Ten days later, the group arrived at Jinling.
It was different from Jiyang's warmth and simplicity, and it was also different from Rundu's solemnity and bleakness. Jinling's city was gentle and affectionate, like a beautiful and elegant lady, stained with a thin layer of pink. The sunlight was clear, the morning sun was romantic, and the soft language of Wunong was filled with music. It was truly a rich and noble village in the human world.
Lin Shuanghe couldn't walk as soon as he arrived. He could only look at the delicate lady walking on the street and praise, "This is the Immortal Cave. No wonder people always say that once you enter Jinling, you don't want to leave."
He Yan, "… You said the same thing when you were in Jiyang."
Lin Shuanghe opened his fan, "Brother He, I'm just doing as the Romans do when in Rome."
He Yan, "…"
What a good 'when in Rome do as the Romans do'.
When they arrived at Jinling, they naturally had to greet the governor of Jinling's Yingtian Prefecture. It wasn't convenient for Yan He's troops to move around freely in the city. Yingtian Prefecture had already received the news of Yan He's arrival, so Yan He also went to Yingtian Prefecture to receive them first so that he could settle the troops down.
Outside Yingtian Prefecture, the imperial bodyguards were already waiting outside. There were already people arranged to settle the troops down. He Yan was supposed to stand with Wang Ba and the others in the "troops" team. However, Lin Shuanghe patted her shoulder, "You're now Mu An Lang personally appointed by His Majesty. You're no longer a commoner. Of course, you should be with us. It's a good opportunity to show you the world of officialdom."
He Yan was speechless. Just as he was about to ask Xiao Jue, Yan He glanced at her and said, "You're right. Since you have an official position, you should follow us."
Yan He was someone who had his eyes on top of his head and was very difficult to get along with. However, he treated He Yan differently. Others were a little surprised, but He Yan was well aware that this was all thanks to him degrading "He Rufei" in front of Yan He, making him feel that he was a rare soulmate in the world.
Everyone entered the room together. There was a person sitting in the main hall. When he saw them enter, he stood up. He was wearing the robes of an inspector general. This person was very young and thin. His facial features were delicate and had a hint of determination. He did not look like an inspector general. Instead, he looked like a student of the Imperial College. He stood up and bowed to Yan He. "Generals Yan." Then, his gaze fell on Xiao Jue and he was immediately shocked. However, this shock was fleeting and soon turned into shock.
He Yan was also shocked. He did not expect to meet Yang Mingzhi here.
What kind of coincidence was this? One Xiao Jue, one Lin Shuanghe, one Yan He and one Yang Mingzhi. They were her classmates in Xianchang Gymnasium. She actually met four of them here! This was too unbelievable. However … He Yan raised his eyes and secretly glanced at Xiao Jue. When they were studying, wasn't Xiao Jue and Yang Mingzhi the closest?
He Yan had received help from Xiao Jue when he was young. However, on the surface, he was not close to Xiao Jue. At that time, Xiao Jue also had her own good friends. Lin Shuanghe was one and Yang Mingzhi was another. Compared to Lin Shuanghe, who did not do proper work and only knew how to play, Yang Mingzhi was much more serious.
Yang Mingzhi's father, Master Yang, was a scholar in Guanwen Palace. Yang Mingzhi was very talented when he was young, probably because of his father. However, his health was not good. Every few days, he would have headaches and fevers. Hence, his martial sciences were a mess. However, the teachers and other youths would not laugh at him because of this. In the humanities, Yang Mingzhi was really amazing. It was said that he could speak eloquently at the age of five. At the age of eight, he could discuss the classics with famous scholars from Da Wei. When He Yan entered Xianchang Gymnasium, Yang Mingzhi was already very famous. His political theory and poetry were the best. He also had good handwriting. He Yan was very envious. He was also very gentle. He was not as lively as Lin Shuanghe, nor as indifferent as Xiao Jue. His gentleness was just right.
In Xianchang Gymnasium, if Yan He was always competing with Xiao Jue in the martial sciences, then Yang Mingzhi would be on par with Xiao Jue in the humanities. Unlike his gentle temperament, Yang Mingzhi's political theory and poetry always had a bit of sharpness. It was enough to see his inner pride. He also liked to criticize current affairs. When he was in the mood, he even dared to criticize the imperial court in his articles. He was often scolded by the teachers, but He Yan could see that the teachers admired him.
When he was young, He Yan always thought that a genius like Yang Mingzhi would definitely enter the government service. Once he did, he would definitely leave a deep mark in Da Wei's history books. However, after she joined the army, she did not hear any news about Yang Mingzhi. She never expected to see him here today. She also never expected that Yang Mingzhi would become the governor of Jinling. He did not stay in Shuo Jing? Why was that? And Xiao Jue's expression was also indifferent when she saw him. This was very strange.
Xiao Jue's relationship with Yang Mingzhi was like her relationship with Lin Shuanghe. But now, when they met, they were so distant that they seemed like strangers.
He Yan was not the only one who noticed this. Yan He also noticed this. Yan He said, "Hey, isn't this brother Mingzhi? How did you become the governor here? "
Yan He did not know either? It seemed that Yang Mingzhi had been very low-key all these years.
Yang Mingzhi came back to his senses and smiled at Yan He, "It was just a coincidence."
"Xiao Huaijin, this is your good friend from the past. Why are you so cold?" Yan He's gaze moved between the two of them, "Did you two have a fight?"
He asked this casually, as if he was still a teenager. However, Yang Mingzhi's expression changed slightly.
"If you want to talk about the past, you can talk about it in the future. Now is not the time to talk about the past." Lin Shuanghe cut in at the right time and changed the topic. "That, Yang? Sir, we will be stopping in Jinling for two days. Please help us settle down. Yan He's troops, you can do as you see fit. After resting for two days, we will return to the capital. "
Lin Shuanghe's attitude was also very strange. Even though Xiao Jue was a person who did not show her emotions, Lin Shuanghe was a shrewd person. However, looking at his current attitude towards Yang Mingzhi, it was as if he was deliberately drawing a clear line between them. There was no longer the friendliness from before.
There was no need to mention Chu Zhao. He had already seen through the undercurrent. No matter how careless Yan He was, he also realized that something was wrong. This time, he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he kept his mouth shut.
Yang Mingzhi's smile was a bit stiff. "Of course. The rooms have already been tidied up. I will ask someone to bring you there later."
Lin Shuanghe closed his fan. "Thank you, Sir Yang."
Not long after, a few servant girls came and led He Yan and the others to the place where they would be staying. The place they would be staying was not in the Governor's Manor. It was a residence not far from the Qinhuai River in Jinling. Perhaps it was under Yang Mingzhi's name, the house had already been tidied up. The rooms were just right, one for each person.
Chu Zhao also got a room.
He did not talk much with He Yan along the way. He seemed to be silent and quiet. Sometimes, he did not know what he was thinking. This saved He Yan a lot of trouble. Xiao Jue also did not argue with him. They were at peace for the time being.
He Yan's room was the most remote one. In this group of people, her position was the lowest, so this arrangement was understandable. However, Lin Shuanghe jumped out and said to her, "Brother He! I saw ants in the room I was staying in just now. I'm scared. Can I change rooms with you? "
He Yan: "… …"
She said, "They are all in one place. If you have them in your room, then I will also have them in my room."
"But I'm only scared of the ants in my room." He answered very cleverly.
Yan He, who heard their conversation, frowned. "Lin Shuanghe, are you crazy?"
"Yes." Lin Shuanghe smiled and asked, "Do you have medicine?"
Yan He left in a huff.
Chu Zhao looked at He Yan thoughtfully. He shook his head and smiled. Then, he followed Ying Xiang into his room.
He Yan stared at Lin Shuanghe, who was laughing happily in front of her. She could tell at a glance what Lin Shuanghe was up to. Lin Shuanghe's room was right next to Xiao Jue's! He was pushing her to Xiao Jue's side. Only the heavens knew that she had just made up her mind to stay away from Xiao Jue.
She looked up and saw Xiao Jue turn her head to look at her. She was speechless for a moment.
Lin Shuanghe said, "Then it's settled. Brother He, I'm leaving." He quickly hugged his bag and rushed into He Yan's room. He Yan had no choice but to brace herself and walk into Lin Shuanghe's room.
He Yan let out a sigh of relief when the door closed. She knew that this wasn't the Liang Province Guard, and the two rooms didn't have doors that could be opened easily. However, she still felt a bit nervous. She cursed herself in her heart. When she was in Jiyang City, she had slept in the same room in Cui Yue's residence. What was there to be nervous about? Now, there was a wall between them. Could it be that she could fly?
Thinking of this, she relaxed a bit.
However, she was still thinking about how unusual Xiao Jue's meeting with Yang Mingzhi just now. She felt that it was a bit strange. After a while, she slipped out of the door again. Seeing that there was no one around, she knocked on Lin Shuanghe's door.
Lin Shuanghe yawned as he opened the door. When he saw that it was He Yan, he immediately grabbed the door frame tightly. "Brother He, you have to keep your word. We've already switched rooms, so we definitely can't switch back. I won't leave even if I die. "
He thought that He Yan was here to switch rooms.
He Yan said helplessly, "I'm not here to switch rooms. I have something to ask you."
"That's even more unacceptable." Lin Shuanghe said seriously, "I'm a gentleman. We're a single man … a single man. If some people see this, wouldn't it be a big problem?"
What nonsense was he spouting? He Yan couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him. He pushed him into the room and followed in, closing the door behind him.
Lin Shuanghe was pushed into a chair by He Yan. He covered his chest with both hands and said forcefully, "Sister He, you can't play with your friend's wife. I'm not that kind of person."
"I'm asking about Yang Mingzhi." He Yan interrupted him.
Lin Shuanghe was stunned. Then, he turned pale with fright. "You've taken a liking to Yang Mingzhi?"
Why was there only love in this person's heart? He Yan took a deep breath. "It's not that I've taken a liking to him. I just want to ask you if anything happened between Official Yang and the Governor. Previously, I heard Generals Yan say that Official Yang is a good friend of the Governor. However, when I was outside, I saw that the two of them didn't look like good friends. "
After saying this in one breath, Lin Shuanghe finally understood the purpose of He Yan's visit. He was stunned for a while. Then, he slowly sat up straight. A worried expression appeared on his usually cheerful face. He sighed and said, "So you've noticed."
He Yan asked, "But did something happen between them?"
"Actually, Yan Nanguang, Huaijin, and Yang Mingzhi were classmates." Lin Shuanghe put down the fan in his hand and picked up the teapot beside him. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to He Yan before pouring another cup for himself. He stared at the tea in the teacup, as if he was reminiscing about the past. His voice was light as he said, "Yan Nanguang is like a fighting cock. He's always competing with this and that. He's not close to us. Back in the day, Huaijin and Yang Mingzhi and I were best friends. Speaking of which, Yang Mingzhi and Huaijin should be closer than Huaijin and I were. "
There wasn't the slightest hint of jealousy or dissatisfaction on his face. He only smiled and said, "After all, I'm not good at both civil and military affairs. With Huaijin, I can only talk about which family's girls are prettier and which restaurant's dishes are newer. Yang Mingzhi and Huaijin can always talk more than I can. Yang Mingzhi's health isn't good. When he was young, people secretly said that he was a sissy. Later, when Huaijin took him along, no one dared to say that. "
He Yan knew all of this. At that time, she thought that talented people were often similar to talented people. Xiao Jue and Yang Mingzhi were both outstanding. No wonder they could become close friends.
"And then?" she asked.
"And then …" Lin Shuanghe lowered his head. His gaze gradually became sad and frustrated.
In the year of the Xiao family's accident, the situation in the imperial court was very tense. Xiao Zhongwu died and also bore the crime of incompetent command in the Battle of Mingshui. The Xiao family's collapse was imminent. Prime Minister Xu's power in the imperial court became more and more rampant. Although the students in the Xianchang School were all from rich and powerful families, no one dared to speak up for the Xiao family in the teeth of the storm.
Except for Lin Shuanghe.
His family practiced medicine in the imperial court. Lin Qingtan and Lin Mu didn't care about the matters of the imperial court. Lin Shuanghe had no intention of becoming an official. After learning that the Xiao family had an accident, Lin Shuanghe begged his father and grandfather to say good words for Xiao Zhongwu in front of the Emperor. Lin Mu really did say it. His skill in women's medicine was superb. He was also very tactful. Many concubines in the imperial harem had a good relationship with him. Lin Mu picked a few concubines to talk to the Emperor for a few days. He didn't mention Xiao Zhongwu's matter. He only said that the two young masters of the Xiao family were pitiful. They were both young talents, but something happened in the fu.
The Emperor was also a person who took pity on talents. He was also soft-hearted. As he talked, he really felt that Xiao Jing and Xiao Jue were pitiful. The crime of the Battle of Mingshui was only focused on Xiao Zhongwu. The Xiao family was not implicated.
But just this was not enough.
The military power of the South Fu Army had not been taken back. Even if the Emperor didn't punish the other members of the Xiao family because of old friendship, the Xiao family without military power was like a piece of fatty meat without the protection of weapons. As long as others wanted to, they could come up and take a bite. They were not Prime Minister Xu's opponent. The Emperor's mercy would only fade as Xiao Zhongwu died. If they wanted to take back military power, they could only start now. It would not work if they were late.
And in the imperial court, except for Xiao Zhongwu's former subordinates and Imperial Censor Shen, no one dared to speak.
In the Xian Chang Guan, Xiao Jue only had two close friends. One was Lin Shuanghe, the other was Yang Mingzhi. Lin Shuanghe begged his father to speak for Xiao Jue. Yang Mingzhi's father, Yang Daren, was the scholar of Guanwen Palace Hall. He was once the Emperor's handpicked scholar. Emperor Wen Xuan liked him very much. If Yang Daren spoke, the Emperor might listen.
Xiao Jue asked Yang Mingzhi for help.
Lin Shuanghe still remembered what Yang Mingzhi said at that time. His eyes were full of anxiety. He patted Xiao Jue's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. I will definitely persuade my father to speak for General Xiao in the imperial court. I ask the Emperor to thoroughly investigate the inside story of the Battle of Mingshui. Huaijin, don't worry. Brother Lin and I will always be with you. "
He was gentle and weak, but his words were powerful. Lin Shuanghe never doubted Yang Mingzhi's sincerity at that moment. Thinking about it, Xiao Jue also felt the same. So they waited for Yang Mingzhi's news.
One day, two days, three days … Yang Mingzhi did not come to the Xian Chang Guan. He only said that he was sick.
Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue suspected that Yang Mingzhi could not leave the residence, or that he was locked up at home. They did not suspect anything else. So after some discussion, the two disguised themselves as servants and sneaked into the Yang residence to find Yang Mingzhi.
At that time, Yang Mingzhi was practicing calligraphy in his room.
There was no lock on the door, no house arrest, and he was not even sick. He looked the same as before. Because he was not as tired at home as he was at school, his complexion was even better.
"Mingzhi," Lin Shuanghe looked at him in surprise, "why didn't you go to the school? Huaijin and I thought something had happened to you. "
Yang Mingzhi stood up and looked at them. More accurately, he looked at Xiao Jue. He did not speak.
Xiao Jue seemed to understand something and said, "Your father …"
"Sorry," Yang Mingzhi did not wait for Xiao Jue to finish speaking before interrupting him, "I have broken my promise to you before. My father cannot speak for General Xiao. "
"Why?" Lin Shuanghe was anxious, "didn't we agree?"
"It's fine," Xiao Jue spoke. He lowered his eyes and said, "I forced you to do this. You don't need to apologize."
Lin Shuanghe did not speak. He knew how difficult it was to ask for an explanation at this time. He should not have blamed Yang Mingzhi. However, the greater the hope, the harder it was to bear the disappointment.
He Yan looked at the person in front of him and asked in confusion, "Because of this, did the Governor and Governor Yang break off their relationship? Perhaps it was not that Governor Yang did not work hard for this matter, but because Scholar Yang was unwilling to let it go, he did not succeed. "
She did not believe that Yang Mingzhi was a cold-blooded and heartless person because Yang Mingzhi was actually very kind and amiable. When he was at Xianchang Guan, He Yan did not receive much kindness from the youths. Yang Mingzhi was definitely one of them. Moreover, a person who was passionate about poetry and policy should be especially righteous and passionate.
Lin Shuanghe did not immediately answer her question. He was silent. After a while, he said, "I thought the same that day. Perhaps Yang Mingzhi had some difficulties."
"And then?"
"And then before we left, Yang Mingzhi said something." His voice was slightly uneven, and the shadow of the past appeared in front of his eyes.
Yang Mingzhi stopped the two people who were about to leave and said, "Huaijin, have you ever thought that perhaps there was no inside story behind the Battle of Mingshui, and that it was because of General Xiao?"
Xiao Jue had already walked to the door. Hearing this, he turned his head. The youth's expression was calm, and the outline of his face was as beautiful as a painting. He did not speak. He just walked to Yang Mingzhi's side and threw a punch.
"That punch was really ruthless," Lin Shuanghe hissed and gloated. "Yang Mingzhi's health was not good. He was beaten to the point that he had to lie in bed for half a month. Lord Yang was so angry that he almost wrote a memorial, but in the end, he did not. Perhaps he felt sorry for Huaijin."
"But it was useless," Lin Shuanghe sighed slightly. "Not long after that, Huaijin went to the palace to ask for an order. He took 3,000 people to Guo City and became famous after that battle."
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