Chapter 26 Xuan Xiao

Hearing the ghost story, the crowd started to stir. Ruyi was a little scared and instinctively moved closer to Ming Huashang: "Madam..."

Ming Huashang held her hand and said, "It's okay. We are in a Buddhist temple. What kind of ghost can cause trouble in front of the Buddha?"

Ming Huashang remained calm, but the people around her were already discussing: "What's going on? Whose family is the Wei family?"

"The Wei residence is not far away, also in Chongyefang. It's the one in front that grows locust trees. Manager Wei just expanded his residence, and it's flourishing. How come there's a ghost?"

At this point, someone in the crowd lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "You don't know this, right? The Wei family is in the puppet business. I heard that their puppets came alive and were walking around the house."

The onlookers all gasped and asked in unison: "Are you serious? The puppet serves the dead. If this thing comes to life..."

Ruyi trembled when she heard this. She had just returned from Feihong Villa and was frightened by the eyeless female corpse. She couldn't stand hearing such ghost stories. She grabbed Ming Huashang's clothes tightly and said fearfully, "My lady, let's go quickly."

Puppets are used to accompany the dead, and are usually used by the rich and powerful when they hold funerals. The rich and powerful feared that there would be no one to serve them after death, so they used living people to accompany the dead in ancient times. Now the court does not allow the use of living people, so they use puppets instead.

Because this business mainly caters to the rich and powerful, the puppets are often carved to be extremely lifelike and luxurious. Some families even carve puppets that are the same size as real people. The Wei family is a well-known company in the capital that specializes in puppet business.

The puppet maker's puppet came to life, which was a big gimmick and immediately attracted many people to watch the excitement. The servant had a tearful face and pulled the abbot of the temple and insisted that the abbot go to their house to perform a ritual.

Ming Huashang had no interest in ghost stories in other people's homes. Since Ruyi was scared, there was no point in staying any longer, so Ming Huashang took Ruyi out of the crowd.

It was a beautiful spring day, but because of the ghost story, the sunlight seemed to be covered with a layer of whiteness, and it was cold and chilly walking in the temple. Ming Huashang saw that Ruyi looked unhappy and said, "It's okay, we survived a disaster and will have good fortune in the future. There's nothing interesting here, let's go to a popular place to take a look."

Ming Huashang took Ruyi out of the side door and went to the market outside the temple. Ruyi was just a teenage girl, so how could she not like to go to the market? But she thought that she was here to accompany Madam Ming to burn incense today, so she hesitated: "My wife, the old lady won't let you go far, let's go out..."

Ming Huashang picked up a hairpin on the street and looked at it, then rolled her eyes at her: "If you don't tell me about this and I don't tell you, how would grandma know? Ruyi, look at this hairpin, what do you think of it..."

With Ming Huashang's guarantee, Ruyi immediately put down her baggage and happily browsed the stalls. Compared with the official stalls, the folk crafts were too shabby, but they were novel and interesting. Ming Huashang asked questions while browsing, and questioned very carefully.

Ruyi was curious and asked, "Madam, why are you asking these questions? You are short of jewelry, so you asked someone to go to the South Market to make a new set. How can such a folk trinket be accepted at the threshold of the mansion?"

Ming Huashang smiled and said, "I'm just taking a look." But she didn't say more.

She didn't have many opportunities to go out, so she couldn't waste them. She had no idea how she was going to make a living, so she asked the people in the market if there was anything she could do.

There is no need to tell Ruyi about this matter.

The two of them walked and stopped, and before they knew it, they had walked half the street, and they were both a little tired. Ming Huashang saw a vendor selling Jushengnu on the street, and said to Ruyi, "There's a vendor selling Jushengnu over there, go buy a pack, I'll wait for you here."

Ruyi responded and left immediately. Ming Huashang stopped by the road to rest. She was looking at the street when suddenly a truck came on the road, blocking her view. Ming Huashang was squeezed back. She was about to look for Ruyi when she suddenly heard someone behind her say, "Mrs. Ming, can you please have a word with me?"

Ming Huashang's body froze. There was a lot of noise on the road. The guys escorting the goods were shouting and pushing the carts. Some people in the crowd were trying to get out of the way or complaining in a low voice. No one noticed this corner.

Ming Huashang pinched her palms tightly, forcing herself to calm down. She didn't turn around to look at the person's face, and asked, "Who are you?"

While speaking, Ming Huashang's eyes unconsciously scanned the direction of the Buddhist temple. The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion came to the Bodhi Temple to burn incense today, and naturally brought guards with them, who were all in the temple at the moment.

The person behind him understood Ming Huashang's intention. He laughed, mockingly and threateningly, and said, "Madam Ming, we have no ill intentions, but if you shout it out, then we can't say for sure."

Ming Huashang glanced at the distance from the temple, then looked at Ruyi who was buying a giant slave across the street, and compromised, "I wonder who your master is?"

The person behind him was unmoved and said coldly, "You will know when you come in, my lady."

Ming Huashang had no choice but to follow the other party inside. Ruyi was the only one beside her, so she had no chance of winning by force. Moreover, this place was too far from the temple, and even if she called for help, the guards would not come, and it would only anger these people.

Since you can't persuade them, you can only see what they want.

Ming Huashang was led into a teahouse. On the way, she looked around the environment calmly. The teahouse was elegantly decorated, with paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls. It looked very quiet and peaceful, with a sense of tranquility in a bustling place. There were not many customers in the store. The shopkeeper was calculating behind the counter, and the tea master was wiping the tables inside and outside, completely ignoring Ming Huashang.

Ming Huachang felt increasingly disappointed. The other party had chosen a rather tasteful teahouse, and apart from the initial threats, his demeanor could even be described as elegant, not looking like a kidnapper out to rob people of their money and sex.

However, this shows that the problem is even bigger. He does not seek wealth or sex, which means that what he seeks is far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

The guide led Ming Huashang up to the second floor, stopped in front of a private room, and knocked on the door softly: "Boss, she's here."

A voice came from inside, and the person leading the way opened the door and looked at Ming Huashang: "Madam, please come in."

Ming Huashang was in a very difficult mood at the moment, but she still smiled at the young man who was threatening her, and walked into the box with a fearless attitude.

The private room continued the elegant style of the outside, and was decorated quite delicately. A man in a black robe with gold patterns sat at the table, brewing tea. He looked to be about 40 years old, with a tall figure and a scholarly look. Without raising his head, he pointed to the opposite side and said, "Sit down."

Ming Huashang was already numb, so she decided to go for broke and sat down opposite her without any hesitation. The man slowly added water to the purple clay pot and said, "I have no choice but to meet Miss Ming in this way. I'm sorry."

Ming Huashang smiled insincerely and said, "It doesn't matter. I'm just sitting around doing nothing. Have you picked the Yangxian tea this spring?"

The man in black finally looked up at Ming Huashang and said, "Young lady, you have a nice nose."

"Thank you." Ming Huashang said with a smile, "I can't learn anything, but I am a little careful about food and drink. Yangxian tea, purple clay teapot, snow mountain spring, good tea, good teapot, good water, I am lucky today."

The man looked at her with a smile on his face, "How do you know this is spring water from the snow mountain?"

Ming Huashang smiled and said, "Your Excellency's technique in brewing tea is so exquisite, and you are obviously an expert in tea. It's a pity that there is no Jade Maiden Spring. Apart from the spring water from Mangshan, what other water can match such good tea?"

The man smiled noncommittally, lowered his head and poured water, saying, "I don't have the good fortune to go to great lengths to fetch water from the snowy mountains. This is just water from the well at the Bodhi Temple."

Ming Huashang did not even blink, and boasted again. She said flattering words, but her mind was calculating rapidly.

She called him "Sir" and he didn't deny it, which showed that he was indeed a government official. She had recently offended only a few people who could afford retainers.

She originally thought that he was Princess Taiping's man, but when she mentioned the snow mountain water, she was rejected by the other party.

The vast tracts of land outside Luoyang City were all Princess Taiping's property. Others couldn't afford to go to the Snow Mountain to fetch water, but Princess Taiping had the financial resources to do so. If it wasn't the Snow Mountain water, then he wasn't sent by Princess Taiping?

That would be even worse. Was it the King of Wei, the King of Liang, the King of Luling, or the former Crown Prince, now the King of Xiang?

The teapot rang, and the man lowered his head to scoop water. The mist between the two of them was hazy and unclear. The man half-lowered his eyebrows and seemed to enjoy Ming Huashang's flattery. Suddenly, he asked out of the blue: "Young lady, you have been guessing for so long, have you guessed it?"

Ming Huashang's hands were clenched white under her sleeves. She knew that her life and death were at this moment, and whether she could get out of it depended on her next answer.

Ming Huashang hardened her heart and decided to take a gamble: "My daughter is stupid and foolish, and her words are not taken seriously. I really don't know how I could have caught the empress's eye."

The man put down the gourd, looked up, looked at her and smiled: "Young lady, you are smart. I was right about you."

Ming Huashang knew that she had made the right bet. Her fingers slowly relaxed and her back was wet with cold sweat.

Princess Taiping was extravagant and didn't care how much manpower and material resources were spent in order to save face, but the empress did not like extravagance and waste. Even as an emperor, she still lived a simple life.

If he was a retainer of Princess Taiping, she would not care about the mere snow-capped mountains and water, but the empress would not allow her subjects to waste like this.

It was also easy to rule out the King of Wei and the King of Liang. The Wu family was now in a state of prosperity because of the Empress, but the King of Wei was greedy for profit, and the King of Liang was stubborn and self-righteous, and would not do such frivolous things. If the King of Wei wanted to cause trouble for Ming Huashang, he would have knocked her out on the street and taken her away. How could he have the patience to bring her to the teahouse?

Prince Luling had just returned to the capital and was about to be appointed as the crown prince. He was crazy to stir up trouble at this juncture. As for Prince Xiang... Although it was a bit treasonous to say so, Ming Huashang really felt that if Prince Xiang had the ability to recruit such a powerful minister, he would not have been imprisoned in the palace as a puppet for thirteen years.

Eliminate all possible errors, and the remaining options, no matter how outrageous, are the only answers.

It was too risky. Ming Huashang had a hunch that if she guessed wrongly and said the name of the Prince of Xiang or the Prince of Wei, the Ming family would be doomed.

The man rested his knees leisurely, waiting for the last stream of water to boil, and asked casually, "I heard that Madam Ming performed great deeds in Feihong Villa?"

"No, no." Ming Huashang almost stopped breathing and quickly denied it, "I was just talking nonsense. His Highness Taiping is very observant and can see through everything."

"Really?" The man said slowly, not caring what Ming Huashang said, "But I heard that Madam Ming had already guessed his character and habits before she even saw the murderer."

Ming Huashang was silent. She had only revealed her criminal profile in two places. One was with Ming Huazhang, and the other was on the day of arresting the murderer. She casually said two words to ask them where to search for evidence. Ming Huazhang would not betray her, and that was when someone heard her searching for evidence.

There were so many people that day, she thought no one would notice her. How careless! Ming Huashang wished she could travel back in time and cover her mouth. She had said something unnecessary, and now she was in trouble.

Ming Huashang explained carefully, "I was arrogant and interfered in the murder case. I just thought that the murderer must be cruel, arrogant and self-abased since he killed people and gouged out their eyes. That's why I made a wild guess. I was wrong. I won't take such things lightly in the future. Please forgive my daughter this time."

As Ming Huashang explained, the man in black stared at her silently. The teapot was boiling, and hot steam was bubbling out of the spout.

The tea, which took so many steps to make, would become stale if the water was boiled for too long. But the man did not move, and neither did Ming Huashang.

Ming Huachang became more and more uneasy, and couldn't help but examine whether she had said something wrong. The man looked at her for a long time, and slowly said: "Brutal, arrogant and inferior, you really know him well."

Ming Huashang was stunned for a moment, then he immediately realized that he thought she was the murderer's accomplice!

Ming Huachang broke out in a cold sweat. Yes, except for Ming Huazhang, who would believe her mysterious psychological portrait? They would only think that a person who had never seen the murderer but could accurately describe the furnishings of the murderer's room must be an insider.

Ming Huashang felt extremely wronged and ignored Ming Huazhang's warning. She quickly told him the whole story: "Sir, you are wise. I am just a little girl who can't even read well. How dare I get involved in such things? I have a suspicion about him because of the traces he left behind."

Ming Huashang deleted some of what she said to Ming Huazhang that night and told it to the man opposite her.

The purple clay teapot had been chirping for too long, and the water had already overflowed from the spout and lid, but the man seemed to have forgotten about his beloved Yangxian tea and ignored it, letting the tea go to waste. Ming Huashang glanced at the teapot while talking and silently moved back.

After a long time, when the water had extinguished the stove, the man finally spoke: "Are you serious?"

Ming Huashang said in a self-deprecating tone: "Really."

The man gave her an ambiguous look and said, "Interesting, you are more surprised than I thought."

Ming Huashang felt that this was not right and asked, "What do you mean..."

The man flicked his sleeves, took out a black iron token and placed it in front of her. Ming Huashang was stunned: "This is..."

The man straightened his face, changing his previous leisurely attitude, and his eyes were piercing: "I am Han Mou, a loyal and military general of Xuanxiao Guard. I investigate all officials and serve the emperor. Although you are a little lazy, you are also a promising talent. Are you willing to join Xuanxiao Guard?"

Ming Huashang lowered her head and looked at the cold and ferocious statue of an owl's head on the black iron plate. Then she thought about herself and felt like she couldn't even breathe.

She was not well educated, but she remembered that there was no such title as Xuanxiaowei in the imperial court, right? What did this mean? To let her be a spy and monitor the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion?

This was not the first time the empress had done such a thing. When she first seized the throne, she almost bloodbathed the court and encouraged the practice of accusing cruel officials. She set up a copper box outside the palace gate to encourage the people to sue officials and officials to sue officials.

Later, under the advice of her ministers, the empress abolished the cruel officials, and the copper box used for informing on others gradually fell into disuse.

Before today, Ming Huachang had always thought that the Queen's reign of terror had ended. Unexpectedly, the group of cruel officials who monitored all officials and did everything they could simply moved from the open to the underground, and changed their name to the Xuanxiao Guards.

No matter what, this is a secret service organization that cannot be seen in public. Ming Huashang was unwilling to get involved in these troubles and declined politely: "General Han, I... I have a poor brain, slow reaction, and weak body. Running a few more steps can kill me. If I join your company, I am afraid that it will drag down your reputation."

Han Jie didn't seem to care at all and said, "It's not difficult at all. All new recruits are like this. It only takes some practice."

Ming Huachang was about to make another excuse, but Han Jie saw through her intention and raised his hand to stop her: "I know what you want to say, but it's not too late for you to listen to me and make a decision. Do you know Taurus?"

Ming Huashang nodded slowly: "I know."

The emperor's personal soldiers and the empress's confidants, after entering, they can show off their faces in front of the empress from time to time. It can be said to be a shortcut to promotion, and the children of nobles all try their best to get in.

Han Jie said: "In fact, the Queen has two guards, the Taurus Guards in the open and the Black Owl Guards in the dark, doing things that the Taurus Guards are not convenient to do. As long as you do well and get the Queen's recognition, your father, brothers, and family will be honored because of you."

Ming Huashang remained unmoved until she heard the last sentence, when she suddenly stopped.

She was a dove that accidentally fell into the nest of a magpie. She took advantage of the real daughter's splendor, wealth, father, brother and relatives. Although this was not what Ming Huashang wanted, she actually owed a favor to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. She was an ordinary person with no money and no talent. It was simply a joke for her to talk about rewards with the Ming family.

But if she joined the Queen's private army and did what she could for Duke Zhenguo and Ming Huazhang, she would be able to rest assured even if they never knew that they would drive her away after a year.

Ming Huachang was already reassured, but still could not make up her mind. Then she heard Han Jie say: "The Queen thinks highly of Xuanxiaowei, and the treatment is better than that of Jinniuwei. If you join Xuanxiaowei, you will not only have the same stipend of rice, land, and clothes for four seasons as the officials appointed by the court, but you will also receive additional rewards for your merits. Even if you quit, you can still receive salary until you die. Of course, this is not important. The most important thing is that it can benefit your family and husband..."

Ming Huachang's last hesitation was crushed. This was the life she dreamed of, with a job and a salary to support her until she died. Wasn't this better than finding a husband?

Han Jie knew that for a child from a noble family like this, money was not worth mentioning, so he focused on helping her parents and husband's families. Unexpectedly, Ming Huashang slammed her palm on the table and said decisively, "No problem, I'll take it!"