"Unfortunately, there is no poetry." She shook her head and said regretfully.

I didn’t answer, I walked to the painting table and looked at the lotus on the painting. I remembered the scene of boating with King Yu on the West Lake that day to admire the lotus, with a smile floating on the corner of my lips and writing--

"I don't see ten feet red at the top of the peak,

Don't write Fangsi about Jiang Feng.

Cuiqiao Jintian Mingluan mirror,

It is suspected that Concubine Xiang was out of the water. "

Xiuhe walked to me, and when I looked up at her, her eyes changed from indifferent to surprised.

She said with admiration: "I have seen the poems and paintings of Peony, the number one girl in Wanchunlou. At that time, I thought it was a height I could never achieve, but you are better than her..."

She looked at me up and down carefully, "But, looking at your previous dress, it doesn't look like..."

"It's not like everybody's lady, or rather, it's not like the daughter of someone who can learn these skills?"

She blushed when I said that she turned to point to the table outside and said: "Cai Ling has made tea, have a drink." Then she walked over and sat down.

I smiled and sat down with her, but I felt a little anxious. As I was about to say goodbye, the door was slammed open, and a half-old woman stood at the door with an angry face.

Xiuhe's expression changed and she hurriedly stood up, "Mom, why are you here?"

I understand that this person is the old bustard of Wanhualou.

"I heard that you brought in a poor looking man." The old bustard deliberately raised his voice and said, looking around the room, and when his eyes fell on me, he pushed Xiu He away and walked straight to me.

"who are you?"

I stood up, smiled and said, "You misunderstood, I was the one brought by Miss Xiuhe just now."

"Oh?" The old madam looked around me for a long time, making a tsk. I was a little panicked.

She suddenly smiled and looked back at Xiuhe, "This is?"

"Mom, this is my sister from a distance, come and see me." Xiuhe said quickly.

The old bustard looked at me carefully again, stopped smiling, and said to Xiuhe: "Since I'm here to see you, let's sit together for a while, just don't delay the pick-up."

After talking about leaving, he turned around and took a deep look at me, smiled and said, "It's okay to live here for a few days. We Xiuhe is very homesick." After that, he left.

Seeing her walking upstairs, Xiuhe picked up the baggage placed aside and put it in my hand, "Quickly go and get out through the back door." I looked at her puzzled.

As she pushed me, she said, "No one of my relatives has a good family background. She often forces the daughter of a poor family to come in. I was like this at the beginning. If you don't leave, you won't be able to leave after a while."

I stopped, "Robbery? Is there no king's law? This is the capital."

"She has a distant relative in the officialdom, who has been in close contact for so many years. It is said that the daughter of that distant relative is the favorite consort of the current emperor, and everyone is naturally afraid. Besides, for the poor, she is mostly happy to give some money. I was the one who bought it for ten taels of silver, and there is no way for my parents. After all, I have to raise my little brother."

"Do you know the official position of her distant relative?"

Xiuhe shook her head, "Come on." She heard the footsteps of the old bustard coming out of the fifth floor and hurriedly pulled me downstairs.

I heard the old bustard's voice: "Stop them, stop them!"

There were a few people chasing after us. Fortunately, we ran faster and came to the small door. Xiuhe pushed me out, "Run!" The door slammed shut.

I quickly ran out of the alley, my heart pounding. Thinking of what Xiuhe had said about her, I felt both sad and angry. How can you do this? ! It seems that I have to talk about this to my eldest brother.

The sun is a bit west. People are still coming and going on the street, passing by me will turn around. I remembered that I was wearing Xiuhe’s clothes that were really eye-catching, so I found a shop and said a lot of good things. The boss finally lent me a room, and I changed back to Brother Huiju’s clothes, and then hurried to the elder brother’s house Go.

The year before last, the emperor rewarded his eldest brother with a house, and he moved out of the house, not far from Ling Mansion. Although I have not been there, I know the approximate direction from the mouth of the servant, and there is a mouth under the nose, which can be heard.

When I came outside the mansion of my eldest brother, I saw the plaque at the door that read "Royal Gifts" and the word "Ling Mansion" beside it. At this time the door was closed tightly, and I stepped forward and knocked, but no one answered, knocked again, and finally got a response.

"Who?" The door did not open.

"I'm looking for Master Ling." I said loudly.

The door "creak" opened a small slit, and a person who looked like a gatekeeper poked his head out, "Who are you?"

"I..." I didn't know how to answer for a while.

The janitor looked at me carefully, showing a contemptuous expression, "Just do you want to see Master Ling? Hurry up."

I stepped forward and grabbed him, "I must see Master Ling."

He shook me off and shut the door "bang".

I knocked on the door again, and finally he opened it again impatiently, "I have already said that adults are not something you can meet casually."

"I'm in a hurry."

"It's not okay in an emergency." He was about to close the door again.

I stepped forward and slammed the door with my hands, "I must see you!"

He was obviously stunned by my posture, and his tone eased a little, "Even if you want to meet, your lord is not here now."

"Then where is he?" I panicked.

"How do I, a janitor, know the whereabouts of adults?" His tone was full of mockery, and then he closed the door again.

I stood slumped outside the door. What's wrong with this? How come you judge people by their appearance like this? Is it just because of the clothes?

Brother is not here, is he really not here? The eldest brother is working in the Hongludian, where I can't get in. I can't find my eldest brother, and I will never find my father. How should I go back to the palace?

The sky gradually dimmed, and I don't know when the first lantern was lit, and the street gradually became a world of lanterns. There are also more pedestrians around me. This is an annual event. The young women have prepared for a long time in advance, hoping to meet the people they like. Therefore, the streets are full of clothes and clouds. Naturally, there are also many young people. .

I walked in such a sea of ​​people, and I was not as happy as my older brother took me out to enjoy the lights. Looking at the darkening sky, my heart picked up more and more, the later the worse it would be to return to the palace, not to mention the fact that I haven't found my big brother. At a loss.

I thought that I would go back if I found my eldest brother. Where is my eldest brother now? I looked at the rows of lanterns on the street, and people's happy smiling faces. I thought, maybe Big Brother will come out to watch the lights? He always took me to the Lantern Riddles before. Will he also go this time? After hesitating, I decided to check it out.

The Lantern Riddles is run by Xu Jia, the richest man in the capital, and it is very lively. The final winner can get rich rewards, attracting many people every time. I remember that the restaurant opened in Xu's house-the door of Guilaiju. Every time my eldest brother brought me here, I was sitting in the private room on the second floor, which was the most prosperous area on Furong Street.