Chapter 34
Dreaming of Mount Tai and embracing the sun, in the Han Dynasty when people attached great importance to the theory of prophecies and divinations, actually had the meaning of following the dragon.
This dragon is no ordinary dragon.
Since Qin Shihuang's Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, among the more than 20 emperors up to the reign of Liu Hong, only two of them were qualified to go to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to the gods.
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, and Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu.
Although power in the Han Dynasty is still centralized, the Yellow Turban Rebellion has exposed the crises lurking everywhere.
Liu Hong established the Xiping Stone Classics and devoted himself to education, but he also played political games and indulged in sensual pleasures.
It was obvious that he could not be the emperor who had the ability to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai.
Cheng Li had not yet thought so far as to the situation of warlords dividing the country on all sides, let alone the situation of the Han Dynasty falling and someone replacing it.
What he was thinking was that in this sign of Mount Tai holding up the sun, the sun might not necessarily point to the emperor, but might also point to someone who could stabilize the current chaotic situation and have the same ability as Huo Guang who facilitated the restoration of the Zhao and Xuan dynasties in the past.
Could Qiao Yan be this person?
Cheng Li didn't dare to give a positive response at this time.
But he was no less outstanding than the famous generals in the world. He was eloquent even when facing the great sage and wise teacher. Although he suppressed the Yellow Turban refugees, he was also compassionate. Such people are rare in the world.
If Qiao Yan only had some talent in reciting poetry and explaining the main points of scriptures, perhaps Cheng Li would have to doubt whether it was possible that being talented at a young age might not necessarily lead to excellence when one grows up.
However, her ability to guess people's hearts and then make plans is already mature enough. This ability will only become more outstanding as she experiences more major events and accumulates more experience, but she will never be lost in the crowd.
What's more, there is a character "Yan" in her name.
What is Yan? The color of jade is like fire. The so-called "Yan" means flame, which means the rising light.
And if this jade disk were flowing with fire, wouldn't it be just like a rising red sun?
So is this dream of holding the sun a reference to Qiao Yan?
When Qiao Yan appeared, Cheng Li immediately revealed her purpose, which was somewhat like a test.
If she played the emotional card, Cheng Li would only think that she was not qualified to be the leader and that there was a lack of status difference between superiors and subordinates. If she backed down when the other party took the initiative or there was embarrassment in her words and deeds, Cheng Li would also feel that she had lost some ability to respond to emergencies.
But now she just said so frankly, "Mr. Zhongde understands me", which made Cheng Li laugh.
He is already forty years old. Considering that life is no more than fifty or sixty years, there is not much time left for him to show his talents.
A poor family, a poor family, is a poor family only if it has a family; a commoner, a commoner, no matter how common he is, he still has a family!
He was not even from a poor family or a commoner, let alone a local official like Zhu Junyou who recommended him as a filial and incorruptible official. His avenues for promotion were extremely limited.
He was indeed a little picky about the people he worked for, but after some thought, following Qiao Yan seemed to be the best solution for him at the moment.
Leping's geographical location also means that it is destined to be a place where people can display their talents.
In this case, why doesn't he dare to think and do something, to take a gamble, whether the person who wins the position of county marquis in this world can really become a sun hanging high?
What Cheng Li was thinking in his mind was just a matter of a moment. From what Qiao Yan saw, it was only a moment after she finished speaking that Cheng Li stood up and saluted her in return. "How dare Cheng Li disobey the order of Marquis Qiao, since he values you so much."
The person who made her most unsure whether he would follow her now said he was willing to go with her, which made Qiao Yan breathe a sigh of relief.
However, she didn't need to show her peace of mind on her face. She looked at Cheng Li and said, "Mr. Zhongde has a lot of thoughts in his heart, so how can he not be valued? But speaking of it, before we go to Luoyang together, shouldn't we go to Dong'e first?"
Since a top strategist like Cheng Li was willing to follow her temporarily, Qiao Yan naturally had to consider him.
Previously, because it was not appropriate to expose the speed
Jizhou's marching strategy is to pass by Dong'e city without entering, but we can't not go there now.
Although Xue was awarded the title of Tinghou by Liu Hong, it was also due to Cheng Li's decision. After getting the news, he would probably announce to the people of Dong'e County that they did not really surrender to the Yellow Turbans. But instead of letting Xue be the good guy, it would be better for him to "return home in glory" on the way to Luoyang.
After Cheng Li left, the only rumors left in Dong'e County were:
Cheng Li and Xue pretended to join the Yellow Turbans under Liang Zhongning and assisted the royal army in suppressing the rebellion in Yanzhou. Xue made great contributions and was rewarded by the Marquis of Ting. Cheng Li made suggestions and was valued by the Marquis of Leping County, who appointed him as his deputy.
Such rumors are naturally more popular than Cheng Li’s saying “Fools cannot work together”.
By then, in the impression of these county residents, Cheng Li did not keep such an important matter secret, and even left for another place afterwards, not because he was ashamed to be associated with them.
It was obvious that he did not want to involve other villagers in a matter of life and death, and he himself was willing to risk his own life for the stability of Yanzhou.
Fortunately, he was finally appreciated by important people and had fertile ground to display his talents.
This turned Cheng Li's story from a talented but arrogant one into a beautiful story of a man who made an extraordinary effort in the face of danger and finally gained something.
Although Qiao Yan explained it simply to Cheng Li, Cheng Li was such a great man that there was no way he could not hear the subtext in her words.
He felt touched by her thoughtfulness, but he just said, "Why not take on this reputation?"
"Since we are going on a long journey, we should not leave any regrets." Qiao Yan replied.
Besides, who knows if there will be a time to return to Yanzhou in the future?
Now it is just laying the foundation for fame, which does not require much effort, but in the future... maybe it will play a role.
Of course, she would not tell the following words to anyone. Moreover, Huangfu Song, who was promoted from the position of General of the Left to General of Chariots and Cavalry, was also traveling to Luoyang this time. Some words were not suitable for him to hear.
However, although Huangfu Song was still leading the team this time, the rules were not as strict as in previous marches, and the marching speed was much slower than before.
Passing from Dong'a to Puyang, Huangfu Song even gave Qiao Yan some time to go to the county government office in Puyang City.
Before this, Huangfu Song's reserve troops had been advancing to conquer Yanzhou, and the remnants of the Yellow Turbans left behind by Liang Zhongning in Puyang had already been wiped out.
Jizhou received direct orders from Liu Hong, but Yanzhou had to wait until the subsequent chief executive arrived before sentencing these people one by one.
Since Qiao Yan is already the Marquis of Leping County, it is not appropriate for him to interfere in this matter.
So when she passed by this place, she didn't mean to settle any favors with these people, but came to get something.
It was the record of her conversation with old farmers among the Yellow Turban refugees when she was in charge of spring ploughing in Puyang.
But when she had the boxes of books carried out of the house and placed on the carriage to be taken away, she also welcomed a special visitor.
It is not surprising that this person would come. He is Tian Tao, the head of the Tian family.
And he didn't come alone.
Qiao Yan saw at a glance that there was a cart following him, carrying dozens of rolls of silk.
"What is this, Master Tian?" Qiao Yan asked.
Tian Tao bowed and replied, "This is Tian's thank you gift to Lord Qiao."
Qiao Yan and his companions did not delay for long before leaving Quzhou, so it was only half a day ago that Tian Tao learned that Tian Yan had been awarded the title of Tinghou.
Having just learned from Tian Yan the whole story of how he got the position of Marquis, he couldn't help but feel a little scared.
The position of Marquis Ting was indeed enough to make up for all the previous losses of the Tian family, and it also played an irreplaceable role in the subsequent influence.
But if a stray arrow had accidentally hit Tian Yan under the Changsha City that day, he would never have had the chance to come back.
This position was truly earned with one’s life!
But after returning home, the child had no memory of his life being so close to death.
The matter was just a step away, and his mind was filled with the thought that he had finally returned victorious and brought glory to the family.
This brings us to the thank-you gift for Qiao Yan.
Of course they had to thank him, even regardless of the reward that Tian had received. With the Tian brothers' experience in dealing with people, when they heard that Qiao Yan had obtained the title of county marquis at such a young age, they knew that this was a person they must make friends with.
However, this is due to his status as the head of the Tian family, but as a father...
Qiao Yan looked at the items on the cart and asked, "Sixty rolls of silk and twenty kilograms of gold. I haven't formally apologized for the damage to the Tian family's fortress before, but now I'm asking the head of the Tian family to take out such a thank-you gift. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Even though the "jin" of the Eastern Han Dynasty is different from the modern jin, it still has to be halved. These twenty jins of gold are only five kilograms according to modern weight. Compared with the hundred-jin bounty that often appeared in the Han Dynasty, it is not too much.
And sixty pieces of silk were only the number of one cart. For a powerful family, this was only a small number. It was certainly impossible for the Tian family to have only the things in that cart.
But it would be rude not to mention the purchasing power of such a quantity.
Based on the grain prices that Qiao Yan saw in Yan and Ji provinces, and the conversion of silk and gold into Han Wuzhu coins, this was a sum of money that could buy about 300 tons of rice according to modern measurements.
This is no small amount of money.
But Qiao Yan has to accept this money.
Because when the head of the Tian family gave this gift, there was clearly some other subtext behind it.
If she just wanted to give a thank-you gift to Qiao Yan, since she still had to travel, the best way to reward her would definitely not be silk. She could just convert it all into gold, but Tian Tao still did it.
What does this mean?
This is a death atonement!
The redemption of death recorded since the 29th year of Emperor Guangwu of Han was somewhat different from that in the Western Han Dynasty. The original redemption of death with gold was replaced by redemption of death with silk and redemption of death by garrisoning on the border.
According to the decree issued last year, the price of redeeming a person’s life with silk was twenty pieces.
The three people among the direct descendants of the Tian family have exactly sixty horses.
There was a hint of sincerity in the earnest look that Tian Tao showed after he saluted her. This time she had done a great favor to the Tian family, but they should never do such things as risking their lives to deliver a letter again.
Qiao Yan was almost amused by Tian Tao's roundabout way of saying "Don't play with our children."
But it was obvious that Tian Yan did not understand his father's good intentions at all.
He even considerately exchanged Qiao Yan's silk for easy-to-carry gold, and then said, "If Marquis Qiao comes to Yanzhou again, I will do anything for you even if it means death." This can be said to have completely destroyed the deal that the head of the Tian family had worked so hard to reach.
After Qiao Yan and Cheng Li walked out of the sight of the father and son, they smiled at each other, "The difference in the minds of these two really doesn't seem like that of father and son."
"So does Lord Qiao prefer those who are cunning or kind-hearted?" Cheng Li asked.
"I like to be paid." Qiao Yan thought about it and gave a serious answer.
No matter how fertile the land of Leping County is, it cannot change the fact that last year's drought was an indiscriminate blow.
With a basin sandwiched between two mountains and a river running through it, the special terrain meant that it was impossible to completely irrigate and cover the area before the "turnover" occurred, and the local harvest was bound to drop sharply.
As a county marquis who had just received his fiefdom, Qiao Yan naturally could not do anything like draining the pond to catch fish.
No matter how much she wanted to make a big splash in her own territory, she still had to abide by some basic laws. So the thank-you gift from Tian Tao could be considered her start-up capital.
So she didn't care whether the other party was trying to sever any causal relationship, as long as she gave the money.
Cheng Li shook his head and laughed, but in his heart his opinion of Qiao Yan had risen to a higher level.
A person who can consider practicality more is indeed more suitable to be a leader than a person who is dominated by personal relationships and emotions.
And the matter was thus revealed.
On their subsequent journey westward, they did not talk any more about this matter.
After passing Yan County from Puyang, Xu Fu followed the route he and Qiao Yan had taken.
As mentioned when he set out from Quzhou, he went south to Yingchuan to see his mother, told her his decision, and then met up with Qiao Yan after everything was arranged.
Since they didn't know how long it would take Qiao Yan to get to Luoyang, and they didn't know how long it would take Xu Fu to go to Yingchuan and back, they simply agreed that he didn't need to go to Luoyang anymore, but could go directly to Leping.
After all, Leping can't escape.
After seeing Xu Fu off, the group continued along the north bank of the Yellow River, passing Yuanwu and Juan County, and after finding a boat to cross the Yellow River, they arrived at Ao Cang.
After arriving here, Chenggao is ahead.
After Chenggao was renamed Sishui in the Sui Dynasty, this place was renamed Sishui Pass. However, it is still called Hulao Pass because King Mu of Zhou imprisoned a tiger here.
Although Hulao Pass is not one of the Eight Passes in Luoyang, its status is no less important than any other pass.
It is also regarded as a place of strategic importance because of its special terrain, with Mount Song in the south, the Yellow River in the north, and mountains on both sides.
It was here that the three heroes fought against Lu Bu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
When Qiao Yan accompanied Huangfu Song to the pass, he looked up at the majestic gate and couldn't help feeling that he was already close to the capital.
Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the defenses here have been tighter than before, in order to prevent rebels from breaking into the pass and blocking the key points, which might cause irreversible consequences. Fortunately, the Yellow Turban Rebellion was always blocked outside the pass, and the increased defenses at the pass were never used.
Of course, whether the defense is strengthened or not has nothing to do with them. After all, the soldiers guarding the pass will recognize the people at the pass.
You should know that Bi Lan and others also took this road when they left Luoyang to announce the imperial edict, and Huangfu Song can be said to be the gatekeeper for them... roughly an idol.
At this moment, seeing Bi Lan and others turning back, along with Huangfu Song leading the army back, he knew that this was good news of a triumphant return.
They immediately opened Hulao Pass.
The heavy door slowly opened in front of Qiao Yan. After they entered the door, a heavy sound echoed among the mountains behind them.
Qiao Yan looked back at Hulao Pass again, her eyes thoughtful, but probably no one could guess what she was thinking at the moment.
At least Bi Lan, who was communicating with her before entering the customs, didn't know that this should be considered a kind of sentiment.
Qiao Yan's momentary shock did not affect her from continuing to talk to Bi Lan about the battle that had taken place at Hulao Pass.
For example, the State of Han entered the pass from Hulao Pass and destroyed the State of Zheng. Another example is that when King Zhuangxiang of Qin was in power, he sent Meng Ao to attack the State of Han and forced the State of Han to surrender Hulao Pass. Since then, the State of Qin was able to station troops at Hulao Pass to confront the six states.
Her voice was not too loud, so from the perspective of Yuan Shao who was traveling with the team, it seemed that Qiao Yan had said something to the eunuch from the capital that made the other party listen attentively.
From this perspective, Chunyu Qiong's previous judgment of her position may not have been a misunderstanding.
To be like this after being awarded the position of a county marquis is really...
What a bastard!
In terms of the identities of the people present, although Yuan Shao was only a bastard's son, he could be considered a half-legitimate son after being adopted by Yuan Cheng. Moreover, because of his handsome appearance, he was highly regarded by Yuan Feng and Yuan Wei. He was undoubtedly the tallest among these people.
But Qiao Yan would rather talk to the eunuch and treated him as nothing. How could Yuan Shao not remember him in his heart?
He then saw that Qiao Yan did not reject Bi Lan's suggestion. After passing Hulao Pass, they changed from land to water, that is, going down the Luo River. In this way, they would not have to suffer the pain of riding a horse on the mountain road.
But Yuan Shao had no idea that Qiao Yan did not do this this time to create an illusion for them, but because Bi Lan was more necessary for her to talk to than Zhang Rang, Yuan Shao and others.
Chunyu Qiong looked down on Bi Lan because of his peculiar skills and tricks, but two years later, in the third year of Zhongping, Bi Lan's supervision would fail due to Liu Hong's decree.
The reason why the cart was overturned at that time was because Liu Hong wanted to see the scene of river water splashing on the road. However, if we talk about the impact of the cart overturning on agriculture in later generations, it undoubtedly makes it not a playful innovation.
It is more appropriate to say that this is not so much a eunuch as an inventor.
It would be beneficial for Qiao Yan if he could establish a good relationship with Lan.
It's because she only knew the name of a car overturning, but couldn't outline the structure of the car overturning like drawing a map by hand.
As for Yuan Shao and Yuan Benchu...
If Qiao Yan was a man, she would really need to have a good relationship with him.
Whether it was relying on the reputation of the Yuan family to promote herself or relying on Yuan Shao's social circle to make friends with talented people at the end of the Han Dynasty, it would be much easier than for her to fight alone.
But she was able to ascend to the position of county marquis as a woman not because of Yuan's support, but because of Liu Hong's decision.
Then she must manage the distance between herself and the aristocratic family.
For Liu Hong, the eunuchs who had no heirs and had to rely on him were undoubtedly the most loyal to him. In extreme cases, he could even use these people as scapegoats.
This is exactly why during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, someone wrote a letter to denounce the Ten Eunuchs. He only extorted a sum of money from these people. This is also why -
Qiao Yan could show appropriate kindness to them at this time.
Bi Lan had no idea of the twists and turns in Qiao Yan's mind. In his opinion, the newly-conferred Marquis Qiao was much easier to get along with than those aristocratic families, relatives, and officials.
Previously, she had spoken very clearly about the historical evolution of Hulao Pass. Now, as the boat sailed on the Luo River, she did not hide the fact that she knew very little about Luoyang. She had only been there once when she was very young, and had since lived in Liang State. So, she still needed Bi Lan to give her more advice.
Bi Lan suddenly felt that he was being relied upon and couldn't help but talk more.
During this harmonious conversation, the boat passed Gongxian and Yanshi. When it was near the boundary between Luoshui and Yishui, Qiao Yan could already see the houses on the outskirts of Luoyang.
However, the suburbs were mostly used for farming and sacrificial ceremonies, and most of the houses were still in the city walls.
Han Luoyang was a very special city compared with later capitals.
In other words, all the capitals during the Qin and Han dynasties had such characteristics.
That is, there are no city walls in the city area of the capital, but it relies on rivers, ditches and mountains as an unwalled city.
Then the area outside the city was divided into suburbs and the area outside the suburbs into fields.
When the boat reached this point, it was passing by the Luoshui floating bridge. Seeing Qiao Yan looking towards the north, Bi Lan simply stopped the boat temporarily and explained to her.
"Nanguo of Luoyang is bounded by the Luoshui River. If there is a need for defense, we can deploy troops on the Luoshui floating bridge," Bi Lan said, making a gesture to the defenders on the bridge, and then continued, "South of the floating bridge is the southern suburbs of Luoyang, where the altar for worshiping the Red Emperor is located. And north of the floating bridge——"
Qiao Yan followed the direction Bi Lan pointed and saw a particularly eye-catching square platform on the north bank of the river. He then heard Bi Lan say, "That is Lingtai, and it is also where the historian recorded the stars."
Earlier when they were sailing on the river, Bi Lan had already told her that in addition to the rewards given to those of them who had quelled the rebellion in Jizhou, the current emperor also made a particularly special move.
He placed Si Tu Yuan Wei's wife, Ma Lun, who was from the Fufeng Ma family, in the position of Grand Historian.
Then this Lingtai should be considered as her office.
Regarding this change that was different from the development of history, Qiao Yan did not feel that it was beyond her control and that she needed to panic about it.
On the contrary, if she could not create some changes because of her interference in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, she would really feel that her presence was too insignificant.
And the fact that Madam Ma became the Grand Historian was undoubtedly something that Qiao Yan found very pleasing to hear.
Bi Lan added: "Opposite the Lingtai is the Mingtang and Biyong."
"This is a place for sacrifice. My father once mentioned it to me." Qiao Yan replied.
"Yes, it is the place for sacrifice, Fengshan and inspection." Bi Lan said, "After Biyong, it is the Imperial Academy."
No matter how prestigious the Hongdumen Academy founded by Liu Hong became due to the support of the current emperor, it was obviously impossible to deprive Taixue of its status, which was the place most desired by students all over the world.
There is no need to explain the status of Nan Guo, located south of the palace city, in Luoyang City.
In the Nan Guo area, which is six miles wide from east to west and four miles long from north to south, there are places for sacrifices, stargazing, and schooling. Even the South Market here is known as the Tuning and Music Erli. There is a saying that "people in the village sing and sang with stringed instruments." This is undoubtedly the cultural center of Luoyang.
There are only a few scattered houses near the bank of Luo River.
But these houses are not safe. Once the Luo River rises, they may be in danger of being flooded and destroyed.
Where is Dongguo?
Dongguo, with Yangqu as the boundary of the eastern suburbs, has Xuanping Gate as the connection to the court meeting hall for officials to move around, and a barrier protection zone on the east side. The rest of Dongguo area is where the people live.
There are two lanes in the East Market named "Tongshang and Dahuo", and most of the foreign merchants live here. It is connected to the horse market outside the East Gate and the place called Shangshangli at the foot of Mang Mountain in Beiguo.
Naturally, the closer the "sato" is to the palace, the higher the status of the residents.
But Qiao Xuan doesn't live here.
He lives in Xiguo.
According to Bi Lan, there is a big market in Luoyang outside Guangyang Gate. From Zhangfanggou to the east, it borders Luoshui to the south and Mangshan to the north. The area is two miles wide from east to west and fifteen miles deep from north to south. It is where the royal family members live. The people have given it a nickname called Prince Square.
The street further west from Wangzifang is where high-ranking officials and dignitaries lived.
Although Qiao Xuan was an incorruptible official, he was an old minister who had made great contributions to the Han Dynasty. When he resigned from office to recuperate a few years ago, Liu Hong asked someone to find a residence for Qiao Xuan in Xiguo on the grounds that the East Market was noisy and not conducive to recuperation.
However, the layout of this residence obviously exceeded Liu Hong's expectations, and it was somewhat out of place with the surrounding wealthy town.
You should know that the city of Luoyang was built along the city walls. The East Guo was connected to the horse market, while the West Guo was connected to the gold market in the city. Ordinary people didn't even have the chance to go there.
When Bi Lan said this, there was a hint of complacency in his words, which did not surprise Qiao Yan.
Relying on Liu Hong's favor, his mansion outside the palace was also in this area. Although it was not used most of the time, it was built next to Prince Square, which he considered a great honor.
Qiao Yan did not interrupt his intention to show off. He just listened to Bi Lan's introduction of the place while looking at the place where Luoyang welcomed envoys from all directions, which was only a foundation left in historical books, when he abandoned the boat and went ashore at the foot of the Hutao Palace.
Passing by the Walnut Palace is a stretch of mansions with numerous courtyard walls.
Of course, there are still some that stand out from the rest, such as the Imperial Daughter Terrace built by Liang Ji, a powerful official during the reigns of Emperor Shun of Han and Emperor Zhi of Han. It is said that the terrace was more than 50 feet high during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, but from what Qiao Yan has seen now, the terrace is at least 70 to 80 feet high, and it is like an outlier in the city.
It has been twenty-five years since Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty eradicated the cancer of foreign relatives, but Liang Ji still left much influence in Xiguo. For example, Xianyang Garden to the north of Wangzifang is the garden built by Liang Ji in the past.
But even though he poisoned Emperor Zhi and wore a sword and shoes when entering the palace during the reign of Emperor Huan and refused to bow to the emperor, it did not affect Liu Hong's current reliance on his relatives by marriage, and he even gave them considerable power.
Qiao Yan had just thought of this when he suddenly heard Bi Lan's serious tone saying, "Since Lord Qiao has just arrived in Luoyang, he must follow the rules of Luoyang. You must know that Luoyang is different from other places. Each village is surrounded by walls and cannot be opened along the street. At night, the inner door is locked and you are not allowed to go out on the street."
Why was Jian Shuo's uncle Jian Tu beaten to death with a five-colored stick by Cao Cao when he was the Northern Inspector of Luoyang? It was because he violated the curfew and walked on the streets at night and behaved in a wanton manner.
This is very different from later dynasties where night markets were even well developed.
But what Bi Lan said was right. Since she came here, she had to abide by the rules here.
A stone thrown from under the feet of the Emperor of Luoyang might hit two members of the royal family. The position of a county marquis alone is not a golden ticket to immunity from death.
Bi Lan's suggestion clearly showed that he valued her, and Qiao Yan did not reject his kindness and immediately responded seriously.
"Just be aware of what's going on, and follow me." Bi Lan was very concerned about the neighbors.
Most people know his identity, so naturally they also know the location of Qiao Xuan's mansion.
He took Qiao Yan through several streets and alleys.
Perhaps it was because he had been here many times and was quite familiar with the place, although Qiao Yan had not yet seen the road sign, Bi Lan did not hesitate at all when passing by, and then led her into the neighborhood called Yanxili.
The person in charge of the inner gate was stunned when he saw Dian Wei following Qiao Yan.
You have to know that Yan Xili is the residence of high-ranking officials and nobles. Even a guard has to be well-dressed and proud. How could he live like a worker in a butcher shop outside the city?
But he recognized Bi Lan. Since Bi Changshi felt that there was no problem in bringing this person into the inner quarters, he really had nothing to say.
Among the people living in Yanxili, there is probably no one as domineering as Han An's wet nurse, who occupied two li alone. According to Qiao Yan's observation while passing by, most of the houses in this "li" are not large, with a total of nine households. Among them, Qiao Xuan's house occupies the smallest area.
When Bi Lan went forward to knock on the door, Qiao Yan took the opportunity to look at the plaque on the door. Not surprisingly, he saw that the red paint on the door was peeling off. After the gatekeeper opened the door, the courtyard inside the door looked quite desolate and sad.
Although it is already summer, the tree with the deepest and thickest roots in the yard is leaning and dilapidated, leaning against the adjacent courtyard wall, and its branches and leaves have an unhealthy color.
This is true for plants, and even more so for humans.
The gatekeeper of the mansion was already quite old. He stood still with his hands down, letting them introduce themselves and head towards the inner courtyard. All they could hear were footsteps, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and -
Qiao Yan suddenly heard a strange noise and immediately looked towards the courtyard wall.
Just as she turned her head, she saw a girl, no more than four or five years old, lying on the courtyard wall, looking at her with interest. Seeing that she was discovered, she did not feel embarrassed about being caught, and smiled at Qiao Yan before disappearing over the courtyard wall.
"Who is that?" Qiao Yan pointed and asked.
Bi Lan thought for a moment and replied, "That is the daughter of Fu Shizhong, the Marquis of Buqi, whose name is Shou."
The daughter of Fu Shizhong... Shou?
Fu Shou?
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