Since returning from the seventh prince's palace that day, Xia Yunhe has stayed behind closed doors.
A few days ago, there was rain and hail in Jiangdong, causing numerous casualties of cattle and horses, and many hungry people on the roadside. Recently, there were reports of gangsters in Jiangdong killing people and stealing goods, causing people to panic.
Emperor Hui opened the treasury, sent imperial envoys to carry grain and grass from the prefectures and counties, held high the imperial decree, and went straight to the east of the Yangtze River with murderous intent.
These things cast a gloom over the emperor's upcoming birthday banquet. The emperor ordered that everything be cancelled. This year, only congratulatory messages can be written.
As the only remaining editor of the Hanlin Academy, the matter of "yes" naturally fell on her. After the adults discussed it, she was left to write lyrics at home. This was also a matter of agreement with Emperor Hui.
After lighting lamps and boiling oil for several days and nights, I went through ancient books and finally cut out a portion that satisfied all of you from the vast sea of books. This morning, while the morning stars were dimming, the bachelor entered the palace and presented it to the emperor.
Xia Yunhe was finally freed from this incident and had a sound sleep. After being pulled up by Zhenniang, Sloppy had lunch and took the decoction as usual. Seeing that her complexion was a little better, he allowed her to put on her new black felt fox fur cloak, put on a sleeve stove wrapped in tangerine fur, take out two paintings, and go out to visit Mr. Mobai.
She really wanted to get to know Xu Xing.
After many days of repeated screening, she had come into contact with all the imitators in Shangdu, but no one could imitate her charm. There is only one person left, Xu Xing, who needs to be confirmed urgently.
If the author had to follow her lead, she could have made other plans earlier. If it was Xu Xing, she would accompany them and have a good time. She was also familiar with Gui Gu Mou, and they were not the only ones who knew how to set up traps.
According to Mr. Mobai's instructions, she came to the northern suburbs of Shangdu.
This place is different from the towering pavilions in the main city. It is crisscrossed by many streets and the sound of dogs and hogs is often heard. If it is midsummer, the tree canopy can provide shade, bees are flying around, and the water is gurgling. It is a good place to cool off in the summer. Unfortunately, it is winter, and the fields There is no green color, the stream is thinly frozen, the branches and leaves are accumulated, it rustles when stepped on, and it is light and dry.
When the peasants saw her dress, they stayed away.
I also saw four or five people in coarse clothes and linen, gathering together to talk and laugh. Xia Yunhe wanted to step forward, but when everyone saw this, they all dispersed with hoes and poles in hand.
She stood there, a little at a loss. She looked down at herself and sighed. A set of clothes separated her from everyone. Xu Zihuai, Xu Zihuai, it’s really hard to find you.
Just as he shook his head and sighed, an old man with gray temples walked towards him. He wears a worn straw hat on his head, wears a patched green cloth and dirty cotton-padded jacket, and carries a huge acacia basket on his back. His face is covered with dust and smoke, and his ten fingers are black.
He slowly moved in front of Xia Yunhe, then pulled back and stopped next to her. He looked her up and down, took off the basket, wiped the sweat on his forehead with his dirty sleeves, and asked her proactively, "Baby, what difficulties have you encountered?" ?"
In the basket are black charcoal blocks. In the winter of Chu State, people often cut firewood and burn charcoal in the northern mountains. This old man is a charcoal seller.
Xia Yunhe bowed to the old man, and the old man quickly took a few steps back for fear of soiling her clothes.
"Old man, have you ever met a man named Xu Xing?"
"Xu Xing." The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his head and recalled, "He is a ghostwriter, and he usually helps people write letters home and so on."
Xia Yunhe was delighted when he heard this, but the old man said, "But he doesn't live here."
The joy in Xia Yunhe's eyes dimmed again when he heard the old man say again, "This is Shanghe Village. He lives in Xiahe Village. If you walk down this road for two miles, it will be a messy place. Xu Xing lives there." There. But that place is a mess, why are you looking for him, a little kid?"
Xia Yunhe gave a random excuse, happily said goodbye to the old man, and walked to Xiahe Village.
It was said to be a village, but when they arrived at the place, Xia Yunhe discovered that it was a vast abyss of three religions and nine streams, where refugees, soldiers, traveling merchants, hags, brokers, and jugglers all gathered together. The houses are complex, with narrow doors and windows, either made of wooden boards, adobe, or branches. The scene inside the house is hazy and the environment is dark. Occasionally there are people laughing and cursing, department stores trading, and the hustle and bustle is endless. It is even more prosperous than Shanghe Village.
Her clothes were eye-catching, and everyone looked at her askance. Even better people surrounded her, pursed their lips, and whistled at her.
Xia Yunhe didn't move and silently showed the copper fish charm from the silver bag on his waist. The people immediately shrank and retreated.
The one who wears the fish talisman is either a prince or a court official. Now there is a man with fish charms in Xiahe Village, and they have all seen him.
For a moment, no one dared to come forward and looked at each other.
Xia Yunhe didn't say much and only asked, "Where is Xu Xing?"
Everyone looked at each other and said nothing to each other.
She slowly took out a gold leaf from her bag. Everyone's eyes suddenly widened, and the sounds of swallowing water came and went, but no one dared to respond.
If one is not enough, add more. When she has added five gold leaves, a short actor with a deer head and rat eyes, smeared with makeup and powder, emerges from the crowd of onlookers and says loudly, "Xu Xing has the biggest house in the street over there. middle."
Everyone tugged at the short man’s hair, covered his mouth, and yelled angrily, “Do you want to kill us?”
Xia Yunhe ignored them, left the golden leaves behind, bowed his hands to everyone to thank them, and lifted his robe to leave.
She was stopped again. This heroic man had a strong back, bare arms, angular muscles, steaming heat, and a ferocious look. He was taller than Xia Yunhe's two heads. Compared with her, she looked like a piece of paper. She could float with just a gentle breath from the man. Three feet away.
The man said: "My lord, why are you looking for Xu Xing? Is it a business matter or a private matter?"
Xia Yunhe lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and told the truth, "Private matter."
I just heard someone shouting deliberately loudly next to me.
"Why is Xu Xing so popular?"
Someone next to me replied, "If you look like that, you won't be popular. If you look like that, you will be popular."
Everyone was making a fuss and winking.
Xia Yunhe felt strange and bowed to the big man. The man looked at her movements and sneered, "The official is a scholar just like Xu Xing."
Doubts arose in her mind, and she secretly weighed it and said, "This good man came to visit me because he heard that his wife was infected with cold."
"He is also called Zihuai, so he is not afraid..."
Someone nearby covered the man's mouth, and the man struggled to swallow the rest of his words.
Xia Yunhe frowned and raised his head, looked at everyone, and asked, "You heroes, why can't you call me Xu Zihuai?"
Everyone looked like they were joking about watching a show, and they laughed and replied to her, "Master, you will know after you go and see it yourself."
After saying that, he ignored her and snatched the gold leaf from the actor's hand, and then disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the city.
She regrouped her mood and walked towards the place described by everyone.
As soon as we arrived at the entrance of the alley, we heard the sound of quarreling inside. A circle of people gathered at the entrance of the alley. They put their heads on top of each other, stretched their necks forward to listen, and occasionally lowered their heads and snickered.
Xia Yunhe listened for a while, vaguely saying words such as "Get out of here" and "Do you still want to force me to death!"
She frowned slightly, patted the girl next to her who was looking around, and asked, "Sister, what's going on up front?"
The woman turned around and her eyes lit up.
This woman wears cheap lipstick, her face is colorful, her neckline is slightly open, and there is a strong floral fragrance when you get close.
The tip of Xia Yunhe's nose itched, he sneezed and coughed several times. She suddenly regretted it and took a step back.
Unexpectedly, the woman grabbed her, wrapped her arms around her, and led her to the other side of the alley. She shouted delicately, "Mr. Master, let's go there. I will tell you slowly."
Xia Yunhe's brows twitched, he was panicking, and he hurriedly broke away, but the woman was getting tighter and tighter. She backed away repeatedly, and was finally forced to the wall. She clasped her hands together and begged for mercy, "Sister, forgive me, I am the same as you."
The woman was stunned for a moment, looked at her with raised eyebrows, lost interest, let go of her arm, rolled her eyes, and said, "bad luck."
Xia Yunhe hurriedly put the money bag on his body into the woman's hand and apologized repeatedly.
The woman muttered in disgust, but she accepted the embroidered money bag and softened her attitude, "Why are you pretending to be a man? You're not here to see Xu Xing, are you?"
Hearing what the woman said, Xia Yunhe was overjoyed. He glanced at the crowd watching the theater in front of him, slightly bowed his hands to the woman, and said, "I am an old friend of Xu Xing. I haven't seen him for many years, so I came here to visit."
The woman looked at the small courtyard not far away and fell into deep thought. She turned to look at her with pity in her eyes and motioned for her to come over.
"Sister, seeing that you are young and look like the daughter of a wealthy family, I won't tell you some embarrassing things. I just want to advise you that there are many good men in the world, so don't hang yourself on just one person."
Xia Yunhe was stunned and couldn't figure out what this person meant.
Just as he was thinking about it, he suddenly saw Chen Haizhou coming out of the courtyard with a gloomy face. The woman hurriedly grabbed Xia Yunhe's wrist and turned her back, pretending to be a pair of affectionate wild mandarin ducks.
After Chen Haizhou left, the woman said to her in a serious tone, "Sister, have you seen that person just now? She looked at Xu Xing very hard and did not allow anyone else to get closer. Once, Old Taro, who was carrying Yexiang, passed by and stopped for a while. , the old man’s knife flew past the old man’s head and landed on the pillar of the opposite porch. It still leaves such a deep mark. Who dares to mess with him? Your Xu Lang has long been..."
She deliberately stopped at the end of her words and smiled, "Listen to my sister's advice and don't ask the rest."
The woman touched the fluff on her collar, then pulled up her sleeves and touched her carefully. She made a sound of admiration and repeatedly sighed, "You are a woman, how come your life is so good?"
Xia Yunhe finally heard it clearly. Xu Xing and Chen Haizhou were not like Mr. Mo Bai who said they had a deep friendship, but a love of each other.
Suddenly, someone violently separated her from the woman.
Xia Yunhe was stunned and saw the person clearly. He was startled again and again, and swallowed the "Seventh Highness" with his mouth open.
Xie Yi glared at the woman fiercely and tightly grasped Xia Yunhe's clothes, like a little wolf showing its fangs.
The woman deliberately touched his face and teased him, "Ah, what a murderer."
Xie Yi slapped her down and warned the woman in a dark voice, "Dirty."
The woman was stunned, snorted lightly, then raised her eyes to look at Xie Yi's clenched clothes, and deliberately leaned close to Xia Yunhe's arm, "What does a little kid know?"
Xie Yi pushed her away again, "Stay away from me, sir."
The woman laughed and looked at Xia Yunhe repeatedly, "Sir? You people from wealthy families, you are so naive every day. Why should I care about such nosy things?" After saying that, she raised her orchid fingers, hooked her purse, swung her money and left. .
Xia Yunhe looked at Xie Yi with some guilt. Suddenly she felt something was wrong. She pulled the young man and asked seriously in a low voice, "Why is Your Highness here?"
Xie Yi was very unhappy, but when he saw Xia Yunhe looking at him with worry, the unhappiness he saw just now disappeared.
He lowered his head and replied in a low voice: "I've been here since I woke up. I escaped from a room. When I saw Mr., I followed him all the way."
These people... She sighed, this matter must be reported to the Holy Spirit.
Who could be so bold as to abduct the prince privately? They must be crazy.
Xia Yunhe paid attention to Xu Xing's closed door, raised his head and squinted at the sunset sky, grabbed Xie Yi's wrist, and said, "You must go back quickly before the palace door is locked."
Xie Yi made a move, shook off her hand, frowned and asked her with wide eyes.
"Will sir, don't want me?"
