After entering the city, I asked a peddler carrying a load on his shoulder for directions and followed him. Soon I arrived at the gate of Prime Minister Dong's mansion.
As symbols of power and wealth, the mansions of high-ranking officials revealed the status and taste of their owners through their architectural style and interior decorations.
This Dong is much more high-profile than Lord Wei Junpei!
The mansion within the high walls stands majestically, its red walls and golden tiles reflecting the light. The golden nails on the vermilion gate gleam in the morning light, and the stone lions guarding the gate are very imposing. The sheer grandeur of the place is awe-inspiring.
Hong Xiaoduo couldn't help but sigh. If the residence of a first-rank prime minister was like this, wouldn't the residences of those royal princes be even more magnificent?
Looking at the alleyway entrance not far away, there was a steaming stall. I went over and saw that it was a wonton stall.
The stall owner was a crutch user; he only had one leg, and the other leg only reached his knee.
The stall had just been set up when he saw Hong Xiaoduo walking over, and his eyes lit up: "Young lady, would you like a bowl of wontons?"
Based on his experience setting up a stall, if customers come as soon as he sets up, then business today will definitely be good.
Hong Xiaoduo came over simply to inquire whether she had seen Prime Minister Dong leave the mansion.
She heard from Lord Wei that the morning court session started very early, and that they had to leave before dawn.
But seeing the stall owner's expectant expression and his crippled leg, he changed his mind and nodded: "One bowl, please."
The stall owner happily agreed, lifted the cotton cloth covering the bamboo tray, picked up a bowl of wontons, and cooked them.
"Uncle, how long have you been setting up your stall here?" Hong Xiaoduo asked casually.
"It's been more than two years." The stall owner didn't think much of it and replied while stirring the wontons in the pot.
The wontons cooked quickly. When Hong Xiaoduo saw that the vendor had served them, she quickly got up and carried them to the table herself.
A rough, large bowl holds translucent wontons in steaming bone broth, topped with vibrant green scallions and a few drops of sesame oil. The aroma and appearance alone are enough to whet your appetite.
Hong Xiaoduo poured some vinegar into the bowl herself and slowly began to eat it with a spoon.
The soup was delicious, and the wonton filling was also very tasty.
This kind of umami is completely different from the umami flavor of modern chicken essence, MSG, oyster sauce, and concentrated chicken broth.
The early autumn mornings are a bit chilly, but a few bites of hot wontons warm you up.
It's not just a simple heat, but a warm feeling that makes you feel very comfortable.
"Uncle, is it alright for you to set up your stall so close to the Dong family mansion? Won't the Dong family come and drive you away?" Hong Xiaoduo wanted to hear more about the people's impressions of the Dong family mansion.
The stall owner put the lid on the soup pot, turned around and said, "To be honest, young lady, I was worried at first, but after a few days I realized that I was overthinking it. The people from the Prime Minister's residence not only don't drive my stall away, but they also often patronize my business."
Their matriarch and grandmother really liked my family's wontons, and they would send someone to buy them every few days.
Several of the younger generation in the Prime Minister's household also like my family's wontons, and the servants in the household also come over to eat them often.
When they first started setting up their stall, some hooligans tried to extort money from them, but the people from the Prime Minister's residence taught them a lesson and warned them.
Hong Xiaoduo nodded in agreement. So, the people in the Dong family are indeed quite good.
"Sigh." The stall owner suddenly sighed, as if he had thought of something.
Seeing that Hong Xiaoduo was looking over, she said, "They say that if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked too, but Prime Minister Dong had six sons. The first five were all excellent, but the youngest one was crooked."
Is it because they had a child late in life, and the whole family spoiled him rotten?
"With such a thing happening to Prime Minister Dong's son, does he still have to go to court and perform his duties?" Hong Xiaoduo continued to ask.
The stall owner shook his head: "My youngest son's life is in danger. I've been busy these past two days trying to save that unfilial son. I heard from the servants in the manor that the Prime Minister doesn't believe his youngest son could do such a thing. Alas, the hearts of parents are always full of love and worry!"
This time, Hong Xiaoduo didn't respond; she had already made up her mind while eating her wontons.
He finished his bowl of wontons, placed a silver coin on the table, and got up to leave.
"Young lady, I gave you too much, I haven't given you your change yet," the stall owner called out as he came forward to tidy up the stall and saw the silver coins.
Hong Xiaoduo didn't stop or turn around; she simply raised her hand and waved.
Just then, another customer came to the stall. The stall owner greeted them while stuffing the silver coins into his purse. In the midst of his busy work, he glanced at the figure in the distance. Heaven had been kind to him, allowing him to encounter kind people time and time again.
Inside the Dong family residence, the Dong couple, who hadn't slept all night, looked at each other and felt that the other had aged even more.
Madam Gu, the Prime Minister's wife, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and sobbed, "Husband, please don't lose your temper with me. How can I, as a mother, not worry and be sad when my own son has been in such a situation?"
Do you think I want to cry? But how can I hold it in?
I knew I couldn't hide it from my mother and grandmother; even if my eyes weren't swollen from crying, the truth would still come out.
Dong Xiang sighed helplessly and said, "I didn't get angry with you. It's just that I couldn't think of a way to save Fan'er, so I was a little anxious and my tone was a bit harsh."
"Husband, is there really no hope for Fan'er?" Gu asked, looking at her husband's slumped shoulders.
Dong Xiang shook his head and sighed, "It's not that easy. He was at the scene when it happened, and now we have all the witnesses and evidence. Fan'er is probably in grave danger this time."
Hearing her husband say this, Madam Gu's face turned even paler, and her voice trembled as she said, "Prime Minister, our son is a bit unruly, but you and I know best that he is not a bad person."
He neither gambled nor slept with women, and never went to brothels. The women around him, Zhu and Cui, were all beautiful and talented, and had been serving him in his courtyard for several years. His son had never done anything to them.
So how could he possibly take a fancy to a dancer? And even force himself on her?
“Madam, it’s no use if we believe him. The Ministry of Justice needs evidence. Even if I risk my reputation, I still can’t see him. All I know is that he hasn’t been tortured yet.”
"It's not the final moment yet, so don't despair. Let me think about what else we can do," Prime Minister Dong reassured him.
It's been three days since his son Yuefan had the accident. If there were a way, he should have thought of it long ago!
If this son were truly an utterly wicked person and had really done that thing, he wouldn't be running around trying to find a solution.
Those who commit evil deeds should be punished accordingly!
The key point is that he believes the kid wouldn't be that despicable.
But now, where is the son's chance of survival?
"Sir, the gatekeeper just came to report that a young lady has arrived outside the mansion. She says she is a friend of the Sixth Young Master and wishes to see you. What do you think?" Old Steward Geng Fu knocked on the door and entered the room, asking cautiously.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Dong became enraged. He slammed his hand on the tea table beside him and roared, "Friends? Apart from that young general from the Mu family, the people around him are all good-for-nothings. Friends? In my opinion, they are all just cronies..."
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