The next day, Jiang Yanyi woke up and saw the fallen pomegranates all over the yard. He was completely stunned.
She and Qiu Kui stared at each other in bewilderment.
"How strong a wind would it take to blow down half of the pomegranates on the tree?" Qiu Kui looked up blankly at the pomegranate tree on the other side of the courtyard wall.
And does this wind only blow pomegranates
How come not even a leaf was scraped off
Jiang Yanyi found that none of the pomegranates that fell to the ground were broken, as if someone had deliberately picked them and placed them in the yard.
She asked suspiciously, "Is someone trying to frame us?"
As a neighbor, she stole half of the pomegranates from the pomegranate tree in someone else's yard. Once her reputation is ruined, won't her shop be drowned in the saliva of her neighbors
Jiang Yanyi was frightened by his own thoughts, and quickly called Qiu Kui to help pick up the pomegranates and put them into the bamboo basket. Then he carried the bamboo basket to the neighboring Protectorate to return the pomegranates like a dog.
We have to clear ourselves of suspicion before the mastermind brings his men here and catches the perpetrators red-handed!
The concierge was a little impatient when he heard the knock on the door early in the morning. He opened the door and saw that it was the young lady who came yesterday. His expression instantly changed to a warm one. He glanced at the half basket of pomegranates she was holding and was a little puzzled: "Girl, what are you doing?"
Jiang Yanyi explained, "I woke up this morning and found so many pomegranates in the yard. My shop is next door, and it's a close neighbor to the Protectorate. I was really scared and worried that there might be some misunderstanding, so I picked up all the pomegranates and returned them."
The doorman took a look at the newly green stems of the pomegranates and thought of Feng Shuo's subtle attitude towards the cook yesterday, fearing that there might be some connection between them.
As a small doorman, he did not dare to make a decision for his master, so he said, "Please wait a moment, Miss. I will go and report to the steward."
Jiang Yanyi thanked him.
Soon, the doorman came over with a fat steward with a white face, no beard and a kind expression.
The concierge said to the fat steward, "This is the girl."
Jiang Yanyi quickly knelt down and bowed to the fat steward as a courtesy.
Before Fu Xi came, he had heard the whole story from the concierge, and felt that this new neighbor was a polite person. Yesterday, because two pomegranates fell in the yard, he made a plate of cakes as a return gift. Today, there were more pomegranates falling in the yard, so he picked them up and returned them.
He originally wanted to ask the doorman to pass on the message and give the basket of pomegranates to the other party, but when the doorman said that the cakes delivered by the cook yesterday were taken away by Feng Shuo, Fuxi was surprised and decided to come over to take a look.
He saw that Jiang Yanyi was not only handsome but also well-mannered. Even he, who had worked in the palace, could not find any fault with him. He could not help but look up to him.
In this border area, even the girls from wealthy and powerful families are all quite wild in temperament, and there are only a few who are truly well-educated and well-mannered.
Fu Xi looked at Jiang Yanyi calmly, and when he saw the basket of pomegranates she was holding, he thought of the fact that Feng Shuo had been running to the west wing for the past two days, and he immediately had a guess in his mind.
Could it be that the prince has taken a fancy to this girl
He always had a smiling face when dealing with people, and his deep thoughts were all hidden in his eyes. At this moment, he just smiled and bowed, saying, "My neighbor just moved here, and I haven't congratulated him on his new home yet. How rude of you."
As soon as he spoke, Jiang Yanyi realized that he was a eunuch.
"No, no, I was busy with trivial matters in my shop and failed to come to visit you earlier." Jiang Yanyi had a perfect smile on his face, not too flattering nor too unfamiliar: "The reason I came to bother you today is to return this basket of pomegranates."
Jiang Yanyi said as he handed the basket forward.
Seeing that she had good character and her speech and manners were quite decent, Fuxi couldn't help but nodded secretly.
Although her status is low, her good character is important. After all these years, the prince finally has a woman he likes. Fuxi can vaguely guess that the pomegranates that fell were all from Feng Shuo.
He naturally hoped that Feng Shuo would have someone close to him sooner, so he said, "Since these pomegranates have fallen into the neighbor's yard, they belong to the neighbor."
Jiang Yanyi didn't expect him to say that, and quickly said, "How can this be..."
Fu Xi interrupted her: "The west wing has been idle for a long time. No one takes care of the pomegranate tree. It's a pity for the fruits to fall to the ground."
Seeing that Jiang Yanyi was still a little hesitant, he added, "The Grand Concubine's birthday will be celebrated in a few days. I heard that my neighbor is good at cooking. I hope you can come and help. This pomegranate is a thank you gift in advance."
Since the other person said so, Jiang Yanyi couldn't refuse anymore and could only thank him.
The servants of the Protectorate, from the doorman to the steward, were all very friendly and polite in their dealings with others. Jiang Yanyi suddenly thought that if the servants in the mansion were like this, then the master of the mansion should not be much worse, right
When she didn't know Feng Shuo was the general, she thought that the general must be so kind and amiable. After she knew that Feng Shuo was the general she was grateful to, she was upset about the incident when he broke into the military tent to take the token.
But to be fair, whether he paid out of his own pocket to improve the food in the army or to grant amnesty to camp prostitutes, he was doing good things.
Jiang Yanyi let out a breath softly. At this moment, she really let go of her previous prejudice against Feng Shuo.
She carried the basket back to her yard.
Qiu Kui was very happy because she got so many pomegranates, but Jiang Yanyi stared at the pomegranate tree in the next yard and suddenly thought of their original question:
"Okra, how do you think these pomegranates fell down?"
The housekeeper next door said that the courtyard next to theirs was unused, but so many pomegranates inexplicably fell into their yard and remained unscathed...
The wall of this courtyard is at least ten feet high, and even an ordinary person cannot climb over it.
Jiang Yanyi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat: "Qiu Kui, do you think the courtyard next door might be haunted?"
Otherwise, why would it be idle
Jiang Yanyi didn't believe in ghosts and gods at first, but since he could travel through time and space, maybe ghosts really existed in this world.
Qiu Kui was holding a pomegranate and was about to peel it. When she heard Jiang Yanyi's words, she was so scared that she immediately put it back into the basket and said tremblingly: "Hua... Huahua, don't scare me."
***
Feng Shuo came back from the military camp half an hour earlier today just to see what return gift the little cook had given him.
When he entered the mansion, he specifically asked the doorman, "Has the cook from the shop next door come here today?"
The doorman immediately flattered, "He came here with a basket of pomegranates ready to return, saying that they fell into their yard last night. But the housekeeper confiscated them and gave the basket of pomegranates to her."
Feng Shuo's face turned a little gloomy when he heard the first half of the sentence, but it looked a little better when he heard the second half.
Xing Yao stood behind him, and couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
He said that his master plucked too many pomegranates last night.
It was as if Feng Shuo had eyes on the back of his head and he glared at him instantly. Xing Yao quickly put away the smile on his face.
Feng Shuo said, "If she sends something over, just take it directly to the study."
The concierge quickly responded.
Feng Shuo originally thought that Jiang Yanyi had accepted the pomegranates, and the fact that he had come all the way to return them indicated that he had sensed something was wrong.
If she were smarter, she should be able to guess something, right
If she continues to return the gift, it means that she is not indifferent to me.
If you don't reply... If you don't reply...
Feng Shuo stopped this assumption. How could she not reply
But there is still a trace of uneasiness in my heart.
While waiting, he returned to his study to deal with the memorials and letters that had accumulated over the past few days.
There is an invisible net spread throughout the Daxuan Dynasty, with lines crisscrossing and coming from various forces, and each line has an impact on the entire body.
He and the new emperor are the biggest players on this network. His people are always keeping an eye on the new emperor, and the new emperor is also keeping an eye on him.
He processed the letters at a glance, and wrote another letter if he needed a reply. Before he knew it, an hour had passed, and there was still no news from the concierge.
Feng Shuo gradually showed some impatience between his brows, and there was a sharp coldness in his beautiful phoenix eyes.
Xing Yao glanced at the lunch that had been heated several times on the low table next to him and advised, "Master, your health is more important. Eat first."
Feng Shuo suddenly dropped his pen, his expression gloomy: "Get out!"
Seeing that he was unhappy, Xing Yao wanted to say something but didn't dare to open his mouth. He could only bow and retreat.
After all, he had been with Feng Shuo for so many years, so he could roughly guess why he was depressed.
He said yesterday that he "didn't want to be upset alone", so he picked so many pomegranates on purpose, just to let the cook in the yard over there notice something was wrong.
But today, the cook first came to return the pomegranates, and now there is no movement at all. The master may think that the cook does not want to respond to his thoughts.
Xing Yao shook his head, thinking it would be strange if the cook could understand his thoughts.
If he hadn't gone with Feng Shuo to pick pomegranates last night and heard what Feng Shuo said, he wouldn't have understood his master's actions.
How on earth could someone who was so skilled in deploying troops come up with such a weird plan
***
Feng Shuo is now as irritable as a cat who has finally taken the initiative to show goodwill but was ignored.
He always sat with his back straight, but now he slumped down on the chair, his hands resting on the armrests. The door was closed, and the room was a little dark. He seemed to blend into the darkness, with a hint of self-mockery on his handsome and noble face.
After a long while, he pretended to be indifferent and said, "Do you really think I am precious?"
He was no longer the young man in the palace who was full of fear and crying just for a little mercy.
Now, if he wants something, he has a thousand ways to get it.
Today he just chose the dumbest and most obscure one.
Perhaps it was the humility that was once engraved in my bones that was causing the problem.
If he was not the King of Liaonan, what would continue to belong to him
Feng Shuo closed his eyes, and the words his mother had said when he was young echoed in his ears again:
"Yannu's wife is the one who will walk through life with you in the future, so you must treat her well. Mother hopes that you can walk on a smooth road in your life. But if you need to walk through muddy and rotten places, Yannu must carry her on his back and don't let her suffer. If Yannu falls into the mud, don't be afraid, she will help you stand up. This is how husband and wife support each other throughout their lives."
"There are many good girls in the world, but there are also many girls who are deceitful. Yannu must distinguish them carefully and don't recognize the wrong person."
He has committed too many sins in his life, and has walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood to get to where he is now. Feng Shuo does not expect to meet such a person anymore.
However, people who have stayed in the darkness for too long will have a moment when they long for the feeling of being illuminated by the sun.
He didn't know if she was the right person, but being with her made him feel at ease for a moment. Over the years, he had only had some unspeakable romantic thoughts about her.
"Knock-knock—"
The knock on the door interrupted Feng Shuo's thoughts.
He said in a deep voice: "What's the matter?"
Xing Yao said, "Master, the Grand Concubine sent someone to tell you to come over."
Feng Shuo was startled for a moment, then the gloom on his brow faded away, and there was even some joy in his eyes.
The Grand Concubine Dowager would occasionally be lucid, and only at such times would she take the initiative to ask to see him.
All the unhappiness of the day disappeared at this moment. Feng Shuo took a few steps forward, opened the door, and shouted, "Xizi!"
Fu Xi heard the voice and hurried forward: "My Lord."
Feng Shuo walked briskly, and as he walked he ordered, "Tell the kitchen to prepare Mother's favorite food, and I will deliver it personally."
Fu Xi had to jog to keep up with Feng Shuo's pace. Seeing him like this, he thought that the condition of the Grand Empress Dowager had improved, so he went down to prepare with a happy face.
***
Feng Shuo walked into the courtyard of the Grand Empress Dowager carrying a bowl of steamed yogurt with sugar. The maids in the courtyard knelt silently to greet him when they saw him. It was obvious that the owner of the courtyard was a quiet person.
When he entered the room, the Grand Empress Dowager was half-leaning on the couch reading a book, with the maids beside her massaging her legs or rubbing her shoulders.
Fang Qing knelt under the couch with a sad look on her face.
Feng Shuo was a little worried that this was a dream, he called out softly: "Mother..."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he shouted, a cup of hot tea was thrown towards him. He turned his head to avoid it, but half of his shoulder was still soaked by the spilled tea.
The teacup fell to the ground and broke into pieces.
The Grand Concubine Dowager slammed the table and looked at Feng Shuo coldly: "You are so bold, you dare to touch my people
The tea poured on his body was boiling hot, but Feng Shuo's heart had already turned cold.
Facing the cold gaze of the Grand Concubine Dowager, he finally realized that his mother had not regained consciousness. She just knew about the matter of the head maid Fang Qing and called him over.
The Grand Concubine Dowager sat on the couch, with anger still on her face. Several maids who were originally kneeling below the couch to massage her legs and shoulders knelt on the ground trembling with fear.
"Madam..." Nanny Song was startled by her throwing the teacup, and her eyes became wet again after she came to her senses. This mother and son were clearly the closest people in the world, so how could they be like enemies
Feng Shuo glanced at Fang Qing who was kneeling in front of the Grand Empress Dowager. His look, which could have been calm, frightened Fang Qing so much that she was shaking like a sieve.
He did not answer the Grand Concubine's words. He walked forward as if nothing had happened and handed over the steamed cheese with sugar that he had been carrying all the way. "Mother, I brought your favorite sweets."
The Empress Dowager waved her sleeves in disgust, knocking over the bowl of steamed cheese with red beans, crushed almonds and raisins.
The jade bowl fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
The whole room fell into dead silence, and no one dared to make a sound.
Fang Qing's face was as pale as paper, and she knelt on the ground and trembled uncontrollably. She didn't want to complain. She was beaten with a stick the night before and couldn't get out of bed yesterday so she couldn't come to serve the Grand Empress Dowager. But when she came today, the Grand Empress Dowager discovered something was wrong.
She told the truth not because she wanted the Grand Concubine Dowager to teach Feng Shuo a lesson. She just felt unwilling to accept this and wanted Feng Shuo to see how much the Grand Concubine Dowager valued her and let him know that she was not dispensable. However, she did not expect the Grand Concubine Dowager to treat Feng Shuo like this.
Nanny Song was afraid that Feng Shuo and the Grand Empress Dowager would become estranged from each other, so she quickly said, "My Lord, please don't bother with the Empress..."
Feng Shuo did not rush to answer Nanny Song's words, nor did he look at Fang Qing who was kneeling on the ground with a pale face. He just glanced at the other maids who didn't know what to do with themselves, and the aura around him was gloomy: "All of you leave."
Although the maids usually served the Grand Empress Dowager, they also knew who the real master of the mansion was. After hearing his words, they withdrew as if they had been pardoned.
When the Grand Empress Dowager saw this, her gorgeous and flamboyant face was filled with anger: "Rebellion! All of you have rebelled!"
"My queen, this is Yannu, your Yannu..." Nanny Song burst into tears.
When the Grand Empress Dowager heard the word Yannu, she was in a trance for a moment, but then she was covered by sharp sarcasm: "The bastard's child, but the late emperor let me raise him?"
Feng Shuo had heard a lot of scolding in his life. When he dealt with that group of court officials, he had heard scolding that was ten times sharper and more unpleasant than this.
But only today every word and sentence could pierce his heart like a steel needle.
This is his mother.
In order to protect him in the cannibalistic palace, she pretended to be another woman in front of the late emperor, and cursed herself and her son with the most vicious words in the world... to the point that she was driven crazy.
Something seemed to be blocking his throat, and he was so hoarse that it hurt. Feng Shuo couldn't stay any longer. Before he left, he said, "Mother, I will find someone to serve you personally."
After saying this, he bowed and prepared to leave, but unexpectedly, the Grand Empress Dowager stood up suddenly, raised her hand and slapped him in the face: "Asshole!"
Feng Shuo's face was hit and tilted to one side.
The well-maintained nail was very sharp and cut a hole under the corner of his eye, from which tiny beads of blood soon oozed out.
When the Grand Concubine Dowager saw the bloodstain and then looked at her own hands, her whole body froze and something blurred her vision. She blinked and then realized that she was crying.
The Grand Concubine Dowager felt a sharp pain in her head and a knot in her chest, and she could hardly stand: "Madam Song, I am in pain..."
“Mother…” Feng Shuo was startled and rushed forward to support her, but as soon as he touched the Grand Empress Dowager’s hand, it was waved away.
The Grand Concubine Dowager fell back onto the couch, holding her chest tightly with one hand, her face extremely pale: "Madam Song..."
Feng Shuo looked at his hand being pushed away by the Grand Concubine Dowager, suppressed the sadness in his heart, and shouted to the outside of the house: "Call the doctor quickly!"
Someone outside the house had already run to ask for the doctor.
The Grand Concubine pointed at Feng Shuo and looked at Nanny Song with difficulty and said, "Let him go..."
Nanny Song supported the Grand Empress Dowager. Seeing this, she could only say to Feng Shuo with red eyes: "My Lord, please go back first. I will stay here to look after the Empress."
Feng Shuo glanced at the Grand Empress Dowager who was suffering from a headache and his eyes became red. For the first time in his life, he realized that even if he had all the power in the court, what would it matter
My mother doesn't recognize him...
At this moment, he seemed to have become the boy who had nothing and could only pray for God's mercy.
Feng Shuo didn't know how he walked out of the yard.
Xing Yao and his men quickly dragged Fang Qing out.
Her hair was already untied, her cape was loose, and she knelt down at Feng Shuo's feet, crying bitterly: "My Lord, I know I was wrong, please forgive me, I will only serve you from now on, and never have any other thoughts..."
Feng Shuo didn't even look at her, his voice was as cold as a blade: "Drag him away and beat him to death!"
Fang Qing's heart and eyes were filled with regret. She was really scared at this moment. She crawled towards the Grand Concubine's room in a panic: "My Queen, save me—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he was gagged and dragged away.
Feng Shuo never looked back from beginning to end, and his heart was suffocating.
The autumn wind was blowing, and the dead leaves hanging on the branches were blown down, swirling and falling to his feet.
Feng Shuo left the house, and Xing Yao wanted to continue following him, but he said, "Go away. I want to walk alone."
In a martial arts competition, Feng Shuo could take the head of the enemy general in an army of 100,000.
Xing Yao was not worried about his safety. After receiving his order and knowing that he wanted to be quiet, he retreated silently.
Feng Shuo walked aimlessly, his feet felt like they were filled with lead. He originally wanted to go to Lai Fu Restaurant to get drunk, but when he saw a pretty figure busy in the small shop, he was shocked to realize that he was here with Jiang Yanyi.
The tables, chairs and benches that Jiang Yanyi had ordered were delivered today. She was wiping the table with Qiu Kui when she turned around and was startled to see Feng Shuo standing outside the door.
However... this great general seems a little embarrassed.
Why are you so distraught
Jiang Yanyi greeted him politely: "General."
Feng Shuo raised his eyes to look at her.
She stood at the door of the store, wearing an apron around her waist, with her sleeves rolled up, revealing her white jade-like wrists, and her smiling eyes were full of vitality. The sunlight poured down from above her head, making her look as if she had walked out of the light and shadow.
He just looked at her, his lips tightly pursed, and said nothing for a long time.
Jiang Yanyi felt uncomfortable being stared at by him, "What's wrong?"
Feng Shuo moved his dry lips: "I want to sit here for a while."
He said "I" instead of "this king".
Jiang Yanyi was stunned for a moment, and seeing that he was indeed in a very bad state, he guessed that he had encountered something, and quickly made way for him: "Please sit down.
I remember the last time I met him at Lai Fu Restaurant, he seemed to be drunk too.
Jiang Yanyi suddenly felt blessed - had he been beaten up by that girl again
Jiang Yan had experienced this kind of situation many times in his previous life. When he was heartbroken, he would find a barbecue stall or a hotpot restaurant, cry while eating, and it would be best if he could have two bottles of beer.
After eating and crying, the heartbreak passed.
It’s a pity that the copper pot that I asked the craftsman to make has not been delivered yet, otherwise I could have cooked him a love-break hotpot.
While wiping the table, Jiang Yanyi looked at Feng Shuo calmly. He sat there quietly with his eyes half closed, like a statue. He must have been scratched by something, and dried blood marks remained on his jade-like face, like a slight flaw in a beautiful jade, which made people feel more pity for him.
There was a sense of loneliness all over his body, as if he was the only one left in the world.
Why blame the poor one
After Jiang Yanyi finished wiping the table, he thought for a moment and said, "General, please sit down for a while. I'll go to the backyard to move some things and then entertain you later."
Unexpectedly, when Feng Shuo heard her words, he suddenly raised his head and said, "I'll help you."
Jiang Yanyi didn't dare to ask him for help, so he quickly said, "No, no!"
But Feng Shuo had already stood up and walked towards the backyard.
Qiu Kui was trying to move the jar of sauerkraut in the yard, but when he saw Feng Shuo coming in, he was so scared that he immediately hid in the kitchen.
Feng Shuo picked up the half-person-high jar of pickled cabbage with one hand, turned his head slightly and asked Jiang Yanyi: "Where are we moving to?"
It was at this moment when he tilted his head that he saw the yellow talismans pasted on the courtyard wall. The pomegranates he had picked last night were also piled on the ground, with three incense sticks inserted in the top one.
Feng Shuo's eyelids twitched: "What is this?"
The author has something to say: This article is also known as "The Foolish King's Journey to Chasing His Wife" (dog head)
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2020-11-06 04:24:17~2020-11-07 04:08:57~
Thanks to the little angels who threw the grenades: Xinran Yanyu 1;
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Xinran Yanyu 3; deadpool, dumb rabbit, Wu, Chabai, pineapple cake, Weimang 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Lu Baibai 48 bottles; ziselinglong 20 bottles; Yuye 17 bottles; xun is Xunxun, Huangyao, Xiaohongchen, Xingyetu 10 bottles; Zhushen 9 bottles; Cangping 8 bottles; Xinran Yanyu 6 bottles; Sisi 5 bottles; collapsed faith, Wuqiqi 4 bottles; Zhunzhunbuyu, 5566, Moxi 2 bottles; Suiyi, Liyu, Jiuqing, Lucky, Yiyaoquantong, Tuzibaishananen, Nankeyimeng 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!