March is destined to be a busy month. The announcement of the imperial examination results is scheduled for late March. In the days ahead, everyone is looking forward to the return of the northern army to the capital.
Before this, the battle situation at the border had been talked about countless times. Even though the news coming back from the north was not necessarily accurate, people still talked about it with relish.
"I heard that the young general, with only two thousand men, was like a divine army sent from heaven, catching the Northern Qiang King off guard. And I don't know what kind of martial arts this young general has practiced, but he can actually take people's heads out of thin air!"
"...you've heard too many stories, haven't you? Looking around the world, who can take someone's head out of thin air?"
"If you don't believe me, forget it! Then tell me how he killed the Northern Qiang King?"
"I heard that the King of Northern Qiang left the royal tent on his own, saying he wanted to get reinforcements, but was finally taken advantage of by this daring young general..."
"Generals on the battlefield may obey orders or not. Regardless, since they killed the Northern Qiang King, Your Majesty will definitely reward them. Besides, how can one kill the northern barbarians without being extremely daring?"
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In short, no matter how the people had different opinions, on the day the army returned to the capital, the streets were still deserted, and many people in the capital came to the sides of the Imperial Street to wait, almost looking forward to it.
There is a teahouse on the side of Imperial Street. It looks plain and simple on the outside, but inside it is filled with the fragrance of tea and contains a mysteries of the past. Every blade of grass, every tree, every table and every chair exudes an ancient charm. It is a famous teahouse in Beijing.
Chen Huaixu, Chaohua, Cui Liuniang and Yi Qian were sitting in front of the window drinking tea. The fragrance was lingering in the room, and there was a leisurely and leisurely atmosphere. Outside the window, there was a bustling and lively atmosphere.
The four of them didn't often get together, but when they did, they didn't feel any strangeness, especially since Cui Liuniang and Prince Jinghe had just gotten engaged, and Cui Liuniang had finally been able to go out, so naturally she couldn't help but mention this matter in front of her.
"Sixth Mother, it's really rare to see you nowadays. How come you have time to go out today?" Yi Qian asked with a smile.
Cui Liuniang's cheeks flushed red, she pursed her lips and smiled, then raised her finger and pointed at Chaohua, "It's all because of the princess. She wrote to ask me to come out, and I happened to be bored at home, so I agreed."
"It's as it should be. The wedding date hasn't been set yet, and it would be too restrictive to stay at home all the time." Chao Huali said as if it was a matter of course.
She said this, but she didn't look at Cui Liuniang. The smile on her face was also faint.
Chen Huaixu glanced at her with some awareness, then turned his head to look out the window.
Speaking of engagement, Cui Liuniang's face became even more embarrassed, but she subconsciously bit her lip and glanced at Chen Huaixu. She saw that Chen Huaixu was looking out the window nonchalantly, and she didn't know what he was looking at.
She smiled and changed the subject, "I heard that the county lady happened to meet Mr. Fu in the far north when she went there a while ago. You two seem to be destined to meet."
After what Shen Huaixu had done in the northern border was confirmed, he was only rewarded with some gold, silver and jewelry. However, judging from the fact that the previous emperor increasingly valued Xuanping Hou, it can be seen that Shen Huaixu's status in His Majesty's heart has risen to a higher level.
But she is a very low-key person. Apart from that time when she shined in the court, I have never heard her talk about this matter on her own initiative.
When she first heard about it, driven by a variety of complicated emotions, she went to Chaohua to ask, but Chaohua also said he didn't know.
Chen Huaixu retracted his gaze. "If it weren't for Master Fu's help, I don't know if I could have escaped unscathed. To be honest, I haven't even thanked him in person yet. I'm glad to know that he returned to the capital safely."
Yi Qian took a sip of tea, the fragrance of the tea refreshing her heart. She narrowed her eyes slightly, "It is said that the reputation of this Mr. Fu, whose 'looks are comparable to Pan An', has spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. Just wait and see, I'm afraid there will be a lot of fun this time."
"I see quite a few young ladies outside holding handkerchiefs and sachets. I'm afraid they'll be drowned when the army passes by." Chao Hua laughed out loud, then said, "It's better for the young master to wear a mask."
Chen Huaixu narrowed his eyes when he saw Chaohua's gloomy expression gone.
"Miss, I have something to report." Xiaoman came up behind Shen Huaixu and whispered something.
Chen Huaixu glanced at her, stood up and said, "Sisters, please enjoy your tea. I will be leaving for a while."
The master and servant came to a secluded place, and Shen Huaixu asked, "What happened?"
"Miss, Sister Shuangjiang sent a message saying that the woman named Bai Lan lives alone outside the city. She rarely interacts with outsiders and has no connection to the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion. There is only one thing that is strange about her. She used to depend on her grandfather and sister for survival. Last year, her grandfather died for no reason, and more than half a year later, her sister Bai Tang has also disappeared. Sister Shuangjiang has not found any trace of Bai Tang yet."
Chen Huaixu nodded: "Continue to have people monitor Bai Lan, and don't alert the enemy easily."
"yes."
Back in the private room, Chaohua and the other two stood up and stood at the window to look out. The noise outside seemed louder than before.
"Is someone coming?" Shen Huaixu stepped forward and asked.
Yi Qian shook her head. "I don't know. The people downstairs suddenly became lively. It should be soon."
Shen Huaixu also leaned over the window and looked towards the city gate. Soldiers stood guard on both sides of the street, and there was no one on the wide street. Just as she was about to look away, she caught a glimpse of a man on a tall horse leading the way, and then she saw that familiar figure.
As the army approached, the people's cheers were deafening, and young women threw handkerchiefs, sachets, and dried orchids at the soldiers. The person who was thrown the most things was Fu Yin, who was not wearing a mask.
Fu Yin, who was in the middle of it, didn't seem to think this was a good thing. His expression was tense and there was no sign of relaxation.
"'The whole city is full of red sleeves waving', this Mr. Fu is really a banished immortal. After today, I'm afraid he will be a figure that the noble ladies in the capital often mention in their boudoirs for a long time to come." Yi Qian sighed.
Chao Hua stared at Fu Yin, who was sitting on his horse in military uniform, and felt his heart beating faster, so fast that his face was almost red.
She hurriedly looked away, but couldn't help but look back several times.
I didn't have this feeling when I first met Fu Yin, so what happened today? She muttered secretly.
Chen Huaixu didn't notice anything unusual about the people around her. She first looked at Fu Yin several times, who was secretly annoyed. She didn't know why he was not wearing a mask and found it a little funny.
Then her eyes froze and she looked up, only to feel a dazzling light from the roof opposite flash across her eyes, a little glaring.
She immediately realized that it was the light reflected by the cold weapon in the sunlight, but unfortunately the roof opposite was too high and the eaves were slightly raised, so she couldn't see clearly whether there was anyone up there.
At the same time, Fu Yin, who was feeling depressed on the street, accidentally glanced at Chen Huaixu standing by the window. His lowered brows relaxed instantly. He realized that Chen Huaixu was not looking at him. He felt unhappy at first, and then his brows moved slightly, and he looked up along her line of sight.
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