"What is this?" Yan Churong took half of the jade and looked at it carefully.
Gu Qi raised her head and thought, then lowered her head and laughed out loud after a moment.
"What's wrong?"
"It's okay." Gu Qi shook her head, took half of the jade pendant, and carefully put it into her pocket.
When I opened the door of the wing, I smelled a strong smell of medicine.
Gu Qi arched her nose: "This smell is really unpleasant."
Yan Churong pursed his lips and smiled slightly, and opened the window in the house: "You have caught the wind and cold, you will feel better after drinking it."
Gu Qichang sighed, walked to the table, picked up the medicine bowl, held his nose and drank it all in one gulp. Grabbing all the candied fruits in the plate, sit down firmly and put them in your mouth one by one to chew.
"What's next?"
"Of course I'm going back to Tuzhou." Gu Qi spit out the fruit core, with a hint of sadness on his brow: "Do you think that during the time when the women in Tuzhou were abducted, would women from other places also be abducted?"
Yan Churong placed the medicine bowl on the far window sill, walked to the table and sat down slowly: "I think there is some."
His misty eyes revealed all kinds of pity and helplessness. She closed her eyes and shook her head, but the shadow of Xu Yueqin was always in her mind. In the past, I only thought that the game between the two countries was just a plot between ministers and would never harm innocent people. But now it seems that I was too naive. As a dark chess player in the Yun Kingdom, will one day have to harm innocent people? By then, how many more people can be saved by my pitiful sympathy and compassion?
"What's wrong?"
Gu Qi blinked and dispersed the tears gathering in her eyes: "I just feel that I am a little powerless."
"A lot of things are beyond our control."
Gu Qi nodded and forced a smile: "Okay, in the past two days, we will follow the order and bring back the women from Tuzhou. This can be regarded as an explanation to the people of Tuzhou."
Just as he stood up, he heard Yan Churong murmuring behind him: "Xiao Qi, if you regret it, we will withdraw."
Gu Qi was stunned.
Through the window, I saw a little boy sweeping the butterfly in the distance, pounced on a piebald butterfly, and held it in his hand for the people next to him to see. Everyone laughed and said something, and the boy looked proud, raised his hand to let the butterfly go, and then quickly caught it. After repeating it two or three times, maybe the force was too strong. He raised his hand and threw it, and the butterfly fell to the ground lightly and never flew again.
Watching the broom swing, the beautiful butterflies were rubbed into the grass leaves and gathered into a pile. There seemed to be a big stone blocked in my heart, which made me feel depressed. Gu Qi closed the window, climbed onto the bed and lay down with her clothes on: "I'm sleepy."
"Let's sleep for a while." Yan Churong came forward, pulled up the thin quilt under her feet, and gently covered her.
I had only been asleep for more than an hour when my stomach growled.
Gu Qi smacked her lips and sat up. Turning to look at the table, there was only a plate of sweet pastries. He stood up, poured some tea, moistened his dry throat, and went out to look for Rong Di in the backyard.
"Sir, are you awake?"
When they reached the corner, they saw Rong Di coming in from the main entrance, followed closely by more than a dozen women with their heads lowered, and the soldiers holding swords were at the end of the team. After everyone had entered the courtyard, the servant closed the door.
"General Rong, what is this?"
"Let's go, let's talk in the main hall."
After Rong Di finished speaking, he took the women to the main hall and asked them to line up and stand outside the hall. They dispersed the maids and servants near the main hall, leaving only a few government soldiers standing guard.
Most of the people here looked familiar to Gu Qi, and he was sure in his heart: this was the girl from Hongxiu Tower.
Gu Qi moved to the main hall and saw Yuan Zhe sitting in front of the hall drinking tea.
"Your Highness."
"Um."
Yuan Zhe waved to Xie Ruoling.
Xie Ruoling walked out of the hall with the list in hand: "Whoever reads the name, take a step forward."
The girls looked around, not daring to say a word, or they dug their hands tightly, or rolled up the corners of their clothes. They obviously did not move a step, but the red and green heads on their heads began to shake.
"Zhou Caihe!"
"Xu Yumei!"
"Li Mingyi!"
"Zhang Xiaolan!"
"..."
Xie Ruoling's face was serious, and every time he read his name, he trembled. He took a step slowly and stood nervously in front.
Gu Qi picked up the fruit on the small table and took a few bites.
Among the crowd, a small woman stood aside with a frown on her face, picking her hands at a loss. Gu Qi picked up a red fruit from the table, walked to the woman, tilted her head and looked at her face carefully.
Compared with the others around her, she was not eye-catching. She was dressed normally, with no heavy makeup on her fair face, but she was like the girl next door, which was annoying.
"what's your name?"
The woman was startled and knelt down: "Sir...my lord, my name is Zhang Xiaolan."
Gu Qi smiled and pulled her up, putting the fruit into her hand: "Well, here you go."
Everyone around was shocked, even Yuan Zhe, who was sitting in the main hall, looked surprised.
Zhang Xiaolan's face was as red as the fruit. She held the fruit in her two little hands and lowered her head to thank her in a low voice.
Xie Ruoling frowned, feeling a little disgusted by Gu Qi's frivolous behavior after finally improving his impression.
After reading the list, most of the girls from Hongxiu Tower stood up.
"Those whose names have been mentioned will stay in the General's Mansion for the past two days. After packing up, they will return to Tuzhou. The rest of them have all dispersed and are fending for themselves."
As soon as Xie Ruoling finished speaking, the girls from Hongxiu Tower knelt down one after another!
"Sir, this is not okay!"
"Sir, please give me a way to survive!"
Zhang Xiaolan looked confused, but seeing everyone kneeling down, she also knelt down holding the fruit.
"Sir, if you seal off the Red Sleeve Building, we will have nowhere to go!"
"We don't want to go anywhere, just let us hang out in the Red Sleeve Building!"
"You guys!" Xie Ruoling had never seen such a depraved woman before. Her cheeks turned red with anger and she stared speechless.
Rong Di looked at Yuan Zhe who was sitting in the hall. Yuan Zhe didn't say anything and only stared at Gu Qi at the door.
"Let me ask you," Gu Qi put her hands behind her back, stood in the center, and spoke in a deep voice, making her voice richer: "Why don't you want to go back to Tuzhou?"
A woman raised her head, the rouge on her face was stained by tears: "Sir, if a woman loses her virginity, where can she stay? Just treat us as dead outside, don't take us back!"
Gu Qi glanced at Zhang Xiaolan beside her and coughed: "Zhang Xiaolan, don't you want to go home too?"
Zhang Xiaolan shivered and straightened up: "Sir, I, I want to go back."
"Sir," the woman next to her hugged Zhang Xiaolan: "Take her back. This child was too young when she was brought here. She is still a baby. Even if she becomes a well-known concubine with you, she will be honored when she goes back. Thing! We sisters treat her like a real sister. We only hope that adults can... be more compassionate. "
Gu Qi's face turned red! He took out his handkerchief and covered his mouth and nose and coughed violently! Fortunately, Rong Di came forward and patted his back, and Fang slowly regained his breath.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Gu Qi held the handkerchief in her hand and frowned: "Your parents, knowing that you were abducted and trafficked by Feng Rui, knelt in front of me and kowtowed, hoping to reunite with you soon. Even if you die, I hope that I can bring your bodies back so that they can be buried in peace."
The women knelt on the ground, and within a moment they could hear the sounds of sobbing one after another.
"You are lucky to be able to return to Tuzhou to serve your parents and marry into a good family in the future. There are still many people who are sold to wealthy families as concubines. They cannot survive or die. Even if I try to deal with them, I may not be able to save them."
The woman next to Zhang Xiaolan cried sadly, her voice trembling: "Sir, how can a good family want a woman like us..."
"I was sent by the imperial court to control the floods in Tuzhou." Gu Qi stood up straight and imitated Yuan Zhe's serious look: "There are so many good men in Tuzhou, why worry about not being able to find their homes? If you return after the floods are controlled, If you can't find it, I will personally act as a matchmaker for you, and I will definitely help you find a good home!"
"Is it true, sir?"
Everyone looked up, with tears on their cheeks.
Gu Qi lowered his head slightly, met his gaze, and nodded firmly: "True."
"My lord, my lord, I want to go back!"
"Dad, Mom, I want to go home..."
Everyone kept kowtowing, which made Gu Qi's eyes turn red. She turned her back and waved her hand: "Stay peacefully at the General's Mansion for the past two days. General Rong will make proper arrangements for you."
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, general!"
"Okay, everyone, follow me." Rong Di raised his hand and led the women to the west wing.
"Your Highness!"
Xie Ruoling's call made Gu Qi turn around.
The remaining girls in Hongxiu Tower were all kneeling on the ground.
"Sir, we really have nowhere to go. If you don't mind, take us to Tuzhou and we will take care of you!"
Gu Qi took two steps back and looked towards Yuan Zhe.
Yuan Zhe stood up, picked up the fruit on the table, went to Gu Qi's side, and stuffed it into her hand: "Lunch is gone, so at least we can make a cushion."
Her stomach growled, Gu Qi raised her head and smiled, holding the fruit in her hand and sitting on a nearby armchair, and took a bite.
At this time, Yuan Zhe stood where Gu Qi started and turned his hands behind his back: "Where are you from?"
A woman raised her head with a sad look on her face: "I am originally from Qingzhou. My parents couldn't support me anymore, so they sold me. What's the point of going back?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the woman next to him straightened up: "I am an orphan and have no home for a long time."
The remaining women told one after another that some encountered unkind people while fleeing, some were sold to traffickers by their parents, and some had both parents die and sold themselves to bury their relatives. Each has its own misery, each has its own sorrow.
As a prostitute, Xie Ruoling couldn't stand this kind of scene. The circles under his eyes suddenly turned red, and a few tears fell. She raised her hand and wiped it, then approached Yuan Zhe: "Your Highness, otherwise..."
Yuan Zhe did not respond. He turned slightly sideways and looked at Gu Qi: "Pei Qihuan."
"Ah?" Gu Qi stood up quickly and wiped the juice stains from the corners of her mouth.
"how?"
Gu Qi glanced at it a few times and said with a smile: "Then, follow us to Tuzhou!"
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
Xie Ruoling took the remaining women to the west wing.
Yuan Zhe stepped into the hall, sat down firmly, and raised his hand to knock on the table.
Gu Qidui smiled flatteringly and stepped forward to fill the cup with tea.
"Pei Qihuan, the details of these women are unknown. Don't you be afraid on the way back..."
"Your Highness," Gu Qi stopped, with a cunning glint in his eyes: "If you stay in the General's Mansion, aren't you afraid that General Rong won't be able to resist him?"
"Can be dispersed."
"Your Highness, there is a saying in Buddhism: saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. If given the choice, who would enter a brothel?"
"But time will change a person."
"Your Highness, if you were really cruel, you wouldn't ask for your opinion."
Yuan Zhe held the tea cup for a while, looked up at Gu Qi, and smiled: "That's all, it's up to you."
"One more thing." Gu Qi put away her smile and looked serious: "Scattered women can only be found slowly. Whether they are alive after searching and whether they are willing to return to Tuzhou are all questions. I want to..."
"Do you want Rong Di to pay attention in Qingzhou?"
Gu Qi's eyes shone brightly and he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Rong Di can't do it. Rong Di must guard the Qingzhou Pass without any carelessness." Yuan Zhe took a sip of tea and saw Gu Qi dejected from the corner of his eye. A smile appeared in the corner of his eyes, he put down the tea cup slowly, and said lightly: "You can let Xie Ling do it."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
"This king promised you so much, can you tell the truth to me?"
Gu Qi blinked: "What are you talking about?"
"Why are you meeting Jiang Mingchuan?"
Gu Qi was startled and laughed twice: "I can't hide anything from Your Highness. I carefully checked the abduction and trafficking registration form and found something fishy."
"Yes." Yuan Zhe stood up and raised his hand to touch Gu Qi's lower back: "Do you carry this dagger with you?"
Gu Qi frowned, met Yuan Zhe's scrutinizing eyes, and slowly relaxed: "Haha, Your Highness, you are not attracted to this self-defense thing, are you?"
Yuan Zhe put his big hands around Gu Qi's waist and pulled him into his arms!
"Is this more than what I am interested in?"
