Dragon Pattern Roll Set

Manji's family hanging painting became the key to solving the case. After Zhan Zhao and others returned to Kaifeng Mansion, Man Muhua personally delivered the hanging painting.

Zhan Zhao hung the painting in the yard, and everyone came to see it. After admiring it, they all came to the conclusion - what an ugly painting!

Man Muhua was in a good mood, and felt that it would be best for Kaifeng Mansion to confiscate this painting, so that he could hang up a picture of the first clear sky after snow that he bought recently from Lin Xiao at a high price, and that painting would be worthy of him Full of Muhua's aesthetics.

After Man Muhua left the painting, he also led Tianzun and Yin Hou away... As soon as Tianzun heard that Lin Xiao had helped draw a large painting, he followed to see it.

Yin Hou also seemed interested, so he followed suit.

Zhan Zhao was quite curious, and asked Bao Yan and Pang Yu, "Lin Xiao is so lazy, why did he spend so much time drawing a picture? Is he short of money recently?"

Pang Yu spread his hands, "Master Lin's great-granddaughter was born, and the old man wanted to bury two altars of daughter's red at home for her great-granddaughter, so that she could dig it out as a dowry when she got married. Lin Xiao was the most filial to the old man, so he went to Taibaiju to talk to the shopkeeper. After discussing it, the shopkeeper said that he can order the best daughter red from Shaoxing, but it is too expensive!"

Bai Yutang also nodded, "That wine is indeed expensive, it's brewed in a tank every ten years."

"One vat is only brewed in ten years?" Zhan Zhao was curious, "How big is the vat?"

Bai Yutang gestured, "It's a little bigger than a wine jar."

Zhan Zhao opened his mouth wide.

"Actually, the brewing doesn't take that long. The main reason is that all the bad ones will be thrown away. Hundreds of tanks will be smashed, and the river water near the old cellar can be drunk as wine!" said the young master, "Lin Xiao wants to drink wine!" Isn’t money easy? Go and see the people queuing up at the entrance of Taixue every day to ask for paintings.”

Everyone nodded. This is true. Every day at the gate of Taixue, there are at least dozens of servants from rich families waiting for paintings. Rare things are more expensive. Lin Xiao's lazy character and inimitable painting style made his paintings Extremely precious, it can be said to be priceless.

"Chunhua went to the door and yelled, saying that Lin Xiao was going to paint, and he only drew one piece, and the bid would be given to whoever paid the most." Pang Yu spread his hands, "It turns out that Manji is rich! Mu Hua was not willing to spend money, so he ordered the only one, which is the Kaifeng City after the snow and the first clear sky, it is so beautiful!"

Bao Yan also nodded at the side, "Wang Qi also mentioned the words, if Man Muhua uses that painting as a family heirloom, it will probably be worth more than his shop in a hundred years!"

Everyone sighed -- Lin Xiao's painting skills are really appreciated by God, but he also fell in love with Mrs. Lin Xiao, and he is more filial than his own son.

"Speaking of Master Lin..." Zhan Zhao thought for a while, "Is he free these two days?"

Bao Yan and Pang Yu nodded, they were both quite clever, and asked Zhan Zhao, "Do you want the old man to take a look at this painting?"

Zhan Zhao nodded.

Everyone thought it might as well give it a try, so Zhao Pu asked the shadow guard to invite someone.

Bai Yutang suggested, "Why don't you invite everyone who might know?"

Zhan Zhao thought it was a good idea, so Zhao Pu sent the shadow guards to find his mother and Gu Lieqing, and coincidentally, Master Bao, Grand Master Pang and the Eighth Prince also came.

About an hour later, several old men and old ladies sat down in the yard of Kaifeng Mansion and began to take turns hugging the fourth son, and then chatting about family affairs.

The fourth son pointed to the painting for everyone to see, but the old men and women just said--Oh my god!What an ugly painting, was it drawn by Pang Yu?

Lord Hou looked up at the sky.

"Isn't this Yuweidu?"

After taking a closer look, Gu Lieqing frowned, and the old lady's eyes were not very good, so she approached and looked carefully, and asked her daughter, "Isn't it?"

Xigulu's second sister also nodded, "Yes! The pattern of Yuweidu!"

Lin Xiao and his students also came along, and the painters who were studying the painting with their teacups on the sidelines. The talented scholars and Gongsun Baiyutang's judgment is similar. This painting should be a rubbing painting, not a hand-painted work.

"For rubbings... woodblock prints?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"It doesn't have to be a wooden board, it's more likely to be a stone board or even a jade carving." Master Lin had a different opinion.

Wang Qi seems to have a lot of research on rubbing, saying that the colored lines on the drawing paper have a little bit of color overflowing, which means that the board does not absorb color, so it should not be a wooden board, but it does not look like iron or copper, slate and jade. Board is more likely.

When it comes to jade, everyone can't help but think of the Huangshi jade shop, and Cui Cheng who died in the palace...

Zhan Zhao asked Gu Lieqing, in the Western Regions where the saying of fishtail ferry is popular, is there anyone who uses fishtail ferry as a dowry for a daughter.

Gu Lieqing thought for a while, and said, "Maybe there really are!"

"That place? Will you use this thing as a tribute?"

"It shouldn't be possible..." Gu Lieqing shook his head, "This painting is not good-looking if it is used as a tribute! If it is used as a dowry, this family should love their daughter very much."

Everyone sighed, but there was still no clue.

A group of old men and women were left behind to continue drinking tea, chatting and teasing the youngest son, Zhan Zhao and others went out, planning to take a walk in that alley.

The origins of the several boxes of gold and treasures in Liang Qiaoyu's old house have not yet been clarified, but what Zhan Zhao and the others are more concerned about is what the old man said after chasing Manji's buddy.

Passing through the bustling streets of Kaifeng Mansion and coming to that bleak alley no matter how you look at it, everyone felt a little uncomfortable.

Zhao Pu put his hands behind his back and said, "It feels like some empty cities in the Western Regions, full of gloom."

"Speaking of Yin Qi." Zhan Zhao asked Gongsun, "Why do places with a lot of dead people have a gloomy feeling?"

Bai Yutang and Zhao Pu also looked over. As a doctor, Gongsun always insisted that monsters and ghosts do not exist, but the feeling of gloom is very real. How to explain this?

Gongsun folded his arms, "Well, although I don't believe in ghosts and gods, there are some reasons for the things that have been passed down from ancient times to the present. In addition, everything in the world is relative to each other. If there is yang energy, there will be yin energy, and if there is vitality, there must be death, isn't it? A few words can make it clear, and it’s not like whether you believe it or not, you can decide.”

Everyone was listening and nodding, when Gongsun suddenly made an upturned finale, which made everyone's eyelids tremble.

Gongsun was also puzzled, "Oh, I've been listening to the fourth son 'da' for a day today, and I was led astray!"

Zhan Zhao seemed to feel the same way, nodding his head, "It's easy to be led astray!"

Zhao Pu and Bai Yutang looked at each other tacitly, and they couldn't be led astray even in death!

……

Arriving in front of the house that Manji's buddy mentioned, Zhan Zhao reached out to knock on the door, Zhao Pu and Gongsun stepped back and hid behind him and Bai Yutang.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang turned their heads and looked at them puzzled.

Gongsun whispered, "Didn't you hear the man from Manji say that the old man is going to beat someone!"

Zhao Pu also nodded, what a disadvantage it would be if he was hit with a sap and couldn't fight with a helpless old man.

Fifth Master thought for a while, and pulled Zhan Zhao.

Guard Zhan looked back at the three people hiding in a row behind him, and squinted——you group of disloyal people!

Bai Yutang patted Zhan Zhao's head, what does that mean - are you cute!superior!

Zhan Zhao had no choice but to reach out and knock on the door.

After a while, I heard footsteps coming from the door, and then the door opened, and an old man glanced out, slightly taken aback.

"Ah! Isn't this Mr. Zhan! Are you here to investigate Qiaoniang's case again?" The old man looked at Zhan Zhao and smiled, with a benevolent expression.

Zhan Zhao has always liked the old man, so he greeted him politely, the old man smiled and invited everyone inside.

"Mr. Gongsun is here too?" The old man pointed to his leg, "The left knee of my old arm and leg always hurts lately..."

Gongsun asked him to sit down, checked his pulse, and said it was rheumatism, took out a needle pack to give him acupuncture, and the others sat and chatted.

Because there was no one else in the old man's house, Zhan Zhao ran to fetch a teapot and cups.

The old man asked everyone why they came.

Zhan Zhao did not hide anything, and briefly explained the matter.

After listening to the old man, he sighed, but he didn't hit the person with his crutches. Instead, he asked, "Is the little brother who was beaten by me okay? Actually, thinking about it, it's none of his business."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other, Gongsun gave the old man acupuncture and asked curiously, "Why did the old man say that there will be retribution for Man Ji?"

The old man said, "A few days ago, a thief came into my house."

Bai Yutang and Zhao Pu didn't understand if the old man changed the subject suddenly, or if it had something to do with what they said before... a thief?

"I heard rustling sounds in the middle of the night. I thought it was a rat noise. When I came out of the bedroom, I found a man in black looking through the wooden box where I put my things." The old man smiled, " I also found it fresh, so I told him that the boxes were all belongings of my family, and the silver was in the cabinet."

Zhan Zhao frowned slightly, feeling that the old man was living a miserable life.

"But he looked back at me. He didn't ask me for money, and he didn't hurt me. He just asked me if the nine-stringed violin used by Yaoqin next door was with me. He wanted to take it away." The old man said lightly. Sighing lightly, "I'll give it to him."

Everyone was a little puzzled - that is to say, not a thief?Are you here to pick up the violin?

"Yaoqin next door?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled.

The old man sighed at this point, "I did the crime too...it's all my fault!"

Gongsun patted him on the back, telling him not to get excited and speak slowly.

The old man said, "I brought Manji's sugar cake that day, and it's fine for my family to eat. I just went out. It happened that Yaoqin came back. It's rare for her to come home from the palace. I know she loves to eat Manji. I forgot about Tangbing, so I gave her my piece, and ended up killing the other girl! Otherwise, she would still be alive and well, and I would go with my family, so I wouldn’t have to suffer for so many years.”

After hearing the old man's words, Zhan Zhao and the others, on the one hand, comforted the old man that there was no need to blame himself, and that he could not be blamed for this kind of thing, but on the other hand, they were attracted by a word the old man said - leaving the palace?

"Does Yaoqin live next door to the old man's house?" Zhan Zhao asked, "Is she from the palace?"

The old man nodded and said, "Well, Yaoqin lives next door. That girl's life is miserable. Both her parents died at a young age, and she makes a living by playing the piano for restaurants and teahouses. , entered the palace and became a luthier, life will be easier... Blame me, blame me!"

Gongsun poked a few needles in the old man's head, really afraid that he would be over-excited.

After he calmed down, Zhan Zhao asked about Yaoqin and Zhangqin in detail.

As far as the old man knew, Yaoqin was just a stage name, he didn't know his real name.She moved here after she entered the palace and chose a violinist. She is a neighbor to him, and she also taught his grandson how to play the violin, and talked about some past events.Time has passed for too long, and the old man is not too clear about Yaoqin's past, but when it comes to that Qin...

Zhan Zhao asked the old man to describe it, and the old man said, "It's Zhang Yuweiqin."

Everyone froze on the spot—is it fishtail again?Is it over yet?

"Then what is the reason why you play full notes, buddy?" Zhao Pu asked curiously.

The old man frowned and said, "When the thief took the piano and left, he told me that the real culprit was not Xu Ji! Back then, Xu Ji's family died in vain!"

Zhan Zhao and the others were surprised.

"He said, let me wait at ease, the real culprit will have retribution soon!" The old man shook his head, "I thought at the time, if it wasn't Xu Ji, could it be Manji's bitter trick? But when I saw Manji come Sending money, I always feel that they are guilty of thieves! So I beat that guy..."

"But the man didn't say that it was Manji who poisoned him, did he?" Gongsun asked.

The old man thought for a while, then nodded, "That's true."

"What does that person look like?" Bai Yutang asked.

"He was dressed in black and covered his face with a black scarf, and it was dark at night, so I really didn't see clearly." The old man thought for a while, "But he is quite tall, and his kung fu is very good. When he took the piano and left It's gone...you shouldn't be too old."

"Male?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Well, man!" The old man nodded, and then touched his chin, "The voice is quite low, with a little Northwest accent."

"Northwestern accent?" Zhan Zhao was curious, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" The old man nodded, "Yaoqin also had a northwestern accent back then. She was originally from the Northwest. I used to hear her say that she was not used to the food here, but she liked to eat Manji's candied cakes and sweet soft ones. s things."

Zhao Pu nodded slightly, his mother is also from outside the Great Wall, and she doesn't like the taste here, the only thing she likes is the sweet and soft pastries.

Before leaving, Gongsun wrote a prescription for the old man, and asked him to take the prescription to the pharmacy behind Kaifeng Mansion to get the medicine. Zhan Zhao also introduced him to a teahouse next to the pharmacy. Gathering all kinds of old men, it is a good place to chat, play chess and listen to books, don't always be bored at home.

The so-called clues came from running out. After running a few more times, I really found an important clue - the luthier in the palace seems to be directly related to the case!If the real murderer behind the scenes is neither Xu Ji nor Man Ji, then the person the murderer really wants to kill is this Yaoqin?

……

When everyone returned to Kaifeng Mansion, they saw a lot of people in the yard when they entered, and Lin Xiao was painting.It seems that Tianzun said that he also wanted a painting after looking at the paintings hanging in Manji. The only person in this world who Lin Xiao can sell face is probably Tianzun. No, he drew a picture of the snow scene in Nan'an Temple for Tianzun. It's being stamped right now.

Zhan Zhao strolled into the yard, and saw Ge Qing, Pang Yu, Chunhua, Xiao Sizi, and Xigulu sitting in a row, each of them holding an omelet and eating it.

Zhan Zhao asked Ge Qing, "Why are you here?"

Little Geqing wiped his mouth and said to Zhan Zhao, "The emperor asked me to send a message to invite you into the palace."

Zhan Zhao thought it was just right, he also wanted to go to the palace to investigate Yaoqin's affairs.

Zhao Pu was curious, "Entering the palace at this time? Why?"

"It's about buying cats or something." Ge Qing chewed on the omelette.

"Pursue a cat?" Zhan Zhao raised his voice a bit.

Bai Yutang looked over, "Just those cats who pay tribute from various places?"

"No, those foreign cats are all in the post house. The emperor wants to buy local cats, which are those that represent the Song Dynasty." Ge Qing was helpless, "There are cats everywhere in the imperial garden, and the emperor seems to be unable to pick them out. , He said that any one looks pretty good, so go find someone who understands cats.”

The corners of Zhan Zhao's mouth twitched, he had never seen such an unreliable emperor...

"I don't understand cats either!" Zhan Zhao shook his head.

Ge Qing looked puzzled, and looked at Zhan Zhao, "Aren't you Elvis King of Song Dynasty?"

"Pfft..." Yin Hou was drinking tea and eating omelets, choking on the tea and beating his chest.

Zhan Zhao's teeth were almost bared, and Bai Yutang poked him in the back.

When Zhan Zhao turned his head, he saw that Bai Yutang was quite in high spirits. It was rare for him to be quite happy to hear that he had entered the palace.

"Just right!" Gongsun stretched out his arms to pick up the fourth son, "Let's go into the palace and check about the luthier."

The fourth son clapped his hands, "Let's go to see Mao Mao."

After Ge Qing finished eating the omelette, he got up and patted the hem of his clothes, and ran obediently to tell Tianzun that he had returned to the palace.Tianzun patted him on the head and said he was good, and Ge Qing walked out with a smile, dizzy and wagging his tail.

Everyone was watching little Ge Qing walking forward with his hands shaken from behind, and they all had the illusion that his back looked like Ah Huang who was full... Children are so deceiving!

Before going out, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao also took a look at Lin Xiao's painting of a snow scene. It was a corner of Nan'an Temple, and they could vaguely see the pagoda where the sculpture of the Demon King was stored.The painting is drawn on two pieces of drawing paper. When put together, it becomes one piece, and when separated, it becomes two independent pieces. They are very exquisite. Tianzun and Yinhou each took one piece.

When Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao saw the two old men admiring the paintings, they left the house and rushed to the palace without bothering them.

……

Everyone came to the gate of the palace in the evening.

Zhan Zhao raised his face and checked the time with his eyes. He estimated that he would be able to have dinner. He hoped that the food in the palace would be better today, so that at least he could improve his mood.

Ge Qing led the crowd directly to the north courtyard of the Royal Garden. It was unknown when it had been repaired. As soon as he arrived at the gate of the courtyard, he heard the cry of "meow meow" coming from inside.

Zhan Zhao was dissatisfied, "Who is bullying the cat?!"

Bai Yutang was a little puzzled, Gongsun and Zhao Pu looked at each other, and the fourth son also tilted his head - can a cat know who is bullying a cat just by meowing?

When everyone entered the yard, they saw a chubby Sanhua tied to a stool, a few guards were holding the cat, and Doctor Wang was holding a pair of tweezers, and he didn't know what he was doing.Zhao Zhen hugged Xiangxiang and watched from the sidelines. The fat Sanhua meowed non-stop. On the surrounding rockery, stone tables and benches, many cats of different appearances were watching.Concubine Pang covered her mouth with a small fan in one hand, and hugged a beautiful white cat in the other. She was watching Imperial Doctor Wang poking the cat's paw with tweezers.

Zhan Zhao gasped, "What is this for?"

Bai Yutang looked at this scene quite strangely—is Zhao Zhen killing a cat?

Gongsun and the fourth son ran up to take a closer look. It turned out that the little cat stepped on a thorn on the sole of its foot. Doctor Wang was pulling the thorn out of it. The little chubby cat was quite fierce, and the two shadow guards were scratched by it. , probably because of this so tied up.

But the thorn was very small, and the cat struggled non-stop. Doctor Wang poked it a few times without poking it to wipe off the sweat, and he never pulled the thorn out for the animal.

Zhan Zhao stepped forward to take a look, feeling that he couldn't stand it anymore, he stretched out his hand and untied the cat's "tethering rope", the cat let out a "meow" and slipped into Jin Zhao's arms, its head slipped into his creaking nest, Just leave the tail flicking outside.

Zhan Zhao groped around, grabbed the cat's stabbed claw, and lifted it up to Doctor Wang.

The Sanhua glanced at the imperial physician and turned his face away, but his paws did not move.

Physician Wang blinked, and the fourth son took the pair of tweezers, gently grasped the heel thorn and pulled it out.

The little chubby cat wagged its tail, lay still in Zhan Zhao's arms, and looked back at Zhao Zhen and the others rather dissatisfied.

Zhao Zhen nodded in relief, and said to Zhan Zhao, "Guard Zhan, can those cats on the rockery over there let them come down and stop bullying my peacocks?"

Zhan Zhao and the others looked up, and saw the cats on the rockery opposite were staring up at the two pitiful peacocks on the top of the rockery.

Zhan Zhao whistled, and as soon as the cats turned their heads, Zhan's guard stretched out his fingers and ticked them, and made two "tsk tsk"...the cats jumped off the rockery, ran over, and rubbed against Zhan Zhao. Legs, tail hooked on Zhan Zhao's boots, meowing.

All the court ladies and eunuchs clapped their hands, Bai Yutang looked helplessly at Zhan Zhao—you still said you were not Elvis!

Zhan Zhao also had no choice but to put down the fat cat, patted the fur on his hands, and came out of the pile of cats.

The fourth son ran to hug Xiangxiang. After Zhao Zhen gave Xiangxiang to him, he strolled over with Concubine Pang and asked Zhan Zhao which cats would be better to choose for the battle.

Zhan Zhao really wanted to tell him, what kind of battle do cats have to fight, why not just lend you Xiao Wu, scare away those foreign cats and we'll win.

Zhan Zhao thought so, but he didn't have the nerve to speak up, but Zhao Zhen actually said, "Guard Zhan, when the day of the competition comes, I have to bring Xiao Wu too!"

Zhan Zhao admired himself a little, Zhao Zhen, who is so unreliable as the emperor, was mentally prepared and not surprised at all.

Zhao Pu asked Zhao Zhen, "How many do you choose?"

"Five." Zhao Zhen stretched out a hand.

Zhao Pu looked around for a week, "How many are there?"

"Fifty!" Zhao Zhen stretched out another hand.

Zhao Pu was speechless, "How do you choose each of these? Just get five of them."

Zhao Zhen stretched out his hand and patted Zhao Pu's shoulder, with a serious face, "Uncle Jiu, you are wrong!"

Zhao Pu looked at him with disgust.

Zhao Zhen grabbed a cat and held it up to Zhao Pu's eyes, "Each one is different! Not only are they different in appearance, but they are also different in personality!"

Zhao Pu stared at him for a while and asked, "Is this cat a male or a female?"

Zhao Zhen blinked, holding the cat in his hands, slightly embarrassed, "Uh, this..."

After thinking for a while, Zhao Zhen stretched out his hand to break the kitten's hind legs to look at its stomach, and asked Concubine Pang, "My concubine! Is the one with the peach under it male or female?"

Everyone looked at Zhao Zhen speechlessly. It was the first time they saw the emperor who spoke yellow accents silently. Concubine Pang covered her face with a round fan.

Zhao Zhen was watching, and the cat "meowed", grabbed Zhao Zhen, and escaped.

The guards all looked at the escaped cat—is this just stabbing?Do you want to catch it?

Zhao Zhen glanced at his finger, and there was a thin bloodstain, and he walked up to Concubine Pang, "My concubine! I'm hurt!"

Concubine Pang put down the kitten and borrowed a medicine box from Doctor Wang to "heal" Zhao Zhen.

Doctor Wang and Gongsun couldn't stand it any longer—there's nothing curable about it, just wipe it off and it'll be fine...

Zhao Pu winks at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, what does that mean—you two ask quickly, Zhao Zhen probably has too much free time today, so hurry up and leave after asking, otherwise he may not know what to do in a while.

"That's right, the guard."

However, before Zhan Zhao and the others could ask, Zhao Zhen spoke first, "Is the military officer also involved in that case?"

Zhan Zhao picked up the cat that had jumped into his arms and put it on the ground, and at the same time gave Zhao Zhen a brief account of the investigation process of the case.

Bai Yutang and Zhao Pu watched as Zhan Zhao repeated the same movement, holding one cat down, another cat jumped up, hugged down again, and jumped up again.

The fourth son and Xiangxiang were dumbfounded, and Concubine Pang also sighed—Master Zhan is so popular with cats!

"Qin master?" Zhao Zhen thought for a while, and asked Eunuch Chen to find the person in charge of recruiting the luthier from the public, but Eunuch Chen said, "Your Majesty, this old slave knows the luthier named Yaoqin!"

"Oh?" Zhao Zhen looked up at Eunuch Chen, seemingly puzzled. Zhan Zhao and the others investigated the case for so long before, why didn't you say it?

Eunuch Chen was also helpless, "But this old slave didn't know that she also died in the case of Xu Ji. He just assumed that she was married or went off to do other things, so she resigned as a piano teacher."

"Resigned?" Zhan Zhao asked.

Eunuch Chen thought for a while, then whispered something to Nangong Ji, Nangong nodded and left.

Not long after, Nangong came back with a directory and gave it to Eunuch Chen.

Eunuch Chen opened the directory, found a page, and showed it to Zhao Zhen, "I remember correctly, the record does say that she resigned as a luthier."

"But she should have died suddenly!" Zhan Zhao said.

"This is a bit of a problem, and someone has tampered with it." Nangong Jidao, "Anyone in the Fan Palace who dies outside the palace will definitely go through a strict investigation, but it's different since I asked to resign."

"Who can tamper with this list?" Bai Yutang asked.

Zhao Zhen looked at Nangong.

Nangong said, "The officials in charge of this matter probably don't have the guts, unless..."

"Someone secretly changed it?" Zhan Zhao asked, "For example, a court lady, is there any chance?"

Nangong nodded.

Zhan Zhao hugged the two kittens that climbed onto his shoulders, stood up and pulled Bai Yutang, "Let's go! I thought of something!"

Bai Yutang was puzzled, but he still followed Zhan Zhao.

Zhao Pu and Gongsun asked Eunuch Chen to find a few luthiers who knew Yaoqin, and they were going to inquire about it in detail.

Zhao Zhen looked at the people who were busy investigating the case, and then at the cats in the yard—in the end, he still didn't pick out any five cats to participate in the competition... Why don't we just let Zhan Zhao go!It feels like the odds are better than Xiao Wu!