Embroidered color and fragrance

Chapter 1
70 years ago, the Mongols entered the customs and opened the period of foreign rule, known as "Yuan" in history.

Thirty years ago, wars broke out across the Central Plains, and the Han people were dissatisfied with the tyranny and desperately resisted.

20 years ago, Su Zhengxing established his capital at Pingjiang Mansion, and named his country "Later Song Dynasty". In the same year, Zhao Zhiang, who was born in a reckless family, ruled along the Yangtze River with him. He set his capital at Yingtian, and named his country "Zhou".

Since then, the two have joined hands to drive the Yuan people out of the Central Plains after nearly six years of fighting.

Two tigers cannot fit in one mountain.

After the Yuan people left, Su Zhengxing broke with Zhao Zhiang, and nearly 15 years of internal fighting began. A few years later, Zhao Zhiang was defeated and lost Ying Tian.

Three years ago, Zhao Zhiang, who had always been at a disadvantage, suddenly became more powerful and continued to fight back. In the early spring of this year, Su Zhengxing and his two sons were killed in Qinzhou, Shandong. Since then, the Central Plains, which has been raging for 30 years, has finally calmed down.

In the later Song Dynasty, the trees fell and the monkeys scattered, the court collapsed overnight, Su Zhengxing's descendants and family members were all killed, and there was no trace of the Su family in Pingjiang Mansion.

The great week without the flames of war is slowly returning to life, singing and laughing everywhere, decorating with lights and festoons...

The same is true of Jinxiufang in Yingtian City. The bright red lanterns at the entrance are burning like fire in the bright June sun. When a gust of wind blows, the lanterns shake and fall to the ground, and then a sharp voice shouts: "Liu As for the sixth child, hang up the lantern, if it falls again, I will kill you."

Liu Laoliu was a hunchback, he picked up the lantern with his back bowed, and nodded his head incessantly. The mother-in-law jumped down first, and he immediately saluted with a smile, "Aunt Qiu is back, it's been a hard trip."

"It's true. The old bones are all broken." Aunt Qiu said with a smile, and turned to tell the carriage, "What are you doing in there, come down."

After saying that, I saw a round face protruding from the car, with a pair of big eyes, turning around with a grunt, and said with a smile: "Auntie, is this Jinxiufang? It's so big!"

Aunt Qiu understood that people who saw Jinxiufang for the first time were amazed.

She is very proud. She entered Jinxiu Workshop at the age of seven, from an apprentice to today's master master. She has survived all the wonderful years, but she has no regrets. She is willing to spend her whole life for Jinxiu Workshop and Suzhou Embroidery craftsmanship.

"Miss Cai, come down quickly." Aunt Qiu said with a smile.

Cai Xuan jumped down with her skirt in hand, and waved to the inside of the car, "Ajin, come and see, Jinxiufang is so big."

"Yeah. Here we come." Jiaojiao's cool voice made people feel relieved, and then a slender hand rested on the door frame. There is a softness in the astringency, which makes people's hearts tremble.

Lian Qiu couldn't help but take another look.

After a while, five girls got out of the small carriage and stood in front of her together.

"Let's go." Aunt Qiu was not very satisfied, because when recruiting apprentices before, there were only girls who were seven or eight years old. This time, the youngest one brought back from Pingjiang Mansion was 13 years old, and the oldest one was fifteen years old.

When you are older, it is easy to have other thoughts and not concentrate on doing things.

But the good thing is that these five people have their own foundations, she has tested it herself, so she can save a little effort.

The five girls huddled together and commented on the plaque in Jinxiufang, Cai Xuan said: "My elder brother said, this is the inscription by the Holy Majesty himself when he was in Yingtian."

"What's the matter, when we have the opportunity to go to Zhizao Mansion, we can see a bigger plaque, which is also inscribed by the Holy One." Ruan Siying smiled with her face covered, her eyes full of expectation.

Dou Rao said indifferently, "Jinxiufang is dedicated to delivering embroidery to Zhizaofu, and it's not uncommon for the inscriptions to be written by the Holy One."

Several people nodded their heads, excited.

Su Wanru also looked up at the plaque, and saw a trace of repair in the middle of the plaque, she smiled almost inaudibly at the corner of her mouth.

It's ridicule.

When Zhao Zhiang lost Ying Tian and fled to Yanjing, the plaque here was immediately removed... Unexpectedly, Jinxiufang could still find this plaque after ten years since he ascended the throne in Yanjing.

It seems that the head of the family here really has the ability to predict the future.

"A Jin." Cai Xuan came over and pulled her, and said with a smile: "Hurry up, Aunt Qiu said to arrange a place for us first, let's live together."

Su Wanru regained her senses, nodded and said, "Okay."

The other girls all looked at them.

A group of people entered the courtyard. Jinxiufang was originally the residence of a foreign princess in the previous dynasty, so it was very large, covering an area of ​​a hundred acres. The front yards and small buildings were used for work. They walked from the corner gate, and they kept meeting each other along the way. young girl.

Ten-year-olds, seven or eight-year-olds, their eyes are dazzled like they are in a bush of flowers.

Passing through the layers of houses and walking through the winding corridors, Cai Xuan followed Aunt Qiu chattering and asking questions, Su Wanru raised her head to look northwest, her footsteps paused slightly.

There is a nine-story pagoda in the northwest. Bells are hung on the eight feet of the pagoda, which jingle in the breeze.

This is the Moon Tower, she narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly.

The group stopped in a courtyard with six rooms, pointed to two empty rooms, and Aunt Qiu said, "The five of you will live here from now on, and each courtyard has four sweeping mothers and four Is there anything I can let them do." Then he glanced at the girls' hands again, "You have to be diligent when doing things in other places, but in Jinxiu Workshop, your hands can't do anything but embroider , without doing anything."

The materials here are all treasures, and the embroidery is all going to the palace. If the hands are rough and the materials are scratched, even if they are killed, they can't afford it.

"Yes!" Su Wanru followed the crowd with her head down, she glanced at the rough envoy in the yard, thinking that she would inquire about something later.

Qiu Nanny glanced at her face, turned around and entered the yard without saying anything.

Su Wanru, Cai Xuan and Hu Qiongyue share a room together.

Three single beds were placed empty in the room, with three cabinets at both ends, and nothing else, but Cai Xuan was very happy even so, and sat on the bed and said, "Finally, we are Jinxiu from now on." People from the square."

Hu Qiongyue didn't talk much, she silently chose the bed by the window, packed her bags, and went to fetch water from the well in the compound with a basin.

"A Jin." Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Cai Xuan immediately sat up and said in a low voice, "Do you know her? Is she also from Pingjiang Mansion? As for Hunan embroidery, which master taught her?"

Su Wanru tidied up the middle bed. She had no choice but to pick out both ends. When Cai Xuan asked, she said absent-mindedly: "I don't know her. If you are curious, you can ask in person."

Cai Xuan shook her head, "I don't want to ask." As she spoke, she sat down on her bed and looked at Su Wanru.

A washed white Gebu short jacket, underneath is a hibiscus-colored thread skirt, with a few broken orchids embroidered on the skirt, the branches and leaves are green and the orchids are fresh, she is an expert, so she can tell from a glance that these flowers embroidered It was not easy, when she was in the car, she took advantage of Su Wanru's inattention and looked through it, and she could hardly see the end of the thread.

For this flower, even her master has to work hard.

She secretly marveled, and couldn't help but look at Su Wanru's face. At the age of fourteen or fifteen, her complexion was delicate and fair, especially those eyes, which shone with light when they moved, and were so clear that they could illuminate the figure of a person.

She was born in an ordinary family, but she behaved gracefully and dignifiedly, with a unique temperament that she had never seen before.

Therefore, she became more and more itchy, wanting to know Su Wanru's identity.

"Are you from Pingjiang Mansion too?" Cai Xuan approached curiously.

Su Wanru raised her eyebrows and smiled at her, saying, "Yes."

"Then where do you live, why have I never seen you before?" Cai Xuan followed her behind, with an attitude of breaking the casserole to ask the end, Su Wanru paused and said: "In the alley of Su's house, I rarely go out. So you don't know."

Cai Xuan groaned, and said again: "You are going to be fifteen this year, are you engaged?"

Su Wanru smiled and shook her head, grabbing the right to speak, "What about you, are you engaged? You are so likable, marriage must be easy."

Cai Xuan didn't realize that not only did she not get an answer to her question, but she was turned on by Su Wanru, and said with a smile: "I've decided, my mother said that after I have worked here for five years, she will redeem me and get married. My brother opened a butcher shop, which can support me."

Su Wanru sat on the bedside and folded clothes. In the past, these things were done by a dedicated person, but now the situation is different and she has to do it herself.

But even so, she didn't do very well, and her clothes were in a mess.

"I'll help you." Cai Xuan smiled and said, "Your clothes are too old, let's buy new ones when the money is issued this month."

"Thank you." Su Wanru looked at Cai Xuan with a smile. If her affairs go well in five years, she will leave here in a few days. "Congratulations in advance."

Cai Xuan laughed, her cheeks flushed slightly.

After tidying up, Su Wanru went out with a basin, and bumped into Hu Qiongyue head-on, she went straight past as if she didn't see him.

When the water came up, Su Wanru stood in front of the shelf, the clear well water reflected her face, her eyes were slightly astringent.

In fact, she is very familiar with Yingtian. She was also familiar with Zhizaofu, the university she attended in Nanjing in her early years.However, what should be familiar to her is not what she is familiar with.

The world has changed with time, and she has no ability to resist.

"What are you thinking about?" Ruan Siying squatted down in front of her with a smile, and imitated her to look up at the sky, the disappointment in Su Wanru's eyes disappeared instantly, she smiled lightly, and said, "It's going to rain."

Ruan Siying is 14 years old and from Changshu. This time, he was sent in by his natal brother through a relationship. He signed a six-year contract and can leave after the job is over.

"The rain in summer comes and goes quickly." Ruan Siying said, "Tell me, when will aunt let us practice on the embroidery frame?"

Su Wanru shook her head, and said: "Let's just listen to my aunt's arrangement, there is always something for us to do." Otherwise, why buy them.

Ruan Siying nodded thoughtfully, and was about to speak when she suddenly saw Aunt Qiu hurrying over through the corner door, seeing the two of them, she said, "Call the others over and go to the front yard."

"Yes." Su Wanru responded without asking any further questions, and went to call everyone together with Ruan Siying.

As soon as they entered the yard, Hu Qiongyue and Cai Xuan had already come out. Cai Xuan asked, "Did aunt call us? What's the matter?"

Su Wanru shook her head, crossed Hu Qiongyue's eyes, and the two of them went in and out one by one.

Cai Xuan poked her head to urge Su Wanru, "Just put the basin at the door, hurry up, let's go together."

Su Wanru hummed and put the basin out.

"Auntie, what's the matter? Are we going to be put on the shelf today?" Cai Xuan asked chirping like a bird.

The other four followed behind them.

"There are people coming from the yamen." Aunt Qiu walked quickly and explained: "The yamen will come to count the number of people every month. Please go there for a while and don't make a lot of noise. Just nod people's heads and remember their names, and you'll be fine."

Cai Xuan groaned, then turned her head and blinked at Su Wanru.

yamen?Su Wanru thumped in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. Hu Qiongyue walked over without a sound, and said next to her, "Don't say you missed something."

Su Wanru ignored her and walked a few steps slowly.

They passed through several corridors as when they came, and they arrived at the front yard. There were already one or two hundred people standing in the huge yard.

They are at the bottom.

"All the five people you brought here today?" In front of them, a chubby woman in her early forties stood on the steps. It's all here."

The person in charge, surnamed Duan, combed her own hair like Aunt Qiu and never married.

Su Wanru raised her head to look at Duan Zhangshi, glanced briefly, then lowered her eyes slightly.

In the corridor, four men in pea-green official uniforms came out holding the roster, and the fair-skinned and young man sat firmly in the armchair, while the other cleared his throat and said: "The miscellaneous family rolls the roll as usual, and those who call should respond." .”

Everyone lowered their heads and should be.

The man was about to roll his name, when suddenly there was a series of footsteps behind him, and then someone whispered a few words to the sitting servant, his expression changed and he beckoned Duan, who heard it and shouted: "Where is the Qiu family?"

The roll call stopped.

Aunt Qiu was taken aback, and hurriedly replied: "The servant is here."

"As for the people you brought back today, bring them up, Lord Hou will personally intervene." Director Duan was very curious. Zhennan Hou's merits were unmatched by anyone. He heard that the emperor was going to make him a king with a different surname, but he said I was too young, it was enough to confer a Marquis and build a family to honor our ancestors, so I was conferred a Marquis, but the Holy One felt that he owed it, and then compensated a Taibao for his idle position.

How could such a person come to Jinxiufang suddenly?
Is it...

Duan Zhangshi was sweating all over, looking thoughtfully at the few newcomers brought by Aunt Qiu.

Aunt Qiu was also stunned, and after a pause, she responded and said to Su Wanru and the others: "Everyone come to the front."

Su Wanru's heart skipped a beat, and suddenly her arm was grabbed by Hu Qiongyue, she turned her head and saw him staring at her with a pale face, suppressing his voice, and said, "Su Wanru, don't forget that you are now an embroidered lady, not a princess."

"Let go." Su Wanru frowned and pushed Hu Qiongyue away, and said coldly, "Take care of yourself."

(End of this chapter)