Chapter 38: The Book of Brocade

Zhen Jinshu asked his father in detail about Xie Xiangcun's age and appearance. As soon as Zhen Fu said, Zhen Jinshu had already determined that it was undoubtedly the same person. He learned the situation of the birthday banquet that day with Zhen Fu vividly, Zhen Fu didn't expect that the birthday banquet of the Queen Mother, which was attended by all female dependents, was so surprising that the dark tide was surging.

Mrs. Zhen on the side asked, "Master, how precious your lecture and reading volume is, it took countless painstaking efforts to assemble it. There are only three sets in the house, even if it is a famous son, you are only allowed to borrow at most, why do you want to send one set today, to such a young guard? ”

Zhen Jinshu asked expectantly: "Is that Xie Guard a well-educated person, so that Daddy attaches great importance to him?" ”

Zhen Fu deposited Xie Xiang in the court, volunteered to help him, and told his wife and daughter about it.

Mrs. Zhen listened and persuaded: "The master is an official, don't be too upright." That Dai Yun is powerful, and he must not be offended. Thinking about the birthday banquet of the Queen Mother that day, all the ladies were better than the hoopoe man in terms of demeanor and intelligence, but in the end, it was the hoopoe man who was quite disrespectful to the Queen Mother and the saint. This is all due to the power of the Dai family. ”

Zhen Fu said: "It is precisely because of this that the old man feels that Xie Xiangcun is not afraid of power, has a commendable temperament, and is a material that can be made." It's just that he is already in the forbidden army, and he rarely reads the books of sages, and the old man gave him books in the hope that he will become a disciple of Confucius and Mencius by self-study. ”

After hearing this, Zhen Jinshu begged her father to let her personally send the lecture and reading volume to Luocheng to Xie Xiangcun. Mrs. Zhen on the side hurriedly dissuaded her, Zhen Jinshu was over nineteen years old, and because he had not yet left the cabinet, he had some gossip, which annoyed Mrs. Zhen. If you personally deliver a book to a strange man, it seems even more inappropriate. But Mrs. Zhen was not straightforward, and said euphemistically: "Daughter, Luocheng is forbidden to the army and does not allow outsiders to enter." No matter who you look for, you can only wait at the gate. Luocheng is a huge place, even if the porter helps you find someone, it will take a long time, and now the house is being renovated there, and there are many people, why should the daughter go in person, it is better to let the housekeeper go. ”

Zhen Jinshu said: "I took a carriage to go, and I didn't get off when I arrived at the gate of Luocheng." Just handed the lecture paper to the Xie guard from the car, and he didn't show his head, so his mother didn't have to worry. Moreover, Xie Guards bluntly defended his father in the court and sent people to deliver books, but he was afraid of insulting him. ”

Mrs. Zhen had no choice but to rely on her daughter. Zhen Fu's lecture and reading volume was completed by Zhen Jinshu, a set of several volumes. Among them, the first set of drafts was copied and bound by herself according to her father's draft, and two more sets were copied by someone, all of which were kept by Zhen Jinshu. Normally, even if his father agreed to borrow from others, he could only borrow those two sets of copies, but on this day, Zhen Jinshu decided to give the set of volumes he copied to Xie Xiangcun.

Zhen Fu and his wife sent her to the door, and Zhen Jinshu suddenly handed back several volumes of the lecture volume to his father, leaving only the first volume, and said: "These, I will send them to Xie Weiwei in the future, and send a few volumes at once, he is afraid that he will not be able to read them." With that, he boarded the carriage and went to the forbidden army in Luocheng under the escort of the domestic servants.

When Zhen Jinshu's carriage stopped at the gate of the Luocheng Forbidden Army, Xie Xiangcun had been waiting by the door for a long time.

Although Xie Xiangcun does not read much, he admires the people who read very much. Although Zhen Fu just said that he would let the housekeeper come to deliver the book, in order to express his gratitude and respect, Xie Xiangcun still made a special trip to the gate of Luocheng to greet him.

Zhen Jinshu saw from a distance at the gate, there was a small figure of a different adult, and when the carriage stopped and the servants of the Zhen Mansion arrived at the door and explained their intentions to the guards guarding the door, the figure greeted the servants of the Zhen Mansion and bowed his hand. Zhen Jinshu couldn't help but feel his heart beating, and he was a little nervous.

After Xie Xiangcun and the servants of the Zhen Mansion greeted each other, the servants of the Zhen Mansion said to Xie Xiangcun: "Xie Guard, in order to show respect, my young lady personally sent the master's lecture and reading volume to you today. My lord is such a daughter, an only daughter. There are many people here, and it is inconvenient for my young lady to show her face, so I asked the guard Xie to meet by the carriage. ”

Under the guidance of the servants of the Zhen Mansion, Xie Xiangcun came to Zhen Jinshu's carriage and saluted respectfully: "Xie Xiangcun, thanks to Lord Zhen's generous gift of the book, Miss Zhen personally sent it, I am very grateful." ”

Zhen Jinshu gently lifted the carriage curtain, and immediately looked at each other. Xie Xiangcun saw Zhen Jinshu for the first time, at the birthday banquet of the Empress Dowager Xu, when Zhen Jinshu was painting, Xie Xiangcun had already withdrawn from the Flower Cherishing Hall, so except for the hoopoe man, he didn't know the specific identity of the other beauties. Today is the first time we have actually met. I saw Zhen Jinshu lightly sweeping the moth eyebrows, plain and gentle, quite the beauty of clear water hibiscus.

Zhen Jinshu was a little shy under the gaze of Xie Xiangcun's beautiful eyes, and only glanced at Xie Xiangcun in a hurry, then lowered his gaze, handed out a book and said: "The little girl was ordered by her father to send his lecture and reading volume to Xie Weiwei. I also hope to thank the guard Yazheng. ”

Xie Xiangcun hurriedly said, "Don't dare." In the past, only Tai students had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Zhen's lectures. I was only a shallow learner, and it was an unexpected joy to be able to read it today. With that, he respectfully took the book.

Under the handover, Zhen Jinshu was even more nervous, and it took a long time before he came to his senses and said in a low voice: "This is the first volume of several lecture and reading volumes, and when Xie Weiwei finishes reading, I will send the other volumes over." ”

Xie Xiangcun said: "I don't dare to have Miss Lao go back and forth, when I finish reading this volume, I will come to the door to beg in person." ”

Zhen Jinshu said: "My father's lecture and reading volume was compiled into a book by me, and this volume was copied by me myself. The little woman is not good at calligraphy, and I hope that the guards will not laugh. ”

Xie Xiangcun listened, hurriedly looked at the scroll, and saw that the handwriting was beautiful, although he didn't know calligraphy, he couldn't help but praise sincerely: "Miss Zhen's handwriting is the most beautiful character I have ever seen." I didn't expect that words could be written so pleasing to the eye. ”

Xie Xiangcun's words were not sweet words, nor were they polite. Zhen Jinshu's calligraphy attainments are quite high, which is difficult for ordinary people to achieve, but Zhen Jinshu blushed and said, "Xie Weiwei has won the award." ”

Xie Xiangcun suddenly remembered 'the picture of Wu Yue mountains and rivers that Zhen Fu showed in front of the Queen Mother and the Holy Lord', and said that it was from his daughter's hand, and I heard the domestic servant say just now that Zhen Fu only has this only daughter. Asked in surprise: "I once saw Master Zhen show a picture of Wu Yue's mountains and rivers, but that picture is from the young lady's handwriting?" ”

Zhen Jinshu said: "It was painted by the little woman. ”

Xie Xiangcun stared at Zhen Jinshu again, and once again saluted respectfully: "Disrespectful, disrespectful. Miss Zhen is only eight years old, she is really admirable, and she is more than enough to be my husband. Unfortunately, I don't read much, so I don't have the blessing to listen to the teachings. But the lecture and reading of adults, and the ink treasure of young lady, I will definitely dedicate it to the treasure and study it with my heart. In order to live up to the love of adults and young ladies for book gifts. ”

Zhen Jinshu said sincerely: "If Xie Guards encounter difficulties when reading the papers, they can record them." If I happen to know, I want to know everything. After saying that, he was shy and hard to win, and slowly lowered the curtain, which was equivalent to an invitation to "there will be a period later".

Xie Xiangcun said: "I was supposed to escort the young lady back to the house, but unfortunately I was forbidden by the king's decree, and I was ordered not to leave Luocheng recently." I hope the lady will forgive me. ”

Zhen Jinshu said: "It's okay, the little woman says goodbye." ”

Xie Xiangcun bowed again.

The attendants gathered around Zhen Jinshu's carriage and turned around and left. Zhen Jinshu was in the carriage, looking back. Seeing that Xie Xiangcun was still watching, a warmth rose in his heart, Xie Xiangcun greeted him personally, Zhen Jinshu felt that a man like this was so careful, it was rare. In fact, Zhen Jinshu is more than four years older than Xie Xiangcun, but Xie Xiangcun has suffered a lot since he was a child, and in terms of mind alone, he far exceeds children of the same age, which does not make Zhen Jinshu, who is used to seeing many talented people under his father, feel young and naïve. And Xie Xiangcun's graceful and abundant appearance is beyond the reach of those men.