The sun was dazzling, and a strange smell seemed to permeate the masonry and wood under the sun. Arriving in front of General Wei's mansion, Chao Yun looked at the towering towers on both sides with a very complicated mood.
This mansion used to be Cao Shuang's mansion. Sun Qian, whom Chaoyun knew, once worked as a spy in it. Now the owner here is Qin Liang. Both Cao Shuang and Qin Liang are enemies of the Sima family.
It does take a lot of courage for a person of Chaoyun's status to come here.
"Do you really want to go in?" Chen Shi asked with fear on his face.
Chao Yun thought of what Qin Liang had given her and his attitude towards her, hesitated for a moment, and nodded vigorously.
Chen Shi said: "Aren't you throwing yourself into a trap?"
He quickly stopped talking and turned to look at the door of the mansion to the south. Chao Yun also looked over and found that two men in civilian clothes were paying attention here intentionally or unintentionally, and seemed to have stared at them. Qin Liang arrived
After arriving here, the people around seemed more alert than the people in Cao Shuang Mansion before.
Chen Shi whispered: "Let's leave quickly."
Chaoyun said: "Brother, go back to the guesthouse first. If I don't go back, you can go back to Hedong first. Don't worry, I will never confess you. There are too many people involved with the Sima family, and they can't care about this."
people."
Chen Shi hurriedly advised: "Sister, come with me." Seeing that Chaoyun was unmoved, he frowned and said, "I don't understand, what's wrong with Hedong? Although there is no fine clothing and food, it is not just a bed.
Three meals a day? Eating and sleeping are much more practical than in Luoyang!"
Chaoyun smiled bitterly and said: "It's not like I've never lived in the countryside. It would be nice if it was that simple."
There is no need to lament that the mansions in Luoyang are like cages. The countryside is the same. There are only a few people in the neighborhood, and people will soon ask about Chaoyun's origins everywhere, and then speculate and spread rumors.
It is impossible for her to do nothing. After being exposed to the sun and hard work, at this age, how can the remaining beauty be restored like that of a teenage girl? It would be okay if she was a peasant woman from the beginning, but there were times when she was glamorous.
, in the future, people around will only add insult to injury and produce inexplicable hatred. People are not that interested in nobles and nobles, because those people have broken away from ordinary people's knowledge, and people like Chaoyun, who are neither good nor low, must be jealous
Object.
What's more, when Chaoyun turns into a rough peasant woman, will I still forgive her for her experience?
She took out a roll of old bamboo slips from her sleeve pocket, and walked towards the door of the mansion with a sudden change of heart. When she heard Chen Shi calling her, she turned around and choked with sobs, "Brother, please go back to the guest house first."
Chaoyun hurried to the door, chatted a few words with the official guarding the door, explained his purpose, and handed over the bamboo slip in his hand.
Most people are illiterate, so as long as a visitor has something like documents, the officials and soldiers will pay special attention to it. The officials immediately invited Chaoyun to wait in a room below the tower, and then asked someone to bring in the bamboo slips.
In retrospect, when I first met Qin Liang seven years ago, he must have had a good impression of Chaoyun, and he even wrote a poem for her, which was said to be half a poem. But Chaoyun didn't take it too seriously, and later Cai Hong called her
She went to seduce Qin Liang, but she didn't pay much attention.
I really didn’t expect that the young man with the temperament of working in the field would turn into a powerful and important figure in the Wei Dynasty!
Chaoyun did have some regrets at this time. It was just because there were so many people with high status that it was dazzling. She could not calm down and observe which person had a future. But not all young girls were like this.
She is quite smart. Just like when He Jun wanted to humiliate her in public, she resisted with all her strength. She still does not regret it. Otherwise, if Chaoyun became someone who could be frivolous in the eyes of people, I am afraid she would
She will soon be reduced to the status of a prostitute. Will dignitaries still care about her?
...When Qin Liang got the bamboo slips, he opened them and read, "The viewer is as depressed as the mountains, and the heaven and earth are depressed for a long time." Moreover, it was his own handwriting. He immediately thought of Chao Yun, whom he had not seen for many years.
He then said to his servant: "Take her to the office on the west side of the front hall. I will come soon."
The servant bowed and said: "Here."
Qin Liang stayed in the courtyard on the east side and continued to watch the singing girls and dancers perform hard for a while before leaving.
He recently asked people to search and find some family members such as Cao Shuang, Deng Yang, Li Sheng, etc. He first asked Yinci Wu Xin to screen their origins, select some young family members with no problems, and bring them to the mansion.
Keep it up and prepare to organize a banquet.
A banquet inviting guests from Luoyang cannot be without a song and dance performance. The status of a family entertainer is very low, but in fact it requires some skills. Without long-term practice, those guests who come from rich families can tell at a glance. Qin Liang still lacks some wealth accumulation.
The Wang family would not be in such a predicament.
Qin Liang also asked people to buy pepper, refined salt, castrated black pigs and other ingredients. These are considered luxuries, especially pepper, which is very scarce and can only be found in the families of royal heroes.
This banquet cannot be called a celebration banquet, it can only be called an ordinary banquet. The celebration banquet should be given to Wang Ling, who will definitely take care of it after Wang Ling arranges everything in the General's Mansion.
But Qin Liang also had to hold a banquet so that he could reconnect with people he had known before and keep in touch. People had to get along with each other so that they could gradually determine each other's positions and build trust.
People like Zhong Hui, Lu Xun, etc., because Wang Ling and Qin Liang had just led troops to Luoyang, they would not come to visit unless they had nothing to do... Those people had no obvious position before. They were from noble families, and they were not willing to act too snobbish and affect their reputation.
.
After a while, Qin Liang came to the office room on the west side of the front hall. When he stepped into the room, he saw a girl with her back to the door and looking out the window. She noticed someone coming in, and as soon as she turned around, Qin Liang saw
Recognize it, who is it if it’s not Chaoyun?
Qin Liang said: "We meet again after a long separation. Goodbye, old friend."
Chao Yun hurriedly bent down and bowed in obeisance: "The general still remembers me, I feel honored."
I saw that her face was carefully painted with makeup, her hair, and her clothes were much simpler than before, but she was still very good at dressing up and set off her figure well.
Qin Liang smiled and said: "Of course I remember. The girl's fine work is average, but her dancing skills are really good."
When Chaoyun heard this, his expression suddenly changed.
Qin Liang said: "Don't be too nervous, I've already guessed it. Just take a seat, girl."
He also strode to the upper position and knelt down beside the banquet. Chao Yun stood on one side, leaning forward slightly with a respectful posture.
Qin Liang also didn't expect to see Chao Yun.
The last time they met was many years ago. Qin Liang's memory of her is still stuck in the past, and his thoughts can easily be pulled back to the past. In the past, Chaoyun was cold and contemptuous towards him, probably because he really couldn't provide much of Chaoyun's needs.
Something, but isn’t that the case for most people?
Chao Yun said softly: "I never want to be disadvantageous to the general. I just follow orders and have no other choice."
Qin Liang nodded and asked directly: "I haven't seen you for so many years. Where have you been? Do you know any other craftsmen?"
Chaoyun said: "I still live in Luolu most of the time."
Qin Liang thought that that place might be Sima Shi's den.
Chao Yun raised his head and glanced at him, and continued: "The person I am most familiar with is Cai Hong. Now he is no longer in Luoyang. Occasionally I saw others going in and out of Luolu to meet Cai Hong."
Qin Liang couldn't help but ask: "Will you still recognize those people when you see them again?"
Chao Yun nodded slightly without saying anything.
Qin Liang observed her expression and said: "You don't have to be afraid. The Sima family is finished. You haven't done anything too serious. I won't pursue the past." He paused and said, "Then why did you come back to look for me again?"
I?"
Chaoyun sighed softly and said, "There is almost no place for me to stay."
She then took the initiative and said: "When the general entered Luoyang, I went to live with a relative in the countryside. I didn't stay for long, and when I left, I had a very strange feeling."
After all, he was someone Qin Liang had known since he first became an official, so he listened patiently.
Chaoyun observed his expression and continued: "The countryside is very busy. In every season, what should be done every day has been arranged. I work on that land all day long. It didn't take long for me to become very familiar with the place. Later.
When I left there, I felt like... I had escaped from a prison, and I felt that Luoyang had become a new and strange place, and I was very happy."
Qin Liang was silent for a moment, looked into Chaoyun's eyes and said: "A good bird chooses a tree to live in. The people in the past are unreliable. It is human nature to change families. But remember, it is dangerous to have two boats."
Chao Yun hurriedly bowed and said, "If you don't dislike the general, I will be loyal to the general wholeheartedly. I will definitely not serve two masters at the same time!"
Qin Liang nodded after hearing this, but he thought to himself that he still wanted Wu Xin to pick two girls and place them next to Chao Yun.
Then he asked Yinci to take her to the school affairs office and secretly identify the person. If Chaoyun could point out the person arranged by the Sima family in the school affairs office, then Chaoyun should have sincerely switched to the front... After all, she should not be in the Sima family
Some important person betrayed the spy left behind by the Sima family. If the other party knew about it, they would definitely not be able to tolerate her anymore.
He looked around the familiar department room, then looked at Chaoyun, an old friend, and then he exhaled and stood up from the banquet: "You will go to the east courtyard first and help me teach the dancers to rehearse songs and dances.
When entertaining guests for a few days, you cannot let the guests laugh."
Chaoyun looked delighted, and he knelt down at the banquet and bowed down and said, "Thank you, General, for taking me in."
Qin Liang said: "Mrs. Bai will come over today or tomorrow. You two met her before."
After bowing to Chao Yun, he also stood up and said, "I have learned skills from Mrs. Bai for a period of time."
Qin Liang suddenly asked: "Does Madam Bai have anything to do with the Sima family?" After saying that, he looked at Chao Yun's face carefully.
Chaoyun was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know, but Mrs. Bai knows people from the Sima family?"
Qin Liang said casually: "Because Mrs. Bai knows you, I asked you casually."
Chaoyun said softly: "She doesn't know my identity. Only the general has guessed it these years. Is it because of Sun Qian?"
Qin Liang admitted directly: "Yes. I will call a maid and take you to the east courtyard. There are many houses there. Please choose a comfortable room to settle down. We will talk about the rest later."
Chao Yun stood there and bowed in obeisance. Qin Liang bowed his hands and walked out of the room first.