Looking at the back of Xiao Jinyan leaving, Yu Wenshuang had a lot of thoughts, and for a while, she felt like she had lost her soul, and she didn't even notice that the third aunt walked to her. She couldn't tell that she, who had always been known for her calmness, actually made this request to Xiao Jinyan.

Li Xiyao called softly: "Shuang'er!"

Yu Wenshuang took a deep breath, calmed down, and asked, "Do you really want to become an incompatible opponent?"

Li Xiyao sighed slightly in her heart, shook her head, and said, "The contradiction between Dengwen Academy and your father is already an open secret in the imperial court, I'm afraid this is also the result that His Majesty the Emperor wants, right?"

Yu Wenshuang thought for a moment, then raised his head and asked: "Sanniang, what kind of person is my father? Above the court, everyone has a mixed reputation for my father, and the rivers and lakes respect Yixiaotang, even I can't see through it, is he a good person or a bad person?"

Li Xiyao smiled, "Thirty years ago, when your father was still a Confucian student, he was already famous in the literary world. It's just that fate makes people, and a good reputation does not necessarily bring good luck.

The year he participated in the imperial examination was the most powerful period of the struggle in the cabinet of Emperor Lingzong, when Wu Ge Lao took a fancy to your father's literary name, wooed your father at the birthday banquet, and even wanted to marry his daughter to her, but your father refused on the spot.

Your father was angry, gave up literature and martial arts, went to the west to be a pawn, and since then, he has practiced utilitarianism and never wrote a poem again. The times create heroes, when the time of the Jingjing, His Majesty the Emperor was trapped in Longshan, your father saved His Majesty's life, and made a monstrous contribution. Your father is a strange man in the world, how can he distinguish between good and bad people?"

This is the first time Yu Wenshuang has heard Li Xiyao talk about his past, and he was very surprised. She has always admired her father very much, and the only stain is the 30,000 slaughter of Dingzhou that year. However, Yuwen Tianlu never talked about this matter in front of anyone, and it is unknown whether there is an inside story or not.

Yuwen Tianlu did not have a main room, only married two concubines, the house, money and food affairs were in charge of the second lady Tang Qian, all day long like a fierce god, very harsh to the subordinates, a little uncomfortable, the family law served, Yuwenshuang was also quite unpleasant, all day long bitter sarcasm, so from the age of twelve, Yuwenshuang moved out of the Anguo Mansion.

The third lady Li Xiyao used to be a strange woman in the rivers and lakes, and after marrying Yuwen Tianlu, she ate fasting and cultivating all the year round, and rarely asked about the affairs of the house. In the Guogong Mansion, Li Xiyao has the best relationship with Yuwenshuang, and the Ice Spirit Silver Needle practiced by Yuwenshuang was also taught by Li Xiyao.

Yuwen Tianlu is not smiling, three meals a day, coarse tea and light rice, and a pot of wine, he is a very old-fashioned person. Since Yuwenshuang remembered, she had never seen Yuwen Tianlu smile, and as for her mother's appearance, she had no impression at all. "Sanniang, who is my mother?"

Li Xiyao said again: "You still don't ask, when he wants to tell you, he will naturally say." In your father's life, he has only liked one person, and that is your mother. Although I am your third mother, I am just in name only. This is also the reason why your father married me and your second mother, but never had other children. I am a woman's family, I was desperate back then, your father took me in, and I can't repay this kindness in my life. Shuang'er, no matter what others say about him, he is your father after all, and you must not forget this. Speaking of this, Li Xiyao sighed, "Your father, it's not easy. ”

Yu Wenshuang was silent.

In her memory, Yuwen Tianlu was very strict with her, and if she made a slight mistake, she would be harshly reprimanded, leaving no mercy, which made her feel a little cold. Over the years, she has participated in the affairs of the Yuwen family and worked hard to become Yuwen Tianlu's right-hand man, precisely to get his approval.

Li Xiyao patted her on the shoulder and said softly, "There are two months left, and it will be your father's fiftieth birthday." If you don't attend, he'll be very sad. ”

Yu Wenshuang laughed at himself a little, "Sad, hehe, I'm afraid I'm dead, he won't frown." ”

When Li Xiyao heard this, she said angrily, "Shuang'er, don't talk about your father like this." She felt that she was a little too harsh, and her face softened slightly, "Although your father is not pretentious to you, he is still very proud of you in his heart." Shuang'er, you come back to Beijing with me, the matter here in Yangzhou will naturally be handled by Zao Wou-Ki and Niu Erfu. ”

Yu Wenshuang thought of the face of the Yangzhou prefect, and was a little bored in her heart. "Niu Erfu, just him?"

Li Xiyao knew that she looked down on Niu Erfu, and said with a wry smile, "Although this Niu Erfu is a donor official, he is insatiable and a cool official, but he is loyal to your father and has a good way to make money.

Yuwenshuang knew what he said about the means of making money, and expropriated the people in the jurisdiction. This is also where she is dissatisfied with her father.

Yuwen Tianlu lives a frugal life, coarse tea and light food, and wears a set of clothes for more than ten years, which can be described as extremely self-disciplined, but for money, there seems to be an endless pursuit. Yangzhou Mansion, Suzhou Mansion, and several wealthy prefects in Hangzhou, almost all of them were pulled up by him, and he didn't have much ability, but they were all experts in collecting money. On the contrary, several officials in Yuwen's camp who were more well-known were all sent by him to Yunnan, Guizhou, Northwest and other places of pure suffering.

The third lady hugged Yu Wenshuang's waist, "The remnants of the Bright Sect are still eyeing each other, Yangzhou is not a place to stay for a long time, let's set off at dawn." ”

......

After Xiao Jinyan took the pill given by Yuwenshuang, he temporarily suppressed the internal injuries. However, Ren Pengju's internal strength still brought him a lot of trouble, and when he returned to Yangzhou City, it was already dark, and he went to Doctor Xue to say goodbye, but found that the door of Xue's house was closed. After a little inquiry, I learned that Doctor Xue went out to travel all over the world, hanging pots to help the world, and there was also the poisonous saint Xue Pipi.

He had not closed his eyes for three days, and a wave of fatigue struck, so he came to an inn, asked for a jar of wine, ten meatloafs, was a little drunk, opened another room, and slept until noon. When I was about to check out, I still used the broken silver given by Dongfang Nuannuan that day, and I couldn't help but sigh a little when I thought of Dongfang Nuannuan's method of dealing with them last night.

The trip to Yangzhou, although the time was short, was thrilling every day, but fortunately, he got the secret letter and successfully completed the task. Yangzhou is beautiful, but he doesn't have the slightest attachment, thinking of the scene of hanging on the tree with Yuwenshuang last night, he is a little happy in his heart.

In the afternoon of the same day, Xiao Jinyan left Yangzhou City.

Not long after leaving the city, Xiao Jinyan saw the monk Baolu standing on the side of the road with a Zen stick, looking at the sun in the sky, grinning, sometimes ecstatic, sometimes frowning, looking a little strange, as if waiting for something.

Xiao Jinyan stepped forward and asked, "What are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for my donkey, but when I wait for you, it doesn't make a difference." ”

Xiao Jinyan said, "Don't mind, there is still a difference between me and a donkey." ”

Bao Lu came up, hugged him over, and laughed, "In my eyes, it's all the same." Since you're here, you wait with me. As he spoke, he continued to look up at the sky.

Xiao Jinyanqi said, "Your donkey is in the sky? The sky will not drop pies, let alone your donkey!"

Bao Lu ignored him and continued to look at the sun. Xiao Jinyan felt a little strange and went to look at the sun.

It was late autumn, and the sun was not very dazzling, but after watching it for a long time, Xiao Jinyan still felt a little uncomfortable.

"Ahh

Monk Baolu sneezed, scratched his nose, and breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally comfortable!"

Xiao Jinyan smiled bitterly, "I see." Since you have such a Yaxing, I won't bother you. ”

Xiao Jinyan said goodbye, and Bao Lu pulled him over, "Where are you going?" Xiao Jinyan said back to Suzhou, and Bao Lu said that you are alone anyway, so it is better to be a companion, and you can take care of you along the way.

Xiao Jinyan felt that it made sense, although the monk Baolu was a little silly, his martial arts were not bad, as long as he didn't go crazy, it was more interesting, so he agreed.

It didn't take long for Xiao Jinyan to understand the "care" in the intersection of Bao Road, to put it bluntly, he had no food, and followed Xiao Jinyan to eat and drink. After walking for more than ten miles, Baolu ate the twenty steamed buns and twenty meatloaf he bought before he left the city, and then kept shouting to Xiao Jinyan that he was hungry and wanted to find a place to go to the restaurant.

Xiao Jinyan was a little helpless, not to mention that there was not much silver left on his body, even if there was a sea of gold and silver, according to his way of eating, sooner or later he would become poor. He deliberately performed light skills and wanted to get rid of him, but found that although the great monk did not mention the longitudinal method, his foot strength was very sufficient.

In the evening, the two came to a chicken feather shop.

This kind of chicken feather shop abounds on the rivers and lakes. These are not better than some regular inns, consisting of a front hall and a back hall, the front hall is a place to rest and eat, the back hall is a large shop, made of stones, there is no mattress on it, there are reed mats, and the ones built at night are all thatch, reeds, etc., slightly better shops, and the chicken feathers are covered at night, so it is called the chicken feather shop.

This kind of shop is not very clean, and only 10 copper plates are accepted for one person a night. There are no decent meals, rice, flatbread, wotou, pickles, boiling water is free, but many guests bring their own dry food, and there are no guys who run the hall.

If you can spend a few more copper plates, you can also make a pot of bad wine mixed with water, drink with passing guests, brag, and relieve the boredom of the journey.

Most of the people staying in the store are passers-by, including pickers, foot merchants, fortune tellers, and Langzhong who sells fake medicines. Although the accommodation conditions are poor, there is a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and you don't have to worry about being bitten by a passing beast while sleeping.

These people are also Jianghu people.

However, unlike the heroes who are swords and swords, the rivers and lakes in their eyes are just a means of making a living. There are no cornices and walls, no fresh clothes and angry horses, only firewood, rice, oil and salt.

When Xiao Jinyan and Monk Baolu entered, no one greeted them, and no one paid attention to them.

The topic of discussion among the guests is not the battle of the golden knife that has been rumored on the rivers and lakes recently, nor the list of the three talents of heaven, earth and man in Xiaosheng Jianghu, nor the feast of flowers just held in Yangzhou Baihualou.

In this era of underdeveloped information, pedestrians from all over the world are exchanging information from all over the world, merchants are concerned about the price of grain and medicinal materials, to see if they can make a little difference, and Lang Zhong and those who are tricksters are discussing the customs and customs of various places to see if they can go to a cave and maybe come to a fire hole.

Their topic always revolves around the word "livelihood".