Wang Xianghe and Wang Xiang, the eldest son who set off from his post, met on the way, and arrived at Chengdu City at the fastest speed, it was already the end of the golden autumn.

Jian Xiang, who has closed the door and has not seen anyone for more than a month, has not seen Wang Xiang who came to visit him as soon as he arrived in Chengdu City.

Wang Xiang entered the post house, sat opposite the old man Xie who had already moved into the post house and assisted in handling government affairs, drank tea and talked about the Jane's family and Chengdu Mansion for a long time, and sighed I don't know how much.

A few days later, in the middle of the night, Jian Xiang passed away quietly.

Jian Xiang's aftermath has been prepared for a long time, and when the sky is bright, the Prime Minister's Mansion is already white from the inside out.

As soon as Li Ran and Xie Ze woke up, they got a retribution, hurriedly washed up, and came out in plain clothes.

Li Ran's legs have improved a lot, and the all-solid wooden wheelchair is really bumpy and cumbersome, so she asked people to make crutches, prop herself up, and get in the car to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The prime minister went in from the gate, the snow was white, but it was very deserted, and the front of the gate, which was originally crowded with vehicles and horses from morning to night, was empty, and it seemed that the large open space outside the gate was extraordinarily wide.

Xie Ze and Li Ran were still a shot away from the gate, so they got out of the car, and Xie Ze helped Li Ran and slowly walked towards the gate.

Zhou E put her hands behind her back, looked back and forth in front of the empty gate, and followed behind Li Ran with a calm face.

Behind Zhou E, Huo Wencan and Wang Jian stood side by side, talking in a low voice, and Li Qingning walked behind alone, looking at the pale Prime Minister's Mansion.

Since the death of Jian Ruzhang and Jian Ruqi, Jian Mingzhe and his wife have fallen ill, and they have not seen much better.

Jian Ruzhang and Jian Ruqi's daughter-in-law, one guards the child and the other protects the child and keeps the filial piety, and almost does not go out.

The affairs of the mansion all fall on Jian Ruhui, fortunately, there is no matter in the Prime Minister's Mansion at this time.

In the main hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion, the coffin of the Prime Minister is placed in the middle, which is extremely huge.

Before the coffin, Jian Mingrui was much thinner than more than a month ago, and knelt in front of the coffin with a peaceful expression, as if he didn't see Xie Ze and the others who came in slowly.

Jian Ruhui knelt opposite Jian Mingrui, watched Xie Ze help Li Ran in, took a few steps forward on her knees, and bowed her head.

Xie Ze bowed slightly, and Li Ran bent his knees.

The group came out of the incense offering in turn, and Xie Ze motioned to Huo Wencan, Wang Ji and Li Qingning, "You guys stay here and help." ”

After instructing the three of them, Xie Ze looked at Zhou E, Zhou E pointed his finger out, and said in a muffled voice: "I'll go to the gate, I look at their gatehouse, it seems that no one cares." ”

Xie Ze snorted, helped Li Ran out, and got into the car to go back.

Wang Ji found a housekeeper and asked for three sets of filial piety clothes, and the three of them changed out, and outside, Old Lady Xie and Wang Xiang and others had already arrived.

There was an endless stream of people who came to worship, but there was no noise, no crying, no thanks, and no one even spoke.

The flow of people came in silence, incense was incense in silence, and then withdrew in silence.

When it got dark, Wang Ji approached Jian Ruhui and said in a low voice: "I'll guard, you go and rest for a while, a big family will support you, you can't get tired, please rest assured here." ”

Jian Ruhui hesitated and nodded, "Then I'll bother you." ”

Daddy and Auntie are sick, the second sister-in-law has been giving birth for a few days, the sister-in-law has been sick, and the uncle almost doesn't care about anything......

She really can't get tired.

Jian Ruhui moved to the cubicle behind the main hall, looked at the miserable white lantern shaking outside, stayed for a moment, walked out of the cubicle, sat on the steps under the corridor, and looked up at the starry sky.

"You, are you alright?"

Li Qingning stood at the other end of the corridor, stretched out his head to look at Jian Ruhui, who looked up at the sky like a stone statue, couldn't help it, and said with concern.

"It's okay, there are so many stars." Jian Ruhui turned her head to look at Li Qingning.

"Well, the starry sky in Shu is better than that in the Central Plains."

Li Qingning hesitated, took a few steps forward, looked at Jian Ruhui condescendingly, and felt that it was not appropriate, and took a few steps back, it was still condescending, not very suitable.

Li Qingning looked left and right, and simply sat on the ground, so that it was not condescending, it was much better.

Jian Ruhui watched Li Qingning advance and retreat, then sat on the ground, and moved back, quite strange, "Who are you?" ”

"I was standing too tall just now."

Li Qingning raised his hand and gestured.

"When I was a child, although I didn't grow tall, I grew early, and when I was eight or nine years old, I was almost the same.

Once, when my father saw the prince talking to me with his head up, he lectured me, saying that I was not sensible, so how could I let the prince talk to me with his head up? I should have found a low place to stand, or bent over my knees or something.

If I were to stand, it would be uncomfortable for you to look up. ”

"I'm not a prince." Jian Ruhui couldn't help but smile.

"No, I can't speak, you're tired for a day, and then you will be asked to tilt your head and your neck is uncomfortable, besides, I'm also tired, and I just want to sit." Li Qingning was a little embarrassed, he had never been very good at talking.

"You are the elder brother of Princess Rong'an?" Jian Ruhui saw Li Qingning's embarrassment and diverted the topic.

"This ......" Li Qingning sighed, "It's my brother, but I'm ashamed." ”

"Huh?" Jian Ruhui looked at Li Qingning suspiciously.

"You must know the princess's background. She had just returned to our house, from my mother-in-law, to ...... Everyone, it's not good for her, and so am I.

Now, when people see me, they all respect me as the princess's brother, and I am really ashamed. ”

Li Qingning sighed again.

"I can't say that, before the princess returns to your mansion, it's not your fault, after that, you must have your difficulties, just do your brother's duty in the future." Jian Ruhui explained.

"Yes, Huo San also said so, Huo San also said, whether my brother is good or not, he is absent-minded, Huo San is smarter than me. But that's the way it goes...... What you're saying is that the past is over, and you can only look at the future. ”

Li Qingning changed his tone halfway through speaking.

"How old are you to read with the Prince?" Jian Ruhui changed the subject.

"Five years old. At that time, I picked a total of three companions, Huo San and me, as well as Wang Xiang's grandson Wang Jia Saburo,"

Li Qingning paused and explained:

"My second sister is married to Wang Saburo. Among the three of us, Wang Sanlang is the best in terms of learning, and Huo San is the best in terms of kung fu. ”

"The Wang family is very knowledgeable. Huo Sanye is Huo Shuai's youngest son, and his kung fu is naturally not bad. I've heard Weng Weng talk about your father, it's rare to be brave, don't you brothers follow him? ”

"My eldest brother is quite like my father, my eldest brother was born for many years, my aunt has been with my father, the eldest brother grew up in the barracks, I heard my grandmother say that the eldest brother is carrying a knife to learn to walk.

My second brother was born in the barracks, but the second brother was born prematurely, my aunt didn't dare to take him with her, so she sent him to her wife, I was also born in the barracks, and my third sister was born in the capital house.

However, "

Li Qingning's words paused, and then continued:

"The third sister is only half a year older than the princess, and after that, Daddy won't let Auntie follow her anymore, and Auntie doesn't want to follow her anymore, at that time, the eldest brother will be older, and I can follow Daddy to march and fight, and my second brother, and three younger sisters, all grew up in the capital house.

Our family, you should know, people in the market, my wife did everything in order to survive. Our family has no rules, and there is no background, according to my wife's words, I don't know how to raise children, I know that I am well fed and clothed, so our children, except for my eldest brother, are not very promising. ”

"For a while, you followed King Rong'an to deal with government affairs, and they all praised you for handling it properly, how can you say that it is useless?"

Jian Ruhui looked at Li Qingning.

"Well, this."

Li Qingning smiled a little embarrassed.

"When Huo San and I first started to take care of chores with the prince, everyone praised him, and the prince taught me and Huo San, saying that this compliment is not because we are doing well, but because we are people around the prince, we have to praise, in fact, it is not a compliment, it is a please.

At this time, this compliment, and the compliment that followed the prince, are the same, not that I did a good job, but that I am in this position.

Can't be taken seriously. ”

"It's rare that you can understand this." Jian Ruhui looked at Li Qingning again.

"I'm a stupid person." Li Qingning sighed.

This stupid word, recently, Huo San has to say at least ten or eight times a day.

"You're not stupid." Jian Ruhui looked sideways at Li Qingning, "Are you married?" Got booked to kiss? ”

"Not yet, not married, not engaged. I'm stupid and ugly. Li Qingning pointed to his face.

Jian Ruhui wanted to laugh but held back.

"Then you have a fancy family in your family?"

"My mother-in-law took a fancy to Huo San's sister, but Huo San's aunt didn't take a fancy to me, and Huo San's sister didn't fancy me either, it's not that I didn't like her, I have always regarded her as my own sister, just like my third sister."

Li Qingning looked at Jian Ruhui carefully.

"Did the prince ask you to come to Shuzhong?" Jian Ruhui met Li Qingning's gaze, and Li Qingning hurriedly avoided it.

"Well, I said I was going to come with me to protect the princess, actually."

Li Qingning spread out his hands and smiled dryly.

"An Xiaowu often said that the princess should be surnamed An, and I said this because the princess is very powerful, and the prince is even more powerful, there is really something wrong, I think it is the princess who protects me."

"Does the prince know what you said?"

"The prince knows, how can the prince not know? He was very shrewd, Huo San said......"

Li Qingning's words came to an abrupt end.

"Say what?" Jian Ruhui looked sideways at Li Qingning and asked.

"Say," Li Qingning paused, "Say yes, that, I'm not married, I'm not engaged, I came with me, and under the banner of the princess's brother, Huo San said......"

"You want you to marry me?" Jian Ruhui answered.

"It's not...... No, no, no! It's ......"

Li Qingning was embarrassed by Jian Ruhui's simple and direct words.

"It was Huo Sanhu who said, I didn't ...... I'm too ugly, and I'm stupid, don't take it to heart, Huo San likes to talk nonsense the most. ”

"After Weng Weng is in the ground, my uncle is only afraid that he will ......"

Jian Ruhui's words paused, and after a moment, she continued with a slight choked throat:

"Even if I live, I'm afraid I'll never see him again.

My father and mother are sick, they are really sick, my mother is very angry, but she has no knowledge, my father, and I have no knowledge.

The sister-in-law was picked by A-Niang, with a soft temperament and never asserts herself, and the little nephew is only a week and a half and has just learned to walk.

The second sister-in-law was also picked by A-Niang, she is a very good person, and in ten days, it will be time to give birth, and I don't know if it is a man or a woman.

I was going to stay at home and take care of my aunt and grandma, and my nephews and nieces, but,"

Jian Ruhui looked up at the starry sky for a moment before continuing:

"If I don't have the support of my in-laws, I can't support the Jian family in the future."

"If you don't think I'm ugly, I'll ......"

Li Qingning looked at Jian Ruhui, didn't finish a sentence, his throat choked, and he couldn't go on with the rest of the words.

"You're not ugly, you're good-looking." Jian Ruhui looked at Li Qingning and said seriously.

"In the future, I will support the Jian family with you, don't worry." Li Qingning's expression was solemn.

……………………

Jian Xiang's cemetery was chosen by himself, on the halfway slope of a hill behind Qingxuguan, with his back to Chengdu City, overlooking Qingcheng Mountain.

The construction of the cemetery is also seen by Jian Xiang himself, it has been built a long time ago, the tomb is refreshing and simple, only accommodating a coffin, there is no hall in front of the tomb, there is no tomb road, and there is not even a stele stone.

Jian Mingrui watched Jian Xiang's coffin buried in the soil, and let people move the shrubs, grass and trees to plant, and lived in Qingxuguan, watering and checking every day.

Xie Ze, Wang Xiang and others were busy with the military affairs of Shudi, and they were busy almost day and night.

Jian Ruqi's daughter-in-law gave birth to a daughter, and Li Ran and Wang Ji went over every day to help Jian Ruhui take care of everything.

Li Ran almost didn't know anything about housework, and he went over once a day, just to show that he paid attention to it, and all kinds of affairs were taken care of by Wang Ji.

When the shrubs, grasses, and trees around the cemetery grow new leaves and rejuvenate themselves, autumn is over, and another winter is coming.

The ninth day of October is Li Ran's birthday, but very few people know her birthday, and even Li Qingning only vaguely knows that her birthday is about the end of autumn and the beginning of winter.

Xie Ze and Li Ran didn't plan to celebrate any birthdays, first, both of them were tired of celebrating their birthdays, and second, the current situation, such a big celebration, just added to the incident.

On the morning of the ninth day of the new year, as soon as Li Ran came back from Jane's Mansion, Xie Ze asked someone to send an invitation card over.

The invitation was signed by Jian Mingrui, inviting her and Xie Ze to have a banquet in the city tower in the evening to celebrate Li Ran's birthday.

Li Ran pinched the invitation card and came out of her mind for a while.

Jian Mingrui has been living in a few thatched huts behind Qingxuguan since he sent Jian Xiang into the ground, not going out of the view, not seeing people, only watering and caring for Jian Xiang's cemetery in the back mountain every day, this invitation abruptly gave her a sense of foreboding.

Xie Ze was also very surprised, and in the evening, it was still very early before Jian Mingrui's banquet, so he returned to the backyard.

"It's a surprise." Li Ran took Xie Ze and pointed to the purple invitation on the couch.

"The defenders and defense of Chengdu City, although they report to me every day, I didn't take over, but they are still placed with Master Jian.

Weng Weng and Wang Xiang both read this invitation and said that it was not appropriate to inquire in advance, and I think it is too. ”

After a pause, Xie Ze continued:

"It should have been prepared, two months ago, Prince Jian sent someone to ask me: Are you born in the late autumn, I thought he should want to know about Princess Leping's death date, so I told him. It seems that it is not only for Princess Leping's death day. ”

"Well, I'm a little worried." Li Ran sighed lowly.

"He told me about his back, when I went to the back mountain of Qingxuguan to worship Jian Xiang.

Sooner or later, don't think about it. Xie Ze hugged Li Ran and hugged her hard.

It was getting dark quickly, Li Ran changed his clothes early, came out with Xie Ze, got in the car and went to the city tower.

The car stopped under the city tower, Xie Ze bent down to pick up Li Ran, and went up the long stone steps to the city tower.

In the middle of the boxy tower, there is a bright red carpet, in the middle of the carpet are placed two comfortable armchairs, in the middle of the armchair is placed a low table, next to a long table, full of all kinds of snacks and food.

Xie Ze and Li Ran looked at the two armchairs in the middle of the red carpet in amazement, glanced at each other, Xie Ze looked at the little guy and asked:

"Where's the eldest prince?"

"The eldest prince said that he was entertaining guests outside the city." The little guy took a half step forward and replied respectfully.

Li Ran stood on the carpet, looked around, and was about to sit down, when there was a whistle outside the city wall, and a moment later, a bright firework exploded in the sky.

"Sit down." Xie Ze stretched out his hand to help Li Ran sit down, and he was also busy sitting on another chair, holding Li Ran's hand tightly, looking at the spring scene blooming all over the sky after a whistling.

One after another, fireworks roared and burst into the air.

The whole city of Chengdu was boiling, pouring out of the house, pouring out of the city gate, looking up with his head up, his mouth open, and staring straight at the fireworks in the sky.

On the city tower, the little maid quietly moved the screen to block the wind, and put a pot of red charcoal basin around it.

Li Ran didn't realize it, and just looked dizzily at the thick spring and summer blooming one after another, dreamy beauty.

This is about the Rong'an City when Princess Leping slipped out from time to time and met him in Jian Mingrui's mind.

Shi Nan hurried up to the castle tower.

"The prince, the princess, the eldest prince has ......"

Xie Ze stood up and bent down to hug Li Ran, "Go and see." ”

Xie Ze hugged Li Ran, quickly got off the city tower, got into the car, and went straight out of the city.

On the side of the Qingshui River, on the opposite bank, fireworks roared one by one.

On this side of the river, Jian Mingrui was wrapped in a silver fox cloak, his head hung down, and he was shrunk in a circle chair.

Xie Ze helped Li Ran, walked in front of Jian Mingrui, looked at it for a moment, bent his knees and half knelt, stretched his hand under Jian Mingrui's nose, and for a moment, as if he was hot, he retracted his hand sharply and came back.

"Gone?" Li Ran leaned on crutches and subconsciously asked.

"Hmm."

Xie Ze retreated to Li Ran's side, helped her take a few steps back, stayed for a moment, and motioned to Shi Nan, "Set up a fire and send the eldest son." ”

Shi Nan's gaze was withdrawn from Jian Mingrui, his head was lowered, and he took the little guys to quickly set up the pyre, poured oil on the pyre, and lifted Jian Mingrui and the circle chair together and put it on the fire.

The fire rose and burned into a fever in the blink of an eye.

One after another, the brilliant fireworks burst into flames.

The fireworks were in full bloom in the second half of the night, until a trace of morning light poured up in the far sky, and the morning light pierced the dream of the fireworks, and the heaven and earth fell silent, leaving only a strong smell of gunsmoke, falling in the four fields.

The fiery flames by the river also turned into gray ashes, and a gust of wind passed, rolling up the ashes, mixing with the smoke of gunpowder, and scattering in all directions.

Li Ran sat on the edge of the cart, leaning his head on Xie Ze's shoulder, watching the ashes on the ground be blown away by the wind little by little, until only the ground was charred black.

"Let's go back." Xie Ze hugged Li Ran.

"Okay." Li Ran looked at the empty sky, raised his hand, and waved it slowly.

Man has a soul.

May the eldest prince of Jane see Leping.

May Leping be Leping in Rong'an City.

May the little girl who has no name have already entered the cycle of reincarnation and be happy in the next life.

May from now on, the country and the people will be safe.

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