Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 36: Dan Que (6)
As everyone knows, today is not what it used to be, and Ji Mingyou's reputation is on the decline. Those with keen sense of smell have secretly seen the decline of Mu's family, and they don't buy his account.Tianji is immature in this respect, he can't see the signs, he can only complain that he is ignorant of world affairs and not good at superficial skills, so he dare not complain to Ji Mingyou.

Fortunately, there is also Ji Mingyou's party in the Ministry of Punishment. With some thought, he sent someone to call Tianji and told him that the post of head book of the government's mansion will be vacant after the year, and that he should prepare earlier in case he takes up the post.After Tianji thanked him, he rushed to Ji Mingyou's mansion to announce the good news.

This time I went to Mengmata County, my mother and fellow villagers had a good explanation.

Ji Mingyou put down the chess piece and found Tianji's figure flashing outside the window, so he called out heartily: "Tianji, come in."

Tianji straightened his clothes and stepped into the hall, only to see a middle-aged couple sitting on the sandalwood chairs, with bright clothes and dazzling wealth.Ji Mingyou had already stood up and walked over, grabbed his elbow, walked straight to the couple, and said with a smile: "Tianji, I would like to pay my respects to Mr. and Mrs. Liu."

Tianji flipped up his robe lightly, and bowed long: "Wansheng pays respects to Mr. Liu and Mrs. Liu."

Mr. Liu returned the salute with a smile, stroked his beard and looked at him, then smiled and looked at his wife beside him.The lady was sitting upright with her lapels upright, her eyes glancing across Tianji quietly, showing a look of joy and satisfaction.

The host and guest are polite again.Mr. Liu and his wife stood up and smiled at Ji Mingyou: "Liu has something to do, so I will take my leave and come to visit another day. Sir, please stay."

Ji Mingyou insisted on sending them off, and said to Tianji who was standing respectfully beside him, "You wait for me here." Tianji sent the guests to the door, bowed again, and watched Ji Mingyou and the others walk towards the gate of the mansion.

After a long while, Ji Mingyou came back, patted Tianji's shoulder kindly, and said, "Master Liu is one of the best merchants and nobles in Jiangling. When entering an official career, power and achievements depend on both talent and wealth. One must."

Tianji bowed his head and promised to report the matter to the Ministry of Punishment.Ji Mingyou laughed loudly after hearing this and said: "Since entering politics, I have most admired loyalty and righteousness, and most despised people who are wise, wise, and mediocre. I heard from the First Prince that Tianji is his own person, willing to make sacrifices for the survival of Mu's achievements. This official is really touched, and I will definitely recommend it!"

"The little ones are loyal and do their best, and they will live up to the high expectations of the adults."

The two talked for an entire hour in the study, and seeing that it was almost noon, Tianji got up to say goodbye.Ji Mingyou sent him to the door, and said with emotion: "When Tianji has his own house next year, I will marry a Jiangling woman for you, and I will be consummated."

The beautiful image of Xiuxiu appeared in Tianji's mind in an instant, and he was in a trance and didn't speak.With sharp eyes, Ji Mingyou immediately saw the clue, and asked, "Still thinking about Shen Buyu's goddaughter?"

"I've wanted to marry Xiuxiu since I was a child..." Tianji whispered awkwardly.

Hearing this, Ji Mingyou's smiling face was covered with frost.

"Shen Buyu and I have had constant quarrels, and the establishment of the crown prince has made me even more embarrassing! You are my disciple, how could such a snob like you fall in love with you? Hmph, you just have to insist on three points of reason." Yell, he'll kick you out too!"

Such a sharp criticism is not without reason.Hearing this, Tianji's face turned red and then turned pale, and his heart was full of emotions, so he shouted: "But I don't want to just watch Xiao Kui choose her as the prince and concubine!"

"It turns out that they have hooked up, Shen Buyu is so deliberate." Ji Mingyou snorted coldly, "If this is the case, you will make him turn upside down, invite your old lady to come to propose marriage, Jiangling people must have a good show, let Shen Buyu also tasted the embarrassment!"

"My mother would scold me... She objected that I liked Xiuxiu, saying that Xiuxiu was born to be a noble person." Tianji said honestly.

"Your life? Your mother is a mere woman who knows fortune-telling? She doesn't know Shen Buyu, so how can she be afraid?" Ji Mingyou thought it was funny, and teased.

"My mother used to be the nanny of the Shen family, so of course she knows Shen Buyu. But I'm not afraid, I hate Shen Buyu!" Tianji shouted unreservedly, full of grievances and wanted to vent.

"Oh... don't worry, don't worry, this matter should be discussed in the long run."

Ji Mingyou was secretly surprised, and suddenly laughed indifferently, stopped mentioning this matter, and sent Tianji to the gate of the mansion.

He stood for a long time, chewing on the conversation with Tianji just now, his heart moved, and he waved his sleeves fiercely.

"Come on, prepare the car and go to the palace!"

"Brother Tianji is going home for the New Year?"

Xiu Xiu hugged Tang Pozi, and looked at Xin Yang with big and hazy eyes.She was a little dazed, and smiled a little: "That's right, he's different from me, and he can go back to his hometown again."

Xin Yang's eyes stayed on the busy Yan Xi all the time, and he replied absent-mindedly: "The last time he came to see me, he was drinking tea and talking about something, but he suddenly walked away. It's really inexplicable."

"Could it be you talking about me?" Xiuxiu smiled softly.

Xin Yang briefly recalled, nodded, and said, "I was the one who mentioned the matter between you and the third prince. Hugh, it's all because of my talkativeness. At that time, I thought, you and his childhood sweetheart, would he have been interested in you long ago? If That’s right, it’s really not a small blow.”

Although Xiuxiu looked calm on the surface, he was not feeling well in his heart.She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't utter a single word that had reached her throat.

There's really nothing to explain.

"Brother Tianji must have been annoyed by my failure to go to Mengyu County last time. This time, I will send him off no matter what, so that I can send a message to my mother for me."

Xin Yang responded, but couldn't sit still anymore, and ran to the yard.

There are plum blossoms outside the window, and a faint fragrance is mixed in.There was a light snowfall yesterday, and there were a few light footprints in the yard. Xin Yang and Yan Xi were like a pair of sparrows who didn't know the sorrows of the world, frolicking among the flowers and trees.

Xiuxiu watched steadily, vaguely, as if he saw himself and Xiao Kui hand in hand in the deep mountains and jungles, with dark clouds and autumn waters, fragrant catkins falling into powder, branches and leaves shaking, pulling their figures into mottled and blurred shapes.

On the day he was picked up by the court guard of honor, she just stood silently watching the small village flags flying, her clothes and skirts in disorder.At that time, she watched the team drift away, and kept comforting herself in her heart: they will meet.

When can we meet?Do we have to wait until the day to choose the concubine?
She couldn't help blushing, her thoughts of Xiao Kui were like strands of hair, tangled into strands day and night.She thought she must be crazy and stupid, if people knew her thoughts, she would be laughed at.

Because of the position of the head of the Ministry of Punishment, Tianji was delayed for a few days, and it was less than three days before the Chinese New Year was ready.He was eager to go home before the year, so he paid a big price to get on the carriage back to Mengmata County.

A few days earlier, Xin Yang found him and said that Xiuxiu wanted to send him off.Tianji was still angry in his heart, wanting to see but not daring to see, for fear of getting that horrifying answer from Xiuxiu's mouth, he would be in no mood to pass this year.So he flatly refused: "Forget it, she can't go back to Mengyu County, so she doesn't need to send it!"

After Xinyang left, Tianji began to regret again.Since childhood, this is the first time he has rejected her, Hugh will be sad.But in this way, Xiuxiu will at least know that he has emotions, and will care about him in his heart, no matter how much he suffers, it is worth it.Tossing and turning like this, my heart has been tangled.

The snow had already melted, the sky was full of yellow dust, and the air was crisp and cold.The carriage left the south gate, but unexpectedly, Xiuxiu was waiting for him at the three-way intersection.

Tianji ordered the driver to stop and did not get out of the car. Although he was surprised in his heart, his face was gloomy.

Xiuxiu smiled brightly and called out, "Brother Tianji."

She ran towards him, her slender figure covered by the winter sun.The slender hair fluttered in the wind, and the shallow smile could just arouse the softest corner of his heart.

He stretched out his hand like a maniac.

Xiuxiu stuffed the big and small bags in Tianji's arms, and kept caring: "This is for my mother, this is for Mama Ni, your three sisters, and my little nephew. Yes Now, you can eat this on the way, don’t be cold or hungry..."

Tianji responded with his mouth, and finally held Xiuxiu's small hand, the cool and soft skin melted the ice in his heart in an instant.

His voice also became soft: "You don't need so much, look at your hands are so cold. You go back quickly, I will be back in spring."

Xiuxiu suddenly remembered something, pulled out the written letter from her bosom, and said: "This year, my mother will live alone again, you can give her the letter to reassure her..."

Before the words were finished, a big hand dropped out of nowhere and took the letter away abruptly.

Tianji and Xiuxiu raised their heads in surprise, Shen Buyu appeared at some time, with a sinister face and carved lines around his eyes.

He slowly approached Tianji, the tip of his nose almost touching Tianji's face, and his words were sharp and cold: "Boy, don't toast and eat fine wine. You have refused to listen to my advice again and again, you still have your whole family, don't want to live A good year, isn't it?"

Tianji shrank back subconsciously, hoarsely roared: "Shen Buyu, you are too deceptive! I just like Xiuxiu!"

Shen Buyu's eyes were full of coldness, and he waved his hand to signal for Uncle Fu and others who were accompanying him to do it.

As soon as Xiuxiu saw Shen Buyu appearing, a deep-rooted fear arose in his heart.At this time, she hurriedly stepped forward to stop her, and shouted in panic, "Brother Tianji, go quickly! Go!"

The coachman had already noticed something was wrong, fearing that something might happen, he raised his whip and fled.The wheels rolled up a burst of yellow sand, covering the distant figure in the sky, and fascinated Xiuxiu's eyes.

In a moment of anger, she yelled at Shen Buyu: "Brother Tianji, what did you do wrong? Why do you treat him like this? My words and deeds, why are you so strict?"

Shen Buyu pointed to the letter in his hand, calmly tore it into pieces, and threw it in the air.He smiled erratically and his eyes were cold.

"Don't leave a word to Cao Guizhi. Listen, you are now the daughter of Shen's mansion, and the future third concubine!"

"I'm a human! Not a bird in your cage!" Xiuxiu trembled with anger.

"That's right, you are the bird in my cage. If the bird wants to fly, it can only fly in the direction I specify. Go back to the cage obediently, and no man is allowed to touch it except Xiao Kui!"

Shen Buyu ordered his servants to help Xiuxiu into the Shen family's carriage, and sent him back to the prime minister's residence without stopping.He jumped on the horse himself, and drove off with two attendants.

Xiuxiu sat in the carriage, carrying unspeakable anger all the way.After going through so much, she always felt that she was a chess piece in Shen Buyu's hands, and this chess piece was placed in Xiao Kui's place just right.Although this also made her relationship with Xiao Kui, she still felt that Shen Buyu's methods were vicious.

"Xiao Kui is right. I have no blood relationship with Shen Buyu, but Shen Buyu's subordinate. I promised Xiao Kui that one day we can be together, and I will break away from Shen Buyu. I am Tao Xiuxiu, not Shenxiuxiu, I will definitely do it!"

On New Year's Eve, the Shen family slaughtered chickens and sheep to arrange sacrifices.As in previous years, several couples of Shen Buyu's sons and daughters came to celebrate the reunion night.

Liu Rulan occasionally felt the wind and cold, lingering in the sick bed for a few days and saw a slight improvement, but in the afternoon she couldn't help being tired.Her room was very quiet and very warm, mixed with a scent of medicine, even Cui Hong, the maidservant next to her, couldn't stop yawning.Xiuxiu sat for a long while, seeing that it was getting dark, he called Shang Yanxi to bid farewell and go out.

There are firecrackers in the Yeying Pool area, and children are setting off fireworks.A group of people surrounded by flowers by the pool got closer, only to realize that it was the eldest lady Li Pinghua who brought her two daughters to enjoy the scenery.

Xiuxiu and Yanxi couldn't dodge in time, so they could only bow their knees and salute.

We seldom meet each other on weekdays, and even if we do meet by chance, Li Pinghua just sneers and continues on her way.For some reason today, Li Pinghua was particularly interested in talking, so he couldn't stop staring at Xiuxiu.

"When she first came to Shen's house, she was a rustic and vulgar wild girl. In the blink of an eye, after a year or so, she has become graceful and graceful."

The last few words were intentionally bitten extremely hard, and then he snorted coldly.

The eldest daughter interjected: "And she's a very stupid countryman. I'm wondering, why did my father take a fancy to her?"

Li Pinghua smiled lightly, and said casually: "Actually, he is not too stupid. He can gradually become all-round and exquisite. He knows how to please the master, and how to be trained to become another daughter of the Shen family. Your father, in her body, is very good. I put a lot of effort into it. I don't care, because no matter how much I train her, it's not the blood of the Shen family that bleeds in my bones."

The youngest daughter stared at Xiuxiu, and said jealously: "Didn't mother say that she looks more and more like that Cao Guizhi? Cao Guizhi has a flirtatious face, does father want her to flatter her?"

"This time, it was His Royal Highness the Third Prince who fell in love with her. Those days were really interesting. It is said that the Third Prince was demoted, and she cried so much that she even traveled long distances to see him regardless of her safety."

"So, the third prince will choose her as his concubine?"

"Then our Shen family has an extra concubine? Oh, we must not offend you! The third concubine and concubine, slaves are so polite! Haha!"

Xiuxiu couldn't bear it anymore, he gave them a disgusted look, pulled Yanxi and left.

There was a high-pitched, piercing laugh from behind.

The night seemed to be getting darker and darker, everything was blurred like smoke and mist, Ye Yingchi suddenly became very empty, those sharp voices seemed to be chasing her like a shadow, and there was a slight chill.In a trance, she was alone on this cold New Year's Eve, her heart was pierced with extreme pain, and her hands were involuntarily clenched.

Yan Xi, who was accompanying her, felt that she was trembling faintly, so he held her by his arm, and scolded softly: "Miss, don't be angry with them, they are jealous of you! I don't have a good looks, although the men in the family are jealous of my father-in-law, but I have already secretly raised the second and third bedrooms. Hmph, wait and see, when the third highness really chooses you, I will piss them off!"

Xiuxiu kept silent, walked to the Suxin courtyard with his head in a muffled manner, opened the door, and then sat down heavily on the chair.

She closed her eyes for a long time as if tired, and the candles in the room were lit, casting a long shadow under her eyelids.She raised her head and said with a choked voice: "This is a prison cage, I can't stay here for a moment. Yanxi, except for the second wife, Xin Yang, and you... no one is worthy of my nostalgia. I really want someone to take care of you. I'll take it, let me get out of this place!"

A tear fell from the corner of her eye, and it was slightly cold to the touch.In the house where the stove was burning, she couldn't feel the slightest warmth, her whole body was icy cold.

Yan Xi also felt sorry for Xiuxiu, and murmured: "I know, your heart has already flown to the Third Prince. Just bear with it for a while, and he will pick you up, right?"

"However, since he returned to the palace, I have never seen him again. Yanxi, I don't know what's wrong with me. Sometimes I think well, and sometimes I think very sadly. I'm afraid he will still That third prince, well-clothed and well-fed, is as beautiful as a cloud. Has he forgotten me?"

"Miss, don't think so. The third highness is able to come back again, the master has made a lot of contributions! The emperor knows well that the relationship between layers is tight and dense. If the third highness doesn't choose you, who can you choose? So, miss, just relax and don't care how Da Furen treats you, just ignore it."

Yan likes to help Xiuxiu analyze, the more serious she is, the more entangled Xiuxiu will be.

If Xiao Kui also became a bird in Shen Buyu's cage, according to Xiao Kui's temperament, what would happen...

She dared not even think about it.

Someone came in from outside the courtyard and called Yanxi in a low voice, and immediately knew that it was Xinyang.Yan Xi bit her lip and smiled, swayed her braids, and jumped out.

There are cowhide pine lanterns hanging under the eaves, which flicker on and off.Xiuxiu put away her tears and tried to cheer herself up.Through the pane, Xin Yang and Yan Xi were playing, Xin Yang teased Yan Xi with a flower bell stick, and the sound of the bell and laughter rang out together.

She looked enviously, and couldn't help but sighed.Back in front of the dressing table, she was in a trance, and before her eyes were the figures and the past, the dead father, the indifferent mother, the sky... and Xiao Hao, and more Xiao Kui.Opening her eyes wide again, she could only see the woman sitting opposite her in the mirror, looking at herself with a lonely expression.She stretched out her hand to touch her neck and touched the gardenia stamen jade, and the cold sadness and longing rushed over boundlessly.

"Father..." she mourned in a low voice.

There was another noise in the courtyard, and Xin Yang rushed in in a panic: "Uncle Fu is here..." Before he had time to say the whole sentence, he flashed into the back room.Xiuxiu was wondering, there were hurried footsteps outside, and indeed Uncle Fu's voice came from the door.

Xiuxiu thought that Uncle Fu came for Xin Yang, and was thinking about what to say, but Unexpectedly, Uncle Fu said: "Miss, His Royal Highness the Third Prince is outside the gate of the residence, please hurry over there!"

Hearing this, Xiuxiu stood up involuntarily, her heart beating rapidly.

Xin Yang knew that Uncle Fu was not here to catch him, so he also leaned out from the back room and stuck out his tongue towards Xiuxiu.

"Master is back?" Xiuxiu tried hard to stabilize his mood, but his voice was still trembling, so erratic that even he couldn't hear clearly.

"Not yet." Uncle Fu replied outside.

"Okay, I'll go."

Xiuxiu tidied up her temples a little, glanced at Xin Yang, and walked out in small steps.

Along the way, it was a mess.

In the dark night, the bright lights flickered, and the cold wind pierced her skin, so she couldn't feel the coldness.I don't know who lit a bunch of fireworks, reflecting the prosperity of Shen's residence like smoke.On such a New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers became more and more clear, and one after another, Xiuxiu felt his heart beating really hard. When he arrived at the gate of the mansion, his steps were unsteady and he almost tripped over the high threshold.

Sitting on the white horse, Xiao Kui looked up at the starry sky intoxicated, his eyes flickering.

"The weather is fine tonight, it won't snow." He said leisurely.

Xiuxiu stared at his handsome appearance in a daze, for a moment, feeling sour, sweet, bitter, hot and salty in his heart, he couldn't help but murmured: "You...why are you the prince?"

Xiao Kui didn't seem to know what she was talking about, raised his eyebrows in bewilderment, and asked, "Is the prince all right?"

"Not good..." she said from the bottom of her heart.

Xiao Kui laughed casually, as if what Xiuxiu said was just a childish remark.Perhaps he had just come out of the palace banquet, his face was still blushing, and he was even a little uncomfortable.

"For some reason, I miss you tonight, so I came here."

After finishing speaking, he smiled slightly, leaned over and stretched out a hand towards her, and looked at her with indescribable bewilderment in his eyes.

During the time in the deep mountains, he had done this kind of action more than once.

She also looked at him fiercely.He said, he missed her, why didn't she miss her day and night?The impulse tonight was especially inexplicable, hazy, a voice kept encouraging her: follow him, follow him.

So, she handed him her hand without hesitation.With his slight movement, her whole body fell in front of him.He swung his whip, and the wind picked up. She couldn't help but put her face on his chest, and curled up in his arms like a cat.

In the dark night, the stars were bright and the clouds were clear, and a brisk ticking of horseshoes came from a distance.In the hazy moon, the sharp-eyed guards immediately recognized that it was the mount of the master in the palace.Immediately there were two shadowy figures, overlapping each other, and the night wind picked up the corners of their skirts and skirts, and they flew lightly.

(End of this chapter)