"Did you really deliver the coffin?" Xie Deyong pushed the grapes toward his friend: "Here, the grapes from Lishui Villa."
Zhou Shenzhi nodded: "Give it away." He leaned over and picked up a brush to practice calligraphy, preparing to finish writing before eating.
Xie Deyong smiled and said: "You are not afraid of really pissing Prince Bao off."
Zhou Shenzhi didn't even raise his head: "Who can avoid death?"
Two days ago, Prince Bao Si and the princes said a lot of things that the current emperor missed Prince Bao very much. Zhou Shenzhi didn't believe a word of it.
Xie Deyong observed the indifferent expression on his friend's face and suppressed his smile slightly.
Zhou Shenzhi slowly filled the pen with thick ink and continued to practice calligraphy with his head down: "Those protons sent to Chang'an will occasionally die."
Xie Deyong stopped laughing at all now, and felt horrified by his friend's calmness. In order to check and balance the various military governors, the Holy Emperor had already allowed the sons of various military governors to serve as officials in Chang'an, including but not limited to the military governors. His mother, wife, children, nephews, and brothers were detained in Chang'an as hostages to ease political conflicts.
For example, Gao Zhi, the son of Gao Yuanheng, the governor of Hexi Province, had been in Chang'an for many years. It was not until Gao Yuanheng died of illness that Gao Zhi had to return to Hexi. After returning to Hexi, he went to the court several times to take over as the governor of Hexi Province. Knowing that the emperor wanted to send one of his confidants to take over, Chongzhou Jiedushi also sent his son to Beijing, which is what most Jiedushi envoys did.
Only Youzhou Jiedushi was excluded.
He didn't send it.
So the late emperor sent Prince Bao to Langge. On the grounds of filial piety, he first enjoyed the food and wine of Langge. He also made Prince Bao the governor of Langge to decentralize power. By the way, he also wanted to bring his friends to Chang'an.
The first thing seemed to be done, but the second thing was still not done. Zhou Xu did not send his son to Chang'an as a hostage, he went to Chang'an.
That year.
His best friend is five years old.
That year.
The Zhou family changed their sons.
Xie Deyong guessed that the exchange of sons was a back-up plan of Lord Jiedushi. It was the last means of preservation when there was no way around it.
After Lord Jiedushi went to Chang'an, he had to go to Chang'an every five years.
If you follow the imperial edict, you will have no objection.
And next year is the time for the Jiedushi to go to Chang'an. It can be said that no Jiedushi has been in Chang'an longer than the Youzhou Jiedushi.
Zhou Shenzhi blew on the large characters he had written. The ink was still wet, but it penetrated deeply.
Xie Deyong asked tentatively: "Are you still angry that Prince Bao wanted to send you to Chang'an as a hostage?"
Zhou Shenzhi smiled: "No."
Seeing that nothing could be said, Xie Deyong felt a little melancholy, sat for a while and then left.
Zhou Shenzhi looked out the window at the wind and snow, and suddenly remembered that the next year, when his father came back from Chang'an, his back was covered with scars and scars.
Later he learned that the late emperor had found an excuse to punish his father.
His father was over thirty years old and had just conquered the Turkic royal court, and then went to Chang'an in a dusty life.
He was beaten with thirty military sticks.
The cold wind blew against his face, and Zhou Shenzhi felt a chill on his cheeks.
Chapter 135 (Qingxue plot)
Under the warm winter sun.
Cui Zhai.
"Xue Si, I'm here to find you." Xiao Qingxue, led by the child, walked into the small house where Xue Si lived in the backyard of Cui's house. Cui's house was not big, and Cui's mother-in-law was not at home today. The doctor in the house went to the medicine shop with the little medicine boy. There were only two servants in the house, Cui Langjun and his friend Xue Si.
After Xiao Qingxue finished speaking, she waited at the door for a moment. Not long after, she heard a muffled sound, like a heavy object falling to the ground.
There was a squeak.
The door was opened, and Xue Si, who had put on clothes in a hurry, scratched his hair as messy as a chicken coop, with dark circles under his eyes as heavy as a panda, and weakly said hello: "Good morning, Miss Xiao. "
Xiao Qingxue raised her head and glanced at the sun in the sky. It was already noon. Between eleven and twelve o'clock, she had eaten and played at home, but she didn't expect that Xue Si had just gotten up.
She originally had enough to stay in bed in the future. At least in Zhouzhai, she was the last one to get up. Her stepbrother got up early, so the Tuoba brothers might as well give in. Anyway, when grandma was in the house, The three of them came here early to say hello, that is to say, A Niang and A Dad had gone to play, so there was no sign of them in the house in the morning.
"It's already noon, and you just got up. Why are you lazier than me? We have to go to the Taoist temple today." Xiao Qingxue said.
Xue Si stepped out and closed the messy scene in the room. After being exposed to the sun, he finally picked up a little energy, rubbed his face, and said: "Mrs. Xiao, go to Shizi's first. I'll wash up." Come right away."
Xiao Qingxue originally didn't want to disturb Cui Langjun, mainly because his body needed to rest. After hearing this, she had to urge Xue Si again to hurry up.
After Mrs. Xiao left, Xue Siju took a handful of cold water and washed his face. He shivered from the cold and suddenly woke up. He tidied himself up again and felt a little more human before he washed up and ate. .
the other side.
Xiao Qingxue came to Cui Langjun's residence and smelled the strong smell of medicine as soon as she entered the yard. Cui Langjun was sitting on a bamboo chair cushioned with brown fur, his eyes closed, his knees covered with a thick blanket, a large cloak on his body, and a hand stove in his hand. The young man's long snow-white hair was spread down, looking sickly and elegant. .
Even the sound of Xiao Qingxue's walking became quiet and her breathing slowed down. This was why she didn't want to disturb Cui Langjun too much, because Cui Langjun's health was really not good.
Xiao Qingxue sat on the steps, fidgeting with the sword tassel on her waist, waiting for Xue Si to come over.
"Qingxue is here?" Cui Shizi suddenly turned his head and looked at Mrs. Xiao with a smile.
Xiao Qingxue sat down towards him, holding her cheek with her hands, and said a little embarrassedly: "Cui Langjun, am I disturbing you?"
"No." Cui Shizi's eyebrows were gentle: "Are you here to see Xue Si? He has always been very lazy, so he probably has to wait for a while."
Xiao Qingxue complained: "He is quite lazy. I asked him to go to Taoist temple in the afternoon, but he hadn't gotten up yet when I went."
Cui Shizi waved and said with a smile: "Come, come and sit here, there is the sun here."
Xiao Qingxue changed places and sat on the right side of the bamboo chair. The sun shone on her body. She closed her eyes comfortably and said casually: "Cui Langjun, Xue Si has made great contributions in Guchang City. What's wrong with Dad?" Didn't he become an official?"
"Because of his laziness, he was late on his first day as an official." Cui Shizi sighed: "Xue Si is actually very arrogant by nature. He doesn't like to be disciplined and is not suitable for being an official. He made me reject the Lord's kindness. , I didn’t even ask for a reward.”
"I see." Xiao Qingxue sat down towards Cui Langjun: "Well, Cui Langjun, do you think I can recruit him?"
Xiao Qingxue felt that Cui Langjun and Xue Si were good friends. If she told Cui Langjun like this, he would definitely tell Xue Si. This would also avoid the embarrassment of asking Xue Si face to face. If he disagreed, then... forget it. That’s it.
Cui Shizi said: "Do you want Xue Si to be your guest?"
"Ask him to help make something, and I will give him a house to live in just like my father. I will also give him condolences and gifts during the Chinese New Year, just like my father's." Xiao Qingxue said about her employee benefits, her current little The treasury is rich, and it is more than enough to support Xue Si.
Cui Shizi pondered for a while and said: "Actually, Xue Si admired the Gongsun family's mechanism skills in his early years. Unfortunately, he was rejected without a chance to meet him. He wandered around because of his frustration. How about you make a connection and introduce him to him? , as for those external things you mentioned, he doesn’t care.”
Xiao Qingxue was stunned for a moment, someone from the Gongsun family? It seemed a little familiar. It took her a while to remember that her father's whip was made by the Gongsun family. On the 16th, she was whipped in Taiyang and couldn't get out of bed for a full month. This was because she and After Zhou Shiliu became familiar with it, Zhou Shiliu accused her of the crime.
However, Xiao Qingxue didn't feel guilty at all after hearing this. She still feels that her father did a good job.
Who made him bully A Niang and Master Leige at that time?
This Gongsun family should belong to her father. Xiao Qingxue was a little hesitant. She couldn't completely make the decision.
"However, it's okay for you to ask Xue Si to do a few things, as long as others don't run around in Langge." Cui Shizi coughed.
In other words, it is OK in the short term, but not in the long term.
Xiao Qingxue understood.
After Xue Si finished eating, he walked lazily to Cui Shizi, rolled up his sleeves and bent down and said, "Miss Xiao, let's go."
Xiao Qingxue said goodbye to Cui Langjun, and then went out with Xue Si.
A large horse was ready outside the door. After Xue Si went up, he followed Mrs. Xiao. Beside him were some of Zhou Zhai's entourage and guards. More than thirty people surrounded a young lady and headed south of the city.
When passing by a restaurant.
Xiao Qingxue suddenly heard someone calling her, and she looked up.
It is Lian Shiqing.
Sheriff Lian leaned coquettishly against the railing on the third floor of the restaurant, holding a wine bottle in his hand. He shook the wine bottle and smiled brightly.
Xue Si also looked up, then immediately lowered his head.
Xiao Qingxue waved her hand to him, indicating that she would not drink, and left with the others.
Lian Shiqing watched Mrs. Xiao and her group leaving with thoughtful eyes on their eyes, then went downstairs and followed them.
Xiao Qingxue discovered him quickly, and when he followed on horseback, she asked strangely: "Master Lian, why are you following me?"
Lian Shiqing said with a smile: "I wanted to treat Miss Xiao to a meal, but Miss Xiao didn't want to give Mr. Lian the honor, so Mr. Lian had no choice but to follow me shamelessly."
"I have something to do now and don't have time for the moment." Xiao Qingxue said, and then she remembered that my mother-in-law and my father seemed to have a good relationship with Mr. Lian. My father had divided his prey between him, so he said: "Why don't I treat you to dinner tonight? At the Xinghua Restaurant."
Lian Shiqing smiled slightly: "Then I will wait for Miss Xiao at the Xinghua Restaurant tonight."
"Okay." Xiao Qingxue felt that she was an adult and should be more mature when talking to an adult like Sheriff Lian, so she imitated her father's steady manner and nodded: "I understand."
Shangqing view.
Xue Si yawned and accompanied Jieduzhi's most beloved daughter to make fireworks. By the way, he explained to her the steps of fireworks and the materials for making fireworks. They are all available in this Shangqing Temple. Xue Si and Shangqingguanli Both Xiaoyaozi and Taoist thought that Mrs. Xiao wanted to make fireworks with her own hands to fulfill her filial piety during the New Year.
"There are several colors of fireworks. For example, grinding malachite into powder and mixing it into fireworks powder can emit blue-green light." Xue Si said.
Xiao Qingxue listened carefully.
"In the past, fireworks were put in bamboo tubes. When the rooster crows, the firecrackers are fired in front of the court to avoid the evil spirits from the mountains." Xiaoyaozi twirled his long snow beard and said with a smile, "Now they are all placed in the bamboo tube." It’s buried in paper or in mud, and the sound of firecrackers means that the year is coming. This year is coming soon.”
Xue Si was making fireworks and felt a little boring, but he was doing it very seriously and was very careful when explaining. He was worried that if Miss Xiao made fireworks on a whim, what would happen if she accidentally blew up her hand?
This is no small thing.
After Xiao Qingxue made a few fireworks with Xue Si, she took the people away before it got dark.
Xinghua Restaurant was booked by Lian Shiqing.
Xiao Qingxue couldn't help but feel that Lian Shiqing was rich and powerful.
Lian Shiqing went downstairs to receive Mrs. Xiao in person. His smile was warm enough. Xue Si followed Mrs. Xiao and went to the banquet together.
Mrs. Xiao was a person who cared less about worldly things than he did, and sometimes she was so unconventional that Xue Si looked at her with suspicion.
"It turns out to be Mr. Xue Silang." Lian Shiqing said with a smile on his face after hearing Mrs. Xiao's introduction.
Compared to Lian Shiqing's enthusiasm, Xue Si's reaction was a little cold, and he just said yes.
Xiao Qingxue looked at the two people and felt that Xue Si knew Lian Shiqing. Looking at their ages, they were both middle-aged uncles.
It seems that the people around her are all in their thirties or forties. The only ones who are similar in age to her are her brother, Amu, Sixteen, and Nineteen from her third uncle's family.
