When Xiao Yu woke up from his sleep, he vaguely felt someone beside him.
In a daze, he raised half of his body, opened his sleepy eyes, and looked around casually.
He was startled and his eyes were as wide as bells. At this moment, Xiao Yu's sleepiness disappeared and he stood there dumbfounded.
Sure enough, there was someone lying next to him, a peerless beauty.
Her long hair, like splashes of ink, is draped over her rounded shoulders, as clear as jade. Her brows are picturesque, and her lips are like peach blossoms, giving her a very beautiful face.
Xiao Yuzheng didn't know what to do.
But that beautiful face slowly opened its eyes at this time, and spoke with a smoky man's voice.
"Xiao Dalang, why are you looking at me? You snored so loudly in the middle of the night that I couldn't sleep well... I'll sleep a little longer..."
A man's shrill scream suddenly rang out in Fengming Pavilion, and the birds on the tree flew away in panic.
The servants looked blankly into the pavilion, then lowered their heads and continued their work.
…
It was Pan Duo's idea to have breakfast at Tingyulou.
He is the one who enjoys it the most.
A young female violinist is sitting in the pavilion on the lakeside, playing the piano gently against the vast misty lake. The sound of the piano is elegant and graceful, and the picture is beautiful.
On the balcony near the water, Xiao Yu had a different expression. He lay helplessly on the table in a daze, and the delicacies in front of him did not arouse his appetite at all.
On the other hand, Captain Pan Duo, the consort sitting opposite him, was being served by many beautiful maids. He was admiring the beautiful scenery of the lake and tasting delicious food. He was handsome, elegantly dressed, and talked and laughed like a banished immortal.
When Qingxue saw that the two of them were in completely different states, she knew the reason and couldn't help but smile.
She cooked a pot of fragrant tea and poured a cup for Xiao Yu.
"The silk and bamboo are lingering around my ears, and the lake view is elegant. Why is the young prince so unhappy in front of the guests?" Qingxue asked.
Xiao Yu lay on the table and said with drooped eyelids: "Guest, he doesn't look like a guest anymore. He is the owner here. He is more familiar with this place than me. This has made him have fun."
"Did the young prince forget that this is the mansion that the eldest princess gave to the young prince?"
"I know."
"Originally, this property belonged to the Pan family, and this was the residence of the Marquis of Yongxi County."
"Marquis of Yongxi County?" Xiao Yu straightened up and looked at Qingxue curiously.
"My servant has never mentioned it to the young prince, so he doesn't know anything about it. The Marquis of Yongxi County is the father of the prince-in-law, Pan Yang, who has returned home from his official career and is a general of Jianwu."
"You mean...this is Consort Pan's home!"
Qingxue's beautiful water-like eyes curved: "So the young prince is right, the Prince Consort is more familiar with this place than you are."
Xiao Yu seemed to be touched. He raised his eyes and looked at Pan Duo.
I saw this bohemian Prince Consort joking with the maids beside him. He was so relaxed and natural, and his elegant jokes aroused the emotions of the people around him.
"The books the young prince is reading and the square couch he sleeps on were all used by Prince Consort Pan. Fengming Pavilion was originally the residence of Prince Consort Pan. This was originally the home where Prince Consort Pan grew up, and Prince Consort Pan had a relaxed mind here. , this should be the reason!”
Xiao Yu looked up at Qingxue. The girl's smile was as warm as the sunshine in early spring.
"Little prince, the Prince Consort is not like this on weekdays. He always frowns and is worried. When I am in the eldest princess's house, I rarely see the Prince Consort laughing so heartily. The princess is not a heartless person. , whenever the prince consort felt depressed, she would always accompany him back to the garden to have a look, but the prince consort never wanted to let the princess spend the night here.
"The slave was actually quite afraid of the Prince Consort. When he was in the princess's house, he never smiled at the slave. Except for the literati who made friends with him, he was always cold to the people around him, but the slave knew that he was not. A bad person. But since he met the young prince, he seems to have changed into a different person..."
Xiao Yu smiled faintly, tilted his head and continued to lie on the case.
"Perhaps he thinks I'm on the same page as him..."
At this time, an indescribable feeling slowly emerged in Xiao Yu's heart, and he suddenly felt a little sad in his heart.
My mind went back to the home I once had.
No matter how big and luxurious the palace is, with nothing more than a bed to sleep in and nothing more than a bowl to eat, he really doesn't have a sense of belonging in it. This is probably why he only wants to stay in Fengming Pavilion instead of moving elsewhere!
Since this place was originally someone else's mansion, and he was the one who occupied the magpie's nest, how could he have the heart to drive Pan Duo away again?
At this moment, Pan Duo's voice reached Xiao Yu's ears.
"Xiao Dalang, the morning fog has melted away, the warm sun has begun to rise, by the vast lake, do you have any poems to write?"
Xiao Yu sat up straight and cursed with a smile: "I'm composing poetry again, please forgive me! In my dream recently, the old man was sick and didn't come to see me."
"Haha... How about a glass of wine? With wine, there are poems!"
"Spare me! I don't drink."
"Then where did the wine I stored in the cellar of Caiyun Hall go?"
"Who knows? Maybe some drunken servant secretly drank it!"
"It's a pity. You might as well leave two altars for me. I'll give them some time to invite guests to have a drink. It's great to drink wine from the meandering water."
"Pan Consort, I can't do elegant things. If you want to drink, I'll ask Manager Huang to find some jars. I have enough wine pipes in my house, so you can drink as much as you like."
"If it's not my fine wine, it's just mash. I don't drink mash wine."
"You're such a picky guy."
Pan Duo laughed and walked to the lakeside to lean on the railing and look into the distance.
"The spring morning fog on Minghu Lake is like smoke,
Microwave sparkling display macro.
The morning glow reflects the beauty of the mountains and rivers,
I wish to be a wisp of smoke in the world. "
While everyone still didn't know what Pan Duo meant, Consort Pan had already climbed onto the stone railing.
"Captain Prince Consort, be careful! The water is deep down there!" a maid warned with concern.
"It's okay!" Pan Duo waved his robe, "Xiao Dalang, come here and show you something fun."
Xiao Yu walked to the stone fence.
I saw Pan Duo swinging his long sleeves into the air coolly, and the morning breeze stirred the sleeves and robes, making a hunting sound.
Xiao Yu was just curious when he saw the water under the stone fence boiling like a boiling pot, and thousands of koi carp emerged from the water to grab the bait.
What a spectacular scene of "ten thousand carps rising to the sky".
"How is it? Xiao Dalang!" Pan Duo shouted, waving his sleeves.
"Come down quickly, don't fall into the water."
Pan Duo jumped down from the stone railing. Although he was well-dressed and well-dressed, his movements were light and not clumsy.
"When I was a child, there was a small boat parked by the lake. My brother at home often took me boating on the lake. Strangely enough, the koi carp was not afraid of people at all. Wherever we rowed the boat, the koi carp followed us, and everyone in the family I was completely surprised. Later... a traveling Taoist priest came to my home to perform a ritual ceremony for my late mother. My father discussed the matter with him. The Taoist priest came to the lake to look at it, but there was no koi. The Taoist priest told my father that there must be a fish in the house. You are a noble man, so precious that I cannot describe it. My father was very happy and gave the Taoist ten pieces of gold as a gift."
"Is this really the case? That unspeakable person must be Consort Pan."
Pan Duo laughed loudly: "Xiao Dalang also believes this?"
"Why don't you believe it? Why is the Prince Consort not so noble?"
Pan Duo smiled mysteriously: "This is all just a cover-up. The key lies in the bait. Xiao Dalang, you are so smart, how could you not have thought of this."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Pan Duo stroked his sleeves and flapped his knife fan.
"Xiao Dalang, it's been a long time since I've been out, so it's time for me to go back."
…
Princess Yongning's Mansion is located in Tongxiali, five miles south of Taicheng. Two miles to the south is the Qinhuai River.
Jiankang's municipal work is pretty good. It's about four or five miles from Qingxi to Tongxiali, with six miles in between.
Although there is a slope, there is no bumpy feeling when sitting in the car.
Pan Duo was sitting in the car, his manners were quiet and elegant, he was calm and collected, and he also put on the air of a romantic celebrity, making people afraid to get close to him.
Xiao Yu glanced at him with disgust, this guy was really good at pretending.
Looking at Qingxue again, the girl seemed to have not slept well last night. She was leaning in the car and taking a nap with her eyes closed.
Xiao Yu gently covered her body with a thin blanket and turned to look out the window again.
Under the bright spring light, those double eaves and flying corners that are different from the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are particularly grand. People walking by the roadside wear loose clothes with big sleeves or narrow pleated trousers. All kinds of individual outfits show the openness and tolerance of this era. mind.
It's just that not all the scenery along the way is as beautiful as depicted in costume TV series.
Although row after row of restaurants and tea shops are bustling, Nanshi, where wealthy businessmen from all over the world gather, is naturally rich and prosperous.
Ordinary houses and workshops are the real residences of Jiankang residents.
Looking at the distant street scene, Xiao Yu felt quite emotional.
Unknowingly, the carriage crossed an archway named "Chunhe Square", and the scenery in front of it seemed very different from the Jiankang Shifang that showed its personality.
The place is dilapidated, the roads are getting muddy, garbage is piled up, and the smell of decay and fermentation hangs in the air.
Xiao Yu sniffed and looked at the ruins on the side of the road. Many simple shanties were among the ruins.
Some half-clothed old men, women, and children just guarded their dilapidated shanties, looking at the horse team passing by with empty eyes.
A few skinny children had been following the carriage for some time. They didn't make any noise or make a fuss, and they didn't come forward to beg. They just staggered behind the carriage.
"Go, go, go up and play! Don't follow!"
A tall nurse turned around to chase them away, and the children stood there firmly. No one of them spoke, and their bright eyes stared at the carriage for a long time, unwilling to leave.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Yu felt a little sad, so he raised his hand and stopped the carriage.
Pan Duo looked puzzled: "What are you going to do?"
"Get out of the car and take a look."
"Get out of the car and take a look? There's nothing wrong with you, right? Xiao Dalang, do you know where this is? Overseas Chinese Square, the most mixed-up place in the entire Jiankang City where various forces compete."
"Qiaoqiao Fang? Didn't it clearly say Chunhe Fang on the archway just now?"
"Chunhe Square is the Overseas Chinese Square. You may not know it. Three years ago, there were rioters in Danyang County. They fled to the boundaries of Jiankang County and burned this place down. Originally, the residents here died and fled. The imperial court suppressed the rebellion, and the original residents were unwilling to return.
"I don't know since when, refugees who returned from the north to the south have occupied this place. Because the relationship here is complicated, several groups of refugees often fight and fight for their own interests. The local officials are unable to suppress them. Danyang County, Tingwei Department , and even the Five Guards Army guarding Jiankang were unwilling to get involved here, so it became a lawless land.
"It's fine here during the day, all forces are in peace, and if the people coming and going are not suspicious, they will be in peace. At night, when the gate is closed, this is no longer Daqi, but a world of refugees. Within a mile or two, a few groups of rioters almost caused a huge fire because of their struggle for territory, which alarmed Taicheng.
"Every time I pass by here, I urge people to hurry up as much as possible. You are really not afraid of anything happening. If you stay here for too long, be careful of being arrested by the mob as a piece of meat!"
Xiao Yu ignored Pan Duo, bowed, opened the car door and jumped out.
When I got under the car, my gold shoes stepped on the smelly mud.
Zhang Yong, the head of the hospital who was in charge of escorting the car, saw the owner getting out of the car and hurried over.
He is a full head taller than Xiao Yu, has a strong back and strong muscles, but his face is very honest and honest.
Zhang Yong raised his hand and said in a low and humble tone: "The young prince told me to stop the car. What are your instructions?"
Xiao Yu glanced at the children standing not far away looking at him eagerly.
"Zhang Yong, give them some loose money and tell them not to follow!"
Zhang Yong's eyes widened a little. He was already speechless, so he opened and closed his mouth slightly. He put his hands in and followed the order.
After seeing Zhang Yong off, Xiao Yu stretched his waist and looked around.
As Pan Duo said in the car, there are still signs of burning on the walls here. In addition to the continuous shacks, there are ruins left over from the war. There are few intact housing buildings.
In front of them, an old couple was lighting a fire by the road. They glanced at Xiao Yu curiously, then lowered their heads and carefully used wooden spoons to stir the broken earthen pots heated on the fire. The water vapor in the earthen pots rose, emitting a strange smell. .
In addition to them, there were more men, women, and children in ragged clothes around. They all looked haggard, and their bodies were so thin that even a gust of wind could blow them down. Regarding the sudden stay of this group of people, they had more eyes for it. Still indifferent.
At this time, Xiao Yu lowered his head and saw Qingxue getting half of her body out of the carriage.
"Are you awake? Why don't you sleep a little longer."
Qingxue's face still looked tired, and she smiled and said: "It is already a sin for a slave to fall asleep while serving the master."
"It doesn't matter, I didn't delay anything."
Qingxue jumped out of the car, carrying a food box behind her.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Yu asked, looking at the food box.
"The young prince is kind-hearted. This servant knew what the young prince wanted to do, so he took it upon himself to take down the food box."
Xiao Yu shook his head: "We can keep the food box for our own use on the road. Distributing the delicacies here is afraid of causing trouble to us. Let Zhang Yong give them some money and let them buy some food for their families."
Qingxue blinked her eyelashes, and she nodded as if she understood.
But at this moment, Zhang Yong suddenly turned around and saw the children taking another ten steps back, keeping a distance from him like frightened deer.
Zhang Yong shouted: "Little Prince! They refuse to accept the gift, please show me!"
Qingxue raised her brows with a smile on her face: "Little prince, Zhang Huyuan is tall and big. I'm afraid he might scare those children. Let the slaves go!"
Xiao Yu nodded.
Qingxue picked up the food box again and continued: "Little prince, compared with money, what children from poor families should want is something to eat. The maid apologizes and wants to give them some food."
Xiao Yu smiled faintly, did not refute, and watched Qingxue walking in the direction of the children.
From a distance, I saw Qingxue standing next to Zhang Yong, and the two exchanged a few words.
Qingxue took a few steps forward with the food box in her hands, and she squatted down, letting her long skirt drag to the floor to be stained with mud.
She waved to the children, but no child came towards her. The children were all watching eagerly, with fear in their eyes.
Qingxue opened the food box, held a delicate pastry in her hands, and waved to the children.
I saw a little girl about four or five years old walking out slowly and staggering towards Qingxue.
She seemed to be extremely hungry, and her walking steps were a little unsteady.
She walked up to Qingxue, carefully took the pastry, took a careful bite, with a sweet smile on her face, and started to eat hungrily.
Seeing this, the other children bravely swarmed up, surrounded Qingxue in the center, and grabbed the food in the food box, and quickly snatched up all the pastries.
Qingxue turned around and smiled knowingly at Xiao Yu, who also nodded and smiled warmly.
But at this time, Xiao Yu suddenly realized something was wrong.
The servants and guards were very vigilant. They had also noticed the change in the expressions in the eyes of the hungry people around them. They raised their whistle sticks in their hands and guarded the carriage.
Perhaps the time Xiao Yu least wants to see is now.
But Qingxue didn't seem to realize anything. She still stood among the children and helped a little girl smooth her hair covering her eyebrows.
Suddenly, Zhang Yong raised the whistle stick in his hand, and he looked back at the young prince behind him with a gloomy expression.
Xiao Yu glanced around and saw that among the broken walls around him, apart from the hungry people whose eyes were shining when they saw the food, there were also young men in twos and threes mixed in. They seemed to have no good intentions and were heading towards the carriage from all directions. Slowly surrounded.
"Qingxue! Come back quickly!" Xiao Yu shouted.
Qingxue straightened up and looked at Xiao Yu in surprise, but waved her hand.
