You Miao: "Oh."
Several people: "…"
You Deyou pointed at Li Zhifeng who was kneeling on the ground, shaking with anger: "When we catch the Quanrong people outside the Great Wall, we want to pull out their tendons and peel off their skin! How dare you bring this wolf home! Aren't you afraid…"
You Miao: "But isn't it written in the indenture? Look, uncle, look, this man took a medicine called what, and he became no different from us…"
You Deyou said: "No, no! You don't understand! Send him away immediately! I said, immediately--!"
You Deyou's hysterical voice shook the eaves so much that the dust fell off.
You Miao laughed, and You Deyou yelled again: "Laugh! What are you laughing at!"
You Miao said: "He has also learned a lesson. He was beaten half to death by Li Yan a few days ago. I managed to save him. It cost me two hundred and fifty taels of silver to treat him and the doctor..."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the hall rolled their eyes. You Deyou sat on the chair like a pig with his eyes bulging. His wife was so scared that she fell down and slid off the chair. The concubine who was eavesdropping outside fainted on the ground with a whimper.
Two hundred and fifty taels? ! You Deyou's annual expenses for food, accommodation and servants in his house were only eighty taels of silver!
You Miao said again: "Even if we sell him by weight, he won't sell for 250 yuan, uncle, what do you think?"
You Deyou couldn't even speak, and said: "You, you, you... OK, I'm going to write a letter to your father and see how he teaches you a lesson... You little beast!" You
Miao hurriedly said: "Uncle, calm down, and, besides, he was sold to me by the son of the Prime Minister's Mansion..."
"You can't take the gift from the prince!" You Deyou said: "Send him away immediately! I'll write a letter to your father..."
You Miao didn't expect the Quanrong people to be so difficult. As long as it involves family and national grievances, things are not so simple. After reading the basic sage books, he also knows the truth that those who are not of my race must have different hearts. However, when looking at Li Zhifeng who was kneeling beside him, You Miao's heart rose with a different emotion.
It's not that he was reluctant to throw him away, but this person was saved by himself after all. If he picked up something on the road and cured a cat or a dog, he would have feelings, let alone a person?
You Miao looked at Li Zhifeng and thought of another thing. He wondered if this dog slave had any feelings for him. He should have some, otherwise he wouldn't have said that if he was allowed to live, he would live, and if he was allowed to die, he would die.
But sometimes, what you say and what you do are another matter.
You Deyou glared and said, "Hey!" You Miao
came back to his senses and laughed. You Deyou was no longer interested in his tricks. He gathered his strength and was about to yell at him again, but You Miao blocked his mouth with a word.
You Miao: "How about this? Uncle and Li Yan are having a quarrel. I'll send this guy back when he comes to see me in a few days?"
Li Zhifeng raised his head slightly and glanced at You Miao when he heard this.
You Deyou said, "Do it as soon as possible! Do it as soon as possible!"
You Miao said yes, yes, yes, and kicked Li Zhifeng again, asking him to follow her out. His wife hurriedly said, "Miaozi, don't let this man stay in the room anymore, lest he retaliate..."
"Okay, okay." You Miao said, "I know what I'm doing, aunt."
When they returned that day, the housekeeper came over and watched and asked Li Zhifeng to live in the woodshed. You Miao knew that she could not make trouble anymore, so she had to let him move in first. The housekeeper gave Li Zhifeng a roll of tattered bedding and wanted to lock the woodshed, but You Miao got angry and shouted, "What for?"
The housekeeper hurriedly said, "The master ordered us to do so. We are afraid that he will cause trouble."
You Miao: "I put him in the room for ten days or half a month and he didn't do anything to me! Are you still afraid that he will cause trouble?"
The housekeeper: "This, this, this... Young Master, this is the master's order..."
You Miao was not satisfied: "I spent two hundred and fifty taels of silver on him! He still has to serve me. If you lock him up, you should compensate me!"
The housekeeper hesitated for a moment and said, "How about this? Give the key to the young master?"
You Miao said, "Give it to me."
The housekeeper locked the door. You Miao took the key and opened the door again in front of the housekeeper. The housekeeper had to leave in disappointment. You Miao glanced into the woodshed. Li Zhifeng hugged his knees and leaned against the wall, looking up at him.
After You Miao left, for several days, Li Zhifeng continued to do everything as usual, except that he lived in the woodshed in the backyard. He got up before dawn every day and sat outside You Miao's room. When You Miao woke up and opened the door, he would go in to serve You Miao.
The maids and servants pointed fingers at the newcomer, but Li Zhifeng did not talk to anyone. The concubine expressed admiration for this tall and strong man, while the wife thought that Li Zhifeng was just showing his loyalty.
After a few days, You Miao had only a few dozen taels of silver left, so he went out to find Li Yan and ask about the matter of the Quanrong slave. He had to figure out the right and wrong before he could decide how to deal with this guy.
That day, when You Miao and Li Yan were sitting and listening to an opera, You Miao asked him.
You Miao: "Hey."
Li Yan glanced at him, You Miao hugged him, leaned close to his ear and said affectionately: "I have a question for you, about that Quanrong slave..."
Li Yan: "Did he deflower you?"
You Miao: "No, no... What are you talking about? Ah! You were deflowered by him? Hahaha..."
You Miao pointed at Li Yan and laughed. Li Yan flew into a rage and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, I will cut off your tongue!"
You Miao gestured to get back to the point and asked, "This dog-like slave... isn't allowed in the capital?"
Li Yan: "Just say I gave it to you. They said you are not allowed to keep it. Am I afraid of those lackeys in the Ministry of Justice?"
You Miao said, "Why are you not allowed to keep it ? ? "
Li Yan said disapprovingly: "It's national hatred and family feuds, otherwise why would there be so many broken rules."
You Miao asked again: "Is it so serious?"
Li Yan: "You southerners don't know..."
It happened that the stage was performing Zhaojun's departure to the frontier, and Li Yan explained to You Miao why the Quanrong slaves could not be raised. It turned out that the Great Qi Kingdom had always been troubled by the border. A hundred years ago, it signed a document with the Hu Di, and the two sides lived in peace for decades. However, ten years ago, the Hu tribe in the northern border gradually rose, and from time to time there were small wars harassing the border.
At that time, the Quanrong, Xianbei, Jie, Qiang, and Di tribes formed an alliance and frequently invaded the Great Qi. In the battle of Dig Yue Mountain, the Great Qi Kingdom retreated, and the seven border cities were bloodbathed by the barbarians, which buried the blood feud between the Han people and the Hu people. The two sides confronted for many years, with both sides winning and losing.
Later, the Quanrong King died, and several princes fought for the throne. The war was repeatedly expanded, affecting various Hu tribes. The Han people took advantage of the situation and attacked Yinshan again. After a bloody battle, the Quanrong people retreated to the border. They were seriously injured and gradually declined, losing their leadership position in the Hu tribe.
The prisoners of war captured after the war were transported to the capital. It was rumored that the whereabouts of the youngest son of the Quanrong King were unknown, and the eldest son inherited the throne and did not want prisoners of war. So some of these Quanrong people were detained, some were sent to serve, and some were sold to the Jiaofang Division. The Quanrong people were all good fighters, able to fight one against a hundred. When they were captured, they were fed with Broken Muscle Powder, which made them weak and had to be slaughtered.
You Miao was stunned when he heard it.
Li Yan explained again: "If that guy had martial arts, the first thing he would do would be to kill us, do you believe it? When the Quanrong saw us Han people, they started fighting without even saying a word. The Quanrong raped our women, and the Han people slaughtered their villages. It's not something that can be won over with a few words."
You Miao was half-believing and half-doubting, but thinking about it, anyone who was tortured by Li Yan into this state of being neither human nor ghost would definitely want to kill him for revenge.
"Then why don't you..." You Miao tentatively said: "Come up with a safer way?"
Li Yan said: "So I want to kill him! Isn't it you who wants to kill him?"
You Miao had no choice but to smile awkwardly.
"Hehehe." You Miao said: "I don't know that!"
Li Yan: "I wanted to take him home to play with him, but he is very stubborn... Never mind, take it easy, play with him for a few days and then kill him, it's just a matter of a knife. If you can't do it, send him back and I will help you kill him."
After hearing this, You Miao felt a little uneasy. Just when he was enjoying the play, the servant came to call for someone again, saying that a letter from the master of Qingcheng County, Liuzhou, had arrived. You Miao's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said goodbye to Li Yan and went home.
The north wind was strong in the courtyard. You Miao rubbed his hands, got off the sedan chair, and went to the study room. He saw Li Zhifeng standing in the east wing sweeping snow. As soon as You Miao stopped, Li Zhifeng noticed him, put down the broom, and seemed to want to come over, but didn't dare to. It was freezing cold, and Li Zhifeng was wearing very thin clothes, but this man didn't seem to be afraid of the cold at all. He was wearing a single piece of coarse cloth, showing his tall and strong figure, like silk wrapped in steel.
"Go in and warm up by the fire!" You Miao said to him.
Li Zhifeng seemed to want to say something, and You Miao raised his hand to signal him to go in, and he turned and went into the study room.
You Deyou stared at You Miao, and You Miao changed his face and smiled, "What did my father say?"
"Read it yourself." You Deyou threw the letter to him, and You Miao unfolded the letter to read.
You Deyou stared at his cousin's face again, observing his expression.
The letter did not mention anything about You Miao's mischievous behavior in the capital, but only roughly said that it was time for You Miao to get married and start a family. His father had separated from his brothers when he was fourteen years old. Now that You Miao had achieved success in Beijing, he should consider his career.
It happened that this year was colder than in previous years. Rumor has it that there was turmoil on the northern border. Missing You Miao, he asked him to go home. If there was nothing else, he would let You Deyou arrange it, so the northern caravan turned south and went through Cangzhou to Liuzhou.
It was just right, You Miao thought, go home and ask for money by the way. What about getting married and starting a family, it was all nonsense. He hadn't finished reading in the capital yet. If he went back at this time, I'm afraid he would have to find a wife.
"Hey." You Deyou laughed: "Guess what your father is going to do?"
"Hehehe." You Miao also knew that his father's letter could not be hidden from this man, so he replied: "Want to marry me a wife? Let the wife control me?"
You Miao folded the letter and put it in his arms.
You Deyou said again: "You also know that you should be controlled by your wife? Don't leave in a hurry, let me ask you first, what about the Quanrong people? When will they be sent away? Such people must not be brought home!"