Value peace

Chapter 111

Compared with Shengjing, Yongzhou can only be regarded as a medium-sized city.Guancheng is a typical triple city. There is a city inside the city and a moat outside the city. In the middle of the city wall is a three-storey, three-eaves, hilltop-style high platform and pavilion-style building. The lintel is inscribed with two powerful characters "Yongzhou".

Like all the cities in the city, there are three or two officers and soldiers guarding the gates. As the year is approaching, the gates of the city are very lively with people coming and going, and the impact of the war on Yongzhou cannot be seen.It can even be said that after entering Yandi, they did not see any strange people or things.

When they saw their carriage entering the city, the officers and soldiers guarding the gate panicked for a while, but they quickly calmed down. They solemnly evacuated the people entering the city to make way for them, and the bustling crowd who entered the city saw After their carriages were also actively arranged on both sides of the city gate, they quietly lowered their heads to let them pass first, and even a few people knelt on the ground and kowtowed to their carriages.

Gu Xiyan suddenly remembered the scene of Qi Yuzhi riding out of the city in Shengjing that day.

Living in such an environment for a long time, no matter who it is, they will develop a sense of superiority like Qi Yuzhi!
The streets in Yongzhou City are very spacious, very similar to the layout of the streets in Shengjing, except that the scale is much smaller. Towering trees are planted on both sides of the streets. It is covered with icicles, but it is still difficult to hide the majestic atmosphere.

Yan Guogong Mansion is located in Dezheng Square in the center of Yongzhou. It has a history of 600 years.During the time of the Wanji Dynasty and the time of the Taichu Dynasty, it was the government office of the Beiting Dudufu.After Li Chaoyang disappeared, the Taichu Dynasty quickly collapsed. Qi Ji, who was then a small commander in the Beiting Governor's Mansion, and two sworn brothers rose up and marched northward, occupying Guandong County and Lianyun County successively, becoming the largest warlord in the north at that time. Later, with the [-] iron horses in his hands, he worshiped the marquis and became one of the five princes of Xizhao Wang Xi.

Perhaps because of his humble background, after Qi Ji became the Duke of Yan, he did not choose a new location to open the mansion like the other four Dukes, but moved in after renovating the original Beiting Governor's Mansion. In the past 300 years, after several generations of Yan Guogong's mansion slowly repaired the meal, the current scale was formed.

It is a typical northern courtyard building, which is divided into two parts.The front is commonly known as the front yard. It is the place where Yan Guogong handles government affairs and is also the highest administrative institution in Yandi.In front of the mansion is a ten-meter-wide stone road. The four red-lacquered and gilt-nailed gates are open. Soldiers on patrol can be faintly seen. On the left and right stand stone lions about ten meters high. There is a bluestone tethered horse beside the stone lion on the right. stone.

Liu Meier took advantage of their carriage to pass by the gate of Duke Yan's mansion and quietly introduced to Gu Xiyan: "...I have never been to the front yard, but I am familiar with the back yard. It is divided into two parts, east and west. Their directions call the courtyard on the east the east courtyard, and the courtyard on the west the west courtyard. The east courtyard is adjacent to the outer courtyard is the Songzhen courtyard, where successive generations of Yan Guogongs lived. Right behind the Songzhen courtyard is Dexin, where his wife lived. There is a garden behind the Dexin Courtyard, and at the other end of the garden is the Xianji Courtyard where the grand ladies lived. To the east of Songzhen Courtyard and Dexin Courtyard is a rectangular courtyard called Chengxi Courtyard, where the Duke of the State raised tigers. The yard..."

Gu Xiyan pursed her lips and smiled.

"However, I have never been in that courtyard. I heard that there are nine entrances in total, which are specially reserved for minors. The courtyard on the west is called Gongshun Courtyard, and it is divided into nine small gardens, namely Huaiyuan and Banyan Garden. , Cypress Garden, Pine Garden, Maple Garden, Osmanthus Garden, Plum Garden, Tea Garden and Qiao Garden. There is a spacious bluestone corridor between the east and west courtyards. At the end of the corridor is a two-leaf red lacquered door. Behind the door is the inner courtyard. The nuns on duty and the rough envoy, Shang Zhengju, who temporarily fell into a corner..."

It really is strictly hierarchical.

The serious master is on the east side, called Dongyuan, and the name of the courtyard is three characters.The concubine and the servants live in the west, and they are given a uniform name. The place where they live is called "Yuan". , chastity, virtue and the like!
"Right now, only Songzhen Courtyard, Xianji Courtyard, and Gongshun Courtyard's Huai Garden are inhabited in the entire Duke's Mansion, and the rest of the place is empty..."

Gu Xiyan nodded hurriedly: "You told me last time."

Liu Mei'er's bright face became cloudy: "We are relatives of Mrs. Wei, so we have to enter the mansion through the side door next to it. We first went to see Mrs. Xu in the Xianji Courtyard. She agreed, and then we can go to the Huaiyuan in the West Courtyard. Mrs. Wei..."

A little surprised, Gu Xiyan said: "If she disagrees..."

"Of course I won't be able to see it." Liu Mei'er smiled bitterly, "So, don't make someone a concubine, even if he is... the emperor."

Gu Xiyan nodded in agreement.

Liu Meier forced a smile: "However, Master is Mrs. Wei's biological son after all, and Mrs. Xu can't just refute my aunt's face..."

In other words, if you find a reason, you can refute it!

After a few words, the carriage stopped in front of a bright gate.Different from the ordinary side door, there are four guards in front of it.

Seeing their carriage, one of the soldiers guarding the gate came over, and Siping hurried up to meet him. The two stood in front of the gate and negotiated for a long time. Gu Xiyan was peeping behind the curtain of the carriage. After something happened to show the soldier, the soldier turned around and said a few words to the others in a low voice.

The two bright doors were fully open, just enough for their carriage to pass through.

Tian Jing, who escorted them all the way to Yongzhou, said a few words to Siping in a hurry and then left. Siping followed the carriage into Guangliang Gate, while Tian Jing stayed outside Guangliang Gate, negotiating with the officers and soldiers guarding the gate. .

Inside the Guangliang Gate, there is a square more than 20 meters wide. It is cleaned cleanly without any debris. It is paved with large pieces of bluestone. White powder and blue tiles and another closed Guangliang door.

Siping stepped forward and knocked on a corner door next to the Guangliang Gate, and the door opened quickly. The "squeak" of opening the door spread far away in the empty square, with a desolate atmosphere, and Gu Xiyan's mind suddenly emerged. The poem "How deep is the courtyard" comes from.

Because the person who opened the door was standing inside the door, Gu Xiyan and the others couldn't see it, they could only see Siping negotiating with the person who opened the door in a low voice.

After a while, the Guangliang door opened, and several tall women appeared. Siping also hurried to the carriage where Gu Xiyan and the others were sitting: "Miss Liu, I will escort you here."

Liu Meier thought she came here often and was already familiar with this set, so she said "Thanks for your hard work" very dignifiedly and elegantly, and Qiu Gui handed Siping a small purse at the right time.

Gu Xiyan raised her eyebrows towards Duan Yingluo, meaning, did you see, this is what a maidservant should do!
Duan Yingluo smiled faintly at Gu Xiyan.

The two were winking there.

Siping looked at the little purse, with embarrassment on his face, and said: "I appreciate the girl's kindness, but the master is most taboo about the servants in the outer court and the wives in the inner court. This gift of favor is even more welcome. No way. Ms. Liu is new to the road, so she should be more careful in the future." Saying this, she led the driver away in a hurry, leaving Liu Meier with a puzzled face behind: "Brother Siping, what's the matter? Is it too small? There are two identical oriental beads inside, and they are worth two or three thousand gold in the market..." At this point, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and her face changed drastically.

Could it be that Grandpa Guo told him something when he came back, so he didn't dare to accept her gift...

It's like if the attending doctor doesn't accept red envelopes from patients who are about to undergo surgery, how can Liu Meier not panic.

Gu Xiyan also vaguely guessed a few of Liu Meier's thoughts, and couldn't help but secretly applaud.

Qi Maosheng's personal servant has a good income!

I don't know if anyone gave Qi Maosheng a gift... Probably not. Speaking of it, this is a feudal society. From a moral point of view, everything in Yandi belongs to him... His valet accepts bribes, um, Is it a waste of fat and water...

Gu Xiyan was thinking wildly there, a woman jumped onto the shaft of the carriage and drove the carriage into Guangliang Gate.

Behind the Guangliang Gate, there is another scene.

Inside is a large courtyard, with several carriages neatly placed on the left, and a stable on the right, where a few horses and mules are parked. There are also several large stone pillars for horses erected by the wall, facing the Guangliang Gate is a door with hanging flowers, two red lacquered doors, copper knockers, and a high threshold.

Duan Yingluo lifted the curtain of the carriage, and looked at a woman standing beside the horse-post on the right with somewhat confused eyes.

The woman was tall and strong, standing upright like a gun, her white hair was meticulously combed into a bun on the back of her head, and the wrinkles on her face were like washed silk, crumpled. Eyes, as clear and pure as a baby's.

Gu Xiyan leaned over and followed Duan Yingluo's gaze: "That's, that senior sister of yours..."

Duan Yingluo nodded excitedly.

"Do you want to say hello?" Gu Xiyan asked.

Duan Yingluo thought for a while, then shook her head: "Forget it, we each have our own duties now, and sometimes...it's inconvenient."

Gu Xiyan was slightly taken aback.

Is the top martial arts master guarding the second gate of the inner courtyard to protect them, or to imprison them?
Gu Xiyan couldn't help feeling cold in her heart, her eyelids drooped, and she glanced at Duan Yingluo from the corner of her eye.

"Besides your senior sister, are there any other Shuramen in the backyard of Duke Yan's mansion?"

Duan Yingluo smiled and said: "Yes. That time I returned with my senior sister, and there were three of my masters and two disciples."

There are six people in total...if they collude with someone with ulterior motives...killing people, setting fires, stealing posts, nothing can be done!As for Qi Hao, he was obviously a very shrewd person, but why... and he even sent Duan Yingluo to live with her in the inner courtyard.How sure is he that the people of Shuramen will definitely obey him and be loyal?

The most important thing is, when did you start using people from the Asura Gate to guard the second gate?
She shuddered, and said: "With your sister's identity and skills, how could you come to the Duke of Yan's mansion to be a nursing home?"

Duan Yingluo smiled and said: "My senior sister and a few fellow students don't want to wander in the rivers and lakes anymore, and want to find a place to spend their old age in peace. It happens that Yan Guogong's mansion lacks a woman in the backyard, so the master recommended the senior sister."

"When was that?"

"It seems to be a long time ago. I don't know exactly how many years. It should be about ten years. At that time, the master was still alive... It has been seven or eight years since my master passed away!"

"Who was in charge of the house gate in the backyard before this?"

"I don't know too well, it should be the rough envoy of Duke Yan's mansion!"

(End of this chapter)