MTL - Disaster For the Country · Return Journey-Chapter 1 new maid (1)

Qiu Jiang stood quietly at the end of the line.

Nine maidservants lined up and were called to give lectures in the flower hall.

Aunt Zhang, who was in charge, went over one by one, finding no one pleasing to her eyes: "You, don't you know that your collar is crooked? What are you doing with your chest so low? Who are you trying to seduce? This is a prime minister's mansion, not a brothel! You, there are two big patches on your sleeves, if you don’t know, you would think that the Prime Minister treats his servants so harshly and doesn’t give them clothes!”

The servant girl who was being trained retorted in a low voice: "It's been a long time since I posted it. The last time I posted it was before the son passed away, and it has been a year."

"What did you say?" Aunt Zhang stared.

The maid quickly fell silent.

Aunt Zhang continued to be picky: "You, there are stains on your knees; you, your hair is too greasy, go wash it; you..." It was the last Qiu Jiang's turn, from top to bottom—

Her long black hair was neatly tied behind her head, tightly tied with a bamboo hairpin.

The little face is fair and clean.

The clothes are in order.

There is nothing outstanding from head to toe, so naturally there is nothing to complain about.

In the end, Aunt Zhang had no choice but to cough and say, "Don't be so dumb, be smart."

Qiu Jiang replied yes.

The voice is neither high nor low, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, just like her people, they can't be found in the crowd, and they don't have any characteristics, so they won't make any mistakes.

Aunt Zhang looked at the nine girls from the beginning to the end again, and said earnestly: "The banquet tonight is very important, and the guests to be invited to the banquet are very honorable. You all cheer me up and handle the errands properly. D-beautiful, Steward Cui has a reward! Do you know?"

"I know." The nine people responded in unison.

Aunt Zhang nodded, told her to start preparing, then walked away with a twist.

A maidservant in green spat at her back: "A mere cook, she really thinks of herself as an onion. If Housekeeper Cui was not ill, where would she be able to point fingers?"

"Shh, don't say it, it will be miserable if she hears it!"

"I heard it when I heard it. Anyway, I don't want to do the errands in this mansion. When the young master was alive, he issued announcements twice a year, and there were red envelopes during New Years and festivals. After Xiang Xue took over, he never released them, and the red envelopes were not worth a penny. ! He was also a servant, and he forgot all the sufferings of the current people!"

The maidservant with a patch on her sleeve quickly covered her mouth: "The more you talk, the more outrageous it becomes. How can we talk about Mr. Xiang? He is a phoenix in the sky. Even if he is demoted to slavery for a while, it is not the same as us." The same, not to mention flying back to the sky."

"If it wasn't for the young master's death, it would be his turn?" The green-clothed maid said, her eyes turned red, "Why did the young master leave so early, poor young master...does he know that once he leaves, even the servants in the mansion They all started to suffer..."

The maid who was accused by Aunt Zhang of being too greasy rolled her eyes and said, "If you are so reluctant, you can leave. It's not that the Prime Minister has never said that everyone can leave if they want to. You must suffer here. And who can I blame?"

"You oily girl, what qualifications do you have to say about me? Ugly!"

As they said that, the two sides quarreled, those who tried to persuade them to fight, and those who pulled people away, went back to their residences.

The hut is shared by four people, and there are four beds. In addition, there is a table, a chair and a wardrobe. The wood is all good wood, but it's been a while, and most of the paint on it has peeled off.

The greasy-haired maid was still angry. After entering the room, she sat down on the bed and scolded: "I'm so mad! I'm so mad! When I become a housekeeper, I will definitely show catkins!"

The maidservant with the patch on her sleeve said while looking for clothes: "Okay, Donger, what's the use of scolding here, let's do the work first. The dinner party will be held at Luhuaxuan, which hasn't been cleaned for more than a year. , the floor needs to be washed, the table needs to be changed, and the kitchen also needs help. There is a lot of work, hurry up!" After picking out a new one for a long time, I compared it: "Look at this one. How is it? Are you okay?"

The greasy-haired maid named Dong'er nodded: "Let's do it. By the way, Xiangxiang, speaking of it, this is the first time that Prime Minister Xue has entertained guests in the mansion, right? Why are guests so important?"

"I heard that there is one of the adults in Baiyantang."

Dong'er was surprised: "It can't be that Hanako-sama, right?" The next moment, his expression turned into disgust, "Oh, he is so annoying! I annoy him the most!"

"Why? He's handsome."

"What are you handsome? He looks like a local rascal, and speaks in a feminine voice on purpose! He is also very picky. Sometimes he thinks the tea we serve is bad, and sometimes he thinks the study room has a musty smell." Dong'er tusk tsk Feeling, "Just wait and see, he will continue to find fault at the dinner party, and make a male Aunt Zhang."

Xiangxiang chuckled: "He is the master of Baiyantang, if you compare him to Aunt Zhang, you are too flattering Aunt Zhang!"

At this moment, the door opened again, and the most beautiful maidservant who was also accused of showing too much **** walked in and said, "I said where have you been, but you really came back to be lazy."

"I came back to change!" Xiangxiang swore to God.

Dong'er said: "I just finished a fight with Liu Xu, and seeing her face annoyed me, so I came back to take a breath."

The beautiful maid said: "Don't mention that man, please help me to give advice on which clothes to wear."

Xiangxiang covered her lips and smiled, "Is there a difference? Anyway, Lian Lian's chest is the same low in both of your clothes."

The beautiful maid named Lian Lian glared at her: "What do you know, I just found out who the guest is at night."

"Who?" Everyone cheered up.

"Feng Xiaoya."

Qiu Jiang's eyelashes trembled involuntarily.

And over there, the screams were already ringing out.

"Feng Xiaoya? Is it Feng Xiaoya, the son of Prime Minister Yan's family?" Xiangxiang covered her flushed face, her eyes began to sparkle.

Lian Lian corrected her: "It's the former prime minister, you idiot, Master Feng Letian has resigned from office for many years, and now there is no prime minister in the country of Yan, the king of Yan is looking forward to our prime minister's passing!"

"Oh, don't care about his predecessor and current position. I heard that he is the most beautiful man in the country of Yan! Because of his totem, he is also called Lord Crane. His family must have raised a lot of cranes."

Qiu Jiang lowered her eyelids—she didn't remember Cao Muju, but in Taohe Villa, there wasn't a single crane.

"I heard that he has a hundred wives! All the girls in Yan Country want to marry him!"

Qiu Jiang looked at her hands—no, it was eleven. And she was the unlucky eleventh.

"Such a man is rich, powerful, romantic, and suave... really perfect..."

"But I heard that he is a cripple!" Dong'er said in surprise.

"I heard that his illness has been cured..." Opinions vary.

"Is there any disability, won't you see it at night?" Lian Lian said this, and went to the mirror to comb her hair, "I have to dress up well, if he can be seen by him, he will accept me as the twelfth lady, and I will spend the rest of my life You don't have to worry about it."

The other two laughed at her: "It's just you? I haven't seen such a beauty before. How can I see you?"

"I have this." Lian Lian puffed out her chest.

Xiangxiang and Dong'er looked at her, then at their own, and both closed their mouths.

Qiu Jiang thought in agreement: Indeed, if it is compared to this, most women must not be able to compare.

At this time, Aunt Zhang yelled outside: "Come out and work for me!"

Everyone was startled and hurried out.

"It's really lazy if you don't see it for a moment. Follow me and go to the kitchen to wash and chop vegetables!" Aunt Zhang directed the four of them to go to the kitchen. Qiu Jiang followed at the end of the line as always, and Aunt Zhang shot at them from the front, so she knew that she had lost the best chance to escape.

***

The mansion where Qiu Jiang lived was originally the property of one of the three great families in the Bi Kingdom—the Ji family. Before Qiaohou Jiying died, he passed it on to his servant Xue Cai. Since Zhao Yin, the king of the Kingdom of Bi, fell ill, Queen Jiang Chenyu took over the administration. Jiang Chenyu admired Xue Cai very much, made an exception and exempted him from slavery, and promoted him to be Prime Minister. As a result, it created a good story about being a prime minister at the age of eight.

That's right, her current master, the Prime Minister of Bi Kingdom, is a child who is only nine years old.

Moreover, he has a withdrawn personality, few words, and is very harsh on his servants, and he himself lives in poverty.

This was the result of unanimous discussion among the servants in the mansion, and they all thought that it was a world of difference compared to the gentle and courteous Ji Ying. When Xue Cai first took over Ji's Mansion, he had let a group of servants go out. Some of them either had no other place to go, or were greedy for the reputation of working in the Prime Minister's Mansion. They felt that they had face and insisted on staying. Later, they found that the treatment was completely different. , It's useless to want to go again. Every time I think about it, I beat my chest and regret it.

Today, there are a total of twenty servants left in the mansion: nine male servants and eleven female servants. Nine male servants were in charge of rough work, and they were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard on weekdays. Among the female servants was Cui Shi, the real housekeeper, but she was old and in poor health, and fell ill every now and then. Secondly, Aunt Zhang, the cook, is a snob and unpopular, but she is loyal to Xue Cai and is a complete dog. Finally, there are their nine maidservants. Except for Qiu Jiang who was new here, everyone else was a girl left over from Ji Ying's era. Every time they mentioned the son who died young, they all burst into tears.

However, apart from the twenty servants, there are also some strange people.

Those people don't feel their existence at all on weekdays, but once something happens, for example, Xiangxiang accidentally caught fire while burning incense in the study one day, Hulala suddenly jumped out of a circle of people in black, and the people in black jumped out at lightning speed. Put out the fire. At that time, Xue Cai, who was behind the desk, calmly turned the page of the book and continued to read, as if nothing had happened.

Only Xiangxiang was terrified. Since then, I have been paranoid when going to the toilet or taking a bath, for fear that someone in black will hide and peep.

In fact, she was really flattering herself, because those hidden guards only followed Xue Cai, where Xue Cai was, they were there, in the maid's yard, if Xue Cai didn't come, they naturally wouldn't come.

After Qiu Jiang entered the mansion for three months, she only went to the study once, and Xiangxiang had a temporary stomachache, so she went to grind ink for Xue Cai instead. At that time, Xue Cai hadn't returned to the house, and Aunt Zhang asked her to prepare all the pens, ink, paper and inkstones, saying that Master Xiang had ordered her to come back and paint. Aunt Zhang has always done these superficial skills very well, but she didn't care about the places in the backyard that Xue Cai couldn't go to, and left them barren.

Qiu Jiang sighed as she prepared her pen and ink. Just when she was about to leave, Xue Cai came back.

She had no choice but to stand aside, bow her head, and treat herself as a decoration.

In fact, what she is best at is as a decoration. She wants to be unobtrusive, and most people will never find out that there is such a person in the house.

As a result, something went wrong that day.

It's in the ink.

Xue Cai sat down in front of the desk, the paper had been laid out, and several brushes were hung on the pen holder in an orderly manner from thick to thin. The ink in the two inkstones had been ground, and everything seemed to meet the requirements.

But when he picked up the pen, he swiped across the inkstone from left to right, and then from right to left, he hesitated for a moment.

And that one slap made Qiu Jiang's heart skip a beat, and he immediately realized that he was wrong.

Xue Cai looked up at her: "Did you grind the ink?"

"…yes."

"newcomer?"

"…yes."

Xue Cai looked at her and stopped talking.

Aunt Zhang came from outside with a smile on her face. She wanted to ask for credit in front of the master after completing the errand, but seeing the atmosphere in the room was different, she couldn't help asking: "What, what's the matter? Are you not satisfied with the Prime Minister?" ?”

Xue Cai raised the corners of her lips and suddenly smiled.

"No."

He lowered his head, dipped the ink on the right side and began to draw. With a few strokes, he painted what seemed to be a woman's hair.

Qiu Jiang only saw this, and Aunt Zhang told her that there was nothing to do and asked her to leave. She bowed to leave, but felt that Xue Cai's bright and cold eyes had been staring at her, making her back sweat.

After she went back, she asked Xiangxiang: "How do you grind ink for the Prime Minister?"

"Just grind like that." Xiangxiang looked blank.

Qiu Jiang had no choice but to speak clearly: "I saw all kinds of ink in the drawer..."

"Oh, just pick it up and grind it."

"No distinction?"

"What's the difference?"

Qiu Jiang knew the problem.

At that time, she opened the drawer and saw that there were all kinds of inks in it, and the materials were complete, very elegant and elegant. In addition, Xue Cai wanted to paint, because he didn't know what he wanted to paint, so he picked out a lampblack ink and a pine smoke ink. Smoked ink is made of tung oil smoke. The ink is black and shiny, and can show the subtle changes in ink shades. It is suitable for landscape paintings, while pine smoked ink is dull and dull, and is mostly used for feathers and human hair.

She never expected that the maidservant of the scholarly family would be reduced to such a level that she doesn't know anything! Logically speaking, it shouldn't be, Mr. Ji Ying was a well-known scholar during his lifetime, otherwise he wouldn't have a full set of pens, inks, papers and inkstones in the drawer of his study.

Qiu Jiang couldn't help asking Xiangxiang: "How long have you been working in this mansion?"

"It's been five or six years."

"Have you been serving in the study?"

Xiangxiang shook her head: "Qi Aohou was served by another sister when he was alive. After Xiangye took over, that sister went out of the house to marry, so I was transferred."

I see. "Then, Mr. Xiang, haven't you ever picked on you?"

Xiangxiang opened her eyes wide: "What do you choose?"

"It's nothing, just ask casually." Qiu Jiang smiled and brought the topic over, but his heart was covered with cold sweat. All she wants is to be stable and not to be picked on, that is the way of life for a good maid. But who would have expected that there is a difference between good and bad maidservants in the prime minister's mansion, and she has fallen so far that she can't even divide ink!

After that, she didn't dare to step into the study again, the farther away from Xue Cai the better. This person is so wise and close to a demon, I'm afraid he has already seen something, so he doesn't want to explain it.

Wait a little longer. After one and a half years of planting, if you still can't find out anything, you can change the place.

However, Qiu Jiang, who was chopping ducks in the kitchen at the moment, realized that there was no time left.

Because, that person... came.

At the same time, a pure black carriage slowly stopped in front of the gate of Xue Mansion.

Xue Cai walked to the door to greet her in person.

The door opened and Xue Cai got into the carriage.

The carriage drove into the mansion gate and headed for Luhuaxuan.

"What?"

When Lian Lian, who was eagerly looking forward to the appearance of the distinguished guest, told everyone about the scene she saw secretly while hiding by the gate, everyone was shocked.

"He didn't get out of the car?"

"No."

"How is that possible? It's an unwritten rule for all the guests in front of Qi'aohou's mansion to get off their horses and get off their cars!"

"That's right, that's right, I remember that when the empress came, she also got off at the door. Although she wasn't a queen at that time, she was already a concubine Shu!"

"What's so small and elegant, the airs are so big!"

"He is obviously just a commoner, and has no official position."

"Huh? Didn't King Yan give him any title?"

"No. It is said that the old minister Feng refused to give in. He said that since he resigned from office, he will retire cleanly and not let his son enter politics."

"Then he's so arrogant!"

Seeing that everyone was filled with righteous indignation, Xiangxiang quickly dissuaded: "Everyone, don't do this. Think about it, doesn't this show that Mr. Feng is powerful! He doesn't even get out of the car when he enters our prime minister's mansion."

Amidst the discussion, Qiu Jiang took the steamed duck out of the cage and put it on a plate.

Seeing this, Aunt Zhang coughed heavily. Everyone fell silent.

"If you have time to gossip, why don't you do more work!" Aunt Zhang scolded.

Everyone took it for granted, let out a listless "Oh" and then dispersed.

Aunt Zhang turned to Qiu Jiang and said, "Ah Qiu, you and Liu Xu can serve together."

"Huh?" Qiu Jiang was taken aback.

Lian Lian exclaimed dissatisfied: "Why! Isn't it me who serves the food?"

"Wait until you learn how to hide your breasts." Aunt Zhang said coldly, "Go quickly, don't dawdle."

Liu Xu, a maidservant in green, took a smug look at Lian Lian, and left with a vegetable basket. Qiu Jiang had no choice but to follow.

From the kitchen to Luhuaxuan, there is a curved corridor with beautiful scenery. Qiu Jiang looked around, wondering whether Xue Cai's hidden guards were hiding there, and whether there was a chance to escape. In the end, I found out in despair, no, I can't go.

This curved corridor is only a hundred feet away, but there are at least twelve hidden guards ambushing on both sides. It's strange, even if Xue Cai is in the mansion on weekdays, he doesn't have so many guards. Could it be that because of Feng Xiaoya's arrival, the manpower has been increased?

Qiu Jiang walked very cautiously step by step.

After leaving this winding corridor, it is Luhuaxuan.

There is a sea of ​​flowers in front of the pavilion.

The wind is soft and the moon is bright, making these vigorous blooming flowers look extraordinarily delicate and lovely. Luhuaxuan has been thoroughly cleaned, and the windows are clean and spotless.

A black carriage parked outside Xuan.

Qiu Jiang's heart shuddered. Her eyes fell on the white totem above the carriage wheel—it was a crane, combing its feathers lazily, with a lazy posture and a gentle and peaceful appearance.

The two footmen carried the long case out of the flower hall with a grunt, and put it on the ground beside the carriage.

Liu Xu opened her eyes wide, wondering, "What, what is this?"

A male servant hurried over and said, "Master Xiang said that today's dinner will be held in the courtyard."

"Dining in the yard?"

"Yeah. The guests haven't arrived yet, the two of you wait until the dishes are served." After finishing speaking, he hurried back to move the couch.

Liu Xu looked back at Qiu Jiang, Qiu Jiang lowered her head, her long bangs fell down, covering most of her face, as if she was not disturbing others. Liu Xu wanted to discuss it with her, but seeing her looking like she was dying, it was fine.

At this time, there was a sound of jingling bells, ringing and ringing, approaching from far away.

Liu Xu turned her head and saw a man in dazzlingly colorful clothes, waving a fan and walking towards him with a smile. The scenery along the way and the bright sunshine are not as eye-catching as him.

"Master Hanako!" Liu Xu took two steps forward and bowed in salute. Seeing this, Qiu Jiang followed her and saluted.

The visitor is the eighth son of Baiyantang.

Baiyantang is the think tank of the emperor, and now it is directly under the empress' orders. Although it has no official position, it can participate in state affairs, so everyone respects it. They were originally seven people, and they were called by the color of their clothes. After Hanako joined, they became the most special eighth person.

Because he was directly recommended by Xue Cai.

It is also the only one among the eight sons who lives in the palace.

It is the one they are most familiar with.

Xue Xiang had very few guests, and Hanako was a rare frequent visitor.

When Huazi saw Liuxu, she raised her eyebrows, narrowed her eyes, made a frivolous expression, and then said in a sweet voice: "Sister Liuxu, long time no see, she is getting more and more beautiful."

Liu Xu blushed, "My lord, please don't call me that again, I'm ashamed of my maidservant."

Hanako sniffed: "It smells so good. What's in the basket?"

Before Qiu Jiang could react, Hanako took the food basket from her hand, sniffed it through the lid, narrowed her eyes and said, "Well, let me guess... steamed sea bass, red plum mutton, eight Baojiu steamed duck, and, and..."

Liu Xu pursed her lips and said with a smile: "There is one more thing, if you can guess all of them, you will be considered a master!"

"You really underestimate me." Hanako straightened her waist, her eyes fluttered, dazzling and eye-catching with an alluring charm.

——Qiu Jiang thinks this person is fake.

For example, he has a clear voice but deliberately speaks in a whiny voice;

For example, he is obviously Zhou Zheng's handsome young man, but he always curls up his orchid fingers to look seductive;

Another example is at this moment, he obviously has no sincerity at all, but he teased the maids wantonly, making them think that he was interested in him, and they were confused.

Fascinated by his blinking eyes, there is one in front of him.

but-

What did all this have to do with her?

Qiu Jiang lowered her eyelashes and continued to use them as decorations.

As a result, Huazi's eyes turned, but she drifted to her body: "The last dish has something to do with her."

Qiu Jiang subconsciously frowned.

Liu Xu smiled and said, "How do you say?"

Huazi suddenly approached Qiu Jiang, and whispered in her ear frivolously, "It smells so good."

Qiu Jiang didn't move. And the catkins have changed color a little.

Huazi stretched out his hand and flicked behind Qiujiang's ear, and suddenly a Suju popped out from his finger, and he picked up the flower to the tip of his nose and sniffed it, saying: "Chunlan Qiujiang, the fruit is the most fragrant in the world."

Liu Xu breathed a sigh of relief, and said coquettishly, "My lord hasn't guessed what the last dish is yet."

"I guessed it." Hanako said with a smile, "The last dish is chrysanthemum. Abalone and chrysanthemum juice. Right?"

"Yes! Yes! My lord has a good nose. You can still distinguish so many smells mixed together." Liu Xu clapped her hands.

Huazi leaned in front of Qiu Jiang and did not leave: "I heard that your name is Aqiu? Is your surname Qiu, or is your first name Qiu?"

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Qiu Jiang's forehead, and his bony hands were tightly knit together.

Liu Xu stopped her and stood in front of her and said, "My lord, don't tease her. This is a newcomer to our house, he is ignorant and has never seen anything in the world."

"Really?" Huazi looked Qiu Jiang up and down again, turned around and left.

As soon as he left, Qiu Jiang felt that even the air was a little fresher.

Liu Xu glared at her, "Stupid, with no eyesight at all. Give me the shopping basket, and you can go back and get a new one!"

When Qiu Jiang heard this, she was relieved, and hurriedly gave her the vegetable basket, turned around and was about to leave, when Huazi's voice came from afar: "That autumn, come here."

Pretend not to hear! Qiu Jiang took a step forward.

"Hey, I'm calling you! Qiu Juhua—"

Didn't hear, I didn't hear anything. I am not called Qiu Chrysanthemum either! Qiu Jiang quickly took two steps forward.

Huazi rolled her eyes and called out, "That girl who walks like the wind, stop."

Qiu Jiang stopped, clenched his fist helplessly, let go, then turned around, bowed his head and walked back.

Step by step, he walked honestly to Hanako and the carriage.

In the process, her heart almost reached her throat.

But the door of the carriage did not open, and the people inside did not poke their heads out to look.

Hanako casually threw a string of copper coins.

"I asked you Mr. Xiang, and you really didn't prepare wine. Is a banquet without wine still called a banquet? Quick, go and buy two jugs of good wine for you!"

Qiu Jiang hurriedly put the copper coins into her arms, turned and left, as if a tiger was chasing her.

Huazi turned her head to the closed car door and said, "Are you two going to sit in the car forever and never get out?"

"Of course not." Xue Cai's voice came from the car coldly.

Accompanied by his words, the two coachmen got off their horses and walked to the side of the car, each unfastened a few iron buckles from the wall of the car, and then made a forceful pull.

Kaka Kaka.

The car walls on both sides, which were originally airtight and tightly nailed, were removed.

The two coachmen folded the car wall again, half of the car wall was folded off, and it fell firmly to the ground, becoming a temporary brace to support the other half of the car wall. In this way, it is equivalent to setting up two tables out of thin air on both sides of the carriage, and the people in the carriage can eat directly without getting out of the carriage.

Huazi was amazed and said with emotion: "I have heard that you are the most lazy person in the world, but I didn't expect you to be so domineering, so mighty, and so high-level!"

The carriage compartment, because of the absence of the walls on both sides, turned into a frame with a roof. In the frame, two people sat opposite each other, one black and one white, one big and one small, with sharp contrast.

The villain in white is Xue Cai.

In the middle of the soft couch covered with pure black silk felt, there is a small table with a pot of new tea just boiling. And Xue Cai picked up the pot of tea and poured it into a cup beside her.

In the hands of Xue Cai, the jade-white jug with the head of a sheep is shining brightly, and the tea in the jug is as green as spring. When it is poured into the Sui Han Sanyou cup, which is also carved from jade, the orchids on it are also It seems to have opened up.

Huazi's eyes lit up: "What a pot, what a cup! Come on, give me a drink too." Just as he was about to step forward, Xue Cailiang took a cool look at him and said, "Don't you want to drink?"

"You have to drink wine, and you have to taste tea." Huazi stretched out her hand to grab it. Just as the fingertips were about to touch the handle of the cup, the cup suddenly slipped a foot along the small table and fell firmly into the hands of another person.

The man said: "The wine is yours, and the tea is mine." After speaking, he smiled.

The man knelt straight on the soft couch, the black silk couch was almost integrated with his long hair, but his clothes were so white, a kind of blue that was close to white, just like his skin, plain There is a hint of blue in the white, giving people a very unhealthy feeling of weakness.

His figure was very upright, perhaps too upright, but his expression was relaxed and comfortable, and his smile was gentle and soft.

Huazi looked at this person carefully, and then asked Xue Cai: "Is that him?"

"Um."

Huazi sighed, "I have seen many beautiful men in my life, and you are the only one who can compare to me."

"Pfft!" Liu Xu laughed inappropriately, and then quickly covered her lips, blushing.

The man didn't take it seriously, and said lightly: "Thank you, Third Prince, for your compliment."

Liu Xu is still wondering, what is the third prince? Isn't that Hanako-sama? Xue Cai had already turned her head and said: "Liu Xu, go and see if the wine has been bought."

"Yes." Even though she was extremely curious, Liu Xu knew that this was Xiangye who was about to discuss matters with the distinguished guests, so she quickly bowed and retreated.

As soon as she left, Huazi's expression changed, she stopped laughing, and looked at the man seriously: "What happened to make you come to Bi country so far away!"

The man smiled slightly: "Guess."

"King Yan is dead?"

Xue Cai coughed.

Huazi stared at him: "Why, don't you also look forward to it?"

Xue Cai said coldly: "I haven't."

"Come on, if the king of Yan dies at this time, the queen will be able to launch a war, take advantage of the fire and plunder, and use the war to support the country. It will not only alleviate the country's poverty, but also turn civil strife. It is a great thing to kill two birds with one stone!"

Feng Xiaoya said: "It's a pity that I let you down. King Yan is strong and doesn't even have a cold or cough. I'm afraid you will have to wait seventy or eighty years."

Huazi opened her eyes wide: "If it's not him, then your father is dead?"

Xue Cai didn't even bother to cough.

Feng Xiaoya was silent for a while, and replied: "My father did pass away the year before last."

"Sorrow...what is that for?" Hanako was very puzzled, "For a person like you, if it is not such a big event as the death of the king and the death of his father, what is the urgent reason that makes you travel all the way to find Xue Pick?"

"Actually..." the man opened his mouth slowly, seeming to think about it every time he said a word, "Secondly, seeing Prime Minister Xue, I am here mainly to see you."

"See me?" Hanako was flattered.

"Yeah." The man nodded, looked at him, and said slowly, "I want to ask your opinion on something."

"What?"

"I want Cheng Guo."

The expression on Hanako's face stiffened. He dug his ears and turned his head to Xue Cai: "Did I hear wrong? I seem to have heard a very important sentence."

"You heard me right." Xue Cai's expression was indifferent, showing no emotions, "Feng Xiaoya wants Cheng Guo."

Feng Xiaoya stared and smiled, and said to Huazi: "So, I'm here to ask for your opinion, Cheng Guo's... the former third prince."

***

Hanako is not Hanako.

Before he became Hanako, he was a prince.

Yi Fei, the third prince of Cheng Guo of the Weifang Four Kingdoms.

Two years ago, he lost to his younger sister Yishu in the battle for imperial power. Since then, he has fled the country and left his hometown.

Yishu is still sending people everywhere to arrest him.

Therefore, his identity in Bi Country is an absolute secret and a hot potato.

Xue Cai kept the sweet potato and stewed it slowly, just in case.

Yi Fei himself knew very well that the purpose of Bi Country to take him in was not pure, but he had no other choice but to stay day by day and month by month.

One stay is two years.

But now, someone actually came to say that he wanted Cheng Guo.

If this person was someone else, Yi Fei would definitely think he was crazy, but because this person was Feng Xiaoya, and Xue Cai was sitting beside him, he immediately realized that there was a big game to be played. And he, fortunately and unfortunately, became one of the pawns.

Yi Fei stared at Feng Xiaoya for a long time, then smiled.

The smile was mocking and tricky: "What do you want? Although the people of Cheng State have strong limbs and simple minds, they can't tolerate a foreigner as their king. Unless...you marry Yishu and become the king's wife of Cheng State .”

"Um."

Yi Fei fell to the ground with a slap, and it took him a long time to get up, his face was full of shock: "What did you say?"

Xue Cai handed him a letter.

The exquisite letter paper wrapped in satin cloth and embroidered with the texture of silver snakes can be seen at a glance as coming from the imperial palace of Cheng State, and it is a symbol of the national book. Yi Fei opened the letterhead, and there were only three sentences in it—

"Cheng Wang is at the right age, and chooses a spouse to marry. The wealth of the whole country is shared with the king. On the ninth day of September, in the Yuan Palace, I sincerely invite you to come and talk about Cheng."

Yi Fei frowned, raised his head after a long time, looked at Feng Xiaoya with a strange look, and said, "Brother-in-law, how do you want me to help you?"

He intended to tease, but Feng Xiaoya said seriously: "There are eight candidates, among them, one from each of the five major clans of Cheng State, I am from Yan State, and Hu Jiuxian is from Yi State..."

"Wait!" Yi Fei interrupted him, "Hu Jiuxian? Is that the richest man in the world?"

"Yes."

"Is he nearing fifty?"

Feng Xiaoya said: "I also have eleven wives."

this! fall! yes!

Yi Fei sighed: He really shouldn't underestimate Yi Shu's ability to bear. That woman, as long as a man is beneficial to him, no matter what his status is, she can use it in bed. What is a mere fifty years old, and what are eleven wives...

But when Feng Xiaoya named the last candidate, he was still severely surprised.

Because, the last option is—

Xue Cai raised her head and said calmly, "I am the country of Bi."

***

Qiu Jiang walked forward with the money in her pocket. She walked quickly, hoping to get out of the house smoothly. As long as you leave the Xiangfu, you will be safe.

Yifei really gave her a very good chance.

However, when she saw that the gate was three feet away and she could go out soon, Aunt Zhang suddenly appeared and stopped her—

"Where are you going?"

Qiu Jiang had no choice but to stop, and replied honestly: "Buy wine for Lord Huazi..."

"I know he asked you to buy wine, I mean, do you know where to buy it?"

Qiu Jiang was taken aback.

Aunt Zhang came over, took the bunch of copper coins from her arms, weighed them, and smiled.

"I know where there is wine sold, come with me." Aunt Zhang turned and led the way. Qiu Jiang glanced at the gate three feet away, and decided to give it a go, but just as she mustered up the courage to rush to the gate, she saw a group of silver armor.

She immediately turned around, turned back, and came back behind Aunt Zhang.

Aunt Zhang didn't notice her small movements, and she led the way and said, "You are lucky, my nephew who is a shopkeeper happened to come to the house today to deliver spices, and there happened to be wine in his shelf, and it was good wine, cheap." Master Hanako!"

Qiu Jiang was perfunctory in his mouth, but he couldn't help turning his head back, feeling infinitely emotional.

Aunt Zhang turned her head, followed her gaze to look outside the door, and said, "Oh, did you see it too? I heard that it was Mr. Feng's accompanying women's army. Wherever he went, these thirty-three women in silver armor I will follow the girls wherever I go. They are all beauties like flowers and jade, and that young gentleman will really enjoy it."

Qiu Jiang smiled wryly.

Of course she knew that those girls had a common name, Kite.

It means the "Zheng" drawn by the "wind" Xiaoya.

Wherever Feng Xiaoya is, so will the kites.

Regardless of their young age, they are all very skilled in martial arts, and they are responsible for protecting Feng Xiaoya's safety on weekdays.

Feng Xiaoya is also a weird person, for example, he obviously brought so many girls with him, but it is his two coachmen who really serve him in daily necessities—one named Meng Buli and the other named Jiao Buqi.

They bathed him, combed his hair, dressed him, drove the car...everything that should be done by a maidservant, Feng Xiaoya didn't have to move a single finger from the beginning to the end.

I'm so lazy!

Qiu Jiang sarcastically followed Aunt Zhang to the backyard. A peddler was waiting in the courtyard, and when he saw them, he immediately greeted them: "Auntie, how are you?"

"Where's the wine?"

"Here." The peddler opened the stretcher, and there were indeed two jugs of wine inside, "Don't worry, aunt, they are all good wines, and they cost at least 150 renminbi when sold outside, and I only charge 80 renminbi for you."