If you look at the map, the shortest road from Chen Muwu's location to his destination is a straight line from south to north.

But this foreign coachman named Xiangzi did not choose to go that way, but turned around and entered the inner city from Zhengyang Gate, went north along the thousand-step corridor, walked to the Forbidden City, and then ran north along the wall of the inner imperial city.

The reason for this is that the straight line on the map passes through a forbidden area, which is the infamous Dongjiaomin Lane.

Indian Sikh soldiers with red cloths wrapped around their heads, called "red-headed Ah San" in the Haihai dialect, guarded the exits of the embassy area in Dongjiaomin Lane, and strictly controlled the entry and exit of Chinese.

In order not to make more trouble for themselves, the foreign coachmen simply bypassed this place by convention.

Chen Muwu didn't know the inside story, and thought that Xiangzi wanted to take him to visit the former royal forbidden land up close.

But what if you know? According to his current ability, he can change this humiliating status quo in a short period of time, and he can only complain and make himself more troubled, so it is better to appreciate the royal palace.

Chen Muwu found that the walls of the Forbidden City at this time were not as colorful as they were seen later, with a layer of gray on the red, and there were signs of decay and collapse in many places.

After abdicating for ten years, it seems that the emperor's family is not having a good time!

The degree of broken mouth of the taxi driver in the later generations, if nothing else, should be in the same vein as the current foreign car driver, since the beginning of getting in the car, Xiangzi began to chatter and gossip with Chen Muwu: "This master ......"

"Hey, don't always call 'this master' and 'this master' all the time, it's uncomfortable to listen to. It has been ten years since the republic of the five ethnic groups, and everyone is equal, just call me sir. ”

"Okay, sir, the republic of the five races, everyone is equal, having said that, but don't you see that this little emperor of the former Qing Dynasty still lives well in this deep palace compound!"

Chen Muwu calculated the time, now Wu Peifu and Cao Kun are in the limelight, Feng Huanzhang is still in the period when the hidden dragon is not used, and he does not have the courage to set up a cannon on Jingshan to fight at the palace.

It seems that this little emperor can live in peace in the palace for another year or two.

"The people have the "Regulations on Preferential Treatment of the Qing Family", which not only allows this little emperor to live in the palace, but also allocates a large amount of money to their internal affairs office every year!"

"This Yay...... Sir, don't you know that in the past few years of wars, the government has run out of money, so where is the money for the little emperor? In December last year, the little emperor married his mother, and I heard that he only gave his mother's family a bride price of 10,000 taels of silver. Our family has lived in this city for generations, and it is the first time I have seen the emperor marrying a daughter-in-law so shabby! ”

Speaking of this, Xiangzi suddenly turned his head, walked and looked around to see that there was no one, and then continued to Chen Muwu in a low voice: "I heard that just these ten thousand taels of silver are not a fair and honest origin, but the little emperor sent someone to secretly take out the treasures in the palace to sell money in exchange for it!" ”

Huh? This is useful information.

Chen Muwu knew that in the chaotic times of the late Qing Dynasty, many national treasures were lost overseas.

In addition to the Anglo-French alliance army and the Eight-Nation alliance army, there are many treasures that flow out of the inner courtyard of the Qing Palace, and the little emperor who has grown up is undoubtedly the biggest culprit.

Chen Muwu felt that taking advantage of this opportunity, could he fish a few national treasures in troubled waters, let them avoid the smoke and flames of war in the troubled times, and wait until the Haiyan River cleared, and then return these national treasures to where they should be?

"Oh? How did you find out about this? ”

He asked quietly, listening to Shoko's tone, he felt that he still knew more about this matter.

"One morning, before dawn, I pulled a foreigner in Dongjiaomin Lane, and ran to a place according to his instructions, and then I saw that it seemed to be a few father-in-law dressed people who went out to welcome him.

"I didn't think too much about it at first, but then I heard rumors that the emperor sold many good things in the palace to foreigners in order to get married, and this connected the two things.

"If you want to say that this little emperor really doesn't know what to do, the things of the ancestors are just bought for our Chinese, why do you have to sell them to those foreigners who are not of the same culture as us!"

Shoko's tone was filled with righteous indignation.

"Xiangzi, let me ask you, do you still have an impression of the place where the foreigner took you?"

"What's the matter? Sir, you are also interested in the treasures of the palace? ”

"Uh-huh." Chen Muwu snorted noncommittally.

"This is very difficult, firstly, time has passed a little far, I can't remember clearly, and secondly, now that the little emperor is married, I don't know if they are still selling. It's better to leave me an address, and I'll try my luck at Dongjiaomin Lane in the next few days, and if anyone goes to that place again, I'll notify you as soon as possible. ”

"Just go to the place I'm going to today."

"Okay!"

Between the words, Chen Muwu's foreign car had already passed the Forbidden City and Jingshan from south to north, and soon arrived at the Dongbanqiao Hutong on the address he reported to Xiangzi.

"Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty, sir, this is No. 50 Dongbanqiao'er, we have arrived at the place."

"How much?"

"You can just give Sanmao."

Chen Muwu took out three small silverquills, thought about it, took out one more, and handed it to Xiangzi: "As soon as you have news, come here to inform me immediately, and if I am not there, tell others that Xiangzi has come to find Chen Muwu." ”

"Gotcha! You're good to go! ”

……

Chen Muwu took his luggage and got out of the car and knocked on the door of this courtyard.

"It's coming, it's coming!" A woman's voice came from the courtyard.

After a while, there was a creak, and the door opened.

"Is this Mr. Ma Youyu's house?"

"Yes, that's right, this is it, you're Hanchen, right? Why did you arrive today? Come in, come in, give me the luggage! ”

"Thank you, madam, this is the winter bamboo shoots that my eldest brother asked me to bring, a little courtesy, not a tribute!"

"Hey, the relationship between our two families, what are you polite! Brother Ling may not have told you, my mother's family is also surnamed Chen, from that side, we are still distant relatives! What is the name of Mrs., sister-in-law! Xiao Xun, Xiao Jue, come and call someone. ”

Two little boys ran out of the house and saw a stranger standing in the yard, one of them shyly hid behind his mother, and the other generously called "Hello brother".

Putting his luggage in a guest room that had been packed for him by the master's house, the woman knocked on the door again and invited him to the front hall for tea.

"Sister-in-law, where is Mr. Ma Youyu?"

"He, he was called to the school for a meeting early in the morning, saying that he wanted to keep Principal Cai and prevent him from resigning."

"I see," Chen Muwu put down his teacup, "Then I'll also go to Shaoda to see what's going on over there." ”

It was a major matter related to whether his trip to Shaojing was in vain, and Chen Muwu had to pay attention.