"Phew—" After a few shouts, a mule sedan chair with an oil wall and a black canopy stopped in front of the restaurant. The guy at the door hurriedly ran up, opened the sedan curtain, and waited for the visitors in the sedan to get off. A red-faced old man with a white beard got out of the car, dressed in a plain corner, with a calm demeanor and extraordinary bearing.

Queen Zhang Yan has not yet returned to the Qianqing Palace, she heard a cry, hurriedly lowered her shoulders into the Xinuan Pavilion, and saw Concubine Zhang, Fan Huifei, Concubine Li Cheng, and Concubine Rong have all been crying here, only to know that the Emperor of the Apocalypse has just controlled the dragon, and for a while he couldn't care about the queen's majesty, and cried bitterly, causing everyone to cry again, before stopping the sadness, ordering the four concubines to go back to the palace to rest, sitting quietly by the dragon bed alone, tearfully touching the Emperor of the Apocalypse who still had a body temperature, no longer crying, just crying non-stop. She remembered the year when she first entered the palace, the palace flowers, the salute, the bells and drums, the elegant music, the red clothes, the shining pearl crown and the xiaxia veil, as well as her own crimson cheeks and the joyful eyes of the Emperor of the Apocalypse...... It seems that they all pass away with the mighty west wind, and will never return, except in dreams, in the contemplative reverie of a lonely and lonely man. The night was deep, she forgot her tiredness, she forgot her fear, and secretly admired that she dared to face the dead so closely, and in the dark night, she did not feel the slightest fear or panic, but felt much calmer and more comfortable than when she first faced him in the temple of Xibian. Suddenly, there was a cacophony in the distance, far away in the silent inner city of the palace, getting closer and louder. Zhang Yan seemed to be unable to bear to wake up the Emperor of the Apocalypse, got up and moved, held the door and watched, only to see dozens of reddish palace lamps drifting towards the Qianqing Palace in the distance, and a group of people came in groups, and the brocade guards wearing swords tied and pushed a thin man in a gown and an old eunuch. The queen vaguely saw it, and was shocked: Could it be that the person who was arrested was the king of faith? Hurriedly commanded to the outside world: "Wang Chaozong, look at who is so bold and enters the palace late at night to arrest people?" ”

Wang Chaozong glanced at Wang Tiqian, who was in the duty room, and saw that he was also looking over here, so he didn't dare to hide it, and said, "It's the Jinyi Guard under Wu Biao." ”

"Who are you arresting?"

"The minion glanced at it, like a thousand years of faith."

"Why did you arrest him?"

"The minions don't know."

"Stop them quickly, the emperor's bones are not cold, how dare you treat the emperor like this!" Zhang Yan's face was flushed, and her tone was stern. Wang Chaoyong listened to it as if he hadn't heard it, and he stood aside and didn't move. Zhang Yan was waiting to shout, and Wu Biao led the brocade guards to the front of the palace and gave the courtesy of the monarch and the minister. Zhang Yan said in a stunned voice: "The emperor died, you are not in the palace to mourn and guard the system, but you enter the harem at night to arrest people, is there still a royal law in your eyes?" ”

Xu Xianchun replied: "Niang Niang Chitose, I heard that the emperor ordered the king to inherit the unification, and the Duke of Wei immediately sent someone to welcome him into the palace, and the special ministers and other guards, but unexpectedly inquired, there was no edict, it seems that it must be fake, and it is intended to take advantage of the chaos to usurp!" The first emperor and his ministers are all here, how can such thieves and ministers be rampant? Wei Shanggong was afraid that the queen would be lonely, and the special ministers and others were arrested overnight to protect the community. ”

Zhang Yan sneered: "In this way, it is rare for Wei to have a heart to protect the country!" The king of faith was edicted by the emperor, and I saw it by my side, how can you conclude that it is false? Without the emperor's order, arresting people late at night, disturbing the palace, violent, alarming the spirit of the emperor, can you be guilty? ”

Xu Xianchun laughed a few times dryly and said: "The ministers saw that the king of the letter could not come up with the edict, and his words were stubborn and his expression was obscene, so he must have a ghost in his heart and bad intentions. The situation was urgent, and the ministers had put life and death aside, so they had to appease the party first, and then ask the emperor for orders. ”

"Nonsense! The edict written by the emperor was paid by the king with my own hands. Presumably, he entered the palace in a hurry and did not bring his clothes and ribbon with him, what is suspicious? Zhang Yan asked sharply.

Yang Huan hurriedly replied: "Niangniang is angry, Wei Shanggong wants to ask the prince to come to the palace to talk, maybe Niangniang misunderstood." ”

"What do you say in the middle of the night? Even if he is narrated, he should enter the palace to ask for an audience, how can he work to believe in the king? Even if you don't believe in the king, is there anyone who is bound to narration? Zhang Yanfeng shrugged her eyebrows and her apricot eyes widened.

"Maybe the ministers were wrong. However, just now they scolded and slandered the important ministers of the court, and they should also let them know the law! ”

"You are acting for the tiger, but you are still so clever? Since ancient times, he can't punish doctors, let alone the bloodline of the emperor? Even if he violates the law, he should be dealt with by the Zongren Mansion, and it will not be handed over to the outer court! Do you slaves commit the crime of torturing your master? Zhang Yan reprimanded repeatedly.

Tian Ergeng couldn't bear it for a long time, and Sen Ran said: "It is difficult to say that there is an edict; The king of Fengchuan Xin has the emperor's blood book and clothes edict, but the emperor is seriously ill, how to write? It is not known that no one has misappropriated the name of the emperor! ”

Zhang Yan was furious, and the halberd pointed and scolded: "Bold! I serve by the emperor's side day and night, who can steal the emperor's name? The first emperor has just been driving, and you actually deceived ......the king, and you were so angry that he couldn't speak anymore, and he turned around and saw Wang Tiqian, who followed the palace, and asked: "Manager Wang, did you put people in?" ”

"Yes. When the emperor was there, he entered the palace on the orders of the Duke of Wei and the old ancestor wife Chitose, no matter day or night, the practice was not forbidden. The slave did not dare to stop it. Wang Tiqian spoke slowly.

"Tonight is not to hold you accountable for letting people into the palace, but to ask you if the Si Bao Bureau has lightly touched the jade seal treasure seal?"

"If it weren't for the order, the slaves wouldn't dare, let alone the minions of the Sibao Bureau!"

"Hahaha......" Tian Ergeng's face smiled even more, "The edict is not stamped with a jade seal, it seems to be even more fake, worthless!" ”

Zhang Yan calmed down slightly, and said mockingly: "How do you know about the affairs in the palace? Governor Wang, let them understand this matter. ”

Wang Tiqian looked around at Wu Biao and said: "The major military aircraft events on weekdays are to be stamped with jade seals. If the matter is critical, not enough or inconvenient to stamp, you can seal the emperor's private seal, the authority is the same as the stamped jade seal, but the secret is far more than the stamped jade seal. ”

Wu Biao was stunned when he heard this, and Zhang Yan took advantage of the situation and said to Wang Tiqian: "The country cannot be without a king for a day. Quickly untie the king of the letter, stay in the Qianqing Palace temporarily, and come to the court tomorrow, so as to serve the emperor in peace. ”

Unexpectedly, Tian Ergeng laughed and said, "Where is there any king of faith? It's just a junior who usually waits left and right! ”

Zhang Yan didn't know what to do, and saw that the man was wearing a gown, and his body and clothes were the same as those of King Xin, how could it not be? Wang Tiqian shook slightly, stepped forward quickly, took the palace lamp with his hand, held it high, shone it on the face of the man in uniform, and exclaimed: "I really don't believe in Wang Chitose!" ”

The man in the costume didn't say a word, Wang Tiqian turned around and looked at the old eunuch next to him, and said in a daze: "Isn't this Xu Yingyuan, the personal eunuch of the former emperor in the East Palace?" Disrespectful. ”

The eunuch kept his eyes closed and silent, exercising his strength to resist the pain of the wrong bones and muscles, but the poison in his body had just been resolved, and his internal strength could not be lifted for a while, and the pain was so painful that the sweat on his forehead was dripping. Zhengqiang was patient, and when he heard Wang Tiqian shouting his name, he opened his eyes slightly, revealing a wry smile and said: "It's rare that Mr. Wang still remembers the old man." ”

"And who is he?" Wang Tiqian asked.

Xu Yingyuan saw that he couldn't hide it, so he replied: "King Xin's thousand-year-old personal eunuch Wang Chengen." ”

Xu Xianchun said: "Wipe his face and see his true appearance!" ”

The two little eunuchs took water from the gilded copper jar outside the hall, and Xu Xianchun splashed at Wang Chengen, raising his hand to tear off the mask on his face. Xu Xianchun removed the ropes from their bodies, grinned, and asked, "Where is King Xin?" The two are still said, so that the flesh and skin will not suffer. Their eyes were closed, and they bowed their heads and said nothing. Tian Ergeng hurriedly said: "Escort these two minions to the East Factory overnight, even if they are iron-mouthed and steel-toothed, don't we believe that those newly made torture tools can't be pried open or smashed?" ”

When Xu Yingyuan and Wang Chengen heard this, their faces changed greatly, they glanced at each other, struggled to break free, and shouted: "Lord Wang, the slaves and maids can no longer be loyal to the prince, go first!" "The dragon pillar under the eaves of the double-sided hall crashed into it.

Tian Ergeng shouted, "Keep them!" Several brocade guards jumped together, flew to catch up, and shot like lightning, locking their wrists and shoulder blades almost at the same time, and dragging them back. Tian Ergeng stepped forward and waved his palm, only to hear the sound of crackling, and in an instant, the cheeks of the two were swollen, and under the reflection of several palace lights, they became more and more red.

Sun Yunhe's face was full of joy and said, "Lord Tian's cinnabar divine palm has really reached the realm of the ninth fold!" Then facing Xu Yingyuan and Wang Chengen, with murderous intentions in his eyes, he said in a strange voice: "Since you have been hit by the palm of God, you will soon start from your face, from top to bottom, like ten thousand ants scratching and biting, itching and unbearable." See if you say the whereabouts of the king! Before the words fell, the two of them had already fallen to the ground, rolling everywhere, scratching their hands on their faces and bodies, until they were dripping with blood, and they kept fighting. Everyone was shocked, Zhang Yan was anxious and afraid, and said: "Quickly solve with them, so as not to lose the whereabouts of the king of faith!" ”

As soon as Tian Ergeng was reminded, he also felt that it was too spicy, so he took the antidote pill and poured it on them, which immediately stopped the itching. Zhang Yan ordered someone to help them up and asked Wang Chengen, "Where is King Xin?" ”

Wang Chengen said: "Niangniang, the slave can't answer now." Please forgive me. ”

"Why are you pretending to be the King of Faith?"

Wang Chengen said with a smile: "If it weren't for the slave maid pretending to be King Xin's Chitose, if it wasn't for the Niangniang who arrived in time, I'm afraid that there would be a thousand King Xin's follow." ”

Xu Yingyuan said with a smile: "Niangniang, King Xin's Chitose has already arrived in a safe place at this time. In the whole world, only three people know his whereabouts. The mother doesn't have to ask, when the time comes to speak, the slave will definitely tell the mother. ”

"The three of you know?" Tian Ergeng blurted out.

"Not bad! In addition to the two of us, there is also the prince himself. Xu Yingyuan said seriously.

Tian Ergeng's face was pale, and he was not good in front of the queen. Zhang Yan worried: "King Xin is the last order of the emperor, if he loses his whereabouts, how can he explain to his ancestors and all the people in the world?" Manager Wang, you personally loosen the bindings and detain these two people under the eaves of the Qianqing Palace, there must be no mistake! Then he said to Wu Biao: "Go out of the palace!" Wu Biao didn't dare to disobey, and led the brocade guards to turn around and leave. Zhang Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, turned around and entered the hall, and suddenly heard someone shouting: "Wei Shanggong, Mrs. Old Ancestor Chitose has arrived-" couldn't help but be stunned.

A restaurant on the east side of the south side of the west exit of Huguosi Street, a slip of nine door faces, three-storey pavilions, the middle end of the highest floor is hanging a large plaque with vermilion lacquer and red ground, and the book "Yingzhou Restaurant" is four golden characters, Yingzhou is not only one of the legendary three immortal islands in the East China Sea, but also the ancient name of Wei Zhongxian's hometown Suning Mansion between the rivers. The real name here is Liuquanju Yellow Tavern, built in the Jiajing period, there is an ancient well in the courtyard, clear and sweet, not less than the water of the jade spring of Xishan, the Beijing rice wine brewed is famous all over the world. An ancient willow next to the well, under the tree stacked three pieces of flowers and stones in the period of Huizong of the Song Dynasty, eroded by wind and rain, moss spots. Literati and scholars gather here all year round, and business is very prosperous. Wei Zhongxian's nephew, Wei Liangdong, saw that the tavern was full of money, and the store made a lot of money, so he used the banner of the imperial store, half bought and half occupied, increased its old system, and rebuilt it, and it became a meeting place for officials and gentry. Here you can quickly learn some palace news and officialdom secrets, and officials of a certain level can see the palace newspaper faster than in the yamen, and all kinds of people who listen to the news, run away, and find connections are flocking to it for a while, and the business is becoming more and more prosperous. It is already the time of the shift, and the restaurant is still brightly lit, the wine and food are fragrant, and people come and go, and there is an endless stream.

"Phew—" After a few shouts, a mule sedan chair with an oil wall and a black canopy stopped in front of the restaurant. The guy at the door hurriedly ran up, opened the sedan curtain, and waited for the visitors in the sedan to get off. A red-faced old man with white hair got out of the car, dressed in plain clothes, with a calm demeanor and extraordinary bearing, surrounded by several domestic slaves, and walked straight into the restaurant. The shopkeeper of the restaurant was a doorman under Wei Liangqing, named Guo Jun, when he saw the old man who came in, he hurriedly came out from behind the counter, bowed down and said, "Does Grandpa Guo want to drink or read the newspaper?" ”

"Tomorrow's newspaper is coming?"

Guo Junyu smiled and said, "Grandpa Guo, it hasn't come yet." There was a word in the palace that the newspaper would stop for a few days, and it was not known when the small one would be printed. In the past few days, many adults have come to ask, but I didn't expect Grandpa Guo to come tonight. ”

"I'm afraid that a house slave won't be able to get it back, and every time I wait anxiously and be disappointed."

Guo Jun saw that the old man seemed to be a little displeased, and hurriedly smiled: "Grandpa Guo said that he was laughing." If there is a newspaper in our store, as long as the master comes over, the little one dares not to serve it, and the master will send someone there? I haven't come here in the past few days, and no matter how bold the little one is, he won't dare to deceive the master. ”

The old man smiled and said, "I heard that the wine and food here are excellent, and I have long wanted to try it, but I have never been able to get it." We're not here to pick up any newspaper tonight, just to eat food and wine. He was about to step upstairs, but Guo Jun seemed to be in front of him and said, "Grandpa Guo wants a single room upstairs?" ”

The old man's face sank, and he said in a sullen voice: "The old man is eating at the table downstairs?" Are you afraid that the old man will not have the money to pay you? ”

Guo Jun bowed to the ground and explained: "That's not what Xiao Duan meant, it's just that the single room upstairs is occupied tonight." ”

The old man seemed to be in disbelief and asked, "It's all covered?" ”

"Yes! Don't dare to deceive the master, he is indeed all-inclusive. ”

"Who did it? Teach him to give up one, and we'll pay double the price. ”

Guo Jun said: "I'm afraid this is inappropriate, the reputation of our store is the same as that of ordinary merchants, and it is not good to come forward like this." ”

The old man was proud of his identity and said unhappily: "You are not like this, the old man will go and talk to him!" ”

Guo Jun said with a smile: "Why should Grandpa Guo compete with these secular people!" If you are willing to eat any wine and food, the little one will send it to the house overnight, and the master can eat it quietly, wouldn't it be better? ”

"What are these words? I, Zhang Weixian, won the British dukedom by virtue of my ancestors' prestige and meritorious deeds, how could it be difficult to even get a single room for eating and drinking, and if it was passed out, wouldn't it be an insult to the name of my ancestors? The old man was furious, his face turned red, and his voice was raised. It turned out that this person was the seventh grandson of the British Duke Zhang Fu, a minister of the Ming Dynasty.

"Who dares to make Grandpa Guo angry?" As soon as the words fell, two people came in with a smile outside the door, and they were also dressed in plain clothes. The old man looked at it and said, "It seems that I am not alone." Elder Prince, Zongdao, are you also here to drink? Upstairs, I don't know which turtle grandson is all covered. "The figure known as Changgong was slightly short and fat, with half-white hair and a ruddy complexion, and it was Zhang Ruitu, a scholar of Wuyingdian University, the young master of the Zuozhu State and the prince and the prince's official department. The other was tall and thin, with a dark and yellow complexion, and it was the scholar of the Ministry of Rites and the scholar of Hanlin who came to the sect. In recent days, there has been no news of the emperor, I don't know how many days the emperor can last, especially the most important thing is that I don't know who the new monarch is who succeeds to the throne, and it is closely related to my career and wealth.

"More than 20 single rooms are all-inclusive? Who is so arrogant? "Coming to Zongdao seems to be asking questions, and it seems to be talking to yourself. Zhang Ruitu couldn't help but be secretly surprised.

"It's a merchant from Yangzhou."

"What is the origin? What guests are invited? "Coming to Zongdao can't help but add a lot of interest to this Yangzhou merchant.

Guo Jundao: "Please sit in the lobby with the three bosses, and the little ones will be separated from each other by a screen, so that they can talk." ”

"That's not in a hurry, if the newspaper comes, take it and read it first." Zhang Ruitu said in a slow voice.

Zhang Weixian was dissatisfied: "Where is there any Di Bao? When the old man came, he asked, only to realize that it had stopped for a few days, and it was really anxious. ”

Zhang Ruitu heard that the Di Bao had not yet arrived, so he waved his hand to Zhang Weixian to leave, and came to the sect to stop him: "It is rare to meet with the grandfather of the country and the elder of the pavilion tonight, and the lower officials dare to be the proprietor, how about inviting the two of you to deign to have a few glasses of old wine?" ”

Zhang Ruitu was not easy to refuse, and said with a slightly gloomy dry smile: "Since Grandpa Guo has this Yaxing, why not accompany him!" ”

Guo Jun nodded humbly and said, "The three elders appreciate the light, which is really overjoying. Although the few side dishes in our place are slightly famous, they are just the love of the distinguished guests, and if they are compared to the cooks in the house of the three old adults, I am afraid that it is no less than a cloud of mud. ”

"Haha, if you talk about family banquets, we have recently recruited a chef from Jiangnan, whose skills are really extraordinary, and the Hangzhou cuisine is quaint and cute, with good color and taste. He invited two more adults to come over the house to taste it in the future. Come on, come on, I've already moved my index finger, let's go upstairs! Zhang Weixian is straightforward, straightforward, and old, when it comes to delicious food, he can't bear it, and he can't help but dance with his eyebrows. While speaking, the mahogany screen with a height of more than one person surrounded a simple single room, Zhang Ruitu took a closer look, and saw that the screen was engraved with his famous work "Hou Chibi Fu", and the three of them got up to enjoy it. Xiao Er held the best incense pieces and offered them, Guo Jun finished serving, and said with his hand hanging on the side: "To say that this person originally had no background, just a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou, selling some silk ......"

"Don't be wordy!" Zhang Weixian was originally an impatient person, so he hated him and waved his hand to stop him.

"Good! Good! Long story short, he is Prince Shin's father-in-law, Old Taishan. ”

"Is the surname Tian or the surname Zhou?" Zhang Ruitu asked coldly.

"The surname is Tian."

"Oh! It turned out to be Tian Hongyu! Zhang Ruitu smiled slightly, "He is a bold and interesting wonderful person." But how did he manage to get so many rooms? ”

Guo Junzheng found it difficult to answer, but someone upstairs shouted: "All the guests here listened, my lord happened to be happy, and tonight he chartered a two-story banquet to invite people who are destined to be in the world, as long as he said a word of congratulations, you can go upstairs to eat and drink, and taste delicious wine and food!" Suddenly, the building was full of jubilation, and the diners who were eating in the lobby and waiting for their seats came upstairs to congratulate, and the lobby suddenly became extremely deserted. Zhang Weixian felt quite unhappy, and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy in his heart, and said hatefully: "Before he reached the position of the emperor's relatives, the capital is so arrogant!" ”

Lai Zongdao said disdainfully: "He just relied on his daughter's charming face and graceful figure to end up in this five-grade idleness, what real skills can he have, and where can he be arrogant?" He turned his head to Guo Jun and said, "Go and call Tian Hong to talk back!" He said that someone downstairs wanted to see him. ”

"The little ones understand, and they will never dare to talk nonsense."

Tian Hongyu, who was fair-skinned and thin, was sitting swaggering on the second floor, coldly watching the diners who went upstairs, mostly the children of the anointed rice and some wealthy businessmen living in Beijing, and did not see any high-ranking officials and nobles, and was anxious, and suddenly saw a few people who looked like domestic slaves patrolling around the single room separated by the screen downstairs, so he wanted to go to inquire, and saw Guo Jun hurriedly running up, and said with a smile: "Tian Ye wants to invite all the people?" Do you command a feast below? ”

"Good! Those spare banquets, let's eat and eat at the same time! Silver, we won't be short of money. ”

Guo Jun saw that most of the people were talking and shouting loudly, so he attached to Tian Hongyu's ear and whispered: "There are a few guests below who are inconvenient to come up, please Tian Ye go down to speak." ”

"Which one?" Tian Hong didn't raise his head, he blew the huge cat's eye gold ring on his finger with his mouth, and was secretly happy in his heart, he finally didn't cost me 10,000 taels of snowflake silver!

Guo Jun's eyes were hot, and he couldn't wait to snatch it, put it on his hand, forcibly endured it, and said quietly: "Tian Ye will naturally know if he goes!" ”

Tian Hongyu deliberately sank for a moment, watched Guo Jun go downstairs to report back, then got up and went downstairs to the outside of the screen, and asked loudly: "Which friend is looking for me Tian...... Woohoo! It turned out to be three old men. As he spoke, he stepped forward to salute in surprise.

"That's it!" Zhang Ruitu waved his hand slightly and asked, "Do you know us?" ”

Tian Hongyu shook his head and said, "It's the first time I've met with the three." ”

Zhang Ruitu looked at him coldly and said majestically: "But I know you." ”

"How do you know ......" Tian Hong met the three of them in a big way, and there was a compelling momentum between his gestures, and he suddenly felt a trace of panic.

"You are a five-grade errand, so festive and vigorous, don't you know that the imperial court law has a clear text, and it is not allowed to gather and drink in idle places above the fifth grade?" Zhang Ruitu's tone became more and more stern.

Lai Zongdao didn't wait for him to answer, and said sarcastically: "Maybe it was over-promoted and promoted to a second-grade member, but I don't know." ”

Zhang Weixian was old and dull, and his heart was sincere, and he was very puzzled when he heard it: "This is wrong! Whether it is over-promoted, you should naturally know. "It's like it's fun.

Tian Hongyu felt that the three of them had a lot of backgrounds, and deliberately betrayed a pass, and replied: "The lower officials were happy for a while, and they got carried away, and they actually violated the laws and regulations of the imperial court, thank you for your advice." ”

Coming to Zongdao, he reluctantly asked, "What are you happy about?" Did you give birth to a son, or did you take a concubine! ”

"It's much bigger than that!" Tian Hongyu was full of smiles.

Coming to Zongdao, the pleasure of an old cat and mouse suddenly surged, and he urged slowly: "Then let's say it!" Maybe we're going to say hello to you and ask for a glass of wine? ”

"This matter is related to the fortune of the country, I don't know if I should talk about it in front of the three adults?" Tian Hongyu swept over the three of them with his eyes, and stopped talking.