Zhang Nuo's hair has turned gray, his body is no longer healthy, and his face has turned into that of a little old man. He bowed modestly and said, "Even without me, I believe Zhou Youzhou could have turned disaster into good."
"Zhou Youzhou, we haven't seen each other for decades. I'm going to invite you to have a talk at the Yellow Crane Tower tomorrow. I wonder if Zhou Youzhou is free?"
Zhou Xu held the cup and said nothing.
Zhang Nuo's back seemed to be hunched over as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant. He stared closely at Zhou Youzhou, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the cane were like ravines.
Zhou Xu suddenly looked at Mrs. Xiao: "Mrs. Xiao, do you want to go to Yellow Crane Tower tomorrow?"
Xiao Luolan was startled, why did Sect Master Zhou ask her.
After hearing this, she also understood that Clan Master Zhou knew the old doctor. The old doctor had helped Clan Master Zhou before, and now he wanted to talk to Clan Master Zhou about old times. Clan Master Zhou did not answer whether he would go, but asked her if she wanted to go. Go to the Yellow Crane Tower.
It's rare that she said she didn't want to go, so wouldn't Sect Master Zhou go?
Xiao Luolan couldn't understand.
The old doctor who had just treated his daughter's dysmenorrhea turned his attention to her.
Xiao Luolan's palms were sweating as she tried hard to think about the meaning of Sect Leader Zhou's words.
Zhang Nuo found that his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Mrs. Xiao might not know how many people's lives her answer would affect.
Just when the whole room was almost dead silent, Xiao Luolan replied slowly and nervously: "You can go for a while."
Zhang Nuo perked up, and Dr. Zhang only felt her grandfather holding her hand painfully.
Zhou Xu smiled and said: "Since Mrs. Xiao is willing to go, then I will go to the Yellow Crane Tower with you to watch the river view."
Zhang Nuo bowed deeply and then left with the female doctor.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was not right, Mrs. Dou left quickly, preparing to tell her husband what she had heard.
In the East Pavilion, only Xiao Luolan, Zhou Xu and Mr. Qingshan were left.
Zhou Xu still looked kind and said: "Mrs. Xiao, I will wait for you in the study tonight."
Xiao Luolan thought of her daily work and nodded: "Okay."
Zhou Xu and Zhao Qingshan were walking in the corridor, and the clear light of the silver moon in the sky filled the earth.
Zhao Qingshan shook his folding fan and said, "Prefect Li from Taiyang County and Dr. Zhang from the Imperial Medical Department are close friends. You don't know it, right?"
Zhou Xu clasped his hands behind his back and replied nonchalantly: "I know."
"If you go to the banquet tomorrow, I can guarantee that Dr. Zhang will definitely go to the prefect's mansion and privately persuade Prefect Li to go to the banquet to ease the relationship."
"Anyway, the meeting will not change the outcome. Once Zhang Nuo helped me back then, I will return the favor to him." Zhou Xu's voice was light.
Back in the study, Zhou Xu rested his long legs on the desk in a bohemian manner, holding the back of his head with his hands and a book on his face, waiting for Mrs. Xiao's arrival.
Zhao Qingshan stood at the window blowing the wind. When he saw Mrs. Xiao, he coughed.
Zhou Xu immediately sat up straight.
"Lord, I took the book upside down." Zhao Qingshan coughed again.
Zhou Xu pretended to read a book.
"Mrs. Xiao, please sit down."
Zhou Xu put down the book and invited Mrs. Xiao to sit down in front of the desk.
Xiao Luolan watched her daughter drink the concoction for treating dysmenorrhea, and then drank a small bowl of Tremella sweet soup. She saw that Fang Yun was also in the room after her daughter fell asleep. On the way here, she was worried that something would happen. She would not be late, but when she arrived, the study was brightly lit and Sect Leader Zhou was still reading.
Sect Master Zhou really loves learning, this thought flashed across his mind.
She was sitting on a chair, opposite Sect Master Zhou.
"Mrs. Xiao, what are we reading today?" Zhou Xu leaned forward and asked. The tall figure covered most of Mrs. Xiao, but because his tone was smooth and gentle, with a smile, he did not put too much pressure on Xiao Luolan. feel.
Xiao Luolan found a book from a pile of books on the desk: "Does Sect Leader Zhou like to read "Travel Notes to Luoyang"?"
"I have read it several times when I was young and I like this travelogue very much." Zhou Xu replied, admiring the radiant Mrs. Xiao. Mrs. Xiao looks really good in this color dress. If one day I can read other genres The book would be nice... Zhou Xu's throat suddenly went dry, and he was about to lose control, so he quickly put an end to his fantasy.
Xiao Luolan was halfway through reading when he suddenly heard the chirping of birds.
Zhao Qingshan opened the window, brought the carrier pigeon over, took down the letter, read it, and then looked at his lord.
Zhou Xu asked: "What is written in the letter?"
Seeing that his master was not shy at all, Zhao Qingshan said: "When I heard that you were assassinated, Judge Xu and some of his men were preparing to rush to Cang County to personally investigate the assassination. They have been gone for several days."
Zhou Xun hummed to indicate that he understood. After Zhao Qingshan went out, he saw Lei Shan deliberately telling him outside the door.
"My lord, after being investigated by Lei's spies, Dr. Zhang ditched the Dou family's carriage and went directly to the prefect's mansion."
Xiao Luolan read the book and felt that she had come at the wrong time. Suddenly she remembered that the relationship between Clan Leader Zhou and the Taiyang County Prefect was not good. Now Doctor Zhang went to the prefect again. Then she remembered that she had agreed to go to Huang with Clan Master Zhou tomorrow. Helou... there won't be another assassination, right?
Zhou Xu saw that Mrs. Xiao was not thinking for the next time, so he asked, "Is Mrs. Xiao worried?"
Xiao Luolan said uneasily: "Sect Master Zhou, are we still going to Yellow Crane Tower tomorrow?"
Zhou Xu asked with interest: "Mrs. Xiao, don't you want to go?"
Xiao Luolan thought for a moment and said, "If Sect Master Zhou wants to go, I can go."
Sect Master Zhou had helped her so much. Although he didn't understand why she had to go, since Sect Master Zhou needed her help, Xiao Luolan would definitely help him wholeheartedly.
"How does Mrs. Xiao know that I want to go?"
Xiao Luolan expressed her guess without confidence: "Because I have thought about it carefully. It would be very simple if Zongzong Zhou rejected Dr. Zhang, but you did not do so. So, I guess Zongzong Zhou wanted to Going to an appointment, right?"
"Mrs. Xiao is so smart." Zhou Xu did not hesitate to praise him: "That's it, yes, you are so thoughtful."
Xiao Luolan's face turned red, Sect Leader Zhou was so exaggerated.
"But don't worry, Mrs. Xiao. When I meet Doctor Zhang tomorrow, I will make arrangements at the Yellow Crane Tower in advance, clear obstacles, and arrange for archers/crossbowmen to ambush not far away." Zhou Xu said suddenly, paying attention to Mrs. Xiao's expression. , seeing that she was just surprised and had no other expression, another guess in her heart was disappearing.
Once upon a time, Zhou Xu suspected that Mrs. Xiao was a honey trap against him.
But until now, Mrs. Xiao is surrounded by his people. She has a gentle and kind personality, sometimes even a little timid, and lacks experience in living outside. But in Zhou Xu's opinion, this is not a shortcoming. In this world No one is perfect.
And Zhou Xu enjoyed the feeling that Mrs. Xiao could only rely on him, which made him feel strangely happy.
Mrs. Xiao loves her beloved daughter, Mrs. Xiao, as much as life. No matter where you look, she is an unexpected woman, and she is also a woman with a huge fatal weakness. If there is really someone behind her, I heard that he is targeting Taishou Li. There would be flaws in the arrangement no matter what, but unfortunately, there were no flaws. Mrs. Xiao was just surprised.
Xiao Luolan didn't expect Sect Leader Zhou to think so comprehensively. She patted her heart and breathed a sigh of relief: "Then I'll be relieved."
It's always good to prepare in advance. Xiao Luolan really doesn't want another assassination incident to happen.
Zhou Xu looked at the snowy undulating mountains and looked away embarrassedly and with difficulty. His face, which had been exposed to the wind and sun all year round in the north of Youzhou, became unusually warm.
Zhou Xu once thought about what if Mrs. Xiao was really the beauty in the beauty trap?
He thought for a long time and finally admitted that he had given in.
Seeing that what Mrs. Xiao did was completely different from what she was sent by others, Zhou Xu became more and more happy. Looking at Mrs. Xiao, his mind was filled with thoughts, and he couldn't help but start thinking about Mrs. Xiao's future life with him.
As for whether Mrs. Xiao would be with him, this issue was not within Zhou Xu's consideration from the first moment he met Mrs. Xiao.
Mrs. Xiao can only be his.
"Mrs. Xiao, after reading for so long, drink some tea to moisten your throat." Zhou Xu said warmly, pushing the tea cup in front of Mrs. Xiao and chatting with her: "Those people in the south always like to add a little bit of everything to their tea. I don't I like orange peel, green onions and ginger in tea, so my servants have been making tea according to my taste since the trip. Mrs. Xiao, if you like tea from the south, you can tell me."
Xiao Luolan had never drank the tea that Sect Leader Zhou mentioned, so she imagined it would not taste good. She shook her head and said, "I'll be fine if I drink clear tea."
"Like Mrs. Xiao, I only like tea." Zhou Xu said with a smile.
Xiao Luolan felt relaxed. As we spent more time together, except for the initial period, talking to Sect Master Zhou now always seemed like old friends, and her spirits were not so tense.
time flies.
After Mrs. Xiao left, Zhou Xu hummed a Youzhou tune and stretched his legs on the desk again.
The second day.
Xiao Qingxue already knew that her mother was going to the Yellow Crane Tower today. She ate the preserved fruit given by Fang Yun and lay on the bamboo chair outside to bask in the sun. She was thinking about it. At the same time, she felt that her guess was indeed correct. Zhou The relationship between the sect leader and Taiyang Prefect is indeed not good.
Xiao Luolan saw that her daughter was surrounded by Fang Yun, and there were two Lei's cavalry looking after her outside. She put the snowball into her daughter's arms and asked the kitten to accompany her.
"Auntie, come back quickly." Xiao Qingxue said weakly.
"I'll be back soon. You must drink the soup at noon. If it gets cold in the afternoon, remember to wear two more clothes." Xiao Luolan warned carefully.
"I know, Auntie."
After getting out of the door, Xiao Luolan got into the carriage. Sect Leader Zhou and Mr. Qingshan were in the other one. Xiao Luolan looked at the bustling market outside and thought about what kind of work she could do to make a living when she arrived in Langge. She only knows how to make desserts, but in ancient times sugar and oil were eaten by rich people. She doesn’t know if she can make money by selling them outside. There is also embroidery. Xiao Luolan can only do cross stitch, so it seems difficult to be an embroiderer. , travel notes often write about a certain scholar who makes a living by copying books. If she knows how to read, can she also copy books...
Just thinking about it like this, the Yellow Crane Tower arrived.
Xiao Luolan looked up at the five-story Yellow Crane Tower.
Doctor Zhang was already waiting at the door: "Zhou Youzhou, Mrs. Xiao, please come in."
After Xiao Luolan entered, he found that the entire restaurant was empty.
Zhou Xu walked leisurely with Mrs. Xiao, followed by Zhao Qingshan and Lei Shan's guards.
Xiao Luolan stood in front of the railing, with the vast Xunjiang River in the distance.
"There is a poem about Linjiang in the Yellow Crane Tower. It was written by the number one scholar in the Liang Dynasty. Madam Xiao still remembers it." Zhou Xu asked, standing sideways on Madam Xiao's right.
Xiao Luolan read some travel notes and immediately thought of the No. 1 Scholar poem: "Remember."
Zhou Xu originally wanted to comment on the Linjiang poem, but later found that he had no literary talent, so he had no choice but to forget it and pretend that he had never said the previous sentence.
"It's windy on the river. Zhou Youzhou, Mrs. Xiao, why don't you go into the house first." Dr. Zhang glanced at Zhou Youzhou's face and said carefully while leading the way: "Zhou Youzhou, you and I have known each other for several years. I made the decision this time and invited my Another friend you also know is Li Bozhi from Taiyang County. At this banquet, the four of us will only talk about interesting things and not care about anything else, okay?"
The three floors of the Yellow Crane Tower are high and the fifth floors are facing each other. The light and dark in the building are connected, and the flying bridges are connected. Bead curtains, embroidered foreheads, and shining lights can be seen everywhere.
Zhou Xu raised his eyelids and said with a faint smile: "Doctor Zhang, it seems that someone doesn't want to accept your favor."
Zhang Nuo turned around and saw his friend Li Bozhi, the governor of Taiyang County.
Xiao Luolan saw a thin, middle-aged man wearing a red official robe standing in front of him, with four guards behind him.
It's just that the expression of this Grand Administrator Li is really not good, especially the way he looks at Sect Master Zhou, which is sinister and scary, with his eyes black and blue, and his eyes are bloodshot.
Zhang Nuo's heart suddenly went cold. He stood next to his friend and tugged on the clothes behind him to tell him not to do this. However, his friend's back straightened even more, as if he was fighting against something, expressing that he would never do it. The idea of not giving in.
Zhang Nuo was miserable. Why didn't his friend understand this? He spent his biggest favor for this opportunity. Zhang Nuo closed his eyes in pain.
"Isn't Li Taishou at home taking care of his illness? How come he has time to drink and have a banquet? It must be that an elder in the family has recovered from his illness. This is indeed a happy event." Zhou Xu said slowly: "I heard that the orchid wine in Yellow Crane Tower is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Come on, I’ll have a drink with Prefect Li. If Prefect Li thinks it’s okay, the prefect can bring some drinks to congratulate His Majesty on His Majesty’s Wanshou Festival next year.”
Xiao Luolan found that the unsmiling Sect Master Zhou had an arrogance that was almost cold, and he was too cold to let anyone approach him.
