Walking through the neighbourhoods, Zhuang Xun could clearly feel that everyone looked at him differently. Some were fawning, some were fearful, some were indignant. But what was certain was that there was indeed a high wall between them. wall.
Even the usually naughty children became polite when they saw him, which made him speed up his pace. He breathed a sigh of relief when he got home, not as carefree as before.
The utensils are arranged neatly, decorated with plain colors, clean and tidy. Even the simple room makes people feel comfortable. Zhuang Xun sat on the chair and looked at the frame placed aside. He picked it up and looked at it carefully. The silk peony It has been formed, and it is ingenious and layered. The beauty's skillful hands have no idea how many silk rolls they have practiced before they can embroider such a craft.
Touching it lightly with his fingers, the smooth silk was like a woman's skin, with the beauty's ingenuity engraved on it. It would be a pity to sell it. Thinking of Si Qin Mi threading threads and needles, Zhuang Xun smiled, and the demure beauty sat There is a warm visual enjoyment.
Thinking of something, he went out and looked at the sun at noon. The autumn sun still had the heat of summer, but it had the charm of a rising sun. It was burning in the sky. Is this sun a star or a golden crow?
On weekdays, there was no accounting work, so he spent the evening reading fantasy novels. Today, he started to tidy up the room and took out some old clothes to wash.
Zhuang Xun understood that if he didn't do it, Si Qinmi would definitely do it. He didn't want to just watch Si Qinmi work. He must be an honest man.
The time for doing things passed quickly, and as the day went by, he wiped the house clean, Zhuang Xun glanced at the kitchen, and began to wash rice and prepare to cook.
"Lang Jun, didn't I tell you that the kitchen belongs to me?" Zhuang Xun just picked up the rice and Si Qinmi was already standing outside the kitchen.
"Isn't this lady back yet?" Zhuang Xun smiled awkwardly and put the millet into the steamer.
"I'm sorry, I came back late, so you had to go into the kitchen, sir." Si Qinmi blamed herself at first.
"How can I blame you? Don't think too much. I want you to come back and have a hot meal. Has Madam had lunch? I bought some rice cakes. I will never enter the kitchen again." Zhuang Xun looked at it. She blamed herself and quickly comforted her.
"I'm not hungry yet, sir. Have you invited the memorial tablet for His Majesty the King of Wheels?" Si Qinmi felt Zhuang Xun's concern and her heart warmed up. She looked much better. She asked Zhuang Xun what he should do today.
"No, I did meet His Majesty the King of Wheels. The emperor said not to set up a memorial tablet for him." Zhuang Xun slowly told how he met the King of Wheels and the conversation he had with the King of Wheels.
"His Majesty the King of Wheels has said so, let's let this matter go. It's a pity that the candle incense was wasted. When you go out, you have said that a gentleman is far away from the kitchen and allows his husband to enter the kitchen. In ordinary people's perception, a concubine is immoral and has no food. Ability to do housework." Si Qin Mi shook his head, showing a look of shame.
"This..." Zhuang Xun thought for a while and then exited the kitchen. These words were too serious.
"Let's take a rest first. Madam, you are tired from shopping." Zhuang Xun couldn't help but said that Si Qinmi worked as hard as a bee all day long, and even a lazy dog was impressed.
"Mr. Lang, please rest after dinner. The rice is already in the pot. It's best to cook dinner now without wasting the charcoal fire." Si Qinmi began to pour the ingredients.
"Forget it..." Zhuang Xun hesitated.
Zhuang Xun looked at the sky. It was almost dusk and there was nothing to do, either sitting or standing.
Time passed very long, and it was very boring to read the novel.
After the meal was served, everyone chatted about what they had seen today.
"It's too fast. The imperial court started to collect national taxes from merchants today." Si Qinmi opened the topic first.
"Tax to save the country? I'm afraid it's not a tax to subjugate the country at this time." Zhuang Xun said, holding a piece of green vegetables.
"It is indeed a national subjugation tax. I am a little confused. Can the Yu Dynasty really last until Lang Jun becomes the prefect of the county?" Si Qinmi said with doubt on his face, and put a piece of meat into Zhuang Xun's bowl.
"If that doesn't work, let's run away. A gentleman doesn't stand on a dangerous wall." Zhuang Xun could also feel the changes in Yin Du.
"Danger is also an opportunity. In the past, taking up a position like a prefect required at least two years of official experience. Now it only takes half a year. In other places, it is not easy for Lang Jun to climb up from the bottom. As long as the layers of barriers are not broken, Dayu can still You have a few years of luck." Si Qinmi shook his head.
"I don't know what to do with collecting so much tax and giving it to the many soldiers in the pass? I don't think these officials know how." Zhuang Xun continued, putting the meat back into Siqin Mi's bowl.
"It's not just for the longevity banquet. The emperor wants to celebrate his sixtieth birthday." Si Qinmi sighed and put the meat into Zhuang Xun's bowl with his chopsticks, but was blocked by Zhuang Xun.
"You eat!" Zhuang Xun stared into Si Qinmi's eyes, her eyes bright and bright.
"Well, Lang Jun, you will also be invited to participate. The news is that all the talented people will be invited to be filial, honest and honorable. Those who become famous will be of great benefit to their future prospects." Si Qinmi saw Zhuang Xun's insistence and picked up the Put the meat pieces into the mouth of the tandoor.
"What does that have to do with me? You can't ask me to compete with them on poetry. Everyone's poetry has a strong personal color. Even if I still remember a few poems from my hometown, if I use them, everyone will know that it is plagiarism." Zhuang Xun Very straightforward.
Obviously the elegance school and the bold school are not the same category. Copying one or two poems is fine, but how can more than one be exposed? Moreover, one has to speak well and have the ability to compose poems to match. Otherwise, it will not only hurt Zhongyong, but also lose all dignity, and it will be almost impossible to gain a foothold in the literary world in the future.
"Lang Jun, you are not a scholar who writes poems. You are a filial and honest person. All you have to do is be respectful, thrifty, and make everyone think you have good manners." Si Qinmi said with a slight smile.
"Demeanor..." Zhuang Xun didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Don't worry, Sir. There is still some time before the Longevity Banquet. I will teach you court etiquette and train your daily manners." Si Qinmi saw Zhuang Xun's hesitation, picked up the meat on the plate and put it to his mouth.
Zhuang Xun bit it subconsciously, and then his cheeks turned red as he was fed.
"Is it difficult?" Chewing the shredded pork, Zhuang Xun looked at the smiling Siqin Mi, feeling a little happy.
"Nothing in the world is simple. It's better than farming in the fields and handling things at the wharf. But my husband does have good manners and is outstanding." Si Qinmi gave him some advice and then praised him.
"That's true. You didn't do any of this physical work, but you are the one who stands out..." Zhuang Xun didn't think he was well behaved.
"It's not that I prefer you. Your husband does have an air of immortality and the qualities of a scholar. That's why I mistakenly thought you were a monk." Si Qinmi further said.
"Perhaps Mr. Lang can't feel it himself, but it does exist. Some people look elegant even in brocade robes, and some people look proud of themselves even in plain clothes."
"Is it immortal? It should be that he looks down on everything." Zhuang Xun analyzed and thought, feeling that ancient times were backward and had a modern perspective.
"It seems that you understand, Sir. I will visit Mrs. Chen's house tomorrow, and I will teach you etiquette in the afternoon." Looking at Zhuang Xun's expression, Si Qinmi knew that he understood.
"Yeah, okay." Zhuang Xun agreed.
"mother……"
"correct……"
"Mr. Lang, speak first." Si Qin Mi replied with a sigh.
"Madam, the moon is bright tonight and the wind is clear. I would like to invite you to admire the moon. I wonder if you will appreciate it." Zhuang Xun looked at Siqin Mi expectantly and said with a little anxiety.
"My husband is naturally very willing to invite me, but today is the first quarter of the moon." Siqin Mi chuckled.
"Ah..." Zhuang Xun lowered his head in embarrassment and dug his rice. What's so good about a waxing crescent moon?
Si Qin Mi found it interesting to see him embarrassed, and kept looking at him with her beautiful eyes.
"What did you want to say just now?" Zhuang Xun urgently needed to divert the embarrassment.
"Say the full moon later." Si Qin Mi said with a sweet smile.
"Isn't it the first quarter moon?" Why are you looking at the moon? It's so embarrassing.
"My husband invites me to look at the stars." How could Si Qinmi disappoint the enlightened Zhuang Xun.
"..." Zhuang Xun's head was about to be buried in the bowl.
"I'm going to prepare. My husband has finished eating. Put the bowls on the table and I'll come and clean them up later." Si Qinmi ate elegantly, looking more leisurely and contented than Zhuang Xun who was devouring his food.
"I'm going to prepare. I invited you, so please don't do it." If Si Qinmi was still required to make these preparations, then Zhuang Xun would rather not watch.
Two lounge chairs and a small table were prepared, and Zhuang Xun politely placed them with the fruits he planned to use as offerings.
Si Qinmi took out two pieces of clothing and put one on Zhuang Xun.
"Don't catch a cold. The cold is just right for you." Cover Zhuang Xun with his clothes, carefully tightening them to make sure they are tight.
"Thank you, madam." This kind of intimate gesture always makes people unconsciously immersed in her tenderness.
"I'm already your wife, why should I thank you? Your husband is a wonderful man, and the stars are just right tonight." Si Qinmi stood behind Zhuang Xun and rubbed his shoulders and neck.
"I say it's about appreciating the moon, but actually I don't remember many poems about appreciating the moon, and I also remember few poems about stars," Zhuang Xun said a little discouragedly as he was not from an ancient literature background and didn't remember any ancient poems.
"Appreciating the moon and flowers is just to accompany your beloved. The poems are not important, the person is important. As long as I understand your husband's thoughts, it's fine." Si Qinmi said softly.
"Since we are accompanying each other, let's sit down and chat. You will talk about your life in the General's Mansion, and I will also talk about my previous life. We understand each other." Zhuang Xun grabbed Si Qin Mi's hand on his shoulder. , slippery and soft.
"Yes." Si Qinmi took Zhuang Xun's hand and sat on a cool chair nearby.
Rubbing his palm, Si Qinmi spoke.
"I was born as a concubine of the Siqin family. There's nothing to say about it. I'm curious about your husband's origins. At first, I guessed that she was a child of the royal family who was fostered in the temple. After talking to her, I felt that my husband didn't look like a cultivator."
"I am from a foreign country overseas. I drifted here by chance. I am not a descendant of the royal family. I am just a commoner. However, commoners in our country also have the qualifications to choose the leader of a country. I was lucky enough to be chosen by destiny and receive the imperial lineage." Zhuang Xun said honestly. Tell the truth.
"That's amazing. There are so many children in the royal family, why don't they all have the imperial lineage?" Si Qin Mi was still good at comforting people.
"..." Am I going to tell you that I am the only one in our country in this world?
Stars twinkled in the sky, and the two fell into silence.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's go back to what I want to say when we go back to dinner." Seeing that Zhuang Xun was not interested, Si Qinmi took the initiative to change the topic.
"What?" Zhuang Xun looked at the vast sky. Are these stars stars?
"The reason why I came back late today is because I asked about your reputation, Mr. Lang, in the market." Si Qinmi held Zhuang Xun's hand tightly.
"My reputation? Isn't it just to bury you? It's really hard work but a reward." Zhuang Xun turned to look at Si Qinmi, whose face was blurry under the oil lamp. Is this what it feels like to win the first prize in the lottery?
"That's true, but the publicity has been too much. Lang Jun, you have an image of a critic who is not afraid of authority. It seems that there is someone behind this who is adding fuel to the flames." Siqin Mi stroked the back of Zhuang Xun's hand with his thumb.
"Isn't this a bad image?" Zhuang Xun was confused, then he realized and frowned and said, "Are you flattering me?"
"That's right, this kind of reputation is the easiest to flatter and kill people. If you encounter injustice, if you don't behave, you will be ruined. If you behave, you will die." Si Qinmi felt the warmth of Zhuang Xun's palm and said softly.
"It's really scary. I don't know who set up such a big scheme, just to lure me into the bait. Xiaolian of Yindu Mansion is not someone who can be paid to sit on. Who would spend such a high price just to flatter me and kill me." Zhuang Xun Now I don't even know who is trying to get him involved.
"However, we can rule out Duke Zhenguo's government. Although they have the ability, they will not do such a thing. After all, what they do is legally justified, but ethically unacceptable. They have also been attacked by public opinion. There is no need to do it yourself. It will make you a mess." Si Qinmi first ruled out the Zhenguo Duke's mansion that Zhuang Xun had always imagined.
"Who else could it be if it wasn't them?" Zhuang Xun thought about it and didn't think he had offended anyone else.
"Maybe he is an enemy of Duke Zhenguo. After all, apart from the Siqin family, the one I like to compare to is Duke Zhenguo. If something goes wrong, he will cut off his family and marry his wife. His ex-wife's body was exposed in the market and no one took her. Compared to Lang Jun, he is grateful. In return, the body was taken out and buried under the difficulties of the car dealer. Everything is afraid of comparison. Although the Duke of Zhenguo hates you, sir, there are more ways to make you disappear and dilute your influence. Only his enemies will do that. I want to use you, Mr. Lang, to humiliate Duke Zhenguo."
Si Qinmi analyzed and said that compared to the white-bodied Zhuang Xun, the Duke of Zhenguo was the difference between an elephant and an ant, and there was no need to play such a trick of flattery.
"Yeah, yes, speaking of it, this identity has protected me. Now that I'm going to die, Duke Zhenguo's Mansion will be the first target of suspicion." Zhuang Xun said with a smile.
"It's true that Xiaolian was killed and was caught, and the Zhenguo Duke's office would have to be punished. But until now, I didn't expect that the Zhenguo Duke's office was an enemy and must humiliate them like this." Si Qinmi thought. I thought about the enemies outside the Zhenguo Palace, and after sifting through them I couldn't find a suitable candidate.
"I'm not afraid of death. I know where death is going. How can I be afraid? And I also know that I'm a good person and won't have to suffer any punishment if I go down. I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that if I don't have a wife by my side in the next life, I won't be as comfortable as I am now. , It feels so good to have family again. I helped some friends before, but they were just friends, and they are still different from family members. Now that I have a family like my wife, I can’t bear to die." Zhuang Xun looked up at the broken moon, thinking a little. When he got home, he held Si Qin Mi's jade hand with his backhand.
"Don't worry, I will be by your side. I will always be by your side." Feeling Zhuang Xun's cautious care, Si Qinmi slowly took out the green-white jade hand from Zhuang Xun's hand.
"Madam?" She felt disappointed. She was clearly close to her just now. Did she say something wrong?
"Then let's do something good, whether it's helping people in need, or governing a party. If we accumulate enough merits to continue our relationship, I will still be your wife in the next life." Si Qinmi stood up and stood in front of the village again. Behind Xun, softness wrapped around the top of his head, fragrant and fragrant.
