There was nothing to do for a few days, and at the end of the holiday, Qiu Guo and other officials of all sizes came back one after another, and they all thanked Shu Yan and said their hard work. Shu Yan was like Qiu Guoxiang who reported that there was a problem with the account books of the Lao army and the account books of Jianzhenxue.

When Qiu Guoxiang heard this, he exclaimed: "There is such a thing? ”

Shu Yan said: "Of course, I saw it with my own eyes. It's a matter of public sentiment, and that money is not a small amount. ”

"Well, you go down first, wait for me to call Tang Hui, and check carefully."

Shu Yan had no choice but to withdraw. Although Shu Yan said that one person has two jobs, that little errand is nothing to him at all, and he does it better than the two of them before. In addition to being on errands, he went to the north of the city to practice archery in his spare time. After some days, there was no movement from the examination of the account books.

On this day, Qiu Guoxiang suddenly called him over and said to him: "Shu Wenxue, congratulations." ”

Shu Yan didn't know where the joy came from, and asked, "What's the joy of the lower officials?" Could it be that the account book has been found? ”

Qiu Guoxiang's face sank and said, "How much does that incident have to do with you, what a happy event!" The happy thing I am talking about is that I have just received a notice from the imperial court asking you new filial piety to go to Luoyang immediately to take the test. If you succeed in the trial, you will be the official of the imperial court, and you will not have to be here as this temporary errand, isn't this a happy event? ”

When Shu Yan heard this, he was first overjoyed, and then stubbornly said: "This is really a happy event, but I won't leave if I don't find out about that matter." ”

"What? Shu Yan, are you stupid? Your future matters! What does that have to do with you, why bother biting it! Qiu Guoxiang said angrily.

"Prime Minister of State, to be an official is to be the master of the people, if you can't be the master for the people, what is the use of being a big official? I'd rather go a few days late than wait for the outcome of this matter! ”

Qiu Shoutai thought to himself: I didn't expect this Shu Yan to be so dead-eyed, I really misjudged him at the beginning. "You, you, hum!" He was so angry that he pointed at Shu Yan with his finger, and then brushed his sleeves away.

On the second day, it was the day of rest, and Shu Yan bought some food and went to Tang's father-in-law's house. As soon as I walked to the door, I heard someone in the house arguing with Grandpa Tang. The man said, "Since you have given your ancestral bow to others, don't think that I will recognize you as a father!" ”

When Shu Yan heard it, why was this person's voice so familiar? Then I heard Tang's father-in-law's voice say, "What's the difference between you recognize it and whether you recognize it or not?" That Shulang is unparalleled in benevolence and filial piety, and treats me like my own descendant. And you, a rebel, have never had a father like me in your eyes, where can you compare to him! ”

The man said angrily: "Hmph, do you think that Shu Yan is a good thing?" He is clinging to the affairs of the Lao army, and he wants to put me to death! ”

Shu Yan pondered outside the door: What? Who is this person, and how did he pull out the matter of the labor army? Listening to this voice, it seems to be - Tang Hui, oh, it turns out that Tang Hui is the son of Tang Gonggong!

Shu Yan was guessing, so he heard Tang Gonggong say again: "You did something that violated the law of the country, how can you complain about others!" ”

"Do you think I did all this myself? Hmph, how can I hide such a big thing from me doing it myself? It's just that the surnamed Shu bit tightly, and as a last resort, the surnamed Qiu pushed me out! ”

Tang Gong said fairly: "Since you have done it, you are sorry for your ancestors, and even more sorry for the people of Ruyin, what else is there to say!" ”

Tang replied: "Ah Weng, I know that I can't escape it. But we are also father and son, I ask you for one last thing, you give the bow to someone else, but you should pass on the "Book of Music" to me! ”

Tang Gonggong said: "You rebel, these two treasures of my family's ancestors, I never wanted to pass them on to you." But you are idle all day long, and you don't do your job, and I have tried every means to persuade you, but you just don't listen. If I pass on your martial arts in vain, if I give you this precious bow, you will be like a tiger with wings, and you will do evil, and you will be ten times more harmful. And this "Book of Music" is a treasure, is one of the ancient six classics, Qin Shi has died after burning the book, this is the only remaining authentic handwriting, but also to hand over to the virtuous, how can you let people like you spoil! ”

"Of course I know that this "Book of Music" is a rare treasure, and the reason why I want this "Book of Music" is because I have committed such a big sin, and I can save my life by dedicating this "Book of Music"!"

"Hmph, you did a lot of bad things before you entered the county state office, but I still hope that your prodigal son will turn back, so I will help you find this errand with my old face, I hope you can change your ways. But you have intensified, and you have actually taken advantage of your position to harm others even more, which is all your own fault, and I can't save you. ”

……

When Shu Yan heard this, he fell into an extreme contradiction, and he didn't know what to do. He shifted slightly, turned around, and walked aimlessly, thinking as he went. He postponed the matter of entering Beijing to take the test, just to find out the matter and bring the main culprit to justice, but the main culprit was the son of Tang Gonggong, who had the grace of master and apprentice to him. In addition to the contradictions, what made him feel more admired was the selflessness of the Tang father-in-law, Confucius once said, "The father is hidden for the son, and the son is hidden for the father, and he is in it." "And Grandpa Tang actually surpassed this realm! But Shu Yan himself was still in the midst of contradictions, he turned around, but he came back, and he seemed to have thought about it, for the sake of Tang Gonggong, he would no longer pursue the matter, but he didn't know if he would change his mind in the next moment. He knocked on the door and went in, and saw Tang Gonggong sitting cross-legged, with the bow and arrows and two rolls of bamboo slips on the table, as well as a pot of wine.

"Yan'er, I knew you would come."

"Father-in-law Tang, I don't know ......, Tang Cangcao is your son."

Father-in-law Tang smiled bitterly, didn't speak, and drank a glass of wine. Seeing this, Shu Yan hurriedly poured a cup and said, "I'll have a drink with you." Just picked it up to drink, but was knocked to the ground by Father-in-law Tang, "You can't drink this wine!" ”

Shu Yan thought that Father-in-law Tang was annoyed by his pursuit of Tang Hui, but he didn't expect Father-in-law Tang to show a rare kind face and say: "Yan'er, sit down, you hold this bow and this pot of arrows." ”

Shu Yan said: "Father-in-law Tang, I can't ask for this, this is your ancestral treasure." ”

Tang Gong said fairly: "If you let you take it, you will hold it, not only this bow will be given to you, but also these two volumes of the "Book of Music" will be given to you, since you are familiar with the "Five Classics", you must know this "Book of Music", right?" ”

Shu Yan took the two volumes of "The Book of Music" in his hand, weighed it repeatedly, and said: "This is the "Book of Music", one of the legendary Six Classics? Isn't it long lost? ”

"Yes, most of this "Book of Music" has been lost as early as after the Qin Emperor burned the book, but my ancestor was a music official in the court at that time, and he cherished this "Book of Music" very much, afraid that it would be lost to future generations. Because this book is a collection of the Yellow Emperor, the essence of vocal music for thousands of years, in case it is lost, I am sorry for the ancestors and sorry for the descendants. So my ancestors secretly took it out of the palace, found a very hidden place to hide, and then after hundreds of years, it was inevitable that insects ate rats, mold and deteriorated, and a part of it was lost, and only these two volumes remained. ”

Of course, Shu Yan knows the weight of this "Book of Music", which is a treasure that many people in the court dream of.

"If these two volumes of the Book of Music are true, they must be priceless, and I can't ask for such a valuable thing."

"Yan'er, how can you not want it!" After Tang's father-in-law finished speaking, his throat suddenly choked, as if something was churning in his stomach, he calmed down a little and said, "My Tang family has no one to trust, and my only son is not doing his job, so how can he be worthy of his ancestors if he handed over the "Book of Music" to him." You are the person I am looking for, and if I give this "Book of Music" to someone like you, I will be relieved when I leave. I'll tell you the truth, the reason I spilled that wine just now was because it was poisonous......"

Shu Yan grabbed Tang's father-in-law's hand, helped him to the bed, and asked in surprise: "Ah! Grandpa Tang, could it be that you drank poisoned wine?! ”

Gonggong Tang nodded lightly and said weakly: "There is one more thing, my rebel...... He's already gone, if you want to blame me...... He committed a capital offense, and I ...... Let's thank him for his sin. ”

Shu Yan cried: "Father-in-law Tang, why are you doing this! As long as I can make up the money, I will definitely intercede for him and strive for a lighter haircut. ”

"That's good......" A hint of relief flashed in Tang Bi's eyes, and after speaking, he stuffed the two rolls of bamboo slips into Shu Yan's hands and closed his eyes.

Tang Bi died, but his son was missing. Shu Yan asked for leave and paid for Tang's father-in-law to buy a coffin and bury it.

Back at the official office, Qiu Guoxiang took two account books and said to him excitedly: "Shu Wenxue, the matter of the account books has been clarified. ”

Originally, Shu Yan should have been extremely happy when he heard the news, but after the death of Father-in-law Tang, he was not happy at all when he heard the news, and he was a little sad, and said lightly: "Oh, yes? ”

"Yes, look at this Jianxuan account book: there is only a general list on the title page, and there is nothing recorded in it, it is completely empty!"

"Then the imperial court appropriation is also empty?"

"Of course, the imperial court appropriation is even more fictitious, and there is no such thing at all. Because he heard that he wanted to build a Zhen school, Tang Hui built such an account book in advance, but he didn't expect that the imperial court didn't allocate money at all, and there was no money from the government treasury to build a Zhen school. Because there was no money coming in or out, the book was empty. Qiu Guoxiang stretched out his hand and handed over the account book as he spoke.

Shu Yan saw that this account book was brand new, and it was obviously not the account book that had been inked many times.

He didn't answer, but asked again: "What's the matter with the Lao Junshu?" ”

"The matter of the labor army has also been investigated, it was Tang Hui's doing, he deducted the people's money, that guy actually dared to do such a thing, but he had already absconded in fear of crime. However, he fled and fled, and I want to make up for the money owed to the people, and I will make up as much as I want, and tomorrow you will notify those small businessmen to collect it. ”

Shu Yan thought that the matter of the Lao army not only deducted the people's money, but also sold those things to the Shi family overnight, which was equivalent to a double benefit. But there is no evidence, there is no evidence, and what is said is in vain. I don't know how many people were involved in these two things, one changed the account books, and the other found a scapegoat...... There must be more than this, but they are all at large, and an old man has lost his life. Alas......

The next day, the small businessmen came to the county office to get money. People can't believe that the money owed by the government office for several years can be returned. Everyone knows that this is Shu Yan's credit and praises him endlessly. Shu Yan was very pleased, and the sadness for Gonggong Tang in his heart was reduced a little.

After everything was done, Shu Yan packed his things and prepared to go to Luoyang. The first thing that came to his mind was the two flowers. Although it is a long way to go, because it is a boat, there is no shortage of water along the way, and presumably these two flowers will not die. He dug up the two flowers, put them in two pots, wrapped them in cloth, put the "Book of Music" in his close-fitting bag, put a bow on his shoulder, and hurried to the crossing of the Ru River. Passing by Shujiazhuang, after saying goodbye to Gonggong Xia, he went back to his house again, and he was very happy to see Ruoxin teaching the students in an orderly manner. Ruoxin sent him to the ferry, and when he passed by Han's house, Zhixin's words suddenly lingered in his mind: Brother Yan, I am your wife, when will you take me to your side!

Shu Yan thought: Zhixin and I love each other, although she left early, but we have recognized each other as husband and wife when we were children, but her tablet is still in the Han family. It's my fault, and it should be left to me. Thinking of this, he told Ruoxin that he wanted to take his sister's tablet away. Of course, Ruoxin did not object, so she gave Zhixin's tablet to Shu Yan, and Shu Yan said goodbye to Ruoxin and boarded the boat on the road.