In November in Beijing, the weather is already cold and gloomy.
There were clouds all over the place early in the morning, and the wind blew so much that pedestrians on the street shrank their heads and hunched their shoulders as they walked.
A carriage stopped in front of a house near the city gate, interrupting the two women who were standing in front of the corner gate talking.
"Banqin." The maid saw him and waved with a smile.
The girl in brocade who got off a carriage raised her hands and put on her hood, also smiling.
Seeing her coming, the little girl standing next to the maid immediately turned around and left.
"Hey, I haven't finished speaking yet." The maid said with some surprise. Looking at the little girl's back, she continued, "If you have anything to do, come to me in the store. Don't come to the house."
The little girl lowered her head, not knowing whether she heard it or not, and turned the corner in a hurry and disappeared.
"The new girl? Did I scare her? Why did she run away?" The girl came over and smiled, looking at the little girl who was missing.
"Yes, your reputation as a cook is so big that it's very scary." The maid smiled and held her hand, "I'm not a new girl. She's here to see Mr. Silang. You are from Jiangzhou.
."
"Are we from Jiangzhou?" The girl was surprised, "Who is it?"
"Speaking of which, she has a great reputation." The maid smiled, "She is the maid of Madam Zhu, the courtesan in the capital."
The girl's face suddenly darkened.
"Sister, don't dare to mess around. How can Mr. Shiro associate with prostitutes?" she said.
"Being a girl of the Zhang family has taught me the Taoism." The maidservant smiled.
"Sister, it wouldn't be good for Mr. Shiro if this spread." The girl said, "It's not like you don't know."
"Yes, I know that Mr. Silang has no friendship with Mrs. Zhu. This little girl doesn't come here much. She is a kidnapped little girl from Jiangzhou. She met Mr. Silang by chance two years ago and has no contact with her on a daily basis. This time I got it.
I know Mr. Shiro has come to Beijing, so I just came to see you once." The maid said.
The girl relaxed a little and looked at the direction the little girl left.
"Why do I think she ran away in fear when she saw me?" she said.
"So I was scared by you." The maid said, pulling her in and dropping the subject, "Why do you have so much time to spare today?"
"It's not because a group of Banqin suddenly appeared in the capital, and I, Zhang Banqin, are useless." The girl snorted, "I'm so idle that I can't even get the reward, so I can only come to your place to make a living."
The maid giggled, leaning forward and back, and pulled her in.
There was still laughter inside the door.
At the wall on the other side of the alley, Chun Ling cautiously looked over, her face filled with shock. She reached out and patted her heart, biting her lower lip.
This Banqin has seen himself...
Although several years have passed, I wonder if I will still recognize myself.
Chun Ling's heartbeat was pounding, and she put her hand on her face.
At the age of twelve, she is now described as having grown, but the general outline will not change, so she has to be careful.
If she recognized herself, that woman would be cunning and cruel, and would kill without batting an eye. She and her sister would not be allowed to survive in the first place, and she would not let him go now.
She is not afraid of death, but is afraid that her death will be in vain.
Chun Ling looked back at the house and carriage here, and felt the cold water when she raised her head.
It's snowing.
She lowered her head and walked away quickly.
"It's snowing!"
Cheng Qiniang opened the car curtain and shouted.
"Hurry up, it's freezing."
Mrs. Cheng Er immediately shouted and pulled Cheng Qiniang back, holding the hand stove in her hand and stepping on the foot stove, her face was still blue from the cold.
"What a suffering!" she shouted, raising the curtain again, "How far is it to the inn?"
"Madam, there are still five or six miles of land." said a follower.
Five or six miles left?
Mrs. Cheng's second wife suddenly became more anxious and looked at the thin horse pulling the cart.
"I told you to change the horse to a better one, but you didn't listen! Even the adults can't bear it in this winter, what should the children do?" She lowered the curtain and shouted to Mr. Cheng Er in the car.
Mr. Cheng Er was wrapped in a thick cloak and hugging his son. Only one of their heads was exposed, and they were laughing and playing.
"Then who's to blame?" He said after hearing this, "Isn't it my fault that you didn't get more money? You didn't spend enough on this journey, and you simply can't afford a good horse."
"I won't get more money? It's because your sister-in-law doesn't give it, should I roll up my sleeves and grab it?" Mrs. Cheng Er said angrily, and became even angrier when she said this, "And your daughter, you know that we are going to Beijing, but you still don't let us go.
If more people send more money, then Cao Sancai usually uses our family's money as water to throw at it, but he doesn't even show his face for such a big thing..."
"We'll take care of him later." Mr. Cheng Er said, "It's just the Zhou family supporting that fool by trapping him. When we come to live in the capital, what else will happen to the Zhou family."
Mrs. Cheng Er nodded, looking forward to arriving in the capital soon.
"This time when we go to the inn, we can change to a better one without spending money," she said.
"Nonsense, can we use that stagecoach?" Mr. Cheng shook his head and said, no longer paying attention to the second wife, and continued to tease his son in his arms, "Brother Xi, be good, ride a big horse, go to Beijing, and buy candy.
Eat, live in a big house..."
The child was amused and giggled, and Cheng Qiniang also squeezed over and shook Master Cheng Er's arm.
"...Qiniang also wants to live in a big house...and buy new clothes and jewelry..." she said.
"Okay, okay, buy, buy, buy." Mr. Cheng Er, surrounded by his children, smiled happily, "I'll buy them all for you. Even the stars in the sky are willing to buy them for you."
Mrs. Cheng Er also pursed her lips and smiled as she watched the father and son having fun together, while stuffing another foot stove under his feet.
When it was getting dark, we finally arrived at the inn. This was originally a small inn, but it was different from the other inns that were old. It was obviously newly built.
"It was originally burned down, but the imperial court allocated money to renovate it." said the postman at the door. He was a little embarrassed to accept the post certificate handed over by Mr. Cheng and others, "I'm sorry, sir, there is only one guest room.
"
A guest room?
Mrs. Cheng Er turned around and saw that her three daughters, one son and two concubines, plus seven or eight servant girls and more than a dozen followers, crowded the courtyard of the inn. She felt her head was heavy.
"How can we do it without a guest room?" she shouted, "It's going to snow. Is it possible that we all squeeze into the same room?"
"At least three more rooms must be squeezed out." Master Cheng also said with a face, while shaking the body in his hand, indicating to the short-sighted postman to see clearly who he was.
"...Officials of Dali Temple? What happened to the officials of Dali Temple? Is it possible to drive out everyone here?"
After receiving the reply, Yi Cheng said angrily and pointed at the wind and snow outside.
"Have you forgotten how the inn was burned down last time? Is it possible to cause trouble and burn it again?"
The postman nodded hurriedly.
"That's right, that person is relying on his official authority." He added.
In other words, they are not even willing to take more money.
Yi Cheng immediately looked down upon him even more.
"Why don't you have a room?"
"..Isn't this your inn?"
"...Why can't we stay here if we have a postcard?"
There was a lot of noise in the inn, the children in the wet nurse's arms were crying, and the young ladies clinging to the concubines were also trembling, which attracted everyone inside and outside to look over.
People at a table in the crowded hall snorted.
"Nowadays, officials are becoming more and more unruly. If he has filed a lawsuit, does he also have a wife and children?" said a young man, with a hint of displeasure.
The older man opposite didn't speak. He waved his hand to him, and the young man stopped talking.
"...My husband's surname is Cheng...he is going to Dali Temple..."
Such a sentence suddenly came from outside.
"This kind of official wants to go to Dali Temple..." The young man said with a smile again. Before he finished speaking, he heard the tables and chairs behind him shaking, and someone stood up.
They looked back subconsciously and saw several sergeants protecting a middle-aged man with a fair face and a slightly fat face.
"How unbecoming is it to make such a noise?" The man shook his head and said as he walked out quickly, and the guards around him immediately followed.
"The angel is about to show up." The older man whispered.
Many people in the hall also looked at the man, showing some excitement.
This man had not been here long, because he announced loudly when he entered that everyone knew that he was an angel in the capital who had been ordered by the emperor. Although he had announced that he acted very low-key, he only had a room in the upper room, and the guards were just ordinary shopkeepers.
Sometimes we eat some simple food and wine in the hall.
Unexpectedly, they would come forward at this time. It seems that they will see Qingtian singing on the stage to patrol and punish evil officials.
Many people in the hall couldn't help but stood up and followed him out to watch a great show.
"...Sir, what do you think we should do?" The postman here didn't know that anyone was coming out. He looked at Mr. Cheng Er and his group and said lazily, "Is it possible that we need to drive out all the people here?"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
There was a scolding sound coming from behind. The postman was startled and turned around. When he saw the person approaching, he immediately bent down.
"My lord, my lord, it's not the little one who wants to be like this, it's this grown-up who insists on..." He immediately said aggrievedly.
Mr. Cheng Er jumped angrily.
It is said that junior officials are difficult to deal with. He has been bullied by his subordinates for many years as an official. He did not expect that a postman on the road could frame him so falsely.
"You..." He pointed at the clerk and wanted to scold him, but someone spoke first.
"How dare you encourage the people to threaten the imperial officials! You deserve death!" the man shouted, not only spoke, but also raised his hand and slapped him.
The postman was beaten so hard that he almost fell down. Before he could say anything, he saw the man rushing past Master Cheng and greeted him respectfully.
"It turns out to be Mr. Cheng." He said, "Disrespectful."
The people standing at the door watching the excitement immediately dispersed. They already knew that that kind of thing only happened on the stage.
However, the angel is still so respectful to this man. How old does this man have to be?
The crowd was still speculating that the angel here had already given a harsh lecture to Yi Cheng who hurried over.
"Yes, yes, sir, don't worry, we will make arrangements immediately." Yi Cheng nodded repeatedly and said, and hurriedly led Mrs. Cheng Er and others back.
Mr. Cheng Er regained his face and looked much better.
"I don't know who your lord is..." he said in return.
"A certain Su Jingwen is on official business under Zhongshu." The man said with a smile on his face.
"It turns out it's Mr. Su's business." Mr. Cheng Er hurriedly saluted with a bit of surprise.
Sure enough, it is good to be an official in the capital government office. Those who greet and talk casually are officials from Zhongshu Province.
"Is Mr. Su going out for business and returning to Beijing?" he asked.
"Su was ordered to go to Maoping to inspect the disaster situation." Mr. Su smiled and reached out to hold Mr. Cheng's arm, "Mr. Cheng, let's go in and talk."
Seeing him turn around, the guards beside him immediately turned around and headed into the hall, this time with unceremonious expressions on their faces.
"Get out of the way," they shouted, "the adults are talking about business, and the idlers are staying away."
This was an impeccable reason. In a flurry of excitement, more than a dozen people were kicked out and five tables were made available. Master Cheng sat on Mr. Su's table, while the rest of the Cheng family sat on the remaining tables.
The people in the room dared not speak out in anger, and even when a young man tried to stand up, he was held down by an older man.
"Father..." the young man said with a frown.
"Unreasonable, reasonable." The elder said in a low voice.
The two of them turned around and saw that Mr. Cheng and Mr. Su were having a drink and had a pleasant conversation over there, and the occasional sound of conversation could be heard.
"...I forgive Cheng for being blind and not recognizing Su Gongshi..."
"...It wouldn't be strange if Mr. Cheng doesn't recognize you, but it would be strange if Mr. Su doesn't recognize you."
"...How do you say this?"
"...Master Cheng has made great achievements."
"...Mr. Su was joking. Cheng was wasting his time away from home, doing his duty and not daring to say he had merit."
“…Master Cheng’s daughter-in-law has appealed to Heaven to hear her grievances for her sworn brother…”
"... I feel ashamed... It's all a naughty little girl... Cheng will go to the emperor to confess his crime this time..."
After hearing this, the older man and the young man both looked at each other, and saw a sudden realization in each other's eyes.
"...Ms. Cheng has presented her with the arm-stretching bow again, which is a powerful weapon and has done a great service to the country. As her father, Mr. Cheng, you have given birth to her and raised her. Isn't that a great service to the country?"
There was a burst of laughter, which attracted the attention of everyone in the hall.
Mr. Cheng Er's laughter didn't stop, he raised his glass and drank it in one gulp with his face glowing red.
"Come, come, Mr. Cheng, I'll fill up the little one for you." A guard next to him said with a smile, holding a pot and pouring the wine himself.
"Don't dare, don't dare." Mr. Cheng said, but he did not refuse. Looking at the armor-clad guard, he couldn't help but look proud.
Did you see that these are the Divine Guards? These are the emperor's personal guards. They poured wine for him personally.
It can be seen that there is a huge difference between being a foreign official and a serving official. It is a huge difference.
From then on, he, Cheng Dong, jumped into the world.
After eating and drinking, because of the hard journey, Mr. Cheng Er, who was slightly drunk, said goodbye to his family and went back to his room to rest. Seeing him go away, Mr. Su also took others to rest, and the people who had been freezing outside for a long time were able to pour in.
Come and gather in the hall to talk about the origin of Lord Cheng, which makes all the angels respect him.
"...That's natural. Didn't you hear the angel say that his surname is Cheng? There is another young lady who has made great contributions to the country." Someone said with a clear face.
This statement caused everyone to ask questions.
"When it comes to this young lady who has made great contributions to the country, she is a god."
"...He is a direct disciple of Taoist Master Li Zhenren..."
“….Isn’t that a god?”
"...That's why angels are so awe-inspiring..."
Listening to the conversations in the hall becoming more and more ridiculous, the young man couldn't listen anymore.
"Father, let's go back to the room." He whispered.
The older man nodded, and the two of them stood up and raised their hands to a thin, middle-aged man in simple clothes who was sitting alone at the same table.
"Officer, let's take a rest first," the young man said.
"Please, scholar," the middle-aged man said in return.
"Official, if you don't have a place to live, why not squeeze in with us," the young man said.
The middle-aged man shook his head, reached out to pick up a pile of side dishes in front of him, and ate slowly while pointing at the people sitting and lying on the floor in the corner of the room.
"They sleep here, and so do I," he said.
"Then let's go first." The elder said, and after walking a few steps, he whispered to the young man, "Yuan Dynasty, go and pay for this gentleman's drink."
It turned out that the father and son were the father and son of Han Yuan Dynasty. This time Han's father was promoted and came to Beijing to have an audience. Han Yuan Dynasty went to Beijing to prepare for the exam, and it happened that the father and son were traveling together.
Han Yuanchao hesitated and shook his head.
"I don't think this gentleman will accept it," he said in a low voice, and then looked back at the man sitting there alone.
Although they were just sitting together at the same table tonight, the three of them didn't like to talk, and they didn't say much except for a few simple words all night.
I only knew that this man must be an official and rushed to Beijing. As for where he came from and what he was going to do, he didn't know. Han Yuanchao and his son followed the etiquette and did not ask or guess.
But I guess I don't have a high status, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get a room in this inn where everyone is flattered and downtrodden.
Looking at the demeanor of this official, he must be rigid and self-respecting, and he will definitely not accept favors from others without any reason.
Father Han nodded, looked at the middle-aged man who listened carefully to the lively words of the people in the hall, and walked away.
A night of silence.
Fortunately, the snow stopped on the second day. The snow was not deep and we could still walk. The station was bustling with activity early in the morning.
Seeing the new horses on the carriage, Mr. Cheng was excited and uneasy at the same time.
"This, this, Mr. Su, why is it so easy to use a stagecoach? I am just bringing my family to Beijing, and it is not an important state matter." He said repeatedly.
Su Gongshi smiled and took his arm.
"Isn't Mr. Cheng going to Beijing to report on his duties? Isn't it an important matter?" He smiled and said, "It's the emperor's personal edict, isn't it a state matter?"
Mr. Cheng Er looked at him and laughed, patting his arm.
"Then thank you for your kindness, sir." he said.
Seeing everyone in the Cheng family leaving in a lively manner, Mr. Su stood still.
"Bah." One of the guards spat and whispered, "You are an ignorant person. You give him face, sir, but he really slaps your face. How can he shoot your arm?"
Mr. Su had a faint smile on his face.
"No matter what he is, Master Gao asked us to take care of him." He said with a smile, "I didn't expect that you and I would meet each other. Naturally, we can't live up to Master Gao's instructions."
"Master Gao, too, actually cares about this person like this." The guard frowned and said in confusion, "It's such a compliment to him."
"Lift, lift, if you don't lift, how can you fall down?" Su Gongshi said with a smile, "Didn't you see that there were several tables of people in the hall last night who looked ugly?"
The guard yelled, suddenly realized, and laughed again.
"No wonder your lord wants to drive the people away in front of them." He said, "I'm still worried about your lord. The people at those tables don't seem to be easy to get along with and they still have official status."
"What do I have to worry about if I receive a few words of ridicule and scolding?" Su Gongshi smiled, "But what I suffered does not mean that everyone can bear it."
After he said that, he turned around.
"Okay, let's set off quickly. Since the stagecoach was given to Master Cheng, we won't use it. We can't delay the important state affairs."
The guard responded yes.
Because of what happened yesterday, when Mr. Cheng Er and his party left, the inn was full of people watching the excitement. They were surprised, curious and in awe. They all wanted to see what the person who gave birth to the immortal disciple would look like. There was a commotion outside the inn door.
Han Yuanchao and his son could only wait until the people here dispersed before they could come out. Then they led the horses and saw that the man who was sitting at the same table last night also came out. Three skinny horses, two boys, and a luggage.
Simple and lonely.
He stood outside the door of the inn, looking at Mr. Cheng Er and his party who were gradually retreating, with a gloomy look on his face.
"What a great Master Cheng who has done great service to the country." He said slowly. "He dares to expel the people on a snowy night. He dares to let the emperor's guards pour wine for them. He dares to drive the post horses to pull carts for his family. What a great Master Cheng who has done great service to the country.
What a fine Mrs. Cheng who has made great contributions to the country."
