Competing in the morning and evening

Emperor Chang took the belt, with a gleam in his eyes, he said, "Is this the belt you gave to me?"

Cai Ji smiled and said: "Back to the emperor, the small hook on the waist can hold the copper Nalan bag, the jade pendant silk strip, the big one can hold the four treasures of the study, the wat board (Note 14) sword, the private can hold virtue, the public can hold righteousness, if there is one Ri Cai Ji can no longer perform dances to speak to the emperor, and the emperor can also find the reasons he wants to know from this all-encompassing thing."

Emperor Chang glanced at the half-worn belt and understood what Cai Ji meant. He sighed in his heart for Cai Ji's intelligence. She used this method to sue the imperial court. Noble relatives, three gongs and nine qings.If she insists on making decisions by herself, not to mention that she will lose face in front of Li Yan, and the reasons for this must be extremely complicated. Even if she is the emperor, she may not be able to clear up this kind of lawsuit.However, Cai Ji canceled the previous account and only handed over the evidence to herself. She undoubtedly wanted to use her own hand to leave her a way out. She went through so much trouble and only made such a small request. In addition to admiration, how can we not agree.

Chang Emperor Chu Wei looked at Cai Ji and said, "I am in a very good mood today. I watched a strange dance and met a strange woman. You gave me a gift, and I will give you one back!" he said. He took a waist pendant from his waist, put it on the plate, and said: "This is my jade pendant. You can use this jade pendant to enter and leave the palace in the future. I look forward to your new songs and dances."

Cai Ji was overjoyed, kowtowed again, and said with a sob: "Minister, thank you for your kindness."

Nanchang Emperor Chu Wei couldn't help sighing, remembering that he knew that this woman must have been wronged, but had to endure it with her, thinking of the woman who said just now that she would not bow her knees for a momentary gain, and not bow her knees for a momentary loss, sighed in her heart, how easy it is. .

As soon as the singing and dancing were over, the royal family said goodbye to Li Yan one after another. Even so, it was already late at night when Li Yan returned.He took a look at the moonlight, then walked towards Yuan Xizheng's room, seeing that the room was half covered, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.Gently pushing open the door, I saw Yuan Xizheng sitting in front of the desk with his hands on his forehead. Yuan Xizheng had been very busy these past few days, but now he seemed to have cleared his mind, and slept peacefully under the lamp.

Li Yan took a closer look at Yuan Xizheng's handsome face, and suddenly stretched out his hand and pointed at Yuan Xizheng's acupuncture points.Before his fingers touched Yuan Xizheng's body, Yuan Xizheng took a writing brush from the pen holder lightly, held it lightly and touched Li Yan's fingers, and Li Yan felt a burst of pain between his fingers. Tenderness, had to retract.

Yuan Xizheng opened his eyes and said with a playful smile: "Second Highness, why is your complexion not so good, could it be that the dance didn't suit you?"

Li Yan's voyeurism and sneak attack were all recognized by others, and he was not ashamed, but smiled: "Of course I don't like it. I said that this dance would be perfect if you danced it."

Yuan Xizheng smiled and said, "I'm not a dancer, how can I dance?"

Li Yan looked at Yuan Xizheng carefully, and then said slightly hoarsely: "Did you forget that you once covered your face in a shirt and played the piano seductively?"

Yuan Xizheng blushed slightly, and said angrily, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Li Yan said leisurely: "In my eyes, you will always be the woman who plays the piano in the bamboo forest, because I have only loved her at first sight in my life."

Yuan Xi struggled for a while, and said, "Second Highness, I'm afraid you are drunk."

After finishing speaking, Yuan Xizheng turned around, Li Yan stretched out his hand to embrace him, and the room became quiet for a moment, so quiet that he could hear the heartbeat of the other party, Yuan Xizheng suddenly stretched out his hand to push Li Yan's hand away, Then he hurried away without looking back.

Yuan Xizheng has been living in Li Yan's other courtyard for the past few days. Now that he said so, he had no choice but to go back to his room in the inn and go to the quilt. Thinking of Li Yan, he felt a splitting headache.

Yuan Xizheng sighed, and forced herself to close her eyes quickly. Maybe it was because she was really tired these days, but Yuan Xizheng still fell asleep after tossing around most of the night.

Just woke up in the morning, before Yuan Xizheng woke up, he heard another knock on the door.

Yuan Xizheng thought to himself that this must be that guy Li Yan again, so he deliberately ignored him, and after a while, he heard someone calling outside: "Young master, young master!"

Yuan Xizheng immediately opened his eyes and said, "Green Bamboo!"

Yuan Xizheng got out of bed in a hurry, opened the door and saw that Xiao Er was pushing the green bamboo, and hurriedly said: "This is my maidservant." With a haggard face, Lu Zhu said: "Young master, where have you been? I'm looking for you It's almost six or seven days."

Yuan Xizheng was startled, and said, "Did something happen to my mother?"

Luzhu said: "It's not Madam, it's Miss Chu Yu!"

Yuan Xizheng hurriedly said, "What happened to Chu Yu?"

Luzhu wept and said: "Ping Guifei chose Miss Wanru after all, not Miss Chuyu, that's all, she even humiliated her, and gave her two Buddhist scriptures for her to calm down. Now Miss Chuyu is making jokes everywhere in the village. Miss Wan Ru even made up a jingle to make fun of her, and Miss Chu Yu asked me to come to the capital to ask you about it."

Yuan Xizheng stomped her feet again and again, saying: "Ridiculous!"

Yuan Xizheng didn't dare to stay any longer now, he immediately left the inn, rented a horse, didn't even bring the green bamboo, and hurried back.

As soon as I approached the village entrance, I heard a group of leather children playing there and chanting in unison: "Once upon a time there was a village. There was a temple in the village. There was a god in the temple. The goddess was about to descend to the mortal world. According to the scriptures, Yuelao said: If you are not quiet, you will marry the Buddha..."

It was like sitting on a swing, swinging around, laughing and listening, when she saw Yuan Xizheng coming fast, her complexion changed, and just about to whisper to the children to shut up, Yuan Xizheng had already arrived in front of her.

Yuan Wanru had never seen Yuan Xizheng so angry before, she was a little scared, but her stubborn temper came up, she just refused to admit defeat, her mouth curled up, and said, "I just hate her!"

Yuan Xizheng pointed at her, and said angrily: "You are really... hi..." As he spoke, Yuan Xizheng ignored her again, turned over with his sleeves and got on his horse all the way to Aunt Gu's door before stopping. Aunt Gu shouted helplessly, "Chu Yu, open the door!"

When she turned her head and saw Yuan Xizheng coming in, she hurriedly said: "Ziqing, Chu Yu has locked herself in the house for three days, no matter how I knock on the door, she won't open."

Seeing that her complexion was pale, Yuan Xizheng saw that her hair was all white after seeing her in just 20 days, she couldn't help comforting her in a soft voice: "It's not what you think, don't worry..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yuan Xizheng heard that something seemed to have fallen inside, and his heart froze, he kicked open the door quickly, and saw Zeng Chuyu hanging on the beam with loose hair.

Seeing this, Yuan Xi was frightened out of his wits, jumped onto the beam in a hurry, and broke the rope with a swipe.But there was another plop, and Aunt Gu fell to the ground.In fact, Zeng Chuyu had just hung the beam, and when the rope was broken, she was mostly awake. Seeing her mother fainted on the ground, she crawled to her mother's side, hugged her in her arms, and cried out loudly.

Yuan Xizheng hurriedly pinched Aunt Gu, after pinching Aunt Gu for a while, Aunt Gu woke up leisurely, her eyes were loose, and it took a while to see the two people in front of her clearly.

This woman who was about to cry for most of her life when encountering trivial things just sighed softly, turned her head to Yuan Xizheng, and said, "Ziqing, there is something that Aunt Gu has always wanted to tell you...but she has never said it." I know how to speak, if I don’t say it now, I’m afraid I won’t have a chance in the future.”

Zeng Chuyu sobbed for a while, Yuan Xizheng quickly held Aunt Gu's hand and said, "Aunt Gu, tell me."

Aunt Gu glanced at the daughter next to her lightly, and then said: "Chu Yu really likes you, and with her temperament, marrying into the palace may not be a blessing, Ziqing... For Aunt Gu's sake, marry Is it okay to be a concubine with Chu Yu?"

Yuan Xizheng's eyes turned red, and his lips trembled, but he didn't speak for a long time. At that moment, Yuan Xizheng suddenly felt his hands were empty, and then he saw that Aunt Gu, who had been crying for half her life, had closed her eyes.This time her face was clean, without any trace of tears, but full of regret.

Yuan Xizheng felt that his eyes were going black for a while. This was the first time in his life that he felt remorse. His hesitation at that moment made an elder who had hurt him for more than ten years go away with resentment.

The whole yard was silent, no weeping, no conversation, only the crowing of the old crows in the cold field outside.

"Brother Ziqing, this matter will trouble you even more."

Yuan Xizheng looked at Zeng Chuyu blankly, and it took a while to realize that she was talking to herself. Zeng Chuyu said: "My mother is newly funeral, I am a girl, and I have to trouble Brother Ziqing to take care of it for me. Where is the patriarch?" Please also ask Brother Ziqing to pass the funeral on your behalf." Yuan Xizheng still had some distractions and said: "This is natural, you can leave it to me."

Zeng Chuyu bowed slightly and said, "Brother Lao Ziqing is here."

Yuan Xizheng stood up slowly, and looked down to see Zeng Chuyu gently tidying up her mother's clothes. Yuan Xizheng walked out while leaning on the wall, and walked for an unknown amount of time before reaching Yuan Da.

Yuan Da heard that Zeng Chuyu hanged the beam, and was stimulated by Aunt Gu, and died suddenly. He was too shocked to speak for a long time. After a long time, he said: "Wanru... Wanru, alas, she is too outrageous this time."

"What did you do?" Yuan Xizheng asked coldly.

Yuan Da was stunned for a long time before realizing that Yuan Xizheng was talking to himself, he said: "These little children are making noise, how can I think of it?"

Yuan Xizheng sneered and said: "Little son and daughter, uncle, do you think Wanru will be the tenth princess in the future? You think Wanru won Zeng Chuyu, so you let Wanru mess around and let her bully the weak. Pretend to turn a blind eye, right?!"

Yuan Da said angrily: "Wan Ru wants to win against Chu Yu, it's not up to me to decide, if you want to complain, go complain to Concubine Ping and pick Wan Ru!"

Yuan Xizheng smiled slightly, full of sarcasm, and said: "Uncle, I heard that the two Buddhist scriptures, you are afraid that Chu Yu will be stimulated, you have already sent you here, I wonder if you can bring them to me to have a look?"

Yuan Da sighed, and said, "I'm doing it for Chu Yu's benefit. If she gets impulsive and tears up the Buddhist scriptures, that would be a serious crime. Although they are only two ordinary Buddhist scriptures, they are also a reward from the imperial concubine."

As he spoke, he carefully took out two Buddhist scriptures from a yellow brocade box and handed them to Yuan Xizheng, saying, "I've read it over and over again, and I want to find out something about Concubine Ping for Chu Yu, but Looking at it, it is just two hand-copied Buddhist scriptures. Look at the paper, it is awn paper (Note 15), and the binding is ordinary, it does not look like a royal thing.”

Yuan Xizheng only looked at the picture once, and there was a stamp on it that looked like a paper flower. With just one glance, Yuan Xizheng's eye circles turned red. He raised his hand and raised the booklet, saying: "Uncle, you Did you see the inscription on it?"

Yuan Da said: "Of course I have seen it, it was copied by a person named Miao Yuguan, so she paid for it."

Yuan Xizheng said with a bit of grief and indignation in his eyes: "Then... do you know that Miaoyu Guanren is the name given to her by Concubine Ping?!"

Yuan Da was taken aback, and with a cry, he hurriedly took the Buddhist scriptures over and read them again and again, only to see that the fonts were more than correct, but not so beautiful, he said: "This... this..."

Yuan Xizheng sneered and said: "This is the authentic work of Concubine Ping. Uncle must have heard that Concubine Ping did not come from a rich family, but the daughter of a small family who was adopted to the Jiangsu prefect. She was not yet in the Jiangsu prefect's mansion. Literacy, the tutor hired by Jiangsu Taishou for her, taught her books for a whole year before she entered the palace, so even though she copied Buddhist scriptures all day long, her handwriting was always mediocre." He stood up and said "Concubine Ping gave Wanru a lot of praise and generous rewards, but she only gave Chu Yu two Buddhist scriptures that she copied by herself, and took care of her to study Buddhist scriptures quietly. Which one is more like speaking and acting as a mother-in-law? Look at these two This Buddhist scripture, one is "Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra", the other is "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Fundamental Vow Sutra", both of which are pure-hearted prayer books, which mother does not want her daughter-in-law to do more for herself? The son recites the scriptures in order to avoid disasters and bring blessings?"

When he said a word, Yuan Da's face turned pale, and when he said it later, Yuan Da thought his face was pale.

Yuan Xizheng threw the Buddhist scriptures heavily into his arms, and said: "And you, who pretended to be smart, let a woman who was over fifty years old and who was about to die after a hard life died of hatred... Uncle, you are asking for blessings."

When Yuan Da woke up, Yuan Xizheng had already left.

Yuan Da is also a person who has gone through a lot of wind and waves. He just thought about it carefully, and immediately rushed to Zeng Chuyu's house, persuaded her nicely, and told her that he would be very responsible and never let her go lightly.Zeng Chuyu was far calmer than Yuan Da imagined, she didn't cry and make a fuss, and she didn't ask anyone to take responsibility for her mother's death, but for some reason, her calmness made Yuan Da's heart a little creepy, as if her whole body was transparent. When the wind blows, I can't tell what's wrong, I just feel a faint chill all over my body.

In the end, Yuan Da sighed softly and said, "Chu Yu, I'm afraid your mother's funeral cannot be done!"

When he uttered such a sentence, Zeng Chuyu, who had always been weak and bowed his head, suddenly raised his head, and the light in his eyes forced Yuan Da to almost take a step back.

Yuan Da hurriedly said: "Chu Yu, it's not that I don't want to do the funeral for your mother, it's just that according to the rules in the palace, any girl who can marry into the royal family must have both parents and a clean background. I don't think about it for you, if you have this hope, you can't rush the wedding just because of this funeral, right?"

Zeng Chuyu slowly looked away, and after a while, said in a soft voice: "Chu Yu doesn't quite understand, it's all up to the patriarch."

Yuan Da breathed a sigh of relief just now, and talked with Zeng Chuyu for a while before returning home.When he returned home, he still felt that Zeng Chuyu's sudden look at him was like a thorn in his back. After thinking about it, he felt that he was just picking up his lawless little daughter.

Yuan Da thought of this, and shouted: "Come here, bring me Wanru, and then bring the family law."

Unexpectedly, after a long time, the family law was fetched, but the person who went to look for Miss Wanru returned empty-handed, and only brought a note, which scribbled: "I don't want to be the princess, I will give it to you." Chu Yu is alright, just take it as my fault! Daddy, I have decided to wander the rivers and lakes and go into self-exile for a month, so you don't need to look for me!" The signature was Wan Ru.

Yuan Da was really angry and funny, holding a note and said helplessly: "You really think that other people are looking for you, a savage girl?"

Yuan Da said that there would be no mourning hall and no mourning, but Yuan Xizheng firmly disagreed and contradicted him a few times.

Yuan Da just sighed and said, "Unless you want to make Chu Yu lose money, I have already obtained Chu Yu's consent. If you still want to quarrel, go talk to Chu Yu first."

So one day later, Aunt Gu was buried hastily in an extremely dignified coffin. There was no mourning hall, and no one paid homage to her.Apart from Zeng Chuyu, only Yuan Xizheng accompanied his mother and watched her die in peace.In the past few days, apart from going home to rest, Yuan Xizheng has been walking around Zeng Chuyu every day.Although the new year is approaching, compared to the relaxed and joyful atmosphere of gathering at Aunt Gu's house to cut paper and wait for the new year, it is so depressing that Yuan Xizheng feels out of breath.Zeng Chuyu packed up her mother's things on weekdays, and then put them into the cabinet, almost saying a word to Yuan Xi.

After Yuan Xizheng took care of Zeng Chuyu, he rode to the entrance of the village on horseback. Watching the sunset in the distant mountains gradually sinking, the mottled blush through the branches sprinkled Yuan Xizheng's face, but he couldn't resist the chill of the night fog that gradually rose in this winter. .The sound of horseshoes suddenly sounded at the ancient road, and Yuan Xizheng couldn't help but look around, only to see a person coming on a fast horse, but he arrived in front of Yuan Xizheng in a short while.

Li Yan was wearing a very formal Northern Qi imperial uniform, still with a black base and silver python pattern, very luxurious.This is the second time Yuan Xizheng has seen him dressed so formally. The last time it was the Emperor Nanchang's banquet, and the next time it was in front of him.

Li Yan smiled and said: "I had already set off, but I suddenly thought of you. Although I know you will come to Beiqi eventually, I still can't help but want to see you before I leave."

After he finished speaking, Yuan Xizheng came back to his senses, looked at the person in front of him, and thought that if he hadn't been stalking and trapped him in the casino city, he would have returned to the original village long ago, so Aunt Gu would not have died. , Zeng Chuyu, mother and many people will not be heartbroken because of this.

Yuan Xizheng became more and more angry as he thought about it, and said coldly: "The Second Highness is so confident, why do you still look back to see what Ziqing is doing?"

Li Yan smiled and said, "Come on, I just want to ask you one thing?"

Yuan Xizheng took a deep breath and said lightly, "What's the matter?"

Li Yan stroked the horse lightly, and said, "Is it a pleasure to know me?"

Yuan Xizheng blurted out: "If I had a choice, I wish I didn't know you!" In fact, as soon as this sentence was uttered, Yuan Xizheng seemed to regret it a little bit, and Li Yan didn't seem to be angry, he just hung his head Eyelid smiled lightly, turned the horse's head, turned around and rode away.

Yuan Xizheng moved his mouth, but he didn't call out. At that moment, Yuan Xizheng seemed a little bit lost, but after a while, Li Yan turned back to his eyes, and said with a faint smile: "First thing, send me out of the capital."

Before he came back to his senses, he couldn't help but glanced at Li Yan blankly. Li Yan stroked the horse's head and smiled, "Why did you forget what you owed so quickly?"

Yuan Xizheng remembered the promise of the three things, she couldn't help gritting her teeth, seeing that Li Yan was looking at her happily, she could only say: "Then let's go!"

Li Yan smiled and said, "Don't worry, just go slowly."

Yuan Xi raised his whip and said: "I said I would see you off, but I didn't say that I would follow your steps. If you don't follow, then I will meet you at the gate of the capital."

As soon as Yuan Xizheng's horse rushed out, Li Yan followed closely, and the two of them galloped along the ancient road one after the other, kicking up dust and smoke, and the scenery around them was white horses passing by.Li Yan's equestrian skills are excellent, and the horse is far better than Yuan Xizheng's rented horse, and he surpassed Yuan Xizheng in a short while.Li Yan could feel that Yuan Xizheng was chasing after him very hard, and he also knew that no matter how good his horse was, he would not be able to get rid of Yuan Xizheng, so even though he was leading alone, there was always someone behind him.That feeling once made Li Yan want to smile.He wanted this person behind him, and he knew he would succeed in the end.

The horses rushed all the way to the outside of the capital, and Yuan Xi Zhengcai looked very sad to see that there were quite a few people on behalf of the emperor seeing off guests, except for the tenth prince Chu Yin, there were also several important ministers.

Seeing Yuan Xizheng, Chu Yin couldn't help being taken aback for a moment, but then said happily: "It turns out that Ziqing has also come to see off the Second Highness."

Yuan Xizheng thought that I didn't intend to send this person off, it was purely forced, but if I did, he wouldn't talk too much, just smiled.

But Li Yan said with a smile: "I told Ziqing not to send it away, but he still wants to come."

He spoke affectionately, causing those important ministers to look at Yuan Xizheng dissatisfiedly, Yuan Xizheng almost wanted to vomit blood.

The corner of Chu Yin's mouth trembled slightly, but he still smiled gently, "Ziqing is really dedicated."

Li Yan raised his eyebrows, and after thinking for a while, he realized that Chu Yin was saying that Yuan Xi had been ordered by the emperor to accompany him. He smiled, turned around and said to Yuan Xi, "The second thing..."

Yuan Xizheng was really a little afraid of this scheming and thick-skinned Second Highness. Hearing that he brought up the second matter so quickly, he couldn't help being a little scared, and said, "What do you want to do?"

"You can't look away when you watch me burn an incense stick." Li Yan looked at Yuan Xizheng's eyes for a long time before saying every word.

Yuan Xizheng almost bit his tongue. It was already very inappropriate for him to send off Li Yan in front of so many veterans, and he had to look affectionately at this person, unless he wanted to lose his reputation.

But Li Yan said leisurely: "Ziqing, I'm afraid that I will bring your two promises back to the Northern Dynasty, and it will be even more difficult for you to fulfill what I thought of."

Yuan Xizheng looked at Li Yan and said, "Can I exchange it with something else?"

Li Yan frowned slightly, and said, "Are you going to follow me?"

"Of course not!" Yuan Xizheng held back his breath and said, "It's about His Highness's future."

Li Yan said lightly, Yuan Xizheng looked up at him, but Li Yan smiled and said: "Not interested."

Yuan Xizheng was quite helpless, and said, "Don't you want to know how to transport food and grass in heavy snow?"

"That's what you owe me. I believe Ziqing is a trustworthy person." Li Yan still looked at the other party with a smile, not in a hurry.

After a while, Yuan Xizheng reluctantly took out a picture and said, "In fact, the snow is so thick that horses tend to stumble, but it is not necessary to transport grain and grass with the horse in front and the cart behind..."

Li Yan just stuffed the picture into his arms, but his eyes were still fixed on Yuan Xizheng.

Yuan Xizheng could only bite the bullet and let him stare at him. Li Yan smiled lightly after a long time: "It's time for a stick of incense, Ziqing, goodbye." Li Yan reined in his horse's head and looked back at Yuan Xi Zheng, said with a smile: "We will see you again, Yuan Xizheng."

After he finished speaking, he galloped away, and his back was getting farther and farther in the setting sun, but he never looked back. Only then did Yuan Xizheng realize that this dude-like young man is smart, arrogant, willful, and has a good temper. The annoying Second Highness really left.But Yuan Xizheng was thinking in his heart at this moment, so after looking at each other for so long just now, he suddenly found that Li Yan was really a beautiful man just like what Luzhu said, especially when he turned his head and smiled, with a straight and straight face A little candid.

"Ziqing, let's go together." Chu Yin interrupted his distraction, Yuan Xizheng remembered that he had been by her side just now, couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed again, and said, "Thank you, my lord."

Several old ministers were dissatisfied and dissatisfied, and commented one after another: "It's really a decline in the world."

"It doesn't matter at all!"

"Scholarly family, but shameless."

Yuan Xizheng was extremely embarrassed, and was about to tell Chu Yin to take a step ahead, but Chu Yin had already said it first, saying: "Ziqing, I still have some things I want to ask you for advice, if you don't mind, please come to my house Have a glass of water and wine."

Yuan Xizheng wanted to refuse, but suddenly remembered Zeng Chuyu, so she lowered her head and said, "That's disturbing the prince."

Chu Yin respected Yuan Xizheng in a whisper of slander, although he didn't say a word, he blocked the mouths of the veterans very well.

When they got out of the crowd, Yuan Xizheng breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head and said gratefully: "Thank you, my lord, for helping Ziqing out."

Chu Yin turned his head, looked at Yuan Xi and said, "Ziqing, I really admire your talent from the heart, not on purpose, Ziqing doesn't need to owe me this favor."

Yuan Xizheng's lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak.

Note 15: Awn paper is a kind of paper used to wrap tea leaves in ancient times, and monks in temples also often use it to copy scriptures.