Xuanyuan Jue

Chapter 177: Concubine Candle Shadow (1)
One autumn rain and one cold.In the bleak golden wind, all the flowers turn from prosperity to decline, only the frost chrysanthemum blooming angrily is still exuding a refreshing fragrance.

It was night, when the cool wind blew the double eaves, countless pieces of light yellow chrysanthemum petals fluttered down to the ground. They were intricate yet unique, eye-catching and enchanting, and they complemented the painted buildings of Beizi Mansion with vermilion lacquer.

The mood is getting stronger and the cold air is getting heavier, but in the warm pavilion deep in the mansion, there are several charming candles flickering.Zai Zhen, then Minister of Commerce, was holding a gilt pocket watch while looking at the singing girl sitting in the carved tent with a smile.

The singing girl had a pink face and a slender waist, her figure was as round as the moon, and she was wearing a skirt with a pipa lapel, covering her body loosely.Seeing Zai Zhen staring at her intently, the singer showed embarrassment. "What are you looking at, Master Bei? It doesn't last for a moment, it's so embarrassing..."

"Hahaha," Zai Zhen said with a smile, "Looking at the beauty under the lamp, it really has a certain style. Cuixi, it's free to be idle. Brighten your voice, and sing a little song for me."

Cuixi frowned, "It's...it's late at night, don't disturb others..."

"What are you afraid of?" Zai Zhen waved his hand nonchalantly, "In order to prevent idlers from disturbing me, I have already sent all my servants, old mother, etc. to other places, and besides, I am the master here, even if I really quarrel with someone , so what? It's okay, just sing!"

"Yes," Cui Xi didn't dare to express Zai Zhen's intentions, and got up to give her a blessing. "What does Master Bei want to hear?"

"Hmm..." Zai Zhen tapped his fingers on the table a few times, "I'm getting tired of hearing those few folds of 'Ye Hanyan' and 'Red Plum Pavilion'... Do you have anything new?"

Cuixi thought for a while, and said, "There is a newly compiled song 'Bodhisattva Man', which I have probably never heard of."

"Okay," Zai Zhenxi said, "then listen to this 'Bodhisattva man'!"

Cuixi nodded, showing off her figure, pointing at the orchid, and began to sing:

"The flowers on Yanzhi Mountain are like snow, and the people on Yanzhi Mountain are like the moon. The forehead is covered with green clouds, and the eyebrows are pale. Weeping poplars are tender, eyes forget the gossamer green. At the end of the drunken moon, Du Yu in the south of the Yangtze River crows. The infatuated soul is ecstatic, wishing to wear flowers and butterflies. Outside the curtain, there is a shade of flowers, and the fragrance of the morning is like a dream. Flowers are like snow, people are like the moon, May the flowers grow well, the moon always be round, and be with Chanjuan forever..."

After Cuixi finished singing, Zaizhen asked, "Cuixi, did you compose this song yourself?"

"How can I have this ability?" Cuixi smiled wryly, "It's Xishuang...it's written by a talented scholar named Li Xishuang."

Zai Zhen let out an "oh", and said to himself: "This song is too miserable, and it doesn't really appeal to my ears. Huh, those bastard geniuses can only write such sour words that moan without illness."

Cuixi's thoughts wandered, and she sighed in her heart: "How can you understand the sincerity between the lines? Sigh, if I hadn't been greedy for wealth and honor, I wouldn't have been sent to this Beizi mansion... I'm so self-deprecating, I'm afraid Li Lang will annoy me for the rest of my life..."

Zaizhen didn't pay attention to Cuixi's self-pity, he turned over his pocket watch, looked at it, and said with a lewd smile: "Okay, I've listened to this song, and it's getting late, it's time to spend the spring night with my little Cuixi , The flowers are full and the moon is full! Blow out the candles, blow out the candles quickly!"

After finishing speaking, Zai Zhen became more and more confused, he hugged Cuixi around her waist, and rushed towards the bed.

Just at this moment, there was an untimely sound outside the window.Immediately after the sound of boots, a chubby figure suddenly appeared on the paper on the window lattice.

Zai Zhen was taken aback, and hurried to the window: "Who?"

A low voice outside the window replied: "It's me, Master Bei, has he rested yet?"

Hearing someone's voice, Zai Zhen heaved a sigh of relief. "Who am I... What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Outside the window, he said, "Don't blame Beizi, I'm in an embarrassing situation now, and I can only dare to show up in the dead of night. Oh, is Beizi satisfied with Miss Xi?"

"Satisfied! Satisfied!" Zai Zhen said impatiently, "Do you have anything else to do?"

"Hehe," the man said with an apologetic smile, "I still want to ask about the matter that our master Tuo Bei did..."

"What's the rush?" Zai Zhen said, "Why don't you worry about me coming forward? The palace has already been taken care of, and it's only a matter of these two days. Go back and wait for the news at ease!"

"Master Bei is bothering you, so I don't dare to disturb you any more, so I will leave now." After saying this, the window returned to silence.

Zai Zhen waited for a while, but when there was no more sound, he returned to the bedside.

Cuixi asked, "Is that the third master?"

"What kind of master is he?" Zai Zhen snorted, "But that fat man is very skilled, he comes and goes without a trace..."

Cuixi was worried, "Master Beizi, I still can't figure it out... He paid so much money to hire me, and then sent the general manager here by false means. Could it be that he just asked Master Beizi to find a job for him?"

"Hey," Zai Zhen said with a sneer, "don't say you don't know, even the old Duan may be kept in the dark. But his little calculation, if you can hide it from others, you can't hide it from me. His real purpose is still unknown. not for……"

Cuixi was taken aback, "For what?"

Zai Zhen was suddenly alert and kept his mouth shut. "It's nothing, you don't need to ask so much. Although this fat man has ulterior motives, he sent you such a beauty after all... Haha..."

Cuixi smiled, "Master Bei doesn't think I'm an actor, Cuixi is lucky in three lives."

"Dislike? It's too late to hurt you!" Zai Zhen pinched Cui Xi's face, "Come on, rest! Rest!"

Cuixi let out a "wow", and half pushed and half lay down on the ground.Zai Zhen also couldn't wait to take off his clothes, and only cared about putting his hands on the soft jade Wen Xiang in his arms.

After a moment of lingering, footsteps outside the house sounded again.The good things were repeatedly interrupted, and Zai Zhen couldn't help but get angry. "Damn it, are you finished, fat bastard?"

After a long while of silence outside the house, a voice carefully replied: "Master, it's me..."

Hearing that he was a servant, Zai Zhen became more and more annoyed, "You bastard slave, didn't I say don't bother me? You wait for me, and I'll go out and give you a big slap!"

After Zai Zhen finished speaking, he pulled up his shoes and opened the door cursingly, about to hit him.Before the slap was raised, Zai Zhen was stunned.Outside the house besides the servant, there is also Prince Qing Yikuang standing. "Ama, why are you here?"

After Yikuang waved his servants to leave, he peeked into the crack of the door behind Zai Zhen. "Boss, is there anyone else in your room?"

Zai Zhen quickly buttoned up his clothes and closed the door tightly. "No, it's just me..."

"Don't think I don't know," Yikuang snorted, "That Zeng bought a girl from Tianjin Wei under the banner of Duan Zhigui a while ago, didn't she send it to you? In your house, Is that her?"

Zai Zhen scratched his head, "Hey, nothing can escape Ama's ears."

"That's it," Yikuang said, "Your Mama always pretends to be confused, but in fact, your heart is bright. By the way, boss, I met that Feng family boy at Shanqi's place a few days ago. After testing it out, it seems that the 'Xuanyuan Jue' is really in his hands..."

"Ah?" Zai Zhen was overjoyed, "It's really with him?!"

"What are you shouting about? Walls have ears!" Yi Kuang looked into the room vigilantly, dragging Zai Zhen aside.

Zai Zhen let Yikuang drag him to a secluded place, "It's okay, Mama, I've already heard about Cuixi, and she never knew about it."

"You have to be on your guard," Yikuang said, "This matter is of great importance, and even the second and fifth children don't know about it. Now in the government and the opposition, there are countless pairs of eyes staring at our father and son. ?"

Zai Zhen nodded and said, "Then what to do, I'm all up to Ama."

Yikuang thought for a while, and said: "It's not appropriate for us to show our heads now, let's watch from the sidelines first. If the surname Zeng really succeeds, let's do a 'mantis catching cicadas, and the oriole behind'. If it doesn't work, then Hurry up and get rid of it, and you must not get ashamed... How about this, isn’t the imperial court reforming the bureaucracy right now, to deceive people, go and transfer Duan Zhigui from Tianjin to Heilongjiang, and recommend him to be a governor.”

"Ama's brilliant move," Zai Zhen said with a smile, "in this way, we can not only hide the traces of that Zeng, but also seal the old Duan's mouth with sweetness. Spread a romantic name of 'lust for beauty'."

Yikuang said: "That woman, you'd better hide it tighter, those censors are not vegetarians. Even if you just visit you as a 'namei salesman', it's enough for you to drink a pot!"

"Yes," Zai Zhen hurriedly said, "I'll just be more careful."

Yikuang let out a "hmm" and said, "Boss, there is one more thing I need to tell you."

Zai Zhen was taken aback, "Ama, what's the matter?"

Yikuang said: "I heard that the Ministry of Commerce opened Jiaxincheng Bank in Shanghai?"

"Hey," Zai Zhen said with a smile, "There is such a thing. Ah Ma, it's not good to call it a bank now. According to the current custom, it has to be called a 'bank'."

Yikuang didn't comment, "There are banknotes and banknotes printed? There is your portrait on it?"

"That's right," Zai Zhen said proudly, "How about Ama, isn't it majestic?"

"What a majestic fart!" Yi Kuang said angrily, "I think you are convulsed! Regardless of whether the bank note is comparable to real gold or silver, how dare you have the guts to print your own image on it?"

Zai Zhen was a little unconvinced: "At least I am the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce. I am in charge of agriculture, industry and commerce all over the country. It is not a big deal to have a portrait printed."

"It's a serious matter!" Yi Qiang scolded, "No matter how high you climb, can you still surpass Lafayette and the emperor? How can it be your turn to do things that they haven't even done? Don't you have the temper of Lafayette? I don't know, once someone blows some evil wind, if she takes it seriously, can she have your good fruit?"

Zai Zhen realized the seriousness of the situation, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. "Oh, Ama...then...then what should I do now?"

(End of this chapter)