He Yan went to Changmao Iron Shop to find someone, and she went very early. As for the chicken and dog jumping after she left, she thought that coming to Chiwu would appease the green plum, once she was born twice, she knew the way this time, so she just walked. Much better.
But she did not expect that there would be guests at home today.
When Xiao Jue arrived at the He family, there was no one in the He family. Qingmei was not there, Chiwu was not there, and He Yan was even less. The door of He's house was closed, and it was dilapidated. It looked like an old abandoned house with no one living in it.
Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei had been here once before, but after returning home, Bai Rongwei asked politely whether they should find another house for the He family. Xiao Jue refused, although this was not a difficult task, but with He Yan's temperament, he would probably say something nonsense about "no merit but no money". Emperor Wenxuan was also an emperor who did not eat the hardships of the world. He was appointed a marquis, but he did not grant him a mansion. Even his salary was fined for a year. However, as early as in Liangzhou Wei, He Yan also received some silver taels as rewards, and these silver taels should be able to temporarily change a house.
On the street where He Yan and the others lived, the neighbors were all ordinary people who had to go out to work and work during the day. There was no one at home, Xiao Jue thought for a moment, and was about to leave. Just as he turned around, he bumped into someone head-on.
The man was taken aback when he saw Xiao Jue, "Captain Xiao, why are you here?"
It was actually Jiang Jiao.
Jiang Jiao didn't wear the uniforms of the recruits today, but only wore a brocade robe. Xiao Jue didn't recognize him for a while. However, as soon as Jiang Jiao spoke, he secretly scolded himself for losing his head in his heart. Now that He Yan is Xiao Jue's fiancee, Xiao Jue came to her as a matter of course, and he was surprised at what was here.
"Dudu Xiao is here to look for Brother He... Miss He?" Jiang Jiao wanted to take back what he had just said, and then looked at the closed door behind him, "I just passed here and asked a fruit seller. The hawker, he said this is the He family... Why, is there no one in their family today?"
Xiao Jue shook his head and looked at him again: "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm here to deliver the sword to Miss He." Jiang Jiao scratched his head, "The soldiers who live in Shuojing in the camp have the opportunity to go home to visit their relatives one day a month. I went home yesterday, and today should be the day I went home. Back to camp. Before going back, I want to give this sword to Miss He."
Xiao Jue raised her eyebrows slightly, Jiang Jiao regained her senses, and her heart was broken, for fear of Xiao Jue's misunderstanding, so she explained: "It's because the story of Miss He who was stabbed in Shuojing a few days ago has spread across the guards in Liangzhou. My brothers are worried about her accident. Our family owns a martial arts hall, so I wrote that I trust my father to find a sword for Miss He." He weighed the long sword wrapped in cloth in his hand, seemingly embarrassed, " It’s not a precious sword, it’s better than being light and sharp, Miss He can have a sword on her body, and if she goes out in the future, even if there are assassins who don’t have long eyes, she won’t have no weapon in her hand.”
"Sword?" Xiao Jue frowned, "Why did you think of sending a sword?"
"Ah?" Jiang Jiao didn't seem to expect Xiao Jue to ask such a question, "Miss He's swordsmanship is exquisite, if you want to send weapons, of course you should send a sword. Although her whipping and swordsmanship are very good, I think swordsmanship is more I was better than that, so I chose this one on my own initiative.”
Xiao Jue stared into his eyes, "How did you know that He Yan's swordsmanship is exquisite?"
"It was when I was in Rundu before." Jiang Jiao suddenly said, "By the way, when Miss He used the sword, the governor hadn't been to Rundu yet, so I didn't see it. Wang Ba and I both saw it at that time. Miss He led us to raid the enemy camp of Utuo at night. All of us wore masks of evil spirits. The mask that Miss He wore was different. According to Mr. Li, it was the same as the mask that General Feihong once wore. The girl just wore a mask, pretended to be General Feihong, and discarded the armor and armor of the Uto people. At that time, she used a sword. Although I have not seen what General Feihong used a sword, I think, He The girl's swordsmanship is no worse than his."
Jiang Jiao finished speaking in one breath, and was surprised that he had said too much. Although he is friends with He Yan and has nothing to do with Fengyue, but now that He Yan has become Xiao Jue's fiancee, it is better to avoid suspicion, so he coughed lightly, "I am here today to give away the sword, I didn't expect Miss He's house No one, since I met Dudu Xiao here, it would be better for Dudu Xiao to give this sword to Miss He."
He handed the cloth bag in his hand to Xiao Jue, "It's getting late, I have to hurry out of the city and return to the camp. It's hard work for Governor Xiao. Thank you." The burden, turned around and walked outside.
The figure of Jiang Jiao disappeared at the end of the long street. Xiao Jue lowered his head and looked at the long sword wrapped in cloth in his hand. The long sword was very light and looked slender and small. left in the other direction.
…
On this day, He Yan returned without success.
The old master of Changmao Iron Shop told He Yan that in the past few days, the Niu Blacksmith has not appeared, and he has not even delivered the ten iron sickles ordered last month. The old master and Niu Blacksmith also have some friendship. Although the iron sickle is important, if nothing happens, Niu Blacksmith should not miss the appointment.
He Yan asked the old master if he knew where the Blacksmith Niu lived. The old master shook his head, indicating that the Blacksmith Niu lived on a barren mountain, and no one knew where it was. Niu blacksmith did not like to tell others about his family affairs, and it was inconvenient for others to inquire more.
It was almost clear that the blacksmith Niu and Qin Ma were already found by Xu Zhiheng's people one step ahead of her.
This is indeed a frustrating thing.
When she got home, because she went out early today, He Sui and He Yunsheng hadn't come back yet, and she hadn't noticed her sneaking out for the time being. On the other hand, Qingmei was sitting on the threshold waiting for someone. When she saw He Yan leading the horse to the door of the house, she immediately stood up happily, "Girl, you are back!"
"I just went out for a walk, I forgot the time." He Yan continued to perfunctory.
"Miss He went out before dawn, where is the market you went to?" Chi Wu came out from behind the door and said in a bad tone. He and Qingmei had just arrived home. To be honest, Chiwu didn't think that going out to find someone would have any results. He Yan wanted to hide from them, who could find it? It's just that whenever he shows the thought that he doesn't have to go out to find someone, the little maid in front of him will immediately cry. Chiwu almost doubted whether Qingmei wanted to play in the street, and was so persistent in looking for He Yan for a whole day.
I feel sorry for him, a big man. He will be dragged by a little girl for a day. There are also many secret guards in the Xiao family in the capital. Who knows what will happen in the Jiuqi camp tomorrow. What made him even more frustrated was that He Yan not only left by himself, but also took a horse. Right under his nose, he didn't find anything, and was ridiculed by Qingmei for not being good at learning.
The ghost knows how He Yan ran out.
But today's He Yan is even more frustrated than Chiwu. Those who leave early and return late have nothing to gain at all. What is even more distressing is the money for Fuwang. After finally getting a clue, all of them are now in vain. , is really empty.
She perfunctoryly said a few words, and then said, "I'm a little tired after walking around for a day. I'll go back to the house to rest first." Before Qingmei could answer, she plunged into the room herself.
Qingmei stood outside the door, blinked, and said to Chiwu: "Chiwu guard, don't sleep too hard today, and pay attention to the noise in the girl's room at night."
Chiwu: "..."
Now he doesn't even call Young Master Chiwu anymore, he just calls Chiwu Guard, and what does this mean, do you want him not to sleep at night
Oh, funny.
…
At night, when the lanterns first came on, the singing of drunken guests could be heard in the far city.
In the city of Shuojing, the first snow of this winter finally ushered in.
Snow grains are like salt flakes, the wind blows in from outside the city, and pieces fly. On the pomegranate tree in front of the window, the pomegranates are already ripe, and they are heavy on the branches, as if they can fall off by themselves and fall into the snow-colored soil with a light touch.
On the stove in the house, tea was simmering, and the square windows just reflected a snow scene. Someone stood in front of the window, staring at the snow outside the window.
"Although I haven't seen General Feihong's swordsmanship, I think that Miss He's swordsmanship is no worse than his." Jiang Jiao's words came to his ears again, he turned his head, walked to the table, picked up the table on the long sword.
The silk cloth covering the sword body has been pulled away, revealing the complete appearance of the sword. The sword body is very narrow, probably for the convenience of women to grasp.
Everyone knows that the two famous generals of the Great Wei Dynasty, General Feng Yun's Yinqiu Sword, and General Feihong's Qinglang Sword, are sharp weapons in the world, cut like gold as mud. More precious than their swords is their swordsmanship, which is sharp and has reached the realm of transformation.
He met He Rufei when he was young, and He Rufei's swordsmanship was really not beautiful. Later, when he gave him secret advice, it was better than before. But since fighting He Rufei to join the army, he has never had the chance to see He Rufei use the sword, so he has only heard about He Rufei's swordsmanship.
The stack of letters on the table was thick and thick, Xiao Jue picked it up and read it a few times, her eyes narrowed.
He Rufei and Grandma Xu were born at the same time on the spring equinox. At the age of fourteen, He Rufei entered the Xianchang Pavilion. At the age of fifteen, He Rufei joined the Fuyue Army. He Rufei's military exploits became more and more prominent. At that time, not long before returning to Beijing to receive the reward, the second lady of the He family, "He Yan", who had been recuperating in Zhuangzi, also returned to Beijing with him.
He Rufei received the reward and was awarded the title of "General Feihong", and the affair with Second Miss He and Xu Zhiheng happened almost at the same time.
Miss He Er became Grandma Xu. Grandma Xu became blind three months after she married into the Xu family. A year later, he lost his footing and drowned.
About this dead grandmother Xu, there are very few things that can be found in her lifetime. Apart from marrying Xu Zhiheng, she didn't have anything worthy of attention in He's family, as if she was like an inconspicuous speck of dust that few people paid attention to. The only thing in her life that can be stained with some fresh and glorious, that is, after returning to Beijing, she has a good marriage that everyone admires. It's a pity that this little good thing seems to have exhausted her luck. Next, she is blind, dead, and like a speck of dust, she returns to nothingness.
Her birth and death, against the background of her elder brother He Rufei, were like tiny stones thrown into the sea, and it was difficult to stir up a little splash. People only sighed when they heard it.
A poor, lowly, unnoticed woman.
He picked up another letter. In this letter, unlike Grandma Xu, it densely recorded the interesting events of another girl with the same name and surname since she was born.
He Yan, the daughter of He Sui, the school captain of the city gate, even though she lost her mother when she was young and came from a poor family, she was pampered under the care of her father. She is as lively as all the girls who grew up in ordinary homes in the market. She likes rouge powder and beautiful dresses. She can't carry her hands on her shoulders. If there is another official and a half-job in the family, and the husband is born handsome again, it is really thankful.
Her entanglement with Fan Cheng is known to all the neighbors. Looking at the little girl who grew up in the street, if you want to know her past, it is easy to ask from house to house. It is precisely because of this that the "Miss He" in the mouth of the neighbors and the current Marquis of Wu'an, "He Yan", will appear to be completely different.
Miss He loves beauty and beauty, but He Yan only wears men's clothes all the time. Miss He is very particular about dressing and living, so it doesn't matter if He Yan and a dozen men squeeze a Chase shop. Miss He is frail and frail, and she will be out of breath after walking two steps. He Yan runs on time every day in Liangzhou Wei, and she can easily throw a stone lock that weighs hundreds of pounds.
Same face, different temperament.
She can memorize "Wu Zi's Art of War", and she knows the drilled formations like the back of her hand. She can see at a glance the weaknesses of the Uto people's art of war, and she can face the enemy's long sword without changing her face. There is no such genius in the world, and it is impossible for him to appear in Liangzhou Wei, but if this person is not a genius, but a warrior who grew up from a treacherous battlefield, it seems that all those unexplainable things are there. reasonable explanation.
Xiao Jue was silent, put all the letters in his hand back in the drawer, and turned around to go out the door.
His yard is very big and there are many empty rooms. Xiao Jue walked straight to the innermost room. There was a guard at the door of the room. When he saw Xiao Jue coming, he let him go.
Xiao Jue walked in.
Inside the house, Qin Mama and Niu Blacksmith were sitting on the side of the cave, not knowing what they were talking about. As soon as she saw Xiao Jue, Mother Qin was so frightened that she immediately stood up and said, "Sir."
Now that Xu Zhiheng was looking around for the whereabouts of Mother Qin, there were two brothers who had returned from outside the city in the other courtyard. It was troublesome for Mother Qin to live there, so Xiao Jue ordered them to be sent to her own courtyard. No matter how brave Xu Zhiheng was, he would not dare to go to the Xiao family to find someone. There are guards guarding the door, and Qin mama can't escape.
After Xiao Jue came in, he didn't speak, but his eyes fell on Mother Qin.
Mother Qin's body trembled slightly. Up to now, she still didn't know anything about this handsome young man, but every time she saw each other's eyes, she couldn't help but feel chills down her spine.
"How did Grandma Xu die?" Xiao Jue asked.
Mother Qin was stunned for a moment and replied subconsciously, "It was killed by Concubine He."
"I mean, how did she die?"
Mammy Qin finally regained her senses, swallowed her saliva, and said, "I don't know much about what happened that day, but I only know that the maid of the eldest grandma first gave the eldest grandma a cup of tea, and there was something in the tea. The eldest grandma has Kung Fu, Kung Fu is not bad, probably... They were afraid that Grandma would escape. After that, Grandma couldn't move. Those servants wounded Grandma with sticks, dragged her to the edge of the pond, and pressed her head down..."
Seemingly recalling the tragic situation that day, Qin Mama felt cold all over as she spoke.
Grandma Xu died so tragically, she didn't struggle, she didn't scream, she didn't beg for mercy, she didn't collapse like those who were dying, she just stubbornly resisted fate, she was obviously blind and couldn't see anything, but her There is a fire in his eyes, resolute, tenacious, and hard-working. Because of this, the moment when the body was pressed into the pool water, gradually stopped moving, and lost its breath, it was so shocking.
Mother Qin closed her eyes, "The eldest grandma was drowned, but she didn't drown to death, she was pushed into the pool and drowned alive."
Xiao Jue's fingertips trembled.
The old past gradually emerged in front of me, and a sea of fire was on the canal with thick smoke billowing. The river water in spring is still cool, and the girls underwater are not as lively as usual. Although they can swim, their bodies are gradually stiff. She looked in pain, her long hair spread out under the water, as fragile and brittle as glass, as if it would disappear underwater in the next moment.
Those who have been scorched by fire will run away when they see the fire, and those who fall off their horses and get hurt will never mount their horses again in the future. Then the woman who died in the icy pool water will never be able to let go if she thinks of the icy coldness of the pool water at the moment before her death, and the despair that the sky is so close to her.
I see.
Qin mama didn't know the meaning of the other person's question, and she was still apologizing: "Sir, the slaves really didn't participate! It's all done by Concubine He, no, it's all done by the uncle, and the slaves are just standing among those wives. , the slave did nothing..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw that the young man in front of her had already opened the door and walked out.
The door was closed behind him, Xiao Jue took a few steps forward. In the snowy night, the style was cold outside, and the dull feeling of suffocation in the room was blown away.
He slowly walked along the long corridor. There was no moon tonight, and the lantern was on and off. The past flashed in front of him like a revolving lantern. Those familiar images finally pierced into his heart like a sharp sword. A sharp pain spread.
Time and space overlap, under the moonlight, the girl in the strong suit pulls the longbow laboriously, over and over again, in the wilderness of Liangzhouwei, slowly blurring, blurring into a familiar figure, the boy wearing a mask is clumsy He swung the long sword in his hand, and his nose was blue and his face was swollen.
He stammered: "Someone has worked so hard and is still so vulnerable."
The girl was full of wine, and asked angrily: "Why do you prefer to like Lei Hou rather than me! In terms of appearance, skills, or the relationship between you and me in the past, I am very disappointed!"
In the Xianchang Pavilion, the stumbling teenager who memorized "The University" can now recite the entire chapter effortlessly after getting drunk, but he still has to put his arms around his waist and ask for a daddy's compliment regularly.
On the martial arts field, she looked at the recruits who were training below, and answered her questions fluently. When she was praised, she boasted with a smile: "Sometimes I even think that I was a female general in my last life."
The highest realm of a liar is probably when telling the truth, but also hiding under seemingly unintentional lies.
Hua Youxian asked him with a smile, "Is the girl beside you the same little girl back then?"
Is she the little girl back then
Is it that little girl who is serious and stubborn, hardworking and withdrawn
Is it the little girl who would say, "The person holding the sword in his hand should understand where the sword is pointing, whether it is facing the enemy in front of him, or the weak person behind him. I will never draw the sword to the weak"
Is it the little girl who was forgotten by her classmates on the farm, and who refused to betray and tell her friend's whereabouts even if she was beaten with a bruised face
It was the same grandma Xu who was on the Snow Lotus Mountain behind the Yuhua Temple, and came to him for the second time after trying to die.
He held an umbrella for her at that time, gave her a piece of candy, and gave her a round of moonlight that did not exist, but he didn't know that she had been so miserable, so miserable that she couldn't even have her real name. , On a moonless night, a person hid behind a mask and spent many years alone and humble.
He saved him once, but failed to save her a second time.
On the Water God Festival in Jiyang, He Yan's face was hidden under the mask of the legendary raccoon who was punished for lying, and he told ten secrets and ten truths.
"I have a fate with the Governor in my last life."
"I was a female general in my previous life!"
It is so, it is so.
He raised his head, the sky was dark and dark, there was no bright moon like frost tonight, the wind was like water, and the scenery was infinite. Tonight is so cold, he only lied to her once, but she lied to him for many years, so that when the lie is revealed, it will be especially heartbreaking.
Xiao Jue walked very slowly, reaching the end of the corridor, in front of the study, under the pomegranate tree under the flower wall. It seems that there is a girl smiling like a flower, trying to reach out to pick the still green pomegranate, and again and again, the back gradually overlaps with a certain spring day many years ago.
He was on the tree, she was under the tree, the mask firmly covered the little girl's face, only revealing a pair of bright eyes, and the funny gesture of struggling to pounce on the yellow loquat. The white-robed boy fell to the ground, looking at the thin and short girl in front of him, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
On that day, the spring breeze was warm, the sky was blue and the water was clear, just like the first time I saw it.
Someone's voice sounded, in the sky, in the wilderness, by the spring water, with an indescribable loss, scattered in the night wind along with countless fireflies in the depths of the jungle.
"Sometimes after being a substitute for a person for a long time, it is inevitable that you will forget who you are."
"Commander, you must remember my name."
"My name is… "
In the young man's beautiful and clear eyes, the darkness gradually spread, he lowered his eyes, looked at the tightly held sachet in his hand, and spit out two words.
"He Yan."