The cold wind was biting, and as soon as the first watch drum sounded, rustling snowflakes began to float on the roof without realizing it, and the eaves of Lu Mansion were already dotted with a few dots of white. In contrast, the room was much warmer. A pot of charcoal fire was glowing brightly in the middle of the room. Quiet Ruo was busy tidying up the room and murmured: "I haven't been back for a long time. The dust in this room turns out to be so..." Duo, I didn’t find it in the past two days!”
But Lu Zuo was sitting in front of the window, holding a book in his hand, staring blankly out the window, "Jingruo, it's snowing outside!"
Jing Jingruo put down her work, hung the rag on the barrel, and walked up to Lu Zuo. Lu Zuo stood up quickly, led An Jing Ruo to sit down, and then held An Jing Ruo's hand with both hands. He looked at her hands that were red from the cold, and his face was filled with love and heartache, "Thank you for your hard work!"
Jing Jing Ruotian smiled and shook her head without saying anything. Her eyes were full of tears, but she just held back. Lu Zuo felt that Jing Jingruo's hand was very cold, so he held her hand up, rubbed her hand to breathe, and then asked with concern: "Is it cold?"
"It's not cold..." Anjingruo looked at her husband full of love, her heart already feeling warm. Just as she was talking, a gust of cold wind blew through the window, and suddenly a few snowflakes were rolled in, falling on Anjingruo. On the hair, the two of them said in unison, "Cold..." After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled.
Lu Zuo gently brushed the snowflakes off her head, while An Jingruo stared blankly at the snow in the yard, feeling warm in his heart.
"Bang bang bang!" There was a rapid knock on the door outside the house, "Master, open the door!"
Jing Jingruo looked at Lu Zuo and asked in a low voice: "Did something happen to come to you so late?"
Lu Zuo nodded solemnly, and then went to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, he saw Yin Ji's head full of wind and snow, and said anxiously: "Master is not good!"
"What happened?"
"Cui Hao, the Minister of Punishment, hanged himself..."
"What..." Lu Zuo's eyes widened, "How did you know? How is he doing now?"
Jing Jingruo also walked to the door curiously and asked, "Why did Cui Shangshu hang himself?"
In the middle of winter, Yin Jigang was running out of breath, with sweat on his forehead. He swallowed his saliva and said, "Prince Ning just sent someone to tell you. Now it's not clear whether he is dead or alive! Your Majesty asked you to hurry up." Let’s go there!”
Lu Zuo frowned and thought, then turned around and murmured: "Why did Cui Hao suddenly hang himself? Is he related to the debt this time? But Cui Hao is an upright person and has always despised those corrupt officials. How could he..."
"Master, now is not the time to think about these things, just go and see and you will find out!" Yin Ji said anxiously.
Jing Jingruo said: "Gongfu, you'd better go and take a look first! Cui Shangshu is also a loyal minister and a righteous man, and he is indispensable in the court!"
"Whether we are going to Prince Ning's Mansion or Cui Shangshu's Mansion, has anyone told me?"
"Prince Ning's Mansion!"
"Let's go!" Lu Zuo couldn't help but say, and walked out the door.
"Wait a minute!" Jing Jingruo called Lu Zuo, then took out a coat from the house and put it on Lu Zuo, then told Yin Jidao, "It's freezing outside, take good care of your master."
"Master, don't worry!" As he said this, he picked up an umbrella under the eaves of the corridor.
Yin Ji held an umbrella and led the master as he walked: "Old Pan has prepared the carriage!"
"Isn't Xinghua Restaurant right next to it? Why is there a carriage? Can't we just walk over there?"
Yin Ji explained: "It's too cold. If you're not feeling well, you'd better take a carriage!"
Lu Zuo scolded: "How can you be so valuable? Why waste all this time?"
When the master and apprentice came to the door, Lao Pan was already waiting in front of the door, with a carriage waiting behind him. When Lao Pan saw the master coming out, he hurried forward to greet him with an umbrella: "Master, hurry up and get in the car! Just now, people from Prince Ning's Mansion came to urge you."
Lu Zuo ignored it and got directly into the carriage, followed by Yin Ji. In just one cup of tea, we arrived at the Xinghua Restaurant. When we got off the bus, Dai Heng, the restaurant’s accountant, was already waiting at the gate. Seeing that the person getting off the bus was Master and Disciple Lu Zuo, he hurried up to greet him and whispered: " Mr. Lu, it’s easy to wait for a while, but if you’re any later, something big will happen.”
Yin Jidao: "Why are you urging me? Isn't this coming? I wonder if my master is not in good health..."
Lu Zuo shouted in a low voice: "Ji'er, don't be rude!"
"Brother Yin Ji is not to blame!" Dai Heng apologized and led the way, "It's the little one! Be careful, the road is slippery in the snow!"
The master and apprentice passed through the secret room and came out of the secret passage of Prince Ning's Mansion. Liu San'er, the steward of Prince Ning's Mansion, was already waiting in the hut. Prince Ning was in the study at this time. Liu San'er quickly led Lu Zuo and his apprentice to the study.
In the study of Prince Ning's Mansion, Prince Ning Liu Xun was wandering back and forth in the room, stamping his feet angrily and angrily. Hearing the "rustling" sound outside the corridor eaves, he hurriedly walked to the door. The moment he opened the door, the cold wind rushed into his arms, and Liu San Master Lu Zuo and his disciples, led by Er, have arrived at the front of the steps.
"Mr. Lu!" Liu Xun anxiously took two steps forward to help Lu Zuo, "I've been waiting for you, sir!"
Lu Zuo was flattered and stopped, "I've kept you waiting for a long time." Just as he was about to bow and salute, Liu Xun hurriedly helped him into the study.
The study room was warm and cozy, the charcoal in the bronze stove in the middle of the room was burning red, and bursts of sandalwood fragrance hit the nose. Liu Xun enthusiastically helped Lu Zuo take off his coat and then hung it up. After sitting down in order of priority, Liu Saner had already come up with hot tea.
"What should I do, Mr. Lu?" Liu Xun tapped his index finger on the table anxiously, "I'm so angry!"
Looking at the expression on the prince's face, Lu Zuo already knew something about it. He pointed to the tea in the prince's hand and said, "Your Majesty, take a sip of tea to moisten it first. Let's talk slowly. How is Cui Shangshu doing now?"
As soon as Liu Xun heard Cui Hao's name, the anger of ignorance rushed into his heart again, "This Cui Hao is so disappointing! Hey..." After saying that, he buried his head and sighed, "Just now, the people from the Cui Mansion came to report. fine!"
Lu Zuo asked curiously: "Did Cui Shangshu commit something?"
"father……"
A tall figure suddenly appeared at the door. It turned out to be Prince Ning's eldest son Liu Xingyuan, who was closing the door in a hurry and coming in.
Liu Xun scolded Liu Xingyuan angrily, "My father is discussing business with Mr. Lu, what are you doing here?"
Liu Xingyuan walked up to him, bowed to his father, and then asked anxiously: "Dad, I heard that something happened to Mr. Cui, and he was going to hang himself. What happened? Is Mr. Cui okay? Do you need me to go there for a while? trip?"
When Liu Xun heard his son's repeated questions, he became even more angry, "If you don't go down yet, I'm talking to Mr. Lu about business!"
Lu Zuo looked at Liu Xingyuan awkwardly and said, "My lord, there is no need to be angry. It is not a bad thing that the eldest son cares about you so much! Let's get down to business! What happened to Mr. Cui?"
