Half in the river wind, half in the clouds

Jiang Feng rested for a few more days and his left hand was fine, his right arm could move again, and the scars on his face were gone.

He seems to be another hero!

The crisis was resolved, and Jiang Feng wanted to say goodbye to Princess Taiping, but Princess Taiping wanted to go to Mount Zhongnan to spend the summer, so she wanted Jiang Feng to go with her.

Although Jiang Feng was reluctant in his heart, he had to agree reluctantly, but in the end he still went home to visit first.

When I left, the winter snow had not yet melted, and when I returned home, the cicadas were chirping and the swallows were buzzing.

To Jiang Feng's surprise, the house was full of guests and they were entertaining them.

She walked through the corner door back to her bedroom, and leisurely went to report to Jiang's mother and Zhang Yueyue.

Just as she turned around the corridor, she heard a bird cry, and before she could react, a black hawk swooped down towards her.

She was surprised and delighted: "Aobai!"

The bird of prey has no intelligence and only thinks that Jiang Feng is still his clever and agile little master.

Jiang Feng's right arm was too weak to bear the weight of the hawk, and he staggered back a few steps. When he was about to fall, he bumped into a sturdy body.

It’s Gao Hui!

The hawk was still flapping its wings and moving forward. Only after Gao Hui blew the whistle did it quiet down a little.

Jiang Feng stood firm, walked forward and touched its shiny black feathers, and said, "Good brother, I haven't seen you for a year, you have made great progress!"

The hawk cried again, as if it understood.

Gao Hui stepped forward and said, "I haven't seen you for a year. You look a lot thinner."

Jiang Feng scratched his head and said with a smile, "Me? No problem. No problem." Then he asked, "When did you come to Chang'an? What did you come for?"

Gao Hui just looked at her until she felt uncomfortable all over, then he said, "You are here for a big event!"

Jiang Feng was shocked. Big news! Was he involved in the Tanglong coup?

Then he asked, “Are you involved too?”

Gao Hui said: "Yeah."

Jiang Feng smiled and said, "Then congratulations. It can be considered as a meritorious service to the dragon."

Gao Hui just didn't say anything. Jiang Feng was a little embarrassed, so he asked, "How is Qinru? Yu'er said she's pregnant?"

Gao Hui was startled, his expression panicked, and said: "She is fine. But she is in a lot of trouble."

Jiang Feng said: "It must be a boy. They say boys make their mothers suffer..."

"I want to take you away!" Gao Hui interrupted Jiang Feng and finally said what he wanted to say when they parted in Liangzhou.

Jiang Feng was speechless, then smiled and asked: "Where are you going? You have a wife, and will soon have a son. You are a kite with a string, no matter where you go, you will eventually go home."

Gao Hui was filled with sorrow and asked, "If I were not married, would you go with me?"

Jiang Feng still smiled: "You know the answer."

Gao Hui said: "I always thought you wouldn't be able to do it! That's why I didn't dare to ask. If I had asked, the fantasy would have been gone. But today, I regret it. I hate why I was so cowardly and why I was deceived by a few words!"

Jiang Feng didn't want to know why he regretted it or who cheated him, so he just asked, "Why are you asking now? Why do you regret it? Do you think I'm in a miserable situation, but you're living a happy life?"

Gao Hui was stunned and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Jiang Feng felt a little disappointed when he saw her. The boy who had said that he liked her and wanted her to be his wife was already a husband and a father. He had fought with someone for her and hung the man upside down on a tree for a night. He had climbed over the door and the wall to bring food to her when she was in the ancestral hall...

But, from now on, it will never happen again.

He had someone to protect again.

But because of his long-lasting love, he felt pity and guilt for the girl he once had a crush on, so he mustered the courage to take a gamble.

Jiang Feng said: "Don't worry! I'm fine! And up to now, I have never regretted it!"

Gao Hui used to look down on Wen Yuanhe, mocking him for being so timid in front of Jiang Feng that he couldn't even speak a complete sentence. But now, he stood in front of Jiang Feng, and the girl spoke calmly and softly, but one by one, she blocked all the words he wanted to say.

He finally understood Wen Yuanhe's helplessness.

Jiang Feng did not say goodbye to her friends in Liangzhou. Most of them knew her current situation, and they couldn't help showing pity and sympathy when they looked at her, which made her uncomfortable.

She only stayed at home for half a day, and first went to kowtow to Jiang's father and old lady Jiang. Old lady Jiang was in a good mood because Jiang Fei was promoted to the prince's concubine and would become the imperial concubine in the future, and Jiang's father and Jiang Zuo had also resumed their official positions. She did not embarrass Jiang Feng, but only said: "Don't embarrass the family in front of the princess."

Jiang's father is also a rare kind father figure.

Then he said goodbye to Jiang's mother and his brother and sister-in-law and left by car.

After walking quite a distance, she suddenly lifted the curtain and asked leisurely, "What's wrong?"

The river wind was silent, and it slowly followed Gao Hui from where it came.

-

Princess Taiping would stay in Mount Zhongnan for a while every summer. When she arrived at Mount Zhongnan, she would definitely go to Xiangji Temple to worship. Xiangji Temple is located in the south of the imperial capital Chang'an, facing the Hao River in the south and Fanchuan in the north. It is just one side of the princess's villa. The temple is secluded but not remote, and quiet but not lonely. Last autumn, Jiang Feng came here with Shen Guxing and prayed for a marriage lock on the marriage tree in the backyard.

Forget the past.

Xiangji Temple was very popular, with believers coming and going constantly. Princess Taiping had set up a ban early on when she arrived at the temple. Jiang Feng and Fang Cao helped Princess Taiping walk up the stone steps to the Buddhist temple, where the abbot was already waiting. Princess Taiping bowed briefly and said, "Hello, Master Huaiyun."

"Pregnancy"! What a great name!

The Buddhist temple was fully equipped for rituals. For a moment, the temple was filled with smoke. The abbot and the monks began to chant scriptures. Princess Taiping bowed her head to the ground and worshiped. Jiang Feng looked at her slender back, which formed a huge contrast with the huge Buddha statue. Her figure seemed to become insignificant.

The sound of Sanskrit fills one's ears with awe.

Jiang Feng also knelt before the gods and Buddhas in the temple and prayed devoutly.

But at this time, she seemed to have no more expectations for this world. Her parents were in good health, her father and brother were successful in their careers, and her sisters had happy marriages.

Myself? I hope I can live my life as I please!

She thought about it in her mind, but when she looked up at the smiling Maitreya Buddha, she suddenly lost her confidence.

Princess Taiping's villa is only a few miles away from Xiangji Temple. The vast manor seems to occupy half of Mount Zhongnan. Entering the villa again at this time is like revisiting an old place, and everywhere is sad.

Mount Zhongnan was the back garden of the nobles of the Tang Dynasty. It has a beautiful environment, surrounded by mountains and water, which attracted powerful people to build villas here.

She originally thought that she could live a carefree life in Qingchuan Villa and look at the magnolia flowers by the water every day.

Unexpectedly, not only could she not see the bright red magnolia flowers, but she was also given a green hat.

Jiang Feng couldn't help but sigh.

Princess Taiping saw that she was in a serious state of mind. She also understood the little girl's feelings, so she felt pity for her and said, "That day in Qujiang, I could see that you and Yiye admired each other. Although things are unpredictable, he has now married that girl Ji'an. But if you are willing, how about I let him marry you as his second wife?"

Jiang Feng opened her mouth wide when she heard this. She was surprised at Princess Taiping's frankness, but also grateful for her generous help. She didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Princess Taiping saw her surprised look and thought she didn't believe it, so she smiled and said, "I can adopt you as my daughter. Dalang doesn't have an aunt like me, so he can't say anything. As for Ji'an, I did raise her for a while, and she has always respected me. It's just that Yiye is getting her for nothing."

Jiang Feng saw that Princess Taiping was serious about what she said, and even came up with a countermeasure while he was distracted. He shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "No, no!"

Princess Taiping thought she was just shy, so she said earnestly, "It's not easy for a girl to choose a man she likes to marry. Don't let those boudoir rules written by those pedantic scholars confuse you. You should make a decisive decision on such matters."

Jiang Feng and Princess Taiping had only met a few times, but this action made her feel like they were close friends. Jiang's father and mother would not fight like this for her little life.

Jiang Feng's heart warmed up, and he said slowly but firmly: "How could Jiang Feng be so virtuous that the queen would look at him favorably and make such a plan for me? Jiang Feng is grateful to her! As for marriage, if it was a blind marriage, I would accept it. But he gave up on me and chose someone else. Although I am useless, let alone being his equal wife, to be honest, even if he divorces his wife and marries again one day, I will never look back!"

"You do have some backbone, but a young man's backbone is nothing compared to a woman's lifelong happiness," said Princess Taiping.

"Yes, a lifetime is too long. But if I marry him with all my effort, will I be happy?" Jiang Feng murmured. Because she likes him, she has expectations for marriage and him. If she doesn't get the expected answer, she will feel resentful, complain about herself and eventually become a woman in the boudoir full of complaints.

Princess Taiping saw that Jiang Feng looked weak but actually had big ideas in his heart, so she didn't say much. Instead, she reached out her hand and pulled Jiang Feng over, saying, "Come with me."

Princess Taiping's fingers were cold. Jiang Feng obediently followed her around the bedroom. Fang Cao pushed open a nanmu carved door in front, revealing a painting studio!

Jiang Feng was shocked by the portraits of people in the room! All the paintings were of men with fluttering robes, but none of them had eyes.

Jiang Feng looked at Princess Taiping in confusion, but saw that she looked sad and grief-stricken.

Princess Taiping reached out and took the nearest painting, touching it gently with her hand, as if she was trapped in an abyss of extreme pain.

Jiang Feng also roughly guessed who the person in the portrait was. She walked forward and comforted her: "Princess..."

Princess Taiping stretched out her hand to interrupt her, saying, "It's been 25 years, and I can't even remember what my cousin looked like. The day I went to see him, he was hanging on to his last breath, so thin that only skin and bones were left, and his eyes were so big that they seemed to be falling out of their sockets. He looked at me and said, 'Lingyue, I'm so hungry.' I gave him the food I brought, but he no longer had the strength to chew or swallow, and he starved to death in my arms."

At this time, Princess Taiping was no longer the political leader who could make the Tang Dynasty tremble with just a stomp of her feet, but a helpless and sad middle-aged woman.

"For so many years, whenever I think of him, I think of him, naked and emaciated on his deathbed. He must be blaming me, so he has to keep seeing me like that." Princess Taiping stroked the portrait with one hand and muttered to herself.

The end of sadness is not crying but numbness. That tragic scene tormented her for the rest of her life, and she had become accustomed to such an abyss.

Historical records say that Xue Shao and his brother Xue Yi were involved in a rebellion and were thrown into prison and starved to death by Wu Zetian. At that time, Princess Taiping had just given birth to a child and the child was not even a month old.

Jiang Feng was filled with grief. Xue Shao, who had no eyes in the room, was probably a stress response to Princess Taiping's psychological trauma. When her lover died tragically, her young son was crying for food, and her mother was sharpening her knife, it would be strange if she didn't collapse.

Princess Taiping was still surrounded by great silence and memories.

Jiang Feng unconsciously picked up the paintbrush on the table, took a portrait and started painting.

She had met Xue Chongjian, as well as Princess Taiping and Wu Youji's two sons, Wu Chongmin and Wu Chongxing, and found that Xue Chongjian was nothing like her.

During these days of hanging out at Princess Taiping's residence, she also saw her male favorite Cui Shi. She was surprised to find that Xue Chongjian and Cui Shi's eyes were actually a bit similar, both of them had deep, flowery eyes.

Thinking about it carefully, she was the "stand-in" of Princess Ji'an, and what outsiders talked about was just the similarity of their eyebrows and eyes. Princess Taiping raised Ji'an, and now she is quite fond of herself. Perhaps she is also looking for the shadow of Xue Shao.

Jiang Feng thought carefully about the similarities between the eyes of these people, and then extracted them, carefully filling in the lines and outlines, stroke by stroke.

He must also be a young man with high spirits, passionate, elegant and affectionate.

They must have had a happy and beautiful time, and those eyes must have looked at his wife with deep affection.

But he must also be melancholy, because he knows that he will eventually be at odds with her mother.

Jiang Feng melted his emotions into the tip of his pen, not realizing that the sun was setting.

She finally put her brush to paper, only to find that Princess Taiping was already staring at the painting in a trance, with a young girl's look in her eyes.

She murmured, "Xue Lang, you are finally willing to see me..."

Jiang Feng slowly walked out of the room and closed the door gently. He could hear low sobbing from inside.

Outside the door, the two aunts Fangcao and Qingchuan had tears in their eyes. They were also witnesses of that incident, and naturally knew that Princess Taiping had been deeply trapped in the past. Every summer, she would put everything aside and stay in Zhongnan Villa for a few days, also to mourn her late husband and those beautiful years of youth.

Fangcao took Jiang Feng to settle down, and said to Jiang Feng as they walked: "Every year on the anniversary of the death of the prince consort, the princess would come to Xiangji Temple to worship Buddha, and would also stay in this villa for a few days. Your Majesty is feeling miserable, maybe crying would help."

Jiang Feng said, "Aunt Fangcao, the queen has been very worried today. Cook a bowl of Ganmai Dazao soup tonight. It is the best for nourishing the heart and calming the mind, and relieving urgency."

The fragrant grass responded.

The summer nights in Zhongnan Mountain are cool and comfortable. Jiang Feng hid in her room and boredly flipped through the ancient books on the shelf, but she seemed to be infected by Princess Taiping's mood and felt irritable. She only flipped through a few pages and then put down the book.

At this time Fang Cao came in and saw that she was restless, so she smiled and said, "Sure enough, what the queen said was right."

Jiang Feng quickly stood up and said, "Why did Aunt come here in person? Please come and sit down."

Seeing that she was never arrogant and was always considerate, Fang Cao liked her, so she walked over and hugged Jiang Feng and said, "The Queen said that you were worried, but I didn't believe it. When I came over, I saw that you didn't eat much for dinner. Are you feeling unwell?"

Jiang Feng said: "Aunt is worried about me, there is nothing wrong with me, I just have a small appetite. I wonder how the queen is doing now?"

Fang Cao smiled and said, "The queen came out of the studio and is in a much better mood. She has taken a tranquilizer and is now asleep. The queen told me to relax and live in the villa as if it were my own home. But there is one thing I want to discuss with you."

Jiang Feng quickly sat up straight and said, "Aunt, please speak."