It was the Lantern Festival, and her fiancé Wang Ning was waiting for her at the door of Hu's Bookstore, holding a rabbit lantern.
According to Nanjing custom, there is no curfew for three consecutive nights during the Lantern Festival. People wear moon-white clothes, hold lanterns, walk through the streets and party all night long. Part of the city wall is opened to allow people to climb up the city walls and enjoy the prosperous night view of Nanjing.
Moon white is a light blue color, which turns white under the moonlight, so it is called moon white.
If you want to look pretty, wear mourning clothes. This color can make people look more beautiful, but when hundreds of thousands of people in the city are wearing the same clothes, it is not a big deal to wear the same clothes, but it is embarrassing for those who are ugly.
At that time, Hu Shanwei felt that no man in the city was as suitable for wearing moonlight white as the man holding a rabbit lantern under the moon.
While parading, stall owners on the roadside enthusiastically recommended various jade jewelry. She chose the cheapest jade hairpin, spending only half a dollar.
She has her own self-respect and will not ask her fiancé to spend too much money. In addition, she also bought some snacks and asked her fiancé to bring them to her future mother-in-law as a return gift, not taking advantage of the other party.
He personally pinned it on her hair and said, "When we get married, you must not be so polite anymore."
She smiled faintly, "Doesn't it look good if I wear this?"
He said: "It's beautiful, pure and elegant, just like a daffodil."
She looked at her fiancé in moonlight white and thought: I think you are prettier than Narcissus.
That cheap jade hairpin became her most common jewelry. That night in Tibet, it was crushed by someone in the chaos. She felt sorry for it. It turned out that jade can understand human nature.
The person is gone and the jade is broken.
No one expected that Mu Chun would "collect the body" of the broken jade hairpin, melt the gold, and repair a brand new jade hairpin.
Because hairpins in the past broke so badly, the craftsmen did not just make them into the shape of a stick. Instead, they used their skillful hands to grind the broken jade into almost transparent sheets, made the shape of flower pieces on the hairpin head, and cut gold wire into the flower core. The shape is a narcissus flower on a jade table and a golden cup.
He has been transformed so completely that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him.
It turns out that someone cares about her and someone is thinking about her.
Hu Shanwei felt warm in his heart and instinctively wanted to go and answer it, but then he changed his mind and thought, I will go back to the palace immediately to see the Queen and ask for her permission to track down the whereabouts of Liu Siyan and his group. I must see them alive or their bodies if they are dead.
As Mao Xiang said, this move is too risky. The King of Qin is a vassal king. If he is not careful, he will alienate the flesh and blood of the royal family and beheaded. Mu Chun is determined to be a marquis in the future. In order to gain a better future, he is punishing those troublemakers in Yingyang Guard. He beats others and gets beaten. He also has to say those nonsense and do those obscene and vulgar actions...
It’s your own business and you should bear the consequences yourself, and not involve others. Besides, Mu Chun is her confidant and the only person who cares about her.
So, Hu Shanwei struggled in his sleeve for a moment and decided to let go.
She said against her will: "Don't just use a gold and jade narcissus hairpin to coax me, and lie that it was broken before. Besides, my hair bun with a black gauze hat is no longer suitable for a hairpin with flowers."
Under the official hat, there is only room for a simple wooden or jade hairpin. Choosing the official career means blurring the characteristics of a woman, and being beautiful is not what she wants.
Hu Shanwei rejected Mu Chun's advances and returned to the palace.
Mu Chun stood outside the Jinyiwei Yamen in a daze. After a while, he kicked the door frantically.
Ji Gang opened the door and released Muchun.
Mu Chun asked Mao Xiang: "Why did Sister Shanwei look unhappy after leaving your place? Did you bully her? Or did you come up with some despicable trick to drive her out of the palace?"
Mao Xiang drank tea, "Don't try to blackmail me again. She didn't look good when she came in. As for me driving her out of the palace, that's just a fantasy. When she was an eighth-rank female historian, I couldn't touch her. Now she has been promoted twice and become a celebrity. How dare I touch her casually?"
Mu Chun asked: "Why is Sister Shanwei unhappy?"
Mao Xiang said, "Never mind your business. You are no longer a member of the Imperial Guard. Ji Gang, show the guest away."
Muchun's mind was full of questions, but soon he understood what was going on.
Because Empress Ma issued an imperial decree, she ordered the female official Hu Shanwei to go to Xi'an to hold the Princess of Qin accountable, and to search for the whereabouts of Liu Siyan and his group together with □□, and ordered the Jinyiwei to send elite troops to accompany them.
Sure enough, as Mao Xiang had expected, Empress Ma sent female officials as representatives to control the conflict within the scope of the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so that it would not escalate to the central government and the vassal state, and she was able to achieve her goal.
From an outsider's perspective, it was the mother-in-law who gave the book to teach her daughter-in-law a lesson. However, the middleman who delivered the book got into trouble in the fiefdom. The mother-in-law was unhappy and sent another group of people to hold him accountable. The questioning was also directed at the daughter-in-law, and had nothing to do with her son.
This is an urgent matter. If Liu Siyan and the others are still alive, every day of delay will put us in danger. We have to set off early tomorrow morning.
The palace is still wearing autumn jackets, and winter clothes have not been distributed yet. Meixiang gave her best cotton-padded jacket to Hu Shanwei, "I heard that the northwest is cold and it will snow in October. Teacher, you didn't bring anything when you entered the palace. This is the cotton-padded jacket I distributed last year. You haven't worn it yet, so you can wear it."
When Hu Shanwei entered the palace, she didn't even have a pair of shoes. Meixiang personally examined her. Unexpectedly, the two became master and apprentice.
Hu Shanwei did not refuse, put it in the box, and reminded her: "Don't worry about me, concentrate on your studies, and you must pass the exam to become a female scholar at the end of the year."
Fan Gongzheng brought hand warmers, ear warmers, fur boots and other things to keep warm, and said, "You must remember that although the Prince's Mansion is noble, you are a female official sent by the Queen, representing the dignity of the Queen and the royal family. If you can fight, fight. If you can't fight, don't be stubborn. Write down the matter and attach evidence. The Queen will support you. You must know that rigidity is easy to break, and only by being able to bend and stretch can you last long."
Hu Shanwei agreed.
The Shang Gong Bureau's Shang Gong Cao actually gave Hu Shanwei a box of precious fox fur!
Hu Shanwei hurriedly said that he would not accept any reward without merit and did not dare to accept such a precious gift.
Cao Shang Gong said angrily: "Look at how poor you looked when you entered the palace. You really brought shame to us ladies-in-waiting. You don't care about face, but we do. Tsk tsk..."
Cao Shang Gong looked through the suitcase with disdain and threw out the cotton-padded jacket that Mei Xiang had given to Hu Shanwei. "You treat these tattered clothes worn by palace maids like treasures."
Meixiang lowered her head and dared not speak. She was the lowest-ranking maid in the palace, and Cao Shanggong was the highest-ranking Shanggong, so she had no right to speak here.
"Mrs. Cao!" Hu Shanwei was furious. She picked up the cotton coat on the ground, brushed off the dust, folded it, and put it back into the box. "Mrs. Cao, please take the fox fur coat back. I don't need it. I was born a commoner, a plain clother, and I don't have the habit of wearing fur coats."
Cao Shang Gong scolded: "You don't know what's good for you! I'm giving you face. Don't be too shabby. You're being looked down upon by the prince's mansion, but you're shameless!"
Hu Shanwei retorted, "I am going to Xi'an on the orders of the Empress, not Consort Cao!"
Cao Shang Gong said coldly: "Liu Siyan is someone I cultivated, you must bring her back to me. If anything happens to her, you will never have a good life in the palace."
"That's enough!" Fan Gongzheng slammed the table, "Hu Shanwei is from my Gongzheng Division, this is not your Shanggong Bureau. If you want to teach her a lesson, you have to ask me first."
Cao Shang Gong said sarcastically: "The one who got into trouble was not someone from your Shang Gong Bureau. If it was you, you would only push him harder than I did."
Fan Gongzheng said, "You can't sit still when the cause and effect haven't been investigated clearly, and whether he is alive or dead is unknown? Concubine Cao is still too young. If it were me, I wouldn't be as impatient and reckless as you are. You wouldn't act arrogantly without finding out the truth."
"Okay, I'll wait for news from Hu Shanwei. If..." Lady Cao gave a warning look, "I swear, from now on, Hu Shanwei will no longer have a place in the palace."
Cao Shang Gong walked a few steps, turned around and said, "When Liu Siyan left the palace, he said he would be back in more than a month. He only brought summer clothes and a few autumn clothes, and did not prepare any winter clothes. You take these fox furs and give them to her."
Cao Shang Gong and Fan Gong Zheng left one after another. Mei Xiang wiped her tears and stood up, "Hu Dian Zheng, don't worry, I will definitely pass the examination for female scholars. Mei Xiang will never forget the shame of today."
The room returned to peace. Hu Shanwei flipped through a pile of books, all of which were local chronicles of Xi'an Prefecture, recording the local astronomy and geography, customs and practices, chaste and heroic women, and lawsuits.
While I was reading a book, the female teacher Shen Qionglian came.
Hu Shanwei hurried to pour tea and entertain this distinguished guest.
Shen Qionglian's short legs just reached the pedals. She waved her hands like a little adult, "Stop busying yourself. The tea here is not as good as mine. It doesn't taste good."
The treatment of female officials was also divided into different levels. Shen Qionglian was one level lower than Hu Shanwei, but the female officials treated her like a child, and gave her the best food and supplies. She had just written a new palace poem "The mandarin duck tiles and the box flew away all night, the iron plates were deeply forbidden to make leaks", and Empress Ma liked her very much and rewarded her with many good things. As a result, the tea she drank was much better than Hu Shanwei's.
Hu Shanwei had no choice but to stop and took out two small fruits - these were given to her by Chen Ermei as food for her on the way.
Shen Qionglian picked a piece of lotus powder cake and ate it. Her rosy and soft cheeks were stained with a little icing sugar. She took out a small seal wrapped in a handkerchief from her bosom and said, "This is my seal. If you encounter any trouble and need money urgently, take this seal to any bank of the Shen family. You can exchange it for up to 100,000 taels of silver."
Hu Shanwei thought it was just nonsense from a child, "This... I'm going to Xi'an and I'll stay at post stations along the way. I don't need to spend any money."
Shen Qionglian said, "But I heard from the palace maids in the classroom that Liu Siyan didn't come back. He probably met with an accident. It is said that the bandits coveted the gift from the Qin Palace and killed people for money. I think the bandits are just after money. If you also met with an accident, 100,000 taels of silver should be enough to save your life. Just give it to them. You are a good person. I hope you can come back."
Children are so innocent. Hu Shanwei smiled bitterly and said, "Why do you think I'm good? The rumor in the palace is that I pushed Liu Siyan out to avoid disaster. I am notorious now."
Shen Qionglian said, "Or are they all mediocre people with no vision? In the summer, you were in Tibet and confronted the then Imperial Concubine Hu. I think people who cherish books should be good. Anyway, I am in the palace, and this seal is useless, so I will give it to you to save your life, just in case it is used."
One seal, 100,000 taels of silver? You must be kidding.
Hu Shanwei politely declined, "I don't dare to accept such a valuable item."
Shen Qionglian was a little angry. "Do you think I'm fanciful? Let me ask you, what's my last name?"
"Shen."
"That's right." Shen Qionglian said: "The richest man in the late Yuan Dynasty, Shen Xiu, nicknamed Shen Wansan, is my ancestor..."
It turned out that Shen Xiu had more than a dozen wives and concubines. Later, Shen Xiu was suspected by Emperor Hongwu because of his previous support for King Wu Zhang Shicheng, and was exiled to Yunnan. He was the richest man of his time and died on the border of the Ming Dynasty.
However, the centipede is still alive even after death. Shen Xiu's descendants have spread to more than 100 people. In order to avoid disaster and not be implicated by each other, the clan members have separated and lived separately. Shen Qionglian's branch lived a good life and began to train his disciples to study. Shen Qionglian's father was a juren, and his eldest brother also passed the imperial examination.
To do big business, one must have a backer in the officialdom. Shen Xiu's son-in-law Lu Zhonghe relied on Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, and his business was booming. However, today, in the 13th year of Hongwu, Hu Weiyong was charged with treason and his entire family was executed overnight by the Jinyiwei, and the power of the court was uprooted.
As Hu Weiyong's money bag, Lu Zhonghe was also labeled as a member of Hu's party. His entire family was executed and his property was confiscated by the government.
Shen Qionglian said: "… I thought, since doing business requires relying on officials, is there any higher official in the world than the prime minister? As a result, even the prime minister fell overnight, so I told my family that there is no need to rely on those officials. I will be an official, and you can just rely on me."
"All the men in my family who studied, including my father, were mediocre in talent. Although they spent a lot of money to hire famous teachers, I estimated that they could only become Juren at best. It was unlikely that they would become Jinshi. So, I took the examination to become a female official. My family gave me 100,000 taels of silver. This is my private property. I can redeem it at the Shen family's money houses in various places with my seal."
If one can pass the imperial examination, he will be regarded as a rare and outstanding figure among men.
If someone else said these words, Hu Shanwei would think they were arrogant, but when they came from Shen Qionglian's mouth, she believed them 80%.
Hu Shanwei looked at the thumb-sized seal and said, "What if such a valuable thing is lost?"
Shen Qionglian said lightly, "It's just money. If it's lost, it's lost. I won't ask you to compensate for it. Life is more important. It's best if you can use it. If not, you can bring it back to me."
"I'm leaving now. Don't tell anyone what I told you today to avoid trouble. There are very few people in the palace who know my family background." Shen Qionglian jumped off the chair and brushed off the snack crumbs on her chubby cheeks.
"You must come back. Among the forty-four female officials who passed the exam this time, I have high hopes for you. If you become rich and powerful, please don't forget me."
No one would have expected that everyone had their own purpose in entering the palace. Jiang Quan wanted to reunite with his daughter, Shen Qionglian wanted to become an official and a pillar of the family, and only Hu Shanwei had the smallest goal: just a place to live.
In comparison, Hu Shanwei had the simplest purpose of entering the palace, but fate played a trick on her. Instead, she, the most innocent girl, was caught up in all kinds of whirlpools and storms from the moment she entered the palace, turning her, the least ambitious girl, into the most ambitious person.
Hu Shanwei sewed the seal into the hem of her skirt. One hundred thousand taels of silver could make almost nine dragon robes. Shen Qionglian was not only talented, she was also rich. Not only was she rich, she was also enviably young, only thirteen years old.
The next day, the weather was clear and crisp in autumn. Hu Shanwei and three hundred Jinyiwei set out, still led by Ji Gang. There was little rain in autumn, which was suitable for traveling. Hu Shanwei decided to speed up and must reach Zhuoying County of Xi'an Prefecture where Liu Siyan and others disappeared within ten days.
Mu Chun watched the team disappear in the world and raised his hand, "The eight of you, follow Hu Dianzheng secretly. Here are the travel permits and household registrations. Let the Xi'an bandits know how powerful you Jiangxi bandits are."
The thin Captain Shi looked at Mu Chun worriedly, "Master Mu, we are all gone. Can you subdue the lawless monkeys of the Eagle Guard by yourself?"
Mu Chun said, "Don't worry, I borrowed ten veterans from my uncle to help. Your mission is to protect Hu Dianzheng, don't worry about anything else."
The author has something to say: Shen Xiu also has a son-in-law, his surname is Zhou, but I forgot his name, it’s hard to remember.
Hundreds of years later, the descendants of this son-in-law named Zhou produced two very powerful figures, one was Xun Ge'er, and the other was the first Prime Minister of the Republic.
100 red envelopes tonight, still waiting for you.
Congratulations to reader Fengxiu for winning a big red envelope of 100 points.
№4 Netizen: Fengxiu Comment: "Hu Shanwei" Score: 2 Published time: 2018-12-04 19:40:52 Reviewed chapter: 43
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