The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, Chapter 25: Wang Zhi’s White jade horse

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty. 《成化十四年》Chengnian Shisi Nian
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, Chapter 25: Wang Zhi’s White jade horse

The Xianke restaurant has been famous in the capital since Emperor Yingzong, mainly because the owner of the restaurant was very business-minded and spent a lot of money to hire two chefs who specialize in Northern and Southern cuisine, bought the private house behind the restaurant, and set up a place called Xianyun Restaurant.


If you want to treat your guests to a meal, if they want have much attention, then they can go to the front of the building, where the prices are much more affordable, and if they want a quiet place, then they can go to the back of the building, where the decoration is much more upscale than the front.

Although the two places are close to each other, each has its own entrance, so as not to disturb each other.

Wang Zhi invited Pan Bin to dinner at the Xianyun Restaurant, which is behind the Xianke Restaurant.

Pan Bin had made an appointment with Tang Fan, but when he came down to one of the private rooms with Tang Fan, he found that the Depot Commander Eunuch Wang was already sitting on the table.

Although he was dressed in green and hooded, he was no different from the other guests, but his face underneath was so soft and handsome, surprisingly young, yet he looked at everyone with a look of disdain, and he smiled: "Eunuch Wang hello, sorry, sorry for making you wait!”

Wang Zhi remained in his seat, just raised his hand and said, "Hello, Pan Da-ren please take your seat."

He swept his eyes and landed on Tang Fan: “This must be the other high foot of Teacher Qiu Da-ren, Tang Fan Tang Da-ren?"

Tang Fan arched his hand: "I'm from the countryside, I've never seen a big scene, I heard that the Master of the Depot invited my senior brother to the banquet, so I wanted to come along and see what I could see. Since I came uninvited please forgive me.”

Wang Zhi waved his hand: "No harm, sit."

In fact, Wang Zhi was younger than both of them, probably less than 20 years old, but he was in a high position, and he was a bit condescending with his hands and feet, and Pan Bin didn't dare to object.

Wang Zhi said, "Since we are all here, let him serve the food."

Then he pulled the rope hanging down from the table, and in a moment, someone pushed the door in, holding the tray in his hand, and served the food one after the other.

Wang Zhi said, "I don't know if you like Northern or Southern food, but I'll order half and half tonight, so that you can get your own taste."

Pan Bin said: “Eunuch Wang bothered, I don't know Eunuch Wang would though..."

He wanted to ask Wang Zhi why he invited himself to dinner, but he was interrupted by Wang Zhi's hand.

Wang Zhi said, "Let's finish it, and we can talk after we eat."

Pan Bin had to shut up.

As the Governor of the Western Depot, Wang Zhi is not to be outdone.

Almond Buddha's hand, Longjing shrimp, anchovy shark's fins, golden shredded finches, dried scallops with hydrangea, fish fillets with milk sauce, two dragon's pearls, jade lotus leaf soup...

As a Third Rank officer, Pan Bin has seen a lot of socializing and socializing, but he was overwhelmed when he saw that the table was filled to the brim.




Since he couldn't talk, he had to eat in silence.

So the three people at the table all tasted their food in silence, and for a moment, the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Pan Bin's mind was in a state of unease, and as he ate and pondered over Wang Zhi's intentions, he ate at a much slower pace than the other two. By the time he had just held out his chopsticks for the third time. That Wang Zhi, had already put down his chopsticks. Wiped his mouth. The end of the eating session.

Pan Bin had to put down his chopsticks as well, but Tang Fan continued to eat, even though his movements were slow and not vulgar, but it seemed abrupt at the moment.

Pan Da-ren jerked his lips and winked at his own teacher junior brother, but Tang Fan didn't see it or pretended he didn't see it, but he was still holding out his chopsticks.

On the contrary, Wang Zhi laughed and showed his admiration and even shouted back: "Good! We are just eating for fun! Tang Da-ren, that's what people do, Pan Da-ren, you're too restrictive in comparison!"

Okay. He himself was in his twenties and older than Wang Zhi. He called out to the older Pan and made him lose face.

Pan Bin couldn't tell, but didn't dare to correct Wang Zhi, so he twisted his face and smiled: "Young people have to be livelier, I'm old, I'm old!"

He felt in his heart that the excessively young eunuch of the Western Depot was just as rumored, with a good name, a love of military service and a different temperament.

The so-called different temperament, properly speaking, should be different from other eunuchs.

If a normal man now patted his leg and said Tang Fan so did not restrain it would be just fine, Pan Bin would not be surprised, but rather an undeveloped eunuch to say this pretentious and arrogant words, how strange it looks.

Tang Fan finished the soup in the bowl, finally put down the chopsticks, confessed to Wang Zhi: “The Depot official forgives this shameful lower official, only the flavor of the dishes here is excellent, I couldn't resist, so I ate a few more bites."

Although his expressions and mannerisms did not reflect the "Shameful face" at all, Wang Zhi was still happy to hear: “Tang Da-ren, if you like, I'll invite you next time!"

Tang Fan laughed: "A good dish has to be eaten once for a long time to be remembered, and if it is easy to eat every day, it will lose its preciousness."

He refused, but he gave Wang Zhi a big slap without a trace of smearing his invites.

He did not get angry, but rather showed a very useful expression.

From this point of view, Tang Fan faced Wang Zhi more openly than Pan Bin, he was not like Pan Bin who was afraid of Wang Zhi's status and power.

Wang Zhi knocked on the table, and finally, he was no longer interested in Pan Bin: “Today, I asked Pan Da-ren to come here, but I have a request."

Pan Bin was busy saying, "Eunuch Wang's words are heavy, why bother to request for words!”

Wang Zhi said, "I have lost something, I want to ask the Shuntian Prefecture to help me find it."

Pan Bin was startled, and asked carefully, "I wonder what Eunuch Wang lost?"

Wang Zhi said: "A steed carved in white jade, about half a foot tall."

Pan Bin asks: "What is it like, how is it lost?"

Wang Zhi took the scroll on the high table next to it and handed it to Pan Bin: “This is how it looks, I left it at home to look at, and suddenly lost it one day, maybe it was stolen and sold by an inside thief, and it has gone missing, but it has not been found yet."

Pan Bin opened the scroll, which showed a white jade carving horse, not bad, but good enough to remember it.

Pan Bin said, "So what does Eunuch Wang have to say about?"

Wang Zhi smiled rather than laughed: "If I had a clue, why would I come to you?"




Pan Bin realized his mistake and said, "I will try to solve the case as soon as possible and help Eunuch Wang to get back the white jade carving horse.

Wang Zhi nodded with satisfaction: “Then please take care of Pan Da-ren."

Now that his purpose was stated, Wang Zhi would not waste any more time to sit with the two little people, so he immediately excused himself to be the first to do something.

As Pan Bin couldn't ask or inquire because his things have to do with the Emperor, Wang Zhi wanted to leave, so he and Tang Fan sent him to the door.

Wang Zhi waved his hand: "You can continue to order food, I've asked the boss to put the money on my account."

Eunuchs in the palace who have high positions, such as him, such as Shang Ming, will get the Emperor made python suit, a Feiyu suit, which is similar to the Jinyiwei, but between the two that on is still very well distinguished by a glance, the most obvious feature is that the eunuch carry neither embroidered sword, nor allowed to grow a beard.

Tonight Wang Zhi traveled in plain clothes, green clothes and a small hat and he was not noticed, but perhaps it was because he was used to wearing a magnificent Feiyu suit, turned to leave with a flick of the sleeve, he then looked a bit like the great eunuch traveled, as if still in the Western Depot.

Tang Fan couldn't help but want to laugh at the sight, but he endured it, and when Wang Zhi was far away, he asked Pan Bin: "Brother, should we continue to eat next, or go back?"

As soon as Wang Zhi left, Pan Bin's face grew long and he flicked his sleeve in anger: "We are so going back!"

The private room in the Xianke restaurant is set by Wang Zhi, Pan Bin has some scruples about planted spies, when the two left far away, he can't help but start to complain: "A eunuch who made his fortune by spoiling the consort, how dare he pretend to be lordly than the head of the cabinet, really the world is going down, the human heart is not as it was! The man has lost an ornament, and has the nerve to let us go and work to look for it, does he really think the Shuntian Prefecture is his back garden, are we still his private servants, to be commanded as he please!"

In fact, the Ming dynasty also had many good eunuchs, such as Zheng He during the Emperor Yongle period, Ruan An, such eunuch now in the palace of Huaien, these people have since grew up from childhood in the palace, all who grew up in the inner hall read the story of Yue Wumu's loyalty to the country, its loyalty and integrity, sometimes even the imperial minister cannot match, yet the man still maintained with the imperial minister a very good relations.

But this is after all a rare among eunuchs, the position of eunuchs and civil officials are naturally antagonistic, and because there are always those eunuchs, by virtue of the fortune to get into the throne, they have more power than the officials who studied hard, and the emperor also listened to them more, and most importantly, they are missing one thing, since they are not even men at all, the civil society naturally guarded against them, even if they do not dare to offend in person, but they also do not respect them in private.

This is the best reflection of Pan Da-ren's mood at the moment.

Tang Fan waited until he had finished venting before he said: “Da-ren has seen Wang Zhi before?"

Pan Bin grunted, although he was not a court official in the capital, he could still be called a Third Rank officer, and as a result, Wang Zhi treated him the same way as he treated the people under his hand, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

"I've seen him before, but I've never been so close to him!"

Tang Fan asked: “Then Da-ren, how is Wang Zhi?"

Pan Bin didn't even think about it and said, "Arrogant! Bully! No one in sight is worth!"

Tang Fan nodded his head while recalling the situation: "He is a young man, and he does have the ability to be arrogant and domineering, but I don't think Wang Zhi will call you over just to see a piece of ornamental jewelry, maybe there's a reason for that."

Pan Bin is not angry: “There is no reason why we can find such a thing in such a big city, it's just like finding a needle in a haystack. It's just as well to be in a pawn shop. By virtue of the ability of the Western Depot. How could they not find it? It was just that the white jade steed had been shattered. Wang Zhi is going looking for something that is simply impossible to find. Either that or it's in a place where Wang Zhi can't get it either. Maybe it's already in some powerful man's house!"

Despite his many shortcomings, he must have been able to calculate things to sit in the Shuntian Prefecture Governor's position, so in a few words, Wang Zhi's intentions were revealed.

Tang Fan said, "Did Da-ren offend him somewhere?"

Pan Bin shook his head: "How can that be, I haven't had much dealings with him at all, the last time the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion..."

He was a little uncertain: "Did the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion offend him the last time? But then the truth came out, and his purpose of making a name for himself was fulfilled, so why did he come to us again, and what is his business with us? Even if he has cross to revenge, he should go to the Jinyiwei."

Tang Fan said: "It's not supposed to be this, maybe there's something else."

Pan Bin pondered for a long time, but could not come up with anything: "Well, why don't you go to the Northern Administrative Court tomorrow and ask that Sui Zongqi."

Tang Fan: "......."

Hey, Da-ren, wake up, the Northern Administrative Court is not the backyard servitude of the Shuntian Prefecture!

He said, "Sui Zongqi is away on a business trip and hasn't come back yet. Last time I asked them to help me inquire about Wang Zhi's invitation to our dinner, but they couldn't get any results, so I'm afraid there's nothing they can do."

Pan Bin lamented: "If Emperor Taizu was still alive, seeing how useless the Jinyiwei was being bullied by eunuchs, would he have jumped like a thunderstorm?"

Tang Fan twitched the corner of his mouth for his senior brother's imagination. If Emperor Taizu was still around and knew that two imperial officials and a eunuch were eating and drinking together, the three of them could go to the market tomorrow to meet each other with the lost jobs titles.

He had to make a suggestion: "I think Da-ren should send his men to look for them tomorrow, and I'll ask for information, most of the officials in the East-West Depots are sent by the Jinyiwei, maybe they'll hear something. How about this?"

Pan Bin stroked his chin whiskers in satisfaction: “That's good, Runqing, then its hard work which I will leave to you."

In fact, Tang Fan felt embarrassed to go to Xue Ling and the others whenever he had a problem, for one thing, the Shuntian Prefecture was seen as incompetent, Secondly, it's good to pay off your debts. A debt of gratitude is hard to pay. Now he's bothering people three times. Wait until the day when people want you to do something difficult. It's hard to shrug it off. So he didn't immediately go to Xue Ling at first. Instead, he waited for Lao Wang to hear from them first.

But unfortunately, after several days, Lao Wang and his team searched all the pawnshops in the capital, but they could not find the white jade carving horse, and the owner of the pawnshop said he had never seen anything like it.

Tang Fan had no choice but to look for Xue Ling again.

Xue Ling was very generous and promised that he would help him to find out more about it.

Tang Fan had another problem.

It's nothing else, he's running out of places to stay.




His place was originally a place rented by the Li Family next door in a separate courtyard, a separate house.

In the olden days, the law was that a man was more important than a woman, and after a wife was killed by her husband, but because the Li Family had a change of heart. The Li Family has two owners. One is dead. One was thrown in the slammer. But the case of Li Man killing his wife for no reason was indisputable. If there is no accident, he will be beheaded, but it's not that simple. Li Man's case will be heard by the Ministry of Justice before it is decided.

Li Lin, the young master of the Li Family, has become the new master of the Li Family.

Li Lin was fifteen years old and had no idea what to do when he suddenly took over the Li Family because he was too busy studying in the town. Lao Li, the steward, had no choice. He is qualified though he was old. But after all, it's an inferior for a servant to take over the master because he is another outsider. So a cousin of Li Man's had to come to help with Zhang-shi's funeral for a while

The cousin of the Li Family was in Nanjing and had come all the way to the capital, so he was not greedy for the Li Family's property, but seeing that Li Lin was a half-year-old boy who knew nothing about anything but studying, he suggested to Li Lin and Lao Li that they move to Nanjing with him.

Li Lin himself was very much traumatized by the death of his real mother, who was killed by his biological father, and he did not want to stay in this house of mental shadows at all, so he discussed with Lao Li and decided to accept his cousin's suggestion and move the family to Nanjing, leaving this sad place.

However, Li Man is still in prison, so he can't leave his father behind, at least not until the case is decided, but some things can be sold first.

High prices in the capital. Tang Da-ren's was in the middle of a crisis as the Lower Sixth Rank official who couldn't afford to buy the house, so he had to move out and find another place to live, but Li Lin didn't want to leave right away. There's still a buffer time. Tang Fan can be asked to search for another house to live in.

But this house is really hard to find. Good lot. The rent is high. The lot is bad. Far from the office. The real estate man showed Tang Fan a few places. Tang Fan was not satisfied with the houses, he had to take care of his work and the whereabouts of the Depot Commander Eunuch Wang's carved horse, White jade, and he was very worried.

At this time, A-Dong came to Tang Fan's door, crying and kneeling down: “Tang Da-ren, take me!"

Huh?

Tang Fan was startled, thinking that another A-Xia was coming again. Fortunately, A-Dong's words made him know that he was thinking too much.

“Tang Da-ren, can you tell the butler that I'm coming to stay at your place, I'll make you fried rice and clean your house, I don't want to go to Nanjing."

The A-Dong girl asked with her head tilted up in anticipation, crying her nose out in tears.

Tang Fan picked her up: "What's going on? You are the slave of the Li Family who signed the death contract, can you leave the Li Family?"

A-Dong sucked on the snot: "It's a death contract, but A-Chun said that if you ask the Master, he'll give the contract to you."

Tang Fan was confused: "You grew up in the Li Family, aren't you familiar with the Li Family, why do you suddenly want to come to my side?"

A-Dong said, "With the death of my mistress, the Li Family is no longer the Li Family. The young master told Sister A-Chun that he wanted to take her as his concubine after the funeral. Sister A-Chun was reluctant. But there's no way around it. It's not up to her. Sister A-Chun also told me that although the young master was not too bad, he was soft-hearted and a bit dull in his studies. If they let him run the show. The Li Family just can't be any better than they used to be."

Tang Fan asked, "What about the others, other than you and A-Chun, what will the rest of the Li Family do?"

"Lao Li is going south with Young Master, and all the slaves in the family who haven't signed the death deed will be sent away in advance, and those who have signed the death contract will be sold part of it, and Sister A-Chun said if I don't want to go to Nanjing, I can take this opportunity to find a way out before being sold off."

She bit her finger and looked at Tang Fan miserably: “Tang Da-ren, can you take me in, I'll be very diligent and not cause you any trouble, I don't want to go to Nanjing, I don't know Young Master well!"

Tang Fan cried and laughed: "I'm glad you're willing to be my cook, but the question is, will the Li Family let you go?"

A-Dong became excited when he heard that he was relieved: "Yes, yes, I heard from Lao Li that the Li Family is overpopulated now, there is no need for so many people, they would like to lay off less people, I eat too much, and I don't have much work to do, they will definitely let me go and rather let me do harm to other families!

Tang Fan: "..." Is it really good for you to be so blunt?

A-Dong spat out her tongue: "Wrong thing to say, wrong thing to say! I'm so happy, Tang Da-ren, don't take it personally, I'm fine! Just pretend you didn't hear my words!"




Tang Fan saw her so happy, and smiled: "Fine, fine, I'll go and ask, but let's say it first, when you come to my house, you'll take care of my cooking?"

A-Dong nodded her head, although she grew up in the Li Family, but now Zhang-shi was no longer there, A-Chun, the closest sister, A-Xia and A-Qiu, persuaded her to leave, A-Xia was coerced into killing, and A-Qiu probably followed the family to the south, and overnight, the family-like atmosphere was broken. A-Dong resisted from the bottom of his heart the idea of going south. In contrast. Naturally, Tang Fan is more at ease here. They get along better.

She confidently promised: "Don't worry, Tang Da-ren, I will feed you like a pig!

Tang Fan: "..."

He began to wonder if A-Chun was afraid that she would easily offend people in the Li Family because of her unruly mouth, so she sent her out at once.

But when Tang Fan went to the Li Family to ask for someone, it didn't go well.

Lao Li, the steward, didn't refuse, but he was still puzzled: “Tang Da-ren, A-Dong signed the deed of sale, the Li Family is not in my hands now, why don't you let me ask the young master?"

Tang Fan naturally nodded: "Now the Li Family Young Master is in charge, it's the right thing to do."

Lao Li asked him to take a seat in the living room, so he asked Li Lin, and soon Li Lin came out.

“Is Tang Da-ren going to redeem A-Dong?" Li Lin asked.

He actually looked similar to Li Man, even his weight was similar, but Li Lin looked younger.

Changes in the family have made Li Lin's face a bit darker and more like his father, without his original youthfulness.

Tang Fan nodded, "I heard that the Li Family bought A-Dong for five taels of silver, and now you are going south, A-Dong is not very old, I am afraid it is not convenient to take her with you.

Li Lin's feelings towards Tang Fan are a bit complicated, as he is the one who helped to find the real murderer of his mother, but he is also the one who sent his father to prison. He himself should have thanked him. But there was some hate for him. Li Lin even thought more than once that if it wasn't for Tang Fan, he wouldn't have lost his mother and father now.

He said coldly: “A-Dong is my slave servant of the Li Family, so I'm sorry, and I've heard from Lao Li that the lease is due to expire, so I don't intend to renew the lease, so I ask Tang Da-ren to move out from next door as soon as possible!"

The author has something to say: the word count, the budding author did his best... The plot is too much, the family still can't make it to the next chapter!

Sui Zhou: If you don't let me show up again, neng (fourth voice) will kill you!

The Author: Your line was stolen by A-Dong, what should I do?

Sui Zhou: Kill A-Dong first.

All right, buddies, I'll see you tomorrow night!

Family, see you tomorrow night...






- The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty -



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