Harue Kagetsu

In the late spring of March, Jiankang City is sunny and sunny, and the grass grows and warblers fly.

Luoshen sat in the ox cart and went out of the city to Bailuzhou.

The steward, Uncle Aqi, took several family members, back and forth, left and right, carefully guarding the ox cart.

Unless it is driven by a skilled driver, the ox-cart travels at a slow speed on weekdays, and the people riding in the car are much gentler than the horse-drawn carriage, and are more favored by the pampered scholar-officials. This is also the reason why ox carts are popular nowadays, and people who ride horses are rare in Jiankang City.

But even so, Uncle Ah was still cautious, ordering Yuren to drive slower and slower.

Two days ago, Luoshen accidentally slipped and fell on the swing frame at home. Fortunately, the grass was green and the ground was soft. Although he fainted at the time, he quickly woke up and was fine, even his flesh and blood. No scratches.

But it also frightened Uncle Ah Qi not lightly.

Therefore, today, if Luo Shen is going to come out, she is naturally extremely cautious on the road, lest she make another mistake.

After falling and waking up at that time, Luoshen felt a little pain in the head, and people stared in a daze, as if a lump of paste was suddenly stuffed into his head, vaguely remembering a dream.

But no matter what she thought, she couldn't remember.

It's like getting lost in a foggy forest. It's annoying.

At that time, she held her head, and after thinking for a while, she let it go.

Because she has more troubles than this little accident.

The golden-yellow copper bell tied to the ox's neck followed the ox-cart, making a pleasant jingling sound all the way, as if to remind her that the spring outside the carriage was full of joy, and it was time to have fun.

Luoshen didn't feel that way at all.

She frowned, a little fleshy jade white hand supported her small and beautiful chin, and her elbows were placed on the window, gradually becoming fascinated.

I remember this time last year, in order to celebrate my fifteenth birthday, my mother held a Qushui Liuli for her in Bailu Bie Zhuang.

On that day, almost all the girls from the gentry in the entire Jiankang City came.

Even the elder sister, who had been married as Princess Dongyang several years ago, came back from Dongyang County on purpose to celebrate her wedding ceremony—the most important ceremony in a girl's life after the wedding.

The clear stream lingers, Linxi washes his feet, and laughter is endless.

The scene of indulgence and fun that day is vividly remembered, just like yesterday.

It just didn't take long for the surrounding things to become distressing one by one.

First, there was news that Xia Guo, who was in power in the north of Jiehu, was eyeing tigers, and was planning to go south and annex Jiangnan. Since the second half of last year, Gao Yun, the uncle of the prefect of Xuzhou, took his cousin Gao Yin to the north to Guangling to recruit troops to prepare for battle.

Civil war could break out at any time.

Misfortunes do not come singly. At this time, the clan King Linchuan rebelled again last autumn. The rebels once captured the entire Ganshui basin.

A relative of the Xu family, Xu Mi, the father of the current Empress Xu, led the order to quell the rebellion.

The counter-insurgency did not go very smoothly, one after another, and it has been almost half a year.

These are not over yet. Jiaozhou, which is located in the far southwest, is also not very peaceful.

Linyi Kingdom, which was originally attached to Dayu, was in turmoil within the royal family. King Linyi fled to Jiaozhou and sought help from Emperor Luoshen's uncle, Emperor Xingping.

When the vassal state is in chaos, as the Great Yu of the suzerain state, it is natural not to sit idly by. Emperor Xingping sent an army to help King Linyi restore order.

The army has not returned yet.

Xingping fifteen years, as if doomed, is an eventful autumn.

The northern, central and southern parts of Dayu were in chaos at the same time. As a Zhongshuling, my father is in charge of the prime minister's post, sitting in the center, assisting the government, coordinating and dispatching, dealing with the three parties, hard work, and hard work, one can imagine.

More than once, Luoshen saw the lights in his father's study lit late into the night. Sometimes they even spend the night in the study with clothes and clothes, get up before dawn, and go to the court meeting again.

She was very distressed, but she had no choice. She only hoped that the abominable war that those men were fighting would be over soon.

She wished her father would relax. As she remembered when she was a child, she sat together with three or five friends, drinking and chatting. He has big sleeves and high shoes, elegant and elegant, Gao's romantic style, and the world knows him. Instead of being exhausted by the affairs of the dynasty all day long as it is now.

How long has it been since Luoshen didn't see his father smiling and smiling?

That's why, after the fall two days ago, she insisted on not letting her servants tell her father. lest he worry too much.

"Little lady, the ferry has arrived."

Uncle Ah Qi's voice rang out.

The car door was opened, and Uncle Ah Qi's loving smiling face appeared at the car door.

Only then did Luoshen realize that the ox cart had stopped.

Uncle Ah Qi personally placed the little tumbler that stepped on her feet.

The two maids, Qiongshu and Cherry, came over immediately without any orders.

Qiongshu supported Luoshen.

Cherry squatted down, holding on to the little tadpole.

In fact, Luoshen can get out of the car by himself. She can jump down steadily without even having to step on her feet.

But Uncle Ah wouldn't give her such a chance, not to mention that she just slipped and fell from the swing frame two days ago.

Just like that, Luoshen was picked up and down by Qiongshu and Cherry, and waited and got out of the car.

The ferry has stopped a colorful boat.

Luoshen got on the boat and headed towards Bailuzhou.

Bailuzhou is located in the middle of Jiangzhu in the west of the city. Entering from the ferry, there is a waterway in the middle. Every spring, many egrets gather on the banks of the continent, hence the name.

Luoshen's mother, Xiao Yongjia, the eldest princess of Qinghe, has been living in Bailu Bie Zhuang on Bailu Island for several years, and has rarely entered the city.

Bie Zhuang is a mansion given to her by the late emperor. After Luo Shen's emperor's uncle ascended the throne, because of his close relationship with his eldest sister, he gave him many treasures, and the interior was luxuriously decorated.

Luo Shen came here to see his mother.

She stood at the bow of the boat, looking towards the direction of Bailuzhou in front of the wind.

The wind on the river was a bit strong today, and after leaving the ferry, the boat swayed a little bit.

Uncle Ah Qi followed her firmly, as if she was still a three-year-old child who would fall into the river if she was not careful.

Luoshen sighed and obediently entered the cabin.

When the boat arrived at Bailuzhou, Luoshen rode a carriage to Biezhuang, but his mother was not there.

The servant said that she went to the nearby Ziyun Temple.

At present, Taoism is prevalent, and Tianshi teaching is prevalent among the people. Among the nobles and royal families, there are also believers.

For example, the brothers of Lu Jiajian, everyone's name is suffixed with the word "Zhi", because of Lu Guang's father, Lu Guang.

The Ziyun Temple is the temple of the imperial edict. Watching Lord Chenzi is in his fifties. It is said that he is good at alchemy. He looks like he is only in his early forties, and he can play chess and write poetry. My mother lived on the island for a long time, and often went to Guanzhong to play chess and discuss Taoism with Chenzi.

Luoshen had to turn to Ziyun Temple again.

It's not far, it's coming soon.

Xiao Yongjia was playing chess with Chenzi, and when he heard his daughter came, he got up and came out.

Liao Chenzi followed by, seeing Luoshen, he threw off the whisk in his hand, and saluted her with a smile, very attentive.

I don't know why, but Luoshen just didn't like this white-faced old Taoist nun.

Anyway, in this world, she doesn't even have to salute when she sees the emperor's uncle, let alone the people she hates.

She ignored the old Taoist nun and only threw herself into Xiao Yongjia's arms: "Auntie, my daughter fell two days ago!"

Xiao Yongjia is five years younger than Luoshen's father, Gao Qiao. He gave birth to Luoshen when he was 20 years old. He is 36 years old this year, but he still looks very young.

A flowing Taoist robe complemented her strange beauty. Standing with Luoshen, saying that she is an older sister, I am afraid some people believe it.

Especially compared to her father, who was only forty years old and had frost on his temples, his mother's youth and beauty always made Luoshen unconsciously sympathize with her father - although she didn't know why, her mother would break with her father until the end. At such a level, they were openly separated for many years and refused to return to the city, so that all the people in Jiankang City laughed at their father behind their backs, saying they were afraid of the public.

This is probably the only place in my father's life where people can make fun of him behind his back.

Xiao Yongjia ignored her husband, but loved her daughter very much. He was surprised when she heard the words, and hurriedly hugged her: "But it's okay? Where did it fall? Why didn't you send someone to tell me?"

Luo Shendao: "My daughter fell very hard, and her head hurts badly today. I'm afraid that my mother is worried, so I won't let anyone tell you."

Xiao Yongjia hurriedly helped Luoshen out of the Taoist temple, the mother and daughter took Yiyu back to Bie Zhuang together, and called Gao Da to inquire about the situation at the time. He just scolded Qiongshu and Cherry, his daughter's personal maids again.

The two maids knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing in acknowledgment.

Luoshen didn't expect her mother to anger the maid for a while, so she quickly interrupted. Two fleshy little hands grabbed the sleeves of her wide Taoist robe, twisting and twisting: "I will be careful next time. A-Niang, my daughter misses you."

Xiao Yongjia just gave up, scolded Qiongshu and Cherry, who were as pale as earth, and fondly touched her face, which was blown by the river wind, and said, "Auntie misses you too, and was about to ask someone to pick you up. You are here, stay with A-Niang for a few more days, and don't go back to the city."

"Auntie, I also want to accompany you here. But I'm afraid it's inconvenient. Aye (father's nickname) is sick these days..."

She looked at her mother's face.

"...Everywhere is not peaceful. He works day and night and often sleeps in the study. I'm afraid that Aye will be unable to bear it if he continues like this. I persuaded Aye, but Aye won't listen to me..."

The smile on Xiao Yongjia's face gradually disappeared, and he glanced at his daughter: "You want to coax me back again? What does the old man have nothing to do with me? If I go back, he will be fine?"

"Aye is not old..."

Luoshen pouted and muttered in dissatisfaction.

Xiao Yongjia snorted: "Don't think I don't know, your small eyes are on the side! If you come to see A-Niang, A-Niang will be very happy. If you come to coax A-Niang back, don't think about it! He died of illness, It has nothing to do with me either!"

Luoshen Bai's tender fingers kept twisting a hanging belt, his teeth clenched his lips tightly, looking at Xiao Yongjia without saying a word, his eyes gradually turned red.

Seeing this, Aju was very distressed and hurried over.

"Eldest Princess, Xianggong is ill and has a lot of things going on recently. I'm afraid he won't be able to take care of the little lady. Why don't I go back and serve the little lady for a few days, what does the eldest princess think?"

Aju is Xiao Yongjia's grandmother, and Luoshen took care of her a lot when she was a child.

Hearing her say this, tears fell from the grievances.

Aju became more distressed and wiped her tears.

Luoshen simply buried his face in her arms.

Xiao Yongjia glanced at his daughter's back, and his expression softened a little: "Alright. Aju, you can go back with her and take care of her for me for a few days."

Aju hurriedly responded, coaxing Luoshen in a low voice.

When Luoshen left Bailuzhou, his eyes were still a little red, and he didn't look back to normal until he returned to the city in the evening. As I approached the mansion, I remembered.

"Grandma, when you saw me, Aye, you said that A-niang knew that he was ill and specially asked you to come back to take care of him on her behalf."

Aju nodded: "I don't need to be reminded by the lady, I know."

Luo Shen looked at Aju: "Ma, I heard that before, A-Niang wanted to marry A-Ye herself. But A-Niang is now ruthlessly ignoring A-Ye. Do you know why?"

Aju is most afraid of Luoshen asking this, vaguely: "I don't know either—"

Luo Shen sighed: "Ma'am, it would be great if A-Niang and Aye got better..."

Ah Ju hummed in her mouth, but sighed inwardly.

When the couple closed the door, which one was wronged, and which one was hard-hearted, others only looked at the surface, how could they know the inside?

But it is like drinking water, knowing whether it is cold or warm.