There was a knock on the door, and Xia Xun suddenly escaped from her memories.
Qi Yan pushed the door open and entered.
Xia Xun turned her back to him: "What's the matter?"
Qi Yan said softly:
"I... have something I want to give you. You walked too fast just now."
Xia Xun turned her head and said decisively:
"No matter what, I don't need—?!"
He glanced at Qi Yan out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly saw that what he was holding in his hand was the comb that Xia Xun had given to the jailer.
Xia Xun asked in astonishment:
"—How could this thing be in your hands?!"
Qi Yan's eyes were filled with regret, he considered his words, and said to Xia Xun in a difficult way:
"A few years ago, I was the prime minister of Dali Temple, responsible for rectifying the unhealthy practice of prison guards taking bribes from prisoners. In order not to be severely punished, a pawn voluntarily confessed to me and handed over all the stolen goods left in his house to me. , that's when I saw it.
"The pawn said, a prisoner asked him to bring it to me, but I haven't seen it since I gave it to you. I asked the pawn, why didn't it be handed over to me? He told me Back then, he felt that the prisoner would die for sure, so he had no intention of really doing anything for him, but he just carried the comb with him for a few days, then returned it to him intact, and lied to him that I didn't recognize it."
Qi Yan was full of remorse:
"I'm sorry, it's not that I didn't recognize it at the time, I didn't know about it from the beginning to the end, so... For many years after that, I regretted it... I'm sorry..."
Xia Xun wanted to pretend to be meaningless, and wanted to say "no need, I've forgotten it" without any pain.
When he opened his mouth, what he heard himself say was:
"If... if you had seen it, would you... have come to see me?"
Qi Yan paused, put the comb into his palm, and wrapped his fingers tightly.
Xia Xun stared at him closely, just like when Xia Mansion ransacked the house.
And Qi Yan's reaction was exactly the same.
He didn't answer his question, didn't meet his eyes, his throat rolled up and down, but he never said a word.
Xia Xun was no longer silent, and asked in a cold voice:
"Is this question difficult to answer? Then what's the point of you telling me this?"
He suddenly raised his hand and threw the comb out of the window forcefully:
"I don't need it anymore, since you don't want it either, just throw it away."
Qi Yan's gaze closely followed the comb, falling into the pitch-black night outside the house.
Xia Xun took two steps sideways:
"If you have nothing to do, please come back."
When Qi Yan walked out of the room, Xia Xun thought he had just left, so he slowly lowered his head and took a few deep breaths.
Outside the window was a dense bush of golden cherry blossoms, and the comb he threw out just now fell into the low and flourishing bushes.
After a while, he heard a noise outside the window, and raised his eyes unconsciously.
It turned out that Qi Yan did not leave, but bent down and got into the flowers.
He bowed his waist and kept groping among the flowers and leaves with his bare hands.
He was looking for the comb.
The leaves of the golden cherry have thorns on the edge, Yuzhu was cut through the ear once, and its ear is still covered with hair, and there is still a bloody mouth cut by the leaf, not to mention Qi Yan's palm.
In the vast night sky, even the moonlight was blocked by clouds, Qi Yan felt the darkness, and probed inch by inch across the land under the flowers.
Xia Xun stared blankly at his figure, motionless.
After a long time, Qi Yan finally found it in the depths of the flowers. He picked it up, went back to the room, and pressed it in Xia Xun's hand again.
His palms were covered with fine bruises, and there was wet and sticky mud between his fingers.
He fixed his eyes on Xia Xun, and Xia Xun also looked back at him.
He thought that Qi Yan was finally going to say something to him, but after a long silence, Qi Yan just whispered:
"It's getting late, let's rest."
Without waiting for Xia Xun to speak again, he walked out with heavy steps.
Xia Xun's eyes followed him, watching him drift away.
In the winding corridor, his clothes were immersed in the night, and his hair fluttered in the wind, looking decadent and out of place.
That night, there was a strong wind all night.
On the second day, the capital officially entered autumn.
Xia Xun woke up early in the morning with a dry itchy throat. After breakfast, she suddenly started coughing.
Qi Yan wants to invite a doctor for him.
He said, "No, I'll go to the clinic to get the medicine myself."
If Qi Yan objected, he was about to say it, and when the words came to his lips, he turned around and swallowed them again.
He understood why Xia Xun wanted to go by himself.
Xia Xun stayed in the Qi Mansion, and was bored all day long. In the past, Zhigui would chat with him to relieve boredom, but now there is only a pond of koi to keep him company.
He was very poor and bored every day, if he stayed like this, even if Qi Yan didn't let him go out, he would sneak out over the wall himself.
Qi Yan thought for a moment, nodded and agreed:
"...Okay, let's go, Ruiji Temple in the east of the city—"
Xia Xun interrupted him:
"I know any medical clinics in the city. I grew up here."
Qi Yan took out a money bag from his sleeve and put it in his hand:
"Even if you know the capital city like the back of your hand, you don't have any money with you? Use it, don't be stingy, ask the doctor to get you some good medicine, and I will check it when I come back."
Xia Xun said dissatisfiedly: "You don't know much about medicine, so what's the use of showing you?"
Qi Yan looked at him with eyes:
"Do you still want to go out?"
Xia Xun curled her lips and grabbed his purse:
"You pay the money, you have the final say."
This time, he was finally able to walk out from the gate of Qi Mansion in an open and honest manner.
The carriage stopped outside the door, waiting to send Qi Yan to court.
Looking at the busy street, Xia Xun took a deep breath and sighed:
"This is the smell of freedom."
Qi Yan was very worried:
"Maybe there are people in the city who can recognize you. You'd better wear a drapery hat to be safe."
Xia Xun didn't want to hear him talking, so she took a few steps down the steps:
"I'm leaving, I'll be back before dark!"
Qi Yan raised her eyebrows:
"It's dark? It's just going to a medical clinic. You can-"
Xia Xun raised her hand with her back to him, and at the same time quickly quickened her pace, walked to the corner of the street, turned to the right, and disappeared into the crowd after a while.
After he left, Qi Hui asked:
"My lord let the young master go away alone, are you not worried that he will leave the capital?"
Qi Yan withdrew his gaze:
"... No, he had too many opportunities to leave in Gyeongju before, but he still stayed."
Qi Hui felt happy for him: "Does that mean that the young master treats your lord—?"
Qi Yan was noncommittal:
"Not necessarily, he may have some unfulfilled wish."
Qi Hui asked again:
"Do you need to send someone to follow secretly to protect your son's safety?"
Qi Yan shook his head:
"If it was him in the past, I would definitely do this, but now... now he is sharp, smart and cautious, and no longer needs my protection..."
He stepped into the car: "Let's go, it's about o'clock."
The carriage carried the two masters and servants, and drove steadily towards the palace.
Xia Xun felt more and more comfortable as she walked on the bustling street, even her coughing stopped unconsciously.
He was like a bird that had lived in a cage for a long time, finally escaped and returned to the familiar forest.
Right now, at the beginning of the day, the number of people on the street is gradually increasing.
The hawkers who buy breakfast are yelling and serving delicious food from the steaming pot or steamer.
Xia Xun walked through the noisy crowd, feeling down-to-earth.
He temporarily stayed away from the painful past, the lover he loved desperately when he was young, and the love-hate entanglement that bound him like a shackle.
He returned to the place where he grew up, and the few happy childhood memories related to this city gradually came to mind.
He showed a relaxed smile, more refreshing.
Next, he will go down this road and walk to the pharmacy where he visited when he was young. The owner of the pharmacy should be the same uncle. He gave Xia Xun a lot of candy when he was a child.
That's how it should be.
— until Xia Xun got lost.
He stood under the familiar door, but did not see the familiar shop.
The location of the original medicine store has become a wine shop, the door of the wine shop is closed, and it will not open until evening to welcome customers.
He looked around, seven years had passed, and except for the tall door, everything else in this lifang was no longer what he remembered.
Xia Xun couldn't help feeling a little bit of regret when she thought about boasting to Qi Yan before.
He scratched his head:
"...Where did the Ruiji Temple he mentioned come from? East of the city?"
Ruiji Temple is not as famous as other big medical clinics in central Beijing. The quaint two-story building is hidden in a half-acre bamboo forest in the east of the city, and its location is quite hidden.
Most of the people who come here to see a doctor and get medicine are old customers, or they are introduced by acquaintances, or people living in the surrounding area.
Xia Xun appeared in front of the counter with a fresh face, and immediately attracted the attention of the little apprentice, who quickly stepped forward to greet him:
"Is the young master here to see a doctor?"
Xia Xun told him:
"I cough as soon as autumn comes. It's an old problem. I know the prescription. Let me tell you, you can just get me the medicine, and you don't need to see a doctor."
The little apprentice disagrees:
"That can't be done! Human internal organs, six internal organs, seven meridians and eight collaterals are quite complicated, and there are various entanglements with each other. If you don't go through our doctor's pulse, Ruiji Temple would not dare to give you medicine! You should not take it wrong I don’t think coughing is a serious illness, just in case—"
Xia Xun grabbed his arm so that he didn't have to say:
"Okay, okay, I understand, you can find a doctor."
The little apprentice pointed to the second floor:
"My master is upstairs, and he is showing it to others. You just go up and wait outside his room!"
Xia Xun went up the stairs and came to the corridor on the second floor. There were several different rooms here, and a faint voice could be heard from one of the rooms.
Xia Xun followed the voice and stepped forward.
There is no door in this room, only a thin gauze curtain hangs over the door frame as a cover.
In the room, the gray-haired doctor was concentrating on taking the pulse of the patient, but he didn't notice Xia Xun outside the door.
Xia Xun waited patiently.
It was a lady who saw the doctor, and there was a little maid standing beside her.
Seeing that the doctor felt the pulse for so long without making a sound, the little servant girl couldn't help being a little anxious, and urged in a low voice:
"Doctor, you also know that my wife is not allowed to enter Beijing according to the law! If someone sees you and reports to the government, we will be in trouble! Please hurry up!"
The doctor seemed to be very aware of the hidden meaning, and said in relief:
"Ma'am, don't worry, this old man's place is clean and remote, and there are very few strangers. You have been here many times before, have you ever made a mistake?"
Madam said a few words, Xia Xun could not hear clearly.
He wondered, when did Beijing have such a strange law that specifically restricted a woman from entering Beijing
Out of curiosity, he sized up his wife.
She is dressed like an ordinary family, there is no expensive hairpin on her head, and the side face that Xia Xun can see is only a little makeup, she is not from a dignified family.
Xia Xun felt even more weird, how could ordinary people be treated like this
After the doctor took the pulse, he picked up his pen and began to write the prescription. The wife turned her head and looked at the words he was writing.
When Xia Xun saw her face, he was taken aback and couldn't help gasping.
—Madam is none other than his sister Xia Yin.