A sudden rain shrouded Yunmeng Mountain under a curtain of rain. In the distance, in the low mountains, the rain plucks the autumn leaves from the branches that refuse to fall. The mountains and fields are a golden color, and the earth seems to be weaving winter clothes to protect against the cold in advance for the arrival of winter.

In the middle of Yunmeng Mountain City, the empty Yezai Mansion looked particularly lonely in the wind and rain. A window in the lobby of Fuchu was suddenly blown open by the strong wind, swaying in the rain, and squeaking from time to time. If there are no soldiers on duty in front of the Zaifu, I am afraid that people will misunderstand that the Yezai here has committed an accident and has been deposed. That's why Zaifu is vacant and looks so deserted.

Nearly 100 people were imprisoned in a dark and damp dungeon, although the climate in the north is relatively dry, the rainwater that has been infiltrated for a long time cannot be discharged, making the air here full of a faint musty smell.

It has been five days since they were engaged, and they are still imprisoned in the dungeon, and everyone in Zheng is looking depressed. Occasionally, whispers and soft choking can be heard in the dungeon.

In a relatively clean cell, Wang Xu and Ah Ji sat side by side on a simple wooden bed. The two were draped in a wide quilt. Wang Xu occasionally put his hand on Ah Ji's shoulder and mentioned the half-hanging quilt.

Ji Lan gave Mi time to expose Wei Chang's methods of deception. And Wang Xu completed the task in only one day, and dug a big hole that he thought was perfect. But he didn't want things to develop beyond his expectations. For three days, Ji Lan's ignorance made him restless.

The first two just felt that Ji Lan was coercing and seducing Wei Chang. He told himself to be patient, that Kiran needed some time. But at the moment, even he didn't believe in this ridiculous excuse. When he had a trick with that woman before, Wang Xu had seen the other party's thunderous means of making a move. Now that things have dragged on for so long, what has happened? Thinking of this, Wang Xu panicked. Although Aji didn't know what he was thinking, he could feel the other party's worry slightly.

"Do you remember this time last year?"

Wang Xu turned his head, looked at the girl, and nodded slightly.

"Hmmm! Aji is digging birds' eggs, and I'm collecting firewood. ”

"It's been a long time since I've tasted bird's eggs. The soup cooked by the adults is still unforgettable. ”

At this point, Ah Ji smacked his lips, as if he missed the taste of the wild soup. Wang Xu recalled the incident of the girl's poisoning by a sumac tree. He sighed and squeaked.

"Actually... That... I am the cause of your strange disease. ”

"Aj knows."

The girl showed a shallow smile, and Wang Xu was stunned. Before I knew it, the quilt on my body slipped down.

"You know? Then why didn't you tell me? Or did you know it back then? ”

Ah Ji stretched out his hand, leaned behind Wang Xu, and put the quilt on Wang Xu's body again.

The concubine didn't know it at the time. It's just that I heard about Uncle Li later, this poisonous thing. Ah Ji thought about it, and the adult must have done it unintentionally. Otherwise, he would not use blood as a guide to save the life of the concubine. ”

"I will."

There was a sudden silence in the cell. The girls looked at each other stupidly. She didn't mean to be tempted, but she just didn't want her husband to blame herself too much. The woman was already well-versed in medical science, and it was not difficult to guess afterwards that the strange disease she had was actually caused by poisoning. recalled that day when he vomited blood and fainted, and when he woke up, he saw the scar on his husband's wrist. Only then did I realize that my words were a bit hypocritical. So, he withdrew his gaze and lowered his head slightly.

By this time, the heavy rain outside had stopped. The bluestone pavement was wet and empty, and the pedestrians gradually increased. Yunmeng has returned to its former prosperous scene.

After a heavy rain, the babbling stream pushes the withered yellow autumn leaves along the crisscrossed river towards the moat outside the city. The waterways used to be calm, but now you can clearly see the fluctuations in the current. As a result, the water level of the moat has also increased significantly. A handful of long black fish poked their heads out one after another, gathered in the shallow water, and closed their mouths one by one.

Suddenly, the fish suddenly dispersed, and then quickly submerged into the water, and Zheng's hurried footsteps came. The stagnant water on the road was trampled and splashed everywhere. After a few moments, the footsteps stopped.

A group of people with short swords, dressed in robes and hats, appeared at the gate of Yunmeng Inner City. They were a group of sixteen people. Covered in rain, his wide robe looked bloated and burdened. The middle-aged man led by him gave the order concisely and quickly.

"You two go and inquire about the door here, a few of you go to the market to inquire, and the rest of you go from house to house. Meet here in two hours. Scatter! ”

"No!"

As soon as the man's voice fell, the crowd immediately dispersed. He stood alone for a long time, his eyes scanning the urn city behind him and the seemingly redundant moat beside him. The construction of a moat in the inner city will not play a role in intercepting the enemy at all. The man shook his head and walked straight forward.

His name is Pang Zhong, and he serves in the Sikou Mansion. At the age of less than forty, he is in the position of Yin Bo, and Yin Bo is second only to the facial features. On the surface, he is the executor of Si Kou's Mansion, but in fact, he is a secret agent that Wei Hou planted next to Si Kou. A Beijing official like him would not have left the national capital easily, after all, he needed to attend the court meeting from time to time. Although there are three dukes, six kings, and five senses above him, it is basically not his turn to intervene in the court, but the effect of foiling the court always has to be done by someone.

This time, the case of the disappearance of Wu Situ's nephew was investigated. I wouldn't have worked hard for him, but this matter was implicated in Yunmeng, and the nature was immediately different. Wei Hou is suspicious by nature and has always been wary of Ji Zhou's brothers and sisters. This time, he was sent here to investigate the case, but it was actually to investigate Wang Ji's movements in the past year.

As soon as Pang Zhong passed through the city gate, he was frightened by the scene in front of him. He stood on the main street of Taniguchi, looking at the prosperous scene of the square market and the endless crowds, and he couldn't move his legs anymore.

It has only been a year since Mengyun was able to develop so far, Pang Zhong couldn't help but shake his head again. At this moment, a striking wooden sign not far away caught his attention.

"The inn?"

He muttered. I don't know what kind of livelihood this is? Out of curiosity, he walked over. As soon as I entered the store, I was frightened again.

"Guest! Inside please! Don't know if you're going to live in a room? Or is it a bunk in the lower room? ”

A young man suddenly appeared beside him. While nodding and greeting, he took off his coat for him. Rutz's abruptness and enthusiasm did not make him feel at home, but rather a little frightened. The right hand unconsciously grasped the hilt of the sword. It wasn't until the clothes were withdrawn by the second shop that he slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Asked suspiciously:

"Don't you have to check my teeth?"

Yazhang is equivalent to a waist card, which is a proof of official status. You will need to show it when you are using the free service at a state-run inn. The Great Zhou Dynasty clearly stipulated that on the side of the road in the country, every ten, thirty, and fifty miles would be set up such pavilions and posts as Lu, Su, and Shi, which were specially used to entertain public officials on business trips. The lu provided only food and water, the lodging provided food and lodging, and the city included everything and provided services such as feeding the horses.

With the decline of the Zhou royal family and the development of commerce, the standard of the pavilion post was also improved. The formation of the princes' pavilion, post pavilion, the house, the reverse travel, the guest house of five different grades of hotels. The princes' pavilions and post pavilions belong to the state-run, high-grade and only entertain public officials and foreign distinguished guests. The rest evolved directly into private and open to the outside world.

Obviously, the environment and grade here are at least the standard of the post pavilion. Pang Zhong had never seen a government-run pavilion, and the servants would not understand the rules so much.

This time, I was stunned.

"Why do you want to check on Yazhang?"

"Then how do you know that I am a servant?"

Xu Gong refers to the official who runs errands.

Second, continue to be at a loss. Most of the people who come and go in Yunmeng are merchants, and the inn has never received official errands. Officials and errands have free pavilions to live in, so who will come here and pay out of their own pockets? The second looked at the water stains on the robe of the visitor, and his eyes turned and suddenly understood.

"Did the adults know that we can bathe in the inn, so they came here to stay?"

When Pang Zhong heard this, he was overjoyed. He traveled all the way from Chaoge and encountered a torrential rain on the way. Although he was dressed in a robe, his robe was damp. I don't want this place called an inn to also provide bathing services, which is estimated to be the level of the princes' pavilion. With a stiff face, he ordered Er to step forward and lead the way.

"Lead the way."

"Gotcha!"

Erma led him to the upper room on the second floor. Pang Zhong was very satisfied after reading it.

"I'll leave this floor behind, and fifteen more people will arrive in the future."

"Okay!"

In the middle of the inn is a courtyard for visitors to enjoy the scenery and entertainment, and it is surrounded by two-story houses. Downstairs is a large shop for five people, and upstairs is a separate single room. In order to save resources, the inn solicits business. Meals are delivered from the restaurant next door, and a bath ticket for the public bath is included. Ye Zai once did, this is called resource integration. They run the whole street business, and they need to support each other.

The second hurriedly ran downstairs and told the shopkeeper the news of the VIP charter. The shopkeeper smiled and told him to entertain him well. A moment later, Er came to Pang Zhong's room with a bundle of bamboo slips.

"My lord! This is your bath ticket, and you've got it. If you need to take a bath, let me know. of them will lead you there. ”

Pang Zhong nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmmm! Not bad! ”

Subsequently, under the leadership of Er, I went to the bathhouse and took a hot bath beautifully. When he returned to the inn, the shopkeeper greeted him with a happy face.

"I wonder how long this adult will stay in the store? It's okay for me to prepare meals for the adults in advance. ”

"Two days at the earliest, five days at the latest."

Pang Zhong estimated that if he found out the situation in Wang Ji's Caiyi, it would take at least two to five days.

It is late autumn, and the caravans from various countries will not move as soon as winter begins. Recently, the inn's business has also been affected as a result. After hearing Pang Zhong's words, the shopkeeper was full of joy and stroked his beard. Asked:

"I wonder if adults can pay for the room for one day in advance? The house is 30 yuan a day, and the sixteen rooms are 480 yuan. ”

Pang Zhong frowned.

"Isn't this the Princes' Pavilion?"

The shopkeeper's smiling face immediately collapsed.

"The Princes' Pavilion? Adults, don't be kidding. Yunmeng is a wild. Where did the princes' pavilion come from? ”

Yunmeng only has one government-run post pavilion, and the conditions are quite good. Last time, Ji Lan placed Wei Chang there.

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes. Pang Zhong was really embarrassed. For a while, I felt like I had been deceived. Perhaps he was misled by the bustling scene in front of him when he entered the city. So much so that I forgot that this place is just a wilderness, and the level of Lianchengyi has not yet been reached.

He coughed lightly twice, only to feel a pain in his flesh. He took out a piece of gold from his sleeve and slapped it on the desk.

"Ahem! Cough! One day! ”

Then, he turned around and went upstairs. He is a good uncle, but he can't afford to lose this face. After a while, the second-hand hand also followed with a cloth bag.

"Your Excellency, take an inventory. Twelve baht of gold, plus 20 yuan. ”

Pang Zhong opened the cloth bag and glanced at it.

"How can you be so strange in the wild? Is it possible that the servants who run errands have to pay to stay overnight? ”

"Adults don't know! Yunmeng has only been in the field for a year. Today, there are nearly 10,000 people. It's only three miles in the wild, except for a post house, which is our inn. ”

The corners of Pang Zhong's mouth twitched.

"The post house? You're not early. ”

"I didn't ask."

It seems that he didn't ask. Fang Cai only considered that a high-ranking official like him should live in the Princes' Pavilion to meet his status. Pang Zhong's eyes widened suddenly, as if he had heard something incredible. Hurriedly asked again:

"What are you? Nearly 10,000 people? How can there be such a large population? ”

He remembered that when Yunmeng was in power, the king only gave Wang Ji 500 households and moved out of his brother's estate. For this reason, the hundreds of officials in the court discussed it in private. Yunmeng's population has quadrupled in just one year, and it is obvious that this thing is a little strange. Two sighed, jokingly laughing at himself.

"Hey! We are dreaming! Since the lord of the city issued a marriage decree. What man doesn't have three wives and four concubines? This man! Naturally, there are more of them. has not performed the crown ceremony, and has a wife and a concubine. If there are no men in the family in the past two years, I am afraid that they will continue to marry wives. Life is not easy..."

"Is there such a thing?"

At this time, since Ji Fei became the king, the country has been more peaceful than in the past. In the absence of major wars, few magistrates would rashly change the marriage decree.

Pang Zhong carefully asked the second about the details of the marriage decree and Wang Ji's comments. The second did not hide it, and told all the things about Ji Lan's stabilization of prices and the admission of refugees. Of course, he didn't know that the people who were placed in the city were slaves purchased from the Yue Kingdom. The more Pang Zhong listened, the more strange he felt.

"Didn't the wild jae in the city ignore this?"

Obviously, everything here has been manipulated by Wang Ji. Pang Zhong thought that Na Yezai was afraid that he was bought by Wang Ji, so he turned a blind eye.

"Our Excellency! He has always been at odds with the lord of the city, and everyone in the city knows about it. Some of them were also imprisoned by the lord of the city. It hasn't been released yet. ”

Unexpectedly, this plot reversal made Pang Zhong a little confused for a while. In his words, he could hear that the two were trying their best to protect Yezai. Then he asked Ye Zai about his reputation and achievements here. Unexpectedly, the young man named Wang Xu was actually a cadre, and the prosperity of the village was all due to his handwriting.

After the second left, he walked to the window alone and looked at the withered yellow scenery in the courtyard.

"Humph! Kook! ”

After Pang Zhong sighed, he changed into a robe that was no longer damp and walked out of the inn. He walked through the market and inquired about Wang Xu. I may have been skeptical before. After inquiry, it was found that the people were unanimous and praised Na Yezai. However, when talking, he unconsciously showed regret, and there was a trace of dissatisfaction with Wang Ji in his words.

He became more and more interested in this king's words. A wild jae is not afraid of power and dares to compete with Wang Ji for fame. In his opinion, this person must be a first-time official, and he doesn't understand the sophistication of the officialdom. Where is there a local official who dares to compete with the owner of the province for business? I am afraid that I will not be able to avoid it. What's more, he also committed a big taboo. Competing for fame with those in high positions is tantamount to digging one's own grave. It is inevitable to be feared and excluded. No wonder they were locked up.

The more Pang Zhong thought about it, the more strange it became, and when he came to Xifang, he was surprised that Wang Xu actually controlled most of the business in the field. thinks that the other party is nothing more than a greedy for money. And he is smarter than ordinary people, and knows how to buy people's hearts as a cover. But now I see the school hall, no, there is such a place as the collection hall. And this collection hall is rare in the big cities. Pang Zhong's inner cognition of Wang Xu began to change slowly. Gradually sketched a great image of a patriotic youth and rejuvenating the country through education.

Out of Xifang City, opposite is Dongfang, and seeing that the houses there are all two-story structures, Pang Zhong was confused again. Could it be that all the miles of land in this valley are commercial areas? He frowned and continued to colonel

Although there are some shops in the national capital, most of the merchants are still placed in the market, and the principle of Zheng craftsmen running the country is continued by people in accordance with the rules wherever they are. After all, it was handed down by our ancestors. And this Yunmeng's ingenious layout and production mode surprised him. Among the 20 cities and more than 200 wild villages in the country, they are all self-sufficient in farming. Such a development model with commerce as the main body is the first time that Pang Zhong has seen it in the territory of Weiguo. In Lower Kyushu, only the Taoyi of the Song Kingdom was based on the model of supporting the people through business. But now that Tao Zhugong is dead, I believe that Tao Yi will soon be prosperous.

was sighing, and two people walked out of the street. They wore dark cotton robes and crowns of leather on their heads. At a glance, you can see where it is a scribe. Pang Zhong hurriedly stepped forward and saluted with his fists.

"What is the city where you dare to be a brother? I don't know where the city magistrate is? ”

The two people who were stopped by Pang Zhong seemed to be at least ten years older than them, and they were carrying short swords. Busy with a gift. One of the older men said:

"Presumably, the strong man is not my Yunmeng person, no wonder I don't know about this. This is a people's square, not a commercial leftover."

"Oh? But is this building against the system? ”

"Alas! The strong man didn't know anything. I have little land, and Lord Nozai ordered the house to be rebuilt. And this private house is mostly built in the appearance of a commercial store, and it is not exceeded. ”

The dwellings of the Great Zhou were built according to their status. There is a strict set of standards for the materials, height, angle of the roof, etc. If the building is too high, it is a transgression of etiquette, and the serious part is called contempt for royal power and covetousness. But I don't want this Ye Zai to steal the concept of private housing with commercial construction standards.

Pang Zhong bowed his head and nodded slightly. and inquired of the two of them about the king. To his surprise, the scholars also had a very high evaluation of Wang Xu. It is rare for a group representing different interest classes to praise a magistrate at the same time. After all, in this hierarchical society, it is not easy to gain a good reputation at all levels.

Before you know it, two hours have passed. Pang Zhong did not continue to visit the valley again, but turned around and walked slowly in the direction of the city gate. I believe that the gang of leaders has collected a lot of clues, and it is time to close the case of Na Wei Chang quickly.