Songbailou is a time-honored restaurant in Chang'an City. The owner of this restaurant has a deep background, and it is said that he has an inexplicable relationship with a certain important figure in the court. You can often see carriages painted with the logos of various wealthy families here. It is said that many adults in the court like to dine here.
The dishes of Songbailou are indeed exquisite. It is said that there is a master chef in the back kitchen who once stayed in the palace. Another reason why the business here is good is that the environment is very good. The building of Songbai Building is actually only a quarter of the size of this store, and the yard behind it is the most expensive shopping place here. In the backyard, there are small courtyards that are not connected to each other and are separated by high walls. Even the guests in the two adjacent small courtyards do not know who the people next door are.
Moreover, the house in the small courtyard did not know what method was used, and the sound insulation effect was extremely good.
If you haven't been to the back garden of Songbai Building, you don't know that there is something special here. If you haven't entered the house in the back garden, you don't know the magic of this house. Even if it came in, non-meticulous people would not pay attention to these things.
The most secluded small courtyard in Songbai Building has been closed for a long time, and guests are rarely seen coming in and out. Even when no guests are inside, the yard is closed to outsiders. When a guest asks about it, the young man will politely reply that it is the resting place of our proprietor himself, not the private room of the restaurant.
Hearing such an answer, no one would doubt anything.
In fact, this is the place where many adults in the DPRK secretly discuss matters. And except for important matters, adults will not come here to get together. Some small matters were discussed while eating and drinking in other yards.
On the night of the second day of February, the door of this small courtyard opened, and a dozen people with gloomy faces came in. They were all wearing thick cloaks, and their hats covered their foreheads. They could only see their faces below the eyes clearly, but it could still be seen that they seemed to be in a bad mood.
The waiter is also a close friend of the owner of Songbailou, and he never leaves the yard when he has nothing to do on weekdays.
After a dozen people entered the courtyard, Xiao Er immediately closed the courtyard door. A group of people walked into the room quickly, took off the outer cloak and hung it on the hanger at the door. They sat down on the chairs in the room, and no one spoke until Xiao Er served the tea and left.
"Wu Yidao is too much."
A tall and thin man said dissatisfiedly: "Since we have entrusted Prince Yi to come forward, we are leaving him a way out. If he is willing to hand over everything honestly and leave Chang'an City, he will be his cargo." Traveling to the world is a big dream in spring and autumn, and it is impossible to say that it will end up with a good job. Could it be that money and business are more important than his life? We have given him enough face, but he doesn't know what to do!"
Another chubby man sighed: "No matter what, we can't procrastinate. This time, Wu Yiyi helped His Majesty transport troops to the northwest without telling us. His Majesty's strength has already shocked His Majesty. Before we make a decision to take Hutong Tianxia Bank under the ownership of the imperial court, we must make Wu Yiyi bow down!"
"right."
The person sitting on the outer seat said: "Your Majesty is obviously interested in Huotong Tianxiahang. If there is a decree to take Hutongtianxiaxing into the imperial court, there must be people from the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Officials, and even the Ministry of Punishment." According to the order, go down and check the accounts... If Your Majesty knows that half of the imperial court has a part in the Hutong Tianxia Bank, Long Yan will be furious!"
"That's not the point... The point is that none of us are clean."
One person sighed: "Prince Yi revealed the news at the beginning, saying that it is a real thing to earn money. How can we not believe what the prince said? So we voted more or less. Who knows that guy Wu Dao He is really courageous enough to refuse anyone who comes... Later, when we really made money, we poured more and more money into it, and naturally our hands became less and less clean. You and I know these things well, before We may have some quarrels over the dividend, but now we must sit down and discuss a solution, how to make Wu Yiyi bow his head."
"Before His Majesty's order comes down, we must all evacuate, and evacuate cleanly!"
A person with an elegant temperament shook his head and said, "Have you ever thought about why Wu Yidao would rather offend half of the court officials than let go?"
"He's an idiot!"
Someone cursed bitterly.
"He's not an idiot!"
The person who spoke before thought for a while and said: "I figured out what Wu Yidao was thinking for a day or two, and it was only yesterday that he suddenly understood. The reason why he didn't hesitate to offend us all, even Prince Yi contradicted him, was because What?"
He paused and continued: "Of course he is reluctant to part with his family property! He is not really fighting against us now, but he is fighting against His Majesty. He is holding so many things in his hands and won't let go. He wants to coerce us. Let us speak in the imperial court to prevent His Majesty from confiscating the goods in the world! He wants to force us to help him keep his family business, no matter who has worked so hard to build such a large property, he will cherish it as much Just like my own children, anyone who wants to get involved will resist, even... His Majesty."
"You mean, no matter what, he won't give in?"
"Disaster!"
"Then what to do?"
"kill?"
"What's the use of just killing Wu Yidao? I don't know where he hid the account book, and those things that we haven't seen in the past, Wu Yidao must remember everything one by one. He must have kept things It's hidden in a place where others can't find it at all, otherwise how could you be so confident?"
"I don't know where things are, after all, it's a troublesome thing. It's easy to kill Wu Yidao. If killing people can settle this matter, why are you and I sitting here to discuss?"
The person with the elegant temperament before hesitated and said: "We have analyzed it before. Wu Yiyi sent his daughter Wu Yinyu to Qingle Mountain in the south of the Yangtze River before going to the northwest. Maybe that thing is in his daughter's hands! Such an important thing He will not trust others, so unless he keeps it himself, it is with Wu Yinyu."
"It's been almost two months!"
The tall and thin man said: "There is no news of the people we sent to Jiangnan. This Wu Yidao is an old fox! I am afraid that this day has been expected for a long time, so I will spend a lot of money to send Wu Yinyu. Qingle Mountain cultivates Taoism. I used to think that he just doted on his daughter and would give Wu Yinyu what he wanted, but now I understand that his thoughts are so far away!"
"We can only wait. If the people who go to the south of the Yangtze River can't bring back good news, this matter can only be resolved in the capital. If it doesn't work, we should get rid of Wu Yiyi first, and then kill all the cronies around him. , In this way, even if His Majesty wants to find the account book, there is no way to find it. We can't get it, and no one can get it. Wu Yiyi wants to keep it secret, so there must not be many people who know about it. Therefore, few people can't be killed."
"The one named Fang Jie... has been living in Sanjinhou's Mansion for a while now, do you think... Wu Yidao will give him things?"
"It should be impossible. How could Wu Yidao trust an outsider?"
"Prince Yi has already sent someone to Fang Xie's side. If Wu Yidao really gave Fang Xie the things, he will definitely be able to find out."
The last person who spoke was Qin Liuqi, Prince Yi's steward!
…
…
Breeze view.
Prince Yi looked at the surrounding scenery as he walked, and couldn't help but praised: "This temple is one of the most clean and comfortable places in Chang'an City. It's no wonder that Daoist people never go out after arriving in Chang'an City. I've been here for a long time. , I'm afraid that even Gu will be obsessed with this quietness and serenity."
Accompanying him is none other than the master of Qingle Mountain Yiqi Temple, the leader of Daozong of the Sui Dynasty, Xiao Zhenren. This veteran Taoist with a superb status in the world does not seem to have any fairy-tale temperament. If it weren't for the black Taoist robe that symbolized the identity of a real person, he would not be remembered wherever he walked in the clothes of ordinary people.
Even if such an old man passes you by on the street, you won't be impressed. Ordinary, too ordinary. The Master of Qingfeng Guan and the Taoist Heju in a red robe walking a few meters behind them also looked more like a master of Taoism than Master Xiao.
Master Xiao said with a smile: "Wang Ye is in the world, unexpectedly he has a Taoist heart."
Prince Yi laughed loudly: "Where is there any Dao heart? It's just that I got bored of being in the hustle and bustle for too long. Suddenly being in this Taoist temple is like walking into a paradise. My heart is much cleaner. According to my lonely temperament, Is it really possible for Gu to spend the day here with the oil lamp, and not be suffocated to death?"
Master Xiao said: "Don't dare to invite the prince to stay for a long time, otherwise the temple will be full of Yingying and Yanyan in a short time."
Prince Yi leaned forward and back with a smile, and said as he walked: "Master Xiao sees it clearly, there are three things that Gu Zhen can't do without in this half of his life. One, good wine. Two, beauties. Three food. If Gu Zhen is in this yard Stay here, maybe the girls in the buildings in Chang'an City will really come to look for her."
Master Xiao smiled, but did not answer.
Prince Yi walked outside the main hall, turned around and looked at the road he had walked, and said with some emotion: "This is the highest point of the Taoist temple. When you look back, you can have a panoramic view of the road. It is better to stand at a high place to see the scenery, the higher the better. Standing at the highest point, it’s worth the hard work halfway.”
Master Xiao said calmly, "It's cold at the top."
Prince Yi said: "Then wear thicker clothes."
Master Xiao said again: "The cold on the body is not cold, no matter how thick the clothes are, it can't cover the cold in the heart."
"Why is the real person cold-hearted?"
Prince Yi asked: "Could it be because you are standing too high?"
Master Xiao said: "You are not as tall as the prince, how can you be too tall?"
He pointed to his feet, it was indeed one step lower than Prince Yi. He didn't walk onto the small square in front of the main hall, he was only one step away.
"Why don't you take another step, and be as tall as the one standing alone?"
Prince Yi asked.
Master Xiao was silent for a while and then said earnestly: "I stand where I should stand, no matter how tall I am. If I stand where I shouldn't stand, no matter how short I am, I still stand tall. And sometimes the prince sees the height It's too beautiful. In fact, in terms of the scenery, there is no difference between the top of the mountain and the place that is one step away from the top of the mountain. I stand on a step below the prince, and I expect that there will be no difference between what the prince sees. "
Prince Yi nodded and said, "It makes sense."
He looked down and then up again: "There is no big difference in what you see when standing on the top of the mountain and standing one step away from the top of the mountain. But standing on the top of the mountain and standing halfway up the mountain see But as long as you are still in the world, what you stand on the top of the highest mountain and look down is still just a poor sight. What if you leave the world and look down from the sky?"
Master Xiao smiled and shook his head: "No one can stand in the sky, no one can."
Prince Yi smiled, paused and asked, "Master Xiao, there is something I've always wanted to ask you, but because I'm not polite enough, Gu has been holding back. Since today happened to be about high and low, then Gu will use this topic to ask... Do you think you are taller, or Dean Zhou is taller?"
After being silent for a while, Master Xiao said word by word: "I don't know how tall Dean Zhou is, so I can't compare him. But I do know how tall I am... I'm not afraid of the prince's jokes, I'm really tall."