yes sire

The next day, Han You finished his official duties in the morning, came out from the Ministry of Officials, and was blocked at the door by Zhang Yuchou, the right servant of the Ministry of Industry.

Seeing Zhang Yuchou's frowning face and his thick eyebrows tangled together like a carbon painting, Han You asked him, "Jiezhong, what's wrong with you?"

Zhang Yuchou pulled Han You aside, looking like he was about to cry, "Jing Lue, this time you have to save old brother's life no matter what, and there is no other way for old brother."

"what's up?"

Zhang Yuchou said: "Let's go to Drunk Dongfeng, let's talk while eating."

Zhang Yuchou booked a hidden private room in Zui Dongfeng, ready to quarrel with Han You.The only daughter he regarded as the apple of his eye was actually taken by the Wu family. There were rumors that Wu Wenci wanted Wu Shijie to marry his daughter as his successor.

Wu's family is of course well-off, but if he became Wu Wenci's in-laws, Changyu would not have to worry about raising his official career.But Zhang Yuchou loves his daughter like his life, how could he marry his daughter to Wu Shijie, a money-grubbing and lustful person.

A few days ago, Wu Shijie forcibly occupied Teng's tofu shop for his concubine. Everyone in the capital knew about this incident, and Wu Shijie was punished by Wu Wenci for it.Presumably it was Wu Wenci who wanted to find a well-known official daughter to be Wu Shijie's successor for the sake of the Wu family's face.

Han You thought for a while and asked him, "Do you want me to test my teacher?"

"No, no, no," Zhang Yuchou brought up the blue and white porcelain jug to add wine to Han You, "I want you to do me a favor and transfer me to be an official, so that I can take my daughter away, the farther the better."

Han You was a little surprised, knowing how many people wanted the position of the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, Zhang Yuchou actually wanted to be transferred to be an official, just to prevent his daughter from marrying into the Wu family, "This...isn't it?"

"Jing Lue, you and I are on our own, let me tell you the truth," Zhang Yuchou said with a deep heart: "I will never marry my daughter to an official family, I only hope that she can marry someone who treats her wholeheartedly, I can live happily and freely in this life.”

Han You smiled and shook his head, "Happy and wanton? Free?"

"Yes," Zhang Yuchou sighed, "It is said that people can't help themselves in the Jianghu, but you and I understand that people really can't help themselves in the court."

Han You poured wine for the two, "There is no real freedom anywhere, but the higher you stand, the more freedom you can control, isn't it?"

Zhang Yuchou smiled wryly, "I used to think the same way, but until today I realized that giving up those desires for fame and fortune is the real freedom!"

Han You was noncommittal, "If Jiezhong has made up his mind, there is a suitable location right now, but the location is not very good."

"Where?"

"Ganzhou."

Ganzhou is located in the westernmost part of Zhao Kingdom, with a harsh climate and perennial drought. This year, it reported a food shortage and asked the imperial court for disaster relief.

Zhang Yuchou was stunned, "Ganzhou is far enough."

"Governor Zhang Ziliang of Ganzhou is weak in governance and has reported food shortages for five consecutive years. Now the cabinet intends to replace him. I can recommend you to go."

Zhang Yuchou nodded, and thought again, "Zhang Ziliang is Gao Yuanfu's disciple, so it's Gao Yuanfu's intention to replace him this time, right? They didn't recommend anyone else?"

"You don't have to worry about this, I can arrange it, you should think about it first."

Zhang Yuchou thought for a moment, "Don't think about it, I'll go!"

The matter was tentatively settled in this way, Han You agreed to help Zhang Yuchou operate, Zhang Yuchou sent Han You out of the restaurant with gratitude.

After bidding farewell to Zhang Yuchou, Han You went to the palace.

The emperor seemed to be in a good mood today. When Han You arrived, he was drawing in Xinuang Pavilion, and the puppy snored sleepily at his feet.

Xia Siyan's former prince and master was a famous master of painting at that time. Xia Siyan was influenced by him since he was a child. Although his painting skills are not as good as masters, they are still extremely superb.Whenever Han You entered the palace and he happened to be painting, Han You would stand by and watch. Watching him paint was a very pleasing experience.

Han You saluted and walked to the emperor as usual, but this time the emperor didn't let him see it.

Xia Siyan pulled a piece of paper to cover the drawing, and smiled mysteriously at him: "I can't show you this."

Han You only saw the part that was not covered, which was the hem of a long red dress, guessing it should be a portrait of a woman.Xia Siyan likes to draw all beautiful things, and women naturally often draw them, but Xia Siyan didn't shy away from him before, so he couldn't help but wonder who the emperor painted.

Xia Siyan covered it with paper, and still pressed his left hand on it, as if he didn't discuss it, so Han You could only say: "The minister avoids it first."

"No need," Xia Siyan pointed to the stack of scrolls on the low table next to him with the ivory openwork brush in his hand, "The household department sent some portraits in, sir to help me choose."

"portrait?"

"The cabinet received hundreds of papers asking for a queen, and they selected the queen candidate recommended by the officials, and ordered someone to draw a portrait and send it in for me to see." Xia Siyan smiled coldly, and mocked: "Gao Qing knows how to play tricks on the surface. He wants a girl from the Gao family to be the queen, so who dares to send his daughter into the palace? These paintings have been ruined for nothing."

Han You had heard that the household department was collecting portraits of official women, but he didn't expect it to be done so soon.Thinking about it, anyway, they are all studying with the prince, so the painting is more or less perfunctory, so it doesn't take much effort.

However, he was curious about how perfunctory these portraits could be painted, so he went to sit on the futon next to the low table, and untied the scrolls to look at them.

This was the first time in the history of Zhao Kingdom that a portrait was presented to the emperor after the selection, making it look like a draft girl, it was really absurd to think about it.Han You couldn't help lamenting the horror of power in his heart, how powerful officials in one dynasty had such great influence.

The girl's name, age, and family background are written on the portrait. They are all the daughters of Korean and Chinese military officials, and many of them are names that Han You has heard of.The portraits are also drawn with delicate eyebrows, maybe some people want to try their luck, if they are chosen by the real emperor, even if they are only concubines, they will be on the rise.

After looking at a few scrolls, I found that the portraits were all similar, probably drawn by an artist, and even the makeup was very similar.Han You found Gao Mozhu's portrait to look at, and saw that the woman in the portrait was as beautiful as a fairy, obviously not at the same level as the women in other paintings.The other portraits were probably wholesaled at five taels of silver, while the ones of the Gao family were custom-made for 500 taels of silver.

Thinking of this, Han You laughed.

A narrow and slender hand took the scroll away from his hand, he raised his eyes, and met the eyes of the emperor who was looking down at him.

The smile that had just faded in the emperor's eyes, frowned, and said unhappily: "Is the portrait of a woman so beautiful? Who do you like?" The scroll was thrown aside.

The painting scroll rolled to the ground, and the unfolded scroll closed itself again.Han You glanced at it, and then another scroll fell into his arms, he subconsciously caught it, and then he heard the emperor say: "This one is not bad, let's set her up!"

Han You raised his head in surprise and saw the awkward expression on the emperor's face. He was just about to open the scroll to look at it when he heard the emperor say, "Let's give a lecture in the Wenhua Palace today. I'll go and wait for you first." gone.

Han You felt that the emperor was a little strange today. Looking at the scroll in his hand, he couldn't tell whether the emperor was joking or telling the truth.If it is true, the only reason is that someone has come to the palace to find the emperor when he didn't know, and they made some agreement that he didn't know about.Who is the one?General Zhen Guo?Or a cabinet minister?

He quickly untied the rope of the painting scroll in his hand, unfolded it, and the first thing that catches the eye was the bright red skirt, which was exactly the one painted by the emperor just now.

There was a vague idea in my heart, and I felt that it was too absurd.

The painting scroll unfolds upwards, revealing the white collar of the tuxedo inside the bright red cross-neck train, and above that is the delicate collarbone, the long and powerful neck, and the protruding Adam's apple like a small full-stretched bow.The radian of every detail seems to have been carefully calculated, and everything is just right.

The clothes are red and flamboyant, but the face is plain without makeup.The contour of the face hides the masculine edges and corners, and adds roundness and charm.The chin is a pointed oval, shaped like an almond.The person in the painting looks out sideways, with slightly parted lips, as if whispering, with a slight smile.The eyes are gentle, and the light brown pupils are gazing at the person outside the painting, the eyes that only people who love someone very much will have.

Seen by those eyes, Han You's heart, which had been forged in the officialdom, seemed to have been torn open, sour and astringent.

It turned out that in his heart, I was like this.