It is said that since Lin Dongxiu got married, the weather is also cold like a day, and it will snowfall as soon as winter begins. Xianglan's body has improved, Lin Jinlou searched for rare medicinal materials everywhere, and ordered the kitchen to change the way to make food. Because of his busy official duties, he always stayed in the army, so he left the auspiciousness and double happiness that he was accustomed to to listen to Xianglan.

In the early morning of this day, Xianglan got up and washed, put on a big piece of plum chrysanthemum, Lingqing took a silver ball hand stove and stuffed it into Xianglan's hand, and said: "The north wind blew all night last night, the weather is really evil, and it has just entered winter and it is so cold." ”

Xiaojuan walked in and said while dusting the snow: "It snowed all night last night, and there were sporadic snow drops in the morning. ”

Xianglan nodded, raised her eyes, and asked, "What about the painting fan?" ”

Xue Ning smiled: "She is from Fujian, and she has not been in Jinling for a few years, and she has never been in Beijing for the first time, where have she ever seen such a big snow?" I went to play with a few little girls early in the morning. He said to Xianglan again, "It's the first time my aunt has seen such a heavy snow?" If it weren't for the uncle's repeated orders and five declarations that grandma couldn't stand the wind, it would be good to go out to enjoy the snow and red plums alone. ”

Xianglan sat on the big kang near the window, pushed the window open a crack, and looked out, only to see two red plum trees blooming spiritedly, rouge-like color. She grew up in the capital in her previous life, and she had seen snow bigger than this, and she took her younger brothers and sisters to set off artillery in the snow in clogs, and Jialian was timid and hid behind her...... Thinking of her sister, Xianglan remembered Brother De again, and hurriedly ordered someone to take the fur hat she had made for Brother De in the past few days, and then get a piece of green jade. At one time, Xiaojuan brought a box containing various colors of jade, and several people sat together to pick and choose.

Lingsu took an old painted square plate, filled Mei Gui poured braised melon kernels to make tea, put it on the kang table, unfolded a small hand towel, wrapped in a silver tongue leaf teaspoon, handed it to Xianglan and said: "This is from outside, only food in Shandong, Mrs. specially asked Qiaohui to send it last night, I just raised my nose and smelled it, it was very fragrant." ”

Before he could say a word, he heard someone outside: "What is so fragrant?" Give him a bowl. Saying that, Lin Jinlou walked in with a snowstorm, and the maids hurriedly stepped forward when they saw it, untied their cloaks, handed hot tea, removed their hats, and were busy with hot towels.

Lin Jinlou was on duty in the palace last night, and he didn't return overnight, he sat on the big kang, Xianglan pushed the bowl of tea in front of him, Lin Jinlou took a bite, frowned and was too sweet, and ordered someone to bring a bowl of hot soup, while holding the hand stove, while kicking his boots, stretching out into the hot water of the silver basin to burn his feet, and asked: "What are you doing at home today?" ”

Xianglan said: "It's just idle, just waste your time." As he spoke, he handed him the post letter handed over from outside the second gate on a silver plate, and Lin Jinlou opened the letter and said: "You should be idle without heart and lungs, thinking nonsense in the town, I don't know where your strange thoughts come from." Looking at the worship post and said casually: "The holy meaning is that the East Palace has been decided, this festival should be lively and lively, hold a hundred banquets in the palace, and ask for a good fortune, and the old lady also accepted the order, let him enter Beijing to participate in the banquet, and Xiao San'er personally escorted him." A few days ago, Zhao Ge made such a fuss, it was when people were panicking, and the saint did this to appease the hearts of the old ministers. ”

Xianglan understood what Lin Jinlou was referring to, a few days ago when she was recuperating, the first assistant Zhao Jin was sued by the second prince for privately meeting the crown prince in front of the palace, saying that "there must be a hidden conspiracy when he visited the East Palace privately". The saint was furious and sent to prison for the crime of "no one to courtesy", which shook the government and the opposition.

Lin Jinlou raised his feet, Lingsu was busy kneeling, wiping his feet with a large ocean towel, putting on cotton socks, Lin Jinlou read a few letters, put them aside, and said: "The old lady expected it to be really good, the Zhao family planted it this time." In the future, even if the saint remembers Zhao Jin's benefits and recovers, I am afraid that it will be difficult for him to enter the cabinet. He sighed again: "It's a pity, Zhao Jin has a bad temperament, but he can also be called talented, upright, and his edge is too exposed, but I don't know how a family like him can raise a daughter like Zhao Yuechan?" The original Shen Ge Lao also has a granddaughter, the one who wants to tell his father to kiss, I don't know if he is also a water-based poplar flower. As he spoke, he casually glanced at Xianglan, but saw her glaring at him.

Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "Okay, you are so bold that you dare to stare at you." Saying that her hand reached her ribs and scratched it, Xianglan was itchy, dodged left and right, couldn't stop laughing, and felt that it was inappropriate, biting her lip and enduring it for a while, before she said: "Don't make trouble, let people see that it is not presentable." ”

Lin Jinlou ignored it, itching and saying, "Do you dare to stare at you?" Well? ”

was making trouble, listening to two faint coughs outside, Shuran said in a low voice: "Uncle, there is an urgent message sent from outside." ”

Lin Jinzhu Lou just made his hand and said, "Send it in." Xianglan hurriedly got up, her face was red, and she curled up to the corner of the kang to comb her sideburns.

Lin Jinlou smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth, took the letter, opened it and looked at it, his face became gloomy, and he snorted: "Okay, what a second prince, the wolf is ambitious, for fear that Zhao Jin Dongshan will rise up again to help the prince, and he will use these three indiscriminate means." With a shake of his hand, he threw the letter in the brazier, Xianglan looked at it, and saw that only one line was written on the letterhead: "At night, Zhao Jin was drunk and dragged to the snow to freeze to death." ”

Xianglan's heart jumped, and she saw that the letter paper was quickly licked into ashes by the charcoal fire in the brazier, and said secretly: "Although the emperor has established a prince, he has a preference for the second prince in his heart, and often says to people: 'This son Xiao Wuye. 'The second prince has military merits, holds military power, and refuses to be subservient, secretly eliminating dissidents, frequently competing with the East Palace, the East Palace has a gentle temperament, blindly forbearance, the emperor is old, the dragon body is declining, it seems that he has no time to take care of his son's fry, I am afraid it will be another bloody storm. Xianglan couldn't help but think of the tragedy caused by the Shen family's involvement in the robbery of the heir, and she couldn't help but worry in her heart.

It was night, Xianglan woke up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, Lin Jinlou was still asleep on the side, she quietly moved Lin Jinlou's arm across her body, got up and put on clothes, sat on the big kang in the blue gauze cupboard, holding a ginseng tea in her hand and feeling bored. Now she is very well, but her heart is confused, as if walking in the dark, unable to see the direction, anxious, she is sick this scene, more open-minded than before, before the unsatisfactory place, no matter how to endure, there are inevitably complaints in the heart, now there is no illness in the body, only to know that there are too many neglects in the original days should be grateful. She sighed silently and set the bowl aside.

Lin Jinlou heard the movement, closed his eyes and groped around for a long time but felt empty, got up with half-squinted eyes, lifted the curtain and looked out, Lingqing was guarding outside, and saw Lin Jinlou waking up and hurriedly stepped forward to serve. Lin Jinlou asked, "What about Xianglan?" ”

Lingqing said in a low voice: "Grandma is in the blue yarn cupboard." Lin Jinlou casually put on a piece of clothing, pulled his shoes and walked outside to look, and saw Xianglan sitting there in a daze, the silhouette was indescribably lonely, he suddenly panicked in his heart, stared at Xianglan for a while, and then walked over and said, "What are you stunned here?" What's wrong? Miss your mom and dad? Or are you in a panic in the house? ”

"Nope"

"Ye also knows that you are bored and panicked, it just so happens that Ming'er can steal a leisurely child and take you out for a walk, I heard that the plum blossoms on the outskirts of the city are blooming, let's enjoy it together." Another stack of orders was ordered to be prepared overnight.

Xianglan hurriedly said: "It's too late for the second day, why bother tossing everyone." Lin Jinlou didn't listen, he just ordered to go down, hugged Xianglan's shoulder, yawned and said: "You let the master not sleep, the master will naturally toss them, see if you will run around in the middle of the night next time." Besides, when you go out, you have to prepare food, clothing, and housing, and when we leave tomorrow, there will be a time when the maids squint. "He's an overlord, but Xianglan can't, so he has to go.

Early in the morning of the second day, sure enough, Lin Jinlou took Xianglan out, and the maids hurriedly ordered four boxes. Xianglan said: "It's not a day, I'll come back in the evening, where to bring so much." ”

Shuran said with a smile: "Grandma doesn't know, it's cold outside, you have to bring a few more clothes, as well as a screen, a mattress, a big wool cloak and shawl, a foot stove, a brazier in the carriage, and more charcoal, and all kinds of tea to eat, snacks to eat, grandma saw the beautiful scenery, and wanted to paint, pen, ink, paper, inkstone, and bedding, in case you have to stay outside at night, or your own bedding is cleaner." After speaking, he went to instruct the girls who went with Xianglan.

After the preparation was completed for a while, Lin Jinlou also came back from practicing martial arts, freshened up, changed his clothes, and went to the Qin family's house to say goodbye. Qin heard that he was going to the suburbs of Beijing to enjoy the plums, so he said: "There are also plums in the house, good and decent, and you run out of your heart, the old lady is coming in a few days, I also received his letter a few days ago, asked about the Jiang family, and asked if you often run out to mess around, and you don't seem to like your son very much, what trouble did you get into, and it blew into your grandfather's ears?" ”

"My mother," Lin Jinlou said impatiently, "What kind of trouble can I get into when I'm old." These days, I'm not at home in the camp palace, I haven't even slept a little, at most I drink with Lao Yuan and them, and what year is the yellow calendar when I go out, ah? ”

"Then why did the old lady ask this?"

"How do I know, Xu thinks that his eldest grandson is doing everything well now, and he is so good, and his heart is happy."

"Humph! I don't think the words in the letter are like that, so be honest. The Qin family said and nodded Lin Jinlou's head.

Lin Jinlou rubbed his head, feeling a little stunned. Although his official position is higher than that of his grandfather, in his eyes, his father is just a papier-mâché tiger, and the old lady is just a lion who naps. He carefully filtered everything he did in Beijing in his heart, he had never been too out of line, even if some accumulated habits were difficult to change, the old lady should have been accustomed to it a long time ago. He muttered in his mouth: "I didn't do anything, since I hit the capital, I shrank my neck and did an errand, what did my grandfather say in his letter?" ”

Qin Shi scooped a spoonful of honey into the rose brine with a small silver spoon, lowered his head and stirred, and said, "I asked you if you can adjust the confusion and find a bunch of rights and wrongs recently." He also said that you are now like a wild horse that has escaped, and when he comes to the capital, he will set up rules for you. Raising her head, she saw Lin Jinlou stunned, she rarely saw her eldest son with a weak heart, and laughed: "Scared? ”

Lin Jinlou frowned and said, "Who is afraid?" There's nothing to be afraid of. Then he hurriedly asked, "This time the grandfather came, did the old lady really not come?" ”

"The old lady had an illness, and now she is in good shape, she can't afford to toss"

As soon as Lin Jinlou heard this, he immediately beat Qin's legs, and said with a smile: "Mother, I got a pair of gold bracelets yesterday, and there are pearls on them, each of which is as big as a fingernail, and I know that such a rare thing should be honored to your old man as soon as I see it."

Qin Shi rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, okay, something without conscience, this time I think it's almost like my mother?" What did you do earlier? Cheng Tianjing knows that if you really don't get into a big trouble, if there is any small mistake, the old lady will ask it, and I will personally go to intercede with you. ”

Lin Jinlou came out of the room, thinking left and right in his heart, but he still hadn't come up with a clue. I was annoyed, and I walked to the courtyard of Changchun Hall, and I saw Xianglan wearing a big red gorilla felt cloak, standing there, with a face as white as snow, delicate as a peach blossom in Sanchun, like a person in a painting. He was stunned, and suddenly felt that all the irritability in his belly was blown away by the wind.

Xianglan helped Xue Ning's hand into the carriage. The painting fan was cold yesterday, Lingqing and Lingsu were borrowed by the Qin family to do work, and only Xiaojuan and Xue Ning were left in the house. The car is not spacious, but the furnishings are luxurious, all of them are covered with splendid satin, and the Persian carpet is piled with all kinds of leather, Xianglan just sat down, Xue Ning got into the car, and quickly stuffed Xianglan with a hand stove, and said: "This road is not close, why don't grandma take off her boots and step on the stove to warm up?" A line said, a line put the foot stove in front of Xianglan, and put a foreign towel on the head, Xianglan hesitated slightly, then took off her shoes, stretched her feet on the towel, and covered a roe deer skin on Xue Ning immediately. took out the holding box, took out a pot of hot daughter red, and said to Xianglan: "The wine is still hot, grandma has a sip of warmth, and it will not taste good when it is cold later." ”

Xianglan took it and drank two cups, her body was hot, she shook her head and stopped drinking, and let Xue Ning condense. Xue Ning also ate two cups, put away the empty cups, took out a book from the baggage, and put it in front of Xianglan, Xianglan took a look, it was she who had read it in the past few days, she was surprised, and said with a smile: "You are so capable, you are so thoughtful, you have worked hard in the past?" If I knew this was the case, I should have rewarded you more on weekdays. ”

Xue Ning smiled: "I haven't done anything on weekdays, and there are many people around my aunt and grandmother, so I can't do my duty." ”

When Xianglan heard this, she looked at her with admiration again, and said secretly: "It's rare to be so stable at such an age." "Among these maids, Xiaojuan and the painting fan are the best with her, and they are heart-to-heart, Lingqing and Lingsu have never been so close because they came late, but the two of them also do their best to seek good in everything. Only Xue Ning, who came out of the old lady's room before, is silent in everything, the benefits of the excitement do not move forward, and the troublesome errands can also be hidden, neither to add to the icing on the cake, nor to send charcoal in the snow, the work that can be handed over is safe, not brilliant, but never wrong, and the maids in the room can talk to anyone, but they can't say who is the best. But today, she came out alone with herself, thinking of people first in everything, and showing her ability. RS