The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 182 The spring scenery is fierce and whimsical

Spring in Xizhou comes extremely hard. It seems that just after waking up, the light fur jacket that could not be separated from yesterday can no longer be worn. The river below the city becomes more abundant as the snow-capped mountains melt, and the green on the river banks becomes fresher and richer day by day. In mid-February, when an urgent notice of three hundred miles was sent to Xizhou, the news of the Tang Dynasty's reform of the Yuan Dynasty, the establishment of a new crown prince, and the general amnesty was sent to Xizhou. In the valley surrounding Xizhou, wild flowers of all colors were already blooming. Vast tracts of grass were dyed into a brocade of green velvet lichen.

If it weren't for the spring breeze that comes with the warm spring sun, Liuli would really feel that the spring in Xizhou is more beautiful than that in Chang'an. But in the early morning of this day, when the sharp wind whistling outside the window woke her up again, looking at the hazy light coming through the high window, she couldn't help but sigh: The wind is blowing again! Now she finally understood why the streets in Xizhou had to be dug down, why the courtyards in Xizhou were so small, while the spacious courtyards of the Protectorate and the temples were dug deeper than ordinary people - every few days they had to dig deeper. The violent spring wind that is blowing can definitely blow people away on the flat ground. Only hiding between these deep and high walls can be considered to be somewhat safe...

In the darkness, Pei Xingjian tightened his arms around her, and his voice was hoarse with a hint of awakening, "Are you woken up again?"

Liuli said "hmm" and shrank into his arms, "If I had known this, we should have lived in Chang'anfang."

Pei Xingjian laughed in a low voice, "Are you afraid that I will be blown away on the road? Don't worry, it's less than a mile, so you can't blow me away. But don't go out today, just rest at home."

Liuli sighed, "Then you are not allowed to leave the city again." Since the first month of the lunar month, he has spent far more time outside the city than in the city, and often spends a night or two outside. , even Feng Piaopiao came to visit her the day before yesterday, and there was a little information revealed in her words. Liuli could only send her out with a litigious look on her face. When she turned around to talk to Pei Xingjian, Pei Xingjian just smiled faintly, "They Have you finally lost your temper?"

Hearing that Pei Xingjian didn't make a sound for a long time, Liuli pushed him gently and said, "It's not fun to play in the wild on such a windy day." I heard that it is not uncommon for adult cattle and horses to be blown away by strong winds at some wind outlets.

Pei Xingjian seemed to have come back to his senses, and there was a smile in his voice, "Don't worry, I have done everything I should do. Qu Chongyu is already suspicious in his heart now. He will probably come up with something to stop me from leaving the city again. I just I’m thinking, what government affairs will he assign to me?”

Liuli asked hurriedly, "Have you thought about what kind of government affairs it will be?"

"Maybe it's a criminal lawsuit, maybe it's taxes, but no matter what he asks me to take care of, I will make him regret it." Pei Xingjian's voice was calm and calm, but Liuli knew that he was a little angry and couldn't help but say , "Why are you unhappy?"

Pei Xingjian was silent for a moment, but when he spoke, he changed the topic, "Yesterday I told Liu Ajian about Fangling."

Liuli was surprised, "How is she?"

"I don't know either. She just thanked me politely and I quickly left."

Liuli sighed deeply. From Liu Ruyue's story, she could tell that the man named Fang Ling had an extremely tough temperament. Unexpectedly, despite repeated setbacks over the years, he was sent to Xizhou, but he still hadn't changed at all. In the autumn of three years ago, Mu Cheng made things difficult for him and asked him to go out of the camp on a windy day to find two lost horses. He suddenly became furious, took Mu Cheng hostage, and left the camp with him, never to return. Some said that he and Mu Cheng died together in the strong wind, and some said that he killed Mu Cheng and fled to the end of the world, but no matter what, he was never found again. Liu Liyuan had a vague feeling that only such a strong man could match the tenacious Liu Ruyue. When Pei Xingjian left the city for the first two times, he secretly hoped that he could find someone, but he did not expect to hear such news...

She couldn't help but feel depressed. She curled up in Pei Xingjian's arms and didn't want to say a word. Pei Xingjian gently stroked her back and said, "I don't want to tell you about it either. It's just that someone from Qu Chongyu also asked Mu The prisoner probably already knew about this; secondly, I left the city too often, so he must have seen that I had other plans. Since I let Madam Feng find you, I'm afraid that when I turn around right away, I'll find Liu Ajian and let them tell me the truth. It’s even more inappropriate.”

Liuli whispered, "I know." She paused for a moment and added, "So you are not allowed to go out of the city on a windy day. I was worried all night long last time."

Pei Xingjian patted her comfortingly and said, "I won't do it again. I didn't expect that the wind would pick up on the way, so I had to find a place to hide first. As you know, we don't have much time now..."

Liuli sighed in her heart. Pei Xingjian seemed to be worried about what Qu Chongyu would find out. She suddenly became very nervous these days. He either ran outside or stayed at his desk until late at night. The things he did seemed to be related to farm affairs. She didn't say she was helping, she was watching everything. I don't quite understand, but the only thing I can do now is not to cause him any trouble.

Amidst the whispers, the hazy light outside the window gradually turned into the clear dawn. The two of them got up to freshen up, and after breakfast, Pei Xingjian put down his bamboo chair and suddenly smiled, "I almost forgot to tell you, we have another one here. Officials of the Tang Dynasty."

oh? Liuli looked up at him with interest. The smile on Pei Xingjian's face was somewhat subtle, "Liuli, do you still remember the Su Canjun from Liangzhou City? His father Su Haizheng has been appointed as the governor of Yizhou. I guess a He will take office in a few months."

 Izhou? Liuli also knew that this place was located between Dunhuang and Xizhou, on the east side of Dahai Road. The place was not big, and the population was less than ten thousand. Although the governor of Yizhou was also a third-rank official, he was far inferior to being a fourth-rank lieutenant in Chang'an. Will. The more Liuli thought about it, the more confused she became, "Is this appointment related to what happened last time?"

Pei Xingjian shook his head and smiled, "Who knows now? Maybe the imperial court is just preparing to use troops against the Turks. Su Haizheng is still a veteran in the army. He has led the governor of Yizhou, so it is logical to come here to make preparations. If the Holy One has the intention to reuse him, he If you achieve success in one battle, you will be able to worship the general when you return to the court; otherwise..."

Liuli nodded understandingly. If he stayed here after this battle, it was probably because Gaozong didn't want him to return to Chang'an. In other words, the memorial written by Su Canjun not only harmed himself, but also harmed his father. After all, although Wu Zetian had already ascended the throne of the queen and her eldest son Li Hong had also been established as the prince, the eldest son Wuji But he still stood tall. Perhaps what Gaozong was most worried about at this time was that someone in the army was leaning toward this lieutenant. "What will happen to that Su joining the army?"

Pei Xingjian smiled and said, "How do I know? Maybe he will follow his father to Yizhou."

Seeing that it was time to go to the Yamen, but the strong wind outside the house showed no sign of letting up at all, Liuli couldn't help but frowned. Pei Xingjian smiled and said, "I am thick-skinned and thick-bodied now, so I am not afraid of this!" The wind blows outside these days. Due to the sun, Pei Xingjian's brows were obviously more weathered, but Liuli felt that he looked more heroic than before. She could only smile and nod, "You should be more careful on the road."

Pei Xingjian looked down at him, his expression a little more solemn, "Shiro has left. Don't go out casually these days. There is also a workshop over there. If you can't go, don't go."

Liuli smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, that Prince Qu won't be interested in coming to see me again!"

 Qu Chongyu did ask Liuli to come over a few days ago. There were so many people there. Dozens of engravings for the first Buddhist scripture were now ready. He said he wanted to ask for advice on inking. The few boxes of fine pine smoke and ink that Juro brought last time came in handy immediately. Liuli reluctantly sold them at a high price without any embarrassment, and took the opportunity to bring up the matter of the master craftsman again. Qu Chongyu was so angry that his eyes were confused, but he still remembered to ask lightly, "How did Madam know that Chongyu wanted to print Buddhist scriptures in the first place?" Liuli's eyes widened in surprise, and after a while she smiled sweetly, "The prince's words are really interesting. , in this market, what else can be used to make money besides Buddhist scriptures? You can’t think of it!”

Qu Chongyu’s face immediately turned green. When Liuli left, she felt a chill in her back, probably because he had cut her countless times with his eyes...

Looking at Liuli's proud and bright smile, Pei Xingjian couldn't help but laugh too. He lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead, "I know you can make people angry...you have to be careful not to make him faint."

Liuli chuckled, trying to make Qu Chongyu dizzy, so that he would not be able to make it difficult for Pei Xingjian with one move after another.

After Pei Xingjian left, she went into the study and revised several layouts for next year's calendar. When she put down her pen, she was surprised to realize that it was almost noon. Just as he was about to ask Ayan how the lunch was prepared, Xiaotan hurriedly walked in, "Madam, Alang sent someone back to say that he was busy and would not be back until later. He also said that Qu Duhu had asked him to take charge of the punishment. Litigation matter!"

Criminal litigation? Liuli nodded and understood something in her heart. Xizhou is vast and sparsely populated, and its people are simple and honest. The Han family clan system is strict, and all major affairs are decided by the clan. If there is a dispute among the Hu people, they will not bring it to the government. . The so-called criminal cases are mostly trivial matters in the market. The weird thief who is said to have stolen more than 20 calves is a major case that is well known to everyone in Xizhou. Taking care of such things is both powerless and boring, but you will be stymied by trivial matters and cannot go out every day to "investigate public sentiment."

This incident was also expected by Pei Xingjian, but he didn't know how he would deal with it.

Liuli knew that it was useless to dwell on this matter, so she had lunch, read for a while, and embroidered a bamboo leaf pattern on Pei Xingjian's new spring robe. Seeing that the sky was getting dark, the wind was dying down, and Pei Xingjian had not returned yet, she couldn't help but Somewhat worried. Did something go wrong on the first day he took over the criminal proceedings?

　　…………

In the chief historian's room of the Duhu Mansion, Bai San lit a few candles on the candlestick. As it gradually darkened, the room suddenly became brighter. Zhu Que, a member of the judicial army, looked even redder under the candlelight: "Pei Changshi, this time The case cannot be so hasty! Although there are twenty calves in this uncle-nephew cattle dispute, the ins and outs of the matter are very clear. I think Zhang Er can be regarded as a local squire. If he is taking care of his nephew Qiao Liu's cattle, he is greedy for money. Although there is no clear evidence, it is reasonable. However, it is absolutely impossible to say that he is the thief who stole more than 20 calves from various places in Xizhou. !”

Pei Xingjian put down the case file unhurriedly, "In Zhu Junjun's opinion, where have the thief's more than twenty calves gone now? Could it be that they flew to Chengdu? The case has been delayed for three months, Xizhou There are rumors all over the city and people are in panic. The police officers have been out of the yamen so many times, but have they ever caught a clue? Now that the clue is right in front of them, Zhu Canjun says there is no such thing. I think Zhu Canjun already knows the case well. ?”

Zhu Que hurriedly shook his head, "The official is also confused about this case. It's just that it has been a few years since the official settled the case. This cattle stealing case is too strange, but the case of Zhang's and Qiao's cattle fight years ago was very simple. The two should be No connection.”

Pei Xingjian looked somewhat disapproving and nodded, "Zhu Canjun was meticulous and cautious in handling the case. Pei has also heard about it for a long time, but it's not good to be too cautious. Since you said that the cattle fight case is very simple, why is it still pending for so long today?" "

Zhu Que sighed, "It's really simple to say. There are more than 40 cows in Qiao Liu's herd, and he should be able to get more than 20 calves in one spring. It is impossible for all of them to survive, but Qiao Liu is not the only one with these calves. The family's cattle will give birth, and Zhang Er insists that he bought it from a Turkic herdsman. How can we determine that he is lying? ?”

Several clerks in the room also nodded, "Exactly! This matter involves an honorary officer, which is the most troublesome." Only Qu Chongyu still sat there casually, flipping through the documents at hand.

Pei Xingjian frowned slightly, "What about the honorary officer? Is it possible that a mere honorable officer can touch him? Zhu joined the army, and Qiao Liu left his hometown to take the exam, but when he came back, his relatives embezzled his property. If this case continues like this, won’t it make the students of Xizhou feel embarrassed? I’ll give the army one month, but I wonder if the army can conclude the case?”

 Zhu Que glanced at Qu Chongyu and scratched his neck, "I am a stupid official. I'm afraid I don't have the ability to resolve the case. I want to ask Chang Shi for advice on how to resolve the case as soon as possible?"

Pei Xingjian smiled faintly, "It's not difficult to say. Think about that Zhang Er, but he's just a villager. What kind of world have he seen? Bring him to the hall and scare him. I'm afraid he won't dare not to attack! Maybe the two cases will be solved together." "

Qu Chongyu raised his head with interest, "What did Chang Shi say?"

Pei Xingjian smiled and said, "In my opinion, these two cases are nothing surprising! It's just that it's a little tricky to get Zhang Er to admit his guilt in court. In fact, it's just a cruel thing. Is there anyone in the world who is not afraid of being beaten? As for the cattle thief, in my opinion, it must be Zhang Er, and these two cases are just one case!"

Several bookkeepers in the room looked at each other, feeling a little dumbfounded. Isn't Pei Xingjian too whimsical? Why did Zhang Er go to steal cattle from house to house? How could he just beat them casually? Qu Chongyu pondered and nodded, "There is some truth in what Pei Changshi said. I wonder how many days it will take for Pei Changshi to resolve the case."

Pei Xingjian chuckled and said, "I am not the one who is trying the case. If I were Zhu Canjun, I would put up a notice tomorrow and hold a trial the next day. I would have to ask Zhang Er, the thief, to plead guilty in front of the people of Xizhou!"

Qu Chongyu's eyes lit up and he stood up, clasping the case, "Okay! Let's make it a deal and tell him to go down. Tomorrow, a notice will be posted in front of the house, saying that Chang Shi has caught the cattle thief and will open a court to try the case. People of Xizhou, look at Chang Shi’s methods!”

The Black Emperor is finally going to show off his power! Phew...please pink.

 (End of this chapter)