The land that Xiao Yan assigned to the academy was in a not-so-prosperous area in the south of the city, far away from the city, and it would only take two cups of tea to ride a carriage to Jiuyun Lane.
It was originally a "slum" in the capital, where some beggars and poor people lived. Xiao Yan spent a large sum of money to surround it, and the area behind it all the way to the edge of the city was included in the scope of the academy. , and planned to build a orphanage and charity hall elsewhere to accommodate those who had no place to live.
So even though the academy occupies an extremely large area, no one in the capital complained about the people who occupied the land. Instead, they were filled with joy when they moved.
Now that there were not many houses in that circle, they have begun to be demolished. People from the Jingzo Division have surrounded the surroundings. When the carriage stopped nearby, the shouts of people working enthusiastically could be heard from a distance. Song Tangning and the others As soon as they arrived, Song Ru, who had already wandered around inside, quickly came over to greet them.
"Sister!"
Song Ru's face had blood color, her hair was no longer so yellow, and she looked like a blooming flower while running in a pink dress.
When she arrived, Song Ru noticed that there was someone else behind Song Tangning, and the smile that originally bloomed on her face instantly faded.
Song Tangning pulled her and said, "This is the wife of the Qian family. Just call her Sister Ayue."
Song Ru's big eyes brightened a little. She knew that Mrs. Qian was a good friend with her elder sister. Moreover, when her elder sister broke up with the Song family, this Miss Qian also spoke to her. Song Ru There was a smile on his face, and his expression became closer: "I've met Sister Ayue."
Qian Qiyue pulled the person up skillfully and pinched Song Ru's face.
Seeing that she was so scared that she covered her cheeks with her hands like a little beast, and her eyes were wide open. She immediately turned to Song Tangning and said, "This sister of yours is indeed as fun as you said."
Song Tangning glared at her: "Don't bully Aru."
Qian Qiyue suddenly laughed: "This is not bullying, this is love. Our little A'ru is so beautiful, it makes people happy when they see her, and they want to hold it in their hands, right, little A'ru?"
This was the first time that Song Ru was praised for her good looks. She couldn't help but blush. She quietly hid behind Song Tangning, gently holding her by the corner of her clothes and lowering her head in embarrassment. Her fair earlobes were all red. One piece, but couldn't help but secretly look at the bright and beautiful Qian's sister.
Just when she raised her eyes, she met Qian Qiyue's smiling gaze. Her bright eyes flew up and she winked at her.
Song Ru was startled and hurriedly looked away. When she looked up secretly, Qian Qiyue had already turned around and pulled Song Tangning to chat. Song Ru pursed her lips and then slightly exposed her two sides. There were dimples in his eyes, and his eyes were also curved.
"Aru, come on!"
Song Tangning turned around to say hello.
Song Ru responded quickly and ran over with her skirt in hand.
…
The academy has a huge territory. After the buildings inside were demolished, people came in and out to transport the waste soil and bricks inside.
When the people from the Jingzao Department saw Song Tangning approaching, they quickly stepped forward to salute. After walking around the entire perimeter with the three little girls, they pointed in one direction and said.
"This place is close to the city, and there is a large open space in front. Governor Xiao means to use this place as a mountain gate, which can cut off the noise outside without appearing too wild. In the future, after the academy is completed, the Wende Monument will be erected. That place is right opposite the mountain gate, so people can see it at a glance when they come over."
"It is very easy to build a prison building because of the flat terrain around here. Our people from the Yamen Department have also drawn architectural drawings. The County Lord can take a look at them first. If you think there is anything that needs to be adjusted or if you have any special requirements, just ask."
Song Tangning took the drawing handed over by the man, and looked at it together with Qian Qiyue and Song Ru.
The drawing was densely populated with various buildings, and there were some words that they couldn't quite understand, but the general layout and the future appearance of the academy had already been revealed.
Qian Qiyue was surprised: "How big is this academy?"
At first glance, there are countless buildings in the front and back, including the first gate, the second gate, the lecture hall, the study hall, and the worship place of the Confucian Temple at the back, with bamboo groves, flower gardens, and a separate waterside pavilion outside the prison building. , lakes, and even a hill-like thing, almost all the way to the city gate. Such a large academy is several times wider than the largest school building in Beijing.
The person who built the office in the capital said with a smile: "Back to Madam Qian, after the academy is completed, it will cover an area of nearly thirty acres."
Qian Qiyue opened her mouth wide. Before she could marvel, she heard the man continue:
"This is just the entire inside of the academy. If we include the surrounding land where trees, flowers and grass are planted, and the farmland opened for learning, it is estimated to be about forty acres."
Song Ruru had just learned arithmetic and had never learned about being a business owner before. She thought this number should be quite large, but Qian Qiyue was almost shocked.
This is 40 acres in the middle of the capital, not the wilderness outside the city. Moreover, this entire area is connected, not scattered land. Such a large area, even the cheapest land in the south of the city, The amount of money spent to circle it is also an astronomical amount.
Qian Qiyue turned to look at Song Tangning: "Does your brother still lack a sister?"
Song Tangning's Lidou Qingtian said: "There is no shortage."
Qian Qiyue: 嘤嘤嘤……
"Aru, your sister is so annoying."
She also wants such a wealthy brother! !
Song Ru was hugged by Qian Qiyue, her cheek almost pressed against the Qian family's sister's chest. Her face suddenly turned red, but she didn't push away Qian Qiyue, who was acting coquettishly. Instead, she patted her back comfortingly: " Sister Ah Yue, don’t cry, you also have a brother in your family."
Qian Qiyue suddenly became even more sad. Her brother only teased her and was so stingy that he couldn't bear to spend two taels of silver on her.
Song Tangning listened to Qian Qiyue's envy, and the smile on her face grew. She was actually a little surprised in her heart. Even if she knew that the area of the academy would not be too small, she did not expect it to be so big. When she took the drawings, she felt Overflowing with warmth, he raised his head and said:
"The academy can be built just like this. It's just that there are two separate courtyards here, which are separated from the houses outside. They should be quieter. There is also a small road in the back so that you can enter the courtyard without having to walk through the main entrance."
The man heard the words and quickly wrote them down: "Does the county master have any other instructions?"
Song Tangning shook his head: "I don't know much about construction. Everything should be done according to the wishes of the Jingzao Secretary. The only thing is that this academy must use the best wood, which is anti-corrosion and moth-proof, especially in the library. , must not be affected by moisture, and must also withstand use.”
Although this academy was built in the name of the Rong family, it was actually to establish a name for his brother, and to educate students all over the world, so that this academy could become a place of "pilgrimage" for the literati of the Wei Dynasty in the future. Song Tangning had both ambitions and ambitions. If you invest such a huge benefit in the academy, you will naturally not hope that the academy will suddenly collapse one day.
Then let alone calling it a holy land, I'm afraid it will become a joke.
The man quickly said: "Don't worry, Lord of the county. Governor Xiao has already given instructions. Every plant, tree, flower and stone in this courtyard is of the best quality."
With the black-armored guards watching, and Xiao Yan's fierce reputation frightening him, whoever dared to cut corners would risk his life.
Song Tangning felt relieved after hearing that it was Xiao Yan's order.
…
After Song Tangning and the others saw the unfinished "Academy", they planned to leave. As they walked out, they kept talking about what they had seen in the academy.
Hang Li went outside to catch the car first. Qian Qiyue held Song Tangning and Song Ru's arms and laughed happily. When they left the area defined by the Jingzao Division, the three of them stood in front of the mountain gate where they planned to erect a monument to Wen De, discussing what they would do later. When I returned home, I passed by Xijue Tower to eat their new snacks.
Qian Qiyue raised her eyes and glanced outside unintentionally, and saw the man standing in the distance. Her face instantly darkened.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that Qian Qiyue's expression was wrong, Song Tangning, who was facing away, was about to look back when she was grabbed by Qian Qiyue.
"Tang Ning, I remembered that there were some things I didn't see just now. Let's go take a look."
As she spoke, she winked at Song Ru who was standing aside. Song Ru, who was always well-behaved, also quickly agreed: "Sister, I also want to see the flower garden at the back so that I can plant some begonias for my sister. Sister, Let’s go and have a look.”
Song Tangning was puzzled: "The academy hasn't been built yet, what's there to see?"
If we want to plant flowers, don’t we have to wait for other areas inside to be built?
“It’s very pretty!”
Qian Qiyue didn't give Song Tangning a chance to ask questions at all, and directly pulled her away: "Go over and have a look first, think about the flowers you want to plant, and you can transplant them directly when you come back. And some flower seeds are precious, and I can also make them My mother will help you find..."
She turned around Song Tangning, pushed her shoulders and took him away. Song Ru also held Song Tangning's arm, blocking her side view.
Lu Zhinian had been waiting outside for a long time, his eyes always falling on the academy. When he saw the figure in the distance who had been thinking about it day and night, he felt that his head, which had not hurt for several days, started to hurt again, but in front of his eyes It was mixed with guilt and joy.
He squeezed his palms nervously, thinking about what to say when he saw Tang Ning again and how to beg her for forgiveness, but who knew that the few people who were walking out suddenly turned around and went back.
Lu Zhinian suddenly became anxious and rushed over quickly: "Tang Ning!"
Qian Qiyue stretched out her hand to climb Song Tangning's body, half-covering Song Tangning's ears as if joking, her voice was louder than Lu Zhinian's: "I think crabapples are too monotonous. I'll plant something else later. How about peonies and hibiscus? Magnolia too. Can……"
"Tang Ning!!"
Lu Zhinian's voice became louder, and his originally hoarse throat hurt.
Song Tangning stopped and said, "Someone called me?"
"No way, you heard wrong..."
"Tang Ning!!!"
This time Tang Ning heard clearly and saw Song Tang Ning frowning and stopping, obviously unable to be fooled.
Qian Qiyue turned her head and turned towards Lu Zhinian, who was running towards her and calling "Tang Ning" and cursed in a low voice: "You unlucky thing, why is it still lingering!"
Song Ru's little face also became serious. Seeing Lu Zhinian rushing towards her, she subconsciously stretched out her hand to block Song Tangning. Her small body wished she could cover her sister tightly, like a puppy protecting her master. The son bared his teeth at Lu Zhinian: "What are you doing?!"
Lu Zhinian stopped in front of Song Tangning and ignored the little Song Ru. He only looked at the person who had appeared countless times in the "dream" with a pale and thin face full of nostalgia.
The cries lingering in his ears suddenly disappeared, and his mind, which had been violently churning, suddenly calmed down as if it had been showered with sweet rain.
His mind cleared, and for the first time in days, he didn't have a headache anymore.
Lu Zhinian was stunned for a moment, and looked at Song Tangning with increasing urgency.
"Tang Ning..."
His voice was hoarse, and he reflexively wanted to reach out and touch the little white face that was completely different from the one in the dream.
But before he even got close, he was slapped away with a "snap".
Qian Qiyue pulled Song Tangning behind her, her gorgeous eyes condensed: "What do you want to do?!"
Song Ru also glared at Lu Zhinian with wide eyes: "You want to hit my sister?"
Lu Zhinian saw the two of them on guard, and Song Tangning also looked at him with cold eyes. He quickly retracted his hand and whispered: "I'm not...how could I hit Tangning, I just..." He looked down at Tangning. He murmured in a low voice: "I just miss you, Tang Ning..."
When Qian Qiyue heard this, she immediately rolled her eyes: "Lu Zhinian, are you still dreaming, or have you given up your face after being in prison once? Who are you, my Tang Ning, do you need to think about it?!"
I'm not afraid of dirtying Tang Ning's name.
Lu Zhinian's face turned pale after being scolded, and he just looked at Song Tangning stubbornly.
"Tang Ning..."
He looked at the little girl crying in nightmares with lust, and his eyes were filled with pleading: "Tang Ning, can we stop making trouble?"
Seeing his affectionate look, Qian Qiyue almost vomited out her last night's meal. She opened her mouth to curse, but Song Tangning suddenly held her hand.
"Sister Ah Yue, I'm coming."
"What are you doing here? This shameless person shouldn't pay attention to him!"
"Sister Ah Yue..."
Song Tangning didn't say much, but Qian Qiyue understood what she meant.
Qian Qiyue immediately stamped her feet in annoyance. She had seen too many times when Song Tangning had been wronged for Lu Zhinian, and she had also seen how she had chased the Lu family's third son over the years. She was afraid that Lu Zhinian's few words of begging for mercy would make Song Tangning soft. With a good heart, he picked up the scumbag he had finally gotten rid of.
But seeing Song Tangning looking at her with clear eyes, his eyes firm even though he didn't say anything, she could only give Lu Zhinian a vicious look, then step away and let Song Tangning step forward.
Song Ru always listened to her sister's words. She silently stepped aside, but stared at Lu Zhinian.
Song Tangning stood in front of Lu Zhinian, raising his head slightly and looking at the embarrassed man in front of him. The former glory had faded away. The man in front of him was pale and his eyes were gray. Although he had changed into a different robe, his hair was also combed. It was extremely tidy, but even if I tried my best to tidy it up, the whole person still showed a sense of decay from the inside out.
Lu Zhinian noticed her gaze and looked at her nervously: "Tang Ning..."
"Riku Sanlang-kun."
Song Tangning coldly interrupted his lingering words: "Lu Zhongshu and the Queen have promised you and I to break off the engagement, and we have nothing to do with each other. It is not the upbringing of a son of your family to call me by my maiden name like this."
