Chapter 25 Recruiting People
Zhao Xiao came out of the camp and went straight to the restaurant.
Xiangyu was shocked when she entered the room. She was wearing a mandarin duck-colored skirt and jacket, her hair was combed like a woman, and there was even a black mole on her face. She didn't look like the charming geisha from two days ago.
"Hello, sir." Xiangyu was a little scared when she saw that he was a little scared, so she quickly ran to the backyard to call Song Yuzhu over.
"You're here." Song Yuzhu was picking vegetables in the backyard with his sleeves rolled up. The day after tomorrow would be September 19th, and Louwailou would reopen. When he had nothing to do, he would help out in the kitchen.
When Lin Dayong saw Zhao Xiao coming over, he immediately stood up straight and called out respectfully: "Zhao... Zhao, Lord Zhao." He almost blurted out "Qianhu".
Zhao Xiao waved his hand to let him continue fetching water, and he sat next to Song Yuzhu and picked up a handful of leeks.
Song Yuzhu said, "Yesterday I asked Tian Xiaobo to go out and get information. He said there is only one Baihong Pavilion in the city, and they only accept women. I want to take this opportunity to establish a new organization, called Xuanyi Tower, to recruit talented people to join."
Zhao Xiao nodded: "Okay, what do you need me to do?"
"I want you to be the owner of Xuanyi Tower, and at the same time test the identity and ability of the applicants." He was afraid that he was too young to convince others, so he simply let Zhao Xiao be the owner.
"By the way, I gave you a code name, how about Black Eagle?"
"Okay." Zhao Xiao agreed without thinking.
The news about Xuanyi Tower has spread everywhere, and it is estimated that it won’t be long before someone will come and join us.
Song Yuzhu did not choose Louwailou as the location for the interview. Firstly, he was afraid of alerting the enemy, and secondly, the fewer people who knew about this place, the better, in case they were noticed by Prince Qing and others.
Yesterday afternoon, he bought a grocery store in the west of the city as a registration point. Nowadays, the shops in the city are cheap. If he didn't have enough money and not so many people around him, Song Yuzhu would have wanted to buy two more shops. He still understood the principle that a cunning rabbit has three burrows and eggs cannot be put in one basket.
After spreading the news, Tian Xiaobo stayed in the grocery store as a shopkeeper. Once someone came to apply for the job, he would write down the person's name, appearance and skills.
Song Yuzhu joked, "Aren't you afraid that I am deliberately trying to trick you?" Being the host of a Thread sounds impressive, but the risks involved are also the highest. Once something goes wrong, the host of the Thread will definitely be the number one target.
"You won't."
"Aren't you afraid of being discovered by Yang Yuanqing?"
Zhao Xiao thought for a moment and said, "If I am discovered, I will take all the responsibility on myself. Anyway, no matter how fast I run, he may not catch me."
"You are quite righteous."
Zhao Xiao said: "I am only loyal to you."
Song Yuzhu's face turned red and her heart was pounding when she was teased by him.
Zhao Xiao folded the leeks in his hand and wiped his hands: "Everything is up to you. When you need me, let me know at any time."
*
September 19th is a good day to recruit talents, open new businesses, pray for blessings, and hold sacrifices.
Louwailou hung up its signboard amid the crackling sound of firecrackers and officially opened for business.
On the first day of opening, only three tables of guests were received in the morning. Song Yuzhu was not in a hurry. After all, after what Xuzhou had just experienced, ordinary people would not have the heart to go out for a drink and a meal.
Time is a good medicine that will make them slowly forget their pain. Ordinary people are like weeds in the field, growing one after another with difficulty and never ending.
Xiangyu was greeting guests in the lobby, Sun Mao was cooking in the kitchen, Lin Dayong was running around serving wine and food, and Song Yuzhu was sitting at the counter doing the bills.
There are also advantages to having fewer people. At least they won't be too busy when they just start business. There were a little more people in the afternoon. One table of guests ordered several jars of good wine and good food, and they made seven or eight taels of silver.
The restaurant didn't close until 3:30 pm. Song Yuzhu was calculating on the abacus. The gross profit for the day was 15 taels. Excluding the 6 taels of capital, he could make about 300 taels of silver a month! This was when business was bleak. If business picked up in the future, making a fortune every day would not be a dream!
I once heard Song Bai mention the medical clinic business, which only made more than 200 taels a month. No wonder places like hotels and bars have never been absent from ancient times to the present.
After dinner, it was already late. Song Yuzhu changed into a dark robe and was escorted by Lin Dayong to the grocery store on West Street.
It takes half an hour to walk from the restaurant to the grocery store. It seems that I will need to buy a carriage in the future.
After the autumnal equinox, the days become shorter and the nights become longer. At this time of the year, there are not many people on the streets. People on both sides of the road light up their lights to dispel the cold darkness.
A gust of wind blew by, blowing up the fallen leaves all over the ground. Lin Dayong hurriedly turned sideways to help Song Yuzhu block the cold wind.
Song Yuzhu asked as they walked: "Dayong, where are you from?"
"My dear lord, my hometown is in Lu. Later, there was a famine and my family moved to Xizhou."
"Are there any relatives at home?"
"I have an old lady, she is 52 years old this year." In ancient times when the average life expectancy was only in the early 40s, people in their 50s were indeed not young.
"Don't you have any other brothers and sisters?"
Lin Dayong smiled innocently and said, "No, my father passed away early, leaving my mother to raise me by herself."
"How did you join the Qingzi Army?"
Lin Dayong was a little angry when he mentioned this: "I am not a military household, but King Qing is recruiting soldiers in Xizhou. All males over the age of 16 must apply for the conscription. Otherwise, they will search every house. If anyone who meets the age requirement but does not go, he will be beaten with 30 sticks on the back."
The caning of the spine is different from the caning of the buttocks. The caning of the buttocks is different. If the buttocks are fleshy, thirty canes will cause the skin to rip, but it will not kill the person. The spine is all bones, and after thirty canes, the person will be disabled if not dead!
"I had no choice but to apply."
As they were talking, they walked to the door of the grocery store. Tian Xiaobo was just closing the door. When he saw him coming, he hurried out to greet him: "Mr. Zhu!"
"Are there many people coming to the store today?" Song Yuzhu followed him into the shop.
"A lot. Seven or eight people came in the morning, and more than ten people came in the afternoon. They all came to me to inquire about the news of Xuanyi Tower." Tian Xiaobo handed him the record book.
Gao Sanping, 27 years old, a butcher, seven feet tall, good at slaughtering cattle and pigs; Liu Yonggui, 21 years old, a peddler, good at selling goods... These people seemed to be a little different from what he had imagined.
"Is there no one who knows martial arts?"
"There are several. One is Bai Yizhou, who says he is from the martial arts world. There is also a man named Liu, who calls himself Liu Sanlang. He said he wants to meet you."
Song Yuzhu closed the booklet and said, "Leave those who know Kung Fu and have special abilities behind, and tell them to meet at Louwailou at 11:00 tomorrow."
"good."
*
The next day, Louwailou was open as usual. When it was almost closing time, there were still four or five people sitting in the lobby. Song Yuzhu compared the records in Tian Xiaobo's book and looked at these people one by one.
The man sitting in the front wearing a grey cloth shirt and shorts should be Bai Yizhou. Beside him was a long knife wrapped tightly with cloth. He had not asked for food or wine since he entered the house, and had always asked the servant to refill his tea.
The old Taoist sitting in the corner should be Taoist Chang Ming. The booklet records that he can tell fortunes and is also proficient in astronomy and pharmacology. If what is said is true, then he is a rare talent.
The most conspicuous person among them was, of course, the man in the peacock blue robe sitting in the middle of the hall. He wore a golden crown, a brocade bag and jade pendant around his waist, a fan in one hand and a wine glass in the other. He ordered a table of dishes as soon as he entered the door, and had already drunk three pots of wine. If you didn't know him, you would think he was a special guest who came in to eat.
There were two other people, one slightly older and the other slightly younger, and Song Yuzhu could not find any matching records.
Seeing that the time was almost right, Song Yuzhu winked at Xiangyu.
Xiang Yu coughed lightly and said, "Dear guests, I'm sorry that we are about to close Louwailou. If you don't have enough to drink today, please come back tomorrow."
The few people looked at each other, and no one showed any intention of getting up and leaving.
Only the young man sitting at the outside couldn't sit still and said, "I'm not here to drink, I'm... I'm here to see the owner of Xuanyi Tower!"
Xiang Yu smiled and said, "Why can't I understand what the young master is saying?"
The young man frowned: "Didn't you say that you wanted me to wait here today? Why don't you keep your word?"
Xiangyu continued, "I really don't understand what you are talking about, sir. We are about to close. How about you come back tomorrow?"
The young master stood up angrily: "Bah, what a bullshit Xuanyi Tower, so mysterious. If you don't want to see me, then don't see me. I don't have time to waste with you!" After saying that, he threw down a piece of silver, grabbed the sword on the table and left.
Xiangyu was not annoyed and directly asked the servant to lock the door.
Song Yuzhu then stood up and said, "Sorry to have kept you waiting. Please follow me upstairs."
The remaining few people quickly stood up and followed Song Yuzhu up to the second floor. When they reached the door of the reception room, Song Yuzhu raised his hand and knocked on the door and said, "Master Xuanying, the person has been brought here."
Zhao Xiao had been waiting inside for a long time. When he heard Song Yuzhu's voice, he curled his eyes, coughed lightly and said, "Come in."
After opening the door, several people walked in one after another and finally saw the mysterious owner of the Xuanyi Tower.
He was seen standing by the window with his hands behind his back, wearing a dark robe, his hair tied behind his head with a black gold crown, and a dark iron mask covering the upper half of his face.
Taoist Master Chang Ming spoke first: "Are you the owner of this Xuanyi Building?"
Zhao Xiao turned around and nodded: "That's right."
Chang Ming frowned: "Then why do you wear a mask and hide your true face? Are you afraid to show your true face to others?"
Zhao Xiao was not annoyed and said the lines he had prepared in advance: "Xuanyi Tower is looking for help to deal with the court, not someone who digs into your affairs. If you don't trust me, you can leave."
Chang Ming folded his arms and stepped aside, waiting and watching.
Another person clasped his fists and stepped forward, saying, "My name is Bai Yizhou, and I am from Anping County, Xuzhou. Although I don't know where you come from, I want to join the Xuanyi Building to fight against the imperial court!"
This man had an open look, and the old clothes he wore were washed white. He had only been drinking tea since he entered the room, which showed that he was short of money. He had such a talent but was unwilling to work for the court. He was a man who could be recruited.
"I heard that you learned martial arts in a martial arts school?"
Bai Yizhou turned to look at Song Yuzhu next to him. "Yes, although I can't fight a hundred people alone, I can still beat ten or eight strong men!"
Song Yuzhu suddenly asked a sharp question: "Where were you when the army attacked the city?"
Bai Yizhou said with a sad look: "That day I escorted my benefactor to Mengdu for refuge, and it was too late when I came back..." If he stayed in Xuzhou, although he could not save everyone, he could save a dozen children!
Song Yuzhu nodded and let the next person continue.
The third person to speak was a woman. She looked very ordinary, not tall and thin. If you didn't look carefully, you would think she was a little girl who accidentally barged in.
The woman turned sideways and bowed to Xuan Ying: "My slave is Xiao Xini."
Song Yuzhu sat up straight. There was no record of this girl in Tian Xiaobo's book.
"I came here to see you, my Lord, on the orders of Aunt Zhang."
Zhao Xiao asked, "I wonder what the girl from Baihong Pavilion wants to do with me?"
Xiao Xi Niang took a package off her shoulder and presented it to Zhao Xiao. When Zhao Xiao opened it, he found a stack of banknotes inside!
"Mrs. Zhang said that we are all from the same journey and should help each other, but as a woman she has many inconveniences, so she will have to rely on Xuanyi Tower from now on."
Song Yuzhu didn't expect Aunt Zhang to send money over! These banknotes must be worth at least tens of thousands of taels, and she was really generous. As the beggars said, this woman was chivalrous even though she was in a brothel!
After giving the silver, Xiao Xiniang left. There were still two people left who had not introduced themselves. One of them was the most conspicuous "Peacock" young man who had just sat in the middle of the lobby.
"Is it my turn? My last name is Liu, and I am the third child in my family. Everyone calls me Liu Sanlang. Nice to meet you." Liu San smiled and clasped his fists to greet everyone. Seeing that no one paid attention to him, he was not embarrassed. He opened his folding fan with a "swish" sound and waved it in front of his chest.
Zhao Xiao asked: "Why do you want to join Xuanyi Tower?"
"Why did they come? I naturally came the same way."
"What are you good at?"
"I'm pretty good at martial arts. I've studied calligraphy and painting for two years. Can I also roll the dice?"
Song Yuzhu frowned, thinking that this man was full of lies and didn't seem to want to join Xuanyi Tower, but rather seemed to be here for fun.
"Mr. Liu, if you have no intention of joining us, please leave on your own. Xuanyi Building is not a place for fun."
Liu San walked to Song Yuzhu with a smile, lifted his chin with a fan and asked, "What role do you play in Xuanyi Building? Are you responsible for recruiting new people?"
Before Song Yuzhu could say anything, Zhao Xiao had already taken action!
He grabbed the teacup next to him and threw it at Liu San, which just brushed Song Yuzhu's nose and hit Liu San's hand. The folding fan flew out of his hand and fell to the floor next to him along with the teacup.
"Crack!" The tea bowl shattered and the room suddenly became unusually quiet.
"Oh my, I was just asking casually. Lord Xuanying has such a bad temper." Liu Sanlang shook his hands as if nothing had happened. He bent down to pick up the folding fan, suddenly turned around and attacked Zhao Xiao with lightning speed.
Song Yuzhu said in horror: "Be careful!"
Zhao Xiao was prepared. He had no weapons on him, so he grabbed a stone ornament on the table to block Liu Sanlang's attack and kicked him at the same time.
Liu Sanlang dodged a whip kick by leaning sideways and hit again with his folding fan. The two men seemed to be testing each other intentionally, so they had no intention of killing.
Zhao Xiao's Kung Fu has no rules, he learned them by himself when he was in life and death. There is no rules when he fights, he just attacks as hard as he can, focusing on the three lower routes.
Although he has a slippery personality, he learned orthodox kung fu. After just a few dozen moves, he was already showing signs of weakness.
After taking a punch, Liu San took advantage of the force and took a few steps back to distance himself from Zhao Xiao: "I won't fight anymore. I can't beat you! Master Xuanying is so good at martial arts. I am willing to admit that I am better than you. I request to join Xuanyi Tower!"
Song Yuzhu was quite surprised by his ability to change his expression. Fortunately, Zhao Xiao was there, otherwise she might not be able to deal with him alone.
"Since you want to join Xuanyi Tower, be sincere and don't treat others like monkeys."
Liu Sanlang put away his playful expression and bowed to Song Yuzhu, saying, "I am the youngest son of the Jiangnan Liu family. I won't mention my past name, but now I am known in the martial arts world as Liu Yanzi. I am good at using Qinggong and hidden weapons. If you can use me, I will be willing to serve you."
Taoist Chang Ming was surprised and asked, "The Jiangnan Liu family? But the Liu family from the canal transportation?"
Liu Yanzi lowered her eyes and nodded: "That's right."
The old man who had not yet been introduced spoke up: "Three years ago, the Liu family was tragically wiped out, and you...you are still alive?"
Liu Yanzi smiled bitterly: "I have loved Kung Fu since I was young. When I was twelve years old, I became a disciple of Master Yichan of Tenshu Mountain. Later, my master passed away, and I went down the mountain to travel alone. Suddenly I heard the bad news from home, and hurried back, but it was too late..."
After returning to Jiangnan, Liu Yanzi hid her real name and searched everywhere for her family's enemy. In the end, she found out that it was the governor of Jiangnan who ordered the massacre of the whole family for the Liu family's money and property!
Liu Yanzi found the governor and sneaked into his mansion to assassinate him.
Just as he was strangling the old man, the governor had a bitter look on his face and said intermittently: "Sanlang, your father and I are old friends. You even peed on me when you were one month old... Do you really think... that I want to kill your family? If it weren't for... the people above... how could I..." The governor died before he could finish his words.
Liu Yanzi fled from Jiangnan in a hurry. Along the way, he found that the court was hopelessly corrupt. He could kill one incompetent official, but he could not kill thousands of incompetent officials.
So after hearing about the Xuanyi Tower in Xuzhou, he wanted to come and see what was going on. Regardless of whether this group of people was a mob or well-armored, he didn't want to walk this road alone again...
Song Yuzhu nodded. Liu Yanzi was a talented person and would be of great use in the future!
In the end, only an old man over fifty years old was left. His hair was gray and his back was slightly hunched, but his aura was not diminished at all.
He walked forward, clasped his fists towards Xuan Ying and Song Yuzhu and said, "My surname is Sun, my given name is Biao, I live in Baoding Prefecture, and I own several escort agencies. Everyone calls me Chief Escort Sun."
Song Yuzhu's eyes widened. If she remembered correctly, the Sun Family Escort Agency was the largest escort agency in the Great Sheng Dynasty! Branches were spread all over the country. When Er Bo's pharmacy was delivering medicine, they had asked them to escort it. Who would have thought that he would come to Xuzhou?
Zhao Xiao had also heard of him, and quickly stood up and said, "So it's Chief Escort Sun! What are you doing here?"
Sun Biao said: "I am not here to join your Xuanyi Tower, but I want to ask you to do a favor. If you can do it, I will reward you handsomely!"
"What is it?"
"Help me find my daughter."
When the old man was young, he traveled all over the country to save up a fortune. He got married when he was thirty, and he only had this one daughter. He was very sad. When his daughter was 18 years old, she married Li Ziyi, the general of Xuzhou. However, the King of Qing suddenly attacked Xuzhou, General Li was killed in the battle, and his daughter was abducted by the rebel army and her whereabouts are unknown.
After hearing the news, Sun Biao hurried over from Baoding Prefecture and asked around the city for his daughter's whereabouts. Now three or four days have passed, and there is still no news. The old man was extremely anxious and his hair turned white overnight.
Just when he was in despair, he heard about Xuanyi Tower from a beggar by chance, so he came here with a try-it attitude. Unexpectedly, there were many hidden talents here, and he actually ran into the son of Jiangnan Liu family, and the owner of Xuanyi Tower who was highly skilled in martial arts... Maybe they could help him find his daughter!
Zhao Xiao looked at Song Yu beside him and saw him nod slightly. "We'll accept this mission. We'll talk about the reward after we find your daughter."
Sun Biao bowed his head and thanked him: "Sun is staying at the Fulai Inn in the city. If you have any news about my daughter, please inform me as soon as possible. Even if...even if she is gone, I want to see the body!"
Sun Biao left with red eyes, and only three people who were ready to join Xuanyi Tower were left in the room.
Song Yuzhu stood up and said, "Master Chang Ming, what do you think?"
Chang Ming quickly cupped his hands and said, "I am willing to join Xuanyi Tower and work together for the great cause!"
Zhao Xiao said, "Xuanyi Tower doesn't keep idle people. Now that we have taken over the task of escort leader Sun, I will trouble you all to show your skills."
The three knew that this was a test for them, and they said in unison: "We will definitely live up to the mission!"
*
"Fried cakes, hot fried cakes! Little brother, do you want to buy some?"
"No, I don't want to buy it. I want to know where the Qing Palace is."
The old man selling fried cakes turned black in the face, turned around and pushed the cart away.
Song Quan wiped the sweat from his forehead while carrying the package on his back. This was the third person he had asked. The people in Xuzhou City seemed to be very unwelcoming to outsiders. When they heard him asking about the palace, they all had cold expressions. Not only did they not help with directions, they also looked resentful. Song Quan was so scared that he didn't dare to ask anyone for directions anymore.
A few days ago, Song Quan received a letter from the young master and learned that he had settled in Xuzhou, so he planned to follow him. After settling Xiaomei and her child, he said goodbye to his family and got on a carriage to Xuzhou. After sleeping in the open all the way, he finally arrived here this morning.
Looking at the unfamiliar streets, Song Quan was very nervous. This was his first time traveling far away, and he came alone. Before leaving, he promised his father and master that he would take good care of the young master when he came to Xuzhou, but now he couldn't even find the palace.
Just when he was at a loss, a young man in a silk gown suddenly came over, fanning himself and asked, "My little brother, what are you doing in Prince Qing's mansion?"
Song Quan answered truthfully: "My son is a doctor in the palace, and I came to seek refuge with him."
"Oh~ I see. I know where the palace is. Let me take you there."
Song Quan's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Really? Thank you so much! May I ask your name, sir?"
The man looked warm-hearted: "My last name is Liu, I am the third child in my family, and my friends call me Liu Sanlang." Song Quan quickly bowed and said, "Master Liu San!"
Liu Yanzi raised the corner of her mouth, tapped the back of his hand with her fan and said, "You're welcome, little brother, where are you from?"
Song Quan followed him and said, "From Jiangcheng County."
"It's not a short journey. It took three or four days, right?"
"Yes! This road is very difficult to travel on, and the carriage got stuck in a mud pit on the road, which delayed us for a long time."
Liu Yanzi smiled and said, "It has rained a lot these days, so the road is indeed a little difficult to walk on."
As he walked, Song Quan felt something was wrong. Why was this man leading him to walk in the narrow alley? Looking at the short and shabby houses on both sides of the road, Song Quan's heart was beating fast. It was impossible for the palace to be built in such a place!
"Mr. Liu San, did you remember the wrong way?" Song Quan stopped and looked around nervously.
"If I remember correctly, I took you down a small path. The palace is in front of you after you cross this alley."
Song Quan didn't believe him. He shook his head, took two steps back and said, "I... I'd better go out and take the main road!" Then he turned around and ran.
Liu Yanzi caught up with Song Quan in the blink of an eye, grabbed his shoulder and said, "Little brother, why are you running? Aren't you going to Prince Qing's Mansion?"
No matter how hard Song Quan struggled, he couldn't get rid of the hand. He was so scared that he shouted, "Let me go! Help! Help!"
Liu Yanzi chopped him unconscious with a knife, picked up the package that fell on the ground and put it on her back, then picked up Song Quan and threw him into the dry well next to them.
*
Today, Louwailou closed before dark, and the proprietress Xiangyu closed the door early.
After the afternoon, someone knocked on the back door. Bai Yizhou was the first to arrive. When he saw the proprietress, he nodded respectfully, and Xiangyu also bowed to him.
"Young Master Bai, please come in."
After a while, Taoist Chang Ming also came. He was still dressed as a Taoist priest, holding a fortune-telling flag in his hand, and hurried into the house through the back door.
"Master." Bai Yizhou stood up quickly when he saw him coming.
"Young Master Bai, please take a seat. Have you found anything in the past few days?"
Bai Yizhou: "I have some clues." He went door to door around General Li's residence and finally found a person who said that he seemed to have seen the general's wife being taken away by a group of soldiers that morning.
Taoist Master Chang Ming asked, "Did you take him to the Northwest Army Camp?"
Bai Yizhou nodded: "Yes, I also think that the person should be taken to the military camp."
As they were talking, the back door rang three times. Xiangyu opened the door and saw that it was Liu Yanzi.
"Why did you come so late?"
Liu Yanzi waved her fan and said, "I ran into a little bastard on the way, so it took me some time."
Xiangyu frowned and said, "Go in quickly, you are the only one missing."
After everyone arrived, Zhao Xiao put on his mask and came down from the second floor. The noisy lobby suddenly became quiet, and three people looked at him at the same time.
"Have you made any progress on the matter I told you to investigate?"
The three of them said in unison: "Got it."
Taoist Chang Ming spoke first: "I got Miss Sun's birth date from Head Sun, and made a divination for her. The divination shows that she is in the northwest, and her fate is half good and half bad. This means that she is still alive, but not in good condition. If she is not rescued in time, she may die."
Song Yuzhu looked at him in surprise. Using the Nine Palaces and Eight Diagrams to find someone? Is it reliable?
Bai Yizhou continued, "The direction I searched coincides with yours. The northwest of the city was originally the military camp of the Xuzhou garrison, but it has now been occupied by Yang Yuanqing's men."
Liu Yanzi waved her fan and said, "You two are right. Miss Sun is now in the military whore camp."
Zhao Xiao frowned and asked, "How did you know?"
"Someone in the General's Mansion told me."
That day, Liu Yanzi left Louwailou and sneaked into General Li's mansion, which had been awarded by King Qing to another general. The servants in the mansion were also replaced, but not all of them. Several cooks in the kitchen stayed.
Liu Yanzi found a cook and asked her about the news about Miss Sun. The cook refused to say anything at first, but Liu Yanzi used some tricks and scared her into finally opening up.
On the day when the army attacked the city, the Qing army broke into the mansion and killed people indiscriminately. They raped any woman they saw, and the Sun family's wife was naturally not spared. She was first presented to a general by a soldier, but the general thought she looked ordinary and threw her to the soldiers below. The soldiers raped her and abducted her the next day, along with several maids in the mansion. The cook escaped because she was old. She heard the soldiers say that they would send them to the military prostitute camp.
Liu Yanzi tapped her head with her fan, feeling somewhat embarrassed: "It's a pity that I can't enter the military camp. I don't know if Miss Sun is still alive now."
After listening to this, Song Yuzhu looked at Zhao Xiao. If it was in the barracks, it would be easy! Zhao Xiao is now a thousand households, so it shouldn't be difficult to take a military prostitute out of there.
Zhao Xiao said, "Leave the rest to me. Go to Master Zhu and get thirty taels of silver as your reward."
Liu Yanzi burst out laughing. He didn't lack money. The Liu family was rich enough to rival a country. When he went out to travel, his family prepared a lot of gold and silver for him, and he hasn't spent it all yet. But it was the first time he made money, and he felt a little fresh. He walked to Song Yuzhu with a smile and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhu~"
Thirty taels of silver is not a lot, but it is not a small amount for ordinary people. Bai Yizhou and Taoist Chang Ming live in poverty, and their pockets are often emptied of money. This money is enough for them to use for a while.
Liu Yanzi was playing with the silver when she suddenly remembered the bag she had robbed and opened it to take a look. Unexpectedly, there were only two books and a few tattered clothes inside, and the book was a medical book that she couldn't understand, so she just threw it aside.
Song Yuzhu happened to pass by and took a look. She found the name on the book cover looked familiar. After taking a closer look, she found that the signature below was actually her own name!
He quickly picked it up and flipped through it: "Where did you get this book?"
Liu Yanzi lied casually: "I picked it up on the roadside."
Song Yuzhu said seriously: "Liu Yanzi, where did you get this book from?"
Liu Yanzi saw that he looked strange and felt that something was fishy. She told him the truth: "I met a kid from out of town in the city. He said he wanted to find Prince Qing's mansion, so I secretly kidnapped him."
Song Yuzhu asked anxiously: "Where is he now?"
"Your Excellency, do you know him?"
"Yes! You won't kill him, will you?"
Liu Yanzi touched her nose and said, "No, I knocked her out and she is now in the dry well behind Shen's Hutong..."
"Take me to find him!"
*
Song Quan had been sitting at the bottom of the well for half a day at this time. He was cold and hungry, and one of his legs seemed to be broken. He couldn't climb out even if he wanted to. He shouted for help several times but no one responded. He was afraid that he would call the bandit back to kill him, so he could only hug his arms and cry quietly.
"Wow, young master, Song Quan is incompetent. I'm going to die here before I even get to see you, and I even lost all your books." If he died here, I'm afraid that no one would know where his body is in this lifetime... The more he thought about it, the sadder he became, and Song Quan couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Hey, are you still alive?" A voice suddenly came from the wellhead, and Song Quan was so scared that he immediately kept silent and pretended to be dead.
"He should still be alive. I heard him crying just now." Liu Yanzi scratched her head awkwardly. What a coincidence! The flood washed away the Dragon King Temple and robbed their own family.
Song Yuzhu quickly leaned over the well and shouted, "Brother Quan, is that Brother Quan?"
Song Quan heard the voice sound familiar, as if it was his own young master, and shouted excitedly: "It's me, it's me!"
Zhao Xiao jumped down, and Song Quan was so scared that he dodged backwards. However, the bottom of the well was so small that he had to lean against the wall and had no way to retreat.
"Don't be afraid, I'll take you up."
Zhao Xiao helped Song Quan up and climbed out in a few steps.
After coming out of the dry well, the master and servant's eyes turned red as soon as they met each other!
"Master!"
"Brother Quan, why are you here?"
"I received your letter saying that you had settled down in Xuzhou. I was worried about you being alone outside, so I told my family that I was following you."
Song Yuzhu pulled his arm and felt scared for a while. Fortunately, she found the medical book by accident today, otherwise Brother Quan would have starved to death in this dry well!
"My dear brother, I'm sorry for offending you today..." Liu Yanzi, relying on her thick skin, bowed to Song Quan and returned the package to him.
Song Quan didn't expect that the murderer was also here. He was so scared that he took a step back and sat on the ground.
Song Yuzhu quickly comforted him, "Don't be afraid, Brother Quan, he is not a bad person."
Song Quan thought, if he robbed people of their money and killed them, he was still a bad guy. What kind of people did the young master meet in the past month?
Zhao Xiao said: "It's getting late, let's take him back to the restaurant to rest first."
Song Quan stood up and took a step, but fell down again.
"What's wrong with your leg?" Song Yuzhu asked.
"Hiss, it seems to be broken."
Everyone rushed to send him back to Louwailou, and it was already midnight when they got back. Song Yuzhu asked everyone to go back and rest, leaving only Xiangyu and Lin Dayong to help.
Xiangyu came out from the kitchen with a big bowl of noodles: "Are you hungry? I heard from Master Zhu that you were trapped at the bottom of the well for half a day."
"Thank you! Well, the bottom of the well was wet and cold, I almost thought I was going to die." Song Quan took the bowl and started eating in big mouthfuls.
Song Yuzhu sat beside him and looked at him in a trance, as if she was back in her own courtyard.
Seeing that the master and servant were reminiscing about the past, Xiangyu consciously stepped aside.
Song Yuzhu poured him a cup of tea: "Eat slowly, don't choke. I left in a hurry that day, leaving you and Yumin alone in the clinic. It must have been difficult, right?"
"Fortunately, I was afraid that Master Min would run around, so I locked him in a compartment in the backyard. Master and Madam came back within two days of you leaving and took us back home."
Song Yuzhu asked quickly: "Are my parents okay?"
"It's fine, but the lady misses you so much that she kept crying a while ago and was even sick. The master sent her back to Zining to stay for a few days, and she seemed much better when she came back." Zining County is Song Yuzhu's maternal grandfather's home. I guess it was her uncle and aunt who counseled her.
"That's good." What Song Yuzhu was most worried about was Jiang Rong, so she felt relieved to know that she was fine.
Song Quan finished a big bowl of noodles and burped: "Ah~ It's still comfortable to be with the young master. I have been worried and frightened these days, but now I finally have a place to stay."
"By the way, the master also asked me to bring you two medical books you compiled, and some new clothes that the lady made for you."
Song Yuzhu picked up the book and flipped through it. The last few pages were sorted out by her father. The content was detailed and well-organized, and it seemed that her father had put a lot of effort into it.
He picked up the clothes and looked at them. The thick fabric and fine stitching were all his favorite colors. The clothes were also stained with the familiar incense scent from his mother's room, which made Song Yuzhu's nose a little sour. Suddenly, a stack of banknotes fell out of his sleeves! He picked them up and counted them. There were a total of five thousand taels! Song Bai and Jiang Rong must have brought him all their savings.
Song Quan was also shocked when he saw so many banknotes. He patted his chest and said, "Fortunately, the person who robbed me didn't find this silver!"
"By the way, Master, didn't you say in your letter that you would stay in the palace as a doctor? Why are you in this restaurant?"
"This is a long story. You should have a good rest today. I will tell you in detail tomorrow."
"Hey!" Song Quan naturally trusted his own son. After dinner, Lin Dayong boiled some hot water and helped him to the backyard to take a bath and change into clean clothes.
Because Song Quan came suddenly and there was no place for him to stay, Song Yuzhu directly let him sleep with her.
Song Quan quickly waved his hands to refuse: "No, no, how can I sleep with the young master?"
Song Yuzhu smiled and said, "It's not like we didn't sleep together when we were kids."
"I was young and ignorant then..." Song Quan recalled that he was only ten years old when he first came to work in Song Yuzhu's house. He had nightmares at night because of the new environment. He was so scared that he cried in the middle of the night, and it was Song Yuzhu who called him over with an oil lamp to sleep with him.
Song Quan refused for a long time, but when he couldn't refuse anymore, he blushed and said, "Master, if I snore and grind my teeth at night, you can kick me awake."
Song Yuzhu took out the quilt and spread it over: "It doesn't matter, maybe my snoring will be louder."
Song Quan limped over to help: "The young master never snores." In all these years of serving Song Yuzhu, he had never heard the young master snoring or grinding his teeth. His sleeping posture was really handsome.
"Lie down quickly." For his convenience, Song Yuzhu slept on the inside while Song Quan slept on the outside.
The spacious bunk bed can accommodate three or four people without feeling crowded. The two of them both felt a little homesick when they lay side by side on the bed.
Song Quan whispered, "Our Jiangcheng County is still better. The people here are so mean and cold."
There is a reason for his indifference...it's just that this matter is too heavy and he doesn't want to tell it to Brother Quan.
"Go to bed, it's getting late."
"Ah..." Song Quan was sleepy and tired, and soon he started snoring.
*
Early the next morning, Zhao Xiao sent people to the military brothel to look for a woman named Sun.
Not long after, a subordinate came to report, "There are three women with the surname Sun in the military prostitute camp, two of whom are official prostitutes brought from Xizhou, and one seems to have been brought back from the city a few days ago."
Zhao Xiao nodded and said, "Send a few people to bring this lady Sun from the city to my tent."
The subordinate was stunned. He had never seen the captain go to the military prostitute camp. Why did he suddenly go there to ask for someone today? He mustered up his courage and said, "Qian, the women in the captain's camp are not clean. Why don't you... go to the city to find an innocent one?"
Zhao Xiao raised his leg and kicked him: "What are you thinking about? I can use this man! Also, don't think about the people in the city. If I find out, I will castrate you!"
"How dare I!"
"Stop talking nonsense and get to work!"
Soon the subordinates brought people over from the military brothel camp.
Even though Zhao Xiao had prepared himself mentally in advance, he was still frightened by her miserable appearance.
The woman's hair was disheveled, her face was bruised and there was blood at the corners of her mouth. Her legs were bent behind her in a strange position, and she had been unconscious since she entered the room.
Zhao Xiao slammed his fist on the table and said angrily: "Why is she like this?!"
"I don't know. I heard from the guards that she hasn't eaten anything for three days. If she doesn't eat tomorrow, she will be taken out and buried."
(End of this chapter)
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