Mountains and rivers fall into red

Chapter 39 Fragrant Ink (1)
one

It's raining, the first rain of this spring.Pattering, like smoke and mist, just like people's hearts drifting, without knowing where they will end.

The bamboo shadows outside the wall are scattered, rustling in the drizzle, singing into a sound of nature.Yanxi got out of the sedan chair, propped up a bamboo bone tarpaulin umbrella, carried the bamboo basket containing the porcelain pots, and walked into the yard alone.

The yard is small but very clean. The old landlord couple thought they were flower lovers, so they planted flowers and plants in every corner of the yard.When the weather is sunny and sunny, the courtyard must be filled with spring scenery that cannot be contained.

This is the yard Tianji rented for Xiuxiu last spring.The one-year lease was up, and he negotiated with the landlord to extend it for another month.Tianji said that Xiuxiu had been here before, and he fell in love with him at first sight.

After returning from the palace, Xiuxiu has been living here, no matter what the second wife Liu Rulan said, she insisted not to return to the Shen residence.

Shen Buyu no longer forced her, and she couldn't even see Shen Buyu's shadow.Once this matter is over, perhaps, Xiuxiu really broke up with the Shen family.

"When the flowers bloom, Miss will be fine." Yan Xi couldn't help sighing, and walked into the bamboo house.

The room was quiet, and there was an extra pot of peonies on the table by the window than yesterday. At this time, the bud clusters on the branches were quite fat and tender green.After the green embellishment, the whole room is a little more lively.

Chu Tianji really has a heart.

Yan Xi sighed softly, and seeing Xiuxiu lying on the wall with her back facing her, she thought she was asleep, so she gently put down the umbrella and placed the bamboo basket on the table.

"Yanxi." Xiuxiu turned sideways and called out in a soft and weak voice.

"Miss, you haven't slept yet?" Yan Xi replied while carefully observing Xiuxiu's expression.

Xiuxiu stood up, brushed back her messy strands of hair, and said, "I've already slept in, seeing that it's raining outside, it's hard to go out, so I lay down for a while."

She was half leaning on the guide pillow, and her expression was also faint because of lack of energy.When she slowly raised her head, her eyes appeared larger than before on her thin cheeks.

Yan Xi's heart tightened, he went up to hold Xiuxiu's hand, and said with a smile: "I was afraid of disturbing your sleep, so I will come here later."

Xiuxiu complained, "It's so inconvenient for you to come and go like this, so don't come every day in the future."

"If I don't come, where can you get something good to eat? I want you to replenish your body."

"I'm not sick, what are you doing to make up for it?"

The two were at a loss for words for a moment, and the air was depressingly dull.After a while, Yan Xi stood up, pretending to be casual and said: "Second Madam asked me to bring some porridge with red dates and lotus seeds. I know you like it, if you are hungry, you can try it first."

After she finished speaking, she took off the lid of the jar, filled a bowl and gave it to Xixiu.Xiuxiu originally had a poor appetite, but seeing that Yan Xi liked it and couldn't refuse, she sat on the bed and began to eat slowly.

There was a smell of medicine in the room, Yan Xi couldn't get used to it, so he casually opened the curtain by the window.Some light slanted in and shone on Xiuxiu's face, making her paler.Yan Xi's sad eyes closed very quickly, and with a shy smile, he looked at Xiuxiu, as if nothing had happened.

"Why hasn't Chu Tianji come back yet?"

Xiuxiu chewed slowly, and said: "Yesterday, I heard that he said that he was going to Mr. Ji's place, so he must have something to do."

Hearing this, Yan Xi suppressed his smile and widened his eyes: "Master Ji? Is it the Master Ji who kidnapped you? How could Chu Tianji be with such a person? Miss, you should tell him whether Master Ji is related to Xiang Ye or not?" People in a boat."

Xiuxiu smiled bitterly, handed the remaining half bowl to Yanxi, and sighed silently: "What party and faction have nothing to do with me? I don't understand the affairs of the government and the public, so why should I?"

Yan Xi secretly blamed himself for not being able to speak, and brought up unpleasant things for no reason.She pretended to be relaxed, looked around, and said with a smile: "This house is too small, and there is no place to dry your clothes when it rains. Why don't I take your changed clothes back to wash today, and bring them back when they are dry. "

While talking, she turned around to help Xixiu tidy up.Walking to the corner, she inadvertently found a silver light shining in the pile of clothes, and when she pulled it out, she saw that it was the light yellow pleated skirt.She picked it up and smelled it, and thought it might be better to take it back and wash it.

She took the clothes and went to the bed to ask, but she saw Xiuxiu's face was pale, her eyes were fixed on the colorful clothes in her hand, and her expression was dull.Yan Xi murmured secretly, but it was already too late.Xixiu opened her mouth and vomited the porridge with red dates and lotus seeds that she had just eaten into a mess all over the floor.She spat and yelled, "Take it away! Take it away!"

"Miss!" Yan Xi yelled in pain as if her internal organs were being twisted, tears streaming down her face.

After Xiuxiu vomited, she was overwhelmed and leaned on the pillow panting for air. Seeing Yanxi crying and tidying up, she laughed: "Why are you crying? You cry when I'm fine. I told you to cry when I sacrificed to my father. Why can't you cry?" ?”

Yan Xi cried even harder: "What did Miss say? How do you compare with the dead?"

"But what's the difference between me and being dead?" Xiuxiu choked up, his eyes turned red, and he wrapped his arms around Yanxi.

At this moment, the door of the house opened, and Tianji came in from the outside. When he saw them hugging and crying, he frowned, took out the handkerchief in his sleeve, and wiped the raindrops on his face without making a sound.

"Brother Tianji." Xiuxiu called him softly, wiping away tears.

"It's still early, so I'll come to see you. If I had known Yanxi was here, I wouldn't have come." Tianji replied in a muffled voice, his tone firm.After speaking, he took the book and wanted to sit aside and read it.

Seeing this, Yanxi stood up and said goodbye.Xiuxiu asks Tianji to send Yanxi out, but Tianji doesn't say a word, and goes out with an umbrella, Yanxi has no choice but to leave.

As soon as he walked out of the yard, Tianji stopped, and said coldly: "Yanxi, you don't need to come here anymore, Xiuxiu is no longer a member of the Xiangfu."

Yan Xi's eyes were filled with tears in an instant, and he said: "Miss and I have known each other for two years, how can we say that we will break up?"

"You shouldn't have known each other in the first place. We are all from ordinary backgrounds, and you serve the real lady." Tianji's voice was extremely flat.

Yan Xi couldn't help being impatient when he heard this, and said: "No matter what, Miss and I love each other as sisters, so I'm naturally sad when she looks like this."

Tianji sneered and said: "Your friendship is deep enough, the third prince doesn't choose her to cry with her, and the third prince gets married, I don't know how long you two will cry!"

"What?" Yan Xi looked up in shock, and cried out, "He really wants to marry that Zheng Yizhen?"

Tianji felt amused, frowned and said sarcastically: "The selection of concubines by the royal family is not a child pretending to be a housekeeper. The emperor decreed that the third prince will get married at the end of March." Then he added a few words, "All the notices have been issued, and the world is still amnesty. "

"It's over, it's over, Miss is really over this time!" Yan Xi bled for Xiuxiu in his heart.

She walked alone on the street as if she had lost her mind. The cold rain drifted in from under the umbrella and sprinkled on her face, forming clusters and dripping down. It was hard to tell whether it was rain or tears.

That person is about to marry another woman, what about her young lady?poor lady.She is not reconciled, really not reconciled.

She was going to ask him, ask him for her miss, why did she lie to her miss?
Thinking of this, she made up her mind and turned on the road leading to the third prince's palace.

Outside the palace, two white jade lions lying opposite each other grinned at her.In the drizzle, the whole palace is even more chilling and cool.

The guard guarding the gate saw Yan Xi holding an umbrella, like a wandering ghost, and raised his halberd to stop her.

"Forbidden palace, idlers are not allowed to enter!"

Yan Xi's voice floated amidst the sound of rain: "Big brothers, please go in for me and inform His Highness the Third Prince that someone named Yan Xi wants to talk to him."

"The third prince is not in the palace."

"When does he come back?"

The guards decided that she was abnormal, so they politely sent her away: "I said, girl, which family are you from? Ever since the selection of the prince and concubine, there have always been people who cried and turned pale to look for the third prince. My family persuaded me to go away. It’s the first time I’ve seen you alone like you. This is a cold and rainy day, so if you stand for a long time, be careful not to get sick from the cold.”

The other guard couldn't understand it, and said sarcastically: "These young ladies, do ridiculous things, even disregarding the face of their family members. Don't be too polite, just drive them away."

Yan Xi was driven away several tens of feet away, but she didn't give up, she stood under the locust tree and waited stubbornly.The guards pointed at her from a distance, laughing from time to time.

In the cold rain, a group of chariots and horses appeared in front of the eyes, and the sound of rumbling was wanton and exaggerated, from far to near, roaring in the blink of an eye.Yan Xi moved his stiff feet, and shouted loudly at the two-horse carriage with gold and copper eaves in the middle: "Your Highness, come out!"

The guard on the horse next to him saw it and stopped sharply: "Bold! You don't kneel down when you see the third prince's car!"

Yan Xi couldn't care about anything else, and shouted at the carriage passing by, "Third Highness! Third Highness!"

Xiao Kui in the car vaguely heard the woman's cry, and casually lifted a corner of the curtain, and caught a glimpse of a young strange woman who was pulling with the guards, her whole body was wet.He immediately lowered his face and scolded: "How do you slaves work? How can someone come here casually, and ask Jiang Chen to change your shift tomorrow!"

Seeing that the third prince was angry, all the guards protected Xiao Kui into the palace.Another person came with a horse and swung his whip, splashing water on the ground, driving Yan Xi far away.

Yan Xi watched Xiao Kui's chariot and horses disappear into the palace gate, trembling with anger, couldn't help crying.

"Yanxi, what are you doing?"

In the desolate rain, Yan Xi heard a clear and beautiful voice.She raised her tearful eyes, Xiuxiu was standing alone under an umbrella, she was dressed in plain clothes, her face was as transparent as snow, but her eyes were clear and deep, bottomless.

"Miss, you go and ask him why he didn't choose you. He treats you like this, why don't you ask? You go and ask him, miss!" Yan Xi cried until his heart broke.

Xiuxiu walked over slowly, holding Yanxi's hand, her already bloodless lips became even paler.

"I'm already stupid enough... So you're even more stupid than me. It's not worth begging, Yanxi."

"Miss..." Yan Xi choked up.

Xiuxiu glanced lightly over the tall palace wall, and smiled silently.Her hands were icy cold, but seemed to have accumulated infinite strength, and she held Yan Xi tightly: "Stop doing stupid things, let's go back."

The misty rain filled the air, and the two faint figures separated or overlapped, but their pace quickened.

Shen Buyu sat on the iron pear wood armchair, his eyes were slightly closed, and his brows were tightly locked.He was always so decadent these days, with a few strands of white hair added to his temples, he seemed to have aged ten years suddenly.

"Master." Liu Rulan called out worriedly.

Shen Buyu waved his hands, eyes still closed, and asked, "How is Xiuxiu?"

"After a few days of recuperation, there is no improvement. This child is thinking about things on his mind all day long, never crying or making trouble, and he doesn't want to go back to Shen's residence. It really makes people feel uneasy."

"Let her go. If you force her and cause trouble instead, things will be even more difficult."

"She is intentionally estranged from the relationship with the Shen family. Master, if she really wants to go back to Mengmao County, what should she do?"

"This time, I really don't know what to do!" Shen Buyu sighed.

He has just returned from the palace.After the selection incident, he went to the Palace of Wenyong, and Concubine Rong could only cry and sigh helplessly.Although his face was livid, his mind was still calm, and he advised Concubine Rong to calm down and wait for Xiao Kui to come back to ask what happened.Xiao Kui is used to arrogance, maybe it was impulsive, and maybe he will regret it after the matter is over.

But every time he went to Wenyong Palace, Concubine Rong shook her head helplessly every time.Xiao Kui didn't even come to the bedroom of his mother and concubine!
Concubine Rong sighed: "The older this child is, the more difficult it is to figure out his thoughts."

Shen Buyu was flustered, he thought carefully back and forth, thinking that everything was perfect and impeccable, and he couldn't find any mistakes in any link.

He even went to Emperor Liang's side to make a side note.Emperor Liang's mind was over, he was in a good mood, his face was rosy, and when he saw Shen Buyu, he didn't forget to joke a few words: "I wanted to get married with Aiqing, but it seems that Kui'er has no fate with your daughter!"

Shen Buyu came out listlessly, and saw the civil and military officials from all over the court congratulating Zheng De one after another, those auspicious words and praises sounded particularly harsh.Not long after, Emperor Liang issued an order and set a date for the wedding, and he realized that he had really lost.It seemed that Xiao Kui was not acting on his own will at all, this time he was serious about it.He has always considered himself to be scheming and well-thought-out, how could he fall into the hands of a young man in his early twenties.

He was almost mad.He is not reconciled, and he will never be reconciled!

He is aware of Xiao Kui's vigilance towards him, so he has been cautious and deliberate until one day Xiao Kui fell in love with Xiu Xiu.On New Year's Eve, he secretly watched Xiuxiu get on Xiao Kui's white horse...

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became, he slapped his chair and called Uncle Fu: "Get ready for the carriage!"

The carriage drove slowly all the way, and Shen Buyu was meditating all the way.Uncle Fu's eyes rolled, and he asked softly: "Master, Miss is with Chu Tianji now, if you don't stop me, I'm afraid this kid will play tricks on you."

Only then did Shen Buyu raise his eyelids, and said in a deep voice: "Now it's not Chu Tianji, but Xiao Kui! I wondered, although Xiao Kui was a bit stubborn, he was definitely not confused. What made him suddenly change his mind and choose someone else?" ? You go and call Jiang Chen, he may know something."

"Yes, sir."

When the carriage arrived at the bamboo courtyard, Shen Buyu got out of the carriage and walked in with his hands behind his back.

Hugh was the only one in the yard.Seeing Shen Buyu's carriage from the window, she hesitated for a while, then went out of the house to greet her.

The Xiuxiu in front of him was not as desolate and sad as imagined, Shen Buyu relaxed his heart, showed a shallow smile, and said: "I didn't come to see you these days. I'm very interested. But don't worry, I'm sending someone to investigate the reason, and I will give you an explanation."

"Thank you for your kindness, but it's really not necessary."

Xiuxiu replied calmly, and looked at Shen Buyu with indescribable indifference, his eyes were still like a pool of water, clear to the bottom.Seeing these eyes, Shen Buyu's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Could it be that Xiao Kui knew something?
Then he shook his head slightly.No, everyone is dead, how many people will know?

As if aware of his gaffe, he strolled into the bamboo house, looked around at the surrounding layout, and let out a long sigh.

Xiuxiu stood behind and said, "What else do you want to do here?"

That tone clearly did not welcome him.Shen Buyu was startled, recovered himself, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "It's not convenient to live here, you'd better go back home."

"Don't be so troublesome, I will go back to my hometown in a few days."

Hearing her speak so directly, Shen Buyu frowned and said, "Go back to my hometown? Isn't it good here?"

"I'm used to the mountains and rivers there, this place is not suitable for me." Xiuxiu said decisively.

"Actually, you—" Shen Buyu hesitated to speak, and thought for a while, "You don't have to go back in such a hurry. The day of Xiao Kui's wedding hasn't come yet, maybe you still have hope."

Xiuxiu ignored Shen Buyu's words, and said to himself: "The Tomb-sweeping Day is coming soon, I'm going to visit my father's grave."

Knowing that he could not stop it, Shen Buyu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said: "Of course. I will send two people to escort you back first, and I will pick you up after Qingming."

Xiuxiu even refused this: "Brother Tianji will take me back, I don't want strangers to follow."

Shen Buyu showed a sullen expression on his face.This child looks weak and weak, but there is a stubbornness in his bones, and he cannot be forced.He suddenly realized that this was the longest conversation between them since the first time he saw her.An inexplicable regret arose in Shen Buyu's heart for no reason, and his words were much more tactful: "Alright, then you will come back after Qingming."

Xiuxiu smiled indifferently.

After this time, she is afraid that she will never come back.

Tianji sneaked over here this day, and Xiuxiu had already tidied up, waiting for him to come back.

Because of the pimples in his heart and his busy schedule, Tianji had no time to take care of rest for a few days.Seeing Xiuxiu's calm demeanor today, a faint smile appeared on his face, a bit of guilt arose in his heart, and his voice became softer.

"You want to go back to Mengmata County?"

"This is not the place for me to stay, what's the point of staying?" Xiuxiu's voice was soft, without any emotion.

Tianji thought for a while, then hesitated: "I'm a bit busy, why don't we wait a few more days?"

Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, Ji Mingyou asked him to pay a visit to several principals, and he didn't want to lose these great opportunities.

"Okay, I'll wait for you." Xiuxiu said calmly.

Tianji still couldn't hold back, and asked: "Why didn't you let Shen Buyu send you back? I was surprised, you were with me, but he didn't ask anyone to find my troubles, what kind of tricks are you playing?"

Xiuxiu said truthfully: "I have nothing to do with him now."

But Tianji thought, did Shen Buyu despise her because Xiuxiu was not selected as the concubine?It seems that he took her as his goddaughter for a purpose, what a sinister guy!

He thought of the humiliation he had suffered before, and felt resentful in his heart, and his tone turned blunt: "Did he give up on you, or did you give up on being part of the Shen family? Now that you have nothing, you think of relying on me?"

The unexpected blunt words made Xiuxiu's slightly rosy face turn pale.She was sore in her heart, so she laughed at herself: "I have nothing left. If you are angry, I have nothing to say. If I am annoying, you should have said it. I won't bother you. I will go back by myself."

Tianji regretted his impulsive language, and wanted to explain, but saw Xiuxiu's eyes drifting into the distance, and there were crystal clear things flickering in his pupils.This look is because of that Xiao Kui, right?When he thought of this, his heart became cold, so he slammed the door and left without saying a word.

Xixiu sat weakly on the chair, tears rolling down from her eyes.

Tianji was also in a bad mood, tossing and turning all night, and went to visit Ji Mingyou as usual the next day.Noticing his pale face, Ji Mingyou asked, "Is there something wrong at home?"

Tianji bowed in response: "Go back to my lord, everything is fine at my little man's house."

"That's a mental illness." The corner of Ji Mingyou's mouth curled up into a smile, "Isn't that heavy sleeper disturbing your mood?"

Tianji couldn't help blushing, lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes and said softly: "My lord has always warned the villain to put the cause of the country as the most important thing and not to indulge in the feelings of children. The villain has always engraved it in his heart. Just don't want to go back to her hometown. No one will send her. The villain I want to go to the Ministry of Criminal Justice to take a leave."

Ji Mingyou nodded slightly, patted him on the shoulder, and reminded: "Shen Xiuxiu is Shen Buyu's goddaughter. Xiao Kui did not choose her, which was beyond Shen Buyu's expectation. He is looking around for the reason. Shen Buyu has always been at odds, you have to be careful with this old fox, don't wade into this muddy water."

"The villain knows." Tianji bowed and promised.

Ji Mingyou pondered, and finally said with a smile on his face: "The last time you met Mr. Liu, his family has a young girl who lives in his boudoir. Mr. Liu wants to find a son-in-law. He has a deep impression of you and has praised you more than once. If he mentions this matter next time, I will agree to this marriage for you. It is a dream of many people to become the richest household in Jiangling. Tianji, you just wait and enjoy the blessing."

Tianji was shocked when he heard the words, and subconsciously refused: "This villain has never thought about it."

Ji Mingyou's expression froze, and he looked at the sky: "Don't tell me you want to marry that Shen Xiuxiu?"

"grown ups……"

(End of this chapter)