Between the vast sea of ​​clouds

Just as Qing Ping was about to say something, he heard the sound of a flat bell sounding in the distance as the meeting ended. It was clear and long, echoing in the wind non-stop.

She and Yan Jinghan looked at each other, and stood by the door with their sleeves folded.Not long after, Wang Zhihe, the senior attendant, entered the door against the wind and snow. She took off her cloak, and immediately the accompanying subordinates brought a hot handkerchief to her and handed it to her. After looking at the officials standing below, he said: "Recently, there has been heavy snowfall, and the disasters in Hengqiong and Qiongzhou have been serious. Your Majesty is determined to go to the Taimiao to worship the ancestors, in order to seek God's relief."

Wang Zhi is wearing a moon-blue official uniform, with official jade on her waist, and black gauze with a golden top on her head. The official uniform is embroidered with peacock patterns, and there are two long feather-like silk ribbons hanging from the back of her waist, indicating that she is a fourth-rank official. official status.

That's right, this is the head of the ritual department where Qingping is now, that is, their immediate boss.After passing the teaching and training of the Siwen Hall, they were divided into six divisions, Qingping and Yan Jinghan were assigned to the Ministry of Rites, and now they are working as small clerks under this Master Wang Zhihe, and they are still in the probationary period.

The performance evaluations of all the officials present were determined by this lord, so everyone respected and obeyed her and did not dare to disobey her.In addition, this lord is extremely self-willed and never allows subordinate officials to have different opinions on her orders. As soon as she said this, Qingping knew that this month's Xiumu would be ruined again.

Wang Zhihe said coldly: "Because the Ministry of Rituals is responsible for offering sacrifices to the heavens, it is necessary to dispatch personnel to call for it. This month's rest is not allowed to take leave, except for weddings and funerals, and the rest will not be approved!"

Everyone said with great reluctance: "Yes, my lord."

Mr. Wang waved his hand, and two civil servants came out, one holding a roll of directory, and the other holding a pile of wooden signs. The former registered and arranged for officials to call, while the latter was responsible for issuing pass cards. As expected, Qingping heard Her own name, she sighed secretly in her heart, knowing that this trip to Chongzhen to appreciate the snow would not be able to go again.

Yan Jinghan also planned to go to Lanyue Lake to have a drink or something, but he didn't expect that it would be his turn after reporting Li Qingping's name, and she was dumbfounded. He said displeasedly: "You are a concubine who entered the year before last? You are so young, why don't you have any vigor at all! This sacrificial offering is very important, and it is a major event in this dynasty, and you can't make any mistakes! You are court officials , to receive the salary, you have to do things well to be worthy of His Majesty's love!"

Yan Jinghan twitched the corners of his mouth and retreated. No matter what he does, this lord always likes to talk about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. Once he wears this big hat, no one dares to say no again.

In the evening, the sky was gloomy and the snow stopped for a while. Qingping and Yan Jinghan bid farewell to their colleagues and left from their respective subordinates.The two ordered a steaming wonton at the wonton stand in Dongfang, each with thin skin and big filling, a piece of lard and a few pieces of shrimp on the bottom of the bowl, poured chicken soup, and sprinkled with a layer of finely chopped Shallots and coriander, the two of them immediately felt warmer after drinking the soup, and they leaned on their seats and let out a long sigh of relief.

Yan Jinghan set the table and chopsticks, and said: "If you want me to tell you, Mr. Wang is really annoying. If it wasn't for this year's assessment in her hands, I really want to take a copy of her."

Qingping smiled: "You said that when you were in the official school. Seeing that Mr. Tixue was not pleasing to the eye, you said every day that you must take a copy of her when you become an official. Well, now that you have passed the examination and entered the division, unexpectedly From the beginning, I thought about joining the immediate superior every day, and I was shocked, is it true that after you become a minister of the Ministry of Rites, you are about to start joining the cabinet elders?"

Yan Jinghan was not angry when she heard her mentioning her black history in the government school, and said with a smile: "Qingping, I can't be a minister of the Ministry of Rites. What do you think the Ministry of Rites does every day? It's nothing more than rituals, music, sacrifices, Is it interesting to study tribute for officials? Officials, households, rites, soldiers, criminals, and workers, the Ministry of Rites we are in now is the most boring. If you want to be promoted, you have to be promoted!"

Qingping knew that she was mocking the important ministers of the Ministry of Rites for not retiring when they were old, holding on to their positions, and the people below couldn't get up. If they wanted to wait for them to come down, I'm afraid they had to see if they could survive them at their own age. up.

Seeing her angry face, Qing Ping persuaded: "You really need to change your nonsense, what if someday someone overhears you, what will you do?"

Yan Jinghan sighed, and said in a low voice: "Qing Ping, let me just tell you, the people next to me, who am I not sloppy?" It's a joke, if you don't let me say a few more words, I'm really panicking in my heart!"

Qingping knows that she has ambitions in her heart, and when she first entered the officialdom, she wanted to do some practical things, but her boss was conservative and ignorant, and she was constantly suppressed.After a long time, people's ambition will be worn out.Yan Jinghan became angrier as he thought about it, and shouted, "Boss, two more bowls of wontons!"

She is used to eating more when she is in a bad mood, so as to relieve her anger.Qingping rubbed his stomach and felt that there was still some stock in store, and said to her: "Okay, Xiu Mu is gone again, let's see if I have time to go to Chongzhen to enjoy the snow next month."

The boss replied by the fireside: "Okay! Guest officer, please wait a moment!"

The two stared at the empty bowl on the table in a daze. In such a cold day, those who finished eating wontons all went home early.Gradually, many tables became vacant beside them. There was too much snow accumulated on the top of the stall, and a girl swept the snow down with a broom.Some snow powder fell on the edge of their table, Yan Jinghan picked up some in his hand and said: "I don't know how the situation in my hometown is now, has the person sent by the imperial court to relieve the disaster arrived?"

Qingping comforted her and said: "Hengzhou must be faster, did your family reply?"

Yan Jinghan shook his head and said: "Not yet, I heard people say that the roads are blocked by heavy snow, and it's difficult to ride a horse. I'm afraid I'll have to wait a month for a reply."

While talking, the boss brought up the wontons, Qingping put his hand on the side of the bowl to warm his hands, Yan Jinghan said: "Why don't you eat it, it won't taste good when it's cold."

Qingping barely ate half of it, Yan Jinghan tsk-tsk said: "Did you find out, the reason why you are much shorter than the same year is that you don't eat!"

Qingping wanted to say that it was because I was four years younger than you. She was indeed thinner than most of the Jinshi in the same department, but she was not necessarily short.For a tall northerner like Yan Jinghan, Qingping is only a thumb shorter than her, "Look at me, if you eat more, you can grow taller! You can blow away with a gust of wind, and you are still short." .”

Suddenly a carriage approached the stall, and the two looked along the sound, only to see that the carriage was a bit larger than usual, and there was a circle of tassels hanging on the edge of the roof.With the two horse-drawn carriages in front, one can tell at a glance that the people coming are either rich or noble.The carriage stopped in front of the booth, and the driver threw out a few big coins, which were neatly stacked together, obviously a practicing family.The boss has opened the stall in Chang'an for so many years, and he has never seen anyone, so he took the money to order wontons.

Yan Jinghan looked at the carriage while eating, Qingping poked her and said: "Have you finished eating, leave quickly after eating."

Yan Jinghan put down the bowl, and the two settled the bill. When they walked past the carriage, Qingping glanced at the window subconsciously. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew up, and a corner of the curtain with dark green bamboo patterns was lifted, revealing the chin and slightly closed eyes of the people in the carriage. thin lips.

Qingping was stunned for a moment, from that person's point of view, she should have been looking out of the car just now.

Who is she looking at?Qingping swept around as if nothing had happened, a dog walked past her feet, shaking off the snow powder on her body, revealing its black fur, Yan Jinghan screamed strangely: "It's interesting for a white dog to turn into a black dog. Isn’t the morals of the world upside down? Whitewashing the peace everywhere, thinking that everything will be fine once the big cover is covered.”

Qingping's thoughts were interrupted by Yan Jinghan, and he said helplessly: "Okay, okay, go home quickly, your father will miss you again later."

Yan Jinghan thought of his father's serious and rigid face, and immediately lost his mind, bid farewell to Qingping and left in a hurry.

Qingping stepped on the snow and walked back to the courtyard of the neighbor in the eastern suburbs, shook the snow off his body, knocked on the door, a girl opened the door, saw her and said: "Master Li, you are back!"

Qingping smiled and said, "Little boy, have you written today's handwriting?"

The girl immediately wrinkled her face, and said in a soft voice: "There are still some things that haven't been written yet."

Qingping entered the door, pushed her all the way back to the room, flipped through the papers she wrote today, the first few pages were still serious, but then she started to make sloppy mistakes, Xiaotong looked at her at a loss, and whispered: "Master Li, I, did I write badly?"

Qingping said: "Well, it's not very good, but it will be better if you practice more."

The little boy felt good too, sat down and began to sharpen and polish the pen, peeking at what she was doing from time to time.Qingping held her hand, took her to write stroke by stroke, and let her practice by herself after writing a few.

She went back to her room and changed into her regular clothes, and when she heard the movement at the door, she knew that it was Li Kailin and his wife who had returned.After she passed the official examination, she had nowhere to go, so she rented a yard in a hidden street in the east of the city to prepare for the examination.A family lived in this courtyard. The couple rented a shop on the suburban street and opened a small rice shop.The couple knew that she was going to Beijing alone for the exam, and they had the same surname, so they often invited her to have meals together, and often gave her fruits and melons.

Later Qingping High School Scholars, the two were overjoyed, and even held a banquet to celebrate her.

After the business of the Li family's shop improved, they sent Li Tong, the youngest daughter in the family, to study in the capital. If Qingping had time, he would give her advice on her homework. good people in.Later, a matchmaker found out that Qingping lived here and often came to say goodbye. Qingping was not very annoying. Seeing that she was in trouble, the Li couple helped her back.

Mrs. Li and his wife came in, saw Qingping saluted, and said with a smile: "Master Li is back? Is there any food available? If not, how about some together?"

Since Qingping went to the ceremonial department, the two of them refused to call her by her name, and only called her "Master Li".In the eyes of ordinary people, she has a natural advantage in status, and she will definitely become a high-ranking official in the future. She must not be taken lightly, and she must always maintain respect.Qingping corrected them several times to no avail, so he let them go.

She shook her head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, I used it with my colleagues today."

When the little boy in the room heard his parents coming back, he ran out of the room happily like a bird out of the cage, tugging at his parents' sleeves and refusing to let go. Qingping saw that their family was happy and didn't want to disturb him, so he went back to his room. He picked up a book and flipped through it.

There is a bookcase on the right side of the room, full of books, and on the top of the bookcase are old papers for writing papers during the scientific examination.She didn't lose these things, she tidied them up and put them away as a souvenir.

A piece of paper fell out of the book, the paper was yellow, thin and brittle, and the red clay seal had been smudged away. She opened it and read on it, "Here is Li Shi Qingping, from Hexi County, Qiongzhou. Now I have an order from the Chang'an official school to pass through your land, please allow me to let you go. '

In the winter of four years ago, Qing Ping took this forged document from Chen Jun, and went to Chang'an to study alone. He was worried about being afraid in the official school, and always worried about his identity being discovered.But now her identity has been confirmed, and the fake has become real.And this fake document was gradually forgotten in the corner.

Suddenly turning over this thin paper today, Qingping was a little lost in thought.The scene of parting four years ago is still vivid in her memory. During the four years she was studying in Chang'an, she had never been around Tianzefang. It was the residence of princes and nobles, and Chenliu Palace was naturally among them.

With her current status, she might not even be able to enter the gate of the palace with a name card, let alone the promise she made at the beginning - 'repay kindness and repay love'.Sometimes she herself finds it ridiculous that the dignified young lady of Chenliu's palace can do whatever she wants, and she might look down on herself.

Qingping thought to himself mockingly, and remembered that some time ago, he heard the clerks talk about an incident, saying that the year before last, Princess Chenliu handed over a memorial to her majesty to invite her to be a maiden, and asked the Ministry of Rites to handle the matter.People at the time rumored that the concubine doted on her husband, and they all thought that the concubine would be the daughter of the world, but they didn't expect that Wei Wangjun was still quite capable, so he let the position of the daughter of the world return to his own daughter.

At the beginning of the year before last, the Chenghui Mansion handed over the Golden Book and Jade Document to Princess Chenliu. Qingping vaguely remembered that when this happened, she had just graduated from the official school. Hearing about this incident, she felt that the identities of the two were as if they were separated by heaven. There is a gap, the day of goodbye is far away, let alone any repayment, she herself feels like a joke.