Qingchuan History

Chapter 241
Silent all night.

The second day was light snow.The light snow of the solar terms did not really snow.

Every year, the light snow solar term is either 22 or 23.Ruan Xueyin has always suspected that the 24 solar terms were determined by people in the area north of Qingchuan, because there is no snow in November in the south.Regardless of heavy snow or light snow.

But as soon as the snow comes, winter will really come.If you walk outside for a while, your hands will freeze, and when you wake up in the morning, you can see the dewdrops condensed to white on the dead branches.The so-called cold and snow.

This day is no different from any day in the past.There is no difference between yesterday and the day she first arrived in Jidu in March.The only difference-

She hasn't been to Yuehuatai for a few days.And tonight she plans to go.It has been cold recently and there are few stars at night, but on the day of Xiaoxue, the Big Dipper sinks to the west and the stars in the northern sky rise. It is a day to change the stargazing strategy in response to seasonal changes.

After dinner, Yunxi went out with Ruan Xueyin.It's not over yet, and it's already dark.

Gu Chunfeng and Gu Xinglang had dinner with Gu Xinglang in Wanlan Palace.

There was a table full of hot dishes and hot pots, with smoke curling up, Gu Xingmo was holding a bowl and drinking the soup in one gulp, breathing out the hot air.

"Drink more. In winter, drink mutton soup to keep out the cold." It was Gu Xinglang who spoke.

Gu Xingmo swallowed the soup, and finally found time to speak, "Today, Xiaoxue, I thought brother Jiu would hold a palace banquet or a family banquet. I haven't attended a palace banquet for a long time."

Gu Xinglang was also drinking soup, and said with a smile: "Every year, the winter solstice has a palace banquet. You Baba came back from Xiling just to participate in the palace banquet?"

"That's not true." Gu Xingmo buried his head and continued to drink the soup without saying a word.

A nine-year-old child, no matter how calm and precocious, loves to be lively.Gu Xinglang sighed and laughed, and said in relief: "There is a banquet for the winter solstice, and there is a banquet for the New Year, and you will participate. Don't worry."

But Chunfeng smiled beside him, looked at Gu Xingmo and said in a deep voice, "Ninth brother probably spent all his time yesterday, and he didn't know how much noise he made quietly, so he naturally wants to rest and recuperate today. How can he still have the energy to hold a banquet for you?"

Gu Xinglang was puzzled by what he heard, and couldn't figure it out for a while, so he looked at Chunfeng and frowned and said, "What are you talking about when the preface doesn't match the rest?"

Chunfeng blinked, "Understood Brother Jiu. You are so low-key this time, and you didn't open the fourth warehouse of Guangchu. I am afraid that no one in the entire Qi Palace knows that yesterday was the sister-in-law's birthday." She nodded seriously, "We all understand .That's very good. It saves the idlers from meddling in other people's affairs."

"Yesterday was my sister-in-law's birthday?" Gu Xingmo stared, and quickly answered, "Why didn't you tell me? At least let me prepare a congratulatory gift." He thought about it for a moment, and felt rude, "I have to make it up."

"You need to make up for it!" Gu Chunfeng rolled his eyes at him, "I don't know how many good things Ninth Brother has rewarded, so don't get meddled!" The white jade hairpin bought by Zhou Cheng was given away, and he was secretly satisfied, so he went to see Gu Xinglang——

This man's expression is not quite right.

Gu Xingmo also noticed it.

Both of them were a little nervous, staring at each other for a while——

"Who told you that yesterday was her birthday?" He said, in a very, wonderful state.

Gu Chunfeng couldn't figure it out, secretly thought Brother Jiu didn't want us to ask, is he angry?
"Well, Brother Jiu, don't worry, we won't go out and talk nonsense. After all, no one knows what happened to the two of you yesterday, and there is no news in the palace today, which means it's all right." She thought for a moment, and then added when she was worried, "Ninth brother, don't blame sister-in-law, she didn't tell me anything, 22 is her birthday, and I asked it several months ago."

More anxious, colder and more condensed.

As he traveled along the way, the closer he got to Zhexue Palace, Gu Xinglang gradually felt uneasy in his heart that he hadn't had in 20 years.

What is there to worry about?He doesn't know at all.Except for Chunyue Chunfeng Wanling, who knew about the girl's birthday since she was a child, and had someone responsible for it, he never paid attention to it.

Those who do not know are not guilty.

But in some cases, maybe ignorance counts as a crime?
He entered Zhexue Palace, and a bunch of people came out to welcome them, but there was no Yunxi, let alone her.

Madam went to Yuehuatai.It's been more than half an hour since we went out.Tang Li said so.

He didn't turn back to Yuehuatai.

When I came to Zhexue Palace, I didn't see anyone and then chased to Yuehuatai. This kind of pursuit method has a bad influence.

It's also embarrassing.

After a moment of evaluation, he decided to stay in Zhexue Palace and wait.

When the hour of Hai was over, Ruan Xueyin came back on the wind and dew.The night was colder than the day, she was wrapped in a cloak and hood, her hands were still frozen into ice, and her cheeks were a little red.

The vestibule was actually brightly lit with lights all over the courtyard.On weekdays, she went out to watch the stars at night, and because she was not sure when she would come back, she only asked the gatekeeper to stay, and the rest would rest when they should.Over time, this agreement became a rule, and she came back at this time at night, and she had never seen such a lively scene.

It wasn't too lively, the courtyard was quiet, and the only thing that was lively was the lights.

She didn't understand why, and Yunxi didn't understand why, the master and servant hesitated for a moment, looked around for a while, but didn't feel anything wrong, and finally walked to the main hall.

Right at the entrance of the main hall, I saw an acquaintance's face in the shadow of the corridor.

Although he was an acquaintance, he felt a sense of horror for no reason because of the inexplicable appearance at this place at this time.

Both sides shouted at the same time.

Ruan Xueyin didn't make a sound, but she was really shocked by the two people looking at each other and shouting, her heart beat wildly.

"Why is there no movement when walking?" Diyan looked at Yunxi, still in shock, and saw Ruan Xueyin standing behind him, knowing that she was being rude, so she quickly bowed down.

"Why is your lord standing here at this time?" Yunxi looked back around again, "I didn't call more people out to take care of me. It's so late, but something happened?"

Ruan Xueyin came back wearing the stars and wearing the moon, already terribly cold, and just about to give orders to go in, she was blocked by Di Yan's words:

"It's the middle of the night, how dare I have anything to do?" I said this to Yunxi, and then I turned to bow to Ruan Xueyin, "Ma'am, your majesty has been waiting for almost an hour, and you are in the palace now, Madam, hurry up!" go."

Hearing the words, Yunxi looked at the main hall on tiptoe, but found nothing, so she lowered her voice and asked, "Which hall? I didn't see it. The side hall?"

Di Yan cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "The bedroom. Hurry up."

Gu Xinglang leaned against the chess table by the east window and stared at a book.A candle, half moonlight, cold night outside the window, and he sat comfortably, with an even more relaxed expression, staring at a book without knowing if he had read it or not.He didn't turn the book with his hands, and didn't move his eyes.It's for staring at books.

The bedroom door opened silently, but the candles flickered lightly. Gu Xinglang raised his eyes and saw Ruan Xueyin walking in slowly——

One step and three meals, like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth.

There was another person standing outside the door, it was Yunxi, holding Ruan Xueyin's crimson cloak in his hand, in a dilemma.

"What are you doing at the door? When you come back, what should you do?"

What are we supposed to do, what are you doing here?At this moment, Yunxi's brain was quicker than her mouth, and she didn't dare to say a word. She trotted inside and hung up her cloak. Thinking that she couldn't help Madam to clean up for a while, she turned around and went to make the bed.

Gu Xinglang put his book down and got up, walked up to Ruan Xueyin and saw that her cheeks were flushed from the cold, and a pair of plain white hands were folded together, also a little flushed,
"Hands are so cold." He stretched out his hand and touched it. It was as cold as ice, and he squeezed it into his palm. The warmth and dryness instantly enveloped the coolness of the November night.

Ruan Xueyin didn't have time to react, and she wanted to withdraw her hand when she reacted, but the other party did not let go as usual, she only turned her face slightly and raised her voice and asked:
"In this season, you don't bring a hand stove when you go out at night, but when you come back, can you ask someone to cook soup to dispel the cold?"

Naturally, he asked Yunxi.

"Yes, the servant is confused and forgot to bring the hand stove; I have ordered to go down and cook ginger soup, and it should be delivered in a while." Yunxi hurriedly ran out to reply, and raised her eyes to see that the two were together in the hall, although they were just holding hands. Circled and shook, for some reason——

There is always something that can't bear to look directly, can't bear to be disturbed, and can't bear to say anything.

She pursed her smile, lowered her head and said again: "Your maidservant, go and urge me again."

It took a long time after this reminder to come back with the cup and bowl.

Ruan Xueyin drank the soup, Gu Xinglang changed to new tea, and the other people left, the two still sat under the east window and talked.

"Yesterday was your birthday."

I practiced six words in one sentence for almost two hours.It’s hard to say but it’s finally said.

Ruan Xueyin was startled, took a moment to confirm that yesterday was indeed yesterday, nodded and answered, "Yes."

Gu Xinglang saw that she didn't react at all, and didn't care at all, he let out a sigh of relief, and after a moment of comfort, he became awkward again.

"Never heard you mention it."

"What are you bringing this up for?"

"It's not your birthday?"

In Gu Xinglang's perception, everyone has a birthday.This is the only and exact sense of ritual that is repeated in everyone's life.

In his impression, all girls love birthdays, no matter Wanling or Chunfeng.When the birthday comes, dress up to attend, enjoy singing and dancing, taste delicacies, receive all kinds of congratulatory gifts, and then be happy about it for a whole month.

"However." Ruan Xueyin replied lightly, and poured another small bowl of ginger soup for herself, "My day didn't seem to be a good day."

Gu Xinglang was also startled.

"It turned out to be November 22." He reacted thoroughly, "That's why you are so concerned about the Donggong Medicine Garden case?"

"That's right." Ruan Xueyin held a small spoon and stirred it in the white jade bowl to make a crisp sound, mixing with the soup, like a spring breaking ice, "It is said that when I was just born, I was completely silent. Other babies When I was born, I either cried loudly, or I was slapped twice and then cried loudly, even if the volume was not loud, I could at least cry twice. However, I kept silent, kept my eyes open, didn’t sleep much, and drank milk. , doesn't look like there is any disease."

She looked at the sky outside the window, the night sky was very clear, the stars and the moon could be seen, it didn't look like it was going to snow at all.

"That was the situation in the first hour of my life. It is said. Then it suddenly snowed." She continued to stir the spoon in her hand, as if she had heard the sound with her own ears, "The wind was loud, and the snow broke through the clouds. They said that The sound of snow is louder than thunder, rustling like ten thousand horses galloping, covering the whole city of Suoning in white smoke." She tilted her head for a moment,

"Have you ever heard snow that was louder than thunder? I can't imagine. What kind of snow can be louder than thunder?"

Gu Xinglang thought about it for a moment, "I can't imagine it either." He replied, "Maybe it's the sound of wind and snow." He reacted again, looked at her and said, "Your name——"

"It should be like this." She replied, "Maybe it was because the snow was too loud, and the baby was finally frightened, and suddenly burst into tears when the wind was blowing and the snow was falling." She changed the way of narration, as if The baby is not her,

"They told me these things later. Ruan Bi said that the cry fits well with the sound of snow outside the window. Let's call it Xueyin."

(End of this chapter)