"Shizi, Shizi, wake up, wake up." When Wu Yuanming woke up from his coma, he found that he had already fallen back on the bed in Wu Yingxiong's study. The red peony with red eyes was applying the white medicine brought by his father Wu Sangui from Yunnan to his wounds, and the old family servant Wu Fu was half lying on the bed crying to the sky and the ground, while the three brothers Wu Lu, Wu Shou and Wu Shou, who had blue noses and swollen faces, knelt on Wu Fu in a proper manner, looking extremely depressed.

"Shizi, you finally woke up, how do you feel? The old slaves are dying, if you have any three longs and two shorts, how can the old slave explain to the prince? Seeing Wu Yuanming open his eyes, Wu Fu was first overjoyed, and then grinned and cried and blamed himself, "Shizi, it's all because the old slave family is incompetent, they failed to protect you and made you suffer." Shizi, does your wound still hurt? You bear with me first, I have already asked someone to invite Zhou Langzhong, and he will come soon. ”

"I'm fine." Wu Yuanming gritted his teeth and agreed. Although Wu Yuanming felt like a fire all over his body at the moment, Wu Yuanming was young and strong after all, and he only suffered skin injuries. After a little breath, Wu Yuanming struggled to sit up, but Wu Fu hurriedly stopped: "Shizi, don't move, you have to rest for two days." ”

"It's okay, help me sit up." Wu Yuanming insisted on getting up, but Wu Fu and Hong Shao had no choice but to sit down together. Wu Yuanming endured the severe pain all over his body, gasped and asked, "Wu Fu, how long have I been in a coma?" ”

"Hui Shizi, you have been in a coma for about two pillars of incense." Wu Fu choked up and replied. Wu Yuanming breathed a sigh of relief, and said in his heart that there was still time. At this time, the three brothers Wu Lu, Wu Shou and Wu Xi approached Wu Yuanming on their knees, kowtowed and cried together: "Shizi, it's useless to blame the little one, I failed to protect you, and let the thieves hurt you in our house." Son, punish us, we are willing to accept any punishment. ”

"How can this son blame you?" Wu Yuanming endured the pain, a smile barely appeared on his face, and said softly: "Those guards are the proud disciples of the famous Iron Arhat Shi Longbiao on the rivers and lakes, and Hu Gongshan, the number one master of the palace, personally taught martial arts, how good is the kung fu?" The donkey who smoked the son of this world is a character who once served as a horse thief in Kanto, and he is the most ruthless. ”

"Iron Arhat Shi Longbiao and Hu Gongshan's disciples! No wonder it's so powerful! Wu Xi, one of the three brothers of the Wu family, exclaimed, he usually admires the martial arts masters on the rivers and lakes the most, so he also knows the power of these two people, and he also said with admiration: "I heard that Hu Gongshan can split a whole six green bricks with a casual palm, how much strength should it be?" I heard that he will also end Nanshan's qigong, which is indescribably powerful. ”

Wu Yuanming said: "Yes, that Shi Longbiao is also very powerful, he was once sent to the capital by Emperor Yongli of the former Ming Dynasty, and later took refuge in the imperial court because he was greedy for glory and wealth." Speaking of this, Wu Yuanming smiled with difficulty and said: "The opponent is so powerful, but when the three of you stayed in Beijing with this son, Wu Lu was only eleven years old, Wu Shou and Wu Xi were not even ten years old, and they had never experienced under their father. How can I blame you for protecting me in front of them? ”

"The prince ......." Wu Yuanming was so reasonable for the sake of the three brothers of the Wu family that he was so moved that the three brothers Wu Fu and Wu Lu burst into tears, so excited that they couldn't even speak, and their loyalty to Wu Yuanming was undoubtedly to the point of death. Wu Xi, who was less than eighteen years old, secretly made up his mind that he must find a master to learn from him afterwards, so as to better protect Wu Yuanming in the future.

"Shizi, since those guards are so powerful, let's forget about today's affairs." Wu Fu said with tears in his eyes: "We are in the light, they are in the dark, they are outnumbered, and we are isolated in Beijing." Shizi, bear your breath first, and when the prince's people come to Beijing to ask for money, we will let them help you get justice. Wu Fu thought about it and added, "In my opinion, even if it is to seek justice, forget it, after all, the prince's people can only protect the prince for ten days and half a month, and they still have to leave Beijing City." ”

"Forget it?" Wu Yuanming is not as timid and afraid as Wu Fu, Wu Yuanming smiled cruelly: "I, Wu...... Wu Yingxiong has grown so big, it is the first time he has been beaten so badly, this revenge will not be avenged, I swear not to be a man! ”

"Shizi, I'll go and slaughter them and give you a breath." The impulsive Wu Xi jumped up and shouted: "Although my martial arts are not as good as theirs, I can wait for them to start when they are alone at night, scattering lime, beating stuffy sticks, and pulling braids." Scratch the testicles, I've heard people on the rivers and lakes say how to do it! ”

"Despicable, as virtuous as I was yesterday?" Wu Yuanming first glanced at Wu Xi with great disdain, and then sneered: "No, low-quality people like to fight and kill, and solve problems with violence." Such a high-quality talent in this world is to solve problems with his mind. Let's fight our wit! No fighting! Speaking of this, Wu Yuanming struggled to stand up and ordered: "Wu Lu, Wu Xi, the two of you immediately prepare a carriage for this prince, let's go out." ”

"Shizi, where do you want to go if you have an injury? Beware of wound deterioration. Wu Fu hurriedly asked. Wu Yuanming laughed cruelly and replied: "It's okay, this son can still hold on, hurry up and prepare the car, otherwise it will be late, and this son will go to visit Ao Bai Shaobao's house." ”

"What are you going to do at Ao Shaobao's house? Shizi, you have nothing to do with him, huh? Wu Fu and Wu Lu, the three brothers, asked in unison in surprise. But Wu Yuanming just smiled and refused to answer, and kept urging to hurry up and prepare the carriage, Wu Fu couldn't twist him, so he had to let his son prepare the car for Wu Yuanming, and finally Wu Fu asked again: "Shizi, what gift are you going to bring to Ao Shaobao?" With Ao Shaobao's temper, it's not easy to talk if you don't have a gift that you can get. ”

"Don't worry, I have prepared a generous gift for Ao Shaobao, and that generous gift is in Ao Shaobao's house." The cruel smile on Wu Yuanming's face looked extremely mysterious, and Wu Yuanming instructed Hong Shao again: "Red Shao, you and this son go to Ao Shaobao's house together, otherwise if that evil woman comes back before me, you will be in danger." Hong Shao tearfully agreed, hurriedly wrapped Wu Yuanming's bleeding wound, and dressed Wu Yuanming in the official uniform for going out.

In a short time, the two brothers Wu Lu and Wu Xi prepared the carriage, during which Wu Yuanming arranged for Wu Fu and Wu Shou to look after the house, instructed them on all matters, and personally promoted the two sons of the old beggar who killed the donkey to the deputy of the housekeeper Wu Fu, and rewarded them with twenty taels of silver to bury their father. Only then was the Red Peony and the Wu family helped them get into the carriage and rushed to the Aobai Mansion located outside the Xizhi Gate.

The road traffic conditions in those years were naturally not as good as now, even the streets of Beijing were full of potholes, and it was difficult to have a flat place, and the bumps in the carriage were far better than the car, and Wu Yuanming, who still had whiplashes on his body, could imagine how painful the crime suffered in such a carriage can be imagined. It just so happened that Beijing City is a prosperous place, and both sides of the road are full of market vendors who set up stalls, and there are peddlers and pawns who lead cars and sell pulp and displaced people called Huazi, which squeezed the ancient road that was not spacious even more narrow, and the speed of Wu Yuanming's carriage was of course not fast, so angry that Wu Yuanming forgot about time and space and scolded, "These damn chengguans, why don't they take the streets?" ”

After grinding the turtle in the narrow street for nearly an hour, Wu Yuanming and his entourage finally arrived at the gate of Deaobai's house, Wu Yuanming dragged his injured body out of the car, and personally put his famous thorn (Note 1) and thirty taels of silver into the hands of Goshha (Note 2), the gatekeeper of Aofu, and said with his fists: "I am tired of reporting, the prince of Pingxi, Heshuo Efu, and the young guard and prince Taibao Wu Yingxiong, ask to see Ao Xiangye." ”

"The prince of Pingxi?" Goshha of Ao Mansion glanced at Wu Yuanming contemptuously, Wu Yingxiong has not even been able to touch his wife's hand for fifteen years of marriage, and the name of the best nest has spread all over Beijing, so even Goshha of Ao Mansion looks down on Wu Yingxiong. However, for the sake of the heavy ingots of silver, Nagoshha still snorted: "Wait, I'll go and report to you." ”

After two more tea times, Na Goshha came out of the mansion, waved his hand and said, "Let's go in, Xiangye will meet you in the warm pavilion of the water pavilion in the East Flower Hall." Hearing that Ao Bai was willing to meet, Wu Yuanming first breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart was full of great things. Only then was carried into the Aobai Houfu by the subordinates of the Ao Mansion, and Wu Lu, Wu Xi and Hong Shao and others had a low status and could only stay outside the mansion and wait.

Through countless corridors and overlapping exquisite houses, Wu Yuanming was carried into the room where Ao Bai was located, the spacious and bright room was born with a dragon, the warm and cold wind outside the room was a world of difference, when Wu Yuanming entered the room, there were already seven or eight Manchu officials wearing official uniforms at all levels in the room, including Aobai's younger brother Mulima, Aobai's chief thinker and pubic hair family Ban Bushan, as well as Sebende, Tai Bitu, Asiha, Ge Yanha, Namo and Jishi and other court officials, all Manchurian, are also all Aobai's henchmen and cronies. And Ao Shaobao, who was killed countless times by Kangxi and Lord Wei on TV, and then Ao Taishi, Ao Bai, sat high in the middle of the main seat, looking at Wu Yuanming with strange eyes, probably wondering why Wu Yuanming was so seriously injured.

"Xiangye Ao, please save the villain's life." Without waiting for Ao Bai to ask, Wu Yuanming cried wolf and threw himself down on his knees in front of Ao Bai, crying and shouting: "Ao Xiangye, please save the villain's life for the sake of your friendship with my father, the villain is willing to make you a cow and a horse to repay your great kindness." ”

"Wu Shizi, please get up, how dare the old man be such a big gift to you? What do you have to save the old man? "Don't look at Ao Bai's height of at least one meter nine and his physique is like a big bear, and it is not a thought to let him touch his mind at this moment. Ao Bai waved his palms like bear paws and ordered: "Come on, quickly help the prince of Pingxi up." ”

"Xiangye Ao, if you don't agree to save me." Wu Yuanming cried like a woman and said: "I just knelt down in front of Ao Xiangye and didn't get up, I didn't get up." Having said that, almost all the people in the room guessed Wu Yuanming's intention - it must have been Wu Yingxiong who had caused some monstrous disaster and came here to ask for help.

"Shizi, you are very embarrassed by the old man, and you don't say why you ask the old man for help? How can I save you by calling the old man? "Ao Bai is secretly happy in his heart, he has been plotting to move to the throne for a day or two, but there are not a few ministers in the court who are loyal to Aixinjue Luo and the Manchu and Han Dynasties, and Ao Bai is not sure of victory, if he can sell a favor to Wu Sangui's eldest son, it is possible to pull Wu Sangui to help, and it will be of great help to him in seeking the dynasty and usurping the throne.

"Xiangye Ao, here's the thing, this morning, the villain ...... one of the princess's maids because of his love." Wu Yuanming cried and cried and told what happened, but Wu Yuanming still wouldn't say anything like coercing Red Peony to go to bed and beating Princess Jianning because he was dissatisfied with the Manchu Dynasty, only saying that he couldn't help but commit adultery with Red Peony because he hadn't been close to a woman for fifteen years. Lightly beat Princess Jianning a few times, and was later beaten by Wei Dongting and Donkey and others, Wu Yuanming naturally had to add fuel and vinegar to say that several of Kangxi's young guards were obscene and vicious.

"Ao Xiangye, you have also heard that I have never had sex with the princess once in the fifteen years of marriage, and I have to kneel and bow six times to the princess three times every morning, noon and evening, is this a normal husband and wife?" Wu Yuanming complained. Wu Yuanming said from the bottom of his heart, and Ao Bai nodded secretly - because Ao Bai is also a master who is afraid of the inside, because he is afraid of his wife, he doesn't even dare to touch an unusually beautiful maid in the family. At the end, Wu Yuanming cried and shouted: "Xiangye Ao, I know that beating the princess is a capital crime of disrespect, but the ants are still stealing life, so the villain doesn't want to die, and only asks Xiangye Ao to dredge up the villain in front of the Empress Dowager and the emperor." The villain is willing to repay the grass ranks. ”

"Useless things, such things still come to me? Kang Xiaosan (Note 3): Is it strange that the little ghost dares to kill you? Ao Bai secretly laughed at Wu Yuanming's incompetence in his heart, Ao Bai said that although the crime of beating the princess was big, Wu Sangui held tens of thousands of male soldiers in the southwest, looking at the Central Plains, and now Kang Xiaosan and his own sword soldiers are imminent, Kang Xiaosan's little ghost is too late to please Wu Sangui, so dare to kill you, Wu Sangui's eldest son? At most, it is to issue an order to reprimand you and Wu Sangui for a few words, punish you for a few years, and turn big things into small things, and small things into small things.

"Ahem." Ao Bai was about to open his mouth to sell a short favor, but found that his chief think-tank Ban Bushan suddenly coughed, and winked at himself to kill the chicken and wipe his neck, so Ao Bai changed his words and said: "Wu Shizi will do it for a while, and I will talk about it when the old man comes back." Come on, take Wu Shizi and sit down. With that, Ao Bai got up and walked to the back hall.

Not long after Ao Bai escaped into the back room, Bambulshan really followed, and Bambulshan, who had a pair of triangular eyes, asked straight to the point: "Ao Xiangye, are you going to agree to Wu Yingxiong's request for help?" ”

Ao Bai nodded and replied: "Of course, Kang Xiaosan will definitely not dare to kill this nest of waste, I will go to the court to defend this nest of waste, not only let Kang Xiaosan have a step down, but also do a favor, and deal with Wu Sangui in the future." How? Do you think it's inappropriate? ”

"Master Ao, the villain does have objections." Bamburshan blinked his triangular eyes and said, "The villain thinks that it will be more beneficial for us to let Kang Xiaosan cure this felony of the wreck. ”

"Are you saying that if Kang Xiaosan cures this felony of waste, Wu Sangui will take the initiative to lean towards us if he holds a grudge?" Don't look at Aobai's physique, but his mind is also extremely clear, and he immediately guessed Bambur's intentions. Bamburshan nodded and said in a low voice: "In addition, there is a more important reason, that is, the issue of Wu Fan's military salary. ”

"In the twelfth year of Shunzhi, my Qing Dynasty's tax revenue was only more than 7 million taels of silver, but the three feudal clans actually had to pay more than 9 million taels of military salaries, if it weren't for the gold and silver left by Zhu Ming and Li Zicheng and the money looted by the Eight Banners army, the imperial court would have no money to support." Bamburshan said slowly: "In the sixth year of Kangxi, Wang Xu, the servant of the household department, wrote to the imperial court, thinking that the military salaries of the three feudatories were too heavy on the imperial court, and asked the imperial court to reduce the military salaries of the three feudatories. Although Wu Fan was reluctant to accept it, because both Geng Fan and Shang Fan agreed to reduce military salaries, Wu Fan had to agree to reduce his military salary from three million to two million. ”

"You mean, taking advantage of this scumbag to beat the princess and make a fuss about Wu Fan's military salary? So how should this picture be done? Ao Bai asked in a deep voice.

Bamburshan sneered: "Xiangye, you can use the excuse that the matter of beating the princess is a family matter, and it is inconvenient for you to interfere, so you only promise to help him deal with it but not guarantee the ticket." Then let the imperial historian who is inclined to Xiangye impeach Wu Yingxiong for beating the princess, and make the matter as big as possible, and when the matter is inextricable, Xiangye, you will save the nest again, which can make Wu Fan lead Xiangye's favor greater, and deepen the estrangement with Kang Xiaosan. Second, you can force Wu Fan to accept the existing military salary, so that it will be convenient for you to act after you ascend to the Ninth Five-Year Plan. When the time comes, Xiangye, you are willing to increase the military salary to Wu Fan, then Wu Fan will definitely thank and support Xiangye to sit firmly in the Dragon Court; If you don't want to add it to Wu Fan, it's better to hold the silver in your own hands than to give it to others. ”

"Brilliant plan." Ao Bai was overjoyed, and said repeatedly: "Okay, let's do it, let's go out and play that nest." ”

When Ao Bai returned to the original room, Wu Yuanming was lying on the table humming and crying out in pain, while Mulima, Sebende, Taibitu and Asha and others were talking to themselves on the side to relieve their boredom, obviously no one was willing to deal with Wu Yuanming, a well-known wreck in the capital - not to mention that this wreck still came empty-handed to beg for help, which must be even more despised.

Ao Bai sat back on the main seat, coughed and the conversation in the room stopped immediately, and Ao Bai said to Wu Yuanming: "Wu Shizi, Benxiang has thought about it, it's not that Benxiang doesn't want to help you get through this difficulty, but that the matter between you and the princess is a family matter, and Benxiang is an outsider, and he really doesn't want to interfere." In this way, when the prime minister enters the palace, he will privately persuade the Empress Dowager to speak a few words for the prince, and ask her old man to come forward to resolve family grievances, and with her old man's kindness, I think it will definitely make your husband and wife reconcile as before. Shizi, what do you think? ”

"Thank you, the villain is grateful." Wu Yuanming snorted and chirped in gratitude, and said: "Xiangye Ao, the villain still has a little bit to ask for, if those imperial historians in the court impeach Wu Yingxiong, please also ask Xiangye Ao and all the adults to exonerate Wu Yingxiong, don't let those imperial historians take advantage of this matter to make a big fuss." ”

"Good boy!" Ao Bai and Bamburshan exclaimed in their hearts at the same time, and said in their hearts, is this guy really a wreck? At this time, Wu Yuanming suddenly snorted and chirped again: "Xiangye Ao, Wu Yingxiong is injured and thirsty, so I ask Xiangye to give him a cup of tea to quench his thirst." ”

"It's no wonder that the son of the world is careless and forgets hospitality." Ao Baihu agreed suspiciously, feeling that this wretch was not incompetent as the legend suggests. Ao Bai instructed again: "Su Qiu, serve tea to Wu Shizi." ”

"Yes." With a crisp and pleasant promise, everyone, including Ao Bai, only felt that their eyes lit up, and a tall and healthy maid came in with a tea tray, this maid named Su Qiu was very beautiful, not only her appearance was not at all under the pretty maid red peony in Wu Yuanming's house, but also a lot more and lively, and her whole body exuded a heart-warming youthful atmosphere. Seeing this beautiful maid, not to mention other people, even Ao Bai couldn't help but secretly swallow a few mouthfuls of saliva - because the beautiful maid who made Ao Bai covet but didn't succeed at the beginning was this Su Qiu.

"Shizi, please use tea." Na Su Qiu put the teacup on the table next to Wu Yuanming, and was about to turn around and leave, but Wu Yuanming suddenly exclaimed, "You are Su Qiu?" ”

"Shizi, the little girl is Su Qiu, do you have any questions?" The beautiful girl blinked her big bright and clear eyes and replied in a voice as crisp as a silver bell. But Wu Yuanming's next question made her face change color, and she almost fainted in fright......

"Aren't you Shi Jianmei? Why did you change your name to Su Qiu? Why did you come to Ao Xiangye to be a maid? Wu Yuanming's face was full of surprise, and he asked loudly in surprise: "How is your fiancé Wei Dongting Wei?" As a third-class guard in front of the emperor, he is a big celebrity in front of Banzai today, how can he let your wife, who has not passed through the door, come here to be a subordinate? And what about your stepfather, Shi Longbiao? It's the Iron Arhat Shi Longbiao who specializes in teaching martial arts to the young Buku, why doesn't he care about you? Your junior brothers, Mu Zixu, Qiang Donkey, and Hao Laosi, why don't they take care of your senior sister? ”

For more information about what happened next, see the next chapter, "Embarrassed and Adulterous".

Note 1: Famous thorns, business cards used by the ancients, are mostly made of bamboo.

Note 2: Goshha, a Manchu word, retinue, meaning guard.