A sumptuous meal was prepared downstairs. As soon as the girl came down, Manager Lin, who was in excellent spirits, hurriedly called the waiter behind to bring it.
Xia Zhaoyi raised his hand to pick up a white-flour steamed bun and said with a smile, "Thank you, manager, this is enough."
"The little girl is growing, and it's not enough." Guanshi Lin picked up the meat next to her, "Come on, come on, dip it in."
"The boss can eat it himself. I have something to do and I have to leave first." Xia Zhaoyi said.
Manager Lin was still kind enough to invite him again, but Xia Zhaoyi declined politely. In the end, the manager stuffed a bag full of food into his arms. The bag was stuffed with several steamed buns and minced meat sauce wrapped in oil paper, as well as various small pastries.
.
If I weren't afraid of increasing my burden, it would look like I was trying to fill up half the kitchen.
Xia Zhaoyi held the bundle, feeling an indescribable warmth. After thanking the manager and saying goodbye, she came out carrying the bundle.
The streets are noisy and noisy, like a frying pan exploding. Cars, horses and pedestrians are everywhere. Uneasiness and depression fill the sky and the earth, penetrating into every corner and never stopping for a moment.
Leaving the Salvation Road, three gongs and drums suddenly sounded on the main road.
The noise in the long streets on all sides stopped instantly, and tens of thousands of anxious eyes turned to the sound of gongs and drums.
The sound of gongs and drums is sharp and harsh, and they are beaten three times in a row every time.
A group of Beifu soldiers walked quickly from the end of the main road, shouting loudly: "Master Zhu has an order! All men over fifteen and under forty-five years old should go to Jingzhao Mansion! Those over twenty
, women under forty will go together! Children and old people will go to Chenbai Road in the west of the city!"
After that, there were three more gongs and drums.
Starting from the imperial street coming out of the palace gate, along several main roads from the inner city to the outer city, dozens of Beifu soldiers beat gongs and drums and shouted loudly at the same time.
The soldiers and guards following behind pointed at the stunned people on the roadside: "Go, what are you doing standing there in a daze!"
"Everyone, go quickly! There are already calls coming in from outside!"
"Go quickly!"
…
Some people in the crowd also took the lead in shouting, saying that this is a critical moment and everyone needs to come together.
Many children cried, and many women pulled their men back in panic, not wanting them to leave.
The sky was getting darker and darker, and the entire Kyoto was pitch black. Only a few scattered torches were lit. The bright torches were particularly dazzling in the twilight, illuminating the dense sea of people.
Xia Zhaoyi left the crowd and walked towards the alley on the other side. More than half an hour later, she stopped in front of the Qingque Pavilion.
The door of Qingque Pavilion was ajar, and she pushed it open gently. There was no one in the lobby, and the seats where the drinkers were sitting were empty. The chopstick holders and pillows on the table were all missing, and the ones on the counter were all gone.
The abacus, ledgers, pen holders, inkstones, drinks, wealth-seeking ornaments, etc. were also all emptied.
In the entire lobby, only an oil lamp was lit on the wine table in the center, which was dimly lit.
Xia Zhaoyi walked inside, with a small oil ball lamp wrapped around her fingertips, swaying slightly with her footsteps.
"Ah Li?" a male voice said.
Xia Zhaoyi looked up and saw Yu Youhai standing there holding an armful of books next to the lacquered wood handrail on the second floor of the lobby.
"Mr. Youhai." Xia Zhaoyi said.
Everything on the second floor was also cleared, making it spacious and empty. Yu Youhai watched the girl come up and said with a smile: "We are cleaning things. Qingque Pavilion has not been so empty for a long time. The last time it was emptied was three hundred years ago.
"
Xia Zhaoyi walked up to him, glanced at the book in his hand, and said, "Then, does Qingque Pavilion still accept orders?"
"Take that, Qingque Pavilion is never closed," Yu Youhai said with a smile, "Ah Li is here to place an order?"
"I want to find someone," Xia Zhaoyi looked at him, "Xia Zhaoxue."
Yu Youhai paused and said, "Prince Dingguo? You... second brother?"
Regarding the life experience of the girl in front of him, Yu Youhai, as a member of Qingque Pavilion, shouldn't say much, but the girl's recent actions made Yu Youhai couldn't help but be curious and blurted out.
"The Crown Prince?" Xia Zhaoyi raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "No, he is not the Crown Prince."
"He is the crown prince." Yu Youhai said.
"No, my second brother definitely doesn't want to admit this identity," Xia Zhaoyi said, taking off the pouch from his waist and taking out a piece of silver, "Mr. Youhai, I want to find him."
Yu Youhai looked at the thick silver on her white little hands. He was silent for a moment, looked at the girl and said, "Ah Li, when it comes to finding people, no one is better than you. I have two clues, you might as well give it a try."
"Two?" Xia Zhaoyi was delighted, "Sir, tell me quickly."
The dim light of the small oil ball lamp shone into the girl's eyes, reflecting the joy inside like starlight. This was the first time that Yu Youhai saw the girl smiling like this.
Yu Youhai also smiled and said: "I just learned a secret message from the Qingque Pavilion intelligence agent yesterday that has not been publicized to the outside world. It is said that after the Xuanwu Army burned Qilu Courtyard, a dark room attic was found. This attic may be
The place where your second brother once lived. That’s why you first mentioned the prince... no, the second master Xia, I was not surprised, because it is very likely that he is not dead. The second clue, if your second brother
If it really has something to do with Qiluyuan, I might as well make an exception and tell you about the order that Qiluyuan just commissioned in my Qingque Pavilion, what do you think?"
"Sir..." Xia Zhaoyi raised his hand and saluted, "Thank you sir for making an exception for me."
"I'm not making an exception for you," Yu Youhai smiled, the smile in his eyes receded, and said, "This is business."
"Business?" Xia Zhaoyi was curious, "What do you want me to do, sir?"
"The murder," Yu Youhai said, "is exactly what Qiluyuan commissioned here the day before yesterday. The person killed is the person who currently lives in the Guo Mansion on Huaizhou Street, Guo Shu's grandson, Shen Lie."
Xia Zhaoyi was stunned.
"But I heard that Shen Lie has followed the emperor out of the Juyang City Gate. If you want to kill him, I'm afraid you will have to chase him a long way away, so there is no rush for now. So you can go find your second brother first."
Xia Zhaoyi said nothing, and his eyes fell on the book held by Yu Youhai.
These books are very old and slightly yellowed in the dim light.
"Ah Li?" Yu Youhai looked at the girl, "What are you thinking about?"
"Qi Luyuan." Xia Zhaoyi said.
It turned out to be Qiluyuan.
You must know that the small courtyard where Lao Tong and Zhi Changle live is only a hundred feet away from Qilu Courtyard...
Is the second brother really over there?
So close?
"Then this business..."
"No answer." Xia Zhaoyi said without thinking, his eyes still looking thoughtfully at the books in Yu Youhai's arms, all he could think about was Qiluyuan.
And, there is another person who once appeared in Qiluyuan...
Zhao Xin!
Yu Youhai frowned: "Don't answer?"
"Well," the girl finally raised her head and put the money in her hand on the books in Yu Youhai's arms, "Not only do I not accept it, I buy Shen Lie's peace. Sir, I place the order, Shen Lie's life, I
Guaranteed."
"But," Yu Youhai said, "Ah Li, if Qiluyuan really has something to do with your second brother, then it may be your second brother's intention to kill Shen Lie, but you won't accept it? What's more, you are still singing the opposite tune...
…”
Xia Zhaoyi curled her lips and smiled brightly.
Not to mention whether the second brother is related to Qiluyuan, whether this list is really what the second brother means, even if it is, even if the second brother, even if her father and master personally ask her to kill Shen Lie, she would like to see who I can summon her.
