After Qi Tai left the government office today, he didn't have to go to the yamen of the military department for the time being. With {Dream} Little ◢.1a he received the holy decree to supervise the transportation of food and wages in all provinces, and he was scheduled to leave Beijing in three days.

The decree was placed on a table in the bedroom. The old slave entered, served Qi Tai and took off his official uniform, and brought a silk robe.

Everything is cumbersome, and Qi Tai has a lot of things to worry about, and he always feels very impetuous. He is very clear about the Shengshang's northern expedition to Mongolia this year, and the Mongolian tribes should not be the most important goal, and the gradual reduction of the feudal domain is the intention of the Shengshang!

Perhaps the cutting of the feudal domain during the Jianwen period, which caused several years of war and major defeats, made Qi Tai have a shadow in his heart. Recently, he has been relieved, always worried that something will happen.

"If I don't wear this, I remember a brown cotton straight-leg robe." Qi Tai suddenly spoke.

The slave hurriedly said, "The old slave will go and find it for you." ”

After a while, Qi Tai changed his clothes, wearing a square scarf on his head and a cotton robe on his body. He went to the study and got a copy of "The Mean", and went out in a carriage.

The inner city of Jingshi was very lively, and after the new emperor ascended the throne for a while, everything gradually returned to normal.

Qi Tai took the car from north to south, crossed the Dazhong Bridge on the Jinshui River, and the Gongyuan and Fuxue were not far away. The carriage did not go to those places, nor to the Qinhuai River in the south, but continued westward. After passing the Dagongfang, I walked a little towards Sanshan Street, and I saw a group of low and old dense houses.

Between the Qinhuai River and the Jinshui River, there are many wine shops and shops, which is a prosperous area. But in the vicinity there is a clutter of dilapidated streets and old houses. Because of this, the accommodation here is the cheapest; When Qi Tai entered Beijing to take the exam, he looked for half of the capital before he found this "good place".

Qi Tai pinched his fingers, more than 20 years have passed, but he didn't expect this place to be like this. Even the inn where he stayed was the same as before.

The shops, shops, peddlers and pawns on both sides of the streets and alleys have been busy for more than 20 years. Qi Tai felt that if there were no major events to persecute the people, it seemed that people would never change.

The room where I used to live is now occupied. Qi Tai gave three times the price of the room and asked the guest officer to change the room.

The house has a broken wooden window facing the street, and it is very noisy during the day. Qi Tai sat in front of the bed for a long time, a little admired himself back then, in such a noisy place, he could still concentrate on studying, and he was a high school student in that year!

Qi Tai reminisced about his original state of mind, when he was young and energetic, and his ordinary life was a little embarrassing, and he had to be careful about everything; But my heart is full of pride, and there is always a kind of pride that takes the world as my own responsibility.

He thought for a while, and then took out "The Mean" from his arms.

Qi Tai cleared out distracting thoughts by the window, and in the midst of all kinds of noise, he read aloud without distraction: "The destiny of heaven is sex, the nature is the Tao, and the cultivation is the teaching." Those who are also in the Tao must not be separated from it; can be separated, not the way. Therefore a gentleman is cautious of what he does not see, and fearful of what he does not hear......"

I don't know how long later, Qi Tai suddenly heard a burst of singing, and the singing voice was completely different from the one he read. As soon as he listened attentively, he heard a woman's voice singing: "The pretty family is pulling the slave outside the window, biting the slave's pink cheeks, and untying the fragrant belt with both hands." Wait, brother, I'm afraid that someone will come, and there will be no one for a while, and the trouser belt will be untied with you......"

There was a commotion outside the door, and many people were still shouting "yes".

Qi Tai was stunned, he immediately stopped reading, opened the door and walked out. After a while, he followed the singing and came to the lobby on the dilapidated wooden building.

I saw an old man sitting by the wall, skillfully playing the shamisen; In front of her stood a young lady in a floral dress, singing a little song with a red face. There are several square wooden tables and many stools in the lobby, and the guests who drink tea and eat are all looking at Xiao Niang with great interest and listening to her sing.

Another man shouted: "Today, this little lady is young and handsome, we want to untie your trouser belt, how much money do you want?" ”

Everyone was in the mood, but the little lady stopped. Because Qi Tai didn't know when he had already walked in front of her, Qi Tai's eyes were staring at Xiao Niang, and his expression was a little trance; Even the vulgar laughter around them became hazy, and all kinds of sounds seemed to come from the depths of distant time.

"Like ......," Qi Tai said a little reluctantly.

The little lady curtsied and said, "Did the slave family disturb Mr. Study?" ”

Qi Tai shook his head.

At this time, someone shouted: "I'm afraid it's this old man who unties his trousers." Behold the garment, the man who is alive at hand. ”

Qi Tai reached out and touched his face, and suddenly said, "Am I old?" ”

The little lady blushed and said shyly: "Mr. is in the prime of life, not old." ”

Qi Tai finally came to his senses, glanced at the old man sitting in the corner of the wall silently, he looked back to the left and right, and found that there was a table where several people were not coaxing, and the temperament was different from that of the other guests.

"Holy great kindness, how can the minister repay it?" Qi Tai immediately moved.

The noisy guests quieted down a little, and many people looked at Qi Tai with strange eyes, and someone whispered: "This is an official?" ”

"What do you mean, sir?" Xiao Niang was puzzled.

Qi Tai glanced left and right, and said to the little lady: "You follow me into the house and say." ”

The little lady obediently followed Qi Tai away. People looked at the two of them, but no one was heckling anymore.

Back in the guest room, Xiao Niang glanced at the book on the stool and said softly, "Are you really a reader?" ”

"Who are you? Who called you here? Qi Tai asked rhetorically.

Xiao Niang said: "The slave family is from Yangzhou Mansion, surnamed Yang." Not long ago, a matchmaker came to the house and met the slave family. When the matchmaker came back for the second time, he took a lot of property and deeds to his father and mother, saying that the big family surnamed Qi in Beijing wanted to take the slave family as a concubine. also said that although the owner's family is middle-aged, he is a well-read scholar.

When the slave family arrived in Beijing, someone taught the slave family to sing that shameful song and brought it here to sing. Said that the host would come and meet ......"

"Is there a third-ranked person in your family who was brought to Beijing by his fellow villagers more than 20 years ago and has never returned to his hometown since?" Zitai asked.

Xiao Niang nodded and said, "That's the third aunt of the slave family." ”

Qi Tai suddenly said: "No wonder they look quite similar." ”

Xiaoniang asked curiously, "Does the master know the third aunt of the slave family?" ”

"Acquaintance, it's a long story." Qi Tai nodded. So he sat down on a wooden stool, pondered, and said no more.

After a long time, the little lady asked timidly: "Those dowry gifts were really given to the slave family's father...... Does the gentleman still want a slave? ”

"Yes, of course!" Qi Tai raised his head and said without hesitation, "The person who the Holy Lord has rewarded me with so much effort, do I dare not?" ”

"Holy?" The little lady looked dazed.

Zitai picked up his book and said, "Do you have a name?" Come back to the house with me first, and I have to go to the palace while it's still early today. ”

"Yun Niang, when my mother was born to a slave family, I ate rape at noon, so I took this girl's name." The little lady said, "The master Wang who plays the piano outside has taught the slave family to sing, don't you tell him to go with him?" ”

Qi Tai said: "Leave him alone, it should be someone from the Jiaofang Division, and he will return to the yamen himself." ”

Yun Niang followed Qi Tai to the door and asked, "Mr. is an official?" ”

Zitai nodded.

Yun Niang asked again: "How big is the official?" The lord said that if he can enter the palace, he should be bigger than the magistrate of our county? ”

Qi Tai said: "It should be bigger." ”

Qi Tai took Yun Niang and returned to the mansion in a carriage. Yun Niang saw the huge courtyard and pavilions, and her expression changed for a while, and she didn't dare to say a word. Qi Tai couldn't take care of her for the time being, and only asked the servants and maids in the house to settle her. He himself hurriedly changed into a red round-necked robe and rushed to the imperial city with his retinue.

Saint morning and afternoon in the Rouyi Temple.

Originally, when entering the palace on weekdays, the military generals went to the Xihua Gate, and the civil officials went to the Donghua Gate. But Qi Tai was taken into the palace by Xihua Gate, because it was very close to the Rouyi Palace.

Before Qi Tai and the others entered the palace, there were only two people inside, one was Emperor Zhu Gaoxu, and the other was Queen Chen, the king of Annam.

"Qi Butang is here." Zhu Gaoxu greeted first.

"Ministers knock to see the saint, long live the saint!" Qi Tai knelt down and bowed.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Excuse me." Come and sit at the table. ”

"Thank you, Holy Grace, to sit down." With that, Zitai got up, walked across from the large table, and took a seat on a round stool with a mahogany waist. He pondered how to speak, but he didn't speak for a while.

After a while, Zhu Gaoxu's voice said, "I don't have to use Zhang Xin. However, on that day, Chen Ge impeached Zhang Xin, and Qi Butang also heard what Qi Guogong said; Qi Guogong means that Zhang Xin's 'Jing is difficult' and has merit, and he must remember and merit.

Now that the heroes of the martyrdom are also my ministers, I can't help but ignore them completely. Besides, the slaves do those places, and the ordinary generals really don't want to go. Letting Zhang Xin go to Nu'er Gandu Division to be the commander of the capital can be regarded as a not light punishment. I thought I couldn't touch him for a while; What he will do in the future depends on his performance in slaves. ”

Qi Tai nodded and said, "The Holy Lord is thoughtful, how can the minister ignore the overall situation because of personal grudges?" Chen Ge impeached Zhang Xin, but the minister never participated, please see it! ”

"Qi Butang said no, then there must be none. I believe you, I don't need to look it up again. Zhu Gaoxu's voice said.

Qi Tai sighed and said, "The minister doesn't want to take revenge, it's just that he has been used to it for many years, and he occasionally misses the past." ”

"Is what Qi Butang said true?" Zhu Gaoxu asked with a smile and a pretended relaxed tone.

Qi Tai nodded: "The past is gone, and no matter how much time and people can be found, you can't get those time and people back." Useless things, why should ministers abolish the public for personal reasons? It's really sinful for the minister to distract the saint! ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "I hope that Qi Butang can untie the knot as soon as possible." I taught the queen a little song...... How about the queen sing a cappella song? ”

Chen saluted and said, "The concubine obeys the order." ”

She cleared her throat, said "ugly", and began to sing.

"I sat alone in the cabin at night. There is my Du Shi Niang in the cabin, waiting for my Lang. Suddenly, outside the window, someone called Du Shi Niang. Holding on to the window railing and looking around, why don't you see my ......?"

This little tune is strange, and Qi Tai doesn't know the name of the song, so he only listens to the lyrics. In this magnificent palace, a folk song was sung in Chen's beautiful voice, and Qi Tai and Zhu Gaoxu both turned around and admired it intently.

Although it is a little off the stage, Qi Tai remembers what Zhu Gaoxu said: The Ming Dynasty is not a barbarian state, we must not only have ambition and hegemony, but also cultural prosperity, so that the four seas admire and yearn for it.

Probably the saint thinks that vulgar music is also culture.

Qi Tai understood the lyrics, sighed secretly, and said in his heart: The Holy One is really well-intentioned and values me very much, how can I only care about myself?