The door of the confinement room was finally opened. Li Guolou, who had been closed for a day and a night, breathed the outside air, stretched his body, and moved his muscles a few times. Li Guolou turned to the Tianzihao compound. It was already after get off work time and the compound was empty. Come. When I arrived at his office, I changed into casual clothes and left the Yamen. I happened to meet Liu Chengle in the corridor.
Li Guolou took the initiative to say hello and said: "Old Liu, we don't know each other until we fight. We will still be a family from now on."
Liu Chengle spat on the ground and said angrily: "Xiao Lizi, who is a member of the same family as you? Sooner or later, the accounts between us will be settled."
Li Guolou shook his head and said: "Old Liu, since you said so, why don't we go to the practice room now and make gestures again, with bare hands or with sticks, it's up to you."
Liu Chengle said angrily: "Don't be so arrogant and complacent. Wait until I recover from my injuries and you will be able to look good on me. What a fool!"
When Li Guolou heard that Liu Lecheng started to scold his mother, his heart burned with anger, but he held it back this time. One day he would ride on top of Liu Lecheng's head, and then he would be able to deal with this person. If he wanted to gain a foothold in the Ministry of Punishments, he would have to
If you have meritorious service, you have to step on the enemy's official rank to rise to the top. A guy like Liu Lecheng is his stepping stone.
Li Guolou raised his hand, with a smile on his face, and said: "Goodbye, Old Liu, we will talk again later."
The self-restraint skills suddenly became very good. Regardless of others' gloating expressions, Li Guolou and Liu Lecheng passed each other. This time, neither of them dared to make a move. The feeling of being in a solitary cell was indeed uncomfortable, and there would always be opportunities for revenge in the future.
Li Guolou raised his head without hesitation. He was already a popular figure around Mr. Bao. He had only been here for a few days, and he already had a seat at the banquet for VIPs in the back hall. He was so prosperous that he was like a fish swimming in the water.
Bubble, it won't take long for him to upgrade his official position to one level and squeeze out Liu Lecheng's captaincy. Liu Lecheng will become a thing of the past, staying in a corner and getting moldy and smelly. The competition in the officialdom is so cruel, and Li Guolou has found the right partner.
There are also scheming enemies among our partners.
The Minister of Punishment, Shubao, agreed to fill up the Li Guolou squadron first. It will have a staff of thirty people, and then it will be a brigade. His squadron will be the most well-equipped team in the Punishment Ministry. He really wants to raise hunting dogs.
Already.
At dusk, the gate of the Criminal Department was empty and desolate. Pedestrians wearing cotton-padded clothes, hunched bodies, hoods, dog-skin hats, and some even wearing scarves, braved the cold wind and walked on the street. When it was time to get off work, Li Guolou did not call.
The carriage could only go eastward along the street. Now he became cautious and wore a mask, making it difficult for people to see his true face. After walking for half an hour, the sky had turned dark and there were fewer people on the road.
Li Guolou was so hungry that he ran into a noodle shop, spent five copper coins on a bowl of shaved noodles, and left the noodle shop. He turned a corner and found Hongchang Hutong. It was better to have a home, even though this home was a rented house.
Li Guolou just stepped into the yard and closed the door. He looked up and saw that the door to his room was half open. Someone was in his home.
Na Bazi raised his voice and said, "Porcelain, where did you get this from?"
Li Guolou saw the gloating face of Na Bazi and said angrily: "You don't know where I come from and have you smeared my reputation? You are still staying at my house so late. Aren't you going to go home?"
Na Bazi laughed and said, "I'd better go back later to avoid rumors."
Li Guolou took out two meat buns from his pocket and put them into the dog basin. The mangy dog wagged its tail happily at him.
When Qian Shuiping saw it, he angrily said: "You fake foreign devil, you feed the dog like this, and you make the dog very cunning. If the dog ignores it, are the buns just for the dog to eat? You are committing evil!"
When Li Guolou heard Qian Shuiping shouting loudly, he hurriedly said: "Sister-in-law Qian, you are so rare. I am just going to get rid of bad luck."
Qian Shuiping asked: "Fake foreign devil, you haven't come back for a day. Did you go out for prostitution and were caught, or did you die in that woman's belly?"
Li Guolou chuckled and said: "For official business, the adults above value me, so those who can do more work."
The guy burst out laughing. Of course he had great powers and knew that Li Guolou was locked up in a solitary room. Qian Shuiping was cursing Li Guolou and brought the steaming food and wine to Li Guolou to live in the south.
In the dining room, this is a sweet talk. Li Guolou is like her relative, and she has to take care of Li Guolou.
Li Guolou said hurriedly: "Sister-in-law Qian, I just had a bowl of noodles outside. Please don't serve me the rice."
Qian Shuiping said: "Yeah! You smell of pepper. If you say you have had a big meal, I will expose you immediately."
Li Guolou said with a smile: "Sister-in-law Qian, you can be a detective. I solved the case with a dog's nose." When he walked into the dining room, it was warm inside. The guy had already lit the charcoal stove and heated up the room.
The roasting made people itchy all over, so Li Guolou hurriedly took off his coat and hung it on the hanger.
Qian Shuipin put the dishes on the table and said with a smile: "It's a pity that we don't have female officials in the Qing Empire, otherwise I would have been an official long ago."
Li Guolou sighed: "It's a pity that we are not in the Zhou Dynasty now, so the Empress Dowager can only listen to politics behind the curtain."
Qian Shuiping said: "That is the pride of our Qing Dynasty. Without the Empress Dowager to listen to politics behind the curtain, the Taiping Army would have attacked the capital long ago. We would not have an easy life in peace. I make a wish to the Bodhisattva every day to bless the Empress Dowager to live a long life.
age."
Li Guolou suddenly woke up and shouted: "No wonder I carry it like this. I was so busy when I came back from Huangcun that I forgot to go to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha to fulfill my vows. I will go to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha to burn incense and kowtow in the morning."
Na Bazi teased: "Xiao Lizi, don't forget to bring Xiaofang's family with you, this will be considered a special expense."
Li Guolou curled his lips and said, "Nah, your foreign language has improved, and you can still be a comprador in the future."
Na Bazi was arrogant and said: "Of course, Xiao Lizi, if you follow me, you will be popular and drink spicy food from now on. Xiaofang can also get married and become a father without any effort. You will take advantage of everything."
."
Qian Shuiping burst out laughing, but Li Guolou's expression did not change. He had long been used to being teased. He picked up the flask, filled up the wine for Na Bazi, and said: "You come to my house to drink and eat white rice, and you still make fun of me. Forget it.
You are cruel."
The two of them looked at each other, and Li Guolou already knew that there must be something he couldn't solve, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed at his house so late.
Qian Shuiping brought the food and wine and left wisely. She knew that Bazi wanted to see Li Guolou for something, and it was not convenient for her to talk to them nearby.
The two wine cups touched each other, and a stream of heat flowed from the throat straight to the forehead. The wine was strong enough to burn the knife. In winter, white wine is needed to ward off the cold.
Li Guolou picked up a peanut and threw it into his mouth. While chewing it, he asked: "Nana, why is it so urgent? Come to me at night."
Na Bazi said: "I'm not in a hurry to discuss it with you. Will the northwest wind blow at night? Master Manba has come to the Wei family to stir up trouble."
Li Guolou asked: "Are you here to extort money?"
Na Bazimi took a sip of wine, raised his head and blinked, and said, "Yeah! He brought dozens of people to the Wei Mansion, raised the banner of the Ax Gang to scare people, and asked the Second Mistress to give out two thousand taels of silver, saying that it was for him.
Rehabilitation expenses and reputational damage expenses.”
Li Guolou looked at the oil lamp on the table, summarizing things in his mind, and remained silent for a long time. The plan could not keep up with the changes. Ax Gang leaders Han Yueqiu, Yao Cuo, and Wu Defu had just negotiated terms. They all worked together to attack the Youth Gang and divide the territory and interests.
We haven't made any progress yet, but we're trying to push our limits again. We won't give him face. We can't keep anyone who can't keep his word.
Li Guolou said: "Give him five hundred taels of silver first to whet his appetite. Tell the second grandma that I will give her one thousand taels of silver in return." He then said, "Go and see Wang Wu's place tomorrow.
No matter how the training is going, we need to take action there, otherwise no one will buy our account."
Na Bazi said: "Don't worry, Wang Wu still wants to wear official uniforms. He is worried about the militia. Now he doesn't go home anymore. He spends all day in Dongchang, and the gun inside keeps ringing.
stop."
Li Guolou suddenly changed his expression and said: "That's not okay! If you gossip to people outside, train somewhere else."
Na Bazi chuckled and said: "Xiao Lizi, this is a metaphor. The place is so big, how can people outside hear the gunshots inside? I ran inside and heard it."
Li Guolou said angrily: "I was almost scared to death by you. You must follow the rules when doing things in the capital. Don't let others catch your pigtails. Yesterday, a guard officer from the Ministry of War died. He was shot to death by a black gun. This money
The blame can all be blamed on the Ax Gang. Now you have to give in and stop talking nonsense. People who get carried away will not end well. Just do what you have to do, and you will be a comprador of a foreign company before long."
When Na Bazi heard this, he sighed: "It's better to waive it. I can't learn foreign languages. I'll just do Chinese business honestly."
Li Guolou smiled and said: "That Bazi, I also made nonsense after being drunk, how could you take it seriously?"
Na Bazi said angrily: "Xiao Lizi, in addition to making nonsense, you dare to take action now. You deserve to be imprisoned by Master Wu. I will imprison you for a year next time. Do you still dare to kick someone's crotch?"
Li Guolou said: "Did Ai Hai say that? Did he want to take a bite of Xie Xiuzhu?"
Nabazi shouted: "Xiao Lizi, I tell you, don't try to take advantage of Second Grandma, she is a bad woman. A lustful person like me should stay away from Second Grandma when she sees her."
Li Guolou nodded and said: "Oh! So you are so great that you regard Pan Jinlian as a fairy. I really admire your character." Li Guolou did not think that Xie Xiuzhu was a good person from the bottom of his heart and did not do Pan Jinlian's tricks.
He is also as cunning as Pan Jinlian.
Na Bazi sighed: "I'd rather be more peaceful and find a Manchu girl. As for my wife, I won't find one until I'm in my thirties. Now I still focus on my career."
Li Guolou was drinking and feeling uneasy. He missed Chen Xiangfang and said, "One is enough for me, and I won't look for him again."
Na Bazi shook his head and said: "Fake foreign devil, this is impossible. After ten years, Xiaofang has turned into a yellow-faced woman. If you don't look for it, hang my head on the city gate tower. If you want,
No, let’s bet, we’ll get the bigger one.”
Li Guolou said anxiously: "I won't bet on a life-or-death bet like yours. We are brothers drinking."
In addition to talking about women, the two began to discuss the business of Baozhifang. The more they chatted, the happier they became. The bright future seemed to be within reach. After three hours of drinking, they became very drunk. Their tongues were tied and their steps were swaying.
, sleeping together, it doesn’t matter that the neighbors next door regard them as little husband-in-law.
In fact, there is nothing wrong with men sleeping together and hanging around outside. It's just that the social atmosphere of the Qing Dynasty was not good. Rich nobles liked to raise young husbands. There were many young husbands in the capital, and many of the entourages around those high-ranking officials were young men.
My husband, this made the neighbors laugh at the intimate actions between Li Guolou and his male friend.
Li Guolou, Na Basi considers himself a hero. After drinking a lot of wine, he would lie down on the big bed drunk without any suspicion. The two of them slept until dawn. Outside, Qian Shuiping deliberately smashed a basin and shouted loudly, waking up the two drunkards.