He Yan had not expected that there was such a story between Yang Mingzhi and Xiao Jue. After listening to Lin Shuanghe's story, he pondered for a long time.
It is true that Yang Mingzhi's last words were too hurtful. But how could it be so for no reason? If you don't want to help, then don't help. Why stab someone in the heart like this? And Yang Mingzhi's original personality was not so sarcastic. He Yan thought so, and Xiao Jue, who was once a good friend of Yang Mingzhi, should not have thought of this.
He Yan asked: "What happened after that? Did the governor no longer have any contact with Lord Yang? Was there no misunderstanding?"
Lin Shuanghe shook his head: "After Huaijin led his troops to Guocheng, he rarely returned to the capital. But Yang Mingzhi stopped studying at Xianchang Hall not long after Huaijin left. Originally, with his talent, I thought he would take the imperial examination and stay in Shuojing. With his father's connections and his own abilities, this would not be difficult. But since then, he seems to have disappeared. We are all brothers, and Huaijin's matter was indeed wrong. I no longer had any contact with him later, so I don't know when he became the patrol officer of Jinling City."
It seems like these brothers have really parted ways now, He Yan thought.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by Yan He's impatient urging: "Lin Shuanghe, open the door!"
Lin Shuanghe stood up, walked to the door and opened it. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yan He standing at the door. Lin Shuanghe smiled and said, "General Yan, may I ask what brings you to see me so late at night?"
Yan He was about to speak when he saw He Yan in the room and asked suspiciously, "Why is he in your room?"
"Let me see if there are any ants here." He Yan said, "If there are, I'll help Brother Lin drive them away."
"Yes, yes, yes," Lin Shuanghe said seriously, "I hired her to drive away ants. Don't doubt my relationship with her."
"What a mess," Yan He frowned, "Hurry up and change your clothes and follow us."
"Where are you going?" Lin Shuanghe was puzzled.
Yan He coughed lightly and said, "I'll ask someone to tell Yang Mingzhi that we're going on a cruise on the Qinhuai River tonight. He's on a tour of a place, so he should prepare a treat for us. You should change your clothes quickly and tell Xiao Huaijin."
No one expected Yan He's behavior. Lin Shuanghe was confused. He asked, "...Why do we want to take a boat trip?"
"Yang Mingzhi and Xiao Huaijin look like they are trying to fool someone," Yan He said proudly, "I can tell at a glance. I am kind-hearted today and am willing to act as a bridge between them. Xiao Huaijin won't come to Nanjing every day. If they spend more time together, the misunderstanding will naturally be resolved." He played with the end of his ponytail, "I have been running around outside these years and have learned a lot about the secular world. For example, with Xiao Huaijin's unpleasant personality, it is impossible for him to resolve the misunderstanding with Yang Mingzhi by himself. As for Yang Mingzhi, I don't hate him very much. I am not doing this for Xiao Huaijin, but for Yang Mingzhi."
Seeing that Lin Shuanghe didn't say anything, Yan He raised his chin, "What do you think? Do you think I'm very generous? Why don't you thank me for your best friend?"
He Yan: “…”
Lin Shuanghe: ".....Thank you so much."
Yan He is really a talent, He Yan sighed in his heart, he can always step on Xiao Jue's forbidden area accurately. No wonder they were not on good terms when they were in Xianchang Pavilion.
"No need to thank me," Yan He said indifferently, "I'll go tell Chu Zilan."
"...Wait a minute," Lin Shuanghe asked, "Yang Mingzhi would be fine, but why did they invite Chu Zilan?"
"We all live here, but I left him alone. It seems that I am very stingy. Besides, as an official, you must be more tactful. Can you make yourself look powerful by making enemies like fighting chickens?" Yan He sneered, "Oh, I forgot. You are not an official, so you naturally don't know these things."
He patted Lin Shuanghe on the shoulder and walked towards Chu Zhao's yard.
Lin Shuanghe and He Yan looked at each other in silence. As expected of Yan He, he pulled two enemies at once. Not counting Yang Mingzhi, with Chu Zhao added, Xiao Jue would probably be so angry that he would die. He might not even follow.
"Sister He," Lin Shuanghe said, "Why don't you go tell Huai Jin."
He Yan: "Together."
This is a matter of life and death, how can she bear it alone?
The two of them dragged their feet and tangled for a while, and finally went to Xiao Jue's room together. They explained what Yan He had just said. They thought Xiao Jue would definitely not go with them, but unexpectedly, this person turned around and said, "Okay."
At this moment, He Yan and Lin Shuanghe were both shocked.
He actually agreed just like that, and his expression was so calm? Lin Shuanghe whispered to He Yan, "Will he wait until we get on the boat and fight with Yang Mingzhi? That would be too disgraceful."
He Yan: "Very likely."
Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows slightly: "You guys are not going?"
"Go, go, of course you have to go." Lin Shuanghe leaned close to He Yan's ear and whispered, "You have to go. If a fight breaks out, remember to stop them from fighting."
He Yan was speechless.
After they had agreed, they went back to their rooms to change clothes. They had been on a long journey, exhausted, and when they arrived in Jinling, it would be a bit out of place if they dressed like they were on a long journey to go on a cruise. He Yan asked someone to fetch some water, took a bath, and changed into new clothes.
When leaving Rundu, the people in the city sent her a lot of food and clothes. The material was not very expensive, but it fit her well. He Yan looked at herself in the mirror. She was a young man in a green shirt and cloth boots, with her hair tied into a simple bun, and her eyebrows were delicate and beautiful. She looked no different from the students who studied in Xianchang Hall in her previous life. She seemed to be a little taller than when she first arrived in Liangzhouwei. Standing in the house, she was as tall as a poplar tree, young and full of vitality.
After He Yan finished packing, she pushed the door open and walked out. Once she got out, she found that everyone had packed up and was waiting for her outside. Yan He said impatiently, "You are just a little Wu Anlang, why are you so troublesome? So many people are waiting for you. Are you putting on makeup in here?"
He Yan thought, what a coincidence, she was indeed putting on makeup inside. A girl pretending to be a man also needs to dress up carefully.
Xiao Jue glanced at her, his lips curled up slightly, and said, "Let's go."
The house Yang Mingzhi arranged for them was not far from the Qinhuai River. Therefore, everyone did not take the carriage, but walked to the Qinhuai River by themselves. This group of people were either handsome young men or handsome men, and they were particularly eye-catching when walking on the street. From time to time, a brave girl would pretend to have sprained her leg and lean forward. However, Xiao Jue has never liked contact with others, so he naturally avoided them accurately. However, Yan He was not of a sympathetic nature, so he left room for failure by not scolding and punishing her. There was a maid as beautiful as a flower beside Chu Zhao, so those girls settled for the next best thing. In the end, it was Lin Shuanghe and He Yan who suffered.
He Yan couldn't remember how many beautiful girls she had helped, but the tenderness in those girls' eyes was really hard for her to resist. For a moment, she thought it would be better to be as innocent and lovely as Song Taotao.
Lin Shuanghe was the same, I don't know how many times he called her "sister".
Yan He looked at the two of them with a smug look on his face, and said to Lin Shuanghe, "Lin Shuanghe, after all these years, I didn't expect you to still be so popular with women."
Lin Shuanghe straightened his wrinkled robe and smiled, "This is natural, just like you are still not popular with women."
Yan He snorted, "I already have a wife, so I don't need to please others."
He Yan was stunned and looked at Yan He: "General Yan is already married?"
As soon as these words came out, Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao both looked towards He Yan.
Lin Shuanghe spread out his fan and said, "You never expected that our General Yan, who is still so young, would marry too young."
"I think you are jealous." Yan He sneered.
He Yan was a little surprised. She had seldom interacted with her classmates from Xianchang Hall since they joined the army. She didn't even know when Yan He got married. Although it was understandable for Yan He to get married at this age, with his arrogant and cocky personality, it was hard to imagine what he would be like as a husband. It was at this time that He Yan really felt that the teenagers back then had really grown up.
As they were talking, they had already arrived at the Qinhuai River. Several servants were waiting by the river. When they saw He Yan and his group, they stepped forward and said, "Commander Xiao, General Yan, the inspector has already prepared the cruise ship and is waiting on it."
In fact, considering the family background of the Yang family, Yang Mingzhi didn't need to do this, and this attitude was already very humble. However, among this group of people, his original best friend had already become alienated from him, and the only one left was Yan He, who was kind but did bad things, and was not very good at speaking. Chu Zhao and Yang Mingzhi were not very familiar with each other, and He Yan even changed his shell, so when the group boarded the boat, they had already noticed Yang Mingzhi's embarrassment.
Yang Mingzhi had already taken off his patrol robe and changed into a sandalwood long gown. Although he was an official, his face did not have the slightest bit of the sophistication of an official. Standing here, he was even more reserved, with a bit of the arrogance of a young man. He Yan seemed to have returned to Xianchang Hall in a trance, and Yang Mingzhi was still the Yang Mingzhi of the past.
Yan He patted Yang Mingzhi on the shoulder, walked to the bow to look, and said, "You really know how to enjoy yourself. You chose such a good place as Nanjing. Little did you know that we were fighting in Rundu a few days ago, not far from your Nanjing. It was a hell on earth, and people were already being eaten."
Yang Mingzhi was stunned: "Really?" Then there was some anger in his eyes. He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
Wutuo people were doing evil in Jiyang and Runduhua, but Jinling City was not affected at all. There was still peace and prosperity. On the Qinhuai River, many pleasure boats were floating down the river, and the sound of stringed instruments and strings could be heard from them, floating on the water. On the shore, you could see bright lights and colorful flowers.
He Yan sat in the boat and looked out the window. The water surface was almost as bright as snow under the lanterns and fishing lights on the boat, as if it were a truly peaceful and prosperous era.
This place is different from Jiyang. The boats in Jiyang are small, the water market is bustling, and the women in Jiyang are as unsophisticated and simple. But Jinling is like an old dream on the terrace, with boats, lanterns, and a gorgeous spring scene.
From which boat came the sound of a pipa, the sound of which was like pearls falling on a jade plate, making one's thoughts fly. Lin Shuanghe stood at the bow of the boat and said with a smile: "Jinling City is still exactly the same as it was many years ago. The boat, the water, and the sound of the pipa are all the same."
Ying Xiang heard this and asked curiously, "Has Master Lin ever been to Jinling?"
"Of course," Lin Shuanghe waved his fan, gracefully, "Come to think of it, I wasn't the only one on the boat that came to Jinling last time. Brother Yan, Huai Jin... Lord Yang, right?"
He looked at He Yan who was looking at the water surface and said, "Brother He, this should be your first time in Jinling, right? How is it?"
He Yan nodded: "Very beautiful."
She thought to herself that this was not her first time in Jinling. Just as Lin Shuanghe said, the last time she went to Jinling, there was one more person on the boat.
It was a summer day in Xianchang Hall, just like the season now. There was a poetry meeting in Jinling City, inviting famous scholars from the Wei Dynasty. This was the first time in ten years, and opportunities were hard to come by. The teachers in Xianchang Hall wanted to let the young people see the world, so they selected the ten best young people in the school's literature and classics and gave them invitations to the poetry meeting.
Of course He Yan didn't receive the post. Although she was better in literature than martial arts, she couldn't even make it to the top ten. However, He Yan had no interest in leaving Beijing for Jinling. Wearing a mask was always very inconvenient, not to mention that she was with those young men day and night along the way. It was hard to find a day to avoid them. It was just right not to go. Thinking of this, she didn't have many regrets.
That day, He Yan continued to study after school. The sun was about to set, and he thought there was still some food left in the kitchen, so he got up and went to the kitchen. Xianchang Hall would not deduct food from the students. No matter when they went to the kitchen, there would always be some pastries and food.
He Yan had just walked to the kitchen when she saw the door of the woodshed was ajar. As she reached the door, she heard the young man's excited voice coming from inside: "Brother Lin, this suggestion is good. Since we are going to Jinling anyway, why not go to Ruyun Tower to broaden our horizons? I have heard of the great name of the Wandering Flower Fairy for a long time. If I can meet her, it will be worth my life."
"Is that so?" Lin Shuanghe's voice continued to ring, "It is said that the beauties and fine wines in Ruyun Tower are unique in the Wei Dynasty. How can a poetry gathering compare to the fun of Ruyun Tower? I think we should stay in Jinling for a few more days, since the master won't follow us anyway. Each of us should take care of our own guards and servants, and we can enjoy ourselves for a while, and no one else will know!"
He Yan was stunned by what she heard. She knew Ruyunlou. It was said that among all the brothels in Wei, Ruyunlou had the most beauties, and each was of different shapes and sizes. Like a hundred flowers in bloom, the flower-wandering fairy was even more extraordinary and unforgettable.
This group of people actually went to the brothel in secret under the pretext of a poetry meeting. If the master found out, everyone would have their legs broken. He Yan was impressed by their courage and did not want to get involved in this matter. He raised his foot and was about to leave. Suddenly, a voice came from inside: "Who?"
The next moment, the door of the woodshed was opened. A group of young men sat around and looked over. Yan He grabbed He Yan by the collar and angrily asked, "Are you eavesdropping?"
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop." He Yan explained, "I was just passing by." They were the ones who talked so loudly and didn't even close the door. They were so arrogant, so why did they blame her?
Yan He threw her into the woodshed and closed the door. The young men looked at her with burning eyes and started talking at once.
"It's unlucky that He Rufei heard us! Why don't we just not go? What if this guy tells us off?"
"No, it's so hard to go to Jinling, how can I take a bath just because of this kid? It's such a shame!"
"What should we do? Silence them?" A young man asked sinisterly, "Bury them alive on the spot?"
He Yan was startled and spoke weakly: "...No need to be so rude, I didn't hear anything. Lin, Brother Lin?" She asked Lin Shuanghe for help. After all, they had a friendship of "making progress together", so she couldn't just stand by and watch him die.
Lin Shuanghe stared at her and thought for a moment, then closed his fan and said, "Oh, it's not a big deal. I believe Brother He wouldn't tell anyone even if he heard about it."
"Your belief will be useful?" Yan He's face was very dark. "Will you be responsible if something goes wrong?"
"I'm not responsible for this, but why don't we take him with us?" Lin Shuanghe spread his hands, "This way, he won't hurt himself."
He Yan: “…”
Lin Shuanghe always comes up with unique solutions to these problems.
He Yan struggled, "Sir, you won't agree. I don't have a post..."
"Don't worry about that," Lin Shuanghe smiled, "I'll take care of it."
Just like that, He Yan was forced to follow the young men to Jinling.
Lin Shuanghe got the post from somewhere, and the master agreed. Although Mrs. He was a little uneasy, He Yuansheng agreed. He supported anything that could add glory and reputation to "He Rufei". Therefore, without much effort, He Yan followed the young men on their first trip to Jinling.
The way out is by water.
It was He Yan's first time on a big boat, and he vomited so much that he almost vomited his heart and liver. The other boys didn't like to bring him along as a burden, so they laughed at his frail body. The only one who had a good relationship with He Yan, Lin Shuanghe, had already become a good brother and sister with the boatman's daughter. He would go to the boatman's daughter to tell stories and make the little girl laugh. How could they care about "Brother He" who was forced to go on such a long journey because of his words?
He Yan was in agony but couldn't express it. He raised his head and lay on the side of the boat, listening to the cheerful laughter of the young men fighting crickets in the boat, looking at the cold and lonely moon in the sky, feeling the cold wind, and feeling particularly shiver in his heart.
While she was thinking whether she could go fishing on the boat, she suddenly saw someone patting her shoulder from behind. He Yan turned around subconsciously, and the next moment, something cold was stuffed into her mouth. She was startled and wanted to scream unconsciously, so the thing slid down her throat and into her stomach.
"Cough cough cough--" She started coughing violently and looked at the person in front of her.
The young man in white robe supported the side of the boat with his hands and looked at her nonchalantly to the side. Under the moonlight, his own image was clearly reflected in his eyes.
He Yan frantically touched his throat and asked, "You...what did you give me to eat?"
Xiao Jue said lazily, "Poison."
"What——" He Yan was shocked.
"Hush," he propped his chin with one hand and looked at the rippling water in the distance, "Don't scream. If you scream too loudly, you'll die quickly."
"I," He Yan's eyes were about to burst into tears, "I have no grudge against you, why do you want to harm me?"
The young man pulled the corner of his mouth, and his usually lazy face actually took on a bit of evil, "Aren't they afraid that you'll tell on me?"
"I won't tell on you!" He Yan said anxiously, "Hurry up and give me the antidote!"
"There is no antidote," Xiao Jue replied indifferently, "There is no cure."
He didn't look like he was lying. He Yan was stunned for a moment, and then he felt his legs and feet go weak. He couldn't hold on any longer and sat down on the ground.
Why is it like this?
So these boys tricked her out just to make it easier to kill her? This place is indeed suitable for killing people and silencing them. If a person dies and is thrown into the river, there will be no trace. But after death, if they are eaten by fish, I wonder if they will feel cold.
She was not very courageous at the time, but had a lot of thoughts in her mind. She thought about it for a long time, and finally raised her head to ask the boy standing at the bow, "How many days can I live?"
As if he hadn't expected her to ask this, Xiao Jue was stunned for a moment and snorted, "Five days."
"Five days..." He Yan murmured, "It only takes three days to get to Jinling. Well, there are still two days left. I can go see the Flower Fairy."
Since I am going to die soon, it won't be a loss to see a beautiful woman before I die, she thought.
Xiao Jue sneered and did not answer.
He Yan held onto the mast of the boat and sat for a while. After an unknown amount of time, she stood up and staggered inside. After taking two steps, she suddenly realized something.
She didn't vomit.
He Yan realized it belatedly, and trotted to Xiao Jue, looking up at him excitedly and asking, "Brother Huai Jin, I'm not seasick anymore. Was the medicine you just gave me seasickness medicine?"
Although the mask covered her face, it could not hide the upturned corners of her mouth and the joyful tone. Xiao Jue looked at her indifferently and curled his lips. His tone was gentle, but his words were harsh: "Fool."
He turned and went inside.
He Yan looked at his back and felt that this man was really boring. He was seasick so what? Why did he have to tease her and scare her?
…even though she was really scared.
Recalling the funny things in his childhood, He Yan couldn't help laughing. Then he saw a woman singing in the boat not far in front of him, the boat from which the sound of the pipa came from.
"…The mountains are far away, the Wu Mountains are far away, the boat travels through them but the dream is hard to hold back, how many songs have I sung in my life…It is hard to think of you, it is hard to hate you, but now you and I are separated by a fence, the spring breeze makes me old and young…"
The woman's voice was soft and clear, even more moving than the sound of the pearly pipa. Lin Shuanghe pointed at the boat with his fan and said, "This is it! The sound of the flower fairy's zither was also like this, the lingering sound lingered on the beams for three days, I..."
He suddenly froze, as if he had thought of something, and quickly stepped forward and said something to the servant on the boat. The servant left quickly, and soon the boat in front stopped, the curtain was opened, and a woman holding a pipa walked out.
The woman was wearing a red, light, silky dress, her eyes were half-curved, her lips were like cherry blossoms, her body was soft and graceful, and she looked charming and delicate. Standing at the bow, her demeanor alone was enough to make people feel excited. The lights on the boat made it difficult to see her face. But even if you couldn't see her clearly, you knew she must be the most beautiful woman in the world.
She held the pipa in her arms and did not speak a word, but bowed to everyone. It was just like an old dream by the Qinhuai River, illuminating the ignorant eyes of the young men.
"...Miss Youxian?" Lin Shuanghe spoke suddenly.