Tanhualang

The day after Lu Meng and Shen Jing mentioned the Huaihe River fortification, Fang Wei, a scholar of the Imperial Academy, called Shen Jing over: "The Holy Lord ordered the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Households, and the Imperial Academy to inspect the dredging of the Huai River together. You were born in the south of the Yangtze River, and you are more familiar with customs and customs. If you are familiar with them, go with them."

After listening to Shen Jing, she was surprised and said, "Master Fang, when will we leave? I still have the paperwork for the exchange of salt and grain to be completed."

"You don't have to worry about that, I have already told Master Hong." Fang Wei said, "Master Hong also agreed, you just need to explain it to him as soon as possible."

Seeing that Shen Jing was still hesitant, he said again: "You can accept the order with peace of mind. Your majesty ordered you to go."

Shen Jing had no choice but to salute: "...Yes."

Fang Wei nodded: "I don't have to be on duty these few days if I have nothing to do, just pack up at home and leave immediately after the Ministry of Industry sets the schedule. Huaihe fortification is not a trivial matter, and this trip may be delayed half a year in March."

If it was said that Shen Jing didn't understand why the Holy Majesty asked him to go to Huaihe just now, then after hearing Fang Wei's words, he understood a little bit.

If I didn't guess wrong, this should be... I want to separate him from Zhao Heng.

Although he knew that he would leave soon, Shen Jing didn't expect it to be so soon. The next day, Zhou Yunzhi, the head of the Ministry of Industry, came to inform Shen Jing that he would leave in two days.

On the first day, Shen Jing spent the whole day, together with Zhou Yunzhi, collecting many books and articles about the geography and folk customs of the Huaihe River in the library of the Imperial Academy, and did not return home until late at night.

The next day, Shen Jing still went to work, and spent another half a day handing over the documents and files for Yanyin to exchange grain with Hong Zeming.After noon, I asked for leave and returned home, and simply packed my bags.Fang Wei, an academician of the Imperial Academy, and Zhuo Dajiang, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, led colleagues from the Ministry of Industry and the Imperial Academy to practice for Zhou Yunzhi and Shen Jing.

After the banquet was over, he drank quietly and was slightly drunk, and made an appointment with Zhou Yunzhi for departure tomorrow, and was sent back home by Lu Meng.

It's getting late.He watched Lu Meng see him off, but he stood at the gate of the courtyard, hesitant to enter the house.

There was a sycamore tree in the alley outside the door. He wandered back and forth in the alley, finally stood under the sycamore tree, and took out the fan with the jade pendant from his sleeve.

Since Zhao Heng got angry that night, the two haven't seen each other for several days.I don't know if Zhao Heng knew about his going south?

Thinking of the reason why she was sent to the south of the Yangtze River by the Holy Spirit, Shen Jing felt uneasy.I don't know when he came back from Jiangnan, would Zhao Heng have already decided on the candidate for the princess and the date of marriage?

Thinking of this, Shen Jing only felt that her heart was very blocked because of drinking too much wine.He walked back and forth in the alley a few more times, but he didn't feel brisk at all, and finally took advantage of the slight moonlight and staggered to the outside of the alley.

At the beginning of July, there is only a crescent moon in the sky, but it is clear and bright, illuminating the entire night sky like a bright blue gem.Many people outside were sitting on the side of the street, taking advantage of the moonlight to cool off with fans, and occasionally children ran around and frolicked.

Shen Jing stopped and walked for an unknown amount of time before finally arriving in front of Prince Yu's Mansion.

The concierge recognized him a long time ago, and hurriedly greeted him: "Mr. Shen is here?"

Yu.

Hee.

alone.

Family.

Shen Jing returned the salute, and asked with a smile: "Is Your Highness in the mansion?"

A doorman who was familiar with Shen Jing smiled and said: "Mr. Shen came to see His Highness? It's a bit of a coincidence. His Highness just went out, and he only left for a quarter of an hour."

Shen Jing couldn't help but felt a sense of loss in her heart, paused, and asked again: "Then do you know where your Highness has gone and when will you come back?"

"I really don't know about this." After the doorman finished speaking, he smiled courteously and asked Shen Jing inside, "If Mr. Shen is not in a hurry, why don't you go in and wait. I'll go and tell Butler Qin right away."

Shen Jing hesitated for a while, then nodded: "You don't have to disturb Butler Qin, I'll just sit here and wait."

Menzi smiled and said, "Okay. Then I'll make you a pot of tea."

Before Shen Jing could refuse, the door had already trotted in.Another younger child invited Shen Jing into the door and asked him to sit on the stone stool inside the door.After a while, Menzi came with a teapot and bowl, sat down with Shen Jing, and poured tea for him: "I don't have any good tea here. Mr. Shen just drink it."

The two sat for a while, drank a few bowls of tea, and then found out that this guy was Deng Hu, who used to be a guard in Zhao Heng's camp, and fought with Zhao Heng in Gansu.Deng Hu was familiar with Xiaoyou, and later he injured his left hand in a war, so Xiaoyou asked him to work as a porter in the mansion.

As they chatted, Deng Hu knew that Shen Jing was Tanhua Lang, so he began to ask Shen Jing how to teach his children to read: "The child at home is eight years old, and he has been studying in school for two or three years, but he has not improved. The master told him I think he can't memorize books, and he's always lazy. I don't know how Mr. Shen studied when he was a child?"

Shen Jing was a little dazed after hearing this.

When he was young, he didn't like reading at first, but he never had any trouble reciting. At first he had to recite it five or six times. Later, when he got older, he could often complete the recitation after only two times.

However, these experiences cannot be said.He didn't dare to point out casually and mislead his son, so he thought for a long time and said: "If you can rest assured, you can bring the child to me some other day when you have time. I will test the teacher to find out why."

Deng Hu was overjoyed when he heard this: "Then I would like to thank Mr. Shen first! With the guidance of you, Tanhualang, I will be able to make great progress!"

Shen Jing smiled and said: "Don't expect too much. Those who know how to read may not necessarily know how to teach."

Deng Hu smiled and said: "Dangtang Tanhualang, how bad can he be? After all, he is better than the old master in their school who failed the exam for many years, right?"

The two just chatted with each other.

As the time got later and later, a crescent moon gradually approached the sky, but Zhao Heng never came back.

Quiet's drunkenness gradually subsided, and she wanted to get up and say goodbye several times, but she hesitated, telling herself in her heart: "Wait a little longer, maybe I'll be back."

However, several times, Zhao Heng never returned.

Seeing Shen Jing looking up at the position of the moon several times, Deng Hu knew that he was impatient to wait, so he got up and looked outside the gate, and when he came in, he said to Shen Jing: "My lord rarely comes back so late. Wait a minute, Mr. Shen. I went to the backyard to see if I came back from the side door."

Shen Jing nodded and said, "Thank you."

After a while Deng Hu came back and said apologetically, "Your Highness has not returned yet."

It was almost three o'clock, and Shen Jing looked up to see the crescent moon in the middle of the sky, stood up and said with a smile: "I have to get up early tomorrow, so I won't wait."

Deng Hu couldn't keep him either: "Mr. Shen, if you're not in a hurry, why don't you come back tomorrow?"

"I have business to go out for a while, and I will start tomorrow." Shen Jing said out of the door, but then remembered, turned back to Deng Hu and said: "I don't know when I will come back. If you want to bring Young Master Ling to me, maybe Have to wait for a while."

"It doesn't matter. It's not a matter of three or two months to study anyway. I'll wait for as long as it takes." Deng Hu smiled, "Mr. Shen, walk slowly. Have a safe journey."

Shen Jing thanked her with a smile, turned around, and couldn't hold back her smile anymore.

There has been no recent commotion in the north.I don't know why Zhao Heng is so busy?

There are few pedestrians on the road.Shen Jing walked alone on the empty street, wondering if it was because she drank too much wine, she just felt a dull pain in her heart.

It took him two or three quarters of an hour to stop and go, before he finally arrived home.

The high wall in the short street cast a dim moon shadow on the ground, Shen Jing walked along the wall, stood in the shadow, looked up at the empty bowl of crescent moon in the sky, and slowly forced back the astringency in the corner of his eyes , and then walked into the alley again.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the alley, he heard the sound of horseshoes outside.Shen Jing was startled when she heard the voice, stopped in her tracks, and looked back, only then did she feel that her heart, which had been hanging all night, finally fell back into the distance.

Zhao Heng got off his horse, handed the reins to Wei Zheng, with a sullen face, striding towards Shen Jing.

When he arrived in front of Shen Jing, he stopped, looked down at him, and said with a sullen face: "The door said you have been waiting for me for a long time. What's the matter?"

Shen Jing couldn't help but bend the corner of her mouth, raised her head and smiled at him: "It's nothing."

After a pause, he said softly: "Tomorrow morning, I will go south to inspect the fortifications of the Huaihe River with the Ministry of Industry... I wanted to talk to His Highness, but I didn't expect His Highness to be busy with business, so he never returned."

Zhao Heng looked down at Shen Jing, shook his head for a long time and sighed with a smile: "...there are two fools."

Shen Jing looked at him suspiciously.

Zhao Heng raised his hand to embrace him, and whispered in his ear, "...I've been staying in your yard tonight, waiting for you to come back."

Actually changed places and waited for each other all night?

Shen Jing was taken aback when she heard this, and then felt that her heart, which had been empty all night, was instantly filled with joy and tenderness, and it was almost overflowing.

He put his hand on Zhao Heng's back and hugged him, patted him lightly, and said with a helpless smile: "Should it be said that we two have no understanding?"

Zhao Heng corrected him in dissatisfaction: "It should be because of a tacit understanding and coincidence."

He quietly smiled and said "hmm".

The two hugged each other quietly for a moment, not knowing what to say for a while.It took a while to let go of each other, Zhao Heng caressed Shen Jing's cheek, pinched his ear tip lightly, and complained in a low voice: "Shen Jing, you are so cruel. I bet that I won't come to see you, Don't you know how to coax me? If you didn't want to go out this far, I'm afraid you wouldn't see me. "

Shen Jing replied with a helpless smile: "I am stupid. I will remember in the future, if His Highness gets angry again, I will go to coax His Highness early, how about it?"

Hearing this, Zhao Heng couldn't help smiling and lowering his head, lingering on his lips, he raised his head after a long time, and said word by word: "The weather in Jiangnan is hot now, you don't have to hurry, the most important thing is to take care of your health. Don't get caught in the heat."

Shen Jing listened and nodded: "I'm not the only one, Mr. Zhuo and Mr. Zhou, the ministers of the Ministry of Industry, are also going. There are many followers. Don't worry, Your Highness."

"It's best to go to the official post for accommodation. Food, clothing, housing and transportation on the road, especially the things you enter, you should be more careful."

Shen Jing nodded with a smile again: "I have written it all down. Does Your Highness have any instructions?"

Normally, Zhao Heng never waited on others, and he was always served by others, so he thought about it for a long time, and didn't know what to order. He paused, and then said in a low voice: "Also, this journey It's far away, I don't know if it's three months or five months, even if it's inconvenient to write letters, you still have to miss me all the time, don't forget me one day."

Shen Jing couldn't help laughing when she heard the words, but her heart felt hot.After laughing, he lowered his head, took out a jade pendant from his sleeve, took Zhao Heng's hand, and put the jade pendant on it: "His Royal Highness's birthday is coming. I don't know what to give, this jade token expresses my heart, Your Highness Please take it."

"Gu also prepared a gift for you, but I can't bring it to you... Let's see it when you come back from Jiangnan." Zhao Heng raised his hand, and under the faint moonlight, he could barely see a white jade tablet in his palm. , the top was clean, and he asked, "Is this safe and sound?"

"En." Shen Jing replied, looking at Zhao Heng, "May Your Highness be safe and healthy, and everything will go smoothly, every year will have today, and every year will have today."

After speaking, he raised his head, and for the first time took the initiative to kiss the corner of Zhao Heng's lips.

Zhao Heng was agitated by his actions, but he had no choice but to hold the jade card in his palm, and then hugged Shen Jing tightly into his arms, and said in a low voice: "I only wish that I can stay with you every day , year after year, day and night."