Chapter 5, Staging Accidents
Amidst the crowd on the street, a dozen or so burly men, with their faces full and rough, boldly opened their clothing even in the dead of winter, revealing their hairy chests and tattoos of fierce beasts and birds of prey on their torsos, suddenly sprang out from the throng.
The person's voice was extremely piercing, akin to a wild wolf howling in agony after having its tail severed
With both hands tucked into his sleeves, humming a lighthearted tune, Lu Zhen walked down the steps amidst the warm greetings of the welcoming attendants, stepping on the accumulated snow, heading towards the direction of the Tian'en Marquisate to the north
Bai Qiong cupped his hands in salute to the middle-aged man
The middle-aged man gently waved his hand and said indifferently, "It's just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning. To be frank, if he were a direct descendant of the Lu family, it would indeed be difficult to take action against him. The Jingyang Lu family, what a colossal entity it is?"
Bai Qiong filled a glass of wine for himself and the middle-aged man, and with a light laugh, said: "Therefore, Brother Nian, rest assured that your two nephews will surely rank among the top in next year's spring examination at the Imperial Academy and secure that place in the academy."
Take it to the government office to claim the reward, haha, it's only right that the brothers make a little fortune
The middle-aged man sighed and raised his wine glass: "In any case, it is for the future of our own children and nephews. We, as elders, toil our entire lives for what? Is it not for those younger generations? For my niece, we cannot allow such a greedy, rampant, talentless, and immoral scoundrel to bring harm to her."
As the year-end teacher appreciation banquet for the clan studies reached its climax, Lu Chen excused himself, citing his inability to handle alcohol, and left early
These warriors, equipped with crossbows on their backs, swords at their waists, and holding eight-foot-long black and red fire and water staffs, marched in an orderly formation, their heavy footsteps closely following the巡坊御史.
The entire street is brightly lit, offering an excellent view
On the seventh floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the farewell banquet for the Lu clan's academic achievements was at its most lively moment
This person just rushed out from the street corner, and Lu Zhen immediately noticed him
My mother! The young man cried out in anguish, half of his face swelling at a visible rate, blood and water spraying from the corner of his mouth, a few slightly yellowed teeth following the blood and water.
As the New Year approaches, whether one is a person of high status or an ordinary citizen, nowadays everyone has both money and leisure time. Why not take advantage of the days leading up to the New Year to enjoy some leisure activities?
Just as the words were spoken, Lu Zhen swiftly raised his right hand and delivered a resounding slap to the young man's face
Lu Zhen was walking leisurely down the street when suddenly, at the intersection of a cross street ahead, a figure dashed out. Perhaps due to the slippery road or the blinding snow and wind, the figure exclaimed "ouch" and collided sideways into Lu Zhen's chest.
An elegant establishment, to the west lies a grand seven-story building standing majestically by the canal
In that case, since others are capable of employing such underhanded tactics, Lu Zhen will naturally not show any mercy.
These men shouted loudly, filled with righteous indignation
The youth, staggering in his steps, let out a mournful howl as he was lifted three feet off the ground, his body spinning in the air like a top for seven or eight revolutions, carried by the sound of the wind, before crashing down over ten feet away, landing in a pitiful manner.
On the top floor of Qionghua Pavilion, in a delicately furnished elegant room, Bai Qiong was toasting and enjoying drinks with a middle-aged man dressed in a light red long robe, wearing a rhinoceros horn belt at his waist, a five-beam gauze crown on his head, and stepping on one-inch thick white-soled official boots
Dozens of burly men pounced on Lu Zhen, each one howling like a ghost as they flew into the air, more tragically than the young man from earlier, spinning in the air, spitting blood, and crashing heavily onto the snow-covered street
The young man, who had fallen to the ground and was repeatedly exclaiming that the family heirloom had been shattered, waved his hands and nearly lunged at Lu Zhen.
The person struggled on the ground for a moment, then suddenly raised their head, revealing a thin, fairly handsome face, but with eyes that darted around shrewdly, exuding an air of cunning.
The person suddenly got up from the ground, opened his arms, and lunged towards Lu Zhen, his gaunt face displaying an inexplicable excitement as he shouted hoarsely: "You broke my family's heirloom at https://m.hetushucom.com, compensate me, compensate me!"
The patrol inspector collaborates with the street patrol officer, specifically responsible for maintaining public order in the city of Chang'an, overseeing curfew patrols, capturing thieves and bandits, apprehending wrongdoers, as well as managing market hygiene, fire prevention, water safety, and other related duties, all of which fall within their scope of authority
These vile scoundrels must surely be the notorious criminals on the wanted list
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the building, as cups clinked and wine flowed, the aroma of food and drink wafting for miles in the breeze
On the plaque of the tall building, there are also three gilded characters: 'Qiong Hua Ge'
Behind the inspecting official, there were dozens of formidable warriors dressed in black attire, wearing soft armor made of rhinoceros skin on their upper bodies, and adorned with short black capes
The middle-aged man fell silent for a moment before slowly saying: "To apprehend someone in public, with solid witness and material evidence, the subsequent conviction process is straightforward. Once a conviction is established and the case documents are finalized, it becomes an ironclad case, with no one able to find any flaws. However, if we fail to apprehend the person on the spot, and if we need to go to the Tian'en Marquis's residence to take someone... the price for Brother Nian must be increased!"
A dozen or so Han soldiers surrounded him from all directions, and in an instant, they closed in to within seven or eight feet of Lu Zhen
Bai Qiong nodded vigorously: "What you said, Brother Nian, is absolutely correct! Uh, what about the person you arranged?"
The figure failed to collide with Lu Zhen, slipping underfoot and crashing heavily to the ground
Bai Qiong was in a daze for quite a while before gritting his teeth, stamping his foot, and sneering: "The monk may run away, but the temple cannot. Next, I will trouble you, Brother Nian, to take extra care."
A巡坊御史 dressed in a blue robe, with a unicorn pattern embroidered on his chest, pressed his hand on the sword at his waist, blew a bamboo whistle, and strode vigorously towards this direction.
By the time the inspector and his men arrived at the scene, Lu Zhan had long since vanished without a trace. On the ground lay a dozen or so Han soldiers and a single 'victim' wailing and spitting blood. In the dim light of the lanterns, dozens of large teeth were faintly visible on the street, particularly glaring.
Report to the authorities, report to the authorities, where is the patrol inspector? Where is the patrol officer?
And as the snowflakes danced like *pictures*, they slightly leaned towards Lu Zhen's body, swirling and sliding off to the side. Lu Zhen's thick cotton coat was clean and spotless, showing no traces of water or snow.
Bai Qiong just laughed: "He is merely a destitute young man! Although his surname is Lu, there are hundreds of thousands of people from the Lu clan in Jingyang!"
Several burly men reached for Lu Zhen's arms, while a few others had already drawn short sticks and iron rulers, viciously striking at Lu Zhen's waist, back, and thighs
Just like the previous three years of Jiayou 15, Jiayou 16, and Jiayou 17
Help! Someone has been killed!
This is the top brothel of Anlefang, which also ranks among the forefront of the "Thirty-Six Notable Towers" in the city of Gaogjing. On ordinary days, the dignitaries and nobles of Anlefang often enjoy drinking, admiring flowers, and reveling through the night here
The middle-aged man is in a daze
Take him down, take him down, what a fierce person, ah, does he still dare to beat the victim
As time passed slowly, the door of the private room where the two were located was suddenly knocked on.
The middle-aged man set down his wine cup and said calmly: "After all, he is of the Lu family. The Duke of Tian'en is also a person who is both favored and unreasonable."
Catch him, catch him, this fellow is robbing in the street, I am a witness
It is indeed you! It is indeed for this trivial matter!" Lu Zhen chuckled coldly, saying: "If that is the case, then this year, let it be that I break both legs! To break all three legs would be a bit too cruel. Tsk, why am I so kind-hearted?"
This building is entirely in a shade of blue, adorned with hundreds of lanterns, though the lanterns are in a subtle pink hue
White and dull
Take it down, take it down
Moreover, with the constant flow of people, it is not merely a case of jostling shoulders, but rather a bustling scene of vehicles and crowds in great numbers
A dozen or so burly men, who had originally been shouting and making a fuss, suddenly became invigorated, their demeanor shifting from a rather lazy attitude to one of focus, as they each lunged towards Lu Zhen with swift and forceful movements.
Take it down, take it down
A white linen cloth package flew out from the shadowy figure's hand and landed with a 'thud' at Lu Chen's feet
How ominous, how ominous
Some street vendors, such as those selling wontons, fried cakes, hand-pulled noodles, and various small trinkets, have torches and lanterns lit at their stalls
In that moment, Lu Jun's eyes were filled with confusion
"Zhi" took a sip of the old wine and smiled at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him, saying: "Brother Nian, I would appreciate your assistance with this matter."
With long hair simply tied back in a long ponytail, wearing a loose-fitting blue cloth front-open cotton coat, the somewhat shabby Lu Chen stepped out of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, standing on the steps in front of the door, looking up at the sky filled with red clouds and heavy snowflakes falling like goose feathers.
Braving the strong wind and heavy snow, Lu Zhenshun walked slowly along the street, his stature upright like a tall green bamboo, his demeanor calm like an old pine tree weathered by frost, showing no signs of distress, almost as if he were enjoying a leisurely spring outing under a gentle breeze and light clouds
On that day, in the evening
The inspectors and the patrolling officers were still seven or eight zhang away from Lu Zhan. Lu Zhan raised his right hand, using the large sleeve to cover half of his face, bent his body down, and swiftly slipped into the crowd, resembling an oiled catfish, disappearing without a trace in just a few moments.
As he watched the chaos on the street, Bai Qiong took a hearty sip of wine and said, "Brother Nian, thank you for your efforts!"
A shadow stumbled towards him, and Lu Zhen seemed like a paper figure made of thin paper, weightless and floating, as he was blown back seven or eight feet by a cold wind that blew directly at him
Not far away, at the street corner where the young man who was just beaten had rushed out, a sharp sound of a bamboo whistle was heard
Earlier, at the teacher appreciation banquet, Lu Chen deliberately mentioned the name of Bai Qiong while toasting to the academic dean, Lu Jun.
Bai Qiong's face became wrinkled, and he rubbed his hands together, beginning to haggle with the middle-aged man
This palm strike was incredibly heavy, as if a hammer had come crashing down.
Lu Zhen stared wide-eyed, intensely alert as he fixed his gaze on that person
After a considerable amount of time, the middle-aged man murmured, "It seems that Brother Nian did not mention that this young man possesses such skills in *Tu* and *Shu*?"
Gentlemen, shall we engage in a game of pairing?
The middle-aged man leisurely picked up a piece of succulent stewed fish belly and waved his hand dismissively, saying: "Just a trivial matter, merely a ... ... "
The pedestrians all around erupted in a clamor, and many turned to look this way, pointing and gesturing towards us.
At that moment, a series of earth-shattering slaps resounded.
A delicate and crisp voice came from outside the door
If someone were to come closer to take a look, they would discover that not a single flake of the cold snow whipped up by the strong wind could land on Lu Zhan's body
Accompanied by the crisp sound of the cloud board, Lu Junzheng, the scholar of the Lu clan, sang aloud, delivering a gentle and melodious rendition of "Yan Er Mei" that was enchanting to the core, truly embodying the charm of a top courtesan from a brothel.
The sky was dim, and hundreds of large red lanterns were lit up on the tall buildings, illuminating the ancient brown-colored structures. The three gilded characters "Drunken Immortal Residence" on the more than one zhang long golden sign were clearly visible from a distance.
As the New Year approaches, numerous lanterns have been lit in the restaurants, brothels, shops, and inns along both sides of the street
The crowd on the street quickly parted to both sides, with countless people shouting in unison, "Make way, make way, the Imperial Censor is coming!"
Lu Zhen understood that in recent years, Lu Jun had deliberately made things difficult for him within the clan studies, intentionally undermining his reputation in the Lu clan, and even allowing the notorious labels of being 'uneducated' and 'unambitious' to spread widely. It was indeed related to Bai Qiong, or rather, to the Bai family.
Across the street, diagonally opposite to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, there is also a seven-story building
The bamboo blinds made of Xiangfei bamboo in the elegant room are pulled up, allowing a clear view of the bustling street outside through the sparkling crystal window
With a flushed face and a slight hint of intoxication, Bai Qiong held up a wine glass, grinning broadly through the window, his fierce gaze fixed on Lu Chen, who was strolling leisurely down the street.
Oh dear, my treasure, the ancestral white porcelain plum vase with a dragon knob from the Meizhou official kiln, worth thousands of guan!