The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

Cheng Yan said, "The Gao family refuses to ask for money, just my wife."

"..."

Xun Zhen helped him up: "I don't want money, I just want people? But why?"

Cheng Yan wanted to talk about it, and hesitantly looked at Chen Bao, Du Mai, Huang Zhong and others. Xun Zhen said: "You and I come to the backyard to discuss in detail."

The two came to the backyard, and in order not to be heard by the front yard, they walked to the innermost wall and stood still to speak.

Cheng Yan said: "The guard of the Gao family said that the Gao family is actually lending money for Yangzhai Huang's family, and the Huang family can't see this money, they are women who want villains! If you don't, you will have to ask the county governor to put the villain in jail."

"The security guard of the Gao family? Yangzhai Huang's family? Isn't the Gao family the one who lends money?"

Xun Zhen was confused, but quickly understood.

Although loan usury is profitable, it is also risky. In order to ensure that the money borrowed can be recovered with interest, moneylenders often use the power of nobles and wealthy families to collect loan interest. Home share. At the same time, a group of people will be hired to do "guarantee service". The so-called "guarantee" means "guarantee", guarantee, debt collection and the like. Most of the people who are eligible to be "guaranteed service" are the children of middle-class families, that is, the children of middle-class families with a family capital of more than 100,000 yuan, and there are also light chivalrous rogues.

Although the Gao family of "Xiang Ting" is the richest man in his hometown, his power is not strong enough to guarantee that the borrower will repay the money honestly. Therefore, he got on the line with the Huang family of Yangzhai, so as to use the prestige of the Huang family to guarantee that the borrowers will pay back the money honestly. Money doesn't go to waste. The Huang family was a relative of the emperor's wet nurse, and even the prefect of the county had to give him three points. He didn't dare to say that, only in Yingchuan County, I was afraid that there was no one who dared not pay them back.

Xun Zhen clarified the matter and thought, "The so-called 'Huang's only wants Ayan's wife' may just be an excuse from the Gao family to deceive others." He looked at Cheng Yan, who was in pain and despair, and thought, " Ayan is my person, no matter if it is the excuse of the Gao family, even if the Huang family really fell in love with his wife, I mustn't watch him endure bullying!"

He can endure the underestimation of Zhou Xun's family slave, and he can also not mind Feng Wen's arrogance, but he must not sit back and watch Cheng Yan be forced to offer his wife. The former two can be explained as "broad-minded and tolerant", while the latter is purely humiliated and bullied. Although it was Cheng Yan who was humiliated and bullied, what kind of boss is a boss who can't stand up for his subordinates?

Before, he paid Cheng Yan's debt to repay the debt for peace of mind. After all, repaying the debt is justified. Although the interest on the loan is a little higher, he can only blame Cheng Yan's brother. But now the other party is unwilling to ask for money, as long as people are, it is too deceiving.

He made a decision without thinking much, asked Cheng Yan, and said, "When your brother borrowed money, did you sign a bond with the Gao family?"

"have."

"What is the security on the bond?"

"Take the land as the quality."

"Quality geometry?"

"Five hundred dollars per mu, and six acres of land are pledged, totaling three thousand dollars." Five hundred dollars per mu of land would not be so cheap if it were to be sold, but mortgage loans are like pawnshops in later generations, which can be redeemed, so Inexpensive.

"Besides, is there anything else on the bond? For example, if you have no money to repay the debt, take your wife as collateral?"

"no."

Xun Zhen was familiar with the law, so she didn't expect it. Although there are often cases of selling wives and children in order to repay debts, at least on the bright side, no one will write on the bonds openly, because as early as the former Qin Dynasty, there was an express law: "People who have debts should not Those who dare to be good at strong quality, and those who are good at strong quality and quality, are all the second best.” The Han inherited the Qin system, and there are similar regulations.

"If that's the case, then there's no reason for the Gao family to ask your wife to repay the debt. ..., Ayan, you don't have to worry, and tell me the original words of the guard of the Gao family."

Xun Zhen's composure affected Cheng Yan, he slowly calmed down, recalled the scene of meeting with the security guard of the Gao family, and recounted: "The guard of the Gao family said: The Huang family's hands and eyes are open to the sky, and it is his family who has fallen in love with my wife. If I am wise, I will honestly offer my wife to him. Not only will the debts I owe be forgiven, but I can also get another 10,000 yuan. people."

Xun Zhen smiled and said: "Although the official temple has the responsibility of claiming debts for the creditors, but the debts are repaid, it can't be involved with your wife! ... You don't have to be afraid, just wait and see how the 'Huang Family' will deal with it. The county declares, and let’s see how the county official comes to ask for someone!”

Although Cheng Yan is sturdy and usually admires the man of the Ranger, he is an ordinary villager after all. The Gao family, the richest man in the township, was already the object he looked up to. Hearing Xun Zhen's relief, he was still worried and said: "Xun Jun, the Huang family's hands and eyes are sky-high. "

It's no wonder that Cheng Yan was worried, saying: "I would rather lose two thousand stones than lose everyone." The Huang family took advantage of the power of Mrs. Cheng, the mother of the emperor, to domineering places and prefectures and counties.

A few years ago, when Chong Fu served as the prefect of Yingchuan, the Huang family "begged to occupy the mountains and lakes". If it hadn't been dissuaded by Liu Yi, who was the cadre at the time, Chong Fu might not have been able to withstand the pressure and agreed to them. Chong Fu's father, Zhong Hao, was a former Situ. As a high-ranking official of two thousand stones, he sits in a county, holds the power of life and death, and is a famous prince, and is well-known in the court and the public, not to mention the mere peasant Cheng Yan!

But Xun Zhen is not Cheng Yan, he smiled and said: "The prefect today is different from the old prefect. Therefore, the prefect is quiet and inactive, and doesn't want to cause trouble, so he is very lenient; today's elder brother of the prefect is favored by the emperor, although the Huang family has a wealth, Don't dare to force each other. You can relax your mind, everything is mine!"

Cheng Yan thought about it and felt that what Xun Zhen said was reasonable.

The current prefect is named He Jin, and his half-daughter brother was selected into the palace in the early years. Compared with the background, although Mrs. Cheng, a relative of the Huang family, is a wet nurse, she is afraid that she is not as good as a "noble person".

Only then did he feel a little relieved, and then he asked, "What should I do now?"

"It's late today, you have a good rest, and wait until tomorrow to pick up your wife to Tingshe. You don't have to worry about other things."

Since Xun Zhen was determined to take care of this matter, the first thing she needed to take precautions was not to be taken away by the "Huang Family", so she asked Cheng Yan to take his wife to Tingshe for care. As for how to deal with this matter, he thought to himself: "How is this matter, Ayan heard it from the guards of the Gao family, is it the Gao family who is interested in his wife? Or is it the Huang family? Check it out."

Know yourself and the enemy, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. It can be expected that the opponent will not stop there. Since he is determined to meet the opponent, how can he not first check the opponent's bottom line? He thought again: "Ayan suddenly encountered this matter, and he has no masters. You can't expect him to find out the details of the opponent. ..., this matter should be handed over to A Bao." Among the people in the pavilion, Chen Bao was the most meticulous. Leave it to him to do it all.

The twilight is deep, and night is coming.

He and Cheng Yan were talking in the backyard, and Cheng Yan was kneeling and kowtowing. The movement was so loud that Huang Zhong, Du Mai, Chen Bao and others all peeped. Seeing that the two of them seemed to have finished speaking at this time, Chen Bao came over and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? What happened?" He knew the ins and outs of the money owed by the Cheng family. related to this.

Xun Zhen said, "It's not a big deal." Seeing Du Mai, Huang Zhong and others standing at the door of the backyard looking over here, they smiled and said to Huang Zhong, "Huang Gong, night is coming, why don't you cook faster? I'm hungry! Du Jun and Fan's family, Kun Zhong, went out to inspect for a day today, and they would have been hungry already if they wanted to come."

Huang Zhong replied: "Yes, I'll make a fire now." He greeted Du Mai and Fan's brothers to help, skin and wash the hare, and start cooking.

Xun Zhen explained the matter again in a soft voice and said to Chen Bao, "A Bao, the Gao family is bullying others, we can't give in. Although he calls himself a running dog of the Huang family, I'm not afraid." He sneered and said. , "Don't say that his Gao family is the Huang family, and it will not work! ... But then again, whether this matter is the Huang family's idea or the Gao family's intention, we need to find out first. ..., Ayan tomorrow Bring his wife to the house, if it is inconvenient to inquire, I will leave the matter to you. Tomorrow, you and Ayan will go to the village pavilion one after the other, and it is best to find the guard and ask the truth."

Chen Bao replied without hesitation: "No!"

"...You promised so readily, aren't you afraid of angering the Gao and Huang families?"

"Your Majesty is in the front, praise is in the back. Xunjun is not afraid of praise, why is he afraid?"

Chen Bao's answer is very interesting. It can be understood that Xun Zhen is attracting cannonballs at the front, and he has nothing to be afraid of at the back; it can also be understood that as long as Xun Zhen is not afraid, he is not afraid.

Xun Zhen couldn't help laughing, but he also knew that the reason why Chen Bao agreed so readily was half of the reason as he said, but certainly half of the reason was because of his surname "Xun". In fact, the reason why he decided to stand for Cheng Yan without thinking much about it was because he couldn't bear the humiliation of his subordinates, and he did have the confidence that his surname gave him.

Although he was just an insignificant pavilion chief, behind him was the entire Xun family.

Although due to the party's misfortune, there are not many officials in the Xun family today, and some are also small officials, but the capital of the Xun family is not an official, but a reputation. Famous people in the world, who does not know the Yingyin Xun clan? Who is an official in the world, who does not know the Yingyin Xun clan?

Not to mention the Gao family, the richest man in the township, is the Huang family who is rampant in the county. He Jingui, the prefect, the elder brother of the noble, is polite to the Xun clan. He took the initiative to visit the Xun clan when he took office. Isn't that the name of Tu Xun?

Chen Bao was very calm, took the task, turned back to the front yard, and casually chatted and laughed with Du Mai and Huang Zhong.

Cheng Yan was terrified and stayed by Xun Zhen's side, not daring to stay away, as if he couldn't feel at ease once he left. Xun Zhen stepped out of the backyard and stood at the door of the front courtyard, looking out into the surrounding fields.

Night came quietly, and people on the road disappeared. Under the veil of night, the fields near and far are silent. The moonlight shines, and frost accumulates in front of the door.

Cheng Yan endured and endured, and finally couldn't help it, and asked in a low voice, "Xun Jun, what should I do after finding out the details of the Gao family?"

Xun Zhen replied leisurely, "Visit at the door."

...

The next day is the day of practice.

Cheng Yan and Chen Bao rode to the village pavilion early in the morning.

The place where the residents gathered was changed to the training ground. After seeing off Cheng and Chen, Xun Zhen wanted to go there early, but she was stopped by Fan Tan before she was discharged from the hospital. He turned to look, saw Fan Tan rushing out of the backyard in a hurry, and exclaimed in surprise and joy, "Jun Xun! Jun Xun!"

"What's the panic?"

"Wu Gui said that he has a big treasure to dedicate to you!"

"……,what?"

"The villain just brought him food. I don't know where he went crazy. He suddenly rushed over, grabbed the villain's feet, and shouted that there was a big treasure for Xunjun." Fan Tan was stupid and wanted to repeat Wu Gui's words. It was given to Xun Zhen. After trying several times, he couldn't tell, so he gave up and said, "Why don't you ask him personally?"

Xun Zhen was stunned for a while, and then burst out laughing, thinking, "I'm afraid I'm being locked up stupidly, I want to go out and use some lies to slander others." Send someone?

He said, "If Wu Gui has money, does he still need the rogue country? He can't stand it anymore, and he talks nonsense. You don't have to pay attention to him." After saying that, he left.

Fan Tan stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and said, "Xunjun, it doesn't look like he's lying, there's nothing left or right, so you can see him!"

Xun Zhen saw that his nose was open, his breathing was heavy, and he looked excited. After thinking about it, he said, "Okay, then I will go and ask him personally."

At that time, it was already bright, and when I entered the prison, I felt cold, dark and damp.

The windows of the prison were blocked, the only source of light came from the door, and once the door was closed, torches had to be lit. The prison cell is not big, there is a stove in the corner, and a short blade with a slap on the side. All around are torture instruments. A copper ring hangs down from the center of the beam. The ground and walls are stained with blood. Eerie.

That Wu Gui is now hanging on the copper ring, his feet are off the ground, his clothes have long been stripped, and he is naked and naked.

Fan Shang was also in prison, standing next to Wu Gui, grabbing his hand, and holding a large needle to gesture between his fingernails.

Wu Gui looked terrified. He looked at the pai beside the fire for a while, and at the big needle for a while. He kept twisting his body, for fear of being stabbed in his fingers. When he heard someone coming in, he raised his head quickly, recognized Xun Zhen, and couldn't wait to shout: "The pavilion! The little one has a big treasure for you, and the little one has a big treasure for you. . . . I just want to spare the little one's life!"

Xun Zhen glanced at him, knew the root cause, and thought to himself: "It must have been a brother from the Fan family who heard him talk about money and goods. He was afraid of cheating, so he scare him with roasted meat and pierced armor. He had the courage to break into the widow's door, but he didn't. This kind of torture. I can't help but be frightened before the meat and armor are used. Anyway, let's hear what he has to say." He came to question because he couldn't deny Fan Tan's repeated requests. To be honest, he was fundamentally Do not believe.

Burning meat and piercing nails are two types of torture. Roasting the meat, that is, using fire to heat the patties, and then stuffing them under the prisoners' armpits or elbows, forcing them to clamp, and once loosened, large pieces of flesh often fall off, and the end is extremely vicious. For nail piercing, a needle is used to pierce the nail, and after the piercing, the nail will fall off.

"You are a shapeless child, can you send me any money?"

"The little one was a guest of the Huang family,..."

"The Huang family?" Xun Zhen was taken aback.

Fan Tan said, "It's the Yangzhai Huang clan."

Of course Xun Zhen knew who Wu Gui was talking about. He was stunned because Cheng Yan only mentioned the Huang family last night: "What if you were a guest of the Huang family?"

"Last night, the villain heard Chief Ting and others talking in the courtyard, referring to the Huang family."

Xun Zhen suddenly realized that it was so! "So what?" he asked.

"Because the villain used to be a guest of the Huang family, so he had a lot of contacts with his family's guests. The day before he was brought to prison by the pavilion chief, the villain met someone in the pavilion."

"Who?"

"The man's name is Uncle Wu, a swordsman raised by the Huang family. He is proficient in stealth and understands various dialects. When the villain met him on Benting Road, he invited him to have a drink, but he insisted that he would not. , I knew he was the best drinker, so I was suspicious and asked him what he was doing in our pavilion."

"What are you doing?"

"Although he was vigilant, in the end he was cheated by the villain. He came to our pavilion to step on it!" This Wu Gui is really a rogue, and he was trembling just now, and now he talks about "the proud thing about cheating out the truth" ”, actually vaguely complacent.

Xun Zhen was noncommittal and asked, "Step on? Step on what?"

"Half a month ago, the Huang family got the news that at the end of the month, there will be a horse trader from the north from Guangyang County, Youzhou, passing by the local area, and all the horses they bring along are good horses, no less than 20 horses."

Xun Zhen pulled out his ears. Hearing this, he had already guessed what Wu Gui was referring to as a "great treasure" and thought, "Twenty good horses." If Wu Gui said everything was true , that can indeed be called a great wealth. Today's market price is more than 10,000 yuan per horse, chariot and horse, and 40,000 to 50,000 yuan for a better one. Twenty good horses are worth at least one million. If it is above a good horse, it is also possible to be worth tens of millions.

"You said that there is a lot of money to send to me, is this a batch of good horses?"

"Yes."

Xun Zhen changed color and said angrily: "Do you think I'm a rogue and a thief like you! After I put you in prison, I haven't punished you very much, so do you think I'm so humiliating? Take these fakes. Liar! Or do you think I'm being deceived?"

That Wu Gui was no longer complacent, frightened, and said in a hurry: "Ting Chang, Ting Chang! The villain is absolutely false! If you don't believe it, you can ask!"

"Where to ask?"

Wu Gui was speechless. Xun Zhen snorted and instructed the Fan brothers: "It seems that you treat him too favorably. You loosen his bones, rub his fingers, and serve him well for him to enjoy."

Fan Shang put away the big needle, picked up the whip thrown on the side, and was about to slap Wu Gui.

That Wu Gui was really a jerk. Before the whip fell on him, he begged for mercy and shouted: "Ting Chang, Ting Chang, you can go to our middle school and ask! The villain brought Uncle Wu to my house that day. There will be an impression! ..., yes, and also, then Uncle Wu said that he will step on the pavilion, maybe he hasn't left yet? Maybe it will be hidden in some place! Pavilion manager, you can search!"

Xun Zhen thought: "This fellow is obviously a jerk, but he doesn't want to change his mouth. Is there really something wrong?"

At first I thought it was unlikely. A case of millions, maybe even tens of millions, would be a big case wherever it was placed. Although the Huang family was in a fish and meat town and in the county of Zongheng, would they have such courage? Dare to rob a horse merchant from the north? Start to rob a good horse worth millions or even tens of millions? But on second thought, there is really no way.

I remember that there was not a case in the past few years, and it was also a robbery of a good horse. The robbed horse was worth more than three million yuan. He thought, "Could it be that the Huang family did that case?" However, the location of the case was not in Yingchuan, but in Chenliu County, north of Yingchuan.

He glanced at Fan Tan and Fan Shang's surprised and happy expressions, and asked, "Da Fan, what do you think?"

Fan Shang threw down his whip and rushed to say with bright eyes: "The current market price is more than 10,000 yuan per plough horse, chariot and horse; 40,000 to 50,000 yuan for a good horse! Twenty good horses are worth millions! Shangguan Temple? This is not a great wealth, but a great wealth!"

Xun Zhen was silent.

Seeing that he was just pondering, Fan Shang was a little anxious, and said: "Xunjun? What a rare opportunity, I can't let it go! Last year, I heard that the pavilion chief of Ximen Pavilion in Xu County was promoted to the county middle Zuowei. Zuowei, that is the county. Chief officer, it's Ming Qing! Why does he have such a high position? It's just because he killed a few robbers! And the goods that the robbers robbed are less than 100,000 yuan~www.wuxiahere.com~The Huang family ate Leopard gall, we will start with a million, we have to report this matter to the official temple? ..., Pavilion Master, don't you jump over the Dragon Gate?"

"Then the Huang family dominates the county, even if this is true, you dare to ruin his good deeds?"

"If this is true, the Huang family will be severely punished. The tiger that was killed is not scary!"

I don't know whether to say that Fan Shang is daring, or whether to say that he is blind.

Xun Zhen asked Wu Gui: "You said that Uncle Wu came to step in our pavilion, but is the Huang family planning to do it in this pavilion?"

"should be."

"Then when will the North Malaysian merchants arrive?"

"This, the villain doesn't know."

Xun Zhen didn't ask him any more, and turned around and walked out of the prison. The Fan brothers followed and asked, "How is it, Jun Xun?"

"Whether the matter is true or not, now is not the right time to report it."

The Fan brothers looked at each other in dismay: "What do you mean by this?"

Of course, Xun Zhen wouldn't tell them. First, he was still suspicious of the matter, and secondly, even if the matter was true, he didn't plan to report it to the county magistrate.

"However..." he thought, "If there is such a thing, I can do something about it."

These words can't be said outright, and he and the Fan brothers are not close enough to speak out. He smiled and said, "If this is false, after we report it, wouldn't it not only offend the Huang family, but also give the county a bad impression?"

"Then what?"

"Of course, we have to find out first. . . . In this way, you two brothers will leave one person on duty in the pavilion, and one person will go out. Go to the various places in the pavilion to see if there are really outsiders living there. If there is , then quietly inquired about the name, and came back and told me."

The Fan brothers were overjoyed and said, "Xun Jun is cautious, as it should be!"