The King of Xiang sent someone to Beijing to investigate with Kou Agui's photo. Both Kou Agui and Chao Xun were quite free. They either taught Kou Debao how to distinguish colors and shapes at home every day, or took him out to learn about the objects on the streets, which was quite comfortable.
Kou Debao fell in love with the San Xian Noodles in an old shop on the street. He passed there every day and couldn't walk. The three of them went there to eat every day. This morning they came to eat San Xian Noodles again. There were many people in the shop.
A Confucian scholar shared the table with them and chatted casually. The Confucian scholar claimed that his surname was Zou and he was an official in the State of E. He came to the State of Hunan on orders from his superiors to do business and had plenty of time to wander around. He wanted to know where to go in Changsha.
Chao Xun smiled and said: "I have been to Changsha countless times, but I don't know where to find fun."
Kou Agui said: "I have heard of a few places." Then he mentioned some ancient sites such as Dingwangtai Tianxin Pavilion.
Chao Xun said: "What fun is there in these? Markets, temple fairs, theaters and teahouses, or Yudai Street and Wenmiaoping are the fun places. We usually don't go far, we only wander around nearby, so we don't know much about it.
.If Mr. Zou just wants to relax, the Guanmao Street ahead is very lively. We will show you the way later."
Mr. Zou smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much. I just want to buy a few earthen rituals."
After finishing the noodles, Kou Agui wiped Kou Debao's mouth. Chao Xun saw that in just over half a month, the flesh on Kou Debao's face was already visible and he no longer looked like a little monkey, so he smiled slightly. The four of them got up and went to Guanmao Street together.
When he arrived at the street, he saw many people gathered in front of him. Kou Debao was a little curious, and his father and Dr. Chao had recently made him a little bolder, so he wanted to get in. Kou Agui was afraid that he would bump into someone because of the crowd, so he pulled him
He was not allowed to go. Chao Xun found a passerby to inquire.
It turned out that a father and daughter came to Changsha to visit relatives, but they could not find any relatives and the old man became ill. The girl lent money to him for treatment, but he was not cured. Now that his father is dead, he also owes a lot of debt. With no choice but to sell himself on the street
Burying my father. The passerby tutted and said, "It's a pity that it looks so beautiful. The handwriting is so neat."
After hearing this, Kou Agui temporarily handed his son over to Chao Xun and squeezed in to take a look. Chao Xun took out a toy from his arms to tease Kou Debao and led him away from the crowd. Kou Agui came out and said with a smile: "Yesterday, the third master
Who did you promise to buy a cloth tiger for? Let’s go and buy it.”
Mr. Zou hurriedly asked: "What about the one who sold his body to bury his father?"
Kou Agui said: "My appearance is really outstanding, and my filial piety is very pitiful. The words are really well written. It's a pity, I'm not sure where it will end up."
Mr. Zou looked at Chao Xun and said, "How much does she cost? How about I buy her and let her go? It would be better than falling into the dust of the world."
Chao Xun and Kou Agui blurted out at the same time: "No."
The two looked at each other, Chao Xun cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Zou, just pretend that we didn't say anything."
Mr. Zou hurriedly said: "You two, is there something wrong?"
Kou Agui looked at Chao Xun hesitantly. Chao Xun thought for a moment and led them to a quiet place on the roadside. He then said to Mr. Zou, "If you are willing to help her..." He asked, "Agui, how much will she sell for?"
money?"
Kou Agui said: "Go back to Third Master. I owe seventy taels of silver, plus the twenty taels for the coffin, the total is ninety taels."
"You just said she is pretty?"
“Excellent.”
Chao Xun said: "Mr. Zou, ask the girl. She really wants to sell herself. If she is sincere, she can hire a car to go to the human market. Now that all the countries in the Federation have abolished slavery, the human market has a tight supply, and young and beautiful women are in real demand.
If she can still write, it will not be a problem to sell her for five hundred taels, and she can sell it quickly. After excluding the debt repayment and the money for the coffin, she can still get a private house of four hundred and ten taels. Be generous and give the coachman two taels.
There are still four hundred and eighty taels of money."
Kou Agui couldn't help but laugh. Mr. Zou couldn't even laugh or cry. Kou Agui said with a smile: "The third master just said that he sold himself sincerely. Is there any other person who sells himself without sincerity?"
Chao Xun smiled and said: "If you don't sincerely sell yourself, you can cross Guanmao Street to Taiping Street. The HSBC Bank on Taiping Street has a small loan service. She can apply for an emergency small loan from the bank, and the bank will provide it for her.
For these ninety taels, she went to work in a factory arranged by the bank and used the wages to pay off the debt."
Mr. Zou nodded and said, "Is this why Mr. Chao doesn't let me buy her?"
"That's not true." Chao Xun said, "Our country's national fortunes in Hunan have not been bad in recent years, and there are many factories and shops. As long as you are not lazy and lazy, it is not that difficult for those who can write to earn ninety taels. But it is inevitable that some women, relying on their youth,
She is beautiful but doesn't want to work hard. She would rather work as a concubine in a wealthy family, where she can command a few servants. Ninety taels is a lot, and ordinary people will not buy her. I don't think Mr. Zou is from a wealthy family.
Man. That woman has been reduced to a situation where she is about to sell herself. She actually bought her a coffin worth 20 taels of silver. This shows that she was used to spending a lot of money before she fell into trouble. Can Mr. Zou be able to support her?"
"This..." Mr. Zou hesitated as expected. After a while, he asked Kou Agui again, "Agui, is this what you mean?"
Kou Agui laughed and said, "I didn't expect the third master to do so much. I just saw that although the creditor looked fierce and sinister, he actually had a pair of old cotton shoes under his feet. He didn't look like a master who was willing to lend seventy taels of silver to an outsider.
The origin of this woman is still uncertain, and I am not sure whose enemy hired a fan from the brothel to set a trap for the soft-hearted young master. Let’s keep our noses in other people’s business.”
Chao Xun nodded repeatedly: "What Agui said makes sense. In fact, I felt something was wrong as soon as I heard about it."
Kou Agui asked: "What's wrong?"
"I can't tell." Chao Xun said, "It's just a doctor's intuition."
Several people smiled and said goodbye. Mr. Zou still missed the woman and kindly reminded her to go as Chao Xun said.
Chao Xun and Kou Agui took Kou Debao for a stroll on the street. They bought a few knickknacks. There was a fortune-telling stall in front of them. The fortune teller saw two idlers coming and hurriedly solicited business.
Chao Xun smiled and said: "I am an atheist. Agui, do you count?"
Kou Agui said: "Fortune will come and go. I am a slave, and everything is decided by the master. It is useless to calculate."
The two were about to leave. Unexpectedly, Kou Debao took a fancy to the flag hanging on the stall. After staring at it eagerly for a long time, he went to see his father. Chao Xun then said, "How much does this flag cost? I bought it."
The fortune teller pinched his beard and said: "This gentleman has a full sky and a square radius, and he will have a bright future. I will calculate a fortune for you. How about I give this flag to my little brother without your fortune? If the fortune is accurate, I will do it for you."
, Sir, when you become a high official, you will reward the villains."
"No need." Chao Xun said, "I don't believe it, so it's useless. Just don't sell it." He pointed to an embroidery shop across the street and said to Kou Debao, "Debao, let's go there and buy this flag, okay?
"
Kou Debao nodded immediately and pulled Kou Agui to run to the opposite side. The three of them left the fortune teller ruthlessly. After a while, Mr. Zou came over. The fortune teller smiled and said: "Don't take the bait." Then he told the story.
Mr. Zou nodded and turned around to go to the embroidery workshop.
In the embroidery workshop, Kou Debao saw so many colorful objects that he had forgotten the fortune-telling flag just now. Mr. Zou stepped into the embroidery workshop, raised his hands and shouted: "Mr. Chao!"
Chao Xun hurriedly returned the courtesy and said: "Mr. Zou, it's so tight."
"It's not a coincidence." Mr. Zou said, "I specifically looked for Mr. Chao and asked about him all the way." Naidao said, "Just now, I followed your words and persuaded the woman who sold her body to bury her father. She was so grateful that she went to HSBC Bank.
" Then he said to Kou Agui, "It turns out that big man is not the creditor. The creditor was afraid that it would not be popular if the news about forcing people to sell themselves on the street would spread, so he spent two hundred coins to hire him to watch."
Kou Agui nodded and said: "I see, it's just the slave who is trying to be smart."
Chao Xun said: "I still feel something is not right."
"What's wrong? Third Master, don't talk about doctor's intuition."
"It's just the doctor's intuition." Chao Xun said, "I can't explain why, but I think that woman is weird. I don't want to look at her close, I just want to run away." Mr. Zou's eyes flashed.
After a while, Kou Debao saw an embroidered handkerchief, and Kou Agui bought it. Kou Debao held the handkerchief and laughed. Chao Xun asked: "Speaking of which, when did you get rich? You have a lot of money recently."
Kou Agui said with a smile: "Third Master, I forgot. Earlier, the eldest master rewarded me with twenty taels of silver. Empress Chao also sent a young father-in-law to reward me with two purses."
Chao Xun muttered: "Nouveau riche. You are so generous. You don't even have to save two cents."
Kou Agui said: "Anyway, all the food and clothing expenses belong to the master, and the slave has nowhere to use the money."
Mr. Zou didn't want to buy anything, and it took him a while before he left.
At nearly noon, Chao Xun and the Kou family entered a small restaurant. At first sight, they saw Mr. Zou carrying two strings of earthenware rituals and arguing with someone. It turned out that the restaurant was not big. Mr. Zou sat at a table first. A large group came next door.
They wanted to move his table to make a bigger one. Mr. Zou thought they were not soft-spoken and refused to give it. The boss tried to persuade them for a long time, but both sides were very angry and could not persuade them.
Chao Xun listened with amusement and said: "It's just a table. We are all here to eat. Are you not hungry after fighting for so long? Why don't you eat first, and then fight after you are full?"
Everyone suddenly lost interest. The waiter had already moved another table for the group. They shouted "eat" and put down their hands. Mr. Zou was a little embarrassed, so he invited Chao Xun to have lunch with him, and he served as host.
Chao Xun couldn't refuse, so he had to accept.
The four of them sat down. After eating two cups of wine, Mr. Zou asked: "Just now in the embroidery workshop, I heard this brother Agui say, 'Empress Chao sent the young father-in-law to reward two purses.' Could it be that she is the mother of the four highnesses?
That Empress Chao?"
Chao Xun's eyebrows moved slightly and he said calmly: "Exactly."
"Oh!" Mr. Zou stood up and said, "I never thought that Mr. Chao was actually a noble man."
Chao Xun waved his hand and said: "My nephew is a noble person, I am not."
Mr. Zou said: "I have always heard that Concubine Chao is very virtuous and talented. I didn't expect to meet Mr. Chao today. I am really honored."
Chao Xun said with a cold face: "My sister is just an ordinary concubine, and she cannot be called 'virtuous and versatile'."
Mr. Zou said with a smile on his face: "Master Chao is too modest. Who in the Xiang Kingdom today doesn't know that His Highness the Sixth Prince's "Lin Feng Ode" is famous all over the world? His Highness The Sixth Highness is young and has been taught by Empress Chao personally since he was a child. If not...
…”
Before he could finish speaking, Chao Xun twitched the corner of his mouth twice and interrupted: "First of all, the 'Lin Feng Fu' is not entirely the sixth boy's own handwriting. His husband made a lot of revisions for him, which can be said to turn iron into gold."
Kou Agui whispered "Third Master" twice, but Chao Xun ignored it. "Secondly, the words "famous in the world" are too nonsense. Even my uncle, a direct relative, has not moved, how can he move the world? Who doesn't have a good eye?
Qingke is just bragging, so he should be sent away."
Mr. Zou was not embarrassed and said: "The junior official thinks that His Highness Sixth Prince can write that article at his age, which is obviously a dragon and a phoenix. It is impossible to say that he will become a great literary figure in the future."
Chao Xun narrowed his eyes and looked at him for a long time before saying, "I'd like to lend you some kind words."
Mr. Zou smiled, took a sip of wine and said, "I wonder what Mr. Chao thinks about the prince?"
Chao Xun said: "How you love me has nothing to do with me."
Mr. Zou said: "The junior official is not from your Xiang country, but he is just chatting. Why don't Mr. Chao have fun with his friends when they meet by chance?"
Chao Xun said: "There is nothing to be happy about when we meet by chance. And the prince cannot be a prince, so I have to worry about what he is doing."
Mr. Zou unconsciously leaned forward: "What does Mr. Chao mean?"
Chao Xun said: "Do you think the Western Chu Alliance can survive until the prince succeeds to the throne? You don't even know what the federation is like. Especially your country, E. If I were a federation, I would definitely pick on the country of E first."
Mr. Zou was stunned: "Why?"
Chao Xun said: "You are the most exorbitant in taxes and miscellaneous taxes. Your prince is the most extravagant. You have the smallest population and the weakest foundation. You are almost at the end of your rope and you still don't treat the people well. Aren't you the first to die?"
Mr. Zou looked at him with a good look. For a long time, he put his hands on his hands and said, "Master Chao is really not simple." He sighed softly. "To be honest, this little official came here just to ask for help from the Xiang Kingdom." Chao Xun Stunned for a moment, Mr. Zou sighed again.
It turns out that there was civil unrest in the country of Hubei a while ago. The cause was that a few petty officials who were short-sighted colluded with each other to increase taxes privately. Several families couldn't pay them, so they set fire to their houses in the cold weather, and even ordered them to pay taxes. The good officials were selling money for money. A group of thieves jumped out of nowhere, and the leader was named Pan. They stood in front of the fire house and shouted nonsense to encourage the people to rebel. His daughter was very skilled in martial arts and beat up the government servants who came to collect taxes. Then The father and daughter then traveled up and down the country of Hubei to communicate with each other. It was already winter, and the farmers had nothing to do. The factory workers were also resentful because they had to brave the cold to work, so they all fell under the spell of these two men. Nowadays, the country of Hubei is facing a storm.
After hearing this, Chao Xun said: "Just punish those few petty officials severely according to the law. What do you want from our country of Xiang?"
Mr. Zou said: "Your Majesty has killed the culprit in the street, but the gang of thieves still haven't gone away, and the people are still resentful. The country of E has few soldiers. We, Your Majesty, may cause trouble again, so we have come to ask your country to borrow some elite soldiers."
Chao Xun chuckled and said: "Borrowing officers and soldiers from other countries to defend unarmed civilians, and you won't be afraid of being laughed at if you tell me."
Mr. Zou sighed: "Who says it's not the case?" He took another sip of wine and said, "Master Chao, do you think your prince is willing?"
Chao Xun said: "Yes."
Mr. Zou was surprised: "Seriously?"
Chao Xun said: "Our prince is helpless because his lips are dead and his teeth are cold. However, even so, he may not be able to help you. Your prince himself is the one who collects the most taxes, so killing a few minions is of no use. If he doesn't cut taxes quickly, There was no need for the federal government to take action, the people down below rose up and rebelled first."