She leaned on the table in a daze and counted the petals of the pear blossoms outside the window. There was a lingering feeling of old age, and it was so cold that it reached the bottom of her heart.
"Boring, boring. Miss Gu's life is really boring. Getting up, eating, sleeping, getting up, eating, sleeping, this cycle had been going on for a week.”Xiaoli immediately jumped onto the table impatiently.
"Miss, Miss, be careful." Shu Ying opened the door and jumped in fright.
"Shuying is suffocating me!”Xiaoli said impatiently.
Shu Ying was surprised. He quickly put down the tea tray and walked to the book table. He flipped through the stack of books on the table and said," Could it be that Miss has finished reading the books that Young Master sent?"”
Xiaoli sat on the table and said," Qi Yan Lu, Zhou Qin Xing Ji, Taiping Yu Lan, Zhu Yu Chao…Interesting, but I can't just bury it in a pile of books all day long. I must cultivate it into a book worm!”
"Puchi!" Shu Ying covered his mouth and laughed." Miss, you're getting more and more amusing."”
"Shuying, let me ask you, where did Nalan Xingde go? No, cousin, where did he go? Why was he nowhere to be seen?”Xiaoli sat on the table and casually shook her legs as she leaned over and asked.
"Young Master Biao has been following Aunt Zhou to Jinling to pick up relatives these few days. Miss, please don't jump anymore. If you're careful, you'll break it.”Shu Ying looked anxious as he waved his hands and begged.
"In that case, I'll come down.”Xiaoli pursed her lips and flipped down from the table.
"Miss, did you really damage your brain with this fall? Not only was his temperament different from before, but even his living habits had changed. Miss…" Shu Ying looked at Xiaoli with worry.
"That's right, Miss. You didn't bring anything from home. You brought a cart full of books. Why haven't I seen you read them these past few days? In the past, you were the most addicted to books and loved leisure. You never left the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting all day long.”Dark Fragrance said as she made tea.
"Isn't that so? Speaking of which, before Miss fell and broke it, that was the Jiangnan female Hanlin!”Shu Ying said proudly.
The more Xiaoli listened, the more she felt that her face was repulsive and ashamed. She thought that in the past few days, other than recuperating, she had really not done anything serious. Not to mention reading a book, not to mention the traditional vertical arrangement, there was not even a sentence reading. The yellowed pages only made people sleepy.
"Is that so? Am I really that powerful?" Xiaoli sized herself up and was rather doubtful. He glanced at them again and asked doubtfully.
"This talent, even Biao Young Master has to give in to you! Hehehe." Dark Fragrance teased.
" Pfft…" Shu Ying couldn't help but laugh.
"Good, good, you dare to take advantage of my master. " I'll make you kneel and beg for mercy…" Xiaoli opened her arms and pounced on the two girls, scaring them into fleeing in all directions.
Savage Shadow and Dark Fragrance thought that Miss had injured her head and was crazy, so they fled in fear. The Cold Fragrance Pavilion immediately quieted down, leaving only Little Li alone again.
"No, if this continues, I'll definitely suffocate to death. Madam only allows me to stroll around the backyard. These few days, the backyard has almost been trampled by me. I have to find something to relieve my boredom, right?”How could Xiaoli be idle? She had already made up her mind.
Outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity, two rows of imperial guards, dressed in bright mending clothes, stood under the red clover with their swords hanging at their waists.
At dawn, Kang Xi gargled his mouth with green salt water and sat at his desk to read memorials.
"Brother Emperor, Brother Emperor, teach me how to write lyrics.”He saw a young girl about 14 or 15 years old, dressed in a garnet-red dress, rubbing against Kang Xi's clothes like she was twisting candy. Her pink cheeks were like peach blossoms.
"Yu Min Ge Ge, the emperor is reading memorials, let's go somewhere else to play.”Yumin's personal eunuch, Eunuch Wang, was too old and slow to walk. It took him quite some time to rush into the palace and prostrate himself in front of the Emperor while begging for help.
Yumin was the 13th princess of Lord Shunzhi. Her mother died early, so she was raised by Empress Bumubu, the former empress dowager. She was very close to Kangxi since she was young. Now that he had grown up, he was brought by the old eunuch, Eunuch Wang, to live in Chang Ning Palace. Kang Xi was very fond of this sister. On the one hand, he pitied her for losing her mother when she was young, but on the other hand, he liked her studious and quick-witted.
"Wang Anda, you can leave first. Ge Ge can stay here with me.”The Emperor raised his head slightly and drew a few lines with his red pen.
"Tsk tsk." Eunuch Wang glanced at her and shook his head before retreating.
"Yumin, a few days ago, I asked the emperor to teach you Cuju. Yesterday, I asked him to teach you how to ride a horse. Today, you have to learn how to write lyrics.”The Emperor stopped writing and stroked Ge Ge's hair.
"Yumin wants to learn everything. Emperor brother, the empress sister-in-law said that you are the most powerful person in the world. You must know everything.”Yumin tugged at the emperor's dragon robe and shook it more happily, giggling.
"Good, good, good. Brother Emperor will bring you to the study now and teach you how to write poems and lyrics.”The Emperor couldn't argue with Gege, so he stood up, stretched, took Yumin's hand, and walked towards the study.
Under the setting sun, their reflections were gradually elongated. They saw a big shadow striding away, holding another lively little shadow. They still looked like they were close when they were children. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared at the turn of the corridor leading to the royal study.
At this moment, Rong Ruo was riding a snow-white horse along the river bank outside the city, closely followed by a large carriage with red curtains decorated with flowers and brocade.
Spring was already very late. Mixed peanut trees, groups of orioles flying around, crisp chirping of birds filled the ears, and the soft willows were floating in a seductive green. The spring breeze was proud of the horse hooves, and the flowers returned with the fragrance of horse hooves. Just as Rong Ruo was enjoying such a beautiful spring scenery, she gradually felt a trace of coolness on her face.
"What a wet apricot blossom rain.”Not only did Rong Ruo not feel annoyed by the rain, but she felt even more carefree. Drive! " Hehe…" He swung his horsewhip and galloped away gracefully.
"Big Brother Rong Ruo…find a place to hide from the rain and leave after the rain stops.”The pretty girl in the carriage leaned out of the curtain and called out in a delicate voice.
Rong Ruo's original galloping heart in the rain was suddenly extinguished, and she could only pull the reins with a sigh.
"Alright." Rong Ruo turned his horse around and slowly walked to the front of the carriage.
"Thank you, Big Brother Rong Ruo." The woman lifted the curtain with her delicate hand, revealing a soft and charming face.
Rong Ruo nodded slightly, and the group found a nearby tea shop. Everyone got off the carriage to rest.
"Brother Rong Ruo, thank you for helping me. My body has always been weak, and this carriage is a little too high.”The woman pouted as she stretched out half of her body to wave at Rong Ruo.
Rong Ruo casually got off the horse, held the green silk oilpaper umbrella, and helped the girl to the ground.
" Ouch..." The girl's feet were unsteady when she got out of the car, and she actually fell on Rong Ruo.
"Little sister, be careful." Rong Ruo quickly reached out to hold her. The young girl became even more shy, her cheeks blushing.
Rong Ruo was displeased, but she didn't wait to flare up. She helped him into the tea house, found a corner to sit down, and drank tea alone.
"Wanzhen, come over and sit beside mother.”The beautiful woman waved her hand, and the young girl flew over like a butterfly.
It turned out that Wanzhen was the daughter of Concubine Zhou's younger sister. The Zhou family was considered a prominent family in Jinling, and they had been very spoiled since they were young. They were also proud of their beauty, and when they grew up, they were even more arrogant.
The three women gathered together and started chatting. It was boring to listen to the daily trivia of the elders. Rong Ruo stood up and walked to the eaves of the tea house. Leaning against the pillar, she felt a sense of pity when she was lightly drenched in the silky drizzle. Then he chanted:
The tender smoke dyed the goose willow, just like the wind silk. It looks neat and tidy. entangled in the cold of spring, I'm thin and can't support it.
Cold invasion of dawn dream light cicada greasy, about red fat. I don't care about the luxuriant flowers. I'll grind it to make fragrant lichen.
The mountains and rivers were blurry, and they were dyed with the color of ink. The tender willows by the river were as clear as if they had been dyed by a passionate saint. Perhaps it was because the cold of spring had yet to end, but those delicate willow branches were wrapped in the east wind, either flying or dancing. Did this cool air enter your dreams? Are they like me, seeing you as a flower blooming under the affection of cicadas and moistened by rain?
But I cherish you as before, how can I be like the ruthless east wind, bear to blow you off the dust, grind you into fragrant mud.
Cousin, do you feel the chill of the spring rain at home?
"A piece of cake!" Xiaoli clapped her hands and easily jumped out of the Ming Mansion's wall.
In a flash, they arrived at the downtown area. It was February 2nd, the day when the dragon raised its head. Although it was not a big solar term, it was early spring. It was warm and cold at first, and it was more lively than winter. The street was full of shops and stalls, which were arranged in two rows early in the morning. The market was lined up in rows, and there were all kinds of acrobatics and all kinds of things that dazzled people.
"Wow! It was so lively! As expected, the capital was more prosperous than other places.”Xiaoli couldn't help but feel excited, and she pounced on him in an intoxicated posture.
There was a dazzling array of items at the stall, including Tang Sancai, Song inkstone, Yuan paintings, Ming porcelain, Western Region spice colored silk, golden chopsticks and jade bowls, Tian Bi eight treasure bottles, snuff bottles, bronze Buddha statues, distant mountain screens, beauty paintings... There was everything. Xiaoli was even more elated. She looked around at this stall and that shop. She threw the porcelain, scaring the peddler so much that he even called out for his grandmother. When the boss wasn't paying attention, she grabbed a few peaches and shouted louder than anyone else. As soon as the peddler received the money, she ran away.
He ran a few streets in a row in a crazed manner. Suddenly, he thought of something and said," Since I've come out, I can't return empty-handed. He had to bring some gifts for Madam to repay her for taking care of him these few days. However, what should I bring?"
"Qi Treasure Light Bead!" Xiaoli's eyes fell on the signboard of a shop and started to read.
"It's jewelry! Where did this illiterate girl come from?”Xiao Li turned her head and met the person's chest. She looked at him and saw that he was wearing a martial arts robe and was waving a swallowtail fan. The words " calm and natural, full of splendor and peace " were flying on the fan, which made him look elegant.
So it was Ji Kang's poem. Presumably, it also advocated the style of the Wei and Jin Dynasties. He was about twenty years old, with a well-defined face, a cool and handsome expression, and a pair of unruly eyes carved under his sword-like eyebrows, faintly swaying with an uneasy aura. However, this man who had a strong and calm demeanor spoke a little arrogantly.
"I need you to discipline me!" Xiaoli turned her face away and said disdainfully.
"How can you say that, little girl?”The man finally lowered his eyes and sized up the little girl in front of him. This girl was about thirteen or fourteen years old. Her entire body was like a stream of spring water, flowing with the green vitality of the mountains.
"Why do you have to speak like this?”Xiaoli also put on a domineering posture.
Unexpectedly, the man smiled slightly and walked into the jewelry shop. Seeing this, Xiaoli quickly followed him and entered the door before the man.
"What do you want to buy? I'm just looking around." The shopkeeper was born with a big body and a round waist, and his smile was wrinkled.
"Shopkeeper, do you have any jewelry suitable for a woman of my mother's age?”Xiaoli asked in front of the cabinet.
"Yes, yes, yes. There are clothes for all ages.”After saying that, the shopkeeper took out a brocade box from the bottom of the cabinet, opened it, and placed it in front of Xiaoli." A jade phoenix hairpin, inlaid with gold and jade. It has a noble aura." How is it?"
"Not good, not good. It's too tacky." Xiaoli shook her head like a rattle drum. The shopkeeper took out a wooden carved box from the upper and middle layer of the cabinet and gently pushed it in front of Xiaoli. He smiled and said," Coral dots and green chains, red with green, what a blessing, Miss."”
"You know how to talk, but you're still a little vulgar. Exchange it again!" Xiaoli waved her hand.
"Miss, what kind of fancy dress do you want? Tell me about it so that I can look for it according to your instructions.”Not only did the shopkeeper not get angry, but he even laughed even wider.
"The style needs to be more elegant, and the color needs to be more plain.”Xiaoli said thoughtfully.
"Miss, you really have good taste. Look at my poor eyesight. Seeing your attire, I should have guessed that you must be the young miss of a wealthy family in the capital, hehe. I'll look for it according to your instructions." The shopkeeper looked at Xiaoli happily, then carefully took out a long white porcelain box and placed it on the counter with a mysterious expression.
Xiaoli eagerly opened the porcelain box. Inside the box, there was a transparent and sparkling white jade pendant wrapped in a green silk cloth. The trunk was carved into the shape of a hibiscus, and the hanging beads were like lotus seeds that had emerged from the water. They seemed to have been stained with water vapor. The style was very beautiful.
Xiaoli was overjoyed. Just as she was about to pick it up and look at it carefully, a large hand beside her snatched it away.
"Shopkeeper, here's the money, keep the change!”The man smiled and tossed a gold ingot to the shopkeeper before leaving.
"Hey! Stop right there, no matter what, there's first come, first served!”Xiaoli did not listen and quickly followed the man out of the shop.
"Since you've paid, the item is mine. What else do you have to say?" The man suddenly stood still, and Xiaoli could not hold back her footsteps and almost bumped into him. She staggered a few steps and suddenly realized that she did not bring any money. She was embarrassed for a moment.
Xiaoli rolled her eyes and smiled." That's true. However, you're a tall and handsome man. You can't bully a naturally beautiful little girl like me for no reason, right?"”
"Then, what do you want from this naturally beautiful little girl?”The man stood with his hands behind his back, a smile finally appearing on his stern face.
"If you can answer a difficult question of mine, I'll let you do whatever you want. That Bu Yao naturally cupped his hands and didn't say anything.”Xiaoli said it in a green tone.
The man couldn't help but laugh. He thought that this girl was interesting and nodded slightly.
"Nodding means you agree. Then you have to admit defeat." Xiaoli smiled triumphantly.
"That's for sure. How could a man go back on his word?”The man's expression darkened as he crossed his arms.
"The Flaming Cinder Furnace is filled with the heart of an ape.”Xiaoli thought quickly and said.
"Donkey." The man replied casually, but he suddenly came back to his senses and cursed. He couldn't help but say angrily," You!”
Xiaoli's anger subsided and she burst out laughing.
"What is more annoying than crows?”Xiaoli raised her eyebrows proudly and grinned.
" This..." The man was puzzled for a moment, and his heart sank. He knew that he could not answer, but he felt relieved and clapped his hands as he laughed." Hahaha, interesting! It's yours." The man threw the porcelain box and untied the horse tied to the front of the shop. He mounted the horse and flipped his braid, and actually swaggered away.
Xiaoli caught the porcelain box that was thrown over and snickered. She continued to stroll on the street like a winning rooster.
Unknowingly, the sky was already dark. Because Xiaoli was penniless, she was already so hungry that her mouth was smoking.
"I'm hungry and thirsty…I don't care, let's eat and drink first.”She went straight to a restaurant by the street.
"Sir, please come in. Do you want to go to the restaurant or stay in the hotel?”The waiter came up with a smile.
"Hurry up and serve the good wine and dishes." Xiaoli waved her hand impatiently.
" We have a lot of good wine in our shop. Hangzhou Autumn Dew White, Xijing Golden Wine, Fenzhou Dry Wine, Fuping Stone Frozen Spring..." The waiter started to talk, and it seemed like he couldn't stop.
"Stop, stop, stop! Bring up the best in your shop. Hurry up and go!" Xiaoli pushed the waiter away with all her might.
" Okay..." The waiter answered as he quickly wiped the table with a white cloth on his shoulder." Please take a seat, sir. It'll be ready in a moment."”
Xiaoli immediately slumped down on the bench, her legs aching and almost falling apart.
In a flash, all kinds of dishes were placed on the table. Xiaoli swallowed her saliva and hurriedly picked up her chopsticks and chopsticks. She ate heartily and swept away the clouds.
" Oh, I'm so full…" Xiaoli held her slightly bulging belly and burped.
The customers in the restaurant stopped eating and looked back. Xiaoli subconsciously touched her shriveled purse and looked around guiltily. There were a few burly men guarding outside the shop, and she felt a lingering fear.
She didn't want to be beaten to death and her corpse exposed on the streets. She had to escape!
Xiaoli stood up and rushed to the door at lightning speed. With a muffled bang, she bumped into the waiter's chest. Oh no…
" I'm not trying to escape, it's just that…" Xiaoli's eyes were clear, and she clasped her hands together with a sorrowful expression.
"Sir, you forgot your things. Here." The waiter was still smiling as he respectfully handed over the porcelain box. He raised his hand and said," Take care, sir. Come again next time, hehe."”
"I…can…leave?" Xiaoli's face was full of doubt and unease as she pointed outside the door.
"Take care, sir, hehe." The waiter waved the cloth and gave it to him.
" Money..." Xiaoli said carefully.
"The money for the food and wine has already been paid for by the man who fanned the fan just now.”The waiter nodded and bowed.
Xiaoli was suspicious, so she turned around and looked back. The man who was fanning himself was drinking in the corner. She looked again. Wasn't that the person who had snatched her jewelry this morning?
Walking out of the restaurant, there were few people on the street. Xiaoli had drunk a lot of wine, so she stood at the entrance of the restaurant for a while. Her eyes were sleepy, and only a few people who were in a hurry occasionally flashed by, as well as a few dogs barking in the distance.
What time is it now? It's over, it's over. When I go back, I'll definitely be scolded to death by Madam. Xiaoli suddenly woke up and quickened her pace. In a short while, she arrived at the back door of the Ming residence.
Xiaoli raised her head and looked at the high walls of the Ming Residence. They were half a body taller than her. He had just remembered that he had left the ladder inside when he climbed over the wall this morning. Now that he had come out, how could he climb back? She hopped around the corner for a while, but it was useless.
"Hahaha! Is this what you call a cornered dog jumping over a wall?" These words suddenly came from a high place, and it was night, so it really scared her.
"Who is it? What kind of hero is hiding in the dark? Come out!”Xiaoli quickly turned around and looked around.
"It's me. Look up. I'm here.”
With a clang, a flagon of wine was thrown from the roof of the Ming Residence opposite the street. It smashed into pieces at Xiaoli's feet.
Xiaoli jumped back in shock and looked in the direction where the wine jug had been thrown. As expected, she saw a person sitting on the roof tiles, and there were some wine jugs piled up beside him. Xiaoli ran to the front and recognized that it was the man she had met in the morning. It was him again. He was really lingering.
"Hey, what's the big deal about scheming behind someone's back!”Xiaoli said angrily.
"What, are you the only one allowed to scold me?”The man lifted the wine pot, raised his head, and took a big gulp as he laughed.
"Come down if you dare!" Xiaoli stomped her feet in exasperation.
"Come up!" The man shouted.
" I..." Xiaoli knew that she didn't have the time, so she was embarrassed.
Without waiting for her to recover, the man jumped up and grabbed Xiaoli's arm the moment he touched the ground. With the help of the small tree in front of the house, he jumped up and the two of them were on the roof together.
The man helped Xiaoli to sit down and silently drank his wine.
"Do you have something on your mind?" Xiaoli silently observed for a while and guessed.
"No, I haven't." The man forcefully swallowed his words.
" Then you look like you've lost your parents. Could it be…" Xiaoli blinked and stared at him in a daze. The man felt uncomfortable under her gaze and avoided her gaze. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he said,"What are you speculating about?"
"Could it be that you lost your hairpin and were unhappy for the whole day? Now, you're drinking to drown your sorrows and relax your heart? You're too petty." Xiaoli laughed to herself.
"... Hehe, you're so carefree. You definitely don't know what it means to enter a noble's house as deep as the sea. From then on, Xiao Lang is a passerby..." The man held the wine pot tightly and frowned as he looked into the distance.
Xiao Li saw that he was suddenly worried and felt a wave of guilt in her heart. She subconsciously touched the porcelain box, then took out the jade hairpin and secretly put it into the man's purse.
He didn't notice that in a moment, the man suddenly sneered a few times and jumped to the ground. He smiled and waved at Xiaoli." Hey! Farewell, beautiful little girl.”Before he finished speaking, he had already left in dust.
"Hey, you tricked me again! Don't go. Put me down. Hey! Hey! " Hey…" Xiaoli immediately reacted, but the man had already disappeared into the night.
The cold wind blew for a long time, causing Xiaoli to shiver. She cried out mournfully, and the servants of the Ming residence rushed out from the back door to save Xiaoli who was on the roof.
The man stood not far away and turned his body to look at the Ming Residence. He only turned around when the light from the torch had completely disappeared into the residence. He touched the jade hairpin in his purse, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he slowly walked away.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]