Baihui walked across the stone arch bridge on the lake in a hurry, carrying a red lacquer carved food box. Guan Yubai was standing by the lake watching the fish, throwing some bait from time to time, attracting a large group of golden carp swarming in the lake. Come loot.
Xiao Si seemed to find it boring to feed the fish, so he climbed onto the rolling shed.
He was condescending, and he was in sight for a mile around. Of course, he had already seen Baihui walking towards this side, and he didn't care. He just sat on the top and watched the scenery.
Baihui cast a glance at Xiaosi on the roll shed, lifted her skirt and got off the bridge, walked to Guan Yubai's side in a leisurely manner, and said, "I've seen you, sir."
Baihui's face is calm, but there is a trace of complexity in her heart, but more joy: the young master has really come!
Even though she has served the crown prince for many years and regards him as the main one, Guan Yubai always has a unique status in her heart. He will always be the son in her heart.
Apart from Shi Zifei and Bai He, the only person she is willing to go through fire and water is him!
"No need to be too polite." Guan Yubai, who was leaning against a willow tree, smiled slightly, and casually put aside the small box used to feed the fish.
Baihui picked up the food box and said again: "My lord, the imperial concubine ordered my servants to come over and bring you dinner."
The two of them knew each other well that the delivery of dinner was just an excuse, and the palace had no shortage of servants to deliver the dinner, so it would be the turn of the eldest maid of the crown prince to come out in person.
Guan Yubai turned around and entered the room, followed by Baihui.
While slowly opening the food box, Baihui said, "Young master, the imperial concubine is afraid that you are not used to the taste here, so she specially ordered the kitchen to cook some northern dishes."
The three-layer food box looks small, but it contains a lot of dishes: ground three delicacies, pot-wrapped pork, vegetable stewed arugula, sweet-scented osmanthus meat, lotus pod tofu...
Two meat and four vegetables, plus a bowl of black-bone chicken soup, set up a full table.
Guan Yubai said with a smile: "Thank you for me, Shi Zifei." After a pause, he asked: "Baihui, are you and Baihe getting used to living in southern Xinjiang?"
As soon as she mentioned her cousin Lily, Baihui's eyes softened a lot, she smiled a lot, and said in a brisk tone: "The folk customs in southern Xinjiang are not as strict and restrained as in the capital, and you know Lily's temperament, my son. Back here, it’s like a fish in water! Go horse racing today, and go outing tomorrow. A few days ago, because the alley where she lived was attacked by thieves, she even formed a women’s army to catch the thieves. What’s wrong with it? Yes, it's probably because Lily is not used to the food in southern Xinjiang..."
Baihui sounds like she is criticizing Lily, but she is actually happy for Lily. Lily can live the life she wants as she pleases, which means that her cousin-in-law Ren Zinan treats her well.
Guan Yubai also understood this point, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. The two sisters, Baihui and Baihe, went out from his side, and he also hoped that they would live well.
After Baihui finished distributing the dishes, she put the food box aside and said, "My lord, Xiaowei Li is temporarily staying in the Hewenyuan. After crossing the lake from Qingyunwu, and then bypassing the Liuying waterside pavilion, it is the Hewenyuan. My lord, Shi Zifei said that if it is inconvenient, someone can open the small garden next to Hewenyuan, so that from Hewenyuan to Qingyunwu, you only need to pass through the small garden."
From the perspective of distance alone, Hewenyuan is actually very close to Qingyunwu, but there is a small garden adjacent to it. Because wild bees have been infested recently, Nangong Yue moved the Taihu Stone to temporarily seal the entrance. This will not affect the appearance. It can also prevent people from entering and exiting. Without this small garden, it would take a detour from Hewenyuan to Qingyunwu, and the distance would be quite far.
Li Yunqi and Guan Yubai came together, but Nangong Yue didn't know whether he was Guan Yubai's confidant, and the reason for giving him a choice and the Academy of Arts was based on this consideration: if this person is credible, he can find a reason to open it at any time. Otherwise, it will continue to seal the small garden, artificially creating a distance between Wenyuan and Qingyunwu.
Baihui asked implicitly, but Guan Yubai understood it. He raised the corners of his lips and said, "No need."
Even though Li Yunqi was very submissive along the way, his intentions were obvious when Tang Qinghong blocked the road and searched before entering the city.
Baihui blessed Fushen and replied: "Your servant understands." Then she said, "My son has a three-entry house in the south of the city. No one knows about it. You can do what you want." A bunch of copper keys were placed on the table, and the address was given in detail.
Whether it's the residence in Qingyunwu or the house in the south of the city, Nangong Yue has considered it very carefully.
Guan Yubai couldn't help thinking that when he first met her, she was just a little girl, and she was already calm and thoughtful...
Guan Yubai lowered his head slightly and said, "Baihui, please thank your concubine Shizi for me. Tell her another message, there are two things, one is..."
As Guan Yubai spoke slowly, Baihui looked dignified, and finally said seriously: "Yes, young master. The servant must bring the whole story."
Guan Yubai temporarily stayed in Zhennan Palace.
The king of Zhennan was dizzy by Mrs. Qiao's disturbance, and he suddenly recovered and remembered that he forgot to hold a reception banquet for Guan Yubai. Knowing that the concubine Shizi has asked her eldest maid to deliver meals to the guests in person, she apologized for the fact that King Zhennan was busy with official duties, and the son was unable to entertain the distinguished guests while he was away in battle. King Zhennan finally breathed a sigh of relief, once again he deeply felt that the eldest concubine was much safer than Xiao Fang's, and she really deserved to be the daughter of a famous family!
King Zhennan was very busy, before he could take a good rest, Tang Qinghong came.
Tang Qinghong was also very busy. After sending Qiao Ruolan back to the mansion, he hurried back to Maofeng Town, searched again, and interrogated the neighbors of that family to make sure that he did not miss anything. Only then came back to report to King Zhennan.
It is reported that the family who committed suicide by taking poison has settled down in Maofeng Town for five years. They have opened a small tavern for a living.
The king of Zhennan was a little bit embarrassed. Although he didn't catch anyone alive, he could be regarded as eradicating a secret eyeliner in Nanliang. It's a great fortune!
Qiao Ruolan came back, and Nanliang's spies committed suicide by taking poison. The King of Zhennan became more relaxed, and immediately ordered the lifting of the martial law in Luoyue City, and rewarded Tang Qinghong for his hard work.
Considering Mrs. Qiao asked herself to conceal the kidnapping of Qiao Ruolan, King Zhennan simply asked Tang Qinghong to order people to publicize the martial law for the past two days to hunt down the spies in Nanliang.
When Tang Qinghong received the reward, he was in high spirits, so he naturally took the job seriously.
But overnight, Luoyue City became orderly and prosperous again.
On a street in Luoyue City, people were coming and going, and the hawkers on both sides of the street were shouting constantly. The haze caused by the martial law was swept away at this moment, and even the sun seemed to be brighter because of it.
Many passers-by went to the tea shop on the street to rest their feet and drink tea. The boss greeted the guests with a smile, really wishing that the weather would be hotter for a while.
A burly man in his thirties put down his empty bowl and said, "Third brother, the martial law in the city has delayed work for the past two days, but the master said that it will take half a month to complete the work. We have to rush to work these days."
The young man sitting across from him gulped down half a bowl of tea, wiped his mouth with his cuff casually, and nodded: "Brother, don't worry. It's only a two-day delay, and there's nothing wrong with it."
The big man sighed happily: "Fortunately, those damn Nanliang spies were caught! Otherwise, I don't know how many more days will be delayed..."
A mustache who was sharing the table with them couldn't help interjecting: "Have you heard? Those Nanliang spies knew that they couldn't fly with wings, so they all committed suicide by taking poison."
"Good death!" The young man slapped the table angrily and said, "Occupy my Dayu territory, kill my compatriots, you deserve what you deserve when you die!"
Mustache nodded and said: "Yes. If those Nanliang spies get into trouble, the consequences will be unimaginable."
An old man at the next table listened to them talking for a long time, and said with emotion: "Fortunately, the prince is wise this time, none of those spies escaped!"
"Yes, the prince is wise, and the son is very powerful. It is a great blessing for us to have the prince and the son in southern Xinjiang!" The big man said full of praise.
They were chatting lively, completely unaware that there were two men wearing bamboo hats behind them, while pretending to be drinking tea, they were secretly paying attention to what the people around them were saying.
Now that the daytime is sunny, they don't look obtrusive wearing bamboo hats. The wide sides of the bamboo hats almost cover half of their facial features, and also cover their slightly deeper eye sockets and tall nose bridges than Dayu people.
After the two paid the bill, they walked out of the tea shop until they walked to an empty alley, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
One of the taller ones took off the bamboo hat on his head, revealing a dark face. He was a young man of a different race in his twenties.
The young man snorted coldly with disdain, a pair of shrewd triangular eyes showed a wolf-like light, and said coldly: "It's really useless to deceive King Zhennan with such a simple method!"
The shorter one also took off the bamboo hat on his head, and he was in his forties, with a bushy beard on his chin. He narrowed his shrewd eyes, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that the news we got is correct. Zhennan Wang is a rough and stupid man, but he is self-righteous and self-willed. It's a pity that we have laid eyeliner in Maofeng Town for so many years. ...However, it is worthwhile to expose this matter with a few lives. Speaking of which, the most troublesome person in southern Xinjiang is indeed the eldest son Xiao Yi!"
The young man nodded and said respectfully: "Lieutenant General, I think I have to think of a way to lure out the concubine..." The concubine is in the inner courtyard of the palace. If she is not lured out, the palace will be heavily guarded. It is impossible for them to take people captive.
The bearded man known as the "Deputy General" touched his chin and said, "It is said that the eldest son Xiao Yi and the imperial concubine are deeply in love, and only by using the imperial concubine as bait can we take down Huiling City without bloodshed!"
The plan to lure the imperial concubine out with anti-heat medicine as a bait was a plan they had contemplated for a long time, and every step of the way was very well thought out, but they never expected...the wrong person was caught in the end, so that the success fell short!
He narrowed his shrewd eyes, and said in a deep voice, "This time, I can't make another mistake."
The young man clasped his fists, bowed and said, "Yes!"
The bearded man put on the bamboo hat again, and said: "Let's go back and report to the Nine Kings first." Speaking of the "Nine Kings", there was a complicated face on the bearded man's face. Originally, he was fully in charge of this action, but the Nine Kings temporarily Come here to join in the fun, if it wasn't for meeting the Nine Kings that day, I wouldn't have wasted an extra day in Luoyue City...
The "coffin trick" was one of the last tricks that had been planned long ago, and it was indeed useful, but the problem was that the trick was good but the wrong person was used!
If it wasn't for getting away, he really wanted to cut that woman into pieces to vent his anger.
The two walked out of the alley, crossed two streets, and after making sure that no one was following them, they entered a Four Seas restaurant.
They were going to go to the private seat on the third floor to have a meeting with the Nine Kings, but when they went up to the second floor, their bearded footsteps suddenly paused, and they saw a familiar figure near the window.
At the second table by the window, two young people sat, one was a green-robed scholar wearing a square scarf, and the other was a handsome young man in an indigo brocade robe. The two were chatting familiarly, as if they were best friends. so-so.
The bearded gaze paused on the latter, the brows under the bamboo hat frowned, and he thought to himself: The Nine Kings stayed restlessly in the private seat, why did they come down? ! Also chatted with a Dayu man!
This young man in a blue brocade robe is none other than Nine King Langma of Nanliang.
The bearded man gestured to his subordinates, and the two of them simply went to the window and sat down at a table behind Langma, just in time to hear Langma say in surprise: "Brother Ye, it turns out that Lingmei is in the Zhennan Palace... "
Zhennan Palace? ! The bearded and bearded pupils shrank, and it turned out that the Nine Kings were not as rash and foolish as he thought.
The bearded man collected himself, and listened with his ears bent.
"Brother Lang, I'm ashamed to say..." Ye Yinming showed shame on his face. There is a saying that it is better to be a poor man's wife than a rich man's concubine. Hey, the Ye family is from a scholarly family, but my younger sister is a concubine, it really insults the family.
Langma lowered her eyes halfway, and a look of color appeared in her eyes, which disappeared in a flash.
After he came to Luoyue City, he had inquired a lot about the Zhennan Prince's Mansion, and it was the brothers and sisters of the Ye family who were making troubles all over the city recently. Langma immediately felt that this was a great opportunity, and found out that Ye Yinming often came to this restaurant, so he came to create this "coincidence". Relying on his immaculate looks, he soon became brothers and sisters with this Ye Yinming.
Langma smiled boldly, and said consolingly, "I think Brother Ye is in a good mood. Brother Ye, don't blame the younger brother for talking shallowly. There is a saying, 'Every loss is a loss, and every prosperity is glory'. The family is closely related. .With Brother Ye’s talent and learning, he will definitely be named on the gold list in the future, but being a Jinshi is the first step. If Brother Ye wants to soar in the officialdom, he needs "assistance"..." He meaningfully increased the volume of "assistance" .
Ye Yinming was thoughtful.
Langma continued: "Once Brother Ye becomes an extremely powerful minister in the future, the Zhennan Palace will naturally have to value Lingmei. At that time, Lingmei will not be an ordinary concubine, side concubine, or even..." He did not continue, Let Ye Yinming imagine.
We are all honored, we support each other, that's how it is! Ye Yinming's eyes shone brightly, and he cupped his fists and said, "Thank you for your advice, Brother Lang, I have benefited a lot from you."
"Where is there. Brother Ye will be prosperous in the future, don't forget that you are the younger brother." Lang Ma also politely clasped his fists, and then changed the tone, "The younger brother also understands that Brother Ye is the elder brother, and it is also wrong to worry that your sister will be wronged in the palace. Inevitably, but the Zhennan Prince's Mansion is well-known in southern Xinjiang, and the concubine Shizi is even more kind and benevolent. She once served tea and medicine outside the city to help refugees. If the concubine is like this, then the palace must be a place of beauty, Brother Ye, don't have to go too far concern."
Ye Yinming's face froze slightly when he heard Langma's praises to the princess, his lips were pursed into a straight line, but he didn't say anything.
Langma has been watching the words and expressions, and seeing Ye Yinming's expression is not right, she immediately asked: "Brother Ye, is there anything wrong with what I said?"
Ye Yinming said lightly: "A gentleman does not avoid the beauty of others, and does not speak of the evil of others... If you talk too much, my younger brother will become a villain who tells people's right and wrong behind his back."
Langma pretended to be sullen, and said: "Brother Ye, I hit you off right away, and just now I have spoken a lot of heartfelt words to Brother Ye. How come it's Brother Ye's turn, but you're out of touch?!"
Ye Yinming thinks so too, Lang Ma's advice just now can be regarded as confiding in himself, and he should reciprocate.
Ye Yinming pondered for a while, then lowered his voice and said: "Then I will say a few words to Brother Lang. The concubine Shizi is used to making scenes, so take tea and medicine as an example. This matter was originally the eldest girl of the palace. I took the lead, but in the end, people who didn't know why all attributed it to the concubine Shizi, who made her a good name..." As he said, he curled the corners of his mouth in disdain, "My mother went to see my sister today, and I heard her say, The concubine will go to the Great Buddha Temple ten days later to pray for the concubine and the people of Huiling City. At that time, Nanjiang will surely preach the concubine's benevolence and righteousness, and serve the people wholeheartedly... "
Ten days later... Pray for blessings... A gleam flashed in Lang Ma's eyes. It is worthwhile for him to spend so much time on Ye Yinming, and finally got some useful information!
Speaking of going to the Great Buddha Temple to pray for blessings, it was Nangong Yue who just made the decision last night, and immediately asked all the princes and girls in the mansion to copy a copy of the "Ksitigarbha Sutra" by hand, and then take them to the Great Buddha Temple to worship. The people in the sewing room were even ordered to rush to make the monk's robes to be donated that day. It is said that each person in the sewing room was rewarded with a tael of silver for this, and the servants talked enviously in private.
So, in less than a day, almost everyone in the house knew that she was going to the Great Buddha Temple in ten days.
Nangong Yue didn't care about this and didn't stop her, so they were free to discuss.
At this time, she had already finished taking care of the trivial matters in the mansion, and was in Tingyu Pavilion with Xiao Fei.
In the octagonal pavilion, a light golden torreya wood board is placed on a round stone table. On the chessboard, black and white pieces are criss-crossed, and the battle is in full swing. The two players are still throwing one piece and one piece on the chessboard.
The two sides attack and defend, just like generals commanding thousands of troops, launching a fierce game on the chessboard. Although there are no swords and swords, the intensity is by no means inferior to that of the two countries fighting each other.
Da da da…
Nangong Yue sat aside, sipping osmanthus tea leisurely while watching the chess game.
Although Heizi and Heizi seem to be evenly matched at first glance, from her point of view, Heizi is already beyond his strength, showing a faint weakness.
Nangong Yue took a quick look at Old Master Fang, seeing that he was frowning and lost in thought, a black spot was twirling in his right hand, unable to settle for a long time.
Xiao Fei on the other side was also staring at the chessboard intently, her black and focused eyes could only reflect the chess game at the moment.
At this time, a maid in pink walked around to the backyard from the west side of the house, stopped outside the octagonal pavilion in a hurry, and knelt down to report: "Old Master, Marquis An Yi is here. He is outside the courtyard now, and I want to greet you."
Old Master Fang paused clinging to Heizi's right hand, and asked with doubts on his face, "Marquis An Yi?" Whoever it is, I don't know that he came to the palace to announce the decree.
But no matter who this An Yihou is, he still solved his urgent need.
Old Mrs. Fang looked helplessly at Xiao Fei who was concentrating on it. This stubborn girl still doesn't know how to respect the old and the virtuous at all. Give yourself some water.
Nangong Yue said with a smile: "Grandfather, An Yihou Guan Yubai is A Yi's close friend, and he just arrived in Luoyue City yesterday by the emperor's order."
confidant? ! Old Master Fang raised his eyebrows, put the sunspots in his hand into the chess box, with a look of anticipation on his face, nodded and said: "Since I'm A Yi's close friend, I really want to meet you."
"Yes, old lady." The pink-clothed maid was blessed again, and returned the same way.
"An Yihou is here?!" Xiao Fei, who was staring at the chessboard, reacted slowly and raised her head.
Old Master Fang raised his eyebrows and asked, "Sister Fei, do you also know Marquis An Yi?"
Xiao Fei nodded and said: "I have met once in the king. Marquis An Yi's chess skills are superb, and his wisdom is full of tricks, which is something I have only seen in my life. Even if I lose to him, it will benefit me a lot."
The few words only talked about chess, and Mrs. Fang couldn't help being a little amused, but she became more and more curious about An Yihou.
Mrs. Fang originally thought that Xiao Yi's friends were like his younger brothers, such as Fu Yunhe, although he was a little playful and careless, he was a good boy in his heart, but he was definitely not a wise man.
What kind of person would Xiao Fei say about the outstanding chess player An Yihou? !
After a while, the pink-clothed maid just now led a tall and thin young man and a young man in green clothes over, and saw that the man was dressed in a simple and elegant moon-white robe, with mountain-like eyebrows, gentle and elegant.
A gust of wind blew, and his clothes fluttered and fluttered, as if he was about to ride the wind to go home. Looking at him again, his expression seemed to be indifferent and cold.
Even the old lady Fang had seen countless people, but he couldn't help but praise him in his heart: Moshang is like a jade, and your son is unparalleled in the world. This man is really a dragon and a phoenix among men.
but-
A Yi's close friend turned out to be a completely different person from him, in terms of appearance, personality, temperament... so two people who are completely different can become close friends? Mrs. Fang felt that he was really old, and he couldn't understand the children of today...
Guan Yubai walked out of the octagonal pavilion without haste, still graceful and calm as always, bowing to each other and saying, "This junior has met Mrs. Fang."
Since he used the title of a junior, it meant that he came here today to meet and visit the elders, and it has nothing to do with external titles.
"Excuse me!" Old Master Fang said with a smile, "Please sit down, Yubai!" Old Master Fang did not address Lord Hou unfamiliarly, but called him by his name affectionately.
"Thank you, old lady."
Guan Yubai then greeted Nangong Yue and Xiao Fei politely, then walked into the gazebo and sat down opposite Nangong Yue.
Of course, he also saw the chess game on the stone table and glanced at it casually. With his chess strength, it is clear at a glance who is stronger and who is weaker between Heizi and Baizi.
Old Master Fang stroked his long beard, and said with a smile: "Yubai, you have come all the way from the capital, and the boat and car are tiring. You should take a good rest these few days."
While Mrs. Fang was talking, Nangong Yue was also sizing up Guan Yubai's complexion. She knew best about Guan Yubai's physical condition. The journey for more than a month was too much for ordinary people, let alone Guan Yubai... But to her surprise, Guan Yubai's complexion looked pretty good.
Guan Yubai said: "Thank you, Mrs. Fang, for your concern. Yubai suffered from a minor ailment a few days ago, and happened to meet a genius doctor. He was helped by the genius doctor and recuperated. It was a blessing in disguise."
Nangong Yue was startled. With Guan Yubai's temperament, she would not bring up this topic for no reason. Could it be... Could it be that he met his grandfather? She couldn't help but glanced at Xiaosi behind him, and she saw the clue in Xiaosi's eyes. That was a coincidence. Originally, she was still worried that Guan Yubai's body would be weak, and that he might be unaccustomed to the soil when he first arrived in southern Xinjiang. Now that her grandfather has taken action, she should not have to worry about it for the time being.
"Yubai, you are an auspicious person with a natural appearance." The old lady Fang smiled, "It's a pity that A Yi happened to be away, otherwise I can let him lead you around to see the great rivers and mountains in southern Xinjiang! The royal capital is prosperous and majestic, but it also has beautiful mountains and clear waters and simple folk customs... "
After the two of you exchanged a few words, the atmosphere warmed up. A witty person like Guan Yubai, if he is willing, can make you feel like a spring breeze and feel good, unconsciously. Well, Mrs. Fang looked at him as if he was looking at his own nephew.
Mrs. Fang lit the chessboard, thought together, and said, "Yubai, I heard that you are very good at chess, can you help me finish this game with Sister Fei?"