Volume 6: Dream Record Chapter 383 Ouyang Xu's Loyal Servant Uncle De
"Master Xiao, Master Xiao, you must save my Yang family!"
"Master Xiao, your mother Shu Niang and I have been good sisters since we were young. I even held you in my arms when we were little. You must save us!"
"Master Xiao, you must save us!"
Hearing that the men in black were going to kill their entire family, Yang Zhiyuan and his wife could no longer hide, and hurriedly ran out of the main hall with a group of maids and servants, wanting to ask Yuan Xudong to save the Yang family. There were more than a hundred people in the Yang family, and these black-clad killers obviously intended to spare no one, even women, children, the elderly, the weak, maids or servants, they would kill them all, and then set fire to destroy the bodies!
At this time, a rapid gong sounded outside the courtyard. It turned out that the people nearby heard the explosion in Yang's mansion and rushed to check. Seeing this, Yuan Xudong looked at the black-clothed man in the lead and said with a smile:
"Brother in black, the people nearby are coming. You should go back first. I don't think your master would want this shady matter to be known to the world, right?"
"withdraw!"
After taking a deep look at Yuan Xudong who was fearless in the face of danger, the leading man in black made a prompt decision and ordered a retreat. Many men in black quickly and orderly withdrew from the Yang Mansion. Some of them carried the bodies and weapons of their dead companions, while others poured flaming oil all over the Yang Mansion, especially in Yang Zhiyuan's study, and then dropped a few burning torches. In an instant, the entire Yang Mansion was ablaze. The men in black retreated quickly like a tide, and then disappeared into the vast night.
The entire Yang Mansion was burned down. In order to avoid the fire and billowing smoke, under the leadership of Zhao Pan'er and Yuan Xudong, everyone ran to the backyard of the Yang Mansion, where there was a pond to hide in. They could also escape through the back door to avoid colliding with the men in black at the front door.
After a while, outside the courtyard, there was a rapid sound of gongs and the sound of people running and shouting:
"The fire is coming! The fire is coming!"
Seeing the flames rising from the Yang Mansion, the people nearby rushed to put out the fire. For a moment, there was a lot of noise. In the darkness, several men in black exchanged glances and dispersed in a hurry, as if no one had ever appeared. Soon, many people came to the pond with buckets to help put out the fire. All rescued. Yuan Xudong stayed with Zhao Pan'er, while the rather embarrassed Lao Jia and Gu Qianfan stayed together. Looking at Lao Jia and Gu Qianfan covered in blood, Yuan Xudong couldn't help but said with concern:
"Are you all right?"
"I won't die for now, thank you for what I did today!"
As he spoke, he saw several soldiers in black boots coming in. Gu Qianfan's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Yuan Xudong and others and whispered:
"Let's go, get out of here first!"
"good!"
After taking a look at the people from the Yang Mansion who survived the disaster, Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner, Gu Qianfan, and Lao Jia left quietly.
Because of the help of the flaming oil, the flames inside and outside the Yang Mansion were still rising to the sky. The fire could not be put out. After a long time, the yamen runners carried out the bodies one by one. The people stood outside the charred gate of the Yang Mansion and pointed and said:
“So many people died!”
"I heard that robbers came to our house and killed and set fire to the house, which is why so many people died!"
"Where did these bandits come from in Qiantang? I think they are more like pirates!"
"I heard from my brother-in-law that this group of masked killers are most likely the subordinates of General Chu of the Ninghai Army. The cloud-patterned sword used exclusively by the Ninghai Army was found at the scene. Everyone knows that General Chu of the Ninghai Army and Lord Yang have always been at odds!"
"Whether it was people sent by General Chu, or pirates really came ashore, so many people died at once, or it was Lord Yang's family. If the court really wants to investigate, Ning Haijun will not be able to escape responsibility, at least it will be a crime of dereliction of duty!"
"Be careful with your words. As common people, we should refrain from discussing matters related to adults. Be careful of what you say!"
"Yes, yes, Old Wang is really insightful. Whether it's General Chu of the Ninghai Army or Lord Yang, the transportation judge of Liangzhe Road, they are all high-ranking officials. It's better for us ordinary people to stop talking about them!"
…
Boom boom
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and soon, raindrops began to fall, and then it started to rain heavily. Yuan Xudong and Zhao Pan'er were soaked and in a miserable state. After leaving Yang's house, Gu Qianfan and Lao Jia separated from them, apparently busy investigating the matter of the men in black. Yuan Xudong was too lazy to wade into the muddy water, so he went back to Zhao's Tea House with Zhao Pan'er. However, it started to rain heavily halfway. He didn't bring an umbrella, and there was no place to shelter from the rain. He was instantly soaked like a drowned chicken. While running in the rain, Zhao Pan'er looked at Yuan Xudong and asked loudly:
"The Imperial City Division is known as the emperor's eyes and ears, and they are sent to patrol the entire country. Gu Qianfan is the commander from Tokyo. They are like a living hell. For a case as serious as the Yang Mansion, they shouldn't let it go just because they protect each other, right?"
In the heavy rain, Yuan Xudong looked at Zhao Paner beside him and asked loudly:
"What do you mean by officials protecting each other?"
A flash of lightning struck the sky, and the sky became as bright as day. Then there was a rumbling thunder. Yuan Xudong was shocked. He had sworn many times that he would be struck by lightning. If he was really struck by lightning, it would be too tragic!
Zhao Pan'er didn't know that Yuan Xudong was afraid of thunder, so she continued:
"When I came out of Yang's house, I saw a big footprint on the bluestone slab. Only soldiers would wear that kind of boots. There was also the crossbow arrows they used. The words Qiantang were engraved on the arrows. All the arrows were cast by each county and had the logo of each county government on them. You can tell with a simple check. You can also see that those men in black are from the government, right?"
Looking at the silent Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner continued:
"These men in black obviously want to wipe out the entire Yang family. Their real target should be Yang Yunpan, or some important item in Yang Yunpan's hand. The people from the Imperial City Bureau were just involved in this massacre by chance. Could it be because of the Night Banquet Picture?"
Hearing the words "Night Banquet Map", and thinking of the walking task assigned by the system, Yuan Xudong looked at Zhao Pan'er deeply and said:
"Yang Zhiyuan's position is not low. He knows best what he has in his hands, or who he has offended. The officialdom in Jiangnan has long been a den of snakes and rats. From top to bottom, officials protect each other. The smarter people tend to die earlier. Don't meddle in other people's business. If you really provoke these dog officials, they will dare to kill even the royal relatives!"
"That's it, then?"
Zhao Pan'er thought of those innocent servants of the Yang Mansion who were killed, and felt a little sad. These servants were all very nice and often went to her Zhao's Tea Shop to drink tea. They got to know each other after a few visits. The maid who opened the door for her was one of them. It was a pity that she was killed by those men in black. Even her body was burned beyond recognition, and it was impossible to recognize what she looked like. These maids and servants were all poor people. They were bought by the Yang Mansion. They were probably dead, and there would only be a dozen new graves on the mass grave!
Looking at Zhao Pan'er who was somewhat indignant, Yuan Xudong frowned slightly and said:
"There are so many corrupt officials in this world, including my father. They are all damned dogs. If we kill a group of them, the people who replace them will be the same. For example, the Ouyang Xu you mentioned will definitely be the same when he becomes an official. These so-called scholars have studied hard for more than ten years, not for wealth and glory, but for the sake of power and supremacy. Is it for the sake of caring about the common people?"
Without waiting for Zhao Pan'er to refute, Yuan Xudong continued:
"Of course, there are good and honest officials who speak up for the people, but they are rare. In my opinion, all people in this world, whether they are peddlers, emperors, or scholars, should be equal. The court also distinguishes between lowly and good people. In essence, the Song Dynasty court is the largest group of corrupt officials, and below it are small groups of corrupt officials. But this is human nature. Who doesn't want to be born as a superior person and trample on the people below to bully others?"
At this point, Yuan Xudong looked at Zhao Paner, who looked slightly stunned, and said with a smile:
“It’s funny to say that corrupt officials are like this, but the common people are the same. They also hope that their sons will study hard, pass the imperial examinations and become officials in the future, so as to bring honor to their family!
My father was a child of a poor family. He passed the imperial examination at the age of 24, and then married into the Gu family. With the support of my grandfather, Gu Shenyan, the former Minister of Rites, he rose to prominence step by step. Later, when he became powerful enough, he rebelled against the Gu family. Now he is going to be the prime minister, second only to the emperor, and above everyone else!
He is a man who came from a poor family, but he looks down on those poor boys. He only has eyes for famous and noble families like the Gu family and the Gao family. Do you understand what I mean?
"Birthplace is not important. What matters is that the butt determines the head. A poor boy has the ideas of a poor boy. When he really becomes an official, he will no longer be the same person!"
After listening to Yuan Xudong's words, Zhao Pan'er disagreed:
"I believe in Ouyang's character. He is not the kind of person you said. He will definitely be a good official in the future!"
"Then we'll just have to wait and see. Most of the loyal people are butchers, and most of the unfaithful people are scholars!"
…
It was raining heavily, and the sky changed from dim to moonlit, until the sun rose with gorgeous morning glow. Yuan Xudong and Zhao Pan'er found a dilapidated temple to hide from the rain for a night. Fortunately, Yuan Xudong had prepared a lot of modern living supplies in his dimensional space. Watching Yuan Xudong take out a lot of strange clothes and food out of thin air like magic, Zhao Pan'er's eyes opened wide, she was very cute!
After a night, Yuan Xudong used a lighter to make a fire to dry the clothes he and Zhao Pan'er were wearing. In order to avoid shocking the world, Yuan Xudong and Zhao Pan'er changed their modern clothes into ancient clothes. During this process, Yuan Xudong couldn't help but take a peek. They were white and tender, which made Yuan Xudong's heart beat fast. He wanted to suck them and taste how they tasted!
On the way back to the city, Zhao Pan'er's face was red. Although she secretly blamed Yuan Xudong for being a pervert, she couldn't help but approach him and said shyly with a blushing face:
"Where is that Middle-earth? I have seen foreigners with blond hair and green eyes, but they don't know magic either."
"The gods also have black hair and black eyes, but we don't know how to use magic, right?"
Looking at Zhao Paner who was like a curious baby, Yuan Xudong said with a smile that he was bored last night, so he took out his mobile phone to look at it. Although there was no network and service provider, Yuan Xudong downloaded a lot of stand-alone games, movies, music, novels, etc. when he traveled through time. He also brought a solar panel generator, a hand-cranked generator, etc.
Yuan Xudong watched the Lord of the Rings series of fantasy movies to kill time. Zhao Paner couldn't help but take a look and then was completely fascinated. During the movie, Yuan Xudong took the opportunity to touch her twice but she didn't care too much. Later, Yuan Xudong just hugged Zhao Paner and watched the movie until the sun rose. After Yuan Xudong put away his phone, Zhao Paner reluctantly ended her first movie-watching trip. Then she started asking Yuan Xudong a million questions.
Looking at Zhao Pan'er who seemed to be thinking about something, Yuan Xudong tempted her:
"Pan'er, that's a movie, just like the fairy tales told by storytellers. If you really want to see it, I also have fox spirits, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother, and a big iron bird that can fly in the sky. Its belly can hold hundreds of passengers, just like the carriages we have here. There is also a deep-sea ship, a super-large ship made entirely of steel, which can hold tens of thousands of people at a time. There are also going up to the moon and catching turtles in the five oceans, etc. Whatever you want to see, you can have it, all in that small mobile phone. It can be said to be all-encompassing. Do you want such a precious treasure?"
"don't want!"
Although she wanted it very much, Zhao Pan'er still refused stubbornly:
"Don't even think about tempting me. I don't want you to!"
"Yeah?"
Looking at Zhao Pan'er who was stubborn, Yuan Xudong teased her deliberately:
"If you don't want it, forget it. I'll give it to Yin Zhang and Yin Ping to cheer them up. They're sure to like it!"
"you……"
Looking at Yuan Xudong who was deliberately trying to anger her, Zhao Pan'er turned and left. Deep in her heart, she suddenly felt jealous of Song Yinzhang, her younger sister, and even Yinping, unconsciously. But when she thought of Ouyang Xu, she didn't know what to do. If she asked Yuan Xudong, he would definitely tell her that this was the inevitable result of a long-distance relationship: the man would marry someone else and the woman would fall in love with someone else, so they should just go their separate ways!
There was no conversation along the way. When they returned to Zhao's Teahouse, they saw an old man with a bag on his back wandering in front of his yard. Zhao Pan'er said uncertainly:
"Uncle De?"
Hearing Zhao Pan'er's voice, the old man called Uncle De quickly looked at her, bowed and saluted respectfully, saying:
"This old slave greets my lady!"
"Uncle De, why are you here?"
Seeing Ouyang Xu's old servant, Zhao Pan'er said excitedly:
"Where's Ouyang?"
Without waiting for Uncle De to answer, Zhao Pan'er gradually became nervous and said:
"Is he okay? He won't fail the exam again, right?"
"Oh, how can that be possible?"
Looking at Zhao Pan'er, Uncle De smiled with pride on his face:
"I have come back to tell you the good news. My master has been chosen by the Emperor of Jiying Palace as the third place in this year's imperial examination!"
"Tanhua?"
Hearing that Ouyang Xu had really passed the exam, Zhao Pan'er instantly became happy, with a smile on her face as bright as a flower, and she cried with joy:
"It's true, it's true, you, you come in quickly and tell me what happened to him in Tokyo!"
As she spoke, Zhao Pan'er opened the gate of Zhao's Tea House and ushered Uncle De into the yard, and she couldn't stop talking:
"You said he was really a fool. Why didn't you just write a letter? I asked you to run thousands of miles to pick me up. But he was right. There were so many books and boxes. I couldn't carry them all by myself. It was great to have your help. By the way, are we going to Tokyo by sea or by land this time?"
"My lady, don't be anxious. Let's take a long-term view. My master asked me to bring you a message. He said that since he is now an official, your status is..."
Seeing Zhao Pan'er so excited, Uncle De was a little embarrassed and didn't know how to start the next sentence, but for the future of his master, he had to speak out. At this time, seeing Yuan Xudong following Zhao Pan'er without saying a word, Uncle De was about to ask Zhao Pan'er who this young man was, but before he could open his mouth, Zhao Pan'er said excitedly:
"Okay, I get it. You've come such a long way, I'll make you a cup of tea!"
"My wife!"
"I know what he's worried about. Doesn't he just think I shouldn't do business anymore?"
Zhao Pan'er said happily while making tea:
"It just so happens that something happened in the teahouse, so I closed it. By the way, Uncle De, have you had breakfast?"
"No, I have something to tell you!"
Seeing Zhao Pan'er getting happier and happier, Uncle De became anxious and no longer cared about Yuan Xudong beside him. He wanted to tell Zhao Pan'er directly:
"My lady, the master already has a..."
"Pan'er, you're finally back!"
At this moment, Sun Sanniang's voice came from afar. She rushed into the yard, still in a hurry, and looked at Zhao Pan'er who was making tea in the teahouse with a worried look on her face:
"I was worried about you all night!"
As she spoke, she saw Uncle De next to her and said in surprise:
"Uncle De, when did you come back?"
"Sanniang, Ouyang passed the exam and was ranked third in the imperial examination!"
Zhao Pan'er looked at Sun Sanniang and smiled.
"Tanhua?"
Hearing that Ouyang Xu had won the third place, Sun Sanniang was happy for Zhao Pan'er and said:
"Congratulations, congratulations, Madam Tanhua, you got to wear the phoenix coronet and bridal robe earlier than I did. That's great. You will have to go to the capital in two days, right? I will help you pack!"
As she was talking, Sun Sanniang was about to go into the house to help Zhao Pan'er pack her luggage and boxes. Uncle De said anxiously:
"Madam Zhao, if I have something to say, I'll just say it!"
At this time, Zhao Pan'er had just finished making tea and was carrying the tea tray out. When she heard Uncle De had something to say, she stopped at the door and looked at him with Sun Sanniang. Uncle De said with a look of pride on his face:
"I'm not here to take you to the capital. My master has been blessed with a marriage proposal from the virtuous concubine in the palace. After the Grain Rain, he will marry the daughter of Observer Gao!"
"A marriage granted?"
Zhao Pan'er was stunned, her eyes were dazed, and her ears were buzzing. Sun Sanniang looked at her worriedly, then looked at Uncle De who looked very proud and asked loudly:
"What high observation?"
"The Guangji Army Jiedushi Guanxing, the Deputy Infantry Commander-in-Chief Gao Hu!"
Uncle De read out loudly such a long list of titles. Sun Sanniang didn't know how high an official the so-called Gao Guancha was, but she felt that he should be much more powerful than the county magistrate of Qiantang. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Zhao Pan'er held onto the door frame, looked at Uncle De and said sadly in a low voice:
"Say it again!"
"Master Ouyang is going to marry Gao Hu's daughter!"
Uncle De said it again, and Zhao Pan'er felt dizzy and then suddenly fainted on the ground. The tea tray in her hand fell to the ground, and the fruits and tea that were originally prepared to entertain Uncle De spilled all over the floor. Before she fainted, Zhao Pan'er vaguely saw Yuan Xudong running over and hugging her in his arms. His lips kept opening and closing, but she couldn't understand what he was saying at all. Did Ouyang Xu really change his mind?
