After several days of snow, the air was damp and cold.
The breath turns into mist and sticks to people's face, making it uncomfortable and wet.
Xia Yunhe was wearing heavy clothes and still felt cold. She raised her hand to wipe the moisture from her brow. She was hit hard without noticing. She staggered and almost fell down.
Fortunately, Li Fushun had quick eyesight and quick hands to support her. The plump eunuch's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to slap whoever was so short-sighted. After seeing the person clearly, he put out the fire like removing firewood from a hot stove.
Xia Yunhe rubbed his arms and followed the guard with his eyes. He was wearing a black gauze crown with gold wire and beads on his head, black clothes and sharp eyes, like an eagle.
She was puzzled, but the man was in a hurry. After nodding and apologizing, he quickly left.
Looking in the direction he came from, Xia Yunhe saw the red wall with black tiles and the huge plaque hanging on the lintel of the double eaves door.
Li Fushun led the way and sang loudly at the door to announce the arrival. He got the message from inside and led Xia Yunhe inside.
The ground dragon in the room made his feet warm, and Emperor He Hui who was seated was still wearing his imperial robes, with a smile on his face.
During the court meeting this morning, the Ministry of Revenue reported rare rain and hail, cattle and horses died, and Jiangdong was frozen. The situation is not optimistic.
Seeing the emperor's expression like this, Xia Yunhe turned back to listen, stood upright, and kept all his concerns in his heart for the time being.
"Yizhi, how many years have you been here?" Emperor He Hui suddenly asked her.
Xia Yunhe's voice was calm and he replied: "It has been two years, six months and three days since Mang Zhong left home."
The superior sneered lightly, "I remember clearly. You have always been in poor health. It's warm in winter, and medicines and foods to nourish qi and blood are always available. When I was a child, you were not like this. You were like a monkey, scurrying around in the water. , and you dare to throw water on my clothes."
"I was naughty when I was young and accidentally disturbed His Majesty."
"Be as cautious as them. When I look at my sons, I often think of you at that time, lawless and not afraid of anyone. Of course, you were younger and shorter than them at that time, almost here." , and Huidi reached out to the table to make gestures.
The emperor also talked about the seventh prince's apprenticeship ceremony, asked her how Mrs. Xia was doing, and told her so.
Talking about her father, He Huidi sighed deeply, expressed their feelings for each other, and even shed a few tears.
"Your Majesty, since my father passed away, I feel sad every time I see the old things. I recall that my ancestor refused to collect them at night, and I often worry about their plight."
At this point, Emperor Hehui interrupted her, "I know about the Xia family's affairs, and I also know about the hardships of staying at the border at night. Unfortunately... you are weak."
Xia Yunhe met Emperor He Hui's gaze and saw the emperor's deep meaning. He suddenly realized that the emperor's eyes and ears were all over the capital, and he already had a clear idea of his whereabouts yesterday.
Her heart tightened, she lifted her robe and knelt down, "Your Majesty, I just can't bear to keep the old, weak, sick and disabled all night without anyone to take care of me. I want to increase the pension to relieve Your Majesty's worries."
The room was silent, and the air was filled with the oppressive smell of sandalwood.
Emperor He Hui's majestic voice came from above, "That's fine, it's just right for the Xia family to do this. You can handle it privately."
"My lord, I obey the order."
The emperor smiled twice more and personally helped her up, invited her to appreciate calligraphy and paintings, and also rewarded her with a pair of gold and silver five-color wax paper, asking her to teach the seventh child how to write.
There is great harmony between the monarch and his ministers.
As soon as she left the palace, a flash of memory flashed through Xia Yunhe's mind. The guard who bumped into her had seen her in Zhao Prison. He presented something to Duke Ding, and Duke Ding showed it to her in front of the prince.
Collaboration letter... "Xia Yunhe, please open your eyes and see clearly."
The same handwriting as hers is frightening...
Pulling away from her memories, she lowered her eyes and grasped the wax paper in her hand. Whoever imitated her handwriting had to ask Mr. Fu to check.
After walking a few steps, Xia Yunhe stopped.
He pondered each word in his mouth, "Fu, San, Master?"
Fu San was hesitant yesterday, and warned Emperor Hui today to contact the guards who were in a hurry in the morning... Thinking about the middle joint, she felt a chill in her heart. The emperor had already digested the Xia family's intelligence power completely, so there was no need for it. Does she care?
But he did agree to let her do it privately. Is it just a matter of flow or is there another reason?
Looking around, she was at a loss. The top of her body was like a deep pool, sucking everyone deeper and deeper... When the cold wind blew, she broke into a cold sweat and coughed several times.
These intrigues and conflicts are really torturous. Fu San is useless. Although Zhenniang is loyal, she has a straight mind. She can only investigate this matter by herself.
It cleared up after the snow, and the sun was shining brightly for days.
The eight streets and nine streets of Shangdu are crowded with merchants and towering pavilions. At the end of the year, the emperor's birthday is approaching, and lanterns are hung in both urban and rural areas, creating a strong atmosphere of celebration. Looking around, it is busy and lively. At that time, there will be a three-day holiday inside and outside the imperial city, and the whole city will celebrate together. Young and old will gather together, and everyone will drink and rejoice.
Xia Yunhe walked on the street and found herself in a crowded place. The noisy smoke slowly nourished her heart and made her whole person come alive.
Unfortunately, there was no progress in what she wanted to do. It was not that she imitated the author, but that she did not imitate the author. In her previous life, when she saw her "collaboration" letter, she was so shocked that she could not speak. Just like the other person she wrote, that person had great control over the details. She knew in her heart that they were not the person she was looking for.
There was no solution at all, and things seemed to be at a deadlock.
She watched for a while on the streets selling medicine, telling stories, and juggling, then went to a teahouse to listen to the latest gossip, and then continued to wander around aimlessly.
After turning around Hefang Street, the surrounding high walls blocked the hustle and bustle on the street and created a silence in the back street. The walls were covered with withered vines and vines. Following the guidance of the dead branches, she came to find peace amidst the hustle and bustle. place.
The study is not big, with pine and juniper bonsai lined in front of the door, which is lush and green. Next to it is a pool for washing inkstones and a basin for storing five golden crucian carps, so you can relax and enjoy yourself.
The plaque on the study room is inscribed "Mobai Zhai" in ancient official script. When entering, an old man with silver eyebrows and crane hair is splashing ink, writing: "The light does not shine, the still water runs deep. The light is the same as the dust, and the scrolls are relaxed with the times."
Xia Yunhe remained silent and stood aside to watch quietly.
The furnishings in the room are simple, with one case, one couch, one Boshan, one pen, one inkstone, one bookcase in the right column, divided into three floors, two piles of rice paper on the top, and only a pair of horizontal characters hanging on the wall, which reads "Mo Yun" "Left the fragrance", the font is strong and simple, just like the old man's handwriting.
After the old man finished writing, Xia Yunhe asked his room number, said "Mr. Mo Bai", and praised the calligraphy on the wall a few times. After listening to her, the old man stroked his beard and smiled, "I don't know, that's not me. The writing was imitated by Xu Xing, my nephew. I think he wrote like it, so it is interesting to hang it here and often mislead people."
Xu Xing? Imitation handwriting?
Xia Yunhe was happy and surprised. He secretly thought that he could not find anything after wearing iron shoes. He raised his hands and asked, "I wonder where Xu Langjun can be promoted?"
Mr. Mo Bai shook his head and sighed, "Zi Huai is determined to obtain fame, but he has failed in many attempts and his life is in poverty. I always help him and occasionally come to borrow some rice paper."
Just as I was about to ask when Xu Xing would come, I suddenly heard someone from behind calling out loudly, "Mr. Xu, let me borrow some grass announcements."
She was overjoyed, turned around and took a closer look, but frowned. The person coming was the guard with sharp eyes like an eagle.
Today, he was wearing a gray gauze-covered casual robe, which softened his murderous aura. His face was rosy and slightly tired, with sweat on his forehead. He was carrying three packages of herbal medicine in his right hand.
Seeing Xia Yunhe, this man was also surprised, but Mr. Mo Bai didn't pay attention to this and enthusiastically introduced the two of them to each other.
After the introduction, Xia Yunhe learned that this person's name was Chen Haizhou. Xu Xing had once been kind to him, and the two became good friends and had a close friendship.
Chen Haizhou smiled and greeted Xia Yunhe, "I was walking in a hurry that day and bumped into Master Xia. Please forgive me."
"Commander Chen has official duties, so he doesn't have to worry about anything."
Mr. Mobai said curiously: "So you guys know each other."
Seeing Xia Yunhe point out his identity, Chen Haizhou's expression changed slightly. He looked up and down at Xia Yunhe without any trace. He smiled and turned to the old man and said, "We met once in the palace. Mr. Xu, my child is infected with the cold. I will take his place." Get some rice paper."
When he heard that his nephew was sick, the old man frowned, asked about the situation carefully, and said he would visit him the next day. Chen Haizhou said it didn't matter and asked the old man not to worry. Worried about Xu Xing's health, he hurriedly left with Cao Xuan in his arms.
Xia Yunhe found it interesting that Commander Chen was always in a hurry.
Her heart gradually became clear, and she casually chatted with the old man about the art of writing and appreciating. She noticed that the old man looked languid, so she didn't stay much longer and made an appointment to talk about it another day.
A few days later, the seventh prince took Qingjin, and a deacon served him wine. The minister led him, knelt down and bowed, performed the apprenticeship ceremony, and presented five pieces of silk, two buckets of wine, and five pieces of gauze.
Xia Yunhe gave him pen, ink, paper, inkstones, copybooks and books, and encouraged him to study hard.
Half a month has passed since I was busy.
On this day, Xia Yunhe was sitting at home, sorting out the information on imitators collected these days, classifying them in detail one by one. The thick gray cloth door curtain was suddenly lifted, and a cold wind hit her. She hurriedly protected the papers with her hands to prevent them from flying around.
Zhenniang brought a bunch of kidney beans and shouted to her happily, "Sir, the third master is here."
She stood in front of the desk and peeked out from a distance through the curtain. Sure enough, Fu San rubbed his hands, hunched his back, and stood outside the room occasionally sighing and stamping his feet.
Xia Yunhe hid the paper in the box and asked Zhen Niang to release it.
Fu San came in with his waist hunched, his eyebrows were respectful, and he cupped his hands and said, "Sir." After saying that, he took out a stack of ribbed paper from his arms, "This is the roster of the remaining personnel of the night."
"So many?" Xia Yunhe was a little surprised, not sure what Fu San meant. He raised his hand to take the list in his hand, sat on the edge of the bed and looked at it carefully. His expression was normal at first, but the more he looked at it, the darker his face became.
"There are a total of 384 people on the list, 345 were killed in the battle, and only 39 are left."
No wonder the emperor felt free to let her support the remnants of the soldiers. The huge Xia family had been cut down to almost nothing left without taking any orders.
Since ancient times, kings have held power to protect themselves, and the same is true for Emperor Hui. Perhaps from the day his grandfather Xia Can surrendered to the imperial court, Ye Bushou's fate was already written.
She looked up at Zhen Niang and said with a smile, "Zhen Niang, you go out first. I have something to say to Third Master alone."
Zhen Niang responded, picked up the curtain and left the room.
After Zhenniang walked away, Xia Yunhe slowly said, "Third Master, do you know Chen Haizhou?"
Hearing the name, Fu San looked shocked, glanced at her with trembling lips, knelt down with a plop, kowtowed repeatedly, and stammered to explain, "Young Master, I didn't mean to deceive you. It's just, it's just that Mr. Chen is your Majesty's. Pai, if I do this, the old lady agrees."
"The old lady agrees?"
"The old lady said that everything was done to protect the Xia family, and... to protect the young master. The old lady said that there is no place for others to sleep soundly beside the king's bed. The accident that happened to the master is proof."
"That's enough! No need to say anything more, Mr. San." Xia Yunhe gritted his teeth and interrupted Fu San, but he heard someone speaking loudly outside.
"Master Xia, get ready. The Seventh Prince is starting his first lesson. I will pick you up."
There was a lot of noise outside. Xia Yunhe straightened up and signaled Fu San to be silent.
She was halfway lifting the curtain, but Li Fushun stopped lifting the curtain, raised his hands and smiled at her, "The Seventh Prince has been practicing calligraphy for a few days, and he is clamoring for Master Xia to teach him."
Xia Yunhe nodded, "Let me tidy up."
After saying that, she pulled down the curtain and heard Zhen Niang coaxing Li Fushun to wait in the courtyard.
Returning to the house, he saw Fu Sanwo standing up and squatting on the ground, glancing at her and quickly lowering his head. Xia Yunhe couldn't bear it. After all, he was a fellow villager and an old man of the Xia family. He helped Fu San up, bowed and said, "Third Master, please forgive me. Yun He lost his composure for a moment. It's just that there are many people, so don't mention this matter again. Come out after I and the palace servants have left."
Fu San nodded blankly and returned the gesture awkwardly, imitating her gesture.
The emperor's heart is unpredictable, so she can only make other plans.
After a simple wash, Xia Yunhe put on a smile and followed Li Fushun into the palace.
