At sunset, the drums of Shuntianmen began again, and the street drums on the main streets of the entire capital were heard, and then the drums of the whole city shook the sky again. After five waves of drums and eight hundred sounds, it happened to be dark, and the time for the curfew in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, arrived.

At this time, the whole city was closed, businesses were closed, and the doors of the 110 squares of the two counties of Chang'an City, which belonged to Chang'an City, were also closed. After that, the people on the streets outside Chang'an City were overwhelming, and those who dared to walk on the streets at this time would be arrested and interrogated by the Wuhou and the Horsemen who patrolled the streets as traitors; Even if you can't find anything, the Fa Cao of Jingzhao Mansion will order you to be beaten for twenty boards and then drive you home.

Of course, this is only for the common people, and if the emperor's relatives and military and political officials have official affairs or even private affairs, they can still take them away. If the people want to break this ban, unless you have special things to do with weddings and funerals, you should apply to the county government of Chang'an County or Wannian County in advance, and then the county under your jurisdiction will report to Jingzhao Mansion for approval. In addition, it is the three-day holiday of the statutory Shangyuan Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the night ban is lifted on these three days, and at that time, you can also walk freely around the city at night.

Wang Yuan didn't understand these things, but in the gap between following Huang San to officially take up his post, putting on Fang Ding's coat and coming to the south gate of Fang to close the south gate of Yong'an Fang, Huang San took the trouble to say it to Wang Yuan.

Huang San has completely determined that Wang Yuan is suffering from partial amnesia, and the whole person has become a verbose mother-in-law, explaining what she sees. Wang Yuanle is like this, listening carefully and asking questions actively, the first time Huang San encountered such an opportunity to be a good teacher, he was naturally in a happy mood.

Wang Yuan can be regarded as having seen with his own eyes what the night ban of the Tang Dynasty is; A total of 800 street drums resounded throughout the city, and the chessboard-shaped fang market structure made the four corners of the main street intersection except for many private squares near the city wall or the imperial city. And each intersection is the place where the street drum and the Wuhou Pavilion are set up.

When the drums of each street beat one after another, a folk square like Yong'an Fang suddenly fell into the rumbling sound of huge drums like an embattled song. After the three-way drum was beaten, the pedestrians and people on the main street outside the square began to trot, and at the end of the five-way drum, the figure of Wuhou and the horseman galloping appeared on the dim street outside the fang. At this time, if there are still people wandering the streets, they must at least avoid the doom of a spanking.

"This is to keep the common people in pig pens." Wang Yuan was deeply angry and sad that he was also one of these piglets.

Wang Yuan got started with Fang Ding's errand very quickly. Close the door every night when the drums stop at sunset, and then inspect all the jurisdictions under the jurisdiction of one mile to four miles south every half an hour, and encounter suspicious people waiting to interrogate, until the dawn of the Buddha opens the door after the morning drum stops and releases the people who are waiting to go out, and after handing over to the fangding on duty during the day, he drags his tired body back home and sleeps until the afternoon.

It seemed like the errand was regular, but Wang Yuan soon realized that he was wasting his life. There was no joy in such a life, neither passion nor hope, and he could not imagine that he would spend his life in such a day. A strong desire to change grew stronger and stronger.

But Wang Yuan understands that before he finds a breakthrough, he may only be able to stay as he is, because he first wants to live, and for now, he is still in a state of smearing Datang, and he has not yet figured out how to break free from this shackle.

Wang Yuan just felt that this kind of life was too boring, but this did not affect Wang Yuan's enthusiasm for life. The neighbors of Yong'an Fang were surprised to find that Wang Jiaerlang seemed to be a different person.

In the past year, after the decline of Wang Jiaerlang's family, he either drank unkempt and drunk every day, or slept in a broken house, and occasionally went out without anyone caring about it; But now Wang Erlang, although the clothes on his body are shabby, they are by no means sloppy. Neat and straight clothes that are always ironed, hair is meticulously combed, the body is straight, and there is always a smile on the face.

This Wang Jiaerlang now always greets his neighbors politely, as if he has forgotten his bad reputation in Yong'an Fang. Many times, I helped the grandfathers and grandmothers next door to carry water and chop firewood, and bought some small east and small west for the children playing in the neighborhood to eat. And this Wang Erlang is no longer as lazy as before, he is busy in his yard every day, cleaning and tidying up the courtyard, repairing the dilapidated wings, building flower beds with earth and stones, pruning the messy trees and weeds in the yard, etc., tidying up the three small courtyards clean, refreshing.

Some people have also seen Wang Jiaerlang bowing his horse and closing his eyes and slowly boxing in the flat open space in the courtyard, although they don't know if it is a boxing, the movement is surprisingly slow, but this scene is absolutely not seen in the past Wang Jiaerlang's body.

In the hearts of all the people of Yong'an Fang, the impression of Wang Yuan is refreshed day by day, and the view is changing day by day, and after more than ten days, they have to admit that the change of Wang Jiaerlang can be described in four words: rebirth.

Wang Yuan didn't mean to do this, in fact, this is some of the habits he developed in his later life, clothes can be worn, but not untidy, hair can be long, but not untidy. The few sets of Tai Chi that he learned with his old teacher naturally had to take the time to play, not that he really thought it was useful, but that a boring life needed some fun, and Wang Yuanquan should be his own entertainment.

And soon Wang Yuan discovered that even if it was an unskilled errand like Fang Ding, he could still find fun in it, and it was fun that was very beneficial to himself.

One evening, the Wutong street drum was beating, Wang Yuan and Huang San were struggling to close the heavy door, and halfway through the closure, as usual, Wang Yuan saw several people running away in panic on the street outside the square.

This situation is commonplace, and in the more than ten days that he has been a shopkeeper, almost every evening when the door is closed, you can see someone who has somehow delayed the hour, running in panic like a headless fly on the street. Soon after, the sound of horses' hooves galloping towards the Wuhou could be heard, and the frightened begging for mercy of the people who had been taken.

Today, when Wang Yuan saw the three people who were rushing from the east side of the street, Wang Yuan decided to implement the plan he had considered.

Wang Yuan stopped pushing the door, and Huang Sanyi's strength couldn't close the door of the round wood assembly, so he looked up in surprise and asked, "Erlang, work harder, close it and then rest." ”

Wang Yuan didn't speak, leaned out half of his body and waved his hand towards the street outside the door, Huang San was startled, and shouted in a low voice: "Erlang, what are you doing?" If you miss the closing time, you have to be responsible for the board. ”

Wang Yuan didn't answer, waved his hand to the street, several people who ran wildly were surprised at first, and then rushed over like seeing a life-saving straw, Wang Yuan blocked the door and whispered a few words to them, several people did not hesitate to reach out and take out the jingling things on their waists and put them in Wang Yuan's hands, Wang Yuan quickly put these things into his arms, and let a few people enter Yong'an Fang on the side of his body.

Huang San exclaimed in horror: "Hey, you are not from this workshop, how can you come in." ”

Wang Yuan pulled Huang San over and said: "Don't make noise, let them hide for one night, they are not bandits, they promised to find a corner to hide quietly for one night." ”

Huang San was stunned and said, "But ......"

Wang Yuan frowned and said, "It's nothing, help close the door, otherwise it's really troublesome." ”

Huang San watched the three people burrow into the dark alley, but he couldn't stop it, so he had to push the door with Wang Yuan; After plugging in several gates, Wang Yuan pulled Huang San into the shadow under the root of the wall, dragged Huang San's hand and put a pile of heavy things in Huang San's hands.

Huang San was shocked and asked, "What is it?" ”

Wang Yuan chuckled and said, "Fifty Tang Tongbao." ”

Huang San asked, "Why do you give me money?" ”

"It's your money, you deserve it." Wang Yuan whispered.

Huang San looked at Wang Yuan in confusion, Wang Yuan said in a low voice: "The three people who let it in just now gave it, and the three of them made up a hundred yuan, and it should be the cost of us to take them in, we will take half of each of us, you fifty and I will be fifty." ”

Huang San opened his mouth wide in astonishment for a long time, and pointed at Wang Yuan and said, "Erlang...... You...... How dare you do that? If it is known, you and I will have to eat 30 boards and go to prison. ”

Wang Yuan said disapprerovingly: "How can it be so serious? No one will know, and who will know unless you go and tell the truth yourself? ”

Huang San stood for a while and said, "How can they give you money?" ”

Wang Yuan chuckled: "They have to give, if they are captured by the Wuhou on the street, they can't keep the money on their bodies, and they have to send it to the city patrol envoy Yamen for interrogation and playing, I take him in as long as they have a hundred dollars, in exchange for you, are you willing to give it?" ”

Huang San was silent for a long time and said: "Yes, of course I am willing, who wants to be arrested and go to the Yamen of the city patrol or Jingzhao Mansion to be spanked by the board?" ”

Wang Yuan smiled and said, "Isn't this the end." ”

Huang San swallowed and spit, his throat and eyes were dry, and he said in a hoarse voice: "But...... But I don't think I should do it. ”

Wang Yuan deeply sympathized with the brother of the Tang Dynasty in front of him, this pure mind was like a little white flower, he came from the big dye vat of the later generations, and polluted the little white flower in front of him, but he was a little sorry.

"Actually, we are doing good deeds, you think, these people are innocent, we don't let them in, they will all be arrested and put on the board, are you willing to watch others take the board and not save them? They give us money willingly, as if we have done someone a favor and received a payment from others, with a clear conscience, you know? ”

"Clear conscience......" Huang San was completely confused, and always felt that something was wrong.

"Don't worry, this is the way to make money, get a few dozen dollars a day, you can make more money in a month, you can make money and help people, why not? If you are still worried, you can go and tell Li Zheng now, I will do things alone, and I will never implicate you. ”

Huang San said angrily: "What did you say? Is Jiro looking at me like that? ”

Wang Yuan chuckled and said, "Isn't that the end?" With the money, what should we do, God knows about it, you know it, I know, it's absolutely fine. ”

Huang San weighed the copper coin in his hand, and his heart was happy for a while, and he was scared for a while, but since Wang Yuan had already done it, he could only admit it.

With the first time, there was a second and third time, and in the next few days, more than 100 Kaiyuan Tongbao entered the pockets of the two, Huang San completely abandoned the principle, and his courage was even greater than Wang Yuan, and he deliberately delayed the closing time of the door in the evening, and his two eyes slipped down the street, hoping to see the figure of the people who missed the hour running around. Wang Yuan was speechless in his heart, it turned out that people learned badly so quickly, and a good citizen of the Tang Dynasty with pure thoughts was assimilated by himself in this way.