Thousands of Mountains

This is their first New Year's Eve outside the capital.

In the past in Beijing, the Chinese New Year was always very complicated, and the emperor's house was just a home on this day. Chen Ji wanted to enter the palace, and Chen Ze and Qiu Yiren had the illusion of a happy family. Yin Cen always stood silently in the palace. At the door, Chen Ji, who came out of the palace after watching the new year, returned to the mansion accompanied by snowflakes all over the sky, warmed a pot of wine around the charcoal stove, and the two chatted and fell asleep in each other's arms.

But at this time in Yunnan, Qiu Luhua naturally invited everyone from the official station to go to the government office to celebrate the New Year. Yin Cen naturally pushed it cleanly. I don't bother to talk about it.

There was no decree from the palace this day, Chen Ze seemed to have completely forgotten about this son, Yin Cen asked him for the first time, "Ah Yue, do you care about the crown prince?"

Chen Ji's eyelashes flickered slightly, "I care, but I don't care."

"How do you say it?" Yin Cen asked.

"I care because this seems to be the only proof that my father had a deep relationship with his dead mother back then, that he really loved his mother." Chen Ji said again, "I don't care because whether he is a prince or whether he can be an emperor, I don’t really care about that in itself.”

"Why don't you care about becoming emperor?" Yin Cen asked again.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ji asked back, "Brother Pingshan, do you think Emperor Father is happy?"

Yin Cen was taken aback, he had never thought about this question, but thinking about it now, he replied, "I guess not so happy."

Chen Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Yeah, he is unhappy, he is wary of the courtiers, jealous of the harem, that's how the so-called lonely family comes, but he has no choice, being an emperor, being happy has never been his concern, but, "Chen Ji looked up at Yin Cen, "I care, I want myself to be happy, and I want you to be happy too, but in this palace, these two words are simply extravagant hopes."

Yin Cen understands him, and because he understands him, he has many worries.He asked again, "If one day the emperor really abolishes the crown prince, what should you do?"

Chen Ji thought for a while and said, "I also hope that I can go on without wind and waves from now on, but my father is very suspicious. If he abolishes me, he must be suspicious and believe that I have committed an unforgivable sin." , I’m afraid I won’t be able to live by then.”

Yin Cen nodded, he didn't know that there was only one exit on this road from the beginning, Chen Ji was not a rich and idle prince, he could only do his best to win in this fight.

Now Chen Ze's attitude is becoming more and more unclear, Yin Cen only wants to settle the tea tax case quickly, and with this merit, Chen Ji will have more confidence.

However, if he really wins the world, he will lose a sincere and innocent young man. Yin Cen also asked himself whether this is the right way?

Not only that, but Yin Cen suddenly found that he had fallen into an even more troublesome dilemma. If he took Yin Cistan away, there would be a fierce battle on the border. Although General Lin Moyan was guarding him, Yin Cen was sure that there would be no more tragedies. However, because of his own selfish interests, he provoked border wars. As a matter of fact, Yin Cen will undoubtedly die if he is impeached, and even Chen Ji is in danger of being deposed.

If Yin Cen was kept in the enemy's tent and became the concubine of the enemy Khan who murdered his parents, Yin Cen would not be able to do it no matter what.

Thinking of this level, Yin Cen felt for the first time that both the front and the back are enemies, and no matter how he chooses, it will be a knot.

The two of them sat in the room with their own thoughts, one with a sad face than the other. This New Year's Eve really wasn't any joy at all.

It wasn't until Luo Qingshan knocked on the door and called the two of them to have a New Year's Eve dinner that the two of them came to their senses and remembered that they had agreed to cook a New Year's Eve dinner together, but in the end Qin Nianqin and Luo Qingshan were still busy.

When they came to the dining room, Yin Cen and Chen Ji were stunned for a moment. They saw a huge pot in the middle of the dining room, and a tall conical chimney stood in the middle of the pot.

"What is this...?" Chen Ji stuttered in surprise.

Qin Nianqin smiled and said loudly, "Hot pot, the pot used by the border ethnic groups here, I specially asked Wu Ye'er to buy one from the village today, and let's go to the village to do as the Romans do, and have a Qiang village hot pot dinner."

Yin Cen recalled the night when he first arrived in Cangyuan County, Master Qin and Mr. Luo were boiling hot pot. It seems that they have a special liking for hot pot, and after eating Han people, they still want to eat Qiang people.

Just as he was thinking about it, Qin Nianqin said again, "I have been a Qingshui official in this remote village for five years. I have done nothing else, but I have eaten all kinds of hot pot. The Dong family also has a kind of hanging pot, do you want to try it? "

Yin Cen and Chen Ji were in a better mood at this moment, and they couldn't help but say that this big chimney was already shocking.

In order to cater for Chen Ji's taste, Qin Nianqin made the bottom of the clear soup pot, but made a large row of various dipping water. Yin Cen swallowed his saliva as he looked at the chili, red oil, white garlic and black vinegar.

During the day, Wu Ye'er went to the street to buy stewed beef and saliva chicken, and then cut a few thin plates of fresh beef and mutton. Chen Ji teased him, "Such a good knife is used to cut meat."

There was no good wine, but Luo Qingshan still found some locally brewed burning knives, and it was so spicy that people shed tears, and it was served with steaming hot pot. Everyone raised their glasses.

We are both strangers in the world, when we clinked glasses, there was crackling sound of firecrackers and fireworks outside.

After eating the hot pot in a lively manner, faint singing sounds came from outside again. Everyone listened quietly for a while, Qin Nianqin said, "It seems that the antiphonal singing and hydrangea throwing in the nearby Bai village have begun."

"What is this?" Yin Cen asked

Qin Nianqin glanced at Wu Ye'er and explained, "It is the custom of the Bai people to celebrate the New Year every year. If a girl has a man she likes, she will throw the hydrangea ball to him and sing to him. The song is the bond between the two parties."

Wu Ye'er understood, "Shall we go and have a look too?"

Yin Cen also looked at Chen Ji, and the four of them laughed out loud.

Luo Qingshan sobbed while hiccupping, "You... bullying people!"

The four of them laughed, took Luo Qingshan's arms and walked away, "Let's go, go and grab a girl for our master."

When I arrived at the village, I saw all the young girls and boys came out, and the torches illuminated the whole village brightly. The girls standing on the two-story wooden building looked at the boys below, covering their mouths and giggling.

Four people arched Luo Qingshan and squeezed forward. Fatty Luo blushed, but couldn't help but look upstairs, wishing to shout, who's sister likes a simple and honest little abacus expert?

A small area was so crowded that there was almost no place to stand, Yin Cen and the others were trying to get Luo Qingshan to the front row, but unexpectedly a girl from upstairs stood in the middle holding a hydrangea ball.

This is ready to toss!

The boys downstairs instantly boiled over. The girl on the second floor was wearing a silver hairpin in a pink dress, with a smile on her lips, her shy eyes fixed on Yin Cen, and she shouted crisply, "The brother in black has caught the ball!"

Both Yin Cen and Chen Ji were taken aback, the hydrangea had already flown in the air.

Chen Ji hurriedly grabbed Yin Cen in a panic, and the hydrangea flew behind Yin Cen's ear. Yin Cen turned his head and saw that it was also a boy in black, holding a hydrangea in his hand and shouting happily, "I Received! Received!"

The girl on the second floor saw that the hydrangea had hit the wrong person, she was slightly startled, but saw that the person who caught the ball was also a handsome young man, so she smiled brightly again and began to sing to him.

At this moment, Chen Ji had an idea, he tugged Wu Ye'er's sleeve, and led him quietly behind the crowd.

After a round of song matching, Yin Cen kept watching the young man step back and the girl went downstairs, and the two walked into the village holding hands, only then did they suddenly realize that Chen Ji and Wu Ye'er were gone.

Turning around to look around, I saw the crowd exclaiming, Yin Cen and Qin Nianqin raised their heads, and suddenly found Chen Ji and Wu Ye'er standing on the roof of the small wooden building.

The mountain wind was hunting, the flames were flickering, the robes of Chen Ji and Wu Ye'er fluttered, and everyone was amazed, because they both had a hydrangea ball in their hands.

Ever since this custom began, girls were seen throwing hydrangea balls. What are these two tall, burly boys doing up there?

There was a lot of discussion among the crowd below, Yin Cen turned his head and saw that Qin Nianqin was already blushing, but he couldn't help looking up at Wu Ye'er.

Wu Ye'er had already raised the hydrangea ball in her hand high, and then quickly and accurately threw it towards Qin Nianqin.

As soon as the ball flew into his arms, Qin Nianqin was shocked and took a few steps back, Yin Cen quickly stretched out his hand to support him, everyone shouted as if awakened, singing and dancing around Qin Nianqin to bless him.

At this time, I also saw Chen Ji holding up the hydrangea ball, and Yin Cen looked at the tall boy on the roof through the noisy crowd, feeling a little dazed for a moment.

Chen Ji flew up, the hydrangea flew forward, Chen Ji's men followed closely behind, Yin Cen saw the ball in the air, and also flew up to catch the ball in mid-air, followed Chen Ji's men, and even led the ball to catch Yin Cen Wrapped in his arms, Cen swept straight to the open space ahead.

When the two landed on the ground, there were loud cheers behind them.

Yin Cen looked up and saw that Chen Ji's eyes were full of stars. He grabbed the hydrangea ball, held it up to Yin Cen's eyes and said, "Brother has accepted the hydrangea ball, so I can't go back on my word."

"In this life, I have no regrets." Yin Cen said softly.

Qin Nianqin and Wu Ye'er also squeezed out of the crowd, followed by Luo Qingshan who was out of breath. For some reason, Fatty Luo's face was full of tears, and the four comforted him, "It doesn't matter, there are so many girls in the world. yes……"

But he wiped away his tears and said, "No, no, I'm just... so touched... You guys must... stay together forever, don't separate..."

The four couldn't help laughing, but they all thought in their hearts, yes, they should always be together and never separate.

In the early morning of the next day, every family was still in their dreamland. On the first day of Ningxi's 23rd year, five people from Guanyi set off for Guanxi Guazhou. destination.

At the same time, Yin Cen divided the secret guards into two groups, one group escorted Ren Tonghuan to the capital, and the other escorted Guan Cha to follow Yin Cen to Kansai.

The moment he closed the door and set off, Yin Cen expected that he would never come here again, and he never thought that it was here, thousands of miles away from the capital, that he felt the unfathomable power of the court for the first time.

But seeing Qin Nianqin and Luo Qingshan next to him, no matter whether they will be colleagues or friends in the future, Yin Cen thought, it was enough to count it as a worthwhile trip.