Due to the pain of losing a son to the Marquis of Xindu, although the deceased has been buried, the gate of the Hou Mansion is still closed, and only a crack is left in the side door. There were four servants standing on either side of www.biquge.info gate. The street in front of the Hou Mansion was already sparsely populated, and there was no sign of people except for a few birds foraging there. Although the Marquis of Xindu strictly restrained his family and servants after returning to the fiefdom, everything was unpredictable, and no one wanted to touch the mold of the Hou Mansion.

The people can hide, but the people of the Hou Mansion can't. The four servants standing in front of the Hou Mansion all straightened their bodies, not daring to make the slightest mistake, so as not to be fired by the housekeeper. The Han Dynasty has been peaceful for two hundred years, but now there are more and more landless people, and it is becoming more and more difficult to find an errand, not to mention the errand of the Hou Mansion, the salary is not low, and there are rewards, and it is also a shameful thing to say it. If he is expelled, who dares to hire a person who has been driven out of the Hou Mansion.

At this moment, there was a sound of horses' hooves from the street, and the four servants immediately raised their heads and protruded their chests and bellies, and stood in high spirits. There were only a few people who could ride horses on the streets of Houfu, and they couldn't afford to offend, and a little steward ran out when he heard the voice. After a while, a black horse stopped in front of the Hou Mansion, a strong man jumped off the horse, and the little steward hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "Steward Tian is back, Hou Ye has been talking about you for the past few days, let you go to see Hou Ye as soon as you come." This strong man's surname is Tian and his name is Ningzhi, and he is the chief steward of the Marquis Mansion in Xindu, who has followed Wang Mang for ten years and won Wang Mang's trust. Tian Li nodded and asked, "Where is the prince?" The servant hurriedly replied, "The prince has been in the study these days, just waiting for the chief steward to return." The little steward replied as he took the reins from Tian Li's hand. I'll go to the prince. You help me pull this horse to groom and feed me. Tian Li took out a cloth bag as he spoke, and threw it to the little steward, "Everyone has worked hard, let's divide the money."

After the little steward caught the money bag, he said: "It's almost ten thousand, there is something to tell the chief steward, didn't San Langjun faint in fright a few days ago, and after waking up, his sanity returned to normal, and the marquis and his wife were overjoyed." I have been able to walk in the field for a few days, and I should be reading in the garden at this time. ”

"San Lang-kun will be able to read?"

"It's San Lang Jun's personal maid who is reading, and San Lang Jun is reading it, because San Lang Jun recognizes the words, but the pronunciation is not accurate."

Tian Li thanked the little steward and stepped into the Hou Mansion through the side door.

The little steward hurriedly put the money in his arms. To the four people outside the door: "Everyone went to my room to divide the money after getting off duty, and I asked a few people to help me watch the point, and I went to feed the horse of the chief steward." ”

When Tian Li walked through the garden, he was greeted by several people, walking in front of Wang Mang's third son Wang An, followed by the personal maidservants who served Wang An, the eldest girl and the second girl. Wang An and the eldest girl were both holding a roll of bamboo slips, while the second girl was carrying a food box, and there were a few handymen behind him holding a desk and cushions.

Tian Li felt strange when he saw this scene. After all, he has followed Wang Mang, the Marquis of Xindu, for many years, and it can be said that he has watched Wang An grow from a young age. Wang An, the third son of Wang Mang, the marquis of Xindu, was born crazy and confused, Wang An was called a fool when Wang Mang was poor, and Erlang's uncle and grandson fought with people a lot for this; When Wang Mang was crowned marquis and ranked as the third duke, others only dared to say that Wang An acted absurdly. Thinking of his uncle and grandson, Tian Li sighed.

Wang An looked at the middle-aged man opposite and suddenly stood still, staring at himself and sighing, his heart was nervous, and the eldest girl behind him hurriedly reminded: "This is the chief steward of the Hou Mansion, surnamed Tian and the word Ningzhi." He has followed the prince for more than ten years and often travels outside. Lang Jun's brothers all call him Uncle Tian. Wang An hurriedly saluted, calling him Uncle Tian, and Tian Li also returned the salute.

After the two greeted each other, Tian Li said goodbye after a few words of advice because he had something to do.

Wang Mang, the marquis of Xindu, knelt in front of the desk and looked at the bamboo slips.

"See the prince", Tian Li stepped forward and saluted Wang Mang.

Wang Mang put down the bamboo slip, straightened up, and said with great joy: "You can come back safely, Benhou is very happy." ”

"The subordinates are incompetent, and the prince is worried", Tian Li gave Wang Mang a deep salute.

"Come, come, sit down and talk," Wang Mang pointed to the cushion in front of the case and asked Tian Li to sit down and reply. "Someone! Bring some refreshments and water, and send the guards to the bottom of the steps, and no one is to come near without my orders. Wang Mang ordered.

"Ah," the servant replied quickly.

After Tian Li finished eating the snack and drinking the water, Wang Mang said: "The news you sent back before was intermittent, you tell Ben Hou in detail, don't miss anything." ”

Tian Li nodded and said, "When the rumors began, his subordinates launched an investigation, and all the clues pointed to an inn in the princely feudal country. ”

"Have you checked the inn?"

"It has been investigated," Tian Li replied, "After the resignation of the prince and the marquis from the Great Sima, someone who claimed to be from the Li family in Nanyang set up an inn nearby, claiming to be the foothold of the Li family's caravan in Nanyang. The inn often went to the fiefdom of the prince to buy goods and chat with people. According to the inn's shopkeeper, Li Chengdai, they came into contact with many people, and finally set their sights on the tenant surnamed Wei, that is, the tenant who was killed by Erlangjun. According to the innkeeper we caught, this person went to the inn many times to ask for payment, and each time he was personally received by the account office, and others were not allowed to approach. ”

"It's the bookkeeper, not the shopkeeper?" Wang Mang felt strange.

"Li Cheng said that the account room is a person who is still in prison." Tian Li replied. "The subordinates have examined the body, and it is true. Since this person did not have anything to prove his identity, it could not be confirmed that he was a eunuch. However, his subordinates have sent his portrait to Chang'an, and asked Anyang Hou and Chengdu Hou to find it in Weiyang Palace, and Changle Palace also sent a copy, focusing on Weiyang Palace. ”

The remnants of the sentence may or may not be eunuchs. Because the punishment prescribed in the Han law is palace punishment, officials will also be punished by palace punishment. Among the officials, there are two well-known survivors. One is Ma Qian of Taishi Company, who later served as Zhongshu Ling; One was the elder brother of Zhang Anshi, Marquis of Fuping, who later served as the court commander and took care of and taught Emperor Xiaoxuan in his childhood. The Zhongshu Order and the Court Order were generally held by eunuchs. Hearing the remnants of the sentence, Wang Mang felt a headache, if it was from the palace......

"This is what happened in Li Cheng's own handwriting after he was arrested," Tian Li took out a silk letter from his body and presented it to Wang Mang, "Li Cheng was afraid of implicating Li Shou and Li Tong's father and son, and was afraid that the prince would retaliate against the Li family, so he wrote down everything that happened." Li Cheng was indeed from the Li family in Nanyang, but betrayed the Li family twenty years ago and took refuge in King Dingtao Gong, who is now Shang's father. ”

"Who else knows about this?"

"There is no one but subordinates."