Chapter 61: Accompany "Come on, bring some more good wine. Today, Monk and I...
"Come on, bring some more good wine. Brother Monk and I won't leave until we are drunk today."
It was late at night and there were several wine jars on the table. Monk's face was flushed and he was lying on the table, obviously drunk.
All they wanted was for him to get drunk. Demu was happy and burped. Throughout history, there have been so many absurd agreements, many of which were made when people were drunk and made promises and vows. He had used this method to take advantage of others before, and it was still easy to do so now.
Demu said with some pride: "Brother, who are we to each other? This trip to the capital, let alone the silver that the Court of Border Affairs should give us, and the gold, silver and jewelry that His Majesty will reward us, just reselling some things on the way would be a big deal. As long as you can help me to complete this year's work smoothly, I will never treat you badly. I will give you cattle, sheep, silver, cloth, everything you want."
After the inducement, he began to flatter Monk: "You are such a respectable man, if you say anything, your master and mistress will definitely agree. Can't you do such a small thing? Then I have to doubt how you are doing with the young prince?"
"What are you doubting? My status is beyond doubt." Monk was obviously drunk. Hearing this, he slammed the table and said drunkenly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this!"
"Really?" Demu was overjoyed and insisted that he swear to Changshengtian.
"Okay, I swear to Changshengtian that I, Monk, will definitely help you with this! This won't work. After saying this with a thick tongue, Monk fell headfirst on the table, drunk and unconscious.
When he woke up again, he was already sleeping in a clean yurt. The sun was out and shining on his pillow, and his head was splitting. He vaguely remembered the oath he was forced to swear last night.
Monk went to the main tent with a pale face to look for Demu. But before he could speak, Demu said with a big smile on his face: "I know you are a good person. I don't worry, you can take care of this matter for me. Come on, these are some small gifts from me to you."
Finally, he added: "After all, you swore to Changshengtian last night. You won't tell me that your words are useless, right?"
What else could Monk say after all this? He just sighed deeply, with a look of drunkenness on his face. "Okay, I'll try to talk, but I can't guarantee it will work."
"That's another matter. As long as you tell me, it's likely to work."
Mengke said helplessly, "It would be great if it were that easy. This matter is neither difficult nor easy. It is not difficult... There are really many people involved. Well, anyway, I will try it first. Even if it succeeds, you should not tell anyone casually. Think about it, you are not the only one from the Chechen Khanate who will go to the capital. There are also several taijis in this group who will go. If everyone comes to ask for favors and talk to the princess, what will happen?"
"I know this, don't worry. The leader wolf will only share the meat with other wolves after he has eaten his fill, right?"
Demu patted his chest and promised, presented many salutes to the young prince and princess, and sent him back politely.
He rode at full speed all the way back to his own land.
Walking into the princess's tent, Monk knelt down and clasped his fists: "I am glad to have fulfilled your mission. Princess, the Taiji is very enthusiastic about this matter."
At first, he was a little puzzled as to why the princess had to reveal the news in a roundabout way, letting this person beg her. After drinking this meal, he gradually understood that some people are cheap at heart, and they never cherish things that are easily delivered to their doorsteps, and even think that they are nothing special. They only think that things that they have to fight for are rare.
The princess' understanding of human nature is indeed better than his.
"Thank you for your hard work, Aunt Kang. Remember to ask him to take those snacks back."
Mu Xue asked a few more questions about the taiji's personality and territory, and then asked Nanny Kang to take him downstairs to have a good meal.
Now that the step of luring someone into a trap has been completed, the next thing to do is to arrange things.
To be honest, this business is a bit like a special tourist guide or consultant, helping to serve these Mongolian taijis who have never been to Beijing or are unfamiliar with the affairs of Beijing, so that they can have a pleasant experience. If there is a fee, it is also charged according to the service fee.
In addition, during this process, her pawnshop can also play the role of an off-site ATM. Taijis would spit out silver when they needed it. In a prosperous place like the capital, there are so many scenes and opportunities for consumption. I don't believe that any prince or taiji can resist spending money. Of course, borrowing money must be repaid, and there is an interest rate. Considering the convenience of accounting, Mu Xue considerately put the collection period on the second year of the year, and then someone would take the loan documents to his territory to collect cattle and sheep.
Ordinary merchants might be afraid that these princes and nobles would turn against them, but she was different. As a princess and future Khan's wife, she had the face of the Tushetu Khanate and the Qing court to protect her. Unless she was too poor to afford the pot, no one would dare to offend her.
Such a business has few competitors, great profits, and a broad market prospect (according to Emperor Kangxi's centralized consciousness, he would definitely strengthen the supervision of the Mongolian princes and nobles who came to Beijing every year to meet the emperor). It is simply a good business that has the right time and place for her.
She didn't need to worry too much about the personnel. She gave a little information to the chief eunuch Yanxi, saying that maybe after the new year, she could select a few smart people to accompany the other Mongolian taijis to Beijing.
Yan Xi was immediately excited: "Really? Can I go back to Beijing to have a look?"
This is a good job. Not only can I go back and take a rest, but I can also make some money while traveling. It is also an easy job.
Mu Xue casually told him a piece of news that made him even happier: "If anyone serves these Taijis particularly well, they can share the profits from the pawnshop's loan amount."
This is really a golden pie! Yanxi only hated that as the chief eunuch, he could not leave the princess and go in to do this job. He turned around and informed his disciples of the news in advance, and specifically told them to think carefully about the rules along the way and how to stimulate the taijis to spend money, so that when the princess asked questions in person, they would have an advantage.
That's right, because the princess attached great importance to this mission. She specifically ordered that a special examination would be held after the New Year. Only those who passed the examination would have the opportunity to accompany Taiji to the capital.
Afterwards, he revealed the good news to all the eunuchs. For a moment, these eunuchs were all beaming with joy, which was very consistent with the atmosphere of the New Year.
The New Year is coming, and it is Muxue’s first New Year spent on the grassland.
Muxue cut a simple window paper out of red paper and looked up. She realized that the felt tent in winter would not have glass windows suitable for pasting window paper. She had no choice but to order Rong'er to paste the window paper on the felt wall inside the tent.
Some of the few remaining red cloths were also turned out to decorate the scenery inside and outside the tent.
When she was alone in a foreign land, some of the New Year customs that she had thought were boring before would be turned up and mixed with some memories to decorate the atmosphere of the festival. Not only her, but also the maids and eunuchs who came with her as a dowry, as well as the dowry farmers, were all happy to do something to decorate the New Year.
She looked at the window paper-cut, a little absent-minded.
In the capital city thousands of miles away from here, no one knows what Concubine Yi and the others are doing. And the homeland more than three hundred years later is even more distant and ethereal.
Outside the curtain, snowflakes are falling quietly.
Behind her, a gentle hug wrapped around her like a quilt after being exposed to the sun. Dorji's head rested on her shoulder, feeling a little heavy.
"Muxue's hands are really skillful. What a beautiful window paper-cut."
Mu Xue's eyes drifted between her simple window paper-cut and the complicated window paper-cut made by the skillful maid beside her. After a moment of silence, she said, "It's hard for you to always be serious and talk nonsense."
"That's nonsense." Dorji protested slightly, "It's their business if they cut it well, but it's yours that has nothing to do with me."
Mu Xue smiled: "Okay, you are right. I am fine, and you are fine too."
She rubbed his furry head: "Okay, don't always put your head on me, it's heavy."
Dorji sat down next to her and asked her to teach him how to cut paper.
Muxue is only half-baked when it comes to paper-cutting, but perhaps because Dorji praised her too much, she became a little inflated and was willing to give him some guidance.
After cutting two pieces of red paper, he finally cut out a shape, three unidentified objects connected together.
Mu Xue stared at this abstract art for a long time: "These three sheep are well cut."
Dorji was stunned for a moment: "Who cut the hair? You? Me? And Qiuqiu?"
Mu Xue: ...
Well, she was starting to feel awkward again. How could she get back on track? She picked up Dorji's abstract paper-cut and tried to brag: "I was just joking. Look, look carefully..."
Even if you look carefully, you can't tell that she looks like a human being in this paper-cut!
Seeing her hesitant, Dorji smiled and said, "There are always some setbacks on the road to success. It's okay. I'll cut another one."
After cutting a few pieces of paper, the paper-cut he made finally had the vague appearance of two people and a dog.
Is it time to light the lamps?
Duoerji personally pasted this window paper-cut next to Muxue's: "Okay, now this window paper-cut is not lonely anymore."
He turned his head and looked at Mu Xue with a smile: "It's getting dark now, would you like to go out of the tent with me?"
Mu Xue nodded in agreement. Duo Erji put the cloak on her and took her hand to go out.
It was snowing before, but now it has stopped. It is a starless and moonless night, and the only thing covering the grassland is the night.
But suddenly, accompanied by a sharp sound, fireworks burst out in the dark night sky. Red light and green shadows, extremely dazzling fireworks rose up from the sky, blooming clusters of unique prosperity in this snowy grassland.
How and when did he secretly get the fireworks?
Mu Xue's young face was illuminated by the light of the fireworks, and she was surprised and delighted.
In the gap between the fireworks, Dorji's voice rang in my ears: "Do you like it?"
Mu Xue looked at him. In the cold night, the fireworks and her were reflected in his eyes.
After many years, in this distant desert, he watched the fireworks with her again.
She opened her arms and hugged him gently.
When the last firework faded out, she said softly:
"Thank you, did you like it?"
There may have been many factors in the past, and there may be disputes in the future, but at this moment, she was glad that he was by her side.
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