Ci Jinzhi Chapter 230

 He Qingxiao took over Beizhen Fusi for just over a year. When Xiao Lengshi came, he not only brought his cronies with him, but also used people who were close to the former governor of Bei Town. Yan Chao and other people who wanted to express their gratitude to He Qingxiao dared not speak out in anger.

“You guys go to Qingsong Bookstore and invite Miss Kou to the Yamen.”

Following Xiao Lengshi's words, two Jinlin guards went to Qingsong Bookstore.

“Our boss has returned to Shaoqing's Mansion and is not in the bookstore.”

As soon as the two Jinlin guards left, Liu Zhou approached Shopkeeper Hu and said, "The two Jinlin guards who came today are unfamiliar to each other, and they look a bit fierce."

Shopkeeper Hu stroked his beard and thought: "Maybe it has something to do with that bizarre rumor. Jin Linwei wants to find out about the situation from his employer."

“Those people were so full that they even asked to come to the bookstore.”

Liu Zhou wanted to curse when he thought about a drunken scholar running up to him and grabbing his hand, begging him to hand over Mr. Songling.

The two of them chatted about this, thinking that Mr. He was an acquaintance of the bookstore, so they were not too worried.

After the two Jinlin Guards went back to report, they were scolded by Xiao Lengshi: "Since you said you were in Shaoqing's Mansion, why don't you go to Shaoqing's Mansion to invite you?"

The two Jinlin Guards who had been trained went out again. On the way to Shaoqing's Mansion, one of them expressed concern: "Looking at Master Xiao's attitude, I'm afraid he won't be too polite to Miss Kou. I heard that Miss Kou is friends with Master He." That's right, you won't blame Master He when he comes back, right?”

Another person sneered: "If you were afraid of Mr. He's blame, you should have surrendered long ago, but Mr. He has never looked at us."

The person who spoke first looked a little ugly.

Another person advised: "Why do you want to do so much? It is better for the county magistrate to take charge now. Mr. Xiao is in charge now, and we will listen to Mr. Xiao. If Mr. Xiao can finish the things I have told you today, Mr. He will not come back." We must go somewhere. If we perform well, maybe we will be lucky. It will be better than sitting on the bench before."

　　"Yes." The man completely let go of his entanglement.

 When they arrived at Shaoqing's residence, they dismounted and knocked on the door.

He quickly revealed the face of the servant: "You two gentlemen—"

“Is Miss Kou in your house?”

"exist…"

"We are from Fusi, Beizhen. Please, Miss Kou, please come with us. We adults have something to ask."

 “Oh, oh, wait a minute.”

The disciples were busy passing the news.

When the news reached Wan Qingju, Xin You thought for a while and told Xiaolian: "If I don't come back today, you should go back to the bookstore and let Shopkeeper Hu and others sell the third volume of "Journey to the West" tomorrow..."

Xin You explained in detail, and Xiao Lian became more and more worried as she listened: "Girl, is it dangerous for you to go... this time?"

“Don't worry too much, just prepare for a rainy day.” Xin You calmly comforted Xiao Lian, but was mentally prepared for this trip.

 The person who comes is not good.

 Two Jinlin guards were waiting in the flower hall. When they saw Xin You coming in, they immediately stood up.

"Miss Kou? Our Lord invites you to go to the Yamen."

 “I don't know who your lord is?”

 One of the Jinlin Guards looked impatient: "You will know when Miss Kou goes."

Xinyou confirmed his guess and asked no more questions.

The old lady was frightened: "Two gentlemen, my granddaughter is still just a little girl. Maybe there is some misunderstanding—"

A Jinlin guard interrupted the old lady: "Miss Kou was invited for questioning as the owner of Qingsong Bookstore."

The old lady was blocked by these words and went back, so she had to ask her confidant to give the two of them money.

“I hope you two gentlemen will take more care of you...”

After receiving the money, the two Jinlin Guards became a little better and took Xin You away. The old lady sighed heavily and couldn't help scolding: "This **** girl, if she didn't open a bookstore in the first place, why would she have so much trouble!"

 “Don't worry, old lady, my cousin will definitely be fine.”

The old lady still felt uneasy after thinking about it, so she sent someone to deliver a message to Duan Shaoqing.

This is not the first time Xin You has come to Beizhen Fusi. The last time I came here, I met the familiar or unfamiliar Jin Linwei along the way. What I received was a kind smile or a curious look.

But this time it was obviously different. A Jin Linwei who had been to the bookstore winked at her, implying that there was trouble in her trip.

The more this happened, the calmer Xinyou's face became, and she finally saw the person who wanted to see her.

He is a man in his thirties, with a long face and slender eyes, and a cold and stern temperament.

 Compared to the unparalleled Master He, this man looks more like the chief of Fusi in Beizhen.

"Sir, Miss Kou has brought her." For the sake of money, the Jinlin guard reminded, "This is our envoy, Mr. Xiao."

 “The daughter of the people has met Mr. Xiao.” Xin You knelt down and saluted, guessing the origin of this person.

Beizhen Fusi has only one Zhenfu envoy, and this person is also called Zhenfu envoy. He should be from Nanzhen Fusi.

Xiao Lengshi didn't speak either, and looked at the saluting girl with a scrutinizing gaze.

Her etiquette is thorough and her bearing is extraordinary. She is worthy of being a woman who has opened a prosperous bookstore and is famous in the capital.

 “I've heard about Miss Kou's reputation a long time ago, and when I saw her today, her reputation is indeed well-deserved.”

 “Master Xiao is full of praise.”

Xiao Lengshi waited deliberately, but when Xin You didn't take the initiative to ask, he secretly thought that a little girl was quite calm.

“I invited Miss Kou here today because I want to know something about Mr. Songling.”

 “The adults here asked before.”

Xiao Lengshi smiled: "Before was before, now is now."

“Then ask Mr. Xiao.”

“When did Miss Kou meet Mr. Songling for the first time? Where? What did she say?”

Faced with a series of questions from Xiao Lengshi, Xin You answered in an orderly manner: "The first time a civilian girl met Mr. Songling was in June last year, on her way back to Qingsong Bookstore from Shaoqing's Mansion. At that time, the bookstore posted a notice asking for a large amount of money. Manuscript…”

“The last time I saw Mr. Songling was in November last year…”

Xiao Lengshi listened very carefully and couldn't find any flaws in it.

“In other words, Miss Kou is the only one who has seen Mr. Songling?”

Xin You heard this with bad intentions and said calmly: "Minnu doesn't know whether the others have met Mr. Songling. Minnu only has business dealings with Mr. Songling because of the manuscript."

Xiao Lengshi looked at the calm girl and suddenly smiled: "Miss Kou is smart and smart, Xiao admires her, but -"

Xinyou waited for him to continue.

Xiao Lengshi leaned over slightly: "But Xiao doesn't believe that Miss Kou has no knowledge of Mr. Songling's whereabouts."

Xin You lowered his eyes: "Master Xiao doesn't believe it, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"Heh." Xiao Lengshi sneered, "Did Miss Kou also say that to Mr. He? It's a pity that Mr. He will be compassionate, but Xiao will not."

He stared at the calm girl, as if he was staring at the prey caught in the net, and the blue cloud he was about to step on.

Xiao Lengshi knew that Miss Kou was favored by Princess Zhaoyang and had entered the palace to meet noble people, but he would not be timid because of this.

He could feel the emperor's urgency to find Mr. Songling. As long as the job was done, it didn't matter if he caused a little embarrassment to a little girl.

Chapter end