He also knew that Cui Fu held a puja for Cui Niangzi in Ci'en Temple today, and after the meeting, he deliberately left Pei Xiaoyuan and told him not to be distracted by travel in the past few days, and to take care of his mother's puja first, as for Lu Wusi's affairs, he would personally help him keep an eye on it.

Pei Xiaoyuan was very grateful and saluted solemnly, Han Kerang told him not to see outside, saying that he was also shocked by Cui Niangzi's righteous act back then, and to this day, his memory is still fresh. Today is the day of the death of the ancestors, and it is his first sacrifice after entering Beijing, as the son of man, how can he stay out of the matter, just as an extra vacation given to him, so that he can rest assured.

Pei Xiaoyuan had a plan for this matter, and his boss had specially arranged it, so he no longer shirked it, thanked him again, and then left the palace and came to Ci'en Temple.

Zhenfeng, the daughter of the Wang family, as she said before, was very concerned about the death day, and arranged everything properly. The Temple of Mercy and Grace knew that the Cui Mansion was the late Pei family lady Cui's practice meeting, and did not dare to slack off, so that the whole Guanyin Hall was used as the Dharma meeting hall for the next three days, and the person who presided over the Dharma meeting was also the famous Juehui in the temple, and often went in and out of the palace to preach Buddhism for the Empress Dowager and the nobles.

Pei Xiaoyuan came to the front of the Guanyin Hall, and the puja in the middle of the house had already begun. In the chorus of cigarette smoke and wooden fish bell chime, Juehui led a group of monks to recite the sutra neatly. Pei Xiaoyuan listened outside the door for a moment, and heard that they were reciting the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra. Then he walked outside the door, and the first thing he saw was the green head.

He had been sent here lately, and he should have been weary and tired, and as he heard the scriptures, he leaned against the door of the church, tilted his head, and fell asleep while standing. Surrounded by a large number of women, Wang was sitting in the center of the hall. The women were all full of pearls and greenery, and most of them should be relatives from the Cui family or the Wang family, many of them, Pei Xiaoyuan had never even met before, and they didn't know each other.

Wang Zhenfeng knelt on a futon beside Wang. In the Guanyin Hall, she is the only one dressed in a plain dress today, wearing a light blue shirt with a collar and a moon white skirt, which looks conspicuous. She was clasping her hands together on her chest, as if she were praying sincerely.

The servant woman of Cui's Mansion standing under the corridor made a little movement because of Pei Xiaoyuan's arrival, causing her to turn her head, and when she saw that it was Pei Xiaoyuan, her eyes lit up slightly, and she quickly got up and walked out lightly. Pei Xiaoyuan followed her to a vacant lot a little farther away from the hall, saluted her, and thanked her for taking the trouble for this matter.

Wang Zhenfeng hurriedly thanked him and said with a smile: "This kind of thing is originally handled by our women, how have you ever heard of men asking about this, not to mention Pei Langjun, you are busy with business." Besides, having Qingtou here has also helped me a lot, so why should Lang Jun be so outside. ”

Pei Xiaoyuan said: "Then I won't be polite to you, if you have something in the future, just ask." If I can help, I will help you. ”

Wang Zhenfeng looked at him, paused, and then saluted him deeply and thanked him in a low voice.

Pei Xiaoyuan waved his hand. After saying the polite words, she cut to the chase and reminded her that after the puja, tell Qingtou all the expenses and not leave any of them out. Wang Zhenfeng heard this, and was about to reply, when there was a sound of footsteps behind him, and he turned his face to see that it was Wang who came out. It turned out that a servant woman went in to remind her that Pei Xiaoyuan was here.

Seeing that the Wang family was walking in the spring breeze accompanied by several servants, Pei Xiaoyuan saluted, called his aunt, and then repeated what he and Wang Zhenfeng said, but the Wang family was very displeased, and blamed him, saying that Cui Niangzi was his sister-in-law, and it didn't cost much to do this ceremony, but it really cost a lot, and it was also a burden for him to be an elder, how could he want him to be a junior, if it was passed out, how would others see her.

Since she said this, Pei Xiaoyuan thought about discounting this expenditure as a gift for the next festival, so as not to quarrel at the moment, so he gave up and only thanked her.

Only then did Wang become satisfied again, and sent the servant woman away from the neighborhood, and then asked a few words about the saint's trip to escape the summer. Pei Xiaoyuan naturally didn't say much about these things, and said a few perfunctory words, and heard Wang say again: "This time your mother's law, your aunt is alone, even if she has three heads and six arms, she can't take care of it, but fortunately, there is Qiniang on the side." Inside and out, which place does not have the credit of Qi Niang. It's not that my aunt boasted about her family, for so many years, I have never seen such a good girl as Qi Niang, who looks like one in a hundred, is familiar with women's books, and is capable. ”

Qi Niang is Wang Zhenfeng's nickname. When she heard Wang praising herself so much in front of Pei Xiaoyuan, no matter how generous she was, she would inevitably be ashamed, and a faint flush appeared on her cheeks for a while, and she hurriedly wanted to leave, but Wang held her hand, so she had to stop and slowly lowered her head.

When Pei Xiaoyuan heard this, he solemnly turned to Wang Zhenfeng again. Wang Zhenfeng was a little afraid to look at him, turned to the Wang family and said, "Auntie! Just now, Pei Langjun has already thanked me. ”

Wang gently patted the back of her hand to show comfort, and said with a smile: "With your heart for Erlang's mother, he should thank you no matter how much he wants." ”

Pei Xiaoyuan's expression was as usual, and according to Wang's meaning, he thanked him again. At this time, the chanting sound in the Guanyin Hall stopped, began to summon the soul to cross the sea of suffering, for a while the cymbals were noisy, and the sound of the wooden fish was even more rapid like rain, and it sounded very lively. He smiled and said that he wanted to go in, and after speaking, he bowed slightly to Wang Zhenfeng, who was slowly looking up, and walked away.

After a while, I don't know what Wang and Wang Zhenfeng said again, and Wang led Wang Zhenfeng back and sat down.

Wang Zhenfeng sat quietly, waited until this period of Dharma was completed, and after taking a break, he quietly turned his head to look at the corner where Pei Jialang Jun had just been seated, and found that the other person was gone.

She found an excuse to come out and walked around the Guanyin Hall, but found no one. Finally, I couldn't help it, and asked the little girl of the Pei family, but I heard that the little girl said that the master just asked him to tell him that he had something else to do, so he went first, and the matter here was entrusted to her for the time being.

Pei Xiaoyuan left the lively Ci'en Temple, where he was doing rituals, and quietly came to a fang city in the southernmost corner of Chang'an with two attendants waiting outside.

Far from the downtown area, except for a very large enclosed orchard for the royal cultivation of peaches, apricots and other fresh fruits, the rest of the land is barren as far as the eye can see. Only near the orchard, around an abandoned temple, a few vegetable fields have been cultivated, and about twenty or thirty families live together.

Many years ago, in the Battle of Beiyuan, 800 heroes who followed the Divine Tiger General Pei Gu out of the pass to snipe the enemy were killed. Some of them, for various reasons, were left with orphans, widows, and old mothers after the war. The court placed all the men in the royal orchard and the women to weave cloth for the inner house.

Year after year, day after day, to this day, this group of people has been forgotten by the world. They were left to fend for themselves, as if no one could remember that in the desolate corner of the bustling capital, there were still dozens of such families. No one remembered what their fathers had done for the Holy Pilgrimage, simply because they had never been in the right place when the royal people were vying for the throne.

When Pei Xiaoyuan walked into this deserted temple full of leaky holes above his head, his mood was heavy.

All along, his uncle Pei Ji remembered these people, and every year he would convert the income of his Yulu and Hedong ancestors into money and ask people to send them here to help. But my uncle has not been in private business all his life, his sleeves are clean, and the ancestral grange is not big, and the funding he can provide is limited after all.

The old department, who had followed his father in the battle and died that day, their wives, children and mothers, their condition has not improved at all, and now they can only rely on these broken tiles above their heads to shelter from the wind and rain, and live a difficult life.

The grand ceremony being held in the Temple of Mercy and Grace was certainly a memorial to his deceased mother, but Pei Xiaoyuan believed that if his mother really had a spirit in heaven, she would have preferred to ask him to come here to visit these members of his father's old department on her behalf when the day of her death came.

He brought some money with him today, and he was going to distribute some to each family to express his heart on behalf of his mother. When passing through the dilapidated Tianwang Palace, the door wall collapsed, he accidentally found that there was a brand-new tablet standing in the hall, and there were two pillars of incense in front of the shrine, and the person invited by the tablet was his mother Cui Niangzi.

He stopped a child who had come up to him and looked at him curiously, and asked what was the matter. The boy was dressed in new clothes, and had a fruit in his hand, and before he could speak, he called for his grandmother.

Only then did Pei Xiaoyuan know that it turned out that someone had already come yesterday.

"It was a very handsome little man who said that he knew that our families had lived here for many years and came to see us. He gave each family two pieces of money, a bucket of rice, a leg of mutton, cloth, shoes, and even pills for headaches and dysentery! By the way, that Xiao Langjun also said that in two days, he will call someone to help us repair the roof, and it will rain in the future, so we don't have to worry about leakage anymore! ”

The movement of his arrival attracted all the people who lived here, and when he asked this, they began to talk about it, and everyone had a happy smile on their faces.

"Although the general and Cui Niangzi are gone, the Pei family still remembers us. Yesterday, that Xiao Langjun also said that he was the deceased of the late Pei Men Cui Niangzi, and he came to visit us on behalf of Cui Niangzi. Today is the death day of Cui Niangzi, and we have set up a tablet here. ”

As he spoke, everyone walked over and kowtowed to the tablet.

Mother's deceased? Handsome little Langjun?

Who the hell is it?

Pei Xiaoyuan stood stunned for a moment, came back to his senses, ordered his entourage to send the money he brought, and turned around and left in a hurry.

He came to the palace and waited in a remote corner, with a little uneasiness in his heart.

A moment later, Zhang Shun, the eunuch who had been out of the palace with the rain that day, hurried over alone, listened to him ask about the deserted fang, hesitated, and nodded: "Lang Jun guessed right. Ye Xiaolangjun did ask the slave, and it was the slave who told him that there was such a thing. ”

"He told me not to speak out."

Chapter 66

For the rest of the day, Pei Xiaoyuan had no intention of doing anything else.

The emperor didn't have to worry about his travel, and Han Kerang just gave him three days off.

Over there at the Temple of Mercy and Grace......

His presence or absence has no effect on the rituals.

To be honest, there is still some hesitation in my heart. But the sudden unexpected learning of this incident had a great impact on him. His hesitation was soon overshadowed by the emotion and gratitude that poured out in his heart.

Recalling the scene when he met her outside the palace gate in the morning, he had a feeling that he couldn't wait for a moment, wanting to see her face again and be by her side as before. Whether she was climbing the mountain or painting, he was there to pick her up and take her back to the city.

Pei Xiaoyuan asked from Cao Eun about the route of their trip today, brought Jin Wuqi, and chased them out of the city. The speed of the golden black horse was extremely fast, and the footsteps of the entourage were not strong, and he was soon left behind, so that he could not even see the figure.

But the heavens did not seem to be very beautiful, and in the evening, halfway through, there was thunder and lightning, and it rained heavily. He didn't bring rain gear, and he didn't want to delay his trip because of the rain, so he continued to move forward in the rain.

However, just as he stepped off the BMW, the wind and rain did not make it flinch, but in the wind and rain, it ran more heartily and vigorously, and so did he, and the weather did not affect his longing to see her in the slightest.

This night, when he finally rode alone to the place where the group of people from the academy settled down tonight, it was already dark, and he was even more soaked, no place up and down was dry, and the rainwater accumulated in his boots was almost enough to raise fish. But his mood was even more excited than when he set out during the day, and even had a feeling of hearty excitement that was rarely seen as a result of galloping horses in a rainstorm.

This courtyard is located in the foothills of the mountains, and the night rain stops, and the sky is silent. He patted open the door and saw that the courtyard was brightly lit, and in the direction of the guest hall, there was a faint sound of string singing and dancing, as if there was a banquet tonight.

Before leaving, he knew that the owner of this annex located at the foot of the mountain outside the city was Fan Ximing, the general of Long Wuwei. Although he and the other party usually have no personal relationship, the relationship is okay.

The person who came out to open the door for him was this porter, and I heard him report his identity and say that he had come to find a court painter who had stayed here overnight, and was busy bringing him in.

As Pei Xiaoyuan guessed, the porter said that a night banquet was being held in the hall, and the person he was looking for should be there at this moment.

Pei Xiaoyuan went to the banquet hall, and when he was about to arrive, he met Zhang Dunyi standing outside the hall.

Zhang Dunyi is the deputy general of Jin Wuwei who was sent to Yongning Mansion by Han Kerang before. In the morning, he also led a team to escort the cadres of the academy out of the city. At this moment, he was personally on duty here, and suddenly saw Pei Xiaoyuan walking wet and soaked, he was very surprised, and hurriedly came to greet him. Hearing him say that he had something to look for Ye Xiaolangjun, he immediately nodded, saying that the person was inside, and led him inside.

Pei Xiaoyuan asked casually, who set the night banquet.

Zhang Dunyi said that Yu Wenzhi, the prince of Xiping County, led a team out of the city to hunt during the day, and also stayed in another courtyard, and when he met the people of the painting academy, he changed his arrogant attitude in the past, and set up a banquet in the evening, and invited Song Bokang and others to the banquet. People are in there.

Pei Xiaoyuan couldn't help but be stunned.

Of course, he knew that Fan Ximing was Yu Wenzhi's boss and an old friend of the king of Xiping County, and he took good care of Yu Wenzhi on weekdays, and it was normal for him to borrow the courtyard outside the city to hunt temporarily.

What he didn't expect was that it would be the same day, and Yu Wenzhi also appeared here.

By this time he had reached the vicinity of the banquet hall, and heard the music in it, and the rhythm was rapid and excited, and he heard it, and it was a breaking music.

"Do you want to humiliate yourself and invite Ye Xiaolangjun out?"

Zhang Dunyi knew that Yu Wenzhi had some grievances with him, and he was afraid that it would be inconvenient, so he hesitated and asked.

Pei Xiaoyuan hesitated slightly, telling him not to disturb everyone's interest.

He ascended the stairs on his own and walked to the front of the banquet hall.

Slowly, he stopped.

The lights in the hall are brilliant, and there are banquet cases on the east, west, and north sides. Song Bokang and the others were really there, and everyone should have drunk a lot of wine, and their faces were full of red light. Song Bokang was even more drunk, he couldn't sit steadily, his eyes were half-closed, and he leaned crookedly on the bed.

She's there too. A man sat in a solitary seat, with his back to the cryptography, and was looking at the people in the hall who were dancing to the music.

The dancer is none other than half of the owner of this annex tonight, Yu Wenzhi, the prince of Xiping County. And the dozen or so maids who were supposed to be dancing and entertaining guests were all standing aside and watching the dance at the moment.

It turned out that the feast was in full swing, and they danced as usual, Yu Wenzhi suddenly stood up and drove people down, drew his sword, and said, the sage Cangshan's trip is imminent, and he is one of the participating warriors in the breaking array dance.

When the feast is at its climax, the host rises up and plays music or dances for the guests, which is a common thing, and it is nothing. But the prince looked drunk, and when he came out with his sword, his steps were staggering.

Everyone was originally a little worried, but he asked for this, and who dared to stop him could only watch him. Unexpectedly, he seemed to be half drunk, after the music was played, in response to the song, turn his wrist and turn his feet, and the sword light would move with it, sometimes calm and powerful, such as Yue Zhi, holding the momentum of the wind and clouds, sometimes fast, such as lightning cracking the sky, clear light flowing, sometimes striking, sometimes splitting, the posture is as strong as a dragon, and the waist and back are as agile as a snake.

A sword dance came down, making the people around him look at it intently.

Suddenly, at this moment, the breaking array stopped, and he closed his momentum.

With the last flash of sword light flashing through the air, he suddenly retracted, and the horizontal sword was in front of his chest.

Everyone came back to their senses, and then they saw that his last sword was to cut off a begonia flower inserted in a beauty bottle near his desk.

The delicate flower branch was lying quietly on top of the three-foot Qingfeng in his hand at this moment, and I saw him looking around with a smile, as if he was looking for the person who was going to offer flowers.

This sword dance is already very exciting, with both majestic strength and feminine beauty, which makes people look thrilling and dazzling, not to mention that the prince of the world is dressed up tonight outstandingly, red clothes, black hair and golden crowns, or because of the upsurge of wine, stop dancing the sword at this moment, it is even more like a peach blossom, and the eyes are full of glow.

When his two eyes swept over the people around him, the maids were excited, and they all held their breath and stared, secretly hoping that he could hand this begonia in front of them.

Unexpectedly, I saw that his eyes finally turned to the body of the Tsing Yi Xiao Langjun who had been sitting quietly behind the single case, settled, held the sword of the lying flower, and staggered away, and finally, stopped in front of the case, separated the case, and carried the begonia with a sword and sent it to the little Langjun.

This scene was too surprising for the people in the hall to see. Don't say that the girls are lost, Wang Chunlei, Lin Mingyuan and others who came out of the academy today were dumbfounded, and even Song Bokang, who was so drunk that he couldn't sit still, opened his eyes, and seemed to understand in his heart, why this son of the world actually consigned to today, and became so enthusiastic with these painters who have never had contact with them on a daily basis.

For a while, everyone looked different, and the hall was silent.

Su Yu's eyes lifted from the begonia on the tip of the sword, and he didn't know whether he was really drunk or fake drunk, he only smiled and looked at his Yu Wenzhi, looked at him for a moment, slowly reached out, picked up the flower branch on the tip of his sword, and then, got up from his seat, walked around the case in front of him, raised his arm, and put the delicate begonia hairpin in his hand back behind his ear.

Then, she smiled at everyone and said, "It's not early tonight, and the prince is not lightly drunk, so let's disperse." Come on, send the son to rest—"

Her eyes turned to the direction of the door of the banquet hall, and suddenly she saw a figure, paused, reacted, and walked briskly outside.

Chapter 67

Pei Xiaoyuan retreated to the porch outside the banquet hall and stood there waiting for her. When she walked up to her, he nodded to her with a faint smile.

There was a lantern lit under the porch, dimly lit, but enough to be seen, and he must have just walked a long night road in the rain before he came.

Her gaze swept over his body, his dripping hair, his damp clothes, and the heavy-looking boots on his feet, which were clearly soaked with water.

He should have noticed the unconcealable surprise in her eyes, followed her gaze, looked down and quickly looked at his own appearance that could be called extremely embarrassed, as if he was about to explain something, only to hear the sound of footsteps coming from the banquet hall, and Yu Wenzhi chased him out.

He took the begonia flower that she had just returned to behind his ear with his teeth, and held it at the corner of his mouth like this, his steps were a little unsteady, and he walked behind her, Fang stopped, looked Pei Xiaoyuan up and down a few times, and then loosened his teeth and inserted the flower into his waist, and then he greeted him loudly: "Pei Sicheng? How did you become like this? I almost didn't even recognize it! Hurry up, hurry up! I'm having a feast in the hall, and if you don't give up, why don't you come in and have a drink?" ”

His tone sounded extremely enthusiastic, and his posture was the same as that of his master. His voice fell, and without waiting for Pei Xiaoyuan to speak, he called the maidservant girl loudly to come, led the guests inside to change clothes, and first changed into this rain-soaked clothes.