"Xue Si!" Tang Wulang was extremely angry.
Xie Wanjun came over and looked at the scene of the thief stealing home, already guessing it.
"This is a good time to report to the official. Ronin Xue Si also stole things from the Tang family, which completely eliminates your suspicion." Xie Wanjun said.
The Tang family's mistress waved away her servants and asked, "What's going on?"
Xie Wanjun looked at his younger sister and said while drinking tea.
The Tang family's mistress finally said angrily: "Of course we can't let go of the Xun family. Xun Yan wants to kill my son. How can we spare him so easily? I will write to my husband immediately and ask him to stand up for my son."
Xie Wanjun saw Wulang looking absent and said, "I have important things to do when I come to Luoyang. Your Majesty listened to the Duan Party members' slander and ordered me to assist Qi Nanhua in recruiting Youzhou rebels."
"If the recruitment fails, the Duan Party members bluntly stated that I am in danger." Xie Wanjun wrote lightly, without any worry or fear of being forced into the situation. Obviously, they wanted to start getting rid of the disobedient Xie family.
This is a trap. After all, this recruitment is impossible to succeed.
"The Duan Party's methods are becoming more and more insidious now," the Tang family's mistress said angrily. She, the Xie family, was just openly not siding with the Duan Party and maintaining a neutral attitude, but was forced to do this by the Duan Party.
"Brother, please calm down for a moment." Xie Wanjun said to the younger sister: "I think this situation will get better one day. Besides, Xie is not a weakling who can be exploited by others."
What they said was unclear, and Tang Wulang was confused. When he saw his cousin Qingnu drinking tea quietly at the side, he seemed to understand, but he was the only one who didn't understand.
"Auntie, third uncle, what are you talking about?" Tang Wulang asked.
"It's nothing." The Tang family's mistress tapped Tang Wu's forehead with a handkerchief: "Your father will avenge you."
"Why didn't Minister Qi come to Luoyang with his third uncle?" Xie Qingwu asked.
"He is coming soon. He will arrive in the next two days." Xie Wanjun said, "I left two days earlier than him. When I left Beijing, the imperial court had just confirmed the candidate for the guard general of Tongguan."
Xie Qingwu's beautiful eyes flashed slightly. Tongguan is the last barrier to protect Chang'an. Who will it be, a member of the Duan Party or a member of the Royalist Party?
"Ji Yan, the official minister of the three dynasties, pledged his life and property to guarantee that Song Deyu would be the guard of Tongguan, and the emperor approved it." Xie Wanjun said. Last year, Song Deyu was demoted to the right concubine of the crown prince because of his unfavorable trip to Youzhou and improper protection of the angel. One, he was an assistant officer to the prince's young master, and now he was promoted to the general of Tongguan.
He is actually a member of the royalist party. Xie Qingwu speculates that Song Deyu's rise to power is related to the defeat of the imperial court and Wei Gong in Jianghuai last year. War is the most obvious thing. Losing is losing, winning is winning. Now Youzhou Jiedushi is the victor. In the imperial court, the flames of the Duan Party were naturally extinguished by the royalist faction. Of course, it is difficult to say what influence the Zhou Party had behind the scenes.
I heard that Song Deyu and Zhou Youzhou fought together before. I wonder what his strength is. Xie Qingwu thought of Deng Wushuang who died in the North.
Back then, this man was also a colleague of Youzhou Jiedushi, but now the grass on his grave has sprouted.
Xie Qingwu suddenly thought of Zhou Shenzhi again. There was always very little news about him, and he rarely wrote to her. She didn't know whether it was because men and women avoided suspicion or because their relationship between Xie and Zhou was still in the shadows.
However, he is guarding the rear base camp in Youzhou, so there is no need to worry about safety. So what is he doing now?
The girl's heartbeat was a little fast.
There are so many sons and daughters in Chang'an, what is so good about Zhou Shenzhi that makes you remember it so much? Her mother once held her hand and talked secretly in the tent. Xie Qingwu only remembers her hot cheeks and the rare hesitation.
He sent me a snowstorm in Mobei.
Her mother was puzzled, and Xie Qingwu couldn't explain it clearly. When she was in her early years, she once casually mentioned to her third brother Deyong that the city wall of Chang'an was too high and prevented her from seeing the outside. The third brother said that she had too many good days, and she didn't know. Not long after the suffering outside Chang'an, she actually received an unsigned calligraphy and painting.
In the painting, in the Mobei Tianshan Mountains, there is snow falling outside the Great Wall, and the severe cold is blowing towards the face, bringing with it a vast and vast atmosphere.
Xie Qingwu looked at the painting and felt her heart beating faster and faster.
From then on, she paid attention to him and collected every bit of him, but most of the time, she was still a stranger to him.
When she learned last year that the Lu family wanted to marry the Zhou family, she was calm at first, but when she was alone late at night, she felt unwilling, aggrieved, angry, and sad.
How sad she was, how happy she was when she learned that the Zhou family's eldest son rejected the Lu family.
But the eldest son of the Zhou family never knew her myriad emotions.
Thousands of miles away, someone was missing him.
Maybe, even if he knew, he didn't care. In the third brother's letter, this person was always very weak in mood and serious and cold in his actions.
But every time Xie Qingwu saw that painting, she would overturn her own guess. If he could paint such a painting that directly touched people's hearts, how could his heart be so desolate and cold.
In Xie Qingwu's view, the Zhou family's eldest son was more like a flame wrapped in ice.
Cold and hot.
Chapter 289
The chariot carrying Jiang Sanlang came out soon after entering the palace. Surrounded by a group of domestic slaves, Jiang Sanlang changed his mind and went to the Jiang family's Lantian villa in the south of Luoyang Imperial City.
In Luoyang and Chang'an, villa building was popular. The villas of nobles were either built outside the city, or in the mountains or beside lakes. Of course, there were also many noble villas built around the imperial city, such as the Jiang family's Lantian villa.
Jiang Sanlang did not intend to take Princess Youzhou back to his home, but wanted to place her in the Lantian Villa. He was worried about the fact that there were so many people coming in and out of the prince's house every day.
When they arrived near Lantian Villa, they first passed through the surrounding large fields. The slaves had already informed the housekeeper in the villa, and a large number of people came to greet Jiang Sanlang.
"Vacate the Zhuli Pavilion in the villa for me. All the tables, chairs, couches and beds in the pavilion have been wrapped tightly with soft cloth. I don't want anything dangerous inside." Jiang Sanlang ordered the housekeeper.
The housekeeper looked at the woman behind Jiang Sanlang in surprise. The woman wore a curtain hat and held a bamboo stick in her hand. She seemed to have bad eyesight. When she walked, she would use the bamboo stick to explore the way. She was "looking" towards the direction. Jiang Sanlang's direction.
"Do you understand?" Jiang Sanlang asked.
Butler Su's mind was racing, and he suddenly thought that Jiang Sanlang's taste had changed. The blind woman was most likely not willing to follow Sanlang. If the woman was violent, she would probably commit suicide, so Sanlang would do it. Such an order.
"Hurry up and go!" Jiang Sanlang's eyes widened, and Butler Su hesitated: "That Cainiang in the restaurant..."
Cainiang was given to him by the owner of Beppu last month when Saburo went to Beppu as a guest. She was very favored.
"Didn't the eldest brother also like her very much? She gave it to my eldest brother." Jiang Sanlang said nonchalantly, "By the way, I'm going to entertain Wei Erlang at a banquet tonight."
Then Jiang Sanlang's series of actions left the old housekeeper completely confused. Not only did he send Cainiang away, but he also sent away Ji Ling in the villa, leaving only some maidservants.
"Where there are more women, there are more things. I don't want some fools to ruin my good deeds." At that time, Jiang Sanlang had his legs crossed on a stool. There was a maid next to him who was knocking her legs. He lifted the maid He touched her face with his chin, and the maid turned pale.
After resting for a while, Jiang Sanlang went to visit Princess Youzhou.
In the Lantian Villa, the pavilions, flowers and trees complement each other. In the courtyard, stones are cut to divert water, with haze perched on the beams and bamboo trees outside Tingzhou.
The Zhuli Pavilion is surrounded by a natural lake, which is in the shape of a crescent moon. Embracing the Zhuli Pavilion is like holding a piece of green jade. Behind it is a thousand-foot red rock, red and green, which is extremely beautiful. Of course, it is also very beautiful. Hard to escape.
Jiang Sanlang spent a lot of thought on how to place Princess Youzhou.
When he arrived at the Zhuli Pavilion, Jiang Sanlang first checked the furnishings in the house and made sure that all the utensils were wrapped in soft cloth. He then looked at the row of obedient maids, nodded with satisfaction, and waved them away.
"Ms. Ying, are you satisfied with this place?" Jiang Sanlang is very sure that she is Princess Youzhou. Although she is a blind princess, she is still her. He has seen her portrait, at Luoyang Ling's place, and at Wei Erlang's place. I have seen it, I have seen it on my father's desk, and I have also seen it at Secretary Han Fu and Han Zhang. It can be said that as long as someone cares about Jiang Huai, the shadow of Princess Youzhou will more or less appear on the desk.
She and Youzhou Jiedu are always closely related.
Last year, Youzhou Jiedushi cut out the angel's tongue for her. Now, Youzhou Jiedushi turned Jiang Huai upside down in order to find her.
Jiang Sanlang took away the woman's curtain hat, looked at her intently, waved his hand in front of her eyes, and found that she had no reaction. Jiang Sanlang surrounded her, like a shrewd man who had a rare treasure in his hand and valued it for sale. merchant.
During the flood last year, I heard that Princess Youzhou's whereabouts were unknown due to the flood, but I didn't expect that she ended up in Luoyang.
"Where is this?" Yingniang asked.
She knew that Wanghouli was not far from Master Cunzhen's house, but Jiang Sanlang suddenly came to a new place halfway there. The sound of wind blowing bamboo leaves could be heard in her ears. There was a lake in front of this place. , Yingniang can still smell the faint smell of water in the air.
"The Jiang family's Lantian villa." Jiang Sanlang said.
He suddenly asked: "Are you familiar with the name Zhou Xu?"
Ying Niang suddenly grasped the bamboo stick tightly, and her brain went blank for a moment. The turbulent and violent emotions broke the calmness she had pretended to be. Invisible thoughts came over like a tide and hit her heart, but she just couldn't think of Ying. Mother opened her mouth and murmured in confusion: "...who is he?"
Jiang Sanlang was a little disappointed but also somewhat expected. Princess Youzhou might have suffered from soul-leaving syndrome while living in Luoyang and could not remember many things.
"It's okay if you can't remember." As long as her identity is true, Jiang Sanlang looked at the wary Princess Youzhou, thought for a while, and asked the maids to come over and serve her.
After all, this woman is also the Princess of Youzhou.
Not long after Jiang Sanlang walked out of the Zhuli Pavilion, he heard the maids reporting that the distinguished guest was not happy to be served nearby. Jiang Sanlang only said to do whatever she wanted, but he must keep an eye on her, anywhere except Zhuli Pavilion. You are not allowed to go or talk to her.
Ying Niang was sure that she was being watched.
For a whole afternoon, no matter where she went, there were people following her. They didn't make a sound, they just followed her, like a shadow, without any freedom at all. The place under her feet was called Zhuli Pavilion, or she accidentally heard the person delivering the food say it. , Zhuli Pavilion is very big, but she can't get out.
She is imprisoned here.
Ying Niang was sitting in the spacious room. The candle here had just been lit by the maid. It was very bright. The whole Zhuli Pavilion was brightly lit. Ying Niang watched the vague figures of the maids walking around the room. They checked the tables and chairs. Has the corner been broken by her? Is there anything missing in the house?
"Mr. Sanlang is having a banquet in front. Let us freshen Lady Ying and invite her to the front yard." The maids whispered, and Ying Niang soon heard the footsteps. She should be the leader of the maids, the maid of Zhuli Pavilion. All listened to her.
Ying Niang persisted with her and finally allowed her to take the maids out of the bathroom. Ying Niang heard the sound of the door closing. After a simple wash, she immediately wrapped the blade of the knife around her left forearm with a piece of cloth. She didn't wrap it very tightly. She only had to hold the handle of the knife and press it slightly to pull out the blade close to her skin. The thin blade felt cold against the inside of her forearm.
Ever since she brought it out from Mercy Temple, Ying Niang has polished it very sharply.
However, it was a Yusheng knife that was as big as the palm of her hand. Ying Niang couldn't let anyone find it. She fumbled to put on her clothes. The jade medal on her chest was like a small flame in the cold air of early spring, warming her heart.
When Wei Cixin walked into Lantian Villa, she thought she had made a mistake. There was no Ji Ling, Jiang Sanlang's favorite singer and dancer, at the banquet. The housekeeper said that all the Ji Ling in the villa had been dismissed, but it turned out to be true.
"Are you really Sanlang?" Wei Cixin, dressed in white clothes and with a cinnabar mole between his eyebrows, was as holy as a Buddha. After taking his seat at the head of the table, Wei Cixin said with a smile.
There were only two people at the banquet. Jiang Sanlang was already a little drunk. He was in a really good mood and smiled widely: "Of course it's me, Ci Xin, why are you here so late?"
Wei Cixin poured herself a glass of wine: "My mother-in-law is sick, and I want to stay by her side to take care of her illness."
Jiang Sanlang laughed even louder: "Are you sure Princess Huayin won't get more seriously ill when she sees you?"
Wei Cixin drank, hiding the smile at the corner of her mouth: "She has been hysterical since she returned to Luoyang. She kept saying that her brother was not dead, and asked Han Fu and Shi Zhi to lead troops to rescue her. My mother-in-law was kind and even went to the palace to visit her. , What a pity, the fact is the fact, if my brother is dead, he is dead."
Wei Ci felt so relieved that he took off his disguise in front of his good friend Jiang Sanlang.
The two toasted and laughed happily.
Jiang Sanlang sat down towards Wei Cixin and asked, "How is the Duke?"
Speaking of this, Wei Cixin's smile disappeared: "Father, he is fighting in Xuzhou." He said slowly: "It's very unfavorable."
If Xuzhou is lost again, Jianghuai will really fall into the hands of Zhou Youzhou.
"The Xuzhou soldiers led by Pang Si have been fighting with Pang Taiqiu in the city, and they are determined to enter Xuzhou City. The Youzhou generals are extremely cunning. Do you still remember the refugees who were kidnapped by the Xuzhou rebels last year? That man named Jin Ben Foreign generals are directly given food and clothing, and if they don’t want to freeze to death and starve to death in the winter, they have to go to the battlefield.”
"With the backing of these refugees and the fierce northern soldiers, Pang Si had no scruples at all. You may have guessed what happened next. The governor of Youzhou raided Jinling and lifted the order to kill and surrender. When people inside Xuzhou heard about this, Ready to move."
"Liu Hui, the supervisor of the army, secretly left Xuzhou with the soldiers of the imperial court. My father was furious about this." Wei Cixin looked gloomy: "People in Xuzhou are divided. The imperial court broke its promise and retreated. It is impossible for my father to continuously send troops to support Xuzhou. After all, Taiyuan is also raging with war now, and Langge is very tight."
Jiang Sanlang had a headache listening to these war stories: "Does that mean Xuzhou..."
Wei Cixin sighed: "It will probably be a matter of time."
"Actually, it would be good for the Duke to return to Luoyang." As soon as Jiang Sanlang finished speaking, Wei Cixin glared at him angrily.
"If you don't know the war, you don't know the worries." Wei Ci took another sip of wine depressedly. Jianghuai's defeat had a heavy blow to his father's prestige.
