Chapter 289: Borrowing Flowers to Offer to Buddha

"There are experts watching us."

Wen Zhiheng looked around with deep eyes and asked softly.

“Have you ever encountered this before?”

Fu Da shook his head.

“No.”

Wen Zhiheng thought for a moment.

"Maybe we just met by chance, and they didn't come for us. Let's wait and see what happens!"

However, Wen Zhirou was a little frightened and hurriedly moved all her belongings into Chen Shiyi's Luoying Garden, and the others naturally followed in.

Chen Shiyi thought, it’s a good thing that there are a few empty rooms left, otherwise there would be no room for us to live in.

Ever since she left the palace, she has always regarded herself as a lady in charge. How could a man have maids around him? So now she does many things by herself.

She was still very skilled in making the quilt. Wen Zhirou asked Divine Doctor Chu to bring the quilt from her house. It was bright red with a pattern of golden peacocks, which looked very festive...

"I'll come, you go and rest."

Chen Shixiang stood up and turned around. Wen Zhiheng was standing at the door, looking at her quietly.

She turned around, lowered the gauze curtain beside the bed, and spoke softly.

"I've already made the bed. You should take a rest after all the traveling. If you need anything else, remember to call me."

Wen Zhiheng lowered his eyebrows and nodded slowly.

As she passed by him, he called her in a low voice.

"eleven…"

Chen Shiyi stopped and turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

Wen Zhiheng pursed his lips and smiled softly.

"I really like the flowers you gave me."

Chen Shiyi almost forgot about this matter.

"I am just offering flowers to Buddha. Mr. Situ grows flowers very well. Such good flowers are suitable to be given to people who cherish them."

The night is very quiet.

Perhaps it was because he felt a little strange, or perhaps it was a hint of secret joy in his heart, Wen Zhiheng closed his eyes, staring at the darkness above the bed, unable to fall asleep.

He opened the quilt, put on his shoes, and opened the door while the dark silver moonlight filtered in.

The yard was pitch black. The sweet-scented osmanthus tree not far away was hidden in the darkness. When the night wind blew, its shadow was like a ghost, and was dispersed by the dim candlelight in the room.

That is Chen Shiyi's room.

It's so late and she hasn't rested yet.

Are you having trouble sleeping like her?

He walked very quietly, stopped at the porch, leaned against the railing, and looked quietly at the window.

She was still leaning on the desk, writing, sometimes writing quickly, sometimes frowning, as if she was thinking about something, and sometimes she would suddenly smile, probably thinking of something happy...

He had read what she had written, and it was all about Pei Luo's plans.

She spent a lot of money to recruit poor students, built schools everywhere, looked for paper and ink craftsmen, trained assassins and secret agents in large numbers, and came to Wancheng, Qingzhou, to find Situ Yu. With his reputation, she attracted a large number of students to study in Fengming Mountain...

She did a lot, but among all her plans, she didn't mention the future.

Later, when Pei Luo's affair was over, how would she return to him again?

Not a single word.

It’s like a road. As you walk along it, suddenly the road ahead becomes empty, a void.

Wen Zhiheng really wanted to tell Chen Shiyi that the most intense struggle in the court had turned to peace when His Majesty announced her death. What followed was the eternal struggle that would exist in the court for a hundred years, the confrontation between the poor and the wealthy.

This kind of thing has existed since the founding of Daye. It is impossible to eliminate the struggle of a hundred years in just a few years.

I believe Chen Shiyi also sensed the difficulty, and knew that what she did was just a drop in the bucket in the long river of history.

So, does she plan to stay in Qingzhou for the rest of her life?

I really don't know what she is thinking.

Recently, a large number of ministers have begun to advise Your Majesty to recruit more beautiful women to fill the harem.

Your Majesty has gone from being resolutely opposed at the beginning, to being silent later, and then to gradually delaying.

Maybe one day soon, he will nod.

After all, ever since Chen Shiyi's false death and escape from the palace through compromise, the turmoil in the court was resolved peacefully.

So, once there is a compromise, there will be a second compromise.

Each time became easier than the last. In the end, if Chen Shiyi asked His Majesty about his original intention again, he would only tell him how difficult it was for him and asked Chen Shiyi to understand him.

Maybe my guess was wrong, maybe the relationship between Chen Shiyi and Your Majesty is stronger than gold and indestructible.

The truth is, Chen Shiyi has given so much for him. He has always been sincere and risked his life every time.

However, as more and more people surrendered and were willing to work for His Majesty, Chen Shiyi's contribution became increasingly insignificant.

She just sat quietly in the lighted study room at night, planning her future and expectations, with a sweet smile of anticipation.

She had also smiled at herself once. Under the weeping crabapple tree, she turned around and smiled sweetly.

Perhaps it was that smile that made him never be able to see whether another woman would also smile sweetly.

He looked back at the decade or so since he met Chen Shiyi. The enthusiasm and joy he had felt at the beginning, followed by anxiety and resentment, gradually turned into sighs and silence as the years passed.

A cool breeze blew, and in the middle of the night, a burst of rapid coughing was heard, interrupting Wen Zhiheng's meditation.

He walked to Chen Shiyi's window and knocked a few times.

Opening the window, Chen Shiyi saw Wen Zhiheng looking very apologetic.

"Did it disturb your rest?"

"Why are you coughing? Are you okay?"

"It's OK."

"Don't work so hard. Learn to take care of yourself."

Chen Shiyi pursed his lips and smiled.

"Okay, I didn't eat enough tonight, so I want to go to the kitchen and get some noodles. Do you want some?"

Wen Zhiheng nodded.

"Now that you mention it, I am indeed a little hungry."

Chen Shiyi had a habit. He loved noodles in the morning, so he would prepare noodle soup in advance in the evening, and then use a clay pot to stew a chicken or a few pieces of meat. After stewing, he would bury the soup in a pile of charcoal. With the constant slight heat, the meat would be rotten in the soup by the next day.

Bai Ling is not around, so I usually do it by myself.

Fu Da and Jing Ran, both grown men, were able to drink up the entire pot of soup.

She rolled up her sleeves, poured water into the pot, squatted in front of the stove and skillfully prepared the ingredients and lit the fire. The dim flames reflected on her face, which made Wen Zhiheng feel very familiar.

"Eleven, let me knead the dough."

Chen Shiyi’s eyes widened.

"Can you?"

"I know how to order."

Chen Shiyi rolled up his sleeves and went to prepare other things, such as green vegetables, ginger, garlic and the like. After chopping them, he found that Wen Zhiheng had almost kneaded the dough.

He didn't know if it was the pain from the last arrow wound or because he had used too much force, but he always felt uncomfortable in his shoulder.

Chen Shiyi saw Wen Zhiheng shrank his shoulders uncomfortably and frowned.

"Has your injury from last time not healed yet? Let me do it."

"good."

"Go wash your hands first. I'll be right here."

Looking at the fragrant, steaming noodles in front of me, filled with white, thick meat broth, a spoonful of sauce, and two green vegetables, my heart felt extremely warm.