minister on skirt

Chapter 75 Do you want a bowl of noodles?
It was getting late, similar to the day when Changying caught them showing up.

She found the place where she hid at first, and not long after, several people dressed as craftsmen came out carrying logs, and when they reached the shore, some of them threw something into the water.

After about a quarter of an hour, through the thin twilight, she saw ripples on the water surface. Someone floated up from the water, wiped the water on his face and talked to the shore.

Changying saw this person clearly, so she didn't say much, while he was talking to the people on the shore, she flew up, put a long rope around his waist, and then dragged him to the shore, the person was caught off guard, like a fish fell to the ground!

"Go back! Go see where General Xu is? Ask him to come here!"

Xu Lan has been investigating the details of the two merchant ships for the past few days. After repeated contacts, he has successfully negotiated a batch of tea with the manager of the Fuzi ship.

"Tea is transported by water, and moisture protection is the top priority. I don't know what measures did you take to escort the tea?"

The person in charge pondered for a moment and said, "We have very good boat masters and boatmen."

Xu Lan smiled slightly, and just about to speak, Hu En, who followed closely, came to report in his ear.

After listening to him, he gently bowed his hands to the master: "There is a letter from the next family, please take your leave first, and discuss it with your husband in another day."

The steward enthusiastically sent him down the ladder.

When he got to the pier, he was still dressed as a young rich businessman. When he saw Changying kneading melon seeds under a tree, he quickly asked, "What's going on?"

Changying sized him up, and then led him in with a smile: "...the one surnamed Wang has already been asked by Zhou Liang to inquire about it. He lives in Zhi'an Lane in the east city of Huzhou.

"But this man's knowledge is average, because he is the only son in the family, and he has the habit of being a son. In the early years, his father was afraid that he would have nothing to do with it, so he gritted his teeth and paid for him to find a job in the Judiciary.

"According to the neighbors, in recent years, money has become more abundant, and his wife and children have become picky about spending.

"After He Min was escorted, he stayed behind closed doors for a while, but he gradually relaxed in recent days. A few days ago, I found out that he was inquiring about the new prefect of Qi's hobbies."

To put it simply, this Wang Zhao is a typical small official who is good at speculation.

After Xu Lan finished listening, she went into the room and glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, then walked out and said, "The more inconspicuous and greedy a person is, the easier it is to be used as a tool for extorting money. Don't take it lightly. Now that you have a target, let's follow the clues and find out who he is going to use."

Since he is an official, he can't be treated as someone in front of him and still be arrested and tortured to extract a confession.

Changying thought about it, and then said: "The people who were just caught also spit out some news, they said that the Fuzi and Longzi docked at the river bend more than a year ago to do this business.

"He couldn't explain why the soldiers along the river didn't see them swimming and stealing materials, but it's true that no one ever stopped them."

"More than a year ago?" Xu Lan focused his eyes and said in thought, "No wonder the person in charge didn't know much about river transportation when I talked about it."

"Tell General Su to check the ship materials in the warehouse immediately, and see if he can find out when the number is wrong?" He turned his head and told Hu En.

Changying asked him, "Where did you come from?"

Xu Lan then told about going to the boat.

"The clues are relatively fragmented. If we continue to investigate like this, it will be a matter of time before we find out the shipyard involved, but Zichan said that the Dingwangji shipyard is also involved in maritime business. .”

Changying nodded upon hearing this.

Huang Ji has already come out here: "Boss, what should these people do?"

Changying looked at Xu Lan.

Xu Lan thought for a moment: "We can't let them out. Take them back to the guard at night and lock them up first."

Huang Jima slipped away.

Xu Lan withdrew her gaze and looked at Changying: "Have you eaten yet?"

"Nope."

"I didn't eat either," he said. "Why don't you go back to the city and find a restaurant to eat casually?"

Changying thought for a while: "Xinglinji's noodles outside Nanfeng Lane are pretty good. It's just on the way. Let's go there."

He didn't allow him to refuse after speaking, so he got on the horse with a smile.

……

Huo Rong didn't go to the pier much in the past few days, leaving the rest of the affairs to the people below.

The capital will not reply so quickly, of course, even if there is no reply, it is normal.The people sent to Tongzhou have also been away for four or five days, and they should have arrived, but it will be ten and a half months before they come back.

After dinner, he took a walk in the courtyard as usual, when Tong Qi came in suddenly, looked at him from a distance from the verandah, then pursed his lower lip and walked over: "Master, the weather is fine today, why don't we go for a walk outside?"

Huo Rong didn't seem to hear.

He spent many days away from home all the year round, so it was obviously not worth going out on this beautiful and quiet night.

Tong Qi thought for a while, and then said: "I heard that the market in Nanfeng Lane is crowded, and there are many pedestrians at night. It is a good place to learn about people's livelihood."

Huo Rong was still unmoved.

Tong Qi had no choice but to say: "Xinglinji at the entrance of the alley heard that braised pork noodles are selling well. General Xu and Shen...General Shen seem to like to patronize."

Only then did the two legs that were walking forward stopped, and then the whole person turned halfway over.

Braised pork noodles are the signature of Xinglinji, and Changying was the first to know that it was Tan Shuyin who brought her here.

Tan Shuyin has been stationed with her father in various places since she was a child, and she has more experience in finding such snack restaurants than she does.

She didn't tell Wu Ma when she left the city before, thinking that she would not keep food, and it would be troublesome to do it now, so she followed Xu Lan's suggestion.

The shop is small, and the two of them found a table in the corner.

"Are you full? If you're not full, add another bowl." Changying couldn't help laughing when she saw his slow-moving posture after eating half a bowl. delicious."

"Yes. I'm not an idiot." Xu Lan chewed on the stewed meat and smiled helplessly.

Originally, he had finally invited her to a meal, and wanted to find a better place, but she dragged her here, so it's no wonder he had a comfortable expression.

Changying didn't take it seriously, and buried herself in eating her own food.

She was not used to these things before, and always felt that she was not on the stage, but when she fell into the dust, did she care if it was on the stage or not?

Xu Lan looked at her who was earnestly eating noodles, her eyes softened: "Changying, why did you come out to practice by yourself so young?"

He knew that most of the Jiangmen women needed to go to the military camp to practice, but he remembered that he had never seen her relatives come to visit.

Changying smiled without saying a word, lowered her head and raised a pinch of face.

Xu Lan thought for a while, and continued to move her chopsticks. "Are your parents in good health? How many brothers and sisters are there?"

Although we met every day, I found that I didn't know her at all.

She smiles slightly all day long, but she seems to be thousands of miles away from others.

(End of this chapter)