Xia Xun didn't notice the bad old man Qiu Xia. A large number of civil and military officials came to see him. He was a white pheasant, a heron, an oriole, a bear, a rhinoceros, etc., which made him a little dizzy. Everyone introduced themselves in a flurry, and Xia Xun didn't remember a few names at all. Anyway, he would call everyone "sir" when he caught him, so that's right.
Accompanied by all the officials, the guard of honor of the Imperial Envoy arrived at the gate of Jinan Prefecture in a lively manner, and the officials of the Imperial Envoy's Department who were waiting at the city gate came to greet them.
The Metropolitan Procuratorate, Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Punishment are the three judicial departments of the imperial court. The Sentencing and Prosecution Commissions of the 13 provinces are subordinate to the Ministry of Punishment. Therefore, at the local level, their judicial officials have the closest relationship with the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Huang Zhenpin Although he was of a small rank, he was sent by the imperial court to carry out punishments and punishments. Lord Cao, to show his face, actually led his deputy envoys, ministers, and separate inspectors to greet him.
This Master Cao is Cao Yuguang, the father of Young Master Cao, Cao Qigen, who succeeded Xia Xun and became King Qi's new favorite.
Mr. Cao is not yet fifty years old, his hair is as black as ink, and his face is extremely young. Compared with Mr. Cao's arrogance and impetuousness, Mr. Cao gives people a calm and resolute feeling.
In such an occasion, Xia Xun could not overstep his authority. Although Huang Yushang was a dull and old man, he could still speak the basics of the situation. He stepped forward to thank them, exchanged pleasantries, and then took them into the city.
Huang Yushi and others were first sent to the post house to settle down. Master Cao did not accompany him. He only asked them to settle down and rest for a while, and then invited them to a banquet in the evening to cleanse the two adults, and then returned to the Yamen. , accompanied by other officials, all the way to the post house.
Jinan is now the most important big city on Shandong Road, so the posthouses here are also very large. They are not as crude and crude as those in small towns and counties, which can only be used as resting places. The layout of Jinan's posthouses is like that of a certain big man. The layout of official residences. Official residences are generally divided into outer residences and inner residences. The main building of the outer residence is the hall, and the main building of the inner residence is the bedchamber. The hall and the bedchamber are arranged through a corridor and courtyard to form a large courtyard with two front and rear entrances.
This posthouse is similar to it, divided into front and back courtyards. The main building in the front yard is the hall. In front of the hall is the entrance to the front yard, and the left and right are the two wings. The front yard is a place for reception, communication, transportation and other matters; the back yard is where guests stay. , its main building is the upper hall, surrounded by other halls. The courtyard is also laid out in a corridor courtyard, with lush bamboos and trees, a water pond, and a rockery garden for distinguished guests to relax.
Most people who have received inspections from superiors know that even if the person who comes is a scumbag in his department, he will show off when he gets to the lower level. There are five to six people, and they are like arrows with a chicken feather in their pocket. And the people below They must be treated with utmost courtesy and preferential treatment, including welcome and transportation, food and accommodation, all aspects must be perfect and considerate. Even if you secretly cursed when sending them away: "Those grandsons are gone!" But on the surface, they look like filial sons and grandsons. appearance.
This is the case now. Huang Zhen is a seventh-rank official, and Xia Xun is an eighth-rank official. There are three government offices in Jinan, and there are many high-ranking officials and powerful people. Huang Zhen and Xia Xun's ranks are not on the table, but they came from Beijing to inspect. , this treatment is different. Mr. Huang, the patrolling envoy, and Mr. Yang, the interviewing envoy, have arranged separate courtyards. Each courtyard has seven or eight postmen at their disposal. They use the standards for receiving first-class officials. .
Of course, the reception standards of these two adults are still slightly different. Huang Zhen's residence is more spacious than Xia Xun's residence, with a more reasonable layout. The view of the garden from the window is better. It's not impossible.
Houses of the same size, but because they are an envoy and a deputy envoy, they must show some dignity when receiving them. As an official, isn't this what matters?
Xia Xun couldn't wait to rush to Qingzhou immediately. He thought of many ideas along the way, but he felt that there was only one that was most reliable: to come directly to the door and treat each other with sincerity. He and Zi Qi were already married, and besides, his status was also
With Zi Qi enough to accompany them, even if the Peng family was very upset because their daughter ran away from home, why would they still have to break them up? The examples of Cui Yuanlie and Miss Zhu are there. Parents just want their children to be well, what else can they do?
Is it difficult for him?
Of course, he also expected that there would be a certain degree of difficulty. First of all, the group of brothers-in-law and brothers-in-law would not be able to pass the test. He did not ask for a matchmaker or went to the court, and kidnapped someone else's eldest girl. It was very embarrassing for the Peng family. These brothers-in-law looked at it
He will definitely be unpleasant to look at, and he might get a beating, so he has no choice but to admit it!
As the saying goes, sincerity leads to gold and stone. I believe that based on his status, family history, and the fact that he and Peng Ziqi have accomplished good things, if he shows a deep and affectionate gesture, it will not only move the world, but also move the world.
It's still possible for the father-in-law and uncle-in-law to be together, right?
It's just that I just arrived in Jinan today, and it would be bad if I ran away immediately. Not to mention the ugly face of my nominal boss, Mr. Huang, the officials of Jinan Mansion were also nervous. They didn't know why I was there. As long as I had my butt.
Officials who are unclean will be very nervous, so there is no need to make Shandong Prefecture go crazy.
So he had to suppress his temper, deal with these official dealings first, find a reason to talk to Huang Yushang later, and then carry out his great mission of pursuing his wife.
The banquet place was located in the post house, and four master chefs were invited from the Eight Immortals Tower to cook a sumptuous banquet. Mr. Cao, the inspector, only came to sit for a while, drank a few glasses of wine, and then
Saying that he still had important matters to attend to, he took his leave. As soon as he left, the atmosphere at the banquet became more lively. Counselor Qiu Nianxu of the Chief Envoy's Office laughed and said, "It would be boring to have wine but no pleasure. Mr. Yi, there is no such thing."
Arrange a female musician?"
Mr. Yi's name is Yi Jiayi. He is a criminal official in Shandong's Sentencing and Inspection Department. Mr. Cao, the inquisitor's rank, and the two Beijing officials are so different in rank that they are really not a good match. He is mainly responsible for the reception and response.
of.
Master Yi laughed when he heard this and said: "Old man, I know you are trying to make a fool of yourself. Why, you couldn't hold it back as soon as Master Cao left?"
After saying that, he turned to Huang Zhen and Xia Xun, and said with a smile: "I have just announced that your Majesty the Inspector is here, and I dare not make any mistakes. Haha, today's group of female musicians is the one I specially ordered to transfer from the Jiaofang Division with the highest skills.
The female musicians of the Ming Dynasty are all talented, cunning and intelligent, and they are Master Huang and Master Yang, who can wash away the dust and help the wine to make them happy."
Yi Jiayi gave an order, and many musicians walked in first, carrying musical instruments, tables and chairs, and sat down on the two sides. Then they saw pink and willows, colorful purples and reds, and many beautiful women walked in. For a while, the crowd
Female porridge, the whole house is filled with fragrance.
Xia Xun glanced up, and his eyes suddenly focused on a girl with an outstanding figure among them. The woman was wearing emerald green clothes and standing among a group of daughters with outstanding looks. She still showed special beauty, and her appearance was more beautiful than the others.
The woman is obviously taller.
"Purple girl!"
Xia Xun couldn't help but be surprised when he saw his old friend.
Ziyi Teng was also looking at him, her eyes fixed on him, her expression was light and indifferent, but her eyes seemed to convey affection. When the music started, her green sleeves were turned, and the girls started singing and dancing, her eyes stopped.
Xia Xun moved away.
"Haha, Mr. Yang, this girl's name is Ziyi. She is the oiran of Yixiangyuan. She is very beautiful and is better than other girls. Can she still be recognized by Mr. Yang?"
Seeing Xia Xun's eyes lingering on Ziyi Teng for a long time, Qiu Xia couldn't help stroking his beard and smiled.
In fact, among all the singing and dancing girls in the hall, the beauty of Purple Clothes Vine stood out and was the most beautiful. As soon as they came in, most of everyone's eyes were fixed on her, even Huang Zhenhuang Yushi was no exception. At this time, Qiu Xia
He said that when Huang Zhen heard that Xia Xun also fell in love with this girl, he couldn't help but secretly cried out that it was bad luck. Knowing that he could not compete with him, he immediately retreated to the next best thing and went to find the second target.
The other officials were all accompanying guests. Even though they were admiring it, they couldn't make any bad ideas today. When they heard what Qiu Xia said, they all joked to Xia Xun. Xia Xun smiled lightly and said: "Master Qiu misunderstood, Yang has lived in Shandong for many years
, I just returned to Jiangnan at the beginning of the year. This girl in purple is an old acquaintance of the lower official, so I took a look at her more."
After hearing this, all the officials showed understanding smiles and all said "Oh", their expressions were full of ambiguity. Xia Xun knew that they had a misunderstanding, but it was difficult to explain, so he had to laugh, hold the cup and say: "Come on.
Come, now that the delicious food and singing and dancing girls are all ready, my lords, please drink, please drink."
Everyone held cups and started to cater to each other. Just then everyone sat down and told each other their names again. Xia Xun had already vaguely remembered the Qiu Qiu he caught in Putai County. He seemed to have a cousin who was an official in Jinan. Hearing this person's name again
His name was Qiu Xia, and he was secretly vigilant in his heart, so he became much more careful when speaking in front of him.
These women all have graceful figures, pretty looks, and versatile talents. They dance solo or in a group, show off their singing voices, or play the bamboo flute. They indeed add a lot of color to the banquet, but this is an officially organized banquet after all.
The company used female musicians to sing and dance to promote the wine, but it was not allowed to mess up the etiquette by serving wine and accompanying them. Therefore, everyone at the banquet was well-dressed and polite, and there was no trace of poverty or evil.
During the banquet, the gentlemen were gossiping and heard that although the two gentlemen were not coming to Shandong on a special mission, their main mission was to investigate the White Lotus cult bandits. The yamen officials who had nothing to do with them breathed a sigh of relief.
The officials were chatting and laughing, and the host and guest were chatting happily. Huang Zhen suddenly coughed dryly, twirling his beard and said in a sanctimonious manner: "My lords, Emperor Wa created human beings. It is said that they are all made of mud and water. However, men and women are actually made of mud and water.
There is a world of difference, you see, that girl is stepping on a painted wooden ball, her body is light and airy like a fairy, it is so pleasing to the eye, but if a man comes to dance with this ball, it will be unsightly."
"Huh? This old guy actually has the knowledge of Jia Baoyu and said something like men are made of mud and women are made of water?" In fact, Huang Zhen just fell in love with this girl, and he had lost a lot of his beard.
Gen, only then did he come up with these words that seemed to be just appreciation, and pointed them out to Mr. Yi, who was in charge of hospitality. However, Xia Xun did not understand these unspoken rules and regarded him as Cao Xueqin +1.
Xia Xun glanced at him in surprise, and then turned to look at the hall. He saw that the performance in the hall was acrobatics. There was a girl with pink face and rosy cheeks. She was petite and exquisite. She looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. She was wearing white shoes on her feet.
Socks, stepping on a painted wooden ball, the ball is two feet high, the little girl steps on the wooden ball, kicking her feet flexibly, the ball turns around, lingers back, and slides all over the hall, everything is satisfactory.
But her body stepped on the wooden ball, her feet moved extremely flexibly, her waist did not shake and her shoulders did not move, she leaned up and down calmly, coming and going, her clothes and belt fluttered in the wind, and she could not feel her movement on the ball.
It was as if she was flying off the ground without moving her feet. Her skills were truly superb and her grace truly graceful.
Xia Xun smiled and said: "Master Huang, why would you describe us men in such a vulgar manner? If you really want to talk about it, our men's magical powers are not even slightly inferior to those of Nuwa, so why are they so unsightly?"
Huang Zhen said in surprise: "Where did Mr. Yang start from saying this?"
Xia Xun said seriously: "Emperor Wa created virgins, and men created women. Isn't this a general supernatural power?"
Yi Jiayi spit out a sip of wine, pointed at Xia Xun and laughed: "Master Yang, please don't play tricks like this. I almost choked to death from this sip of wine, hahaha..."
All the officials in the hall found it interesting and laughed so much that they fell down. Amidst the laughter, the female musicians who were hiding behind the screen and preparing to play one after another did not know what was going on.
When I came out, I saw Xia Xun sitting in the hall, chatting and laughing. Thinking of the humiliation he had inflicted on me, I couldn't help but secretly bite my silver teeth...
"It's getting late. You two adults have been tired from traveling all the way. Let's take a rest early. I'll say goodbye later."
The banquet was over, and all the officials left one after another. Huang Zhen and Xia Xun were full of wine and food, and sent the officials outside the post house with smiles on their faces. Then they returned, and after being polite to each other, they went back to their rooms. It was already dark by this time.
, the lights were already turned on in the room. When they saw Xia Xun coming back, the postmen who were waiting in the courtyard gave a salute and quietly withdrew.
Xia Luo was already slightly drunk and felt a little tired. She opened the door and walked in. She wanted to take off her clothes and have a rest. But when the door opened, she saw a lamp like the moon, brocades spread out, and a painting of "Lady Butterfly" on the screen.
The beauty in green clothes was so lifelike that she seemed to be about to walk out of the painting. Xia Xun couldn't help but be shocked.
He took another closer look and realized that there was a beauty standing in front of the screen, barely blocking the lady in the painting. No wonder the screen looked a little strange at first glance.
"Girl in purple?"
After seeing the woman's appearance clearly, Xia Xun couldn't help but be a little surprised. This pretty girl was none other than Zi Yi Teng Zi, an old friend of Qingzhou whom he had just met at the dinner table but had never been able to talk to.
Zi Yiteng had just taken a bath, with long shiny black hair reaching her waist, a thin collared spring shirt half revealing her body, her looming skin rosy and tender, her big and pretty eyes smiling shyly, clear and light,
Evacuate and spread out, under the light of the dark room, the charm is natural.
When Zi Yi saw him coming in, she smiled charmingly and bowed down and said: "Zi Yi is following Master Yi's instructions to make your bed and quilt and serve you with pillows and mats. You must be tired, sir. Please take off your clothes. The fragrant soup is warming and I will take care of you to take a bath..."