Yi Haoran had something on his mind, so he refused to drink more. He poured a small cup, ate a few hastily, then declined and said "I'm full" and said he was going to "digest", and walked quietly to the garden.
Wen Yun's unintentional question just now made him even more vigilant. Even though it was a quiet place, there were still many people in the courtyard. Not to mention that he and Cai Lan were talking about beheading, just chatting was also very inappropriate given their respective statuses.
So before he went to the garden, he observed the yard for a long time to make sure that no one was paying attention to him, and then quietly went to the garden.
The garden is very small, no more than an acre of land. There is a pond in the middle, a prayer building in the middle, and the pond is full of lotus flowers. Linchi is a very small waterside pavilion. Yi Haoran was afraid that he would be seen sitting in the waterside pavilion, so he sat down under the big tree in the corner.
The sun is blocked by the thick shade under the trees, and the midday light spots fall on the ground, which is really dazzling. He squinted his eyes and looked at the lotus flowers in the pond. He could hear the continuous chirping of cicadas in his ears, and his mood suddenly became empty.
The banquet provided to Cai Lan in the temple was naturally more sumptuous, but neither Cai Lan nor Qiu Chan had any intention of eating or drinking. After eating hastily, the little Taoist priest brought tea. It is said that the abbot's collection of Qixingyan tea, which is named after the top product, is very precious. Cai Lan took a few sips randomly but couldn't taste any difference.
She felt a little sleepy after the meal and originally wanted to take a nap, but Qiu Chan said that it was not advisable to fall asleep immediately after the meal. It was better to go for a walk to digest food before going to bed.
"It's so hot today. I'm too lazy to move around under the sun," Cai Lan said.
"Girl, you don't know something. Behind this yard is a garden. Although it is small, it is very exquisite. There are many trees in it, and it is windy, so it is cooler than inside the house."
Cai Lan couldn't resist her, so she had to rely on her.
The two of them strolled along the flower path. Cai Lan was originally in a daze, but now that she was in the garden, with the cool breeze and the fragrance of flowers, she felt refreshed.
"The gardens here are more exquisite than those in the Third General Mansion..." Cai Lan said, "The gardens in the Third General Mansion are all abandoned..."
"Since the girl likes it, why not ask Mr. Xie to renovate it so that it can have a place to visit on weekdays?" Qiu Chan wanted her to see Yi Haoran, so he deliberately led her to talk.
Cai Lan smiled bitterly and said: "Even though I am a character on the card, I am worthy of making such a request! My heart has died long ago, and now I am just a skin alive." After speaking, he sighed.
"What are you talking about, girl? I think this Mr. Jie treats you well. He must be affectionate."
"He is just greedy for physical pleasure." Although Cai Lan is a housebound woman, she has a natural perception of men's emotions. "One day, he will abandon me - but that's okay, that way Instead, I felt relieved..."
"What the girl is talking about, I don't think it is like this..." Qiu Chan knew that she would meet Master Hao not far ahead, so she said, "I have a stomachache. The girl will rest in the garden for a while. I will come back as soon as I go."
Cai Lan saw that there was no one here, and he probably wouldn't meet any strangers, so he said, "Go back quickly."
Qiu Chan left, and Cai Lan was bored and walked along the flower path. Suddenly she stopped and let out a small cry in surprise.
Under the big tree around the corner, a man in his early fifties with gray hair was sitting on a stone bench. Judging from his appearance, he is neither rich nor poor, he looks like a scholar from a well-off family. He is closing his eyes to rest his mind.
Hearing her cry, Yi Haoran opened his eyes - it was indeed Cai Lan. Although he had not seen her a few times, he still vaguely remembered her appearance.
He stood up immediately and bowed to salute: "Miss Cai, how are you always?"
Cai Lan's first reaction was to immediately withdraw, but the other party saluted her. Her tutor had no right to avoid him directly - she had no choice but to give him a blessing and leave.
"Miss Cai, don't leave." Yi Haoran said quickly, "The student has an old friend's object here, and I would like to ask the girl to read it." After saying that, he unfolded the thing in his hand, and it turned out to be a fan.
Cai Lan didn't want to look at any "old friend's belongings" at all, but as soon as the fan unfolded, her panicked eyes suddenly froze - this fan looked so familiar!
The contents of the fan are unremarkable, just rocks, orchids and a clump of bamboo. But this scene was too familiar to her - it was a fan painting she and her fiancé Xing Chenghuan made together.
She was surprised: "You, who are you?!"
“The student is an old friend of Mr.
"I don't want to hear it," Cai Lan panicked and turned to leave.
Yi Haoran had seen many scenes and immediately sneered: "Miss Cai, this is the most popular temple in Wuzhou. There are many pilgrims outside. If there is a fight, this fan will definitely fall into the hands of the Australians. By then, , but I can’t explain anything clearly..."
Sure enough, Cai Lan immediately stopped, turned around and said tremblingly: "You... what do you want..."
"The student has said that he has a few words to say to the girl." Yi Haoran said, "Don't worry, girl, Mr. Xing and I are also old friends and will never do anything to harm his family."
This sentence was like a knowing blow, hitting the depths of Cai Lan's heart. She couldn't help but tremble all over, and whispered: "You, who are you? What do you want from me?"
"I said: It's just an old friend of Mr. Xing." Yi Haoran said leisurely.
Cai Lan didn't want to talk to this old man who suddenly appeared. However, no matter what he did at this moment, it would cause a commotion and cause a huge misunderstanding. In desperation, he had no choice but to nod: "Sir, please tell me something."
"Girl, please sit over here." Yi Haoran's face turned gentle when he saw her surrendering.
Cai Lan had no choice but to sit down on a rock on the opposite side of the stone bench and said, "Sir and I are strangers to each other. I wonder if you have anything to say to me?"
Yi Haoran put away the fan and said, "Young lady must know this fan."
"This is my fiancé Xing Chenghuan's fan." Cai Lan asked in surprise, "Where did you come from, sir?"
Fans were used as calligraphy and painting entertainment among literati, and gifts and exchanges were not uncommon. But this fan is different. It was made by Xing Chenghuan and herself: she painted orchids, and Xing Chenghuan painted rocks and bamboos. Speaking of which, this is a boudoir's possession, and my fiancé will never give this fan to anyone else.
"To be honest: the student's surname is Hao and his given name is Ran. He used to work in the Xiong Governor's Office. He was a good friend of Mr. Xing. When he committed suicide, he gave me this fan as a token, saying that if I could escape with my life, If I have a chance to meet you in the future, I will return this fan jade to you as a memory. He said that he was unwilling to marry you at that time, but in fact he already had the idea of dying for the city and did not want to delay you... …”
After that, he handed the fan to Cai Lan.
The first half of this statement is a complete fabrication. The fan is indeed Xing Chenghuan's, but it was lost and picked up by him at the banquet. In a few days, Wuzhou suffered from war and disaster, so Yi Haoran naturally forgot to return it. During the war, he used it as his own fan and stuffed it into his sleeve, but he survived. The second half of the sentence is true.
Cai Lan took the fan with tears rolling down her cheeks. She held the folding fan tightly with both hands to suppress her sobs. She came to offer incense today, and she was already in a much better mood. The appearance of this fan disturbed her mood again.
To be fair, her feelings for Xing Chenghuan are not very deep. Although they have been engaged since childhood, they have not seen her a few times. That is to say, during the few months after she defected to Guangdong and came to Wuzhou after the fall of Wuzhou, she got along day and night and had some feelings. Xing Chenghuan treated her very well, but he was unwilling to consummate the marriage with her. She was very disappointed for a time, thinking that he disliked her - she never thought that her fiancé actually cared about her so much!
Thinking about the failed assassination attempt, she was supposed to be like the martyr woman in the book, unyielding and scolding the thief to death, but instead she succumbed to Jie Kun's false love and gave her body to him in a confused way...Cai Lan suddenly felt ashamed. , everything inside was burned, and I wished that a thunderbolt would fall from the sky and chop me to death!
Seeing that she was about to cry, Yi Haoran was afraid that if she raised her voice and attracted others, he quickly said: "Girl, please be silent!"
Cai Lan silently stopped her tears and nodded, saying in a low voice: "Thank you sir. It's just that my servant has bent down to serve as a thief... My body has long been unclean. I cannot live up to the kindness Master Xing has shown me, and I have failed my husband's kindness... ..." She then handed the fan back and said, "Please sir, please take the fan back for your thoughts. This maid is not worthy of holding this fan."
"The girl made a mistake." Yi Haoran has long thought that if he blames her for her lack of integrity, the result will be that she will be ashamed and commit suicide - this is meaningless to him; if he has already lost his conscience, he might not be able to return the favor. Will raise myself up.
Only by calming her heart with "forgiveness" and inspiring her with righteousness can she be allowed to risk rebellion in order to "atone for her sins".
"It is understandable that Miss Cai fell into the mud by mistake. Since ancient times, the only way to die in hardship is for heroes. When the road is at the end of the road, they will inevitably become short of breath and love. The thieves are invading Guangdong and Guangxi, and all the prefectures and counties are descending upon hearing the wind. Officials, big and small, who have not read the books of saints and are deeply favored by the emperor, are able to walk away and surrender in times of crisis. Even if they do not fight to the death, they rarely die. This is true for men who have read books and understand things, let alone girls. A weak woman's ears! To blame each other with great integrity would be a breach of loyalty and forgiveness."
Since Cai Lan "lost her integrity", although others have said a lot of comforting words, none of them are as clear as Yi Haoran's. Although she knew that he said these words to excuse herself, the other party's generous and kind heart made her feel warm in her heart.
"Master, don't excuse me. Starving to death is a small matter, but losing integrity is a big deal. I am just an ignorant little girl, and I have lost my integrity. How dare I compare with you masters?"
"Haha, this is wrong! There are many heroes and lofty ideals in Guangdong and Guangxi, but who dares to plot to assassinate Zhenkun on the steps of the Dragon Mother Temple like a girl?!" Yi Haoran looked upright and spoke even more sonorously and forcefully. .
