Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 144
King Ning suddenly raised his eyes: "Zi Li, what kind of woman is there in the world, do you want to like someone else's fiancee?"

Liu Zai took his farewell farewell and didn't reply for a long time.

"Zi Li... Zi Li..." King Ning had never seen his son so serious, and felt a little uneasy in his heart.

Liu Zaili turned his head abruptly: "I don't know, I just like it, and it hurts when I think of her marrying someone else."

"Zi Li..." Ning Wang was shocked, "I asked your mother and concubine to settle your marriage quickly. Once you get married, maybe you won't think so much."

can you?For some reason, Liu Zaili is just like Xia Zhen now, he just wants to leave the capital, go to Yunshui, and see her... Is she okay?
In the far north, two days before the winter solstice, the general's house delivered the gifts as usual, but Ma Min'er was not familiar with the steward who delivered the gifts, and it was not easy to ask questions. The family had a meal with them and brought the guests Sent off politely.

"Second sister, do you think the little general can come back this year for the New Year?"

Ma Min'er shook her head: "I don't know." In a bad mood, she turned and entered the courtyard gate.

Ma Qifeng shook his head and sighed, Mo Wanyi quietly stretched out her hand to caress his hand to show comfort, and said something else, "Husband, we don't know the news of the capital now, maybe we will know the news of the capital in a few days .”

"Why?"

"Dalang..."

"Oh, yes!" Ma Qifeng patted his head, "Look at my memory, Dalang will send letters back every now and then!" He hurriedly shouted: "Min'er, your elder brother should be in the capital, maybe he will arrive in a few days." I can receive a letter from the capital!"

Ma Min'er turned around, her eyes lit up, yes, her mood brightened in an instant.

The atmosphere in Ma's House in Yunshui Town was as cold and gloomy as the winter air. No one mentioned the new emperor's marriage of Ma Hui'er as his concubine, as if it had never happened.

When returning to the old house to give the festival gift, the brothers and sisters of the Ma family rarely got together, dragged their families together, sat in the living room, and saluted and greeted Ma Chengzu.

Ma Jia'er looked at Ma Hui'er, her granddaughter, and Ma Min'er at Uncle Liu's family. These two young ladies who are said to be flying out of the chicken coop to become phoenixes must have a hard time!

Don't say that Ma Hui'er was not taken to the capital by the new emperor, and even her grandfather is not as good as Mr. Jiang, who still stays in the small town. Let's just say Ma Min'er. The little general was looking for flowers and asking willows in the capital, fighting for the women in the building, he would do whatever he wanted in a rich place.

The men were chatting in the hall, the women were chatting about Zhang's parents and Li's family under the eaves, and a few cousins ​​were standing outside the hall in a sunny place to bask in the sun. When Ma Jia'er told the gossip about the businessman, Ma Yue'er didn't believe it at all. "You're talking nonsense, General Xia is not that kind of person."

"It's not what I said, it was passed on by word of mouth from the merchants, and I heard that it was the news from Beijing a few days ago." Ma Jia looked gloating.

Ma Min'er leaned against the pillar to bask in the sun, as if she didn't hear Ma Jia'er's words, she remained silent.

Ma Rou'er agreed with yin and yang strangely: "Cousin Jia, you are kind enough to bring the news back, can you be like a donkey?"

"It has nothing to do with us. He is a general. He can do whatever he wants. We can't stop him."

"Sister Jia is right."

Ma Zhi'er stood by and watched them talking enthusiastically. Although she didn't open her mouth, we couldn't get that face, and it's not like you didn't get it, everyone could see it.

If it wasn't for dinner, Ma Min'er would want to leave now. It's interesting to talk about these ghost things all day long, can't you talk about other things?It's a pity that apart from comparing husband and family, they really have nothing to talk about.

In the bedroom of the Imperial Palace in Beijing, taking advantage of the harmonious atmosphere, the queen told about her daughter, "Your Majesty, you already know about Yazhuxuan a few days ago!"

"Hmm." Emperor Yuantai sat at the main seat, holding a bowl of lotus seed soup and eating slowly.

"Then what does His Majesty mean?" the Queen raised her eyes and asked.

"Young people can make troubles." Emperor Yuan Tai said something that was true.

After pondering for a while, the queen didn't dare to say more.

The couple finished eating the lotus seed soup quietly and wiped their mouths. The emperor said, "It tastes good, but I got angry again."

"Your Majesty, the winter is dry, you should eat more."

"En." The emperor nodded and stood up, "There are still some papers that have not been approved. I'm going back to the imperial study."

"Your Majesty, my concubine will see you off."

The couple walked to the gate of the palace together, and when the queen was about to salute, Emperor Yuantai said, "Master Feng has arrived in Beijing today, and I will summon him tomorrow."

"His Majesty……"

"You will meet me tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The emperor and a group of guards left the queen's bedroom, she said to herself, "What do you mean by neither agreeing nor disagreeing?"

In the lobby of a medium-sized inn in the capital, an old man and a young man were sitting and waiting for the food to be served. Taking advantage of the waiting time, the old man asked with a chuckle, "How long did it take you to leave?"

"11 years old." Looking at the bustling capital city, Ma Dalang was in a daze.

"It's been more than five years." Feng Jiang Yici smiled carefully, "Would you like to visit your old house?"

Ma Dalang shook his head, "It's not my house anymore, there's no point in going there again."

Feng Jiangyi nodded, "Your residence will be arranged after I meet the emperor. I will be staying in this inn for a few days."

"Yes, Master!"

The waiter in the shop started to serve the food, Feng Jiangyi didn't order too much, it was enough to eat, a few dishes were served in a short time, and they were steaming hot, they listened to gossip while eating, enjoying the unique gathering of humanities in Beijing.

Not long after, there were people they were familiar with in the gossip, the old and the young looked at each other and pricked up their ears.

"I heard that General Xia from the north went to Yijingxuan to make trouble again today."

"That's the old prince's private restaurant, how dare he?"

"Let me tell you, there is nothing that General Xia dares not do now."

"God, if it continues like this, won't the capital be demolished by him, what if the emperor is offended?"

"How is it possible, he is helping the emperor..." After that, the chatterers dared not say too much, they just summed it up in one word.

"Even if you have credit, you can't make such a fuss."

"If you want me to tell you, after all, you are young, you have made some meritorious deeds, and you don't know who you are. Sooner or later, you will be killed."

"Yes, sooner or later it will be planted."

"Ugh……"

……

After eating, Feng Jiangyi put Ma Dalang in the inn and said to him: "I'll go back first."

"Master, please, I'm fine."

Master Jiang nodded, "It's not that I won't bring you back home because of the teacher, but I haven't been back for a few years, and I'm afraid that my wife and son will drive me out of the house, so I will live with you."

"Master, who made you not even send them a letter." Ma Dalang smiled wryly, and thought, if it were me, I would drive you out too.

Feng Jiangyi smiled casually, reached out and patted his shoulder, "Go to bed early."

"Yes, master, I will take you to the door of the inn."

The two masters and apprentices separated at the entrance of the inn. Ma Dalang did not return to the inn immediately, but walked casually on the street. When he left the capital, although he was only 11 years old, he understood everything he should know. Their family was exiled for committing crimes, not the kind of crime that others greedily said, but the crime that the first emperor hated and disliked and found an excuse to suppress it.

But now, he is actually standing on the street of the capital city, blowing the cold wind from the north, which makes him extra sober. The prosperity, wealth, official career, and official career, everything began to appear in his life, and everything is very important. It takes care.

He once used "careful" to describe his future life, but his master told him that life is not for being "careful", but for being free and easy, whether it is officialdom or wealth.

Free and easy?The second sister once said that true freedom comes from being familiar with all the rules in the world. Only those who are familiar with all the rules can live freely and unrestrainedly.

Stopping, looking at the endless long street, feeling the rush of prosperity, Ma Dalang said to his heart, let me learn all the rules of Beijing by heart, and look forward to a smooth and easy life. that day.

"Ma Dalang? It's really you."

Ma Dalang, who was looking forward to the future, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of his face, "Zhang... General Zhang..."

"Why are you still squinting, enjoying yourself!" Zhang Nianmei said, "Is it possible to return to the bustling city, and I feel emotional!"

Ma Dalang blushed, "General Zhang, you are..."

"Oh, we are going to find a beauty in the building, do you want to go?"

Hearing this, Ma Dalang took a step back in fright, but his sister's words suddenly rang in his ears, and he stopped again, "Can I go?"

Zhang Nianmei was originally teasing Ma Dalang, but she didn't intend to take him there, but seeing that he was startled, she was about to make fun of him again, but he asked if she could take him there.

"Uh..." Zhang Nianmei knows that her old sister hates Louzi the most, and now she brings his eldest brother in, and when we meet in the future, wouldn't she kill him with a knife, "Then...well, how could you Come to Beijing?" He broke off the conversation.

"Emperor Yuantai summoned Mr. Jiang to Beijing, and Mr. Jiang brought me here." Ma Dalang was talking, when Xia Zhen who was in the carriage had already got off, saw him, and nodded to him.

He hurriedly saluted him, "General Xia——"

Xia Zhen had already heard why he came, and asked, "Is Min'er okay?"

"Oh, that's alright."

"Has she brought me a letter?"

Ma Dalang was stopped by the question, and looked at him in a daze: "We left in a hurry, the eldest sister was busy preparing things for us, didn't you..." The implication was that I didn't expect to bring you a letter.

Xia Zhen pursed her lips.

Seeing his disappointed face, Ma Dalang couldn't help but said, "My sister has been looking forward to the news of the little general."

Xia Zhen lowered her head. Can he say that all his letters to Min'er have been intercepted by others?As for his own secret channel, because the new emperor ascended the throne, he didn't dare to use it at all. He had to save it for himself, but he didn't expect that it would make him lovesick.Turning around and walking away, all alone, people can't help feeling inexplicably sad.

Zhang Nianmei rubbed her nose and took this opportunity to correct her rashness just now, "Where do you live?"

"The Xinglong Inn not far ahead."

"Then I will find you next time and take you to play." Zhang Nianmei followed the little general while talking, got on the horse after a while, and disappeared in front of Ma Dalang.

Ma Dalang blinked, didn't it mean that the little general lived in high spirits, didn't he mean that he was domineering because of his Conglong Gong, why didn't he look like that at all, he looked like a lonely and homesick person.

Sighing, Ma Dalang returned to the inn, entered his room, took up a pen and wrote what he had seen and heard to his family, telling everyone that he was already in the capital, and had already touched the prosperity of the past.

After the letter was written, Ma Dalang dropped the letter at the messenger office of the inn, "Shopkeeper, how long will it take to arrive in Pingding?"

"It depends on whether you send a slow letter or a fast letter?"

"Be quick."

"Oh, it only takes five days."

"So fast?"

"Naturally." The shopkeeper said proudly, "Our courier can be delivered by the official post station for [-] miles, what do you think?"

"Oh, that's how it is." Ma Dalang smiled slightly, "How much is that?"

"Half taels of silver."

It's really not cheap. The only ordinary people who are willing to send letters are Ma Dalang who has just entered the capital. He thought to himself, when he stabilizes, he can send fewer letters, which is really costly.

In the imperial study room in the palace, Emperor Yuantai was reviewing memorials under a copper oil lamp. Among the stacks of high-level notebooks, six of the ten books were written by Shen Xiazhen who was domineering in Beijing because of his achievements as a dragon.

With a sneer, Emperor Yuantai put down the pen in his hand and squinted at the oil lamp. No one knew what the emperor was thinking.

When there is no hope, Princess Rainbow is desperate, tearing all day long, telling herself that as long as she can see him, it is enough. When there is hope, Princess Rainbow is nervous, worried and afraid all day long, and keeps asking for news.

"How is it? Is there any news from the queen mother?"

Donghui, the close maid, shook her head, "I have asked about ten times just today."

"How could this happen? It's been ten days, why hasn't there been any movement?" Rainbow Dash turned around anxiously.

"How about asking the Eldest Princess, what do you think, Princess?"

"elder sister?"

"Well, princess."

Just as Rainbow was about to say yes, she shook her head again, "My sister doesn't agree with my low marriage, so she definitely won't help me."

"Princess, what should I do?"

Rainbow Dash bit her teeth: "Tomorrow I will go find the queen mother by myself."

On the street, just as they were about to reach the entrance of the restaurant, Xia Zhen called out in the carriage, "Go home."

Zhang Nianmei was about to let the doorman lead the horse inside, but unexpectedly, the little general would not go in, and hurried to the carriage, "General—"

"Let's go back."

Zhang Nianmei glanced at Zhuang Hao, only to see that he also nodded, turned around and arranged to go back home.

Back at the mansion, Xia Zhen didn't even discuss the matter, and went to bed right away.

Zhang Nianmei and Zhuang Hao were sitting in the small compartment, grilling charcoal, "Do you think we can go home for the New Year?"

"Yes." Zhuang Hao replied affirmatively.

"Ah!" Zhang Nianmei regained her spirits immediately upon hearing this answer, "A few days ago I saw that you were not sure, why are you so sure again?"

"Feng Jiangyi is here."

"Will he speak for us and even intercede?"

Zhuang Hao grinned, "If he would plead for someone, why would the new emperor call him back..."

"Then why can we go back when Feng Jiangyi comes back?"

Zhuang Hao glanced at Zhang Nianmei, "Emperor Yuantai has almost made the balance, and is waiting for a suitable opportunity, and Feng Jiangyi is this opportunity."

Zhang Nianmei nodded, "I understand." She stood up happily, "No matter what, as long as you can go home for the New Year." Seeing Zhuang Hao's deep face, he withdrew his smile, "Then... that you and the princess What about the matter?"

Zhuang Hao raised his eyes, "Not so fast!"

"Oh, then you can go back with us."

"Not necessarily."

"Uh..." Zhang Nianmei asked in surprise, "What does that mean?"

Zhuang Hao didn't say anything.

Zhang Nianmei stood there without moving for a long time.

In the early morning of the second day, Emperor Yuantai went down amidst the complaints of the princes and ministers. When he walked to the side hall, he heard the shouts of the old prince and others, "Your Majesty, you can't just ignore him because of his meritorious service. The shop is out of business like this..."

"emperor……"

……

Walking through the long corridor of the main hall, he finally came to the end of the corridor. The 40-year-old Emperor Yuantai stopped there, squinting at the sky, accompanied by a bunch of palace people and servants behind him, not daring to vent his atmosphere.

After a while, Xia Zhen walked over from another corridor, stood in front of him, and bowed softly.

The emperor didn't make a sound, and the ceremony kept going.

I don't know how long it took, the sun in the winter morning finally shone through the roof, through the majestic palace, and directly shone on people, making people feel warm.

"Aiqing..."

"My lord—"

"How's life in Beijing?"

Xia Zhen thoughtfully replied, "Father disappeared at the age of ten, and I followed my grandfather to the battlefield at a very young age. I never had the opportunity to be naughty. I didn't think I was in my twenties. Relying on the favor of the Holy One in the capital, I will do whatever I want. It felt very, very good.”

Emperor Yuantai raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Do you know how many princes and ministers complained to me this morning?"

"Return to the Holy Majesty, the minister is in the hall." Xia Zhen replied solemnly.

"Oh, but I forgot, you have already gone to court during this time."

"Yes, my lord."

Emperor Yuantai narrowed his eyes and asked: "Wait a minute, the old prince will definitely go to my imperial study, how are you going to solve this matter?"

Xia Zhen looked indifferent: "Your Majesty, I just smashed a few stools in his restaurant, so he won't be stingy and ask me to accompany Yinzi?"

"He said that you have prevented other customers from entering the door and prevented him from doing business. What should you do?"

Xia Zhen blinked, "Your Majesty, why don't you... beat me up?"

Yuan Tai froze for a moment, Jier laughed loudly: "Haha..."

Xia Zhen looked aggrieved and obediently stood beside the emperor, like a child who sincerely admitted his mistake.

Yuan Tai's laughter didn't stop until a long time ago, "You boy... I don't have time to take care of you, you'd better go back and let Xia Shiyong take care of you."

Damn, after hearing Yuan Tai's words, Xia Zhenru immediately knelt down on the ground when he heard Xianle, "My lord, but... Kechen is used to being domineering under your reliance, what should I do?"

After Yuan Tai sneered, he said solemnly: "Xia Zian..."

"The minister is here—" Xia Zhen responded solemnly.

"You have the merit of being a dragon."

"Yes, I have..."

"Zhen..." He thought he was hearing modest words, but the truth was poured into his ears. Yuan Tai's words were blocked, and he stared at the young and flying Xia Zhen, "You..."

"Your Majesty..." Xia Zhen shrank her head and was extremely aggrieved, didn't she mean?
Emperor Yuantai took a deep breath, "If I didn't cherish talents, Xia Zi'an, I would have kicked you away." Under the smile, the eyes that were as deep as a pool made people fearful.

Xia Zhen lowered her eyes and cupped her hands: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for taking care of me."

"Hmph, please don't thank me in a hurry. Originally, I intended to make you a prince with a different surname, but you...you are unbelievable and caused me trouble everywhere. Now I can only make you the king of Zhenbei County."

"My lord, the county king is also the king. Does that mean I have double titles, both the third-rank county king and the third-rank general?" Xia Zhen was like a child, as if he was satisfied as long as he got candy, so it didn't matter what kind of candy it was.

Emperor Yuantai nodded secretly, his eyes were not so deep: "Yeah!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, Long En!" Xia Zhen quickly kowtowed, performing a full line of ceremonies, and kowtowed to the end.

Emperor Yuantai sighed softly, "You added the title of county king, and Zili added the title of general, you two are considered the same."

"Thank you Holy One for your love, Zi'an will never forget it."

"So I planned to point you to..."

"My lord, I have a fiancée!" Xia Zhen answered nervously.

"You like that concubine so much?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, these days, I think she can't eat well, and can't sleep well!" Xia Zian looked pitiful again.

"Also... really promising, you kid."

"Your Majesty, I am also a man, and I also like hot pits."

"Uh...haha...haha..." Emperor Yuan Tai raised his head and laughed again, and the laughter drifted to the distant sky through the long corridor, "Then go back quickly."

"Thank you, Lord!"

Even the birds in the sky heard the joy of thanking this sentence, and they fluttered their wings and flew to the sky with high clouds and light clouds following the joy.

Xia Zhenfei also returned to her mansion, "Nianmei, Nianmei..."

Zhang Nianmei couldn't even catch up after chasing, "Little General, I'm..."

"I'll take a step ahead, you tell Zhuang Hao, and he will prescribe the rest. Let's hurry back to Yizhou."

"Little general, your county king hasn't been conferred yet?"

"He will confer the seal on me, let's go back." Xia Zhen had already taken off her court clothes and began to change into casual clothes.

Zhang Nianmei gasped and asked, "You mean, we'll go back to Yizhou and wait for the seal."

"Yeah." Xiaowen quickly changed the little general's clothes. It was winter and his head was sweating.

"Oh, good." Just as Zhang Nianmei turned around to go to Zhuang Hao, he had already arrived at the little general's room.

"General—"

Xia Zhen glanced at Zhuang Hao, who was in low spirits, "Didn't sleep well all night?"

Zhuang Hao nodded.

Xia Zhen reached out and patted him on the shoulder, "You can't have both."

"Subordinates understand!" Zhuang Hao was lonely, "Our guest of honor..."

"Although I also miss you, I think there are people who miss you more than me. You should stay with the person who misses you even more." Xia Zhen said with a smile.

"Little General..." Zhuang Hao's throat choked!

"If I didn't have Erniang, I wouldn't have realized that life would still be so beautiful, and I wouldn't have looked at your attachment to a horse from a different angle. Believe me, things in the world always take unexpected forms. It exists, we just need to focus on it.”

Zhuang Hao smiled casually: "Really, little general, I have been with you for almost seven or eight years. I never thought that a paranoid and maniac person would one day say such sentimental things to me. Thank you, Zi'an!"

Xia Zhen smiled, "I never thought that one day, I would say a bunch of nasty things emotionally, haha..."

"Ha ha……"

……

Men's farewells are always so uninhibited, they can always find their own chicness and calmness in the difficult parting.

In the imperial study room, Feng Jiangyi stood in front of Emperor Yuantai with lowered eyebrows, "Master Feng, what's wrong with your face?"

"Accidentally fell."

"Young Master Feng, it's dishonorable to come to see me. Don't you know if you're punishing someone?"

"Your Majesty—" Feng Jiangyi raised his head, and the bruises on his face were completely presented in front of Emperor Yuantai, "It's my servant's fault."

"Haha..." Emperor Yuantai laughed loudly, "When I was the King of Jin, I heard that the young master had a tigress wife. When I saw him today, it sure... sure enough... haha..."

Feng Jiangyi sighed, drooping his head listlessly, waiting for Emperor Yuantai to stop smiling.

"Aiqing, you...at least you know a lot. No matter what you use, you can always restrain your tigress wife."

"Alas." Feng Jiangyi said helplessly: "My lord, the old minister has devoted all his energy to the Book of Changes and the Way of Qihuang all his life, and he still has to be an official to pursue his official career. All the affairs of the family are taken care of by the old wife alone. She has to take care of my old parents, take care of my children, and even take care of my irrelevant husband, she is already suffering, if I don't let her, she will suffer even more than Huang Lian!"

"Aiqing, you are such a good husband."

"Who made me a man?"

Emperor Yuantai looked at the old courtier and nodded in relief, "I have sent Xia Zhen back."

"The Holy One is wise." Feng Jiangyi bowed his hands.

Emperor Yuantai squinted and smiled, "The country I won is riddled with holes and ruins, how can you help me?"

Feng Jiangyi said: "The old minister has already thought about this problem."

"Oh, Master!" Emperor Yuantai's eyes lit up, "Quickly tell me."

Xia Zhen didn't know how Emperor Yuantai and Feng Jiangyi discussed how to govern the riddled Wei Dynasty. He hurried back to Yizhou, so fast that he wanted to fly.

Zhuang Hao was the only one left in Ruo Da's new mansion, he shook his head and sighed, looking at the empty front door behind him, it will not be long before there will be a title of the county king's mansion here.

Although there is no news of the marriage offer yet, the news of Zhuang Hao staying in Beijing still made Princess Yun Bao happy three times, "God, he stayed for me, he really stayed for me. "

The girl Donghui curled her lips: "Princess, how many people want to be horses, and that is the best chance to fly up to the branches."

Rainbow Dash glared at the girl: "Don't talk nonsense, if he wants to fly up a branch, he won't hide in the toilet when we meet for the second time."

"What, princess, how dare he treat you like this..."

"Shh, what are you yelling about, you think everyone cares about the princess."

"Ah, is there anything else in this world..."

Rainbow Dash was in a good mood, and pulled the girl down, "I'm going to the eldest princess' mansion."

Dong Hui frowned, "Are you looking for Mr. Zhuang?"

"You're smart at last." Rainbow Dash laughed happily.

Donghui has a black thread.

The warm winter sun is really intoxicating. Ma Min'er felt a little dizzy when she was basking in the sun, so she lay on the railing and prepared to take a nap.

"Second sister, second sister..." Ma Yueer climbed up the stairs excitedly, "There is good news, good news..."

good news?Ma Miner, who was going to sleep, woke up with a jerk, "What good news?"

(End of this chapter)