Return of the Swallow

Beijuxianfang is located in the north of Kyoto City, close to Chong'anmen in the north city. The population here is not dense, but there are several large families located here.

The "Yongkang Hutong" that the shopkeeper Zhong Da cited Qin Yining to look at was a secluded place near Chong'anmen. There are no big houses around, but some ordinary people. In the depths of the alley, a black lacquered gate can be seen. Outside the gate, there are two idle men squatting on the ground and knocking their teeth.

Just when the carriage passed by, the sound of the wheels rolling alarmed the two tall men to look back here, and Qin Yining hurriedly narrowed the gap in the curtains.

"Good alert man."

"Yeah, thanks to my cleverness, the person I arranged was not discovered. These two men wanted to come here to guard the alley." The shopkeeper Zhong Da pointed to a few places outside: "Those who are wandering on the street here are often Their people. Although this house is small in appearance, it is a sophomore yard inside, so it is not a problem to live in a hundred or eighty people."

Qin Yining nodded, "It's really strange here. Is this the only exit here? Are there other exits?"

"When I got home, I ordered someone to check it. There are only two front and rear doors in this house. There is also a dog hole on the side street, and there is no exit from the ground next to it."

"Um."

Qin Yining nodded slightly, and the carriage had already passed by when he spoke. The driver hesitated to slow down, wondering if he should turn around.

Qin Yining said, "Don't look back, go straight ahead, take a few more detours and go to the back of this house to have a look."

Hearing that, the driver should go straight ahead.

The idle man guarding the gate in the hutong and the man on both sides of the road noticed the man in the carriage, and when they saw the carriage was going straight away, they put down their guard, only assuming that they were people passing by by chance.

Qin Yining frowned and pondered.

This place is indeed unusual. The stature of the person who guards the gate, plus the investigation of the storekeeper Zhong Da, shows that the Tatars really live in this house.

But after all, this is the capital of the capital. Under the emperor's eyes, and the city's defenses are tight, these Tartars are entrenched here. Could it be that no one has noticed?

What's more, the Beicheng Commanding Division of the Wucheng Soldiers and Horses Division is located in Beijuxianfang, and the Beicheng Water Dragon Bureau is also here. These two are serious court yamen. If it is true that the Tartar spies live here, they will choose one. Is it close to the North City Command Department and the Water Dragon Bureau? Isn't that looking for exposure?

but,

Qin Yining looked at it like this, and the people in the house were indeed Tatars.

The more I think about it, the more strange it feels.

The carriage had already circled a long way, and turned back to the back door of the mansion just now.

The backyard wall of this house is obviously higher than the houses on both sides. There is indeed a back door, but it is not like there are men squatting at the front door. Maybe it is imitating the neighbors around, and no one else is looking at the back door. If they send someone to watch The door is three hundred taels of silver here.

"This place looks like an ordinary house, but the guards are as tight as iron barrels. If you want to investigate, you can't start." The shopkeeper Zhong Da sighed: "I wanted to send someone to go in, but I was afraid that I would be scared by the grass, and I was exposed first if I failed. Not good."

Qin Yining nodded and said: "Indeed, it is impossible to forcibly investigate here. You think, this house is so close to the yamen, and the people of the Wucheng Army and Horse Division are responsible for patrolling the city every day, don't they know anything about it? If they knew , and condone, then there is a deep meaning in it."

The shopkeeper Zhong Da is a smart person. Qin Yining understood after just half a sentence, and his expression became serious.

"If that's the case, it's really not easy to investigate directly."

Qin Yining nodded.

For a moment, Qin Yining wanted to give up investigating the matter.

Anyway, the Tartars also assassinated the emperor, and the emperor will naturally have elites to investigate.

However, if you don't continue to investigate the clues you have obtained, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no more troubles in the future.

The Tartars can assassinate the Dingguo's wife, her, and her father. Things will never be easy. Besides, these people are still hiding in the capital and have not left, which means that they still have other tasks. Will be the next assassination against her family.

Thinking of this, Qin Yining put out his retreat.

Raising his eyes, he happened to see a team of soldiers patrolling the city passing by. Qin Yining, the leader, knew him, but it was Xu Mao, the commander of the East City Commander of Wucheng Soldiers and Horses, who had a relationship at the Xiangu Temple.

Although Qin Yining wondered how Xu Mao would lead people to patrol the North City, he didn't think about it, but seized the opportunity to stop the carriage, lifted the curtain and gave Bingtang a few words.

Bingtang immediately understood, jumped out of the car and went to Xu Mao.

The shopkeeper Zhong Da didn't know why, so he looked at Qin Yining inquiringly.

Qin Yining watched Xu Mao's reaction carefully.

Not long after, Xu Mao really followed Bingtang to the carriage.

Qin Yining didn't care too much. He lifted the curtain of the car and bowed to Xu Mao as a salute: "Lord Xu, long time no see."

"It turned out to be Miss Qin." Xu Mao's attitude towards Qin Yining was much more respectful than before, which shows that Qin Huaiyuan's status as a marquis after facilitating the peace talks.

Qin Yining smiled and said, "If you rashly ask Master Xu, little girls are often offended."

"Where is it, what is Miss Qin's order, but it doesn't matter."

Qin Yining said: "Just now, the little girl and her servants passed by here, and she accidentally dropped a gold-encrusted jade bracelet. The jade on the bracelet is very good and worth a lot of silver. I saw a tall man pick it up with my own eyes. , my servant called him, but he was flying with his feet and entered this house with my bracelet."

Having said this, Qin Yining pointed to the yard where the Tatars lived: "So the little girl wants to trouble the adults to help find the bracelet."

As soon as Xu Mao heard Qin Yining begging him to help him find a bracelet, he felt contempt in his heart. It was indeed a family of mothers, and he only knew some trivial things.

However, when he heard that the bracelet was picked up by a man, and that man entered the house, his face became solemn.

After thinking about it, Xu Mao accompanied him with a smile: "Miss Qin throws a bracelet, it's nothing. If you really like that bracelet, you can buy one and pay it back to you. It's just that the house is a servant, but you can't search it. , Don't say that Miss is just a one-sided remark, even if there are other evidences, the lower officials have no right to do so."

Hearing this, Qin Yining said arrogantly: "But I clearly saw that the person in the house took my bracelet, and the bracelet is very valuable. Does Master Xu also refuse to help?"

Xu Mao was a little impatient, "It's not that I don't help, but Cao Guozhang personally explained that the people living here are all big people, and they can't be touched easily. I advise Miss Qin to live in peace."

Qin Yining's heart jumped when he heard Cao Guozhang, the arrogance on his face changed to fear, and said embarrassingly: "Forget it, it's just a gold bracelet, it's not a big deal."

Seeing that Qin Yining knew each other and didn't clamor for her gold bracelet, Xu Mao breathed a sigh of relief, cupped his hands, and continued to patrol.

Qin Yining lowered the curtain of the car and urged people to leave quickly and head back to the Tayun Inn.

Shopkeeper Zhong Da and Qin Yining took their seats in the main room. Qin Yining instructed Ji Yun and Bingtang to stay outside and not allow anyone to come near and listen to their conversation.

When there were only the two of them left in the house, the shopkeeper Zhong Da said worriedly, "Do you still want to continue investigating?"

"Yes. Since these people have been assassinated twice, there is no guarantee that there will be a third or fourth time. How can I stay with such hidden dangers?"

Shopkeeper Zhong Da nodded and said in agreement: "It's just that it's not easy to get rid of them, and it's impossible to investigate."

Qin Yining also felt embarrassed.

If one were to be arrested for interrogation alone, it would not be difficult to arrest them, but not to mention whether the other party would commit suicide without giving them a chance to interrogate them, the consequences of stunning the snake were not small, but it would affect their future work.

What if I tell my father about it?

After all, my father was an official in the court, so many things are not easy to do by myself, and Qin Huaiyuan knew about this matter. The most likely way is to go back to the emperor and let the emperor investigate. It's very complicated, and you don't know how to deal with it. Without any evidence, my father may be bitten by him.

It is certain to tell the father, but only after there is conclusive evidence that these men are Tartar spies. Otherwise, it is just suspicion, not convincing, and it will make people suspect that his father is making waves.

Thinking of this, Qin Yining's face became solemn.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Yining suddenly asked, "Treasurer Zhong Da, do we have anyone in the Water Dragon Bureau?"

The Water Dragon Bureau is linked to the military division of the five cities, and is specially responsible for the fire fighting in the city.

Shopkeeper Zhong Da seemed to understand something, and looked at Qin Yining with bright eyes, "There is indeed a brother who collects Yexiang in the Water Dragon Bureau."

Qin Yining was stunned when he heard the words, and then laughed: "Good for Yexiang, Zhao Yunsi is really crouching tiger, hidden dragon, and has a lot of connections. In this way, I'll ask the shopkeeper Zhong Da to find this brother, prepare three hundred taels of silver, and do After this matter, he doesn't need to accept Yexiang in the future, he can take the money to retire."

Shopkeeper Zhong Da nodded, "What's the owner's arrangement?"

Qin Yining asked the shopkeeper Zhong Da to come over and whispered the plan.

The shopkeeper Zhong Da nodded again and again, and finally said with emotion: "It's really young Feng Qing Yu Lao Feng Sheng, and the owner is worthy of being the daughter of 'Zhi Pan An'.

Qin Yining's face blushed after being praised, and he kept saying, "Don't say that, boss. I can do everything I can do with your help. Your willingness to help is my luck."

"Where, if there is no boss, our whole family would not know what to do, and the boss's orders will naturally obey. Don't worry, girl, just wait and watch a good show."

"Then there will be shopkeeper Lao Zhong, and I'm afraid I won't be able to be there at that time. I still have to trouble shopkeeper Zhong to do as I just explained."

The shopkeeper Zhong Da smiled and replied, "The boss can rest assured. This kind of thing, the old man is very familiar with it."

Qin Yining nodded and went back to the house with confidence.

For the next two days, there was no news outside, and Sun's body gradually improved.

Two days later, just after waking up early in the morning, shopkeeper Zhong Da sent a letter asking Qin Yining to reconcile the account.

Qin Yining hurriedly returned to the Sun family and brought Bingtang, Songlan and Jiyun to the house of the shopkeeper Zhong Da.

ps: sorry for being late!