Yangzhou, which has not snowed much throughout the winter, has begun to snow every three or five days since the first day of the first month.

Due to the weather and ground temperature, the thin snow cannot stay on the ground, rooftops, treetops, etc., but no matter what, it can be regarded as a lazy and relaxing snowy day.

The pavement of Yangzhou City loess is compacted, and it does not look too muddy because of the thin snow melting, although it is a little slippery, but even if the heavy carriage passes by, it still leaves only a shallow rut mark, which can not damage the roadbed at all, causing more inconvenience for the people to travel.

Some of the bluestone roads in the inner city are relatively important after the snow, which is particularly cold and clean, and the thin snow remaining on the roadside is white and pure, looking more like cotton, dotting the streets of Yangzhou City, full of interest.

With the arrival of the first day, it is another snow began to fall slowly from the sky, elegant and delicate snowflakes began to fly early in the morning of the first day of the new year, even on the second day, it is still endless, although it is not mighty, but it still makes Yangzhou on a snowy day, less lively and festive of the first day, but more of a quiet and distant hazy poetry.

The faint snowflakes fluttered non-stop, as if celebrating the arrival of the first day with the people of Yangzhou, because of the snowy day, there were fewer activities for people to play and play at the same time, but also brought people another moment of leisure and enjoyment.

Compared with ordinary people who go out of the city to appreciate the vast land covered by snow, the literati and wealthy artists who are slightly elegant will choose a more elegant place in Yangzhou City to enjoy the snow and watch the snow, make tea with snow as water, and enjoy the poetry and comfort of Yangzhou City unscrupulously.

There is no cold wind in the air, which also makes people more fond of such a cold and snowy day, sitting in the pavilion, by the stove, quietly enjoying the scene of snowfall, steaming tea in the cup, delicacies and delicacies on the table, delicious food and wine, making the back garden of the pacification envoy, like a fairyland on earth.

The current hostess of Ye Mansion is naturally Yan Qingcheng, and as for the other Liu Qingyan, because she is pregnant, she has never appeared in this back garden.

The tall Yan Qingcheng, even though she has always been the daughter of a businessman, but with her appearance and figure, as well as the heroic spirit that she has unconsciously exercised over the years, she will involuntarily become the focus of attention wherever she goes.

In the quiet and elegant back garden of Yefu, the silent snowflakes continue to fall slowly, and Yan Chengcheng, who is dressed in a white fur coat, walks slowly with a goose-yellow oil-paper umbrella in her hand at this moment, and the snowflakes dance around her like elves in the sky, and also blurs the beauty with an umbrella, and also blurs the vision of everyone in the pavilion.

As Yan Chengcheng gets closer and closer, it also gives people more and more the artistic conception that it is like a beauty, slowly coming out of an ink painting on a snowy day.

"You're so blessed." Zhao Shichun said with some jealousy.

"No way, who made me so good." Ye Qing accepted Chongguogong's jealousy with some pride.

King Qing on the other side listened to the conversation between the two and smiled and didn't speak, but his eyes were still envious of Ye Qing, and he quickly glanced at Yang Xi'er next to Mrs. Huaguo, and in his heart, a voice also sounded: If Xi'er is dressed up, and then under such a scene, among the snowflakes dancing in the sky, Xi'er can also be as beautiful as a fairy.

Put away the oil-paper umbrella and hand it to the subordinate Yan Chengcheng, walked into the pavilion and first saluted Zhao Shichong and King Qing, and then moved to the other side of the pavilion and saluted Mrs. Huaguo and Mrs. Xin'an County.

Although she is the identity of the daughter of a businessman, she has now married into the Ye family for many years, and the so-called woman is valued by her husband, so it also makes today's Yan Chengcheng so that Mrs. Huaguo and Mrs. Xin'an County dare not look down on this businessman woman at all.

With the brief arrival of Yan Chengcheng, and then only a short period of effort, Mrs. Hua Guo and Mrs. Xin'an County, after listening to Yan Chengcheng say something about the new gouache, soap and other things, began to look excited and expectant, followed Yan Chengcheng, and walked to the front yard of the Ye family.

Gouache, soap, Po Li, pearls, obviously these are women's favorites, especially some of the small objects made by Na Po Li, although fragile, but extremely delicate, no less than some fine porcelain.

And the most important thing is that only the Ye Mansion can treat these items as ordinary things now, so with the invitation of the hostess of the Ye Mansion, Mrs. Hua Guo and Mrs. Xin'an County, how can they not know that today's trip to the Ye Mansion will probably far exceed their expectations.

Ye Qing held the wine glass, looked at the backs of the women leaving, and said a little depressed after drinking it all: "Give me money, after returning home, I will calculate what your wife has taken from my house, and then send someone to send the silver over." ”

"You're a great man...... Tiffy is stingy, what does it have to do with you? Is it your wife's voluntary gift? Zhao Shichun couldn't imagine that Ye Qing was so bad for the scenery, and the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere of the Yuan Ri had to be mixed with the smell of copper, which was simply unreasonable.

"The only advantage of my lady is that she can lose." Ye Qing sighed for a long time and said: "Come to my house today to enjoy the snow and drink, I look at the two of you, I'm afraid that the drunkard doesn't mean to drink, pearls, Poli, gouache, soap, how much does it cost." ”

King Qing has been quite quiet, as if he is unwilling to destroy the beautiful snow scene in front of him, and Zhao Shichun on the side, looking at Ye Qing's unrelenting appearance, and then looked at King Qing Although he looked at the snowflakes outside the pavilion, but the corners of his eyes were with a hint of spring, and suddenly said to Ye Qing: "Do you see the little maid next to Mrs. Huaguo?" ”

"What's wrong?" Ye Qing was stunned and asked.

Last time, Zhao Shichun came to the mansion to deceive himself, but he only suspected the three subordinates in Liu Dexiu's mansion, but he did not suspect the identities of Yang Bailao and Yang Xi'er, so after King Qing and Mrs. Huaguo arrived today, Ye Qing's eyes did not glance at Yang Xi'er behind Mrs. Huaguo.

At this time, listening to Zhao Shichun's question, he turned his head to look at the back of the snowy scene, which had gradually been blurred by the snowflakes, and said, "Why, you won't take a fancy to ......." ”

"Don't talk nonsense, look at King Qing's eyes......." Zhao Shichun pointed to the eyes that had been smiling silently, and then let out a laugh that only a man would know.

"What do you mean?" Ye Qing approached King Qing, opened his eyes wide and asked, "King Qing won't be planning to take Mrs. Huaguo's maid as a concubine, right?" Will Mrs. Hua Guo agree? You're ...... Does this count as a rabbit eating grass next to the nest? ”

Ye Qing's tone was also more ridiculous than inquiring, but it still made Qing Wang Xian a little embarrassed, and glanced at Zhao Shichun who broke the matter with some dissatisfaction, and then said generously: "This king's heart has begun to feel a little old recently, so I plan to take another room and find out how I felt when I was young." ”

As soon as Zhao Shichun heard King Qing's words of admission, he instantly squeezed his eyebrows and smiled: "How is it?" I'm not wrong, King Xin is now an old man with an old heart, so if there is such a good thing today, shouldn't you Ye Qing congratulate King Qing? And it's the festive first day, do you say you're embarrassed to talk about money by opening and closing your mouth like just now? ”

Ye Qing ignored Zhao Shichun's question, but stroked his chin with one hand, while looking at King Qing quietly, and suddenly said: "There is a sentence I don't know if it's right, when you are old, you can find a young and beautiful woman to find a young feeling, but ...... If you're old, can you handle it? I look at the girl's back, but she is not a vegetarian. ”

"Of course I'm not a vegetarian, I'm going to eat meat in the future, haha......." Zhao Shichun didn't care at all that Ye Qing ignored his words just now, and when he heard Ye Qing say this at this moment, he instantly became a ruffian, and his laughter was so presumptuous that even the snowflakes outside seemed to avoid him.

King Qing was squeezed by Ye Qing and Zhao Shichun's shameless words, and he only shook his head and smiled bitterly, and then said to the two: "A dignified clan and a dignified Huainan East Road pacification envoy actually said such words that do not match their identity, if they are spread outside, it will be a joke." ”

"We just move our mouths, it's good for you to do this without moving your mouths, just with your hands, and do practical things." Ye Qing also began to laugh and retorted.

King Qing smiled bitterly again, but his expression was much more cheerful than just now, and he didn't care about Ye Qing's words, not to mention that Ye Qing didn't say anything wrong, so he raised his glass and said: "Compared to you Lu Guogong, this king is still far behind, although the mansion is also a beauty, but if it is compared with the Tianzi and national colors in your Lu Guogong's mansion, it is not as good, so this king still needs to work hard, strive for people not to be old, and the heart is not old, since it is impossible to fight for the country and expand the territory, then it is on the beauty, and you Lord Ye are competing." ”

"Count me in." Zhao Shichun also raised his wine glass boldly, and said dissatisfiedly: "I have long seen that this guy is not pleasing to the eye, several ladies in the house, each of them is beautiful and beautiful, it makes me jealous to death, I, Zhao Shichun, am right today...... I swear to Xue that in the future, there will be a few beautiful women in the house, and I can't lose to the two of you. ”

"Because I'm handsome, women like me. Ha ha...... Although you two are ugly, you still want to be beautiful. On the occasion of this first day, I, Ye Qing, wish you two that your wishes will not come true, and you will not be able to hold the beauty. ”

"It's extremely hateful, Ye Qing."

"What a vicious intention."

Chongguo Gong and King Qing held their wine glasses, shouting that they were careless in making friends, and raised their necks with a look of regret and drank them all, and the snowflakes outside seemed to be much happier because of the bold atmosphere in the pavilion.

The topic of men together can never be separated from women and politics, and with the topic of women, after Yang Xi'er's body ended, King Qing's eyes retracted from the snowflakes outside, and his thoughts began to turn to the court.

It didn't take long for him to come to Yangzhou for the first time, but with these snowfalls, he began to be like falling snowflakes, and gradually began to really integrate into the environment of Yangzhou City.

"When does Lord Ye plan to go north?" Zhao Kai glanced at the side, he was already a little drunk, and drove away the woman who was playing the piano, and then Zhao Shichun, who was plucking the strings by himself, asked Ye Qing calmly.

"It's coming." Ye Qing sighed, looked at the snowflakes outside and said, "Let's see when the snow stops, after the snow stops, wait for three or five days, and you can almost go north." ”

Zhao Kai nodded silently, and after thinking about it, he still said: "In this way, the things on Huainan East Road have been arranged, and you can go north with confidence?" ”

Ye Qing smiled, shook his head and said, "How can it be completely satisfactory in government affairs?" There are new things every day, what I can do as a pacifier is to rely on my subordinates a lot, and it is enough for them to do their jobs, not to mention that there is also the imperial court to help Huainan East Road get ideas, and it is nothing if I am not in Yangzhou as a pacifier. ”

"What about Liu Dexiu's matter, do you plan to drag it out like this?" The sound of the piano from his fingertips was harsh and ugly, but Zhao Shichun was still happy to do it, and after plucking the strings with his hand, he held down the body of the piano, looked up at Ye Qing and Zhao Kai and said: "Ye Qing may not know yet, what we said just now, the Xi'er girl that King Qing intends to take as a concubine is the one who was rescued from the hands of Liu Dexiu's subordinates in Liu Dexiu's mansion when King Qing visited the 24th Bridge a few days ago." King Qing did not take a fancy to the beauty of others, so he brought it back to the palace, but because he was worried about Liu Dexiu or his subordinates retaliating, he was forced to bring it back to the palace for resettlement. As for King Qing's love now, if he wants to accept it, it will be a matter of later. It's not about taking advantage of others. ”

Listening to Zhao Shichun mention Yang Xi'er's matter, Zhao Kai was still a little nervous at first, afraid that Ye Qing would think that he was taking advantage of the fire to rob, but when he heard Zhao Shichun's explanation to Ye Qing clearly, King Qing still couldn't help but nodded to Zhao Shichun gratefully.

Ye Qing's reaction did not appear as if he had just learned about this matter, but as if he had known about it for a long time, after listening to Zhao Shichun's words, he nodded silently, and said lightly: "Yes, I have heard about this matter before Yuan Ri, although the specific details are not very clear, but I know that this matter is related to King Qing." Of course, I also believe that the detailed discussion with King Qing in the Slanting Wind and Drizzle Building a few days ago was definitely not out of selfish ....... ”

"If this king retaliates against Liu Dexiu for personal reasons, then it will be a big fuss and there is no room for people. Although this king has a love for Xi'er, he ...... It is not because of this matter that Liu Dexiu should be impeached, this king is completely because of Liu Dexiu's corruption of the Ministry of Industry's transfer of silver. King Qing's face began to turn gloomy.

If it weren't for Ye Qing and Zhao Shichun's words just now, he wouldn't have discovered that his impeachment of Liu Dexiu would actually be associated with the impeachment of Liu Dexiu in the eyes of outsiders.

Although Ye Qing didn't say it explicitly, the meaning of what Ye Qing said just now was extremely obvious, that is, he was worried that he would impeach Liu Dexiu because of Xi'er.

"I believe that King Qing is by no means a person who has a personal vendetta, and he will not impeach Liu Dexiu because of Miss Xi'er." Ye Qing looked at King Qing with firm trust in his eyes, and after thinking for a while, he continued to say seriously: "This matter still needs to be discussed in the long run, but since King Qing has made up his mind to impeach Liu Dexiu, and it is also a fact that Liu Dexiu is greedy for the Ministry of Ink and Industry to allocate silver and two, we need to separate Xi'er's affairs from Liu Dexiu, and we must not give others Qingwang's association of impeaching Liu Dexiu because of Xi'er's matter, otherwise I am afraid that it will affect King Qing's reputation." ”

Almost unconsciously, between the two singing and harmonizing without a trace, like the snowflakes outside silently, Ye Qing and Zhao Shichun easily tied the newcomer King Qing tightly with them, and they couldn't get out.

"I also hope that Lord Ye will value the reputation of King Qing." Zhao Shichun's words were more like warnings, and he looked at Ye Qing seriously and said.

At this time, Zhao Shichun's face had long since lost the indulgence he had just talked about women, and even the drunkenness just now had disappeared without a trace at this time.

King Qing looked at Ye Qing without speaking, and Ye Qing let out a long sigh and said solemnly and slowly: "Ye hereby assures King Qing and Chongguo that Ye Qing will not leave Yangzhou for the time being until Liu Dexiu's matter is resolved." Of course, compared to Liu Dexiu, I naturally believe in King Qing more. ”

Hearing Ye Qing's promise, King Qing didn't know when his heavy mood changed, and he became a little more relaxed.

As the night gradually did not let go of the snowflakes in the sky, mixed with the whole world and the whole world was shrouded, Mrs. Huaguo and Mrs. Xin'an County appeared in the back garden again with a smile on the corner of their mouths, and the banquet of the entire Yuan Day was also nearing the end.

King Qing, who got into the carriage and started to go home, really couldn't understand that he had just arrived in Yangzhou for less than a month, and he reminded himself all the time that he must not be involved in the intricacies of the officialdom of Huainan East Road, how could he be so confused and unconsciously mixed in! Even put himself in danger all of a sudden.

"Troubled water?"

King Qing suddenly had such a word in his heart, and then his eyes involuntarily began to look at Xi'er next to Mrs. Huaguo, although it was only a few days, but Xi'er showed a well-behaved, smart and generous, especially in the house to be able to keep up with everyone up and down, how could it be a disaster?

Unconsciously, it was only twenty or thirty days, and King Qing's eyes had gradually begun to take his eyes off Xi'er, and he didn't know when he would think of that beautiful face full of girl's unique innocence, splendor, and ignorance of the world from time to time.

When in Mrs. Huaguo's attic, he suddenly saw the beautiful face that made his heart involuntarily appear on weekdays, not to mention how happy King Qing's heart was.

It was precisely because of Xi'er's appearance that he spent several nights in Mrs. Huaguo's room, thus leaving all the other concubines behind, just to be able to see Xi'er more in Mrs. Huaguo's room.

Mrs. Huaguo's empathy, thoughtfulness and meticulousness naturally made King Qing feel extremely comfortable and happy, so when Mrs. Huaguo took the initiative to propose it, King Qing agreed without even thinking about it.

At the same time, it is natural that there is Xi'er's grandfather Yang Bailao, and now his status in the Qingwang Mansion is also rising, and he is valued day by day.

As the carriage drove into the palace, after King Qing and Mrs. Huaguo stepped off the carriage with the support of Xi'er, Yang Bailao rushed over as soon as possible and began to help unload the gifts brought back from the Ye Mansion in the car.

King Qing went to Yefu, naturally prepared gifts, but compared to the gifts they gave to Yefu, it was obvious that Yefu's return gift was more valuable.

Whether it is Mrs. Huaguo or Xi'er, they have also been treated the same and indiscriminate by Ye Mansion, which looks at this in the eyes of King Qing, and how much emotion Ye Mansion is meticulous and thoughtful.