Chapter 22
Summer in Chang'an is often filled with sudden downpours, with dark clouds often covering half the sky and pouring down from the eaves like a dense, impenetrable curtain of water. Shen Yi opened the window and let the raindrops wet the window bars.
The heat was extinguished by the pouring rain. At noon, he caught a white dove perched by the window, his fingertips wet with water. Shen Yi took the letter it had brought, held half of its wing, and barely wiped its long feathers with a white cloth.
Unable to bear its fluttering and struggling any longer, I tapped its head and finally let it go. The pigeon then became obedient again, landing on the ground to avoid the rain, occasionally poking its head out and walking on the ground.
Xue Heng now used ciphertext when sending letters to him. Shen Yi unfolded the small piece of silk cloth and understood the recent news in the court. Xue Congzhi didn't need him at the moment, so occasionally sending him some news was just to make himself feel more at ease.
The wind outside the window blew the green trees in the courtyard. He lowered his head to stare at the white dove still walking in the house, and saw its down feathers explode and let out a soft laugh.
Huo was not very tolerant of heat, so he often liked to go out for a walk when there was wind. This was enough for him. He squatted down and touched the white pigeon's light red beak with his fingers. He was pecked a few times without getting annoyed.
Now everyone in the court is in a panic, not knowing whose head the royal family's knife will fall on tomorrow, nor who the person in the high position is targeting.
Chen Qian had recently brought back some news from the palace, and Chen Qian finally had time to write a letter to the Marquis's residence. He thought of the letter he had placed in the wooden box.
Chen Xian's handwriting was still elegant and graceful, but a hint of rawness could still be seen, as if he hadn't had the chance to grind ink or hold a brush in a long time. His elder sister talked to him a lot, talking about the flowers and trees given by the emperor in the palace, about the lights that shone brightly at night, and why she hadn't been able to worship her grandfather and attend his coming-of-age ceremony.
His elder sister didn't know what name his grandfather had given him. After asking, she talked about the reward given to her by His Majesty, and how he treated her with great favor.
Chen Qian talked about the moon she saw when she looked up from the palace, and the stars that flickered beside the crescent moon, comforting him that he was now an official in the court. In a sense, he was in the palace with her and the distance was not far.
Chen Yi curled up his fingertips. How could it not be far? Every time he walked up the long steps to the court, he would always look into the distance. But when he looked up, he could only see the gleaming colored glaze, the intricately carved auspicious beasts, and the azure sky.
He still couldn't see his elder sister, he still couldn't see his elder sister, he still couldn't protect his elder sister.
"Young Marquis..." The servant pushed the door open and brought a new pot of hot tea. When he saw the white pigeon still moving in the room, he bowed and asked Shen Yi if he wanted to drive the bird out.
Chen Yi rarely smiled and said, "Let it stay here and fatten it up. We can stew it in winter." The other party nodded and left, closing the door.
The sound of rain continued to pour into the courtyard as Shen Yi cooled the pot of hot tea. Judging from the current situation in the court, Xue Congzhi's promise to him should be coming true.
Thunder rumbled in the sky and flashed in the courtyard. The sudden strong wind broke the densely branched trees, and the unripe fruits among the branches and leaves fell into the puddles and mud, lifeless.
He also avoided Chen Qian and attended all the banquets that Xue Congzhi asked him to attend. During the banquet, he tried to find out some useful information and made a note of Zhao You's disciples or one or two officials who had been promoted by the Grand Marshal for the Xue Mansion.
The white dove that had been hiding from the rain suddenly became anxious again, dragging its still wet feathers as it stumbled back to its cage. Shen Yi didn't stop the flapping bird, but stood by the window with his arms folded, watching it return to its nest in the heavy rain.
In the midst of storms, the peace in Chang'an City is bound to change.
He waited until autumn, when the leaves had already curled and turned yellow. The cage had lost a few more pigeons. Shen Yi counted them and realized that after this year, the cage would probably need a new batch of pigeons next year.
The wooden box contained a large amount of silk cloth, and after noting down the contents, the bamboo scroll in the room was returned to the study in the mansion. The cipher on it was now only deciphered by him and Xue Congzhi.
At least that was the case based on the information he had received.
Mid-Autumn had just passed a few days earlier, and this year's autumn wind seemed to have been affected by the summer heat, not as sharp as in previous years. However, it seemed to have carried with it gravel and pebbles from the hillside, and every time it blew, a gust of yellow sand swept across the street.
Before the servant could even call out "Young Marquis", Shen Yi turned around and looked at the newcomer, "It's really rare to see Brother Wei come to visit."
He concealed his surprise and looked up at the uninvited guest. Xue Congzhi had rarely mentioned Wei Qianyu in the past six months. Wei Qianyu had been promoted long ago, and he and Liu Qianshan were no longer as familiar with each other as before.
He really didn't expect that it would be Wei Qianyu who came to the Marquis' Mansion in person.
"The young marquis has not been like before since he came to the court." Wei Chen seemed to look him up and down before he spoke jokingly and pointed out his purpose.
"It's just that it's time for a day off. I wonder if the young marquis would still be willing to ride his horse out of the city like he used to?"
Chen Yi also frowned, preparing to go to the stable and lead the horse out himself, "Brother Wei, do you want to come with me to pick out a good horse?"
Wei Qianyu just shook his head. "It's a rare opportunity to ride a horse. If I choose one at the Marquis' Mansion, won't it make the horses in the Wei Mansion feel cold?"
He turned around and picked out a white horse for himself from the stable. Although they didn't have time, they instructed the servants to take the horses out for a walk every two or three days to prevent them from becoming lazy and losing strength after staying in the mansion for too long.
Shen Yi gently stroked the mane of the same color and put the bridle and saddle back on it. Only this one was an old horse brought from the Huo Mansion last autumn. Its temperament seemed to have completely inherited that of the old steward. Because it rained a few days ago and I didn't walk the horse, it went on a hunger strike for a while. Today I just finished feeding it.
He led the horse out of the mansion. Wei Qianyu was already on horseback, holding the reins, waiting for him. Shen Yi grasped the reins, which he hadn't touched for a long time, and also jumped on the horse and followed behind Wei Qianyu.
It wasn't until he was riding down the long street that Shen Yi realized the autumn wind hadn't changed, still carrying a chilly breeze. This fulfilled Lao Ma's wish, as he was actually much faster than usual as he passed through the crowd.
The sun had not yet set, and the crowd made it difficult for them to ride side by side. Shen Yi looked at Wei Qianyu, who was still ahead. He said nothing was wrong, but given his personality, if someone came to ride with him, it must be something he couldn't talk about directly.
He clamped his legs against the horse's belly, lowered his body and caught up with Wei Chen, finally getting out of the city gate.
Wei Qianyu, on the other hand, loosened the reins and let the horse run free in the suburbs, where clusters of chrysanthemums resembled previous years. Shen Yi said nothing, and naturally, with this silent joy, he let the white horse gallop along the ancient road.
Riding a horse with someone seemed like a lifetime ago. It took a long time for Shen Yi to remember that it had been almost two years. As for being with Wei Qianyu, he had no idea when it had happened.
He didn't ask first, and Wei Qianyu didn't answer first. They just walked through every corner of the city like they had before, occasionally picking up falling yellow leaves or picking up the reins to maintain their balance.
As the sun finally set in the west, they all tightened the reins and asked their horses to stop and walk slowly to eat grass, but none of them dismounted.
"Wei Qianyu," Shen Yi called his name and looked at his somewhat solemn face. "If you are willing to tell Shen Zixing something, just tell me. No matter what, I will never betray Brother Wei."
Wei Chen understood what he meant and laughed heartily. He relaxed for a moment before returning to his previous expression. "We've all changed a lot. We were all so charming back then, but now only Liu Qianshan remains, and his notoriety still lingers in the taverns and singing halls."
"Liu Qianshan." Shen Yi repeated it and then laughed, "The little money Zong □□ming gave him is not enough for him to waste several times."
"My father was a prudent man, unwilling to meddle in important court affairs, especially since he was in charge of the Ministry of Justice. I only understand now, and I know that the young marquis understands." Wei Chen recalled the past, including the cold winter when Wei Tingwei had a rare misstep. "Xue Heng and Xue Congzhi arrived in Chang'an during the winter of last year."
Shen Yi listened quietly without interrupting Wei Qianyu's recollection. "When you say it's an old story, it really happened more than ten years ago. As for the son of my father's old friend, it's just a general statement."
Wei Chen glanced at Shen Yi, sighed softly, and told him everything about today's reminder. "I don't know the whole story. I heard my father mention it a few times. Xue Congzhi was probably trying to settle the injustices of the previous dynasty. At that time, there was a Xue Tingwei who later married the granddaughter of Che Hou."
"As for what happened later, I only know that it was related to the current Prime Minister. My father and that Xue Tingwei had only met a few times."
After hearing this old story, Shen Yi remembered the promise he had made to Xue Heng before, and did not ask any other questions.
"Now that I have entered the court and been promoted by His Majesty, I am openly pointing a knife at the Zhao family. As for your father, it should be pointed at my father, at the Grand Marshal behind him."
"Young Marquis, swords have no eyes, so you should take care of yourself."
After Wei Chen finished speaking, he lowered his head and stopped looking at Shen Yi's reaction. He was able to speak to Shen Yi because he relied on the fact that the Wei Mansion had no worries for the time being.
Shen Yi dismounted and bowed solemnly to Wei Qianyu, "I'd like to thank you, Brother Wei, from now on."
Wei Chen nodded in acceptance of the gift, "Let's go, young marquis. After one more lap, it's time to go home."
Shen Yi responded cheerfully, and then he heard the neighing of a fierce horse. The horse's hooves trampled the wild grass by the roadside again, and the wind blew away the red and yellow petals.
Dusk finally fell and the lights in Chang'an City were already on. Wei Chen was still walking in front and entering the city gate.
Chen Yi pulled the reins, controlling the white horse that still wanted to follow him, and sighed as he clutched the mane between his fingers. He understood Wei Qianyu's meaning. There were differences in party struggles, and next time they met, there would be no talk of today.
The Prime Minister, the Grand Marshal, Xue Tingwei, the Marquis of Che, and the Shen family, Chen Qian, Xue Heng, and Xue Congzhi. He seemed to understand what kind of chessboard he was on, becoming someone else's pawn, running and fighting on the chessboard.
But he must go home in the end, even if the swords and knives are merciless and the land is full of hungry ghosts, he will only go back to the Huo family, to where his sister and mother are willing to go.
Even though he was still in Chang'an City, he loosened his grip a little and rode his horse diagonally through the deep alleys.
The autumn wind blew up the withered weeds, and the moon in Chang'an City was full again...
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