Xiang Changyuan left Xuanpinghou's mansion, the servant was already waiting with his horse. After he thanked him, he led the horse along Zhuque Street. It was dark early in winter, and the shops on the street lit their lanterns early.Several people hurried on the road.

The muffled sound of horseshoes echoed the howling cold wind in winter, revealing an indescribable sense of loneliness.

Xiang Changyuan was full of thoughts, and before he knew it, he came to the gate of Jiangfu again. It was dusk, no one was guarding the gate, and the gate of the mansion was closed. He frowned slightly and was about to leave when he heard someone calling him behind.

"Brother Xiang."

He turned around, and it was the person he was looking for.

Shen Yuze's white clothes were better than the snow, the green silk of his robe fluttered slightly in the cold wind, his expression was slightly happy, and he walked towards him slowly, with a slightly smug tone, "You really came."

Looking at the old friend in front of him, Xiang Changyuan suddenly remembered Xu Yuanqing's words, "Aren't you still busy?"

He suddenly understood what, it turned out that Xu Shizi knew it.

Shen Yuze led him into the Jiang Mansion through the side gate. He was always the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, but when the New Year's Eve was approaching, he ordered him to take up the post after the year. He is still a staff member of the Jiang Mansion and lives in the small courtyard of the Jiang Mansion.

It is said to be a courtyard, but in fact it is just an extra space in front of two houses, withered everywhere, and the houses are even more crude, with mottled water stains on the walls.

Xiang Changyuan remained calm, sat down with him, stopped him from making tea, and said bluntly, "Brother Shen knows I'm coming, so he must know why I'm here."

Shen Yuze nodded, sighed slightly, and then explained to him slowly.

Four years ago, he came to the capital after a while. He wanted to have some ambitions but hit a wall everywhere. Thanks to the appreciation of Prime Minister Jiang, he joined the Jiang Mansion as an aide and taught the young masters how to read.

As time went by, his ambitions were reduced to fragments. Knowing that his old friend was the third son of the Xiang family with outstanding military achievements in the capital, he was even more ashamed to face it, thinking about it day and night, and was very unwilling.

That day, when Xiang Jiajun returned to Beijing, he wanted to see Xiang Jiajun's demeanor just like everyone else in the world, but he encountered someone frightened his horse on the road. At a critical moment, he remembered the horse training method taught by his old friend and rescued the man.Did not disturb the general Xiang into the city.

When he woke up from a drowsy sleep, he realized that the man was the prince.

Xiang Changyuan listened to his sincerity in every word and every word, and his expression was sincere, and his heart was full of mixed feelings.

He taught him how to train horses, but he didn't expect to be able to win him a fourth-rank official position one day.

When Xiang Changyuan knew him, he was just an aspiring scholar. After he disappeared, he thought he must have come to the capital, and he asked someone to inquire, but there was still no news.

"Brother Shen."

"Um?"

Xiang Changyuan's expression was indifferent, he got up with a flick of his sleeves, and congratulated him, "I haven't congratulated Brother Shen for fulfilling his wish and showing his ambition."

Seeing this, Shen Yuze quickly stood up, "Brother Xiang, don't blame me for not seeing you."

There were gaps in the doors and windows of his house, gusts of cold wind came in, and when he was about to leave for a long time, he turned back, "If you want, you can come and live in my house."

Shen Yuze hurriedly refused, "Jiang's mansion treats me very well. If I go to Xiang's mansion, I'm afraid he will think too much. It will be more appropriate to set up the mansion after I take office in the next year."

Nod to Chang Yuan, tell him not to see him off, and leave by himself.

After the people left, Shen Yuze stood in front of the dilapidated house, his black and white eyes were gradually covered with a layer of haze, and he turned his head to look at the air leaking house with a mocking smile on his mouth.

After a while, a young servant appeared out of nowhere, with a distorted scar on his face, so that when he spoke, his face was distorted and his voice was hoarse, "My lord, will he believe it?"

"Some people are born stupid." Shen Yuze said coldly, looking down at the mud on the shoes and frowning slightly, the servant squatted down and wiped it for him with his sleeve, "Don't you want him?"

Shen Yuze seemed to remember something, his brows frowned even tighter, the hatred in his eyes grew stronger, and he withdrew his feet, "What's the use of him? I explained to him that it was because of Xiang Changning."

He flicked his sleeves and walked out, very fast, he didn't want to stay in this poor place for another second, "Mu Xiu, have you heard about Xiang Changning's itinerary?"

Mu Xiu followed suit, and replied cautiously, "She's taking a bath, and she doesn't have any personal servants around her, so it's hard to inquire about her private itinerary."

Hearing this, Shen Yuze stopped in his tracks, glanced over coldly, and Mu Xiu hurriedly said, "I'll do it right away, I'll definitely find out."

————

Speaking of which, when Xiang Changyuan returned to Xiang's mansion, his mood was always depressed, and he almost didn't see Xiang Changning who was waiting for him.

Xiang Changning saw that he was restless, and asked aloud, "What? Have you met?"

"Um."

Xiang Changning: "Do you have an answer in your heart?"

"Um."

Looking at people and things from a long-term perspective, he always holds the greatest goodwill, and never judges anyone maliciously, but he is not a fool, and he can see clearly what is right and what is wrong.

Not to mention that Shen Yuze had been in the capital for at least three years, knowing that he would return to the capital but avoiding seeing him, he just thought he was really ashamed and didn't want to see him, and he didn't talk about why he happened to be surprised by the prince, just said that he just went to see him for a year.

The courtyard is dilapidated, and the house is windy and rainy. It looks miserable, but in fact it reveals scheming everywhere.

The tables and chairs are dusty, there is no tea set on the table, and the four treasures are always available for people who study, but there is no shadow of writing and ink in the house, and there is no sign of life everywhere. It looks like a deserted house.

Although the clothes on Shen Yuze's body were not of high-quality material, he had seen the style of the clothes several times in Xiao Yu'an's, and dare not say anything else. Xiao Yu'an's things must be very valuable, and even a broken fan would cost more than a dozen taels of silver in his heart.comfortable.

It's a lie to be able to wear expensive clothes but live in a dilapidated house.

The sister and brother sat quietly for a long time, the servants brought tea and then stepped back, warming their hands with the cup of tea to Chang Ning, without saying a word.

After a long time, the roof made a slight sound, not like the sound of wind blowing, and Xiang Changyuan tapped on the table, "Say."

"Hoo!" Something came through the sky, and Xiang Changyuan raised his hand to catch it. It was a note. He opened it and saw the words "Fake."

Looking at his awe-inspiring expression, Xiang Changning knew the answer, and took a sip of tea expressionlessly.

Xiang Changyuan put the note on the candlestick and burned it to ashes, raised his hand and rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

"The capital is prosperous, the court is marquis, there are three teachings and nine streams, there are no possibilities, some people make it to the top, and some go astray."

Xiang Changning spoke slowly, and Xiang Changyuan raised his eyes to look at her with complicated eyes, as if wondering if the person in front of him was his sister, and suddenly said such meaningful words.

Xiang Changning naturally understood his eyes, and rolled his eyes, "Xu Shizi said it."

Xiang Changyuan: "..."

He thought that the son's words were either straightforward, or yin and yang, with profound meaning, but he seldom heard them.

"As long as you have the answer, rest." Xiang Changning patted his clothes and stood up, walked to the door and came back. Xiang Changyuan thought she had something to explain, but she just came back and walked along with a jade on his desk.Porcelain bottle.

The decorations in his house were all arranged by Luo Shi after he came back. He didn't like fancy things, so he asked someone to take them back. The whole room was full of jade porcelain vases, a dazzling thing, unexpectedly, he couldn't keep them.

Throwing the jade porcelain vase to Changning to play, seeing his helplessness, remembering something, stepped forward a few steps and patted his head, pretending to be vicious, "You unfilial son, if you keep hiding from your father, I will beat you to death."

"Sister!"

Xiang Changyuan covered his head and stared at her through gritted teeth.

"If you don't go to pay your respects to dad, I'll tell him tomorrow that you are willing to be a man's wife." Xiang Changning said as he walked out, looked at Changyuan, stood up "shua", and ran out in a hurry.Don't forget to provoke when the bad taste comes up, "But Xu Shizi may not be willing to marry you."

Xiang Changyuan: "Xiang Changning!"

Xiang Changning ran fast, and when he didn't pay attention, he threw himself on the person. Fortunately, the person was strong and fully supported her. If it was someone else, the two of them might fall down together.

Looking up at Changning, he hurriedly stood up straight, "Brother!"

Xiang Changbo was tall and tall, and Xiang Changning looked like a delicate girl in front of him. He lowered his eyes to look at people, and asked doubtfully, "Who is marrying A Yuan?"

"Brother! Sister!" Xiang Changyuan chased him out, and pulled Xiang Changning aside, panicking, "Sister and I were joking, what's the matter, brother?"

Xiang Changbo: "I have nothing to do, so I'm here to joke with you."

Xiang Changning: "..."

Xiang Changyuan: "..."

Xiang Changbo couldn't express his anger and joy. To put it bluntly, his face was paralyzed. With this face, he provoked many enemy soldiers, and it also caused a lot of trouble for himself while gaining prestige.

After all, it is difficult for anyone to relax when facing an expressionless face.

Seeing the dull expressions of the two, Xiang Changbo's eyes showed a bit of success, and he took out something from his arms without haste, and handed a jade hairpin to Changning, "Here for you."

He also took out a dagger the size of a palm and handed it to Xiang Changyuan, "It's for you."

Xiang Changning and Xiang Changyuan picked up things and said in unison, "Have you gone to the Treasure Pavilion?"

Xiang Changbo nodded truthfully, "There is nothing to do."

The two sisters and brothers exchanged things to look at, and before putting them away, they looked at Chang Bo and continued to dig out things, so they both looked at him directly.

He took out a delicate wooden box, deliberately shook it in front of Xiang Changning, then handed it to Xiang Changyuan, "This is for Shizi Xu."

"ah?"

Both of them were amazed, and hurriedly opened the box to see that it turned out to be a night pearl half the size of a fist.

Xiang Changning was full of doubts, "Brother, do you have a relationship with Xu Shizi?"

"No." Looking at Changbo, the two of them almost wrote the word "curious" on their faces, and they were not in a hurry to explain. It just happened that the wind blew the eyes and made them feel uncomfortable.Said, "I heard from Aunt Luo that A Yuan and Xu Shizi walked very close. As soon as A Yuan returned to Beijing, he was bullied and vomited blood. Xu Shizi didn't care about being friends with him. He is a lover. A Yuan is too stupidWill give something, I will pick one for him by the way."

Xiang Changyuan: "..."

Xiang Changning couldn't help laughing, he stuffed the box to Changyuan, and saw that there was still something looming in Xiang Changbo's pocket, and blinked to see, who knew that Xiang Changbo was about to leave without saying a word, she hurriedly pulledGo after the long run.

"Brother, do you still have something!"

Xiang Changbo clutched his chest: "No!"

Xiang Changning and Xiang Changyuan exchanged glances, and the two went into battle together, finally seeing the corner, the red fabric, like a headband.

Looking at the two people who were out of breath, Xiang Changbo tucked back the corners expressionlessly, and raised his head, "I will wake you up at Yinshi tomorrow to exercise your body."

Xiang Changning and Xiang Changyuan couldn't beat him, they waved their hands at the same time, and ran away in no time.

————

The next day, Xu Yuanqing looked at the Ye Mingzhu placed on the desk with mixed emotions, so did the Xiang family have such a deep relationship with his family?

Zuo Yue watched him stare blankly for a long time, and asked in a low voice, "My lord, what's the matter?"

Xu Yuanqing came back to his senses, saw that he had eaten a mouthful of pastries, and saw that there were only a few pieces of pastries left with Ye Mingzhu, so he threw a book at him angrily, "You know how to eat, you won't be poisoned to death!"

Zuo Yue replied with a smile: "It has been tested, it is not poisonous."

Xu Yuanqing also picked a piece to bite, "What about others?"

When woke up, heard that Xiang Changyuan had come, the pastry was sent by him, and Ye Mingzhu was sent by Changbo, but didn't see anyone.

"Young Master Xiang came early, I didn't bother you when you fell asleep, and left after sitting for a while."

"I'm in a hurry."

Xu Yuanqing was unwell and slept for a long time. Xiang Changyuan sat where he was sitting for a few hours, and then left when he had something to do. Otherwise, he might have to wait for him to wake up.

Xu Yuanqing covered the box, stood up with the support of the table, asked about the situation in the mansion as usual, nodded after hearing that everything was as usual, and took the cloak to go out.

Zuo Yue chased after him, and said cautiously, "My lord, although Madam did not say that you are not allowed to go out, Madam will definitely be worried if you go out every day."

Xu Yuanqing asked back, "Didn't my mother go to Daxiangguo Temple?"

"But, Madam will know when you go out."

Xu Yuanqing stopped, stood in the yard, tilted his neck, stretched his muscles and bones, and got a few needles from Gu Sanzhi, and he felt much more comfortable.

Xu Yuanqing walked to the wall of the pineapple tree and told him, "You watch at home, if my mother knows that I have been out, then you don't want to get lucky money this year."

Just as Zuo Yue was about to cry and refuse, Xu Yuanqing followed the bushes next to the wall and jumped over the wall, leaving the child behind.

"My son?"

Xu Yuanqing was taken aback when he heard the sound, because the voice this time was not the voice that should appear here as usual.