"Lord of Ten Thousand Governors."
Jin Shu placed the bamboo basket hanging on his hand at the door and took a few steps forward to stand in front of Wan Xiao.
"Why did Lord Wan come to my place today? But what's the matter with looking for a slave?"
Wan Xiao smiled and said: "You have already left the palace, why do you still call yourself a slave?"
Jin Shu smiled innocently, a little embarrassed for no reason.
She was used to shouting, and she couldn't change her voice for a moment.
Wan Xiao looked up at her and saw that she was wearing a coarse cloth skirt with a simple cloth scarf tied on her head, looking like an ordinary person.
Only her hands were wearing two slender and elegant silver ring bracelets. Occasionally, one or two crisp jingles would sound during her movements, making her look somewhat lively and cheerful.
He looked down, then looked at the bamboo basket that Cai Jinshu had left at the door, closing his eyes and not knowing what he was thinking.
"The Governor of Wan has not said yet why you are here to find me today?"
Wan Xiao said: "The Queen asked me to come and see how you were doing a few days ago. I will come over to see you if I have time today. There is nothing serious."
After saying that, Wan Xiao paused for a moment and asked, "What are you going to do?"
"I want to buy a piece of tofu on the street and cook it for dinner."
"Do you have any money?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she probably felt something was wrong, so Wan Xiao added with a smile: "The Queen is afraid that you will have a difficult life when you first leave the palace."
"How can it be possible?"
Jin Shu patted the bulging purse around his waist and replied with an arched eyebrow: "My empress gave me a lot of money when I left the palace. Sister Luanjian and Sister Hengzhihengwu also gave me a lot of money. Life is always enough." of."
"Governor Wan also found a job for my husband in the capital. Now he has become a general manager. His monthly salary is enough for the two of us to live on."
"How does your husband treat you?"
"It's good."
When Jin Shu said this, his little face was full of shyness, and his eyes seemed to be sparkling. Wan Xiao looked at her with a slight smile on her lips, and muttered something like this in a low voice.
"Have you two set a wedding date?"
"It's settled."
Inexplicably nervous, he wiped his hands on the back of his clothes. Jin Shu's tone was full of sweetness: "It's set for the tenth day of July. There is no one in my family, and only a few neighbors will be with me on the wedding day." Sister Luanjian will be here, and if Governor Wan has nothing to do that day, you can come and have a wedding drink."
I don’t know if Wan Xiao with such a high status will come. After Jin Shu said this, he felt a little regretful.
He just came to see how she was doing on the Queen's order. She invited him rashly, not thinking it would annoy others.
Her thoughts were simple, and all her thoughts were reflected on her face. Wan Xiao looked at her and smiled lightly, then nodded in agreement.
The two were speechless for a moment, but when they were about to leave, he saw a tall man coming from the corner of the street. He was holding several pieces of thick wood in his hands, and he looked like he was struggling.
Wan Xiao was a little surprised when she saw this. She didn't expect to see this man today.
"Brother Seungjo."
As soon as he saw the man, Jin Shu ran over with a smile on his face.
"I'm strong, I'll carry it."
"No, there's dirt on this thing. Don't dirty your clothes."
Jin Shu smiled sweetly: "Just wash it if it gets dirty."
"The water in the well has been cold these days, so I can carry it."
The man had a gentle tone and strode towards Jinshu's house while carrying a few pieces of wood. When he saw Wan Xiao at the door, he was also stunned. He put down the pole in his hand and called out to Governor Wan.
This man still looked a little dull, and he didn't look like a smart person, but because of this, his eyes were clear and without calculation, showing some honesty and frankness.
"I have come to read the brocade book on the order of the empress. What do you think it is?"
The man said: "A few days ago, the Jing camp cut down some wood to make supplies for the army, and these unqualified scraps were thrown outside the Jing camp. Today, Xiu Mu thought of picking some back for the brocade book. I chopped it up and gave it to her to make firewood in the winter."
"There are some good ones left, and some wooden benches..."
The man answered respectfully, and what he talked about was all the things that ordinary people worry about every day, such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, and fireworks in the world.
Wan Xiao nodded slowly and smiled.
This man is not a man of great talent, but he is quite good at getting by.
Seeing Jin Shu bending down to examine the pieces of wood, and looking up at the two of them with silly smiles from time to time, Wan Xiao knew that this girl's future life would be good.
He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
After a long time, he muttered "Very well."
"I have other things to do today, so I won't disturb you two."
"Master Wan, go ahead and do your work, don't worry about the servants."
Jinshu looked at Wan Xiao and said, "I'd like to trouble Lord Wan to report back to the empress and say that this slave is living a very good life. Please don't let the empress worry about your slave."
"I understand."
Wan Xiao nodded, said goodbye to the two of them, turned around and left.
After walking out, he heard the soft and steady conversation between the woman and the man coming from behind.
"Brother Chengzu, let me do it."
"I'll do it. Mo will prick your hand."
"I asked Granny Sun to leave tofu for me yesterday. I also bought some fresh fish and mutton from the market in the morning. How about I make you a fresh fish tofu stew and braised mutton meatballs tonight?"
"become."
"The legs of the wardrobe in your house are a little soft and rotten. I think the previous owner didn't take good care of it. I'll help you find a good piece of wood to replace it soon. Don't wait until it gets rotten and falls down."
"Thank you, Brother Chengzu."
"Brother Chengzu..."
Wan Xiao stood still but did not look back. The door of the house slowly closed, but he still did not move for a long time.
When he first reached the streets and alleys, the shouts from the wine shops and vendors became more and more harsh, and he smiled faintly and strode towards the palace.
After Nanqing was captured, there were no more difficulties in the court, and the people could live and work in peace and contentment. Shen Qianyu knows people well and is a rare emperor who has no suspicion. Therefore, the whole court is unprecedentedly united and all officials are dedicated to serving the country and the people. Even if there were those who were interested in making a fortune, they were mostly under the influence of Shen Qianyu's moody and lustful power and did not dare to make mistakes.
There was nothing going on in the court, so Wan Xiao felt that time passed very quickly, and soon it was time for Jin Shu to get married.
On the evening of the ninth day of July, he took the congratulatory gifts from Song Wan and Jin Shu and left the palace, and arrived at Jin Shu's house early the next morning.
Luan Jian also came to Jinshu's house early to help. No elders from both parties were involved in this marriage, so the old rules were not followed.
Luan Jian and Wan Xiao didn't identify themselves, so the neighbors who came to congratulate them all thought they were relatives of Jin Shu from afar.
During the dinner, everyone toasted together and celebrated, and they were all very happy.
The man was wearing a groom's wedding attire, which made him look bright and handsome. Wan Xiao looked at the smile that couldn't be concealed on his face and started laughing too.
"Brother, you look familiar."
A man at the table looked at Wan Xiao, frowning slightly and not knowing what he was thinking. Wan Xiao saw this and smiled and said, "I don't know where I have seen him. What does this brother do for a living?"
"I am a colleague of Chengzu, and we are both in the capital camp."
The man looked at Wan Xiao for a long time, and then shook his head: "But I used to work as a salesman in Shangjing. Maybe I met you when I was walking around the streets before. It doesn't matter. Brother, don't take it to heart."
"My husband was originally a salesman. A few years ago, the ministers were at the palace gate... That day, when he heard that the prince was in trouble, he threw away his pole and ran to the Suhe River."
Sitting next to the man was a woman with a delicate face. When she spoke, her tone was gentle, with a bit of love and respect for her husband.
"Unexpectedly, he threw the pole to my mother before leaving. My mother didn't know what to do, so she helped him keep it and often went to his home to see if anyone would visit him."
"When my husband came back later, he came to thank my mother many times."
Luan Jian heard this and looked at the woman. After praising her mother for her right head, he continued to praise her husband for his righteousness and being a model of a true man.
"What a man should do is not worth mentioning."
After saying that, the man touched his wife carefully, with a bit of embarrassment in his eyes.
Everyone burst into laughter when they saw this, and Jin Shu walked out of the room in his wedding clothes, holding two dishes in his hand.
"What are you laughing at? You are so happy?"
"Smile, you look pretty today."
The woman who spoke was a plump woman. Wan Xiao smelled the strong bean aroma on her body and guessed that this person should be the tofu seller mentioned by Jin Shu, Grandma Sun.
The weddings of ordinary people are not as particular as the weddings of wealthy families, especially since the two of them have no parents to attend the ceremony, so they had to pay homage to two tablets during the ceremony.
After the ceremony, everyone sat in the courtyard to have a banquet, but Wan Xiao found an excuse to go to the back hall of the house.
Walking to a dark room, Wan Xiao paused slightly and remained silent for a moment before raising her hand and pushing the door open.
There is a altar in the house, and there are more than a dozen tablets of ancestors and gods on the altar. Wan Xiao's eyes swept over the tablets, and all she could see were those of her great-great-grandfather, the Goddess of Zhang Gong, the Goddess of Li Gongfu, Zhang's mother Xu, Li's mother Wang, brother Li Fuchengji, and sister Li Hui. etc words.
He stood in front of the altar, staring blankly at the names that he thought had long been forgotten in his mind, but in fact they had never faded in the slightest, and he cried silently.
There were unlit incense and fire on the altar. Wan Xiao stepped forward and took out three incense sticks and lit them one by one.
He knelt in front of the altar and bowed to the ancestors of the two houses, then stood up slowly.
The incense in his hand emitted a faint green smoke. He walked to the altar, but he did not dare to insert the incense into the incense bowl.
He is physically handicapped and truly ashamed of his ancestors. Today, he can light incense for the ancestors of the second house and fulfill his wish.
Carefully placing the incense in his hand beside the incense bowl, Wan Xiaofang turned around and left.
When he walked out of the house, he happened to see Jin Shu and his wife entering the house from the outer courtyard to get the wooden stool. Jin Shu wanted to take it by herself, but her husband stopped her.
When Wan Xiao saw the two of them, she nodded slightly and turned back to the main courtyard to sit down on her seat.
"Hey, how did Governor Wan end up here?"
Jin Shu looked at Wan Xiao's back with confusion in his eyes. The man looked at the small house in front of him and pursed his lips slightly, then walked in.
"Brother Chengzu, what are you doing?"
Jin Shu followed and walked into the house.
The two of them saw three incense sticks placed horizontally on the altar. The incense was still burning, and green smoke was swirling up, moving inexplicably even if there was no wind.
"this……"
"This is what Governor Wan did? Why did he..."
The man stepped forward, remained silent for a moment, picked up the still burning incense and inserted it into the incense bowl in front of him.
"Let's go, we still need to entertain the guests."
"That was done by Governor Wan?"
Li Chengzu said: "Yes."
"Why?"
Wan Xiao is not that kind of person who acts without reason, so how could she suddenly do such a strange thing? Jin Shu was puzzled and couldn't help but raise his head to ask Li Chengzu.
"Maybe..."
He hesitated slightly, then said after a moment: "Maybe I want to show my filial piety."
This was said in a strange way, and Jin Shu couldn't understand the true meaning for a while. But Li Chengzu didn't talk much on weekdays, and was taciturn most of the time, but he treated her very well. Jin Shu used to believe his words. Although his meaning was unclear, he somehow felt that there was some truth to it, so he stopped worrying about it.
After the wedding, Wan Xiao and others left, and Jin Shu opened the congratulatory gifts one by one.
Song Wan gave her a gold, silver and emerald head and face, which is valuable and can be passed down from generation to generation. Heng Zhi and Heng Wu gave her an embroidered picture of a hundred sons and thousands of grandchildren, which was extremely festive.
Sister Luanjian gave her a gold bracelet, which was also very valuable.
Only the brocade box sent by Wan Xiao looked familiar to her.
Jin Shu was slightly startled, then took it over and opened it.
There was only a small piece of paper inside to congratulate the newlyweds and nothing else.
In the box, there was still the same box of pearls that she had asked Song Wan to return to Wan Xiao.
"It turns out that Lord Wan's pearls were used to celebrate my wedding."
Li Chengzu said: "It should also be used to protect your food and clothing."
"Um?"
Jin Shu raised his head with confusion in his eyes. Li Chengzu smiled and said, "This thing is expensive and easy to get rid of. If you have no money to live in the future, this thing can save you."
Looking at Jin Shu's round eyes, Li Chengzu stepped forward and gently touched her hair.
"So that's it. I didn't expect Governor Wan to look indifferent, but he is still a considerate person. He treats me really well."
Li Chengzu nodded slightly, with a hint of emotion in his eyes that only he could understand.
The candles were extinguished in the house, and Wan Xiao stood on the Cuiwei Tower and looked in the direction of Jinshu, smiling with relief.
After tonight, there are ten thousand nights in the world, there is Li Chengzu, and Jinshu also has a husband.
After tonight, he could finally let go of the burden in his heart and the guilt he felt towards Jinshu's family, and look up to heaven and earth without any regrets.
Standing on the high platform, Wan Xiao spilled the wine in her hand to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
After tonight, a few years later, the Zhang and Li clan of his Baoding Prefecture can extend their bloodline and inherit the ancestral aspirations of the second prefecture.
Picking up the wine pot again, Wan Xiao poured himself a glass and drank it.
After today, he finally...
Finally, he was worthy of Jinshu, worthy of Uncle Zhang's family, and worthy of his own parents.
After drinking all the wine in the pot, Wan Xiao put the jug aside with a smile and strode back to the palace.
Ji Rongji waited for him at the palace gate for a long time, and when he was about to go back to his first room, he saw Wan Xiao walking over from outside in a relaxed state.
"I thought you wouldn't come back today."
"You think I won't come back, why are you still here guarding me?"
“……”
Ji Rong shrugged slightly when he heard this. He didn't know why he was worried. Now looking at him, he was actually happier than himself.
"I know you are worried about me. I will find some good wine to give to you in the future."
The two of them wandered towards the inner palace. As soon as they entered the Qianqing Gate, they saw several imperial doctors from the imperial hospital. They were dragged towards Changle Palace by the eunuchs beside Shen Qianyu.
Wan Xiao frowned, but Ji Rong raised his hand to grab someone and asked hurriedly: "What happened? Why are you running so fast?"
