Tanhualang

It was late when we returned to the yard.

Xiaozhou fell asleep on the way, and was carried out of the carriage by Shen Jing.As soon as he entered the house, Cao Xiaoyu, who was waiting for the two of them, took Xiaozhou over and complained in a low voice: "Ah Jing, you spoil him too much. Four or five-year-old children don't know what to do, so don't let him go." He made a fuss."

Shen Jing smiled indifferently, but stopped her: "Sister, I have a few words. Put down the boat and come to the study."

Cao Xiaoyu nodded and went, Shen Jing went back to her room, changed her clothes, and then went to the study.

After a while, Cao Xiaoyu came to the study with a bowl of soup: "Drink some soup to relieve the bar."

"Thank you big sister." Shen Jing took the soup, drank it slowly, put down the bowl, looked up and said, "My friend Yu Xianggong, big sister met him. He just bought a house in the capital. When I was having dinner tonight, I heard He said that a colleague had a small yard that he wanted to sell for cash and exchange it for a bigger yard. The house in that yard was also clean and tidy, not far from here, just a few steps away; not far from the Yamen, I went back and forth It's also more convenient."

After a pause, he said again: "I have entrusted him to help me find out, and the yard will be settled in the next year. At that time, eldest sister, I will take Xiaomeng to live there."

Cao Xiaoyu listened, nodded and said slowly: "I know that Xiao Zhou and I are here to cause you trouble."

Shen Jing waved his hand and said: "We don't need to say such kind words. If you weren't here, I'm afraid I might not have survived this illness. Can you see that I thanked you?"

Cao Xiaoyu nodded with a smile.Shen Jing said again: "I thought that if Xiaomeng and I moved away, you and Xiaozhou would be here alone, and I was a little worried. Two days ago, I asked my colleagues for a reliable person. When the time comes, you will choose A girl who is pleasing to the eye. Keep someone by your side, and take care of everything."

Cao Xiaoyu nodded and said: "It's hard for you to be thoughtful. I'm afraid it will cost you a lot of money to do these things. I still have some savings, you—"

Shen Jing shook her head and said with a smile: "You don't need to worry about that big sister. As long as you think it's okay, then I will do as I want. There is one more thing——"

He hesitated for a while, and felt that these words were a little difficult to say, but he still asked awkwardly: "I don't mean anything else by asking this, elder sister, please don't blame me. Brother Pan...has been here for several years, and elder sister is alone Alone, after all, it doesn't seem like that-"

"Ah Jing." Cao Xiaoyu understood what he meant, and interrupted him, "I don't have any other thoughts in my life. I only hope that Xiao Zhou can grow up safely, and I am very content."

Shen Jing nodded: "I understand."

After speaking, he stood up: "Then I'll go back. Eldest sister also rested earlier."

When he reached the door, he turned around and said, "Sister, don't keep sewing until midnight. If you hurt your eyes, it won't be worth it."

In a blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve.

When she got up early in the morning, Cao Xiaoyu cut the red paper and asked Shen Jing to write couplets.After Shen Jing finished writing the couplets, she took a small boat and pasted the couplets on door by door.Then I went out with Xiaozhou and bought two pairs of red lanterns. When I came back, one pair was in front of the door and the other pair was in the yard. They were decorated with joy.

After pasting up the couplets, Shen Jing hugged the boat again and specially went to invite Lu Meng.Because of the long journey, Lu Meng did not go home, and spent the new year alone in the capital.Shen Jing went to invite him, but he didn't refuse much, so he followed.

In the evening, Cao Xiaoyu cooked a table of delicious dishes, and specially asked Xiaomeng to buy a jug of wine. The family gathered around the table to drink and eat to watch the new year, and they also had a lively atmosphere.

But before midnight, the boat was sleepy.Cao Xiaoyu went back to her room with her boat in her arms and just settled down when she was called back by Xiaomeng. It turned out that Lu Meng had brought a pair of horse tags. After collecting the bowls and chopsticks on the table, he took out the horse tags and said with a smile: "Elder sister Will it?"

Cao Xiaoyu covered her mouth and smiled for a long time before she put down her hands and sat down at the table: "Yes."

The four opened up their posture, played cards until the third watch, and set off firecrackers together.

Returning to the room after worshiping heaven and earth, Lu Mengleng's teeth were chattering, but he continued to play cards with the other three: "Every New Year's Eve in our hometown we play all night!"

Shen Jing wanted to go back to her room to sleep, but Cao Xiaoyu refused to let him go, so she came back and smiled and said, "I haven't won a few rounds, Ah Jing will play a few more rounds with us!"

The four of them kept arguing until Yinshi before they agreed to leave.

Lu Meng went to sleep in the study, and Xiao Meng also went back to his room.

Quietly returned to his room, but did not feel sleepy.

There were sporadic sound of firecrackers outside, she sat silently by the bed for a long time, she finally sighed softly, just about to take off her clothes and lie down, Xiao Meng knocked on the door and came in, whispering: "Sir... Your Highness Here we are. Waiting outside the door."

Shen Jing was taken aback for a moment, got up, put on her robe, and walked outside.

Going out is a tough cold wind, with a touch of fireworks lingering in the wind; the lantern in front of the door is on, but it can't dim the bright stars in the sky.Shen Jing went out to the gate, and sure enough, he saw a large carriage parked outside Hudong. Zhao Heng was wrapped in a dark sable fur cloak. Seeing Shen Jing came out, he looked at him carefully through the lantern on the carriage, his eyes were affectionate, but he spoke without saying anything : "You look better than last time."

For a moment, Shen Jing didn't dare to raise her head to meet his gaze, she hurriedly raised her head to look at him, then lowered her eyes and asked, "Your Highness just came back from the palace?"

"Yeah. Drop by and give you New Year's greetings." Zhao Heng smiled, turned his head and waved to Wei Zheng, "It's getting late, so I won't go in and bother Eldest Sister. Here are some New Year's gifts, you can give them Bar."

I saw Wei Zheng holding out two long boxes from the back of the carriage

"...Thank you, Your Highness." Shen Jing did not refuse, "On behalf of them, I wish Your Highness a safe and smooth year ahead and all the best."

"I would like to borrow your good words." Zhao Heng smiled, then turned back into the carriage, took out something in person, and brought it to Shen Jing, "This is for you."

Shen Jing raised her hand to take it, and looked at Zhao Heng in surprise: "This is... Xinghua?"

A porcelain vase, with two branches of pink and white apricot blossoms in full bloom, was lit by a lantern and the tips were a little warm yellow. In this cold winter night, there was an infinite sense of spring.

Zhao Heng smiled and nodded: "There is a greenhouse in the palace, which is dedicated to growing flowers. There are two apricot trees inside. I saw that the flowers were blooming just right, so I broke two branches."

Shen Jing held the cold porcelain bottle, her eyes couldn't help but get hot again.Zhao Heng raised his hand to cover the back of his hand in a hurry, and then let go: "It's too cold, let's go back. I have to go back too, and I have to get up early tomorrow to welcome guests."

Shen Jing didn't dare to make a sound, just nodded silently, watching Zhao Heng and Wei Zheng get into the carriage and gradually go away.

After getting up early the next day and having breakfast, Lu Meng and Shen Jing distributed lucky red envelopes to Xiao Zhou.The two made an appointment with Yu Zhijing to go to a colleague's house to pay New Year's greetings. They drove outside in a carriage for most of the day, had dinner together again at noon, and returned home after noon.

Shen Jing rested for a while, then went to Cao Xiaoyu's room with two boxes in her hands, put the things on the table, and said with a smile: "My friend entrusted me with an annual gift for Eldest Sister and Xiao Zhou."

Cao Xiaoyu came out from the back room with the boat that had just woken up, saw two boxes on the table and said, "How can I accept other people's things? You too, they gave it to you, so you just accepted it?"

"As long as the child likes it. Come to Xiaozhou, can my little uncle help you open it?" Shen Jing smiled and hugged Xiaozhou on her lap, and opened the gift box on the table together.I saw a set of the Four Treasures of the Study, a set of the Four Books and Five Classics that smelled like ink, and a separate small wooden box neatly stacked inside.

Shen Jing took out the small wooden box and put it in Xiao Zhou's hands. Xiao Zhou fiddled with it for a long time, and opened the box. Inside were brass gadgets, including horses, carriages, swords, swords and halberds, and a row of seven silver coins in military uniform. Little man,.Xiao Zhou couldn't help but like it when he saw it. He reached out to hold the two bronze horses in his hands, and handed them to Shen Jing: "Little uncle! Big horses!"

"There are also carriages and generals." Shen Jing picked him up and put him on the ground, and said with a smile, "Pick what you like and play."

Cao Xiaoyu came over, patted him on the body, laughed and reprimanded: "I saw Dama, I don't want to take a second look at the ink, paper and inkstone."

After speaking with anxiety, she raised her head and said to Shen Jing: "Ah Jing, this set of things is too expensive..."

"Eldest sister, don't worry about this." Shen Jing smiled, "Elder sister, open it and have a look at yours."

Cao Xiaoyu opened the other box, and inside was a set of hair and a few bolts of fabric.Shen Jing doesn't understand these women's things, but looking at the emerald jade inlaid on the head, the color is excellent, but the style is not very ostentatious, so it seems to be a small choice.

Cao Xiaoyu glanced at the head, but was really taken aback: "Ah Jing, what kind of friend gave you this, why is it so precious!"

She hastily buttoned the box and pushed it into Shen Jing's arms: "It's just the material. This jewelry is absolutely unacceptable!"

Shen Jing put the box back on the table: "Sister, keep it. Now that you have given it, you can't return it." If you really want to return it, I don't know what Zhao Heng will do.

Cao Xiaoyu looked down at the boat that was playing happily, but dragged Shen Jing out of the room in a hurry, hesitated for a while, and asked in a low voice: "Ah Jing, these things of yours...are they really gifts from friends?"

Shen Jing was startled.

Cao Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, and said earnestly, "Ah Jing, I know that Xiaozhou and I are here, and we have cost you a lot... But when you become an official, you have to be honest and upright. It shouldn’t be collected, absolutely not indiscriminately—”

"Sister, where did you go?" Shen Jing was dumbfounded by her lesson, "This is really a gift from a friend."

He paused, and then explained in a low voice: "He personally sent it early this morning, and said it was specially prepared for you. He is generous, so he is generous, and he gives everything happily...Although I can't repay you now, However, if I am lucky in the future, I will definitely give him what I have in return... Eldest sister, you can rest assured to keep it."

What he said seemed to be clear, but also vague, to Cao Xiaoyu's ears, it seemed that there was something in the words.Although she was still a little worried, but seeing that Shen Jing's face was not as happy as before, she didn't dare to ask more: "If you say so, then I will put it away... If you need it in the future, just come to me to get it. "

Shen Jing nodded and left.

This year, Shen Jing lived quite leisurely, either coaxing a small boat to play, having dinner and drinking with colleagues, or reading and writing at home, which was quite different from the busyness around Zhao Heng last year.

It's just that when people are free, it's often easier to think wildly.As soon as he returned to his room, he saw two apricot blossoms in a porcelain vase on the table, and he felt like a heart was soaked in warm wind and cold, and the two were torn apart; Throw away those two apricot blossoms that have long since fallen, but I still don't want to give up.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Sun Ping hosted a banquet for Cao Feng, Xi Wei and others, and Shen Jing was also invited.

I thought that Zhao Heng must be at the banquet, but who knew that Zhao Heng was nowhere to be seen.Not only did Zhao Heng not go, even Xiao You and Wei Zheng didn't show up.

Although Shen Jing was disappointed and puzzled, she didn't open her mouth to ask.It was Xi Wei who asked, and Cao Feng said lightly: "His Royal Highness has something to go to the north of the city."

Others didn't take it seriously, but Shen Jing's heart skipped a beat.

The north of the city is where the Gyeonggi camp is located. Zhao Heng went to the north of the city at this time. I don't know if he is going to comfort the officers and soldiers, or if he has some other intentions?

Just because of Cao Feng's words, his heart was suspended for several days. It was not until after the eighth day of the first lunar month, when he had dinner with Lu Meng and others, that Shen Jing finally heard about two major events related to Zhao Heng from other people. .

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the Holy Majesty and the Empress hosted a banquet in the palace for the wives of the imperial family to celebrate the New Year together.

It happened at the banquet.

At the time when the emperor and his ministers were having fun together, Zhao Jian, the third emperor's uncle and Prince Ying, suddenly reminded the emperor at the banquet that he should establish a heir as soon as possible.

As soon as these words came out, three or four clan members, including Duan Wang Zhao You and Pingyang Marquis Zhao Zhun, also stood up to support the proposal.

With such a posture, one can tell at a glance that they have come prepared.

It is said that after the emperor heard this, he smiled calmly and praised the loyalty and patriotism of several clansmen, saying that the crown prince is the foundation of the country, and it really needs to be established as soon as possible.

Then he changed the subject and said that in the clan, he had two things on his mind. One was that the position of the crown prince was pending, and the other was that Zhao Heng's marriage was still undecided. settle down.

When the atmosphere was so tense, no one thought that Zhao Heng, who had always respected and loved the Holy Majesty, would actually say in front of everyone that he did not want to accept a concubine.

The Holy Majesty was still smiling, but his expression changed on the spot, and he severely reprimanded Zhao Heng, ordering him to kneel down in the ancestral temple to worship his ancestors and reflect on his own mistakes.

Hearing about these two incidents, Shen Jing was even more preoccupied, and left the banquet early that night without even finishing her meal.

Yu Zhijing was careful, and followed Shen Jing on the pretext of going the same way.The two were sitting in the carriage, and Yu Zhijing couldn't help but said in a low voice: "The clan relatives have asked the sage to become the crown prince, it can be seen that some people have lost their temper. I am afraid that the court will not be peaceful in the future."

Shen Jing nodded absently.

Seeing his face sinking like water, Yu Zhijing couldn't help persuading him: "The city gate caught fire, which affected the fish in the pond. Xiao Shen, you and I are only respectful to accompany the little fish and shrimp who sit at the bottom of the court. In troubled times, you must be careful and be cautious. Be careful."

Shen Jing listened, and then came back to his senses, and smiled gratefully at him: "Thank you, brother Yu, for reminding me. I will remember it."

In the next few days, Shen Jing stopped going out, and only stayed at home reading behind closed doors every day, teaching Xiao Zhou how to write.

After three or four days like this, on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Yu Zhijing made an appointment with Shen Jing to see the house that the colleague from the Ministry of Rites was about to sell.

This small house is square and square, with only three main rooms and three small rooms in the east wing. If a family lives together, men, women and children, it is indeed a bit small; however, if two or three people live, it is more than enough.

Shen Jing looked at the house carefully inside and out, and felt satisfied in his heart, but he didn't let go easily, he just told the other party that he thought it was okay, and wanted to go back and discuss it with his family.

The other party was also very polite, just saying that it doesn't matter what you want.

A few people came out of the house and walked along the road, chatting and walking back, talking about the end of the annual holiday after the Lantern Festival, the other party suddenly said with emotion: "This spring this year, I'm afraid it's not peaceful. I have been too busy during the New Year's Eve, and I have fallen ill, and the hospital is busy these two days."

Hearing the words, Shen Jing's heart, which had been hanging for many days, suddenly sank.

He tossed and turned that night and did not sleep until dawn.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Shen Jing woke up early in the morning. Cao Xiaoyu saw that his face was not good, and when he heard that he hadn't slept well, he pushed him back to his room to sleep, and then took Xiaozhou and Xiaomeng to make dumplings together.

Shen Jing slept until noon, didn't bother to move after getting up, stared at the two dry apricot blossoms on the table in a daze for a while, and didn't come out of the room until it was getting dark, and talked with Cao Xiaoyu and Xiaozhou Xiaomeng. We made dumplings together and made some dim sum by ourselves.

As soon as he finished eating the glutinous rice balls, Xiao Zhou asked Shen Jing to take him out to watch the lights.Shen Jing thought for a while and agreed, and said to Cao Xiaoyu, "Let's all go together."

The family is dressed and ready to go out, but unexpectedly welcomes a distinguished guest.

Zhao Heng came with Xiaoyou Weizheng.

Cao Xiaoyu saw Zhao Heng for the first time. When Shen Jing said that it was His Royal Highness Yu Wang, she was startled. She hugged the boat and was about to kneel down to salute. That's too polite. Our Highness hasn't eaten yet, can I trouble Elder Sister to cook a bowl of glutinous rice balls?"

Although Cao Xiaoyu was not shrewd, he was not stupid either. Hearing the words and saluting, he went out with Xiaoyou Weizheng in his arms.

Leave Shen Jing and Zhao Heng in the room.

Zhao Heng sat there with a calm expression, seeming to be even more taciturn than him.

The two were silent for a long time before Zhao Heng raised his head and looked at Shen Jing: "There are lights along the river outside the city today, I heard it is very good. If you are free, can you accompany me to take a look?"

Shen Jing hesitated for a moment, then said softly: "...I have already promised Xiao Zhou, and I will take him to see the lantern."

Hearing this, Zhao Heng said in a low voice: "Xiaozhou is still young, so it will be the same when taking him next year."

Shen Jing was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Your Highness."

After Zhao Heng heard this, he wanted to get up, but was stopped by Shen Jing: "It's still early, Your Highness, eat something before it's too late."

After a pause, he forced a smile and said, "The glutinous rice balls that Eldest Sister made by herself, and I also made some dim sum...It tastes very good, Your Highness, please try it."