The guards entered the courtyard one after another, but when they arrived, the courtyard was quiet and empty, with no one there.
The moon in the sky was big and round, casting shadows of the trees in the courtyard.
There was no wind, but the shadow of the thickest branch of the phoenix tree was shaking on the bluestone floor.
One of the guards immediately looked up at the sycamore tree and shouted, "There he is!"
Those who were good at light work hurried to chase after them. The guard with the arrow in his hand did not move, but drew his bow and shot the arrow. The arrow was as fast as a meteor and chased after them, faster than a human.
The air was filled with the sounds of clothes being blown by the wind and cloth being torn.
After two cups of tea, silence returned here.
The guards who went to chase came back one after another, each with an annoyed look on their face. A thief broke into the mansion in the middle of the night and went straight to the Fourth Master's study. This was a serious matter. They lit the lanterns, went into the study to check that none of Fourth Master Jiang's calligraphy and paintings were missing, and then went to report to Fourth Master Jiang that a thief had broken into the mansion in the middle of the night.
The guard apologized, "Fourth Master, I failed to do my job well and let the thief escape. However, he was shot in the right arm by an arrow, so he probably won't dare to come again in the future."
Jiang Xingzhou frowned.
Jiang Rao had been locked up in the study by him. Today, just one day after entering the palace, the study was robbed.
If the thief had come here one day earlier...
Who knew whether he wanted to steal his paintings or his daughter?
He was suddenly furious and his face turned livid.
The night outside was getting darker.
Fourth Master Jiang raised his head and glanced out at the dark night, and said to the guard, "We need to let the patrol officers know about this. If he is a thief, since he has come to the Ning'an Marquis's mansion, he may go to other people's houses. If he is not a thief..."
He clenched his fists, and said with both relief and fear: "Fortunately, Niannian is not at home today. When she comes back, send more people to guard her yard."
The guard took the order, but hesitated before leaving, "Then do you want to use more people in your study, Master?"
"You have been looking for the best guards to guard my calligraphy and paintings, right?" Jiang Xingzhou waved his hand casually and said calmly, "Send those with strong skills to Nian Nian to protect her. You should know what is more important."
…
The news that Ning'an Marquis's Mansion had been robbed spread throughout the streets and alleys of Jinling the next day, and also reached Concubine Yun's Shuxiang Palace.
Concubine Yun was invited by the concubine with whom she was not on good terms to go to the plum forest to appreciate the plum blossoms. At one o'clock in the morning, when the sky was just getting light, she got up and put on her makeup.
Her appearance was already stunning, and she needed to be made up to perfection. Only after she had made herself up to perfection was Concubine Yun satisfied. She stood up leisurely and walked away to outshine the other beauties.
Jiang Rao was worried and didn't sleep deeply. She woke up when the morning light just broke through the clouds, and when she woke up she saw a ball of white fluff beside her bed.
Pomegranate seemed to know that she was in a bad mood, so he curled up under her couch and slept all night. When he saw her wake up, he quickly came up to her and meowed.
After Jiang Rao had washed and dressed, she took it out, picked up a ball of clean snow under the palace wall, and made a snow mouse for it to play with.
Pomegranate was very excited, but the snow mouse was of little use and was crushed to pieces with one pomegranate claw.
The little white cat became unhappy and jumped out of Jiang Rao's arms, leaving a string of plum blossom-shaped footprints on the snow.
Outside the palace wall, the palace maids were discussing the thief in Fourth Master Jiang's study. They were guessing who the thief was. Inside the palace wall, Jiang Rao was bending down to pick up a pomegranate. The voices of the palace maids' discussions outside jumped over the palace wall and reached her ears, and her movements slowed down.
A thief who broke into the study in the middle of the night?
Isn’t it the magpie that came to deliver something to her with Rong Ting’s instructions?
"The Ning'an Marquis's Mansion was heavily guarded, but the thief broke in. Now the dignitaries in Jinling, as well as the wealthy merchants, are all in a panic, fearing that they will be robbed."
"I don't think they have anything to be afraid of. In my opinion, the thief is probably going for Mr. Jiang Si's own rare and famous paintings or his collection. Who knows, he might not be a thief who steals money, but a thief who is obsessed with painting and calligraphy."
At this moment, a voice came from the side.
"That thief wasn't caught?"
The two palace maids looked up and saw Jiang Rao standing in front of them holding the cat. They bowed their heads to her respectfully and said, "Greetings, Fourth Miss."
One of them answered her question, "The thief was not caught, but don't worry, young lady. Nothing is missing from the Fourth Master's study."
Jiang Rao thought to herself that of course nothing would be missing.
The magpie went to deliver something to her, not to steal anything.
It's really unfair to be labeled a thief for no reason.
But she couldn't jump out and explain. If she explained and let her father know, her father, who didn't want to agree in the first place, would be even less likely to agree now.
"Don't worry about it, young lady. Someone from the Bo's Mansion is here to tell the queen about this, not young lady, so as not to make her worry." The maid looked at Jiang Rao, "Besides, the thief will definitely be caught in the end. He was shot in the arm by the guard's arrow last night. As long as he shows up at the clinic, he will be caught by the people waiting there."
Jiang Rao raised her eyes in surprise, "Injured?" Wu Que was injured?
"Yes, no matter how capable he is, he is just one person. How can he compare to so many guards? In the end, he is outnumbered. I heard that his injured arm is his right arm. Even if he didn't go to the clinic, his behavior must be different from that of ordinary people. He will be easily recognized in the crowd. Don't worry, girl. He can't escape."
Jiang Rao: “…”
It's because she can't escape that she can't relax.
…
Jiang Rao could not leave the palace, and Ming Shao was not around. She could not trust the new maids, and could not find anyone to help her pass the message outside the palace. Those maids kept a close eye on her. Fortunately, she was familiar with the palace maids in Shuxiang Palace and asked them for help, and was able to get rid of those new maids for a while.
She walked all the way to the Imperial Garden.
Today, all the concubines are enjoying the flowers in the plum forest, so the Imperial Garden seems deserted.
When she left Shuxiang Palace, the snow had subsided, but when she arrived at the Imperial Garden, it started to snow heavily. She wore a pink velvet snow coat, but did not feel cold.
With white powder and silver all around, Jiang Rao walked to a camellia tree holding a pomegranate to hide from the snow. She looked up at the snow and saw a camellia that was half white and half pink. It was very rare. She couldn't help but reach out to pick it, but she was petite and couldn't reach it even on tiptoe.
Pomegranate jumped out of her arms and onto the tree. Jiang Rao pointed to the branch where the camellia she wanted grew, "Pomegranate, go there."
When the pomegranate moved, half of the branches of the tree were pressed down. Jiang Rao hurriedly picked the flower. All the branches were shaking, and the snow accumulated on the branches was like fallen fruits, falling towards her all at once.
Jiang Rao subconsciously covered her face with her hands, but was not hit by the snowflakes as she expected.
She slowly moved her arm that was blocking her view, and a clean, picturesque face appeared in her pupils.
Rong Ting held the umbrella high up against her face. The umbrella blocked the cold wind and falling snow, and also blocked the sunlight from the sky, casting a shadow on his face.
Behind him on the snow were two long wheel marks.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Rao asked.
Before he could reply, the umbrella suddenly became heavier and slumped down, making the shadow even darker.
Jiang Rao looked up and saw the pomegranate, which was as heavy as a small pound, jumping onto the umbrella. The umbrella was pressing down on her head. She had no choice but to bend down and awkwardly support her hands on the armrest of the wheelchair.
Huai Qing chased after him quickly, stopped with a cry of "Ouch", covered his eyes and turned around, "Why did you switch to me?" The two figures under the umbrella were too close.
He thought no one heard what he said, but Jiang Rao blushed and poked the umbrella twice, making Shi Liu unable to sit still on the umbrella. She jumped away, and there was more space under the umbrella. Jiang Rao breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm here, waiting for you." Rong Ting spoke at this time.
Jiang Rao turned to him and found that his face was red from the cold.
How long have you been waiting for this?
She lowered her eyes and said, "You don't have to wait so long."
She was the one who proposed the marriage, so she just needs to take care of everything.
"If I hadn't waited here, I wouldn't have been able to see you. If I hadn't known you had entered the palace last night, I wouldn't have come so late."
"What if you can't wait?"
"If you don't wait, there won't be any chance of success."
Poor mandarin ducks.
These words suddenly popped up in Jiang Rao's mind.
It's so difficult to meet each other.
However, they each have their own wishes for this marriage, and since they cannot be called mandarin ducks, they will just have a miserable fate.
The snow on her eyelashes and eyebrows would soon turn into water. Rong Ting blew into his hands and gently wiped away the snowflakes on her face.
Jiang Rao felt a little itchy due to his rough fingers and laughed softly.
He followed with a smile, "Why are you so happy?"
"Because I saw you." He made her feel at ease more than anyone else.
She said it casually, and his eyes darkened for a moment, but he soon laughed to himself as if he was mocking himself.
When he lowered his arm, the slight pain made Rong Ting's teeth clench slightly.
The arms under the jacket were wrapped with several strips of white cloth, which were already stained with blood. The outermost clothes were as dark as night, so even if they were stained with blood, it would not be visible. His breathing was slightly heavy, but his expression remained normal.
In winter, farmers are busy with farming and officials have little time to spare. Today in the Ministry of Works, colleagues had nothing to do but discuss the robbery that broke into the Ning'an Marquis's residence. They were all guessing what would happen to a person with an injured right arm. Rong Ting listened from the side and avoided everything they mentioned.
He still receives things and writes with his right hand.
No one noticed that he was any different from usual, and no one would associate a petty thief who broke into someone else's house at night with a disabled person in a wheelchair.
"The thief who broke into my study yesterday was actually a magpie who came to bring me some snacks, right?"
Rong Ting nodded slowly.
"Then you are here
Wait for me. "Jiang Rao left in a hurry, and came back in a hurry nearly two quarters of an hour later, with only a prescription in his hand," This is the prescription I asked the imperial physician to write. You follow this prescription and go to get the medicine in several batches. Don't let Wu Que go to the clinic by himself. There are people waiting to catch him there. ”
Rong Ting lowered his head, seeming a little unhappy.
Although it was him who broke into the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion at night.
But in her heart, that person was a magpie, and the injured person was also a magpie.
Her medicine, care and compassion were all for Wu Que.
It's really annoying.
Why can't we just pity him?
He slowly stretched out his left hand and took the medicine bag from Jiang Rao's hand.
Outside the palace gate, Wu Que was waiting outside the carriage. When Rong Ting and Huai Qing appeared at the palace gate, he hurriedly went to greet them, "Ninth Prince."
Rong Ting glanced at him, feeling gloomy.
The magpie subconsciously felt that he had done something wrong, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that he had not done anything wrong.
He was completely confused by the coldness that flashed across Rong Ting's eyes just now.
When I asked Huai Qing, he glanced at Wu Que suspiciously and whispered, "Your Highness is in a very good mood. You were mistaken."
Wu Que scratched his temples in confusion.
…
Jiang Rao walked back to Shuxiang Palace.
The snow on the palace road was deep and thick. A man wearing a purple cloak with a green-calyx plum blossom pattern was waiting at the end of the long road.
The figure had been pacing back and forth anxiously on the spot, until she saw her, and then she stopped.
Then he walked towards her step by step, his steps getting faster and faster.
This was waiting for her specially.
But she didn't know her.
Jiang Rao subconsciously became defensive and placed her hand on the pouch at her waist. When the figure walked in front of her, her finger bones tensed.
The man stopped in front of her, bent down and bowed, took off the hood of his cloak, revealing a pair of melancholy but resolute eyes, "Fourth Miss Jiang."
Jiang Rao saw her face clearly and suddenly had some impression of her.
Although I have never dealt with him, I have seen him from afar at a banquet.
It’s Chen Congyun.
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