Wealth and glory seek stability

Xuanwu one thousand six hundred and seven years.

A woman in a yellow skirt rode her horse and whipped it, her eyes full of youthful spirit. She raised her red lips slightly and looked at the man in gorgeous clothes who was far behind her, laughing wantonly.

"You still want to marry me? Wait until the next life." He made a face, patted the horse's back, called out "Taxue", and rode away.

The man said in annoyance, "Aunt Jian gave Qingxi a famous breed of Ferghana horse. Now I can't catch up with it."

The horse seemed to know its owner's anxiety and kept stamping its hooves.

The man thought for a moment and turned to another direction.

Gao Qingxi was so happy that her eyes lit up when she saw that the annoying follower was no longer following her.

Looking at the two forked roads in front of me.

Going forward leads to the Xia Kingdom and the Xuanyuan Dynasty, and going left leads to the White Tiger Dynasty.

Shen Zhiyi was in the White Tiger Dynasty. If Zhang Wanhui hadn't caught up with her, she would definitely tell her mother.

Gao Qingxi changed her mind and set out on the road ahead without hesitation.

When she arrived in Xia Kingdom, Gao Qingxi changed into clothes from the Central Plains.

The streets are well-ordered, small vendors are shouting at the top of their lungs, and the capital city in July is filled with a stuffy atmosphere.

This was the first time Gao Qingxi had seen weather other than ice and snow. She was walking through the streets in a green chiffon dress, like a happy elf.

"smell good."

Gao Qingxi looked at the wontons in the pot with shining eyes. The stall owner was an old man in his forties, and there was an honest young man standing next to him.

"See? Sprinkle the chopped green onions first. The chopped green onions will be cooked after the broth is washed down."

The young man looked at it for a while and nodded, "I know, Dad."

"Boss, give me a bowl of wontons." Gao Qingxi smiled and stretched out a finger.

The young man had never seen such a beautiful girl before, and his hand, which was pouring vinegar, was distracted and he poured half a bowl of vinegar.

"What are you standing there for, little brat? Go clean up the table."

"Huh? Oh oh."

"Girl, please come inside."

Gao Qingxi nodded and walked straight to an empty table.

It was lunch time, and there were quite a few people at the stall. Gao Qingxi was dressed elegantly, and although she only had two jade hairpins on her head, her demeanor showed that she was a young lady from a noble family. Even the simple action of picking up the chopsticks was exceptionally beautiful.

After a while, several more waves of guests arrived, but everyone seemed to have tacitly agreed not to share the table with Gao Qingxi.

Such a fairy-like figure is like the sun in the sky, which is out of reach. Sitting at the same table with her would make one feel inferior.

“Wontons are here!”

The young man was afraid that his dirty hands would offend the beauty, so he wiped the tray again and again with a clean rag before serving the bowl of wontons.

Gao Qingxi narrowed her eyes and said, "Thank you very much."

"No, you're welcome."

The perfect hands that looked like a work of art picked up the wooden chopsticks, picked up a wonton and put it into his mouth.

The people eating at the stalls slowed down their movements unconsciously and glanced vaguely in the direction of Gao Qingxi.

The young man returned to the stove, handed a towel to his sweaty father, and whispered, "Dad, it turns out that what you said before that many dignitaries also like to eat the wontons you make is true. That girl really looks like a princess. She looks as beautiful as a person in a painting even when she eats."

The stall owner rolled his eyes at his good-for-nothing son and said, "Humph, I raised you three brothers with this wonton stall, so learn from me."

The young man nodded repeatedly, "I will study hard." But his eyes never left the beauty in green.

Gao Qingxi ate a whole bowl of food, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. She felt refreshed all over in the hot summer.

The two teams of guards came from far to near, all with long swords on their waists and wearing the armor of the Imperial City Bureau.

The soldiers led the way, and the common people were already frightened out of their wits.

When the people at the wonton stall saw this scene, they ran away without even giving any money.

The young man wanted to shout loudly, but his father held him back, "If you don't want to die, just think of it as spending money to ward off disaster."

"Dad, the officers and soldiers nowadays are no longer as unreasonable as your old generation. They want money for the food they eat." The young man tried his best to defend himself.

The stall owner remained unmoved. He just held the young man's arm tightly, trembling all over, and fell to his knees.

The soldier knelt on one knee.

"Welcome back, young lady!"

"Welcome back, young lady!"

Gao Qingxi had just finished eating the last wonton and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth elegantly.

He stood up and looked at the father and son who were kneeling on the side with their heads bowed.

He took out a gold ingot from his pocket and threw it over.

The gold rolled twice and then stopped motionless in front of the young man.

"It's a reward for you." The woman's voice was as clear as a silver bell.

Only when he heard the sound of armor rubbing against each other faded away did the young man dare to look up, only to see a green figure disappearing around the corner of the street.

He reached out, picked up the gold ingot, and took a bite in disbelief.

It’s pure gold!

It weighs about ten taels, which is enough for him to earn from selling wontons in his lifetime.

What dad said was indeed right. There are many nobles in the capital city. Any bit of money that slips through their fingers would be enough for them to live on for a lifetime.

The thought of returning to his hometown to farm suddenly disappeared, and he must stay in the capital!

Gao Qingxi looked at the serious-looking middle-aged man opposite her and her face instantly fell, "Dad."

Gao Yunhuai's mouth was tense, and he slammed his palm heavily on the table, "Nonsense!"

Gao Qingxi knew that she had gotten into trouble and wanted to shrink herself into the large, fine mahogany carved chair.

"Your mother is very worried, do you know that?"

Gao Qingxi curled her lips and said, "She is not worried about me. All she wants is the power and wealth she has always dreamed of."

Gao Yunhuai wanted to say something, but Shuangshou came in hurriedly, "Sir, there is a problem with the salt mine in Yishan, General Chen invites you to come to his house for a chat."

"I know, I'll be there in a moment."

Gao Yunhuai stood up and looked at Gao Qingxi who was staring at her toes. He sighed and said, "You stay at home and I will send someone to take you back to Saibei in two days."

Gao Qingxi hummed lightly.

Gao Yunhuai had a lot of official duties and was rarely at home.

Apart from the boy who served him, there were no other servants in the house.

Gao Yunhuai specially sent a letter to the Qi family, asking Caiyun to come and take care of Gao Qingxi's daily life.

Colorful clouds are everywhere in nature.

"Aunt Yun, do you know Aunt Xia?" Gao Qingxi asked curiously.

Caiyun smiled lovingly, "Of course I know her."

Gao Qingxi pointed at the dress she was wearing and said, "This green silk dress was made for me by Aunt Xia herself. She opened a Caixia Pavilion in Saibei that specializes in selling cloth. Now it has become the number one cloth shop in Xuanwu."

Caiyun was surprised, with a hint of pride in her eyes, "I knew she could do it."

Gao Qingxi was puzzled and said, "Aunt Yun, you and Aunt Xia are both so gentle, but why is my mother so strict? She even said that you are sworn sisters, but I don't think you are like that at all."

In her impression, those who can become sworn brothers must be people with similar interests. Thinking of Jian Xi's fierce methods, Gao Qingxi couldn't help but shrink back.

Caiyun laughed, "Sister is the most gentle woman I have ever met. Why do you think she is harsh?"

"Wenrou? My mother?" Gao Qingxi was surprised.

Caiyun looked at Gao Qingxi and Jian Xi's similar features, and was filled with nostalgia. "When we were both maids in the palace, she was gentle and opinionated..."

Gao Qingxi listened to Caiyun talking about another side of Jian Xi that she had never seen before.

She only remembered that since she could remember, she had been staying in a house, a house that Jian Xi seldom set foot in.

One day, a group of people who claimed to be palace ceremonial ladies broke into her courtyard, dressed her up, and said that she would enter the royal court in the future and accompany the prince to study with a group of princes and sons.

Shen Zhiyi came to Saibei when she was two years old.

After Shen Nanxing retired, he often traveled around with Dongfang Wenying and Shen Zhiyi.

With the dividends from Jian Xi's shop, the family lives a happy life.

Gao Qingxi listened to Shen Zhiyi talking about the outside world with a look of longing on her face.

She begged Shen Nanxing to take her out to play, but Gao Qingxi, who had never been rejected in her life, tasted the feeling of being rejected for the first time.

Shen Nanxing said: "I can't take you away. Your mother regards you as her life. Saibei is the safest place for you."

Gao Qingxi didn't understand. Jian Xi was obviously the most heartless mother in the world, who was always busy with official duties all year round. But why did others describe her as either gentle or kind, as if all the beautiful words in the world could be used to describe this woman?

She doesn't believe it.

As Caiyun was talking, a thought suddenly came to Gao Qingxi's mind.

perhaps--

She can try to walk the path that Jian Xi once walked.

Day two.

While Caiyun was sleeping late, Gao Qingxi packed her bag and rode away from Kyoto on her snowy back.

Entered Jiangning.

Gao Qingxi placed Taxue in an inn and applied the secret Xuanwu medicine for disguise on her face. The pretty girl instantly turned into a woman with a sallow complexion and some wrinkles.

He changed into the coarse linen clothes brought by the waiter, slightly bent his back and waist, and modified his voice.

Looking at the ordinary-looking woman in the mirror, Gao Qingxi smiled brightly, and the person in the mirror made the same gesture.

night.

Wang Wu just returned home.

Then I saw a man in black in my yard.

"Who are you?" Wang Wu took a defensive posture and slowly approached the stick behind the door.

"Don't do anything tricky. I have tied up your wife and your son in the room. If you don't want anything to happen to them, just behave yourself." The lady's hoarse voice came.

Wang Wu fell to the ground with a thud, begging for mercy. "Auntie, spare my life. My family has been a single-line family for four generations, and the family line cannot be cut off with me. My family only has 145 taels of silver in the box, which is all our assets. I am a servant of the Wu'an Palace. It is not a pity for us to die, but I am afraid that it will also alarm the palace."

Gao Qingxi sneered, "I am afraid of that little palace. It's just a grasshopper in autumn."

Wang Wu was about to speak when a round pill suddenly entered his mouth. The pill melted in his mouth and went straight into his throat along with his saliva.

"What did you give me to eat?"

Gao Qingxi took out a bottle and said, "This is a southern Xinjiang Gu worm. It can strengthen your body. As long as you do as I say, nothing will happen. But if you dare to play tricks."

Taking out the small drum from her waist, Gao Qingxi pulled out the wooden hairpin on her head and gently tapped the drum. Wang Wu suddenly felt a burning pain in his heart as if he was being bitten by thousands of ants, and his intestines seemed to be twisted in his stomach.

"Aunt, please spare my life."

Gao Qingxi stopped moving, and the feeling of being worse than death on Wang Wu's body receded like a tide, as if everything just now was an illusion, and the fear in her eyes became even stronger.

"Whatever you want me to do, just tell me." Wang Wu lost his temper. He didn't know where to go, as he should not have offended anyone except hanging out in the palace every day. However, the most important thing right now was to know what the evil spirit in front of him wanted to do.

Gao Qingxi pulled a chair and sat on it in a haphazard manner.

Wang Wu didn't dare to look around and knelt on the ground respectfully.

Ding dong!

Even at night, the dazzling golden light still shone.

It's gold. You can tell it's heavy by the sound.

Wang Wu guessed in his heart that the evil spirit wanted him to do something against the will of heaven and earth, but after a while, Wang Wu even thought of where to bury his family of three.