Chapter 71 Chapter 71 The strange bird reappeared. Poor Xin...
He Qiongzhu liked the summer in Chang'an City. When dusk fell and the sunset glow of Chang'an City burned like fire in the sky, she would wear her favorite light single-silk green silk skirt, wear her favorite golden butterfly hairpin on the side of her bun, and quietly slip out from the back door of the He Mansion.
Chen Wei would stand under a ginkgo tree waiting for her with a smile on his face, holding the windmill he made for her in his hand. Then he would say that the stall business had been very good these days and he would treat her to a bowl of Sushan.
To make the crispy mountain, melt the butter, pour amber honey on it, then use eyebrow ink to dye it into a green mountain shape and freeze it in an ice cellar. Finally, put it in a five-color glass bowl and add flowers and colorful trees.
It was a hot summer day, and the Sushan tasted cool and soft, with the sweet and rich milk lingering on the tip of her tongue. Chen Wei opposite her didn't eat it, but just looked at her with a smile, with twinkling lights in his eyes.
The sound of Hu people playing Ruanxian came in the evening breeze, and the air was full of the fragrance of fruits and flowers. Even the towering Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the distance seemed much softer in such an evening.
That must be the blessing of Buddha, He Qiongzhu thought.
The unexpected event occurred before the Spring Examination. The whole city of Chang'an seemed to be caught up in a frenzy of worshipping gods. For the sake of their younger brother, her best friend went to all the temples and Taoist temples in Chang'an to worship. He Qiongzhu thought there was some truth in this, so she also joined the fanatical army that went to make wishes in front of Emperor Wenchang.
Although Chen Wei found it quite funny, he touched her head and told her that he would definitely be admitted to the imperial examination.
He was talented and had good handwriting. His articles criticized current social problems. He had a good reputation among the local scholars, and the teacher also had high hopes for him.
Although she had great confidence in him, He Qiongzhu felt that it would be better to go to the Da Ci'en Temple to burn incense instead of sitting there restlessly at home.
This was the decision she regretted most in her life.
The peach blossoms are bright in spring, and the beauty is wearing a green silk dress with a peach blossom face. She and her best friend meet Wang Lang from the Wang family of Langya in the Da Ci'en Temple. Every step he takes towards her is filled with ill intentions, and his cloudy eyes seem to hide endless dirty thoughts when he stares at her snow-white neck.
He Qiongzhu hoped that her hands could turn into a pair of sharp claws of a female eagle to scratch the eyes of the jackal opposite.
Finally, after Wang of Langya asked the official matchmaker to help her, and brought various valuable betrothal gifts, she was welcomed into the gate by He's parents with smiles on their faces. Her heart was filled with despair.
But it doesn't matter, if Chen Lang wins the championship, there is still a chance...
It was a bright sunny day when the results of the Spring Examination were announced. Some were happy while others were sad. She checked Chen Wei's name over and over again in front of the list. No, no, no...
The East Market played "A Chinese Ghost Story" and she was so anxious that she thought that as long as she could stay with the one she loved, elopement might not be a bad choice.
However, there are many procedures for entering and leaving Chang'an City, and one needs to pass through a checkpoint and undergo public inspection. After all, the Qianniu Guards guarding the city are very strict. But once you leave Chang'an, you can go anywhere in the world.
The West Lake in Lin'an has beautiful scenery, Quanzhou is filled with clouds in spring, and the whole city is covered with erythrina flowers. They will surely live a happy life. But where can I get this certificate and public verification?
The brother who had never made progress and only knew how to spend his days in debauchery suddenly became reliable and said to He Qiongzhu: "I'll go to my acquaintances and get two copies of this pass. Sister, you can go with peace of mind."
She was so anxious that she actually believed him, ignoring the calculation and desire in his eyes.
He Qiongzhu wrote a letter to Chen Wei, saying that she would wait for him under the willow tree at Baqiao. She waited and waited. There were so many people breaking willow branches to bid farewell to him at the Baqiao Bridge, but none of them was him. She did not wait for him until curfew, but instead waited for a stranger who handed her a letter.
The letter read: "My dear sister Qiongzhu, I am humble and have been blessed by your kindness. However, I have recently received a large sum of gold from Wang of Langya. Thinking of my declining family and my elderly parents, I am now helpless and ashamed to face you. I have broken up with you. Our past love has all become a bubble. I hope you will find another good man. Please take care."
All the love in the past has become a bubble... He Qiongzhu looked at the tear-stained paper and finally squatted on the ground and burst into tears.
In order to play the role well, Duan Zhiwei ate two large plates of crab shell roe under the unfriendly look of the maid, and walked out of the door while holding on to the wall.
She parted ways with A Pan at the intersection, and she rode back to Yuan's house alone. She searched for Yuan Shenji for half a day but couldn't find him. Finally, she saw him in the study.
He sat upright, looking down at some files. Duan Zhiwei picked up the yogurt beside him and drank it in one gulp.
Yuan Shenji originally wanted to accompany her to the He Mansion, but Duan Zhiwei felt that with him there, the He family would inevitably be wary, and it would be easier for her to get things done if she went alone. So Yuan Shenji stayed in the Dali Temple with Li Heng for half a day, and then returned home.
He saw Duan Zhiwei guzzling down a bowl of yogurt and found it interesting. He patted her back and asked her to drink slowly, then asked, "Did you gain anything from going to the He Mansion?"
Duan Zhiwei hurriedly told him what she had seen and heard, including the heavily guarded embroidery building, Madam He who looked weak and haggard, and the He family who were reluctant to let her in, as if they were weighing the pros and cons.
"I think the He family must have discussed it and felt that I, the wife of the Right General of the Jinwu Guard, must have no connection with the Chen family, so they let me in... What file are you reading?"
She picked up a piece of white linen paper on the desk and pretended to look at it for a while, but when she found she couldn't understand anything, she put it down again.
Yuan Shenji hugged her waist and held her on his lap, pointing to the paper on the desk and said, "This is Chen Wei's usual writings that the Dali Temple found in the Chen family. Look, it says 'feudalism is not the intention of the saints'."
He was a military commander, but he spoke a long paragraph of idioms, and he was quite eloquent. At the end, he sighed and said, "This article analyzes the relationship between the Qin Dynasty's demise in two generations and its system, and points out that the Qin Dynasty's rapid demise was due to tyranny. I think Chen Wei does have some talent, and it was the Ministry of Rites' fault that he failed to pass the imperial examination."
Duan Zhiwei did think of another layer: "He writes such a good article and his handwriting is beautiful, it is impossible that he would not be noticed by the examiner. Could it be that someone else has taken his identity?"
Yuan Shenji quickly thought of a possibility and his face darkened: "Langya Wang Clan."
On the day of the palace examination, he was on duty at Suzaku Street, and the general of the Jinwu Guard followed the sage to guard in front of the palace. The sage praised Wang Lang of the Wang family of Langya, saying that the essay was a beautiful one, but he was quite disappointed when he saw the real person.
Wang Lang himself was described as wretched, with a fat head and big ears. He was panting when he climbed up to the highest hall of Daming Palace. According to the words of the General of Jinwu Guard, he was "like a wild boar rolling in the mud."
The Jinwu Guards General is quite humorous, Duan Zhiwei thought, and then she asked, "And then?"
Although Wang Lang's answers in the palace examination were relatively good, he just stuttered. The emperor was displeased, but he did not say anything because of his written examination essay and the face of Wang family of Langya. In the end, he only got a lowest-ranking Jinshi, and had no chance of getting the top three prizes.
Duan Zhiwei took a deep breath and said, "This man is too much. He took away Chen Wei's sweetheart and his articles. Chen Wei will be left alone in the earth, but he got a Jinshi and a beauty for nothing. How can this be justified in the world!"
Yuan Shenji immediately stood up and said, "These are just speculations. There is no evidence. I have to go to the Dali Temple again. If I come back late, you don't have to wait for me. Go to bed first."
Duan Zhiwei wandered around the mansion for a few rounds and went fishing. Just when he was bored, he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Yuan Shenji coming back, he ran to open the door.
At the door, several people who looked like housekeepers handed over invitations: "My wife He will be getting married soon. She said she is good friends with Madam, so she asked us to send an invitation. Captain Yuan will go with Madam."
Duan Zhiwei took the invitation, said a few polite words, and closed the door.
Yuan Shenji just came back at curfew. Duan Zhiwei didn't feel like cooking today, so she prepared a quick dish. The old housekeeper was very thoughtful. The kitchen in Yuan's mansion had all kinds of ingredients, and there were even two lively green carps in the water tank.
She picked up two eggs and tapped the edge of the pan. The golden egg liquid became fluffy in the hot oil. She took out the scrambled eggs and set them aside. Then she poured in the distinct grains of rice from the previous night. Duan Zhiwei took out the spatula and stirred the rice. The rice had to be fried thoroughly and each grain of rice was coated with an oily luster to be considered a success.
She plucked a handful of fresh green onion and threw it into the pot to create a crispy aroma. Knowing that her husband loved meat, Duan Zhiwei cut some sausages, and a bowl of fragrant egg fried rice was ready. Duan Zhiwei also cooked a pot of vegetable and egg drop soup and brought them to the living room.
Yuan Shenji was reading the files again. Duan Zhiwei coughed twice and said, "I wonder when Captain Yuan was promoted to the position of Dali Temple Minister? He is so busy that he doesn't even have time to serve fried rice to his wife."
Yuan Shenji quickly stood up, took the food tray from her hand, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Madam."
The two sat down to eat. The eggs in the egg fried rice were fluffy and soft, and the rice was wrapped in a layer of oil film, which was fragrant and smooth. The fragrance of chopped green onions and the salty fragrance of sausage mixed with the egg fried rice, making the originally ordinary egg fried rice have distinct layers of taste.
Yuan Shenji knew he was in the wrong, so he could only praise: "Madam, this meal is better than the Royal Yellow Queen Mother's meal at Yunlai Tavern."
The Imperial Yellow Queen Mother Rice is steamed yellow rice, topped with oil and various dishes. Each tavern has its own unique dish. Yunlai Tavern puts some precious dried sea food on top, such as abalone and sea cucumber. It tastes so delicious that it cannot be compared to their own fried rice.
Duan Zhiwei sneered and ignored him.
After they had their meal and boiled some water for a bath, Duan Zhiwei suddenly remembered the invitation, so he asked, "It's really strange that the He family actually sent an invitation. You don't have much in common with the Wang and He families, do you?"
Yuan Shenji quickly figured out the key point: "The position of Grand Historian has no real power. I think the He family is trying to make connections everywhere in order to get promoted to the next level."
"Bah, a scum who sells his daughter for fame, he still wants to be promoted, go to jail."
She thought for a moment and asked, "Has the Dali Temple found out the cause of Chen Wei's death?"
The Dali Temple originally had no interest in the headless male corpse. There were many bandits outside the city of Chang'an, and a few unlucky passers-by could not find out anything. But it was different because it involved the Wang family of Langya. The Dali Temple's chief had a bad relationship with the Wang family, and he was delighted to hear such a big handle. He even borrowed the best coroner from the Ministry of Justice to investigate it carefully layer by layer.
Yuan Shenji said: "We found out that Chen Wei died about half a month ago, and it just so happened that a servant of the He Mansion took a few large boxes out of the city during those days."
Duan Zhiwei thought of the haggard He Qiongzhu and felt very sad: "No one in this family cares about Madam He's feelings. Did they give birth to a daughter just to give her away as an object?"
Yuan Shenji helped her to comb her hair that had fallen into the water, and then leaned close to her: "If you give birth to a daughter, I will definitely raise her like a treasure. Whether she likes a rich and powerful family or a commoner, I will not stop her."
Duan Zhiwei was feeling sad, and when he heard him say that, he poured a handful of water on him: "Then you better stop it a little, I can't bear to see the child suffer."
Compared to the warm and loving atmosphere of the newlyweds in Yuan's mansion, He Qiongzhu finally got out of bed. She had not eaten rice or water for days, so today she ate a bowl of Huangqi Xiang Congee, which restored some of her strength. She gently said to Caixia beside her, "I want to eat a portion of Touhua Ci. Go to the kitchen and tell me."
Caixia responded and left.
The moonlight in Chang'an City is as red as blood tonight. The hustle and bustle in the city has died down due to the curfew. He Qiongzhu is sitting in front of the dressing table in a white mourning dress. Her fingertips are gently stroking an exquisite windmill, but her eyes are looking through the bronze mirror at the blood-red moon outside the window.
Behind her was the gorgeous wedding dress of fish-lion blue, on which was a pair of love-winged birds embroidered with gold thread. The birds were embroidered so realistically that they seemed as if they were about to struggle out of the fabric. Next to it was a wreath inlaid with jewels of various colors, which was so dazzling that it was particularly blinding to her.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, the candle flame swayed violently a few times, and then went out, the moonlight disappeared into the clouds, and a low whimpering sound came from the distance, coming closer and closer.
Soon a strange big bird perched on her window frame, singing a mournful song. The bird had nine heads, one of which seemed to have been bitten off by a wild beast, and blood was dripping rapidly.
He Qiongzhu's face was calm, without a trace of fear, and she even smiled: "You're here."
"I agree to your deal."
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