All the students were taking the exam in the courtyard, and the atmosphere in Biyong Hall was very solemn, completely different from the noisy atmosphere in Mingtang. It seemed that after entering this gate, everyone became serious involuntarily, not daring to be presumptuous.
The courtyard is full of flowers, reflecting the blue sky, like a beautiful picture. The gentleman came over to hand out the test paper. The entrance examination was only one morning. Duan Ling glanced at the tree outside the courtyard at first, not knowing that Li Jianhong was sitting Which tree looked at himself, searched in circles to no avail, then buried his head and began to answer the paper.
An hour later, Duan Ling answered nearly halfway, rubbed his hands, looked up and looked again, and saw that Li Jianhong was just outside the wall, leaning on the branches of the tree closest to him, dangling on his feet. Go, eat candied haws.
Duan Ling: "..."
Li Jianhong showed another bunch of candied haws to Duan Ling, and motioned to buy it for him, so that he could take the test.
Duan Ling didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and suddenly remembered that Li Jianhong should have just arrived, what did he do? Have you been climbing trees for an hour
Two hours later, the sun was scorching hot.
"Rewind," the examiner said.
The test room was like boiling water, all the candidates started talking at once, the examiner coughed, and the room fell silent. The candidates stood up one after another, saluted the examiner, and said in unison, "Thank you, sir." Then they queued up in order.
Duan Ling came out and ran under the tree outside the yard. When he looked up, he was nowhere to be seen. He was inexplicable. He turned his head to look around, but was picked up by Li Jianhong. He laughed and took him home.
"Go take a shower first, and I'll take you to play at night." Li Jianhong said.
Duan Ling reminded: "The list will be released tomorrow!"
Li Jianhong replied, "It's okay, come back and spend the night."
The father and son had lunch outside and came back after taking a bath. Li Jianhong coaxed Duan Ling to take a nap for a while on the grounds that he got up too early. When he woke up, it was sunset. Li Jianhong took new clothes for him. Duan Ling wears.
Duan Ling: "?"
The new clothes are made of luxurious materials, made of high-quality black brocade, embroidered with white tiger patterns. Boot belt, all new.
"Where did you do it?" Duan Ling asked.
"It's been done a long time ago." Li Jianhong said, "I got it back today, just when you took the test."
"What do you mean?" Duan Ling put on his new robe and looked in the mirror, almost not recognizing himself. The new clothes were obviously cut according to the size of his old clothes, and he wore a bright black brocade robe, and the white tiger pattern woven with silver threads was lifelike.
"What kind of clothes are these?" Duan Ling asked.
"This is the king's suit." Li Jianhong replied, "The emperor's robe is a dragon, and the king obeys the western white tiger. The white tiger is the god of soldiers, and it means protecting the country, so the military talisman is also called the tiger talisman."
Li Jianhong put on a robe that was almost identical to Duan Ling's. Duan Ling's eyes lit up when he saw his father in the mirror.
"How?" Li Jianhong asked casually.
"Okay...Okay..." Duan Ling almost didn't know Li Jianhong.
From the day they met, Li Jianhong wore a cloth robe, his hair was tied at will, and he did not clean up himself. Now he has changed into a royal robe, and just stood there quietly, exuding an aura, the jade tree is close to the wind, and it is more kind The majesty of the king over the world.
"Where are you going?" Duan Ling asked.
"Go to a place you don't really want to go." Li Jianhong said, "Qionghuayuan."
Duan Ling's face twitched, with an expression like "Wearing so formal is actually going to prostitute". Compared with a few years ago, Duan Ling has heard a lot of things that he shouldn't know.
"I knew it was this expression." Li Jianhong said happily, "Go see an old friend and do nothing else."
Duan Ling looked suspicious and said, "Really?"
"You've been staring at the whole time. If you say anything that makes you unhappy, you can come up and scratch your ears at any time." Li Jianhong said with a smile.
"You said it yourself." Duan Ling glanced at Li Jianhong and looked at him intently, thinking that his father was too handsome.
"You can't just go like this." Li Jianhong took two more masks from the table, put them on Duan Ling's face, and asked him to put them on.
Duan Ling: "???"
The mask came in from the temples, covering most of his face. It was made of cowhide, revealing Li Jianhong's towering nose bridge and moist lips, and it had a more captivating sense of mystery and beauty.
After Duan Ling put on the mask, Li Jianhong asked him to take out the jade Huang and tied it to his waist pendant.
Duan Ling tied another piece of jade to his father's waist.
"Let's go." Li Jianhong took Duan Ling's hand and went out in the twilight.
There was a carriage waiting outside the door. The driver opened the curtain and asked the two of them to get on the carriage.
"Did anyone see this car coming?" Li Jianhong asked in the car.
"Don't worry," replied the coachman.
The car turned around in the alley, not following the usual route, passing through the two main streets, then heading towards the small alley, passing through the west city where many official residences were located, Fang returned to the main road, and walked slowly towards the road. Qionghua walked in the courtyard and stopped outside the back door.
The summer night was sultry, the clouds were dense, the moon was not visible, and the war was tense. Now, there was more anxiety than usual, shrouding the whole city. No laughter was heard in the Qionghua courtyard, only colorful lanterns hung quietly.
"Meet the king."
Li Jianhong held Duan Ling's hand and walked into the corridor from the backyard. Ding Zhi personally carried the lantern, leaned sideways, and led the way carefully. The servants guarding both sides of the corridor fell to their knees one after another when Li Jianhong and Duan Ling passed by.
"Meet the king."
"Meet the king."
Duan Ling: "..."
Li Jianhong didn't nod his head, and said to Duan Ling, "Are you hungry?"
Duan Ling hurriedly shook his head, and Li Jianhong said, "You must be hungry. Sit down later and eat a little first."
"Meet the king."
The flowers were clustered together, and the remaining five women of Qionghuayuan came out of the hall one after another, and knelt down on the ground before Li Jianhong in the hall. The lady in the middle of Qionghuayuan was dressed in formal clothes, like a fire luan. Seeing Li Jianhong entering, she unfolded her robe sleeves and stepped forward.
"Meet the prince, meet the little prince." Madam said solemnly.
"Exemption."
Only then did Li Jianhong say a word, full of majesty.
The six women stepped aside, Li Jianhong asked Duan Ling to step forward and sat on the main seat, while he sat on the side, Xu Lan brought the tea tray, Qiu Jin served the tea to the wife, and the wife took the tea and put it in Li Jianhong's hand. , Li Jianhong first took a sip, and then handed it to Duan Ling. The wife served tea for Li Jianhong.
"Xunchun." Li Jianhong said.
"Yes," replied the lady.
Duan Ling always felt as if he had heard this name somewhere, but he couldn't remember it for a while, and his attention was distracted by Li Jianhong's words.
"Is someone called?" Li Jianhong said.
"Qiu Jin went to invite him." Xunchun kept looking down at the ground and replied calmly, "I must be here tonight."
"Who else is in this yard?" Li Jianhong asked.
"The person named Cai Yan is listening to music and drinking with the children of the Nanyuan family in the side yard." Xunchun replied again, "I have already sent someone to guard it, so I shouldn't break in."
"Let's have something to eat." Li Jianhong finally said, "The little prince is hungry."
Xunchun and the six daughters bowed together and retreated.
Duan Ling was a little uneasy, just because the etiquette was too solemn, Li Jianhong didn't speak, the father and son sat like this for a while, and the hall was smoked with sandalwood, and the curls dissipated.
I don't know when, Li Jianhong suddenly opened his mouth in this silence.
"If your father wasn't by your side someday, would you think?"
Duan Ling turned his head, not knowing why, looking at Li Jianhong, Li Jianhong also turned his head and looked at Duan Ling blankly.
"I think." Duan Ling said, "Are you leaving? When?"
These days, Duan Ling always had a strong premonition, a premonition and an inference that if Li Jianhong wanted to send troops to recapture the south, he would not be able to bring himself to fight, let alone accompany him.
Li Jianhong pulled the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "Not really. Once you enter the Biyong Hall, you will have to live in it. You only return home in ten days and a half. I can't bear to part with you."
Li Jianhong stretched out his hand, grabbed Duan Ling's mask with his fingers, and pushed it slowly above Duan Ling's head, staring at his face, Duan Ling also stretched out his hand and pushed his father's mask to the top of his head. Recently, he has always been thinking that when he went to study, he would have to live in the Biyong Hall, and he was often reluctant to part with it.
Li Jianhong put one hand on Duan Ling's face and said, "Take advantage of this time to see you more. When you go to war, lie in the tent and remember it all the time."
Duan Ling didn't say anything, his eyes were red. The Biyong Hall released the list tomorrow morning. After he was successfully selected, he would move in in the afternoon and start studying. Accompanying him for a few months, but in these few months, he has completely erased the suffering and tears he had suffered in the past, as if everything was worth it for the present moment.
Outside I don’t know where, the flute sounded, melodious and melodious, like thousands of flowers falling on the sky in a quiet night, fluttering with the wind.
"I've heard this song." Duan Ling said in surprise.
This was the same flute piece he had heard outside the Hall of Fame before, only this time it was softer and more tactful.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Li Jianhong stared at Duan Ling's bright eyes and murmured, "Lin Hua thanked Chunhong, too hastily. The late emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty lost his country and wrote poems. "
Duan Ling leaned against Li Jianhong's arms, and his intuition was unusual tonight. Li Jianhong brought him here, it must not be just for drinking and having fun. Just now based on his conversation with Xunchun, he knew that they had an appointment with someone.
Li Jianhong touched Duan Ling's head, lowered his head and sniffed the clean breath of his hair, the flute outside stopped, heard a soft "Madam", followed by footsteps.
"My lord." Xunchun's voice said.
"Come in." Li Jianhong said.
The hall door opened, and Ding Zhi came in with snacks, which were placed properly. It was Duan Ling's first day in Beijing. The food that Ding Zhi prepared for him was more delicate this time.
"He's here." Xunchun said.
"Bring him in later." Li Jianhong ordered.
Xunchun bowed and was about to withdraw when Li Jianhong said again: "Among the Eight Immortals, Lan, Shao, Hibiscus, Zhi, Mo, Zhi, Tang, and Juan, why are there only six women?"
"Report to your lord." Xunchun replied, "Qin Tang and Su Juan are both deceased."
Li Jianhong's expression changed, and he asked again, "When? Where?"
"The day the Liao Kingdom conquered the capital." Xunchun replied, "The 17th day of the next month will be the day of its sacrifice."
Li Jianhong nodded and asked again, "Are you playing the flute just now?"
"Yes." Xunchun kept his eyes down, Li Jianhong didn't say a word, and after a long time, Xunchun quietly withdrew.
After eating a little, Duan Ling was full, so Li Jianhong put on a mask for him and asked him to sit behind the screen. After a while, footsteps were heard outside.
"Your Majesty," the woman's voice said.
"I shouldn't have come tonight." Yelu Dashi's voice said from outside, "Madam chose to drink at this time, is there something important in life that you want to talk to this king?"
As soon as Duan Ling heard Yelu Dashi's voice, he immediately became nervous and stuck his head out to look out of the screen, but Li Jianhong smiled slightly, put one hand on Duan Ling's head, tucked him back behind the screen, turned his head, facing the screen. He made a "shush" gesture.
outside.
Xunchun replied in a quiet voice: "How can I wait for a beak on a national event? To be honest, I invited the king to come here today. Originally, there was a guest who wanted to meet the king."
"Oh?" Yelu Dashi only asked a question, a tall shadow cast on the pane, "Which one?"
"It's inside." Xunchun replied, "Your Majesty will know when you see it."
Yelu Dashi was very puzzled, Xunchun stepped forward in person, pushed open the door, but did not enter. Yelu Dashi just stood in the courtyard, with drunkenness on his face, looking into the door with drunken eyes.
Li Jianhong was leaning on the low couch outside the screen, with one foot on the tea table, his left elbow resting in front of his bent knee, wearing a mask, without even looking at Yelu Dashi, he took a sip of tea and said lightly: "Long time no see, Brother Yelu."