Who is spying on me? It's not Wang Gui or Liang.

It is not easy to train homing pigeons in this era. It requires extremely professional training starting from young pigeons. The training goals are from simple to complex, from near to far, from day to night.

To have the power of homing pigeons requires a strict organization and a large amount of manpower, material and financial resources, which is definitely not what Wang Gui and Liang can achieve.

Is Bailong spying on him? Impossible, because this kind of surveillance started a few years ago, and Bailong didn't even know who he was at that time.

Then there are only two possibilities, one is his uncle who holds a high position in the Jing Dynasty, and the other is his biological mother whose whereabouts are unknown.

As for the man who drove Taotie last night...

Chen Ji stood in the house, watching Xiao Man busy outside. He had just put the kettle on the stove, and while he was boiling the water, he swept away the dust and fallen leaves in the yard.

Chen Ji asked in a low voice: "Wuyun, do you think she looks like an official?"

Wu Yun meowed: "It doesn't look like... do you believe she is an official, or do you believe I am a god?"

"That's right," Chen Ji said to himself: "Would a dignified official be willing to serve others... Just try it, you will know after you try it."

There was the sound of a kettle spewing steam from the right ear room. Xiaoman put down the broom in his hand, ran back to the ear room like a gust of wind, and brought out a basin of warm water: "Sir, it's time to wash up! I'll tie up your hair later. I'll have it at noon.

I’m going to attend Zhang’s promotion banquet!”

While talking, Xiaoman staggered out of the penthouse with the basin in his hand. Chen Ji came up to him and said, "Let me do it. This basin is quite heavy."

Xiaoman quickly said: "No, no, no!"

Chen Ji didn't care what she said and just took the basin. During the stalemate between the two of them, when he saw that the water was about to spill out, Xiao Man had to let go.

Just as Xiaoman let go, Chen Ji also let go.

The basin fell from between the two of them, but Chen Ji didn't look at the basin, but looked at Xiao Man.

Time seemed to slow down. The basin fell to the ground little by little. Xiao Man's eyes widened little by little. She wanted to reach out and catch the basin again, but she was a step too late.

With a clang, the basin fell to the ground, hot water surged out from the edge of the basin and wet Xiaoman's cloth shoes.

"Yeah!" Xiao Man exclaimed and jumped to the side.

Chen Ji quickly said: "Sorry, sorry, it's my fault."

Xiaoman also said quickly: "It's your fault, it's my fault."

Chen Ji: "Huh?"

Xiaoman said quietly: "It's my fault that I don't have four arms."

Chen Ji: "..."

He thought to himself, could it be that the official who drove Taotie was really not Xiaoman?

Xiaoman looked down at his wet shoes and complained aggrievedly: "Please stop causing trouble. Let the servants do what they should do. Why are you always rushing to do the work?"

Chen Ji looked at Xiaoman and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, it's just...don't you wish you had to work less?"

Xiao Man was startled for a moment and whispered: "What you don't understand is that for those of us who were sold to other people since we were young, the first thing we were taught is to be useful. Only when we are useful will an employer buy us, and we don't need to be sold to others."

Fight; only if you are useful, you will be popular in the owner's house and will not be sold to others again."

Silently, "useful" seems to be the philosophy of life that Xiaoman has learned since childhood.

He asked: "Do you have any shoes that I can change into?"

Xiaoman said casually: "Of course."

Chen Ji thought for a while and then said: "Then I will take you to Zhang Mansion for a nice meal today as an apology."

The corners of Xiaoman's lips raised, but he muttered: "I'm actually not that greedy..."

Chen Ji said: "I heard that not only are there seafood, but there are also chefs specially invited from Yingxian Tower."

"Really?" Xiaoman's eyes lit up, and then he said slightly worriedly: "Sir, will Madam not allow you to attend the Zhang Mansion's banquet? According to the rules, you are a concubine and should not attend the main banquet.

"

Chen Ji smiled: "Don't worry, it won't happen."

…

…

In the thirty-first year of Jianing, it was noon on the 13th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Cuiyun Lane is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the ground is filled with red paper flowers after setting off firecrackers, which is particularly bright and eye-catching.

The servants of Chen's and Zhang's houses were standing at the door with baskets, handing out candied sour plums to the children and giving out 'profits' to the men, women, old and young who passed by.

The "profit market" with copper coins wrapped in red paper was sent out. The people put the copper coins in their arms and threw away the red paper. The whole street was filled with red paper and was filled with joy.

At noon, boys from each house arrived carrying congratulatory gifts.

In front of the main entrance of Zhang's Mansion, a boy stood still. Someone brought a congratulatory gift, so he picked up the gift list and called the name at the door: "Master Wang Changgu of the Huizhou Chamber of Commerce, I present you six pairs of South China Sea East Pearls, a pair of red corals, and an emerald one."

A wishful one..."

"Mr. Qiao Dezhong of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce, I present you with twenty silver winter melons and a golden Maitreya Buddha..."

The faces of those waiting in line to give gifts changed when they heard the roll call.

One of the stewards turned around and walked away, muttering in a low voice as he walked: "This picture of a poor person eating is too ugly. Which official would dare to accept a gift so blatantly?"

The boy next to the steward asked curiously: "Shopkeeper, aren't we going to give it away?"

The steward said unhappily: "How can I not give it? I want to go back to the warehouse to prepare a new gift! It is said that Mr. Zhang has a photographic memory. Being laughed at by his colleagues is not a big deal. If he is missed by the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs,

Go on, I’m afraid I’ll be wearing small shoes every day from now on!”

"He belongs to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and has no control over us..."

"You know nothing!"

At this moment.

In front of the side door of Zhang's Mansion, a boy led the officials who came to give gifts to enter in a low-key manner: the front door is for merchants, and the side door is for officials. Naturally, officials cannot give gifts in such a high-profile manner.

In the small side courtyard, Zhang Xia was seen sitting behind a table covered with red silk cloth. In front of the red table, a young official came forward and respectfully handed over the gift list.

He carefully looked at Zhang Xia, but he did not expect that a female doll was in charge of the back house of Zhang Mansion.

Zhang Xia ignored his look, took the gift list with a writing brush, looked at it for a moment, then looked up at the young official in front of him: "What official do you want?"

The official hurriedly said humbly: "I heard that there is a vacancy for the county magistrate of Weishi County in Yuzhou, and I want to fill that vacancy."

Zhang Xia glanced at him and wrote lightly: "Then your gift is not enough."

In the severe cold winter, fine cold sweat broke out on the official's forehead: "I will make up for it in a few days."

Zhang Xia hummed, picked up his brush and wrote on the gift list the words "Weishi County Magistrate to be replenished", then threw the gift list aside: "There is no need to go in to eat, go back and prepare gifts."

The young official said yes repeatedly and walked backward out of the side door of Zhang's mansion.

Such clear price tags for selling officials and titles are rare in the history of the rise and fall of the Ning Dynasty for thousands of years.

However, Zhang Zhuo now wants to replace the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The officials in the ministry have always regarded the left as the most respected. The left minister is responsible for the internal affairs and the right minister is responsible for the external affairs. He can really decide the position of the county magistrate of a county.

Moreover, after Liu Gun committed suicide, the post of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was temporarily held by Xu Ge Lao. Zhang Zhuo married Xu Ge Lao's niece. This post of Shangshu will also belong to Zhang Zhuo in the future.

…

…

Compared with the liveliness of Zhang's Mansion, Chen's Mansion is slightly deserted.

The congratulatory gifts for entering the Chen Mansion were greeted by Mrs. Liang and carried into the backyard in a low-key manner. They were put away together with the gift list and would be counted after today.

Although today's banquet was held to receive gifts, the Chen family was concerned about their appearance and did not want to be exposed to such a strong smell of copper.

Ms. Liang stood in the main hall. She vaguely heard the singing of gifts coming from Cuiyun Lane, and then looked down at her gift list, which was obviously much shabby.

In fact, each of the gifts sent to the Chen family is something that ordinary people cannot earn in a few lifetimes. But people are afraid of comparison. It doesn't matter how much they get. As long as it is worse than others, it will be unsatisfactory.

The maid Dongzhi stood aside, looked at Mr. Liang's face, and whispered: "The Zhang family is so shameless that they accepted bribes in broad daylight. Officials who come from a small family are really short-sighted."

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Mrs. Liang listened to the singing of honors outside the house and said casually: "Master Zhang has collected money for so many years and has not had any trouble. It is considered his ability."

Dongzhi muttered: "What's the matter? Isn't Mr. Xu Ge protecting him?"

Mrs. Liang said in a deep voice: "Don't be rude. Now Mr. Zhang is the official of the Ministry of Personnel. You need to be more respectful."

While they were talking, a servant came quietly to the front of the hall and whispered: "Mrs. Qi Zhen..."

Mrs. Liang said with a worried expression: "Straighten up, when did my servants in the Chen family develop the habit of being sneaky!"

The boy straightened up and said quickly: "Madam, housekeeper... Wang Gui is at the side door, saying he has something important to report."

Liang thought for a moment: "Master asked him to reflect at home and come back to do anything when he has nothing to do. I won't go to see him. I asked him to write down anything he needs and hand it in."

The boy responded, turned around and left.

Not long after, the boy came back and handed a note respectfully.

Mrs. Liang unfolded the note and saw a small text written on it: "The villain's old friend is serving as a sergeant in the Chitose Army. Yesterday, the villain learned from him a secret related to Chenji, which will make him fall out of favor in front of the master. Madam.
To be continued...