The area of Zhengxifang outside Zhengyang Gate was the main road from Yanjing to the west in the previous dynasty, and the Tonghui River was connected to the Haizi River all the way along the root of the imperial city to the north, and it became an important place of trade from the banks of the Tonghui River to the street outside the Guangning Gate, and the mules and horses did not stop all day long.

In the Dayong Dynasty, Chengzu expanded the imperial city, and simply filled half of the Tonghui River along the imperial city, completely only as the moat of the imperial city, and no more boats were allowed, and the Haizi River was also divided into two sections, and the middle part was even filled with soil as a rice field.

In this way, the southern goods from the Tonghui River want to Yanjing to get off the boat in the east of Tongxian and then enter Yanjing, but let the east of the street market lively, Zhengxifang once almost declined, but with the opening of the imperial court, more and more officials in Yanjing City, the monarchs of the past dynasties always live in Xiyuan for some days in a year, the mansion of the nobles is naturally around the Xiyuan, gradually, the yamen everywhere has also moved to the Xicheng, the civil and military officials are convenient to come and go and have to buy mansions in the Xicheng, Zhengxifang, a place where merchants gathered in the past, has gradually become a favored place for ministers because of the convenience of entering the court from Zhengyang Gate.

And because the Guangning Outer Street near Zhengxifang is still a trade artery from Yanjing to the west, the area around Zhengxifang is still a mixed situation of officials and businessmen, unlike Xuanwumen, which has been occupied by the ministers.

In Zhengxifang, the main gate of the Wupin official's house facing the courtyard wall of the Jiangnan merchants is a common thing, and the Jin merchants who do sheep and horse trading have a banquet, and the sound of silk and bamboo can also disturb the staff of the Ministry of Labor who is taking advantage of the rest to taste calligraphy and painting at home.

There is a house along the west river leading to Zhengyangmen from Pomegranate Lane, it is said that the two houses on the left and right are not sold at a high price, just because this house is noisy every day and even day and night, whether it is an official or a businessman, no one wants to live with this family.

When the sun was setting, the noise inside could be heard through the two black oil gates, and a young man dressed in a silver rat scarf was wearing a flat square scarf, with warm ears on both sides, and deerskin gloves on his hands, sitting on a horse and looking up at the plaque on the door, he nodded slightly.

"It turns out that this is the Shen Mansion."

The servants who led the horses for him were also dressed as men, wearing round hats and half-sleeved cotton robes, and at first glance they were servants of large families.

"Childe, I'll go and call the door."

"Not necessarily." The young man sitting on the horse stopped his servant, "You don't need to call the door, since we are here to collect debts, we naturally have to smash the door to be magnificent."

After speaking, I saw him wave his hand, and the seven or eight strong men who followed behind him immediately turned over and dismounted and stood in a row.

"Look at the door, kick it for me!"

"Yes!"

The men shouted in unison, raised their feet in unison, and kicked heavily on the door.

The black oil gate was kicked out with a loud bang, and it really had the courage to shake the mountains.

The noise in the courtyard stopped abruptly.

Then I heard a sound from inside the door, and someone shouted through the door and asked, "Who is outside?" My family is a former co-organizer of the university, Lord Shen's mansion, and there is no room for idle people to be presumptuous!"

"It's your Shen Mansion that I've found!"

A sturdy man let out a loud shout and kicked the door again.

The brass ring on the door was clanged, and the people inside were so frightened that they didn't speak for a long time. ….

"Your family owes our master five thousand taels of silver, so hurry up and pay it back! Otherwise, I will smash your house inside and out today!"

After saying that, the strong man went to kick the door again, his feet were very large, and wide, like a stone pier, and he lost his strength when he smashed it, and he almost kicked the door down with the door frame.

At this time, another person in the door spoke: "There are only two brothers in the Shen family now, both of whom are scholars who keep to themselves, and my brother is still a prisoner studying in Guozijian, and there is no one who owes money and does not pay it back, but the brother outside has found the wrong person?"

"You're the only one in your family? The Shen Juren in Zaoye'er Hutong outside Andingmen is not your cousin? Hurry up and open the door, otherwise we will go in and see what to smash, my master said, that Shen Juren owes money and ran away, he just wants to be angry now, let us just smash enough five thousand taels of silver to settle the account!"

There are many wealthy families in Yanjing City

There are countless people, and it is not that there are no arrogant people, and it is only in people's lives to be able to be like this.

The Shen house was quiet again, and after a while, a head poked out of the courtyard wall, and the young man on the horse held a pair of copper balls in his hand, and smashed it directly when he saw this, only to hear a chaotic sound, and the person who climbed the wall to spy fell to the ground and wailed his eyes.

"Don't wait, break down."

The man on the horse said lazily, waved his axe from under the saddle and threw it on the ground.

"Split this door for me!"

"Bang." Today, the door of the devastated Shen Mansion was finally opened from the inside, and a man wearing an ochre-colored protective belt and a small hat on his head on the outside of his dry yellow leather robe greeted him tremblingly:

"Shen Shouru is the nephew of Shen Shao, a scholar of the first university, I don't know what to call your guests?"

"The surname is Zhao, and the name is Die."

The servant who led the horse hurriedly tried to help him dismount, but saw him jump off the horse.

Although there was a slight stumble, it stood firm.

Shen Shouru has been in Yanjing City for many years, and he can be regarded as having some knowledge, seeing that this person has a good silver rat skin, soap boots of lambskin on his feet, and the deerskin gloves on his hands are also very exquisite, he knows that this person's origin must be extraordinary.

Although there is a bit of softness in appearance, there is a bad aura on his body, which makes people dare not look at it directly.

Shen Shouru hurriedly took a step back and said with a smile, "Do you still invite your guests to come and talk?"

He also knew that what he said was just to save some face for himself.

Two rows of strong men opened the way, and the fierce boy who called himself "Zhao Die" flicked his sleeves and walked in directly, he really didn't even give him a look.

After passing the shadow wall, this boy laughed:

"Blatantly gambling in the daytime, this is the innocent white family in your mouth? No wonder Shen Yan was able to lose me five thousand taels of silver, he learned it from you."

I saw that the courtyard was in a mess, and the doors and windows of the various halls were closed, but even so, one could see the dice boxes, black and white horses, ivory cards, and copper kettles placed in the courtyard scattered on the ground.

"Dice, Double-Land, Pai Gow, Pitcher...... You've got a lot of tricks to play."

The big man who had just taken the lead in calling the door had already walked to the main hall and kicked the door open, and pulled out a handful of chairs in the exclamations of several men in silk robes. ….

The brocade cloth on the chair was scattered and there were melon seed skins stained with tea stains, and the young man who led the horse before hurriedly walked over and ripped it off, and spread a piece of leather felt on the mat.

Brother Gongzi sat down at this time, and he was still playing with a green jade pendant in his hand.

When Shen Yan first entered Beijing, Shen Shouru felt the cash and valuable objects on his body clearly, and naturally recognized that this green jade pendant was usually Shen Yan's body, and his face immediately changed.

"Zhao Gongzi, I don't know where my cousin is right now?"

"Zhao Die" only looked at him and sneered, but he didn't say anything, just waved his hand again:

"Dig around, find out everything of value."

A group of big men suddenly drove straight in like vicious dogs, and in a short time, they first pulled out all the people who were hiding everywhere.

Some people looked like the subordinates of the mansion, trembling and afraid to speak, and some were wearing silk and satin, and they came to the Shen Mansion to gamble money.

In addition, a few hundred taels of loose silver and a few treasure bills were found, which would add up to a thousand taels.

Looking at the things in front of him with dissatisfaction, "Zhao Die" heard a noise in the backyard again, and soon, two of his subordinates escorted a tall man from the backyard.

This man and Shen Shouru's eyebrows are similar, but Shen Shouru looks thinner and shrunken, but this man is wearing a dark green straight-body brocade robe with dark lines, a sachet carved out of ivory hanging around his waist, and a square scarf that scholars usually wear on his head.

asked Shen Shouru to meet people, but he hid in the backyard, and Shen Xianru was extremely arrogant when he saw "Zhao Die":

"Do you know what you smashed? My uncle was a co-organizer of the university

Shen Shao! Protégés are all over the government and the opposition! This is his old home! My sister is married to the uncle's mansion, and if you leave some of the frightened silver, we will not be guilty of the past!"

"Tsk." Zhao Die supported his temples with his fingers through the warm ears, "The dog's power is still arrogant in front of me? Tong Wu, call me! Breaking a finger counted a hundred taels of silver, and first asked for a thousand taels from him."

"Yes, master!"

The strong man who had just led someone to break the door immediately stepped forward and threw off his big foot and kicked Shen Xianru to the ground.

screamed, Shen Xianru seemed to suddenly know that the person in front of him was a hard stubble, and he immediately turned his tone and pleaded, as if the person who was so arrogant just now was a dog.

Shen Shouru also hurriedly begged for mercy on the side.

Zhao Die sneered, only thinking that these two were two lost dogs.

"Where does the finger of this waste refer to a hundred taels of silver? Ten taels and one piece, Tong Wu, you have broken it for me!"

The two brothers of the Shen family screamed in surprise, and at this time, one of the people in the silk robe who was watching the excitement stood up:

"Why is this brother so impatient, the brothers of these two owe you money and let them find a way to pay it back, why shout and kill? Even if the Shen brothers' money is not enough, this house is worth some silver."

"Zhao Die" raised his eyes slightly and looked at the person who spoke: "Your method is good, hurry up and get the deed of this courtyard, if you dare to deceive me, I will immediately break the legs of all of you." ….

Shen Xianru, who was lying on the ground, suddenly raised his head and said, "This is our uncle's inheritance, how can we easily allow someone? What's more, this house is more than a few thousand taels......

Glancing at the silver and treasure money piled on the ground with disgust, "Zhao Die" looked around, and had to say that even if it was tossed to the miasma, this old house of the Shen family could still be seen to be an excellent courtyard, not only the pillars were made of fine wood, but the sycamores in the yard could be seen to be born very well even if the leaves fell, making it not difficult to imagine the pleasant appearance of sitting in this courtyard in the shade when the summer was flourishing.

The courtyard is boxy, but all corners are arranged, and a ball of dry vines climbs on the shelves, and there is still a bit of the old leisure appearance in a trance.

"This yard is good."

Zhao Die: He said he had taken a fancy to it.

Shen Shouru and Shen Xianru secretly exchanged glances, and Shen Xianru said loudly:

"The price of this courtyard is seven thousand taels, and I will definitely not give it to you!"

"Brother Shen, this boy looks like you and me, in my opinion, you might as well bet a few hands with this son, and use this yard as a gambling book...... Childe, since you have taken a fancy to this courtyard, why don't you give these two a chance, and those of us present can be a witness for you, if you can win this courtyard, wouldn't it be much better than you shouting and shouting to kill?"

Zhao Die, after thinking about it, leaned back on the chair and looked at the group of people who were kneeling and standing.

"If I don't take this bet, it looks like I'm scared."

That's it.

In just a few moments, two exclamations came from the courtyard.

Zhao Die, still sitting crookedly on the chair, watched the servant who led the horse for him throw the pot and hit every shot, winning the face of the Shen family brothers.

"We really can't win this pitcher, Zhao Gongzi, let's bet on the dice."

Zhao Die, noncommittal.

"You can figure it out, and if you lose to me two more, your Shen family's house will be mine."

The Shen brothers were trembling, but they couldn't even hold the dice box when they stood in front of the table.

"Zhao Gongzi, our brother is frightened and can't hold the dice box steadily, can I let someone else roll the dice for me?"

"Go on, go on, there's a lot of shit in a bunch of shit."

Zhao Die's self-assured that he had already won the battle, and he was not afraid that the two wastes of the Shen family would find any helpers.

Soon, a woman wearing a pink shirt with a light veil over her face came from the backyard and saluted everyone.

In less than an hour, she won and lost the dice roll, and she had a total of seventeen out of twenty-seven, which did not seem like much, but ten of them she shook out three sixes, not only winning

won again and again, and suppressed the "luck" that Zhao Die's side wanted to get up every time.

The more this is the case, the bigger Zhao Die's increase becomes, and the back and forth actually makes this woman with wind and dust win more and more, not only keeping the Shen family's house, invalidating the IOU of Shen Yan's five thousand taels of silver, but also making Zhao Die's loss of more than a thousand taels.

Zhao Die's gambling was red-eyed, and he squeezed away the subordinate who was shaking the dice for him and decided to go into battle in person.

As soon as he took off the silver rat on his body, he took out a stack of silver tickets from it, which was eight thousand taels.

"Do you dare to play with me?"

Looking at the thick stack of treasure money, the two brothers of the Shen family couldn't take their eyes off.

"Bet!"

They didn't have treasure money, so Shen Xianru immediately wrote down an IOU of eight thousand taels of silver and pressed it on the stage.

Between the movements, Shen Xianru looked at his concubine and glanced at her.

The woman put the three dice into the dice box, and was sure that she would roll three more sixes.

At this time, Zhao Die, however, was not in a hurry, he looked at the three dice in his hand and fiddled with each of them with his fingers.

The dice flipped over his slender fingertips more than a dozen times before he finally put the dice on the table and snapped the dice box up.

After a few moments, the sound of the staggered dice rolling stopped.

"Bang" and snap back onto the table together.

Six