A ragged cub at the beginning

People in the room started calling names, and those whose names were called went in for questioning, kneeling down to do the questioning.

Tang Xu watched those people kneel down and kowtow as soon as they entered, and answered tremblingly, but he could not hear clearly standing outside the house.

Do I have to kneel down later? The ground is paved with bluestone. My knees will be blue if I kneel down! This damn imperial feudal society!

"Mr. Qi is here." The guards at the door suddenly made way for him. Tang Xu turned around in the crowd and saw Du Yun.

He followed respectfully behind an old man with a long beard, the man called Mr. Qi.

Tang Xu looked at him curiously. What was their relationship? Did Du Yun know such an important person?

Du Yun turned his head slightly to look at Tang Xu, and gave her a reassuring look. Then he followed Mr. Qi in. Mr. Qi seemed to be of high status, and even the prince stood up and bowed to him.

Mr. Qi lifted his robe and was about to kneel down when he was helped up by the prince. Du Yun naturally did not receive such treatment. He knelt down and saluted properly. After being called up, he lowered his head and stood behind Mr. Qi who had been arranged to sit down.

After a while, Tang Xu was called. She knelt down and kowtowed like the people in front of her. Her knees were very uncomfortable on the hard floor. Because she didn't know how to address them, she just kowtowed, then lowered her head and hunched her shoulders, pretending to be so scared that she couldn't speak.

Fortunately, the others didn't care, and a voice asking questions came from the right.

"But Tang Xu?"

"Yes."

"How long have you been running the shop?"

Tang Xu answered honestly one by one. The previous questions were very common. Then she asked if she had seen any strangers recently, which of course she had not. She lowered her head and could not see the expressions of the people around her, nor did she know that the King of Jin looked at her with a very intriguing look.

It's just that my knees are a little numb and I really want to move.

"You are a woman, you opened a shop by yourself without relying on anyone?"

The voice came from the front, it should be the prince. You are a big boss, are you so gossipy? "Yes, I'm lucky."

"She was favored by a rich young master before? She was almost robbed?"

??? Is this related to the assassin? Huh? What are you talking about? Can you hurry up? Aren’t my legs legs?

Tang Xu gritted his teeth, "Yes."

"I heard that you are very good at taking advantage of situations and using the people around you to help you?"

That's true, but why does the way you put it sound so wrong?

Tang Xu clenched his fists and said, "I'm not taking advantage of you. It's because the folks are kind and righteous. When they saw a weak woman like me asking for help, everyone was willing to lend a hand. This shows that the people of Yihe Town are simple and honest, and it's all because of the good governance of the county magistrate."

I'm flattering you, can you please say a few words for me, County Magistrate! My father and mother! Please take care of me.

Prince Jin couldn't help but chuckle and looked at the county magistrate Yu Youfeng with interest.

Yu Youfeng laughed dryly twice, and sweat began to appear on his forehead.

"I heard that you have an older sister who knows some Kung Fu?"

Tang Xu's back went numb. She had never thought that this would be known. She lowered her head even lower and said in a panic, "My sister knows a little bit. She just learned a few tricks from the guards at home when she was young."

"Where is your original place of residence?"

"Bashu."

"Why are you here?"

Tang Xu paused and said half-truthfully, "My family wanted me to get married, but I didn't want to, so I ran away. I met my son on the road. It was inconvenient to travel around with the child, and seeing that the people in Yihe Town had good customs, I chose to settle here. Later, my sister came to find me and found out that my parents had passed away due to illness. She came to ask me to go back."

"Oh? This doesn't seem to match what you said before."

Tang Xu didn't expect that he could find out so much in just one night. She said desperately, "Oh, what I said before was a lie. I dare not lie in front of the prince, and now I am telling the truth."

There was silence in the room for a while, and Mr. Qi suddenly laughed.

"Why are you laughing, sir?"

"Your Highness, please forgive me. I found this woman's words quite interesting."

"Oh?"

"You can say she's a liar, but she admits she lied before. You can say she's honest, but she's pretty good at flattering people. She has some cleverness, but not much."

What does this mean? How many meanings? Is this a scolding or a compliment?

"What do you think, sir?"

"I don't think this woman is an assassin. Of course, everything is subject to your judgment. I am an old man who is about to die. I am blind and my judgment is bound to be wrong."

"Sir, you are too modest. You have been teaching for many years, so how can you not be accurate in judging people? In this case, let her go."

"Yes, let's go."

Tang Xu kowtowed again, and when she tried to stand up, she realized that her knees had lost all feeling, and she fell down again before she could even stand. This time, the pain made her scalp numb, and tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her lips hard to keep from crying out.

Seeing that she stood up twice and kowtowed twice but still couldn't stand up, Du Yun could no longer bear it and apologized to the prince, then went over and helped her up.

"Du Jieyuan knows her?" Prince Jin raised the corner of his mouth and looked at Mr. Qi.

Qi Yunchang stood up calmly and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please forgive me for making a fool of myself. I haven't heard from this disciple of mine for several years. He came to your house early this morning and said that his lover was called by Your Highness for questioning. He dragged me along all the way and I almost ran away. I kept telling him that Your Highness is always fair and generous, and nothing will happen. But young people just can't handle things, and I have to come here to watch. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Du Yun pursed his lips and held Tang Xu tightly in his arms, who was in so much pain that tears were streaming down his face. He whispered in Tang Xu's ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Oh? Are you a pair of lovers?" Prince Jin had a smile on his face, but his eyes were cold as he cast towards the two people hugging each other.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. It was my humble behavior." Du Yun could hear his displeasure, turned around and knelt down again, holding Tang Xu firmly with his straight back to prevent her from falling.

Tang Xu's knees finally recovered. She wasn't afraid. The trembling just now was mainly due to pain, but when she saw Du Yun's usually tall and straight figure kneeling at someone else's feet, she felt a dense pain in her heart.

The two of them looked at each other with concern, and a figure appeared in King Jin's mind. He stopped smiling, closed his eyes, waved his hand and said, "Forget it, leave."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Du Yun bowed to the ground, stood up, and supported Tang Xu slowly backing away. He turned around and stepped over the threshold when they reached the door.

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin is still as generous as ever..." Mr. Qi's voice became smaller and smaller until it could no longer be heard.

"How are you? Can you walk?" Seeing that they were far away from the post station, Du Yun stopped and helped Tang Xu sit down on the steps of a roadside shop. "Sit for a while, I'll go get the horse."

"Okay." Tang Xu rubbed her knee. It didn't hurt much, just numb. Unexpectedly, she almost broke her kneecap after trying to stand up. But she didn't care about it at the moment. Instead, she could only think of the image of Du Yun kneeling there and supporting her with his back. It was sweet and bitter.

Power is a really good thing. It divides people into different classes. No matter how upright a person is in daily life, he will bend his knees when facing it.

Du Yun quickly came over leading the horse. He helped Tang Xu onto the horse and slowly walked back leading the horse.

It was Tang Xu's first time riding a horse. She grabbed the horse's mane with her hands and put aside her previous feelings. Her body swayed with the horse's pace, and the cool breeze brushed across her face, which made her feel a little comfortable. She looked at the man who was leading the horse and called him with a smile: "Du Yun."

"Hmm?" Du Yun turned around and looked at his sweetheart's cheerful smile in the sun. The haze in his heart gradually dissipated. "What's wrong?"

Tang Xu bit his lower lip, and the familiar warmth spread to his cheeks again, "Do you like me?"

Du Yun blushed at her directness, but a strange sweetness rose in his heart. He raised his head, as if looking up at the moon in his heart, and said softly: "Yes, I like you."

"Then, then..." Tang Xu tried desperately to suppress the uncontrollable corners of her mouth. She suddenly thought that the corners of her mouth were harder to suppress than AK, although she had never suppressed AK. "Then, then you are my boyfriend now."

"Boyfriend?" It was a new word I had never heard before, but the meaning was easy to understand. He shook his head, "I don't want to be friends."

Tang Xu was stunned. That's right. In ancient times, there was no such thing as boyfriends and girlfriends. When people felt it was right, they would get engaged, get married, and enter the bridal chamber! Thinking of this, Tang Xu stuttered, "Ah? Then then then... Are we getting married so soon? I, I'm not ready yet!"

Du Yun was also stunned. If they didn't get married now, how would it end?

The two fell silent for a moment, watching the shyness on each other's faces gradually fade away, leaving only embarrassment.

Tang Xu came back to his senses and explained anxiously: "It's not that I don't want to marry you, I mean... it's too fast and I haven't thought it through yet, and it's not that, I... oops."

Du Yun felt a little disappointed, but he also found her anxious look cute. He smiled and comforted her, his voice gentle: "Don't worry, it's okay. Think about it slowly, I won't force you. It's just that you and I have had a lot of... contact. If we don't get married, I'm worried that it will be bad for your reputation. Don't worry, go to the clinic to check your leg first."

"Okay." Tang Xu felt that he was not good at speaking for the first time. He was very good at scolding people, but why did he fail at the critical moment?

It was the familiar old doctor Bai. When he heard that she wanted to see the knee, he directly asked her to go to the backyard. Doctor Bai was not convenient to see her leg, so he called his wife. Mrs. Bai looked carefully and said that there was no bone injury and it would be fine after applying some medicine.

So Tang Xu received another box of ointment, and was then sent back home by her future marriage partner whom she had not yet determined.

Tang Xu was carried back to the room by Yu Xiaotao and Qi Qing. Qiyue followed behind with a puffy face and teary eyes, "Mom, does it hurt? How did you get hurt? Will you be unable to walk in the future? Qiyue will carry you."

"Is it serious that you can't walk?" Fang Zijun frowned.

"Get well soon." Zhao Yunniang said.

"Let me help you blow," Du Jiarui followed behind, moving his chubby little legs.

It looks like he has some serious illness and needs to be sent to the emergency room.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt. It's just a minor injury. I'll be able to walk tomorrow. You're so small, how can you carry me?" Tang Xu answered them one by one. "It's not serious. It will heal soon. No need to worry."

Du Yun stood at the door. He was a stranger and it was not convenient for him to enter Tang Xu's room. Hearing that she probably lay down, he said goodbye.

He still wanted to go find his teacher, hoping that today's incident would not drag him down. Unexpectedly, after he left, the teacher resigned from his post, and this time he came out with King Jin just to see his unfilial disciple. He felt so guilty that he had thought about writing a letter over the years. But when he left that year, he hurt his teacher's heart. Now, for his own personal affairs, he pulled the teacher out again.

"Where is my sister?" Tang Xu asked while applying medicine on his knee.

"She went out after you left and hasn't come back yet." Yu Xiaotao looked at her swollen knees and said distressedly, "How did she fall like this?"

Tang Xu laughed and skipped the topic. "I haven't had breakfast yet. I'm so hungry. Is there anything to eat at home?"

"Yes, yes. How about I cook you a bowl of noodles?" Yu Xiaotao asked.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work Sister Xiaotao." Tang Xu said.

Yu Xiaotao responded and coaxed the children out when she went out.

"Then I'll be out first. Miss Tang, have a good rest." Qi Qing said.

As soon as they left, Tang Ling came in. She looked Tang Xu up and down, and left without waiting for her to say anything.

? ?

What do you mean?

Tang Xu was puzzled. What did Tang Ling's look mean? Why did it look like he looked down on her?

Tang Ling left, and the mother and son of the Fang family came again. Dong Wanwan asked about it with concern, and then said that she was not called, and wondered if the shop was not open yet.

Tang Xu said it was better not to go. After kneeling for a long time, his knees became numb.

After chatting for a while, Tang Xu sent Dong Wanwan away. He unexpectedly welcomed Old Lady Du again, and he lamented that he was really busy today.

Madam Du was also concerned about her legs first, and then got to the point, "Xiao Xu, are you not interested in our Du Yun?"

Huh? ? Tang Xu's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, "No! No! Did he say anything to you?"

"He didn't say anything. He came back yesterday evening and asked me to prepare for the proposal. Today, he came back and told me not to rush. He left in a hurry. I'm anxious, so I came to ask you." Madam Du took her hand and said, "Tell me, is there anything he did wrong?"

"No!" Tang Xu quickly denied it. She didn't know what to say.

"But are you worried about what will happen after you get married? I can live separately from you, don't worry, it's okay for him to live with you. I don't have any other advantages except that I'm easy to talk to." Old Madam Du said happily.

You are so easy to talk to! What's the big deal about living in my house! Aren't you afraid that your son will be criticized? She complained, but Mrs. Du's consideration for her made her feel warm. She lowered her head and said, "I just haven't reacted yet. Why is Mr. Du so sudden... I don't have a good reputation. Those people in the alley are always making up stories about me."

"That?" Old Madam Du laughed, "Du Yun also heard it, and he gave others a lecture with righteous words. He said that gossiping is a way to stir up trouble. Hearsay is the abandonment of virtue. He made those ladies dizzy, and they didn't understand, so they left in shame."

"There is such a thing?" Tang Xu asked in surprise.

"Yes, just once, and then those people all avoided him." Mrs. Du laughed when she talked about this. "I think he did it on purpose. He doesn't talk like this on weekdays."

Tang Xu also smiled, he didn't expect that he was still a white-cut black.

Madam Du came closer and asked, "Do you dislike his age?"

"Ah? He doesn't look very big." Tang Xu said.

"How can he not be older? You are only seventeen and he is twenty-five. I have mentioned it to him countless times over the years, but he always evaded me, saying that it was boring, that we were not on the same page, or that he just didn't want to. I thought he was going to become a monk." Old Madam Du was also good at teasing her son.

"Well... not particularly big." Tang Xu is already twenty-three years old now, but the original owner was younger.

"Then what are your concerns? Tell me." said Mrs. Du.

"I..." Tang Xu didn't know, she just felt it was too fast, the time they spent together was very rare. Although she liked Du Yun very much, his voice was exactly the kind of gentleman's voice she loved the most, he was also very good-looking, with a perfect figure, and judging from the past few days and what Madam Du said about speaking for her, his character was also fine. She had thought about tricking him into getting married, but she felt a little... conflicted about getting married right away. "Too fast."

"Not soon. After you've gone through the three books and six ceremonies, the earliest you two can get married will be next year, or maybe the year after next." Old Madam Du said.

Tang Xu was a little hesitant. It didn't seem too early to leave her more than a year.

Mrs. Du saw that she was persuaded and asked her about her intention. Having achieved her goal, she said nothing more and just said that she would think about it again before leaving.