The next day Wu Qingyi told Emperor Zhengyuan that he wanted to trick people.
Emperor Zhengyuan looked at him and said narrowly: "Aren't you righteously rejecting me?"
Because there were other palace people in the palace, Emperor Zhengyuan didn't even think about Wu Qingyi's face, so before he could answer, Emperor Zhengyuan waved his hand again with a look of "all men, I understand", "Okay, no need to explain. ."
Wu Qingyi said clearly: "It's not the intention of the minister, it's the wife of the minister..."
When he finished explaining, Emperor Zhengyuan was stunned: "So it's not that you like trick people, but your wife?"
Wu Qingyi said that's what he meant, and also helped convey Gu Yin's meaning, so that he agreed with the trickster that he would go to work for his own family, and then go to their house if he wanted to.
This kind of request is even more unheard of, because in the eyes of the superiors, these tricksters are just things for people's amusement, how can they be rewarded, and they have to be asked what they mean
However, Emperor Zhengyuan was also from a poor family, so he didn't think it was so strange, and it was just a matter of asking someone, and it took no effort, and he beckoned and asked Qian Sansi to do it.
Qian Sansi asked the newly recruited apprentice in the palace to spread the word.
The little eunuch went to the Kabuki Workshop in the palace and said that he would choose someone to be sent to the British government.
The tricksters became more excited when they heard the news.
Some of them stayed in the previous dynasty and did not escape, and some were sent to the palace by other officials after the establishment of the new dynasty.
There are a lot of people who want to go to the future, especially when I heard that it is the British government, they are so excited that their eyes light up.
However, the little eunuch added another sentence later, saying, "It's not that the general loves these things, it's the general's wife who likes it. In the future, it will be driven by the general's wife. So you think about it before you talk."
This remark was like a bucket of cold water, and it quenched everyone's enthusiasm.
They were all hard-working people in the palace, and the little eunuch was soft-hearted, and added: "But the general's wife is very kind, and it is said that the trickster who has entered the British government can recover his freedom, just work in her house, and he can still go out. What about monthly money?"
The people who gathered around were still scattered, and the last few were only the girls of the middle and lower level in the trick shop, no matter their appearance or skills.
The little eunuch looked at them, and finally his eyes fell on a young girl wearing a silk and gold embroidered dance dress.
This girl's name is Chu Manrong. She has not been in the palace for a long time. She is sixteen or seventeen years old, at the age of a flower, and she has peach eyes and apricot cheeks. She is charming and delicate. Top look.
And she is good at ribbon dance, which can be said to be as elegant as a giant, as delicate as a dragon, and even Emperor Zheng Yuan, who is also a rough person and doesn't like watching songs and dances very much, has personally praised it.
With her joining in, the level of the tricksters who stayed was raised all of a sudden.
The little eunuch felt that it was not a bad errand, and there was a smile on his face, "Several sisters, come with me."
A group of people just walked to the gate of Jifang, and a person ran over and collided with the leading little eunuch.
The person on the other side didn't move, but the little eunuch was knocked "ouch" and lay on his back.
"Father-in-law is sorry, I'm too impatient!" The reckless girl immediately reached out and pulled him.
The little eunuch took a closer look. Although the girl in front of her was also wearing a dancing dress, she was five-five and three-thick, round and chubby, with a pale face like a steamed bun.
Others in the kibble heard the sound of the door and came out to watch the excitement.
"Yuan Xiaoyuan, why is it you again? What are you doing back here?" Someone teased, "Why, you finally got your dress changed? It's amazing, you can do two or three of us with this dress!"
Seeing the little eunuch being lifted up by others, Yuan Xiaoyuan's pale face flushed red, and she twisted her fingers and said, "I heard that today the palace selects tricksters, so, so..."
The others sneered when they heard the sound.
This Yuan Xiaoyuan was a trickster in the previous dynasty. She didn't run away from the palace when the dynasty was changed. It is reasonable to say that she had her own ideas. But she didn't expect her to gain weight day by day. To be a trickster, first of all, she has to be pleasing to the eye. With such a fat appearance, who has the mind to care what skills she has
Later, she couldn't put on her dance dress, so the nanny of Jifang asked her to do some chores on a daily basis, treating her as a messenger. If she hadn't put on a dance dress today, everyone else would have forgotten that she was also a trickster. people.
Yuan Xiaoyuan looked at the little eunuch pitifully with her round deer eyes.
The little eunuch waved his hand and said, "Forget it, then you can come with me. But if you turn around and have someone send it back..."
That would be humiliating. But it's still an opportunity, it's better than doing chores in the palace.
Yuan Xiaoyuan nodded gratefully, "Thank you father-in-law, thank you father-in-law!"
The little eunuch led the six people, including Yuan Xiaoyuan, to the outside of the imperial study.
Emperor Zhengyuan and Wu Qingyi had already talked about the wounded soldiers. After the chat, they heard that the trickster had come over. Emperor Zhengyuan asked Wu Qingyi if he wanted to meet him
Wu Qingyi shook his head and said, "No, just send the person back to the mansion."
…
Gu Yin was mainly doing the final preparations before the opening.
Because of the need to add singing and dancing musical instruments, the original custom-made large bar can not be used.
But it doesn't get in the way. Anyway, the top two floors are still empty. If you want to get these sooner or later, put the bar upstairs first.
The original place for the bar was vacated, and Gu Yin asked people to rush to make a small stage.
It is to lay a wooden table more than an inch higher than the ground.
The process is not complicated. More than a dozen woodworking masters joined the battle, and the work was done in half an afternoon.
When the stage was over, it was already evening outside, Gu Yin didn't stay any longer, she was in a hurry to go home to see the beauty!
Her carriage had just stopped in front of her house, and Wu Qingyi also came back from outside on horseback.
Gu Yin didn't wait for her to help, she guessed that she stepped off the carriage.
Wu Qingyi also turned over and dismounted.
Gu Yin winked at him and said sternly, "Did you come back early today?"
Wu Qingyi threw the whip to the servant and raised an eyebrow at her, "Don't you know that you must come back early?"
As Gu Yin spoke, she accelerated her pace and entered the mansion.
The Wang family in the main hospital had already set the evening meal in advance, and when she saw them come in, she couldn't help laughing: "I knew that our eldest girl must come back early today, and the food is ready. Eat quickly. After eating, let's watch music and dance."
While washing her hands, Gu Yin asked how the tricksters who came today were doing.
Wang Shi said: "In the morning, a carriage came to the palace and brought everyone over, there were six people in total. I arranged for them to live in a yard so that they could recharge their batteries in the afternoon and perform at night. People have sent them over, and they will definitely not be neglected."
After the last family used the evening meal, Gu Yin asked people to invite all the tricksters.
They had already been informed that they were going to perform, so they had rehearsed carefully in the afternoon.
Especially Chu Manrong, since he got the news at noon to now, let alone food, he didn't drink a sip of water, for fear of affecting his figure, he was waiting to show his edge when he performed at the Guogong Palace for the first time.
Yuan Xiaoyuan had a round belly after eating, and when she saw her face turned pale when she went out, she persuaded: "Sister Chu, why don't you have something to eat? It's all out of the palace, and the lady of the country has already said, we are here for the lady of the general. Workers, let's loosen up."
A contemptuous smile appeared on Chu Manrong's face, thinking that this person is not only fat like a pig, but also stupid like a pig!
Wouldn't anyone really believe that these tricksters were given to the general's wife
It's obviously just an excuse.
Although Chu Manrong was young, he used to grow up in a brothel in Yangzhou, and he was used to seeing the ugliness of men in this world.
The world is as black as crows, how can there be a man who is not greedy and lecherous
Even Emperor Zheng Yuan, who currently has only two queens and concubines in the harem, was full of praise when he saw her ribbon dance for the first time.
She is very confident that she will be able to plan her place in the harem in time.
It's a pity that she belongs to the Feng family, and her background is in the hands of the Duke of Lu.
The Duke of Lu was originally thinking about the establishment of a new dynasty. Emperor Zhengyuan would definitely have enough to fill the harem. By then, the harem would be full of flowers, and Feng Guifei, who had already given birth, might not be able to compare with the newcomer, so the Qin family asked her to buy her from Yangzhou and change her identity. Sent into the palace, I want her to help Concubine Feng.
But in the past year, Emperor Zhengyuan was so busy with the affairs of the previous dynasty that he didn't take care of the harem.
Empress Zhou devoted herself to the little prince, and Concubine Feng became the only part of the harem.
Naturally, she didn't want to let Chu Manrong take the lead again, and just before the end of the year, Emperor Zhengyuan wanted to reward tricksters to his ministers.
Feng Guifei handed over the news to Chu Manrong, asking her to find a way to enter the British government.
The evil ghost general is famous and famous, and most people are afraid of him.
But Chu Manrong had met Wu Qingyi at the palace banquet. Although he wore a half mask, the half of his face exposed outside was very handsome, and he did not know how many times more heroic than the middle-aged Emperor Zheng Yuan.
Moreover, Concubine Feng also gave her the news, saying that Wu Qingyi's harem was simpler than Emperor Zhengyuan's harem. There was only a rich wife who married in the countryside before he made his fortune, and a mountain village woman who was born in a peasant girl. For Chu Manrong, it was naturally not an opponent.
The British government has no one to hold her hand, Chu Manrong can't wait to show his skills.
The group was led to the main courtyard.
Gu Yin had asked people to move the tables and chairs away, leaving a large space in the middle of the room.
And their family is sitting next to each other, waiting to watch the show!
The dance clothes in the palace are very gorgeous, and the clothes are fluttering when they move. And because they are all dancers, they are very tall and slender, and they walk like a lotus leaf blowing in the wind, which is very moving.
"The concubine has seen the grandfather of the state, the lady of the state..."
Chu Manrong, who was headed by him, led everyone to salutation.
She nodded slightly, revealing a fair and slender neck, with a romantic state of her own.
Gu Yin's eyes were almost gone, and she had to take a closer look at her appearance, when Gu Ye suddenly burst out laughing next to her.
Gu Yin followed his line of sight and saw a round figure at the end.
She also saluted in the same way as everyone else, but because of her round body, the movements on her were a bit funny, like a chubby panda imitating a person's posture.
Gu Yin glanced at him, and Gu Ye immediately stopped laughing.
Wang Shi also saw it, and said in a low voice: "I was busy in the afternoon, so I asked them to settle it without paying close attention. Are these not tricks? Why is there such a fat person, even fatter than our pomegranate."
Song Shiliu was standing beside him, and he pouted when he heard the words.
Wang Shi immediately changed his tune and said, "It's better to be a little fatter, you will be blessed!"
Song Shiliu no longer frowned.
Gu Yin asked everyone to stand up, without much courtesy, and then let them start performing.
Among the six people, Yuan Xiaoyuan played the pipa, and a pointed face and long eyes played the moon qin.
The other four are in charge of dancing.
That dance was a temporary rehearsal for them in the afternoon, but in the palace for many years, everyone has worked hard for many years, each kicking, lowering the waist, raising the hand, etc., I don’t know how many times I have practiced it, so a dance is also a dance. Feather clothes are swaying, and the phoenix is flying.
Gu Yinren looked stupid, and the smile on his face never stopped. Wang Shi also looked at it with relish, and the melon seeds were coughing and beeping.
On the contrary, it was Wu Zhong and Wu Qingyi's father and son, who thought it was meaningless. When they saw half of the father and son, they began to be absent-minded, their eyes wandering, and finally they chatted while looking at their wife beside them, laughing secretly.
Not to mention the two children, Wu An was already thinking about the unfinished homework, while Gu Ye was thinking about the boat trip.
After a piece of music, the singing and dancing are over.
Gu Yin clapped her hands and praised: "Okay, that's great!"
Although these people, except for Chu Manrong, are not the number one people in the palace.
But outside the palace, it is absolutely superb.
So Gu Yin really praised him sincerely.
After watching the group dance, Gu Yin asked them if they had any personal talent shows.
After all, it is performed in a restaurant, so people can't dance from morning to night, and there is no time to rest.
So everyone had to have a separate talent, and one person would perform for a while, so that everyone took turns to rest.
Chu Manrong stood back and waited for the others to cast a stone.
Among the other five people in the back, some sang songs and danced solo, some played the flute and flute, and some said they could play the guzheng and guqin.
There really are these musical instruments in the warehouse, all of which were made by famous masters in the previous dynasty, otherwise they would not have reached the level of reward when the imperial government opened. And there are still a lot of them. When people go to pull them, they actually pull out two large boxes, and common musical instruments are readily available.
Yuan Xiaoyuan's eyes were sharp, and when she saw the person opening the box, her lips trembled with excitement, and she muttered, "This is a jade flute made by Su Dajia, this is a pipa made by Zhang Dajia... This, this, this is Jiaowei. !"
The more she talked, the more excited she became. If she didn't notice it, her voice rose.
Gu Yin smiled and said, "You know the goods. In the future, these musical instruments will be used by you. It's better than eating ashes at home and throwing things away."
Yuan Xiaoyuan is too busy to dare!
I dare not, where does she fit in!
These musical instruments were all served by special personnel when they left the palace, and even though they have fallen a layer of ashes, it does not affect their use.
Yuan Xiaoyuan just said she wanted to play the guqin, so the Jiaoweiqin had someone stand in front of her.
"Use it, it's only good things that you need to use often." Gu Yin smiled at her encouragingly.
Yuan Xiaoyuan took a deep breath and played the piano on the spot.
I don't know if it's because of her emotional excitement, when a leisurely and tranquil song "High Mountains and Flowing Water" arrived in her hands, it was about to become "High Mountains and Waters".
When the climax of the later piece came to an end, Yuan Xiaoyuan was even more ecstatic, her ten fat fingers were flying, so fast that people could only see the afterimages of her fingers.
With her tune, the trickster who danced solo with her was miserable. The dance steps became faster and faster, and the dance became more and more chaotic. Finally, she stepped on her skirt and fell to the ground.
Chu Manrong sneered, and the others covered their mouths and laughed.
Yuan Xiaoyuan came back to her senses, and tears came out of her reproach, she stood up from the guqin with her clothes twisted.
She was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Although she was a little fatter, she was not ugly at all. At this time, her round deer eyes were full of tears, and she bit her petal-like lips and refused to cry.
And the dubuki who stepped on the dress looked at seventeen or eighteen years old, with peach blossom eyes and oval face, and blushed with shame, "It's also a concubine who is not good at learning skills."
The two beauties, big and small, wanted to cry, but Gu Yin saw the soft-hearted mess, and asked them to come over and comforted: "It's alright, it's alright, it's not even a rehearsal, it's just an impromptu performance. ."
He said to Yuan Xiaoyuan, who was particularly self-blaming, "I heard people say that when a musical instrument is in someone's hands, it is also necessary to get used to it, so don't take it to heart this time. Practice it well next time, do you know?"
Only then did Yuan Xiaoyuan's tears fall, she nodded hastily with red eyes, and assured her in a loud voice, "I know, I will definitely live up to Madam's hope!"
After coaxing them, Gu Yin's eyes fell on Chu Manrong, who had yet to show her solo talent.
Chu Manrong's appearance and body temperament are far superior to others, and Gu Yin has great expectations for her.
Chu Manrong walked to the center with his eyes down. Although he looked respectful, he was very dissatisfied.
She consciously received all the insults she had never experienced before—Gu Yin and the others sat in one place, eating melon seeds, eating melon seeds, eating snacks, and the only two adult men, whispering as if they were saying something else.
Thinking back to when she was in the palace, when did she not attract everyone's attention when she appeared
How could someone be so careless
But it's alright, Chu Manrong said to himself in his heart, he hasn't used his housekeeping skills yet, and he will definitely impress them at that time!
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Wu Qingyi and took out the ribbon from her bosom.
I don't know what material the ribbon is made of. Although it is folded and stored close to the body, there is no crease after unfolding.
When she danced, the ribbon seemed to come alive, glowing with Ling Lingbo light, walking around Chu Manrong, making her already excellent face even more attractive, like an immortal.
This ribbon dance was really amazing, Gu Yin couldn't take her eyes off it, Wang Shi forgot to eat melon seeds, Wu Zhong and Wu Qingyi couldn't help but take a second glance. The two little guys were also watching intently.
In the end, Chu Manrong twisted his waist and threw the ribbon to Wu Qingyi with brisk steps.
Wu Qingyi looked at it twice before and then talked to his father. When he saw something coming straight in front of him, he subconsciously reached out to pick it up, and swiped—
Chu Manrong was first pulled forward by an incomparable force, and then the whole person was pulled to the side uncontrollably!
She screamed and fell to the side, knocking her forehead on the corner of the table next to her.
Gu Yin was startled, and immediately got up to help her, "Are you all right?"
Chu Manrong was humiliated and resentful. At this time, it was too late to hide her emotions, and it fell into Gu Yin's eyes all of a sudden.
"It's okay!" Chu Manrong covered his forehead and stood up with his eyes down.
Is it Wu Qingyi's fault? Gu Yin glanced at him, wiped his nose and said apologetically, "I'm sorry."
Sorry, this sentence is somewhat perfunctory. The people in the room are not fools. When Chu Manrong was performing, the closest ones to him were obviously Wang Shi and Gu Yin, but she wanted to bypass them and put the ribbon on Wu Qingyi. Throwing, not ulterior motives is what
Gu Yin asked someone to invite the doctor in the house to examine her injuries.
After she left, Gu Yin asked Wu Qingyi with her eyes—
It's not for you to talk to people, but to work, isn't that what it means
Wu Qingyi shook her head innocently, saying that she did exactly what she said, I really don't know how this happened!
There were outsiders present, and the two of them had been fighting for a while, and it was hard to say anything.
Taking advantage of this time, it was time for Gu Yin to talk to the tricksters about the content and treatment of her future work.
Several people heard that they were going to a place in the restaurant that specially received female guests to perform their talents, but they did not show any unwillingness.
Anyway, they don't have any other skills in the first place, and it doesn't matter who they perform singing and dancing, as long as it's not that kind of sensual place.
In terms of treatment, Gu Yin asked about their monthly money in the palace.
There are also grades in the palace, and those who are as good as Chu Manrong are naturally first-class, with a monthly money of ten taels.
While others are second and third class, the monthly payment is three to five taels.
Yuan Xiaoyuan's chubby face turned red again. Her monthly money was only one or two, because since she gained weight, she was ineligible to participate in the gig workshop every time she was assessed.
Gu Yin nodded and said, "Well, I'll give each of you five taels per month. Of course, this is the most basic salary, and there are also performance commissions. I'll tell you in detail later."
Just as he was talking about this, Chu Manrong, who had been seen by the doctor to be unharmed, came back with the bruise on his forehead.
"I don't want to," she interrupted.
Five taels of silver a month, let her show the skills she is proud of to ordinary people, who is this humiliation
This person obviously has impure motives, but he is indeed extremely capable. With love for talent, Gu Yin patiently asked her: "Do you think this salary is low? This is only the most basic, and there are others, listen. I can explain it."
"No," Chu Manrong knelt down, "no matter how much money, my concubine is not willing to dance in front of people."
Gu Yin said it was over, "Since you don't want it, I'm not forcing others to do it. It's too late today, so you can go out of the house tomorrow."
"Madam speaks carefully," Chu Manrong said calmly, "My concubine is a gift from Your Majesty, and my wife has no right to drive her away."
Wang Shi was angrily laughed, threw the melon seeds in his hand onto the plate, and sneered: "You don't want to work for my son, and you don't want to leave our house, why are you still relying on my house?"
She was the housekeeper for a while, and she already had the air of a superior.
In addition, when she had a straight face, she looked fierce.
Chu Manrong's slender body shrank for a moment, and whispered: "My concubine is willing to be a slave and a maid, and let it be driven, but it is, it is..."
"Just don't want to dance, right?" Gu Yin said.
Chu Manrong should be "yes".
Anyway, her talent is only shown to people like Zheng Yuandi and Wu Qingyi. Although she didn't expect Wu Qingyi to be so incomprehensible, but if her skills turn into a few taels of silver a month, she can do whatever she wants. Seeing ordinary things, where does she still have the capital to stand up
Wang Shi wanted to open his mouth again, but Gu Yin, who was smiling, stopped him, "Does everything else work?"
"Yes!" Chu Manrong answered again loudly.
Anyway, she was a gift from the emperor, and people who understand the British government would not dare to ask her to do any pickling errands.
"You don't regret it."
"My concubine will never regret it!"
…
In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, the light food bar of Shiweitian and Wangtianlou in the same street opened at the same time.
Gu Yin's side had been forewarned for a long time, but the other party chose the same day, obviously to compete with Shiweitian!
Both sides were decorated with lanterns and colorful lights. Feng Tao of Lu Guogong's mansion personally presided over the opening ceremony. He also invited some of the most famous lion dance teams in the capital to play gongs and drums. How lively!
On the other hand, on Shiweitian's side, there was just a sign with red paper posted at the door, which seemed very deserted in comparison.
But when the gongs and drums stopped at the end of the street, Gu Yin and Shopkeeper Zhou came out of the store.
The guys also filed out and set up a bill at the door.
A slender and graceful woman came out from behind. She was wearing the same pale yellow overalls as a court servant, with a towel wrapped around her head.
Although she doesn't wear Fendai and has a blank face, she is so beautiful that just standing is enough to attract people to stop.
The woman in the back moved, and a white plain dance danced in her hands as tender as spring onions. At first, it went around her slender neck, then around her body, and finally drew a circle in the air, and the circle became more and more. Big, that practice is getting longer and longer...
The spectators felt that something was wrong. What kind of training can make it longer and longer? Could it be a trick
And when they look closely, they will find that the thing in the woman's hand is not pure training at all, but a face!
"The new noodle-pulling master in our shop is performing live, absolutely hand-pulling the noodle, absolutely sturdy, come and try it!" Shopkeeper Zhou shouted loudly.