Empress Chu

Page 265

Liang Qiang lowered her head and saw her sister.

The younger sister's eyes were filled with amazement and joy, and the child was not worried. He was already stunned when he came here, and he wanted to run inward.

She looked at the jeweled women in the hall, her eyes were shining, she was like them, she was one of them.

At this moment, the melodious music played, accompanied by the shouts of the servants, "Your Majesty, Empress, here you are."

The chatting and laughing in the hall stopped immediately, and everyone stood still, bowing forward to salute.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, Empress—"

Liang Qiang and her mother also saluted along with the crowd, Liang Xiaomei couldn't help being curious and quietly looked forward through the gap between the adults, and saw a boy about her own age, wearing a dragon robe, walking slowly while holding the hand of a girl with a phoenix crown come.

Chapter 81 Far and near

New year, new festival and new atmosphere, there are feasts in the palace, the streets and markets in the capital are also brightly lit, and the people are flocking.

The night market was bustling, and many soldiers and guards passed by from time to time, but they did not cause panic among the people. These were soldiers patrolling the streets. With them, the torch robbers who got drunk and fought would be dealt with in time.

Seeing the soldiers and guards coming on horseback, the people gave way one after another, and the two men who looked like idlers also retreated to the side of the street.

"It's really not easy. You have to be an errand during the New Year's Eve." A man sighed.

The other man nodded: "That's how the servants are. They get busier as the New Year comes." After speaking, he glanced at the man, "Is Master Liu busy? Let's find a place to have a drink?"

The man called Liu Ye laughed: "Our busyness is different from theirs. We are busy anytime, anywhere, and drinking is also busy." Then he patted the man on the shoulder, "Qi Ye, today I treat, I know there is a barbecue shop, hidden in an inconspicuous place, but the craftsmanship is very good."

Lord Qi was not polite either, the two left the noisy street and came to the pier which was relatively deserted.

The usually busy wharf is much quieter during the New Year’s Eve, but there are still scattered cargo ships coming in and out, and seven or eight people are waiting for the unloading and carrying business. Because of the Chinese New Year, they can’t help but come to the barbecue stand to eat a meal. Meat, drink a glass of water and wine.

Qi Ye and Liu Ye didn't care about the shabby stall and low-level staff. They ordered two barbecues and a jug of wine.

"The taste is really good." Qi Ye praised, poured wine for Liu Ye, and asked, "How is your harvest recently?"

The sixth master drank the wine in one gulp, bared his teeth and said, "There's no harvest, I really saw a ghost."

Master Qi sighed, "So do we, we can only wait to the west to see if there is any good way."

Sounds like two businessmen?Or a farmer?The manpower at the side heard a few words and guessed in their hearts. Looking at these two people, they were dressed in ordinary clothes, and their appearance was unrecognizable.

"Two brothers, don't worry." A man took a few more sips from a bowl of wine, comforting him with a bit of drunkenness, "It's peaceful now, and this year will definitely get better and better."

Qi Ye and Sixth Master didn't mind these poor people answering, and raised the wine with a smile: "Thank you brother for your good words."

After the sixth master drank the wine, he called the old man who roasted the meat: "Add one more, and—"

Lord Qi stopped him: "Don't ask for wine." Their errands can't drink too much, of course they can't say this, "—the meat is delicious, but the wine is really not good."

Liu Ye understood his meaning with a smile, and raised his voice to the barbecue old man: "You should also prepare some wine."

The old barbecue man didn't mind either, and said with a smile, "It's a small business, and good wine is more expensive than meat."

The poor laborers on the pier are willing to eat a bite of meat for strength, but they are reluctant to part with wine.

Sixth Master just said that, smiled and continued to eat meat.

But let a few people take over the wine, who doesn't like good wine.

"I haven't had much good wine." A man smacked his lips, "But Yu Shang's jug of wine the year before last was really delicious. Now that I think about it, I still have a lingering aroma in my mouth."

Hearing these words, Master Qi and Master Liu, who were eating meat, gave a fistful and raised their heads at the same time, seeing sparks in each other's eyes in the dark night.

Yu Shang.

……

……

The New Year's festival is not only lively in the capital, but also in Bianjun this year, which is unprecedentedly joyful.

Even in the newly recovered land where no one has moved, one can hear the continuous sound of firecrackers, and the ground is shaking.

This made the person lying on the slope frown. He was wrapped in a thick animal skin jacket and scarf to cover his head and face, only showing a pair of eyes, which were full of dissatisfaction at this time.

"Have all the firecrackers and fireworks been blown up in the county town?" He said, stretching out his hand to pull up the scarf, covering his eyes, "It's so noisy."

But this failed to isolate the outside world, and there was another sharp bird song in the air.

The people on the slope kicked the ground and sat up: "I'm really convinced. Being a bandit has more rules than being a soldier. If you have something to say, use this damn bird language!"

He tore off the scarf, put his finger on his mouth, and uttered two tactful, damned birdsong, got up and slid down the slope, and whistled again, so that the horses who didn't know where they were grazing had to come running.

At the same time, two horses came running from a distance, and the two on the horses waved to him and shouted, "Ah Jiu has changed the guard—"

Ah Jiu——Xie Yanlai waved her hands indifferently to them.

"Ah Jiu." The two didn't care, and said enthusiastically, "Happy Chinese New Year."

Xie Yanlai responded "Okay." Raising the whip, the horse galloped

Although this area was originally said to belong to Xiliang, the people of Xiliang did not live here, and the people of Daxia did not dare to approach it. No one has set foot here for decades. Now it belongs to Daxia. No people have moved here, and it looks desolate at first glance.

But after crossing a few ravines, I saw fireworks bursting in the air, crackling firecrackers one after another, and a gathering place appeared in front of me.

Although most of them are ground nests, there are also scattered houses, some built and some under construction.

Like all places in Daxia, it is also full of New Year's atmosphere at this moment.

Children are running and playing in new clothes, women are sitting together talking and laughing, and men are slaughtering prey. At first glance, it looks like a common village.

But with the sound of birds chirping in the air, and prying figures appearing from all around from time to time, and when entering the villages and towns, they saw playful children holding wooden sharpened swords in their hands, even girls were no exception. Occasionally, knife handles are exposed from people's waists—you know this is not a common village.

"Ajiu is back."

"Ah Jiu, come to our house and try the newly made steamed meat."

But when they saw Xie Yanlai, the villagers greeted him warmly, as if they had known neighbors for many years. Even if Xie Yanlai wrapped his face in a scarf, his eyes softened as he walked all the way. When he jumped off his horse at the door of his house, a group of children roared past , Xie Yanlai avoided in three steps and two steps with long legs.

By the way, he grabbed a child and lifted up the pants that were almost mopping the floor.

"Wait for me, wait for me."

The child was not grateful, because the play was delayed, and he was anxious to break free.

Xie Yanlai pointed at him angrily: "Little boy, I will step on my trousers and throw a dog into the mud." After saying that, he raised the rein, let the horse go freely, and walked into the yard.

It is said to be a yard, but it is actually a circle of fences, and the house has only one nest.

However, the neighbor next to his "home" lives in a three-room house that has been built, and chickens and ducks are raised in the yard surrounded by a fence.

This can be said to be the best house in the village, just like a big family.

Xie Yanlai lifted her long legs, crossed her own "courtyard wall", and then crossed the neighbor's "courtyard wall", then jumped into the chicken and duck nest and reached for the eggs——

"Second Lord—" A servant ran out from the main room, shouting loudly like a chicken and a duck, "Ah Jiu stole eggs again—"

Xie Yanlai glared at him, shaking the hot eggs in her hands: "What a fuss, isn't it just eggs? Besides, your chickens and ducks are stealing the grass and worms in my yard to eat."

The boy snorted, and wanted to say something, when a voice came from inside: "Ah Cai, is the water boiling? Is the rice ready?"

The little servant sighed: "I know, I know, don't rush, let's cook." After saying that, he walked to another room, and did not forget to give Xie Yan a look, and warned in a low voice: "Don't come and steal my food! "

Xie Yanlai raised his eyebrows at him and ignored him, then looked at the main room, and could vaguely see a figure sitting upright, holding a book in his hand.

"Mr. I wish you are still studying hard for the Chinese New Year." He said in a drawn out voice, "Is this the first time you have spent such a leisurely year with nothing to do?"

The people inside ignored him, Xie Yanlai pouted and didn't bother to talk to him anymore, and went back across the courtyard wall with the eggs.

But the people in the house could not be quiet, and the servant rushed out from the kitchen again, holding two pieces of fat and thin meat.

"Second Master, Second Master." He shouted, "Look at what this is? I don't know who put it in the kitchen."

The people in the room seemed to be tireless and came out holding the scrolls.

"Is this a gift from someone?" The servant asked in a low voice, and couldn't help muttering again, "You even get a gift from someone who is a bandit?"

Is it the second master's fate?

Deng Yi glanced at the meat in the boy's hand and said, "This is Shu Xiu."

Shu Xiu, of course the boy knew what Shu Xiu meant. He patted his head and suddenly realized, yes, now the second master is no longer an official, but he has no ability to be a bandit, so he can only be a teacher in the bandit den. Teach the little bandits to read and write——

They lived in the fastest and best house because one of them was used as a school.

He was overjoyed: "Knows the rules and knows how to give gifts to the husband." Le Diandian turned around and went into the kitchen after saying that, "I stewed them today. The old lady said yesterday that she would serve meat to the master and the uncle, can't Let them starve in the grave."

Deng Yi couldn't help calling him, and asked, "Why don't you keep this gift and give it away later?"

For a long time, the servant never took all the gifts received by Deng Yi, and was always ready to give them out.

Hearing the question, the young man turned his head and was puzzled: "Second Master, are you confused? Shu Xiu is not a gift, it's a gentleman's ritual, it's only right and proper."

Deng Yi wanted to say something, but the old woman's voice came from inside, "Ah Er, have the offerings for your father and your elder brother been prepared yet?"

Deng Yi raised his voice and said to the inside: "Mother, I did it, I cooked meat today." He waved his hand to the boy.

The boy pouted and took the meat into the kitchen.

Standing outside the door, Deng Yi listened to the commotion in the village, looked at the chickens and ducks clucking and quacking in the yard, and suddenly saw another person walking towards this side, it was a woman in red——

"Mr. Zhu." Mu Mianhong greeted with a smile first, "Happy New Year."

Deng Yi nodded to her.

Mu Mianhong didn't talk to him any more, and called out with a smile, "Ah Jiu—" "Ah Jiu, come out and find something."

After yelling a few times, the chickens and ducks quacked, Xie Yanlai could only walk out of the nest, impatiently asking what was the matter: "My duty for today is over."

Mu Mianhong didn't answer, just smiled and said: "Follow me." After saying that, he walked away.

Xie Yanlai reluctantly followed.

Deng Yi looked at his back and muttered: "This kid is really lucky."

After finishing speaking, he looked down at the scroll in his hand, and slowly paced in the yard while reading.

……

……

Mumianhong lives in a tent, which is spacious and comfortable. Xie Yanlai came in to look at the meals on the table.

"What's the matter?" He asked a little uncomfortably, "I'm going to have dinner soon, and Zhu Erjia's meal is about to be ready."

Mu Mianhong had already sat down first. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "You don't have to eat his food today, but mine here."

Xie Yanlai refused to sit down: "Then I'll eat his."

Eating kapok red rice, this is her mother - how can he say that he came to eat at home?

Xie Yanlai's ears turned red slightly.

"I want to hear you talk about Azhao." Mu Mianhong said with a smile.

Then you can't eat it!Xie Yanlai turned her head and was about to leave: "I don't know, I'm not her, you wait for her to tell you."

"Ah Jiu." Mu Mianhong called out, "Actually, I also watched her grow up. When she was young, she often came to the county town to play. She would fight with this or that. I can't stand-"

Xie Yanlai turned her feet away, but her ears were pricked up, and she couldn't help listening to Mu Mianhong's story about Chu Zhao when she was a child.

"—Later she went to the capital, and I couldn't see her anymore." Mu Mianhong sighed softly, "I don't know what she is like in the capital—"

Xie Yanlai couldn't help but said: "She is still in the capital."

Mu Mianhong smiled and asked: "Really? But Ah Zhao is very smart, I think she will hide her true nature when she goes to the capital."

"No way." Xie Yan said.

Mu Mianhong pointed at the table again: "Come on, sit down and talk."

Xie Yanlai hesitated for a while, and sat down without refusing.

The two ate while talking, Xie Yanlai gradually let go of her restraint, and she beamed brightly when talking about Chu Zhao.

"—how courageous she is, hitting my whip, it was a real hit, she rushed straight up—"

"In plain sight."

"It's fun to beat her cousin in the restaurant. That kid can't beat the fight. He was so angry that he cried—"

Kapok Hong smiled and listened.

Xie Yanlai also became more and more addicted to talking, and sighed in her heart, so he had seen her do so many things——

Wei Wei was distracted, and suddenly heard Mu Mianhong ask: "She will come here with you soon, right?"