Women dressed as men: powerful officials

Chapter 177 Tell me your secret

Xu Yuan would not dare to call himself a good general.

Therefore, after hearing Bei Yao's words, she subconsciously said, "Maybe, he is just a useless person."

Bei Yao did not respond, but changed the subject and asked: "I heard that you are investigating Shu embroidery?"

"How do you know that?"

As Xuyuan said this, he suddenly felt that he was in danger.

It’s not because Beiyao knew about this.

It was because only she, Wu Shiming, and Shen Yichuan knew about this matter.

But Beiyao has never shown his face, but he also knows about this matter...

Was it because Wu Shiming made too much noise, or was it because there were so many people following her that almost everyone knew about it?

"There are few things in the capital that escape my eyes and ears. Otherwise, how can I create an image of the crown prince who is unparalleled in the world in terms of courtesy and respect for others?"

Bei Yao said, seeing that Xu Yuan was still slightly surprised, he spread his sleeves, sat down next to Xu Yuan and said, "Didn't you ask me what the big deal was? I came here to tell you this big deal."

"Then what do you need me to do?"

"Are you planning to make an equal exchange?"

Make a wish and nod.

"But this news is priceless."

"Whether it is a priceless treasure or not, I have to listen to it first before I can judge."

"That's fine." Bei Yao smiled and said, "Shu embroidery was used by the royal family before, and later it gradually became popular in the capital. However, it relies on the skills of the embroiderers, and the embroiderers who can do Shu embroidery are basically women from Shu, and they will never come to the capital. Therefore, apart from the palace, there are few embroiderers who can do Shu embroidery in the shops outside. But it is profitable, so naturally there are people willing to make money from it."

"About thirty years ago, the emperor was selecting a concubine. A woman from Shu entered the palace, and she and the maid who came with her knew how to do Shu embroidery. Because of the embroiderer, the concubine was quite favored. However, the concubine did not live long and died soon after. Her maid was also sent out of the palace. The capital was far away from Shu, and the maid knew she could not go back to Shu, so she settled down in the capital and opened an embroidery workshop."

Hearing Bei Yao's words, Xu Yuan's mind moved and asked, "Then what?"

Bei Yao was right, this information was indeed priceless.

No matter how much Wu Shiming or Shen Yichuan tried to inquire, they would not know that the embroiderer was actually a maid in the palace.

"This embroiderer opened a shop outside the palace and also took private jobs in the palace. She lived a pretty good life, but for some reason, she suddenly died of illness more than 20 years ago, leaving behind a pair of children."

"Did he really die of illness?" Xu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

Bei Yao smiled, raised his eyelids and said, "Xuyuan, I thought you should care more about that concubine."

"What do you mean?" Xu Yuan didn't understand.

"That concubine is the late emperor's biological mother, Chen."

I remembered making a wish.

The eldest prince Beimin was not born to the current empress dowager. It was because the concubine suffered heavy bleeding during childbirth and passed away after giving birth to the eldest prince. The eldest prince was then handed over to the empress dowager who had no children at the time.

The eldest prince was raised in the Queen's palace, and later was made the crown prince and inherited the throne. If he had not been killed while marching north, the emperor of Tianqi today should still be Bei Min, not Bei Yu.

Xu Yuan thought, there should be more than just her. Almost no one in the capital knew that the embroiderer had such a great background.

"That embroiderer..."

"It's a coincidence. I don't know whether it was because the embroiderer was loyal or she stayed in the capital just for Chen. After her death, her tablet was enshrined in Putuo Temple together with Chen's."

Beiyao finished speaking, and added: "It still exists today."

"Putuo Temple."

Xu Yuan pondered secretly.

Putuo Temple is an imperial temple with many monks, strong incense and many tablets for worship. However, most of them are from high-ranking officials and nobles who enshrine the tablets of their relatives in Putuo Temple.

That embroiderer was just an embroiderer, and her highest status was that of a palace maid. How could her tablet appear in Putuo Temple?

"I know you have guessed something, but I have to remind you that not many people in the capital know about these past events. If I can find out, then others can find out too. If you don't want to reveal your intentions, the best way is to trouble me."

Bei Yao looked at Xu Yuan, and two words were clearly written in his eyes: beg me.

Make a wish: "What do you want?"

"Tell me your secret."

Bei Yao looked at Xu Yuan, he still had that gentle smile on his face as before, but there was something different in his eyes.

Xu Yuan couldn't help but sigh. After a long while, she said, "Mr. Shen, you once gave me a piece of advice, and now I want to give it to you as well."

Bei Yao has said too many things about making wishes.

For a moment, he didn't know what the wish was about, so he asked, "What is it?"

"The more you know, the faster you die." After Xu Yuan said this, he saw Bei Yao's obviously stunned expression, and a feeling of joy spread in his heart.

In the past, she always lost when talking with Bei Yao.

Even if Bei Yao begged her, he did it on purpose.

This was the first time she managed to gain the upper hand.

Although, probably, it's only this time.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan couldn't help but recall the time when he first met this person.

He said coldly: "Xuyuan, I like dealing with smart people, but I don't like dealing with stupid people. Either help or die, choose one."

I don’t know if she can be considered a “smart person” now.

Seeing Xu Yuan's lips slightly raised, Bei Yao couldn't help but bend his lips and said: "Then I will wait for you, wait for the day when you are willing to tell me."

“I hope that day never comes.”

"You will." Bei Yao said confidently.

"For example?"

"Without me, you can't enter Putuo Temple."

Hearing Bei Yao's words, Xu Yuan couldn't help but smile and said, "Did you forget that I was there a few days ago?"

However, at that time, the Song family targeted her and was willing to close the entire temple to investigate her.

She didn't have the chance to take a good look around Putuo Temple.

"Call you stupid, sometimes you are quite smart, but if you say you are smart, you are stupid like this."

Bei Yao looked at Xu Yuan, and before Xu Yuan could open his mouth to refute, he said, "I think you should know that twenty years ago, that embroiderer died."

Xuyuan was confused, "And then?"

"An important event happened more than 20 years ago. Do you need me to remind you of it?"

She made a wish in silence and looked at Bei Yao. Suddenly, she felt that the person in front of her had guessed her intention.

Seeing this, Bei Yao continued, "It is said that when the Xu family rebelled, the flying dragon on the emperor's robe was embroidered with Shu embroidery. So since then, in the capital, except for the royal family, no embroiderer dared to do Shu embroidery. You said you want to do Shu embroidery business... can you continue it?"

Xu Yuan didn't respond.

The wind rustled in from the window and almost blew out the candlestick.

Bei Yao raised his hand to block the wind.

When the candlelight came back on, he said, "Make a wish. It is said that fire can extinguish everything. But you see, if the wind blows, even this fire has to avoid the wind. Everything in the world is interdependent."