When Ding Mei came back that day, she complained to Wu Xiaoxi, saying that Jia Cong had some bad idea to make a girl neither a boy nor a girl. Wu Xiaoxi wanted to argue a few words, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't argue, and she herself felt that Jia Cong
Cong was not thinking clearly, so the two of them took out the telegraph machine and started beeping their complaints. In the evening, the telegraph machine beeped again.
The next morning, the prince sent Ding Mei a post, urgently asking her to meet. Ding Mei took a look and found that the address was a tea shop in an alley in the west of Chengdu. Ding Mei was originally from S.H.I.E.L.D. and knew the prince many years ago
Her father asked Jia Cong to discuss a secret matter here, so he guessed that what happened today must be a secret.
When they arrived at the place, they saw that the Crown Prince had been waiting for a long time. The two of them sat down with each other, and the Crown Prince frowned. It turned out that she had discussed with the Supreme King about appointing female officials in the court, and the old man actually made a condition for her to choose two concubines. Even the Crown Prince's confidants
Not knowing that she was a woman, she had no choice but to discuss it with Ding Mei.
Ding Mei thought for a long time and said: "Yesterday I went back to discuss with shopkeeper Wu that I might want to change jobs, only to know that she had already seen that the prince is not a man."
The prince was shocked: "How did she see it?"
"She herself can't tell the whole story." Ding Mei said, "Our Axi is more handsome than the prince, and there are many men shorter than you. She could tell at a glance." The two of them were silent for a moment.
After a while, Ding Mei said, "The Supreme King wants you to choose a concubine without any trouble. Just find two confidants and tell them that you are as good as A Xi in Long Yang. But it is not a long-term solution."
The prince said sadly: "It's not long-term, it's just a temporary thing. If I choose a concubine, I must choose it from among all the ladies. It will delay her life. Even if I try to send her away in the future, I won't be able to find her again."
What a good family. Secondly, women are easy to fool, they are the most shrewd in this kind of thing. I'm afraid I can't hide it." Ding Mei looked at her in surprise for a long time. The prince lowered his head and looked at himself and said, "What's wrong with me?
Isn’t it appropriate?”
"No." Ding raised his eyebrows and bowed cautiously, "I have never thought of using the word 'goodness' to describe Fengzi Longsun. Your Majesty, you are truly kind. If you don't achieve good results, I can't stand it.
"
The prince was stunned: "Good?"
Ding Mei said: "Which royal family in the world doesn't only think about how to make others do their best for themselves? How can any prince be so considerate of a strange woman?"
The prince smiled and said: "It's just human nature. I'm not a man, so why bother to harm others for the rest of my life."
Ding Mei thought for a moment and said, "It's not necessarily a trap for the rest of his life, but he might be able to save his life." The prince asked with his eyes. Ding Mei sighed softly, "The prince's father is willing to pass the Kingdom of Shu to you, and so is the prince's mother.
I must love you. But I don’t know that there are many women in the world who don’t have such a good life.” Nai looked at the prince steadily and said, “For example, me.” The prince’s expression moved. Ding Mei then said that Master Ding San carried her to live with the dead.
The wife was then sent directly from her husband's family to the family temple to be a nun.
The prince was shocked: "This is happening in the world!"
Ding Mei sighed: "It's not surprising. He is much more cruel than me. Most children have no children, and the queen is luckier than my mother."
The prince was silent for a moment and said: "That's because your father's second wife gave birth to a son. There are so many women in my father's backyard, but none of them has a son."
"That's right." Ding Mei said, "It's a big disaster for you that the prince has to disguise himself as a man, but it has prevented the disaster for countless women. Without you, the King of Shu would not have given up until he gave birth to a son. But he may not be able to give birth to a son in this life. I don’t know how many women will be taken in during this process, and their lives will be ruined.”
The prince thought for a moment and couldn't help but smile: "That makes sense."
Ding Mei said sternly: "A father like my father who doesn't treat his daughter as a human being, a mother like my mother who has no support from her natal family, and a second brother like my father who controls the wind and rain in the backyard are definitely not owned by Du Qin, but must be found in Shu."
The prince thought: "What do you mean..."
Ding Mei said: "Selecting such a woman will help you and save them."
The prince thought for a long time and nodded slightly: "Master Ding, this plan is very good. But the matter in the backyard is the most obscure, I'm afraid it will be difficult to investigate."
"This is not difficult. Prince, can you lend me someone?"
"who?"
"That time we met at the teahouse, who was the girl you brought with you?"
"Her?" The prince said with a smile, "Young lady. Why did Master Ding lend her to you?"
Ding Mei said: "This one has a smart face, and she is bold and not shy. If I am not wrong, she is the prince's confidant?"
"That's right." The prince briefly explained Tong Buye's origins.
Hearing that this woman's mass-produced portrait of the prince was being sold for money, Ding Mei couldn't help laughing: "She is the one, she is the most suitable."
The prince suddenly remembered something: "My grandfather...well, for some reason he thought I wanted to marry her."
Ding Mei clapped her hands and said, "God helps the Crown Prince! It's getting better and better." He smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll deal with it with the girl and make sure it's done properly." Seeing her confident look, the Crown Prince felt that the dark clouds had cleared and he felt relieved. Dashi nodded and smiled.
On that day, the Crown Prince sent Tong Buye to see Ding Mei. A few people from Red Bones had booked a small inn. Tong Buye followed the address and found it. At the door, he met Qiu Xingzheng, who was leading a few officials out of the house in a disgraceful manner, like a group of officials. The defeated rooster hurriedly called out, "Master Qiu."
Qiu Xingzheng was stunned: "Young girl? The prince sent you here?"
"Well, I said there is something important." Tong Buye looked at him carefully and said, "Master Qiu, what is this?"
Qiu Xingzheng shook his head and said, "Shopkeeper Wu's man named Axi has a better mind than others. Every time I discuss matters with him, I can't think straight. I'm really embarrassed for the prince."
Tong Buye said with a smile: "The prince also said that Axi can think about several things at the same time, and he still knows everything clearly without making any mistakes. If Mr. Qiu can't handle it, I will teach you how to be clever. Ask the prince to borrow the help of Mr. Mingduan .I heard from Mr. Mingshun that in his early years, his brother was more than capable of handling the entire Yuzhou's accounts by himself, and he was as fast as the wind."
Qiu Xing just woke up from his dream, stroking his palms and saying, "Yes, Master Ming is also such a person, and he will definitely be an equal match with that Axi." He happily bowed to Tong Buye, and then led the people back.
Tong Buye went inside and asked to see Ding Mei. Ding Mei let her into his room, and the two sat face to face. Ding Mei said seriously: "From today on, we two have to complete an important task: choose a concubine for the prince, at least two."
Tong Buye was stunned. "Ah?!"
Ding Mei said: "The Crown Prince has two troubles when choosing a concubine. First, the Crown Prince is preoccupied with state affairs and does not want a woman for the time being. Second, the Crown Prince is not sure whether he likes a man or a woman."
Tong Buye was even more confused. "Ah?!" He stayed there for a long time, "He said he had a broken sleeve. I looked at him like he was joking."
"It's only a joke. The prince hasn't figured out his sexual orientation yet. So I asked her if there were any young female subordinates she could trust, the kind she could trust with her life, regardless of whether she was married or not." Ding Mei looked at Tong Buye deeply, "
She immediately said, "Tong girl, you."
Tong Buye took a breath, thought for a moment and then said generously: "It's really me. It's just me."
Ding Mei said: "It's a coincidence that your identity is really suitable."
Tong Buye blinked: "Suitable? What is suitable?"
"It's appropriate to choose a concubine for the prince." Ding Mei said slowly, "And you can't choose girls who have everything going well, only those who are the most unlucky."
Tong Buye thought for a while: "But if you choose to have a bad life at home, it may be even worse if you leave the government in the future?"
Ding Mei nodded with a smile: "Young girl is really smart, she can guess all this."
Tong Buye sighed: "Your Majesty is really kind-hearted."
Ding raised his eyebrows: "I think so too."
From then on, the inn that Hong Gu remembered was bustling. Qiu Xingzheng moved Ming Duan in as a reinforcement, and he and Wu Xiaoxi served tea and snacks every day, watching Ming Duan and A Xi face to face, talking about abacus as if they were emptying a cart of walnuts.
From the range of the artillery, the weight of the bullet to the cost of the steel craftsmen, they jumped to the mine in the blink of an eye. They were stunned for a while and jumped to the trebuchet. A group of people from the Firearms Bureau sat around and all started.
They were as dumbfounded as no one knew what those two people were talking about.
On the other side, Ding Mei let out a message, saying that she had been ordered by the prince to select a concubine for her. Matchmakers and clever-tongued women all over Chengdu came to inquire. They saw that although Ding Mei was a girl, she had an average appearance, elegant manners and a certain temperament.
At the age of more than 20 years old, he claimed to be an official in the court, but most of them believed him. Ding Mei then asked them about the situation of the girls from each family. These were actually superficial efforts, done for outsiders to see. Yan State was in Shu State
There was no shortage of detailed arrangements, and all important officials' affairs were clearly understood.
A few days later, Ding Mei selected several candidates to discuss with Tong Buye. A girl named Xu's mother died early, and the man her stepmother looked after was either an alcoholic, a gambler, or a violent man. A girl named Xin was timid and cowardly, and her father loved money.
, was planning to use her as a second string to pay for a few betrothal gifts. A girl named Liu, whose parents were incompetent, wanted to arrange a wedding for her nephew who was sick.
After hearing this, Tong Buye felt pity in his heart: "Can you do it?"
Ding Mei glanced at her: "This girl Xu is impatient and can't speak, so she offended her stepmother. Miss Xin's mother only loves her sister, and controls her to death. Miss Liu is dull and not very big.
clever."
Tong Buye thought for a while: "Then I'll see you first and then take a look."
Ding Mei nodded: "That's right. You are good at everything else. You can only be impulsive sometimes. Only when you think twice before acting can you take on big things."
Tong Buye was stunned for a moment and whispered softly: "I don't need to take on big things." Ding Mei glanced at her and said nothing.
It was already autumn. Ding Mei asked the prince to borrow a garden from Situ Cen, and posted a message asking the three girls to enjoy the chrysanthemums. The three families were all confused. They all knew that the woman named Ding was choosing a side for the prince.
Concubine, there are other daughters in the family who have that thought, but no matter what, it should not be their turn. The post is clearly displayed in front of them. The three families did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly made new clothes for the girls.
Teach him and send the best carriage at home according to the day.
The three girls entered the garden and walked around a screen wall to reach the long pavilion near the water. A servant woman led them to sit in the pavilion for a while. After a while, they heard the maid say, "Your Excellency is here," and they all looked up and looked around.
Two women in red were walking from a distance. One was wearing a red shirt, and the other was wearing a crimson official robe. The one in the red shirt was in front, and the one in the official robe was half a step behind her.
When the two girls came closer, the three girls got up in a hurry. The one in the official robe made a bow, and the one in the Luo shirt just nodded slightly. The one in the official robe said: "My surname is Ding, and I am my host today.
You can just call me Lord Ding." He pointed to the person in Luo Shirt and said, "This is the most powerful confidant around the prince, Lady Tong." The three girls were all shocked, and they already understood: Lady Tong must be more than just a confidant.
That's all, Master Ding is just a female official.
The five of them were touring in the garden. Master Ding and the young lady slowly asked them about their temperaments and hobbies, and carefully observed the quality of their words. Master Ding inadvertently revealed that two of the three would be chosen.
Miss Xu's expression changed immediately, and soon she began to belittle Miss Xin and win over Miss Liu. Miss Liu looked like she didn't understand at all, and Miss Xu was so anxious that she pinched her skirt. Miss Xin obviously knew what he meant, so she just pretended to be deaf.
He ignored it. Ding and Tong both saw it.
Two days later, only Xin and Liu were invited for another date. This time, the maids led them directly to a bookstore, where Master Ding was already sitting there. She said seriously: "Both girls are smart. Miss Liu."
Although I'm used to pretending to be stupid, my secret was exposed last time, so I spoke frankly." The two girls sat down and listened attentively.
Master Ding first gave them two pieces of paper. When they looked at it, they saw that what was written on them was exactly the situation of their family that they had carefully investigated. When they saw the husband's family that their father and aunt had prepared for them, they were so frightened that their backs were cold and their bodies were shaking. After waiting for a while,
Lord Ding said: "Your Majesty already has a sweetheart, the young lady you met last time."
Miss Liu said in a trembling voice: "That... we have roughly guessed it."
Lord Ding stared at the two people in turn, looking back and forth for more than a dozen times before he said: "She is a sinner, she comes from the Jiaofang Division, and she is not too young. The Supreme King will definitely not agree. Therefore.
The position of Crown Princess is vacant for the time being. The Crown Prince asked me to accompany her to choose two concubines to show off." She looked at the two of them again, "Listen clearly, they are just pretense, not real concubines. The girl Xu from last time also
There is no good life waiting for her. In less than a year, there will be fire pits on both sides. Do you understand? A rabbit will not hit a tree stump for no reason. The concubine of the Crown Prince's Mansion is just a guest, and she will leave the mansion one day. The Crown Prince has already
I won't pay attention to them, let alone favor them. I will find a good family for them to marry in the future, and I will also change my identity. You two will think about it carefully. If you don't want to, there will be others."
The two daughters Xin and Liu looked at each other and shouted in unison: "I do!"
Miss Liu shed tears and said: "My eldest aunt's nephew is suffering from tuberculosis, and he just has to survive. My father is only a ninth-grade official, and her father is a third-grade official... I can't marry and become a widow. It's better to be cheated in the prince's house."
A guest."
Lord Ding nodded: "You are always pretending to be stupid. Don't be afraid. I am a seventh-rank official in front of the Crown Prince's door, and I am also a third-rank official. Where is Miss Xin?"
Miss Xin hurriedly said: "Of course I am willing. It is better than being betrayed by my father."
Master Ding said: "It's just that you can no longer listen to your mother in everything."
Miss Xin smiled bitterly and said: "Every piece of paper and grass I have is written by her, how can I be disobedient? If I can leave home, I don't have to be afraid of her."
Master Ding nodded: "I believe you for the time being. If you have a long tongue, it would only take one sentence for the prince to divorce his concubine."
Miss Xin quickly said: "My little girl doesn't dare."
Master Ding smiled and stood up, holding his hands in his hands: "Well, welcome to the two concubines."