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。十歲的蔻兒排行第三,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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAk9zoXMtlmD
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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,整個世界濃縮在蔻兒耳邊。遼闊無垠的,多姿多彩的。601Please respect copyright.PENANA4POuPYUe34
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「我要去見天子!」蔻兒告訴老爹。601Please respect copyright.PENANAPRbSccrFhp
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「為甚麼?」老爹吃驚低頭望向矮小的女兒。601Please respect copyright.PENANA6mZ518mF3O
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「我想知道他的宅子為何能容納三千個妻子!不會很擠擁嗎?」蔻兒畢竟是個孩子,動機十分單純。601Please respect copyright.PENANAjNts9zlNwn
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「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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAIuiM97lcsE
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「我也要當他的妻!」蔻兒立下宏願。「然後帶著大家入住他的宅子!」601Please respect copyright.PENANA2YIYNRIolr
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「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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAJrgsamEid3
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自尊一損,鼻子一酸,眼眶一紅,蔻兒答不上話。601Please respect copyright.PENANARQNA1wSkfe
匆匆廿載,兄弟姐妹早已嫁娶遷出,兒孫滿堂。只有蔻兒一人雲英未嫁,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。601Please respect copyright.PENANACb8sQ1Hav2
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聽在耳裡,蔻兒豈會不介懷,但只能一笑置之。601Please respect copyright.PENANAfxueXCdkn6
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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,蔻兒心生一計,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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAhV8KK8TzlA
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「說甚麼木門對龍門?你連茅房的破布簾也不如!」酒客無情直擊蔻兒心房。601Please respect copyright.PENANAQN96Z1pzZG
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哄堂大笑。601Please respect copyright.PENANAwO87rDl8j1
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「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。」蔻兒幾經風霜,早已變得圓滑世故。601Please respect copyright.PENANApkhTb2L9Yr
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「你想大家如何處理你?」醉客樂極忘形,大開黃腔。601Please respect copyright.PENANAcXwBJV7aN7
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「想大家無條件給老娘數百元寶買個好夫君!」蔻兒將自己的痛處當笑料,給客人佐酒。601Please respect copyright.PENANA5UYWFgeO66
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眾人笑得前仰後翻……601Please respect copyright.PENANAykUPo1f10t
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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,被蔻兒一家抬上客房。601Please respect copyright.PENANAbZ0iKhfqrw
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「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,邊吃邊默默觀看蔻兒的鬧劇。「既能大賣酒水,又能名正言順向醉客索房租。很不錯的頭腦。」601Please respect copyright.PENANAbDgracU4Uf
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「過獎!」蔻兒得意上前答話。由她們踏入店面一刻,蔻兒已倍加留意。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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAgm36wBjkH2
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「不痛嗎?」老婦言簡意賅,神情淡然。601Please respect copyright.PENANAqKB3FyuwkM
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「再痛也是要過活呀!」蔻兒豪氣萬千,一笑盡泯恩仇。601Please respect copyright.PENANA6kk9sWBTei
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老婦心領神會,閉目暗忖,從懷中取出一把紙扇。601Please respect copyright.PENANAhcg8ownWno
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「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。」601Please respect copyright.PENANAptoh62nGnE
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爹娘聞言,驚覺老婦乃官場中人。二人馬上勸蔻兒立取萬金,不要涉足官場:「我們只是尋常百姓,沒有本事……」601Please respect copyright.PENANAYZkXYmlMo3
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蔻兒打斷父母的話,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!」601Please respect copyright.PENANAdSdXqtWn2j
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此話一出,女伴們旋即目露凶光,殺意畢露。601Please respect copyright.PENANAYhAKSoJ4pc
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「好一個女漢子!」老婦樂極,仰首大笑,及時阻止女伴發難。601Please respect copyright.PENANAuZhaqD3qfQ
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「你等我!我會讓你見識我有何本事成為龍門的龍!」蔻兒未有察覺異樣,眼中只有對未來的無限憧憬。601Please respect copyright.PENANA3ascHAg3Sb
懶理父母勸阻,蔻兒孤身前往長安。風塵僕僕,路途遙遠,她花上一年才到達目的地。601Please respect copyright.PENANAoqdVdPObT5
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根據女伴們當日的指示,蔻兒去到城內宰相府,拿出紙扇予宰相過目。宰相接過紙扇,面色一變,命家丁將蔻兒速速拿下,打入天牢,酷刑審問。601Please respect copyright.PENANAz0o2HTg3KE
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幾日後,查明真相的宰相親臨天牢,釋放蔻兒。601Please respect copyright.PENANA51BSA4Ecx1
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「你知道當日的老婦是誰?」601Please respect copyright.PENANAMi2NgKuZd2
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「不知道。大概是個高官夫人吧。」601Please respect copyright.PENANA6lodLvID36
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「你真是有眼不識泰山!」601Please respect copyright.PENANAqQlisxI36I
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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,偶遇蔻兒一家……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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAolKLvnXLWL
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蔻兒心如死灰,徹底沉溺在傷痛當中。601Please respect copyright.PENANAQvs199inQQ
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因何而痛?痛在失去伯樂、失去知音、失去希望。601Please respect copyright.PENANA7OhNkGAywx
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那夜的每個眼神、每句豪言,都是兩個孤獨靈魂的深切交流。601Please respect copyright.PENANA0Qmbyx0piv
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彼此就是對方的一面鏡。武后從蔻兒身上看見自己的勇氣與機智,蔻兒從武后身上看見自己的堅忍與沉著。601Please respect copyright.PENANAZcBjSaBN9c
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奈何二人身份懸殊……601Please respect copyright.PENANAwx2SXDcB5g
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蔻兒獲釋後離開長安,自此杳無音訊。601Please respect copyright.PENANAgYLBFyq095
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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。601Please respect copyright.PENANAo4IPFqdTNz
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同年年底,失蹤五年的蔻兒突然重踏故土,與親人共聚天倫。601Please respect copyright.PENANAe9qcEOTTAd
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鄰里見蔻兒仍是孑然一身,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!」601Please respect copyright.PENANApiCFxsylR4
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蔻兒聽罷,嫣然一笑:「是木是龍我作主,我命由我不由天。」601Please respect copyright.PENANAgTcqQk6NFf
註:女主角蔻兒十歲的時候,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。
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