son-in-law

Chapter 1066

Chapter 1066

The weather was gloomy, and the sound of shouting outside the house stopped at some point.

In a small room, Tang Minjie, who was thin and bearded, was curled up by the stove with a teacup in a daze, when he suddenly woke up.He raised his head, listened to the silent world outside, took a sip of water, reached out to wipe off some patterns on the ashes on the ground, and then slowly stood up.

Pushing open the door with difficulty, the wind and snow outside the house had stopped, and the rustling sound gradually began to appear in my ears, followed by the sound of people on the street and not many footsteps.

Looking at the sky, it is afternoon, but I don't know what time it is.Tang Minjie closed the door, made some calculations in his heart, and turned around to tidy up the coat he left.

When I put on the hat, my ears with chilblain hurt so badly that I wanted to tear it off with my hands. This is the bad thing in the north. Every winter with chilblains, my fingers, feet, and ears would all be damaged by frostbite. After arriving in Beijing, This situation is getting worse and worse, and it feels unbearably itchy on the hands and feet.

Lu Mingfang is much better in this respect.In fact, if he had considered this point earlier, he should have let himself go back to the south to enjoy a few days of blessings. With his alertness and talent, he would not be deceived by Mandu Dalu in the end, and end up with his kind of virtue.

Thinking of this, he put on the gloves with some difficulty, and then put on a tattered cloak with a scarf. The whole person was no longer recognizable.

This is one of the benefits of a heavy snow day. People on the street try to cover themselves as tightly as possible, and it is difficult to tell who is who.Of course, since Lu Mingfang's actions in Shangjing were relatively restrained and he did not make trouble on the surface, the interrogation of residents in the city was relatively relaxed here. He has Xiren's household registration, so most of the time he would not be made things difficult for him.

Leave the door of the temporary residence and walk south along the snow-covered road.This day is already October 21st, starting from August [-]th and rushing all the way to Shangjing, it is already the beginning of October of this year.Originally thought that Wu Qimai had passed away for such a long time, and the eastern and western prefectures should have fought to determine the new emperor's affiliation. However, the progress of the whole situation did not become so ideal.

For reasons he didn't understand, before his death, Wu Qimai revised his own edict. In the final edict, he withdrew his mandate for the next King of the Kingdom of Jin, and left the choice of the new king to Wanyan. The patriarchs of each branch of the family and Zhu Bo were elected by voting after a heated discussion.

This kind of discussion used to be the way the Jurchen clan was still in the tribal alliance stage in the early years. Theoretically speaking, Dajin, which is already a country, is very likely to bleed and split after such an accident.However, throughout October, the atmosphere in Shangjing was indeed chilling, and there were even emergency mobilizations of troops and small-scale fighting, but the bloodshed that really spread to the whole city was always contained at the most critical moment.

During the 20 days since he came to Beijing, Tang Minjie also roughly figured out the outline of the matter here through intermittent inquiries.

Right now, Shangjing City is in a stalemate stage of "Three Kingdoms".Just like what he once introduced to Xu Xiaolin, one side is Khurub Jilie Wanyan Zonggan who stands behind Zongfu Zongbi, and the other side is Wanyan Zongpan, Wu Qimai's son-in-law, and the third party belongs to the third party, who arrived at the end of September Zong Han and Xi Yin from Shangjing.

Theoretically speaking, Zong Han has lost the possibility of becoming the next Jin Emperor. As soon as they arrived in Beijing, they first met with Wanyan Zongpan who was at a disadvantage but still had a lot of momentum; after that, they visited various households , began to exaggerate the progress and terror of the Huaxia Army in the southwest; verbally demanded that the various branches of the Kingdom of Jin must put aside today's disputes and choose an emperor who satisfied everyone to deal with the next big threat that might come from the south.

If people like Zong Han and Xi Yin hadn't said such a thing, no one would have paid attention to it among the Jin people in Shangjing.But in any case, Zong Han's decades of fighting for the Kingdom of Jin have indeed accumulated a huge reputation and power for him. Others may suspect other things, but in Aguda, Wu Qimai, Zongwang, Lou Shi and others At the moment when he was gone, no one could really question his and Xi Yin's judgment on the battlefield, and in the hearts of many old people who were still surviving in the upper echelons of the Jin Kingdom, Zong Han and Xi Yin's heart for Da Jin was also true. After all, it has some weight.

In this way, the delicate balance in Shangjing has been maintained, and the winner has not been determined throughout October.

Of course, if we want to talk about the details, the whole situation is much more than such a little description can summarize.From September to October, countless negotiations and fights took place in the upper capital. Since the heads of each branch of the Wanyan clan have the right to vote this time, some respected elders were also invited to lobby everywhere, but the lobbying failed. , Naturally, there are also threats or even killing to solve the problem. This kind of balance almost broke the situation twice due to loss of control. The situation, and more broadly sell their "black flag threat theory".

If Shangjing had a team that was good at action, or if the incident happened in Yunzhong City, Tang Minjie might have to take a risk.But the situation he faced was not ideal. Although Lu Mingfang came here next, he was not familiar with Lu Mingfang's intelligence network here at the beginning. Under the policy of "going dormant", , he actually didn't want to wake up the comrades here on a large scale.

Having been in Shangjing for so long, there is only one reliable source of information, and out of prudence, the exchanges between the two parties are intermittent. If you really want to talk about first-hand information, it is extremely difficult to obtain.Of course, if you get it anyway, there is no action team-it's relieved to think about it this way.

Leaving the small alley in the civilian area here, when entering the main street, a car of a prince's family was driving by, and soldiers were cleaning the road nearby.Tang Minjie and a group of people knelt by the side of the road. When he looked up, it was Wanyan Zongfu's big carriage rushing away under the guard of soldiers, and he didn't know what was going to happen.

After this little episode, he got up and continued walking, turned around a street, and came to a relatively secluded small square full of snow.He circled his hands and wandered slowly around the neighborhood for a few times, checking for any suspicious signs. After about half an hour, the target person in a bloated gray suit came from the other side of the street, in a shabby small Open the door in front of the yard and enter the house inside.

Tang Minjie continued to wander around, and after another half an hour, he went to the gate of the small courtyard and knocked on the door.The door opened immediately—the man in gray stood at the door and quietly peeped outside—Tang Minjie stepped in, and the two walked towards the house inside.

The person in gray was a woman who seemed to be about 30 years old, with a dignified appearance and a small mole on the corner of her mouth.After entering the room with charcoal fire, she took off her coat, picked up the kettle and poured two cups of water. After Tang Minjie, who was terribly cold, picked up one cup, she took another cup and took a sip.

"How's the situation outside?" Tang Minjie's voice was slightly hoarse. The frostbite was so itchy that he couldn't help but gently tear off the scab on his hand.

"There is no progress." The woman said, "All I can find out now is some irrelevant gossip. To attract people like Wanyan Zongyi and Wanyan Ahuli, Sui Guogong and Mu Zong's lineage, I heard that they will arrive in Beijing in two days, and by then, all the heads of Wanyan's sects will be there, but I heard in private , Zonggan has not yet received the most support, and some people may not want them to enter the city too quickly. In fact, that's all...do you trust me?"

When she said the last sentence, Tang Minjie, who was subconsciously leaning against the fire, froze for a moment, looked over, and the woman's eyes also looked at him quietly.This woman's name is Cheng Min, and she was saved by Lu Mingfang in the early years, but she was engaged in the flesh and blood business in Goulan in Shangjing. She had collected a lot of information for Lu Mingfang in the past, and was gradually developed.Although Lu Mingfang said that she was trustworthy, he was dead after all, and he had only met a few times, so Tang Minjie was still vigilant after all.

After the eyes met for a moment, Tang Minjie tilted his head: "I believe in Lao Lu."

The woman nodded: "You're too cold to enjoy the fire, stay away." Then she picked up the wooden basin in the house, scooped up hot water, added some snow into it, put a towel and brought it over.

"Sit down." She said, pushing Tang Minjie on the stool, "If you have these chilblains, don't worry about warming the fire, the more you burn it, the worse it will be. You can't wash it with cold water or hot water, you can only warm it slowly." wipe……"

As she said so, she squatted there and wiped Tang Minjie's hands lightly several times, and then got up to wipe the chilblains and pus from his ears.The woman's movements are light and skillful, but she also appears firm. At this time, she doesn't feel like a flirtatious girl, but Tang Minjie is somewhat uncomfortable.After the woman finished wiping her hands and ears, took out a small cloth bag from the side, and took out the small box inside, he asked, "What is this?"

"For chilblains, smell it." She understood the vigilance in the other party's heart, and passed the thing over directly. Tang Minjie smelled it, but naturally couldn't distinguish clearly, so the other party said: "You have come here so many times, if I If you really voted for the golden man, if you want to catch you, you should have been caught long ago, right?"

Tang Minjie looked at her: "I've kept back, if something happened to me, you must die too."

"That's fine." The woman smiled calmly, took the medicine box directly, picked out the ointment inside, and began to apply the medicine to him, "It's not something that can be done once or twice, the main thing is to pay more attention to it."

After applying the medicine on her hands and ears, she put the water basin on the ground, and pulled up one of Tang Minjie's feet to take off her shoe. Tang Minjie struggled a bit: "My foot is fine."

"After entering the door, I can see that your feet are itchy, just like your hands and ears. You don't need to look outside."

"I'll go back by myself..."

Before Tang Minjie finished speaking, the other party had already pulled off his boots, and the room was filled with a stench.Being in a foreign land caused all sorts of inconveniences, Tang Minjie hadn't even showered for nearly a month, and the smell of his feet was hard to describe.But the other party just moved his face back a little, and slowly and carefully took off his socks.

The chilblains ooze pus from the shoes, and most of the time they will clump together with the socks. Tang Minjie feels a little embarrassed, but Cheng Min doesn't care: "I've been in Beijing for so many years, all I've learned is to serve others, you stinky men are like this .nothing."

She took off Tang Minjie's shoes and socks, then soaked them in warm water for a while, then took out a piece of cloth to scrub him slowly.Tang Minjie remained vigilant in his heart: "You are very good at observation."

"If they hadn't learned how to look at words and expressions, how to get information, they wouldn't always talk about many things." The woman sitting in front smiled slightly, "By the way, how did Lao Lu die?"

"I killed him." Tang Minjie said, "He could go south alone, but I rescued a woman and asked him to take care of him on the way south. I didn't expect this woman to be followed by the golden dog for several years... ..."

When Tang Minjie said this, there was a moment of silence in the room, and the woman's hands didn't stop moving, only after a while did she ask: "Did you die happily?"

"Not caught."

"That's a good thing."

"You and old Lu..."

"We're fine." The woman wiped his feet and applied medicine to him, then raised her head and smiled, "I'm like me, so I can't dirty a hero like him."

"..."

Tang Minjie was speechless for a moment, the woman finished applying the medicine to him, picked up the wooden basin and stood up: "It can be seen that you are similar people, you are more vigilant than Lao Lu, and you have been paying attention from beginning to end. This is a good thing, you Only those who can do great things can do great things, and those who take it lightly will die. Don’t wear socks, I’ll look for rags and sew a new one for you.”

A pair of socks had been worn for such a long time that they were almost too dirty, but Tang Minjie shook his head: "No, it's late, if there is no other important news, let's meet again in a few days."

The woman nodded: "That's not in a hurry, at least let your feet dry."

The medicine was applied on the feet, and the coolness was very comfortable, and Tang Minjie didn't want to leave immediately.Of course, on the other hand, physical comfort always made him feel a little uncomfortable and a little uneasy—he hated feeling comfortable in the enemy's place.

When the woman poured water and came in, Tang Minjie said: "You...why do you have to stay in that kind of place..."

The woman put down the wooden basin, and replied with a natural expression: "I was taken captive when I was more than ten years old. I was defiled by those beasts and survived. By the time I met Lao Lu, I had already...lived in that kind of life It’s been six or seven years, and to be honest, I’m used to it. As you said, I’m good at observing people’s words, and being able to inquire about old Lu’s news, I think it’s revenge. I hate you in my heart, you know?”

When she said this, her words were frank and her smile was sweet, but Tang Minjie nodded slightly.

"...Later, Lao Lu managed to get me the identity of a Bohai woman. In Shangjing, I wouldn't be bullied like a Han woman. He also persuaded me to go back to the south and forget it. But what can I do if I go back, half my life here, everything, I really went back, I only feel pain in my heart when I think about it. But staying here to inquire about the news, I know that I have cut flesh on the Jurchen, so I feel better when I think about it."

She paused: "This yard is originally the home of the Bohai family. They died unexpectedly, and I got the household registration, so I come here from time to time..."

Speaking of this, there was a sudden sound of a gong in the distance outside the house, and it was unknown what happened.Tang Minjie's expression was shocked, and he was about to get up suddenly, when Cheng Min pressed his hand on the opposite side: "I'll go out and have a look."

She put on her coat and stepped out.Tang Minjie also quickly put on his shoes and socks, put on his hat, reached out and picked up a hatchet nearby, and went out the door.The sound of gongs on the distant street was hurried, but it was not an ambush aimed at this side.He hid behind the courtyard door and looked out, and the pedestrians on the road hurried back. After a while, Cheng Min came back.

"Something happened." She said in a low voice, but there was excitement in her eyes, "I heard that the army outside was mobilized, and the Huben army went up the city wall. Maybe it's because Sui Guogong and the others are about to enter the capital, and someone wants to make trouble!"

Not all the clan heads of the Wanyan clan lived in Shangjing. After Wu Qimai's edict was officially announced, these people gathered in Shangjing.And once all the people arrived and the clan assembly was held, the ownership of the throne might be revealed. Under such a background, it was not surprising that some people hoped that they would arrive sooner, while others hoped that they would arrive later.And it is precisely in this kind of game that large-scale bloodshed may occur at any time, and then a major split within the entire Jin Kingdom will break out.

When Tang Minjie came here, he was looking forward to such waves.He thought for a while: "Can we go outside?"

"The army is under martial law, and when there are few people, it may be very conspicuous. If you live far away, or have been interrogated..." Cheng Min frowned at this point, and then said, "I think you should stay here for a while, Anyway, it's hard for me to go back, let's go together, if someone comes to the door, or if something really happens, it's good to have someone to take care of you. What do you say."

She looked at Tang Minjie, who hesitated for a moment.When he came to Shangjing, he couldn't trust anyone for a while, so he played some tricks and found a house from the black market to live temporarily. This was also to have a way out when dealing with Cheng Min.Although there is no large-scale hunt for black flag spies in the upper capital right now, other rumors are very tight, and they are interrogated, and they don't know what will go wrong.

After thinking about it this way, he finally said, "Okay, sorry to bother you."

Cheng Min looked at the shoes and socks on his feet again, and smiled helplessly: "I'll find you some rags to make socks for you first, and then I'll find something to eat."

It was dusk now, the sky was full of dark clouds, and it still looked like it might snow at any moment.The two walked into the room, preparing to wait patiently for the possible outcome of this night. In the dim city, a little bit of light began to light up.

"...The news widely circulated in the outside world now, there is a saying that... the ownership of the next emperor of the Jin Kingdom was originally a matter between Zong Gan and Zong Han, but Wu Qimai's son Zong Pan was ambitious and insisted on taking the position. Of course Wu Qimai disagreed at first..."

In the outer city, the army marched through the streets through the snow, and the atmosphere had become chilling.In the small courtyard here, the lights in the room were flickering, Cheng Min took out a needle and thread, mended the socks with rags, and at the same time told Tang Minjie the story about Wu begging to buy.

It's the beginning of a long night...

(End of this chapter)