Li Jinglong was leaning on a huanghuali wood crutch inlaid with gold. It was already late autumn, but he still had a folding fan in his hand. Even though he was seventy years old, he was still a coquettish figure.
His hair was completely white and his back was severely stooped, but he was still in good spirits.
"Brother Zhu, why are you calling me here in such a hurry?" Li Jinglong said with a smile, "But there is a new play in Liyuan?"
Zhu Yunwen stepped forward with a smile, "I'm not here to watch a show with you today. I want to introduce you to someone."
"Who is it?"
"you know."
"You're a fool to recommend me if you know me." Li Jinglong rolled his eyes and muttered: "You still keep secrets with me, I'm convinced."
Zhu Yunwen smiled and said: "Let's go, you will know when you see me."
"I want to see who it is." Li Jinglong snorted and walked in front of Zhu Yunwen.
~
Pavilion.
A young man had his back turned to him, his back straight and his long black hair hanging naturally. He was wearing a dark robe, with well-proportioned bones and a tall figure.
Damn, you can actually pretend better than I did back then... Li Jinglong felt unhappy, "Boy, turn around and show me who you are?!"
He wanted to see who this person was. In his impression, he didn't know such a young person at all.
Li Qing turned his head, unfolded his fan, and fanned it gently. His long hair was slightly raised, and he looked absolutely handsome.
Li Jinglong was dumbfounded. He just stood there and stayed there. He couldn't believe his eyes.
Just stunned...
"Master Li, you're fine!" Li Qing said with a smile.
Li Jinglong swallowed his saliva and said foolishly: "Li Qing? Is that you Li Qing?"
"it's me."
Li Qing readily admitted.
In his eyes, Li Jinglong was neither a fool nor a treacherous villain, but a true brother.
After being brothers for so many years, Li Jinglong has never done anything to feel sorry for him, not at all.
It can be said that Li Jinglong failed everyone in the world, but he was the only one who failed him, Li Qing.
Looking at Li Qing like this, Li Jinglong seemed to have returned to the fifteenth year of Hongwu.
At that time, he was still a young man. With his longing for the opposite sex, he took the eighth prince Zhu Zi to the Zuixian Tower to hunt for novels.
As a result... I met this guy.
I didn't tell anyone about my curiosity, and I was put in jail and beaten up by this guy, which was a humiliation for me.
At that time, this guy looked like this, also wearing a dark robe.
After so many years, Li Qing is still the same as before, without any change.
Li Jinglong's cloudy eyes became misty and he cursed: "You are such a bastard...!"
"Sit down and let's talk slowly." Li Qing said with a smile.
Li Jinglong sat down, blinked his eyes, and couldn't help but said urgently: "No...what's going on with you? Aren't you really a god?"
"It's not a fairy." Li Qing took out the same rhetoric he used to Zhu Zhanji and explained it to Li Jinglong.
"It's incredible, it's incredible." Li Jinglong's emotions came and went quickly. He marveled again and again, and then said with jealousy on his face: "You have a good life, I am afraid that everyone in the world will miss this disease."
"This is not necessarily a good thing." Li Qing smiled bitterly and shook his head, "To put it another way, if you were like me, you could only watch your relatives and friends die one by one, how would you feel?"
Li Jinglong paused for a moment, and then fell silent after thinking from his perspective.
After a long while, he asked: "Brother, how many people know about your situation?"
"You two." Li Qing said.
"That's okay." Li Jinglong felt relieved, "Don't let others know about it again. Your situation... is really too much."
Until now, he still couldn't accept the fact.
A person never grows old. Who can believe it?
"Brother, you have become an immortal, right?" Li Jinglong marveled, "I have never heard of anyone suffering from this disease."
Li Qing rolled his eyes, "Do you think I'm a god?"
"Besides this, I can't think of any other possibility." Li Jinglong said.
Li Qing was helpless and nodded with a smile: "Okay, you think it is, it is."
After a pause, "I came back this time to ask you to do something."
"Okay." Li Jinglong agreed directly without asking.
"Help me find an official position, no matter how big or small, as long as it is a capital official." Li Qing said.
Li Jinglong frowned: "Brother, you...are going to court again?"
"The situation in the court makes me worried." Li Qing nodded, "It has not spread to the people yet, but if we continue to let it go, within ten years, the corruption in the court will be revealed among the people;
Ming Dynasty finally got what it is today, and I can't just watch it decline. "
Li Jinglong was silent for a while and said distressedly: "Are you tired?"
"Fortunately," Li Qing smiled brightly, "Life is long, there is always something to do."
"Okay, I'll take care of this." Li Jinglong nodded and agreed, "I'll take care of you as an official in Beijing within a month at most."
Although Cao Guogong has stepped down, his influence is still there.
"What kind of official do you want?"
"It doesn't matter, as long as you can enter the capital." Li Qing said with a smile, "Be quick, the size of your official position does not matter."
With the court situation like this, Li Qing had no time to run anymore and could only read files.
"Okay." Li Jinglong nodded, "I will start operations here as soon as possible. By the way, your name...?"
"Just use Li Qing." Li Qing said.
Li Jinglong frowned: "Brother, although those people died and retreated at the beginning, and the court changed one after another, it is not that I don't know you, such as Yang Shiqi."
"There are many people named Li Qing."
"But there is no one named Li Qing who is exactly like Li Qing."
Li Qing smiled and said: "I have been wearing masks since the Yongle Dynasty. After decades, he may not recognize it. Besides, even if he doubts it, does he believe it?
In other words, does he have evidence? "
Li Jinglong was speechless. He was so familiar with Li Qing, and Li Qing personally admitted his identity, but even so, he still couldn't believe it.
Thinking of this, Li Jinglong felt relieved.
"However, even if his impression is blurred, it is inevitable that he will not recall anything with the same name." Li Jinglong asked puzzledly, "Why are you so obsessed with a name?"
Li Qing smiled bitterly and said sadly: "This is the only thing that proves that I am mine. If I lose this bond, I'm afraid that one day... I will even forget myself."
He looked at Li Jinglong and Zhu Yunwen, "If I forget myself, can I still remember the beauty of the past?"
"It's not a bad thing to forget." Zhu Yunwen said.
Li Jinglong also said: "Brother, don't be too miserable."
"It's not bitter." Li Qing said with a smile: "It's bitter at first, but the aftertaste is sweet."
Li Jinglong was silent, his eyes became foggy again, "Brother, how miserable your life must be."
Zhu Yunwen was also silent. He had been an emperor and knew what he faced all day long in the temple.
Seeing that the two of them were in low spirits, Li Qing laughed and said, "Okay, we haven't seen each other for so many years, let's have a drink."
The two didn't want their reunion to be full of sadness, so they smiled and said, "I have to drink two drinks."
…
The food and wine were served, and the three of them drank and chatted...
The hearty laughter dissolves the sorrow of reunion and separation.
In the days that followed, the three of them hung out together, strolled around the amusement park, and chatted about the mountains, relaxing and comfortable.
~
Li Jinglong never told Li Qing, and this time was no exception. With the help of his connections, his identity, household registration, and official position were all settled in just over twenty days.
In a blink of an eye, it was time to say goodbye again.
Li Jinglong said sadly: "Brother, come back often when you have time."
"Okay." Li Qing nodded, "I will come back when I have time."
He was also very sad in his heart. The young boys who visited brothels back then were already so old. How much time would they have left?
"Take good care of yourself, and take the nourishing prescription I've prescribed for you regularly." Li Qing said warmly, "Enjoy your life."
Zhu Yunwen handed over a small box, "You should take the gold first. The family assets left behind by senior brother are too big. When you stabilize the situation, come back. This huge Yongqing Marquis Mansion will be the capital for your future comeback. It must not be lost.”
"Okay." Li Qing patted his shoulder, "Take care of yourself."
"Senior brother, take care."
Li Qing took the box and walked towards the carriage.
But at this moment, the shopkeeper's family, whom he had introduced before, rushed over.
"A good man...ah no, young master, stay here."
"You...what's the matter?"
The shopkeeper smiled sheepishly, but the landlady plastered her face and said with a smile: "Young master is not married yet, right?"
Li Qing was startled, and instantly understood what the two people meant, and shook his head in amusement: "I understand with good intentions, but... no need."
"Son..."
"No need to say more." Li Qing waved his hand, "By the way, there will be places where you two will be needed in the future. I hope you two will cooperate with me."
There must be evidence for those things about Yang Ji.
Li Qing couldn't say whether the evidence in Ji'an would be destroyed, or whether anyone would dare to speak out.
This is also the reason why he asked these two people to come to Jinling, to protect their identity first.
The couple decisively agreed: "As long as the young master sends him."
In their eyes, Li Qing must be a great noble man, and it would be a great honor to be able to help him. If they join Li Qing's line, they will definitely become rich in the future.
The landlady also wanted to recommend her daughter, but Li Qing didn't give her a chance and got on the sedan directly.
The groom raised his whip and said, "Drive...!"
The wheels turn, turning towards the capital in circles...
m. m
