Tang riddles

Zhang Ruohan was sitting in front of the dressing table in the room, while Wu Ya was combing her long hair with a comb.Qianhe sat on a pier not far away, quietly listening to their conversation.

"San Niang, Wu Ya is puzzled, don't you think it's very suspicious for Shen Sizhi to subconsciously blurt out your nickname in a critical situation?"

Zhang Ruohan replied softly: "I naturally feel very suspicious. I even think that it is his instinctive reaction, which means that he has long been used to calling me by my nickname. But, Wu Ya, you must understand that haste makes waste. Now He obviously doesn't want to reveal his real identity to me, so I don't think we can press him, otherwise his vigilance will become stronger and stronger, which will backfire on the contrary."

"Then, the overturned carriage today was also a method used by you and Qianhe to test it?" Wu Ya asked cautiously.

Without waiting for Zhang Ruohan to answer, Qianhe said: "Of course not, how could I test Sanniang's life safety. My plan has not been implemented yet, this time is purely accidental."

"It was indeed an accident, but it was not without gain. Seeing that person's reaction in a hurry is a very good reference for me. Wuya, Qianhe, do you know? Now I feel more and more, He is Akashi. Maybe you don’t have to confirm the nirvana on his back, just confirm whether he is a woman disguised as a man, and I can confirm my guess.”

"Actually, the two are not contradictory. If you want to see his back, you must create an opportunity for people to see him take off his clothes. Once he takes off his clothes, it will naturally become clear whether he is a woman disguised as a man." Qianhe said, " I have a long experience of dressing up as a man, but unfortunately I can't see it, otherwise, no matter how much he looks like, I can still see it."

Zhang Ruohan said: "It's not as simple as you think, Qianhe. As I said before, his voice is not a woman's voice, he has an Adam's apple in his throat, and his body as a whole is not a woman's figure. She is half a head taller than me. I am already considered tall among women. It is hard to imagine how a girl can grow so tall. Akashi was only as tall as my eyebrows back then. But it cannot be based on this Completely negating the possibility, I always thought that Akashi would be taller than me, her parents are both tall. In addition, although the possibility of him wrapping his chest is not ruled out, but in a hurry today, I had sex with him Touching, his chest is very hard and flat, not like a woman, it is indeed difficult to judge."

She paused, and continued: "In short, Qianhe, you need to find another opportunity to confirm. But in the near future, don't act rashly again. I noticed that Pei Yaoqing and Liu Yucheng should have noticed that there is something unusual between me and him. This is not a good thing for us. If he is really not Akashi, I think I may have to bear another stigma. Although I don’t care about fame, I don’t want Akashi to misunderstand.”

"San Niang..." Wu Ya only felt pain in his heart, no one could understand how much San Niang sacrificed for Chi Shi.She even sacrificed her looks to seduce a man she didn't know well, just to get some clues about that man from his mouth.

"Sanniang... there is something, Qianhe doesn't know whether to say it or not." Qianhe said hesitantly.

"You said."

"Qianhe has a feeling in private that Shen Sizhi seems to have a lot of feelings for you. That kind of feeling is definitely not a man's desire for sex, it is the feeling of wanting to protect and care for you from the bottom of his heart."

Zhang Ruohan didn't speak, she just opened the dowry on the dressing table, and took out a crystal jade from Khotan from the interlayer. The jade was engraved with the future Maitreya Buddha on the front, and the two seal characters "Chisi" were engraved on the back.She caressed Baoyu with her slender fingers, crossed the word "Chisi" on her fingertips, and said softly:

"I like her, and I only want her to like me. I don't ask for affection from others, and I don't have anything to share."

***

On the sixth day of the trip, that is, the [-]th day of the first lunar month, the heavy rain turned cloudy.At noon, Shen Sui, Pei Yaoqing and Liu Yucheng met Wu Tingfang.Wu Tingfang can be said to be the largest timber merchant in the entire Tang Dynasty. Of course, he was born in the Wu family of Bingzhou, and he is the same family as Emperor Wu.This timber business was passed down from the ancestors, and now he is the one who manages it.

Pei Yaoqing and Liu Yucheng were very surprised. They didn't expect that it was Wu Tingfang who was willing to give them a ride.This person is also well-known in Chang'an City, especially Pei Yaoqing, who actually has several connections with him.Over the years, it was Wu Tingfang who provided and arranged the timber for the construction of Xingqing Palace in Chang'an City.He also had a seventh-rank official position in the imperial court, which can be described as a typical representative of officials and businessmen.

Wu Tingfang is going to Lizhou to buy wood this time, and then transfer it to the front line of the war with Tubo.Not long ago, she sold a large amount of timber in Luoyang City, and brought a large number of his ships to the south.He is very familiar with the waterways of the whole country, and has established good relationships with various aristocratic families. This person is well-rounded and has a big business. Now that the Wu family is in decline, they all rely on the wealth he earned to maintain their luxurious life in the past.

After Zhang Ruohan left yesterday, Pei Yaoqing, Liu Yucheng and Shen Sui had a discussion, the main topic was the relationship between the merchants and the official roads and waterways.Pei Yaoqing was very emotional. Although he was a high-ranking official, he admired businessmen. Businessmen can do things that officials like them cannot. Everywhere, only with circulation can there be development.

But Liu Yucheng sneered, his concept is the traditional concept, businessmen are opportunistic, and love to play tricks.They are scholars, how can they have no backbone, if they are like those businessmen all day long, sycophanting, mercenary, how can the officialdom talk about the breeze and the moon, how can the aspiring officials serve the court?

Pei Yaoqing, who said this, was very embarrassed, and gave Liu Yucheng a look, because he had heard that Shen Sui and Shen Jin brothers also inherited the family business for many years, although he didn't know how big the business was. But at any rate, Shen Sui and Shen Jin are also part of the merchants. Liu Yucheng's saying that is really disrespectful to Shen Sui and Shen Jin brothers.

Liu Yucheng didn't take it seriously. In his opinion, Shen Sui and Shen Jin were different from those businessmen. They were the children of the official family. It didn't hurt to start a small business. It was a filial piety for the family.They didn't do business all day long, Shen Jin didn't mention it, they were disabled.Didn't Shen Sui pass the exam?It proves that people know what is right.Being a pure businessman is two different things.

Shen Sui finds it funny, this double standard is really unobtrusive.This is the current officialdom, the thinking of most officials, and also the thinking of saints.Shen Sui sometimes thinks, if she really doesn't take the exam for fame and only joins forces with her younger sister in business, is it feasible to carry out her own plan?I'm afraid it won't work, because they are not in the same circle at all.Businessmen sharpen their heads and cannot really integrate into the circle of nobles and officials.

But strictly speaking, Shen Sui and Shen Jin are not businessmen, they are nobles in their bones, and the inheritance of nobles over the years has been carved into their bones, which they cannot erase.Whether it's a business, or an examination to become an official, it's just for one purpose, and when everything is really settled, these can be easily given up.

That kind of nobility in the soul is an imprint they can never get rid of.

The banquet hall of Guiyan Station was borrowed for the luncheon, and Pei Yaoqing paid for Wu Tingfang's banquet at his own expense.Wu Tingfang is not the slippery and wretched person as imagined, he is tall and strong, with a short mustache, thick eyebrows and deep eyes, and bright eyes.Their demeanor and demeanor are all top-grade, they are well-read poems and books, and their eloquence is excellent. Pei Yaoqing and Liu Yucheng were overwhelmed by it and praised it repeatedly.Shen Sui accompanied the table with a light smile the whole time, and didn't talk much, only making eye contact with Wu Tingfang twice.

After the luncheon, a group of people sat in the side hall drinking tea and resting. The servants had already started to pack their luggage, and they would set off again in a short time.

When everything was ready, a group of people got into the car and mounted the horse, drove out of Guiyan Station, and headed for the ferry all the way.Zhang Ruohan's carriage was replaced by a two-wheeled carriage with solid carriage walls on all sides. The interior of the carriage was spacious and comfortable, and shock-absorbing springs were installed at the connection between the carriage and the wheels.This kind of carriage was refitted by Shen Sui and was generally used in all Guiyan Stations, and it was also the best carriage in Guiyan Stations, and ordinary tenants were reluctant to pay for it.

Guiyan Station is right next to the Luoshui River, and you can see it not long after you walk out.There are ten miles of cloudy clouds, and the river is already in sight.The cool wind floated the ribbon hanging behind Shen Sui's head. She rode on the horse and looked into the distance. She saw seven large transport ships parked on the not-so-large river. These large ships had wide and flat decks, which were convenient for stacking goods. .But at this moment, it is empty, and it is waiting to go to Lizhou to fill up again.

"I'm ashamed, the transport ship is simple and crude, I'm afraid I will neglect all the distinguished guests." Wu Tingfang said.

"It's okay, there's a boat to ride on, so how can I make a fool of myself. I'll wait for the wind, eat and sleep in the open, so I don't have to suffer." Pei Yaoqing laughed while riding on the horse.

Not long after, the carriage and horse team went to the ship along the pallets erected on the shore.The humidity on the river is heavy, and there is a fishy smell, and the wind is strong and cold, which makes people uncomfortable.Shen Sui liked the wind very much, it was just right for sailing.She stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the ferries docked not far away, with a sneer on the corner of her mouth.

Wu Tingfang directed the sailors to move the horses and carriages to the stern and lock them up, so as not to sway left and right on the deck due to the bumps of the ship.After finishing this matter, he invited all distinguished guests to rest in the cabin.Shen Sui fell at the end, and at the entrance of the cabin, Wu Tingfang bowed to her and said:

"Master, I haven't had time to greet you in the future."

"Thank you Ting Fang, you are my guest of Qianyu Sect, so you don't have to be so polite to me." Shen Sui laughed.

Wu Tingfang smiled, and said: "It's not very convenient right now, if there is a chance in the future, Tingfang will find the sect master to have a good drink."

"Okay, it's a deal." Shen Sui responded with a smile, suddenly remembered something, and said, "By the way, when I have time, I have something to ask you."

"it is good."

The two made way for each other and entered the cabin.They will spend the next three to five days on this ship until they arrive in Lizhou.

Going down to the cabin, there is a corridor with separate rooms on both sides. Shen Sui's room is the third on the right, and Shen Jin's room is next to her.Due to the limited number of rooms, Hutuo had to share a room with the guards, and the blue robin disguised as a man had nowhere to go. In the end, Shen Jin let her live with him, and it was convenient to take care of her.Qianhe also suffered the same embarrassment. Although the four people on Shen Sui's side in the team knew that she was a woman, she was currently wearing men's clothes, so it was inconvenient for her to have sex with Wuya, and she couldn't be crowded with the guards. , Shen Jin reached out again and let her live in his room.Qianhe absolutely disagreed at first, but under the persuasion of Zhang Ruohan and Shen Sui, he reluctantly agreed in the end.

At the end of the corridor is the dining room, and behind it is the kitchen. The kitchen leads directly to the stern, and the stern is a good place for the crew to fish and fish.The fish caught are sent directly to the kitchen for slaughter, and the crew can always eat the freshest fresh river fresh.

Now, this has become the enjoyment of Shen Sui and his party.

What made Shen Sui feel a little sorry was that these crew members gave up their houses for them to live in, and they were forced to go to the warehouse on the next floor to sleep on the ground.When Shen Sui entered his room, he found that the room had been cleaned extensively, and it was specially incensed and deodorized, which can be described as well-intentioned.

Due to their different identities, Shen Sui can't really ask the crew to come back to live, but fortunately they won't stay on the ship for a long time, and they only hope to reach Lizhou as soon as possible.

Put away the pallets, heave the anchor, and raise the sails, the boat began to move slowly in the river, heading south.

The author has something to say: there is another chapter around ten o'clock tonight.

What kind of person Zhang Ruohan is, perhaps some friends still lack an understanding of her.She doesn't care about her reputation and innocence, because she already has a scale in her heart, and she has her own measure of which is more important.What kind of things can be done, what kind of things can't be done, she has her own bottom line.She will not cross the line herself, nor will she let others cross the line.She sometimes has a dark belly, does not use any means to achieve her goals, and does not stick to pedantic etiquette in her actions.But most of the time, she is just an indifferent, kind and intelligent woman, willing to understand and help others, without any utilitarianism.

Akashi is her bottom line. For the past 16 years, she has only lived for a person who doesn't know how to live or die.Everything related to Akashi is a top priority for her, and it is worth paying a huge price.Deep in her heart, doing these things will also make her struggle and hesitate, otherwise, where did the phrase "Akashi, forgive me" come from?She sacrificed her appearance to "seduce" Shen Da with clichés, why would it be interpreted as "frivolous and vulgar", I feel very heartbroken.As the author who created the lotus maid, I have to say a few words of justice for my beloved daughter.

There is no more loyal and noble woman in this world than her.