Tanhualang

The carriage moved slowly again.

Amidst the sound of the rumbling wheels, Shen Jing said slowly: "If you are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish. If you are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish?"

Zhao Heng insisted: "Gu only asks what you think."

Shen Jing calmly said: "If your Highness asks me, then I will tell you a few words of sincerity. If you compare a person's life to a road, then... this is a fork in life, and the small road is especially rough and difficult. Being in it, one If you are not careful, you will fall into the abyss, and you will never recover."

Zhao Heng lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Continue."

"Ordinary couples, with the orders of their parents, the words of the matchmaker, the love of the elders, and the children at their knees, I don't know how many times they turned against each other and ended up with no good death. What's more like this... there are acquaintances who violate morality and disregard human relations."

Zhao Heng: "..."

Shen Jing said again: "Even though love comes from the heart, it's best to end with courtesy. Otherwise, for this, you will be accused by thousands of people, reviled by thousands of people, ridiculed by the world, blamed by relatives and friends... As time goes by, even How much sincerity and sincerity have been wiped away."

Zhao Heng said: "Looking at Uncle Wang and Zhou Zuojun alone, they live happily and freely."

Shen Jing listened, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "Does the Prince of Anshun have a family?"

Zhao Heng said: "...Yes."

After a pause, he continued: "He's a clan member, and he's the only son. Even for his parents and sisters... it's impossible not to marry a wife and have children."

"Where is Master Zhou Zuojun?"

"It seems that...he has never married a wife."

Shen Jing lowered her eyes and said: "Mr. Zhou may not want to deceive people. Or he may be sincere to the county prince."

Then he said softly: "Your Highness, do you know love? The deeper the love, the greater the responsibility. Give all your heart, but you have to be alone all the time, watching that person marry a wife and have children, enjoying the family relationship... What kind of feeling is this? ? If the Duke of the County really values ​​Mr. Zhou very much, but seeing him suffer so much, how would it feel? With such a close relationship, it would be better...to be safe and forget each other in the rivers and lakes."

Zhao Heng was silent.

The carriage moved forward, and the two remained silent.

When approaching Prince Yu's mansion, Shen Jing tentatively said: "...There is something that I would like to talk to His Highness."

Zhao Heng recovered from his contemplation: "Speak."

"Thanks to His Highness's grace, I have been living in the palace. I have taken care of food, clothing, housing and transportation. But recently, old friends often come to visit, and I dare not invite them to the door rashly, for fear of disturbing the quietness of the mansion." Shen Jing did not dare to look up at Zhao Heng's face. Looking at her eyes, she said slowly, "Besides, it's not a rule to always bother in the mansion. So I thought about finding a day before the year... to move out of the palace."

Zhao Heng listened and said nothing.

Shen Jing lowered her eyes, clasped her sleeves with both hands, and sweat gradually broke out in her palms.

The carriage walked for a while and stopped in front of Prince Yu's Mansion.

But Zhao Heng still sat upright on it, didn't say a word, and didn't get up.

Shen Jing also sat there, motionless.

After a while, Zhao Heng stood up slowly: "...That's fine. But don't worry, ask Xiaoyou to help you look after it, and slowly find a suitable place to live."

"...Thank you, Your Highness."

Shen Jing stood up, bent over, and from the corner of her eye saw Zhao Heng lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, striding towards the main entrance of the palace, and then got out of the carriage slowly.

Wrapped in a cloak, he went to the west courtyard alone, thinking about something while walking.

Zhao Heng agreed to move out of the palace, which is a good thing.When you go back, you should talk to Xiao You first, then pack up your things and look for a suitable place to live. It doesn't matter if it's good or not, the important thing is to be quick.It is best not to take away all the rewards and valuables from the palace, just keep them here.

Shen Jing walked slowly while thinking in her heart.

This was supposed to be a great thing that should make him breathe a sigh of relief, but for some reason, he felt a wave of panic and confusion in his heart.When I returned to the palace from Nanjing, I felt joyful and stable, but now it is empty, I only feel a gust of cool wind pouring into my chest, and I feel like I have become a homeless person again.

From time to time, the back of Zhao Heng wrapped in a cloak and striding towards the spacious vermilion gate of the palace flashed before his eyes.

However, Shen Jing could tell the difference between the serious and the serious, and when he went back, he told Xiaoyou about moving out that night, and asked him to help find a place outside.

Xiao You could not have agreed more simply, but within three or two days, he asked someone to inquire and selected three or four yards.I took an afternoon and went to see it myself with Shen Jing.

Xiao You originally preferred a location closest to the Deyu Palace. The yard is large, there are many houses, and everything is brand new. It is convenient to go out for shopping, and there is a small garden.

However, Shen Jing fell in love with another place, the location was a little bit off, and the house was a little dilapidated, but there were five or six rooms in the main house and the east and west wing, only a slightly spacious patio in the middle of the yard, not even a back yard.But this house is small and square, the advantage is that it is very secluded, and the price is also low.

Shen Jing used the excuse that she loves Jing, and decided to settle down that small courtyard.Xiao You persuaded him for a long time, feeling that Shen Jing was only trying to take advantage of it, and even said that she lent him money to buy a house, but Shen Jing never let go.

After all, it was Shen Jing's place to live, so Xiaoyou couldn't say anything more, so he groaned angrily, helped Shen Jing negotiate the price with the seller, and handed over the house the next day.

After the house is handed over, it's tidied up.

Shen Jing wanted to simply clean up and live in it.Xiao You refused to agree no matter what, and invited a carpenter and bricklayer with great fanfare, and started to renovate his yard with great fanfare.

Shen Jing declined again and again, and Xiao You finally moved Zhao Heng out: "Your Highness said, let me keep an eye out for you and choose a good place to live. If you refuse again, it will make it impossible for me to do business."

As soon as Zhao Heng was moved out, Shen Jing suddenly lost his temper.

Obviously he has no reason, even if he moved out of Prince Yu's Mansion, if Zhao Heng is called in the mansion sooner or later, he must always be there; the affection owed in the past can still be repaid in the same way.

... But for some reason, Shen Jing always felt guilty when facing Zhao Heng.

Speaking of which, it has been more than ten days since I came back from appreciating plum blossoms on the mountain and I was looking for a house, and I haven't met Zhao Heng.

Zhao Heng seemed to be deliberately avoiding Shen Jing, even if he had any orders, he asked Xiaoyou to send a message to Shen Jing.

Shen Jing naturally knew why in her heart, but Xiao You, who has always been keen, didn't notice it, and only thought that Zhao Heng was understanding of Shen Jing's busy moving.

At this moment, Cao Feng sent an invitation to Prince Yu's mansion, inviting Zhao Heng, Xiao You, Wei Zheng, Shen Jing and others to come over the mansion for a gathering.

Shen Jing heard what Xiao You said, and was a little surprised: "Could it be that Governor Cao wants to avenge his drunkenness last time?"

"Give him ten guts and still dare to avenge His Highness? He's so powerful. The banquet is to clean up Grandpa Ding." Xiao You said with a smile, "Grandpa Ding has been summoned to Beijing by the emperor, it seems that he has some important business."

"So that's the case. It turns out that Master Cao and Master Ding are also acquainted?"

After listening to the explanation, Xiao You said: "That can't be more familiar. Although we are familiar with Grandpa Ding, we are not as good as him. Cao Feng respected Grandpa Ding for tea in those days, and recognized him as a leader. Dad."

Only after Shen Jing heard the words did he understand.

Eunuchs and eunuchs usually have no wives and no children, but many people are afraid that they will be left alone when they grow old, so it is very common to recognize godfathers as godsons. .

"Then this banquet must go." Shen Jing originally thought that it would be awkward to meet Zhao Heng, but in this way, he had to go if he didn't go. At that time, Ding Bao taught him carefully in many things in Nanjing. Teacher Zhiyi; in addition, Xue Yin, the magistrate of Suzhou, was also helped by Ding Bao.Goodbye now, not only have to go, but also have to prepare a thick thank you gift.

"Go, go, you have to go!" Xiaoyou said with a smile, "There is no banquet hosted by Cao Feng that is more lively than his. Don't think he is a bit festive, but he has restrained himself outside. He is really really in his own home." There are no taboos, and there are no female relatives in the family, so there are no scruples, and you can play any tricks! You will never regret going to his banquet, I don’t know what to do!"

Therefore, at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, when the second snowfall of winter fell, Shen Jing followed Zhao Heng, Xiao You and others to the reception banquet organized by Cao Feng for Ding Bao.

This banquet was not without excitement.

Although Cao Feng is an eunuch, he is very careless and free-spirited; in addition, he once supervised the army in the northwest and led the army to fight against the Tartars, so he also has a rare heroic spirit.

He loves drinking, listening to operas, and being lively.In addition, in order to appease the temper of the old man Ding Bao, the theater troupe and juggling troupe were specially invited for this banquet.

Everyone sat down at the table, Zhao Heng was on the guest seat, and his identity was on display, so everyone made a toast to him first, and then Zhao Heng led the people to toast to Ding Bao.The two rounds of wine started, Cao Feng got up and ordered people to set up a fire in court, and got a whole sheep to roast the mutton.

Drinking and eating mutton made it even more lively.

The banquet here is lively, and a table has been set up in the yard over there.First, the juggling troupe performed a set of acrobatics, and then the opera troupe started singing with gongs and drums. It really was very lively and noisy.

I must be happy if I am happy, but Ding Bao is getting old after all, and he will not be able to hold on for a long time. After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food, and two folds of the play, he stood up tremblingly and smiled at Zhao Heng. Retire: "His Royal Highness, please be happy, the servant is a little bit unable to hold on, so I will go down for a rest first."

Hearing this, Cao Feng immediately got up to send him back to the backyard to rest, but Zhao Heng also stood up: "I'm a little tired too. I just went with Ding Lao to have a quiet time. Xiaoyou drinks two more glasses here, so I will act as a substitute." I'm so lonely. Wei Zheng can help Mr. Ding."

So Cao Feng hurriedly led the way and took Zhao Heng and Ding Bao to the backyard.

Because Shen Jing hasn't seen Zhao Heng for many days, she has been a little restless tonight, and even the food and drinks on the table are boring, so she just keeps looking at Zhao Heng's expression quietly.

However, Zhao Heng has always been happy and angry. Although today is lively, he still has the dignified and solemn expression of the past. He has never seen anything.Seeing Zhao Heng get up and leave the table at this time, although he was three points relaxed, he was also a little absent-minded.

Looking at Zhao Heng's situation, he probably listened to what he said in the carriage that day... If it is true, this is the best...

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw that Cao Feng had already sent Zhao Heng and Ding Bao off. He laughed and went back to the hall where the banquet was held. : "Go down! I'm happy today, let me sing a song for you!"

Shen Jing: "..."

Xiao You came over quietly with a smile: "It's started, it's started, watch carefully, Cao Feng is in a good mood! I don't know who will be unlucky to be dragged by him to make a fuss today."

Before the words fell, Cao Feng looked around the audience one by one, pointed at Shen Jing and Xiao You and said, "Didn't Shen Jing stay in the troupe before? Hurry up and Xiao You! Come and sing with me Really remember!"