text:
The spring rain is continuous, the light smoke is green willows, the Yangtze River and Huaihe River are picturesque, and the songs are flowing across the Wupeng River, returning to Yan and entering Wuzhong.
Amidst the spring drizzle, the chill has been replaced by the beauty of spring. From time to time in the vibrant courtyard, there are subtle sounds of falling, and gentle laughter of relief.
"Brother Li, it seems that this game of chess is a draw again."
In the pavilion, there are two men playing chess. The one holding black on the left is a middle-aged man in his early forties. Jade crown gown, dark skin. He was carefully watching the situation on the plate at this time, and seemed to be extremely involved. On the right side is an extremely young man, about twenty-five or sixty-six years old, dressed as a scholar, with a square scarf wrapped on his head. Thick eyebrows, beautiful eyes, a smooth face, extremely handsome. On his right hand, leaning against the stone table, is a red tassel sword with delicate patterns on it. Come to think of it, this man is not only a scholar, but also someone who knows martial arts and has the style of a noble family.
"It's great to have a draw." He smiled, raised his hand and dropped a piece: "If every set ended in a draw, my eldest brother wouldn't complain to me endlessly about the one piece or two pieces."
The middle-aged man laughed heartily: "It's fine if other people don't know, but you, Brother Li, don't know? As a brother, you only have such a hobby, so of course you have to be more serious." He paused for a long time, and then asked: "The Holy Spirit has appointed you The champion is inspecting the Jianghuai River, is there anything unusual?"
"It's just a fictitious position. Your Majesty sympathizes with the fact that I have been wandering away for many years. Now I have just set up a name to allow me to return to my hometown to visit my parents." The young man surnamed Li shook his head, with a look of disapproval on his face.
"I'm afraid the wedding is too busy, brother Li," the middle-aged man smiled narrowly: "There are so many flowers in the capital, I'm afraid you've already been spoiled for choice. If you're lucky, I'd like to drink your cup of wedding wine as the number one scholar." Woolen cloth."
"That's natural. How dare I forget my elder brother?"
"Come on, I don't know you. How could you come here and play chess with me patiently if you didn't have something to do? Tell me, what brother can you help me with?"
The young man paused his hands, curled his eyes, smiled, and shook his head: "It seems that I can't hide it from Big Brother..." He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it over: "I know that Big Brother, as the governor of Jianghuai, controls Jianghuai Matters. My secretary is familiar with all matters in Jianghuai, so I would like to ask my eldest brother to help me investigate a person."
"Who?" The middle-aged man was about to take it, but Young Master Li raised his hand to avoid him:
"It must be kept secret."
Mr. Li's eyes revealed a solemn look.
"Tch..." the middle-aged man snorted coldly, stretched out his hand to grab the note, and pressed the sunspot in his left hand on the center of the chessboard with a "snap":
"That's why you play chess with me."
He said enthusiastically, raised his hand to open the note, and glanced at the words on it.
All I saw were black characters on the white paper, handsome figures, and dancing dragons and phoenixes:
"Chen Yanzhi."
He muttered the name silently, as if he had heard it somewhere.
Three months later, Inspector Li, the number one scholar, returned to Beijing to report on his work and fully reported on the relocation and resettlement of the Jianghuai Central Waterway. Among them, some officials of the Huizhou Prefecture, the Grand Canal Waterway, and the Huaihe River Waterway were exposed a few years ago for secretly withholding disaster relief funds and dereliction of duty and corruption by opening sluices and releasing water in northern Anhui. The Holy Emperor was furious and ordered strict measures to be taken. Seventeen people including Huizhou Prefect Yin and other related staff were killed, and more than eighty people were dismissed from their posts. Rehabilitate the Chen family who were previously wrongly accused of dereliction of duty for this matter. Because Li Zhuangyuan was successful in investigating and handling the matter, he was rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and was granted the title of Censor of the Third Rank, Zhongcheng. Since then, the government and the public have been shocked, and there are many different opinions.
Six years ago, Yangzhou, Jiangsu.
He remembered that it was still the March day when willows were flying and flowers were blooming.
At the age of nineteen, he had already won the imperial examination and came from a prominent family. The man was handsome, well-equipped in both civil and military affairs, and was famous throughout Yangzhou. For a time, the threshold of the family was crossed by the proposed bride.
But he didn't want to be bound by marriage early, so he studied hard and practiced martial arts for many years in order to one day serve the country. He is focused on making great achievements, and he really doesn't want to spend too long emotionally.
Or maybe, he still feels that he hasn't met anyone worth paying for.
It just hurts my parents.
As a family of civil servants, his parents were both obsessive and observant of etiquette. It was difficult to criticize the favor of relatives and friends, and there was no way to educate this excellent and stubborn son. In the dilemma, I had to send him out for a walk every time there were guests at home.
March is the most beautiful time in Yangzhou, this is what he has always believed.
There is still a slight chill, but there is more hope for spring to return to the earth. Walking along the canal embankment, under the flying catkins and flowers, we are surrounded by thousands of miles of fertile fields. A large number of farmers are busy plowing and sowing seeds in the spring. He gently sniffed the aroma of the fields and felt a sweetness in his lungs.
Not far away is the river station. Such a transparent place from north to south is where merchants gather. There are so many gadgets that you can’t see in Yangzhou City. He suddenly became interested and walked from the embankment towards the small market little by little, stepping on the soft soil.
Then he heard a brisk voice:
"Sister, I'm going to buy something at the station over there. Are you going to wait for me here? Or are you going with me?"
He turned his head and saw two young men on the edge of the post road. One was wearing a blue cloth coat and was fanning a seated person with his head lowered. They looked like passers-by, and the young man in the blue coat was sweating. The face of the one with her back to the embankment could not be seen. Judging from the figure, she should be a girl. Her black hair was a little loose, with a few buns still hanging on both sides of her face. Being blown around by the fan. She raised her hand and wiped her cheek with her white sleeve, shaking her head as if to answer the young man just now that she didn't want to go.
"Okay, then you just stay here and enjoy the scenery. I'll be back as soon as I go. It'll be quick..."
The man in the blue coat lowered his head, stroked his temples for his sister, then placed the fan on her legs, then took the package and headed to the market. When passing by the river, he raised his eyes and glanced at Young Master Li who was stopping to watch. Without paying much attention, he stepped forward and stepped forward.
Mr. Li was standing on a high place at this time and could vaguely see the girl on the embankment. She seemed unable to walk and was in a wheelchair. The plain clothes, contrasting with the green grass underfoot, give a refreshing feeling. There is also an ancient willow tree on top of her head, and the hanging silk ribbons are rippling before and after her, making the girl's slim figure look like a weak willow supporting the wind.
Maybe it was some strange act of magic, but Mr. Li suddenly wanted to see if the girl's face was as fresh and pleasant as this large expanse of vibrant green, which made people feel a sense of innocent and ignorant pity.
He tried to move a little to the side, a little further. Unfortunately, the girl seemed to have her head hanging down, and her face was covered by her loose hair. Only the delicate porcelain white skin exposed by the hair flying in the wind could be seen.
Just the little bits of bright white pearls make people feel happy.
Looking at beautiful women is really good for your body and mind. He thought playfully, and took a few more glances at the pretty figure, then wanted to continue on his way.
With a "pop", a subtle sound came from below. He raised his foot for a moment, then slowly took it back. After twisting his head again, he was surprised to find that the girl was struggling in the wheelchair. She held the handle of the wheelchair with one hand and stretched forward with her other hand. The waist was bent very low, as if trying to grab something. Mr. Li took a closer look and saw that the fan that was originally placed on her knees had rolled down at some point. Although it just fell at her feet, it was still very difficult for the girl with limited mobility. She bent over as hard as she could, making labored gasps from time to time. Her fingertips stretched in vain, but she still couldn't reach the fan.
Just when she was about to turn over, a pair of hands picked up the fan on the ground, brushed off the dust, and handed it to her.
There was a "pop" sound.
The fan fell to the ground for the second time. Mr. Li blinked and stood there blankly.
The breeze blew through my hair, as if it was carrying the sound of flowers blooming.
The girl has a face that can arouse his tenderness. The scattered hair makes her face small and delicate. Under the sloping bangs are two eyebrows that look like ink and ink. They are not carefully repaired, but there is a hint of beauty in every frown. It refers to the emotions that affect people's state of mind. As the autumn waves flowed, every flicker was his noisy heartbeat.
It is a very simple and introverted, but very kind beauty, like the winding river next to it.
In the lush sweetness, for the first time, he really saw the growth of something with his heart.
The girl's eyes flickered, and there seemed to be a questioning look in her eyes, which made him wake up from a dream.
Quite embarrassed, he picked up the fan on the ground again, wiped it with his sleeve, and then handed it over. The girl nodded slightly to him, took it with both hands, and put it on her lap. Then she seemed a little shy in front of strangers and lowered her head.
"I'm sorry." He also felt that his gaze just now was too rude, and he quickly bent down to apologize.
The girl shook her head slightly, her eyes trembled after meeting his gaze, and she quickly lowered her eyes. He saw that the girl's cheeks began to turn red, and her hands were so nervous that they grasped the skirt of her clothes on her knees.
"The girl is inconvenienced and really shouldn't stay here alone."
He usually doesn't like to meddle in other people's business, but today he was uncharacteristically uncharacteristic. Before thinking about it carefully, he hurriedly exported it. At this time, Mr. Li just felt that it was because he met a gentleman like himself that he came to help this girl here. And if there is a next time, she is left alone and encounters some frivolous people, gangsters and rogues. Wouldn't it be difficult for such a picturesque girl to protect herself? Therefore, she must be reminded to be more careful next time.
The girl nodded nervously, her face still red. She looked very pleasant, but she didn't speak from the beginning to the end, which made Mr. Li feel a little strange.
No matter how reserved a girl is, she will never say anything.
"How about I send someone to find your family?" Mr. Li said, "Girl, what's your surname?"
The girl's eyes lit up and she nodded quickly. She stretched out her hand and drew something in the air. Seeing that Mr. Li didn't react for a while, she stretched out her right hand and motioned for Mr. Li to give her his hand.
Mr. Li was stunned for a moment, then stretched out his hand and saw that the girl was holding his finger very seriously. The index finger of her other hand carefully wrote the word "Chen" in his palm.
"Miss Chen."
Mr. Li smiled softly and called in a soft voice. At the same time, I felt a bit disappointed in my heart. For such a good woman, God was so unfair. Not only did he take away her legs, he also deprived her of the right to speak. Perhaps it was a feeling of pity and compassion for the weak. He looked at Miss Chen who was looking at him with a smile, and couldn't help feeling warm in his heart.
He casually called two children over from the roadside, gave them each a little bit of silver, and asked them to go to the market to find Miss Chen's brother. But he had already lost interest in visiting the market, so he stood aside and looked at the wide river with Miss Chen.
Miss Chen seemed to be yearning for the swaying wicker above her head. She stretched out her hand to pull up a few wickers, but she couldn't reach them, so she had to give up in frustration. Seeing her disappointed look, Mr. Li quietly walked to the back and stretched out his hand to grab a long branch of the willow tree. With a slight exertion, the entire thick branch bent down. Miss Chen was feeling lost when suddenly a large willow branch dropped in front of her. She moved in surprise and turned her head to look at Mr. Li who was pressing the tree trunk as hard as he could. After a while, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
She pulled off a few wicker sticks and happily knitted something in her hands. Occasionally she tried to put the hat-like thing on her head, and after a while she pulled it off on her own, smiling broadly. After a while, she waved to Young Master Li, motioning for him to squat down in front of her, and then placed the shaped wicker hat on Young Master Li's head.
Mr. Li burst out laughing. He walked to the river and looked at his own shadow. He thought it was too funny. He quickly shook his head, took off the hat, walked over and put it on Miss Chen again.
This is the best, with soft and messy black hair, light plain clothes, and green willows, it looks fresh and pleasant.
Feeling happy in his heart, he turned his head and let out a soft hiss. Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he turned around and pointed to the other side and said:
"The row of willow trees over there were planted by our family."
Miss Chen looked at him with some doubts.
Upon seeing this, Mr. Li lowered his body and guided the other party's gaze to the opposite embankment with his hands: "That's the row of willow trees. At that time, the embankment needed to be strengthened, but there were not enough stones, so the state government proposed that every household plant a tree. I planted a willow tree back then. At that time, it was only as thick as a forearm. Now, after so many years, it has become a green shade."
Miss Chen was a little thoughtful, her eyes full of envy and longing. She turned her head and pursed her mouth slightly, revealing two deep dimples on her cheeks.
She is a very quiet girl who loves to laugh. According to legend, the deeper the dimples of a girl, the more intoxicating her smile seems.
Mr. Li thought this in confusion.
What happened next was nothing more than him babbling on about insignificant things. But Miss Chen couldn't interrupt, so she listened quietly to the side, lowering her eyebrows and laughing silently from time to time. Her long eyelashes fell together, as if her smile could fly.
What a lovely woman, Mr. Li sighed in his heart.
In less than half an hour, the two children he had sent out earlier led the boy in blue back panting. When the young man in blue clothes saw an outsider, he immediately looked wary. But when I saw my sister looking relaxed and smiling, I couldn't help but feel relieved.
"It's windy here, let's go back." He picked up the clothes that his sister had put on his legs and put them on her shoulders, and said gently. Miss Chen nodded and bent towards Mr. Li.
Mr. Li hurriedly returned the gift, feeling a little reluctant in his heart.
I just wish I could spend a few more moments with her.
Who knew this idea would actually come true. As soon as the guy in blue pushed the wheelchair, he heard a "creak" sound, which made Ms. Chen in the wheelchair stagger, followed by a "creak" sound.
The axis of the wheelchair was actually stuck in a ditch. It had just rained recently, and the soil was very soft, but there were also some old stones stuck in it, which happened to catch the wheels and prevent the entire wheelchair from moving. Miss Chen was also panicked. She stretched out her hand to rub the wheel shaft, but it didn't move at all. The two exerted force, but her brother failed to grasp the strength and shook the wheelchair. Miss Chen was hit and fell forward.
"Be careful!" Mr. Li didn't know what to do. Seeing everyone falling down, he immediately jumped up without thinking and hugged Ms. Chen in his arms.
The young man in blue clothes was stunned for a while, but he came to his senses after a while, and said with a hint of impatience in his words: "Help my sister up."
"ah?"
"You help my sister up! I'll get the axle out!" The boy in blue said fiercely, as if he had to be taken advantage of.
Young Master Li felt like his heart was beating like a drum. He looked at Miss Chen who was feeling uneasy in his arms. After hesitating for a long time, he blushed and reached out towards Miss Chen's thin calves. With a gentle force, he hugged her body. stand up.
Perhaps it was because I had never hugged anyone since I was a child, and I had never done any rough work. Holding such a delicate girl made my heart beat like a drum, my face turned red, my heart beat, and I was panting.
In close contact, you can vaguely feel the faint fragrance of the other party. It is not strong, but refreshing. He could smell it. It was the Qimen incense in southern Anhui. It was quiet and distant. Although it was not obvious after passing away, it did not dissipate for several years.
It's so sweet and refreshing.
He was thinking like this as if he was drunk, and suddenly he heard a menacing voice: "Hey, put it down!"
"ah?"
"Put my sister down!"
Only then did Mr. Li suddenly wake up and found that Miss Chen in his arms had already turned her head away and did not dare to look at him. She was blushing and even her body was trembling. Mr. Li was so embarrassed that he quickly put Miss Chen down, wiping the sweat from his face.
The young man in blue settled his sister and gave him an angry look: "You're a bastard!"
Although Mr. Li felt aggrieved, he was also feeling hot all over. Miss Chen pursed her lips and turned her face to one side.
Seeing that the two siblings were about to leave, Mr. Li only felt disappointed in his heart, and suddenly he had some courage in his heart: "Miss Chen, can you give me the willow leaf hat on your head?"
Miss Chen blinked and looked at him doubtfully. After a while, he gently took off the branch ring on his head and slowly handed it to him.
"Take care." She mouthed it silently, which made Mr. Li feel a little at a loss for a moment.
The sound of the wheels gradually faded away, and he stood behind, looking at the two people's leaving figures, feeling lost in his heart. He returned home a little top-heavy, holding the willow leaf hat in his hand as he was lost in thought. After a long time, he took it to his nose and took a gentle sniff. Suddenly, a sweet fragrance filled his heart, making him intoxicated.
In his hazy consciousness, he was filled with the feeling he had when he hugged that person just now.
It wasn't until sunset in the west when a maid called him to change clothes and go to the front hall to have a meal that he got up in a daze.
"Master, where is the jade pendant on your waist?" When the maid tied the belt for him, she found that something seemed to be missing, and she couldn't help but be surprised.
Mr. Li was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, lowered his head to look for it, and sure enough, the jade pendant on his waist was gone. The jade was made by a skilled craftsman when he was a child. It was said to be expensive but not expensive. It was just that his name was engraved on it. It was the only piece of jade in the world, and he never left it. If I lose it this time, my parents will definitely talk about it.
Thinking of the chaotic day today, Mr. Li secretly thought that he might have lost it accidentally. I must have not noticed that I was so confused at the time, and it is not that easy to find fear. He sighed, pulled off the hem of his clothes, and went to the front hall.
Early the next morning, he might have been a little tired from hanging out for a long time yesterday, so he took a nap in bed for a while. At noon, he heard a maid calling the door, saying that his father asked him to go out.
Mr. Li thought to himself: his father rarely cares about his affairs and rarely goes out with him. What can I do to find him this time?
After asking the maid, she found out that Huizhou Governor Yin and his wife returned to their hometown for a spring outing, and their Yangzhou mansion was not far from his home. Because he and his father were in the same robe and were his father's boss, his father planned to pay a visit later in the evening, hoping to find some help for Mr. Li's official career. Therefore, he was ordered to go together this time, and he had to make preparations in advance.
Mr. Li stood up quickly, washed up and went to the front hall, where he saw his father collecting gifts and writing greeting cards. He sat aside, picked up a book, and started flipping through it.
Unexpectedly, before noon, a servant came to report. It was said that there was a murder in the Yin Mansion of Huizhou Prefecture, and the father and son were asked to go there quickly. He also specifically stated that Mr. Li should be asked to go and question him. The Li family father and son were confused, but they did not dare to delay and hurriedly went out to see the situation. As soon as they left the gate, they saw many officers and soldiers in the city searching from house to house. Even the gate of their own house was guarded. Looking at the battle, it seemed that something big had happened.
The Yin of Huizhou Prefecture, surnamed Ding, was very thoughtful and the guards in the house were extremely tight. He was now pacing the front hall with an angry look on his face.
When I asked about the actual situation, I learned that in the morning, someone came to visit with a post from the Li family, claiming to be from the Li family in Yangzhou. When the doorman saw that the other party was holding Mr. Li's personal jade pendant in his arms, he did not raise any suspicion and let them into the inner hall. Unexpectedly, when they entered the inner hall and met their master, the two men drew their swords and stabbed him without saying a word. Fortunately, there were many guards on the left and right at the time, and Ding Fuyin was still wearing gold silk armor. If not, I'm afraid he would have died in Yangzhou long ago.
It's a pity that the two thieves were very skilled in martial arts and managed to escape.
Master Li was shocked and angry, and immediately asked his son where the jade pendant was. Mr. Li had no choice but to say that he had lost it or had it stolen when he was out on a spring outing yesterday. Anyway, he's not around now. Fortunately, Dingfu Yin was also sensible. Seeing that Mr. Li didn't look like he was lying, and there had always been no quarrel between the two families, and he was not seriously injured, but a few servants were killed or injured, he didn't criticize him more, and just scolded him a few words. Just a junior.
Mr. Li was innocently wronged, so he naturally felt dissatisfied. That night, he volunteered to lurk in the darkness of Ding's house, thinking that if the thief showed up again, he would catch him and wash away his grievances.
The guards in the Ding Mansion are extremely tight, but when the moon is at its peak, the guards are often lax in their shifts. While several guards were chatting, two masked black figures flew past the roof without anyone noticing.
But this does not include Young Master Li, who has been paying close attention to the situation. He immediately jumped up and stabbed towards the black figure with his sword.
Although Mr. Li comes from a family of civil servants, he has been practicing martial arts in his early years. He has learned from famous teachers since he was a child, and his swordsmanship is superb, which is unmatched by other servants. But it's a pity that the two night walkers have better martial arts skills, especially one of them, a thin man in black, with a cold and cold Qingming Sword. After provoking and provoking, he blocked Mr. Li's sword moves until he was unable to parry them.
Seeing that Mr. Li was defeated, the guards below were already lined up in several rows. They gave the order and set up their bows and arrows. As soon as Mr. Li jumped out of the battle ring, thousands of arrows were fired, raining down like locusts. Seeing that they could not retreat alone, the two men in black forced Mr. Li to weaken his sword and controlled him outside the courtyard wall with one move. The three of them struggled with each other and gradually moved away from Ding's house until they reached the suburbs. The tall and thin man in black straightened his figure, leaped up and unleashed a burst of sword energy, forcing Mr. Li back to the outside of the circle.
"Brother!" The man in black next to him seemed to be a young man, but his voice was deliberately low and deep: "Why don't you kill this thief who is helping the evildoer?"
The tall and thin man shook his head, turned around and glanced at Mr. Li. Under the bright moonlight, those eyes were sparkling but cold. They were extremely beautiful and made Mr. Li's heart freeze.
It always feels like deja vu.
"It didn't work this time. The dog officer returned to his hometown. His minions are everywhere. It's even harder for you and me to get close to him. I don't know how long it will take to get revenge."
The young man in black was so excited that his words were very affectionate. Apart from the gnashing of teeth and hatred, there was actually a choking sound in his words.
Hearing these words, the tall and thin man sighed softly, as if he was depressed in his heart. But he still put away his sword and shook his head helplessly:
"Let's go, Yanzhi."
He patted his brother's shoulder gently, seeming to comfort him. The two of them turned around and were about to leave, but Mr. Li asked reluctantly behind them:
"Are you the ones who stole the jade?"
The two men paused, and the tall and thin man turned his head slightly. The moonlight made his figure look solemn. He looked at Mr. Li and waved:
"Give it back!"
Mr. Li jumped to catch it, opened his palm and saw that it was the jade pendant he had lost.
He stood stunned for a moment, and after a while he remembered the two assassins in black. Unexpectedly, when he looked up, there was only the cold wind rustling around him, and the two people had long since disappeared. Feeling sad in his heart, he raised his hand to put the jade pendant into his arms, but suddenly as if he felt something, he put the jade under his nose and sniffed it twice.
The familiar smell of Keemun incense is quiet and long-lasting, quiet and peaceful.
Early summer has passed, and the evening breeze is blowing, giving people a sense of relaxation and joy. In the huge mansion, the young censor Zhongcheng was sitting on a stone bench, carefully picking up tea leaves. The mansion just given by the Holy Emperor was not very popular yet, and the few maids and disciples were sent to sleep by him.
The moonlight is pleasant, there are no dark clouds, and there is a clear breeze.
There is a slight fragrance floating in the air, as thin as tobacco. It also reminded him of the catkins flying in the wind by the canal that year.
He put down the cup in his hand and smiled softly at the moon:
"Early spring has passed, and the cold is no longer there. Miss Chen, why don't you have a drink with Li? How about Maofeng in your hometown?"
The fragrance became more intense, and a breeze blew by, rolling up the ink-colored clothes behind the pillars of the slender figure.
END
