Zhu Youzhen said: "Didn't you still teach me to take you into the palace?" ”

"Okay, let's settle it." Cao Huachun got up and was about to go out, remembering that the door was locked, he reached out and touched it, wanting to tear it open, but the lock was very firm, and sneered: "How can this be difficult to live with us?" Little brother, offended! Turning around, Zhu Youzhen tightened the rope on his body a few times, and felt that it was difficult to break free, looked at the small checkered window on the south wall, put the stool in the corner of the wall, and stepped on the tentative shaking of the window lattice, this house was old, dilapidated and in disrepair, and it was not a prison for prisoners. Cao Huachun probed out, saw that it was not very high from the ground, turned around and smiled, shrunk his shoulders, climbed out, and ran quickly along the wall of the street to the Yamen of the Soldiers and Horses Division of Nancheng.

Zhou Kui, the deputy commander of the Nancheng Terracotta Division, is the father of Princess Zhou of Xin, and has been a prince for less than half a year. His ancestral home is Suzhou, Zhejiang, and he only came to the capital to live and do business since his father's generation, but he also has little furniture, so he bought a small courtyard house in the south of the city. The daughter was elected as the princess of Xin, and his identity became noble, and he was given the position of deputy commander of the Nancheng Soldiers and Horses Division nearby. Every day when I have nothing to do, I go to the Terracotta Division to order a little Mao, and I go home to fight cocks and dogs and play crickets and raise pigeons, and I live a very comfortable life. In the past few days, I have just bought two famous pigeons: one is called Kun Xing, golden eyes, crested head, and there are seven silver-white stars on the back, three on the left and four on the right; The other is called the purple robe jade belt, with long body and short feet, golden eyes and phoenixes, and dark fur, except for a circle of snow-white feathers on the neck, like a jade belt. He was very fond of these two birds, and he couldn't give up for a while, and was busy taking care of the pigeons in the daytime, observing their shapes and demeanors, and staying up tired, and still thinking about drinking water and feeding at night. I just slept tonight, and when I heard the cooing of the pigeons, I was busy adding some food, but I faintly heard a noise in the front gatehouse, and I was afraid of disturbing the pigeons, so I came to the front yard angrily, and saw that the housekeeper and the doorman were arguing with someone outside the door, and I couldn't bear to cough dryly. The housekeeper hurriedly greeted him and said, "Master, why did you alarm your old man." It's all to blame for this little killer, what do you send in the middle of the night? I had to hand it over to the lord in person, but the villain knew that the lord was resting, so he said that he would hand it over for him tomorrow, but he didn't allow it. ”

Menzi hurriedly picked up the lantern and raised it high to illuminate Zhou Kui. Through the flickering light, Zhou Kui looked out through the small hole in the door and saw that it was a thin young man, and scolded: "What important things have to be sent late at night?" disturbed the master's good dreams. If you want to play any tricks and slander the master's reward, you have to see clearly what kind of place this is, annoy the master, teach people to tie up, and send you to the lobby of the criminal department early in the morning! ”

Cao Huachun was not afraid, nor was he annoyed, and said, "Dare to ask if this is Master Zhou's mansion?" ”

"Exactly." Zhou Kui saw that his words were respectful, and his anger disappeared a little, and he replied with a twist.

Cao Huachun said: "This is the best. The little one didn't bother to talk to such a sloppy porter, and even asked the little one for some errand money! ”

The door was exposed in front of him, annoyed and angry, and covered up: "Don't talk nonsense! Bold thief, why do you harass the lord late at night? ”

Zhou Kui listened to the provocation of the sect, and was faintly unhappy, but he relied on his identity, and he didn't want to reprimand him directly, so he asked softly: "Where did you come from, and what did you send?" ”

Cao Huachun reported his name and surname, took out the jade pendant from his arms and handed it to him: "The person who sent the jade pendant said that you will know it if you see it, and I want you to give you a reward!" ”

Zhou Kui took it and saw a three-clawed cloud dragon carved on the jade pendant, which was extremely familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere. was meditating, and the housekeeper exclaimed: "Isn't this the pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants given by the emperor when my young lady got married?" Zhou Kui suddenly remembered that when his daughter got married, the emperor specially commissioned the craftsman to polish a pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants, and the cloud dragon jade pendant was given to the letter king Zhu Youzhen, and the flying phoenix jade pendant was given to his daughter, which caused many people to be hot and praised at that time. Zhou Kui held the Yunlong jade pendant in his hand, and couldn't help but tremble, sweating all over his body, could it be that something happened to Zhu Youzhen? Hurriedly ordered Menzi to open the small door, let Cao Huachun in, and asked, "What does that person look like?" ”

"She looks delicate, dressed as a eunuch, and is not a few years older than me."

Zhou Kui wondered in his heart, how could a dignified emperor dress up as a eunuch, wasn't this thief trying to blackmail the silver? "Did you ask his name?" ”

"What a lard, what a strange name."

"Is it Zhu Youzhen?"

"He didn't say anything alkali or salt."

"Where are the others?" Zhou Kui became even more anxious.

"Locked in my second uncle's yamen."

Zhou Kui laughed and said: "The master knows that you are talking nonsense, what crime has he committed, and he should also be handed over to the Zongren Mansion to deal with, how can he be detained in a small Nancheng Terracotta Yamen?" You say, where did you steal this jade pendant? No matter how hard you are, I will send you to the official tomorrow! ”

"If he stole it, how could he send it back himself?" Cao Huachun squinted and sneered: "The master is reluctant to reward me with a few dollars and deceive me when I am young?" I have also eaten public meals as a prisoner, but who are these few court trial clichés to deceive? It's okay if the lord doesn't reward money, if he delays a big event, I'm afraid he will regret it. ”

"You're just a little scribe, and you can talk about what kind of tolerance is cooking! I believe in you. But do you dare to go along? ”

"I was going back too."

"Good!" Zhou Kui didn't dare to slack off, hurriedly went back to the room to change his official uniform, called a few soldiers on duty, and came to the Imperial History Yamen.

Cao Xuan rested in the concubine's room, just had an intimate relationship, and was about to fall asleep tiredly, when he heard the doorman in the front yard whispering outside the door: "My lord, the deputy commander of the Nancheng Soldiers and Horses Division asks Lord Zhou Kui to see you." ”

Cao Xuan heard this, and hurriedly got up to find clothes, but the little concubine didn't follow, pulled his arm and said: "Where did you come from to be so ignorant, disturbing people's dreams for no reason!" ”

Cao Xuanyu said with a smile: "Heart, let it go quickly, although he is my subordinate officer, he is still the thousand-year-old father-in-law of the current imperial brother Zhu Youzhen, Lao Taishan, who is not negligent, and it is not good to blindly treat each other as a subordinate official." You sleep in peace, I'll come when I go. ”

"I'll wait for you!" The little concubine said coquettishly.

Cao Xuan agreed in his mouth, and came to the small living room of the east wing in the front yard, and saw that Zhou Kui was walking back and forth there incessantly, and Cao Huachun was standing on the side. Zhou Kui stepped forward to give a salute, Cao Xuan hurriedly stopped, beckoned him to sit down and said, "The old emperor is descending late at night, but what is the happy event?" ”

Zhou Kui said: "Disturbing adults, guilty and guilty!" Seeing that there were no others in the hall, he said in a low voice: "I heard that the lord arrested a eunuch who violated the ban?" ”

"The old emperor is so quick news." Cao Xuan's heart became vigilant. Zhou Kui hurriedly said: "That was a cousin-in-law, drunk and naughty, rushing to change clothes with the little eunuch in the palace, but unexpectedly ran to the street and collided with the adult." ”

Cao Xuan said lightly: "What the eunuch said is not consistent with what the old emperor said, he claims to be the eunuch in the palace, or the steward of Kunning Palace!" ”

"It's all drunken nonsense, and adults can't believe him."

"The old emperor's meaning is ......" Cao Xuan deliberately stopped talking and looked at Zhou Kui with two eyes.

Zhou Kui said: "I want to ask the lord to raise his noble hand and let go of this slave who acts recklessly." ”

"The palace asked about it, I'm afraid it won't be easy to explain, right?"

Zhou Kui said with relief: "My lord, please relax, this is not about many things in the palace, how can you ask questions?" ”

Cao Xuan hindered the face of the emperor, so it was not easy to reprimand him directly, his tone was slightly cold, and he said sarcastically: "The old emperor said it lightly, since he is a person in the palace, how can he not ask?" You see the urgent official letter sent by the boss overnight, saying that the eunuch Chen Derun, who wanted to arrest the treasure thief and leave the palace, is in line with the appearance of Ling Qin and the tooth tag on his body. ”

Zhou Kui saw that the words were not the head, neither dared to use force, nor dared to offend, took the picture and looked at it, and said with a smile: "It's the poor explanation of the humble position, which makes the adults worried." The in-law is just naughty, drunk and immoral robbed Chen Gonggong's clothes, hats and teeth to play tricks, not the eunuch in the palace, let alone the person painted in the picture, the palace will never ask. ”

Cao Xuan said secretly: I'm not a three-year-old child, how can I be easily deceived? became more and more displeased, and said in a sullen voice: "It's not a eunuch, what is it?" Obviously dressed as a eunuch, with no white face, will it be fake? ”

"It's true that he is not a eunuch, and he doesn't dare to deceive his lord." Zhou Kui left his seat and said.

Cao Xuan couldn't stop sneering in his heart, teach me to release people, who can bear the responsibility? Stretched out his hand to stop him: "The old emperor doesn't have to be so polite. Since he is a relative, he should take care of himself, but our officials have little power and light, and they don't dare to make mistakes, how can there be a trivial matter in the palace? If it is not a eunuch, it has nothing to do with the palace, so it is easy to discuss; If it is about the inner court, I am afraid that there is nothing that can be done. ”

"What the humble man says is true, and if you don't believe it, you can verify it."

"Good! If it is not a eunuch, the emperor will take it back. Cao Xuan got up and led Zhou Kui to the hut where Zhu Youzhen was being held together, and Li Fu had already woken up and rushed over, and hurriedly took the key to open the door. Zhu Youzhen saw Zhou Kui and nodded slightly, Zhou Kui saw that his hands and feet were tied and fell on the broken bed, and he almost couldn't bear to step forward and untie the rope. Cao Xuan looked at Zhu Youzhen and Zhou Kui, and said to the door: "Huachun, you come to test his body." ”

"How?"

"Touch his lower body to see if his urine is there?" Cao Xuan's life.

"Wouldn't it be more clear to take off your pants and look at it again?" Cao Huachun is blindly juvenile and only knows how to have fun.

Cao Xuan said sharply: "Hugh is talking nonsense! Cao Huachun turned around and lowered his head and stuck out his tongue, not daring to laugh anymore, but when he saw Zhu Youzhen looking at him angrily, he grinned and said, "Little brother, I'm sorry!" Reaching out to Zhu Youjian's crotch, he could reach it, and suddenly heard the sound of slapping and shouting outside the door, and his palm suddenly stopped. Cao Xuan said angrily: "Go and see who is so bold outside the door?" Catch it for me, serve it with a board! ”

Before Cao Huachun could take a step, he heard someone outside the door of the hut say in a gloomy voice: "What a big breath, the little city patrol imperial history dares to say such a big thing at the feet of the Son of Heaven?" ”

Cao Xuan was shocked, and hurriedly went out to watch, and saw more than a dozen brocade guards standing in the courtyard, wearing white boots in a one-color suit, carrying a scimitar at his waist, and wearing a brass Pisces waist card. Embroidered on the complement in front of the head of the person, a monster is embroidered, like a dragon but not a dragon, with fins on the body, and in the infested water waves, it is a high-grade flying fish suit. The man looked at Cao Xuan coldly, Cao Xuan was so frightened that his body was half cold, he hurriedly stepped forward to give a salute, and said in a trembling voice: "I don't know if the adult is here, please go to the living room for tea." ”

"What kind of tea do you have, a low-grade official? Besides, we're here to take people, and we're not here to drink any of your tea. The man's tone was arrogant and cold. All the brocade guards also shouted: "Did my family commander come to drink your rotten tea late at night?" Cao Huachun didn't know the depth, and was about to scold, Zhou Kui hurriedly reached out and covered his mouth, and whispered to him not to move, stepped out of the room, and said with a smile: "Oops! Xiao Lao'er said where the god arrived, it turned out to be Lord Cui, who was commanded by Jinyiwei, and he was out of welcome. ”

Commander Cui rolled his eyes, squeezed out a smile and said, "Why is the old emperor here late at night?" ”

"I'm consulting with Master Cao on some official matters. Why did Commander Cui get here, shouldn't he be here to catch the little old man? ”

"The old emperor made fun of it, I heard that the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division arrested a forbidden eunuch, and we are here to interrogate."

"Quick news!" Zhou Kuiyi pulled Cao Xuan and said: "Lord Cao, this is Lord Cui Yingyuan, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, and Lord Tian Ergeng, the Governor of Beizhen, Lord Xu Xianchun, the criminal officer of the East Factory, and Lord Yang Huan, the manager of the East Factory, are called Wu Biao, and they are capable generals under the nine thousand years old. Xiao Lao'er had a relationship with Master Cui in the mansion of Taichangqing Ni Wenhuan last year. Cao Xuan hurriedly stepped forward to re-salute and let Cui Yingyuan into the hall, Cui Yingyuan said: "What else do you want to sit in this pickled place?" The business of the 9,000-year-old is important. Hugh is verbose! We chased all the way down and disappeared, but here are you? ”

"Back to Lord Cui's words, the lowly position is to arrest a person who violates the ban, not a eunuch." Cao Xuan smiled all over his face.

Cui Yingyuan glanced at the entourage behind him, and a brocade guard hurriedly came up and said, "The owner of the cloth shop clearly said that he had arrested a eunuch. Cui Yingyuan smiled hesitantly and said to Cao Xuan: "The owner of the cloth shop is the seat keeper of the East Factory, and he will never lose his eyes, so take us to see the people who have been arrested." ”

Cao Xuan said: "The place where the prisoner is held is too salty, so Lord Qincha should go to the hall to drink tea and wait for a while, and then bring the prisoner with him, and ask Lord Qincha to identify it." ”

"Good! Go and go back. ”

Cao Xuan let everyone go to the living room, hurriedly turned back to the hut, and couldn't help but be surprised, seeing that Zhu Youzhen on the wooden bed had no eunuch clothes at all, wearing a Confucian scarf, wearing a blue cloth straight jacket, and the soap boots on his feet were also replaced with double-faced cloth shoes, completely without the dress of a eunuch, he was trembling with fright for a while, his face was full of sweat, and he whispered: "Old emperor, how did you make your relatives look like this?" Isn't it to hurt the lower officials? ”

Zhou Kui said: "He was not a eunuch originally, and the clothes that the little old man will bring have been changed with him, so adults don't have to be afraid." If you are still dressed as a eunuch, but you are not a eunuch, then it will harm the adult! ”

Cao Xuan was helpless, afraid that it would be suspicious that he would be late, so he hurriedly tied Zhu Youzhen's feet and set up the hut. Cui Yingyuan saw a young man in Confucian clothes come in, put the tea bowl down, and said to Cao Xuan: "Didn't you change people?" ”

Cao Xuan's legs were weak, and he almost sat on the ground, wiped the sweat on his face and said, "Master Cui said he laughed." If you are not related to others and commit crimes, why should you impose a cover-up and play with the lives of the whole family! ”

Cui Yingyuan got up and circled Zhu Youzhen's body, looked up and down, and suddenly reached out to pinch his lower body, Zhu Youzhen bent down in pain, but Cui Yingyuan laughed and said, "It's still a chick, right?" It's so small! All the brocade guards laughed together, and Cao Xuan felt that the hanging heart had fallen.

Cui Yingyuan said: "I'm sorry, since it's not a eunuch who left the palace, maybe it's because the old man is dizzy and misunderstood." However, we also spent a lot of silver to buy a number of people, if we go back like this, empty-handed, the matter of losing the silver is small, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to escape punishment at the age of 9,000, wouldn't it be a loss for the lady and the soldiers? When did we make such a loss-making transaction? As he spoke, he rolled his eyes over Cao Xuan, pointed at Zhu Youzhen and said: "In the end, I will not be able to bring this young man back to drive piles, looking at his appearance, he must also have a solid family, and he will not be unable to take out a few taels of silver." ”

Cao Xuan understood that they intended to take the opportunity to rob, so he was so frightened that he couldn't stop looking at Zhou Kui. Zhou Kui said with a smile: "Commander Cui worked hard to arrest the fugitives overnight for the safety of the Beijing Division. Ming'er gave five hundred taels of silver to the house, and made tea money with adults. Other brethren, when the business is done, please come to the house. There are old flower carvings in the little old man's place, and there are also the kaki of Jiangnan Yujiu...... How about having fun together? ”

Cui Yingyuan squinted and smiled: "The old emperor said so, it's not good for us to refuse." We were about to go to the house to bother, I heard that you have recently held a few famous pigeons, so you can see and understand. ”

"Commander Cui is also good at this? That little old man is really not alone. ”

"It's just waiting to be seen. I just didn't find anything to look at! ”

"Do you like to fly and play, or whistle and jump? If you want to fly, there are silver gray strings under the house, its color is like a newborn hook moon, and there is a gray line at the end of each wing, which flies the highest. If you want to play, there is the smallest lilac pigeon under the house, with a mouth as small as a grain of wheat, a head as small as a walnut, red sedan sand on its feet, soap-colored body, and eyes like jade. There is also a kind of parrot white, with a lotus phoenix, the most coquettish......"

"Your Excellency!" A brocade guard flew in from outside the hall and whispered a few words in Cui Yingyuan's ear, Cui Yingyuan asked, "Only boots were found?" ”

"Yes."

"Do you know where the people have gone?"

"I don't know."

"Search!" After that, Cui Yingyuan got up and said: "There is a lot of trouble, I will ask for advice at the old emperor's mansion another day." ”

Zhou Kui didn't dare to say anything, Cao Xuan boldly asked, "Then this person is ......?"

"No, no! The nine-thousand-year-old is looking for a eunuch, and his thing is still there, how can he enter the palace? If you want to enter the palace, you have to ...... that job" Cui Yingyuan made a chopping gesture, and then got up and led everyone away.

Cao Xuangong sent Cui Yingyuan and the others out of the yamen, returned to the hall drenched in sweat, and blamed Zhou Kuidao: "The old emperor can scare us hard!" ”

Zhou Kui apologized: "The matter was in a hurry, and I was afraid that the clothes would not be clear, and I would cause some trouble to the adults, so I taught my subordinates to hide the clothes secretly, but threw a boot outside, just enough to lure them away, so as to show that the offender was not this person, but someone else." Disturbing the adults in the middle of the night, he was deeply ashamed of his humble duties, and went to Liuquanju to make amends for his sin another day. While speaking, Cao Xuan ordered someone to go to the rope on Zhu Youzhen's body, and Zhou Kui said goodbye to Cao Xuan and took Zhu Youzhen out. Cao Huachun followed to the gate and asked, "Little brother, when will you take me into the palace?" ”

Zhu Youzhen took his hand and said, "You must have heard what Jinyiwei said just now, when you enter the palace, you have to clean your lower body, and the pain is so tight!" ”

"Then so many eunuchs in the palace are not afraid, I will be afraid? Don't you regret it, don't you want to take me into the palace, right? Cao Huachun was a little angry.

Zhu Youzhen smiled and said: "That's good, since you are willing, go back and ask your second uncle, if he agrees, go to the front door another day to find a good Rao Yang master to castrate you, and if you are raised, I will send someone to lead you into the palace." ”

Cao Huachun said with tears in his eyes: "Then I'll wait for you." ”

"Let's go! It's not early, it's nearly four watches, and I'm afraid that the house is in a hurry. Zhou Kui urged on the side.

In the palace of King Xin, there was silence, but the main hall was brightly lit, "Why hasn't the prince come back yet?" The three princesses repeatedly asked Xu Yingyuan, who returned home, Xu Yingyuan had told the story three or four times, and everyone couldn't ask or figure out the reason, Gao Shiming, Wang Chengen and others were even more panicked, and they didn't know what to do. Everyone sat for a long time, and Xu Yingyuan cried and said: "The three masters, all of them are old and incompetent, and they actually lost the prince, if it weren't for the news, the slaves wouldn't have come back." The slave will go and look for it again, fight to the death, break into the palace, and find the prince! ”

Princess Zhou couldn't stop it, Xu Yingyuan walked out, and happened to collide with Zhou Kui who walked in, Zhou Kui said with a smile: "No need to go, I'll send people back." When everyone looked, they saw several sergeants with weapons in their hands escorting a showman dressed in Confucian clothes into the main hall, and their faces were full of joy.

Note: The cost of buying a case is the number of cases.