In Shangyuan County, Nanjing City, people were coming and going on the Wangjia Bridge. Li Ping'er hurried through the crowd from the south of the bridge, constantly dodging pedestrians on the way. Because of the traffic advantage of the bridge, many people occupied the bridge deck to display melon and fruit merchants' goods.
For sale, shoppers stand in the middle of the road to look at the goods, making the bridge deck even narrower.
The noisy bridge was filled with people. Li Ping'er's face was full of anxiety, and her crimson face was already covered with beads of sweat. Several people in front of her were bargaining loudly and blocking the road. Li Ping'er pushed, but the man instead
He turned around and looked over fiercely.
Li Ping'er's eyes widened, and when she was about to start a fight, a man's voice suddenly came from behind and said, "Miss Li, are you looking for a boy named Yuan Wu'er?"
Upon hearing the word Yuan Wuer, Li Ping'er was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw the man wearing a blue waistcoat. He was dressed like a small businessman, but his cheeks were thin and his skin was dark and rough.
, more like a Lifu who is used to doing heavy work.
Li Ping'er suddenly reacted and grabbed the sleeve of the man behind her. Before she could say anything, the man whispered, "If you want Yuan Wu'er to go home, talk to me to the side."
The man gestured towards the east, and Li Ping'er grabbed her sleeves with both hands.
"You don't have to hold on. If I really want to leave, you can't hold me back."
Li Ping'er stared at the man's face and hesitated for a moment, then let go of his sleeves and followed him to an alley on the east side. He turned a corner south in the alley, and the hustle and bustle of the avenue outside suddenly disappeared.
There were four people in the alley, three of them were also in short clothes, and one had a knife mark on his face. Li Ping'er felt that they looked like a gangster, but their clothes were not as gorgeous as Tai Sui in the city. These people blocked them respectively.
At both ends of the alley, there was only one man in robe facing Li Ping'er.
This man was about twenty years old, his skin was much better than those of his subordinates, and he also wore a folding fan around his waist like a common scholar. He was standing very quietly in the alley.
Li Ping'er was completely at a disadvantage in this secluded alley. She felt that her throat was dry and her hands were shaking a little. After taking a few breaths, she bravely said, "Where is Yuan Wu'er? What do you want to do! Don't think I am a single woman."
You are easy to bully, do you know who the slave family is?"
The man dressed as a scholar raised his eyes and looked at Li Ping'er. His eyes did not waver at all, showing that he was completely at the advantage at this time. He said with a relaxed expression, "Miss Li Ping'er in Meilou, who doesn't know anyone on both sides of the Qinhuai River?
But since I was able to intercept you at Wangjiaqiao, I naturally know some things that others don’t know. There is a Yuan Liye in Jinpa Lane, Shangyuan County. His ancestor was originally a military household in the Guards Station. He has been here for three generations, but he has been here for three consecutive generations.
She gave birth to four daughters, the eldest is named Yuan Meiping, and she has three sisters, two of whom have no family members. Yuan Liye thought that the relationship would be over, but he never thought that he would have a boy at the age of thirty-five."
He paused and slowly approached Li Ping'er, "My real name is Yuan Liuzong, and my nickname is Yuan Wu'er. Miss Ping'er came here in a hurry, but she learned that Yuan Liuzong was lost?"
"Where is Wu'er? Where are you staying?" Li Ping'er's voice in the alley was calm, but there was still a slight tremor in it. The other party knew her family background clearly, and she was obviously well prepared for these people.
I don't know the origin at all, and the fear in my heart only increases.
"It's a pity that Yuan Liye has not established a business, and the five children at home are not enough. Seeing that his eldest daughter has become quite beautiful, he cruelly sells it to a madam on the Qinhuai River. Since the government does not allow the sale of people, she pretends to adopt her, and then
The madam's surname was changed to Li Ping'er. Miss Ping'er is a person who feels sorry for her parents and prefers her younger brother. Therefore, even though she was sold into prostitution, she still found ways to support her family. I really appreciate it."
Li Ping'er took a step back slightly, clasped her hands on her chest, tilted her head to one side and said, "Since you know Mama Li, you should know that Mama Li is He and others, and all the yamen in Nanjing city can speak for themselves.
If you are wise enough to return Wu'er earlier, the slave family won't come to hold you accountable."
None of them were moved. The scholar looked at Li Ping'er carefully for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "But although the Madam has a reputation for being generous in Qinhuai, she is not very generous to her servants. Although you are the Madam."
My personal maid is not allowed to have any money with her, and she is not allowed to have contact with my family. I am very curious about how the money Miss Ping'er sends home every month comes from, and why she came home today."
Li Ping'er's breathing gradually became faster. Nanjing in July was like a furnace, and the alley was extremely hot and muggy. She was already worried about her younger brother, but after driving half the city, she was suddenly called to a remote place.
It seemed that the man had some leverage over her. He was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. Even his collar was soaked through.
She looked at the young scholar for a moment and said, "How much money do you want? Just tell me earlier."
"Young lady, I have misunderstood. I am not a traitor who cuts roads." The scholar took out the folding fan from his waist, "Miss Cai asked me just now if I knew who you are, and I answered. Now I ask Miss Ping'er if she knows who I am."
"You...who are you?"
"My surname is Fang. I'm not here to quarrel with the girl. I don't intend to hold you accountable for how you got the money from the eyebrow tower." Jiang Fan stared at Li Ping'er, "Li Lihua has done some things recently that have displeased my master.
, you need to find out from the girl, if you still want to see that Yuan Wuer, tell me the truth."
Li Ping'er bit her lips and suddenly shouted, "Who is your master? You and the others are all respectable men. It's shameful to embarrass a weak woman like me. Mother Li is entangled with you and the others, why does she involve a five-year-old child?"
"
Jiang Fan buried his head for a moment and said, "Then let me ask Miss Ping'er, the bandits are going to massacre Susong County, why does the Susong County Magistrate want to kill a Tongcheng Zaoli?"
Li Ping'er was stunned for a moment. She was so confused at the moment. She had no idea what Jiang Fan was talking about. She had never even heard of Su Song.
"The girl's sarcastic words are of no use to me." Jiang Fan didn't look ashamed at all, "Everything in the world has its reasons. I didn't come to you for no reason. Next, I will ask you an answer. If I ask you what you want to know,
Well, you will meet Yuan Liuzong in a few days."
Hearing that he would see Wu'er, Li Ping'er calmed down for a moment and then remembered the word Tongcheng just now. This word was often heard on weekdays because many of the regular visitors to Meilou were from Tongcheng. It suddenly occurred to him that the person in front of him might be from Tongcheng.
Who sent it?
She stared at Jiang Fan in confusion, "Are you the subordinates of a young general?"
Jiang Fan did not deny it, but he also did not admit it. Li Ping'er gasped a few times, looked at several other people, and finally stopped on Jiang Fan's face, "If the slave family said something about Li's mother, will you continue to use it in the future?"
Blackmailing the slave family."
"I have this plan, so the girl will be useful to me in the future." Jiang Fan nodded and said calmly, "But it also depends on whether Li Lihua is worth it. After all, it is still undecided. It is better for the girl to worry about the immediate situation first. If we don't say anything today,
I will send Yuan Wuer other things back tomorrow."
Li Ping'er's body trembled, "Then how do I know whether Wu'er is really in your hands?"
Jiang Fan nodded behind him. A follower took a piece of colorful clothes. Li Ping'er grabbed it and unfolded it in front of his eyes. The clothes were made of small pieces of fabric of many colors, but it was not because the Yuan family was poor. It is the traditional Baijiayi, which is usually made for children after the age of four or five. Because the fabrics are scraps obtained by each family, it is absolutely unique. You can tell at a glance that it is indeed worn by Yuan Wuer. that piece.
Li Ping'er bit her lip and looked at Jiang Fan, "Just ask."
…
After nightfall, Pang Yu walked slowly in the unfinished Dajiang Bank on Dazhong Street, followed by Liu Ruogu and Jiang Fan. Guo Fengyou and Pang Ding held lanterns. The empty lobby of the bank was filled with the smell of sawdust and paint. , various building materials are piled up everywhere, forming clusters of dark shadows in the dim light, looking slightly eerie.
Jiang Fan whispered from the back right side, "The person who wants Baishuntang is indeed Zhou Renzai, the young eunuch of the inner guard. Zhou Renzai is the person of Zhang Yingqian, the eunuch of the inner guard. Guo Zushan, the eunuch of the inner guard, is Zhou Renzai's confidant. He travels back and forth to contact everyone, except Li Lihua. In addition, there were also one person from the Nannei Supervisor and Supervisor, one person from the Southern War Department Titang Officer, two officials from the Military and Horse Departments of the North and South City, and one person from the Central Army Dudu Mansion. Among them, two people from the Military and Horse Department were responsible for instigating Shangyuan. The county government officials directly tried to rob it. Recently, they not only stopped at Baishuntang, but also took a fancy to several pawn shops, which was also because the officials who had taken refuge in them lost power."
"That is to say, Guo Zuoshan is the one in charge, and the young eunuch is his backer." Pang Yu walked around a bunch of window frames and asked as he walked, "Where is this person from?"
"Guo Zuoshan's father is the prison chief of Jiangning County. He has been around the Yamen market since he was a child. Three years ago, he donated a tribute student and entered the Imperial College. Then he was asked to be entrusted to the inner garrison." After Jiang Fan said this, he glanced at Pang Yu quietly. , after all, Pang Yu was also a donated prison student, but just for the sake of status, he had never gone to the Imperial College to attend classes, and Liu Ruogu even sent someone to do the registration.
After the middle Ming Dynasty, the imperial examination basically occupied all the official resources. The Imperial College lacked a way to advance, and the backlog of supervisors and students was very serious. In addition, coupled with the market-oriented behavior of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry, the Imperial College in the late Ming Dynasty had become an empty shell. There were a large number of people in the Imperial College in the north and south. There are very few people like this who take regular classes.
"Donating tribute to the emperor and supervising students is the same as what I do." Pang Yu didn't care and said confidently, "But I am doing it to save the country and the people, and he is just doing it for his own selfish reasons."
"It's really a world of difference." Liu Ruogu took over and said, "But this person is quite good at sneaking into the camp, and he relies on the power of the inner defense office. He has a wide network of contacts in various yamen in Nanjing. To deal with this kind of person, it will probably take a lot of time to find a broker. A lot of silver."
Pang Yu thought about it for a moment. This Guo Zuoshan was a local gangster in Nanjing. Although he seemed to have no official position, he had deep connections in Nanjing's official circles. If he took the ordinary approach to deal with it, he, a guerrilla general, would be at a disadvantage. It was very easy to assassinate such a gangster, but This method may trigger Zhou Renzai or even Zhang Yingqian to retaliate. At that time, Nanjing's industry will no longer be able to operate stably, so it can only be used as a last resort.
"Guo Zuoshan is Zhang Yingqian's man. He is one of the internal garrison eunuchs. The other co-guards and counselors' secrets are useless. We can only find a way to catch up with Liang Hongtai, the palm guard. If we look for a broker in Nanjing City, are there any more reliable ones? "
"Choose three people with good reputations, one of whom is Ruan Dacheng."
Pang Yu turned to look at Liu Ruogu. He knew that Ruan Dacheng was usually engaged in officialdom, but he didn't expect that he still had a reputation.
"Is there any clue about Ruan Dacheng's comeback?"
"It seems that he is still subject to the counter-case, but he also has frequent contacts in Nanjing. He came to Yinzhuang five or six days ago and deposited a sum of three thousand taels of silver. He told the villain that the Stone Chao Garden has been completed. If the adults come,
You must go to his home as a guest. Since there are many people in Tongcheng, my subordinates have never paid attention to it."
Jiang Fan said in a low voice, "My subordinates think it is better not to find Ruan Dacheng. According to what Li Ping'er mentioned, Li Lihua has met Ruan Dacheng very often and the two of them have a close relationship. If we find him, he may not really work for us and leak our details."
, after all, Baishuntang is quite famous in Nanjing now, and it can be said that it is making money every day, so Ruan Dacheng may not be unmoved."
Pang Yu looked at Jiang Fan, "Are you saying that Ruan Dacheng also wants a share of the Baishun Hall?"
Jiang Fan shook his head, "Ruan Dacheng should have nothing to do with this matter. He has been planning a comeback. Li Ping'er is responsible for the Dingpa of Meilou and Yumian Pavilion. Ruan Dacheng has hosted banquets at Yumian Pavilion in recent months. Among the people he met were
When Qian Qianyi, a relative of the Xun Dynasty, Donglin, was reinstated in Wuchang, there was also a supervisor from the Nannei Guanjian, but there was no one from the inner garrison."
"Ruan Dacheng met Qian Qianyi?" This unexpected news made Pang Yuwei frown. The so-called Donglin Party actually has no clear form and is very loosely organized. Qian Qianyi is the leader of Donglin Party and Zhang Guowei's mentor. Because Mr. Ma has never
Ignoring Ruan Dacheng, Pang Yu once thought that the relationship between Dong Lin and Ruan Dacheng was very bad. When he went to Suzhou to seek an official position last time, Ruan Dacheng had suggested that he go around in a big circle to establish a relationship with Qian Qianyi. Pang Yu always thought that Qian Qianyi was like this.
The Donglin Party will never pay attention to the Eunuch Party.
Liu Ruogu said cautiously, "There is one more thing you should know. According to several people in Tongcheng, Ruan Dacheng and Shi Kefa also exchanged letters."
Pang Yu was even more surprised. With Qian Qianyi in front, he would not be surprised at all if Zhang Guowei had contact with Ruan Dacheng. However, Shi Kefa considered himself a close disciple of Zuo Guangdou, and most of the public opinion among the scholars was still
Thinking that Zuo Guangdou's death was related to Ruan Dacheng, Pang Yu never imagined that there would be a personal relationship between them.
"There is also the Fushe Wuchangshi." Pang Yu took a moment to digest the news. He had heard Fang Yizhi and others mention Wu Changshi's name, and knew that this person was Zhang Pu's confidant, but he was not usually in Nanjing.
Coming to see Ruan Dacheng at the cusp of this crisis must have a conspiracy, which shows that Zhang Pu and Ruan Dacheng are not what they seem. Now it seems that the relationship between these scholar-bureaucrats is far more complicated than he thought.
At this time, Pang Yu walked up the stairs, and the footsteps of several people echoed in the lobby. Pang Yu asked Jiang Fan, "Does Li Ping'er know why Wu Changshi came to see Ruan Dacheng?"
"It's to establish a relationship with another important person."
Liu Ruogu stopped and asked, "Who is it?"
Jiang Fan said towards Pang Yu's back, "The maid was not allowed to be around when they were having a secret conversation. Li Ping'er didn't know the name, but his subordinates had a plan. Wu Changshi later met Qian Qianyi in Yumian Pavilion to restore society and Donglin.
However, Wu Changshi did not need Ruan Dacheng to introduce him to anyone from Donglin, so the person Wu Changshi wanted to hook up with was definitely not from the Donglin family, but someone who had a close relationship with Ruan Dacheng and was very important in the officialdom."
Pang Yu walked to the corner of the stairs. Now he had identified the forces that wanted to rob Baishun Hall, but it was still unclear how to solve it. His resources in Nanjing's officialdom were still limited, and he was confused about the entanglements of various political forces.
.In the past, he relied entirely on Fushe. Judging from recent signs, he seemed to have underestimated Ruan Dacheng's energy in the past. Now various parties have approached Ruan Dacheng, indicating that Ruan Dacheng can play an important role in this Fushe incident. Ruan Dacheng left a message.
It seems to be a hint that the cause of Baishuntang's incident is also in Fushe, and there seems to be some clues.
"Since Ruan Dacheng is also a broker, prepare a gift list and let your official go visit the Stone Nest Garden tomorrow."