The capital was covered with snow, but everything in Ningxuan Palace remained the same as before. The days became shorter and longer, and sparrows chirped on the snow.
It was another midnight with firecrackers blasting everywhere. Rong Tang was awakened by the sudden sound of explosion in the night sky. His heart skipped a beat, but then he quickly returned to normal and sighed softly.
The system was in hibernation. He listened to the sound of firecrackers in Beijing for a while. After thinking carefully, he realized that it was already the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month.
The festive atmosphere in Yujing became stronger. Rong Tang was not unhappy about being woken up. He turned over and continued to fall asleep slowly to the sound of firecrackers.
The twenty years or so he lived in modern times seemed so long ago that he could hardly remember them. Repeatedly traveling back and forth between the ninth and twelfth years of Qingzheng, Rong Tang felt that he was almost becoming an ancient person.
The modern Chinese New Year has a shallow atmosphere. It is nothing more than a half-month holiday, a meal with relatives and friends, and a few days of idleness without thinking about anything. There is nothing special to pay attention to.
Counting his previous two lives, Rong Tang had celebrated seven Spring Festivals in total.
The lingering sickbed and the encounter in the cold palace in the ninth year of Qingzheng; the painstaking management and expectations for the future in the tenth year of Qingzheng; the sharp edge and the sword pointing to the world in the eleventh year of Qingzheng; the changes in the situation and the separation of people's hearts in the twelfth year of Qingzheng.
If he thought about it carefully, he had celebrated the Spring Festival in his previous two lives with Sheng Chengli.
Liuyun poisoned him to death in his first life, so Rong Tang missed a Spring Festival.
Thinking about it now, he suddenly wanted to punch Liuyun.
It wasn't because he poisoned himself, but because he poisoned himself too early.
If he had been allowed to live another year, Rong Tang would have seen Sheng Chengli's true face of a ruthless person sooner and would not have repeated the same mistakes in his second life.
But he was just thinking about it, and he didn't even feel much sadness in his heart. Rong Tang was very satisfied with his current life.
After traveling through three lifetimes, the most satisfying year was the year he married Su Huaijing. Now that they are about to move into the next year, he feels inexplicably happy.
When they woke up the next day, because Princess Duanyi was in the mansion, everyone had a small reunion dinner at noon.
After dinner, Rong Tang said hello to Wang Xiuyu and went out with Su Huaijing.
Su Huaijing had a smile on his lips the whole time as he followed him to clean up this and that, fearing that something would be lost and that his young master would be uncomfortable serving him in the next few days.
But in fact, there was no need for that at all. The place they were going to was Tang Jing's house in Yong'an Lane, and they would stay there until the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month before returning.
As early as the half month before the marriage when Rong Tang was locked up in the mansion by Rong Mingyu, Su Huaijing bought many luxurious and comfortable appliances in the mansion. Later, he added many more, each of which was just to match his own precious and lovely little Bodhisattva.
Rong Tang said that they should celebrate the New Year in their own home.
—One’s own home. Su Huaijing likes this definition.
There will be a banquet in the palace on New Year's Eve, and then throughout the first month of the year, relatives and officials from various families will come to visit. As the prince of Ningxuan Palace, it is impossible for Rong Tang to not attend at all.
What's more, he has been an idiot for the past nine years. Even if it is just to let Wang Xiuyu vent her anger in front of her relatives, Rong Tang has to be there for a few days and let others look at him like a national treasure.
So if he wanted to spend the New Year alone with Su Huaijing, he could only choose the day of Little New Year.
On the way from Ningxuan Palace to Yong'an Lane, the street was covered with scattered cardboard after firecrackers exploded. Vendors selling candy figures were on the street, and from time to time children came out skipping and jumping with copper coins given by their parents to buy delicious food.
Rong Tang found it very novel. The carriage moved slowly along the way, and Rong Tang opened the window to look out, observing the world and the various aspects of life in the market.
Su Huaijing was making tea for him in the carriage, and he felt a little confused when he saw this.
Lately, he had been wondering from time to time what had caused Rong Tang to pretend to be an idiot for nine years.
But he knew the conspiracies of the concubines in the palace, the defense map of the capital, the factional struggles among Dayu officials, and even the intricate network of relationships behind any insignificant little person in the world.
The only person I can't figure out is Rong Tang.
Every time when Su Huaijing thought he was getting closer to the truth, Rong Tang would give an answer that was completely beyond his expectations.
He said that he had never been stupid, but every servant in Tanghua Courtyard acted as if their young master had been truly stupid for many years.
Even Wang Xiuyu, when looking at Rong Tang who now speaks normally, would occasionally shed tears uncontrollably, feeling very emotional.
Rong Tang has a kind heart, and it is definitely not easy to hide the truth from his biological mother.
Then Su Huaijing became more and more confused.
Then Rong Tang told him a dream that seemed absurd, but there were specific people and events in the dream, and it accurately predicted the incident of Rong Tang falling into the water in Ningxuan Palace in the ninth year of Qingzheng.
Su Huaijing couldn't tell whether this was just a dream or some other more bizarre and supernatural story, but he never doubted what Rong Tang said.
From this, we can connect his unreasonable disgust towards Sheng Chengli and his inexplicable familiarity with Ke Hongxue, and move the timeline forward a little bit to find Shen Feiyi in the suburbs of the capital and intercept him in Fengyue Tower.
There are loopholes everywhere, and everything raises suspicion.
Su Huaijing couldn't help but care.
To hate a person to the point of being willing to kill him based solely on one's likes and dislikes in a dream is completely inconsistent with Rong Tang's character standards and does not fit in with Su Huaijing's perception of Rong Tang.
But he just agreed to his proposal and even took the initiative to ask for it.
Su Huaijing thought, maybe there were some external factors that restricted him from personally killing Sheng Chengli, which was why Rong Tang was so nervous when he heard his proposal.
These five elements are indispensable. The perpetrator must be Su Huaijing, and the purpose must be the death of Sheng Chengli.
But Rong Tang seemed unwilling to see this happen.
He clearly hated Sheng Chengli, but he would not allow Su Huaijing to kill him.
In a sense, Su Huaijing felt that this might be a kind of protection for himself.
Su Huaijing was making tea, looking up and casually observing Rong Tang's curious gaze out the window, and couldn't help thinking: Could this really be a little Bodhisattva from heaven
So you have a deep understanding of worldly affairs, so you are kind and compassionate, so you are innocent and ignorant, so you are not tainted by the world, but you cannot reveal the secrets
Su Huaijing had many questions and wanted to get evidence from him, but he was always worried that after Rong Tang really said them out loud, would he abandon this world
He clearly did not expect the existence of gods or ghosts in this world even when his parents and siblings died. But now, because of Rong Tang, he began to doubt the reality he had believed in for seventeen years.
Maybe there really is another world, and that's where Tangtang came from.
The purpose is to save him.
Or maybe…
"Huai Jing!" Rong Tang suddenly called him and pointed excitedly at a shop passing by the window: "A gambling house has opened! It looks like a lot of fun!"
It must have been newly opened, as there were a lot of people gathered in front of the door. The four-story building had huge dice-shaped lanterns hanging on the top, swaying in the clear winter sky, attracting the attention of every passerby.
Su Huaijing took a look from a distance, then looked away, and looked at Rong Tang's face with amusement, with the expectation that he didn't hide, and asked, "Want to go play?"
"Yeah!" Rong Tang nodded frantically.
Su Huaijing calmly made tea for him and said, "I'll take you out to play in the evening. It's just right for you to go with Lord Mu and the others."
"Great!" Rong Tang became more and more excited. For the first time, he was looking forward to the New Year like a child.
Su Huaijing felt better and put aside the random guess that had just occurred to him.
Who cares who he comes for
As long as you are by my side in the end.
-
Tang Jing's house was bustling with activity. As soon as Rong Tang got off the carriage, he saw Ke Hongxue standing in front of the gate holding a pair of couplets, gesturing non-stop. He repeatedly turned his head to ask Mu Jingxu, who was standing next to him, whether they were too high, too low, or too crooked. This made Mu Shaoqing very embarrassed, not knowing whether he should answer him or not.
Seeing Rong Tang and the others, Mu Jingxu was obviously relieved. He walked a few steps towards them, then stopped and greeted them with a smile: "Happy New Year."
Maybe it was because he hadn’t laughed in a long time, or because he spent the New Year with Su Huaijing, but Mu Jingxu showed a rare bit of reserve, which made Rong Tang feel a little distressed.
But this distress was soon dispersed by Ke Hongxue. Master Ke leaned on the door and turned his head to shout: "My Lord, you came at the right time. Please help me see if this position is OK. My fellow student is too old-fashioned. He insisted that this is someone else's family and I can't mess around. But I'm not messing around at all. We are all family. Why are you talking to each other?"
He spoke so loudly that the forced smile on Mu Jingxu's face instantly faded. He turned around, frowned, and was about to glare at Ke Hongxue, accusing him of talking nonsense in front of Rong Tang.
Su Huaijing whispered beside him, "Brother."
Upon hearing this, Mu Jingxu subconsciously looked around vigilantly, and then looked at Su Huaijing disapprovingly, but the latter smiled and said, "Tangtang knows."
Mu Jingxu was stunned, and after a moment's reaction, he asked, "Did you tell him?"
"Mr. Ke said so." Su Huaijing said.
He didn't quite believe this statement, but since Rong Tang said so, he pretended that he had no doubts and told Mu Jingxu truthfully.
Sure enough, Mu Jingxu looked unhappy after hearing this, as if he was going to cause trouble for Ke Hongxue. However, just as he took half a step forward, he heard Su Huaijing say casually, "Brother, you look better in red."
Today was the Little New Year, and the whole family was reunited. Ke Hongxue went to pick him up in a carriage early in the morning, and spent a long time picking and choosing. Mu Jingxu habitually wore white, and Ke Hongxue did not stop him. She only persuaded him to put on a fire fox cloak before leaving, and then took him to Ke's house for lunch.
The bright fiery colors enveloped the cold snow on the mountains, and the year-round silence seemed to begin to burst forth.
Who says there can’t be an active volcano under the snow-capped mountains
Over there, Ke Hongxue had pasted a pair of Spring Festival couplets under Rong Tang's command, and turned back to ask Mu Jingxu for credit. Su Huaijing smiled, went to hold Rong Tang's hand, and said loudly as he led him inside: "The last person to come will make 100 dumplings."
Rong Tang was slightly stunned, and before he could react, he saw Su Huaijing winking at him cunningly, and then he grabbed his wrist and ran forward. Along the way, there were newly replaced potted plants and lanterns in the house, the pillars and walls were painted red, and paper-cuts were pasted on the windows, welcoming the arrival of the new year and looking forward to the spring breeze blowing through this land.
The two people at the door were stunned. Ke Hongxue was the first to react: "Okay! You two guys are cheating!"
Without saying a word, he grabbed Mu Jingxu's wrist and chased after him quickly, his fiery red cloak fluttering in the air, and wherever he went, he seemed to be reborn.
Mu Jingxu was stunned for a long while, looking at the backs of the two people in front of him, feeling a little dazed for a moment.
For a long time he didn't think about what the source of his trance was, until the four of them entered the kitchen. When Ke Hongxue accused Su Huaijing of cheating while working tirelessly to make dumplings one after another, and when Su Huaijing marked the dumplings with copper coins in them as if no one was around, he finally remembered.
This is probably what he had expected Xiaoqi to look like when he grew up.
She is high-spirited, intelligent, cunning, and bright as pearls and jade.
Even though he was not as good as he had imagined before, not as dignified as his elder brother, nor as romantic and passionate as himself, he still grew up to be a very good boy and was about to become a better adult.
And this was brought to him by Rong Tang.
He is only seventeen years old, and he still has many brilliant and unrestrained years ahead of him.
Mu Jingxu nodded and unconsciously said what he was thinking.
"fine."
Despite going through such a misfortune, he still managed to grow up into an adult that made his elder brother proud. His younger brother is indeed the most beloved and rare treasure in the Yujing Palace.
Everyone should be very happy.
And he was lucky enough to witness it.
Mu Jingxu narrowed his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed in his peach blossom eyes.
(End of this chapter)