late night song

Chapter 259 Take what you need
In the next three days, Gu Yuchu ordered people to clean the Qinglan Tower, the highest pavilion in Yuquan Palace. He used the few remaining furnishings and utensils in Yuquan Palace to turn the huge grandstand on the third floor into a banquet hall, and then called back the original ones. The dancers and musicians in the palace rehearsed the dance and music programs from previous years' family banquets in the palace, and ordered the royal chef to prepare dishes with the royal characteristics of the past.

Then, she released an official document, saying that the Qinglan Hall of Yuquan Palace would be reopened, and a private banquet would be held in front of the emperor, with royal dishes, dance and music, limited to eight seats, and the bidding for 1000 taels of gold would begin.

For a time, Qiongzhou was abuzz with this new and unheard of news.

Forbidden areas of the royal family were open like restaurants, inviting private banquets, which was unprecedented.People in the court who knew the reason lamented the audacity of Princess Ran Qi. People in the city who didn't know the reason just felt that their eyes had been opened in their lifetime. In short, the remaining dignity of the Lejia royal family was wiped out because of this incident.

In the past few days, people were talking about the private banquet at Qinglan Palace, but no one dared to try it.Although the Lejia royal family existed in name only, the people's awe for the royal family still existed. If the order was changed overnight and committed a serious crime of arrogance, it would be a suicide.

Therefore, there are countless people watching every day outside the specially designed royal banquet competition office, but the inner hall is as quiet as night.

On the evening of the third day after the official announcement was issued, Gu Yuchu was lying on the glazed tiles on the roof of Wuji Hall. The sunset was infinitely beautiful, but she had no intention of admiring it.Although she had found an internal agent for this big drama outside the palace in advance, no one could predict the final effect.

Just as the setting sun was completely submerged in the red clouds on the horizon, the fuze guard running outside Wuji Hall caught Gu Yuchu's attention. She flew down and landed gracefully in front of him. The young man was so shocked that he was speechless for a while.

"Has someone made a decision?" She couldn't hold back her anxiety anymore and asked directly.

"Yes...yes..." The guard was too tired to salute. He half-crouched with his hands on his knees and panted.

"'Qinnan Yuwen leaks half a palm, and thousands of households in Qiongzhou eat for one year', it is indeed true!"

Gu Yuchu crossed her arms and smiled happily and proudly. When she was traveling, she heard people talking about the Yuwen family in Qinan. What's more, Yu Wenfeng, the current head of the Yuwen Mansion, was Yan Ting's childhood friend, and they were both enemies and friends.

Yan Ting was smart since he was a child, and was ahead of Yu Wenfeng in reading and literacy. When he became an adult, Yu Wenfeng inherited the family business. After becoming wealthy, he felt that he had the capital to show off in front of Yan Ting, and he was relieved of the frustration he felt when he was young.

But after Yan Ting was promoted to the governor of Qiongzhou, he felt unbalanced again. Coupled with Gu Yuchu's important role, Yan Ting in the official family was even more proud, and Yu Wenfeng felt a lot of unhappiness in his heart.

So she forced Yan Ting to show off his pride in front of her son, so as to stimulate him to respond to the good opportunity she threw and show off his power.

"No, it's not Yu Wenfeng." The guard replied and handed the flower list to Gu Yuchu.

Gu Yuchu was shocked. Apart from Qinnan Yuwen's family, she really couldn't think of anyone who had such courage and financial resources to solve her urgent need.

Jun Gu Pharmacy, should pay 5000 taels of gold to win the first banquet of Qinglan Palace.

She looked at it again and again, and laughed softly unconsciously.

The first banquet of Qinglan Hall.

At dusk under the curtain, the lights are swaying, silk and bamboo are wrapped around the beams, and eight people in the building are drinking and drinking, their hearts surging.The common people set up an open-air teahouse outside Yuquan Palace. While looking at it, they lamented that the merchant's home was no longer what it used to be.

Gu Yuchu crossed his arms and waited for his old friend who quietly slipped out of the banquet.

"Princess is well!"

"Now that you're married, you haven't gotten rid of your weird speech habits." Gu Yuchu joked with a smile.

"The people over there are looking at me, I feel embarrassed." Juan Niang was referring to the group of elderly guests in Qinglan Tower who were so curious that they stretched their necks.

"Boss Meng is so generous. He can take 5000 taels of gold as soon as he wants."

"Then it depends on who needs it. Besides, we also have plans. Those who are invited to the banquet are all wealthy medicinal merchants from Beiling and Dongqi, as well as the leaders of Caobang and the owners of Qianzhuang. Can Jungu Pharmacy expand its presence in the Eastern Continent? The division of cabinets depends on this game. If you insist on limiting it to eight people, we have to weigh it again and again before confirming the invitation."

"The seats are so tight, Boss Meng is willing to bring his wife, it's really a deep love between husband and wife." Gu Yuchu said jokingly, looking at the plump Juan Niang.

"Come on, why are you presiding over the situation here alone, where is the young master?" Juan Niang asked.

"Well, he has something to deal with in Yunjing." Gu Yuchu didn't mention the story between the two, and just found a reason to brush it off. Too much happened between them, and the time was too short. I really didn't know what to do for a while. How to start.

Juan Niang saw that she was hesitant to speak, so she stopped asking, "Go to my shop when you have time and talk in detail."

"Okay."

Gu Yuchu replied with a smile, feeling grateful for her exquisiteness and thinking of repaying her favor: "I'll go and say hello with you."

"You are a princess now, with a distinguished status. You cannot condescend to it even when it comes to business. Besides, the best way to do business is to remain mysterious. The gathering of you and me has enough weight in the hearts of those people, so there is no need to add icing on the cake." My mother stopped me.

"You are the most proficient in business. I am right to listen to you."

So, in reluctance, Juan Niang bowed and left.Gu Yuchu looked towards the Qinglan Tower. Everyone was bowing in place to show their respect. She nodded, turned and left.

Since the private banquet in front of the emperor, the threshold of Jungu Pharmacy has almost been stepped down. Even if it weighs a few lily stews, people still flock in to see how rich this seemingly ordinary merchant is. , the first time you can spend a lot of money to enjoy the royal courtesy.

Later, Quan Hehe's chaebol family saw the opportunity and glory of the imperial private banquet, and the bidding office for the imperial private banquet became busy overnight.

In this game, Gu Yuchu grasped the urgent need for the merchant family to turn around and solved his urgent need.They have money, but they urgently need status and face. Yuquan Palace is short of money, but power can give them the status and status they want. This way everyone gets what they need, which is the reason behind the popularity of private banquets in front of the emperor.

The income of 5000 taels of gold a night eased the pressure to implement the New Deal.

But in the long run, if you want to make up for the shortfall of 5000 million taels of gold, you will need [-] banquets. There are only a handful of merchants in Kehehe who can spend thousands of taels of gold. Things are rare and valuable. When everyone Once the enthusiasm dissipates, the majesty of the imperial court may really be gone.

Fortunately, at this time, Yan Ting gave her even greater good news.

He was wronged and had short hair. He hesitated and was robbed of the limelight of the private banquet in front of the emperor. He didn't want to jump into this golden fire pit again, but he couldn't stand Yan Ting's showing off and cynicism. He was already thinking about donating a huge sum of money to the imperial court to implement the new policy. , wanting to capture the attention of everyone in one fell swoop.

Gu Yuchu saw this opportunity and sent another minister to take the initiative to help Yu Wenfeng come to him. So after a very high-level interview, Yu Wenfeng generously donated 1000 million taels of gold to the court. For this reason, Gu Yuchu personally gave him the title of Haozheng. A grand conferment ceremony was held to confer the title of nobility.

Since then, Yuwen Mansion has moved from being a merchant to being an earl of Hehe. He can enjoy the gift of both families, and his status is not inferior to that of Yan Ting.

However, in January, less than half of the 5000 million tael gold target was achieved. Now the old-school ministers who used money as a threat no longer dared to say a word, and the implementation of the New Deal began to go smoothly.

Gu Yuchu's worried heart was finally relieved. She slept on the couch where Lan Ye had slept, and whispered to herself: "Look, if you could see it, you would probably praise me."

Lan Ye's wish was fulfilled for her, but she owed more than just this old friend.

Gu Yuchu tossed and turned and couldn't sleep well all night.

The next day, she got up early and stretched her muscles under the white morning curtain. The vermilion gate opened in the distance, and an old man with a green robe and white beard, walking firmly, came slowly.

Gu Yuchu took a closer look and saw that it was the Chief Sima Wang Zhigen who she should take the initiative to please the most during this trip but had not taken any action.

She didn't have a good impression of this old man, because every strand of his beard clearly let her know that this man was very prejudiced against her. This was why she knew she should try to win over her but couldn't let go of her pride and act. reason.

Gu Yuchu stood on the steps of Wuji Hall, squinting her eyes and thinking repeatedly about the purpose of this old antique's trip. Unexpectedly, Wang Zhigen's unexpected gift made her tremble in her heart, secretly wondering if she had done something else. Things that go beyond the rules.

"I pay my respects to Your Highness the Princess. May Your Highness live in peace and happiness for a long time to come."

"Da Sima, you're welcome." Gu Yuchu cleverly stepped forward to support him. Apart from anything else, she really couldn't bear it, letting an old man kneel down on her.

"My lord came to see me today, but what's the big deal?"

"I come to wish the princess on her return to the court."

Gu Yuchu was stunned for a long time, and finally the two of them laughed tacitly.

Wang Zhigen was an upright man and hated the intrigues between powerful ministers. Therefore, when Ouyang Qunfang was in power, he only taught students and solved doubts, and did not participate in political affairs. After his best friend Ouyang Qunfang died for the country, he was in the court There is no one who can respond to a single call.After two years of war, when Hehe and the new dynasty were reorganized, the leaders were leaderless and the people were distraught, so he was invited by his disciples to take charge of the overall situation.

Later, with Beiling's acquiescence, a referendum was forced and forced, pushing Gu Yuchu to the top of Hehe's power. With his hatred for the overthrow of the dynasty and his stubborn prejudice against women, he was very concerned about this. Disgusted.

But the people were innocent, Hehe was riddled with holes, and they needed to stand up and devote all their efforts to restore order. Even if they were following the old path, and even if some of the old officials formed cliques for personal gain, he had to endure it for the time being.

Until Gu Yuchu returned to the court, everything he did was for the sake of the future of Hehe and the lives of the people. He even ignored his own face and raised money for the implementation of the New Deal. He knew this woman's righteousness and courage, and understood her With sincerity and sincerity, he put aside his grudges and prejudices and truly accepted this princess with a foreign surname.

Strange to say, the two people who had originally tested and reserved each other became very attached to each other when they talked about their plans and hopes for Hehe's future.

"The princess is really He He's hope."

"My lord, I'm so ridiculous. These are all blue leaves. No, Princess Ran Ying's entrustment to me is just like Lord Ouyang's entrustment to you."

When it comes to their close friends, Wang Zhigen and Gu Yuchu are filled with sadness and longing for each other. They are decades apart in age, but they can feel the same way when they talk about their old friends and their concerns.

"Princess, you know that your grandfather and I were classmates and good friends when we were young. When your mother was born, I held her in my arms. Her name was also given by the old man, Le Jia Qu Yang, in the hope that she would be everywhere in her life. Light, time flies by, and now her daughter is already this old." Wang Zhigen unconsciously mentioned his relationship with Gu Yuchu's mother, which greatly surprised her.

"Lejia Quyang... what a good name."

Gu Yuchu paused for a moment, feeling warm in her heart. After experiencing so much, she had completely let go of the past and the hatred between family and country that were a burden to her. For the first time, her mother's name sounded so nice to her.

Because of this, her awe for Wang Zhigen was increased by a lot of kindness. The care of her ancestors when she was a child was already a world away from her, so Gu Yuchu became naughty without knowing it: "Then can I do it in the future?" Can you call me grandpa?"

"This is arrogance when it comes to public affairs, but when it comes to private matters, I can still afford it..." Wang Zhigen stroked his beard. Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a clear and cheerful "Grandpa".

An old man and a young man were sitting on the steps of the Paradise Palace, facing the sunlight and laughing happily.

"Grandpa, you will be greatly affected by the implementation of the New Deal. I still have some private matters to attend to. I will leave the palace in a few days and take a look at the effect of the New Deal and the people's attitude towards it."

"I will try my best."

"Grandpa."

"Ah."

"Can I withdraw 1000 taels of gold from the treasury? I have a favor to repay."

Wang Zhigen was stunned, not expecting that she would ask for his opinion for the money.

"The princess can arrange her own money."

"Well."

Seven days later, Gu Yuchu initially determined several key points for the implementation of the New Deal. At the same time, he deliberately revealed to the officials that he intended to visit incognito again, and then quietly disappeared from Yuquan Palace.

Fifteen days later, a passerby disguised as a man appeared on horseback at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain in the northeastern territory of Hehe.

Jin Yutang died because of her, and Gu Yuchu remembered clearly that the daughter she promised must keep her promise even if her old friend is not around.

Phoenix Mountain is still lush and green, and the farmland at the foot of the mountain is harvesting in autumn. The people are extremely busy, but no one has noticed the existence of an outsider like her.

She rode a horse up the mountain alone. Vegetation had grown sparsely on the horse path, and the traces of traffic were not obvious. She passed the lookout post of Jinya Village in Fenghuang Mountain in the past, but no one warned her.

She jumped off the horse, tied it to the dilapidated stable, and walked inside alone.

After a hundred steps, someone finally spotted her. He was a child who was no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. He was sallow, skinny, and his eyes were dull. He didn't look like a bandit at all. When he saw her, an outsider, he jumped in. He ran towards the village, not forgetting to shout:

"The boss is back!!!"

Gu Yuchu was in a daze for a while, until an even more dazed woman in pink clothes ran towards her like a wind.

Just a few steps before the two of them collided, the woman stopped, and the expectation on her face instantly disappeared.

"Why are you? Where is the boss?" The woman in pink clothes was very dissatisfied, standing on her feet and looking behind her.

"Jin Yutang, he..." Gu Yuchu was a little choked, not knowing what to say. She had also rehearsed how to tell the news of Jin Yutang's death, but standing on the hilltop where he once dominated and enjoyed himself, she was still infinitely sentimental, and even more so. I never expected it to start like this.

"I knew that if he left with you, he would never come back." The woman said sadly to herself. The bright color on her body had long been covered with a layer of white frost, just like the white hair on her temples that couldn't be hidden. I have seen Jin Yutang many times in my dreams.

"Second master, isn't this the first master?" The child who had just run to report the news asked the two of them with a puzzled face.

"Are you... the second boss?" Gu Yuchu hesitated again and again, but still asked unconsciously. In her rough impression, although the second boss liked to put on makeup, he was a man.

"I am." The woman in pink nodded.

Gu Yuchu was stunned. He took a closer look and saw that the man in front of him had delicate features, a slender neck, and very white skin. If he didn't tell anyone, no one would be able to tell that he was a man.Finally, she noticed the obvious sign of his Adam's apple, and she was convinced again and again that the man in front of her was undoubtedly a man.

The warm wind of late summer blew by, and the two of them stood looking at each other.

A woman dressed as a man, and a man dressed as a woman, although it is ridiculous, it is even more sad.

The second master invited Gu Yuchu to join the village for a night of rice porridge, a plate of salted wild vegetables and a few pieces of smoked game, which was considered a decent meal.

Only a pair of bowls and chopsticks were placed in front of her. The second master sat opposite her. Gu Yuchu lowered his head and held the chopsticks, thinking about what to talk about.Fortunately, the second master took the initiative to speak and chatted with her about the past days between himself and Jinya Village.

It turned out that the second-in-command had looked like a boy and a girl since he was a child, and he himself believed that he was a woman who had been put in the wrong skin.He liked being a woman, but the world could not tolerate him, and he was bullied and abused. When he was 15 years old, he was desperate and committed suicide by drowning in a river. He was finally rescued by Jin Yutang.

He had lived in Jinya Village for more than three years. Once, he intercepted a dowry given to his daughter by a wealthy businessman. He liked one of the wedding dresses so much that he couldn't help but wear it secretly, but accidentally Being bumped into by Jin Yutang, he had to reveal his innermost secrets tremblingly. But what he didn't expect was that Jin Yutang didn't treat him with bad words or stay away from him like others. Instead, he let him know as usual. Take care of all the affairs in the village.

"You don't know, I look good in a skirt. Sometimes those stinky men's eyes are straightened out, hahaha." The second master was remembering to himself, lowering his head and fiddling with his hair, his eyes full of satisfaction and joy. .

"But the boss didn't like me wearing women's clothes. One day after drinking too much, he said to me, 'You're not a real woman. Wouldn't it look ugly dressed like this?' You are a woman. What do you think?" He suddenly looked up and said seriously. Asked, Gu Yuchu didn't know how to answer, so he could only remain silent.

The person he confided in did not respond, and the second master disagreed, and recalled to himself: "After that, I changed back to the stinky clothes of a man until he left with you. In fact, I knew that he was already dead. Dressed like this, I just thought that if his ghost comes back and sees me like this, he might get angry, right?"

He held his chin, raised his head, and smiled, tears falling down his cheeks. Gu Yuchu put down his chopsticks, and his eyes turned red.

"Why are you crying?! You are a real woman. You have won his heart without doing anything. And I have been by his side for so many years, and I haven't even had time to talk to him sincerely. You said you are a woman pretending to be He can like all men, why can’t I?”

Three questions in succession left Gu Yuchu speechless and made her cry.

She couldn't understand the pain of losing the life that was important to her heart.

Gu Yuchu stayed in Jinya Village for a few days, and the second-in-command always dragged her to talk about her long-hidden feelings, but she really didn't know how to comfort her, so she had to listen attentively without communicating.Finally, on the third day of talking over and over again, Gu Yuchu changed the topic.

"Are you two the only ones left in Jinya Village? Where are the others?"

"There was a war, and all the men died. The bandits in the mountains came down, and those who were lucky enough to survive married single women and started making a legitimate living. Even crooked melons like Jin Laosan had wives, and they had wives. How ugly the child will be."

"Why don't you go?"

"Look at me like this. Even the village kids will curse and throw stones at me. I've had enough of that kind of life." The second master said sadly, sober and sad.Then, he gathered his bun, paused, and continued: "Besides, I promised him that I would stay here."

"Can you help him defend Jinya Stronghold?" He asked earnestly when the woman in front of him fell silent again, with a hint of pride in his eyes.

Gu Yuchu was speechless again.

"You see, I am the only one who can help him defend Jinya Village. This is the Haikou I boasted about. Of course I can't keep my word." The second master asked himself.

Gu Yuchu could clearly see his sincerity towards Jin Yutang and his attachment to Jinya Village. Then he took out a wad of silver notes from his arms and handed them to him.

"You're right, I can't do it. I'll hand over these 1000 taels of gold to you. I hope you can live for him comfortably for the rest of your life."

The second boss happily counted the banknotes and scolded without raising his head: "Why didn't you take out so much money earlier!"

"I……"

Gu Yuchu was a little embarrassed. These days, she had been hesitating whether she should give him the money. After all, Jinya Village had been disbanded long ago. The money was urgently needed, so she didn't have to stick to her promise.But when she saw such an infatuated and loyal second master, she was still determined to do something for Jinya Village.

What's more, the person in front of her just recognized herself too clearly, but was not tolerated by the world and the world. It was really pitiful, so she decided to leave the money to him. If Jin Yutang could see such a result, , I won’t object.

"That's all. In return, if one day you are abandoned by this world like me, come to Jinya Village and I will leave you a private room with a view of the mountains and rivers. I will never break my promise." He folded the stack of silver notes and put them into his arms, straightened his body and promised with a smile.

"Okay." Gu Yuchu laughed, "Then I will say goodbye today and we will meet again if we are destined to meet again in the future."

The second master looked at Gu Yuchu steadily and also laughed.

"I may understand why Jin Yutang falls in love with you." He murmured.

"I may also understand why Jin Yutang trusts you." Gu Yuchu replied, also showing a smile, and then lightly told, "Be yourself happily and don't care what others say."

The man was stunned for several seconds, then burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)