Ten days later, the group arrived in Jinling.

Different from the warm and simple Jiyang, and also different from the heavy and desolate Rundu, Jinling City is gentle and affectionate, like a beautiful and elegant lady, stained with a little pink. The sunshine is bright, the morning sun is elegant, the Wu Nongs are soft and the ears are full of music and songs. It is a real rich and noble town on earth.

Lin Shuanghe could no longer walk when he arrived at this place. He only looked at the delicate ladies walking on the street and praised them, "This is the fairyland. No wonder people always say that once you enter Jinling, you don't want to leave."

He Yan: "...you said the same thing when you were in Jiyang before."

Lin Shuanghe spread out his fan and said, "Brother He, I am just following the local customs."

He Yan: “…”

It's really a good idea to adapt to local customs.

When they arrived in Jinling, they naturally had to greet the patrol officer of Jinling Yingtian Prefecture. It was not convenient for the soldiers Yan He brought to move around the city at will. Yingtian Prefecture had already received the news of Yan He's arrival, so Yan He went to Yingtian Prefecture to meet them and settle the soldiers.

Outside Yingtian Mansion, the guards had already been waiting outside, and someone had been arranged to place the soldiers. He Yan should have followed Wang Ba and the others and stood in the "soldiers". However, Lin Shuanghe patted her on the shoulder and said, "You are now a Wu'an Lang appointed by His Majesty, not a commoner. Of course, you should be with us. It's a good opportunity to teach you about the officialdom."

He Yan was speechless and was about to ask Xiao Jue, but Yan He glanced at her and said, "You're right. Since you have an official position, just follow us."

Yan He, who is so arrogant and difficult to get along with, treats He Yan differently. Others are a little surprised, but He Yan knows it very well. It is a pity that he belittled "He Rufei" in front of Yan He, making him feel that he is a rare soulmate in the world.

Everyone walked into the house together. There was a man sitting in the main hall. When he saw them coming in, he stood up. He was wearing the robes of a patrol officer. He was very young, thin, with delicate features and a bit of determination. He didn't look like a patrol officer, but rather a student studying in the Imperial College. He stood up and saluted Yan He first, "General Yan." Then his eyes fell on Xiao Jue, and he immediately showed surprise on his face, but this surprise was fleeting and soon turned into shock.

He Yan was also surprised. She didn't expect to meet Yang Mingzhi here. What kind of coincidence was this? Xiao Jue, Lin Shuanghe, Yan He, and Yang Mingzhi were all classmates in Xianchang Hall. She actually met four of them here! It was too incredible, but... He Yan raised her eyes and secretly glanced at Xiao Jue beside her. When they were studying, wasn't Xiao Jue best friends with Yang Mingzhi?

When He Yan was young, Xiao Jue secretly helped him, but in public, he was not close to Xiao Jue. At that time, Xiao Jue also had his own friends, Lin Shuanghe was one, and Yang Mingzhi was another. Compared to Lin Shuanghe, who was not serious about his work and only knew how to have fun, Yang Mingzhi seemed much more serious.

Yang Mingzhi's father, Lord Yang, was a scholar of Guanwen Hall. Wang Yang Mingzhi was probably very talented when he was young because of his father. However, he was in poor health and had headaches every now and then, so his military exams were a mess. However, the teacher or other teenagers would not laugh at him for this. In the arts, Yang Mingzhi was really amazing. It is said that he could speak fluently at the age of five, and could discuss classics with famous scholars of Wei at the age of eight. When He Yan entered Xianchang Hall, Yang Mingzhi was already very famous. His policy essays and poems were the best, and he also had a good handwriting, which made He Yan very envious. He was also very gentle in temperament, not as jumpy as Lin Shuanghe, nor as indifferent as Xiao Jue, but just the right gentleness.

If Yan He always competed with Xiao Jue in the military exams in Xianchang Hall, then Yang Mingzhi was Xiao Jue's equal in the arts. Unlike his gentle temperament, Yang Mingzhi's poems and essays always had a bit of sharpness and sharpness, which was enough to show his inner pride. He also liked to criticize current affairs. When he was in the mood, he dared to criticize the court in his articles. He was always criticized by the teachers, but He Yan could see that the teachers admired him.

When she was young, He Yan always thought that a genius like Yang Mingzhi would definitely become an official, and once he did, he would definitely leave a strong mark in the history of Wei. But after she joined the army, she didn't hear any news about Yang Mingzhi. She never expected to see him here today, and she never expected that Yang Mingzhi would become the governor of Jinling. He didn't stay in Shuojing? Why? Xiao Jue also looked indifferent when he saw him, which was very strange.

Xiao Jue's relationship with Yang Mingzhi was just like his relationship with Lin Shuanghe. But now that they meet, they feel as if they were strangers.

Not only He Yan noticed this, but also Yan He. Yan He said, "Hey, isn't this Brother Mingzhi? Why are you patrolling here now?"

Yan He doesn't know either? It seems that Yang Mingzhi has been keeping a low profile these years.

Yang Mingzhi came back to his senses and smiled at Yan He, "It's just a coincidence."

"Xiao Huaijin, this is your old friend, why are you so cold to him?" Yan He looked at the two of them, "Did you have a fight?"

He asked this question lightly, as if he were still a teenager, but Yang Mingzhi's expression changed slightly.

"We can talk about the past later. Now is not the time to do so." Lin Shuanghe interrupted at the right time and changed the subject. "Well, Lord Yang??, we have to stay in Nanjing for two days. Please help us make arrangements. You can take care of Yan He's troops. We will return to Beijing after two days of rest."

Lin Shuanghe's attitude was also very strange. Although Xiao Jue was a person who never showed his emotions, Lin Shuanghe was a smart person. But looking at his current attitude towards Yang Mingzhi, he seemed to be deliberately trying to distance himself from her, and there was no more cordiality as before.

Chu Zhao, needless to say, had already seen the undercurrent, and even Yan He, no matter how careless he was, realized that something was wrong. This time, he finally didn't say it directly, and kept his mouth shut.

Yang Mingzhi's smile was a little stiff: "Of course, the room has been cleaned up, and I will ask someone to take you there later."

Lin Shuanghe folded his fan and said, "Thank you, Master Yang."

Not long after, a few maids came and led He Yan and the others to their accommodation. The accommodation was not in the Xunfu Mansion, but in a house not far from the Qinhuai River in Jinling. Perhaps it was under the name of Yang Ming, so the house had been tidied up and there were just enough rooms for each person.

Chu Zhao also got one.

He didn't talk much to He Yan during the whole journey. He seemed silent and quiet, and sometimes it was unclear what he was thinking, which saved He Yan a lot of trouble. Xiao Jue didn't argue with him either, and they were at peace for the time being.

He Yan's room was originally the most remote one. She was the lowest-ranking official in the group, so it was understandable that she was arranged this way. But Lin Shuanghe jumped out and said to her, "Brother He! I saw ants in the room I just stayed in. I'm scared. Can we change rooms?"

He Yan: “…”

She said, "It's all in one place. If it's in your room, it'll be in my room, too."

"But I'm only afraid of the ants in my room," he answered brilliantly.

Yan He frowned after hearing their conversation: "Lin Shuanghe, are you sick?"

"That's right," Lin Shuanghe asked with a smile, "Do you have any medicine?"

Yan He turned away.

Chu Zhao on the side glanced at He Yan thoughtfully, shook his head and smiled, then followed Ying Xiang into his room.

He Yan stared at Lin Shuanghe who was laughing happily in front of her. She could tell what Lin Shuanghe was up to at a glance. Lin Shuanghe's room was right next to Xiao Jue's! He was pushing her towards Xiao Jue. God knows she had just made up her mind to stay away from Xiao Jue.

She raised her eyes and happened to see Xiao Jue turning his head. She gave her a clear glance and was speechless for a moment.

Lin Shuanghe said, "It's settled, Brother He, I'm leaving now." He quickly rushed into He Yan's room carrying his bag. He Yan had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk into Lin Shuanghe's room.

The door closed, and He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She knew this was not Liangzhou Guard, and there was no door between the two rooms that could be opened with a pry, but she still felt a little nervous. She cursed herself in her heart. When she was in Jiyang City, she even slept in the same room at Cui Yuezhi's house. What was there to be nervous about? Now there was a wall between them, could it be possible that he could fly?

Thinking of this, I relaxed a little.

But in his heart, he was still thinking about the unusual meeting between Xiao Jue and Yang Mingzhi, which was a bit strange. After a while, he slipped out again, and when he saw that no one was around, he knocked on Lin Shuanghe's door.

Lin Shuanghe yawned as he opened the door. Seeing that it was He Yan, he immediately grabbed the door frame tightly, "Brother He, keep your word. We have already changed rooms and we can never change back. I will never leave even if I die."

He thought He Yan was coming to exchange the house back.

He Yan said helplessly: "I'm not here to change rooms, I'm here to ask you something."

"That's even more unacceptable," Lin Shuanghe said sternly, "I am a gentleman. We are a single man... a single man. If we are seen by some people, wouldn't it be a disaster?"

What was he talking about? He Yan didn't bother to pay attention to him. He pushed him into the house and followed him in, closing the door behind him.

Lin Shuanghe was pushed onto the chair by He Yan. He covered his chest with his hands and said confidently, "Sister He, you can't tease your friend's wife. I'm not that kind of person."

"I'm asking about Yang Mingzhi." He Yan interrupted him.

Lin Shuanghe was stunned for a moment, then turned pale with astonishment, "You are interested in Yang Mingzhi?"

How could this person only think about love? He Yan took a deep breath, "It's not that I like him, I just want to ask you if there is anything going on between Lord Yang and the governor. I heard from General Yan earlier that Lord Yang is a good friend of the governor, but I just saw them outside, and the situation between the two of them really doesn't look like good friends."

After saying this in one breath, Lin Shuanghe finally understood He Yan's intention. He was stunned for a while, then slowly sat up straight, with a sad look on his usually cheerful face. He sighed and said, "You found out."

He Yan asked: "But what happened between them?"

"Actually, I was in the same class with Yan Nanguang, Huaijin, and Yang Mingzhi." Lin Shuanghe put down the fan in his hand, picked up the teapot beside him, poured a cup of tea for He Yan, and poured another cup for himself. He stared at the tea in the teacup, as if he was reminiscing about the past, and said in a light voice: "Yan Nanguang is like a fighting chicken, always competing with this and that, and he is not familiar with us. Back then, Huaijin, Yang Mingzhi and I were the best. Speaking of which, Yang Mingzhi and Huaijin should be closer than Huaijin and I."

There was no jealousy or dissatisfaction on his face. He just smiled and said, "After all, I am not good at either literature or martial arts. I can only talk to Huai Jin about which girl is prettier and which restaurant has the best dishes. Yang Mingzhi and Huai Jin can always talk more than I do. Yang Mingzhi has a bad health and was secretly called a sissy when he was young. After Huai Jin took him along, no one dared to say that anymore."

He Yan knew all of this. At that time, she thought that talented people always have many similarities with other talented people. Xiao Jue and Yang Mingzhi were equally outstanding, no wonder they could become close friends.

"What happened next?" she asked.

"Later..." Lin Shuanghe lowered his head, his eyes gradually becoming sad.

The year when the Xiao family got into trouble, the situation in the court was very tense. Xiao Zhongwu died, and was also accused of poor command in the Battle of Mingshui. The Xiao family was about to fall, and Xu Xiang's power in the court became more and more rampant. Although the students in Xianchang Hall were all from high-ranking officials and wealthy families, no one dared to speak for the Xiao family at this cusp.

Except Lin Shuanghe.

Their family practiced medicine in the imperial court, Lin Qingtan and Lin Mu did not care about the affairs of the previous dynasty, and Lin Shuanghe had no intention of entering the officialdom. When he learned that the Xiao family had an accident, Lin Shuanghe begged his father and grandfather to say something good about Xiao Zhongwu in front of the emperor. Lin Mu really said that he was an expert in women's medicine and was very smooth, and many ladies in the harem had a good relationship with him. Lin Mu picked a few ladies and talked to the emperor for a few days. He did not mention Xiao Zhongwu's affairs, but only said that the two sons of the Xiao family were pitiful, both of them were young talents, but something happened in the mansion.

Your Majesty is also a person who sympathizes with talented people and is easily influenced by them. As time goes by, he really feels that Xiao Jing and Xiao Jue are pitiful. The crime of the Mingshui Battle should only be punished by Xiao Zhongwu, and the Xiao family should not be implicated.

But that alone is not enough.

The military power of the Southern Army has not been taken back yet. Even though His Majesty is not punishing the rest of the Xiao family because of their old friendship, the Xiao family without military power is like fat meat without weapons to protect it. Anyone who wants to can come up and take a bite, let alone Prime Minister Xu. His Majesty's mercy will only fade as time passes since Xiao Zhongwu's death. If he wants to take back the military power, he can only start now, otherwise it will be too late.

As for the civil and military officials in the Manchu court, no one dared to speak except Xiao Zhongwu's former subordinates and Shen Yushi.

Xiao Jue only had two close friends in Xianchang Hall. One was Lin Shuanghe and the other was Yang Mingzhi. Lin Shuanghe begged his father to speak for Xiao Jue. Yang Mingzhi's father, Lord Yang, the scholar of Guanwen Hall, was once the number one scholar appointed by His Majesty, and Emperor Wenxuan liked him very much. If Lord Yang spoke, His Majesty might not refuse to listen.

Xiao Jue asked Yang Mingzhi for help.

Lin Shuanghe still remembers what Yang Mingzhi said at that time. His eyes were full of anxiety. He patted Xiao Jue on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I will persuade my father to intercede for General Xiao in the court. Your Majesty, please thoroughly investigate the details of the battle of Mingshui. Huaijin, don't worry, Brother Lin and I will always be with you."

He was weak and gentle, but his words were powerful. Lin Shuanghe never doubted Yang Mingzhi's sincerity at that moment. Xiao Jue probably thought the same. So they waited for news from Yang Mingzhi.

One day, two days, three days...Yang Mingzhi did not come to Xianchang Hall. When asked by the doctor, he just said that he was sick.

Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue suspected that Yang Mingzhi could not leave the house or was locked up by his family, but they did not suspect anything else. So after some discussion, the two of them disguised themselves as servants and sneaked into Yang's house and found Yang Mingzhi.

At that time, Yang Mingzhi was practicing calligraphy in the house.

There were no locks on the door, no house arrest, and he wasn't even sick. He looked the same as before, and even looked better because life at home was not as hard as at school.

"Mingzhi," Lin Shuanghe looked at him in surprise, "Why didn't you go to the academy? Huaijin and I thought something happened to you."

Yang Mingzhi stood up and looked at them, or to be more precise, at Xiao Jue, without saying a word.

Xiao Jue understood something and said, "Your father..."

"I'm sorry," Yang Mingzhi interrupted Xiao Jue before he could finish. "I broke my promise to you. My father can't speak for General Xiao."

"Why?" Lin Shuanghe was anxious, "Didn't we agree on this?"

"Nothing." It was Xiao Jue who spoke. He lowered his eyes and said, "I was forcing you to do this. You don't need to apologize."

Lin Shuanghe remained silent. He knew how difficult it was to ask for a word at this critical moment. Yang Mingzhi shouldn't be blamed. It's just that the greater the hope, the more unbearable the disappointment.

He Yan looked at the person in front of him and asked in confusion: "Did the governor and Yang Xunfu break up because of this? But maybe Yang Xunfu did try hard for this matter, but he failed because Scholar Yang refused to give in."

She didn't quite believe that Yang Mingzhi was a cold-blooded person, because Yang Mingzhi was actually very kind and gentle to others. When He Yan was in Xianchang Hall, she didn't receive much kindness from the young men, but Yang Mingzhi was definitely one of them. Moreover, people who write poems and essays should be particularly chivalrous and passionate in their hearts.

Lin Shuanghe did not answer her immediately, but remained silent. After a while, he said, "I thought so too that day. Maybe Yang Mingzhi had some difficulties."

"And then?"

"Then when we were about to leave, Yang Mingzhi said something." His voice was a little uneven, and the shadow of that year appeared in front of his eyes again.

Yang Mingzhi stopped the two people who were about to leave and said, "Huai Jin, have you ever thought that the battle at Mingshui might not have had any hidden story behind it, and it was all because of General Xiao?"

Xiao Jue had already walked to the door and turned around when he heard the words. The young man had a calm expression and his features were as beautiful as a painting. He didn't say anything, but just walked to Yang Mingzhi and punched him.

"That punch was really fierce," Lin Shuanghe hissed, and then he seemed to be gloating over the misfortune. "Yang Mingzhi was not in good health, and he was beaten so hard that he had to stay in bed for half a month. Lord Yang was so angry that he almost filed a petition, but in the end he didn't for some reason. Maybe he felt sorry for Huai Jin."

"But it was useless," Lin Shuanghe sighed slightly, "Not long after that, Huai Jin went to the palace to ask for orders, and led 3,000 people to Guocheng, where he became famous in one battle."

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

A warm and short class reunion instance, where all the old classmates provide assists (′?ω?｀)