The last time they came to Jinling, Fu Xiaoguan and Dong Shulan climbed up the Confucius Temple on a rainy night, picked a bag of dates, and then followed the trail to the top. However, they were stopped by someone before they reached the top.
He had thought of taking Su Mo there to find out the truth another day, but he was so busy that he forgot about it. However, when Lin Jiang was interrogating Lin Hong, Lin Hong mentioned the Confucius Temple.
As a sacred site of the previous dynasty, Confucius Temple was once extremely prosperous. The mountain offers beautiful views overlooking the Qinhuai River and most of Jinling City. Furthermore, Confucius Temple was the site of the previous dynasty's Imperial Ancestral Temple, making it a popular gathering place for scholars.
Because this was the former imperial temple, the Confucius Temple gradually faded after the establishment of the Yu Dynasty. As a result, the Yu Dynasty's sacred place for literary activities was completely relocated to Lantingji. The Confucius Temple gradually fell into disrepair, and few people visited it. To this day, even the temple gate is dilapidated, and it has faded from everyone's sight.
Lin Hong said that five days before Fu Xiaoguan was kidnapped, Ji Linchun, the proprietress of Yanzhilou, went to Confucius Temple.
Since the Confucius Temple is in ruins and there are neither gods nor Buddhas on it, why did Ji Linchun go to the Confucius Temple?
Could it be that there are some secrets hidden in that place?
Fu Xiaoguan couldn't get away, so if Su Jue could investigate secretly, this would naturally be the best way.
Su Jue nodded in agreement, took off his hat and took the crow out of it, wrote a small note, stuffed it into a bamboo tube and tied it to the crow's leg, then touched the crow's head, and saw the crow fluttering away and disappearing into the dark snowy night.
This matter has always been on Fu Xiaoguan's shoulders, but he did not use the power of Xiyu Tower to investigate, because the real owner of Xiyu Tower is still Concubine Shang.
It’s not that Fu Xiaoguan suspected Concubine Shang, but he didn’t trust Xiyu Tower. This matter involved the mastermind behind his assassination, and he didn’t want to alarm anyone before figuring it out.
Of course, apart from those sitting here now, these people are the most trustworthy people to him in this world.
"Do you really want to take the risk?" Su Jue asked.
"It's not like I'm putting myself in danger. After all, we're right here at the foot of the Emperor, and they wouldn't dare to come and assassinate me in a big way. Besides, now that I know about this, I'll naturally be more cautious when I travel. As long as you can arrive within fifty breaths, I'm confident I can protect myself. After all, I've practiced the Nine Yang Heart Sutra, right?"
Su Su giggled and thought to herself that with your Nine Yang Heart Sutra, even if a third-rate master came, you wouldn't survive more than fifty breaths.
Su Rou, however, looked at the nervous Dong Shulan and Yu Wenjun and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. Nothing will happen to him."
"What guarantees can you make?" Yu Wenjun asked unhappily. We only have one life, and if something goes wrong and we're gone...it's not something that can be dealt with in a few words.
Su Rou looked at the snowflakes flying under the big red lanterns outside Qingxin Pavilion. She smiled faintly, and an embroidery needle flew out, and flew back in an instant. She held the embroidery needle and handed it to Yu Wenyun. A hexagonal snowflake hung on the tip of the needle, clearly visible, and then melted.
"Just because I've been embroidering flowers for nearly twenty years."
Yu Wenjun looked at Su Rou in surprise, and Su Rou lowered her head and continued to embroider the mandarin ducks.
She didn't even see the needle fly out, let alone prick a snowflake and fly back. Is this the martial arts that brother talked about? Brother used a sword, but this Miss Su Rou used a needle!
Dong Shulan and Fu Xiaoguan were also very surprised. They had never seen Su Rou in action and did not expect her to be so powerful. If she was killing someone, this would be killing without being seen.
It’s scary to think about it. This thin needle flew far away, took a person’s life, and then flew back. I guess the coroner would not be able to find out the cause of death at all. It’s really a magical skill in the world!
Then, Senior Brother Su Jue...could it be that he was using the wooden sword he was carrying?
What about Susu? She can't possibly use that huge piano.
…
On the third day of the first lunar month, it was still snowing heavily.
After his morning exercises and bath, Fu Xiaoguan was inspired to write poetry when he saw the world:
The universe is a general
Inoue black hole
White on black dog
The white dog is swollen!
Dong Shulan covered her mouth with her hands and laughed, while Susu sat on the rockery, swinging her little feet and thought the poem was very good.
The words were concise and clear, and one could understand it at once, except that the two black and white dogs were missing here - if it weren't for Second Senior Brother, there would have been such a pair of dogs in the temple.
The poor dog was stewed with tears in my eyes by myself, my second brother and my master last winter.
Starting from the third day of the Lunar New Year, merchants will resume normal business.
Dong Shulan originally wanted to talk to Fu Xiaoguan about all the income and expenditure of the previous year, but Fu Xiaoguan had no interest in it, and she was too lazy to talk about it. Anyway, the money earned was in her account.
"You have to hurry up with the goods from Xishan, especially the wine. I asked my second brother to negotiate with a new shop. We need to buy a few more. Xiangquan and Tianchun are already famous in Shangjing, but there is no one selling them in Shangjing. This won't do. We must have our own shop to sell these two kinds of wine. The name of the shop will still be Yu Fu Ji."
"In addition, we must at least complete the layout of Tingmei in Shangjing this year. The four major urban areas are a must, and they must be completed within the next two months. Then, we can see how things develop and expand to the surrounding areas."
"Although you witnessed Sister Su Rou's power last night, you still have to be careful. After all, swords have no eyes, and your body is not as strong as swords. Otherwise, why don't you carry an iron pot on your back?"
Fu Xiaoguan was amused. Do I still need to make a frying pan?
"Don't worry, I exercise every day. But you and Wenjun, you probably forgot about your morning run a long time ago."
Dong Shulan rolled her eyes at him and said, "Morning jog... Why would you run when you can sleep so well in the morning?"
After breakfast, Dong Shulan went to Tingmei Shop in Qingluan Lane. Fu Xiaoguan thought about it and asked the mansion to arrange three carriages to go to Shi's house.
He was sitting in one of the carriages. It was not a sudden decision to visit the Shi family, but he had already discussed it with Shi Yiming yesterday.
One of the reasons for his visit was to see the two vacant lots at both ends of Qingluan Lane.
The two vacant lots are very large and in an excellent location. If two comprehensive shopping malls are built, they will become the landmark of Jinling City, and it is inevitable that they will make a fortune in the future.
Of course, Shi Chaoyuan would definitely still dislike him, but if Shi Yiming conveyed his words to him, Shi Chaoyuan would definitely meet him.
As long as Shi Chaoyuan could meet him, he would have a 50% chance of getting the two pieces of land in his hands.
As for the second purpose of visiting the Shi family, it is to show it to His Majesty!
Don't you want me to be a solitary minister? I'll just show you what I am capable of.
As for the third goal... he certainly wanted to lure out the assassin, but after thinking about it, the assassin might not be that stupid, so this goal probably cannot be achieved.
…
Also on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Shi Chaoyuan went to the study in the back garden and met his father, Old Master Shi.
"I wonder if Father has made a decision about what happened yesterday?"
Old Master Shi walked a few steps in his study, leaning on a white crane cane. He looked in good spirits, nearly seventy years old, but his back wasn't bent, and his eyes weren't dim. But his hair and beard were all white, and his face was deeply wrinkled.
"My Shi family started out as a rouge and powder manufacturer, and it's been passed down for five generations. It wasn't until the third generation that someone became an official. After all these years... our Shi family's influence in official circles remains the weakest. People in Shangjing believe that our Shi family is the second most powerful family in Shangjing, but only you and I know that our Shi family can't even compare to the Xue family, and at best we can only surpass the Qin family by a hair's breadth. This is all due to the feud between Qin Bingzhong and his brother."
Old Master Shi sat down at the tea table, still leaning on his cane, and continued, "Last year, when that young official Fu was assassinated, the Fifth Prince sent the Qingfengxiyu Tower to clean up Yanzhi Tower and Yonglefang. You must bear the primary responsibility for this matter!"
"Father……"
Old Master Shi raised his hand and interrupted Shi Chaoyuan.
"You've always been thoughtful. Why did you show up in the Golden Palace that day? Don't answer. Let me guess."
Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Shi Chaoyuan's forehead. He lowered his head and listened obediently.
"The eldest prince lost his mother at a young age, but you must know that the Xue family is his maternal uncle. The Xue family is extremely low-key in Shangjing, but since they are able to send Xue Binglan to the throne of Queen, it can be judged that their strength is not that simple. So, is the eldest prince a simple person?"
"Others think the eldest prince is just a warrior. Could it be that you are also blind?"
Shi Chaoyuan sank to his knees with a plop. "Father... I had no choice! The eldest prince came to me and said he disliked that young official Fu and asked me to humiliate him in the Golden Palace."
Old Master Shi's cane hit the ground with a thud, and Shi Chaoyuan was shocked. Old Master Shi took a deep breath and said, "You... don't think I don't know what you've done. I may be old, but I'm still good. Trying to play both sides will lead to falling into the river. Why don't you learn from Master Yan?"
Old Master Shi looked disappointed. He shook his head and said, "Everyone in the capital says that the Yan Clan and my Shi Family support the Crown Prince, but what's the truth? Do you believe that? The Yan Clan always supports the Emperor on the throne! And my Shi Family must do the same! You insist on taking sides, even thinking you can have it both ways. How could that be possible?"
"So I went to see Concubine Shang and asked her to have the Fifth Prince send out the Qingfengxiyu Tower to raze those two properties."
Shi Chaoyuan looked up in surprise, looked at his father in confusion, and then lowered his head again.
On the surface, my father's action was to give an explanation to Fu Xiaoguan, but in fact it was done for Concubine Shang to see, to prove that the assassination of Fu Xiaoguan had nothing to do with the Shi family.
"Do you think this price is too high? Do you still think Fu Xiaoguan is insignificant?"
Shi Chaoyuan did not answer because that was exactly what he thought.
"You don't understand the situation at all! You don't even know who set up this situation!"
"Do you really think that His Majesty's thorough investigation into corruption was a coincidence? Do you really think that Fu Xiaoguan was assassinated simply because his strategy offended someone?"
"childish!"
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