hold this little monk

Under the still vicious sun in early autumn, Xiaoxuan said goodbye to Bi Kong, and walked to the street with bare feet and sweaty back——he looked like a ten-year-old urchin at this time, and he would not attract attention without shoes.

Relying on his aura of smiling face, Yu Xiaoxuan managed to find Zhang's Mansion on Guiren Street by himself, relying on the guidance of the aunts.

There were two yawning guards standing at the gate of Zhang's mansion, which were incompatible with the two majestic stone statues. The weather was sultry and the grass on the ground was wilting, and dogs barked from time to time in the inner mansion, which successfully dispelled Yu Xiaoxuan's determination to turn over. The idea of ​​​​going in to find Qiongyi.

He'd better squat in a corner and wait for someone to come back.

According to the time on the imperial list, he had to enter the palace tomorrow, if he didn't find Qiong Yi today to explain it to him, he might not have another chance in the future.

Xiaoxuan once thought about the reason that drove Qiong Yi to volunteer, no matter what the secret was, he had to confirm it.If he really entered the palace voluntarily, then he would have nothing to say.

"But no one would want to be a lover for an old woman who is five or sixty years old." Xiaoxuan sat bored in an inconspicuous corner, with a dog's tail grass in his mouth, and counted the sedan chairs in his heart.

There are few pedestrians in Guiren Street, and most of the nobles are carrying you to and fro in sedan chairs. The bearers on the road look numb, blushing and using brute force, and the noble ladies sitting in the car smile and play. With boudoir fun.Same world, different circumstances.

The light was dim, the weather changed from hot to cool, Xiaoxuan didn't squat Qiongyi, but waited for Zhang Xuchuan who came back from work.

Zhang Xuchuan had long been used to this kind of little beggar squatting outside his house, and he didn't bother to give alms at a glance.But who would have thought that this beggar had the audacity to grab the corner of his clothes.

"You!" Zhang Xuchuan stared at him, stunned, "You..."

Xiaoxuan spat out the foxtail, stood upright and bowed: "Thanks to your lord's care, Caomin is here to thank you!"

Zhang Xuchuan's expression relaxed, he pursed his lips and smiled and said, "You kid is also interesting, go in and have a seat."

"Hey." Xiaoxuan followed into Zhang's mansion with a smile.

The scenery of the Zhang Mansion is beautiful, although it is not grand, but it is also exquisite enough. The maids are all pleasing to the eye and know the rules very well, showing the heritage of the scholarly family of the Zhang Mansion everywhere.

Only then did Xiaoxuan sit on the guest seat, his legs were not enough to touch the ground, and he swayed intermittently.

Zhang Xuchuan changed his clothes and walked slowly, took a few sips of tea leisurely, took a look at Xiaoxuan, and said: "Who are you waiting for? If you don't speak first, I will ask you first."

"What is there for an adult to ask about the little one?" Xiaoxuan blinked and asked.

Zhang Xuchuan sneered and shook his head: "I don't even choose a decent alias. Just because I haven't met you, I don't know you? If you are dishonest, I can send you back to Daoist Yu at any time."

His identity was exposed mercilessly, Xiaoxuan remained calm, and said with a smile: "My lord hasn't handed me over to Daddy for so long, so he probably doesn't want me to go back."

"Hmph." Zhang Xuchuan smiled, "You are calm, but do you know that you are anxious to die from Mr. Yu Hao? If it weren't for your talent, when Yu Hao came to ask me, I would have handed you over."

"Huh." Xiaoxuan feigned surprise, "Your Excellency wants me to enter the palace because of my talent?"

When it comes to this point, wise people don't speak dark words.Zhang Xuchuan's joking expression faded away, and he looked at the child who was sometimes naughty and sometimes steady in front of him.

Zhang Xuchuan: "They say you are extremely intelligent, I just take it as flattery. From this point of view, I still underestimate you."

Xiaoxuan didn't want to make excuses anymore: "My lord, just tell me, anyway, this is also in your residence."

He doesn't have the skills to reach the sky, is it possible that he can conjure up a mobile phone recording and then sell him?Going around like this, he will soon forget what he came here for.

"Children are impatient." Zhang Xuchuan began to drink tea leisurely again.

"..." Xiaoxuan smiled helplessly, and simply crossed his arms and walked back without any manners, closing his eyes and resting his mind, "Okay, I'm not in a hurry, I'm not in a hurry, sir, drink slowly."

Zhang Xuchuan almost spit out a sip of tea, took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth: "This officer just likes your mouth."

Xiaoxuan: "..."

This sounds really ambiguous.

"I don't know much about your painting skills." Zhang Xuchuan laughed playfully, "But that day, I admired you for being glib in front of the empress. Now that you don't have the protection of Louxian Palace, I'm afraid you will be alone. Whether you want to vote for me or not, you can decide for yourself."

choice?Can he still refuse this tactic of whipping first and then sprinkling sugar?I am afraid that if I refuse, I have to go out sideways.

"I will obey your lord's orders." Xiaoxuan opened his eyes and nodded in agreement.

……

The sky gradually became darker, and Zhang Xuchuan pretended to be responsible for his old friend's children, so he forced Xiaoxuan to stay in Zhang's mansion, but kept Qiongyi's whereabouts and residence secret.

Really old fox.

Yu Xiaoxuan was lying on the big bed, staring blankly at the intricately patterned canopy above his head, wondering if it was because of the late night, a little melancholy leaked out of his heart uncontrollably.

Back then, he didn't want to take over Louxian Palace. On the one hand, he didn't believe in ghosts and gods. On the other hand, he didn't want to get caught up in the official game.

Why are you still stuck?

He rubbed his face vigorously, and slapped it twice, until his face turned red.

"A little kid, what's so melancholy." He laughed at himself.

When the cock crows and the bell rings, all the officials go to court.Xiaoxuan put on the complicated clothes sent by his servants, finally turned his head to look in the direction of Yan's house, followed Zhang Xuchuan into the carriage, and headed towards the palace.

The palace is divided into two parts, and the place where the concubines live naturally cannot have males other than eunuchs, so all the courtiers and princes live in the front palace, including the imperial studio where Xiaoxuan will live in the future.

Ziling Hall is the work place of the Imperial Painting Studio, so people often use Ziling Hall to refer to the Imperial Painting Studio.The Royal Painting Studio has recruited five painters in seven years. The teachers are all famous court painters, and the leader is an old man with a fortune in painting, Shi Yang, who is known as the saint of ghost painting—because of folk rumors, this old man, You can draw the face of the deceased in the coffin against the coffin.

This is indeed a supernatural power of ghosts and ghosts. It is true that Xiaoxuan does not believe in ghosts and gods, and when he heard the name of the ghost painting, he felt the wind behind him.

But he didn't expect this man to be an old man with a rosy face and a radiant face. He had white hair and a white beard hanging from his chin, and he had a kind smile, just like the old man in the portrait.

It was such a respectable and awe-inspiring old man who said something with satisfaction when the eunuch brought five children.

"This year's children are really gratifying!"

Reminiscent of his title of ghost painting saint, Xiaoxuan always felt that the meaning behind this sentence was: go and light the fire, such a cute child should be eaten while it is hot.

Fortunately, Shi Yang didn't say that. Instead, he waved his hand and said imposingly, "Let them draw twenty pairs of peonies for me before tonight!"

"..." Xiao Xuan's hands trembled.

It's better to stew them and eat them.

The life of the painting boy in Ziling Palace is boring, and Xiaoxuan has experienced Bi Kong's life in Dakai Temple first-hand - being constantly excluded.

The children of the poor will run against the children of the nobles, and the children of the nobles will also run against the children of the common people.

Who said that humans are inherently good?

Xiaoxuan reckoned that if he had really been ten years old, he would have rolled up his sleeves and painted them on their faces long ago. Bear kids are hard-nosed, and if he was more aggressive, those kids would have nothing to do with him. .

It's a pity that he has lived for decades, facing that kind of childish isolation, there is no fluctuation in his heart.

He just left them far away with his grades in the painting exams month after month, leaving those angry children with a noble back and a dark heart.

Although it is very inhumane, it is really cool to abuse these children...

After this, those children gradually felt bored, and some of them turned their backs and admired his talent a little bit.His days finally settled down.

Time sneaked away quietly and calmly, the lifelessness in the palace was suddenly covered by festive atmosphere, everyone came and went in a hurry...

"It's Chinese New Year again." Xiaoxuan, wrapped in the big fox fur that Shi Yang gave him, sat on the stone steps and rubbed his hands, exhaling like white smoke, muttering to himself.

The snow fell late this year, and the first snow just happened to be the day before New Year's Eve. This is the first year away from home.

More than ten years ago, he didn't have a home, so he never left home. Today he knows what it's like to wander away from home.

Xiaoxuan smacked his lips and ate the chicken that Shi Yang stuffed him before, when he was caught off guard and was slapped hard on the back, almost choking on the bones.

Looking back, "Yue Lao" looked at him with a smile: "You miss home?"

Xiaoxuan didn't hide it, and said openly: "Yes."

"Don't worry, there are still seven years." Shi Yang moved slowly, and slowly sat beside him with his waist supported.

Why does everyone think he is anxious.Xiaoxuan couldn't help laughing, staring at the distant sky: "Well, it's only been seven years."

"I didn't expect you, a heartless wolf cub, to be homesick." Shi Yang giggled, "I thought you couldn't raise them well, Master Zhang always sent people to give you things, and I didn't see you. You really thanked me."

"No, it's very sincere." Xiaoxuan smiled disdainfully.

No matter how much he tried, the old fox would never release Qiongyi's message, nor send Qiongyi into the palace, and he didn't know where it went, it was impossible to send Qiongyi back to Louxian Palace.The fox just knew it was taking advantage of him, and wanted to grab both the fish and the bear's paw.

Xiaoxuan spat out the bone into his hand, his face darkened, and he said in a low voice: "One day, he will know my sincerity."

Shi Yang narrowed his old eyes, and taking advantage of Xiaoxuan's gloomy expression, he raised his hand and slapped Xiaoxuan so hard that Xiaoxuan's heart didn't jump out of his throat.

Xiaoxuan flicked it and said incredulously, "Old man, what are you doing!"

Shi Yang was stunned for a moment, and when he realized it, his smile was even more amiable, so horribly amiable.

"...It's over." Xiaoxuan covered his mouth and accidentally called out the title from the bottom of his heart.

Shi Yang snorted and said, "Come on, don't pretend, don't you know what kind of virtue you usually have?"

Xiaoxuan touched his nose in embarrassment, trying to save him: "I don't usually do this."

"I don't care about this with you." The old man exhaled slowly, looked at Xiaoxuan with a side face, and said in a deep voice, "Son, you are the one I have seen before, and you should not come to the palace, the person who came to the court .”

"It's all here." Xiaoxuan smiled, "Could it be that the teacher doesn't want to teach me and wants to send me away?"

Shi Yang: "If possible, I would like to send you away."

"I can't go." Xiaoxuan blinked mischievously, "I still have to eat under the master's hands."

He still wants to use his own way to solve the predicament of Louxian Palace, how can he leave easily.

Shi Yang stood up on the floor in silence, Xiaoxuan got up to help him, Shi Yang gently patted his head, and made an old man's voice: "It's only been a year, and seeing the dust in my heart, I don't want to die. Rest in peace."

Xiaoxuan paused, froze, Shi Yang ignored him, and left on his own, the voice floated from afar.

"Sooner or later, the old man will kill the dog official Zhang Xuchuan."

Xiaoxuan rubbed his frozen face, and finally couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth when he heard this sound.

Sure enough, Shi Yang didn't seem to care about anything, but in fact he knew everything in his heart, and Zhang Xuchuan couldn't hide his thoughts at all.