In the spring of the fourth year of Taizheng, the country of North Ji, the seventh year of the great drought.

The people have heavy grievances, dare to complain but dare not be angry, and are afraid of the army.

The Son of Heaven personally went to the temple to pray for blessings, and ordered the world to introspect and cultivate in the ancestral field, and drain ten quintals of water every day. Forgive the prison, release the lesser evils, and make the people return to their hometowns to supervise the labor.

At the end of the summer of the fourth year of Taizheng, the drought was getting worse, and the Son of Heaven went to the temple again, but he did not come out for three days. On the fourth day, the Son of Heaven soared during the day, and the northern Jipu rained down, and all the people saw it and praised the merits.

Beiji national capital, Yecheng, imperial palace.

"The queen mother, the second brother has a son under his knees, and it is true that he deserves to succeed him. After looking at the mother......"

"Yingfu, your nephew is only five years old, how can I Beiji hand over the heavy responsibility to the child? Could it be that there is no one in my imperial family? You are also the blood of the former emperor, and now it is time to take on the responsibilities of your body. ”

"Mother, this must not be done. The child also has a son and a daughter under his name, if I inherit the throne, what should I do in the future? Ten years later, when I reach adulthood, I abdicate and return, and the government and the opposition will inevitably make ......waves again."

"Then let Heyi go to the temple, and the children and grandchildren of the Xiao family go to the ancestral ancestral hall to fulfill their filial piety. If you go to the immortals, they will pass on the throne to your family and gifts. You succeed to the throne tomorrow, and at the same time canonize Heli as the crown prince. ”

The beautiful woman in palace costume didn't wait for the other party to answer, turned around and took someone away. Only the three princes in filial piety clothes were left to kneel in the hall.

The Xiao family of the Beiji royal family, which has been founded for more than 1,000 years, can be described as a country and a people's peace. This change of imperial power did not make waves under the intervention of the Queen Mother, but Xiao Heyi, the hard-working prince, was sent to the royal temple before he understood what power was.

If others don't say it, he won't feel that he has lost anything in his life. He was disappointed that his father hadn't played with him for a long time, and he didn't want to be a nurse anymore. However, he also has his own little joy, and he no longer has to greet the queen every day, so he can be punished a lot.

At the beginning, because she was sick to her stomach, she asked people to eat a cup of tea for herself, and the queen mother beat the palace lady to death and threw it into the well. He didn't know what life and death were, but since then, the palace people around him have changed their faces, and no one talks to him anymore and plays games.

Thirty miles west of Yecheng, the temple of the Xiao family royal family.

This is a towering palace surrounded by ancient trees, Xiao Heyi is accustomed to this architectural style of red walls, vermilion columns, yellow tiles and glaze, but it is rare to have so many dense forests. I think I've been here a few times in my memory, but my impression is already blurry. In the past few years, there has been a great drought in the world, and you can see withered yellow flowers and plants, but you can't find such a large area of emerald green.

Xiao Heyi was led into the main hall by a military general and met a middle-aged man in a gray robe and a black beard. The middle-aged man said a few words to the military general and sent him out of the palace gate, only then did he turn around and look at Xiao Heyi with a smile.

"Your name is Xiao Heyi, right?" The middle-aged man with a long beard spoke softly, and there was a comfortable aura flowing from his body.

"My name is Xiao Heyi, what do you call me, uncle?" Xiao Heyi asked curiously with bright eyes.

"Hehehehe, you actually call me uncle?" the long-bearded man's eyes narrowed into a slit, and two teardrops hung in the corners ......of his eyes on both sides.

"Silly boy, the generation is wrong! I am your grandfather, your own grandfather Xiao Fengyuan. The long-bearded man reached out to pick up Xiao Heyi and hugged him tightly in his arms.

"Grandpa?"

"Good grandson, that's right!"

Although Xiao Heyi doesn't know how he has an extra grandfather, it is really comfortable to be held by this person.

"Good grandson, you will follow your grandfather here to learn skills in the future. When your uncle comes back one day, I will ask him to bring you more good things. Xiao Fengyuan slowly walked to the apse with his grandson in his arms. He had his own residence, but he spent his days in the apse taking care of his affairs.

"Uncle, is it my father's brother?" Xiao Heyi tilted his head and asked curiously.

"Yes, your uncle's name is Xiao Yingwen, and he is the elder brother of your father. I will slowly teach you the affairs of our Xiao family, and now grandpa will take you to eat some cakes. Xiao Fengyuan hugged Xiao Heyi with a smile and said with a smile......

Thirteen years of Taikang, Yecheng.

A pure white figure slowly walked through the crowd. The peddler's pawns gave him a sense of intimacy and a sense of being out of this world. Stopped a vendor selling sugar gourds, paid for a rock sugar gourd, and he ate it as he went. is extravagant, but eating rock sugar gourd on the street, this shape has attracted a lot of surprised eyes.

The children of ordinary big families also like this kind of snacks, but the children of these families are all sent to buy them and taste them at home. Even if the young lady encounters this kind of snack on the road, the accompanying mother-in-law will discourage her from returning to the house to eat again. It is rare for the people of Yecheng to see such an act of walking and eating at the same time. said that he was an ordinary person, but he was dressed elegantly, obviously not rich or expensive. said that he was the son of everyone, but he was so behaving, if he was a famous family, I am afraid that he would have been disgraced a long time ago.

"Childe, do you want to rest? We have a private room on the second floor of the store, and there is also a dim sum honeydew just made by the celebrity chef. Do you want to go up and rest and moisten your throat?"

Guan Erniu is a senior partner of Juxinglou, and his kung fu is also good at distinguishing people. He could see at a glance the approximate origin of the son in front of the door.

He is extravagant, and he has some money at home. If you eat sugar gourd when you walk, your home should not be local, otherwise you will eat it again when you get home. It is likely that this son's family is not particularly rich, and he picked out a good dress, which he saw when he entered the city. It's a pity that this sugar gourd exposes his roots, which is the type of nouveau riche landlord.

However, this is also a good thing for Guan Erniu. The local rich people in Juxinglou disdain to patronize it, but it is precisely the rich people from other places who can slaughter it. Outsiders who have no power and no power, except for thinking that they are unlucky, can't make any waves at the feet of this day.

"Freshly made dim sum? This is good! Ask them to bring me some of everything, and bring me a good pot of tea." The young man in white took out a silver coin from his purse and handed it to Guan Erniu, which was enough for refreshments and a reward for the guy. When you have enough rest, you can get up and leave.

Guan Erniu happily took the silver coin and beckoned the young man to a private room facing the street on the second floor. After a short time, four plates of dried fruits, four plates of pastries, and two plates of fruits were served. Guan Erniu turned around and went down to get tea, and the young man in white leisurely took a piece of pastry and put it in his mouth.

This is a cake made of osmanthus nectar, smelling sweet, soft in the mouth, and the young man in white is very useful. He ate a piece, and then reached out again to take it.

By the time Guan Erniu went upstairs to deliver tea, the four pastries in front of the young man had been swept away. At this time, he was leisurely peeling a peanut and turned his head to look at the bustling flow of people on the street.

"Childe, your refreshments are complete, a total of two gold coins. Do you think you should settle the bill now or wait until you run out of money?" Guan Erniu put the teapot away, poured half a cup for the young man in white in person, and asked respectfully.

Although this guy said respectfully, the smugness on his face could not be suppressed. The white-clothed young man in front of him was dressed in a white brocade dress, with flowers and clouds embroidered on it, and it was estimated that this robe was worth at least ten gold coins. Looking at the purse around his waist, it is also made of brocade, with a gold wire on the edge of the mouth, and five bats embroidered with silver wire scattered on the bag. I feel that there are a lot of silver coins in it, even if it is only silver coins, it is estimated that there will be twenty or thirty pieces. A pair of boots are gray and white, with a unicorn pattern carved on the calf, and blue gems inlaid on the eyes. As long as he dares to make trouble today, these things on his body alone can be worth fifty gold coins. Not to mention the silver headband tied to his head, the silver wire is braided and welded, and there is a circle of pure white spar on it, although Guan Erniu does not know the value of this thing, it is estimated that a dozen gold coins will not be able to hold it.

"What did I eat just now with two gold coins?" the young man looked at the pastries and dried fruits on the table in surprise, and then looked at Guan Erniu on the side suspiciously.

"Childe, these things are cheaper. It is definitely not commensurate with the value of the childe. If the son still needs it, the small one can help you buy it at any time. It's just that the master in charge of pastries is going to the prince's mansion to help make dim sum, and he asked the son to settle the dim sum money first. Guan Erniu bowed down and stretched out the tray, and four big men behind him appeared at the door of the private room with their arms in their arms. Obviously, as long as the young man doesn't say a word, don't think about going out safely today.

"Take it, your capital city is really expensive. If we had been there, we would have estimated that it would be two silver coins at most. The young man in white took out two gold coins and put them on the tray, got up with a wry smile and walked out. The big man at the door saw that he didn't make trouble, so he didn't stop him. Such a sensible wronged boss is also worry-free, although it is a pity that he has that body of property, but these people are just forced to buy and sell, and they are really not as reckless as robbing houses.

The young man was sneered by the five people behind him and walked down the stairs, and went out and walked into a restaurant opposite the door.

When the shopkeeper saw the young man coming out of the opposite door, he immediately greeted him politely. In the past few years, the good business has made the other party a robber, and it is estimated that this young man must have lost a lot.

"Arrange it for me with this money. Find me a private room facing the street, don't bother me if you don't say hello. ”

The young man took out a gold coin and handed it to the shopkeeper, and then followed him up to a private room on the second floor.

After a while, Xiao Er brought four hot dishes, four cold dishes, and a pot of wine.

"Childe, you're alone. The counter said that this table is fifty silver coins, what do you think about the rest? Eating alone, this pomp is not small, if the son has no other needs, wait for the small one to send you the remaining silver coins. "The shopkeeper calculated in his heart that this table should be worth more than forty silver coins, and playing elementary school art is to teach that is to treat customers with integrity. I can't say who will be a repeat customer in my life, and maybe who will spread word of mouth for my own family.

"So cheap?" the young man looked at the delicate dishes on the table with satisfaction, and then looked at the respectful shop on the side.

"I'll give you a reward if you have more, I'm very satisfied with this arrangement. ”

When the shopkeeper heard this, he hurriedly thanked him, walked backwards out of the private room, and closed the door with his hand. Today, I got a reward of fifty silver coins at a time, and I have not met such a bold customer a few times in the past year.

The shopkeeper walked to the lobby on the first floor, and saw Guan Erniu from the tea house opposite walking over with a thief on his face.

"Zhao Xiaoyi, how was the guest officer just now? He's a rich lord, right? Just now he wants to eat, brother, I thought of you here as soon as possible. The so-called fertilizer water does not flow into the fields of outsiders, neighbors, and neighbors, don't forget your brother when you look back. ”

Although Zhao Xiaoyi despised Guan Erniu's style, he was not good at turning his face in person, so he had to smile and keep saying yes, and flattered Guan Erniu one by one.

Before he could say a few words, there was a sound of smashing in the teahouse opposite, Guan Erniu's face changed and he ran out of the restaurant, just in time to bump into three figures flying out of the broken window on the second floor. Carefully identify it, it is a few thugs in his own store. Where the three of them flew out, a man in black was flying at a big man with a shirtless upper body. The shirtless man turned over and fell into the street with a scream, smashing on the three people in front of him impartially.

"Let's go to the water!" I don't know who shouted, and the onlookers saw the dancing flames on the first floor of the teahouse.

The residents of the surrounding shops hurriedly carried wooden buckets and basins and poured water on them, and some people went to the officers and soldiers in charge of rescue on the street to push the water wheels. After a lot of fighting, it took an hour to extinguish all the remaining fires. It's just that this shop has burned down, and even the neighbors on the left and right are almost affected by the fireworks.

"Erniu! My money ......"

There was a sad voice in the courtyard behind the building, Guan Erniu heard the shout of the owner Guan Ting, so he hurriedly ran to the back of the ruins to check. I saw that the usually glamorous proprietor was tied to the pillar in front of the hall at this time, and the cloth belt tied around his mouth had obviously just been loosened.

Everyone untied it, and Guan Ting stumbled into the room. The antiques on display had been shattered to the ground, and many boxes were left empty on the ground.

"My money ......" Guan Ting fainted before he finished shouting, and everyone hurriedly arranged to rescue people to find Langzhong, and the audience was in a panic.

Five miles outside the city, Yaojiatai.

"Ping'er, leave this money for your father to treat his illness. Don't let anyone know that you have so much money, or you'll get in trouble. Every time you need money, you take one or two out of it, don't take too much. ”

A man in white placed the package on the girl's bed and said earnestly.

The dilapidated wooden hut was left to the ground if it was not placed on the bed. Ping'er's father used to sell firewood and grass to make a living, but since his wife's death, he has relied on this livelihood to raise his daughter alone. Someone else goes into the city once a day to sell firewood to feed the family, but he has to go back and forth twice a day. Every day before dawn he laid the first bundle of wood and grass and got up and went into the city, and in the evening he would go out of the city gates before closing the city.

In order to save more money, he only sells firewood and grass in the afternoon, because he has a fixed buyer and will buy a load every day.

He had to raise his daughter and pay off the debts he owed to treat his wife. Even though he knew that he was not in good health, he never complained about living on it.

A few days ago, he went to Juxinglou to deliver goods, which was exactly a month's worth of firewood and grass. After this trip, he was able to settle a sum of silver, which was a full fifteen silver coins. It's just that this time he not only didn't get the firewood money, but was also smashed by the other party's thugs. The reason given by the other party was that the firewood and grass he sent for the second time was too wet, and it burned the eyes of the master chef in the kitchen, and the master spent a gold coin to heal it. Now it is wishful thinking for him to ask for firewood, and according to the calculation of the store, the other party needs to send at least 170 loads of firewood and grass.

Ping'er was hurriedly called home by the same village, and as soon as she entered the door, she saw her father paralyzed on the bed unconscious.

Ping'er cried at the time, she was only seven years old, and she had not yet realized what it meant to be mature and have to face the situation of a broken family. The third aunt next door said that she would sell herself to a big family in the city to be a maid, and crying all night did not change the fate of her family, but it attracted passers-by who begged for water.

"Brother Xiao, there are too many pieces of money, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it. You better take it, I just need to leave a little for Daddy's medical treatment. Ping'er said timidly with red eyes.

"Don't say stupid things. If you have a lot of money, you're afraid that something will happen, so hide it. No one knows that your family has money, and you are safe. When you get married, your father will be relieved if you have more dowry. This is divided into five parts for your father to take, I have seen it before, as long as you take the medicine on time in the next few days, you will be cured soon. The man in white took out a bottle of medicinal powder and handed it to Ping'er.

"Brother Xiao, is it okay for my father to let him take charge of these coins after he recovers? I'm not an adult, I'm afraid ......"

"No, I can't. The more people who know about this money, the easier it is to be remembered. If you don't want your father to be targeted, then obediently keep this secret. ”

Ping'er was stunned for a moment, and then her face showed panic. The young man in white said two more words, and then got up and went out.

"Brother Xiao, in the future, Ping'er will repay your kindness as a cow and a horse. Brother Xiao, what's your name?" Ping'er said softly with a grateful face.

"There is no need to be grateful. I'll see you again in the future. My name is Xiao Yi......" The man in white left a sentence and left on his own.

Half an hour later, in the private room on the second floor of the restaurant.

A man in black quietly pushed the door in, and the man in white in front of the window got up and disappeared with just one breath. The man in black lifted the veil of his turban to reveal a face similar to that of a young man in a white robe. I saw a slight flick of the white jade in the middle of the belt on his waist, and the color of the black clothes around him slowly faded. Sitting back on the chair, the white-robed young man bent down to pick up a delicate wooden figure from the ground.

"It's okay to do anything, but it's a pity that I can't talk and can't eat. If he doesn't give it to me, then go to Grandpa!"

The white-robed young man took a sip of his wine glass, picked up a piece of carp with sauce and put it in his mouth.

"It tastes good, it's just a pity it's all cold. ”

The white-robed young man was Xiao Yi, who appeared at Ping'er's house earlier. It is also the abolished prince Xiao Heyi who was expelled from the temple thirteen years ago. In the early years, in order to facilitate his travels, he no longer used the old name, and after more than ten years, there was one less waste prince in the palace, and there was more jealous and hateful demon star Xiao Yi in the four places.

The world only knows that there is a mysterious person who kills people like hemp, but as for the Demon Star, it is a title secretly given to Xiao Yi by a few people in the temple.

"Grandpa! I'm back!"

There was a shout outside the door, and Xiao Fengyuan, who was sorting out the pills in the startled room, hurriedly put away the things. Before he could finish the countertop, the door was pushed open.

"Grandpa, what are you doing? Is there something good hiding again? How can you prevent me from being like a thief?"

Xiao Yi stepped forward and lifted the iron teapot and poured it into his mouth, even if Xiao Fengyuan handed over the teacup, he completely ignored it.

"You, you, can't you be more restrained? Anyway, you are also a member of my Xiao family, why can't you learn etiquette and elegance?" Xiao Fengyuan shook his head with a wry smile and turned around and sat back in his place.

"Grandpa, don't nag up, okay? You told me to chew and swallow slowly, and as a result, I have no problem eating a lot over the years! You let me wear close-fitting velvet pants every day to avoid cold, and I drink water every day without being cold. In the past ten years, haven't I had a headache or diarrhea? Today I went to the capital, and I came back safely, I am so well-behaved, what reward do you say to give me?" Xiao Yi sat opposite his grandfather, reached out and took two pears and nibbled on his own.

Xiao Fengyuan looked at his grandson, held his knees and shook his head with a wry smile.

"I went to the capital and saw your imperial grandmother?"