In the blink of an eye, it is the end of the year. On the eve of the New Year, the Jinying Mansion was busy, especially Steward Lin, who was busy all day long, and Xiao Shao was either outside the capital for many years, or he was busy with government affairs, and everything was simple. Now that Jiang Ruan has come, he has added a lot of popularity to the Jinying Palace, and the people of the Jinying Mansion have also found that their master is more popular than before, and this place is finally like a "home".

Jiang Ruan wore a peach blossom cloud narrow waist jacket, a scattered flower crepe skirt on the lower body, lost a round bun, and there was no extra decoration on his body, only a rose hairpin was inserted, and two pearls on the earlobe, which made his skin more and more white as jade. She dresses up brightly and movingly on weekdays, and has some quiet charm. The color is gorgeous on the surface, and it is a red outfit, and now it is rare to be dressed by forsythia and dew drops as well-behaved as a little girl, a little less sharp, put away the full of anger, but it is rare to be gentle, and it looks like an unmarried beautiful little lady.

It was already dusk, Tianzhu opened the door, and there was a smile on his face, which was never very expressionless: "Young lady, it's snowing lightly outside." ”

At this time, the snow not only does not feel cold, but also feels like a new year. Jiang Ruan got up and went out, and Xiao Shao was standing in the courtyard and instructing Ye Feng about things. Hearing the sound, he turned his head and couldn't help but be slightly stunned when he saw Jiang Ruan.

Since Xuanhua was beheaded, the wind in the court was in turmoil, and Xiao Shao was also busy. often went out in the morning and came back in the middle of the night, and Jiang Ruan had already fallen asleep when he came back. It was rare for the husband and wife to take a face-to-face meeting, and it was unexpected that Xiao Shao came back so early today. Ye Feng has also been busy in the past few days, rarely staying in the house, and when he saw Jiang Ruan, he greeted him enthusiastically and said, "Happy New Year, young lady." ”

Jiang Ruan responded with a smile and walked to Xiao Shao's side, Ye Feng glanced at Forsythia and said, "My subordinates retire." "I went out first. Jiang Ruan also said to the dewdrops: "You can rest at will, I will go out with him for a while." ”

Dew Drop has a look in her eyes, and she hurriedly pulled Tianzhu and Forsythia to leave. Xiao Shao pursed his lips and said, "Go out for a walk?" ”

"I heard that every New Year, the lanterns in the capital are also very beautiful," Jiang Ruan said: "I didn't have the opportunity to see it before, but today you should always accompany me to take a look." ”

Xiao Shao couldn't help but smile, as if thinking of Jiang Ruan's life experience, his face slowly sank down, and there was a bit of gentleness in his eyes that he couldn't detect, and the two walked towards the gate of the mansion as they spoke.

At the end of the year, there are many people who come out on the street to buy New Year's goods and jewelry, and the capital is also very lively. After dusk, every household lit up a red lantern, and from a distance, there was a row of red hanging on the beams of the house on a street, which was very beautiful. Even if it is a light snow, the street does not feel cold, but has a kind of ordinary warmth like a weaving of people.

Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao walked side by side, the two of them were born with outstanding looks and bearing, so from time to time someone peeked at them, and the man was amazed by Jiang Ruan's beauty, and secretly jealous of Xiao Shao's Yanfu. The woman was even more bold, and took the silk flower in her hand and threw it at Xiao Shao, but Xiao Shao was really cold, walked over without squinting, trampled the silk flower under her feet, and crushed the hearts of all the people.

Jiang Ruan is rare and a little strange, she never had the opportunity to come into contact with such a lively scene in her previous life, she has always been thrown in the mansion by Jiang Quan, and it is impossible to play on the street with her sisters, because the vulgar behavior of growing up in the mountains and wilderness will lose the face of the Jiang mansion. After marrying Xiao Shao, the anger on his body has been reduced a lot, and it is rare that he does not reject things that ordinary people may find interesting, in the words of Dewdrop, it is more pyrotechnics.

"You've been busy lately, and something happened in the palace?" Jiang Ruan asked. She never asks much about Xiao Shao's affairs, but it is rare to see Xiao Shao go out early and return late, there must be something wrong, as a wife, it is also appropriate to ask, although she may not be able to help much.

Xiao Shao shook his head and said, "The people of southern Xinjiang have mixed into the capital, and they have not seen a move for a long time. After a pause, he lowered his head and whispered in Jiang Ruan's ear: "The emperor is seriously ill. ”

The hot breath exhaled by Xiao Shao was still in his ears, but Jiang Ruan was shocked by his words. The emperor turned out to be seriously ill, and the emperor in the previous life was not seriously ill at this time, although the final result was that she was slandered as poisoning the king and becoming a demon girl of the country, but she also thought that this matter had nothing to do with Xuanli. Now that Xuanhua has died early, Xuanli may wait for the opportunity to move first, so the most embarrassing moment to win the heir actually started in advance? Jiang Ruan thought about it, but he didn't notice that he bumped into a person for a while, and fell to the ground with a slump under his feet.

"Be careful." Xiao Shao frowned and shouted, his eyes were quick to grab Jiang Ruan's waist and lean her into his arms, Jiang Ruan heard a familiar voice before he could raise his head: "Third brother and third sister-in-law." ”

Mo Cong and Qi Feng stood in front of them, Mo Cong looked narrow, and hammered Xiao Shao's shoulder with a smile: "Third brother, I didn't expect you to come out to hang out, it's different if you really have a wife in your arms." ”

Xiao Shao didn't speak, Qi Feng glanced at Jiang Ruan, who was supported by Xiao Shao, Jiang Ruan just bumped into him, he smiled: "The third sister-in-law is fine, right?" ”

"It doesn't matter." Jiang Ruan said: "Why didn't Xia Qing join you?" "Guan Lianghan, a big man, is not willing to come out to hang out, Xia Qing and Qi Feng often stay together, and it is a little strange if they don't see it.

"Where can he take care of his brother," without waiting for Qi Feng to answer, Mo Cong himself preemptively said: "Now he has taken a fancy to the young lady of the long historian, and he is also going to offer his courtesy today." Mo Cong muttered: "I don't know how the eyes look, I fell in love with that girl, her mouth is very powerful, and she is not sophisticated, it is really ...... It's really a tyrannical thing. Finding that Jiang Ruan was looking at him, Mo Cong scratched his head again and smiled: "Oh, after all, the people who have peach blossoms are not comparable to those of us who are alone." His brothers climbed the wind and said, "It's a shame that the two men who came out for the New Year." ”

Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, Qi Feng also smiled, his eyes fell on Xiao Shao's hand holding Jiang Ruan's waist and it was a little unnatural, and he only said: "I still have some things with Lao Qi, and it is probably not on the way, so I won't bother the two of you." ”

Mo Cong was inexplicably pulled away by Qi Feng, only to hear a faint voice coming: "Hey, fourth brother, what are we going to do, where are you dragging me ......." ”

After the two walked away, Jiang Ruan stood up straight, but her hand was held by Xiao Shao, she turned her head to look at Xiao Shao, Xiao Shao's handsome face looked particularly deep in the change of light and shadow, and the expression was not clear, Jiang Ruan raised his eyebrows and did not speak. After walking a few steps, I saw a shop selling lanterns in front of me. The owner of the shop is an old couple, who is inconspicuous among all kinds of big shops, but Jiang Ruan has a fancy for a fox lamp.

The fox lamp is small and exquisite, lifelike, and looks a little exquisite. Jiang Ruan remembered a fox cub he had saved in Zhuangzi, and felt a little interested. Xiao Shao followed her gaze, paused and said, "You wait for me here." He walked towards the crowded shop.

There were also many young girls' homes in front of the shop, and when they saw Xiao Shao, they all blushed, and they also let go of the way. Jiang Ruan stayed where he was, and suddenly smelled a fragrant wind on the tip of his nose, which was a little familiar. She looked up and saw a young woman in a green skirt standing in front of her, followed by several maids. The woman's delicate eyebrows and eyes have an indescribable taste, which is the daughter of the governor of Binhai, Yao Niannian.

Yao Niannian should have recognized Jiang Ruan, stopped in front of Jiang Ruan, smiled at Jiang Ruan, and said, "Princess Xiao." ”

"Miss Yao." Jiang Ruan bowed his head and signaled, Yao Niannian probably came out to hang out, but he didn't even have guards around him, let alone other friends, only a few maids, and it was unusual for Miss Qianjin to go out alone. It's just that people are not afraid of criticism because of their great causes, and Yao Niannian's reputation is good enough, and he can't use this to set off any waves.

Yao Niannian smiled and looked at Xiao Shao, who was talking to the old couple, and said to Jiang Ruan: "The princess and princess are really affectionate, and the princess is also sincere to the princess, which is enviable. When she said this, her eyes did not show any other meaning, as if it was just a casual compliment, a sincere heart.

"Miss Yao jokingly said that in the future, Miss Yao will marry Ruyi Langjun, and she will be more than equal." Jiang Ruan returned with a smile. Yao Niannian is also the best princess Jinying in the emperor's mind, and she is also a rival in love, and Jiang Ruan will not have too much good impression of her. The daughter's family, who had not yet left the pavilion, must have blushed when she heard this, but Yao Niannian was calm and not uncomfortable at all.

"Then I won't disturb the princess and princess." Yao Niannian bowed slightly, and she made a kind of reserved beauty in her courtesy movements, and glanced at Jiang Ruan with a smile when she staggered past Jiang Ruan, and her eyes seemed a little meaningful.

Speculating on Yao Niannian's smile, Jiang Ruan intuitively felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't think of what was wrong, and he couldn't even notice that Xiao Shao returned to his side after buying the lantern. Xiao Shao looked at her and knocked her forehead: "Why are you in a daze?" ”

The women who watched Xiao Shao walk to Jiang Ruan's side saw Xiao Shao act like this, and they were extremely discouraged when they landed. Jiang Ruan came back to his senses, took the lantern in Xiao Shao's hand, and said, "I just saw Miss Yao's family." ”

Xiao Shao frowned, he probably didn't have any impression of the Miss Yao family in Jiang Ruan's mouth, and after thinking about it for a long time, he suddenly realized that he misunderstood Jiang Ruan's meaning, thinking that she was jealous to do this. He paused and said, "Don't pay attention to outsiders." He shook Jiang Ruan's hand in the palm of his hand and walked forward.

The two of them walked around the street a few more times, Jiang Ruan is not a little girl now, she can't talk when she sees novelty, only Xiao Shao has a steady temperament and sharp eyes, but whenever Jiang Ruan's eyes fall on any gadget, he immediately took out the silver and bought it. Even the most embarrassing one Jiang Ruan accidentally saw almost bought a piano, or Jiang Ruan said that it was inconvenient for Xiao Shao to hold it, but even so, Xiao Shao still gave a silver ticket and taught someone to wrap it up and send it to the mansion tomorrow.

Ordinary passers-by don't know the identities of the two of them, Xiao Shao has always dressed low-key, Jiang Ruan is doing a well-behaved daughter's family today, and others only think that they are newlyweds, and it is the time for honey to mix oil. Actually, yes, aren't they newlyweds?

In his previous life and present life, Jiang Ruan had never been treated like this, Rao was aware that the Jinying Mansion was rich, and he couldn't help but be a little stiff, thinking that it was no wonder that although Xiao Shao had a cold temperament and was a chaotic minister and a thief, there were so many girls who flocked to him, and the man who was born handsome and willing to ask for money and please women was probably still attractive.

It wasn't until the hour was not early, and the people on the street began to disperse, that the two of them returned home. Steward Lin saw that the two of them were coming back, and ordered the kitchen to bring the sweet soup that had been prepared. After Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan drank a little, Steward Lin and Forsythia came to the General's Mansion to send something again, since Jiang Quan was imprisoned, the General's Mansion and Jiang Ruan's side have more contacts, Xu also understands Jiang Ruan's avoidance, although they are not in constant contact there, but the number of New Year's rituals must always be comprehensive. Zhao Guang and Jiang Xinzhi were like-minded, the grandfather and grandson had endless words about the war, and Jiang Xinzhi didn't even bother much about the renovation of the mansion given by the emperor, and ran to the general's mansion when he had time.

After Jiang Ruan finished freshening up, he saw that Xiao Shao had also bathed, changed into a snow-white middle coat and leaned against the bedside to read, Jiang Ruan casually took the book in his hand away, followed the collapse, and flicked his hair and said: "If you have free time these days, go to the General's Mansion with me." ”

Xiao Shao pursed his lips and said, "Okay." "Shangshu Mansion is now completely gone, and the General's Mansion is also Xiao Shao's father-in-law's family, and he wants to go over.

Jiang Ruan suddenly remembered something, and said: "By the way, I want to borrow Jin Eryi and teach him to help me check someone." ”

Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows and asked, "What person?" ”

"The eldest aunt in the house." Although the brazier in the room was still burning with charcoals, and he still felt a little cold when he was only wearing a thin middle coat, Jiang Ruan unconsciously leaned against Xiao Shao's chest, and regarded him as a big heater. She frowned and said, "You should also know about the affairs of my house, now that the Shangshu Mansion is gone, I haven't heard the news that the eldest aunt has come out to seek refuge with anyone." For so many years, she has been like a transparent person in the mansion, always fighting or grabbing, but safe and sound, I have always felt very strange...... "It's not that there are no people in the world who are indifferent to each other, it's just that such people shouldn't appear in Shangshu Mansion." Zhao Mei has a simple temperament so she failed to survive the battle in the mansion of Shangshu Mansion, and the eldest aunt can be safe and sound under Xia Yan's nose, there must be special means. I don't know what Lu Dao is for, Jiang Ruan always feels a little strange, Xu is a person who has died once has an inexplicable intuition about these things, Jiang Ruan can't ignore the eldest aunt no matter what.

Xiao Shao also saw her thoughts, so he covered the quilt with her tightly, and muttered, "Leave this matter to me." ”

Jiang Ruan was also obedient, leaned his head in his arms, and said, "And that Miss Yao family, I look at something wrong today, I can't tell how I feel...... I always feel a little uneasy. ”

Xiao Shao moved slightly, a smile flashed in his eyes, and he glanced at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan noticed his gaze and said, "Don't think I'm talking nonsense. You didn't see it at the time, and even if you did, you probably couldn't see anything. ”

"And how do you tell?" Xiao Shao asked in a low voice.

"Intuition." A woman's intuition is always inexplicable, and a woman always trusts her intuition without reason. Jiang Ruan himself couldn't tell how he felt about Yao Niannian, but the moment he staggered, the meaningful smile that Yao Niannian showed at her didn't seem to be so simple. This meeting was different from the last time on the hunting grounds, and something seemed to have quietly changed.

"Ah Ruan is so mindful, but jealous?" Xiao Shao's cold and hard face showed a little narrow smile, and Jiang Ruan's face became hot when he heard this, and he said angrily: "When am I jealous, it's just ...... Not.... Before he could finish speaking, the rest of the words were muffled, and the room slowly became hot again, as if even the snowflakes that came up from the window were about to melt.

At the same time, the Jingzhong Heavenly Prison.

The jailer fiddled with the charcoal in the brazier, and even if a fire was lit, the cold and damp accumulated over the years in the prison were not so easily dispelled. Especially in this cold winter, it is even colder. To stay in such a ghost place during the New Year's Eve is inevitably a little resentful. Several jailers gathered together, and there were some drinks and food piled on the table, and they were a little drunk.

There seemed to be a low whimper from the depths of the prison, saying it was a whimper, but it was like a curse, and the echo of the squirming sounded a little strange here. One of the jailers scolded a few words, and only said: "What a fucking bad luck, crying and mourning day after day." ”

"Forget it." Another grabbed the humane who was going to teach a lesson: "Anyway, I won't live long, the province is annoying, come on, don't care about those, brothers, have another drink." As he spoke, he took a heavy sip of his wine, as if he had forgotten the sound of the voice.

In the last room of the gloomy prison, there was a rickety figure lying on the ground, with a foul smell all over his body, his hair was long and messy, as if mixed with a lot of lice, he laboriously reached out and scratched his back, probably suffering from some kind of skin disease, and his already ragged clothes were caught by the seams. Anyone who sees it will never think that this person who is like being called Huazi, and even more filthy and lowly than being called Huazi is Jiang Quan, the former secretary of the Ministry of War.

Jiang Ruan raised his head with great difficulty, and the jailers chatted every day, and he also heard a lot of news from outside. Hearing that Jiang Dan was dead and Xuanhua also fell, he shouted in his heart. Jiang Dan, a little concubine, thought that she had ascended to the sky in one step when she entered the palace as a mother, and she ignored her father, so it was best to die. As for Xuanhua is also dead, the prince is seriously ill in bed, and this country should fall into Xuanli's hands. Jiang Quan originally hoped that Xuan Li would find a way to rescue him from the old relationship that they were in the same boat, but he had never heard any rumors for such a long time. He was lucky enough to ask the jailer, and the jailer also looked at him with mockery, and Jiang Quan slowly understood in his heart. Now that Shangshufu has fallen, he has no use value, the cunning rabbit is dead and the lackey cooks, and for Xuan Li, he is just a useless discard, there is no value left at all, so he naturally discarded it without hesitation.

Jiang Quan suddenly remembered the dream he had just had.

In that dream, he was the secretary of the military department, the minister of the humerus of the imperial court, and the Qingliu literati in the hearts of the people. He worships a product as an official, and adds an official to the knighthood. Xia Yan became a first-class lady, and Shangshu Mansion was prosperous and prosperous.

In that dream, the second aunt was still there, Jiang Li and Jiang Dan were also there, but the only ones who were not there were Jiang Ruan and Jiang Xinzhi. In that dream, Jiang Xinzhi died early, and Jiang Ruan was sent into the palace by him to be an abandoned son who had arranged Lu at the beginning, and finally became a stepping stone for the entire Shangshu Mansion. Shangshufu stepped on Jiang Ruan's bones and blood and rose step by step. That dream was so beautiful, it was almost the most wonderful dream Jiang Quan had ever had since he entered the prison. The glory and wealth in the dream are so real, as if that life also existed really, and it is precisely because of such brilliance that it is unacceptable to wake up and see the ruin in your eyes.

Could it be that the debts of the previous life are repaid in this life, if the dream is the previous life, it is precisely because he harmed Jiang Ruan like this in the previous life, that he will be defeated by Jiang Ruan in this life. Jiang Quan wiped his face, the night in the prison was very cold, and he seemed to be able to hear the sound of firecrackers and fireworks outside in a trance. This is already the end of the year, if it is a previous year, if it is a previous year, if it is a previous year...... in the dream. That is the Shangshu Mansion of brocade clothes and jade food, sheng songs and dances.

Now it has become a wisp of dust and smoke for people to trample on, and he, an ambitious upstart in the court, has now become a prisoner. Jiang Quan's gaze slowly fell on a thin, blackened blanket-like thing on the ground. The thing was already a little black, and even after a long time, it seemed to be able to smell the blood in it. What is that Jiang Quan naturally knows the Dao, it is a human skin, from the youngest concubine of Shangshu Mansion, Jiang Dan.

Someone peeled off her skin intact and gave it to him as a gift, and Jiang Quan knew who that person was. At first, when he saw this human skin, he was also nauseated and vomited, and his face was so frightened that he was subjected to great torture every day, and now he was a little deranged. This is what Jiang Ruan wants to achieve, this is a grandiose intimidation, and it seems to be a warning. She was telling him through Jiang Dan's face: Those who hurt Zhao Mei will not end well, Jiang Dan and Xia Yan have already paid the price, and now it is his turn to .......

Jiang Quan had never regarded her as his daughter, so the beautiful girl who was always dressed in red did not hesitate to return the favor. Her ruthlessness is as good as Jiang Quan's, and she is even more cruel and cold. Where is this father and daughter, it is clear that they are enemies in the past and present lives, and it is just the enemy, and he still lost.

It was the New Year, and a man's whispered curse came from a prison in the prison, and the curse seemed to contain some trembling cries begging for mercy, mixed with fearful whimpering, and slowly dissipated in the night of the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty.