The Romance of the West Chamber: The Bells are Ringing

The next morning, Zhang Gong, the new top scholar, finished his socializing and finally returned to his house. He sat at his desk and meditated. Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye since Late Autumn and Miss Yingying parted ways. He held his chin and thought, thanks to the blessing of his ancestors, he could pass the exam in one fell swoop and become the number one scholar. However, while waiting for the imperial edict to be appointed, he felt an unspeakable anxiety.

"Dog, no, Zong Dan!" Zhang Sheng shouted.

The piano boy heard the sound and rushed over, saying softly: "Mr. Lang, what are your orders?"

Zhang Gong frowned: "I miss my little lady too much. Please bring the Four Treasures of the Study. I will write a letter home and send it to Hezhong Mansion overnight."

Qintong nodded in agreement and carefully ground the ink block. Zhang Sheng waved his brush and thought about how to write this letter. He couldn't help but smile as he recalled every detail with Yingying. However, this smile had a hint of bitterness.

Zhang Sheng handed the letter to Qin Tong with a wave of his hand and said: "Dog, no, Zong Dan, when you go back and see the young lady, you must say, 'The man is afraid that the young lady will be worried, so he sent a villain to deliver the letter first. He thought for a while and then added: "You have to come back quickly after receiving the lady's reply."

Qintong took the letter and put it in his arms carefully. Zhang Sheng looked at him, with complex emotions welling up in his heart.

He not only hoped that Qin Tong could arrive at Hezhong Mansion as soon as possible, but also hoped that he could come back soon and bring the lady's reply. This conflicting mood made him feel a deep torment.

He couldn't help but think: "How fast the days go! When we meet, the red flowers and green leaves are falling one after another, and when we part, the yellow leaves slump and wither, condensing into the dusk. Today I see the plum blossoms blooming, but it has been half a year since we parted."

Zhang Gong gave another instruction: "Zong Dan, remember what I told you! Just say that I sent you a letter specially."

Qintong nodded and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Lang, I'm leaving now. I'll be back soon!"

Zhang Gong said: "Okay, that white horse, you need to feed it before you leave. I have entertainment every day in Chang'an City, and others are picked up and dropped off by sedan chairs and carriages, so I need a mount."

Qintong had already predicted that Zhang Gong would send him back to deliver the message. He thought that with Zhang Gong's white horse, he could rush to Weizhou and help the dog emperor deal with the Tubo attack.

This time, Tubo dispatched the Tibetan troops that attacked Lingzhou and Shuofang to go south to aid Weizhou. Lun Mangre, the prime minister of the interior and the ambassador to Qunmu, the commander of the military and horse capital of Dongbi's five-level military division, led [-] troops to relieve the siege of Weizhou and Kunming.

It's a good thing that Zhang Gong won't let the white horse use it now. It seems that delivering the message is not as important as his face, so there's no need to rush. After all, a man walking on two legs can't run as fast as a horse on four legs. It would take some time for this letter to be delivered to Cui Yingying in the west wing of Pujiu Temple in Hezhong Prefecture.

In the west wing of Pujiu Temple in Hezhong Prefecture, Cui Yingying was depressed. The matchmaker asked: "Why has my sister been so depressed these days? She has not even left the embroidery bed. She is also very depressed now."

Cui Yingying sighed slightly and whispered: "Usually there are times when I'm unhappy, and it gets better soon, but this time, for some reason, I can't let it go."

She smiled bitterly again: "I always feel that when he left, he took away part of my heart." Her eyes became a little blurred, staring into the distance.

The matchmaker looked at Cui Yingying, feeling worried. She knew that Cui Yingying's troubles were not out of thin air. These days, Cui Yingying misses Zhang Sheng. The longing goes deep into her bones and is difficult to let go. The matchmaker thought to herself: "Sister, you miss Zhang Sheng so much, but what can he give you?"

I couldn't help but think: "Qin Tong went with Zhang Sheng, and I don't know what's going on now?"

Cui Yingying lowered her head and stroked the corners of her clothes, feeling miserable. She wanted to forget Zhang Sheng, but whenever she wanted to forget, his figure appeared in her mind unconsciously.

As soon as the old worries left, new ones came again. Cui Yingying thought painfully in her heart: "What should I do?"

Cui Yingying sat boredly at the piano table, reaching out and stroking the strings.

Usually, when Cui Yingying plays the piano, she is always filled with laughter and never stops. But now the sound of the piano is full of sadness and helplessness.

When the matchmaker listened to the sound of the piano, she felt endless sadness in her heart. She looked at Cui Yingying, her eyes full of pity and worry.

Cui Yingying sighed softly and stopped playing the piano.

She looked up out the window, her vision blurred by tears. She wanted to look for the bright mountains and rivers in the distance, but she only saw misty trees and decaying grass. Her heart was filled with endless sadness and anguish.

Seeing this, the matchmaker changed the subject: "Sister, why don't your clothes look like yours lately?" Cui Yingying looked down at herself and shook her head: "Yeah, I also feel that I seem to have changed these days. They have changed a lot, and even their taste in dressing has changed.”

The matchmaker said playfully: "Sister's waist is so thin that she can't even wear clothes." Yingying smiled and sang: "The gold rope skirt is dyed with pomegranate flowers, and the rouge wrinkles are damaged by sleeping. The lilac knots are covered with hibiscus buttons. The threads are stripped of pearls. , Tears wet the sleeves. Willows have eyebrows, and people are thinner than yellow flowers." After singing, she sighed softly, seeming to express the anguish in her heart.

The matchmaker asked with concern: "Sister, you are upset, where can you relax? Why don't you let me go to the back hall with you, maybe you can relax a little." Yingying nodded, and they left the embroidery room together and went back. Go to the church.

The two walked through the corridor and came to the back hall. It's a quiet and elegant place, with pens, ink, paper, inkstones and a few collections of poems placed on the desks. The matchmaker pointed to the collection of poems and said, "Sister, take a look at these poems, maybe they can make you feel better."

Yingying nodded slightly, picked up a book of poems and read through it slowly. Although her eyes were a little hollow, she was silently thinking about something in her heart. She wanted to find a way to relieve her sorrow, but no matter what she did, she couldn't let go of her longing.

Suddenly, the matchmaker heard someone outside the door saying, "Is the young lady here?" The matchmaker looked out from the crack in the window and saw a tall and tall young man standing at the door. He was thin and handsome, and he was the piano boy.

The matchmaker was ecstatic, and she ran out the door quickly. When she saw the piano boy, her longing and love surged into her heart like a tide. She wanted to hug Qintong and tell him how much she missed him, but she knew this was not appropriate. In the west wing, Cui Yingying was in the back hall. It would be terrible if she saw her, so she had to hold back and pretend that nothing happened.

The matchmaker suppressed the excitement in her heart and pretended to be as if nothing had happened. She walked up to the piano boy and said with a smile: "It's the piano boy. When did you come back? Did you know that "last night's lantern newspaper was full of flowers, and today there is a noise of magpies." "Sister Yingying is worried, and you're back? Are you back with Mr. Lang?"

Qin Tong also knew not to act rashly, otherwise it would ruin the matchmaker's important event of getting rid of her slave status, so he calmly said: "My husband has become an official, and he specially sent me to deliver the letter. I just met in the front hall. Madam, madam is so happy that she asked me to come to see my sister. I have a letter from my brother-in-law." Facing the back hall, there was no emotion on her face.

The matchmaker also understands Qintong's thoughts. She knows that they cannot act rashly, otherwise it will ruin the matter. She thought to herself: "My brother is really a smart and sensible guy. He seems to have grown taller after not seeing him for half a year."

So he said, "Just wait here. I'll report it to my sister. Come in again."

The matchmaker hurried into the back hall and couldn't help but smile when she saw Cui Yingying.

Cui Yingying asked curiously: "What's wrong with you little girl?"

"I'm so happy," the matchmaker said hurriedly, "our brother-in-law has become an official!"

Cui Yingying sighed and said, "You little girl saw that I was bored, so you went out of your way to coax me."

He stretched out his hand and pinched the matchmaker's arm.

The matchmaker stepped away and said, "It's true, sister! The piano boy is outside the door. He just met the madam. The madam ordered him to come in to see my sister. My brother-in-law has sent a letter."

If it were normal, if the matchmaker dodged Cui Yingying's pinch like this, she would definitely attract an even more vicious attack. But today Cui Yingying heard that Zhang Gong believed it and couldn't care anymore. She hurriedly said: "I finally got it! Let the piano boy come in quickly!"

Qintong entered the back hall and met Cui Yingying. Cui Yingying asked, "Qintong, when did you leave Chang'an?"

"I've been away from Chang'an for more than a month!" Qintong said.

During this month, Qintong did something shocking.