Changsheng didn't dare to stay away, carrying a small burden, found an inconspicuous corner and sat down, waiting for her family to pick her up, where she could clearly see the scene outside Xing'an Gate. Maybe they're a little late, but it's still early, and it's okay to wait.

She has more than 40 taels of silver and some copper coins in her baggage, some of which are saved, and some of which are given by good sisters, and then return to her home in the countryside of northern Shanxi, whether she marries or not, she may never be able to go out of such a far door in her life, and she will never be able to enter Beijing again. So she planned to eat and drink well on the way, and walk and walk back.

The baggage also contained gifts from close relatives and homecoming documents. This document is used to prove that she did not escape from the palace, but returned to the palace after completing her service, and after returning to her hometown, she went to the county government to hand in the paperwork, and resettled in her mother's house or husband's house, and was no longer a palace slave, but a maiden or maiden who had nothing to do with the palace.

The most important thing is that there are three hundred taels of silver tickets hidden close to her body, one is the return fee issued by the palace maid, one is what she saved by rewarding in addition to the moon silver, and the other is Yuwen Zhaoyi, who has served for eight years before leaving, according to the old practice. She planned to give her parents a hundred taels to improve the family's life, and the rest quietly hid and waited to wait and see.

Chang'an in autumn, prosperous and calm, the shops outside the imperial city are numerous, the streets are smooth and straight, most of the men and women who come and go are well-dressed, revealing a kind of self-satisfaction and leisure of the people of the capital.

Changsheng looked at it curiously, her eyes were bright, the corners of her mouth were upturned, and her heart swelled with a faint joy and yearning, if it weren't for the fear that her family would not find her when they came, she really wanted to visit Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty.

She knows a little bit of history, after the change of Xuanwumen, Chang'an has been prosperous and peaceful for a long time, the world's economic and cultural center, the most prosperous and lively city, the women's cloud temples are towering, gorgeous clothes and heavy makeup, bare breasts, it is the most beautiful and wanton era of women living in the ancient feudal dynasty, listening to it makes people extremely fascinated, if possible, she wants to stay here.

Eight years ago, when the real Changsheng was just twelve years old, when he was conscripted into the palace, he was infected with wind and cold while sitting in a carriage day and night, and there was no good treatment and care, so he returned to the west.

At that time, she had just graduated from college and found a job, and her beautiful life had just begun.

When she was twelve years old, her parents died unexpectedly, and after her relatives helped to handle her parents' funeral, no one was willing to take over this burden, and there were only two sisters left in the family, her sister was just seventeen years old, called Xiao Jinyuan, her name was Xiao Jinshu, and her parents' nicknames were Little Golden Yuan and Little Golden Pig.

She and her sister live in a two-bedroom house left by their parents, relying on the savings left by their parents and the maintenance of their units, and they have not suffered much in life. My sister is five years older than her, she is very attentive and loving to her, takes care of her as she grows up, and even gives up the opportunity to go to college to work in advance for her.

That afternoon, the sisters decided to go out to eat first, and then go buy her clothes and shoes for office workers, and the sisters held hands as usual, ready to cross the street to the restaurant.

After coming into this world, she often wondered, what if they didn't go that day? But there are no ifs.

The sharp brakes sounded, and the crazy, deadly muck truck rushed straight at her out of control, and she didn't even think about pushing her sister away. She didn't know anything when a huge pain hit her, and the last thing she saw was a bloody light in front of her eyes, and she heard the terrifying screams of passers-by.

When she woke up, she was a twelve-year-old little girl who grew up in a remote country, poor and thin, and was about to become a palace maid. The carriage was filled with little girls who had been conscripted into the palace together, all of them were innocent and handsome poor women between the ages of twelve and fifteen, all of whom were ragged and disgraced in the bumps and rushes, and some of them had lice crawling in their hair.

She spent the initial shock and resistance in sometimes sober and sometimes unconscious, often ignoring anyone in a daze, everyone thought that she was not well yet, and they were all strangers to each other, but they did not show any flaws.

She gradually accepted reality. She came to this world because she saved her sister, as long as her dear sister is alive, what else can she not accept? What's more, it is extremely gracious for God to let her live again, what can't you think of?

She calmly faced the palace slave career with the most calm and detached mentality, tried her best to live, and worked hard to mix badly and not badly, neither being stupid and ugly to suffer as a miscellaneous servant, nor being beautiful and intelligent to become a prisoner.

Until she was lucky enough to leave the palace in the wonderful double decade, she was lucky enough to sit on the steps outside the palace walls and wait for her relatives to take her home. Twenty years old, although she is a leftover girl in the eyes of others, in her opinion, she is in her prime, just as old as when she was ready to join the work, why should she bury her beautiful life in the dark and corrupt harem?

It was already noon, but the family was still nowhere to be found. Fortunately, it's autumn, and it's not cold yet, so you just need to get up from time to time and move your legs and feet to avoid sitting numb.

In the morning, she was in a hurry to leave, and she thought about having a good meal with her relatives in the restaurant outside, but she didn't eat much, she would have been hungry, but the person who picked her up was still nowhere to be seen.

She inquired about going to the common clean room to clean her hands once, and when she came back, she bought a bowl of bean juice to drink, and bought five steamed buns to eat, still sitting patiently on the stone steps. She believed that the nominal family would never leave her alone, because every time they visited relatives, they still seemed to love their daughter very much.

The sun was already setting in the west, Changsheng rubbed his eyes, and he didn't dare to stare at the carriages and horses coming and going at the gate of Xing'an, but he still didn't wait for the person who picked her up.

A month ago, when she was sure that she could go home, she asked a reliable eunuch to send a letter through the post station to pick her up before today, today is the day when the emperor set the retired palace maid to leave the palace.

Although this era is not efficient, it is extremely trustworthy, and if it is not delivered, there will be news long ago.

Forget it, let's stay tomorrow first, she doesn't know what the inn in the Tang Dynasty is like, it's good to experience life.

When I first went to the clean room, I saw an inn that looked good on the road, generally speaking, the better the facilities, the more prosperous the location of the inn, the safer, even if it is expensive, it doesn't matter, she is a single woman, and she is carrying property, safety is the most important.

She stood up and was about to walk towards the Yahe Inn. After walking a few steps, she thought about it, and then came to the gate of Xing'an and saluted the guards: "Brother guard, the little woman is Zhou Changsheng, the palace maid who has left the palace after serving today, and she originally sent a letter to her father and brother to pick her up before today, but who knows that no one will be seen until now." It's getting late, I want to go to the inn to rest, and I'm afraid of missing it, please ask the eldest brother if someone picks up Zhou Changsheng, let him go to the Yahe Inn on the street in front to find it! ”

After speaking, he hurriedly handed over two taels of silver: "This little heart, please go to the guard brother to drink!" ”

But her heart hurt tightly, and she secretly complained that her family was procrastinating, but this was her month's moonsilver. After leaving the palace, although the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty was relatively open, it was impossible for a woman to show up to do any business, and she didn't have the capital to be the behind-the-scenes owner, and she might have to live on savings for a long time in the future, and the money she didn't have to spend should be spent as little as possible.

The two guards, both in their twenties, looked at Changsheng with a wink, and one of them said, "It's okay, it's okay, it's a little favor, you can go, come back tomorrow and ask!" ”

Changsheng suddenly became vigilant in his heart, but he couldn't see anything wrong for the time being, so he thanked him again, turned around and went to the Yahe Inn, and in her words and demeanor, she was already exactly the same as a woman in this era.