"Sister Song Ci?"
The person inside was holding an empty basket. He opened the door and leaned out to come out. When he saw Song Jinyin outside, he was very surprised and reached out to take the person's hand.
"How can a girl stand outside in such a cold weather? Come in first and warm yourself up by the fire!"
Mrs. Sun's expression didn't seem to be deliberate, and there was even a hint of joy in seeing her in her tone, and she wanted to take her into the yard.
Song Jinyin hurriedly waved her hand, curled her lips and said: "No, Sister Sun, I just suddenly remembered that I haven't brought Sister Sun food next to the embroidery workshop. I passed by today and thought to ask, if there are many people in Sister Sun's family, I Then bring more back."
"How can we let a little girl like you spend money to bring us things!"
Mrs. Sun couldn't help but refuse.
Seeing that Song Jinyin stopped at the door and didn't move, she stopped dragging people in. Instead, she walked out of the small courtyard and stood with her on the path.
"It's rare to see you knocking on the door. I didn't react for a while, but don't waste money. Just move around more!"
"Sister, don't be polite to me."
Song Jinyin looked at the expression on Mrs. Sun's face, her black eyes flashed, and then she lowered her eyes and looked at the empty basket in her hand, "Sister Sun, what is this?"
"I got up a little late in the morning. I was thinking of going out to buy some pancakes and having porridge when I came back. Miss Song Ci is going to the embroidery workshop?"
"Yes, I'm going out with my sister."
"I happen to have you with me, so I'll go to a market farther away to have a look."
As Mrs. Sun spoke, she turned around and closed the wooden door, and then held her arm with the girl in front of her again.
The very faint medicinal smell on the tip of Song Jinyin's nose became even weaker after the wooden door was closed. After walking a few steps away, it completely dissipated and there was no trace left.
If medicine is being cooked in the small courtyard, it must be the lady of the Sun family who is watching the heat. When she comes out this time, she must have a lot of medicine smell on her body.
But now the Sun family's wife is beside her, the two of them are very close to each other, and after walking so far, she has never smelled the smell of medicinal materials again.
Song Jinyin lowered her eyes to hide her thoughts.
I originally wanted to mention the decoction thing casually, but I swallowed it back when the words reached my lips.
It's useless to notice anything strange. If it's really Pei Yanzhou, others won't reveal anything about it.
She could only keep an eye out and wait until she was sure it was him before looking for a way.
Just thinking that everything around her might be false, Song Jinyin couldn't help but feel a little depressed and a little lost.
What she thought was an escape was not actually a step away.
From Jasper to Lianxiang, to the seemingly enthusiastic lady of the Sun family, everything seems to be just a show.
Pei Yanzhou was sitting in the audience, watching the play about her on the stage unhurriedly.
The two of them walked out of the alley while talking and walked around the main street.
There was nothing wrong with Song Jinyin's face, and no one could see the darkness flashing in her eyes until they said goodbye.
...
At this time, in the small courtyard, Cang Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw people walking away.
Holding the message he just received, he stopped in front of Pei Yanzhou.
"Master, Miss Jinyin has traveled a long way, and the breakfast meal has indeed not been used. However, I don't know if the girl has become suspicious because she stopped here just now."
The person in the room raised his hand and put his fist to his lips, frowned slightly, coughed several times, and stopped after a while.
"It's better for her to be more defensive outside. Invite her to sit here for a few days and let her come in and take a look."
"Yes, Master, your medicine..."
Cang Lin took the newly delivered medicine bowl and watched the white mist rising from it, then dissipating everywhere.
On this trip, the master really suffered from not eating less and drinking too much medicine.
"Just remember to put the rabbit away and pour out all the medicine residue. She has always been polite and obedient in front of outsiders and won't look at her too much."
"Yes, I understand."
Pei Yanzhou took the medicine bowl and thought of her hostility and indifference towards him alone. For a moment, the word "alone" relieved some of the depression in his heart.
It's different after all.
Her mask never faces her.
Dislike is displeasure, disgust is disgust.
Thinking of this, Pei Yanzhou's smile added a hint of bitterness. He recalled the thoughtful couple yesterday, and suddenly missed her very much.
But when he didn't see Song Jinyin, Pei Yanzhou was still somewhat sober and rational.
"But found out the news about Feng Yi's family?"
The object in Cang Lin's hand was reflected in his peripheral vision, his expression suddenly became a little colder, and his gentle eyes suddenly darkened.
If Song Jinyin wanted to stay in Luo City forever, Pei Yanzhou would not be able to let go unless she found out about Governor Feng and dealt with the Feng family daughter who was trying to set her sights.
He even thought about opening an embroidery workshop for her if that didn't work, so that she could be at ease and raise her baby with peace of mind.
But this thought lasted only a moment before he suppressed it again.
The freedom Song Jinyin wanted now had some vague shadow in his heart.
That unfettered wantonness, covered with flickering light, seemed to gradually overlap with the little girl who had just arrived at the Duke's mansion.
It's like the bright color in her eyes, and the ambition in her heart that refuses to admit defeat.
It seems that this is how his Song Jinyin should be.
Pei Yanzhou unconsciously touched the jade pendant again, just like every time he had meditated before.
In fact, if the Anyang County magistrate had not been washed away by the flood, with his three years of political achievements and courage, it would have been a matter of course for him to become an official in Beijing.
Perhaps even now, his official position is not low.
But...
Thinking of this, Pei Yanzhou's heart suddenly twitched and he didn't dare to think about it anymore.
"My subordinate has just received the secret letter. It turns out that Governor Feng and the Yi family have been in close contact since the flood two years ago. Moreover, the flood cannot be regarded as Governor Feng's achievement."
Cang Lin's face was serious, thinking of the information he had found, and disgust flashed in his eyes when he talked about Taishou Feng.
Seeing the master in front of him raise his eyes to look at him, Cang Lin continued: "Master, do you still remember that two years ago, your Majesty summoned General Gu Jianping, who was stationed in Nanling?"
Pei Yanzhou suppressed the depression in his heart and recalled the court affairs. His deep eyes narrowed slightly and he tapped his fingertips unconsciously.
That General Gu was considered a powerful figure.
It took two years from obscurity to participate in the First Battle of Nanling. He was awarded the title of Pingyong General and was stationed in Nanling when he was nearly 40 years old.
Rao is closely related to King Shunnan, and General Gu is still cautious and never relaxes.
In the past few years, I have only been to Beijing from Nanling once when His Majesty summoned me two years ago.
"Is the flood in Luocheng related to General Gu?"
"Yes, Master. At that time, General Gu was recalled to Kyoto for the first time. He was supposed to avoid Luo City, but after hearing about the flood and encountering countless victims trapped outside the city, he forced himself into the city as a general, and then rushed to Everywhere in the river, until someone from the imperial court comes.”
"No one has ever mentioned this."
Pei Yanzhou's face became even colder, his eyebrows tightened, and he put the medicine bowl in his hand aside, "It seems that the prefect of Luo City is not the only one who is fed by this disaster relief money."
"That's what the master said."
Kurin presented the letter and took two steps back.
"General Gu had no intention of taking the credit, and saw someone from the imperial court coming, so he left Luo City in a hurry, fearing that he would be delayed in entering the palace to meet the saint. Later, when he left Kyoto and returned to Nanling, the people sent to Luo City had not yet arrived. When we returned to the court, General Gu didn't stay much."
"Not many people know that there was a brave general who was rushing around when the flood happened. The people complained at the time that the so-called disaster relief was just superficial. If the general hadn't stepped in at that time, the people who died would probably have died. More."
Pei Yanzhou's eyes were covered with a thin layer of ice.
Successfully controlling floods is an extremely important achievement.
Regardless of whether it was Governor Feng or the people sent by the imperial court at that time, if they were promoted or transferred in the future, all these things would be counted and become their political achievements when they entered the capital or the six ministries.
But they took the credit for other people's work and openly colluded with officials and businessmen to seek personal gain and try to cover up all this.
And the countless people who were abandoned in their hands were buried deep in the ground and no one mentioned them, and they even became stepping stones for them to climb up.
"Okay, it's really great!"
Pei Yanzhou's eyes were fierce, and he was extremely angry for a moment.
"At that time, Governor Feng tried every possible means to obstruct General Gu. When General Gu left, he must not have thought that the people sent by the imperial court would collude with him."
Cang Lin sighed and said, "It's a pity that General Gu. If the credit fell back to him, maybe now..."
"It's a good thing it didn't fall on him."
Pei Yanzhou suppressed his anger, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the fine snow falling outside again.
"Although General Gu only got this brave general because he was close to him, he had some dealings with King Shunnan. He must have understood that great achievements can easily arouse suspicion, so he intervened in the flood in Luo City, and he never mentioned a word about it. ."
"Then it seems that the general is really doing it for the people."
Cang Lin admired him and said, "He is also very insightful in managing floods. I feel that that person must be hiding something and has some abilities."
Pei Yanzhou didn't say anything for a long time.
I heard that King Shunnan wanted to marry his widowed eldest daughter to Gu Jianping a few years ago. This news spread in Kyoto for a while, and then there was no news.
Now General Gu is about forty-two or three years old. If he has not yet married, he is a person with no worries.
If you really care about the people so much that you can handle errands more easily than anyone else, then it would be appropriate for you to keep some contacts.
The sound of the wooden door outside startled the snow on the branches and made Pei Yanzhou look over.
The visitor entered the courtyard carrying a basket filled with many oil paper packages. After passing the things to Xuan Wei next to him, he hurriedly came to him.
But before anyone could start reporting, Pei Yanzhou spoke first.
Her voice was a little low, but when she talked about Song Jinyin, she was a little gentler for no reason.
"How is her injury? What did she use in the morning? Did she take medicine before going out?"
