box of hearts

Chapter 244
Tao'er thought about it for a while, and readily agreed, but she didn't want her confidant servant girl to show her impatience, and called out: "Little master!"

Tao'er didn't pay any attention, and just nodded to the person who came, "Go back and tell your mothers that I agree, and I will definitely be on time tomorrow."

The eunuch returned and left, Tao'er then turned her face and glanced sideways at the little maid, "What do you want to say?"

"My lord," the little maid looked anxious and worried, "Two days ago, the lord lost his temper when he went to see Mrs. Duan and Boss Zhao privately because of my lord. My lord hasn't learned how to be good and stays away from them." How about some more? Look, the scar on this face hasn’t faded yet, have you forgotten the pain?”

Tao'er ran her fingertips along a whip mark covered with heavy makeup on her cheek, and she almost laughed ferociously, "I just can't forget it, so I have to repay it twice."

"The servant does not understand."

"Didn't you hear that servant say that Duan and Zhao are going to present treasures to me?"

"So what?"

"Everyone knows that Duan's jewelry is the best among noblewomen in Beijing, and that diamond necklace is her most precious; Zhao's surname is one of the richest men, and he started a jewelry business. It is conceivable how precious the 'extreme product' is in the mouth. Such two rare treasures suddenly ran into my hands together, but why?"

"Apologize and plead guilty."

"Several crimes require such a heavy ceremony?"

"My lord is saying——?"

"My lord got angry that day because he didn't believe that Duan's and Zhao's were in collusion, so he blamed me. Since I didn't have any real evidence, I could only endure it. But if I put this necklace of Duan's with Zhao's Put the treasures together in front of the prince, saying that I witnessed the ugliness of the two of them with my own eyes that day. Well, the experts at Zhushikou can tell the whole story and whereabouts from the beginning, even Lai, surnamed Zhao, can’t be blamed, the evidence is convincing, I can’t help the prince not to believe it, and then the prince’s anger may be directed at someone.”

The little maid suddenly said, "So that's how it is!"

The scars on Tao'er's face were flushed with excitement, and she brushed her fingers all the way to her empty neck, "Besides, I have heard for a long time that Duan's treasure is famous. Generally, the female family members of princes and noble officials can have a few Western white diamonds. Rings and a few bracelets are also great, but this necklace of Duan's has dozens of big pink diamonds, each of which is full of weight, and it is also cut and polished by famous craftsmen. I have worn it once, and everywhere I go, it is dazzling and full of flowers. There is no noble lady who does not overshadow her. If I can keep such a rare treasure as my own, I will also wear it to the concubines from those aristocratic families. Show off to the front, life is not in vain!" As he said, he couldn't help laughing smugly, "Ms. Duan is also considered smart, and I came here to ask for peace, but it's a pity that I was misunderstood by my cleverness. If you spend all your money, there is a way to survive? I just want you to lose all your money!"

So dizzy and miserable, I saw that the lamp oil was exhausted in the third watch, and the five drums and the moon held the mountain.When the moon sets, it's another day.

After serving her second concubine, Zhan's Shangshi, Tao'er changed her clothes and took a sedan chair to bring her to the front door. The meeting place was in a storefront of Baoqixuan in the jewelry market east of Dashilan.

The store has long been closed, and there are two people waiting at the door.An old servant was behind, and Boss Zhao himself was in the front. He took off his mourning clothes, but he was also wearing linen plain clothes. When he saw Tao'er's sedan chair alight, he quickly bowed to greet her.

"That day, when I received a condolence from the concubine Wang, the villain was not respectful in etiquette. Looking back, I was really terrified. The villain has been in the jewelry business for decades. Although I dare not boast that I have a treasure like Duan Niangniang, I also have a rare item. Wanwang concubine Wang accepts it, and talks about the villain's repentance. Please get off the sedan chair and let the villain serve in the room."

Tao'er pointed her nostril at Xiao Zhao, "Where's Duan Qingtian? Why didn't you come?"

Xiao Zhao even bowed his waist like a shrimp, "Ms. Duan is upstairs, please, Concubine Wang."

When I went upstairs, I suddenly separated my hands, stopped a group of servant girls who were following Taoer, and said to Taoer in a low voice: "Concubine Wang, forgive me, Madam Duan will confess to Concubine Wang in person in a while, and there are servants out of shame. It doesn’t look good, can you ask Concubine Wang to let the sisters stay outside? Besides, those two treasures are not easy to show to others.”

Tao'er was eager to see the diamond necklace, so she just muttered: "I know I'm afraid of being ugly these days." She waved her hands to the maidservants and stepped into the door by herself.

Xiao Zhao followed behind and pushed the door lock silently.

The main house is very big. After passing through a hut, and turning inwards through a small corridor, we came to a quiet room.There is only one window in the room, and outside the window there is a piece of Berlin covering like a screen. Although the light is dark during the day, only the delicate landscape figures inlaid with various gemstones on the window frame twinkle like Yao Ying and Yu Dong.

Xiao Zhao's expression was also gloomy and mysterious, "Ms. Duan will be here soon. Before that, the villain will present you with treasures to attract jade. Look, Concubine Wang——"

Tao'er raised her eyes and saw a big square box in the corner of the room, painted with foreign paint and gold, very ordinary style.Xiao Zhao took a few steps and opened the lid of the box. Inside the box was a white silk-backed grid with several pieces of coral heads placed on them.At this moment, Xiao Zhao suddenly went down and scratched the wall of the box twice, and lifted the whole grid out. It turned out that there was a partition at the bottom of the box, the board was black metal, and there was a knocking sound.Xiao Zhao then took out a bunch of keys from his waist, picked out one and inserted it somewhere on the side of the big box, and turned it around. After a "jingle", two reeds retracted on the partition immediately, and a strange phenomenon appeared out of thin air. There are a pair of large round holes in which precious light is scattered, and the halo is as cold as the moon.

"Concubine Wang, please look, this is also a foreign treasure. My Baoqixuan has two branches in the capital, plus this one, there are thousands of pieces of head jewelry in total, and this one is the most valuable. It was stolen once before, but it was found with great difficulty. Western craftsmen were invited to make this anti-theft box according to their methods. The box is made of fine iron, and the bottom of the box is nailed to the floor, so it cannot be moved. There are The compartment, where some ordinary jewels are usually placed to conceal people's eyes and ears. When you go to the compartment, you will see this steel plate. There are two round holes, the holes are very small, and each hole can only accommodate one hand, and then the iron tongue under the lock door must be pulled up, otherwise, once you reach out rashly, or use the hook to touch it, the mechanism at the bottom of the box will be triggered, and the bell will ring. Dazhen lured the guards in. Such a step-by-step approach made those Jiangyang bandits busy for a long time, but it was nothing. Therefore, this anti-theft box has a good name called "Haidilaoyue", which is very ingenious. A contempt. Normally, the villain would take this treasure by himself, but today, since Wang Concubine is here, I ask Wang Concubine to personally work on it, so that I can know what a unique treasure it is."

Tao'er's appetite has been whetted just by seeing the complexity of this mechanism, and then Xiao Zhao's nonsensical remarks make her heart itch even more.He didn't care about his manners, so he lifted up a five-color brocade skirt and knelt down to the side of the big box, first touched his right hand into the hole in the partition, and when he didn't find anything, he put his left glove into the other hole.

At this moment, there was another "jingle" sound, and Tao'er exclaimed.But seeing Xiao Zhao quickly turn the key back a turn, the reeds in the two holes popped out at the same time, and Tao'er's wrists were clamped tightly into the partition inside the box, unable to move in or out.Tao'er knew something was wrong, and shouted: "You, you open it for me! What kind of tricks are you playing? Come on! Come on!"

Xiao Zhao pulled out the key, dusted off his clothes and stood up, "Master Wang, all your people have been invited to the back hall to watch a show. There are loud gongs and drums, but you can't hear anything. You broke your good voice for nothing." .”

Tao'er tried her best to pull out her hand, but her grip became tighter and tighter.She bent over and knelt there, panting, "You, what are you going to do?"

Xiao Zhao swept away the previous hospitality, raised his head high, and laughed contemptuously and viciously, "I was born in a farm family, and I was sent under the fence as an apprentice in my early years, and I was treated coldly. Bullying young people and being poor. After marriage, I will sing with my husband and play with my wife, and live in harmony. I should have lived happily ever after for a hundred years. Who would have thought that God would not obey me, and would be separated from me. I wish I could spend all the money in my hands and only ask for gold plates and goblets. , fragrant flowers and silver candles, sent her in a dignified manner, and even Niang Niang Duan took care of herself and took care of everything herself, but you, a little bitch, came here to speak obscene words in the mourning hall! Telling you to slander in vain? Today's great gift is given to you by me on behalf of my late wife Duan Muyun, please accept it with a smile."

After Xiao Zhao finished speaking, he flicked his hands and left the house.

Tao'er's arms were trapped in the box, her knees were on the ground, and she twisted her neck and screamed loudly: "Where are you going? Come back to me! What do you bastard want? Come back to me! Someone!" Come on, come on—"

"Here you come, please listen to your orders."

When Tao'er heard this voice, she abruptly silenced her own voice. She rolled her eyes back, her extremely tender cheeks seemed to be drained in an instant, "Duan Qingtian?"

From nowhere, perhaps just from the darkness of the room, Qing Tian walked out step by step.Her temples are empty, her black hair is tied back into a flat bun, and a jade dragon hairpin runs across it, with silk and broken crystal beads hanging down, a silkworm white stand-up collar and long skirt, and a silver thread cloud pleated satin skirt, clean and sober. Duanmu.Her eyes were cold and cold, but she was smiling, but the smile hanging from the corner of her lips was like a bloody ermine in the mouth of a she-wolf.

Tao'er's face started to turn red and swollen, and she struggled a few more times, "It's you! I knew it was you who made it! You old woman is crazy! What kind of dirty trick is this?"

(End of this chapter)