The autumn rain was endless.
As the saying went, the spring rain was like an edict, the summer rain was like a pardon, and the autumn rain was like an elegy.
The autumn rain always gave people a miserable feeling.
The autumn rain had been pattering since morning and did not stop in the afternoon. As a result, the feeling of autumn spread and the world was desolate.
On a muddy path in Guide Lane, a man in a light green robe and holding an oil-paper umbrella was walking alone in the alley.
Guide Lane was located in the south of Luoyang, beside the Changxia Gate. The southeast corner of Luoyang, the Changxia Gate, and the Dingding Gate had relatively few residents. Because it was too far from the bustling city center, there was a large expanse of empty forest. Although it was enclosed in the city, it had never been developed and was full of wild interest.
Because of this, it had also become a very beautiful place in Dongdu. Some literati who liked the quiet and some who had lost their careers and coveted cheap rent would choose this area as their residence.
The man with the umbrella walked out of the alley and was surprised to see a quiet forest in front of him. The leaves were shiny from the rain, and the entire forest was filled with a quiet atmosphere. The drizzle was still fluttering, and a corner of a red cornice could be faintly seen in the forest. Walking on the dark green grass, when the dew had completely wet his feet, he would see a small building.
The small building was built against the slope and surrounded by trees. It was very elegant. There was no "flag" erected in front of the building, only a wine banner that gently fluttered in the wind and rain. It was actually a tavern.
The man with the oil-paper umbrella did not stop and walked straight to the tavern.
Under the dripping eaves, he closed the umbrella and revealed his appearance. This man was already in his early fifties. His hair was already white, and his face was covered in dense wrinkles. His eyebrows were thick at the beginning and thin at the end, and his slightly thin cheeks gave off a slightly miserable feeling. It was unknown whether he was affected by the autumn rain or the autumn wind.
He looked up at the gray sky and sighed. He shook off the rainwater on the umbrella, pushed open the small bamboo door, and walked in. The restaurant was very quiet. At this time, there were very few people walking around in the downtown area, let alone such a quiet place.
In the rain, the customers felt as if their souls had been shattered. The winemaker had also disappeared, leaving only the old shopkeeper, who was sitting behind the wine cabinet, dozing off with his chin in his hand. A guest pushed open the door and entered. Following that, a gust of autumn wind blew in, gently brushing against the string of wine and dishes hanging above the counter.
The wine and dishes were all made of bamboo. When the wind blew, they collided with each other and made a series of tinkling sounds. The old shopkeeper seemed to be sleeping soundly and actually didn't wake up.
The guest did not call out to him. He looked around and saw a man sitting by the window in a corner of the hotel. The man waved to him as he entered. The customer, who was in his fifties, walked over.
Outside the window of the seat in the corner of the room, there was a patch of flourishing weeds. Although it was late autumn, they were still thriving. The window was propped up. The rainwater poured on it, making a "dripping" sound. Then it flowed onto the stalks of the weeds. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow in, ruffling the clothes of the guest.
The customer had a silk handkerchief on his hair and wore a yellow turtleneck robe. There was a sparse beard on his chin and his face was slightly yellow, but he didn't look very old. The yellow-robed young man stood up and greeted him. He asked with a smile, "Are you Brother You?"
The old man in his fifties nodded slightly. "I am indeed You Haoyang!"
The yellow-robed young man smiled and said solemnly, "Brother You, please have a seat of honor."
You Haoyang glanced at him hesitantly. He took off his boots and climbed onto the couch. He knelt down behind the table. The yellow-robed young man also lifted his robe and sat down. He picked up a wine cup, raised it with his right hand and supported it with his left. He gave You a very courteous toast. "The autumn rain is bitter and cold. Brother You, please drink a cup to dispel the cold from your body. We can talk later."
You Haoyang had been invited by his informant, Zhao Yu. Zhao Yu had put in a lot of effort and finally found someone who might know Miao Shenke's whereabouts. However, it was not easy to find out Miao Shenke's whereabouts from this person. You Haoyang only revealed a little information, and the reward was very high. Zhao Yu arranged for him to meet Yang Fan directly.
Yang Fan put on a disguise and agreed to meet him here.
You Haoyang's official position was not high. He was just a court official, a court official in the Imperial Secretariat.
The Imperial Secretariat was equivalent to the offices in the capital set up by each province in the future. It was responsible for passing on information to the higher-ups in the province. Those who could set up court officials in the capital were all feudal lords. Their primary purpose in setting up court officials was not to report on the situation within their jurisdiction, but to make it easier for them to keep abreast of the situation in the capital.
In that era, transportation was inconvenient and information was not fast. How could the local high-ranking officials sit around and wait for news that only concerned them to pass through the Imperial Court? They naturally had to arrange for intelligence agents to be in the capital to keep tabs on every move in the Imperial Court. These people were not only responsible for gathering information for the local high-ranking officials, they were also responsible for contacting the nobles in the capital and building relationships.
Thus, a court official was a very lucrative job. The local high-ranking officials could save money in other areas, but they would never be stingy when it came to the funds of a court official. Thus, all court officials were overflowing with wealth. However, there were exceptions to everything. As a court official, You Haoyang's life was even more bitter than that of a yellow lotus.
This was because You Haoyang was a court official in the Imperial Secretariat set up by the Yutian Commandery.
Yutian was originally a military town under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate.
In the 20th year of Zhenguan, the Western Turkic Yipi Shekui Khagan asked the Tang dynasty for a peace marriage. Li Shimin proposed that he cede Kucha, Yutian, Shu-lik, Zhugupo, and Cong Ling as a betrothal gift. Yipi Shekui Khagan agreed on the surface but refused on the inside. After the peace marriage, the Tang dynasty used the army to forcibly take over these places.
The Yutian Commandery was set up at that time. After the Zhenguan, because of the political turmoil, the four towns of Anxi were sometimes established and the military towns were also changed. In the first year of Yong Hui, Emperor Gaozong of Tang Li Zhi abolished the four towns and the Anxi Protectorate moved back to Xi Province. In the second year of Xianqing, the Tang dynasty quelled the rebellion of the Western Turkic Ashina Helu. In the next year, the four towns were restored.
In the first year of Xianheng, the Tubo conquered Kucha and the four towns were restored. In the first year of Tiaolu, the Tang dynasty pacified Pei Xingjian to quell the rebellion of the Lanyan Commandery Ashina Duzhi and the others and restored the four towns. Three years ago, the Tang army was defeated by the Tubo and the four towns were lost. Therefore, the officials set up by the Yutian Commandery in the capital became motherless children.
They were personnel set up by the Yutian Commandery in the capital and were not officials directly under the court. Their salaries were not paid by the court. But the problem now was that no one knew if the Yutian Commandery would have a chance to restore it, so who would care about them? These officials were in an extremely awkward situation.
Some of the minor officials with decent family backgrounds could temporarily rely on the help of their families. But for a man like You Haoyang who relied on him to support his family, if he lost his source of income, he would suffer unspeakably. Otherwise, he would not have come to today's appointment. You Dili drank a cup of wine and gently put it down. He looked straight at Yang Fan and said, "Brother, let's cut the small talk. What do you want to know? You can say it now."
"Miao Shenke!"
Yang Fan slightly leaned forward and raised his eyebrows. He looked straight at You Dili and said, "I only want to know the whereabouts of Miao Shenke!"
You Dili's expression changed slightly. He cupped his fists and said, "You want to know news of him? My apologies! I will take my leave now! "
You Dili stood up and left. Yang Fan took out a green cloth bundle from under the table and put it on the table. There was a "hua" sound from the bundle. You Dili was about to put his feet into his boots under the couch when he heard this sound. He could not help but stop and turned his head to look at the bundle. It was really not small and he could not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Yang Fan said, "What is Brother You afraid of? What comes out of your mouth will enter my ears!"
You Dili's face revealed a struggling expression. Yang Fan smiled again and said, "Outside of this restaurant, you will not recognize me, and I will not recognize you. If anyone says that you have revealed any information to me, do they have any proof? Are you willing to admit it? Haha, Brother You, it is better for you to sit down! "
You Dili's feet slowly turned around. After a long time, he returned to the table with difficulty and sat down. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Ai! A poor man's ambition is short! What do you want to know? "
Yang Fan said in a deep voice, "I only want to know where Miao Shenke is now and what is his whereabouts!"
You Dili suddenly opened his eyes and stared at him for a long time. He slowly lowered his eyelids and said, "You are investigating Miao Shenke's whereabouts because of kindness? Is it because of revenge? "
Yang Fan said, "Regardless of kindness or hatred, once you leave this restaurant, it has nothing to do with Brother You. Brother You, do you think it is better for you to know or not to know?"
You Dili sighed and the distress on his face became even stronger, "I … do not know the whereabouts of Miao Shenke."
Yang Fan slowly straightened his back and reached out to grab the bundle. He said, "Leaning against the window and listening to the rain, the rain hitting the banana leaves, it has a different kind of artistic conception. This table of wine and dishes is a gift from little brother to Brother You. Brother You, please enjoy slowly, I will take my leave! "
You Dili blurted out, "But, I know who knows his whereabouts! Now, probably only this one person knows where he is? If you ask someone else, they might not know. The reason why I know about this is because of a fortuitous encounter! "
Yang Fan's hands stopped and he asked, "Who is this person?"
You Dili said slowly, "If I say it …"
Without saying anything, Yang Fan pushed the bundle in his hands forward.
You Dili reached out to hold the bundle and said slowly, "Shangguan awaits the edict!"
Yang Fan was shocked and he cried out, "Shangguan Wan 'er?"
You Dili's face slowly revealed a sly smile and he asked, "Do you still want to ask?"
Yang Fan pondered for a long time and his face gradually darkened. He said, "Brother You, are you purposely mentioning a person who lives above the Imperial Palace to fool me?"
You Dili said, "Everything I said is true!"
Yang Fan sneered, "Miao Shenke is only a scholar who edits national history and is in charge of literary works. What kind of important person is he? How can his whereabouts be known only by the number one person in the world, Shangguan Daizhao?"
A strange expression appeared on You Dili's face and he said, "Miao Shenke is only a scholar who edits national history and is in charge of literary works? Haha, do you know what kind of books Miao Shenke has compiled? "
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