Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 46
one

half year later.

Xiuxiu got off the sedan chair outside a mansion.From the outside, the mansion is not very big, it is a bit dilapidated, and the gable paint is peeling off.The pear tree outside the wall has begun to lose its leaves, and the leaves are falling.Xiuxiu stood there, watching the orioles hurriedly perched in the breeze, and smiled lightly.

The passing days gradually wear away the resentment on her face, and the peaceful life seems to have started again.

At the copper threshold, the servant was sitting bored. When he saw Xiuxiu approaching, he hurriedly got up: "Excuse me, miss, who are you looking for?"

Xiuxiu was amicable, and announced Tianji's name.The boy told her to wait a moment, and ran in quickly.Xiuxiu was still looking at the plaque hanging on the door lintel. Although there was no sign of promotion in Tianji's post as the master's office, the Ministry of Criminal Affairs assigned him a house, so he could move out of Tingsongyuan.

Not long after, Tianji rushed out from inside in a linen shirt, with a smile of surprise and joy.

"You're here? I really let you find it."

"Xin Yang told me." She pursed her lips, watching him roll up the sleeves of his tunic, a few drops of mud fell on his shoulders and hair, she couldn't help brushing it off for him, "What are you doing?"

"I'll clean up. Come on, I'll show you."

Tianji seemed very excited and grabbed Xiuxiu.Xiuxiu shook her head and chuckled, looked at him with appreciation, and let him pull her into the gate.

For half a year, Tianji was the only person she kept in touch with.Shen Buyu no longer restrained her, she was at ease, and there was no one she knew well when she went out, so Tianji became a relative who was not a relative.

Through the rustic gate, a lush green courtyard is presented boldly.The water in the pool is rippling, and two purple mandarin ducks are flapping their green wings, playing leisurely.The main house has a entrance, hall, back hall, front and back rooms, left and right waterside pavilions, front and back patios, doors and windows are often hollowed out and carved, or are blocked by rockery and flowers.

Xiuxiu couldn't help admiring, it's really a good place to be so quiet and elegant, enough to wash away the hustle and bustle of the capital city, to get away from the dust, customs and rain.

"Do you like it?" Tianji asked happily.

With shining eyes, Xiuxiu nodded frequently: "The servant hasn't come yet, why don't I clean it for you?"

"No need." Skyrim refused.

He pulled her through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the winding path in front of her was secluded, and there was a dark fragrance overflowing from the pavilions.There is an unknown tree blooming in the place where the water trickles, like smoke and mist, which makes people's eyes blurred and dazzling.

They stood under the shade of the dense flowers, Tianji was full of satisfaction, held a petal in his hand, and said: "I want my mother to move to Jiangling to live with me, but she refuses. She should also enjoy some happiness, But she said that she came to Jiangling once, and she doesn't want to come again."

Xiuxiu understood the time mentioned in the words.Her smile dimmed, and she looked around to talk about other things: "What else did Mama Ni say in the letter?"

"Remind me that Mu's prestige is not as powerful as in the past, so we must follow the trend. How could she understand as a woman? Shen Buyu must have warned her." Tianji snorted coldly.

Xiuxiu didn't want to bring up Shen Buyu, but she also said tactfully: "Your mother is right, the general situation of the world will change sooner or later. Ji Mingyou is cruel and merciless. I almost died in his hands. Now that you are under his sect, how can you Be careful."

"If I don't seek refuge with Mr. Ji, should I seek refuge with Shen Buyu?" Thinking of the past, Tianji was full of complaints, and said passionately, "Mu's and Shen Buyu's party is against each other, even the blind can see it. Now that I have entered the official career, who would be right?" If I have a favor, I will repay it. Master Ji has always been considerate and caring towards me, better than his parents. This official position and this house are all thanks to him, if I let him down, what a big deal it will be."

There was silence under the tree.

Xiuxiu was at a loss in his heart, what was right and wrong about the situation in the DPRK and China had nothing to do with him?Skyrim is doing well, and it is also her great joy.

There was a drizzle of rain drifting over, Tianji looked up at the sky and said softly: "You go back, it's going to rain."

Xiuxiu responded, and was about to turn around when Tianji took her hand again, and her voice became steady: "Come the day after tomorrow, the grapes that my mother sent someone should have arrived, this was your favorite food when you were young."

"The day after tomorrow, Yanxi and I will go to appreciate osmanthus, save some for me, and I will eat when I come back." Xiuxiu said naturally.

Ever since he knew her real life experience, some things troubled Tianji, his attitude towards her was ambiguous, sometimes he was as affectionate as before, and sometimes he was suddenly alienated like thousands of miles away.This made her both understand and a little at a loss, but the crux of the matter was on her, so she didn't have any intention of blaming it.

"I'll see you off." He said again.

"Go ahead, I'll go out by myself."

He then let go of her hand and stared at her as she walked towards the door gracefully.When she turned around the Moon Cave Gate, she turned her head and raised her sleeves at him.He grinned and waved at her.

This autumn is warm, and the sweet-scented osmanthus in the Royal Osmanthus Garden is still blooming, and it is scheduled to open to the public today and tomorrow.Xiuxiu and Yanxi began to comb their hair and change their clothes, intending to join in the fun together.

Yan Xi came in wearing a pomegranate red tulle skirt, her face was blushing.Xiuxiu was a little dumbfounded, and smiled with palms: "Xin Yang sent you off? It looks like a daughter-in-law seeing her parents-in-law."

Knowing that Xiuxiu was joking, Yanxi still panicked and looked out the window a few times, and said angrily: "Miss, I beg you, please don't let the master and wife know. The young master kindly sent me off, so you let Yanxi wear it out for a while." Are you addicted?"

Xiuxiu said "Cheng Cheng Cheng", and pulled Yan Xi to sit down in front of the Luan Mirror, and said with a smile, "Draw a crescent eyebrow for you, and match it with a butterfly hairpin. Once you go out like this, no one will be able to tell who is the master." , who is the servant."

"Miss, why don't you put on some makeup? It's too plain." Yan Xi couldn't help asking as she sat upright and asked Xiuxiu to apply her makeup.

"That's how I am. I wear clothes in the mansion for myself, and I wear them outside." Xiuxiu said lightly.

"Are you afraid of being recognized?"

"In such a huge Jiangling, who would recognize me?"

Xiuxiu let Luo Dai go, Yanxi in front of her eyes was as bright as spring flowers and as bright as autumn moon, so she was also extremely beautiful.

Yan Xi looked at himself in the mirror, couldn't help smiling, and said with a smile: "If the fourth prince accompanied the young lady to appreciate the osmanthus, the young lady should also dress up like this, a man with a beautiful appearance, that's about the same. The fourth prince hasn't heard from him for half a year, so I miss him."

"You haven't seen Brother Tianji for a long time, don't you want to?" Xiuxiu joked.

Yan Xi became serious: "The fourth prince is gentle and caring, he is the real son of the lady. Chu Tianji is not bad looking, he is a little narrow-minded, although he is good to the lady, but I..."

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and shouted: "Miss, do you like Chu Tianji?"

Looking back, Xiuxiu has already crossed the threshold.Yan Xi had no choice but to shut up, close the door, lift up her skirt and follow out.

The two talked and laughed when they reached the edge of the Yeying Pond, they saw Liu Rulan coming towards her, accompanied by the servant girl Cui Hong, carrying a fruit basket.Xiuxiu and Xiuxiu said Wanfu, Liu Rulan asked cordially, "Are you going to enjoy the sweet-scented osmanthus?"

Xiuxiu said: "Madam, do you want to go together?"

"You guys go, don't come back too late." Liu Rulan smiled lovingly, pointing to the fruit basket in Cui Hong's hand, "Master specially sent someone from Mengmao County to deliver the new grapes, I'm sure you will like them .I asked Cuihong to put it in your yard."

For half a year, the father and daughter rarely met.Even if they met, Xiuxiu was always indifferent, and the two never said a word.Shen Buyu sent grapes because he intended to show his favor, and Liu Rulan was willing to be a middleman, trying every means to ease the rigid relationship between father and daughter.

Unexpectedly, Xiuxiu's face was not happy, and he said indifferently: "Tell him, I have weak spleen and stomach, and I can't eat this." After speaking, he blessed the ceremony again, and walked away with Yan Xi.

Liu Rulan was disappointed in her heart, she was speechless with her eyes wide open.

Cui Hong comforted: "Miss smiled anyway, which is a gratifying thing. According to her personality, it is expected that she will not accept grapes, but it is a pity that Madam has put in so much effort."

After a long time, Liu Rulan sighed slightly, with indescribable melancholy in her tone: "This child is like this, even the master is always frowning. The family is so lifeless, what should I do?"

Xiuxiu and Yanxi took the curtained carriage and arrived at the Royal Osmanthus Garden smoothly.

There are many tourists in the Osmanthus Garden, and they seem to have come to a fairyland paved with golden sand.The green and emerald osmanthus trees are dotted with gold, like butterflies, like golden armor, full of rich fragrance all over the world, faintly revealing a hint of sweetness, which hits people's hearts and refreshes their hearts.

The two shuttled back and forth, laughing happily, with smiles on their faces.

Someone saw them and yelled: "The two girls have such leisure, why don't you participate in the poetry competition so that you can ask for a reward?"

"where is it?"

"In the shade of drunken flowers over there, it's the eldest prince and the concubines who are having fun."

Xiuxiu heard that it was the eldest prince, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Forget it, let's not go."

Yan Xi was very interested in traveling, and it was rare to see the face of the royal family, so she begged: "Miss, can you just join in the fun? You said that the eldest prince is easy-going and never puts on airs. The tricks he plays must be very interesting. "

Xiuxiu didn't want to disappoint Yanxi, thought for a while, then agreed with a smile.

They went straight to Drunken Flower Shade, and the guards let them in.I saw an open space in the woods inside, surrounded by crowds of people, laughing and laughing.Away from the crowd, more than a dozen palace people guarded a few people sitting in the forest. Most of them were phoenix buns and foggy temples, pink, white and dark green. They seemed to be noble concubines in the palace.Because of the distance, most of her face was blocked by the complicated and gorgeous Yingluo steps, so she couldn't see her true face clearly.

The eldest prince Xiao Shao stood among the willows, green flowers and red flowers, looking particularly abrupt.At this time, he was full of interest, so he called the palace man to bring up a box of gift boxes, and said loudly: "Everyone, this is the highest-grade prize today. There are sixteen kinds of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes made by the imperial dining room, which are rare and delicious." Delicious food. Please come up with a line with the word 'autumn', and whoever comes up with the last line will be the winner."

Yan Xi muttered in a low voice: "I thought it was something rare. It's not like we haven't eaten sweet-scented osmanthus cakes before. What kind of poems and fuss do we need for these? It's laborious and not fun."

Xiuxiu smiled and said: "It's obviously a small snack, but it still wants to be arty, even the eldest prince is pretentious, thinking that someone inside thought it up. Let's leave it alone, let's go."

The two were about to leave, but at this moment Xiao Shao found Xiuxiu, pretended not to know each other, and shouted: "You two girls, don't leave first! If you don't know poetry, just be a spectator and get some popularity. .If you want to leave before the game starts, don’t you look down on me, Xiao Shao?”

Having said that, Xiuxiu was embarrassed to leave.She pulled Yanxi to stand still, nodded to Xiao Shao, with a slight smile on her lips.

The game starts and people are eager to try.Someone shouted: "When the autumn wind rises, white clouds fly, and when the grass and trees turn yellow, the geese return to the south."

Someone next to him immediately answered: "The new autumn day is far away, and the moon will be full."

Xiao Shao nodded slightly and said, "Not bad, is there any more?"

Someone raised his hand and said: "The lotus dew is falling, and the willows are sparse in the middle of the moon."

Everyone burst into laughter.Xiao Shao consulted among the concubines, turned around and said generously: "This is obviously about autumn, forget it, forget it."

Someone over there was unconvinced: "As soon as you look at the cold city, Pingchu is in the blue."

After a moment of silence, Xiuxiu's clear voice sounded: "The autumn wind curls up, and the Dongting waves come under the leaves."

Hearing the sound, Xiao Shao looked at Xiuxiu, showing surprise, and was about to open his mouth, when someone took the words: "Under the Tinggao tree leaves, autumn clouds are flying in Longshou."

This time it was Xiuxiu's turn to say respectfully: "It's so sad that autumn is the spirit! It's bleak and the vegetation shakes and decays."

The man snatched up a sentence: "The autumn wind is bleak and the weather is cool, and the vegetation shakes and dew turns into frost."

The two of you came and went, the crowd uttered praises, and the concubines who were sitting upright also covered their masks and smiled until they both stopped talking.

"Is there any more?" Xiao Shao was dizzy and looked at Xiuxiu.

Xiuxiu murmured, and blurted out: "The sound of trees in autumn, the cold colors of mountains."

The other party was at a loss for words and could only admit defeat.

"Haha, this girl is still the champion!" Xiao Shao smiled happily, took the gift box, walked in front of Xiuxiu, winked at her, and said softly, "Xiuxiu, long time no see, we will talk another day."

Xiuxiu saluted with a smile, took the gift box and was about to leave.

"Excuse me, this girl." Someone in the group of concubines suddenly asked, "What's Fang's name?"

Xiuxiu raised her head suddenly, and saw that the young concubine who was speaking was wearing a double skirt with Danbi gauze pattern, the wind-moving color was like elegance, elegant and dazzling, and the concubine next to her was already pale.No need to look at the figure, just from the voice Xixiu has already heard who it is.

Why is Zheng Yizhen inside?

Xiuxiu regretted too much, so she had to go forward and bow down, reluctantly replied: "Go back to your mother, the name of your servant is Xiuxiu."

"Which word 'Xiu'?" Zheng Yizhen asked again.

It sounds soft and gentle to outsiders, but it is extremely aggressive to Xiuxiu's ears.She didn't understand why Zheng Yizhen asked her this in public.Remembering that the two of them were in the palace teaching workshop together, she mentioned the origin of the name more than once. At that time, Zheng Yi was so pure and straightforward, her eyes widened as she listened to her youthful past, and when she heard her father fall off the high wall, she cried loudly. She is still sad.

She could only answer again: "My father likes to say 'his heart rests as if he is tolerant', which means to be tolerant and don't care about gains and losses. He is not very literate, and he saw that this word is easy to remember, so he gave it to his servant. name."

Someone in the crowd came up with a sentence: "There is a strong poison called 'Xiu Xiu San', which is also the word 'Xiu'."

Everyone laughed, their eyes focused on Xiuxiu, and someone pointed fingers at her.

Xiuxiu looked embarrassed, lowered his eyebrows and said nothing.Zheng Yizhen was not forgiving, and continued with a long voice: "You must be the daughter of the prime minister, Mr. Shen, who has retired. The so-called father you are talking about is not Mr. Shen, right?"

Xiao Shao couldn't bear to hear it, and smiled and stepped forward to smooth things over: "The third sibling asked too many questions, and the well-made names turned into poison."

He walked up to Xiuxiu, leaned over to help her up, and said lightly: "It's my fault that I shouldn't have called you. The third younger brother and sister are familiar with you, so it's fine if you don't reminisce about the past today, and you don't recognize anyone."

Xiuxiu got up to thank her, forced a smile, handed the gift box to Yanxi, and slowly dispersed with the crowd watching.For some reason, she looked back again, and saw Zheng Yizhen pushing away the dense rubies on his forehead, staring at her with piercing eyes, and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

Along the way, she was silently thinking about her mind, looking listless.Yan Xi beside him lost interest, pointed at the gift box, and scolded: "This woman, look at her as the third concubine, what's so great about it? I think she came twice before, and I received it twice. I didn't expect such a Arrogant and disrespectful, turn your face and deny people. Bah! I knew I would ignore her. Miss, don’t worry, it’s not worth it to be sad for this kind of person!"

Xiuxiu couldn't help sighing softly, and said with a wry smile: "She's not a bad person, her temperament has always been like this. When she becomes a princess, she will naturally become more domineering and perverse. She is also a rich and powerful person, but we can't compare. If we talk about her behind our backs, it shows that we are stingy and don't take some things to heart."

At that time, can you really forget it and stop worrying about it?

One day, in the Lingde Hall shrouded in sandalwood smoke, she clearly heard his slow but clear voice: "Well, I will choose you."

He chose Zheng Yizhen.

Thinking about such a nightmarish scene, she still feels pain in her heart.

She shook her head, tried her best to forget the past, frowned and said, "Give the sweet-scented osmanthus cake to the servants in the house."

Xiuxiu wanted to go back to a peaceful life, but she never expected that Zheng Yizhen came to her door after only a few days to enjoy the osmanthus in the garden.

Xiuxiu, master and servant, were embroidering women's reds in the Juxin Courtyard. The guard at the gate came and stood at the entrance of the courtyard to salute and report: "Miss, the third imperial concubine wants to invite Miss to talk, but the sedan chair is already waiting at the door."

Xiuxiu stopped the delicate work in his hands and remained silent.Yan Xi glanced at her, frowned and said: "The third concubine is really, she was so aggressive last time, why are you having sex with Miss again today?"

Xiuxiu sighed, and said in a worrying voice: "I met her, and I'm afraid I don't have much to say. Yanxi, you asked someone to return the sedan chair bearer, and said that I was not feeling well, and we can talk about it another day."

The guard went out to answer, and came back after a while.

"They said that the third imperial concubine has already ordered, if the young lady refuses to agree, they will wait outside the mansion."

The master and servant were surprised, and Xiuxiu was a little downcast: "This is really Yizhen's temper, and I can't go against her. But I dare not go to that palace..."

Yan Xi pondered for a moment, and said: "If the princess and concubine came to invite you in person, you would have no reason to refuse. In Yan Xi's opinion, Miss should go early and come back early, don't let her think we are guilty."

Xiuxiu's face was full of distress: "She must know my life experience, and she is outspoken. It will be embarrassing if she mentions it. I'm not good at words, wouldn't it make people laugh?"

Yan Xi understood what Miss was thinking, and persuaded her: "Miss, you don't need to belittle yourself. Now you are the dignified daughter of the prime minister's mansion. What is there to be afraid of? The third prince chose her, so there must be something special about her. If it were me, I would think Meet her in the past and see what she intends to invite you to."

Xiuxiu was stunned for a moment, then Fang couldn't bear to say again: "It's not easy to refuse her. She is a concubine, so you have to take her face into consideration, right?"

The two of them discussed, they didn't deliberately dress up, they put on elegant dresses, and stepped out of the house gracefully.

Those who carried the sedan chair were all dressed up as palace people, respectful and well-mannered, and they carried Xiuxiu, master and servant, to the palace.

From a distance, I saw the old pagoda tree outside the palace, still with luxuriant branches and leaves, bearing a lot of fruits, and the ground was covered with fallen pistils that looked like flowers but not flowers.The two white jade lions outside the palace gate stared at her sternly, and Xiuxiu panicked for no reason, her heartbeat began to speed up.

Yizhen personally brought two maids in the palace to greet her outside. She was standing upright with a crimson-blue knotted silk skirt wrapped in a red satin cloak.Xiuxiu, master and servant, stepped forward to salute.I don't know whether it was intentional or not, Yizhen's windbag fell, and the colorful peonies and splendid pictures flowed like waves.She looked at Xiuxiu gracefully and calmly, with a bit of arrogance.

"It's so hard to ask you, I've been waiting for a long time."

Xiuxiu, who was kneeling on the ground, knew something was wrong, and was instantly speechless.Yizhen let out a breath, and slowly helped Xiuxiu up, with a calm expression on his face, as if he was just gossip.

"You are my distinguished guest today, and you should be treated with courtesy. I haven't seen you for a few months, and you look even more beautiful. It turns out that you belong to the kind that looks good. When I came back that day, I thought about it and felt that I had neglected you. Too much regret. I have to invite you here today, so don’t blame me for whispering between sisters.”

Xiuxiu was nervous, and reluctantly said: "The third concubine, the concubine, is kind and lovely, and blessed, and this servant is happy for her."

"It's just you who understand me and speak nice words for me." Yizhen smiled happily, and then whispered softly, "The Third Highness is not in the palace, so we sisters can talk more easily."

Hearing these words, Xiuxiu's half-suspended heart was relieved.

Because it is autumn, the ground is covered with mist, the flowers on the roadside are covered with bushes, the chrysanthemums in the guardrail are quietly poking their stamens, and the dew on the leaf petals is still wet, glistening and glistening.Weeping willows dotted the ground by the pool, and the yellow smoke ears were blown all over the ground, as if someone deliberately didn't clean it, but it was integrated with the bamboo forest in front.

Xiuxiu was in a trance for a while, and just walked in silence.

(End of this chapter)