good season

Chapter 127: Vicissitudes and Desolation (Two Chapters in One)

Now Yang Shengqiu is working as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Emperor Yongjia thinks highly of this young and handsome new number one scholar and summons him to the palace every now and then. It is thought that he will stay in the Hanlin Academy for a year or two at most and then be entrusted with important tasks.

Zhao Shiqing has already found out where he lives. It is a small house with one entrance. Although it is rented, it has its own door and yard, which is very good for a top scholar from a poor family like Yang Shengqiu.

Zhao Shiqing recalled the quick glance she took in front of the city gate when she left the capital last year. Unfortunately, she could no longer remember Yang Shengqiu's facial features. She only remembered that he was a handsome young man like a bamboo.

Her brother the lamb must be a kind and handsome man.

Zhao Shiqing didn't know how Yang Shengqiu would react if she rashly went to see him and told him the truth about the tragic death of the old doctor Yang.

Will he take the opportunity of entering the palace to kill the king?

Yang Shengqiu is a scholar, so I don't think he would have such a rebellious idea.

But what if she cooperated with him?
Zhao Shiqing's blood boiled just at the thought.

Enter the palace, kill the king, and take revenge!

Just like what was written in the storybook, she and Yang Shengqiu were surrounded. Before she died, she shouted: I will be a hero again in eighteen years!
The corners of Zhao Shiqing's mouth twitched. No, she would not do that, and Yang Shengqiu probably would not do that either. She was the only one in the Shi family, and Yang Shengqiu was the only one in the Yang family. Even if their parents were in heaven, they would not let them die in vain.

Besides, she is not alone. She has a grandfather, a master, the Prince Liang's Mansion, and the children she picked up from Baihe Mountain.

Zhao Shiqing stopped having wild thoughts and decided to find Xiao Zhen first, and then find Yang Shengqiu.

She was just about to go to Su's Teahouse when a dark cloud pressed down from above her head and finally landed on her shoulders.

"Xiaoguai, you're back?" These past few days, he always came back in the evening after eating and drinking, so why did he come back early today?

Xiaoguai called out to her a few times, and Zhao Shiqing understood that Zhu Yu had returned home, so Xiaoguai flew back to report the news.

"Okay, I got it. I'll investigate further and report back. By the way, where is the little brother I asked you to find? You're too big a target, so let the little brother go." Zhao Shiqing patted Xiaoguai's head.

Xiaoguai agreed with his mouth, but there was some reluctance in his eagle eyes. The food in that big house was too good, and the bird had not eaten enough.

Zhao Shiqing took Lingbo and Loach to Su's Tea Shop.

A young man was standing under the eaves with a big smile on his face. He had a delicate face and a neat outfit.

Su Datou was not basking in the sun at the door, and even the patinaed recliner was gone.

Zhao Shiqing was stunned. Could it be that Su’s Tea Shop had changed owners again?
In this capital city, is there anyone bigger than Su Datou and Xiao Datou?

While they were hesitating, the waiter had already seen them and said, "Sir, we have some newly arrived tea, as well as delicious snacks and dried fruits. Please try them before you buy."

Well, this style is even less like that.

Zhao Shiqing looked at the sign at the door and it was indeed Su's Tea Shop.

"Let's go in and take a look."

The young man led the way and the three of them entered one after another.

As soon as they entered the door, the three were stunned again.

The tea shop had obviously been repainted and redecorated. The walls were snow-white, the counter was shiny, and a tea table had been added near the window, on which were placed exquisite snacks.

In addition to the waiter at the door, there were two other waiters in the tea shop, one of whom was a woman in her thirties, with a blue cloth wrapped around her head and wearing an apron with white flowers on a blue background, looking neat and tidy.

Seeing Zhao Shiqing, the woman came up to him with a smile. Zhao Shiqing asked, "Is Su Datou still the shopkeeper here?"

The woman smiled and said, "Oh, forgive my poor eyesight, it turns out that the young lady is a regular customer, and Shopkeeper Su is in the back."

Zhao Shiqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Su Datou was still the shopkeeper here, which meant that at least the owner of this teahouse had not changed and was still Xiao Zhen's.

"What's your name, sister?" Zhao Shiqing asked.

The woman touched her face, a smile reaching her eyes, and she was obviously very happy to be called sister: "Oh, young lady, you are so polite, everyone here calls me A Ping."

Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "It's Sister A Ping. Nice to meet you. I wonder if you can ask Shopkeeper Su to come over and tell him that Miss Zhen Bao is here."

In fact, the last time Zhao Shiqing came here, her name was not Zhen Bao.

Zhen Bao was picked up in Baifeng City, but she had a vague intuition that Su Datou might know the name Zhen Bao, so she wanted to give it a try.

Sure enough, a moment later, Su Datou was seen running hurriedly from behind.

If it was not in the teahouse but on the street, Zhao Shiqing might not have recognized that the person in front of him was the sloppy Su Datou.

The Su Datou in front of him was wearing a blue-gray silk robe with a small seal hanging on his waist. His hair was combed neatly and his shoes were clean.

"Miss Zhen Bao is here? Where is she?"

When he saw Zhao Shiqing, he was stunned.

"You are Miss Zhen Bao? You are not stupid."

Zhao Shiqing smiled. Su Datou really knew Zhen Bao, but he didn't know that Zhen Bao was the second young lady he had met before.

"Yes, my name is Zhen Bao now. Where is your boss?"

Su Datou said hurriedly: "The boss is not here, please wait a moment, I will send someone to report the news."

After saying that, Su Datou went out personally. Sister Aping asked Zhao Shiqing to sit down, served her tea, and placed some fruit snacks on the table. Zhao Shiqing then started chatting with her in a random manner.

Su Ji Tea Shop was redecorated after the New Year. Sister Ping and two other waiters started working three months ago. In addition to the three of them, there is also a tea and snack making master and his apprentice in the back hall.

After about an incense stick of time, a carriage stopped outside the tea shop. Su Datou got off the carriage. Lingbo was sharp-eyed and exclaimed, "The one driving the carriage is Dazhuang!"

Su Datou wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Miss Zhenbao, the host lives a little far away. Dazhuang will take you there."

Zhao Shiqing thanked them, said hello to Sister Aping, and then took Lingbo and Niuqiu onto the carriage.

The carriage had no emblems and looked very old from the outside, but the interior was decorated very exquisitely, with fragrant tea and flowers, silver incense balls hanging on the four corners, and even the cushions were Suzhou embroidery.

Zhao Shiqing picked up a nine-ring puzzle on the small table and started playing with it. However, Lingbo and Niuqiu did not dare to relax. They kept their eyes fixed out the window, secretly memorizing the route in their hearts.

It took Su Datou only an incense stick of time to bring Da Zhuang back, but Da Zhuang drove the carriage for half an hour before arriving at the destination.

Obviously, Da Zhuang did not go to Su Ji Tea Shop from here. He had another place to stay near Su Ji Tea Shop.

Zhao Shiqing thought of the saying “a cunning rabbit has three burrows”, it seems that Xiao Zhen is developing well in the capital.

In front of you is a lake, surrounded by green willows and rippling green waves. Not far away are rolling green mountains.

A pavilion built to look like a pleasure boat is built against the lake, surrounded by water on three sides, with carved beams and painted pillars, and the scenery of lakes and mountains is breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhao Shiqing had never thought that there was such a place in the capital. This was only her second visit to the capital and she was not very familiar with the city, but Niqiu was born and raised there. He whispered to Zhao Shiqing: "This lake is called Biying Lake, and that pleasure boat is called Ruyi Boat. It used to be the property of the Earl of Yan'an. Later, a few playboys got drunk and had a fight. Two people died. It is said that blood flowed everywhere. The Earl of Yan'an paid a lot of silver. He thought it was unlucky, so he sold this place to a silk merchant from Wu.

Before reopening his business, this businessman from Wu invited a Taoist priest, who performed a ritual and caught three ghosts at once.

But even so, less than half a year into the business, a customer fell down the stairs, broke his neck, and died on the spot.

So people in the capital city said that there were not only three ghosts in the painted boat, but there must be more.

The merchant from Wu also fell seriously ill and entrusted the pawnbroker to sell the goods on his behalf. He then closed his other businesses in the capital and returned to his hometown in Wu.

Ruyi Fang had been on the market for several years, but no one who knew about it dared to buy it.

Later, a young man from another place came. He was stupid and rich. He thought he was lucky and refused to believe in evil. So he bought this place and renovated it, making it more luxurious than before.

But his luck was no better than that of his previous two employers. Less than three months after opening, the new chef was arrested. It turned out to be a Tartar spy!
From then on, the Ruyi Boat was targeted by the Jinyiwei, who came every few days and searched everywhere.

The business of Ruyifang plummeted because of this. Before we left Beijing last year, I heard that the owner was looking for someone to take over. "

Zhao Shiqing felt that the story of this Ruyi Boat seemed familiar. Yes, it was Su’s Tea Shop.

Su's Teahouse is a haunted house, and this Ruyi Boat is almost the same. People have been killed, thrown to death, and captured, and even spies from the enemy country have been there. Isn't it haunted?

Su's Tea Shop was taken over by Xiao Zhen. Could it be that he also bought Ruyi Boat, which is also a haunted house?

The answer to this question was soon found. In a room in Ruyi Fang, Zhao Shiqing met the owner.

Zhao Shiqing looked around. Compared with the magnificent outside, this room was so plain and simple that even the tables and chairs were not painted.

The man was dressed in a black Taoist robe, and his long dark black hair was tied into a bun with a black jade hairpin. His facial features were handsome, but they seemed sharper because of his slightly raised brow bones. His pupils were very dark in color, like the dark sea in the distance, without a single ripple.

Zhao Shiqing could hardly remember Xiao Zhen’s true appearance. The last time she saw Xiao Zhen’s true face, Xiao Zhen still looked half-dead.

Therefore, in Zhao Shiqing's impression, Xiao Zhen was half human and half ghost.

But at this moment, when he saw the person in front of him, Zhao Shiqing recognized him at a glance. This was Xiao Zhen, the real Xiao Zhen.

Of course, it was Xiao Zhen who repaired the swing for her in Zhuxitang, and it was also Xiao Zhen who went to Baifeng City with her. But at that time, Xiao Zhen was wearing a fake face. He was Xiao Zhen, and also Zhen Gui.

But the Xiao Zhen in front of him, like the unpainted tables and chairs in this room, showed his true face.

Although he is not half human, half ghost, but when Zhao Shiqing saw him, he still felt that he should get more sun.

Yes, Xiao Zhen gave her the feeling of someone who had walked out of a black hole, with a vicissitudes and desolation that did not match his actual age.

Vicissitudes and desolation.

Zhao Shiqing didn't understand why she thought of these two words, but she felt that these two words were most appropriate for Xiao Zhen.

Although she is only nineteen years old, her temperament is as if she has experienced a lot.

If it were someone else, pretending to be mature would make people feel childish, but Xiao Zhen is not like that. There is no trace of pretending to be mature in him. He has vicissitudes of life and desolation engraved in his bones.

Zhao Shiqing suddenly found it very interesting and she couldn't help laughing.

Her smile came too quickly, and her curved eyes seemed to be filled with tiny bits of sunlight, sparkling and sparkling, so bright that it was impossible to take your eyes away.

"Xiao Zhen, long time no see."

Xiao Zhen nodded: "Yes, long time no see."

Zhao Shiqing pointed at the house and asked, "Are you the new owner here?"

Xiao Zhen: "Yes, I am."

Zhao Shiqing: "Is it cheap here?"

Xiao Zhen laughed. He didn't expect that after not seeing each other for a long time, the thing Zhao Shiqing cared about most when they met was actually this.

"It's really cheap, so cheap that even I think I'm getting a bargain."

Zhao Shiqing exclaimed: "You have encountered such a good opportunity. You are worthy of being my grandfather's son. By the way, uncle, I forgot to call you just now. I'm sorry."

Xiao Zhen: Just forget it if you want to. There’s no need to apologize specifically.

Zhao Shiqing looked curious: "This place hasn't officially opened yet, I don't think I saw any customers when I came in just now."

He is curious about everything. He is still a child after all.

Xiao Zhen smiled: "I like quietness, so I don't plan to open it to the public for the time being."

Zhao Shiqing was even more curious: "Can we take a look around?"

Xiao Zhen nodded: "Let me show you around."

He stood up as he spoke, and Zhao Shiqing laughed again: "If I were in Liangdi and saw you dressed like this, I would have thought you really became a Taoist priest, but this is the capital, and people in the capital seem to like wearing Taoist robes very much."

Xiao Zhen looked down at the Taoist robe he was wearing: "It's loose and comfortable. Doesn't it look good?"

Zhao Shiqing said hurriedly: "It looks good. I will wear one later and get a whisk. Wuliang Tianzun."

As she spoke, she performed a formal salute.

Xiao Zhen pursed his lips, walked past Zhao Shiqing, and walked in front to lead the way.

Although Ruyi Fang is not a real pleasure boat, it is built in the shape of a ship, with a bow, a stern, and a large deck.

There are many rooms in Ruyi Fang, some of which have beds. Zhao Shiqing asked, "Hey, is it true that someone will spend the night in the restaurant?"

Xiao Zhen felt a little regretful. If he had known that Zhao Shiqing would come to visit, he should have thrown away all these inappropriate decorations and put up a desk and an antique shelf instead.

The little girl was so naive that she actually thought this place was originally a restaurant.

He was not going to say it out loud, and said, "I wanted to change it to an inn, but now I don't want to change it anymore."

Zhao Shiqing didn't ask any more questions. This was someone else's territory. They could do whatever they wanted. It was none of her business.

After a round of visits, Zhao Shiqing remembered the purpose of her visit to Xiao Zhen: "The Retired Emperor is your grandfather, and the Emperor is your uncle. You must have seen them often. Do the Emperor and the Retired Emperor look alike?"

Xiao Zhen was stunned. Why did Zhao Shiqing suddenly ask this?

He thought for a moment and said, "Before the accident, I was able to see the emperor often, but I only saw the emperor when I was very young. To be honest, I don't remember what he looked like.

After he went to the Changshou Palace, he didn't like anyone to see him, saying that it would affect his practice. My mother only went there once. However, he would send someone to deliver a few elixirs to his house during the holidays.

At first, my mother treated it like a treasure and shared it with the whole family, but after taking the elixir that year, my father fell ill for several days. Since then, all the elixirs given by the emperor have been thrown away by my mother. "