Yesterday, as soon as the Dragon Boat Festival passed, it started to rain heavily on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Because of the heavy rain, Xia Houlan carried a few rice dumplings from Gongsun Yan's gift bag in his arms in the morning, put on his raincoat, and went to the military camp outside the city.
Cooperating with Zhou Xing who stayed there, he continued to receive the spoils of war and also urged the lieutenants of the army to deepen the drainage ditches and keep the camp dry to prevent the large camp located downstream from flooding.
Yesterday, during the Duanyang Festival, Gongsun Cheng and Ah Qing finished watching the vaudeville and puppet show and played in the market for a long time. Today, Gongsun Cheng is still sleeping.
Ah Qing still got up early and went into the kitchen to make porridge. Gongsun Yan saw that she looked gloomy, so he asked her to go back to catch up on her sleep.
Gongsun Yan leaned against the window, watching the rainwater flowing down the eaves in a line, hitting the bluestone in the courtyard and splashing high with water.
Suddenly, someone pushed open the courtyard door and came in. Zhao Yun was holding a huge paper umbrella and wearing a scarlet official uniform.
Gongsun Yanzheng was confused, didn't he go to see the merchant named Guan?
Thinking about it, a smile appeared on his face involuntarily, and he stood up to greet him.
Two female maids in the hall also stepped forward and took the umbrella from his hand, but were waved away by him.
"Mr. Guan came to visit. I met and discussed with him for a while, thinking that my wife might be of use." After saying that, Zhao Yun handed over a bamboo slip.
Gongsun Yan took the bamboo slip with one hand, took him to the hall with the other, sat down, and asked the maidservant to pick up charcoal and light the stove to dry the corners of his robe.
Then he went to fetch a towel to wipe his hair, and then looked carefully at the bamboo slips in his hand under his smiling gaze.
After a period of experience, Gongsun Yan's level of ancient writing improved rapidly. What is recorded on this bamboo slip is the information about the Guan family that Zhao Yun ordered his subordinates to verify.
Gongsun Yan looked at it carefully for a while. He saw that this was a typical businessman who was a businessman. He instinctively pursued profits like a shark chasing blood, and his moral standards were relatively low.
But he also possesses the courage of a businessman. He brings his manager to the door to trade his name, and his vision is not bad.
The tea shop that day was the work of Guan Ning, Guan Yang’s eldest daughter.
The Guan family has mature trade channels in their hands, which can be put to good use by Gongsun Yan.
Zhao Yun must have also seen this, so he ordered his subordinates to check it, and then sent it over in the rain.
"He is indeed someone who can come in handy."
Gongsun Yan put down the bamboo slip, took the towel in his hand, and wiped the area on his shoulder that was wet by the rain.
Two maidservants came in carrying the warm stove. They looked up at them and said nothing. They just placed the warm stove at Zhao Yun's feet and then both left.
"Do you want to meet me?" Zhao Yun asked softly, lifting up the corner of his wet robe and placing it on the stove. "Guan has a mansion in the West City. You can call him at any time."
Gongsun's face showed contemplation. It was not that she looked down upon the Jia people, but that merchants like Guan Yang, who had been in Lulong for many years, were not as easy to use as Zhou Xing and others.
Both use and prevent.
Gongsun Yan is used to building momentum and suppressing people, but is not good at judging people's hearts. Such a sense of scale happens to be her weakness.
"But what are you worried about?" Zhao Yun saw her expression and asked while pouring tea for her.
"It's not a big problem." Gongsun Yan shook his head, sighed and pointed at the bamboo slips, "It says here that Guan Yang sent the Sichuan brocade and furs that his daughter's family likes?"
"Yes." Zhao Yun nodded, "Looking at the time of entering the city, it is the day of Dragon Boat Festival when they were sent from Guanshi Wubao. I have returned them all."
Gongsun Yan sat beside the desk and tapped the desk thoughtfully: "But there are other eyes and ears in the county temple?"
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that someone brought such a heavy gift to Zhao Yun just after she came to Lulong.
"This shouldn't be the case." Zhao Yun saw Guan Yang's gift list and ordered someone to check it. "On the day when the lady comes, she and Guan Yang will enter the city."
Although Wang Wu and the others did not wear the standard military uniforms, their origins could be seen at a glance to anyone who was interested.
With an ample supply of rice and new training methods, the trained soldiers have a unique temperament and appearance.
In the northern border fortress, even the Han Dynasty only had this branch.
"It's just that Mr. Guan is indeed a very observant person."
"He is also good at sneaking into camps." Gongsun Yan raised the tea bowl, took a sip and added, "And he dares to take risks."
"It's people like this who are uncomfortable to use." Gongsun Yan did not despise the mental calculations of people of this era just because he came from a later generation.
Dealing with old foxes is the most uncomfortable thing.
"Don't worry." Zhao Yun didn't expect that this was what she was worried about. He smiled and comforted her, "As long as the Guan clan is still there, he won't dare to act rashly."
Since she has such concerns, he will keep a close eye on the Guan family just in case.
Zhao Yun would not say this to Gongsun Yan, he would just lower his eyes and look at the tea soup in the tea bowl.
Gongsun Yan, who had temporarily fallen into a misunderstanding, had not yet separated the lowly Jia people of the late Han Dynasty from modern capital. She only thought that Zhao Yun was merciful to her.
Just as he was about to say something else, he suddenly heard the sound of flapping wings coming from the front yard.
A pigeon cage doesn't take much effort. It was set up yesterday. Gongsun Yan and Zhao Yun tried to fly one.
Unexpectedly, I received a reply today.
Zhao Yun stood up, picked up the umbrella placed on the porch, walked to the pigeon cage, and took the homing pigeon that was standing shivering on the top of the pigeon cage back into the house.
He untied the small mailbox tied to the pigeon's paw, twisted out a small piece of paper, and handed it to Gongsun Yan.
Gongsun Yan thought that Lone Bamboo's first use of carrier pigeons would not convey any important news.
When I opened it and took a look, I was stunned.
On a piece of paper the size of a finger, it was written in extremely small characters
"The obscene sacrifice was eliminated, the infant drowning case was closed, and the five people were sent to Lulong."
You can see that the handwriting is open. Although there are only a few words, it describes the matter very clearly.
Before Gongsun Yan left, the prostitute in Guzhu Village that he had assigned to handle had been eliminated, and the five criminals in the infant drowning case would be sent to Lulong County for judicial proceedings.
"Five people..." Gongsun Yan sighed and handed the note in his hand to Zhao Yun.
According to the documents previously obtained from Lulong, infant drowning is the same crime as murder.
According to Han law, thieves who kill people and those who conspire with others will abandon the market.
None of these five people should be able to escape the sword of the downtown owl.
Although he had made a decision before, Gongsun Yan still felt heavy in his heart.
Every time I think about things like infant drowning happening everywhere, I get heart palpitations.
I don’t know how effective this kind of treatment will be before the tax reform.
However, someone has to start doing things.
At least it was justice for those drowned babies.
As she thought this, Zhao Yun, who had already read the note, gently pulled her into his arms: "Don't bother me, I will handle the rest."
Zhao Yun patted her shoulder gently as if to comfort her.
"Um."
Gongsun Yan responded softly and buried his face in Zhao Yun's arms.
(As for the county magistrate issuing decrees to determine the death penalty, local officials in the Han Dynasty had great power. According to Li Tongchuan and Zhao Yanchuan, because there were many cunning people in the county, they arrested and directly introduced the death penalty, and executed prisoners very casually.)