"My family has summoned me. I have some matters to attend to at home. I have to leave early today. I hope Master Zhu will forgive me …"
"I'm afraid it won't be peaceful tonight …"
"My house is just over there. Master Zhu, you don't have to send me off …"
"Forgive me, forgive me …"
"Forgive me, forgive me …"
Flames soared into the sky. Troops were mobilized. The sudden chaos in Hangzhou City did not last long. The situation in Four Seasons Temple had also recovered from the initial shock and panic. Things were now tilting in the direction they should be.
Qi Yuankang, the political advisor, had rebelled. This was news that came not long after the incident. There was no need to elaborate on the inside story. For the city to be on fire and for such a large army to be mobilized, it probably meant that many things had reached an irreversible stage. Most of those who attended Zhu Yanlin's banquet were people with a certain background. Their families had more or less their own forces and connections. With such a major incident happening above them, they had to be on guard and prepared for many things.
They had to react immediately. Half of the people began to bid farewell to Zhu Yanlin. On the streets and in the city outside, the atmosphere began to become somber. Every household in the residential area closed their doors and extinguished their lights. Other than the occasional troop of soldiers running through the streets, there were also groups of people rushing home. Although the chaos had only affected a few streets in the east, no one knew when the city would be under martial law.
The area around Four Seasons Temple was one of the more lively gathering areas in the city. Other than restaurants and teahouses, there were also two brothels nearby. Some people rushed back as soon as they heard about the chaos. There were also those who were relatively calm and felt that they had nothing to do, so they stayed to observe the situation. However, most of these shops had already closed their doors and were no longer accepting new customers. Because of this, when the carriages around Four Seasons Temple left, it did not mean that the gathering had ended. The dozens of people who stayed maintained the scale of the gathering and stayed in the hall.
One of the main reasons for this was probably because Lou Minzhong's son, Lou Jingzhi, was still in the Wen Group and had not left. Zhu Yanlin did not have a close relationship with Qi Yuankang. No matter how things turned out, he had to maintain the gathering since he was the one who initiated it.
There were fewer people, and it was a mess outside. The servants in the restaurant extinguished many of the candles in the restaurant. Most of the people who stayed were gathered on the balcony of the second or third floor, with Zhu Yanlin and Lou Jingzhi as the center. They looked at the development of the battle in the distance, pointing out and chatting. Someone started to recite a poem, "The waters of West Lake encircle Jiangnan, the lonely city in the middle of the night is unclear … What an eventful time …" It had the feeling of pointing out the country. The courtesans who were invited to participate in the literary gathering were not sent away, but at this time they did not dare to sing anymore. They were called up to talk to the crowd and comment on the poems to liven up the atmosphere. These women were not just for show. In a short while, everyone had set up a table.
Not everyone was gathered on this floor.
At this time, Lou Shuwan and Ning Yi were walking in the corridor of the courtyard on the first floor. Most of the lanterns had been taken out. The light on this side was dim. Looking sideways, the second floor was illuminated by a warm yellow light. Voices and laughter could still be heard. Some people were leaning on the railing of the corridor to look into the distance. Not many people noticed the people walking in the corridor below.
The corridor in the courtyard led to the riverside of Four Seasons Temple. The night breeze was slightly chilly. Lou Shuwan, who was dressed as a man, walked beside Ning Yi. She hugged her arms gently. On the waterway at the other end of her field of vision, a two-story pleasure boat that was returning slowly sailed past. The light seeped through the windows of the pleasure boat, creating a particularly serene atmosphere.
Speaking of which, ever since Hangzhou was breached, everything around them had changed. Their days were anxious and pale. Nobody knew how much meaning there was to everyone's busyness. After the situation eased, the literary gathering that she participated in could no longer see the elegance of the past. There was only tasteless gilding and flattery. But strangely, just as the situation suddenly became more tense, she seemed to feel the atmosphere of the past again.
It was as if she was at a gathering of scholars, but she had left the venue to meet the man of her dreams. Elegance, heartbeat, and tranquility intersected at this moment. Actually, she had never really experienced such a feeling before. However, in the stories that she read and the love plots that she heard from people, it was mostly recorded and described this feeling.
"Involved in political affairs … Things happened so suddenly. The Lou Family's business is so extensive now. If Miss Lou doesn't go back immediately, will there be any problems?"
At the end of the courtyard was a long corridor that ran parallel to the river. Ning Yi placed his hand on the railing and looked at the pleasure boat that had gone far away before speaking of this matter. Lou Shuwan sat down on the long bench inside the railing. She smiled and shook her head, "Our family does have some business with this Lord Qi. However, this matter cannot be related to the Lou Family. Furthermore, this kind of matter can only be handled by my father and elder brother. Just now, I sent a servant back to report the situation. At this time, the situation is still chaotic. It's better to wait here until the situation becomes clearer before returning, so as to avoid any misunderstandings on the way. "
"That's true." Ning Yi nodded and sat down beside her. This seat faced the corridor and window on the second floor. Due to the eaves of the corridor, only light could be seen. However, they could hear laughter from time to time. Occasionally, a woman would sing poetry in a low voice. She was probably appraising the poems.
Lou Shuwan lowered her head and spoke softly, "Logically, being involved in political affairs is also a high official, similar to a prime minister. I didn't expect this to suddenly happen … I heard that this Lord Qi is skilled in both the pen and the sword. Although he is a civil official, he has some subordinates and has a good relationship with the civil and military officials …"
After speaking for a while, she felt bored. She raised her head and stroked her hair. She smiled towards the second floor and said, "… What does Liheng think they are talking about?"
"Poetry, I guess. Previously, they were talking about political affairs during the poetry meeting. Now that something has happened, it is hard to talk about political affairs. At least they can talk about poetry in peace. "
"Liheng came out for a stroll. Do you think it is boring to talk about poetry with them?" In Lou Shuwan's opinion, Ning Yi was one of the top scholars. Ning Yi shook his head, "I don't really like those. When they really started talking, I came out for a walk."
"It seems that Liheng thinks it is boring." Lou Shuwan continued to smile and paused. "Actually, I am similar to Liheng in this aspect. I also think it is boring. However, it is because I do not understand these things. Liheng, on the other hand, knows it too well."
"Heh …"
"I have liked poetry since I was young, but I did not learn much. I like to see those great scholars become high-spirited after reciting a good poem. It doesn't matter how good the poem is. If it can make people so high-spirited, then it must be something good. I originally thought that if I manage my business well, I can also make myself high-spirited like that … "
As she said this, her mood seemed to drop. Ning Yi stood up and said, "Miss Lou …"
Lou Shuwan raised her head and asked softly, "Can't Liheng call me Shuwan?"
"Not really." Her words were faint, as if she was confessing. However, Ning Yi's expression did not change. He only smiled as usual. "Let's go up and have a seat. It is not good to keep wandering around."
"Okay." Lou Shuwan stood up naturally and went to the second floor with Ning Yi. The short conversation just now might have had some meaning, but for a moment, it was as if it had never happened. It melted into the conversation between the two of them.
When they returned to the second floor, someone came over to greet them. "This must be Young Master Ning of Ning Liheng. I couldn't find both of you just now and thought that you had left. This old man's name is Zhu Yanlin. It was only at this time that I heard that Young Master Ning also came over.
Zhu Yanlin was around fifty years old. It was not an exaggeration to call himself an old man. He could be considered as an orthodox scholar. Previously, he did not know about Ning Yi's visit. Now, it was obvious that he had heard about Ning Yi and knew that he had composed "Watching the Tide". Therefore, he took him seriously. The two of them chatted for a while. On the other side, where the guests gathered, there were also people looking over. The woman who sang "Watching the Tide" was one of them. Hearing the name, she asked the person next to her, "Is that Young Master Ning of Ning Liheng?" She had probably become a fan of Ning Yi after reading his lyrics.
Liu Xiyang, who had not left, also looked at this scene enviously. In the Academy, it was hard to tell who was better. At most, they felt that Ning Yi had a thorn in his side and had a backer. There was no need to provoke him. At this time, with the difference in treatment, they could feel the sense of loss of scholars looking down on each other.
However, at this time, not many people noticed that not far away, Lou Jingzhi, who had always been the center of attention in this gathering, also heard some words. Looking at Ning Yi, she asked someone to come over and ask in a low voice, "Is that the author of" Watching the Tide ", the one with the surname Ning Yi and the courtesy name Liheng?" After getting the answer, he asked a few more questions. When he found out where Ning Yi was working and received information about Wenlie Academy and Tyrant's Saber Camp, he narrowed his eyes and frowned thoughtfully.
The chaos outside continued. As time passed, it seemed to become more orderly. Part of the chaos had already been suppressed. Those with experience could roughly tell that although the chaos seemed intense at the beginning, the situation was far from being out of control. At the Four Seasons Sect, the gathering was also carried on in a relatively relaxed atmosphere. Although they had expressed their admiration for Ning Yi from the beginning, there was no special program that required his participation.
Everyone's attention was on the outside. If everything continued like this, perhaps it would not be long before the gathering ended, and everyone could go back to their own homes. This morning, Ning Yi had heard Liu Dabiao say that he was nervous and had even brought a weapon out. However, after the incident, he knew that it was not his fault and was relieved. It was also under such circumstances that an unforeseen event quietly struck.
Not many people noticed that halfway through the conference, a man entered the restaurant, took a look upstairs, and then left. At this time, a troop of soldiers was hurrying over under the lead of that man. From afar, others might think that they were soldiers rushing to support Qi Yuankang's rebellious street. However, when they reached the Four Seasons Sect, the leading general waved his hand and said, "Surround them."
A moment later, Wenren Bu'er, who had guessed the intention of this group of people, rushed to report to Ning Yi, but it was already too late.
Under the lead of the general, a group of more than twenty people had already entered the main hall and were heading to the second floor. Liu Jin, who had followed Ning Yi, had already rushed upstairs, his hand on the hilt of his saber. Everyone in the gathering was a little confused, but Ning Yi understood after a glance.
The man in the lead was about thirty years old. He was burly and had a murderous look on his face. He was a fierce general who had fought on the battlefield.
Ning Yi let out a breath.
That was Li Tianyou.
These people came over and sat down at the table around Ning Yi and Lou Shuwan. Lou Shuwan looked left and right, confused and flustered. For a moment, she did not know what had happened. After a moment, her face turned pale. She thought that her family had finally been involved and something had happened.
*****
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