Winter, November, Chang'an.

Snowflakes flutter outside the window. In the study, Duobao shelves are full of books, and there is a belt on the desk, and a silver fish bag hangs from the belt.

The fish charm falls on the outside, and in the middle is the raised "same" word for verification, and the two sides are engraved with "Prince Zuo Chunfang" and "Zanshan Doctor Du Youlin".

Du Youlin was sitting on the Hu bed holding a book and reading intently, immersed in the scholarship of the sages.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, and his wife Lu Fengniang called "Lang Jun" in a panic and pushed the door in.

Du Youlin, who was disturbed quietly, immediately frowned and asked, "What's going on again?" ”

"Oh no." Lu Fengniang was so anxious that she stammered and said, "Wulang was bullied outside!" ”

Du Youlin put down the scroll and said impatiently: "Speak well." ”

"Liu Tao took Gorou to Pingkangfang, and I don't know which prodigal family had a conflict with him, and he ...... Hands-on. ”

"Brute, dare you go to such a place." Du Youlin said fiercely, "Don't you bring it back?" Staying outside to ruin the reputation of the Jingzhao Du clan? ”

"How have my sons ever been to such places? It wasn't your eldest son-in-law who brought it. ”

Lu Fengniang's fat face was full of grievances, but she couldn't say it clearly, so she had to stomp her foot and turn around and call a small guy waiting outside the study to come in.

"Quick, you come."

Du Youlin saw that it was the little guy next to his eldest son-in-law, his eyes showed disgust, and he turned sideways.

"Back to Ah Lang, my family Lang Jun just wants to take Du Wulang to Nanqu for tea, Du Wulang saw the mansion of the right minister on the east side of the square building, and asked, 'How does the right minister live in this land of red willows and green flowers', just Ji Dalang heard it, and there was a quarrel, Ji Dalang asked Du Wulang to take it, and said that he would be escorted to the prime minister's mansion to make amends."

Hearing this, Du Youlin's face changed and asked, "Which Ji Dalang?" ”

"He is the eldest son of the Jifa Cao family of Jingzhao Mansion."

Du Youlin got up suddenly, walked out with his shoes on, and shouted, "Quan Rui." ”

Quan Rui, the housekeeper at home, was already waiting under the porch, leaned down, and stepped forward in small steps to respond: "The villain is here." ”

"Bring that beast back!"

"Let's do it."

Quan Rui then let the little guy lead the way, and hurriedly went out to Pingkangfang.

Du Youlin looked displeased, paced back and forth for two steps, sat down again, picked up the scroll and continued to read.

Long.

Lu Fengniang wandered under the porch and saw Quan Rui, the housekeeper at home, hurrying back alone.

"Where's Gorou?"

"The villain can't find Goro."

Jeon Rui was still panting, and while answering the housewife, he knocked on the door of the study.

"What do you mean?" Lu Fengniang was shocked, chased after him and asked, "What does it mean that you can't find it?" ”

"Ji Dalang didn't take Goro to the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, but I don't know where he took it, and the villain has left people nearby to look for it."

When Quan Rui said this, he wanted to stop talking.

Du Youlin heard the movement outside and opened the door and came out.

"Aaron." Quan Rui said in a low voice: "I heard that the people around me said that there was a death in Nanqu today, I'm afraid that the matter is big, did Ah Lang come forward to go to Ji's house?" ”

As soon as Lu Fengniang heard about the human life, she was so frightened that she was staggering, and hurriedly said: "Lang Jun, go and ask for ......."

"Shut up." Du Youlin grabbed his wife and ordered: "Look for it again, find Gorou and talk about it." ”

Quan Rui wiped his forehead and said, "Ah Lang, there are only more than ten slaves in the house, did the villain go to the Wei family opposite to borrow some people to look for them?" ”

Du Youlin looked calm, but he didn't have much idea, and asked, "Is it feasible?" ”

"The villain is going."

~~

This time, Lu Fengniang rushed directly to the corner gate and waited, anxious.

Finally, the maidservant Qinglan raised her hand and pointed, "Lady, look." ”

I saw two servants in Tsing Yi running towards this side, and one of them was still carrying a person on his back, and shouted to this side from a distance.

"Found it, we found it!"

"My son!" Lu Fengniang was overjoyed and cried and stepped forward.

The two Wei family servants were quite enthusiastic, and one continued to run forward, carrying Du Wulang into the courtyard, while the other comforted him.

"Don't worry, the lady of the Du family is alive...... The villain first probed, thought he was out of gas, and then probed, alive, alive. ”

It can be seen that they are also very happy to be able to rescue Xiao Langjun of the Du family.

Finally, the unconscious teenager was put down under the porch in the front yard of the Du house.

He looked to be about fifteen years old, and he was born with an excellent appearance, with delicate facial features, and even if his eyes were closed, he could make people feel good temperament.

It's just that he was only wearing a single coat, and there were bruises on his neck, which were obviously pinched by someone.

"My son ......"

Lu Fengniang cried and rushed forward, but the shouting in her mouth stopped suddenly.

She was stunned for a moment and said, "This is not my son." ”

"Isn't this Du Jialangjun?"

The two servants of the Wei family looked at each other.

"How can this not Du Jialangjun? We ...... when we picked it up."

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the gate.

Jeon Seo hurried back, beckoning a slave to put down the young man on his back.

"Quick, put down first, pinch people."

The boy who had been brought back this time quickly woke up and sat up from the porch.

He is fifteen years old this year, and like Lu Fengniang, he has a big round face, a collapsed nose, and small eyes, although he is not too ugly, he has a kind of cringeful temperament.

At this time, he seemed to wake up from a nightmare, his whole body was trembling, and he was still muttering something.

"My son?" Lu Fengniang pushed away the others, looked at it, and cried: "This is my son!" ”

"Gorou, are you alright?"

“……”

Behind the crowd, a Tsing Yi slave looked at it and patted his forehead in annoyance.

"Alas, this ugly one is Du Goro."

The steward of the Wei family hurriedly pulled away this reckless goods, sued Lu Fengniang, and led the people out of the front yard of the Du family.

"Is there no way to talk? You have to say it to your face. ”

"Uncle, I'll carry that handsome one all the way from Pingkangfang."

"I don't even know who it is, so who is to blame? You don't have to find out to Quanrui first. ”

"That's not for the sake of ...... Do you want to get more money? ”

"Speaking of which, the lady of the Du family really doesn't reward a penny."

"Pick."

As they spoke, they stopped.

I saw a corpse wrapped in a mat in the alley, and blood gradually flowed out from between the mats, staining the snow red.

"Someone really dead?"

"The little guy next to Du Wulang, I heard that his name was Duan Yan, and he was beaten to death by Ji Dalang, so Du Wulang fainted in fright."

The servant in Tsing Yi whispered, sighing.

is also a lowly private slave, and it is inevitable that the rabbit will die and the fox will be sad......

~~

In the study, Du Youlin held the fish talisman and rubbed his fingers gently.

Du Goro, who was kneeling in front of him, was already crying silently.

"The child kept saying, 'I was wrong', auspicious is that he refuses to let people stop, the child is pressed to the ground, I don't know how to make him stop, end the inkstone...... Duan inkstone...... Beaten ......"

Speaking of this, Du Wulang choked up and almost couldn't breathe.

Du Youlin sighed, sighed several times, and asked, "What else does Ji Dalang say?" ”

"He asked me, 'Can you swallow this?' Grandpa, let's find the second sister to ask Duan Yan for justice, okay? ”

"Bastard!" Du Youlin patted the case and shouted: "Don't think you have caused enough trouble for the Du family?" ”

Du Wulang was startled, his lips were trembling, but he still looked up at Du Youlin, his eyes were full of begging.

Lu Fengniang couldn't see her son like this, so she wiped her tears and said: "Lang Jun, Wulang is being bullied!" ”

"Enough, did Yoshidaro hurt Goro? Go to Jingzhao Mansion to sue him for killing slaves and maids, punish him with a hundred rods, and lose 50,000 yuan, and you are satisfied? Get out. ”

"Lang Jun." Lu Fengniang jumped to her feet aggrievedly.

Du Wulang burst into tears, his lips trembled, and said, "Grandpa, Duan Yan has been ...... since he was a child."

Du Youlin sighed, closed his eyes, and ordered: "Quanrui, bury Duanyan with the gift of a common person, and fulfill the friendship between master and servant, and the benevolence and righteousness of the Du family." ”

"Yes, Aaron."

"Let's all go." Du Youlin raised his hand and pointed at Du Wulang, and said, "You will be grounded at home from today, and you will rest and interact with Liu Tao in the future!" ”

"Big brother-in-law, he ......"

"You still care about that evil spirit."

Lu Fengniang didn't let Du Wulang speak again, and pulled him up and helped him out.

When he left the study, he left a small complaint.

"Before leaving the cabinet, she was also a famous lady, and she married into the Du Mansion to suffer such a wretch."

It was still snowing outside the porch, and the courtyard was quiet, and the servants were in their places.

Quan Rui followed, and said in a low voice: "The villain is going to do the aftermath of Duan Yan, the three feet of the pole, the nine things of the Ming Instrument, what does the eldest lady think?" ”

"But you know me now?" Lu Fengniang knew that the steward was nothing more than asking for money, so she said, "Ask Ah Lang to go." ”

"Ah Lang ignores mundane affairs." Quan Rui responded, so embarrassed.

Du Wulang then pulled the corner of Lu Fengniang's clothes and cried: "Mother, let's bury Duan Yan." ”

"A fictitious official, raising such a big ancestral house, and taking care of your two brothers, I ......"

Lu Fengniang muttered in her mouth, but looking at her son's sad look, she finally gritted her teeth and responded: "People die greatly, do it, and withdraw it from the account." ”

"Yes, there is one more thing, in the afternoon, Liu Lang's son-in-law said that he would go to a friend for help, do you want people to inform him that he has found Goro."

"He really thinks he's a big deal." Lu Fengniang scolded secretly and waved her hand to let the steward watch it.

She didn't bother to care about the eldest son-in-law.

"Caiyun, you go to Xuandu Temple and ask a real person to exorcise evil spirits for Goro."

Du Wulang was still choking and said, "Mother, I don't need to exorcise evil spirits." ”

"Look at you like this, you can't give up." Lu Fengniang stroked Du Wulang's shoulder, "Please, let the real person give Duan Yandu Bridge." ”

"Okay then."

At the gate of the outer instrument, Caiyun left from the second courtyard, and Qinglan came in from the front yard and said, "Lady, that little queen has woken up." ”

"You help Gorou to rest." Lu Fengniang said: "I'll take a look." ”

When Du Wulang woke up, he noticed the unconscious young man, and he was quite concerned and insisted on going together.

~~

In the porch of the front yard, the boy sat up with his body propped up.

If he was in a coma, he gave people the feeling of a noble and weak nobleman, and as soon as he opened his eyes, his temperament changed, making people feel a calmness that was extremely inconsistent with his age.

What's even stranger is that there is a dazed presence in the calmness.

"Xiao Langjun, which family are you?" Lu Fengniang asked, "Why are you in a coma on the road?" ”

The young man was looking around suspiciously, hesitated for a moment, and then asked very slowly.

"Am I not dead?"

There was a pause in between, as if he wasn't very good at speaking.

"You're not dead." Lu Fengniang said: "I was rescued by the Du family." ”

The young man's eyes were still full of puzzlement, and he nodded in thanks.

"Don't be afraid, do you have a name?"

"Xue Bai."

"But Hedong Xue is from the Xue family?" Lu Fengniang asked again.

Xue Bai shook his head, his eyes fell on Du Wulang's sideburns, and he looked very seriously, as if he was observing something.

Du Wulang was a little cramped by him, scratched his neck and lowered his head.

After thinking about it, he said to Lu Fengniang: "Mother, he seems to be sick, give him a bowl of ginger soup too?" ”

The ginger soup was boiled for Du Wulang just now, so Lu Fengniang asked people to bring another bowl.

After this time, Xue Bai got up and staggered to the door.

Still a little weak, he leaned against the wall and stood on the steps looking out.

Du Wulang couldn't help but follow, stood on the threshold and poked his head out, following Xue Bai's gaze to the west.

There was a pool of blood left on the side of the alley.

Far away, in the two-inch-wide picture between the Shengpingfang archway and the wall of the Wei house opposite, there is the traffic of Suzaku Street.

"Where is this?" Xue Bai asked.

"Chang'an, Wannian County, Shengpingfang."

"Chang'an?"

There was still light snow in the sky, and the courtyard wall on the opposite side of the alley revealed pavilions, layers of wooden bucket arches, heavy eaves and mountain-like roofs, and the beasts on the roof ridges stood with their mouths raised.

The wind blows the bells hanging under the eaves, making a clear sound.

"Which dynasty, which generation, which year?"

"Don't you even know that?" Du Wulang said: "Datang Tianbao has been in the past five years. ”

"Five years for Tempo?"

Xue Bai sighed slightly when he heard this, sighed a breath of white air, and drifted in the cold wind during the Tang Tianbao period.

His clothes were thin, and his lips were white from the cold.

"Load, not year, but load." Du Wulang reminded: "Xia is said to be old, Shang is said to be ritual, Zhou is said to be a year, and Tang Yu is said to be a year." Only Yao Shun's monarch is chronicled, and today's sage is more meritorious than Yao Shun, and it is said. ”

Xue Bai glanced at him, his expression confused, and there was no awe.

Du Wulang couldn't help but shrink his head and muttered in a low voice: "It doesn't matter if you don't read the book next to you, you must remember this matter." ”

"Okay."

"Where is your home?"

"I don't remember." Xue Bai said: "Dead ...... After I passed out, I couldn't remember a lot of things. ”

"Is someone trying to kill you?" Du Wulang pointed at the pinch marks on Xue Bai's neck with a small movement.

"I can't remember."

Du Wulang became worried, and went to Lu Fengniang's side and whispered: "Mother, he is lonely, shall we take him in?" ”

The maidservant Qinglan said: "Lady, the slave saw that there was a bruise on his ankle with a rope, and there was a burn mark on the back of his neck, and he was found in Pingkangfang, probably an official slave, who made a mistake and was thrown on the side of the road like this." ”

"Official slave?" Lu Fengniang muttered to herself: "I just have to buy another slave for Gorou." ”

Qing Lan saw that the mistress didn't understand, and reminded: "This situation is not good to enter the deed, I am afraid it is inappropriate to stay, in case of trouble again, after all, the Du family is not an ordinary door." ”

When Lu Fengniang heard this, she immediately hesitated.

Du Wulang hurriedly said: "But he will die outside like this, and he will have a curfew soon......

"Gorou has a good heart, and when he sees no one suffering, he can give some relief."

Du Wulang really wanted to take Xue Bai in, but his eloquence was far inferior to Qinglan, and he was so anxious that he didn't know what to say.

But this conversation fell in Lu Fengniang's ears, thinking that she had to buy another slave for the entangled relief person and also make a deed to be cheap, so she couldn't help but ask Xue Bai: "Are you literate?" ”

"Literacy."

Now that such a pale head in the West Market is not cheap, Lu Fengniang moved her mind and asked, "My son was frightened today and needs someone to accompany him." You have nowhere else to go, so how about staying and being a scholar for him? ”

Xue Bai didn't answer immediately, but carefully glanced at the people in the courtyard.

Qing Lan looked at it, only to feel that there was a scrutiny in his eyes, and then seemed to have made a trade-off in his heart before nodding.

This is not a posture that a teenager can have, and it is a person of unknown origin, Qinglan can't help but be a little worried.

But as a maidservant, it's hard to say more after fulfilling the duty of reminding, I just hope that he won't bring trouble to Du Zhai.