The personal relationship between a man and a woman is like a wildfire. Once the sparks rise, sooner or later the east wind will start a prairie fire.
On New Year's Eve, Han Feng harvested Zheng Wuniang's sachet. On the first day of the first lunar month, Zheng Wuniang sent a matchmaker to visit Han's family and presented generous gifts, which made Han's mother smile. Mother Han accepted the gift and forced Han Feng to return the favor. After several exchanges, Han Feng received another pair of shoes, a robe, and a futou from Zheng Wuniang.
Zheng Wuniang leaned against the door and scolded him: "Yu Lang has been created by me from beginning to end. I wonder what gift you can give me in return?"
Han Feng blushed, "I brought two assorted boxes and Jinhua wine from Fanhualou."
Wu Niang said: "This is your father's great love. Where is the gift from Yuro?"
Han Feng was speechless, unable to bear it if he refused, and uneasy if he responded.
Zheng Wuniang sneered in her heart, raised her hand and pulled out the silver hairpin from his crown, and put it into her hair.
"Then this hairpin is given to me. I don't ask for any valuables, but I ask for Yuro's heart."
Han Feng walked home with his hair disheveled, feeling in a daze all the way.
On one side is the noble daughter of the Marquis Mansion, and on the other is the attentive and affectionate Wu Niang of the Zheng family. Although the man promises a lot of money, Wu Niang has won the favor of her mother. For a filial son who lost his father when he was young, nothing is more important than his mother's feelings.
If this is the case, he should cancel the marriage with the Yongping Marquis Mansion, marry Zheng Wuniang instead, and seek a position in Yongjing. But Han Feng was not very willing. Although Zheng Wuniang was beautiful, he had sincerely looked forward to Miss Qi Er for many years and had already regarded her as his fiancée.
Han Feng had a secret thought in his heart: If she knew that Zheng Wuniang was interested in him, would she be more interested in him?
Because of this idea, when Zheng Wuniang proposed to watch him parade through the streets in armor during the Lantern Festival, Han Feng did not refuse.
He is the elephant driver of the white elephant ceremony team. He is dressed in silver armor of the Emperor's personal army. He sits on the lotus chair on the back of the elephant. He walks majestically through the crowd of spectators and calmly accepts the cheers and admiration of the people. When the elephant team arrived at the south end of Royal Street, Han Feng saw Zheng Wuniang, who was full of joy, and Qi Er, who was held in her arms.
Han Feng nodded to Zheng Wuniang, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Zhao Wei's face was still neither happy nor angry, only a pair of lacquered eyes stared at him closely, seemingly doubtful, but not sad at all.
The ceremonial procession marched through the Royal Street, and the crowd of cheering people gradually fell behind. Han Feng drove the elephant towards the Aoshan lantern tower at Xuandemen, which was as bright as day, but his heart gradually sank into the cold night.
She really wasn't sincere and didn't care.
When the Xiangyi team was far away, Zhaowei took his arm out of Zheng Wuniang's arms and returned the silver hairpin to her.
"It turns out that the lover you have been dreaming of all this time is Han Feng, and you are trying every possible means to make me understand. I just don't know if you really want to marry him, or are you being instigated by someone?" Zhaowei asked, staring at Zheng Wuniang.
Wu Niang said with a smile: "Who can give instructions on matters of marriage? Of course I am sincere."
Zhao Wei sneered coldly: "If you are sincere and he means it, it would not be a bad idea to let me make a couple happy. If you are ordered by someone to muddy the waters and deliberately violate other people's sincerity, be careful not to fall into my hands. "
Thinking of the affectionate look in Han Feng's eyes when he looked at Zheng Wuniang just now, Zhaowei couldn't help but feel angry. He glared at her coldly, turned around and walked away with his sleeves rolled up.
"Second Lady..."
Zheng Wuniang wanted to catch up and add more wood to the fire, but Qi Lingzhan raised her hand to stop her. Zheng Wuniang respected him and did not dare to make any mistakes. She gathered her skirts and saluted, saying: "Master Qi, please go first."
Qi Lingzhan returned the courtesy, "Thank you Madam Zheng for this. What happens next depends entirely on Madam's wishes. I will keep an eye on Zhaowei and prevent her from causing trouble to you."
Zheng Wuniang smiled sweetly and said, "My sister is not a petty person, sir, there is no need to worry."
Qi Lingzhan went to look for Zhaowei along the road and saw her standing under the locust tree by the bridge, staring at him coldly with a pair of cold eyes. The lotus lantern he bought for her fell at her feet.
Zhaowei asked him: "Brother knows Zheng Wuniang, what did you just say to her?"
Qi Lingzhan said: "I had some friendship with her deceased husband, so I just wanted to ask about his current situation."
Zhaowei said: "Instigating the widow to sacrifice her appearance to interfere with my sister's marriage. Is this friendship? It's more like enmity."
Qi Lingzhan walked towards her slowly, the lanterns burning brightly, illuminating the sarcastic look on his face.
He did not deny it. He bent down to pick up the lotus lantern that Zhaowei had thrown at his feet, and said disapprovingly: "I can seduce Zheng Wuniang, can I also seduce Han Feng? Just now, the white elephant was parading in the street, in front of a large crowd, the lights were bright, what was his intention? , you must have seen clearly. In front of you, he can still flirt with Zheng Wuniang. If you really marry him, how will you live in the future? "
His matter-of-fact attitude made Zhaowei even more angry. She said coldly: "This is a matter between me and Han Feng. He is really not sincere. I don't want to bother others to interfere."
"Others?" Qi Lingzhan said in a deep voice, "Marriage is the order of parents. Do you plan to disown your parents, or do you want to disown me as your brother?"
Zhaowei said: "Whose brother takes pleasure in ruining his sister's marriage? I know you have a thousand excuses, but I know exactly what you want. Even if Han Feng is not a good match for me, is entering the palace a good destination for me?"
"Who said I want you to enter the palace... Qi Zhaowei!"
Zhaowei didn't listen to his explanation, turned around and walked away, getting into the wave of people without looking back.
She felt a sigh of relief in her heart, not because of Han Feng, but because of Qi Lingzhan. She blamed him for all his schemes falling on her. It was not pleasant to go to a lantern festival on the Lantern Festival. She pretended to send a lantern and thought he was... Conscience discovery.
Zhaowei thought bitterly: If Qi Lingzhan had a conscience, wouldn't everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty be able to become a Bodhisattva?
Qi Lingzhan was scolded by her, thinking that he was a selfish villain, and he felt unhappy. The two of them returned to the elegant room of Fanhualou with a sullen face to look for Rong. Rong was tired of admiring the lanterns and just thought they were brother and sister. They quarreled over trivial matters and didn't bother to deal with their lawsuit. They asked someone to drive the sedan chair back together. The government has gone.
After the Lantern Festival, Mother Han went to the Yongping Marquis Mansion again. This time she wanted to break off the engagement, so she straightened her waist that had been bent before.
Rong Tinglan had heard the news from Qi Lingzhan, and secretly checked Zhao Wei's mouth, and was relieved to learn that she didn't want to get entangled.
Although she could maintain her politeness at first, Mother Han became more and more arrogant. She even dared to say "I am a merchant and I am proud of my status." Rong Tinglan was so angry that she put the tea cup heavily on the table. , ordered people to drive her out.
Rong Tinglan scolded: "There are ten thousand imperial guards in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but there are not ten thousand princes and ladies. Zong Zhaowei was picked up on the street, and now she is also the daughter of the prince's family tree. In the past, she was involved in marriage negotiations. I respect you greatly. Today the engagement between the two families is invalid. You will go to the next stop in the hall. You are not worthy of being a rough messenger in the Marquis Mansion. If you dare to make irresponsible remarks again without saying anything serious, I will have someone beat you up. It's not a big deal when you go out, or your son will lose his newly acquired future!"
She rarely spoke harshly, and she frightened Mother Han. Only then did she realize that Mrs. Hou, who was born as a merchant, could not be bullied.
Mother Han was pushed out by her servants. Han Feng was waiting for her outside the door and hurriedly supported her. He was filial to his mother, but also hated the dignitaries who bullied others. Seeing this, his anger overwhelmed his guilt for a moment. He was about to grab the servant to argue with him, but he saw a red date horse being pulled out of the corner gate, and the man on the horse was Zhao Wei.
Han Feng's expression changed and he lowered his head.
Zhaowei's expression remained normal and she said to Han Feng, "I have a few words to say. Please move, Mr. Han."
Han Feng raised his legs to go over, but Mother Han held him back and pointed at the snakeskin riding whip in Zhaowei's hand, shaking her head, fearing that Han Feng would be whipped if he went over.
Han Feng comforted her and said, "Mom, don't worry, the second girl is not an unreasonable person."
He walked up to Zhaowei Ma and apologized before she could say anything: "I broke off the engagement because of my unkindness, which has harmed the girl's reputation. If she wants to be beaten or scolded, Han Feng will not complain, but please don't do it in front of my mother. "
Zhao smiled and said: "If you want to, we will be together, if you are not, we will break up. Why are you beating you? I'm just curious, what benefits did Zheng Wuniang promise you to make you so happy?"
Han Feng was embarrassed, "She...she treated me with deep love and loyalty..."
Zhaowei said: "If it's because of love, if it's because she promised you to stay in Yongjing and be the emperor's guard, then you have to be careful."
Zheng Wuniang did promise this to Han's mother, which tempted Han's mother, but Han Feng didn't care about his position in the capital, so he said: "Both in the government and in the opposition are for the country. It doesn't matter if I can't stay in Beijing. I am willing to go to Xizhou to guard the border."
Zhaowei nodded, "You are an ambitious and sensible person. Although the engagement is cancelled, don't make enemies. The Yongping Marquis Mansion doesn't blame you, but it doesn't owe you anything."
Hearing her open-minded words, Han Feng felt uncomfortable in his heart, and whispered: "I have let down the second girl, and I owe you a debt. If the second girl gives orders in the future, Han Feng will not avoid trouble."
"That's all."
Zhaowei waved his hand and rode the horse past him. After taking two steps, he suddenly remembered something. He reined in the horse neatly and turned back to him.
"I really have something to entrust to the captain. If you have the opportunity to go to Xizhou in the future, please go to Yanran Pass to find the tomb of General Xu Beihai, and offer him a cup of wine and light three sticks of incense on my behalf."
Han Feng clasped his fists and agreed.
The conversation between the two was overheard by the guards and relayed to Ping Yan, who in turn taught it to Qi Lingzhan.
The unhappiness between brother and sister during the Lantern Festival has not eased yet. Zhaowei no longer refuses to listen to his mother's orders to bring him food, and only sends Pingyan to run errands. In total, Qi Lingzhan has not seen her for three days.
Hearing that she and Han Feng had broken off cleanly, Qi Lingzhan felt a little relieved, but he still hated her for her indiscriminate slander, and the lump in his chest had not gone away.
When was he going to force her into the palace? It must have been that she leaned against the door and eavesdropped when she was in Kunming Palace, but she didn't listen to the whole thing. Combining the vague words with the prejudice in her heart, she was sure that he had no good intentions.
After hearing this, Qi Lingzhan said: "It's rare to be clean for a few days, so don't bother me with her trivial matters."
Ping Yan secretly wondered: Didn't you tell the truth about the second girl's affairs, regardless of the big or small amount?
Qi Lingzhan was secretly sulking, but Zhaowei made an appointment with Rong Yuqing to go out to have fun together.
She said she was happy, but it was actually Rong Yuqing who tricked her into going to major grain merchants and cloth shops in Yongjing to check the market prices of cloth grain. He accepted the order from the imperial court to transport grain from Lianghuai to Huaihe. He would go to the south of the Yangtze River after the first month of the year to purchase some of the grain from Lianghuai that was used to deduct taxes, sell it to the north, and put the money from the sale into the national treasury to collect taxes.
Most of the top cloth merchants in Yongjing are related to the Lu family. The daughter of the Lu family is the concubine of Prime Minister Yao. The Lu family shop is also in the glory of Prime Minister Yao, and the surname is half Yao.
Therefore, when they met Rong Yuqing and Zhaowei, they all refused to receive them with a cold face. If they asked about the market price, they would respond casually. There were five shops on one street, and the difference in price for one stone of rice was 700 yuan.
Rong Yuqing said with emotion: "You and I are just asking about the market price. They are like a formidable enemy. If I really bring Lianghuai's grain to Yongjing to compete with them for business, I'm afraid they will be in more trouble with me. "
Zhaowei said: "Not to mention these civilians and businessmen, even the three departments of the imperial court and the transshipment envoys from various places will act based on Yao Heshou's face. Do you know why my brother has set his sights on you?"
Rong Yuqing looked like he was listening.
Zhaowei said: "I also heard the gossip from the pilgrims at Huilong Temple. They said that at the beginning of last year, the emperor felt that the taxes and contributions of the Salt and Iron Division were too low, so he abolished the salt and iron division's doctor and replaced him with his own. As a result, in August, the taxes collected were too low. The tax payment is less than half of last year. Although the Salt and Iron Division doctor is a confidant of the emperor, from the doctor down, they are all members of Prime Minister Yao. The Salt and Iron Division is like his private property. If he does not nod and his subordinates do not let go, the court will have to No food."
Rong Yuqing understood, "So the Third Division and the transfer envoy are temporarily unable to move, and the emperor wants to start with the government and businessmen, asking me to go to Lianghuai to distribute the transfer envoy's business as a relative of the queen?"
Zhaowei nodded: "Why, you just understand? I thought you were too brave to be tolerated in Qingcheng and wanted to come to Yongjing to fight with Yao Heshou."
Rong Yuqing then told the truth: "The prince said that you were determined to marry far away, which made my sister sad. He asked me to take advantage of Lianghuai's grain transport mission to come to Beijing to persuade you."
After hearing this, Zhao Wei sneered coldly: "He has always secretly plotted against Chen Cang. He is using me as a target to plot against you."
