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客棧位於沙漠邊陲，由一對夫婦和五名兒女經營，客人大多是經由沙漠進出中土的商旅。十歲的芸兒排行第三，負責為投棧商旅送餐和添置日用品，偶爾會充當嚮導，帶他們到鎮內市集採購物資。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ntKJIdJoM
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4qcAucp5N
商旅們很喜歡這機靈乖巧的女生，會給她講述家鄉的風土人情、大唐天子的仁政、中土與西域在文化上的異同……頃刻間，整個世界濃縮在芸兒耳邊。遼闊無垠的，多姿多彩的。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpAFqM3qXq
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGd070TPmu
「我要去見天子！」芸兒告訴老爹。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTjOV8waxC
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCI0Z7FtP7C
「為甚麼？」老爹吃驚低頭望向矮小的女兒。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93KDCfRGhY
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0fk7oFa6F
「我想知道他的宅子為何能容納三千個妻子！不會很擠擁嗎？」芸兒畢竟是個孩子，動機十分單純。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3h5YA9yJL9
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55YQN9Oab8
「他的宅子很大、很大，所以能夠容納多人。」老爹假笑一聲，敷衍回應。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlyL6qvKLr
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1qc0JGTkU
「我也要當他的妻！」芸兒立下宏願。「然後帶著大家入住他的宅子！」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFhtc2CRvb
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgWUnEMk0E
「女啊！木門要對木門，竹門也要對竹門，更何況是天子的龍門！那不是我等尋常百姓家能夠對得上！」老爹當即笑得彎了腰，笑她不自量力。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeLOjBfxSb
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzkFkqWgYl
自尊一損，鼻子一酸，眼眶一紅，芸兒答不上話。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMAd8Obrqg
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuL4q7OIo4
匆匆廿載，兄弟姐妹早已嫁娶遷出，兒孫滿堂。只有芸兒一人雲英未嫁，伴在爹娘身邊打理生意。鄰里經常取笑她，笑她一口歪理，說甚麼木門可以對龍門。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGQGcX04HP
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6WALBROAO
聽在耳裡，芸兒豈會不介懷，但只能一笑置之。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXHbNIgBqC
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GUqoTTudm
近年天氣變幻莫測，沙塵暴肆虐，少有商旅橫越沙漠，客棧生意銳減。為了糊口，芸兒心生一計，乾脆以自己的伶牙俐齒作招徠，為客棧招生意。在多少個天氣惡劣的夜晚，她粉墨登場，以一根巧舌力敵無數賤嘴。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmjqFYcOnx
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtPJg4sqpY
「說甚麼木門對龍門？你連茅房的破布簾也不如！」酒客無情直擊芸兒心房。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLcASiQQxO
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRR0Ka64wEv
哄堂大笑。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsuvfYg9a7
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUsPe1TBQT
「我不知道自己是否破布簾，只知一塊布可有百種用途，視乎大家如何處理。」芸兒幾經風霜，早已變得圓滑世故。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulmN9Mh8E0
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4sxfmY02r
「你想大家如何處理你？」醉客樂極忘形，大開黃腔。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNoIWKHTrF
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5nGt0sW88
「想大家無條件給老娘數百元寶買個好夫君！」芸兒將自己的痛處當笑料，給客人佐酒。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVNnJGdMfU
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUyNlQMYvG
眾人笑得前仰後翻……543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCeq81HwhG
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6ebzx0RZq
夜深，曲終人散。酒客要不或爬或躝歸家去，要不醉得不省人事，被芸兒一家抬上客房。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQczqhYh05d
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0ZRFJcUip
「一石二鳥。」說話的是一名老婦。整個晚上，她與四名年輕女伴獨佔一枱，要了滿桌清淡的小吃伴白粥，邊吃邊默默觀看芸兒的鬧劇。「既能大賣酒水，又能名正言順向醉客索房租。很不錯的頭腦。」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno3byrGJK8
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzhtDh9iL1
「過獎！」芸兒得意上前答話。由她們踏入店面一刻，芸兒已倍加留意。舉止得體，談吐有禮。衣著說不上光鮮，但也穿戴整齊，不染塵垢。想必是低調行事的大戶人家。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUehw7jqjVu
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkriF6aHk9R
「不痛嗎？」老婦言簡意賅，神情淡然。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRX9Mfi2YHj
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMvliJSxht
「再痛也是要過活呀！」芸兒豪氣萬千，一笑盡泯恩仇。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyeLfvw6ch
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpuWPEdWSN
老婦心領神會，閉目暗忖，從懷中取出一把紙扇。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrszDg9hW4c
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxq1cA6qOr
「三個選擇。一，攜紙扇，親到長安，然後得官位；二，棄紙扇，立取萬金；三，棄紙扇，棄萬金，立當清官夫人。」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwTx5Lt9Ei
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40bYsK4A7c
爹娘聞言，驚覺老婦乃官場中人。二人馬上勸芸兒立取萬金，不要涉足官場：「我們只是尋常百姓，沒有本事……」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cNj0zyLHp
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv691kuT8fx
芸兒打斷父母的話，執意取過紙扇：「我才不是對木門的木門，也不是對竹門的竹門，更不是對龍門的龍門！」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKxA3JfFcb
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXfHiVbemb
此話一出，女伴們旋即目露凶光，殺意畢露。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67llBwixeC
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEIa6z0yUm
「好一個女漢子！」老婦樂極，仰首大笑，及時阻止女伴發難。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZt0F6WaBP
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzpkPORomi
「你等我！我會讓你見識我有何本事成為龍門的龍！」芸兒未有察覺異樣，眼中只有對未來的無限憧憬。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKWM0Eyvn8
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebWCrzjleZ
懶理父母勸阻，芸兒孤身前往長安。風塵僕僕，路途遙遠，她花上一年才到達目的地。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6AI62OtVb
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeexRkUxCED
根據女伴們當日的指示，芸兒去到城內宰相府，拿出紙扇予宰相過目。宰相接過紙扇，面色一變，命家丁將芸兒速速拿下，打入天牢，酷刑審問。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0mS8ce79t
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT7xYrMNMa
幾日後，查明真相的宰相親臨天牢，釋放芸兒。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfGOJMbqYx
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi637WBlDj
「你知道當日的老婦是誰？」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwqkBcBn3G
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpPoKHpwoJ
「不知道。大概是個高官夫人吧。」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSQRNAZqnK
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFuBkCtsd4
「你真是有眼不識泰山！」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fjMnFXJNs
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwnK87f3Kc
原來老婦是武后武則天。當年，她帶著四位武功高強的女侍衛微服出巡，暗中考察與西域通商的必經之路，偶遇芸兒一家……武后回宮後遭遇政變，被逼襌位予兒子李顯（唐中宗），幽禁深宮，至今已無實權。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5QjURLJ9r
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh1w1yXTHf
芸兒心如死灰，徹底沉溺在傷痛當中。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07myZBaCEV
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnowjO62y6
因何而痛？痛在失去伯樂、失去知音、失去希望。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU6KuIWQyP
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNwSREQ0Gn
那夜的每個眼神、每句豪言，都是兩個孤獨靈魂的深切交流。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnH01ULuArK
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GRGNNDAkR
彼此就是對方的一面鏡。武后從芸兒身上看見自己的勇氣與機智，芸兒從武后身上看見自己的堅忍與沉著。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshhjv0jelQ
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ApzOHyd4z
奈何二人身份懸殊……543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHAZ3aEVkO
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65c1hVI10M
芸兒獲釋後離開長安，自此杳無音訊。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTq7gmIlL6
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxFvaUbXuj
半個月後，被幽禁的武則天身邊多了一個不知由來的大齡婢女。婢女一直侍奉左右，直至武則天離世。該婢女聰慧機敏、忠心不二，武則天親信上官婉兒遂將其留於身邊。及後，唐中宗駕崩，韋后權傾朝野。上官婉兒助太平公主（武則天之女）及臨淄王李隆基（武則天之孫）發動政變，殺韋后及其黨羽。至此，該名不經傳的婢女下落不明。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMONdF19E2
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe4PxU69PH
同年年底，失蹤五年的芸兒突然重踏故土，與親人共聚天倫。543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8sLi5CRbc
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiDu5tkWyW
鄰里見芸兒仍是孑然一身，不忘予以嘲弄：「說甚麼木門對龍門？你連茅房的破布簾也不如！」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtRbGlObFU
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3MOqI8DKa
芸兒聽罷，嫣然一笑：「是木是龍我作主，我命由我不由天。」543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiW3VR17V4
543Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeukMPocX9K
註：女主角十歲的時候，武則天尚未稱帝，當朝天子還是李系男兒。所以她的童言是合乎邏輯的。
ns3.144.91.198da2
