As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the evening market on Zhuque Street is bustling with activity. There are servants of wealthy families, merchants and hawkers doing business on the street, pedestrians having fun, friends playing guessing games and drinking wine, scholars in blue shirts and square scarves, and people eating with their cheeks leaning on their parents’ shoulders.
The bulging child, the poor girl hawking with a basket...
Qin Ting withdrew his gaze from the streets of the evening market and drove his horse into a side street. Although it was only one street away from the evening market, the side street was much quieter. In the hazy moonlight, there was no sound at the corners of the roofs and eaves, and occasionally someone jumped out of nowhere.
The wild cat crouched on the side of the road, scrutinizing the passers-by in the moonlit night. Perhaps the sound of horse hooves frightened it, then it swung its long tail and ran into the boundless night with a light jump.
The Qin family's mansion is on a side street. Two black stone lions reflected a dark iron-like light under the open tile lamps in the corners of the eaves. The guards came forward and called to open the door. The concierge was also waiting, and several people quickly ran out.
The young man came out to fetch a thousand horses, and the porter said, "My wife and I are all thinking about him, and have sent messages twice to ask if he has come back."
When you return home from a long journey, you should first go to your parents' room to say hello.
There was a young man holding a lantern all the way, and when he got to the second door, he was replaced by a woman waiting in advance. The path illuminated by the lantern was limited. During the day, the flowers and trees were lush and dark, and at night, it was dark. I walked through the garden and passed several small streets with bright or dim lights.
They arrived at a large courtyard with bright lights. Mrs. Qin's maid was already waiting at the door. When she saw Qin Ting, she quickly smiled and saluted, "Greetings to the uncle, he is back. The wife and aunt inside,
The second master, the third master, the fourth master, the fifth master, and our eldest daughter all asked many questions, and the master hurried in with his slaves, all looking forward to his return home."
Qin Ting had just walked to the steps, and Mrs. Qin had already come out surrounded by a group of people. When she saw Qin Ting, her eyes couldn't help but heat up, and there were sobs in her throat. She stretched out her hands and said, "My son——"
Qin Ting lifted up his skirt and knelt down, kowtowing, "Mother, I'm back!"
"It's good to be back, it's good to be back." Mrs. Qin put her arms around her son's broad and thin shoulders, and kept stroking his forehead and cheeks, her eyes slightly moist, "I've lost weight, oh, I've lost weight."
"Mom, let me get up first, let's go into the room and talk." The speaker was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl with bright eyes and white teeth, advising her mother on the side.
"Yeah, look at me, I'm so happy and confused." Mrs. Qin wanted to help her son. Qin Ting stood up, took his mother's arm and asked, "Is mother okay?"
"Okay, we are at home, what can be wrong? It's you who are worried about your long trip. Last time I went back to places as close as Henan, I encountered rebels. Far away in northern Xinjiang, I heard that there were robbers all over the place.
, It's very unfair." Mrs. Qin murmured, holding her son's hand, and the group went into the house.
General Qin sat in the Grand Master's chair with a serious look on his face. Qin Ting came forward to greet his father. General Qin still looked serious and asked, "I'm going to see you in the palace. Can you hand over the envoy? What are your orders?"
"
"Your Majesty said that your son and Prince Consort Yao did a good job, and he also said that each of us would be given three days off to rest at home." Qin Ting replied.
"That's good." General Qin nodded to Qin Ting, "Get up."
Qin Ting stood up and said hello to the two concubines on the side. The brothers and sisters had met each other. Except for General Qin, the whole family was beaming with joy. Aunt Li, who was always quick-tongued, said, "Dang, sir, we are at Mrs.
When I was talking here, I saw the bodyguard sent me back with a salute, saying that you were coming to the palace to see Your Majesty, why did you delay going home until now?"
Mrs. Qin also showed concern and asked repeatedly, "Yes, my son, can you have dinner now?"
Qin Ting said, "The Queen Mother left a meal at noon and came out of Ci'en Palace in the afternoon. The prince asked me to go to the East Palace to talk. Mother, I have already had dinner in the East Palace."
"There are many rules in the palace. Where to eat well, I will ask the kitchen to prepare chicken soup and just give the order." Mrs. Qin's eyes flashed with distress.
Another Aunt Zhao quickly said, "Madam, I'm going to the kitchen to see how they are preparing. Dalang's trip will take half a year, so he needs the kitchen to prepare some nutritious meals."
"Let's go." At this time, Mrs. Qin only had her son in her eyes, and asked, "How has the journey been? Look, I've lost weight. I heard that there are robbers all over northern Xinjiang, and they are fighting every day.
Are you in danger?"
"Mother, where are you thinking? This time I am going with Yao's consort to transport armor, and I will not go to a place where there is a war." Qin Ting said, "The journey was good and safe. When we went, we arrived at Yumen Pass.
, a general sent by His Highness the Third Highness came to pick us up. When we came back, he also ordered the general to lead the army to send us to Yumen Pass. We were safe and sound, and there was nothing wrong with us."
Mrs. Qin recited the Buddha's name and said, "Your Highness is truly a considerate person."
The eldest daughter of Qin, Qin Mei, stood beside her mother and smiled, "My brother is getting close to the eldest princess, and he and the Third Highness are also relatives. This trip is to send armor to Northern Xinjiang. How could the Third Highness not...
I'm taking care of my brother and Prince Consort Yao."
"Brother, did you see the eldest princess when you entered the palace?"
"Brother, I must have seen you when we had dinner at Ci'en Palace. Maybe you even saw the Queen."
The brothers and sisters were all talking when they heard General Qin cough lightly, and all the sounds disappeared instantly. General Qin stood up and said to Qin Ting, "Follow me to the study. I have something to ask you."
Qin Ting got up and followed his father to the study.
General Qin's study is completely in the style of a martial artist, spacious and concise. But as soon as you enter the door, you can see a long sword with a black sheath hanging on the south wall. This sword has been there since Qin Ting can remember. It has been hanging in the study for many years, and Qin Qin has not seen it.
Used by generals.
General Qin had a faint smell of herbal medicine. He sat behind the desk and did not give up his seat. Qin Ting stood and replied. General Qin stared at Qin Ting's face with his sharp eyes like a falcon, and his voice was low and hoarse.
, "Tell me about your trip to Northern Xinjiang."
Qin Ting couldn't help but think of His Highness the Crown Prince's words when he resigned from the East Palace, "No matter what the general asks you, just tell the truth. Even if he asks you, what I asked you, what I said, you just tell
he."
After he finished talking about the affairs of Northern Xinjiang, General Qin asked, "The prince invited you to the East Palace to inquire about Northern Xinjiang with you, right?"
"yes."
General Qin's eyes held a faint pressure that could not be resisted, "What did the prince ask?"
Qin Ting's face was as usual, and he told his father everything he asked and answered. When General Qin heard the prince say "I have Ating", his thick eyebrows and the tail of his eyes were like long knives.
He gave a sarcastic look and said, "Since you want Princess Shang, the prince will naturally want to win you over. But you have to understand where you stand and what your foundation is? Don't let others coax you away with just a few nice words!
"
"yes."
General Qin showed a half-smiling look and looked at the docile face of his eldest son. His deep eyes showed no emotion or anger. He lowered his jaw for a long time and said, "Since you know it in your heart, go ahead. Your mother misses you.
I was talking about it two or three months ago. I left you to talk about business for a long time, and she must have scolded me for being inconsiderate. Okay, I won’t be scolded, so you can go ahead." There was a bit of laughter at the end of the words.
He was joking and showed a hint of fatherly kindness.
Qin Ting looked at his father unexpectedly. He did not think that his father was truly kind, or maybe it was because he had returned safely and was about to surrender to his master. Qin Ting was still respectful, but there was some embarrassment in his courtesy. Qin Ting
The general raised his eyebrows in surprise, "What's wrong? Is there anything else?"
Qin Ting was speechless for a moment. He scolded his suppressed cheeks, and then avoided his father's attention. "No, just bought some medicinal materials from Northern Xinjiang. I want to honor my father, but I don't know how to say it."
General Qin burst into laughter, stood up and patted his shoulder, which was already strong enough. "You, as a son, must respect me. What's wrong with me? I'm born with a clumsy tongue. This won't work. How can the Lord win over the princess in the future?"
Happy?"
The father and son left the study room while they were talking, feeling the warmth that the night wind could not remove.
After staying at his mother's place for a meal, Qin Ting bid farewell to his parents and returned to his own courtyard to rest. The tight lines on his body gradually relaxed a little, and he slowly let out a breath that had been in his heart for too long.
He has asked for his lordship, he has decided to be loyal to the East Palace, how did he establish himself, what is his foundation... In short, it is not this false father's kindness and son's filial piety.
Even though his father was as kind as a mountain, he paid it back even though he narrowly escaped death during the calamity in Henan!