Yan Cigui

Chapter 397 It looks like it’s smoking from a distance (two updates in one, please vote for me)

 The clouds are thick on rainy days.

 Even if it is a temporary break, it is still gloomy.

The water vapor is heavy, and the clothes feel very damp, making people feel uncomfortable all over.

Li Shao came out of Jinluan Hall and felt extremely tired.

He doesn’t like this kind of weather. The spring rain that comes and goes and lasts all day is not as good as the heavy rain in summer here.

 At least the move was neat enough.

Before anyone arrived at the Yamen, rain began to fall in the air again. Wang Gouzi hurriedly opened his umbrella and followed Li Shao step by step.

 Until he entered the room, Li Shao glanced at the tips of his shoes with disgust.

　　 Got wet.

 It’s hard to use an umbrella in this weather. Not only the shoes, but also the hems of the clothes are a little wet.

 “Your Highness.”

Li Shao heard the sound and turned his head to look out.

 Xu Jian had just arrived and was closing his umbrella in the corridor. Li Shao looked at his shoes and sleeves and found that he was not much cooler than himself.

"It's hard for you to get it later than me." Li Shao said.

　　The time for the next dynasty is uncertain. When there are few things to do, they will be dismissed early, but when there are many things to do, they can last for more than an hour.

 Xu Jian did not return to the court, but he would not let Li Shao wait for him. He would come to the Yamen early every day. No matter when the Jinluan Hall was dismissed, he would be waiting here when Li Shao arrived.

 Xu Jian naturally came a little late on purpose.

 When he saw the courtiers arriving at Qianbu Corridor one after another, he knew they were retreating, so he let the carriage slowly and leisurely move from west to east. When he approached the outside of the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites, he saw Li Shao's figure, and they arrived one after another.

“There is a lot of water on the road, so the carriage dare not move fast,” Xu Jian said, frowning, “It is really inconvenient on rainy days, and people are not happy.”

 Li Shao was amused.

OK!

 He is not the only one who worries about the rain.

Xu Jian was more annoyed than he looked. Li Shao couldn't help but feel secretly happy, and then a little worried.

Happiness is subconscious. Xu Jian has tricked him too much in the past two years. How could Li Shao be unhappy and rejoice in his misfortune?

Sorrow is the reason after the joy. The humid weather is not good for the legs. He also waited for Xu Jian to raise a little more and help him.

Li Shao thought and his eyes fell on Xu Jian's right leg.

Xu Jian followed Li Shao's gaze and said, "I put a hand stove here as a backup. I'll warm it up later."

Wang Gouzi had already put away his umbrella. After hearing this, he said actively: "Your Highness, please sit with the Duke for a while, and I will prepare tea and warm the stove."

 Li Shao responded.

　　It has been raining in the morning, and it stopped for a while near noon, and there was a faint hint of bright skylight. However, before it cleared up for two quarters of an hour, the rain clouds came again, and it was as dark as night throughout the afternoon, and lights were lit everywhere.

In this situation, Li Shao was inevitably absent-minded. He only felt that the chairs under him were damp and he couldn't sit still at all.

 Xu Jian saw it and didn't say much.

He focused more on observing the sky, and he concluded that there should be thunder and lightning later in the morning.

By the time I got to the office, the rain was getting heavier, and the rainwater flowed down the eaves and formed a curtain of rain.

 This is really not a good time to go home.

Not only Feng Shangshu, but other officials also stayed and continued to do what they were doing, hoping to wait until the rain eased before leaving.

Li Shao's face showed a bit of impatience.

Xu Jian said softly: "Your Highness, please wait a little longer, or do you have other things to do after returning to the palace?"

"What can happen to me?" Li Shao clicked his tongue and said smoothly, "I had somewhere to go before, but where can I go now?"

 Speaking of which, it was almost the same time last year. Xu Jian followed him in the Ministry of Rites to observe the government, and everyone went their separate ways after leaving the Yamen. He often asked Liu Xun to go to Chenmi Hutong...

Li Shao's expression darkened when he thought of the house.

Liu Xun was really unreliable in his work. He found such a place to have fun. Li Mi’s gold bricks and Gu Yue’s envoy’s gold papers were all mixed in there.

 It’s all directed at him.

 Those conspiracies aside, the house is actually pretty good.

 The drinks are good and the dancers are also good. It’s a good entertainment.

Xu Jian looked at Li Shao and heard the mockery in his words.

"You don't have to look at me," Li Shao said, "I'm not stupid, I know I can't go to those places now. If I'm going to be surrounded by Shan Shen again, I'll be in big trouble, and you will be in trouble too."

Xu Jian lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness knows what's going on, so I can rest assured."

Li Shao stood up and saw the hand stove placed by Xu Jian on his lap. He raised his eyebrows and said, "I am not as good as you now. When you go to the office and go home, Ning'an will accompany you when you eat, drink and sleep. I can only stay in Yu." Qing Gong, there is no one to accompany me even for a few sips of wine. Oh, you said, I want my father to propose a marriage for me? "

 Xu Jian did not accept this.

Li Shao spoke casually, and it seemed like he was talking casually without thinking. Xu Jian didn't need to express much opinion on this. She also analyzed with him whether finger marriage was feasible, when to ask the Holy Father for instructions, and which girl was suitable. There was no need for it at all. .

Sure enough, Li Shao didn't care and walked to the door to watch the rain.

East and West, there is no head, no brain, and what you say, wait for the rainy water, and it has passed the two insteads.

Officials took advantage of this and rushed to the yamen. There were carriages and sedan chairs outside the yamen on the left and right sides.

Li Shao was also about to leave when he saw a small official coming looking for him.

After meeting with the two people, the clerk said: "My lord, someone came outside just now to send a message, saying that the wheels of your carriage were stuck when it was halfway through, and I might not be able to reach it for a while. Can you please stay in the Yamen?" hold on."

 Xu Jian thanked the clerk and waited for them to leave, looking troubled.

Li Shao said: "If we don't leave now, I'm afraid it will rain again later."

"Yes, it's not convenient to find another carriage and sedan now. I don't know how long it will take to get back home," Xu Jian sighed and said, "When I went out early in the morning, the princess also said that the bamboo shoots these days are delicious, so let's let him go in the evening. Prepare a few more dishes in the kitchen for dinner, the dishes will be cold now..."

Li Shao couldn't help but raise his hand and touch his belly.

I'm a little hungry, and I can't help but feel greedy after hearing the food and wine.

Xu Jian seemed to have just thought of this, and said to Li Shao: "Why don't you go to the minister's place and have a bar?"

Li Shao was very moved when he heard this.

 He has a carriage with just a few slips, so he can leave now.

He hasn't had a drink outside for a while. Being in the palace all day is really boring. Although there is no fun in the Fuguo Palace, having wine with Xu Jian is acceptable to his father.

 As for whether this wine pairing is a good match or not, it is no longer important to Li Shao.

"Where are you?" Li Shao immediately made up his mind and asked, "The cook in your house should be pretty good, right?"

Xu Jian said: "The princess likes it very much."

Li Shao then nodded as if he was relieved: "Ning'an is used to eating snacks in the imperial kitchen. If she likes it, I can get used to it too."

 After saying that, he motioned to Wang Gouzi to prepare the carriage.

 Wang Gouzi rolled his eyes.

He has not been as wary of the Duke of Fu recently, but when there is a branch in front of him, how can he not take a second look?

Look at it, it will break if it is broken, and you will not break it with your hands.

 He has no such identity and no clear reason.

"Young man, let's go now," Wang Gouzi said, and asked Li Shao for instructions. "Young man, I'll also send someone to the palace to tell you to go to the Duke Fu's house to have dinner, so that Eunuch Guo won't have to wait all the time. "

Li Shao will not stop him. Wang Gouzi galloped away, arranged the carriage and came to hold an umbrella for Li Shao.

As he walked, he thought that it was best to just have a drink and have nothing to do. If there was any trick, the tail of Duke Fu would be exposed.

By the time the carriage drove out of the Thousand Steps Corridor, it still couldn't pick up any speed.

Pedestrians were in a hurry, and the rain gradually became heavier, making people on the road wail.

Xu Jian glanced at the rain scene and said to Li Shao: "Looking at this situation, if I hadn't been in His Highness's carriage, I really wouldn't be able to get home in a short time."

 Li Shao raised his chin.

 In the Duke's Mansion, Lin Yunyan stood by the window.

Just as she thought, Uncle Chengyi’s house sent fresh bamboo shoots this morning. She asked people to bring them to the kitchen, and asked her to make soup in the evening and prepare more dishes to go with wine.

Mother Ma went to look for the steward just now, and when she came back she told her that she could smell a strong aroma even some distance away from the kitchen, which made people want to eat.

Lin Yunyan laughed after hearing this and waited patiently for the progress of Xu Jian's side.

At this time, someone came from the front and reported that the Duke of Guo had returned in His Highness’s carriage, and that His Highness would stay at the mansion to have a meal.

Lin Yunyan went to the flower hall holding an umbrella.

Meeting Xu Bai on the way, she whispered: "We will set up a table in the flower hall later and serve more wine to the Duke and His Highness.

Send some more to the backyard so that Madam and A-Ping can use them in the house. If there is no need, don’t go ahead.

I'll look at it later. It may be used back in the main courtyard, or it may be left in the flower hall. "

Xu Bai couldn't help but nod: "Don't worry, the Duke of the country has already explained everything."

Lin Yunyan breathed a sigh of relief. When she entered the corridor outside the hall, she closed her umbrella. When she walked outside the flower hall, she turned her head and saw Xu Jian.

Xu Jian seemed to hear footsteps and followed the sound and looked over.

 The two people looked at each other.

Xu Jian pursed her lower lip, with a slight smile in her eyes. In just one look, Lin Yunyan understood what he meant.

 Things have gone smoothly up to this point, and we will continue to advance from now on.

Lin Yunyan blinked at Xu Jian, looked past him and saw Li Shao on the other side.

Li Shao saw her coming and asked, "Did Xu Jian say that she made bamboo shoots tonight?"

“Yes, I asked the kitchen to stew bamboo shoots and meat into a soup. It’s a wet and cold day. Your Highness will drink two more bowls of soup to warm you up.” Lin Yunyan replied.

Li Shao was very interested. When Xu Bai asked someone to set the table, he took a look at the dishes and raised his eyebrows.

Lin Yunyan also knows Li Shao well and has a very clear understanding of his taste preferences.

 With the dishes being prepared tonight, the dishes ordered were also home-cooked, with more side dishes to go with the wine than usual. There was only one dish that Li Shao didn't like to eat, and the rest were mostly things that he was willing to try with more chopsticks.

She specifically avoided the dishes that Li Shao liked, so that he and Wang Gouzi would not notice that these dishes had been arranged long ago, and she had already known that he would come to have a drink tonight.

Lin Yunyan also deliberately asked: "I didn't know that His Highness was coming, so I didn't make any preparations in the kitchen. If Your Highness wants to eat anything else, I'll have someone check to see if there's any ingredients in the kitchen. If it doesn't work, I'll go to the street and buy it." The wine shops on West Street are not too far away.”

Li Shao sat down at the table and said cheerfully: "It's enough, no need to bother."

After finishing speaking, he saw that there were only two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, and he added: "You don't want to use both? Let someone add a pair. I won't force you to drink. You can drink whatever you like."

Lin Yunyan looked at Xu Jian.

 Xu Jian said nothing else and only asked Xu Bai to add bowls and chopsticks.

 The two of them finished singing the play, and then they all sat down.

There was no need for the barker to wait on him during the dinner, so Xu Bai served some more food and wine in the side hall and let him do what he wanted.

Wang Gouzi had some time to relax and ate his food without touching a drop of wine. He kept his ears open to pay attention to Li Shao's movements.

 Li Shao is having a drink.

I have to say that the chef at Duke Fu's Mansion was very good. The soups and vegetables were delicious, and there were several dishes to go with the wine, which made the wine even more mellow, making him unable to put it down even if he wanted to.

 Xu Jian accompanies him to have wine.

Li Shao couldn't drink him, so he gradually showed his drunkenness.

 The wind and rain outside intensified, and it was pitch black and only shadows could be seen.

 Suddenly, the sky seemed to be split open by lightning, and half of the sky was illuminated.

Lin Yunyan couldn't help but squeeze the wine cup in her hand and exchanged a look with Xu Jian.

 The lightning and thunder they had been waiting for finally came.

The lightning was dazzling, and it seemed that it was not far away. She was just about to say that the thunder must be loud, when she heard a rumble, and the movement was so loud that the ground seemed to tremble.

Li Shao was also startled and exclaimed: "This thunder is really powerful."

 Following his words, thunder and lightning flashed across the sky.

Xu Jian said: "Your Highness, there is such a severe thunderstorm, so be careful on the way back to the palace next time."

Li Shao agreed: "Let's go later, we haven't finished eating yet. Maybe we'll stop by then."

Wang Gouzi touched his chest amidst the thunder.

The noise was so loud that it was really bluffing. If you heard it for a while while sleeping, you would probably be frightened and wake you up.

 After Li Shao drank several more drinks without realizing it, he raised his hand and pressed his swollen forehead. Just when he was about to say a few words, he heard someone coming in the rain from outside.

It was Xu Bai who came.

He didn't even bother to hold an umbrella and ran along the corridor. He was mostly wet: "Your Highness, the Duke and the Princess, thunder just fell not far away, and it exploded badly."

Li Shao was stunned.

 Xu Jian asked: "Where did it fall? Did you hurt someone?"

"I haven't heard that anyone was hurt. It seems that he fell into some yard, which caused a lot of discussion."

Xu Jian thought for a while and said, "Then go and find out."

Not long after, Xu Bai came back after asking, his expression much worse than before.

Lin Yunyan saw this and asked, "What? Did it really hit someone?"

"There are discussions on the streets. The house was hit by the earthquake, and it was smoking from a distance. Fortunately, the rain was heavy, so it shouldn't burn. But the specific situation," Xu Bai paused and glanced at Li Shao, "Suffer." The one who was struck by lightning was the Holy Mansion, and the common people did not dare to get close..."

 Li Shaoteng stood up: "Where did you say? Where did the thunder fall?"

 “Qianfu.” Xu Bai said again.

Li Shao took a breath of cold air.

Xu Jian stood up, held Li Shao's shoulders, and asked, "Your Highness, who lives in that mansion now?"

“Father, I keep it for myself and don’t give it to anyone else,” Li Shao said. “At most, it’s just for those in charge.”

"Since it is a Qianfu, even if the government is notified, Master Shan does not dare to lead people to break in," Xu Jian said, "I don't know where the thunder landed. It is said that it cannot burn, but it is smoking... In this way, I envoy Please go to the palace and report it, I hope there will be no serious harm, otherwise the Holy One will definitely feel uncomfortable."

Li Shao's throat rolled, and the smell of alcohol surged up: "Are you not far from Qian's Mansion? I'll go over and have a look. It's not good for Mr. Shan to go in rashly. I'll just take the lead."

　　Thanks to Xiaoyuan for the reward.

 (End of this chapter)