The silvery moonlight poured into the screen window, and the noisy and shrill cicadas outside the window had stopped chirping, and everything was quiet. The moonlight and silence intertwined into a vast dream net, and everything in the world was caught in the net, falling into a deep sleep.
But there are exceptions.
On the big bed in the master bedroom of Jingxiang Garden, Zhu Ping'an turned over, and after a while turned over again, and then turned over again... ... In just a short while, Zhu Ping'an tossed and turned more than ten times.
Tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
I glanced out the window from time to time, and when I saw that the night was getting darker, I turned around again... ... Why is the night so long... ...
"Brother Zhu, take a nap. Just get up early tomorrow."
After Zhu Ping'an turned over again, Li Shu, who was pretending to be asleep, could no longer bear it. She reached out her hands and hugged Zhu Ping'an tenderly, pressing Zhu Ping'an's head into her arms, letting him fall asleep on her soft body.
It’s soft, and Brother Zhu can use it as a pillow. It must be more comfortable than a pillow. This way Brother Zhu can fall asleep.
"I'm sorry to bother you."
Zhu Ping'an apologized softly, preparing to get up from Li Shu's chest and lie down quietly. He would stop tossing and turning and let Li Shu sleep well.
"You didn't disturb me, you hurt me." Li Shu hugged Zhu Pingan tightly and said in a hoarse voice.
"But I hurt you."
Zhu Ping'an was anxious to raise his head, thinking that his head was resting on Li Shu's soft pillow and hurting her.
"It's you who don't sleep and don't take care of yourself that makes me sad." Li Shu shook her head and hugged Zhu Ping'an's head tighter, "If you don't believe me, listen to my heartbeat..."
Boom boom boom...
The heartbeat slowed down, like playing a lullaby.
"Go to sleep, Brother Zhu..." Li Shu hugged Zhu Pingan, her voice was like clear spring water, and tasted as sweet as honey.
"Um."
Zhu Ping'an nodded gently, hugged Li Shu with his backhand, and arched his body in Li Shu's arms like a little pig. He found a more comfortable position, rubbed her a few times, listened to Li Shu's peaceful heartbeat, and closed his eyes quietly.
"Giggle... Your breath is so itchy..."
After a few seconds, Li Shu couldn't help but burst into giggles.
"Then I'll get up."
"no."
... ...
The night is dark and seems like a dream.
“Bang bang bang…”
A night watchman passed by outside the palace. Bang, bang, bang, the clock struck the hour of Yin, and the sound could be faintly heard in the Linhuai Marquis Mansion.
In ancient times, the night watchman would beat a gong to announce the time at the beginning of each night watch. Now the night watchman announces the time at the hour of Yin, which is around three o'clock.
After faintly hearing the sound of the Yinshi bangzi, Zhu Ping'an opened his eyes, got up from the bed quietly, carefully covered Li Shu with the quilt, and then gently kissed Li Shu on the forehead.
Then, he grabbed his clothes and quietly walked out of the bedroom.
After leaving the yard, Zhu Ping'an went straight to the stable in the front yard.
Zhu Pingan originally thought that Liu Dadao should not be up at this time, and was thinking that after he led the horse, he would tell the guard on duty in the front yard to wait for Liu Dadao to get up and then tell him that he didn't need to send him off today. However, to Zhu Pingan's surprise, he saw Liu Dadao as soon as he walked to the stable.
"Brother Dadao, why did you get up so early?" Zhu Ping'an asked in surprise.
"Haha, good morning, young master. The young mistress sent someone to tell me yesterday evening that I should get up early this morning to wait for you."
Liu Dadao laughed and scratched his head.
Well.
All right.
When Zhu Ping'an heard what Li Shu said, he looked up in the direction of Jingxiang Garden and felt a warm feeling in his heart.
Because Zhu Pingan got up too early and the curfew was not over yet, Zhu Pingan and Liu Dadao waited in front of the gate of Linhuai Marquis's mansion with their horses for a while before the gong for lifting the curfew was sounded. As soon as he heard the gong for lifting the curfew, Zhu Pingan jumped on his horse and galloped towards Yang Jisheng's mansion.
Liu Dadao rode his horse closely behind.
When they were halfway there, Zhu Ping'an suddenly remembered that he had not asked for leave from Prince Yu's Mansion yet. As the two places were not on the same route, Zhu Ping'an asked Liu Dadao to change his route to Prince Yu's Mansion and inform Wu Wanfu, the gatekeeper of Prince Yu's Mansion, that he had something to do this morning and asked Wu Wanfu to help him ask for leave from Prince Yu.
"Okay, young master. After I talk to General Wu, I will go wait for you outside Lord Yang's mansion." Liu Dadao turned his horse around and galloped towards Prince Yu's mansion.
Zhu Ping'an continued riding his horse towards Yang Jisheng's residence. Fortunately, it was early and there were few pedestrians on the road, so the journey was smooth. In addition, the Shamatte dark horse was exceptionally powerful today and rode at a very high speed. Zhu Ping'an arrived at Yang Jisheng's residence in less than twenty minutes.
Yang Jisheng's residence is located in a shabby alley. The environment of this alley is not good. There is a musty smell when you enter. The courtyards in this alley are all rented out. The courtyard rented by Yang Jisheng is the smallest one in this shabby alley and the one in the worst location. It is just a small courtyard with a single door and a single household. There is only a main room, a side room, a kitchen and a toilet. It is similar to a courtyard in the countryside. It cannot be simpler.
It is really hard to imagine that a member of the Ministry of War, an official of the fifth rank and a deputy bureau-level cadre, would rent a courtyard like this.
The walls of the courtyard were peeling a bit, but the outside was very clean.
There is a simple plaque hanging in the courtyard with "Yang Mansion" inscribed on it. Judging from the handwriting, it was written by Yang Jisheng himself. Looking at it, one can feel a sense of unyielding righteousness emanating from the plaque.
Through the crack in the door, I could vaguely see that there seemed to be an oil lamp on in the room.
It seems that Senior Brother Yang hasn't gone out yet.
Zhu Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he didn't miss it.
“Knock knock knock…”
Zhu Ping'an dismounted, walked forward, grasped the door knocker and gently knocked on the door of Yang's mansion.
There seemed to be some movement in the yard, but no one came to open the door.
So Zhu Ping'an knocked on the door gently a few more times.
After a while
There was a sound of footsteps.
"Who is it?"
An elderly man's voice came from behind the door.
"Old man, I am Zhu Ping'an, a fellow disciple of Master Yang Jisheng of your family. I have come to visit Senior Brother Yang today because of something."
Zhu Ping'an bowed and replied outside the door. Through the crack in the door, the face of an old servant in his fifties could be vaguely seen.
"My master's junior brother? Why are you visiting so early? Then you wait." The old man behind the door was quite alert. After hearing Zhu Ping'an's introduction, he did not open the door. He just asked Zhu Ping'an to wait outside while he went to the main room to pass the message.
"Thank you, old man." Zhu Ping'an bowed to express his gratitude.
Then, I heard footsteps fading away, and then I could vaguely hear the old man's voice.
A while later.
A burst of quick footsteps was heard approaching, followed by a creaking sound, and the door opened. Yang Jisheng walked out quickly with a smile.