Eunuch Gao was bringing this person to see the empress dowager, so he didn't dare to delay any longer. He didn't stand on ceremony with Xiaoman and smiled. "Alright, alright. Miss Xiaoman, I'll be leaving first."
Eunuch Gao strode forward. The short man beside him stared longingly at Xie Xiaoman for a moment before hurrying to catch up with him. After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but turn around and glance at Xie Xiaoman again. Her graceful back was still unspeakably beautiful, and his heart itched even more. He couldn't help but gasp and ask, "Eunuch Gao, this girl is so graceful, who is she?"
Eunuch Gao frowned slightly when he heard his rustling voice. However, this was not someone he could afford to offend. His impatience quickly disappeared. Eunuch Gao tried his best to speak in an amiable tone. "Oh, that is Miss Xiao Man, the Empress' bodyguard."
Hearing this, the man's face lit up and he asked, "Are you my aunt's bodyguard?"
Eunuch Gao said, "Of course, I wouldn't dare to lie to Young Master Wu."
The man was overjoyed and thought, "So she's just a female imperial guard of my aunt. What female guard? She's just a maid who serves people. That's good enough!"
This man was called Wu Houxing, a nephew of Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian's grandfather, Wu Huasheng, had four sons: Wu Rang, Wu Chi, Wu Leng and Wu Yi. Wu Houxing was the son of Wu Yi's third son, Wu Anye. The third branch only had one son, and he was the son of Wu Anye at an old age, so he was treated like a precious treasure and was raised like a little ancestor.
Wu Houxing was the son of Wu Anye at an old age. He was born with a weak constitution and often got sick. His family treasured him very much, and he didn't learn anything since he was young. His family only wanted him to live a long life, so they didn't dare to think too much about him.
After Wu Zetian came to power, she gradually felt that she didn't have enough trusted aides, so she had to use a large number of people from the Wu family. But because the third branch only had one son, and his health wasn't good, the family couldn't bear to let him become an official.
Now that Wu Anye had passed away, there was no one in the family who could control this little tyrant. Under his repeated torment, they could only let him do as he pleased. Wu Houxing wrote a letter to his aunt, Wu Zetian, expressing his wish to become an official. Wu Zetian happily agreed. Wu Houxing immediately packed his luggage and left his hometown in Taiyuan, heading for Luoyang.
Wu Houxing had always been extremely arrogant at home, and he also knew that his aunt was equivalent to the Emperor of the Tang dynasty. She was as high as the heavens, and no one could compare to her. In his eyes, everyone, including the princes and princesses of Li Tang's imperial clan, were all servants of his Wu Clan, not to mention a little female guard.
"I'm going to ask Aunt to bring that graceful and handsome girl over!"
Thinking of Xie Xiaoman's cute face, Wu Houxing began to look forward to the beautiful life in the future.
…
After the snow, the palace was like a jade palace. The tall and majestic palace was completely covered under the pure white snow. Occasionally, a corner of the dazzling gold and jade could be seen, while the rest was hidden under the pure white. Even the beast on the eaves of the palace was like a jade sculpture.
In the small courtyard of the Fragrance Palace, the winter plum blossoms were like beans in the snow, ready to bloom.
Since ancient times, the imperial family loved to plant plum blossoms.
The plum blossoms were undoubtedly a grand sight in winter.
The plum blossoms in front of the Fragrant Hall were in full bloom. The dense flower buds that didn't have any green leaves stubbornly drilled out of the fluffy white snow. The petals were so tender that they were almost transparent like wax. From a distance, they looked like crystal clear jade beans.
Under the old and twisted branches of the plum tree, Eunuch Gao was wearing a large cotton-padded jacket and sitting on a stone bench. He was excitedly talking to a few young eunuchs and the Little Palace Maid about the winter in his hometown.
Eunuch Gao was one of Su Mochu's people. He said with a nostalgic tone, "At that time, husband was only nine years old. After the heavy snowfall, I went to the river with my older brother. The north was ten times colder than here, and the river was frozen with a thick layer of ice. We used ice shards to pry them open and stones to smash a hole in the ice. Hey! The fat fish in the water were complaining that they didn't have enough air to breathe. Once the ice hole was smashed, the fat fish would rush to the surface of the water. It was very easy to catch them. Sometimes, they would jump up on their own. We picked up a few fat fish and stewed them or roasted them when we got home. They were very fragrant! "
As he said this, Eunuch Gao licked his lips, as if he was a little greedy.
Yang Fan carried his halberd and stood on the side, listening with a smile.
He was the Imperial Bodyguard of the Fragrant Palace. However, when it was winter, the Empress Dowager didn't come here, so he had nothing to do every day. The palace guards who guarded the door would go to the gatehouse to warm themselves. Yang Fan liked to hang out with these eunuchs and palace maids. If he wanted to know the whereabouts of Shanghai Wan'er, the best way was to go through these palace maids.
"Brother Yang, did you catch fish like this when you were young?"
A Little Palace Maid glanced at Yang Fan and said with a smile. It was easy to strike up a conversation with a beautiful woman, and it was also easy to strike up a conversation with a handsome young man, especially in this place where there were more Yin and less Yang. A few young maids immediately turned to Yang Fan and pretended to be in high spirits, leaving Eunuch Gao aside.
Yang Fan smiled shyly and said, "No, I was very honest when I was young. I didn't dare to shave ice to catch fish."
A palace maid covered her mouth and laughed, "Erlang doesn't tell the truth, but you are honest. Who would believe you? That day, I saw clearly how powerful Erlang was on the court, especially the last ball … "
The little palace maid became more and more excited as she spoke. Her little face was flushed, and she waved her hands and feet as she said, "Like this, like this, like this, a golden hook upside down, and then a spin in the air, she stood steadily, and then rushed forward, hugging Shangguan Daizhao."
Eunuch Gao laughed and gave her a thumbs up, saying, "That's right. That kick was amazing, and everyone who saw it cheered. Hubby was there too, and he saw it clearly. "
A Little Palace Maid said with a smile, "Erlang is the first man to touch Shangguan Daizhao's body. Does Shangguan Daizhao smell good?"
Yang Fan touched his nose and smiled shyly, saying, "Look at what you're saying. At that time … I was sweating all over, so how could I smell good? Besides, my nose isn't that good. Even if there was a fragrance, I wouldn't be able to smell it. "
Another little palace maid said, "Oh, that's all you've got? That was a solid support. If it wasn't for Erlang, Shangguan Daizhao would have fallen badly. "
A palace maid next to her curled her lips and said, "That's hard to say. Who knows if Shangguan Daizhao fell on purpose and waited for Erlang to support her."
An older palace maid immediately said, "Damn it! How dare you bite Shangguan Daizhao's tongue! "
The Little Palace Maid stuck out her tongue and lowered her voice. She muttered in a voice that only she could hear, "She's already an old lady. I don't believe she doesn't want men …"
As soon as they talked about men and women, everyone became spirited. It was just a matter of taking the first step and helping the person up. There was nothing romantic or ambiguous about it. They were also particularly spirited as they chatted. The more they talked, the more energetic they became. Even Yang Fan, the person involved, was pushed aside and became an audience.
Yang Fan and Eunuch Gao had no right to interrupt, so they both shut up and became an audience.
At this moment, Xie Xiaoman walked in in her deerskin boots. She stood in the middle of the courtyard and saw Yang Fan standing there with his halberd. She said, "Yang Fan!"
Yang Fan turned his head and saw her. He walked over with his halberd and asked lazily, "Xie Duwei, what can I do for you?"
Xie Xiaoman raised her chin and said majestically, "There are a few guards in front of the Emperor who are too lazy. The Empress is very dissatisfied. She asked me to choose a few more guards to replace them. From today onwards, you will be on duty at the Hall of Martial Achievement! "
The Hall of Martial Achievement was the hall where the Emperor listened to state affairs and summoned the ministers. After Wu Zetian became the ruler of the Guang Dynasty, the Hall of Martial Achievement became the place where she listened to state affairs. To be on duty at the Hall of Martial Achievement was to work under the Empress' eyes. Naturally, it was not as free as the other palaces. The duties there were more important, the rules were stricter, and the salary was the same as the other guards. The guards regarded it as a dangerous path and were unwilling to be chosen to serve in front of the Emperor.
However, there was one exception, and that was Yang Fan. Yang Fan was worried that although he was very close to the Shanghai Wan'er, he could not find her whereabouts or see her shadow. This Miss Xiaoman unexpectedly provided him with such a rare opportunity. How could Yang Fan not be happy? Yang Fan was startled for a moment, then beamed with joy, he said, "Should I go now?"
Xie Xiaoman slightly raised her chin, hoping to see frustration and annoyance on his face. She did not expect that Yang Fan was not the least bit displeased. In fact, he was very happy. Xiaoman was stunned, "How can this be?"
Seeing that Yang Fan looked like he could not wait to take up his post, Xie Xiaoman was even more disappointed. She waved her hand disappointedly and said, "No need. It's almost evening, why do you still want to be on duty? Go find Zhu Bin and hand over your post. Come to the Hall of Martial Achievement tomorrow morning!" She then walked away gloomily.
Yang Fan smiled at her back and said in a loud voice, "Xie Duwei, take care!"
As soon as Xie Xiaoman left, the palace maids surrounded him. One of them said reluctantly, "Ah, Erlang is going to be transferred to the Hall of Martial Achievement. It will not be easy for me to see you again."
Some people felt it was unfair for him and said, "How can you transfer Erlang to Wucheng Hall? How can he be as free as he is now when he's on duty there? Erlang is a hero of our Tang Empire. Who in the palace doesn't know you? Tell Commandant Zhu that you don't want to go to Wucheng Hall. Commandant Zhu will definitely give you face."
Yang Fan smiled and said, "What's there to be afraid of? I really don't have the chance to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy. I will go to the Emperor and take on more tasks. That way, I will have a higher chance of promotion. I am still looking forward to being promoted to Captain within three years."
Immediately, another palace maid said quietly, "Second Brother has great ambition. This is a good man. In the future, Second Brother will definitely achieve great things. Ai! I wonder which family's girl will have the good fortune to be my Second Sister-in-law in the future. "
Another palace maid laughed at her, "Oh! Look at you sighing and sighing. My Second Sister-in-law? When did Erlang become yours? Don't tell me you want to be your own Second Sister-in-law? "
The palace maid was embarrassed and annoyed. She said coquettishly, "What nonsense are you talking about? See if I don't tear your mouth!"
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