Jiang Qing

Mei Shao remembered that the first time she saw Ling Che was in the horse farm enclosed by the royal family in Pingdu.

It was the day when the list was released in the fall of Qinyuan 33.

He accompanied Bai Bingchen to participate in the imperial examination that year, Bai Bingchen was the number one scholar in high school, and he won the third prize.

It was the time when the two of them were enjoying themselves in the spring breeze. After playing horses to see the rankings, they went to the hunting grounds in the suburbs on the way.It was rare for Bai Bingchen to show his temperament like this, Mei Shao was also happy to see him interested, and Quan went there happily as a companion.

The two ran a few laps on the racetrack, sweating all over, and took a rest in a row of houses beside the racetrack in the cool autumn wind.Mei Shao is used to being skinny, he doesn't sit in the house properly, and insists on climbing to the roof.He jumped up all by himself, and he didn't forget to give Bai Bingchen, who didn't know martial arts, a hand, and the two sat side by side on the roof to enjoy the breeze.

It was just when the setting sun entered the nest, there was no sun, only a little afterglow was left, which quietly sprinkled on their faces like this.

I didn't pay attention when I climbed the wall and overturned the eaves. Now I climbed higher and realized that there was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy hiding in the corner outside the wall. He was still murmuring something.Judging by his attire, he should be a boy in the racecourse.

Mei Shao was really in a good mood today, and she thought of playing tricks, relying on being three or two years older than him, she waved at the boy and called, "That boy, come here."

The man was also considered alert, as if he knew some martial arts skills. He only heard the yell and looked towards the roof where they were sitting.Ling Che moved a little closer and saluted, but he didn't put on a deliberately flattering face, but just replied in a normal manner: "What's your order?"

"What are you doing squatting in the corner secretly, kid? Do you want to do something sneaky?" Mei Shao threatened him with a rough voice, pretending to be fierce and not to be provoked, and glared at the boy.

"I'm the horse trainer in this racecourse." Ling Che was not intimidated by Mei Shao's fierce appearance, and remained neither humble nor overbearing.But he is obviously not very good at talking, and when he explained his identity, he was dry, and at a glance, he knew that he was a brat who didn't know how to adapt.

Mei Shao has a noble status, and it is rare to meet someone who speaks so straightforwardly. He was intrigued by him, and was about to say something to tease him, but Bai Bingchen gave him a sideways look, and he immediately calmed down.

Bai Bingchen deliberately slowed down his tone and asked: "I see that you have been lingering in the corner for a long time, did you do something wrong and dare not come in?" He said with a smile and glanced at Mei Shao: "If it's not a big deal, our young master Mei I'm in high school today, and I'm in a good mood. If you help me intercede with the supervisor, you may be able to avoid some punishment."

After all, Ling Che was only a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child, so he didn't have any vigilance.Seeing that Bai Bingchen is different from those high-ranking and aristocratic children, he doesn't mind his status, and he speaks so softly.He hesitated for a while, but still murmured to tell the whole thing.

A few days ago, Princess Jinghe and King Jing came to the racecourse to pick horses, and they picked a bay red horse that Ling Che had tamed.It was Ling Che's blessing that the horse he had tamed was chosen by a nobleman. Not only would he be able to get a generous reward, but even if he got the favor of King Jing, who was favored by the Holy One, it would be possible to promote him.

But unfortunately, when Jinghe Princess was riding for a test ride, the bay red horse lost his temper and went crazy on the spot, almost knocking Jinghe Princess off the horse.Even if Ling Che rescued them in time, Jing and the princess were frightened a lot, and their hands were even strangled.

Princess Jinghe's piano skills are superb. Although she was born as a weak girl, she often played the sound of thunder under her fingers, and was deeply loved by the emperor.But now this hand is seriously injured, and there is no certainty about whether he will be able to play the piano in the future, Ling Che panicked immediately.

He was an orphan who was brought up by a disabled veteran. He paid a lot of money and asked many former comrades-in-arms to get him such a good job as horse training in the Royal Stud Farm.He also has some skills in horse training, no matter how fierce the horse is in his hands, he can be trained to be submissive, even if he is young, with this ability in the racecourse, he can be regarded as doing well .

But now that such a big event happened, although Director Yang cherished his talent and wanted to plead guilty for him, he didn't dare to provoke King Jing's anger.I had no choice but to harden my heart on the spot and ordered the sergeant to pull him down and beat him with army sticks, hoping to exchange his life for the pain of flesh and blood.

In front of King Jing, the sergeant's strikes were real, and Ling Che couldn't stand it after only a dozen blows.

He thought he was going to die under today's stick, but the bandaged King and Princess came out to intercede for him.

"I'm not good at horsemanship. I grabbed the rein and hurt the horse's mane, which made it go crazy. Brother, don't blame the horse trainer. Let alone my hand is fine, even if it can't Playing the piano again is just missing a fun thing to pass the time, why bother to hurt a life for it?"

Ling Che could only hear her voice. He was lying on the torture bench, the sweat from the pain soaked into the corners of his eyes, making his eyes turn white, but he still tried hard to raise his head to see her appearance clearly.

Ling Che had a stupid mouth and never said any beautiful words. He seemed sensible, but he just buried his fear and fear deeply in his heart.

The old soldier sent him to the riding stables, but never taught him the ways of the world.After working in the horse farm for several years, he thinks that the key to communication between people is value.Only when you have value, you will not be easily abandoned.

When he was young, he was abandoned because he was a burden; the veteran who adopted him only wanted to have a boy who could beat and scold him without fighting back when he was drunk, and someone who could fulfill his filial piety when he was old; Director Yang sometimes defends him because he has the value of helping him train horses.He regards the interpersonal relationship in this world as a simple exchange of value, and believes in it.

He didn't understand, to this high and mighty princess, he had no value at all, and even hurt her, why would she plead for him?

Ling Che didn't understand these things, he could only feel that there was a crack in the way of life that he deeply believed in at this moment.

Is there really such a kind person in the world who treats a stranger well regardless of reward?

The burning pain made him gasp, but he still struggled to look up to see what such a person looked like, but he only saw a white light in front of him, and he lost consciousness again.

Ling Che fainted on the torture bench.

When he woke up, Director Yang told him that he was only fined a month's salary and given sick leave to recuperate because of the intercession of Jing and Princess.

Jing and Princess even considered his family's situation, and it would be more difficult to live without a month's salary, so they sent someone to send him a little silver.It was also written on the paper that sealed the silver: "Don't think about repaying mere yellow and white things. A man should live in the world and should not be imprisoned in a corner."

After more than half a month, Ling Che's injury has mostly healed, but he stared at the note, not knowing how to face the world with his old thoughts.

He hadn't read any books, and he didn't know why he was feeling confused and empty now. He really wanted to write a letter to ask that princess why she was so kind to him.But because of his humble status, he was annoyed that he couldn't write beautiful words, so he had to wait outside the racecourse every day, hoping to meet her.

Hearing Ling Che stammering and finishing his story, Mei Shao pondered for a while, then nodded in admiration, and said to Ling Che, "Are you sure that the gentle and radiant one you described is His Majesty's?" Fifth Princess Zhao Jinghe?"

Ling Che didn't know why he suddenly asked, but he nodded firmly.

"Did the kid get hit on the head? Why does he look at a good person, and his brain seems to be filled with water. Which of the four words Jinghe Princess and Wen Wanrou are attached to it?" Mei Shao scratched His head seemed to be really thinking about this question, and then suddenly realized: "Could it be that you fell in love with her, because Xi Shi is in the eyes of beholders, and that's why you think she's so good!"

"no......"

Mei Shao looked at the red ears of the young man with his head bowed in satisfaction, and even typed back the words he was eager to refute: "Then you are holding a letter for her?"

Ling Che only felt that his face was burning badly, but he didn't dare to refute loudly, for fear of insulting the reputation of Jing and the princess, and he was slow to react. Before he could get away with it, he heard Mei Shao change the subject and ask him about the things in his hand. Afraid that he might say something shocking again, he hurriedly replied: "It's just a letter expressing gratitude, nothing more."

Seeing that Mei Shao was pushing people into a hurry, Bai Bingchen smiled to ease the atmosphere, and he gently encouraged: "Even if there is a little bit of joy, why not? You can't say it now, you can wait until you feel that you are worthy." She's gone, wouldn't it be a good talk to talk about this young man's love in detail?"

Ling Che knew that his status was humble, and he already had the idea of ​​hiding this admiration and gratitude in his heart for the rest of his life. When he first heard Bai Bingchen's words, he froze for a moment and did not respond.

"Then Brother Bai thinks the same way?" Mei Shao asked suddenly.

"what?"

"If the love you're thinking about in your heart is beyond the tolerance of the world, do you still think that love is worth cherishing?" Mei Shao lowered her voice, as if she was probing something, with a smile on her face, covering her face. The hands on the blue tiles were secretly exerting force, as if they were looking for a support for themselves.

Bai Bingchen didn't answer him immediately, but just cast his eyes into the distance.

In the distance, there is a trail winding forward without end. It is a unique road from the outskirts of Pindu to the Royal Racecourse.

When the two of them came, they were so happy that they were so excited that they didn't walk on the road properly, instead they walked through the woods on the side and overwhelmed the knee-high weeds along the way.It was almost dusk, and as far as I could see, there was not a single pedestrian on the trail.

But facing such a slightly desolate road, Bai Bingchen smiled brightly: "Look at the road we came from."

Mei Shao followed his gaze and looked over.

"Secular views are like this lonely road, which has been decided by the predecessors for future generations to walk. But for a long time, there are always one or two escaped people who insist on passing through the nearby woods."

Mei Shao saw him smiling and glanced at her, knowing that he was saying that the two of them rode recklessly, so she smiled back knowingly.

Bai Bingchen's eyes stopped on a sparrow parked on the eaves again. He only raised his hand and moved slightly, and the sparrow fluttered away in fright.

"There are still people who are jumping and jumping like this, but they don't touch the fixed road. Under the sky, within the four seas, there are thousands of paths in the world. Why do you only focus on the north, south and east and west in front of you?"

What he said was reserved, but Mei Shao understood it with a smile.

"As expected of our No. [-] scholar, it's different from ordinary people when you say this." Mei Shao relaxed and began to tease Bai Bingchen.

Without waiting for Bai Bingchen to reply, he turned to Ling Che again, speaking earnestly: "But this little friend, although his literary talents are good, he is not at all as knowledgeable and interesting as I am. Let me tell you, it is especially important to write a letter to my daughter's family. It is written for Bing Tuozi like Jinghe Princess, and the writing must be beautiful enough to be favored."

Ling Che didn't care that his identity had suddenly changed from a "boy" to a "little friend". He began to no longer believe so much in this blunt words, and asked half-believingly, "Then... how to write?"

Seeing that Mei Shao was about to start talking nonsense again, Bai Bingchen stretched out his hand to cover his mouth, but Mei Shao grabbed his wrist with his backhand and pressed it on his knee, and started talking in this posture: "My daughter's Everyone likes wind, flowers, snow and moon. Do you know Liu Zhizhi, the famous oiran lady in Pingdu? A few days ago, a scholar wanted to see her, but the poems he wrote couldn’t satisfy the little lady. Pretty."

After collecting his victorious deeds, Mei Shao was even more elated: "If many years later, you become a great general and march to the middle of Sichuan, and it happens to be raining heavily, you can write such a stroke." It was another night of staying, It is rainy in the middle of Sichuan, and the place where Nianqing lives is like a bright star and a bright moon.When this letter arrives, I will wear thin clothes at night and cut small candles frequently.If someone is in Pingdu, he can cut a candle with Qing and talk about the night rain in Bashu. "Just a few short sentences will definitely leave her with endless aftertaste."

Bai Bingchen knew that he had used the artistic conception of "Why cut the candles in the west window together, but talk about the rainy night in Bashan" indiscriminately to deceive people here, just when he was about to speak out, Ling Che spoke seriously.

"How do you know that I will be a general in the future?"

"If! If you are a general in the future..."

"Military dispatches have their own destinations. Without transfer orders, many generals will never be able to reach Bashu in their lifetime." Ling Che explained to Mei Shao seriously.

"The land of Bashu, a military fortress..." Before Mei Shao could react, Ling Che choked him back again.

"What if it didn't rain on the day you entered Bashu?"

"She is thousands of miles away, and she doesn't know the weather, so why be serious!" Mei Shao was anxious.

"How could it be evening when she opened the letter?"

"Girls in the boudoir, such private matters will naturally not be seen in front of others, most of them will be revealed secretly at night."

Ling Che pursed his lips, and didn't say another word. It seemed that he was temporarily suppressed by Mei Shao's explanation. Mei Shao breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to end the conversation he had provoked by himself.

Who knows that it is rare to see Mei Shao deflated, Bai Bingchen added very unkindly: "So Tanhua Lang often writes letters to those women in his boudoir? Otherwise, how could he even know such private things as dressing and cutting candles?"

Mei Shao: "..."