In the pavilion, there was a gentle breeze, and there was a burst of rustling.
Su Lu sat on the brocade couch, looking down at the clear breeze and bright moon.
"You grew up in Guangnan?"
The clear breeze and the bright moon should be respectful.
Su Lu continued to ask: "What do you think Guangnan is like, how is life at home, and how are the lives of neighbors?"
Qingfeng suddenly raised his head, and a flash of anger flashed on his cheek: "My lord, you are the dignified Prince of Anguo County, a big shot in charge of the north and south armies. Don't you know what Guangnan is like?"
"In order to survive, my parents had no choice but to sell me. The family that bought me offended the county magistrate's concubine's maiden cousin, and the government ransacked my house and exterminated me. I was resold to a brothel and then to Ruyifang, and I ended up like what I am today.
.”
Su Lu sighed. The imperial court was beyond the reach of the border town. If the local officials lost their control, they would naturally become the mountain kings. The old saying of a county magistrate who ruins a family is not unreasonable.
Su Lu looked at Mingyue: "What about you?"
Ming Yue's face was full of calm: "My family is to blame. My father took Fushou Ointment and owed a huge debt to Qi Ren. Naturally, he sold me to pay off the debt, and I went to Ruyifang."
Fushou ointment?
Su Lu looked at Mingyue: "What is the longevity ointment? Why is the Qi people involved again? Are the Qi people very powerful in Guangnan?"
Qingfeng's voice became shrill: "What is the Fushou Yao? As the dignified Prince of Anguo County, the Governor of Xiting, and the former Northern General, you don't even know about the Fushou Yao?"
You don’t need to pretend to be a good person in front of us slaves, and we won’t have a good impression of you officials.”
Su Lu clapped his hands, and four or five guards appeared and surrounded Qingfeng Mingyue.
"Take Qingfeng away and let her calm down. If she can't calm down, where did she come from? Let her go back there."
Qingfeng glared at Su Lu fiercely, showing no fear at all, but said coldly: "You officials are all in the same boat."
Su Lu waved his hand, and Qingfeng was led down by several guards.
Su Lu continued to ask Mingyue: "Mingyue, please tell me your childhood experience. I grew up in Xuanfu. I don't know much about Guangnan, and I have no way of knowing what your life is like."
Mingyue's head lowered and her voice was crisp: "Prince Mingjian, Mingyue grew up in Guangnan. From the time she can remember, her family has four acres of paddy fields and three acres of dry fields. Although life is difficult, she relies on her parents to work.
If you are diligent, life will not be difficult."
"I remember that it was the ninth year of the late Emperor's reign. Qi people suddenly appeared in the town, and Fushou ointment shops also began to appear. At first, the family did not have money to buy those things, so they grew some vegetables in the ground and sold them in the market.
My money is only enough to buy some oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar, which have nothing to do with my family."
"The first person in our village to take Fushou ointment was Erliangzi from the east end of the village. His family's life was better, his father and mother were both there, and Erliangzi's family was living a good life. But something happened later, and Erliangzi's mother died.
, Erliangzi started taking Fushou ointment for some reason.”
"The original small brick courtyard was dilapidated, and everything that could be sold in the house was sold. Every day, several gangsters came to Erliangzi's house to ask for money. Gradually, Erliangzi's house was completely deserted."
"Slowly, more and more people in the village are taking Fushou ointment. I don't remember when my father took Fushou ointment for the first time. I just remember that my parents started to quarrel more often. The paddy field at home,
The dry fields, acres and acres, are gone."
"Hooligans who asked for money began to appear in my house. They were the same gangsters who went to Erliangzi's house to ask for money. They blocked the door of my house and forced me to take the money, otherwise they would demolish my house."
"The first one to be sold was the eldest sister. The day the eldest sister was taken away, there was lightning and thunder in the sky. Because the family was poor, the eldest sister and the younger brother and I had not had enough to eat for many days. That day, the eldest sister complained that she was hungry, and the younger brother braved the rain.
I went to the creek to catch fish, and then came back to make fish soup for my eldest sister and me."
"I originally wanted to go with my younger brother, but he refused to let me go. He said that women are weak and cannot be exposed to the rain. If they catch wind and cold, they won't be cured. Boys are very angry, so it's okay."
"Before the younger brother came back from catching fish, the eldest sister was dragged away by the gangsters. I chased her outside the door and was kicked by a gangster named San Leizi. I lay down in the mud and watched as the eldest sister was stuffed by them.
I got the gray carriage and walked along the dirt road in the village."
"When the younger brother came back with the fish, he looked like a clay figure. He was soaked all over and his teeth were shaking from the cold. I got angry and cried to warm up the younger brother. I also took the tattered bags of clothes left by the elder sister.
Little brother, wipe your hair."
"The younger brother asked me where my eldest sister was. I didn't know what to say, so I just cried. My father was as thin as a skeleton because of taking Fushou Ointment. He said that he sold the eldest sister, got five taels of silver, and returned four taels of silver to the Fushou Ointment restaurant in town.
Two or five cents, and the rest can be used for him to take Fushou ointment once."
"My little brother just lost his breath. I ran five miles in the heavy rain and asked Dr. Huang from Beiling Village to prescribe some medicine. I took it back and boiled it down for my little brother to drink. When he woke up, he felt like a different person.
, sitting in the yard looking at the sky all day long.”
"I remember that it was a day to wear warm clothes. My younger brother told me that he was going to find his eldest sister, and he would go to the end of the world to find her. I prepared a tattered bag for him and packed a few things.
clothes, and even stole a penny that my father had hidden under the bed, secretly stuffing it into his baggage for him to use on the road."
"On the third day after my little brother left, a group of gangsters like San Leizi came to my house again, in the same gray carriage. The gangster in the lead was called Zhuzi. Zhuzi told me that my father decided to sell me because I stole his money.
Already."
"The eldest sister was sold, and the younger brother left. I have nothing to cherish about this house, so just sell it. They didn't use pillars to pull me, I got on the carriage myself, obeyed their words, and did whatever they asked me to do.
What are you doing?"
"I didn't expect that because I was obedient, the buyer from Ruyifang took a fancy to me and bought me directly. Since then, I have lived a better life than at home. Do you think it's ridiculous?"
Mingyue's cheeks were full of tears, she looked at Su Lu and asked.
Su Lu leaned against the brocade couch and thought of that troubled era, when foreign enemies invaded, medicines were everywhere, the people were in dire straits, corrupt officials were rampant, and the country was in ruins.
"Where's your mother?"
Niba next to him asked, his face also full of tears.
Mingyue suddenly looked at Niba and smiled, like a lotus swaying in the rain: "Of course it was sold. Is it possible that it will be well provided for?"
Niba clenched his fists.
Several guards also clenched their fists and had tears in their eyes.
Su Yun helped Mingyue up and said comfortingly:
"Don't blame my brother for this. When you and Qingfeng were sold, my brother and I were still farming in Xuan Mansion to make a living. If the Thule army hadn't invaded the border three years ago, my brother would not have joined the army.
Nor will I meet the current His Majesty and become the current Prince Anguo."
"Although the Northland was chaotic when we were young, we could still have enough to eat. Compared with you, our life was better."
"But don't worry, Mingyue. Mr. Zhou Yuan from Anton has come to see my brother just now. He told me about the situation in Guangnan. My brother will definitely take action to rectify Guangnan."
Mingyue looked at Su Lu in surprise: "You are the prince of Anguo and the prince of the imperial court. Three years ago, you were still a commoner like me? Impossible, impossible!"
Niba said: "Sister Mingyue, my family is from Suozibao. Three years ago, I was still farming in Suozibao. When I followed the prince, he was only a deputy lieutenant, not even a captain."
Among the guards, Dahao spoke up: "I am one of the first to follow the prince. My Erhao died during the suppression of the bandits. I took up Erhao's place and followed the prince three years ago. At that time, the prince had just met His Majesty.
He is still a battalion captain, with only two hundred sergeants under his command."