[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Shuofang Border City is located in the Hetao Plain, and it was an important northern fortress built to garrison troops during the Tai/Zu period of the Great Zhou Dynasty.Ten years after repelling the northern barbarian invasion, Han merchants were prohibited from doing business with Houjin.Tai-zu learned a lesson, knowing that the Shanxi Merchants Group dug the corner of the Ming Dynasty, so that Houjin had a source of gathering materials. Tai/zu could dig out the home of the eight major Shanxi merchant groups that had a close relationship with Houjin.However, the commercial exchanges between the north and the south cannot be counterbalanced by political opposition, so Heshuo and the northwest area are only open to the Shuofang border city, Liangzhou, and Yinchuan in the west, which can exchange markets with the northern tribes, which also makes these three cities the most prosperous in the north. The city is known as Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall.

Xing Xiuyan dressed up as a wealthy son, and was accompanied by Mrs. Xiaohou, Daiyu, and Xiaohou, but Su Fuer didn't have the guts to stay in the yard.

Xing Xiuyan disguised herself as an ordinary court lady who gave rewards, followed Mrs. Xiaohou and Daiyu out of the other courtyard, entered the side courtyard of the Xininghou Mansion, and then followed Mrs. Xiaohou out from the side door.Except for the strict defense of the gates of the holy gates, the other gates are more casual, and no one cares about Xiaohou and his wife.When they got outside, Xiao Hou came to change their clothes at the inn, and it was really seamless.

The border cities are prosperous, and there are many merchants from the north and the south. In addition to the Han people, there are also many people from the Western Regions and Mongols.

Daiyu had never seen such a scene before, her boudoir rules were really thrown into Gong's room.It wasn't the first time Mrs. Xiao Hou came back to the border town. She said she had been here ten years ago, and she knew the way and introduced them to various goods.

Daiyu doesn't know how she will serve such a mother-in-law in the future, because this mother-in-law doesn't care about your needlework and making rules, she just likes to play, so is it possible that she will play with her in the future?

Daiyu looked at the concubine and eldest sister who were dressed very chicly in men's clothing.Although I knew that my eldest sister was not a well-behaved person, didn't she agree that before a woman has no ability to survive independently, she might just obey the rules on the surface so as not to ruin her reputation and end in a miserable end?

Sister, tell me the truth, did you fool me by relying on your eloquence?

Xiao Daiyu couldn't help expressing a kind of small resentment that a little girl can only have towards her closest elders towards the eldest concubine who "talks differently than her deeds".

Because during the day, Xiao Jingyun was usually either on duty or called to accompany the driver, so Xiao Hou and his wife naturally wanted to take their daughter-in-law to play at this time.

Of course, Daiyu was wearing men's clothing, although it was absolutely impossible to hide from people's eyes when looking closely, anyway, most people would not keep looking at people.

Suddenly there was a crowd in front of him, fearing there was something new, Xiao Hou stretched his neck and said with a smile: "Ma'am, I'll go and have a look."

Mrs. Xiaohou also understands Xiaohou's fault of being a melon-eating crowd, and it also affects her.

Xiao Hou sneaked into the crowd to see, but it was a delicate thirteen or fourteen year old girl who grabbed the hem of a handsome young man in brocade clothes.There was also a handsome boy who was younger, standing aside curiously.

The little girl was dressed in sackcloth, and said with tears in her eyes: "Young master, please tell me which house the little girl is from. After the little girl buries her mother, the little girl must be a cow and a horse to report to the young master..."

The young master frowned and said, "My Lord said I don't want you to report it. You can go and bury your mother."

The little girl who sold her body to bury her mother said: "If you don't repay your kindness, how can the little girl feel at ease? Even if the mother knows about it, she will blame the little girl. If the son refuses to let the little girl repay her, how can the little girl accept the money from the son?" ?”

Xing Xiuyan and Mrs. Xiaohou also guarded the "ignorant" baby Daiyu and went through the crowd to be a melon-eating crowd. However, after squeezing in, she regretted it.

I saw that the two handsome young men in the middle were not the eldest prince and the second prince, who else?Tu Yuanyi let them walk out of the deep palace, understand the sufferings of the people, understand the scenery of the frontier, are they really convinced?They appeared here at this time, so there must be Jin Yiwei secretly guarding them nearby, they are princes after all.

At this time, Jin Yiwei did not come forward because they were not in danger. Tu Yuanyi originally wanted them to increase their knowledge, and also wanted them to learn how to deal with problems independently.It was the same when raising the three younger brothers.

Sure enough, Xing Xiuyan saw a familiar Jinyiwei Elementary School in the crowd, named Zhou Qing, who was also wearing casual clothes.The kind of people who can't be recognized in men's clothing will appear in TV dramas that insult people's IQ. Even if they have "bad eyes" like Xing Xiuyan, they can recognize men in women's clothes or women in men's clothes.

Unless she put on some brown makeup powder on her face and modified her eyes and eyebrows like she did when she slipped out, there are many people who don't notice and admit their mistakes when this kind of woman pretends to be a woman.

Women's temperament and figure are different from men's. If you can't change this, it will be difficult for people to see men and women.

She was asked to bear those unknown paints for a day, but she didn't want to, and it washed off naturally when it came out.

When Zhou Qing saw Xing Xiuyan, he thought that Tu Yuanyi was also here, and he knew that Tu Yuanyi would take Concubine Chen to play, so he couldn't help cheering up.After a while, when he saw Xiaohou and Mrs. Xiaohou, he felt that something was wrong, and then he noticed that there were no other Weifu Jinyiwei around her.

Xing Xiuyan's first reaction was to pull Mrs. Xiaohou and Daiyu away silently, but Xiaohou, a dude, became interested and went forward.

The little girl who sold her body to bury her father was telling Tu Hui that she must report to him, how could Tu Hui tell her her identity?But if he kicked him away and heard it in his father's ears, would his father think that he was mad and full of hostility?

He was regretting a little, but he was going out of the palace to go to the folk market, he had never encountered such a thing before, he didn't know how to deal with it, he was about to call the guards for help, when he saw Xiaohou coming.

Xiao Hou looked at Tu Hui with a smile, and Tu Hui naturally knew him, but he didn't call out his identity.

Xiao Hou asked: "Master, don't you want this girl to repay you?"

Tu Hui did not doubt that he was there, nodded and said: "I am just doing a little work, how can I be greedy for her reward."

Xiao Hou laughed and said, "How much money did you pay for her?"

Tu Xian also knew Xiao Hou's name as a dude, and he was "admired" early on, so he couldn't help interjecting: "Brother Huang spent 50 taels."

Xiao Hou sighed, and said: "50 taels can buy four or five good girls, you only bought one? You really don't know how to do business."

Tu Hui couldn't help being embarrassed, and turned his head to the side, but saw Xing Xiuyan in the crowd, Zhou Qing and several other slightly dressed Jinyi guards were already secretly protecting her.Xing Xiuyan can't slip now even if he wants to, and he absolutely can't play back "unbeknownst to the gods or ghosts".

These Jinyiwei asked them to die for her, they might be able to do it, but they absolutely couldn't do it if they asked them to help hide Yuanyi.

Tu Hui was surprised, but thought to himself: Could it be that the father is also wearing a royal concubine's clothes at this time?The emperor saw this matter, what does he think?Oh, and she also saw it, maybe she thought I was going to do something with this girl again, and she would look down on me even more.

Tu Hui had many thoughts in his heart, not to mention, but seeing Xiao Hou said that he was at a loss, he just said: "I don't understand common affairs, and I don't intend to buy someone, but I just want to help her because of her filial piety."

Xiao Houdao: "But she is not the kind of person who asks you for help for nothing. If you pay the money, she is yours. Right, girl?"

The charming little girl in sackcloth and filial piety nodded quickly, looked at Tu Hui with a pair of deer-like eyes, and said, "Master, I am the master's man after I have paid my mother's funeral money."

Tu Hui looked embarrassed, and secretly looked at Xing Xiuyan.At this time, Xing Xiuyan knew that she couldn't escape, but wanted to see what this fearful dandy Daiyu's future father-in-law in the capital could do.

Xiao Hou said again: "Young master, I think you should take her home."

Tu Hui felt slightly displeased that Xiao Hou teased him even though he knew his identity, and said, "How can I take her back?"

Xiaohou raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is it absolutely impossible?"

Tu Hui said solemnly: "Absolutely nothing!"

Xiao Hou sighed: "That's difficult, girl, you are selling yourself to bury your mother, you are not begging for food, right? You must follow the person who bought you, right?"

The little girl said: "That's right. Please don't abandon the little girl. The little girl will be an ox or a horse in this life to repay you."

Xiaohou laughed and said, "Do you want to be an ox or a horse? Can you plow the land? Can you carry people?"

little girl:  …

Tu Xian and the melon-eaters around burst out laughing, and even Daiyu couldn't help covering her face with a folding fan and laughing.Only Xing Xiuyan didn't think it was funny, the people in the red building laughed too lowly, Daiyu could make all the hairpins laugh out loud when she said "female locust".

But seeing Xiao Hou said to Tu Hui again: "How about this, since the young master doesn't want her, why don't you sell her to me, you pay 50 taels, I'll buy her for 100 taels, how about it?"

How could Tu Hui refuse, and quickly nodded in agreement, the little girl couldn't help being dumbfounded, and called out "Master" sadly.

As long as Tu Hui can get rid of this situation of being watched by others at this time, it is a pity that Tu Xian can't control her. I have never seen it in the palace.

However, just thinking about it, if the father knows that they are bringing a woman back, he will definitely attack them. The father is the one who only allows himself to set fire and not allow them to light the lamp!

The little girl looked sad, but couldn't help but look Xiao Hou up and down.But seeing that he was only in his thirties, he was dressed in brocade robes and his face was extremely handsome.Just now she was shy and didn't look at him carefully, but now she couldn't help being surprised, and she was overjoyed again.

Xiao Hou gave Tu Hui the silver, Tu Hui hurried out of the crowd without saying a word, but Tu Xian stayed here to see what Xiao Hou was doing.

Xiaohou asked the little girl to get up, the little girl bowed profusely, and called out delicately: "Master."

Xiao Hou nodded and said: "Master, I bought you, and from now on your wealth and life are in my hands, is that what you said?"

The girl bowed her head, showing a good curve, showing a little pink neck, and said in a low voice: "Your servant is like a bull and a horse..."

"Don't! You can neither be a cow nor a horse. You can be a wife at most."

A strange light flashed in the little girl's eyes, but she lowered her head and no one saw her, and her voice was like a mosquito: "But...but it's up to the master..."

Xiao Hou nodded and said, "Master, I will be the master once."

Saying that, Xiao Hou walked towards a butcher selling peddler not far away, and everyone gave way.The stall owner is a father and son, the father is tall and full of beards, and the son is also tall and beardless, only fourteen or fifteen years old, and he is skillfully cutting meat.

"Guest, what kind of meat do you want?" the father asked, he couldn't help being surprised when he saw Xiaohou's handsome appearance and so many people gathered around him.

Xiao Hou said: "Brother, has your son married a wife?"

The stall owner said: "What are you talking about marrying a daughter-in-law? The year is just getting better, so let's make a living first. It will only take two years to make a living."

Xiao Hou said: "I'll give you a daughter-in-law. She sold herself to bury her mother. I bought her, but my family does not lack maidservants. It is just right to be your daughter-in-law."

The meat stall father and son couldn't help but be amazed, and the son couldn't help but feel warm when he saw the filial little girl who was charming and charming.

The little girl's face turned pale, she knelt down, and cried: "Master, don't leave me...I will definitely serve the master well."

Xiao Hou said: "I bought you, I have the final say on everything, if you want to repay me, you should be a virtuous daughter-in-law for this little brother, there is no need to talk about it."

The little girl panicked and wanted to pull Xiao Hou's clothes, how could Xiao Hou let her hold her back and jump away with one step.

The butcher and his son couldn't help being dumbfounded, and said, "My lord, are you joking?"

Xiao Hou said: "It's no joke, take it away, don't abuse others."

After saying that, Xiao Hou turned around and left, thinking that the matter would be over, but the little girl let out a shrill cry, rushed over, stood in front of Xiao Hou and knelt down with a plop.

She said miserably: "Master, I beg you, don't give me away as a daughter-in-law."

Xiao Hou smiled sarcastically: "Didn't you say that you listen to the master?"

"..." The little girl realized that she had slapped her mouth, but how could she express her thoughts?

Xiaohou sneered, and said: "Come on, you don't want to repay me, and you don't want to ask for other people's money in vain. Then you can pay me back the 50 taels of silver from that young master just now, and you can go find someone who is willing to sell it to you." sell it to someone."

"I...Master, take pity on me."

"If I buy you, it's just for that little brother and daughter-in-law, and you have no other use."

The little girl looked at the butcher, her eyes were full of dislike, but Xiao Hou had a cold face at this time, don't get close to strangers, and Xiao Hou didn't really intend to accept her from the beginning, she was a bit clever, at this time Knowing how hard it is to cling to him.

The little girl took out the 50 taels of silver bill from her bosom full of grievances, Xiao Hou snatched the silver bill and said with a sneer, "The master will not hinder your business."

As he said that, he walked away, thinking about it, and went back to the vendor's house to buy two catties of meat as an apology.

The people who eat melons pointed at the little girl one after another, and the little girl covered her face and left in shame and anger.

Turning out of the bustling market, I went to the private room of a restaurant, and it was not a place to talk outside.

Mrs. Xiaohou taught Daiyu: "Some things should not be taken on the surface. Some people look pitiful, but they are not worth helping. There are many shameless people and deceitful people in the Jianghu. This kind of people who sell their bodies to bury their parents or bury their mothers Pediatrics, this kind of woman mostly wants to be a concubine with a rich man because of her good looks. In the future, when Yu'er meets such a scheming and lowly woman, don't have to be soft-hearted."

Xing Xiuyan thought for a while, but sighed: "Everyone yearns for a better life, and women at the bottom have no other chance to change their destiny, so they use this method. I can only partially agree with Madam's words."

Xiao Hou and the two princes were sitting at the next table, separated by a screen, he was curious and asked: "But what's your opinion?"

Mrs. Xiao Hou also looked at her with complicated eyes, because she is Daiyu's righteous sister, who has a legend of doting only on the harem and befriending Jinlan. They are actually very curious about what kind of person she is.When they first met, they kept the courtesy of a monarch and his ministers, but now they knew that she was easy-going and loved Daiyu very much, so they also felt close and respectful.

Xiao Mipian took a sip of tea, tapped the folding fan in his hand, and said: "The ancients said: Princes and generals, would you rather have kindness? Could it be that the woman was born poor, and she can't fight for her own destiny? Ignorance is not hers." Wrong—because she didn't have the opportunity to go to school, nor did she have the opportunity to see the big scene; courage is the preciousness of her soul, and she dares to fight against the established destiny. As a human being, the most valuable thing is to 'know how to be aggressive and avoid one'. And that little girl can at most seduce a frivolous prodigal son. If a man has no concentration, it is also a matter of your choice. If he has concentration, why should he be afraid of her? ?The rich and the rich have the right to refuse to be entangled by such people. This is our freedom, but we don’t have to look at their behavior with arrogant eyes. If people have this kind of arrogance, they are inhumane and do not know themselves. The generation of Mrs. Nie A chivalrous woman, "with a sword in your hand and benevolence in your heart, a great chivalrous man is for the country and the people" is exactly "a benevolent man loves others". Madam is such a hero among women, how can she suddenly lose her words and imitate the woman who is called a woman? What about an ignorant little girl as a 'bitch'?"

Although Xing Xiuyan relied on his eloquence, he also spoke from the bottom of his heart.What she admires the most is the kind of person who comes from a poor background but fights against fate to make a fortune. He even has the same taste in men, let alone women.A person's aesthetics is a very stubborn thing, in fact, it is also reflected in the values ​​​​in a person's bones.Even though she is at the top of the pyramid and is a beneficiary, she still feels that the fate of a bottom-level person is worthy of respect and should not be ridiculed.

Although this is her shortcoming that can make many people hate her, it is also her strong point.