Qiao Shangshu met Xu Liang in the study that was originally the prefect of Pingliang.

The study should have been cleaned up, the books on the shelves against the wall were stacked extremely neatly and spotlessly, Qiao Shangshu sat behind the desk, put away the half-spread ancient books on the table, put them in the drawer casually, and beckoned to Xu Liang: "Lord Xu doesn't have to be formal, after the official arrived in Pingliang, he hasn't talked to Lord Xu alone, please sit down." ”

Xu Liang showed a flattered smile on his face, carefully moved a stool, sat down closer to the desk, and said with a restrained smile: "Since the farewell of the capital, Xia Guan has been able to see the ministry again so quickly, I am really happy for several days." ”

"Haha, Lord Xu is polite." Qiao Shangshu stroked his long beard and smiled heartily. The two chatted about some things in the capital, and Qiao Shangshu quickly brought the topic back to his eyes.

"Lord Zhang Nianyun has always been extremely serious about doing things, he is purely not about things and people, these days Lord Zhang's enthusiasm for investigating cases is very high, there may be many places that touch Lord Xu, that is also Lord Zhang's consistent style of acting, not any opinion of Lord Xu himself." Qiao Shangshu said slowly.

Xu Liang snorted coldly in his heart, what is right and wrong, this New Year's luck is obviously eyeing himself! Thinking like this in his heart, Xu Liang showed a smile of understanding on his face, and arched his hand: "Xia Guan has also heard of Master Zhang's style of acting, so he didn't care. In the affairs of the prince, the lower officials are frank and unrestrained, as pure as the white paper that Zhenxuan has just baked, and there is no stain to be found. ”

Qiao Shangshu bowed his head and said: "Lord Xu has such a mind, which is admirable. I heard that the vanguard battalion and cavalry of the Liang army were also opened last night?"

Xu Liang said: "My lord, the thieves who were driven out of Jingning City by us have signs of counterattack. The lower officials have to report, and they can't help but guard against it. It was to send troops out of the city overnight. ”

Qiao Shangshu praised: "Lord Xu can not forget his duty during the interrogation and serve the public wholeheartedly. It's very rare. If this is heard in the ears of the Holy Beings today, the Holy Ones will be pleased. ”

After a pause, Qiao Shangshu lowered his voice and said: "To say something disrespectful, the prince is dead, and it doesn't matter if the official comes to Pingliang to find out something, as long as he can give the emperor a passable explanation." Lord Xu, as long as you work hard and vigorously suppress bandits, when necessary. This official will mention Zhang Yushi and close the case as soon as possible. ”

Xu Liang's heart moved when he heard this, listening to Qiao Shangshu's meaning, he didn't want to delve into the cause of the prince's death? What's going on? Could it be that this Shangshu Master ran to Pingliang with great fanfare, just to find a random reason to fool Emperor Chongzhen? Although Xu Liang was suspicious in his heart, but looking at Qiao Shangshu's various expressions after he arrived at Pingliang, except for going to the banquet, he was listening to music, or drinking flower wine, and he didn't care about the investigation of the case at all.

Xu Liang was not sure of the true intentions of this criminal department secretary for a while. After dealing with it carefully for a while, he retreated with doubts in his mind.

Out of the study and into the outer courtyard of the yamen, Xu Liang was awakened by a noise. Following the sound, I saw a group of officers and soldiers in the central corridor of the courtyard smiling and watching the excitement, and there were two people in the middle of the crowd who were scuffling. There was also a person next to him who was fighting.

After hearing the scolding of one of them, Xu Liang was startled. Three steps and two steps ran forward, pushing aside the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp who were gathered outside. The probe looked in, and saw that Pingliang Tuiguan Huang Daozhou was wearing a bun, firmly grasping the official robe of Pingliang Tongzhi Lu Yifa with one hand, and hitting Lu Yifa in the face with the other hand, but was stopped in mid-air by another blue-robed official, Guo Tianxu of Pingliang Zhixian County.

"Shameless man, take a punch from the old man! Oh, Guo Zhixian, Hugh has to stop me! Huang Daozhou was like a madman, because he was stopped by Guo Tianxu with one hand, he couldn't fight, and he scolded angrily.

On the other hand, Ping Liang Tongzhi Lu Yifa had torn off half of the official robe on one shoulder, and the official robe on his body was also torn and wrinkled by Huang Daozhou, Lu Yifa's face turned red, and in the face of Huang Daozhou's angry scolding and fists that could fall at any time, he blindly dodged, and the wolf was unbearable.

It was rare for the onlookers to see the officials of the court rolling up their sleeves and fighting, watching the excitement of the excitement, staring at the field excitedly, and bursting out of laughter from time to time.

Seeing this, Xu Liang's face turned dark, and he shouted in a deep voice: "Zodiac Zhou! Stop! ”

Huang Daozhou turned his head and saw that it was Xu Liang, gestured, but still didn't let go, and shouted: "Lord Xu, you came just in time, and see how the old man teaches this shameless man a lesson!" ”

Lu Yifa saw Xu Liang, like a drowning man seeing a life-saving aquatic weed, and screamed: "Lord Xu, help!" ”

Huang Daozhou was furious when he heard this, turned his head and rushed forward to beat Lu Yifa.

Xu Liang rushed forward, shook his hand to separate the two, and said angrily: "Enough! The dignified and cool officials, who commit murder and beat people in public, what kind of system has it become! ”

Huang Daozhou looked at Xu Liang in a daze, snorted angrily, and glared at Lu Yifa.

Lu Yifa's face turned red, he broke free from Huang Daozhou, bowed to Xu Liang hastily, brushed aside the onlookers, and hid his face. When the officers and men of the Beijing battalion saw that there was no excitement to see, they couldn't help but feel a little sorry and slowly dispersed.

Xu Liang angrily asked Huang Daozhou: "What's the matter?" ”

Huang Daozhou turned his head away and said nothing. Xu Liang turned to look at Guo Tianxu, the county governor of Pingliang, Guo Zhixian spread his hands and reported blankly: "The lower officials don't know, at that time, Lu Tongzhi was walking in the middle of the road, and Lord Qin sent Master Zhang to catch up and talk to Lu Tongzhi. Somehow, this happened to let Lord Huang see it, and Lord Huang rushed up in such a rage, pulling Lu Tongzhi to fight, and the lower officials dared to rush forward to persuade when they saw that the situation was wrong. ”

Xu Liang looked around and couldn't help asking, "What about the imperial history?" ”

Guo Tianxu said: "After Lord Huang and Lord Lu fought, Zhang Qincha took the time to leave. ”

Xu Liang nodded, sent Guo Tianxu away, and pulled Huang Daozhou out of the prefect's yamen. The two walked down the street, neither of them talking much.

When he was about to walk to the Zodiac Zhou Mansion, Xu Liang finally couldn't help it, and asked angrily, "What's wrong?" ”

Huang Daozhou pursed his lips and said in a sullen voice: "It's not much, Xia Guan saw that Lu Yifa and Zhang Nianyun were together again, and he didn't like it, his hands itched and wanted to beat people, so he rushed up when he was excited." ”

Xu Liang sighed helplessly: "Brother, you are forty or fifty years old, old arms and legs, thin and lean, there are not a few taels of meat on your body, and you still want to learn to fight?" It was also Lu Yifa who saw that you were old and didn't fight back, otherwise, you would have to be beaten down by Lu Yifa when you went up. ”

Huang Daozhou glanced at Xu Liang and said irresponsibly: "What's the matter, isn't there an adult behind you?" ”

Xu Liang glared and said, "Although I still belong to the ranks of young men, I won't help you." ”

"Hmph." Zodiacal thoughtfulness.

The two walked in silence for a while, and after a while, the two stood at the door of Huang Daozhou's house. Xu Liang asked again, "Is there really any other reason?" ”

Huang Daozhou said seriously: "There really isn't. I just can't get used to it! ”

Xu Liang nodded, looked at Huang Daozhou seriously, and said sincerely: "Don't do this next time." ”

Huang Daozhou raised his head and thought for a while, and said, "My lord, you are right, if you really beat me, you can't beat Lu Yifa." The next time I see Lu Yifa and that Zhang Yushi are crooked, I won't fight anymore, and go up and spit directly! Shouting: Sour Confucian, I'm bah! ”

“……”

Xu Liang found that he could not make the persistent Zodiac Zhou change his mind, and he was frustrated and helpless. Even with the rogue ruffian style that Huang Daozhou occasionally revealed, he admired it very much, but when he met such a stubborn old man, Lu Yifa could only consider himself unlucky.

Lu Tongzhi also felt that he had no face to see people. Yet today he still had to meet someone.

In the room of Zhang Nianyun, the embarrassment on Lu Tongzhi's face had not completely faded, and when he sat on the mahogany chair and saw Zhang Yushi frowning and walking around with a deep groan, he couldn't make up his mind, and the anger in Lu Tongzhi's heart gradually rose, his face became redder and redder, and his breathing became heavier and heavier.

"What do you think?" Lu Tongzhi asked.

Zhang Nianyun stopped walking in circles, thinking that he would send out early in the morning to summon Luo Rucai, the vanguard officer of the Liang Army, to go back to the house for questioning, but he had not seen the soldiers come back so far, he was anxious, and recalled the confession of Qiao Yunsheng, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and said embarrassedly: "Lord Shangshu called the official over, and the meaning of the words is that he doesn't want to investigate further, if the official goes to lead the troops to investigate No. 17 Changle Street, it will disobey the meaning of Lord Shangshu, but it is not beautiful." ”

Lu Tongzhi smiled miserably, got up, and said resentfully: "Even if I, Lu Yifa, am blind, I would actually believe that Lord Qincha can bring down Xu Liang, and now that the iron-like evidence is in front of him, Lord Qincha will not take it in one fell swoop, but will be worried and shrink back!" That's it, that's it! I have lost face today, and I don't have the face to stay in Pingliang anymore, so I will go to the court and return to my hometown. ”

After that, Lu Tongzhi glanced at Zhang Yushi resentfully, turned around and left, his figure was so lonely and desolate.

Zhang Yushi looked at it in a daze, his face cloudy. (To be continued......)