"Thank you, Fourth Sister." Duanmu Heng thanked him solemnly.

"Big brother, I'm busy every day." Duanmu Fei couldn't help but say without a beginning, she skipped the class she studied, but she wasn't lazy, she did a lot of things every day.

Her words instantly dispelled the originally somewhat solemn atmosphere in the study, Duanmu Xian and Duanmu Heng both heard what she meant, and the faces of both grandparents and grandchildren couldn't help but smile.

How lazy Duanmu Fei is on weekdays, don't they know yet?!

Duanmuxian asked Duanmufei to sit down, and then instructed the maid to serve tea, and no longer said Qiuqiu. In fact, Mr. Liu must have already instructed the matters that should be instructed, and Duanmu Xian also committed the common problem of having candidates in his family, so he couldn't help but tell him again.

The maid served tea to the three grandchildren, and lit the lamp in the study, and the room suddenly brightened, and the sky outside became gray without knowing it.

After taking a few sips of Pu'er tea, Duanmuxian's mood calmed down a lot, and he leaned on the back of the Taishi chair relaxedly.

Good tea! Duanmu sipped one bite after another with satisfaction, his eyes crooked.

She asked curiously, "Grandfather, what are you doing today?" "In the past hundred years of Pu'er, Duanmuxian has been treasured as a treasure on weekdays, and it is not easy to take it out to entertain people.

Duanmuxian smiled triumphantly, feeling that the fourth granddaughter was really eye-catching, not as wooden as the eldest grandson.

"Today, the tribes of the Northland have given six hundred thousand taels of silver." Duanmu Xian smiled, secretly relieved in his heart, this can be regarded as a solution to his urgent need.

The more Duanmu Xian thought about it, the more he felt that his four granddaughters were smart, and this opportunity was too good, much more effective than when he had been soaking with them for more than a month before!

Duanmuxian stroked his beard a little proudly, and talked eloquently about what happened after the Halloween Festival.

The emperor had promised the princes of those tribes that they would go back after the festival of longevity. But after the emperor went to Qixia Racecourse that day, he casually found an excuse and asked these princes to go down to the south of the Yangtze River with him.

Now, not only Prince Gilles, but even the princes of several other tribes knew that things were not going well.

However, they have no way to go in the capital, Geng Anhao is now anxious, and he has no time to pay attention to them, they also want to go over and ask to see the big red man Cen Yin in front of the emperor, but they can't see anyone at all, they can only ask for the first assistant Duanmu Xian.

Of course, Duanmuxian would not be polite to them, and euphemistically said his various difficulties now, but he didn't accept them.

These princes are not stupid people, of course they understood Duanmuxian's hints, and they secretly scolded Duanmuxian for taking advantage of the fire to rob, but there was really no other way, and they didn't want to follow the emperor to Jiangnan......

After hesitating for several days, today, they specially came to the Hubu Yamen to see Duanmuxian, and "voluntarily" honored the emperor with 600,000 taels of silver.

Duanmuxian solved a big problem, naturally he was relieved, and hurriedly entered the palace to give the emperor.

However, this good news did not make the emperor happy.

In fact, the emperor's wariness of these tribes became even heavier: these barbarian tribes in the northwest and north could casually come up with so much silver, which was a full 600,000 taels, which meant that their accumulation must be far more than that.

The emperor was even more reluctant to let them go back to the northwest and north, but the problem was that these princes had been in the capital for a year, and they had indeed stayed too long. They all gave this huge amount of money, and if he still forced people to stay, he was afraid that he would force them to be in a hurry, and the dog jumped over the wall in a hurry......

These entanglements of the emperor, Duanmu Xian should not know.

The most important thing for him is -

"I finally raised the money needed for the southern tour." Duanmu Xian stroked his beard and smiled with relief.

It took more than 600,000 taels of silver to barely gather the silver of the Southern Tour, but thinking of this, Duanmu Heng felt a heavy heart.

He frowned, raised his eyes to look at Duanmu Xian, and asked, "Grandfather, how much silver will the emperor want in Jiangnan next time?" ”

Duanmuxian stretched out his right hand and compared three fingers.

Of course, this "three" will not be 30,000, nor will it be 300,000...... That's three million taels of silver. Duanmu Heng was silent, and Junyi's face showed an extremely complicated look, shocked, sighed, and more disapproving.

Duanmu Heng has been following Duanmu Xian for more than a year, and he is not the Duanmu Heng who didn't listen to anything outside the window before, so he also knows that the treasury is empty now, that several states suffered from snowstorms last year, that the war in the south burns silver, and that even the grain and grass in the south are barely supplied by salt introduction......

However, now the emperor wants to spend a full three million taels of silver to travel the mountains and rivers!

Duanmu Heng's heart was not very comfortable, he pursed the corners of his lips, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and finally couldn't help asking: "Grandfather, what kind of person is Emperor Chongming?" ”

After the words fell, even Duanmu Fei unexpectedly raised his head from the Pu'er tea and blinked.

There was silence in the study, and the light of the fire jumped slightly in the lampshade.

Duanmu Xian was also a little surprised, and his eyes looked at the ups and downs of the tea leaves in the orange-red tea soup.

Silence crept through the study.

When Duanmu Heng almost thought that Duanmu Xian would not speak, Duanmu Xian spoke: "Emperor Chongming has been in power for three years, clarifying the rule of officials, punishing corruption, sorting out expenditures, and increasing his income. ”

There was silence in the room again, and a pin drop could be heard.

Duanmuxian picked up the teacup and took a sip of hot tea, and then said: "Emperor Chongming's reign is too short, it is difficult to say what will happen in the future...... In the years when he had just succeeded to the throne, he also worked hard, and later ......"

A faint sigh escaped from Duanmu Xian's lips, and he didn't say anything about what happened now, what happened "later", they all knew it.

In the history of the Central Plains, I don't know how many kings worked hard to establish a prosperous era when they were young, but as the years passed, they gradually lost themselves and finally decayed and degenerated......

Duanmu Heng didn't ask any more questions, but his body was slightly tense, his eyes were as deep as ink, and the whole person was a little depressed.

Duanmu Xian looked at his grandson and hurriedly reassured: "Brother Heng, don't think about it. ”

Duanmu Xian suddenly regretted a little in his heart, he shouldn't have said so much to his grandson before the autumn was approaching, and his grandson's heart was disturbed.

Duanmu Fei saw that his tea cup was empty, and with a smile, he first added tea to himself, and then added tea to Duanmu Xian and Duanmu Heng, and said earnestly: "Big brother, I will send you to the Gongyuan tomorrow." ”

"Fourth sister, you want to skip class again?!" Duanmu Heng frowned, and reprimanded righteously, "Fourth sister, don't keep thinking of ways to skip class......

As soon as Duanmu Heng trained Duanmu Fei, he talked endlessly, and he didn't think about it anymore.

At present, for Duanmu Heng, the autumn is the most important thing.

Early in the morning of August 12, there was a crowd of people at the gate of the Gongyuan Academy, including candidates who came to take the examination and family members who came to send the examination.

"Big brother, you have to be careful about your body!"

Duanmu Fei poked her head out of the carriage and waved goodbye to Duanmu Heng, although Duanmu Heng asked her not to come, but Duanmu Heng was different, so she simply begged Duanmu Xian, and said that she would send Duanmu Heng instead of Duanmu Xian.

Duanmu Heng glanced back at his sister, and his originally nervous mood suddenly relaxed, he smiled slightly, the corners of his lips curled slightly, and walked in.

Duanmu Fei saw Duanmu Heng's back disappear at the door of the Gongyuan, so he retracted his head into the carriage.

As she lowered the curtains, she said to the coachman, "Let's go back...... Wait a minute. While speaking, Duanmufei suddenly saw a few somewhat familiar figures, raised his hand to raise the curtain of the carriage, and looked across the street.

At the door of a teahouse not far away, two young girls were talking to a young man wearing a willow blue moire straight jacket, and the boy was holding a burden in his hand, and it looked like he was going to participate in the spring festival today.

Duanmu Fei blinked, and it turned out that Wang Tingwei, the second son of the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion, also participated in this autumn festival.

Although the Wang family is a marquis, only the eldest son of the eldest son of the Changfang can inherit the title, and the other children still have to work hard for their own future, or take the merit test, or enlist in the army, or go to the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division and other places to mix idle.

This second son of Wang was young and fell into Xiucai, and he obviously has some real talent.

At this time, Wang Tingwei said goodbye to Wang Wanru and Ji Lanzhou who came to send the exam, and went to the gate of the Tribute Courtyard with his baggage to line up, and followed the team into the Tribute Courtyard, leaving only Wang Wanru and Ji Lanzhou still standing in place.

Ji Lanzhou's pink cherry lips moved slightly, as if he had said something.

Wang Wanru's originally smiling face changed in an instant, turning her face like turning a book, and her beautiful face was full of disgust.

"Cousin Lan Zhou, of course my brother can win, I don't need you to pray to God and worship Buddha for him!"

"If you have time to worry about others, think more about yourself!"

Wang Wan looked at Ji Lanzhou arrogantly, with a contemptuous expression and a cold look in her eyes.

Ji Lanzhou rubbed his handkerchief, his slender body shrank for a moment, as if he was a little afraid, and his eyes wandered to the tips of his shoes.

Wang Wanru was even more impatient, and coldly dropped a sentence: "I made an appointment with Her Royal Highness the Third Princess to go to Huangjue Temple, you can go back by yourself." ”

With that, she jumped into the carriage, and with a wave of his whip, the carriage galloped down the street, drifting away.

Ji Lanzhou was the only one left on the side of the road, lonely, like a small grass in the wind and rain.

She looked in the direction of the carriage and looked around a little helplessly, and the handkerchief in her hand tightened.

Obviously, the Wang family only had one carriage coming to the Gongyuan today, and Ji Lanzhou was left behind.

At this moment, the vicinity of the Gongyuan is still very lively, and there are many people who come to send the exam today, and the number of people who send the exam is several times more than the candidates, including some civil mansions and scholarly families in Beijing, so many people have seen this scene of Fang Cai, and they are talking about it one after another.

Some whispers of disdain drifted into the carriage in the wind:

"I heard before that this Wang family is dignified and treats Miss Ji lightly, it seems that this rumor is really not exaggerated."

"Yes, my sister also told me that the girls in the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion kept saying that Miss Ji was a poor relative who didn't leave, eating and drinking."

"Doesn't the Ji family have a lot of money this time?"

"Isn't it, I see, this Xuanwu Marquis Mansion is really cheap and sells well......"

“……”

Everyone pointed in the direction of Ji Lanzhou, with different expressions on their faces, some sympathetic, some embarrassed, and some emotional...... It seems to be a drizzle of rain on the surface of the lake, with ripples as the raindrops fall.

Duanmu Fei looked around for half a circle, and his eyes were shining. She really didn't come in vain today.

Interesting.

Duanmu's cherry lips pursed a shallow arc, and he opened his mouth to give the coachman a command.

The coachman immediately responded, waved his whip, but instead of moving forward, he turned around and slowly drove towards the teahouse diagonally opposite, "Da Da", and the carriage stopped beside Ji Lanzhou.

Such a big carriage, of course, Ji Lanzhou couldn't see it, his eyes slowly moved up from the tip of his shoe, and he met a delicate and lovely face, and the other party poked out most of his face from the window of the carriage, his eyebrows and eyes were curved like a moon, and he smiled very cutely.

"Miss Ji, don't come unharmed." Duanmu said hello to Ji Lanzhou with a smile.

Of course, Ji Lanzhou knew the four girls of the Shoufu family, and also knew that the other party had lost his father and mother, and had only one sister.

She hooked her lips slightly, with a decent smile on her face, and blessed Duanmu, "Fourth girl Duanmu, TOEFL." Her voice was like the cry of a yellow warbler, graceful and clear, but also vaguely revealing a touch of caution and detachment.

Duanmu Fei's smile deepened and proposed, "Miss Ji, I'll send the girl back." ”

Ji Lanzhou was stunned, Duanmufei's words obviously meant that the other party should have seen Wang Wanru just now.

Ji Lanzhou's eyes flashed slightly, and he smiled slightly, "Thank you Duanmu Fourth Girl for your kindness." The Hou Mansion is only two streets away, and there are many people on the street, so I can just walk back by myself, and I won't bother the girl. ”

Ji Lanzhou rubbed the handkerchief in his hand, his cramped appearance seemed to be afraid of troublesome others, and he was pitiful.

Duanmu tilted his head, looked at Ji Lanzhou's eyes that seemed to be filled with water, blinked, and said meaningfully: "Miss Ji, my brother often trains me, saying that I am too lazy, I don't stand if I can sit, I don't sit if I can lie down, and of course I don't walk if I can take a carriage." He's a rigid person, and I'm obviously calling it 'borrowing strength', right? ”

Ji Lanzhou was confused at first, feeling that this Duanmu Fourth Girl was really inexplicable, how could anyone say that she was lazy with others, but when Duanmu Fei said "borrowing strength", her face changed instantly, and the corners of her lips tightened.

Although this change is extremely subtle, it still allows Duanmu Fei to capture it.

This Ji girl is really a smart person. Interesting, so funny. Duanmushuang's eyes shone like stars.

Ji Lanzhou looked at Duanmu Fei quietly, her expression changed from weak to gentle, she was still standing there so elegantly, but her temperament had undergone a subtle change.

The scenes that happened in Luhua Pavilion flashed quickly in front of Ji Lanzhou's eyes, and finally froze on the smiling faces of the four Duanmu girls.

Ji Lanzhou's eyes as clear and deep as autumn water are bottomless, and the pupils seem to be quiet and waveless, and the aura is compelling.

Suddenly, she smiled again.

But this time, the smile is no longer pitiful, but more generous, elegant and elegant.

Wise people don't speak secret words.

"Then I'll be respectful and obey." Ji Lanzhou blessed Duanmu again, and then got into the carriage, and when the curtain fell, it also blocked the eyes of everyone on the street.

After Ji Lanzhou got into the carriage, the carriage began to move forward slowly, accelerating little by little.

"Fourth girl Duanmu." Ji Lanzhou didn't go around in circles, and said directly, "I'm tired of sending me to Huashang Street." ”

Duanmu Fei gave the coachman a word, and the coachman shouted and began to whip, and the carriage galloped all the way to the west of the city.

The carriage was quiet, Duanmufei didn't ask much, didn't say much, just poured tea for himself and Ji Lanzhou.

The faint fragrance of tea permeated the carriage, and Ji Lanzhou moved the tip of his nose and looked at the tea soup in the tea cup. This is......

Duanmu Fei saw that she was thoughtful, smiling at her and winning, and said complacently: "This is a good thing, I only got half a can." She took advantage of Duanmuxian's good mood yesterday and rubbed it for a while before she got to such a point.

Ji Lanzhou's expression was even more subtle, this is indeed a good thing, a hundred years of Pu'er gold is hard to find, and not everyone can get it, and a little girl who is only a golden hairpin is drinking casually in the carriage.

The carriage continued in silence, the regular sound of the wheels echoing over and over again, until the carriage came to a stop after four or five streets.

Duanmu scarlet curtain glanced out of the window, and there was an incense shop outside, with three big words written on the signboard: and Xiangzhai.

This and Xiang Zhai Duanmu Fei also came, it was newly opened at the end of last year, the shop sells all kinds of sachets, incense and all kinds of dried flowers, customers can choose their own dried flowers, let the store help add the appropriate spices, mix into a unique sachet.

Duanmu Fei also bought some incense and sachets here.

"Thank you Duanmu for sending the four girls." Ji Lanzhou smiled gently at Duanmu Fei and owed a debt, "Then I will leave." ”

She was about to get up and get out of the carriage when she heard Duanmu say with a smile: "Miss Ji, it's too much." ”

Ji Lanzhou's movements paused for a moment, his long eyelashes fluttered twice, and he got out of the carriage as if he hadn't heard of it.

Seeing Ji Lanzhou enter Hexiangzhai, Duanmufei lowered the curtain and instructed the coachman: "Go home." ”

The carriage continued to move forward, and this time, it went straight back to Duanmu Mansion on Quanyu Street, and did not stop again.

In the next three days, Duanmu Mansion was calm and unwavering, only Xiao He's family asked people to go to the gate of the Gongyuan from time to time to look, but the gate of the Gongyuan was closed, and there was no news at all.

Until August 15, Duanmu Heng finished the exam and walked out of the examination room, and in just three days, he lost a lot of weight, his steps were vain, and his eye sockets were full of blue shadows, looking tired.

"Brother Heng, how did you do in the exam? I feel like I'm pretty sure ......"

As soon as Xiao He saw Duanmu Heng coming back, she couldn't help but ask long and short questions, and it was difficult to hide her anxiety, and she hadn't slept well in the past three days.

"Okay, second daughter-in-law, it's the same if you talk about it tomorrow." Duanmu Xian interrupted Xiao He's with a voice, and when his eyes looked at Duanmu Heng, his expression became kind again, "Brother Heng, you go back and sleep well first." ”

Duanmu Chao also glared at Xiao He's angrily, feeling that Xiao He's mother didn't know that he felt sorry for his son, so he hurriedly echoed: "Yes, Brother Heng, you can go back and rest, and sleep more tomorrow morning." ”

After Duanmu Heng retreated, he fell asleep with his head bored when he went back, and slept until the next day.

After that, Duanmu Heng resumed his daily routine, and Guozijian took a few days off because of the autumn season, but he still studied with Mr. Liu very seriously every day.

For him, if he didn't get into the autumn season, he had to continue reading; It's in the autumn, and there's still spring, so you still have to keep reading.

Duanmu Fei watched Duanmu Heng busy, and sent him a few days of snacks, and sympathized with him in his heart: Autumn and spring are the most sinful, as if they have peeled off a layer of skin, this is finally after the autumn exam, and the eldest brother will not take advantage of this to rest for a few days and continue to study intensively, it is really hard!

She didn't sympathize for two days, Duanmu Heng remembered this sister who always liked to be lazy, and took her to Mr. Liu's class every day.

Duanmu Fei only felt that her snacks two days ago were simply fed to the white-eyed wolf, and after resisting to no avail, she went wilted.

After the autumn, all candidates' papers will be corrected by the chief examiner and a group of examiners in the Gongyuan under the names of the candidates, and the results will generally be released after a few days. Before the results were released, it was the turn of all the examiners to be locked in the Gongyuan and stay at home, so that for several days in a row, the entrance of the Gongyuan and the nearby teahouse and restaurant were very lively, and people often came to probe and look around.

Those students were anxiously waiting for the results to be announced, both expecting and panicking, and the atmosphere in Beijing in the past few days was also a little delicate.

The emperor didn't care about Qiuqiu, it was just a township test, he was happily preparing for the southern tour, in the past half a year, for the emperor, there was no good thing, first the earth dragon turned over, and then the edict of guilt, and then there was Geng Hai's rebellion...... Finally, these troubles were finally solved, and he could go to Jiangnan to relax.

The only thing that made the emperor a little embarrassed was how to settle those unknown Northland tribes!

The emperor hesitated for a few more days, and finally, at Cen Yin's suggestion, rewarded the princes of these tribes and allowed them to return to their fiefdoms, leaving only three or four princes, including Gilles, and ordering them to accompany them on the southern tour.

When the princes who had been allowed to return to their fiefdoms heard this decree at first glance, their hearts that had been hanging for months finally let go.

They can finally go back!

Gilles personally sent away the angel who came to deliver the message, and he was so preoccupied that he didn't notice that the princes behind him got together and exchanged ears.

Mo Kemo was the first to speak: "A few brothers, I have always been worried that the emperor left us in the capital because he wanted to cut our titles and seize our fiefdoms......

The other princes looked at each other and nodded their heads, and they still remembered the lesson of Ashina's being cut down and seizing the title, so that they were all worried in recent months, and this person had lost a lot of weight.

"Judging from today's holy decree, it seems that the emperor has no intention of taking away our fiefdom." Mo Kemo touched the beard on his chin, and his face was groaning.

"Yes, the emperor rewarded us with a lot of cloth, grain and grass this time, and it seems that we are still too worried." A middle-aged man with triangular eyes spoke next.

Judging by the results, it is. Several princes nodded slightly.

Mo Ke smiled with relief, "Since the emperor ascended the throne, he has always been honored and favored by our northern clans, and now we can all breathe a sigh of relief and leave for the fiefdom as soon as possible...... However, Brother Giles wants to accompany the emperor on his southern tour this time, and I am afraid that it will be delayed for another half a year. ”

As soon as he said this, the expressions of several princes became a little subtle and complicated, and the surroundings were quiet for a moment, and someone suddenly said: "I remember that it was Gilles who said that he was worried about the emperor taking away our fiefdom, right?" ”

As he spoke, the eyes of all the princes looked at Gilles, who was sending angels in front of them, and their faces were slightly condensed.

"That's right, it's Giles." The middle-aged man with triangular eyes frowned, and there was a torrent swirl in his eyes, "Wait, did he do it on purpose!" ”

Deliberately, what deliberately?!

How many other princes haven't yet? There was a reaction and looked at each other.

Mo Kemo squinted, his eyes flashed, and he said to the middle-aged man with triangular eyes with some hesitation: "Kunzhao, it shouldn't be ......?"

"How not?!" Kun Zhao was a little excited, and his face turned red, "I think Gilles is clearly deliberately provoking our dissatisfaction, so that we can take the initiative to propose to the emperor to return to the fief, while he himself stays to please the emperor?!" ”

------Off topic------

There is a monthly pass red envelope, remember to get it! Now it's double! Hurry up and vote~ love you!

Tomorrow there is a stampede activity, the rules are the same as before, this time a pillow is also prepared, random drawing!

The winners of the 29th have been sent to the book review areas of Xiaoxiang and Book City respectively.