Hua —
The heavy rain fell. It was already evening in Bianliang City, but the sky became darker. The water fell down the eaves, passed through the ditches, and turned into a torrential turbid stream in the streets of the city, wantonly flooding.
In Willow Alley, several large cars were parked in the dirty alley. Some men dressed in guard uniforms, holding umbrellas from far and near, scattered around. Next to them was a dilapidated small door, where some people gathered. Occasionally, the sound of crying came out, and people's voices sometimes quarreled and sometimes argued.
Ning Yi was talking to the crying woman in the dilapidated house.
"… From going to the academy to Xiaoniu taking the Xiucai exam, we will be responsible for all his expenses. If he really has any injuries on his legs, we will take care of him in the future …"
"Aunt Pan, I know that your life is not easy. Xiaoniu's father sacrificed himself to defend the city. At that time, Zhu Biao and others also risked their lives outside the city. Speaking of which, since we can fight together, we are all a family. We don't need to make things so stiff. You can tell us anything you want … "
"… No, no, no, we are not bullying you. Don't cry. You see, I have also asked the patriarch to come over. As long as your ideas are reasonable, we will help you achieve them … "
The woman's crying occasionally became louder, while Ning Yi's words were always slow and sincere. Time gradually passed in this kind of atmosphere. Around nightfall, the rain had lessened a little. A group of people wearing straw raincoats came from the other end of the street. When they were about to arrive, there was some friction between them and the guards outside. However, the person in the lead still quickly walked to the front of the dilapidated courtyard gate.
The leader was one of the seven chief arresters of the Ministry of Justice, Tie Tianying.
He strode through the courtyard. In the room over there, the two parties seemed to have reached an agreement. But when the woman saw Tie Tianying coming in, her bitter face froze there again, and she was about to cry again.
Ning Yi went over and patted her on the shoulder, "It's okay, it's okay. Aunt, you go to the side and wait. We have made things clear, and there will be no more trouble. As for Constable Tie, I'll talk to him. He's just doing his job. There won't be any trouble … "
Just as he was trying to persuade Ning Liheng, Tie Tianying stepped through the door. "Ning Liheng, how dare you! Madam Pan, if he threatens you in private, you can tell me. I will not let him off! "
A tall and skinny old man came out of the room. "Constable, Constable, I'm not threatening you, I'm not threatening you. The Young Master Ning is here to clarify things. I can testify …"
"And who are you!?" Tie Tianying glared at him.
"I am the Ox Clan's Clan Leader, and I have come because of Little Ox's injury. Constable, please have a seat … "
"Go away, I'm talking to that surname Ning. Moreover, whether or not I'm threatening you isn't up to you to decide!"
"Yes, yes, yes, Xiaoniu's mother, quickly explain it to the chief of detectives …"
The Clan Leader couldn't get Tie Tianying's good attitude, so he hurriedly talked to the woman next to him. The woman was just a daughter-in-law who married into the Ox Clan. Even though her husband was dead, she still had a child. She didn't dare to act recklessly under the Clan Leader's watch. But the chief of detectives in front of him was also a powerful person. After a while, she said with a sobbing tone, "Explain it clearly, explain it clearly, Constable …"
Big fish eat small fish and small fish eat shrimps. There was always a subduing force. Tie Tianying's eyes were cold. But with these words, Ning Yi sent the woman aside. He turned back, and Tie Tianying looked at him and nodded with a sneer. "Well, Ning Liheng, you're really good. In just a few days, you've settled so many families … "
"It's just a painstaking effort, Constable Tie, you flatter me," Ning Yi sighed and then said, "Constable Tie, there's something I don't know if I should say."
Tie Tianying tilted his head. "Say it."
"They're all small families, and they can't afford to offend any of them." Standing under the eaves, Ning Yi looked back at the entire courtyard. "Since the decision has been made, can you let them go? Don't go back and make trouble for them. Let them live. "
His tone was sincere. The muscles on Tie Tianying's face twitched a few times. Finally, he waved his hand and said, "Let's go!" He led his men out of the courtyard. Ning Yi then wiped his hands and went outside with the leader of the Ox-clan.
Today, everyone came over because of something that had happened a few days ago.
It had been a whole month since the situation in the capital took a turn for the worse in March of this year, and Qin Siyuan was imprisoned and put on trial. In this month, many complicated things had happened under the table, and the public opinion on the surface had also undergone drastic changes.
After Qin Siyuan was put on trial, many things that had been suppressed in the dark were thrown to the surface. Corruption, forming cliques for personal gain, using power for personal gain … All kinds of evidence were laid out, forming a huge outline of a corrupt and treacherous official. Those who drew the pictures were the smartest people at the peak of power in the Wu dynasty, including Zhou Zhe, Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Wang Hua, and so on.
Half of the evidence was true, and after being pieced together by them, it finally produced a powerful persuasive force during the daily joint trial. These things were fed back into the ears and mouths of the scholars in the capital, and then fell into the lower information network every day. Thus, in a month or so, by the time Qin Shaoqian was implicated and put in prison, the city's impression of Qin Siyuan and his faction of the Seven Tigers had been reversed and solidified.
Some of the shops and businesses related to the Qin Clan were also implicated to a small extent, including Takeshi and some of the bookstores that originally belonged to the Wang Clan.
The Wang Clan's businesses were originally managed by the family of the great Confucian Wang Qisong. Wang Shanyue and Qin Siyuan were master and disciple, and later in Shandong, she fought side by side with Ning Yi. Bewitched by Ning Yi, they became partners. After Takeshi expanded, Ning Yi planned and improved some of the machinery and processes of the printing and papermaking workshops to improve efficiency. These bookstores were then taken care of by the women of the Wang Clan.
At this time, Zhu Biao, who worked by Ning Yi's side, came to Bianliang and fell in love with a girl of the Wang Clan. They were engaged, and occasionally went to the Wang Clan to help.
One day in the middle of April, some people were incited and bewitched. They ran to the Wang Clan's shop and smashed it. Zhu Biao happened to be there. He blocked the door to the backyard of the bookstore and beat the people who rushed in.
Zhu Biao's master was Luan Tingyu. He was one of the best fighters on Dulonggang. Later, he followed Ning Yi to fight. At this moment, his skills might not be inferior to Chen Fan when he was in Hangzhou. He was one of the most powerful people around Ning Yi. In the capital, perhaps only Lu Hongti could suppress him. With his skills close to the Grandmaster level, ordinary "patriotic youths" were no match for him. In a rage, dozens of people were beaten to the ground, but this also caused trouble.
The bookstore was then closed down. The government also began to investigate the matter and wanted to arrest Zhu Biao. On one hand, Ning Yi suppressed the matter, and on the other hand, he settled the injured and the victims. Fortunately, Zhu Biao had been with Ning Yi for a long time, and his reckless habits had changed a lot. If he still had the temperament when he just left Dulonggang, during these days of forbearance, dozens of ordinary people would not have survived if they rushed in.
Under the investigation of Ning Yi, about a dozen people were slightly injured, and there was also a seriously injured one. It was the young man named "Xiaoniu". His father died for defending the city. He rushed in to smash the shop and beat people. Zhu Biao threw him away, but he rushed back again. Finally, he was thrown by Zhu Biao on the stairs and broke his leg.
Tie Tianying and others collected evidence to convict Zhu Biao, while Ning Yi arranged a lot of people to deal with this matter by inducement or coercion. Although it was only a few days, the difficulties could not be described in detail. For example, Xiaoniu's mother, Mrs. Pan, was threatened by Ning Yi on the one hand, and on the other hand, Tie Tianying and others did the same thing, forcing her to kill the assailant or demanding an exorbitant price. Ning Yi went back and forth several times, and finally settled the matter this time.
Mrs. Pan was a little greedy and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to make a lot of money, but under the coercion of Tie Tianying and Ning Yi, she did not have a good life. She was from a small family and did not dare to offend either side. Therefore, in the end, Ning Yi said that to Tie Tianying.
On the way back to Takeshi, after dinner, more things were actually in front of them. Zhu Biao's matter was not easy. It was very troublesome, but it was not the only troublesome thing in front of them.
In the past few days, two Takeshi shops were also smashed, but this was not a big deal. The Office of Secret Investigations' system had already been separated from the Bamboo Print Shop. Over the past few days, with the capital as the center, the information network had been transferred to the surrounding areas. Many of the Bamboo Print Shop's elites had been sent out. The Qi brothers, Qi Xinyi and Qi Xinhan, were also in charge of the south. The Ministry of Justice found trouble in the capital city, some aides were threatened, and some chose to leave. It could be said that the Takeshi system established at the beginning, which could be separated, was mostly falling apart at this time. It was not easy for Ning Yi to guard the core.
It was not time for him to leave yet, but it was almost time. Of course, it was not that simple to leave. He had made some backup plans, but he did not know if they would be effective.
After dinner, the rain had let up. Takeshi's aides and shopkeepers were discussing matters in a few rooms in the courtyard, while Ning Yi was dealing with some matters on the other side. A shopkeeper came over and said that two waiters from the Ministry of Justice had been beaten up by the constables. Following that, an aide came over to offer his resignation.
Ning Yi allocated medical expenses for the two waiters and asked the shopkeeper to comfort their families. He tried to persuade the aide, but in the end, the aide actually gave up on the idea — it was probably because he saw how difficult it was for Ning Yi.
After the two groups of people left, a tall and straight young man also came over from the courtyard gate. It was Zhu Biao, who had been assigned by Ning Yi to do other things for the past few days. At this time, he must have heard about what Ning Yi and the others had done and rushed over. His gaze was unfriendly, but it was naturally not directed at Ning Yi.
"Sit." Ning Yi smiled and raised his hand.
Zhu Biao sat down in front of him. Although martial artists were not officials, they also had their own status and bearing, especially those who had reached Zhu Biao's level. In ordinary places, they could be called grandmasters, and they would not lower their heads to anyone. But at this time, he was indeed holding back something in his heart.
"Although I was born in a place like Lone Dragon Gang, I, Zhu Biao, have never thought of myself as an unreasonable mountain bandit or savage."
After sitting for a while, Zhu Biao finally opened his mouth, "Let's not talk about the battle we fought outside the city. Whether or not they were deceived by others, that day they charged into the bookstore and smashed it, they already deserved to die. I stopped not because I was in the wrong."
He said this calmly but firmly. Ning Yi had already made him a cup of tea. "You and I have known each other for many years. Even if you don't say it, I know it. If you can't get over it … "
"I can't get over it. I want to kill people." Zhu Biao smiled. "But it will cause you trouble."
"The capital has its own way of playing. Fortunately, it's over." Ning Yi paused. "If you don't feel well, there are some things to do in the north. I can let you relax. You are a practitioner of martial arts. Worrying so much will hinder your progress. "
It was difficult for martial artists to endure humiliation, especially for people like Zhu Biao. But now was not the time to be reasonable. Fortunately, the two of them had known each other for several years and were very familiar with each other. There was no need to explain too much. After Ning Yi's suggestion, Zhu Biao shook his head.
"Before I came here, I was holding back my anger, but I suppressed it on the way here." He said, "You have more anger than me. When I think of this, I feel that my cultivation is not enough. You shouldn't hide it from me when you find people to apologize. It would be better if you called me along. "
"That's not because I care about your feelings. It's better if you don't show up. Anyway, it's a problem of money and connections. If you are there, they will only take a yard after taking an inch. " Ning Yi shook his head. "As for anger, of course I have it. But at this time, anger is useless … You really don't want to go out for a walk?"
Zhu Biao shook his head again.
Ning Yi was silent for a moment. "Sometimes, I also feel that I want to kill all those idiots and end it once and for all. But after thinking about it, the Female Zhenren will fight again. Anyway, these people are going to die. Thinking of this, my heart feels cold … Of course, this period of time is really not good. No matter how I can bear it, I will not treat other people's slaps as a reward. Takeshi, the Prime Minister's residence, they are all like this. Old Qin, Yao Zunian, and the others, compared to us, they are much worse. If I can hold on for a while, I will help them block a little … "
"Before working with you, I admired my master. I admired his ability to fight. Later on, I admired your ability to scheme against others. Later on, when I worked with you, I admired Master Zhou Dong. He was a true hero, fully deserving of his title. "Zhu Biao said," Now, I admire you. What you did was not something an ordinary person could do. If you can bear it, what else can I say? If you are in the capital, I will be in the capital. If someone wants to kill you, I will help you block it! Of course, if necessary, I can kill Tie Tianying for you. Then, I will go far away. You can expose me. When you leave the capital, I will meet you again. "
Ning Yi was stunned and laughed. "That is not necessary. Tie Tianying is just a small official. What is the use of killing him …"
"Others can do it too."
"Don't fight and kill all day. I was just about to say that you have grown up …"
As Ning Yi spoke, someone hurried in from outside. Seeing that it was Zhu Biao, who was often by Ning Yi's side, he did not hide it. He handed a report to Ning Yi and said a few words in a low voice. Ning Yi took the report and glanced at it. His eyes gradually became gloomy. In the past month, this was a frequent expression on his face …
The next day was the 23rd of April. It rained again in the morning. The Supreme Court's trial of Qin Siyuan continued. The trial was not public. But under the operation of some people, the new problems found in the trial would be spread out on the same day and often become a topic of discussion among the scholars.
At noon, after the trial, Qin Siyuan would be taken back to the Heavenly Prison of the Ministry of Justice.
Qin family members often came. Elder Qin's wife, Qin Siyuan's concubine, Yunniang, and others would also wait here every time. They came to see Qin Siyuan and Qin Shaoqian, who had been involved. This morning, Ning Yi and others also arrived early. He sent people to do some activities and gave a lot of money, but there was no good result. At noon, when Qin Siyuan and Qin Shaoqian were taken out, Ning Yi and others went to greet them.
Because they had not been convicted, they only wore a pair of chains symbolically. Qin Siyuan's body had become thinner and thinner over the past few days, but even so, his white hair was still neatly combed at the back of his head. His spirit and willpower were still tenaciously supporting the operation of his life. Qin Shaoqian had not collapsed either. Perhaps because his father was by his side, his anger had become increasingly restrained and quiet. Only when he saw Ning Yi and the others did his gaze waver, and then he looked around.
"Where's my mother? Is she … sick again? "
He looked around and asked when he saw that Elder Qin's wife had not arrived. Ning Yi hesitated and shook his head. Yunniang also explained to Qin Siyuan, "My sister is fine, but …" She looked at Ning Yi.
"Maybe something happened and didn't let Old Madame come." Ning Yi answered.
Qin Siyuan nodded and walked forward. He had been through everything. His family was fine, so other things were not a big deal.
Along the way, Ning Yi roughly explained the situation to Qin Siyuan. After listening, Qin Siyuan was slightly absent-minded. Ning Yi immediately went to give money to the government servants and prison guards. But this time, no one accepted it. His suggestion to change the route was also not accepted.
After leaving the Supreme Court for a while, there were not many people on the road. It was a cloudy day, and there were still traces of rain on the road. Ning Yi looked to the side from afar. Someone made a gesture to him, and he frowned. At this time, they were close to the downtown area. As if sensing something, the old man also turned his head to look in that direction. On the second floor of a roadside restaurant, someone was looking in their direction.
"Look, that's the old dog, Qin Siyuan!" That person suddenly shouted.
More people popped their heads out, most of them scholars.
"Qin Siyuan? Which one? "
"And his son … Qin Shaoqian …"
After some discussion, someone suddenly shouted, "Evil dog …"
"Why don't you die! Old dog … "
"This country has been destroyed by you people …"
The scolding sounded monotonous and loud. Ning Yi frowned. Beside him, Qin Siyuan's eyes were calm, but at this time, he tilted his head, "Hehe, trouble …" At the bottom of the laughter, there was a hint of exhaustion.
As they passed by the restaurant, the scolding increased. Many scholars went downstairs and kept on scolding. On Qin Siyuan's side, a teenager couldn't help but shout, "My third grandpa is a good person …" The crowd scolded, "Is that the old dog's dog grandson?" "Your whole family should die …"
Ning Yi walked forward and grabbed the head jailer's arm, "Go! If something happens now, you won't have a good time! "The head was stunned," This, this, this … What does this have to do with me? "Although he was nervous, he didn't do as he was told.
"Who gave you the order to do this?"
"What, what? Don't talk nonsense!"
"Look at the old man behind you. Others don't know whether he is good or bad, but you more or less know. He was framed, but it's not like he didn't have someone to take care of him. Tell me everything, and I will think of a way to get through this. You will benefit from it. "
"What nonsense are you talking about …"
This group of jailers was not familiar with Ning Yi. Although they seemed to be kind, in fact, it was difficult to move them. While they were negotiating, the scolding by the roadside became more and more intense. A group of scholars followed them and scolded. In these days of interrogation, with the emergence of a lot of evidence, Qin Siyuan had at least been convicted of a few crimes. In the eyes of ordinary people, the logic was very clear. If the Qin family didn't control the power and was insatiably greedy, the country's power would naturally be better. If Qin Shaoqian didn't use extreme methods to unite all the elite soldiers under his command, suppressing his colleagues and eliminating dissidents, maybe the outside of the city wouldn't have been defeated like that. If it weren't for the scoundrels, there wouldn't have been so many deaths and so many defeats in the defense of Bianliang.
The pedestrians on the road were a little confused at first, but then many people joined in. Ning Yi was also a little anxious in his heart. He had previously received news that a group of scholars were going to intercept Qin Siyuan, but he later discovered that it was not so simple. He arranged for a few people to go to the group of scholars and sing a different tune when they were stirring up trouble, in order to cause people to be disunited. But soon after, those people were quickly arrested and taken away.
"Old dog! Can you sleep at night!? "
"A group of scoundrels, I want to kill you all —"
"Hundreds of thousands of people died in vain —"
"Cheer up the Wu dynasty! Kill the Seven Tigers — "
"Get rid of the scoundrels, cheer up —"
The crowd shouted, and someone picked up something on the ground and threw it over. Ning Yi had already walked back to Qin Siyuan and waved his hand to block it, but it was a dirty piece of mud. Instantly, muddy water splashed everywhere.
"How dare he block —"
"Scoundrels want to hit people —"
The scholars on the other side shouted again. Seeing that many pedestrians on the road had joined in, they became even more excited and grabbed things to hit again. At first, it was mostly mud, coal, and mud on the ground. Then, some people even threw stones over. Ning Yi protected Qin Siyuan, and then the guards around him also came to protect Ning Yi. At this time, on the long street, many people poked their heads out. The people in front stopped and looked over. At first, they were puzzled, but then they began to shout and excitedly joined in. On this morning, the crowd began to become crowded.
"Rise of the Wu dynasty —"
"Drink their blood and eat their flesh —"
"Swear to kill Nuzhen and raise our prestige —"
The sound waves were vast and mighty. The scholars were shouting hysterically, and their faces were flushed with excitement. Many things were thrown down from the sky, but they were definitely not edible things like tomatoes, eggs, and rotten vegetable leaves. Qin Siyuan was protected in the crowd and moved forward with difficulty. He shouted at Ning Yi and the others, "Go! Go! Don't get involved — "Ning Yi ignored him and asked the people around him to find wooden planks to protect the road ahead. However, many things still came crashing in.
The situation became more chaotic as they moved forward. Someone was hit by a stone and fell down. Beside Qin Siyuan, there was a loud bang, and a figure also fell down. It was his concubine, Yunniang. Her head was hit by a stone and she collapsed. Qin Shaoqian, who had caught up, supported her. He stood beside his father and his concubine to protect her. His eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth as he moved forward with his head lowered. Someone in the crowd shouted, "My uncle is a loyal minister." "My third grandfather is innocent. You were all saved by him —" This shout was accompanied by sobs, which made the crowd outside even more excited.
"Beat, beat up those scoundrels —"
"Beat up their whole family —"
"Let them know who we are!"
The atmosphere on the long street was fanatical. Everyone was shouting like this as they squeezed forward. Ning Yi's guards found a wooden plank and everyone walked forward. In front of them, someone rushed over with a bucket. It was two buckets of feces. He threw the buckets of feces at them, and the sky was filled with feces. The stench filled the air, and the people cheered even louder. Some people threw cow dung, dog dung, and other things over. Someone shouted, "My father was killed by you scoundrels —"
"Eliminate evil for the people —"
"Kill the scoundrels, God bless the Wu dynasty —"
At this time, Ning Yi's body was stained with a lot of things. He silently squeezed forward. The old man next to him was also disheveled, and his body was stained with filth. He also silently protected Yunniang as they moved forward. After a while, he finally reacted. He grabbed Ning Yi's hand and said, "Yunniang, Liheng, come and bring Yunniang out, quickly —" The old man finally reacted. At this time, the only thing he could plead was about his family. Many of the Qin family's descendants around them were already crying, and some fell down. The surrounding crowd refused to let them go, and they were kicked and beaten on the ground. Then, Takeshi's guards pulled them back.
Ning Yi handed Yunniang to Zhu Biao, who was next to him, "Bring her out."
Zhu Biao handed her to another person. With a straight face, he stretched out his hand to block the things that were thrown at him, and then he was hit by the cow dung.
From afar, the constables of the Ministry of Justice began to rush over to maintain order. They stared at the group that was about to be buried in anger, and they were always on guard against the violent counterattack of Ning Yi and the others. They were ready to arrest them at any time.
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