When the three of them returned to the house, Wang Gui, the little servant of Duanning, came up to him and said to him: "Fourth master, Master Tong is here and is waiting for you in the flower hall." ”

Duan Ning listened and hurriedly confessed to his grandfather and went to the flower hall.

As soon as Tongying saw him, she said, "But I'm looking forward to you coming back, go quickly, I'm waiting for you." Then he led the people out. Duan Ning hurriedly grabbed him and asked, "What's the matter?" You're going to make it clear. Tong Ying said: "That fourth child has finally ended his grounding today." I called a few of my friends who were with him, let's not eat wine, drink tea and eat snacks, as if he was relieved. ”

It turned out that the fourth elder brother Yin was punished by the emperor for one month for some unknown reason last month. Today, for the first time out of the palace, Tongying, who is good friends with him on weekdays, called the Tong brothers, Duanning and several other princes, and booked a private room in Yide Pavilion and invited him to have tea. The fourth elder brother was very appreciative of his affection, and his expression was also very relaxed during the conversation. Duan Ning was a little relieved when he saw him like this, and while others were not paying attention, he quietly said to the fourth elder brother: "It's okay if you're okay, my mother wrote a few days ago and asked if you were okay." She said that it rains a lot in Lingnan, I don't know how the capital is, and if it rains, you must remember not to get wet and catch a cold. The fourth elder brother smiled slightly and said, "I'm awake, you tell your aunt to rest assured." Duan Ning nodded.

Over there, Xiang Tongying laughed for a while, and then said to the fourth elder brother mysteriously: "I prepared a gift for you, just to relieve your boredom." Then he clapped his palms, and a man came in with a cage.

Everyone asked what it was, so he opened the cage and took out a little pug: "It's a pity that they sent it late, if it had arrived last month, you wouldn't be so stuffy in the palace." ”

The fourth elder brother was very surprised and hugged the puppy. Touching its fur, he said, "Is it really for me?" Tong Ying smiled and said, "Of course. Last time you saw someone else's puppy outside, didn't you like it very much? I just thought I'd get you one. Feel relieved. It is clean and taught from an early age. Doesn't bite indiscriminately. ”

The fourth elder brother touched the puppy lovingly, and the others also touched it curiously, and after a while, they hugged it and played, Tongying shouted "Don't break my gift." while stopping them from playing pranks on the poor puppy.

The fourth elder brother smiled and watched everyone joke, Duan Ning also watched for a while, and then whispered to him, "You like it very much, right?" He nodded, and Duan Ning said again: "Since you like it, why don't you tell us?" I can get you one, too. The fourth elder brother was silent for a while before he said: "It's just a thing, why bother with all the fanfare, Huang Ama will talk about my land." Duan Ning was also silent.

Tong Ying turned around and heard this, so he said, "That's right." Although it is my gift to you. You shouldn't spoil it too much on weekdays, lest people say that you are a plaything, which is not good for you. You are such people. It's not supposed to let people know what they like and don't like. ”

The fourth elder brother nodded, feeling a little heavy. Tong Ying laughed again and said, "But don't think too much. How old are you? Don't be like the old man. When you're free, you play with the puppy, and you usually leave it to someone to take care of. The fourth elder brother nodded again. Smile again and joke with everyone.

Duan Ning was suppressed by the topic just now, and just sat on the sidelines and watched them play. Tong Ying sat next to him and said, "I just told him, don't think too much, but you think too much." He has his own way of getting by, and you don't have to worry about him. ”

Duan Ning nodded: "I know, in fact, it was only because of Eniang's intention that I made friends with him at the beginning, and after knowing him for a long time, I felt that it was not easy for him." Actually, he is good, but he is a little more withdrawn, but it doesn't matter, I will continue to be friends with him. ”

Tong Ying smiled and hugged his neck and said, "I like you the most, no matter who you are, you can treat each other as a friend, even if the other party's status is high, you won't care." He turned his head to look around the room and asked, "This seems to be your family's property?" I heard that business has not been as good as it used to be lately? ”

Duan Ning sat up straight again and said, "There are a few more big teahouses in Beijing, which are no worse than here, no wonder this is the case." The storyteller has no fresh goods, so he has to take some old romance scripts to say, who rarely listens to them? ”

Tong Ying thought thoughtfully: "I heard that the original storytelling books were all written by your talented female cousin?" She is not in Beijing now, and your family's business will not be good? ”

Duan Ning sneered: "It's good that she's not here, it's tiring and tiring." My eldest sister cries at home every day, and the eldest brother originally said that he was good at the lack of officials, but now he has also given it to others. I really don't want to mention her. After a pause, he said: "A few businesses in the second room may be temporarily worse, but now I have thought of a way, and it will get better soon." That girl is the same when she is not here! "I'm back to the dividing line of the Earl's Court

After Duan Ning returned home for dinner, he was called to the study by his grandfather.

Harqi asked, "When you went out with Tongying Xiaobeizi today, did you meet with the fourth elder brother?" Duan Ning replied respectfully: Erqi pondered for a while and said, "Your grandfather has always been in favor of your dealings with the children of the royal family of the clan on weekdays. But you're not too young now, and in two years you should be in the middle of the march. In order to plan for the future career, to make friends at ordinary times, it is better to have a purpose, to be distant and close, and to be close to the place. ”

Duan Ning didn't understand it, so he said, "Please show your grandfather." Harqi said: "For example, you have a relationship with Tongying Xiaobeizi, and the past is just a reversal, but recently, King Jianjun had a conflict with Mingzhu Xiangye because of his eldest son's position in the army. How can the people on Xiangye's side be willing to give up? King Jianjun's family has a noble status, so naturally it will be fine, but it is difficult to guarantee that those people will not be angry with people who are close to their family. And one of the guards who made a mistake last month that your fourth uncle drove away was someone from the eldest brother's side. In normal times, this is just a trivial matter, but now that there is a new hatred and an old hatred, our family is easily implicated. In the future, you still don't want to be close to Xiaobeizi too Qingming Shanghe Tusodu. ”

When Duan Ning heard these words, he felt very uncomfortable. He had already heard of the dispute between Tongying's eldest brother Yaerjianga and Mingzhu Xiangye and eldest brother. Yarjianga has been training in the Jianrui Battalion for several years, and he is very outstanding in terms of background, military merits, qualifications, character, and prestige. It has long been decided to take over as the wing commander of the Jianrui Battalion this autumn. Unexpectedly, Mingzhu inserted a bar and vigorously promoted the eldest brother to this position, regarding Yaerjianga as a roadblock. And King Jian Jun felt sorry for his son and was unwilling to give in. This is the truth of the so-called "conflict".

For Duanning. He and Tongying have been friends since childhood, and it is really unacceptable to alienate each other for the sake of these "adults" vying for power and power. But he didn't dare to talk back to his grandfather in person, so he pretended to be taught. Bow your head and say nothing.

Harqi said: "Moreover, since you know the fourth elder brother, and the fourth elder brother is friendly with the crown prince, you should take the opportunity to ask him to introduce you to the crown prince." If you can get the blue eyes of the prince, he will succeed to the throne in the future, and you will naturally have an unlimited future. Take 10,000 steps back and say, you Ama accidentally offended Suo Xiang a few years ago, and you can also take the opportunity to accompany the crime. ”

Duan Ning felt even more uncomfortable in his heart: "But the relationship between the grandson and the fourth elder brother has always been sincere. Do ...... doing so"

"Confused!" Harzi reprimanded, "Is it insincere for you to ask him for a small favor?" Besides, what kind of identity you are. Who is he? Don't say such childish words! ”

He saw that Duan Ning bowed his head and was silent, and he was unhappy in his heart: "Why don't you speak?" You disagree? Hum. I'm afraid it's an excuse, right? Don't be like I don't know. Your brothers don't like to make friends with the prince or the eldest brother, it's Wanning's girl who is to blame! I don't know what evil she has fallen into?! She is happy to make friends with other brothers. It's just that I don't want to please the two oldest and most powerful! She herself does this, and she pours ecstasy soup on her brothers all day long, which makes you all unwilling to associate with the prince and the eldest brother! ”

He paused, and then said: "Do you know that others have told Shunning about good family affairs, but as soon as that kid heard that the brother of the girl was from Zhan Shifu, he refused without saying a word, and almost made the matchmaker unable to get off the stage. As he spoke, he grew angrier and angrier, slapping the table repeatedly.

Duan Ning persuaded in a low voice: "Please grandfather don't be angry, the second brother is also thinking about the family." Seeing Harqi's eyes, he hurriedly said, "Grandfather Rongyu." Although the grandson is young, he has heard some rumors outside. Now the situation in the court, the grandfather naturally knows better than the grandson. Dealing with the crown prince and the eldest brother and currying favor with one party may offend the other. Although the crown prince is the prince of the future land, our family is naturally on his side, but the eldest brother is also the eldest son of the emperor, and the prime minister is powerful, if they insist on making it difficult, what should our family do? Therefore, it is better to be far away, as my grandfather said, and if both sides are not close, they will not be offended. ”

Harqi was a little shocked when he heard this, he didn't expect this grandson to think so much. He was silent for a while before he said, "It seems that you have really grown up." Duan Ning bowed his head again and remained silent. Harzi sighed and said, "Go back to the house, don't say this to others." ”

Duan Ning whispered "yes", saluted, and exited the study.

When he returned to Huaiyuan, he breathed a sigh of relief. In the entire Earl's Court, this is the only place where he can relax. He went back to his room, picked up the book and read it, looked at it, remembered the conversation he had with his grandfather, and froze.

I don't know how long later, the second sister-in-law came into the house, and when she saw him sitting still, she called him: "What does Brother Duan'er think?" The lamp oil is almost burned out, don't you think it's dark in the house? Then he brought another lamp.

Duan Ning smiled slightly: "I was thinking about something, but I didn't notice it." The second sister-in-law took the book in his hand: "No matter how hard you work, you must pay attention not to damage your eyes, where did the two of them die?" I don't take a few more lamps, and the words on the book are so small, how can one lamp be bright enough? Forget it, you can rest a little longer. ”

Duan Ning said: "Okay, I don't read. Then he took out the letter from the bookshelf next to the table, and said, "I'll look at the letter again, and then write a reply." The person who delivered the letter heard that he was going back the day after tomorrow. ”

The second sister-in-law nodded and said, "It's okay." Two days ago, the trustee inquired about the matter has already been replied, the little Liu grandmother's husband's family, surnamed Guo, the son is called Xiaobao, living with his grandparents, life is good, I heard that this year is five years old, looks very strong, is a little naughty, the old man is spoiled like something. When you write to your wife, remember to write it and ask the grandmother to take care of it

Duan Ning responded, and the second sister-in-law babbled to take care of the little master's virtuous words, and he was not annoyed, so he listened to a sentence and took notes.

Suddenly, there was a sharp woman's scream outside, followed by a cry, and Duan Ning was startled and stopped writing. The second sister-in-law hurriedly rushed to the door and asked, "What's the matter?" Who's calling? A little girl rushed back from outside the courtyard gate and replied, "Mama, it's from Taoyuan, it sounds like Aunt Cuiying's *** voice." The Momoin side is closing. ”

The second sister-in-law thought about it, then sent all the people gathered in the courtyard back to do their own business, turned around and entered the house, and said to Duan Ning: "It must be that Cuiying who is going crazy again, since she had a miscarriage at the beginning of the year, she has made such a fuss from time to time, which is really annoying." It's okay, you don't have to bother. Then he went on to explain what he had not finished.

Duan Ning knew that this was the yin of the second room, so he didn't want to ask too much, so he concentrated on remembering the words of the second sister-in-law. At the end, the second sister-in-law sighed and said: "You and the girl are both my grandmothers, and I haven't seen him since the little master was born, I really want to see what he looks like." Duan Ning comforted her softly: "Second sister-in-law, don't worry, even if your younger brother didn't grow up eating your milk, he will still respect and love you." ”

He gossiped with his second sister-in-law again, and when she was gone, he sat down at the table again and wrote a reply to his parents and sister.