That girl is Shuang'er, the eldest maid of the Xu Mansion.
A year and a half had passed, she looked more stable and mature, and her brows and eyes became calmer.
Shuang'er looked at the boy behind the lantern... No, now that he was about to talk about youth, he became more and more nervous for some reason, and his tightly clenched hands became a little hot and humid.
She wanted to say something, she felt she should say something, before Miss returned to Kyoto. Because she now found that, just like what the old lady said, this marriage might really be the best choice for the young lady. However... So many things happened back then, if it were her, she would definitely hold grudges to this day.
Just when she gritted her teeth and was about to speak, Chen Changsheng came up to her, nodded, and then continued to walk towards the Shimen.
There was no resentment, no hatred, no arrogance, and no gnashing of teeth.
Very calm, as if just passing by, nodding and saying hello to someone I met at a certain time and place.
Shuang'er was stunned.
It was during this time that Chen Changsheng walked through the stone arch.
Shuang'er turned around and raised her hand, trying to call him, but in the end she couldn't.
Seeing the back of him leaving, she felt a little confused.
She couldn't figure it out, why did it feel like the boy and the world had changed a lot in the not so long time
Leaving the East Imperial General's Mansion, he walked along the official road and came to a stone bridge.
It was the same stone bridge. On a hot summer night, the riverside under the bridge was full of people enjoying the shade, and there were no fallen leaves in the river. He stood at the head of the bridge and looked back, looking back at the cornices of the East Imperial General’s Mansion, silent, I don't know that I felt the same emotion as Shuang'er—it's only a year and a half since I first entered Kyoto and came here to retire, why does it seem like a lifetime has passed
When he left Xining and came to the capital, his main purpose was to participate in the imperial examination, get the first place in the list, enter the Lingyan Pavilion, and find the secret to change his life against the sky. Retiring the marriage was just a matter of course, and of course it was a must. Although he has not yet found a way to change his fate against the sky, there is no doubt that his fate has already undergone drastic changes, but why is this marriage still not cancelled
He shook his head, walked towards the stone bridge, and decided to settle the matter as soon as possible.
The person who tied the bell had to be untied, and the same is true for the dissolution of a marriage contract. The old lady Dazai had passed away long ago, and the teacher and his brother Yunhe disappeared without a trace, so the only way to find a third party was to marry him.
He went to Li Palace.
No notification was needed, the priest guarding in front of the palace respectfully invited him in, and accompanied him through the long Shinto path to the deepest palace.
The palace at night is very quiet, especially the palace where the pope lives. The sky separated by black eaves is full of stars. After a long time, it really looks like a deep well.
At some point, he had already taken off the string of stone beads on his wrist.
There was the sound of rushing water in the quiet hall, he turned and walked in, and saluted the ordinary old Pope next to the green leaf basin.
"Uncle, what is this for?"
In the past, Chen Changsheng seldom used the word "Shi Shu" to address the Pope, not because of any spiritual obsession, but simply because he was not used to it. But so many things happened in the Orthodox Academy, and when he heard Xu Shiji's somewhat naked words in the East Imperial General's Mansion, he knew that no matter how he shouted, in the eyes of the world, his relationship with the Pope was already inseparable It is better to get used to it in advance. He is a person who cherishes time very much, since he has decided to do so.
It was as if this question had been lingering in his mind for a long time. Now that he was able to meet the Pope, he naturally asked it directly.
The title of uncle and the question itself made the Pope slightly startled, and then he laughed.
Chen Changsheng asked about the struggle between the old and new factions of the state religion and the silence during the recent period of leaving the palace.
"You are young people, and the affairs of young people are not trivial, but if there is something wrong, or something that is not good enough, there is always room for compensation or reasons afterwards."
The Pope put the wooden ladle back into the sink, took the sackcloth from Chen Changsheng, wiped his hands gently, and said, "But we old people can't do it. Young people can be impulsive and passionate, but we must be calm and even Indifference, in the eyes of everyone, we are very scheming, which sounds like far-sightedness, so we will definitely not act impulsively, and there must be some conspiracy hidden behind everything we do, so as long as we move, things will easily become bigger , and there is no more room for it.”
These two paragraphs were actually a bit fragmented, but Chen Changsheng understood.
This turmoil was originally the beginning of the offensive against the Pope launched by the Tianhai family and the new sect of national religion, but the Orthodoxy College blocked the gate of the courtyard abruptly, and of course the palace would remain quiet.
The Pope walked back to the chair, motioned him to sit down, and said, "And this is an opportunity."
This sentence was simpler and more vague, but Chen Changsheng still understood it.
If the offensive of the Tianhai family and the New Orthodoxy can be controlled to a certain extent, it will be a very precious opportunity for the Orthodoxy Academy and him.
Just as his spiritual consciousness was washed more pure and tough in the sea of sword intent, his sword also became more stable and powerful in these battles.
"Only in this way can you mature as soon as possible." The Pope looked at him and said kindly.
Chen Changsheng only understood part of this conclusion. When he was discussing with Tang Thirty-Six, this was the point he couldn't be sure of. Why His Majesty the Pope would choose this way to let him grow up seemed too anxious. In Tang Thirty-Six's words, It's almost like pinching seedlings to encourage growth.
Seeing his expression, the Pope was a little surprised, and said, "I thought you weren't very interested in these things, and it would take a while to figure it out, or you would come to me sooner."
"There are many things you're not interested in, and you have to learn, since you can't avoid it... This is what Tang Tang told me." Chen Changsheng said.
Tang Thirty-Six said to him, since you want to become Pope, you must learn these seemingly boring things, and you must have your own team, such as the Orthodox Academy.
The reason why he could understand the Pope's previous words was also because Tang Thirty-Six had done a similar analysis in advance.
Looking at it now, Tang Thirty-Six's calculations were all correct.
"You are a very good friend." The Pope said with some emotion, "When I met his grandfather, he was about the same age as you, but because of some things, I thought differently from his grandfather. There is no way to continue to maintain the original friendship, he returned to Wenshui, and I entered the Li Palace, so many years have passed in a flash."
Watching Mo Yu talking with Tang Thirty-Six at the Orthodox Academy a few days ago, Chen Changsheng was aware of the so-called upper class, but he still didn't expect the Pope to be so close to Mrs. Tang.
"Since you didn't come a few days ago, I thought you wouldn't come anytime soon. Why did you suddenly come tonight?" the Pope asked.
The Orthodox Academy has survived the most difficult stage, and it didn't ask Li Palace for help at that time, and it is even more unreasonable now.
"I went to the East Imperial General's Mansion." Chen Changsheng said: "I want to divorce the marriage, but they have been delaying it, so I want to ask my uncle to help me dissolve the marriage directly."
The pope noticed that the expression between his brows and eyes was serious, and asked with a slightly different expression: "Do you know what this marriage means?"
If it was in the past, Chen Changsheng would certainly believe the story his master told - Xu Yourong's grandfather sacrificed to the mountain for the late emperor, was attacked and seriously injured by a demon general, and even the imperial doctor couldn't cure him. , Dazai got this marriage contract out of gratitude, but now he naturally knows that there must be something hidden behind this marriage contract.
Because the master is not only Taoist Ji, but also the dean of business, and the strongest enemy of the Holy Empress.
"Whatever this engagement means, it has nothing to do with me."
If an ordinary teenager said such words to his elders, it would often have a strong childish and ridiculous meaning, full of a nose-piercing feeling of enthusiasm, but in fact it was just selfish and presumptuous. However, when these words came out of Chen Changsheng's mouth, there were no such problems, and he seemed very calm and convincing. The difference was that the former usually didn't know what responsibility was, while he had gone through a long process. After careful consideration, confirm that this is not your responsibility.
Life and death are one's own business, marriage is one's own business, whether to have children is one's own business, how to raise children is also one's own business. Chen Changsheng didn't sort out these things, he just did it naturally, or because what he had always cultivated was to do what he wanted, and the above four points were the minimum requirements for doing what he wanted.
The Pope looked at him and asked again: "You won't regret it in the future?"
A deep meaning flashed in the depths of the old man's eyes as vast as the sea of stars.
Chen Changsheng didn't notice, and said, "No."
The Pope looked at him quietly and said, "Okay."
Before leaving, Chen Changsheng asked, "Can I not fight?"
This is naturally what everyone is looking forward to... the battle between him and Xu Yourong. According to the information Tang Sanshiliu inquired, it is said that the Thirteenth Division of Qingyu has already started preparing the challenge letter, and the person who wrote it invited a senior scholar from the imperial court. Chen Changsheng didn't want to fight with Xu Yourong in the first place, but when he went to the East Imperial General's Mansion today, he felt more sympathy for the woman he had never met, and now he got the approval of the Pope to break off the engagement, he felt that there was no reason to fight This one.
"Our practice is to do what you want. As long as you want it, of course you can. Even if the other party wants it, you can avoid it."
The Pope picked up the wooden ladle from the pool, continued to water the pot of green leaves, and said slowly, "It's just that you have to be able to confirm that the choice is indeed following your will."
Chen Changsheng looked at the Pope's back, and this time he finally understood a little bit, knowing that this sentence had a deeper meaning.