled, "I don't have anything to hide from you." ”

"Okay, you can go and receive Zhao Zhai at any time."

"Thank you. I also told you in advance that something strange will happen in Zhao Zhai, just see it, don't worry too much. ”

At the end of the day, the most important business of the West Factory was to requisition Zhao's house, more than ten people had nothing to do, Hu Guiyang dismissed them early, left two people to guard the door, and went home in advance, taking away a few kinds of wine and meat.

The house is no longer deserted, Yuan Mao and Fan Dajian came to pay New Year's greetings, and a table of delicacies has been prepared, and the food brought back by Hu Guiyang from the West Factory is not needed, and it is all put in the kitchen.

Fan Dajian was very happy, "I didn't flee long ago, and I was able to rush back for the New Year, but fortunately I didn't go with you at the beginning." ”

Hu Guiyang drank a glass of hot wine first, "You came just in time, I need someone to go out of the city to deliver a letter." ”

Fan Dajian immediately shook his head, "I'm not going, but I can find someone for you." ”

Fan Dajian found Jiang and Zheng two scoundrels, these two kowtowed to the New Year as soon as they entered the house, obviously the age difference is not their own, but they carry out the gift of the younger generation, Hu Guiyang had to give the "New Year's money", and then said the location, let them go to the inn in Jingbei Town to send a message, "'Guanyin Temple Hutong Zhao Zhai, just ask. That's it. ”

The two of them memorized, begged for a glass of hot wine each, and said goodbye and left, leaving the city before it got dark, and returning tomorrow.

The remaining three people drank and talked happily, Fan Dajian was especially excited, seeing Hu Guiyang come back was just one reason, "The matter of Lou Yuma is over, it is an accident, and no one is pursuing it." The other day, it scared me, but I didn't expect it to be a false alarm. Hehe, Hu Guiyang, do you also regret thinking too much at that time? ”

"It's better to be overcautious." Hu Guiyang persuaded him to drink, and then asked: "Have you inquired about the backer of Wuque Hutong?" ”

"The matter of Lou Concubine's horse has just passed, and I have to be cautious, but I already know it in my heart." Fan Dajian deliberately sold Guanzi, and took another drink before continuing: "The backer is from the palace, if there is no accident, he must be surnamed Liang." ”

"Liang Fang?" Hu Guiyang had heard of the eunuch's name, and once thought that he was a relative of Liang Xiu in Nansi Town, but he was mistaken.

Fan Dajian nodded, "Eunuch Liang is a character, he is not too old, he doesn't do anything to the official, he stays by His Majesty's side as a waiter, and he really has power in the palace because of this, and the celebrant and the east and west factories don't dare to mess with him." Eunuch Liang was good at ganging up, and many people in the palace took advantage of his power to set up shops outside to do business, and the same was true of Wuque Hutong, where large sums of gold and silver flowed into his hands like a river. ”

Fan Dajian was extremely envious, "Look at the eunuchs of other people, who are dedicated to earning money from you men with handles." ”

"You don't bring a handle?" Yuan Mao asked with a smile, the three of them are now friends and have nothing to say.

"I'm a Taoist priest, I don't go to that kind of place to spend money, I have to find a way to make money." Fan Dajian has always wanted to mediate the dispute between the two factions in and outside the city, and is looking for a way to contact the eunuch Liang Fang, "You two are doing things for Wang Zhi in the West Factory, but you can't help, you really make this kind of friend for nothing." ”

The two on the other side just laughed and didn't bother with the old way.

Fan Dajian drank too much and claimed to go back to Erlang Temple, but when he went out, he went straight to Hu's bedroom, and refused to get up again when he fell into the bed after entering the house.

Hu Guiyang ignored him, and went back to the hall with Yuan Mao to continue eating and drinking.

As the night deepened, Yuan Mao drank almost enough, and held down the mouth of the cup, "I can't drink anymore, my amount of wine can't be compared with you." ”

"After I came back from Yunyang, my alcohol consumption has become so large, which is strange to say, but it is not as interesting as before, the more I drink, the more tasteless I feel in my mouth."

"Do everything in moderation." Yuan Mao lowered his voice slightly, "Do you still want to investigate the cause of Lou Yuma's death?" ”

"Of course."

"For whom?"

"Hehe, it's the same as drinking: Wang Zhi asked me to check, I chose to run away, Wang Zhi didn't let me check, but I became interested."

"Hey, it's really Hu Guiyang, but I don't dare to disobey orders like you, so I can only give you a reminder: go find Ren Liu'er."

"She doesn't live in Wuque Hutong, what can she know?"

"She doesn't live there, but she has been, and more than once."

Hu Guiyang couldn't help laughing, "Haha, she's really ...... Interesting. ”