Yongping Marquis Qi Zhongyi was not Zhaowei's biological father. Zhaowei remarried with his mother and came to Yongping Marquis Mansion when he was seven years old.
Zhaowei's mother was born in the Rong family in Qingcheng. Her family dealt in cloth and medicinal materials and was a well-known wealthy businessman in the local area. It's just that this brilliance is nothing compared to the Yongping Marquis's mansion. The dignitaries in Yongjing secretly laughed at Yongping Marquis's loss of status, but they were jealous of the rich dowry brought by the Rong family.
In these years, the Rong family was in charge of the Marquis's Mansion and diplomatic affairs, and brought up a pair of children born to the First Marquis' wife. They took good care of both the inside and the outside, and their reputation gradually spread to Yongjing.
Rong Tinglan was very happy today and ordered people to pile the dessert and fruit plates on the table and pile them all in front of Zhaowei. Zhaowei was a little full from eating, but didn't want to offend her mother. She held a piece of sugar torreya cake in her hand, took a sip of tea, and spoke to her slowly.
"...Every month on New Year's Day, I go to the market in Huilong Temple, and there are people selling this sugar torreya cake. I have eaten it a few times. It's either too sweet or too sticky, and it's not as good as my mother's craftsmanship. This plate is for me." I’ll keep it, I can’t eat it today and I’ll have it for morning tea tomorrow.”
Hearing that she had learned to save food and wanted overnight refreshments, Rong Tinglan was heartbroken: "I already made it in the morning. If you can't finish it, I will reward you. From now on, if you live at home for a long time, I will make it for you." Why treat these two things as stale?"
Zhao smiled with narrowed eyes, took a bite of the sugar torreya cake, but did not answer the question.
Qi Lingzhan sent her to Huilong Temple, and she was not allowed to return to the Marquis Mansion. If she had not been summoned by the Queen this time, she would not even be able to eat this sugar torreya cake. If she stayed at home and refused to leave, what if she made him angry?
Rong Tinglan knew her concerns and comforted her: "I discussed with your brother about letting you stay at home, but he didn't say anything."
Zhaowei said: "You can stay as long as you like, but it will only last for a year or two. I will stay at home with my bridesmaid."
Rong Tinglan knew that she had an idea and was determined to leave the Hou Mansion and go to the northwest. Even her own mother couldn't persuade her, which made her a little sad.
Sighing secretly in her heart, Rong Tinglan said: "Mrs. Han and Han Feng came to visit last month and wanted to see you."
Not many people knew about Zhaowei's seclusion in Huilong Temple, nor did she know about her fiancé, whom she had agreed to after hearing the appointment to Xizhou and meeting him once.
Zhaowei asked: "The wedding is scheduled for the year after tomorrow. If anything, my mother has the final say. What should I do if she sees me?"
Rong Tinglan said: "Your brother said the same thing, so he didn't let them in and sent them back."
Hearing that Qi Lingzhan was involved in this matter, Zhaowei turned around and frowned, saying, "Even if a poor relative comes to complain about the autumn wind, you have to be polite. If you kick him out with neither hatred nor resentment, if the news spreads, you should treat him as a compliment to the Yongping Marquis Mansion." Step down and look down on your in-laws.”
These words were just heard by Qi Lingzhan who stepped through the door. He looked coldly at Zhaowei who was sitting at the Eight Immortals table and said softly: "It's not that the Yongping Marquis Mansion is like this, it's that I have always been like this. I want to live in peace and follow the crowd. Don't you? do you know?"
Zhaowei choked and put down the tea cake in her hand. She wanted to talk back, but Rong held her shoulder down.
"We quarrel as soon as we meet, and you have to file a lawsuit with me when you are angry. I am very busy, so you should calm down and learn from the Chen Yushi family, a pair of children. At a young age, they have the consciousness of letting pears push jujubes."
Rong Tinglan deliberately misinterpreted this as an intimate quarrel between brother and sister, and asked Qi Lingzhan to sit down and have tea.
Qi Lingzhan did not have any tea. He glanced at Zhaowei who was full of rice and said to Rong Tinglan: "I came to tell my mother that both the Ministry of Husbandry and the Ministry of Personnel have given me the approval letter. It will be held in the spring after the new year." I will teach my uncle about the grain transportation in Lianghuai, and my mother can write a letter home to Qingzhou and ask my uncle to come to Yongjing early. The New Year is a good time to travel."
Zhaowei suddenly raised his eyes when he heard the words: "Uncle? Which uncle?"
Rong Tinglan tapped her head twice and scolded her: "You heartless thing, thanks to the fact that he took care of you every day when you were a child, he still thinks about raising those two dead bugs for you."
It was actually her uncle Rong Yuqing who was living happily in Qingcheng.
Zhao Wei was stunned, when did her uncle hook up with Qi Lingzhan!
Zhaowei was born in the northwest. Her biological father was the training envoy of the Xizhou regiment. After her father died in the battle, her mother took her back to her hometown in Qingcheng. Zhaowei grew up in Rong's family from the age of three to seven. During these four years, she followed her uncle every day to fight cocks, play games and listen to music.
Rong Yuqing is a somewhat clever dandy with a free and unrestrained nature. He hates being a scholar and being an official even more. His grandfather planted a willow tree for him in front of his house, cut off the willow branches to make strips, and encouraged him to make progress until the willow tree was broken and bald, and Rong Yuqing could not memorize the Four Books.
A person like him, who is free and unrestrained, actually associates with an important official like Qi Lingzhan, who must follow the example in his words and follow the same rules in his actions. Suddenly, the sugar torreya cake in Zhaowei's hand was no longer sweet, and the tea was no longer fragrant.
She stood up from the table, raised her eyebrows and asked, "Whose idea was it to send my uncle on a mission from the imperial court, and what was his plan?"
Rong Tinglan comforted her and said: "What's the idea? The imperial court is responsible for the transportation of grain to the Huaihe River. This is a big business. If you can do it well, you can use it to become an official in the branch in two years. Don't you like to talk to your uncle?" Are you kidding me? When he comes to Yongjing and becomes an official, he will get together with you often."
She thought Zhaowei was being coaxed by a child, but Zhaowei sneered and said: "The Yongjing court is not a courthouse. You can come in when you want and leave when you want. According to my uncle's temper and temperament, I'm afraid he will rush here to give it to me." People calculate their net worth and still want to thank you a thousand times."
Hearing this, Qi Lingzhan raised his eyes and glanced at her, his eyes serious. If there was any truth, he was warning her not to talk nonsense.
Zhao Wei was just talking to him, but she turned to Rong Tinglan, "I often say that mother should go out for a walk, and don't be blinded by the five entrances to the palace. The Huaihe River harvest has failed year after year, but the court wants to increase the annual coin tax. , the people couldn't live well, and the court was afraid of forcing people to rebel, so they wanted to start with the merchants. Firstly, the merchants were afraid of death because they had money, and secondly, they also wanted to make a show for the common people. In the final analysis, the peasants, farmers, industrialists, and merchants were the lowest. I'm afraid that the current When the court looks at businessmen, it looks at a group of fat pigs covered in oil."
Rong Tinglan was startled by these words and said uneasily: "Huh? Then Yu Qing comes to Beijing..."
"Don't worry, mother. No matter how poor the court is, there are rules. If you want to bully even Marquis Yongping's in-laws and the Queen's uncle, then things are in chaos."
Qi Lingzhan's voice was gentle and respectful, reassuring Mr. Rong, but his gaze towards Zhaowei was as heavy as ink, and against the backdrop of his pale face, he looked even more sharp and menacing.
He picked up the purple clay hat cup at hand, took a sip and put it back. Then, under her gaze, he tapped the table three times slowly and calmly.
The long fingers wearing a thin black leather glove fell on the pear wood table. It didn't make any sound to alarm Rong, but it stirred up waves in Zhaowei's heart.
This was not an unintentional move. Zhao Wei thought about it, it was some kind of agreement between her and Qi Lingzhan.
Rong Tinglan felt half worried and half happy.
She was not just a woman who only knew the inner house. Before she got married, she also handled the family business. She pretended to be a young boy and went out with her father. Later, she married Xu Beihai, the training envoy of the Xizhou regiment. She dealt with the Jin Manzi in Xizhou and married into Yong. After entering Pinghou Mansion, she truly lived a comfortable life.
For her, taking care of the inside and outside of the Hou Mansion was nothing more than killing a chicken with a knife, but after so many years, her perception of the world had become a little numb and dull.
"Ziwang, what Awei said is true. Is the court really going to increase the annual tax next year?" Rong Tinglan asked Qi Lingzhan with a worried look on his face.
Qi Lingzhan glanced at Zhaowei again and patiently reassured Mr. Rong: "You also know what I am today. Scholars, farmers, industry and merchants are all subjects of the emperor, and he will not treat anyone harshly. The court is now closed. Years ago, Zhongshu's disciples and San Si Jun didn’t make this request, I think it was just a rumor among the people. Please ask Awei, where did you hear this news?”
Rongshi looked at Zhaowei, who was about to speak but stopped.
Whatever she heard, she saw it herself. In the land of Huaihe and Huaihe, where there is plenty of fish and rice, more and more people are moving their families to Yongjing. Huilong Temple keeps begging all day long, hoping that the Jin people will eat less meat and the officials will less oil.
The annual currency tax is a waste for the officials who handle it. The more considerate the superiors are, the more unbridled the subordinates will be. How can China and North Korea just say not to impose it and stop it?
However, looking at Qi Lingzhan's long fingers on the table, reminding her one after another, Zhaowei suppressed these words and forced a smile: "As my brother said, they are all in the market. I came here to listen to people’s comments.”
Rong felt relieved and sighed: "In any case, Yu Qing must come to Yongjing. When he comes, it will not be too late to find out more carefully. No matter what happens next, at least this year can be more lively." "
Having said this, Qi Lingzhan stood up and said, "I won't disturb my mother as she talks to Awei. There are still chores in the study, so I'm going to leave."
Mrs. Rong brought a plate, picked up one or two of each snack, and asked him to take it to the study to prepare tea. She also warned earnestly: "The Chinese New Year is coming soon, so don't be too busy. Go and buy a treat for your father when you have free time." install."
"Yes." Qi Lingzhan took the snack, bowed again and left.
Zhaowei took a sip of tea angrily and thought to himself: As expected, he is really a treacherous person, but he pretends to be a filial son in front of his mother.
At night, the moon is as bright as water, illuminating the atrium.
It was cold, so Zhaowei walked quickly through the corridor with his hands clasped in his arms, walked into the west courtyard from the corner door, and met Pingyan, the book boy next to Qi Lingzhan, who was going out to pour tea. When Hirahiko saw her, he greeted her with a smile: "The second lady is indeed here. The young master is waiting for you in the study. He asked me to make a pot of Ryuen Shengxue that you like to drink."
Zhaowei looked towards the direction of the study. Several pots of sparse plum blossoms covered the water chestnut window, shining with golden light. There was a thin and straight figure standing vaguely by the window.
Zhaowei said to Pingyan: "I don't like drinking Longyuan Shengxue. Make me a pot of Laoya Kuding tea."
Ping Yan said "Ah" in surprise, "Kuding, Laoya, how miserable that would be. Besides, there is no such thing in the house..."
Zhaowei stepped up the steps and let Ping Yan think of a solution by himself, "If you can't find it, go to the water, otherwise I will make your young master half angry to death later, and I will feel bad about having to drink his good tea."
Hirahiko held the teapot and sneered, "The second girl was joking..."
Zhaowei opened the door and found a warm room. A smell of seal incense, paper ink, and herbs rushed towards him. This smell really has the effect of relaxing one's mind and calming one's mind. Zhaowei's body felt much warmer. She pushed open the half-covered blue gauze cabinet and looked in the direction of the long sapphire case.
The case is five feet long and has an imperial chair. Qi Lingzhan, wearing a dark green robe, is sitting in it. He opens his eyes when he hears footsteps and looks at Zhaowei who is standing by the screen.
The soft light of the lamp flame fell on his eyebrows, dyeing them as jade-white as pearls. That elegant and unparalleled face looked even more alluring under the light, but the side facing the light was smiling, but the outline hidden in the dark was as sharp as a blade.
He held a sandalwood ruler in his left hand, placed his right hand on the case, and tapped it three times with his fingers.
"I wonder if you still remember," Qi Lingzhan said slowly, "I thought that we had grown up, and we really wanted to disown each other and live in peace."
