Chapter 89: Why didn't he bite to death his wife from a hundred years later after the beating? ...
Mei Lianjun turned slightly and smiled at Zhu Hao who was standing behind Song Xieqing. "Do you recognize me?"
Zhu Hao didn't know why, it was clearly the first time they met, but she actually called out her name. Now seeing her respond to the name, Zhu Hao was even more surprised. Then he thought, all the recent encounters were like a dream, but... a hundred years later, she even threw the hydrangea onto the statue and formed a marriage with the god. Thinking of this, the strange thing before her was not surprising.
She was about to speak, but Song Xieqing answered first: "I mentioned the princess to Miss Zhu before I came here."
"Oh." Mei Lianjun nodded meaningfully. Although she mentioned it, the two of them were not familiar with each other, so there was no reason for her to call the other by his nickname as soon as they met.
Mei Lianjun looked at Zhu Hao carefully, then glanced at Song Xieqing. It was indeed a new thing that a girl suddenly followed the imperial tutor who had always been pure and unselfish. The young lady in front of her had moon-like eyebrows, star-like eyes, and a beautiful face. She felt a little fond of her for no reason, as if she was an old friend from another world, and she couldn't help but look at her again and again.
The three of them sat around in the hall. Mei Lianjun saw that Song Xieqing had no intention of sending them away and wished them well, so she thought he was one of them. Besides, they hadn't discussed anything yet... The young lady looked lovely, so it wouldn't be too late to send her away later?
Thinking of this, Mei Lianjun threw the letter that she had been stroking for a long time in her hand towards Song Xieqing. The sealing wax on the letter had fallen off, and it was obvious that someone had read it.
He didn't ask any more questions and opened the envelope.
During this time, Song Xieqing's eyes passed by Zhu Hao on the side, and he saw that this person was unusually quiet. She was either concentrating on observing Mei Lianjun sitting opposite her, or looking at the bleak scenery in the garden, wondering what she was thinking. She had no intention of stealing the letter, unlike her usual calf-like enthusiasm.
Their eyes accidentally met, and Zhu Haokan understood that he must be surprised at her "obedience" at the moment.
She still knew what was important and what was not, and it was indeed inappropriate for her to snoop through the letter before Song and Mei expressed their opinions.
Upon hearing that it was Princess Yun Wei who had come, she was a royal relative after all. Even though the Song family had always been informal about etiquette, they still had to present her with two cups of the finest Songshan Silver Needle tea and a plate of exquisite snacks.
Song Xieqing glanced at the servant who was serving tea with a meaningful look, and the servant was so frightened that he lowered his head in panic and ran away like a rabbit.
He still held the letter in one hand, but with the other hand he naturally pushed the teacup to the table.
There was a crisp sound, and it turned out that the teacup moved by Mei Lianjun collided with Song Xieqing's.
Two Songshan silver needles were placed in front of Zhu Hao at the same time.
Fortunately, the servant who had left in a hurry came back with a cup of freshly brewed Songshan Silver Needle tea in his hand. Song and Mei then took back their teacups.
Song Xieqing read the letter very quickly, and he had read through dozens of pages of densely written small characters in just a moment. Zhu Hao saw that his knuckles were turning white as he held the letter paper, and there was frost between his brows, and his expression became increasingly solemn.
Mei Lianjun paused for a moment and said, "Excuse me, what is your relationship with Master Song?"
Zhu Hao didn't even think twice: "I'm borrowing your connections."
Song Xieqing suddenly turned his head to look at her. Why didn't he insist that she was his wife a hundred years from now?
Mei Lianjun's gaze moved between the two of them, and finally fell on Song Xieqing. He understood and just said "hmm" lightly.
She raised her eyebrows slightly. Is it just a temporary stay?
After secretly speculating, Mei Lianjun sat upright and said to Zhu Hao, "I thought you were the mistress of this house. Since that's not the case, please step aside for now. I have something important to discuss with Lord Song."
Zhu Hao sipped the Songshan Silver Needle tea leisurely, praising it as "good tea", and picked up two pastries before leaving leisurely.
Anyway, after they finish discussing the matter, I can catch Song Xieqing and ask him about it... If I stand here now, I will be a hindrance.
After the beautiful figure disappeared into the corridor, Mei Lianjun glanced at Song Xieqing meaningfully. If it were any other day, she would have teased him, after all, it was the first time she saw Song Lang with a girl. But today, things were urgent, so she had to put it aside for the time being.
Before Mei Lianjun could say anything, Song Xieqing had already said, "Princess, I express my condolences."
Despite saying this, his face didn't show any trace of sadness. Chenghua's death was a foregone conclusion, so Song Xieqing got straight to the point. "I once heard from Princess Suiping that when Your Majesty was young, he broke out in a rash all over his body after eating shrimp dumplings given by the princess. The rash didn't go away for several days."
"As for Lan Yuan..." He thought of a person far away in Qi. Perhaps he could ask this person, or perhaps he would fall into the trap carefully woven by the other party.
Song Xieqing savored what was written in the letter. If this was true, the Ying Dynasty would be overthrown.
…
Ying Palace, the emperor's bedroom.
The candlelight was as bright as day, and a servant bowed and left behind the heavy curtains embroidered with gold and jade. Only a pair of cleaned fish bones remained on the tray he was holding. Soon, a plate of crystal jade dumplings was brought in from behind the curtains, with fresh shrimps and tender fish wrapped in skin as thin as a cicada's wing.
Jiang Zhi leaned weakly on the soft couch covered with brocade quilts. A palace maid beside him held ivory chopsticks and carefully fed him a few jade dumplings. The young emperor asked, "Did you find the person?"
The eunuch outside the curtain fell to his knees, his forehead touching the jade bricks, "Your Majesty... not yet..."
"Waste!" Jiang Zhi suddenly jumped up and threw the jade dumplings at the palace maid, "I want to see your body!"
Because the movement was so big, Jiang Zhi felt a sharp pain in his lower body. His legs stiffened and he clenched his teeth.
The white porcelain plate shattered into pieces on the ground. The maid knelt tremblingly on the broken porcelain, her knees stained with blood. Jiang Zhiyin smiled and asked, "Has the teacher been here?"
A layer of cold sweat broke out on the eunuch's forehead. The relationship between the emperor and the imperial teacher was very delicate, seemingly close yet distant. He was unsure of the emperor's intention for a moment, so he had to report everything Song Xieqing said and did that day, including where he had gone.
"Waste! You were blown away by him! I just kept you as a bunch of good-for-nothings?" There was a moment of silence behind the curtain, and Jiang Zhi said a few words lightly: "Drag him out and kill him with a stick."
No matter how much the leading eunuch begged for mercy, the Flying Dragon Guards just drove him away among the gilded pillars, and his shrill howls pierced the long night.
The candlelight flickered, sometimes brighter and sometimes darker. As a candle in the corner went out without wind, the wailing outside the hall stopped abruptly.
"...Teacher once advised me to kill less evildoers." The young emperor sighed deeply, "You are just rootless dogs, not worthy of my anger. Teacher has immense talent, how can a dog of this rank compete with him?"
"Okay, I will show mercy today and spare his life."
At this moment, a Flying Dragon Guard entered the palace to report. He knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, the man has died."
The curtain swayed slightly, and a low, strange laugh was heard, "I spared his life out of mercy, but he didn't have the luck to do so."
"Teacher, you've gone to A-Lin's place..." Jiang Zhi leaned forward, "Send some smart people. My Saker Falcon has flown away. Please go to each palace to look for it."
"The focus is on Fengzhu Palace. Search carefully." The ending tone suddenly softened, but it added a touch of creepiness: "Don't scare my dear sister."
…
Zhu Hao swallowed the pastry she had just taken in a few bites. She did not stay in the Song Mansion for long. In the dynasty a hundred years ago, she had not been able to fully appreciate the folk customs of Yingdu.
Thinking of this, she walked out of the gate of the Song Mansion. As she had just arrived and was unfamiliar with the place, Zhu Hao had no choice but to follow the crowd.
In order to show off their prominence, the residences of high-ranking officials are usually located in the center of the capital. Even if they prefer a quieter life, their residences should be located on important thoroughfares.
Therefore, Zhu Hao followed the crowd for a short while and found herself in a bustling city. On the street, there were stalls and various kinds of performances. Although it was a hundred years ago, many of the utensils were not inferior to those in the New Dynasty where she lived. Instead, she saw many exquisite gadgets that she had never touched before.
Zhu Hao looked left and right, east and west. Wherever she looked, she saw porcelain with jade-like glaze or hairpins with gold thread and kingfisher feathers... She looked into her sleeves and found that they were cleaner than her face. Zhu Hao had to reluctantly return the silk fan she was holding to its original place.
Later I will ask Song Xieqing to buy it for her.
However, as soon as this thought came to her mind, she dispelled it.
Song Xieqing wouldn't buy these things for her now... Besides, he's been so stingy lately! He's always short of money! He's even unwilling to repair the cracks and dings in his mansion! And yet, despite this situation, he still has so many beautiful girls in his side yard!
Thinking of the beauty in the side courtyard, Zhu Hao felt a tightness in her chest. She forced herself to suppress it and didn't want to think about it anymore.
When he came to his senses, Zhu Hao was already standing in front of a stall filled with porcelain vases of various colors.
The stall owner was a young boy, about ten years old, wearing coarse cloth clothes covered in patches. When he saw someone coming to the stall, he straightened his thin back and said timidly, "Sister, the bottles are full of good medicine for bruises, knife wounds, and burns... The upper left one is the best for stopping bleeding and promoting tissue regeneration, and it works quickly!"
Seeing that the visitor was silent, he was afraid of losing another business, so he hurriedly added: "No matter what medicine it is, it's only ten copper coins! If it doesn't work, you can return it at any time! Sister, why not buy a bottle and try it..."
Zhu Hao hadn't been suspicious, but the low price, coupled with the child's shabby attire, made it hard to believe. "How could such a good medicine be priced so low? Where's your family?"
"I... I don't have any elders in my family." His eyes were moist as he stammered and tried to make excuses. "This medicine was made by one of the most famous and accomplished traveling doctors in Ying Country! He's dedicated to helping the poor, not seeking money... That's why he asked me to sell it to him for only ten copper coins. Sister... it's really effective..."
At this point, his eyes were slightly red, "Sister, believe me... I won't lie."
Zhu Hao touched her empty sleeve pouch and said thoughtfully, "If you trust me, I'll take a bottle first. But I left in a hurry today and didn't bring any money. Tomorrow you can come to the Song Mansion to find me, and I'll return you fifteen copper coins. How about that?"
The child's eyes flickered, but he couldn't help but hesitate and said, "I wonder... which Song Mansion it is?"
"Sir Song, Imperial Tutor Song."
After saying this, Zhu Hao saw the child in front of her with a look of fear in his eyes and a look of panic on his face. He must have been desperate. The child bit his lip, but finally nodded and handed a white porcelain bottle to Zhu Hao, saying timidly, "Sister, I believe you."
Zhu Hao said no more and just put the porcelain bottle in her arms. In the distance, voices gradually rose and became noisy and chaotic. She stood on tiptoe and looked, and saw dozens of people gathered in front of a shabby tea stall. All of them were filled with righteous indignation and seemed to be unable to calm down.
As Zhu Hao approached, the discussion gradually became clearer.
"Haha, a country's imperial tutor actually killed the good general Shu in public in the court! How arrogant is Song Lang!"
"The Yu family has been in the military for three generations, full of loyal warriors, yet they have met such a fate! Where is justice?!"
Someone disagreed, whispering, "But... three years ago, when the Qing and Ying armies were about to clash, General Yu disappeared. And now it's the Qing people who have brought him back. How do we know General Yu didn't desert the battlefield, or even... betray his country? If not, how could our army have suffered a crushing defeat three years ago due to the disappearance of our commander? Prince Ling hasn't found a single clue yet..."
"Is it just empty talk? Besides... without that... well, tacit approval, who would dare to shed blood in public in the court?"
The handsome young man at the stall sneered at this. He folded his folding fan and said slowly, "Empty talk? I only know that this Lord Song really did pierce General Yu with a sword in the imperial palace, in full view of the public. General Yu has never been convicted, and there is no imperial decree. Given this, Lord Song's impatience to take someone's life is no different from taking human life lightly. Is he so eager to kill and silence them? Who knows if he has any connections with the Qing people? You must know that this Lord Song is not a citizen of our Ying Kingdom, but the young master of Huaicheng!"
Someone in the crowd immediately refuted, "That's wrong! Huaicheng was originally part of Yingguo's territory. If it weren't for the plague that broke out in the early years of the Three Dynasties, and the emperor expelled the infected to Huaidi... If it weren't for the doctor and his white fox passing through here and administering medicine to save people, Huaicheng would have become a ghost town..."
The young man sneered, clapping the handle of his fan against his palm. "If Your Majesty acquiesces, then as a minister, and as the Imperial Preceptor of a previous dynasty, he is trusted by the late Emperor. If the Emperor makes a mistake, it will be Song Lang's fault! He should die as a warning!"
"Oh, Dr. Li, please continue. Then, Mr. Song...he..."
"Doctor? I resigned before the end of the year." The young man waved his hand, pushed the empty bowl in front of him forward, and said self-deprecatingly: "Want to hear the rest? Father-in-law, could you please give me a cup of tea to moisten my throat first? My mouth is dry, how can I speak..."
Before he finished speaking, a sharp sound of breaking through the air pierced his ears, and all the listeners gathered in front of the stall held their breath.
"Bang--"
The coarse porcelain bowl containing the broken silver was hit by a flying stone, cracking into a gap as thick as a finger. The young man was furious and stood up with his fan closed, but he froze in place the moment he raised his eyes.
A young lady had appeared in front of the tea stall. There was a hint of anger on her face, but a smile on the corner of her lips. The light from the sky broke through the clouds, casting a soft glow on her. Her half-tied black hair was draped over her shoulders and neck. At first glance, she looked like a goddess from heaven who had descended to the mortal world.
"What's your name?"
This was the first time in his life that a girl asked him his name. His ears were burning red, so he didn't care whether it was a bowl or a stone.
"My name is Li Mizhang... my courtesy name is Shuheng." The young man pinched the pilling hem of his robe. "May I ask if the young lady is engaged?"
A heavy punch came towards him and hit him firmly on the bridge of his nose, causing him to see stars in pain.
What's going on?
Why did she get violent?
Since you asked for his name, doesn't it mean that you like him?
Li Mizhang clutched his bleeding nose and stumbled back. The young lady's smile faded, and she gave up pretending. She gritted her teeth and said, "You are Li Mizhang? You write a lousy book!"
Li Mizhang:?
Then, another fist gust of wind came——
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