On this day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the sun has long lost its arrogance, and in the afternoon, it gradually softens down and spreads softly on the ground.

Luoyang City was gathered under such a golden glow, and the ten miles of ginkgo biloba on both sides of the post road outside the city were laid out in unison, forming two long golden silk cloths that unfolded.

As soon as there is a festival in the city, Sishunfang is particularly noisy and prosperous, not to mention a big festival like the Mid-Autumn Festival. The head of each family is full of spirit, leading the servants and maids assigned to their own families to run inside and out.

However, the Du Mansion in the depths of Fang Road was silent. He Sui, as always, went around the house, from the gate to the courtyard of the second gate, and inspected the wings on both sides one by one. Then turn around the front yard inside, sweep away the scattered yellow leaves that fell early, and remove the scorched cinnamon that fell from the ponds on both sides of the courtyard. Then he stepped on the curved bridge to the inner courtyard to see how many lotus leaves were left in the vast pond, and pulled out a few lotus pods in front of him.

He looked up at the bird's nest under the top of the verandah, the swallows had already flown away for the winter, leaving only an empty nest. After staying for a while, the New Year's steward sighed faintly, and this empty nest was like this empty and lonely house. There was no sound for a long time.

He still remembers that in the middle of spring, everyone in the house went to the south of the Yangtze River, leaving only him, the cook, and a small servant who tended with flowers and plants and was rough to guard the house. Before leaving, the lady told with a smile that she would return in three or two months at most.

A month ago, I went back, but Ah Lang was alone, and he was significantly depressed. He didn't dare ask. How did the lady not return, I saw Ah Lang living alone at home for three days, not smiling or speaking, going to the cellar every day to get wine, and sitting on the half-couch near the water under the eaves porch at night. After pouring himself a drink until the third watch, he slept on the half-couch.

On the fourth day, he stopped drinking, packed his bags, and asked him a few things, nothing more than a good life to guard the house, and so on, without mentioning where to go, and asked a few times, but he only said, you don't need to know, just reveal it. On the fifth day. It's early. followed the Duke of Tang and led the soldiers away. There are also the internal servants of the entire mansion of Tang Guogong, which is mighty, and there are many people crowded on the roadside. Later, I learned that the Tang Mansion had withdrawn. No one knows where they are going. Who dares to ask about Guogong's family affairs without anything?

Steward He Sui made such a detailed inspection every day. The whole house has just seen the sun sinking in the west, and it is the time when the gate is under the key, and now Ah Lang is not there. No one returns late, and the key is laid early.

The general locked the door, he turned around and was just about to leave, when there was a sudden sound of a rapid knocking knock on the door, which made the steward of He Sui tremble, and the people outside knocked on the door for a while, he was hesitating, and suddenly heard a soft voice mixed with the knocking on the door, "But is someone at home?" It's me home, hurry up and open the door. ”

It was the voice of the lady. He Sui hurriedly pulled out the bolt to remove the lock and opened the door again. Outside the door stood her own lady, followed by two unacquainted, guard-like men, with three whirring horses. was so shocked that the steward of He Sui plugged his tongue for a while, and he didn't know what to say.

"Has Aaron ever been back?" Mu Qing stepped into the door and asked urgently.

Steward He Sui hurriedly nodded, "I've been back, I've been back." ”

Two flames lit up in Mu Qing's eyes, he didn't care about his demeanor, he was ecstatic, he was at a loss, and he didn't care if it wasn't enough for the two nurses behind, so he just ran inside.

The two nurses who escorted her back stood at the door, unable to enter or retreat, so they had to make their identities clear to Steward He Sui first. He then called the rough servant in a loud voice, and told him to lead the horse to the corner gate, and then invited the two men to rest in the wing. Seeing that the three of them were dusty servants, they hurriedly called the cook to add firewood and boil more hot water for bathing.

When he was done with this experience, he was about to go to the main house to find Mu Qing, and halfway up the curved bridge, he saw her sitting alone on the half-couch under the eaves, looking at the remnants of the lotus in a daze. When I got closer, I saw the emptiness of her face, and the eyes that were still burning with two flames were already bleak and dark, reflecting the stagnant silence.

"Lady?" Steward He Sui cautiously called her softly.

She still sat still, numb and asked, "Where did he go?" ”

Steward He Sui knew a little more from the two nurses, and sighed heavily: "I only know that I left with Tang Guogong, where to go, Ah Lang insisted on not teaching me to know." ”

Mu Qing looked back at him, "Where is He Suizhao?" ”

Steward He Sui bowed his head and was silent for a while, "I haven't seen him for a long time, and he hasn't returned since he left home in the early spring of this year, I don't know where he is and whether he is okay." ”

"I saw him in Huaiyang County in mid-May, and he was safe and sound. After that, he went to Honghua County. He Sui's steward's expression taught her to be ruthless, but she also recovered from her disappointment.

After it is confirmed that he has indeed left with Tang Guogong, it will be easier, just inquire about the news of Tang Guogong.

She let out a long sigh, and wanted to wave her hand, but because of the reins of the horse for days, her arm collapsed too tightly, and at this time she had no strength, only raised a few points, and then put it down, "That's it, go and rest." I am tired. ”

The figure of He Sui's steward was not on the darkening curved bridge, Mu Qing slowly stood up, touched the darkness, moved to the house, did not wash, and planted her head upside down on the bed, the quilt on the bed seemed to have a little breath on his body, she buried her face in the quilt, took a few deep breaths, and almost suffocated.

The next day, Mu Qing went to the Tang Guogong Mansion once, knocked on the door for a long time, and only then did an old servant come out slowly to answer the door, but did not open the door, only opened a small window on the corner door next to the gate, and probed out. Hearing that he inquired about Tang Guogong's whereabouts, the old servant sneered twice and said lazily: "The whereabouts of the master's family, how can you talk about it with us at the end, but just guard the door." ”

As he spoke, he was about to close the small window, but Mu Qing hurriedly blocked it with his hand, "Does the old man really not know?" Dare to ask who else is in the house? ”

"It's all gone, only a few guards are left, and the rest don't know anything!" The old servant impatiently pushed her arm away, and coldly slammed the window shut, refusing to speak no matter how much she screamed.

She couldn't, so she had to wander around the Tang Guogong Mansion twice, and several corner gates taught her to knock, but no one answered, so she only said that she didn't know. She went to the wine shop of Kang Saburo in Nanshi in a daze, and the orchid in the shop downstairs saw her coming, and hurriedly greeted her with a smile, "Qi Niang is here?" ”

Mu Qing nodded casually, followed Hu Ji into the store, the business of the wine store was fading day by day, there were no customers in the store, she looked inside, and asked, "What about Kang Saburo?" ”

"Saburo has gone south, and he has been gone for a month, and he doesn't say when he will be able to return. Does Qi Niang have something to hand to him? Orchid politely replied to her.

There was only one voice ringing in her head, and Kangzaburo didn't know it. Maybe it is the will of heaven, if Tang Guogong left the city, Kang Saburo was in the city, according to him, he must have found out some news, but he was not there.

Mu Qing left the orchid and went out, thinking all the way, and returned to the house of Sishunfang in a trance, only to feel that he had not had such a frustration for a long time, when was the last time he lost his soul, and he couldn't remember it. Over the years, in order not to burden him, in order to be able to accompany him in a difficult situation, she blindly forced herself to be stoic and decisive, and everything imitated his style.

Whenever she says that Zhao Cang is crazy about practicing medicine, and now she is by his side in order to accompany him, or just because of the promise of "from now on you are alone", she is obsessed with it, and finally becomes stupid, which is similar to Zhao Cang's idiot.

For a few days, Mu Qing didn't go out again, walking slowly in the house in silence every day, or sitting down in Du Ruhui's study, thinking about things.

He Sui racked his brains every day to find some reasons to talk to her. The day before yesterday, I asked her if she wanted to place chrysanthemums in the small garden behind the main house, and yesterday I asked her if the house where Yinghua lived in the past should be replaced with a mezzanine curtain hanging in the cold weather.

Today, I saw her sitting on a half-couch, staring intently at a pond of residual lotus, and she didn't move for half a day. He Sui was afraid that she would be too sad, so his heart moved, and he stepped forward and asked: "Since this lotus has been defeated, tomorrow I will call the gardener to clean it up, raise a new lotus root, dredge the bottom of the pond and silt, and plant the ...... again in spring next year."

She smiled back and interrupted him, "No need, let it be." Those trivial matters, you don't have to go back and forth to me, He Sui can handle the affairs himself. ”

Seeing that she was smiling, He Sui was somewhat relieved, and hurriedly responded.

How did he know that the smile on Mu Qing's face was all thanks to the decision she had made at this time. After all the roads were blocked, she thought that there was nothing she could do anymore, but after meditating for a few days, she suddenly had an idea again, and her heart was a lot happier for a while.

The next day, the drum of the door was sounded for the second time, and the steward of He Sui was urged to open the door of the house, and he rubbed his eyes that had not yet fully awakened by the faint light of the sky, but saw that Mu Qing was dressed as a Hu man who had gone out of the house, which frightened him into waking up immediately. "Is the lady going to leave again? Where are you going? ”

Mu Qing pulled the horse and said with a smile: "If you don't go far, just go to the city gate tower, and return when the city gate is closed." After finishing speaking, he didn't wait for He Sui's steward to react, led the horse out, skillfully got on the horse, raised a whip, kicked and trotted all the way out.

The east gate of the eastern capital is connected to the post road, and the merchants and visitors are the most crowded on weekdays. The official road paved with big stones under the city gate is wide and smooth, and the caravans that go out of the city and enter the city mostly stay here to wait for the guards to inspect and clear the customs, and often wait for an hour, and the merchants are idle and have nothing to do, so they chatte and knock their teeth under the city tower, and exchange news.

Less than 100 meters away from the city gate, Mu Qing slowed down, frowned and glanced at the city gate tower a few times, showing a little timidity in his eyes. Although the carrion that had been hanging on the tower of the city gate was long gone, thinking about it still taught her to be disgusting. Looking at the downstairs of the city gate, the world seems to have forgotten that time, in and out of the bustling, bustling. (To be continued......) R1292