In the Rongguo Mansion, under the flower wall in the southwest corner of the Rongqing Hall, Yuanyang faced the concerned gaze and thought for a while, then said softly: "Maybe it is inconvenient and you gave me a letter rashly. Among the servants of the Rongning and Ning Mansion, Maybe it will spread a lot."
She was waiting in the old lady's room, so how could he send her a message? For example, last time, could he just give her a single sentence and have someone pass it on, and then it would be passed on to the next person, and it would be passed down through the generations?
Xiren nodded and said softly: "Sister Ping'er said the same thing, maybe that's the reason."
For a moment, she couldn't think of any other reason.
Yuanyang held the attacker's little hand, and the girl with shiny braids and duck-oval face, under the sunshine of half a day in spring, her face became as white as jade. Although there were a few small freckles, she was as beautiful as ever, and said: "Okay, I know you are worried about me, but it doesn't matter. If he remembers it, he will come and look for me. If he can't remember it, it's nothing else. He just serves the old lady, and the worst he can do is get his hair cut. Become a monk and become a sister-in-law.
Anyway, since that day, she has identified him all her life. If he doesn't want her, she can just wait for the old lady to become a monk in a hundred years.
Under the striking brows, his bright eyes showed eagerness, and he said, "If you say that, it's really my fault."
Yuanyang smiled and said, "Okay, I think it's really inconvenient to write letters. Ask Qingwen. She probably won't receive any envelopes this time."
Xiren nodded and said, "Maybe it is like this, but it does exist."
At this moment, a beautiful figure flashed from the corner at the end of the corridor, with picturesque eyebrows and a smile.
Ping'er came over from a distance, holding a letter in his hand. He smiled and joked: "You two ladies, biting your ears, what secret are you talking about?"
As he spoke, he came step by step.
Yuanyang smiled and approached, "Where did you come from?"
"This is a letter from the uncle to the old lady. Please help me deliver it." Ping'er chuckled.
Yuanyang exchanged glances with Xiren and said hurriedly: "I'll be there right away."
Then, he took the envelope and headed towards Rongqing Hall.
Jia Mu was taking the maple dew tea delivered by her servant, taking a sip from the teacup, and when she heard the light footsteps, she raised her drooped eyelids and said with a smile, "What's wrong?"
"Old lady, this is Uncle Heng's letter from Henan." Yuanyang said with a smile on her face.
"Oh? Brother Heng's letter?" Jia Mu quickly put down the teacup in her hand, with a look of surprise on her old face, and said with a smile, "It's so hard for him, he's writing a letter to me from such a thousand miles away."
"Brother Heng also sent a letter to the second master. It's a good idea to leave it this month." Yuanyang explained, then came closer and called the maid to open the fire paint and hand it over.
Jia Mu nodded, took the reading glasses delivered by Jade, opened the envelope, took out the letter, and started reading.
Well, of course the letter to Jia Mu did not include the words "the smoke from the willows is vaguely your eyebrows" or "the candles are cut at the west window, and we talk about war together".
They were all ordinary greetings from the younger generation to the elders, so that Jia Mu should not worry and take care of her body and bones. In addition, she mentioned the two county government examinations in March. Based on Baoyu's academic progress, she could try to take the imperial examination. Finally, she talked about the title of knight. After that, I went back to Beijing to worship my ancestors.
After Jia Mu finished reading, she was suddenly surprised. She clearly saw a line of small words at the end. She looked at it for a moment, with a strange look in her eyes, and said softly to Amber and Jade: "Go and see if Baoyu has come back, and found Jean." He came over and I gave him a few words."
Amber and Jade responded quickly and left the Rongqing Hall together.
After the two left, only Jia Mu and Yuanyang who were serving tea were left. Jia Mu looked at the tall and bright girl and said in a complicated tone: "Yuanyang, there is another letter in the envelope from Brother Heng. Take it and look at it."
The letter ended with a reference to Yuanyang.
Fortunately, Jia Mu did not make a mistake. Otherwise, when she saw the sentimental words on it, her heart would be so...
Well, of course, this is impossible, not to mention that Jia Heng wrote a title on the letterhead and glued the letterhead together with glue.
, and bound together, with text written on the title page, which can be said to be a message hidden in an envelope.
Just say that Jia Mu has lived for more than seventy years, what has she not seen?
While Jia Mu was speaking, she picked up the envelope and handed it to Yuanyang.
Hearing this, Yuanyang froze on the spot. His oval face, as white as jade, turned red, and he whispered: "Old lady, this..."
She also has one?
No, didn't Xiren just say that she didn't have any?
"Brother Heng, it's true that you put the letter in an envelope. Why are there so many pieces of paper? The last signature was addressed to you." Mother Jia seemed to blame, and then she looked at Yuanyang kindly. He smiled and joked: "I think this greeting from me is fake, but writing you a letter is real."
"Old lady..." she said in a mandarin duck voice like a mosquito. She took the envelope and the rest of the letter with trembling hands. In front of Jia Mu, she couldn't read it for a moment, her oval face turned red with embarrassment. He lowered his head slightly.
Looking at the shy girl, Jia Mu nodded and said with a smile: "Brother Heng has good intentions. He is thinking about you, and he is thinking about gossip. It's hard to write a separate letter. I originally thought that in a few years , let you come to his house. He has now become an uncle. There are few people in Dongfu. Even if it is to extend the heirs, he must have more concubines. The women outside may be charming and evil, and they are not as good as our own house. The people here are honest and reassuring.”
In fact, putting the letter in this envelope also means that you have fallen in love with the mandarin duck.
It seems that he really likes mandarin ducks.
Yuanyang lowered his bright eyes slightly, holding back the shame and joy in his heart, and said quickly: "Old lady, you can't live without me. I told the uncle that I still want to serve the old lady, and the uncle also agreed before."
Jia Mu smiled and said, "Good boy."
Since she values friendship so much, needless to say, after a hundred years, Yuanyang will be able to take care of some people in the Rong Mansion.
Ningguo Mansion, Xichun Courtyard, the inner room is a studio, covered with curtains, the interior is warm and pleasant, and the furnishings are exquisite. The soft sunlight of mid-afternoon passes through the window, falling on a petite and exquisite girl.
Xichun was also opening a letter, looking at the handwriting on it, reading it attentively, gently closing the letter and placing it on her heart, her eyes were dazed for a moment.
Faintly visible through the spring light of mid-noon, there is a line of small characters written on the letterhead, "Seeing the words is like meeting each other, showing the letter is soothing: March in spring, pink and willows, I am in the Central Plains, the situation is settled, I am surprised to realize that it is late spring. , I cherish the spring scenery for a moment, and I can't help but think about the fact that I haven't seen my fourth sister in recent months..."
The content of the letter contained some ordinary greetings, asking Xichun not to stay at home all the time, but to go to Huifang Garden more. It was more of an earnest request between brother and sister.
Seeing the calmness on Xichun's pretty face, she put away the letter. At this moment, she entered the studio with a curtain and said with a smile on her face, "Girl, Master Miaoyu is here." While speaking, Miaoyu Entering the study, he looked at Xichun, or rather his eyes lingered on the envelope in his hand.
She was a little curious before, how could that person write a letter to her and send it via Xichun.
"Sister Miaoyu, you are here." Xichun looked at the girl in the moon-white monk's robe, took the envelope and said softly: "Sister Miaoyu, this is the letter from Brother Heng to you."
Miaoyu took the envelope, nodded, and said softly: "I'm going back."
Suddenly her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, her clear eyes looked at Xichun, and she asked, "You didn't... take a peek, did you?"
Xichun quickly shook his head and said, "I didn't look at it. It was glued on top with glue and there were names on the title page."
After saying that, she reacted, her pink face slightly pouted, and she said coquettishly: "Who do you think I am, Sister Miaoyu?"
In fact, she was a little curious just now. What would he write to Sister Miaoyu?
Thinking about it, it shouldn't be like hers, where the relationship between brother and sister is about asking each other's questions.
Thinking about this, for some reason, I felt a sense of sadness in my heart.
Miaoyu said "hmm" without saying much. She tried her best to keep an indifferent expression and walked slowly back to the wing where she lived.
It’s just that I just arrived at the wing, and I can’t wait
I went to the desk in front of the window and quickly pulled out the glued letter. After a closer look, I saw the words "Mr. Miaoyu's Taijin" written on the title page.
His eyes flashed, and he couldn't help but secretly spit, this person actually called her master's wife in the letter...
I gently picked up the scissors and carefully cut off the glue paint on the dots. I saw a line of words that jumped into my eyes like a dragon and a snake.
"More than a month after our farewell, we have a deep connection with each other: Mrs. Miaoyu, who had free time from official duties the day before yesterday, was bored, so she walked to the Daxiangguo Temple to offer incense, listened to Sanskrit chants, and looked at the forest of Dotuo steles. She suddenly felt sleepy. Why should she ask more questions? I remember that during the first lunar month in Kyoto, I held a candle and held a night talk with my teacher, talking about mystical teachings. However, my teacher's voice was clear and upright, and every word was like a pearl. She was not elegant, but looked like a sparse cloud. Reflecting the pale moon, there is no silence in the sky, just like the green lotus blooming in the green marsh, you and I look at each other across the threshold, just like the stars shining on the autumn water... I only look forward to returning, under the clear window, cool A pot of fragrant and bitter tea, and then talking about Zen with the master to renew our relationship... Paper is short and love is long, so I can't help but rely on it."
Well, naturally I didn’t mention that I went to Daxiangguo Temple with Princess Xianning.
Miaoyu's cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and her eyes wandered back and forth over the eight words "More than a month after farewell, we are deeply connected". She felt reluctant to read on, but also felt angry.
This is a sentence for missing a lover. How could he use such a greeting?
However, he couldn't care about this, and couldn't help but look down. Soon he was immersed in the emotional offensive between the lines, and felt as if a surging tide was rolling into his heart, which made people tremble and find it difficult to control themselves.
The sound is clear and upright, and every word is pearly? Not noble, not empty?
Does this all mean...her?
It turns out that in his heart...
I couldn't wait to read on, and I couldn't help but feel stunned when I saw the stars shining through the words "Autumn Water" across the threshold.
The words spoken inside and outside the threshold are still in my ears. The arrogant girl at that time was sulking for a few days, but unexpectedly... looking across the threshold, the stars are shining on the autumn water?
I suppressed the good feeling in my heart and continued to look down. Her heart was already trembling, and her cheeks were as hot as fire.
Talk about Zen continuation? Is this... a continuation of the relationship?
Compared with Daiyu's letter, the meaning is quite obscure. This letter to Miaoyu at this moment, because Jia Heng put his thoughts and jokes into writing, and the language is intimate and natural, it is more like a sincere letter. , a fiery love letter.
After reading this, Miaoyu's face turned red and her heart was shaken.
Miaoyu pursed her lips and looked over it several times before reluctantly putting down the paper. Her face was crimson, her eyes were as bright as autumn water, her heart was beating loudly, and she murmured: "Amitabha , It’s really... a bad fate.”
I feel like every word is shaking my heart, making me restless and filled with inner demons.
There was even a strong impulse deep in his heart, Xingye Beidao, and immediately rushed to the Daxiangguo Temple... to place an order.
Well, literary youth is actually a strong emotion, just like "Crossing the Ocean to See You", "Crossing Half of China to Sleep with You", etc. It is not surprising.
Henan Governor's Yamen, in the backyard, in the study room——
I don't know when, the night fell and the lanterns started to turn on. In the city of Shenjing, Ning and Rong were opening and reading Jia Heng's family letters. Jia Heng was also reading the letter. He put it down gently and looked out the window at the cool night, silently lost in thought for a moment.
This is a family letter from Beijing, written by Qin Keqing and Baochai. In order to help Baochai cover up others' eyes and ears, they shared the same envelope.
Judging from the date and signature, it was already a letter written a few days ago.
"The war rages for three months, and a letter from home is worth ten thousand gold."
Jia Heng's face was gloomy, his eyes were calm, he looked at the moon halo behind the sycamore tree in the distance, and murmured.
It takes many years for people to appreciate the beauty of the ancient poems they recited in primary and secondary schools, and the heavy weight of words that carry emotions.
But Qing and Baochai's longing for him overflowed between the lines. Although the paper was light, it was as heavy as a thousand pieces of paper.
Qin Keqing's letters are plain and even a little trivial.
Zongzong talked about some things that happened at home in the past month, including the arrival of some relatives after the knighthood, and asked him when he would return home.
Baochai's letter still had a clumsy temperament, and there were also not many poetic words. They were just ordinary greetings, asking him to take care of himself and take care of himself outside.
But it is precisely this kind of "no skills, all emotions" words that make someone with gorgeous words and meticulous craftsmanship suddenly...
However, the letters written by Jia Heng to Qin Keqing and Baochai, Jinyang and Yuanchun are generally the same.
"I only hope that your heart is like mine... So, it was right to write to them from such a distance, eh?"
Jia Heng's face paused slightly, and he quickly dispersed all the chaotic thoughts. Under the light, his cold and determined eyebrows were as before.
"Sir, are you in the room?" Just as Jia Heng was thinking about it, suddenly, a clear and sweet voice came to his ears, as cold as melting ice and snow. He stared and saw a figure wearing a light red palace dress. A graceful and beautiful girl entered the study.
Princess Xianning was surprised and said, "Sir, is he here?"
His eyes were involuntarily attracted to the young man standing behind the desk, and then he lingered on the envelope at hand. Knowing that it was a letter from home, he pursed his lips and looked away.
In the past few days, the two of them got along day and night. During the day, they went to inspect the river embankment and went all the way to Guide Mansion. At night, Jia Heng enjoyed Princess Xianning's dance. Of course, since eating snow, he has also gradually moved from the snow-capped mountains to the grassland.
Jia Heng nodded and said warmly: "Come here?"
He quietly put a few pieces of letter paper into the envelope and put it in the ancient book next to him for the time being.
Princess Xianning's crystal clear eyes flashed, and she pretended not to notice. She came to the side of the table, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Jia Heng with a "clatter" sound, turned around, handed it over, and said: "Sir, I just rehearsed a dance. Do you want to watch it later?"
"I won't read it today. I will read the official documents delivered by the counties later." Jia Heng took the tea cup and said softly.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Princess Xianning's beautiful brows, and she suppressed the complicated and inexplicable emotions in her heart.
It was probably a letter from home, and my husband missed her dearly, so... he was no longer in the mood to watch her dance.
When I think about this, I know I shouldn't, but there is still a sense of sourness in my heart.
Princess Xianning changed the subject and said in a clear voice: "My uncle said that as soon as the imperial edict to confer Mr. Jin as Yongning Bo came to the government office yesterday, in the past two days, there have been much less objections from the government officials in the county and government. It’s been a lot of work.”
As Song Xuan, under the instruction of Jia Heng, used the report materials to clean up the conduct of local officials in Henan and correct the lawlessness, the two departments at the vassal table were divided.
Unexpectedly, there were some complaints, privately saying that Jia Heng was impetuous in his governance and abused the people.
For a time, there was an undercurrent in Kaifeng Prefecture and the counties under its jurisdiction. Officials and gentry used fast horses or letters to contact relatives and friends who were officials in Beijing. They were mainly some Yushi Yanguan from Henan, hoping that they would impeach the imperial court. Jia Heng was immediately transferred back to the capital, and another civilian official was selected to patrol Henan.
In fact, this is also the resistance to the reform mentioned by Jia Heng. Not only Jia Heng can write letters, but also the gentry and rural sages who buy property in local prefectures, counties, and camps can also write letters to officials in Beijing. 's children.
In a clan society, when a scholar stands out, he often protects the clan, and his clan will build a Jinshi archway to praise him. At the same time, clan elders often enjoy judicial, corvee, taxation and other privileges in the county and township.
Moreover, for a scholar who went to school in the county, went through the process of being a child student, a scholar, and a scholar, and passed the exam all the way, how many teachers, room teachers, fellow villagers, and people in the same year should he have?
Although it does not necessarily form a tight organization, there is still some stress response.
After all, this is an era in which scholarly public opinion controls the right to speak.
Therefore, Jia Heng did not wantonly punish or even destroy the entire gentry class. Instead, he used the people's reports and exposures to record the illegal deeds of the powerful and evil gentry, and cracked down on those who were really outrageous. .
However, despite this, there are still many objections.
Various channels are aggregated to Shenjing.
Just because there was an uproar in Beijing over the establishment of the country, no one paid attention to it. An occasional memorial was approved by Emperor Chongping as a corrupt official, and everyone punished him.
But yesterday, when the inner warden, escorted by the guards of Jinyi Mansion, brought Jiaheng from Jin Dynasty to the governor's office with the imperial edict that he was promoted to the third-class Yongning Bo and his mother was posthumously named Madam Chaopin, the noise disappeared in an instant. .
No one knew that this Marshal Jia Jie was an important minister that the emperor relied on. He had just been made a count for his military merits and could not be impeached at all.
To put it bluntly, even if Jia Heng does evil, he can cover the sky with one hand and it's so dark that he can't even see his fingers.
Jia Heng looked silent and said in a cold voice: "They want me to return to Beijing as soon as possible. Now that they have seen the imperial edict, they will know that they have kicked the iron plate and have settled down again. They don't have to be afraid. However, they still have to use the strategy of differentiation and win-win. , we cannot allow them to confuse right and wrong.”
Princess Xianning said softly: "Sir, I have written down some of the situations now, and plan to submit them to Shenjing for inspection by my father. My uncle will also write a book to elaborate on the evil deeds of some local officials and gentry in Henan. .”
Jia Heng nodded, apologetically, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
This was his intention in taking Xianning with the army this time. The so-called Shubuji kissing these powerful and evil gentry who were "crying out for injustice" thousands of miles away could not compare to the words of the emperor's own daughter and brother-in-law.
"Sir, between you and me, there is no need to say thank you." Princess Xianning walked to Jia's side with graceful steps. Her eyes couldn't help but glance at the family letter on the desk, and her eyebrows furrowed unnoticeably.
Well, there are several pieces of letter paper. I wonder how many letters she has written to her husband?
Jia Heng came closer, stretched out his hand to hold the girl's slender catkin, gently took it into his arms, and said softly: "I wrote a memorandum on the Yellow River Summer Flood Warning this afternoon. I will send the letter you wrote by express delivery tomorrow." The secret memorial will be sent to Beijing together and presented to the emperor."
Princess Xianning softly said "Hmm". Listening to the words of the young father, her beautiful face was filled with joy again. Her beautiful eyes under the willow leaves' thin eyebrows glanced at the envelope sandwiched in the ancient book. She didn't know why. , some were breathing rapidly, their heartbeats were racing, they were feeling weird, and even a little eager to try.
It seems that this can...
Oh, how could she do this?
Princess Xianning's eyebrows were lowered, and she hurriedly concealed the strangeness in her heart, and said in a clear voice: "This morning, I saw that your husband had written a letter to the yamen in Huaiyang and other places, but the officials in Huaiyang and other places did not know your ability, so they may not be able to handle it. I take what sir said to heart."
This morning, Jia Heng wrote to the yamen of prefectures and counties along the Yellow River, including the yamen of Henan prefectures and Shandong governors, hoping to draw attention to the summer floods on the Yellow River.
In the afternoon, I wrote another memorial to Emperor Chongping. In addition, I also wrote letters to the governors of Liangjiang and Nanhe. These were all seen by Princess Xianning.
"Do your best and obey fate." Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said with a solemn expression: "However, regardless of other places, there must be no mistakes in the Henan section. The chaos here has just calmed down, and the people will recover some strength. If there is another flood, The people's morale will be irreversible."
"Sir, please relax, my father will probably take this matter seriously." Princess Xianning nestled Zhen's head in the boy's arms and said softly.
