box of hearts

Chapter 241
The next day, after Da Lian was put into the coffin, he cried again, and Qing Tian ascended to his seat in the hall, and passed on to all the servants and wives of the Zhao family. Assignment: Some invite a painter to mount vividly, some tailors to make mortuary clothes, some paint craftsmen to build a shed, some keep vigils and offer incense, hold mourning coffins, report funerals everywhere, welcome relatives and guests, monitor fire candles, collect There are many kinds of containers and so on.After sending out the obituary, the door of Miaojue Pavilion facing the street was opened, and two classes of Tsingyi were playing.Xiao Zhao is the number one wealthy businessman in central Beijing, and Mu Yun was once the maidservant of the Regent's Empress Duan, and the couple has befriended a plethora of officials and dignitaries. When they heard the bad news, they went to seek sacrifices, and some were too lazy to socialize because Qingtian fell out of favor. It is also necessary to send people to offer sacrifices.As a result, Zhao's mansion was full of people coming and going all day long.During the day, Xiao Zhao entertained the worshipers in the roll shed, and at night after the plays and essays were over, he set up a cool bed with a screen beside Mu Yun's spirit to keep vigil in person.Qingtian is only a supervisor in the back hall. He arrives before dawn every day and returns at night.Being so busy, she actually left Qi She behind.I had heard that he had returned to Beijing, but he hadn't come to Beifu once. There were vague rumors that Taoer, the singing girl of the Jiaofang Division in the palace, was brought into the palace to hang out all night. Running endlessly, Fang Jue slightly relieved the grief in his heart.In the blink of an eye, it's mid-September.

On this day, the sky still couldn't see his fingers, so Qingtian got up and prepared to go to Zhao's residence.The car was being assembled outside, and someone came to report: "Your Majesty, please see Mrs. Zhou!"

Zhou Dun wore a suit of soap-colored crepe casual clothes, kowtowed his head as soon as he entered the door, "Your servant pays homage to your empress."

Qingtian got down from his seat to greet him, and stretched out his hands, "Get up quickly, are you all right, father-in-law?"

Zhou Dunding looked forward, then sighed: "The empress has lost a lot."

Yingzhi on the other side couldn't hold back her breath, and interrupted to interrogate: "But the prince asked the father-in-law to come?"

After an embarrassing silence, Zhou Dun coughed dryly, "I haven't seen your mother for a long time, and I want to come to say hello to my mother."

Deep disappointment flashed across Yingzhi's face, and Qingtian's heart was also shaken. A dull pain spread out from the numbness of day and night, but he still smiled confidently, "Silly girl, the prince has long had a lotus in his palm, why don't you return it?" Remember the prick in the eye[7]?"

Zhou Dun nodded, "Heh", "I don't know what flowers and thorns are, but I understand what the empress means. Since the empress already knows, it's even better. This little master peach will be registered as soon as she enters the mansion." As the concubine of the king, she was given to live in the side hall of the prince's bedroom. She was extremely kind, but she was still greedy enough, and she repeatedly used words to instigate the prince, targeting the empress everywhere, and it seemed that she had to be forced into a desperate situation. A slave can If you say you can do it, you must do it, but people are vicious, and the prince's temper is not as strong as before, and the empress must have a countermeasure in her heart."

As if he stepped on the ground, he kept falling in a daze. "In this way, she really won the prince's favor?"

Zhou Dun paused for a moment, and then said slowly: "This little princess Taoer was originally a singer in the palace. That day at the banquet in Jingjizhuang, she was dressed as a celestial girl and sang on the piano, so she entered the royal family. Fayan. The favor that the lord has bestowed on her now makes the servants look at it coldly, just like the fairy clothes of the celestial girl are worn by a low-level singer. Of course, as servants, we must respect the lord Thoughts, but the prince's mind is becoming more and more difficult for people to understand. Alas, the slave has been with the prince for a lifetime, but he will not know how to be a man..."

There were mixed feelings in Qingtian's heart, and he smiled at Zhou Dun with red eyes, "It's because I don't know how to be a human being, and I actually stand at this door and talk for a long time. Qinsu, go and pour tea, and move a chair for the father-in-law sit."

Zhou Dun raised his hand and shook it a few times, "It's no trouble. The slave didn't ask the prince for leave when he came out, and he didn't dare to sit for a long time. He just went to see the empress. In addition, the system was closed, and it was not convenient for the slave to pay homage to Miss Muyun in person. People sent three animal sacrifices, satin, silk, colored silk, incense sticks, and gold and silver mountains, and a hundred loads, and I asked the empress to offer sacrifices on her behalf. The empress must mourn herself, and don't make loved ones hurt and enemies happy."

Tears came rushing up, Qingtian hurriedly lowered his eyes heavily, his voice was ready to cry, "Thank you, Eunuch, for still thinking about Mu Yun, and me, so I don't need to stay, Eunuch, go slowly."

Zhou Dun hunched his shoulders and went away, Qingtian stood where he was, with his palm pressing the jade collar button under his throat, the hollow white jade, like a cold and empty heart.

When he arrived at Maozheng, he still came to Zhao's mansion on time.On this day, just in time for May [-]th, monks and priests opened the way to break the prison, and passed on the lamp to illuminate the dead.On one side, there are flame mouths, worshiping water and repentance, on the other side facing the Sanqing, kowtowing to the Jade Emperor, and there are even bhikkhunis wearing embroidered clothes, wearing red shoes, and chanting mantras in front of the spirit, which is very lively.When Qingtian got off the car, he went straight to Miaojue Pavilion. In front of the coffin, there were Yi furnace merchant vases and Yinjue incense boxes, and Mu Yun's green portraits were hung.The daughter-in-law in charge brought a chair and put it on the opposite side, Qing Tian sat down, ordered "offer tea and burn paper", and then cried out all kinds of unspeakable sorrows together in front of the portrait painted by her own hands.With the sound of drums and music, men and women inside and outside accompanied her and cried together. After crying for a long time, before she could stop her tears, she saw a woman who was in charge of welcoming guests come up to the steps and said: "Your Majesty, come outside." There is a young lady, and she doesn't say her name, she just said that she knows the empress, she looks very pompous, but she is dressed in fancy clothes, she really doesn't look like someone who came to mourn, the empress, do you want to invite me in?"

Qingtian Dan heard that he was dressed "pretty well", and thought to himself that this is a custom for mourners, are they the old sisters of Huaihua Hutong?But Mu Yun is not considered a shepherd, so he really hesitated a lot about the identity of the visitor. "Have you reported to your master?"

"The master said, since he said he knew your wife, you might as well invite me in."

"Then please come in."

Soon after listening to the preaching and music, the filial servants held a few lanterns and introduced a woman surrounded by servants from outside.And the word "beautiful" is not enough to describe her when it is used on her.This woman is at least fourteen or fifteen years old, with an exquisite figure, a crimson blouse with lilac flowers on her upper body, and a pair of snowy plain skirts with calendered clouds and emerald jade skirts. Flying dragon pearl hair, a gilt filigree dot emerald green pearl phoenix swing, earrings with full green emerald ginkgo earrings, a pair of handsome eyes dancing, a little red lips smiling silently, that kind of lively and charming His posture was like a ray of colored light penetrating into the lifeless mourning hall.

"You are Duan Qingtian, right?" She Shi Shiran approached and looked at Qingtian's face carefully.

Qingtian didn't recognize the other party, but he had a vague premonition; sure enough, the girl showed her a row of braided teeth, and smiled softly: "My name is Taoer, I believe you must have heard my name."

The white poke lights hanging all over the mourning hall shot from all directions, and the first thought that came to Qingtian's mind was actually worrying about his appearance.She has cried just now, so she must be messy with makeup and powder, and she has been haggard for a long time; and the silver tabby chain pendant with white beads on her forehead and a small silver phoenix with a double-titled chicken heart on her high bun, her body is cold in the snow. The gold-studded brocade jacket and the silver-gray feather-satin long skirt, put together with the beauty of this young beauty, seemed dull and old-fashioned.The whole person, like a piece of moldy clothing, deserves to be thrown away.

For a moment, Qingtian was sweating all over, but after that moment, she straightened her waist, indifferent and upright, "This is the place where the Zhao family welcomes mourners, if it's condolences, please move your steps, if it's gossip, Don't open your mouth."

Tao'er had an innocent and innocent face, but her attitude was very sophisticated, she just smiled slightly, "I don't have much to say, just one sentence, just say it here! The prince wants to give me the North Mansion."

By this time, Qingtian was calm and composed.Zhou Dun's warning words are still in my ears, but she can see all the spiritual plaques, spiritual banners, scripture lists, elegiac couplets, mourning clothes, paper money... Despair and sadness filled every inch.She is the queen of this white and miserable land of pain, and in her kingdom no one can surpass her.

She raised her chin, her star-like eyes shot at Taoerhong's glistening face, "That's your business, I don't care about it."

Tao'er's expression changed, and she stared at her beautiful eyes, "If you don't move out of Beifu, how can I move in?"

"Whether to move or not is my business, you have nothing to do with it."

"Hmph, the lord thought that you had followed him for many years before he gave you a step down, and asked me to tell you that you will not leave on your own, and you have to wait for the lord to come out and drive you away. Is it so interesting?"

"Whether the prince can catch up or not is his business, you and I don't care."

Tao'er's complexion was pink and tender, but now her cheeks were red and her cheeks were choked, and she yelled and scolded for a long time: "Duan Qingtian, why are you so shameless, an old woman? The lord has been tired of you for a long time, you just want to catch me!" If you don't let go, there will be no results! Besides, I see that you don't go back to Shichahai very often. Haven't you found your next home? A master, why do you want to give funerals to slaves? Mostly to see The good son-in-law who became a servant, once he is dismissed by the prince, he will wait to fill in the blanks for his own girl, and be the continuation Mrs. Zhao. He is also a son-in-law of ten thousand gold, and it is not your fault!"

This baseless slander made Qingtian Zi swell up, and shouted loudly: "The dead, keep your mouth clean!"

Tao'er saw that she was so angry with her opponent, she couldn't help but feel complacent, "You are not clean, what's the use of my clean mouth? Seeing that you just stay in Zhao's house day and night, I'm afraid you've already done the whole thing. Huai Huai The oiran in Hua Hutong is different, it is said that it is a rotten melon, and the sound of the water will be heard when it is stirred, and it is dead on its back, and I don’t know how to have fun with that widower."

"You——, you dare to say one more word!" At some time, Xiao Zhao also came to the front of the hall and listened to everything one by one.I saw him rushing forward furiously and furiously.

(End of this chapter)