There were two carriages in the team. Most of the knights supporting the carriages were domestic slaves in green robes and small hats. There were also more than ten people in different costumes. Their faces were full of anger and their eyes were fierce. They did not look like kind-hearted people. This way
The group of people grouped together looked very strange, and couldn't help but attract Liu Ziqiu's attention.
There were many pedestrians on the street, but the horse team was extremely arrogant, running wildly without slowing down. The stalls of the vendors had no time to move to the roadside, and they were knocked upside down. Fruits, vegetables, and various groceries were scattered all over the ground.
In the chaos, a little boy of five or six years old suddenly fell to the side of the road, crying in fright. The sound of hoofbeats gradually approached, and the baby couldn't struggle for a moment. Upon seeing this, Liu Ziqiu rushed over, picked up the little boy and hugged him on the spot.
Get out, the cavalry has galloped past them. The dust is flying, making Liu Ziqiu disgraced.
A young woman who was busy cleaning up the stall that had been knocked over ran over in shock and snatched the little boy from Liu Ziqiu's hands, muttering: "Scared me to death, scared me to death. If you are good or bad, how can I tell you?"
Your dead father told you."
Only then did Ah Fu and the others react. They ran over in a hurry. While helping Liu Ziqiu to dust themselves off, they said with lingering fear: "A Lang, are you okay? It was too dangerous just now."
Pedestrians and vendors on the street also gathered around, talking all over the place. Some scolded the cavalry team for being inhumane, while others praised Liu Ziqiu for his bravery. The young woman also understood, pulled the little boy over, and the mother and son insisted on giving him to Liu Ziqiu.
kowtow.
Liu Ziqiu naturally refused, and pulled them up. While helping them clean up the stall, he asked casually: "It must be the old man of the Xie family who was on the carriage just now, right?"
This was a small fruit stall, with pears and oranges rolling everywhere, many of which had been trampled to pieces by horses' hooves. The young woman was about to cry, but she didn't hear Liu Ziqiu's question. Instead, someone next to her replied: "Mr.
How could they do such a thing? I don’t know where these wild bastards came from, Mr. Xie will never let them go."
However, Liu Ziqiu saw that the direction of the cavalry team was clearly the Xie family compound. Since others dared to go to the Xie family, they were naturally confident, so how could they worry about being punished by the Xie family? These passers-by could only use their words.
That’s all.
With the help of everyone, the scattered fruits were finally picked up, and less than 10% of them were intact. The young woman stared at the stall in silence, unable to say a word. Liu Ziqiu couldn't bear it, so he took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and said
: "Sister-in-law, I have bought all these fruits of yours."
The young woman came to her senses and hurriedly refused: "No, no, you saved the baby's life and I haven't thanked you yet. How can I ask for your money?"
Liu Ziqiu could see that this fruit stand was the source of livelihood for her mother and son. If this source of income was cut off, they would either die of cold and hunger, or they would have to be sold into slavery. He couldn't help but said: "Sister-in-law, take it quickly, the baby needs to eat."
."
At this time, the passers-by and vendors had dispersed, and the market was back to its lively mood. The young woman felt more relaxed, and pulled the boy over to kneel down again. Liu Ziqiu stopped them and asked, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"
Are they from this town?"
The young woman nodded and said, "The Li family of the slave family has lived in this town for generations."
It turned out that this young woman's surname was Li, and she married a carpenter named Xie in this town. Carpenter Xie was from Mr.
, Carpenter Xie was also recruited. In order to cater to Yang Guang, the minister in charge of shipbuilding ordered the craftsmen to work day and night. Carpenter Xie soaked in the water for more than two months, and unfortunately contracted an illness and died, leaving them orphans and widowed, relying on this stall to survive.
.
Liu Ziqiu sighed with emotion, but then asked: "Since you are Mr. Xie's family, why don't you go to the Xie family for help?"
Mrs. Li sighed: "After the fifth service, this relationship is no longer as good as a close neighbor."
Human relationships are cold and warm, and the world is hot and cold. Liu Ziqiu is not surprised. He nodded and said: "I heard that Mr. Xie often goes to the countryside and doesn't care about you and other distant relatives. It's normal."
Li Shi frowned and said, "Who did you hear this from? Mr. Xie has not left the town for more than ten years, so how could he go to the countryside?"
Liu Ziqiu had long suspected that Xie Zhiwen was lying, and Li's words further confirmed his suspicion. Thinking of the strange horse team just now, Liu Ziqiu felt that the Xie family seemed to have stepped up their actions, and couldn't help but feel nervous. He quickly said goodbye to Li's mother and son, and rushed to Xie
Family courtyard.
The Xie family's courtyard was as usual, with the red lacquer door closed tightly. On the thirteen steps, four domestic slaves in green clothes and small hats stood on both sides. There was not a single person waiting. Liu Ziqiu already knew that the rules of a large family like the Xie family were very strict.
There were so many people that the door would not be open unless there were important guests. Liu Ziqiu entered through the side door when he came yesterday.
There were also four slaves guarding the side door. They already knew that Liu Ziqiu was a guest in the mansion. When they saw him coming back, they quickly bowed and saluted.
Liu Ziqiu asked casually: "Is there another guest in the house?"
One of the leading servants said hurriedly: "Go back to the young master, I didn't see anyone coming."
However, Liu Ziqiu clearly saw the messy hoof prints and ruts on the ground. The servant's eyes were wandering and his words were evasive. He already knew in his heart that the horse team was indeed coming to the Xie family, and the Xie family didn't want him to know.
When he returned to the private courtyard arranged for him by the Xie family, he saw that the twin sisters had already gotten up and changed their clothes, but they were both kneeling at the door. Liu Ziqiu couldn't help but wonder: "What are you doing?"
The two sisters said in unison: "This is the first time that slaves have come out to serve people, but they cannot satisfy the master. They will inevitably be punished when they return. Please ask the master to take the slaves. If you don't give them to the master, sooner or later they will be given to others."
.”
Liu Ziqiu didn't have the consciousness to be a master yet. Even the few Kunlun slaves and Korean maids he bought didn't like to have them kneeling to talk. He couldn't help frowning and said: "You guys get up first. What's going on? Slowly tell someone."
listen."
It turned out that these two sisters were domestic prostitutes of the Xie family. They had raised a family in the palace since they were young. They did not need to work at ordinary times. They only studied music, chess, calligraphy and painting like ladies. When they grew to ten years old, another woman from the romantic field came.
Teach them the art of femininity. The Xie family spends so much effort just to make them please the distinguished guests in the house.
There are many girls like these sisters in the Xie family. They usually only have one chance to accompany distinguished guests. After they lose their virginity, they are no longer valuable. In the future, any kind of guests may ask them to accompany them, and they will not
No matter how much you enjoy the days of fine clothes and fine food, you have to start doing various chores like other maids.
The Xie family interacts with all wealthy families, and those who can be treated as distinguished guests by them naturally have a distinguished status. However, most of them are already very old, and young and handsome people like Liu Ziqiu are extremely rare. The two sisters originally thought that they could give their first
It was better to give it to Liu Ziqiu for the first time than to let those old men ruin it, but unexpectedly Liu Ziqiu was still pregnant.
Liu Ziqiu was unable to change the behavior of the aristocratic family and was unwilling to comment. But what happened to the sisters reminded him of something, and he couldn't help but ask: "Are you familiar with the other girls?"
The sisters said: "Before we came to accompany the young master, we lived with them, so we are naturally familiar with them."
"Okay then, help me inquire about something." Liu Ziqiu saw the hesitation on the faces of the sisters and knew that they were afraid of the Xie family's family methods. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Don't worry, after the matter is completed, I will definitely come to you in person."
The head of the family, please come over and ask you to stay with me."
With Liu Ziqiu's skills, he can certainly come and go freely in the Xie family's compound, but he is now a guest of the Xie family, so he can't do those tricks. If he wants to find out the news, it is more convenient to use the Xie family's people.
The ones who can allow their sisters to come and accompany them are naturally the distinguished guests in the mansion, and the master of the family may really agree to the requests of the distinguished guests. It is better to follow such a young master than to stay in Xie's house and be ready to serve guests who don't know where they are coming from at any time. Sisters
The two of them had the same mind. They looked at each other and said in unison: "Please give me your instructions, Master."
…
The Xie family compound occupies a very large area, and the single courtyard where Liu Ziqiu lives actually belongs to the front house. There are many independent courtyards like yours in the front house. As for the back house, it is difficult for outsiders to enter. At this time, Xie Wengshan,
Xie Yun was hiding in the back house, and with them were Xie Wengshan's two brothers, Xie Wengming and Xie Wengda.
The Xie family has great rules and pays attention to the order of elders and young ones. In front of the three old guys, Xie Yun could only stand and reply: "Father, second uncle, third uncle, the people from Wujun Wang's family have arrived, and they are from the north.
We came together, Zhiwen is accompanying us from the front."
Xie Wengda frowned and said: "Brother, do you really believe that those mud-legged people can achieve anything?"
"Everything in the world is unpredictable. Who can guarantee success?" Xie Wengshan said thoughtfully, "The last time Wang Ji came over, he said that the man named Lu has been preparing for many years. If he raises his arms, there will be a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people who respond.
, it’s still unknown whether it will come to fruition.”
However, Xie Wengming said: "The people who have been in contact with Lu Mingyue have always been members of the Wang family. Even if we can succeed, I am afraid that our Xie family will eventually fall behind the Wang family. Wen'er has been in the palace for many days. With her talent and appearance, when
We can gain the emperor's favor. If Wen'er is favored, my Xie family will have a future, so there is no need to take this dangerous road!"
It turned out that Xie Xiangwen, the head wife of Qiyin Yuan, was actually a member of the Xie family of Moling and the biological granddaughter of Xie Wengming. However, only the core members of the Xie family knew this secret. Xie Xiangwen himself was also very secretive, so Gao Xiuer did not know.
It is even more impossible for Liu Ziqiu to know.
"How can the future of my Xie family be pinned on a woman?" Xie Wengshan said disapprovingly, "Besides, King Xie is one and the same. There are many marriages between the two families, so how can they distinguish each other?"
Xie Yun had been quietly listening to the discussion of the three old men and did not interrupt. At this moment, he suddenly handed over a gift list and said, "Father, the Wang family has also prepared generous gifts for me to propose marriage."