Zhui Xu

Chapter 37: A night of fish and dragon dance (3)

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The flames lit by the lanterns burned in clusters on the street. Under the corpse of the old horse, the blood had already flowed into a shallow pool. When the black-clothed woman ran towards an adjacent street, several yamen armed with knives did not dare to stop her in the slightest.

Ning Yi took steps to follow him secretly, only to find that Xiaochan was hugging him tightly. In fact, the difference between the two was only a head height, but Xiaochan was curling up and hiding beside him at this time, it seemed Some are short. When Ning Yi looked over, Xiaochan was also looking up with a wrinkled face. She hugged Ning Yi and cried for a long time, but she couldn't pull it, and she looked like she was about to cry. When they met Ning Yi's eyes, their eyes and mouth suddenly became round. They were stunned for a second, with a cute expression, and then suddenly lowered their head.

Ning Yi pouted, and then patted her shoulder: "Let's go."

"Oh." Xiaochan quickly let go of her hand, Ning Yi walked towards the fork in the road, Xiaochan followed a few steps, woke up and shook her head: "No, where are you going, Uncle?"

"Watch the fun..."

"no!"

Xiaochan suddenly jumped up and grabbed the corner of Ning Yi's clothes: "No, uncle, that female thief is so powerful, uncle, let's go to eat, Miss is still waiting for us..."

"It's alright, I'll watch from a distance..."

"No, that female thief has already run away..."

"It's not that easy... uh, if she runs away anyway, I won't be able to see it..."

With a bang, Xiaochan hugged Ning Yi from behind, her hands were tightly hooped, the spiced beans in her hands spilled all over Ning Yi, her head shook desperately behind Ning Yi's back: "No way, uncle, don't allow it. go… "

Ning Yi stood there, silently asking the sky for a while, and then looked around: "Xiaochan, how decent are you to hold me like this."

The situation was chaotic just now, everyone was watching the fight, but not many people paid attention to Ning Yi protecting her by her side. At this time, when she heard Ning Yi speak, Xiao Chan reacted, her body froze, and she let go like an electric shock, but Immediately, he still held on to the corner of his clothes, his face flushed, Ning Yi laughed, reached out and rubbed Xiaochan's head, and immediately messed up her hair, a turban wrapped around her head fell off, half of it fell off. Her hair was scattered into a ponytail, Xiaochan's mouth was flat, Ning Yi stepped forward: "It's alright, it's alright, just see what's going on."

"Uncle... don't go... "

At this moment, there was a blue-shirted soldier with a bunt on the street. The little girl pulled the corner of Ning Yi's clothes and followed step by step. She looked anxious and wanted to cry. Can't tie it up, looks really cute.

The black-clothed woman was covered in blood just now, and if she ran all the way, it would definitely cause panic. However, the slightly chaotic scene only lasted on the next street. When Ning Yi and Xiaochan went to the other street, the panicked scene of the pedestrians disappeared. Obviously, the female thief had either entered the surrounding shops and mansions. Or quickly find a way to dress up. However, when I passed a certain tea stall, I heard someone talking about the fight on Suzaku Street just now.

"... I heard that the female assassin was in Feiyan Pavilion to assassinate the military commander Song Xian Song. Although it was unsuccessful, she killed more than a dozen people and left, tsk tsk, blood flowed into a river... Just now she fought on Suzaku Street. It happened once, and now it's gone again. How can they keep these strongmen who have come and gone..."

Wu Lie's army guards the Jiangning area, and its reputation is not good. It is natural that ordinary people do not know who the commander Song Xian is, but there are a few good people in office. However, if you really want to say that you can't keep it at all, it's impossible. Among the people nearby, I occasionally saw those blue-shirted bunts. They should be the most elite group of Wu Lie's army. The number is unlikely to be large, but they are still looking for the trace of the female assassin. Ning Yi occasionally observes them. Find the route, feel free to follow.

At this time, Xiaochan was relieved, and she trotted a few steps beside Ning Yi occasionally, while playing with her loose bag head, she said with a straight face, "I can't find my uncle, I can't find my uncle... "

The assassination of Feiyan Pavilion and the fight on Suzaku Street were just small episodes that happened this night. Even if Wu Liejun has another background, it is not easy to find someone on a day like the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. In this age where news is basically based on word of mouth, most people are still continuing their activities and celebrations.

The Old Rain Building, which is about a street away from Wuyi Lane, is one of the largest restaurants run by the Pujia, the richest man in Jiangning. It is five stories high and covers a vast area. Entertainment is hardly to be found. Since the Pu family has developed into the scholarly family, some industries have also incorporated an elegant and scholarly atmosphere. This building is the best-operated one.

The whole restaurant has a square mouth-shaped structure, and the central patio is wide, so there is no lighting problem. In the meantime, the rockery pavilion stone, odd wood and flowers, the arrangement is small but very beautiful. If needed, these can be removed to create a temporary stage. There is also a house surrounded by walls and green grass outside the restaurant, which is pleasing to the eye from above. On the restaurant, there are all kinds of calligraphy and painting, precious screens, porcelain, lacquerware and so on.

The Pu family spent a lot of money on this building, and the reputation for this building lived up to expectations. People who are rich, have family background, and feel that they are free and literary often take pride in coming here to entertain guests once. Senior officials like the prefect will often choose to come here if they are entertaining guests outside the mansion. But of course, having money is the last word, and literati can only come when they are invited. This building is already the best combination of money and elegance.

Today, the Pu family hosted many talented people here. After all, the weather has not yet warmed up at this time, and the wind on the river is strong, and it is not easy to manage the six boats. This party is actually similar to another Puyuan poetry party. Headed by Pu Yangyi from the Pu family, they invited many people to come over according to the specifications of the Puyuan Poetry Club, but this time, no one brought their families, and everyone from Qilan, who was ranked in the four colors of Qinhuai, was there to accompany them. In the past two or three years, the famous prostitute Qilan can be regarded as the signature of the Pu family.

The atmosphere of the banquet was a bit more casual than the Puyuan Poetry Festival in the Mid-Autumn Festival, but everyone was still quite poetic. Except for a few talented people who had been related to the Pu family before and Xue Jin and his like, there was another famous person who came here today. In Jiangning, the younger generation is often as famous as the rigorous and stable Cao Guan, but his character is free and easy, and his poems are often imaginative. He is called a legacy from the Tang Dynasty.

Li Pin is more famous than the few people that the Pu family can invite, but of course, they are all young people, and the difference is difficult to measure. When other people talk about the Pu family, they will deduct a few more points because of the smell of copper. It was a few grades lower than the talents of Zhishui Poetry Club and Lichuan Poetry Club. This time he will come here for a banquet. Everyone is actually very strange, but in fact, it is not because of the Pu family's financial resources that he was invited, but because this fellow heard a few stories of Ning Yi in Yushan Academy a few years ago. , Su Chonghua and him have known each other, but no one would have thought that Su Chonghua's face would be so great. It is not a big deal to have a dinner on weekdays, but when Li Pin can be invited on a day like the Shangyuan Festival, the Pu family suddenly felt that There is light on the face.

The rest of the talented people thought that Li Pin might steal their limelight by coming here, but fortunately, Li Pin is a low-key person. Today, he just writes poems casually. Although it is also a good poem, it will not overshadow everyone's light, he said while laughing. It is also polite to advance and retreat, and after a while, people feel that they have become the opponent's friend instead of an opponent, and it is like a honorable person. Qilan has professional communication skills, and naturally she will not get close to Li Pin alone. Compared with others, she is somewhat alienated from this talented person. She is good at dancing with long sleeves and can control the situation well. The scene is warm and harmonious.

The poems revealed in the Lichuan Poetry Society and other gatherings will still be gathered continuously for everyone to comment on. The people here are also very interested in poetry. Although the poems are not as good as Lichuan, Li Pin occasionally makes fun of those talented Lichuan people. In other words, other people think that the talent over there is nothing. The banquets were staggered, occasionally drinking orders, tasting poetry, and Miss Qilan playing the piano and singing and dancing. When the time approached three quarters of Hai Shi, Pu Yang Yi went over to talk to Li Pin, and at the same time, he chatted with Su Chonghua and Xue Jin who came over.

After a while, he talked about the water tune of last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, and then asked about Ning Yi. Puyang Yi said it casually, but in fact he had long wanted to invite Ning Yi over to this poetry conference to add to his voice. Su Chonghua smiled and talked about some of Ning Yi's affairs in the Su family, and also talked about Song Mao's exams and compliments a year ago. , In fact, he used to have an indifferent attitude towards Ning Yi, but now he is vigilant. The main thing is that he is afraid that the other party will steal his name as the head of the Yushan Academy. After all, he has run an academy that has not improved for so many years. As soon as Ning Yi came, he taught and approved the good students. To him, this was no different from slapping the face. Seeing that Taigong Su regarded Ning Yi highly, he was naturally worried. However, on the surface, it is natural to have a proud attitude to talk about the juniors.

"It's fake, I don't believe it." The Xue family and the Su family have always been at odds, and Xue Jin no longer hides too much at this time, "I heard a few years ago that the head of the water tune was sung by a Taoist priest. Yes, um... He just stole it for his own use..."

"Haha, Brother Xue, take this matter again." Xue Jin's voice fell, and another voice came from the side, but it was the Wu family. Jiangning has three families. The Xue family and the Su family have always been unhappy, but as the head of the line, the Wu family has a good relationship with these two families. When Su Tan'er visited the Wu family during the New Year, Ning Yi had a relationship with him, and smiled at this time: "The Taoist said, but not many people will believe it."

Next to him, Pu Yang Yi smiled and said, "I don't believe it either, but I really admire this brother Li Heng for a long time. Chief Su Shan, you can introduce me next time."

Then the topic moved away from the name Ning Yi, and everyone laughed for a while, Qilan performed a song and dance, Wu Qihao looked out by the window for a while, but turned back with a smile: "Brother Puyang, say It's a coincidence that the person you and I just mentioned seems to be hanging around downstairs at this time, Su Shanchang, Li brother, Xue brother, I only met Liheng last time, and I can't be sure, you guys come and have a look …”

In fact, his words could be heard in half of the surrounding halls, and suddenly someone was interested and gathered: "Brother Wu is so interested, who is he talking about?"

"Liheng? Could this person be..."

In a short time, this discussion spread throughout the entire second-floor meeting hall. At the window on the inside, Wu Qihao and a few people stood there and glanced at them, then stretched out their fingers: "Everyone, look, it seems that it is that person, next to him. Isn't that girl, Xiaochan, the maid next to Sister Tan'er?"

Near the rockery on the patio downstairs, Ning Yi and Xiao Chan were wandering boredly, looking around in a lantern...