Qiao Kui lay on the bed, looking at the charming face next to the pillow, although this face also has traces of time, but just like jade jade, her beauty time cannot be lost.

Qiao Kui was in a good mood this morning, the whole person was relaxed, and he had unloaded the burden of ten years, how could he not be relaxed?

He made a big decision last night, the flag of the "Tiger Forest Dart Bureau" was about to float in the sky over Chang'an.

So he took a vacation like the boss today, and the owner of the grain store just smiled and said, "I said, your good days are coming." Don't forget about me as a small businessman. Qiao Kui arched his hand and said, "If it weren't for your care, how could I, Qiao, still live to this day?"

The owner of the grain shop said: "You can't say that, what have I done? I just hired a fellow, and you have called me a great benefactor who saves my life, and I can't afford this name, so go quickly." ”

Qiao Kui thanked him a few more times and took his leave. In addition to the boss, he also had to thank another person, who was sitting on a gazebo bench, holding this cigarette pouch in his mouth, and the exhaled smoke quickly dissipated in the autumn wind. Old Wu Tou saw Qiao Kui from a distance, and when Qiao Kui got closer, he bowed his head slightly and said, "You have a good son!"

Qiao Kui said: "Big brother, thank you." Lao Wu knocked the cigarette pouch on the sole of his shoe and said with a smile: "Don't thank me, thank your son if you want to thank him, although he is still a boy, but I think his future actions will be no less than his Lao Tzu." ”

Qiao Kui smiled: "The dog is indeed a little clever, but I didn't expect him to make Big Brother say that kind of thing......"

Old Wu Tou suddenly stood up and said, "What kind of words? That's a clever trick that I, an old Wu Tou, will not come up with even after racking my brains! Looking at your appearance, I know that this trick is not only effective, but also better than expected!"

Qiao Kui thanked Lao Wu Tou, and said that he wanted to reopen the dart game, and Lao Wu Tou said: "Well, it's that person, I'll come to you that day." He's really enthusiastic, this friend must be worthy of your friendship, I won't say anything else to delay you, go quickly, I'll wait for your dart game to open!"

Although Chang'an Avenue is prosperous, the place near the government is very quiet, because except for the errand people, ordinary people don't come here much, and they don't come here whenever they want.

Not long after Qiao Kui walked here, he heard someone shouting behind him: "Stop!"

Qiao Kui turned around and saw that it was indeed two officials, so he arched his hand and said, "Two officials." ”

One of the two said, "What are you here for?"

Qiao Kui replied respectfully: "I'm here to find Zhao Guanye." ”

The man didn't seem to hear clearly, and he turned his ear and said, "Who?

Qiao Kui looked at the appearance of the errand and knew that he was deliberately making things difficult for himself, but he couldn't, Xiucai couldn't explain it when he met a soldier, not to mention that he had never been a Xiucai, Qiao Kui had to say again: "Find Zhao Guanye." ”

The thin man smiled, and said angrily with his chest and hands behind his back: "There are many people surnamed Zhao, I don't know which one you are looking for?"

Before Qiao Kui could say anything, he saw another medium-sized, white errand and said, "Oh, it's you!"

It turned out that this person was one of the two officials who hunted down the "flying mouse" Shi Quan with Zhao Ming that day, and the official recognized Qiao Kui as the coolie who captured Shi Quan with that move, and couldn't help but tone politely, "You are here to find Zhao Ming and Lord Zhao." ”

Qiao Kui also recognized him, thinking that it would be easy to do now, so he nodded again and again: "Yes, you will report to the official and tell Lord Zhao, just say that Qiao is rude to visit and hope to forgive me, I really have something to discuss with him." ”

When the official heard this, he thought about whether Qiao Kui was looking for Zhao Ming for the day's business or something else, and he didn't neglect him, and said: "Brother Qiao, don't be polite, it's natural to help you report, but now that Lord Zhao is not here, he is on vacation today, and he should be at home at the moment, so how about you wait here for a while, I will hand over this official document and take you to see him?"

When Qiao Kui heard this, he immediately agreed, "Then there will be Master Lao." The servant nodded, and walked with his thin companion in the direction of Shangshu Province. The two errand men were talking while walking, and the thin man listened to the official narrate that Qiao Kui helped when he was chasing Shi Quan that day, and the thin man turned his head suddenly and looked at Qiao Kui in disbelief.

Qiao Kui naturally didn't see it, and looked away.

After half a pillar of incense, the official walked over alone, Qiao Kui took two small steps to meet him, and arched his hand: "There is a labor official to lead the way." ”

The official smiled: "Don't call me an old official, I'm just a little guard, my surname is Chang, my single name is a cloud character, you are older than me, just call me Xiao Chang." ”

Qiao Kui hesitated: "This is not good. ”

Chang Yun smiled: "What's so good about this, I'm not an official, and I don't have an official frame, don't be so restrained." Since I entered this political circle, people have also been blinded. Fortunately, I'm just a little guard, naturally not like those high-ranking officials in the court, who cheat me. The first boss I met was Lord Zhao, Lord Zhao has never had an official frame, and the young ones are called little brothers, and the older ones are called big brothers, so ah, I admire Lord Zhao very much. ”

When Qiao Kui heard this, he was taken aback - it turned out that people who were officials could be like this, but if they were officials like this, could they really protect themselves in this circle?

Qiao Kui didn't ask, and soon, they arrived at a mansion. There are two golden characters written on the door plaque - "Zhao Mansion". The door was vermilion, but after years of wind and sun, it seemed that it had become a dark red, and in some places it had peeled off. There seems to be some moss on the corners of the doorway. The only thing that shows the grandeur of this mansion is the door plaque.

Qiao Kui seemed to be depressed when he saw this huge mansion, and he didn't pay attention to sighing, Chang Yun didn't think so when he heard it, he just smiled and said: "You may not know it, Lord Zhao, he is the most low-key on weekdays, although he is the first head catcher in Chang'an, but his life is very frugal, and he really has to be admired." ”

Qiao Kui nodded, "Hmm, it's incredible......"

Chang Yun smiled: "Later, I'll knock on the door." ”

With that, Chang Yun stepped on the bluestone steps and knocked lightly on the old wooden door, and after a while, an old man opened the door. This old man is the only subordinate in this mansion - the elder worker Lao Jin. Although he is only a long-term worker, he is also Zhao Ming's teacher, he not only knows piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, but also has extremely high swordsmanship, and he is a rare master in the rivers and lakes back then. But no one knew the origin of this master, not even his apprentice Zhao Ming.

At that time, Zhao Ming was still a third-class arrester, and one day he was chasing a fugitive, this fugitive was very treacherous, he and his accomplices did not know how to contact each other, so they set a trap to lure Zhao Ming to take the bait. Zhao Ming has a simple personality, where does he know the means of the fugitive, so he chased him all the way, when he knew that the trap they set was no longer able to return to the sky, he was surrounded by seven or eight fierce and vicious thieves and villains, Zhao Ming only felt that his life was at stake, and he wanted to fight with this gang of prostitutes. Coincidentally, Lao Jin passed by here, and saw a group of villains who were about to kill a catcher, he didn't like the people in the government, but he hated this gang of villains the most, so he drew his sword to help, the villain only thought that Lao Jin was an ordinary old man, so he took it lightly, who knew that Lao Jin pulled out his sword, just in an instant, he beheaded all eight thieves, and the corpses were on the spot.

Zhao Mingjian's old gold swordsmanship was very good, so he immediately knelt down to apprentice, and Lao Jin never liked the government very much, so he refused. Who knew that Zhao Ming immediately tore his official clothes, which really surprised Lao Jin, and suddenly became interested in Zhao Ming, so he said: "I don't like people in the government, and I don't like people who give up halfway, if you become a head catcher, it's not too late to worship me as a teacher, if you don't look for me on that day, I will look for you." ”

For this sentence, Zhao Ming practiced martial arts desperately, while performing official duties, he visited various places, practiced in the morning and evening, and did not slack off for a day. Finally, he became a small catcher, and the next day, he met Lao Jin, although Lao Jin was sixty years old at this time, but still young, since then, Lao Jin has lived in Zhao Ming's mansion for a long time, Zhao Ming does not look for other people, nor does he look for a wife, the master and apprentice have been living in this mansion, Lao Jin also handed over all his life's learning to Zhao Ming, Zhao Ming naturally regarded Lao Jin as a master and a father.

Getting back to the point, when Chang Yun saw Lao Jin, he said respectfully: "Old Jin, there is a friend of Lord Zhao who wants to visit Lord Zhao today. ”

Lao Jin said: "Oh, is that the one?" Lao Jin looked at Qiao Kui, Chang Yun said: "It's his ......" Chang Yun didn't know what to say to Lao Jin, only to see Lao Jin say again: "Since that's the case, invite him in." ”

Chang Yun said: "Yes." Then he said to Qiao Kui again: "Brother Qiao, come in." ”

Qiao Kui arched his hand and said, "I'm bothered." ”

The inside of the mansion is like a small garden, even a few weeds are full of charm. There is a rockery in the center of the courtyard, the rockery stands on the top of the pool, and the algae and fish in the pond live together, which is a landscape painting in the courtyard.

Lao Jin walked in the front, Chang Yun and Qiao Kui walked behind, Chang Yun obviously came to Zhao Ming's mansion for the first time, he looked left and right, sighed left and right, it was not a novelty.

Walking through an archway, it was as if you had arrived in another world. It is neat and tidy, not as grassy as the front yard, but a simple stone table and a few paths paved with cobblestones, which seem to form an unknown pattern.

Qiao Kui was admiring, and suddenly heard a voice: "Brother Qiao!" Qiao Kui raised his eyes and saw who else Zhao Ming was, Zhao Ming was not wearing an official shirt, just a simple white cloth shirt, with a belt around his waist, and fast boots, dressed as if he was living outside the world. Qiao Kui arched his hand and said, "Brother Zhao, I took the liberty to visit today, and I hope it didn't disturb you." ”

Zhao Ming said: "What's the matter! ”

The crowd came to the hall. There is a natural wood fragrance in the hall, and if you smell it carefully, it is actually the tables and chairs in this hall, which is refreshing. Everyone sat down, Zhao Ming poured tea for Lao Jin first, and then poured tea for Qiao Kui, and then Chang Yun took the tea and poured himself a small cup.

Qiao Kui told Zhao Ming how to find here, Zhao Ming said with a smile: "Xiao Chang has been working with me for a while, I think he is a little similar to me back then, so I recommended it to the bar, and Li Kewen, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, is working in the mansion of Lord Li, I want him to find an opportunity one day to show his ambitions." ”

Chang Yun smiled sincerely: "I have been instructed by Lord Zhao for a few years, but I have learned very little, and I hope that Lord Zhao can teach the younger ones more in the future." ”

Zhao Ming said: "As long as you are willing to do it, you will definitely learn a lot of things, and there are some things that you need to learn slowly." ”

Chang Yun nodded again and again, as if he had learned something again.

Zhao Ming then asked, "Brother Qiao, why did you come to my house today?"

Qiao Kui hesitated, looked at Lao Jin and Chang Yun, Zhao Ming noticed that Qiao Kui thought that there were other people who were inconvenient to export, Zhao Ming said: "Okay, none of the people here are outsiders, Brother Qiao said directly." ”