Ten years later

Li Yuan looked at his pensive look, and couldn't help teasing him: "Smile, you look so pretty when you smile."

It was frivolous and provocative words, but Li Yuan said them in an extremely serious tone, not as if he was teasing, but as if he was giving a military order.

Seeing Lin Ziqing's forced smile, Li Yuan twitched his lips in dissatisfaction.Standing up, patted him on the shoulder, and said to him: "Come on, let me show you the old house of the Li family."

Lin Ziqing was immersed in the warm touch from his arm for a moment, and only got up to follow Li Yuan when he was about to leave the house.

Li Lian, who was waiting outside the house boredly, saw the two of them coming out, and hurried up to greet them.

Li Yuan said to him: "Jiulang is also here, take a good look, don't recognize what your own home is like."

Li Lian threw the things in his hands away, and the half-woven grasshopper was beaten back to its original shape, turning into half of crumpled cricket grass.

When my elder brother talked about the old house with him last time, seeing his confused face, he sighed sadly: "You were born here, how could you forget it."

But the problem is, who can remember where he was born.

Although he complained a few words in his heart, Li Lian still followed his elder brother respectfully.Lin Ziqing was still half a step behind Li Lian, listening to the enthusiastic explanation of the person in front.

——This room used to be a certain uncle's study; I don't know what was in this attic, even he never went up; that gazebo was my mother's favorite, every summer, she would sit here Enjoy the lotus everywhere; countless flowers have been planted in the flower garden, and from spring to winter, there are flowers competing for beauty.

After walking around, they finally walked back to the corridor of the main hall.

Li Yuan stopped and looked into the distance, his eyes were far away, as if he saw a long time ago, when Cheng Guogong's mansion was at its peak.He opened his mouth slowly: "At that time, my grandfather and father were still there, and the remaining two houses were also full of people, and the yard was always lively. It's not like now, I am the only one left in the huge house. here."

Li Yuan sighed, looked at Lin Ziqing again, and suggested, "Otherwise, you should also live here during the days in Beijing. Yongchangfang is only one street away from the East Palace, so it won't delay your lectures for the prince."

He had asked Li Lian before that every time Lin Ziqing came to Beijing in the past two years, he always lived in the East Palace or the post house.

Lin Ziqing readily agreed, and asked Li Yuan again: "After a while, I won't be giving lectures for the prince anymore, can I stay overnight?"

"Yes, of course." Li Yuan agreed to Lin Ziqing without thinking, and said to Li Lian as if remembering something, "Your Majesty, please don't blame me for being an important minister."

Li Lian laughed unnaturally: "Brother is joking again, as long as you are happy."

If it was someone else, he might have to think about it, but who is Lin Ziqing?Elder brother spends more time with Lin Ziqing than with him.How dare he refuse his brother.

What's more, he really hoped that his brother would be happier.

A few days ago, he found his elder brother lost in a plum grove, so he went over to ask why.

The elder brother immediately broke off a well-bloomed plum blossom and handed it to him, explaining to him patiently: "My mother likes plum blossoms, but Lingzhou is too cold to grow plum trees.

"Every time I go back to Beijing to report on my work, I tell Auntie that I want to pick some plums for her to bring back. But every time I come back to Lingzhou, I realize that I forgot about it.

"Now that I finally remembered it, I also folded plum blossoms, but I don't know where to put them."

The son wants to support but the relative does not wait.

Li Lian understands his elder brother's mood, and also knows that his elder brother is not someone who can vent his feelings wantonly.But how could my elder brother's previous practice of wearing plain clothes and avoiding meat and fish was just to avoid suspicion?

But the elder brother didn't say it clearly, so he couldn't comfort him.I can only try my best to find something to make my brother happy and talk to him.After a few days like this, Li Yuan's mood became better until he met Lin Ziqing today.

Li Yuan got the answer and said to him: "It's not easy for you to go out of the palace, so I won't delay you, go back earlier."

After Li Lian answered, Li Yuan turned to look at Lin Ziqing again, and said to him, "Come with me, let's go for a walk on the street."

Watching the back of his elder brother and Lin Ziqing heading towards Guozixue, Li Lian began to feel angry in his heart.He originally wanted to spare a whole day of leisure to accompany his brother, but before half of the morning was over, he was sent back by his brother.

Stealing Fusheng for half a day, he didn't want to go back to the palace early.After wandering aimlessly in the street for a while, Li Lian somehow came to the vicinity of Xuanyangfang, and remembered that Zhao Nuo lived in Xuanyangfang, so he decided to pay a visit directly.

When the emperor sets foot in the mansion of his ministers, he has always been notified in advance so that the ministers can pick him up and prepare, and the etiquette system has always been cumbersome.But now that Li Lianxing is here, he doesn't want to make a statement, so he only asks the guards to report.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Nuo was not at home at this time. The concierge looked at a large group of guards with knives, and dared not say anything.

The housekeeper had never seen this situation before, if the leader hadn't smiled politely, he would have thought that this group of people were going to rob the house in broad daylight.

He swallowed a mouthful of spit before he dared to say: "My master is not here now, why don't you first..." He wanted to let these people go back, but then he thought, if the distinguished guests didn't see Zhao Nuo when they came, they would think that Zhao Nuo It's not good if you deliberately entrust yourself with it.The conversation turned around and said: "Why don't you come in first and wait, the master will be back soon."

Seeing Li Lian nodding, the housekeeper led these people to prepare to walk into the house.But as soon as Li Lian signaled, those guards surrounded the main hall, and he himself walked straight to the main hall, and took the main seat as a matter of course.

The butler didn't know what to do after the tea was served, so after thinking about it, he went to the backyard to find his wife, Mrs. Liang.

Mrs. Liang, who was doing embroidery work, heard footsteps and raised her head from the embroidery stand, looked at the person, and said with a smile, "It's Uncle Wang, what's the matter?"

The housekeeper quickly walked up to Mrs. Liang, carefully told what happened in the front hall, and suggested that Mrs. Liang go and have a look.

"Not so good?" Mrs. Zhao frowned slightly, with obvious disapproval in her tone.

The butler wiped the sweat off his head with a towel, hesitated for a long time and said: "Isn't there no way to do this? The gentleman is not here, and the people in the mansion don't know the rules, and they are afraid of neglecting the distinguished guests. I can only ask my wife to come forward." Take care of one or two."

It stands to reason that women should not enter the main hall, and the housekeeper naturally knew that it would be wrong for his wife to meet outside men, but this distinguished guest was really domineering. Look at people who can't afford to offend.

Zhao Nuo's official position is not high, and his background is not noble, so there are not such big rules in the family.There is nothing to do on weekdays, but if the nobleman thinks that he has neglected him, then the gentleman will pursue it later, and it will not be them, the low-level people who are punished.

A few days ago, Mrs. Liang had just received the imperial edict of fifth rank, and the hostess of the mansion went to entertain her, which was considered to be enough face for the distinguished guests.What's more, he has also seen Liang's ability, and he can't find the wrong place in his dealings with others.

Mrs. Liang pondered for a while, then made up her mind, and said to the butler, "Then I'll go and have a look, and I'll explain to him after the gentleman comes back."

The butler hurriedly said hello and led Mrs. Liang to the main hall.When she was still far away, Mrs. Liang glanced into the inner room, but this time she saw a somewhat familiar figure, and then thinking of this person's actions, she seemed to understand the identity of the "honored guest" instantly. His face immediately lost color.She immediately turned around and walked away quickly, as if she was trying to avoid some evil spirit.

But as soon as she took two steps, Li Lian's voice came from behind, "What is madam doing in such a hurry?"

She had no choice but to turn around and walk back to the inner hall again.

Li Lian raised his hand and poured a cup of tea, put it on the seat opposite to him, and then greeted her slowly: "Long time no see, Ran Niang."