After reading the text message Lu Jin wrote to him, Li Zhen pondered for a moment and asked again: "What is the situation in Yangzhou now?"

"Reporting to the commander, Yangzhou City is still calm on the surface now, but there are already merchants selling goods on the market, but the impact is not great. The key is that Yangzhou people don't know that the imperial army is approaching Yangzhou, and only those with extremely well-informed people know."

At this time, Di Yan also received the news and walked into the room quietly. Zhao Qiuniang held her hand and stood aside. Li Zhen walked a few steps and asked again: "Did you find any abnormality all the way here?"

Han Yong shook his head, "No abnormalities were found in Beizhi"

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Captain Zhao will take him down to rest first."

Zhao Qiuniang took Han Yong down, and Di Yan asked, "How is Yangzhou?"

"Yangzhou is very calm at the moment, but Li Yuanjia is now in Jiangyang County."

Jiangyang County is close to the Yangtze River, Di Yan frowned, "Does he want to escape from the Yangtze River?"

"It doesn't matter whether Li Yuanjia escapes or not. I care more about where the thousands of troops he has privately invested are now? This is the key to affecting the overall situation. Now Lu Jin has not been able to find the whereabouts of these troops."

Di Yan whispered: "Why do I go to Chang'an? Yangzhou Changshi Zhao Wenchu ​​is my father's disciple. Maybe I can get some news from him."

Li Zhen thought for a while, "I'll go with you."

"I don't have to be alone, there will be no danger."

Li Zhen shook his head, "It's not just that you are facing dangerous problems, but if you don't relieve the hidden dangers in Yangzhou as soon as possible, I'm worried that the female emperor will make up his mind to replace Li with Wu. She asked Emperor Wu Yizong to go to Yangzhou to envoy him, which means this is vague. I must understand the situation of Li Yuanjia's army as soon as possible."

Di Yan no longer objected, and she whispered: "But why did you explain to Wu Yizong?"

"It's okay, I just said to investigate the truth about the assassin. He would ask me to go to Yangzhou, but he also needs a reason."

Li Zhen smiled and walked quickly out of the cabin. He happened to meet Zhao Qiuniang. He told Zhao Qiuniang a few more words before he got off the boat.

Things went smoother than Li Zhen imagined. He did not see Wu Yizong, but Wu Yizong agreed to investigate the assassin immediately. He only heard him shouting in pain in the cabin: "Leader Li, you must find out who it was. I must peel him off."

A quarter of an hour later, Li Zhen and Di Yan rolled over the horse, Han Yong led the way for them, and the three of them rode their horses toward Yangzhou City.

When they arrived at Yangzhou City, it was getting darker, and Li Zhen did not show the gold medal of the inner guard. Instead, he waited outside the city for about half an hour before the city gate finally opened slowly. The farmers waiting outside the city rushed in, and Li Zhen and the other two led their horses into the city.

Han Yong was about to report to Lu Jin, so he said goodbye first. Li Zhen and Di Yan led their horses to the prefecture.

It was Li Zhen's first time to come to Yangzhou. Although he knew that Yangzhou was one of the best cities in the world and had developed business, the city in front of him still amazed him. He saw dense shops on both sides of Guangling Street, one by one, and no one could see at a glance. The circumference of the entire city was at least fifty miles, only a little smaller than Luoyang and Chang'an.

Although Yangzhou has developed commercial business, compared with Luoyang, it still lacks a majestic and kingly aura. The city gates are not as magnificent as Luoyang Tianmen, and the streets are not as wide and straight as Tianjie. Flags and banners are flying everywhere, full of commercial philosophical atmosphere.

It was just dawn, and the sun had not risen from the east. The morning light was bright and there were not many people on the street, but many shops were dismantling the door panels and preparing to open the door.

Seeing that a small noodle restaurant not far away had opened and customers had already gone in to eat noodles, Li Zhen smiled and said, "Let's go eat something, probably Zhao Changshi hasn't come to the prefecture yamen yet."

Di Yan also felt a little hungry, so she nodded and came to the small noodle shop with Li Zhen, tied the horse to the horse stake outside the door. The two walked into the shop and found a seat where the horse could be seen to sit down.

"What do you two want to eat?"

When the shop assistant saw that he was not like a local, he greeted in fluent Mandarin: "The shop has north and south noodles, fresh meat buns from Shandong, tender mutton onion pancakes from Guanzhong, meat sauce noodles from Zhongyuan, local meat dumplings, and soup made from big bones, which are delicious and inexpensive. Should you try it?"

Di Yan has been to Yangzhou several times and knows the food here. He smiled and said, "Come two plates of Shandong buns, and two bowls of meat glutinous rice balls. You need a large bowl, add two times the meat sauce in one bowl."

"Okay, please sit down and come soon."

The guy went into the kitchen, and Li Zhen asked in a low voice: "Did you order too much?"

Di Yan smiled and said, "You will know right away."

After a moment, the guy brought their pasta, "You two have come, please use it slowly."

Li Zhen was stunned for a moment. The so-called big buns of Shandong fresh meat were only as big as eggs, with only four in a plate. The large bowl of meat dumplings was about the same as the smallest bowl in Luoyang. Di Yan saw him widening his eyes and smiled: "I understand. The food here is very small, but the taste is good and it is very exquisite."

She pushed two plates of buns to Li Zhen, and only ate one bowl of meat dumplings herself. Li Zhen was not sleeping all night and was extremely hungry. After a moment, the two plates of buns were swept away and couldn't help but praise them, "It tastes really good, but it's too little."

Di Yan smiled and said to the clerk: "Two more plates of Yangzhou stuffing soup buns"

"It's here"

The guy brought two plates of stuffed soup buns in a moment, which was not much bigger than pigeon eggs, which made Li Zhen a little amused.

"First take a small bite, suck the broth inside, and then eat it, but it doesn't matter to you, just one bite."

Li Zhen ate a few stuffed soup buns and thought they tasted good. He ordered two more plates. After a while, Di Yan stood up and smiled and said, "Eat slowly, wait for me here, I'll go and find out the situation first."

"Well, be careful." Li Zhen was eating the dumpling and agreed vaguely.

Di Yan waited for a moment in front of the state yamen, and a employed person came out quickly and said with a smile: "I have been waiting for a long time. My parents Shi just arrived at the official room, please follow me."

"Disturbed"

Di Yan followed the official office and entered the official office. The official office in Yangzhou occupied a large area and took a few turns before he came to the chief official room.

The chief of Yangzhou was named Zhao Wenchu, a native of Taiyuan Prefecture. He was a Jinshi. He was about 40 years old. He was the third in the imperial examination and was an official in the Yangzhou area ten years ago. When Zhao Wenchu ​​went to Beijing to take the exam, he left the relationship with his fellow countrymen and became Di Renjie's disciple.

In the officialdom, this is also a relatively good face. The disciples of the prime minister and listeners will look at each other with admiration.

However, with Di Renjie being demoted to the magistrate of Pengze County last year, Zhao Wenchu ​​no longer mentioned that he was a disciple of the Prime Minister of Di, which is also in line with his motto: "A gentleman does not stand on a dangerous wall."

Zhao Wenchu ​​was a very diligent official, and his living time was the same as that of the court. At the hour of Mao, it was the time when the morning dynasty in Luoyang began, and he also appeared in his official room on time.

As soon as he sat down and took a sip of tea, someone came to report that Di Renjie's daughter came to visit, which made Zhao Wenchu ​​a little embarrassed. Of course, he knew that Di Renjie's daughter should be his youngest daughter Di Yan. He had been to Yangzhou twice before, and he had also seen him. He was a hero who likes to go out.

Di Yan came to Yangzhou today and must have been out for fun. Zhao Wenchu ​​thought so, but the court was in turmoil recently. If someone saw Di Yan coming to him, would he think it was a letter to Di Renjie?

Although it was a bit embarrassing, Zhao Wenchu ​​knew that he had to meet him, otherwise he would be unable to get over the face and just send her away earlier.

At this time, the employed person reported at the door: "Encourt, Miss Di is here."

"Please come in"

After a moment, Di Yan walked in quickly and bowed to Zhao Wenchu ​​Yingying with a smile on her face, "Di Yan greets Uncle Zhao"

Although Zhao Wenchu ​​was Di Renjie's disciple and should be the same as Di Yan in terms of generation, Di Renjie did not allow his daughter to be called peers, so he would definitely let his daughter call him uncle. Zhao Wenchu ​​went to Luoyang several times to pay homage to Di Renjie, and Di Yan called him uncle, and Zhao Wenchu ​​was also used to it.

He stroked his beard and smiled, "Why is Ayan coming to Yangzhou? Are you here to have fun?"

Di Yan didn't want to say it directly, so she continued his words and said with a smile: "I am accompanying my senior sister to Yangzhou. When I encountered some small trouble, I also wanted Uncle Zhao to help me.

Zhao Wenchu ​​laughed, "Is someone bullying you? If it is Yangzhou, I can come forward to help you, or I am still inadequate? I can also help you."

Di Yan had already thought of the words, and she looked back and saw that there was no one behind her, and then she smiled and said, "My senior sister is here to find her brother, but there is no one at home. I heard from the neighbors that her brother signed up for the army last year, but we can't find where the army is stationed?"

"Oh——" Zhao Wenchu ​​suddenly realized and smiled, "I can help with this. If it is a state soldier, I can check the roster. I wonder what your senior sister's brother is named?"

"My senior sister and brother are also named Zhao Nan. I heard that they joined the army of King Guangling." Di Yan said carelessly, but his eyes were staring at Zhao Wenchu's expression.

Zhao Wenchu's face suddenly changed, and his eyes almost popped out. After a while, he stuttered: "This... I don't know, what kind of Guangling King's army? I've never heard of it."

He was panicked and stood up and said, "I still have something to do. You can go back first. We will talk about it later if you have time."

He ignored Di Yan, stood up and walked out. Soon, he came in and said with a smile: "My envoy still has official duties to deal with. Please, Miss Di."

Di Yan could see clearly that Zhao Wenchu ​​must have known the truth, but he didn't want to tell him. Helplessly, Di Yan had to stand up and left the state yamen in a depressed mood. As soon as he walked out of the gate, he heard someone calling her in the alley next to her, "A Yan, here."

Li Zhen held two horses and waved to her at the entrance of the alley. Di Yan hurried into the alley. Li Zhen asked with a smile: "What, did he say?"

Di Yan shook her head and said depressedly: "I just spoke, and he immediately drove me out on the excuse of being busy with official business."

"Do you think he knows it?"

Di Yan nodded, "I can see that he must be aware of it."

Li Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "Maybe it's in the state yard that he can't speak about this. It's better for us to visit his house in the evening."

Di Yan sighed, "I think it's better to talk about such things at home."

"Okay, let's go to Lu Jin first and then ask about the situation."

Lu Jin rushed by road by starry night and arrived in Yangzhou four days earlier than them. He is currently living in an inn near Xichengmen. Li Zhen and Di Yan came to Xichengmen. Di Yan pointed to a huge red lantern and said, "Look, it's there."

I saw four black characters written in red lanterns, "Juxian Inn, this is the inn he is looking for. Li Zhen and Di Yan walked into the inn and saw that the inn was quite large, with rockery, ponds and fish, green trees, and the houses were built very exquisitely. It was a relatively high-end inn. At this time, the shopkeeper came out and smiled with his face, "Let's stay in the hotel."

"I found a businessman named Lu and came from Luoyang. He left me a letter saying that he would live here."

A businessman named Lu came from Luoyang?
Chapter completed!