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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZFGbMUGNP
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7EoVRKEqS
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJj9BJQuVJ
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3LpJLelhC
「我要去見天子！」蔻兒告訴老爹。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Q9A5BWkXC
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uLhfpjOkL
「為甚麼？」老爹吃驚低頭望向矮小的女兒。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFFO2eiMpF
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjy34r3pdy
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7N5FgbVy8G
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDnZqkD8ew
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbuDIMkQxD
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eBu1l9CzN
「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！」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rUz66F9vS
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o91frElT8
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyVsXipecU
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6LdBZuPpd
自尊一損，鼻子一酸，眼眶一紅，蔻兒答不上話。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLX3er75QDX
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0hwL1ENjS
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVirZKxKkh
聽在耳裡，蔻兒豈會不介懷，但只能一笑置之。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcy6wwHk4J
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ixt1ZAGPX
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX1R8TYXrW
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGkcSoYDCl
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNN1xiSP6H
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf6oFk3LG6
哄堂大笑。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZBIcveRTh
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxyyforsZd
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOc4Kx6syYe
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvC1DDjAZi
「你想大家如何處理你？」醉客樂極忘形，大開黃腔。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgNZ80FRDg
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRXviLH9gf
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkt57dJafc8
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pPQM6nDWb
眾人笑得前仰後翻……583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLWQpqtGQE
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsuEQXthJU
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqbPwwmDnB
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjd8N6Cixj
「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。」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpg2UPtsNK
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AmS4yO7x4
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xZzWGQp05
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfxCq0Ttpc
「不痛嗎？」老婦言簡意賅，神情淡然。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWty3f9Xp3f
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hEV2dwYwK
「再痛也是要過活呀！」蔻兒豪氣萬千，一笑盡泯恩仇。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWriFEA720
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3SnySjYs6
老婦心領神會，閉目暗忖，從懷中取出一把紙扇。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBZHnF3fxR
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxUbqbieiK
「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。」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXzxRlSki8
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcrRrNP5ue
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……」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LWMWwHrGJ
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPPr0wJKmK
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！」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa12bD8eBm
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0dkLXH3nv
此話一出，女伴們旋即目露凶光，殺意畢露。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvgHtvF1n1
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTVsaHywf6
「好一個女漢子！」老婦樂極，仰首大笑，及時阻止女伴發難。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLeaXpAsTp
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRx1Zf9WXZc
「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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivQtSQ27Fn
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO9TSgXGgV
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49to5faGWU
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4282NXq3p
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5nWKVbVtL
幾日後，查明真相的宰相親臨天牢，釋放蔻兒。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDi771I3Auu
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2ngy3R0JM
「你知道當日的老婦是誰？」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWPgLD4WeZ
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNjDM72TZW
「不知道。大概是個高官夫人吧。」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidamTYhoX0
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsLRkuxl5d
「你真是有眼不識泰山！」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2td5CMLeNK
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNc7xZNktA
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0bTM7FBjF
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBqK5Hmfsu
蔻兒心如死灰，徹底沉溺在傷痛當中。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFJYZuwV50
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4jzQL5lJU
因何而痛？痛在失去伯樂、失去知音、失去希望。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoftvMItNIM
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFUocEjRjQ
那夜的每個眼神、每句豪言，都是兩個孤獨靈魂的深切交流。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb50fs7BThI
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvL78fLQp1z
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHU0kQ1WYg
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc07VHcW8c
奈何二人身份懸殊……583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuYRoGSmZa
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzhmiBkVpO
蔻兒獲釋後離開長安，自此杳無音訊。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26vq1K2GJL
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5VZMGVpaB
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。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpA14GisGH
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjv8P9a9I8
同年年底，失蹤五年的蔻兒突然重踏故土，與親人共聚天倫。583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd9babWBFB
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTjTChecoW
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！」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLzFDLFoSu
583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rq57Wlroe
蔻兒聽罷，嫣然一笑：「是木是龍我作主，我命由我不由天。」583Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRaXiE5pfm
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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