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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ElULMPBn9
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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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIw9N1mrMbP
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「我要去見天子！」蔻兒告訴老爹。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgPWqH1xjA
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「為甚麼？」老爹吃驚低頭望向矮小的女兒。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUez4NR1Gs
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O0f6YSoh4
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaK3u3wUrL
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAg6QfKQTPA
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5IHW5GR3V
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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！」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJFdUHfH1d
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HlK7aNGf6
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0zYTKlUXj
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWSK2T5ZyK
自尊一損，鼻子一酸，眼眶一紅，蔻兒答不上話。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguq1IP1Ekk
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAC4N63zcP
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聽在耳裡，蔻兒豈會不介懷，但只能一笑置之。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN78yMHas5
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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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5rRzOwrpN
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvy24bfJEM3
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYx6gk11Cb
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哄堂大笑。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV5Cv7MHp7
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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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEES4G51NdZ
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYst3QMeYvQ
「你想大家如何處理你？」醉客樂極忘形，大開黃腔。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33TdMo6RDi
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYt0zvH2Vt
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHTCGJNTU1
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIBdnTNHJD
眾人笑得前仰後翻……505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIQBtsHdnk
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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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl86S2eAAFV
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVqkotBd6z
「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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgeBmphNWb
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn83jbtBZ2I
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mrt16d5BS
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QBh07vGNN
「不痛嗎？」老婦言簡意賅，神情淡然。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPH0PuhbKy
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMvRpUmW43
「再痛也是要過活呀！」蔻兒豪氣萬千，一笑盡泯恩仇。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI04bihMwY6
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老婦心領神會，閉目暗忖，從懷中取出一把紙扇。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfAoARDzQq
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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。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxcCdCUJyw
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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……」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpenvYwFxv9
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQQlDsPxjE
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！」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoisSZJzlh
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此話一出，女伴們旋即目露凶光，殺意畢露。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zdFPO5o4D
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLsOjX7l0x
「好一個女漢子！」老婦樂極，仰首大笑，及時阻止女伴發難。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL9ztq2eRJ
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr7RqpAN3S
「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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeylMvAY04b
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2r0ONrFSo
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZilHJfJsQ0
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31eT4Cpm0q
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幾日後，查明真相的宰相親臨天牢，釋放蔻兒。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5bloF6bKH
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「你知道當日的老婦是誰？」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWypZRBlfeX
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「不知道。大概是個高官夫人吧。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7ExfSAwdI
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcE18VE8Oiw
「你真是有眼不識泰山！」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEao82bMmf
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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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYG4z7aTp6
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蔻兒心如死灰，徹底沉溺在傷痛當中。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEhAqxoZ0c
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因何而痛？痛在失去伯樂、失去知音、失去希望。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6VBjLTDcp
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F4c0elAQq
那夜的每個眼神、每句豪言，都是兩個孤獨靈魂的深切交流。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYXJnF686y
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNLZu6s67z
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZmC6coQsO
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAjf9z6Qw6
奈何二人身份懸殊……505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaIua83Z3Q
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzk4PURUHK
蔻兒獲釋後離開長安，自此杳無音訊。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUMoBtE6nr
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipGGNK9m8H
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。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjalQuP6cr
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBcjZQNMFC
同年年底，失蹤五年的蔻兒突然重踏故土，與親人共聚天倫。505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRcdcUyOJi
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyW3JSXtdi
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！」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoONert6xEt
505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyNhoj0JY8
蔻兒聽罷，嫣然一笑：「是木是龍我作主，我命由我不由天。」505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaxhTiKCfc
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。
ns 15.158.61.8da2
