The residence of Duke Dingguo is located on Shengjing Street, covering a very large area and surrounded by prosperous industries.
Xia Zhaoyi walked through the night. The seal on the door did not arouse any emotion in her. She climbed over the outer wall that was more than ten feet high and landed in the inner courtyard.
It was quiet and deserted.
The high wall separates the inside and outside, like two worlds, although there is no noise outside at this time.
She walked step by step with a calm expression, her eyes passing over the flowers and trees one by one.
There are weeds everywhere in the yard, and there is no sense of autumn chill. The climbing vines completely engulfed a short house not far away.
After passing through several moon cave doors and reaching the main hall, she paused slightly and looked at the demolished door in the distance.
Of the sixteen gates in the main hall, only four were left. One of them was half damaged and collapsed there, with large dark black and red blood stains left on it.
"Search the house?" Xia Zhaoyi said.
The unique milky sound of a girl sounded particularly strange in the lonely night.
She crossed the threshold and entered the lobby. It was a mess. Because the doors and windows were broken, not many cobwebs were covered in dust.
There was originally a plaque above the main hall, which was handwritten by my great-grandfather and read: In Ming Ming De.
Now the plaque is gone, leaving a large area of dust.
Xia Zhaoyi stood silently and looked at it for a long time, feeling as heavy as a blunt blow from a boulder in his heart.
She knelt down in the lobby, raised her hands and bowed to the place where the plaque was hung, and kowtowed silently.
Putting her forehead on the ground, she closed her eyes tightly, holding back the surge in her chest and not letting herself collapse easily.
After coming out, Xia Zhaoyi walked slowly around the entire Dingguo Palace, recalling many past events in his mind.
But she didn't let herself think about it, she didn't dare.
Unknowingly, she stopped next to the big lake in the mansion again. The courtyard opposite was her residence.
Her courtyard is called Xianyiju, which was given to her by her father, hoping that she would be free and unhindered in her life, and that she could swim in the clouds like a fairy.
She looked over there with confusion, but soon, her brows gradually wrinkled and her eyes gradually became clear.
She didn't feel anything unusual there just now, but now that she looked over casually, she seemed to realize that something was wrong.
After a pause, Xia Zhaoyi walked towards the stone bridge over there.
After getting off the stone bridge, we were still ten feet away from Xianyiju. The two sides were very clean and not overgrown with weeds like other places.
As we got closer, the rich fragrance of cinnamon wafted out, and the night wind brought the petals down, splashing with moonlight, and there seemed to be a slight frost in the hazy sky.
The plaque with the three characters "Xianyiju" is gone, replaced by the three characters "Hegui Lake".
The handwriting was elegant but unfamiliar. She confirmed that she had never seen it before.
The door and wall of the front yard were demolished and surrounded by a trimmed fence, with graceful flower shadows swaying like a charm.
Xia Zhaoyi pushed open the wooden door of the courtyard, and the layout remained unchanged after entering. However, half of the house on the west side was demolished. From the looks of it, it seemed that the demolition had just begun.
There were several pieces of paper scattered on the ground. She picked up one and paused slightly.
"The beautiful woman has gone north and her soul has dispersed. From now on, there will be no more immortals in the world."
Xia Zhaoyi looked at the other one, leaned over and picked it up.
"As the years pass by, the old and the new are replaced by each other. Thinking about how I couldn't help at all in the past has finally become a big regret in my heart and I will hate it forever."
Who wrote it and who left it here?
Xia Zhaoyi raised his head and looked around, then walked towards the largest hall in the middle courtyard.
It's clean inside, with nothing superfluous.
The study room was equally clean, with none of her books, calligraphy, paintings, and other collected books gone.
She didn't feel any distress in her heart. Compared to the fact that the Duke's mansion in Dading was ransacked, her treasures were nothing.
There was nothing in the bedroom at the back, and it was empty. However, there was more dust in the bedroom than in the front. It could be seen that no one had come in for a long time.
Xia Zhaoyi withdrew and closed the door gently.
She didn't want to think about who it was. In this world, Xia Zhaoyi was already dead.
Whoever wants to miss her should do so. She has no right to interfere with other people's thoughts and thoughts.
And although this yard was hers before, being "invaded" by someone like this would inevitably make her feel uncomfortable, but the entire Dingguo Duke's mansion was gone, so the house didn't matter.
It's not her home anymore. Without her father, brothers and sisters, how can she call it home?
Xia Zhaoyi threw the paper in her hand back to the ground. The page fell lightly in the courtyard, and she left without looking back.
The long street was quiet and deserted. Except for the occasional laughter coming from some pavilions and restaurants, other residents had gone to sleep.
After Xia Zhaoyi left, he walked aimlessly in the night.
Surrounded by high-walled mansions and pavilions and buildings, the laughter is either chanting or loud, full of joy.
Occasionally she would encounter soldiers patrolling the city, so she would avoid them in advance, not wanting to interact with these people.
After walking for more than an hour, the dull feeling in her heart finally dissipated. She stopped, not knowing where to go next.
It’s not that there is no way to go, but there are too many places to go.
After thinking for a while, Xia Zhaoyi turned around and walked south.
Qingque Pavilion is located on Huangning East Street, open day and night. Although there is a "Closed" sign on the door, if you go to the side door and knock three times and four times, someone will open the door.
The lights in the back hall were dim, and a middle-aged man in a green shirt with long sleeves was reading a book. At this point, there was a sound at the side door that had not been knocked for a long time, which made him slightly stunned, and he suspected that he had heard wrongly.
Putting down the book in his hand, the man stood up and walked over, opening the door. Standing at the door was a ten-year-old girl with a thin face, a slightly pointed chin, big and bright eyes, and a clean, fair face.
When Xia Zhaoyi saw that the person who came out was him, his eyes suddenly filled with joy.
The man said: "You..."
"Hello, Mr. Yan Hui," Xia Zhaoyi said, "My name is A Li."
"Do you recognize me?" The man looked at her curiously.
Xia Zhaoyi smiled, looked towards the inner hall, and said, "I'm looking for some work."
"...Little girl, have you come to the wrong place?"
"No, I really came here to find something to do."
"Even if you are carrying dishes and washing dishes, we don't want you to be so short." The man said.
From the moment the girl appeared, he had been sizing her up and looking around to see if there was anyone hiding in the dark.
But it seemed like there wasn't. The sky was filled with silence, except for the girl.
Xia Zhaoyi still smiled, knowing that her small body was indeed unconvincing.
She took out something from her sleeve, handed it to the man, and said, "Mr. Yan Hui, do you recognize this?"
The man took the small object in her hand, was stunned, and quickly turned around to look at the candlelight on the case more carefully.
Fine handwork, unique weaving, and unparalleled micro carvings on the wooden hairpin.
The micro-engraved fonts are unique in the world!
After confirming that it was correct, the man was almost shocked. He turned around and rushed over, squatting down in front of Xia Zhaoyi: "Girl, where did you come from this thing?"
