There were three antique shops in the north of Luoyang. Two of them were very wealthy and reputable. Most of the antiques they bought and sold were rare in the world. They had a good reputation among players who liked to collect and play with antiques.
The other shop called "Elegant Collection Pavilion" was not good enough. This shop was very small, and there were not many rare items in it. Although most of the items in the collection were antiques, there were not many rare items. It was said that they had even sold fake goods in the past.
After a long time, the infamy spread. True players would never set foot in "Elegant Hidden Pavilion". However, this "Elegant Hidden Pavilion" was still doing well. Even if the door was deserted, the shopkeeper still sat in the shop steadily. He never worried about the lack of business.
There were no birds at the door today because it was raining outside.
Spring rain was as precious as oil. The pitter-patter of rain drenched the uneven bluestone in front of the door until it was shiny. The rainwater converged into puddles and splashed onto the puddles. The shopkeeper, Xue Pingyan, sat behind the counter, holding his fat double chin and smiling at the rain. From time to time, he would take a sip of rice wine. He was very relaxed.
Someone had come. He was holding an old oil paper umbrella. His face couldn't be seen, only a pair of black cloth boots and a green robe that rippled with his footsteps could be seen.
When the oil paper umbrella floated to the eaves, the rainwater on the eaves hit the surface of the umbrella, making a "peng peng" sound. In just a moment, the person flashed into Elegant Pavilion. The oil paper umbrella moved away, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with a mustache.
When Xue Pingyan saw this person's appearance, he immediately smiled even more happily. Business had come!
This person's first visit was three months ago. Shopkeeper Xue remembered very clearly that it was a snowy winter season. It happened to be snowing heavily that day. This customer was wearing a tight-fitting sheepskin cotton robe and a dog skin hat with ear coverings. He was dressed very rustic, but he was very good at identifying antiques.
The antiques displayed in the shop could be accurately named, guessed the age, and estimated the price at a glance. There were a few fake antiques mixed among the low-grade ones. He didn't even touch them, knock them, or look at the inscriptions on them. He only glanced at them and accurately pointed out that they were fake.
The shop assistant's face started to turn ugly. Fortunately, the shop's business wasn't good to begin with. People only came once every ten to fifteen days. At that time, there were no other customers in the shop, so the assistant picked up a broom and prepared to kick this customer out. Shopkeeper Xue looked on with a smile and didn't stop him.
At this moment, the customer suddenly spoke, "How much is this ear-lifting pottery pot from the Eastern Han Dynasty?"
He was referring to the fake item he had just mentioned. He was referring to the "Ear-Lifting Pottery Pot from the Eastern Han Dynasty". As soon as the waiter heard that there was hope, he immediately retreated to the side. Shopkeeper Xue immediately walked out from behind the counter and said with a smile, "Fifty thousand!"
A real ear-lifting pottery pot from the Han Dynasty was worth less than a tenth of this price. Shopkeeper Xue clearly knew that this was a fake, but he still asked for fifty thousand. This customer was also very strange. He didn't slap Shopkeeper Xue's face. Then, he grabbed Shopkeeper Xue's collar and dragged him out to the street to scold him for being a profiteer.
The man paid fifty thousand dollars without hesitation and left excitedly with the "Han Dynasty Earring Pottery Pot" he had just made last month. He even said that it was "cheap".
Last month, the customer came again. This time, he spent a hundred thousand on a bronze sword from the Qin Dynasty. The rusty bronze sword was real, but it was only worth a tenth of a hundred thousand. It was also this time that Shopkeeper Xue learned the customer's name. It was Zhao Yu.
Today, Zhao Yu came again. Moreover, he came in the rain. It seemed that it was another big business, so Shopkeeper Xue smiled even more happily. "Brother Zhao, long time no see. What would you like to buy this time?"
Zhao Yu's complexion didn't look good. He frowned and asked, "Shopkeeper, is there any treasure worth five hundred thousand in this shop?"
It was very strange for an antique buyer to not choose an antique that he liked, but only buy it according to the price. Xue Pingyan was a businessman. Hearing such a big business coming to his door, he didn't look happy at all. Instead, he looked worried, which made it even more strange. He frowned and said hesitantly, "Brother Zhao, this business … seems to be quite big."
Zhao Yu nodded in agreement and sighed. "It is indeed quite big, but … I believe that the customer can afford it."
Hearing this, Xue Pingyan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "In that case, Brother Zhao, how about this antique?"
Xue Pingyan took a large coin from the antique shelf and spread it in his palm. The coin was shaped like a bell and had three holes on it.
Shopkeeper Xue said with a smile, "This is a copper coin made in the Warring States Period. It's a rare object!"
He opened his other hand and slowly raised it in front of Zhao Yu. He said in a deep voice, "It's worth exactly five hundred thousand!"
…
Two hours later, Zhao Yu appeared in Yang Fan's detention room of the Ministry of Justice.
Before he arrived, Yang Fan was watching the rain from the window. The rain fell on the newly grown leaves of the osmanthus tree. The leaves were bright green and pleasing to the eye.
The trunk was thick and strong. This osmanthus tree was more than a hundred years old. It was said that this osmanthus tree had been planted here since the founding of the Sui Dynasty. Now that the Sui Dynasty had been destroyed, the talented and bold Emperor Wen of Sui and the ambitious Emperor Yang of Sui had become a symbol in the pile of old papers. But the osmanthus tree was still alive and well, and even stronger than before.
As soon as Zhao Yu arrived, Yang Fan closed the window. The handsome manservant, A Nu, who had been leaning against him and watching the rain, also quietly retreated. She stood under the dripping eaves of the door and continued to watch the rain. With her there, no one could eavesdrop on the conversation in the room.
In the room, Yang Fan and Zhao Yu sat opposite each other. Yang Fan said, "Have you found out everything?"
Zhao Yu smiled and said, "With me around, you can rest assured!"
He reached into his bosom and took out a tightly bound oiled paper bag. Pushing it in front of Yang Fan, he said, "The entire process of bribery, the people involved, the amount and location of each bribe, the requests, and even the place where he hid the money — everything is recorded in detail."
Zhao Yu sighed and shook his head with a wry smile. "This Wang Hongyi is greedy by nature and loves to amass wealth. He has a nickname, Taotie. He used to be unscrupulous, but after Lai Junchen's downfall, he has become much more careful. He actually racked his brains to come up with such a good plan to cross the sea. It must have been hard on him. "
Yang Fan said with a smile, "Yes, let my family open an antique shop first and sell some worthless junk there. Then let the people who asked him to do things or begged him to be lenient go to the shop and buy these worthless antiques at a high price. Then give them to him as a gift as proof. It's a flawless plan. Unfortunately, he forgot that the censorate's best method is' three people confess, and the crime is determined according to the confession '. Now that I've found out how he took bribes, I'll do the same to him. I'm not afraid that I can't punish him! "
Anti-corruption had always been the most powerful weapon in political battles. In the name of anti-corruption, they could openly get rid of their opponents. Of course, the premise was that the other party was really corrupt. Wang Hongyi had a penchant for "collecting antiques," and Yang Fan catered to it. Sure enough, he successfully obtained the evidence.
He held the oiled paper bag in his hand and said to Zhao Yu, "Tomorrow morning, I will go to the yamen to work as usual."
Zhao Yu smiled knowingly and stood up. "Goodbye!"
"I won't see you out!"
With a bang, the oiled paper umbrella opened up under the dripping eaves, like a water lily spread out in a water tank in the corner, gently turning. Zhao Yu held the hem of his robe in one hand and the umbrella in the other as he quietly left.
The Ministry of Justice in the rain gave off a lonely feeling. Walking in the rain, Zhao Yu's back also exuded a sense of loneliness.
"Alas! It's the same wherever I go … "
A Nu walked into the room and sighed softly amidst the pitter-patter of the rain. She faintly said, "Young master and Shen Mu are like this. It's still the same here."
Yang Fan raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you tired of it? Where there are people, there will definitely be fights. Even if you hide in the deep mountains and old forests to avoid the world, when your children and grandchildren grow up and the population gradually increases, there will still be fights. Fights over land, property, houses — this is human nature.
Some people fight for the world, some fight for themselves, some fight for high positions, some fight for three meals a day, some fight against the heavens, and some fight against other people. In reality, what's the difference?
As for me, in order to stop you from being afraid, in order for you and me to be together, I will fight against Young Master Jiang. In order for my woman and children to eat well and wear well instead of worrying about three meals a day, I will fight for my position. A Nu, you were not this depressed in the past. You are not even afraid of the Emperor, why are you so afraid of Young Master Jiang? "
He walked to A Nu's side and softly said, "I know what you are worried about. Don't worry, before I have a perfect plan, I will not easily challenge him."
A Nu nodded and gently threw herself into his arms.
Outside the window, the lonely rain seemed to have a hint of gentleness.
…
The next morning, Yang Fan rode a tall horse and, as usual, rushed to the Ministry of Justice yamen amidst the ringing of bells in the city. Before he got off the horse, four or five people rushed over from the roadside. There were men and women, old and young. They knelt in front of the horse, with a paper on top of their heads, and loudly cried out that they were wronged.
The head of the Ministry of Justice, Feng Xihui, also 'happened' to be at the door.
One of the two minister counsellors of the Ministry of Justice had just been transferred away from his original post not too long ago, so the position of minister counsellor was vacant. From that day onwards, Feng Xihui would 'coincidentally' arrive at the yamen at the same time as Doctor Yang every day. When Doctor Yang dismounted, the two of them would walk in together, chatting about qi, their bodies, and bonding.
The four heads were now fighting for the position of Minister Counsellor with all their might. For example, to show their loyalty to their superior, and to give gifts, they were all doing it. But if they wanted to succeed, they obviously had to put more effort into the details.
Today, Feng Xihui 'happened' to be at the Ministry of Justice at the same time as Yang Fan. When he saw this scene, he quickly ran over to chase them away, "Go, go, go! Don't you know the rules? What kind of case can go beyond the prefectures and counties? Even if it involves hundreds of officials, you should go to the Censorate. This is the Ministry of Justice. How can our Yang Langzhong accept your messy complaints? "
The leader, an old man, cried out, "This old man is suing an official in the imperial court. The Luoyang prefecture can't accept him, but this old man can't go to the censorate either, because this old man is suing an official of the censorate! I beg Yang Qingtian to redress the grievances of this lowly commoner, to uphold justice for this lowly commoner! "
…
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
