Nanwan, Taiming twenty-eight years, late spring.
The flowers in Jinping, the imperial capital, are about to be wiped out, but the fog has not cleared yet.
Since Lin Chi, the great master of the art of refining, made the "alchemy" come down to earth, the fog in the world has become thicker and choking every year.
Nothing to complain about though.
The "moon-plated gold" made of imitation gold is a god-given fetish. The steam lighter made of moon-plated gold is extremely powerful. It can blow up a large ship hundreds of feet long, and it is easy to sail across the sea of Northern Darkness. Outside the southern city wall, there are countless large and small factories, and the machines are roaring all day long, sending out the best cloth and cotton yarn like running water. Along the Grand Canal, it is sold to Beili in the north, and transported to Xichu in the west. In the mountains of Southern Shu, it is hot summer, and tulle and silk are not worried about sales.
I don't know how many people's livelihoods are dependent on the moon gold plating. Thirty miles to the west of the city, the "Mijin Residence" was completed the year before last, and it is already busy with people coming and going. The trains puffing and puffing snow-white steam are also called "Tengyunjiao" among the folks. They rush on the rails every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Early trains pull goods, late trains transport people.
Isn't this Immortal Ze bewitched by common people
The fog on Jinping City cannot be called fog, but auspicious clouds.
After the new year, a large number of young and middle-aged laborers flocked to the capital like a tide, and the labyrinth was overcrowded every day. It is too expensive to find a house to live in the city. Even the kennel on the east bank of the Lingyang River cannot be rented without a half-assed son every month. It is enough for a strong labor ration.
The laborers from other places had to pour into the shacks in the factory area outside Nancheng, and a decent town almost gathered outside the city.
This year Jinping City is particularly lively, because it is the "election year" once every ten years.
Xianmen is going to choose an apprentice.
There is only one place in Dawan that deserves to be called "Xianmen", which is the state religion "Xuanyin", one of the four great immortal gates today.
Every election year, Xuanyin will count the auspicious time and send immortal envoys to Jinping to select mortal talents and introduce them to the immortal way. Jinping City has been bustling since the Chinese New Year, and heroes from all walks of life have followed suit. Those who are candidates for immortals have to burn incense and worship gods, cultivate their morality; Unwilling to be lonely, I want to follow the ticket to create a "Oiran champion" to add to the fun.
There are many people, so there are many things to do, and there are naturally many places to recruit workers in the city. Anyone who is capable is willing to come here to try their luck, and they can always find a job. Therefore, although the state religion only selects people from the sons of the princes and noble families, and has nothing to do with ordinary people, people are still looking forward to the election year.
The fairy envoy goes down the mountain, and the weather will be smooth and the grain will be plentiful this year.
It’s okay if the crops aren’t so abundant, and you can go to Beijing to take a look at the painted boats on the Lingyang River, and you’ve gained a lot of knowledge. If you can listen to two stringed songs from a distance, you can say that you’ve heard the oiran’s voice when you go back, and you’ll be able to sing for half your life up.
On the first day of April, the flowers will come to an end.
The most prestigious "Flower Appreciation Fair" in Jinping City, the most prestigious land of love and moonlight, has also come to an end.
It was really bright and beautiful, driving away the spring, the rouge shattered and scattered the red dust in the city, and it was hard to find a "flower appreciation card" for an elegant seat.
Later that day, the Marquis of Yongning was also dragged away to Zui Liuhua by a group of "scholars and celebrities" begging for nothing, and witnessed the new oiran win the crown.
This year's oiran is a famous prostitute who is about to leave. Master Hou is nibbling melon seeds, and he glanced at it, feeling that this "famous flower" is lacklustre, and the corners of his eyebrows and eyes are drooping, looking unhappy.
However, the group of demons danced wildly in Zuiliuhua for half the night, everyone had three layers of white mud scraped on their faces, and it was impossible to tell who was who. Lord Hou made their eyes hurt, seeing that Jiang Li brought only one musician to the stage, with plain clothes and plain face, no matter how well he sang, if he didn't make any noise, he first made people feel good about him.
It is said that what she sang was a new song, the musician was found somewhere, and he was quite skilled, playing the qin alone could hold the table, both the qin and the song were not bad. The guests also felt refreshed. When the song ended, gold and silver beads fell down like snowflakes, smashing the lifting stage until it was steamed, and the small building seemed to be a steamed cage for a while.
In this way, the camellia corolla of the top oiran fell on Miss Jiangli's head.
Jiang Li put on a crown of tea flowers and left the stage to thank her. The benefactors asked her to toast and sing a cappella, and she had to answer. Fortunately, there were a lot of people, and many of them had status, so it wouldn't cause too much trouble. After dealing with a circle, she just breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to salute and leave the stage, when suddenly someone who didn't know where came made a fuss: "Miss No. The ones here are smarter than the ones raised in your building, why don't you call them out to meet them, and everyone will take care of them in the future?"
The musician who was about to leave kept his face covered and hid behind the gauze curtain, only showing the corner of his long skirt when he stepped off the stage, which was so mysterious that it made people feel itchy.
Jiang Li was taken aback for a moment, and then smiled back and said that her own musician accidentally hurt her hand, and today the musician who performed this piece was temporarily invited from outside, and it is inconvenient to show her face in Zui Liuhua, so please forgive me.
The gentlemen will coax you up and quit: What is "inside and outside"? With so many nobles in the seat, the number one scholar in Chunwei has to get off his horse and bow to him when he comes. What kind of Joe do you, the number one scholar in the middle of the night, take
Jiangli is a "elegant and elegant" style. If it is too vulgar, there will be no long-sleeved dances, and it is inevitable that you will not be able to cope with the scene. She was frozen there, not knowing what to do, when she heard someone say, "Here we come! See you—as long as you dare to look."
The voice was deep and deep, but it had to be held high deliberately, hanging to a high place and unable to get up, and the voice was out of tune, making people get goosebumps when they heard it.
When everyone looked up, they saw that the musician who was taken away from Tibet was a cheerful person, just carrying the piano so generously... and went downstairs with the piano in his arms.
This person is painted with a fashionable lady's makeup, heavy makeup, and a half-covered veil on the white clay on his face.
Ordinarily, with such a bear look, you can still tell whether the nose is a nose or an eye. I shouldn't be shabby... But for some reason, she looks weird all over her body.
This person is too tall and big, most of the girls only reach her shoulders, and the big white head stands alone on top of Qunfang's head, which is a bit scary. She is tall and has a big frame. The collarbone of the big horse golden knife on her "fragrant shoulders" is so tied that her shoulders and cuffs are about to collapse at any time. The big feet propped up the embroidered shoes into a pair of boats, twisting and shaking... Abducted.
This one came out to worship, and grinned and showed her white teeth in all directions: the rouge on her mouth was hastily applied, and she accidentally rubbed it on her teeth, her mouth was full of blood, like a dead child who just gnawed and didn't rinse well. Just one more look can catch the evil spirits, and wake up the wine of all the honored guests in the seat!
Marquis Yongning has already left his seat in a low-key manner.
When Hou Ye was a teenager, he was known as the most beautiful man in Jinping. He felt that these "famous prostitutes" were average-looking, and the so-called "skills" were even more sloppy. Mirror yourself. He came to Zui Liuhua just for socializing, he said hello as he should, and he didn't bother to watch these people make a fuss, so he dressed up and went downstairs to go home. When I went downstairs, I happened to walk across from the big-footed musician who had left the stage.
Hou Ye didn't want to look straight at the prostitute, but this girl was too tall, if he didn't look straight, he would roll his eyes.
He was taken aback by the heavily made-up grimace that hit his eyes, and he was wondering who this evildoer is... why is it vaguely familiar? Seeing the face of the musician who was able to deal with the hooligans with ease changed suddenly, half a catty of white mud on his face almost cracked, turned around and ran away without saying a word.
"She" doesn't need the piano, and the embroidered shoes are also in the sky. The movement of the gallop is very important, like a big wild horse with a steam lighter on its head, and the white smoke is sprayed from the tail bone!
Hou Ye didn't expect that such a beast was raised in the fragrant and misty Drunken Liuhua. After a moment of bewilderment, he suddenly realized something, covered his chest, his face was livid.
The left and right family members didn't know, so they thought that the master had a heartache again, so they hurriedly stepped forward to help: "Master?"
Hearing the weak willow Fufeng's Lord Hou humming a trembling voice from his nose: "Take...take it for me..."
The guards were puzzled: "Who are you taking?"
Hou Ye took a deep breath and sank to his dantian: "Take down that evil obstacle for me!"
The whole Zui Liuhua was silenced by Master Hou's voice, and after a while, everyone heard about it—Guess what, brothers and sisters? The "Le Nu" who scared people to death just now was none other than Yongning Hou Shizi in disguise!
A man disguised himself as a woman, and bumped into his own father in the flower street and willow alley, how hot is it!
Who is this son of the Marquis of Yongning
This man's name is Xi Ping, and it is said that there are thousands of prodigal sons in the huge Jinping City, and none of them can surpass him.
The son of the world has come up with a new way of absurdity this time, all the dandies are still fighting for Zui Liuhua's invitation to appraise flowers for a private seat, and he has already taken the stage as a flower himself, who can't help saying "know how to play" after hearing this
At that time, the dandies in Zuiliuhua sobered up collectively, and their necks grew by two inches on average. I just wish I didn't know the "Flying Skull Technique", but I couldn't throw my head out to watch the children of the Marquis of Yongning pretend to run at night.
The Shizi's sleeves were fluttering, and he was crushed into a big moth by his father's people. He tore the skinny skirt to his knees, and flew out of Zui Liuhua with his two big bare feet, running all the way to the northwest.
As soon as he ran across the Huafang Ferry, he ran into Wang Baochang, the son of the Minister of War. Xi Ping couldn't help saying unlucky to himself, this is really a narrow road for enemies.
It turns out that this prince is also a bad guy, and he always thinks that he is not bad, he can be called a talent. The "brilliant talent" failed in the martial arts examination, so I asked my mother to spend money to find a job in the Forbidden Army. She often came to the land of love and moon to brag about her bullshit. When she was happy, she drank alcohol. It is necessary to perform "strengthening the mountain" in public. At least he yelled and scolded the girls who served on the left and right, and it was common for the superiors to do something, so the girls would get scared when he came, and they gave him the nickname "Wang Dagou".
Shi Ziye and Wang Yingcai don't like each other, and they pull each other's signs when they have nothing to do.
At this moment, Wang Baochang happened to be standing at the intersection of a small intersection about four feet wide, and this brother, Kong Wu, was of extraordinary stature, blocking most of the intersection. Maybe he was drunk too much, he was holding a pale lantern in his hand, staring at Xi Ping with a pair of dead fish eyes, and didn't know how to give way.
Coincidentally, at this moment, a gust of evil wind swept over, and a row of steam street lights at the intersection went out somehow, and thin smoke was released with a "puff". The wood carvings of kingfishers hanging under the lamp were mostly blackened by the soot, and they swayed in the wind in an indecent manner.
Xi Pingxin said that he had patella, and he didn't recognize his father when he met him, let alone Wang Dagou
But in order to avoid complications, he still planned to hide his face. Then he flicked the long sleeves of water and green, and the fragrance smeared Wang Baochang's face, and he raised his eyes and shouted: "Great man, give me back my life—"
Brother Big Dog was murdered by a female ghost in the middle of the night, probably out of fright, he didn't respond for a while, Xi Ping took the opportunity to bump him away with his shoulder, ran over without looking back, and went straight to Prince Zhuang's mansion.
King Zhuang is the third prince today, born of the imperial concubine Xi's family.
The imperial concubine is the sister of Marquis Yongning and aunt of Xi Ping.
When Xi Ping was a child, he worked as a companion to King Zhuang for several years, and he didn't see each other very well with his cousin, and fled to seek refuge whenever he was beaten. Anyway, Lord Hou can't smash the door of the palace in the middle of the night.
Drilling through the narrow alley in one breath, Xi Ping found that the sound of footsteps chasing him had disappeared at some point. He looked back for a while, and saw that his father's gang of dogs hadn't caught up. It seemed that he knew where he was going and couldn't catch up, so he simply gave up.
So Xi Ping proudly tossed his loose long hair behind him, hummed a little tune, and happily went to Zhuang Wang's mansion with his torn skirt.
There was no moonlight on the night of the first day of the new year, and the dust and water vapor were mixed together, making it difficult to separate.
The gray water mist crawled over Xi Ping's gold powdered footprints, spread out from the Lingyang River, and mixed with the steam from the lighter. Airtightly, covering the entire Jinping.
Let's talk about the people of the Marquis of Yongning, they heard the voice called the soul from a long distance, and they saw Wang Baochang when they got close.
Wang Baochang's face was paled by the wind lamp in his hand. The leader of the Hou's family was experienced, and he knew that his young master must have nothing to do when he saw his face, so he hurried forward and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wang, just now That's my young master... He drank too much, if he wants to offend him, Master Hou will order him to come to apologize tomorrow."
Wang Baochang was dumbfounded and didn't say a word.
But don't really scare people out of good or bad, the servant was in a panic, so he had to take another step forward: "Prince..."
At this time, Wang Baochang suddenly turned stiffly around the body that had just been bumped by Xi Ping, his whole body was like a rusty machine, his straight eyes turned half a circle, and he turned the black eyes on top.
The servants of the Yongning Hou Mansion looked at each other, wondering what this grimace meant... Could it be that they were frightened by their young master's female ghost just now, and planned to come back to take revenge
Before they decided whether to cooperate with the frightened state, Wang Baochang opened his mouth, howling in mourning without going to the village or behind the store: "The coffin was raised, the two sheds were closed, and the coffin was stopped for seven days—"
This is not to disparage Wang Baochang's bad singing, but the words he howls out of his mouth are indeed the "Resurrection Tune" used by the countrymen in Jinping Ning'an for funerals.
His voice was hoarse and shrill, like an old crow crowing at night, which made one's hair stand on end for a while.
While singing, he walked forward with stiff steps.
"...the road leads to the sky... send back... Cheng... Ang... Ka!"
He sang a word, took a step forward, and when he reached the word "Cheng", his voice stopped abruptly along with his steps. He was "stuck" upright for a moment, and he was like an unsupported door panel, and his whole body was flat on the ground.
A sapphire tablet fell from his body and rolled two feet along the stone road, making a series of crisp crashing sounds.
People stopped moving.
After a long while, a bold servant went over to check, stretched out his hand and pushed Wang Baochang's shoulder, and raised the lantern in his hand.
"Prince Wang? What's the matter, Wang... ah!"
The servant let out a short scream, sat down on the ground, and the glazed wind lantern fell to pieces.
He didn't care about the things he cared about, his buttocks were like raw feet, and he hurriedly rubbed a few feet on the ground—
What he touched was a cold dead man, utterly dead, stiffened, with a large corpse spot on the back of his upturned neck!