Wan Ji and he were not allowed to leave the pavilion, but Wan Ji still complained: "Let me ask you, if the tiger cub is lost, what will you pay for?" ”

Don't let me go and catch two more little tigers for you? It's comparable to playing with a tiger. God forbid, don't let this goofy girl come up with this idea.

He didn't dare to answer, so he just walked with his head down, but he heard the call of Zhou Kao behind him. Wan Xi turned around and saw Zhou Kao coming, her face turned from gloomy to sunny, and she agreed with a smile: "Cousin! Are you here for me? ”

It's not allowed to look at Wan Xi's smiling face, and said in her heart: Hmph, this girl is eighty percent looking at Zhou Gongzi, otherwise why would she be happy when she saw him? He sighed secretly, and thought: But this girl is really beautiful when she laughs, and I'm afraid that the fairies in the sky are just like that.

Zhou Kao rushed to the two of them and said, "Mother asked me to ......"

Wan Xi didn't wait for him to finish, just urged: "Cousin, let's go quickly, if we go late, I don't know what will happen." ”

She turned around, but she couldn't see that she was looking at herself, and immediately said, "What are you doing here?" Why don't you hurry up and lead the way? ”

It is not allowed to be silent, walking in front alone, Zhou Kao and Wan Xi walked side by side. When the three of them came to the west city gate, they saw that there were already many pedestrians on the avenue outside the city. After walking west along the avenue, the three of them came to a small mound with dozens of old trees scattered around it.

Zhou Kao saw that those trees had knotted branches and mottled bark, but they had never been seen in Zhou Yuan, so he couldn't help but ask: "I don't know what the name of this tree is?" ”

He was not allowed to reply: "The villain has heard from the locals that this tree is called green sandalwood. ”

Zhou Kao recalled the words of his father and uncle when he shot yesterday, and said in his heart: Oh! It turns out that this is Qingtan. He stretched out his hand and stroked the green sandalwood branches, and the tentacles felt exceptionally hard and firm.

When he was carefully examining these green sandalwood trees, he couldn't hear them: "Hey, strange, I obviously put two tiger cubs here, why can't I find them?" ”

When Wan Ji heard this, her heart immediately became angry: "You stupid, you can't do this little thing, what's the use of having this head?" ”

Don't say in a hurry: "Miss, don't worry, these trees all look the same, the villain can't remember it for a while, you let me look for it again." ”

Wan Xi was speechless angrily, and after a long while, she whispered to Zhou Kao: "This guy is extremely unreliable, and the person who named him in the first place was really prescient." ”

Zhou Kao said: "Cousin, don't worry, I think those two tiger cubs are too small, even if they run, they can't run far." We'll look a little longer, and we should be able to find it. ”

While the two of them were talking, they suddenly heard a cry of "whoa, whoa" not far away, and he was not allowed to say with joy: "Ah! Here it is! He hurried over in three steps and two steps, followed by Zhou Kao and Wan Xi.

It was forbidden to remove the yellowed grass, and Wan Xi immediately saw a hole under the root of a big tree, and a small tiger poked its head out at the mouth of the hole, still screaming. Outside the hollow, however, there was a long-haired monster sniffing around, as if trying to beat the little tiger's idea. The beast was the size of a dog, except for its short limbs, but it had a round body, and a pair of small eyes shining on its pointed head.

Wan Xi said: "Cousin, what kind of monster is this?" ”

"This beast is called a raccoon dog, and it can often be encountered when hunting in the wild - it is not a rare thing," Zhou said. ”

When the raccoon dog saw the man, he was not very afraid, but let out a dull roar, as if he was unwilling to back down. It is not allowed to pick up a branch and hit the raccoon dog on the head with a "swish". The beast screamed in pain, and then turned around and staggered away.

Wan Xi saw the appearance of the raccoon dog fleeing in a hurry, and suddenly laughed out loud. Zhou Kao asked, "Cousin, what are you laughing at?" Wan Xi hid her mouth and said with a smile: "I see this raccoon dog looking so bloated and fat, but it reminds me of a person." ”

Zhou Kao was puzzled, frowned and said, "Who do you think of?" ”

"Naturally, it's Lord Yuhou. Do you think they look alike? ”

Zhou Kao said in his heart: I didn't expect my cousin to be so naughty. He said to Wan Xi: "Don't talk nonsense, if you let Lord Yu Hou hear it, he will definitely annoy you." ”

Wan Xi said: "What are you afraid of, there are only you and me here, and Lord Yuhou will not know." ”

I couldn't understand what the two were talking about, but said: "The raccoon dog eats a lot in the autumn in order to raise a fat body to keep out the cold, so that it has become like this." Luckily we arrived in time, otherwise the two tiger cubs would have been eaten by it. ”

Wan Xi said: "I see that this raccoon dog is only the size of a dog, I didn't expect it to be so bold that even tiger cubs dare to eat it." ”

"Miss, you may not have seen a tiger being besieged by a hound while hunting. The adult tiger can't take care of both the head and the tail, so he can only flee in the wilderness. Such a little tiger cub is probably only enough for that raccoon dog to have a full meal. ”

Wan Xi was silent after hearing this, and thought to herself: This stupid person is not useless. She walked to the tree hole, and saw that the little tiger at the entrance of the cave was still calling, and there was a tiger cub at the bottom of the cave, but it closed its eyes and did not move.

She hurriedly called, "No, come and see, is this tiger cub sick?" ”

Not allowed to come over and squat in front of the tree hole to look in, Wan Xi asked again, "Is it asleep?" ”

Don't dare to hide it, and replied truthfully: "Miss Hui, they haven't eaten for two days and two nights, and I think most of the tiger cubs at the bottom of the cave are gone." ”

"Not really? Are you saying it's dying? ”

Nodding worriedly, Wan Xi said angrily: "I handed over two live tiger cubs to you, and it was only two days of hard work, and one was starved to death, what is the use of you?" ”

I don't want to say anything: these two tiger cubs can't even walk steadily, when will they be alive again? He said aggrievedly: "Miss, I haven't eaten or drunk for two days, how can I have extra food to feed them?" ”

Only then did Wan Xi remember that the day before yesterday and when he was not allowed to separate, he had never left him some dry food or coils; Yesterday, when I went to the Marquis Yu's mansion for a banquet, I didn't allow these people to forget all about it. It is difficult for them to wait in the inn, and they can only sleep in the stable, they must be hungry and cold, and it is very uncomfortable. She thought: In this case, the main fault of this matter lies with me, but I have to blame it for being accurate.

Wan Xi felt sad for a while, looked at the two tiger cubs in the cave, and wanted to take them out. When the little tiger at the entrance of the cave saw her stretching out her hand, she opened her mouth to bite, so frightened that Wan Xi hurriedly withdrew her hand.

Not allowed to see her embarrassment, "hehe" smiled, and suddenly reached out and grabbed the tiger cub's neck from behind, and pulled it out.

Wan Ji said anxiously: "You lighter, don't kill this one!" ”

The tiger cub was not allowed to be put in his arms, and the little tiger probably felt very warm and comfortable, and did not move in his arms.

Wan Xi said: "There is one more." ”

Don't lean down and put your hand into the hole to grab another tiger cub. When his hand touched the tiger cub, it only moved slightly, and its eyes were halfway open and then closed. It was not allowed to be caught, and everyone saw that the tiger cub was soft all over, and did not even have the strength to struggle, and their hearts were half cold.

Zhou Jian probed and asked: "Do you think this tiger cub can still be saved?" Don't shake his head. Wan Ji said: "I don't care, you must think of something to save it." If you do this, I will reward you with another reward. ”

Don't let the heart say: This tiger cub is already dying, if you want to save it, unless Shennong comes into the world. But he didn't dare to say anything to Wan Xi, so he only said, "Then what now?" If they don't find something to eat, I'm afraid that both tiger cubs will starve to death. ”

Wan Ji said: "I don't know if there are any villages around here...... Yes! Yes, the camp of our Xin soldiers is outside the West City Gate, and when you get there, you still have nothing to eat? ”

So the three of them walked back along the avenue, and the camp of the Xincheng soldiers was beside the road, and more than a dozen camp tents were very eye-catching, and they could be seen from afar. Wan Xi and the others entered the camp, and when the soldiers saw that it was their own young lady who came, they were naturally very respectful, and they did whatever Wan Xi asked them to do.

It is not allowed to ask the soldiers for a wild pheasant, this pheasant was only caught yesterday, it has been removed, and it is not allowed to feed the pheasant to the two little tigers to eat. Then he took himself a large bowl of millet rice, scooped a spoonful of bacon sauce and poured it over the rice, and devoured it.

Wan Xi smiled and said, "Looking at your appearance, it's even more ugly than two tiger cubs." But seeing you eat so deliciously, I feel a little hungry. ”

After only a while, you may have eaten a large bowl of rice, and even licked the bottom of the bowl. Wan Xi took pity on him and was really hungry, so she asked, "Have you eaten enough?" ”

It is not allowed to bulge on both sides, and the mouth of rice has not been chewed yet, where can you answer? He only shook his head, trying to swallow the food in his mouth.

Wan Xi said: "Then you can eat another bowl, you can save yourself from being hungry again after a while." ”

He was not allowed to swallow the last bite of food in his stomach, choking him and rolling his eyes. He drank another bowl of water and burped: "I can't eat anymore, people who have been hungry for a few days, if they eat too much, they will die." ”

Wan Xi didn't believe it: "You are talking nonsense, how can anyone eat themselves to death?" ”

You are not allowed to laugh twice, and you dare not talk back. Wan Xi said, "If you don't eat it, then let's go back to the city." ”

Not allowed: "Do you want to bring the tiger cubs into the city too?" ”

"Yes, my father and uncle said that you are going to go with us to the court, so naturally this tiger cub will also be taken on the road. Otherwise, who can they entrust them to? ”

He was not allowed to dare to take the tiger cub into the city, just because he had another calculation - he was a thief with a weak heart, and he was afraid of provoking the attention of the guards of Yucheng, so he arrested his group of people, and if someone confessed that he had stolen and excavated the king's tomb, it would really be called setting himself on fire. But at this time, Wan Ji had a life, and he had to follow.

The three of them came out of the camp, and when they were about to reach the gate of the city, Zhou Kao saw two Zhou guards walking out of the city on horseback. Zhou Kao stepped forward and saluted, "Brother Guard, where are you going?" ”

When the two guards saw Zhou Kao, they hurriedly dismounted and returned the salute, and replied: "Back to the eldest prince, the two of us are about to escort these people back to Qizhou to wait for disposal on the orders of Lord Zhou Hou. ”

Zhou Kao looked behind the guards, and saw that more than a dozen of his subordinates were tied with a thick hemp rope, and they were lined up in a string one after another. Zhou Kao nodded and said, "Brother Guard, I've worked hard, be careful on the way." ”

The two guards thanked Zhou for the exam, and then they got back on their horses. Zhou Kao said again: "On your way back to Qizhou City, what if you encounter the Dog Rong people?" ”

One of the guards replied: "The eldest prince is bothered, Lord Zhou Hou has already explained, try not to go from the main road." If they encounter a dog, they will immediately release the prisoners and let them flee for their lives. The two of us are riding horses, and the dogs may not be able to catch up. ”

Zhou Kao thought to himself: If there is no stop on the way, they will be able to return to Qizhou in seven or eight days. At this time, he suddenly remembered something and said, "Brother Guard, please wait for a while." ”

The two guards glanced at each other, not understanding what Zhou Kao wanted to do, but the eldest prince had a life, how could they dare not obey? Zhou Kao turned around and said to Wan Xi: "We are going to Chaoge all the way, I don't know how many cities and villages we have to pass through, and it is indeed inconvenient to take two tiger cubs. Even if it comes to Chaoge, is it impossible to keep them at home? So I thought ......"

Before he finished speaking, Wan Xi had already answered: "That's right! We can ask our unallowed men to take the cubs back and find a place to place them properly, which is far better than taking the cubs with us. ”

Zhou Kao saw Wan Ji guessing and nodded. It is not allowed to ask for this, so he handed over the two tiger cubs to a close confidant and taught him how to feed them. Zhou Kao also told the two guards and asked them to take care of them.

After that, the three of them stood at the gate of the city, watched the two guards and their men gradually drift away, and only returned to the city reluctantly after a while.

The next day, Zhou Kao and Zhou Fa were woken up early by Taiji. Tai Ji said to the two of them: "We have made an appointment with Lord Yu Hou today to meet at the East City Gate, so we should wait outside the city a little earlier." It would be rude to let Lord Yu Hou wait for us. ”

Zhou Fa said: "When two parties meet on a date, there is always one party who arrives first and one party who arrives later. Why is it rude to come later? ”

"The first to arrive is to express respect and respect, which is the meaning of the word 'waiting'. For example, when a junior and an elder meet, the junior should come first. ”

Zhou Fa was still a little reluctant, and muttered: "Lord Yuhou is not our elder, why do we have to wait for him?" ”

"You have a lot to say. Look at your eldest brother is already dressed, only you are still grinding. ”

After Zhou Fa cleaned up, Taiji took the two of them to see Zhou Chang, and the four of them left the pavilion together. Zhou Kao saw that the bears had ordered people to prepare carriages, and led the soldiers of the two countries with Xin and Zhou to stand by outside the pavilion. After a short time, Xinjia's family also came out of the pavilion, and the group headed for the east gate of the city.

When he was about to walk to the city gate, he happened to pass by the Marquis Yu's Mansion, Zhou Chang saw that the gate of the Hou's Mansion was closed, and there was no movement inside, and he thought to himself: It seems that the Marquis Yu will not be able to come out for a while.

At this time, the city gate had been opened, Xin Jia and the others passed through the city gate, and there was also a straight avenue outside the east gate. Xin Jia said, "Let's wait for Lord Yuhou by this avenue." ”

Zhou Fa sat in the carriage, watching the pedestrians at the city gate coming in and out, and after a while, he felt extremely bored. He got out of the car and came to the carriage where Mrs. Jiang and Wan Xi were riding, and asked, "Cousin, you went with your eldest brother to catch tiger cubs yesterday, didn't you?" ”

Wan Ji thought to herself: My cousin must have told him about it yesterday. So he replied, "Yes, we found two tiger cubs, both of which are so big." She gestured with her hand as she spoke.

Zhou Fa pouted and said, "You go to catch the tiger cub, why don't you call me?" ”

Wan Xi deliberately teased him: "Who told you not to get up early?" Now that the tiger cubs have been sent away, you can't see it. ”

The more Wan Ji said this, the more itchy Zhou Fa became. He had nowhere to vent his frustration, but he pulled off a few sticks of long grass on the side of the road and kept throwing them around. Seeing this, Wan Xi was secretly amused, and persuaded: "Cousin ordered someone to send the tiger cub back to Qizhou City, won't you be able to see it when you go home?" ”

Zhou Fa only felt a little less irritable when he heard this, he put aside the withered grass in his hand, and still pestered Wan Xi to keep asking questions.

Tai Ji watched Zhou Fa and Wan Ji talking, and suddenly her mind moved, she got out of the carriage and slowly paced to Xin Jia's side, and asked in a low voice: "Big brother, what I asked you about the day before yesterday, do you have eyebrows?" ”

Xin Jia didn't think about it for a while, and said casually: "What's the matter?" ”

"What else could it be? Naturally, it's the marriage of Kao'er and Wan'er! What did sister-in-law say? ”

"Oh, uh...... is this thing...... Xin Jia hadn't thought about how to reply to Taiji, and now when she forced her to ask, she was even more anxious.

Seeing that he looked like he wanted to speak and stopped, Tai Ji had already guessed a few points in her heart: "Sister-in-law doesn't agree?" Why is that? ”

Xin Jia didn't say a word, just kept rubbing his hands. This side is his own sister, and the other side is his wife, so he really doesn't know how to speak.

Tai Ji sighed and said, "In the final analysis, I'm afraid that my sister-in-law dislikes our Zhou family's weak strength, and I'm afraid that Wan'er will suffer in the future." ”

"No, how can your sister-in-law dislike ......"

"Then, does the sister-in-law have a suitable candidate in her heart?"

Xin Jia nodded at first, then shook his head. Tai Ji said: "Big brother, you and I are a family, you might as well say it if you have something to say." What kind of husband does the sister-in-law want to find for Wan'er? ”

Xin Jia saw that Tai Ji had never been relenting, and knew that the method of delay could not be dealt with, so he had to say: "Your sister-in-law said that Lord Shangshou's wife is her sister, and she also said, ......"

Taiji immediately understood: "It turns out that the sister-in-law wants the future queen to be a matchmaker for Wan'er." Anyway, she went to her sister, and I went to consult with my father. If I get my father's approval, what else do I think my sister-in-law has to say? ”

Xin Jia didn't want his father to come forward to solve his family affairs, but he also understood this sister's temper - if he didn't ask his father clearly, Tai Ji would never give up, even if he persuaded her, it would be in vain.

And Tai Ji thought that Zhou Kao and Wan Xi's marriage should be as smooth as water, but she never thought that there were many difficulties in the middle. Asking her father to preside over the overall situation was already the last move she could come up with. Thinking of this, Taiji looked at Mrs. Jiang and found that she was also looking at herself. The two looked at each other and smiled, but they didn't say a word to each other.