Tanhualang

At the end of the twelfth lunar month, when the new year was about to come, Zhao Heng personally escorted the grain and grass, and set off for Gansu.

Xiaoyou and Wei Zheng accompanied him.

On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, after Shen Jing heard the news, she went to Zhao Heng to ask to accompany her: "If I go with you, if your Highness feels unwell, you can take care of me."

Zhao Heng rejected it face to face: "No need, there is an imperial physician accompanying you. After you leave alone, you will be in charge of all the Chinese documents in the palace, big and small."

Shen Jing still wanted to argue, but Zhao Heng looked up at him: "It's inconvenient for you to be by Gu's side."

Shen Jing was taken aback for a moment, then looked up at Zhao Heng.

Zhao Heng looked away, "You know all the clerical affairs in the mansion, so I won't say much; butler Qin will remind you about trivial matters, and if you don't know, just ask. For outside matters, if you have any questions, ask them." Ding Bao and Sun Ping, still unable to make a decision, wrote directly to Gansu."

After a pause, he continued: "If you find it inconvenient to go back and forth, you can temporarily move back to the mansion for a while."

Shen Jing lowered her eyes and agreed: "Got it."

Zhao Heng waved his hand: "Go. The brigade will set out before dawn tomorrow. It's too cold, so you don't have to come and see it off."

Shen Jing saluted silently, turned around and came out of Zhao's study, and walked slowly to the west courtyard.

In the middle of winter and the twelfth lunar month, the north wind cut his face like a knife, but he didn't realize it.

Quiet and belatedly realized one thing: Zhao Heng and him will never be the same again.

Although the trust is still there, the incident after drinking that time was like a knife, piercing a hole in the former friendship.Although both of them were careful to pretend that the hole didn't exist and avoid it, the fact that it existed couldn't be ignored or escaped.

Already arrived at the gate of Xiaoxi Courtyard, but Shen Jing didn't go in.He stood at the gate of the yard, silently staring at the apricot tree under the window of the west wing in a daze.

This is the place where he stood when he entered Prince Yu's Mansion for the first time.

It was also under that tree that Zhao Heng came to him to play chess and talk about chess records.I once stood under this tree and begged him for bean paste cakes.

Time flies, and I don't realize it has been a year.

During this year, looking back, the scene that I think of the most is not the daily chatter with Xiao You, but the occasional time with Zhao Heng: playing chess, talking about books, and occasionally joking.

Although Xiaoyou is well-informed and honest, he takes good care of him.Zhao Heng has a deep personality and doesn't talk much, and occasionally he only speaks a few words, but his good insights, broad horizons, superb chess skills, and profound knowledge make him, who is also a book reader, feel more self-conscious. I am overwhelmed by the admiration in my heart.

I don't know if it's because of Zhao Heng's deepness, or because things happened too slowly, let nature take its course.Although he had always boasted that he was good at observing words and expressions, he didn't even realize that Zhao Heng had such thoughts about him?

Or maybe it was just because things were so unexpected, no matter how much I thought about it, I never imagined that His Royal Highness King Yu, who is so powerful and aloof, would have such an eye for a commoner like himself... so that he was defenseless and at a loss. It made things develop into such a... difficult dilemma.

He was in a trance when he suddenly heard Xiao You calling him: "Hey! It's such a cold day, why are you standing outside with hair?"

Shen Jing snapped back to her senses, looked up and saw Xiao You was standing at the gate of the west courtyard, waving to him: "Bewitched? The wind is blowing on the wind, don't come in quickly, what are you thinking?"

"It's nothing." Shen Jing entered the room and took off the cloak, only to realize that her face was frozen and she could hardly speak.He warmed his hands after taking the hot tea handed over by Xiao You, and then pressed his palms to his cheeks for a while before he managed to warm himself up, "Your Highness... don't let me go to Gansu together."

"It's right not to go. You don't know how cold it is in Gansu at this time. I'm afraid your body won't be able to bear the pain." Xiao You added some tea for him, "And His Highness told you to stay in the mansion , must also have his considerations. You just obey."

Putting down the teapot, he handed Shen Jing a few more pieces of letter paper: "I've thought about it for the past two days. The recent things in the mansion that need attention have been listed above. Butler Qin and Xiao Tong are here, so you just follow along." .”

Shen Jing took it and read it once, then put it aside after reading it, and listened to Xiao You's instructions one by one while holding a cup of tea and drinking it slowly.

After a while, Xiaoyou raised his hand and waved in front of his eyes: "What's wrong with you today? Why are you always distracted?"

Shen Jing looked back from the void: "...No."

"No?" Xiaoyou snorted coldly, "Then what did I just say?"

Shen Jing paused, opened his mouth, and recited everything listed on the piece of paper just now.He has never forgotten reading since he was a child, and these few pieces of paper are naturally not a problem.

After hearing a few words, Xiaoyou waved his hands angrily: "Okay. Since you are tired of hearing it, I will stop nagging."

Shen Jing said apologetically, "Don't be angry. Just now I... have something on my mind."

Xiao You glanced at him, sighed and persuaded: "Your Highness has his own considerations and calculations for making such an arrangement. Why do you have to follow, it's hard for him, but also hard for yourself?"

Shen Jing's face froze.

Xiaoyou said this, it is clear that there is something in the words.

Shen Jing held the tea bowl, the two of them were silent for a long while, then Shen Jing whispered: "You...you know everything?"

Xiaoyou shook her head slightly: "I don't know anything."

Shen Jing let out a long sigh: "Since that's the case. To tell you the truth, I was standing at the gate of the courtyard just now, thinking about something."

He put the tea bowl on the table, and said softly: "The spring exam next year, I think... I will try it next time."

Staying in the palace, looking up and bowing with Zhao Heng, this cautiousness is in vain embarrassment.If you can become an official in the court, think about what Cao Feng said during the meal that day, it might be another way to go.

Xiao You glanced at Shen Jing: "Did you pay attention to what Cao Feng said that day? You have to think about this matter carefully."

After a pause, he sighed softly and said, "Whether that road is good or not is up for debate. Just one thing: Your Highness has never made friends with civil servants. If you become an official in the court... from now on, you will really be strangers to Your Highness." .”

Shen Jing was silent for a while, and said: "Don't worry, I will never disappoint His Highness's kindness to me. I will think about it carefully... Don't tell others for the time being. Just have an idea in your heart."

Xiaoyou agreed with a sigh.The two drank tea for a while, chatted a few trivial words, and Shen Jing rested in the palace that night.

Although Zhao Heng didn't ask him to get up to see him off, Shen Jing still got up early the next day.

It was pitch black outside, and the guards at the gate of the mansion were already in formation, ready to go.The leading guard held a torch to light the road, the slight north wind blew the flames swaying, and the banners of the palace fluttered.

Wrapped in a cloak, Shen Jing stood at the foot of the stone steps in front of Prince Yu's Mansion with Qin Steward and other servants, silently watching Zhao Heng, Xiao You, and Wei Zheng who were dressed in military uniforms mount their horses one by one.

Wei Zheng cleaned up the team in a low voice, and looked at Zhao Heng.

Zhao Heng turned his head and glanced at the door, then waved his hand without saying a word.

The neat queue left the gate of the palace, and amidst the sound of hooves, the brigade gradually moved away.

Zhao Heng has been away for four months.

But in just four months, there were many twists and turns in the middle.Although Shen Jing is safe and sound in the mansion, but because of the military newspaper in the northwest, he is always uneasy.At the beginning of the first month, the entire capital was immersed in the excitement of the New Year, but he alone could hardly swallow the military situation in the northwest.

Zhao Heng was besieged by the Tatars several times. Although he finally defeated the opponent, he was unable to counterattack the opponent in depth because of the shortage of food and grass in Gansu.

Sun Ping and Ding Bao dealt with the Ministry of Households many times in the court, and finally the emperor was furious, and finally allocated grain and grass from Tongzhou to Gansu, barely relieving the urgent need.

Fortunately, at the end of February, Xi Wei found a way to raise a large amount of food, grass and cloth from rich merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and transported them to Gansu by land.With sufficient food and grass as the backing, March was green and yellow, which was the most rampant time of the year for the Tartars. Zhao Heng mobilized troops from Ningxia, deployed them carefully, and severely beat the Tartars who violated the border by surprise. win all.

It was already the end of March when the news reached the capital, and the government and the people were all excited.

Shen Jing also breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the military newspaper of the long-awaited victory and the news that Zhao Heng would return to Beijing, and then got busy again.

After the news of the great victory, Prince Yu's Mansion received countless posts one after another, including congratulations, greetings, and letters.Shen Jing looked at them one by one, and if it didn't matter, they stayed for a while, and if it was important, they quickly sent it to Gansu, and Zhao Heng personally looked at it.

During the day, he was busy with official affairs in the mansion, and when he returned to the west courtyard at night, he had to turn on the lamp to study and prepare for the exam.

Since Zhao Heng left, he has been reading every day without stopping for a single day.

After repeated consideration, Shen Jing has made up her mind and is preparing to take the spring test in May.

Originally, the time was in March, but he felt that the time was too late, so he wanted to give up.However, due to the tense war in the north this year, the Ministry of Rites and the Tatars continued to negotiate, so the Holy Majesty personally decreed that the time for the spring test was postponed to May.

As soon as the imperial decree came out, Shen Jing made up her mind without hesitation, and studied harder.

Because of this, he studied every night until the third watch, and his whole body lost a lot of weight.Fortunately, I had a solid foundation when I was young, and the reading and articles in the middle were not wasted. Now I just revisit it, so I am improving day by day.

At the beginning of April, it was late spring.It was already warm during the day, but still a bit cool at night.

The apricot blossoms in front of the window, from budding to full of flowers, are now only a few scattered, floating on the top of the fresh green, looking extraordinarily pure and lovely.

In recent days, the spring rains have been continuous, and the moss has grown again in the yard, which is moist.

Shen Jing read enough books under the lamp, got up and stood in the yard for a while, looked up and counted the apricot blossoms on the tip, then went back to the house, sat down at the table, and concentrated on the book.

There were faint sounds of doors opening and footsteps in the courtyard, but the silence was deaf.It wasn't until there was a light knock on the door that he came back to his senses from the book, rubbed his neck and raised his head, and said softly, "Here we come."

Xiao Tong knew that he was burning the lamp to read at night, so he would not disturb him easily, but occasionally he would kindly order the chef to bring some supper.

Holding the candlestick in hand, Shen Jing stood up and faced the door.

I thought it was a little boy who came in, but when he opened the door, it was actually Zhao Heng standing at the door wrapped in a cloak, with a dusty body all over his body.

Shen Jing let go of her hand in shock, the candlestick fell to the ground, and the flames were extinguished.

In the darkness of the night, facing the tall figure at the door, he was silent for a long time before murmuring: "...Your Highness."

We haven't seen each other for only three or four months, but it's been as long as three years.

He was about to bend down to pick up the candle, but in the darkness, Zhao Heng grabbed his sleeve, pulled him close, and embraced him forcefully.

Shen Jingzai's eyes widened in shock, and she forgot to struggle.

In the endless darkness, nothing can be seen.

Only Zhao Heng's dusty aura lingers on Shen Jing's nose, and the warm hand on his back, and Zhao Heng's affectionate and low sigh that rings in his ears: "... Miao An."

"I'm so lonely... Miss you."