Pei Gonggui

Official banquets are often divided into two courts, the outer court is arranged in the courtyard before the main hall to entertain people on official business, and the banquets in the inner court are mostly held in the garden behind the main hall to entertain family members.Such a separation of the inside and the outside is a clear distinction between public and private, and the seats in the Zhang family's inner court have always been placed in the backyard.

Probably to end a conversation with relatives and friends in the backyard, Zhang Ling came out to look at the guests in the outer court, but all the foreign guests at the wedding banquet in the court came because they admired Zhang Ling, so his appearance made everyone in the court They all stopped chopsticks one by one, and even the table that was being catered to by Zhang San got up and bowed to the head of the family.

Pei Jun was sitting next to Jiang Yue, if he got up at this time, he would have lost his relationship with Zhang Ling's mentor and apprentice, and if he didn't get up, he was also regarded as an official of the same level without much courtesy, he was hesitating whether to get up or not, but saw Jiang Yue had already stood up, so he had no choice but to slowly follow his boss up.

Not far away, Zhang Ling was about to go down the corridor, but a young man suddenly walked out from the direction of the moon gate behind him and whispered to him.This young man is Zhang Ling's concubine Zhang Wei, who has always been in charge of various academies under Zhang's family, and now he seems to be looking for Zhang Ling to report affairs.

After Zhang Ling listened with deep eyebrows, although he nodded lightly, he still patted the back of his son Zhang He's hand as he supported him, as if signaling Zhang He to go over and have a look.

Upon hearing this, Zhang He immediately withdrew and walked towards the backyard, while Zhang Wei glanced at Zhang Ling speechlessly, and finally remained silent, turned around silently, and followed Zhang He quickly.

Zhang Ling has had three wives and two concubines since his life.A concubine Pan gave birth to her second son, Zhang Wei, who passed away a few years ago.The first wife, Lin Shi, was left by Zhang Lingxiu because she loved to gossip and hurt others 40 years ago. The two daughters left behind have married separately, while the second wife, Liu Shi, What's more, he was dismissed within less than a month after entering the house, just because he contradicted Zhang Ling's mother at the dinner table for the expenses of the inner courtyard.A year later, the Zhang family carefully found Wang as his wife for Zhang Ling from among the ladies of the famous Boling family. The Wang family was gentle and quiet, so it was finally suitable for her to enter the Zhang family. The eldest son, Zhang He, and the youngest son, Zhang San, slowly settled into the position of mistress, and then became more and more silent, and the family was even more trouble-free——

That calmness is like the cold faces of his Zhang family that have been frozen for generations.

Pei Jun and Zhang Ling under the square corridor looked at each other from a distance, and felt that Zhang Ling's eyes had never had any other kind of expression other than coldness and sternness over the years. , the current Zhang Ling is really no different from the Zhang Ling he saw when he first entered the Zhang Mansion when he was 17 years old——

It's just that there is more noise in the empty courtyard, and the end of summer is replaced by the beginning of spring. At this time, he also grows from young to strong, dies in a hurry, and then rushes to the world through reincarnation.

All but a lack of rain.

He still remembers the summer heat in Beijing that year, it was boring and heartburning.The rain before autumn was mixed with the sun and his green shirt was soaked. He followed Zhang Ling's majestic back and walked quickly into the Enguo mansion.

As soon as he entered the front hall, he saw the legendary coffin with its head tilted up. He couldn't help sighing, and raised his hand to touch the golden ink inscription on the coffin lid, but he didn't even put his finger on it. Zhang Ling categorically stopped him:

"This is an autograph written by the emperor's imperial pen. It can only be viewed from a distance, not to be played with."

The 17-year-old Pei Jun knew that the reputation of this saint was untouchable, so he quickly stopped talking, followed Zhang Ling to continue in, walked to the corridor, and saw a peaceful woman leading the concubine's room to open the moon gate out.

This woman is the Wang family, and the concubine is the Pan family.Pei Jun smiled and called "Mistress" and "Aunt Pan", only for Mrs. Pan to nod cautiously, and said "polite" to Mrs. Wang, and Mrs. Wang and Zhang Ling said respectfully: "Today, Quande is the best!" The temple is giving porridge, and the donations at home are all ready, and this is about to be taken."

Zhang Ling listened, and stood on the porch and nodded his approval: "Then let's go."

At this time, someone outside called: "Second Lord is back." Immediately, Zhang Wei, who was in his twenties, hurried in from outside with some scrolls. The female family members were also there, and they lowered their heads and called mother again.

For a moment, the two women on the corridor raised their heads, but in the end it was only Mrs. Wang who answered him: "Wei'er has returned from the academy. Come, I have seen the new student that the master has accepted."

"Students?" Zhang Weiqi asked, "Isn't father not accepting students?" Seeing Pan's frowning and shaking his head at him quickly, and seeing Zhang Ling's expression in the blink of an eye, he accepted the words solemnly, and only exchanged a bow with Pei Jun, each After reporting his name and character, he took the scroll and went to the inner courtyard.

Zhang Ling silently watched him walk into the moon gate, let the second wife of the Wang family salute and bid farewell, called Uncle Xu, and said to Pei Jun:

"From now on, you will live in the ear wing of Cuitang, so let Uncle Xu take care of it."

So from that day on, Pei Jun began to live here.

The inner courtyard of the Zhang Mansion is extremely clean and quiet, the passers-by are speechless, talk in a low voice, occasionally there is the sound of Guqin, but they never shout or laugh.This seems to bring out the shades of the vegetation in the garden to the limit, and even the flowers are calm and dignified—in spring and summer there are never too red peach lotuses, and in autumn and winter there are never too bright chrysanthemum plums, and the pines and cypresses are just right. The clumps of bamboo fan out into a regular shape, and the most inseparable corner of the verandah is the invincible green in all seasons.

The emerald hall where Pei Jun used to live was planted with bamboos all over the place. Although the ear chambers are not big, the cost is very thoughtful.It's just that he doesn't know how to use the things inside.After staying for half a month, he finally realized that the layout of Zhang's house was different from his own, even completely different from the Mei Mansion and Xiao Mansion he had been to.

After all, the arrangement of utensils in ordinary homes is always changed for the convenience of the owner, but the arrangement of utensils in Zhang's house is actually arranged in such a way to regulate people's habits: for example, there must be no paper and pen in the inner bedroom. To read and write, people must change their clothes and go outside to read and write in an upright manner. This means that the sleeping place must be used for sleeping, and the writing place must only be written. Sleep in the reading room.

But Pei Jun didn't care about that.

When he couldn't sleep the night before, he often brought the scriptures and history on the couch to read and hypnotize him. Whenever he saw that he wanted to close his eyes, he would randomly stuff the book under the pillow, but when he came back from the supervisor the next day, the book must have been taken away. Take it back to the bookshelf in the outer room.All the water cups, teapots and even chamber pots he used will be placed in absolutely specific positions by his servants day after day.If it wasn't for the buckwheat pillow that Uncle Dong brought to him on the bedside, no matter how long he lived, the room would look the same every day at first glance, and there would never be a trace of his smell——

Some will always be the taste of the Zhang family.

The Zhang family is strict and self-disciplined. They get up very early and go to bed very early every day. They often have fixed dishes for three meals a day. They live on the first day of the new year and can see the fifteenth day. During the New Year, celebrations are also restrained. , even the steps and time for the servants to sweep and wash the clothes are fixed——

If one day, one of them changes, it must be something big.

Not long after the Mid-Autumn Festival that year, someone came to the palace in the middle of the night one day, and hurriedly invited Zhang Ling to leave.The servants who were supposed to do things early in the morning were alarmed to get up early, but the head of the family didn't have to prepare meals. This incident immediately changed the whole day's affairs in the mansion, and when Zhang Ling came back at night, he really brought back a shocking surprise. message:

After three years, the Luntu tribe invaded again and broke through five cities in the Northland.Old General Xiao was ordered in danger. Seven days later, he will lead the Chifeng Army from the northern battalion to Jiangbei to join forces with the border guards. Jin Wang Jiangyue, who is also the supervisor of the northern battalion, is also leading the imperial order and will go out with him in the near future.

At that time, Pei Jun's father was killed by Luntu's knife, and it was only three years since the heroic soul passed away. He didn't expect that Luntu would make a comeback so soon. Hearing the news, Pei Jun wished he could take up his sword and join the Xiao family in battle to kill the enemy.

But in the face of young Pei Jun's red eyes full of anger, the old minister Zhang Ling just quietly put a stack of books in front of him as usual, and said in a deep voice: "Today, King Jin's reading comprehension has not been delivered yet, so go now .”

Pei Jun endured the pain and said: "The prince of Jin will go to northern Xinjiang in a few days, how can he still study, what's the use of sending him?"

Zhang Ling said calmly: "Everything is inherent, and its law remains the same. The battle will always be over, and the King of Jin will always come back. The war is only a year or two, and success or failure is only between killing and cutting. Life and death are short-lived. Only a strong country and a strong army can last long... For this reason, no matter whether the monarch or his ministers, it is impossible to only use the sword."

He sighed in vain, his eyebrows were closed due to exhaustion, and his fingers on the book lightly tapped the cover, and said in a low voice:

"The one who changes the country is the general; the one who changes the country is the minister. Ziyu, when you enter the class as a minister in the future, you should remember this lesson."

Maybe it was Zhang Ling's words that left seeds in Pei Jun's heart, or maybe it was because Pei Jun only had the ambition to be a monk and hit the clock. In any case, Pei Jun had no choice but to pick up the book that day. He went to the Prince Jin's mansion, not knowing that it would be the last time he would send books to Jiang Yue.And even if he knew, he probably still wouldn't feel that this was any different from every time he sent books in the past, and when he left, he wouldn't bother to say goodbye to Jiang Yue either.

He just feels relieved.

That night, he thought that Jiang Yue would accept the book casually and drive him away, so he didn't have to wait a long time to take away his homework—after all, the war is approaching, who would want to write romantic readings when he is going to the battlefield?But what he didn't expect was that Jiang Yue, who was about to go on an expedition, seemed to be more nostalgic for every detail of Anping because of the approaching war.

At that time, Jiang Yue had just left the palace, and his body was covered with unfaded court clothes, crowns, beaded ribbons, thick colors and shoulder-pressing patterns that wrapped the young noble prince heavily.The bright candlelight in the main hall illuminated his young and handsome face, his eyes looking at Pei Jun, and the coldly shining imperial silver armor hanging on the wooden frame behind him.

He took the book from Pei Jun, seemed to think for a long time, and then said suddenly: "Probably you don't have to come here in the future."

Pei Jun had something in his mind, but he said casually: "Yes, I heard that the prince is about to go to war. I wish the prince a victory and return soon."

After finishing speaking, he sullenly resigned and wanted to leave, but he didn't want Jiang Yue behind him to suddenly say: "...Pei Jun!"

He frowned impatiently and turned around, lowered his head according to his temper, and after a while, only Jiang Yue returned to the cold sigh in the pale silence of the main hall.

He raised his eyes and saw Jiang Yue was staring at him deeply, his face was solemn, but there were shallow scars between his brows like spring water blowing, and his eyes seemed to be frosted and snowed.

After a while, Jiang Yue sighed again as if talking to himself: "... that's all." Then he stretched out his slender white fingers to pick up the book from under the cuffs of the court dress, and said in a cold tone:

"In the future, I don't know when I will return... I don't know if I can return. Today, I want to write and read again, so please wait a little longer."

It seemed that Pei Jun was not allowed to rest at the last moment, which made Pei Jun feel irritable, but when he met Jiang Yue's bright eyes, he saw that there seemed to be a kind of request in the eyes of the young prince holding the book. like expectations.

This made Pei Jun even more angry, but he could only resist it.After dusting off his robe and sitting on the right seat, he frowned and looked at the shiny suit of armor behind Jiang Yue, thinking that he would just wait—this was the last time.

Seeing him sitting down, Jiang Yue immediately asked someone to come to the hall with a pen and paper. He didn't change the court clothes, but took off the crown. He sat at the table above Pei Jun and spread out the yellow paper from the book, and turned to look at Pei Jun. With a glance at Jun, seeing that Pei Jun was actually looking at him, he couldn't help being startled, then quickly lowered his head, raised his hand to cover his ears for a while, and then began to read and write intermittently.

The incense in the animal stove in the hall was ignited bit by bit, and was added by the servants.Pei Jun waited for a long time and didn't see that Jiang Yue finished writing, so he looked away from the armor and glanced at Jiang Yue, only to feel that the little prince was really slow, and saw that Jiang Yue was reading a book, reading a paper, and stealing a glance at a while. Looking at him, I felt that Jiang Yue was making fun of him with this matter, and he would never let him go easily.

However, after reading a few pages, I still can't write for too long.When it was almost the second watch, Jiang Yue finally finished writing.Pei Jun was done, and was about to leave when he was collecting the books, but he heard Jiang Yue hesitantly raised his head and said, "The army will set out early in the morning after seven days..."

"I know." Pei Jun randomly inserted Jiang Yue's clear yellow note into the book, "Xiao Lin is also going, and I will go to Beiying to see him off that day."

When Jiang Yue heard the words, his eyelashes trembled: "...will you go?"

Pei Jun muffled and perfunctory, thinking that if his mother hadn't stopped him, he would not only have sent Xiao Lin away, but he would have been able to go to the battlefield with Xiao Lin to avenge his father.

Thinking of this, he sighed heavily, grabbed the book and said his farewell, and added a sentence "I hope the prince will return safely and triumphantly".

I don't know if it was because Jiang Yue cared about his life that he replied very seriously at that time: "Okay, definitely."

Looking at Jiang Yue's pure eyes, Pei Jun felt a little awkward, and left in a hurry.But when he hurriedly turned around the screen wall of the palace with the things Jiang Yue had written, he still looked back at the armor given by the emperor in the hall, unexpectedly, he saw that Jiang Yue was still standing at the entrance of the main hall. From what he could see, it happened to catch him turning around at this moment, and he even took a step forward to stare at him.

Pei Jun's face became hot for a moment, and he quickly raised his legs and ran out of the palace.At that time, because he thought that the Xiao family would receive the decree that day, he would not rush back to the barracks overnight, so he did not go back to Zhang's mansion, but went home, planning to go to Xiao Lin for a drink after changing his clothes.

Unexpectedly, when they got home, Uncle Dong said that Xiao Lin had been waiting in his courtyard for a long time.After he took three steps and two steps, he ran to have a look, and saw that Xiao Lin was really sitting at the stone table in his courtyard, and he didn't know how long he had been sitting there.

Xiao Lin was still wearing a military uniform and leather armor, the tea in front of him hadn't moved at all, but he was just leaning on the stone table in a daze, looking up at the autumn moon in the sky, looking a few steps away, there seemed to be hope and excitement on his face, but There is also confusion or bewilderment, and a little fear.

——That was the usual appearance of a young man before he went to the battlefield.

Everyone is eager to make contributions and be famous in history, but what you can see right now is nothing but an uncertain future, and some hopes and reveries hidden in the misty.They have no way of knowing whether they will break their halberds and die their souls in the future, stain the yellow sand with blood, or whether they will be full of praise in the city when they return. They only know that they will leave in the future, but when they leave, they don't know when they will come back.I don't know whether to come back on a tall horse, or to come back lying in a coffin cart wrapped in plain cloth...or even not to come back again.

Pei Jun understood Xiao Lin's excitement and anticipation at that time, but it was difficult to empathize with him, while Pei Jun did not have Xiao Lin's worries and worries about the future, nor could he understand it.He only knew that he and Xiao Lin had known each other since they were ten years old, they both came from generals, they practiced boxing and martial arts together, and rolled around in the barracks for a few years. Those useless books, those useless exams, walking the most stable but also the most mediocre path among men in the world——

He was going to be an official.

Everything is like the aged sweet-scented osmanthus wine at home that night. It used to be the wine in the same vat, but once it was put into the green pot, it was poured into two different cups, which contained the reflections of the young men under the moon facing each other. Drink this time, and you will be in a different state in the future.

They drank, squabbled, and their tricks were the same as before. While pushing the cups, Xiao Lin talked about the army, and Pei Jun talked about the school supervisor.

Xiao Lin was half a year old than Pei Jun. He was strong since he was a child, and his stature was always half a head taller than Pei Jun. He didn't have a trace of weakness. , his handsome face was flushed under the moonlight, and his eyebrows frowned instantly, he looked at Pei Jun seriously and said:

"I understand, you want to go."

Pei Jun got drunk, lay down on the table and stared at him with his face twisted. Seeing that he also folded his arms and leaned over, he said next to him:

"Pei Jun, listen... If I go up, I will go up for you; if you live, you will live well for me."

At that moment, the wine was fascinated by the mind, the moon shadows were moving around, the branches and leaves were shattering, Xiao Lin was too close in front of him, Pei Jun stared at him for a long time, and suddenly moved for no reason, leaned up and bit his lips, pulling Pulling the front of his leather armor, the other hand unbuttoned his pants——

"Pei Jun!!"

Xiao Lin was so frightened that he slapped him on the face, jumped up and shouted in shock: "You fucking court death!!"

Pei Jun's drunkenness immediately went blank on his forehead and dissipated, only then did he feel a sharp pain on the left side of his face.His eyes were dazed for a while, when he just realized that he made a big mistake, he helped the table to stand up, but someone pushed him away, before he could catch up, he saw Xiao Lin leaping out of his courtyard gate.

After a short while, there was a sound of horse neighing and whipping from outside the wall, and the iron hoof was raised in an instant, clattering away, like time, and fled suddenly.

Seven days later, he naturally had no face to send Xiao Lin off.

Afterwards, the army went north, and the war dragged on for a year and three months, until the midwinter of the next year, the world urgently needed food and grass, and the people's livelihood was depleted, but the military resources were still stretched thin.

At that time, Pei Jun had been in Zhang's residence for almost two years. He lived in the Zhang family's self-denial and law-abiding deliberate tranquility every day, and almost felt depressed to the point of suffocation. However, he often followed Zhang Ling in and out of the cabinet to do errands, and he saw and heard a lot. It was a matter of unrest in the court, and one day, he quarreled with Zhang Ling for the first time because of an official document that Zhang Ling asked him to send to the investigation department——

"Want to be dismissed again?"

Pei Jun held the official document and asked Zhang Ling, "Master dismisses officials one after another, either ransacking their homes or exiling them. Before the battle is over, the officials who transported food will disappear first. Then it will be considered that tens of millions of food and grass have been expropriated, and there will be no people left." , and how to send it to the front line?"

Zhang Ling looked at him coldly and said: "Those who are greedy for ink should be executed according to the law. If they are not severely punished, even if the imperial court has tens of millions of food and grass, they will eat it up sooner or later. But you want to question what I did wrong?"

"But wartime is different than usual!" Pei Jun pointed to the roster of officials on his desk, "In just one year, officials in the Northland have been replaced several times, and local government orders have been changed day and night—although punishing corruption is the right thing to do. Yes, but you mention the removal of three or four important officials. It takes ten days to send letters to new officials. If the food and grass arrive during these ten days, who will pick up the transfer? The extra time, Do you want to tell the frontier officers and soldiers to wait in vain when they are hungry?"

Zhang Ling raised his voice: "The imperial court's transshipment order arrived at the place early, and there will naturally be officials below to perform their duties. You don't need to worry about this matter!"

Pei Jun said absurdly: "Then officials are not greedy? If people who transport food are also greedy, don't they even have a person to hold them accountable? Moreover, the imperial court collects food and salaries from all over the world. Waiting for the grain to be transported from the south to the north, this is not right at all! Why can’t the refined grain be exchanged for more raw grains and rough noodles? If the refined grain is replaced by bran as an example, it will be solved early. The army is in urgent need, so that the army will never starve and be trapped by the enemy, and 2000 people will starve to death—”

"Grains from bran are eaten by animals! Not for people!" Zhang Ling slapped the table and stood up and scolded angrily, "Thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives to kill the enemy, but should the court humiliate them with livestock rations? If so, the world Who is willing to work for the imperial court!"

"Then if we stick to Master's principle, do people have to die while animals are still alive?" Pei Jun looked at Zhang Ling, who was known as a clear stream in the world, and felt that the world was ridiculous, "Master has never seen the fields desolate , I have never seen hungry people stealing food! You just sit in this clean yard, scolding corrupt officials, approving documents, and eating public rations distributed by the court-you will not starve to death! You will not be besieged! But they will, those Generals will!"

"Presumptuous!" Zhang Ling was so angry that he threw up the document on the table and threw it on him. He immediately snatched the document from his hand and called Zhang Wei to send it away. Then, he ordered Pei Jun to go to the narrow courtyard in front of the ancestral hall. Kneeling down to reflect, he stood on the corridor in the heavy snow and looked down coldly:

"Pei Jun, being an official is not about exercising power."

Pei Jun knelt on the icy thick snow, his red eyes sore and said: "I don't exercise power."

"Do you still dare to say?" Zhang Ling sternly reprimanded from above his head, the voice was colder than the wind knife cutting his face: "An official who breaks the law should be severely punished, but you not only questioned me for dismissing corrupt officials, They still want to use them to suppress dirty officials, and even want to exchange food for bran to help them excuse themselves—if this is not power, what is power?... Fortunately, today you are not an official in the court, and your absurd words can be taught. If you still behave like this when you enter the class as a minister, I will rule the world, and I am afraid that there will be another traitor!"

Pei Jun's hands were clenched into fists on his knees, and he was about to refute loudly, but when he raised his head, he only saw the back of Zhang Ling leaving in disappointment.

For a moment, a cold and sour feeling surged into his heart, he slapped the snow off his knees in anger, knelt on the ground, only to feel the tingling pain in his eyes, and wiped his face carelessly, his mind was full of the warm smiles of his late father and the Xiao family , It is the sword in the garden of the Zhongyi Hou Mansion, the tiger hanging on the wall in the main hall, and the tears of the mother holding Pei Yan during the mourning of the Mansion.

——He is not playing tricks.

At night, when the snow stopped, Pei Jun's knees were numb from the cold, and he almost lost consciousness.

Suddenly there was a soft sound of dry branches at the corner of the corridor, he looked up, and saw that it was the mistress Wang, who was watching him standing under the night light by the round door, with a handful of bright yellow light against the background.

"...Master." He called in a low voice.

Hearing the sound, Wang's expression immediately showed worry and intolerance, but after all, she didn't take a step closer, and didn't even dare to answer, she quickly pulled the fur robe and turned her back, leaving only a slight and weak sound in the wind. sound:

"……sorry."

Pei Jun followed the sound and looked far away, only to see that the woman under the lamp had gone into the darkness again.

He always finds it funny when he recalls these past events—everyone in this house claims to be a hero, but they make it difficult for an eighteen or nine-year-old child to kneel in the ice and snow, and the only one who came to see him was Just a cowardly woman.

But even this woman's benevolence was suppressed by Husband Gang.

Whenever Zhang Ling reprimanded Zhang He and punished Zhang San, Pei Jun had never seen Wang contradict or defend his shortcomings, and no one in the Zhang family dared to contradict Zhang Ling—except for him, whose surname was Pei.Even when Pan died of illness the next year, when Zhang Wei couldn't mourn for his biological mother because his father and mistress were still alive, he just knelt in front of a small coffin in the backyard with red eyes and didn't say a word.

It was then that Pei Jun made up his mind to leave here.

But today, counting his previous life, he has been away from this place for 18 years, and when he comes back, everything seems to have changed dramatically, but also seems to have remained the same.He looked at Zhang He, Zhang Wei, Zhang San, and Zhang Ling, and felt that the emotions in his soul that belonged to his youth rose and fell. At this moment, he was just like an outsider, remembering everything that happened in this mansion. , as if it was just a dream.

While his thoughts were flying, the voices of the people around him gradually became clearer. He came back to his senses and saw that Zhang Ling had come to the square table and bowed to Jiang Yue. His indifferent eyes flashed across his face without a single question. They have been exactly the same in the officialdom for many years.

So Pei Jun didn't bother to speak, let alone call him master, just stood quietly by Jiang Yue's side, watched Jiang Yue take out the exquisite wooden box from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Ling, saying: "This is a fragrance in Sichuan. Taoism is multi-purpose, although it is not expensive, but it is fragrant and refreshing. I visited your mansion for the first time and heard that Mr. Zhang loves incense, so I prepared this gift and wanted to give it to Mr. Zhang. I hope Mr. Zhang will not dislike it."

"Don't you dare?" Zhang Ling bowed again and again, "The old minister thanked the prince for his kindness. But today, at the children's wedding banquet, as his father, it is unreasonable for the old minister to accept such generous gifts. The prince still—"

"Just accept it."

Pei Jun made a sudden noise, glanced at Zhang Ling, and pretended to flatter his superior, saying: "The prince of Jin is busy with everything and devotes himself to doing things for the court, but he never forgets to rush back to congratulate the students. This is the teacher's morality; knowing that you love incense Lian Jie deliberately found this non-gold and non-jade treasure as a gift, which is the virtue of the emperor. If you don’t accept it, wouldn’t it be a violation of human virtue? How can you reassure Prince Jin?” After finishing speaking, he also asked for credit as if He smiled at Jiang Yue, pretending to be a flattering villain, causing Zhang Ling to stare at him coldly.

Jiang Yue instinctively stood between the former master and apprentice, as if everything he said would be wrong, the box in his hand froze in mid-air, and he couldn't help but exchanged glances with Pei Jun.

Zhang Ling noticed that the guests around him were paying attention, so he frowned and thought for a moment, first accepted Jiang Yue's meeting gift, and thanked him lightly.

But after handing over the box, Jiang Yue just sat down, but saw Zhang Ling's cold face, then turned to Pei Jun and said: "Today is Zhang San's wedding banquet, not an official meeting, if you want to make things convenient, you will go to the wrong place. It's better to leave early, so as not to cause trouble here."

Jiang Yue frowned, and before he could speak out to dissuade him, Pei Jun said with a sarcasm, "Oh? What convenience do I want, why don't I know?"

Zhang Lingzhen is majestic, with grey-haired eyes and serious eyebrows: "Prince Rui is newly mourned, and Princess Pei was accused of killing her husband and is now awaiting trial. Pei is your sister. If you want to cleanse her, it is nothing more than Disturbing the law, and today's banquet, gathering guests of law enforcement and law revision, it is not surprising that you have found accommodating lobbying... Otherwise, with your nature, how could you be willing to break your promise and step into my Zhang mansion?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yue was about to stand up and speak when he saw Pei Jun standing in front of him with his hands behind his back:

"...It turns out that Mr. Zhang thought I was entrusted with the relationship."

The smile on Pei Jun's face deepened. At this moment, he realized that Jiang Yue pulled his sleeve behind him, but he only pulled out the sleeve. He took a step closer to Zhang Ling under the eyes of the court and scholars, and asked back: "But since she is waiting to be tried, my sister has not been convicted of murdering her husband. Now that the person has not been tried and the evidence is not complete, Mr. Zhang is the head of my dynasty, but he can convict him with empty words?"

As Pei Jun approached, Zhang Ling caught a glimpse of the wrinkled jacket on his body, frowned, and then covered his nose with his sleeve and coughed loudly.

Seeing him like this, the surrounding Qingliu all noticed that Pei Jun's clothes were indecent, and couldn't help pointing out secretly, to the effect that they guessed that Pei Jun had a filthy aura, so they whispered to each other and cast unkind glances at Pei Jun.

Under such gazes, Pei Jun felt like a weasel in a chicken coop. No matter whether he came to congratulate him or not, the chickens in the chicken coop could only smell the stench of his body, as if he was insecure. kindly.

"Although we don't know whether he killed his husband or not, Pei's crime of avoiding his son due to hatred has already been established." Zhang Ling put down his sleeves, and then Pei Jun spoke again, "This crime alone is similar to murdering the emperor's heir. "

Hearing this, Pei Jun sneered and said, "Let's not talk about whether my sister had an imperial heir in her belly who could murder her when she took the medicine. Even if there was, then this case is still under the jurisdiction of the Sejong Pavilion, so Master Zhang doesn't need to worry about it, right?"

Zhang Ling snorted softly: "The Sejong Pavilion is the inner court of the royal family. It is the law of the family and the family, and cannot replace the law of the state. Whoever is guilty will be sentenced by the law of the state."

"According to the law of the country, there is no necessary connection between King Rui's death and Pei Yan's avoidance of his son. How can we tell my sister to prove the crime based on the bribed imperial doctor's words?" Pei Jun frowned slightly. Looking at Zhang Ling, he hooked his lips and smiled, "Master Zhang obviously felt that my sister was guilty, and didn't you hear others deduce that my sister killed people because of hatred? But didn't you always teach me in the past—"Law Law is the foundation of government, not only should it not be increased or decreased due to joy or anger, nor should it be changed due to closeness', then if you want to impose the theory of love and hate deduction on the law, wouldn't it be polluting your own family, Mr. Zhang? lintel?"

Zhang Ling raised it in one breath: "Pei Ziyu, you are not qualified to speak to me about laws."

Seeing that he was angry, Pei Jun smiled softly and said, "Naturally. When it comes to 'saving people with the law', there is no one in the court who can compare with Mr. Zhang."

After saying this, he guessed that Zhang Ling must have expelled him, but as expected—— Zhang Ling had already lost face among the guests because of this few words, so he really invited the servants at this time, and coldly uttered two words: "see a visitor out."

All of a sudden, three or five family members around responded to Pei Jun's support, and the strength of their hands was more like holding him than grabbing him. When he got upset, he swept away, only took one more look at Zhang Ling, and said, "" Farewell," then turned around and headed for the door.

Get up early at night, and the yellow paper lanterns at the gate of Zhangjia are swaying in the spring breeze, revealing a bright and condensed brilliance.

There were still people carrying congratulatory gifts outside, and Pei Jun stepped out of the high threshold against the workers who carried the load, feeling more and more boring in his heart.

Uncle Xu, who greeted the people, couldn't help sighing when he saw that he was really kicked out: "Look, what did I say? Why did you come here!"

Pei Jun shook his clothes, didn't want to talk, just waved to him, and he quickly walked down the stone steps.

At this moment, he turned his head to look at the high-hanging Gongqing plaque and the happy door lintel in Zhang's mansion. He fanned his sleeves and smelled his clothes, and he seemed to feel even more sour. Also just right.

Just turning around and thinking about finding a place to fill his stomach, Pei Jun raised his foot to leave, but felt that his sleeve was being pulled.Turning his head, he saw Jiang Yue standing behind him, neatly dressed in a blue brocade robe under the candlelight in the night, looking at him with eyebrows raised, his eyes full of concern.

Pei Jun pulled out his cuff from between his five fingers, sniffed, and smiled, "Why did you come out? Don't play with your student?"

"The gift is given, and the wine is eaten, so I don't need to keep it." After Jiang Yue finished speaking with downcast eyes, he grabbed his sleeve again, "My carriage is behind, and I will take you back."

"No need, no need, I'll just go back by myself." Pei Jun quickly pulled his hand away again, stepped back half a step and smiled at him, "I already have a smell on my body, you are a clean person, so don't squeeze with me, Go back by yourself first."

After speaking, he waved to Jiang Yue, turned around and walked towards the alley beside Zhang's mansion.Turn left and then right on the familiar road, pick up Xiejie and walk a hundred steps forward, and finally enter Carpenter Alley.

A wonton cart seller on the street corner saw him, and greeted him while scooping up the soup: "Hey, the official is here! Hey, it's been a long time since I've seen you, take a seat!"

"How long is too long? I can't even remember." Pei Jun casually responded to his words, walked to the low table behind him and sat down, only to see that there were only a few sitting at the six or seven tables in the stall before they got off work. The craftsmen with hammers, tongs, and planes were at their feet, their clothes were covered with ashes, and they were holding large bowls of steaming wontons, joking with each other while talking and laughing. In the small dish on the table, poke some red and oily things from the middle to make the soup.

At this time, the stall owner took over the words from just now and said, "You haven't come for six or seven months. I saw you still holding a fan last time." As he spoke, he brought the newly scooped wontons to the other table and asked Pei Jun, "Today Are you eating a small bowl or a big bowl? Do you add vegetables?"

Pei Jun clasped his hands and said, "I want to add more vegetables to the big bowl, and I also need small dishes. Please hurry up, I'm going to go to the palace of the king of hell hungry."

The stall owner responded with a smile, and hurried back to work.At this time, Pei Junxian was listening to the carpenter at the next table complaining that the construction work was difficult and his boss was difficult to deal with. He was groping for 360 lines, and it was really not easy.

Taking a closer look, it turned out that his boss, Jiang Yue, was sitting opposite to him, and he was panting slightly to support the hair crown, as if he had come in a hurry.

Pei Jun was taken aback for a moment, looking at the sloppy craftsmen and low tables around him, and then at the clean Jiang Yue in front of him, surprised: "...Why did you come here?"

Jiang Yue sat upright, his long legs bent aggrievedly by the slightly shorter bench, and he looked at Pei Jun with sullen eyes when he heard the words: "Didn't you say you want to have dinner together?"

Only then did Pei Jun think of this, and suddenly realized.Seeing Jiang Yue's appearance, he guessed that this person must have come after him hard, and for a moment, his heart felt as if he had wiped a handful of honey, sweet and sticky, and hurriedly said sorry to him.Thinking about it carefully, he felt that this wonton stall was really sloppy, and it shouldn't be a place for Jiang Yue to eat, so he wanted to get up and take Jiang Yue away.

Unexpectedly, at this time, the stall owner had already placed a bowl of cooked wontons on the low table between the two of them, and greeted Jiang Yue with a smiling face: "Hey, this master must be a close friend of the official, right? Lord, I have never brought anyone else to my sloppy place, you are really the first one!"

Pei Jun paused, but he couldn't get up, and saw that Jiang Yue had been attracted by the stall owner's words, he thought something was wrong, and the next moment, he really heard the stall owner say again: "Is this lord here for a bowl of wontons too? "

Before Pei Jun could say "no", Jiang Yue nodded obediently, looked at the bowl in front of Pei Jun, and said seriously to the stall owner: "Be the same as him.