$30, Dandy (5)

Duan Qingen's reputation in Shengjing has improved a lot recently. Although Miao had always been saying good things about him, she could still hear rumors from time to time, such as "Duan's eldest brother had a fight again" and "Duan's mistress went to someone's house to apologize for this eldest brother."

Most of the people living in Shengjing are officials. There are many girls in these families who are about the same age as Duan Qingen, and they are also at the age of marriage. Therefore, it can be said that any competent mistress can know a little about the young men in Shengjing.

Duan Qingen's reputation was ruined in a family. When each family held a banquet, these mistresses gathered together to talk about which son was good and which son was a jerk. When the banquet was over, Duan Qingen's bad reputation could spread more widely.

Logically, it would be fine if he did this in public to save face for himself and tell everyone that he is not what he seems to be, but Shengjing is a family that values ​​face. Even if they say behind the scenes that the eldest son of Lord Duan is a bastard, spends money like water and causes his mother to apologize all day long, they still have to praise him as a good child in public.

Everyone is like this, very proud.

How can a person with a sense of shame admit that he said Duan Qingen is a bastard? He didn't say it. Even if you want to clarify, who can you blame?

You say that you are not a bastard because it is a rumor spread outside. If the person being blamed says "no one said you are a bastard", it will be really embarrassing.

Miao Shi used this method because she had planned it clearly before. When Duan Qingen's mother passed away and he was a child born with difficulty, he urgently needed a mistress to take care of him kindly, Miao Shi knew that her chance had come.

At that time, Duan's father actually held a high position in the government. Although not as high as it is now, he was still a well-known figure in Shengjing. However, when he remarried, he made it clear that he wanted to find someone to take care of his son who had lost his mother.

It would be fine if a girl from a good family became a stepmother after marrying there, but Duan's father did not hide his love for this eldest son at all. He had a good relationship with the previous one, which made some families back off, fearing that their girls would marry there and become mothers. Duan's father's heart was still on the child he had born before.

It was at this time that Miao took the initiative to ask her mother to be Duan's father's second wife. For her, this was a great opportunity. She was sure that she could raise her stepson to be useless and let her own son get the family property. According to her family background, if she missed Duan's father, it would be difficult for her to marry a high-ranking official and become his wife in the future.

Duan's father remarried just to take care of his eldest son, so the wedding was naturally held in a hurry. At that time, the mourning period for the previous one had not passed, so of course the wedding could not be grand and could even be said to be shabby, but Miao buried all the resentment and resentment in her heart, and showed a completely understanding look to Duan's father without any regrets.

After so many years, she, as a stepmother and wife, has done absolutely nothing wrong. Although she will never be as good as the previous one in Duan's father's heart, they can be regarded as respectful to each other.

It was precisely because of Duan's father's trust that Miao had the opportunity to support Duan Qingen.

She was like a stream of water, slowly flowing into the noble ladies of Shengjing, praising openly and criticizing secretly, making people think that their stepson was a bastard, not good at civil and military affairs, and always making his father angry, and also causing her, as a mother, to clean up his ass everywhere.

Miao had already succeeded halfway.

But everything was ruined in one day.

After the news of Duan Qingen helping the disaster victims for his mother got out, his reputation, which had been tarnished with black, finally had some whitening. No matter who he was, as long as he was a filial son, the noble ladies of the time would always be more tolerant of him.

The Queen Mother held a Spring Banquet, and most of the noble ladies in Shengjing came with their children.

This banquet was to spread the news that "Duan's eldest brother is a filial son, and he did this and that for his mother."

This is also a tradition. Although engaged men and women can now communicate with servants and can always communicate on weekdays, there are still some who are just negotiating and have not yet been engaged. Families who love their children will not only care about their own likes, but also want their children to see it before deciding whether to marry.

It's just that it's not good for young men and women who are not engaged to meet privately, so there is a Spring Banquet. Before the engagement, the two sides meet and talk about their ideas for the future. If they can't reach an agreement, they go home and report the marriage to their parents. In this way, at least there will be one less pair of resentful lovers.

Of course, not everyone can come to such an event held in the palace. At least, even if Miao wanted to come before she got married, she was not qualified according to her father's official position.

Generally, the Queen Mother was the organizer and invited the prominent families in Shengjing to participate. The older ones mostly ate and drank at the banquet, while the young men and women had their own banquets and various entertainment items were set up, such as Go, Diabolo, Jicu, and Fighting Birds. Anyone who wanted to play could play, and the prize was paid by the Queen Mother.

If there were those who liked to be quiet and didn't like to play, they could just go with the elders to watch the play. If there were those who liked to play but didn't like those entertainments, they could also make an appointment with others to ride horses into the woods to hunt. In short, it was a large-scale blind date and entertainment party.

Mrs. Miao used to like to come to the Spring Banquet, because every time Duan Qingen, that silly boy, would just have fun there and not interact with the girls at the banquet, while she could get closer to some ladies and pretend to be He didn't notice that none of them asked about Duan Qingen.

But now, as soon as she sat down, someone would talk to her, "Sister, you are so lucky to have a filial son like Enge'er. I heard that when he heard that you were sick, you were exposed to the sun outside. I have been giving porridge to the victims for a long time. I just hope that you will be healthy, sister."

"There is also Mr. Duan who can actually give porridge to my sister. My husband-in-law can't do it anymore. His thoughts are all on his concubine. If I get sick, I'm afraid it will be troublesome for him to even come to visit me. I really envy you, sister. Son It’s nothing more than filial piety, but my husband is so considerate.”

The thing that Miao couldn't hear the most right now was that that idiot Duan Qing'en really gave her porridge just to help her get better. Her husband also really wanted her to get better, but all they used was her money!

Do you know how difficult it is for her to save these shops? These are all things she will leave to Brother Song in the future.

He was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood, but he still had to put on a gentle smile on his face, "Sister, you are so polite, isn't your daughter also very considerate? Look at the handkerchief on your hand, it is my sister's handiwork, right? ?”

"My sister has such a good eye. This is what my sister embroidered for me. Every stitch and every stitch is done very carefully. The flowers and leaves you quietly embroidered are so real. Oh, how can I put it this way, the girl is so considerate."

Mrs. Miao pursed her lips and smiled, "No, I have always wanted a girl. Cheng Huan would be so considerate."

She did think so. She thought countless times that Duan Qingen was a good girl. She could just raise her until she was a teenager and marry her off. Why go to all the trouble.

"Sister, there is no need to feel sad about not having a girl. You have two sons. Aren't daughter-in-laws the same as daughters in the future? Sister, you are so kind, and you will definitely be a good mother-in-law in the future. I don't know if my sister gets married in the future, what will happen to my mother-in-law? Can you treat her as well as you do, sister?”

Mrs. Miao tightened the handkerchief, and felt happy. This lady's family had a title, and she was a good match for her son. She had seen the sister in the family, she was gentle and considerate, and she had watched her since she was a child. As my father grew up taking concubines, he must be able to be more generous and not prevent his husband from taking concubines and flourishing.

If I could get married with this family...

There was a smile on her face, "My sister is looking for someone to marry her? Is there a good candidate?"

"It's so difficult to choose a good man. Hey, these days, every household is looking for a good husband. Even if someone comes from a good family and has good character, he has already been chosen by someone who is quick and quick." The lady sighed, After he finished complaining, he got to the point, "My sister's husband is here too. How about it? Is there any decision?"

Coming, coming!

Seeing her probing, Miao's heart dropped to pieces, and she smiled very reservedly: "Not yet, you know, my body is really not up to par, and I have to keep an eye on their progress, how can I find any free time... "

"What a coincidence."

The lady's face also showed a bit of joy, she came closer to Mrs. Miao and whispered: "Your family is upright, and you are also famous for your kindness. If possible, I still want to marry your family. "

The corners of Miao's lips raised slightly, "This is also a family where my sister trusts us."

The master of this family is very talkative in the court, and he also has many disciples who are serving as officials. If her brother Song can find such a wife, his official career will be smooth in the future.

She smiled and patted the right hand of the lady who was still speaking: "I have the same idea here..." I have the same idea as you.

"Your brother, I have just watched him for a long time. He is not as good as the rumors outside. He is also a good boy with good looks and a desire to make progress. It seems that his relationship with the He family is not as good as what those people said. I know that the rumors are not credible. He just won a diabolo there and was praised by the Queen Mother. He is a good boy. If I can get him as my son-in-law, I can feel relieved. "

Miao's words were immediately stuck in her throat before she could finish speaking.

"Engeer?"

Isn't it Brother Song? Her brother Song has such good grades and has always been famous in Shengjing. His friends are all promising scholars. How come it was Duan Qingen who was mentioned instead of her brother Song? ?

"Yes, it's Enge'er. I was also deceived by rumors before. When you clarified it, sister, I just thought it was because you felt sorry for your child and said good things for him. Now look at it, he is really a good boy. I just thanked him. When the Queen Mother rewards her, she looks neither humble nor arrogant, which makes people like her. "

"Ah, that's it."

Miao responded dryly and wanted to smile, but she couldn't lift the corners of her mouth. She just said perfunctorily: "Enge'er is indeed a good boy."

"Yeah, this kid just went hunting again, and I don't know how many prey he can hunt..."

Miao was dizzy now and didn't want to discuss this bastard Duan Qing'en with anyone. She smiled dryly and clapped her hands as if she had thought of something: "Hey! Just now it seemed that Sister Zhou called me and was just talking to my sister. , as I was talking, I actually forgot to go..."

The lady didn't think much about it and stopped praising Duan Qing'en. "Then you should go quickly. Maybe there is something urgent."

"Hey, I'll come back later."

Miao said goodbye to her with a smile, stood up and walked out. As she walked, the smile on her face turned into a gloomy one.

"It's so good for this little brat!"

The one who was following her today was her confidant, Mother Wang. Seeing how resentful she was, she quickly comforted her: "Mrs. Zhang is short-sighted. She started thinking about getting married when her eldest brother received the reward from the Queen Mother. Our second brother That’s the real thing, she just has no eyesight.”

"She has no sense at all. She just thought that Duan Qingen is the eldest son of my husband and will inherit most of the family business in the future, so she wanted to let her daughter marry him and enjoy the blessings."

Miao said through gritted teeth: "My husband is still young. Even if he retires in the future, he can still be the supporter of this bastard. Even if Duan Qing'en is incapable of becoming a man or a warrior, he can still live under the shelter. What are these ladies of the house talking about?" It depends on character and talent, but not family background.”

Mrs. Wang advised: "Madam, don't be angry. You are the mistress of the house after all. No one can get through the eldest brother's marriage without your approval. If you are worried that he will block the second brother's way, you might as well give him a marriage earlier to fool him." past."

"How could I fool you?!"

Miao glared at her with an angry look on her face, "He is the eldest son of my husband. Now my husband's official position is getting higher and higher, and this kid's reputation is getting better. Can I not find him a capable wife? What if? I dare to find a low-class family. Believe it or not, Man Shengjing’s saliva will drown me the next day.”

Mother Wang: "Madam, please listen to me, a high family background does not mean that the girl is good. If you find a girl for your eldest brother who has a high family background, a prosperous family, but is not favored at home, people outside will only know you. I have found a good marriage for my eldest brother, but how can I know the details? Even if I know, how can you, an outsider, know whether your future daughter-in-law will be loved at home?"

After finishing speaking, she looked at the thoughtful expression on Miao's face and said with a smile, "Tell me, is this true?"

"yes."

Miao clapped her hands and said, "It's not hard to find a girl with a bright face."

Just as she was talking, several girls came towards her. When they saw her, they bowed lightly: "Madam, you are well."

Mrs. Miao nodded with a smile, watching these good-looking girls standing up and walking forward after saluting. Her eyes kept falling on the girl in green at the back.

When they were far away, she turned sideways and asked Mother Wang: "Is the one in green just now the eldest sister of Zhonghou Mansion?"

Mother Wang replied: "I think so, slave."

Miao narrowed her eyes slightly, "Zhonghou Mansion..."

The Zhonghou Mansion is a Hou Mansion. Even if Duan's father has a high official position, it would be a high ranking to marry them. Although this eldest girl is a concubine, her brothers are the only brothers in the Hou Mansion. They will inherit the Hou Mansion in the future. Yes, if she found such a match for Duan Qingen, people outside would have no reason to say anything about her.

However, Miao had a rough understanding of the conditions of each house in Shengjing, even if he knew everything about them. Although the eldest girl's brother was the only male in the Hou's house, they were not favored and lived a difficult life in the house. , the mother-in-law of the house has good tricks, and she does things that make the siblings suffer unspeakably. The Marquis is addicted to women, and he doesn't have much paternal love for his only son.

If Duan Qingen is allowed to marry this eldest sister, the Hou Mansion will definitely not be able to provide much help.

As for her brother, he is just a seven or eight-year-old boy. Whether he can grow up alive or not is still a question. If he really succeeds in the future, Miao doesn't have to worry about anything. The Marquis of the Marquis will naturally take action.

This marriage is so suitable.

The more Miao thought about it, the more comfortable she felt, and the expression on her face gradually returned to the pure and kind smile she always had before.

Although it seemed from the outside that this eldest sister would have the support of her younger brother in the future, she was still a concubine in the end. She was afraid that Duan Qingen's fastidious little boy would not agree, so she had to think carefully about how to coax him into agreeing to the marriage.

****

Here, several girls from the Hou family were walking forward slowly. Mrs. Hou just said that it was not interesting for them young girls to watch the theater with her, so she sent them out to walk around to relax.

Of course, even though she said that, from the fact that she said it after her mother arrived, it can be seen that she sent the girls away to say something to her mother that they couldn't let them hear.

Although they are sisters, the backyard of the Hou Mansion is a bit chaotic, and the relationship between these girls is not as good as in other courtyards. After walking in silence for a while, the fourth sister, who is the youngest and the most favored by Lord Hou, is the first to speak:

"I just saw someone fighting crickets over there. It looked so lively. I plan to go and play. Do you want to play together?"

Of course, none of her three sisters were interested in cricket fighting, so the fourth girl took her maid to watch the cricket fighting, leaving only three sisters of similar age.

Xi Yuzhen is the eldest concubine of the Hou family who was targeted by Miao just now. Ever since she passed Miao just now, she has always felt that something is not right. She always seems to have the feeling of being watched. But behind her is Mrs. Duan, who is very nice. She kept watching what they were doing here.

She has always been the one who is not favored in the family, and she has long understood the principle that doing more is worse than doing less. Therefore, although she felt weird in her heart, she did not look back to confirm her thoughts, and just walked quietly with her head hanging slightly.

The aunt sent them out just to let them wander outside for a while longer. She was usually raised in the house like the other sisters and was not allowed to go out. Now it would be nice to walk around outside for a while.

While walking, Xi Yuzhen suddenly felt her second sister walking beside her pull her sleeves and asked in a low voice: "Is the person we passed by just now Mrs. Duan?"

Xi Yuzhen had seen Miao in her own house, but she shook her head, "I don't know."

"I think it must be her. Mrs. Duan came here before when my father celebrated his birthday, but my mother didn't want us to go out to meet guests at that time, so I just took a look from afar."

The second sister didn't pay much attention to her before, but maybe there was no one else to talk to after she came out, and the third sister didn't have a good relationship with her, so she kept pulling her and talking to herself: "She should be wearing Yunzhi from Jiangnan." Brocade, I saw it at my mother’s place last time, and it was said to be very rare, and my mother only had a few.”

"Her hairpin looked like it was made by Linglongfang. When I was saluting, I quietly raised my head and took a look. There was a emblem on the hairpin. Last month, my father gave my aunt a hairpin with that kind of emblem."

Xi Yuzhen didn't say anything, and just responded with hums and ahs. The third sister who was walking in the front heard it, turned around and said to the second sister very rudely: "We are also girls in the Hou Mansion, can you?" We can’t help but act like we’ve never seen the world before, and we don’t know and think our mother has treated us badly.”

This can be regarded as the truth. In fact, the Hou family had not been prosperous before they were born. Their father also liked beauty and took concubines from everywhere. The family had to maintain the appearance. Even if the books were in deficit, those maids and women The young man cannot be sold.

The masters who are in charge of money above don't have to worry about whether they have fancy clothes or whether they have money. Young girls like Xi Yuzhen and the others are really having a hard time.

It's not that they can't eat, it's just that in this mansion, the unpopular ones have to pay for a hot meal if they want to eat. If things go on like this, there won't be many copies left, and they are all serious ladies who want to go out and socialize. , how could he be wearing some ordinary clothes?

Mr. Hou only cares about his own enjoyment and doesn't care about them. Mrs. Hou is not their biological mother, so it would be good if she doesn't teach them. How can she kindly make new clothes for them? It's better to have an aunt, at least the aunt will also care for her daughter. Think about it, if you don't have an aunt, or if Xi Yuzhen is not favored by an aunt, you will really have troubles that you can't tell.

When she was a child, she saw with her own eyes a favored aunt who relied on the Marquis's favor and spoke rudely to her aunt. Within a month, the favored aunt died of a "serious illness" with a child in her belly.

Her father, who had doted on her before, was only sad for one day before he focused on the new couple. From then on, Xi Yuzhen understood that if she and her brother wanted to live a good life in the house, they had to please their father and the head mother. , An'an behaves in a well-behaved manner, and there can be no irregularities at all.

It's just that Mrs. Hou is not someone who just lets others go if they follow her rules. Xi Yuzhen's mother gave birth to the only male in the Hou family, which made her regard the three of them as a thorn in her side, especially when Mr. Hou proposed to kill Xi Yuzhen. After her brother was entrusted to her for upbringing.

Xi Yu could really guess what her legitimate mother was thinking. She was still young, and it wasn't like she couldn't have children. Why would she raise a concubine under her knees and give him the title of legitimate son for nothing? Then if she gave birth to a legitimate son in the future, the Hou Mansion would Who will inherit?

Now she is just being cold and embarrassed on the surface, and has not killed her directly. It is only because she killed too many children before, and only one male in the Hou family was killed, which prompted her father to warn her.

If another child dies in the mansion, the couple may be at odds with each other, so the Hou's mansion can barely maintain a superficial peace.

It's just that it's difficult for them, concubines who are not the children of their legitimate mothers, to live a good life.

Except for the fourth sister who is young and doesn't understand anything, the other girls in the house are looking forward to getting married as soon as possible and living their own lives, which is better than living in this house.

Xi Yuzhen is similar, but she is very conflicted. At the same time, she wants to get married, but at the same time, she is thinking about her aunt and younger brother. She is a girl who has grown so big. Even if her aunt can no longer understand her, she will only be in her unmarried state. There is more time to learn from each other, but the younger brother is a male. If he is really the only male left in the Hou family in the future, the aunt will never tolerate him. But if the aunt has a child of her own, the younger brother may not be much better.

As long as he is the eldest brother of the Hou family, his aunt will hate him.

She was pretending to be worried, but Miss Xi Er didn't. After she and her third sister finished arguing, she started talking again, "We are getting older, and I don't know if my mother is looking for marriages for us."

"A girl who talks about marriage is shameless!"

Miss Xi San mocked coldly, but there was also some worry in her eyes.

At their age, even girls from ordinary families should consider getting married, but the aunt's mother has not made any move, which makes people feel anxious.

It doesn't matter if the husband gets married a few years later, he can still marry a young and beautiful wife, but if the girl misses her flowering period, there will be no young man waiting for her.

At most, you can marry someone who has to be a filial piety to the family. If you are unlucky, you might have to become a stepmother or marry a man who is older than you.

"Whatever you say, I'm so old, I don't know how to be ashamed." Miss Xi Er glared at her fiercely, and she didn't know whether it was intentional or not, and muttered: "Today is a spring banquet, almost full. All the husbands who have the same family background as ours have arrived in Beijing. If I could meet a husband by chance today, it would be great if he went to propose marriage at home. I am almost fifteen now. If I don’t decide to wait one more year, I will have a husband of the same age. Where is the rest?"

Miss Xi San's eyes flashed thoughtfully, but Xi Yuzhen, who had been silent for the whole time, suddenly spoke: "Sister, be careful, although the protection between men and women is not as strong as in the past, only engaged men and women can interact with each other. If it is private If you go down there, the husband will be fine, and at most he will get a reputation, but the girl will have her life ruined. "

Miss Xi Er sneered: "Isn't it ruining your life to be an old girl for the rest of your life? If I have the chance, I would rather give it a try."

The three of them were talking when they suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground from far to near, as if several people were riding towards them.

They subconsciously raised their heads, and sure enough they saw a group of richly dressed men riding towards them on horseback. These men were all good-looking and about the same age as them. Each horse was carrying prey on its side and carrying a long bag on its back. Gong, looking at his heroic figure makes people blush.

"There seem to be a few girls in front of us." He Lisheng was the first to see the three people and immediately asked Duan Qing'en in front of him, "We just killed the prey and there is blood on it. Please don't hit them. Do you want to take a detour?"

Duan Qingen also raised his head and glanced over there, and saw three girls looking over from a distance. He raised his lips and showed a wanton smile on his face, "You are not a child of several years old, and you can even control your own horse." Isn’t it good? Besides, these girls won’t go to the hunting ground if they are afraid of collision, let’s go directly here!”

"What Qing En said is that we just need to be more careful! Driving——"

Duan Qingen took the lead to ride forward, and the men behind him who had become more and more close to him these days also followed with smiles. He Lisheng fell at the back, "Hey!! You guys grew up with me after all. I grew up with Qing En! Why did you run away with him?"

Duan Qingen's laughing voice came from the front, "You grew up with me, and you grew up with them, isn't it equivalent to us all growing up together? Hahaha, I won't wait for you, driver- —”

"Brat!"

He Lisheng smiled and cursed, but he was not angry. Recently, he has become more and more fond of playing with Duan Qingen, who is so flamboyant and wanton.

happy! !

"drive!!!"

"drive!!!"

The three girls stood still, watching them riding horses from a distance. Seeing that they were about to pass, the third girl of Xi nervously clenched the handkerchief in her hand, thinking about what the second girl said to her, and mustered up her courage. , boldly shouted: "Cousin!"

"Uu——"

One of the gentlemen in blue stopped, turned his head and took a look, then got off his horse and said, "It turns out they are some sisters, what a coincidence."

Seeing that he was willing to pay attention to her and got off the horse, Miss Xi San immediately showed joy on her face and responded: "Mother said let us go out for a walk. Where did my cousin come from?"

She spoke, but Xi Yuzhen beside her turned pale.

This cousin is not their biological cousin, but just their maternal nephew, so they can just call him cousin.

Her aunt was not happy with them. If she knew that they dared to talk to her natal nephew, she might not do anything.

The gentlemen originally ran out, but when they saw the movement behind them, they all stopped and looked back.

"What's going on? Why is Zecheng talking to those girls?"

"I think I met my cousin, please say hello."

He Lisheng reined in his horse and looked back strangely, "I never heard that Ze Cheng has a cousin."

Duan Qingen stopped beside him and looked over there, "She is the daughter of a concubine from Aunt Zecheng's family, from the Zhongyihou Mansion."

"Oh... no wonder." He Lisheng looked away and asked, "There seems to be someone fighting crickets over there. Do you want to go and take a look?"

"What's the point of watching a few little bugs biting around? If you want to be lively, you might as well watch people playing chess."

After what he said, He Lisheng also felt that fighting crickets was not fun. He casually glanced in the direction of the three girls and chatted: "I didn't expect that this girl from the Zhongyi Hou Mansion is quite courageous. A group of us ran over, and she actually Dare to ask Zecheng to come down, it seems the relationship is good."

"Mrs. Hou usually doesn't take them with her when she goes out to socialize. I'm afraid Zecheng hasn't met these cousins ​​even a few times. Where does the affection come from."

After listening to Duan Qingen's words, He Lisheng nodded, "So that's it..."

As he clicked, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned to look at Duan Qingen and said, "That's not right. Your family is not close to the Hou family. How come you know so much about his family's affairs?"

Duan Qing'en raised his riding whip and threw the prey on his horse onto He Lisheng's horse. Seeing that he caught it hurriedly, he raised his eyebrows at him, "Who made me so smart? Driver!"

"Hey! No, my cousin and cousin are talking about what you were doing in the past!" He Lisheng saw his friend running past on horseback. He looked around, fearing that others would gossip again, so he simply raised his riding whip and followed him.

Duan Qingen passed quickly and got off his horse when he reached the place, "Ze Cheng, what is this?"

Zhu Zecheng and these cousins ​​had never met each other, and they had nothing to say. There were a bunch of brothers watching behind him, and Miss Xi San kept pulling him to talk. Just when he felt embarrassed, he saw Duan Qingen coming. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly introduced: "These are some cousins ​​from my aunt's house. They were walking here and happened to meet them."

"Three sisters, this is the brother of the Duan family, my good friend. We just went into the woods to hunt together."

"It turns out they are some younger sisters. They are polite."

Duan Qingen followed Zhu Zecheng's words and called his sister without any politeness at all, and saluted the three of them. The three girls quickly returned the salute.

He Lisheng happened to catch this scene when he came over. He got off his horse and followed suit. As soon as the two parties finished saluting, Duan Qingen grabbed his arm and said with a look of disapproval: "There are girls here, how can you put these We also brought the prey, what if we collide with each other?"

He Lisheng was confused. Wasn't it Duan Qing'en who said before that girls would not take the hunting ground if they were afraid of being hit? ?

Zhu Zecheng came out to smooth things over, "It's okay, Li Sheng was also careless."

"It's too reckless." Duan Qing'en condemned again, turned to the three girls and said with a smile: "I just saw a cricket fight over there. We were about to go see it. Since we met the three sisters, do you want to join us?" go?"

He Lisheng: "..."

You just said there's nothing interesting about fighting crickets.

He looked at Duan Qingen, who had obviously slapped him in the face, but still looked calm as if the person who said those words before was not him, and he realized deeply why he could not speak up to this guy every time.

There is no way, compared to a shameless person, he is simply too inarticulate.

Before Miss Xi San could respond, Xi Yuzhen took her arm first and said to Duan Qing'en: "Thank you for your kindness, sir. It's just that we won't be out for a long time, so just say goodbye to your husband." ”

Zhu Zecheng, who had not wanted to chat for a long time, breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly raised his fists, "Then sisters are having fun, so we will go ahead."

After saying that, he got on his horse and said, "Lisheng, Qingen, let's go."

He Lisheng quickly mounted the horse, but Duan Qingen climbed up slowly. After they both walked out of the front, he calmly waved his whip.

After watching them walk away, the expression on Miss Xi San's face turned ugly, and she shook off Xi Yuzhen's hand, "Sister, why are you stopping me? If we had just agreed to come down and watch the cricket fight together, , maybe I can really find a husband for myself, and avoid being wasted at home like this."

Xi Yuzhen pursed her lips: "My mother always doesn't like us talking to outsiders outside, let alone our outsiders. If you do this, my mother will be angry."

"Why do you think he's an outsider? That's my cousin."

"It's because I'm my cousin that my mother is angry." Xi Yuzhen slowly put down her hand and said in a gentle but firm tone: "Third sister, do you think that if your mother knew that today|you were talking to your cousin, she would speak for you cousins? Are you in a good relationship and happy?”

Miss Xi San was stunned for a few seconds and suddenly realized what she had done.

My aunt had always disliked concubines like them. If she knew that she was talking to her cousin...

Her face turned pale, and she hurriedly reached for Xi Yuzhen's hand, "Big sister, big sister, you have to save me. If mother finds out, she will definitely punish me."

Xi Yuzhen gently pulled her hand back, shook her head and said, "I can only promise not to tell my mother. When my cousin stopped just now, our sisters were all there. If my mother knew about it, my second sister and I would not be left behind." Okay, you don’t have to worry about me telling my mother.”

Miss Xi San immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, my cousin and my mother don't often meet. Even if we do meet, we only have a conversation, and it's not just that he deliberately mentioned it to my mother. As long as we don't tell her, my mother won't know. of."

She felt that if her aunt knew about this, all three of them would be punished, so she relaxed, her expression no longer as hurried as before, and she even had the leisure to look at the scenery in the distance.

Xi Yuzhen glanced at Miss Xi Er, who had been silent, but her expression was not as relaxed as Miss Xi San.

After the spring banquet, she returned to the courtyard. Not long after she sat down, the girl waiting outside came in and said, "Sister, my wife sent someone to deliver some scriptures. She said that it was the death anniversary of the old lady soon, and she wanted to let her go." Several girls hand-copied scriptures and sent them to the Buddhist temple to burn with the old lady."

"I know, bring it."

Xi Yuzhen didn't show any surprise on his face. After ordering someone to bring a thick stack of scriptures to him, he started copying them.

At the spring banquet, she knew that the second sister would tell her aunt about this matter. The second sister seemed to be outspoken, but in fact she was instigating them to have a private meeting with her husband outside. The third sister dared to drag her cousin along. If you talk, she will definitely tell the truth.

It's just that although the second sister occasionally used some small tricks before, but now she has made such a fuss, if they really listen to her words and find someone privately, the second sister will also make a fuss about this matter, and I am afraid that the result will not be a haircut. My sister-in-law was forced to commit suicide by her family just to save her name.

She suddenly acted so cruelly, it could only be because something happened.

It would be good for her to do this...

Xi Yuzhen paused while writing.

There is only marriage.

Their aunt must be arranging their marriage. She is the eldest daughter, so she must be the one to arrange it first. The second sister may have set up such a trap to destroy them, because she was probably thinking about this marriage.

It's just that the stepmother has always disliked them and would never find a good marriage for them. But why did the second sister do this? Her aunt is favored, so maybe she heard something from her father and that's why she had this idea.

After copying a volume of scriptures, Xi Yuzhen's heart has calmed down.

After all, she knew that even if she understood everything and thought about it thoroughly, she couldn't change the decision made by the stepmother.

It can only depend on fate.

Xi Yuzhen looked at the candlelight that flickered with the wind from outside, laughed at herself, and continued to copy the scriptures with her eyes down.

****

"The Marquis originally said that she wanted to marry the eldest daughter to the Zhou family, but later the second daughter came to talk to the lady, as if saying that the eldest and third daughters were restless and wanted to seduce the lady's nephew. The lady changed her mind and wanted to marry the second daughter. Now she is choosing another family for the eldest daughter. I heard that Madam Duan came several times, as if she wanted to marry the eldest daughter for her eldest brother, but I was not in the room when they talked, so I didn't hear clearly what they said."

In an ordinary residential building, a bearded man was sitting with his legs crossed and listening to a girl dressed as a maid. When she finished talking, he threw five taels of silver and sent her away:

"Okay, I know, this is your reward, take it, if you have any news to sell in the future, just come, we will buy any news, but if you want more silver, the news you send must be big enough."

The girl took the silver in her hand, her face showed joy, bowed, and left here happily.

Inside the house, the bearded man stood up, walked behind the screen, and asked the person who had just written, "How is it, did you remember everything clearly?"

"I remembered it clearly." The man stood up, handed over the paper in his hand, and said curiously, "It's just a fight in the inner house, why do you give so much money for five taels?"

"The master said that anyone who comes to the Loyalty Marquis's Mansion, no matter how big the information they give is, will be given more silver. Let them know that we are generous, and they will come more often in the future."

The bearded man stuffed the paper into his arms, "Okay, I'm leaving first , this news must be delivered to the master as soon as possible, so I'll give it to you first."

"Okay, go ahead and greet the master for me."

The bearded man went out, and the man behind the screen continued to write and draw on the paper. A man dressed as a cook poked his head in at the door and swallowed nervously, "Is anyone there? I, I heard that people buy news here..."

"Someone, come in."

The man began to speak as usual: "Anju Pavilion collects all the news in the world. The more important the news you give, the more money we pay. The more you give, the more you will get. But if you don't give us a penny worthless, then we can't be blamed. "

The cook hurriedly said: "My news is worth it! Very worth it! I overheard it. That is, that is, can you not tell others, I said it. "

"Don't worry, Anju Pavilion only accepts news, never cares who comes to sell news, you can tell, I will give you silver according to the importance of the news. "

The cook was still a little scared, but thinking of his old mother who was seriously ill and urgently needed money for treatment, he still stammered and told the news he overheard:

"The eldest son of the Shangshu and his fifteenth concubine had an affair. I, I also heard that the child in the concubine's belly was his. The eldest brother seemed to have owed a lot of debts from gambling outside. The concubine stole the private seal of the master. The eldest brother took the private seal and sold officials outside under the banner of the Shangshu. He got money to pay off his debts..."

The person who recorded this incident did not show a surprised expression on his face. Since he was rescued by the master and placed in this Anju Pavilion to work, he has heard too many strange news.

"It involves officials in the court. The value of the news is 10 taels."

He threw the silver directly across the screen and said coldly: "We will send someone to verify. If the news is not true, you should be careful of your head."

"Really! Absolutely true! I heard it from my eldest brother with my own ears!!"

The cook promised and ran out quickly with the silver.

He had to go to the doctor and buy medicine for his mother.

****

As soon as the bearded man walked out of the yard, he picked up two loads and walked to the street to sell, "Peach Blossom Cake, delicious and beautiful peach blossom cake, only rich families eat peach blossom cake..."

Occasionally someone wanted to buy it, he would stop, wrap it in oil paper with a good service attitude, and then sell it to the person.

He walked and hawked all the way to the gate of Duan's house. The gatekeeper stopped him and said, "Peach Blossom Cake Seller, stop for a moment, I want to buy some."

Another gatekeeper looked at him in surprise, "You still have money to buy these?"

The gatekeeper smiled awkwardly, "How can a servant like me afford peach blossom cake? Someone from my eldest brother's courtyard came to say that my eldest brother wanted to eat fresh peach blossom cake. If anyone passes by and hawks it, please buy some. There will be a reward."

After that, he ran down the stairs and bought peach blossom cake, "Please help me look for it, brother. Come back with the reward and we'll split it in half."

"Hey, go ahead."

The doorman took the peach blossom cake and walked along the path into Duan Qingen's yard. He was the most favored eldest brother in the mansion, so his yard was naturally large, and there were many servants. When the doorman came over, Duan Qingen and the artist He Lisheng were lying on a chair, eating grapes and reading a storybook. There were two little girls beside them fanning them. It was completely a case of evil capitalism.

The man guarding the yard took the peach blossom cake wrapped in oil paper, asked the concierge to wait, and then came over and delivered it to Duan Qingen, "Brother, the concierge bought the peach blossom cake and said it was your order."

"Well, it's me who rewards him."

Duan Qingen responded casually, took a peach blossom cake and put it in his mouth. He Lisheng looked at it greedily and couldn't help but also took one and put it in his mouth.

"Well...it tastes authentic, not bad."

After eating, he looked around. He was really impatient to wait. He stood up and said to the girl who was fanning: "Okay, okay, you all can go down."

After the girls left, he said: "Qing En, didn't you say you bought the message? Where is the person who sent the message?"

"Already gone."

Duan Qingen was eating peach blossom cake, his eyes still on the storybook.

"Left?!" He Lisheng suddenly sat up, "When did he leave? Why didn't I see him? Why did he just leave!"

"The message has been delivered. Why don't you leave it?"

"Did the message arrive? When did it arrive? Why didn't I see it?" He Lisheng almost turned into a curious baby. Seeing that Duan Qing'en was still reading without stopping, he anxiously got up from the chair and took his hand. I took down the book inside.

"Aren't I always with you? Why didn't I see the person who sent the message?"

Duan Qingen silently picked up the plate of peach blossom cake on the table and placed it in front of He Lisheng.

He Lisheng stared at the peach blossom cake for a few seconds, "Is this the news?"

"right."

After getting the affirmative answer, He Lisheng immediately sat down next to Duan Qingen, picked up a peach blossom cake and broke it open. He broke off one cake to see if he saw it, and then took another one and broke it open.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing!" Duan Qing'en directly put the remaining peach blossom cake into his arms: "I didn't eat much at noon, don't waste my peach blossom cake."

"I'm looking for news." He Lisheng carefully looked around and made sure that people were far enough away, then he came over and whispered: "Isn't that what is written in the playbook? In this case, the news is all there It’s written on the paper, and then the paper is hidden in the pastry. Break it open, take out the paper, and it’s done!”

"You also know it's a playbook."

Duan Qingen took another peach blossom cake and put it into his mouth, his cheeks puffed up as he ate it, looking very harmless, "If we really deliver the message like this, what if the cake is delivered to someone else, or what if the message is sent to someone else?" Don’t remember which piece of peach blossom cake contains the message? Or, what if someone happens to be there when this cake is delivered, and then that person wants to take a bite? For example, you just ate one of my peach blossom cakes. "

He Lisheng thought about it and threw his hands away, "Then tell me, how did this peach blossom cake bring you the news? If it wasn't hidden in the cake, it could have been hidden in the oil paper."

"No need to hide it. I told you when I went to buy the news that if I guessed correctly, I would send you peach blossom cake. If I didn't guess correctly, I would send you jujube cake. When I see the jujube cake, I will naturally buy the news. Ask somewhere."

"So that's it..." He Lisheng suddenly realized: "That's why you said that the news has been sent, because when you saw the peach blossom cake, you already knew that you had guessed it right."

"You said you, you are curious to know how Anju Pavilion sent the news and how you asked me to buy it. Don't you know how to buy it yourself?"

"Don't I have no money? You are different. When my father saw you, he asked you if you were short of anything and wanted a reward. Your mother even gave you all the cards. How enviable."

He Lisheng made a habitual sour remark and continued his analysis:

"No wonder Anju Pavilion can suddenly develop into what it is now in such a short period of time. It is indeed impeccable. Even a brother like you who has not been in the court and has no fame is so careful when buying information."

Duan Qingen continued to eat peach blossom cake.

He Lisheng was not angry when he received no response, and continued to mutter: "I heard that some people in the court are buying information from Anju Pavilion. It is said that the information they sell is extremely expensive. Do those officials have the money to buy it?"

"If you can't afford it, you can exchange it for other information." Duan Qingen smiled and patted the pastry crumbs on his hands: "They are officials, and the information they get is always more valuable than ordinary people."

"Yes, it's just a one-for-one transaction. There must be a lot of information in Anju Pavilion, and maybe there are family secrets. Don't you think they are afraid that some people will find out that their information has been sold and go to Anju Pavilion to cause trouble? "

"No need."

Duan Qingen was full and yawned, "If it's some trivial information, it's not worth offending Anjuge. If it can directly destroy his own information, the person who sold the information will definitely not tell him that he sold his information. This When the news comes out again, it’s probably time for the other party to be shattered to pieces.”

"Once Anju Pavilion develops, no one can eradicate it unless its owner takes the initiative to disband it. With all kinds of information gathered in it, no one dares to take action easily. If there are officials who want to protect themselves from threats, just buy them back." Just the news.”

He Lisheng touched his chin, "But a secret known to others is no longer a secret. Even if I buy it back, I won't be able to settle down."

"You have to settle down even if you can't settle down. You think so. You are a fifth-grade official. Anju Pavilion has fatal news for you. You plan to attack Anju Pavilion, but you can't go directly to the door. I'm sure They also need to rely on the court, and at this time, Anjuge, who always receives news the fastest, knows about this matter. They have information about the immediate boss of a fifth-grade official. Do you think Anjuge will use this boss to deal with it? A fifth-grade official who wants to attack me? "

He Lisheng had goosebumps all over his body at what he said, and he even couldn't help but shudder, "It's really shocking to hear you say that."

"Fortunately, if you don't do anything wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking on your door. If you don't do anything wrong, you don't have to worry about someone else getting into trouble."

"Before, I only knew that there was a person in Shengjing who specialized in selling information. I really didn't know there were so many details involved." He Lisheng smiled and hit Duan Qing'en on the shoulder, jokingly saying: "I see what you said is right. I don't know what else to do." I thought you opened this Anju Pavilion."

Duan Qingen smiled and picked up a piece of peach blossom cake, "How do you know it wasn't me?"

"Hahahaha, don't be joking. Okay, now that I know how Anjuge delivered the news, I will go back first. I really don't know what Anjuge wants to do when he suddenly appears."

He Lisheng took his leave, and Duan Qingen was the only one left in the yard.

He yawned, picked up the playbook and peach blossom cake on the table, and said to the servant: "I'm going to take a nap, and no one can come in and disturb me."

"yes."

The servants all agreed. He opened the door and entered the house, got on the couch, unwrapped the peach blossom cake in oil paper, sprinkled water on it, and words gradually appeared on it, which were obviously not there now. Arabic numerals.

When all the words were revealed, he opened the opera book again, turned the pages one by one in order, and wrote down the information revealed in it on the paper.

[There was a severe drought in Guandong, but local officials concealed it and failed to report it. The victims went to the government, and the court punished them with rebellion]

[After the tax increase, the governor of Beicheng could not bear the people to starve to death and did not force them. The day before yesterday, he was ordered to return to Beijing and given poisonous wine]

[The imperial concubine's brother invaded people's fields, and the people reported it. Master Gao Chengbing handed over the paper to him. Three days later, Master Gao died from the shock of his horse. He reported to the people that a fire broke out in their home, and no one in the family of twelve survived.]

In just three lines, the message is astonishing.

Behind the prosperous and peaceful Shengjing, there is no telling how many grievances and hatreds are hidden.

Duan Qingen looked at the last line.

[You have launched a rebellion in Rucheng, with only silver to support it and no one to lead it. Dare you ask your master if you want to help him]

It seemed that his subordinate was smart and knew why he wanted to build Anju Pavilion.

Duan Qingen laid the half-written piece of paper back on the table, dipped his pen in ink, and slowly covered the words with ink.

Finally, I lit a crescent moon on half of the dark paper, and drew a forest river in the blank space. There was also a tiger lowering his head to drink water by the river.

While he was drawing the markings on the tiger's body, the door was gently pushed open from the outside, and a girl walked in softly.

Duan Qing'en didn't raise his eyes and just asked quietly: "Didn't I say don't bother me?"

The girl was so frightened that she quickly reacted and naturally stepped forward and placed a plate of cakes on the table. "This servant saw that my brother liked peach blossom cakes, so she asked the kitchen to make some more, and thought of putting them away quietly first. Come in and wait until brother wakes up before eating."

She glanced at the painting on the table, "Didn't I say you were going to sleep? Why are you painting?"

"What, what am I going to do, and you still have to say what I want to do?"

Duan Qingen's pen tip was still on the paper, and he looked at her with frowning eyes: "I remember that you are from my mother's side. My mother always knows how to teach people, why are you so unruly?"

"Brother, this servant is also worried about brother..."

The girl didn't expect that he would be angry. She was so frightened that she knelt down on the ground. "Madam, madam sent this slave to serve me. When I was serving you, I told you that you should always remember what your brother likes and what you love." , I also saw that my brother liked this peach blossom cake, so I thought of going to the kitchen to make some for him to eat. "

"That's it." Duan Qingen exerted force on his hand, and a stroke of ink fell on the well-drawn crescent moon. He took one look at the painting and put down the pen.

"I'm just asking you, it would be better for you to kneel down and scare me, and even cause me to ruin such a painting."

"I know my mistake. I'm kind-hearted. I just ask you to bypass me for your own good..."

"According to what you say, if I don't spare you, it means I'm not kind?" Duan Qing'en said in a bad tone, "Come here!"

The person guarding outside immediately came in, "Brother."

"Throw away this painting, and then give this girl back to her mother. Tell her that she has bad manners and ask her to teach her a lesson."

As soon as the news that Duan Qingen had returned the girl he had given away reached Miao's ears, she was so happy that a smile immediately appeared on her face, "Did you really send it back?"

Mother Wang was combing her hair as she just woke up from her nap, and responded: "Yes, that girl has been crying for a long time. She said she saw that her eldest brother liked to eat peach blossom cake, so she went to the kitchen and asked someone to make it and send it to her, but the eldest brother didn't like it. She made a noise and drove people back. "

"Well done!"

Miao was worried that Duan Qing'en had not caused any trouble recently, so he would send "Duan Qing'en is a bastard" barrage to Duan's father.

It's good now. When I feel sleepy, someone gives me a pillow.

"Go and ask someone to bring me here if they see the master coming back. He has been exaggerating about me these days. It's time for him to see clearly who he is."

"That's right!" Miao grabbed Mama Wang as she was about to leave and said, "Go and let that girl kneel on my porch until the master comes."

"Yes, slave, go right away."

Mother Wang immediately understood what she meant, and said with a smile on her face: "We must make that girl kneel so hard that she can't even stand up. Only then will the master know how violent my brother is."

Father Duan didn't know that someone was waiting for him to return home. He was just going down to court, and before he reached the door of his house, he saw a boy coming out and throwing a painting in the corner.

Looking from a distance, the tiger bows its head and thirsts for water, which is really awesome to see.

He loves painting the most. When he saw such a good painting being treated like this, he immediately became anxious and quickened his pace: "You! Stop!!"

When he came forward, he picked up the painting, and while carefully blowing the wind from it, he glared at the boy who threw the painting: "Who told you to throw this painting away!"

The boy was so frightened that he knelt on the ground: "Big brother asked the servant to throw it away. He said that the painting was ruined. I felt unhappy when I saw it, so I might as well just throw it away."

"It's ruined somewhere, it's ruined here! Doesn't it look good to me! Also, why didn't I know when Engel would learn to draw?"

As soon as Duan's father finished speaking, he spotted Xinyue Mo, and his face immediately showed a distressed look: "Hey!! Hey!!!"

"Such a great painting, eh!!!"

The servant hurriedly said: "Brother has always been good at painting, but he threw away most of his paintings. Just now, eldest brother was painting in the house and specifically asked people not to go in and disturb him. But a girl broke in. Brother's hand trembled. The painting was destroyed, and the eldest brother was so angry that he even gave the girl's hair back to Madam."

Father Duan's face was full of approval and his heart ached, "It should be returned, such a good painting..."

"What's the matter with this girl? She's very frizzy. Madam, she's so frizzy. Why do she put all kinds of girls in Enge's room? It's rare that he has the heart to paint. It's really..."

He really couldn't bear to throw away the painting in his hand, so he simply walked into the house holding the painting.

As soon as they entered the Miao family's courtyard, they saw a girl kneeling down, crying very pitifully.

"My husband is here."

When Miao heard the commotion, she came out with a smile. Seeing his eyes looking at the girl, her face showed a little embarrassment, "It was the girl I put in N'Ge'er's room. She made N'Ge'er unhappy and rushed back right away. , and asked me to teach her the rules, so I’ll punish her by kneeling down.”

My husband never liked corporal punishment, not to mention that this was a girl whom her mother had let go, so it would be strange if she wasn't angry.

Mrs. Miao looked at Father Duan expectantly with a smile on her face.

Father Duan looked at the painting in his hand, and then at the crying girl, with a look of hatred on his face. Such a good painting...

He glanced at the girl who destroyed the painting bitterly and snorted coldly:

"Good kneeling!!"

The author has something to say: Ten thousand and five thousand! ! !

Don't ask me if my hands hurt, ask me if my tentacles hurt, because at this moment, I am not a cat in sugar, I am a tentacle monster.

Good night little angels, what a tweet

Randomly give out red envelopes to cute little girls~