Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 299 It’s rare to be confused
As soon as Mrs. Tian Tian returned home, she took her child to the study.

It was not yet time for the government office to close, but according to custom, the master should have returned by now.

When I arrived at the study, I saw that Qiao Zhen had indeed returned and was playing with walnut carving with great interest.

Qiao Zhen is about forty years old, in the prime of his life.

For other officials, this age is a critical time to hone their political achievements and strive to get ahead.

Especially the Transportation Department, which is an extremely important government office in the Song Dynasty.

In the early Song Dynasty, the Transportation Office was just an office responsible for transporting military supplies and grain.

However, in order to weaken the role of the Jiedushi and prevent the situation of separatist regimes during the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty gradually strengthened the functions of the Transportation Bureau.

From then on, the Transportation Bureau was not only responsible for transportation, but also for finance, justice, supervision and other matters.

A large transportation agency was in charge of the financial affairs of one or several routes and was responsible for the collection, transportation, warehouse cashiering, and the system of weights and measures.

The Transportation Bureau was also responsible for inspecting local officials, maintaining public order, reviewing prisons, and recommending talented people.

However, the Transportation Bureau had no soldiers, so there was no need to worry about its officials rebelling. Therefore, it played an important role in strengthening central power, weakening local forces, and preventing separatist regimes.

Officials who are old, weak, sick or disabled and unable to handle such important responsibilities will never be appointed to such important positions.

Anyone who can be appointed to a high-ranking position in the Transportation Bureau will definitely be promoted as long as his political achievements are outstanding.

Qin Hui originally placed Cao Yong in the Transportation Department to gain experience for his further promotion.

However, this Deputy Transport Envoy Qiao, who was just in his forties, a Jinshi, and in his prime, was somewhat different.

Like today's meeting at Shen Garden, it was an excellent occasion for the leading figures from the political, scholar, and business circles of Shanyin to gather together and build relationships, but Qiao Zhen did not go.

He got off work early, returned home, and started playing with his walnuts with great interest.

Under his carving knife, the process of gradually presenting each small walnut, whether it was an exquisite poem or a lifelike animal, was his happiest time.

Seeing his concubine Tian Tian coming back with their youngest son, Qiao Zhen smiled, put down the carving knife, and took his son in his arms.

The child had eaten his fill and had taken a nap on the way, so he was in high spirits. Qiao Zhen made faces, puffed his beard and glared, and the child stared with wide eyes, watching his father show off.

Tian Tian enthusiastically talked about her trip to Miaoxiu Temple today and what Master Daner said when she read her fortune, hoping that this would make her husband feel more at ease.

Although Qiao Zhen acted calm, after almost all the people in the Transportation Department were swept away, leaving him the only one who escaped, his nervousness and anxiety could naturally be felt by his partner.

Qiao Zhen was teasing the child while listening to his concubine's story.

Qiao Zhen just laughed at what she said. He was too lazy to argue, but he didn't believe it.

Ghosts and gods were all illusory. He didn't believe in fortune-telling, but since Tian'er believed in them, he didn't need to teach her a lesson.

On the screen behind him, there are paintings of several adorable pandas, which were later called pandas or iron-eating beasts.

In general, a scholar's study would either be hung with calligraphy stickers expressing his aspirations and solar terms, or with paintings of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum. It is very rare to find a panda painted on the folding screen like the one in Deputy Transport Envoy Qiao.

But he just likes it.

This panda painting was painted by him himself.

The panda knows white and keeps black, and is rarely confused. This is the golden mean.

The Golden Mean, without excess or deficiency, without choice or direction, has no form or appearance, is neither left nor right, but both left and right. It is actually the way that connects all things.

This is the motto of Deputy Transport Envoy Qiao.

"Master, I want to invite Master Daner to come to our house to take a look. Maybe she can adjust the Feng Shui to help your fortune."

Tian Tian was not a spoiled person. Fearing that the master would be unhappy, she quickly explained, "I just want to ask the nun to go to the small courtyard where I live and take a look. At most, we can add some decorations, but we won't do anything big."

"Haha, just a little thing, no problem."

Qiao Zhen put the child back into Tian Tian's arms and said, "You have the final say on how to adjust your yard.

However, you must be smarter. Some people are just pretending to be monks, but they are actually swindlers. Don’t let them fool you.”

Tian Tian smiled happily: "Thank you, sir, I know it.

Two years ago, someone pretended to be my concubine and used my name to cheat people out of their money, almost ruining my reputation.

Since then, everyone in the mansion has been much more cautious. If that nun talks to me about money in a roundabout way, I will immediately kick her out of the mansion."

Qiao Zhen nodded with satisfaction: "Go ahead, greet the lady before returning to your room."

"I know the rules, so please don't worry, Master."

Tian Tian got Qiao Zhen's permission to invite the nun to visit her. She was very happy and went back to the backyard happily with her child in her arms.

Qiao Zhen returned to the desk and sat down, picking up the carving knife, but for a moment she lost interest in continuing carving.

He stroked the Arhat carving in his hand, which had not yet been fully formed, and said thoughtfully:
“The transport department was almost wiped out, and this is by no means a simple matter of someone accepting bribes and providing convenience for smugglers.

There is news coming from the capital that important weapons were found among the smuggled goods seized in Shanyin..."

Qiao Zhen's eyes narrowed slightly: "Whether it's collusion between officials and businessmen, rampant smuggling, or even someone stealing and selling military equipment to raise funds...

These things should not be closed just like that. But, just because Dinggong Junzhi was arrested, the case is closed?"

Qiao Zhen carefully placed the walnut that had not yet been carved on the欹器.

Although the walnut was very light, the tool still tilted slightly to one side, and then suddenly increased its force.

This was because the tiny weight changed the balanced water source inside the 欹器, causing the water to flow faster to one side. However, Qiao Zhen had anticipated this situation and reached out in time to hold the walnut that was about to fall, and the 欹器 slowly returned to a stable state.

His欹器 looks like a strange-looking conch. If nothing is added to it, the center of gravity will cause it to fall to one side.

If filled with water, it will also tip over to one side.

But if you add an appropriate amount of water so that the water forms a relatively stable state inside, the欹器 will seem to be placed there steadily.

The saying goes "If it is empty, it will tilt; if it is full, it will overturn" - this is also a kind of doctrine of the mean, which is in line with Qiao Zhen's philosophy of life.

Qiao Zhen stared at the Qiqi and muttered, "Is the government using this to weaken the Prime Minister Qin and has achieved its goal, or is someone secretly repairing the plank road and crossing Chencang?"

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and said leisurely: "The court should not have not sent someone! There are so many strange things here, there must be a problem! There must be a problem!

When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong. Qiao is still as good as ever.

Otherwise, this demon will probably find Qiao. A gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall..."

……

When Shen Xi walked out of Miaoxiu Temple, he felt refreshed.

He didn't expect that in the "Miaoxiu Nunnery", a place where more than a dozen nuns practiced meditation, there would be two beautiful flowers waiting to be picked.

One is in the prime of her youth, and the other is in the age of puberty.

Although the two girls were dressed in black clothes and plain clothes, their eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as paintings and their skin was as smooth as a baby's.

The only regret is that they actually wear their hair while practicing Buddhism and have not yet shaved their heads. Otherwise, it would be more elegant and interesting.

However, thinking from another perspective, since they have not yet shaved their heads, wouldn't it be easier for me to arouse their sexual desire?
Shen Xi saw the nun couple when he was accompanying Xiang Xuan on a pilgrimage.

However, in the nunnery, he just looked around with a lecherous eye and did not do anything excessive.

Everyone has something they fear, and Shen Xi is no exception.

That is a nunnery, where Bodhisattvas are enshrined.

Although it was just a wooden statue made of clay, he still had some concerns in his heart. What if it offended the gods?

After getting in the car, Shen Xi said to Xiang Xuan, "Tomorrow, you invite Little Nun Dan'er and Little Nun Tang'er to your house to offer food and chant some sutras."

Xiang Xuan understood as soon as she heard it. Her master had taken a fancy to those two little nuns.

Xiang Xuan said awkwardly, "Those two young nuns are still practicing with their hair covered, so their cultivation is shallow. Wouldn't it be a bit strange to ask them to offer food?"

Simply inviting a monk to your home for a meal is called "offering vegetarian food."

When someone agrees to go to your house and accepts your invitation, this is called "responding to an offering" or "receiving an offering."

However, this kind of invitation usually comes when the two parties have frequent interactions with each other, and the other party is a practitioner with fame and status in the temple.

It doesn't make sense to invite two nuns who haven't been formally ordained.

Shen Xi said impatiently: "Come back another day and donate some money first, I think the abbot will agree.

If you think this is really against the rules, then invite a magician, but you must ask the two young nuns, Dan'er and Tang'er, to accompany you."

After Shen Xi finished speaking, he leaned against the carriage and said with a chuckle, "It's a pity that they haven't shaved their heads yet. However, they look quite charming in those black robes, hehe..."

Xiang Xuan thought to herself, "Since they are devoted to Buddhism, you want to harm them and help them practice Buddhism. Aren't you afraid of losing your virtue and suffering retribution?"

However, she could only say this in her heart.

Her fate is in the hands of others, how could she dare not agree?

……

Yang Yuan brought Emmanuelle Belle back to "Qijian Hall" and entered "Tingtao". Yang Yuan said:

"At the banquet today, I have already discussed it with Chief Chu. He will come to pick us up at 9:00 pm tomorrow morning and go to the Metropolitan Supervisor's Office together."

Belle asked, "What does sir mean?"

Yang Yuan said: "Qin Hui gave me very limited time, and I'm afraid it will be too late to find out some things using ordinary methods.

Fortunately, you now have that amazing ability to remember everything you see.

So, I will take you to Dulin Mansion tomorrow, and you have to look through their important account books and write them down. Remember, don't let them see that you are concentrating on memorizing. "

Emmanuelle Belle smiled and said, "Belle understands. Sir, just rest assured that they won't find any flaws."

Yang Yuan nodded: "We went there suddenly, and they didn't have time to falsify the accounts.

Moreover, Chief Chu only asked me to check some data on the spot. I knew he was going to transfer all the supplies of the corresponding materials to us, so he didn't worry that I would find anything if I flipped through it hastily."

Emmanuelle Belle understood: "When we come back, we must find some clues before midnight."

"exactly!"

Belle became excited. Although she couldn't wear armor, hold a sword, and gallop on the battlefield, this kind of thing was also very challenging.

Yang Yuan said: "Although you forget everything that happened every day, you should still try to rest as much as possible today to replenish your brain power!"

"Yes!" Emmanuelle Belle answered proudly, with her chest and head held high, like a female warrior receiving an order.

(End of this chapter)