Zuo Qing was very happy with the money he spent to buy these twenty women, but he had one worry...Tan Cen was also a first-class official after all. He had been wandering in the officialdom for many years and had seen all kinds of intrigues and insidious schemes. How could he be so easily betrayed by Su Yan?
Are you convinced by a few words?
Is he too stupid, or...
"Is there another trap?" Su Yan jumped up in disbelief, frightening Zuo Qing who was deep in thought, "Impossible, he doesn't know me, and Yu Chengfeng is indeed not in the border town. How did he discover the flaw? Impossible.
, absolutely impossible!”
Su Yan didn't want to believe that his and Xi Lou's careful planning could be easily seen through.
Zuo Qing wiped away the water stains on the tea table and said to her: "I'm just guessing, why do you have such a big reaction? Why should Tan Cen believe a border town man who suddenly appeared and wanted to do business with him? He didn't
I have met Yu Chengfeng, and I have never done business in the border towns, so I am sure to be suspicious of you, but..."
"But what?" Su Yan asked eagerly.
"First of all, the disguise is so perfect that he can't discover your true identity; secondly, the border town is well arranged and he can't find any clues; finally, Tan Cen is greedy and he won't be satisfied with just the dark market, the border town is bigger
More importantly, the Mexican Party is a big draw and something will happen one day. He understands this and naturally wants to find another way out for himself."
"so?"
"So, even if he suspects you, as long as he doesn't discover your identity, he will still continue to trade with you, but he will keep an eye on you. You must always be vigilant."
Su Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as he can continue trading with me, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch him!"
Zuo Qing sat quietly in front of the tea table, looked at her with a smile, and asked slowly: "Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid? You have known me for so long, but have you ever seen me afraid? I am not afraid of anyone except Master!" Su Yan was a little surprised by his reaction.
"Su Ming..." Zuo Qing's expression suddenly became heavy, "I have been away from Kuai Feng Town for so long, and you mention him less and less. It seems that you have completely adapted to this place."
Su Yan was puzzled. From the time he left Kuai Feng Town to the present, except for mentioning his master twice at the beginning, he never seemed to mention it. How could he say this?
"No one in the world can live without us, let alone me. Master and I are originally from the rivers and lakes. If we are together for a long time, we will break up, and if we are separated for a long time, we will get back together. Don't worry, we will meet sooner or later!" Su Yanhun said with a smile, not caring.
Zuo Qing nodded happily and related the story to Tan Cen.
Two days later, nothing unusual happened outside the academy. Su Yan was worried and even went to Tan Mansion for a walk. The result was that everything was business as usual!
Only at this moment did I completely let go of my hanging heart.
It was getting late, and under the stars, the Xishan courtyard was quiet and peaceful. Only the two lanterns in front of the door were swaying in the wind, and the yellowish candlelight cast two irregular light and shadows on the ground. Two slaves were already waiting outside the door.
Standing between the light and shadow, her little face looked extremely rosy and shiny, but although it was rosy, it was lifeless and lifeless.
This situation made Su Yan curse in his heart: What a hell!
When the servant saw Su Yan, he immediately greeted her with a smile, and they led her into the courtyard one after the other. The road was still the same, and the people were the same, but Su Yan felt uncomfortable all over.
The two slaves and the strangely red lantern outside the door made her feel scared.
Once such an idea arises, it will never go away. When my eyes fall on the room at the end of the corridor, I feel that there are many dangers.
"Girl, the stars and moon are high tonight, and the breeze is suitable. The servants have prepared food and wine in the courtyard. My master has been waiting for you for a long time." The servant in front had a smile on his face, but Su Yan felt it was very gloomy no matter what.
Su Yan felt depressed. Tan Cen didn't hurry up to do business, but actually wanted to drink wine with Yue. What a waste of time! She suppressed her irritation, grinned at the servant, and praised with a dry smile: "Master Tan is so elegant! "
The courtyard is very elegantly decorated, with lanterns surrounding the trees. There is a wooden platform off the ground in the center, and it is covered with carpets. Wine, fruit and preserves are all available. There are sparks burning on the stove next to it. The knife from last time The man with the scar was actually grilling meat! Su Yan rubbed his eyes in disbelief. The man with the scar had a collar on his coat, revealing a pair of thick hands covered with scars, turning the meat skewers extremely inflexibly. Seeing Su When Yan came to visit, he just smiled politely at her and continued to immerse himself in his own work.
"It's a coincidence, girl," the adult sitting cross-legged on the futon looked at her with a wine glass, squinting his eyes and half-smiling. He raised his glass and said to her, "The home-brewed wine is very refreshing. Tonight The girl and I were drinking and discussing business."
"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey," Su Yan was invited to take a seat. He wanted to get to the point immediately, but suddenly he remembered Zuo Qing's reminder to him that the person in front of him was cunning and suspicious, so he had to be wary and careful at all times! Su Yan smiled and looked at the wine in front of him. He praised: "I heard from the general that everyone in Kyoto knows how to drink, but not many people know how to make wine. It's really amazing that you have such good craftsmanship."
"People in Rongguo drink heavily, but they are not good at making wine. On the contrary, Chuguo has many brewers. I still remember that three years ago I passed through a border town in Chuguo. There was a tavern there, and the wine brewed by the waiters was very mellow. Unfortunately, This year I sent someone to pay a return visit, but found that the building was empty!" He shook his head, feeling a little regretful.
Su Yan felt vaguely strange, but he couldn't say what was strange. He could only agree with what he said: "Sir, don't regret it. In the future, you will expand the dark market to the border towns. The fine wine there is enough to make you forget your worries. Why bother with the wine of Chu State. "
"What the girl is saying is," Tan Cen looked at her and asked with his eyes moving slightly, "Has the girl ever drank wine from the State of Chu?"
"Although my slaves live in border towns, they also accompany the generals on expeditions. Unfortunately, they have never been to Chu State and cannot taste the fine wine."
"But I think your conversation, girl, looks very much like a Chu woman."
Su Yan was confused. What was Tan Cen's intention when he mentioned Chu State to her every time? She secretly glanced at the person opposite. The other person was smiling and looking at her calmly. Those eyes were full of lethargy. The thing she feared. Su Yan hurriedly withdrew his gaze and fell on the tea cup in his hand: "My lord, I am so complimentary. I am used to being rude. Even the general often thinks that I am not gentle enough and my conversation is not elegant enough. I also secretly learn from it, but still can't learn it." To all our ladies!"
"oh?"
When Su Yan heard the word 'oh', it felt like there were tens of thousands of ants crawling in her heart. She thought about it, but she couldn't figure out where she made him suspicious. It was because the face after the disguise happened to be similar to one of his old people. , or did he say something wrong? Su Yan couldn't figure it out, and he didn't have time to think about it. Acting accordingly was the only way at the moment. Maybe, as Zuo Qing said, Tan Cen was just too cautious.
Without saying a word, she drank the wine in one gulp: "Did the slave say something wrong that made you disgusted? If so, it is really the slave's fault, but it is the slave's fault that the slave is vulgar and must not be mistaken.
It has won the long-term business of the Lord and the General!"
"You have to eat your meal slowly, and discuss business slowly. Why should you be anxious, girl?" He clapped his hands, and two slaves immediately emerged from behind the bushes, holding wrist-sized hemp ropes in their hands, followed by a series of footsteps.
, more than a dozen women, all in their twenties and eighties, kept coming out. "The goods are ready, don't worry, girl."
Su Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately took out the deed that had been prepared from the brocade box he carried with him and handed it to Tan Cen, "This is the contract of sale of the twenty women. I have signed it on behalf of the general. Your Excellency, please take a look at it."
," while Tan Cen was checking the deed, he took another one and handed it over, "This is the contract that the general has prepared. The transaction form and the escort fee are all clearly written."
Changsun Yue specially went to Changsun's pawn shop to copy the contract. In addition, there were many clauses that were enough to attract Tan Cen. It was expected that he would not be able to avoid it.
"Does your signature represent your general?" Tan Cen stared at her suspiciously.
"I have followed the general from birth to death. Although I am a slave, I have a sense of fate. There are no rules in the border town. The general and I have always been like this."
Tan Cen's brows moved with some surprise in his expression. He slowly withdrew his gaze and said, "I can see that your general is sincere in doing business with me and has given me a lot of benefits!" Tan Cen nodded with satisfaction and took another swig.
I ordered three cups but refused to sign.
Su Yan was very anxious, but he still suppressed his temper and said: "Since you think it's reasonable, please pick up your pen, and let's drink slowly and admire the moon."
"No hurry, no rush, I have another question to ask the girl."
"Excuse me, sir."
Tan Cen stood up slowly, walked to the audience, lifted the chin of one of the women, and said quietly: "I have been an official for eight years. Before entering Beijing, I was just a scholar in Yongcheng, Chu State. I loved watching fireworks.
I lingered in the country and never left. At that time, I knew the way to make money. Women and children are the easiest things in the world to make money. Later I went to Beijing to join the Secretariat and opened a secret market in Beijing, but I still like to go back to Chu State to look for girls.
, because the girls there are the most delicate, like flowers!" He turned around, his face covered with a smile that was completely opposite to his temperament. It was sinister and weird. When Su Yan saw it, he immediately broke into a cold sweat.
"Are these women from Chu State?" Su Yan pretended to be calm.
"Yes, without exception, they are all from the Chu country. Unfortunately, they are still not as good as that girl in the tavern. I still remember the appearance of that girl. She stood outside the door, the scorching sun wrapped around her, and the sweat flowed from her
It flows from the forehead to the neck and shoulders, and the whole body is radiating light!"
Su Yan suddenly realized something was wrong and hurriedly took a few steps back, missing the mark and almost falling down.
In the weird atmosphere, the women kept their heads hanging down. Only then did Su Yan suddenly realize that their arms were all branded with square marks, which seemed to be...
Mo! That’s Mo Fei’s dead soldier!
In panic, Su Yan found a short meat-cutting knife from nowhere and quickly hid it in her sleeve. She looked at her surroundings, but found that there was no other way out except the way she came. The scar who was roasting meat just now was
The man, at this time, had put down the meat skewers and was slowly approaching.
Tan Cen untied their ropes and said: "That year I went to Kuai Feng Town, and the tavern I went to was called 'Hongju'. The waiter inside was a woman, no! She was only in the age of cardamom at that time, so she couldn't be considered a
This woman is probably no longer in her prime. I remember she said that the wine she makes is the best in the city, and no one can compare with it. I didn’t believe it, so I asked her: Little girl, have you ever drunk Ruoshui wine?
The wine there is the most fragrant in the world. She seemed to be disdainful of this and said to me: No wine anywhere can compare to her wine. I said to her again: You don’t believe me, but I don’t believe it either.
You, I happened to bring Ruoshui wine, and you will know the quality after drinking it." He stopped and sighed, "Unfortunately, she didn't buy my account."
Su Yan was extremely scared. If she was really just an ignorant girl at that time and had never drank Ruoshui's wine, she might really have fallen into his trap. Once she drank what he brought, she would open her eyes again.
Open your eyes, I'm afraid it's already a clearly marked item in the dark market.
Tan Cen had already untied everyone's ropes. He threw the heavy ropes into the bushes, dusted off the dust on his brocade robes, and said coldly: "Miss Su, you must have remembered. We obviously just met by chance, but let me
The memory is still fresh! Now that we are reunited, you must answer a question that has troubled me for many years. I remember at that time you said: What is the wine with water? The grape wine collected by your father is the king of wine. But according to the
As far as I know, wine is not produced in the Chu Kingdom, but was brought back by Prince Zheng when he conquered the Liuli Kingdom. Apart from being given to the concubines in the harem, only a few princes in Kyoto enjoy it. I have always wanted to ask you, who is your father?
?Who are you?!"
Su Yan was so frightened that his whole body froze, and he stared at him: "My lord, you have recognized the wrong person. I have never been to Chu State, so how can I be the person you are talking about!"
Tan Cen said disdainfully: "Your disguise is indeed flawless. It's a pity that you didn't pay attention. Women in border towns have always been open-minded. They are not as cautious as you, let alone trying to please men. Every word and every move you make is...
It makes me suspicious, but that's not the point. The point is that your carriage is neither Yu Chengfeng's vehicle, nor does it belong to the Ministry of War, and it comes from 'Ma Si Fang' outside the city. I found out yours through a casual investigation.
Identity. If Miss Su really wants to follow the example of the Ministry of Justice in investigating cases, she has to find a strange horse racing workshop, and then seriously learn the appearance of a woman from a border town. You can easily let the enemy follow the clues, and all the details will be revealed! But I
I still admire you very much, you are not afraid in the face of danger, and your ability to adapt to changes is really amazing, the people in my house are far inferior to you!"
She thought of all the possibilities, but she didn't expect that Tan Cen would find clues from a carriage, and she didn't expect that a sentence he said many years ago would still haunt him to this day! Su Yan closed his eyes in annoyance: It's really
Capsized in the gutter!
"Miss Su's doubts have been solved, but what about my doubts?"
Su Yan took a long breath and smiled bitterly: "I made a joke many years ago. I didn't expect you to remember it today. It's really hard for you! It doesn't matter, the bamboo basket is empty, and the future will be endless!" After that, he showed his short knife and pointed at it.
He pounced, and when he was about to stab him in the heart, he changed direction instantly. The dead soldiers and the scarred man who were surrounding him jumped away. Su Yan found a gap and rolled far away, and then rolled again.
She crawled away from the courtyard. The person behind her almost roared at the top of her lungs. Su Yan was not a vegetarian either. She climbed over several courtyard walls to escape the pursuit, but the last courtyard wall was beyond the scope of her Qinggong.
, the red-painted door was also locked from the outside...
She was sweating profusely and looking at the exit. Just when she was about to look for a breakthrough, something suddenly grabbed her behind her. A huge force instantly pulled her back. The stick flew down in front of her as fast as lightning, inserting her without any hesitation.
It was under her armpits, on her neck, between her legs, and she couldn't move.
A gray robe blocked the moon, and then a ferocious face almost pressed against hers.
"You haven't finished answering my questions, so you can't leave." His manner of speaking returned to the elegant manner when we first met, as if there was someone else who was yelling and screaming just now.
Su Yan gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, we have only met each other once. Isn't it ridiculous for you to question my relationship with the powerful people in Beijing based on just a few nonsense words?"
"Yeah, I think it's ridiculous too, but with all the clues right in front of me, it's ridiculous and it seems real." Tan Cen picked up her clothes and said word by word, "I thought about it for two days.
All the nobles checked, and no one had any relatives living outside, except..."
Su Yan held her breath, possibly tensing up her muscles, as if this way she could cope with all crises and keep her expression calm. But when he said the words "Prince Zheng", she still couldn't hold on, and her body seemed to fall.
As she entered the abyss, she was surrounded by biting ice and wind, almost suffocating her.
Tan Cen did not wait for her reply, because he had already seen the answer in her eyes. The doubts that had been lingering for many years were finally settled. At this time, he seemed to be in the clouds, feeling extremely relaxed.
"Mr. Shu Youtang, the woman Zuo Qing brought back is actually the eldest daughter of Prince Zheng who disappeared ten years ago! What Ge Yiyan said is true, Zuo Qing really has different intentions!"
Hearing that Tan Cen suddenly had doubts about Zuo Qing again, Su Yan hurriedly said: "I am me, Prince Zheng is Prince Zheng, we have nothing to do with each other, Zuo Qing has nothing to do with Prince Zheng?!"
"Idiot, you are the daughter of Prince Zheng. How could Zuo Qing not discover your identity after being with you for so long? Isn't his purpose of approaching you obvious? He is looking for trouble for his master. He is approaching you for nothing more than this.
Prince Masaru’s patrol force!”
"Ridiculous!" Su Yan tried her best to break away, but was suppressed by the dead soldiers and had no room for resistance. Tan Cen did not give him any chance and ordered the dead soldiers to lift her up and prepare to give her to Mo Fei.
When she thought that Zuo Qing was about to face a life-and-death crisis, she didn't know where the strength came from. She stretched out a foot from among the densely packed sticks and kicked one of them unconscious with all her strength. Taking advantage of the confusion, she flipped over like a fish in the gap.
Personally, the shackles that were still impregnable instantly collapsed.
But so what if he broke free. The dead man reacted quickly. Before Su Yan could turn around and climb the wall, he was already pinned to the ground. A gleaming knife was placed across his neck. The person behind him only heard a vicious warning: "I'll chop you first."
One ear to see if you are still honest!"
Su Yan turned her head to avoid it, but the man was so powerful that she was like a sheep waiting to be slaughtered. She finally couldn't hold on anymore and screamed at the top of her lungs: "Yan Zhen! Where did you die?