Concubine, please respect yourself

Chapter 11 Salt

Yingsu's master and servant found an inn to live in, and asked the inn to bring some hot water, washed their bodies to wash away the dust, and sat on the wooden couch in the room to drink tea.

Jun picked up the cup, swallowed the tea in one gulp, frowned at the burnt eyebrows, took a couple of breaths and said, "Master, the girl in that store just now is really pretty, I wonder if it is better than that in Lu's mansion?" Who is the better-colored eldest lady?"

"I think it's the same!" Ying Su put on a straight face, disapproving, and filled the cup in front of her with tea.

"Master, what do you say?" Fuyun looked anxious.

"The Lu family used to be military generals for generations. The horses raised in the mansion are all good horses that have been on the battlefield. Different from ordinary horses, the horse that the girl was riding just now has a strong physique, a slender neck, and a light black coat. , Who else in Suzhou City can use war horses to drive chariots, besides the Lu State Duke's Mansion?" He closed his words, wrapped the Buddhist beads around his wrists, lowered his eyes, and remembered the girl's words in his mind.

It's really absurd, the more Ying Su thinks about it, the more anxious she becomes, as if she was really molested by a little girl?

Seeing that her master didn't speak, Fuyun's face turned blue and red, and asked worriedly: "Master, don't you still miss that girl?"

"Fuyun, go and buy some white sugar rice cakes," Ying Su ordered with a downcast face.

"No, master, how can anyone sell that thing in this area? You are not making trouble, er, if you want to eat it, I will go out and buy it." White sugar rice cake is a special pastry in the north, but they are in the south now. It's hard to find something to eat.

Besides, I have followed my master for many years, and I have never seen him eating sweets. It is not obvious that I am torturing myself. I just argued a few words and saw the master pursing his lips with displeasure on his face.

It has passed the corner, and the sun has climbed to the top of the head. At this time, there is no one in the Fengxian Tower, only two or three ladies gather together to touch the sparrows.

Arriving at Lady Fengxian's room, Lu Ziyu put down the stove in his hand, stretched out his thin hand and bowed slightly to the person inside the carved wooden screen: "Miss, how are you?"

There was a murmur from inside the screen, and a disheveled jade-faced gentleman sprang out, holding short boots in one hand and clenched the long gown with the other hand, his face was flushed, he saw someone entering the room and hurriedly took his things rushed outside the house.

Lu Ziyu was no stranger to this matter, but with a smile on his face and mouth, he jokingly said: "The lady is really in a good mood, I'm afraid that Yingniang is the only one in Fengxianlou who still keeps her body like a jade!"

"Why are you free today?" Lady Fengxian closed her robe, stepped on wooden clogs and walked to the imperial concubine's couch in the house, half closed her phoenix eyes, and leaned on it.

Lu Ziyu moved a round stool and placed it in front of the imperial concubine's couch, lifted his skirt and sat down, lightly tapped Fengxian's lady's calf with a small hand and said softly: "A few days ago, I heard that my lady's back hurts, I'm afraid it's because of the cold wind, This one happened to come out from Shopkeeper Baili today, and got a fine snow fox cloak, isn't this used as a tribute to you?"

"I accept this heart. In a short time, there will be the 'Ten Gallery Painting Boat' selection contest every five years. Are you ready?" The woman on the imperial concubine's bed squeezed a purple fruit from the fruit plate beside her. Putting it into her vermilion lips, she casually asked her fallen Yingniang.

The ten-gallery painting boat is a skill competition held every five years in the flower buildings of the southern states and counties. It is surrounded by ten ten-meter-long corridors. Wait, you can get off the boat for a competition when you have your own number plate. Thousands of people can sit in the audience to watch it together. .

Every time this event is held, many dignitaries, literati and poets are all willing to go there to see the beautiful faces of the ladies on the flower boats.

This year, it will be held on the bank of Dongdi Lake in Suzhou City. The flower boats from various prefectures may arrive in only three days. However, this ten-gallery art boat is different from the previous times with loose rules and self-determined themes. The painting, accompanied by the lingering sound of the dance, can be regarded as a test of many talents of the flower girls in various states.

"Master, don't worry, Yingniang has fully prepared a perfect plan. This year, the top flower building is my Fengxian Building." Lu Ziyu curled the corners of his lips, although his cheeks were smiling, but there was a stern look in his eyes, Stretching out his hand to support the peony hairpin on his head, he comforted Lady Fengxian and told her to relax.

For this ten-gallery boat competition, Wanxianglou will send Huaniang to compete for the first prize, but whether they can go back this time depends on the ability of Wanxianglou.

Five years ago, she had just entered the Fengxian Tower, and she was taken to Yangzhou by the lady of Fengxian to watch the ten-gallery painting competition. Lou was ranked second, and had nothing to say, so he planned to return to Suzhou. Unexpectedly, Ge Jiang, the flower lady who won the first prize in Yangzhou Wanxianglou, boarded the boat and humiliated Lanniang. West Lake committed suicide, Fengxianlou and Wanxianglou became enemies because of one life.

"Let's not mention these things, are you still eating the Ningxiang pill I gave you?" Lady Fengxian glanced at the collapsed Yingniang, turned her head slightly and looked at her fixedly.

"Young lady ordered, Yingniang dare not disobey, but these days, when I can always sleep, I can always smell a scent on my body."

"This Ningxiang Pill, but I found a Cunshan old Taoist to refine it. I collected a hundred kinds of spring, summer and winter flowers. After taking it for a long time, the body will secrete a fragrance liquid, and it can also make the skin firm and tender. You are my spoiled. Miss Hua, don't treat yourself roughly." After finishing speaking, he called the maid again and ordered to fetch another hundred Ningxiang pills.

He said again: "If you ask someone to ask, my lady, I have already found the answer, but Tao Niang was very tired last night, and she will reply to you when she wakes up for a while. The Kodan on this hand has not been stained for a long time, and it just happened to be with me today. Bar."

Lady Fengxian got up, and called four clever servant girls to color her nails, and sent Wanniang to pass a message to Taoniang. She would come here after waking up and freshening up. Wanniang promised,

Resigned and left.

The four girls first brought warm milk to clean the hands of the two masters, then crushed some flower petals and added alum, and carefully highlighted the nails with silver tweezers, until the crushed flower foam was placed on the ten fingers, and they were peeled off. I opened the silk handkerchiefs and wrapped them one by one like rice dumplings.

In a few minutes, Tao Niang knocked on the door and came to Fengxian Pavilion, first saluted Fengxian lady and Yingying said, "Greetings to lady."

Turning her head again, she looked at Lu Ziyu: "Yo, is Yingniang free today?"

Lu Ziyu got up and gave Tao Niang a light salute: "Sister Tao is well, I heard that my sister was very tired yesterday, this afternoon I just asked her about something, I am sorry for her."

Tao Niangzi's cheeks were flushed, she twisted the silk handkerchief in her hand and covered her mouth pretending to be angry: "What kind of dirty words are you talking about, it's my sister's good fortune to be able to help Ying Niang."

All the Huaniangs in Fengxianlou knew that there was a girl in the Fengxian Niangzi Pavilion who had an extraordinary family background, but no one dared to inquire about it.

"My sister usually has a lot of customers in the pavilion, but is there anything worth noticing?" Yingniang looked expectant.

Tao Niangzi thought about it for a while, her eyes turned, she clapped her hands and slammed her mouth, and said: "Although there are many customers on weekdays, they all complain about trivial matters at home. Two days ago, Jia Cen, the second son of Jia's mansion, came to me. In the pavilion, after getting drunk, he said that the price of salt in Suzhou is going to rise sharply in the next few days, and he even joked with me and told me to buy some salt while I have more money now, so as to save myself from having to eat a tasteless meal in a few days."

After rubbing the handkerchief, he continued: "At that time, I also wondered, although this Jia's family is a wealthy businessman in Suzhou City, but this salt and iron is a monopoly of the government, how could a merchant say such a thing in vain? I didn't dare to ask in detail, I just hid these words in my stomach."

After hearing what Tao Niang said, Lu Ziyu was puzzled, sat on the stool and frowned for a while, then suddenly got up from the stool, his phoenix eyes were happy, and his red lips were lightly parted: "There is something in Ying Niang's family, I will meet you in the future." Visit Master."

As soon as the words were finished, they left the door quickly, and the ladies in the room could only see Yingniang's black skirt, as if a green kingfisher flew by.

Listening to the attic again, I thought it was Yingniang stepping on the stairs too hastily, she only made a "thump, thud" sound, Fengxian lady rushed out of the door, and said to the downstairs, "Pay attention to your rules."

"Hurry up, Luo Ning, let's go back to the mansion!" Lu Ziyu hadn't put on his veiled hat yet, he just pressed his fingers on the roof, and went straight to the carriage, urging Luo Ning to tell the coachman to drive back to the Duke's mansion.

In the car, Lu Ziyu held the stove in his hand and tapped on it, thinking carefully.

If she's not mistaken, the Ninth Prince came to Suzhou City to investigate the salt quotations. Beijing must have known that the southern government and businessmen colluded to raise the price of salt privately, affecting tax revenue.

Things really went as I thought, and the day when Lu Guogong's mansion returned to Beijing was greatly brought forward.

"Miss is here, hey, be careful with sprained feet." Luo Ning's words hadn't dissipated yet, only to see his master stretch out his flower-stained fingers, leaning on the side of the carriage and jumping off, only to scare Luo Ning on the side. My heart is in my throat.

"Is the Eldest Young Master here, is the Eldest Young Master here?" Lu Ziyu trotted towards the mansion, and while running, he asked the servants beside him if he had seen the Eldest Young Master.

"I saw you, my master is reading a book in the study." The servant who was carrying the fish food replied with a salute to Lu Ziyu.

"Brother, I have something urgent to discuss." Lu Ziyu ran in a hurry, his skirt was covered with dust, and arrived at his elder brother's study room. Before he could stop, he slammed open the door, scaring Lu Zhiting who was preparing for the spring exam. Ji Ling, the wolf hair dipped in ink fell to the ground, and a few drops of ink were also stained on the splashed white robe.

"Why is there such a hurry that my sister Xian'e has forgotten the etiquette of a noble lady?" Although Lu Zhiting was embarrassed by his own sister, he never opened his mouth to blame, he only smiled softly and asked slowly.

Lu Ziyu saw his elder brother's gentle and elegant personality, and really couldn't bear to teach his elder brother badly, but right now, for the benefit of the Lu family, he knew that his elder brother would not know what he was planning to do.

"Yu'er heard that the price of salt in Suzhou will rise to seven cents a bucket. I'm afraid it will cause riots among the people in Suzhou City. I want to ask my brother to come forward and collect salt wantonly. Only three days after the salt price rises, he can be in front of my Lu residence. Sprinkle the salt." Lu Ziyu rubbed his forehead that had just closed the door, muttering softly and acting like a baby.

"How could the price of salt rise so fast? Are you sure about this?" Lu Zhiting's face was gloomy, he clasped his hands together, and rubbed his thumbs in circles.

"I'm sure. Although my Lu family is not an official family now, but it has inherited the title for generations. How can I see the turmoil in Suzhou, so I ask my brother for help."

"You don't have to worry about this. Tomorrow I will ask my servants to go out to buy salt. Even if this is not true, it must be taken as a precautionary measure." But a good official.

Seeing that his brother agreed, Lu Ziyu didn't question him too much, he secretly felt a little happy, as if a fox's plot was about to come to fruition, his long and narrow phoenix eyes narrowed, and a faint light shone.

(End of this chapter)