Yan Fei

Three or nine days after eating a bowl of hot fish soup, he took another sharp breath of cold air.The biting cold wind passed between the lips and teeth, making the teeth a little sore.

After warming his hands, he stood up, put money for fish soup on the table, and walked out of the shop.

Qizhou is north of Panyuan, the capital city, and is close to Chilupan in the Northern Territory.The natural stone wall outside Beiyu Pass cut off more than half of the fishy wind blowing from the sea. After passing through the snowfield, it blows into Minghan territory, and the large mass graves and bare forests on the outskirts of Qizhou become The first victims of the cold wind.

This young man in his twenties played with the silver hair hanging down his chest and looked into the distance.

He grew up in the south and only recently came to Qizhou. He is not used to the cold weather, so he didn't stay for long.

Quzhou has been very lively recently.For one thing, Princess Qingyuan of Minghan was going to be sent to Chilupan to get married, and Qizhou was a town on the way to get married.For the matter of getting married, the whole palace was extremely busy, often negotiating with Chilupan, only to find a way out for the princess, but the common people all over the country took this matter as a topic after dinner.

Two...he chuckled lightly and walked towards his residence.

"My lord." The servant bowed to the visitor and made way for him.

It was a young man who came, but in such a cold weather, he only put on a single coat outside, his eyes were covered with a black cloth, and he leaned on a long bamboo pole.

"How many times have I said, don't shout, call whoever you are wearing." He said a little displeased, and stepped into the door.

The man froze for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Master, the case a few days ago has been solved. The Yamen said it was poisoning."

Hearing the words, the young man tilted his head and stopped walking.

"Who snatched it from me? Take me there to have a look."

"A scout from the rivers and lakes, now lives in a house in Yuchang Lane." The servant said while leading the way.

"Just a spy?" The young man sneered, turning his head and thinking for a moment, "...have you checked his background?"

"I've checked. They came out of Gusu Pavilion's organ city." The servant pointed to a door in front, "Master, it's the one in front."

The young man raised his head and said, "The spies from Gusu Pavilion..."

He didn't know how he saw it, or maybe it was just a feeling, but he suddenly froze.

A silver-haired young man and a police officer stood at the door.The young man was leaning against the door frame, with one hand wrapped around the hair on his chest, talking to the policeman.

The servant stepped forward and shouted: "Catcher Yang."

The policeman turned around and saluted: "Master Xu Third."

"Catcher Yang." Third Young Master Xu replied, looking at the silver-haired young man, "Xu Zhiming, do you dare to ask your name?"

"My name is Yan Zi." Yan Zi replied lazily, yawned, and tilted her head to one side.

"swallow?"

"...It's Yan Zi. Ri An Yan, Mu Xin Zi."

"How offending. I heard that Mr. Yan had solved the case of sinking the corpse, so I came here to visit."

Yan Zi squinted his right eye, half-opened his left eye, and said with a smile, "What? You are in charge of the Shen corpse that has suffered eight lifetimes of blood mold?"

His appearance that others owed him eight hundred and ten taels of silver made people angry just looking at him.But Xu Zhiming just hooked his lips, and said: "That's not true. It's just that I don't have much to do on weekdays, and I often help the yamen solve some small cases. Today, I just wanted to go to the yamen to tell Mr. Guan about the case, but I heard the servant said that Mr. It’s resolved, let’s take a look.”

"Oh, finished reading, please go back."

The servants on the side and Inspector Yang couldn't help twitching the corners of their mouths, admiring Xu Zhiming's good temper from the bottom of their hearts.

"I just have a question, and I have to discuss it with the gentleman alone. I wonder if the gentleman can condescend to come to the mansion to talk about it?"

"...I'm not interested, please go back." Yan Zi didn't give him a chance to continue speaking, turned around and went into the courtyard.

The servant frowned and said: "This man really doesn't know how to praise, the young master invited him to the mansion to think highly of him, but he even put his nose on the face, I really think how capable I am!"

Detective Yang quickly watched Xu Zhiming's face silently.

Xu Zhiming's complexion was a little pale, and he said: "I don't remember when I taught you to speak like this. Who gave you the courage to talk about people behind your back... Oh, it's my old man, right? You really stayed in Xu's mansion for a long time I even forgot who the master is."

He paused, and continued: "After all, he is a person who goes in and out of the rivers and lakes. You have seen too many officials and lords, so naturally you can't understand their people who do whatever they want. I can forgive you, but you should never talk about it behind your back. He doesn't want to come I really appreciate the family, whether he has not checked the local dignitaries before or is unwilling to cling to the dignitaries, it can show that he is not a person who is eager for quick success, which is a good thing. But I do have something important to discuss with him. It's really troublesome to come here, I have to find another opportunity..."

"Young master, it's soup time."

"The master hasn't come back today. I heard that something is not right, so I have to come back later."

"... Son, listen carefully..."

"—"

Yan Zi suddenly sat up from the bed, but her heart still couldn't calm down, and she couldn't help panting.

He was clutching at the clothes on his chest, he hadn't recovered from the nightmare just now, his eyes were slack.Immediately afterwards, he shrank into a ball in panic, looked around, whimpered softly, and squeezed out a few painful words from between his teeth.

Although he was indifferent to people during the day, but at this time he was really in a mess.

Yan Zi slowed down, put on a coat and walked into the snow-covered courtyard.Snowflakes fluttered down from the night sky.

The lingering shadows in his nightmare rushed up with this whiteness and crowded in front of his eyes.

Yan Zi's legs gave way, and she nearly fell to the ground, but fortunately, she supported herself on the pillar in time.

"Give it to me...get out..." Yan Zi gritted his teeth and twisted the hair on the side of his face tightly with his fingers.

Although Qizhou is cold, it is still close to Chilupan.At this time, the southeast water town is still warm and pleasant.The misty rain soaked the gentleness of the late winter and early spring in the southeast into people's bones, making people wish they could stay in a black-covered boat and live in that gentle hometown for a lifetime.

There was a continuous drizzle in the sky, and a man was sitting by the window of a restaurant by a river, his black hair fell behind him, and he coiled it once or twice on the bamboo mat.He was holding a wine glass, and there was not even a drop of wine left in the glass.

There was a breeze blowing into the window with raindrops, and the big hair tied with the hair on the back of the man's head moved with the wind.A masked slim woman hurriedly stepped forward and pulled down the bamboo curtain to block the rain.

"Has the swallow come back?"

"Yeah." The woman handed a small note to the man, "In Qizhou."

"It's Qizhou again?" The man frowned, took a look at the note on the table, "How could that remote place in Qizhou attract their attention?"

A woman in Tsing Yi knelt down under his seat, made a salute, fell on the ground and said: "Leader, although Qizhou is remote, it is close to the capital after all, and it is at the foot of the emperor. According to Wen En, they are afraid that there is something big to do. Action."

"... mainly the residence of the former Bixie Wuqing, which is also in Qizhou. I am worried that he will act impulsively."

Wen En raised his head and laughed: "Leader, don't worry too much. Although that kid is young, he is not an impulsive person. Back then, he was already famous in the case of Guan Yuhou, but his reputation is not small now. , the future is bright, and the case will definitely be overturned."

"Kan Yuhou... Kanan Hou... Alas, this case..." The man knocked on the table and sighed.

If you can turn it over, it's fine, but if you don't turn it over, I'm afraid... To put it more seriously, the people will be buried with them sooner or later.

Xu Zhiming got up in the morning, changed his clothes in the room, and went out of the room with that seemingly dispensable bamboo pole.He was blindfolded, as if suffering from an eye disease, but he seemed to be able to see.

There are many people in the Xu family's generation, and Xu Zhiming has many brothers and sisters, all living in the same courtyard.Fortunately, this courtyard is not small, but it can accommodate it.Mr. Xu was very strict, and when the time came, some nanny shouted at the young masters and ladies to get up.

It snowed all night, and the courtyard was covered with a thick layer of snow.Xu Zhiming exhaled hot air, rubbed his hands, and walked along the corridor to the outside of the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard is a large garden, and there is an arched door in the garden, which leads to another larger courtyard, surrounded by rooms lined up, Xu Zhiming pushed open the door of one of the rooms, and suddenly an animal jumped out of it .It flew to nothing, turned its head down and looked at Xu Zhiming pitifully.

Although it was quite big, and its four feet on the ground were about the same height as Xu Zhiming, it clearly looked like a wolf.

Xu Zhiming twitched the corner of his mouth, closed the door, and walked into the garden.The wolf cautiously followed behind him, from time to time it leaned forward to touch Xu Zhiming's right hand hanging by his side.

"Third young master, are you out for a walk with Ganu so early?"

A plump woman walked in and smiled kindly.

Xu Zhiming stepped forward to close the neckline of her cloak, and nodded: "You don't want to wear so little, it's only been three or nine days, and the weather hasn't warmed up yet, so add a few more clothes... It's getting late, huh?" Nu woke up early, if it is closed, it will bite the study into a woodshed sooner or later."

The Xu family called this woman Liu Ma, and she was the nanny of one of Xu Zhiming's elder brothers.One of Mr. Xu's concubines is now the main wife. After giving birth to Mr. Xu's son, he felt unwell, so he invited this nanny to come.Xu Zhiming was born in a concubine, and that concubine was in good health just after giving birth, but later fell ill, so Xu Zhiming was handed over to this nurse to be raised.

"Ganu, good boy, listen to the young master." Liu Ma patted Ganu on the head, took out a food box from under her robe, and took out a plate of three white buns wrapped in white smoke, "Third young master, just out of the cage You can grab a few meat buns to warm your hands first."

"Thank you." Xu Zhiming took a bun and took a bite, "Mother Liu, walk slowly, the road is still slippery just after the snow...Hey, Mama Liu, who is in charge of the kitchen today?"

"Why do you want to start a small stove again?" Liu Ma laughed and said, "It's Miss Zhang."

"I just want to meet someone. It's not good to go empty-handed. Ms. Zhang came just in time. I asked her to help me make some pastries."

Mama Liu chatted with Xu Zhiming for a few more words, then bowed and went to the courtyard.Xu Zhiming grabbed the hair on Ganu's neck and slipped out of the garden before Liu Ma's loud voice started to sound.

Wandering all the way to the kitchen, Xu Zhiming left Ganu outside the door, brushed away the white smoke, and walked to the cutting board.A piece of meat was lying on the chopping board of the stove, and a woman with an apron tied around her waist, her hair pulled into a strand behind her head, was standing opposite her with a kitchen knife in her hand, chopping the meat ferociously.

"Then what... Qing Ze..."

The girl gave him a blank look, but didn't answer, but the strength in her hand increased.

Hearing that she didn't make a sound, Xu Zhiming could only curl his lips and said, "...Sister."

Zhang Qing slammed the knife on the cutting board and put one hand on his hips: "Put it here with me again? Why are you here?"

"I want to ask you to help me make some pastries... I have to find someone."

"Hello old friend?" Zhang Qing nimbly kneaded a few plum petals into the glutinous rice, sprinkled sugar, added bean paste and kneaded it into a lump, then sprinkled a handful of sesame seeds and put it in the steamer.

While she was steaming, she still didn't forget to work on the meat dishes here.The servants in the kitchen came in and out, taking the food away from her, but she was not affected at all, and worked quickly.

For a long time, when she was a little free, Xu Zhiming said, "I just need to ask, where did I find a good friend?"

"That's right...how long do you plan to go?"

Xu Zhiming leaned aside holding the bamboo pole, as if hanging from it.He replied: "I don't know. I must go to see him. He solved the case of the sinking corpse. I went...to ask. Although the corpse died of poisoning, it is not enough to tell at a glance that it is a dead body." The degree of poison. He can see it, he must have understood something, maybe he can ask him something more, after all, he is a spy of Gusu Pavilion."

"Oh, that's really worth talking to." Zhang Qing wiped his hands, fetched a food box, and packed the pastries for him.

Xu Zhiming suddenly grabbed her sleeve, tilted his head and smiled and said in a low voice, "Is the play in Wuzhou finished? Who started it?"

Zhang Qing shook his hands in fright: "...haven't, haven't found out yet, but Qing will definitely do his best to continue to investigate..."

"...Hmph." Xu Zhiming let go of her, took the food box away, greeted Ganu who was rolling in the snow outside, and left the mansion.

Zhang Qing squeezed his palms, wiped the apron, and wiped off the cold sweat from his hands.