The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Xia Siling took Su Jin's hand and walked towards the back door of the flower hall. Su Jin was involuntarily dragged out of the flower hall by her, and walked through the connecting corridor into a room behind the flower hall.

Xiao Kou'er was busy with a few maids in the house, when she saw Xia Siling dragging Su Jin in with tears all over her face, she hurriedly waved the maids to go out, and came forward to inquire.

Xia Siling said: "Ku'er, you go out too, I want to show Mr. Su something."

Little Kou'er had no choice but to turn around and go out. Before leaving, he glanced at Su Jin with a begging look in his eyes, presumably to ask Su Jin to be more tolerant and comfort his young lady; the young lady has a stubborn temper, maybe she will do something What.

Xia Siling raised the hanging bead curtain, pulled Su Jin into the room on the left, and said softly: "Brother Su, take a look at this room, does it seem familiar?"

Su Jin raised his eyes and looked around, but saw that the desks, brocade benches, bookshelves, and furnishings in the house were all very familiar. After thinking about it carefully, they turned out to be exactly the same as the study room in the courtyard of the residence he rented when he was in Yingtianfu.

I couldn't help but be amazed that everything as big as a large display like a bookshelf or a table, or as small as the pen, ink, paper, inkstone, paper stone, etc. on the table, are all exactly the same.

"After my family returned to the capital, I just couldn't forget the situation when I was a classmate with Brother Su in Yingtian. Do you still remember? My family often came to your study to review books and practice calligraphy with you, and discussed problems with you."

Xia Siling slowly stroked the things on the desk, gently letting them go as if they were the most precious treasures.

"After my family returned to Beijing, I always thought of those days, so in October last year, I ordered people to go to Yingtian Mansion. You didn't live there at that time, so I asked them to take the house in the study room where you lived. All the things were moved to the capital, and arranged as they were in the memory of the slave family; every day, the slave family came to this study to read and practice calligraphy, as if you were joking and chatting next to the slave family; Stupid, stupid?"

Su Jin's mood was agitated, and he said softly: "You are really stupid."

"There are even more stupid..."

Xia Siling smiled, walked quickly to the curtain on the north wall, stretched out her hand and pulled it hard, tearing off the blue curtain. Su Jin looked at it and screamed out.

However, the walls are covered with paintings one by one, in different sizes and colors, but each of them has one thing in common, that is, the characters in the paintings are all the same person, which is a portrait of Su Jin .

The Su brocade in the painting, or green shirt and scarf, or swaying folding fan, or holding a pen to write quickly, or galloping to play cuju, have different shapes and spirits, and various postures. A look, a smile, a fluttering strand of fine hair, and an upturned corner of the lips all show the artist and his intentions.

Su Jin murmured, "Did you... all draw this?"

Xia Siling smiled proudly and said: "They are all drawn by the slave's own family, one set for five days, a total of 33 sets, which means that you and I have been from Yingtian Mansion for 160 and five days respectively."

Su Jin turned around, stretched out her hand to hug Xia Siling into her arms, and said softly: "You...why do you treat me so affectionately, what is there about Su Jin that makes you nostalgic?"

Xia Siling sighed and buried her head in Su Jin's embrace, and said, "I don't know why, I think about it every day when I'm awake, when I'm asleep, when I'm eating, when I'm drinking tea, little button I have said that the slave family is a little crazy; do you think I have what is commonly known as lovesickness in the world?"

Su Jin was silent, this is not called lovesickness, so what is lovesickness?Su Jin never expected that Xia Siling would have such deep affection for him, he just felt that he and Xia Siling had a good impression of each other; even on the night of parting, Xia Siling took the initiative to kiss himself and bit his lips, Su Jin After thinking about it carefully, I felt that it was just a normal reaction.

After all, I spent two months with Xia Siling, Xia Siling is a high-ranking official, and she doesn't have many contacts with men on weekdays, except for her father or brothers, they are servants. After dating for several months, I took good care of her again, and it was natural to have a good impression of her.

Su Jin originally thought that after returning to the capital, the unworthy few days would gradually be forgotten, and during the few months of business work, he only occasionally thought of Xia Siling a few times; Gradually forget this passer-by in her life.

But the fact in front of me is that Su Jin was completely wrong. If it wasn't for his deep love, how could he have made such a crazy move, buying these used household items from a long distance, and drawing a picture of himself every five days? These portraits even include all the details of his life, which shows how clear his image is in Xia Siling's mind.

Su Jin was moved, but also found it difficult. He didn't want to be an apprentice who played with women, but he couldn't promise anything to Xia Siling; almost for a moment he wanted to raise Xia Siling's face and kiss her well, but in the end he Still remind myself, Xia Siling is not a soft lady, not a little Xianer, she can be accepted as a concubine, regardless of her status.

Xia Siling's father, Xia Song, was not a good stubble. He was the former commander-in-chief of the Northwest Army and the appeasement envoy of the Shaanxi Fourth Route Economic Strategy. Although he was demoted and sentenced to the Yongxing Army, other postings have not been removed; that is, power It has been reduced, but the rank is still there, and he is still a second-rank official of the imperial court; what's more, Yan Shu said that Xia Song will return to Beijing soon to serve as the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, officially entering the core of power; such a person, How could he tolerate his daughter willingly being the concubine of a minor official?

Besides, putting these things aside, how could Xia Siling be willing to be someone else's concubine?In this era, a concubine's room is a symbol of low status, there is no human rights at all, and people can send it around at will, and even use it to entertain others; some people in Huangzhou Prefecture gave all their pregnant concubines to others, This means that not only a woman who is a concubine has no status, but even the child in her belly is dispensable.

Although Su Jin would never do such a thing, the eyes of the world cannot be avoided after all. If he said that he married Yan Biyun, he would have already shocked the world, and then taking a noble girl from a famous family as his concubine would be a real risk to the world.

It's really hard for Su Jin to make a choice. It's too cruel to say no to a woman who loves herself to the core. From previous life to present life, Su Jin has never learned to refuse a woman. The most difficult thing to do.

"Miss Xia, if you treat me like this, how can Su Jin repay you?" Su Jin said hoarsely.

Xia Siling looked up at Su Jin, and said softly: "Brother Su, don't you like me at all? Although the slave family is not overwhelming, it is not difficult for people to notice."

"People are not plants, and Su Jin is not Liu Xiahui. How can you not be tempted? It's just that there is another reason. I don't tell you the reason."

Xia Siling said: "I know, but Miss Yan is definitely not a good match for you. It's not that the servants are talking about Miss Yan behind her back. Her character, talent, knowledge and appearance are all superior, but his identity and age are not suitable for you at all. Maybe she You are kind to you, and you are willing to marry her only because you are grateful, but there are many ways to repay your kindness, and there is no need to repay her with marriage."

Su Jin shook his head and said: "You are wrong. I am willing to grow old with her because I love her. The other factors are enough to ignore when we are in love with each other. It is not because of gratitude as you think; Miss Xia, Allow me to persuade you a few words, there are so many young talents in the world, and there are many people with first-class personalities and family backgrounds, Miss Su Jin will remember her kindness to me in this life, and I can't repay her in this life, so I will repay her in the next life."

Xia Siling shook her head and said: "I don't want an afterlife, I only want this life, if I can't be with you in this life, life as a slave is meaningless."

Su Jin frowned and said, "If I abandon Miss Yan for you, I may abandon you for others in the future, so what should I do then?"

Xia Siling gritted her teeth and said: "You won't, and the slave family doesn't care about the future? As long as the slave family is with you, you don't even need a title, just be your ordinary wife."

Su Jin stretched out his hand to caress Xia Siling's smooth and fair face, and said with a smile: "Stupid, you are the daughter of the Xia family, but you come to be my flat wife, saying that the flat wife is actually a concubine; will your father agree? Is it because of my skin?"

Xia Siling was silent. Daddy is absolutely unstoppable, and with his father's temper, in order to preserve the dignity of his family, he might really use extraordinary means against Su Jin. Daddy's methods are absolutely vicious. If this is the case, he will be It hurt Su Jin.

Seeing that Xia Siling was deep in thought and silent, Su Jin thought her persuasion had worked, so she stepped back and cupped her hands and said, "Miss Xia, you and I will be together for a lifetime; Su Jin really doesn't want to disappoint Miss, but he must Otherwise, for your sake, for your father’s sake, and for me, we’d better be more sensible; we’ve been here for a long time, so let’s take our leave.”

Xia Siling was startled, and murmured: "Are you leaving now?"

Su Jin looked at her miserable face, standing there precariously, weak and helpless, felt a dull pain in her heart, gritted her teeth and said, "Farewell!"