14.
Throughout this summer, the most discussed topic in Jiumeng City was the unresolved marriage between Queen Long Rong and Prince Beihong. People started talking about how much the princess's dowry would be, and worried about whether her slender physique could withstand the bumps of the road. As for the appearance of the fiancé who was thousands of miles away, how much had been rumored? There were eleven versions, and it was not until a moderate fire broke out in the Anwana district in late summer that people's attention was diverted away.
In the late summer, Jiumengcheng is the most moody, often the sun is shining one second, and the next second it is raining. When Shang Hailian came out of No. 9 Qipan Street, he was sneezed several times by the Tao Ran water vapor outside the door. The carriage was parked in a stable on the street, some distance from the door, and the old lady in the house hurriedly gave him a Umbrella came out and asked him if he had a cold, should he drink some medicine before leaving.
"I don't know what's going on recently. The Chenming Palace is fine. Many people in the Anwana area are sick. His lord's friend is a doctor. There is already a long line of people going to seek medical treatment," the old lady reminded Said, "Although you don't often go there now, you should be careful."
Hai Lian replied vaguely, "I'm not sick, maybe I'm just a little tired because of the recent travel preparations."
"I know you are going to go to Taiyan with the Queen's Royal Highness soon, but judging by your complexion these days, what if you get tired before you start?" The old lady scolded, and came over with two more paper bags, " One is for you, and the other is for Xiaoyu. When you go to Chuizhiting, remember to remind her not to bury her head in reading and not doing activities every day, and go out more with other girls!"
Hai Lian nodded with a wry smile. He shook off the umbrella, and suddenly remembered something, and turned around and said: "His Royal Highness may stay in Dongzhou for half a year this time. If you are in doubt about something in the magazine, just ask the lord directly, he will make the decision."
The old lady smiled: "Don't worry."
Hai Lian held an umbrella and ran to the stables. It was the time when Chenming Palace had classes in the afternoon, and the Qipan Street was quiet and quiet. There were only three or two children playing with a ball under the eaves. When Hai Lian passed by, he heard them patting the ball while Chirping and cooing a nursery rhyme:
The butterfly fell into the amber,
Monkeys were stoned to death too;
The crown fell among the buttercup bushes,
The barefoot boy picked it up,
worn on his head;
The black crow twittered,
It says thief, thief, hang him quickly!
The young man paused slightly as he stepped on the water splash.
He turned his head to look at the children playing, it seemed that something mixed with the melody flashed through his mind, but he couldn't catch it. The children noticed his scrutinizing gaze, shyly let out a strange cry and hid in the house, and the big cat sleeping in the corner next to it also meowed lazily. The coachman not far away had already seen Hailian in the rain, and hurriedly drove over, "Sorry, I didn't see that you had gone out just now. Are you going to Chuizhi Court or the Public Security Department?"
The baron shook his head and put the song behind him: "Let's go to Chuizhi Court."
This was originally just a small episode in the trip, and even the places worth remembering were washed away by the rain. What Shang Hailian didn't know was that after many years, failing to tell others this nursery rhyme that he had only heard once would become the thing he regretted most when he dreamed back at midnight.
When the carriage creaked to a stop in front of the Chuizhi Court, the shower had just stopped, and the scent of orange blossoms soaked in the rain was tangy, just like the laughter of Yingyingyanyan coming from the entrance of the hall not far away.
The girls in Chuizhiting surrounded a young man and said something. The other party's handsome face was filled with bewilderment, and he was stammering back. When he saw him, he looked at him as if he saw a savior. Waving again and again: "Hai Lian!"
Helian greeted back: "Flo."
Haizhongjue is a frequent visitor of Chuizhiting, and the girls around Flo greeted him with a smile, "Are you going to call Xiaoyu? She is still reading in the bookstore."
"Let her concentrate on reading," Hai Lian said, "I'll look for her later."
The ladies dispersed, leaving only Flo and Hailian in the hall. The young man who was hijacked in the carriage during the Sea God Festival was standing in front of him with a smile at this moment. Flo was still wearing a clean and straight military uniform, and the gold ornaments on his chest shone like a small sun. The young man smiled at him, "Long time no see. I wanted to invite you to go hunting last month, but Ake said that you went to sea..."
"Well, I just came back a few days ago." Hailian took off his gloves and put them in his pockets.
"Then..." Flo hesitated, "Are you still free?"
"No time," Hailian shook his head, "I promise to go to Dongzhou with Her Royal Highness, and we will leave in a few days."
Flo was surprised: "You want to follow?"
"Anyway, I'm staying in Jiumeng City, and no nobleman will send me an invitation to attend some kind of banquet." Hailian raised an eyebrow, "Why don't you go to Dongzhou for a visit."
Unexpectedly, the person on the other side blushed, "I wanted to invite you, but..."
"I'm just joking, don't always be paranoid." Hailian waved his hands indifferently, "By the way, why didn't you guard the palace and came here instead? Why, which lady over here do you like?" gone?"
Flo's face turned redder, and he quickly waved his hands: "No, today is His Majesty discussing matters with His Royal Highness, so I will escort you here, and there is..."
"What is it?"
"No, it's nothing." Flo shook his head, he looked at Hailian with some embarrassment, "Otherwise I..."
Before the words were finished, the door of the inner room was opened with a bang, and the two turned their heads, only to see a golden figure angrily walking out from inside, "——if you really have the consciousness of an imperial sister, you should think more of me. think!"
It's Berensu. Now the young man is the king of a country with more than 10,000 people. He is no longer like the submissive air he had when he was in the old house in Yingguishan, but this sudden huge power made his originally handsome face more manic. with arrogance.
"I'm just saying that I hope you don't be impulsive and think long-term..." Another female voice also hurried out from the door, "You have just grown up, there is no need to talk to him—" Long Rong followed behind Bei Renxu, who was originally angry. The expression stopped immediately after seeing Hailian and Flo, and changed into a helpless smile, "Forget it, I will write another letter, and let Flo get it when the time comes."
Belen Xu wrinkled his nose and grudgingly hummed in satisfaction. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the commander of the imperial guards and the baron beside him, and his brows that had just stretched out wrinkled again: "Shang Hailian..."
"Your Majesty." Hailian didn't want to continue the war with the opponent, so he stood up slowly and bowed to him.
"I heard from Sister Wang that you want to go to Beihong with her?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Since Sister Wang trusts you, you must ensure the safety of Sister Wang on this journey. As for yourself," he glanced at Hailian, and said coldly, "Why don't you just stay in your hometown and don't come back, lest always..."
"Your Majesty." Long Rong frowned.
The little kid couldn't get used to him for a day or two, Hailian smiled without saying a word, and made a gesture of invitation to the king again. Bei Lunxu snorted softly, took the scepter handed by the lady, and walked out of Chuizhi Court in a swaggering manner.
Flo also smiled apologetically at the two of them, and quickly whispered to Hai Lian, "I'll see you some other day," before leaving behind Belen Xu.
"What happened just now?" When Hai Lian was pulled into the inner room by Long Rong, she subconsciously looked back at the empty gate.
"What else can it be?" Long Rong closed the door and sat down as if deflated. She pressed her temples and sighed, "He always feels that his wings are so thin, and he wants to be a real Mingjun."
Hai Lian didn't understand, "He wants to be his wise king, what does it have to do with you."
"Since he is a Mingjun, how can he keep powerful ministers by his side? He doesn't want to marry Simona's daughter, and he doesn't want to continue to be restricted by the duke. He is planning to find a way to send him to Monan's fief." Long Rong said He felt weak when he said these words, "I advise him not to be so anxious, at least wait until I come back from Beihong...he refuses."
Hai Lian was a little surprised, but it wasn't the matter that Long Rong said: "I thought the relationship between your siblings was not good, but I didn't expect him to come to you to discuss it?"
The princess did not answer. She half-closed her eyes, and unconsciously stroked the embroidery on the skirt with her fingers, as if searching for that little figure in her memory, before whispering after a long time, "He... is also very pitiful, Uncle Abale back then Too strong, even though he and I live in the imperial city and the other lives in Yinggui mountain, there is no difference in fact, we are both imprisoned children. Now only me and him are left in the blood of the father, and I help him, too. helping myself."
She sat up straight again, "But don't worry, I won't wrong myself just to help him. I know all about marriage." Speaking of this, Long Rong seemed to think of something, and suddenly blinked, "By the way , do you know why Belen Xu always dislikes you?"
Hai Lian curled her lips disapprovingly: "Because I'm a foreigner, and I'm a mud leg from Anwana District?"
"No." Long Rong smiled at the sea, "Actually, it's because I invited you to confer your title, and I also gave you the Lady in the Clouds. You are my close minister, and he is afraid that you will treat me badly." What you covet, so I am very wary of you."
Hailian was speechless for a while, and subconsciously took a step back: "... I don't mean that to you."
"I know." Long Rong smiled, "I know you have someone in your heart, and I also know that you may have gone to sea to meet him this time."
Hailian's expression changed instantly: "I didn't."
"Really? But Ake told me that your complexion was worse after you returned to Tisu this time than before, and you asked him to give away all the wine you secretly stored..." The princess held her chin and smiled meaningfully. "In Tisu, only people who have been hurt by their lovers will do this."
"What's so sad about me?" Hailian stared at the map on the wall, his eyes locked on some inconspicuous island, "I made a fortune this trip, and I was able to refit the Heisman, so happy very."
Her Royal Highness's smile deepened, but she didn't try to expose it, "Then let's pretend it's not there. Well, I won't tease you anymore. How did you arrange this trip?"
"It's almost there." Speaking of business, Hai Lian walked up to the map and drew an arc on it, "Go from Nymphae Islands, follow the wind from Linhai to Tianzhu Strait, disembark at Youji City, and then leave from Yanjing The canal goes straight to Taiyan."
Long Rong also came over, picked up a pen, and tapped lightly on Taiyan's coordinates. Although they are only a short distance away on the map, but actually there is a distance across the ocean and sea, the princess stared at her destination, and suddenly felt that she was just going to another prison.
"Is it a waterway all the way?" she asked.
"The land route will be arranged by the Beihong people, I'm not at ease." Hai Lian said. Although because of Fang Tinglan's relationship, he didn't like Nan Hong very much, but Bei Hong's lord Qin Weiheng was the culprit who caused his whole family to leave their hometown. If you really compare it in your heart, it's the Bei Hong people who make him hate it more .
Long Rong looked at the route planned by Hailian, and asked curiously: "Why don't we take the Luofu route, won't it be closer?"
"..." Hai Lian coughed, "Nanhong's Yingcang Fleet is occupying it over there, so it will be a little troublesome in the past."
"It's the Fang family's fleet..." Long Rong thought thoughtfully, "Speaking of which, I also had a relationship with their Lord Zhenhai before."
"Is that so?" Hailian said indifferently.
Long Rong didn't hear the perfunctory in the other party's voice, or she was used to Hailian's no-holds-barred attitude, and she was much more comfortable getting along with those princes and children who flattered her, "It seems like it was four years ago. Watching a play in the big theater, their Chen Wang took him and said he would come to see me." Long Rong laughed suddenly as if saying something interesting, "Actually, I know what Chen Wang's idea is, but I don't know what it is. Thinking of this Mr. Zhenhai, who seemed to be helping him at first sight, seemed to have met someone in the middle of the stage, and suddenly made an excuse to leave. As soon as he left, Chen Wang was also embarrassed, and walked away after chatting with me in a daze I think if they had dealt with me seriously at that time, maybe I would have married Nam Hong by now."
"It's a good thing you're not married."
"What's wrong?"
"Because Chen Wang and Qin Weiyu are a bad person." Hai Lian raised the knife mark in his eyes, and a stern look flashed in his pupils, "If I see him again, I will definitely cut off his head and hang it on the mast of the Black Shark."
"You know King Chen of Nanhong?" Long Rong was slightly taken aback.
Hai Lian realized that he had made a slip of the tongue, and changed his words, "Faluko told me about him. And I also know that he made a deal with Simona, and he was a close friend with His Majesty for the first time. Nan Hong." He paused before continuing, "I don't like this kind of person."
"Exactly, I don't like this kind of person very much."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
15.
Three days before departure, Hailian took that little friend Ding Leshui to find Faluko. When the other party saw him leading the child, he felt a big headache: "I am not an orphanage here, why do I always have to take care of your child?"
"Because you are a sheriff, you can let them grow up safely." Hai Lian said bluntly, "I am the leader of the pirates, so I can only lead them to death."
Faluco glanced down at the little burden. Nearly two months have passed since Ding Leshui left the nightmarish island of Rochester. The scars from the old injuries on the boy's body have all fallen off, and his complexion is much better than before. However, due to overwork and malnutrition, his limbs are thin It looks as if it will break when you fold it. Wearing a clean light blue dress, with his black hair tied back, he stood beside Hailian without saying a word. The boy noticed the sheriff's gaze, and leaned towards Hai Lian cautiously.
"Why don't you send him to Little Night Dock?" Faluco knew that Hai Lian had adopted some children there in the name of Viscount Jonoel. Four years later, those children are now studying in Chenming Palace safely.
"He's just like Ake, he's special." Hailian replied.
"He's too young, even younger than when you threw Ake to me, and he can't even do errands." Faluco shook his head, "Why don't I help you find someone to adopt him?"
"Also..." Before Hai Lian had time to agree, he suddenly felt someone tugging at the corner of his clothes. He turned his head and met the boy's dark eyes.
"Don't send me away."
Ding Leshui said in a low voice, "I... am very obedient."
Hailian's heart twitched slightly. He seemed to see his younger sister in the boy's begging eyes—Xiaoyu was pulling his clothes corners exactly the same back then, with dark eyes open, trying to restrain his crying, begging him in a low voice not to hand himself over to the Yoonor couple . After so many years, Hai Lian found that he still didn't know how to deal with such a pair of eyes.
He looked at Faluko, the magistrate with rigid facial features like a clay sculpture could actually pull a gloating smile, the man spread his hands towards Hailian, "Otherwise, you can ask the major general, I think as long as it is your business , he will agree.”
This suggestion seems to be the best solution at present. Flo is an upright and gentle person. There have never been any scandals in the family. The only thing to worry about is...
Hailian squatted down and pressed Ding Leshui's shoulder: "I didn't say I don't want you, but I'm leaving Jiumengxiao for half a year and I can't take you with me, so I need to find you a temporary home, you understand ."
"..." Ding Leshui pursed his mouth and did not speak.
"That family is my friend. I don't have any character. It's just that his younger brother Erica has a bad temper, but don't be afraid of him." Hai Lian shook his fists at Ding Leshui, "If that little brat dares to bully you , you beat him back, or wait for me to come back, I will twist his ear, you know?"
Ding Leshui blinked his eyes, the tip of his nose was red. He clenched his hands into fists, touched Hailian's fist lightly, and confirmed in a low voice: "You will come back, right? You won't go out in a boat like my father and mother , came back with only one pipe left, didn't you?"
"Yes." Helian replied.