An Feng Bamboo Horse

?5. Ancestral Hall

Acting faster than reason, Xia Anfeng immediately jumped up and grabbed Xia Feng's collar when he heard the extremely slanderous words.

Tsing Yi, who was singing on the stage, paused and looked towards the audience; while the people sitting in the courtyard below the stage began to make a slight commotion.

Xia Zun turned around and saw it at a glance, and said in a low voice: "How decent is Cheng! Let go of your elder brother!"

Xia Anfeng tightly gripped Xia Feng's collar, with faint anger flowing in his eyes, he gritted his teeth and stared at the nonchalant opponent, as if he didn't hear his father's words.Bu Zhangbai also stood up, his complexion was still pale, but as the person involved, his expression was much calmer than that of the young master.He also lowered his voice: "Xia Anfeng, let go."

Xia Feng kept smiling, as if he was not the one who was grabbed by the collar in front of all the guests, he said slowly, "Second brother, what are you doing?"

Xia Zunteng stood up, the tall and mighty Marquis Ding Guo didn't say a word, he stepped beside his two sons with one step, grabbed Xia Anfeng's wrist with one hand, and dragged him away.

Being dragged by the wrist by Marquis Dingguo, Xia Anfeng still wanted to resist, Marquis Dingguo sternly said: "Come on, lock the second master in the ancestral hall for me, no one is allowed to visit!"

There was a riot in the courtyard, and the servants rushed in to drag the young master away.The faces of the guests present were a bit embarrassed, and no one expected that such an unexpected incident would occur on the birthday of Dingguo Hou.

The troublemaker seems to be the second son of the concubine of Lord Hou's mansion... Tsk, he dared to attack the son of the first son in public. I don't know if he is too arrogant or domineering, or if Master Hou spoiled him too much...

Seeing how ugly Hou Ye's face was, the guests couldn't sit still no matter how much they wanted to watch the play, and they bid farewell to Hou Ye one after another.Marquis Dingguo didn't have the heart to persuade him to stay, so he briefly greeted him, and after apologizing, he returned to his study with a sullen face.

Xia Feng still stayed at the same place to see off his father, talking and laughing at Yan Yan, as if what happened just now had nothing to do with him.

After seeing off the last guest, he turned around and found that Bu Zhangbai was still standing alone in the courtyard.

At the end of the song, on the stage where people went, a few red lanterns were raised high, and the blush light projected down dyed the face and body of this young master of the Bu family with a layer of blood.The white face that was originally crystal clear and jade-like, against the backdrop of the surrounding night that gradually surrounded him, was actually somewhat terrifying like a ghost.

But Bu Zhangbai is still good-looking.

Xia Feng thought to himself.The orphan of such a famous general can't lift his shoulders or lift his hands. Instead, he was born with a natural appearance. I don't know if it's a malicious irony from heaven.It's no wonder that he is not interested in vulgar fans, but half of his thoughts are on this young master of the Bu family...

Xia Feng stretched out his hands, and unexpectedly he managed to reach those hands that were a bit horribly cold. He shivered and became very excited.

"Don't be afraid, this son is different from that wimpy Xia Anfeng, he can protect you from big things..."

Bu Zhang said in vain: "According to the law, taking in and sheltering the descendants of traitors can seize titles, confiscate their homes, and exterminate their clan..." He looked at Xia Feng softly, his tone could be said to be as gentle as water, but there was a certain meaning in his tone that made Cai just feel like falling. Honey's elder son shuddered all over his body, "Elder son just said that in front of Xia Anfeng, but did you think it through clearly?"

Xia Feng woke up immediately, and broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

Bu Zhang smiled softly, and said softly: "Fortunately, only Brother Feng and I heard that casual joke; if Hou Ye heard it, I'm afraid that the person kneeling in the ancestral hall will be replaced by the prince. "Xia Feng couldn't say a word anymore, he watched Bu Zhangbai turn and leave, and his voice floated over faintly.

"The next time the prince wants to make arrangements for the Bu family, please be careful that walls have ears."

Xia Anfeng was half-politely and half-forced to the ancestral hall, facing a row of ancestral tablets, without saying a word, he knelt down on the bluestone slab with a plop.Although he is young at heart and loves to play and play, he still knows that the disturbance he caused in the theater just now in full view of everyone has greatly tarnished the image of Dingguo Mansion and Lao Die.

He only regretted that he didn't make up his mind to beat up his brother before he was stopped by Marquis Ding, so as to express the anger of being framed for Xiaobai.Usually, how big brother teased him or bullied him, he had a big heart and didn't care; but when he bullied Bu Zhangbai, he was stepping on the bottom line, which is tolerable or unbearable.

What's more, it is such a crime that can be decapitated-is the elder brother out of his mind, and accuse Xiao Bai's grandfather like this?

There was a rustling sound coming from the door, Xia Anfeng said loudly without turning his head, "Don't look at this young master, one person does things and one person is responsible, this young master will not sneak out."

The noise was quiet for a while, and very light steps came towards him.

Bu Zhangbai looked at the red-haired boy motionless, kneeling in front of a row of memorial tablets with his head held high, without even looking at the expression on his face, he could guess his state of mind at this time just from the righteous back.

He was in a complicated mood, wanting to laugh at him for being rash and impulsive, and being moved by him protecting himself against Xia Feng in public, for a moment he didn't know whether to blame him or thank him, so he could only walk up to him without saying a word, and squatted down. Get down.

Xia Anfeng turned his head and saw it was him. He was pleasantly surprised, and then immediately grabbed his wrist:

"Xiaobai, big brother is talking nonsense, don't believe him. I believe that Uncle Bu and Mr. Bu will be upright all their lives and will not do such lowly things!"

Bu Zhangbai was silent for a while, then smiled, "When my grandfather died in battle, you were not yet born, how can you guarantee his character?"

Xia Anfeng said: "Although I haven't met his old man personally, I have an impression of Uncle Bu. For such an upright and upright person, his father will certainly not be so bad! Besides, just looking at you, I can't help you. You can guess that the Bu family has a family style and family education."

Bu Zhangbai hissed lightly, and asked him to keep his voice down: "I found an opportunity to sneak in when I was busy seeing off guests. If you yell like this, people will find out that I have come to your ancestral hall. Gossip. Don’t embarrass Uncle Xia.” As he spoke, he took out two big snow-white steamed buns that were still warm from his sleeves, and said softly, “You haven’t had dinner yet, eat it while it’s hot.”

Xia Anfeng was really hungry, kneeling in the ancestral hall did not hinder his appetite in the slightest, the boy took the steamed buns and began to gnaw them.Bu Zhangbai watched him gobble it up, and glanced around at the enshrined tablet in the ancestral hall, most of the names on it were familiar to him.

The Bu and Xia families have been close friends for generations, and they know each other's people well; because they are both military generals, the two families have fought side by side many times and made great achievements in the battlefield.Many years ago, in the battle of Tianmai Valley that determined the fate of the Bu family and the Xia family, the coach at that time was Bu Qingtian, the deputy commander was Xia Yeyan, and Bu Zhangbai and Xia An had their respective grandfathers...

Xia Anfeng hurriedly finished eating the hot steamed buns, seeing Bu Zhang's white eyes lingering on those memorial tablets, worried that he would think of Bu Qingtian's sadness again, so he hurriedly said: "Before my father comes to check on me kneeling in the ancestral hall, you still Go back to the room quickly, and be careful not to be caught by him, and you give me food."

Although in my impression, Xia Zun has never been too angry with Bu Zhang, who lives in Hou Ye's mansion, he has always been polite and caring, better than his sons; but what he caused today was too ugly , still have to be careful in case the old man loses his head and punishes Bu Zhangbai.

Bu Zhangbai nodded, and looked at the memorial tablets again, feeling a little lost: "Today is the [-]th birthday of Lord Hou, and I don't know if I have paid my respects to the old Lord who has become a monk and meditated. I thought the old Lord would go home and have a look... ..."

When Xia Yeyan cut his hair and became a monk, he was not yet 5 years old. When he grew up and wanted to ask Lord Xia about the history of the Tianmai Valley battle, the old Lord had already retreated and saw no outsiders.Even if Xia Zun went to greet him in person, the heroic general of the year never showed his face at home again.It was rumored that Xia Yeyan had witnessed the tragic death of a close friend of his for many years but was unable to come close to rescue him. Under the strong blow, Chuanjue was in his son Xia Zun, and he saw through the world and escaped into Buddhism.

In fact, even Xia Anfeng had only met his grandfather a few times, and could no longer recall his grandfather's voice and appearance.His initial and final memories of Xia Yeyan were always in the prayers of Mrs. Hou Ye and his two aunts when they burned incense and worshiped Buddha.

Kneeling for too long, his knees began to feel numb. The red-haired boy shifted his weight to his left knee with great proficiency, and then switched to his right knee after a while.While he was busy unblocking the blood vessels in his legs and feet, he comforted his worried friend: "His old man sent someone to send someone to hand-copied scriptures to pray for his father. Judging by the handwriting, he is still very healthy. One day you will see him."

"……Um."

It was already Haishi, Bu Zhangbai got up and wanted to leave, but couldn't bear it after thinking about it, and hugged a futon that was neatly placed in front of the ancestral hall, "Your father made you kneel, and didn't let you kneel in the cold On the ground, won't you let yourself kneel more comfortably?"

In fact, Xia Anfeng had already knelt and staggered, all supported by the heat of the steamed buns in his stomach.Bu Zhangbai dragged the futon to him, he lifted his spirits, smiled and stuffed the futon under his knees, blinked his eyes: "Xiaobai still loves me the most." He moved closer to Bu Zhangbai and rubbed his clothes Sleeve, taking advantage of the opportunity to speak out the plan that I have been thinking about for the past few days: "Xiaobai, if you pass the selection for the school exam next month and enter Beijing, how about I accompany you to take the exam next year?"

Bu Zhang was taken aback, "Accompany me to Beijing? Why?"

Xia Anfeng had already prepared a set of seamless excuses: "I have never been to the capital, and I will travel with you, firstly to protect you, secondly to relieve your boredom on the way, and thirdly to open your eyes in the capital, Have fun last time."

You can't tell Xiaobai that he is absolutely reluctant to leave him; if you tell the truth, Xiaobai will be shy and refuse.

"...As long as Lord Hou lets you go, I don't care." Pursing his lips, Bu Zhangbai's anguish and worries that had been in his heart all day disappeared in Xia Anfeng's request.

When he pushed open the door of the ancestral hall and left as gently as when he came, there was a faint smile on his face that he could hardly detect. ?