Embroidered color and fragrance

Chapter 239 Out of the City
Every three days, Butcher Wang would go out of the city with an ox cart after selling the meat. He would walk through the city gates in the east, west, and south, and collect pigs across the streets. Some people who sold pigs wanted pigs to go into the water, and Butcher Wang was there. The family killed a pig and brought back the pork.

Sometimes, if the other party does not want pigs to enter the water, he will bring the whole pig back to kill. At the end of the year, when business is good, he can drive more than a dozen pigs into the city at a time, crowded and lively.

So he knew all the people in several city gates.

However, since the rise of troops in the Later Song Dynasty, no matter who entered or exited Yanjing City, they had to be interrogated and inspected. Look carefully.

But now it is even stricter. They can no longer go out of the city gates in three directions. Therefore, Wang Butcher, who has no pork to sell, practices his fists and feet in front of the meat stall. It is not very flexible, but his fists are windy and solid.

As usual, he practiced for an hour, then wandered around the street after wiping off his sweat. This was what he started doing ten days ago. As he walked, he arrived in front of Yingjing Embroidery Workshop, where the main gate of the courtyard was closed. , the plaque was still fresh and energetic, he stood for a while, and saw the main door opened, Mama Liu hung up the signboard, glanced at Butcher Wang and entered the door again.

Wang Butcher continued to stroll, walking through the streets and alleys, there were soldiers and horses patrolling the road all the time, it was not unusual to meet him, he smiled and said: "You are so idle and panic, are you patrolling for us?"

"If the military master is willing, I will go again in the afternoon." Wang Butcher said with a smile.

The Bingma Division didn't care, just smiled and said: "Go ahead and pass the time, ten trips a day can't reduce the number of our ten trips, so let's do our own work."

"Master, please." Wang Butcher said, passed two more alleys, stayed at the door for a while, the courtyard door opened, Xiao Tong stood at the door, laughed, and said: "Coincidentally, Brother Wang, you actually came to my door."

"Idle," Wang Tuhu said scornfully, "I don't know when it will be the first time. I'm so idle all day long."

Xiao Tong laughed, and said: "Don't talk about you, I've been resting for a year now, if I hadn't lost something, I'm still resting now." He looked at the time and yawned, "I'm going to sleep After a while, I just came down from the tower."

Butcher Wang took the lead, "Go to sleep." After the words fell, he murmured as he walked, "I don't know when to fight. I have something to do when I fight. It's terrible to wait and waste now."

After the words fell, the person turned a corner and walked towards the west gate, halfway through the Chenghuang Temple, the temple was full of incense, and there were many more pilgrims worshiping than before.

He walked around the Town God's Temple to the west city gate, and the gatekeeper smiled and said, "Wang Butcher, if you don't have any meat to buy, you can cut your own meat and save yourself a lot of idle time."

"Master Jun, I don't have enough meat to eat." Butcher Wang smiled and said, "Master Jun, there will be more than a dozen pigs coming in from outside the city tomorrow morning. I won't go out, and no one from outside will come in. Just let the pigs pass through the door." gone."

"Mr. Jun, it's convenient. No matter whether you are selling pigs or buying pigs, you must pass the line. If you pass, you will be killed with random arrows." Butcher Wang said with a smile.

You look at me, I look at you, the gatekeeper, and you can't make the decision, "Let's talk about it tomorrow morning. If our boss agrees, we have no objection."

"Sure, I'll come back tomorrow morning." Wang Butcher said, and left with a smile, "It's just a different feeling to do something."

People walked away amidst the sound of chanting.

Xiao Tong closed the door, yawned and fell asleep on the bed. His wife was playing in the yard with her son. The child wanted to eat mooncakes, so she made dough and prepared to steam mooncakes today.

It was already noon when the mooncakes were steamed, Xiao Tong got up, and his wife brought him a food box, "...here are ten yuan, you can take it."

"Success." Xiao Tong held the mooncake in one hand and ate it while walking. The meat filling tasted very good. On the way, he met someone saying hello and walking through the streets. He stopped at a back door, knocked on the door, and the person who opened it was a man. Seeing him, the mother-in-law smiled and said, "It's Brother Xiao, come in quickly."

Xiao Tong went in, and followed his mother-in-law to the front. There were many houses in this yard, and there were several small two-story buildings in the front yard. Many young and beautiful women wore bright and bright headbands. Huabu, talking in a low voice and laughing loudly, entered the small building.

"It's inside." The woman said with a smile: "You often come here and you are not an outsider, and the servants will go to work, you can do what you want."

Xiao Tong went in, put the food box on the table, and said with a smile: "Director, Qiuniang just steamed the mooncakes at noon, you can try it."

"Xiao Tong, I don't need these here, you save them for the children to eat." Huo Zhangshi smiled and looked up at him, and Xiao Tong handed her the food box, "Try it, Qiuniang's craftsmanship is pretty good."

Master Huo pinched a piece, put it in his mouth, ate it, and laughed, "It's really good, Qiu Niang's craftsmanship is really good." Then he remembered something, "You came just in time, I made a small set for the child. The padded jacket is made of extra cloth and cotton, it’s easy and cost-effective, you can take it back.”

The clothes made by Xiu Niang are different from those made by ordinary people. Even if it is an ordinary patch, the color and shape are very beautiful.

"Then thank you, Director." Xiao Tong thanked him, and took the package that Director Huo had prepared long ago and held it in his hand, "Then I'm leaving." Xiao Tong said, carrying the child's clothes, smiling all the way Saying hello, I met a woman in her 60s and [-]s on the way. They didn't know each other and passed by.

Xiao Tong went out, and the mother-in-law entered Huo Zhangshi's room, and said with a smile: "This mooncake is very fragrant, it must have just been steamed."

"Grandma Liu, you're here." Director Huo said with a smile, "Brother Gang Xiao brought it here. Granny, you can eat one."

Granny Liu waved her hand, glanced outside, and said in a low voice: "Princess said, let the six of you pack up your things, and I will pick you up tonight."

"Where are you going?" Master Huo said, "It's not easy to go out of the city now, the four gates are guarded, and the investigation is very strict."

Granny Liu said in a low voice, "I don't know either. The princess only told me to send you to the Town God's Temple, and then I will go back to Mihang to sleep. I don't care about other things and it has nothing to do with me."

"That's it," Huo Zhangshi said, "I have bad legs and feet, so let Zhou Xian take Chun Niang and the others to follow you." The others are fine, the imperial court sent people to monitor, mainly to keep an eye on Baoying and the others.

Granny Liu said: "Don't worry, someone will carry you."

"Impossible." Master Huo frowned, Granny Liu said: "Don't shirk, we just do what the princess arranges, and she can think of everything else."

Mr. Huo thought for a while, then nodded with a sigh, "Okay, let me tell everyone, I will wait for you at the door tonight."

Granny Liu nodded, "Then I'm leaving." She said and left.

Manager Huo called Zhou Xian over and told her about the matter. Zhou Xian said, "Okay, then I'll go and talk to the embroidery chiefs. I can't tell everyone, but the stewards must always know what they are doing." Just do it."

"Yes." Huo Zhangshi nodded, and called Liu's mother to carry her back to the room. She turned over the partition of the bed, and the bottom was empty, and put a box. The land deed and bank notes, she rummaged through the broken silver and bank notes and put them next to her body, and when she moved her hand, she touched something.

It was a piece of emerald green, not very good in color, and it was carved with the appearance of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, lifelike... There was also a red rope tied to the jadeite, she picked it up and held it in her hand in a daze, her heart suddenly felt empty.

That person disappeared without a trace... There was no news for two years.

Is it life or death?

In the past two years, she was often annoyed. When he was here, she shouldn't have been so alienated from him, at least... at least be more polite.He didn't do anything wrong, and even treated her very politely.

If there is something wrong with him, it's just a hint of affection for her, but so what, she shouldn't refuse so coldly and bluntly.

"It's hard to say..." Mr. Huo put the things back, stuffed the box into the interlayer under the bed, placed the partition and spread the quilt.

At this moment, in the house a few streets away, Mrs. Ge and Mr. Ge were sitting opposite each other. There were two letters between the table, one was sent to him when she left, and the other was just received. The letter said two things, one was to ask him to do what he promised to help tonight, and the other was to ask him to take his family out of the city together.

"Master." Madam Ge looked at the sky, "How about letting the children go out?"

Mr. Ge looked at Mrs. Ge, and there was struggle in the eyes of both husband and wife. Although he had not been an official for many years, he thought he had worked hard in the past few years, without any selfishness, and he had never done anything to offend Da Zhou.

Even after knowing Su Wanru's identity, he never planned to betray Da Zhou and go to Song Dynasty.

Being a courtier and being loyal to the king is the bottom line.

"Listen to you." Master Ge sighed, and said, "We are in the city, stick to it until the last moment, even if..."

Mrs. Ge interrupted him, "It doesn't matter, the master and I will not die." After a pause, he continued: "Then I will call some children."

Master Ge nodded.

After a while, Mr. Ge's two sons, daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter, and Ge Yujie, who was wearing a lay robe and a gray cloth hat, came in.

Mrs. Ge told them the situation, "...you go out of the city, your father and I are in the city, everything is business as usual."

"No." Uncle Ge said: "We are not here, it is impossible to hide it from the world, if someone finds out that we are not in the city, what will you do if you are in the city?"

Mrs. Ge looked slightly startled and didn't speak.

"No one can leave." Ge Yujie also answered, "Our family, even if we die, we will die together."

The two daughters-in-law hugged their children each, and wept softly into a ball.

Adults are fine, but children... so small...

"Send the four children out." Master Ge looked at his grandson and granddaughter, feeling sore in his heart, "That's the decision."

Mrs. Ge nodded, "It's not necessarily a problem. The Holy Majesty will not kill us. If Aunt Su and the others... look at the friendship between everyone in the past, they will not harm us. Therefore, it must be safe for us to meet."

"Hmm." Master Ge pursed his lips and nodded, as if perfunctory and affirmative: "Nothing will happen."

The decision was made like this. Suddenly, Grandma Ge said: "Let my sister-in-law go out with the children. She is young and has a marriage contract with Zhu Zhengyan, not to mention that she can take care of the four children."

"Sister-in-law." Ge Yujie said, "I can't leave, my father and I are being watched."

Grandma Ge hesitated to speak, silently took Ge Yujie's hand, and sighed: "Our family, Yujie, will be happy. The flowers will bloom brightly in the future, and will be beautiful forever."

"Sister-in-law." Ge Yujie lowered her head and said softly, "We will all be fine."

Everyone stopped talking, and it was the same situation in Cui's residence not far away, Mrs. Cui and Mrs. Cui packed up a grandson and Cui Yudie's things, Mrs. Cui said: "What does Aunt Su want you to do? Do you want to go there now, lest it's too late."

Master Cui looked at the time, nodded and said, "Then I'm going out, so be careful."

Master Cui went out.

The sky darkened, and the curfew in the city was the same as yesterday. The peaceful day passed. The soldiers outside the city did not attack the city, and the imperial guards inside the city provoked, but the tense atmosphere did not decrease at all.

The Temple of the City God is full of incense during the day, and people keep coming even in the middle of the afternoon. At this moment, it is dark, and the gate of the temple is still open. Some homeless people are taken in for the night, and they have no beds. They just sit in the corner or under the table. Anyway, just leave the temple after dawn.

On the quiet street, soldiers and horses patrolled an alley, and one of them pointed to an unusual alley and said, "Go over there and have a look."

"Yes, my lord." Everyone turned a corner and went to another alley. After walking a few steps, Zhu Yu stopped, looked at the empty alley, and thought of the letter he had received.

The letter only asked him to do one thing, which was to change the patrol route. When he was on the west side of the city, he should not pass by the alley to the west of Yingjing.

It was a trivial matter, so Zhu Yu did it. As for why, he didn't inquire about it, and he didn't want to know.

At midnight, some people walked around in several alleys, rustling and walking unhappily, but soon arrived at the Temple of the City God, they did not go in, but stopped at the back of the Temple of the City God, this is a dead end, and ordinary people cannot find a toilet Sometimes, I will hide here to relieve myself. Most of the time, it is very smelly and no one comes over.

Everyone stood here, and as soon as they stopped, they heard a male voice say: "You stay here for a quarter of an hour, count the time from now on!"

"Okay." Zhou Xian agreed, and glanced at the woman behind Huo's back, she looked familiar, "Girl, you are."

The woman smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, you'll know who I am when you go out."

Time passed by little by little, and after another moment, someone entered the alley again. Zhou Xian stared blankly and called out in a low voice, "Miss Cui?"

"Miss Zhou." The two sides greeted each other in a low voice, and after each recognized the person, they stopped talking.

In front of the Town God's Temple, there were two people talking while walking, and one of the men said, "Master Ge, walking around late at night really feels different from the daytime."

"My grandson is busy with affairs, sometimes people's thinking is faster at night than during the day."

Another person said: "It is indeed. This is... this is the Temple of the City God?"

"Yes, Your Highness, would you like to go in and have a look?"

The two of them entered the door, followed by a dozen guards. Suddenly, seven or eight people jumped out of the slant, and rushed up with swords in hand. Smoke, like a fire.

"Master Ge, hurry up." The man pulled Master Ge to retreat. The opponent's martial arts were very high, but not the most powerful, because they were blocked by the guards here, and there were no casualties, but they were forced to retreat steadily...

A few streets away, someone suddenly shouted: "Come on, there are robbers!"

The soldiers and horses were far away and did not hear them.

"Hurry up and chase after it." Master Cui shouted, "The baggage includes my memorials and documents, hurry up and chase after it."

The seven or eight servants of the Cui Mansion chased the robber all the way to the west... The man seemed to be an ordinary thief, and he didn't know how to fly over the roof and walls, but just scurried along the alley like a mouse.

Without knowing it, he ran to the west and went straight to the west gate.

At this moment, another group of people came chasing and chasing, and suddenly someone shouted: "People from the city come down and help catch the assassin and the traitor."

"His Royal Highness was assassinated, you still don't come down to help." The man shouted up and down the tower.

Twenty or thirty people ran over to watch the sentry above and guard the gate below, carrying swords, and ran to the place where the sound came from, and they saw Zhao Zhiting being chased and killed.

"What happened?" Xiao Tong yawned and went to work, "Brother, go and rest, I'm coming to change shift."

The person who was replaced said: "It is said that the grandson was assassinated, and I don't know what happened. Be careful, don't make trouble."

"Understood." Xiao Tong said, frowning, "What is the smell, it smells so bad. There is also a humming sound, where is the sound of a pig."

The shift changer suddenly thought of Butcher Wang, and immediately said: "...he must have bought the pigs. He said he came to pick them up early in the morning, and people don't go out."

Xiao Tong nodded, glanced at everyone, and seeing everyone talking and drinking, he used the handle of a knife to loosen the bolt on the door.

"Help catch the thief! Help catch the thief!" Suddenly someone shouted to this side, "Master, we are Cui's servants. My master's documents were robbed by this little thief. He must be a spy."

Everyone was startled and panicked, and sure enough, they saw a little thief rushing towards this side, like a mouse, slithering through their obstruction, and went directly to open the city gate, intending to go out.

"Bold, if you dare to open the city gate, we will kill you immediately."

The little thief was chased anxiously, and said: "Bah, only ghosts will believe you." As he spoke, he threw the bundle in his hand forward, and the books, books, and papers inside were thrown over, and he turned around. The thief opened the door...

As soon as the door opened, others got out.

"Close the door, close the door," someone shouted.

Right here, dozens of pigs came from nowhere, rumbled in, pushed open and blocked the city gate.

Inside and outside, there was a mess up and down.

Xiao Tong also followed the pigs and chased the people, but his eyes were looking around... Aunt Su only asked him to loosen the bolt by half, and other things had nothing to do with him, he just did what he had to do.

So who is doing the things in the front and the things in the back?

"Oh, this pig actually bites people, I cut you off." The soldier guarding the gate shouted angrily, and the pig driver outside the gate shouted: "Master Jun, this pig didn't come in on purpose. Who told you to open the city gate?" , if you cut off the pig, I will go to court and say that you killed our pig."

"Damn it, come down and catch the pigs." The angry man shouted again, "Go and call Butcher Wang and bring his pigs back."

There is nothing to say, people drove pigs to wait at the door and did not ask to come in, but who knew that the door was opened by a thief... It was also an accident that the pig came in.

Someone responded, and dozens of people came down from the tower to help.

Xiao Tong seemed to understand all his five sense organs, and began to pay attention to the movement around him.

Where will the people who meet the occasion go out?From the city gate, it must be impossible, so what should I do...

The pig is very stubborn, trampled Cui Da’s papers in a mess, the people of the Cui family were arguing and swearing, not far away, the assassins were also very stubborn, Zhao Zhiting and Master Ge were guarded by many people, but it was still nothing casualties.

Butcher Wang came shirtless and shouted out of breath, "These pigs are mine. There are nineteen in total. I paid for them. None of you can hurt them."

"Whoever wants your pigs, get them away quickly, if something happens to us we'll all die."

"I know, I know." Butcher Wang began to drive the pigs.

As the sky gradually dawned, Master Ge and grandson who were assassinated, Master Cui who was robbed, Butcher Wang who lost a pig, Xiao Tong who stayed up all night, Granny Mi Xing Liu who was yawning, and the story of the disappearance all night. Went to the Zongren Mansion Songqiao Song Guard in Zuichun Building, and the Ruyue Bodyguard Bureau, which had been closed for a month.

It was just an accident that they collided together, but it was not an accident that there were a few less people in Yingjing Embroidery Workshop, Ge Mansion, Cui Mansion, and Fang Mansion.

The two hanging baskets not far from the west gate were dragged up and thrown outside the city, and then the people on the tower slid down without a sound.

Master Cui came down from the top, talking about what happened last night while walking, very angry, "I lost it all, and there is also a poem I just wrote."

"Adults are still in the mood to write poems." Someone reminded: "It's not confidential, just throw it away."

Mr. Cui should be, he greeted Mr. Ge when he saw Mr. Ge coming, the two walked side by side, looked at each other, Mr. Cui said: "Aunt Su also wrote to you?" They didn't know each other.

"Well. Let my son have a cup of tea and bring his grandson to the Temple of the City God. Other things have nothing to do with me."

"I took my servants for a stroll around the streets, and I did what I had to do," Cui Daren said.

Mr. Ge understood it as soon as he heard it, and said with a smile: "That's fine, if one person does a little thing, we can't go together if we can't find out."

People also left.

Outside the city, Su Wanru was holding Huo Zhangshi in her arms, her eyes were red and she cried, "Auntie, how is it? I've lost a lot of weight."

"What are you thin? You're getting old and your face is drooping." Director Huo touched Su Wanru's head and said, "You haven't changed much, you're getting better and better."

Su Wanru pursed her lips and smiled, and was about to speak when Zhu Xun ran in from the door and shouted, "A Jin, is Yu Jie here?"

"No." Su Wanru looked around, Cui Yudie answered, "She won't come out."

Ge Yujie's eldest nephew nodded, "Auntie said she would stay in the nunnery and read scriptures to keep us safe."

Zhu Xun's expression darkened, he twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled with everyone and left.

"August, I want to take a look at August." Zhou Xian said, and when she turned around, she found the woman who came out behind the back of Mr. Huo, "You... who are you?"

Su Wanru smiled lightly, and said, "It's Qingliu."

"Oh, it's Miss Qingliu from the Hou Mansion." Zhou Xian thought of it, and stared at Qingliu's face, "The face is a little different, I didn't even recognize it."

Qingliu touched her face and said: "I have made some changes, I have been serving as a servant in the Fifth Prince's Mansion."

"I see." Zhou Xian smiled and said, "No wonder I haven't seen you before."

Huo Zhangshi followed suit: "Where is your son?"

"I'm here." August stood at the door, her eyes rolled, and she looked at Su Wanru again, half of her face was full of curiosity, "Mother, are they all my birthday presents? So many relatives, what a surprise. "

"You can really talk." Zhou Xian rushed over, "August, do you remember me?"

August shook her head, "Auntie beautiful."

"Oh, this child, A Jin, is so good at talking." Zhou Xian was so happy that she hugged him and showed it to Mr. Huo, "Auntie, take a look, the child of A Jin and Lord Hou is called August. .”

Huo Zhangshi looked at August, with tears in his eyes for a moment, took out a cloth bag from his arms, and handed all the contents to August, "The peace talisman I went to the temple to ask for has been kept for you Yes, there is also a gold bracelet that the presiding abbot consecrated, and..."

"Auntie," Zhou Xian said with a smile, "He is so young, how can he know about consecration?"

Huo Zhangshi smiled and was about to speak, but August held the burden and blinked his eyes, saying: "I understand, I understand." As he spoke, he thought of stuffing something into his arms.

Everyone laughed along.

Su Wanru brought Cui Yudie out and whispered, "Is everyone okay last night?"

"No, everything is in order." Cui Yudie replied: "It's just that I was a little frightened when I went up and down the tower, and I was afraid that the rope would break."

Su Wanru laughed, and said: "You can't break it with your body."

"Am I going to call you princess, I shouldn't call you aunt anymore." Cui Yudie looked at Su Wanru and said, "You can't think of it, we know it's really... I can't tell what it feels like."

"No need." Su Wanru said with a smile: "I like you to call me Aunt Su, this is my profession."

Cui Yudie covered her face and smiled, then asked in a low voice, "When will the city be attacked?"

"Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I have to ask Lord Hou." After finishing speaking, she saw Shen Zhan coming from the opposite side, and she shouted: "Come on, everyone has come out."

　Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow may be updated later, two o'clock!I want to write the finale as compactly as possible!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)