"I don't know." Liu Xiu shrugged his shoulders and got up to leave. Bi Lan grabbed him, her eyes tightened: "Deran, I still know something about you opening this noodle restaurant." Your pen is not small, the noodle shop costs ten gold for rent alone, plus the decoration, it also costs ten gold, and the twenty Hu maids are worth fifty or sixty gold according to the market value, and you will invest seventy or eighty gold at once, if you have so much money on hand, you still need to do business and defile yourself? ”

Liu Xiu put away his smile, raised his eyebrows slightly, pondered for a moment, raised his eyelids, and looked at Bi Lan with some embarrassment: "My lord, do you want me to lie to you?" ”

Bi Lan was stunned for a moment, a little angry, but he had always been gloomy, but he didn't show it, his eyes rolled, and he smiled: "Since De Ran said so, I don't want to inquire more." ”

Liu Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and bowed his hand again and again: "My lord, forgive me, although we haven't been together for a long time, I really don't want to lie to you." Haha, if I could say it one day, I would be the first to tell you. ”

Hearing this, Bi Lan couldn't help but beat a little drum in his heart, Liu Xiu's tone, it seems that there are more important people here, could it be the Queen Mother or the people around the Queen Mother? Although he Bi Lan is a figure in the palace, he is still the biggest after all, and there are more powerful people than him, Liu Xiu has a very close relationship with Yongle Palace, and it is said that Huo Yu, who is the most difficult, also attaches great importance to the kid in front of him. Since Liu Guxiu didn't want to say it, he couldn't force him.

"Then you give me a trick." Bi Lan no longer mentioned the principal of the noodle restaurant, and changed the topic.

Liu Xiu didn't refuse, he blinked: "My lord, why don't you go and ask Jia Xu?" ”

"Him?" Bi Lan thought for a while before remembering who Jia Xu was. He was a little confused, could Jia Xu help him solve this problem? But since Liu Xiu said so, Jia Xu must be somewhat capable. He arched his hand: "Thank you, thank you." ”

"It should be, it should be." Liu Xiu said a few modest words, said goodbye to Bi Lan, walked along the palace wall, and came directly to Yongle Palace to ask for a meeting. On duty in front of the Yongle Palace happened to be the six tiger benlangs who had stood guard with him, and when they saw him, the six guys smiled awkwardly, and nodded their heads from afar. Some greeted each other respectfully, calling them adults, while others pretended to be affectionate, as if they had a very good relationship at the beginning.

Liu Xiu didn't care too much, snobbery is human nature, and he can't care about it. He politely said a few gossips to them, Huo Yu had already walked over, led him into the hall, and asked as he went, "Why did you have time to come to the palace today?" ”

Liu Xiu glanced at Huo Yu's side face: "Let's take a look at my sister." ”

"Is it so good to come and see me?" Huo Yu sneered and laughed, and stretched out his finger to poke Liu Xiu's forehead: "Flim tongue." ”

Liu Xiu smiled honestly: "Sister, my skin has been getting better these days, and it is getting more and more radiant." ”

"Really?" Huo Yu touched his face, blinked his eyes, and smiled a little embarrassedly. Last time she did Liu Xiu a favor, Liu Xiu, in order to thank her, told her a beauty prescription, saying that it was good for the skin. She tried it for half a month according to the law, and she felt that her skin was much more delicate, but she always felt uncertain when she looked at it, the men in the palace except for those eunuchs were Lang officials outside the palace gate, these people usually nodded when they saw her, even if it didn't work, they could still praise the sky, Huo Yu didn't believe them, Liu Xiu said this, although she was not convinced, but she couldn't help but feel a little good in her heart.

Liu Xiu followed Huo Yu to the door of the hall, and was about to enter, but he heard the voice of a strange woman inside, and he hesitated: "Sister, is someone there?" ”

"yes, there's one more you." Huo Yu said quietly, pulling him up the stairs to the hall, turning to the main entrance, Liu Xiu saw that a woman in Chinese clothes about twenty-five or sixteen years old was talking to the Queen Mother, Liu Bei and Mao Zong were sitting next to the Queen Mother, and Zhang Fei was sitting in front of her side and was painting, looking at the posture was probably a portrait of this woman.

"Queen Mother, Deran has come to see you."

Liu Xiu hurriedly knelt down and saluted, shouting long live the Queen Mother. There are outsiders present today, and they don't dare to say nonsense like "youth forever".

When the Empress Dowager Yongle looked up and saw Liu Xiu, she immediately laughed, called Liu Xiu up, and pointed at him and said to the woman: "Look, just talking about him, he arrived, what a coincidence." ”

The woman glanced at Liu Xiu, raised her hand to cover her mouth and chuckled: "This is the owner of the famous Luofu Noodle Restaurant in the capital?" It's really young and promising. ”

Liu Xiu is inexplicable, do I have such a big reputation? He muttered as he bowed to the ground, and although he didn't know who this person was, he could tell from her dress and ribbon that she was at least a princess, and he couldn't afford to be lazy. When Chaotianzi has not yet given birth to a child, this may be the princess of the previous dynasty, and according to her age, she should be the daughter of Emperor Huan.

"This is the eldest princess of Yang Zhai, who has the same name as you." Empress Dowager Yongle smiled: "We are talking about your noodle restaurant, the eldest princess wants to taste the taste, but I don't know when it will be convenient for you." ”

Liu Xiu suddenly realized, no wonder Huo Yu just said, "There is still a you". Emperor Huan did not give birth to a son, but only gave birth to three daughters, the eldest daughter is called Liu Hua, named the eldest princess of Yang'an, married to the Hou Fuwan, the second daughter Liu Jian, named the eldest princess of Yingyin, and the youngest daughter is the eldest princess of Yangzhai in front of her, coincidentally, she is also called Liu Xiu.

Liu Xiu hurriedly saluted, and then said: "The eldest princess is willing to taste the minister's topping noodles, that is the minister's honor, and the minister is on order at any time." ”

"Why, do you still have to go to the market?" The eldest princess of Yang Zhai was a little surprised, she originally planned to let Liu Xiu send it directly to her house, but she didn't think of running to a place like the market that didn't flow in order to eat a little.

The Empress Dowager Yongle smiled and said for Liu Xiu that this topping noodles must be made and eaten freshly, and after a long time, it will not taste good. I asked someone to send it off, and when I got to the palace, it was all powdered. I also made people do it once, and the taste was not satisfied, the last time I went to the Lingtai to check the preparation of the big pheasant, I asked the Lang officials to go to the noodle restaurant quickly and ordered a bowl of noodles, and ate it immediately, and it felt different.

When the eldest princess Yang Zhai heard this, she smiled slightly, didn't say anything, and sat there quietly chatting with the Empress Dowager Yongle. After a short time, Zhang Fei painted a portrait and presented it to the eldest princess, who saw it, nodded again and again, praised him for his good painting, and ordered someone to reward him with ten gold. Zhang Fei didn't answer, he said that my husband was in front of me, and I didn't dare to boast.

The eldest princess of Yangzhai was very surprised, and the Empress Dowager Yongle was also very surprised, after being in contact with Liu Xiu for so long, it was the first time that she knew that Zhang Fei had learned from him to draw beauties, and immediately let Liu Xiu show her hand. Liu Xiu couldn't refuse, so he had to take the pen and paper, and while stroking the paper, he carefully observed the eldest princess of Yangzhai with the same name. The eldest princess of Yang Zhai was angry by his undisguised direct gaze, but she hindered the face of the queen mother, so it was difficult to say anything in person.

Liu Xiu didn't care, his expression was serious, focused and dignified, and he didn't regard the woman in front of him as a noble eldest princess at all, as if she was just an ordinary woman, looked at it for a while, and then circled around the eldest princess of Yangzhai twice, and then put down the pen. Once he puts down the pen, he no longer looks up at people, the gesture flies, a few strokes to hook the face, and then a few strokes, the eyebrows and eyes jump on the paper, and finally a simple outline of the clothes, it is done.

The eldest princess of Yang Zhai took it and took a look, and praised it, although she couldn't see any big difference between what Liu Xiu painted and what Zhang Fei painted, but Liu Xiu's speed was much faster than Zhang Feike, and the angle she chose was also very beautiful.

"Very good!" The eldest princess of Yang Zhai was very satisfied, and let people reward ten gold. Liu Xiu took it and sighed secretly, Lao Tzu came to be a Lang official, but he couldn't get it, as soon as this princess was satisfied, a reward was a five-year salary, no wonder so many people wanted to be a minister. However, it is the eldest princess who is generous, Zhang Fei and they have been playing with the Queen Mother for a month, not only did they not receive a reward once, but they also had to send some pocket money to the Queen Mother every once in a while.

Liu Xiu hurriedly thanked him. The eldest princess of Yang Zhai chatted with the queen mother for a few more words, and then got up and left. The Queen Mother sighed, and then asked Liu Xiu what he was doing. Liu Xiu talked about going to the palace to see Bi Lan's research results, and said that it was not too early to see that the hour was not early, and Lu Shen and they should also be on duty, and they would go back with them by the way.

The Queen Mother praised him, and asked curiously about Bi Lan, Liu Xiu said a few words, saying that Bi Lan donated the money to the Son of Heaven to prepare for the big pheasant, and he was empty, and he wanted to find some way to make money, so he gave some tricks and the like. The Queen Mother fell in love when she heard it, her favorite thing was money, and she pulled Liu Xiu to ask questions and didn't let Liu Xiu go.

Liu Xiu finally said, the matter of making money, in the final analysis, is it money to make money? The Queen Mother thought it was usury at first, but after listening to Liu Xiuyi's explanation, she realized that he said that it was industrial and commercial investment and expanded reproduction. Although the Queen Mother likes money, she has no concept of doing business, and feels that it is still too slow to make money in business, and it is not as convenient as collecting taxes. Liu Xiu didn't explain much to her, but said that although the industry and commerce made money slowly, it was a source of water, and it would flow for a long time in the future, and it was to create wealth, and it came above board. The Empress Dowager Yongle is obviously not the kind of smart woman, she doesn't understand these words, and she has no interest, for her, as long as she can get money, there is no such thing as being fair and unfair.

Liu Xiu picked up Zhang Fei and the others, returned to Buyunli together, and asked about their situation in the palace along the way, Lu Shen was silent, Zhang Fei was also a little unhappy, but Mao Zong said bluntly, Liu Bei, this kid has a sweet mouth and sharp eyes, and he is the most popular with the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother said that she wants to promote him and make him a tiger servant with more than 400 stones.

Liu Xiu smiled, exactly the same as he guessed, among these boys, Liu Bei is the most likable, Lu Shen's family style is too strict, don't look at his young age, but he is a bit of a little doctor, Zhang Fei is a little overlord, playing with the Queen Mother in the palace, there is a sense of freshness for a while, and after a long time, he will inevitably be a little resentful, Mao Zong is a monkey, and it is not easy for him to please people.

"What a promotion?" Liu Bei said with some embarrassment: "No matter how high you rise, you don't have to rely on your eldest brother to survive." ”

The crowd laughed. A few people laughed all the way out of the city and returned to Buyunli. As soon as they entered the inner gate, they were stunned, the road in the middle of the clouds was full of water, and the two sides were crowded with people, not only the residents in the middle came out to see the excitement, but there were also many soldiers in the middle, and they could guess by looking at their costumes that this was the people under the southern lieutenant of Luoyang.

"What's going on?"

"It's out of the water." Mao Qing, the maidservant of the Zhang family, said nervously while leading Liu Xiu and them inside: "You just went out this morning, and there was a sudden bang inside, like thunder, at first I thought it was going to rain, and I ran out happily, and I saw that the sky was not like rain, and then I learned that there was a family in the house that went out of the water, and it burned not small." The southern lieutenant of Luoyang rushed over with people to save the fire. ”

"Saved until now?" Liu Xiu was taken aback, if he burned for so long, he couldn't burn the entire Buyun?

"No, the fire was quickly saved, but I don't know why, the people from the government still didn't leave, and they put this place under martial law. Madame was afraid that you would not be able to come in, so she asked me to meet you. ”

Liu Xiuhu was suspicious, followed Mao Qing into the door of his house, and as soon as he entered the door, he saw Zhang Zheng sitting in the hall uneasily, and when she saw Liu Xiu, she breathed a sigh of relief, and then sank her face again.

A middle-aged man sitting next to him stood up and smiled slightly: "This must be Liu Xiu and Liu Deranjun?" ”

Liu Xiu glanced at him and gave a salute: "Exactly, I don't know what to do?" ”

"I am Situ Peng of Situ Mansion, my surname is Fa Yan, and my name is Ji Mou." Fa Yan returned the salute very politely, took out an invitation card from his arms, and handed it over with both hands: "I am on the order of Lord Situ, and I have come to ask you to come to the house for a while." ”

Liu Xiu was taken aback, and secretly said that the Yuan family's offensive came so quickly, he only rejected the book in the morning, and came to the invitation in the afternoon. He pondered for a moment: "It's for me alone?" ”

Fa Yan smiled and nodded.

Liu Xiu gave another salute and said very politely and resolutely: "I have inherited the good intentions of Lord Situ in Xia, but it is a pity that I am only shallow in Xia, and I dare not tarnish Lord Situ's name." He also asked the Fajun to report back to Lord Situ, and said that he would not dare to disturb the adult's time. ”

Fa Yan hesitated a little and reminded him, "Liu Jun, don't you look at the invitation?" Lord Situ attaches great importance to his feet. ”

"Thank you, I'm scared and don't dare to accept the order." Liu Xiu said and politely sent Fa Yan out of the door. Fa Yan glanced at Liu Xiu with a strange expression, shook his head and left. As soon as Liu Xiu returned to the hall, Zhang said unhappily: "Lord Situ has appointed you as an official, but you don't obey your orders." Now I ask you to come over to talk about it, and I have given you enough face, but you still don't obey, what do you want? ”

Liu Xiu was silent, he was very dissatisfied with Zhang's attitude. Grandma's, Lao Tzu raised your family, and you still talk to me like that? Do you think I really treat Lu Zhi as a teacher, I am looking at Lu Min's face, otherwise I would not bother to care if Lu Zhi did to me.

He forcibly pressed his displeasure, politely confessed, said I was tired, turned around and went back to his room, and hung the angry Zhang in the hall. Zhang was very embarrassed and wanted to get angry, but looking at the faces of Lu Shen and the others next to him, he also knew that he had gone too far, so he had to keep his mouth shut.

Lu Shen appeased Zhang, hurriedly rushed to Liu Xiu's house, and accompanied Liu Xiu for Zhang. Liu Xiu didn't want to worry about one of his children, so he waved his hand and motioned for Lu Shen to sit opposite. Lu Shen sat down and obediently poured him a glass of water. Liu Xiu took it, took a sip, and asked, "What do you think about this?" ”

Lu Shen smiled and cautiously put forward his opinion, he also felt that it was a little inappropriate for Liu Xiu to reject Situ Mansion's kindness like this. Not to mention the momentum of the Yuan family, just say that Yuan Kui's wife Ma Lun is Ma Rong's daughter, Liu Xiu doesn't seem to be very polite.

Liu Xiu didn't think so, the Xindao family is a cow, a woman who has not given birth to a son can be so strong, even Situ Yuan Kui was called around by her, and the dignified Situ Peng actually came to send an invitation. Although Situ Peng is only an official who is more than three stones, he is a powerful faction, equivalent to the ministries and commissions of the State Council.

"If he wants you to be a servant, of course I have no opinion." Liu Xiu looked at Lu Shen and suddenly laughed. He knew what Lu Shen and Liu Bei were worried about, which annoyed the Yuan family, not only his own career would be affected, but also Lu Shen and them. Lu Shen himself is still young, and his father and brother are both 2,000 stones, so there are many opportunities, but Mao Zong and Liu Bei are bent on finding a big backer. Although the queen mother seems to like them very much, she only treats them as courtiers, if you want to be officials, you have to go the way of eunuchs or families, most of them don't like eunuchs, and it is obviously the best choice to follow the path of the Yuan family.

"However, if he wants to make me a servant, don't even think about it."

"Why?" Lu Shen was very puzzled: "Just because you fought with Yuan Shu?" ”

"Not exactly." Liu Xiu didn't want to explain too much to him, Lu Shen was too young, he and Lu Min were still too far away, Lu Min only needed him to break through a trick to understand the mystery, and Lu Shen obviously hadn't reached that point yet, he talked too much, in case he couldn't keep his mouth shut, let the words out in front of the Queen Mother, and then spread to the ears of the Son of Heaven, then the matter would be troublesome. He signaled Lu Shen not to worry: "You wait, that Mrs. Ma should still come to invite." ”

Lu Shen was skeptical, and seeing that Liu Xiu was confident, he couldn't say anything, so he had to repay Zhang. When Zhang heard this, he sighed and said a few words, it was nothing more than that Liu Xiu was only clever, he didn't know the general situation, he provoked the Yuan family for no reason, and he caused a big disaster, and he didn't know how to bow his head and admit his mistakes, and he would have to suffer in the future.

"Do you think the Queen Mother can help you?" Zhang said, "The foundation of the Queen Mother is too thin, she can't even protect her own brothers, can she still protect you?" Don't look at them as if they want the wind to be windy, to be rainy, but once they touch the family, she can't do anything. ”

In the backyard of Situ's mansion, Mrs. Situ Ma Lun's face was pale, her eyebrows and eyes were scornful, and the corners of her eyes twitched uncontrollably when she was well maintained. Yuan Shu stood aside, ecstatic in his heart, he knew that Liu Xiu had successfully provoked her, and with her surname, she would definitely regard this as a great shame.

Liu Xiu's good words have come to an end.

(To be continued)