He Yan was a woman, and the shock of being married to Xiao Jue by His Majesty didn't stop there. The Shen family in the capital is deadly quiet today.
Shen Muxue knelt on the ground, bowed her head and said nothing, Young Master Shen and Madam Shen stood aside, Madam Shen was worried, but she stopped talking. Shen Yushi, who had a face, softly comforted: "My sister is also confused for a while. Father, don't blame her too much."
"Confused for a while?" Shen Yushi turned around, his eyes fell on Shen Muxue, and he didn't know whether he was distressed or angry, and said, "My Shen family is proud and loyal, I didn't expect to have a daughter, I don't know. When did she learn those shady methods. She was confused for a while, and if she was not careful, she would kill other people's lives!"
Shen Yushi was born very thin and handsome, and now, although he is older, he can still vaguely see a bit of grace when he was young. The arrogance and coldness between his eyebrows are exactly the same as Shen Muxue. He usually treats his son harshly, but he treats this daughter very tolerantly. This is the first time he is angry with Shen Muxue. Even when Shen Muxue must follow Xiao Jue to the border, Shen Yushi Not as angry as he is today.
"You can't say that," Mrs. Shen felt distressed for her daughter, "that He Yan was originally a daughter, and Mu Xue was only telling the truth. If she hadn't lied to His Majesty first, how would she have been exposed by others. She should be punished if she made a mistake. You just say that Mu Xue is not, but Mu Xue is really thinking of His Majesty, so you can't let a woman pretend to be a man to swindle, right?"
As soon as the words came out, Shen Yushi gave her a cold look, and Mrs. Shen did not dare to speak. Shen Yushi said: "Ridiculous! You only saw her disguised as a man and joined the army to deceive the world, why didn't you see her lead the troops to deal with the Uto people? Jiyang water battle, Rundu defending the city... You think meritorious deeds are easy to earn If there is no merit in saving the common people, how could His Majesty promote her to be Marquis of Wu'an so easily. Besides," he stared at his daughter, "I heard that when I was in Liangzhou, there were spies infiltrating the guardhouse, you don't know. The bottom line is that He Yan took you away. No matter what the result is, she is always helping you. I taught you from a young age that the grace of dripping water should be reciprocated by the spring. Also keep it in your heart, I didn't expect you to keep it in your heart like this."
Shen Muxue bowed her head and said nothing.
"I didn't even think that," Shen Yushi seemed to finish speaking in one breath, "Not only do you want to be the villain who exposes her identity, but you also dare not stand up in a big way and hide behind Wang Rong. You know that this will also harm Wang Rong!"
Shen Muxue's body trembled slightly.
At the palace banquet, the unfamiliar person who said that He Yan was a woman was called Wang Rong, and she was also her childhood sweetheart. The two of them have known each other for a long time. Wang Rong's father and Shen Yushi are on good terms. Shen Muxue knows that Wang Rong likes her, but her heart is all on Xiao Jue.
It's not that she didn't think that she would stand up and expose herself, but in the end, she couldn't do that. She was afraid that He Yan would die because of this. She never thought about taking He Yan's life, but only hoped that He Yan would stay away from Xiao Jue. . She was even more afraid of facing Xiao Jue's disappointing and indifferent gaze. When Wang Rong came to Shen's house, he saw Shen Muxue's sadness and asked aloud, but Shen Muxue couldn't help it. Said: "You wait."
What are you waiting for? He didn't say.
"I didn't expect him to do this." Shen Muxue defended weakly.
Her father, Yushi Shen, stared at her with sharp eyes, and his voice was like a knife that could slice her open, "Did you really not expect it?"
Shen Muxue was speechless.
Did she really not expect it
Wang Rong, who liked her for many years, was willing to do anything for her, impulsive and reckless, when she told Wang Rong about it, didn't she guess Wang Rong's reaction
She just didn't want to admit that she was such a despicable, inferior person.
Seeing Shen Muxue's shaky body, Young Master Shen finally softened his heart and said, "Even so, my younger sister already knows that she is wrong. My father also knows that my younger sister has been fascinated by Xiao Huaijin for many years, and suddenly another woman appears, how can my younger sister feel better in her heart. I love to tell others about my grievances, and I also blame me for being an older brother who didn't think carefully until I found out. If a father wants to punish, even the child should be punished. "
"It has nothing to do with my brother, I made a mistake myself, one person does things and one person is responsible." Shen Muxue knelt straight.
"You have liked Xiao Huaijin for so many years, so it can be seen that he responded to you halfway?" Shen Yushi suddenly said.
Shen Muxue looked at him.
"Love never comes from touching." Shen Yushi said quietly, "You go outside, leave Shuojing, and follow him. Although I don't support it, I don't oppose it. I know Xiao Huaijin will not fall in love with him. You, but I always think that as long as you leave the house, you will walk a wide way, meet more people, and naturally have a broad mind, and gradually you will let him go. You push deeper and deeper."
Shen Muxue pursed her lips and said nothing.
Can even his own father see that Xiao Jue won't fall in love with him? She never felt like she had failed like this.
The words were too serious, and Mrs. Shen couldn't help but said angrily: "How can you do this to a father in the world! Then Xiao Huaijin doesn't look down on Mu Xue, it's because he has no vision. I don't look down on him! What a beautiful woman! I don’t know how to save the common people, all I know is that all the rules are broken, Xiao Huaijin would rather marry such a woman than be afraid of the world’s jokes!”
Young Master Shen hesitated, but this time, Yushi Shen ignored his wife's rebuttal, just looked at Shen Muxue and said, "The places you go are no less than He Yan, and the people you meet may not be without He Yan. A lot, but your pattern and ideals are far worse than hers. It’s not that I don’t believe you as a father, it’s just that after tonight, the two of you will see each other.”
"You're not as good as her."
Tears welled up in Shen Muxue's eyes. She was so strong all her life that she didn't want to cry in front of others, but at this moment, she couldn't hold back her grievance and anger, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Shen Yushi stopped looking at her and said calmly, "From today onwards, you are not allowed to go anywhere. Our Shen family does not use force. If you make a mistake, you should be confined at home for a year."
"master!"
Shen Yushi ignored his wife's request, flicked his sleeves, and left the hall. The night wind outside the courtyard was extremely cold, blowing on people's faces and hurting like a knife.
Young Master Shen chased after him and walked to Shen Yushi's side, "Father, is a year too long?"
Shen Yushi looked at the blue bricks on the ground and smiled bitterly, "Xiao Huaijin is a person who protects his shortcomings. Do you think he can't find Mu Xue?"
"Can… "
"Because of his father's relationship, he won't do anything to Mu Xue. It's just that the friendship between our family and the Xiao family has ended here over the years."
…
Of course, it wasn't just these people who were shocked by this incident. In the Cheng family, relatives who learned about Xiao Jue's marriage were all shocked and suspicious. They were busy being surprised by the marriage, but they didn't take He Yan to heart. They only knew that there was no official position in the Yuemo family, and the status of Bai Rongwei was not equal.
And Cheng Lisu, compared to the news of Xiao Jue's marriage, was obviously more surprised that He Yan was a woman.
"My eldest brother... how could it be a woman?" The little boy paced back and forth in the room, unconsciously tugging at the corner of his clothes, "How is this possible!"
After he first returned to Shuojing, he was caught by the Cheng family and thrown into the school to study. In the school, I can only go home for one day in January. On this day, I am still locked at home to practice calligraphy and cannot go anywhere. Therefore, when Xiao Jue and the others returned to Beijing, Cheng Lisu did not come to Xiao's house to see.
When he finally returned home from school this month, he not only learned that Xiao Jue and Yan and the others had returned, but also gave him the good news that they were both married by His Majesty.
"My eldest brother..." He grabbed a servant and said, "You can kill a tiger with one punch, how could it be a woman?"
God, is he crazy or the world is crazy.
"No, I have to find my uncle!" Thinking of this, he opened the door and walked out, going out to look for Xiao Jue to ask clearly.
"No way, young master, the old man and his wife said, you can't leave the house... Come on, the young master is going out!" The little servant behind him hurriedly followed.
…
"Whoa, whoa, they're all liars—"
In the Song family, Song Taotao was crying.
"How could my big brother He be a woman? You must be lying!" The little girl's eyes were swollen from crying. Madam Song and Master Song stood outside the door, looking at each other with a helpless expression.
After Song Taotao came back from Shuojing, he became uncharacteristically obedient and more obedient, and practiced piano, chess, calligraphy and painting at home every day. Mrs. Song suspected that she had someone she liked, and often worried that if she did have someone she liked, what would happen to the marriage with the Cheng family? They also knew Song Taotao's temperament. They didn't know what it was like to like it before, but Cheng Lisu was a lively young man again. But if you have someone else in your heart, I am afraid that the marriage will turn into hatred.
It's not that Mrs. Song asked Song Taotao who was the person in her heart. Song Taotao was fooled every time. The little girl is very shrewd, knowing that He Yan's status is not high now, even if she tells her parents, her parents will definitely not agree. It's better to wait a little longer, that young man is so capable, it will be a matter of time before he wants to be named a high-ranking official in the future. Before that, he doesn't have to tell others, just catch him.
It was not until the news of Xiao Jue's marriage came out tonight that Song Taotao went on a hunger strike at home to protest, crying a lot, and was about to hang himself. Only then did Mrs. Song and Master Song know that their daughter's sweetheart was Xiao Jue's. fiancée.
The two couples were really dumbfounded.
"Tao Tao, don't cry. It's no use crying if you're a woman. Wipe away your tears, your eyes are swollen like walnuts..."
"That's right, Young Master Cheng's uncle is Governor Xiao anyway. If you like that Miss He, you will marry Young Master Cheng in the future and visit Xiao's house from time to time, wouldn't you be able to see Miss He often?"
It's okay not to listen. Song Taotao is even more sad when he hears it, "Who wants to visit Xiao's house, she deceived my feelings, I don't want to see her anymore, woo woo woo..."
…
The soldiers here are in chaos, the other side is ridiculous, and there are people who are like bereaved dogs.
Xu Zhiheng couldn't sleep.
After returning to the mansion, he told He Xinying that he had a lot of official documents to deal with today, so he slept in the study, told He Xinying to sleep early, and then locked himself in the study.
In the middle of the night, He Xinying got up to go to the toilet, thinking of Xu Zhiheng, she found a thicker mattress from the cabinet. The weather is getting colder, Xu Zhiheng sleeps in the study, it is not as warm as the bedroom, if he catches a cold, it will be a little troublesome at this time. She found the study with the mattress in her arms, but found that the lights in the study were on and no one was there.
He Xinying sat on the chair in the study for a while, thinking that maybe Xu Zhiheng would come back after a while, but after a quarter of an hour, there was still no movement. She was stunned for a moment, both worried and suspicious. Even if she went to Gong's room, it was too long. It's not going to happen, is it? Last year, there was a man in Shuojing who got up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. Frost formed on the ground, and he couldn't see the blind light. He stepped on it and slipped.
She was worried that Xu Zhiheng had fallen somewhere, and did not dare to disturb others, so she put the mattress in the study, and carried the lantern to find it. I didn't find the yard of my parents-in-law. I only turned around in my yard and didn't find Xu Zhiheng.
It's so late, could it be that you have left the house
He Xinying thought for a while, and for some unknown reason, she turned her attention to He Yan's yard, a room next to their yard.
This yard was the yard where her sister, the short-lived Grandma Xu, lived before. After He Yan died, the yard was sealed off, and the former servants in the yard were also dismissed. However, He Xinying once heard a rumor that there were not many servants serving He Yan, and sometimes, those servants were assigned to serve another aunt of the Xu family.
He Xinying was skeptical of this rumor. After all, it was their daughter from the He family. No matter how bold the Xu family was, I'm afraid they wouldn't dare to be so scornful. Besides, the aunt, He Xinying didn't see it after she entered the door. When she asked, she just said that she made a mistake and was kicked out.
He Xinying knew very well that the Xu family might have done this because she was afraid that the bride would feel uncomfortable. It's just that since she values her so much, it's not bad for He Yan to come here. After a long time, He Xinying will forget about it, thinking it's just a rumor that shouldn't be taken seriously.
However, sometimes there are some strange things about He Yan. For example, in this yard, the Xu family all said that Xu Zhiheng missed his wife, so they kept the yard and did not sweep it out for others to live in, so it was just empty. But He Xinying had never seen Xu Zhiheng go to this yard.
People who miss their deceased wife, don't they often go to the places of the past, pick up old things and miss them
But maybe Xu Zhiheng was afraid of seeing things and thinking about people, so he deliberately didn't go. He Xinying found a reason for Xu Zhiheng.
For He Yan, she used to have some jealousy, but now she has no jealousy at all. It is meaningless to fight with a dead person, especially no matter how He Xinying convinced herself, she did not feel the threat from He Yan to her.
In other words, she did not feel Xu Zhiheng's unforgettable love for He Yan.
The lantern gave off a faint light, and the wind outside had blown away all her sleepiness. She looked at the dark and quiet empty yard, thought for a while, and moved her footsteps involuntarily towards that place. .
She has only been to this yard once, not long after she married into the Xu family, but she only came to the yard. When He Xinying wanted to enter that room, a maid appeared and said softly, "Grandma, young master. No one is allowed to enter this courtyard."
He Xinying was a bride at that time, and she didn't want to quarrel with Xu Zhiheng about this, so she withdrew. After a long time, she didn't think about going again. I don't know why tonight, but somehow I want to take a look. He Yan was recuperating in Zhuangzi before, and she got married quickly after returning to He's house. Speaking of which, she and this direct sister didn't get along for a long time, so that now, she could barely remember what He Yan looked like. so.
But perhaps, she can still look at the place where He Yan lived, and see some traces of the blood relatives once lived.
Before I knew it, I had already walked into the yard. The yard was as cold as ever, no matter summer or autumn, it was always as cold as winter. The maid swept the ground clean, but could not remove the old and decaying atmosphere.
He Xinying walked slowly to the door of the room, and was about to push the door to go in, when suddenly, she moved and there was a sound in the room.
She was nervous at first, afraid that there would be a thief in the yard, but after hearing the news, she felt that the thief would not be so bold, so she carried the lantern, sneaked to the bedside, and looked in through the gap in the window paper.
The oil lamp in the room was lit, and she saw Xu Zhiheng.
A completely different Xu Zhiheng from Su Ri.
Xu Zhiheng was still wearing the same clothes he entered the palace today. He was a very particular person. After returning to the palace on weekdays, he had to shower and change his clothes, but he didn't have it today. He sat at the big table in the room, frantically opened the wooden drawer over and over again, and rummaged through it.
His movements were rude, no longer as gentle and gentle as before, looking from the angle of the window, he looked like a complete lunatic.
He Xinying's heart jumped, and a chill came from the beginning to the end. Looking at the unfamiliar husband, there was a feeling of fear in my heart.
In a panic, I accidentally stepped on the stone under my feet, and with a "bang", the stone slipped and fell down the steps of the yard, making a sound.
"Who!" At the same time, Xu Zhiheng in the room raised his head.
He slammed the door open, rushed out and shouted, "Who's there!"
He Xinying was frightened.
For a moment, she suddenly wanted to run away, feeling that Xu Zhiheng was about to turn into a demon in the next moment, and rushed to claim her life. She forced a smile, stood up and said, "It's me."
Xu Zhiheng squinted slightly and looked at the person in front of him. After a while, the sullenness and tension in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by a smile, but this smile is stiff and perfunctory no matter how you look at it. He was also a little anxious, "Xinying, why are you here?"
"I was afraid that my husband would be cold at night, so I took the mattress and went to the study to find you, but no one was found. I was worried that the road was dark at night and my husband fell, so I took the lantern to look around." She saw Xu Zhiheng's expression a little nervous, and her mind moved , smiled and said: "I just came to try my luck. I didn't expect my husband to be here. My husband misses my sister, right?"
Xu Zhiheng was stunned for a while, and then he echoed: "...Yes."
He Xinying sighed and said sadly: "It's a good thing for your husband to have a long relationship, but... sometimes you have to think about your own body."
Xu Zhiheng closed the door of the house, covered He Xinying's eyes, took He Xinying's hand and walked out, "Forget it, it's cold outside, don't catch a cold with you, go back."
His hands were frozen as if there was no life.
He Xinying replied obediently: "Husband, I didn't tell you before that I was thinking of going to the mountain to worship the Bodhisattva during the Mid-Autumn Festival. My mother is finally free these few days, and I think I will go up the mountain the day after tomorrow, by the way. Also pray for the sister in the sky, okay?"
Xu Zhiheng's face stiffened for a moment, "...Okay."
"Husband, do you want to go together?" He Xinying asked.
"I won't go," Xu Zhiheng replied, "I've been very busy these days, so I might not be able to accompany you up the mountain."
He Xinying didn't get angry when she heard the words, she just smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, then I will count the husband's share together and pay my respects to the Bodhisattva. The husband is busy with family and country affairs, and the Bodhisattva will not blame it."
She is very well-behaved and considerate, and she is very good at saying flattering words. She is a bit smart, but very stupid. What Xu Zhiheng liked was her. Compared with He Yan, it was much easier to act in front of He Xinying.
His heart gradually relaxed, and the fear caused by the familiar name he heard at the celebration banquet tonight was also dispersed a lot because of the two of them together.
He Yan is already dead, and the dead will not come back. Then the living people are just pretending to be ghosts.
He would work with He Rufei to get a clear picture of the person who pretended to be a ghost.
The lantern shone dimly in the night, but he didn't see that the woman beside him was hiding in a well-behaved voice with an obscure expression.
He Xinying felt that she had never really known her husband. The Xu Zhiheng she saw in the crack of the window just now was crazy, paranoid, restless and ruthless, which made her feel in a trance that it seemed that Xu Zhiheng at that time was the real Xu Zhiheng. She couldn't help but wonder, so now this elegant, considerate, almost perfect man without any flaws, is it really Xu Zhiheng
Has her sister He Yan ever seen this side of Xu Zhiheng? He Yan is so weak and naturally not in good health. If Xu Zhiheng had accidentally revealed this side in front of He Yan, would her sister be scared to the ground.
But He Yan was already dead, so she couldn't ask a dead person.
He Xinying suddenly felt that this seemingly gentle and bright Xu family seemed to have many secrets that she did not know.
A terrible thought came to her mind.
Did He Yan really drown accidentally