Chapter 28
◎Banquet.◎
Summers in Jiangnan are more humid than in Chang'an, and when combined with the high temperatures, this slight dampness becomes something like stifling dampness. After midday, the sun slanted downward, becoming increasingly scorching. Ci Ying fanned herself with a palm-leaf fan, only to discover she couldn't stand the heat.
Mr. Li looked much better than she did. The scorching sun hadn't helped much of his illness. He kept his tattered fan close to him, looking sickly as ever, coughing constantly through a handkerchief.
After getting to know the two masters, Wang Chuyu began to care about Li Sheng's health. When he heard that the disease he had in the womb was incurable, Wang Chuyu's eyes flashed and tears suddenly fell.
Ci Ying wiped her tears with her handkerchief. Li Sheng smiled and said, "Miss, you can cry later."
"Daddy said everyone in the mansion should call me Young Master," Wang Chuyu, dressed in men's clothing, sobbed, "The teachers can just call me that in front of me, but don't let me get away with it in front of Daddy."
Ci Ying touched Chu Yu's head and asked softly, "If there were no Governor, would you prefer to be a man or a woman?"
Wang Chuyu lowered his head: "But without Daddy, there would be no me."
Li Sheng picked up the broken fan and fanned Wang Chuyu, but she started coughing again after only two strokes. Ci Ying gave Li Sheng a cold look. Li Sheng smiled and stopped pretending. In this sultry summer, they could not give the little girl an answer.
Opening a door to freedom was not a good thing for Wang Chuyu, who was still young and whose thinking was not yet established.
Whenever Ci Ying looks at Wang Chuyu, she thinks of the young lady.
People are born ignorant, so the long-term exploration of some things must have had its prototype at a very young age. She was the seed planted by the young lady, but it was the lady who planted the seed in the young lady's heart.
It has been three months in Jiangnan, but Ciying is still confused.
She would always think of Ruzhen's face that day, her blood-red wedding dress, and the copper coins she stuffed into her sleeves. Her tears, mixed with Ruzhen's, fell into her pockets along with the copper coins.
She understood that this was the only way at the time. If she didn't leave, Chang'an would become her and Ru Zhen's grave together.
but......
She came to Jiangnan, and then what?
If she had reached a free land, she wouldn't be so confused.
Relying on her own talents, she found a job where she could receive a monthly salary that was enough for her to live on. The children she taught were friendly and the people she interacted with were respectful to her.
But that's all.
She looked out the door, but for some reason she thought of the starving people in Anhuai. The peace and joy of March soaked her soul, but she still knew that this was a troubled time.
There are still countless corpses outside the red gate of the governor's mansion.
The royal family is in decline and wars are frequent. Yuwen Shu, the King of Mobei, has been recuperating for these years. Sooner or later, he will launch a war for power. The calmness shown by Yuwen Fu when he sent her away shows that if he is not as dissolute as he appears, he will definitely take action in this chaotic world.
There are still many places she doesn't know about, and once the war breaks out, all places will become the Anhuai of the past. No matter where she is then, where will it be a paradise?
......And Xie Huaijin.
The relationship between the royal family and the aristocratic families. Her heart was beating fast at the palace banquet that day. One reason was because of Xie Huaijin, and the other was because she was looking forward to the future that would be a long time in the future, or perhaps it would not take very long.
In a relationship between two parties, if one party has absolute dominance over the other, it will certainly not last long.
The emperor has chosen to remain silent now, but in the future, as one grows stronger while the other declines, the problem will not be eradicated, and he will surely come back to meet her again in the spring breeze.
In this chaotic situation caused by various forces, how many children will die in this troubled times, and how many poor people will become sacrifices to power.
Whenever he thought of this, Ciying felt a chill down his spine.
History books always praise the victors, but in these troubled times, every victory is built on blood.
It was not difficult for Ciying to think of the pain, and she sympathized with it, but the road ahead was bleak and she didn't know what she could do.
In this vast world, she has no power and influence. She cannot become an official like men. She has already walked the path that women can take to cross class boundaries. Madam Xie, Madam Xie, Ci Ying carefully asked herself what she could do in that position. It would probably be more than what she can do now, but it would still be shallow.
Everything she had came from Xie Huaijin's favor. If she went against Xie Huaijin's wishes, she wouldn't even be able to protect a nominal maid.
Power, background, gender, all shackles, a drizzle of rain falls in the sultry summer in the south of the Yangtze River.
But even though it was raining, the heat and stuffiness did not subside at all, and it was even more stuffy than usual.
During the hottest days of July, Ci Ying and Li Sheng were forced to witness a quarrel between the governor and his wife.
The reason was that Wang Chuyu remembered that the third day of August was his mother's birthday, and he wanted to go outside the city to pray for his mother for a day, but was rejected by the governor. The governor said that the homework Wang Chuyu handed in last month was not up to standard, and that he had no progress despite having two such talented teachers, so he did not allow Wang Chuyu to play around anymore.
Wang Chuyu said aggrievedly that he was not playing around, but the governor did not listen and just said that your mother does not need your prayers for this day, and doing your homework well is more important than anything else.
These words were heard by the wife of the governor who came to visit. She immediately became furious. Wang Chuyu ran away crying in grievance and ran all the way back to her own yard. At that time, Ci Ying and Li Sheng were discussing the content of today's class.
Wang Chuyu ran back first, and then the governor and his wife came arguing all the way.
The governor's wife hugged the aggrieved Wang Chuyu in her arms and began to cry: "If you really want to have a son so much, go find another life, don't treat my son badly anymore."
The governor was furious upon hearing this. "From childhood to adulthood, Huizhi has always eaten the finest food. He hired the best tutors for her, driving away several old men to recruit people from all over Jiangnan for her. He even used all the power and influence to pave the way for her. Is this what you call a disgrace? You ignorant woman, where else in the world can you find such a good disgrace?"
The Governor's wife couldn't help but say, "Yes, I'm ignorant. I only know that my son is unhappy and can't be free even for a day even if he wants to pray for his mother. There's no such thing as this in the world. My son is a woman, and he doesn't have the two taels of stuff under your body, but he is still my son, and you can't let him do this."
Wang Chuyu had no time to feel wronged and cried, "Stop arguing, stop arguing, I was wrong... I was just reading. The teacher said I have made great progress recently. Stop arguing..."
As he spoke, Wang Chuyu grabbed Ci Ying and Li Sheng's hands, his face full of pleading.
The little girl cried so hard that her hair was all messed up, and her eyes were filled with fear. Ci Ying quietly hugged her and whispered, "Chu Yu has made great progress recently. The poem she wrote in class the other day was very inspiring. I asked Chu Yu to present it to the adults."
Li Sheng also said: "Miss Chu Yu is indeed very talented."
Ci Ying lowered her eyes, knowing it was over.
Sure enough, the next moment the governor flew into a rage: "Who said she was a young lady, Master? You are so outspoken. I'm afraid my governor's office can't tolerate a big Buddha like you."
Wang Chuyu immediately burst into tears: "Daddy, Daddy, don't..."
The Governor's wife was furious. "Our Chuyu is Miss. From now on, you should call me Miss. Who are you trying to drive away? As long as I am here, you can't touch the teachers. Chuyu, don't be afraid. At worst, I can take you and the two teachers back to my parents' home."
The situation became increasingly serious. Ci Ying realized that it was no longer appropriate for her to listen to what was happening next, so she quietly led Wang Chuyu out.
Li Sheng followed behind with a cough. Ci Ying handed Wang Chuyu to the nanny and gave Li Sheng a cold look.
Li Sheng coughed as he caught up to Ci Ying: "You're walking so fast, even a sick person can't keep up."
"You can't even walk anymore and you still know how to fan the flames." Ci Ying walked without stopping for a moment.
Although he was weak, he still followed step by step. Li Sheng said helplessly: "It will always come to this day. Today is the right time. It is better for me to take the lead than to take it up someday."
"Then you shouldn't do that in front of Chu Yu." Ci Ying whispered.
Li Sheng paused and said, "I was not thoughtful enough, but there are always perfect opportunities in the world. If I don't seize it this time, it will be difficult next time."
Ci Ying always felt that there was something else behind Li Sheng's words, but she didn't like such people now, so she turned around the corridor and left.
Li Sheng looked at Ci Ying's back from afar, sighed, but there was a smile on the corner of his lips.
...He is really a soft-hearted person.
He looked at the sky and said it was cloudy, which was unreasonable.
The storm was coming, so he covered his mouth with a handkerchief and started coughing again and again.
Ciying didn't know what the governor and his wife had agreed to later, but it didn't get to the point where the governor's wife took their two husbands back to her parents' home.
A maidservant passed on the governor's order, saying that they would be given a half-month leave, and their salaries would remain the same. She apologized for the offense she had caused last time, and hoped that the two masters would not mind it.
Ci Ying asked about Wang Chuyu's condition, and felt relieved when she heard that he was doing well.
She asked the governor for a maid who knew martial arts, and as she was about to go out to take a look, she heard a cough beside her. Ci Ying looked over and saw the scholar chasing after her: "I am unfamiliar with the place, and I am afraid there are thieves and villains. Could you lend me your maid?"
Ciying translated it and it meant to stay.
She didn't refuse. She was also alone in Jiangnan, so she felt destined to be with this man.
The maid smiled and covered her lips, "Then Sir, please run faster. If you get sick from walking too long today, I and you won't be able to bear it."
Ci Ying lowered her eyes and smiled.
Being teased, Li Sheng was not annoyed, but just shook his broken fan: "Of course, I am ahem... ahem, but it is still enough to catch up with the two girls."
Ci Ying and the maid looked at each other and quickened their pace. After a while, they heard Li Sheng's mournful cries from behind. The three of them gradually walked in a row. On the way, they met a little thief. The maid raised her knife and put the dagger across the thief's neck, scaring the thief so much that he knelt down.
Ci Ying praised: "The lady warrior has great skills."
The maid smiled softly, and behind them, Li Sheng's face gradually grew solemn. But when Ci Ying turned around, Li Sheng sighed again. Looking at Ci Ying, who was completely unaware, he wondered if he should remind her, but after thinking about it, he felt that it was pointless.
The two people in front had already started chatting. Ci Ying looked at the maid's slender wrist in surprise and whispered, "How amazing!"
The maid sheathed the dagger in her hand and said, "Young lady, you can call me Zhu Guang. I have been practicing martial arts since I was very young. I have a very powerful master, so I am also very powerful."
Li Sheng's eyelids twitched as he heard Ci Ying ask, "Then how did you get to the Governor's Mansion?"
Zhu Guang twirled the dagger: "I was hired by the governor to protect the girl."
Ci Ying imitated Zhu Guang and turned her wrist. Without the dagger in her hand, she felt her wrist was twisted. Zhu Guang did not laugh at Ci Ying. He put the dagger into his sleeve and turned Ci Ying's wrist with his hand: "This way, then this way, and finally this way."
Ciying tried again, and this time it succeeded.
Zhu Guang chuckled and said, "My master first taught me to use a dagger. Women are generally weaker, but they are also better at close combat. Compared to long knives and swords, daggers and hidden weapons are more suitable for me."
Mr. Li's eyelids were twitching.
Ci Ying responded, "Then Zhu Guang's master must be very powerful."
Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, the person who can produce such a good student as Zhu Guang must be a great person.
Zhu Guang had a hint of pride on his face. After hearing Ci Ying's praise, he happily performed a few more times: "My master is indeed very powerful."
Li Guang could no longer bear to watch and started coughing with a handkerchief.
Seeing that he was coughing so violently, Ci Ying still felt a little concerned and stopped to ask, "Do you need to rest for a while?"
Zhu Guang glanced at Li Sheng calmly. Li Sheng pointed at the teahouse from a distance and said, "Take a break, ladies."
The three of them chose a private room. It rained in Jiangnan yesterday, and the rain got heavier at night, finally washing away some of the damp and stuffy smell. Ci Ying opened the window and a breeze blew in.
The storyteller on the high platform was telling about the battle at Su Tomb more than ten years ago that established the situation in the world.
"Speaking of the Su family, they were originally dependent on the Wang family. The Su family's mistress was even from a branch of the Wang family. They relied on the Wang family to rise to become one of the aristocratic families in Chang'an. However, when the Wang family declined, the Su family turned to the Xie family, who were at odds with the Wang family at the time. After repeated betrayal, the Xie family finally won the Battle of Su's Tomb."
Zhu Guang poured a cup of tea and handed it to Ciying.
Seeing Ciying in a daze, he couldn't help but say, "Miss."
Ci Ying came back to her senses, took the tea and said, "Thank you."
Li Sheng tapped the empty space in front of him with his fan, but Zhu Guang ignored him. Reluctantly, Li Sheng coughed twice and turned to look at Ci Ying. "The Governor was once a member of the Wang family. To please the Governor, storytellers often tell biased stories. Back then, two daughters from the Wang family's side branch married into the Su family and both died tragically. Furious, the Wang family used the Su family as bait in the Su Tomb War. The Su family was on the verge of death, and could only seek refuge with the Xie family."
Ci Ying whispered, "Where did you hear that rumor?"
The girl's eyes were so scorching that Li Sheng put down the tea in his hand.
Li Sheng then remembered that when he first met her, he said that he went to Chang'an to look for his relatives. If that was the case, how could he know such secrets.
Zhu Guang was watching the show from the side. Li Sheng sighed. He could see all kinds of flaws in Zhu Guang. How could he not see that this Zhu Guang beside him was not a bodyguard trained by the Jiangnan martial arts community?
Li Sheng smiled awkwardly, "I heard it from the bookstore in Chang'an... The Xie family is the most powerful, so I guess the storytellers are also biased towards the Xie family."
Ci Ying snorted, too lazy to argue with Mr. Li.
She looked back at the stage, listening to the storyteller stretch the story forward more than a decade into the future: "Now, the Su family's daughter has entered the palace as a mere concubine. The Su family is struggling to maintain a young generation. Their only remaining young general died on the battlefield a few years ago, the result of their betrayal that led to the tragic deaths of hundreds of the Wang family's men."
Li Sheng coughed a few times and simply stopped pretending: "How could there be so many? Those who died were all soldiers below. Counting them, there are only about twenty people at most. Only one person died in the main branch, and the rest are all from the side branches."
Ci Ying gently stroked the teacup, which had already cooled. She asked curiously, "Is this also what Master Li heard from the Chang'an Library?"
Zhu Guang laughed and flipped the dagger in his sleeve.
Mr. Li coughed twice and said, "Yes, that's right."
Ci Ying was thinking, but she only thought of Su Xueruo.
Rumor has it that she prayed for her biological mother, and her biological mother must be one of the two women from the Wang family's side branch mentioned by Li Sheng. Thinking of Xie Huaijin's attitude towards Su Xueruo, the rumors that Xiaowan told her about the two being childhood sweethearts and a match made in heaven were probably false.
Ci Ying didn't want to think about Xie Huaijin, but everything was indeed inseparable from Xie Huaijin.
What did Su Xuerou want to say to her in the first place? What did she want in her hand that made Su Xuerou feel that she could give up her position as the future mistress of the Xie family for it...
Ci Ying originally thought it was a matter between Wei Ran and his wife, but now she thinks it shouldn’t be.
Even if Su Xueruo knew about the affair between Wei Ran and his wife, how could she think that this incident would make her think of leaving Xie Huaijin?
Ci Ying recalled her first meeting with Su Xueruo. During the Shangsi Festival, she and Xie Huaijin ran into Su Xueruo on the street. Su Xueruo deliberately acted intimate with Xie Huaijin to make her angry and suspicious. Su Xueruo's purpose was to alienate her and Xie Huaijin.
If what Su Xueruo knew was related to Xie Huaijin and would make her want to leave Xie Huaijin, she would definitely not be so hesitant. But... it turned out that the news had nothing to do with Xie Huaijin.
It has nothing to do with Xie Huaijin. If it can move her mind, it must be related to her.
Ci Ying lowered her eyes and drank the whole cup of tea. She couldn't think of any special news about her.
Mr. Li started coughing again, and Ci Ying rubbed his forehead.
As the two looked at each other, Zhu Guang pointed to a place not far away and said, "Girl, there are clay figurines over there."
Ci Ying suddenly looked away and followed Zhu Guang's hand. Li Sheng looked at Zhu Guang helplessly. Zhu Guang stuck out his tongue and made a gesture of wiping his neck.
Li Sheng's eyes dimmed, red light, candlelight, candle.
Among the secret guards under the command of Xie Huaijin, the eldest son of the Xie family and the current patriarch of the Xie family, only the third-ranked Zhu San is a woman. It is rumored that... when she was twelve years old, she slaughtered nearly half of the secret guards in the secret guard camp by herself, and she is one of the most famous killing weapons under Xie Huaijin.
The master she was referring to was Mo Yu, who always followed Xie Huaijin like a ghost and wore a black brocade robe all year round.
Li Sheng felt somewhat torn as he looked at the two women in front of him who were bending over to select clay figurines.
With a secret guard of Xie family and Mrs. Xie, it would be difficult for him to avoid being found by Xie family.
But...the world is so vast, where can he escape to?
Li Sheng stepped forward and picked up the pottery figures with them.
Ci Ying danced as a little girl in a wheelchair, Zhu Guang picked a cold secret guard, and Li Sheng picked a majestic tiger.
After a few people paid the money, it was dark.
Zhu Guang suggested that they go to a restaurant for a meal.
Li Sheng held the tiger in his hand and said meaningfully, "Miss Zhu Guang is very generous."
Ci Ying glanced at Li Guang lightly: "No problem, it's my treat."
Zhu Guang immediately took Ci Ying's arm and said, "The girl can only treat me. Let me think about it. I want to eat braised pork elbow, roast goose, pearl balls..."
Mr. Li: “…That’s too much.”
Zhu Guang: "You can choose not to eat. The restaurant owner probably won't want to serve you if they see you. If something happens to you while eating, the restaurant owner will be the most pitiful person in the world."
Ci Ying pulled Zhu Guang, and Zhu Guang stopped talking and smiled as he listed the names of the dishes again.
Li Sheng was both angry and amused. Finally, he sat down and ate braised pork elbow, roast goose, pearl meatballs, crab roe buns, and steamed hairy crab with the two of them...
Afterwards, Ci Ying and Zhu Guang went to visit the martial arts troupes in Jiangnan. To her surprise, there were quite a few women in the troupe. Zhu Guang saw her surprise and explained, "In the past, most martial arts troupes were men, but it was indeed inconvenient for men to stay in the inner chambers. Some wealthy ladies and daughters preferred female guards to male guards, and were even willing to pay them higher wages, so martial arts troupes gradually began to have female guards."
"Most of the houses I brought the girls to were hosting guests like the Governor's Mansion, so there were quite a few female guards." Zhu Guang pushed open the door.
Ci Ying thought about it and did not go out for the next few days.
What she had seen and heard in the past few days gave her a hint of inspiration. Something passed through her mind as if it was about to be grasped. Ci Ying picked up the pen and began to write on the paper. The more she wrote, the more she frowned. Later, her brows relaxed a little, but soon frowned again.
The news that the Governor's Mansion was going to hold a banquet came at dusk. At that time, Ci Ying was sorting out some of the ideas that had just crossed her mind and thinking of a solution when she heard the maid knocking on the door.
She gathered her things into a box, stood up and opened the door.
It was the maid who had brought her food before. She smiled and said, "My Lord said that there will be a banquet at the mansion in two days, and invited the female teacher to accompany the young master to attend."
Speaking of Wang Chuyu, Ci Ying felt it was difficult to refuse, so she asked softly, "What kind of banquet is it?"
The maid smiled and said, "It's a banquet for Madam's birthday. It happens every year and many people are invited. Madam, don't worry."
Hearing that it was a birthday banquet, Ci Ying also smiled: "Then I will prepare a birthday gift for Madam."
The maid came closer and whispered, "Miss, please don't give me pearl jewelry. Everything else is fine, but this one is not acceptable."
Ci Ying agreed without asking why.
The maidservant smiled and retreated.
Mr. Li also received the news. After closing the door, Mr. Li coughed twice.
He sighed, picked up his pen, wrote a letter, and sent it out.
......
At the banquet.
Ci Ying and Li Sheng sat on Wang Chuyu's left and right. After not seeing him for a few days, Wang Chuyu seemed a little more depressed than before.
The banquet was crowded and chatty, so Ci Ying couldn't bring herself to ask what was going on, so she could only whisper to Wang Chuyu about irrelevant matters. Wang Chuyu was in low spirits, and seeing Ci Ying about to burst into tears, she looked at Li Sheng, who hurriedly pulled out a new handkerchief from his bosom.
Ci Ying whispered, "Even if you're happy at Mother's birthday party, don't cry."
Wang Chuyu nodded and lowered his red eyes.
Mr. Li couldn't bear to watch it anymore and said with a cough, "If you can't do it, just cry."
Ci Ying glared at Li Sheng, and Li Sheng smiled faintly.
Wang Chuyu disliked banquets, so they were secluded, some distance from the main seat. Ci Ying and Li Sheng were constantly aware of Wang Chuyu's mood, and didn't glance around. Behind them, Zhu Guang twirled the dagger in his sleeve. His eyes lit up as he glanced at someone from a distance.
Under the main seat, there was a young man in a soft white coat. He picked up the wine cup on the table, took a sip with his thin lips, and looked at the place where the three people were gathered.
Before coming to Jiangnan, Xie Huaijin went to see Ru Zhen.
Ru Zhen looked at him with hatred in her eyes. If there hadn't been someone stopping her from behind, she would have rushed up and punched and kicked him.
Xie Huaijin sat on a chair, holding a teacup in his hand, and looked at the crude furnishings in the room.
It was the tiled house where the servants of the Xie Mansion lived, the same kind where Ru Zhen lived with her parents when she was a child. He whispered, "The housekeeper said that you lived here with your parents in the past."
Ru Zhen gritted her teeth, but couldn't break free from the person behind her. She also realized that she had no way to do anything to Xie Huaijin, so she turned her head and ignored the young man in front of her.
But Xie Huaijin's indifferent voice still floated into her ears.
"Ciying cares about you a lot."
Ru Zhen shrank back and couldn't bear to hear Ci Ying's name at all.
The young man wrapped her wrist in a handkerchief and lifted it up, covering the bloodstain with a white handkerchief. “So, stay alive until she comes back.”
Ru Zhen suddenly exploded: "What does this have to do with you? You are not allowed to go find Ciying. Xie Huaijin, can't you just let Ciying go?"
Let go.
This is a very strange word.
Xie Huaijin had never thought that he would hear this word from Ci Ying's mouth countless times in the future, expressing sorrow, anger, indignation, and even despair.
But not yet, now this word appeared in the mouth of the maid in front of him.
Xie Huaijin's impression of Ru Zhen remained on the three pages of the file. She betrayed Ci Ying many times, deceived and cheated Yuwen Fu, and finally caused Ci Ying to leave Chang'an.
He still didn't understand why Ciying ran away from him because of this maid, just like he didn't understand why Ciying became estranged from him because of another maid.
He also couldn't understand Ru Zhen's anger at this moment.
Xie Huaijin's eyebrows were very calm as he met Ru Zhen's eyes burning with anger and resentment.
He walked to the window and pushed open the equally simple window of the tiled house with his slender white fingers. If it was not related to Ci Ying, he would never set foot in such a place in his life.
He turned sideways and looked at Ru Zhen again: "I still don't understand, what did I do to my wife?"
"In your mouth, I seem to be... guilty of countless crimes that are too numerous to list." Xie Huaijin counted the words that Ru Zhen did not say. The wind gently blew the corners of the young man's snow-white clothes. His voice was also gentle, but there was a hint of oppression in his eyes.
Ru Zhen trembled: "You...you..."
Xie Huaijin waited quietly, but after a long time Ru Zhen didn't say anything.
The young man had a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes. His slender jade-like fingers tapped the flowers that had fallen on the windowsill. "I didn't drug Ciying like that maid, nor did I betray her several times like you did. I love my wife and give her all the respect she deserves as a mistress."
Having said that, Xie Huaijin turned around and looked at Ru Zhen indifferently.
Ru Zhen's hands were held down, and her eyes trembled. A deep chill passed through her heart, and goose bumps appeared all over her body. Fear replaced anger in her eyes.
Compared to Xie Huaijin, Ru Zhen would rather face Yu Wenfu.
At least Yu Wenfu, she could understand his anger, his joy, and his unhappiness, but there was no hint of excuses for himself in Xie Huaijin's words. He reasonably felt that he had done nothing wrong.
Ru Zhen closed her eyes, thinking only in her heart.
Say goodbye, escape...
*
At the banquet.
Xie Huaijin looked at his wife from a distance and laughed softly.
Mo Yu heard the young man calling his name. He leaned over and heard the young man's gentle voice in his ear: "Don't they look like a family of three?"
Mo Yu's body stiffened. The young man beside him even chuckled: "A gentle but indifferent father, a strict but soft-hearted mother, a crying child who never grows up..."
There was a smile in the young man's eyes, but it soon turned dull. The wine wet his light-colored lips, and his slender white fingers slowly circled the green wine glass. He stood up, took one last look, and turned to leave the banquet.
Not far away, Zhu Guang made a "tsk" sound. Ci Ying asked what was wrong, and Zhu Guang smiled and said, "It's going to rain tonight, young lady, remember to close the windows. No, close the doors and windows together. Also, please use some soothing soup. I'll bring you a bowl. You'll sleep better tonight."
Ci Ying politely declined Zhu Guang's offer, looked at the clear night sky, and whispered, "Will it rain?"
Li Sheng looked over and said, "That shouldn't be the case. I looked at the ants under the stone steps this morning, and they didn't seem to be moving."
Wang Chuyu yawned, and Ci Ying patted her head: "Go back to sleep. We will review the previous poems for you tomorrow."
Wang Chuyu nodded and said goodbye to the two masters.
Ci Ying didn't want to attend the banquet in the first place. After Wang Chuyu left, she naturally stood up. After standing up, she glanced at the main seat high up and found that the governor had left without her noticing that, leaving only his wife entertaining guests up there. There was another seat below that was also completely empty, but the rest of the people were still having a great time.
It was indeed as the maid said, many people were invited.
At that time, Ci Ying didn't expect that Xie Huaijin would be among these people.
Before going to bed, she remembered Zhu Guang's instructions, looked at the starry sky, closed the window, and locked the door as usual.
In the second half of the night, Xie Huaijin sat beside Ci Ying's bed.
He looked at Ci Ying with indifferent eyes, and his hand lightly brushed the thin blanket on the girl's body. The things about Ci Ying written in the message sent by Zhu Guang flashed through his mind.
Madam was caught in the rain today and caught a cold, so her voice has changed.
My wife drank water twice today. Maybe it was because the weather was too hot and she had no appetite.
The lady once said the young master's name in her dream.
The lady had a nightmare.
Madam and Mr. Li exchanged forty-two sentences today.
The lady laughed three times today because of the nonsense of the governor's child.
The lady was not very happy, and I didn’t know why.
The lady felt a little happier, not knowing why.
The lady called out the young master's name once in her dream, called out the second young lady's name seven times, and called out Ru Zhen's name nine times.
The lady is unhappy.
The young man didn't leave until dawn.
In the dream, Ci Ying was calling someone's name again, but Xie Huaijin didn't hear it clearly. There were a few books on the desk. He walked over and took a look in the dim light. Most of them were children's enlightenment books. He flipped through them and found that Ci Ying seemed to be compiling a book.
He turned around and glanced at Ciying, then sat at the table, his eyes reflecting on some of Ciying's daily life that Zhu Guang had not recorded.
Late at night, the girl leaned over the desk, crumpled up the paper and unfolded it, thought for a while and crossed out some things, then wrote it down again after pondering for a while.
The window should not be closed on weekdays. There is a light layer of dust in the inner corners, and only the middle one is clean. It must be where the girl often leans on it, looking at the stars, the moon, or looking into the distance.
Xie Huaijin wiped the dust off with his fingertips, then wiped his fingers again with a handkerchief. He turned around, glanced at the girl sleeping soundly on the bed, and got up and left.
Mo Yu asked, "Why don't you just take your wife back?"
At dawn, the sky was dim, and everything was hazy as if covered by a layer of rain and fog. A young man in a plain white dress stood tall and graceful on the steps. His jade-like fingers gently picked up the flowers on his shoulder and said in a calm voice: "Mo Yu, what is the difference between Jiangnan and Chang'an?"
"Nothing." Mo Yu couldn't guess what the young man meant.
Xie Huaijin was just asking casually. He chuckled and said, "Ru Zhen calls this place Ciying's free land. Jiangnan has indeed avoided many disasters in recent years. When Su Wei was a child, she often insisted on coming to Jiangnan, but she stopped clamoring later."
Mo Yu added silently, "Second Miss, I think it's because the place where Madam and Wei Ran eloped and were caught was Jiangnan."
Xie Huaijin said gently, "Let Zhu Yi and Zhu Er return to Chang'an, and let the people from Mobei stay. Send someone to report the events of the Wang and Su families to the palace, so that Miss Su will understand that she has been targeting the wrong people."
"Yes." Mo Yu never questioned.
Even if Xie Huaijin issued an order that no one in this world could understand.
The Su family's loss of two mistresses from the Wang family's side branches was no coincidence. No noble family back then had clean hands: the Wang family, the Su family, and the Xie family alike. News of this reached the palace, and the Su family's daughter, bent on revenge for her mother, threatened to cause chaos in Chang'an once again.
"Let's go." The young man's face was calm, and the smile just now seemed like a false mask.
【Author’s words】
Little explosion~
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