Invite the red-haired man to his seat and treat him with good wine and meat.
Zuo Pi held the wine flask and asked respectfully: "Brother, may I ask your name?"
The red-haired man replied: "Lao Ai."
"Lao?" Zuo Pi gave him chopsticks, "Lao is not common. Isn't Xiong from Qin?"
"From Bashu."
"Bashu," Zuo Pi said, "Bashu is a good place with beautiful mountains and clear waters and outstanding people."
Lao Ai said: "There are no outstanding people."
Zuo Pi felt that he was a bit awkward, so he laughed twice and said, "If you don't have any outstanding people, how can you have a family?"
Lao Ai pulled off a chicken leg, opened her big mouth and swallowed it whole without even spitting out the bones, "Yes, it's dead. After a long time, the bones have melted. You don't want to know."
Yousu: "?"
What do you mean? Just ask casually, what kind of bones are there? Do we still want to dig them out?
Zuo Pi, who was standing next to him, was a little heartbroken when he heard it. Now that he suddenly heard the second part, he smiled and said: "Brother Lao, brother Lao, you are really good at joking."
As long as he doesn't have it, it doesn't matter whether he has it before.
You Xu didn't mince words like his brother, and said directly: "There is a fat servant in Xianyang Palace, who is a waiter for women. Do you want him?"
Lao Ai didn't answer.
He added, "You are a foreigner who has come all the way to Xianyang City. You must be trying to get ahead. Let me tell you, there are some things that are so lonely and courageous. As for you, I think you'd better take a shortcut." , this shortcut is a good one and can save decades of detours.”
Mortals always like to take chances.
Lao Ai pulled the ends of her slender eyes, looking less depressed.
Zuo Pi continued to add fuel to the fire: "Think about it, who do you rely on? Rely on yourself, rely on others, rely on old men, rely on women, it's all the same."
He continued to pour wine for Lao Ai, "This job is much better than doing dirty work outside and adding bricks and mortar for less than a few bucks."
"As for you, just do it."
You Pi took over the words and emphasized the word "do", "If you do it well, you will reach the sky in one step and have endless enjoyment. We brothers are just seeing that you are suitable. If you are a man, don't be afraid."
In the red eyes of the two brothers, Lao Ai swallowed the whole chicken in three strokes and said, "Hey, why don't you just make it a duck? Why should Lao Ai be afraid?"
"Okay! Brother Lao is really a real man!"
Zuo Pi and You Pi quickly served him wine and smiled at each other.
Lao Ai is indeed suitable.
The reason why Xiangguo wanted to find a man with extraordinary talents was simply because of the gap that Queen Mother Zhao had that was difficult to fill.
But you can't send it to the palace openly and openly, you can only pretend to be a eunuch.
This eunuch's physique is too burly, which is not good. It is easy to see through, and his lower jaw is smooth and hairless, which saves the trouble of pulling it out.
The most important thing is to be truly different.
The two brothers hurriedly hurried, not daring to delay at all, and immediately sent him to the Prime Minister's Office.
In the Xiaoxiao bamboo forest, Lu Buwei, dressed in white, was playing the piano.
Lu Buwei's fingers were wrapped around a pure white silk string. He lowered his eyes and tightened it. Next to him was a pot of opened wine and a broken string.
In the elegant melody of gin and wine, Zuo Pi and You Pi held Lao Ai and knelt down, "I pay homage to the Prime Minister. I have found him."
Lu Buwei did not raise his head, as if there were so many disturbances that the only thing worth doing was changing the strings in his hands.
Lao Ai didn't kneel either. He was looking at the most powerful Prime Minister of Qin.
Zuo Pi noticed that Lao Ai was not kneeling, so he quickly winked at him. Unfortunately, his eyes cramped to no avail, Lao Ai remained unmoved.
It's still too much.
Zuo Pi thought to himself, if Empress Dowager Zhao didn't like this person, she could just take him to transport the axle.
Lu Buwei wound up the piano, fiddled with it twice, tried the sound a little, and said, "New strings are never as good as old strings."
You Pi quickly said: "New strings are as good as new strings, and old strings are as good as old strings. If you use them, they will become old."
Zuo Pi poked his brother's waist and told him to shut up and stop talking.
You Pi hurriedly got down to business: "Xiangguo, the person you asked me to find is now found. Should I send him to the Queen Mother now?"
"Zheng——"
The strings were broken, the wind rustled through the bamboo forest, and Lu Buwei's fingers pressed against the surface of the piano, and there was still a tremolo sound.
When he raised his head, he looked at Lao Ai with warm eyes. The sunlight poured down from the overlapping branches and leaves, but it seemed to split him in half and fall into an endless pull.
It was just a blink of an eye, and he slowly let go of his hand, "Go, send him to the palace, and then bring him a new string."
Everything is as usual.
Zuo Pi Youxu breathed a sigh of relief.
They were finally about to finish this chore, and blinking at the four sore needle eyes at the same time, they took Lao Ai to stay in the guest house first, and then looked for an opportunity to send her to the palace quickly.
If she doesn't hurry up, Queen Mother Zhao may go crazy first.
*
In the palace of Queen Mother Zhao.
The golden candle flame flickered, and the spices burning in the stove were smoky.
Zhao Ji is dressing up.
As the saying goes, a woman likes her appearance, and she cares very much about her age.
But even though she was now the most distinguished woman in the Qin Dynasty, she was still extremely dissatisfied.
"Mother Sun."
Zhao Ji's voice was like a warbler's cry.
Grandma Sun took a step forward: "Mother, here you are."
"Buwei, do you like my outfit?"
Grandma Sun said: "The empress has so many phoenixes that no one can compare to her."
Zhao Ji was not satisfied with her wording. All she wanted was the love of her sweetheart.
So what if there are thousands of phoenixes? Staying in this deep palace, do you want to be seen by a blind man?
She took off the hairpin ring on her head and put it in the carved box. She touched the scattered patterns on it and was filled with thoughts, "Tell me, when will Buwei marry me? He said that he will wait until Chengjiao's affairs are settled." He wanted to marry me in a glamorous way, and he asked me to be his wife of the Prime Minister, and also his head wife."
Aunt Sun is from the Prime Minister's Mansion, so Zhao Ji has no taboos.
Then she added: "Chengjiao is already dead. No one can shake his position now. There is no obstacle between us."
Grandma Sun lowered her head: "Xiangguo is going to marry your empress soon."
"Pfft." Zhao Ji twitched her eyes and smiled sweetly.
She stood up, wearing a jingle ring as she walked, and the fragrance was gentle.
Zhao Ji handed the box in her hand to Grandma Sun, "I, there are so many things in the palace, I don't have any good things, but he always likes to give me these, now I want to marry him, this time The things are going to be my dowry again, he is really a slippery businessman, but he can’t do any loss-making business.”
Grandma Sun raised her hands and respectfully took the box.
Zhao Ji added: "Mother Sun, have you asked someone to count my gold and silver jewelry, silks and satins?"
"If it comes to the day of getting married, I won't have to rush around." Her voice was as gentle as water, like a very virtuous wife. "It has been almost half my life, but I have never been married once. When it comes to the end, I really feel like I have returned. It’s time to reach the age of 28.”
Grandma Sun said: "Don't worry, Madam, the Prime Minister will take care of everything and make arrangements without leakage."
"If the sky falls, he can stand up and he can do things. I can rest assured."
Grandma Sun: "Oh."
Zhao Ji patted the back of her hand and said, "As a woman, all power and wealth are fleeting. These are not important. The most important thing is to find someone who can truly love you and love you. The two of you can support each other. Finish this life."
Grandma Sun was silent for a long time, with a thin layer of pity in her eyes, and at the same time she felt deep sorrow for this woman, "Mother."
Zhao Ji gently nodded and let go of her hand.
Grandma Sun clasped the pills in her sleeves with her fingers, clasping them tightly, and said, "My Lady, when the time comes, it's time to take the medicine."
The alchemists below were giving Zhao Jijin an elixir of eternal youth every day, saying that this medicine could rejuvenate her youth and prolong her life.
Zhao Ji also took it every day and said, "Bring it here."
The jade bottle was unscrewed, and the elixir mixed with water rolled into his mouth.
Zhao Ji closed her eyes slightly and swallowed. After swallowing, she frowned and said, "Mommy, why does this medicine have a strange smell?"
Grandma Sun clenched her palms tightly: "This is Danshi's new prescription, which can detoxify."
"This alchemist keeps talking all day long. If the medicine is not prescribed well, I will take his head."
Zhao Ji said smoothly, and then she covered her mouth, "No, no, Wei Ding doesn't like me like this. He should like me to be gentler."
Grandma Sun: "Whatever happens to your Majesty, the Prime Minister will feel sorry for you."
Zhao Ji dismissed her doubts, but after swallowing it, she still felt the taste was a bit pungent. She hurriedly took the tea from Grandma Sun, opened her lips, and started drinking.
Sudden.
A sharp pain arose spontaneously in her lower abdomen. The pain of grinding meat caused the tea cup in Zhao Ji's hand to fall off and fall to the ground.
"boom."
The pieces of porcelain are in pieces.
"It hurts!" She held her stomach and sat down uncontrollably. The cold sweat on her forehead suddenly broke out in pain, "It hurts, ah, it hurts, it hurts. What is this? Grandma Sun, please give it to me." What?!"
Blood gradually gushed out from her lower body, and the blood flowed more and more. The bright red blood stung her eyes.
Zhao Ji kicked her legs and sat back unable to support herself on the ground.
But another wave of pain hit her. She didn't even have the strength to sit up. She kept rolling and screaming, "Ah-ah-"
Grandma Sun quickly went to help her, "Madam, this is for detoxification. It will be fine soon."
Zhao Ji's whole body was convulsed with pain. The pain was no less than the flesh in her stomach. She couldn't hear anything and could only cry out in pain, "Mother Sun, what kind of pill is this! I want to kill her." He killed that warlock! Ah!"
"Mother, you'll be fine soon. It doesn't hurt."
Grandma Sun calmly stuffed the silk cloth into her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue, and her words were as steady as weights, "My Lady, stop shouting, or you may ruin your throat."
Zhao Ji's palms were covered with blood, "Yes, you can't shout. If you shout, your voice will be broken, Wei will not be happy."
She felt something drain from her body, forming a pool of blood. She bit the silk tightly, with only two lines of tears still rolling down her pale face.
The strange thing is that this pain comes and goes away quickly.
After the pain passed, Zhao Ji's whole body seemed to be fished out of the water, lying on the ground limply.
Zhao Ji stretched out her palm and looked at the blood in her hand, and said blankly: "Mother Sun, what kind of elixir is this?"
Grandma Sun: "The elixir for detoxification. As a person gets older, the more toxins accumulate in the body, and they need to be excreted. But don't worry, Madam, this elixir will only hurt once. You can take it later." The meridians will naturally become unobstructed."
Zhao Ji is now extremely sensitive, like a bug wrapped in a spider's web, catching the tremor of every thread, "This alchemist was found by Buwei. Are you someone close to Buwei?"
Grandma Sun: "Yes."
Her answer made Zhao Ji weakly close her eyes, without any reason to doubt.
"If this elixir can make my youth last forever and he can look at me more, it will be worth all the pain and suffering. It's worth it."
Grandma Sun's throat seemed to be rusty, making it impossible for her to utter even half a word of deception.
The woman lying on the ground was still smiling foolishly: "Mother Sun, help me up. This body is too dirty. I have to go freshen up."
Grandma Sun held her cold hand and said, "Mom, be careful."
A group of palace maids came in from outside. They changed the carpets in the luxurious bedroom and scrubbed them carefully.
After washing, Zhao Ji lay on the quilt and was still shivering, "Mother Sun, I'm so tired."
Grandma Sun looked at her pale face and said, "Then take a rest first."
Zhao Ji shook her head: "At night, he will come when it's time to turn on the lamp. Counting it has been seven days, he will see me once every Sunday. He will definitely come to see me today."
"Your Majesty, please rest first. If the Prime Minister comes, I will let you know."
"What if he saw me resting and couldn't bear to disturb me, so he left without saying a word?"
Zhao Ji clutched the quilt and said, "I won't even have a chance to make trouble with him by then."
Grandma Sun couldn't persuade her any more, "I'll put makeup on the queen, and the queen only needs to take a nap on the bed."
Zhao Ji smiled: "Okay, this is a good idea."
Zhao Ji was decorated with a pair of skillful hands and looked gorgeous. She gently touched her lower abdomen, which was flat and empty.
It seems that I can still feel the pain of being cut open and taken out.
Her heart suddenly tightened, as if being pulled from left to right by an iron hook.
"Mother, mother."
In the confusion, a chubby child stumbled out from the corner of the hall. He stretched out his little finger and pointed at her belly, grinning widely, "Belly, my belly hurts."
Zhao Ji touched her belly, but her hands were filled with sticky and smelly blood.
The child didn't know when he would crawl up her vagina and try to get into her belly, "Mom, belly, it's cold outside, so cold, I want to go back to belly."
"I'm not your mother." Zhao Ji covered her stomach to hide, "Go away! I'm not your mother."
"Mom, don't you want me anymore?" The child's eyes were filled with tears, and a crisp cry came from his throat, "Mother, mother, mother."
He stretched out his lotus-like arms to hug her. Zhao Ji was stunned. This feeling of blood connection made her soft-hearted.
She stretched out her hand to hug him, "Are you really my son?"
Unexpectedly, her hand missed the point, and the child's orifices were bleeding. The blood seemed to surge back into Zhao Ji's ears. She watched helplessly as a bloody, non-human-shaped mass of flesh fell out of her lower abdomen.
"ah!"
Zhao Ji screamed uncontrollably.
She opened her eyes, only to find that she had fallen asleep at some point. She raised her hand and looked at her palm. There was no blood. She then lifted the quilt and looked at her belly.
Flat and empty.
"My son."
(End of chapter)
