This winter in Liangzhouwei is extremely cold. It snows heavily for half of the month, and even if it is not snowing heavily, the sun is rarely seen.
There was a shortage of firewood and charcoal. Fortunately, after the new Liangzhou magistrate took office, he took the initiative to allocate some charcoal from the county government's warehouse and sent it to the guardhouse, and the right should be handed over to the right army governor. The newly arrived magistrate is still very young and has no support at home. Looking at Wen Wen's weak appearance, he is very sophisticated and thoughtful in his work.
Lin Shuanghe was very satisfied with the new magistrate.
In a flash, two months have passed. The year is coming to an end, and soon, it will be the New Year. After the new year, it is another spring day. The recruits of Liangzhou Guard will completely break away from the title of "recruits" and spend the new year here.
Inside the room, Xiao Jue was talking to Chiwu Feinu.
"The letter from the vassal's territory is here again," Chiwu took out the letter from his arms and handed it to Xiao Jue: "One letter a month, this is the second letter."
He Yan knew that Lei Hou was caught and put in the dungeon. Except for the coach and Chiwu, the recruits of Liangzhou Guard did not know. Thinking that Lei Hou was a deserter, Xiao Jue ordered Lei Hou to continue communicating with the correspondent who was hiding in Jiyang, falsely claiming that he had escaped from Liangzhou Wei and was evading the pursuit of the pursuers, asking what to do next.
Jiyang's contact person was also very cunning. He didn't directly tell Leihou what should be done in the letter, but only said that Leihou should hide and the master would send someone to pick him up.
Xiao Jue took out the letter and read it at a glance, and handed it to Fei Nu. After Fei Nu and Chi Wu saw it, they both looked ugly.
The correspondent said in the letter that since Rida Muzi has been exposed, Liangzhouwei's chess has been abolished. Let Lei Hou find a way to hide, and when the limelight passes, the people from Shuojing will come to pick him up. After this letter, they will not continue to communicate anymore. Now that there is an eventful situation, if this is a cause for shock, and the big event above is ruined, it is not something that the two little people can afford.
"What should I do?" Chi Wu said: "What does this person mean that he will not send letters in the future?"
Xiao Jue: "Lei Hou is already a waste."
"But Jiyang..." Fei Nu hesitated for a moment: "Is the governor planning to go to Jiyang?"
"Even if there is no messenger, I will go because Chai Anxi is in Jiyang." Xiao Jue put the letter on the burning candle on the table.
Chai Anxi was Xiao Zhongwu's former general.
In the battle of Mingshui, Xiao Zhongwu and the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses he brought were all killed, including his generals. Chai Anxi was dead and no body was found at that time, and his body was not found on the battlefield, but everyone said that he was probably dead. In the past few years, Xiao Jue has been sending people to secretly investigate the whereabouts of Chai Anxi, but now the effort pays off, Chai Anxi really did not die, and even went to Jiyang incognito.
Jiyang is the territory of King Mengji. People outside the Dawei territory who entered the city had to obtain a pass order approved by the government. Even if you get a travel order, foreigners are not allowed to live here for a long time. Chai Anxi lived here for a long time, no wonder others couldn't find his whereabouts.
"But how do we get to Jiyang? If you ask for a passing order from the government, Xu Jingfu's people can check it out. Isn't every move they lead by the nose?" Fei Nu asked.
Xiao Jue turned around, thought for a moment, and said, "Using other methods?"
Chiwu: "What way?"
"Find someone who has a travel order to Jiyang and change his identity."
"This..." Fei Nu was a little embarrassed. When King Mengji was alive, he was very strict with the traffic control. Even if there was a traffic order, there were records and portraits. Moreover, it is because it is very troublesome to enter the territory of a vassal, so the common people of the Wei Dynasty responded to this by: if you can't go, don't go. At the end of the year, very few people get a pass to go to Jiyang.
Originally, there were not many people, and the management and control were strict. It was not an easy task to have people willing to take the risk of being discovered and not be able to enter the territory again.
"Let Luan Ying arrange this matter." Xiao Jue said to Chi Wu, "You should write to Luan Ying immediately and prepare as soon as possible."
Chiwu: "...Yes."
Just as he was talking, someone pushed the door and came in. It was Lin Shuanghe, and Chiwu nodded to him, "Young Master Lin."
Lin Shuanghe also smiled at him.
Fei Nu also withdrew with interest.
"Huai Jin, what have you been busy with these few days?" Lin Shuanghe shook his fan, "Winter is almost coming to spring, how many times do you think I have met with you?"
"Are you bored?" Xiao Jue said, "When Cheng Lisu returns to Beijing, you can go together."
"Forget it, come here, why go back." He said, "When will they leave?"
"It's just two days."
After the incident of Rida Muzi, Liangzhou Guard is no longer safe, and it may change in the future. Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao are really not suitable to stay here, Xiao Jue has already ordered the people and horses, and in a few days, let them go back to Shuojing together.
Naturally, the two children refused, and there was a lot of commotion for a while, but there was no reason why Xiao Jue could not do it. No matter how dissatisfied, he could only accept Xiao Jue's arrangement.
"I won't say anything about Cheng Lisu, that little girl Song Taotao is actually willing to He Yan?" Lin Shuanghe asked in disbelief, "Is she almost growing up on He Yan? Just so obediently going back?"
"You might as well ask her." Xiao Jue sat down on the chair, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it lazily.
He had been busy for a long time and had only a short rest.
Cheng Lisu sat on his soft slump and looked at him: "It's fine if you ignore me. After all, I have known you for so many years, and I don't care about you, but why do you ignore my sister He? Although the matter is important, my sister He is also important. Don't blame my brother for not reminding you, if you continue like this, when sister He is kidnapped by Chu Zilan, you will have nowhere to cry."
"What does she have to do with me?" Xiao Jue frowned impatiently and said, "What happened to Chu Zilan?"
Lin Shuanghe put his chin on the fan handle, and said calmly, "I don't know if it's a coincidence or what. I've been seeing Sister He and Chu Zilan talking together this month."
"She's a girl, she's injured, she can't train every day, and it's boring to stay all day. This Chu Zilan doesn't know what she's doing in Liangzhou. It's been two months, and she doesn't mention when she will leave. He is bored, and Sister He is also bored, and when the two of them get together, they are familiar with each other."
"Anyway, Sister He used to call him Fourth Young Master Chu. I heard her call him Chu Zilan 'Brother Chu' two days ago. If this goes on, do you panic?"
Xiao Jue is inexplicable: "Why am I panicking?"
"Don't think about it, if Sister He was kidnapped by Chu Zilan and used by Chu Zilan, Liangzhou Wei would be missing such an unparalleled genius in Wentao and martial arts, you are pushing the capable person out. "
Xiao Jue sneered: "You think there is no one in the Liangzhou guard?"
"Anyway, I've never seen such a girl before." Lin Shuanghe said, "Chu Zilan is used to pleasing girls. Originally, you were born better than him, and your ability is superior to him, but his temperament is still his gentle and kind. What kind of girl doesn't like such a good-looking rich boy who gently accompanies him every day?"
"Like?" Xiao Jue's beautiful eyes narrowed, and her voice was mocking: "Girl who is only sixteen years old, knows what liking is."
"What's wrong with being sixteen?" Lin Shuanghe said, "In Shuojing, how many girls are married at the age of sixteen!"
"So what?" Xiao Jue took a sip of the tea, and said calmly, "Sixteen years old, apart from father and brother, I have met a few men, and if I haven't seen a few, how can I know that I like it? Saying you like peony when you have only seen peony is different from seeing a hundred flowers and liking peony.”
"Likes with choices are different from those without choices."
"It's boring for you to say that," Lin Shuanghe rolled his eyes, "Most people in the world are ordinary people, of course they follow the rules of ordinary people. That's how ordinary people are. They get married at the age of sixteen and live a lifetime, not without a lifetime of happiness and joy. ."
"There are more unhappy people," Xiao Jue said, "The world has no choice, I can have it."
Lin Shuanghe was completely speechless, he said, "Okay, you have what you have. But according to you, the only girl you can find who has seen all the flowers is Sister He."
"Sister He is not only reading Hundred Flowers in Liangzhou Guard, but the tens of thousands of men in Liangzhou Guard are also people who have read Wanhua. If Reading Wanhua likes you, that's fine. If reading Wanhua likes you, that's fine. Going on Chu Zilan," Lin Shuanghe gloated, "Isn't it quite a blow to you?"
"You think too much," Xiao Jue said, "It doesn't matter who she likes, but Chu Zilan is Xu Jingfu's son-in-law."
"She can really like Chu Zilan," Xiao Jue's lips curved, "as long as she's not afraid of death."
Lin Shuanghe was taken aback.
"Yes. I almost forgot, Chu Zilan belongs to Xu Pingting."
…
When Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue were talking about Chu Zilan, He Yan had just arrived at Chu Zilan's door.
Yingxiang greeted her with a smile and said, "Young Master He is here." He glanced behind her again, and said jokingly, "Miss Song didn't come today, it's okay."
Song Taotao was on guard against Xiang Xiang, and as soon as He Yan went to find Chu Zhao, Song Taotao would keep up vigilantly. After all, Ying Xiangsheng's beautiful, funny and charming temperament is not as cold and arrogant as Shen Muxue's, and he is probably more attractive to men.
"She's packing." He Yan smiled and said, "She will leave Liangzhouwei in a few days, so she can't follow me every day."
Speaking of this matter, He Yan is one big and two big. Song Taotao heard the news that he was going back to Shuojing. At first, he cried, made trouble, hanged himself, and said nothing to leave. Reaching an unprecedented agreement with Cheng Lisu, they almost knocked off the roof of Liangzhouwei. Later, it was Xiao Jue who went out in person to restrain the two children before agreeing to return to Beijing with Xiao Jue's team.
That's all, Song Taotao also tried to take He Yan away with him.
"Second son Xiao promised you what conditions, my Song family promised you three times, don't stay in Liangzhou Guard," the little girl looked at her and said disdain: "Liangzhou Guard is such a bitter and cold place, if you are not careful, I lost my life. I heard Cheng Lisu say that you want to make a fortune, why should you take such a road. You have fought your life here, and you haven't been promoted to half an official, which is too pitiful!"
He Yan thought to himself, yes, it's too pitiful.
"My Song family is different," Song Taotao said with concern: "Although my father is not good at calling for wind and rain in the capital, I can still help you. You have a much better future in my Song family than in Liangzhou. As for the military register You don't have to worry about this, as long as I tell my dad, he will have a way to let you go."
He Yan: "...No, no, I'm fine in Liangzhou."
Song Taotao's eyes were like knives: "You can't bear that maid named Yingxiang, right?"
The little girl is young and has a lot of heart. He Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "No, it's because of my special status in Liangzhou Wei. If Miss Song wants me, she can go directly to Governor Xiao. If Governor Xiao is willing to let him go, of course I will follow Miss Song back to Beijing."
Will Xiao Jue let go easily? Of course not, Liangzhou Guard is not a backup legion for the son-in-law of the capital. Once her head is opened, what will the other recruits of Liangzhou Guard think? It's better to try to please Miss Qianjin. If you go on like this, Liangzhou Guard will not have to fight with the enemy army. Once the army's heart is scattered, he will be gone in two years.
Xiao Jue would not let this happen.
Moving out of Xiao Jue was still very shocking to the little girl, Song Taotao immediately died, and no longer mentioned the matter of taking He Yan back to Beijing.
She walked into the house, where Chu Zhao was feeding the birds.
He Yan thinks that Chu Zilan is very interesting. He either grows flowers or writes all the time, and either writes or feeds birds. Life seems to be the life of an old man in his 60s and 70s in the capital. But staying in Liangzhou Wei is only two months. Since it is so leisurely, isn't it better to go to the capital to relax? Why come here to suffer, even the charcoal is not much.
But even so, He Yan is still willing to run to Chu Zilan's house often, there is no other reason, Chu Zhao is a very patient person, anyway, He Yan can't go to the martial arts field for daily training, listening to Chu Zhao say that "the people in the capital" Fun" is also good. She had been fighting outside in her previous life, and when she returned to Shuojing, He Rufei replaced her. In fact, she didn't know much about the affairs of Shuojing's officialdom, and her colleagues didn't even know much. It was fine in the past, but after doing a few things with Xiao Jue, He Yan knew very well that if he really wanted to start over, the power structure of all parties must be known.
At least in general, the prince's faction, Xu Xiang's faction, and Xiao Jue's faction are also clear.
He Yan knew a lot from Chu Zhao, and she was embarrassed to repay Chu Zhao with too much hostility. Besides, this person really didn't deal with her very much in the first place.
Today, Chu Zhao ordered Yingxiang to come over to talk to He Yan.
"Brother Chu." She said.
Chu Zhao put the last bit of bird food into the eating cup, and the bird flapped its wings and made a crisp cry. Such a cold day is really not suitable for raising birds, so Chu Zhao's charcoal is all placed near the bird cage.
He is also so considerate and gentle with birds.
"You're here." Chu Zhao smiled and walked to the basin to clean his hands.
"Brother Chu asked Yingxiang to come to me today, but what's the matter?" He Yan asked tentatively. Generally speaking, it was He Yan who took the initiative to talk to Chu Zhao.
"It's nothing," Chu Zhao asked He Yan to sit down with a smile, "I may be returning to Beijing in a few days. Before leaving, I plan to say goodbye to Brother He."
He Yan was startled: "Are you going back?"
"That's right," Chu Zhao smiled, "I've been in Liangzhou for two months, the journey is long, and it's already spring when I go back." He said, "I've been in Liangzhou for the past two months, thanks to Brother He's care. It's very interesting, Brother He has a heart."
"Where," He Yan said quickly, "I take care of you, you take care of me almost."
"The person who will pick me up will probably be here in the next few days," Chu Zhao said with a smile, "I don't think it snows for a few days. Why don't we set up a banquet on Baiyue Mountain and have a farewell drink with Brother He?"
"The Governor does not allow us to go up the mountain without permission." He Yan was in trouble, "Also, Brother Chu also knows that I am not good at drinking. If I get drunk, it will inevitably cause some trouble."
Hearing the words, Chu Zhao smiled and shook his head: "It's okay, we won't go up the mountain, there is a pavilion at the foot of Baiyue Mountain, overlooking the Wulu River from the pavilion, you can also see the best moonlight. Just at the foot of the mountain, as for wine , even if Brother He wants to drink it, I don't have it anymore. Just use tea instead of wine, as long as you like it."
Since it was all about this, He Yan had nothing to excuse, so he answered readily: "Of course, brother Chu is leaving, so I should accompany him naturally. ? I should prepare well."
"Tonight is enough." Chu Zhao smiled, "It will snow at night, and there will be no good moonlight tomorrow."
He Yan said: "Tonight is tonight! Tonight I will have a long talk with Brother Chu all night!"
She thought, Chu Zhao was about to leave, who could explain to her the intricate relationship between the adults in the capital in the future? It's better to use as many routines as possible tonight, lest it be difficult to find such an opportunity in the future.
Chu Zhao smiled: "Brother He is refreshing."
"By the way," He Yan thought of something, "Why did Brother Chu want to go back all of a sudden? Didn't you say before that you have to wait until the weather is warmer in the spring? If you start now, the journey will be cold."
"It's a last resort." Chu Zhao smiled helplessly: "It's my colleague, the Hanlin scholar Master Xu wants to marry a wife, I have to rush back to Shuojing for the wedding banquet."
He Yan was holding the tea cup on the table to warm his hands. Hearing the words, He Yan was stunned, only to feel that his palms became cold, his heart gradually sank, and he almost couldn't control his expression.
She twitched the corners of her mouth stiffly and asked, "Master Xu? Which Master Xu?"
"My name is Xu Zhiheng, the eldest son of the Crown Prince and Taifu," Chu Zhaoqi said, "Did I not tell you about him? This man is erudite and talented.
The steaming tea suddenly froze into ice.
He Yan's fingers curled slightly: "Xu Zhiheng..."
…
How He Yan got back to the house, he didn't know. She couldn't remember what Chu Zhao said next. Just remember to try your best not to let your emotions leak out. So as not to be issued a flaw.
When she returned to the house, she almost felt unsteady, but she still supported the head of the bed and slowly sat down on the collapse.
What Chu Zhao said just now resounded in his mind.
"Uncle Xu had a wife before, and his eldest brother is the current Feihong general He Rufei. He Rufei's cousin, the miss of the He family married Xu Zhiheng for half a year. Blind. But Uncle Xu didn't dislike having a wife because of this, he searched for famous doctors, and he was very considerate."
He Yan asked, "You are very considerate...?"
"Yes, at that time, Mrs. Xu wanted Uncle Xu to take a concubine or find another equal wife for him, but Uncle Xu categorically refused. It's a pity that Grandma Xu is really lucky. This spring, when she was alone in the mansion, she went down No one noticed, accidentally fell into a pond and drowned."
"Grandma Xu passed away almost a year ago. Grandpa Xu originally told his relatives and friends that he would not marry again in the future. But now that he is young, the Xu family can't let him be a widower for the rest of his life. He is very affectionate, and he can't even see the deceased wife's parents' family. , I picked another young lady from the He family to be married to him. She came from the second room and is three years younger than the original Grandma He, who is only seventeen this year."
He's only seventeen this year from the second bedroom of the He family... He Yan closed her eyes, that was her own younger sister.
The He family had already made a plan, perhaps it was the result of discussions with Xu Zhiheng. He Yan had to die, but once He Yan died, the marriage relationship between the He family and the Xu family dissipated. This was a result that neither of the two families wanted to see. It's better to replace one person with another, and use He Yan's death in exchange for a new grandma He Yan.
She held her head, only to feel that her head was about to explode.
Suddenly, someone's voice sounded: "Big brother? What's wrong with you?"
He Yan looked up and saw that it was Cheng Lisu.
She asked, "Why are you here?"
The little boy said, "I knocked on the door for a long time just now, but no one answered. I thought you weren't here, so I'll bring you some snacks." He stepped forward with concern, "Brother, you look very bad, don't you? The wound hurts? Do you want me to call you Uncle Lin?"
He Yan waved his hand and smiled reluctantly: "No need, I just didn't sleep well yesterday, and I was a little sleepy."
Cheng Lisu had a big heart, no doubt about him, nodded: "Okay." After thinking of something, he curled his lips and said, "Brother, you seem to be very busy these days, and I will be back soon. Beijing, I don’t know when it will be goodbye. I learned a cane puppet show from Coach Ma a few days ago, how about playing it for you at night?”
At this moment, He Yan's mind is full of Chu Zhao's words. She doesn't have the heart to take care of Cheng Lisu, and she still remembers the previous agreement with Chu Zhao, so she shook her head and said, "I can't do it tonight, I have made an appointment with the fourth son of Chu. , go to the foot of Baiyue Mountain to see the moon."
"What kind of moon are two big men looking at!" Cheng Lisu said dissatisfiedly: "Besides, where is the puppet show on the moon so beautiful, can't you see it every day? What's so strange?"
He made such a fuss, but he pulled He Yan's mind back a little bit, she explained patiently: "It's not all about watching the moon, it's just that the fourth son of Chu will leave Liangzhou Wei in a few days, so before leaving , just want to drink with me."
"It's a good thing that you have a good relationship with the fourth son of Chu, but don't forget me." Cheng Lisu didn't know the undercurrent between Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao. As far as he was concerned, Chu Zhao was just a man from Shuojing who brought him with him. A good-natured uncle who was rewarded by the emperor with a good temper. He said: "After all, I knew you much earlier than he knew you. You should know me better. Brother, you can't leave me!"
Little brat, this kind of thing is also going to be jealous, so He Yan had to coax: "I see, I'll accompany him to drink today, and I'll watch you play puppet show tomorrow, how about it?"
Cheng Lisu was satisfied and said with a smile, "It's almost the same!"