Minister

142 [Jiankang Nine Years]

The bigger the yard, the longer the alley, and the longer the alley, the more bleak it looks at night.Qi Yuan half leaned against the door, looked at the lantern trembling by the wind above her head, and sighed.

Accompanied by the cold, it snowed again.The white snowflakes became heavy, gradually covering up the footprints stepped on by that person.The lights on the doors on both sides were dim but unusually bright——Qi Yuan wondered why she was so sad because of this incident, and even expressed her stubbornness in such a worthwhile way.

Maybe Mr. Wei next door is right, facing such an extremely unlikable person, I don't need to take this matter to heart at all.

But Qi Yuan felt that she couldn't move her footsteps, just like she couldn't move the stone in her heart.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, the snow all over the sky was blown like the earth by the bitter north wind, and the dry cold air made Qi Yuan cough.Qi Yuan tightened her cloak, stepped on the snow-covered stone floor, and walked to the middle of the road with difficulty—the place where the man stood just now.

"I see."

Thinking of these words, Qi Yuan looked towards the exit of the alley, but could not see the end of the darkness.

Sudden!A firework rose into the sky from his own house, blooming in the endless dark sky, and the cheerful golden colors scattered with the loud noise.

Which yard girl is naughty?Is this the fireworks on December 29?

Qi Yuan looked up at the fading fireworks, but touched something under her feet, and looked down again, it was the jar of bird food that the stupid girl in her yard gave to the opposite door.The jar was empty, even the bottom was clean.Qi Yuan picked it up from the half-buried snow, held it in her hand, and stayed there for a long time, until she heard Mei Yueman's yelling in the yard before she came back to her senses.

"Madam! Madam!" Mei Yue saw that Qi Yuan's cloak was covered with snow, and jumped over quickly: "I searched all over the yard just now, but I couldn't find Madam, but I was terrified! Where did Madam go? So cold! And so much snow."

Qi Yuan took off the cloak by herself: "I'll put it on myself, you go and prepare the bath water, I'm sleepy."

After Mei Yue ran out, Qi Yuan took out the small porcelain jar from the cloak, smiled, and secretly put it under the bed.

It's finally New Year's Eve!Wei Chi woke up early, ready to do something.But walking all the way, it seems that it can only add to the chaos. After accidentally kicking over a series of bamboo baskets, she was finally expelled to the study by Liu Ma.

"Master, it's lunch time and I'll ask Zhu Er to call you, so don't come out yet."

Wei Chi gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

"Stingy, stingy!"

The one under the roof seems to be quite happy today.

Wei Chi rolled up the cotton cover on the bird cage, and when he saw the one jumping up and down, he remembered that this guy was hungry, after searching for a while, he suddenly found that the jar of bird food could not be found!

"Stingy! Stingy!!" This side didn't know the reason, it was just bouncing around emotionally.

Wei Chi searched for it for a long time before he realized that he might have forgotten it outside the door yesterday!Although it seems to be empty, maybe there is still a little bit of scum?This is great, I can't even find a job.

Wei Chi hurriedly ran out of the yard, opened the side door, and was about to start searching along the corner, but saw the small porcelain jar placed neatly on the threshold of his house... Open the lid and look, it's full...

That... madam?

Wei Chi looked up and saw the closed courtyard door on the opposite side. The white lantern on the door was gone, and it had been replaced by a festive red color.Behind the high courtyard wall is still the carefully protected banyan tree, exuding indifferent green.

Wei Chi began to bite his finger seriously until it hurt him.

"Ouch..." Wei Chi said to himself, "...I suddenly started to miss home...well."

Wei Chi patted his face, stomped his feet on the snow, then found the broom in the yard and began to sweep the snow. After working for about half an hour, when Mr. Wei closed the gate of his house, There was an ugly snowman in the alley, with his head tilted, unable to find his neck, a tree branch inserted obliquely, his face was cross-eyed with red fruits, and the stones used as teeth were of different sizes, like an old man or an old man. The wife is laughing.

The sky cleared up, and the distant spring seemed to be approaching. Everyone opened the windows and saw the high sky, which was blue in color, and praised it—this is a good year.

From the first day of junior high school, Wei Chi visited Liu Min first.

There were many guests who came to visit Liu Min, and Wei Chi regretted sitting among a group of senior officials. Fortunately, he met Geng Bingwen and his wife who came to pay New Year's greetings.Liu Min met Geng Bingwen and Wei Chi according to the etiquette that elders have for younger generations, and even gave Wei Chi a lucky money.Before leaving, Liu Min secretly smiled at Wei Chi and said, "What? You've become stupid after staying in the Ministry of Rites for a long time? If Bingwen wasn't there, someone would have reported that you'd boarded my boat tomorrow."

Wei Chi sneered: "Your official only thinks that you are the longest elder I know... I'm really not excited recently..."

"Young man, don't think too much," Liu Min patted him on the shoulder: "It's good that you are doing this now, young people should be like this, and don't think too little of the New Year's money."

Because of his special official position, Liu Min has always had a special status in the court. He usually doesn't talk much, and his appearance is also very ordinary.Compared with Xun Bingchao, who is tall and windy, he is too inconspicuous.If Wei Chi hadn't been related to the Geng family, he would have completely ignored the existence of this little old man like most young people in the court.But after really getting in touch with him, Wei Chi discovered that the people who usually come to drink tea with him are high-ranking officials in the court, and he and Xun Bingchao work in perfect harmony with each other, they are perfect partners!

Wang Yunyi and Geng Zhuqiu, Xun Bingchao and Liu Min, who arranged this well?Wei Chi would sometimes think curiously.

Because he happened to meet the Geng family couple, Wei Chi also stopped by to visit his family.Because it was still the first day of junior high school, I didn't meet the couple Yunmei.Geng's father was very happy to see Wei Chi coming, and asked Wei Chi if he had a crush on any daughter, so that he could ask his wife to be a matchmaker.Wei Chi was so embarrassed that he quickly waved his hands.

"Today is Brother Wei's birthday, right? He is 21 years old, so he should take it to heart." Geng's father scolded Bingwen: "Both of you didn't help Zhang Luo, did you ask him to talk about it himself?"

When Yunmei returned to her natal home in the third grade of junior high school, Lin Mao laughed out loud when she heard this sentence.

Yunmei ignored him, and said to his brother very seriously: "Does brother know Lin Yuzan? My sister thinks it is quite suitable. She is good-looking, elegant, and a relative..."

Before Yunmei could finish speaking, Lin Hao hurriedly stopped her: "It's not suitable, it's not suitable."

"Why isn't it suitable?" Geng Yun's eyebrows became angry: "Brother Xiao Wei stared straight at her when he saw her for the first time, and she shone brightly!"

cough!Geng Bingwen coughed majestically.

The young couple, who were used to messing around, covered their mouths.

After Geng Bingwen left, Lin Hao came over again: "Your little brother Wei only shines brightly when he sees food! You have to listen to my advice on this matter. You don't know Lin Yuzan. Don't get mixed up, you missed your big brother Xiao Wei's important event, and missed others climbing high branches, and you still think you have made the first contribution."

"Prejudice!" Geng Yunmei stepped on him fiercely: "You always can't understand other people's Yuzan, how could she provoke you!"

Lin Yuzan was still working hard for the New Year's banquet in the palace at the moment, facing such a beautiful female official, all the concubines sighed secretly.Concubine Hu Gui even specially ordered someone to replace her, replacing her chance to serve in front of the imperial court.Lin Yuzan doesn't care about this domineering woman, since she can be free, she might as well go and have a good rest.

There is a lake next to the banquet palace. Although it is frozen and cold, it is happy and quiet.After Lin Yuzan found the thickest cloak to cover herself tightly, she walked slowly to the lake.

After being in the palace for so long, Lin Yuzan has already become familiar with every plant and tree in the palace.This lake is not big, just to borrow a scene, walk a few steps around to the bridge, and after crossing the bridge, you will come back. It took less than half an hour, and it happened to catch up with Huang Gonggong to say hello.

"you are?"

Just as Lin Yuzan walked off the bridge, she saw someone standing in a warm pavilion by the bridge, and the man asked stupidly while holding a thermos.

"Does your lord want to warm the wine?" Lin Yuzan walked over generously, took the thermos from the man's hand, and skillfully poured hot water into the small mouth of the porcelain pot: "My lord, do you want to warm rice wine?"

Li Pan knew from her behavior that she was a female official, but he had never seen such a beautiful woman, as if she floated from the sky.

"Farewell."

When Li Pan turned around, the man had disappeared. If it wasn't for the steaming jug in front of him, he would really doubt whether what he saw just now was real or not.So there is such a beautiful woman in the world... Who is she, and which family's daughter is she?

After the sixth day, Li Pan found out about such a person. After knowing that she was not the emperor's concubine, he couldn't help being happy, but it was just joy, and he didn't know where to start.

As the taste of the new year gradually faded, the royal family's routine hunting began again. Naturally, this time without Wei Chi's name, and it was the twelfth day of the first lunar month, the upstarts followed the royal family and left the capital.Wei Chi finally waited until the street ban was passed before rushing to the outside of the city, ready to go for a walk in the snow.

When Yiqing and Wei Chi arrived at Lianzhu Mountain, the sky had already cleared up, and the snow covered the mountain was dazzling.

Because most of the nobles in the city left, most of the common people on the mountain were looking at the plum blossoms.The two climbed to the middle of the mountain, stored the horses, drank some warm wine at the wine shop on the street, and then went to a familiar shop for lunch.

I also ate here that year, and when Wei Chi picked up a piece of sauced meat, he suddenly felt nostalgic.I miss the pattering rain and the grass rings of calamus at that time.

"My lord, why do you want to come to the mountain at this time? It's cold and boring."

"It's boring, you still come?" Wei Chi laughed at Yiqing: "There are still some plum blossoms on this mountain, let's pick some good ones and buy them back."

"There are so many sold in the market, and you are still tossing like this, my lord."

"How can the ones in the market be as good? You have been cooped up at home for so long, and you can't come out for a stroll? Be careful of eating too much meat during the Chinese New Year."

Yiqing was afraid of the cold, so he wrapped himself tightly in a blanket, lingering in the hotel for a long time before going out.

The two walked up the mountain road and came to the small fork where they used to buy flowers.Wei Chi had a sudden whim and yelled at Yiqing to walk on the mountain road.How could Yiqing compare to Wei Chi?He was staggered by the horse and almost fell several times.Wei Chi laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten his waist, and became so angry that he couldn't help it.

It didn't take a few steps to reach the gate of the courtyard. Wei Chi thought to himself, wondering if that cute little girl and her lamb are still there.

"Young master, don't look at it, his family has moved out!" The old man in the next yard heard the movement and came out.

"How come? I bought flowers here the year before last."

"My lord, don't joke, his old man is getting old, how many years can he last? He went back to the city early to enjoy the new year, and it's also the lord who is here now. If the year comes, the restaurant that bought the garden will come to take over the land Don't go any further, there is no way ahead."

Wei Chi couldn't help being a little frustrated.

"Shall we go back?" Yiqing finally caught up.

"It's still early, let's go further."

Yiqing couldn't hold him back, so he could only endure the pain in his buttocks and walk in with him.After walking a short distance, there was no way.

"My lord, don't go there, there is no way behind. To go to the back mountain, let's go on the main road."

"What's the point of going on the main road? Come on, come on, maybe you can have plum blossoms here without money."

Do you want to pick free plum blossoms?Yiqing almost fell off his horse: "My lord! My lord!" It can't be so bad! ! !

The wicked Wei Chi had already walked in happily.

Because he has experienced so many real swords and guns in Monan, this small Lianzhu Mountain is really not a problem for Wei Chi. Yiqing was still complaining at first, but fortunately Wei Chi helped him along the way, and he managed to find something. The joy of hiking.

"Is it the same on Monan?"

"Of course not," Wei Chi said with a smile, "If the road over there is as easy as that, I don't know how happy I would be."

"……No way…………"

When walking through the roadless mountains, Wei Chi suddenly thought of Xu Yue. This old man died together with Wang Yunyi. It was he who taught him how to recognize the direction, how to find the way, and how to sleep comfortably in the wild.Wei Chi was suddenly very grateful to this old man, the longer he stayed in the court, the more he felt how valuable he was.

"Have you smelled it? It smells like plum blossoms!"

Wei Chi raised his head, sniffing around in the air.

"My lord, you look very much like a dog... Ouch!"

Wei Chi ruthlessly pulled the branch above his head, and the snow on it hit Yiqing precisely on the head.

"grown ups!!!"

"Let's go, or throw you on the mountain to feed the wolves!"

Wei Chi's shadow disappeared in a flash among the trees, Yiqing really got nervous, and hurriedly followed him without caring about himself.

After the two of them laughed and walked away for more than an hour, the sky gradually dimmed.

"My lord, let the little one rest, his waist is about to break!" Yiqing was panting from exhaustion.

"look!"

At the end of the woodland, there are a little or two pink shadows. When you smell it carefully, it seems that there is really a fragrance floating over.

"Ah! It's a plum blossom!" Yiqing felt that the exhaustion just now seemed to be swept away: "My lord! It's a plum blossom!"

What a big plum blossom...

It spreads across half of the hillside, mighty and mighty, as if blooming with inexhaustible energy.

"Haha!" Wei Chi laughed triumphantly—this can be regarded as applying what he learned after going to Monan!

As Wei Chi expected, the plum blossoms here are left unattended, because they grow behind the slope, and no one is willing to spend so much effort to cut them for sale, even the snow on the ground is fresh.The two led the horse and walked into the plum blossom forest, picking and cutting.

The two of them did not have the restraint of literati at all, just like two hungry pigs rushing into the vegetable garden, grunting emotionally while feasting.

"My lord! It would be great if you were born a daughter!" Yiqing said with emotion: "That would be so beautiful!"

"Evil..." Wei Chi caught a stone in the snow ball, and then threw it viciously: "You sissy, you actually came to accuse me."

Yiqing was hit, and fell into the 'Xuebo': "My lord... the little one speaks from the bottom of his heart... ah... ah..."

When they reached the edge of the plum grove, not many of the plum blossoms they had cut were intact.Wei Chi comforted Yiqing who had been completely defeated in the snowball fight: "We didn't spend any money, so we'll make do with it..."

Yiqing was still shaking the snow on his neck, with a bitter expression on his face: "My lord, I will never play this game with you again, let's leave Meihua alone, go back quickly, it's freezing to death."

The two got on their horses again and were about to leave when Wei Chi stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Yiqing followed Wei Chi's gaze and said, "Hey!"

Wei Chi pulled on the reins and ran towards the mountain road on the slope. The slope was steep, but it was a short cut. Wei Chi grabbed the horse's belly suddenly and finally jumped onto the mountain road: "Madam Qi, why are you here alone?"