During the Song Dynasty, there was a farmer named Tang Ning in Tangjiazhuang, Shangzhou County, who was nicknamed "Shenmeng Tang". Although he is an ordinary, out-and-out civilian, a small episode in his life has led to a series of exciting legendary stories that you will never t

The story of Mr. Meng

- Wen Hongling

一 Mengfan

During the 4th year of the Song Dynasty, there was a farmer named Tang Ning in Tangjiazhuang, Shangzhou County, who was nicknamed "Shenmeng Tang". He was tall and handsome, with delicate features and beautiful eyes. He is hard-working and takes care of the house, and he usually likes to make some jokes! Although he is an ordinary, out-and-out civilian, a small episode in his life has led to a series of exciting legendary stories that you will never tire of hearing.

One morning that summer, Tang Ning and his wife were hoeing in the field. Due to the drought and a lot of weeds in the fields, in order to squeeze out more time to hoe the few acres of thin fields, my wife has been delivering meals to the fields for several days. Near noon, his wife went home to cook while Tang Ning continued hoeing in the fields. It's noon on the day of hoeing, and the sweat is dripping from the soil. Tang Ning couldn't bear the heat, so she carried her hoe and walked to the Paulownia tree at the edge of the field to cool off. He picked some tung leaves, spread them on the ground, then lay on them, squinted his eyes, and used his old yellowed straw hat as a fan to fan his face.

Tang Ning was hungry, and her wife brought her food after not seeing her for a long time. After waiting for a while, I looked up at the field road leading to the village, and couldn't see even a single person. Thinking about this time in the past, my wife had brought the meal long ago, why is it so late today! I want to see what she does at home? Thinking of this, Tang Ning stood up, put the hoe on her shoulder, and walked home.

Because he was thoughtful, as soon as he stepped into the house, he stepped lightly and tiptoed outside the kitchen to take a look. He looked in through the small window of the kitchen and saw his wife sticking out her butt on the chopping board, rolling out his favorite scallion pancake. His nose smelled the rich aroma of millet porridge wafting from the stove pot. His wife was so focused on rolling out scallion pancakes that she didn't notice her husband standing outside the kitchen and peeking.

Tangning felt happy and quietly returned to the paulownia tree at the end of the field, fell asleep, and waited for his wife to bring food. He was very sleepy and soon fell asleep. When he was sleeping soundly, he heard a woman's voice calling him in his ear. He opened his sleepy eyes and saw that it was his wife who had called him to get up for dinner.

He asked his wife: "What are we going to eat today?"

Her wife smiled and said: "We from a poor family can only eat sweet potato pancakes, salted radish strips, and two bowls of gruel. That's all!"

Tangning knew that his wife was trying to trick him, but he pretended not to know and refused to expose her. He rubbed his eyes and said to his wife slowly: "I just had a dream. I dreamed that you made me my favorite food. Scallion pancakes, a jar filled with fragrant millet porridge! I happily picked up a shiny piece of scallion pancakes and was about to eat it, when you woke me up..."

When my wife heard this, she was shocked and said: "It's amazing!" She opened the basket of steamed buns, "What I made for you is the scallion pancake! Nah! That jar is full of millet porridge! Your dream is really accurate!" The wife smiled again: " I remember when I was a child, my mother told me the story of Mr. Meng. I just met him today and it turns out that my husband is the real Mr. Meng!”

Her wife told her sisters-in-law the story of Tang Ning’s “Dream Rice”. Afterwards, the sisters-in-law told the story to their families and neighbors, and the story spread like this. It didn’t take long for Mr. Meng Tangning to become a household name not only in this village, but also in nearby villages.

Tang Ning, who was a little famous, was somewhat complacent about this, but as the saying goes, "people are afraid of being famous, pigs are afraid of being strong", so his troubles came one after another.

2 Dream Duck

Works at sunrise and rests at sunset! The days passed like this. That evening, while Tang Ning and his wife were having dinner, his uncle came over after a long journey.

When Tang Ning saw her uncle arriving, she quickly asked her wife to move a stool so that her uncle could sit down and eat!

His wife had already given up the stool she was sitting on. Uncle sat down on the stool, wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves, and said, "How can I have the time to eat!" "What's wrong? Uncle." Tang Ning put down her chopsticks and asked."Thirty of my ducks are missing! Your sister-in-law and I searched everywhere, but we couldn't find them! ... It's dark now, where can we look for them? I'm really worried!"

Tang Ning saw her uncle like this He said, comforting him first and saying: "Uncle! Don't worry about getting angry! You will definitely find it! Just eat something first, that's all, I will go look for it with you!" He said and handed his uncle a cornmeal pancake. My uncle is so anxious that he has no intention of eating! He took the pancake, put it in his arms, stood up and said, "I'll go out and look for it again!" As he was about to go out, Tang Ning stood up and followed him.

My wife is also half-convinced that her husband Tang Ning’s “dream rice” is exactly the same as the one she cooks! Looking at ancient and modern times, how can there be such a magical person! Only if you find an opportunity to verify it again will you know whether it is true or false! Now uncle comes to ask Tangning to help find ducks! This opportunity will come soon! Seeing that her uncle was in a hurry to find ducks, she smiled and said, "Uncle! Walk slowly!" Seeing what her nephew-in-law said, her uncle stopped and turned to look at her. She pointed at Tang Ning and said, "There is the famous Mr. Meng. Now, what's the problem? Wouldn't it be better to let him dream about where the ducks are at night? It will save you the trouble of searching!"

When my uncle heard what she said, he felt like he was waking up from a dream. Said: "How could I have forgotten this! Legend has it that my nephew's dreams are very accurate! As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire! I think my nephew is not in vain! Now I have to help my nephew to find out the whereabouts of Mengmeng ducks."

Tangning was self-aware. Hearing what his uncle said, he said anxiously: "Uncle, don't listen to your nephew's wife's nonsense! How can I have such ability! The neighbors are just spreading false rumors! It's better for us to find it!"

Before my uncle could speak, His wife said, "Uncle! Take a look! He said this clearly because he didn't want to take your job!"

When Tang Ning heard what his wife said, he glanced at her, and his wife smiled and pretended not to notice.

But his uncle was annoyed, "When my nephew said this, he regarded me as an outsider! Now if your uncle asks you for something, and if he tries to shirk it, he will make you look bad!"

Tang Ning has been afraid of her uncle since she was a child. , now seeing that my uncle was angry again, he said cautiously: "Uncle, stop talking! My nephew dare not disobey my uncle's orders! But if the dream is not accurate, uncle, please don't blame me!"

Uncle said it solemnly He said matter-of-factly: "I don't care about this! Anyway, I'll leave this matter to you! I'll get the news tomorrow morning!" After saying these words, he went straight away.

Tangning and his wife sent their uncle to the gate of the hospital. Seeing that he was gone, Tangning blamed his wife and said, "It's all your talkativeness! You gave me such a problem! How can I dream about the whereabouts of the ducks?"

Wife He pursed his lips and smiled and said: "It's up to you! I can't help you! Just sleep on that soft bed tonight! Don't let me miss your thing!"

It's night, because I have no choice. After taking over her uncle's errand, Tang Ning lay on the soft bed, confused and tossing and turning, especially because she couldn't sleep! He secretly complained that he should not "deceive" his wife, and also complained that his wife was too talkative and caused him such a problem! well! It's too late to say anything now. My uncle will come to find out the news tomorrow morning. The most urgent thing now is to find those damn ducks! We must not sit still and wait for death! Otherwise, the "dream" will not reveal the whereabouts of the duck, it will be embarrassing, and it will be difficult to deal with my uncle! Forget it, when my wife is asleep, I will quietly go out and look for her! Amitabha! Some god with boundless power will bless me and I will find it! Tang Ning thought like this and heard his wife's even snoring on the big bed in the east room. Knowing that she was already asleep, he saw that the time had come and did not dare to neglect. He got up quietly, put on a long gown and sneaked out like a successful thief. Door, looking for ducks.

The moon has gone down, and the sky is full of stars. Tangning was searching for ducks around the country road. Although it had just passed the beginning of autumn, Tang Ning felt the coolness of autumn in the quiet autumn night, and he couldn't help but wrap up his clothes tightly.

People after a tiring day have fallen asleep. The cicadas no longer sing, no birds chirp, and only a few frogs can be heard faintly.

His uncle and his neighboring village, but he searched every corner around the two villages and couldn't find even a duck feather! Seeing that it was almost dawn, Tangning was almost disappointed and sat down on the ground at a loss. He pulled out the dry cigarette pot from his waist, and while smoking the dry cigarette, he thought: Such a blind search is just in vain, there must be a goal! Thinking like this, he vaguely heard a few frogs croaking from the pond in the distance, and an idea flashed in his mind - ducks love to play in the water, why don't I look for them on the edge of the pond! Maybe you can find it! Thinking of this, he knocked the ashes from the tobacco pot on the soles of his shoes, stood up, pinned the tobacco pouch in his waistband, ducked into a corn plant that was taller than a man, ignored the dewdrops that wet his clothes, and headed towards the other side of the cornfield. walk to the small pond.

Because I was walking in such a hurry, I almost stepped on a duck sleeping in the grass! Tangning was shocked! The duck pulled its clumsy body and ran into the pond with a scream of "Quack!" The other ducks were so frightened that they ran away! Joy falls from heaven! Tangning thought to herself, "God is really helping me!" He whistled excitedly! Under the stars in the sky, a few duck eggs were vaguely visible on the ground. He picked one up and held it in his hand. It was a warm green-shell duck egg! He smiled slightly, placed it gently on the ground, and went home relieved.

returned home secretly, and his wife was still asleep. He was lying on the soft bed, sleeping with his head covered!

Just after dawn, his uncle came with a group of people. The uncle planned to ask everyone to help find Tangning if her "dream" didn't come to fruition!

When Tang Ning's wife saw her uncle arriving, she knew he was here to ask for news. He said hurriedly: "You haven't gotten up yet! I'll call you!"

"My husband! My husband! Get up! Get up! My uncle is waiting for you outside!"

Tang Ning rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. His wife smiled softly and said, "Uncle, please tell me about the whereabouts of the dream duck. Have you found any results?"

Just as Tang Ning was about to speak, his uncle opened the curtain and came in. He looked at Tang Ning, eagerly waiting for his answer.

Tangning was confident, but he scratched his head and said, "It's a dream! But it's not necessarily accurate! If my uncle can't find her when the time comes, don't blame me!"

What my uncle meant when he heard what his nephew said was that he might not be accurate! But I can’t care about that much anymore! The uncle nodded and said anxiously: "My nephew, just tell me!"

"I dreamed that the ducks were in the pond next to the big willow tree in the south of your village, and there were several green-shell duck eggs on the bank!"

The uncle didn't wait for Tang Ning to get up. , he hurried out and told everyone what his nephew had said. When everyone heard this, they all came up with ideas: "Since your nephew's dream may not be accurate! Then let's not count on him. Let's go and look for him separately!"

Before my uncle could speak, Tang Ning's wife said, "Why don't we go and find out what's going on?" , How do you know if Tang Ning’s dream is true or not? I’ll go with everyone! If you don’t find her somewhere, it’s not too late to look for her elsewhere!”

Seeing that his nephew-in-law’s words were reasonable, he led everyone there. Unexpectedly, when I went to the place, I saw my uncle's ducks eating and playing in the pond, and several green-skinned duck eggs were lying quietly on the bank. Everyone was stunned for a moment! They were so surprised that they all opened their mouths. It was exactly as Tangning dreamed!

Everyone was amazed! I am so impressed! As a result, Tang Ning became famous and soon became a famous person in Shangzhou County. People in the countryside, in the streets and alleys of the city, in teahouses, restaurants, etc., spread the story of "Shenmeng Tang". It's true that "a big tree attracts the wind", and his troubles are coming again.

3 Dream Thief

On a dark and stormy night in January, a daring thief sneaked into the mansion of the Shangzhou Prefect and stole all the one-month salary that Prefect Li had just received.

When the prefect heard the news, his face was blue with anger. He blew his beard and stared, "What a riot! To catch the thief, you have to spread his ass!" The prefect secretly mobilized his troops and ordered his men. The general must catch the thief within half a month!

Who would have thought that the thief was so sophisticated in his crime methods that he left no clues at the scene, no clues to solve the crime, and no physical evidence! They had no idea what to do and were extremely busy all day long. A month had passed and the thieves were still at large! There is nothing the prefect can do!

One day, the master accompanied the prefect, who was dressed in casual blue clothes, to the Sanchun Tea House to drink tea. Seeing that everyone had forgotten to drink tea, they raised their heads and listened to a rich-looking guest officer telling stories. He only heard the man say: "Everyone knows that there is a Mr. Meng in Tangjiazhuang, this county. His dreams are extremely accurate. , very impressive! ..."

The speaker has no intention, but the listener has the intention! After hearing this, Magistrate Li thought to himself: There really is such a master in the world! As long as the thief of salary money is not caught and brought to justice, he will have no peace! Besides, he had no other good idea, so he decided to give it a try and let Mr. Meng dream about the whereabouts of the thief! So he whispered to the master: "Hurry to Tangjiazhuang and ask Mr. Meng to come!"

The master obeyed the order and left!

Tang Ning was shocked when Master suddenly arrived at her humble residence! He hurriedly invited the master to take a seat and ordered his wife to make tea. His wife knew that the master would not go to the Three Treasures Hall for any reason! Seeing the serious expression on Master's face, there must be something important! She was afraid that it would be inconvenient for a woman to be here, so she made tea and left silently.

Master just explained his purpose. When Tang Ning heard that the prefect invited him to the Li Mansion to dream of being a thief, he was so nervous and scared that he was sweating profusely! He calmed down and said cautiously: "How can a pariah have such ability! Master, I am afraid I have found the wrong person!"

"Mr. Meng said this, it is really too modest! Your magical story is being spread throughout Shangzhou County!" The master stroked his gray beard and said.

"They are all false rumors! Master, you should choose another master!"

When Master saw Tang Ning's refusal, his expression turned horribly ugly, "If you don't go, the prefect will blame you, and you and I may be able to bear the blame. !"

Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Tang Ning had no choice but to follow the master.

As soon as he arrived at Li's Mansion, the magistrate ordered a table of wine and food specially prepared for him. He was so worried that he didn't even move his chopsticks! Then the master arranged Tang Ning in a quiet room with simple furnishings, a table, a chair and a bed. On the bed was a set of light blue bedding neatly stacked.

Now he was lying on the bed fully clothed, looking at the dancing candle flames on the table, so sad that he lost all sleep! Master Li ordered him to be a dream thief! How could he be so capable! The mythical and legendary stories about him that everyone talks about are all false! The prefect and his generals were at a loss to deal with the case! What's more, how can he solve the case by "sleeping" among the common people who luckily won a "good reputation" by "peeping and searching hard"! It’s simply wishful thinking! But the prefect asked him to come here just to let him find the damn thief through this way! Come on, my God! Where can I find that thief to steal? what should I do now? What should I do? How should this scene end? ... He was tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Even though it was deeper in the night and everything was silent, he was still so worried that he could do nothing!

I couldn’t sleep anyway, so I just sat up! But he was still sitting on pins and needles! Thinking that he couldn't "just sit there and wait for death", he subconsciously got out of bed, opened the door and went outside to look for the thief to steal! But when he opened the door, he found that the door was locked! In order to make Tang Jingping worry about the "dream thief", the master had already ordered the private room to be locked, and no one was allowed to disturb Mr. Meng.

I don’t even have a chance to go out! Tangning could only lie down on the bed with her head downcast.When he thought about it, he felt that this idea was simply childish! That is if he can go out and look for it! He couldn't get out of Li's Mansion, and that thief wouldn't sneak into Li's Mansion late at night and wait for him to capture him alive! Even if he could get out of Li's house, where would he find the thief in such a vast world? It’s like finding a needle in a haystack! It’s over! All is lost!

Tang Ning suffered hard for a day and a night. She was so hungry that her stomach was rumbling and she was dizzy! He thought to himself: Even if I can't 'dream' about the thief, it's no big deal! I didn't break any royal laws! Sin does not lead to death! The prefect can't do anything to me! At worst, I'll humiliate him, or beat me dozens of times to vent my anger... He thought about this and thought, no matter what! Let’s have a full meal first! Having made up his mind, he shouted to the door: "Bring the food!"

Hearing this, the people outside the door hurriedly ran over and told Magistrate Li what Mr. Meng had said. Mr. Li was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately ordered his master to check the household registration book. The results soon came out. Fan Lai was from Fanjiazhuang, a suburb of Shangzhou. Immediately order all the arresters to rush to Fanjiazhuang to arrest Fan Lai and bring him to justice! When they arrived at his house, Fan Lai was having a drink, and the policemen couldn't help but kidnap him and take him back to the magistrate's lobby! After some torture and interrogation, Fan Lai confessed to his crime!

Tangning never expected that she would shout out "bring the food" out of survival instinct. By chance, the thief's name was Fan Lai!

The prefect admired Tangning so much! He treated him as a distinguished guest, treated him warmly, rewarded him with money, and sent him home in a sedan chair!

4 Dream Seal (Part 1)

Prime Minister Li sat in front of the window, staring at the tree red plum flowers in full bloom outside the window for an hour. He looked calm on the outside, but deep down he was anxious. His phase seal has disappeared! This thing is related to wealth and life! He knew very well that the current emperor was moody, he had an upright character, and he had offended many people in the court! If the news leaks out and his enemies find out about it, his head may be moved. To be on the safe side, after he lost his seal, he sent a reliable person to secretly search for him! The terrible thing is that I have been secretly searching for dozens of days, and so far I haven’t found anything at all!

At this moment, the housekeeper Cheng He gently opened the door and came in. Looking at Prime Minister Li who had a gloomy face, he said cautiously: "Sir! Shangzhou Magistrate Li Yunlong please see me!"

The Prime Minister heard that it was his favorite student Li Yunlong who came. Sorry, he quickly asked the housekeeper to invite Magistrate Li into the living room!

The prime minister and the prefect sat down in the living room, and they had tea and chatted. Li Yunlong looked at his face and saw the Prime Minister's face full of sorrow, and asked cautiously: "What's bothering you, Master?"

Li Yunlong's slightly abrupt question made the Prime Minister startled when he heard the words, and he suddenly stopped stroking the hand with his long silver beard. After a while, the hand stroking his beard slowly began to move downward. He looked at the prefect's eyes as he waited for a reply, with a look of embarrassment on his face! He secretly thought that Yunlong was one of his own, and if he told him about the troubles, there would be no hindrance, and secondly, he might be able to help him. Thinking of this, he looked around the living room with majestic eyes. Wherever he went, everyone who was serving bowed his head and walked out.

Prime Minister Fang said to Magistrate Li: "I accidentally lost my official seal! Without an official seal, I can't enforce the law. If the court finds out, I will be jailed if I don't behead! So I don't dare to say anything after losing my official seal, so I can only investigate secretly! But! The secret investigation is like 'looking for a needle in a haystack', and so far there is no result. I am really anxious!"

After hearing this, the prefect couldn't help but take a deep breath! This matter is indeed very difficult! He lowered his head and thought deeply, and suddenly an idea flashed through him, and he remembered someone.Then he happily said to his mentor who looked sad: "I have an expert in Shangzhou Prefecture who can help the prime minister find the seal!" Prime Minister Li was overjoyed when he heard this. He stared at the prefect and said: "Tell me who it is? Li Yunlong said: "This man is from Tangjiazhuang, Shangzhou Prefecture. His surname is Tang and his name is Ning. Because his dreams are very efficacious, he is nicknamed 'Shenmeng Tang'!" He took a sip from the jade tea cup, Biluochun , "I am a small place in Shangzhou Prefecture, with unknown mountains and rivers, but there are experts! Time is tight, so I will keep my story short! In fact, I am embarrassed to tell you this matter! It was one day half a year ago, and I had just received my salary! Unexpectedly, a bold thief sneaked into my house that night and stole everything from me! I was so angry that I caught the thief and opened his buttocks! No way! ...It’s because of my subordinate’s incompetence. Half a month has passed and the thief is still at large! I was drinking tea in a teahouse and heard by chance that there was a Tang Ning in my house. My dream was perfect! I didn't have a good idea, so I asked the master to go to Tangjiazhuang to invite Tang Ning. This was a good move! Then Tang Ning slept in my house for a whole day and said, "Get Fan." Come on!' Master hurriedly checked the household registration book, and soon found out that Fan Lai was from Fanjiazhuang, Shangzhou Prefecture. I immediately sent a group of arrests to Fan Lai to arrest him and bring him to justice! , after investigation, it was found that the thief who stole the salary money was Fan Lai! Mr. Meng Tang Ning really deserves his reputation..."

Prefect Li's eyebrows were dancing, and Prime Minister Li seemed to have seen the light in the darkness. The butler Cheng He was urgently ordered to come in and ask him to tell the kitchen to prepare a table of good food and wine as soon as possible. He wanted to help Magistrate Li.

As soon as the meal was over, the prime minister ordered Magistrate Li to leave for Shangzhou immediately and be sure to invite the 'Shen Meng Tang' to come and help him dream of the seal. Li Yunlong felt that the time had come for him to show off, so he patted his chest and said happily: "It's all on me!"

As the saying goes: Walls have ears. Prime Minister Li asked Mr. Meng Tang Ning to help him with the dream seal, but someone overheard it! Who is this guy? It's none other than the housekeeper Cheng He! This guy has been lurking in the Li Mansion for more than ten years. He didn't come to the Li Mansion just to make a living, but had an ulterior motive. Just when Li Yun was tired and rushed back to Shangzhou day and night, his younger brother Cheng Hua also flew to Shangzhou!

In the late afternoon of winter, Tang Ning was chopping firewood in the courtyard. After working hard for a long time, her gray and white coarse cloth singlet was wet with sweat and stuck to her back. I heard a familiar voice behind me saying, "This is Mr. Meng's Tangning's home!"

When Tangning heard the voice and looked back, she saw the master and the prefect walking through the fence gate, with several children jumping and chirping behind them. Watch the fun from behind!

Tangning was a little flattered when the prefect came to the humble residence! He quickly dropped the hatchet, picked up the black cotton-padded jacket and put it on. As he buttoned the buttons, he shouted to the urchins: "Children! Go play outside!"

The children were usually most afraid of Tang Ning. Seeing him making noise, they scattered and ran away. .

Tang Ning hurriedly let the two distinguished guests into the short three-room thatched house. There was an old square table and two long benches at the front door of the main room, with a reed mat in the middle to separate two bedrooms. When Tang Ning's wife saw a visitor, she came over to serve tea and then left the house.

The prefect's sudden arrival made Tangning feel that something was wrong! The last time the master came here, he asked him to help the prefect steal the dream thief! This time the prefect comes in person, maybe there will be some trouble waiting for him? He is the head of a county. It would not be as simple as coming to his home for a cup of tea and catching up on old times during his busy schedule!

Now the prefect just enjoys tea leisurely and says nothing! The room was so silent that the air seemed to freeze! However, the more this happened, the more uneasy and uneasy Tangning felt. It was like a big stone was weighing on her head, and her heart was very heavy!

The magistrate was thoughtful at first, and then seemed to have made a major decision. He finally said: "Let's break the sky and speak openly! I am here this time on the order of the prime minister of the dynasty to ask you to help him dream of the seal." "

When Tang Ning heard that he was asked to help the Prime Minister Meng Yin, he was so shocked that he dropped the tea cup he was holding. He said cautiously: "In theory, I shouldn't refuse the Prime Minister's matter, but I am the only one who can do it. It is difficult for an incompetent person to take on this important task! The Lord Magistrate, please take back your appointment! Don’t miss the opportunity of the Prime Minister!”

When the Lord Magistrate heard this, his expression became frightening! The master tried to smooth things over by saying, "What you said is simply too modest! We have all heard and witnessed your abilities!" "That is purely a coincidence! How could I have such ability!"

The prefect said with a gloomy face. : "I don't care if it's a coincidence or not! I've already boasted in front of the Prime Minister! You have to go even if you go! You have to go if you don't! Otherwise, if the Prime Minister blames you, you and I can't afford it!"

Tangning Bingxue Smart, I thought to myself: For this reason, the prefect knew that he could never shirk this job! Moreover, it is futile to argue and shirk away! Since I couldn't shirk him, I might as well agree to him first. No matter what, I first went to the Prime Minister's Gate in Beijing to talk about it. If it didn't work, I just greased the soles of my shoes and left! It would not be a waste of my life to go to the capital and see the world! After thinking about this, he said, "Master Prefect, please don't be angry! I promise you!"

When the Prefect saw that Mr. Meng Tang Ning had agreed, he said kindly: "The carriages and horses have been prepared and are waiting on the road outside the village. ! We need to leave immediately!" "It's so urgent!" Tang Ning wiped the sweat on her forehead with her sleeves. "The prime minister is in a desperate situation! How dare we neglect it!" As he said this, the prefect and the master got up and walked out!

Tang Ning asked the prefect urgently, "Can I say a few words to you?"

The prefect thought for a moment and nodded in agreement!

Tangning held her wife's arm tightly and looked at her face lovingly and said, "The prefect came to ask me to help the prime minister dream seal!"

His wife was filled with tears and asked worriedly: "Are you confident, sir?"

Tang Ning closed her teary eyes, shook her head and said, "I'm not sure at all! I've told you everything up to now! Although I, Tang Ning, have a good reputation, it's all in vain! I was the one who took a peek at the dream after I got home. As a result, the dream about ducks for my uncle was definitely the result of my secret search at night; the dream about thieves for the prefect was definitely because I was so hungry and dizzy that I yelled for food out of my survival instinct. What a coincidence! "The thief's name is Fan Lai!"

My wife cried, "Why did you come?" "Now, my wife, don't blame me! This time I went to the capital to help the Prime Minister Meng Yin, I have a lot of trouble!" You will suffer the consequences, and death is not a pity! I hope my wife can save our children! I have an aunt in Liuzhou, Guangxi, and there is fifty taels of silver that I have accumulated under the box in the west room. After I leave, you can pack up your belongings and go to your aunt!" My wife cried and agreed.

5 Dream Seal (Part 2)

Tangning said goodbye to his wife and got into the carriage prepared by the prefect. Just as he was sitting firmly, he heard a loud "Drive!" from the driver, and the carriage sped off towards Kyoto!

The carriage bumped along the uneven official road so much that Tangning's bones almost fell apart. He opened the curtain of the carriage shed and looked at the billowing yellow dust stirred up by the wheels. The uneasiness in his heart and the unknown danger ahead stirred up a tremor in his mind. Waves! He felt that his body was in turmoil. He was not sitting in a carriage, but in a small boat that was rising and falling on the thrilling sea!

At dusk that day, the road was relatively flat. He was extremely panicked and tired. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard someone shouting: "There is an assassin!"

The assassin in black saw that he was exposed and shot him in a hurry. With one arrow, he jumped on his horse and fled!

When Tangning heard the shouting, she immediately became alert and instinctively shrank her head down. There was a "pop" sound, and a poisonous arrow grazed his scalp and was firmly stuck on the car board!

Tangning was extremely frightened! He kept wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeves. The prefect arrived quickly. Seeing that Tang Ning was fine, he finally felt relieved. He also sent additional civilian guards to ensure Mr. Meng's safety!

The officer asked, who is the assassin? Could it be Cheng Hua who went to Shangzhou to find out the news? right! The assassin is Cheng Hua! He came to Shangzhou to inquire about the news. He never expected that such a master would come out of Shangzhou, a small and remote area! If he were allowed to arrive at the Prime Minister's Mansion, it would be a huge threat to his brothers! Their carefully planned revenge plan will be ruined! no! He decided to assassinate Tangning on the way! He hid in the woods, nocked an arrow and drew his bow to shoot Tangning, but he was unexpectedly discovered by the car escort! The guard yelled, ruining his business!

The carriage moved on. Five days later at dusk, the prefect, Tang Ning and others quietly arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion! Prime Minister Li was overjoyed when he heard the news, so he sent someone to place Tang Ning in a side room next to the back garden of the Prime Minister's Mansion. They entertained her with good wine, good food and good entertainment! Don't neglect it!

While Tang Ning was sitting in the side room eating, Cheng Hua was anxiously waiting for the arrival of his brother Cheng He in another side room. The restless Cheng He hurriedly opened the door, turned around and closed the door, whispering in a low voice, "How about we go to Shangzhou to find out the news?"

"Brother! Mr. Meng Tang Ning is a great master! Then! Ask him about the legendary story about Mr. Meng in Shangzhou and tell him briefly!"

After hearing this, Cheng He sighed, "It seems that he is not a mediocre person! Otherwise, neither will that old guy like Prime Minister Li!" We have come all the way! This man is too much of a threat to us. We must get rid of him tonight!"

Cheng Hua nodded, "I tried to shoot him on the way, but it was a pity that he died. "Big, no success!"

Cheng He said regretfully, "Tonight we must succeed, not fail!" , start secretly! If the assassination fails, come to the rockery in the back garden to meet me, and we will make the final plan!" The Cheng family brothers have decided to act separately!

After having dinner, Tangning lay on the comfortable bed in the private room. Now he was lying on the bed fully clothed, looking at the flickering candle flames on the table.This country farmer with delicate features, tall and handsome face, and a mustache seems calm on the outside, but inside he is in a state of turmoil! From the moment the prefect came to his humble abode, he never had a moment of peace in his heart. He felt that suddenly a huge burden was placed on his shoulders without negotiation, almost crushing him! He is self-aware and understands that the legendary stories everyone talks about about him are all false! How can I do that? Now that Prime Minister Li wants to seal my dream, doesn't this mean killing me? The capital is so big, where can I find that thief? what should I do now? What should I do? How should this scene end?

Tangning had been bumping and tiring in the car for the past few days without a good rest. Although he felt extremely tired at the moment, he was afraid, panicked, disappointed, and thinking. Under the huge mental pressure, it was almost the third night, and he was still not sleepy at all. !

He thought to himself: Instead of being unable to sleep, it would be better to go out for a walk. Anyway, he couldn't just lie here and "just wait for death"! Think about it, the situation this time is very different from stealing from the prefect's dream thief, and the final outcome is also unpredictable! If he couldn't give the Prime Minister a satisfactory answer, he knew the Prime Minister's fatal "weakness". Prime Minister Li was inferior to one person and superior to tens of thousands of people. Getting rid of him was as easy as squeezing an ant to death! If he doesn't succeed, I'm afraid he will never be able to speak! If this is the case, you should take action! Even if there is a glimmer of hope! Otherwise, I'll take advantage of the fact that I'm more sleepy and lazy during the middle of the night when I'm looking after the home, and I'll take a chance and escape from the Li Mansion over the wall... That's right! Thirty-six strategies, taking action is the best strategy! Thinking of this, Tang Ning blew out the remaining candle, and the whole room suddenly became dark!

Through the small window, Tangning saw a few stars scattered in the jasper-like night sky! There was no wind or moon outside, and it was so quiet that you could hear the leaves falling to the ground! This is a great time to implement your escape plan! He quietly got up, lit the candle again, and used pillows and clothes to create the "illusion" that he was still sleeping in the bed! Then he quietly slipped out of the wing and prepared to run away!

As soon as Tangning slipped out of the wing, she felt a biting chill rushing towards her face! The night sky is like a washed blue-black coarse cloth, and the twinkling stars are like glittering pieces of gold sprinkled on this coarse cloth. Tang Ning arrived at Li's Mansion for the first time and was not familiar with the terrain of Li's Mansion. In addition, it was night and the Li's Mansion was dark. He didn't know the way, so he walked aimlessly along the corridor and stumbled upon a small door. When he opened the door, it was a pity that the door was locked. He then carefully looked at the top of the wall on both sides. The top of the wall was too high and there was nothing to climb on the wall. He tried several times but failed to climb up! Have to give up! Go back and find another way out! At this time, a night watchman carrying a lantern walked over from the corridor, and Tang Ning quickly crouched down and hid. The man sat down on the verandah and took a nap, then left with his lantern. Tang Ning saw him walking away, and reached in from the other end of the corridor. She walked carefully to the end of the corridor, crossed a small bridge, and came to a rockery. There was a banana tree planted next to the rockery. He was about to walk forward. , suddenly heard two people talking quietly behind the rockery, so he stopped and listened carefully, only to hear: "Mr. Meng is indeed an expert! I went to assassinate him, but I missed him! I also made a The 'pretend' of being asleep makes me miserable!" Another person said: "It will be difficult to assassinate him now!" Another person said: "So, not only can he dream, but he can also count! Someone came out to assassinate him, so he hid! What should we do next?" Tang Ning waited for a while and heard the man reply: "Don't be afraid! Let's throw the big seal into this well! He is so capable that he never dreamed that it was us!" From now on, I could no longer hear anyone talking, and I rarely heard the sound of something falling into the water, and then I heard the sound of footsteps fading away. Then there was no sound at all!

Tangning stood under the banana tree, surprised and happy.He was happy that he knew the whereabouts of the big seal; he was shocked because if he had come out later, he might have become the victim of a thief! The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became! He thought that he couldn't go back to sleep right now. If the thief came back to kill him, wouldn't his life be in danger? Secondly, his clothes are not too thin and can withstand the cold winter nights! Looking for a safe solution, he decided immediately: he would stay in this secluded place until dawn!

Tang Ning waited until it was almost dawn and then walked back cautiously. Fortunately, she didn't meet anyone along the way! As soon as he returned to the wing, he took off his clothes and socks, fell down and fell asleep.

I slept until about three o'clock in the morning! If Prime Minister Li hadn't sent someone to wake him up, he doesn't know how long he would have slept!

The prime minister invites you! Tangning can't sleep anymore! Get busy and go see Prime Minister Li after washing up!

As soon as Tang Ning sat down in the study, Prime Minister Li sat on the Grand Master's chair and asked impatiently: "Does Sir's dream have any result?" Tang Ning blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "There is a result! I dreamed about the Prime Minister's dream. The big seal is in the well next to the rockery in the back garden!"

Prime Minister Li was overjoyed when he heard this and ordered people to salvage it quickly!

In less than two hours, Xiangyin was salvaged!

Prime Minister Li was overjoyed! Warm hospitality to Mr. Meng with good wine and delicious food! Prime Minister Li is alone! During the dinner, Prime Minister Li asked Tang Ning with a smile, "Maybe we can find the thief who stole the seal?" Tang Ning understood what the Prime Minister meant. Although the seal was found, it did not eliminate his serious worry! Tang Ning thought to herself: If you can throw the big seal into the well in the back garden of the Prime Minister's Mansion, you can tell that there is a traitor in the Prime Minister's Mansion! But behind the rockery in the dark night, he just happened to hear their voices, but did not see their appearance! Moreover, it has already been 'suspended', if they run away... I feel less and less confident, but the prime minister keeps asking again and again, so I have to bite the bullet and give it a try. After thinking about it, he said to the prime minister: "I'm not sure! I just want to give it a try!" The prime minister was eager to catch the thief and quickly asked what could be done? Tangning walked over and whispered to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Li nodded slightly after hearing this.

Li Zaifang immediately ordered everyone in the Li family, as well as the sedan bearers and servants, to gather in the big living room.

The prime minister has an "invitation", who dares not to come! All of a sudden everyone arrived. Everyone gathered in the living room, you looked at me, I looked at you, no one knew what the prime minister was calling everyone for. Some speculated secretly, some whispered to each other, and some whispered.

Wherever Prime Minister Li's majestic gaze went, there was an instant silence! Just listen to the prime minister slowly say: "We are gathering everyone together today. It's not a big deal. I just want to trouble everyone to say 'It's harder than climbing to the sky'. Those who say this can do it themselves!" Everyone didn't know what the prime minister was doing. What medicine are you selling? But who dares to disobey orders? Everyone had to do as he said. Everyone lined up and repeated that sentence one after another, and Tang Ning kept shaking her head.

There were fewer and fewer people, and Tang Ning was disappointed. About ten more people were eliminated, and he became more and more disappointed. In the end, only a few people were left. Tangning was almost desperate! Finally it was Cheng He's turn. He glanced at Tang Ning and then hurriedly averted his eyes! Suddenly a voice came. This voice was so unforgettable in Tang Ning's memory of surprise and joy! He stood up from the Grand Master's chair excitedly, pointed his finger at the man and said: "That's him!" Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Li shouted sternly: "Get it for me!" Seeing that Cheng He was captured, Cheng Hua made a desperate move and secretly took out a handful. The poison dart went straight to Prime Minister Li's throat. The personal guard had quick eyesight and quick hands. He blocked it with his sword, and the poison dart fell to the ground with a clang, splashing some dust. The prime minister said loudly: "Get them all!"

Li Zaishang immediately interrogated the Cheng family brothers. After interrogation, it turned out that the Cheng family brothers were the nephews of Zhao Ping, a fourth-rank official in Dengzhou. The prime minister read his book in front of the emperor. Long Yan was furious and ordered the officials to severely punish him! The Zhao family was first ransacked and then executed! The Cheng family brothers held a grudge and were willing to come to the Li Mansion to avenge their uncle, waiting for an opportunity to kill Prime Minister Li. They thought of many ways to achieve their goals, such as assassination and poisoning.But they all thought it was inappropriate, as this would eventually lead to them being found out. They thought it was not cost-effective to lose their own lives, so they had to come up with a way to get the best of both worlds! Later I learned that it was a serious crime for an official to lose his official seal. Their plan was to gain Prime Minister Li's trust first and then steal his official seal without raising suspicion on them. They also achieved their goal! Things just went according to their plan.

The Cheng brothers were loyal to Prime Minister Li and gained his high degree of trust. On a dark and stormy night, the two brothers worked together inside and outside to steal Prime Minister Li's official seal. Moreover, Prime Minister Li did not suspect them. Seeing that Prime Minister Li was about to be "unlucky", they did not expect to kill him on the way. Mr. Dream, they themselves got into trouble and fell into his hands!

The Cheng brothers were imprisoned!

In the back garden of Li Mansion, Prime Minister Li and Tang Ning sat opposite each other. Tang Ning felt relaxed and said to Prime Minister Li with a smile: "I want to go back to Shangzhou and leave tomorrow."

Prime Minister Li stroked his long silver beard and smiled lightly, "My benefactor doesn't know. I have sent someone to Shangzhou to pick up your wife and children. I want my benefactor to stay in the capital and share the glory with me!"

Tangning was stunned for a moment. He looked at the scenery outside the Li Mansion, thoughtfully...