After paying homage to the emperor, everyone was led out of the inner palace as usual by the eunuch. Their attendants were waiting on the palace road. After everyone was gathered, a ceremonial officer led them to Purantai.
Purantai belongs to the outer palace. It was built when Dingzhou was the founding of the country. It was originally used for the education and enlightenment of some royal children. Later, after Emperor Qianyang of Dingzhou ascended the throne, he established the Dihua Hall in the palace and separated the royal children for separate education.
Those clan members naturally understood the emperor's thoughts, so they took their children home one by one and no longer studied with the royal children, and the place gradually fell into disuse.
The gate of Purantai faces the outside of the palace. In front of it are the residences of some dignitaries. Behind it is the Jingchun Garden in the palace. The scenery is very beautiful.
They have one courtyard per person, and are divided into two areas, east and west, with a school and a martial arts performance stage in the middle. The layout of each place is regular, the craftsmanship is exquisite, and the pavilions are staggered.
Each courtyard has two entrances. When you enter the courtyard, there is a hanging flower door. There are two wing rooms on the left and right. The kitchen and study room are also fully equipped. From the corner of the window lattice to the entire courtyard, the scenery is unique, clean and elegant. .
Yin Shang's courtyard is called Fu'an Zhai, and is separated from it by a small bamboo forest on the left and right. Zhou Xiangxun lives on the left, Suo Qianyu lives on the right, and Zhan Lubo and Jiang Yixue live on the left and right.
When she thought of Jiang Yixue, she thought of the bottle of medicine in her arms.
…
In the courtyard, Jin and Lin were taking care of it patiently.
Yin Shang sat on the steps in front of the main house, chatting with them wordlessly.
"Sister Lin, are you going to school tomorrow?"
"Yes, Your Highness, I don't know what Dingzhou's school is like."
Yin Shang did not go to school in Qihui, but was taught by his husband himself.
"We don't know what they will teach us."
Lin Boyu smiled and said, "You will know tomorrow." Zuo was just saying that he was loyal to the emperor, patriotic, and not to be rebellious.
After a few more chats, Lin Boyu went into her room to tidy up her bed and other things.
Yin Shang raised his head and looked at the sky in the four corners of the yard, silent for a moment.
…
In the afternoon, another group of people brought him money, cloth and other items, one for each person, and placed them in the courtyard.
A month's salary is about twenty taels of silver, which is almost what an ordinary family earns in half a year. In addition, food, cloth and other items are also delivered every month, which is already a lot of money.
Jin Chengyi put it away and gave the cloth and other items to Yin Shang for viewing.
Yin Shang glanced at it with no interest and said, "Put it in the warehouse and wait until winter comes to cut clothes."
Jin Chengyi said yes, picked up the things and went down.
Lin Boyu opened the window for ventilation. Behind the house was an elegant bamboo forest, and behind the bamboo forest was a small lake.
Yin Shang was still sitting in the courtyard in a daze. Just as he was thinking about it, a timid voice came from the door: "...sister."
Yin looked around and saw that it was Suo Qianyu.
She waved to him and said, "Come in."
After receiving the response, Suo Qianyu quickly passed through the hanging flower door, ran to her side in a flash, and sat on the steps with her.
Yin Shang asked: "Where is your attendant? Does he know you are here?"
Suo Qianyu was still young, and his voice was milky: "Yes, I told him I came to find you, and he said he knew."
Yin Shang asked: "Are you homesick again?"
Suo Qianyu nodded and said, "I miss my dad, I miss my mother..." He paused and then said, "I miss the lotus leaf glutinous rice cakes that Aunt Tong made for me."
Yin Shang smiled and asked, "Don't you have any brothers or sisters?"
Suo Qianyu thought for a while and said, "It seems that I have a younger brother and an older sister."
Yin Shang asked: "What does it mean to be like?"
Suo Qianyu said: "Because my father said that he doesn't count as my brother or my sister."
Yin Shang thought for a while, and realized that King Yuezhi did have many attendants. After all, he and his elder sister and younger brother were not the same father.
Suo Qianyu asked again: "What about you, sister? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Yin Shang said: "Like you, I also have a younger brother and an older sister."
Suo Qianyu frowned and said distressedly: "Is it because of this that we have to leave home?"
Yin Shang paused and said, "...not entirely."
Suo Qianyu pursed his lips in confusion and lowered his head to think.
…
It wasn't until after dinner that Yin Shang ordered Jin Chengyi to send Suo Qianyu back. With a sister he could talk to, he was no longer so depressed and was a little happier.
When they arrived at Pulantai, Lin Boyu no longer slept with her. Instead, he and Jin Chengyi slept in the side room, taking turns keeping watch to protect and take care of her.
Lin Boyu helped her wash up and go to bed, then covered her up with the quilt, pulled up the curtains, and then said: "Have a good sleep, Your Highness, don't think too much."
Yin Shang hummed and said, "I understand."
Lin Boyu glanced at her distressedly, turned around and left lightly.
However, half an hour later, Yin Shang still couldn't sleep.
She had no choice but to get up, put on her cloak, sat in front of the window as usual, opened the window and looked at the moon.
The moonlight was clear and spread across the earth like water. This clear glow was the only thing she shared with her family at this time.
It has been a thousand miles since she returned to her hometown. How long will it take for her to return home?
Thinking of the high-rise palace I saw today, the jade steps and golden pillars, the tall officials, Emperor Yongzai who only heard the voice but did not see the face, Jiang Yixue who was asked to look up...
Jiang Yixue.
Her mind was shaken, and she remembered the injuries on his body and some useless medicine.
Looking back at the closed door, and then at the bamboo forest outside the window, Yin Shang only thought for a moment, then found the medicine in the house again and stuffed it into his arms. He was about to climb out of the window. After thinking about it, he He grabbed a dagger beside the bed.
Yin Shang started learning literature and martial arts at the age of four. His body was flexible and light, and he rolled out of the window like a cat without making any sound.
There were bamboo groves behind these small courtyards. Yin Shang walked quickly through Suo Qianyu's courtyard and walked under Jiang Yixue's window.
She gently opened the window frame, but it didn't move. It must have been locked.
"Button."
She knocked twice, but still no answer.
Could it be that his house has been occupied by his attendants again? It’s already Dingzhou. That person shouldn’t be so bold...
After thinking for a few moments, Yin Shang turned around, looked around, and whispered to the crack in the window: "Jiang Yixue, it's me."
After shouting, she lowered her waist again, for fear of being discovered by the night watchman.
After waiting for a while, there was movement in the window above my head.
She raised her eyes and saw a thin, porcelain-white hand. After the window opened, a beautiful little face with a frown poked out.
Yin Shang hurriedly took out the medicine from his arms, handed it to him, and said, "Why don't you use the medicine? I wrote it for you."
He didn't answer, but still stared at her, his mouth straight and silent.
Yin Shang put the medicine bottle wrapped with cloth on the window sill and said, "This medicine is effective. Just dip a little and apply it on the injured area. I guarantee it will be cured in three to five days." She paused and asked, " Did the attendant who beat you stay?"
He didn't speak, looked at the medicine, and then at her. After a long time, he slowly nodded.
Yin Shang immediately frowned and said, "Don't be afraid. Just apply the medicine first, and I'll help you deal with that person."
Despite her young age, she spoke quite maturely. When she mentioned the word "solution", there was a hint of chill in her eyes. She didn't look like an eight-year-old girl at all.
After saying that, she pushed the medicine bottle in again and said, "Remember to use it, I'm leaving."
She looked around and saw that there was no one around, so she immediately ran away without making a sound.
Jiang Yixue pursed her lips and looked at her until the other person's back disappeared into the darkness. He was stunned again. After a long time, he reached out and grabbed the bottle of medicine and carefully closed the window.
————————————————
In the early morning of the next day, Yin Shang got up on time.
Seeing Lin Boyu come in, the first thing he said was: "Sister Lin, take the time to go out and buy an attendant and come back. You must be obedient."
Taking advantage of the fact that the guards in Purantai have not arrived in the past two days and others have not clearly recognized the person's face, the most important thing is to solve it quickly.
Lin Boyu's expression did not change, he didn't even ask why, he just said: "Yes."
After saying that, he dressed her and prepared food for her.
After she gave the order, Lin Boyu stayed in the courtyard and Jin Chengyi accompanied her to the school.
The school is located on a waterside pavilion, facing water on all sides. The books and desks in the hall are arranged neatly in four horizontal and four vertical directions. Everyone arrived at about the same time, but when facing the seat, no one could sit down for a while.
Until an old man wearing a gray robe with white beard and hair came in with an attendant, glanced at them, and said clearly: "Sit down wherever you want, don't be formal."
Everyone remained silent until Zhou Yuan took the lead and walked to the first position in the second row on the right and sat down.
Zhou Xiangxun hummed softly, then walked to the right row and sat down first.
As the two of them followed suit, everyone slowly started to move. Yin Shang found the third seat in the second row from the right, while Suo Qianyu sat on her left.
Jiang Yixue silently glanced at the crowd and sat behind Suo Qianyu.
After everyone was seated, only the two first positions on the left column were vacant. It was obvious that no one wanted to be too pushy.
When the old man saw everyone sitting down, he smiled and said: "My name is Liang Songwu, and I will be your highness's literary teacher from now on. You can just call me Mr. Liang."
"Although Your Highnesses will accompany you on a regular basis, you don't have to be too afraid. Just live in peace."
He said these two words first, and then asked the attendant to distribute books to them. When he got them, Yin looked at them. They were all ancient books, poems, songs, and the like, and they were not tainted with any power or military skills.
She put down the book and glanced at the confused Suo Qianyu next to her, with a smile leaking from the corner of her mouth.
He was afraid that he didn't know all the characters yet.
Although they are young and old here, no one seems to care. They are all taught the same, regardless of whether they can understand or whether they are sleeping.
There were even more martial arts teachers in the afternoon. The teacher's name was Wu Changle. She was a woman in her late thirties. She also had a smile on her face and was extremely gentle. They all taught the same class, and there was no intention of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude.
After the martial arts get out of class, Yin Shang returned to the courtyard for dinner. Lin Boyu was in the courtyard. When he saw her coming back, he said, "She has been brought back and is in the room."
Yin Shang nodded, opened the wing and walked in. Sitting inside was a young man in his twenties with an ordinary face and a bit of timidity in his eyes.
Lin Boyu stood behind her and explained softly: "I bought it from Renyazi. His family works in farming. This year, Peishui in Dingzhou burst its embankments and Chengzhou suffered a disaster. He is a disaster victim."
Yin Shang asked: "Have you checked everything?"
Lin Boyu said: "Well, the people in the dark have checked, and there is no problem."
Yin Shang nodded and said to the young man, "What's your name?"
"Fan, Fan Zhao."
Yin Shang said: "You don't have to be afraid. You see, I'm just a kid and I won't do anything to you. I just bought you to help you take care of someone."
Fan Zhao nodded and said, "But it's up to you."
Yin Shang said: "You only need to know that the person you have to take care of is the third king of Dongpei, and you are his attendant who came from Dongpei with him."
Fan Zhao's eyes widened slightly, a little scared.
Yin Shang said: "Don't be afraid. You only need to know this. You don't need to know anything else. As long as I am here, no one will deliberately inquire about your identity. All you have to do is take care of his daily life, money and food." , clothes and silk will be prepared, and you don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Fan Zhao stared blankly at the child who was only half his height in front of him, feeling a sense of fear in his heart for some unknown reason.
Yin Shang smiled and said, "If you don't want to, you can leave now." She took out a bag of money and said, "If you are willing, this bag of money is yours. You can use it as you wish."
Fan Zhao looked at the bulging money bag, then looked at the little girl in front of him, and asked stumblingly: "Really, do you really just need to take care of his daily life?"
Yin Shang said: "Yes, after you go, you will just pretend that you don't know us, and you will have to forget your former identity. He will be your only master."
Fan Zhao's thoughts almost appeared on his face, some greed, some fear, some panic, but the biggest thing was his desire to live.
Who would want to be sold back and forth if they couldn't survive?
After a long time, Fan Zhao bowed and said in a deep voice as if he had made up his mind: "But it depends on your order."
Yin Shang smiled, raised his hand and threw the money bag in his hand to him.
…
In the middle of the night, Yin Shang repeated his old tricks and knocked on Jiang Yixue's window again.
This time she didn't need to say anything. Jiang Yixue seemed to know it was her and opened the window after a few breaths.
Yin Shang handed him a piece of paper, with the calligraphy written on it still painted with iron and silver hooks. She said: "I have sent people to deal with that person of yours. I left a little money and threw it in the wilderness. I told him not to appear in front of you again. ," she pointed at the piece of paper again and said: "I have changed the person you serve, and his name is Fan Zhao. This is some information about him. Burn it after reading it. Don't leave any traces. From now on, he will As your squire."
Jiang Yixue's eyes widened slightly and he glanced at her with some confusion.
...Why on earth would she help him?
It helped to this extent.
Seeing that he didn't say anything for a long time, Yin Shang frowned and reminded: "Did you hear that? I'm going to burn after reading it."
After being reminded, Jiang Yixue looked at the paper in his hand. After several breaths, he said the first words he said to Yin Shang: "I don't know him."
Yin Shang glanced at him doubtfully, then took the paper and looked at it, saying, "I wrote quite neatly."
Jiang Yixue pursed her lips, and a trace of shame emerged from nowhere. She gritted her teeth and said, "I can't read all the words."
Yin Shang was even more confused this time and asked: "How old are you?"
Did she see it wrong? In fact, he is only five years old, but he is growing up fast.
Jiang Yixue's fingertips pressed against the doorframe turned white and she said, "Seven years old."
Yin Shang was silent for a moment, and did not ask any more questions. Instead, he took back the piece of paper and said softly: "Then let me tell you, that person's name is Fan Zhao, and he is twenty this year..."
When Jiang Yixue woke up the next morning, she found an unknown person waiting outside the door. When he saw the door open, he saluted hurriedly and said softly: "Your Highness."
Jiang Yixue stood there in silence for a moment, and then said, "Let's go."
