Queen Sun

Chapter 61 The Eastern Capital (2)
"Mother, what should I do, I think that person is about to be beaten out of breath." Ming Yao said anxiously.

Ruoshui took her daughter back to the place where she stopped just now: "What is misfortune never comes singly? Mother finally understands. Why is your father coming to Luoyang at this time?"

"Ah!" Ming Yao lost her voice, "Just now I was taking care of other people's affairs, that's right, Dad has also arrived in Luoyang, so don't we..."

If there is a mess in the water, how to manage it?No matter... this... Turn around and raise your eyes: "Yao'er, isn't that Du He?"

Ming Yao opened her mouth in surprise, and immediately shouted after recovering: "Du He, come quickly."

When Du He saw the two figures in front of him, he couldn't help but smile wryly at the corner of his mouth, but when he heard the voice that he could never forget, he couldn't help speeding up his pace. As soon as he got closer, Ming Yao pulled him and said, "Hurry up!" , Du He, save that child quickly."

Du He turned his eyes and walked forward with a slightly cold expression. Ruoshui asked his daughter worriedly: "Look at his handsome appearance, will he..."

Before the conversation was over, those thugs who were arrogant just now yelled and ran back together. When they saw the man in front of them with a cold and angry look on their faces, they finally ran back yelling.

"Mother, that's called hiding." Ming Yao smiled meaningfully.

Ruoshui pursed his lips, walked to the child who was still lying on the ground, knelt down, took a rough look, and lost his smile: "Mr. Du, could you please invite a doctor? This child doesn't look very good. .”

Du He looked serious, nodded, turned around and was about to leave, only to see Mingyao said first: "Mother, I'll go find it, you take this child into the teahouse first, let him lie down properly first."

After a while, led by the aunt from the shop just now, they put the unconscious boy on the bed in the inner room, and in the same room lay his elder brother, but it was the same The breath is weak, I'm afraid...

Ruoshui dipped the cloth into clean water, and gently wiped the bloody face of the child. Du He stood aside, clenched his fists tightly, and his voice, which was always like a spring breeze, became extremely angrily: "Gao Ma'am, I really shouldn't have let them go, but they beat a child and his elder brother like this!"

"The reason for this, auntie, you'd better talk to this young master carefully. Maybe at this moment, he is the only one who can help these two brothers." Du He was slightly surprised by the profound meaning in Ruoshui's words, but soon he His eyes were equally dignified, this matter is indeed big or small, and it can indeed bring out a lot of officials who harm the people, especially at this time.

The doctor came quickly, and after a long wait, both brothers woke up at the dawn of the next day, but among them, the elder brother was facing imminent death, and the thin young man struggled to open his eyes. With eyes full of hatred, he held Ruoshui's hand tightly and said, "Madam, please take care of my brother, he is still young and has a long way to go, he is really obedient, no will cause you trouble."

Ruoshui's eyes were reddish, somehow he remembered that day when he held his brother's hand like this. "Okay, I promise you." Her voice was steady without hesitation.

The young man gasped for breath, his eyes fell on his younger brother who was also lying down, he closed his eyes, and sighed: "Little brother, give up, burn those things in front of the graves of parents, they will not blame them if they are in the sky." Ours." After speaking, as if he was finally relieved, a trail of tears slowly flowed from the corner of his eyes.

And the other boy who was rescued remained silent from beginning to end, staring at his elder brother without blinking his red and swollen eyes, his nails were deeply embedded in his palm, and he lay motionless on his side on the couch.

Ruoshui couldn't bear to pull his hand away, and said softly: "Since your brother has entrusted you to me, from today on, you can call me Aunt Shui."

There was a gleam of light in the boy's desperate and lifeless eyes. "Aunt Shui." He said in a hoarse voice, "My name is Xinxin."

Ruoshui let go of his hand almost suddenly: "You...what's your name?"

"Satisfactory." The boy repeated again, "My parents expect me to be happy in everything, but looking at it now, they gave me the wrong name."

"How old are you?" Ruoshui repeated the turmoil in his heart.

Cheng Xin said sadly: "Twelve, if it wasn't because I was still young, my brother would not have been able to escape Luoyang because of me."

"Mother, how is he?" Ming Yao, who sent the doctor out with Du He, asked with concern as soon as he came back.

"It seems to be better, but we have to take him away immediately. If it happens again, we will not be so lucky." Ruoshui tried not to put his name in the long river of history.

Yixin pointed to a stone slab on the ground and said, "Aunt Shui, there are documents for those officials who secretly sold charity food hidden under here. According to what the elder brother said, I really can't drag you down any longer, so let's burn it."

Under Ruoshui's gesture, Du He took out a thick stack of yellowed paper, and then said to Xin Xin: "Little brother, don't worry, we will take care of the grievances of your parents and elder brother for you, now you only need to Just take a good rest and recuperate, and when the case comes to trial, maybe your testimony will be needed."

Yixin couldn't believe her ears: "This...how is it possible, I can't even leave Luoyang."

"You don't have to worry about that." Ming Yao interjected, "Of course we have a solution."

Du He and Ming Yao looked at each other and smiled, Ruoshui sighed softly, how could a noble daughter have encountered such a reckless thing, but if there is no Du He today, how can they not rely on their status to help this pair of innocent brothers Woolen cloth?Perhaps, I can only comfort myself, if you are poor, you will be alone; if you are rich, you will benefit the world.

Having settled Xinxin in Du He's house in Luoyang, Ruoshui finally breathed a sigh of relief, at least, it is safe here for the time being.

"Madam Gao, to tell you the truth, my late father had quite a personal relationship with some important officials in the court. I plan to hand over these evidences to Lord Sikong, who is now staying with him in Luoyang Palace, and ask him to come to the court again." Your Majesty, you will be able to give those innocent people an explanation." Du He said clearly to Ruoshui.

"Are His Majesty the Emperor and Lord Sikong Changsun both in Luoyang Palace now?" Ruoshui's eyelids drooped, and the hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

A strange gleam flashed across Du He's eyes. Since the acquaintance, this madam's calm demeanor was broken for the first time: "Yes, His Majesty's royal driver has arrived from Fanghua Garden yesterday. Luoyang Palace."

Ruoshui nodded slightly: "Then please trouble Mr. Du." Ruoshui put aside the uneasiness in his heart, and said with a smile, "Why are you still so unfamiliar? Why don't you just call Auntie?"

Du He also no longer evaded, and smiled lightly: "Auntie, it seems that I haven't hidden my feelings for Miss Gao well."

"I have met your father before." Ruoshui's tone was full of emotion and distantness, "Fang Xuanling said that he is Wang Zuozhi's talent, it is really no exaggeration, you are not so like him, at least in my opinion , you are not as decisive as your father, so I cannot trust my daughter to you."

At that moment, for the first time, Du He felt that standing in front of him was no longer a woman of his age, but an elder, with a slight alienation and a condescending warning, who is she? "Auntie, you..."

Ruoshui waved his hand: "Don't be curious about my identity, because maybe the moment you know it will be the pain of your life, if it wasn't for Yao'er, she really fell in love with you, if it wasn't for your father and our family Extremely deep, I shouldn't have said these words. It's still too late to withdraw now. With your family background, appearance, and knowledge, you won't have to worry about finding a suitable woman to spend time with, but once you choose Yao'er, What is unfolding before you may be a road of no return."

"Auntie." Du He knelt down straight, "Even if it's the road to no return, I'll admit it."

Another person who is troubled by love, perhaps, at the moment on the other side, Ming Yao is also tossing and turning, unable to sleep, thinking of this, she slowed down her tone: "Since you insist on this, I have nothing to say, only one thing, in your When we go to Luoyang Palace tomorrow for the above-mentioned matter, we must not mention our mother and daughter, nor anyone else, understand?"

Du He looked at Ruoshui's calm eyes that concealed countless mysteries, and nodded slowly in agreement.

After a few days, Xin Xin's injury has improved greatly. The doctor said that because most of his injuries were in the muscles and bones, not the lungs, so as long as he recuperates for a while, he can be alive and kicking like before.

The red, swollen and purple bruises on his face gradually dissipated, and Ruoshui couldn't help sighing, he didn't know what a peerless face was before, but now he finally saw it on a boy, a beautiful but not soft face, refined but There is no indifferent charm, and the present Xinxin is just a child, how elegant and beautiful he will be after many years.

"Aunt Shui, is there something wrong with my face?" Xin Xin asked a little nervously.

Ruoshui smiled gently: "Aunt Shui is thinking, when your body recovers, we should set off for Chang'an."

"Chang'an?" Xin Xin's eyes narrowed, as if thinking of something.

Ruoshui asked casually, "Why, doesn't Xin like the capital?"

Yi Xin lowered her head, was silent for a while, and replied in a low voice: "In the past, after my parents left, someone persuaded my elder brother to take me to Chang'an. They said that with my appearance, it would be easy for me to climb up to some high-ranking officials. The enmity between parents is even more out of the question. My brother scolded them severely and said that even if he died, he would not betray his brother."

"Stupid boy." Ruo's gentle smile was filled with warm kindness, "Where are there so many masculine relatives in Chang'an? Besides, with Aunt Shui around, how could you be bullied?"

Xinxin was so choked up that he couldn't speak, Ruoshui sighed slightly in his heart, this child even cried like pear blossoms with rain, if someone really fell in love with him, there was no way out, just like the heart of Xinxin in history , In the end, isn't it a place to die without a burial?Even in this prosperous age of Zhenguan, the world is still dominated by high-ranking people, but when you really stand in that position, will you be free and free... The answer is not in the affirmative...

The main hall of Luoyang Palace, Qianyuan Hall.

Li Shimin sat at the top, watching the booklet and thick dossier presented by Changsun Wuji, his face became more gloomy every time he turned a page, not only because of the rampant arrogance of local officials, but also because of his knowledge of others Unclearness led to the failure of government orders, and the self-blame and shame of officials and officials. From leading troops to fighting, to ascending the throne and governing the country, what he is most proud of is his own employment strategy. Now the case of Luoyang Yicang is like a blow to the head, hitting himself I have to admit that he can't control everything in this world.

After the emperor had finished reading, Changsun Wuji stood up and recounted what had happened, which made all the courtiers present look angrily.

"Du He?" Li Shimin tapped on the table, "It's the second son of the Ruhui family."

"It was because Du He passed by by chance that he saved the younger brother's life in that family." Changsun Wuji replied respectfully.

A trace of sadness flashed across Li Shimin's face: "Sure enough, the father of the tiger has no sons. I remember that it was his eldest son Du Gou who took the title of Ruhui back then. This Du He is not a mediocre person, Wuji After returning to Chang'an, remember to remind me to give him an official position."

Wuji smiled and said: "Your Majesty doesn't know. This Du He is used to being idle and doesn't have much interest in becoming an official in the court. However, in my opinion, since he hasn't had a wife yet, it's better to let His Majesty marry him. Isn't everyone happy?"

"Oh? What's the matter?" Li Shimin said in surprise, "In this case, when I go back to see if there is any princess of the right age, I will recruit him as a concubine. When things in Luoyang are over, I will be better." It’s good to see what kind of talent it is, which can make Wuji look at him differently.”

After the emperor's imperial decree, all the officials in Luoyang, big and small, were in panic, fearing that they would be implicated in their own heads.Changsun Wuji personally investigated the case and tried people all night, because he is the most proficient in laws and regulations. Li Shimin also reassuredly handed over the power of adjudicating the case to his wife and uncle. The other ministers discussed the system of assessment and supervision of foreign officials together, so as to prevent incidents like Luoyang from happening again in the future.

After this incident, most of the officials in Luoyang were replaced and dismissed, and some who had long-standing bad habits were dealt with directly according to the punishment. The people in the whole city applauded.In a blink of an eye, Li Shimin had been in Luoyang for more than two months, far exceeding his original expectation, and the longing for his children made him finally decide to return to Chang'an as soon as possible.

The day before returning to the capital, Li Shimin summoned his eldest grandson Wuji, with no trace of emotion in his tone: "Wuji, take me to your eldest grandson's old house."

Changsun Wuji was stunned for a moment, looked at Li Shimin's already changed casual clothes, then nodded and said: "Your Majesty, the subject's house is in the imperial city, do you want to go there by car?"

Li Shimin waved his hand: "No need, let's walk."

(End of this chapter)