Chapter Fifty-Eight: The First Snow

Yanjing in December was already bitterly cold, and it was even colder in the imperial study at this moment because there was no fire. Guangxu, who was reading the folds, also put his hand to his mouth from time to time and sighed.

"Your Majesty, it's cold, why don't you light some braziers." Kou Liancai, who was standing on the side, reminded.

"Why are you too cold?" Guangxu still looked at the fold in his hand, and said jokingly: "I am poor and have no money." The Queen Mother is warm, so you can go if you want, and I didn't stop me anyway. ”

Kou Liancai didn't know how to reply for a while. It was Liu Mei, who was sorting out the folds, to speak. "Father-in-law Kou has good intentions, but I am afraid that the emperor will be cold. The emperor made fun of the slaves and maids. If you just want to be comfortable, I'm afraid that there will be no one around the emperor for a long time. Your Majesty, tell me that in the past year, the emperor has never let the slaves and maids rest. ”

"Didn't you give you a day off? How does it sound like I'm a tyrant? Guangxu put down the fold in his hand, raised his head and smiled in amazement: "But I'm curious, I'm so bitter and tired here, why do you still follow me?" ”

Guangxu's question turned out to be cold for a while. Kou Liancai, who is often in the deep palace, knows that this kind of talk is not easy to reply. The eunuchs who eat with their mouths know that there are too many consequences of replying to the wrong words.

And Liu Mei on the side thought for a while and said: "Follow the emperor for nothing else, just for the future when the emperor is famous, the slave and maid can be like Mu Guiying and Liang Hongyu to leave a name in history, and the slave and maid will be satisfied." ”

"Haha, if you want to be a military general, you have to go to the barracks."

"Crackling" seems to be like the sound of many pebbles hitting the roof of the palace.

"Back to the emperor, it's snowing." Kou Liancai, who went out to check, came back to report.

Guangxu got up and walked under the eaves of the porch. Watching the snow seeds falling from the sky slowly turn into a puddle of clear water in the palm of your hand.

"Crackling, crackling." The snow seeds fell louder and louder, and the sound became one and spread all over the palace.

This year's winter seems to have come very late, and it wasn't until mid-December that the first snow seeds of the winter fell. Guangxu waved away the people around him, walked into the snow alone, stretched out his hands, closed his eyes tightly and raised his head. Just let the snow seeds fall on your face like this. The snow seeds that fell from the sky slowly melted on Guangxu's face, and the little chill brought by the melted water made the tired Guangxu Lingtai clear. The snow seeds are still falling, and the cold wind is still blowing. Guangxu was immersed in his own world in this way.

"Alright, I've decided." Guangxu, who had a feeling, turned around and said happily: "Tomorrow is a day off, I invite you to eat hot pot outside." ”

The first snow of the winter was so heavy that it seemed to be the end of the snow that had not fallen before. The heavy snow had been falling all night, and when the next day Guangxu got up, the snow was still not stopping, and the palace in the heavy snow was extremely quiet. On the roof, on the palace walls, and even on the trees, there was a layer of white snowflakes. Outside the imperial study, because Guangxu specially told not to clean, the snow white all over the ground is so pure, pure that people can't bear to destroy. Guangxu, who was running in the palace in the morning, did not stop for a day when it was snowing heavily, and Kou Liancai, Liu Mei, Qi Yide and other guards also followed every day, and they did not pull it down today. Not to mention snow, even if it rains, people have to go for a morning run with an umbrella. Before dawn in the palace, the palace maids and eunuchs began to clear the snow, but the snow never stopped. Guangxu and the others walked neatly, stepping on the thick snow, and the "creaking" sound reverberated in the palace wall.

The life of the palace is no more than that of the commoners outside, who have to run for every livelihood, the palace is magnificent, the palace is luxurious. For an ordinary young engineer who was still running for a house in his previous life, if your will is not strong enough, it is easy to be changed by this environment, and once luxury turns into luxury, the future of the country can be predicted. How many times Guangxu has been lying in bed and saying to himself: Every time you are tired, you should forget it today. Fortunately, there is still the sound of the Yellow Sea cannon, and the Yangtze River, which is dyed red with the blood of 300,000 Nanjing people, is roaring. Otherwise, Guangxu can't guarantee whether he can still stick to his dreams. So Guangxu is insisting, regardless of wind or rain Guangxu who insists on exercising is still running in the palace today, in fact, in addition to strengthening the individual's physique, the most important thing is to strengthen the personal will. Because Guangxu is afraid, afraid that once he is corrupted by this kind of life, the future of any country and any nation will become a bubble and disappear.

After returning to the imperial study, Guangxu gently picked up a pile of snow with his hand, and suddenly played: "I want to build a snowman, and you are not allowed to help." Kou Liancai, you go and talk to the military aircraft department, and today is called a day off. ”

After finishing breakfast, Guangxu took three or five guards including Kou Liancai, Liu Mei, and Qi Yide out of the palace. Then wander around without a purpose, what about lunch? Walk around first, and eat wherever you go when you're hungry.

The heavy snow did not stop the girls from going out to play. Anqian, a native of Guangzhou, always wants to see the snow in her country. The day before yesterday, I also read that the weather in the capital was too cold, and it snowed heavily yesterday, and Anqian, who saw the snow for the first time, immediately stopped feeling cold. Today is Sunday, the school is not in school, and early in the morning, Ann Qian encouraged her sisters in the dormitory to go out to see the snow.

But none of the four of them are from the capital, and now they are wandering around, but they don't know where to go, and they feel a little lost. Li Jurong has been with her father a few times, but every time she is decent. She knew a little about the road, but she didn't know the way back in the snow. Just as they were looking for their way, Anqian had sharp eyes and saw Li Ming walking in front from a distance. Anqian shouted a few words loudly, maybe Li Ming didn't hear it. He still walked forward.

As an Anqian living in Guangzhou, she is used to seeing the commercial and commercial city of Guangzhou. I have long heard that there is a different kind of prosperity in the capital, and I have always wanted to come and see it, but my father is not allowed. Now the emperor has decreed to recruit girls, as students who have returned from the United States, in order to be able to come to the capital to study, my father has made a lot of efforts. Now I can finally come to the capital as I wished, but I haven't been to visit once. finally tricked a fairly honest young master in the capital into agreeing to take them shopping, but he hasn't appeared in the past two months since he agreed. It's hard to catch it, and it can make him run easily.

"Go back from the way we came, and we'll go ahead to block him." Ancy was angry.

Life doesn't stop because of heavy snowfall. On the street, everyone was in a hurry, and a long-lost heavy snow made people in the cold wind seem to ignite another kind of enthusiasm, weighing oil paper umbrellas, walking in pairs and threes. The vendors also put up their cloaks. On the side of the road, steaming steamed buns are steaming white, exuding an enticing aroma. The green greens are particularly green against the snow. Selling trinkets, selling rouge gouache...... The sound of roadside stalls and shops along the street constitutes a different kind of prosperity.

Although the heavy snow has weakened a lot, there is still no sign of stopping by noon. Guangxu was discussing with his attendants where to eat, when a discordant voice came from a distance in front of him.

"Ascend to the disciples."

You don't have to look to know that it must be Annsie calling. Guangxu's face darkened, thinking that he would teach her a good lesson when Anqian ran closer. didn't want to wait for Ann Qian and the four of them to step forward, and before Guangxu could speak, Ann Qian spoke.

"I call you so many voices, you can't hear them. If we hadn't known that there was a shortcut in front of you, you'd never have heard it. I thought you were an honest man, but I didn't expect ...... Hum. ”

"I'm an honest person, okay." I didn't teach others, but I was taught by others. Guangxu couldn't help but freeze for a while: "Besides, I really didn't hear it." ”

"You didn't hear it, and your people didn't hear it."

"Probably not, you'll tell me if you hear it." After Guangxu finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his face: "On the street, don't shout no, this makes people spread the word about how I am a person." ”

Anqian looked at Guangxu's face, faintly revealing majesty. I was a little scared in my heart: "Okay." I'm not going to shout anymore. Then what you promised doesn't count. ”

"Of course it counts." However, Guangxu asked rhetorically: "However, what did I promise you?" ”

"Hmph. I knew it. You're not just a disciple, you're a villain who breaks his word. Forget it, there's no hope of letting you invite you to dinner. ”

Dine? At this point, Guangxu remembered that it wasn't the last time he helped others in the university hall and promised to invite others to dinner. What's going on? "I've always been talking, so you wait."

Guangxu turned around and asked, "Did you bring any money?" Bring them all. ”

I don't know if I don't ask, and I'm shocked when I ask. Even the guards he brought with him were taken for less than five taels of silver. Guangxu is very depressed, why don't you bring much silver when you go out? You can't lose face by inviting girls to dinner. When Guangxu was entangled, he saw two people from a distance.

"Lord Lin, is this roast duck of Quanjude really delicious?"

"Don't worry, Lin Da shopkeeper. Quanjude roast duck can be described as a must in Beijing. It's just that the emperor gave too little money, and I didn't dare to come to eat. It's hard to let your Lin Da shopkeeper have a treat, of course, you have to come to eat the most expensive and the best. Lin Qizhao's voice had just fallen, and he heard someone calling "Lord Lin" in the distance.

"I've seen the young master." Lin Qizhao and Lin Yongxiang both saluted.

"Don't bother, I didn't bring any money. Borrow a little first. Guangxu didn't have to say anything, and stretched out his hand.

After the two of them emptied all the money on their bodies, they took out ten taels of silver, and Guangxu was still not satisfied. A president of the Daqing Bank, a big shopkeeper who owns half of the Daqing business, went out to bring such a little silver. The emperor is the emperor, I don't know the weight of the money, these nine taels of silver are the use of the commoner's house for half a year.

"Ahem, forget it. It should be enough. Guangxu could only take out his money bag and put the silver in it.

"Young Master, slow down." Lin Qizhao pointed to Guangxu's money bag: "Although Xia Guan doesn't know what the young master means, I'm afraid this color is not suitable outside." ”

Only then did Guangxu notice that he was holding a bright yellow money bag. In today's society, bright yellow can only be reserved for royalty. Looking at the earth-gray money bag in Lin Qizhao's hand, Guangxu took it and put all the money in it. glanced at Lin Qizhao's overwhelmed expression, and put his money bag in Lin Qizhao's hand: "This is for you, remember to pay back the money to others." ”

Before Guangxu went far, Lin Yongxiang reached out to take it. Lin Qizhao hurriedly withdrew his hand: "This is given to me by the young master, do you want to do it?" ”

"Lord Lin, this is yours, isn't it." Lin Yongxiang still stretched out his hand to take it: "Eight taels of these ten taels of silver are from me, and of course this young master's reward should belong to me." ”

"The young master is for the official, and the people dare to rob the official's things." Lin Qizhao looked "angry": "Your eight taels of silver will be returned to you in a while, it's a big deal that I will invite you to dinner today." After speaking, he hurriedly asked his subordinates to go home and get the money.

Many years later, when Lin Qizhao retired from the position of Minister of Finance, he took out this money bag and said to his successor: The emperor gave me his money bag back then, and let me take charge of the country's money bag. Now I hand it over to you, and I hope you will continue to be in charge of the country's purse. Since then, this bright yellow money bag embroidered with only the word "Zaiyan" has become a token of future finance ministers. And its true origin has since been lost to history.

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