Liu Tongxun finished his secret presentation, and followed Qianlong to the Qianqing Palace and the banquet uncertainly, he was afraid that Liu Kang would commit suicide if the news would leak out, and he thought about whether Liu Kang had already set off to Shanxi, where to intercept it, and was worried that the case would drag on for too long. It wasn't until Prince Zhuang announced the rest of the feast that Liu Tongxun came to his senses, and hurriedly came out with everyone, looking for Shangshu Shi Yizhi, and said with a smile: "Da Sikou, I want to discuss something with you when I go back to the ya, can I go back to the yaya with a sedan chair?" Shi Yi smiled and said: "What's the matter with the rest of the past few days?" Liu Tongxun only smiled and didn't answer, and came out with Shi Yi, and the two took a sedan chair back to the yamen of the Criminal Department, which made Liu Tongxun's sedan chair inexplicable.

…… Coming out of the sedan chair, Shi Yizhi already looked grim, took Liu Tongxun into the signing room and sat down, and said, "Act quickly." In this case, you are a special officer, and I will be a helper. This spread the news that the people of Shuntianfu came to inform Sun Jiagan of the governor of Zhili Yamen and sealed the main road out of Beijing. We don't know where Liu Kang lives in Beijing, and we will send capable officials to find him in the same year, inquire about his whereabouts, secretly monitor him, or catch him on the spot, and it will be foolproof. ”

"Yes, my lord is thoughtful." Liu Tongxun hurriedly smiled and said, "This will be arranged." Then he called Huang Roll, the official of the arrest department, to arrange them one by one, and then he and Shi Yi set up a chessboard game and waited for the news. It's just that both of them are concerned about the horse-hearted ape and walk around.

When it was about to get dark, Huang rolled back and reported: "Liu Kang didn't leave, he has a house in Xixiaozi and has a concubine, and he didn't come out when he went back at noon today." The people in the courtyard next door to Shen Shipai heard a woman crying in that courtyard and scolded something in a low voice. Liu Kang seemed to persuade something, and then he was quiet. Shi Yi said straightly: "In this case, why didn't you take someone to lock him up at that time?" Huang Huanhui smiled and said: "The slave doesn't have a Shuntianfu ticket in his hand, and not far from Liu Kang's house is the Yamen of the Ministry of Officials, I'm afraid that things will make a big fuss." I thought he would always come out to watch the lights, so he quietly caught him outside. Unexpectedly, several officials came later, but they didn't recognize it, and they went in for a while, and took Liu Kang to talk and laugh, and listened to the tone of going to Prince Zhuang's mansion to go to the feast. Shi Yizhi followed closely and asked, "No one is following now?" Huang Roll hurriedly said: "The slave's son Huang Tianba has sneaked into King Zhuang's mansion to monitor, don't worry, you can't kill him, and you can't leave him." ”

"Huang Roll's errand is not bad." Liu Tongxun said quietly on the side, "I'll go to the Sixteenth Master's Mansion in person now." Shi Yizhi frowned and muttered: "This is too much to disgrace Prince Zhuang, what if he wants to come forward to stop him?" Liu Tongxun's muscles on his black and red face twitched, and he said coldly: "I'm Qincha." "Say it and leave.

……

Prince Zhuang's Mansion is located in the old Qihua Gate, located in the east of the city, and is not very secluded or very lively in Beijing. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is actually a festival for the people to enjoy the lanterns, and Yunlu himself is an expert in making lanterns. The white jade qingcui lanterns, dragon and tiger wind and cloud lanterns, ice and fire lanterns, Guanyin water lanterns, Xi Shi Huansha lanterns, Nezha sea lanterns, flying in the sky, swimming in the water, and walking on the ground can be made by him. Because he had learned that Qianlong was doing the same for the people, he was very unhappy, and he refused to touch this bad head in vain. In order to have fun, Yunlu called Hongxiao, Honghui, Hongsheng, Hongpu's nephews, as well as the subordinate banner slaves who were officials in Beijing, and the close ministers in the past, such as Qi Lesu, Xu Shilin, Na Sutu, Yang Chaozeng, and Yin Huiyi, were also invited, and more than a dozen tables of flowing water seats were set up, and they were changed as they ate, and there were always only four dishes on the table. He Ying, Legesai, Ma Chengluo, and Ge Shanting are all foreheads, and they have other things to say when they meet. Yunlu is the chief prince, his face is incomparable, and some people even drag their friends to have fun, and when the lights are on, there are also 200 people who come. Prince Zhuang is an easy-going person, everyone who comes, whether they know it or not, personally holds their hands and greets them warmly, seeing Ji Yun and Xu Shilin coming in together, he actually left Xu Shilin behind, smiled and went up and grabbed Ji Yun and said: "Don't salute, so many people, there is no leader in following the rules - have you seen it?" This is what I just said about Ji Xiaolan, and the master praised him to me again and again that day! ”

"Lord Wang, this is all the wrong love of the saints, how can you be restrained in your later life!" Ji Yun smiled and said, "It's just for the emperor's fun." ”

Yin Huiyi squeezed over from the crowd, he was a Han squire of the military department, and he was also five big and three thick, with only a walnut-sized meat bun growing in front of his left forehead, which looked particularly conspicuous - he came to him and pushed Ji Yun with a smile and said, "You guy, you tricked me so hard last time!" Come on, come on, punish three glasses of wine! Everyone was stunned, these two people were neither subordinates nor fellow villagers of the same year, and they were also a cut apart in age, how could Ji Yun trick him? Yin Hui smiled and said: "You all know, this tumor on my head is so bitter that I can't do it, the last time I went to Hanlin Academy, Ji Yun said that there is a miracle doctor named Mr. Shi Er who lives in Shijia Hutong, and he will take you medicine to get rid of the disease." However, this Mr. Shi Er is not easy to see a doctor, you have to live a good life. Listening to his words, I got a few boxes of ** points and went to visit Shi Er. I asked a few places in the alley, and people showed the way, just asking who was laughing. I was surprised, when I knocked on Mr. Shi Er's door, I was stunned as soon as Shi Er opened the door - it turned out that there was also a tumor on his right, exactly the same, it was like looking in a mirror! Everyone listened in amazement, and then they couldn't help laughing. They all said: "It should be punished, it should be punished!" ”

Ji Yun is a famous man in the river, conceited and uninhibited talent, but the Enke exam fell behind the fourth place in the second class, far behind Zhuang Yougong, although he was selected in the Hanlin Academy for the position of the secretary, he has always been not eye-catching, today's words are in line with the holy will, such as the famous flower suddenly blooming, attracting bees and butterflies to fly, even Prince Zhuang looked at it differently, and couldn't help but be happy with his face. Surrounded by everyone, he sat down, drank three big drinks in a row, and was about to speak, Yunlu patted his palm three times, and the curtains of the two walls suddenly opened, a team of young women, all dressed in Han costumes, with wonderful clouds, swaying and jingling, waving five strings, watching the autumn waves, whirling and dancing out, everyone in the hall calmed down in an instant, and when listening to the singer singing, it was a song minus magnolia:

The peony tip is small and red. The dancing sleeves are low, and the heart is a confidant of Langbianke. Golden bottle and jade wine, happy for my longevity among flowers, Mo Mo rested, and the white hair was ashamed of me......

As soon as the singing stopped, everyone immediately applauded. The Ministry of Works' Shangshu Qi Lesu sighed: "What a beautiful and stunning! I don't know which celebrity in the house is handwriting? Yunlu smiled and pointed to a middle-aged man on the second table: "Old Master Yao! Everyone was stunned when they saw it, only to see that this old master Yao had a flat nose and carp lips, a face full of **, about an early year of wind disease, eyebrows sparsely fallen, and the two eyes under the head were also one big and one small. The audience praised themselves, shook their heads and pretended to be humble, and arched their hands: "How dare you be praised, teach, teach!" When everyone saw his strange appearance, they all covered their mouths and snickered. Ji Yun said with a smile: "I also have a refurbished "Song of the Great Wind" to try to humiliate you!" Then he said loudly:

The wind is blowing and the eyebrows are flying, and the warriors are guarding the bridge of their noses?

As soon as the groan fell, everyone laughed. Hongxiao was lying on the back of the chair with one hand and laughing straight, Xu Shilin squatted on the ground and coughed breathlessly, Hongsheng beat his chest and bowed down and laughed, a bowl of tea was buckled on the table, Yunlu choked with laughter and said: "This ...... This is too harsh......" Old Master Yao's face was swollen with anger, and he said, "Does Hanlin judge people by their appearance?" Ji Yun didn't want to turn his face with him, and when everyone laughed, he said softly: "I have read Chao Wuyi [1]

's "Kaifu Music", take Zun Fan to make up a song for the prince and the adults, are you happy? Old Master Yao didn't dare to speak, so he only poured himself a cup and drank it hatefully.

"I still have an ancient painting here, and the inscription on it is gone." Yunlu saw that Old Master Yao was embarrassed, and he didn't want to offend Ji Yun, so he turned around and took down a newly framed ancient painting from the top of the cabinet and took it to the lamp, and said, "Mr. Ji, please identify it." ”

Everyone stopped laughing and came over, Ji Yun carefully opened it to see that the paper was dark and peeling, and the densely printed stamps were not very clear, but the picture was a Taoist priest, describing a strange sword, holding a wine bucket in one hand, holding a cup in the other hand and drinking to the sky, and a woman in black standing behind her, her eyebrows were picturesque, her lips pursed and she seemed to be talking, and everyone couldn't help but look at each other: What is this story? Ji Yun looked at the painting very carefully, sighed, and said, "Lord Wang, this is Huizong's handwriting. "Yongle Ceremony" said that in the fourth year of Song Xianping, a Taoist brought a woman in black clothes to Beijing and bought wine to drink alone. Huizong's micro-service visit is a painting. This painting is consistent with historical events everywhere. It should be the work of the emperor himself. The inscription on it is a few stacks of songs, probably sung by a woman in black clothes. Then the man groaned:

Chaoyuan Road, Chaoyuan Road, with Yuhuajun. Ten times the red color, the world refers to the auspicious clouds, looking back at the sea and the new. The spring breeze rises, the spring breeze rises, and the flowers on the sea are far away. Eighteen winds and clouds are about to move, flying flowers and rain are light, and the way back is green. Curtain desert, curtain desert, the sky is light and a curtain of autumn, self-washing jade cup pouring liquor, the moon is slightly reflected is an empty boat, singing the sea west!

Yin said with a smile: "There is a fairy spirit in these lyrics, and it is not a human style, so I barely remember it." ”

Liu Kang has been unhappy since he went to the banquet tonight. His own official fortune is prosperous, but his family fortune is in shambles. Cao Rui, Rui Er, and Li Ruixiang, the three servants, have followed him as a long-term follower since He Luying's death, and they were all afraid of committing crimes at first, but they were still safe. Later, when they were transferred to Shanxi, Cao Rui and Rui Er were a little unstable, first they moved their hands and feet in front of the girl, and then they took turns to rape the girl, without fear. When the girls and the old women saw Liu Kang's favor and trust Sanrui, they went to Liu Kang's wife Liu Qiaoshi, and the lady didn't know what her master did, so she called Cao Rui and Rui Er to draw 20 strips each, and said that they would spend money, but who knew that it would be a night. The next day, he called the five girls who were ruined to reprimand them fiercely, saying that the girls were not self-respecting, and they didn't believe that people like Cao Rui and Rui Er would do this kind of thing, and promoted Cao and Rui to become deputy housekeepers. That Cao Rui and Rui Er became more and more rampant, and took Liu Kang on a business trip to Datong, so they simply went in with Liu Qiao's family, taking turns to be happy in the upper room, and they also had to accompany the girl to the bed. made Liu's Mansion a romantic cave for two demons. Li Ruixiang is an old servant of his own family, and he still cares about his old feelings, seeing that Errui is not talking, and the master can't control it, sometimes he pulls a back and quietly advises a few words, "Everyone has a boat, and you can't overturn the boat by yourself." "It's just that Errui is a little more restrained. This time, Liu Kang refused to return to Shanxi for a long time when he entered Beijing, firstly, he was an official in Beijing, and secondly, he was really afraid of returning to the muddy pond-like den, so he ordered Li Ruixiang to find a house in Beijing and buy a concubine Yanyan. Whoever wants to visit the guest in the morning will see Yanyan lying on the bed and crying. When asked, it was Li Ruixiang who took her afternoon nap, quietly came up and held it down, and also learned from Rui and Cao. It was easy to persuade in the afternoon, promised Yanyan to expel Li Ruixiang, and promised Li Ruixiang 3,000 taels of silver to live by himself, which calmed down the matter. He was dragged to King Zhuang's Mansion to the feast, where did he have the heart to laugh and have fun with everyone? Zhen Cuo jade food can't be swallowed in one bite, the left cup and the right cup are just eating wine. At this time, seeing everyone looking around to see the paintings, Liu Kang, who was drunk and dazed, was about to reluctantly get up and perfunctory, when he suddenly saw Liu Tongxun striding in along the corridor with a few servants. Liu Kang was stunned, and said with a busy smile, "Brother Yanqing, you are guilty of being late, and you will be punished with three glasses of wine!" Just as he was about to step forward, a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old next to him held him tightly and said, "Don't fall down, sir, you have wine." ”

"It's Liu Yanqing!" Yunlu heard Liu Kang talking behind his back, turned around and said with a smile, then his face changed color, and said, "What, come into my house with a water and fire stick?" Hundreds of officials were stunned at this time. Liu Tongxun took a step towards Yunlu under the gaze of everyone, threw his hand to the ground, and said: "Tongxun is on duty at the moment, and there are many crimes, but the stakes are very high, so I have to do this, I will definitely come to the palace to ask for guilt another day." Yunlu was stunned and said, "What's the matter?" How did I not know? ”

Liu Tongxun only bowed to answer, turned his face to Liu Kang and smiled, and said: "Brother Kang, there are many people here, everyone is happy, and it is inconvenient to speak, please take a step to speak." Seeing that the young man clung to himself tightly, he tried to break it down, as if he had been hit by an iron hoop, he knew that something was wrong, and he stiffened up and said: "Liu Kang has nothing to say to people in his life." Yanqing has something to say, please speak in person. Liu Tongxun sneered and said, "Brother Kang, your East Window incident happened!" Then he turned his face and shouted at the officer:

"Take it!"

As soon as the words fell, Huang Tianba ripped off Liu Kang's official hat, and with a hand, Liu Kang rushed out of his arms like a projectile, and several servants pounced on him like hungry wolves. Everyone was dazzled and startled, and in a flash, an iron rope was draped between Liu Kang's neck. Liu Kang jumped with both feet, froze again, looked up to the sky and sighed: "The villain mistook me and trapped me, and the sky has eyes - I was wronged!" Where did Liu Tongxun allow him to say more: his mouth is full of strength, and the iron chain has already pulled Liu Kang out.

At this time, more than 100 people in the banquet hall were shocked by the wood carving clay sculpture, watching this short black man do something, he couldn't say a word, and he was so silent that he could hear a needle on the ground. Liu Tongxun left last, and then he slapped Yunlu, who was so angry that his hands were cold, that he said: "The slave is rude, it is really a last resort, I pray for the prince's forgiveness!" The slave said that he would be guilty another day! So saying, he got up and bowed again, but hurried away. Yunlu was stunned on the spot, and only after a while did he grit his teeth and smile, "Speaking of which, Liu Tongxun is still a student of my minion, which is really good!" - Prepare a sedan car. I'll go into the palace! So saying, he came down the stairs. Old Master Yao quietly left the crowd of discussions, grabbed Yunlu in a few steps, bowed and said, "Lord Wang, you have official business to enter the palace this time?" ”

"Nope." Yun Lu said angrily, "I want to ask for the punishment of this bastard who has no royal law in the Criminal Department!" ”

"Liu Tongxun didn't say that he was sent to the Qin or the ministry!"

Yunlu hesitated and stopped. Old Master Yao said euphemistically: "Think about it-if Shi Yizhi sent him and lent him a gut, Liu Tongxun wouldn't dare to be so reckless!" Liu Kang Sanpin, how dare the criminal department itself take it and say that he will take it? Liu Tongxun is here not to announce the Qin Mission, either to avoid the prince from saluting and taking care of the prince's decency, or to think that the prince will come forward to stop him and then announce it, which will make you even more embarrassed. The emperor's side is also having fun with Lafayette, you have made a fuss in the past, do you sweep his interest? Not the same as Liu Tongxun anymore? Fu Jin is also in it, in case there is a half-word condemnation, you and Fu Jin will not be able to get down on their faces! Yunlu felt that what he said was reasonable: he broke into Cining Palace to question Qianlong. I don't know what crime Liu Kang committed, and I don't know who sent Liu Tongxun here, so I have to ask myself speechless in a few words. Qianlong has always flaunted filial piety, making the Queen Mother unhappy, and he still has his own good fruit to eat? Thinking about it, he was deflated, sighed and said, "Now it's a bastard world!" Can't you Liu Tongxun predict that you will take someone again? There's nothing wrong with me taking it down and sending it to the Punishment Department! I'm still a noble Tianhuang, you're so arrogant! I don't know what to do with the people below! - You tell the prince to greet these people and eat and drink, and get drunk to the fullest. I went to the study to rest. ”

Old Master Yao's persuasion was still right. The banquet in Cining Palace is ten times more lively than that of the palace, but the keys have already been placed everywhere in the palace gate, and they are really reported layer by layer, thinking that there is something important in the military state, Qianlong naturally wants to meet him, and his trivial "things" can't be put on the table at all, and he will definitely touch the big mold.

At this moment, thousands of giant candles in the main hall and side hall of Cining Palace are burning, illuminating the inside and outside of the palace. Hundreds of first-class ladies and relatives of lords and ministers with heads and faces were all dressed up and sat at the group seat. The Empress Dowager Niu Hulu, who was less than fifty years old, was radiant and sat high in the middle seat, with the Empress Fucha holding the pot on one side and the Empress Dowager's maiden family holding the pot behind her niece and concubine Niu Hulu. Qianlong and the empress sat opposite each other and served. Because the imperial feast has not yet begun, the table is full of stacked high water and land treasures, a hundred longevity peaches are steamed with noodles, the big ones are like bowls, piled high in front of the queen mother, the head is red, with green branches and green leaves, in many fruits are particularly gorgeous and eye-catching. The bell rang, the bell and drum in the hall were great, the Zhonghe Shao music that was carefully composed by Zhang Zhao was exciting and pleasant, the words were gorgeous, more than 100 Changchun Gardens were enshrined and sang with the music, and the noble lady in the hall immediately left her seat and knelt solemnly to listen:

Ciwei is blessed with health, and Ruiyun undertakes to offer Jiaxiang. Huiliu treasure book light, jade food is full of joy. The rising sun is just the sun, Suimei longevity, happy and healthy. Yaochi leaves are like mountains, and there are no borders.

As soon as the song fell, Qianlong, the queen and the concubine left the table and knelt in front of the case, bowed down to the queen mother, and said: "The emperor respectfully bows to the queen mother, and the mother has a long life!" ”

Tang'er followed the salute in a group of relatives and women, looking at the suave Qianlong Emperor, since entering the palace in October last year and Qianlong began to have "contact", she felt that her value was not ordinary, and she felt sorry for the queen who treated her very kindly, missing her husband and looking forward to her husband staying outside for a few more days, every time she entered the palace to see Qianlong, she was afraid to see Qianlong, and she met Qianlong again. Qianlong in front of him had a sincere face**, and he solemnly worshiped the Queen Mother with the queen. Tang'er remembered the lingering affection and words of the two people's private tryst, and couldn't help but feel her heart beating suddenly, blushing and lowering her head, not knowing what she felt in her heart, she only said secretly: "Men are really ......" was thinking nonsense, and the ceremony was over. Niu Hulu held the pot and poured wine into the cup in the queen's hand. The queen solemnly held the cup to Qianlong. Qianlong knelt on the ground, held the wine glass in both hands and sent it to his mother, and said, "The son knows that his mother is not strong enough to drink. Today is a good day, the moon is full outside, and it is time to add life to my mother. This cup of wine is to be drunk to the fullest. ”

"Good!" The Queen Mother took the wine and drank it all, shook her head slightly, and smiled kindly: "The moon is good today, the wine is good, and I am happy in my heart." The Emperor, the Empress, and all of you get up and laugh as you normally please. I'm old and don't want to be bound by so many rules. When Qianlong got up, the Queen Mother ordered a feast, and said to Qianlong: "Today's feast is different from previous years, and I listen to it very well." Qianlong said with a smile, "Lafayette is used, that is, his son's filial piety has arrived." This is a Yuping song. Zhang Zhao set his hand, Nanlu Qingzheng established the palace, and Zhonglu Qingjiao was the main tone, which was the most peaceful and noble. The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Where do I know these!" - Zhang Zhao is a talented man in the hands of the first emperor, I know, I heard that he made a mistake, and now he has not recovered? Listening to his grandson, the eunuchs in the palace don't respect him, which is not good. ”

Qianlong was stunned, hurriedly bowed again, and said with a smile: "Mother said yes." His son Ming'er asked the Military Aircraft Department to discuss this matter, and he was still qualified to be a secretary of the Ministry of Rites. At this time, the banquet table has been set up, only to see the Queen Mother's table, in the middle of a Shoushan Fuhai large plate, two hot pots, a pheasant slices, a roasted mutton slices, the bottom of the pot charcoal fire is blazing, and the slightest hot air spews out from around the lid. A plate of roasted venison with deer tail, a stewed lamb black fork, and then outward is a plate of scallion and pepper duck, fried shredded chicken, stewed kelp shred, shredded mutton, and braised pork, as well as bamboo small steamed buns, snail buns and so on. Looking at other tables, it is similar, except that there is no "Shoushan Fuhai", but there are four more plates of meat. Qianlong said: "I am only here to accompany my mother, the queen and the concubine walk around the table on my behalf, there is nothing that can not be drunk, not forced." ”

Empress Fucha and the noble concubine Niu Hulu received the order, squatted down to the queen mother and the emperor, and persuaded each other from the table to drink. At this moment, the main hall is shaking and shaking, the swallows are warm, and the women are so excited that they are drunk and obsessed, whether they can drink or not, it is rare to be a decent scenery and a matter of the emperor's grace, who is willing to resign lightly? When he was persuaded to Tang'er's table, Niu Hulu, who was holding the pot, smiled and said: "Niangniang, Tang'er should drink a double cup." As he spoke, he looked at Tang'er and smiled. The queen didn't care, and said, "Fu Heng didn't come back from an errand outside, you really should drink a glass of Fushou wine on his behalf." Tang'er had no choice but to obey the order and toast two glasses in a row. It's already cheeky. The queen had already moved to another table, and Tang'er swept to the chief with her eyes, and it happened that Qianlong's eyes were looking at this side, and her eyes were avoided. Tang'er said that it was convenient, and when people were not paying attention, she slipped out quietly.

"Mother," Qianlong diligently persuaded the Queen Mother to take two sips of wine, and at a glance, Tang'er was gone, so she smiled and said: "There is an urgent excerpt, my son has already read it, and it will be sent to the military department tonight, and my son will come and wait for him to write a Zhu criticism." Here, the queen and the concubine are waiting first, okay? "Go, go, go." The Queen Mother looked at the women in the hall with a smile on her face. "Is this serious? I don't have to come here when it's too late, and I'm short of people to serve? Qianlong looked at the queen and Niu Hulu who were persuading the wine again, and left the palace without saying a word.

[1]

The word Magnolia is subtracted from the word above for the old master Yao's plagiarism.