Taohuaxi

Chapter 29 Two Men
"The sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly, why do you want to embarrass a woman?"

I came to my senses and saw that the person coming was Qin Mingxu.

With an angry look on his face, he questioned Feng Gao.

Thinking about it, he must have misunderstood when he saw Feng Gao excitedly holding my shoulders and asking.

In addition, Feng Gao did not wear the official uniform of Dongchang today, which was pink-faced, phoenix-eyed and hazy. He mistakenly took Feng Gao for a frivolous person.

Feng Gao put aside his eagerness and looked at Qin Mingxu coldly: "Who are you?"

Qin Mingxu said: "It doesn't matter who I am. You just need to know that she is not someone you can be frivolous with!"

"Me? Frivolous?" Feng Gao smiled.

I quickly said to Qin Mingxu: "Master Qin misunderstood. He is my younger brother."

Feng Gao heard the word "brother" and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. He said to Qin Mingxu: "No one dares to push me like this in the eight streets and nine streets of the capital. Seeing that you are so nervous, sister, I will I won’t argue with you.”

He performed Qinggong and walked away like a gust of wind.

Qin Mingxu said to me: "Sang Yu, who is this person? Why is he so arrogant?"

I thought of those twists and turns of the ties. Even I didn’t fully understand them. I couldn’t explain them to Qin Mingxu for a while, so I simplified the complicated and said, “He is my fellow villager in Dongchang Mansion. The factory owner of Dongchang. When I was in Yangzhou, I saved him by accident. Because of this life-saving grace, he kept calling me sister and helped me every time."

Qin Mingxu's face relaxed a lot after hearing this.

He said: "Dongchang is a close confidant of Long Live Lord. There is a saying that when there is a movement in the world, Dongchang is the most prophetic. The factory boss of Dongchang is more powerful than a first-class official. Sang Yu, how can you have this opportunity? , it’s due to your usual kindness. This is a good thing.”

I thought about it and asked: "There are countless rumors about Dongchang in the market. Don't you have any prejudice against Dongchang?"

He laughed: "How can you know about the important matters of the military and the state, or the plans of the temple, if you don't take care of them?"

After a pause, he continued: "Good and bad are not something ordinary people can understand. Since Dongchang exists, there must be a reason for its existence. Sangyu, you are a helpless person. If this factory master I feel comforted that I can protect you and help you."

I don't know why, but after hearing Qin Mingxu's words, I felt a lot relieved.

Thinking of everything that has happened since I entered Beijing, the worries about Feng Gao's identity that have brought me to my heart seem to have been blown away by the wind to a brighter place.

There will always be someone in that position. At least Feng Gao's presence is better than others.

He has the exact same lion iron plate as me.

He and I may have had a very close relationship.It's just that I forgot about it because of my injury.But he remembered it.

One day, I will be able to fully remember the past.

Thinking of those past events at the beginning of my life.

With him there, everything is in order.

Thinking of this, I smiled at Qin Mingxu and said, "Master Qin's mind is as bright as the wind and the moon. I have learned a lesson."

Qin Mingxu seemed to suddenly remember something, and said to me: "Sang Yu, the peony painting you gave to my mother, my mother asked someone to bring it to the capital and gave it to Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang told me last night that there was no craftsmanship in that peony painting. Qi, completely natural, painted Peony's helplessness, high-spiritedness and mediocrity under the appearance of wealth. He wanted to invite the painter to go to Zhang's house and draw a portrait for him. Do you think it can be done? "

I smiled, never expecting that my graffiti would catch Mr. Zhang’s eyes.

I owe Qin Mingxu a lot of favors. Now that he asks me for help, I will naturally refuse him.

I nodded.

He smiled: "Okay, I'll wait for you at the intersection of Qi'an Street at midnight tonight."

As soon as Qin Mingxu left, a carriage stopped in front of me.

The car curtain opened, and a strange voice said: "Zhu Sangyu, but I caught you in this scandal. In broad daylight, you, a woman, have sex with two men. What kind of behavior would it be like for you to let your mother and second son know?" , I want to see how you explain it!"

I looked up and saw clearly that sitting in the carriage were the eldest young master Cheng Cangshi and the eldest young mistress Wang Yuzhen.

Aren't the two of them in charge of a business in Jicheng? Why did they come to the capital at this time of year?
Cheng Cangshi pulled the eldest young lady's sleeves and signaled her not to talk too much.

The eldest mistress shook him off: "Now, let's climb up to Mr. Liu, we don't have to be afraid of her! I just want to say it!"

"Zhu Sangyu, confront me in front of my mother! Let's see how you keep suppressing me in the future!" After she finished speaking, she ordered the coachman to drive the carriage away.

When I returned to the house, a maid in the main courtyard said: "Second Young Mistress, the old lady would like you to come over -"

I walked into the main courtyard and into the hall. The old lady was drinking tea calmly.Cheng Cangshi sat on the black wooden chair to her right, head lowered.

The eldest mistress stood in front of the old lady, with a proud look on her face, and said happily: "A few days ago, we heard that the second child became an official in high school, and we originally thought about asking him to help. But mother, you wrote to me, We are required to abide by our duties. We dare not disobey our mother. Now, God has favored us, and we have won the favor of Mr. Liu. We have earned such a big respect for the family. Mother, you should also take a high look at the big house in the future. That's great. My Cheng family has been heartbroken over the years. How come I'm not as good as Zhu Sangyu, who has a bad reputation in front of my mother?"

When the old lady saw me coming in, she stretched out her hand to interrupt her: "Sang Yu, my father-in-law, my wife, and my uncle have all been sent on board?"

"Yes, send them to the boat and I will come back."

"Sang Yu, sit down." She pointed to the seat next to her.

I walked up and sat down.

The old lady said, "Your sister-in-law said she saw you talking to someone by the ferry. Can you tell your sister-in-law who it is?" The trust in the old lady's words is heartwarming.

I said, "Mom, I am from Tiansheng Building. This season, the clothes for the servants in the mansion should be made. Also, mother and third sister should also buy some summer clothes. I heard that a new kind of soft clothes has arrived in Tiansheng Building. Yanluo, Third Sister has been in poor health recently, so this is exactly what you need."

"Zhu Sangyu, don't make excuses, you..."

"Okay. Yuzhen, we haven't seen you for half a year. Let's sit down and have a serious chat." The old lady's words were full of majesty, and the eldest young lady reluctantly sat down and kept her mouth shut.

The old lady asked Cheng Cang, "Cang'er, how did you know Mr. Liu, the commander of the Jinyi Guards?"

It turns out that Mr. Liu, whom the eldest mistress kept talking about, is the commander of the Jinyi Guards.

Jinyiwei, like Dongchang, is a supervisory agency directly under the imperial power, and has a superior-subordinate relationship with Dongchang.

Last time Feng Gao came to deliver cakes, I seemed to have heard about the commander of the Jin Yiwei from his mouth.

Cheng Cangshi coughed lightly and said, "Back to mother, Mr. Liu came to Jicheng for business. He drank our tea and liked it very much. He said that among all the teas in the world, our Cheng family's tea is the most refreshing." With him, with him..."

He glanced at the old lady and continued: "My son has had wine with him several times. He is active in Beijing and has provided our family with customs clearance tea. In the future, it can be sold outside the customs openly. In this way, the annual accounts can be The turnover is three times more. Besides, how many merchants in the world have received this honor? For our Cheng family, this is a great honor."

The old lady thought deeply: "Mr. Liu has nothing to do with our Cheng family. How can he do such a big thing for you just by drinking a few times?"

"Oh, mother!"

The eldest mistress said: "This is not just because your eldest son can speak and do things! After all, Cangshi has been in the officialdom for several years. In terms of reading and writing, he may not be as good as the second son, but in terms of life and behavior, he is far better than the second son. . We have made such great contributions to the Cheng family. Mother, you don’t say a few words of praise, but you still doubt us like this. It’s really chilling. You only have eyes for the second child and the two of us!"

The old lady said: "Yuzhen, what are you talking about? They are all my descendants, and I feel hurt. But..."

"It's nothing to worry about. Mother, you are old and your sons are capable. You should be happy. There is also a big happy event. I'm not quite sure about it, but it's about seventy or eighty. There's no harm in telling mother - "

She lowered her voice and said: "This year is the time for the court's talent show. My Shuyao, your eldest granddaughter, Mr. Liu said, I hope you can do some activities to help her enter the palace..."

The eldest mistress has been married for more than ten years and has no children. She gave birth to two young ladies one after another. The first time they went to Jicheng with them.

After hearing this, the old lady was not as happy as the young lady expected.She sighed and said: "Is entering the palace the most satisfying thing in the world? Your Majesty, a young man has ascended the throne. There are two empress dowagers above, ministers and eunuchs below, and there are already a group of concubines. Shu Yao is young and has a weak temper. I It's just fear...that's all. These things should be decided by you as parents. I won't say more."

The old lady passed on dinner.

Cheng Huai was busy with official duties at the Hubu Yamen and did not return.

I had dinner with them before returning to the east courtyard.

I always feel strange about what the eldest young lady said today.

Why do these things, neither sooner nor later, come together suddenly at the critical moment when Master Zhang is transferred to Huaihe River?
What is the connection between them?

Feng Gao should be unaware of these things.Otherwise, you would have told me at the ferry today.

Jinyiwei has a close relationship with Dongchang, but is controlled by Dongchang.

So what is the intention of Commander Liu of Jinyiwei?
It was getting dark.

I remembered the agreement I made with Qin Mingxu and told Xiaoyin: "I will go out for a while. If the second master comes back, tell me that I went to the lantern market and will be back soon."

Xiaoyin responded: "Yes."

I put on some light clothes and went out quietly.

When they arrived at Qi'an Street, they saw Qin Mingxu standing tall in front of a carriage.

I got on the carriage and went to Zhang's Mansion with him.

The Zhang Mansion is majestic and magnificent.Green tiles, Zhu Yu, bead curtains and green curtains.

A servant girl dressed in black led us through the corridors, through the beautiful gardens, and to a courtyard behind the mansion.

This small courtyard is full of peonies. There is a house. The servant woman went in first to report. After a while, she came out and said: "Master, please invite the painter in -"

Qin Mingxu nodded to me.

I stepped into the house.

The room is filled with tall bookshelves, and the vast sea of ​​books is neatly organized.What hits your nose is the aroma of ink and herbs.There was a man sitting on a large Taishi chair.

He is Lord Zhang.

It was different from the last time I saw him far outside the house.At this moment, he was a little weak and his face was pale.A long beautiful beard hangs down to her belly.

I walked toward him in the flickering candlelight.

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

There was a trace of sadness in his deep eyes.

"Girl Painter, I seem to have seen you somewhere."

(End of this chapter)