It was already night when the news of the death of the dead man and Mr. Gongyang came back to the Zhao Mansion.
"Liang'er, you made a mistake." General Zhao, the head of the Zhao family, said calmly as he sat on the recliner leisurely with his eyes slightly squinted.
Zhao Mingliang's face turned pale. Fifty dead men and two masters were killed by a group of businessmen with few guards at all? !
Zhao Yinfeng was sitting by the side with his back straight and silent, and for some reason, the image of the woman calling that man's husband in the morning appeared in his mind.
"In the business with the Liao Kingdom, the best earners are spices, but since August last year, no one except the Ling family has been able to enter spices, Liang'er, you have cut off Bazhou's financial resources. "Old General Zhao said, shaking his rocking chair.
"The Ling family may not have spices. I heard that all the spices that arrived this year have been dedicated to the emperor." Zhao Mingliang said in a low voice.
"Last year at the Bazhou market, the Ling family provided a total of 300,000 taels of spices and 100,000 taels of tea. Her family only had 200,000 taels of spices, hum." Zhao Yinfeng snorted. . The number he said was not the actual amount, the amount of spices in the Ling family was far from that, because he knew that at least half of the spices came from Dai County.
"Grandpa, the Wang family is willing to increase military spending by 10% this year to the Zhao family, that is two million taels." Zhao Mingliang stepped forward and said.
"That's the end of this matter, Liang'er, don't bother the Ling family anymore, after giving all the money from the Wang family, Feng'er, go discuss it with the stewards of the Ling family, and we will cooperate this year." Old General Zhao said .
"Yes." Zhao Yinfeng replied, but he sneered in his heart. They are going to kill people, and they still want to cooperate with you? Isn't that a fool
"Feng'er, there is nothing on our dead man that can prove that it belongs to the Zhao family. Let's just say that it was the work of the Wang family." Old General Zhao glanced at him and said.
Zhao Mingliang also glanced at Zhao Yinfeng. When he went out today, he deliberately told his subordinates to pass on that sentence. I'm afraid the Ling family must think that Zhao Yinfeng did this. Well, let's see how he goes with it. The Ling family cooperated again.
"Liang'er, don't move rashly, make more chaos, wait for more chaos." Old General Zhao closed his eyes, slowly rocked the rocking chair, and said.
"Yes." Both of them agreed and left the study.
"Brother, the younger brother is waiting for your money." Zhao Yinfeng said, cupping his hands at Zhao Mingliang. Without waiting for Zhao Mingliang's answer, he turned around and left.
Zhao Mingliang watched his back go away, and laughed at himself twice, Ling Qingyu, well done, I fell into your hands twice, there will be no third time!
At the celebration on the 15th day of the first lunar month, Emperor Xiwen announced that this year would be the Empress Dowager’s 60th birthday, and that an additional session of Enke would be held. This event naturally aroused great joy among scholars, and there were many discussions. was watered down.
The Ling family's convoy was divided into two parts when they arrived in Luoyang, one part boarded a boat from Luoyang and went back to Hangzhou, and the other three carriages took a small road and detoured along Shaanxi Road, passing Hangu Pass to the Lingbao of Guozhou.
Hangu Pass is the place where Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, and it is also the main road leading to the pass. The terrain on both sides is dangerous but the scenery is beautiful.
Yan San was injured, so Ling Qingyu was very honest, just looking out through the window.
Lingbao, if I remember correctly, this is the place where gold is produced. In later generations, there will be an output of 200,000 taels of gold a year, and it also produces good medicinal materials and a kind of inkstone.
"Han Bian, let's rest in Lingbao." Ling Qingyu poked his head out and said.
"Okay." Han Bian, who rode ahead on horseback, nodded. This journey is rather urgent, and there is Tongguan in front of them. After entering Tongguan, I am afraid that others will not find their traces, so it is good to rest at this time.
Soon after passing the Hangu Pass, the sky began to gradually darken, and there was still some distance to Lingbao County. Han Bian saw a small road ahead, so he rode his horse over to have a look. The village, so I came back and told Ling Qingyu that if I arrived at Lingbao, I was afraid that I would not be able to enter the city after dark, so I might as well stay in this small village for a while.
Ling Qingyu naturally said yes.
Three carriages and two tall horses walked into the small village, but instead of the expected scene of the village coming out to watch the excitement, it was quiet. If it weren't for the light shining through the houses, it would almost be thought that this was an empty village.
Han Bian got off his horse, knocked on the door of the courtyard at the head of the village, and said loudly, "Is there anyone there? We passed by here, it was getting late, could it be convenient for the female relatives to stay overnight?"
After calling several times but no one answered, Han Bian turned around to leave, but the courtyard door behind him opened a crack.
"What's the matter with you?" Zhang Xiaotong's dark face appeared from the crack of the door, looking at Han Bian nervously.
"Brother, we are not bad people. We came to Chang'an from far away and missed the time, so I want to come to your house to borrow a night." Han Bian squatted down and smiled kindly.
"My father hasn't come back yet, mother is sick and can't get up." Xiao Tong hesitated and said.
"Have you invited a doctor?" Han Bian frowned slightly and asked.
The little boy shook his head and said: "I don't have the money to hire a doctor. My mother said that it would be good to lie down, but she has been lying down for many days."
"Shi Fang, go and have a look." Ling Qingyu got out of the carriage and called to Shi Fang who was on the carriage behind.
"Brother, our Doctor Shi's medical skills are not bad, why don't we let him have a look?" Han Bian laughed.
"But, I don't have any money." The boy said hesitantly.
"No need to pay, just borrow a yard to shelter us from the wind." Han Bian's smile was so amiable that the boy's eyes were dazzled for a moment, and he opened the door.
"Erniu, who is it, cough cough cough cough" A weak female voice came from the room, followed by a burst of coughing.
The little boy hurried in and said, "Mother, it's a doctor who said he doesn't need money to see a doctor for you."
"How can there be such a good doctor, you are talking nonsense again."
Han Bian and Shi Fang then followed into the house. The house was built of mud. There was no light in the room, only the dim light of dusk came in from the door. On the bed, a woman with a sallow complexion was half lying on the thin bedding.
Seeing the two people coming in, the woman looked terrified and dragged the little boy behind her, saying: "The head of my family will be back soon, don't take him away."
Han Bian was taken aback, and said: "Madam, don't panic. We are not bad people. We just passed by here and missed the sun. We wanted to borrow a place to shelter from the wind. I heard your son said that Madam was ill. It just so happened that my friend knows some medical skills." , so I came in to have a look.”
The woman turned her eyes on the two of them, and saw that Shi Fang, son of Han Pianpian, also looked like a master, she relaxed a little, and said: "I'm afraid my yard is simple, if you don't mind, sir, feel free to do it yourself. "
"Doctor, please show it to my mother first." The boy said, looking at Shi Fang with his eyes open.
Shi Fang stepped forward, got his wife's pulse, and after a while, said: "It was just a cold, but you must have not eaten anything recently, half of it was cold, and half of it was hungry. Make a delicious meal, and then eat something delicious." It's half done."
The woman blushed and said, "There is no food left at home."
"We have, don't worry, just treat it as our accommodation fee." Ling Qingyu poked his head in from the door and said with a smile.
After asking where the kitchen was, Sum and Xie Sanlang hurriedly drove by themselves. They had their own food in the car, and Ling Qingyu even asked to bring the bacon they bought during the Chinese New Year.
Shi Fang picked some more medicinal materials, asked the boy for a jar and boiled the medicine.
Not long after, the smell of meat and rice wafted from the small courtyard.
The woman hadn't had enough food for a long time, so Shi Convenience ordered porridge to be made for her, and gave her the decocted medicine.
As soon as the woman ate a few mouthfuls of porridge, she saw the yard door was pushed open vigorously, and a big man rushed in with a shovel. He also shouted, "I'm fighting with you!"
The route he rushed was facing Ling Qingyu so that he could not die. Ling Qingyu was dumbfounded for a while with the bowl in his hand, Yan San had already kicked him down, and then the tip of the long sword had already reached his throat.
"Don't kill him, don't kill him, he is my husband!" The woman exclaimed, throwing away the bowl and rushing over.
"Everyone has something to say, we are not bad people, we just pass by." Ling Qingyu waved his hand.
Yan San put away the sword, stood beside the big man and stared at him.
"Father, he's not a tax collector. They just pass by and treat me." The woman said while supporting the big man.
At this time, the big man also saw clearly that the people in the yard were not here to collect taxes, so he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm sorry." Then he saw the dishes on the stone table in the yard and the rice bowl in his son's hand ( You are so good that you didn't throw the bowl like your mother) said guiltily: "Is it Liu, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it's okay, let's have dinner together." Ling Qingyu smiled.
When the big man sat down, Han Bian asked, "Why do you have to pay taxes before the first lunar month?"
"Hey," the big man Liu Jueming sighed, and said, "It was last year's tax tax. Now there is no iron in the pit, but the government doesn't recognize it. We still want us to pay the tax tax according to the amount set in the past. The savings have been filled up, even the food money is gone, the government is still urging, but there is still money, and there is no food at home!"
Ling Qingyu and Han Bian looked at each other the same way, so when this man saw the carriage at the door, he thought it was another tax reminder, so he just wanted to die together? Taxes are already so strict!
"Then what are you going to do in the future?" Ling Qingyu asked unconsciously seeing that the couple were both giving the food in the bowl to the child.
"In the family at the end of the village, the whole family hanged themselves yesterday, and they finally died together. If it is really impossible," Liu Jueming looked at his wife and son, wiped away his tears, and said, "My son is quite clever. If the girl is willing to take him in , I am willing to sell you for ten years as long as I give you something to eat."
Liu Erniu understood and put the bowl on the table, threw himself into his father's arms and cried, "I don't want to be separated from my parents, Xiaohu and the others also died with my parents, so I will be with my parents."
This... is too provocative...
"It doesn't have to be so serious, right?" Ling Qingyu said, "If you want, you can work with us, but it's a little far away."
"We are not afraid of distance, we just need to give us a way to survive." Liu Jueming's eyes lit up immediately, and said.