Xiao Luolan glared at Sect Master Zhou: "Hurry up and put me down."
Zhou Xu pretended not to hear, smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek: "I'll let you go later."
Only when he arrived at the hot spring garden in Mingxintang did Zhou Xu put down his wife.
In the hot spring park.
Zhou Xu looked around, lowered his head and said to his wife: "This hot spring pool is still a bit small. I have wronged my wife for the time being. In a few days, I will take my wife to Beihao Mountain to hunt and relax. After hunting, we will rest at the foot of the mountain. In the hot spring villa."
In the hot hot spring pool, Xiao Luolan's eyes seemed to be covered with mist. Her long black hair floated on the water. Amidst the ripples of the water, the hands on the edge of the pool were slightly curled up, and her fingernails were all curled up. Revealing pink.
Xiao Luolan turned her head, and the ends of her eyes seemed to be rouged.
Zhou Xu covered his wife's hand with his big hand, intertwined his fingers, and held their hands tightly. Zhou Xu kissed his wife and brought her into his own world.
As consciousness drifted up and down, Xiao Luolan felt like she couldn't breathe.
Zhou Xu rubbed the madam's snow-white chin with his rough fingertips, and water droplets rolled down. The madam's eyes were blurred, her lips were slightly open, and her breath was disordered.
Zhou Xu stopped for a moment and approached Madam.
The tip of Xiao Luolan's tongue felt numb and tingling from the kiss, and she said softly and angrily: "Are you a dog?" The kiss felt like biting someone.
Zhou Xu hugged Madam and said with a sullen smile, "I am Madam's dog."
Xiao Luolan bit her lip, her cheeks turned red, and she was at a loss.
Because she clearly felt that Sect Master Zhou seemed to be more excited.
Chapter 119
evening.
"Huh? Go to Lian Shiqing's place?" Xiao Luolan was lying on the couch when he heard Sect Master Zhou say this. He straightened up in surprise, turned to look at him, and wondered: "Why should you go to him?"
"I'm just a guest. Sheriff Lian warmly invited me. He said that he has a peacock feather coat in his house. It looks like a god in it. He wants to give it to Madam. I just want to take you to his place to see it." Zhou Xu sat in front of the small couch. , hold the lady's shoulders and let her lie down again, wring the lady's damp long hair with a clean handkerchief, and then spread it thinly on the smoke cage to let it dry as quickly as possible, and use a horn to comb the part of the long hair that has been dried. Combing it slowly and leisurely.
The dusk light shone on the two people from the open window, casting silhouettes on the screen.
"He gave me a gift again? Sheriff Lian gave me a coral tree before, and I asked Shen Zhi to dispose of it." When Xiao Luolan came here, the good officials he met include the magistrate of Cang County, Judge Xu, and Dou Tui. Officials, as well as the Lord Liu Ren of the ancient Chang City, especially the Lord Liu Ren, are practical people. In comparison, Lord Lian seems a bit opportunistic.
"It was given to me this time." Xiao Luolan shook his head: "I can't accept it anymore."
Zhou Xu didn't care much and said, "It's just that you don't accept it if you don't like it, madam. If Yuyi is as good as he said, it's nothing more than a piece of clothing. There's no harm in accepting it. As the saying goes, if you ask for help from others, you must Be polite to others before asking for help, it’s not shabby.”
Xiao Luolan looked at Sect Master Zhou who was combing her hair and asked the question that had been hidden in her heart for a long time: "Counter Lian was very enthusiastic towards me and Qingxue when we first met. Is it because he is yours?"
Zhou Xu pondered for a while and said: "Not yet, but he is an interesting person."
"Li Bozhi reported that he was seriously ill and was not qualified to serve as the governor of Taiyang County. Originally, the court had several candidates, one of whom was a newcomer who had emerged in the past two years. Supervisor Censor Li Xing Peng Chen, Xia Hou, Baili Yi Qingliu civil servants headed by Ping Mai jointly wrote a letter that Peng Chen could serve as the governor of Taiyang County. However, this decision was rejected by the Menxia Province as soon as it was approved by the Zhongshu Province. At that time, it was Huang Gui's turn to be the prime minister, and he chose another one. We have chosen a candidate, our new Sheriff Lian."
Xiao Luolan was thoughtful after hearing this. Could it be that Peng Chen was from Sect Leader Zhou's faction? That's why the court didn't send him here.
When Zhou Xu saw his wife thinking seriously, he felt cute. He smiled and said: "Good lady, Peng Chen is not mine. Generally speaking, I don't have many confidants in the court. After all, Chang'an is too far away from me, so how can I fully extend my hands to control the interior of the imperial court."
"If I could really cover the sky with one hand in the court, and the Turks counterattacked Yanmen Pass, I wouldn't have asked the people in the court to send military supplies and food and grass quickly. It's a pity that I only got a blank piece of paper." Zhou Xu thought of the past and laughed at himself.
Xiao Luolan felt a little embarrassed when he saw that he had guessed wrong: "I just think that the geographical location of Taiyang County is so important, and the governor of Taiyang County should be your person."
"Come here, I'll wipe your hair." Xiao Luolan waved. Her hair was almost dry. She sat up, put on her clothes, and prepared to wipe Sect Leader Zhou's hair. He helped her, and she also wanted to help. He is right.
Zhou Xu sat on the footrest under the couch and felt his wife's hands gently running through his hair. His heart felt peaceful. He closed his eyes and whispered softly: "The literati in the court are shady. Madam, don't think about them." Too easy."
Xiao Luolan immediately thought of Li Bozhi, the governor of Taiyang County. He really impressed her too deeply. She wiped the head of Zhou clan with a semi-dry cloth and asked: "Then who in the court do you have issues with? "
If she encounters him in the future, she will secretly be vigilant.
Zhou Xu thought for a moment: "The civil and military ministers of the entire court, as long as they show their affection for Chu, most of them in the court will be eager to kill me, a traitor and traitor."
Xiao Luolan paused for a moment, this... seemed a bit much. She remembered that ancient people valued the orthodoxy of kings very seriously. Even if some emperors were stupid and shameless, there were still many people surrounding him.
"The Holy Emperor's confidant eunuch, the imperial eunuch Peng Hui, once asked his nephew to serve as a military official, that is, the military supervisor, to come to my place to supervise my battles. He relied on someone behind his back to give me indiscriminate instructions, and he did not know how to fight and gave blind orders. Zhou Xu sneered: "I'm not used to his bad habits. He was killed by me on the third day. Peng Hui has hated me since then."
"Ah." Xiao Luolan was startled: "Then what is the relationship between Peng Chen and Peng Hui, the supervisory censor you mentioned earlier?"
"The officer I killed was Peng Hui's eldest nephew, and the supervisory censor Li Xing was Peng Hui's younger nephew. His brother died early, leaving these two single seedlings behind, and he himself was an eunuch. Those two nephews doted on him as if they were his own sons, and Peng Hui thought that one of his descendants would throw a basin after his death. If one of them died at once, wouldn't he hate me?"
"Peng Hui's two nephews, relying on Peng Hui's power, are arrogant and domineering and do all kinds of evil. They have offended many people. Some people want to transfer Peng Chen to the position of Taiyang County Governor. Peng Hui will definitely not agree. He I’m worried that my last nephew will be killed by me when he comes to my territory.”
"Perhaps Peng Chen offended those Ziwen people and kicked him far away to Taiyang County. Or maybe if you think about it more deeply, someone might want to make Peng Hui lose power. The power of eunuchs comes from the king. , once they do not have the favor of the king, there is only death waiting for them."
Xiao Luolan couldn't help but tremble in her heart. There were so many people involved behind the transfer of Taiyang County Governor. She could feel the weird official atmosphere of Chang'an from as far away as Langge. Some people killed people with borrowed knives, some sow discord, and some worked hard...
"The imperial court doesn't want me here. Since Peng Chen can't come, Lian Shiqing happened to rush over at this time and took over this position. A rebellious minister and a corrupt official just happened to get together. Now my reputation is even worse. ." When Zhou Xu said this, he laughed out loud, and at the end he felt a little regretful: "I originally had a candidate, but Lian Shiqing was chosen first."
"So Sheriff Lian is not your person?" Xiao Luolan felt for a moment that Lord Lian was really brave.
A large part of the reason why Shen Zhi let Lian Shiqing enter the government was because he also felt that Sheriff Taiyang was his father's son. He never expected that Lian Shiqing had snatched this position in advance and that he would dare to give gifts in a ostentatious manner. , show kindness to yourself.
"Not before." Zhou Xu said with a smile, turned around and got on the couch, took the wife's hand and kissed it, then took the wet handkerchief in her hand: "Have you been wiping your hair, are your hands sore?"
Is that possible in the future? Xiao Luolan hadn't finished this thought before she couldn't catch up with Sect Master Zhou's words. They were talking about serious matters, and this man suddenly started to care about her.
"Fortunately." Xiao Luolan was still thinking about what happened just now: "Then who did you originally want to be the governor of Taiyang County."
"Zhongliqi from Zhongli in Luling." Zhou Xudao said, pulling a blanket over his wife: "Zhongli is from a well-known scholarly family in Luling, a family with hairpins. Zhongliqi's grandfather was a school inspector, a regular attendant, and a censor. Doctor, he himself serves as the governor of Chunzhou County. He is honest and diligent in government, and he governs well. It is said that he does not pick up lost things on the road."
Sounds like a good official. Would such an official think of Taiyang County to take over this hot potato?
Xiao Luolan always felt that there were many things that Sect Master Zhou had not told her, such as how they had interacted with each other.
Sect Master Zhou's use of the word "supposedly" means that he has never met this Zhong Liqi, so who recommended it to him.
Xiao Luolan had many questions in her heart, but she was too embarrassed to ask more. She always felt that asking too many questions would be a suspicion of prying.
Zhou Xu kissed his wife on the face: "Good lady, if we had met earlier, Mr. Xiao would have recommended a suitable candidate to me in advance. The position of Taiyang County Sheriff may not be Lian Shiqing's."
Xiao Luolan was silent for a while and said strangely: "Do you think this is nepotism?"
Zhou Xu laughed heartily and felt that the madam at the moment was extremely cute. He admitted generously: "Forget it, because it is madam's nepotism, of course I have to show some care."
Zhou Xu played with his wife's jade hand, and the snow-ball-like hand was slightly red from his pinch. His voice was gentle and gentle, as if an elder was teaching his closest relatives who were connected by blood: "At that time, those people can only rely on my wife." , Madam can pick and choose people when she wants to use them. Anyway, Madam and the Xiao family have no real blood relationship. If there is someone who is ignorant, Madam will also think that person has made a big mistake and is hopeless."
"Kill if you must, don't be soft-hearted."
Xiao Luolan's heart trembled. She looked at her hand. Sect Leader Zhou's hand was holding hers. His whole palm was half-closed, and his thumb was slightly bent, as if he was holding an ethereal sword.
This is a sword of power that cannot be seen or touched.
But once you have it, you can control the life and death of countless people.
"I..." Xiao Luolan felt that her heartbeat was a little fast, and she felt that the strength on her wrist was so heavy that she couldn't lift her hand. She was a little flustered and a little afraid.
Zhou Xu took Madam's hand and tightened it little by little. He leaned close to Madam's ear and said warmly: "If you don't want to trouble Shen Zhi when something happens in the future, I can use your people."
Xiao Luolan suddenly turned her head to look at Sect Leader Zhou, her eyes widened and her fingertips trembled.
Zhou Xu kissed Madam's pale face and comforted her: "If you encounter something related to the Zhou family again, Madam can do without the Zhou family, like Lian Shiqing, Madam can use it and let him investigate, while she will be at the rear. That’s good.”
"For those who are dependent on you, you have a need for them, and this is the basis for their survival."
Xiao Luolan wanted to explain, but felt that her words were a bit pale. When she learned about Zhou Xing, she did not think of Shen Zhi at the first moment. Although he was her son, in the final analysis, she still had some distrust of Shen Zhi because Zhou Xing was his third uncle, and she wasn't sure if Shen Zhi would ask her to stop investigating after telling Shen Zhi.
Unexpectedly, Sect Leader Zhou actually saw it.
Xiao Luolan raised her eyes to look at Sect Master Zhou and pursed her lips: "Why are you saying this to me."
Talk about all this nakedly, break the appearance, and let her realize the cruelty of the truth.
"Because I know that Madam only has me." Zhou Xu stroked Madam's long hair and kissed her.
People's hearts are inevitably biased.
He is the only one his wife can rely on. If he doesn't plan more for her, who can think about her?
Xiao Luolan turned his head, and his vision suddenly became blurry.
Chapter 120
The gate of Lian Mansion in Gaoxinfang, Langge has been welcoming guests since the afternoon.
Lian Shiqing stood at the gate before the sun had set. He wore a crown and a large cloak with a very fine quality. A milky-white jade fish pendant with exquisite patterns on the whole body was pressed against the dark blue brocade robe. Above, the cold wind blew through the hem of his robe, vaguely revealing the golden boots and red ribbon. Behind him were several domestic slaves, all of them handsome-looking people who could take them out and take them out.
Although it didn't snow in the sky, the cold wind of late winter still chilled me to my bones. The housekeeper stepped forward and said, "Mr. Sir, would you like to warm yourself with the stove?"
Lian Shiqing waved casually with his cold and red hands: "No need." He looked up at the sky and muttered: "Why doesn't it rain some snow?"
If it is snowing, the general and his wife can feel his sincere welcome even more.
"Go to the kitchen and let the cooks brought over from Qinghe show their skills. They must make Jiangnan dishes full of Qinghe flavor tonight." Lian Shiqing ordered again.
"Wei." The butler left in response. He knew that Lang Jun attached great importance to this dinner and was going to personally supervise the cooking. This Lian Mansion was newly built by Lang Jun in Langge. It is a large house with three entrances and three exits. There are about fifty slaves and maids, all of whom have been carefully selected. They all have good looks and are pleasing to the eye at first sight.
Lian Shiqing held his sleeves with his hands. After a while, he heard the crisp sound of horse hooves hitting the stone slab. His smile became even bigger, and he strode down the steps in twos and twos, his big sleeves floating down in the wind.
I saw Master Jieduzhi riding a fine Northern Black Yunzui, with its black mane trimmed neatly, a new saddle made of white jade, and a brocade barrier. The reins were held in the hands of an extraordinary middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man is taller and stronger than the average Beidi man. He is wearing a black cloak, his eyes are as narrow as an eagle, and he is cold and majestic. Lian Shiqing bowed his head and bowed a little lower: "In this humble position, please see the big man." General."
Zhou Xu hummed, got off his horse and said, "Get up, Sheriff Lian doesn't need to be polite."
Lei Hu on the side led Wu Yunzhui to the Lian Mansion stables.
Lian Shiqing straightened up and said with a smile: "My lord, you can take time out of your busy schedule to be a guest at Beizhong's house. I am deeply honored by Beizhong."
"The weather is cold, so I would like to invite the general and his wife to come to the mansion to warm themselves up. I have prepared wine and food and am waiting for you to come."
Zhou Xu walked to the carriage behind, lifted the curtain, and his aura instantly relaxed a lot: "Madam, we have arrived."
Lian Shiqing stood on one side, his smile unchanged.
I saw the woman in the carriage put her hand in the palm of Lord Jiedushi. It was as soft as plump jade. It was already dusk, but the woman's hand seemed to be beating the frost in the hazy light around. It's as white as snow and can almost dazzle people's eyes.
Xiao Luolan followed Sect Master Zhou's men and got out of the carriage.
"In this humble position, please see the general's wife." Lian Shiqing took a step forward, stood not far away and bowed.
"Good evening, Sheriff Lian." Xiao Luolan said to Lian Shiqing.
