The next morning was the fourth day after the imperial edict was issued.
It was just dawn, Xia Jingyun had the breakfast prepared for him by Feng Xiuyun in the small courtyard, dressed neatly, and walked out of the courtyard.
Chen Fugui, who had been waiting at the door in advance, was waiting here early with a bag on his back.
Standing with him were Su Yuanshang and Gongsun Jing.
The situation of this trip is complicated, and it is Xia Jingyun's first hurdle since he became an official. Su Yuanshang originally planned to go with him, but the Jiang'an Marquis Mansion today is no better than before, and no one can make up his mind here. Xia Jingyun really He couldn't rest assured that Gongsun Jing's strengths were not here, so Su Yuanshang had no choice but to stay.
Xia Jingyun looked at the two of them and bowed his hands to them, "I will leave the house to you two."
"Don't worry Gao Yang, I will make your future worry-free."
"Don't worry, young master, I will cooperate with Mr. Su and do my duty well."
Xia Jingyun smiled and nodded, turned to Feng Xiuyun behind him and nodded, stopped chattering, and walked out with Chen Fugui.
While walking on the road, Chen Fugui said, "Sir, we really can't wait for Miss Su?"
Xia Jingyun sighed, "No more waiting, we can't wait. His Majesty said that the departure will take place on the 10th, so Longshou Prefecture will naturally estimate based on this date. The few days we advance are the opportunities we strive for for ourselves to find out clearly. A chance to be real.”
He paused, "As for Yanyan coming, I have already made an agreement with Xiuyun and Mr. Su, and he will make arrangements."
Chen Fugui whispered: "Young Master didn't think of bringing Miss Feng with you? It would be nice to have someone to serve you."
Xia Jingyun shook his head, "This trip is dangerous, and it is the first major event since I became an official. I don't know the details yet, so I can't think about it. Let's go, let's set off."
After saying that, the two of them went out through the back door, and there were already eight well-dressed guards waiting outside the door. When they saw Xia Jingyun, they all raised their hands.
Xia Jingyun nodded towards them, "Exit from the south gate and meet at Yanshiji in the southern suburbs in two hours!"
Since their trip was to avoid people's eyes and ears, they naturally would not go out from the east gate as usual when going to Longshou Prefecture, and enter the Longshou Prefecture city through Xingyang direction, or enter Longshou Prefecture from Suishui River and go straight to Huai'an County. Instead, I planned to go around Sixiangzhou, so I chose the South Gate when I went out.
After saying that, he and Chen Fugui mounted their horses and left first.
The eight guards also mounted their horses and dispersed in different directions.
When Xia Jingyun and Chen Fugui were galloping on the official road to Yanshiji under the rising sun, they unexpectedly saw someone.
Two officers, one behind the other, were escorting an old man with disheveled beard and hair, dirty clothes and shackles, who was walking slowly along the official road.
"Hush!"
Xia Jingyun slowly reined in his horse and stopped by the roadside, watching the group of three people pass by him.
When the two officers saw that Xia Jingyun was not dressed too flashy, but he had a good temperament and was riding a tall horse, they looked at him warily and suspiciously.
But the old man was numb and lonely, not turning around at all.
Chen Fugui said softly: "Seeing him like this, who would have thought that more than a month ago, he was still a powerful prime minister stomping his feet in the court and the whole world to tremble!"
As the person who personally overthrew the Prime Minister's Office, Xia Jingyun had no sympathy for Qin Weizhong. He had been living in plain sight and forming cliques for personal gain over the years. He was one of the chief culprits of the collapse of the government. Coupled with the rebellion and rebellion, this outcome was good for him. .
He said softly: "I heard that this person in the Black Ice Platform confessed easily?"
Chen Fugui has been working as a guard for a long time now, and Xia Jingyun has also begun to consciously expose him to some things and train him in the direction of compound talents, hoping to be able to stand alone at critical moments in the future. Although Chen Fugui is honest, he is not stupid. Following Xia Jingyun, he is influenced by what he hears and sees. He gradually started to look good, he nodded and said:
"Yes, I heard that he neither complained about injustice nor tried to regain His Majesty's favor, nor was he stubborn to say anything. He just asked for his son's intact body to be buried as soon as possible, so he was willing to confess completely. Everyone said that he was affected by his son's death. He has broken his will and knows that treason is a serious crime and cannot be defended. It would be easier to do so and he would suffer less."
Xia Jingyun couldn't help but frown when he heard this. He always felt that such a hero shouldn't be so weak-minded.
"Sir, do you think something is wrong?"
Xia Jingyun shook his head, "Nothing, let's go! Don't delay."
As the sun rose, Xia Jingyun led his guards and rode eastward.
In the mountains and forests, a downcast and thin old man staggered all the way south.
In just over ten days, he traveled so many roads that he had never walked in the past ten years combined.
The whole person is also crumbling, like a candle in the wind, decaying and dying.
The two officials had received instructions in advance and did not dare to torture him to death, so they quietly allowed him some extra time to rest.
On this day, they waited until they were already on the road. They didn't go far when they met a huge and gorgeous motorcade.
There were more than ten carriages in front and behind the convoy, and there were more than a hundred people in costumes alone.
"Hey! Which big family is coming to Beijing? This formation is not small!"
"You are blind! Didn't you see the big word "Su" embroidered on the flag? Who else could it be? The Yunmeng Su family!"
The official who was dodging to give way by the road said that Qin Weizhong, who had been walking numbly like a zombie, finally raised his head and took a look.
The old, muddy eyes reflected a huge Chinese character "Su", and also reflected the emotion of the vicissitudes of life and the changes in the world.
"Okay! Let's go!"
The officer slapped Qin Weizhong on the back with the handle of his knife and urged.
Qin Weizhong staggered and started on the road again.
In the carriage that passed him, a maid smiled and said:
"Miss, how do you think Mr. Xia will greet us?"
Su Yanyan was wearing a long white dress, sitting on a soft cushion, holding a book in her hand. Hearing this, she said calmly: "According to the news I learned on the way, he should have set off for Longshou Prefecture now, can he still How do you greet me?"
The maid was stunned, "Ah? How could Mr. Xia do this?"
Su Yanyan glanced at him calmly, and although his words were soft, they were also somewhat stern and solemn, "Rouwen Township is the Tomb of Heroes. Good men are everywhere. If you want to be with me, don't expect anything from the other party." Great skill; if you want to marry a great hero, don't expect him to play with you in the boudoir every day. A woman may not be beautiful or smart, but she must be able to handle it clearly. I don't want to hear this from you again."
The two maids, Tingxue and Huaiyue, were both calmed down by Su Yanyan's stern attitude, and they quickly and respectfully agreed.
The convoy continued to move forward, and finally passed by Chunfengyi two days later and arrived at the southern suburbs of Zhongjing City.
When he stopped to drink tea at a tea shop, Su Yanyan, who was wearing a curtain hat, asked Dr. Tea with a smile, "Dad, I want to ask you about someone?"
Dr. Cha looked hesitant, and the maid Tingxue on the side handed over a small piece of broken silver.
"It's easy to talk! It's easy to talk!" Dr. Cha immediately changed his face, and while pocketing the money, he said with a smile: "I have been in Zhongjing for so many years. In Zhongjing, from the princes of the court to the pedlars, as long as they can have some reputation, Of course, an old man can talk to noble people."
Su Yanyan said: "Then do you know Xia Jingyun?"
Dr. Cha breathed a sigh of relief quietly, and straightened his back a little, "Hey! You may say that other people may not know it because they are old, but who wouldn't know about this champion!"
"Oh? I don't understand. Could you please tell me something for me?"
Dr. Tea said: "By the way, Mr. Xia, when he first arrived in the capital, he sat and drank a bowl of tea in this tea shop! I think about it, hey! What a coincidence, I happened to be sitting in the girl's seat! It was immediately obvious that Mr. Xia is no ordinary person!"
The maid Tingxue on the side retorted: "How is that possible! They came to Beijing to take the exam, and they all stayed at Chunfeng Inn. It was winter at that time, who would just walk a mile or two and come here to sit and drink tea? ah!"
Su Yanyan kicked her secretly, and Tingxue stopped talking.
Dr. Cha took a look and knew that this was not the kind of foolish daughter who was pregnant with spring, so he had to continue honestly: "Maybe my memory has gone wrong. But I can remember what happened next. After Mr. Xia came to Beijing, he first met with the Shi family General Nao is coming up. You know, the Shi family, Minister of Rites, it is spring time, power is at its peak, and no one wants to offend anyone. But just because of Mr. Xia, it didn’t take long for the Shi family to be executed. The entire family in Guangling Prefecture was raided. In one move, the Minister of Rites was wiped out. Think about it, how powerful this is!"
"Not long after, Young Master Xia got into trouble with Young Master Qian of the Qin family again. Oh, you may not know that Young Master Qian's surname is Qin, because the Qin family is the richest in the world, and there is already a Young Master Qin in Zhongjing City. So everyone calls him Mr. Qian."
Su Yanyan said softly: "I heard it's because of a brothel girl?"
Dr. Tea got excited when he spoke, "Hey, isn't it? It was said that Mr. Qian robbed a girl that Mr. Xia was in love with and wanted to rape him. The girl would rather die than obey and jumped off the building to death. Then Mr. Xia became angry. Not only I broke up with Mr. Qin and even went to the funeral for that woman in person! Tsk tsk, you didn’t see that scene. Almost all the brothel girls in the city came to accompany him. Now the oirans in Zhongjing City are still saying that Mr. Xia went to the brothel. , I will never accept his money! You are a role model for us, you are a role model for us!"
"What a role model? He's just a playboy and a heartless man!" The maid Tingxue couldn't listen and cursed subconsciously. She quickly realized and added, "It's not a good habit to be jealous of a woman from a brothel."
"How can a romantic and talented man like Mr. Xia live with only one woman? Of course it's okay!" Dr. Cha didn't see anything unusual and continued: "Later, Mr. Xia defeated Mr. Qian and said Come on, when you come to Beijing, you must try our roast duck in Zhongjing City, it is a must-have! Although it is said on the market that the chef of Mingyulou and the steward of the imperial kitchen invented it, but the old and reliable news is that this thing was invented by Mr. Xia Yes, he and the eldest daughter of the Qin family are a perfect match, and they have made a lot of money!"
The maid Tingxue said quickly: "Wait a minute, who is the eldest lady of the Qin family?"
"That's the owner of Ming Yulou! I heard that the eldest daughter of the Qin family is so beautiful that she is a perfect match for Young Master Xia. It just so happens that Young Master Xia hasn't married yet, so many people are saying that it's better to marry the eldest daughter of the Qin family. , they are a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"
The maid Tingxue immediately retorted: "Nonsense! Mr. Xia is obviously in love with the eldest lady of the Su family, Yunmeng, whom I heard about. How can it be anyone else's business!"
"Isn't it common for a man to have three wives and four concubines? Besides, how far away is the Su family, but how close is the Qin family! The Qin family is the richest in the world, and they are a perfect match for Mr. Xia!"
The maid Tingxue wanted to say something else, but Su Yanyan stopped her, "Old man, please continue."
"This Young Master Qian was taken care of by Young Master Xia with just a few tricks, but guess what? Young Master Qian died suddenly. Everyone thought it was Young Master Xia who did it, so they locked him up in a black ice platform. I almost didn't miss the spring. Later, Empress Dowager De concubine blew the pillow wind and cried to His Majesty. His Majesty couldn't resist the concubine, so he ordered him to be released to take the exam. In the end, they really didn't give Concubine De Concubine anything. It’s so shameful that he got the top spot in the exam all of a sudden! His Majesty was so happy that he was promoted three levels in a row in one day, and he is now a fourth-grade official!”
Dr. Tea smiled and said: "Because of the deaths of Young Master Qian and Young Master Qin, now we no longer have the theory of the Four Young Masters in Zhongjing. Instead, there are gradually two theories. One says that Young Master Xia is the number one young master in Zhongjing. But many people feel that although Mr. Yuhu disdains rankings, we still have to respect others, so some people came up with the idea of a double-walled empire, saying that Mr. Xia and Mr. Yuhu, who are both civil and military, are the future of our Great Xia Dynasty. I hope. I think it’s right!”
Empire Double Wall Su Yanyan stood up with a smile, "Thank you very much, father-in-law."
"You're welcome."
Dr. Tea watched the group of people slowly disappear into the official road, took a sip of tea, lay down on the bamboo chair, and leisurely hummed a ditty of his own creation.
"I travel here and there, only thinking that fame, wealth and honor are so hard to come by; she looks east and west, sighing bitterly at the sweet dream and good marriage; half her life has been hard and half her life is bowing her head, only to realize that nine out of ten her life will be unsatisfactory~ah~ah~ "
Walking in the long-lost Zhongjing City, Su Yanyan opened the curtain and looked at the slowly receding scenery around him, slowly picking up his past memories.
The Su family's motorcade put away the flag that was hung up early this morning to guard against inconspicuous thieves. Now walking on the street, not many people paid attention.
The motorcade didn't even go to the Su family's house in Beijing, and went straight to the gate of Jiang'an Hou Mansion.
When this huge motorcade arrived, the concierge of Jiang'an Hou Mansion naturally reported it quickly.
Su Yuanshang and Feng Xiuyun, who had already received Xia Jingyun's instructions, quickly walked out together.
Su Yanyan looked at Su Yuanshang, smiled and bowed.
Su Yuanshang said quickly: "Miss, please get up quickly and let me introduce you."
Su Yanyan smiled and saluted directly, "This must be Sister Feng. She is as elegant and generous as the rumors say. Thank you for your hard work these days. My sister is new here and I don't understand a lot. I hope you can give me some advice." "
Seeing that Su Yanyan's posture was so low and his attitude was so gentle, Feng Xiuyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Miss Su, you are tired from traveling, please go to the house and rest quickly."
Everyone in the Su family entered the Marquis Mansion, and there was no need to mention that they were busy settling down. But a moment later, Gongsun Jing came to the palace in a carriage and informed Concubine De of the matter.
The familiar Xihua Gate and the familiar guards.
Gongsun Jing was about to speak, but he saw the arrogant guard in the past greeted him enthusiastically, "Oh, Mr. Gongsun, long time no see."
Then, a captain on duty at this gate also walked out quickly with a friendly attitude, "Mr. Gongsun, do you have something to report to Concubine De?"
Gongsun Jing nodded, "Excuse me, sir, please help me pass the message."
As he said that, he slipped a banknote out of his sleeve, but the other party waved his hand quickly, "It's just a trivial matter, Mr. Gongsun, I've been waiting for you, haven't you? Just wait and I'll arrange it right now."
Looking at the other party's decisive departure, Gongsun Jing couldn't help but think of those scenes more than half a year ago, and couldn't help but smile.
——
Yueyang City.
Although the sky is still clear, the wind and rain are already brewing.
Just waiting for a critical point, or an opportunity, the swaying wind and rain will fill the entire world.
Click!
A bolt of lightning passed through the air like a giant snake, instantly lighting up the entire city.
It also illuminated a figure walking staggeringly in the pouring rain in a suburban cemetery.
Most of his thin clothes were soaked through. He stumbled into a simple shed made of branches and leaves. He leaned against the stone and huddled up, watching the wind and rain in front of him.
Boom!
Thunder resounded across the sky, as if the entire city was trembling.
The old man held a rotten fruit he picked up from somewhere in his hand, weakly stuffing it into his mouth and chewing it.
When he arrived in Yueyang, no one in the entire Yueyang City hired him to work, even to do hard work, and no family gave him any food, even if he could buy it with money.
He could only wander around the streets and alleys all day long, competing with the beggars and wild cats and dogs in the back alleys for the lowest possible sustenance.
But he was too old to compete with those fierce and agile beggars. In the end, he could only wander into the cemetery and occasionally pick up some sacrifices for food.
What is taboo or not is insignificant in the face of life.
And this fruit is his only harvest in the past two days.
Life passes quickly in such hunger and cold.
He leaned against the tree trunk and murmured: "Your Majesty, you are so cruel!"
In the heavy rain with thousands of households behind closed doors, three figures wearing raincoats and bamboo hats stepped through the rain curtain, passed through the dense forest, and slowly came to him and stopped in their tracks.
A man in coir raincoat slowly came to him and squatted down slowly.
"Jie Xi!"
Qin Weizhong's eyes suddenly widened. No one had called his cousin for many years.
And this voice? !
Click!
A bolt of lightning split the darkness between heaven and earth again, and also illuminated the face in front of him!
In the summer of the 24th year of Chongning, Qin Weizhong, the powerful prime minister who had controlled the government for more than ten years and dominated the sky with one hand, was found dead in a cemetery outside Yueyang City.
When he died, he was hungry and cold, and had nothing to grow.
Buried without a coffin, with no one to express condolences.
(End of Volume 3)
(End of chapter)
