In the northwest corner of Kaifeng inner city, on both sides of the Jinshui River, high-gate houses are arranged in groups. From the western wall of Yanfu Palace to the Tianbo Gate in the northwest corner of the inner city, there are endless pavilions and pavilions. Those gather here are relatives and noble families, the residences of the prime ministers, and occasionally there are one or two simple and low-key houses that belong to the Da Diao who is in charge of the eunuch province and the N eunuch province.

Chen Youwen, the attendant of the Hanlin Academy of Pictures, rode a donkey and followed the housekeeper of the Deputy Chief Liu of Liu, named Liu Fu, and took advantage of the night to walk all the way from the Guanyinyuan mansion southeast of the inner city. It was almost midnight before he arrived at the residence of the Deputy Chief of the Provincial Escort, the Zhongwei Doctor, the Mizhou Defense Envoy, and the person in charge of the contract.

Although the number of eunuchs in the Song Dynasty was not large, with only more than one hundred, there were two eunuchs, namely the eunuchs in charge of the palace and the eunuchs in charge of confidential matters.

Liu Youfang is now the deputy governor of the N Escort Province, and is also in charge of the contract Youshi Department. There are several very important subordinate departments under the N Escort Province: Imperial Medicine Academy, Neidongmen Office, Guoxin Institute, Military Head Introduction Office, Contract Youshi Department, etc.

Among them, the Imperial Medicine Academy has the greatest power. The department is not only responsible for palace medicines and supplements, food at sacrificial ceremonies, imperial examinations, major ceremonies and diplomatic banquets.

It also manages sacrificial writing, religious activities, manufacturing and management of emperor clothes, etc., which are not matched with imperial medicine at all. It can even accept various memorials! The memorials between the Hanlin Bachelor's Academy, known as the "internal system", are passed through the Imperial Medicine Academy.

In addition, the Imperial Medicine Academy is also responsible for guiding ministers to meet the emperor and standardizing their shifts and order. Moreover, the eunuchs of the Imperial Medicine Academy are also responsible for standing in the corner of the hall when the king and his ministers are asked about it. The dialogue between the emperor and the ministers cannot be hidden from their ears.

In addition to the Imperial Medicine Academy doing things that are inconsistent with the name, the Neidongmen Office is also not an institution to look after the gate. The department is a secret passage for the emperor to contact the outside world. Especially during the empress dowager's reign, the department has more power, because the place where the empress dowager and the ruling minister discuss politics is usually in the Neidongmen Office.

Guoxin Institute, also known as Guoxin Institute for Relations, is a diplomatic institution that is responsible for hiring envoys from Khitan (Liao), Goryeo and other countries, and is also responsible for collecting intelligence.

As the name suggests, the military head introduction department is to accept the promotion of military personnel and the introduction matters that need to meet with the emperor or relevant institutions. At the same time, it also participates in the management of military examinations and military law trials. At one time, it also manages the two-stage horse and stance (the emperor's personal soldiers). It was not until the Xining reform that the military head abandoned the introduction department, but the military head still has great power.

Although Liu Youfang's contract, although the power of the Imperial Medicine Academy, Dongmen Office, Guoxin Office and the Introductory Office, was also an extremely important subordinate. He was in charge of the property under the ban, responsible for giving or claiming items, including the rewards of meritorious military merits, and could also manage the calligraphy, painting, and arts collected in the ban. From the house where Liu Youfang placed outside the palace, it can be seen that the contract management department is a very rich dispatch.

This house is backed by Jinshui River. Although the area is not large, it is extremely exquisite. The pavilions and towers are all beautifully created, and vivid murals can be seen everywhere.

In a small attic called Wuhua Pavilion in the courtyard, Chen Youwu met his immediate superior, Liu Youfang's adopted son, and Liu Ai, an envoy (eunuch rank official) of the Hanlin Picture Academy.

Liu Ai is about thirty years old, has excellent care, beautiful eyebrows and delicate skin, dressed in a literati dress, and a rose just picked behind his temples, which looks a bit enchanting.

"Duitzhao Chen, can the Gods and Immortals be in the hands of the Wu family?"

Chen Youwu, who was standing in the hall, looked a little uneasy. When he heard Liu Ai’s question, he hurriedly replied: “The Grand Official (the honorable title of eunuch), Wu Chengzhi did not admit that he had the “Eighty Seven Immortals” in his hand…”

"Oh," Liu Ai smiled, "Maybe there is really not. But... we can't just let it go, Chen Dizhao, what do you think?"

"Of course not," Chen Youwen said with a smile, "This is Wu Chengzhi's disaster. Even if the noble man spares him, other families cannot spare him... and the Wu surname is not at all regretful. Otherwise, he should have presented his treasured calligraphy and paintings and shops on Panlou Street to you today."

"Haha, our family doesn't want his shop, but he can still take a look at his collection..."

"Don't worry, I will definitely let the general surnamed Wu bring treasures to him with both hands."

Liu Ai glanced at Chen Youwen, then turned around and said, "Duitzhao Chen, you should have something else to do when you go to Wu Chengzhi today, right?"

Chen Youwen immediately took out a scroll and handed it on with both hands. Liu Ai took the scroll and spread it gently. It was a painting "Drunk Arhat Picture" copied by Wu Hao.

"This arhat is so well painted. Our family has never seen any better ones in the Hanlin Academy for so many years..." Liu Ai looked at the arhat statue on the painting and took a breath, "What did Wu Zongyuan say?"

"He said that the original painting was mostly from the disciples of the Painting Saint."

"Drawing Holy Disciple?" Liu Ai thought for a while, "Who is it?"

"He doesn't know this either." Chen Youwen said, "maybe it was an unknown disciple."

Liu Ai asked again: "Can you find out who is in the original work?"

"I don't know," Chen Youwen replied, "I only know that it was a certain observer of the Western Army."

"The observation of the Western Army..." Liu Ai shook his head.

He and his adoptive father Liu Youfang were both "literary eunuchs" and did not dare to provoke the Western Army's observation. Moreover, the battle between Hengshan is about to be imminent, and even Xianggong Zhang in the court has to favor those arrogant soldiers and generals.

"Grand official," Chen Youwen paused and said, "I met Wu Yuanyu in the Guishi today... He was the first to buy a copy."

"Wu Yuanyu?" Liu Ai frowned, "Do you think Duan Wang will..."

Chen Youwen nodded, "Most of them know, King Duan likes calligraphy and painting the most."

"Then our family will have to take this in their hands," Liu Ai said to himself, "I'll find another opportunity to offer it to His Highness Duan."

"The big official, the boy said that the people from the Western Army were going to sing and sell the original ones in Guishizi in four days. At that time, Xiaodi would buy the paintings and respect them to the deputy minister."

"Singing and selling?" Liu Ai was stunned, "Is Guishi very early on?"

Liu Ai smiled and said, "How could those Western Army fighters understand the rules of Guishizi?"

Liu Ai shook his head, "But those fighting men know how to sell things for a big price... Well, in four days, our father and son will go to Guishi in person."

...

The drizzle was drizzling like a gauze, covering Kaifeng Mansion.

It is deserted on Bianhe Street.

However, Wu Haogu's good mood was not damaged by this cold rainy day. He was riding a donkey with his "little mother" Feng Erniang, heading towards Kaifeng Mansion along Bianhe Street.

He went to Kaifeng Prefecture to visit his father Wu Chengzhi, who was taken into custody. These days, he has been busy forging and selling fake paintings, so he has never visited his father who was in trouble. However, today he has free time and is in the mood to see Wu Chengzhi.

Four days ago, he and Guo Jing, Liu Wuji and others were very successful. Twenty copies of "Drunk Arhat Picture" copied by Wu Haogu were exchanged for a reference worth about 8,000 pieces.

Because the "Drunk Arhat Picture" was originally written by Wu Haogu, at the "Spreading Spoils Banquet" that night, Wu Haogu got 4,000 pieces, and another thousand pieces were used as the capital for "continue to commit crimes", which was kept by Monk Fu. The other three thousand pieces were divided equally by Guo Jing, Liu Wuji and Monk Fu.

Now the silk book of the old "Drunk Arhat Picture" (also made by Wu Haogu himself) is sold at a good price in tomorrow's singing and selling, and the Wu family can raise enough money to return it to the palace and Wanjia Shop.

In this way, Wu Chengzhi will soon be able to come out of the Kaifeng Prefecture Prison, and the money returned by the Wu family to the palace and Wanjia Shop is not for nothing. He can also get back eight papers of calligraphy and paintings. These are all fine products, at least 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. If Wu Family Painting Zhai and other not valuable calligraphy and paintings, the property that can be inherited by Wu Haogu in the future will not be less than 50,000 yuan or 60,000 yuan.
Chapter completed!