female catcher

Chapter 204
Jiang Xiyuan collected the recent events the night before, compiled them into a document, and planned to enter the palace to report to Su Zhen someday.Resting late, I couldn't hide my tiredness when I got up early to go to the Imperial College, and I covered my mouth and yawned again and again.

Maoshi rang the chime bell, and within a moment, the Guozijian was quiet.Sitting in front of the case, he flipped through the imperial student's essays, and after reading for a while, he felt that he couldn't open his eyes, so he simply put them aside, and leaned on the soft couch to catch up on sleep.

The pines and cypresses in the Guozijian are shady, and the birds chirp in the morning, making it very quiet.During Jiang Xiyuan's nap, he didn't open his eyes until Sishi passed, turned over and saw that the sun was already high, stretched his arms and sat up, feeling refreshed.

He opened the door and went out, walked slowly from the backyard to Yonglou, exchanging a few words with the prison students who came across from him along the way.After bypassing the Yong Tower, from a distance, I saw several officials' children gathering together to chat, and I heard the words of the emperor and the beautiful girl.He quietly went over and stood behind them, wanting to eavesdrop on something that would not be put on the table, but he didn't want the sharp-eyed prison student to see him just as he approached.

"Master." Several supervising students got warning glances from their classmates, turned their heads one after another, and bowed their hands to salute him.Jiang Xiyuan nodded slightly, and said with a smile, "What are the gods and ghosts talking about?"

Jiang Xiyuan was not much older than them, and outside of teaching, he seldom acted like a master in private. Hearing his brisk questioning, the superintendent let go of his restraint and said, "The students are talking about an interesting story."

"What's interesting?" Jiang Xiyuan took a few steps closer and leaned against a tree with his sleeves folded, showing some interest.The other supervisors smiled and said nothing. Qian Mingchang's eldest son, Qian Chengxun, was more familiar with him. After looking around, he stood beside Jiang Xiyuan and said, "It's about the emperor. We're just chatting privately." That's all, there is no disrespect. The master can't finish listening and punish us."

"I don't care if I respect you or not." Jiang Xiyuan said with a light smile, "I'm not those old pedants, just say what you want."

Qian Chengxun pointed to a fat man standing next to him, "Ruan Ting stayed at Baihualou last night, so he got up early and late today."

Ruan Ting blushed, shook his hands and said, "Just say what you want, what are you doing with me!"

"It's fine if I don't make it clear. Your home is in Beicheng. If you didn't get up from the Baihua Building in the morning, how would you have seen that incident." Qian Chengxun replied to him, then turned his head and continued to say to Jiang Xiyuan: "Gong Recently, the village is recruiting girls for examination, so many families squeezed their money to send the girls in, but there are those lucky ones who sit behind closed doors, and the canonization edict falls from the sky."

"Oh?" Jiang Xiyuan glanced at Ruan Ting, "Whose girl?"

Ruan Ting answered and said, "I don't know. When I passed by Anfengfang, I saw that car coming out of the alley. I asked the people next to me and I found out that someone from the palace canonized the female officer."

Jiang Xiyuan was taken aback when he heard the word Anfengfang, and stood up straight, "What are you talking about? Anfengfang?"

"Anfengfang." Ruan Ting nodded, lowered his voice, and said with a smile: "I heard from the people in that workshop that the house is quite mysterious and rarely walks with the neighbors, and I have never seen any young women. I don't know. Why did you suddenly lead the edict into the palace?"

"Maybe it's a woman raised in a golden house, waiting for the emperor to open the palace so that she can be sent in?" A person next to her interjected, "Today I am a talented person, the emperor of a great country. If I am a woman, I will also go to the palace."

Several people burst into laughter when they heard the words, made a fuss about that person, and waited for Qian Chengxun to turn around to talk to Jiang Xiyuan, only to find that Jiang Xiyuan had disappeared.

Jiang Xiyuan left the Imperial College, got on his horse and ran towards Anfengfang.Along the way, he prayed secretly, hoping that the person Ruan Ting mentioned was not Xia Chu, but thinking about Su Zhen's feelings for Xia Chu, he couldn't lie to himself.The anxiety inside was like being lit by a fire, and the closer you got to Anfengfang, the more frightened you became.

When he arrived at the alley of Xia Chu's house, Jiang Xiyuan jumped off the horse before he could stand on his feet.This alley is as calm as before, and there is no change in the slightest.

The best result of everything is a 'false alarm'.

He really hoped that he would stand at the gate of the small courtyard for a while, knock on the door, and then see Xia Chu poking his head out, asking him in surprise, "Hey? Why are you here at this time, sir?"

Jiang Xiyuan stood at the entrance of the alley and breathed a sigh of relief, then walked in quickly.The closer you get, the colder you feel. The footprints on the ground are messy, and the ruts are still there. People have indeed been there. When you get closer, you can vaguely see the dark copper lock on the door.

He stepped up the steps in front of the door and tugged at the lock. His whole body was as cold as ice, but he patted on the door unwillingly and said loudly, "Chu Xia! Chu Xia!"

There was no response from the courtyard.

Jiang Xiyuan took two steps back, lifted himself up and jumped, stepped on the wall and jumped onto the top of the wall, and then turned steadily into the yard.This is the second time he climbed over the wall to enter, the last time he came to confirm whether Xia Chu was a woman or not, he was anxious, excited, and hopeful.

And this time with hope, that glimmer of hope used to lie to himself.He lied to himself that Chu Xia just went out to the streets, and it was just a coincidence that he announced the decree to enter the palace.

But at this moment, this little hope is more like a straw grasped in despair.

The yard didn't seem to have changed at all, with small stone tables and grape trellises.The copper pot was washed and polished and placed on the window sill outside the kitchen. The shallow water stains on the drain in the corner of the yard were still wet, and there was still a washed hat hanging under the eaves of the corridor.

Jiang Xiyuan looked around in panic, then turned his head and walked to the door of the main room. When he put his hand on the door, he found himself trembling slightly.

The door was pushed open with a creak, and the sunlight penetrated a short inch. Jiang Xiyuan squinted his eyes, and walked in slowly after getting used to the light in the room.

The furnishings in the room were all too familiar. There was a piece of paper spread out on the desk in the west room. He walked over and saw that there was no word on it.The ink in the square inkstone next to it has been ground, and it has dried up at this time, leaving black and bright marks; the pine smoke ink is lying on the side, and there is still half a cup of clear water in the purple sand water.

Jiang Xiyuan stroked it lightly, but the soft and smooth paper pierced into his heart from his fingertips like a thorn.He withdrew his hand and went to the east room again, and saw that the cowpea red gown was neatly folded on the corner of the bed, with the middle coat under it, and the cotton cloth with a belt and corset on it, beside the bed were the cloth shoes that Xia Chu wore .

All replaced.

He stared at the stack of clothes in a daze for a long time, the little hope in his heart would never disappear again, as if his chest was choked by something, and it was painful.Looking up, I saw the painting on the wall, it was pasted neatly as before, and Xia Chu in the painting was also smiling slightly as before.

Jiang Xiyuan stretched out his hand and wanted to pull it away, but when his hand touched the paper, he wiped it lightly on Xia Chu's face instead.He looked at the smiling face of the person in the painting without blinking, only to feel that his vision gradually became blurred.
It's a good irony that good fortune tricks people.

That day was half a day in Pingshan, when he heard her say that she didn't want to enter the palace, he still remembered the moment of relief, but it was only a month, and what he did became so ridiculous.

He gave her a choice, but the emperor didn't give them a choice.The worries and fears that filled my heart at that time have finally come true now.In front of the holy will, he is insignificant, and Xia Chu is also insignificant.

He lowered his head and chuckled, endlessly mocking.The corners of her lips trembled slightly, tears welled up in her eyes, but she swallowed them back vigorously, the sour and bitter taste pressed down on her heart.

After a while, Jiang Xiyuan raised his head, took a deep breath, turned around and strode away.

An Liang sent Xia Chu to the inner court, and asked Aunt Shangyi to take care of her, and only taught etiquette and palace rules, and she must not be treated harshly.After getting my aunt's guarantee, I returned to the Royal Study Room.

Su Zhen was talking about the draft with the Minister of Rites, when he saw An Liang brought tea in, his heart tightened suddenly, and he hurriedly finished talking with the Minister, and asked him to leave.

An Liang saw the ceremony, his eyes were quite happy, and before Su Zhen could ask him, he stepped forward and said: "My Majesty, Xia Dian has already taken him into the palace. According to your order, he will be sent to the inner court first, and the servant has also ordered Jiang Shangyi." You can rest assured, Your Majesty."

Su Zhen listened silently, picked up his tea and took a sip, then asked after a moment of hesitation: "Xiachu..., did you say anything?"

An Liang smiled unnaturally, "It's nothing, it's probably because the decree was announced suddenly, and the servant persuaded me a few words and it's all right."

Su Zhen glanced at him, "Tell me the truth."

An Liang shivered, and knelt down, "Your Majesty, it's really nothing. It's just that your majesty has expressed your affection for Xia Dianshi, and this servant has said something presumptuously. Xia Dianshi is a transparent person, so he must understand it in his heart, and he is grateful for it." My Majesty is sincere."

Su Zhen looked at him, put down the teacup, got up and walked to An Liang's side, "Get up."

An Liang heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. Before he could say thank you, Su Zhen said again: "Why cover it up with clever words? I know that with Xia Chu's temperament, he probably doesn't want to enter the palace."

"Your Majesty..." An Liang was startled secretly, and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Su Zhen raising his hand.Su Zhen took off the pendant from his wrist, put it in his hand and looked at it for a long time, then said in a low voice: "The palace is quiet, I want to escape but I still have to come back. It is my selfishness to drag her into the palace."

"Your Majesty." An Liang took a step forward, bowed and said, "It is a great blessing for the people to enter the palace to serve the emperor. Whether it is recruiting female officials or drafting, who is not vying to serve the emperor?"

Su Zhen smiled vaguely.Serving the emperor, serving status and power, not him.He didn't care about those servants, and what he wanted was companionship, affection, the affection that truly belonged to Su Zhen, not the emperor.

He was selfish, just like this a piece of oracle suppressed her and took her into the palace.But he couldn't let go, and he didn't dare to give her a choice, afraid that she would shake her head at him, or take half a step back to say goodbye to him, that would mean never seeing him again.

For more than a month, it has been unbearable until now, I have endured and endured it, and I don't know when I can let it go.If he never knew the identity of Xia Chu, it would be fine, maybe things really were like this.

But now that he knew, how could he lie to himself again, the love that was pressed in his heart was no longer bitter, but it became torment again.I want to see her, I want her, I want to never experience that kind of farewell, that kind of pain in my life.

He knew she had feelings for him, and he guessed that she was afraid of her identity.But he didn't want her to be afraid, he wanted her to know himself in her current identity, look at herself, and fall in love with herself.

Be selfish.Since love is hard to give up and love is hard to leave, it is better to make a fortune than to regret in the future, and to ask oneself endlessly in a long life: "What if..."

(End of this chapter)