Meng Guangren smiled bitterly and said: "Although my wife was escorted back to the capital safely, she was so frightened that she lay down when she returned to the house. To this day, she has not gotten up, and she has not eaten even a drop of water or rice."
Qi Ning said: "Mr. Meng, the Black Scale Camp is indeed sorry for you. There are still a few old ginseng roots in the Hou Mansion. When I get back, I will immediately send someone to nurse Madam back to health."
Seeing Qi Ning's sincere words, Meng Guangren immediately said: "Master Hou, this is absolutely impossible." He said with emotion: "To be honest with you, Master Hou, you can handle this matter impartially. I am very grateful to you. Master Hou inherited the legacy of the old Marquis and The family tradition of a great general, I’ll pardon my unqualified remarks, this is really gratifying.”
"Although I inherited the title of Marquis, I am still young and have not considered many things carefully and have insufficient experience. If there is anything wrong, I need you seniors to give me some guidance and understanding." Qining said with a smile.
Meng Guangren said hurriedly: "Master Hou, this is too modest. During this trip to Dong Qi, Master Hou was able to successfully bring Princess Dong Qi back to my country. No one can help but admire this ability and contribution."
Qi Ning smiled slightly and then asked: "Mr. Meng, you sent four servants to accompany the wife to escort her home. These four servants are naturally carefully selected."
Meng Guangren said: "To be fair to the Marquis, these four servants have all practiced some kung fu. Although they are not very good, if any one of them shows it, two or three big men will not be a match for them." After a pause, He also explained: "The salary of a lower official is not high, and he has to support many people in the house. It will be very difficult to add the monthly salary of these four servants. However, my wife's family is considered a big family, and the family is well-endowed. These four The famous servant is hired by my wife to look after the house and take care of the courtyard with money."
Qi Ning and Duan Canghai looked at each other and then asked: "So, these four servants have pretty good martial arts skills, and ordinary people can't get close to them."
Meng Guangren nodded and said, "Even if ten or eight bandits come out, they won't be afraid."
Qi Ning looked at Duan Canghai and asked, "Duan Canghai, are the three soldiers who escaped from the Black Scale Battalion very skilled?"
Duan Canghai immediately shook his head and said: "Reporting to the Marquis, the Blackscale Battalion is very strict in selecting soldiers. Every soldier must be tested many times before entering the camp. They are all very strong, and some of them can do some martial arts, but like this There are very few people. If they are good at martial arts and have other ways to make a living, they don’t have to come to the military camp to serve as soldiers." After a pause, he continued: "The three soldiers who escaped are recorded in the roster, and there is nothing wrong with them. Martial arts.”
Qi Ning nodded slightly and said thoughtfully: "There will be a time when they join the military camp. If you train hard day and night, can you make their martial arts improve by leaps and bounds?"
"Absolutely impossible." Duan Canghai shook his head and said: "After entering the camp, you must first strengthen your physical training, then master how to use broadswords and spears, and then gradually learn about riding and shooting skills. This cannot be accomplished overnight. .The training so far has only just taught them how to use the sword, and they have not yet begun to train the sword skills in the military camp. They may be much stronger than ordinary people, but they will not be much stronger."
Qi Ning said: "As far as I know, in the military camp, the soldiers in the military camp are trained in the methods of killing the enemy in battle. There is really no teaching of martial arts."
Duan Canghai nodded this time and said: "What the Marquis said is absolutely true. Although the methods in the army and the martial arts in the rivers and lakes are both techniques for defeating the enemy, they are quite different."
Qi Ning showed doubts and asked: "This is strange. Since those three soldiers only received training in the military camp for a short period of time, how could they be the opponents of the four martial arts masters? According to what Master Meng said , the martial arts of the four servants are not inferior to those three soldiers, even if those three soldiers are three against two, they may not be able to gain any advantage, not to mention they are at a disadvantage in terms of numbers."
Duan Canghai immediately said: "Master Hou, my subordinates have been wondering about this matter."
Meng Guangren nodded slightly and said: "Master Hou, in fact, the official is also very surprised by this. The Kyoto Prefecture sent someone to send his wife back to the house to inform him of the matter. The official could not believe it at the time. Although the Black Scale Battalion is an elite military force , but it’s really unfathomable that just three soldiers can kill three servants of a lower official.”
Qi Ning frowned and said, "Mr. Meng, where did your understanding of the situation at the scene come from?"
Meng Guangren said solemnly: "After the incident, the Kyoto Prefecture sent people to escort my wife back. Three Blackscale Battalion soldiers were captured on the spot, and then the bodies of the three domestic servants were also sent back."
"Master Meng sent four people, so where is the remaining servant?"
"Still in Kyoto Prefecture." Meng Guangren said: "Kyoto Prefecture wants to investigate this matter. The remaining servant is called Su Fei. Now he is being kept in Kyoto Prefecture as a witness."
Qi Ning nodded and said: "In other words, all the news you know was informed by the Kyoto Prefecture?"
"Exactly." Meng Guangren said: "The lower official also sent a steward from my mansion to Kyoto Prefecture, and he also met Su Fei. However, Su Fei was injured, and the people from Kyoto Prefecture helped him heal his injuries, but they couldn't. Talk."
Qi Ning and Duan Canghai looked at each other with suspicion.
Meng Guangren lowered his voice and said, "Master Hou, do you think there is anything fishy in this?"
"It's hard to say for the time being." Qi Ning said, "But if those three black-scaled soldiers are really the murderers, I will definitely give an account to Master Meng." Wei Wei pondered, stood up and said, "Mr. Meng, I just came back last night, and I still I haven’t entered the palace, I have to go there again, so I’ll say goodbye first.”
Meng Guangren immediately cupped his hands and said, "I'll send you off to the Marquis."
After Qi Ning and Duan Canghai left the Meng Mansion, they rode horses side by side towards the palace. Duan Canghai saw that Qi Ning seemed to be thinking about something and asked, "Master Hou, are you thinking about something strange in this matter? "
Qi Ning nodded slightly and said: "If what Meng Guangren said is true, then the Meng Mansion is also a victim in this matter. How can three Blackscale Battalion soldiers deal with four martial arts masters and even kill three of them? This is very promising It's strange. We have to go to Kyoto Prefecture to find out the truth." After a pause, he asked: "When did you receive the message?"
"This happened the night before yesterday. During the morning exercise yesterday morning, I found that three soldiers were missing. I immediately sent people to look for them. At noon, people from the Kyoto Prefecture ran over to inform them." Duan Canghai said: "After learning about this, I After discussing with Zhao Wushang and others, some people said that they want to ask for people from Kyoto Prefecture. Even if the soldiers of the Black Scale Battalion violate military regulations, they should be dealt with by the Black Scale Battalion themselves."
Qi Ning smiled and said: "That's right."
"However, the Marquis said that you must be patient in everything and not easily stir up trouble. So after thinking about it, I think it is better to return to the Hou Mansion first. If the Marquis happens to be here, then it will be the best. If the Marquis has not returned to Beijing yet, , I am going to go to Kyoto Prefecture to negotiate with Tie Zheng in person." Duan Canghai said: "It is always best to understand the ins and outs of the matter."
Qi Ning smiled and said: "Second Uncle Duan is very considerate." He pondered for a moment and then said: "You can go to Kyoto Mansion now to test it out and see what is going on. I will go to the palace first. After meeting the emperor, I will go directly to Kyoto Prefecture.”
Duan Canghai cupped his hands and said, "I obey my orders." He patted his horse and left.
Qi Ning did not delay and went straight to the imperial city. The imperial guards naturally did not stop him. He entered the palace directly and was greeted by the eunuch to the imperial study. After the eunuch informed Longtai, Qin Ning quickly entered the imperial study. In the study, he saw Longtai sitting at a table playing chess with someone.
Hearing the footsteps, Longtai raised his head, saw Qi Ning, and said with a smile: "Jin Yihou, come here quickly and see what my next step is."
Qi Ning stepped forward, and the man who was playing chess with Long Tai also turned around and said with a smile: "Jin Yihou is tired from the journey. It's really hard work."
Qining was startled when he saw the man, but found that the man was actually Xiao Shaozong, the prince of Huainan.
"I pay homage to your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince!" Qi Ning did not dare to lose his etiquette when he saw outsiders present.
Longtai waved his hand and said, "Come here and take a look at this chess game. Your Majesty is very good at chess. It's not easy for me to deal with you."
Qi Ning walked over and saw the black and white twins on the chessboard. He was a little embarrassed and said: "Your Majesty, I... I don't understand chess, and I don't understand why."
Xiao Shaozong laughed and said in a clear voice: "A true gentleman watching chess without speaking, Jin Yihou, I am playing chess with the emperor, please don't interrupt me. When I am playing chess with the emperor, I lose more and win less. This time I finally have some hope. Don’t ruin my good deeds.”
Qi Ning smiled, wondering in his heart, thinking that the prince of Huainan actually had a good relationship with the emperor. The two of them could sit in the imperial study and play chess, and their conversation was relaxed and not formal. If they were not close, they would never do it. With such a performance, Qining could also see that both Longtai and Xiao Shaozong spoke very naturally, as they always seemed to do.
Longtai didn't say much. He stared at the chessboard and pressed a move. He didn't look at Qining. He just said: "Jin Yihou, there are some snacks over there. I'll give them to you. When I finish the game, I'll give it to you later." speak to you."
Qining raised his hand and said yes. He turned around and took a look. He saw that there were actually several plates of pastries on the table next to him. After he returned to the Marquis Mansion yesterday, he didn't even eat dinner. He stayed in Tang Nuo's room all night and came out in the morning. He immediately took Duan Canghai to the Meng Mansion. After returning to Beijing, he really hadn't eaten enough rice. When he saw the pastry, he was really hungry. Although Xiao Shaozong was present, he was not polite and went over to take a plate in his hand. , while eating pastries, they came over to watch chess.
Both of them were attentive, and their moves were not slow, but the game of chess had come to an end, with black and white on the chessboard. Although Qi Ning was not good at chess, he had a rough understanding of it. The black and white sides seem to be evenly matched, with no one having much of an upper hand.
Seeing this game of chess, Qi Ning suddenly remembered that when he cracked Mr. Sanliu's Qihuang game at the Jinghua Book Club, someone had given him guidance at that time. To this day, he still doesn't know who was behind the guidance that day.