After discussing various details with Zheng Anshun, Qin Mubai and his party bid farewell to Li Ke and left the Governor's Mansion. Zheng Anshun took two elite hundred-horse soldiers sent by Qin Mubai, changed their clothes, and followed them as companions.
The two groups of people said goodbye at the gate of the Governor's Mansion and went their separate ways.
Qin Mubai glanced at Zheng Anshun's back and joked to Chen Yan: "Sometimes I really envy a young man like Zheng Anshun. He is full of talents and has a rich family. It seems that he has nothing to worry about after he is born. , a typical dragon and phoenix among people, leisurely and leisurely!”
"What you said is so hypocritical." Chen Yan teased him, "Maybe Zheng Anshun is still secretly jealous of you!"
"Haha, no way!" Qin Mubai laughed and said, "The Zheng family is the world-famous richest man in the Tang Dynasty. The young master of the Zheng family is obsessed with many women. How can I compare to him!"
"Do you men only care about this?" Chen Yan showed a hint of disdain and shook her head, "I don't like men like Zheng Anshun."
"Why?"
"No reason. If you don't like it, you just don't like it." Chen Yan frowned slightly and added, "Probably because he gave me the feeling that he was a little too unreal. He was too perfect and seemed unreal. Such a man , only appears in the dreams of ignorant girls. Once it comes to reality, the dream will be shattered. In contrast, I prefer men who are more realistic and emotional. They don’t need to be outstanding, but they must live. You have to take it seriously. He may even have some shortcomings, which will make him more real and more like a real person.”
"Ha, this is the first time I heard you talk about the ideal man in your mind." Qin Mubai curled his lips and said with a joking smile, "It sounds very simple, but in fact... the requirements are very high!"
"Haha, is that right?" Chen Yan walked slowly with her hands cut behind her back, lowered her head and said with a smile, "To put it simply, he is the kind of man who is common but rare."
"It's common to see it, but it's rare to see it. Isn't this a contradiction?" Qin Mubai wondered.
"It's not contradictory." Chen Yan shook her head and said, "The so-called ordinary man means that he is a very ordinary man. He is not the kind of extraordinary man like Zheng Anshun who attracts all the attention and leads the world. It is rare that he must have certain qualities. attracting me."
"What characteristics?" Qin Mubai broke the casserole and asked.
Chen Yan smiled sweetly: "Why do you ask so detailedly and thoroughly?"
"Don't you know that I've always been very naive?" Qin Mubai blurted out with a laugh.
"Thirty-eight, what do you mean?" Chen Yan wondered.
"Uh... It's just like the three aunts and six wives in the vegetable market. They like to gossip, inquire about other people's privacy, and gossip about others." Qin Mubai said with a smile.
"Giggle, what a vivid metaphor!" Chen Yan laughed.
Qin Mubai stared at her and smiled, and couldn't help but click his tongue and shake his head.
"What's wrong?" Chen Yan's face was embarrassed and a little red.
"It's nothing." Qin Mubai said, "You actually look good when you smile. Now that you are like this, it is difficult to connect with your previous image."
"Really?" Chen Yan raised the corner of her mouth slightly, "Does my image in your mind seem to be more cruel and cold?"
"No." Qin Mubai smiled.
"what is that?"
"Why do you ask so detailedly and thoroughly?" Qin Mubai copied Chen Yan's original words and said with a smile, "You should tell me what qualities you like in a man, right?"
"It's hard to say, it depends on the situation." Chen Yan paused for a moment, twitching the corners of her mouth a few times as if she had something to say but hesitated. She hesitated and said, "Maybe the heartbeat only lasts for a fleeting moment. That feeling... I can't. describe."
"Oh, what you want is feeling." Qin Mubai chuckled, "A person who seems so rational is actually so emotional."
"Shouldn't you have understood it a long time ago?" Chen Yan smiled lightly, with a hint of bitterness, and said leisurely with some aftertaste, "Just like back then, I don't know how or when I fell in love with Zhu. Cheng Wen. I am willing to wait for him all my life, and I will do whatever it takes. It’s a pity... I am willing to wait, but he is not willing to stay.”
"The deceased is dead, you should let go." Qin Mubai advised softly.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Chen Yan smiled and said, "That's all in the past. Although it is worth remembering and is often sad, I am not used to living in memories. For the deceased, for them The best advice is for the living to live happily and not be immersed in residual sorrow.”
"Wisdom and open-minded." Qin Mubai nodded in praise, "Mature women are so admirable and lovable."
Chen Yan's eyebrows trembled inadvertently, and she said with a hint of anger and a smile: "You have to call me sister according to your age, but you still come to eat my tofu, you are really asking for a beating!"
"Okay, since you are injured, I won't take advantage of others' danger to fight you." Qin Mubai chuckled, "Now let's go back to the inn, pack our bags and go to a new place!"
"where?"
"Didn't I promise you yesterday that I would find you a quiet place to stay to recuperate? It's been done." Qin Mubai said, "There is a nice little village in Wulifang in the south of the city. The place is not big and the environment is very good. . And the architectural features of Xiangzhou’s residential buildings are similar to those in Huyang area. You will definitely like that house.”
Chen Yan shook her head and said with a smile: "Mu Bai, how can you be more attentive than a woman and still remember that I am from Tanzhou and like Huyang style residence? You must be very good at taking care of and caring for women."
"That's necessary." Qin Mubai grinned, "How about waiting to become a bachelor?"
"Haha!" Chen Yan shook her head and smiled, and said thoughtfully: "Your romantic style is indeed different from Li Ke's."
"Hey, why are you suddenly getting involved with Li Ke?" Qin Mubai's mind flashed, and he said with a joking smile, "Is it possible that he still has some evil thoughts about you?"
"Don't worry, he has the heart, but he doesn't have the courage." Chen Yan slightly raised the corner of her mouth, showing a hint of disdain and coldness, and said softly, "I'm not the kind of fool around him who lets him play around. Woman. If anyone dares to disturb me like a phoenix, he will be castrated with a sword!"
Qin Mubai's face froze, and he felt a chill in his lower body as if by some conditioned reflexes. He laughed dryly and said: "No, no, although Li Ke is romantic, he still has some principles, and he doesn't do anything to everyone. , don’t worry.”
"You seem nervous?" Chen Yan smiled, her beautiful eyes curved like a crescent moon, and she seemed to have a little bit of rare naughtiness and teasing.
"No, why am I nervous, hahaha!" Qin Mubai laughed and walked forward with his head held high.
Chen Yan couldn't help but chuckle, shook her head, and followed.
Soon after the two returned to the inn, Chen Yan took the gifts, medicine patches and other items, and then, led by the Baiqi pawn in charge of renting the house, rode a carriage to Wulifang in the south of the city.
When she arrived at the residence, Chen Yan couldn't help but her eyes lit up, and her joy was beyond words.
Small bridge, flowing water, and an exquisite and simple wooden building built on the water. There are all kinds of flowers planted in front of the building, and there is gurgling water downstairs.
Hear the flowers in the morning and listen to the fish songs in the evening. It is really a secluded and elegant place, like a paradise.
"It's really nice. I like it very much. It feels like I'm back home." Chen Yan walked to the flower garden and took a deep breath. She smiled in a good mood and said, "Thank you so much, Mu Bai. I didn't expect that Xiangzhou is such a lively and prosperous port city. , and such a quiet place to stay.”
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "My brothers who went out to find rent yesterday came back and told me about several places. As soon as I heard about it, I fell in love with it. I asked them to buy it."
"Did you still buy it?" Chen Yan frowned slightly, "I will pay you back how much you spent on it."
"It's commonplace to talk about money between friends." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "You can just live in Xiangzhou and treat it as if I rented it to you for free. Anyway, my food and accommodation are all in the military camp, and all expenses are paid. It’s taken care of by the army. But if you stay there for a long time, you’ll easily go crazy. Maybe I’ll come here to stay for a while to change my mood.”
"What, is it possible that you still want to hide your beauty in a golden house?" Chen Yan smiled, "It's a pity, I'm not delicate at all, I'm quite fierce and fierce."
"Haha, you are really good at joking!" Qin Mubai laughed to cover up his embarrassment, but said in his heart: If you don't remind me, you have forgotten that the beauty hidden in the golden house is actually not bad...
The two walked into the small wooden building. There was a hall in the middle of the first floor. Several square tables and couches were neatly arranged, and the wooden boards were covered with soft and delicate rugs, a typical southern style. The walls are all brushed brightly with tung oil, giving the impression that the windows are clean and spotless. Even the small kitchen next to the room has no trace of oil, it is very clean.
In another side room, the gardener used to place various flower utensils, such as pots, soil shovels, and kettles. Although there were some debris, they were neatly tidied up.
Chen Yan smiled with satisfaction and said: "It seems that I will live here for a while. I have been wandering for so many years and I really want to live quietly for a while. It's quite nice here. The environment is good and quiet, which is suitable for me. If you have time, When I was young, I would play with flowers and plants, and occasionally go to the Hong Kong market to sell flowers, which could be considered a living. I no longer lived a life of killing people and licking blood. "
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Sometimes I am quite curious. Tell me, what do you knights do for a living? You have to eat, clothe and stay in an inn when traveling in the world. Where does the money come from?"
"Didn't I tell you just now that the blade of a knife licks blood when someone kills someone?" Chen Yan giggled, "You never thought, I used to be an out-and-out female gangster! What a knight, that's just a nice word."
Qin Mubai shrugged his shoulders indifferently: "Thieves have their ways. Anyway, you have your own way of survival. I'm afraid I won't understand it for a while. However, I always feel that such a life will be very empty and boring, especially In this peaceful and prosperous environment, everyone lives and works in peace and contentment, but you are wandering alone, how boring it is!"
"Yes...it's exactly what you said." Chen Yan sighed with a rare sigh, a trace of melancholy appeared on her jade face, and said leisurely, "When I was young, I was not sensible, and I only wanted to be happy. , I only know how majestic and satisfying it is to be a knight in the world. When I don't agree with each other, I draw my sword and take five steps, which is very satisfying. But afterwards... I often regret it. I really lost a lot. I am also a little tired of this kind of life. I feel that I have been living in a dream that I made for myself for the past ten years, and my life is not real at all. There is no pursuit, no ideal, and no tomorrow. It wasn't until Zhu Chengwen died that I suddenly realized that there really was something more meaningful in this world than drawing a sword and fighting fiercely. From that moment on, the dream I used to numb myself was completely shattered by his death. I understand that my life in the past ten years has no meaning at all. "
"Is it that serious?" Qin Mubai couldn't help but frown.
"You can't understand." Chen Yan slightly raised the corner of her mouth and said sadly, "What does ten years mean to a woman? Maybe, I should have married a husband and had children, and lived a life of caring for my husband and raising children. An ordinary woman's life. But I have been stubbornly insisting on something that has no meaning. It is really boring to wander around in the world. The Tang Dynasty no longer needs knights like it was a few decades ago. Because there are people like Qin Mubai to deal with the bandits in the Tang Dynasty, so there is no need for Chen Yan to take action, right? "
"Uh... Haha!" Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "You think so highly of me!"
"Don't laugh, I'm serious." Chen Yan said seriously, "If it weren't for meeting you, it would be difficult for me to change my original intention. To tell you the truth, I have killed a lot of people over the years, including There were many thieves and bandits who were trying to bring trouble to the people, and there were also ruthless gentry and evil officials who were doing evil things to the villagers. Therefore, before that, I did not trust the government, nor did I trust the law. I always believed that the government was rich. In human government, laws are designed to protect the rich. Look at the so-called laws. If the master kills his maid, he only needs to pay a ransom (a fine) to be exempted from the crime. If you kill the head of the family, you will be hanged or exiled. Is this fair? Therefore, I often fight against people's injustices, and I do it voluntarily. "
Qin Mubai shook his head helplessly and said with a smile: "There is no way, I can't change this situation. No matter what kind of world, it has its established laws. When we can't change it, we can only adapt to it. . Or... let yourself be the one for whom the law is favorable."
"Let yourself become...the person whose laws are beneficial to you?" Chen Yan chewed this sentence carefully, thought about it for a long time, nodded and smiled, "You are very smart, this sentence is really to the point. In comparison, you are better than mine. Your mind is much broader and you can see more profoundly. You are right, when you become a person above others, you can use the law to do many things you want to do. For example, Chen Yan is a person below others and can only rely on it. For my own benefit, I used my sword to level the injustices in the world and kill the unscrupulous people. However, this simple and crude method of fighting violence obviously had little effect. This time I failed in Xiangzhou. When I fall into prison, even a small jailer can decide my life or death; but you, Qin Mubai, can use the law to have greater strength. Although you don't have a sword in your hand, you can kill many people with a sword. You only need to use your brains and words to kill someone invisible! - To be honest, when you rescued me from prison, I felt the beauty of power for the first time!
"Haha! Your intelligence is beyond my imagination. You are so savvy! If you become an official, you will have a bright future." Qin Mubai sighed.
"No, I can't be an official with a personality like my own. I'm straight forward in everything I do and say. Cold shots and hidden arrows in the officialdom may be easier to kill than swords and swords in the arena." Chen Yan said with a smile, "But I don't want to do that now. I would like to have some friends who are officials. Of course, it must be you."
"Really?" Qin Mubai raised his eyebrows, "That's really my honor."
After saying that, Qin Mubai thought in his heart: Why have I always ignored that Chen Yan was the "Emperor Wenjia" who instigated an uprising in history? Her understanding and thinking seem to be beyond that of most women of this era, including most men. Perhaps in the eyes of others, Chen Yan is deviant, surly, and even a little unreasonable, but I feel a sense of déjà vu about her. Because in her, I almost feel a little bit of the thinking characteristics of women in the 21st century. She is sharp, courageous, confident, and full of independence and openness. She is very much like a white-collar woman trying to make a career in the city.
No wonder we are so close to each other.
It is really not easy to meet such a woman in the Tang Dynasty!