Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 83

    The next day Wu Qingyi told Emperor Zhengyuan that he wanted to trick people.

    Emperor Zheng Yuan looked at him and said narrowly: “Aren’t you righteously rejecting me?”

    Because there are other palace people in the palace, Emperor Zhengyuan didn’t want to show Wu Qingyi’s face, so before he could answer, Emperor Zhengyuan waved his hand again with a look of “It’s all men, I know it all” Said: “Okay, no need to explain.”

    Wu Qingyi said: “It’s not the intention of the minister, it’s the wife of the minister…”

    When he finished explaining, Zheng Yuandi was stunned: “So it’s not that you like trick people, but your wife?”

    Wu Qingyi said this is what he meant, and he also helped convey Gu Yin’s meaning, so that he agreed with the trickster that he would go to work for his own family, and then go to their house if he was willing.

    This kind of request is even more unheard of, because in the eyes of the superior, these tricksters are just things for people’s amusement, how can they be rewarded, and they have to be asked what they mean?

    However, Emperor Zhengyuan also came from a poor family, so I didn’t think it was so strange, and it was just a matter of asking people, and it didn’t take much effort, just beckoning to make Qian think twice .

    Qian Sansi asked the new apprentice in the palace to spread the word.

    The little **** went to the Kabuki Workshop in the palace and said that he would choose someone to be sent to the British government.

    People get excited when they hear the news.

    Some of them stayed in the previous dynasty and did not escape, and some of them came to the palace after the establishment of the new dynasty.

    There are a lot of people who want to go to the future, especially when I heard that it is the British government.

    However, the little **** added a sentence later, saying: “It’s not that the general loves these things, it’s the general’s wife who likes it. In the future, it will be driven by the general’s wife. So you can think about it before you talk.”

    The remarks were like a bucket of cold water, and they quenched everyone’s enthusiasm.

    They are all hard-working people in the palace, the little **** is soft-hearted, and added: “But the general’s wife is very kind, and it is said that the trickster who enters the British government’s mansion can recover his freedom. Working at her house, you can still pay monthly.”

    The people who gathered around were still scattered, and the last few were only the girls of the middle and lower level in the trick shop, no matter their appearance or skills.

    The little **** saw them, and finally his eyes fell on a young girl wearing a silk and gold embroidered dance dress.

      Among the tricksters in the palace, it also belongs to the best appearance.

    In addition, she is good at ribbon dance, which can be said to be as elegant as a dragon, as delicate as a dragon, and even Emperor Zheng Yuan, who is also a rough person and doesn’t like watching songs and dances very much, has personally praised it.

    With her joining, the level of the tricksters who stayed was raised.

    The little **** felt that it was not a bad errand, and there was a smile on his face, “Several sisters, come with me.”

    The group just walked to the gate of the trick shop, and a person ran over and bumped into the leading little eunuch.

    The other party didn’t move, but the little **** was knocked “Ouch” and lay on the ground.

    “My father-in-law is sorry, I’m too impatient!” The reckless girl immediately reached out and pulled him.

    Other people in the workshop heard the sound of the door and came out to watch the fun.

    “Yuan Xiaoyuan, why are you again? What are you doing back here?” Someone teased, “Why, you finally got your dress changed? It’s amazing, you can do it with this dress. We are two or three!”

    Seeing the little **** being lifted up by others, Yuan Xiaoyuan’s pale face flushed red, and she twisted her fingers and said, “I heard that today’s palace is selecting tricksters, so, so…”

    Others sneered.

    This Yuan Xiaoyuan was a trickster from the previous dynasty. She didn’t run away from the palace when the dynasty was changed. But she didn’t expect her to gain weight day by day. To be a trickster, first of all, she has to be pleasing to the eye. With such a fat appearance, who has the mind to care what skills she has?

    She couldn’t put on her dance dress after that, so the nanny of the kibble asked her to do some chores and used her as a messenger. If she hadn’t put on the dance dress today, other people would Forget that she used to be a trickster too.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan looked at the little **** pitifully with her round deer eyes.

    The little **** waved his hand and said, “Forget it, then you can come with me. But if you go back and have someone send it back…”

    That would be a shame. But it’s still an opportunity, it’s better than doing chores in the palace.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan nodded gratefully, “Thank you father-in-law, thank you father-in-law!”

    The little **** led the six people, including Yuan Xiaoyuan, to the outside of the imperial study.

    Emperor Zhengyuan and Wu Qingyi have already talked about the wounded soldiers. After chatting, they heard that the trickster had come over. Emperor Zhengyuan asked Wu Qingyi if he wanted to meet him?

    Wu Qingyi shook his head and said, “No, just send the person back to the mansion.”

    …

    Gu Yin was mainly doing the final preparations before the opening.

    Because of the addition of singing and dancing musical instruments, the original custom-made large bar can not be used.

    The original place for the bar was vacated, and Gu Yin asked people to rush to make a small stage.

    It is to lay a wooden platform more than an inch higher than the ground.

    The process is not complicated. More than a dozen carpenters joined the battle and finished it in half an afternoon.

    Her carriage just stopped in front of her house, and Wu Qingyi also came back from outside on horseback.

    Gu Yin didn’t wait for her to help, she guessed she stepped off the carriage.

    Wu Qingyi also dismounted.

    Gu Yin winked at him, and asked narrowly, “Is it early today?”

    Wu Qingyi threw the whip to the servant and raised an eyebrow at her, “Don’t you know that you must come back early?”

    Gu Yin said as she stepped into the house.

    The Wang family in the main courtyard had already set the evening meal in advance, and when she saw them come in, she couldn’t help laughing: “I knew that our eldest girl must come back early today to eat It’s all ready. Eat quickly, let’s watch the song and dance after eating.”

    Gu Yin asked the tricksters who came today while washing her hands.

    Wang said: “In the morning, a carriage came from the palace and sent everyone over, there were six people in total. I arranged to live in a yard so that they could recharge their batteries in the afternoon. , performances at night. Xi Shi was just sent over, and they will definitely not be neglected.”

    The last family had an evening meal, and Gu Yin asked people to invite all the tricksters.

    They have long been informed that they will perform, so they have been rehearsed carefully in the afternoon.

    Especially Chu Manrong, since he got the news at noon to now, let alone food, he didn’t drink a sip of water, for fear of affecting his body shape, he was waiting for the first time to perform at the Guogong Mansion When it comes to shine.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan ate a round belly, saw her face pale when she went out, and persuaded: “Sister Chu, why don’t you eat something? It’s all out of the palace, and the lady of the country said Now, we’re here to work for the general’s wife, let’s loosen up.”

    A contemptuous smile appeared on Chu Manrong’s face, thinking that this person is not only fat like a pig, but also stupid like a pig!

    No one really believes that these tricksters are rewarded to the general’s wife?

    It’s obviously an excuse.

    Although Chu Manrong is not very old, he used to grow up in a Qing court in Yangzhou, and he has long been accustomed to the ugliness of men in this world.

    The world is as black as crows, how can there be a man who is not greedy and lustful?

    Even Emperor Zheng Yuan, who has only two queens and concubines in his harem, was full of praise when he saw her ribbon dance for the first time.

    She is very confident that she will be able to plan her place in the harem in time.

    Unfortunately, she is from the Feng family, and her background is in the hands of the Duke of Lu.

      She bought it from Yangzhou, changed her identity and sent it to the palace, wanting her to help Concubine Feng.

    But for the past year, Emperor Zhengyuan was busy with the affairs of the previous dynasty, and did not take care of the harem.

     Empress Zhou devoted herself to the little prince, and Concubine Feng became the only part of the harem.

    She naturally does not want to let Chu Manrong take the lead again, and just before the end of the year, Emperor Zhengyuan wants to reward the trickster to his ministers.

    Feng Guifei sent a message to Chu Manrong, asking her to find a way to enter the British government.

    The evil general is famous and famous, and everyone is afraid of him.

    But Chu Manrong had met Wu Qingyi at the palace banquet. Although he wore half a mask, the half of his face exposed outside was very handsome. The middle-aged Zhengyuan Emperor did not know Yingwu how many times.

    And Feng Guifei also gave her the news, saying that Wu Qingyi’s harem was simpler than the harem of Emperor Zhengyuan. There was only a rich wife who married in the countryside before he made his fortune, a mountain village woman from a peasant girl. For Chu Manrong, who prides himself on being beautiful and skilled in martial arts, he is naturally not an opponent.

    The British government has no one to hold her hand, Chu Manrong can’t wait to show his skills.

    The group was led to the main courtyard.

    Gu Yin has asked people to remove the tables and chairs, leaving a large space in the middle of the room.

    The family is sitting next to each other, waiting for the show!

    The dance clothes in the palace are very gorgeous, and the clothes are fluttering when they move. And because they are all dancers, they are particularly tall and slender, and they walk like a lotus leaf blowing in the wind, which is very moving.

    “The concubine has seen the lord of the country, the lady of the country…”

    Chu Manrong, headed by him, led the crowd to salut.

    She nodded slightly, revealing a fair and slender neck, with a romantic attitude.

    Gu Yin’s eyes were almost out, and she had to look closely at her appearance when Gu Ye suddenly burst out laughing.

    Gu Yin followed his line of sight and saw a round figure at the end.

    She also salutes in the same way as the others, but because of her round body, the movement on her body is a bit funny, like a chubby panda is learning the posture of a person.

    Gu Yin glanced at him, and Gu Ye immediately stopped laughing.

    Wang also saw it, and said in a low voice: “I was busy in the afternoon, so I asked them to settle it without paying attention. Isn’t these tricks? Why are there still such fat people? Our pomegranate is still fat.”

    Song Shiliu was standing next to her, and she pouted when she heard the words.

    Wang shi immediately changed his tune and said, “It’s better to be fat, you will be blessed!”

    Song Shiliu no longer frowned.

    Gu Yin asked everyone to stand up without much ceremony, and then let them start performing.

    Among the six, Yuan Xiaoyuan played the pipa, and a pointed face and long eyes played the moon qin.

    The other four dance.

      Therefore, a dance is also danced with feathers and swaying, and the phoenix is ​​flying.

    Gu Yin was so dumbfounded that the smile on her face never stopped. Wang Shi also looked at it with relish, and the melon seeds were coughing and beeping.

    Not to mention the two children, Wu An was already thinking about the unfinished homework, and Gu Ye was thinking about the boat trip.

    The song and dance are over.

    Gu Yin clapped her hands and praised: “Okay, that’s nice!”

    Although these people, except for Chu Manrong, are not number one people in the palace.

    But outside the palace, it is absolutely superb.

    So Gu Yin really praised her sincerely.

    After watching the group dance, Gu Yin asked them if they had a personal talent show.

    After all, it is performed in a restaurant, so it is impossible for people to dance from morning to night, and there is no time to rest.

    So everyone had to have a separate talent, and one person would perform for a while, so that everyone took turns to rest.

    Chu Manrong stood back and waited for others to cast a stone.

    Among the other five people in the back, some sing songs, dance solo, some play flute and flute, and some say they can play guzheng and guqin.

      And there are still a lot of them. When people go to pull them, they actually pull out two large boxes, and common musical instruments are readily available.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan’s eyes were sharp, and when she saw the person opening the box, her lips trembled with excitement, and she muttered: “This is a jade flute made by Su Dajia, this is a pipa made by Zhang Dajia… This, this, this is Jiaowei!”

    The more she talked, the more excited she became. If she didn’t notice it, her voice rose.

    Gu Yin laughed when she heard it: “You know the goods. In the future, these musical instruments will be used by you. It’s better than eating ashes at home and throwing things away.”

    Yuan Xiaoyuan is too busy to dare!

    I dare not, where does she fit!

    These musical instruments were all served by special personnel when they left the palace. Although they have fallen a layer of dust, it does not affect their use.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan just said she wanted to play the guqin, so the Jiaoweiqin was placed in front of her.

    “Use it, only good things should be used often.” Gu Yin smiled at her encouragingly.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan took a deep breath and played the piano on the spot.

    I don’t know if it’s because of her emotional excitement, the leisurely and tranquil “Mountains and Flowing Water” in her hands is about to become “Mountains and Waters”.

    When the latter song reached the climax near the end, Yuan Xiaoyuan was even more forgetful, her ten fat fingers were flying, so fast that people could only see the afterimage of her fingers.

    The trickster who dances solo with her will be miserable. The dance moves faster and faster, and the dance becomes more and more chaotic. In the end, she stepped on her skirt and fell down. on the ground.

    Chu Manrong sneered, and the others also covered their mouths and laughed.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan came back to her senses, and tears came out of her self-blame, and stood up from the guqin with her clothes twisted.

    She is only fifteen or sixteen years old. Although she is fat, she is not ugly at all. At this time, her round deer eyes are full of tears, and she is biting her petal-like lips and refuses to cry. come out.

    And the dubuki who stepped on the dress looked at seventeen or eighteen years old, with peach blossom eyes and oval face, and blushed with shame, “It’s also a concubine who is not good at learning.”

    The two beauties, big and small, wanted to cry, but Gu Yin saw the soft-hearted mess, so she asked them all to come and comforted them: “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s not even a rehearsal. Not really, it’s just improvisation.”

    He said to Yuan Xiaoyuan, who was extraordinarily reproachful: “I heard people say that when a musical instrument is in the hands of others, it is also necessary to break in, so don’t take it to heart this time. Practice it well next time, you know?”

    Yuan Xiaoyuan’s tears fell, her eyes were red and she nodded hurriedly, and promised in a loud voice: “I know, I will definitely live up to Madam’s hope!”

    After coaxing them, Gu Yin’s eyes fell on Chu Manrong, who had yet to show her talent.

    Chu Manrong is far superior to other people in terms of appearance and temperament, and Gu Yin has great expectations for her.

    Chu Manrong walked to the middle with her eyes down, although she looked respectful, she was very dissatisfied.

    She consciously received all the humiliation she had never experienced before—Gu Yin and the others sat in one place, those who ate melon seeds and those who ate snacks, and the only two adult men, whispering As if to say something else.

    Looking back at the palace, when did she not attract attention when she appeared?

    How could someone be so careless?

    But it’s okay, Chu Manrong said to himself in his heart that he hasn’t used his skills at home, so he will definitely impress them!

    She paid attention to Wu Qingyi from the corner of her eye, and took out the ribbon from her arms.

    I don’t know what material the ribbon is made of. Although it is folded and stored close to the body, there is no crease after unfolding.

    When she danced, the ribbon seemed to come alive, glowing with lingering light, wandering around Chu Manrong, making her already excellent face even more beautiful, as if Exile in general.

    This ribbon dance is really amazing, Gu Yin can’t take her eyes off it, Wang Shi forgot to eat melon seeds, Wu Zhong and Wu Qingyi couldn’t help but take a second look. The two little guys were also watching intently.

    Finally, Chu Manrong twisted his waist and threw the ribbon to Wu Qingyi with a brisk pace.

    Wu Qingyi looked at it twice before and then talked to his father. When he saw something coming straight to his face, he immediately reached out and picked it up subconsciously.

    Chu Manrong was first pulled forward by an incomparable force, and then the whole person was pulled to the side uncontrollably!

    She screamed and fell to the side, knocking her forehead on the corner of the table next to her.

    Gu Yin was startled and immediately got up to help her, “Are you all right?”

    Chu Manrong was humiliated and resentful. At this time, it was too late to hide her emotions, and suddenly fell into Gu Yin’s eyes.

    “It’s okay!” Chu Manrong covered his forehead and stood up with his eyes down.

      People, throwing the ribbon on Wu Qingyi, is it not for ulterior motives?

    Gu Yin asked for a doctor in the house to check her injuries.

    After she left, Gu Yin asked Wu Qingyi with her eyes—

    I don’t want you to talk to people, I’m here to work, isn’t that what it means?

    Wu Qingyi shook her head innocently, saying that she did exactly what she said, I really don’t know how this happened!

    There are outsiders present, and the two have fought for a while, and it is hard to say anything.

    Taking advantage of this time, it is time for Gu Yin to talk to the tricksters about the future work content and treatment.

    Several people heard that they were going to a place in the restaurant to receive female guests to perform their talents, but they did not show any unwillingness.

    Anyway, they don’t have any other skills in the first place, and it doesn’t matter who they perform singing and dancing, as long as it’s not that kind of sensual place.

    In terms of treatment, Gu Yin asked them about their monthly money in the palace.

    Others are second or third class, and the monthly payment is three to five taels.

    Yuan Xiaoyuan’s chubby face turned red again, she only had one or two monthly money, because since she was beaten to gain weight, she was not eligible to participate in every gig workshop assessment, and all she received was the lowest rough The monthly money of the little palace maid.

    Gu Yin nodded and said: “Well, I’ll give you five taels per month, of course, this is the most basic salary, and there are performance commissions, I’ll tell you in detail later. listen.”

    Just as he was talking about this, Chu Manrong, who had been seen by the doctor to be unharmed, came back with the bruise on his forehead.

    “I don’t want to be a concubine,” she interrupted.

    Five taels of silver a month, let her show the skills she is proud of to ordinary people, who is this humiliation?

    This person has obviously impure motives, but he is indeed very capable. With love and talent, Gu Yin patiently asked her: “Do you think this salary is low? This is only the most basic, There are other things, you will understand after listening to my explanation.”

    “No,” Chu Manrong knelt down, “No matter how much money, my concubine doesn’t want to dance in front of people.”

    Gu Yin said it was okay, “If you don’t want it, I won’t force others to do it. It’s too late today, so you can go out of the house tomorrow.”

    “Mrs. be careful,” Chu Manrong said calmly: “The concubine is given by Your Majesty, and the madam has no right to drive away the concubine.”

    Wang smirked angrily, threw the melon seeds on the plate, and sneered: “You don’t want to work for my son, and you don’t want to leave our house, what are you doing? Are you still at my house?”

    She has been a housekeeper for a while, and she has the air of a superior.

    In addition, she looked fierce when she had a serious face.

    “You just don’t want to dance, right?” Gu Yin said.

    Chu Manrong should be “Yes”.

      The monthly money of silver, ordinary things that can be seen casually, where does she still have the capital to stand up?

    Wang wanted to open her mouth again, but the smiling Gu Yin stopped her, “Anything else?”

    “Yes!” Chu Manrong answered again loudly.

    Anyway, she was given by the emperor, and people who understand the British government would not dare to ask her to do any pickling errands.

    “You don’t regret it.”

    “I will never regret it!”

    …

    In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, the light food bar and Wangtianlou in the same street opened at the same time.

    Gu Yin’s side had been forewarned for a long time, but the other party chose the same day, obviously to compete with Shiweitian!

    Both sides were decorated with lanterns and colorful lights. Feng Tao of Lu Guogong’s mansion presided over the opening ceremony in person. He also invited some of the most famous lion dance teams in Beijing to play gongs and drums.

    On the other hand, Shiweitian only put up a sign with red paper at the door. In comparison, it looked very deserted.

    When the gongs and drums stopped at the end of the street, Gu Yin and Shopkeeper Zhou came out of the store.

    The guys also filed out and set up a bill at the door.

    A slender and slender woman came out from behind. She was wearing the same pale yellow overalls as the court lady, with a cloth towel around her head.

    Although she doesn’t wear makeup and has a blank face, she is so beautiful that just standing is enough to attract people to stop.

    The woman in the back moved, and a pure white dance danced in her hands as tender as spring onions, at first around her slender neck, at the back around her body, and finally in the air When you draw a circle, the circle is getting bigger and bigger, and the practice is getting longer and longer…

    The spectators feel that something is wrong, what kind of training can make it longer and longer? Could it be a trick?

    And when they look closely, they will find that the thing in the woman’s hand is not pure training at all, but noodles!

    “The new noodle puller in our shop is performing live, absolutely hand-pulling noodles, absolutely strong, come and try it!” The resounding shout of the shopkeeper Zhou sounded.