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Dong Xiaowan was wearing a palace dress embroidered with blue silk from Tianshui, a colorful shawl covered with clouds, and a simple tourmaline carved hairpin inserted in her heart-shaped bun. Her graceful figure was as soft and beautiful as a willow in mid-spring, and her face, without a trace of worldly desire, made her the most beautiful scenery in the world.
Men and women who came to Da Baoen Temple to burn incense could not help but look at her a few more times. Dong Xiaowan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, so after burning incense, she took Qiao'er home.
"Sister, can we play for a while longer and go take a look at the Glazed Tower?" Qiao'er begged reluctantly.
Baoen Temple was built during the Yongle reign and is one of the largest temples in Jinling. Every day, many pilgrims flock to the temple. There are more than 20 halls and pavilions, 118 art galleries, and 38 scripture rooms. There is also a 200-foot-tall glazed tower that soars into the sky, with gold, silver, and jewels inlaid on the top. There are 152 wind chimes hanging under the corner beams, which ring day and night, and the sound can be heard for miles. It is known as the No. 1 tower in the world.
Qiao'er followed here eagerly, wanting to have a good look at such an interesting place. Dong Xiaowan wanted to go back after burning incense, but she naturally didn't agree.
Seeing that she was reluctant to leave, Dong Xiaowan couldn't help but soften her heart and accompanied her in the temple for a long time. They also had some vegetarian meals in the temple. It was after noon that they left Baoen Temple and returned to the city through Jubao Gate.
Qiao'er was tired from playing and felt drowsy as soon as she got into the sedan chair. Dong Xiaowan hugged her and lifted a corner of the curtain to look at the scenery on the street.
From Jubao Gate to the north, after crossing the Qinhuai River, you will reach Nanmen Street, and then Huashi Street. This area has always been the most prosperous section of Jinling, where the rich and powerful gather. The famous Changganli and Wuyi Lane are both located nearby.
When the Qin army captured Jinling City, only the palace was burned down, while the rest of the city was safe and sound. The entire city soon returned to its prosperous appearance.
Looking around, the eaves and green tiles, the buildings lined up one after another are bathed in the autumn sunshine. The streets are paved with flat bluestone slabs, and there are densely packed shops on both sides, such as "Old Silk and Velvet Shop", "Beijing-style Xiaodong", "Neikuo Lexiantang Famous Book Exchange", "Net Jin Fa Ke", "Eastern and Western Goods", "Huazhi Hangzhou Powder Famous Fragrance Official Soap", "Wanxing Restaurant", "Huaixianyuan", etc. The signs and wine flags are dazzling;
The streets were crowded with people. Luxury cars, sedan chairs, peddlers and hawkers were bustling about. Merchants from all directions gathered in the official corridors, shouting and bargaining.
The teahouses with lanterns and fresh flowers hanging in front of the doors were packed with people and doing a booming business; the restaurants were bustling with people and music filled the air. The wind was filled with pleasant smiles and the tempting aroma of wine and food…
Compared with other places still in the midst of war, all of this seems like a fairyland.
In a grain shop on the street, a customer was asking about the price of grain, and the shop assistant answered loudly. From their conversation, Dong Xiaowan heard that the price of rice was one tael and five cents of silver per stone, and the price of corn was four cents of silver per stone.
Dong Xiaowan, who had never been involved in household chores, had no idea about the prices of daily necessities. However, when she accompanied Qin Mu between Changsha and Ganzhou that time, she helped grind ink, spread paper, and burn incense and serve tea. At that time, Qin Mu was vigorously promoting the new grain and also ordered Xu Yingjie to purchase a large amount of grain from Jiangnan. As a result, Dong Xiaowan also had some understanding of the grain prices in various places.
She remembered that the price of grain in Jiangnan at that time was as high as three taels and six cents of silver per stone. By this calculation, the current price of grain has dropped by more than half.
Dong Xiaowan didn't know much about these economic matters, but at least she knew one thing: if food prices were low, fewer people would go hungry.
When the sedan chair reached the middle of Flower Market Street, she heard the densely packed people on the street loudly discussing something about property confiscation. Then she heard bursts of crying coming from the side street on the east side, and even Qiao'er, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened.
Qiao Er asked with sleepy eyes: "Sister Dong, who is crying? Hey, it seems like many people are crying..."
"I don't know either. It seems like someone's house was searched because of a crime."
Qiao'er curiously lifted the curtain and looked towards the side street, only to see heads swaying. In the middle of the street, there were hundreds of people tied up with ropes, escorted by two teams of soldiers, all crying. But the people on the street not only had no mercy, but many of them even shouted and cursed.
"Look, look! This is Qian's running dog's family."
"You deserve it, traitor, big traitor."
"Look at Qian Sunai. He was bullying me a few days ago by relying on his power as a Tartar. Wang Laoqi, who lives next door to me, was slow to get out of the way, so he broke his leg. Well, you have come to this day too. God has mercy on you!"
"Qian Qianyi, the traitor, deserves to be exterminated..."
The people watching on the street not only kept shouting and cursing, but also threw vegetable heads and scraps at the prisoners. If it weren't for the two rows of soldiers blocking them, I'm afraid some people would have rushed in and started punching and kicking them.
"Yingtian Prefecture is arresting the criminal. Get out of the way, get out of the way quickly!" The first few yamen runners who were responsible for clearing the way shouted while holding water and fire sticks.
Dong Xiaowan's sedan just arrived at the entrance of Hengjie Street. She acted low-key, and her sedan was ordinary. Ye Han and several others who were in charge of the protection were also in casual clothes. The yamen runners who were in charge of clearing the way thought it was just an ordinary family's sedan, and came up to drive it away with water and fire sticks.
Ye Han and his men were usually responsible for protecting Qiao'er when she went out. They were ordered around by this eccentric young lady, and they were happy to smile. But this was only limited to Qiao'er. If you ordered around others, you would be asking for a fight. Ye Han snorted coldly at the several yamen runners who rushed up with angry eyes, and was about to knock them down...
"Ye Han, what are you going to do?"
A series of crisp voices came from the sedan chair, and Ye Han and the others seemed to be under a spell. "Auntie, these blind people dared to offend you. How can this be tolerated? I will show them how many eyes the Horse King has..."
"Hey, stop making trouble, get out of the way and let them go!"
The yamen runners on the opposite side were forced to take several steps back by the momentum of Ye Han and his men. But Qiao'er's words made Ye Han and his men, who were originally full of murderous intent, instantly become like deflated balls.
Ye Han said with a bitter face: "Little aunt, why do you let them follow you for so long? Can't you just let me show off for once?"
"No!" Qiao'er smiled brightly.
When the yamen runners saw her, they were so frightened that their legs went weak and their faces turned pale. Chi Zengsui, the magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture, shouted at the yamen runners, "Why are you still standing there? Clear the way quickly and drive away all the outsiders..."
One of the bailiffs hurried to Chi Zengsui's horse and whispered, "Master Chi, you can't hurry, you can't hurry, the one in the sedan chair is... the princess..."
"Nonsense, my Great Qin only has a queen, and no princess consort has been canonized yet. Besides, will a princess consort ride in a sedan chair like this?"
“Master Chi, how dare I talk nonsense. That day outside Zhengyang Gate, that Li... Li... Aunt Li just called her Princess... ..." The bailiff was so nervous that he spoke hesitantly.
But this was enough to make Chi Zengsui feel like he was struck by lightning. "Ah!" He exclaimed, and quickly slid off the horse. Seeing that the sedan chair had been moved to the side of the road, he hurried to the sedan chair and bowed, saying, "I don't know if you are... ... ... your Excellency, and there are many criminals here. Please go first."
"You don't have to be so polite, sir. You have official business to attend to. Please go ahead."
The voice coming out of the sedan was gentle and pleasant, but it didn't sound like it came from a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl. Chi Zengsui was slightly startled for a moment, and then he bowed again and said, "I dare not, I dare not, please go first, Your Excellency. I didn't know you were here, and I hope you will forgive me for bumping into you."
"Just go when I tell you to go. Why are you talking so much?" Ye Han snorted coldly.
After being scolded by a guard like this, Chi Zengsui finally confirmed that the person sitting in the sedan chair was no ordinary person. He quickly bowed again and said, "I'm sorry." Then he hurriedly retreated.
Ye Han shook off his pride and felt much better, but he heard Qiao'er's voice coming from the sedan again, "Hmph! Ye Han, you're naughty again." This was clearly the tone the King of Qin used to teach his little aunt a lesson. Ye Han didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard the voice. Several brothers nearby couldn't help but turn their heads away, their eyes shaking.
The team escorting the prisoner set off again. The onlookers did not pay much attention to the little episode that had just happened. There were high-ranking officials everywhere in the capital, and the powerful and wealthy were everywhere. It was easy to bump into a noble person if you were not careful. Such scenes had been seen many times, and everyone was no longer surprised.
Dong Xiaowan stopped the sedan chair at the side of the street, lifted the curtain, and anxiously looked at the prisoners strung together. When half of the long string of prisoners had passed, she finally saw a familiar figure:
I saw her with her long hair loose, covering half of her face. Her wide-sleeved silk dress was stained with vegetable leaves thrown by the people. Her hands were tied up, and she was staggering forward... ...
Dong Xiaowan felt sad. Who could have expected that Liu Rushi, who was born with natural beauty, excellent in both calligraphy and painting, knowledgeable in books and poetry, and could write poems in a split second, would end up in such a miserable situation
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ps: I sincerely ask for monthly tickets. Seeing my anus being stabbed again and again, I scream in pain to protect my anus!
Please give me a monthly ticket!
Please give me a monthly ticket!
Please give me a monthly ticket!
.(To be continued..)
...