Meng Changfu asked the King of Xiang to help him stuff the mulberry leaves of the woman who "sold her body to bury her father" into Chao Xun's yard. Chao Xun then pretended to make things difficult for the woman and ordered her to help him put together a human skeleton model. The two walked into the study.
Meng Changfu followed and stood at the door to watch. He saw that the bones that had been scattered on the ground had been picked up by Kou Agui and spread on the long table.
Chao Xun thought for a moment and said, "Agui, where are the Arabic numeral playing cards that I had someone make for Depot a while ago?"
Kou Agui hurriedly said: "It's in my room."
"Get it."
Kou Agui went to get the playing cards, and Chao Xun started to play with the two soles of the feet. After a while, the playing cards came out. Chao Xun said: "Although there are only a hundred cards, fortunately many of the bones are still connected, which is probably enough." Then he ordered Kou Agui and
Sang Ye and the two placed a playing card next to each bone. Sang Ye was still a little scared and had to endure it. In the blink of an eye, most of the bones were numbered. Chao Xun picked up a pair of assembled foot bones and placed them on the specimen table.
, said, "Give me No. 48 and No. 14." Kou Agui Sangye each took a bone and sent it over, which were the fibula and tibia of the left calf. Chao Xun took them and mounted them on the foot bones. "No. 93
." Kou Agui raised the patella of his left leg.
After struggling like this for a while, Chao Xun found that a piece of thoracic vertebrae was missing. Several people searched the room for the bones, and finally found them under the cabinet. After trying for a while, Chao Xun found that another phalanx bone on his right hand was missing. The house was rummaged through.
He was stunned and couldn't find it, so he had to give up temporarily. After the entire skeleton was assembled, Kou Agui discovered that his son's right hand was tightly squeezed. When he opened it, he found that he was holding the small piece of phalanx. The skeleton model was assembled. In this way
, the whole study was also turned over to the curious Meng Changfu outside the door. Mulberry leaf inside the door simply turned over it himself.
Chao Xun walked around the model several times with satisfaction, and said proudly: "There are not many well-made one-to-one life-size models. The one I have is made of basswood, which is extremely rare." There are two servants in this courtyard.
As a maid, Chao Xun called for an older one and asked her to take Sang Ye to find the boss' bedding, waist badge and other things. After walking around for two more times to get to know the way, he accepted her. Meng Changfu smiled slightly and talked to the old man.
The eunuch said goodbye and left. Mr. Chao personally escorted him out of the house.
The matter came so urgently that Chao Xun had not had time to notify his superiors. As soon as the outsiders left, he asked Kou Agui to lead Debao to play with some noisy toys in the courtyard, and he took the time to send the report. After waiting for half a day, the telegraph machine
The reply came: Congratulations. Chao Xun rolled his eyes.
Suddenly Sang Ye came back and said that he had just received two purses from Master Chao. Chao Xun twitched the corner of his mouth and ordered the maid to clean up the room next to them and put Sang Ye in. The food and clothing expenses were all according to the maid's rules.
The two maids looked at each other, and one asked in a low voice: "Should we call this Aunt Sang?"
"Of course I call you Miss Sang." Chao Xun said, "Don't ask others to help you with the work."
Sang Ye asked: "What does that slave do on weekdays?"
Chao Xun said: "You can just have fun, and everyone will be fine." He thought for a while and said, "If you have nothing to do, don't go to my study. There are many professional things in there, and I'm afraid you might mess it up."
Sang Ye's eyes turned red: "Third Master can't trust me."
"That's not true. They are not allowed to enter my study. I always clean it up myself. I can't find things if others move." Chao Xun said, "You and I know very well that you must have other uses.
.I hope that our relationship is just a working relationship. In the future, if I can’t protect you, Mr. Zou will use you, so I can transfer you at any time. If I need your help for anything, I won’t be polite. Just treat it as the rent you pay to our family.”
Sang Ye thought for a moment and asked: "The third master is not young anymore, why is there no one in the house?"
"It costs money." Chao Xun said, "It costs a lot of money for food, clothing, monthly money, jewelry, and makeup. If you have a bad temper, you have to spend a lot of time coaxing me. I don't want women every night. It's better to keep someone in the house than to sleep with me."
The pink ones are much more expensive. You can change them one at a time when you go to Flower House, but the ones that come to Kwai Shui don’t accept customers.”
Sang Ye had obviously never thought about this before. He was stunned for a long time and then forced a smile and said: "Your Chao family has a great business, but you still worry about not being able to afford such a small amount of money?"
Chao Xun said: "I would rather use this money to buy medical models and specimens, or drink tea and snacks."
Sang Ye smiled bitterly and said: "In this case, all the skills I practiced before were in vain."
Chao Xun suddenly said with a cold face: "I hope Miss Sang won't be bored and spend all her skills on other people in my family, such as my father and my nephew."
Sang Ye said seriously: "Master Chao, don't worry, the slave family knows what they are doing."
"That's the best." Chao Xun was stunned for a moment, "What do you mean, Mr. Chao?" Sang Ye went back to the house with a smile.
For the next few days, Sang Ye stayed in the yard as expected. She was well-spoken, diligent and considerate, and all the maids and boys were put in her cage. Chao Xun ignored them and still led the Kou family and the father-in-law out for a stroll every day.
Kou Debao began to teach Kou Debao how to recognize numbers. From the day Sang Ye came in, Chao Xun was followed every time he went out. It was fine if he didn't meet the person face to face, but whenever he saw Chao Xun, he would nod and say hello. The person was not embarrassed, and the next day
Then they followed her. One day when she came back, a maid said she had seen Sang Ye sneaking into Chao Xun's house. Chao Xun said, "Just pretend you didn't see her. Anyway, she won't steal money."
That afternoon, Chao Xun took two prescriptions and went out to ask an old doctor for advice. When he came back, he saw Kou Debao sitting on the carpet and playing with a boy of similar age. The two children were rolling a rubber ball and laughing and joking. Chao Xun
Xun didn't alert them and carefully walked around. Kou Agui came up to greet them and said, "Third Master, we have guests."
Chao Xun had already seen a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old sitting in front of the hall, drinking tea with a calm expression. He was his eldest nephew, the fourth son of King Xiang. He stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Come down! This is
My host, you go and sit in the guest seat."
His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince said: "I am a senior official than yours."
"So what." Chao Xun said, "I'm a doctor. Maybe you and I will count on me to save my life at some point. Sit on the edge."
The Fourth Highness reluctantly stood up and sat next to him, looking at Chao Xun: "Third Uncle, can you take care of me?"
"Pfft, cough, cough..." Chao Xun was eating tea and choked immediately. "That's me! Why don't you care about your mother?"
His Highness the Fourth Highness said: "Your father came to see me again today and earnestly advised me to make more friends with useful talents."
"Oh. Don't you always turn a deaf ear to me?"
"But my mother and your sister also sent a confidant, a nun, to hurry me to find my third uncle."
"Oh, does this give you permission to fool around with me?"
"No. This morning, the people I sent to the capital came back." His Highness the Fourth Prince glanced at Kou Agui and put his mouth close to Chao Xun's ear, "This Eunuch Kou didn't lie a word, and he was a little humble.
Some. In addition, that Meng Changfu is here and wants me to use you again. Third uncle—" he gloated, "your free days are over."
Chao Xun cursed: "Circle the eighteenth generation of his family's ancestors!" His Royal Highness coughed twice. Chao Xun said, "Mencius must be the sixty or seventyth generation of his family's ancestors, so it's not his turn."
His Highness the Fourth Highness couldn't laugh or cry, but he said seriously: "My mother-in-law said that the errand that Master Meng has to do is extremely important, so my uncle must not take it lightly."
Chao Xun shook his head: "Your mother will never remember that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics."
"Your father never taught her anything!"
The uncle and nephew complained coldly to Concubine Chao and Mr. Chao for a long time. They said a few words that made the guard behind the Fourth Highness laugh. Then the Fourth Highness called his younger brother to come back to the house. The Sixth Highness rarely ignored the rules and played wildly. He was very happy, so
Reluctant to leave. Kou Debao also had a rare companion. He and Kou Agui escorted them to the door of Chao Mansion, waving and shouting: "Xiao Liu, come and play again~~"
Two days later, the doorman sent a message. It was Mr. Zou, a small official in Hubei Province, who asked Chao Xun to meet at a flower house. Chao Xun took Sang Ye with him according to the date.
As soon as they entered the door, they saw a fat man wearing a pine-colored python robe next to Mr. Zou. He was none other than King Xiang. Chao Xun and Sang Ye hurriedly stepped forward to salute. King Xiang pointed to "Mr. Zou" and said, "This is Mr. Meng Changfu.
"
Chao Xun was slightly startled and quickly bowed. Meng Changfu returned the greeting with a smile: "Master Chao, there is no need to be polite. I hope you will support me in the future."
"Don't dare."
After a few words, King Xiang left. Chao Xun looked around and saw that in addition to Meng Changfu, the fortune teller and King Xiang, there were also two men dressed as idle men, a rich man, a fan and a Taoist nun.
These people are Meng Changfu's team in Xiang Kingdom. Chao Xun is a new member, so he will sit in for the time being. Originally, there was no need for a figure like Chao Xun. Because the King of Xiang could not trust outsiders, Meng Changfu had to be in the palace or among his family members.
Choosing an informant, Fang picked Chao Xun. Chao Xun's job was to help Meng Changfu deliver a message to the King of Xiang. What else could Chao Xun say? He could only kneel down and kowtow in the direction of the Prince of Xiang's palace, saying that the humble minister would fulfill his mission.
.
Chao Xun thought he could get the password immediately, but he didn't expect that not everyone knew the password. If the King of Xiang had any confidential information, he would contact Meng Changfu and send someone to tell Chao Xun. Chao Xun told Sang Ye, who compiled the password and sent it out. If Meng Changfu had
Tell the King of Xiang about the secret, and send the coded letter to Sang Ye. After three months, he translated it into text and told Chao Xun, who then told the King of Xiang. Sang Ye had the code in his hand and could not tell it to Chao Xun. Chao Xun was overjoyed.
Back at the mansion, Chao Xun said to Sang Ye, "Sure enough, Miss Sang has other business matters, right?" He extended his right hand and said, "It's a pleasure to cooperate."
Sang Ye shook hands with him with a smile and replied with a blessing: "I hope Third Master will take good care of you."
"Now that the matter has been made clear, you don't have to pretend to be a concubine." Chao Xun said, "If you have anything to do, go and do it for yourself. I chose this courtyard specially. It's close to the south corner gate, so it's cheap to get in and out. It's not every day.
There is something we should pass on."
In the past few days, Sang Ye had already taken the opportunity to secretly check the entire yard. There was nothing unusual and no suspicious people. He smiled and said: "I don't have much serious things to do."
Having said that, Sang Ye went out that night. The maid quietly returned to Chao Xun, and he only said that we didn't see anything.
A few days later, His Royal Highness brought his younger brother to play with Kou Debao. By the way, he told his third uncle that the King of Xiang had decided to send five thousand elite soldiers to the Kingdom of E to help the King of E prevent civil unrest. That night, Sang Ye went out again. She left
Afterwards, Chao Xun played with the transmitter for half a day, then suddenly remembered a patient, grabbed the medicine box and ran to the patient's house overnight to inquire about it. The man who was following him was confused and couldn't follow him.
After coming out of the patient's home, Chao Xun said to the stalker with some embarrassment: "Where do you live? How about I notify you every time I go out?"
The man said awkwardly: "No need...Thank you, Third Master."
A few days later, Chao Xun and the Kou family went to the street to eat three-fresh noodles again in the morning. A large group of caravans happened to pass by and came to eat noodles, and it was very crowded. Chao Xun said he would not eat today, but Kou Debao refused.
, I felt so anxious that I almost cried. Chao Xun looked at the long queue in front of him and felt that it was time for Kou Debao to learn to queue up, so he asked him to obey the rules so that he could eat. Kou Debao agreed. So Chao Xun himself lined up at the front, and behind him
It was Kou Debao, then Kou Agui. Then the two guys from the caravan, and then the man who followed Chao Xun every day.
A clerk lined up in front of Chao Xun. He was carrying a fresh square leather bag from the south. There was also a furry panda hugging a koala pendant hanging on the bag. Suddenly a waiter came over and talked to the clerk in a low voice. The clerk frowned.
With a sleepy face, he yawned first, then rubbed his face with his hands and said, "Meng Changfu will give the military defense map of the Western Chu Alliance troops stationed in Hubei to the King of Hunan in the next two days. Be sure to get it."
Sure enough, the next day Sang Ye gave Chao Xun a coalition defense map, which had been translated. Chao Xun looked at it for a long time and thought about it: "How can we save trouble, be safe, and not alert the chaotic people in the court to use this thing?"
Send it to the prince?"
Sang Ye said: "Third Master just finds an excuse to come into the house to pay respects, isn't that the end of it?"
Chao Xun said: "I don't want to offend the prince and the other highnesses." He sat and thought for a while, then sent someone to see his eldest nephew, saying that Debao missed Xiaoliu.
The fourth prince immediately understood that his third uncle had something to do with him, and hurriedly led his younger brother over. The two teenagers went to play on the carpet again. Chao Xun asked the guards around his eldest nephew: "Which one of you is usually responsible for answering the prince?"
Several guards looked at each other. His Highness the Fourth Prince pointed at one and said: "He."
Chao Xun said: "This is what you said. If I make a mistake, you are responsible for it."
"It's really him."
Chao Xun nodded, took out a purse from his arms and handed it to the guard: "This thing is very important. You should send it to the prince immediately after returning to the palace."
His Highness the Fourth Prince said: "Since it is something important, I will send it to you."
"No." Chao Xun's face turned cold, "You're not even allowed to touch it." He thought for a moment, "Xiao Liu and Debao still have to play for a while. Xiao Si, what do you want this guard brother to go back and get?"
thing."
His Royal Highness frowned: "I have nothing to gain."
"Then take two purses and reward them."
"Okay. You go and get two attractive purses." The guard took the purses with a cold expression and left.
Not long after, the man came back and said: "Your Majesty has accepted Third Master Chao's purse, and he also scolded Third Master for being slippery, asking His Highness the Fourth Prince to learn from Third Master Chao." His Highness the Fourth Highness rolled his eyes.
In the afternoon, Chao Xun finished the custom-made tiger head hat for Kou Debao, and the child liked it very much. Chao Xun then smiled and said: "Agui, take him out to show off." As expected, Kou Agui took his son out to show off his hat. He met a man outside.
The old man took his grandson for a walk. Seeing that the tiger head hat was festive, he borrowed it to look at it and took a note from Kou Agui.