Two days later, Su Ruoqian's family of three left the imperial capital on the grounds that they were returning to their hometown to observe filial piety to their grandfather, grandmother, and second uncle.
Su Xiuming, Duke of Kang State, ordered elite soldiers to escort him all the way.
When Su Ruoqian and his party left the capital, Wei Changfeng did not go to see them off because he was not familiar with them. Instead, he was in the city and drove into an abandoned mansion.
After the war, many beautiful buildings in the imperial capital were reduced to scorched earth.
Decadent painted buildings, exquisite carved beams, winding and deep flower paths, majestic main halls...the remaining ruins can still outline the prosperity of the past; the remaining burnt smell reminds of the current decline.
Although the place has been cleaned up and there are still traces of worship on the ground, there are still many debris that have not been removed yet. Wei Changfeng had no choice but to get off the carriage in front of a stone staircase, straighten his robes slightly, and walk forward.
The two guards followed him two steps behind. Although they were in a safe city and on the ruins with a wide view of the surrounding areas, they still pressed the hilt of the knife and looked in all directions.
Wei Changfeng's confidant, the book boy Wei Wan, was carrying a bamboo basket covered with linen and followed closely behind Wei Changfeng cautiously. From time to time, he would remind him: "Master, be careful where you step, there are a lot of debris here."
Fortunately, this was not the first time that Wei Changfeng came here. Although it was impossible to remember the locations of all the messy things on the ruins, he finally arrived at an open space without any danger.
Judging from the ruins nearby, this should be a small garden. At first, all the grass and trees were burned, and the charred black color was still left on the ground. But after being soothed by the winter snow, the earth is filled with life again. In the dark soil, tender grass blades flutter in the wind, growing and swaying without worry, like innocent and innocent children.
For a moment, Wei Changfeng thought of his little nephew - Shen Shuxie, who is still an ignorant naughty boy - his ignorance and naughtyness, although it can also make people angry, but in the heavy bad news, such ignorance is too much. It is a fearless innocence, but it is the only sharp blade that can pierce the thick haze.
When Wei Wan was thinking a lot, he had already silently spread a thick brocade felt on the smoothest place on the ground, then spread a bamboo mat on the brocade mat, and placed the food he brought on the bamboo mat. After dinner and food, he walked up to Wei Changfeng and asked him to sit down.
After sitting cross-legged on the banquet, Wei Changfeng poured a glass of wine, but did not drink it. Instead, he slowly drank it in the mud outside the brocade felt.
Wei Wan and others were already accustomed to his behavior when he came here, and they all knew that he must not be in a good mood now, so they remained silent.
Wei Changfeng drank one cup after another until the small pot of wine was gone. He turned to look at the basket - Wei Wan hurriedly went up to explain: "Young master is not suitable for drinking now, so I brought this pot of wine as a sacrifice."
It is not advisable to drink during the mourning period.
So when Wei Wan put the wine into the basket, he said that the wine was not for drinking, but for offering sacrifices to old friends.
Wei Changfeng cut off half of it and drank it for himself. Anyway, his close friends saw it, and if he didn't go out and tell it, no one would know. But if you drink too much and come back smelling of alcohol and others discover you, you'll be in trouble.
As Wei Huan's personal choice for his beloved grandson's book boy, Wei Wan naturally had to be considerate of his master and avoid these mistakes.
Although Wei Changfeng is more casual, he is not someone who does not listen to advice. After being reminded by Wei Wan, he didn't say anything, nodded, rolled up his sleeves, stood up, and took a few steps around. Guessing that Wei Wan had packed up, he came back and walked out the same way together and returned to the carriage.
"Master, are you going to Dingguo's residence or returning to the Lakeside Courtyard?" Although Wei Wan asked this question, she continued, "Young Master has not returned to the Lakeside Courtyard for five days. I think the eldest lady is thinking about you, and Second Young Master Shen’s homework…”
Sure enough, before he finished speaking, Wei Changfeng ordered: "Go to the Shen Family Courtyard by the lake."
When they arrived at the other courtyard, Wei Changying happened to finish his work and asked his younger brother to talk together. Seeing that Wei Changfeng was not in high spirits, he stepped back and asked with concern: "Why does he look unhappy?" ? But who gave you the wrong? Is it your brother-in-law?"
These words made Wei Changfeng laugh: "It's okay to guess that others have wronged me, but how could I guess it about my brother-in-law? I think my brother-in-law has a very good temperament, and he almost never gets angry... No matter what, with you, eldest sister, In comparison, my brother-in-law is extremely gentle."
"Oh, you can still joke, it doesn't seem that you are very unhappy!" Hearing this, Wei Changying showed a half-smiling look, so everyone was dismissed immediately, and there was no need to act like a mistress, just like Just like before leaving the cabinet, he stretched out his finger and tapped his brother's forehead hard, saying, "What's wrong?"
Wei Changfeng showed a helpless look: "It's nothing. I walked around the imperial capital and saw the withered appearance of the prosperous places in the world recorded in the books. It's just not very satisfying."
"Nonsense! You have been in the imperial capital these days. Aren't you used to seeing the burned ruins? You can't feel happy just walking around like this. Why didn't you feel bad when you came back two days ago? Don't mention that time you I didn't see a house that was hit by a military disaster on the road!" After hearing this, Wei Changying snorted without even thinking, "You really don't tell the truth, do you think you will become my sister when you grow up? I can’t beat you?”
"Sister, you dare to beat up your husband, let alone my younger brother?" Wei Changfeng laughed and shook his head, sighing, "Thanks to my brother-in-law for his good temper, otherwise, the whole family would have to worry about you!"
He added, "After all these years, my eldest sister still loves to hit people so much..."
Wei Changying hit him with his fan, frowned and said, "Don't change the subject!"
Wei Changfeng has been exposed to this sister's recklessness and trustworthiness since she was a child. So at this moment, she was holding her tightly, and although she was reluctant, she still managed to answer: "I went to the backyard of Princess Lingxian's Mansion to pay homage to the Su family. So I was in a bad mood."
"Lingxian Princess's Mansion?" Guard Chief Ying was startled.
Wei Changfeng suddenly came to Gyeonggi Province before. After the initial hasty conversation, it was decided that Wei Changfeng would teach Shen Shuguang, which made Wei Changying put aside his worries about how his son's studies would be continued.
Then the siblings chatted leisurely, and it was Wei Chang Yingzi, the same brother, who told him about his fiancée who had never seen him until his death.
It can be said that Su Nianchu also had a hard life.
It's okay that she was not selected as one of the Su family's breakout candidates. Looking at the nobles in the imperial capital, the only female family member who was brought along by her father and brother on the first day of the first lunar month of this year because of their own flesh and blood was probably Gu Rouzhang.
Others, like Deng Wanwan, had an eldest brother who was reluctant to give up, so they came back alone to take care of him; or they were like Duanmu Xinmiao, who had a skill that the family was reluctant to give up.
However, because Princess Lingxian was not favored at that time, the entire mansion was built hastily. After Princess Lingxian descended, before the full moon was over, she had to secretly send people to find craftsmen to repair the roof - How could such a eldest princess's palace expect to have such exquisite labyrinths and secret passages to hide in
Of course, the Su family has such a place, but even Mrs. Deng took the lead to save capable servants for future generations. Where is the place for Su Nianchu
So she had no choice but to die.
No matter how much Princess Lingxian was disliked by Emperor Huanzong, no matter how much this dislike affected Su Nianchu. But no one can deny that Su Nianchu is not only the direct daughter of the Qingzhou Su family, but also the blood of the Wei royal family, the biological granddaughter of Emperor Huanzong, and the biological niece of Emperor Min!
With her status, no matter whether she is afraid or not, no matter how scared she is, in the eyes of everyone, she must rather live in pieces than in ruins.
Besides, Su Nianchu himself may not be able to endure being humiliated at the hands of a group of barbarians...
When he welcomed the surviving female relatives in the imperial capital in Yuzhu Town, Wei Changying did not see this prospective sister-in-law. He thought that the secret room of the Princess Lingxian's mansion was too hidden, and the first search and rescue failed to find anyone.
Because she was her brother's prospective fiancée, she later specially sent someone to tell Shen Zangfeng to search carefully. Not wanting to go through a lot of twists and turns, I learned from a servant in the eldest princess's house who barely survived that Su Nianchu threw the pair of mandarin duck bracelets she gave him and committed suicide. Moreover, the mansion of Princess Lingxian was looted and burned several times, and even the bodies were unknown where they went.
At that time, Wei Changying was worried about his second son's health and comforted Shen Zangning and others. It could be said that he was very busy. After learning about this, he cried a lot, sent his dowry to find some things at the ruins of Princess Lingxian's mansion, and erected a tomb in the farmland outside the city in the name of the Wei family.
Since the only thing Su Nianchu needed to marry her was to be the official daughter-in-law of the Wei family, it was reasonable for the Wei family to bury her. At that time, only Su Xiu Ming, Su Xiuwei, and Su Yuwu were in the Su family. Deng and Song Zaishui had not yet arrived. Su Xiu It was too late for Ming and others to grieve over their parents, so they just took care of the funeral of their cousin's family, who they didn't usually interact with in person. Wei Changying took over Su Nianchu's funeral affairs, and they were happy to save trouble.
After the tomb was erected, Wei Changying had many things on his hands, so this was the end of the matter.
It was Wei Changfeng's sudden arrival that reminded Wei Changying of his unexpected sister-in-law.
On the third day after Wei Changfeng arrived at the Shen Family Courtyard by the lake, Wei Changying accompanied his younger brother to pay homage at the tomb.
Later, Wei Changfeng went to the ruins of Princess Lingxian's Mansion to worship twice - the first time and the second time. Wei Changying learned from the Shen family's coachman who sent him off, but he didn't take it to heart. .
After all, Wei Changfeng had engaged Su Nianchu a few years ago, and he thought he had always regarded Su Nianchu as his wife. Wei Changying also portrayed Su Nianchu as both talented and beautiful, with a pleasant temperament. Even if the young girl died with hatred due to the fall of the imperial capital, even if they were not an unmarried couple, everyone who heard it would sigh with regret.
But I heard that Wei Changfeng went there for the third time and was still in such a low mood after he came back. Wei Changying could not help but worry that his brother would be too obsessed with his fiancée whom he had never met - it was not that she did not want to see her brother's love for his sister-in-law. The righteousness is profound, but even though she has never met her great-grandfather Song Dan, she has also met her uncle Song Yuwang.
Isn't it because Song Dan was too obsessed with his deceased wife that he later found a Lan who looked exactly like his deceased wife and also only gave birth to a daughter and left no heirs? As for Song Yuwang, if Wei Chanying had not had two sons, the biological lineage of Jiangnan Hall would probably have ended with him.
Wei Changying does not want Wei Changfeng to imitate these two elders!
She thought about the words quickly, and was about to test how obsessed her brother was with Su Nianchu, but Wei Changfeng spoke first: "I just thought about what you said back then, eldest sister, and I was quite moved. Coupled with what happened these days, I feel more and more Some of the ideas I have had over the years have turned out to be big mistakes... I go there often to remind myself not to make the same mistake again."
Guard Chief Ying said in surprise: "What did I say back then?" (To be continued)