Chapter 108 Jin丨Jiang Literature Exclusively Published
The rest and holiday system of the Daxing Dynasty was similar to that of the Song Dynasty. Usually, people took a holiday every ten days, and could only rest for three days a month.
However, in addition to daily holidays, there were also various festivals. For example, the Tianying Festival, Zhenyuan Festival, Ningfu Festival, etc., which were created by the emperor himself, would give one day off for minor festivals and three days off for major festivals. The Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and Winter Solstice would give a week off, and the Beginning of Autumn, Spring Equinox, and Beginning of Summer would also give one day off.
These holidays were not only for officials in the court, but also for craftsmen, soldiers, and students.
However, during the war, all holidays would be cancelled, and all energy would be devoted to fighting the Jin Kingdom.
If there had been no war, Pei Rui would have more than 120 days of vacation every year.
For other people, more holidays may be a good thing, but Pei Rui has less work to do, and he gets along with his colleagues like brothers, which is much better than staying awake all night at home.
But he had to go back.
There is no specific time to get off work in the Shenhou Mansion. Zhui Ming sent the files to Zhuge Zhengwo, and when he came back, he saw Pei Rui standing in front of the door, like a green bamboo, tall and handsome.
Zhui Ming invited: "Xiao Mian, let's go to dinner together?"
Pei Rui was silent for a while, and asked slowly: "Together to my house?"
Zhui Ming: "You want to go home? You stand here waiting for me, so you want to say goodbye to me?"
Pei Rui nodded: "Together." Zhui Ming
was a little embarrassed.
He had never had any contact with the King of Taiping, and it would be a bit presumptuous to go to the King of Taiping's Mansion with Xiao Mian.
But he really wanted to visit.
Xiao Mian's reaction is slow and he is not very smart. Zhui Ming is always worried about him, fearing that this child will be used by others.
Zhui Ming is not qualified to associate with the King of Taiping, and only knows a few words about this iron-blooded prince from his uncle.
The King of Taiping has strong military ability and is a good leader in battle. He usually stays in the army and is only casual friends with court officials. He is polite but never gets too close to anyone.
Zhui Ming really wants to know what kind of person the King of Taiping is, as well as the two sons of the King of Taiping...
He doesn't want to miss this opportunity, and he doesn't want to embarrass Xiao Mian.
Xiao Mian is just the adopted son of the King of Taiping. He regards the palace as his home, but others may not think so.
Zhui Ming: "If you want to invite me to your home, you must have at least a suitable reason."
Pei Rui: "Reason?"
Zhui Ming: "Otherwise we can go out to eat and separate after dinner, it's the same, there's no need to go to the palace."
Pei Rui thought for a moment; "To see the vase?"
Zhui Ming thought he would change his mind and go out to eat before going home, but he didn't expect Xiao Mian to be straightforward and didn't think about his suggestion at all, but was really thinking of a reason.
It's just that this reason is really hard to explain.
Zhui Ming: "Xiao Mian, the vase is very important to me, but other people don't know it. And how can you go to someone else's house to remember an old friend? This reason is not appropriate at all."
Xue Chen: [I think it's great, you can come to my place to see my brother under the pretext of seeing the vase. ]
System: [It's a good thing that doesn't care about Zhui Ming's life or death. 】
Xue Chen: [How can you not care about his life or death? My brother is the only one who was injured, okay? 】
System: [That's right, no matter how ridiculous the excuse Zhui Ming uses to go there, he will be shocked when he sees your brother, and he will not be in the mood to care about himself... Aren't you unwilling to reveal Gong Jiu's privacy? 】
Xue Chen: [It's not like you're going there when my brother is sick. 】
Pei Rui reached out, grabbed Zhui Ming's wrist, and pulled him forward.
He grabbed it very hard. Because of the medicine, Zhui Ming's upper body was weak, and he couldn't break free. He was dragged by Pei Rui and staggered two steps: "Xiao Mian, let me go first."
Pei Rui let go, tilted his head towards Zhui Ming, and blinked slowly.
Seeing that he looked confused, Zhui Ming said helplessly: "Why do you have to take me to the Taiping Palace? Is it the prince's intention that you suddenly return to the palace during this holiday?"
Pei Rui: "My father is very busy."
Zhui Ming: "So?"
Pei Rui: "My second brother is also very busy, and only my eldest brother is at home."
Zhui Ming suddenly realized: "You want to take me to visit Master Xue, this makes sense."
Zhuge Zhengwo and the Taiping King are of the same generation, and he and Xue Chen are also of the same generation. Moreover, he has a connection with Xiao Mian's biological sister, and he can be considered a relative of Xiao Mian, and he can talk to Xue Chen.
Pei Rui stretched out his hand and grabbed it, not knowing which part of Zhui Ming's body he held. He groped with some confusion, and then Zhui Ming held his hand and took it away from him.
"Don't touch me randomly."
Pei Rui still had that cold expression, but his unfocused gray eyes seemed to reveal some confusion.
Xue Chen: [I think I accidentally touched his chest muscles.]
System: [Just chest muscles, big and small.]
Xue Chen: [Touching others is different from touching yourself. When you touch yourself, you have a double feeling, you are touching others and being touched. When you do this to Zhui Ming, I really need to react for a while before I can tell where I accidentally touched.]
System: [It's not easy for Xiao Mian.]
Before going to the Taiping Palace, Zhui Ming changed his clothes.
He usually doesn't care much about his image. He has stubble on his chin, combs his hair casually, and dresses in any way that makes him comfortable, and he smells of alcohol.
This look is fine at ordinary times, but it seems disrespectful to others in more formal occasions.
Zhui Ming packed himself up and left the old building with Pei Rui.
He asked: "Should I bring some gifts? Wine? Master Xue is in poor health and probably can't drink wine. Should I bring medicinal herbs? Xiao Mian, do you know what he likes?"
Pei Rui: "Snacks!"
Zhui Ming: "Then go buy some snacks."
Pei Rui: "There is a shop near the palace, my brother likes it very much."
Zhui Ming: "I'll do whatever you say."
The two came to the door of Hefangzhai, and Pei Rui sniffed gently like a little animal.
Zhui Ming thought he was very cute, but he felt a little distressed when he thought that Xiao Mian did this because she couldn't see.
Pei Rui moved carefully, and after touching the door sill, he slightly raised his legs and walked in.
Xue Chen: [I now have the illusion that Da Mian is standing among the dead with his eyes closed.]
System: [...]
Xue Chen: [I seem to know Da Mian's desire for blood, and how it is different from that of others.]
System: [What's the difference?]
Xue Chen: [It seems that Da Mian's appetite has been magnified, just like I am usually greedy, but not to the point of losing my mind. Da Mian seemed to have been hungry for a very long time and was extremely thirsty for blood. It was probably similar to how my brother would lose his mind when he was thirsty for pain, both of which were very unreasonable psychological diseases. 】
System: [I think I understand a little bit. 】
Zhui Ming seldom came to such an elegant store. He looked around and asked Pei Rui: "What does Mr. Xue like to eat?"
Pei Rui: "He likes everything."
Zhui Ming saw his curious look and knew that he could only smell the aroma but couldn't see anything.
He was a very rough person. He had no other hobbies except drinking. He took Xiao Mian out for dinner every day and only had regular meals. He never thought about what a child of this age would like.
This should be Xiao Mian's first time to a snack shop.
Last time I took them to Wo Yun Lou, Xiao Mian touched the snacks on the table as soon as she entered the door, and ate them happily. She also took away all the moon cakes from Wo Yun Lou. She must like sweets.
Zhui Ming roughly asked about the price, picked four or five snacks and packed them up.
After leaving He Fang Zhai, he approached Pei Rui and said with a low smile: "See what you like to eat, I will buy more and put them in the old building, how about it?"
Pei Rui: "Okay! Thank you Cui Ming!"
Zhui Ming said with a headache: "If you really can't remember, you can just call me brother."
Pei Rui nodded: "Third brother." Zhui
Ming: "..."
He is the third in the master's sect because he entered the sect later. In fact, he is the oldest among the four famous detectives. Zhui Ming felt very strange when Pei Rui called him "third brother".
Obviously, he is the person closest to Xiao Mian, so why did he suddenly bring several other brothers?
But it is not wrong for Xiao Mian to call him that, which is better than always calling him "Cui Ming".
Zhui Ming and Pei Rui came to the Taiping Palace.
The guards in the palace all recognized Pei Rui, and after asking about Zhui Ming's identity, they let them in.
Zhui Ming knew that Xiao Mian's thinking was simple and he was afraid that he did not know etiquette. He tactfully reminded: "Should I visit the owner of the mansion first?"
Pei Rui thought about it, grabbed his wrist, and took him to his residence: "My father and I live very close. I can hear it as soon as my father comes home." Zhui
Ming hesitated.
System: [Why do I feel like I have overlooked something...]
Xue Chen: [Xiao Mian can hear strange noises every night?]
System: [Yes, that's it. Beep, aren't you throwing dirty water on the King of Taiping? You're going to ruin your father's reputation! 】
Xue Chen: [There's no way. It's a fact that my father and I live close. Even if I don't tell Cui Ming now, he will know it later. It's better to be frank. 】
System: [Don't make unnecessary struggles? 】
Xue Chen: [It's frank, not shabby! When Cui Ming asks, just explain it to him clearly. 】
System: [Can Xiao Mian's personality really be explained clearly? 】
Xue Chen: [Not necessarily. 】
System: [……]
Too miserable, King of Taiping.
Pei Rui lived in a very small courtyard with only three rooms and an open space in front of the door.
The yard is surrounded by cypress trees, which are very cold-resistant and evergreen all year round. They are still green now, making the whole yard full of vitality.
There is a well in the center of the yard, and the edges of the well are built with green bricks, which are much higher than the ground.
Pei Rui stood in the yard and listened with his ear to the side: "My father is not at home."
Zhui Ming saw that the outside of the yard was neat and simple, and he couldn't help but worry whether the house was as empty as the outside.
He was about to tell Xiao Mian that he wanted to sit in the house, and Pei Rui said: "Let's go to the eldest brother's place."
There was no time to take Zhui Ming on a tour, he couldn't wait to have a snack.
Zhui Ming paused: "Okay."
Pei Rui was very familiar with the mansion, and even if he was blind, he could recognize the way.
He led Zhui Ming to the yard of the original body and knocked on the door.
Xiao He opened a gap and seemed a little nervous after seeing Pei Rui: "Third Young Master."
System: [Could it be that your brother just got beaten?]
Xue Chen: [I thought it was my father who lost his reputation, but I didn't expect that it might be me.]
System: [……]
Pei Rui sniffed lightly and smelled a very faint smell of blood. There was no other smell. It should have almost dissipated.
Pei Rui: "Where is my eldest brother?"
Xiao He: "The eldest young master is not feeling well today and is resting inside. Third Young Master, please come back another day."
Everyone who came to see Gong Jiu these days got this answer.
Pei Rui had heard about it and admired Gong Jiu's pretentious acting. He even pushed away the trivial matters in the mansion and handed them all over to the housekeeper.
Pei Rui: "But I brought my friends here, and some snacks from Hefangzhai."
A weak voice came from the room: "Xiaohe, let them in."
System: [It seems so!]
Xue Chen: [After all, they are twins. I know him and he knows me. It's not difficult for him to play the role of the other.]
System: [Why did he suddenly agree to meet you?]
Xue Chen: [Because according to my character, I would definitely agree to what Xiao Mian said. And I also brought snacks from He Fang Zhai. When my brother heard the snacks, he thought of me, and when he thought of me, his mood would fluctuate.]
System: [I thought you bought the snacks just because you were greedy, but I didn't expect that you had this intention.]
Xiao He opened the door and invited them in.
Gong Jiu was wearing a crimson robe, his face was pale, and he sat on a low couch by the window. Incense was burning in the room, and the window was opened a crack, and a breeze blew in, diluting the smell of medicine and blood.
He smiled faintly: "Xiao Mian, you're here."
Pei Rui nodded, pointed at Zhui Ming beside him and said: "Big brother, this is third brother."
Zhui Ming: "???"
Gong Jiu's expression almost broke, he reacted quickly, adjusted himself quickly, and just frowned slightly: "You only have two brothers, where did the third brother come from?"
Zhui Ming only realized now that Xiao Mian called him the third brother, not because he was the third in the Shenhou Mansion, but because he already had two older brothers in the Taiping Palace, so she called him the third brother!
He coughed lightly and said awkwardly: "I am Cui Liaoshang from the Shenhou Mansion. I have met the eldest son."
Gong Jiu said indifferently: "So it is Mr. Cui San, no wonder Xiao Mian calls you like that. But it seems a little inappropriate. If you don't know, you would think my father has another son."
Zhui Ming: "..."