Taohuaxi

Chapter 18 In the name of investigating the case

"Nonsense! You brought me here under the pretense that something happened to the tribute. You know how worried I am! Something happens to the tribute, which is a crime of beheading. Can you be joking?" I said sternly.

From the time I got on the sedan chair to now, my heart has been shaking, like a paper kite with its string broken.

Wu Bi and I stayed up for several days during the tribute tea trip to Beijing during the Chinese New Year, watching the waiters, taking it out of the warehouse and loading it onto the ship, not daring to miss a step.

If something really happened, it would be a disaster.

Feng Gao had never seen me look so angry. He lowered his eyelids and covered his wet eyes with his long eyelashes.

"Sister, I just want to spend New Year's Eve with you. I was afraid that you wouldn't come, so I thought of this way."

I got off the sedan.

He grabbed me and said, "Sister, you are already here, please stay a little longer. I...I want to interrogate you."

I laughed angrily: "Tell me, why are you interrogating me?"

"Sister, have you forgotten that I am from Dongchang? It's too easy to find an excuse... I want to interrogate you for bribing Mr. Liang from the Ministry of Revenue."

"Nonsense! Mr. Liang is an innocent official."

He said seriously: "Whether you are innocent or not can only be known after a trial. Dongchang is investigating the case for His Majesty, and everyone must cooperate. So, sister, you can't leave."

I looked at him: "Mr. Feng is in great power now. As long as you open your mouth, the people who want to spend New Year's Eve with you will probably be lined up from Chongwenmen to Yangzhou. Why do you try so hard to ask me to come?"

"I don't want to be around other people."

In the blink of an eye, he was like offering a treasure and said happily: "Sister, you stand here and wait for me for a while, just for a while, I will show you something."

He entered the house, took three steps and looked back: "Sister, don't get lost——"

In the blink of an eye, I felt that his words were somewhat familiar.

I covered my head gently.

Have you been very tired recently? Why are there phantoms in your mind?

The courtyard is clear and cold in winter.

After a moment, there was a sound of gongs and drums, and a lifelike lion jumped in front of me.It jumped, jumped, blinked its eyes, and shook its head and tail.A colored ball flew over. The lion jumped into the air, plunged down, and caught the colored ball in one go.

What a flexible lion dance!

I cheered.

Feng Gao opened the lion's head, revealing his face, and looked at me expectantly.

I praised: "I didn't expect you to have such skills. Very good."

He couldn't help but ask: "Did my sister see the lion dance when she was in Dongchang Mansion?"

I shook my head.

When I was a child, my mother rarely allowed me to leave the boudoir.Maybe it's because my mother was lonely and only gave birth to me.Yes, it is extremely important to see it and cherish it with love.A few times, my mother took me out and saw lion and dragon dancers from a distance, so she walked away.My mother said, don't go to crowded places, for fear of bumping into you.

Feng Gao saw me shaking his head, feeling very disappointed.

I don't know where his loss comes from.

He raised his head and said, "Sister, can you make some cakes for me to eat again? I'm really lonely in the capital."

lonely.

how could be.

The capital is the liveliest place.

He stands on the edge of the greatest power in the world and should be the most lively.

But the way he talks about "loneliness" is like the wind and rain at dusk, the drunken crabapple, and the moon in the west building.

I nodded involuntarily: "Since you and I are from the same hometown, I will cook it for you."

He raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.

It is undeniable that I always have an unspeakable affinity for Feng Gao.It seems that he is a very important relative of mine.I discovered it from the first time I met him in the carriage.By accident, he stood at the ferry, blocking the people who wanted to pursue him.

The cakes are ready.I served it to him.

Regardless of how hot it was, he grabbed it and took a bite.

Outside, the sound of firecrackers was heard.

At this moment in Yangzhou City, probably every household is having a reunion dinner.

He suddenly said: "Sister, this is the second happiest year in my life."

I laughed: "Are you stupid? How old are you in this life? You will still grow up in your whole life."

"Why don't you ask me, when was the first happy year?"

"Okay, okay, let me ask you now, when was the first happy year?"

"Sister is perfunctory." He was angry and turned his back, but he refused to let go of the cake.

"If you are angry with me, don't eat my bread."

"How do you say it's your cake? Can you get it to agree?"

Can you get it to agree?

Can you get it to agree?

In front of Guangyue Tower, a dirty little girl with her sleeves rolled up was closely guarding an equally dirty little boy. She shouted to a rich young master: "How can I say that I stole your money? This money is Wu Shi, you said it was yours, can you get it to agree?"

My head hurt violently.

Turn around.

I held my forehead and staggered.

Feng Gao quickly supported me: "Sister, sister, what's wrong with you? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't annoy you anymore..."

He actually cried.

I sat down and Master Feng hurriedly handed me tea.

I drank half a cup of tea and slowly calmed down.

I said to him: "Don't be nervous, it's okay." He sat next to me in silence.

The light from the fireworks outside made the room bright and dark.

After a while, he asked: "Sister, are you happy?"

I thought about it and nodded.

"I don't want much, so it's easy to be happy."

He smiled, as if he wanted to say something, but he was afraid that I would get a headache, so he kept his mouth shut carefully.

I asked, "What are you doing when you come back to Yangzhou?"

"I just wanted to come and see my sister, so I told Your Majesty that I would come to Yangzhou to check the salt tax during the Chinese New Year. Your Majesty agreed."

"You must not use the power in your hands to harm Zhongliang." I warned him seriously.

He waved his hand: "Sister, I have a sense of proportion in these matters. You don't understand the things in the officialdom. Most of the people who get rid of in Dongchang are the people His Majesty wants to get rid of. Dongchang is His Majesty's eyes and His Majesty's ears. , His Majesty’s hand.”

The watchman on the street shouted in a long voice: "It's dry and dry, be careful of the candles——"

I stood up and said, "It's time for me to go back. I don't know how anxious the people in the house will be."

He nodded with difficulty.

When I walked to the door, he called out: "Sister, happy New Year."

I turned around and smiled at him: "Happy New Year. Have a good day."

He also laughed and watched me leave with the remaining warmth of the fireworks.

When I returned to the mansion, He Hua stood in the courtyard waiting for me.

It was late at night, and she was standing in thin clothes. When she saw me, she walked up to me in three steps and then looked me up and down: "Second Young Mistress, are you okay?"

I shook my head: "It's okay. It was a misunderstanding. The government found out and let me go."

Her stiff body relaxed: "Second Young Madam, please go to the old lady in the North Courtyard and give her a message. The old lady has told her that no matter how late she comes back, she should tell her so that she can feel at ease."

"Ah."

I walked to the north courtyard and the light in the old lady's bedroom was still on.

I understand.

She just rested.

During the first month of the year, the old lady was busy taking me to visit relatives and friends.

This is the first New Year that I have married into the Cheng family.

Therefore, it is very solemn.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, at night, Yangzhou City was lit up like daylight.

Lanterns of various colors flow like clouds.

The third lady asked me to go to the lantern festival with her.

I don't want to join in the fun.

She held my hand: "Let's go, second sister-in-law, the lantern festival happens only once a year. If you miss it, it's gone."

I smiled helplessly and went with her.

The fire tree and the silver flowers are closed, and the iron lock of the star bridge is opened.

The dark dust goes with the horse, and the bright moon comes one after another.

The lantern festival was crowded with people.

There are fire-breathing performances with handles, and monkey tricks by charlatans.

The crowd watching the fun sometimes clapped and sometimes laughed.

The third lady and I were separated by the crowd.

I called out: "Qingshi, Qingshi——"

I am in a hurry.

She is a virgin in the boudoir. What should she do if she encounters a bad person?

I asked the old woman who was watching the fun: "Auntie, please tell me, have you seen my sister-in-law, wearing a yellow skirt and jacket, with braids, so tall..."

I gestured, and the old woman said: "It seems to be going west."

I hurriedly walked west and finally found her at the end of the bridge.

She seemed to have had a quarrel with someone and was arguing.

"Qingshi——" I called her.

She turned to meet me and said, "Second sister-in-law, there is a rude person here. He insists that I stepped on his shoes."

I went up and saw a man standing next to her. He had eyebrows as long as willows and a body like a jade tree. He was wearing Gebu clothes. He looked awe-inspiring despite his poverty.

I asked, "Sir, how much are the shoes? We will pay for them."

The man held up his hand and said, "Madam, everything in this world can be settled with money. This pair of shoes was made by my late mother, and it has extraordinary significance."

The third lady said angrily: "Huh! There are so many people passing by, why do you think I stepped on them?"

The man said: "Miss, there are so many people coming and going, why didn't I find someone else when I was born? There must be a reason."

The third lady's almond-shaped eyes widened: "You are not satisfied with paying money, what do you want?"

"I want the lady to repair these shoes." The man said calmly.

The third lady blushed.

She knew what it meant to mend a man's shoes.

"wishful thinking!"

The man said: "In that case, I will spend time here with the lady. It is not entertaining if there is a lamp and no moon, and it is not spring if there is a moon and no lamp. Anyway, tonight there is a lamp and a moon, the scenery is pleasant."

(End of this chapter)