After lunch, the soldiers all looked for a warm place to rest for a while.
Xiao Jue was talking to the deputy commander in the practice field. He was giving instructions for the next month's training. Lin Shuanghe walked over and waved his fan at him from a distance, indicating that he wanted to talk to him in private.
Xiao Jue finished giving instructions and walked towards Lin Shuanghe. As he walked, he said impatiently, "Didn't you go to the medical center to help?"
Lin Shuanghe had nothing to do all day. Recently, the weather had been cold. Shen Muxue took out a large pot of medicinal soup to warm the stomach and distributed it to everyone. Because there were not enough people, Lin Shuanghe volunteered to help. He had always been a gentleman and thought that the soldiers of the Liangzhou Guard did not bathe and smelled bad. After helping for two days, he gave up.
"I was going to go, but I met someone on the way. A guest came to the Liangzhou Guard, "he said.
Xiao Jue asked, "Who?"
Lin Shuanghe's face showed a meaningful smile, "Xu Pingting's … personal maid."
Inside the room, a young maid stood in front of the door with a smile. She ordered the servant to open the boxes in the room one by one. She said, "These are the gifts that Miss personally chose for Fourth Young Master."
The current Prime Minister Xu Jingfu had great power. Half of the officials in the court were his students. He had lived for most of his life and had a good reputation. The Emperor trusted him. If there was anything he regretted, it would be that he did not have a son. Later, he found a famous doctor to treat him. When he was in his fifties, his wife finally gave birth to a daughter, Xu Pingting.
He only had this precious daughter when he was old. The Xu Family was almost completely obedient to Xu Pingting. Even the princess was not as pampered as her. Xu Pingting was seventeen years old this year. She was also a charming little beauty, but her personality was particularly domineering, making it hard for others to resist.
Chu Zhao was Xu Jingfu's favorite student. He often went to eat with the Xu Family. After a while, he became familiar with Xu Pingting.
"Little Sister Mo Tai must be tired from the long journey." Ying Xiang smiled as she handed over a cup of tea and said, "Drink some tea to warm your body."
Mo Tai glanced at Ying Xiang and said with a fake smile, "Forget it. This servant is not used to the crude tea of the Liang Province Guards."
Ying Xiang was not annoyed. She still had a smile on her face as she took the tea away. Mo Tai looked at Ying Xiang's back and a trace of contempt flashed across her eyes. She cursed in her heart.
With such a vixen by Fourth Young Master Chu's side every day, who knew if she would use her seductive methods on his master? Although Eldest Miss Xu was young and beautiful, she was no match for this b * tch when it came to pleasing others. It was not that Xu Pingting had never thought of driving Ying Xiang away from Chu Zhao. Unfortunately, Chu Zhao, who had always been gentle, flatly refused to do so. In the end, Prime Minister Xu had to personally step in and cover up the matter.
Wasn't he just a servant? Was there a need to protect him like this? Mo Tai was dissatisfied, but she could not vent it on Chu Zhao.
She looked around Chu Zhao's room. After a while, she shook her head and said, "The place where Fourth Young Master lives is really too shabby. This servant has only stayed here for a short while, but my hands and feet feel cold. There isn't even a charcoal fire here. It seems that Fourth Young Master has suffered these past two months. "
"It's no problem," Chu Zhao replied gently, "The new recruits here are all like this."
"How can they compare to you?" Mo Tai said, "You can't compare yourself to that lowly b * tch."
A trace of coldness flashed through Chu Zhao's eyes. When he raised his head again, his expression was gentle again. He asked, "Miss Mo Tai, have you come here for something?"
"It's nothing," Mo Tai said with a smile, "It's just that Miss hasn't seen Fourth Young Master for a long time and misses him. She heard that Liang Province is extremely cold in winter and ordered this servant to bring some warm clothing to Fourth Young Master with the carriages. "
She bent down and took out a fur coat from the chest. She carried it to Chu Zhao and said, "Miss personally ordered people to buy this from merchants. It can be worn to keep out the cold. Fourth Young Master, do you want to try it? "
The fur of the fur coat was smooth and clean, soft and light. It was obvious that it was expensive.
Chu Zhao stood up and put on the fur coat. He smiled and thanked her, "It's very warm. Please thank Eldest Miss for me."
Mo Tai covered her mouth and smiled, "This servant cannot do it for you. If you want to thank her, Fourth Young Master should personally say it to Eldest Miss." She seemed to have thought of something and asked Chu Zhao, "When does Fourth Young Master plan on returning to Shuo capital?"
"It's in these two days."
"This servant thinks that Liang Province is not a place for people to stay. If Eldest Miss was here, she would definitely feel sorry for Fourth Young Master. How about you set out tomorrow? The earlier you set out, the earlier you can return to Shuo capital, and the earlier you can see Eldest Miss. "She smiled slightly," Before this servant left, Master even mentioned Fourth Young Master to Eldest Miss. "
Although she was probing, her tone was unquestionable. She had already made her decision. She did not allow Chu Zhao to refute.
Chu Zhao paused for a moment, then raised his head and smiled, "Okay, we'll set out tomorrow. I also miss Teacher."
"That's great." Mo Tai's face suddenly bloomed like a flower. She urged the servant to take out the things in the box.
"This box is full of winter clothes. This servant will take them out for you first. After I'm done, I'll help you pack your luggage for tomorrow's departure." She said, "I hope Fourth Young Master won't blame this servant for being nosy."
"How could I?" Chu Zhao smiled, "I can't thank you enough."
Ying Xiang stood behind the curtain and looked at the arrogant Mo Tai in the room. She lowered her gaze and stood quietly for a moment before walking away.
It was a winter evening and the sky turned dark very early. The lights in the room were lit up.
Lin Shuanghe lay on the bed and spat out the melon seed in his mouth, "What's wrong with Xu Pingting's maid? She talked to Chu Zhao from day to night and didn't let him leave? Those who don't know would think that she's the real Eldest Young Miss Xu. Isn't it too obvious that she's announcing her ownership? Right now, I feel that Chu Zilan is a bit pitiful. "
Xiao Jue was sitting at the table and reading military documents. When she heard this, she said, "If he's pitiful, you can go and rescue him."
"Then forget it." Lin Shuanghe sat up and put his hands behind his head, "Who's to blame? It's all Chu Zilan's fault. Who told him to be good-looking and gentle? A man like that would be fought over in the capital. He even tried to curry favor with Xu Jingfu. It's expected that Eldest Young Miss Xu would like him. "
Xiao Jue smiled, "If he can really become the son-in-law of the Xu family, then that's his ability."
"That's true." Lin Shuanghe deeply agreed with Xiao Jue's words, "He was originally ostracized and bullied in Count Shi Jin's residence. If it wasn't for Xu Jingfu, how could he be registered under Di Mother's name? If he really marries the Eldest Young Miss of the Xu family, "Lin Shuanghe said," Chu Zilan will be in charge of Count Shi Jin's residence in the future! "
Everyone said that women fawned over those in power and that if they found a good husband, they would be able to lean against a big tree and enjoy the shade. Who knew if men were different? When there were benefits in front of them, all of their choices were for the sake of living a better life. Whether they liked someone or not, whether they were willing or not, whether they were sincere or not, none of that mattered.
It wasn't clear whether it was Xu Pingting's sorrow or Chu Zilan's.
"I think that maid was lying when she said she would take care of him. She was really monitoring him." Lin Shuanghe spread out his hands, "Chu Zilan won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Chu Zilan?" Cheng Lisu's head poked in through the window, "What's wrong with him? Didn't he go to see the moon with my eldest brother tonight?"
"What do you mean see the moon?" Lin Shuanghe asked.
"We went to the foot of Mount Baiyue to see the moon. I originally wanted to find my eldest brother to watch the puppet show I just learned, but my eldest brother said that he would go see the moon with Fourth Young Master Chu tonight, so I could only reschedule it to tomorrow." Cheng Lisu looked at Lin Shuanghe, then at Xiao Jue, "Uncle, what did you mean by what you said just now?"
Xiao Jue pushed his head back out of the window and closed it, "Go back to sleep."
Cheng Lisu smashed the window outside to no avail. After a while, he could only leave.
After he left, Lin Shuanghe rubbed his chin and asked, "My Younger Sister He and Chu Zilan are going to see the moon tonight? Their relationship is developing so quickly? "
Xiao Jue continued to read the military documents, too lazy to pay attention to him.
"No," Lin Shuanghe crawled up from the bed, "I have to go take a look."
He walked directly to the door between the two rooms, knocked on the door and said, "Brother He? Brother He! Brother He, are you there? Let me know if you are. "
He put his ear to the other side of the door, but it was quiet inside. There was no sound.
Lin Shuanghe knocked a few more times, but there was still no response. He took two steps back and said to himself, "My Younger Sister He doesn't know that Xu Pingting's people are here, so she went to see the moon by herself, right?"
"Huaijin!" He shouted.
Xiao Jue's ears hurt from his shout. He said impatiently, "What?"
"My Younger Sister He might have gone to see the moon by herself," Lin Shuanghe walked in front of him, "Go and look for her."
"I'm not going," Xiao Jue said indifferently, "If you want to go, you go."
"I want to go, but Mount Baiyue is so big and I don't know the way. What if it's like what happened with Rida Muzi, and there are bad people on the mountain? You have martial arts, so you can protect yourself. If I go, I can only lie down and let them kill me. Won't you regret it if I die? "
Xiao Jue said, "No, I won't."
"Why are you like this?" Lin Shuanghe sat on his desk, blocking Junwen. He tried his best to persuade him, "Look at my Younger Sister He, she's so pitiful. Chu Zhao doesn't know that she's a girl, so he's gentle to everyone. But this is the first time Younger Sister He has met such a gentle person. Girls are very sensitive and are easily moved. But her identity can't be exposed, so she can only hide this love in her heart. Her sweetheart asked her to see the moon, so she must be very happy. But she doesn't know that her sweetheart is already someone else's son-in-law. Now she's alone on the mountain, so she must be very cold and sad. Can't you go and see her? Comfort her? "
Xiao Jue was puzzled by his idea, "She likes Chu Zilan, and I'm going to comfort her? What kind of logic is that? "
"Now is a good time for you!" Lin Shuanghe encouraged him, "Now is the best time to take advantage of her!"
Xiao Jue sneered, "Then I won't go."
"Okay, okay, okay," Lin Shuanghe said, "Let's not talk about feelings. She's your soldier, and you're her superior. Younger Sister He helped you protect the Liangzhou Guards a while ago, so you should care about your subordinates. "
"I'm her superior, not her father," Xiao Jue said coldly, "Besides, she has legs. If she can't wait for him, she'll come back."
Lin Shuanghe was silent for a moment, then asked him, "Do you think she's the kind of person who will give up if she can't wait?"
Xiao Jue's hand that was holding the pen paused.
The image of the youth running with a sandbag on his back in the martial arts arena appeared in his mind.
He Yan wasn't the kind of person who gave up easily. Sometimes she was clever and cunning, but sometimes she was stubborn and persistent. It was hard to say whether she was stubborn or stupid, but Lin Shuanghe was right. With her personality, there was an 80 to 90 percent chance that she would wait for him on the mountain for the entire night.
She was crazy.
Seeing that Xiao Jue's attitude had softened, Lin Shuanghe immediately added fuel to the fire, "Think about it, she's only 16 years old. It's already not easy for a little girl like her to get to where she is now in the Liangzhou Guards. Now that Chu Zilan gave her such a blow, she's too pitiful. Just treat it as a good thing, go up the mountain, and bring her back. She'll be grateful to you, and she'll have to be more sincere when she works for you in the future. "
Seeing that Xiao Jue didn't move, Lin Shuanghe added fuel to the fire. "When Madam Xiao was alive, she was the most benevolent and soft-hearted person. If she saw Little Sister He, she'd definitely help."
"Shut up." Xiao Jue couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the cloak beside him, stood up, and walked out the door. "I'll go."
Lin Shuanghe looked at his back, extremely satisfied. "Now that's a real man."
At the foot of Mount Baiyue, there was a huge rock. The huge rock was flat and extended, and it looked like a stone platform. Walking down the stone platform, one could hear the sound of waves at the end.
Looking down, one could see the majestic river below. Looking up, one could see the bright moon thousands of li away, illuminating the mountains and rivers.
He Yan sat down at the end of the Shi Tou. The sound of water splashing against the rocks in the distance. It was as if the deep ancient sound came from a distant time and space, distant and drawn-out.
She had arranged to meet with Chu Zhao at nine o 'clock, but she didn't know what time it was. There was still no sign of him. She did find the pavilion that Chu Zhao mentioned, but there were no dishes or snacks in the pavilion, so she didn't know what was going on.
Perhaps she should go down and look for Chu Zhao, but once she sat down here, she didn't want to get up again.
The forest was covered in snow, and the vast expanse of whiteness covered the mountains. The moonlight shone on the river, clear and carefree.
This was an extremely beautiful moonlight, and also an extremely beautiful snow. He Yan felt tired. Hugging her knees, she sat and looked at the end of the river.
She liked the night more than the day, and she liked the moon more than the sun. This was because when she was "He Rufei", the mask never left her body. However, the mask was stuffy and heavy, and she was naughty. She would always secretly take off the mask in the middle of the night for a stick of incense to burn.
No one could see her true appearance under the mask, except for the moon outside the window.
She stretched out her hand, trying to catch the moonlight hanging in the distant mountains and rivers. The moonlight gently fell on her hand, as if it would stay for her forever.
"What are you doing?" Someone's voice came from behind her.
He Yan turned around and saw a young man wearing a fox fur coat and embroidered clothes coming from the depths of the night. He was very tall, and he looked cold and handsome.
It was Xiao Jue.
He Yan was startled and subconsciously looked behind him. Xiao Jue saw her and sneered, "Chu Zilan is not coming."
"Why?" He Yan asked.
Xiao Jue looked at her and said, "Someone from the capital is here. He has something to do and can't leave. He asked me to pass on the message."
He Yan nodded and looked at him in surprise, "The Governor is actually passing on a message for Fourth Young Master Chu?"
Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao were like fire and water. It was already incredible that Chu Zhao asked Xiao Jue to pass on a message. It was even more shocking that Xiao Jue actually listened to him and came here to find her.
"You still care about this. It seems like you're not very sad." He said and sat down on the other side of the huge rock.
The winter night wind blew and it was extremely cold. He Yan asked, "Why should I be sad?" As soon as she finished speaking, she sneezed.
Although it was winter clothing, it was still unbearably cold to come out at night to be blown by the wind. She sat stiffly, her face pale from the cold, like a piece of green jade, with a kind of fragility.
Xiao Jue was silent for a moment. The next moment, she stood up.
Just as He Yan was about to raise her head, a fox fur coat covered her head, causing her vision to darken. When she came out of the fox fur coat, Xiao Jue had already returned to her original position and sat down.
The fur coat was slightly warm and blocked the wind and snow. He Yan was stunned for a long time before she said, "Thank you."
Xiao Jue turned her head and glanced at her.
The young girl's hair was tied up and she was wearing his black fur coat. Her shoulders were very narrow and she looked very frail. She used to be noisy and chatty all day long and only felt that it was a headache. However, when she was quiet, it was as if she had turned into another person.
It made people feel uncomfortable.
Xiao Jue lowered her eyes and looked at her. After a while, she smiled. "You look so bitter and resentful. It's really ugly." She paused and said, "You can't bear to leave Chu Zilan?"
"What?" He Yan was confused.
"I didn't see you this depressed even when you were about to die," she said lazily. "It seems like you like him very much."
He Yan didn't understand what she was saying.
"He hasn't left yet and you're already so depressed. What will you do when he leaves tomorrow?" Xiao Jue looked at the river in the distance.
"Tomorrow?" He Yan was shocked. "So soon?"
She remembered that Chu Zhao told her that it would be one of these days. He didn't say that it would be tomorrow.
Xiao Jue looked at her with a half-smile. "Are you anxious?"
"No," He Yan said. "I'm just a little surprised …" She thought of something and said sadly, "Well, he has to make it in time for Xu … Master Xu's wedding. He has to leave as soon as possible."
He Yan asked Xiao Jue, "Do you know the young master of the Xu family in Beijing?"
Xiao Jue said, "I've heard of him."
"Xu Zhiheng is getting married. Fourth Young Master Chu rushed back just to make it in time for his wedding." He Yan's voice was dry.
"The one getting married is Xu Zhiheng, not Chu Zilan." Xiao Jue frowned. "Look at how useless you are now. You still want to join the Nine Flags Battalion?"
He Yan forced a smile. Just as she was about to speak, Xiao Jue waved her sleeve and threw something into her arms.
He Yan looked down. It was a stick of tanghulu. It had been outside for a long time and was as cold as ice. It was bright red in the snow.
"Where … where did you get this?"
"It's Song Taotao's." Xiao Jue said. "I just took a stick of it."
He didn't know how to coax a girl. Before he left, he asked Lin Shuanghe. Lin Shuanghe replied, "If it were someone else, they would have to spend a lot of effort to coax a sad girl. They would have to take her to see the lanterns, the flowers, the stars, and buy jade, pearls, and gold hairpins. But it's different for you. All you have to do is sit there and use your face."
Xiao Jue was speechless. When she passed by Shen Muxue's room, she saw the tanghulu that Song Taotao had asked someone to buy for her by the window. She casually took a stick of it.
The last time she saw her eating it, she was very happy.
He Yan picked up the tanghulu, removed the rice cake wrapper, and licked it. The tanghulu was cold and a little sweetness spread along the tip of her tongue. It was so sweet that it made her heart feel bitter.
She suddenly remembered the words she said to Chu Zhao.
She asked Chu Zhao, "What's the name of the new Young Mistress Xu?"
Chu Zhao replied, "He Xinying. She's the second daughter of the He family's second branch. She's a cousin of the previous Young Mistress He. I've met her once. She's innocent and gentle. She's a good match for Young Mistress Xu."
"He Xinying …" He Yan muttered. "Do you know the name of the previous Young Mistress Xu?"
Chu Zhao was stunned. He hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "The previous Young Mistress Xu lived in seclusion. She wasn't in Shuo Jing before. I've never seen her before. I don't know her name either."
She didn't even leave a name.
The world remembered General Feihong, He Rufei, Xu Zhiheng, and even Xu Zhiheng's new wife. However, no one remembered He Yan.
She thought that after so long, she would know Xu Zhiheng's true colors and would no longer feel heartache. However, the moment she heard that he was going to marry a new wife, she still felt a strange pain. It was as if the persistence and trust from many years ago had collapsed overnight. She didn't even bother to leave behind a lie.
All that was left was her stupidity and unwillingness.
She raised her head and looked at the moon. The gentle moonlight spread over the barren mountains and rivers, over the snowy forest, over her desolate and lonely years, and over her eyes under the mask.
The moon knew her secret, but the moon couldn't speak.
"Do you know," she opened her mouth, her voice soft. "What's the name of Xu Zhiheng's new wife?"
Xiao Jue lazily said, "How would I know?"
He Yan laughed self-deprecatingly and asked again, "Then do you know what the name of the previous Young Mistress Xu was?"
The waves of the river slapped against the reefs, as if they had been separated by a long time.
He glanced at He Yan indifferently. His eyebrows were unbelievably handsome under the moonlight. A trace of mockery appeared in his limpid eyes. He said indifferently, "Why? Do you want to be Young Mistress Xu just because they have the same name?"
He Yan was stunned.
"Do you know … do you know her name …" Her heart began to beat wildly.
"He Yan."
The waves fell on the reefs and were broken into tiny droplets of water that merged into the river. It was impossible to tell where the waves came from.
However …
He Yan's name was remembered.
He Yan suddenly raised her head and looked at him.
"Do you know … no, have you seen Young Mistress Xu?"
She said in her heart that it was impossible. She and Xiao Jue were schoolmates for less than a year before they went their separate ways. When she returned to Shuojing, she became Lady He and was no longer "He Rufei". She was quickly engaged and didn't even leave the house a few times, let alone a man. When she married into the Xu family, she became blind not long after her marriage. She stayed in the house all day and was almost isolated from the world.
How could Xiao Jue have seen her?
Unless …
"I have."
The young man sat lazily. His eyebrows were charming, and the mountains and rivers were not as bright as the light in his eyes.
For a moment, his voice overlapped with the voice of a certain night.
It was also a night like this, with mountains like this. The rain continued to fall, and her world was dark and gloomy. It was only a hair's breadth away from despair.
Xiao Jue said, "She owes me a candy."
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