Futian is slowly coming to an end, but because of the lack of rain this year, the weather is still a little hot.

Qixia Villa is a good place to escape the summer.

When Cui Shangzhou stepped into the door here, he only felt that the green shade was indescribably cool and comfortable. Even the cicadas on the branches are not as noisy as they are outside.

"Cui Qiye is here, please sit in the Splendid Courtyard." A familiar maid came forward to lead.

Cui Shangzhou hurriedly asked: "Junhua, he is not in the study?" ”

The maid hurriedly said: "Uncle went out early in the morning, and he hasn't come back yet." ”

"Oh." Cui Shangzhou wanted to say that he still went to the study to wait for Mu Xuan to come back, but unconsciously followed the maid away. Since he came to visit, it is impossible for him not to even see his master. How can you just think about hiding?

Cui Shangzhou was in a somewhat complicated mood and followed the maid to the Splendid Courtyard.

Under the grape trellis in the courtyard there was a white cat curled up in a ball and squinting and sleeping, and two maids muttering at the base of the wall, not knowing what to say.

Su Su came out with a copper basin, looked up and saw Cui Shangzhou coming, and hurriedly stepped forward to greet with a smile: "Cui Qiye is here!" ”

Cui Shangzhou nodded and asked with a smile: "I'm here to ask the county lord for peace, but I don't know if it's convenient?" ”

Su Su smiled: "The county lord's mother only got up from a nap, I'll pass it on for you." So she turned back again, and soon came out again, laughing and saying, "Cui Qiye, please." ”

Cui Shangzhou thought about it for a while, and raised his feet up the stone steps. The little maid made the green lacquered bamboo curtain of Concubine Xiang for him, and he bowed in.

There was no one in the middle hall, only the sound of clothes and skirts was heard.

Duan Hui's voice also came from the cubicle.

"Xiao Qi, please sit down for a while."

"It's okay, please take care of yourself."

Cui Shangzhou sat down on an embroidered pier by himself, hung his head, and looked at the lines of terrazzo and blue bricks on the ground, but his heart was a little uneasy.

He remembered that when he was a child, he came to play with the Mu family's sisters and brothers, and he took Mu Xuan to climb a tree, and then the county lord arrived. The county lord stood under the tree with a panicked look. He always listened to her, and without saying a word, he took Mu Xuan Shunshun and took her down.

The county lord reprimanded him like a little adult at that time: "My brother is different from other children. So sick and weak, you hurt him, what should I do? ”

He doesn't quite remember what he had answered. He only remembered that the county lord wore an apricot-red dress that day, with sleeves and placket, and the hem of the skirt was heavily embroidered with bright blue gold thread. Her inky hair was combed with a simple red rope in two small mustaches, and the rest of her hair was draped behind her head. Her eyes shone like black gems, and her long eyelashes fluttered slightly like the wings of a pair of butterflies.

He was still young then. I realized that girls can be so beautiful. From then on, he was cautious in front of the county lord, for fear that his rudeness would arouse the county lord's dissatisfaction, and he did not take the county lord to play with him, for fear of soiling her beautiful clothes and her white little hands.

In Cui Shangzhou's stunned, the sound of curtains sounded, the skirt was squirming, and a sweet female voice came: "Xiao Qi has been waiting for a long time." ”

Cui Shangzhou hurriedly raised his head, but saw the sunlight outside through the glass window. Lord Duanhui stood at the door against the light. She held her fallen bun, and wore two white hosta flowers on her bun, and she didn't draw her eyebrows much. The willow blue skirt is covered with a snow-blue short arm, which is a very simple color. She stood in the backlight, but it was enough to eclipse everyone around her.

The sun shone on his face, slightly warm, Cui Shangzhou realized that he was a little out of shape, and hurriedly got up and stood there with his head down. Said respectfully: "The little one has asked the county lord to say goodbye." ”

"Ah, you're here to greet me? I thought you were here to find Meritus and stop by to see me. ”

Cui Shangzhou didn't dare to speak, but the place where the afterglow swept was the corner of the county lord's skirt. The corners of the skirt are also embroidered with bright blue gold thread with dense curly grass patterns. It's exactly the same as the pattern he saw when he was a child. It's just that she can't wear red anymore.

Lord Duanhui sat down on the arhat bed of rosewood and said to Cui Shangzhou: "Xiao Qi, don't stand stupidly, sit down!" Then she said to Dan Tangerine, "In the morning, I asked you to take ice to make an ice bowl, how are you doing?" ”

Dan Tang hurriedly said: "The county lord has already prepared. ”

"In that case, don't take it quickly." Duan Hui said to Cui Shangzhou again: "The weather is weirdly hot, Xiao Qi can also try it." ”

Cui Shangzhou hurriedly said: "Thank you for the reward." ”

After a while, Danxia came in with a lacquered sunflower disc. There were two ice bowls in it. The amber glass bowl is lined with a layer of crushed ice on the bottom. Then cover with chopped tender lotus root, fresh water chestnut and chicken head rice, sprinkle sweet almonds and fresh walnuts on the top layer, and pour secret sugar roses. It's fragrant and sweet, and it's so cool that people can't help but move their index fingers.

Sure enough, when this ice bowl went down, I immediately felt a lot more relaxed.

Duan Hui ate and gossiped with Cui Shangzhou.

"When I was a child, I wanted to eat this every day when I got to Futian, but I was young and weak at that time. I didn't know anything, so I yelled to eat, and every time I would be trained by my mother, and then my mother couldn't resist it, so I asked people to make it for me. Because of the greedy mouth, he ate two more bites, and sure enough, his stomach hurt in the evening, which frightened the mother concubine. It was also that time that I learned a lesson. ”

"I heard that those who are sick and weak can't touch the ice at all."

"yes, so my brother didn't eat it when he was a kid." When Duan Hui said this, he turned his head and said to Dan Tang: "You said to leave a bowl for the kitchen and for Junhua." ”

Dan Tang smiled and agreed, and went down.

"Uncle Mu, has he gone out in a hurry?"

"Yes, I went out early in the morning. It's just that I don't know why I haven't come back at this time. I promised that I would stay for a few days, so I shouldn't go back to the temple without a sound. Is there anything you have to do with him? ”

Cui Shangzhou said in his heart that this sister and brother are the same mother, and the county lord cares about Mu Xuan more than anyone else, and it doesn't hurt to say that he knows her. So he told the county lord what Concubine Yan had entrusted him.

The more the county lord listened, the smile on his face grew, and then they all said happily: "The old man finally understands, she still has such a grandson." This is a big event that should have been done a few years ago. ”

"It's just that Meritus has a ...... temperament"

Cui Shangzhou's words made Duan Hui calm down instantly, and slowly wrung his handkerchief and said, "Yes, I forgot what kind of temper he has." I used to mention this to him, but he didn't get angry. This kid has a bad temper and is eccentric. I wasn't worried that he would go astray. Xiao Qi, I'm afraid that you will have to come forward in this matter. After all, the love between the two of you is there, and he treats you as the most confidant. You're both men, maybe you can get him right. ”

To be honest, Choi Sang-ju is not sure at all.

It didn't take long for the weather to change suddenly. It was still a sunny day, and it was already dark clouds in the blink of an eye, and it looked like it was going to rain. Then there was a strong wind, thunder and lightning, and heavy rain fell along the way.

Rain curtains have been hung under the eaves.

The sudden change in weather made the Duanhui County Lord worry about Mu Xuan, who had not returned. Busy for people to find.

Cui Shangzhou was naturally embarrassed to stay in Jinxiu Courtyard all the time, so he went to Tangli Study to wait for Mu Xuan to come back, but he waited left and right, and Mu Xuan only came back when it was dark.

Although he also wore a hat and a robe. However, the trouser legs were covered with mud, and the shoes had long been unable to see what they looked like.

Fu Cui and Qiu Ci hurriedly stepped forward to serve, untied the clothes and hats under the eaves, and changed the clogs, and when they got to the house, Fu Cui took clean clothes to help Mu Xuan change.

Mu Xuan was not used to things like maids serving and dressing, so she said, "I'll do it myself." ”

Fu Cui smiled, put down his clothes, and said, "Cui Qiye came in the afternoon, and he is still waiting for the uncle in the study at this time." ”

"Cui Qilai? Just right. I also have important matters to discuss with him. ”

Mu Xuan changed into a dry stone blue soft satin plain robe, and went to the study.

Cui Shangzhou sat quietly on the chair behind the bookcase, lit an oil lamp, held a book in his hand, and read it with relish.

"I see you're used to staying here all day."

"All day? It's not boring for a month. Cui Shangzhou said with a smile, put down the book in his hand, and slowly stood up.

"I haven't eaten yet. I heard that the kitchen had prepared a meal, so we went to eat together. ”

Cui Shangzhou readily agreed.

Mu Xuan didn't drink a drop of wine and was a vegetarian, but the county lord wanted Cui Shangzhou to be here. also asked people to send a pot of pear blossoms.

Four cold and four hot, all of which are extremely delicate dishes. The two sat down separately, and Mu Xuan asked the maid who served in front of him to fill Mu Xuan's wine glass with wine.

Although Mu Xuan doesn't drink, she eats slowly. Accompany Cui Sangju to talk.

"Where do you guess I'm going today?"

How could Cui Shangzhou guess, and said with a smile: "I heard the county lord say that you went out early in the morning?" ”

"Yes, I went back to Chai's house."

Cui Shangzhou was a little surprised, and hurriedly asked: "Why didn't you tell the county lord when you went to your grandfather's house, there was a sudden rainstorm in the afternoon, and the county lord was worried that you didn't come back." I've been sending someone to find out about you. ”

"I hid it from my sister and just said I wanted to go out for a walk. He didn't tell her the truth. ”

Only then did Cui Shangzhou know what happened to Mu Xuan's place at Chai's house.

Mu Xuan sent away all the maids who served in front of her, and said carefully to Cui Shangzhou: "I went to Chai's house, found my eldest aunt, and asked her about the year. Her words weren't much different from those of the green warp. It's just that the position may be different, and some details are a little biased. ”

"So at least that woman didn't lie to us!"

"I don't dare to make that decision yet. On the one hand, I went to see my aunt, and on the other hand, I went to inquire about the green sandalwood, and the death of the green sandalwood was very strange. ”

Cui Shangzhou's eyes were shining, obviously interested, and he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"I heard that when she came out of the palace, she brought a lot of money out, and she had no father or mother, only one brother. My brother didn't take care of the Chai family at the beginning, and was only responsible for helping to look after a house. My brother and sister-in-law didn't treat her well, and my sister-in-law even coaxed her to let her sister-in-law help take care of the money, clothes, jewelry, etc., and then discussed with her brother to find a mother-in-law for Lu Tan. The sister-in-law seized Lu Tan's money and didn't give her a kiss for a long time. He also went around to make rumors about green sandalwood, saying that green sandalwood was driven out of the master's house by not serving wholeheartedly, and said that he climbed into bed with his master on his back, and later saw that the master was bedridden and put something in the master's medicine...... I don't know if it's true. ”

Because of her sister-in-law, Lu Tan's reputation in their area was ruined, and she lived at home for a few years, suffering from her brother-in-law's idleness. I heard that once she was almost sold by her brother again. Later, I asked my sister-in-law for the money she had saved back then, but my sister-in-law couldn't take it out, but said, 'What do I care if you have food money for all these years at home?' 'Isn't your food and clothing at home?' Lu Tan was humiliated and quarreled with his sister-in-law, and then ran to the river to throw water. I heard that it was salvaged the next day, and it was said that the whole person was swollen. ”

Cui Shangzhou listened quietly to Mu Xuan's words, and then said: "What you said is strange, do you mean those rumors made by her sister-in-law?" ”

Mu Xuan glanced at Cui Shangzhou deeply, his eyes moved to the jumping candle flame, and he stared at it for a long time before saying, "Lu Tan's brother and sister-in-law are no longer in Bianliang." I just inquired about it from their neighbors. I don't understand why her sister-in-law would say those things to belittle her? Is it really just a rumor spread by my sister-in-law, or is it ......"

Cui Shangzhou understood that what Mu Xuan was worried about was whether it was rumors or the truth, and if it was the truth, then the death of the first princess might not be a normal death.

"Since you're worried, why don't I check it for you?"

Mu Xuan was a little afraid of coming into contact with the truth of that answer, he thought about it for a long time before saying: "Naturally, I have to ask to understand, if I don't know the original way things are, the death of the mother concubine will also be surrendered." ”

Mu Xuan's words were full of sadness and scoundrels, and they were also deeply chilled.

Cui Shangzhou tilted his neck, and all the wine in the cup was poured into his throat, the high-quality pear blossoms were white, the taste was mellow, and it was not choking, and there was a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.

"Junhua, how long do you plan to hide this from the county lord?"

Mu Xuan lowered her eyelids and said, "I don't know, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide it for long." He vaguely felt that he was not far from revealing the truth.

"I said you should try to tell Lord Sù about this. She has the same identity as you, there is no reason to completely hide her, as for how to say it, you may have to pay attention to the way and the way. ”

Mu Xuan rubbed her nose, looked at Cui Shangzhou, and said, "If there is anything I am afraid of, I can't hide it." It's just that my sister has a miserable life, a widow as a young man, and a desolation under her knees. I didn't know how to comfort her. Sangju, I only have such a sister, I want to protect her, but I'm afraid that in the end, I can't even protect her! ”

Mu Xuan said, feeling distressed, and the corners of her eyes were slightly moist.

Cui Shangzhou hurriedly said: "How can it be, Junhua, I think as long as you are willing, there is nothing that cannot be done!" ”

The rain was slowly falling outside, and the dishes on the table were slowly cooling. Mu Xuan moved a few chopsticks, but she lost her appetite. Seeing him like this, Cui Shangzhou asked someone to send a wine glass, poured half a glass of wine, and forced Mu Xuan to drink it.

Mu Xuan didn't drink a drop of wine, and when Cui Shangzhou poured it like this, he suddenly choked and coughed.

"If you're in a bad mood, drink a bar, sometimes you don't have to live too clearly!"

Later, Cui Shangzhou forgot all the words that Concubine Yan entrusted him to say. (To be continued.) )