Jiaohua

Along the damaged wall, Xia Zhaoyi held a lantern and went deep into the windy stone cave. After walking through the torture chambers, she came up along the secret passage and arrived at the "cell palace" where she first went down.

Zhao Ya and two soldiers were beside him. Xia Zhaoyi said nothing and they were silent as well.

The light here is brighter than below. The small holes in the wall let in the skylight from the mountain stream, as well as the chirping of the birds flying outside.

Xia Zhaoyi stood with her hands behind her back, holding the lantern behind her. Her eyes were fixed on the holes. Zhao Ya and the two soldiers didn't know what she was thinking.

After a long time, Zhao Ya couldn't help but speak out and whispered: "Second Miss?"

Xia Zhaoyi looked sideways at him: "Huh?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hengxiang County Chronicle."

"This is easy to handle. Should I send someone back to the Yamen to get it?"

Xia Zhaoyi smiled faintly: "I've seen it all, no need, I remember it."

She raised her eyes and looked around: "The bones in the goddess statue are too old, but the bones collected by Feng Qingang are all nearly a hundred years old."

Zhao Ya frowned: "He is still arranged neatly, but his bones are so tired that they are as flat as a brick wall."

Not only is he good at building walls, it also requires a lot of patience. Zhao Ya felt his scalp numb when he thought about the focused and crazy look on Feng Qingang's face when he was playing with these human bones.

Xia Zhaoyi said thoughtfully: "In the annals of Hengxiang County in the past hundred years, there are only about a hundred or so unsolved cases, and the deaths and injuries are not consistent with the bones in this place. And Hengxiang officials were all transferred from other provinces by the imperial court. , which changes every five years, these officials are unlikely to lie in the county annals. Therefore, most of these corpses come from outside Hengxiang."

"Well, didn't you say that the heads of Lu Ronghui, the Minister of Punishment in Daqian, and his wife and children are down there?"

"Lu Ronghui and his wife and children are in troubled times." Xia Zhaoyi turned around and said, "During the Taiping Period, we wanted to transport so many corpses. If it were you, what method would you use?"

Zhao Ya and two soldiers were questioned.

After thinking for a while, a soldier said: "Put it in... a big box?"

Another soldier asked: "Could it be a dart?"

Zhao Ya said: "No, the escort agency also has to pass the test. Is it... a post house?"

The soldier said: "If it is a post house, even if one post soldier is placed in each post house, there will be nearly a hundred people."

"Posthouse, Postmaster," Xia Zhaoyi said softly, suddenly smiling, "I understand."

She turned her head and looked back at the small hole in the wall: "Instead of placing people in each post house, it is better to have good relations with the military governors, observation envoys, or post inspectors at that time. The post inspectors at that time, Most of the time one person governs several states.”

Zhao Ya patted his head and said: "Yes, I remembered it. Daqian followed the old system of Houyu, and post roads have always used post coupons. They were banned 20 years ago due to excessive issuance of post coupons. So more than 20 years ago, as long as there is a pavilion, A post ticket or a sign issued by the post inspector will make your journey much easier."

The soldier said: "Then, what about 20 years from now?"

"It's not bad," Zhao Ya said. "The post coupons are no longer needed, but the relationship is still there. Second Miss, now, are you going to investigate those inspectors or post officials? If we dig deeper, maybe we can really dig out something." "

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said: "Well, this is simple. I will go back and arrange the manpower. Even if it is a long time ago, I can still check it."

From the secret passage, the exit is the tomb bag on the mountain.

The autumn wind blows, and there are clouds on the distant peaks. The blue sky and the top of the mountains seem to have set up a pure white sky stack.

Xia Zhaoyi looked towards the sky in the northwest and suddenly said: "If I have some free time, I really want to visit Linquan."

"Second Miss, we can send someone to investigate."

"No, it's dangerous," Xia Zhaoyi said as he turned around and headed down the mountain, "And we'll all be leaving in a few days." "Us?"

"Yes, you, Uncle Xia, General Xia Junnan, General Xia Chuan, and General Jian Jun, we all want to go together."

Zhao Ya's eyes lit up: "Going to the northwest? Our entire Xia Family Army?"

"Gao Zhou can't go," Xia Zhaoyi said with a smile, "They are still in Hejing. Except for the ones in Hejing, everyone else is going."

"Great!!" Zhao Ya and the two soldiers said in unison.

"I won't forget it," Xia Zhaoyi stopped and looked towards the end of the sky with a deep gaze, looking through the sea of ​​clouds. "We must personally let the people of Beiyuan pay back the blood left by the Xia family army on the land of the north one by one. .”

"Yes! Blood debt must be repaid with blood! We will go there in person!"

After a long circle around the mountain, it was already an hour later when we returned to the starting point.

Xia Zhaoyi left in no hurry and went to look at the stone statue of the goddess for a long time before finally leaving.

The city is still lively, and the study of the world has not yet ended, and the public has begun to stir up a storm. It is the news that Lianfeng Academy is gradually letting out, and there is a literary trend.

This literary trend is no longer just for literati and students, but all people, men, women, old and young, who have a story in their belly, a desire to share, a love of chatter, and a love of gossip, can participate.

Xia Zhaoyi led the horse and walked slowly along the street. When he was approaching the long street, two tall men walked towards him and said respectfully, "Miss Ali."

Xia Zhaoyi looked at them: "Who are you?"

The girl's eyes were so bright that the man didn't even dare to look directly at her: "We are from Ning'an Building. If Miss A Li has nothing to do, our lady would like to treat you to a cup of tea."

Xia Zhaoyi laughed: "Zhao Ning, okay, let's go."

Zhao Ning is not in Ning'an Building, but in Mrs. Qu's Listening Garden.

Xia Zhaoyi followed the two big men upstairs and walked into the elegant hall that was not closed. He saw Zhao Ning and Mrs. Qu each leaning on a soft couch, listening to music and dozing off. Behind them, they were being massaged and kneaded. little maid.

The air is filled with the fragrant and elegant cinnamon fragrance, the light-colored goose gauze is blown by the wind outside the window, undulating lightly, and the bead curtain is also knocked crisply and full of style.

Yi Qiu saw Xia Zhaoyi first and said in surprise: "Madam, Miss A Li is here!"

Zhao Ning and Mrs. Qu opened their eyes at the same time and sat up, looking immediately.

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said: "It seems that you didn't expect me to come, so you didn't just wait for me to come to invite you, but you met me by chance on the street."

The two big men were stunned, and Zhao Ning said with a smile: "Isn't it because I'm afraid that you will be busy, so I didn't go to your house."

Mrs. Qu greeted: "Yes, we are just sending people to the streets. If I see you on the streets, please invite me. Come and have a cup of tea if you are not busy. I won't waste your time."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled: "That's not looking for a needle in a haystack."

Mrs. Qu said: "Anyway, we are all idle people, people who are too idle."

Zhao Ning signaled the two strong men to push them down and said, "It's not as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. I just invited you here."

Yiqiu left behind the two strong men, preparing to go downstairs to personally order refreshments. As soon as she went downstairs, she met Zhuge Pan head-on.

Zhuge Pan held a letter in his hand, and Yi Qiu glanced at the Zhu Jinyun Silk Peony seal stamped on the envelope.

The golden color is an urgent letter from the second class of Ning'an Building. (End of chapter)