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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoceIlsOman
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjHsldrT1N
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVEcWB8aov
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4XB3E74Js
「我要去見天子！」蔻兒告訴老爹。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybvNDPXWoh
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hg46s1jqU
「為甚麼？」老爹吃驚低頭望向矮小的女兒。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63YF931nLs
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRDJDf01CO
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡht92DFYaSy
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7rRquXlrr
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3bXgr2Z5U
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBH2eRLUpqZ
「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！」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJih1SMyG6n
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRwf76GS8f
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqFIO2p8YL
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEjW05t1Yf
自尊一損，鼻子一酸，眼眶一紅，蔻兒答不上話。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevVUbvKL2a
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8PFTPp3HR
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ878K785Dqc
聽在耳裡，蔻兒豈會不介懷，但只能一笑置之。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIuNbrbYAU
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9kFysQ3QB
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G5kA72Jao
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARsjd7nJIC
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouPtdn1sWs
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuuEW3ioTZ
哄堂大笑。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLI9WlEjlB4
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkpfceZWfY
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3Q7xmIpM5
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yxdv2PWMD
「你想大家如何處理你？」醉客樂極忘形，大開黃腔。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpHtimVJHT
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYM4nP487HS
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEczUrz2lu
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39gqsuc7xX
眾人笑得前仰後翻……597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4fkolbebD
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rBmjUmUap
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0z6hM9oSJ
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNRAHD3CY6
「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。」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm242axdiyQ
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLXbta73i4
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DOzHL4zGn
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBLqBAIwUn
「不痛嗎？」老婦言簡意賅，神情淡然。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWgLu37zYj
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaDIJL7UJ2
「再痛也是要過活呀！」蔻兒豪氣萬千，一笑盡泯恩仇。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJJFyY6IBx
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0CFkIs8TV
老婦心領神會，閉目暗忖，從懷中取出一把紙扇。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNScQ69cx0
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKiez44GBR
「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。」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluGEjd21NE
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlS8CQGa5l
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……」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LqImMa33Y
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCEXAbElkb
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！」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrw15ac8dRa
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LxocmG7Pv
此話一出，女伴們旋即目露凶光，殺意畢露。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EnnhmRrGY
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekiZvz4Lpo
「好一個女漢子！」老婦樂極，仰首大笑，及時阻止女伴發難。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3Ae5CbYVs
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmvvF09vca
「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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4LG4vCeea
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE25Tz1N70
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCGUtxvaOD
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZYq0dHVnc
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSljf6LCBMo
幾日後，查明真相的宰相親臨天牢，釋放蔻兒。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FbIvPmWGj
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dlhqro65l
「你知道當日的老婦是誰？」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgoUhSpmra
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6EOhPbg7H
「不知道。大概是個高官夫人吧。」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4YtKAVUFB
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfr4YkNUnSX
「你真是有眼不識泰山！」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmgZqi0RwS
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugJOmd3dIj
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o7gETMugX
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAH1bFYnsDS
蔻兒心如死灰，徹底沉溺在傷痛當中。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoX6VnfmE1C
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWs01ir4en
因何而痛？痛在失去伯樂、失去知音、失去希望。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCv1EAqsW5k
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvpCPTnl5G
那夜的每個眼神、每句豪言，都是兩個孤獨靈魂的深切交流。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ644yp9EI2o
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnTuoHp4ch
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIInMCaFqK
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvd0iOT0jt
奈何二人身份懸殊……597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCkOJdBab5
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOX88QtmzS
蔻兒獲釋後離開長安，自此杳無音訊。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaV3BhN8Yw
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1njhU0t8qe
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。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5MdRJmnOF
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4rbxT6Sk1
同年年底，失蹤五年的蔻兒突然重踏故土，與親人共聚天倫。597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kKqBG1CGY
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcGns5AxCp
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！」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK4V54OFeU
597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPoVbzrcg8
蔻兒聽罷，嫣然一笑：「是木是龍我作主，我命由我不由天。」597Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgIt39ke62
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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