After a night, the sunshine in the early morning was very bright, and the warm light sprinkled on the leaves of the grass and trees in the yard, as if one could feel the dew on the leaves evaporating little by little.
The young lady from the Li family was lying on a bamboo couch, her face flushed and she looked listless. Her frame was originally small, and lying like this made her body even more limp, as if she had no strength at all.
A middle-aged woman who was her wet nurse came forward worriedly when she saw this scene and touched the young lady's forehead with the back of her hand: "Madam, are you sick?"
Li said faintly: It seems that he is sick.
The nurse hurriedly asked: "Do you want to see a doctor to see where you feel uncomfortable?"
Li softly raised her arm and pressed her soft chest with her fingers: Here. She was panicking and couldn't calm down no matter what she did. She simply didn't want to move. It was thumping in the morning, a little numb and a little painful. It was so uncomfortable. Why was it like this? It had never happened before.
The nurse's face changed slightly: I will go find a doctor right away and ask him to cure you.
Don't go. I won't see you even if you call me. Li said.
The nurse said seriously: If you are sick, you must see a doctor, but you can't stand next to him.
Li said: Although it is very uncomfortable, I don’t want to be cured but want to continue.
Yesterday, the maid happened to walk to the door and heard the last two sentences. She laughed and said: "The lady is suffering from a mental illness. Nanny, don't worry about her. You don't understand.
The nurse was immediately unhappy and said: San'er, you know that I have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice, and I have crossed more bridges than you have walked. You are still pretending in front of me. The maid was the third servant to enter the Li family, and the people in the mansion called her San'er for convenience. According to seniority, the nurse was obviously much older than San'er, so San'er was very dissatisfied when she contradicted the nurse.
Li was unhappy after hearing this and said: "Oh, stop arguing in front of me. The horses are scared away by you."
The horse's nanny looked back and around, but there was no horse in the inner courtyard. She immediately said anxiously: "My mind is confused. What's going on? I have to report to the madam immediately."
The nurse went out without saying anything. San'er walked up to the bamboo couch, but he was not nervous. Instead, he asked with a smile: "Madam, have you seen the horse? Where is the horse?"
Li's eyes were dull, and she said quietly: There is a man riding on it, running very fast, like an arrow from a bow. I dare not go up, it is too scary. What if I fall down? Hmm, that's not right.
San'er coaxed her and asked: What's wrong
Li said: That person should not be so unruly. He is not a bohemian person. When he was sitting yesterday, his body should be very upright and a little restrained. He spoke modestly and restrained. When he moved, he must have been like a rabbit, but very disciplined. I can't think of it.
She murmured softly again: His behavior seemed very open-minded, but when he was reciting poetry, he seemed to be standing against the wind, with a trace of worry and sympathy in his eyes. His worry was visible and tangible, unlike my idle worry, which I couldn't figure out and didn't know why.
Li slowly tried to get up: "San'er, help me grind the ink, I want to write something." She put on her shoes and stood up. At this time, the maid had already taken the inkstone to fill it with water. Li hesitated and said: "I can't do this. He is not related to me. If I, a woman, suddenly hand over a letter, won't people think I am frivolous?"
San'er shook his head and said: "I want to grind ink, but I don't want to grind it.
After waiting for a while and hearing no response, San'er said: I heard from Alang and his wife that Guo Du asked them to visit friends in Bingzhou and they will leave after a short stay. They may not stay for a few days. If you just sit here and think about it, after they leave, I don't know when they will come to Bingzhou again. Where can I find them then
After hearing this, Li was stunned. She paced back and forth in the room for a few steps, then sat down in front of the dressing table, tidied her hair, and looked left and right in the bronze mirror. The self in the mirror had thin bones and plump muscles, and a round feeling of beauty. She thought to herself: There were so many guests yesterday, and out of etiquette, I, an unmarried girl, did not have the opportunity for him to see me. If he could see me, maybe I would not be here alone and daydreaming like now.
Li put away her soft expression and said: There is a pavilion by the river in Guangdefang. You go find Envoy Guo and ask him to come to the pavilion to meet you.
Ah Saner was surprised at once, then hesitated and said, "If Alang knew that my wife was going out to meet someone, he would blame me for instigating her."
Why are you saying such harsh things? It's in broad daylight, it's not a tryst, it's just a meeting. Li said, "Guo Dushi lives in the posthouse outside the city, you go and make an appointment with him, the time is about 9 o'clock."
San'er said aggrievedly: If Alang and the lady blame me, my wife must say good things for me.
Got it, go now
The maid had no choice but to pack up and slip out of the house through the small door of the mansion, heading straight for the city gate. Unexpectedly, she was worried about something and walked in a hurry, and she ran into Master Zhe and others on the road, and was recognized.
It was the end of August, and September was coming soon. Although the weather was sunny, the hottest time had passed. Master Zhe was holding a paper fan in his hand, the Autumn Wind Painting Fan, which was obviously not used. However, he played with the fan in his hand, and occasionally swung it away in a chic manner while chatting and laughing. Master Zhe thought his movements were very free and easy.
Isn't that the maid from Li Chuyun's mansion? Zhe Deliang recognized her at a glance. This maid had been serving tea and water in the hall of Li's mansion yesterday and had walked back and forth many times. Zhe Deliang thought she looked familiar and recognized her at once.
There were four people around him, two good friends and two servants. The other two young scholars heard the voice, took a closer look and recognized it, and echoed it. One of them said: "She is so flustered, what's wrong with her?"
This place is not far from the south gate of Bingzhou City, and the maid is heading south. Yesterday, Master Zhe lost his limelight in front of Envoy Guo. How could he forget it after just one night? Zhe Deliang's face suddenly darkened. His friend next to him observed his expression and said softly: You won't go out to look for the general named Guo, will you
Another person added fuel to the fire: If the maid was going to see the man surnamed Guo, she must have been sent secretly by the lady of the Li family. Why did Li Chuyun send someone instead of a servant or a guard? Why did he send a woman
Zhe Deliang's face was already covered with a faint dark cloud: Everyone was busy, and yesterday it turned out to be a wedding dress for others.
A servant behind said: "I will follow you to see if the maid is going to the post house." After getting Zhe Deliang's nod, the servant quickly walked over from the street.
Zhe Deliang put away the paper fan, knocked his left palm heavily three times, looked back and said: Let's go to the other end and wait.
Guo Shao and others really did not plan to stay any longer. He met Luo Yanhuan early in the morning and learned that Li Chuyun politely refused to surrender. He knew that it would not be easy to poach the governor Zhe Gong, so he thought it would be inconvenient to force it.
This trip to Guanzhong was just a side job for digging up the talents recommended by Luo Yanhuan. There was also a more important thing, which was to find out the general terrain of Qinfeng and other states. Guo Shao had already begun to arrange personnel to prepare for this moment.
Jingniang brought two followers, a woman in her thirties and a stout black woman. The woman in her thirties was more capable and was also a leader in the Yuzhen Temple in Tokyo. Guo Shao asked Jingniang to tell them that the two women should take their money and go to the nunnery in Fengzhou as monks, first establish a foothold, and then bribe people nearby to start exploring the terrain outside Fengzhou.
Luo Yanhuan had a clan in Qinzhou, and they had migrated there from Hedong many years ago. Now that Li Chuyun's affairs could not be accomplished, Guo Shao asked him to put aside the matter of winning over Li Chuyun and asked him to go to Qinzhou to visit his relatives with his two personal soldiers, Qiao Zhuang master and servant.
The group discussed and decided to meet in Fengxiang Town as soon as the two groups of people had some progress in their mission. Before that, Guo Shao asked Wang Pu for a favor and asked Wang Pu to personally deliver a letter to Fengxiang Jiedushi Wang Jing, so that Wang Jing of Fengxiang could help Guo Shao nearby. The letter had not arrived a few days ago, and Guo Shao only received ordinary hospitality in Fengxiang, and no one helped him, but it would come sooner or later.
First, Wang Jing received a private entrustment from the prime minister and sent some people to assist. By infiltrating through the paths opened up in the early stage, a lot of useful information could be obtained. Some of these things could be shared with Wang Jing through assistants, but Guo Shao was the host and was bound to get the most information.
Just as they had agreed on the plan, someone came to see him, claiming to be from Li Chuyun's residence. Guo Shao hurriedly asked someone to bring him in to meet him.
It turned out to be a little girl. Guo Shaochu was a little puzzled at first, but soon felt that the girl looked familiar. Remembering that she was the maid who often came in and out of the hall yesterday, he could almost be sure that she was indeed from Li Chuyun's mansion.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Zuo You and his group either tried to avoid the situation calmly or with a smile on their faces. Only Jing Niang pretended not to understand and sat there without moving. Jing Niang was a woman, and she was not of the same kind as Zuo You, Yang Luo and the others, so it was not easy for everyone to remind her.
The maid was a little timid at first, but Guo Shao greeted her kindly, and she spoke eloquently: "My wife wants to see Guo Dushi, and is waiting for you by the river in Guangdefang. If Guo Dushi is not familiar with the roads in Bingzhou, I will take you there; the appointment is at 9:00 pm, and if Guo Dushi refuses, my wife will have to wait there all the time. If it takes too long, Alang will notice, and more people will be disturbed."
After hearing her speak so fluently, Guo Shao turned around and looked at Jingniang: After hearing what she said, I have to go.
Jing Niang said coldly: No one is stopping you, do whatever you want, why are you waiting for me
Guo Shao hesitated a little. Although Li Chuyun was not a rich family, he was still a well-known figure. His daughter was not as good as the girls of ordinary people. If he continued to pester her, it would be fine. Would the girl pay for him