From the court nobles to the common people, they were all immersed in the atmosphere of the New Year. The rooftops of the streets are covered with white snow, red lights hang under the eaves, and the sound of firecrackers, the smell of delicacies, and the cheerful songs of children waft around.

Homecoming, reunion, and ancestor worship are the mainstream melodies. So a few outsiders with Huaizhou (now Henan Province) accents who came from the door of an inn next to the Little Wild Goose Pagoda in Chang'an City looked extra desolate, and the two carriages stopped at the door, and the people who came down looked like dusty people. During the New Year, I didn't go home for reunion, and I don't know what to do in Chang'an.

The middle-aged man in the middle was dressed in a fur coat, followed by two servants in jackets. His name is Zhang Qi, known as Zhang Daxia, a native of Hanoi, Huaizhou, and Wang Ju, who is now the "Neifang Cheng" of the East Palace, is a fellow villager.

In fact, Zhang Daxia and Wang Ju were very familiar with each other, and they had mixed together in the rivers and lakes, and later Wang Ju got involved in officialdom, and after a few ups and downs, and now he has become an official again, and the relationship between the two is a little estranged. This time, Zhang Daxia entered Beijing precisely to see Wang Ju.

Although Zhang Daxia is known as a "hero", he is completely different from the heroes who act chivalrous and do justice, rob the rich and help the poor, and are different from those who take extreme paths to assassinate and kill for a living, Zhang Daxia almost does not do anything that violates the law and discipline, and he does not rely on martial arts to go to the rivers and lakes, but to rely on his brains, and he has a family and a business in Huaizhou, and he does not have a deep hatred with anyone who kills his father and takes his wife...... In this way, Wang Ju also did a heroic job after the dismissal of the Tang Zhongzong Dynasty, and it is okay for him to call himself "Wang Daxia".

Zhang Daxia walked into the inn and saw that this was a door. Also, during the New Year, they all went home to worship their ancestors, how many people stayed in the inn? Xiao Er never saw it, there was only an old man behind the counter. When the old man saw a guest coming, he beckoned: "Is the guest staying in the hotel or is it a top-notch person?" ”

"Staying in the hotel, there don't seem to be many customers at this time, I'll cover the second floor, I like to be quiet." Zhang Daxia's export is extraordinary, and he directly wants to charter the building.

The old man hurriedly put down the pen in his hand and said, "Business is not good for the New Year, but we are close to Suzaku Street here, and the land price is not cheap...... Even if there are no customers now, it won't be cheaper, so the old decay will give you a 20% discount......"

Zhang Daxia smiled: "Xiao Qian, I can earn you a whole building in one business, believe it?" ”

The old man laughed and said: "Believe, why don't you believe it, you have decided to pay the room fee first, and you can pick and choose the room on the second floor." ”

Zhang Daxia gestured to the person next to him, and the person went to the counter to pay the money. Zhang Daxia turned around and said, "Bring the little ladies in and settle down...... Shopkeeper, my horses, you can find someone to feed you and take care of them. ”

The old man was rubbing a whole ingot of silver, and said without raising his head: "Cheng, you can rest assured that this kind of thing is." ”

Seeing this, Zhang Daxia smiled and said: "No need to knock, there will be no lead in it, we have to live here for a few days, you don't have to knock it slowly to see." ”

At this time, the two brightly dressed little ladies in the carriage got out of the carriage and came in, only to see that the two little ladies were very "plump", and their chins were double, which could really be regarded as obese. In the guest house for the New Year, the two women still looked very happy, looking at their dress, they were probably prostitutes, and they were already homeless, so they didn't care about these. One of them said with a smile: "The boat in the building was so big last time, and this time Zhang Lang will charter the building as soon as he comes, but we always meet rich people." ”

Zhang Daxia said: "Follow me to eat and drink spicy food, I can't treat you badly." ”

So he went upstairs with the little maids, and when he was settled, he told the servants not to wander around with the two women, and then went out with an attendant.

Zhang Daxia went straight to Wang Ju's mansion, came to the palace, only to see a new couplet and door god on the door, it seems that Wang Ju is very comfortable in Beijing, especially the New Year's ancestors, the specifications of the official eunuch are different from Li Min, and there is also light on the face.

called the door to hand over the post, Zhang Daxia waited for a while, and saw Wang Ju personally greet him...... The door is opened, although the door can only be opened to officials at the same level or superior according to etiquette, Zhang Daxia's identity is a grass man in the final analysis, and it is completely etiquette to do so, but Zhang Daxia still feels a little cool in his heart, which is cooler than the New Year's inn.

"Brother Zhang!" Wang Ju shouted enthusiastically and said in surprise, "Why did you come to Chang'an?" ”

Compared with the short Wang Ju, Zhang Daxia's appearance is more imposing. A smile suddenly appeared on his face: "Oh, how can I stand your 'brother'?" ”

Wang Ju said: "Last year, Wang Mou fell to expand the rivers and lakes, it wasn't for Brother Zhang to take a hand, and it was very difficult to make a living, but we are friends in trouble!" Come inside, please, let's sit down and talk about friendship. ”

Zhang Daxia didn't smile: "Words are heavy, everyone has to rely on friends when they go out, a little thing is not enough to worry about, there is no need to mention it." I really can't stand the difference between the government and the people. ”

"Let's just talk about brotherhood, regardless of status and official position." Wang Ju insisted, "It's still the same as before, you call me Shilang, I call you Brother Zhang, listen comfortably." ”

Zhang Daxia smiled, noncommittal, and went into the house with Wang Ju. Walking into the living room, Wang Ju couldn't help but greet him for a while, asking about the situation in his hometown, and remembering his past friendships.

Zhang Daxia said in his heart: Since the surname Wang has his own identity, he is full of officialdom in addition to good words, if I really still treat him as a so-called brother, isn't it boring to find myself? On the contrary, it will make the relationship awkward, so it is better to directly talk about the benefits.

Thinking about it, Zhang Daxia said: "It's no wonder that people are proud and frustrated, those were all trivial things in the past, and they are nothing...... But this time I can really help you, Lang Jun owes me a favor. ”

"Help me?" Wang Ju blurted out, with a little contempt in his tone, but then asked quietly, "How can Zhang Daxia help me, might as well come and listen?" ”

Zhang Daxia said with a smile: "If you really help Lang Jun, you have to help me once when the time comes, and return my favor, haha......"

Wang Ju smiled: "You and I are fellow villagers, are you afraid that I will not be able to deny it?" It's not good to talk about it when you go home in the future...... It depends on how much Zhang Daxia's favor is worth, Wang will not let you suffer. ”

"That's that, that's." Zhang Daxia laughed again, that's right, it's good for everyone to trade fairly, and save some unreliable brotherhood, awkward. He pondered for a moment, and then said, "I'll just talk about the process of this matter, Lang Jun should understand...... Last time, I took over the business: there was an unrighteous person (Bai Wuchang) in the rivers and lakes who betrayed his colleagues, which caused public outrage, and several gangs begging for a living between the business gangs wanted to punish this person, but she climbed on Xue Chongxun, the son of Princess Taiping, and went south on Xue Lang's official ship. As you know, the gangs have their own spheres of activity, and it's not easy to communicate with each other, so it's hard to track down the traitor's whereabouts after traveling a long distance through several states and counties.

…… Zhang is also a little famous in the rivers and lakes, and everyone knows that I know a lot of friends, and it is easy to find people on the ground, so they entrusted this matter to me and asked me to keep an eye on the traces of the traitor. It wasn't a big deal in the first place, but I made an extra discovery......"

Zhang Daxia immediately looked left and right, leaned his head to Wang Ju's side, and said in a low voice: "In the middle of the night, Xue Lang took people off the boat and quietly walked north, going to Youzhou, and came back in nearly a month. On this matter, I won't talk about it, and I don't understand it, Lang Jun should understand. ”

Wang Ju's eyelids jumped suddenly, and he hurriedly asked in a deep voice, "Is this indeed the case?" ”

Zhang Daxia smiled and said: "When Xue Chongxun went south by boat, he bought a group of prostitutes and girls, and they were dismissed after arriving in Chuzhou. I sent someone to check their tone, and two of them happened to see Xue Chongxun get off the ship that night, and then they never showed up on the official ship for more than 20 days...... I bought these two prostitutes and took them with me; The news that Xue Chongxun went to the direction of Youzhou was followed by my people, and my slave also brought it. ”

"I'm done, how much is it worth seeing this news Lang Jun?" Zhang Daxia said with a smile.

Wang Ju couldn't help but be impressed by this hero, this hero can also take the pulse of the palace situation? Wang Ju pondered for a moment and said, "I want to buy those two prostitutes and your slave, but I don't know how much it costs to buy three people?" ”

Zhang Daxia smiled: "How much money can three lowly people be worth?" Lang Jun looked at it, you can give as much as you say is worth it...... I believe that you value the friendship and friendship of your fellow countrymen the most, and you should give a sincere price, and I will not bargain. ”

Wang Ju lowered his head a little embarrassed and pondered, and said in his heart: He said it lightly, but the so-called heroes also like interests? If I can't give a satisfactory price, he can sell the witness to Xue Chongxun! Xue Chongxun is definitely willing to pay a high price to buy it!

Wang Ju, who has just become an official, is still a seven-grade official, and he naturally doesn't have much, so he gritted his teeth and said in his heart: Don't be reluctant to make a little profit in front of you, and take a long-term view! At the moment, he said ruthlessly: "My house is rewarded by the prince, close to Suzaku Street, it is convenient to go to the court, how many colleagues are envious, it will be able to be sold at a good price, I will give it to you, how about changing those three people?" ”

At this moment, Zhang Daxia suddenly laughed. Wang Ju looked at him suspiciously: "Less?" ”

Zhang Daxia shook his head and said, "It's too much." You are really generous, the house is given to me, where do you live? A gentleman does not take the love of others...... How can three lowly slaves and maids be worth a property in Chang'an? That way, you do me a favor, and we'll settle it. ”

"You say." Wang Ju said.

Zhang Daxia said: "There is a hero named Linghu Dazhong, who was put in the prison of the Criminal Department, as if he was going to be punished as a Jiangyang thief. But I know this person, he is usually very righteous and angry, and he hasn't done anything hurtful, so if you find a way to get him out, I'll send those three people to you...... As for the things outside the body, such as gold and silver, don't worry about it, Brother Ling Fox will probably thank you for some gifts, just buy a drink and drink. ”

Wang Ju thought for a while and said, "Success! I want to release this person, and after you meet someone, you will send that person to my house. ”G