On the eighth day of the first month of June, Lin Daiyu invited Feng Xuan and Xu Lan to cook tea with lotus dew in the Baihua Pavilion, plus Lu Zhiyu, Li Wen, and Li Qi.

During this period, Lin Daiyu found Feng Xuan and Xu Lan respectively and entrusted Lu Jing's letters, and both of them solemnly agreed.

After Feng Xuan returned home, when Feng Shangshu returned home, he handed over Lu Jing's letter to his grandfather in the name of asking for peace.

After Feng Yanji saw it, he asked his granddaughter about today's matter, and asked her to retreat, and then sent someone to Lu Mansion to inform Lu Jing to come to Feng Mansion tomorrow.

After Xu Jingnian received Lu Jing's letter, he saw that he inquired about the transaction between the imperial court and the vassal states, and concluded that this matter must be related to him, but now that he was in charge of this matter, it was not appropriate to meet with Lu Jing at this time, so he only replied with a letter, and said that he would choose the right time to recommend him after a while.

That night, Lu Jing first received a notice from Feng Yanji, and then received a reply from Xu Jingnian. After carefully reading Xu Jingnian's letter, Lu Jing's heart settled down, the emperor really implemented the policy he offered, so he did not anger Emperor Yuanyong because of this matter, so it is very likely that the current encounter was deliberately done by the emperor.

Lu Jing pondered for a long time, and decided to see what Feng Shangshu's reply was tomorrow before making plans, and then burned Xu Jingnian's reply and left the outer study.

When it came to Nuan Yutang, Daiyu greeted him and asked, "Do you have a reply from the two adults?" ”

Lu Jing nodded and told Daiyu the replies of the two, and then said with a smile: "Thank you Madame for bothering to plan for Xiaosheng, Xiaosheng will definitely reward Madame well tonight." ”

Daiyu was listening attentively, and suddenly saw his tone change, his eyes were full of humorous smiles, and he suddenly said with a smile on his face: "If the husband really wants to thank the concubine, let the concubine sleep peacefully." ”

Lu Jing teased her: "If you don't serve your wife wholeheartedly, how can you repay your lady's great kindness!" ”

Daiyu took a sip, and said with anger in her starry eyes: "What kind of repayment, I think you just want to take revenge on the concubine!" ”

Lu Jing raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead and said, "Don't say stupid things, who asked you to provoke me a few days ago, I must let you know how powerful your husband is, so as not to make her husband sluggish." ”

Daiyu touched her forehead, glared at Lu Jing with a puffed out little face, and after a little thought, she showed a smile, and begged for mercy softly: "Good husband, the concubine knows that she is wrong, and she will never dare to provoke her husband in the future, and she will listen to whatever the husband says in the future." After speaking, he showed a pitiful expression.

Lu Jing smiled and said: "If Madame is more sincere, or more pitiful, I may believe it and willingly accept Madame's beauty plan." ”

Seeing that this trick didn't work, Daiyu snorted and said: "The husband has been resting here with the concubine these days, causing the two sisters to stay alone in the empty room, and the husband should also be wet with rain and dew." ”

Lu Jing shook his head and laughed: "Madame is so delicate and cute, I want to spoil Madame alone." ”

Daiyu glared at Lu Jing with shame when she heard this, these days the two of them have been lingering day by day, although they are happy, but the weak quality is forbidden, Daiyu was angry, suddenly saw Zijuan coming in with water, his mind turned, and he smiled busily: "Zijuan, come and lead your master back to the room to rest!" ”

Zijuan's face turned red when she heard this, and she put down the basin and said with a smile: "Madame is playing with the master, so don't make fun of me." ”

After hearing this, Daiyu immediately took Lu Jing's hand and handed it to Zijuan, and said with a smile: "Whoever made fun of you, you take him away quickly, just let you go for a few days, and then get it back when I want it." ”

Lu Jing shook his head and smiled: "Madam is too disagreeable, just send me out like this, I have to ..."

Daiyu was worried that he would say something that would make Zijuan sad, so she interrupted without waiting for him to finish: "Don't talk nonsense in front of Zijuan!" ”

Lu Jing saw that Daiyu could see that she was teasing her, but she still wanted to do so, so she nodded and responded: "That little student obeys the order." ”

When Daiyu pushed Lu Jing out, she whispered in his ear: "After a few days of rest, the concubine will teach you a good lesson." ”

Lu Jing couldn't help nodding after hearing this, and replied with a smile: "Then I'll wait for Mrs. to come back again." ”

On the way back to the room, when Lu Jing and Zijuan passed by Yinglian's small courtyard, Zijuan persuaded: "Master, let's go to Sister Yinglian's place to rest tonight!" ”

Lu Jing took her little hand, shook her head and smiled: "Don't learn from Mrs., I don't want to be pushed out again, I'll go to you tonight!" ”

Hearing this, the corners of Zijuan's mouth unconsciously rose, showing a happy smile, and she no longer persuaded each other.

After the two stepped on the moonlight and came to the bedroom, Zijuan asked Huixiang to go back to the room to rest first, and then began to clean up the needlework on the bed.

Lu Jing saw that there was a pair of unfinished pink embroidered shoes, about three or four inches, so he asked, "How can you have such small shoes in your room?" ”

When Zijuan heard this, she showed the lotus shoes to Lu Jing, and then explained: "These are the sleeping shoes that Qingwen asked me to help her make, do you look good at this style?" ”

Lu Jing only glanced at it and returned it to Zijuan, shook his head and said, "Although the shoes are good-looking, the feet may not be." ”

Hearing Lu Jing say this, Zijuan couldn't help but secretly worry about Qingwen in her heart, and hurriedly asked: "I heard that the masters of rich families like three-inch golden lotus, especially the scholars, who praise the little feet like lotus root buds, like lotus unloading flowers, don't you like it?" ”

Lu Jing sneered and mocked: "The new lotus has lost its petals and moon teeth, and the crested head is skillfully embroidered with flowers; The three-inch Lingbo jade shoot is tipped, delicate and soft. Although the poem is very well depicted, I don't like this morbid beauty! ”

Yan Bi secretly rejoiced in his heart, fortunately, Dai Yusheng was graceful and light, born with small feet, delicate like Zhao Feiyan, and there was a ban in the imperial court, and there were few foot bindings in the scholars and noble families, so Daiyu escaped the fate of foot binding.

I remembered that when Daiyu, Baochai, Xiangyun, Tanchun and other twelve people gathered in March, only Xing Xiuyan bound her feet, although Yinglian also wrapped her feet, but after she rescued her, she treated her foot injury, and now her feet are basically back to normal.

Zijuan looked at his feet and said: "But since ancient times, people in the world have been ashamed of their feet, and they are proud of their small feet. ”

"A few girls in my neighborhood also used to say, 'Look at my legs, they are good legs, red silk pants and green ears.' Look at my feet, it's good feet, plum blossom high-bottomed dishes resting'. When I first entered the door, my mother was worried that the master would dislike my big feet! ”

Lu Jing hugged her and sat on the edge of the bed, and said with a smile: "On the contrary, I think the natural jade feet are the most beautiful, not to mention that your feet are not big, and this foot binding has not existed since ancient times, although the Sui and Tang dynasties have had foot binding, but it is only limited to personal exceptions and special industries, until the Northern Song Dynasty, this matter began to prevail, at first it was only liked by the emperor, and then it slowly spread to the people." ”

"You think there are so many concubines in the emperor's palace, it is surprising to see the different nature, the emperor likes it, and those concubines in the harem naturally have to meet them, which is why it is prevalent in the palace. And there is something good on the top, and the next will tend to it, and those ministers and scribes naturally flock to it, so the upward and downward effects, coupled with the guidance of people with hearts, feel that it is inconvenient for women to walk after wrapping small feet, which can prevent red apricots from going out of the wall, which has formed the concept of beauty with small feet today, and led to women's foot binding to continue to develop in the direction of slenderness. ”

After hearing this, Zijuan asked with some curiosity: "Then why doesn't the old man like little feet?" ”

Lu Jing sighed: "First, I really can't appreciate the beauty of the broken foot deformity, and secondly, I feel that the foot binding is too painful, as the so-called small feet are a pair of small feet, and a tank of tears, this deformed beauty is completely based on the great pain of women, and it is only to satisfy the perverted selfish desires of some people." ”

"There are many peerless beauties throughout the ages, such as Xi Shi, Wang Yan, Yuzhen and others, and they have not seen them cut off half of their feet, in my opinion, parents cut off their daughter's hands enough to take grace, just like children cremating their parents' bones for welfare, it is really unacceptable."

Speaking of this, he sighed and didn't continue, the world is persecuted, the whole world regards small feet as beauty, it is estimated that those parents have no choice, if they don't bind their daughters' feet, they will be difficult to marry. And it was originally only the daughter of a large family who bound her feet, but now because of the ban of the imperial court, it has turned over, and the middle class, businessmen, and ordinary people have bound their feet.

Hearing this, Zijuan recalled the scene when Qingwen bound her feet, and couldn't help but shudder, and said, "What the master said is that I still remember the pain and crying when Qingwen wrapped her feet. ”

Lu Jing asked curiously, "When did Qingwen wrap her feet?" Generally speaking, maids generally don't wrap their feet for the convenience of work, why does she wrap her feet? ”

Zijuan pondered for a while and replied: "Qingwen has not been bound for a few years, she was nine years old or ten years old when she entered the Jiafu, the old lady saw her Peugeot, so she saved the idea of letting her be a concubine for Baoyu, so she asked Mama Li to bind her feet, at that time we were all curious to watch, but we were driven out, we heard Qingwen's screams and cries of pain outside. ”

Speaking of this, Zijuan still had palpitations in her heart, and couldn't help but lean closer into Lu Jing's arms.

Lu Jing caressed her delicate body and couldn't help comforting her, the average girl began to bind her feet when she was four or five years old, and Qingwen only started when she was about ten years old, and the pain she experienced can be imagined.

Zijuan slowed down and continued: "Later, I heard from Mandarin Duck that Qingwen's feet were broken except for the big toe, and Qingwen couldn't walk for more than three months at that time, and she screamed at her mother in pain every day when she lay on the bed. "I can't say any more when I say that.

Lu Jing sighed after hearing this, and said with emotion: "Qingwen is indeed pitiful enough, while her feet are not yet finalized, tomorrow you will find someone to ask Dr. Zhang to see if her feet can be cured?" In addition, you tell Qingwen that she doesn't have to wrap her feet in the future, and she won't wear such small sleeping shoes anymore. ”

Zijuan thought for a while and persuaded: "Although the master said that it was a good intention, but if this is the case, I am afraid that her suffering will be in vain, in case Mrs. lets Qingwen go out to marry in the future, she is only half wrapped like this, wouldn't it be even more unpleasant." ”

Lu Jing thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, you just do what I say, since I have entered the Lu family, I don't plan to let her out again." ”

Zijuan couldn't help but smile when she heard this, she originally thought that the old man didn't like small feet and wouldn't let Qingwen enter the door, but now it seems that the old man has already saved Na Qingwen's thoughts, so he responded with a smile: "I'll tell Qingwen tomorrow." ”

Then the two talked for a while, and then blew the lamp into the brocade tent.

Several flowers visit the depths, a trip to enjoy a new one, the two of them until the moon and stars are sparse and sleep.