When he returned, it was already late at night.
Xiao Jue had just returned to his courtyard when a yellow dog excitedly pounced on him and bit the corner of his robe without letting go.
He squatted down and patted the dog's head. The dog wanted a yard after getting an inch. It wagged its tail fiercely at him and bit his sleeve.
Its behavior was exactly the same as its owner's.
The night after the night of the He family's investigation, the yellow dog called Er Mao also ran out of the dug dog hole. Since it was raised by He Yan, he naturally couldn't lose it. However, He Rufei was crazily looking for the thief that night. He Yan was afraid that he would investigate the He family and see Er Mao, so he entrusted Er Mao to Xiao Jue. No matter how bold He Rufei was, he didn't dare to go to the Xiao family's door. Naturally, he couldn't find Er Mao.
Xiao Jue could only bring Er Mao back to the Xiao family.
The little girl in the courtyard called Bai Guo really liked Er Mao. She gave it a bath and combed its fur so that it didn't look like a stray dog anymore. She also used a red rope to tie the fur by its ears into two small bunches.
Although Er Mao was obviously a male dog.
Xiao Jue was playing with the dog when a voice came from behind him, "Huaijin … when did you raise a dog in the family?"
Xiao Jue got up and turned around. Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei were standing at the side of the courtyard and looked at him strangely.
As everyone knew, the second son of the Xiao family was very particular about cleanliness. Normally, it was fine when he was in the military camp, but when he returned to the capital, he was even more picky. Xiao family didn't raise any birds. Other than the green eared horse, there were no other animals in the family.
This dog looked like an ordinary dog from a farmer's family. Its fur was yellow with a little bit of black. It shouldn't be anything valuable.
Xiao Jue looked down at Er Mao. Er Mao was barking noiselessly at him.
"I helped someone raise it."
"Who would ask you to help raise a dog?" Xiao Jing laughed. "That's too much."
Bai Rongwei nudged Xiao Jing with her elbow and smiled, "In Shuo city, only Miss He can get Huaijin to help take care of a dog."
Xiao Jing came to a sudden realization and looked at Xiao Jue with a gratified gaze. This younger brother of hers had always been overly cold and unreasonable towards women, but now it seemed that he was quite good at pleasing women.
During the day, Bai Rongwei had already prepared a birthday banquet for Xiao Jue. She also knew that he was going to accompany He Yan to the night market tonight. There were many delicacies in the night market, so there was no food left for Xiao Jue tonight.
"Big brother and sister-in-law, why are you still waiting for me so late?" Xiao Jue asked, "What's the matter?"
Xiao Jing approached him and looked at Er Mao who was playing in the snow in the courtyard. She smiled and said, "Do you know that Fourth Young Master Chu from Count Shi Jin's residence is going to marry Miss Xu next month?"
Xiao Jue absent-mindedly nodded.
"You and Fourth Young Master Chu were both granted a marriage by His Majesty." Xiao Jing said, "Now that Fourth Young Master Chu's wedding date has been set, your sister-in-law and I would like to ask, when do you plan to set the date for your marriage?"
Xiao Jue was slightly startled.
"Your big brother and I have already talked to Master He. Master He said that as long as Miss He likes it, he doesn't mind. Miss He is a girl after all, so I can't ask too much. "Bai Rongwei looked at Xiao Jue," You are usually with Miss He. Have you ever mentioned this to her? "
Xiao family was very open-minded. When Xiao Zhongwu and Madame Xiao were still alive, Xiao Jing wanted to marry Bai Rongwei who was a concubine's daughter. Madame Xiao didn't agree, but in the end, she went along with Xiao Jing's wishes. Now that Xiao Zhongwu and his wife were no longer alive, Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei wouldn't interfere with Xiao Jue's marriage decision. It was all up to Xiao Jue.
"I plan to get married after the New Year." Xiao Jue said.
Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes. They thought that it would take another year or so, but they didn't expect Xiao Jue to decide so quickly. This was good. It seemed that Xiao Jue liked Miss He more than they thought.
"Since it's like this, I'll give your birth characters to Master tomorrow and let him choose a good day for you. We also need to discuss with Master He what to do next. Don't worry about the betrothal gift, Rubi and I have already prepared it for you. " Bai Rongwei's smile was full of genuine happiness. She took Xiao Jing's hand and said, "Rubi and I will go and ask someone to send the invitation to Master. Huaijin, you've been tired today. Go back to your room and rest. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning."
Xiao Jue nodded, and Bai Rongwei left with Xiao Jing, satisfied.
Xiao Jue stared at their backs until Er Mao came over to tug at his boots again. Only then did he regain his senses.
In the past, he only felt that the yard was empty and cold. Now, with the addition of a small dog, a mute dog that didn't know how to bark, it suddenly became lively.
He lowered his head and smiled. He didn't go back to his room, but turned and walked towards the ancestral hall.
In the Xiao family's ancestral hall, Xiao Zhongwu and his wife's memorial tablets were placed at the front. Xiao Jue walked to the side and took out an incense stick from the shrine and lit it.
Niao Niao smoke rose into the air.
Xiao Jue's face was hidden behind the smoke, and his expression was diluted.
As long as he returned to Shuojing, he would often come to the ancestral hall. When there was thunder, when there was worship … when he was bored.
He wasn't a person who liked to talk. In life, there were too few people he could talk to. Everyone had their own difficulties, so there was no need to share them with others. The most difficult time was when he was scolded by the scholars behind his back during the Battle of Guo City. When he returned to his residence, he only went to the ancestral hall to light three incense sticks.
After the three incense sticks were lit, everything returned to normal.
There were many things in the world that needed many years to experience bit by bit. When he was young, he had seen everything and found everything boring. In fact, he yearned for the sights of the world, but the sights of the world avoided him. So what if he was young and successful? So what if he was the son of an aristocratic family? Everyone thought of him as the moon high up in the sky. In fact, the moon was just a lonely youth.
He had friends, and then his friends betrayed him. He also looked forward to his family, and then his family left him. His most unrestrained youth was just a few short years, and the only candy left in his life was given to the people who sought death on the road. All these years, he had been alone and left nothing behind. Until one day, a smiling girl barged into his life and told him, "I like the moon, but the moon doesn't know."
He had never been so sure of one thing before.
Xiao Jue raised his eyes and looked at the memorial tablet behind the smoke.
"Father, mother." His voice was calm, as if he was saying an unshakable oath. "I like someone."
"I want to take her as my wife."
In one of the courtyards of the He Residence, the sound of intense coughing could be heard.
The servant girl who was sleeping in the outer room of the courtyard was turned over by the noise and said in a daze, "Second Madam is coughing again, quickly go and take a look."
"I'm not going." Another servant girl turned over and said impatiently, "Even Second Master doesn't care, why should we be meddlesome? It'll be better in the daytime. If you want to go, you go. "
"It's so cold, I'm not going." The servant girl covered her head with the quilt, "I'll pretend that I didn't hear it."
The coughing continued outside, and after a while, as if it was deliberately suppressed, a few muffled groans could be heard.
Second Madam He struggled to get up, and her throat and eyes were in pain as if it was burned by fire. The handkerchief in her hand was already covered in blood. She struggled to breathe, and after a long while, she fumbled for the lamp.
He Yuanliang hadn't come to her courtyard for a long time. To be precise, it was after the incident at Yu Hua Temple, when she was grounded in the He Residence, and He Yuanliang refused to come to see her again.
In fact, Second Madam He had already expected this. Her husband was a villain, a cowardly and greedy villain. Now, he was even more afraid of offending He Rufei, so he hurriedly drew a clear line with her, even if she was his first wife.
First wife, Second Madam He smiled sarcastically. So what if she was his first wife? He could be so cruel to his biological daughter, so his first wife, who was not related by blood, was no different from a stranger to him.
Second Madam He looked at the flickering flame in the oil lamp.
She was the eldest daughter of the first wife in the family. That year, her father decided to marry He Yuanliang, because he saw that the He Family still had a place among the nobles in the Shuo Capital. In her original family, the marriage of a daughter was to pave the way for the career of her father and brother. She didn't expect that it would be the same when she married into the He Family.
Unfortunately, she was unlucky and gave birth to two daughters, so of course, her children became the sacrifices of the He Family.
Second Madam He hated He Rufei for being cruel and merciless, hated He Yuansheng and his wife for coming up with the idea of exchanging children, hated He Yuanliang for being a coward and incompetent, and most of the time, she hated herself.
She hated herself for not being able to change everything.
If she could give birth to a son, perhaps with a son, He Yuansheng would not be so arrogant. But she didn't, so she couldn't protect He Yan and He Xinying.
There was a knock on the door.
Second Madam He said: "Come in."
It was a little girl who came in. She didn't look familiar.
Second Madam He asked: "Who are you?"
"This servant is called Cui Luo, the maid who sweeps the yard." Cui Luo replied respectfully, holding a pot of hot water in her hand: "This servant went outside to get some hot water. Second Madam, drink some water to avoid coughing." She went to the table, picked up a teacup, poured a cup of water and handed it to Second Madam He.
The water was just right, it was not hot. Second Madam He took a sip, and the tingling in her throat suddenly felt better. She said: "Thank you."
Cui Luo lowered her head and said softly: "This is what this servant should do. If Second Madam needs this servant's help, please let me know."
"In my yard, everyone has already treated me as if I don't exist." Second Madam He smiled bitterly: "Why bother you?"
"This servant's master is Second Madam He, so I naturally have to listen to Second Madam's orders." Cui Luo's voice did not change.
Second Madam He was slightly stunned, and couldn't help but seriously look at the servant in front of her.
The maidservants of the He Family were strictly disciplined by He Yuansheng and his wife. In the past, they were quite lively, but now, because of their fear of He Rufei, they had become dull. The servants were always trembling with fear, but this servant girl stood there, neither servile nor overbearing. She looked at Second Madam He without any respect, as if she was an ordinary person.
Second Madam He's heart moved, and she asked tentatively: "Can you really help me with anything?"
"Second Madam, please tell me."
"Can you find a doctor for me?"
Cui Luo was silent for a moment, then said: "I'm afraid I can't right now, but this servant can bring some pills back for Second Madam."
Second Madam He suddenly understood something.
She sat forward a little and lowered her voice. "You're not someone from the He Residence. Who is your master?"
Cui Luo looked at Second Madam He with some surprise. Lord Fei Nu said that he wanted her to sneak into the He Family to secretly take care of Second Madam He, and she really did that. These days, Second Madam He didn't have any status in the He Family, and the servant girls didn't put her in their eyes. He Yuanliang never took the initiative to come to see her when she was seriously ill, and he also didn't call a doctor for her. Just like tonight, if Cui Luo didn't come into the room, Second Madam He could only cough until dawn.
Cui Luo always thought that Second Madam He was a somewhat weak and incompetent ordinary woman. Now that she heard her words, she knew that Second Madam He was smart and insightful.
Cui Luo didn't speak.
"Is your master General Fengyun?" Second Madam He asked in a low voice.
Cui Luo was even more surprised.
Madame He Er laughed. She laughed for a while and her expression became serious again. She said, "I know what your master wants to do. Go back and tell him that I can help him. However, as the price of the deal, he must protect my daughter, He Xinying."
Cui Luo was silent for a while, and didn't say anything. She only put the hot water bottle on the table and said softly: "If Madam has any orders, call this servant." Then she closed the door and left.
Second Madam He looked at the hot tea on the table, and no one knew what she was thinking. After a long time, she swallowed the sweet taste in her throat and lay down again.
The night passed, and early the next morning, Fei Nu brought back the news of the He Family.
In the study, Xiao Jue frowned: "A deal?"
"Second Madam He said so." Fei Nu replied. When Cui Luo came back with the news, Fei Nu was also surprised. He didn't know whether to admire this woman's courage or say something else.
"He Rufei and Second Young Miss He exchanged identities. Second Young Miss He is the real General Feihong, and Second Young Miss He should be aware of this." Fei Nu said: "He Rufei might be using He Xinying to threaten Second Madam He, which is why Second Madam He doesn't dare to tell the truth. With Second Madam He's help, the secret of the He Family should be easy to uncover. " Speaking of this, Fei Nu sighed in his heart. Who would have thought that General Feihong, who made the Qiang people tremble in fear on the battlefield, was actually a woman? And Second Madam He and Second Master He were so cold-hearted that they would let a girl bear such a heavy fate, and get rid of her after she became famous.
They, the Nine Flags Battalion, had seen all kinds of cruelty on the battlefield, but when they knew the truth, they couldn't help but feel pity for General Feihong.
Even if a famous general of a generation died, he should die with a bang on the battlefield. Instead of being killed in an ordinary backyard by someone with a sinister trick.
"Second Madam He only mentioned He Xinying?" Xiao Jue asked.
Fei Nu nodded: "Yes."
Xiao Jue lowered her eyes: "I understand."
"Young Master, then …"
"Let Cui Luo tell Second Madam He," Xiao Jue looked out the window, "I will make this deal."
On the first day of the twelfth month, Wu Tuo's envoy, Maninbu, entered the capital.
Emperor Wen Xuan summoned the Wu Tuo envoy to the throne room. In Qing Lan Palace, Concubine Lan was leaning on a soft couch, watching a palace maid brew tea.
Concubine Lan was not young anymore. There were new beauties entering the harem every year, but she was the only one who was favored by His Majesty. Everyone said that Concubine Lan had such good luck. Not only was she favored by the Emperor, but she also gave birth to a virtuous and talented son. However, her temperament was not competitive. Not to mention that she was suppressed by the Empress, even Noble Lady Ni dared to be arrogant in front of her.
However, ever since Emperor Wen Xuan gave Fifth Prince Guang Ji to Concubine Lan to raise, Noble Lady Ni had restrained herself a lot. Fifth Prince Guang Ji was young. Although Noble Lady Ni repeatedly warned him that Concubine Lan was not a good person, Guang Ji felt that Concubine Lan was much gentler than his biological mother. He had never argued with Concubine Lan.
It was the same today.
Guang Ji ran in from outside, and the old mama behind him hurriedly said: "Fifth Prince, run slowly. Be careful not to fall!"
"Mother!" Guang Ji ran to Concubine Lan's side and said with a smile: "Today, the Uto emissaries entered the palace. Imperial Father summoned them in the hall. I heard that the Uto sent many gifts, such as ivory as half a person's height and white peacocks … Mother, this son wants to see them!"
Concubine Lan smiled and patted the snow off his clothes. "If you want to go, then go."
"Won't Mother come with me?" Guang Ji asked.
"I won't be going," Noble Consort Lan said with a smile. "Just let Chang mama take you there."
The Fifth Prince was young and only wanted to see the white peacocks. When he heard this, he said: "Okay, this son will go now. After seeing them, this son will tell Mother about them!"
Chang mama took the Fifth Prince's hand and left. Concubine Lan smiled and shook her head. "He's still like a child."
"Fifth Younger Brother is young." A voice sounded from outside the door. "It's normal for him to be a little childish."
The palace maid behind her hurriedly said: "This servant greets the Fourth Prince."
The Fourth Prince Guang shuo stepped in.
Noble Consort Lan was beautiful and delicate, while the Fourth Prince took after his mother. He was bright and handsome. Compared to Crown Prince Guang Yan, who was always indulging in sensual pleasures, he seemed much more amiable and reliable.
Concubine Lan saw the Guang shuo and immediately smiled. She pulled him to sit in front of the stove and had a palace maid pour hot tea for the Guang shuo. She said: "What brings you here today?"
"Imperial Father is meeting the Uto emissaries in the hall. The Crown Prince is also there, so this son came to see Mother." The Guang shuo smiled.
Concubine Lan smiled but didn't say anything.
"Mother also knows about the Uto emissaries, right?"
Concubine Lan's expression was no longer as relaxed as when she had faced Guang Ji. She sighed. "I know."
"Imperial Father is willing to meet the emissaries, which means that he is willing to accept the Uto's request for peace." The Guang shuo's smile also faded. "That's fine. After the Battle of Jiyang and the Rundu, the Uto won't dare to act rashly. But if Imperial Father agrees to let them open a market in Da Wei … the consequences will be unimaginable."
Concubine Lan looked outside. "Everyone else, leave. Yugui, close the door."
The palace maids all left, and Yugui closed the door.
Concubine Lan looked at the Guang shuo. "Have you ever said these words in front of your Imperial Father?"
The Guang shuo shook his head. "No. Imperial Father never talks about these things with me."
Emperor Wenxuan liked the Fourth Prince because the Fourth Prince was like Concubine Lan. Concubine Lan's literary talent was outstanding, her temperament was gentle, and she didn't fight for anything. In the depths of the palace, she was like the last piece of pure land in the Emperor's heart that could not be sullied. Even though Empress Zhang didn't like Concubine Lan, Concubine Lan still lived well in the depths of the palace for so many years. Because she didn't make mistakes, the Emperor also protected her. This pity and respect for Concubine Lan also extended to the Guang shuo.
Guang shuo was the same. No matter how much the courtiers encouraged him to compete with the Crown Prince for the position, the Guang shuo remained unmoved. When he was with Emperor Wenxuan, most of the time, they talked about poetic and picturesque matters — politics and the country should be the Crown Prince's concern. If he overstepped his boundaries, the Emperor would dislike him.
"Guang shuo." Concubine Lan looked at him and suddenly said, "Do you want to compete?"
Guang shuo paused.
"Do you want to compete for the position?" Concubine Lan repeated.
As if the secret in his heart had been exposed, Guang shuo awkwardly avoided Concubine Lan's gaze. "Erchen doesn't dare."
"I only asked if you want to, not if you dare." In the eyes of the usually gentle woman, there was a never-before-seen determination and unfamiliar coldness.
Guang shuo was stared at by those eyes and couldn't help but say, "… … I do."
After a while, he composed himself and said, "I do. Mother, the Crown Prince doesn't deserve to be the Crown Prince. He only knows how to eat, drink, and play. Uto and him must have private dealings. If there were other virtuous and talented brothers in the palace, I would also support him. But right now, there is no one else. If one day Guang Yan sits in that position, no one knows what Da Wei will be like in the future. "
"Perhaps, Da Wei won't even exist."
When he finished speaking, there was an extreme silence in the palace, as if shocked by his rebellious words.
Concubine Lan sighed softly.
"All these years, this consort has never thought of anything else. It wasn't my wish to enter the palace. Since I've already entered, I will live well. This consort doesn't care what happens to Uto, or what happens to His Majesty. This consort doesn't even care what happens to Da Wei in the future. " She looked at Guang shuo and reached out to touch Guang shuo's face. A gentle smile appeared in her eyes. "In this palace, Guang shuo, this consort only cares about you."
"If the Guang Yan becomes the Emperor, you and I, mother and son, will have no way to survive." Her voice was soft as she said the cruelest words. "This consort has lived for most of her life. It doesn't matter whether I die or not. But you can't. Guang shuo. " She smiled. "You are so intelligent, gentle, and so young. How can you die at the hands of this kind of person? This consort definitely won't allow it. "
Guang shuo looked at the woman who had straightened up from the couch. Her eyes were still as elegant and dignified as before. With just one movement, her aura had completely changed. A wave of emotions suddenly surged in his heart. It was as if the impulse that had been accumulating for a long time was about to burst out.
"Mother …"
"This consort already has His Majesty's favor. You also have the love of the courtiers and the people. But just these two things aren't enough. He Rufei has already been bribed to fight for this position … "
"You must obtain Xiao Huaijin," she said.
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