The clouds are golden in the sky. Bianliang City in July gradually calms down from the summer heat wave. When the first sycamore leaves fall, autumn has arrived.
Rows of buildings take the Royal Street as the central axis and extend in all directions. Pedestrians and merchants come and go, walking through the streets and alleys. The shouts of merchants are often mixed with the cry of mules and horses, and the rumble of wheels stirs the people.
The laughter of children playing on the street. The swallows nesting under the eaves flew over the trees on the street and over the yards of nearby households. Boats of different sizes rowed through the rivers in the city. The banks were lined with pedestrians.
Or the courtyard walls of nearby homes.
In the afternoon, the gaps between the sycamore trees cast a golden silhouette in the yard, swaying slightly in the wind. In the study room with the window open, Ning Yi was writing and drawing at the table. From a distance, he could hear the nursing staff at home training.
The movement of time.
At this time, even if the area around Bianliang is as prosperous as Bianliang, it is not peaceful. The number of hungry people coming from outside the city has begun to increase. Kaifeng Prefecture has increased the number of checkpoints on the roads and checks when entering the city. But at least, this
The courtyard in the city still seemed quiet and peaceful. After just a moment, sneaky footsteps were heard in the corner. Ning Yi frowned. Soon, two heads suddenly appeared at the door next to them.
He appeared out of nowhere, and although he pretended to scare him, there was only one face that looked fierce.
"Ha~!"
Yuan Jin'er suddenly jumped up, raising her hands above her head like chicken claws, wincing and glaring, and her face was distorted. Ning Yi raised his brush in the air and looked at her blankly. After a while, he said in a calm tone: "Ah...
...It's so scary..." Jin'er lost interest and curled her lips.
The other person who followed her was dressed in men's clothing, with a scholar's hat on his head, and a bright and clear smile on his face, but it was Yunzhu.
Her smile is completely different from that at the end of the year.
When she just poked her head out, she even made an expression similar to a "grimace" on her face. Then she couldn't help but laugh.
"Li Heng didn't go out today."
"I just came back from the Prime Minister's Mansion in the morning. There isn't much going on in the afternoon, so I'm practicing my calligraphy. You guys just arrived?"
"I just came here after meeting Tan'er outside. Tan'er saw me wearing men's clothes. She wants me to accompany her out later. She is going to the workshop to see how the new robe looks like."
"Oh, your recent relationship is better than mine..."
Ning Yi smiled, but Jin'er snorted softly: "I'm not going, I'm going to find Xiaochan." Probably because of some prejudices in the past, the relationship between Jin'er and Su Tan'er was not considered
Well, on the contrary, I still maintain a good friendship with Xiaochan.
Half a year has passed since the end of the year. In the past six months, many things have actually changed. Among them, the changes in Yunzhu and the relationship between this family are probably the most disturbing to Ning Yi.
Feel relaxed.
Since last year, Ning Yi has been somewhat restrained in handling the relationships between people around him. Although he is an extremely domineering person outside, he is also determined not to let go of Tan'er, Yunzhu and others, but he is determined
It's one thing, and how to deal with it is another. He had some guilt in his heart, and it was only when he was in his new year that everything finally broke out. Yunzhu's heartache and departure were her own.
Mental disorder, but it is actually not unrelated to Ning Yi's subconscious guilt.
Ning Yi and Tan'er reached a consensus in Muyuan. Yunzhu took Jin'er back to his original hometown. Along the way, he may have thought about their relationship. After returning, he let go of his worries. This
The process may be said to be simple, but it may be said to be complicated, but it is also complicated. In short, what is contained in it is not a moment of wisdom, or an epiphany after seeing a certain symbol. It can only be said to be the wisdom given by life.
Yunzhu's nature was originally bright. She was a lady from an official family before she was ten years old and received a good education. However, her life was bumpy and she lived in seclusion after redemption. Psychologically speaking, she was somewhat depressed and autistic.
After she fell in love with Ning Yi, her heart was tied to each other. It was also because of her concern and sensitivity that she may have gradually become depressed after a slight loss.
These things may be difficult for ordinary women to solve. Of course, it is not easy for her, but during the journey after leaving Ning Yi, she was able to see clearly the crux of herself and Ning Yi.
I no longer felt sorry for myself because of this. When I came back to Bianliang and faced Ning Yi, I gave him a clear and pure smile that was similar but slightly different from the first time we met.
"I'm back, husband."
That day, when Ning Yi set foot on the second floor of the small courtyard again, he was greeted by a woman kneeling on the bed, Yingying, who saluted. In her smile, there was longing, warmth, apology, and a little playfulness, which made her smile.
Ning Yi didn't know what to say for a while.
Of course, the living habits a person has accumulated over the past ten years cannot be completely changed by a moment of enlightenment. Yunzhu is still the same Yunzhu, who likes to be quiet, live alone, read books, and play the piano, but among them, he no longer excludes children.
She went to visit Tan'er, and then Tan'er also came to visit her.
In fact, the two of them had some admiration for each other before. Even if Yunzhu was considered the third and fourth party, after saving Ning Xi in the thunderstorm, Tan'er had already begun to accept her. But after coming to
Ning Yi didn't know how to adjust and deal with the series of events after the trip to the capital, and the two of them didn't quite know how to interact with each other. When Yunzhu returned to the capital in May, such contact became natural.
If Yunzhu was said to be intellectual and gentle with the tenderness of water, Yunzhu at this time is probably more like the clarity of water with intellectual gentleness. She was originally a young lady from an official family. If there were no subsequent changes,
, growing up smoothly all the way, maybe there is a small part of the characteristics that are like this.
Although he claims to be a powerful man, Ning Yi has no effect on Tan'er and Yunzhu. Sometimes he thinks about it, but he has become a knot in the other's heart. In this way,
I suddenly felt depressed.
Nowadays, Tan'er and Yunzhu meet occasionally. Tan'er knows Yunzhu's character and will not invite her to any troublesome events. She only occasionally chats about gossip, or talks about Zhuji's business, and takes her to Suzhou.
She would visit her family's clothing workshop and occasionally ask Yunzhu to paint flowers to embellish her clothes. Yunzhu would occasionally tell Tan'er about popular poetry and prose, stories about talented people in Bianliang, etc. She herself
He has good attainments in poetry and prose - actually better than Ning Yi - and has experience in a brothel. He can talk about it casually. He can also speak clearly and logically, and sometimes add some shady stories to make Tan'er listen with interest. In fact, in this aspect
, Tan'er also admires her.
The relationship between each other seems to be natural. In fact, they have their own cautiousness to maintain this small circle that perhaps should be called a family in this era. One day in mid-June, when Tan'er went to find Yunzhu, he said casually:
"Find some time, Miss Nie will marry into the Ning family... Well, I'm not kidding." Yunzhu blushed slightly and nodded. After that, Tan'er ran to Jin'er and said the same thing,
This actually made Jin'er's face flush red, and she hesitated and didn't know what to say - she was more or less prepared in her heart, but she didn't expect that Su Tan'er would come to tell her this.
In short, in this family, everything is settled like this. It’s just that Ning Yi is busy with affairs in June, and it seems that there is no very logical time. Regarding matters such as marriage, they have to be postponed for the time being——
In fact, they were more or less waiting for Ning Yi to take the initiative to express his position.
After Ning Yi found out about this, he was worried about whether he should let Yunzhu and Jin'er live together after they moved in. It was difficult to live together once they met. As a modern person, his views were all crowded together.
Perhaps it is not as harmonious as it is now. The "Ning family" that came to the capital is currently developing very fast. The house with four yards that I bought last year should be replaced or expanded. When the time comes, he will do this.
I think it's more ideal.
As for Tan'er or Yunzhu, they actually understand that on a certain day - Ning Yi, Tan'er, Yunzhu, Jin'er, Xiaochan, this scene of a family gathering at a table to eat, will probably happen.
Yes, but at the moment, it seems more or less strange.
Because of this, Yunzhu occasionally came over for a walk, and Tan'er occasionally went over there to visit. Ning Yi ran around, which turned out to be the most ideal relationship at the moment.
As for the current development situation of the "Ning Family" in the capital, it is a bigger proposition...
******************
In the side yard of Ning Mansion, after Yunzhu, who was wearing a scholar's uniform, got on the carriage, he turned around with a smile, stretched out his hands, and pulled Tan'er into the carriage. Yunzhu was wearing men's clothes, while Tan'er was dressed as a woman as usual.
But despite this, both of them are in their early twenties. Although Yunzhu works in men's clothing, he looks intellectual and clear, while Tan'er exudes this quiet and calm confidence, which makes him look powerful.
The mistress chose a new bookish husband. After getting in the car, Ning Yi walked to the car and talked to them.
"Go to the workshops in the city, but don't go to the ones outside the city. Although the control is strict recently, it's not peaceful outside."
"Well." Tan'er turned around, took Ning Yi's hand that was holding on to the window sill of the carriage, and rested his chin on the back of his hand, "Do you want to bring something back... uh, Li Heng will go there later.
Prime Minister’s Mansion?”
"I don't know. Let's see if there is any news from the north."
Yunzhu also leaned against the car window: "Well, if General Guo wins, Li Heng would have told us earlier."
During the recent period, Ning Yi has participated in the disaster relief planning in Wu Dynasty to some extent, but the most tense situation is the confrontation between Xiao Qian from the north and Guo Yaoshi. Although Tan'er, Yunzhu and others only listened, what happened
Guan Wu was still a little concerned about the national destiny. Ning Yi smiled and nodded.
After the carriage left the courtyard gate, the laughter of Xiaochan and Jin'er teasing Ning Xi could be heard faintly from behind. The sycamore leaves fell golden in the yard. Ning Yi thought about something and went to the yard next door with a smile.
.
At the same moment, at the east gate of Bianliang, a team of four masters and servants passed the city gate inspection and entered the capital. Among the four, the leader was a man in his twenties or thirties with a beard on his chin.
The young man with a steady face was followed by a younger servant. One of the other two seemed to be a master in his thirties, and the other was tall and armed, like a green forest person responsible for security. The city gate.
The guard looked at the document with the name "Li Pin" written on it, let them pass, and then whispered to the guard next to him: "He is a county magistrate. It seems that he has been promoted..."
It was Li Pin and Li Dexin who entered Bianliang at this time. He had been the magistrate of Nanhe County since the beginning of the ninth year of Jinghan's reign, less than three years ago. He was summoned to Beijing because of his political achievements, which was regarded as an exceptional promotion. However,
, at this time, he looked back at the scene outside the Bianliang City Gate, looked at the soldiers at the city gate, and sighed, but there was not much joy on his face.
Since the disaster started raging in the north and south, the Kaifeng Prefecture has tightened control in the Gyeonggi area. At this time, there are not many refugees outside the city gate. However, as an official and someone who has studied to his level, he has already learned
He has the ability to look for clues from clues and knows the fall of the world when a leaf falls. Nanhe County is prosperous, and Li Pin's business has been very good in the past two years. Therefore, when the disaster spread, there were not too many disasters in the places he was dealing with.
Li Pin was already prepared to deal with the serious situation, but now that he was called to the capital for promotion, the situations he saw along the way made him increasingly worried.
After taking a short rest in the small square at the city gate, Gu Yu, Li Pin's attendant, asked: "Master, where are we going now?" Li Pin frowned and looked at the bustling crowd nearby, and then pointed at a place not far away.
A big car was leaving the city: "Go there."
Guyu looked around and saw that the carriage was going out of the city gate. The carriage walls were covered with thick cloth, but it looked quite neat. One of the carriage walls had the word "Bamboo Record" written on it. Guyu laughed:
"I understand. The master is going to visit Mr. Ning. I will go and ask him now."
Among the four, only his follower Gu Yu has been following Li Pin since Jiangning. He is quite clear about many things about Li Pin in Jiangning, his friendship with Ning Yi, etc. He even knows that his master can fill in the gaps.
More or less, you have to rely on the other party.
After Li Pin became an official, people from all over the world had less contact with Ning Yi. Guyu would occasionally hear Li Pin talk about Ning Yi. He had read some books with Li Pin and knew that in the heart of his master, the two of them were "a pair of gentlemen."
However, the other news about Mr. Ning was only heard from a certain channel in the past few months.
That was the rumor about the "Bamboo Records" in the capital. Nanhe was wealthy and there were many travelers. The news about the poem on the first floor of "Bamboo Records" spread to Nanhe in the past few months. In the past two months, there were also "Bamboo Records"
A cart like "Zhu Ji" selling goods came to the county town, which created some topics, and Li Pincai found out about Ning Yi from it.
When going to Beijing this time, according to Guyu's idea, his master has two places to go, one is the Prime Minister's Mansion, and the other is Mr. Ning, who has already done a lot of business in the capital. At this time, after hearing Li Pin's nod, he decided to go
After asking about the route of the oil-walled cart, a public carriage in a big city, he rode on the only horse carrying goods. Li Pin and the other three got on the oil-walled cart and headed all the way to the address of Zhuji Yuyan Tower.
past.
The oil truck stopped at the station called Sanguanfang. When Li Pin and others got off, Gu Yu also got off the horse, looked at the building not far away, and opened his mouth slightly.
"Wow, it's so lively... Master, Mr. Ning really has a way of doing business..."
Li Pin nodded "Yes".
There was a lot of joy and exclamation in Guyu's voice, but he didn't notice that there was no joy in his master's eyes as he looked over there, but rather a mixture of slight surprise and complicated worries...
"Let's go." After a while, he said, "Let's go ask... where he lives first."
The afternoon sun shines brightly on the city of Bianliang. In front of you, the Zhuji branch named Yuyanlou has not changed much from the decoration when it opened. However, the lively scene displayed in it is completely different from that of half a year ago.