Zhou Xu put the food on the table and glanced at Liu Ren again: "City Lord Liu, it's not too late no matter how busy you are after dinner."
Liu Ren was almost paralyzed by the word "City Lord Liu" spoken by the Jiedushi Master: "I will be fine as soon as I become an official."
Seeing that his robes were simple and his cuffs were patched, Xiao Luolan invited him, "City Master Liu, come and have a meal with him."
Liu Ren didn't know where he got the favor from Lord Jiedushi, so he sat down at the corner of the table tremblingly.
"Master Jiedushi, please invite me first." Liu Ren planned to wait for Master Jiedushi to eat before picking up the chopsticks, otherwise he would lose etiquette.
After the meal, Liu Ren continued to work.
Xiao Luolan sat under a persimmon tree in the yard for shade.
Zhou Xu washed a pear with well water and handed it to his wife.
Xiao Luolan came to her senses and pushed the pear to him: "You can eat it yourself." She was very full from lunch.
Zhou Xu casually wiped off the water droplets on the pears and finished one pear in a few seconds: "What were you thinking about just now, madam? You didn't answer me even though I called you several times."
Xiao Luolan was thinking about something just now, but she didn't know the situation of Gu Chang, nor how City Lord Liu governed it. It was rude to speak rashly herself. After all, she was an outsider, and she didn't know how to govern Gu Hao. Chang, City Master Liu must be more experienced, and it can be seen that City Master Liu is also a diligent officer.
If what you say is wrong, wouldn't it be a joke?
Zhou Xu held his wife's hand and whispered, "If you don't say anything, I'm going to kiss her."
Xiao Luolan took back her hand and glared at him lightly,
"When I went out today, I found that many people in Gu Chang didn't understand each other's language." Xiao Luolan finally said it out: "I heard from Dong Xue that there are many foreigners living around Gu Chang. If they live together, why don't they use the same cultural education? Where are their descendants?”
In this way, after several generations, not only do people have no problem communicating with each other, but once they have a common language and living habits, there will not be such a big gap if they live together, because their culture is the same Yes, there should be less wars this way.
Zhou Xu looked at his wife and said with a sudden smile: "More than ten years ago, a junior official said something similar."
"The man stood drunk by the river, swaying and swearing to the sky that one day he would become a saint and educate all people."
"Later, he led the refugees to rebuild Gu Chang, opened the road between Gu Chang and the Tianshan Mountains, carried out farming, stored grain and grass, taught the locals and the people from various tribes around Gu Chang to read and write, and carried out the enlightenment in his heart."
Xiao Luolan felt something in her heart. She turned her head and looked into the room. Liu Ren's eyes were filled with tears and his eyes were red. There were wet marks on his washed white robe, but he was hiding his face and crying silently.
Zhou Xu looked into the distance: "I think it's good too, but the effect is still a bit poor, because there are too many people in the big tribe, and when there are more people, they start to be disobedient."
Harassing the borders, robbing caravans, growing ambitions, and gathering together to dream of becoming the next Turks.
Zhou Xu smiled and said: "But after this battle is over, there should be more people willing to be educated."
Xiao Luolan looked at Sect Master Zhou. Although he was smiling, his eyes were as calm as a human being, without any fluctuation.
Chapter 63
At night.
Xiao Luolan was fascinated by the patterns on the bed curtain. The head of the Zhou family had not returned yet, so he went to torture the Wang family in the evening, and took Yao Nandao with him. She did not follow him because she knew her own psychological endurance.
But she was lying on the bed without feeling sleepy. The purple bird whistle fell down. Xiao Luolan came back and touched it to calm her impetuous heart. In fact, in the afternoon, she felt a little frustrated and dissatisfied with herself. disappointment.
The feeling of powerlessness that could not change anyone or anything made her feel like she was trapped in this era, like a wave splashing for a moment, then pouring into the sea together with other currents, becoming one with this era.
Xiao Luolan put on her coat and got up. The room prepared for them in Liu's courtyard was very good, and it also had a study room. Xiao Luolan knelt down in front of the desk, dipped a brush in ink, and wanted to write a diary for her daughter. Today is On the fourth day of September, the sky was sunny and the weather was still very hot, but it was much better than the previous two months. There were many barbarians in Guchao City, as well as wandering artists who controlled snakes... Xiao Luolan had many words to write to her daughter, and finally I just wrote about some insignificant things.
After writing it, she put it in the mailbox. There were already many letters piled up in the mailbox. Xiao Luolan would write to her daughter every day. When Snow Eagle came, she would send out the letters of the day and leave the rest. The next letter is placed in the mailbox.
The faint fragrance of books and ink and the quiet atmosphere completely calmed Xiao Luolan's heart.
She opened the window and saw Miss Zheng and Little Master He Jinhe sitting on the corridor not far from the window.
Zheng Yuxin heard the sound and saw her mistress showing a bright smile: "Mistress, are you still awake?"
He Jin was dressed in white, turned the beads, and recited a Buddha's name: "Amitabha, my mistress is awake late at night but she has something on her mind."
Xiao Luolan took a look at the sky and saw that it was indeed very late and the moon was already high in the sky.
"Did it disturb your rest?" Xiao Luolan knew that these retainers were here to protect her. Apart from the common Miss Zheng and Master He Jin, Xiao Luolan was only familiar with the hunchbacked Mr. Zhao and a swordsman named Gui Xin.
There were six or seven other diners among the diners, all of whom were very strange. She was usually not allowed to see them. Xiao Luolan had never gotten along with other diners. She was the only one who was familiar with these two people. She was a little embarrassed to disturb them.
"It's okay, it's okay, we can't sleep at night anyway." Zheng Yuxin rushed over in a sprint, bent down in front of the book window and looked at his mistress with a smile.
He Jin came over and stood by the window.
"Why doesn't the mistress want to sleep?" Zheng Yuxin asked again.
Xiao Luolan looked at her: "Dongxue hasn't come back yet, I'm a little worried about her."
"Don't worry, Sister Dongxue is very skilled, and we are in Guchang City. Mistress doesn't have to worry." Zheng Yuxin told the mistress another news with a smile: "In the afternoon, the old hunchback and the swordsman also went to check on the Hu Ji. .”
When Xiao Luolan heard that there were two more people following behind him, he couldn't help but feel relieved: "Then I'll wait here."
Zheng Yuxin looked at the mistress under the candlelight, and his smile grew wider: "Have you written a letter to the lady?" Their ears were sharp, and they had already heard the sound of the mistress moving in the room.
"I've written it." Xiao Luolan took two fruits from the fruit plate on the desk and gave them to them. He Jin put them in his sleeves, and Zheng Yuxin took a bite.
So when Dongxue came back, he saw his mistress and Zheng Yuxin sitting on the corridor outside, seemingly admiring the moon.
When Xiao Luolan saw that Dongxue was safe and sound, the big stone in her heart finally fell to the ground.
"Sister Dongxue is back. Mistress can feel at ease this time." Zheng Yuxin said with a smile.
Xiao Luolan asked them to enter the house.
"Dongxue, have you found anything?" Xiao Luolan poured her a cup of hot tea. It was already night, and the temperature outside was still quite low.
Dongxue hurriedly took it and said, "Because you returned Hu Ji's deed of prostitution to her, she is free now, so she found an inn to stay in. Soon after entering the inn, she sent a waiter to buy clothes, and then After pretending a little and reading the notices in the city, I finally went to the city gate and looked at the people hanging on the city wall from a distance."
"During this period, she had no contact with others, but after seeing the Wang family, she became obviously anxious."
Xiao Luolan knew what charges Zhou Zongzhu had charged the Wang family and the caravans implicated by the Wang family this time. Those who were guilty of hiding weapons and collaborating with the enemy would be beheaded. Even those who had been saying that they were innocent were only punished by the Wang family. The Zhao family, Li family, and their caravan that deceived An and helped him smuggle bows/crossbows will also be severely punished.
"At night, Hu Ji went into an abandoned old temple and took out a package and asked to see City Lord Liu Ren Liu. She told him that every time the Wang family's caravan wanted to enter or leave the ancient Chang pass, she would advance the whereabouts of Yao Nandao. Tell me about the Wang family’s caravan.”
Dongxue glanced at the mistress and continued: "That Hu Ji's name is Majina. I learned from others in the Wang family's caravan that she was sold by her father from the Bai Sang tribe since she was a child."
"Now she has been put in jail as evidence of Yao Nandao's negligence."
After Dongxue finished speaking, she took Zheng Yuxin and left. It was getting late and the mistress had to rest.
Xiao Luolan was sleeping on the bed, and her mind was filled with the way Magina looked at her in Yao Mansion. This was the first time she had actively helped someone.
The door suddenly opened.
Dongxue was obviously surprised for a moment when she saw her mistress coming out.
"I want to see Magina." Xiao Luolan said.
Because it was night, Xiao Luolan didn't want to disturb so many people, so she took Miss Zheng and Master He out. Dongxue had just come back from a busy day, so she asked her to have a good rest and not follow her.
Zheng Yuxin rode her horse and looked at her mistress in front of her. It was late at night, and both sides of the street had already closed. Only the sound of the three of them's horse hooves could be heard clearly on the street.
Xiao Luolan was very glad that he had learned to ride a horse. Although the riding was relatively slow, it was still a means of transportation that he could use.
When they arrived at the place, knowing that Sect Master Zhou was not here, Xiao Luolan walked to the outside of the prison under the leadership of City Master Liu.
"I wonder why Madam came here late at night?" Liu Ren did not dare to neglect the wife of Lord Jiedushi at all, and asked the jailer to bring tea and water.
Xiao Luolan saw that it was so late and City Master Liu was still busy, so he asked him to sit down too.
"I want to meet Magina." After Xiao Luolan finished speaking, he asked, "Did she commit a serious crime?"
"Margina took the initiative to hand over the evidence, and her confession attitude was very good. It has been found that she did not know what the Wang family was transporting." Liu Ren touched his beard and saw that the Jiedushi's wife was talking about this Hu Ji was very concerned and reduced the sentence in her mind: "In addition, the main culprit is the Wang family. The so-called ignorance is not guilty. We will handle it as appropriate. After Majina gives her testimony, she will be released."
Xiao Luolan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.
"Go and bring Magina." Liu Ren said.
A middle-aged female prison leader took the lead and left.
Not long after, Xiao Luolan saw Hu Ji again.
When Magina saw the lady, she avoided her eyes for a moment, then lowered her head. She looked at her clothes. The rough fabric was not as good as the expensive tulle she wore in Yao Mansion, but Magina liked it very much. , she touched the slightly thick fabric at the corner of her clothes with her hands.
When Magina was in the Yao Mansion, she saw the servants taking away all the ladies and concubines of the Yao Mansion, and she had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to her.
When she was pressed to the ground, the eldest wife and other concubines cursed her and beat her crazily. Majina knew that she was usually favored by Yao Nandao. Once Yao Nandao left, she would be sold by the master of the house or maybe Will encounter more terrible punishment.
Magina was scared. Just as she was desperately thinking about how to escape, she suddenly saw a lady under the sycamore tree.
The lady was looking at her with a look that was sad and a little anxious. Even when her gauze clothes were about to be torn, the lady couldn't help but take a step forward.
Magina looked at the lady, as if she couldn't notice the pain in her body. Her master, Yao Nandao, liked her to wear gauze-like clothes on weekdays. With a slight tug, she could do things at any time. Sometimes guests would come. , the owner will let her dance in tulle for guests to watch.
But in the eyes of the lady, it seemed like she just wanted to put on clothes.
Magina had practiced dancing since she was a child and her body was very soft. She took advantage of the chaos and fell in front of the lady.
Majina's heart was beating very fast, and she didn't know if she could succeed in this step.
Then it was like a dream.
The lady not only allowed her to leave the Yao Mansion smoothly, but also gave her a deed of prostitution. When she heard the servants surrounding the Yao Mansion calling her mistress, Majina's heart suddenly came to life again.
She is not a good person. Good people never live long. It was the madam who wanted to save her. Magina held her cloak tie tightly and said to herself. It is normal for an orchid to find a high-ranking master. People want to be high. Walk everywhere.
The lady's husband got into the carriage, and Magina heard the man ask the lady what to do with her.
The lady completely believed what she said, but the man didn't believe it. She took a few steps and knelt in front of the man, raising her head slightly, her waist and hips slightly slumped downwards. She knew that men liked this posture of women, and her master liked it very much. , which can perfectly present her body.
It would be great if I could go home. If I couldn't go back, it would be great if I could seduce a high-ranking man.
The madam didn't notice her little thoughts at all, but the madam's man turned a blind eye to her.
When Magina got out of the car, she found that she actually felt a sense of guilt. Of course, it disappeared quickly, as if it had never appeared.
After an afternoon, Magina also knew who the lady's husband was.
Lord Youzhou Jiedu is an extremely powerful person.
Majina thought of what she had done for the Wang family. After struggling for a long time, she finally came to the city lord. Even if she didn't come, she would be found out soon. She might as well hand over the evidence early. City lord Liu has always been kind, and at most he was After one or two years of apprenticeship, all the Wang family members were caught anyway, and their fate was much worse than mine. Many Wang family members were sunk to death on the city wall.
Magina was thinking randomly, but she just didn't want to think about why the lady came to her suddenly. She must have noticed that she had seduced her husband... Magina certainly didn't regret it. She had nothing anyway, so she took the gamble. What if it succeeds?
She is the kind of person who has no etiquette, justice and shame. Even if the madam beats her and scolds her, if she can seduce her, she will still seduce her. Magina thought, and suddenly heard the madam's voice asking her.
"Do you still want to go home?"
