There is no phoenix

On April 10th, Emperor Shui Ruoyang bestowed Li Tai, the champion of Xinkewu, as the vanguard of the Southwest Route Army, and rewarded him with [-] taels of silver to build the residence of the champion. Army vanguard.

On the same day, the emperor bestowed the titles of Xiangyang Guanling, who ranked among the best in martial arts this time, Qi Jianhui, the second-class hereditary son of the Marquis of Xiangyang, Wei Ruolan, who was originally from Yueyang, and Jiang Zining, the second-class hereditary son of the Marquis of Pingyuan. Go to the Beijing West Military Camp to finish training and prepare to go west with the army.

On the 21st, after the emperor led all the civil and military officials to sacrifice to heaven, he personally sent Shuironing, the king of Jingjing, as the general marshal, and Feng Tang, the general of Shenwu, as the general of Zhengxi. The official returned to the imperial city.

In the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Amnesty went to the Western Expedition, Jia Zheng was in office, and Jia Lian was the only person in charge of the mansion.Baoyu didn't understand world affairs at first, and he didn't like reading and managing affairs.Because there have been a lot of things in Jia's house in the past two years, Jia Zheng was busy with official duties and had no time to take care of Baoyu's homework.In addition, Jia's mother often said that Baoyu was not in good health and needed to rest, which made Baoyu's studies have been neglected for more than a year.Now without Jia Zheng's control, Baoyu feels more at ease than ever before.

But what Baoyu didn't understand was that Daiyu seemed to dislike going out for a walk more and more.Daiyu stayed in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion every day, and I heard that occasionally she and Xichun went to Miaoyu's place in Changcui Temple.

Baoyu knew that Miaoyu must be an extraordinary woman, no matter in appearance or temperament.Besides, since Daiyu and Xichun often go there, Miaoyu must have something special about her.So I also tried to find Miaoyu twice, but I was very disappointed.Because once I went there to knock on the door, Miaoyu's girl saw that it was Baoyu, and after she went in to inform, Miaoyu let Baoyu into the house. She didn't know what Miaoyu wanted to see Baoyu, but asked Baoyu what was the matter.Baoyu had no choice but to say that he wanted to see it, but whoever knew Miaoyu said, this is a nunnery, and Miaoyu is worth seeing.Then just look down at the scriptures and copy the scriptures.Seeing Miaoyu's indifference, Baoyu had to leave.The second time I went, after the girl went in to report, the girl came out and told Baoyu that Miaoyu was resting, and asked the girl to tell Baoyu that she was a practitioner and it was inconvenient to see her cousin.

Because of the cold reception of these two visits to Changcui Temple, Baoyu also felt Miaoyu's withdrawn temperament and indifference to others, so he stopped going there.

Now there are fewer people in charge of the Rongguo Mansion, and Sister Feng is lying in bed because of miscarriage, so Mrs. Wang asked Tanchun and Li Wan Baochai to help manage the affairs.It's just that Li Wan is a widow, and he only cares about his son Jia Lan, and he is only in charge of his name.Baochai is a relative, usually dignified and quiet in temperament, cautious in doing things, afraid of offending others, so it is difficult for her to devote herself wholeheartedly.Only Tanchun works very hard, because this family is his own after all, besides, Tanchun knows that because he is the concubine of Aunt Zhao who is very unpopular, if he doesn't work hard and let Mrs. Wang despise him, he will be in a worse situation in the future Difficult, so after the housekeeper, the whole body follows the housework.

Because of the busy housekeeper, Tanchun hardly has time to play with his sisters.

Yingchun was originally dull, didn't like to move, and didn't like to compose poems and jokes very much, so she just stayed in her own room and read books every day, occasionally doing needlework, or thinking about chess by herself.

Although Xichun is the youngest, she is much smarter than Yingchun Huobuo. She used to like to play jokes with Zhizhier, a little nun from the Mantou Nunnery who often comes to Rongguo Mansion, and also likes to play with Daiyu, or write and discuss paintings.But since his father Jia Jing passed away last year, he seems to be a different person.

Now Xichun hardly talks to anyone except to greet Jia Mu every day, or go to Daiyu's place to play chess, or go to Miaoyu's place to play piano and play chess to explain scriptures, so that everyone in Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion say she The youngest and weirdest, cold and cold.Because everyone also heard that at the seventh hour of Jia Jing's first day, Xichun went to Ningguo Mansion for a day, and she didn't say a word. It was her brother Jia Zhen who asked her several times, but she turned around and left, and she didn't want to talk to her own brother. say.

One day, Daiyu was reading in the room when she saw Baochai and Baoqin coming.Baochai bid farewell to Daiyu: "Sister Lin, Qin'er and I are going to move back. I really miss you, but there is nothing I can do."

Daiyu was a little surprised and asked: "Why is this? Didn't my aunt still ask my elder sister to help the third younger sister with housekeeping? Why do you want to move back?"

Baochai laughed and said, "To tell you the truth, sister Lin, my family has a lot of things going on now. Let me tell you, my brother is going to marry his sister-in-law. I'm afraid Qin'er will also marry soon."

Daiyu said: "Sister Bao, your brother is going to marry his sister-in-law? Then when you marry your sister-in-law, will you move back?"

Baochai said: "I can't say for sure. My mother said that my brother is a horse without a bridle. Since he has found a satisfactory sister-in-law, he should marry her earlier and let my brother take over his temper."

Daiyu hurriedly asked, "When will Sister Bao move back?"

Baochai said, "I'm going to move back tomorrow. Ying'er has already moved some things there today."

After hearing this, Daiyu smiled and said, "Then I will definitely come see off my sister tomorrow."

Not long after Baochai left, Xichun came to see Daiyu.Regarding Xichun's changes, Daiyu didn't think that, when the two of them were together, they would still play chess, write and discuss painting as before.

Xichun is one year younger than Daiyu, but she seems to have an innate liking and obsession with her paintings, and her paintings are particularly good, which amazes all the sisters, including Daiyu.Daiyu also heard Zijuan talk about Xichun's changes, but seeing Xichun now, she doesn't feel it at all, and she doesn't believe so many people's rumors.Because Daiyu knew that Xichun and her father had never lived together since childhood, nor had they met each other several times.But Jia Jing is devoted to cultivating the Tao, and doesn't seem to have any care and affection for Xichun.If it is said that Jia Jing's death changed Xichun's temperament, it is really hard to believe.

When Xichun came this time, she brought a copy of Zhuangzi's book specially, and said to Daiyu with a smile, "I have always wanted to buy the most complete book of Zhuangzi. Sister Lin, look, I finally bought one today."

Daiyu saw that it was "The Complete Volume of Zhuangzi", so she looked at Xichun with some surprise and said, "Fourth sister, where did you buy it? Did you choose it yourself?"

Xichun nodded and said, "Of course I bought it, but Sister Lin, I just want to tell you that I bought it myself."

After hearing this, Daiyu asked in surprise, "Fourth sister, did you go to buy it yourself? How did you get there?"

Xichun waved her hand lightly and said: "Sister Lin, don't make such a loud noise, I went to buy it secretly. I went there yesterday afternoon, and the lady in charge of the door was taking a nap. I changed into a girl's attire and went out with the color screen."

Daiyu said: "Fourth sister, you are so courageous, we have never gone out like this before here."

Xichun smiled and said, "Sister Lin, I'm not like you, and I won't be like you. What's the point of going out secretly to buy a book, I'm afraid that one day, I will go out secretly and never come back here."

After hearing this, Daiyu felt that there must be a reason for Xichun to say this, so she asked Xueyan and Mei Qing to watch in the yard.Because of her mother's illness, Zijuan asked Daiyu for leave and went home.

For a while there were only Xichun and Daiyu in the room.

Daiyu hurriedly asked: "Fourth sister, tell me, did something happen to you? Can I help you?"

Xichun heard this, and sighed: "Sister Lin, I am at ease with you and Miaoyu, and I will not hide it from you two. I don't want to stay here anymore, I want to go out!"

When Daiyu heard this, she was shocked and said, "Why is this? This is your home. Even if your uncle has gone, you still have your brother and sister-in-law, and the old lady's second and third sisters. You are different from me. I am a guest. You are Lord."

Xichun said: "But sister, do you know, I am worried that one day, I will not be able to be a sister-in-law, and it will be even more difficult to be an ordinary free person, and I am afraid that I will have a share in being a prisoner!"

Daiyu was startled and said, "What do you mean by Fourth Younger Sister? Although there were some accidents in the mansion, why did this happen?"

Xichun said: "Sister Lin, you stay in this Xiaoxiang Pavilion every day, and you don't know what's going on outside. Let me tell you the truth, these days after my father passed away, I've seen and heard, I'm afraid you won't believe me at all. .”

Daiyu hurriedly asked: "Fourth sister, tell me about it. Of course I believe what you said."

Xichun said: "Okay, Sister Lin, I'll just tell you, but although I don't like this family, I just hope you don't tell others. Do you know, Brother Rong's former daughter-in-law, Qin Keqing, do you still remember?"

Daiyu nodded and said: "Of course I remember, she was married in the spring of the year I returned to Yangzhou. I didn't expect to die of illness two years after we got married, what a pity."

Xichun said: "Does that elder sister know how she died? Let me tell you, she was hanged on the Tianxiang Building, and her girl Ruizhu also died there by touching a pillar."

Daiyu was shocked.

Only Xichun said again: "Sister Lin, can you believe that my elder brother dared to touch my sister-in-law's two younger sisters, You Erjie and You Sanjie, in the mourning hall? Now that You Sanjie is dead, I also I don't want to talk about her, but I heard that Lian's second brother bought a house and secretly married that second sister You as the second room, but Lian's second sister-in-law doesn't know about it yet."

Daiyu was even more surprised when she heard this.

Xichun said: "Sister Lin, do you know that these things alone may not cause major disasters, but there are a few more."

To know what Xichun will say, read the next chapter.