After the family fell, I wanted to lie down

Chapter 36 Selected

As night fell, Mrs. Liu left with a lot in her mind, but Liu Wenru stood alone outside the Yan Hall, looking at the flickering night sky in the garden.

Butler Zhang said, "Master is actually worried about Miss! Lu Gongqing even praised Miss in Yi Garden that day!"

Liu Wenru frowned and said, "Praise is not necessarily a good thing."

"Then does the master hope that the young lady will be chosen or not?"

"I'm not particularly happy about being elected, but I'm not very happy about not being elected either!"

This answer confused Butler Zhang. Was this a sign of happiness or unhappiness?

The master and his servant gazed at the moon in deep thought, while the worry-free little maids were overjoyed.

Xiao Taohong looked at Chunqiao and was full of envy. "Sister, sister, how much reward money did you get?"

Chunqiao opened her clenched palm, and ten big coins lay quietly in her palm. Xiao Taohong exclaimed, "That gentleman is really generous. He gave me so much reward money. You are so lucky, sister!"

Chunqiao didn't say anything. She put her arm around Xiao Taohong's shoulders and walked out. They were just temporarily transferred here. After the work here was done, they could go back.

When Xiao Taohong saw Chunqiao getting the reward, she was happier than herself. Before Chunqiao even entered the door, she shouted loudly, "I'm going to get rich tonight, I'm going to get rich tonight."

Chunqiao hurriedly held her back and said, "Don't make a noise, don't make a noise, Young Master Yingge is still reading." She glanced towards the inner courtyard and saw the young man muttering something in the corridor.

Yingge asked, "How much reward did you get?"

"I didn't get much reward money. Chunqiao got it."

"Sister Chunqiao has made a fortune."

Yingge said, "Why, Chunqiao, you're going too?"

Chunqiao hummed.

"Xiao Taohong has already told us everything, although it's a little confusing."

Despite this, Yingge understood what he said, but she looked a little strange after hearing it. "You only want girls between eleven and fourteen years old?"

Xue responded, "He is a eunuch, isn't he? Incomplete people are always a little weird."

Yingge thought that in modern history, some imperfect people did have some special hobbies, but the way this Lord Lu Gongqing selected people was a little different. It was not like he was selecting people, but more like he was looking for people. He specifically selected girls between the ages of eleven and fourteen. Was he casting a wide net?

I always feel like they would rather kill the wrong person than let any suspicious person go.

Yingge looked at Chunqiao who was talking to Xue.

Little Taohong came closer to Yingge and said, "Master, do you think Chunqiao has better luck?"

"Oh, this is what you are talking about. This is also uncertain."

"Master, have you become stupid from studying so much? You don't even know this?"

Yingge did not explain too much, but just listened carefully to Xiao Taohong and Xue's chat about some trivial matters of Lu Gongqing, and did not read the book.

The climate in Mo City changes suddenly. After a heavy rain, the weather becomes hot again and people become much lazier. The tension and oppression that Lu Gongqing had brought to the Mo City families before disappeared without a trace. No one in the families of the powerful and wealthy died due to emergencies, and the prefect no longer had to block the rivers and canals specially to entertain the powerful and wealthy, as if the eunuch before had never been there.

For some ordinary people, Lu Gongqing is still too far away from everyone's life, and the same is true for those students.

In the school, Fang Su was telling the students about the new information he had recently obtained. Although he might not have really encountered these things, he had an uncle who was a Tongzhi after all, so he had obtained more information about these things.

"It's a pity for such a person to become a eunuch. If he were to take the imperial examination, he would definitely have a place!"

"That being said, he only had the opportunity to read this book after he became a eunuch and entered the palace."

"Oh, Fang Su, you know a lot!"

Su Fang said proudly, "Of course, I am well-informed."

Yingge, who had been a bystander, suddenly asked, "Do you know which girl Lu Gongqing chose in the end?"

This is what everyone is most concerned about, and it is also the reason why Lu Gongqing came here this time. As soon as these words came out, the students all looked at Fang Su and waited for his answer.

Fang Su was speechless for a moment, blushing as he said, "Although I won't make it clear now, it will be clear soon, because Lu Gongqing will leave the day after tomorrow. I heard that he will tell everyone about the selection today, and they will all be sent to Yi Garden tomorrow."

So that’s pretty fast, Yingge thought.

Zhu Nian nudged Yingge with his shoulder and said, "That's great. My sister can go out openly now. She has been feeling very depressed during this period of time!"

Although Lu Gongqing would not care too much about a small family like Zhu Nian, and these things were far from happening to them, the butterfly wing effect might hit them one day. Her sister often sold some woven baskets near Yiyuan, and if she accidentally ran into Lu Gongqing, she would be chosen as well.

In fact, there is no useful information to be heard from Fang Su. After all, Yingge doesn't care much about these things. As for what kind of people others are, Yingge has no right to ask. She can only do what she should do. Moreover, most of what Fang Su said was exaggerated, and some information was not worth considering.

Yingge didn't want to listen to his remarks anymore, so she packed up the books on the table and prepared to go to the top of the mountain to practice singing. After practicing the spear, Yingge hesitated and didn't go to Xiaolin Hall today, but went back home directly.

Since Fang Su said that a list of selected women would be released today, she would go back early. Perhaps she could foresee that if Liu Abao was really selected as chosen at the beginning, she would have to re-plan her own positioning.

A slow car drove past her, and the curtain was lifted to reveal the person inside. "Master Yingge!"

Yingge looked over and saw Fu Zijing. "Hello, Master Zijing!"

Fu Zijing said, "Why, are you going home? Do you need me to take you there?"

Yingge was still struggling over whether to take the bus. It was very uncomfortable to have nothing to say to someone you didn't know well, but Fu Zijing didn't seem to give her the chance. "Have you finished the poem you wrote in Yi Garden last time?"

Yingge didn't expect that he would ask this. Yingge thought for a while and said, "Not yet!"

Fu Zijing nodded and said, "Oh, okay, I'll take my leave first." Then he lowered the curtain and drove forward.

The whole day was full of ups and downs, and Yingge still hadn't reacted. She could only watch the carriage leave. She laughed and said, "So, this is using poetry as travel expenses?"

At this time in Mo City, officials from the government office were dispersing everywhere, and the various families were praying that the officials would not stop at their doorsteps.

The Liu family had some bad luck. No official passed by but they knocked on the door directly. He looked at the note handed over by the housekeeper, his hands were shaking so much that he didn't dare to open it.

The officer waiting on the side said impatiently, "Masters, please take a look. I can go back and report after you finish reading."

Liu Wenru prepared himself, took a deep breath, opened the envelope, and exclaimed when he saw the words inside, "That's great."

His shout startled the officers waiting nearby. "Is this man mentally ill? What's so good about receiving the note? The good news is that those who didn't receive it are the ones who are too good."

When Madam Liu heard that the officials were coming, she was so frightened that her legs went limp and she had to be supported by the maid beside her to stand. She finally reached the door, but was frightened again by Liu Wenru's words, "That's great."

Madam Liu asked tremblingly, "Is it Baoer?"

"no!"

This sentence actually saved Mrs. Liu.

"God bless, thank God."

The officers only then realized that he had been chosen, but the chosen person was not the one they cared about the most, which was still too good to be true.

Madam Liu grabbed Liu Wenru's arm and looked at the name on the characters. "Let me see which one it is... Is it Chunqiao?"

Liu Abao came running over and just happened to hear these words. He was stunned.

"Chun Qiao? Who is Chun Qiao?"

Madam Liu ignored her question and just said to the housekeeper who was waiting by the side, "Go and invite Aunt Wu and Chunqiao over."

Although Fifth Aunt is not a servant of the Liu family, she deserves the word "love". Although she is not a real distant relative of the Liu family, the man in her family is surnamed Liu. They are not from the same family, but just came to the Liu family to rely on relatives.

In fact, Fifth Aunt was very envious of Xue. Although she was not a relative of the Liu family, the Liu family had given her great favors and even promised to marry Miss Liu to her son, which would make the relationship even closer.

When Fifth Aunt heard the master calling her, she felt uneasy. Her first reaction was that the Liu family was going to expand the yard and the place where they lived was going to be demolished. If that was the case, they would really have no place to live.

Chunqiao saw it more clearly. "Mom, I think you are overthinking it. There are many people living here. If they were to tear it down all of a sudden, who would live where? Mr. Liu is not that kind of person."

Because Yingge said that Mr. Liu wanted to be a good person and a great philanthropist.

"As for me, it doesn't matter if I have a place to live or not. I just hope that you can marry a good family, so that I don't care even if I have no place to live."

Chunqiao has grown into a big girl and has understood a lot. She said shyly, "I won't get married!"

Aunt Wu said angrily, "Don't talk nonsense. Even girls have to get married sooner or later. Look, even Miss Liu was betrothed very early, wasn't she?"

"And marrying someone like Yingge, isn't there anything else you can do about it?"

Chunqiao said, "I'm getting along well with Master Juyingge."

Fifth Aunt glared at Chunqiao without saying anything. They were talking about these things all the way and didn't realize they had already arrived at Master Liu's front hall.

Fifth Aunt straightened her clothes and politely called her "Mrs. Liu".

Mrs. Liu waited for her to finish her greeting and immediately stood up and said, "This is Chunqiao. She is indeed very beautiful."

After all, Chunqiao was still young and seldom saw Madam Liu. Hearing her praising her like this, she was a little at a loss. She bowed again, but before she stood up, Liu Abao next to her jumped out.

"So you are Chunqiao's, huh? I've seen you in front of Yingge. Why did they choose you instead of me? How am I inferior to you?"

Chunqiao was suddenly confused and looked at her blankly, but Madam Liu pulled Liu Abao away and said to Aunt Wu with a smile, "Auntie, congratulations, Chunqiao has been selected to go to the Imperial City of Shangjing to serve the nobles in the palace."

When Chunqiao heard her say this, her head felt like it was going to explode. For a moment she could not tell whether it was a dream or reality. She only saw Madam Liu and her mother, looking happy, and Liu Abao looking indignant. These figures, whether far or near, always made it difficult to distinguish clearly.

"In fact, there was no shortage of manpower that day. It was Lord Lu who wanted to select people that day."

"Chunqiao happened to be within the selected age range at thirteen, so we asked her to come over."

"It's just that no one can tell who he would like at that time. We just gave him the list."

"Today the officials brought news that Chunqiao was chosen."

"Fifth Aunt, tell me the truth, are you willing to send Chunqiao to the palace?"

How could Fifth Aunt be unwilling? For the wealthy families in Mo City, sending their daughters to the palace was to be used as maids. But for a small family like theirs, it was better to go directly to the palace and serve the most powerful people as servants than to serve the masters as slaves. Although they were all slaves, their status was completely different.

After all, the nobles they served at that time were people that ordinary people like them might not even meet in their lifetime.

Aunt Wu cried with joy, "Yes, yes."

The fifth aunt bowed and thanked Madam Liu repeatedly, then grabbed Chunqiao's arm and said, "My son, you are going to the palace to serve as a maid for the Empress Dowager and the current emperor. Are you happy?"

She doesn't know whether I'm happy or not, but if she passes away, Yingge will never get married, and how can I provide for him in his old age without any children?