The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

On the night of Su Jin's wedding, Xia Siling sat alone in the empty room in the back hall of Xia Mansion in Sock Lane, looking at her flowery face in front of the bronze mirror, feeling sad.

She lives above this solitary building, and her father Xia Song has actually put her under semi-house arrest. Occasionally, when she wants to go out due to depression, she needs Xia Song's approval in advance and sends someone to follow and take care of her. She will never be allowed to take a step.

After the Yuzhang Building incident, Xia Siling was determined not to reveal the details of that night, which made Xia Song extremely annoyed and disappointed; her daughter turned her elbows out, completely helping that kid Su Jin, letting herself do something about Su Jin, of course Xia Song He was extremely annoyed at Xia Siling; even if it was his only daughter, disobedience to her parents would be unfilial, and an unfilial daughter would be punished. The punishment Xia Song gave her was to put her under house arrest and prevent her from having any further relations with Su Jin. At the same time, I also hope that Xia Siling can gradually forget about that kid.

Xia Siling sighed softly and took off the jewelry on her head one by one. A woman serving her behind her stepped forward to help, but Xia Siling sternly repelled her; Xia Siling understood very well that the maids and women around her were all fathers The person sent to monitor him is to prevent him from escaping secretly, and to prevent him from committing suicide.

Xia Siling sneered slightly at the corner of her mouth, her father really worked hard to plan, and he was like a thief to his daughter. Although he was indeed unhappy with his father because of Su Jin, he had never felt hostile to his father in his heart. On the contrary, he I still feel sorry for my father, otherwise, I would have followed Su Jin and left in Yuzhang Tower that night. [

Xia Siling felt a little regretful, she knew her father treated her like this, it might have been a mistake to stay here to care about the love between father and daughter, but now, she has lost her freedom, living alone in this small building every day, writing poems alone , watching flowers, playing the piano, playing on the swings, sometimes at the end of the day without saying a word, although the appearance is calm, but in the heart I miss the outside world more and more, when I sit alone, I spend every day with Su Jin Every detail and every conversation has been recalled thousands of times, and every time I think about it, tears flow down my face and my heart breaks.

"As long as you wait for me, I will live up to you." Su Jin's gentle and firm words are still in my ears, which has almost become Xia Siling's only motivation to persevere, but today, the promise that Xia Siling originally firmly believed in has a huge impact. shake.

Just now, the mother-in-law next to her intentionally revealed the news that the new top scholar Su Jin and Miss Yanfu got married today. Although Xia Siling knew that it would happen sooner or later, she still felt a trace of despair.

She didn't blame Su Jin, she just asked herself whether her persistence was still meaningful?Does he still have a place in Su Jin's heart?Su Jin got married, and the bride was Yan Biyun, who was also an extremely virtuous and beautiful woman, not inferior to herself, and treated Su Jin as well as herself, and knew Su Jin before herself; she was just worried Does Su Jin, who lives happily ever after, remember the promise she made to herself?Will he gradually forget himself?

Xia Siling untied her bun, let the waterfall-like black hair hang on her shoulders, and mist rose from her eye sockets. She sighed in her heart, why fate is so cold, and the person who uses the most affection is always the one who hurts the most The most ruthless, what will happen in the future, I have no idea or hope.

The stairs creaked, and someone came upstairs with a heavy cough. The maids and wives at the door rushed to say hello: "Master!"

"Well, is Miss asleep?"

"Back to the master, I haven't slept yet, and I haven't eaten dinner yet."

"How do you serve? How can you do it without eating?" Xia Song snorted angrily.

The maidservants were silent and did not dare to speak out, Xia Song frowned and waved her hands, "Go out, I will have a word with Miss."

The maidservants hurriedly retreated, Xia Song coughed and said, "Ling'er, Daddy has come in and wants to have a word with my son."

Xia Siling's voice came: "Daddy, please come in."

Xia Song opened the door curtain and entered the room, and saw Xia Siling standing in front of the dressing table with loose hair, with tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Greetings to Daddy." Xia Siling said in a low voice.

Xia Song waved his hand, sat down on a brocade stool, looked at Xia Siling and said, "My son has lost weight again, I heard that you don't eat well, how can you bear it like this? No matter what, you still have to eat."

Xia Siling lowered her head and said: "Thank you dad for your concern, my daughter is fine, it's just that I don't have much appetite."

Xia Song sighed and said, "How did you become like this? If your dead mother finds out, wouldn't she be able to rest in peace?"

A kind face appeared in Xia Siling's mind, that was her mother, who died of illness when she was ten years old, and from then on, Xia Siling was a child without mother's love.

"Father, don't worry, my daughter won't die, and my daughter will serve her father for the rest of her life." Xia Siling bit her lip, holding back her tears. [

Xia Song could hear the indifference in Xia Siling's tone, and said in silence for a moment: "Ling'er, you and I have had a lot of births recently, and the tone of your conversation with Daddy is also very different from before; Daddy's only relative in this world is It's you, why are you confronting Daddy? Daddy really can't figure it out, what is wrong with Daddy? Daddy has given you the best food, the best clothes, and the best things for you since you were young. , Daddy tried to make you happy in different ways, but do you treat Daddy like a passerby now?"

Xia Siling said in a low voice: "Where did Daddy say that? Why did my daughter treat Daddy like a passerby? My daughter will keep her promise and stay by Daddy's side and serve Daddy all her life. Don't think too much about it."

Xia Song was irritated by Xia Siling's attitude, and gritted his teeth: "Hmph! After all, you are still confronting Daddy for an outsider; then what's so good about Su Jin? It deserves your protection for him? You know, Nine out of ten of your cousin Binhua died at his hands, and in Yuzhang Tower he led people to kill more than 20 members of my Xia family, and you still mentioned him to hide it! You must blame me for killing you The caretaker upstairs is blaming Dad for not caring about the relationship between father and daughter, but why have you ever considered Dad's feelings?"

Xia Siling's face turned pale, and she said softly: "Daddy, my daughter said something you don't like to hear. My daughter has never regarded that man as my cousin. His death is his own fault. Just because of the bad things he did, he almost violated the law. Daughter, even if he dies a hundred times, my daughter will not be moved. And those people in the Yuzhang Building you mentioned, my daughter is not a fool, how many bad things did those people do? It's like a bright mirror; that night Rou Niang fell into a pillar and fainted, and the group of beasts actually insulted Rou Niang's body, all of them were innocent people, and if someone killed them, it was an act of justice for the heavens. My daughter wanted to ask her father , why do you want to be with these beasts? It is in vain to lose your own reputation."

Xia Song shouted angrily: "Shut up, is this what your daughter's family cares about? You stretch out your hands to eat and open your mouth every day at home, so naturally you don't understand the ups and downs of the world; how difficult is it for your father to support the family business so hard? In this world How do you know the hardships and dangers? People in the world seem to be pure and good people, full of benevolence and morality, but they are as ferocious as wolves and tigers in their hearts. If you slack off, your father will die. If Daddy wants not to be bullied by others, he can only be more vicious than others. If others are wolves, I will be tigers. This is the law of the jungle, what do you know?"

Xia Siling bit her lower lip and said: "Daughter really doesn't know much about worldly affairs, but the people she contacts are not like tigers and wolves as Daddy said. There is true love in the world, and what Daddy said may not be true."

Xia Song sneered and said: "You think they are pure and good people, do you think Su Jin, the wishful man in your heart, is a good person? Let me tell you, he is more cruel than daddy, you just didn't see his essence clearly; If you don't know your blessings in the blessings, if you were born in a poor family and worry about three meals a day, look how much you still have to worry about."

Xia Siling raised her head stubbornly and said: "I only hate that my daughter was born out of control, but my daughter is willing to be a daughter of a poor family, as if she is now being locked up in a house by her biological father and treated as a prisoner."

Xia Song yelled angrily: "Shut up! You are to blame for all this. You are unfilial, pretending to be a son of man, and helping outsiders deal with Daddy."

Xia Siling sighed and said: "Father, listen to your daughter and be an official in the court. In a few years, let Qiniang Baniang give birth to an heir for daddy to inherit the family business. Don't fight with others endlessly; how can there be you in the world?" If you think it is so bad, the sage said: In the view of a gentleman, everyone in the world is a gentleman, and all this is caused by the ghosts in your heart. Once you are friendly to others, others will definitely repay you a thousand times."

Xia Song laughed back angrily, and scolded: "The unfilial daughter actually taught Dad a lesson. Do you mean that Dad is a villain? In the eyes of a villain, everyone in the world is a villain. Don't think that Dad doesn't understand your irony; Forget it, daddy made it clear to you today, you obediently stay upstairs at home, and you are not allowed to go anywhere; tomorrow daddy will go to Bazhou to inspect the border defense, it will take a month, you give me this time Eat and sleep honestly. In July, the emperor selects a beautiful girl, and your father will send you to the palace to serve the emperor; something to contribute.”

Xia Siling was shocked and said: "What? Entering the palace? My daughter would rather die than go."

Xia Song yelled angrily: "I can't help you, I have spoiled you since I was a child, so don't expect your father to accommodate you again from now on."

Xia Siling knelt down on the ground and begged: "Please forgive me, don't send me to the palace. Once I enter the palace gate, it's as deep as the sea. My daughter doesn't want to die in the palace forever."

Xia Song stood up with a flick of his sleeves, and reprimanded: "You talk nonsense. Entering the palace as a concubine is a matter of honor and favor for the whole family. This matter has been decided, and it will be changed."

Xia Siling collapsed on the ground, exhausted, watching Xia Song go out of the room angrily, Xia Song's voice came from outside telling the servant girl: "Let me watch the lady all day, and keep an eye on her when she eats and sleeps." , I will never allow her to play petty temper, if she has an accident, or if she doesn't eat or drink, starves, thirsts, this old man will take your skin off."