It is another spring day when warblers fly and grass grows.
Yan Sikong still remembered that at this time two years ago, he had won many prizes at the Sutra Banquet, and he saw Feng Ye again during the spring hunt not long after, the appearance of that young man in fresh clothes and furious horse, he was still clearly visible to this day. Hidden in his mind.
Two years have passed, times have changed, and things have changed.
Yan Sikong looked out the window at the grass and trees vying for spring. In such a season full of vitality, he only felt a decaying, dangerous, and decaying force dormant in the darkness, which could swallow everyone at any time.
He couldn't tell what it was, but instinctively he felt uneasy.
A hand suddenly pressed onto his shoulder, and he trembled all over, feeling horrified, grabbed the wrist, pulled it forward, his sanity returned to his original position in an instant, he suddenly remembered where he was now, and stopped immediately Otherwise, the owner of that hand will be thrown out.
"Wow!" came the exclamation in the ear.
Yan Sikong supported him and looked up: "Brother Liang?"
It was Liang Sui who came.
Liang Sui looked at Yan Sikong in surprise: "I, I called you, what are you looking at?"
Yan Sikong let go of him, returned to normal, smiled and said: "I am looking at the spring. 'April is the end of the world, and the peach blossoms in the mountain temple begin to bloom'. The wind and the sun are beautiful today, which is a good weather to enjoy the spring."
"Your brother is so poetic." Liang Sui rubbed his sore wrist, "Why didn't I realize that you are so energetic?"
"I used to do farm work when I was young."
"You? Doing farm work?" Liang Suidiao laughed, "You are white-skinned and tender, but you don't look like someone who does rough work. Let's just say your hands..." He flipped Yan Sikong's hand casually, and looked at it at a glance. When he reached the knotted scar on his palm, he suddenly had nothing to say.
The scars have lasted for a long time, and if you don't look carefully, they seem to be worn out by rough labor.
Yan Sikong raised his hands: "When I was young, my family was poor, so I can't compare to Brother Liang."
"Hey, the hero doesn't ask where he came from. Wouldn't it be more admirable for a poor man like you who can't afford to go to a private school or hire a husband to still be able to hang his beam and stab his butt, read a book and get a job in the exam? In my opinion, Everything my virtuous brother has today is just as it should be, but don't belittle yourself because of your background."
Yan Sikong raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a smile: "Brother Liang came to the yamen to find me on purpose, is it to comfort me?"
Liang Sui laughed and said, "Brother Zhou is hosting another banquet at Baisheng Tower today, you must honor it."
Yan Sikong smiled wryly: "Brother Liang, I've been busy with the Beijing inspection these days, and I really can't get away. When the Beijing inspection is over, how about I hold a banquet to apologize?"
"Sikong, I have invited you several times. Mr. Zhou also wants to see you. Our brothers used to have drinks together. Why did you go to the Ministry of Officials and become the prospective son-in-law..." Liang Sui blamed, "It's so hard to see each other."
Yan Sikong didn't want to offend these aristocratic young masters, so he could only say: "Then respect is worse than obedience."
—
That night, Yan Sikong came to Baisheng Building.
Baisheng Building is the most luxurious restaurant in the capital, and the guests are greeted and sent off by dignitaries. Opposite is Yanliu Lane, which is convenient for the guests to eat and drink, and then go to have fun. Of course, you can also call the girls over. At night, when the lights come on, singing and dancing, this is the most extravagant place in the city.
The number of times Yan Sikong has come to Baisheng Building is also countless, but his deepest memory of this place is always that day when Feng Ye returned to Beijing, one of them was upstairs and the other was downstairs, and they had a quick glance.
Later, he asked Feng Ye why he suddenly looked upstairs when he entered the city that day. Feng Ye said that he felt palpitations at that time, and always felt that there was something upstairs that made him have to look up.
Yan Sikong got off the carriage, deliberately stood at the place where Feng Ye once rode his horse, looked up, it was still cold at night, he didn't open the window, what he saw was only the orange light showing through the window paper, he laughed at himself With a smile, he strolled in.
Zhou Mixing loves ostentation, so it must be one of the most luxurious rooms on the third floor. Xiao Er respectfully led Yan Sikong up the stairs. When the door was pushed open, a burst of laughter came from inside. Sikong just put on a smiling face, ready to socialize, but when he saw the people in the room, he froze.
The one sitting in the middle was actually Feng Ye!
Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with a half-smile, his gaze was somewhat cold.
"Oh, my good brother is here." Zhou Mixing stood up himself, walked up to hold his hand, and said intimately, "I haven't seen you and my brother for a long time, I miss you so much."
Yan Sikong came back to his senses: "Uh... Brother Zhou is flattering me, I'm still dealing with business today, so I'm late..." His eyes drifted to Fengye again.
"It's not in the way, it's not in the way." Zhou Mixing pulled him and brought him to Feng Ye's side, "Come, you sit next to me and the prince."
"this… "
"Sit down." Zhou Mixing whispered in his ear, "I'm the host, it's fine."
Yan Sikong remembered what Liang Sui had said when he came to invite him in the morning, and combined with the scene in front of him, he probably understood what was going on.
In the past, he was socializing with Liang Sui, and he was just a younger brother in front of Zhou Mixing. At the banquet, he could only listen to Mr. Zhou bragging, but now it is not what it used to be. His attitude towards him is naturally different. Now that the Jingcha is approaching, Zhou Mixing's father, Shuntian Fuyin, is also within the scope of the Jingcha. A smooth favor.
This calculation is quite clever, but unfortunately Zhou Mixing doesn't know the real grievance between him and Fengye, where is the rumor that Fengye is "demanding on his family status".
Yan Sikong was forced to sit next to Feng Ye, and everyone at the table looked at them with expressions of watching the show.
Yan Sikong coughed lightly, ready to curry favor with Fengye, as the two of them had their grades and backgrounds, it should be so.
Zhou Mixing was very thoughtful and didn't embarrass him. He stood up and raised his glass: "Come on, everyone is here. I, Zhou, have to say a few words."
Everyone responded one after another.
Zhou Mixing respectfully bowed to Feng Ye: "I, Mr. Zhou, was flattered to have a son and a banquet. This cup must be dedicated to the hero's son who was a young man." After speaking, he drank a glass.
Feng Ye raised a lamp to drink with him, and smiled: "Young Master Zhou, you are being polite."
"This is the second cup." Zhou Mixing looked at Yan Sikong with a smile, "I want to respect my virtuous brother. Now I am the head of Yan and the son-in-law of Yan. The future must have a bright future. My virtuous brother will flourish in the future. Qingyun is going straight up, don't forget our brothers."
Yan Sikong got up, and said with a smile: "I dare not take it, Mr. Zhou and all the brothers are both talented, open-minded and virtuous people. I, Yan, have the virtue and ability to make friends with you. In the future, I will talk to you more. point."
The two clinked glasses and drank each other.
After two glasses of wine, Zhou Mixing became bolder. He looked at Feng Ye, then at Yan Sikong, and laughed boldly: "The third glass of wine is for someone Zhou to host a banquet today. My purpose, I dared to be shameless, and invited the eldest son and younger brother Yan Xian, because I heard that there was some estrangement between the two for the marriage of Princess Wanyang. This world is full of ups and downs, and we need each other's help in the future. In Zhou's humble opinion, the two were once like-minded confidants, and it would be a pity if there was a rift because of their differences in family status."
Everyone echoed: "Yes, yes."
"My son, let's be more open-minded."
Zhou Mixing said while observing Feng Ye's expression, and continued: "The third glass of wine, Zhou wants to respect both of you at the same time, can you look at my face..."
"Young Master Zhou." Feng Ye tilted his head slightly, looked sideways at Zhou Mixing, and said with a half-hearted smile, "You are so warm-hearted."
Zhou Mixing's complexion changed slightly, but anyone with ears could hear the sarcasm in the words, he was a little embarrassed for a moment, he raised his glass to toast, and neither was it disrespectful.
Yan Sikong quickly stood up, took Zhou Mixing's hand, and said with emotion: "Yan was born in a poor family in Baiwu, and Princess Wanyang is a dragon's blood and a phoenix marrow. Don't consider me humble, I would like to marry the princess to me, and I would like to repay your majesty's great kindness with my own body. But the son loves his cousin, knowing that my family is poor, my words and deeds are vulgar, and it is understandable to be afraid of being rude and wronged the princess. , I have absolutely no dissatisfaction or disrespect towards my son."
Feng Ye's fists were tightly clenched under the table, he hated Yan Sikong's hypocrisy.
Yan Sikong and Zhou Mixing turned to Fengye together, he said respectfully and sincerely: "Whether the prince is willing to accept Yan or not, Yan must respect the prince for this glass of wine." After he finished speaking, he was about to drink into the cup Medium wine.
But Feng Ye suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.
The movement was so fast that no one at the table saw it clearly.
Yan Sikong's hand was jerked, but not a single drop of wine was spilled in the glass.
Feng Ye raised his head and looked at him with sharp eyes.
The banquet was completely silent, Zhou Mi Xing was sweating finely on his forehead, and the others dared not even breathe.
Feng Ye said slowly: "That's right, I'm really afraid that you will be rude and wronged me, Wan Yang. In the future, Wan Yang will marry you, will you treat her well?"
Yan Sikong's heart skipped a beat, and he said softly: "Of course... Yan will naturally."
"What will happen?" Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong closely, "Say it."
"I will... I will treat the princess as a guest."
Feng Ye sneered: "A husband and wife, are they just treating each other as guests?"
"You still have to love each other." Liang Sui said thoughtfully.
Feng Ye coldly gave Liang Sui a gouged look, Liang Sui was so frightened that his hairs stood on end, Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong again: "I want to listen to you."
Yan Sikong felt cold all over his body. Could it be that Feng Ye was trying to force him to utter his vow to Wan Yang
Zhou Mixing urged: "My virtuous brother, hurry up, the son wants you to say a few words, and then he can entrust the princess to you with confidence."
Yan Sikong and Feng Ye looked at each other, both of them saw the deepest torture and struggle in each other's eyes, but Feng Ye didn't intend to let Yan Sikong go, just stared at, forced, and waited stubbornly A result he didn't want.
Yan Sikong took a deep breath, with unspeakable anger and sadness rising in his chest, he said softly: "I, Yan, will love and cherish Princess Wanyang, respect her, and live up to your majesty... and the entrustment of your son. "After he finished speaking, he felt a pain in his heart, and his voice became a little trembling.
Feng Ye's hand holding Yan Sikong's wrist tightened suddenly, and Yan Sikong's face turned pale from the pain, but he endured it and did not make any abnormalities.
Feng Ye let go of his hand, his eyes were like the water of two ancient wells, deep and calm, he whispered: "So... I can feel at ease."
Zhou Mixing hurried up to ease the atmosphere: "Hahahaha, this is good, this is good, come on, let's toast together."
Everyone raised their glasses to congratulate the two on their "reconciliation".
Yan Sikong forced a smile, sitting on pins and needles beside Feng Ye, he couldn't even look into Feng Ye's eyes, and the two of them didn't speak during the dinner.
Everyone could see that there was still tension between them, Zhou Mixing felt that it hadn't let go, so after drinking for three rounds, he called over a dozen girls from Tinglange across the street.