Denghuaxiao

Chapter 216 Hurt Lover

 There were several autumn rains in succession, and from January to September, there was a cold dew in Shengjing.

The maple leaves in Wan'en Temple are turning red in large areas. There are a lot of tourists at the Danfeng Terrace. When viewing the scenery from here, you can see the large red maples that look like blood.

 The chrysanthemums in Taishi's Mansion all bloomed overnight.

 The servants select fresh chrysanthemums and use them to make tea and make chrysanthemum cakes, which are fragrant and fragrant.

When Lu Yun walked to Qi Yutai's house, Qi Yutai had just smashed a pot of chrysanthemum-scented tea.

The golden chrysanthemum petals have been boiled in boiling water. When they fall to the ground, they are no longer as beautiful as standing proudly on the branches. Instead, they are like a ball of crushed filth, sticky and sticky on the tapestry.

Lu Zhuo raised his feet and walked through the debris.

Qi Yutai was full of anger. When he saw her, his face suddenly showed a touch of ecstasy, and he stepped forward: "You are here! Where is the thing?"

Lu Zhu turned around and put down the medical box, lowered his head and took out the flannel with gold needles, and said slowly: "Mr. Qi, if you don't keep calm, you may be noticed by Master Qi. At that time, there will really be no room for you." ”

After saying this, he glanced lightly at the maid and guard standing at the door.

 Qi Yutai was speechless.

Since he recovered from his illness, the eyes in the room have not stopped for a moment. Even though Qi Yutai protested many times, to no avail.

 He knew full well that his father did not believe Lu Huan, so he sent someone to monitor him.

 But these two pairs of eyes were not only staring at Lu Yan, but also at himself.

  It's annoying.

Qi Yutai endured it for a moment, waiting until Lu Zhu followed him into the back room to perform acupuncture, and then asked in a low voice: "Where are the things?"

 Lu Huo: “No.”

"No?" Qi Yutai's face changed drastically, and he grabbed her collar: "Why not?"

　　It has been five days, and Lu Zhuo has not brought him any more medicine.

 Qi Yutai is going crazy.

Although Yao Powder was not as powerful as Hanshi Powder, he felt much duller at first. It was not until he had not taken it for five days and the smell of insect bites became more and more intense that he realized that Yao Powder was still Yao Powder after all. Even though it doesn't look very exciting, it can be addictive.

 He became addicted again.

"Don't think that I dare not kill you." Qi Yutai gritted his teeth, "If you want to hang me with this thing, you have to see if you can survive!"

Lu Zhen didn't care about his threat and just said calmly: "Master Qi, tomorrow is the ceremony. Master Qi attaches great importance to this ceremony. Don't make any mistakes."

"Every day before I enter the house, I have to be searched by the maids of your house. If I am discovered, it will be no good to both of you and me."

Qi Yutai's face was sinister.

 Lu Zong is right.

Not only was he being searched, but in the past few days, in addition to Lu Huan, other medical officers invited by his father from outside the government would also come to his house every day to check his pulse. They were afraid that something would happen to him during the festival.

 After all, during the entire festival, all the officials were present. Unlike Rouge Alley, if someone got sick during the festival, the rumors would never be quelled.

Even though Qi Yutai explained to his father over and over again that he was not sick, his father did not believe him.

 For Qi Qing, the face of Taishi Mansion is more important—

 “Stop using these excuses to trick me!” There was nowhere to vent the mania in his heart, so he vented all his anger on the person in front of him.

As soon as Qi Yutai reached out his hand, Lu Yan was pushed back by him. His spine hit the wall behind him and he frowned immediately.

This discomfort actually pleased Qi Yutai.

He sneered: "Aren't you very smart? How difficult is it for you to find a way to cheat the search? You just don't want to!"

 There was a moment of silence in the room.

After a while, Lu Huo said: "The search in the house is strict, and there are people watching the door closely, so the lower officials dare not take risks."

Qi Yutai snorted coldly, and was about to threaten him when he heard the woman in front of him change his subject, "However, I have an idea."

"any solution?"

"Young Master Qi's illness has not gone away, and Master Qi's love for his son is strong, so he only allows him to recuperate in the house on weekdays, and he is not allowed to leave the house. But during the Tianzhangtai Festival, he can find an opportunity."

Qi Yutai was puzzled, "You want me to take it at the ceremony?"

"The festival is a royal event, and once it is discovered, it will be a serious crime. You want to kill me? You are so cruel!"

 He looked at Lu Huo, his eyes suddenly full of suspicion.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Not.

 “Then what do you mean by this?”

Lu Zhuo said: "There is a great ceremony in the palace. Before the ceremony, there was a competition for bids in the water palace during the day, and all the kings played. After the ceremony, the Nuo ceremony was completed. I heard that His Majesty went to the balcony and all the officials watched the fireworks. In front of the Nuo ceremony, There are opportunities available.”

The Nuo Ceremony was originally an auspicious celebration in the spring. At the end of each year, all the marriage corps in the imperial city wore masks, embroidered colorful clothes, and held golden spears and dragon flags. When Emperor Ming of the Later Liang Dynasty ascended the throne, he originally canceled the Nuo ceremony. However, due to the locust plague in southern Jiangsu this year, in order to avoid the plague, the Nuo ceremony and the Tianzhangtai ceremony were simply combined into one place, which was no more grand than before.

Qi Yutai looked at Lu Huan and said, "Do you still know about the Nuo ritual?"

Lu Xu: "On the day of the festival, the lower officials will go to the banquet with the medical officials."

Cui Min has been in trouble, and the Medical Office has no leader. Now the doctor is in charge of handling some matters. Cui Min's theft of prescriptions was confirmed, and naturally, Lu Chen's three-month suspension was also lifted.

 Naturally, the Taishi Mansion also contributed to this.

 “You really have no evil intentions?” Qi Yutai was still a little doubtful.

"It would be great if Mr. Qi can endure it until a few days after the ceremony. There is no need for lower officials to take this risk."

 “Why do we have to wait until after the festival?”

"Master Qi originally told the official to keep Mr. Qi in good health before the ceremony. Mr. Qi has now recovered from his illness. Once the ceremony is over, it will not be convenient for the official to return to the medical hospital to visit Mr. Qi every day. This is too much. Abnormalities will also make Mr. Qi suspicious."

 Qi Yutai's face darkened.

Since he has recovered from his illness, Lu Zhuo does not need to visit him every day.

 But his drug addiction is inseparable from Lu Xueyi.

His father monitored him more and more. He couldn't get out and the medicine powder couldn't come in. It was already unbearable after only five days, not to mention the uncertainty of coming and going after the festival.

 “That’s it, I’ll just trust you once.”

His desire for medicine powder finally defeated the remaining reason in his heart. He approached Lu Yan and threatened: "If you dare to play tricks..."

 “I don’t dare to lower my rank.”

Qi Yutai stared at her for a long time. Seeing her open expression, he hummed and sat down.

 Lu Zhuo took a needle and acupunctured him.

“Actually, there is another way.” Qi Yutai closed his eyes and suddenly laughed.

 “As long as I welcome you in, you and I will naturally see each other every day.”

He mocked maliciously: "It is much better to be a concubine in the Imperial Palace than to be a concubine to Jin Xianrong. Isn't it?"

 Lu Zhen was silent.

Qi Yutai is a little boring, but when I think about tomorrow evening, before the Nuo ceremony, I may be able to take some medicine to relieve the addiction, I can't help but look forward to it.

 I only wish that tomorrow will come soon.

 …

The day passes quickly, and the sky gets dark at night.

The autumn night has become chilly, and the lights in the Palace Commander's mansion are brightly lit.

The squads went back early today. There will be a ceremony in the palace early tomorrow morning, and there will be no one in the Palace Commander's residence at noon. When Pei Yunying entered the room, Duan Xiaoyan was about to go back. Just when he was about to call him, he saw Xiao Zhufeng winking at him, so he swallowed what he said and walked out quietly.

Pei Yunying has been very busy recently.

 When he is not on duty, he often stays in the martial arts field for a whole day. Others said that he was doing his best for the ceremony, but insiders of the Palace Commander's Mansion understood that this was clearly a way of numbing his feelings by using errands to numb his feelings.

 It’s so sad!

Even though he seems to be doing nothing every day and does not miss anything he should do, but after his birthday, sometimes people will get a glimpse of him.

  For example, he no longer loves to laugh as much as before, and sometimes he looks a bit cold.

 There was only a few scattered lights on the street in the distance in the yard, and Gardenia had already fallen asleep. Xiao Zhufeng packed up the things on his desk and planned to leave.

Pei Yunying stopped him: "Xiao Er."

 “Is something wrong?”

 “Have a drink with me,” he said.

 The copper lamp was filled with lamp oil, and the weak light became bright again.

Gardenia was awakened by the movement in the courtyard, sniffed outside, and then retracted.

It is autumn, and the wisteria flowers have been knocked down by the continuous autumn rain. Under the flower stand, there are green lamps like buckets, and two people are sitting in front of the stone table.

The two grown men sat facing each other in silence. Xiao Zhufeng picked up the wine cup on the table and took a sip, then frowned: "Tea?"

"otherwise?"

Pei Yunying poured herself a glass and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Do you still dare to drink at the festival tomorrow?"

Xiao Zhufeng choked and stared at the tea in the cup again: "Why is it bitter again?"

Pei Yunying had a brain attack earlier, so he replaced all the tea in Dian Shuai's house with various kinds of boiled water, which was so sweet that it made his throat sore. The pot of tea in front of me is actually bitter.

Xiao Zhufeng hasn't had bitter tea at the Palace Commander's Mansion for a long time.

"Isn't it bad?" Pei Yunying picked up the wine cup, "Life is inherently bitter."

 Xiao Zhufeng: “…”

He said leisurely: "Isn't it just to be rejected by the one you love, why bother to hold a grudge? Why should a man worry if he doesn't have a wife? There is no fragrant grass anywhere in the world."

Pei Yunying glanced at him and said, "That's very well said. It would be better if you wouldn't be so gloating about misfortune."

 There was a rustling sound in the courtyard.

After a while, Xiao Zhufeng asked: "Didn't you say before that you were going to pursue it slowly, why did you suddenly express your love?"

 “I couldn’t help it.”

 Xiao Zhufeng asked again: "Why did she reject you?"

"have no idea."

 “Is it because of Ji Xun?”

"Maybe."

Pei Yunying took a sip of tea and looked down at the wine cup, which reflected the flower stand above her head.

The flower stand is not as lush as it was in summer. There are no flowers, the branches and leaves are lonely, and it looks a bit desolate.

"Actually, I wasn't sure she would choose me before." He laughed at himself: "After all, Ji Xun is a gentleman, and I am a bastard."

"If those things hadn't happened to the Lu family, the person who would match her now would be someone like Ji Xun."

This is very sad.

"Wake up," Xiao Zhufeng said indifferently: "When did you become so cowardly?"

Pei Yunying smiled but said nothing.

Xiao Zhufeng looked at him: "Didn't you say before that even if she really liked Ji Xun, you would break them up. Now let's give it to that guy?"

Pei Yunying sneered: "What is letting? She is not an object."

Xiao Zhufeng couldn't bear to see him like this and sarcastically said, "Then what are you going to do? Drink here and wait until the two of them get married and then you sneak in? You don't even want your status?"

 “Are you someone who is willing to step back?”

Pei Yunying said nothing.

 The night wind blows, and the sky is high.

Pei Yunying said: "Xiao Er, do you still remember my horse?"

 Xiao Zhufeng was startled.

Pei Yunying once had a red pony.

　　A birthday gift personally selected by his grandfather for him. He was lively and handsome, but later he died of eating poisonous weeds.

 “I like that foal very much.”

“Because I liked it too much, I couldn’t help but show off, which caused the brothers in the family to fight over the foal. I was very sad when it died.”

He said calmly: "Later I discovered that the foal did not die from eating poisonous weeds by mistake. My father personally ordered the poisoning."

 Xiao Zhufeng paused.

 This was the first time he heard Pei Yunying talk about the truth of the matter, and asked: "Why?"

Pei Yunying smiled, and that smile was colder than the autumn night.

"Because he believes that this thing is detrimental to brotherhood, so it is better to cut it off from the source."

Pei Yunying said: "I don't want her to become that horse."

 Xiao Zhufeng was silent.

Half a year ago, Xiao Zhufeng would never have believed that he would see Pei Yunying like this.

A pampered prince would work for a person from day to night without any complaints, and then humble himself to this level after being rejected.

"Medical Officer Lu looks like she will become a monk at any time after shedding love. It's hard to imagine her falling in love with you." Xiao Zhufeng comforted his friend, "Actually, you may not love her deeply because you spent too much on her. I’m worried about it, so I can’t let it go.”

"You seem to have forgotten that at the beginning, you went to arrest her and bring her to justice."

Pei Yunying smiled bitterly.

 At first, he wanted to catch her, but in the end, he was firmly trapped.

He has always been cool and free, able to take things up and let them go, but he is always worried about Lu Huo and can never let them go.

 Xiao Zhufeng raised his head and drank the tea in the cup, sighing.

"Is it because the feng shui of the palace commander's house is not good, or maybe there is something wrong with you and me, and it's not just the eight characters," he pondered, "Including the teacher, you and I have a rough relationship, and we can't love each other no matter what."

Pei Yunying was speechless.

This is very true, but Blind He's Peach Blossom Talisman has not been of any good use, or even worse.

"If you really can't let it go, just be friends with her," Xiao Zhufeng poured tea and raised a cup, "Maybe one day she will change her mind again."

Pei Yunying: “…”

"I like her, how can we be friends?" Pei Yunying sneered: "I thought everyone was like you and would endure it forever."

Xiao Zhufeng said "Oh", "Then don't bear it. At the ceremony tomorrow, Ji Xun's face will be ruined by a fire and he will lose his face. Let's see what he uses to seduce your Medical Officer Lu."

Pei Yunying was surprised: "You are so vicious."

“You dare to say that you are not moved at all?”

Pei Yunying: “…”

 Xiao Zhufeng despised: "Hypocrisy."

The pot of bitter tea on the table has reached the bottom, and a few more lights in the distance have been turned off.

"Forget it, let's talk about anything after the ceremony tomorrow." Pei Yunying put down the wine cup, stood up and said, "It's not early, you should go back."

Xiao Zhufeng was dissatisfied: "I comforted you in the middle of the night, but you didn't know how to say 'thank you'?"

The young man took a few steps back, looked at the person in front of him, and said with a smile: "It's a good comfort. Don't comfort me next time. Thank you."

 …

 It was foggy at night.

The white mist is like a big net, slowly rising from the ground and from a distance, quietly spreading into the house, exuding a damp and cold ambiguity on the lonely autumn night.

 In the Grand Master's Mansion, suddenly the sound of a woman crying was heard.

Qi Qing woke up from his sleep, heard the noise, put on his clothes and sat up from the couch.

 He ​​is old and has always slept lightly. At night, the house must be absolutely quiet, and you can hear a needle drop. He has never been able to find the slightest sound. This is the first time he was awakened in the middle of the night.

 The sound came from the back room.

The closer he got, the more hysterical he appeared. Qi Qing pushed the door open and walked in. He saw a person lying on the bed, surrounded by midwives. A thick smell of blood accompanied by the fragrance of medicine hit his face, and there was a lot of chaos.

Hearing the noise, the man on the bed turned his head suddenly and saw him. His red eyes suddenly glowed with life and called him: "Master -"

The cry made Qi Qing suddenly come back to his senses.

 Shuhui!

He quickly stepped forward and held the hand of the woman on the couch. That delicate and infinitely lovable face was no longer as beautiful as before, and looked sallow and thin.

 “Master——”

 She screamed again.

 This cry made Qi Qing's heart tighten.

 “I’m here,” he heard.

Shu Hui, his second wife, looked at him breathlessly: "I, I'm afraid I can't survive. If I can't survive tonight, you have to raise Yutai well."

"No." He comforted his wife gently, wiping the sweat from his wife's forehead. "The child will be born soon, and both your mother and daughter will be safe."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Qi Qing himself was stunned for a moment.

 The child has not yet been born, how does he know it is a daughter?

“I don’t believe it, you swear.” She held his hand tightly, like a ghost and refused to give up, “You swear, you will take good care of Yutai, he is your son, you must be good to him!”

 Feeling a little upset for no reason, Qi Qing said patiently: "I swear."

The woman is worried and Qi Qing is impatient. Yutai is his only son. The glory of the Taishi Mansion will depend on Yutai in the future. He will raise him well like patiently watering a seedling. He wants his son of the Qi family to become a The son who is envied by everyone in Shengjing.

 What is she worried about?

As I was thinking, a woman's faint voice came to my ears.

"Really? Are you really going to take good care of him, even if he's just a lunatic?"

 Crazy?

Qi Qing lowered his head suddenly, feeling horrified.

That beautiful face was in front of him at some point. The originally clear and soft eyes were bloodshot and nervous, which was clearly the way she looked when she was sick.

 Sickness?

 How did she get sick?

Hearing a soft call, Qi Qing suddenly opened his eyes and woke up from his dream.

The steward stood in front of him, calling him worriedly.

Qi Qing pressed his chest, where his heart was beating rapidly. He felt as if he had just been fished out of the water, and his whole body was soaked.

“Sir, are you feeling unwell?” the steward asked. “I will ask the medical officer to come over immediately.”

  “No need.”

Qi Qing raised his hand to stop him, but the panic still lingered in his heart. After a moment, he said, "I dreamed of Shu Hui."

 “Madam?”

 Qi Qing said nothing.

　　His first wife was chosen by his family for himself. She had no emotions and had not been married for many years. After the wife passed away, she quickly married again.

Admittedly, it was because of the identity of the other party that it was very beneficial for him to become an in-law with him, but in addition, he also sincerely loved this young wife.

Shu Hui is lively, beautiful, considerate, and occasionally a little bit harmless, but he tolerates her. Qi Qing once thanked God for allowing him to meet such a good marriage, until he later found out the truth.

 Turns out she is a madman.

It turns out that this is not a destiny marriage at all.

The Zhong family knew everything but married their daughter to him, and even gave birth to Yutai who was sick. He endured everything until his power was overturned, and the Zhong family was finally punished.

  Retribution.

Shuhui died, and she asked him to take care of the jade platform before she died. Because of her words, he felt soft-hearted for a moment, not knowing whether it was a blessing or a curse.

 It just happened that I fell asleep tonight.

 “Master?” A voice called from the side.

Qi Qing came to his senses and said, "Go and take a look at the young master."

"yes."

The night was desolate. Qi Qing raised his eyes and seemed to see Shuhui looking at him with disheveled hair and a sad smile at the moment before her death.

 Qi Qing suddenly closed his eyes and clenched the beads in his hand.

It is said that in front of the Nuo ceremony, ghosts and gods are scurrying around, and it is necessary to do something to drive away the evil spirits.

 Shu Hui is dead.

 It is a dream.

 It’s just a dream.

Xiao Er: I feel sorry for your story, but I still love her for your words (.)

Yunniang’s master and apprentice: obsessed with scientific research

Master Yan Xu: Three Love Brains

　　(End of this chapter)