In the early morning of the next day, the heat wave in the imperial city was even worse than yesterday. It looked like a mirage from a distance, and everything was shaking and steaming.
The boys who were busy on the road almost wore out their light boots, and the water on the street dried up quickly. It took only half an hour before the streets and alleys in the north of the imperial city were poured. I don't know how many buckets of water were poured out to moisten the streets. Within half an hour, it was already as dry as before, as if no one was paying attention. Officials from the Jingzhao County government went out to check. They saw that it was still unbearably hot in the north of the imperial city and there were no water stains. However, no one was here to supervise it, so they immediately It has the meaning of irritation, blaming the young official for not fulfilling his duties faithfully, causing the young man to also be scolded in the face.
Although this job can bring in a lot of money, it cannot hold up the authority of the superiors. Most of the young men who are recruited cannot stay for a few days and have to leave. Only those who are really short of money and need money urgently can do so. Only when he was desperate did he want to carry out this very unpleasant job to the end. He had to endure the shouts of the subordinates all day long, but he had to live for this money. There were also many young servants who were so anxious to rush back and forth that they could hardly catch their breath. They couldn't drink enough water and contracted Sha syndrome. They passed out and died on the roadside. People died of Sha fever in summers every year. Fortunately, pedestrians were walking around in the imperial city. There are many, and there are very few good-hearted people. If they were placed in other areas, the number of dead would probably be even greater.
No matter how difficult it is, don't be a little man with a bucket.
This saying has been circulating in the Three Kingdoms of Zhongzhou and Xilu for many years. However, this trade seems to have never been extinct. There are always desperate people who come to take buckets of water and splash water on both sides of the road. After all, this trade is also It’s a job that many people may not be able to get even if they ask for it.
It is said that the horse thieves and gangsters who live in the world of life and death are more likely to lose their lives than the boys carrying buckets. If you are really at the end of your rope and have no other options, who can still take care of all the things here and have money to survive is a good thing.
The person who is in charge of the minor officials in the capital, as well as the boy who carries the bucket, is a fat official. He is considered an idle official in the Sijingzhao Mansion. He has been blessed with some great luck, and he has to be in charge of this place. It's a good job, and the oil and water in it can be gleaned by looking at the face of this young and idle official with a shiny face. Many people in the capital knew that this man was actually a very poor man. He lived on the salary of a humble official and was very tight on weekdays. Even his official robes and clothes were mended, which was rare. At the time of the change, the wife at home was very old and had no jewelry. If no one knew about it, they would probably think that she was a peasant woman from somewhere in the countryside. But in fact, this fat official was even more famous outside the imperial city. There are many places to stay. Someone once saw this official dressed in fine silk clothes only a hundred miles away from the imperial city. He spent a night in a brothel and spent as much money as dirt.
There is oil and water here, and you can get some clues from it.
Today, when someone came from Jingzhao Mansion, Shi Chong made a special trip home to change his clothes and put on the most shabby official robe. Before leaving home, he didn't forget to sprinkle some water on his head, and the water droplets hung everywhere. Face, and then he didn't even bother to tell his wife a few words, and hurried out, but before going out, he still didn't forget to greet his concubine who was pretending to be a maid.
He pinched his waist and then left. His face was full of flesh and fat, and he was shaking it very enthusiastically. He was afraid that the big officials from Jingzhao Mansion would blame him for losing his fatness, which was really annoying. .
"I think I am very generous. How can I think of placing such an old jujube tree in the main hall of the house, and pestering it all day long in front of the hall? It would not be annoying to people. Such a jujube tree with such a rough skin and thick flesh, so... It has not produced dates for many years, but that’s not a big deal. Thinking about it, a jujube tree with such a skinny appearance, even if it has a little bit of jujube added, is still sour and tight, with thick skin and thin fruit, how can it compare with the outside? The good seedlings." The concubine was very complacent and shrugged her chest unconsciously. She was very powerful and magnificent, but although she was talking about the jujube tree, her apricot eyes were looking at the woman leaning on the jujube tree in front of the hall. , with a hint of sarcasm, as if he still felt that the reminder was not enough, he walked forward a few steps slowly and said with a smile, his tone became more serious, "When the time comes when the good peaches outside can be picked, I will definitely ask you to pick these peaches." The jujube tree was cut down by the roots, and the servants were sent to chop it into fine pieces. In the middle of winter, it was dried into firewood to add fuel to the fire in the bedroom. It seems that my wife has not lived with the master for a long time, so I wanted to say a few words. In the middle of winter, the charcoal fire in the bedroom is not very good, and it seems not as warm as the slave's body."
But the woman just sat in front of the jujube tree and looked at the woman blankly.
"Of course the head of the family likes you more, but after all, this is a palace in the imperial city. There is one master and one servant. If you are not afraid of others hearing it, you can naturally do whatever you want. I won't stop you, but if someone hears it, you can do whatever you want. Go, even if some words are true
, it is not a matter of spreading it out. "
"There are plenty of peach willows outside, so of course I never pay attention to them, but since my husband wants to show off, this peach tree cannot be cut down."
After saying that, the woman turned around and returned to the main hall. Instead, the woman in the courtyard stood up with her chest raised and her head raised. Her sarcasm was stopped by a few words, and she felt very embarrassed for a moment.
It was not yet past noon, and Shi Chong still hadn't returned, but a very young servant came to the house, the same old man whose face was covered by a thick black robe. The reason why I say he is an old man is because his steps are slightly staggering, but his foundation is still solid. Moreover, although the young man reaches out to help the old man, he unconsciously has to slow down half a step to follow behind the old man.
Someone broke into the house. The woman quickly put away a child's clothes and hid them behind her. After a moment of hesitation, she raised her head and rubbed her eyelids gently. Then she stood up slowly and happened to meet the intruder. The younger generation and the old came.
"You two are here for something important. What a coincidence. My husband has just gone out to attend to some chores in the imperial city and is not in the palace. If you really have something important to do, you might as well drink tea first and wait for a while. My husband Although he does not hold an important position, he often interacts with the nobles and officials in Jingzhao Mansion, so please don’t be anxious if it delays your return home."
"It's nothing important to bother Madam, but I just wanted to take advantage of this moment to come and ask about some trivial matters." Chao Rongan spoke first, but the old man simply lifted up his black robe and looked at the extremely haggard person in front of him. , a woman with fine facial features but extremely beautiful skin, nodded slightly.
Everyone can recognize the facial features of the old saint Yizhang
.
The woman was about to bow down, but she was supported by Chao Rong'an, who deliberately glanced outside the main hall, "It is not appropriate for too many people to know about the saint's private visit, not to mention that outside the mansion, I also heard that my wife and the woman were together. During the conversation, since there is such a person in the house, it is best to keep silent, the saint is generous and will not pursue any complicated etiquette."
The woman's room is located in the corner of the mansion. It is very small. Seeing that summer is approaching, the tide comes back from time to time. There are moss marks on the front and corners of the house, and the furnishings are even more simple. In addition to the table and two benches, there is a bed. , the bronze mirror was dusty, and there was a strangely thick layer of dust on the rouge box, but the rest of the ground was clean. The old man sat on the bench and suddenly became very suspicious of how the woman had been living all these years. It seemed that she had never had anything else to accompany her except this small house for servants to live in. However, he looked at Rongan sharply. Seeing the children's clothes behind the woman, he glanced at the old man calmly.
"Shi Chong, a minor official in the imperial city, has ten mansions and many concubines. As far as I know, although the imperial city is rich, the monthly salary and silver money handed to the officials are not so generous. If Madam knows this The truth, tell me the truth, maybe there is still room for change."
"Since the saint knows everything, why bother questioning an old woman who has lived in a deep house for a long time." The woman's eyebrows trembled for a moment, but she still lowered her head and said these words.
"I still know that Shi Chong and his wife were so in love back then that a good story spread in the capital. Now that they are in this situation, it seems that it is because of the children's clothes. Shi Chong was greedy, but he just took it. Tao, never broke too many rules
, but during an inventory visit a while ago, it was rumored that the job of a bucket boy was supposed to have a share of money for these people who were in urgent need of money to cool off, but Shi Chong did not make any publicity about this money, but collected it on his own. After checking the bag, it was found that a total of thirty-seven young servants had died of Sha disease over the past few years. As for the pension money from Jingzhao Mansion, most of it had also gone into Shi Chong's money bag. "
Every word and every word fell on the woman's heart, causing her eyebrows to tremble again. She turned around and put the child's clothes in the box, her eyes slightly red.
"Many people inside and outside the imperial city feel that I am ruthless. Over the years, whether they are important ministers and veterans who have been in the court for many years, or descendants of aristocratic families who have made achievements at a young age, they are not merciful when they kill, and their killings are heinous." Emperor Quan said. He opened his mouth with a smile on his face, as if the matter had nothing to do with him, "Some people guess that the two princes who are most valued by me are not useful enough and cannot support this huge palace. They need to remove the barbs from the sticks and thorns first." Take it off, some people say that I intend to overthrow the general trend of the world and do not know what I can do, but only I know that I still have some human thoughts."
As the most powerful person in Yizhang, of course he did not need the woman to explain. Emperor Quan was well aware of Shi Chong's family affairs. After saying this, he stood up and wanted to leave. It was not until the woman came to the door in despair that she slowly said .
"The unintentional loss of your beloved son is not the fault of one person, but it is also not the fault of one person who is corrupt and perverting the law. It is a decent reason for one person to live in seclusion and waste time. I have confiscated all Shi Chong's family property and demoted you two out of the capital and went to Xijun to help each other. If we help each other, maybe we can make this matter have a good beginning and a good ending, and it's not a broken mirror.
To reunite, you only need to wipe off the dust on the bronze mirror, which is not difficult. "
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