In the afternoon of the sixth day of September, the autumn sun was shining brightly, and Chen Caozhi rode out of Gushu City on the black horse that Lu Na sent him. Ran Sheng led 20 sergeants to follow the escort, and there were also Shen Chiqian and more than ten Shen soldiers. Ding Licheng's private soldiers, four members of Ding Licheng's family and five maidservants also went to Jiankang with Chen Caozhi. Ding Licheng had already received Huan Wen's recommendation, and when he arrived in Jiankang, he asked to see Pushe, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and Wang Biaozhi, the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, to plan for the Qiantang area. Ding Licheng held the post of magistrate of a certain county and served as an official in Yizhou for nearly ten years. He originally thought that he would not be able to return to his hometown before he became an official. Unexpectedly, what his uncle Ding Yi said to Chen Cao at the beginning of the year would actually lead to Chen Caozhi actually resigning him. The troops from distant Yizhou were recruited. How could Ding Licheng's family not smile?
Laide was sitting on the shaft of a double-column carriage, smiling so hard that he couldn't close his mouth. Mr. Cao Zhi went to the Ordnance Department of Zicheng this morning to ask the Kao Engineer Cao for a leave of absence. The Kao Engineer Cao agreed to give him four months' leave. , let Lai De go back to Qiantang to celebrate the New Year, and thought that he would be reunited with his wife Qingzhi and their son who was not yet one year old in a month. Lai De was really happy. He had served in Xifu for one and a half years, and he would be dismissed from his post in another year and a half. It’s my hometown, and Chenjiawu is the place I want to stay in Germany for the rest of my life——
Following the Laide carriage were ten ox-carts. Most of the carriages contained private gifts from the monarchs of Qin and Yan to Chen Caozhi, as well as 500,000 yuan that Huan Wen rewarded Chen Caozhi in the name of the military government. Eight hundred bolts of silk.
Huang Xiaotong was riding a male and female white falcon at the front of the convoy when he suddenly saw a white shadow rising into the sky, clouds rising straight up, flying quickly like white lightning in the clear sky, but when he heard a whistle, the white shadow flew back and stopped. On Huang Xiaotong's shoulder, wings folded and motionless——
Everyone cheered in unison, and the young man Huang Xiaotong pursed his lips, feeling extremely proud.
Early the next morning, Chen Cao ordered Huang Xiaotong to rush back to Jiankang with two followers, report to his third brother Chen Shang and Xiaochan that they were safe, and then try to let Wei Rui know that if Wei Rui was still free to enter and exit the house, then See you in Xinting in the morning four days later.
Huang Xiaotong happily accepted the order. This time he followed Chen Caozhi on his mission to the Northern Kingdom. He learned how to ride a horse, and immediately took two followers with him and rode away like an eagle.
At the end of the 10th day of the lunar month, Huang Xiaotong and three others rushed to Jiankang and went to Gu Mansion in the west of the city. They met Chen Shang. Huangfu Zhen, the Xianbei envoy, accompanied by Yuan Hong, arrived in Jiankang two days ago. Chen Shang had already learned about the 16th With the news that my younger brother is about to return, I am overjoyed to see Huang Xiaotong now.
Xiao Chan heard Huang Xiaotong's voice in the courtyard and hurried out, asking urgently: "Xiao Tong, where is Mr. Cao Zhi?"
Huang Xiaotong has grown taller. He has followed Chen Caozhi back and forth for thousands of miles, and his knowledge has increased. He is no longer the shy young man he used to be. He smiled and bowed to Xiaochan and said: "Hello, sister Xiaochan. The young man will be here tomorrow. Let Xiaotong Please take the first step to report to Mr. Sanlang and Sister Xiaochan that you are safe."
Xiaochan was overjoyed and asked: "Did Xiaolangjun really talk about me and tell me that he is safe?"
Huang Xiaotong said: "Yes, Xiao Langjun said it himself."
Just a simple message of safety made Xiao Chan almost cry with joy, and she kept saying: "It's so great, the young man is back, I have to let Miss Lu know as soon as possible, Miss Lu has been looking forward to it day and night. "
Huang Xiaotong said: "I wonder if Miss Lu can still leave the house freely. I would like to invite her to meet her in the new pavilion tomorrow morning."
Xiaochan said: "I'll ask Miss Tongyun." Then she went to the backyard of Gu Mansion to meet Zhang Tongyun. Zhang Tongyun was very happy to know that Chen Caozhi would arrive in Jiankang tomorrow, so she ordered her servants to prepare a car, and she took Xiaochan with her. Chan went to see Lu Weirui at Xiaolu Shangshu Mansion.
Lu Weirui was painting a chrysanthemum picture under the flower window. She also knew the news about Chen Caozhi's upcoming return. She had been waiting for it all the time these two days. When she heard that Mrs. Gu, Zhang Tongyun, was coming, Lu Weirui's heart pounded.
The ground jumped, and he hurried out to greet Zhang Tongyun. He saw Xiao Chan behind Zhang Tongyun. Xiao Chan was looking at her eagerly, with a different joy than usual——
Lu Weirui went to see his stepmother, Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan. Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan looked at Lu Weirui's face and said with a smile before she could speak: "Chen Langjun is back, isn't he?"
Lu Weirui lowered her eyelashes to hide her inner joy and responded: "Yes, we can arrive tomorrow."
Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan asked: "Do you want to go to Xinting to meet him tomorrow?"
Lu Weirui's lips trembled and she muttered shyly, but she still responded: "Yes."
Zhang Wenwan smiled and said: "Go ahead, even the emperor doesn't dare to marry you now. Who else can you marry besides Chen Caozhi! Although your second uncle is stubborn, he will definitely agree to it over time. Fortunately, now his second uncle also
Regardless of what's going on here, it doesn't matter if you want to leave the city, anyway, no one inside or outside Jiankang City knows about you and Chen Caozhi."
Lu Weirui walked back to Xiu Pavilion with light steps to reply to Zhang Tongyun and Xiaochan. Zhang Tongyun and Xiaochan were both very happy.
Lu Weirui said: "A Tong, will you go to Xinting with me tomorrow?"
Zhang Tongyun said with a smile: "My Gu Hutou hasn't come back, who should I pick up?"
Lu Weirui said shyly: "The chrysanthemums on the chrysanthemum terrace in Xinting are in bloom. Let's go see the chrysanthemums together."
Zhang Tongyun said: "If you don't want to go, let Xiaochan go with you."
Lu Weirui made an appointment with Xiaochan to meet at the south gate at the end of Mao tomorrow, and then went to the new pavilion together——
That night, Lu Weirui couldn't sleep for a long time. She touched the red silk rope tied to her left ankle and thought about the entanglement between March Tian and Chen Caozhi on the west floor of Chen's new house by the Qinhuai River. Lu Weirui couldn't help but feel hot all over and tossed and turned.
, I couldn't help myself, but I remembered the seriously ill lady of the Xie family. Since that day when I went to Wuyi Lane to see Xie Daoyun, and heard the affectionate words spoken by the soft and low voice mixed with coughs from time to time, Lu Weirui said to Xie Daoyun.
I felt very sorry for her. In the excitement of the time, she said she was willing to let Chen Caozhi marry Xie Daoyun, but after thinking about it, she felt that it was wrong. This was not a matter of acceptance. She could not distort her emotions. She wanted to be with Chen Langjun. This kind of
The burning emotions cannot be suppressed, and I would rather die if I cannot be with Chen Langjun——
However, Xie Daoyun, who was thin but still tried to sit up straight, was like a clear silhouette in Lu Weirui's heart. This lady of the Xie family was so passionate that she was moved. She thought, there has never been such a love between a man and a woman in this world. The lady of the Xie family only wanted to be with Chen.
For the sake of your husband, you help Chen Langjun and share your joys and sorrows with Chen Langjun. Does this thank you lady like Chen Langjun more than her?
Thinking about this, Lu Weirui found it even more difficult to fall asleep. She stood up in front of the window and looked at the dim courtyard outside the building. The semicircle moon had already set in the west, the stars were twinkling, and the night breeze was blowing, bringing the scent of osmanthus flowers in the back garden.
fragrance--
Lu Weirui thought to herself: "I can't like Chen Langjun any more. I can only like Chen Langjun so much, just like a person's strength is the same as his own. I have tried my best, but the Xie family's wife is better than me. She is better than me."
If you still like Chen Langjun, there is nothing I can do about it."
The autumn night was cold. Lu Weirui went back to bed, thinking that she would have to get up early tomorrow. If she didn't sleep well, her face would look bad. Well, I'm not jealous of Madam Xie at all. I like her and I hope she gets better this time.
When Chen Langjun comes back, there should be a way to cure her. I will ask Chen Langjun tomorrow——
…
At the end of Mao hour on September 11th, Lu Weirui took a carriage and brought a dozen maidservants out of the south gate of Jiankang City. He met up with Xiaochan and Huang Xiaotong and headed to Xinting together.
Chen Shang originally wanted to go to Xinting to meet his sixteenth brother, but because Miss Lu was going there, he felt it was inconvenient, so he did not go with him.
Jiankang City had a few autumn rains recently, but it cleared up in the past two days, and the sky looked particularly clear and blue. The sun was rising, and the rays were shining brightly. Everyone felt happy, thinking that the young man was back, and everything would be fine.
Huang Xiaotong was riding a horse, with a pair of male and female white falcons in front of the saddle. Huang Xiaotong said: "Miss Lu, when we get to the new pavilion later, I will release the white eagle. If Xiaolangjun and the others arrive first, they will see it and know."
Miss Lu is here."
A group of twenty people hurried on. In less than half an hour, Xinting Mountain was visible in the distance. Huang Xiaotong opened the male falcon's foothold and gestured forward. The magnificent Liaodong White Falcon flew forward at lightning speed and landed on Xinting Mountain.
Banli asked curiously: "Xiao Tong, do you understand the language of birds? Did this big white bird tell you what it saw?"
Huang Xiaotong smiled and said: "I know it, but I can't tell you how I know it. How can I put it? It can only be understood but not expressed in words."
Banli clicked his tongue and said: "Xiao Tong has made his mark and followed Chen Langjun as an envoy to Chang'an. Now his words are so difficult to understand."
Everyone laughed, and Lu Weirui's heart was jumping and light. She had not been so relaxed and happy for several months. As soon as Chen Langjun came back, the feeling was different, and the sun seemed to be shining brighter.
The group came to the foot of Xinting Mountain and saw that Chen Caozhi had not arrived yet. Lu Weirui and Xiaochan climbed up to the mid-mountain pavilion and admired the chrysanthemums while waiting for Chen Caozhi to arrive. Huang Xiaotong sent a follower on a horse to meet Chen Caozhi.
, just saying that Miss Lu was already waiting in the new pavilion, and he flew the two falcons on the chrysanthemum platform.
At this time, a group of people came from the direction of Jiankang, either by car or on horseback, and came to the foot of Xinting Mountain. More than ten people climbed up to Banshan Pavilion——
Banli and several Lu family officials stopped him and said, "My little lady is admiring the flowers on the stage. Please wait for a while before going up."
The leader of the dozen or so people was tall, with broad cheeks and plump cheeks, and an imposing aura. He turned to her left and right and sneered: "Which young lady is so grand and powerful that she came to Xinting Mountain and didn't allow me to play with her!"
Banli also knew that he was wrong and said with a smile: "I am from the residence of Lu Shangshu. Please bear with me. How about I order someone to set up brocade curtains to cover you before going up the mountain?"
The leader didn't even listen to what Banli said, and said sternly: "The emperor has given me Xinting Mountain to build a Taoist temple. From now on, this place will be owned by this Taoist leader -" A person behind him tugged at the hem of his robe and whispered:
"Master Lu, this is the domestic slave of Xiao Lu Shangshu's house. The young lady in the pavilion must be the girl of the Lu family who has not yet entered the palace."
Banli took a look and realized that the person speaking behind him was Zhu Lingbao, the emperor's attendant who had molested Miss Lu outside the gate of Waguan Temple and beat him last year, and his leg was broken by Ran Sheng. Looking at the people behind him, it turns out that he had a plan.