The people Gu Changqing and Gu Jiao went to pick up this time were the sons of Princess Ning'an and Huangfu Zheng. On the 13th of this year, Princess Ning'an didn't say much about him when she mentioned him, only said "he is not in good health".
But when the three really arrived at the address provided by Princess Ning'an, they realized that they underestimated the meaning of "not in good health".
It was a young man in a wheelchair, with thin cheeks and a sickly pale skin. He was wrapped in a thick cloak, and the fox fur on his collar stirred with the cold wind.
He has a pair of long and narrow phoenix eyes, very much like his father.
And his nose and mouth resembled his mother's.
He was sitting in a yard full of green bamboo, with only four nursing homes beside him.
When he saw the three brothers and "sisters" in armor, their expressions didn't fluctuate at all. They just held the wheel of the wheelchair with both hands and said lightly, "Are you here to pick me up?"
"Uh... ah, yes!" Gu Chengfeng said blankly.
"Let's go." He pushed the wheelchair.
Gu Changqing looked at him fixedly, without saying anything, stepped forward, walked around behind him and pushed the wheelchair for him: "I'll come."
He released his hand from the wheel.
"What, don't you ask who we are?" Gu Chengfeng asked him suspiciously.
He said, "It's either my father's or my mother's. My father was defeated, so I guess you were sent by my mother."
"It's quite smart." Gu Chengfeng muttered.
Alas, to be honest, Gu Chengfeng was a little disappointed.
He thought they were here to save people, but it was really a literal pick-up.
I still want to fight and let the big brother see his kung fu, but he is blind again!
Gu Changqing pushed the boy out the door.
Gu Jiao stood at the door, leaning against the door frame with her arms folded.
When Gu Changqing pushed the wheelchair over, Gu Jiao glanced at his lap.
Not out of offense, not out of curiosity, just a doctor's diagnosis of a patient.
It's a pity that his legs were covered with thick blankets, covering his legs tightly, and Gu Jiao didn't see anything.
There is a carriage for teenagers in the house, and the door at the back can be opened, and it will be a landslide when it is put down.
Gu Changqing pushed the wheelchair up, and Gu Chengfeng helped to close the door.
"Are they going to go together?" Gu Changqing looked at the four nursing homes in the house.
The young man said lightly, "Is there no one to serve me in the capital?"
There's nothing wrong with this, but it just makes people feel that he is not very close to him.
However, Gu Changqing didn't intend to get close to him at first. On the way back to Beijing, he and he were both monarchs and ministers, and they might become strangers who never met again after returning to Beijing.
There is something to fix the wheelchair on the floor of the carriage, but Gu Changqing is not familiar with this, and the teenager did not remind it.
When the driver was about to drive, Gu Jiao said, "Wait."
The driver stopped.
Gu Jiao lifted the curtain and got on the carriage, pulled out several wooden buckles hidden on the floor, and caught them on the wheel of the wheelchair.
During the whole process, she didn't intentionally touch the boy's legs.
After doing this, she glanced at the boy before turning around and getting out of the carriage.
They set off first, and the army is still behind.
Gu Changqing found a post station that must be passed on the way back to Beijing, and asked for two rooms, one for Gu Jiao and one for the teenager.
The army could arrive at night, and Gu Changqing and Gu Chengfeng slept in the tent.
The boy fell asleep after staying in the inn, and he didn't come out to eat dinner.
The three brothers and sisters built a bonfire in the yard and roasted sweet potatoes and bacon.
Gu Changqing picked out some food and grass to feed the horses in the stable.
Gu Chengfeng and Gu Jiao were sitting by the fire, Gu Chengfeng moved to Gu Jiao's side and whispered, "Hey, do you think that kid is weird?"
"Why is it strange?" Gu Jiao turned over the bacon on the fire.
Gu Chengfeng swallowed his saliva, stuck a baked sweet potato with a stick, lowered his voice and said, "His father died, he doesn't seem to be sad. And his temperament always makes me feel gloomy. And his legs, what do you say about his legs? Is he injured or lame?"
As Gu Chengfeng was talking, he suddenly felt that something was wrong, he turned his head sharply, and saw that the young man came out of the house at some point, sitting in a wheelchair that was flooded with cold wind, gloomy like a ghost from the underworld.
Gu Chengfeng has always been daring, but he couldn't hold back his hair at this moment, and the sweet potatoes in his hands fell off!
Gu Jiao looked at him calmly, looked away, and continued to roast meat.
"What are you baking?" the boy asked.
"Bacon." Gu Jiao said.
"I want to eat too." The boy said.
Gu Jiao turned over the barbecue: "I'll send it to you when it's finished."
The teenager refused: "No, I want to eat here."
There are steps from the house to here, and he couldn't get down by himself. Gu Chengfeng walked over in a calm mind, carried him down the steps with a wheelchair, and then pushed him to the fire.
"It's windy here, you can go in after a while." Gu Chengfeng reminded kindly.
The teenager didn't answer his words, but looked at Gu Jiao, who was seriously roasting meat: "Why are you wearing a mask? Are you ugly? Can't see people?"
Gu Chengfeng stiffened: "Hey! How did you talk! Who is ugly!"
The teenager sneered: "Why cover your face if you're not ugly?"
Gu Chengfeng was so angry that he beat him, Gu Chengfeng's face was cold, and he hummed: "We are happy! Covering your face means you don't have a face, so you can't walk without legs in a wheelchair!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Chengfeng felt that the boy's expression froze.
Gu Chengfeng suddenly realized that he might have said something wrong, he opened his mouth, trying to remedy something, but it was too late.
The young man slowly pulled the corners of his lips and smiled sarcastically.
Then, under Gu Chengfeng's somewhat guilty and stunned gaze, he raised his pale hand and pulled away the blanket covering his legs.
A gust of cold wind blew through his empty trouser legs.
…
As early as the beginning of December, the military report of the great victory at the frontier had rushed to the palace through 800 miles, and the emperor and the civil and military officials breathed a sigh of relief.
The remnants of the previous dynasty colluded with the sea bandits and the army of Chen State, which led to the simultaneous war on the two borders of the Zhao State.
For this battle, people did not report much confidence.
But I didn't expect Gu Jiajun to win so quickly.
The emperor began to look forward to the return of Princess Ning'an, Gu Changqing, Tang Yueshan, Laohou Ye and the soldiers.
Of course, there are also little magicians.
He gave the imperial decree to let the little genius doctor out of Beijing. He really didn't expect the little genius doctor to go to the frontier. If it wasn't for the news from the ancient city of Yue, it was said that two adults sent by the Queen Mother Zhuang came to hold the Renshou Palace. token, he has been kept in the dark.
Knowing that she was going to such a dangerous place, he would never give her the imperial edict to leave the city.
God knows that he is about to be resented by his mother, and he has not seen his mother for three days!
"Isn't it here yet? Isn't it here yet?" The emperor was restless in the imperial study.
"It's coming soon, it's said that it will be there in a few days." Eunuch Wei said with a smile.
The emperor looked at him resentfully: "You said the same last time!"
Eunuch Wei smiled embarrassingly: "Isn't that... the mountain was blocked by heavy snow and suddenly couldn't walk?"
The weather back was colder than when we went, and there were more snow-covered mountains.
Originally, according to the speed of the army's rapid march, it would be able to reach the capital on the 20th, but after a day's delay, Xiaonian was dragged away, and there was still no shadow of the army!
The emperor slumped down on the back of the chair: "If the little genius doctor doesn't come back, the queen mother is afraid that she will ignore me for the rest of her life."
The emperor is wrong, Jiaojiao can't come back, Empress Dowager Zhuang doesn't even want to care about this stupid son!
She even got her Jiaojiao to the edge!
Why didn't she use the quilt to cover him to death in the first place!
On the side of Bishui Hutong, the family is also looking forward to Gu Jiao's life.
They all fell asleep the night Gu Jiao left, and it was the next day that Xiao Heng told them that Gu Jiao had gone to the frontier.
Yao Shi almost fainted on the spot.
The frontier is fighting, how did her daughter go to that kind of place
Gu Yan was accustomed to Gu Jiao's presence, and suddenly she left, Gu Yan only felt that she was cut in half and taken away.
Gu Xiaoshun was also very worried and sad.
He grew up with Gu Jiao from a young age. He spent the longest time with Gu Jiao and the shortest time apart. Therefore, among them, he was actually the least accustomed to.
When Xiao Jingkong woke up, he found that Gu Jiao was gone, and almost burst into tears. Then he saw the letter that Gu Jiao left him, and then he held back all the tears.
Jiaojiao was not in the capital, so it was useless for him to cry.
He wants to keep the little tears and cry to Jiaojiao when he comes back.
Xiao Heng now serves in both the Hanlin Academy and the Department of Punishment. The Department of Punishment is better informed than the Academy of Punishment. Whenever there is any movement on the front line, the Department of Punishment and the Department of War will be the first to know.
Whether it was necessary for official business or selfishness, Xiao Heng spent more time in the punishment department than the Hanlin Academy in the past two months.
"Is the mountain covered by snow again?"
Xing Shangshu asked Xiao Heng who was arranging letters while writing the memorial.
Xiao Heng put away the letter and said in his usual tone, "Well, I was delayed in Cangzhou."
Xing Shangshu frowned and said, "Let's talk about the distance of seven or eight days from Cangzhou, the army might not be able to come back years ago."
The day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve, even if the army does not stop, it will not be able to return to the capital.
Xiao Heng looked at the flying snow outside the window, showing a thoughtful look.
The border is bitter and cold, and the smoke of gunpowder fills the air, but the capital is not affected by the war. Streets and alleys, vendors and pawns, shops, crowds, and prosperity.
Every household in Bishui Hutong has hung up red lanterns, and pasted window grilles and couplets, as well as their home.
This year, Lin Chengye and Feng Lin both returned to Youzhou for the Chinese New Year.
There are a lot of people in the family, but it still makes people feel deserted. I don't know if it is because of the lack of them or because of the lack of Gu Jiao.
The little trumpeter stopped babbling, and my aunt stopped playing cards with the neighbors. Yao's youngest son was three months old, but he was obedient. He didn't cry or make trouble.
Xiao Qingkong stood in the threshold, a pair of small arms stretched out and flew behind him, his little body fluttered out, and his little head looked at the alleys on both sides.
Jiaojiao.
He wants to be cute.
There was the sound of a carriage coming from the door, and Xiao Jingkong was so excited that he ran out on his short legs, and after a while, he realized that it was the bad brother-in-law who came back.
Xiao Jingkong's face sank, and she said disappointedly, "Why are you?"
Xiao Heng got off the carriage and tapped his forehead: "Why not me?"
"Hmph." Xiao Jingkong turned his face away.
"Let's go." Xiao Heng said to him.
Xiao Jingkong slowly followed behind him, turning back three steps.
Xiao Heng walked in front and knew what he was doing without looking back: "Don't look, Jiaojiao won't be back today."
Xiao Jingkong asked, "Why?"
Xiao Heng said: "The mountain is covered by heavy snow, and the army cannot leave."
Xiao Jingkong: "Can Jiaojiao come back tomorrow?"
Xiao Heng: "I don't know."
Xiao Jingkong: "What about the day after tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve, my birthday, can Jiaojiao come back to spend it with me?"
Xiao Heng "You were not born on New Year's Eve."
Xiao Jingkong stomped on his hips: "The abbot said that my birthday is New Year's Eve! That is New Year's Eve! The birthday that Jiaojiao gave me is also New Year's Eve!"
Xiao Heng smiled, without arguing with him, but stopped and rubbed his little head with a little hair: "Go in."
Early the next morning, Xiao Jingkong sat on the threshold. He waited from dawn to dusk until he became a little snowman, but he still didn't wait for Jiaojiao to come back.
Gu Yan walked over and led the little guy in.
After midnight tonight, it is New Year's Eve, and the army is still besieged in the snow-capped mountains of Cangzhou, and it is destined to not come back this year.
At night, the family sat in the main room and made a fire.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door from the front yard, and several people were startled.
"Jiaojiao!" Xiao Jingkong was the first to rush out.
However, it was not Gu Jiao who came, but Grandma Zhou, who came to deliver dumplings.
"Thank you, Grandma Zhou." Xiao Jingkong politely took the basket and thanked him.
He carried the basket back to the main room.
As soon as I sat down, someone knocked on the courtyard door again, this time it was Gu Xiaoshun who rushed out.
Gu Yan also wanted to rush, but he was a little sick and couldn't run away from them both!
It's a pity that this time it wasn't Gu Jiao, it was Aunt Liu, who was here to deliver spring rolls.
When the courtyard door was knocked for the third time, it was the Dark Guard who rushed out. He received the look of killing from the little master, either rushing for the door or dying!
Ouch how cruel!
"...Uncle Zhao, thank you very much!"
The Dark Guard returned to the main room with a basket of duck eggs.
Everyone sighed in unison.
The courtyard door was hidden, and Gu Jiao didn't need to knock on the door to return to her home, so in fact, everyone knew clearly that it was not Gu Jiao who came.
They just can't help but look forward to it.
"Go to sleep." Xiao Heng said to everyone.
Everyone went back to their respective houses with a heavy heart.
It seems that this New Year's Eve, Jiaojiao really can't come back.
Xiao Liulang tidied up the main room. He was not sleepy for a while, so he went to the study to read the book for a while. It was still the national book of Yan Kingdom, and he had read almost half of it.
It's just that tonight he can't watch it anyway.
New Year's Eve used to be the most important day in his life, the day he came into the world, and the day he "died" in the fire.
Coincidentally, it's all time.
Xiao Liulang glanced at the hourglass on the wall.
It's time again.
He closed the book in his hand, came to the quiet courtyard, and looked at the swing that Gu Jiao had tied with his own hands.
Boom!
Something hit the gate.
Xiao Liulang came back to his senses, frowned, and walked towards the courtyard gate.
Before going to bed, the housemaid plugged in the courtyard door, Xiao Liulang paused, and took down the latch.
He opened the vermilion courtyard door, and a cold wind and snow rushed in.
And after this snowstorm, a small figure dressed in green clothes sat on the threshold leaning against the wall, one slender leg was bent, and the hand holding the whip rested on the knee.
Her blue silk was messed up by the wind and snow, her lips were chapped, and her body was covered in wind and rain.
She leaned against the corner of the wall, gasping for breath.
She raised her head and looked at him deeply with her clear eyes that were covered by the wind and sand. She bent her lips and said, "Happy birthday, Mr. Xiao."
(End of this chapter)