Washing face, changing clothes, grooming...... Yu Ruoxu was fiddled with by Xiu'er like a puppet, and it wasn't until she was taken to the flower hall to sit down that she came to her senses a little.

She must have been stunned to dream of the days when she was still in Hechuan Academy.

Last night's torrential rain came and went in a hurry, and by the time the sun was shining again, the water vapor accumulated by the rain was suddenly swept away. Yu Ruoxu vaguely saw the housekeeper with three guard-like people, walking hurriedly towards the flower hall.

"Miss, I brought the people." The butler saluted her.

"Hmm." Yu Ruoxu nodded and looked at the three guards. She was not very old, she was dressed in coarse cloth, her skin was dark, and she stood in front of her with a respectful face, looking like she was from a poor family.

"What's your name?" Yu Ruoxu asked.

"The little one's name is Li Afu, his family lives in the western suburbs, and he has been a warrior monk in the temple for a few years, and then he has been helping with farm work at home after he returned to the world." A young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes smiled innocently, and poured beans from a bamboo tube to tell all the background of his net worth.

"Have you ever been a warrior monk?" Yu Ruoxu became a little interested, "In which temple?" Who is Master? ”

"In the Yunzhong Temple in the western suburbs, Master Hui'an is my master. Although this Yunzhong Temple is a small temple, the incense is prosperous, and our neighbors in the western suburbs all go there to offer incense, especially for peace and marriage, and ask for a quasi-......."

"Okay, Miss hasn't asked yet, where did you get so many words?" Xiu'er scolded impatiently.

Li Afu shut up in disgust, but he didn't forget to mumble a few words, "It's really amazing......"

Yu Ruoxu was a little funny, this Li Afu looked like a sincere person, "Just say these words in front of us, if there are other guests at home in the future, remember not to be so noisy." “

"The little one understands, and it won't be in the future." Li Afu nodded.

"What about you?" Yu Ruoxu turned to the person next to Li Afu, "What's your name?" Where is home? ”

"The little baby named Si'er also lives in the western suburbs. The mother said that when she came to the house, the adults and the young lady would rename the little one, and ask the young lady to call the shots! As he spoke, the man knelt directly in front of Yu Ruoxu.

Yu Ruoxu was startled, and hurriedly helped him up, "Hurry up, what are you doing with such a big gift?" ”

"My mother said, if you see the lord of the official family, you must bow well, so that you can enter the eyes of the lord and the young lady." The man said with a serious face.

Yu Ruoxu didn't know how to answer, paused, and said, "Our Yu Mansion doesn't pay attention to these false courtesies, so don't kneel next time." Also, your milk name is Si'er, so let's call you Ah Si from now on. ”

"Miss Xie's name!" Ah Si was about to kneel down again, but Yu Ruoxu hurriedly said, "What did I say just now?" Forgot about it so quickly? ”

Ah Si stood awkwardly, and only arched his hand, "Little confession." ”

Yu Ruoxu nodded, which was regarded as a gift from him. His gaze turned to the last person, and he saw that his head was lowered, but the contours of his face were strangely familiar.

"Are you ......" Yu Ruoxu squinted slightly, but couldn't remember his name anyway.

"The villain Pei Changchang, whose ancestral home is Langzhong, now lives in the eastern suburbs with his family."

"It's you!" Yu Ruoxu suddenly realized that the victims mutinied that day, she snatched the black gold iron bow in this person's hand under the West City Gate, and after shooting that feather arrow, the whole person almost fainted in pain, and finally thanks to him, she would send her back to Yufu.

"It turns out that Miss still remembers the little one." Pei Changyuan raised his head slightly, with a happy look on his face.

"And thank you for taking me home that day." Yu Ruoxu didn't expect the two to meet again in this situation, and couldn't help but be a little puzzled, "Aren't you the archers who patrol the fifth battalion?" How could he come to be the guard of the Yu family? ”

The officers and soldiers of the five battalions were all under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, although it was not an easy errand, but at least it was the work of getting official salaries, and it was naturally more decent than the guards of large families.

"The small ones are indeed hard to say." Pei Changyuan looked at Li Afu and Ah Si next to him, and said in a deep voice.

Yu Ruoxu understood and said to the housekeeper, "You take the two of them to the courtyard first to familiarize themselves, and I will arrange them later." ”

"Okay." The butler led the two out of the flower hall.

"Now you can say it." Yu Ruoxu waited for them to go away, and her face sank, "Could it be that they committed something and were driven out by the fifth patrol battalion?" ”

"Miss misunderstood." Pei Changyuan hurriedly waved his hand, "The little one has a distant cousin, it is said that he gathered people in Langzhong to make trouble two years ago, and as a result, the entire family was implicated, and even our branch in the capital was not spared. The little one was raided by the government and forced to live on the streets, and he could only be a slave and a maid for the rest of his life. The small one really couldn't do it, so he made a fake official registration and mixed into the fifth battalion of patrolling and arresting as an archer, thinking that he could supplement some household expenses. ”

"And then?"

"It may be that the little one is really unlucky, the fake official registration was discovered, and the little one was swept out of the five battalions by the patrol, and it happened that Lord Yu was passing by that day, and when he heard about the small thing, he let the little one come to the Yu family as a guard, at least he can get through the difficulties in front of him."

"It turned out that Daddy came to you." Yu Ruo was surprised, "However, your cousin is just a small crowd to make trouble, why is he so strict?" Even distant relatives are implicated? ”

Implicating the whole family must be a big case. She was still in Langzhong two years ago, but she had never heard of such a thing.

"I don't know if it's a small one." Pei Yuan thought for a while, "For so many years, the little family has never been in contact with the Langzhong family since my grandfather's generation, and even the crime of raiding the house was told by the people in the government. “

She seemed to vaguely remember something, her face turned a little pale, and her voice was slightly hoarse, "Okay, I know, you go down first." "Yes." Pei Changchang saw that her face was uncertain, so he saluted and got up and retreated.

Seeing that his figure was gradually disappearing, Yu Ruoxu still sat on the chair, motionless.

"Miss, what's wrong with you?" Xiu'er asked with some concern.

"Xiu'er." Her voice was a little tight, "Do you remember what crime Senior Brother Zirong was convicted of in the end?" ”

Xiu'er was stunned, this was the first time she heard Yue Zirong's name from Yu Ruoxu's mouth after leaving Langzhong, "Slave maid remember...... It seems to be a crowd to make trouble. ”

Yu Ruoxu's shoulders fell, and the whole person seemed to freeze, just sitting in a daze, his eyes were empty, but he couldn't say a word.

She still remembered that it was the annual Doucai Incense Festival in Langzhong, and not only the students, but even the masters in the academy couldn't help but join in the fun. She has always been quiet, and at such times she reads quietly behind closed doors. It's just that she didn't expect that Yue Zirong didn't go either.

She saw a figure in the doorway, lingering under the eaves, but never knocking. Later, she couldn't help it, walked over and opened the door, and couldn't help but say "Huh", "Senior Brother Zirong?" Why are you here? ”

The moonlight was bright, but Yue Zirong's face was a little strange, "It's okay, I just want to come and see what you're doing." ”

"Today is the Doucai Xiang Meeting, isn't Senior Brother Zirong going to join in the fun?" Yu Ruoxu was a little puzzled, she knew that he loved to talk with people, and talked about poetry and wine, why did he seem to be a different person today, and he didn't even go to the incense party?

"There are a lot of people now, and the way down the mountain is particularly crowded, so I'll wait for less people to go again."

"That's right." Yu Ruoxu pressed the suspicion in her heart and opened the doorway, "Senior brother, do you want to come in and have a cup of tea before leaving?" “

Yue Zirong was stunned for a moment and said with a smile, "It's okay." “

When she entered the house, she found that his face was unusually pale, and hurriedly poured hot tea, "It's almost the beginning of winter, and it's a little cold after nightfall, senior brother should pay attention, don't get the cold." ”

Yue Zirong took a sip of tea, "The tea made by Senior Sister Yu is the best." ”

Yu Ruoxu lowered her head and smiled shyly, "I'm serious with you, why are you making fun of me." ”

Yue Zirong didn't speak, just sat quietly, his eyes were a little fluttering, and there seemed to be a heavy concern between his eyebrows. He seems to be very busy these days, Yu Ruoxu hasn't looked at him so carefully for a long time, and when he looks at him like this, he seems to have lost some weight, "Senior brother......"

"The hour is almost up." Yue Zi stood up suddenly, "Senior sister, I have to go." "yes, okay." Yu Ruoxu nodded, and couldn't help asking, "When will Senior Brother come back?" There is a curfew in the college, but don't go back late, beware of being punished by your husband again. ”

"I know." Yue Zirong smiled softly at her, but there was a faint sense of desolation, "That's it, junior sister, you use hairpin flower Xiaokai to help me copy a copy of Qu Zi's nine songs, and when you finish copying, I should almost come back." ”

"Lie to me again." Yu Ruoxu was a little dissatisfied, "Do you know how long it takes to copy a copy!" ”

"That's it!" Yue Zirong waved at her, and her figure disappeared into the moonlight.

"It's like this every time...... Yu Ruoxu read it on her lips, but she spread out the snow-white rice paper in her hand, and began to write with her wrist in hand.

However, she spent a whole night writing nine songs in the best hairpin flowers, but Yue Zirong never came back.

She closed her eyes, suppressed the memories that came to her heart, and said slowly, "Xiu'er, go and tell the housekeeper, there must be at least two people in the study to take turns to guard, and let him arrange the rest as usual." ”

"The slave understands." Xiu'er knew that she needed to be quiet by herself, so she answered and walked out of the flower hall.

When Yu Zhongjun came back from the palace, Yu Ruoxu casually asked about the situation in the court at the dinner table as usual, and there was nothing unusual in his expression. Yu Zhongjun looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "Have you seen the three new guards today?" ”

"Well, although they are young men from poor families, they all seem to be competent." Yu Ruoxu filled a bowl of soup for Yu Zhongjun and said, "Although it has rained, the weather is still sulky, Daddy quickly drink some mung bean soup to dissipate the heat." ”

Yu Zhongjun glanced down at the dark red mung bean soup in the bowl, "I know what you want to ask." “

Yu Ruoxu's hand holding the vegetables paused, slowly withdrew the chopsticks, and bowed his head silently.

"You should already know about the Pei family." Yu Zhongjun looked at her silent face, and understood in his heart, "Then do you know who his distant cousin is?" “

Yu Ruoxu shook her head, "It's all from Hechuan Academy." “

"That's right." Yu Zhongjun picked up the porcelain bowl and took a sip of mung bean soup, "He is your junior brother, named Xiao Huaining." “

Yu Ruoxu was stunned, she had almost forgotten about this person, and only had some vague impressions. I remember that he seems to be a taciturn character, and he usually likes to follow behind him and Yue Zirong, silently listening to them talk about poetry and Taoism. Occasionally I say a few words to her, and my face will blush inexplicably.

"What happened back then ......" Yu Ruoxu's voice was a little gloomy, "Daddy, I don't dare to think about it." “

Every time I think about it, it almost kills her.

"The Father knows." Yu Zhongjun couldn't help but feel a little heartache when he saw her sad expression, "At that time, my father was passing by the Fifth Battalion of Patrol, and it happened that he was driven out, with a big hole in his head, covered in blood, and a dejected look. I remembered that he was the one who sent you back that time, and I couldn't help but step forward and say a few words of concern. ”

Yu Ruoxu can imagine that if he is found to have forged his official status, according to the law, he will definitely be beaten severely.

"Later, when I asked carefully, I found that he was actually involved with Hechuan Academy." Yu Zhongjun sighed, "Seeing him like that, my father really couldn't bear it, so I thought about letting him come to our house first." “

"My daughter understands." If she had been put in that situation, she would not have sat idly by.

Yu Zhongjun saw that her face was a little relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, "Don't talk about him yet." The other two were picked by Lord Taichang Siqing for me, what do you think? “

"It's not bad, there is a guy named Li Afu, although he is a little noisy, but he looks quite simple." Yu Ruoxu remembered Li Afu's gushing appearance, and there was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, "The other is called Ah Si, but he is a little too restrained." “

Yu Zhongjun had seen these two people in Zhou Yuanzhao's mansion before, "Hearing you say this, I have some impressions." After that, he added, "By the way, didn't you say last time that you were going to visit the Zhou Mansion?" For the father on the way back through the treasure pavilion, a pair of jade unicorns, has called the shopkeeper to pack and send to the house, you remember to ask someone to take the silver ticket to the store to settle the bill, then use this pair of jade unicorns as a thank you gift. “

"It's still Daddy's thoughtfulness." She had been thinking about what would be the most appropriate thank you gift when she visited the Zhou family, and Yu Zhongjun had prepared it in advance, which saved her from having to worry about it again.

After dinner, Yu Ruoxu first went to the housekeeper to see the jade unicorn that had just been delivered, the best Hetian nephrite touched the warmth, and the appearance of the unicorn was carved vividly, and it was a rare treasure at a glance.

"That's a good thing." The housekeeper sighed on the side, "Even in our Yu family, it is rare to see such a good jade unicorn." ”

Yu Ruoxu carefully held it in her hand and played with it, "It is indeed a rare treasure." After speaking, he reluctantly put the pair of jade unicorns back in the box, "Butler, show me the bill sent by the Treasure Pavilion." ”

The housekeeper respectfully presented the bill sent, and Yu Ruoxu glanced at it, six hundred taels of silver, and the price was quite reasonable. Yu Ruoxu instructed, "Then ask someone to take the silver ticket and go to the store to settle the bill." ”

"Yes." The housekeeper nodded, and picked up the other two ledgers on the table, "Miss, this is the income and expenditure of our Yu Mansion this month, as well as the account book that the Yu family's gold mine just delivered, do you want to take a look at it now?" ”

"It's fine." Yu Ruoxu sighed that time flies, and he has been in Beijing for a month so soon.

She stretched out her hand and flipped through the account book, looked at it carefully, and suddenly frowned, "Butler, hasn't Daddy's money been allocated this month?" ”