Gu Qing asked with a slight smile, throwing the question to Liu Ye.

Liu Ye's slap was too hard, and the right side of Yu Niang's face swollen after a while. The cook couldn't bear it in her eyes, so she sent someone to fetch ice cubes and asked Ah Huan to dissipate the pain for her.

"Heh, Gu Qing, when will it be your turn to ask me?" Liu Ye asked rhetorically.

Gu Qing shrugged his shoulders and made a helpless expression, "That's right. However, if my father asks, we have to tell the truth of the matter. ”

"The truth of the matter?" Liu Ye waved his hands, his eyes looked around the kitchen, his eyes stopped on the faces of the maids, he paused for a moment, and asked in defense against Gu Qing's words: "The big guys have all seen it clearly, it was my good sister who spilled the soup on my body, causing my left foot to burn, isn't it?"

It sounds like she's the most reasonable. If you really want to make trouble in front of Master Gu, it will inevitably be Yu Niang's fault.

Yu Niang didn't want this to make a big fuss, ignoring the redness and swelling on her face that had not yet dissipated, she called Gu Qing in front of her, and after glancing at her silently, she bowed her head respectfully and said: "I was too careless and didn't notice that there was someone behind me, so I inadvertently hurt my sister, and I ask my sister to forgive me." ”

The tone was full of apologies, Gu Qing was very unhappy when she heard it, but judging from the reception just now, it was indeed her mother's fault first, even if she argued with Liu Ye, it was useless.

Yu Niang has always been willing to turn big things into small things, and she also hopes that Liu Ye can calm her anger.

"You want me to forgive me just a few words? Do you think you've eaten the bear's heart and leopard gall, and you can bully me casually?"

After a few questions, Yu Niang became the malicious party.

Liu Ye was not afraid of anything, and she didn't care if Master Gu would blame her for the slap, anyway, she was not wrong.

"How can the eldest lady forgive?" In order to save Yu Niang's worries, Gu Qing asked in a soft tone.

Liu Ye snorted lightly, her head turned rapidly, she had to make this girl suffer.

"All the money in the second half of the year was confiscated, and there was not a single child. ”

Hearing this, Gu Qing's eyes widened, and the hand holding Yu Niang tightened. She could have endured some physical pain, but she was not happy to confiscate the money.

In the house, the money of each courtyard has always been Liu Ye's final say, from Yu Niang's entry into the house to the present more than ten years, the monthly money will be deducted openly and secretly, in fact, there are very few cases of money.

Master Gu didn't know about it, and Yu Niang didn't explain it.

The last time Qixi ordered someone to make the clothes for Gu Qing, it was the silver she got by selling some of her jewelry.

Now they have to deduct half a year's money, isn't it clear that they will become poor?

"Doesn't the eldest lady think there's anything wrong with this?" Gu Qing's tone of voice was no longer so polite.

Liu Ye looked at her with a raised eye and chuckled, "What's wrong?

These words made people feel angry, Gu Qing let go of Yu Niang's arm, and was about to rush forward with a step, but was pulled back by Yu Niang.

"Qing'er, no. She reminded in a whisper.

Looking at Liu Ye's smug expression, Gu Qing was really panicked, she had a lot of things to say to confront her. But every time it was hindered by his mother's obstruction, he couldn't help but sigh helplessly for his mother's cowardice.

"Alright. This soup, I don't think you have the heart to drink it, clean it up, send it to the big yellow dog at the gate of the house, and let it cool off, haha. Liu Ye stood up with the support of the maid, stepped over the sticky soup on the ground, walked with a limp posture, and did not forget to say a word or two.

Gu Qing couldn't hold back the dissatisfaction in her heart anymore, she shook off Yu Niang's hand, picked up the things on the stove and threw them out, she didn't look at it, she only knew that the feeling on her hand was round and cool.

She never thought she was throwing things accurately, but at this moment, after seeing the willow leaves with egg yolks and screaming loudly, she believed it.

"You, you...... Ahh

"-Gu Qing, you wait for me!"

After the egg throwing incident passed, the people in the house had a deeper view of Gu Qing, daring to go against the eldest lady in person, and daring to throw things at her, just rushing at this guts, which was enough to convince the maids.

But the status quo that has not changed is that the money of the Plum Courtyard has still been deducted. Not only that, but the willow leaves also deducted daily necessities such as satin cloth in the second half of the year.

Gu Qing looked up to the sky and sighed, it's difficult, it's really difficult, and it's even more difficult to live in the mansion.

Therefore, the living expenses of Meiyuan have become tight, but fortunately, Master Gu rewarded Yu Niang with a lot of jewelry, pawned some, and distributed the money evenly, barely able to make ends meet.

The reason why Liu Ye dared to blatantly deduct money was because Master Gu went to other places for investigation, and he would not come back in the near future, and no one supported Yu Niang, so she became bold.

Although Liu Ye has the final say on the money, the operation is carried out by the enthusiastic housekeeper Yu in the house, and he will always give more to Meiyuan every time.

He is a person who cares about old man, and he has always seen everything in the house in his eyes and understood it in his heart, no matter how big or small, he will not say anything. There are so many masters in the mansion, and they never deliberately favor anyone, and the fact that they are giving out more money makes Gu Qing remember his goodness.

After lunch, Gu Qing rubbed her stomach and lay on the couch, she had to slow down after eating too much just now, because there was no extra money to buy snacks now, and she had to ensure that she didn't go hungry before the meal.

Liu Ye has been alive and well recently, and expensive supplements have been going in and out of Yuyuan round after round, Gu Qing wants to cry without tears, but they are all deducted from their courtyard.

Ah Huan almost set up with the cook, and brought a small plate of peanuts and put it on the table, in order to relieve Gu Qing's gluttony. If this was before, Gu Qing would definitely not look at it, she only had osmanthus cakes and thousands of silk cakes in her eyes, but now it is different from the past, Gou Jian is still lying on his salary and tasting gall, what about peanuts?

"Today, Mrs. asked me to go to the street to buy some rouge powder, just happened to meet the kitchen maid Chunhong to buy vegetables, the two of us went on the same road, when passing by the notice wall, I saw a piece of paper pasted on it, what was written, on the first day of the eighth month, the Prime Minister's Mansion held a banquet, regardless of men and women, talented people can go to the banquet. ”

As soon as she heard the word Xiangfu, Gu Qing came to her senses, and the stuffy breath in the air was instantly swept away, she got up from the couch, and asked with anticipation on her face: "Is it really Xiangfu?"

Ah Huan nodded: "No, the notice wall is still pasted now." ”

"Only talented people can enter?" I don't know if she was asking Ah Huan or herself. Think about it, talent is such a thing, you can't see it with the naked eye alone, since there is a notice to invite everyone, then she can also try her luck.

As for talent, Gu Qing looked at the few books scattered on the desk. In the past, she didn't know much about literacy, but later Yu Niang would teach her when she was free, and as she slowly explored, she would ask if she didn't understand, and over time, as long as there were words in the book, she basically knew.

"The prime minister has made friends all over the world, and all of them are handsome sons who are full of wealth, and they will be very interesting to come to the banquet. Ah Huan said with a nymphomaniac.

Speaking of this prime minister, his name is Murong. Originally, he was just a scholar in white, after the rebellion in Liancheng and obtained military power, the country was in urgent need of pillar talents, and everyone unanimously recommended Murong to sit on the throne, he had extraordinary talent and intelligence that was different from ordinary people, and assisted the Son of Heaven - these four words are probably his brilliant future.

Murong did not live up to expectations, during his reign, he made suggestions for his family, country and society, fought for power and profit for his people in the court, and everything he did was for the people.

At the same time, he has an excellent reputation among the people.

Murong. Gu Qing thought about these two words repeatedly, the name was very good, between his lips and teeth, it seemed to have the feeling of leaving the sound of the water stream in early spring, and every wisp of it swept through his heart.

"Miss?"

She fell into a fantasy for a moment, as if she was in a scene with him, and the white clothes were better than snow. Ah Huan kept calling her, and after calling several times in a row, she woke Gu Qing up from her fantasy.

"Huh, what's the matter?"

Ah Huan was inexplicable, Miss has been in a daze lately, so she asked again what she had just asked: "Miss, are you going?" ”

"What is an invitation? Doesn't it mean that talented people can go in?" she asked.

"Talent is an invitation. ”

“......”

"There are rules for this banquet in the Prime Minister's Mansion. Although it is said that the men, women and children in the capital are allowed to participate at will, but before entering the Prime Minister's Mansion, you still have to check your own importance, that is, everyone who goes to the banquet needs to improvise a poem, and after the poem is finished, take it to the prime minister to see, and the prime minister can only enter the banquet after speaking. ”

Ah Huanzi carefully explained the rules.

“...... I feel like I can. "Anyway, I am also a person who has read the Four Books and Five Classics, why can't I compose poetry? Gu Qing was originally cheering himself up, but the words that came out of his mouth had no confidence at all.

Ah Huan knows what ink she has in her heart, and as far as composing poetry is concerned, it may indeed be difficult for her. You can't blame her for not believing in her own miss, that's the truth.

Gu Qing's heart was really uncomfortable, it was a good opportunity to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion, she didn't want to waste it.

"The first day of August, right? There are still four days before the banquet, and I have to go to my father's study to smuggle out some books on poetry. ”

She felt that she was smart and that she might be able to study again.

"Miss, do you really want to go?"

Gu Qing's movements were swift, and with a few words, his front feet had already stepped out of the threshold, ready to move towards the study. Ah Huan hurriedly caught up with her.

"Yes, you also said that there are some handsome men at the banquet, maybe I will go this trip and pick up a beautiful man?"