Rong Xuan

"master!"

At noon on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Sima Xuan, who was ill, did not go to the lord's mansion. At this moment, she was sitting outside the partition between the ends and having lunch with Cao Hui, when Liu Sheng suddenly rushed in, shouting at the lord.

Sima Xuan raised his eyes in response, turned his head and looked over, on her right side, Cao Hui also put down the chopsticks in his hand, and looked at Liu Sheng curiously.

"Uh, that, that..." Liu Sheng rubbed his hands, and was suddenly a little nervous by the gazes of the two masters at the same time, but he didn't dare to speak directly because of Cao Hui's presence, so he walked out the door vaguely Pointing a bit: "Please master move?"

"Speak up if you have something to say, don't be so hesitant." Sima Xuan propped his hands on his knees, turned around, and looked directly at Liu Sheng peacefully.

"Master, there's news from Chang'an." Liu Sheng really changed his hesitation just now, and neatly handed the silk strip sent by the pigeon in his hand to Yu Yan, and asked Yu Yan to present it on his behalf.

He just ran in from the outside, carrying a cold air all over his body, afraid that if he rushed over rashly, he would give his master a cold shock.

Sima Xuan took the letter silk from Yuyan, and slowly unrolled the tightly rolled silk strip, two lines of news with neat handwriting and concise words appeared in front of his eyes.

"It's pointless." After reading the content on the letter, Sima Xuan sat back expressionlessly, threw the strip of silk into the charcoal basin next to him, and signaled Cao Hui to continue eating.

After a pause, the cold-faced Junhou simply put down the chopsticks he had just picked up, and leaned over again with his right hand propped on his knees: "Go get a pen, ink, letter and silk, I have to send a message to my eldest brother-in-law."

"Yes." Liu Sheng responded, walked a few steps to the small desk by the window to grind ink and spread paper, and said, "By the way, master, in the middle of the afternoon, Shiliu sent a message for the princess, saying that they are leaving. It's hot, you were resting at that time, I didn't dare to tell you, but I guess they should have left the city by now."

"En," Sima Xuan replied with his mouth closed, stood up with some difficulty propping up the edge of the table, and was supported by Yu Yan, and walked to the desk with rather sloppy steps.

Sitting down with his back straight, he brought Lantian Nuanyu's Zihao small script pen, dipped it in ink, and pressed the letter silk with one hand. Sima Xuan suddenly tilted his head, and explained in a warm voice to Cao Hui who was eating: "Princess Yongjia is looking for I have been looking for it for about two years, but I only found it yesterday, so it turned out that it has been in Yanyang."

Cao Hui put a few grains of white rice into his mouth, chewed and swallowed slowly, and nodded to show that he heard it.

Sima Xuan blinked, and continued: "Brother-in-law has received news that Princess Jinghui has offended the Tian family, and was hastily married to the youngest son of Duke Cai's mansion."

Cao Hui: "Yes."

"..." He didn't answer his words, he licked his back molars with ulterior motives, and threw Lantian Nuanyu's writing brush on the desk with a bang, and said flat and flat words without warmth: " Liu Sheng, you should write the pen, Gu is very dizzy right now."

"...Yes! Master!" The stunned Liu Sheng had no choice but to put down the ink stick in his hand, took another clean letter silk and spread it out, then picked up the Zihao pen that was thrown on the desk, and his feet were even striding forward. He came out with a full posture: "Master, I'm ready, you go ahead!"

Standing behind Sima Xuan, Yuyan gave Liu Sheng a sympathetic look—poor Liu Sheng whose handwriting was not as good as his master's, so he was about to be treated like a duck and put on the shelves.

Sima Xuan closed his eyes.

Today, the Tian family checks and balances the court, and the forces of all parties hinder each other, and the situation is not particularly clear.

Princess Jinghui was suddenly married to Duke Cai’s mansion. Princess Jinghui’s uncle, Minister of the Household Department, wanted Min Qi. Naturally, he was with the niece of his first-line relative. What about the vice-president of the Eastern Palace? Where is Wang Zhangchao?

How would his father, Sima Xiu, react?

The imperial capital, Chang'an, is a huge spider web. The various relationships attached to this giant web have always been intertwined and intricate.

I am so far away from Chang'an, although some things are relatively safe, but I can't know any news immediately, and those who are forced have to be cautious.

Thinking of this, the person whose face was a little pale due to illness tilted his head and hesitated for a while, put his right hand on his knee, and tapped his slender fingers back and forth a few times, his back and back were obviously sitting straight, but he gave birth to A bit of a casual taste.

Have!Sima Xuan said to Liu Sheng: "Just write the news and know, and have other plans, keep an eye on the west, don't startle the snake."

"The news is known, and there are other plans..." Liu Sheng repeated his master's words, crouching next to the desk and writing carefully.

"Cough, cough, cough..." For some reason, Sima Xuan took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose, turned his face away and coughed violently.

Cao Hui's attention was also attracted by the continuous hoarse coughing, and he saw that Yuyan was patting Sima Xuan on the back, and the man was bending over and coughing, coughing until his bloodless cheeks They all started to turn slightly red, and their ears were also red like something.

"Write it, and immediately after it's finished, send it out," Sima Xuan stood up on his knees, and pushed Yuyan who was supporting him to the side, "You go and serve her dinner, I'll go in and lie down for a while." Lie down, don't take the soup and medicine, wait until you fall asleep."

The master is going to play tricks and not take the medicine again, Yu Yan knew it in her heart, but she didn't dare to have any objection to the master's order, so she could only look at Cao Hui as if asking for help.

"It's better to take the medicine and then go to bed," Cao Hui said softly, "otherwise you will have to take it twice at night."

"..." The person who avoided taking the medicine resolutely did not dare to make a sound, but quickly stepped behind the partition like a mouse seeing a cat.

Getting Sima Xuan, Marquis of Jingling, to take the decoction obediently is sometimes even more difficult than teaching her to write well.Yuyan and Liusheng, who had been by Sima Xuan's side for nearly 20 years, couldn't help looking at Cao Hui at the same time.

I saw Cao Hui slowly put down the chopsticks in his hand, looked down at the bone plate in front of him and slightly raised his eyebrows—it was difficult to get that guy to take medicine, but it was not impossible.

Yuyan and Liusheng looked at each other and smiled silently at the same time - so what if the master is powerful?The Tao is one foot tall and the devil is ten feet high. Don't you know that in this world, one thing descends one thing!

About a quarter of an hour later, Sima Xuan was sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at the letter delivered to him by Princess Yongjia before leaving. Cao Hui, who covered his face with plain gauze, came in with a tray—— In the steaming bowl was the soup and medicine that Sima Xuan wanted to eat.

"Princess Yongjia sent someone to deliver it to me before she left. Even Liu Sheng didn't know about it, so you can take it and have a look." Jinglinghou, who has experienced many battles, chose to preemptively strike, his eyebrows and eyes frowned, She smiled and showed her little canine teeth on one side.

When Cao Hui walked over, Sima Xuan reached out and put the letter paper on the tray next to the medicine bowl, "According to the agreement, I will share the new news with you when I get it. It's useful to you."

"Then thank you very much, Mr. Cao Hui." Cao Hui put the tray on the square stool beside the bed, glanced at the letter paper with a few words, and handed the medicine bowl to Sima Xuan.

Sima Xuan lowered his eyes to look at the celadon medicine bowl stretched out in front of him, and the half bowl of thick soup with a strange taste and black color in the bowl, and his stomach suddenly felt a tizzy.

Resisting the urge to vomit, Sima Xuan followed the hand holding the medicine bowl and looked up - Cao Hui was standing in front of him, his face covered with plain gauze, his brows and eyes were slightly lowered, and he never looked at himself from the beginning to the end.

"You are different from those girls brought up in deep boudoirs." Sima Xuan finally resigned to his fate and took the medicine bowl into his hands, sighed, but a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "You never expect to rely on anyone , I have always had my own ideas, why don't I let Yuanrong go like this, let me tell you about the current situation in Chang'an and the court, and you can help me analyze the staff and staff?"

"Your Majesty, don't forget," Cao Hui picked up the letter on the tray and looked at it seriously, "There is still a river of blood between you and me."

"Didn't I have been stabbed by you, and I'm still taking medicine..." Sima Xuan pursed his mouth, muttering slightly aggrieved, and raised his hand to bring the soup to his mouth.

This man was clearly about to take the medicine, but when he smelled the medicine, he immediately stretched the medicine bowl far away, looking like he was afraid to avoid it, "Well, or else I'll stab me again to relieve my anger ?”

ah!This medicine, when you smell it, you know it's very bitter, bitter and unpalatable!Sima Xuan put the hand holding the medicine bowl on his knee - so sad!After trying so hard to bring this woman back to her side, she actually forced herself to take such a bitter soup!ungrateful……

"It's true that the more you talk, the more confused you are." Cao Hui read the content of the letter, folded the letter and put it in the envelope, "Your Majesty, you should take the medicine first, carefully. Someone will come to visit tomorrow, but you can't sleep in bed." move."

"Did you see it?" Sima Xuan returned to the look of the cold-faced gentleman, and frowned indifferently, as if he was hesitating. In the end, she couldn't help but sneered: "It's a shame that I still said This place is safer than Chang'an, I didn't expect you to see it so soon, I really can't hold back..."

"Since you have the intention to joke with me, it means that the situation here is not a serious matter." Cao Hui's gaze fell on the medicine bowl in Sima Xuan's hand calmly: "If you think about it this way, it's not as good as Changan's. Is it better?"

Sima Xuan raised his eyebrows, and looked up at Cao Hui interestingly, but finally lowered his eyelids slowly: "You have always been transparent, and it seems that no matter how bad the situation is, you can call it a flower."

"That only shows that the situation is not that bad." Cao Hui's brows and eyes were slightly bent, as if he was smiling.

"Hui'er," Sima Xuan said, "otherwise, you won't be wearing a veil in front of me from now on?"

You always wear a veil, I can't even see your smile.

/ / /

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone gathers with their families and enjoys the reunion. As night falls, Princess Yongjia and a few attendants who are walking on the road have only eaten some food from morning to now except for the cold wind in their stomachs. Cold pancake wraps.

When walking in winter, you have to eat dust, dirt, and cold wind. If the weather is bad, you even have to eat snow, ice, and hailstones. A wise master.

"My lord, there is an earth temple in front of me, where you can rest - woo, woo!" Hou Zaixuan, the follower who was exploring the road, came back with his horse and hastily reined in the horse's reins.

The horse, which had hoofed suddenly, seemed to want to gallop, but the owner reined in the horse, so it had to keep spinning around in place, kicking up layers of fly ash on the loess official road under its hooves.

Princess Yongjia glanced ahead, and together with these guards on the bright side and Shiliu, who silently lowered his presence no matter where he went, went to this land temple with no village in front and no shop in back.

Twilight is approaching, and the gates of the earth temples are closed.

"The passers-by bother you for the night. Dare I ask if the temple guard is there?" Hou Zaixin, the follower who had just explored the way, jumped off his horse and raised his hand to slap the closed temple door.

After a while, the light of an oil lamp faintly lit up in the dark temple, the rustling of slow and heavy footsteps sounded, the light was getting closer, the old temple door was slowly opened from the inside, and the door hinge made a long and dull creak Voice.

A hunchbacked old man with gray beard and thinning hair appeared inside the door. He shook the people who appeared in front of the door with an oil lamp, and he spoke with a warm and friendly voice: "Passers-by, where are you coming from? Where are you going?" ah?"

"I'm coming from Changding. I want to go to Jiaozhou. I'm passing through here. I want to stay overnight. Please make it easier for me." Princess Yongjia jumped off the horse and bowed to the old man who guarded the temple thoughtfully and politely.

"In that case, please come inside." The old man turned sideways and pushed a temple door completely open.

Everyone got off their horses and bowed their hands to the old man guarding the temple one by one as they entered the temple.

The small temple is not big, with only one room. Behind the incense table in the middle of the room is a mud statue of the land god. It doesn't look like the incense is flourishing, but the surroundings are clean and tidy.

After entering the house, the old temple guard placed several people in the open space on the west side of the house to rest.

Han Suiwu followed Han Suiwu to feed the horses outside, Yuan Cunyu and Hou Zaixuan borrowed a copper pot from the old temple guard, sat around by the west wall and lit a fire to boil hot water, Shiliu leaned against the corner with his waist knife in his arms, murmured Cough.

As the saying goes, when entering the temple to worship the gods, Princess Yongjia stood in front of the incense table with her hands behind her back, first quietly staring at the land god in the temple for a while, and then bowed slightly as a salute.

The old man who guards the temple usually makes it easy for the passers-by who are staying overnight. He is talkative and enthusiastic. Seeing the two children boiling water over there eating pancakes with hot water, he scooped half of it from the grain tank behind the statue. Scoops of rough noodles made from corn were delivered.

The night outside was getting darker, Han Suiwu opened the door and came in, the clothes and hair on his shoulders were covered with a thin layer of water mist, he first bowed to Yongjia who was standing in front of the land statue with his hands behind his back, and then walked to his partner around them.

"It's snowing outside, and the little ice particles fall so tightly," Han Suiwu sat beside Yuan Cunyu, took a big sip of the hot corn paste Yuan Cunyu handed over, his internal organs instantly warmed up, "I tied the horse under the thatched shed next to it, and I guess I have to guard it at night."

"It's okay, you can't lose it," the old temple guard waved his hand to Han Suiwu, "This place is next to the official road, the first day of the new year, the world is peaceful, as long as you tie up the horses, they will not be lost—— OK, you rest, I won't bother you, just call me if you need anything."

The old temple guard stood up with some difficulty, was helped by Hou Zaixin, and walked slowly to the back of the land statue to rest—his usual daily life was there.

"Cough..." Sixteen's throat was itchy, and he could not hold back a low cough.

After eating some hot food, a few people who never brought their own bedding borrowed a quilt from the temple guard for Princess Yongjia, leaving one person on duty, and the others found a place to rest. .

After an unknown amount of time, the wind and snow were blowing hard outside, and the lively sound of fireworks and firecrackers could still be vaguely heard. Shiliu, who was resting on the haystack against the wall, quietly opened his eyes.

She saw that the night watchman was changed from Hou Zaixin to Yuan Cunyu. At this moment, Yuan Cunyu was sitting in front of the small fire, holding the fire to keep it from extinguishing.

Han Suiwu lay fast asleep on the haystack beside him, and turned over and rolled up the cloak covering his body. Yuan Cunyu turned his head to look at Han Suiwu, then turned around and covered him with his cloak.

When he turned his head and saw Shiliu squinting at himself, Yuan Cunyu raised his chin to Princess Yongjia who was lying alone on the only plank bed.

Shiliu followed Yuan Cunyu's signal and looked over - like Han Suiwu, she kicked off more than half of the quilt on Princess Yongjia's body.

"Cough..." Sixteen couldn't help coughing softly, stood up and walked over.

Going lightly to pick up the quilt, Shiliu put it back on Princess Yongjia's body openly.

An emotion that cannot be expressed in words quietly overflowed in the deepest part of my heart.

The author has something to say:

It's not easy to save manuscripts, Zhong Zhong sighed