Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

It was not until early May that Mr. Sima arrived belatedly.

At three o'clock in the morning that day, Yan Ziyou was still lying high. He heard a clanking sound of the piano in his sleepy eyes. He followed the direction of the sound of the piano in his clothes and unknowingly arrived at the entrance of the Moon Cave in the west courtyard.

Looking inside, I was shocked. The three rooms were originally in a state of decay, but now they suddenly became bright and clean. The rooms were fragrant and luxurious. The boxes, cages and utensils were all simple and unique, all of which Yan Ziyou had never heard of.

Sima Ji concentrated on playing the piano. After the song ended, he raised his head.

Yan Ziyou was surprised and stepped forward to salute: "Mr. Sima, I have been waiting for you for a long time. When did you come, sir, and you didn't hear anything about it?"

Sima smiled but didn't answer.

Yan Ziyou looked left and right at the treasures in the room, wondering why the old house had become completely new. He wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask, so he could only stare at Sima Ji with doubts.

Sima frowned, put down the Yao Qin, and said, "Young Master, this is just a Taoist technique."

Yan Ziyouqing said that this Mr. Sima was indeed a very capable man. He could not help but be a little trembling, for fear that his words would be inappropriate and he would be disliked by others. "Sir, you have come a long way. It is best to rest first. I will not disturb you. If you need anything, Just give me the order."

Sima nodded and said: "That's very good. If you don't stop, I will teach you and test your knowledge."

Hearing the word "knowledge", Yan Ziyou almost lost his teeth and bit his tongue, "Yes, oh, oh," and backed away.

The eldest sister Tang'e now manages the family's life. Although she does the rough work of cooking and washing, she still dresses like a young lady.

The younger sister Li'e is only 12 years old, and she looks like a wild girl.

Because of their income, their lives have returned to their old ways these days. Tanghe cooked a lot of dishes at noon. Yan Ziyou secretly thought that he was pretty good at it, so he told his sisters that there was a Mr. Sima living in the west courtyard, who was from their family. I am an old friend of mine and asked my younger sister Li He to deliver meals to Mr. Sima in the West Courtyard.The sisters and Lao Ding were all surprised and said that they had never seen anyone come in. Where did Mr. Sima come from?

The little sister Lihe was so curious that she grabbed the basket and ran quickly.After a while, he came back panting, wiping his sweat and saying: "The door to the moon cave in the west courtyard is locked, and there is no sound from inside."

"What a weirdo, so elusive." Yan Ziyou was a little dissatisfied with the suspicious looks from the other people and muttered. "Let's eat."

The eldest sister Tang'e was busy laying out the dishes. She raised her head and said, "My aunt is very unwell today."

Yan Ziyou said: "Let Lao Ding invite Dr. Zhang who comes here often to take a look, and grab some more medicines to take."

"Dr. Zhang's prescription has not been effective after taking it for so long." Tanghe said.

"Go and hire a famous doctor in the city." Yan Ziyou became more courageous now that he had money. In the past, he could only say: "Doctor Zhang's medical ethics are good."

Dr. Zhang was a rare enthusiastic person. He had some friendship with the Yan family and didn't care much about consultation fees and transportation fees.

Feng, the concubine left by Duke Xiaolian, has been sick in bed all year round. It is not clear what her illness is. She has to stay in bed for more than 360 days out of 300 days a year. She is rarely in good spirits and only plays with flowers and plants in the courtyard. Except for Tange who often takes care of her daily life, no one else sees her.In the evening, Sima Ji's entourage Xiao Rongwude appeared in Yan Ziyou's study, "Sir, please come over and chat." He bowed his hands casually.

Yan Ziyou had been uneasy all day, all because of Sima's words, "I want to test your knowledge." At this time, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow Xiao Rong.

The moon cave door in the west courtyard was almost spotless, and of course the lock that little sister Li E saw was missing.

Yan Ziyou had a very strange feeling. The Yan mansion had not been repaired for many years, and it exuded a dilapidated atmosphere. The radiance of the west courtyard made him feel as if he was no longer in the old mansion. Is Taoist magic really so magical?

The situation was very good. Sima was very understanding and prepared a table of delicacies for him to chat with.

The wine is Gusu Red from the famous Huanglifang Yangsi Winery in the city, and the dishes are duck recipe from Siqixiang Deyilou, yellow clay braised chicken, cherry meat, wild tea shrimps, which Yan Ziyou naturally tasted when he was still a noble son. The taste is something I haven’t experienced for many years.

It's natural to enjoy delicious food and drink wine, not to mention such an elegant host who is always trying to persuade you.

The two of them had been drinking heavily for a long time. Unexpectedly, there was a crescent moon outside the curtain, and the sky was like water. The moon was rising in the atrium. Yan Ziyou struggled to get up from his seat with a bit of drunkenness, and said in a vague voice: "I can't drink anymore, so leave."

After walking a few steps crookedly, he suddenly turned around and said with shame: "Sir, you were supposed to teach me how to read, but I'm such a loser. I only care about eating and drinking, and I didn't ask you for any knowledge."

Sima smiled and said: "Young Master has said before that all knowledge in the world is knowledge?"

Yan Ziyou said sincerely: "Sir, your knowledge is hundreds of times higher than mine."

A few days later, Xiao Rong came to invite me again, "Sir, please try lychees." Lychees are considered rare fruits in Wudi. Yan Ziyou had only heard of the fruit being produced in the distant Lingnan and South Vietnam areas.He couldn't help but feel happy, secretly congratulating himself on his good luck, "It's like enjoying it like a prince."

The amber wine and the exquisite side dishes were enough to make him intoxicated. He wanted to sing or dance happily. The fragrance of Gusu Red was exciting and powerful. After a few glasses, he could no longer taste the delicious lychee. , What a waste of natural resources.

"Mr. Sima, Xiao Ke also wants to learn Taoism and become an immortal." Yan Ziyou said with envy.

Sima Ji suddenly became serious and said sternly: "You will definitely not be able to bear the pain of Taoist cultivation. Besides, based on my observation, Shaojun's good fortune in the world of mortals is profound, but it is just a temporary misfortune."

He concentrated for a while and then asked: "Young master is already weak, why don't you take a wife and have no one to support you?"

Yan Ziyou was a little angry and said: "My father hired a girl from Mr. Huang's family as a county teacher. In the next few years, the family fell into decline and the Huang family regretted the marriage."

Sima Ji said: "This is his fault. How can one stand without faith?"

Yan Ziyou changed his mind and smiled again, and said frivolously: "The neighbors say that Miss Huang is not beautiful." A lucky expression appeared on his face.