Tanhualang

The carriage stop was close to the city gate, and a row of lanterns hung high under the city gate. There were also performances of dragon and lion dances and social operas in the nearby villages. The crowds were like water, and the noise was even worse.

Zhao Heng and Shen Jing got off the carriage and were immediately carried forward by the crowd.

The two followed Wei Zheng side by side, and after walking not far away, Zhao Heng suddenly leaned over, bowed his head and said to Shen Jing: "Stretch out your hand."

Shen Jing didn't know why, just as he poked his hand out from the cloak, Zhao Heng grabbed it.

Although it was night, the surrounding lights were brilliant, and if one looked carefully, one could clearly see that the two hands were connected together.Shen Jing was taken aback, and wanted to pull his hand out, but Zhao Heng refused to let it go. He smiled at him through the mask, and then led him, walking forward as if nothing had happened.

While walking, he pointed his other finger at the colorful lion dance under the city wall, turned his head and said to Shen Jing: "The lion dance is good, and it looks like it has been practiced. It's a pity that Xiaozhou fell asleep and can't see it. Next year If you are free, remember to bring him to see it again."

Shen Jing wanted to open his hand at first, but looking at Zhao Heng's smiling eyes behind the mask, he still didn't say anything disappointing, silently relaxed his hand, held him back, and replied in a low voice: "Don't worry, I made a note of it. I will definitely bring him here next year to have a look.”

Hearing this, Zhao Heng lowered his head and glanced at him through the blue animal head mask.

The two met everyone's eyes, held hands and crossed the endless stream of people, talking and laughing, and calmly crossed the long street.

Occasionally, Zhao Heng raised his hand to point at the roadside lanterns, leading Shen Jing to look.

The two of them were tall and elegant, and they were very eye-catching when they walked together in the crowd; especially Zhao Heng, even though his face was covered with a green-faced and long-toothed animal head, he couldn't hide his extraordinary demeanor, which attracted the attention of passers-by. But no one dared to bother to ask.

After walking until the city gate at the end of the long street, Zhao Heng let go of his silence, pulled off the mask on his face, and entered the gate where the city guards were stationed bravely.

The captain guarding the city recognized that he was King Yu, and hurriedly knelt down to salute: "I have seen the general!"

Seeing this, the guards behind him also knelt down on the ground with hula la.

Zhao Heng nodded, turned around and motioned for Shen Jing to follow, then passed the kneeling guards, and led Shen Jing straight up the city wall.

Coming out of the tower, Shen Jing was first stunned by the wind, and when she looked up, her mood suddenly changed.

Here, high above, there is no cheering and laughter among the crowd under the city wall, only the guarding soldiers standing quietly and crackling burning torches.

When there is a bright moon in the sky, it is within reach, and it is cold and bright.

The cold wind rushes over the city wall to the far-reaching sky, thousands of lights under the city stand here, but it seems to have lost the temperature of the hustle and bustle, just a little bit of fluorescence under the vast sky.

Zhao Heng was wrapped in a black cloak and stood on the crenel of the city wall, looking to the north. The torches in the distance reflected his side face, which looked sharp and cold.

Shen Jing walked over silently and stood beside him.

Without turning his head, Zhao Heng quietly held his hand in the dark and called out, "Miao'an."

"...Your Highness."

"Look at the lights of thousands of houses in this city." Zhao Heng raised his hand and caressed the thin frost on the battlement wall bricks, and said, "The year the emperor came to the throne, he also took me to the city gate to look at the Shangyuan fireworks. "

He let out a long breath, and exhaled a puff of white smoke in the cold night: "I was only in my early tenth year... In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed."

Shen Jing looked at the brightly lit and colorful scene in front of him, and replied: "Looking at it from here, the fireworks of the Shangyuan Festival are indeed different from those just now."

There is a bit more magnificence of being high above and overlooking all living beings, but it is also a bit more of the loneliness and desertedness of looking from the railing.

Facing the cold wind, the two strolled towards the top of the city. Zhao Heng turned around and asked, "Is it a bit too cold?"

"It's okay." Shen Jing wrapped her cloak tightly, "If Your Highness likes the scenery here, it's okay to stay a little longer."

Hearing this, Zhao Heng turned to look at him, smiled and shook his head: "That's all. You are fine with the wind and cold, you can't help the wind. Let's go."

The two went down the city tower, only to see two cars waiting under the city gate.Standing beside him was Xiaoyou, seeing Zhao Heng and calm down, he came forward to greet Zhao Heng, and whispered to Zhao Heng: "...just now Zheng Man sent a carriage to invite him. He said that the Holy Majesty wants to see His Highness."

Hearing this, Zhao Heng turned his head to look at Shen Jing, before Shen Jing could speak, he said, "It's important, Your Highness, let's get busy."

Zhao Heng hesitated for a moment, and took the lead to board the carriage when he arrived, lifted the curtain, turned his head and said to Shen Jing: "I will take you and Xiaozhou back first."

When we returned, there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road.

The carriage moved quickly, and within two quarters of an hour, it arrived in front of the quiet courtyard.

Shen Jing got up holding the boat, said goodbye to Zhao Heng, and got off the car.Zhao Heng hesitated for a while, then suddenly lifted the curtain and called Xiaoyou outside: "You take Xiaozhou back first."

There was a small response, he got into the car and took the sleeping boat from Shen Jing's arms, leaving Shen Jing behind, he turned around in doubt: "Your Highness?"

"You stay a step." Zhao Heng was sitting on the couch, looking straight ahead, "I... have something to say."

Shen Jing stopped making a sound and sat back in his seat.

The collapsed brazier was burning, making a thin sizzling sound.

Zhao Heng did not speak for a long time.

The two sat in silence like this. After a long time, Shen Jing turned to look at Zhao Heng, broke the frozen silence, and said softly: "Your Highness—"

Zhao Heng turned his head to stare at him, his face was solemn, his eyes were deep and sharp, he looked calm and did not dare to look directly at him, turned his head, with his face half down, and finished the words in a low voice: "...we are going to get married Bar?"

After a long time, Zhao Heng gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Yes."

Shen Jing's hands were covered in his sleeves, trembling slightly.

He clearly had expected what would happen today, but when he first heard it, he still felt a chill pouring from the top of his head, and his heart suddenly sank to the bottom.

After a moment of silence, he lowered his eyes halfway, showing a short wry smile: "...this is a good thing."

"...His Highness is busy with affairs, remember to take care of your health." Shen Jing said this again, not knowing what to say anymore, paused, and stood up: "Then... I'll go back first."

After speaking, he had to lift the curtain and leave.

Zhao Heng stood up abruptly, took a step forward and grabbed him: "...Miao'an."

Shen Jing stopped the hand that lifted the curtain and let him pull it, but she didn't turn her head. She still lowered her face and sighed softly: "This must be fate...Your Highness."

While talking, he turned around, put his hands on Zhao Heng's and stroked them gently, and said in a low voice, "Whether there is or not, and the depth is all determined by the heavens, and you can't force it. I have already seen it, Your Highness may as well look at it." Go ahead. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Zhao Heng looked at him for a long time, then took another step forward, lowered his head and buried his face in the hollow of his shoulder, and then spoke again with unconcealable fatigue in his voice: "Miao'an... I really can't help it. Brother Huang is sick. It was heavy, but he—wouldn't take the medicine anyway.”

Sighing silently, she raised her hand and stroked his back lightly. After a long time, she patted his back and coaxed in a low voice: "The golden and jade body of the Holy One, blessed by heaven, will definitely get better... ...Your Highness, don't worry too much."

After a pause, he continued: "As for you and me, Your Highness doesn't have to feel sad... It's not that you failed me, but I failed Your Highness first."

After finishing speaking, he let go of his hand and gently pushed Zhao Heng away: "Your Highness is a sensible person. What should be done will always be done... It's getting late, the Holy Majesty is still waiting for His Highness, I should do the same." gone back."

After finishing speaking, he pulled Zhao Heng's arm away, turned around and got off the carriage without looking back.

After the Shangyuan Festival, the annual leave ends, and all officials return to the court.

Early in the morning, the palace issued two imperial edicts.

One is that the Holy Majesty stopped the court this month due to the violation of the dragon body, and the king of Yu will act as the regent director.

The second is that the choice of Princess Yu has already been chosen, and she is Shang Qingluo, the daughter-in-law of Shang Maoshi, a scholar of the university; the auspicious date has also been determined by the Ministry of Rites, which will be on the eighth day of April three months later.

These two matters, no matter which one is not a trivial matter, there was a lot of discussion inside and outside the government and the public.

Shen Jing didn't care about listening to people talking about it.

As soon as he arrived at the Imperial Academy, he was arrested by the Ministry of War to discuss the policy details of "salt exchange for food". There was no other reason. The Holy One didn't even look at it, and directly handed it over to King Yu Zhao Heng for disposal.

After hearing that Zhao Heng had read it, he swiped his pen and ordered the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Households to implement it immediately.Because the report was drafted by Shen Jing, and the matter was also mentioned by Shen Jing at the beginning, so the two departments discussed and coordinated, and it was inevitable that he would be caught in it again.

It's been so busy for a while, and ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

At the beginning of February, the weather turned from warm to cold, and there was constant drizzle in the capital.

This day coincided with Xiumu, the weather was fine, Cao Xiaoyu and Pan Xiaozhou were picked up by the carriage sent by Xi Wei early in the morning, saying that they were going to the countryside for an outing.

Shen Jing couldn't go with her because she was ordered by someone from the household department. She was busy in the yamen for a long time and didn't return home until after noon.

When he got to the front of Hudong, he saw a carriage parked at the entrance of Hudong. After looking at it calmly, he thought that it must be Xi Wei who brought Cao Xiaoyu and Xiaozhou back, so he hurriedly walked home.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the door was pushed open, Xiao Meng came forward: "Sir, there are guests at home."

"I saw it." Shen Jing smiled nonchalantly, "It was General Xi who sent Eldest Sister back. Are you ready for tea?"

"Tea is served...but it's not General Xi." Xiaomeng hesitated for a moment, then looked back into the yard, "It's two people I don't know."

Shen Jing was startled for a moment, and took a step into the yard, only to see a slightly arched figure standing in the doorway of the study with his back facing the courtyard door.

This back figure looked familiar, but he couldn't remember it for a while, and when the other party heard the movement and turned his head, he remembered it all of a sudden, and couldn't help but be surprised: "...Master Zheng?"

Zheng Man turned around and faced him with a smile on his face: "Master Shen is back? Visiting rashly has disturbed your peace."

"...It's okay." Shen Jing forced a smile, looked at Zheng Man standing at the door, couldn't help feeling cold, and couldn't help but glance into the study, "I wonder if Mr. Zheng is here?"

Zheng Man smiled and made a "please" gesture to Shen Jing, facing the study door, and lowered his voice: "The saint is inside, waiting for Mr. Shen to come back for tea."