It doesn't matter what the lord is.

Unexpectedly, Zi Pu's expression changed drastically after hearing this. He knelt down in front of Lord Yunyang with tears in his eyes, saying that he was not only Li Yi's messenger, but also his lover. He had rejected Li De's bold love for him many years ago. Once he went to Yuxi City, Li De would be reminded of that past, which would make the situation worse.

Lord Yunyang was skeptical, and seeing this, Zi Pu quickly recommended someone to him - Yun Ye.

"When we were in Huayue City, Yunye was deeply loved by Kaia and Norn. The two of them put a lot of effort into poaching Yunye. Although I was the leader of this negotiation, Yunye also played a significant role in it. Lord, you might as well send Yunye to Yuxi City first. She is a new member of the envoy group, has no grudges against Lid, is eloquent and will not cause Lid's disgust..."

In the end, Lord Yunyang agreed to let Yunye take the envoys to give it a try.

After Zi Pu came out from Lord Yunyang, he went to see Yun Ye first, took her hand affectionately, put a small cloth bag in her hand, and said:

"Yun Ye, you are so lucky! I reported this work to Lord Yunyang, and he admired you very much. He gave you the task of going to Yuxi City to negotiate and redeem the prince. If you complete this task successfully, you will enjoy endless wealth and glory for the rest of your life. By the way, this is the money Lord Yunyang gave me. Last time in Huayue City, you drank a lot of wine for me, which can be regarded as a small contribution. This is what you deserve."

Yunye took the purse from her hand, her expression full of gratitude, and said:

"Thank you, Sister Zi Pu, thank you..."

Zi Pu acted like a kind elder sister, patted her shoulder and said to her:

"Why don't you open it and take a look?"

Yunye opened the purse and looked inside. There were several silver coins and some copper coins, with a total value of about 40% of a gold coin. Yunye showed a silly smile and thanked him again. Zi Pu told her the general situation and urged her to leave as soon as possible. Yunye nodded and shyly expressed her hope to go home and use the money to buy some delicious food for her brothers and sisters.

Zi Pu could only agree, and reminded:

"Of course you can, but you have to do it quickly. I'll give you two days to take care of your affairs. Then you can get ready and lead the team to Yuxi City. No matter what the cost, we have to rescue the prince. This is the duty of our subordinates."

Yunye nodded, carefully held the purse in her arms, and trotted away.

After Yunye ran a long way away, a member of the envoy group who was close to Zipu and had a good relationship with her asked:

"Sister Zi Pu, if she really rescues the prince, won't she replace you? Even if you don't want such a good job, you can't let a newcomer like her take it for granted."

Zi Pu shook his head and said indifferently:

"Don't be unbalanced. Why don't you go to Yuxi City? That place is a quagmire. Whoever goes there will die. Others may not know, but I have slept with the prince more than ten or twenty times. How can I not know the tricks? Last time, Li Yi drank too much. He vomited while telling me how he sent people to assassinate Li De. He talked all night without repeating himself. This time he fell into Li De's hands. It's very likely that he will be in danger. Why should I get involved? Now that I have my own property, I will take you to submit your resignation and leave Lingyun City in two days, so that you can live comfortably."

As he spoke, Zi Pu took out a bag of money from his bag, shook it in his hand, untied the string and showed it to the member of the envoy group. Inside was a bag full of gold coins, at least fifty or sixty pieces.

This was the reward money given by Lord Yunyang this time. Zi Pu simply pursed the change in his pocket and handed it to Yunye, then put the gold coins into his own pocket intact.

Zi Pu had a nonchalant smile on his face, as if he was saying something that was perfectly normal:

"People who have never seen the world are like this. They can be dismissed by giving them soup. When she dies in Yuxi City, no one will care about the whereabouts of the money. People have to rely on their brains to make a living. You see, I just move my mouth a little and the money goes into our hands, but the risks are left to others. This is the essence of the strategist. Larte passed the pot to me, and I passed it to her. Don't blame me for being cruel. If you want to blame someone, blame her for her rustic appearance, poor family, and her unsociability."

52. Girl’s Dream

There is another reason why Zi Pu refused to go to Yuxi City.

She had seen what kind of person Li De was in Lingyun City. He had everything he wanted, and even had to rely on his maids to fight. It could be said that he had no brains and no strength, and was not as good as the muscular Li Yi. The rapid rise of such a person was definitely not his own merit, but mostly due to the group of women around him.

In other words, Lid's status in Yuxi City should be very low, and the real decision makers are those around him, such as He Yue, Fang Shisan, Bai Huang and others. Zi Pu is best at public relations, chatting with others about romantic matters, and there are many times when the conversation ends in bed. Every time, they can reach a consensus through good communication that is simple and in-depth.

This is where the problem comes in.

As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. To work in this business, it is also important to do market research and understand the target audience first. Not only will it be useless to hook up with Li De, it will be even more terrible if you offend those women in Yuxi City.

It’s better to leave this dangerous matter to Yunye.

At this time, Yunye was already sitting in a cheap carriage heading home.

It cost 70 copper coins to hire a carriage from Lingyun City back to the small village where she lived. Although Yunye felt a little distressed, because Zipu had stipulated that she must return within two days, the carriage fee became a necessary expense. Otherwise, she could walk back, just like when she walked out of the mountain with a small ragged bag on her back.

Sitting in the carriage, Yunye hugged the small purse Zipu gave her tightly, and opened it every few minutes to take a look. She had counted the money in it dozens of times. After paying for the carriage, she still had eight silver coins and more than forty copper coins left. She could have found a small restaurant in Lingyun City to have a good meal, spend the forty copper coins as a change, and then go back with only the silver coins. But she didn't do that, because more than forty copper coins could buy a pound of meat.

Yunye remembered that in the past, during the Chinese New Year, the family could only buy half a pound of meat. After cooking, each person only had a small piece in their bowl, so they never dared to stew it very well, and it was always the kind that was hard to chew. The family gathered together and did nothing for about half an hour, just chewing non-stop, until the last trace of meat flavor disappeared, as if eating wood chips, and then swallowed it with a gulp.

Yunye put the purse on her lap, took out the dry and hard biscuit from the package, tore off a piece with great effort and put it in her mouth. While challenging the limit of her teeth, she silently did math problems in her mind. People's intelligence is divided into different types. He Yue, who works in internal affairs, is very good at arithmetic. After Li De taught her math several times, she made great progress. But Yunye was very troubled by calculations. She had to count on her fingers for a long time to figure out how many kilograms of pork she could buy with eight silver coins and more than forty copper coins.

Fortunately, she finally figured out that she could buy about twenty kilograms.

More than twenty pounds!!

Twenty kilograms of meat, if made into bacon, would weigh about fourteen kilograms, which should be enough for my younger brothers and sisters to eat for a year or so.

Yunye shook her head. After a brief moment of ecstasy, she calmed down and realized that she couldn't buy all the meat. She took out the kettle, unscrewed the lid, and drank a sip of water. The dry and hard biscuits had absorbed all the water in her mouth, and she had to drink water to swallow it. After swallowing it, she tore off another piece of biscuit and put it in her mouth, drank some water and held it in her mouth, chewing and continuing to think.

The family must buy some needles and thread, cotton cloth, and make some clothes for the younger brothers and sisters. Now their clothes are worn in rotation, and there are no new clothes during the Spring Festival. Yunye knows a little needlework, but you must have the raw materials. In addition, you need to buy some oil. You can buy less meat, but there must be oil in the dishes. Boil the leaves with plain water every day, and eating too much will really make you feel sick.

Yunye calculated silently.

She felt that money was a good thing, and everything was inseparable from it, but it also had a bad side, which was that once you spent it, it was gone. Yunye couldn't help but think of the stories she had heard from other girls when she was in the envoy group, saying that those upper-class noblemen liked to use money to humiliate others, just to admire the way those girls gave up even a little dignity for money.

Yunye couldn't help but think that if one day a handsome and wealthy nobleman stretched out his claws to her, she would definitely refuse decisively, fend off his dirty hands, and then say "I'm not that kind of person" in a calm and handsome tone. The handsome guy would definitely be slightly stunned, then become interested in her, look at her back as she left, and sigh meaningfully:

"What an interesting woman."

some type of.

Of course, these are just thoughts.

Yunye took another sip of water and felt a little cold in her stomach.

Whether it was the cold cake or the water in the pot, although it helped her fill her stomach, it did not bring her any calories. However, Yunye did not care too much. At the age of sixteen, she was in her best years. During this time, she could shine with dreams and expectations. Even in a completely dark environment, even in a cold world, she would not be depressed because of this. As long as she thought of the smiles of her brothers and sisters, she felt that her body was full of strength and she was full of energy again.

The carriage traveled for most of the day, from sunrise to sunset, and then turned into the rugged mountains.

The mountain road was so bad that even the driver was unwilling to continue driving and insisted that Yunye pay more money before he would leave. Yunye was a little reluctant, after all, she had been thinking about what to buy with the money all day in the carriage. So Yunye got off the carriage and walked back in the afterglow of the sunset.

When the sun had completely set and the moon gradually became brighter, Yunye returned to the small village.

The dog in the village barked twice. Yunye waved at it and then ran back to the village briskly.

Although I had been away from here for two or three months, every blade of grass and every tree in the village was still so familiar. Yunye ran to the small courtyard of her home in one breath, and finally ran out of strength, and began to walk home step by step. The door was not locked, and she easily pushed open the outer door and entered the courtyard. She could hear the chattering voices coming from the main house.

Yunye weighed the purse in her hand, opened it and carefully confirmed that not a single copper coin was missing, then ran over and knocked on the door.

Her face was very red, her light grey hair was stuck to her face, and her clothes were stained translucently by sweat. Yunye put one hand on her chest, breathing steadily, her heart pounding violently.

At this moment, she was like a child who had received a certificate and wanted to show it to her parents.

With a creak, the door opened.

Yunye raised her head expectantly, and there was a frowning middle-aged woman, whom Yunye should call "mother". After seeing Yunye, the woman was stunned for a moment, and then her expression suddenly changed. On her face was not joy, but rage.

What was waiting for Yunye was not the "You're back" she expected, but a sarcastic taunt:

"You still have the nerve to come back?"

53. There is still a difference between dreams and reality

Yunye, who originally thought that she would be welcomed at least a little, stood there in a daze for a moment, not knowing where to put her hands that were holding the purse.

The wooden door in front of her was only a crack open. The woman held onto the door frame with both hands, blocking the door with her body, as if to prevent fire, theft and Yunye. She had no intention of letting her in. Instead, she spoke in a tone of accusation:

"Where have you been? You didn't send money home or come back. I went to Lingyun City to look for you but you weren't there. You don't have this home in your heart. Do you still have me and your dad? You've grown independent, right? Don't you think about who used connections to send you there in the first place? You can tell for yourself! Now that you've gone to the big city, you don't plan to recognize us poor relatives, right?"

Yunye's heart suddenly became anxious.

She was eloquent but couldn't muster up the courage to refute at this moment. It was clearly not her fault and she felt wronged. But at this moment she could only lower her head and explain in a low voice:

"Mom, I didn't neglect this family. I just followed Sister Zi Pu to Huayue City some time ago..."

"So you can stop sending money home and abandon us? We are living on coarse food at home, but you are living a life of luxury outside. Have you forgotten why I asked you to leave home in the first place? Where's the money? The money to support the family and to marry your brother off?!"

The woman almost roared at Yunye and stretched out her hand. Yunye instinctively raised her hand and wanted to hand over the purse in her hand. But the woman snatched it from her hand first, and her long nails scratched several bloody marks on the back of Yunye's hand.

Yunye covered her hands, bit her lower lip and remained silent.

The woman opened the purse, looked inside, threw it to the ground, and said in a sobbing voice:

"You've only earned this little money in two months, and you still say you're not living a carefree life out there? You know your brother can't delay getting married any longer, but you're still so selfish. Who are you being worthy of?"

Silver and copper coins fell to the ground with a clinking sound.

The people in the village were also woken up by the woman's loud voice. The villagers were naturally fond of joining in the fun, and they had been lacking entertainment for a long time, so they could spread even a little gossip to everyone in the surrounding area, not to mention such explosive news. For a moment, the walls and fences were crowded with people, all looking inside, and their curious eyes looked up and down at Yunye.

A dull male voice sounded in the room:

"What are you doing blocking the door? Xiaoye finally comes back, let her in to eat first."

The woman turned around and yelled in a shrill voice:

"Eat? She's already had her fill outside! How can she be dissatisfied with our shabby meals? Why let her in? She doesn't even consider herself a member of this family..."

Before the woman could finish her words, the door was opened by a pair of large hands.

A middle-aged man who looked honest muttered:

"You are just letting people watch the fun, let Xiaoye in quickly, if there is anything you want to say, you can't talk about it behind closed doors."

"I insist on saying this! Is what you said reasonable? Hu Luo wants to marry a wife, and the matchmaker has arranged the marriage, except for the betrothal gift. According to the rules, the girl should be married off, and the betrothal gift there should be used to make up for the shortfall here, right? At that time, the butcher family in the next village was willing to pay eight gold coins to marry Yunye, but you disagreed. It's fine if you disagreed! We used our connections to let her go out to work, but what happened? She sent money home four or five times in two months, and each time it was just a little bit. Let her say for herself, is she feeding mosquitoes or flies here? Is it so disgusting?"

The woman became more and more excited. She spat and scolded the middle-aged man. She turned her attention to Yunye again and raised her voice, wishing that everyone in the village could hear her:

"The last time I went to look for you, the guards there were so rude that they said you weren't there. Didn't I tell you? A dumb girl like you has no future. Sleep, you have to sleep with Prince Yunyang, do you understand? Take off your clothes and roll into bed with him, understand? You're a girl, you can't marry into a rich family, what future can you have? If you become the prince's concubine, will anyone dare to look down on our family? I don't have to suffer from a guard."

After the woman finished yelling, she tried to grab Yunye’s collar, but Yunye’s father pushed her away:

"What are you talking about! Are you really going to ruin our daughter's reputation?"

"That's your daughter, not mine..."

The woman muttered something in a low voice, and she felt that it was wrong, so she changed her words:

"Anyway, she should just marry the butcher next door while she's still a virgin. I think they're a good match. Forget about that envoy group. She's not cut out for it. Look at her. She can't even speak clearly. She should just learn to serve a man instead of thinking about those fancy things all day long."

Before the man could speak, some kind-hearted uncles and aunts in the crowd came out to persuade Yunye:

"Look at how well your mother said it. People should never forget their roots. No matter where they are or how high their position is, they should always remember their parents, brothers, and family, right?"

"Yunye, this auntie has something to say to you. Your brother's marriage and childbirth are top priorities. If you delay it and become an old bachelor, you will become a joke in the village. You are young and don't understand, but you will understand when you grow up..."

"Yes, Yunye, you have had personality since you were young, but don't you think about it carefully? Will your parents harm you? They are the only people in the world who treat you well from the bottom of their hearts. Other than that, no one is as reliable as them."

"Hey, that makes sense. Yunye, how long will it take you to save money like this? You'll be exhausted, but is it worth it? If you don't have a lover out there, just come back quickly. If you don't come back, everyone will think you're having an affair with some boy."

As Yunye listened to these sarcastic words, her vision gradually became blurred.

The father couldn't bear to listen to it any longer, but he didn't dare to argue with these villagers in public, so he could only pull Yunye's arm and said in a muffled voice:

"Come in and talk later, come in and talk later..."

This time the woman did not stop him. She could tell that the villagers were disgusting and had already started to make up stories about Yunye having a man outside. If the butcher in the next village heard about it, the marriage would be ruined. If Yunye could not get the money, her brother Hu Luo would not be able to marry, and she would still be the one who suffered the loss.

Thinking of this, the woman snorted, squatted down, picked up all the money, put it in her arms, and said to the people outside:

"Go away, everyone. We didn't teach our daughter well, and we are embarrassed. But you all should pay attention. Our daughter is still a virgin. If anyone dares to gossip about her again, I will cut her face. I will teach Yunye a lesson tonight and let her know who is the boss of this family! I will ask the butcher to propose marriage in a few days, and then I will treat everyone to the wedding banquet!"

The villagers also cupped their hands and congratulated the woman, and the whole scene was full of harmony.

Yunye entered the house and saw a row of short brothers and sisters looking up at her with concern.

Yunye blinked, squeezed out the tears in her eyes, and gave them a forced smile.

54. No matter how slim the hope is

After closing the door, the man complained to the woman:

"Why do you have to say something in front of others? It makes it so ugly."

The woman glared at him fiercely and said sharply:

"You should have said it in front of others, so that they can see our daughter's face. Stop complaining to me. Why are you so mean? After we got married, wasn't it me who took care of the family? Besides, when I remarried you, you had six children and I only had one son. What right did you have to be mean to me? I don't know if your ex-wife was born in the year of the pig. She was really fertile. She had two sons and four daughters. Even pigs can't be raised this way."

"Say less."

The man was also a little unhappy, his face gloomy, but he still didn't dare to lose his temper with the woman, and said in a low voice:

"If it doesn't work, let Hu Luo get married later. She doesn't have to marry the blacksmith's daughter. Xiaoye has already started making money. I think there's nothing wrong with letting her try again."

The woman immediately began to curse with her hands on her hips like a machine gun:

"Try again, and she'll end up in someone else's bed! It would be fine if she was thinking about our family, but look at how stingy she is. She doesn't even want to spend the money she earns on us. What will happen in the future?"

"Besides, do you think that Hu Luo is not your biological child, so it doesn't matter what happens? Do you still have a conscience? When my mother and I married you, we hoped to have a stable family. Now you start to dislike me. Are you planning to kick us out next?"

"Also, don't you think about it? Even if Hu Luo is dragged down, your two sons will not get married in the future? What use is the money you earn from farming? You can tell me! What use is it!"

The young man named Hu Luo stood behind his mother and said at the same moment:

"Yanqi and I have been in love for a long time. We can't delay any longer. What if her parents change their minds? Our family is not worthy of hers. If Yanqi didn't like me, why would she accept such a small betrothal gift? Anyway, my sister will get married sooner or later. I think the butcher is a good person. It will be better for everyone if she gets married sooner."

The mother nodded and said in approval: