The little girl of the landlord's house

Chapter 95

Xie Yujiao didn't wake up until the second watch, but she woke up from hunger.When she opened her eyes, she saw Mrs. Xu lying on her bed, with one hand still covering the quilt on her body, lest she step on the quilt in the middle of the night and catch a cold.

Xie Yujiao only felt a warmth in her heart. Although Xu Shi was sometimes confused, it was because she had received too little rubbing.Xie Yujiao was actually envious of Xu Shi from the bottom of her heart. If a woman was loved by a husband like Master Xie and surrounded by a capable daughter like herself, she would indeed be as confused as Xu Shi.

Xie Yujiao stretched out her hand and gently moved Xu Shi's arm away. When Xu Shi felt a movement, she opened her eyes. Seeing that Xie Yujiao had woken up, she said, "Jiaojiao woke up? How long is it now?" ?”

At this time, the maid outside heard the voice from inside, and came in with the light on. Seeing that Xie Yujiao had woken up, she just said, "Miss, are you hungry? There is still a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup warming on the stove in the tea room down below. I'll bring it up for you." Let's put a cushion first, girl."

Xie Yujiao was really hungry at the moment, so she nodded, and seeing Mrs. Xu in front of her again, she just said, "Why is mother here, why don't you just go back to sleep?"

Mrs. Xu just said: "I heard the maid said that you fell asleep without dinner, and I was worried, so I came to take a look. I was a little sleepy for a while, so I took a nap here. Now that you are awake, I'll just go back first."

At this time, it was already the second watch, and the north wind was blowing outside again. If I went out for a walk, I would be freezing.Xie Yujiao leaned back on the bed and said, "Mom hasn't slept with me for a long time, so don't leave today."

Mrs. Xu felt a little guilty towards Xie Yujiao because of what happened a while ago, but now that she had brought up the words, she naturally agreed, and took advantage of the time when the maids gave Xie Yujiao a soup of tremella, and went downstairs to wash up The place where I soaked my feet.

Xie Yujiao didn't eat much, so she was full after eating half a bowl of white fungus soup, and the two of them lay back to back together.

Xie Yujiao just fell asleep, and now she is no longer sleepy. Xu's heart is full of worries, and she can't fall asleep for a while.The two dawdled each other for a while, Xu Shi heard Xie Yujiao sighed shallowly, and couldn't help asking: "I heard from Ziyan that you didn't go to see Lord Kang today?"

Xie Yujiao was not surprised when she heard this. Ziyan was Mama Zhang's daughter. Although she was a maid in front of her, she was also a servant of the Xie family, so she would not lie to Xu.Xie Yujiao knew that she couldn't hide this matter from Mrs. Xu, so she nodded and said, "Mother, Mr. Yang is not dead."

Mrs. Xu was surprised and happy when she heard the words, and was about to ask another question, but she heard Xie Yujiao sigh, turned her face to the top of the bed, and continued: "You can't say that, the real Mr. Yang did die for the country. Yes, it's just... that Mr. Yang we know is still alive."

The more Mrs. Xu heard it, the more strange she became, she only frowned and asked, "I'm in the dark as you said, but who is that Mr. Yang we know?"

Xie Yujiao also knew that Mrs. Xu would get dizzy if she went around too much, so she just said, "The person we know is not Young Master Yang at all, he is the younger brother of the current Holy Majesty, the most beloved young son of the late Emperor... Prince Rui."

Mrs. Xu just let out a cry of surprise, then turned her head to look at Xie Yujiao, saw that she had a somewhat disappointed expression on her face, and was worried in her heart, so she just asked: "Then he invited you to see him today?" , What is the so-called matter? I heard that His Highness Prince Rui is not yet married..."

When Xu Shi said this, she became more and more confused. Although she really wanted Xie Yujiao to marry well, but now that Prince Rui's status is suppressed, it is definitely not something people like them can handle.

Xie Yujiao lowered her head, and her mind was in a state of confusion for a moment. She was really not sure about such a person. Who knew how many sincerities and how many lies were hidden in his heart?If it's just a joke, if some bad words come out at that time, it will always damage my reputation.

Xie Yujiao sighed, and said, "People like us can't control whether he is married or not. Even if he is married, so what? If he likes a girl, does he care what kind of family she is? It's just a sentence. Regarding the matter of words, is there anyone who dares to say half a word?"

When Xu heard what Xie Yujiao said, she was secretly startled, and knowing that Xie Yujiao had always been aloof, she deliberately asked her: "Is Jiaojiao willing too?"

When Xie Yujiao heard this, she raised her eyebrows and glanced at Xu Shi. Seeing the expression on her face, she knew that she was asking herself on purpose, so she just snorted softly and said, "Mom clearly knows my temper, but she still came to ask me about it." These, I have never had such a temperament to cling to the powerful, our Xie family is not short of money, let alone such relatives, I have figured it out now..."

Seeing that Xie Yujiao had figured it out, Mrs. Xu couldn't understand it, so she asked, "Jiaojiao, what did you figure it out?"

Xie Yujiao bit her lips and thought for a moment, then said: "After the Qingming Festival this year, our Xie family will be filial piety. I plan to take advantage of the excitement of the New Year's Day in the past few days to organize a civil and military recruitment, and recruit a son-in-law to come in. In this way, my mother and I will have something to rely on in the future.”

When Mrs. Xu heard this, Xie Yujiao almost jumped up from the bed in shock. She turned over and asked her, "Jiaojiao, is what you said true? Are you willing to recruit a son-in-law?"

Xie Yujiao just nodded. If it was said that she had this idea, she was indeed a little impulsive, but Xie Yujiao couldn't explain it clearly at the moment, there was a voice in her heart, thinking to make herself impulsive, as if she really did this Yes, I feel refreshed.

The New Year's Eve is approaching in a flash, Zhou Tianhao is recuperating in the palace, and he can't move around much, but thinking of Xie Yujiao leaving in a hurry that day, it is inevitable that he is a little depressed. When he is in a bad mood, the wound heals slowly, imperial physicians After studying the prescription back and forth, it still didn't work. The alarmed emperor came to visit the doctor himself.

Dayong's royal family did not have many heirs, and in Emperor Wen's area, apart from the eldest son who died earlier, there are only four brothers left, and the most favored among them is Prince Rui Zhou Tianhao.It's just that Zhou Tianhao was still young when the first emperor died, so the throne fell into the hands of Emperor Wen.However, Emperor Wen also cared a lot for this younger brother, and even the Empress Xu also treated Zhou Tianhao as if they were his own younger brother.

It's true, who wouldn't be happy to have a younger brother who doesn't want to be an emperor, but is willing to fight for him with his life?Although Emperor Wen didn't know the reason why Zhou Tianhao didn't want to be the prince at the beginning, after all, he was the emperor now, so this past incident will not be mentioned.Now that Zhou Tianhao was in danger twice again for the sake of Dayong's royal family, he almost died for the country. As the emperor's brother, he naturally wanted to inquire about it himself.

Seeing the emperor personally visiting, the imperial physicians all had dark faces and were extremely depressed, obviously the medicine had been used up, but why did His Highness Prince Rui's wound heal so slowly?Everyone twirled their beards and couldn't figure it out, but the old doctor Zhou had a little guess in his heart, but he didn't know if he was thinking right?
"You guys just talk about it, what happened to Prince Rui's injury? Why is it that you still have a low-grade fever? Are you all good-for-nothings?" The emperor liked to say things like this when he got angry. With immunity.Although everyone was not convinced, they all kowtowed and confessed their crimes with a look of sincerity and fear on their faces.

Zhou Tianhao came out wearing a robe, and seeing the emperor started to toss the group of imperial doctors again, he just smiled and said: "Brother Huang said what they are doing, I will just take the medicine on time."

The emperor lost his city, and fled from the capital during the Chinese New Year. He was a bit angry at first, but it was just an excuse. Seeing what Zhou Tianhao said, he just sighed and said: "You all get up, let's take care of you!" Carefully ponder over the prescription, if Prince Rui's fever doesn't subside tomorrow, let's see how I send you off!"

Empress Xu stood aside, her heart was slightly disturbed, now she lives in the palace, although there are few people, but the place is also small, if there is any trouble, there will be news from her side.For example, the last time a palace maid replied to her, His Highness Prince Rui actually managed to get a girl in from outside when there was no one in the garden in the afternoon.

Although Empress Xu didn't go to inquire about the girl's whereabouts carefully, but after hearing this, she understood a little bit. Now that she contacted Prince Rui's illness, she immediately understood it. She just pulled the emperor's sleeve and sneaked up to him He whispered in his ear: "Your Majesty, the emperor's brother is already 24, and he doesn't even have a concubine around him. I'm afraid there is internal fire?"

Zhou Tianhao's marriage, the emperor handed it over to Empress Xu to look for it early in the morning, but in the past two years Dayong had too many things, Zhou Tianhao didn't put his mind on it, so it has been delayed.Listening to Empress Xu's words now, I also feel that there is some truth in it, so I just nodded and said: "In the past, the emperor lived outside the palace, and it was inconvenient for me to interfere with the affairs of his house. Now that you live in the palace, you Today, I will pick a few court ladies with outstanding looks and send them here, so that they can serve the emperor."

Zhou Tianhao looked at the Emperor and Empress Xu chatting, and gave him a look. He didn't know that they were thinking about those things, but for no reason, he felt a little chill on his back, which made people feel a little nervous.

Because Xie Yujiao has figured out the matter of recruiting a son-in-law, Mrs. Xu has been in a good mood these few days.Although there have been refugees coming here one after another in the past few days, but because there are people guarding and concentrating everywhere, the life at the end of the year is still relatively safe.

It's just that some things should come, but they will always come.Xie Yujiao was sitting in the study room with Xu Yuxing and the two housekeepers, when she heard the woman in charge of the study room shouting outside: "Second old man, you can't go in, the girl is talking to the housekeepers inside. Woolen cloth!"

The second old man heard this, and only said: "I just want to find your girl! I have to wait for her if she's not here. It's best if I'm here now. Let's explain the matter clearly!"

As soon as Xie Yujiao heard this, she knew that the second old man was doing something for the end of the year.In fact, these things for the family are not much money when folded, but because of the sudden move to the south, many merchants took the opportunity to raise prices, and it happened to be the root of the year, and some oil, salt, fine rice and condiments were not sold. The price of coarse cloth and other things has risen outrageously, so Xie Yujiao first embezzled the share left to the clan in previous years and sent it to resettle refugees.

This is nothing at all, these families in the Xie family usually have a few acres of fertile land, as long as they make a good living, they will definitely not lose food and clothing.The second old man and the others were used to having things every year, but they didn't have them this year, so they felt that Xie Yujiao had cheated them, so they came to quarrel.

Seeing the second old man coming in, the servant girl hurried forward, pulled the curtain and let him in. Xie Yujiao stood up, although her face was ugly, but there was no disrespect in her words, and she said, "Second uncle, why come over when you are free? I was still thinking that I would invite my second uncle to come and have a sit down when the work in hand is finished!"

Seeing that the two big butlers of the Xie family were there, as well as Xu Yuxing, the second old man felt a little awkward, so he just said, "Jiaojiao, don't blame the second uncle for relying on the old and selling the old. Your grandfather and I are brothers. We are brothers from your grandfather's generation. Up to your father's generation, none of them has ever disrespected me. During the festivals, they always think about the uncles and brothers in the clan. This has been a practice for decades. How did it get into your hands? Up, has it changed?"

After Tao Laixi and Liu Fugen heard this, they knew it must be because they were short of their belongings this year, so they came to find them, and were about to explain a few words to Xie Yujiao, when they heard Xie Yujiao say: "Second Uncle said well, this It is indeed a common practice, and I have never thought of depriving the clan of anything, but just look at what this year is like? There are refugees everywhere outside, and hundreds of people have gathered at the bottom of Qinglong Mountain. What do these people use to support them? ?”

The second old man heard this, and said inexplicably: "What do these people have to do with our Xie family? Why can't we let our Xie family take care of them? Even if your father was a little confused before, he didn't take money from the Xie family to go there like you The charity hall is opened!"

Hearing this, Xie Yujiao smiled instead of anger, and said, "Second uncle is really good, hundreds of people have caught up with our Xie family house, if you don't give them food and drink, they must be the second Qinglongzhai, I think my mother was captured by Qinglongzhai people and extorted 10 taels of silver, but I didn't see you come to take care of me, second uncle." Xie Yujiao didn't want to talk to him any more when she said this, just Continued: "Second Uncle, please go back. Originally, I planned to wait for the New Year's Eve, when the prices outside fell, and then let Butler Tao replenish you, but now I feel that there is no need. My Xie family has never owed the family a penny, and this rule has been discontinued since this year, as your second uncle said, the Xie family has never been a philanthropic hall."

After Xie Yujiao finished speaking, she only gave Tao Laixi and Liu Fugen a wink, and the two immediately understood, just took the second old man's hand and said: "Second old man, stop talking, can this big girl still owe some things to the clan?" ? The money for offering sacrifices at the ancestral hall at the end of the year has not been sent to you early in the morning, so why bother?"

The second old lady didn't expect to see Xie Yujiao for the past six months, and her temper had grown so bad that she dared to confront him directly. It turned out that she was still giving herself some face on the scene, but now she has lost all face.

Xu Yuxing watched Tao Laixi and Liu Fugen drag the second old lady out, and Xu Yuxing who had been silent all this time also said, "Jiaojiao, you've become a little angry these days, but Guishui is coming?"

Xie Yujiao didn't expect Xu Yuxing to ask about this, and she was really speechless for a while, but she did come to Guishui these few days, as for her temper?Seems like it used to be like this...

Last night when Xu Yu went back to Xie's house, the Xu family left him to eat in the main room, and told him about Xie Yujiao's plan to recruit a son-in-law.Xie Yujiao was not there at the time, so Xu Yuxing felt a little puzzled, and he never solved it.Seeing that there was no one around, Xu Yuxing asked Xie Yujiao, "Jiaojiao, I heard your mother said that you wanted to recruit a son-in-law. This is a bit sudden. I want to hear your thoughts."

Xie Yujiao didn't know what was going on that day, she had a brain twitch and said that she wanted to recruit a son-in-law, making Xu Shi happy like something, wishing she could do it right away.But in the past few days, she thought about it in private, and she already had the idea of ​​retreating a little bit. These days, she is most afraid of the girl's high-profile, and this matter gets out. , if she doesn't like her at that time, wouldn't she be going to die of embarrassment?
When Xie Yujiao saw Xu Yuxing asking about this matter, she couldn't evade it for a while, and just said, "Yes... I mentioned it."

Seeing Xie Yujiao's answer, Xu Yuxing knew that she must have hesitated again, so he asked again: "Do you want to recruit a son-in-law yourself? Or is there some other reason?"

Xie Yujiao's face turned red when she heard the words, and she bowed her head in silence for a while. Seeing her like this, Xu Yuxing must have something hidden, so she just said, "Jiaojiao, recruiting a son-in-law is a lifelong event. Uncle has a word to say to her." Here you go, there is no turning back when you shoot the bow, you should think about it clearly."

Xie Yujiao didn't expect Xu Yuxing to know her so well, so she raised her head to look at Xu Yuxing, twitched the corners of her lips, and finally said, "Uncle, we were all deceived, it wasn't the dead who rescued our mother from Qinglongzhai last time. Instead of Young Master Yang, it is His Royal Highness Prince Rui."

Although Mrs. Xu told Xu Yuxing about Xie Yujiao's plan to recruit a son-in-law, she didn't mention Zhou Tianhao's matter, so when Xu Yuxing suddenly heard this, he was only taken aback, and asked again: "Jiaojiao, are you... Fall in love with him?"

Xie Yujiao raised her head, with a somewhat stubborn expression on her face, she only thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "No."

Seeing Xie Yujiao's expression, Xu Yuxing knew that her words were useless.It's just... one is the heavenly family and the other is the common people. How can they be together?

Xu Yuxing felt speechless for a while, and didn't know what to say to persuade Xie Yujiao. After thinking for a long time, he said, "If you have thought about recruiting a son-in-law, I will naturally take care of it for you."

Xie Yujiao saw that Xu Yuxing didn't try to persuade her anymore, and she also knew how strong the family concept was in this ancient time, so she also nodded and said, "Then I will trouble uncle."

On the mountain road leading to Xie's house, the old doctor Zhou was holding a medicine box, looked up at Prince Rui Zhou Tianhao who was sitting directly opposite him, his heart was in his throat.He went to the palace this morning to pay his respects to His Royal Highness Prince Rui, but he didn't expect to be hijacked out at this moment, it really scared his old bones away.

Zhou Tianhao was also very helpless, yesterday all the imperial physicians consulted for him, and the big guys discussed it for a long time without any conclusion, but in the evening, Empress Xu even sent two beautiful maids over, calling it a substitute for him. Lower your anger yourself.Zhou Tianhao was so anxious that he didn't fall asleep all night, he kept thinking of ways to get out, and lived inside and outside the palace. It seemed to be quiet, and he didn't know how many guards were guarding him secretly. possible.

Zhou Tianhao was wearing a servant's clothes, leaning on the carriage, glanced at the old doctor Zhou, and said: "Doctor Zhou, I haven't settled with you yet, last time I asked you to take good care of Miss Xie's body, why should I When I met her a few days ago, she was still so thin?"

The old doctor Zhou was not satisfied with this, and just said: "Your Highness, you can't blame me. Since ancient times, heart diseases need heart medicine. Your Highness should understand this truth. Otherwise, why did the hospital have so many medicines? Is it still too late to heal the injury?"

As the old doctor Zhou said, he leaned up to take a look on purpose, and said, "Look at you, Your Highness, just toss, it's almost healed, the wound will open again after the carriage passes this way."

Zhou Tianhao's face was already a little pale at this time, he didn't care what the old doctor said last week, he just opened the curtain, took a look outside, saw that Xie's house was approaching, he breathed a sigh of relief, and said again: "Don't worry, the old doctor, if this is done, I will give you an extra candy."

After hearing this, the old doctor Zhou only smiled and said: "Your Highness, why bother? You like Miss Xie, and let the emperor come down with an imperial decree. Could it be that they, a small landlord family, will refuse to marry? It must be like this If you come here secretly, it’s not honorable to look at.”

Zhou Tianhao was amused when he heard this, but based on his understanding of Xie Yujiao, even if an imperial decree could solve the problem, if he just married a wife who treated him coldly, his life might not be easy. Only by coaxing and coaxing can you marry and enter the door.

"What the old doctor said makes sense, but I don't like forcing others to make things difficult."

The old doctor Zhou blew on his white beard, and said in his heart: It is true that you are difficult for a strong man, but it is true that you are shameless!
In the past few days, the relationship between Xie Yujiao and the Xu family has eased a bit, and Xie Chaozong will call and leave again.Xie Yujiao finished discussing things with the housekeeper in the morning, and after lunch, she liked to tease Xie Chaozong in Xu's room for a while, until he was sleepy and about to fall asleep, Xie Yujiao would leisurely go to her embroidery building go inside.

Xie Yujiao's embroidered building is in the back garden, and there is a big bamboo garden behind it. Although the back door is open, people usually don't think people go there, so the woman guarding the door sometimes hides and sneaks away for a cup of tea. , and no one knows.Besides, there is a river behind the bamboo garden, even if a thief comes, he can't escape if he runs back, unless he jumps into the river, so it is considered quiet.

So Xie Yujiao never thought that one day, when she came upstairs and was about to take a nap, there would be a man lying on her bed.

(End of this chapter)