It's spring again with birds singing and grass growing.
Yan Sikong still remembered this time two years ago when he won a lot of praise at the imperial lecture. Not long after that, he met Feng Ye again during the spring hunt. The image of the young man in bright clothes, riding a horse and full of vigor and vitality is still clearly etched in his mind.
Two years have passed, times have changed, people and things have changed.
Yan Sikong looked at the plants and trees outside the window competing for spring. In such a vibrant season, he only felt that there was a corrupt, dangerous, and gray force lurking in the darkness, which could devour everyone at any time.
He couldn't tell what it was, but he felt an instinctive uneasiness.
A hand suddenly pressed on his shoulder. He trembled all over and felt creepy. He grabbed the wrist and pulled it forward. His mind returned instantly. He suddenly remembered where he was and immediately retracted his strength, otherwise the owner of the hand would be thrown out.
"Wow!" I heard a scream.
Yan Sikong held him and looked up: "Brother Liang?"
The person who came was Liang Sui.
Liang Sui looked at Yan Sikong in surprise: "I, I called you, what are you looking at?"
Yan Sikong let go of him, returned to normal, and smiled, "I'm watching the spring. 'The flowers of April are gone, and the peach blossoms in the mountain temple are in full bloom.' Today is a nice day, a good day to enjoy the spring."
"Brother Xian is so poetic." Liang Sui rubbed his sore wrist, "Why didn't I realize before that your penis is so big?"
“I often did farm work when I was a kid.”
"You? Doing farm work?" Liang Sui teased, "You have fair skin and tender flesh, you don't look like someone who does rough labor, just look at your hands..." He casually turned over Yan Sikong's hand, and saw the knotted scar on the palm at a glance, and was immediately speechless.
The scar was from a long time ago, and if you didn't look closely, it looked like it was caused by rough labor.
Yan Sikong raised his hands and said, "My family was poor when I was young, so I can't compare to Brother Liang."
"Ah, a hero's origin is not important. A poor scholar like you who can't afford to go to a private school or hire a teacher, but you still study hard and pass the imperial examinations. Isn't that admirable? In my opinion, everything you have today is what you deserve. Don't belittle yourself because of your background."
Yan Sikong raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "Brother Liang specially came to the government office to find me, could it be to comfort me?"
Liang Sui smiled and said, "Brother Zhou is hosting a banquet at the Parkson Hotel today. You must come and enjoy it."
Yan Sikong smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Liang, I have been busy with the imperial inspection these days and I really can't spare time. When the inspection is over, I will hold a banquet to make amends, okay?"
"Sikong, I have invited you several times. Master Zhou also wants to meet you. We used to drink together. How come you went to the Ministry of Personnel and became a future imperial consort..." Liang Sui scolded, "It is so difficult for us to meet now."
Yan Sikong didn't want to offend these young masters from aristocratic families, so he had to say, "Then I'd better obey your orders."
——
That night, Yan Sikong came to Parkson Hotel.
Baishenglou is the most luxurious restaurant in the capital, and all the guests coming and going are dignitaries. Opposite it is Yanliuxiang, which makes it convenient for guests to eat and drink to their heart's content and then go out for fun. Of course, they can also call the girls over. At night, when the lights come on, there are singing and dancing, and this is the most luxurious place in the city.
Yan Sikong had been to Baisheng Building countless times, but his deepest memory of this place was always the quick glance they had when Feng Ye returned to Beijing that day, one upstairs and the other downstairs.
Later, he asked Feng Ye why he suddenly looked upstairs when he entered the city that day. Feng Ye said that he felt a little nervous at the time and always felt that there was something upstairs that forced him to look up. This was probably telepathy.
Yan Sikong got off the carriage and stood deliberately at the place where Feng Ye had ridden his horse past. He looked up. It was still cold at night and the window was not open. All he saw was the orange light shining through the window paper. He laughed at himself and walked in.
Zhou Mixing loved ostentation, so he had booked one of the most luxurious rooms on the third floor. The waiter respectfully led Yan Sikong upstairs. As soon as the door was opened, a burst of laughter came from inside. Yan Sikong put on a smile and prepared to socialize, but he froze when he saw the person in the room.
The one sitting in the middle was Feng Ye!
Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with a half-smile, his eyes somewhat cold.
"Oh, brother Xian is finally here." Zhou Mixing stood up, walked up to him, held his hand, and said intimately, "We haven't seen each other for a long time, I miss you so much."
Yan Sikong came back to his senses: "Uh... Brother Zhou flatters me. I'm still handling official business today, so I'm a little late..." His gaze drifted towards Feng Ye again.
"It's no problem, it's no problem." Zhou Mixing pulled him and brought him to Feng Ye's side, "Come, sit next to me and the prince."
"This……"
"Sit down." Zhou Mixing looked at him and whispered, "I'm the host, it's okay."
Yan Sikong recalled what Liang Sui had said when he came to invite him in the morning, and combined with the scene before him, he roughly understood what was going on.
In the past, he followed Liang Sui to socialize and was just a younger brother in front of Zhou Mixing. At the banquet, he could only listen to Master Zhou bragging. But now things are different. He is already the head of the Ministry of Personnel's Gongkao Division and a future royal consort. Naturally, Zhou Mixing's attitude towards him is different. Now that the imperial inspection is imminent, Zhou Mixing's father, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, is also within the scope of the inspection. Zhou Mixing invited him and Feng Ye to a banquet at the same time, hoping to take the opportunity to ease the relationship between the two and do a favor.
This was a smart plan, but unfortunately Zhou Mixing didn't know the real grudge between him and Feng Ye, nor was it the "demanding family background" of Feng Ye as rumored by the outside world.
Yan Sikong was forced to sit next to Feng Ye, and everyone at the table looked at them with an expression as if they were enjoying a good show.
Yan Sikong coughed lightly and prepared to curry favor with Feng Ye. Given their status and backgrounds, it was only natural for them to do so.
Zhou Mixing was very thoughtful and didn't let him feel embarrassed. He stood up and raised his glass: "Come on, everyone is here. I, Zhou, must say a few words."
Everyone responded.
Zhou Mixing bowed respectfully to Feng Ye and said, "I, Zhou, am honored to be invited to the banquet by the prince. This glass of wine must be toasted to the prince who is a hero since he was young." After saying that, he drank the glass in one gulp.
Feng Ye raised his cup and drank with him, smiling: "Mr. Zhou, you are too polite."
"This is the second cup." Zhou Mixing looked at Yan Sikong with a smile, "I want to toast my wise brother. Now he is the head of Yan and the consort of Yan. He must have a bright future. When you are successful in the future, don't forget us brothers."
Yan Sikong stood up and said with a smile, "I don't deserve it. Mr. Zhou and the other brothers are all talented, generous and virtuous people. How can I, Yan, be so worthy of your friendship? I hope you will give me more advice in the future."
They clinked their glasses and drank.
After two glasses of wine, Zhou Mixing became a little bolder. He looked at Feng Ye, then at Yan Sikong, and laughed boldly: "The third glass of wine is for the banquet hosted by Mr. Zhou today." The reason why I risked my skin and invited the prince and brother Yan Xian is because I heard that there was some estrangement between the two of them because of the marriage granted by Princess Wanyang. In this world, there will be ups and downs, and they will need to help each other more in the future. In Zhou's humble opinion, the two were once like-minded confidants, but it was because of their different family backgrounds. Isn’t it a pity that there is such a gap?”
Everyone echoed: "Yes, yes."
"Sir, please be more open-minded."
As Zhou Mixing spoke, he observed Feng Ye's expression and continued, "For the third glass of wine, I would like to toast both of you at the same time. Can you please give me some face..."
"Mr. Zhou." Feng Ye tilted his head slightly, squinting at Zhou Mixing, and said with a fake smile, "You are really kind-hearted."
Zhou Mixing's face changed slightly. Anyone with ears could hear that these words were full of sarcasm. He felt a little embarrassed for a moment, and it was not right to raise the wine glass to toast, nor was it right to be disrespectful.
Yan Sikong stood up quickly, took Zhou Mixing's hand, and said with emotion: "Yan was born in a poor family, and Princess Wanyang is a dragon blood and phoenix marrow. I think I am not worthy of her in any way, but Your Majesty does not think I am lowly and is willing to marry the princess to me. Your Majesty's great kindness, I am willing to repay you with my body. But the prince loves his cousin, and knows that my family is poor and my words and deeds are vulgar. He is afraid of being abrupt and wronging the princess, which is understandable. I have no dissatisfaction or disrespect for the prince."
Feng Ye clenched his fists tightly under the table. He hated Yan Sikong's hypocrisy.
Yan Sikong and Zhou Mixing turned to Feng Ye together. He said respectfully and sincerely: "Whether the prince is willing to accept me or not, I will toast you with this glass of wine." After he finished speaking, he was about to drink the wine in the glass.
But Feng Ye suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.
The movement was so quick that no one at the table could see it clearly.
Yan Sikong's hand was pulled, but not a drop of wine was spilled in the glass.
Feng Ye raised his head and looked at him with a stern gaze.
There was total silence at the table. Zhou Mixing had beads of sweat on his forehead, and the others didn't even dare to breathe.
Feng Ye spoke slowly: "Yes, I am indeed afraid that you will be abrupt and wrong my Wan Yang. If Wan Yang marries you one day, will you treat her well?"
Yan Sikong was shocked and said softly, "Of course...Yan will do it."
"What will happen?" Feng Ye stared at Yan Sikong, "Tell me."
"I will...I will treat the princess with respect."
Feng Ye sneered: "Is it just a matter of treating each other with respect?"
"We still have to love each other." Liang Sui said, thinking he had saved the situation.
Feng Ye gave Liang Sui a cold look, and Liang Sui's hair stood on end with fear. Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong again: "I want to hear what you have to say."
Yan Sikong felt his whole body go cold. Could it be that Feng Ye wanted to force him to utter his vow to Wan Yang?
Zhou Mixing urged, "Brother Xian, hurry up and speak. The prince wants you to say a few words, and then he can safely entrust the princess to you."
Yan Sikong and Feng Ye looked at each other, and they both saw the deepest torment and struggle in each other's eyes, but Feng Ye did not intend to let Yan Sikong go. He just stared at him, forcing him, stubbornly waiting for a result that he did not want.
Yan Sikong took a deep breath, unspeakable anger and sadness rising in his chest. He whispered: "I, Yan, will love and respect Princess Wanyang and live up to the trust of Your Majesty... and the Prince." After he said this, he felt a dull pain in his chest and his voice became a little trembling.
Feng Ye's hand that was holding Yan Sikong's wrist suddenly tightened. Yan Sikong's face turned pale in pain, but he endured it and didn't make any abnormal gesture.
Feng Ye loosened his hand, his eyes were like two pools of water in an ancient well, deep and calm. He whispered, "In this case... I can rest assured now."
Zhou Mixing quickly came up to ease the atmosphere: "Hahahaha, that's good, that's good, come on, let's raise a toast together."
Everyone raised their glasses to congratulate the two of them on getting back together.
Yan Sikong forced himself to smile, but he felt very uncomfortable sitting next to Feng Ye. He couldn't even look Feng Ye in the eye. The two of them didn't speak during the meal.
Everyone could see that there was still tension between them, and Zhou Mixing felt that they had not yet let go, so after three rounds of drinks, he called over a dozen girls from Tinglan Pavilion across the street.
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