Gu Tingye stared at the candlelight: "You really dislike Brother Shen, don't you?"
Minglan rolled her eyes: "Uncle Shen Guo is not only a pillar of the country, but also has a good life. He has been promoted to a higher position and made a fortune, and his wife has died. It is a good fortune that many people can't hope for. How dare I not get used to it."
Gu Tingye turned to look at her. Minglan took off the short hairpin on her temples and flicked the candle.
He said: "Today, many twists and turns and troubles are caused by Brother Shen's weakness and hesitation. Your opinion is not unreasonable. But... you have never seen Brother Shen before."
Minglan paused for a moment and put down the silver hairpin, "When was it before?"
"Before entering the capital and being knighted."
The flame on the white suet-fat candle, which was about an inch round, gradually became brighter. Gu Tingye's eyes were gloomy, "When I first entered Shu, the first person I met was Brother Shen. At that time, he was the commander of the royal guards, and together with the four brothers Duan Zhong, Geng, and Liu, They are called the Five Tigers of Sichuan and are famous in Southwest China. Although he is the youngest, he is the leader of the Five Tigers."
"How can the princess's brother not have the head of a tiger?" Minglan said sourly.
Gu Tingye ignored her complaints, "If you had seen Brother Shen at that time, you would never have imagined that he would be so indecisive today. Even the Zou family at that time was not as bad as it is today. At that time, Mrs. Zou was here .”
Minglan was silent for a long time, "...that must be an amazing woman."
Gu Tingye nodded and continued: "Mrs. Zou is sincere and generous, and is more knowledgeable than ordinary men. Not only does she make decisions about family affairs, but the princess also obeys her words. At that time, Brother Shen was brave, neat and straightforward. He was able to assist the prince in all matters. He traveled through border areas and stayed in small places, treating his brothers kindly and generously. Although Zou's younger brother has no future, he can still keep to himself, either reading or taking some small errands, and relying on the Shen family to live his life."
"With such a Hedong lion guarding him, no monsters or ghosts can get in." Minglan's complaint seemed to lack the power.
Gu Tingye couldn't help but laugh.
I remember the first two times I saw her, she was still a little girl with two maids and young hair, but her mouth was very unforgiving, and she was not at all demure. She was obviously very sarcastic, but he liked her very much, and there was no pretense of being dignified. , so frank and bright. Even though she had her hands on her waist, a straight face, and scolded others, he felt that she was as clumsy and cute as a fat white porcelain doll.
He softened his voice unconsciously, "Brother Shen and Mrs. Zou have been married for more than ten years, but they are still as inseparable as newlyweds, unwilling to be separated for a moment. I saw it with my own eyes when I was in the Shen family. Brother Shen's look and expression, Mrs. Zou knew what her husband wanted without even asking. Mrs. Zou frowned and turned her head, and Brother Shen immediately knew what his wife was thinking. When we chatted together, they often spoke in unison, looked at each other and smiled knowingly. The two of them talked about everything... It was a true deep love and a connection of minds. I... never knew that a loving couple could be like this."
Minglan heard something strange in his voice, raised her head and glanced at him, knowing that he thought of her late father and the Daqin family again - their love was a bad relationship that hurt almost everyone, but the love between Shen Zou and his wife was healthy. Positive and conducive to good luck for everyone.
"That year, there was a sudden turmoil in the capital. The third prince was sentenced to death by an imperial edict. He was defeated and died because of his rebellion against the king..."
Minglan couldn't help but interject: "The emperor's vassal territory is far away from Sichuan, and it is far away from the capital. You guys got the news very quickly. From this, it seems that you have already had ambitions."
Gu Tingye glanced at her and said, "I sent that message. The waterway is faster."
Unexpectedly, Minglan said "Ah".
"When the news came, several aides in the palace said that the Sixth Prince had been reviled, the Fifth Prince was cruel, and had never been favored by the late Emperor. The previous Emperor had died, and it was probably the Holy Emperor's turn to take the throne. But Mr. Gongsun said
, the current situation is not yet clear, and the late emperor’s intention is not yet known. The vassal king is not allowed to leave the vassal territory without an edict. If there is any abnormal movement, if someone with an intention stirs it up, a good thing will turn into a bad thing. We brothers do not dare to be idle, either on guard or in trouble.
Everyone in the army is like a fully drawn bowstring, just waiting for news from the capital."
Minglan asked: "Then...what was Mr. Hou doing at that time?"
"I secretly guarded outside the capital. Not long after, the late emperor consecrated the Holy Mother as his queen. I knew that a major event had been decided, and it was a serious matter, so I personally went south to report the news. In order to take a shortcut, I had to go through any dangerous shoals, rapids, and steep mountain roads.
Along the way, several boat brothers were drowned and dozens of good horses were killed. It only took more than ten days to arrive."
Minglan swallowed hard, "Who was... the one who followed you before? From the Caobang." No wonder the accounting office has been disbursing money to several families in the past two years, and it was Che Sanniang who sent someone to pick it up.
Gu Tingye looked miserable and nodded - those are his good brothers who have been with him for many years.
"When the late emperor's summons to the capital came to the border of Sichuan, it turned out that unscrupulous people were everywhere. Liu Zhengjie captured and killed four or five assassins in three days. The Duan brothers protected the queen and several young emperors, and half of the palace was covered in blood.
. But at that time, the emperor was already on the road. Brother Shen and I separated into two groups, one in the open and the other in the dark. He had been the commander of the palace guards for more than ten years, and knew that he was not a minority, so he led the soldiers and horse guards to the open path.
; And Lao Geng and I protected the Emperor and secretly bypassed the official road and took another route."
He frowned tightly, as if remembering those thrilling years, "Brother Shen, I encountered countless robberies and murders on the road. They were obviously bandits, but in fact they were the guards' troops who colluded with the rebels. Brother Shen almost lost his life.
Brother Zhong lost his life, and Brother Zhong lost his second brother and a nephew. When we were approaching the border of Zhili, we could no longer cover our way. Old Geng fought hard to die in the rear, and almost lost one arm and one leg. He also had to pay Mrs. Geng two
My brother's life. I protected the emperor and fought his way out. It was safe until I saw the city gate and the nine-door admiral led his troops out of the city to meet him."
Minglan was frightened when she heard this, and her palms were covered in cold sweat.
I still remember that at that time, the entire capital was waiting for the Crown Prince, waiting left and right. It took several months for the Eighth Prince to arrive. At that time, I even complained about the backward transportation in ancient times, but I did not expect that there would be so many twists and turns.
No wonder the emperor trusted them so much. This kind of loyalty, which was obtained at the cost of one's own flesh and blood, could not be overcome by a cry or a confession of loyalty from the dignitaries in the capital.
These powerful families with deep roots and luxuriant leaves are all in deep water, and the forces of all parties are intertwined. Who knows what is inside their bones; but Gu Tingye and the others really put their wealth and lives on the emperor. What is a confidant? In the past, Chu
Overlord Xiang Yu is sweeping the world, and the one he trusts the most is his Jiangdong brother. Li Zicheng surrendered and rebelled several times, but the most important thing was the people who started the rebellion. As long as these old brothers are there, no matter how many times he surrenders and fails, he can make a comeback.
Most of the people ended up trapped in a rock.
No wonder no matter how many mistakes Lao Geng makes, Gu Tingye fights housework lawsuits every day, and Shen Congxing commits crimes all day long, the emperor still has to use these people. As long as they can do things, can complete tasks, and are absolutely loyal, the rest is just trivial matters.
"What a throne for the Ninth Five Emperors. I don't know how many people's blood it has been stained with!" Minglan said softly.
Gu Tingye shook his head, sighed, and continued, "During the days when we left, the queen and several young emperors suddenly contracted an emergency..."
Minglan was suspicious: "Emergency?"
Gu Tingye said: "I don't know if he is really sick or if someone has poisoned him. In short, people in the palace were panicked at that time. Although the two brothers Duan and Liu could withstand the capture and assassination of powerful enemies, they were helpless to deal with the inner curtain. So Mrs. Zou had no choice but to go to the palace to take care of her. At that time, she was already pregnant with Liujia."
"Later, the Empress and several young emperors all recovered, but Mrs. Zou...?" Minglan's voice trembled.
Gu Tingye looked regretful, "When Brother Shen rushed back, he only saw Mrs. Zou for the last time."
"...No wonder the Queen holds up Aunt Zou so highly."
"Brother Shen got seriously ill and almost died too." Gu Tingye whispered, "Since Mrs. Zou passed away, Brother Shen has become more and more disorganized."
The two were silent for a long time, and Minglan suddenly laughed, "Things in this world are so interesting. If the Queen had not improved, then the Zou family's worries would now become the Shen family's worries. This Mrs. Zou is indeed I am dedicated to my husband’s family.”
Gu Tingye was silent for a while and said slowly: "Mr. Gongsun told me that you are the only understanding woman he has seen in his life." - Reality is often so ugly and helpless.
Minglan said bitterly: "The more you understand some things, the more desolate your heart becomes."
Gu Tingye looked at her for a while and said, "Now that we've finished talking about other people's matters, let's talk about ours."
Minglan said indifferently: "Okay. I don't know where the Marquis plans to start."
"Let's start with the birthday banquet at the Duke of Qi's mansion."
Minglan suppressed her panic and listened to Gu Tingye say, "After I came back that day, I was often unhappy. You kept guessing that it was because of the names of the two children of the Qi family?"
Facing the man's dark and deep eyes, Minglan nodded irrefutably.
"You have always been smart and don't mess up when things happen. Why are you acting like this in this matter?" Gu Tingye said quietly, "It's just a guilty conscience."
Minglan could not argue and sat with her head bowed.
Gu Tingye said, "You didn't even ask Xiaolu a few words. Do you know what happened next? That day, I was impatient to wait in the concierge, so I walked a few more steps in and heard what you and Qi Heng said."
Minglan's heart was beating wildly and she opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
Gu Tingye looked at her expression carefully and said calmly: "Look, you feel guilty again. It doesn't matter if you just said a few words to your childhood friend. Besides..." He smiled and said, "It's not a good thing either."
"Then why are you angry with me?"
Minglan wondered about this sentence for a long time, neither because of the name nor because she was talking to Qi Heng, so what exactly was going on with this man.
"You have never spoken to me in that tone." Gu Tingye said calmly, "You are dignified and polite, and you have never lost any courtesy even to the madam. Except for Qi Heng, you have never spoken to anyone in that tone. I spoke."
Minglan still remembered that she had scolded Qi Heng in a very unpleasant way. Is this man jealous? She couldn't help but be surprised and blurted out, "Why not? I, I don't rely on him to live my life..."
"Is it because you need to rely on me to live your life that you are respectful to me?"
Minglan panicked, "No, it's not..." Her face turned red with anxiety, "Master Hou, this is taken out of context!"
Gu Tingye's eyes were filled with deep thoughts, and he stood up suddenly. His tall body walked around the room and stopped in front of Minglan, "I've known about Qi Heng's feelings for you for a long time. He was the one who really took your love for the child.
Name, so what? What do others think in their hearts, what does it have to do with us? What I care about is what you think in your heart. Are you..."
It was difficult for him to say the following words. It was ridiculous that he had been brave for half his life, but now he was timid.
"No. I know what the Marquis wants to ask. I have asked myself this question many times." Minglan raised her head and looked out the window for a while, as if thinking for a moment, and then said, "...No, I have never
Qi Heng has never had any love between a man and a woman."
"So sure?" After a moment, Gu Tingye said.
Minglan said calmly: "I knew a long time ago that Qi Heng and I would never get married. In this case, why bother to be so verbose? I am not the affectionate lady in the storybook, and I will never call her inappropriate.
It happened."
Gu Tingye sneered and said: "Madam, you are wise. It is a waste of Qiheng's infatuation. If he hears these words..."
"I have said worse things to him before." Minglan said bluntly.
Gu Tingye glared at him, and Minglan looked at him frankly. The two looked at each other for a moment, and Gu Tingye looked away.
Minglan raised her head and said: "Just because someone likes me, do I have to like him? Huh! Nothing is so simple in the world!" She had kept these words in her stomach for more than ten years, and she couldn't care less at this time.
Just said it all.
"I lost my biological mother when I was six years old. I have sisters in my family. My wife dotes on my fifth sister, and my father likes my fourth sister. If my grandmother hadn't taken pity on me, I don't know what would have happened. How could someone like me make any mistakes?"
The more Minglan talked, the angrier she became. She suddenly stood up and stood upright in front of the window, "Princess Pingning doesn't even look down on the daughter of the Sheng family, let alone me! Qi Heng knows this, what else does he want from me? Spend the past month with him.
Should we tell each other our true feelings, or should we accept each other privately? When one day he marries another lady from a famous family, I will feel sad for the rest of my life?!"
——Stop dreaming! She will never be sad with someone for an unworthy fate!
Gu Tingye was silent for a while and then said: "Earlier, I heard that Qi Heng and the princess had quarreled many times about the marriage."
"So what?" Minglan asked sharply, "When I was in Dengzhou, the old lady took me to the countryside to escape the summer heat. I have seen cages used to sink ponds, and women locked up in clan ancestral halls. Qi Hengruo is really capable.
, don’t make me frightened and marry me smoothly. If it doesn’t work, he will still have to make a fuss, and a ‘private offer’ can kill me!”
After talking about it, she touched her cheek and it became wet.
Gu Tingye was shocked by the deep pain in her eyes.
With tears in her eyes, Minglan said word by word: "Master Gu, men and women are different in this world. Men can't give as much affection as women, but women can't reciprocate. You can be ridiculous for more than ten years, and then turn around and become famous.
But as a woman, if you make one wrong step, half of your life will be over! How do you think the old lady who raised me with kindness will behave in front of others!"
Her chest heaved violently, and she sneered: "So, Mr. Hou, you can rest assured. No matter how childhood sweethearts are, the fear and worry are drowned out. I'm afraid it's not too late, how can I have time to think about the relationship between a man and a woman?"
.I, a little concubine, cannot afford to entertain myself with such precious things!"
Gu Tingye felt sour and painful in his heart, and he didn't even dare to look up at her, so he slowly sat down on the edge of the recliner.
Minglan sat on the rejuvenation stool, suppressing the moisture in her eyes, and forced herself to hold it back, "You just told me about Mrs. Zou, and I know what the Marquis meant. But I don't agree with Mrs. Zou's actions. Could it be that If the queen is not protected, will my uncle-in-law be in danger for his life? Besides, the queen is auspicious and may be able to survive. If you really love someone, you should protect yourself for him!"
Looking at the benefits, the Da Zou family risked their lives to take care of the queen because of their close relationship; from a reality perspective, seeing that the Eighth Prince was about to ascend the throne, the Da Zou family wanted to desperately preserve the prosperity and wealth of the Shen family and the smooth establishment of the Shen family's nephew. .
"Mrs. Zou exchanged her life for the glory of the Shen family. I would like to ask Uncle Guo, is it worth it?" The big eyes soaked with tears were like the bright moon in the water, piercing Gu Tingye's eyes with coldness. In my heart, "Master Hou, don't want to know if I am willing to learn from Mrs. Zou. You might as well ask yourself first, if you were Uncle Shen, would you want me to trade my life for my husband's future?"
"How could I do this!" Gu Tingye roared angrily and punched the recliner. There was a crash and the cluster of crabapple flowers carved from rosewood at the head of the recliner shattered into pieces.
There was silence in the room. Neither of them spoke for a while. Gu Tingye's nose was slightly open and he was breathing heavily.
Minglan looked at him sadly: "Suddenly seeing the willows on the road, I regret teaching my husband and son-in-law to seek a title. If it were me, as long as the couple lived a normal life, I would be satisfied. Now, without Mrs. Zou, how can Uncle Shen Guo Are you very happy?"
Gu Tingye looked at the woman opposite him blankly: "I... don't mean to blame you, but every time I mention Qi Heng, you always feel guilty for no reason..."
Minglan seemed to be touched in the deepest part of her heart. The hidden place in her heart suddenly collapsed, and the hidden ugliness had nowhere to hide. She supported the table with one hand and said sadly: "...I feel guilty because, when a person When I really mean it, I only think about myself."
Gu Tingye suddenly raised his head.
Minglan was about to cry: "He treated me very well. He didn't care about gain or loss. He didn't look down on me because I was a commoner. He just wanted to treat me well. He really wanted to marry me, so he spent all his energy on it. But I...I I only care about protecting myself. As long as I can be safe and sound, I have never cared about him at all."
Big tears rolled down her delicate face, and she burst into tears, "You are right to doubt me. In this life, I have only loved myself."
Gu Tingye looked into her big sad eyes, and in a daze, he didn't know whether she was apologizing to Qi Heng or to himself.
He stood up and raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her face, but suddenly stumbled.
My heart felt chilly.
Minglan raised her head, with tears on her face, and said sadly: "I can't help you treating me well. I am indeed a heartless person."
Yes, she is this kind of person. What can he do?
Gu Tingye only hated that she was born with a probing nature. It would be great if she could be more confused. Aren't many couples growing old together like this? She made it very clear that she would never be able to dig out her heart and lungs like Mrs. Zou. .Then what can he do?
He has lived for nearly thirty years. Even when he was a boy, he was willful and reckless, never willing to swallow humiliation alone. Later, when he turned over the world and traveled around the court, he had never been so powerless. Until today, he has only I know that I am so weak.
Reluctant to part with her, unable to leave her behind, but unwilling to do so. Her tears were like sharp blades, seemingly weak, but they were bloody, and her low sobs were like needles piercing the softest part of his heart.
He suddenly stood up, left the house quickly, and returned to his room. He took out a book from the shelf at random, and flipped through a few pages irritably. Gu Quan poked his head in from outside the door and called out softly, "Master Hou, Mr. Gongsun needs to see you for something."
."
Gu Tingye sat motionless in the dim light, "Sir, what's going on?"
Gu Quan said: "Sir, he didn't go into details. He just put a file on the left shelf and asked the Marquis to read it when he came back." He glanced at the master and said cautiously, "It seems that the Marquis has another errand."
Gu Tingye turned sideways and picked up a document on fine white silk paper from the shelf on the left. He read it hastily and remained silent for a long time before saying: "Go to the outer courtyard and tell Mr. I know about this. I'll meet you early tomorrow morning."
Go find him."
Gu Quan lowered his head, bowed and stepped back, gently closing the door.
I don't know how long he sat there, until the half candle on the coral lamp holder burned out, the room was dark, and his limbs were stiff, then he slowly stood up. But he did not go to the side room where he was sleeping, but was confused.
walked back to Jiaxi.
The curtain has been lowered on the four-poster bed, and the curtains are layered with light gauze and silk. It is the color of lake blue that Minglan likes. From dark to light, it looks like the weeping willows on the banks of Jiangnan Lake. It started to rain patterly outside, and it was even more rainy at night.
Cool feeling.
Ming Lan was curled up in the corner of the bed, her long and delicate hair spread out on the pillow, hanging down beside the bed like a waterfall, her long eyelashes still stained with moisture, like a wronged and sad child, with her left hand on the side of her cheek.
Form into a small fist.
His heart suddenly tightened as if being pulled.
That night, he asked people to put away the bedding in the side compartment of the room and moved everything back to the main room.
The author has something to say:
The Battle of Yiyishi was a famous battle in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. It is said that Li Zicheng, who had occupied the Forbidden City, expressed his deep love to Wu Sangui of Shanhaiguan. Unfortunately, Wu Sangui lost Chen Yuanyuan and turned to Dorgon.
Got gay.
So on a rock, when Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui were having a good fight, there were many long braids to fight with.
Li Zicheng's vitality was severely damaged this time, and almost half of his foundation was damaged.
——To be honest, I don’t like Li Zicheng very much. There have been many peasant rebel armies in the history of our country. Since you have the guts to overthrow the Ming Dynasty, at least you want to be more successful. You would rather be more talented and rough like Zhu Baba and establish a foundation.
!
As a result, this guy is only good at causing trouble and has no ability to build things. As a result, male compatriots all over the country changed their hairstyles and became bald for more than two hundred years. I really don’t know where to start.