The Bamboo Horse Dressed as the Emperor

On the day of the Lantern Festival, Song Jiao booked a private room in Tianranju early in the morning.

He supported Teacher Tai with one hand and grandpa with the other, and led them both into the private room.

Song Jiao helped the old man to sit down, pushed the tea and snacks to his hand, then held his hand, and took him to touch it.

"Teacher Tai, this is a teacup, here is glutinous rice cake, and here is peanut powder."

Gongyixiu nodded: "I can smell it."

"The tea in the teapot is still a little hot. If you want to pour it, you can find my grandpa."

At this moment, Song Wenxue was sitting in front of his teacher, with both hands pressed in front of him. He was over half a hundred years old, but he looked very well-behaved. He moved his lips, and finally called out in a small voice: " teacher."

Gongyixiu paused, sighed softly, and then turned to look at Song Jiao: "What about you? You want to go out?"

Song Jiao smiled and said, "I asked Brother Shen to go out to play."

Gongyixiu nodded: "Oh, yes, today you young people are going out to play."

"Then I'll go out first. Teacher Tai will call my grandfather if something happens. I will come back to pick up Teacher Tai after I set off the fireworks."

"well."

Song Jiao said "goodbye" to Teacher Tai and Grandpa, and left alone.

Grandpa Song looked up at him, and it was the first time he showed such an expression to his grandson - don't go, don't leave me alone.

But Song Jiao waved his hand at him, and then slowly withdrew.

Then Grandpa Song suddenly remembered something, wait a minute, what did Mao Mao just say, he wants to go out with Xie Chen?Just the two of them?

No, Grandpa Song stood up and wanted to go out and call him back, but the next moment, he himself was stopped by the call.

"Ask to learn?"

Song Wenxue turned around: "Teacher."

"Going?"

"No."

Gongyixiu understood it, and said with a smile: "I think that kid Xiao Xie is pretty good, and he matches Maomao, pretty good, let's go out to play, and he didn't do anything else."

Song Wenxue stopped, okay, since the teacher said so.

On the other side, Song Jiao went all the way down the stairs and walked out of Tianranju.

Xie Chen folded his hands and leaned against the door, looking at the lights in the distance and nearby.

Song Jiao knew that he would listen to his own footsteps—according to Xie Chen, it was the kind of "pat-pat-pat-pat" duckling footsteps, but Song Jiao never admitted it.

Even though he didn't admit it, Song Jiao still intentionally lightened his steps, stopped three or five steps away from Xie Chen, and then jumped in front of him.

"Brother Shen!"

Your little cutie suddenly appears.

Xie Chen looked at him, not frightened at all, he even touched Song Jiao's head, and secretly pinched his face twice.

Xie Chen was very happy: "My wife!"

Song Jiao: "..."

How can this be so?

He lowered his eyes, and suddenly saw something strange pinned to Xie Chen's waist, Song Jiao poked his head out to look: "What is it?"

Xie Chen took off the rabbit lamp pinned to his belt: "You said you wanted this, but you happened to see it on the road, so I bought it for you. There is also the roasted pork you want to eat, and sugar."

Song Jiao took the rabbit lamp, and then took a bag of shredded roasted meat. He didn't have any more hands left. After thinking about it, he returned the rabbit lamp to Xie Chen, turned around, and turned his back to the crowd. He opened his mouth wide without paying attention to his image, and took a mouthful of "Aww".

With his mouth puffed out, he chewed vigorously, handed the roasted meat to Xie Chen, and gave him a bite.

Song Jiao didn't understand: "So why did you pin it on your waist? Can't you take it off?"

Of course you can take it off, don't wear it on your waist, just to...

pose.

People coming and going must not be placed on the ground. If they are all held in their hands, how can he hold them?How do you lean against the wall?Why do you look into the distance?How to pose?

But now it seems that his wife didn't seem to notice his handsome profile - from the idiom king Xie Chen - at all.

Xie Chen took Song Jiao's hand and took a bite of the roasted pork.

It's like hiding in the corner and stealing snacks when you were young. The two of you ate the food separately, wiped your mouth, and went out to play as if nothing had happened.

They have seen the Lantern Festival in Fengxiang City for more than ten years, and there is nothing new about it. The two followed the crowd and watched as they went. Because they were afraid of being scattered by the crowd, the two held hands from the beginning to the end.

The crowd was crowded, and it was very hot. After a while, Song Jiao felt a thin layer of sweat from the palms of the two pressed together.

This is not good, it will affect his image.

Song Jiao struggled for his hand and tried to take it back, but Xie Chen obviously misunderstood him. Xie Chen thought that he was going to be pushed away by the crowd, so he quickly squeezed his hand even tighter and dragged him away. return.

"Mamao, don't run around."

Song Jiao wants to cry but has no tears.

A boy who just turned 16 a few days ago, when he went out to meet his sweetheart, he cleaned himself up neatly, wishing he could look in the mirror and see every strand of his hair.

He was fine, sweating profusely.

Not only Xie Chen paid great attention to his own image, Song Jiao also paid attention to it, but he didn't act that exaggeratedly.

Song Jiao thought for a while, and then tried to earn money.Xie Chen held it even tighter, and when Song Jiao turned his head to look over, he raised his chin and showed a proud expression.

Oh I got it.

Song Jiao whispered to him, "I don't want to hold you anymore."

Xie Chen obviously didn't hear the loud voices.

So Song Jiao could only drag Xie Chen, and the two of them walked to a place away from the crowd, which was obviously quieter here.

Song Jiao said, "I don't want to hold you anymore."

Song Jiao submitted an application not to hold hands.

Xie Chen was shocked: "No."

He held Song Jiao's wrist, and then pointed one finger at a time, interlocking his fingers.

Xie Chen rejected the application not to hold hands with a strong stance.

Song Jiao said dissatisfied, "I'm hot."

Xie Chen raised the clasped hands of the two, and blew towards his hand: "It's cold now."

Song Jiao:? ? ?

"Do you think I'm a barbecue? Still blowing cold?"

Xie Chen lowered his eyes, looking pitiful: "Anyway, we want to hold hands."

Song Jiao withdrew his hand "ruthlessly", looked down, and then looked up at Xie Chen who had obviously lost his happiness and was depressed. He lowered his head and picked up his belt.

His belt hangs down, and when he walks, the wind blows, fluttering like a fairy.

Song Jiao looked at Xie Chen again, his belt was not like this, it was from the back, a wide belt inlaid with jade.

Song Jiao tugged at his belt, pulled the sullen Xie Chen over, then stuffed his own belt into Xie Chen's, and tied it in a knot.

"This way..." Song Jiao lowered his head, and with the lanterns in the distance, he seemed to blush a little, "This way we won't get separated, anyway, I don't want to hold hands, it's too hot."

Xie Chen looked down at his movements, and immediately regained his composure, and put his arm around his shoulders: "That's fine."

When Xie Chen put his arms around his shoulders and brought him back into the crowd, Song Jiao suddenly felt that something was wrong.

I didn't hold hands anymore, but Xie Chen...

It seems to be getting closer.

ah!Now not only his palms are sweating, but his whole body is steaming.

Song Jiao's face was flushed. In his own words, it was too hot.

He didn't know that Xie Chen was exactly the same as him. When he raised his arms to hug Song Jiao, he felt that his arms were not his own, and the sweat from his palms was about to wet the rabbit fur on Song Jiao's cloak.

Fortunately, people came and went, and no one noticed them, nor did they see that they had their own thoughts.

The long street is like a river, and the two of them are like small fish about to be burned red by themselves, mixing with the fish and swimming quietly.Fortunately, the lanterns were shining, and the school of fish was dyed red, so that these two little red fishes were not found.

Even later, fireworks were set off in the city. Song Jiao and Xie Chen watched the fireworks and were ready to go back.

The people on the street gradually dispersed, and Xie Chen had no excuse to hold Song Jiao again, but the belts of the two were still entangled.

Song Jiao yawned.

He doesn't care about his image when he's eating, or when he's yawning, only when he's holding hands with Xie Chen.

He shook his head, trying to wake himself up a bit: "Brother Shen."

Xie Chen pressed his hand, he just wanted to take advantage of Song Jiao's yawn and put his finger into his mouth.

He pretended nothing had happened: "What's wrong?"

"After the beginning of spring, the envoys of the Qing Kingdom are going back to the country. Are you going to leave too?"

Xie Shen nodded: "En."

Song Jiao became wilted all of a sudden.

At this time, when we arrived in front of Tianranju's gate, Song Jiaoqiang cheered himself up: "I'll go up to pick up Grandpa and Teacher Tai."

"it is good."

Xie Chen stood still, Song Jiao was about to go upstairs, but he took a step and was dragged back.

Song Jiao turned around, only to find that the belts of the two of them hadn't been untied yet.

He reached out to untie his belt, paused for a moment, then opened his arms and hugged Xie Chen.

"Wait a minute, grandpa is coming down."

As soon as Grandpa Song came down, they couldn't hug him anymore.

Song Jiao simply hugged him, then turned and entered Tianranju.

He went upstairs and stopped in front of the private room door, just about to raise his hand to knock on the door, but suddenly heard something inside.

Song Jiao withdrew his hand, gently pushed the door open a crack, and took a peek inside.

Teacher Tai is still sitting in the original position, but Grandpa is no longer sitting in front of Teacher Tai.

Song Wenxue was sitting beside his teacher, already had a gray-haired head, leaning on Gongyixiu's shoulder, with two lines of tears streaming down his cloudy eyes.

"teacher……"

Just two words, like complaining, more like babbling, expressing all the grievances and bitterness of these years.

Gong Yixiu embraced him, leaning against his head with cheeks full of wrinkles and age spots, patted his shoulder, and comforted him: "Don't cry, don't cry, I don't blame you, you are right."

Gong Yixiu probably smelled Song Jiao's breath, so he glanced out of the door. Song Jiao didn't dare to peek any more, so he took a step back and closed the door softly.

He'd better come back later.

Over the years, Song Wenxue was not afraid of the sky and the earth, and had a bit more heart than the bandits. With a little arrogance, he struggled ashore from the quagmire of being relegated seven times, and sat in the position of the prime minister of Qi.

But even the prime minister of Qi has his own teacher.

When closing the door, Song Jiao heard Teacher Tai's voice, his tone was gentle and soft, but firm: "Go on, ask to learn, don't be afraid, go on."

Song Jiao went downstairs, and when he walked outside Tianranju's door, it suddenly started snowing.

The carriage had already arrived, and Xie Chen was waiting outside the door.

Different from the posture of leaning against the wall with arms folded just now, this time he posed in a calm and reliable posture, so that he could show his reliability in front of Song Jiao's grandfather and Grand Teacher.

Leave Mao Mao to me, absolutely no problem!

But the elders did not come out, only Song Jiao came out.

Xie Chen returned to his original state: "What's wrong?"

"Grandpa and Teacher Tai are still talking, I'll come out and wait for a while."

"Ah."

The guests in Natural Juli also left, and the two stood by the wall at the door, reaching out to catch the snow that fell from the sky, and no one said they wanted to go in to hide from the snow.

The candles in the lanterns in the distance were burned out and flickered, and covered by snow, it looked even more dim.

For the first time in ten years, they were fortunate enough to see the scene after the Lantern Festival ended.

The wind whipped up the blessing charms with red letters and yellow background and the blessing of the avenue, flew across the long street, and disappeared into the night.

Xie Chen and Song Jiao embraced at this moment.

Xie Chen grabbed the fur edge of the cloak with both hands, opened the cloak, and let Song Jiao come in to hide.

Song Jiao stretched his hands in, wrapped his hands around his waist, and leaned against his arms.

Song Jiao exhaled a stream of white air: "Is it really time to leave at the beginning of spring?"

Xie Chen had no choice but to answer: "Yes."

Song Jiao sighed, then raised his head, holding Xie Chen's chin with one hand.

Xie Chen knew what he wanted to do, he didn't show it on his face, only his Adam's apple slid up and down twice.

Song Jiao is 16 years old, and Song Jiao is about to kiss Shen.

Under the cover of the snowy night, the two tentatively approached each other.

The next moment, there was a soft "creak" sound above the two people's heads.

Song Jiao and Xie Chen quickly separated and fled to Tianranju.

Then Grandpa Song's angry voice came: "Come out."

Song Jiao walked out of the eaves carefully, looked up: "... Grandpa, grandpa..."

Grandpa Song wiped away his tears a long time ago and returned to normal. With a straight face, he pressed his hands on the window sill, almost crushing the window sill.

He glanced at Song Jiao, how did you promise grandpa before?You wait for me, and I will teach you a lesson when I go back.

Song Jiao shrank her neck and covered her face with her hands in fear.

Then Gongyixiu's voice came: "Hey, Wenxue, kid, what are you doing so aggressively? I'm going to freak out later."

Grandpa Song said: "Teacher, you don't know, Mao Mao..."

"Isn't it just a kiss? Then you were engaged at the age of 15, and you came to Taixue disguised as a man with that girl..."

Grandpa Song said anxiously: "Teacher!"

Gongyixiu smiled, followed the memory of when he came, touched the wall, and wanted to go downstairs.

"Teacher Tai." Song Jiao hurried up to help him, because Teacher Tai helped him out of the siege, so Mao Mao liked Teacher Tai the most for the time being.

Gongyixiu was still smiling, lowered his head, and asked him softly: "Mamao, have you kissed?"

Song Jiao whispered softer than him: "No, no."

"Come on."

Song Jiao: "...No, no, right?"

Xie Chen: "I will work hard!"

After the Lantern Festival, the days passed quickly.

Qing State handed over all the territory [-] miles north of the Yinma River to Qi State, and with some money, the Qing State envoys also took Li Xu back.

Fearing that Li Xu would be restless on the road and act like a monster again, Mr. Xie asked Xie Chen to send the Qing Kingdom envoys to Yinma River. He was the one who took them over, so it's not surprising that he sent them back.

In order to take care of Teacher Tai, Song Jiao also followed her all the way.

After the threat of force last time, Li Xu knew that Xie Chen couldn't be offended, so he didn't dare to cause trouble along the way, so he stayed alone in the carriage, and went straight into the room when he arrived at the post house, with a bamboo hat on his head, to whom? I didn't pay attention to it, and didn't say a word.

Song Jiao guessed that during this journey, Qing's attendants might not even have seen his face clearly.

This is also peace of mind.

In this way, at the beginning of March, they arrived at the Yinma River.

After crossing the suspension bridge, the Qi** team could not go any further.

Song Jiao and Teacher Tai got out of the carriage, and said goodbye outside Qingguo's city walls: "Teacher Tai, is there someone from Qingguo to pick up Li Xu? You won't be asked to take him back, will you?"

Gong Yixiu shook his head: "No, Your Majesty has spent so much effort just to get him back, and His Majesty will definitely make arrangements at all costs. The memorial has already been sent from the capital, let me take the Seventh Prince to the border first Wait for a while, wait for His Majesty to prepare a few princes, and then send someone to pick them up."

"Well, that's good." Even if it was misunderstood as sowing dissension, Song Jiao had to remind Grand Teacher before parting, "Teacher Tai, Li Xu...is not as good as you think, after you send him back , don’t manage the government of the Qing Dynasty anymore, and continue to live in seclusion.”

Gongyixiu nodded: "Don't worry, I know."

"That's good." Song Jiao thought for a while, "Then Brother Shen and I also live here at the border, and we'll go back after Teacher Tai leaves safely."

"Don't be so troublesome."

"I'm worried, Qingguo..."

Forget it, let's not speak ill of Qingguo.

But Song Jiao couldn't help but asked softly, "Master Tai, didn't you ever think about coming to Qi?"

"How can it be so easy? If your father and mother were still alive back then, your grandfather would not have come over."

"Ok."

In just a few months, although the two have been separated for several generations, they have forgotten their friendship, and their relationship is very good. When they parted, they were a little reluctant.

On the other hand, Li Xu didn't even get out of the carriage, he didn't want to stay in Qi country for a moment, he hurried back, went back to Qing country, he had been waiting for this day for more than ten years.

So he sent someone over to urge.

Gongyixiu patted the back of Song Jiao's hand, and the last words he said were: "If Teacher Tai passes away in a few years..."

Song Jiao wanted to stop him from saying this, but was blocked by his firm tone: "After I pass away, Qingguo will definitely use my death to stir up troubles. No matter what Qingguo says, you and your grandfather and third grandfather , are not allowed to come to Qingguo, not even one of them."

A bad premonition rose in Song Jiao's heart, and he called out: "Teacher Tai..."

Gongyi corrected her expression and said, "Remember, you are not allowed to come."

Song Jiao choked with sobs and nodded: "Okay, I will remember."

After saying this, Gong Yixiu got into the carriage.

The envoys of the Qing Kingdom set out to leave, the gates of the city opened and closed, and the team disappeared inside the gates of the Kingdom of Qing, as if being swallowed by the Kingdom of Qing.

Song Jiao got on the horse and looked at Xie Chen, the two of them turned the horse's head and turned back.

The Qing Kingdom was still in civil strife, and Emperor Qing had high hopes for the Seventh Prince who hadn't returned to the country, so he supported his sick body and wiped out the government and the people with a thunderbolt.

For a time, rivers of blood flowed in the country of Qing, and mourning was everywhere.

Li Xu and the envoys were still living at the border, Emperor Qing asked them to wait for a while, and after he had finished taking care of the court, he sent someone to pick them up.

These days, Song Jiao and Xie Chen are also living at the border.

Song Jiao often sent someone to deliver things to Teacher Tai, and inquired about Qing Guo's news by the way.

On this day, Song Jiao asked someone to deliver some supplements to Teacher Tai, and when the sent person came back, he would report the news to him.

"Li Xu still didn't go out much, just stayed in the room and nothing happened. But I heard that he seemed to bring someone back earlier, I don't know if it's true."

"Bring someone back?"

"The young one doesn't know. Li Xu is like a cat. He hides by day and comes out at night. The people who serve him don't know. How can the young one know?"

"Yeah." Song Jiao thought for a while, and put the matter behind him, he asked again, "How is Teacher Tai? Are you okay?"

"The change of seasons, coupled with running around for days, made me feel uncomfortable. It must be due to the cold. Qing Kingdom has sent people to treat it."

"That's good, what about the supplements? Teacher Tai ate all the ones sent earlier?"

"After eating, Mr. Gongyi please rest assured His Highness, and specially asked me to tell His Highness, no matter what news comes out in the future, never cross the border."

"I see." Song Jiao waved people down.

Xie Chen, who was sitting on the other side of the small couch, said: "He is right, don't worry about him too much, and you must not go to Qing Kingdom."

"I know." Song Jiao frowned, "But I just don't feel relieved, last time the Tai teacher was ill for a long time."

On the border of Qing Kingdom, in the room of Seventh Prince Li Xu.

Li Xu paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.A person sits at the table, sitting upright, flipping through the book with his left hand and copying with his right hand.

Li Xu stopped abruptly, and walked to his side: "Hurry up, write quickly, let's make some real achievements, write a memorial to my father, and let my father look at me with admiration."

"Xiaomin tried his best." But after copying a few more words, the man stopped, "Your Highness..."

Li Xu asked irritably, "What's wrong?"

"But now, His Highness's elder brothers are all eyeing His Highness, and His Highness is going to come forward at this time to carry out reforms at the border, I'm afraid it will attract countless assassins. These days, His Highness is hiding in the carriage and the room, wearing a bamboo hat, Don't dare to let people see His Highness's face clearly, isn't His Highness afraid of this?"

"That……"

"Xiaomin is willing to appear in front of people in the name of His Highness, and assist His Highness to reform."

Li Xu's eyes lit up, and he held his hand: "Thank you very much, since you turned Xie's family upside down, I knew you were talented, Chen Su."

Chen Su smiled in the dark, and held his hand as well.

Li Xu said again: "Chen Su, help me think of a way, Xie Chen and Song Jiao are across the river now, you think of a way to lure them here, if we kill these two people, Father will definitely look at us with admiration, When the time comes, I will be the emperor, and you will be the prime minister."

The smile on Chen Su's face froze, and he said seriously: "Your Highness, I don't want to confront His Highness Song Jiao."

Li Xu immediately turned his face: "What do you mean?"

"Your Highness, Xiaomin just thinks that His Highness Song Jiao...is not suitable to move him. If he is moved, the Emperor of Qi and the Prime Minister will definitely attack Qing. When the time comes, the army of Qi will be brought to suppress the situation. I'm afraid Your Majesty will think that His Highness is acting recklessly. , unbearable."

"That's right, let's not move him for now." Li Xu stood up, "You write the memorial carefully."

Chen Su lowered his head to hide the look in his eyes, and continued to copy, scoffing in his heart, you idiot.

A few days later, one morning, someone came to report to Song Jiao and Xie Chen.

"Your Highness, the Qing Kingdom on the opposite side has hung a white cloth on the top of the city wall."

Song Jiao stood up, walked out the door, and trotted up the tower.

On the opposite tower, there was indeed a white cloth.

Xie Chen instructed others: "Go and check to see if Emperor Qing is dead."

He patted Song Jiao's head: "It won't be Teacher Tai."