Chapter 110
Xingyue Tower.
Today, the Xingyue Tower was cleared and Lord Hu took charge of it to welcome His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The entire Xingyue Tower was inspected by the Crown Prince's personal soldiers, especially the kitchen. The imperial chef also checked all the purchased ingredients one by one, with extreme strictness.
"I wanted to make some money today, but I didn't expect that the prince would come. How abominable." The young girl Kuima disguised herself as a young boy and cursed at the back door of Xingyue Tower.
There were two men next to him, one with a Dasheng face and the other with a Rong face.
If Xuan Duofu were here, he would definitely recognize them. These are the three people who sold Snow Lotus Pills yesterday. The guy in the crowd who looked like Dasheng was indeed a stooge!
The three men lost money selling the Snow Lotus Pills, although the capital was not much, fortunately they used some cheap medicinal materials, but in order to make a living, the three men were accustomed to cheating and deceiving, they could make money quickly and at high prices, and they could rest for several months after making one job. Last night they thought of going to the largest Xingyue Building in the city to think of a solution. There were many merchants here, and it was said that they could make a lot of money by spending a lot of money and just sending the waiter away.
"Kuyima, why don't you change into women's clothes and dance?" said one person.
The other was a little hesitant, but nodded.
Kuima immediately exploded and said, "I won't go. I'm dancing today, but next time you want me to be a dancer? The next time, will I have to sell my body to support you two? Bah!"
"What are you talking about? What I mean is that you should sneak in first. Today, a distinguished guest is here. Let's think of a way to cheat him out of his money. It's the one about the miserable life experience you often talk about." The man from Dasheng gave a suggestion.
The Rong man said, "Kuyima, you are so beautiful. I hope that prince will take pity on you and give you more money."
"I think we should go. I heard that the prince and Lord Hu are here." Kuima didn't want to go in there anymore. If she didn't do well, she would end up in jail.
In Xining, men and women who committed serious offenses were whipped. However, men were whipped on their buttocks. I heard that the whips had thorns and the skin and flesh were torn apart after one whip. Women were whipped on their backs, and the executioners were strong old ladies.
"Leave?" The Rong man raised his voice, "Where to go? Let's go now. We have gone to Xining City with great effort. Where to go now? Ronghe Mansion? We have deceived people. We will be caught if we go there."
"How about we go to Yihe Prefecture?" Dashengnan suggested. It's not impossible, "but we don't have the money for the trip. Besides, no matter where we go, we have to do the old business again, so we need capital."
The two looked at Kuima. Kuima had no choice but to say, "This is the only time today. If we get caught—"
"We will definitely find a way to rescue you."
"right."
There are singing and dancing performances in Xingyue Tower, and sometimes operas are performed. It depends on what kind of caravan is coming. They are all serious occasions, not a brothel.
Hu Qingdian invited His Highness to take a seat. Behind him, besides the left and right deputies, there were also the wives of the various officials, including Hu Qingdian's many wives and concubines. If it were in other places in Dasheng, officials would never bring their wives out to receive important guests on such occasions, especially concubines.
But this place is different.
Hu Qingdian has one wife and two concubines, one from the Rong tribe and the other from the Yi tribe. He has three sons and four daughters, one son and one daughter being born to each of the two concubines. Hu Qingdian also introduced his concubines to Your Highness.
Xuanyuefu sounded like women from one of the two tribes - yes, these two concubines had been married before, their husbands died in the war, and the two women surrendered with their cattle, sheep and people. Although the general trend of the times was that the two tribes had already surrendered, there is still a difference between voluntarily and being forced to do so.
The two women were moved by the regulations established by Lord Hu when Xining City was first built, and they volunteered to be concubines. According to the previous customs of the two tribes, if they remarried, their sons would be driven away, but their daughters would be fine.
But Lord Hu didn't care. He even tolerated the boy born to his concubine and provided him with a job. Naturally, when he grew up, he would have to go out and marry and have children.
"... Xining City is different from other cities in Dasheng. We in Dasheng pay attention to family background and rules, but it's not easy here. People live a rougher life. There's a saying that when the granaries are full, people know etiquette, and when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. Your Highness, after two days here, you can see that the women here also have to work and go out properly. Even my concubines have to go to the weaving workshop to manage things, and sometimes they even try to stop fights..."
Just like the Women's Federation.
Because Xining is an integrated city with different customs, there are sometimes quarrels. It is more convenient for people of the same tribe to manage their own people, but they cannot delegate power and let the two tribes go their separate ways. If this goes on for a long time, there will be chaos because the people will be very dissatisfied.
Therefore, there should be a limit to relaxation and severe punishment. After the punishment, if the talents are willing to stay and build Xining City, some subsidies can be given at the discretion of the government. This is all negotiable.
The two concubines of Lord Hu spoke Dasheng's language in an average way, but the children they gave birth to spoke Dasheng's language very well, were handsome and cute, and were very lively. They were not afraid of strangers and looked at the distinguished guests their father had mentioned with curiosity.
The children born to Lord Hu's first wife are somewhat well-behaved. However, after four years here, they are much more lively than the young ladies who were confined to the backyard in Shengdu City.
"Guest, why do the brothers behind you have blue eyes?" the little girl came forward and asked.
Xuanyuefu stroked the little girl's braids and said with a smile, "He is the same as you, but his father is from the Yi tribe and his mother is from Dasheng."
"My father is from Dasheng, and my mother is from the Yi tribe, but now we are all from Dasheng." The little girl said with a smile, and then looked at the big brother behind her, "Your eyes are so beautiful, it would be more beautiful if my eyes were blue."
Xu Lingguan smiled.
Hu Qingdian did this, and his subordinates followed suit. In just four years, there were countless marriages among the three tribes, and the children running around the streets were basically of mixed blood. If more than ten years passed and the people had enough food and clothing, they would spontaneously believe in their hearts: We are all Dasheng people.
"Where is Lord Hu from?" Xuanyu Fu was very curious about Hu Qingdian. This man was truly a capable person. He had originally guessed that he might be from a poor family who had passed the imperial examination, but he was wrong.
"Your Highness, I am a native of Shengdu. My family is quite famous. My grandfather is Hu Xianning."
Xuanyuefu: Who is Hu Xianning? He doesn't know her.
"Your Highness, do you know Hu Gufeng——"
Xuanyuefu's eyes widened. "I know Mr. Hu. He has a very good hand in cursive writing. I still have a copy. Are you from Mr. Hu's family?"
"Yes, Mr. Hu is from the main branch, and we are from the side branch. My grandfather and Mr. Hu's grandfather are cousins."
Manyu Fu: "You and Lord Hu are both wonderful people."
"Yes, somewhat. But when I was a child, adults often said that I had some problems with my brain. Those who followed Lord Hu said that there was something wrong with our Hu family's ancestral tomb, which led to the two of us going astray. However, Lord Hu was more upright than me, and he turned over a new leaf later." Hu Qingdian said with a smile.
The Hu family is wealthy and a prominent family. If you look back at the family tree, it was very luxuriant. However, the main branch of the Hu family, Hu Gufeng, was very good at "pruning". He cut down most of the luxuriant and huge tree of the Hu family, and was not afraid of being criticized - he became a minister and no longer recognized other relatives.
Therefore, Hu Qingdian only mentioned his grandfather just now. If Your Highness did not know his grandfather, he could only mention Lord Hu.
"Speaking of this position of mine, it was my father who had to go through great pains to beg for the recommendation," said Hu Qingdian.
"Later, the emperor attached great importance to the imperial examination. I thought that I had been eating and drinking at the imperial court for many years, and it was time for me to contribute to the imperial court, so I asked to go to Qianzhong."
"I actually had no idea at that time, and it was all thanks to Your Majesty."
Manyu Fu was surprised, "Did my father tell you how to cure it?"
"When His Majesty was hiding in Wuzhou, there were traces of his actions. I read the files and gained some insights. Then when I arrived in Xining, I imitated many of His Majesty's actions in Wuzhou." Hu Qingdian said one by one.
Building a city out of thin air, with three tribes in the city and two of the Rong and Yi tribes being the original locals, and an outsider as the top leader, gaining a foothold, the process was difficult and dangerous.
"When His Majesty was in Wuzhou, he had nothing he wanted, and I was already very content."
Xuan Fu heard Hu Qingdian praising his father, the emperor, and couldn't help but say, "Of course, my father is not an ordinary man, he is the true dragon emperor. It's amazing that Lord Hu has achieved what he has now."
His father was extremely efficient in reviewing memorials, and he could also have a love affair with his father, and clean up his mess from time to time. His father was indeed the male protagonist in the novel!
"Your Highness is not an ordinary person. Your Majesty is a true dragon emperor, and Your Highness is also a little true dragon."
Xuanyuefu: ...Hu Qingdian is indeed very good at dealing with people and is good at flattering people!
The two had a very pleasant conversation. Hu Qingdian flattered him and said that if the goods from Xining City were to be transported to Shengdu City in the future, the journey would be long and he didn't know if His Highness could help out when he was not there - Xuan Fu took care of it himself, of course, and said that if the goods were good, it would be okay to hype them up and sell them at a higher price.
The distance is long and the manpower and material resources are required, so it is impossible to sell the goods too cheaply.
The two of them ate and drank, and Xuanyufu even asked Wang Banban to order the imperial chef to prepare some delicacies from Shengdu City. Hu Qingdian was so moved when he heard this, his eyes were red, and he almost shook His Highness's hand and said that His Highness was his confidant.
Xuanyu Fu: It’s too early for you to act like this. You should wait until the food comes and have a bite before your eyes turn red!
The social interaction between the two is 40% acting and 60% genuine feelings. Hu Qingdian is thinking about the interests of the people of Xining City, and Xuanyifu, as the prince, does his best to help. The two of them have a tacit understanding and like each other, and they praise each other while eating and acting, which is quite lively.
Soon the food was served and the dance started.
Hu Qingdian, his subordinates and female relatives toasted His Highness. Xuanyifu drank it all in one gulp. Hu Qingdian said that His Highness had a good alcohol tolerance. Xuanyifu said, "No, no, let's eat."
So we started eating, drinking and watching singing and dancing performances.
The children were running around playing, and their brothers and sisters were trying their best to coax their younger brothers and sisters to come over and sit down to eat. Duoyunfu said, "It's okay, just let them be. The guest should follow the host's wishes. When I arrived in Xining City, I found that the local customs and people here are cheerful, lively and free, and I feel much more at ease."
Because these kids just ran, without screaming or behaving like naughty kids. They ran and learned to dance under the stage, behaving so innocently, which was great.
The main reason is that Hu Qingdian doesn’t think it’s shameful for his children to learn dancing.
Many people like this Mr. Hu, and they turned around and said to Yan Jinjin: "I think people with the last name Hu are quite charming."
"Master Hu?" Yan Huaijin asked.
Xuan Duofu immediately showed a ferocious expression, which made Yan Huaijin laugh, and then asked: "Is Master Hu still very strict now?"
"...I avoid him. He is not as strict with me. If we meet, he will test me. You said that this old man should retire at his age. Isn't it better to drink tea in the East Palace? He has to worry about me when he sees me. Sigh." Xuan Fu complained, but there was no annoyance on his face. Instead, he said: "When you come back with me, you can answer for me when he comes to test me."
Yan Huaijin nodded and said, "I will be your aide. If you make any mistakes, I will be the first one to be punished. I will do it happily."
"No, that won't do. I will feel sorry for you, Yan Jinjin. You will be restricted in what you do and won't be able to do anything naughty. It would be better to transfer Liu Qiang to my East Palace and let him get beaten. He has thick skin and tough muscles. We can hide behind him then." After saying many sweet words, his "bad intentions" naturally came to light.
Yan Huaijin knew that Fu was joking, so he said with a smile: "Your Highness is wise."
The two of them laughed happily.
Behind him, Xu Lingguan noticed a familiar person in the corner behind the stage, so he quietly walked towards General Wang. The two of them lowered their heads and whispered to each other. Wang Yuansun looked towards the corner of the stage and nodded.
It turned out to be the girl who sold snow lotus pills yesterday.
"General Wang, why don't you leave it to me?" Xu Lingguan said.
Wang Yuansun glanced at His Highness. He didn't care about a group of female scammers. Manyu Fu's safety was more important, so he nodded. Xu Lingguan went closer to the stage to check, but as soon as he approached, the positions of the people on the stage changed, and the girl disappeared under the wide sleeves.
Xu Lingguan frowned, looked at the entrance and exit behind the stage, and went to chase after him.
Hu Qingdian noticed how the guards around His Highness left, but he thought about it and didn't mention it first. Xuanyunfu enjoyed the singing and dancing and ate the whole time. He ate local specialties, one of which was similar to mutton pilaf, which was very special and delicious!
Lord Hu and his family enjoyed the delicacies of Shengdu City and had a great time.
Everyone clinked their glasses from time to time and chatted about the local customs and people, and the stepchildren of Lord Hu, who were born to his two concubines before. "If Your Highness could stay a few more days and be a spectator at their wedding, it would be a great blessing for them."
Hu Qingdian had two concubines, the older one was thirty-three years old and the other one was twenty-nine years old.
The Yi and Rong tribes get married early, and they get married and have children when they are fourteen or fifteen years old. Therefore, the children born earlier have also reached the age to get married, and it just happened to be the right time.
Xuanyu Fu nodded and agreed to stay for another ten days or half a month.
Xining city is quite fun, I would like to spend the New Year here before leaving.
"In fact, it is better and healthier for girls to have children if they marry later," Xuanyifu said. Fourteen or fifteen is too early, and they are still children.
Before Hu Qingdian could speak, his two concubines agreed with what the distinguished guest said.
"I almost died the first time I gave birth to my oldest son."
"When I gave birth to our master, I didn't feel anything and the baby came out."
Hu Qingdian: ...
Xuanyu Fu said, "The two ladies are very straightforward and frank. They are all experienced. If they are too old, in their forties or fifties, it will harm their health. If they are too young, or are children, it will be even worse."
Marriages among the wealthy families in Shengdu City usually start with dating and engagement at the age of fifteen or sixteen. It takes more than a year to prepare for the engagement and marriage, and the marriage age is usually seventeen or eighteen. If it can be pushed back a little, children are usually born at the age of eighteen or nineteen.
"Your Highness is right. The eldest daughter is sixteen this year, so let's get her engaged first and get married next year. The son is seventeen or eighteen years old." Hu Qingdian said hurriedly.
The two chatted about weddings for a while, and the banquet was coming to an end. Xu Lingguan finally came back. He didn't ask many questions. After exchanging greetings with Lord Hu, both the host and the guests left the party happily.
It's dark outside.
Xuanyunfu took his people back to rest, and then asked Xu Lingguan what he did in the afternoon.
"Master, do you still remember the medicine-selling girl from yesterday? She was dancing on the stage at the banquet just now." Xu Lingguan replied.
Manyu Fu was surprised. "Her business is quite extensive. She sells drugs and can dance. Has she been caught?"
"He ran away very quickly. It's obvious that the other party recognized your identity." Xu Lingguan said.
Xuanyu Fu: "It doesn't matter if they didn't catch him. This is also Lord Hu's job."
Ling Guan disappeared for a long time, and Hu Qingdian must have noticed it. If he was interested, he would definitely find out. Sure enough, as soon as Xuan Fu left, Hu Qingdian asked his subordinates why the guards of the prince went to the back without any reason. What happened?
By the evening, Hu Qingdian knew about the sale of medicine yesterday.
"Then we have to conduct a thorough investigation. Also, take my documents and go to Ronghe Prefecture and Yihe Prefecture to ask clearly whether this group of people succeeded in defrauding others, how much money they defrauded, and whether the people reported it to the authorities. We need to transfer the files to you."
"Yes, sir."
Afterwards, Xuanyuefu started a journey of "love, travel and eat" in Xining City. The scenery outside Xining City was very beautiful. He and Yan Jinjin rode horses on the grassland. With the guidance of local people, they came across a water source and herds of cattle and sheep. They bought a lamb and Wang Banban roasted it.
Wang Banban was wearing local clothes, with his belly tightly outlined. He sprinkled salt, chili powder and cumin skillfully, and the roasted lamb was sizzling with oil. When the local herdsmen saw it, although they could not communicate in the same language, they gave Wang Banban a thumbs up, meaning that the lamb was roasted well.
"Our Wuzhou and Xining City are somewhat similar." Wang Yuanyuan couldn't help but sigh.
The sky here is high and vast, the scenery is beautiful, and the food tastes similar to that in Wuzhou.
Xuan Fu and Yan Jinjin were riding horses and racing horses. When they were tired, they let the horses rest and eat grass. He and Yan Jinjin lay on a blanket on the grass, looking at the white clouds, and then sighed: "Yan Jinjin, it would be better if you were not so serious. We could use the sky as a roof and the ground as a bed."
"..." Yan Huaijin's ears and cheeks turned red, he was aroused by the lustful demon.
Who knew that the big pervert misunderstood, thinking that his princess was shy, and turned over and covered Yan Huaijin handsomely, with his elbows on the grass beside him, and said: "Yan Jinjin, you look so beautiful when you are shy."
Yan Huaijin was lying there looking at Xuanyi Fu who was showing off. He was deeply attracted to him and put out his hand to hold Xuanyi Fu's waist. But as soon as he touched him, Xuanyi Fu lost his composure and started dodging here and there with a grin, saying he was itchy. The domineering aura that had just been erected collapsed in an instant.
Xuan Fu didn't have any itchy spots, so when he played with other people, it was nothing like hugging each other's shoulders or waists. But when Yan Huaijin touched his waist, it was as if his hand was filled with electricity, and he felt limp from the shock.
"Don't touch me, I'm collapsing."
"I'll hold you up and you fall on top of me."
"Yan Jinjin, you big pervert, you're still talking about me!"
"...Many blessings, I kissed you."
Xuanyu Fu immediately closed his eyes and pouted his lips, leaning forward, "Kiss, kiss, kiss."
Yan Huaijin gave him a loud kiss and said, "Who is the big pervert?"
"I am, I am." Xuanyuefu smiled, thinking that his Crown Princess was truly a pure and innocent girl.
Yan Huaijin felt itchy, so he pinched Duoduofu's cheeks and said, "Me too, actually."
"Then you won't sleep with me!" Xuanyu Fu frowned.
Yan Huaijin hugged Xuanyufu's waist, looked at the white clouds in the distant sky, and said, "Xuyunfu, if I agree, you will definitely not dare."
"Who are you looking down on?" Xuan Duofu was looked down upon, especially by his Crown Princess. He immediately said with great vigor, "I dare you, I dare you. Are you really willing?"
Yan Huaijin's jade-like face curled his lips and smiled gently, saying, "Today, Your Highness wants to try using the sky as a canopy and the ground as a seat. As Your Highness's future Crown Princess, I am naturally willing to accompany you."
“Is this true or false?”
"real?"
"Really, really?"
"Many blessings, don't you dare?"
Manyufu: ... "!!! Why wouldn't I dare!"
"Just wait, I'll be there now."
Yan Huaijin hummed and said, "Your Highness just asked the team to go far away, so they must not be able to see us. There is only you and me in sight here. Your Highness, please come down."
"Why are you so enthusiastic and cheerful today?" Xu Duofu muttered, and raised his eyebrows again, "So I'm really here?"
Yan Huaijin almost laughed so hard that his stomach hurt, but he pretended to be calm and said, "Come on."
Many blessings: ...
Many blessings: ...
Many blessings: ...
Woo woo woo woo, I've embarrassed myself as a pervert. Now that the time has come, I'm starting to feel restrained.
After a long while, Duo Xuanfu resigned himself to lying down next to Yan Jinjin, gritting his teeth and saying, "Damn it, Yan Jinjin, you have become a bad person now. You must know that I dare not do it - I am not afraid, I just feel that this is the first time for the two of us, especially yours, so I have to do it properly in the wedding hall and bridal chamber."
"Just wait for the bridal chamber!"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who appears to be fierce but is actually weak and speaks harshly.
Yan Huaijin curled his lips. The cold winter wind blew on the two of them. He reached out and held the little prince's hand, saying, "Xuan Duofu, you are so cute, and you haven't changed at all as always."
"Yan Jinjin, you have changed now. You have become hateful!!!" Xu Duofu gritted his teeth, then said with a smile: "But who makes me your husband? I will tolerate you."
"Thank you for your tolerance, Your Highness."
"You're welcome, you're welcome. We're family, why should we be polite?"
Without the urgency to use the sky as his roof and the ground as his bed, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince turned into a flexible sex maniac again. After exchanging some sweet words, the two finally got up. Even with the woolen felt covering their bodies, they still felt a little cold.
A few days later, it was late in the evening, Xuanyifu was stopped by someone when he was returning to the city. The other party couldn't get close to him at all because he was blocked by the East Factory and his personal soldiers. Xuanyifu took a closer look and found that it was a girl.
"Who is it? What do you want from me?"
Xu Lingguan recognized it at a glance and stepped forward and said, "Master, Snow Lotus Pill."
"Bah, my name is Kuima." said Kuima.
Xuanyunfu suddenly realized that Xuelianwan remembered Kuyima and didn't know who he was. However, since the other party introduced himself, he asked, "Kuyima, what do you want from me?"
Who would have thought that Kuima, who had been stiff-necked, suddenly knelt down, his eyes reddened, and he was about to cry. He said, "Your Highness, you are the most honorable master. Please be generous and let my friend go."
"Your elder brother and the shill in the crowd?" Manyu Fu asked. It seems that Lord Hu is quite efficient, as he caught the man right away.
Kuima nodded, and with tears in his eyes, he began to say that they were orphans, sworn brothers, and that they were forced to commit fraud.
"How many years have you been cheating people? How much does a box of medicine cost? You know, if the people who bought the medicine really had injured people at home, they would have saved money to buy your medicine just to make their loved ones get better and live again. In the end, the medicine was ineffective and they were defrauded of all their money. Have you ever thought about the victims?"
Xuanyi Fu looked more serious and continued, "Xining City was built four years ago. I heard from Lord Hu that there was a shortage of manpower at the beginning. If able-bodied men did hard labor, they would be paid with food and eventually given yards and land to build houses. Do you know about this decree?"
Kuima had a complicated expression. She had told countless lies since she was a child, and this time she was really stumped.
"Neither you nor they are innocent. You should accept the punishment that Lord Hu decides to give you." Xuanyu Fu waved his hand and asked Officer Xu Ling to arrest the people.
It just fits together nicely.
Kuima's eyes suddenly turned red, and he cursed Xu Lingguan loudly, "You, a barbarian, are a running dog of the Dasheng people. They have ruined our family and our lives. Why should we build Xining City?"
It would be too long to trace this back and the reasons are too complicated.
Xuanyun Fu got off his horse, walked forward, and said, "First of all, Xu Lingguan is not my lackey, he is my subordinate and friend. Secondly, let's put things in perspective. If the Rong tribe had won a great victory, do you dare to say that your people would not have trampled the mountains and rivers of Dasheng with their iron cavalry? Wouldn't they have burned and killed my people?"
"My father has done many good deeds. Look at your people's lives now and in the past. Have we killed innocent people indiscriminately?"
"The world was tough before. It was not easy for you, an orphan, to survive. Confess and be lenient. If your herbs have not killed anyone, Lord Hu will not punish you severely after paying the fine and paying the compensation."
After saying this, Xuanyufu got on the horse.
Kuyima stood there with red eyes and a somewhat stubborn look on his face. Xu Lingguan did not tie up Kuyima. Instead, he let Kuyima ride his horse and he held the reins and walked towards the city.
Xu Lingguan said: "You have a sworn brother from Dasheng, which means you don't really hate Dasheng people. You are just afraid of hardship and want to make some quick money by cheating and deceiving people."
Kuima: ...
This lackey is really smart.
And why didn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince covet her beauty? In the past, when she made up lies like this, people would feel sympathy and pity for her.
"..." Xu Lingguan happened to turn around and saw Kuyima's expression. He was immediately silenced. He asked Kuyima, "You and me, what do you think of my appearance?"
Kuima originally wanted to curse, but after a closer look, she realized that she had not yet carefully examined the appearance of this lackey. Now, in the sunlight, she saw that the other person had eyes like the blue sky and a gentle and beautiful face, even more beautiful than her.
Xu Lingguan: "You look ordinary, don't think of using your looks to deceive people. Today you ran into our prince, he is upright and not interested in women. If you run into some people who are greedy for beauty, you think you are smart to deceive them, but they will sell you out."
"Bah, I'm quite skilled." Kuima said stubbornly.
Xu Lingguan: "Just listen to me."
Kuima: ...
The author has something to say:
Your Highness Duozi: I really dare!
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