The next day, in the morning.

The vigil spring bud yawned, rubbed her eyes, and went into the inner room.

She flicked the soon-to-extinguish charcoal fire, walked to the bedside again, listened carefully, breathed steadily, and lifted the goose-yellow curtain with her hand.

The people inside were sleeping soundly, maybe it was hot in the room, the hibiscus-colored clothes were loosely covered on the body, and half of the snow-white arms were leaking outside.

Chunya folded the quilt again and exited the door lightly.

"How? Is Gege awake? ”

Qiu Lu saw someone come out and asked her.

"I haven't woken up yet, I'm sleeping soundly."

"That's good, I'll go to the kitchen and look at the porridge boiling on the stove, you take care of it."

"Yes, Sister Qiulu."

When Ning Yi woke up, it was already dawn.

As she said, this disease comes and goes quickly, and her body has become a lot easier.

She sat at the table, sipping porridge, Qiu Lu and Chunya standing on either side.

"These days, has the fourth brother been so busy?"

"Yes, these days, the prince only returns home in the middle of the night, and he goes out before dawn."

Yesterday, she clearly saw that he had lost weight, the originally fitting court clothes were a lot looser, and green stubble appeared on his chin, as if he was ten years old.

Although Zaifeng raised her as a daughter, he had never instructed her in such detail as last night.

I remembered the sadness and weakness in his eyes when he looked at him last night. Ning Yi felt like she was burdened with a heavy burden, has the current form been so grim?

In fact, compared to Zaifeng, Ning Yi is even more hopeless for the future, and now everything he has done for the Qing Dynasty, the energy and hard work he has paid, in the end, he is still unable to save the fate of the mansion that will collapse.

At noon, there were many more visitors in Ningyi's always deserted courtyard.

Although her fourth brother is not a wanderer, there are so many women in the backyard, Xu heard that she is fine, Xu heard that the fourth brother came last night, early in the morning, several women came to visit her with gifts.

This time, even Fujin came, and they all said that three women were in one play, and in this big drama of seven or eight women in the backyard, Ning Yi, the protagonist, was like a transparent person, watching his fourth brother and his big and small wives fight on the side.

Finally sent the person away, Ning Yi sat and pressed the corner of his eye, feeling that his head was swollen and painful.

Qiu Lu Chunya was also relieved, the combat power of this backyard woman was really terrifying.

Forbidden city.

A thin and thin little eunuch hurried to the palace gate.

"Stop, people from which palace?"

The little eunuch raised his head slightly, revealing a delicate face, and flatteringly smiled, "Hello two guards, the slave is Xiao Yunzi in the Liugege Palace, and I went to the Prince of Alcohol Mansion to send an invitation to Ning Yigege on the order of Liugege." He handed over the palace card in his hand.

The guard at the gate took it and looked at it, and after confirming that it was correct, he handed the thing back to him and waved his hand, "Go, remember to come back before the palace gate is keyed." ”

Xiao Yunzi nodded and said happily, "Eh." ”

When he was about to go out, a voice suddenly came from behind him, "Stop." ”

Ning Yi is in good health and has resumed classes once every two days.

An afternoon passed quickly, Ning Yi looked at the sky outside the door, it was gloomy and seemed to be raining, and said to the blonde girl in front of her: "Maria, it's not early, and it looks like it's going to rain, why don't you have dinner here, I'll have you sent you back." ”

Maria is dressed in a moon-white cloth dress, with her golden curly hair and blue eyes, she is a foreigner teacher specially found by Zaifeng for Ning Yi, an American, ten years ago, she came to China with Father Will, she lived in the Qing Dynasty for a small part of her life, Father Will died at the end of last year, leaving her alone to guard the church.

Maria looked outside, a hint of reluctance flashing in her gray-brown eyes, "No, I have to go back." ”

Ning Yi saw that her eyes that had always been clear seemed to be full of sorrow, "What's the matter, Maria?" If you have any difficulties, you can let me know and I will try my best to help you. ”

Maria bit her lower lip, "Ningyi, maybe I won't be able to come to teach you a lesson after that." ”

Ning Yi was stunned, "What's wrong?" Is something going on? ”

Maria didn't want to leave here, for her, in the past ten years, she was almost no different from a Qing dynasty except for her appearance.

It's just that she regards this as her home, but no one regards her as family.

In particular, since the coalition army entered Beijing six years ago, although the status of foreigners is high, it is also embarrassing, especially for Maria.

"The church has sent a new priest to take charge of the church, and I want to take Father Will's ashes back to the United States.

"So, will you come back?"

"I don't know, maybe it won't, it's a big world, I'd love to see other places, Father Will's wish is to free everyone from suffering, I want to go and see, maybe I can help them."

Ning Yi saw the longing in her eyes, and envied her freedom, although she was reluctant, she also knew that this was human nature, "Okay, I'll tell my fourth brother, I don't know when you will leave?" ”

"The time has not yet been decided, and when the new priest comes, I should go."

Although Ning Yi was a pity, he still instructed: "When the time comes, remember to tell me, teachers and students, I can't do anything more for you, at least let me give you a ride." ”

Maria smiled heartily, "I still earned it, I actually became Gege's teacher, go back and tell my friends, they must be very envious of me." ”

In this way, there was no time for two or three months, and Ning Yi's study life came to an end.

One afternoon, the weather gradually began to warm up after spring, and the trees and a few pots of flowers and plants in the yard sprouted, and new green appeared on the pointed ends, dispelling the desolation of the yard in winter.

Ning Yi was lying on the small collapse in the courtyard, with a thin quilt on her legs, a book in her hand, and a pile of newspapers from these days on the small table at hand. The sun is shining warmly, and today is a good day.

Qiu Lu stood aside, and saw Ning Yi holding the book in a daze. Ever since the little elder brother's full moon banquet, she has often seen Gege sitting alone in a daze, her eyes full of sadness and heaviness.

"Gege, I heard that the Double Happiness Opera Troupe has a new play these days, why don't we go and see it?" Qiu Lu didn't know what Gege was thinking, in her opinion, in addition to her own weak body, but the prince had always valued her, and no one around her gave her any anger, she didn't know why the heavy sadness that occasionally appeared in Gege's eyes came from.

Ning Yi came back to his senses and thought about it, it's better to go out than to be cranky here.