Fan Jihui was sighing, and the second lady Zhou Han entered the house with a medicine jar. She was dressed in a misty purple wide sleeve straight jacket, plain white embroidered collar and sleeve edges, her hair was simply combed up, only a white hosta was inserted, and her face was facing the sky, without a trace of fat powder. At this time, Zhou Han's face was sallow, his lips were dry and white, and his eyes had lost their lustre. As soon as she entered the house, she saw Fan Jihui, with a bitter smile on her face, handed the medicine bowl to the maid, and greeted her. She knew that her eldest brother would come home today, and there was no surprise.

"Second brother and sister." Fan Jihui stood up from the side of the bed.

"Big brother, you're back, it's been hard all the way." Zhou Han greeted with a smile, her voice was neither high nor low, her haggard face carried the usual sorrow, she sighed, came to the side of the bed and said, "Big brother, I should have gone to the door to greet you today, but now in this situation, I really can't feel at ease when I go away." ”

Fan Jihui asked: "What to do to greet me, the second brother's affairs are the most important." Brother and sister, the condition of the second brother, what did Mr. Xue say? ”

Zhou Han lowered his eyes, smiled wryly, and said with a smile: "Those words come and go, don't say it, in short, it's just hanging on to your life with medicine." The time a month ago was really in danger of illness, and all the medical officers in Wangcheng shook their heads, thanks to Mr. Xue, who happened to be traveling abroad, and was met by our people, otherwise where would you be able to survive until today, big brother, come back. ”

Fan Cheng stood aside and gently stroked his mother's back.

Zhou Han smiled bitterly at his son, still sighing.

Fan Jihui also sighed and asked, "Then Mr. Xue is there?" ”

Zhou Han shook his head and said, "Mr. is not here today, he went up the mountain to collect medicine." There is a pill that is almost exhausted, and the medicine is expensive, and there is a medicine called ice silkworm grass, which only grows on the side of the mountain cliff, and the medicine must be taken into the medicine immediately after it is picked to have an effect, so he personally took a few disciples up the mountain to collect the medicine today, saying that he would come back tomorrow. ”

Fan Jihui said: "If Mr. comes back, he must let me know immediately." ”

Zhou Han nodded and agreed.

"It's time, it's time to take your medicine." Zhou Han exhaled a long breath, suppressed his tears, and said to Fan Cheng: "Cheng'er, go and help me help your father up." ”

Fan Chengchang was thin and didn't seem to have much strength, but he could help Fan Jiyou up in a coma with a little force, but I think this person has been thin to various levels. Fan Cheng put a few soft pillows under Fan Jiyou, wrapped his arms around his father's head, and let him lean on his body.

Zhou Han took the medicine bowl from the maid's hand, and said to Fan Jihui while feeding the medicine: "This medicine is very bitter, I frowned when I smelled it, but he has to drink it every day, and he can't do it without a bowl." She fed a spoonful of black medicinal soup into Fan Jiyou's mouth, and then glanced at Fan Jihui, and said in a deep voice: "Big brother, in the past two years, I have seen my husband's body get worse day by day. The injuries and viscera of those years were not even able to do anything about the world-famous Xiao Shennong, so he could only take fierce medicine to continue his life. But even if you take medicine to renew it, it can only be renewed for five years at most. Big brother, my husband may be really bad. He was dedicated to being your right-hand man and helping you strengthen your position, but now he can't do anything more. He looks like this, Cheng'er is too small to take care of. It's hard to continue, there are some things, big brother should make plans early. ”

Heavy snow covers the mountains, and the Emei Mountains outside the city are covered with snow.

Ziji wore the same blue winter robe she wore when she first came to Xinjiang, with a dark iron buckle belt and a circle of beige wool on her collar. At this time, he was leaning on a large bluestone with a medicine basket on his back, blowing a bamboo flute with his eyes closed, and the basket behind him contained half a basket of herbs and a small medicine hoe. He played an unknown minor tune, melodious and serenous.

Zigu and Zizhang were busy lighting a fire on the side, Zigu brought a bunch of dead branches and built a bonfire, Zizhang took out the fire fold from his arms and prepared to make a fire, but was snatched by Zigu, "Don't start the fire, be careful to burn yourself, I'll come." ”

The light in the mountains and forests was particularly dim, and the position where Ziji sat was just facing the last touch of the sunset. The biting cold wind blew up the snow on the ground, driving his blue hairband to fly upward, and the afterglow of the strange orange sunset sprinkled on his cheeks, casting a layer of light and shadow on his angular features.

Xue Xian also wore a dark gray thick robe at this time, and the collar was also a circle of wool, and the style of the clothes was the same as the one Ziji was wearing, all of which were made by the door every year according to their figures. He walked behind him, teased him lightly and asked, "I used to ask you to go up the mountain to collect medicine, but you didn't want to, why did you agree today?" ”

Ziji played with the emerald green bamboo flute in his hand, let out a white breath in his mouth, and said: "The reunion in the people's mansion is busy, what am I going to do there." ”

"So what? What do you have to do with it? Xue Xian asked.

"I hate to be busy." Ziji Road.

The sunset gradually set, the red light of the bonfire lit up in the dense forest of Snow Ridge, the crackling sound of the firewood burning, Zigu turned a pheasant up and down with a branch on the fire, Zizhang squatted aside and watched with bright eyes.

Xue Xian sat beside him, looked at Ziji deeply, and asked: "Fan Jihui has returned to the royal capital, he is a man of his word, and since he has made a promise to Zizhang, he will definitely do what he says." Presumably, it won't be long before Zizhang can take advantage of the situation to return to Yingdu. When the time comes, what are you going to do? Do you want to stay with me, or do you want to stay here? ”

Ziji held the bamboo flute tightly, his dark eyes were as heavy as the coming twilight, he paused for a moment, and said in a low voice: "I haven't thought about it either." ”

"Why don't we go now?" Xue Xian patted the snow on the corner of his clothes, he looked at the mountains and mountains under the dim sky, I don't know if he was thinking about something, his expression was no longer as light as the wind and clouds on weekdays, he said wistfully: "The reason why people like to send love to mountains and rivers is because mountains and rivers are never ruthless." And it is different between people, precisely because people have too much affection, family, friendship, and lovesickness are not clear. If you are sober, you should know that you should not continue to stay, you are not strong now, and it is not a good thing to get involved in this chaos in advance. If we feel entangled in our hearts, we will leave Xinjiang and continue to be at ease in the mountains and rivers for a while. ”

Ziji turned the flute a few times between his fingers.

There was only the last bit of afterglow left in the sunset, Ziji looked at the fading colors in the sky, lowered his eyes, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and replied in a low voice: "Okay." ”

"So good at answering?" Xue Xian asked.

Ziji raised his eyes coldly and smiled lowly: "The gift I want to give to Dazong has been given." Walking, naturally, is the best policy. ”

Xue Xian frowned slightly: "What have you done?" ”

Ziji smiled: "Uncle Shi will know in the future." ”

He wants a large sect, blood for blood. Although he was born in the Zhao family, and the blood of the Zhao family flows in his body, the family he was born into is a branch of the Zhao family. Their fiefdom is in Handan, and they have been Handan Jun for generations. Theoretically, their branch is a small sect, and they must obey and protect the big sect. If it is said that the great sect of the Zhao family is a brave fan, then their Handan Zhao is the armor and long sword of the great sect, and he Zhao Ji is the eldest son and the next Handan Jun, he is the sharp blade of the long sword.

But having said that, in reality, the situation on the inside is complicated.

Although the Handan clan is a small sect, if you talk about power, it is so large that it is second only to the six major families of the Jin Kingdom. It is inevitable that if the power is large, it is inevitable, therefore, the relationship between the Zhao clan in Handan and the Zhao clan is like fire and water, and there is human blood in the middle.

Ziji leaned back, his upper body was upside down against the cold stone wall of the big bluestone, his black hair fell into the snow, looking upside down at the sky, he saw the half of the white moon in the dark blue sky, the lush snow-covered pines and cypresses overhead, and the stars faintly shining with a little light.

He closed his eyes.

The sky gradually darkened, and finally the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed up by the night. In the cold woods, on the burning bonfire, the red tongue of fire rose high.

Zigu's roasted pheasant was already browned and oily, and the rich aroma spread around, Zizhang squatted on the side and stared at the chicken, licking his lips and swallowing his saliva.

Sprinkle with a handful of salt and peppercorns, and an even more appetizing aroma comes out. Zizhang stayed next to Zigu tightly, waiting for the roast chicken to take a bite as soon as it was roasted.

"Senior Brother Zigu, are you okay? Okay, no? Give me a bite, give me a bite first. Zizhang tugged at Zigu's sleeve and pulled the roast chicken to his mouth, and opened his mouth to bite it.

Zigu pointed to Zizhang's eyebrows with his index finger to prevent him from getting too close, and said, "You will be burned like this, and you have to give it to Uncle Shi first." "Zigu's facial features are tough and serious, but his personality is very gentle, and even his speech is warm and moist.

"Give me a taste first, just taste it, Uncle Shi won't blame me." Zizhang didn't listen to it at all, and only had the fragrant roast chicken in his eyes.

Zigu was very helpless, he knew that when Zizhang desperately wanted something, it was useless to persuade him, he had been like this since he was very young, although it was not big now. He has always been soft-hearted, looking at Zizhang's big eyes full of pleading and longing, he couldn't help but agree to him.

He took the two ends of the branch with the roast chicken skewer and handed it to Zizhang's mouth, one of which was slightly hot in the fire: "Blow and eat again, don't burn your mouth." ”

As Zigu thought, Zizhang picked the most meaty chicken leg and bit it without thinking about it, and it was a big bite. The chicken had just been roasted out of the fire, and it was still very hot, still as Zigu expected, Zizhang was really hot, he was reluctant to spit it out while it was delicious, and he didn't dare to shut up on the other hand, so he could only open his mouth and exhale outside, and his two little hands kept fanning the wind to try to cool down his mouth, and his tears were burned out.

"You're just used to him." Ziji turned over from the big bluestone, grabbed a ball of snow from the ground, and violently stuffed it into Zizhang's mouth.

The cold snowflakes melted in his mouth, and Zizhang really quieted down, blinking his eyes and continuing to chew the roast chicken in his mouth.

"You don't want to take another bite." Ziji took the roast chicken away and attacked Zizhang.

"You give it to me!" Zizhang immediately wanted to grab it back. But Ziji took advantage of his height, held the handle of the branch, and lifted the roast chicken into the air. Zizhang was jumping in circles around Ziji, but he couldn't reach it, and shouted angrily: "Uncle Shi, Uncle Shi, you see Senior Brother Ziji bullying me again, Uncle Shi!" ”

Ziji knocked Zizhang's head hard with the knuckle of his index finger, and said fiercely: "Uncle Shi can't help you, why didn't you think about Uncle Shi when you just ate, at this time you kid is upset." ”

"Huh." Zizhang covered his head, ran behind Zigu aggrievedly, and complained: "He always beats me, and he can use his strength to beat me, and he hurts to death." ”

Zigu laughed instead, he smiled with two shallow dimples on his cheeks, and he said funny: "He is also my senior brother, I also have to listen to him, what can I do?" ”

"I don't care, you're going to help me get that roast chicken back, order, order, this is an order." Zizhang grabbed Zigu's back collar and shook it constantly, and his mouth pouted to the sky.

Zigushu laughed, he threw his clothes and stood up, "Since it's an order, I can't help it." He couldn't help but smile and Ziji pretended to be serious and said, "Senior brother, I am now ordered to take the roast chicken from your hand, you have to be careful." ”

Ziji looked at Zigu and Zizhang with disgust, he pointed to the position of his head, and then pointed to the two of them, pouting and shaking his head at them, as if he didn't want to talk to them.

At this time, Xue Xian sat on the big bluestone behind him, but his expression was a little solemn, his eyes looked at the depths of the dark woods in front of him, his brows became tighter and tighter, and he said in a deep voice: "Don't make trouble, be quiet." ”