a pillow in autumn

It was freezing cold in Hezhou, Shen Xianxun was already weak, but now he was even thinner.Although Zhou Mubai was also a prince who was raised in the palace with gold and jade, after all, he practiced bow and horse all the year round, so he was stronger than her.Pei Dongcheng diagnosed the Ping'an pulse for both of them, prescribed several prescriptions, and gave an injection to the cold that they had suffered a few days ago.

After dinner, Zhou Mubai sent Xiaotuanzi to Dongnuange for questioning. He first asked about the health of the emperor and empress, and then asked about family matters.Zhou Muyi returned to Beijing from Jingzhou for a small ceremony, and was sent to Yunzhou to help control the locust plague a year later.The mountains in Yunzhou are steep and the terrain is extremely dangerous, and the mountains account for seven or eight parts. It is known as the saying that there are eight mountains, one water and one field.After the locust plague, the people had no food and clothing, and plagues often raged. If there is no harvest at the end of autumn, there will be no crops in winter.Years ago Zhou Mubai had already heard about this from the mansion newspaper, and he specially asked Xiaotuanzi to inquire carefully when he returned to Beijing. Now he was relieved to hear that the food and clothing for disaster relief distributed by the imperial court had gathered from all directions.

In the evening, Mubai still went back to Xinuang Pavilion to rest, and Xianxun sighed again when she heard that Biyue was fine.After Siyuan and Shuyao took care of the two masters to wash up, they closed the door behind their backs.Mu Bai blew out the lamp and lay his pillow on the outside of the bed, feeling Xian Xun leaning in again, knowing that she was still shy about the daytime affairs, so he just smiled.The warm fragrance from the extinguished candles wafted in the bed curtain, Mu Bai stretched out his hand under the brocade quilt, grabbed the slender catkin, shrunk a little, Mu Bai got closer, squinted his eyes and said: "Ma'am Rest early."

Xian Xun calmed down, and responded in a low voice: "Okay."

Maybe it was the continuous rush during the day, Mu Bai soon fell into a deep sleep, Xian Xun turned sideways, looked at her delicate face in the smudged moonlight, got close, and breathed lightly on his lips , Xian Xun's face turned red again, luckily the night was gloomy, no one knew about it.As she thought this way, her sleepiness gradually became stronger, and the familiar temperature around her made her feel reassuringly addicted.

On the Hualang Festival on the second day of February, the sun is also warmer. The northern counties have the custom of raising the head of the dragon. Mu Gushen of Hezhou Prefecture came to the other courtyard early in the morning to ask Zhou Mubai to preside over the sacrifice to the Dragon King.The people's homes are full of excitement, there are married girls living in the spring, boys start writing, etc., there are always joys and celebrations.Several women in the other courtyard also went to the kitchen to get the ashes from the kitchen, and spread them around the house in an undulating motion of dragons and snakes.

The weather had gradually warmed up, and in the afternoon, Zhou Mubai and a group of staff returned to the study of the other courtyard, and stayed behind on Shen Youtang Road in the mansion. Early this morning, a letter arrived from the palace.Mu Bai asked, but did the order come from the magistrate?Youtang submitted the letter, but it was written by Zhou Lin, and the letter was very encouraging.Mu Bai flipped through a golden dragon note twice, frowned and said: "Although Father didn't send an order, but reading this letter means that we will return to Beijing as soon as possible."

Shen Youtang said: "I think His Highness has been away from Beijing for more than half a year, and the Holy Majesty and the Empress are always thinking about it. Everything in Hezhou has been settled, and the previous report from the Ministry of Officials and Industry was submitted, and His Majesty praised it a lot. "

Mu Bai thought for a while, then glanced sideways at Shen Youtang, and told everyone to go back to rest first.Shen Youtang understood, and after walking out of the study, he only said that he hadn't seen his sister for a long time and that he wanted to go to the backyard to greet Princess Rui.Everyone smiled and left.Shen Youtang walked around in front of the house, but still returned to the study.

In the study, Mu Bai was still holding the handwritten book, knowing that he came in, he only glanced at it, and Youtang closed the door, and sat opposite her.Mubai said straight to the point: "If you are concerned, the second brother has been in Yunzhou for nearly three years. Except for the New Year's Day and the first birthday of the little emperor's grandson last time, he has never been called back to the capital. Yunzhou is much closer than Hezhou. It’s only a month’s journey from Kuaima to Ruijing, and the waterway is convenient, so I’m afraid it will be faster.”

"Maybe Prince Min is not that close to the palace." Shen Youtang said cryptically.

Mubai put the handwritten letter in the letter box of the desk, knowing that he was referring to the empress and the prince, he shook his head and said: "Although the father and the empress are husband and wife, but Meng Guifei has won the holy family, it must be for the second emperor. I miss you very much, brother."

Before the two of them discussed the reason, they heard Xiao Tuanzi knocking on the door outside: "Your Highness, Gu Zhoumu asked to see him, saying that there is something urgent."

Gu Xin was about to kneel as soon as he entered the study, but Mu Bai stopped him and said, "Your Majesty, why are you so anxious to see me?" Gu Xin wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "If you go back to Your Highness, I was in the city just now. Outside the gate, two petty officials got into a dispute over some trivial matter, and then the soldiers they each brought were gearing up to fight at the gate of the city."

"What? Two court officials openly led the crowd to fight at the city gate???" Mu Bai raised his eyebrows and stared at him.

Unexpectedly, it was more than that. Seeing her angry, Gu Xin was sweating, and had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "Original officials shouldn't bother His Highness because of this matter, but during the fight, a soldier His long halberd pierced the city wall, pried the city bricks, and half of the city wall collapsed, injuring several passers-by who were waiting to enter the city..."

"Bastard!" Zhou Mubai was furious when he heard this, and smashed a cup of hot tea at Gu Xin's feet, smashing it to pieces in an instant.

Gu Xin immediately lifted her robe and knelt down, Shen Youtang saw that her face was livid with anger, and knelt down too, Mu Bai said in a calm voice: "Get up, lead the way!"

It was already dark, Shen Xianxun stomped around in the warm pavilion, Siyuan ran all the way back from outside the second door, shook his head before he was out of breath, Xianxun bit his lip, frowned and thought for a while and said: " Tell Xiao Guozi to stay in the front yard, if you have any news, report it quickly." Shuyao was following Siyuan's back, and hurriedly nodded and went out after hearing this.

It wasn't until dawn that the sound of horseshoes sounded outside the courtyard.Xiao Guozi waited in the door until he dozed off, and suddenly woke up when he heard the noise. Looking outside the mansion, he vaguely discerned the outline of Zhou Mubai, and hurriedly turned around and ran to the inner courtyard. Still resting, but seeing the bright lights in Xinuang Pavilion, he hesitated to call Shuyao, and saw Shuyao came out behind the curtain.

"Is Your Highness back?" Shu Yao asked when she saw him.

"I'm back. Just now I looked at a group of people from a distance. It's His Highness leading the people from our residence."

"You're back!" Shuyao was overjoyed, "Master has been waiting all night." He opened the curtain and went in again.After a while, there was a sound in the warm pavilion, the two little girls yawned and rubbed their eyes and went to the kitchen to prepare hot water, Siyuan hurried out again.

Xiao Guozi packed up and followed her, and said to her, "Where is sister going?"

Siyuan ran out without touching the ground: "Miss has not rested yet, I will report a letter to His Highness, so that His Highness will not feel like disturbing the master, and go to Dongnuan Pavilion."

Sure enough, he met Zhou Mubai in the yard, and came back all the way. Seeing that she was extremely tired, Shen Xianxun hurriedly washed her hands and feet, and sent her to sleep.Mu Bai turned around on the couch and said, "You haven't slept all night, come up and rest."

Xian Xun blushed and said, "How can anyone rest together in broad daylight?" Seeing that Mubai's eyelids were fighting, and he was still trying to speak, he had to lie down with his clothes on, patted her arm and said, "I Rest with you. Go to sleep."

The flower tent was full of warm fragrance, Mu Bai was really sleepy, he hugged Xian Xun's waist and said something vaguely, Xian Xun didn't hear clearly, he just touched her face.

There were gradually voices outside the window, Shuyao came over and lowered the bed curtain, Xianxun winked, Shuyao nodded, and went out to let the maids disperse.

After just over an hour, Mu Bai got up.The sky was already bright, Guzhou Mu came back with a booklet with dark circles around his eyes, the housekeeper respectfully invited him to the study, Xiao Tuanzi had no choice but to go to invite Mu Bai, who was having breakfast, when he heard that he brought a piece of butter The small scroll was put down, washed hands and went to the study.

When Gu Xin left with a sad face, Zhou Mubai still stayed in the study, and the three Shen family brothers invited Zhang Minzhi, Xu Youci and other staff members to come to the other courtyard together. After several disputes, they were all helpless.Mu Bai asked them to go to several old craftsmen's homes for advice, and they had no choice but to leave.

The hourglass drained, and it was already the sun, the maids sent the lunch to the study, Mu Bai used a few chopsticks, and took it away again.Just thinking about ordering tea, the girl has already brought in a cup of ginseng tea, Mu Bai drank a couple of sips, then asked, where is the princess?

The girl replied: "The princess said that the master is discussing business, so she dare not interrupt. In the past at this time, the princess would go to the Jiangyuan to play the piano. Today is warm, so maybe she is also in the garden."

Putting down the scroll, Mu Bai rubbed the center of his brows, stretched his arms again, then pushed open the door of the study and walked into the garden.Although it is still the end of winter and the beginning of spring, several flowering trees have sprouted new buds.The afternoon sun fell all over the garden, and Mubai walked leisurely, but before he reached the plum garden, the sound of slenderness was heard.

The plum blossoms in the Dianjiang Garden have half fallen, but a few of them are still blooming proudly. There is a Liuyun table under the tree. Shen Xianxun is wearing a red double-breasted feather satin cloak. Hairpin, is sitting behind the table playing the piano.

There was no wind, but a few plum blossoms slanted down, on the piano and in the hair.Standing outside the garden, Mubai couldn't tell whether it was the intoxicating fragrance of flowers or the intoxication of oneself.

After the song ended, Shen Xianxun raised her head and smiled softly, not surprised that Zhou Mubai came. Mubai walked under the tree, and Xianxun helped her up by the hand. He didn't speak, just walked quietly in the garden for a while.

"I made you worry last night." Mu Bai held Xian Xun's hand, feeling a little cold.

"I didn't expect that Master would not return overnight." Xian Xun saw that her face was still tired, and said softly: "At first, I only thought that the city wall injured someone, but those who came back said that Master took someone to the city gate. "

Mu Bai suddenly stopped and said: "From now on, when there is only you and me, we will only be called you and me, that's good."

Xian Xun stopped following her, looked into her pair of bright eyes, and said with a slight smile, "It's up to you."

Mu Bai squeezed her hand, and continued: "Yesterday, I saw that the city wall collapsed due to the fighting and hurt the passers-by, but I am worried not only about those innocent passers-by." She sighed, "It's the city wall. It is so fragile, in case there is any war, how can we resist it. Yesterday, we met with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, and the sheriffs of several counties, and we met all night without discussing a countermeasure."

The gentle wind in early spring was walking among the veins of leaves, Xian Xun walked half a circle with her, then went back to Liuyun table, took her hand and said: "Since that's the case, don't think about such troublesome things in this garden. It's good to listen to Xun'er playing the piano."

Mubai saw that her eyebrows and eyes were crooked when she smiled, and behind her was a brightly blooming winter plum blossom. She really wanted to come up to her and kiss her, so she also smiled: "Okay. Listen to my nettle playing the piano."

Xian Xun sat upright behind the qin, and Mu Bai patted the face of the qin and said, "Does this qin have a name?"

"The name is, Qingqing."

The left hand fluctuates and the right hand hovers, the sound of the qin like new bamboo shoots pouring out of the rain, Xian Xun's bare hands are flying on the lyre like swallows, Mu Bai is listening to it under the tree and is intoxicated, suddenly the sound of the qin stops suddenly, Mu Bai doesn't know why , I saw Xian Xun raised her head, her eyes were bright and cunning, and she raised her brows lightly and said: "Your Highness, I have a plan for your city brick fortification."

The author has something to say: Thanks to the little friends who traveled over mountains and mountains to make up points!

Have a great weekend everyone!