Gongshang Confidante

Although the academicians of the Hanlin Academy are polite to Su Muxue, it is not up to them to assign her to edit prehistory, draft edicts or other important matters. Su Muxue knows that those old scholars always look down on women in their hearts. of.

The setting sun was setting, and the sedan chair not far from the palace stopped suddenly, interrupting Su Muxue's thoughts. She stabilized her body, and heard someone shouting outside, "My lord!! Revenge!! Revenge for the grassroots! ah!!",

Su Muxue raised the curtain of the sedan chair and looked out. There were two commoners kneeling in front of the sedan chair, holding up a plea with both hands, shouting for grievances.

"Get off the sedan chair," Su Muxue called softly, opened the front curtain, and walked out. Seeing the curtain of the official sedan chair being lifted, the person blocking the sedan chair hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, not daring to raise his eyes, and shouted for revenge.

"Please stand up, both of you," Su Muxue said, hearing a voice that was as crisp as gold and jade, the two of them raised their heads hesitantly, and saw that the person walking from the sedan chair was a handsome man like a fairy, with a face like snow, bright eyes and white teeth, They couldn't help being stunned. They stayed here for a long time, only hoping to wait until the official sedan chair to cry for grievances.

Su Muxue saw that both of them were about [-] years old, they looked haggard, looked miserable, and looked slightly relaxed. Although the two were suspicious, they had no choice but to grab the last straw, but saw Su Muxue sitting in an official sedan chair and wearing an official uniform, He hurriedly petitioned, "Master Guan, no, please... Guan... Lord Guan, let the grassroots decide!!".

"Both of you know that officials are different and each performs their duties. If you report a grievance to an official, you have to go to the Yamen, or go up to the Drum Tower to beat the drums to complain. It is indeed inappropriate to block the official sedan chair here," Su Muxue said softly. I am afraid that the two of them will act recklessly and bump into the sedan chairs of other officials, and they will inevitably be hit by a board.

The man didn't speak, but lowered his head and sobbed, knelt straight in front of Su Muxue, kowtowed and said, "My lord, it's not that Caomin is unwilling, but, rather, no one dares to accept the paper of Caomin! Caomin, there is no other way." !!".

"Get up and talk", Su Muxue is not used to kowtow and bow, and said, "If the officials don't allow it, the grassroots will not get up." The man saw that she looked like a fairy, and she spoke in a pleasant manner. I am afraid that her heart is not bad, so she simply made up her mind Come on, I can't afford to kowtow.

Su Muxue frowned slightly, still took the pleading paper from the man's hand, and looked carefully, it turned out that the two of them were going to sue the chief minister, Shi Caoping, for extorting people's horses and hurting people's lives.

There are four subordinate households: Si Yuan is in charge of household registration, land, and tribute, Si Du is in charge of school examinations and rewards, Si Jin is in charge of shipping, treasury, tea and salt, and Si Chu is in charge of water transportation and military storage.

And Cao Ping is the secretary's order history. At the beginning of this year, Cao Ping led people to buy horses in Liangxian County, a suburb of Beijing, to be used by the military horses of the camp in Mobei. Usually, the imperial court buys horses at a price that is [-]% higher than the market price. However, Cao Ping said that Liangxian horses were of inferior quality, and he was only willing to buy them at [-]% of the market price.

Naturally, the people were angry and refused. You must know that Liang County provides hundreds of military horses to the court every year, and the quality is naturally good, but Cao Ping forced the people to buy and sell them under the order of the court.

At present, there was a dispute between the officials and the people. Cao Ping ordered the accompanying Yamen soldiers to detain the people with weapons, put the rebels in prison, and forcibly took away hundreds of good horses. The yamen filed a complaint, but the yamen returned the pleadings. They sued three times and quit three times. They went to the drum tower to beat the drums to appeal for grievances.

After dismissing the man who filed the complaint, Su Muxue held the pleading paper in her hand and headed towards Su's house, her mind wandering.

Since Prime Minister Duan resigned from office, he couldn't stand the emperor's persuasion, and became the prince's tutor. Su Muxue's father, Su Zhinian, became the prime minister, and his family moved from Suzhou to the capital.

Lin'an Street is along the imperial city, which is the closest to the Shang Dynasty, and it can be said that every inch of land is expensive. You must know that many officials have to afford the first crowing for the early court.

And he lived close to the imperial city, so he had time to go to court and evening, which shows how much the emperor attaches great importance to the Su family.

In front of the courtyard, several annual plum trees are planted, which bloom in powdery snow and clear clouds. In the garden, there are clear water and white bridges, empty and transparent rockery, and a bay of water flowing around the garden. , green bamboos shaking shadows, surrounded by mountains and holding water, brought the taste of Suzhou forests intact.

After dinner, Su Zhinian routinely asked Su Muxue about his official affairs these days. Su Muxue answered them one by one, saying that everything was fine. Su Zhinian mentioned a few words about her marriage. The pleading paper was handed over to Su Zhinian.

Su Zhinian read the pleading paper, but didn't say a word. He put it aside and drank the teacup. Seeing him groaning silently, Su Muxue said, "Grandfather, since neither the Yamen nor the Drum Tower dare to accept the pleading paper, you can enter tomorrow." Palace, Mu Xue handed it to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, how can the emperor allow such evil deeds of oppressing the people."

Su Zhinian lowered his head and took a sip of tea, carefully put it back on the case, stroked his beard, his eyes were calm, he pondered for a moment, and said lightly, "That's fine."

These two words circled in Su Muxue's mind, and before she could speak, Su Zhinian raised his hand and stroked her head with long-distance eyes.

Su Muxue wrote the letter by herself overnight, and handed it to the Metropolitan Procuratorate along with the pleading paper the next day.

I thought that this matter should be caused by a stone falling on the lake, causing waves. I expected that people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate would come to inquire within a day, but as a result, after three days, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, and no news came.

Su Muxue walked out of the gate of the Imperial Academy, the snow was still falling, the thick ground was covered with snow, the eunuchs and maids were sweeping the snow with brooms, their hair and eyebrows were dyed frost, Su Muxue was holding an umbrella, exhaling , she couldn't hold back anymore, it seemed that she had to go to the Metropolitan Procuratorate in person.

Turning around the Hanlin Academy, there are deep and shallow footprints along the way, the soap boots are covered with snow, the bottom has melted water, and the uppers are wet, "Master Su, the snow on the road has not been cleared yet? It's better to go out later", The court lady bowed her knees and saluted. Mr. Su was always kind and without official authority, so he couldn't help but softly persuaded that it was really not suitable to go out at this time.

Su Muxue nodded and said with a slight smile, "It's okay." The Imperial Academy is burning with earth dragons, so I don't feel cold. I was in a hurry to go out, and I forgot to wear a big cloak. I wore thin clothes, and the fingertips holding the umbrella were cold and stiff. The scarlet official uniform was reflected by the white snow. , becoming more and more dazzling.

In the haze that covered the sky and the sun, the snow fell silently on the umbrella depicting the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River. Su Muxue stopped in her tracks and watched the eight people carrying the sedan chair not far away, she was dumbfounded...

The silver top, the yellow cover and the red curtain, the satin hanging from the eaves, and the decoration is Qingdi, which shows the noble status of the princess. Why is she here?

Su Muxue suspected it was an illusion, until her stiff fingertips felt cold and stinging, she blinked slowly, the sedan chair was still there, curled her cold fingers, hid them in her palms, and walked forward.

The sedan chair is parked on the edge of the lake. In summer, the lotus leaves are green here, the koi are walking among the lotuses, and the willows are fluttering on the bank. Frozen ice, full of azure and dim sky connected, the haze seems to be boundless, dark and unclear.

The vermilion car curtain was lifted, and a slender white hand was stretched out, its skin color was as snowy, and regardless of the ice and snow outside, it spread its palm upwards and curled its fingers, as if it was catching snowflakes falling from the sky.

Snowflakes fell on the fingertips and melted and dripped in the body temperature. Su Muxue's fingertips, which she thought were stiff and unconscious, suddenly felt a sting of ice. This pain, Su Muxue suspected was an illusion.

Xia Ling, who was wearing a peach red skirt, stomped her feet beside the sedan chair. Su Muxue, who was in sight, walked slowly, holding an azure umbrella. Her crimson official uniform was particularly eye-catching amidst the snow everywhere. Her slender figure Shaped, walking on the snow lightly, in the flying snow all over the sky, bullying frost and snow, just like her name, coming in the snow, calm and calm.

"Master Su!", Xia Ling shouted in surprise, "Miss Xia Ling", Su Muxue called softly, her soft and calm voice was a little tense, her teeth trembled slightly as she deliberately suppressed it, and when she opened her mouth, it was as if there was nothing left in her body. The hot air overflowed, and the bone-chilling chill permeated the whole body, and I couldn't help shivering.

"It's cold weather, Mr. Su..." Xia Ling was about to speak when she saw the car curtain lifted, her slender white hands stretched out again, and pulled Su Muxue up. There was a brazier in the car warmer, which was very warm. When I entered, I felt a rush of heat.

As soon as Su Muxue sat down, the warm hand stove was stuffed into her hand, "Isn't Mu Xue afraid of the cold?" Zhou Chiyu's voice was more hot than the air in the sedan chair. Su Muxue murmured in her ears, making Su Muxue a little dazed.

The brazier was scorching the warm sedan, Su Muxue's stiff fingertips were pressed against the hand stove, and gradually regained consciousness, she subconsciously moved her body, regained her composure, and raised her eyes to look to the side.

Zhou Chiyu is wearing a navy blue woven gold embroidered peony jacket and a brocade jacket, with a moon white double skirt underneath, and a white jade hollowed out butterfly hairpin on his head, with a jade dimple and a thin halo, and his smile shines brightly, like the moonlight all over the ground, soft and clear. .

Su Muxue's body was getting warmer, her heart was trembling, she had absurd thoughts, which couldn't be restrained and ran wildly in her mind, she, she wanted to embrace this handful of moonlight, crush her and bury her in her heart.

"Chao'er..." Su Muxue blurted out, holding Zhou Chiyu's hand, which she never left after handing over the stove, was much slender than when she was young, with distinct joints, curled up in her palm docilely.

Su Muxue's fingertips were still trembling, not cold, but unspeakable heart palpitations, this kind of trembling soon spread from fingertips to hands, legs to the whole body, Chao'er, Chao'er, such an intimate name belonged to the two people in the past , always paused on her lips, swallowed, and recited silently in her heart thousands of times.

Zhou Chiyu's eyebrows were raised slightly, her dark eyes were deep, her other hand was still out of the sedan chair, and she retracted it at this moment, and the lifted curtain of the sedan chair let in the bone-piercing cold wind, dissipating the sweltering heat in the sedan chair.

The fingertips of that hand rested lightly on the back of Su Muxue's covering her hand. It was as cold as iron, and Su Muxue's already warm and soft hand was so excited that she immediately retracted it, and hid in the sleeve of her robe aggrievedly, not daring to poke it out again.