Until dawn a few days later, Pei Zhenwan got up early and settled the inn's overnight account. went out and got into the sedan chair waiting outside early, and set off to Los Angeles. Most of the shops and houses along the way have not risen, sparsely populated, swaying and walking for half an hour, stopping at the end of the main street of Taipingfang, the sky has been white.

Pei Zhenwan got off the sedan chair, got the sedan chair money, paced slowly along the main street, and turned diagonally into a quiet and long alley, the alley is not like the main street There are many shops, and there are no houses, the long courtyard wall extends until the middle, and there is a mansion with the golden script "Mao Guohou Mansion" on the door.

A few small servants were sweeping outside the door, Pei Zhenwan stood quietly in the distance, and in the distance, there was the sound of the carriage rolling on the stone bricks. Pei Zhenwan lifted her skirt and started, went up the stone steps of the Hou Mansion, stopped a little servant and said with a smile: "This little brother, the slave family has something to ask to see the second miss, please pass it on." ”

The little servant squinted his eyes and looked at it, and said irritably: "Miss, how can you see it at will, and you don't look at what time it is." ”

"A few days ago, Lingyun Temple, the second lady left a token, and the little brother took a look." Pei Zhenwan took the jade pendant with a smile, the little brother looked at it carefully, and dropped a sentence, "Wait, I'll send someone to inquire." ”

Pei Zhenwan stood aside, and saw a Huading car stop in front of the mansion, a man in a first-class official uniform stepped out of the car, more than half a hundred years old, with a calm bearing, he was a Yutang figure, and he should have retired from the early dynasty. A group of servants stepped forward to salute, he responded lightly, and when he was about to step into the door of the mansion, he glanced at Pei Zhenwan standing next to the door, and the morning light was softly reflected on the woman's face, and her face was even more beautiful. He couldn't help but look at it twice, and then walked towards the mansion again.

The Marquis of Maoguo, Weimu, is a rare Wenchen prince in Northern Chen, all because of the victory of the Northern Chen Warhan in the fourteenth year of Hongguang of the previous dynasty, through the Chen Han state system, the currency system has meritorious, and the Han people's tax and grain hidden dangers, but one year, Chen Han's family, no longer have public grievances, and the territory of Northern Chen has been gently doubled. Wei Mu has been the marquis so far, in charge of the three divisions, and plays a pivotal role in the court.

It wasn't until Wei Hou's clothes disappeared from sight at the gate of the mansion that the little servant who had just passed the word came out with a maid, who was sent back to the inn that day, and the maid smiled faintly: "It turned out to be Miss Pei, Miss was saying that the jade pendant was missing, and she sent someone to the Zen temple and there was no trace, it turned out to be the girl's place." ”

Pei Zhenwan bent her knees, neither humble nor arrogant, "Yes, that day was also after the girl left, and I found that it was hooked on the sleeve." It's not mine to return it until now. ”

The maid smiled and asked sideways: "Miss has gotten up, please come in to talk." ”

Pei Zhenwan responded with a smile and entered behind her. The pattern of the construction of the Maoguo Marquis Mansion is rigorous, and the interior bypasses the shadow wall, the corridor, the middle hall, and the garden, and reaches the inner perimeter. Along the way, I saw the servants cleaning the courtyard, tending to the flowers and plants, entering the inner enclosure, and seeing a few maidservants walking with meals, it was the time of breakfast in the Hou Mansion.

Wei Miaozhi walked out of the courtyard, saw it from a distance, and walked up with a smile: "It's really Sister Pei, can all the injuries that day be healed?" ”

"Miss To's blessing is already good." Pei Zhenwan replied casually, not flattered. His gaze also slid diagonally over Wei Miaozhi, and fell to the left front, it was the Maoguo Marquis Wei Mu, who had just retreated to the palace, and he had changed his regular clothes at the moment, thinking that he wanted to eat in the mansion.

"Father." Wei Miaozhi smiled and called out.

Wei Mu responded with a smile, and turned his gaze to Pei Zhenwan's face, Rao is quiet expression that has been cultivated in officialdom for a long time, Pei Zhenwan still read the interest in his eyes, or excitement, as if a hunter is determined to find his prey. Wei Mu said slowly: "Why didn't my father know that you had this friend." ”

Wei Miao stepped forward, like an ordinary father and daughter, grabbed Wei Mu's sleeve, and said coquettishly: "This is Sister Pei, the sister who saved her daughter in Lingyun Temple, and came to our house as a guest today." ”

Pei Zhen saluted gracefully, with a pair of eyes smiling and pretty, and the coarse cloth skirt could not hide the posture of her delicate daughter, which could not make people's hearts flutter. Seeing Wei Mu's imperceptible stunnedness, the corners of Pei Zhenwan's mouth lifted lightly, and she got up with a smile. quietly charmed the princes and nobles, she had already practiced in Nanshu.

"Since he saved the little girl, he is naturally the benefactor of the Hou Mansion." Wei Mu's voice was low, deliberately alienated, "It's breakfast time at the moment, so let's invite the girl to eat in our mansion." The meal is simple, and the girl doesn't dislike it, so she uses it in the little girl's room. ”

Pei Zhenwan responded implicitly, Wei Miao was happy, and stepped forward to hold hands, "Sister, go with me." ”

"You want to entertain Miss Pei," Wei Mu instructed his daughter, and then turned around and asked meaningfully, "I don't know where Miss Pei's mansion is, Ben Hou sent someone to prepare a little courtesy and go to your mansion to thank Ling Zun Lingtang." ”

Before Pei Zhenwan could speak, Wei Miaozhi had already replied softly: "Father, Sister Pei is not from Luodu, and her parents are not there. After speaking, he looked back and smiled comfortingly.

Wei Mu raised his eyebrows, raised his hands and said politely: "It's Ben Hou who is abrupt." ”

After a few polite words, the host led the servants back to the room, Pei Zhenwan followed behind Wei Miaozhi, all the way to the boudoir, and the two of them laughed and laughed on the way, not at all as if they were uncomfortable when they were restrained by the number of courtesies.

However, Wei Mu, when he went to the main hall to dine with his wife, called the servant who often followed him, and instructed: "You go and tell Steward Lou and ask him to send a clever girl to the kitchen to get a few more dishes and send them to the young lady's room." Listen carefully to what the woman has to say, and return to me. ”

The little servant took the order and walked away, Wei Mu looked thoughtfully in the direction of his daughter's boudoir, his eyes were deep, and he didn't say anything.

When the girl sent by Wei Mu arrived with the dishes, Wei Miaozhi was laughing and laughing with Pei Zhenwan, so it was not lively, four dishes of side dishes on the table, two bowls of japonica rice porridge, and she didn't move much, seeing that the new dishes were sent, Wei Miaozhi only ordered them to be put on the table, and smiled and persuaded Pei Zhenwan to taste a few bites.

"I just heard my sister talk about the scenery along the way from Jiangling to Luodu, which is really more wonderful than what is written in the book.

Pei Zhenwan replied lightly: "Yes, as the folk saying goes, one side is water and soil, and one side is people, Jiangling and Luodu are both near the water, but they are not as prosperous as Luodu, but they are just small states and counties, and they are just barren places." ”

"I really envy my sister, I've been to these places, no more than I live in a simple place, and the farthest I have set foot in is only the suburbs." Wei Miaozhi's face couldn't hide the regret, after all, he was still a twelve-year-old child.

Pei Zhenwan raised the bowl and took a few mouthfuls of porridge, put it down gently, and sighed: "Miss is not happy, the slave family left their hometown because of the destruction of the family, and went to Luodu after these roads. In the eyes of the slave family, a father and daughter like Miss, and a family reunion, is what many people want in their lives. ”

Wei Miaozhi's expression was imperceptibly gloomy, and he smiled and said: "The eldest sister is a concubine in the palace, you can't see it all the time, where is it what you imagined?" ”

Pei Zhenwan ordered, did not answer, silently took a few bites of food, and savored it carefully. But her eyes were secretly staring at Wei Miaozhi, seeing that in addition to being sentimental, there was also a trace of fear on her face, thinking that she understood the embarrassing situation in Wei Guifei's palace. smiled, "The concubine and the young lady are intimate, and when the lady is not in the palace, she should often grind with the young lady's ears and temples, so affectionate, no wonder the young lady feels lonely at the moment." ”

"Yes, since the eldest sister entered the palace, it has indeed been much quieter."

"My hometown's sister of the same father, slightly older than Miss, is from a small family, not as good as Miss, who is dignified and generous."

Wei Miaozhi's eyes couldn't help but light up: "Is my sister also thinking about her in her heart?" ”

Pei Zhenwan sighed lightly: "Naturally, she is four years younger than me, and she has been led by me to play since she was a child." Now that she has moved into his room with her stepmother, I always have to worry about whether she will be wronged and mistreated. ”

"It is said that the eldest sister is like a mother, looking at the appearance of the sister, isn't it?" Wei Miaozhi smiled sideways, picked up the jade pendant in his hand casually, and handed it to the maid behind him.

Seeing this, Pei Zhenwan got up and said, "Now that the jade pendant has been returned, and I am fortunate to have breakfast from the Hou Mansion, the slave family should leave." ”

Wei Miaozhi didn't expect her to leave so quickly, "My sister has no other acquaintances in Luodu, so what are you doing in such a hurry to leave the house." ”

"There is a difference between respect and inferiority," Pei Zhenwan leaned over and saluted, "After bothering me all morning, the slave family is already guilty." ”

"My sister doesn't have any relatives in Luo, why don't you live in our house?" Wei Miao took a step forward and stretched out her hand to help Pei Zhenwan, she was still young and not tall enough, so she had to raise her head to speak, and her eyes were full of sincerity, "Seeing that the New Year is coming, does my sister want to keep the New Year alone in the post house?" ”

"This ......" Pei Zhenwan showed a hint of embarrassment, her eyes wandered and looked at the mother-in-law and maid standing around, "I'm afraid this is not good, the lowly people of the slave family, it is already God's favor to be able to get to know the young lady, where can I hope for ......"

"Sister doesn't have to be humble," Wei Miaozhi interrupted her, "I talked to my sister very much, and there are few people in the Hou Mansion who are the same age as me, so I invited my sister to stay." Listening to the girl, the inn is shabby, and my sister gave up the Hou Mansion to take the simple place, which is not unwise. ”

Pei Zhenwan couldn't say any more, so she had to respond implicitly and thank Xie Wei Miaozhi again.

Wei Miaozhi smiled and nodded, and raised the majesty of the master again, and commanded his subordinates in a childish but decisive voice: "When you go and reply, just say that it is my meaning, and let them pack up the guest house and live with Sister Pei." Sister Pei is kind to me, you can't be slow down. ”

A mother-in-law arranged to clean the inn, and sent the maid to the inn to pack up the baggage, but Pei Zhenwan was pulled by herself, carefully visited the layout of the house, and showed it to Mrs. Houfu. Until the evening, the maid of the guest house arranged it properly and checked in carefully.

Pei Zhenwan claimed that people were useless, and insisted for a long time before she withdrew from the arrangement of her personal maidservant, and arranged two little girls who swept the floor in the guest house alone, and the rest of the matters were taken care of by herself.