For the humble maids, the gentle treatment of the distinguished guest is enough for them to remember for a long time, or even keep it in their hearts for a lifetime. It is like sprinkling a few grains of rice on an ant nest on the ground, which is insignificant to themselves and they will not lose anything, but it is a great gift to them.

No one would pay attention to them. In the eyes of many dignitaries, such plain-looking people are far less important than umbrellas for rainy days. They are caught between mediocrity and nobility, and are the most lowly.

The maid who had left empty-handed came back with a big umbrella. In the rain, she walked quickly, fearing that she would be slow, and Shu Shuang left. The muddy water drew a huge arc in the air, splashing on her skirt, making it slightly heavy. But she was already used to it, so she just ran to the eaves and handed it to Shu Shuang in the rain and fog.

Shu Shuang did not take it immediately. Instead, she raised her hand with great concern and wiped the rain off his face with a handkerchief.

"You should have gone with an umbrella."

Shu Shuang's voice was still sweet, not chilled by the dark clouds, but the maid only had face in the ceremony hall, so it didn't matter if she put on makeup at this time. With a smirk, the maid raised her delicate arm and handed over the big umbrella.

"Thank you, sister."

Shu Shuang said this and exchanged the umbrella in her hand with hers.

Holding the small umbrella, the maid prepared to leave. Tonight, she could share it with her sister in the next bunk before going to bed. She handed her big umbrella to Master Shu Shuang, which could keep this young but extraordinarily gentle master safe.

Shu Shuang watched her go, but it was a pity that there were so many palace maids that she would never see her again.

The big umbrella was like a mushroom pavilion, separating the cold and rain, allowing the little elf Shu Shuang to wait quietly for Xia Xiao underneath it.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, Xia Xiao came out.

"How about it?"

"As usual, I saw the red light, so it should be stable."

"That's good."

Taking the big umbrella from Shu Shuang's hand, Xia Xiao held it with one hand and walked into the rain.

"Where did you get such a big umbrella?"

"A young lady gave it to me."

"Do you know the name?"

Seeing Shu Shuang shaking her head, Xia Xiao said:

"The emperor will grant us families. Tomorrow I will ask the maidservant who is serving outside the examination hall today to take her to the Xia Mansion. It is better than keeping her in the palace."

"As long as she is willing, we will take her away."

"The maids in the palace are not like concubines. They are not recruited into the palace, but sold. In many cases, they become tools for the open and covert struggles between concubines and ministers. Although the emperor has not married yet, he is always at the mercy of others."

Being a maid in the home of a second-rank general is better than staying in the palace. Xia Xiao has special confidence in her family. Her parents are always the opposite of overbearing and unreasonable. Her elder brother and second sister are even more friendly, not to mention herself and Shu Shuang.

As the first two people to come out of the examination hall, Xia Xiao held up a slightly exaggerated large umbrella, and Shu Shuang was like a little bird under it. They went straight out of the palace, and naturally someone would take care of the luggage and other trivial matters.

Stepping onto the corridor, the red wall that countless women yearned for had no allure for Shu Shuang. It even looked a little sad in the rain. This ancient road had been built for a thousand years, and countless people had walked through it, all with a sad look on their faces.

The bricks and stones on the ground were polished smooth, so Xia Xiao and Shu Shuang walked slower. The big red umbrella seemed to blend in with the surroundings, just like a woman's rouge.

Passing by the main hall, it was still magnificent in the rain, emitting a golden light. But Xia Xiao would rather stay away from the temple than step into it. Everyone has their own ambitions, and his ambition is not here, but in the Yuanqi Tree.

The palace guards stood there like bronze statues, motionless. Xia Xiao and Shu Shuang walked past them, leaving this heavy, suffocating place.

Xia Xiao had said enough today and suddenly didn't want to say anything. He just took Shu Shuang and walked towards the west of the city.

"Is this the way to Xia Mansion?"

Shu Shuang felt something was wrong because there were many pedestrians on the road, all holding umbrellas, as if they were in a hurry to watch the excitement.

"no."

Shu Shuang was very smart and immediately knew that this must be the way to the Zhu family.

A street was unusually wide, covered with mist, and dripping all over the edges of umbrellas. They rushed in the rain, heading that way. They heard that the Zhu family had been raided, so they went to see if there was any opportunity to take some things back.

Xia Xiao was no stranger to such scenes. When the Xia Mansion was ransacked, there were also people who were so shameless.

The noise was annoying. Xia Xiao and Shu Shuang stepped forward, and a burst of energy shook the water on the ground, and the people standing on it also made way for them.

The people were surprised, but they didn't dare to neglect it. They retreated one after another, pushing others. The sound of rain, curses, and dirty words were irritating, but when they saw that it was Xia Xiao, they kept silent.

Why is Xia Xiao here?

Wasn't he in the final round? How did he come out? Did he hand in his paper early? Or was he eliminated?

Everyone's eyes flickered in the rain, looking towards Xia Xiao, and then avoiding Xia Xiao. They were not innocent in the tragedy of the Xia Mansion.

Standing in front of the crowd of people, in this afternoon that was like dusk, Xia Xiao and Shu Shuang watched countless valuables being moved out of Zhu's mansion. The maids were soaked like drowned rats, and suddenly had no support. They cried out in high pitch, but were driven away by the soldiers like livestock. And the servants could not escape the same fate.

These people look like people, but they are not. They are the money of the Zhu family, and they were confiscated together. No matter how brave they are, they have to listen to orders at this time. They will either fight with fists or stab them in the abdomen and end their lives. But I don't know where they are going. It can be said that their future is bleak.

The elderly housekeeper held an umbrella and staggered out of the Zhu family's gate under the guard of soldiers.

He had watched this door for more than 30 years, changing it again and again, each time becoming more extravagant. The more it changed, the more uneasy he felt. Finally, today the plaque was removed, breaking it in two.

His heart was in turmoil, like a sudden rain washing over the earth. The old butler shook his head, blaming himself for following the wrong person.

I still remember the summer two years ago when I took a group of men to Xia's house to deal with the aftermath. The hundreds of people died unjustly, and the blood was spilled everywhere. No matter how hard the rain washed it, it just couldn't be washed away. Now that I think about it, I was lucky not to die in Zhu's yard!

Turning his head, the old housekeeper saw Xia Xiao, trembling all over, and fell to the ground. The latter's face was ashen, like a soul-eating ghost, and his eyes swept around, finally projected on him, and stopped. The eyes seemed to be asking for punishment, which reminded the old housekeeper of the blood on the ground that evening. Those wronged souls, came to the door!

At the door, Zhu Heng and his two companions came out. Xia Xiao frowned immediately, and the old butler spat out a mouthful of blood in fear, and almost died. When he ran away, Xia Xiao took a few steps forward and stood in the path that Zhu Heng and his two companions had to pass. The latter had also been glorious, but now he was accompanied by his wife and Zhu Tiankang, and his expression was gloomy.

Seeing Xia Xiao coming, Zhu Heng, who had no umbrella to hold, stood in the rain, letting his hair crown be blown away. He looked ferocious, his face was almost distorted, and he looked very embarrassed, but he could not arouse Xia Xiao's anger.

"Third Young Master, come and watch the fun?"

His voice was hoarse because he had yelled before. His fists and eyes were red because he had been angry and fought with his gold and silver in the treasury. He had lost everything, so Xia Xiao should be happy, right?

In front of him, Xia Xiao looked disdainful, opened his mouth slightly, and said a word.

"Um."

"Hmph! All right! All right—"

Zhu Heng's voice became louder and louder, and he was so angry that he wanted to kill Xia Xiao. But the generals in the carriage beside him were watching his every move.

The people retreated upon hearing the noise, fearing that they would be implicated. Zhu Tiankang, however, held back Zhu Heng, fearing that he would lose control. The latter felt the force on his arm, turned around, kicked Zhu Heng away, and angrily said:

"You're a useless thing!"

Water splashed, and Zhu Tiankang spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground. His father beat him mercilessly, and he was used to it. But he didn't want Xia Xiao to laugh at him, so he stood up immediately.

It was cold and crazy in the rain. Zhu Heng lost, but he was unwilling to lose and he lost with gnashing teeth!

"Xia Xiao, even if you are taller than the sky, I will not let you go!"

He didn't dare to say it out loud, so he could only keep it in his heart, but he was still afraid of being discovered, so he left after saying it.

Looking at the Zhu Mansion and the sky, Zhu Heng said goodbye to his wealth and power. Zhu Tiankang said goodbye to his Si Qingling. If nothing unexpected happened, he would never see her again.

drive!

The whip whipped the horse's buttocks, causing the rain to spread in the air like pine needles. Then the lonely carriage drove towards the west of the city at a very fast speed.

This scene seemed somewhat familiar. The carriage went away in the rain, and the people rushed into the Zhu Mansion.

"Everyone come out in an hour!"

The soldiers shouted at the top of their lungs, but no one paid any attention.

The finances were confiscated, and some daily necessities were picked up by the people. The ministers despised the pots and pans, but they did not. They could find a decent chair, which was considered a profit, and they would not lose even if they returned empty-handed. This was something that the dynasty tacitly agreed to, and the generals and soldiers could only go and drink a pot of hot wine first, and then come back to seal off Zhu's mansion.

On a rainy day, drinking hot wine and eating a plate of braised beef makes me feel comfortable just thinking about it.

The people around him kept flowing, and Xia Xiao was like a high stone in the river, making the river avoid him and not dare to touch him at all. Looking into the distance, the carriage quickly became far away, and the people around him also disappeared in an instant.

Xia Xiao continued to walk towards the west of the city, stepping on the water with his shoes already wet. He had once left the imperial capital along this main road, and now he was walking along this road to go home.

This road has been built for many years and has been maintained, but it has never been demolished and rebuilt. When the wind blows on the ancient road, the rain will come. A burst of vitality spreads, and the rain on the ground and in the sky stays away, but Xia Xiao still holds the umbrella, like an obsession.

You need an umbrella on rainy days. I have been caught in too much rain in the past and I don’t want to get caught in it again. It’s too cold, too icy!

I walked into an alley and stood in front of a window. It was no different from before. There was still a piece of paper on the window with the price written on it. The owner here never bargained.

Seeing this, Xia Xiao almost forgot that he was only away for two years, not twenty years. But the hardships made him feel like he had lived his whole life in advance.

The boss was an old woman who could not speak. Looking at Xia Xiao through the window at this moment, she always felt a little trance, as if she had returned to a long time ago. At that time, when it rained, two children would come to her shop, shouting, "Two roasted chickens, with chili powder in separate boxes." Later, she knew that the child was the young master of the Xia family, and she became even more excited, and always picked the fattest chicken.

She felt extremely honored to be able to let the general's children taste her cooking!

At this time, Xia Xiao opened his mouth, imitating his elder brother's cheerful voice and said:

"Two roast chickens, separate servings of chili powder."