East Factory Yamen.
Shen Jue sat at the top and listened to the reply from the people below. A large plaque hangs high on the ground of red gold and black, with the inscription "Liufang for a Hundred Times". There are two ebony candlesticks standing on both sides, two water-milled nanmu wood armchairs on the ground, and one-colored gold and blue floor chairs. Shen Wenxing stood by the side, gently fanning Shen Jue with a palm fan, while Situ Jin stood aside.
Shen Jue's expression was sullen and not very energetic. He has been busy for more than half a month without touching his feet, and he has been slumbering for days and nights. The sun was shining brightly outside, and the fierce sunlight shone into the main room. Shen Jue squinted at the dust flying in the light, like many tiny green midges, rushing around.
"Master?" Qianhu called out softly.
Shen Jue came back to her senses and said, "Yeah", "You say it."
"Xu Shou of the Wei Deyu party left Beijing yesterday, and the subordinate sent someone to follow him from afar as instructed by the governor. As soon as he meets the other Wei parties, we will take it down in one fell swoop. He walked westward, and the subordinate pondered about him. If we are going to sea in Tianjin, we have already sent someone to guard it.”
"You can handle these things, you don't have to go back and forth to our house. The Weide flag has fallen, and these little fish and shrimp are scurrying around, but there are only two ways to go to the sea and go out of the customs. You search along the way, you are not afraid that you won't be able to find them. Arrived." Shen Jue put his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes, "What matters now is not Wei Deyudang, but your short-sighted things that caused our family's trouble. Our family is in a position, so they can't handle one by one. The Qing Dynasty is in the southeast and northwest. Not to mention the thieves of the Shen residence, it is said that the ancestral temple was built in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Huguang. Our family is not dead yet, so we are rushing to build an ancestral temple for me. Is it possible that our family should thank you for your kindness? Qingliu that If the screwdriver has the right to speak, he can drown people with spittle. It is our family who dares to drown, is it none of your business?"
"Don't dare," sweat poured down from thousands of households, "The governor calms down his anger, and the people below are also full of filial piety. I pray to the ancestors for a long life and a long life. A few days ago, the chief soldier of Jizhou, Mr. Wei, sent a white deer. Come here, they are all good-hearted, but if they didn’t think about it, they caused you trouble! These unseen bastards, I ordered to search everywhere, demolish the Shengci Temple, and don’t do it again!”
"Being an official in the dynasty, you must be careful with your words and deeds. Bailu is an auspicious auspiciousness from heaven, and it should be given to His Majesty for entertainment. What's the point of sending it to our house? It's all gone." Shen Jue frowned.
Qianhu Nuo Nuo said yes.
Another post-prison officer trotted in and said, "Reporting to the Governor, Shen's House and He's House have searched and found out that nothing was lost except for one official document. That official document has been found on Shang Erlang. He stole it from the study."
"Official document? Is it really the Weide Yu Party?"
"I don't know yet. He woke up once and tried to escape from prison. He injured several yamen, and almost let him succeed. Fortunately, the low-ranking officer arrived in time, and it was only after he was tortured that he calmed down." After a pause, he asked, "How should this person be dealt with? Should we continue the interrogation or..."
Shen Jue knocked on the table and pondered. Although that man was Xia Houlin's friend, it was really hateful to challenge his bottom line many times. Jianzhi sneaked into the Shen residence and stole official documents, for some unknown purpose. Now is an eventful time, he has just come to power, his foundation is not stable, Qingliu is coveting, and the queen mother is not a good woman. All parties are staring at his fault, and if he is not careful, he will be made a big fuss. His creed has always been that he would rather kill 10,000 than misplace one person, and keeping that person is a hidden danger after all.
Shen Jue raised her eyes slightly and said gloomily, "You don't need to keep it, just kill it."
"Yes." The sticker withdrew.
Shen Jue picked up the teacup, flicked the tea foam with the lid, suddenly remembered something, and asked, "The last time I asked you to check the origin of Shang Erlang, did you get any results?"
A fanzi cupped his hands and said, "I've checked it out, the document was handed to you a few days ago, and the supervisor is busy, so I should have forgotten to look at it. The origin of this person is not very clear. Half a year ago, he joined the army in Taizhou, and he advanced to Beijing for half a year. Now he is helping out in Yunxianlou. By the way, Shang Erlang is not his real name. I don't know which is the real name."
The porcelain cup fell to the ground with a snap, and the tea splashed all over Shen Jue. Everyone was startled, Shen Wenxing let out an "Ouch" and hurriedly pulled his sleeves to help Shen Jue wipe the tea stains on his knees. Shen Jue waved him away and asked with split eyes, "You say it again, what's his name?"
Shen Jue's face turned pale, Fanzi didn't know which words offended Shen Jue, so he said blankly, "Xiahou..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Jue stood up suddenly, and while walking out quickly, he shouted, "Quick! Quickly call Tie Xing back!"
Everyone got the order, and without asking why, they hurriedly ran away.
Shen Jue's face was pale, and he rushed out. It was as if the sun was shining through the clouds and the fog in my brain, and I understood everything at once. Shang homonym is the antonym of Xia homonym. Erlang, the second child, the second cow... The second is the ranking of Xiahou Lin! That idiot is Xia Houlin, so he can disguise himself, so he knows Jing Tie, so his eyes are so familiar!
But he just sent someone to kill him, and it was his order!
Shen Jue's liver and intestines were about to split, and his eyes instantly turned red. He ran up, the wind whistled in his ears, and behind him, he dragged a long line of people, all of them running after him, calling out "Duke!". He turned a deaf ear, passed Jingzhong Hall, and then passed through the small flower hall. The corridors were twists and turns, and the red columns and red columns overlapped. It was the first time he hated that the East Factory Yamen was built so large and complicated.
The temples diverged, he didn't care. When he went down the steps, he didn't stand firm, and he rolled down, and he didn't care. When he got up from the ground, the tourmaline beads and the seals rolled on the ground, and he didn't have time to turn around to pick them up. He didn't have time to look after his knees and sleeves, so he just ran to the prison like a madman.
He hadn't been so indecent in a long time, the calm Shen Jue, the calm Shen Jue, and the scheming Shen Jue all disappeared without a trace. He is Xie Jinglan, and he is going to find the book boy he has been waiting for for ten years, Xia Houlin.
Shen Wenxing and a group of fans followed, panting and struggling. They were stunned when they saw Shen Jue falling off the steps, but Shen Jue immediately got up and ran away. what he fell on the ground. Situ Jin raised his brows and said, "Stop chasing after him. You should go to the imperial physician and prepare a carriage. Later, the superintendent said that he would not be able to take Young Master Xiahou back to the mansion."
"Young Master Xiahou?" Shen Wenxing widened his eyes in surprise.
"Go quickly." Situ Jin urged him.
Shen Wenxing understood it, repeated "Oh" several times, and walked quickly with the tourmaline beads and the seal in his cage.
Shen Jue was still running, and he didn't see the torture officer along the way, and his heart was half cold. After finally reaching the prison, the disgusting smell of blood rushed over, as if he couldn't smell it, he pursed his lips and walked in. The post-prisoner and Yi Ganfan were all at the door of a cell, and when they saw him coming, they all came over to greet him.
Stopped, haven't made a move yet. His heart settled a little, and he walked into the cell. Situ Jin also arrived and drove the people away. There was a yamen with a stuffy head, as if he was holding something in his hand. Situ Jin grabbed the man, reached into his sleeve, and pulled out a string of red stars and moon bodhi. With a cold face, Situ Jin handed him over to the fans and turned his head into the cell.
Shen Jue walked over with stiff legs. There was a figure lying on the ground, face down, her hair was loose, and her hands could no longer be seen. The originally articulated hands were swollen like steamed buns, full of blood, red and black. stick together.
As if his heart was being held tightly, he hurriedly picked up the person on the ground and called him out of tune, "Xiahou Lin!"
Xia Houlin didn't respond, his eyes were closed, his lips were dry and white, cracked like hardened fields. After only one night and one morning, Dongchang tortured him like this. Shen Jue was sorely heartbroken that he didn't dare to touch his hand, just put his arms around his shoulders and called him in a chorus of voices.
"Master, don't panic, Eunuch Shen has gone to teach the imperial doctor, you should take the person out first."
"Yes, yes, take the person out." Shen Jue's spirit returned to the nest. No matter how capable a person is, there is nothing he can do if he is beaten in the chest, let alone stabbing a knife in his heart, there is no place for hatred, no place for resentment, and he can only blame himself.
He picked up the person horizontally, carried them to the wing, and placed them on the carved bed. The imperial doctor who was there in Zao Hou fixed his eyes and told Shen Jue that it was only a flesh wound, not a bone, and it would be fine to take it slowly for a while. As he spoke, he put medicine on Xia Houlin and wrapped it with a bandage. Shen Jue was not at ease, so he asked several times, and wrote down all the supplements he should take before he felt at ease.
Xia Houlin slept in the bed curtain, Shen Jue ordered someone to bring water, twisted the handkerchief and dipped it in the water to wipe the dirt on his face. There were looming scars under the white ramie jacket. Shen Jue undid the jacket, and the scars all over his body came into view. Light and pale, lying across the bronze chest and abdominal muscles. This man's body seemed to have been slashed by thousands of knives, and his flesh was barely intact. Looking up, there is a long-standing wound on the right shoulder. The stitches have been stitched, and the skin is tightened at the wound, slightly sunken, like a long gully.
It was sewn by Shen Jue himself.
The name can be changed, the face can be changed, but the body cannot be changed. It's him, it's really him, Xia Houlin.
Shen Jue's tears fell, and he turned his head to see the Xingyue Bodhi lying on the head of the bed. He picked up the Bodhi seed and wrapped it around Xia Houlin's wrist hanging by his side. The dark red beads are lustrous and shiny, like red beans, holding his thoughts and prayers that he has been thinking about for many years.
It turns out that there is a Buddha in this world, and they all heard his wishes.
But what he did was too ruthless, too extreme, the Buddha wanted to punish him, and good fortune wanted to play tricks on him. They sent everyone back to him, but they wanted him to destroy him with his own hands.
Tears fell on the beads drop by drop, Shen Jue fell down deeply, put her forehead on Xia Houlin's arm, and closed her eyes. It is prayer and repentance.
———
It was already afternoon when Xia Houlin woke up.
The green satin curtain blocked the light. He opened his eyes and saw the shadows of the tables and chairs outside. The mattress under him was unbelievably soft, and he felt as if he was lying in a cloud. The tip of the nose is entangled with the fragrance, which is emanating from the bedding. He knew that the mattresses of rich people would incense incense. The hand was bandaged, like a big steamed bun, numb and painful.
He sat up and lifted the curtain, only to realize that the jacket on his body had also been changed. The half-old Hang Luo underwear is so light that it can't feel the weight when it hangs on the body. It was passed through by someone else, and it seemed to carry the temperature and breath of that person, and rushed to the tip of his nose in waves.
This house belongs to someone else. There is a carved step bed, a couch with eight immortals surrounded by Luohan, a back chair and footstool made of water mill nanmu, and a two-foot-high cloisonne square bottle stands beside the door. After sleeping for too long, Xia Houlin's head is still a little confused. Whose is this room? He stood up and walked a few steps barefooted. There was a golden silk embroidered python robe with a red bottom hanging on the wall. He suddenly understood that it was Shen Jue.
On the sandalwood hanger hung his black ramie cloth, which looked like steamed buns in both hands. After staying in the house for too long, the light outside was dazzling, Xia Houlin squinted his eyes and got used to it for a while, before he could see the small courtyard in front of him, the green brick floor, the two jars of kangaroo under the steps, withered, and there was a pear outside the wall Tree.
Like Qiuwuyuan.
The past was like a crow's feather, and he seemed to see two teenagers from many years ago, one was reading a book, the other was looking for a grasshopper in a flower pot. He slowly sat down on the steps and stared at the courtyard in a daze.
A woman walked in through the door of the Moon Cave, raised her eyes to see him, and said "Yeah".
He stood up, bowed to her, and said, "This aunt, I don't know where the factory owner is, please lead the way."
"You said that you are still weak, why did you get up?" The woman limped over and grabbed his elbow, "Return to aunt? You used to call me sister, how come you are now aunt? Curse me for getting old faster than you, right? I'm Lianxiang, Xiaolin, don't you recognize me?"
Xia Houlin was stunned, his eyes widened and he called out, "Sister Lianxiang?"
The woman had a bright smile, a round face, and a pair of eyes that curled into a smile. The clouds on the temples were fluffy and swept upwards. A swallow bun was combed upside down on the back of her head, and osmanthus hair oil was smeared. She was wearing a moon-white solid gauze dress, and she slanted to the left when walking, because her legs and feet were broken when she was in the Xie Mansion.
After many years of absence, Lianxiang has changed a lot. She looked much richer, she combed her hair in a bun, and seemed to be married. Unexpectedly, Shen Jue could find Lianxiang back, and Xia Houlin felt very happy.
"Hey, you kid, you are such an adult and you are so worried." Lian Xiang held his hand and asked, "Look at how swollen it is, I don't know how long it will take to raise it back."
In fact, this was considered a minor injury to Xia Houlin, no injuries or bones, but it was a little uncomfortable when he was tortured. When he was still wandering in the mountains of corpses and the sea of blood, several times he walked around from Lord Yama and came back. This little injury was really trivial to him. Xia Houlin said it was all right, and Lianxiang asked him, "Are you hungry? I'll go to the kitchen to get you some food."
Xia Houlin shook his head again, he didn't have time to eat for the time being, and he still had a lot of questions he wanted to ask Shen Jue. After asking, I want to apologize.
Xia Houlin said, "Sister Lianxiang, where is the young master? I want to find him."
"Are you really hungry?" Lian Xiang didn't answer, and asked him again, seeing Xiahou shaking his head, he said, "Before I go to see the young master, I want to take you somewhere."
Xia Houlin was confused, but still followed Lianxiang.
Along the way, Lian Xiang chatted with him, and he knew how Lian Xiang met Shen Jue and entered Shen Mansion. Lianxiang is already a woman and a mother. She is crippled and can't find her husband's family. She married at the age of 20. Later, he went to Beijing to seek a living, and when he was selling flatbread on the road, he happened to meet Shen Jue who was passing by on horseback. She didn't dare to recognize it at first, she shouted to her brother Xie Jinglan, Shen Jue looked over, she knew it must be the young master.
Shen Jue took their family into the house to manage, the man worked in the back kitchen, and she was the house's big housekeeper. A few days ago, Shen Jueming had fallen from power. She and her husband and children went to Situ's house for refuge, and only returned after Shen Jue killed Wei De. Her man didn't know anything yet, and thought it was Lianxiang's good luck, and she followed suit. Lian Xiang pursed her lips and smiled, pulling Xia Houlin across the waist door.
"Young master told me a few times about you, but I don't know everything. But I don't have the heart to know so much. I, as long as you two are safe and sound." Lian Xiang lifted her skirt, crossed the threshold, and entered. the door. She pointed to the front, Xia Houlin looked up, there were two big characters on the ebony plaque - "Ancestral Hall", with a vertical couplet on each side, looking in, the courtyard was deep, and the shadows of the trees swayed. This ancestral hall is very strange. Other people's ancestral halls often have surnames written on them, such as Xie's ancestral hall and Li's ancestral hall, but there are only two bare characters on the plaque here.
In the center of the ancestral hall is a sandalwood shelf, on which Hengbo lies. Behind Hengbo is an offering table. There are only two spirit cards, one on the left and one on the right. It is quiet and peaceful, as if waiting for many, many years.
Xia Houlin walked in in a daze. He had a very strange feeling in his heart, as if there was a thread that held him, led him, and let him go inside.
"Go in and have a look, Xiaolin."
Xia Houlin glanced at her, his lips moved, but he didn't speak. Step over the threshold with your feet up and walk in slowly. The further inward, the clearer the words on the spiritual card on the left. There is a blue and white porcelain jar behind the spirit card, which is not very big, like a wine jar.
That's the urn.
As he walked away, tears came out. He looked back at Lianxiang, who was still standing by the threshold, waving his handkerchief to drive him away, "Go in, she's been waiting for you for a long time."
He turned his head and walked in step by step, stepping on the moss spreading on the stairs, stepping on the dark blue shadows of the swirling trees, the light spots reflected on his face, shaking and moving. It seemed that he had gone through many years before entering that silent ancestral hall.
The transverse wave knife lay quietly on the knife holder, the scabbard of the dark shark skin restrained all the sharp brilliance, and it was simple and silent. The red sandalwood spirit card has her name written in block letters. A few years ago, this name was in the mouths of countless people in the blood and rain, and it was well known to every household and the world.
The grievances and joys and sorrows that have been accumulated in my heart for years, turned into tears, and burst out from my eyes. He knelt down, buried his head between his arms, and burst into tears.
"Why don't you go in and see him?" Lian Xiang asked the man leaning against the wall.
Shen Jue missed half of his body and looked across the courtyard to Xiahou Lin who was kneeling in the ancestral hall. All he could see was Xia Houlin's black back, trembling mournfully like a dead leaf in the frost wind.
Shen Jue shook his head, clearly looking forward to today for so many years, dreaming, not dreaming. But when he came to the door, he was afraid. What he was afraid of, he didn't know. He walked on the tip of the knife for so long, never knowing what to be afraid of, but at this moment, his heart was suspended and he couldn't let it go.
Xia Houlin stayed in the ancestral hall for a long time. The shadow of the sun slanted westward, the orange sunlight shone in, and the ground was covered with a layer of tiger stripes. Xia Houlin came out and asked Lianxiang where Shen Jue was, and Lianxiang pointed him in the direction. Where the finger points, the horizon is red with fire, the corridor is deep, and the red maple floats down and squeaks under the feet. The man was sitting deep in the corridor, revealing a lonely white back.
He wasn't wearing a swirl, and his long hair was scattered behind him like splashing ink. He was dressed in plain dark clothes. After taking off the frozen three-foot coldness and the unattainable nobleness, only a slender and tall figure is left, sitting in the courtyard, listening to the sound of autumn in the courtyard.
Xia Houlin walked over and sat down beside him.
A glass of wine in the spring breeze of peaches and plums, and ten years of light in the night and rain in the rivers and lakes.
They didn't ask anything, they didn't say anything, the two sat side by side, the sky was full of rustling wind, the maple leaves were rustling, and the edge was lined with the dazzling light of the setting sun, like it was burning. It seems that there is only this small courtyard left in the world. The wind is blowing, and the sky is light and clouds are hovering on the ground. The unpruned potted plants and trees outside the basin are plucking, like a small whisper, and the tide is coming.
Gradually, the wind stopped, everything was quiet, the leaves perched at their feet, and a clumsy ant climbed up and down again.
Xia Houlin asked softly, "Young master, you said before that you would let me be your chief minister and look after your home and nursing home, does that count?"
Does it count
The wind picked up again, Shen Jue turned to look at him, the light and shadow fell into his eyes, like crushing the sun, and the darkness mixed with gold. The youth's spirit and the murderousness of the assassin both melted into a nameless Luotuo, but the heavy smile was the same as before, unabated.
Over the years, Shen Jue has had thousands of thoughts in her heart and fell asleep like a gloomy chrysalis. At this moment, she finally broke out of its cocoon and turned into a butterfly. Its colorful wings were intertwined and splendid like the clouds.
He laughed, tears soaking his eyes.
"count."
Always count.