My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 127: Li Zhishi has a vicious plan, Gao Bijin mistakenly enters Tongwen Hall

Many people in Huazhou knew that Gao Tongzhi loved to listen to opera.

He loves to listen to opera and understands opera. He even personally revises and adapts the scripts and interferes with and guides Huazhou's literary and artistic creation. Therefore, he is considered half an insider and naturally very knowledgeable.

So just reading the first sentence of the text "Flowers may bloom again, but people never become young again" will make you feel it is extraordinary.

However, the name of this play is "The Injustice of Dou E That Moved Heaven and Earth", which is not a good title and seems a bit exaggerated. After all, how can this miserable man with a frosted face and low status understand the injustice?
His so-called moving injustice was probably just for fun.

But it doesn't matter. The most important thing about opera is the singing voice and singing skills. As for the content, it's best if it can please ordinary people. It's not that important. Gao Bijin flipped through a few pages and loved it more and more. He urged: "You said that no one in Huazhou knows the value of it, but I do! Name a price, I'll buy this book!"

A hopeful look appeared on the man's face: "The asking price is three hundred taels, the actual price is two hundred taels."

Stupid! No wonder it can't be sold!
Mo Feng, no, that bastard Li Bailong has been writing books in my bookstore. He has earned me a lot of money with the latest volume, so I only allowed him to pay 800 taels per volume! And I paid him all at once!
The script of your play is only over 10,000 words thick, yet you dare to ask for two hundred taels!

Gao Bijin sneered grimly.

Huazhou is a wealthy city with a developed opera culture. The local opera scene has been operating for a long time and has been jointly controlled by officials and businessmen. High-quality new scripts have long been monopolized.

For example, if a play comes out of a theater under his name, other troupes who want to sing it have to pay a fee. Not only that, they also have to share the proceeds from the performance. If they dare to perform it secretly, the government will come to teach them the rules and double the fine. If they don't pay, the audience can only come to the authorized troupe's theater to listen.

Then use newspapers to stir up public opinion and create a trend, which will attract customers to come in a steady stream.

This is the white silver flowing like water.

Gao Bijin is a senior person in the industry. He knew from the opening words that the script was extraordinary. Coupled with the "Heaven and Earth" that he had caught a glimpse of earlier, he concluded that this play had the potential to be a hit.

Take over this play, select the best actors to perform, and then have the street vendors promote it. Within four or five years, after deducting all expenses and commissions, the profit from this play will be at least two to three thousand taels of silver - I, your Excellency, have worked so hard to earn this much, and you, a poor guy, ask for two hundred taels right away. You are simply blinded by greed!

——Damn it, I really don’t know where these poor pen slaves get the nerve to sit around with their pens and ink all day and then they want to take a share of the money from the master! Go eat shit!

He said calmly, "It's not worth two hundred taels. If you sell it like this, of course no one will recognize the owner. I wanted to buy it from you for five taels, but I love your talent and pity your hard work, so I'll give you two more taels. You don't want to reveal your name, and you can keep your mouth shut from now on. Just pretend that you are not the author, so I'll give you three more taels, a total of ten taels, Ma San, give me the money."

The man blushed, "How can gold be sold as tiles? No way!"

Gao Bi Jinju sat on his horse and sneered.

As an attendant, Ma San was used to this. He took out the banknotes from his pocket and said solemnly, "My master has honored you. Don't be ungrateful. This is Mr. Gao, the co-magistrate of this state. Why don't you pay your respects to him?"

The middle-aged man was startled, took two steps back, and murmured, "I won't sell it!"

Gao Bijin snorted, "How could such a coincidence happen in the world that you, who are down and out on the street, can meet me? Before you, there were many poor people who wanted to become famous overnight and ran to meet me by chance. I have seen this a lot. You heard that I love drama and understand drama, so you chased me and pretended to be famous. It's your intention, I don't blame you. But since I have the intention to help you, how can you complain about it? Who am I as a master?"

The middle-aged man showed a look of fear and turned around and fled in a hurry.

Mr. Gao looked calm and said calmly, "Ma San."

The followers received the order and caught up nimbly.

The man shouted in panic and ran to the south. There was no light or fire there, only the dark wall of the mansion. Gao Bi Jin only saw him running towards the darkness in panic, and the light from the street lamp cast a long shadow of Ma San, dragging it all the way, like an irresistible dark ghost approaching the poor, helpless writer.

A forced sale is right before our eyes.

This was just a small matter and Gao Bi Jin didn't care about it. He sat upright on his horse, holding a few pages of manuscript and reading them again and again. Ma San was smart and capable, and he always trusted him to do things.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew silently.

In an instant, the docile and quiet horse under his crotch neighed and suddenly jumped out as if stimulated by something. Gao Bijin was caught off guard and almost fell off the horse. Fortunately, he was a military scholar and his legs were as hard as iron. He clamped the horse's belly and shouted, "Beast! What are you doing! Stop!"

He beat and scolded the man, bent down and grabbed the reins, and then he calmed the horse. In a moment, the frightened horse had rushed to the darkness in the south, which was the area where Ma San had fled after chasing the man.

This place is close to the administrative office area on Fuya Street.

After the shock and fright just now, and the effects of the alcohol had dissipated, Gao Bi Jin looked around with a puzzled look in his eyes. He felt that this government office in the dark looked vaguely familiar. Before he could think about it, he heard a man not far away screaming in pain.

"What are you doing! Killing someone! Ah! No! Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Gao Bijin was shocked.

How did someone get killed?

He shouted: "Ma San! Ma San!"

Ma San did not answer, but after a moment, Ma San's voice shouted anxiously.

"Hey! Wake up! Make a sound!"

Gao Tongzhi was really shocked.

In times of peace and prosperity, human life is of paramount importance. Even if he is the deputy governor of the state, it will be troublesome for him to be involved in a murder case.

Besides, this is Fuya Street, which is theoretically the government office area. If someone is beaten and killed here, the consequences will be unpredictable!

He was drunk tonight and his mind was not very clear to begin with. In a panic, he hurried in the direction of the voice - how exactly did this Ma San do things?
This seemed to be a small alley. Gao Bijin went in, slowed down his pace, and shouted, "Ma San, what have you done? What are you trying to do?"

Ma San said in a panic, "Master, come quickly! He has passed out! Come and give him some vital energy!"

Gao Tongzhi breathed a sigh of relief, cursed inwardly, and hurried to catch up. The stars and the moon were dim, without any light or brilliance. There seemed to be a hall in front of him, but Ma San and the middle-aged man were nowhere to be seen. He suddenly felt a little uneasy and shouted in a low voice: "Ma San! Where are you! Where is that man!"

It was a dark and windy night in the vast empty room when Ma San's voice suddenly rang out.

"Master, I'm here hehehehehehehehe..."

The voice turned into a ghostly laugh, echoing in all directions.

Gao Bijin's hair stood on end and he stepped back in a hurry. He stepped on a hard object that made a low sound. He subconsciously lowered his head and took advantage of the dim starlight to see the outline of the object underground. It turned out to be a dagger.

it is good!
After all, he was a military scholar, and he was in an unknown den of evil, so it was hard to tell whether he was safe or not. Gao Tongzhi did not hesitate, raised his toes, drew his sword, and with a clang, the blade came out of the sheath.

With the knife in hand, he was filled with courage and energy, and shouted sternly, "Come out!"

In an instant, flames blazed.

Torches were lit everywhere, illuminating the dark room. Gao Bijin's eyes lit up and he looked carefully. He found that he was outside a government office.

There was a plaque hanging above the main hall door, with four large characters written on them that looked as good as iron painting and silver hooks.

"One culture for all the world."

It took the Tongzhi three seconds to recall which abstract and marginal government office this unfamiliar plaque belonged to.

——Tongwen Bureau!

Gao Bijin suddenly realized, "This is Li Bailong's office. How did I get here?... No!"

He was so frightened that the drunkenness of his body dissipated, and he was about to turn around and run away, but he heard the sound of boots and footsteps, and a man came out from the back of the hall. He was wearing a scarlet robe and a jade crown, and had the demeanor of a dragon and a phoenix. The sun shone in his eyes, and he looked like a god.

It was none other than Director Li of Tongwen.

Feng Lin's biggest worry was right before his eyes. Gao Tongzhi subconsciously took a step back.

Li Bailong shouted, "Gao Bijin! You came into my government office late at night with a sharp knife without anyone calling you. Do you know the law? You have a knife in your hand. Are you here to kill your superior? Someone told me that you are Feng Lin's lackey. You are an official in Huazhou with me, but you let the cunning people and corrupt officials attack me. You must have evil intentions!"

Gao Bi Jin knew that he was in a dangerous situation and secretly groaned in pain. He wanted to break free, but the door behind him was locked. Others holding torches climbed onto the eaves of the houses on both sides. It was a tight trap that was obviously planned for a long time.

Seeing that it was not a big deal, he had to bite the bullet and explain: "I... my follower is missing! I was worried for a moment and searched randomly, and accidentally entered your yamen. Please forgive me!"

Director Li shouted, "Where are your followers?"

Gao Tongzhi said helplessly: "They have already gone into the hall!"

Li Zhishi said angrily, "Nonsense! What kind of person dares to break into my government office? You are a lazy and treacherous person, you have offended a corrupt official. What do you mean by saying that your followers are missing? Are you going to lead troops to search my government office? You are like a beast, and heaven and earth will not tolerate you!"

Gao Bijin was furious. This was a trap!
He said sternly, "I didn't! Li Bailong, how dare you set a trap to harm me!"

Li Bailong waved his hands and said, "Left and right! Help me to take this guy down!"

Before he could finish his words, more than twenty big men rushed out from the side room next door, shouted, and rushed over together.

Gao Bi Jin held a knife in his hand and wanted to resist, but when he saw Li Bailong's expectant look, he knew that this black-hearted bastard was waiting for him to resist with a weapon, so he sighed and dropped the knife to the ground.

A shrewd field worker did not take Gao Bijin, but only held the knife by the edge and dragged it out, holding the blade and presenting it to Li Bailong: "Sir, here is the evidence. If there is a lawsuit in the future, you can go and check the fingerprints!"

Li Bailong nodded his approval: "One point for the Gulag class!"

The law enforcers over there had surrounded Gao Bijin. The Tongzhi, who was a military scholar, was still forcing himself to stand still, maintaining the dignity of a local official, and shouted: "I am an honorable official, even if..."

When the temporary workers heard "one point for the Gulag", their eyes turned red and they rushed up at the same time, pushing and pulling Gao Tongzhi, trying to suppress him immediately.

Gao Bi Jin struggled in rage, but the big men in black grabbed his legs and neck and clamped him fiercely, just like goblins crawling on knights or black beasts crushing elves, and soon they crushed the noble court official into the dust.

Li Bailong strode forward, walked in front of Gao Bijin, and looked down at him from above.

"——You are an official appointed by the court, but you don't know the law? You are a fifth-rank official, drunk, holding a sharp knife and breaking into the main hall of a fourth-rank government office at night, shouting "Come out!" Everyone heard about this. I ask you, why did you hold a sharp knife and intend to assassinate your superior?"

Gao Bijin was pinned to the ground, his dignity as a fifth-rank official gone. As he listened to Li Bailong charging him with charges, his eyes blazed with fire, and he said bitterly, "Li Bailong! You tricked me into coming here, and you used such evil tricks. If I don't die, I will go to the Golden Palace to sue you!"

Director Li said proudly: "Why can I only win you over but not others? Think more about your own reasons! Also, what is the sinister means? I learned this from your cousin Gao Taiwei!"

"How can I be called General Gao?"

Gao Tongzhi was almost out of control and wanted to struggle hard and fight with him.

The officers from the Tongwen Bureau held him down tightly.

Everyone had heard that the Gulag class would give them extra points, so how could they be willing to fall behind? With his internal energy suppressed, he punched down and shouted, "Be quiet! You still dare to resist!"

"I am an official of the imperial court! A fifth-rank official!"

Being schemed by Li Bailong, he was just furious, but being humiliated by these menial servants, he was furious. Gao Bijin roared: "I have not been charged with any crime yet. I am an official. How dare you, these menial servants, humiliate and beat me! Li Bailong, you and I are both officials of the imperial court. Do you want to allow these menial servants to offend your authority?"

Li Bailong said calmly: "That makes sense."

As a member of the ruling class, he should indeed consciously maintain the dignity of court officials and not allow lowly and despicable people to humiliate and defile court officials.

So Director Li went up and kicked him: "Then let the distinguished fourth-rank officer beat you now! Do you have any other requests for treatment?"

"..."

No wonder Fenglin Huoshan wanted to kill this man as soon as possible!
Such a despicable person actually lived until now and has not been punished by God!

Gao Bi Jin regretted his decision and wondered why he went out to drink and watch plays these days!
He didn't know that his biggest secret had already been exposed, and he was still struggling to survive: "I am a fifth-rank co-magistrate, and the prefect entrusted me with the power of this prefecture before he left..."

Li Bailong kicked him again: "Great! You deceived the prefect and stole the power of this state! Oh my God! The prefect has just been gone for a day, and you dared to break into the fourth-rank official hall with a knife at night! I dare not even think about what you can do in a few days!"

Gao Bijin said shrilly: "You fucking——"

Li Bailong said proudly: "It seems that the prefect has entrusted the wrong person! You have done such a beastly thing, how can you still exercise the power on behalf of the prefect? ​​The prefect is away on business, the deputy prefect is in prison, and the power of Huazhou is vacant... It seems that I can't be humble anymore. As a fourth-rank official, I can indeed act as the agent of Huazhou Prefecture!"

After Gao Bijin was arrested, he had been trying hard to think about Li Bailong's purpose and motive for doing this. After hearing these words, he realized that he had caught a piece of the puzzle.

He said in disbelief: "You...you are so bold!"

"You are the bold one." Li Bailong squatted in front of him and said quietly, "King Zhao mediated Fenglin Lingyu, and the national war ended. The matter should have ended there. As a member of the Fenglin faction, you took the initiative to provoke trouble, planted spies, instigated corrupt officials to besiege me and ruin my reputation, and even broke into the government hall at night with a knife..."

Gao Bijin's pupils trembled violently.

——Li Bailong knew! He knew everything!
hateful!

He gritted his teeth and insisted that he would never let go of Feng Lin's matter. Just like Li Bailong said, he could not bear the accusation of provoking the conflict without authorization: "I don't know what you are talking about! Don't try to frame me!"

"Oh, really? Then let me tell you another story."

Li Bailong smiled faintly and said, "If you said that you did it to please Bafengtai, then your unauthorized intrusion tonight seemed a little too deliberate and too abrupt..."

——Nonsense! You earned my money!

"To explain this blunt behavior, you must have a deeper motive - that is, you deliberately let everyone see you, an official from the Fenglin faction, attacking my office late at night with a knife."

Li Bailong whispered, "You are looking for trouble as Fenglin faction, which will be interpreted as Fenglin Huoshan not accepting the mediation of the emperor's uncle and insisting on intensifying the conflict. In this case, King Zhao will punish Fenglin Huoshan, and Lingyu faction will definitely continue to participate in the war. Therefore, the war and national war that have just been settled in the court will continue, and Daqi will be in chaos again. In the final analysis, it is all caused by you, a small pawn, who broke into Tongwen Bureau at night."

"Then here's the problem."

"Why are you doing this?"

"What good will it do you if Qi is in chaos?"

"Why do you want Fenglin Huoshan to continue the war with Lingyu Sect so much?"

Li Bailong said grimly: "Only the spies sent by Beining, or the Qi-hating party instigated by Beining, want to cause chaos in my Great Qi! Tell me! Did they take the 500,000 strings of cash from Beining!"

Gao Bijin was shocked at first, and then furious. How could this guy be so cruel!
He laughed in anger: "You made up this awkward story. Who in the Huazhou officialdom would believe it if you told it to others? You framed the court officials and murdered your colleagues. If the incident reaches the capital, I wonder if the Lingyu Sect can protect you!"

As if to cheer himself up, Gao Tongzhi gritted his teeth and sneered, "You have fallen into the Tongwen Bureau, a dead end. We have beaten you to a pulp and you have no other options. You have resorted to this desperate measure. In my opinion, you are desperate! You still want to fabricate charges and frame local high-ranking officials for secretly communicating with Bac Ninh? If this matter was so simple, Bac Ninh spies would have killed all the high-ranking officials in the Da Qi officialdom long ago!"

At this point, he regained a lot of confidence and stared at Li Bailong fiercely: "You act recklessly and break the rules of officialdom. I wonder how you will win the trust of the censors after they investigate!"

"Well said, that's right, Mr. Gao is so knowledgeable, I want to ask you something."

Gao Bi Jin sneered without saying anything, closed his eyes, and decided not to say another word.

Director Li didn't care and showed a devilish smile.

He poked Mr. Gao's head and said quietly, "Mr. Gao, look at my crude and far-fetched accusation of you having an affair with Bac Ninh - do you believe Feng Lin Huoshan?"

(End of this chapter)