Chapter 17: The Banquet of Thousand Years: Catching Turtles in an Urn 2
A few people arrived late and slowly sat next to Chu Shou.
Chu Shou smiled and said, "Sister Hongying, why are you so late?"
Gu Hongying glanced at her sister-in-law Su Wenning beside her and replied: "I was delayed for some time on the road, so I'm late."
Su Wen Ning had a cold face, a raised chin, a long neck, thin lips, a high nose bridge, wide almond-shaped eyes, and a pair of eyebrows, making her look like a fierce child.
"A few days ago, my mother-in-law's fifth uncle and youngest daughter Su Shi Ali told me that she saw you in Ganlinzhou. I thought she was talking nonsense, but I didn't expect it was really you!"
Chu Shou responded, nodded with a smile, and responded to this common question about returning to Kyoto: "I am in a hurry. If I am not busy, I must get together with Sister Hongying..."
Gu Hongying clicked her tongue, waved her hands, and denied: "I should be the one to see you. Over the years, you have been thinking about the city and countryside for me, all year round. Thanks to the rescue of Old General Chu, my brother can save his life.
."
As he spoke, he became sad.
On the side, Su Wenning put down her wine glass heavily, turned to look at Gu Hongying, and said in a low voice: "Sister-in-law, what kind of kindness is this? Can you remember it for the rest of your life? If the Chu family really wants to save people, they will work hard.
Achievements, are they so easy? There has to be some kind of engagement. To put it bluntly, it’s just a deal between you and me..."
As he said that, he glanced at Chu Shou and rolled his eyes: "It's not my fault that you should be grateful every day."
Chu Shou lowered his eyes and sighed helplessly. When her grandfather sent a message saying that something unexpected happened to the Gu family, His Majesty was so furious that he ordered everyone to be executed.
At that time, Gu Hongying, Gu's eldest daughter, was already married. Her younger brother, Gu Chengye, and her second daughter, Gu Ruihuan, were in the family. In order to save their children, they left the orphans on their deathbed and sent their youngest daughter to Gu Hongying's in-laws' family, the Su family, to raise them, and their only son was
The Chu family came forward as guarantee.
When Chu Shou received the offer of a marriage contract as security, he agreed without thinking. After all, it was important to save people.
Thinking about it afterwards, Su Wen Ning, the second daughter of the Su family in Kyoto City, probably hated her so much that she wanted to appoint Gu Chengye as her husband, so the relationship was sealed.
Chu Shou was silent, and the ladies and ladies at the table did not dare to say a word, but Princess Changle listened with great interest.
Gu Hongying was anxious but didn't know what to say. While she was thinking about it, a voice came from the table.
He said in a deep voice: "Since you are so fond of that young master, why don't you ask your father to use your marriage contract as a guarantee to get this favor as soon as possible?"
After Su Wenning heard this, she immediately patted the desk in front of her, leaned forward slightly, and said to Qu Zhuoyi at the opposite desk: "Qu Zhuoyi! Don't go crazy here!"
When she asked her father to come forward to rescue Gu Chengye, his father kept a straight face and refused to answer a word, scolding the Gu family for not being able to get involved in the muddy waters. She was angry with him for someone who was beyond her reach!
She was also quite stubborn and knelt for a whole day in the cold wind of winter. She couldn't hold on anymore and fainted.
When she woke up again, she was disheartened, thinking that she was separated from her husband Gu Langjun. Unexpectedly, her father brought news, the Chu family came forward, and Gu Chengye saved his life. When she was overjoyed, she said that it was because of the engagement.
As a guarantee, Gu Chengye was regarded as the son-in-law of the Chu family.
She felt sad again and had been depressed for a month. But even so, in Gu Chengye's eyes, she was just a young lady from the Su family whom he had met a few times, no different from anyone else.
It would be false to say that she was not unwilling. She was resentful and extremely unwilling.
Qu Zhuoyi sat upright, folded his arms, sneered, rolled his eyes, and ignored him.
Chu Shou couldn't help but wonder, since when did Kyoto have such a famous figure? He was quick to talk, very straightforward, and turned to watching the show.
"Ning'er, I thought there were countless rumors about this, but now it seems that you are really so affectionate, Ning'er." Wen Xianwan twirled her veil, covered her lips and chuckled, her eyebrows were raised to the sky, and her face was full of sneer and pride, she
This cousin is arrogant and prideful. Taking advantage of Su's family background, she usually gives her a lot of love and finally seizes the opportunity. How can she do it without using it?
"Yes, Miss Su, there are so many good men in Kyoto, why hang yourself on a tree!" Xue Ying held up the wine glass and gestured towards Su Wenning to salute, "Come! I'll give you a toast to calm down.
."
What Xue Ying said was true, and it was true. With such a simple mind, he naturally couldn't understand the meaning of Wen Xian's words, but he tried to persuade her.
Su Wenning glared at Wen Xianwan fiercely, grabbed the wine glass in front of the case in her hand, swayed back a glass, and then drank it all in one gulp, and said: "Although Sister Wen is still sitting in the boudoir, her ears and eyes are really clear.
Give your Wen family credit."
As soon as Su Wenning finished speaking, Wen Xianwan's face turned green. Everyone present knew this and laughed lightly.
There are two reasons: First, Wen Xianwan is still in the boudoir, and she is several years older than them. She should be married as a woman, but she still hasn't been able to ask for a relative, and she just listens to rumors.
She is just a talkative woman and does not do her job properly.
Secondly, Wen Xianwan's father was a daughter-in-law, and her brother and she should have taken their mother's surname Zhao, but the old princess casually mentioned that Zhao was the surname of Gao Ming Qi, so she only asked her brother to take the surname Zhao, and she still took her father's surname Wen.
, for this reason, she even made a fuss once, which became a pain point for her from then on.
"Sister Wen, do you want to have a drink with me too?"
Su Wen Ning continued to add fuel to the fire, Wen Xianwan's expression couldn't be contained at all, she got up and left the table angrily.
The old princess looked at her from a distance, her face full of worry. Concubine Rong Gui, who was sitting in the seat, was also a little lost, and she was being polite absentmindedly.
The dance music suddenly changed its tune, and the originally peaceful sound began to become brighter, and the sound of pipa played continuously like pearls falling into the moon disk.
The veiled girl played the piano with her jade hands, and the sound of the pipa was like the tinkling of spring water, and the jade flute was melodious, as if coming from the clouds, making people feel relaxed and happy, and the sound of drums was like the low roar of the earth, gradually rising up,
The dancing girl was barefoot, holding a small drum in her hand, playing enthusiastically.
Someone at the banquet couldn't help but admired: "As expected of His Royal Highness, this is better than the arrangement by the old musicians in the palace."
"These are the top-notch musicians in the entire Ming Dynasty. Only after they have earned Boshan's reputation are they willing to gather together to celebrate the feast."
For a moment, everyone's eyes were attracted, but some people were confused and asked: Why can I only hear the music but not the dancing girl?
Before he finished speaking, the Feilou window pavilion was opened, and several graceful dancers slid down from the heads of everyone along the thick cables. The gauze was graceful, setting off a faint fragrance, and finally reached the stage steadily.
superior.
The six dancers all covered their faces with gold gauze and wore exotic costumes. They danced elegantly and mysteriously, with bright eyebrows and soft and graceful figures. Whether it was music, dance, or people, it was indeed the first time I had seen them all.
Chu Shou sat and drank for a while, grabbed a handful of snacks in his hand and watched the beauty dance, and gave half of it to the three thousand people behind him, Ah Shui. Come out and don't starve.
Although the girl on the stage was covered with a veil and couldn't see her face clearly, the facial features of the leading dancer looked more and more familiar.
Chu Shou was suddenly shocked. He recalled that the dancer looked like the Sophora Lady with a soft sword she met in Cangjia City. She dropped the snacks in her hand and placed them on the table. She leaned forward slightly.
, on the banquet over there, no one from the Metropolitan Procuratorate could be seen, "Obviously they were still eating there just now..."
She didn't get up, but was looking around. The banquet was as enjoyable as usual.
The only strange thing was the leading dancer. Chu Shou decided not to care about anything else and would keep an eye on Zhao Huainiang during the whole scene.
When the music was at its most intense and high-spirited, Huainiang climbed onto the cable again, holding the gauze with one hand and flying towards the opposite side of the stage.
Everyone thought it was a choreographed movement, and when they raised their eyes in admiration, Huainiang easily jumped up with a strong effort on her hand, landed steadily on the rope hanging in the air, and withdrew the soft sword wrapped around her waist with her backhand.
With a few steps, he headed towards Concubine Rong, who was in the right position...
Chu Shou took a look, and sure enough... he immediately pulled out a folded short bow from his skirt and robe, unfolded it with a flick, then pulled out a golden short arrow, stood up, loaded the bow with an arrow, and swung the bow like
It's like a full moon, and it's getting ready to go.
Only then did everyone react, and the music stopped suddenly, but this assassin was much more powerful than Chu Shou had imagined. In an instant, a large group of men in black appeared from nowhere and poured into the banquet... For a moment, people everywhere
upset.
Noisy sounds were whistling in Chu Shou's ears, but now she felt as quiet as if only the leaping Sophora Niang was left in the world. She drew her bow and arrow and aimed at her figure, moving slowly with her leaping.
.
The maid behind Concubine Rong saw the soft sword of the dancing girl pointing directly at the center of the concubine's eyebrows. She immediately rushed forward and shouted loudly: "Someone is coming! Someone is coming quickly! There is an assassin!"
But the chaos off the field was not as simple as on the field. Those men in black did not hurt anyone. They just turned over many tables and knocked the tools to the ground. It was even more lively than before. Everyone was panicking.
Busy running for their lives, scattered in all directions.
Ah Shui and San Qian were guarding her. Chu Shou stared at the target and shook his head gently. She hadn't held a bow and arrow for a long time, and she brought it into the palace just in case, but she didn't expect to actually use it.
In the only shooting range, many figures fleeing in panic flashed before Tentacle Wen's eyes. These dignitaries lost all their airs and staggered in panic.
"Five, four..." Chu Shou silently counted the countdown, because once the countdown ended, the soft sword would inevitably slip through the concubine's neck, and there would be no chance of survival.
"three two…---"
With a swipe sound, the golden arrow whizzed away as her voice fell, flying straight towards Zhao Huainiang, cutting through the sky like a sharp blade.
When Chu Shou opened his eyes again, the imperial maid had already helped Concubine Rong off the high platform, and was hiding everywhere with the crowd.
"Ah Shui, Sanqian, take them to a far away place to hide!"
Chu Shou did not turn around, but shouted an instruction, then took the bow and arrow and headed in the direction of Huainiang's escape.
Ah Shui and Sanqian helped Gu Hongying and his party find their way out of the banquet. Su Wenning also followed with difficulty.
Qu Zhuoyi was still sitting upright and saw that the men in black didn't seem to have any intention of killing anyone. Then he looked at Chu Shou's retreating back from a distance, his eyes full of approval. There were some interesting people in Kyoto...
Chang Le, who was beside Concubine Rong, was surrounded by a group of internal officials and maids. She didn't say she wanted to leave. Even if she was in trouble, she couldn't act on her own.
Changle was a bit weird. Faced with this situation, she was not as panicked as other young masters and ladies. With the idea that the imperial army would come over soon to stabilize the situation, she began to "appreciate" the chaos.
scene.
The red lips were slightly opened. The louder the ladies' panicked voices became, and the more obvious the whistling sound of the long knife sliding through the air, the more excited she became, like a giant python lying in the dark, spitting out a red message.
"Princess, let's..." a young eunuch nearby reminded with a trembling voice.
Changle put his golden-armored index finger to his bright red lips and said, "Shh... this is much better than the tacky song just now..."
@
During Chu's birthday, she met a man in black. The man in black was holding a big knife in his hand and was trying to slash at her. She didn't hide and didn't care. The man in black was stunned for a moment and then pretended to slash her.
I went somewhere else, like crazy, just thinking about smashing things...
Chu Shou was speechless:…………
They were very measured in their actions. They didn't want to kill anyone at all. Instead, they wanted to see the roaring and shining swords messing up the place. The more messy the better.
Just when Zhao Huainiang was about to succeed, she was hit by an arrow. The man showed mercy and shot her right arm. She reluctantly picked up the soft sword that fell to the ground, put it back on her waist, and hid
He took the veil and dance clothes from the dark place, covered his shoulders and walked out of the banquet with his head lowered.
Stumbling along the way, looking for the most secluded place, she tried several times to pull out the sharp arrow embedded in her flesh and bones, but endured the pain and gave up the idea.
The arrow was clever, and after being shot into the shoulder, it automatically bloomed like a flower, and was firmly "planted" in the flesh and blood.
She was sweating profusely, her face was as pale as paper, and she stumbled into a dark alley. Unable to hold on any longer, she fell down while holding on to the wall. After sitting down, she gasped for air, her temples pounding like thunder, and she raised her hands to ask for help.
He could reach the golden arrow, but he couldn't reach it, so he could only endure the pain.
Suddenly there was the sound of gentle footsteps, and she suddenly held her breath and concentrated, reaching for the soft sword at her waist with her left hand...
"I'm looking at you, you are so brave." Chu Shou walked slowly, holding a bow and arrow, his voice was cold.
Huainiang's heart that was in her throat quickly dropped again, and she forced herself to smile and said: "The bruise on your knee has just dissipated, and this has given you a new injury, Princess..."
"Who sent you here?" Chu Shou asked coldly.
Zhao Huainiang said weakly, her voice still charming: "Of course... the person who brought me to Kyoto sent me here..."
Chu Shou raised the corner of his mouth and sneered, his eyes were a little cold, and he walked forward again, directly pulling out the golden arrow from her shoulder. Zhao Huainiang couldn't hold back the previous one, she screamed, and then immediately bit it
After holding his wrist, the bone-eroding pain quickly spread throughout his body, so painful that he lost all feeling at the wound, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Chu Shou pulled off a corner of his robe, bandaged her briefly, and took out a waist badge from his waist, which was the talisman for entering and exiting the palace. He threw it next to Zhao Huainiang and said coldly: "Left left after leaving the palace."
There is a river five miles away. If you scratch your face with gravel, you can just pick up a stone and jump in. Just don't die in the palace."
Zhao Huainiang held her hand and touched the talisman, chuckled a few times, then raised her head to straighten her sweat-soaked hair, and said with a soft smile: "If you can follow the river to my hometown, I can do it."
Think about it."
Chu Shou snorted coldly, waved his hand, and walked into the darkness again with the bloody golden arrow in hand.