Going out for a walk in the capital at night... This is not unusual in the Ming Dynasty capital where there is no curfew. Moreover, the annual Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is approaching, and the whole city is filled with a festive atmosphere of the unfinished New Year and the approaching Lantern Festival.
Many people have hung various lanterns in front of their doors, so driving on the street in a car, Zhang Shou finally experienced the feeling of bright lights.
On weekdays, even if there was no curfew, except for the downtown areas with all kinds of colorful streets and restaurants, it would be dark at night, so after arriving in the capital, he didn't have much experience going out at night.
"Originally, Zhu Hong insisted on following him, saying that around the Lantern Festival every year, the public security in the capital is at its worst, not to mention that the king of Shuntian Prefecture, Datou, is about to leave office, and the public's sentiments are fluctuating, and the officers may not be interested in working... As a result
, I just said that, and he was still speechless?"
At this point, Zhu Ying laughed so much that she unknowingly rested her head on Zhang Shou's shoulder: "He didn't even think about it. There was Ah Liu driving the car, and we were not riding horses, but riding in cars. Even if we met
The flow of people won’t scatter us, so what danger will we encounter? Even if there is any danger, there’s still Ah Liu, and besides, I’m carrying a sword!”
Zhang Shou saw Zhu Ying raise her hand, revealing the dagger about a foot long in her hand. He couldn't help but laugh: "Yingying, you haven't forgotten the story of Cao Cao's defeat on Huarong Road in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, right? He always escaped
When Shengtian was getting carried away and shouting, a group of enemies fell from the sky. In the end, if Guan Yu hadn't let him go, he wouldn't have been able to escape."
"Bah, bah, bah!" Zhu Ying suddenly stiffened and stood up, and then said angrily, "Ah Shou, why are you such a cuckold! I just said that casually, why did you use Cao Cao to make an analogy? How do I look like Cao Cao?
!”
At the same time, Ah Liu outside the car also said quietly: "Master, you really can't speak. Without the eldest lady, you are destined to be single!"
Zhang Shou was ridiculed by Ah Liu until his forehead veins jumped, and he immediately said angrily: "Ah Liu, if you don't speak, no one will treat you as a mute! It's a good thing for a skilled person to be bold, but if a skilled person is so bold as to be arrogant, then that's not the case.
This is not a good thing! What if the person who asked you to meet has no good intentions? Do you understand that the daughter of a wealthy woman cannot sit down in court?"
Hearing that Zhang Shou changed someone's idiom seriously, Zhu Ying finally laughed again. Of course she knew that she didn't want anyone to follow her. Of course she felt that Zhu Hong and others were in the way, and it was no better than when Ah Liu restrained his sense of presence.
She really has no sense of existence - but Zhang Shou just asked someone to follow her, trying to show his openness, but more importantly, he valued her safety.
Therefore, she curled up the corner of her mouth and said with a smile: "Okay, Ah Shou, Ah Liu and I will listen to you, is that okay? But if Zhu Hong and the others don't follow Ah Liu, then they have themselves to blame.
!”
Zhang Shou chuckled: "That's right... Ah Liu, don't try to speed up and take a side road to get rid of people! If you dare to do this again, I would rather ride a horse than ride in a car. Believe it or not? I'll take the carriage
If you sell them all, you can save some money, and I'll see where you can get the car when the time comes!"
"Won't I buy it myself? I still have a salary of 100 yuan every month!"
Although Ah Liu complained so much, the speed of his carriage that had just been racing suddenly slowed down. Regarding such a turn of events, Zhu Ying laughed so hard that her stomach hurt, and she slapped the wall and screamed. Fortunately, Ah Liu had just just
In order to speed up, he turned into an alley so that others would not hear the sound and think something was happening in the carriage, so they came around to help him.
When Ah Liu slowed down, Zhu Hong, who was behind him, finally ran all the way and caught up in time. Although he didn't hear what Zhang Shou had just said to stop Ah Liu in the car, he still breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his future uncle would eventually die.
Not bad, otherwise with the attitude of the eldest lady to throw them aside at every turn now, and the attitude of Ah Liu to throw them away, I don’t know what to do in the future!
He put on a slight disguise when he came out, and followed him at a distance of more than ten steps, marking the way so that others behind him could follow him quietly.
Just like this, a car drove, followed by one person, followed by a large army. After walking like this for about half an hour, Zhu Hong saw from a distance that Ah Liu suddenly raised his hand and waved his riding whip, making a sharp sound, and he immediately stopped with understanding.
He stopped walking and stopped moving forward, just waiting in the dark alley. Not long after, the others quietly caught up with him, each of them a little out of breath.
Although it was more convenient to ride a horse and follow a car, more than a dozen people came together on horseback from different directions. After all, the target was too big, so they walked out when they came out. At this moment, everyone finally calmed down their breathing, and after listening carefully, they could tell the difference.
Ah Liu's voice came out.
"Come out, I see you!"
Sitting in the car, Zhang Shou listened to this very simple line and couldn't help but curl up the corner of his mouth, thinking that this brazen gesture really seemed like a pure deception. Sure enough, after Ah Liu drank this sentence
After that, there was silence outside, and no one answered at all. But the next moment, he only heard a sneer from Ah Liu outside. Then, he heard a sharp whooshing sound through the air, and he couldn't help but be startled.
Someone is shooting an arrow! Wait, this arrow seems to be shooting from near to far... Was it shot by this guy Ah Liu?
Zhu Ying herself was good at riding and shooting. She almost jumped up at this moment: "Are there any assassins? Why is Ah Liu shooting?"
Almost as soon as they both reacted at the same time, Ah Liu in front of the carriage said coldly: "This is just a warning!"
Such an announcement is tantamount to a demonstration, as if to say that if you don't come out, the next arrow will go directly to you. So, in an instant, a voice came from not far away: "Xiao Liuye, calm down.
Calm down! I was just joking with you, you are not serious! I will come out now, I will come out now!"
One mouthful of "Little Liu Ye" and the other mouth of "Old Man". Zhu Ying found it funny no matter what she heard. Unknowingly, she thought of her own second brother who laughed apologetically in front of Ah Liu and called him "Sixth Brother". However, when she saw Zhang Shou's face,
When her face seemed a little solemn, she couldn't help but feel a little confused. Then she asked in a low voice: "Ah Shou, do you think there is something wrong with him?"
"No." Zhang Shou moved the corner of his mouth to relax the expression on his face, and then said calmly, "I heard that among the three religions and nine streams throughout history, there are many people who are good at being arrogant at the front and respectful at the back.
Helmsman, I’ve learned a lot today.”
And such guys are often very good at observing words and expressions. It is enough to hide one sentence, or to hide ten sentences. As for this kind of people, they will nod and bend in front of you, and stab you in the back. This is even more commonplace.
However, even though the short and fat Chinese character who appeared was good at observing people's emotions, his ability to use it on Ah Liu had zero effect. When he came to Ah Liu with a smile on his face, Ah Liu still had a hand in his hand.
The short bow gave a straightforward instruction: "To put it bluntly, if you say nonsense, don't blame me for being rude!"
The short man reached his mouth and swallowed the slap. He glanced angrily at the young coachman on the carriage shaft, who he had never seen clearly before, then looked at the carriage that had just heard some movement, and finally whispered: "Xiao Liu
Master, time is so tight, I really spent a lot of effort..."
Seeing the short bow in Ah Liu's hand suddenly raised, he was immediately horrified and shouted hurriedly: "I found out, that old beggar woman has been begging in the outer city before, but she also brought a seven-year-old granddaughter with her. Now she is
Disappeared. It turns out that a few days before New Year's Eve, her little granddaughter was kidnapped. The old beggar seemed to go crazy, and then she suddenly went to the Shuntian government office to complain."
Hearing this, Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying in the car didn't understand. They were afraid that someone had secretly caught the old beggar's granddaughter and threatened her to file a complaint. Although Zhang Shou never claimed to be a good person, he couldn't see it the most.
Using such despicable methods to force people into submission, Zhu Ying became even more explosive. At this time, she stood up so angry that she almost hit the roof of the carriage, but Zhang Shou forced her to sit down.
Ah Liu, who was outside the car, still looked calm and calm, and even his voice did not change at all: "What then?"
The short man didn't expect that he had already revealed most of the matter. The people in the car and outside the car on the other side were still so calm. He hesitated for a while. But soon, he suddenly said: "The old beggar's granddaughter is quite charming."
Because of her cleverness, it was impossible to save the little girl in her situation, but a boss from the outer city suddenly felt pity and said not to touch her, otherwise she would have been abducted long ago."
"So, I went to find the leader, mobilized countless beggars in the outer city, and finally found the little girl."
Having said this, the short man felt that he had finally taken some initiative, and looked at Ah Liu calmly. However, what he was greatly disappointed was that instead of showing any emotion, the young coachman raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a hint of emotion.
mocking.
"You want me to find the leader?"
Zhang Shou almost laughed out loud. He had to admit that Ah Liu's skill in irritating people was really top-notch, and he could make people angry to death without giving up their lives. But Zhu Ying simply let out a sigh, and then whispered in a low voice: "That's right.
If this guy outside refuses to tell the truth, and Ah Liu takes action, the worst he can do is fight him all the way!"
Hearing Zhu Ying's voice in the car, the short man's forehead was covered with sweat, and he had an indescribable feeling of a scholar encountering a soldier. He could only swallow hard and try to calm himself down.
Cai Gan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Liu, I'm really not trying to show off, I just want to explain things clearly..."
Seeing that the short bow in Ah Liu's hand was gradually raised higher, he suddenly felt his heart tremble and shouted hurriedly: "That little girl was captured by a member of the uncle's house..."
Before he could finish his words, he heard another sharp crack in the air, and then he saw a sharp arrow coming straight towards him, just like the one he had been watching helplessly when he was hiding in the tree.
The thrilling scene of the arrow grazing his head and shoulders and driving into the tree trunk behind him was exactly the same!
He almost didn't dare to move. Sure enough, the arrow flew past his ear again and sank into the darkness behind him, followed by a miserable groan. Realizing that there were others following him in the dark, he
He seemed to be frightened, and his face turned pale. Especially when he found that Ah Liu moved his fingers and fired his short bow continuously, shooting four or five arrows in succession, he became even more frightened.
In the carriage, when she heard the endless strings of bows and groans outside, Zhu Ying immediately sat up straight and grabbed the dagger beside her. After Zhang Shou's initial stiffness, he relaxed almost instantly and laughed.
Said: "How about it, Yingying, now do you think that the comparison I just made with Cao Cao's Huarong Tao was very prescient?"
"There is a ghost who has foresight! Ah Shou, you are such a crow's mouth!" Zhu Ying was so nervous that her voice changed a little. She subconsciously wanted to block Zhang Shou with her body. When he held her wrist, she remembered that she wanted to
When it comes to crow's mouth, it should be me.
After all, she was the one who said bravely that if something really happened, it wouldn't matter if Ah Liu was here, she could protect him...
Thinking that Ah Liu was standing in front of them, she wanted to protect her sweetheart, so she should protect the back half of the carriage. So, she couldn't help but shake her hand hard, and finally broke free from Zhang Shou's grasp, thinking
She had to protect his back. But at this moment, she heard Zhu Hong yelling angrily not far behind, followed closely by the sound of a fight.
In an instant, she realized that she was afraid that even Zhu Hong and others would be intercepted. In other words, Ah Liu was the only one they could rely on at the moment, and the enemy hiding in the dark didn't know what their plan was yet.
Almost without thinking, she pressed the trigger and pulled out the dagger in her hand. She entered a state of concentration and alert. However, Zhang Shou grabbed her hand and made her almost jump.
Got up.
As Ah Liu's arrows continued to sound, the short man almost sat on the ground with his head in his arms at first, but as the sound gradually came from Zhu Hong's side, he rolled his eyes and suddenly rolled forward.
He arrived under the carriage. Immediately after him, who had just appeared humble and insignificant, a bright sharp blade suddenly appeared in his hand, and the blade suddenly stabbed upward through the floor of the carriage.
When he found out that he had stabbed something, he was overjoyed and was about to roll away, but he only felt a chill on his neck. When he realized that it was a sharp blade stabbing his neck, he was immediately frightened, and then he heard
Ah Liu’s familiar yet unfamiliar voice.
"I've been waiting for you to take action for a long time."
"you you……"
The short man almost tried his best to hold back those two words, and the rest of the words could only be roared in his heart. How dare you use your master as bait! How dare you use the daughter of the Duke of Zhao as bait! Moreover, now
So what if Ah Liu catches him? The knife he just struck through the car floor should have been effective!
However, when he was dragged out from under the carriage by Ah Liu's hair, he found the pair of Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying standing unharmed beside the carriage. Compared to Zhang Shou, who was calm and composed, Zhu Ying
The dagger had been unsheathed, and it was staring at him fiercely.
At this time, he heard Ah Liu's words again: "I have already found the granddaughter of the old beggar you mentioned."