Chapter 72: Feng Manlou, we live together, and we will die together...
"I won't leave!"
After learning of Jiang Huaishan's intention, Su Guanqing expressed his attitude without thinking.
"Actually, I think it's better for you to leave. You said they are getting married soon, so what's the point of you staying here? Are you still hoping that the eldest lady will pack you up as a dowry on her wedding day?" Feng Fuliu opened the wardrobe and began to pack clothes for Su Guanqing.
"I promised Tongtong that I'll follow her instructions." Su Guanqing heard Feng Fuliu open the wardrobe and walked over to stop him. "Don't pack up. I'm not leaving."
"Stop grabbing me! You're messing me up!" Feng Fuliu slapped Su Guanqing's hand away. Seeing how he looked like he'd been drugged, she couldn't help but shake her head. "What will the young lady do? She'll definitely tie you to her belt and carry you everywhere she goes!"
Su Guanqing was embarrassed by his description of him: "Fu Liu! Don't talk nonsense."
Feng Fuliu continued, "If you could see, you could go back and become his servant, but you're in this state now, why would you go back? Wouldn't it be obvious that you two are having an affair? This is the royal palace, Guan Qing! And you're a lowly person, so they can kill you without even having to pay for it!"
"Tongtong and I have sworn an oath under the moon that we will live together and die together." Su Guanqing said sternly.
Feng Fuliu lowered her head to fold clothes, not even bothering to look up at Su Guanqing's fearless expression. "Don't you want to see your relatives on your mother's side? If I still have relatives alive, no matter how far away they are, I will go there."
"My mother has no relatives anymore. Even if we go there, at most we'll find a few lonely graves." Su Guanqing shook his head, his voice a little lonely.
In this world, he only has Tongtong.
"Then find yourself another relative! The master of the Jiang family has given you a lot of money, enough for you to buy a house there and find a wife. You can find anyone you want, I will help you find one." Feng Fuliu tempted.
Su Guanqing still shook his head: "I won't let Tongtong down."
The wind blows the willows and makes me feel angry.
…
In the side room, Ah Qiao lowered her head and read the secret letter that Jiang Tong had opened from the calligraphy and painting. Her expression was extremely serious. She pondered for a while before saying, "It will happen in three days."
According to Cao Jixiang's information, three days later, Emperor Zhengtong would leave the palace in private clothes and pay homage to the eunuch Wang Zhen at Zhihua Temple outside the city.
This Wang Zhen was the eunuch who instigated the Zhengtong Emperor to personally lead the expedition against Yesen, which led to the Battle of Tumu. After the Zhengtong Emperor was captured, Wang Zhen was also executed.
In the eyes of the world, Wang Zhen was a powerful eunuch who brought disaster to the country and the people. However, Emperor Zhengtong clearly did not think so. He still missed the teacher who had accompanied him since childhood. Even if it meant risking the wrath of the world, he would go to pay homage in person.
Jiang Tong and the others wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to reunite Emperor Zhengtong with his most beloved eunuch.
They had already colluded with each other in the court. As long as Emperor Zhengtong died, the royal family and ministers would support Prince Zhu Jiancheng of Qin to ascend the throne.
"Can we trust this Cao Jixiang?" Jiang Tong sat across from A Qiao, his expression equally solemn. "He's originally a disciple of Wang Zhen, and he also played a significant role in the restoration of the Zhengtong Emperor. Does he really want to switch sides?"
A sneer flashed across A Qiao's face. "Our emperor is the master at burning bridges after crossing them. After he was restored to the throne, he was most afraid of people saying he killed his brother to regain the throne. Now he even forbids people from talking about the coup. Most of the meritorious officials who helped him seize the throne were killed or skinned alive by him. Even someone as powerful as Duke Zhongguo Shi Heng was killed without a care. Cao Jixiang is the only one left. How can he not be afraid?"
Jiang Tong nodded, clenched her hands nervously, and her voice was a little tense. She looked at A Qiao and asked, "Are you sure?"
Even though Jiang Tong had lived two lives, he was ultimately a law-abiding citizen who had never committed murder or arson. The thought of him rebelling and killing the emperor was really too exciting.
Aqiao was different. She was used to living on the edge of a knife. Danger only excited her. She had been lying in wait for such a long time just for this moment. Now she was eager to fight. She smiled at Jiang Tong, but it was not her usual gentle and harmless smile.
Jiang Tong even felt that she could taste a hint of blood in Aqiao's smile.
Ah Qiao stroked the sharp blade at his waist and said with a smile, "Don't worry, everything is under control. If the Zhengtong Emperor doesn't come, it's fine. But if he does, don't even think about leaving Zhihua Temple alive. Oh, and I have a message for you to pass on."
As she spoke, she explained everything to Jiang Tong.
…
After seeing Aqiao off, Jiang Tong returned to the study and wrote down the secret message that Aqiao had given him in tiny calligraphy.
It was almost dinner time, and Zhao Quesheng had already taken apart the ancient painting and spread it flat on the red table with the painting face down.
Jiang Tong walked over, applied some paste, and was about to stick the secret message on it when there was a knock on the study door.
The master and disciple immediately became alert. Jiang Tong put the secret message into his sleeve, and Zhao Quesheng finally spoke: "Who is it?"
Su Guanqing's voice rang out from outside the door: "It's me."
Zhao Quesheng breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door. However, her expression changed immediately when she opened the door.
Su Guanqing was not the only one outside the door, Feng Fuliu was also standing next to him.
Seeing Zhao Quesheng's face as if he was facing a great enemy, Feng Fuliu burst out laughing. He flung his sleeves and said, "What? Little girl, are you going to eat me?"
As he spoke, he was about to go into the study.
Zhao Quesheng immediately took a step forward and stood in front of him, his face tense. "The study is a restricted area, no one else is allowed in."
"I don't even want to go in. I have to see your master off," Feng Fuliu said, glancing inside. "There's one more thing, it concerns your master, I have to explain to your teacher."
When Jiang Tong heard this, he hurriedly said, "Quesheng, please invite Master Feng in."
Zhao Quesheng took a step back and made a gesture of invitation.
Feng Fuliu helped Su Guanqing in and asked, "Where are you sitting?"
Zhao Quesheng hurried over and helped Su Guanqing sit on his chair.
After waiting for Su Guanqing to settle down, Jiang Tong asked, "Master Feng, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Feng Fuliu glanced around casually, finally landing on the painting in front of Jiang Tong. He exclaimed, "Ouch!" "Why is this painting stuck upside down on the table? Did I put it upside down?"
Su Guanqing smiled and said, "That's the step of entrusting the fate paper. The fate paper must be pasted on the back of the painting. If the painting is placed upright on the table, then the fate paper will be pasted on the front of the painting, right?" He had stayed in Jiang Tong's study for so long, listening to Jiang Tong teaching his apprentice every day, and he had already figured out these steps.
"Mr. Feng, what do you want to talk to me about?" Jiang Tong was still nervous and had no mood to chat with them, so he asked directly.
"Oh, that's right..." Feng Fuliu repeated what Jiang Huaishan had asked him to do, "But Guan Qing refused to leave. On one hand, it was the master's order, and on the other hand, it was my friend's wish. I was caught in a dilemma. So I had no choice but to come to the eldest lady to see what was going on."
After saying this, before Jiang Tong could vent her anger, Su Guanqing advised, "Tongtong, don't be angry, and don't argue with your uncle. Let's just talk to him about this matter properly."
Jiang Tong took a deep breath, thinking that Aqiao's plan was right in front of her. Once that thing was done, she naturally wouldn't have to worry about how to convince Jiang Huaishan. If that thing couldn't be done, she wouldn't have to worry about how to deal with Jiang Huaishan. She said immediately, "I know, Fu Liu, I will talk to my father about this matter, you don't have to worry about it."
"That's good." Feng Fuliu was relieved to see that the matter was over. He laughed and walked out, closing the door behind him.
As Feng Fuliu left, Jiang Tong took out the secret message from his sleeve, placed it on the center of the painting, and then covered it with a layer of destiny paper.
Then use a brown brush to brush on the fate paper in the shape of a rice character, cleanly and neatly brushing away all the air between the two pieces of paper.
At this point, the secret message that was no bigger than a fingernail disappeared without a trace.
"Go up to the wall." Jiang Tong put down the brown brush with satisfaction.
"Yes." Zhao Quesheng received the order and immediately came up to prepare to stick the wet painting on the paper wall.
After hearing Jiang Tong finish her work, Su Guanqing asked, "Tongtong, how are you going to tell your uncle?"
Jiang Tong washed the glue off her hands in a basin beside her, then walked over to Su Guanqing and said, "I've said everything I need to say. You can't reason with him. He's just stubborn."
Su Guanqing heard this and a trace of worry rose between his brows: "Or, I'd better go and talk to my uncle."
"Don't go there. Believe it or not, if you go there again, my dad will beat you."
"If he beats me up, the matter can be resolved. I would rather let him beat me." Su Guanqing frowned.
Jiang Tong rested one hand on the back of the chair behind Su Guanqing, and gently pressed his brow with the other hand to suppress his frown: "I already said that I am involved in this matter."
As she spoke, her fingers slid from his brow to his high nose bridge and to his soft lips.
Su Guanqing was not afraid that she would make a move in front of his apprentice, so he whispered a warning: "Tongtong!"
Jiang Tong became even more aggressive. She continued to move her fingers down, bent her index finger, and pressed it against his chin, forcing him to raise his head.
Her hands seemed to have magical powers, and Su Guanqing seemed to have cast a spell on her, completely forgetting that he could actually dodge.
He was so anxious that he was about to open his mouth to remind her again, but as soon as he opened his mouth, two soft and wet things blocked his voice.
Su Guanqing's eyes widened instantly.
——It was Jiang Tong who bent down and kissed him!
Zhao Quesheng was always focused on her work. After she carefully and evenly affixed the painting to the wall and checked it twice to make sure that even Jiang Tong couldn't find any fault with it, she turned to Jiang Tong and said, "Teacher! I'm done."
The two teachers behind him seemed to be doing fine.
Her Master Su sat very straight, like a wooden sculpture.
Zhao Quesheng looked at him curiously.
Jiang Tong covered her mouth, her eyes flickering across the paper wall as she said, "It's almost time for today. Haven't you been back to see your uncle in a long time?"
Zhao Quesheng was stunned for a moment: "It seems like a long time." Since she moved here with Jiang Tong, she has never returned to the Zhao family.
"It's your uncle's house after all. How can you not go back? There's not much work to do recently, so I'll give you three days off. You can go back and take a look." Jiang Tong said.
Zhao Quesheng was completely stunned.
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