The town government palace was brightly lit, the silver bells hanging on the four corners of the soft sedans and horses were ringing endlessly, and the whole north of Chang'an Avenue was filled with bustling people.
The smell of wine was overwhelming, cups were being exchanged, glasses were being exchanged, and the noise dispersed the cool night breeze that was rare in the hot summer. As soon as Dou Xi returned home, his eyebrows were furrowed.
Changsheng, the young man who grew up with him, had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw him coming back, he hurriedly handed over the letter in his hand.
He looked at the prince's expression carefully and said, "Master, why don't you go to Hongfang Tower to stay overnight."
Even though the sound in the inner courtyard was so far away, I could still hear it clearly. Occasionally, someone would shout flattery and congratulate Fifth Master Dou on his birthday.
"Now I have a home and can't go back." He said a word without a tone, and there was already an air of danger in his suppressed brows.
Changsheng is quiet, "little ones dare not."
Dou Xihui put his hand on his shoulder and patted him soothingly, "What are you doing?"
There were three belly-turned carps floating on the water in the pool behind the screen wall. Dou Xihui seemed to be able to smell the fishy smell of the rotting fish bodies.
If he didn't have something to talk about today, he really wouldn't want to set foot here again.
He opened the letter casually, and the dark red light from the red lantern under the eaves surrounded his tall and broad body. The servants who accompanied him lowered their heads in silence to make a quiet space for the master to read the letter.
The quieter it gets here, the more obvious the noise there is. The voice of Zhen Guo Gong loudly shouting suddenly became louder, "Of course I have to persist until Cong'er grows up. Even for Cong'er, I have to do more." How many years to live... Come, come, drink... Mr. Li, I’ll give you a toast.”
Word by word, as the cool night breeze blew into Dou Xihui's ears, he twisted his fingertips with a little more force, and the letter was torn at the waist. Changsheng was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe.
The implication was that his biological father had declared that he would leave the title to Lao Wu, even if the son was born from a concubine.
Dou Xihui's face was as cold as ice. He felt numb after hearing these words...
Dou Xihui's dark eyes darkened, and he did not hide the impatience in his eyes. He directly tore open the cover of the letter and pieced it together, skimming over the contents of the letter at a glance.
I don't know what the content of the letter is, but it has eased Dou Xihui's suddenly depressed pressure a little.
Chang Sheng’s voice was like a mosquito, “I’ve already asked someone to clean up your house. Do you want to go in and rest directly?”
Chang Shang glanced at the door of the house with a pointed look, and passed through the hanging flower door of the ear room. The banquet in the courtyard had not yet ended. The wine was in full swing, and the prince would inevitably collide with the banquet of the Duke of Zhen if he entered like this.
"You are tired from traveling and have been away for three months. Why don't you rest first..." Changsheng tried to figure out Dou Xihui's thoughts. He lowered his head. He had grown up with the prince since he was a child, and their friendship was... No one else can match him, but since the old lady passed away, he has become less and less able to understand the prince.
He waited on her tremblingly, and when the old lady left, she took away the prince's warmth with her.
Dou Xihui raised his hand to stop what he was saying, with the dimples on his cheeks showing as he spoke, "No, I'm going back to the capital before the prince. I don't want to hide when I come back today. Tell my father that I'm waiting for him in the south study."
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He took the first step, leaving the attendants far away, pushed open the door of the south study room, and sunk his body into the armchair. The south study room was full of mold, so he pushed open all the doors and windows, letting in the clean air and the heat. to the house.
The dignified Duke's Mansion looks like gold and jade on the outside, but it's actually in ruins.
The dead fish in the pond, the moldy and yellowed books, the small things are seen as big things, and the Zhenguo government has reached the end of its power.
He pressed the letter into the title page of the book, closed his eyes and rested his mind. Hearing the sound of movement outside, his closed eyelids suddenly opened.
The door of the south study room was pushed open rudely, and the visitor said without mercy, "It's okay if you come back quietly, you have to call me away, in front of so many people, don't think that the emperor thinks highly of you now, You can dominate your father and me.”
The Duke of Zhenguo glared angrily, his round belly holding up the material of his clothes. He pretended to be a father and tried his best to maintain the image of his father with vented words, but was defeated by a few inadvertent and weak looks from him.
When he looked at his son who was dancing well in the court, he didn't feel proud, but felt frightened.
Dou Xihui's eyes were big and lively, with long slits. When he looked at him intently, his black pupils were like a knife, with a sharp blade that reflected his ugly face.
"My father is wrong to say this. My son just asked Changsheng to invite you. As for whether you will come and when, it is up to you."
Dou Xihui frowned in disgust, not wanting to engage in Tai Chi with him anymore, so he poked his heart with his words, "After all, the father has to rely on his son now, so there are so many people coming to please and flatter him."
It was like stomping on a cat's tail, and the old cat's fur immediately exploded. Duke Zhenguo shivered with anger, and he no longer acted like he was "talking loudly" at the banquet.
Dou Xihui pinched his brows and said, "Instead of confronting me tit for tat, father, it is better to listen to my son's words. Even though the Zhenguo Palace is declining day by day, you can at least keep your current glory."
"Speaking of declining... you can't hope for things to get better in the house. Your mother has spoiled you. Today is your brother's birthday, and you didn't even show your face."
At the mention of mother, Dou Xihui's originally relaxed body suddenly tensed up. He held his chest and hugged his shoulders, his shoulders slightly leaning forward, in a completely defensive posture.
Seeing him doing this, Duke Zhen Guo thought he had found a loophole in his son's impeccable defense. Just when he was complacent and wanted to attack with force to save his face, Dou Xihui snorted coldly. This son of his sat upright, acted openly and aboveboard, and looked like a gentleman, gentle and elegant. The capital had long made a statement, but suddenly he acted so harsh and mean that the Duke of Zhen was confused.
Most of the time, no matter how gentle a person is, once they touch the scars in their heart, they will develop a thick callus for self-protection and become hard, and they will turn into a hedgehog with a back full of spikes to protect its soft belly.
"Why do you have the nerve to mention my mother?" He said these words first, and then came closer. Duke Zhen Guo was not very tall, and he was hunched over with age, which made Dou Xihui, who was tall and broad-shouldered, even more oppressive.
He raised his chin arrogantly and said, "I only want to say one thing, the prince's faction is out of control, and the camp of the six princes cannot be relied upon. The forces in the court are complex, and your majesty is in his prime. If you still want the son of the Li family to usurp your title, you Just stay with me and I won’t entertain you like this in the future.”
He stopped talking nicely, copied the book with the letter in his hand, kicked the door shut, and stopped staying.
Dou Xihui strode to the Chaoshou veranda before stopping. His chest could not help but rise and fall. Changsheng stood beside him and said softly, "What happened to the old lady back then...you still can't let go..."
Dou Xihui didn't speak for a long time. He opened the title page of the book and took out the letter. The light in the corridor was dim. He browsed it again, leaned on the corridor column, and fiddled with it for a while, but couldn't find anything good at all.
"Whenever Mr. Li dies, I will let go of my heart." He said this, but after thinking about it, he felt that it was wrong. "Whenever my father and Ms. Li died together, I would let go of my heart. However, my mother-in-law is also underground. I don’t want to see their faces.”
Changsheng said: "Then why do you need to care about them anymore? His Majesty has separated you from the Zhenguo Palace, so it should not affect your career."
Dou Xihui looked at Changsheng for a long time. When he saw Changsheng, he did not dare to look at him again, "Master, I said it wrong again."
"You are right, sometimes I don't know what I am doing. His Majesty does not give orders to the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince. I went to the Rehe Palace some days ago and met the Seventh Prince."
Changsheng was surprised that the prince told him such a royal secret. He was secretly excited and frightened in his heart. His lips could not stop trembling, "Seventh prince? I have no impression."
"I don't have much impression. I went to see it. I took a look from a distance. There is no difference. Apart from a good skin, the emperor's intentions are unpredictable. The annual Mulan Shooting is coming soon. Let's see then. The Dou family If you want to regain glory, you must place your bets on the new king.”
His mind drifted away, and the sound of playing, singing and playing at the banquet in the distance became smaller and smaller. He exhaled a breath and felt a little more comfortable, "When I went to Shuyun Pavilion, I met a girl."
He raised the letter and rubbed his eyebrows, "I asked someone to check her."
……
Xu Lianlang only realized that A Zhu was gone at noon the next day.
She got up late. Lu Jieming knocked on her door in the early morning and whispered to her that the remaining water chestnut cakes were placed in his side hall. After her sister got up, she would eat something to cushion her stomach. Eat again.
She was in a daze, but her consciousness was awake, but her body couldn't get up, and she couldn't remember whether she had replied to him or not.
Then I heard him explain in detail that the one who fed Xiaoluzi yesterday got some dirt on it. He teased her like that because he was worried that she would have an upset stomach after eating too much late at night.
Thinking of the tall and thin boy standing in front of his room with his head bowed and chattering, Xu Lianlang's heart softened. Anyone who was cherished and treated with such care by such a beautiful boy couldn't help but secretly say a few words. Unexplained emotions.
So when he heard that A Zhu had been driven away by Lu Jieming, Xu Lianlang couldn't help but be startled.
She asked: "Is there any reason?"
The maid lowered her head deeply, not daring to look at her, and her shoulders shook slightly, as if she was extremely afraid of her.
She was about to ask again, but the maid couldn't help but backed away repeatedly, and said while returning, "Girl, don't ask anymore, but if you ask again, I will listen to the girl carefully in the future."
Xu Lianlang didn't know why, but overnight, when he saw the group of people who had sent the letter from Shuyun Pavilion, his expressions changed completely.
She was puzzled and took the copper basin for washing to serve Rong Bin.
Rong Bin held the handkerchief to press the water droplets on her face, and looked through the bronze mirror at Xu Lianlang, who was combing her hair.
"Did Jieming meet the Queen Mother yesterday?" she asked suddenly, and Xu Lianlang responded.
Rong Bin was a little annoyed, but she still suppressed her temper and continued to ask: "Did the Queen Mother say anything to him?"
Xu Lianlang's forehead twitched, "I don't know."
Rong Bin sneered, "You are so ignorant, he only tells you everything now."
Xu Lianlang's face turned pale, and he immediately knelt down and remained silent.
Rong Bin took a deep breath, "Lian Lang, you have to remember who you are. He is young and easily confused by others. He is so close to you, so don't let you daydream about wealth."
(End of chapter)
The author said: Daily updates can be resumed, everyone
The epidemic in Shijiazhuang has become serious. Surgery has been postponed and many things have been suspended. I can finish writing this story first
In order to compensate everyone, I will update more during these days to catch up with the progress
Everyone should wear a mask when going out. This is the first time I feel so close to the epidemic. Please protect yourself. Thank you for voting for me during 2021-01-0623:56:41~2021-01-1112:36:02 Little angel of nutrient solution~
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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!