Three Kingdoms

Just when Taiyuan was turbulent, Wang Ying in Chang'an didn't feel anything special at first.

In the early morning, Wang Ying got up without a face.

Although he was made a marquis and his living conditions improved a lot, Wang Ying's habit of going to bed early and getting up early has remained unchanged over the years.

Devour

In the Han Dynasty, although sleeping in would be frowned upon, many nobles also had the habit of sleeping in. After all, they did not need to work and had rich nightlife, so getting up early was undoubtedly a painful thing for these people.

It takes three years to learn well and three days to learn bad.

Fortunately, Wang Ying did not become "bad" just because she became a Marquis. Perhaps it is because she has not been a Marquis for too long, or perhaps Wang Ying is not used to the current life, or something. Other reasons...

Wang Ying stood in front of the window, staring at the sky getting brighter, in a daze.

Wang Ying is not bad looking, but because she is reserved and talks little, she looks a bit dull.

In fact, strictly speaking, except for a very small number of people who are really awkward no matter how you look at it, most people, some men and women, in their teens and twenties, as long as they are still on the standard line, basically None are ugly. If you are clean and tidy, your appearance will not lose points. If you wear some suitable clothes, your appearance score will naturally not be too low.

The courtyard where Wang Ying lives is not too big, but it cannot be said to be small. The third entrance has a back garden and a two-and-a-half-story building. It is said to be two and a half stories because there is a half-story attic-like observation deck at the east end of the small building, which means purple energy coming from the east.

Wang Ying's boudoir is actually neither luxurious nor peculiar. At least for teenagers of this age, it is relatively stable. It is a very normal girl's room no matter from any angle. The boudoir is slightly decorated with red and green decorations and various trinkets, but not too many. There are also female boudoirs, but a little less, and there are a little more books.

After all, people like Wang Ying no longer need to use female celebrities to please anyone. There are still female celebrities in the room, mostly just to kill time.

The girl stood by the window, silent for a long time, looking at the new branches in the courtyard, and finally sighed slightly and left the window sill.

The sound of soft footsteps came, and a maid came in carrying a basin of water, "My dear, the water is here." 』

Wang Ying nodded, reached out to take the face towel, and wiped his face by himself.

Before receiving the title, Wang Ying was almost a poor child. He even had to go out of the city to collect firewood every now and then. He was used to doing some things by himself, such as washing his face and so on.

In the era of abundant living materials in later generations, perhaps children in the city will find "woodclogging" very novel, fun, and interesting, but for most Han women, the word "woodclogging" is definitely not fun. things.

Seven things to open the door: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. Firewood is what comes first. Without firewood for cooking, there will be no smoke from the chimney, and the uncooked rice will not be cooked. Therefore, every time you go out to the city to collect firewood, you must bring back some firewood that can be used for home cooking. Going up the mountain to collect firewood is hard work. If the journey is long, you have to get up early and go in the dark. Climbing mountains and ridges, cutting through thorns, cutting and picking crops, it is difficult to withstand the hard work without good physical strength, not to mention that as a young girl, you may encounter additional risks at any time.

For example, didn't the daughter of Xiahou's family meet Zhang Fei when she was collecting firewood?

For those noble ladies who were originally well-educated and had very good reincarnation skills, let alone woodcutter and picker, some of them really couldn’t even wash their faces, sweep the floor, cook, or wash clothes. If they really arrived alone in a strange environment, there would be no one to take care of them. , burning a meal can poison oneself to death on the spot.

After Wang Ying finished washing his face, the maid reached out to take the face towel and put it in the basin.

"What's the news outside in the past two days?" ” Wang Ying asked.

"Well, there's nothing new... It's just that, um, some people say that there are people in Taiyuan who are bold and are stealing ordnance supplies to the barbarians..." The maid put down the face towel in her hand and walked behind Wang Ying. , began to comb Wang Ying's hair.

"Taiyuan?" Stealing and selling arms? ” Wang Ying’s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt a little uneasy for some reason.

"Well, yes, the idle men in the workshop said it, they were very excited, as if they saw it with their own eyes," the maid said while combing Wang Ying's hair, "Let me tell you, these stolen ordnance sales People are really brave... They are really not afraid of death..."

"what else? ” Wang Ying was silent for a while and continued to ask.

"Also... there is also Qinglong Temple. They say they have identified some great scholars and are ready to... well, they are going to say they are going to "retreat"... My dear, what does "retreat" mean? ” The maid skillfully smoothed Wang Ying’s hair and then tied it with a red brocade ribbon.

"It's like living in one place and not coming out until you finish something." ” Wang Ying said.

"Oh..." The maid nodded in understanding, and began to separate Wang Ying's hair and prepare to braid it.

There were already many hair styles for women in the Han Dynasty. Of course, there was no hair dyeing or killing hair. Generally popular ones include triangle bun, double-ring bun, fallen pony bun, three-hand bun, etc. There are even wigs connected to real hair, which reflects the fairy-like feeling of long hair. However, the ones at home are relatively simple, usually just a single bun. It can be tied in a bun or a single knot, or like the current situation, braiding Yunying's unmarried hair.

The red brocade ribbon is mixed into the hair braid, and then a bow is tied at the end, which is simple and beautiful. The maid's hands and feet were nimble, and she finished the knitting in a short time. She took the bronze mirror and showed it to Wang Ying, "My dear, is this good?" 』

Wang Ying looked at it and nodded.

"Mom, do you want to apply powder?" ” the maid asked again.

Wang Ying thought for a while, shook his head and said, "No need." ’ I’m just staying at home, and I’m not going to attend any formal occasion. Who am I going to apply powder on to show me? What is it if it’s not too busy?

The maid responded, packed up the comb, basin and other sundries and went out.

Wang Ying began to recall what the maid had just said.

Taiyuan...

smuggling……

With the influence of some of the daily habits of the General Hussars, some vocabulary gradually spread into the homes of ordinary people, let alone families like Wang Ying who were within the gentry system.

When the maid heard about the smuggling in Taiyuan, she just ignored it and didn't pay too much attention to it. But for Wang Ying, she was a little worried about gains and losses.

Taiyuan is her hometown, but it didn't leave her with many good memories.

The title brought Wang Ying a relatively stable and wealthy life, but it also took away the simple and happy part of her life.

When she was not a Marquis, life was very hard, but there was no pressure in her heart at all. No one would judge her, and she didn't have to speculate on others. Things around her were simple and straightforward, and whatever they said was what it was, but as time went on After she became a Marquis, everything became complicated and weird. Some people had smiles on their faces but knives hidden in their hearts...

"My dear, Madam Zhen is here. "The maid reported outside the house, interrupting Wang Ying's thoughts.

"Ah, please!" Wang Ying said as he stepped out to welcome him.

Although Zhen Mi did not have a title, Wang Ying felt that she was worse than Zhen Mi. This may be in appearance, or in psychology, or both.

"Sister Zhen, have you used the preserved meat?" ” Wang Ying greeted.

Food is the most important thing for the people. Although this kind of greeting is a bit superficial, it is better than asking "Why do you have time to come to my place today?", right?

Zhen Mi also knew that Wang Ying was not very good at etiquette, so she didn't go around too much. She took Wang Ying's hand and walked into the hall. Before she could sit down, she asked in a low voice: "Inside the market place?" Have you heard the rumors? Taiyuan place..."

Wang Ying nodded slightly: "My little sister just heard..."

"what are you thinking? ” Zhen Mi asked.

At this point, the maid brought some syrup and dried fruits, and both of them subconsciously stopped, giving Wang Ying some space to think.

After the maid retreated, Wang Yingcai sighed and said, "Sister, you asked me for advice. Little sister, I really have no clue now..."

Zhen Mi looked at Wang Ying and sighed slightly.

If it weren't for the fact that they were both female officers, they both belonged to a small team under the hussar, and they had some friendship, of course, the most important thing was that Zhen Mi wanted to continue to develop on the road of being an official, a necessary ally and a reliable partner. is essential. Wang Shu, Wang Ying, Xin Xianying, and Taicang Ying, a female doctor in the Hundred Medical Clinic who Zhen Mi is currently responsible for sorting out, edited the fertility care, postpartum diagnosis and treatment cases, etc., are all very important, and they have some influence on each other.

Wang Ying is a flag and the highest position reached by female officials at the moment. If Wang Ying arrives, Zhen Mi may not be directly affected at the moment, but in the future, Zhen Mi will no longer be able to expect that she can reach Wang Ying's height. There have been no female marquises in the Han Dynasty for two or three hundred years. Wang Ying is a special case at the moment. If you want to change from a special case to a regular case, you must let Wang Ying get a firm foothold first.

"Girl from the Wang family..." Zhen Mi said slowly, "This is no one else's business... Let's put it this way, I bet that if the Taiyuan smuggler is finally found out, you will be involved!" 』

Wang Ying was stunned for a moment, "Why?" Me, I don’t have any relatives in Taiyuan... Why, is it really going to involve me? 』

Zhen Mi smiled and said, "If it really involves you, why does it have to be someone close to you?" then……"

Zhen Mi quickly turned left and right, came closer, and said in a low voice: "Back then, the relatives of the Hussar used the name of the Hussar, and the Hedong Pei family used the name of Pei Juguang, and so on, have you forgotten?" You think it has nothing to do with you, and you have indeed not done such a thing, but the question is whether you think it is okay..."

"This..." Wang Ying couldn't help but panic after hearing this, "This, what should I do?" 』

Zhen Mi said categorically: "The only way is to save yourself!" 』

"Self-save?" ” Wang Ying opened her eyes wide.

"right. ” Zhen Mi held Wang Ying’s hand and said, “Wang family of Taiyuan, I respect you. This statue was given by the emperor before, but now, you need to maintain it yourself. What is "zun"? If you don't care about anything, don't do anything, or don't care about anything, how can others "respect" you? If you don't show your skills, how can others "respect" you? 』

Zhen Mi sighed and said to Wang Ying, "I came from Jizhou before... I thought if I tolerated it, gave in, forget it, they would let me go. I have already arrived in Chang'an, which is farther away from Jizhou than you." Is Taiyuan further? Thinking that they were in Jizhou and I was in Chang'an, both of them were fine, but... what was the result? Those people traveled thousands of miles to Chang'an and confidently wanted to seize my caravan. Why? Just because I am a woman! 』

"Yes, I got the initial capital from Jizhou, from my mother, but the subsequent properties, the caravans, from the goods to the personnel, from the workshops to the shops, I am not responsible for any of them personally. from? Zhen Mi sighed softly, "But in their eyes, these have nothing to do with me... The key is that even the caravan managers under me actually think so!" As soon as my cousin came and said a few words, these guys fell over! Why? Just because I am a woman! 』

Wang Ying opened her eyes wide and remained silent.

"Now, you see..." Zhen Mi said with a smile, "Some people say that I am stupid, saying that I have donated so much money to the caravan, but I don't get a good position. Some people look down on me, saying that I am in this position now." I bought it with a stuff... Haha, in fact, these two types of people are idiots. I am still doing business... Do you think that the hussar general just likes money and is happy to see me donating? ? This is looking down on me, and also looking down on the hussar..."

Zhen Mi continued, "Think about it, is it possible that I still keep those shopkeepers and caravan commanders who were persuaded by my brother's words with just a few words?" If you don’t keep it, you’ll either replace it or cut it, right? But will this layoff, no matter how fast or slow, affect the original business? If it affects the business, will it also affect the Qiusi's financial resources? Are all people who have been laid off so good? Won't it cause a scene? Besides, when I take action, even if I press down this slave brother, will a second slave brother or something pop up? 』

"It's easy now..." Zhen Mi clapped her hands gently, turned her wrist, and moved her fingers dexterously like flowers blooming, "I only left the part that was loyal to me... and the other ones were not. It went back and forth... Haha, I donated all of it... Others thought I was at a loss, but I laughed at them for being so stupid! Even so, Qiusi still used the Hundred Medical Center to test me. If I was at the Hundred Medical Center and was afraid of things, avoided them, and shied away from things, then no matter how much I donated, it would be in vain... In this way, Girl, do you understand? 』

Wang Ying took a deep breath, "Sister Zhen, do you mean...to deal with the Taiyuan Wang family just like you deal with your caravan shops?" 』

Zhen Mi nodded slightly, "The sources of my caravan and my shop are all here, in Chang'an, so I can handle them in Chang'an... And you... naturally need to return to Taiyuan. Of course, before returning to Taiyuan, you must first So I can go and meet the Hussar in person... After all, my caravans and shops are definitely useful to the Hussar, but what about your people from Taiyuan... That depends on what the Hussar wants..."

Wang Ying grabbed Zhen Mi's hand nervously, "But, but I'm a little scared..."

"afraid of what? Afraid that the hussar will eat you? ” Zhen Mi smiled and patted the back of Wang Ying’s hand, “Remember, you can only be reasonable with reasonable people, and don’t be reasonable with unreasonable people... Although Hussar has great authority, Hussar is still reasonable. Yes, so what are you afraid of? Okay, I still want to order Mao at the official restaurant over there. It’s not a good idea to be late, so I’ll leave first. Sister, think about it carefully, but you have to act quickly. It is best to put out the fire before the rumors and rumors get to you, and then catch those who set the fire... Otherwise, I'm afraid..."

Zhen Mi patted Wang Ying's hand again, then said goodbye and left.

Wang Ying sent Zhen Mi out of the courtyard, then lowered his head thoughtfully, walked back slowly, and sat in the hall.

To be honest, smuggling is a major crime, but compared with treason, it is a small crime.

There have been people smuggling in all dynasties, and many people died as a result of having their homes confiscated due to smuggling, but there were basically no people who were implicated in other clansmen due to smuggling, resulting in the annihilation of the nine clans. Conspiracy is different. Basically, if you are contaminated, you will not only kill yourself, but also implicate your family. Killing three clans is normal, it is common for five and seven clans, and it is not too rare for nine clans.

Therefore, if it is really controlled within the scope of smuggling by some people, it may have some impact on Wang Ying, but it will not affect his title.

Wang Ying thought of this and suddenly had some enlightenment in her heart.

For Zhen Mi, those caravans and shops, those workshops and goods are things that others covet, so for Wang Ying, her title is a treasure that those people covet...

"Huh..." Wang Ying held her hands together tightly, trembling slightly. She felt as if there was endless malice spreading around her, hiding in every dark corner and small gap, just waiting to pounce on, bite, and devour Wang Ying when she wasn't paying attention.

This reminded Wang Ying of the libertines she met when she went out to collect firewood in the city...

She avoided, she ran away, she swallowed her anger, which did not help her get rid of the entanglements of those libertines. Even though she was still very thin at that time and her figure had not grown, it was just that those libertines discovered that she was a woman. The key is that she had not yet The adults followed, and the words and teasing quickly turned into physical actions.

Wang Ying's hands were trembling, just like that day when she was holding the hatchet and trembling.

She had no choice but to lean against the tree, holding a hatchet in both hands to resist.

Seeing that the libertines could not take advantage, and there was a risk of injury, and Wang Ying was thin and small at the time, he could not reach the level that would make the libertines desperate for sex, so the libertines left cursing. .

From then on, Wang Ying never put down her hatchet easily.

She thought that after she became a Marquis, she would no longer need to carry that hatchet, but she didn't expect that now...

Wang Ying stood up, clasping his hands together as if holding an invisible hatchet, "Get ready for formal service!" I'm going to ask to see Hussar! 』