After returning to the summer resort.
After Xiao Luolan and her daughter had a meal, they wanted to prepare things for the trip. She was used to planning ahead. When she learned that she and her daughter were going to join the army, she had already prepared some clothes. Now she only needed to pack a few small items.
Unexpectedly, Dongxue packed her things as soon as she returned to the courtyard. She also made a list for the princess to see if there was anything missing. After Xiao Luoran read it, she smiled at Dongxue and said: " Good Dongxue, you are so considerate.”
Dongxue is now completely healed. She has prepared things for the princess not once or twice before, but she is naturally very handy. When she heard the princess's praise, she just smiled restrainedly: "Seeing that the weather is getting colder, I also added some Clothes to keep out the cold. It's a pity that I didn't bring the black bear skin cloak I had in Langge. That clothes can keep you warm."
"It's okay, there are enough clothes to keep out the cold." Xiao Luolan said, letting Dongxue go to rest. Not long after entering the room, she heard the maid reporting back to Duke Xiao. Zhou Xu took off the belt and buckled it again. When I got up, I saw the cold wind blowing outside the window, so I found a thick cloak and put it on my wife.
"This old man is here so late at night." Zhou Xu said: "I have already written the official document asking him to be the Luoyang order, and he will take office early tomorrow morning."
"I must have heard the news that you are leaving tomorrow. If you don't come tonight, you won't have time to meet us and reminisce tomorrow." Xiao Luolan hasn't seen Mr. Xiao for a long time, and she misses him quite a bit, considering that Mr. Xiao is old. Now, ask the servants to prepare hot tea and receive you in the front hall of the small courtyard.
"Okay, let's go out together." Zhou Xu held his wife's hand.
Not long after arriving in the front hall, Xiao Luolan saw Mr. Xiao and Qinghe.
Mr. Xiao's steps were still steady, but his white hair was a bit whiter than Xiao Luoran remembered, as if the thatch had been covered by thick frost, showing a bit of his old age. He was still wearing linen and straw sandals, and his waist Holding his sword and striding forward, the lights illuminated his weathered face, revealing a few deep wrinkles.
The eyes of this old man who was always running around were a little moist, and a smile that hadn't appeared in a long time appeared on his tired face again. He looked at the princess and said after a long time: "I can see that the princess is fine, and I can feel at ease when I get to Huangquan."
"Grandpa, don't say that, please." Xiao Luolan said sadly. She felt that more than half of the spirit in the eyes of the old man in front of her had been wiped out. She held Xiao Gong's hand, asked him to take a seat, and looked again To Qinghe.
The boy has grown up.
His long black hair was neatly tied up in his crown. He was actually wearing linen clothes like Mr. Xiao, and his underwear was also very plain. He was much calmer than before, but his reddish eyes revealed his excitement. Xiao Qinghe put his hands in front of him Take: "Qinghe meets my aunt."
"Hurry up and sit down." Xiao Luolan brought him to where Mr. Xiao was sitting and said happily: "I haven't seen him for a long time. He has grown so big."
Xiao Qinghe's eyes became redder and he choked up and said: "Aunt, it is Qinghe's incompetence that caused my aunt to suffer this unreasonable disaster. The Xun family and his son have evil intentions. We should never introduce him to my aunt and uncle. We have made a big mistake and I have no shame. aunt."
"People's hearts are separated from each other, how can they see through everything." Xiao Luolan said warmly: "Since it is a thing of the past, let it pass."
"Today is a good day to reunite and meet each other, so don't cry." Xiao Luolan smiled, and Xiao Qinghe lowered his head in embarrassment to hide his tears.
Duke Xiao was still brooding about Xun's affairs. He sighed and said, "If we gather less, we will leave more. You will leave tomorrow. Although Chang'an is close to Luoyang, I don't know when we will see each other next time."
When Zhou Xu heard this, he glanced at Duke Xiao and said with a smile: "There will always be a day when we meet again."
"What the prince said is true." Xiao Gong said: "Then I will replace the wine with tea and wish the prince and princess a smooth trip."
Xiao Luolan took a sip of warm tea and said, "Grandpa arrived in Luoyang late at night. Why don't we stay here tonight? I've already had the room tidied up."
"That's fine. This way, Lan Niang, Qinghe and I can give you more gifts when you set off tomorrow." Xiao Gong said.
After Mr. Xiao left, Xiao Luolan returned to the inner room. She took off the hair accessories on her head and gently combed her long hair with a comb, which relieved her tiredness from the day.
Zhou Xu sat cross-legged next to the lady, naked and strong and broad, wearing only a middle coat, and various scars on his body were vaguely visible.
The lady was combing her hair with an ivory comb with her right hand. He sat on her left side, holding her hand and playing with it: "Would you like some flower oil for hair?"
"Forget it, no need." Xiao Luolan yawned slightly and put down the ivory comb.
"You really don't need it?" Zhou Xu took a small round jar on the dressing table and opened it. The fragrance of flowers was fragrant: "Osmanthus flavor."
Xiao Luolan shook her head. She just wanted to sleep now.
Zhou Xu put it back.
The couple rested together. Xiao Luolan was held in someone's arms. After a while, she broke into a thin sweat. She stretched out her hand to push, but she was hugged tighter. The two were intimate. Luo Lan was so sleepy that she could only let him go and fall asleep.
Zhou Xu was not yet sleepy, so he touched Madam's neck with his hand. The injury there was almost healed, and his rough fingertips covered Madam's snow-white and delicate neck.
The long black hair fell down his neck and covered Zhou Xu's hand. His eyes were deep, and he couldn't control his heart when he remembered Dong Xue once said that Wei Yanshan often strangled his wife's neck and was often injured. A violent killing intent arose.
When he first entered Luoyang, he learned the rumors about his wife, the old housekeeper next to Wei Yanshan. If Qingxue didn't kill him, he would kill him. People who talk too much should die.
Sure enough, his ears were much cleaner.
Going in and out together, enjoying the music and boating, drinking tea and watching dancing, whatever Wei Yanshan and his wife did, he and his wife would start over again.
It doesn't matter, there's still a long time.
No matter what happened to his wife, he still loved her. A long time ago, Zhou Xu had been psychologically prepared for the worst. In the first half of his life, he had seen too many girls captured by the Turks. Every time he succeeded, In the end, the numb eyes of the girls, the scarred bodies, and the fireworks of hatred will make him treat the enemy even more harshly in the next war.
But sometimes the people he worked so hard to rescue often didn't survive.
He led his soldiers in a bloody battle, but the man he saved actually died. At first he was puzzled, and then he was shocked and angry. The people of Youzhou are fierce, and they are often invaded by Turks. When a fight starts, it is a life-and-death war. Therefore, the population is small, there are few sons, and there are also few girls. Everyone is an existence that they want to protect. The same goes for those girls who were robbed by the Turks from the south. They are used as cattle and horses, which is a hundred times worse than livestock.
Zhou Xu once swore that he would never let the people of Da Chu suffer such crimes again on the land of Da Chu.
He wants to use the most cruel means to retaliate against the Turks.
In his early years, he was a hundred times more violent than he is now. At that time, he was completely blinded by hatred. When he learned that the rescued girls were often criticized, insulted, and even beaten after being repatriated, he got angry and arrested them directly. A group of pedantic and conservative scholars went on a killing spree, but in the end, he found that there were still not many survivors.
At that time, Zhou Xu was in pain and confusion.
Sometimes he wonders if he has read too little and cannot understand the family tradition and reputation they talk about. Are those illusory things more important than living people? There are even some girls who take the initiative to die, just for a memorial tablet.
Recalling the past, Zhou Xu stared at his wife. He was worried that her wife would fall into this vicious circle, but she was more resilient than he thought.
Zhou Xu hugged his wife and kissed her.
He loves her regardless of chastity.
Chapter 337
The colder the weather got, the less Xiao Qingxue wanted to get up, but she had no choice. Today was the day to set off with her mother-in-law. After she put on her beautiful round-neck robe, she yawned loudly. Xia He lowered his head and tied the belt for the little lady. , and gave her a beautiful high ponytail.
Xiao Qingxue immediately changed from a pretty girl to a handsome young man. Her snow-white complexion glowed with warmth and her skin was rosy. Since A Niang was found, her mood and body have improved. The autumn fat raised by my mother-in-law has gained a little more weight, and her little face has become rounder.
Xia He took advantage of the little lady not paying attention and buckled the belt forward just now so as not to strangle anyone.
Xiao Qingxue didn't notice Xia He's action at all.
She rubbed her face to wake herself up, and after washing, she went to find her mother-in-law and her father and the others for breakfast. As soon as she went out, she saw a tall, thin young man in a blue soft robe standing outside the door.
In the misty morning light.
Xiao Qinghe smiled warmly, his freshness and handsomeness made people's eyes light up, like a jade gentleman, as carved as carved.
"Cousin, good morning." Xiao Qinghe had done enough etiquette. Xiao Qingxue reacted and ran to Qinghe with a smile: "Qinghe, when did you arrive in Luoyang?"
"Grandfather and I arrived last night." Xiao Qinghe said with a shy smile: "Grandpa has already gone to the front hall. After I paid my respects to my aunt, I came to see you."
"Oh, you are so late. My mother-in-law and I will go on an expedition with the army today." Xiao Qingxue said regretfully.
"I know." Xiao Qinghe said: "My aunt told me last night, but as my uncle said, we will always meet again. The separation now is for a better reunion."
Xiao Qingxue was in a happy mood and said, "Let's go have dinner together."
After everyone finished their meal in the hall, Mr. Xiao gave some gifts to Qingxue. Xiao Qingxue happily accepted them and then told Xia He to ask Gong Yangyan to bring some things over.
Gong Yangyan, the sugar cane deliverer, was left by her in Luoyang to serve as her assistant. When she was in Jinling, Xiao Qingxue had intentionally contacted Gong Yangyan. Now that she had almost won over him, Xiao Qingxue had big plans in mind. She planned to have him in the future. The opportunity allowed Gong Yangyan to become the real power person in Lingnan. She had to firmly control the sugar cane in Lingnan, not to mention that it also had an important seaport and involved maritime trade, which was even more important.
"It just so happens that grandma also wants to try it." Xiao Qingxue said mysteriously.
Duke Xiao stroked his beard and smiled: "It seems to be a rare good thing, but I don't know what it is?"
"Great-grandfather will know it then." Xiao Qingxue said with a smile.
Xiao Luolan felt something in her heart and looked at her daughter with beautiful eyes. Xiao Qingxue raised her chin proudly. Could she not be proud? Finally, she worked it out. Some time ago, she spent every day in the experimental room. She was not afraid of being dirty and tiring, making the lime, plant ash, and yellow mud supernatant. She experimented one by one, even the heat of sugarcane boiling. , she recorded in detail how hard she endured.
Fortunately, grandma makes delicious food for her every day.
The sugarcane in winter is sweet, and the sugar is even sweeter.
Gong Yangyan came very quickly, holding a silver plate in his hand, covered with a layer of red silk. The color of the silk was red and festive. The joy on his face could not be concealed, but he still behaved well and entered. Room.
There were only three or four people in the house, and Xiao Qingxue took it out for the first time. Unfortunately, her father hurried to the front yard after receiving news of military intelligence after dinner today.
Xiao Qingxue walked up to Gong Yangyan with her hands behind her back and took away the silk cloth. On the silver plate were two square small boxes with ancient tung gold lacquer and carvings. An old man and a young man stretched their heads to look at the two wooden boxes and found the boxes. There were three or five exquisite silver spoons cushioned with handkerchiefs next to them.
"I opened it." Xiao Qingxue showed a satisfied look to Gong Yangyan.
People want clothes, Buddha wants gold.
Even though Xiao Luolan knew what was in the box, she was still looking at it with earnest anticipation. No one knew better than her how much effort her daughter had spent on this thing.
Xiao Qingxue opened the box.
I saw that the box was filled with fine sugar as white as snow. They were piled together, reflecting the crystal light, attracting the attention of everyone present, especially Gong Yangyan. Even though he had seen it several times, he still felt Excited.
Xiao Qinghe said in surprise: "But snow salt?" Snow salt is extremely precious and has always been a tribute to the royal family.
Xiao Qingxue smiled and shook her head: "It's not salt."
With a serious look on his face, Mr. Xiao picked up a silver spoon, took a little of it, and said in his mouth, "It's sugar."
"Sugar more precious than stone honey." He pointed at some candies in the box and looked carefully at the sugar, which was whiter than snow and sweeter than stone honey. His expression became excited for a moment and then became more serious.
Xiao Qinghe's eyes widened and he ate a little with a silver spoon. Then his eyes widened even more: "...Why does this candy look like white snow?" Ordinary people can't eat such luxury things as candy. , they may have some spare money to buy some malt or malt candy, icing sugar and stone honey are eaten by the upper class, but there is absolutely no way they can eat such high quality candy, it looks like It should be placed in a glass, gold and jade dish to show the whiteness and sweetness of this candy.
Xiao Qingxue rolled her eyes: "A unique secret." She had already thought about how to make a fortune from it after everything settled down.
"It is indeed not a mortal thing." Mr. Xiao sat down, Gong Yangyan put away the box, and Xiao Luolan also ate some. The irregular sugar grains were still a bit rough, some were big and some were small, but they were already very, very good.
Mr. Xiao didn't ask how it was done. He thought for a moment and said, "Qingxue, such a precious thing should be given to your father to try."
Xiao Qingxue took a bite herself, and Chunfeng said proudly: "This sugar is a precious thing now. When the production increases in the future, I will price it cheaper. Maybe ordinary people can eat this in the future." Of course. Yes, the price for external sales will definitely need to be adjusted again. She will only give convenience to her own people.
Xiao Qinghe was a little in disbelief when he heard this. This kind of thing was worth a lot of money at first glance. Even when Emperor Renzong of Da Chu was alive, he did not reach the point where ordinary people could eat sweets at will.
Renzong, the third emperor of Da Chu, was an emperor highly praised by history books. He was extremely benevolent and lowered taxes many times. In addition, the weather was good a hundred years ago. The people of Da Chu lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the prosperous age was already evident. Not only that, during Renzong's reign, he He single-handedly promoted the engraving and sealing of books and the development of imperial examinations. He was a talented and strategic emperor. Unfortunately, Renzong was short-lived. He died of illness in just one year after taking office. Before his death, he left a legacy of heavenly books. No one can read it. I don't understand. For this reason, Renzong is the most mysterious among all the emperors of Chu.
Although his decree was quickly abolished, within a few generations, the emperor picked it up again, but it still could not shake the position of the great family, and the imperial power became increasingly weak.
What Renzong left to Dachu was eternal pain and eternal memory.
However, Mr. Xiao thought about another meaning, that is, Qingxue had considerable power, and then thinking about her power in Guangling...
Mr. Xiao was both happy and worried. This kind of sugar trick could bring huge wealth, but once his power expanded to a certain level, it would also attract the attention of interested people.
Mr. Xiao was worried for a while. After Qingxue took Qinghe and Mr. Gongyang away, he looked at the princess and said carefully: "Qingxue can think of seeking benefits for the people. She is undoubtedly a smart, decisive, brave and kind-hearted young lady. Her character She has a pure and good nature, and she has been taught well by Lan Niang at first sight."
Xiao Luolan was stunned for a moment when she heard Mr. Xiao's praise, and said with a smile: "She has always been a good child."
Seeing that Mr. Xiao was about to speak, Xiao Luolan said warmly: "I know you are worried that the big tree will attract the wind." Ever since her daughter said that she wanted to rely on her that day, Xiao Luolan had been prepared.
"Since the princess's heart is like a clear mirror, I don't need to say more." Xiao Gong stroked his beard.
After Xiao Gong left, Xiao Luolan looked at the courtyard outside.
