Old Marquis
Fu Huaiying exchanged a few words with Emperor Huanyu and answered his questions before walking out of the hall. The hall was warm, but she couldn't help shivering as she stepped out. It was too cold outside, a biting chill.
"teacher."
Fu Huaiying stood outside the palace admiring the snow, not noticing Chen Huanli approaching. She turned around and looked at the person in front of her, a smile on her lips, "Fourth Prince."
He has grown very tall and is completely different from when I first met him. The only thing that remains the same is his eyes. After not seeing him for more than two months, he has become more calm.
"Teacher, why are you standing here?"
As he spoke, he took off his cloak and put it on Fu Huaiying, "It's cold outside, put it on."
Chen Huanli lowered his head, looking at his teacher's eyes that could not hide his fatigue, and sighed softly, "Teacher, after the cold winter, spring will come. When the lake melts, I will take you for a boat ride."
Fu Huaiying was a little stunned. In this life, she and Yan An met for the first time on a cruise ship. She didn't expect that they would not be able to stay together until old age.
"teacher?"
"Okay, when spring comes, we'll go for an outing and a boat trip."
Chen Huanli walked beside her, holding an umbrella, and asked as they walked, "Teacher, what's it like at the border? Is the snow there the same as in the capital?"
Fu Huaiying raised her eyes, slightly startled, and spoke after a long pause, "It's quite different. The snowy scenery at the border is more desolate, but the roads there are wider, and the mountains in the distance look even more magnificent with snow falling. The sky and the earth are all white, a vast expanse of white everywhere."
"So if you wear white clothes, you won't be able to see anything?"
Fu Huaiying paused, "What did you just say?"
Her voice suddenly rose, startling Chen Huanli. "I... I'm saying... if I wear white clothes, won't I be unable to see anything... and will I melt into the snow..."
Fu Huaiying's eyes filled with tears, and she almost couldn't control herself. What if... what if... he was buried in the snow? What if she had looked for him in the snow...
But it was too late to say anything now. She had already returned to the capital, and the Lady had already passed Yunfeng Mountain...
"Teacher...what's wrong with you?"
"It's okay," Fu Huaiying raised her hand and wiped the tears from her face, "Nothing... It's okay... I just... thought of something."
"Teacher, his body has already..."
Fu Huaiying suddenly raised her hand and covered his mouth, "Are you crazy? How dare you speak here?"
Chen Huanli lowered his eyes to look at her, his mouth covered by his slender hands, but the smile in his eyes could not be hidden. His smiling eyes met Fu Huaiying's somewhat overly nervous eyes.
Fu Huaiying turned around and found that there was no one around. However, this road was always swept by palace servants in winter, but today, there were no servants.
She was startled. "You?"
Chen Huanli stared at her lowered hands and suppressed the smile on his face. "It's me, Teacher. You said you didn't want to kneel anymore, so every time I see you kneeling to him, I always feel uncomfortable. I always think that if I succeeded sooner, you would be more comfortable. Within six months at the latest, I promise that you won't have to kneel again."
Fu Huaiying looked at the heroic spirit between his brows and sighed softly, "Huanli has grown up..."
Chen Huanli bent down and tilted his head so that she could reach him.
Fu Huaiying was stunned, raised her hand and touched his head, "You did a good job."
"I was taught by a teacher, so naturally I can do well," he said, holding Fu Huaiying's hand. "You haven't called me Huanli for a long time. This is my name."
"Huanli, this name is really good. All patients are called Li. You can't call her that after you enter the palace, and you must not call her that in the future."
Chen Huanli shook his head. "No matter how prestigious my status becomes in the future, you can always call me by my first name. My calligraphy was also chosen by you."
Fu Huaiying looked at the palace gate getting closer and closer, raised her hand and patted his shoulder, "No need to see me off, Da Hu is here."
She raised her hand and pointed, and Dahu quickly ran over with an umbrella. "Girl, what took you so long? Are you cold?"
Fu Huaiying shook her head, took off her cloak, and handed it to Chen Huanli. "I'm leaving now. Be careful in the palace. Don't drink cold tea. Your Majesty has been suffering from internal heat recently. Ask the palace maids to pay more attention and make some soup to reduce the heat."
Chen Huanli nodded thoughtfully.
After getting on the carriage, Da Hu asked her, "What did you mean just now, young lady?"
"Your Majesty is old, and I'm worried that the palace servants aren't serving you well. Sometimes the tea on your Majesty's table gets cold, and no one replaces it. I've been thinking about how when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was around, he would always remind us that if any palace servants slacked off, His Highness would fly into a rage."
The carriage curtain was blown up by the wind, and Fu Huaiying looked coldly at the corner of the coachman's white clothes.
Da Hu reacted quickly, "Miss, you can't say that carelessly. After all, deposing the crown prince is a treason..."
"I know, but I'm a little moved. When His Majesty caught a cold, Your Highness always took care of him personally. What a deep father-son love."
The curtain that was blown up by the wind was gently lowered.
Fu Huaiying suddenly lifted the carriage curtain, startling the coachman, "Master Fu...what's wrong?"
"Go to Dingbei Marquis Mansion."
"yes."
It would be strange if she didn't go to the Marquis' Mansion after she came back from the border and got the news.
Marquis' Mansion
"My Lord, My Lord..."
The old man leaned back in his recliner, swaying unsteadily. "What are you doing again? It's very rude to disturb someone's sweet sleep."
"Master Fu is here..."
The old marquis raised his eyelids and rolled his eyes. "What is that old bastard doing here? He keeps begging people to speak well of him in front of the palace. If you ignore him, just say I'm asleep."
"No, it's the writer of Qiliyuan."
The old marquis stood up suddenly, his eyes brightening, "You mean, that brat's sweetheart?"
"Yes, Lord... Lord... please go slower..."
As soon as Fu Huaiying got off the carriage, she saw the old marquis standing in front of the door. She was stunned for a moment. Was she making such a big show? Even the old marquis came to greet her personally.
"Old Marquis..."
"It is a great honor for my humble home to have you here, Mr. Fu. Come on, come on, have some tea with me, an old man."
Before Fu Huaiying could react, she was dragged away.
When she came to her senses, she was already sitting down and even had hot tea served.
"Fu Zhibi went to the border and came back. Did you see that damned brat?"
Fu Huaiying took a sip of hot tea, and the mist clouded her eyes. She raised her hand to wipe them away. "It's foggy in winter, and it's always easy to get dizzy when drinking tea. My Lord, just call me Huaiying."
"Okay, okay, Huaiying, that old guy isn't a very good person, but the name he chose is quite nice."
"I've seen Yan An," she said, glancing at Da Hu. "He said...he asked about the Marquis's health, whether he had eaten tonight, and whether his appetite was still the same."
The old marquis laughed. "That's definitely not what he said. This damned brat hasn't sent a single letter in two or three months, and now he's making things up about me the moment he meets you, Da Hu. Tell me what you want."
Da Hu coughed twice and said with great emotion, "Master, how is the old man doing recently? Is he still healthy? Has he been sneaking in some midnight snacks? Is he still eating as much as a cow every day?"
The old marquis snorted coldly, "I knew it. This dog can't spit out ivory. How is he? Is he not hurt?"
Da Hu shook his head. "He was injured on his shoulder. He didn't let me tell the Marquis."
The old marquis laughed heartily. "I knew I was right about you. Our Dahu wouldn't lie. But getting injured on the battlefield is normal; it's what makes a man virile. If Fu Zhibi likes men without scars, I'll have the court doctor make some scar-removing ointment when he comes back."
Fu Huaiying smiled and said, "It's okay. I also look at the face. It doesn't matter whether you have scars or not."
The old marquis's face was filled with admiration. "This boy, with all his flaws, only his face is good. Oh, and he said in the letter that he wanted to return the longsword he had given him earlier, saying it had a chip on it and wanted a replacement. Did he forget to ask you to bring it back?"
Fu Huaiying nodded. "It's my fault. He mentioned it a few times before, but when he came back, he had something else to do and didn't come to see us off, so I forgot about it."
"It's okay," the old marquis smiled and waved his hand, "I'm old and tired."
Fu Huaiying stood up and said, "Then we won't bother the Marquis anymore. I'll send the letter to him in a few days."
"Okay, send Fu Zhibi off and get her some clothes. She's so young, don't let her get sick from the cold."
"Thank you, my Lord."
It was not until Fu Huaiying left that the old marquis's upright back finally collapsed. He closed his eyes and uncontrollable tears poured down.
"Old Marquis..."
He looked up and saw the old housekeeper's worried eyes. He forced a smile and said, "Yan An is gone."
Tears streamed down the old steward's cloudy eyes. He had been an orphan all his life, without a father or mother, a wife or children, and he truly treated the young marquis as his grandson. He listened to his parents die in battle, and then listened to himself die in battle...
The old marquis once again felt this kind of pain... This is like the old sending off the young...
The old marquis wiped his tears and said, "Huaiying pretended very well. She and Dahu acted very well, but... those eyes can't deceive people. I didn't want to test them. People, when they get old, have to pretend to be confused, but that's my only grandson..."
Lin Yan'an's sword was forged by a master he had hired, so it couldn't possibly have a crack. He read the letter he sent over and over again...
He wiped away his tears again and again, but the turbid tears kept falling and he could never wipe them away.
After a long while, he slowly straightened up and said, "General, dying on the battlefield is the best outcome. The war at the border has not stopped. I will ask to go back to the border in a few days to accompany Yan An."
The housekeeper wanted to persuade him again, "Old Marquis..."
Dingbei Hou shook his head and raised his hand to stop him from saying the next sentence, "I have been on the battlefield all my life. The queen has the advantage of youth and bravery, but she does not have my experience."
Fu Huaiying walked out of the door and got on the carriage before she breathed a sigh of relief. She lowered her head and looked at the clothes in her hands. They belonged to Lin Yan'an.
Da Hu raised his head and smiled bitterly, "My Lord, we can't keep it secret for too long. The master hasn't sent any letter yet, there's no news at all. And as for His Majesty, I don't know when... We can't keep it secret for long."
"We'll keep it a secret for as long as we can. The old marquis is old and can't bear such a blow."
Fu Huaiying lowered her head and pressed her face against the cloak, tears rolling down her face, soaking her clothes.
"girl……"
Dahu sighed. After returning from Yongding Pass, she shed a lot of tears on the way. The girl probably shed more tears in the last day than in the whole year before.
Fu Huaiying wiped her tears and said, "Da Hu, people always have to move forward."
She didn't know whether he was talking about Da Hu or herself.
They were silent along the way, and the little snake in her sleeve licked her arm from time to time.
When they arrived at the mansion, Fu Huaiying got off the horse and glanced at the coachman. He looked familiar. Although she didn't know who sent him, it was most likely the one from the palace.
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