Opposite the entrance hall

Ever since he kicked Ji Buyan, Qi Ran always felt that other people looked at him with more inexplicable things, and sometimes even heard the name Hubu Ji Si when chatting with others, even though he used to be mentioned, but this tone of curiosity and gossip is the first time.

He was busy with Zhou Ming's case, and didn't care much about these insignificant matters. He got a big head from the pile of confessions and case books he brought from the Ministry of Criminal Justice. He has been staying in Dali Temple for three days and has not returned home. , simply prepared beforehand, and prepared a change of clothes in advance, so as not to become dirty and lose face of Qi Mansion.

But Dali Temple didn't have a bed or anything, so it wasn't a good place for people to rest. In the end, Mr. Wei couldn't see it and asked him for half a day's leave, so he returned to Qi Mansion unwillingly.

The next time I heard the name again was from his elder brother.

Qi Ran has a habit of practicing sword when encountering things that he can't figure out. At that time, he took half a day off and didn't know what to do, so he planned to practice sword in the courtyard to clear up the thoughts in his head. He didn't return to his room, but instead stayed where he was, found a chair beside him and sat down, and when the long sword was put into its sheath, he smiled and applauded without hesitation, "I haven't seen you for a few days, Ah-Heng's sword skills have improved again. A lot."

Hearing the sound, Qi Ran handed the long sword in his hand to the boy who was waiting at the side, took the handkerchief that had been put in the tray in advance, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, walked towards his brother and sat in front of him, with a tone of voice He said lightly, "Brother, this trip went smoothly."

"Shang Ke." Qi Xu poured two cups of tea, passed one over and said with a smile, "I brought a gift for Nian'er, why don't you see him?"

"Tong Anping went to Pei Mansion to find Pei Lejin and the others." Qi Ran took a sip from the teacup and said, but looked opposite from the corner of his eye.

After that incident, his elder brother was not in good health. He had been nourished by many medicines over the years, but his face was still pale and bloodless. After being exposed to the wind for a while, he began to cough. .

"Brother, don't be exposed to the wind if you're not feeling well, go inside and rest quickly." Qi Ran frowned worriedly.

Qi Xu tilted his head and coughed several times, and waved his hand at him, "It's nothing, you and I haven't chatted for a long time, and you are busy with work on weekdays, and you happen to be at the house today, so it's good to chat with me."

"Go to the young master's room and get a piece of clothing." Qi Ran didn't refuse, but gave instructions to the servant beside him, then took the teapot on the table, filled the empty cup, and handed it over carefully.

The latter took it and put it aside, thinking about how to speak, he knew his younger brother very well, his face was cold and his heart was warm, and he was very direct in speaking and doing things since he was a child, after much deliberation, he might as well just open his mouth, "Does Ah-Heng have a girl he likes? "

This question confused Qi Ran, so he brought it up somehow.

Maybe because he felt that he was being too straightforward, Qi Xu cleared his throat and said, "I heard that you were jealous of Mr. Ji from the household department a few days ago, fought over a woman, and deliberately took Ji Buyan to the West Street to forgive you. One is to show off, and the other is to tell those who have unreasonable thoughts about this girl, so that they will die as soon as possible. This girl will be your Qi Ziheng's person in the future. With the blood of the Qi family, you are going to marry her soon, is there such a thing?"

Qi Ziheng: "..."

Where is this going?

He was really dumbfounded at this time, and he really doubted that this was a plot in a story, how could he not know that he had said those nonsense.

Over there, Qi Xu continued: "You are not young, so you can arrange marriage early. If you have any plans, you should tell us that our family is different from other families and insist that you marry a well-matched family. If you say it, you will be happy with each other." That's good, as long as the family background is clean, my father will not refuse, but I heard that the woman is from the land of fireworks, this, this, is not very good, not to mention that she has an improper relationship with Ji Buyan , don't be confused, this..."

"Brother," Qi Ran interrupted before he finished speaking, "When did you start listening to these silly news compiled by the market?"

Qi Xu nodded and smiled, "It's interesting to listen to it occasionally, and my father also told me about it many times. You are now twenty-four, and since you have established a career, you should consider starting a family."

"You know that my heart belongs to you, and you will never marry again in this life."

"But that person is dead, don't you have to guard the sporadic memories for the rest of your life?" Qi Xu became anxious, and his tone became a little heavier.

"Why not?" Qi Ran asked back.

"you……"

Qi Xu knows what kind of temper his younger brother has, and even if the outside praises him for how beautiful he is, how polite and humble he is, his family still understands this person's stubbornness and toughness. People have headaches, just like their father.

He sighed, and didn't continue this topic, but talked about something else, "Then what's the matter with you not talking about the same season, how can you get involved with him properly."

Qi Ran explained the ins and outs of the matter in a few words, and after listening, Qi Xu said in a warm voice: "Ji Buyan is a wicked man, he looks like a lunatic, he catches anyone and bites him, His Royal Highness is a good dog, like a red dog. Bright living target, while eliminating dissidents, while making countless enemies."

"If you do many injustices, you will die yourself, let alone Ji Si, a treacherous minister who is doing evil and playing with power." Qi Ran smiled, "If one day he loses power, his fate may be miserable. I will not let him go for a long time. of."

"If you are an official in the court, you need to be more careful in everything, and stand on your own feet, so don't lose your heart."

"Brother, don't worry, Ji Si and I can only be enemies, we will never be friends."

He still remembers clearly the scene when he said this at the time, who knew that he was sitting at the same table with someone in just a few days, how strange this matter looked.

Qi Ran was in a complicated mood. He raised his eyelids to look at the person opposite, only to find that this person was also staring straight at him. Although his eyes were normal, he also felt displeased. Extremely, people are afraid that he will have some calculations in the next second, and people are hard to guard against.

Ji Si actually didn't think so much in his mind, he is now a treacherous official, Qi Ran is an upright official, since ancient times there is no balance between good and evil, so he cherishes every opportunity to meet Qi Ziheng very much.

"Where is Ziheng going so late?"

Ziheng?

Qi Ran frowned, feeling displeased when this man called him that. He only knew that Ji Buyan was a snobbish and insidious person, but he didn't know that this man was so brazen. The two didn't know each other well and looked down on each other. Shouting affectionately, I don't know who is disgusting.

Thinking about it for a while, Qi Ran replied with the same attitude of advancing and retreating without any faults: "The lower official just came back from Dali Temple, and was about to return home, and happened to meet Mr. Ji."

Ji Si didn't care about the alienation and politeness in his words, poured two cups of ginger tea into the notched tea bowl without any distaste, handed over a cup and said: "Dali Temple is only closed at this time, the business is so busy, it's so It's a hard job, but it's hard for you, the weather is too low, Ziheng should drink a cup of ginger tea to warm up."

After finishing speaking, he didn't care about Qi Ran, and took a sip on his own. His body, which had been frozen in the night wind for a long time, immediately warmed up after drinking the hot tea. He let out a long breath of foul air, and continued. : "If I remember correctly, it's not the way to go back to the Prime Minister's Mansion. Why did Ziheng come here?"

Qi Ran picked up the tea bowl and looked at the person opposite through the dense heat, his face seemed unreal, and when he put down the tea bowl, Ji Si heard a faint tone, "It's a private matter, passing by."

Hearing this, Ji Si just smiled and didn't ask any further questions.

"Then why is Master Ji here late at night?" He didn't say much, but Qi Ran asked instead.

Ji Si blew hot air on the mouth of the bowl, smiled and said, "Just like Ziheng, private business, passing by."

The two smiled at each other, one was gentle and the other was kind. From a distance, there was no sense of tension at all. Only when they were in the center could they understand the turbulent undercurrent.

At this moment, the shopkeeper came over with two bowls of steaming wontons, breaking the strange tense atmosphere between the two of them, "Come here, two adults, eat slowly, I'll cook it if it's not enough for the old man."

"Thank you." Qi Ran thanked after taking it.

"Thank you, old man." Compared with him, Ji Si seemed much more enthusiastic.

The owner of the wonton stall is a simple middle-aged man who has not read many books and does not understand so many rules. He blushed when they said thank you to the left and thank you to the right. He was at a loss. It was his wife who carried a Bamboo basket came over, elbowed his man behind him, and the boss took the bamboo basket and walked back.

He smiled, bent his waist and said cautiously: "Master Qi, thanks to you last time, there is nothing good. These are eggs laid by our own hens. I hope you will not dislike them."

Qi Ran hurriedly put down the spoon, got up and declined, "It's nothing to worry about, it's just a little effort, and it's the duty of an official to solve the worries and problems of the people, and it's not for the sake of praise. Uncle Zhang, quickly take back the things."

"If my lord hadn't found a doctor for my son, I'm afraid he would be hopeless today. Lord Qi has a great kindness to our family, and I can't pay it off even if I work hard in this life."

"Your Excellency, quickly accept it." The woman also said anxiously.

"This..." Qi Ran frowned a little bit embarrassed.

Ji Si sat beside him chewing something, stretched his head and stared blankly. He rarely saw Qi Ran's embarrassed expression, so he suddenly found it quite interesting, so he couldn't help but look at it more.

This location is not bad, waiting for the play to be watched, and swallowing the ravioli in his mouth, he waved his hand and said: "Your Majesty Qi, just take it, it's the old man's kindness after all, don't let it down , after all, you don’t think this thing can’t be sold.”

After speaking, for some reason, he felt that Qi Ran glared at him a few times, and immediately retracted his neck in fright to keep quiet, for fear that this person would be like before, if he rushed over and kicked him, it would be really embarrassing and embarrassing.

Ji Buyan's words really made the couple feel that their presents were shabby, and they couldn't afford them at all. What kind of person is Mr. Qi, he would be short of such a little egg, and he was a little embarrassed, neither giving nor receiving.

No way, Qi Ran could only sigh, took the bamboo basket from the man and put it on the table, nodded slightly and said softly, "Thanks in that case."

"Master Qi, don't say that. We should thank you. This kindness will never be forgotten in this life." The owner of the wonton stall smiled, "You have to eat the wontons while they are hot, so I won't disturb the two adults."

After finishing speaking, the proprietress brought a bowl of stewed and shiny beef, and smiled at Ji Si, who was a little flustered, and hurriedly smiled back.

"This is made by my own stew. If the two adults don't dislike it, you might as well try it."

The two thanked each other again, and Ji Si stuffed a thin piece of beef with chopsticks and chewed it in his mouth. The unique taste of star anise mixed with the smell of meat immediately diffused in his mouth, he raised his eyebrows at Qi Ran, "Zi Heng is really a good official who is deeply loved by the people. Today, I have a good fortune by borrowing Lord Qi's honor."

Qi Ran drank his soup with his head down, eating and sleeping without talking is a rule he learned since he was a child, and Ji Si naturally knew it since he had known him for so long, and he was not in a hurry to drink tea slowly, and he would not talk to him after he finished eating. Chi, after a while, he put the bowls and chopsticks aside, and then slowly said, "Master Ji knows that this wonton stall is run by an old couple."

The latter shrugged his shoulders, as if I was not blind, of course I could see it.

He was not angry, and continued: "The year before last, Beiyan called together eighteen tribes around us to attack Hongmen Pass on our northwest border. There were countless battles, large and small, Beiyan did not retreat and our army did not advance, so it was a stalemate for a year until last year, when the young master of Beiyan died suddenly, and the former regent Anderu succeeded to the throne, and we needed to clear up the dissidents in the court, so we retreated."

Ji Si didn't make a sound. He didn't know the meaning of Qi Ran's words, but he was still willing to listen, so that he could better understand the current situation of various countries, so he didn't need to try his best to find out.

Qi Ran paused and continued: "In the past two years, some soldiers' bodies were sacrificed and could not even be transported back, so they had to die in foreign countries. Some were lucky enough to return, but they were permanently disabled. A little younger than me, I joined the army when I was eighteen, and came back with my hands folded when I was nineteen. The emperor originally ordered the Ministry of Households to specially approve the salary subsidies for soldiers who returned from the front line, but why can they only Drinking rice bran, eating wild vegetables, so that old injuries can't be cured, and I can only watch my life go by."

Hearing this, Ji Si suddenly understood the meaning of Qi Ran's words, he pursed his lips tightly, and the blood on his face faded a little.

"Lord Ji," Qi Ran said in a deep voice, "I have seen many soldiers who retired from the front line. They had no father, no mother, no children, and they were all alone. Old wounds recurred and died in their huts until they were dead. It was only discovered that they were stinking. There were hundreds or eighty soldiers like this. They gave their all, even their lives, for the Great Jin. The very least food and clothing are not enough for them, the wine and meat of the wealthy family are stinky, the roads are frozen to death, all the suffering can only be supported by oneself, dare to ask Mr. Ji, where did the 30 taels of silver issued by the household department go? "

Ji Si can't answer this question, he doesn't know, really doesn't know, he doesn't know at all, maybe it was taken by Mr. Ji for pleasure, maybe that's how the screen for the spring banquet in his room came about, Maybe I bought a field and bought a house deed, maybe I spent a lot of money to make a smile for the Pomeranians, maybe...

No matter which one it is, none of them may have been sent to the hands of those soldiers. He has always understood that Master Ji was a treacherous minister who did many evils, but he did not understand it so clearly and straightforwardly as he does now. He has always disdained this kind of traitor the most. But when this treacherous minister becomes himself, so what.

"I..." He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, it's a lower official who overstepped the mark. I hope you don't want to argue with me," Qi Ran said with a smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, and against the dim candlelight, he looked a little cold. How can you care about such trivial things when you get the favor, maybe the Ministry of Households sent it, but the soldiers themselves didn't receive it."

Ji Si still hung his head and said nothing.

Qi Ran stared at him for a while, then looked away at the couple who were packing up and preparing to close up, and said softly: "I don't know what Mr. Ji wants from me, so he changed his normal behavior and wanted to have sex with me. But it was known in the early years that you and I are not the same kind of people, and we are destined to be strangers, and it is difficult to become friends, and I hope Mr. Ji will stop pretending to be good in the future, which will only increase unnecessary troubles."

"If..." Ji Si's voice was a little hoarse, he cleared his throat and said again after he felt more comfortable: "If I say, all the things in the past were not what I wanted, and I want to be a good official."

Hearing this, Qi Ran was taken aback for a moment, and then chuckled out loud: "When I was young, someone said a word to me, as an official, you should establish your heart for the world, establish your life for the people's livelihood, continue to learn from the sages, and open up for all generations to come." Taiping, dare to ask, is Master Ji's actions related to the word Hao?"

As soon as the voice fell, he didn't wait for Ji Si to open his mouth to speak, he got up randomly, touched a few copper plates and put them on the table lightly, and said in a light tone: "It's getting late, the Prime Minister's Mansion and Ji's Mansion are not on the same road, Mr. Ji and I Naturally, it's not on the way, so the next official is one step ahead."

After speaking, he turned around and walked away.

Ji Si looked at the few copper coins on the table, and was quite touched by Qi Ran's words in his heart. After thinking for a while, he drank the cold coarse tea in the bowl, took out a few broken pieces of silver from his pocket, and put them on the table. He took the copper plate in his hand and ran after Qi Ran.

The latter had just walked a few steps when he heard a voice calling for him from behind. Looking sideways, he found that it was Ji Si again. He couldn't help but frowned, and said coldly, "Master Ji, the Minister's Mansion is over there."

He pointed in the opposite direction from where he was.

Ji Si waved his hand and said with a smile: "I know, isn't it because I'm too full to digest food?"

Looking at the smiling faces of these people, Qi Ran felt powerless and frustrated as if he had punched cotton.

He felt that Ji Si, the servant of the household department, probably got it because of his brazenness.

The author has something to say:

small theater:

Qi Ran: [Bowing] The weather has been getting colder these days, and I hope you all pay more attention to your health.

Ji Si: [laughing] Wear more!We're not responsible for the burial if it's too cold.

ps: You don't have a thick skin, how can you chase after Qi Ziheng?