……

Zhenguan 19th year of the third morning of the fourth month.

Dingzhou.

Crown Prince Li Zhi stayed in the palace to govern affairs.

Early in the morning, Li Zhi invited Gao Shilian to sit with him to discuss politics with his nephews and nephews, and set up another case for Shilian to use on his side. Gao Shilian immediately knelt down.

Li Zhi had no choice but to respond to his invitation and act according to the courtesy of the monarch and ministers.

And when he had discussed with his ministers the matter of supplies, they dispersed.

After discussing for a long time, Li Zhi only felt dizzy, and was relieved, and when he wanted to get tea to drink, he saw De'an hurriedly entering, and as soon as he came in, he retreated.

When Li Zhi saw this, he knew that something was wrong, so he closed the tea cup and said:

"But there is a change in the palace?"

De'an just gasped slightly, and handed the letter in his hand to Li Zhi for a look.

When Li Zhi read it, his face changed greatly, and he immediately jumped up and grabbed De'an's collar:

"You ......"

De'an just looked at Li Zhidao:

"Your Highness, if you don't go, I'm afraid you'll be separated from Sister Wu for the rest of your life...... At this moment, everything in Dingzhou has been decided, and there are ministers guarding it, so it can't be more stable.

Everything, it only depends on the will of His Highness......"

Li Zhi gritted his teeth and said after a long time:

"But I'm ...... I ......"

"Your Highness, if you are worried that you will be discovered if you leave...... But it doesn't matter. Your Highness, don't forget, your body has always been bad......

It is not surprising if he has been sick for three or five days. Isn't it?

And when thou art sick, thou hast entered in with thy servants every day, and thou hast made counsel with them with a curtain of veils...... No one can find out who the person behind this curtain is, isn't it?

As long as De'an is here, who else will think that Your Highness is not here?

Your Highness, Master Li (Li De Award) is already waiting outside. And the state belongs to the Dingzhou administrative area, if it is His Royal Highness's mount, the young breed of the sassy purple horse, day and night, can go back and forth.

(In 623, Dingzhou set up a large governor's office, and governed 32 states including Hengzhou.) Dingzhou is in the west of central Hebei, and it is only more than 200 kilometers, that is, more than 400 miles, from Bingzhou, that is, Taiyuan in Shanxi Province. At that time, the medium-sized stagecoach of the Feibiao Post Station, that is, the speed was almost 17.5 kilometers per hour, or 35 miles without changing horses, it could be reached in twelve hours, and if it was the kind of expedited horse that traveled 600 miles a day, it would be even faster. As for the Sa Lu Zi here, familiar students know that this is the only horse with a portrait in the six horses of Zhaoling, and the reason why I chose it is also because I think that from the time of its death, Taizong's discussion about it can be determined that it has basically had offspring...... So I think that such a horse, Taizong will definitely reward his son. Right, right? ）”

Li Zhi glared at him for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying:

"Go get my civilian clothes!"

The seventh day of the fourth month of the nineteenth year of Zhenguan.

A young man dressed in a blue and gold-inlaid beard with arrow sleeves rode a purple and swallow-colored horse, followed by a heroic young man riding a black horse, galloping all the way on the official road leading to Bingzhou.

These two people are Li Zhi, the crown prince of the dynasty, and his swordsmanship, who is also his personal guard Li De Award.

At the sixth hour of the first month of April, starting from Dingzhou, they ran non-stop all night, and finally arrived at the gate of Wenshui City in Bingzhou at the next hour.

Seeing the city gate from afar, Li Zhi hurriedly restrained Ziyan (the name he gave to the horse) under his crotch, and stretched out his hand to stop Li Dexuan and said:

"Master, should Ryan arrive before us?"

De Xian thought for a while, shook his head and said, "Not necessarily, but his horses are not as fast as ours." Moreover, Songzhou is far from here. I'm afraid that if you don't have a two-day trip, you can't get there. Although he set off a day earlier than us, he may not be ...... Hey? ”

Li Dexuan lost his voice and said: "That...... Isn't that ......" said as he looked at Li Zhi.

found that Li Zhi was stunned, just staring blankly at the "man" who was leading a pony, changing his male costume, and slowly walking into Wenshui City. ”

That person is Mei Niang.

……

After passing the guard, Mei Niang breathed a sigh of relief, led the horse, and walked all the way into the familiar old city.

She really never thought that she would have such an opportunity to return to her hometown.

After a long sigh, she squinted her eyes to see the somewhat gloomy weather, and then slowly walked towards her former home, where her mother and brothers had moved back since her father's death, and for no other reason, the governor's mansion in Jingzhou already had a new owner, and they could not live there.

Slowly, she walked all the way in a trance, but she didn't notice it at all, and not far behind her, Li Zhi and Li Decheng also quietly followed.

……

Li Dexuan looked at the amazingly beautiful woman, looked at her leisurely, but upright and generous demeanor, and sighed in his heart that only such a woman can make her smart, and even let herself completely betray Li Zhi, the eldest grandson of Uncle Shi, who led him into the palace, and asked softly:

"Your Highness, are we ......?"

"Let's take a look first...... After all, it can't be in vain for Sister Xu and the fourth brother's thoughts. ”

Li Zhi thought about it for a while, but finally held back his desire and followed Mei Niang all the way into the city. He followed her all the way forward.

Seeing her go straight forward, he frowned slightly, and then said softly: "Is she going back to the Mansion......

But her mother may not be willing to ...... How should she know......? ”

Just when I was puzzled, I saw Mei Niang suddenly turn around and turn into an alley.

Li Zhi was startled, hurriedly grabbed the horse, and Li Dexuan was on the side of the alley, and watched Mei Niang go straight to the bottom of this alley that could not be entered or exited, and stopped in front of a dilapidated door, knocked on the door, and then knew that he was wrong-

Mei Niang didn't find him, but it seemed that she didn't want to respond to the Guogong Mansion.

Li Zhi saw the door open, an old woman greeted her, after seeing Mei Niang, he hugged her in surprise and cried, his heart was a little sour and unbearable, so he thought about it, and then looked at a small door behind him, and motioned to Li Dexian, who did not have a Beijing accent, to ask.

Li De Award understood, so he immediately went to inquire.

After a while, he came back and whispered:

"Your Highness, that old woman is the nurse of a martial artist. A few years ago, her husband's son and daughter-in-law died, and now she is the only one who lives here with a six-year-old grandson called Huzi.

According to neighbors, she originally lived in the Guogong Mansion.

But since Wucairen entered the palace, Wucairen's sister Mrs. Helan resented that she had married the wrong man every day, and she didn't like it every time she saw her, although she knew that she had lost her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and had a grandson to support, but after all, she was driven out of the house on the grounds of her dereliction of duty.

That's why she can only live in this old house now. ”

Li Zhi nodded, and asked again: "Then Helan clan, why do you live here?" ”

"Your Highness doesn't know anything, Helan Anshi is from Wei...... Since the incident of the prince of the county, he moved to the left because of the continuous sitting, and he was dissatisfied in his heart, and his health has always been bad, so he disappeared all at once.

It was because of this that Mrs. Helan returned to the Guogong Mansion. ”

Li Zhi sneered: "No wonder Mei Niang would rather go to the nurse than respond to the Guogong Mansion - a philistine mother, a foolish widow sister, and a few brothers and brothers who compete for property and heirs all day long......

It's hard to see how she is willing to go back to this Wenshui! ”

Li Decheng said softly: "Your Highness, let's ...... now."

Li Zhi thought for a while, pointed to the small door behind him and said, "Can you rent (rent) it?" ”

"Only three days."

Li Dexuan said helplessly: "After all, His Royal Highness is a social ...... Your Highness, it's still ......"

"Don't worry, if it's fast, it's tomorrow night, and if it's slow, we'll be able to take Mei Niang away-" Li Zhi looked at the direction Mei Niang left, and his voice suddenly softened:

"The fourth brother thinks well. It's time for Mei Niang to think about it herself...... That way, she will know that she really needs to go...... Or what is the only way to go.

She'll understand...... Her heart, her intelligence......

She'll understand. ”

Li Zhi said softly. Then with a turn of his head, he led the horse, followed Li Dexian, and disappeared on the street corner.

Next.

Taizong was in the tent on the march.

After the deliberations were over, Taizong asked Wang Dedao, a close attendant next to him:

"Can the slave have a watch?"

Wang De shook his head: "No." ”

Taizong narrowed his eyes:

"Send someone to Dingzhou."

"Yes."

……

At the same time.

And the state of Wenshui City.

Wu Zhao's mother's house.

Mei Niang, who got up early in the morning, saw the nurse's little grandson Zhu'er struggling to carry water, so she hurriedly stepped forward to help.

Seeing this, Zhu'er hurriedly shook his hand and said:

"Sister, don't help! The pillar can come......"

Mei Niang didn't follow him, just smiled and carried the water - although she herself was a delicate woman who had never carried a hand on her shoulders since she was a child, she was a woman after all, and she had fallen into difficulties several times, and she had done all kinds of rough and dirty work, and she was always better than Zhu'er.

As soon as I entered the house, I saw the nurse Zhang hurriedly stepped forward to take the bucket and said:

"You...... Why are you still so reckless......"

Mei Niang smiled silently.

After putting down the water, the nurse Zhang went to fetch the food and put it on the small table in the only one in the cottage:

The dishes are simple, but they are staple foods such as brown rice and vegetables. Mei Niang took the bowl with a smile and ate with Zhu'er.

But as soon as she swallowed a mouthful of rice, Mei Niang felt a pain in her chest, as if she had swallowed not a grain of rice, but like sand and stones, and looked at the pillar that was eating happily, and the nurse who ate carefully, for fear of wasting a grain of grain, she felt a pang in her heart, but she did not speak, just ate with tears - she had suffered a lot, but she had never eaten such a rough meal.

After eating, I saw that the nurse wanted to get up and clean up. Mei Niang hurriedly rushed to wash these rough dishes and chopsticks......

Half of the day's time passed slowly in such a diet and washing.

In the afternoon, Mei Niang watched Zhang's fall asleep, so she moved a horse and sat on the side.

"Mu Niang (the Tang name of the nurse), do you have any good plans?"

Hearing Mei Niang's question, Zhang was stunned for a long time before saying:

"What's the best plan? It's just a day, it's just a day! There is no worry about food and clothing now-although the tea is coarse and the rice is light, but after all, there is no worry about food and clothing. ”

Zhang sighed softly.

Mei Niang said worriedly:

"But Zhu'er...... He's a little boy, Mother, you're so old, but you can't take care of him for a long time. ”

Mei Niang said that she was hit by Zhang's heart disease, so she sighed and shook her head silently.

After a long time, she said softly:

"If you don't have any plans, it's not like that...... Speaking of which, Mu Niang has a distant cousin, but he also issued an order from Wenshui near the county last year, and his ancestor is also considered to be a nobleman for generations, that is, Zhang Mian in the previous dynasty.

Because Mu Niang was young, Mu Niang's parents had saved his life, so he once mentioned to Mu Niang that if one day Mu Niang was not happy in this country's mansion, he could take refuge in him......

It's just that Mu Niang really can't bear to leave here, and she can't bear to watch Mu Niang see the big Ruyi since she was a child, and continue to be forced to die in the world......"