This was the first snowfall since the beginning of winter and it never stopped.
The grand state funeral gradually faded away in the daily life of ordinary people, and Guanyun City returned to its previous appearance - still prosperous and orderly.
On November 26th of the first year of the Great Xia Dynasty, Fan Tianning's convoy, who came to Guanyun City to report on his work, entered the city in the wind and snow.
This was his fourth time in Guanyun City. He should have been very familiar with the city, but for some reason he felt a sense of homesickness.
This is not his hometown, it's just a feeling he has.
The courtyard he had bought in Guanyun City was still there. After he went to Jang Geum City to serve as a governor, he left two servants in the courtyard to guard it, and kept it quite tidy and clean.
The motorcade stopped in front of the courtyard for a moment. The Governor-General's wife, Xue Yuyan, got off the carriage with her three-year-old son. She looked at her husband standing before her and straightened his clothes. "I guess you're busy today. Don't worry about us. Go talk to His Majesty. We'll wait for you at home."
"Well... you guys should rest first after traveling so long. I think I'll be back quite late."
"Okay, go ahead."
Fan Tianning got on a carriage and headed towards the imperial city. Xue Yuyan watched the carriage gradually disappear from her sight in the wind and snow. She took her son's hand and walked into the gate.
"Mom, where is Daddy going?"
Xue Yuyan laughed, "Your father is meeting a friend... When he's free, he'll take you to Guanyun City to have some fun."
"Is this Guanyun City more fun than our Jang Geum City?" the little boy asked curiously, looking up.
"This is the capital of Daxia. It's much more lively than our Jang Geum Castle."
"Oh." The little boy looked into the snowstorm and reached out to catch a few snowflakes. "There's a lot more snow here than in Jang Geum Castle. Mom, can we make a snowman?"
"good!"
…
…
Also in this snowy wind, another convoy entered Guanyun City.
Yan Xiwen opened the carriage curtain, and a gust of wind and snow blew in his face.
Along with the cold wind and snow came the prosperity of Guanyun City - the cries of vendors, the laughter of pedestrians holding paper umbrellas on the street, and the noise of children chasing and playing.
After being transferred to Tailin City and serving as the governor for half a year, the prosperity of Tailin City was far from comparable to that of Guanyun City.
Although Tailin City has long been stable, it will take a longer time to restore its population and revitalize its economy.
This was Yan Xiwen's first time in Guanyun City. After carefully observing the entire journey, he realized that in just a few years, he had built Guanyun City into a huge and prosperous city.
I heard that Guanyun City has five famous scenic spots: watching the rolling clouds from Guanyuntai, watching the sun shining on Jinshan from Liluoyuan, listening to the evening drum and morning bell from Hanling Temple, listening to the rain in the pine waves from Lanxi Pavilion, and the lingering fragrance from the brothels in Liuyuntai, Shili Pinghu.
Since he is here this time, I have to let him take me to take a good look at these places.
But... Yan Xiwen was troubled again. Jinling's father, Yan Shidao, was also invited to this high-ranking officials' meeting. How could he enjoy himself if his father was around?
The Yan clan once had three prime ministers, and now the emperor's grace remains the same, with two governors in the same family. This is unique in Daxia.
That kid actually didn't shy away from it and was quite open-minded.
After lowering the curtains, blocking out the wind, snow, and bustling scene outside, a smile appeared on Yan Xiwen's face. He was still the same person, but I wonder if he was living comfortably in this palace?
…
A heater was lit in the imperial study, and it was as warm as spring.
Fu Xiaoguan did not sit inside. He stood in front of the door of the imperial study, watching the snowflakes dancing in the sky.
Liu Jin held an umbrella for him and said softly, "Your Majesty, it's cold outside. Would you like to go in and warm yourself up?"
"No need...Put away the umbrella. I want to get wet in the snow for a while."
Liu Jin was stunned for a moment before folding his umbrella. He thought Fu Xiaoguan was still immersed in the grief of Jia Nanxing's passing, so he said again, "Your Majesty, the deceased is gone. Everything you did for him... was the greatest grace. Please don't be sad and hurt yourself."
Fu Xiaoguan grinned calmly and did not answer.
He looked at the plum blossoms blooming in the garden outside the imperial study. The white, snow-red plum blossoms were so beautiful.
He thought of the plum blossoms in the plum garden of Empress Shang in the Jinling Palace. The plum blossoms there were also very beautiful. If Empress Shang were still alive... the plum blossoms in the yard would have bloomed.
By the way, the plum trees in the yard once displeased Emperor Xuan, so Empress Shang ordered people to pull them all out. No one knows what happened afterwards.
It has been eight years since I came to this world. I have come a long way from being a small landlord in Linjiang. My status has improved a lot, but my heart has become more and more empty.
It's an indescribable feeling.
To be honest, there is no problem with the relationship between me and my ten wives, but I just feel like something is missing.
What's missing?
A person’s life should have family, love and friendship.
Family love... Mom is still alive, but unfortunately one of the fathers has passed away, and the other father who raised him has gone to a distant place - Fatty did not leave by boat, but went by land with his senior brother Su Jue and others.
The senior brothers and sisters whom I regarded as family members are also gone.
It’s not that I’m deserted by everyone, but it’s ultimately because of my current identity.
If he had not stood at the highest point in the world, if he was still a small landlord in Linjiang, or if he was still the Duke of Shengguo of the Yu Dynasty, his master Su Changsheng would probably not have become his enemy.
In that case, he might still be in the Yu Dynasty, busy for Emperor Xuan and the people of the Yu Dynasty.
The eldest senior brother was still wearing his tall crown and reading in the room of the Duke of Shengguo's Mansion. The third senior sister was still quietly embroidering beside him. The other senior brothers would occasionally come and sit with him, and everyone would happily drink a glass of wine together.
Now...now that's obviously not possible.
Love... The love life in this life can be considered smooth. Except for some bumps in the beginning with Qi Shulan, everything went smoothly for me with other women.
This is probably my greatest gain in this world.
By the way, there is also friendship... Do I still have friendship?
He killed Yu Wendao, his former good friend in the Yu Dynasty, and the rest of the people became his subordinates.
For example, Huo Huaijin who likes to carry a gun and ride a horse, Ning Yuchun, Yan Xiwen, Yun Xiyan, and so on.
Those young men now have their own stage in Daxia, but is the friendship they once had still pure?
After seeing me, I'm afraid they will no longer be as free and easy as they were in the past. They will greet me politely, think before they speak, and even if they laugh... I'm afraid it won't come from the heart anymore.
"You are my brothers and my friends!"
"I don't want us to drift further and further apart, becoming strangers to each other, with no friendship left."
"I don't call myself lonely because I hope to live like an ordinary person, just like you, instead of being a poor wretch trapped within these high walls, only able to see the sky in the four corners."
Liu Jin looked at His Majesty's back in astonishment, and suddenly felt that the figure standing alone in the wind and snow was so lonely and helpless.
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