On the last day before leaving Mingtang and going to Biyong Hall, the master gave each child a Qinglong stone. The Qinglong stone was engraved with their respective names in Liao and Han characters, with Chinese characters on the front and Liao characters on the back.
"This is a stone from Yuheng Mountain." The master sat in the middle of the hall, drinking tea slowly, and said, "Don't forget, where did this stone come from."
More than a dozen children bowed to the Master. From today, they have completed their studies in Mingtang. In June, they must bring the letter of recommendation jointly signed by the Master and the gentlemen to Biyong Hall to take the entrance examination.
Duan Ling held the letter and suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart.
"Am I Han?" Duan Ling couldn't help asking Lang Junxia that day.
"Of course you are a Han Chinese." Lang Junxia cut fish in the kitchen, and said in a calm tone, "You are a Han Chinese among Han people."
Duan Ling was no longer the ignorant child he used to be. He was keenly aware of the words in Lang Junxia's words and asked, "What do you mean?"
Lang Junxia said casually: "It literally means, go read."
Duan Ling said, "But my surname is Duan, and I'm not one of the four surnames in the Central Plains."
Lang Junxia said: "One day you will know."
Duan Ling stood aside with his arms folded, watching Lang Junxia cut the fish. Lang Junxia's fingers were extremely dexterous, and he sliced the fish and meat like thin paper with a few touches. Duan Ling wanted to help, but Lang Junxia said, "The gentleman is far away from the kitchen and read your book."
Duan Ling only felt bored, but after spending time with Lang Junxia, he became accustomed to listening to him, so he walked to the courtyard, picked up a long stick, and danced a few times.
"When will you teach me to practice martial arts?" Duan Ling asked again, "You promised me that you would teach me horseback riding and martial arts when I finish reading from Mingtang."
"Xia is forbidden by martial arts." Lang Junxia replied, "What is good for illiterate people to learn martial arts? If you learn martial arts, you will get into trouble."
"Confucianism is messing with the law." Duan Ling said, "Isn't everyone reading the Four Books and Five Classics?"
Lang Junxia was at a loss for words, Duan Ling was clear-headed and intelligent. He was no longer the kid who said what Lang Junxia said. His mind turned very fast when he was debating, and Lang Junxia often couldn't even speak to him.
"People are knives, I am fish, if I don't learn martial arts, I will be beaten." Duan Ling replied seriously.
"In your whole life, someone will naturally protect you." Lang Junxia wiped his hands and said, "Put down the sword in your hand, pick up the case and write, the kingship is your sword, you can only do one thing well in your life, you want to Studying medicine and wanting to learn martial arts, how can you have so much heart?"
Duan Ling said, "Bu Erchijin said that no one can rely on him, he can only rely on himself."
The corners of Lang Junxia's mouth turned up slightly, and asked, "I can't be trusted either?"
Duan Ling: "You will naturally protect me, but if you... are also in danger, how can I protect you?"
"I can't protect you." Lang Junxia said casually, "It's my fault, if one day, if I don't die, someone will come to kill me, but it doesn't matter, after I die, there will naturally be someone who will come to replace you one after another. Blocking the sword and swallowing the sword..."
Lang Junxia was halfway through speaking, but Duan Ling rubbed against his back and said, "No, I'm going to stand in front of you." Then he turned and walked away.
The light of the sky shone in and threw it on the chopping board, and Lang Junxia's finger was lightly scratched by the blade at some point, but he didn't notice it.
Duan Ling erected the clothesline in the backyard and hung up the two men's white-washed shirts and thin trousers. In the days since he moved into his new home, Lang Junxia has never hired servants, and he takes care of the daily living and meals. When Duan Ling was in school, Lang Junxia still visited him from time to time and brought some things into the famous hall.
During the holidays, Lang Junxia would take care of food and clothing, so that Duan Ling had everything he needed and never lacked.
Duan Ling is sometimes strange. When he asked Lang Junxia where the money came from, Lang Junxia only replied that he didn't need to worry.
In the early spring, when Duan Ling was lazily reading, Lang Junxia sat on his knees to polish his ink, light incense, and prepared a hot towel to wipe his hands. Duan Ling was lazy, but felt a strange emotion in his heart, and he was restless. Seeing that Lang Junxia had gone out, he crept out of the room again and took a shovel to the flowerbed to take care of the flowers he planted.
When he was in Runan, Duan Ling often watched the gardener plant flowers, prune branches, and move stems, so he loved this business. Lang Junxia tried to persuade him several times to no avail, so he had to let him go without delaying his studies.
Reading, reading, always reading... Although Duan Ling does not reject reading, but reading too much always makes him feel bored. Cai Yan was two years older than him. He had already gone to Biyong Hall, but Batu had no intention of studying. After leaving Mingtang, he didn’t know where he went, and he didn’t even say goodbye. Duan Ling went to him several times, but he never saw him. Extraordinary. Batu's house was dark, dark and terrifying, and his father glared at Duan Ling and told him not to come again because he was a Han Chinese.
Helianbo's mother was very kind. Perhaps it was because of the friendship between the Han people and Dangxiang. She took Duan Ling's hand to ask questions, and thanked him for taking care of her stuttering son.
Without going to the famous hall or entering the Biyong Pavilion, Duan Ling often planted flowers at home.
On this day, he carefully dug out a peony seedling and moved it to another pit. Lang Junxia's voice suddenly sounded from behind: "I have to hire a gardener to take care of it another day, so as not to break your heart."
Duan Ling was taken aback and almost broke his roots, saying, "I can take care of it myself."
"You have to take the exam in June." Lang Junxia frowned slightly and said, "Look at your uneasy appearance."
Duan Ling stretched and said, "I'll read later."
Lang Junxia said again: "I also have to bring the whole ring ruler, otherwise, when you leave the school, no one will hit you on the palm of your hand, and you will not be able to control you."
Duan Ling laughed, Lang Junxia never beat him, even if he blamed him, he didn't have much emotion, he didn't have great joy or sorrow, just like a bamboo under the pavilion, standing quietly.
"Or take you to Qionghuayuan for one night?" Lang Junxia asked.
Duan Ling's face suddenly turned red, many of the children in the famous hall were already half-aged, and they were unequivocal when it came to mentioning men and women. Batu and Helianbo once took him out from under the garden fence and sneaked into Qionghuayuan, just to see Ding Zhi serving Cai Yan's brother drinking.
Duan Ling already knew a lot about Qionghuayuan, so he blushed and went into the room.
Instead, Lang Junxia said, "Why are you blushing?"
Duan Ling returned to the room and saw the shadow of Lang Junxia walking down and down the corridor. Feeling tired in the spring, he couldn't help lying on the table and fell asleep. He slept until dark in one night, and slept unsteadily at night, turning over and over again. go with. He has not slept with Lang Junxia for many years, and he can only hear a little noise from the next door occasionally.
"Drinking water?" Lang Junxia asked across the door.
Duan Ling said "Ai" but did not respond, feeling that Lang Junxia seemed to be sitting outside and did not leave.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Duan Ling turned over and asked half asleep.
"Can't sleep." Lang Junxia said, "I'll sit for a while."
The weather was fine the next day. When I woke up in the morning, Lang Junxia said outside, "Duan Ling, I'm going out to do some errands. I'm not here during the day, so I'll be back in the evening."
Duan Ling responded in a daze, and was still sleepy on the couch. The warm sunlight came in from the pane and fell on his face. Duan Ling moved his head away to avoid the sunlight.
The sun turned a little again, and Duan Ling moved a little further, moving around with the sun to avoid the sun on his face.
Li Jianhong stood outside the window pane and looked at Duan Ling in silence. He was dressed in dust and sackcloth, and his dry lips trembled slightly.
"He is my son." Li Jianhong said.
"Yes, Your Highness." Lang Junxia replied, then took out a yellowed birthday card from his arms, and presented it to Li Jianhong with both hands.
Li Jianhong didn't answer, or even glanced at the birth certificate, Lang Junxia said in a low voice, "When the princess went south along the Yubi Pass and returned to Duan's house, she was pregnant and Shangzi fell. … The only one who is saved is this child.”
Li Jianhong's wrist is full of knife marks, and there is even a scar under his ear. He embarked on the road of escape a few years ago, and was chased and killed by Nanchen assassins. I am even more afraid that this only son will be implicated, and he does not dare to rashly go north.
After recovering from his wounds, he disappeared in the sacred mountain of the Xianbei people, the hometown of Lang Junxia, then entered Goryeo, mixed into the guest caravan, and went to Xiqiang, until it was confirmed that the people in the Nanchen court thought he was dead. Transferred to Shangjing.
This journey took him too long, and in the end there was only that illusory belief that supported him. When he came to the place agreed with Lang Junxia, he didn't dare to move, he couldn't believe it, and he didn't even dare to guess what was waiting for him.
The biggest possibility is that there is nothing. Once he knocks on that door, he will usher in the fate of complete and eternal loneliness.
Fortunately, God treated him well, and still left a light for him on the dark road ahead.
In this vast river of life and death, a boat was reserved for him.
The lamp was dim and flickering, but it illuminated his whole life.
The moment he saw Duan Ling, he finally got some kind of redemption.
His eyes were like a pool of autumn water, and his whole body exuded invisible power, but at this time, there was a gentle color in his eyes.
"My son's eyebrows are his mother's." Li Jianhong said, "The lips look like my father's, and they are the lips of my Li family."
"Yes, Your Highness." Lang Junxia replied.
Li Jianhong stared at Duan Ling who was sleeping. In the past five years, Duan Ling has grown a lot. His lips are warm, his outline is beautiful, and the bridge of his nose is high and straight, just like Li Jianhong.
"Thirteen years old this year." Lang Junxia still held the paper in both hands and said, "Birthday on the sixth day of December."
"Yes, yes, it was in February of that year." Li Jianhong murmured, "Xiao Wan left me and went back to the south."
"This subordinate is incompetent." Lang Junxia said, "I made mistakes again and again, neither protecting the princess nor responding to His Highness. That night, the subordinate went to Hu Chang to look for His Highness, but was blocked by Wu Du..."
"No." Li Jianhong said word by word, "Lang Junxia, your mistakes will be written off from now on."
Duan Ling turned around, the sun shone on his still childish face, Li Jianhong couldn't help but take a step forward, almost hitting the window pane.
He looked at Duan Ling, as if a traveler in the desert under the scorching sun was exhausted, and when he was dying, he found that an oasis finally appeared in the distance—
- Full of longing and fear, for fear that he is just a mirage at the end of the world, billowing with smoke.