Chapter 16 Chapter 15 Umbrella

The second day was October 14th, and it was gloomy every day. Although the rain was a little less than the previous day, it was still precarious and gray covered the entire Yecheng, making it impossible to relax. In the early morning rain, a small blue sedan chair silently stopped behind a vermilion wall. This is the mansion of the Murong family, the Duke of Zhen. The verdant trees and gorgeous buildings can be vaguely seen through the hollowed-out plum blossom windows. A group of maids in coarse blue clothes are working, washing, drying, and ironing... busy and lively , From time to time, laughter came out, which could be faintly heard through the wall.

"Oh, it's already October 14th today, why is it still raining? Could it be that the Sea Emperor Festival really won't come to fruition?" "That's right, the clothes haven't been dried after five or six days of washing, how can I explain?" "It's a small matter not to do clothes. The emperor and the six vassal princes will come to watch the tide tomorrow. If the weather is not beautiful, it will be a big deal! You see, even the city lord's temper has deteriorated a lot. He even called the eldest son over for a lesson this morning. .” "Hey, what's the matter? Has the eldest son caused trouble again?"

"I heard it was because of a brothel girl, and beat someone else!" "What's so strange about that? It's not the first time - didn't the city lord always give in to this brother before? Why did he suddenly become more serious today?" "Ahem!" A group of women were whispering to each other, when they suddenly heard someone coughing twice from behind—the voice was so familiar, everyone was startled, and the whole province froze immediately. A woman in her forties stood in the corridor at some point, her clothes were as fiery red as maple leaves, but her face was pale and old, which formed a great contrast with her clothes - that was Mrs. Feng, the chief housekeeper of the Murong Mansion, It has been nearly thirty years since she has been in charge of the Zhen Guogong's mansion. Under her prestige, every time she appears, all the servants hold their breath.

But the strange thing is, Mrs. Feng never comes to places like the laundry room, so how could she appear like a ghost today? In the silence, Mrs. Feng walked straight through the corridor to the backyard.She opened the door herself, bowed slightly towards the outside, and said something.The door opened a thread, a small sedan chair landed quietly, and a stunning beauty walked out of it.The man was wearing light-colored clothes with slanted fronts and short sleeves, which faintly reflected vermilion gray light.Next to her was a maid in Tsing Yi who opened an umbrella for her and helped her get off the sedan chair gracefully.

This pair of hostess and maidservants are elegant, like a fairy, appearing in such a messy courtyard, it makes people feel a little unreal.The group of maids opened their mouths wide in a daze, not even daring to breathe. Mrs. Feng bowed slightly, and led the way sideways: "Please come inside the fairy." The beauty also bowed slightly, and said softly: "There is an old lady." A group of three people passed through the backyard and walked along the corridor, leaving only a group of stunned maids.After a long time, someone threw the clothes in his hand and called out in a low voice: "Oh my God! Did I read that right? That just now...is Yin Yelai?"

Someone next to her was the quickest: "Who else is it if it's not Fairy Yin? Just by standing there, there's no room for anyone not to look at her!" An old maid was stunned for a long time, slapped her thigh, and said in a low voice: "My God, what is she wearing? Is it the legendary Xia Yingxiu made in Haizhou? It is so well tailored, as if it was on her body." The same obedience! Yes, there is also that umbrella—have you noticed? The silk on that umbrella is actually made of Liuyun yarn from Gushechan County!" "Liuyunsha?" Someone next to her whispered, "Isn't that the ultimate product for the royal family? You can't buy it for any money!"

"Yes! I heard that the old city lord celebrated his 60th birthday more than ten years ago, and the imperial capital only gave him a tailor-made dress. It's strange... a woman in a brothel, let her be popular and favored, how can she have this thing? ? Could it be that you misread it?" The old servant frowned: "I did the laundry for the master's dress! I don't think I'll be mistaken." "It's an eye-opener this time... No wonder everyone says Fairy Yin is the first-class beauty. I just don't know what she's doing here?" The maid next to her snickered, "I still have to sneak in through the back door to hide Eyes and ears—could it be that the city lord and the eldest son are all romantic?"

A group of maids smiled at each other. "Don't look at the city lord who looks so old and prudent now, and his temper was very strange when he was young." An old maid sighed, "Tell me, a son of a wealthy family can have whatever he wants. Are you making a fuss about committing suicide?" "Really?" The newcomer who has not been here for a few years opened his eyes wide, "The city lord committed suicide?" "Isn't it? Fortunately, we discovered it early and invited an imperial doctor to detoxify it. At least our life was saved." The old servant shook his head and sighed, "After being rescued, he was not stable. He tossed about every day and wanted to become a monk. I want to go with a wandering monk from Zhongzhou who doesn't know her origin—but the old lady is terrified!"

"After a long time of trouble, the family refused to let her leave, and tried every means. The old lady even hanged herself, and she didn't hesitate to force her to die—the city lord is a dutiful son, and he dared not mention becoming a monk." There was a low voice around: "What? There is such a thing?" "That's right! You don't know how much trouble there was at that time!" The old servant sighed, "Seeing that he couldn't leave home, the city lord suddenly changed his mind. He didn't say he became a monk, and he didn't go on a hunger strike, but went to the brothel every day. , Going to the gambling house, it’s like a different person, causing the house to be full of smog! Suddenly another devil king appeared, which made the old lady very worried.”

"What happened next?" The people next to him became more and more curious as they listened. "You all know what happened later - the old city lord and his wife lost ten years of life because of the two sons' quarrel, and passed away one after another. The second son was ordered to become the city lord when he was in danger. His temperament has stabilized in the past two years. Nothing major happened." The old servant sighed while washing his clothes, "I watched the city lord grow up from such a small child to the present... I don't know why, but I always feel that he is very unhappy."

"What else can the city lord be unhappy about?" The maids felt inconceivable, "He is the richest man in the world! He can get what he wants, and there are no parents to control him, and no children and grandchildren to drag him down, so there is nothing to be unhappy about. ?” "I'm afraid no one knows what is in the heart of the city lord? These years, do you think he slept at home for a night? He spends the night with some dignitaries in taverns every day, and there are no people in their twenties. Marrying a wife—this is not the life of a normal person!" Hearing what the old servant said, the other maids couldn't help feeling selfish.One of them shouted: "I see - the city owner is probably unhappy about marrying a wife, right? I heard that she wanted to marry the princess of the Zi clan, but was rejected." "What?" Someone complained immediately, "That princess is too blind! Who wouldn't want to marry a woman like the city lord? And how can the Zi clan have a deep relationship with the Murong family!" The old servant smiled bitterly and said, "How should I put it? After all, these six vassals look down on Zhongzhou people. Although Murong Xiu, the ancestor of the Murong family, married Zi Ji, the princess of the Zi family, since the turmoil, the two families have not had much contact with each other. gone." "Yes, yes." Someone answered, "I heard that the city lord turned to King Guangmo to propose marriage. I don't know if it's true." "What? I heard that the Ninth Princess is notoriously fierce! If a mistress like a dominatrix really came, we servants will inevitably suffer." "Why are you so anxious? Maybe the city lord hasn't thought about getting married yet! Look, didn't Fairy Yin come here today? Hey, maybe the city lord's childhood leprosy happened again—" "Ahem..." Someone behind suddenly coughed twice. The maids were startled, and turned around, only to see Mrs. Feng standing there with a sullen face. The whole yard became silent at once, only to hear the steward's cold words: "Tomorrow is the Sea Emperor Festival, so the wife and lady in the mansion specially asked Fairy Yin to give advice on how to dress—you hurry up and wash all the clothes that need to be washed." !Anyone who chews their tongues will be beaten out with sticks!" "Yes!" Everyone replied in unison, and hurried to work. The rain is still falling, and the yellow leaves are dancing with the wind in the deep courtyard. The inner courtyard is a place that outsiders are not allowed to enter. Yin Yelai walked along the long corridor alone. Next to it was a plum grove, which was already full of yellow leaves in this late autumn.Turning a corner, I saw the plaque of "Slightly Cold but Fragrant" not far away, revealing the full charm of Zhongzhou. That was Mei Xuan of Murong's family, it was the place where the previous city lords sat and read quietly. There was someone waiting quietly under the eaves, dressed in white and wearing a jade crown, with a clear and handsome face, but he was a gentle and jade-like noble son.He stood there alone, waiting for an unknown how long, as if in a trance, silently counting the leaves falling from a certain plum tree, his brows were slightly frowned, and his belt fluttered slightly in the wind. That scene was so familiar, but it seemed like a world away, and it was a stinging pain in my heart.When Yin Yelai saw that person, she lost her mind for a moment, and let Huang Ye fly by like a stream of light, but the world froze in her eyes for a moment.In a daze, a leaf was blown by the wind and hit the back of her hand with a "snap". She suddenly came back to her senses, and called out "Young Master" in a low voice. The man was slightly startled, as if caught off guard, his hands tightened.The plum branch I was holding broke with a "snap".The young man in white came back to his senses, and smiled: "Is it a fairy? Rare guest, rare guest... hurry up." The room was silent.The lord of Yecheng brewed tea himself, and persuaded him attentively—the tea was the finest Longjing tea from Ming Dynasty, which came from Zhongzhou thousands of miles away.The porcelain is the best quality from the Zhongzhou official kiln, as thin as a cicada's wing, and even the Zhongzhou emperor's study may not have such a fine product. Yin Yelai took a few glances and couldn't help smiling.After all, they are from Zhongzhou. Although they have lived in Yunhuang for hundreds of years, the Murong family still retains a strong ancient style. The side room was quiet, and after a cup of tea, Yin Yelai put down the teacup and said, "Yelai came here on purpose to thank you——Yecheng is a land of right and wrong. Over the years, our brothel sisters have been able to settle down because of the love of the city lord. If there were no Young Master intervenes, Ye Lai really doesn't know how it will end." "You don't have to thank me," Murong Jun smiled politely, "As the city lord, I naturally don't want to make trouble before seeing the Sea Emperor Festival. But... I believe that even if I was not there at the time, the fairy will have other ways to resolve it. ?” Yin Yelai smiled slightly, but did not deny it. He looked at her with thoughtful eyes, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions—thinking about it carefully, from the time he knew her to the present, he had never really seen through her, right?She came today, but what is it for? "The few times I have invited fairies before, I have never come to my humble abode. The sudden visit today must not be just to thank you, right?" She just smiled and said nothing.On the contrary, Murong Juan was a little impatient, he didn't want to continue going around in circles, holding his cup and asked: "I don't know what's wrong with the fairy, can I be lucky enough to help you?" He asked straightforwardly, Yin Yelai was inconvenient to make excuses, and explained the real purpose of this trip with a few words: "My brother is not talented, he accidentally offended Young Master Murong yesterday, and Yelai came here today to make amends on his behalf." "Oh?" Murong Juan let out a sigh of relief, "Fairy is worrying too much." "Worried too much?" Yin Yelai frowned. "Don't the fairy know? Before dawn today, Tiqi's spies came to plead for brother Ling - Tiqi is the eyes and ears of the royal family, how can the Murong family not show face?" Murong Juan smiled, The tone was meaningful, "I have expelled the group of servants who beat people, and reprimanded my elder brother, but I hope that brother will not mind." "What?" Yin Yelai was startled, "Ti Qi came here?" Murong Juan took a sip of tea, and smiled calmly: "Yes! Brother Ling has a deep and wide network, which is admirable." "That would be even worse." Yin Yelai frowned, "It's fine to offend the Murong Mansion, if my brother is taken away by Tiqi, I'm afraid... can you help me to find out why Tiqi took my brother away? ?” Murong Juan said calmly, "How can others know anything about Tiqi?" Yin Yelai sighed, "If you can't, my lord, who in the world can?" "Wonderful praise," Murong Jun sipped his tea and said with a smile, "The Murong family may be able to advance and retreat freely in the matter of Yecheng, but it is related to Tiqi, so it is not something we can easily intervene in. Fairy's request It's quite difficult for a strong man!" Yin Ye took a look at him, and found that he was only smiling and talking, but couldn't see the real intention. Already a complete stranger?She covered her mouth with a brocade handkerchief, and coughed a few times: "My lord seems to be determined not to save my brother, why?" "Brother?" Murong Juan sneered slightly, "Is he really your brother?" Yin Yelai was startled, and glanced at him like lightning, and found that there was a flash of resentment and resentment in his eyes, which turned out to be the sword that had been buried for many years, and it was pulled out in a flash. "Who is he?" Murong Juan sneered, "How many things have you kept from me?" Yin Yelai was startled and didn't know how to answer.It has been ten years since we met for the last time, and she didn't expect that he would still be brooding.At that moment, all kinds of emotions rushed into her heart at the same time, and it was difficult to distinguish between joy and sorrow.Yin Yelai took a deep breath, clenched his teacup calmly, and replied flatly, "Everyone, each other. Didn't Mr. Murong also hide his identity back then?" "Really? So it's because of this... If you had known that I was the son of Duke Zhen, wouldn't you have followed others?" Having said this, Murong Juan's tone was hard to conceal. Bitter and vicious, it made Yin Yelai tremble slightly.With a pale complexion, she covered her mouth with a brocade handkerchief, managed to hold back her cough, smiled suddenly, and admitted frankly: "Yes... If you had told me your real identity at that time, probably, ahem... everything would have been different ?” He looked at her wordlessly, his fingers clenched and then relaxed. She sighed and said in a low voice, "Why mention what happened yesterday?" "Sorry." Murong Juan seemed to have sensed that he was out of control. He calmed down and fiddled with the white jade folding fan on the desk. It's not the Murong family's turn to show up yet." Yin Yelai sighed: "If you find it difficult, my lord, then let it go." After a pause, she spoke again, "I don't know about the last time I asked you, my lord..." "You mean that girl Baolu?" Murong Juan smiled, "I left the Lanwang Palace early this morning, the fairy should be able to see her when I go back later." "Really?" Yin Yelai breathed a sigh of relief—in any case, it was a little rewarding to come out today, and she sighed: "I shouldn't bother you about these things, but the sister who offended was Lan Wang's nephew. In this Yecheng, I am afraid that only the young master can talk." "Fairy has won the prize," Murong Jun smiled, calmly, "that girl Baolu was originally an undeclared and upright official, and Mr. Lan Hu insisted on taking her back to the mansion by force, which is indeed a bit too much. Murong The family has been managing Yecheng for generations, so it is natural that they should mediate when something like this happens. It's a pity..." At this point, he stopped fiddling with the jade fan, "It's a pity that I arrived a bit late, that girl... Alas, misfortune has been spoiled." Yin Yelai was startled, and suddenly clenched the teacup, his fingers turned pale. "The matter has come to this point, I don't want to punish the royal family's children because of a prostitute, I can only send people back to Xinghai Yunting." Murong Juan said lightly, "According to the Twelve Laws, even if the royal family and nobles raped someone A girl from a good family in Zhongzhou will only be sentenced to exile for a hundred miles at most. What's more, that girl is a prostitute?" "Crack!" Yin Yelai suddenly jumped up, his face changed. Not only was Murong Juan not surprised when he saw the normally well-mannered woman lose her composure, but a subtle pleasure and malice appeared in his eyes: "Fairy, don't get angry——I heard that girl Baolu usually has a bad temper, and she doesn't act like that." Arrogant and mean, it offends the fairy so much, why does the fairy go to such lengths for her?" "A nobleman like the city lord naturally doesn't understand the hardships of us fireworks girls. Baolu is still a child, so it's hard to avoid being ignorant sometimes... When I first entered the industry in the past, how could I have been so sensible?" Yin Yelai sneered, " The sisters in the brothel are all hard-working people, if they don't help each other, who else will help? Are you waiting for the nobles to show mercy?" Murong Juan frowned imperceptibly, but said with a smile on his face: "Fairy Yin said too much... However, if Fairy really wants to express her anger for the sisters, there are other ways." Yin Yelai didn't answer, but just looked at him quietly. "Although raping a prostitute is not enough to convict, embezzling government money is a serious crime." Murong Juan took out a stack of papers from his arms and gently pushed them over, "Lan Wang is suspicious and greedy. A moth of money, even relatives will never be soft-hearted. The hands and feet of that Mr. Lan Hu have always been unclean, and all the money that has been corrupted is recorded on it." Yin Ye looked at the stack of documents on the table, and asked, "What... do you want to exchange?" "This... is nothing more than a little effort for a fairy." Murong Jun put down the teacup, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and lowered his eyes to look at the tip of his nose. , I hope to be lucky enough to meet him." "What?" Yin Yelai was startled, and took a step back, "You... want to see him?" "Bai Shuai is now the pillar of the country. Naturally, thousands of people admire him. Who doesn't want to get acquainted? It's a pity that he has a lot of things to do every day, and he leads troops away all the year round. Every time he returns to the court, it is only a few days. It is difficult to see him." Murong Juan's mouth twitched. Laughing, he suddenly lowered his voice, "I am lucky to know that Fairy is Bai Shuai's bedside person, the only confidante, so the introduction should be easy, right?" "..." Yin Yelai stared at him blankly, his expression subtly changing. Has it really changed?The boy who shyly handed her an umbrella at the ferry in the past, the boy who once told her his inner dream aloud in the rain late at night, has transformed into the heir to a wealthy family who does everything well?Time is really a terrible melting pot, which can temper a young soul until it is turned into iron stone. "What do you want to do after seeing him?" She asked in a low voice. "It's nothing, I just want to discuss something with him. Maybe we can do a business together." Although he smiled, he showed no expression, "Fairy Wanwang will convey it on my behalf." "You really want to see him?" she asked again, still in disbelief. "Of course." Murong Juan smiled, "If Fairy is willing to introduce you, I will not only reward you with a lot of money, but also help you with Lan Wang's nephew, so that your sister will not suffer humiliation in vain." Once such a condition is made, it is a naked transaction.Yin Yelai only felt a sharp pain in his chest, covered his mouth with a brocade handkerchief, and coughed lowly—after so many years, he has become like this... He didn't hesitate to use his first love woman to please a man who took care of her ? In the silence, she glanced at him quickly, her eyes were extremely sharp, although he noticed it, she remained calm. "Perhaps you don't know, my lord? Shuai Bai has always disliked other people's gossip, especially the women around him." After a long while, she smiled, folded the brocade handkerchief and put it in her sleeves, raised her slender fingers and pushed the stack of documents away. Going back, his tone was calm, "Ye Lai is weak and has no one to rely on, so how dare you take such a risk? Thank you, son, for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet my concubine. It's getting late now, Ye Lai will take my leave first." Murong Juan was slightly taken aback, the disappointed expression in his eyes was fleeting, he leaned over and stood up: "Go slowly." The two didn't speak again, and left Mei Xuan one after the other.The plum forest is still swaying in the wind and rain, and the yellow leaves are floating in the wind one by one, as if time flies. Yin Yelai walked to the corridor, stared blankly at the fallen leaves, and suddenly smiled: "Shaoyou, so I really never knew you before." Unexpectedly, she would suddenly say this Jiu Yuan's title, Murong Juan was obviously taken aback. "Ten years ago, you would stand up for a strange poor girl who was carrying burdens on the pier. But ten years later, you would actually use another innocent woman as a bargaining chip in this dirty deal." Yin Yelai's voice was sharp Low, but sharp as a knife, "Shaoyou, have you forgotten the flowers you mentioned in the past? Heh, 'to find a fair situation for Zhongzhou people not to be bullied'... Cough, how can you see death now?" Save, let a weak woman be raped and bullied?" Murong Juan silently listened to the changes in his eyes, but a smile slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth. Heh, he knew that she was irritating him. "Yeah, you're right... That Shaoyou died a long time ago, just like Jinran from the past." He murmured, looking at Meilin in the wind and rain, "Remember that time when you were the last It’s because you look down on those laughing women, think they get something for nothing, are low and dirty, and even walk around Qunyufang—how about now?” Her face suddenly turned pale, as if she had been stabbed by a blade. A sharp smile appeared on Murong Juan's lips: "It's none of my business for a weak girl to be bullied and raped? She's not my woman, and you're not my woman—all of this has nothing to do with me. Want me to come forward? Heh, when you are no longer you, how can you ask me to still be me?" Yin Yelai's shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't speak, but her cough got worse. "Everything has a price," Murong Juan said with a calm and cruel smile, "If you really want to use the power of the Murong family to avenge that humiliated sister, then please introduce Bai Shuai for me—don't feel embarrassed. What happened to us in the past was nothing but youth and ignorance, I have long since forgotten it, and I will not say a word to anyone." Young and ignorant?Yin Yelai listened silently, her face gradually paled, she seemed to be extremely angry, even a slight hatred appeared in her eyes, but she still didn't say a word.The most terrifying thing in this world is neither betrayal nor forgetting, but the complete denial of the past—she betrayed him first, so he denies the past like this. Things in this world are fair. "Young master is right." After a long time, she swallowed that breath and smiled slightly, "Women in the brothel are welcome to see you off, why do you mind this?" "However, I think Bai Shuai would mind." Yin Yelai had a mocking smile in his eyes, and his tone turned sharp, "For the sake of your son's wealth and life, I advise you not to go to see him rashly, or you will offend him. After Bai Shuai, it’s easy to die without knowing how.” After finishing speaking, she suddenly laughed, opened her umbrella, and walked away without turning her head. Her last words were quite sharp, Murong Juan's eyes had already burst into hatred, but when he saw the open umbrella, he was slightly startled and took a step forward. That umbrella... He actually kept it until today? Yin Yelai was holding an umbrella, that umbrella was exquisite, and the silk on it was extremely peculiar, as if there were extremely subtle light and dark colors flowing on the pure blue background. Murong Juan watched the back of her opening the umbrella and leaving from the porch, the same light flashed in his eyes. After so many years, her appearance has not diminished, but she has become much thinner.The wrist was slender, and the two jade bracelets were empty, and they made a crisp sound, and the exposed collarbone was deeply sunken.And the flimsy and gorgeous clothes draped over her body actually gave people a feeling of being too weak to wear, which was painful. How can you be so thin?All these years, what kind of life has she lived by the side of that powerful person?Is it joyful and contented, or is there unspeakable suffering and torment day and night? All this, he didn't ask.I don't know if it was an intentional avoidance, or I just felt it was unnecessary. "All these years, I've been thinking," Yin Yelai took a few steps, but suddenly said, "When you and I met on the pier for the first time, it was raining heavily, so you gave me this umbrella...whether Because of this, how can one word become Ji?" She smiled wryly, and walked into the rain: "The umbrella is just 'scattered'!" In "The Legend of the White Snake", the scholar Xu Xian borrowed an umbrella from the white snake when he first met, and it was only then that he formed a relationship-but in the end, he didn't Or they were torn apart...it's really an ominous sign." Murong Juan's expression changed slightly, and he was silent for a while, before he forced himself to say: "I've never heard of the "Legend of the White Snake" that the fairy said. The Emperor has a strict order, not to sing plays by people from Zhongzhou." "Oh, is that so? Sure enough..." Yin Ye turned his head back and forth, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "It seems that I did remember wrong—so we have never met before." She lowered her head and smiled, then walked back into the rain: "Treasure." Walking out of the corridor, Mrs. Feng was waiting outside with Qiu Chan.The tall, pale woman stood there, watching her walk out of the inner courtyard, with no expression on her face—that expressionless expression was so familiar. "Miss has helped the female family members in the mansion choose the clothes, right?" Mrs. Feng bowed and said, "Thanks for your hard work." "I dare not take it." Yin Yelai also smiled back. "The concubine came to send the fairy off." Mrs. Feng gave a slight bow, signaling her to follow her out through the side door. The two master and servant followed the butler through the backyard to the side entrance, and the soft sedan waited quietly in the rain in the deep alley outside.Qiu Chan asked the young lady to stay on the porch, and walked quickly to open the car curtain in the rain, and tidied up the towel. Yin Yelai and Mrs. Feng stood in the corridor, relatively speechless. Just as Yin Yelai was about to walk towards the sedan chair, he suddenly heard the chief executive of the Zhen Guogong mansion whispering behind him: "The city lord is going to propose to the daughter of King Guangmo." "Really?" Yin Yelai stopped involuntarily, stared blankly, and then smiled again, "Is it Nine Princess Liuli? It's really a good match—congratulations." Mrs. Feng looked at her fixedly: "To be honest, I am very worried about Young Master." "Oh?" A smile appeared on the corner of Yin Yelai's mouth, "Is Aunt Feng worrying too much?" Mrs. Feng sighed, her eyes were full of worry: "Don't look at the young master who looks calm and serious now, and is decisive in doing things, but, I feel that in his heart... well, he is actually still a child. At critical times, always It’s impossible to make a decision.” "Really?" Yin Yelai replied lightly. "He who looks like this is now sitting in the seat of Lord Zhen, and he is with a group of wolves day and night, which is really worrying." Mrs. Feng shook her head and lowered her voice, "To tell you the truth, when the master died , Murong's family was plundered by the six kings of Kongsang, and there is only an empty shell left. In the past few years, it has been supported by the young master, and finally the family has not been ruined, and the reputation of Zhen Guogong has been ruined." "Really?" Yin Yelai's eyes changed. ——It turns out that the Murong family, which is so beautiful, also has so many difficulties that are not understood by outsiders.No wonder, in the world of the Kongsang people, it is not easy for a foreigner to survive.What's more, the Murong family controls the most prosperous and affluent city in Yunhuang, how can they not make those feudal kings and emperors salivate and want to get a piece of it? "I don't know how the young master survived these past few years. Now he is gradually alienating me, and he only discusses with his confidants when he has a career." Mrs. Feng sighed softly, "Many times I don't know what he is. What is he doing... but I always feel that what he is doing must be very dangerous." "Dangerous?" Yin Yelai was slightly taken aback. "Yes," Mrs. Feng's tone was very strange, "I always feel that the Murong family is about to face a catastrophe." Such a prophecy, uttered from the mouth of this pale and taciturn old woman, has a chilling taste.Yin Yelai was taken aback for a moment, but he just smiled: "Madam, are you worrying too much? The Murong family couldn't even deal with the catastrophe that happened to the people of Zhongzhou more than two hundred years ago. How can there be difficulties that they can't overcome now?" "Every family has its own difficulties. It's not for outsiders to understand." Mrs. Feng sighed, "So no matter what, please don't blame him. The young master is carrying too many things...he can't help himself!" Qiu Chan over there had already arranged the sedan chair and called "Miss".It was inconvenient for Yin Ye to stay longer, so he opened his umbrella and walked over, turned his head and smiled slightly, and said in a low voice, "Everyone can't help themselves, ma'am." In the early winter, it was drizzling outside, beating the glazed tiles and the bluestone platform long and short, as if someone was humming a song in the depths of time, so distant and vague. However, the elegy has not yet been fully realized, and everything has changed.It has been almost ten years, and the affairs of the world are rushing like a torrent, washing away all of them.Although this song is not over, no matter what, it still has to be sung. Standing on the porch, Murong Juan watched the figure holding the umbrella go away, couldn't help but took another step forward, half of his body was already standing in the rain, but he didn't realize it. Seeing each other again after many years, the past is like smoke. You Zi remembered that when we first met, it was late spring with continuous drizzle.At that time, he was still a kid from a wealthy family who didn't understand anything, doing nothing all day long.Although he is not as addicted to pleasure as his eldest brother, he has also inherited Murong's intelligence and agility. That day, he heard that a group of merchant ships came from the Xuanji Islands in the blue sea in the south, carrying many treasures of the sea country. On a whim, he secretly went to see it without telling his father.However, as soon as he stepped on the gangplank and before he got on the boat, he heard a "plop" in his ears, and something fell from the boat and hit the water heavily. He was startled, and raised his head, only to see that a foot above his head was the side of the boat, and there was a man standing on the boat, holding a pole tightly in his hand, looking down condescendingly, and angrily cursed: "Stinky rascal! " "What?" It was the first time in his life that someone insulted him like this, and the boy couldn't help but get angry. "Hey, I'm not talking about you!" The man saw the person standing on the diving board, pointed to the rippling water below the boat, and said in a crisp voice, "I mean the fat guy who was beaten down by my shoulder pole !" "Oh..." He suddenly realized that it was a person who fell into the water just now.He looked down, and saw a guy who looked like a businessman was splashing in the water, and there were obviously red marks on his face from being beaten. He couldn't help laughing, holding an umbrella, stood on the diving board and looked up at the ship's side.Against the light, I saw that girl was the same age as me, her forehead was covered with fine and crystal clear beads of sweat and rain, her cheeks were slightly red, and her long black hair was braided into a thick braid, bending over her right shoulder. , long dragged to the waist and tied up simply with a red rope. The boy gave a "click" mentally and froze there. It wasn't until he saw a group of strong men surrounding him, about to punch the girl, that he jumped into the boat to stop it as if he had just woken up from a dream.He was not a reckless child, although it was inconvenient for him to reveal his identity, he secretly stuffed a valuable emerald jade finger into the hands of the overseer in charge - the people who run the docks are well-informed, seeing his eloquence and influence The supervisor at Yan'er didn't dare to do anything wrong, so he could only let him pull her off the boat. Out of gratitude, she invited him to eat a bowl of Yangchun noodles at a stall near the pier.He was not used to eating such rough food, but for some unknown reason that day, he unexpectedly followed him.But he was surprised to find that she only ordered food for him, while he was sipping free miso soup on the side. Facing his surprised gaze, she blushed a little, and explained in a low voice that she only had five coppers a day for meals, two for breakfast, three for lunch, and dinner at home—since she had invited him to eat noodles, she had no money to buy them. something else. He opened his mouth and couldn't believe that someone spent only five coppers a day.You must know that in the Zhen Guogong's mansion, his daily food expenses are hundreds of times that of hers. When eating, he still feels that he has nowhere to eat.Seeing her clear and bright eyes, the young man immediately felt ashamed, he bravely opened the rough porcelain bowl, and drank all the noodle soup. She was innocent and unguarded, and during the chat, he used a few words to describe her family background. It turned out that this young girl was a child from a poor Zhongzhou family, and she had been working on this wharf in Luozhu Port since four years ago.However, over the years, she has gradually grown up, and her appearance has become more and more beautiful. It is inevitable that she will cause troubles when she works on the pier where fish and dragons are mixed together.This time, she was molested by a businessman who came to pick up the goods from the ship. In a fit of rage, this fierce girl picked up a pole and knocked him into the water unceremoniously.If he hadn't passed by by chance, this girl would have been severely taught by a group of servants and dock supervisors. "Oh, it seems that before going to work every day, you have to smear your face with stove ashes!" She frowned while drinking the noodle soup, "These stinky men!" He listened, and didn't know how to answer her words, but felt that her voice was so melodious, her every frown and smile were like hibiscus coming out of clear water, and she was more beautiful than any girl he had ever seen. She finished her soup and was ready to go home.He gave her the umbrella he was carrying without hesitation, although this umbrella was worth thousands of baht, and it was made by his father after cutting clothes with the flowing cloud gauze bestowed by the emperor.她显然不知道这把伞色贵重之处，只是看着上面如青空般变幻不定的流云纹赞叹：“真好看阿！谢谢你拉！” 他看着她撑着伞走入那条雨巷怔了片刻，忽的回过神来，再也顾不得什么，追上了几步，大声喊道：“等……等一下！” “还有什么是？”她有些惊讶地站住身。 “我……我……”他站在街上淋着雨，却不知道说什么好，心跳得很快，脸上热的厉害。他知道自己的脸肯定变了色，然而越想要镇定下来，却越是慌乱，完全不像是十岁就被严厉的父亲称为“吾家千里驹也”的天才少年。 “哑巴了么？”她等了片刻，惊讶地看着这个张口结舌的少年，笑了一下，转过身去，“不管你了，我可要回家去给爹娘弟妹们做饭了！” 眼看她又要离开，他终于结结巴巴的说出了一句话：“那……那我明天请你吃面，好不好？” 她笑了笑，“嗯”了一声。 那一瞬，他心里仿佛有一只小鹿跳了一下，狂喜轰然而啦，几乎忍不住手舞足蹈起来。 看到他失态的模样，她笑了笑，转身走了几步，忽然回头一笑：“我叫安堇然。你呢？” 安堇然，安堇然。一个多么宁静美好的名字，从此仿佛烙印般刻在了他心上，成为他心里永远难忘的一道伤痕，腐烂了，见骨了，痊愈了，却永难抹去。 那时候，她十七岁，他十八岁。 那时，我忍住了冲到嘴边的话，犹豫了一下，却回答道：“我叫慕……慕少游。” 十年后，他依旧不明白自己为什么要那样回答，用谎言遮盖了自己的真实身份——或许，从小被父亲以权谋之道训导长大的他，即使是有生以来第一次面对轰然而至的真爱，内心里还是无法放下戒备吧？ 毕竟，在这座城市里，他的身份太特殊。 那一天后，他便认识了她。他们在一起的时光很短暂，从相识到分别也不过六七月，从白帝八年的晚春四月到深秋十月。 然而，这样短短的一段时光，却成了他之后十年里最难忘的记忆，其中掺杂着太多复杂的情绪：青涩、朦胧、甜蜜、担忧、忐忑和憧憬。 对于他来说，少年时的成长和蜕变，都完成于那短短的半年时光。 从那一天起，每天他都在落珠港的码头等她放工，看着斜阳下，那个纤细的身影卸下沉重的担子，从长而软的跳板上轻盈的走下来，快步奔向他高高兴兴地一起离开。 她的身世和他天差地别。她年纪虽小，家累却重，每天在码头做完工后只能休息一会儿，便要匆匆赶回家去给父母弟妹烧水做饭，打理家务，等一直忙到了晚上，侍候父亲休息，弟妹安睡，还要出门去做另一份工，忙到凌晨才能回家。 所以每一日，他们在一起的时间只有短短的一个时辰。 那一个时辰里，他们所做的和一般的恋人无异，不过是一起吃吃东西，逛逛大街，不着边际的说一些话，要么就是牵手走在叶城的海滩上，静静的看着大海发呆。然而，即便是在这样无关风月和欲望的静默相处里，即便只是坐在她的身边什么也不做，他的心里依旧能感觉到罕有的平静和温暖。 他们虽然日渐亲密，却并非无话不说。她很少对他说起自己家里的事，正如他也很少对她提起自己的情况一样，偶尔，在点数一天挑担赚来的铜子的时，她会叹气，说父亲的病逐日加重，已经卧床不起。而母亲带着一堆弟妹，每天都等着她赚钱回去买米下锅，如果不快点儿找一个能赚更多的钱的营生，估计就供不上一家人的吃穿用度了。说话的时候她秀丽的双眉紧蹙着，每个铜子都数的分外小心。 他心里“咯噔”了一下，手在口袋里动了动，却是不敢将怀里满把的金珠掏出来。如果……如果堇然知道了自己的身份，会怎么样？ 与当时的她相比，他的心思显然更加复杂。少年老成的他始终顾虑重重，怯于对意中人说明自己的心意和身份。他不仅是担心幕布一旦揭开，两人之间的巨大落差便会令她远离自己，更是担心——除了门当户对的巨族外，其他女子爱上的往往不是他的人，而是慕容家的权势和富贵。 他不敢揭开谜底，生怕真相是自己无法承受的。 他一直举棋不定，为他们之间的未来而忧心忡忡。而她是那样聪明的人，应该是看出了他有所隐瞒，却始终不曾开口询问。 秋天来时，他做了一件最大胆的事：他没有参加镇国公府举办的海皇祭宴会，从一群王室贵族中间逃了出来，带着她翻过了检查的关卡，划船去黑石礁上看大潮。 潮来的时候，天地一片苍茫，充满了造化洪荒的力量，令所有人都觉出了自身的渺小和生命的未可知。她和她缩在黑石礁上，相互依偎着，风卷起的浪溅湿了他们的衣衫，脚下的岩石在巨浪里颤抖，潮头上龙舟竞驰，船头有人在歌舞。 “少游！快看，彩虹！”她惊喜万分地喊着，指给他看大潮背后那一轮淡淡的落日——苍茫的雾气下面，闪动着江海的光芒。潮水如一堵墙一样升起来，高达数十丈，日光透过蒙蒙的水汽，居然幻化出了一道晶莹璀璨的彩虹来，就悬在他们的头顶不远处。 “看啊！”她欢喜的像个孩子，伸出手去触摸那尽在咫尺的彩虹。 他却没有看彩虹，只是出神地看着身边的少女。她那美丽绝伦的容颜，即便在彩虹在依然不曾逊色半分美得令人忘记了一切——那一瞬他忽然下了人生最大的一次决心：无论面前横亘着怎样的困难，他都要永远的抓住这个女子，要和他永远在一起。 就在她伸出手去抓住那道彩虹的时候，他忍不住俯身轻轻吻了一下她的侧脸。她身子一僵，脸色瞬间飞红，却有迅速苍白了。 “堇然，我们要永远在一起。”他低声道，许下了人生的第一个诺言。 然而，她没有回答。她伸出去触摸彩虹的手僵在空气里，脸色很是奇怪。下一个瞬间，大浪呼啸而来，拍击在礁石上巨大的浪潮在他们头顶散开，笼罩下来，仿佛是一场盛大无比的流星雨。 “永远？”水雾弥漫了视线，他看不见她的脸，只隐约听到她轻轻叹息了一声，“永远到底有多远呢……少游？” “多远？”他凝望着海天之间。“就如海皇苏摩对白璎的心意，生死无阻。” 水雾漫天而来，视线一片模糊。白茫茫一片的礁石上，他感觉到有什么东西在自己面颊上轻轻一碰——少女的嘴唇柔软而冰凉，带着轻微的颤抖。 那是他的第一个吻，也是她的第一个。那一瞬间，他仿佛被雷电击中了。“堇然？”他满怀喜悦地伸出手去，然而却落空了。 当视线重新清晰起来的时候，他发现身边的礁石上空无一人，只有滔天大浪从南方天际一波波地袭来，仿佛巨大的白色莲花盛开在周身。而片刻前还在自己身侧的少女，就这样凭空消失了，仿佛幻化在了彩虹里。 “堇然！”他惊骇万分，对着苍茫大海呼喊，“堇然！” 她去了哪里？是掉进大海了么？被潮水卷走了么？ 他发了疯一样地呼喊着她的名字，在礁石上四处寻找，甚至跳下大海在风浪里寻觅。然而，她却仿佛是人间蒸发了一样再也没有丝毫痕迹。贵族少年在大海里游着，呼喊着，直到筋疲力尽无法动弹。最后一刻，他绝望地闭上了眼睛，任凭幽蓝色的海水在他头顶闭合…… 几乎溺毙的他侥幸被一艘路过的龙船救起，送回了岸上。然而，也就是从那天起，她却永远从他的生命里消息了，宛如那一道乍现又转瞬消息的彩虹。 变故陡生，一切戛然而止。 他不知道他去了哪里，做了什么那段时间，他将叶城翻了底朝天，甚至出动了镇国公府的所有力量，却始终没有任何她的消息。 那个名叫安堇然的贫苦少女，仿佛忽然间从云荒上消失了。 少年时的他经不起这样突如其来的打击，一度消沉颓废，甚至几次有轻生和出家的念头，如果不是父母拼死阻拦，说不定如今的他早已跟随那个名叫孔雀明王的游方和尚皈依了中州人的佛祖。 然而两年后，在他心口的伤痕渐渐结痂的时候，她却突然又回来了。 从新出现在叶城的她，却拥有了一个他无法相信的身份：青楼的花魁。乌黑的粗辫子解散了，梳成了精致华美的蝉影髻，粗布衣裳变成了精美的鲛陗。甚至，她连名字都换了。 殷夜来，多么旖旎风情的名字阿，一如她那妩媚的眼波。 她已经完全不像她了，然而，他却还是在第一眼的时候就把他认了出来。他装作漫不经心的探问她的来历，有人说她是个当红的优伶，因为帝都禁止在唱中州戏了，所以不得不转头青楼。 然而他却是知道那不是真的——在他认识她的时候，她不是青楼女子，也不是当红优伶，只是一个在落珠港码头上挑担子养家的贫苦少女。 然而那样的往昔，除了他，无人知晓。 他也去过她所在的星海云庭很多次，她有时候会出来见客，有时候会托病不出，对他的态度和别的恩客没什么两样。她的态度如此自若，以至于他有时候会有一种恍惚感，觉得昔年那一段青涩、模糊的初恋并不曾发生过，只不过似乎南柯一梦。 十年后，他在码头上递给她的那把伞还握在同一只手里，然而却已是物是人非。 那两年，她到底去做了什么？为什么会不告而别？为什么又会变成如今这样？Is it for money?是因为他没有更早地表明自己的身份，掏出满把的金珠来么？ 他始终未曾找到机会问他一句为什么。直到今天她忽然来访，身为城主的他终于摘下了面具，失控的问了出那些话。然而问了又如何呢？只换来一句更令人不堪的回答——“是啊……如果当时你告诉我拟真正的身份，大概，一切会不同了吧？” 她居然就这样坦然承认了，嘴角带着微微的笑。 果然母亲的教导是对的：世上的女人，爱的无不是他的身份和金钱，或许还有他的皮囊。至于他到底是一个什么样的人，有一颗什么样的心，又有谁会在意呢？ 也就是她再度出现的那一瞬开始，他的心才终于死了吧？ 慕容隽踱回了梅轩，桌上的茶盏犹温。 他坐在方才她坐过的位置上，抬起手，拿起了她片刻前用过的茶盏，上面还残留着一层淡淡的红色印记——是她啜饮时留下的唇上的胭脂吧？他用指尖一圈圈地划过茶盏，神色复杂。 十年前的那个吻，在海皇祭的漫天大潮里轻轻的落在他的颊上，如此温柔又如此冰冷，纯洁如初雪，却冰冷如永夜，宛如最后无声的告别。 十年后，在度坐回到了这个案几前的他们，却已是咫尺天涯。 永远到底有多远？不过是一个浪潮消散的瞬间把？ 沉吟中，眼角忽的看到了一物，他微微一惊，俯身捡起，认出是他方才折起放入衣袖的锦帕。然而锦帕虽然折着，熏了馥郁的香气，却也掩不住一丝透出的奇怪的味道。 他打开一看，忽的变了脸色——帕中是一片鲜血，宛如殷红的落梅，触目惊心。 窗外雨声萧萧，庭院里落叶飘零，打在纱窗上，显得萧瑟而寂寞。 慕容隽怔怔地看着那一方染血的锦帕，想着片刻前她的清颦浅笑——他原以为十年风雨经历，如今的她是已经是青楼的花魁，长袖善舞、滴水不漏、刀枪不入。原来，在她看似平静的外边下，竟也是藏着这般的呕心沥血，将所有的悲欢都燃为了灰烬。 那一瞬，所有的恨意和不甘都淡了。她……是病了么？ 方才那些冠冕堂皇的话语里藏着多少锋芒和心机，本来是他早就准备好了赠给她的，作为多年前她离弃自己，转投权贵怀抱的报复。然而此刻看着这一方呕血的锦帕，那一字一句却仿佛是一把把利刃，反弹了回来，刺穿了他的心。 慕容隽默默地看着那一方锦帕，将案上的文书握在手里，长久的沉默着。 “东方。”他忽然低唤了一声。 “在。”一个青衣侍从应声出现——那是家臣东方清，数百年前便开始追随慕容家先祖，和南宫扬、西门放和北阙尘并称为四大心腹家臣。 慕容隽将手里的一叠文书递给了他：“这里有一件要紧的事，去办吧。” 精干的家臣看了一眼文书，微微一怔：“那位蓝扈公子并不是我们的敌人，为什么要动他？” “和我们的大计无关，”慕容隽淡淡地道，用扇子敲着手心，“只是顺手除去一个垃圾而已——不必多问。” “是。”东方清领命，顿了一顿，又道，“公子，那边又来催了，白帅的事……” “关节尚未打通。”慕容隽叹了口气，“她还是不肯替我引见。” “该死！公子，要不要给她点颜色看看？” “算了，在想其他的办法就是。白墨宸这个人太难讨好了，别的路子我们都没走通。除了她，还真想不到别的更好的人选。我们继续下功夫便是。”慕容隽挥了挥手，忽的转了语气，“你去告诉'那边'别只顾着催我们办事——等什么时候钱送到了，我自然会帮他们办的稳稳当当。” “禀公子，”东方清压低了声音，“那边让步了，说可以如我们所愿，将黄金增加到两百石。并在三天后运抵叶城，不过他们想要公子的一个承诺。” “承诺？”慕容隽蹙眉，有些不快，“若不是我设法用军粮供应的问题把西海的大军拖住，他们早就亡国了！我说过的事情，什么时候不算数过？” “是，”东方清有些为难，“可对方说，今年的筹款项一下子翻了一倍，而战事也非常吃紧，所以他们觉得分外艰难。如果公子不能给出一个明确的承诺，说出什么时候能让白墨宸的大军从西海上彻底撤回，回去就很难和元老院交代。” “我不是正在想法么？”慕容隽一怔，叹了口气，“先拖着大军，等年底白帅归来，我自由分寸。你先让南宫、西门他们去筹备一下接收那两百石的黄金，府里急着用——这段日子是海皇祭，缇骑定然防备得紧。千万小心。”