That night, Pyongyang Prefectural Counselor Yin Pu Yihong hosted a banquet for Zhang Yuan and his party. During the dinner, Liu Dongming learned that Zhang Yuan had decided to leave for Seoul tomorrow. He was very happy.
The two angels toasted. Zhang Yuan said that he did not drink much because he was not fully recovered yet. Ruan Dacheng drank a lot until the glass was dry. He took advantage of the drunkenness to compose an impromptu poem, which impressed many North Korean officials and praised the two angels as great talents.
, Zhang Yuan received high praise without writing a single poem.
At the beginning of Xu Shi, Ruan Dacheng was very drunk. Pu Shenyin sent the two angels back to Datong Hall in his own carriage. Together with Liu Dongming, he sent Zhang Yuan and others to the front of the hall before saying goodbye. Two warriors in golden robes helped Ruan Dacheng back to his room to rest.
The weather was a bit sultry. After taking a shower, Zhang Yuan walked to the girl Xiaozhen's residence with a folding fan. Following him were still Ma Kuoqi and Sheba. These two soldiers from western Sichuan were extremely stupid and loyal. Zhang Yuan went to the toilet with them.
Also keep watch.
The door was closed, and there was no candlelight coming out of the window lattice covered with white cotton paper. Zhang Yuan knocked on the door a few times but did not hear a response. He thought to himself: "It is the end of Xu. Could it be that these two Korean girls have already gone to bed?"
I still have something to discuss with them." Then he knocked on the door harder and called out: "Miss Xiaozhen - Miss Gu -"
He didn't hear any movement in the room for a long time. Zhang Yuan thought to himself that although the girl Xiaozhen could not speak, her ears were not deaf. How could she not hear him calling the door? Xiaozhen could not respond, but the dancer Gu Xishan could reply. Could it be that
Liu Dongming and others took advantage of him leaving Datong Hall today to send people to arrest the two girls?
Zhang Yuan pushed the door hard, and the door was bolted from the inside. Sheba pulled out a sharp knife and reached into the crack of the door to cut off the bolt. He kicked it, and the wooden door suddenly opened. One side of the room was dark, and there seemed to be movement in the bedroom behind. Zhang Yuan said loudly:
"Miss Xiaozhen, Miss Gu." There was a sound inside but no one answered.
Sheba held the knife and rushed in first, saying "Hey". When Zhang Yuan went in to take a look, he saw a large bathtub in front of the bed in the darkness. The curtains on the bed were drooped. The room was filled with sophora flowers and water vapor. Zhang Yuan stared intently.
Looking at the canopy bed, he asked: "Miss Xiaozhen, Miss Gu?"
The curtain moved, and a head popped out. Her nose was straight, her lips were moist, her eyebrows were thin and her eyes were beautiful. It was the girl Xiaozhen. She grabbed the curtain with both hands and gathered it around her neck——
Zhang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, shook his head and smiled in the darkness. The two North Korean girls were taking a bath, but he broke in recklessly and said, "Sorry, I'll wait outside for a while while you put on your clothes. I have something to tell you."
." After saying that, he, Sheba, and Ma Kuoqi retreated to the outside. Standing in front of the door, Ma Kuoqi smiled "ho ho".
After a while, the dim light from the oil lamp inside flowed out, and the girl Xiaozhen came out holding the lamp. She was wearing a white dress with a right hem, a purple skirt, her wet hair had been pulled into a bun, and a long hairpin was tied up.
Putting the oil lamp on the small table, he bent down to salute Zhang Yuan, then raised his face, his cheeks flushed, and quickly knelt down to polish ink, spread out a piece of Korean paper, took a goat hair and presented it to Zhang Yuan respectfully.
——
Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "You can hear it without me writing it - where is Miss Gu?"
The girl Xiaozhen pointed inwards.
Zhang Yuan asked again: "Is Miss Gu feeling better?" He wondered if such a loud movement had not awakened the dancer. Could it be that the injury had been repeated and she was unconscious again?
The girl Xiaozhen wrote: "I just took the medicine and fell asleep. I am still a little drowsy."
Zhang Yuan said "hmm" and knelt down beside the small table, frowning slightly. He saw Jin Chaoshi today and forgot to mention Xiaozhen and Gu Xishan. He will leave Pyongyang tomorrow. What should the two girls do?
arrange?
The girl wrote: "Has the angel met Mr. Jin today?"
Zhang Yuan ordered Sheba to patrol outside the room and said to the girl: "I see, some things have been arranged, but our mission will leave Pyongyang tomorrow for Seoul. Where will you and Miss Gu go?"
The girl's fingers were long and slender, and she held the pen very elegantly. With a flash of eyelashes, she looked at Zhang Yuan and wrote: "Can you follow the angel on the road?"
Zhang Yuan pondered for a moment. If the two of them were left in Pyongyang, Xishan would definitely be captured and tortured by Councilor Pu Yihong. The girl Xiaozhen would also be implicated. He had already decided to help Concubine Inmu and Concubine Renmu.
Lord Lingyang, on his side, could not let Gu Xishan fall into the hands of Liu Dongming and the others, so he immediately asked: "Can Miss Gu withstand the bumps of the carriage?"
The girl Xiaozhen wrote: "The gold sore medicine in the Shangguo is excellent, and I can ride on it with Xishan."
Zhang Yuan said: "That's good. Get ready and set off with me tomorrow." After that, he nodded to the girl, stood up and walked out. The girl Xiaozhen also quickly got up and followed in small steps. Zhang Yuan turned around and asked: "
Anything else?"
The girl shook her head and turned back, holding an oil lamp to light the way for Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "No need for lighting, it's just a few steps. You can go back and rest." When he walked to the corner of the house and looked back, the girl was standing in front of the door holding a lamp in both hands. The light reflected her bright face and her eyes were full of light.
——
…
At the beginning of the morning of the fourth day of May, the Ming Dynasty delegation, which had stayed in the Datong Pavilion for five days, finally left Pyongyang and set off for Seoul, the royal capital. Liu Dongming, Liu Xiya, Yu Yan, Xu Jun, Jin Zhongqing and others accompanied them. Liu Dongming had received a secret report from the pavilion.
, Jin virgin’s female disciple and the dancer who stabbed herself also followed the Ming Dynasty envoy on the road. The two women were sitting in Zhang Yuan’s carriage——
Dancer Gu Heishan's injuries gradually recovered, which was beyond Liu Dongming's expectation. He originally thought that Gu Heishan would not survive more than three days, but he was unexpectedly saved by Kim Chushi's mute female disciple. Now Zhang Yuan takes them on the road, what is his intention?
After traveling sixty miles that day, we arrived at Shengyang Pavilion. The counselor of Zhonghe County and the magistrate of Xiancong County hosted a banquet in honor of the Ming Dynasty envoy. The counselor of Zhonghe County reported to Liu Dongming that the king had sent His Royal Highness Lord Lingyang to greet the angel of the Ming Dynasty.
, having arrived at Xingyi Pavilion, Liu Dongming immediately explained the matter to Zhang Yuan and Ruan Dacheng. Zhang Yuan said: "The king of your country is so kind. When I come to Wang Jing, I will express my thanks in person." He thought to himself: "Jin Chushi is indeed well-informed. He is here.
It’s really Ayang-kun Li Jie.”
At the banquet, Liu Dongming asked Jin Zhongqing to ask Zhang Yuan how to deal with the dancer Gu Heishan. Zhang Yuan said: "The female disciple of Jin virgin is still being treated. When the injury is basically healed, I will hand it over to General Liu after I finish asking."
Since Zhang Yuan said this, Liu Dongming didn't feel like saying anything else, so he only arranged his personnel to keep an eye on the female disciple Golden Virgin and the dancer Gu Xishan.
After the banquet ended, the steward of the Shengyang Pavilion led Zhang Yuan and others to rest. A steward suddenly said beside Zhang Yuan: "Sir, we are approaching Huanghai Road tomorrow, please be careful."
When Zhang Yuan looked back, the steward had already stepped aside. The lights were dim and his face could not be seen clearly. There were many eyes and ears in the hall, so it was difficult to ask any more questions. He suddenly thought of the young girl Xiaozhen and Gu Xishan. They might have more information.
To get the real news, he went to the room of two North Korean girls, which was right next door to his residence——
Ruan Dacheng saw Zhang Yuan entering the room of the two Korean girls with cold eyes, and couldn't help but smile at the corner of his mouth, thinking: "Zhang Jiezi pretended to be like Liu Xiahui. Last time Yu Shenpan sent female musicians to serve and refused, but these days he has been with
A mute girl and a dancing girl are like glue, and the number one scholar is so charming that no one can compare with him." He shook his head and went into his room to rest.
Under the oil lamp, the girl Xiaozhen was weaving a woolen back card. Gu Xishan was sitting on the edge of the bed. When Zhang Yuan came in, the two girls quickly stood up and saluted.
Zhang Yuan asked: "Is Miss Gu feeling better?"
Gu Xishan stood beside the bed, bowed and replied: "Thank you for your concern, sir. My slave's health is much better."
The young girl Xiaozhen smiled slightly, bowed to Zhang Yuan, and continued to sit with her head lowered while weaving the back-wrapped cards in her hands. Although this girl could not speak, her demeanor had a kind of elegance and grace that was rare for ordinary women. Zhang Yuan took a look.
She glanced at the back-wrapping tag she was weaving in her hand. It was used to tie around children's waists during the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off evil spirits. This custom exists in Sanin, but I didn't expect it to be the same in North Korea -
Zhang Yuan asked: "Has anyone conveyed news to you just now?"
The girl Xiaozhen raised her head, looked at Zhang Yuan with her clear eyes, and shook her head gently.
Gu Xishan said: "No one has said anything to us, but there are always people watching our every move."
Zhang Yuan said: "It will be fine if you don't act without permission." He was about to get up and leave.
Gu Xishan glanced at Xiaozhen and asked Zhang Yuanda: "Sir, what will happen?"
Zhang Yuan said: "It's okay. You can stay in the carriage when we go on the road tomorrow."
Zhang Yuan returned to his residence and wrote a diary of the day's travels. He was thinking about the clueless words of the officer just now. It seems that Jin Chushi has contacted the manpower and is preparing to disturb the Ming Dynasty mission in Huanghaidao tomorrow, but when and where exactly
It's not a good feeling to do something but not know what's going on. It makes him a little nervous——
…
We continued on the road on the fifth day of May. The sun was still shining brightly in the morning, but suddenly dark clouds gathered in the afternoon, and heavy rain was about to pour down. The weather around the Dragon Boat Festival is so unpredictable, and this place is still twenty miles away from the Huanghai Provincial Government Office.
There was no shelter from the rain nearby. Those royal guards wore rain gear and continued on their way. Zhang Yuan got into the carriage to take shelter from the rain. The girls Xiaozhen and Gu Xishan shrank to one side. Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "Please allow me to take shelter below."
It rains."
The girl Xiaozhen bowed with a smile, and suddenly presented a colorful woolen back card to Zhang Yuan with both hands -
Gu Xishan on the other side said: "Sir, Miss Xiaozhen knitted this for you. I wish you a safe trip to our country. Please accept it."
This kind of yarn-wrapped back badge is worn by children. Zhang Yuan has already reached the sixth rank of officialdom. Wearing this makes people laugh, but he can't bear to offend the young girl Xiaozhen. He reaches out to take it and says with a smile: "Thank you, Miss Xiaozhen.
The girl is really skillful and her knitting is beautiful."
The girl Xiaozhen lowered her head. She wanted to express something, but she had no pen and paper.
Gu Xishan has felt much better these past two days, and has become more familiar with Zhang Yuan. Feeling the kindness of the young Ming envoy, he said: "Sir, there is Magu wine here. Would you like to take a few sips?"
It is a custom in the Central Plains to drink Magu wine during the Dragon Boat Festival. Zhang Yuan laughed and said, "Where did you get the Magu wine?"
Gu Xishan opened his eyes wide and said, "Magu wine is sold every year before the Dragon Boat Festival."
Just as Zhang Yuan was about to say something, the roof of the carriage suddenly crackled and it started to rain heavily.
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