Prostitution

The young Yuancheng also had a good time.

It's just that time passes quickly, and everything was overturned when he was 13 years old.

That year, he had tricked the maid who was serving him, and by virtue of his figure which was much taller than his peers, he pretended to be a guard and slipped out of the palace.

Strolling all the way along the bustling long street, I wandered to the old prime minister's mansion by accident.

The Prime Minister's Mansion was no longer in good condition, the gates were deserted, and the surroundings were in a bleak scene. The word "Yuanfu" was faintly visible on the dusty plaque.

Yuan Cheng knew that this was his old house that the emperor said, but he did not expect to be so downcast.

Yuan Cheng pushed open a crack in the door and walked in sideways. An old man with half-white beard and hair was cleaning the courtyard.

A stranger suddenly appeared in front of him, he was still a half-grown child, the old man was in a daze, and it took him a long time to ask, his voice was dry and hoarse.

"Your Excellency is..."

There are still people in the mansion, Yuan Cheng is obviously also surprised, staring at the old man again and again, "I, my name is Yuan Cheng, this may be my house?"

The old man was a little excited, his cloudy eyes flashed slightly, "What's your father's name?"

"Yuan Shanghui." Yuan Cheng replied truthfully.

Hearing this name, the old man trembled so much that he couldn't control himself, he quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "The old slave pays homage to the young master..."

Yuan Cheng stepped forward to help, "Old man, please get up, I thought this place has become a deserted house, why are you still guarding here?"

"The old slave's surname is He, and he is the housekeeper of the mansion. After the master passed away, the young master entered the palace, and this house was left deserted. The old slave always thought that the young master would come back one day..." The old man wiped it with his rough palm tears.

"Coincidentally, I also want to come back. Uncle He, please show me around." Yuan Cheng looked away and looked around.The palace has high walls and deep courtyards, too many red tapes, deserted and restrained, the idea of ​​leaving the palace is always in his heart.

"Okay, okay!" Uncle He answered with steady steps, "This is the main house."

The windows are bright and clean, spotless, and it doesn't look like no one lives all year round.

Yuan Cheng stopped and walked in the room, and there was a faint scent of sandalwood. He walked to the inner room behind the curtain, where there was an altar, and there were two portraits hanging on the hall. He looked at the portraits for a while, and sighed softly. Voice.

Uncle He lit three sticks of incense and handed them to him, muttering, "Master and Madam, the young master is back..."

Yuan Cheng bowed to Hua three times, knelt down and kowtowed.There is no one who is not filial.

"Uncle He, let's talk about your parents, how did they pass away?" Yuan Cheng was still kneeling, his mood was no longer as happy as when he came, and he was more puzzled. Whenever he talked about his parents and the emperor, he always downplayed it. He concealed his origin and did not say much about it.

Uncle He was silent for a while before speaking, "Master and Madam have always been in good health..."

Yuan Cheng immediately asked, "Didn't he die of illness?"

"They died of poisoning. The master repeatedly told Haosheng to take care of the young master when he was dying. However, the emperor said that the master was a hero of the two dynasties. If he wants to bring you into the palace to raise you, the old slave can only obey the holy will."

It was the first time Yuan Cheng heard about the cause of his parents' death, and he was terrified, his childish face darkened for a moment,

"Do you know who did it?"

Uncle He shook his head.

Yuan Cheng stared at the portrait in silence for a long time.

Before leaving, he and his uncle asked again, "How is the emperor treating the young master?"

Yuan Cheng thought for a while and replied, "It's okay, probably the court affairs are too busy, and the emperor rarely asks the princes." He paused for a moment, then smiled, "Uncle He is worried that the emperor will not allow me to come back to the mansion?"

Uncle He smiled and acquiesced.

"The emperor will promise, I can't stay in the palace forever."

Uncle He hesitated for a moment and said, "Then...young master, you must not mention the cause of the death of the master and wife, and only discuss it after you return to the mansion."

Uncle He is cautious, guarding a deserted house for more than ten years, not just waiting for him to return, right?

Yuan Cheng stared at him for a while, then responded, "Okay, I understand."

The emperor's original intention of adopting Yuan Cheng was actually just to gain the name of benevolence and righteousness, and to cover up the world's tongue.

Yuan Cheng brought up the matter of returning to the mansion, and he moved it with filial piety, and the emperor agreed without saying a word.In addition to the bounty and silver, people went to repair the mansion.

But Uncle He firmly refused to renovate an old house in the Houfu, and kept silent when asked why, so Yuan Cheng had no choice but to follow him.

When the fortifications were completed, Yuan Cheng called him into the room. Such a strange behavior and decisive attitude were really incomprehensible.

"Uncle He, what else do you have to hide from me, let's talk about it together today." Yuan Cheng unconsciously put on a cold-eyed look.

He was so worried about his uncle that he hesitated to speak several times.

Yuan Cheng saw it in his eyes, and said another harsh word, "Don't tell me now, and don't tell me in the future, I will find another person to renovate that room tomorrow."

Uncle He hesitated for a while and finally knelt down in front of him, choked up and said, "It's not that this old slave refuses to tell, it's really...Master, you are still young, so you shouldn't know these things..."

Yuan Cheng snorted, "Then why did you tell me that my father and mother were framed? You have been waiting for this day for so many years, haven't you?"

Uncle He still knelt silently.

Yuan Cheng was not in a hurry, An sat and waited for him to speak.

After a long time, he heard a long sigh, and Uncle He no longer entangled, looked up at Yuan Cheng,

"Master, do you still remember that before you were three years old, there was a child who was as old as you in the mansion."

Yuan Cheng thought about it and said, "I don't have any impression."

"The old slave dare not lie to the master. If you can remember it, you will know that the old slave is telling the truth. That child is now living in the dark room under that house."

Yuan Cheng was surprised, "Who is he? What is his origin? Could it be my younger brother or elder brother?"

"No, he is an orphan from the previous dynasty."

Yuan Cheng's eyebrows twitched, "Could it be that father and mother were murdered because they hid him?"

Uncle He hesitated for a moment, "I really have no way of knowing who murdered Master and Madam, but I only know that when Dakang died, there was a fire in the palace, and he was taken out of the palace by good luck. In mid-autumn night, the emperor paid a sudden visit, and the master ordered him to be sent to Qu Shilang's residence, and he returned here seven years ago, and never came out of the dark room again."

"When did parents die?" Yuan Cheng frowned deeply.

"A few days after Mid-Autumn Festival."

When Yuan Cheng heard this moment, his emotions surged, "In this way, I have something to do with the emperor, but why did you keep me!"

Uncle He frowned, "I don't dare to jump to conclusions, the master walked very calmly, as if he had expected it."

Yuan Cheng pondered for a moment, then let out a long breath, "When will you take me to see him?"

Right and wrong cause and effect are confusing, and it really needs to be discussed in the long run.Right now, all he can do is to take over his 'father's business' and keep the orphans from the previous dynasty.

The moon is short and the wind is high.

The secret passage opened on the ground is deep and dark, eerie.

The candlelight was weak and the shadows were flickering. Yuan Cheng almost stepped on the air and broke out in a sweat. This is not a place for people to live. If it were him, he might go crazy.

"Master, dumb woman...it's me..." Uncle He whispered softly.

"Uncle He."

A cold voice responded, and then saw a small candle lighted in the depths of the dark room, slowly approaching them.

The visitor came to a certain distance and stopped, looking at him warily.Yuan Cheng took a look, and found that this person was so skinny that he was much shorter than him.Behind him was an old woman who quietly withdrew after bowing.

Uncle He turned his head and lowered his voice, "Master, he is Qi Mingxiu."

Yuan Cheng took the white candle from his hand, "My name is Yuan Cheng, what's your name?"

"Qi Mingxiu. I remember you. You came back from the palace." Qi Mingxiu didn't move, her tone was cold and unkind.

Yuan Cheng could only laugh dryly, "You have a really good memory."

It was only when he got closer that he could see Qi Mingxiu clearly, he was rather dry than thin, with sunken eye sockets and high cheekbones, almost no flesh on his face.

"Sit down." Qi Mingxiu pointed to the bed board covered with a thin layer of cloth.

There is a small cradle in the corner, and the quilt is thick and new.

Yuancheng smiled dryly again, and sat down very naturally, "I will slowly buy things for you, you can bear with it for a few more days."

"It doesn't matter, I'm used to it." Qi Mingxiu paused and stared at him seriously, "If it's convenient, can you give me the portraits of Zhang's father and mother."

"This..." Yuan Cheng was in a dilemma, "Your father, queen mother..."

Qi Mingxiu interrupted him, "I mean yours, I don't remember mine."

Yuan Cheng nodded and smiled repeatedly, "Of course, I'll take it off and put it in your room tomorrow."

Qi Mingxiu was speechless.

Yuan Cheng went on to say, "In the future, I will find a way to take you out."

"Really?" Qi Mingxiu's dull eyes suddenly became bright at this moment, and he looked up at him.

"Really, definitely!" Yuan Cheng replied with a low smile.

Qi Mingxiu pursed his lips, bent a shallow arc, a half-smile.