Early the next morning.

The pomegranate tree in Mingxi's courtyard was tall and growing well, and it was obvious that someone had been carefully taking care of it.

When the pomegranate flowers are in full bloom, the dense foliage is dotted with bright red flowers, which makes you feel good when you look at it.

Ming Shuxue came to Mingxi Courtyard early in the morning to look for Shen Hanshuang, and saw that she was standing under the pomegranate tree and looking up at something, so she stepped forward with a smile and quipped: "Cousin, this pomegranate tree is still blooming, and the fruit has not yet appeared, are you hungry?" ”

The pomegranate tree in the courtyard of Mingxi bears big and thin skin every year, the seeds of the pomegranate are small and soft, the taste is moist and sweet, Shen Hanshuang and Ming Shuxue love to eat it.

Shen Hanshuang replied in a kind manner: "If you are not greedy, this year's fruits will be mine, and I won't give you a share." ”

She doesn't happen to be in Luoyang every autumn, if Shen Hanshuang is in Chang'an when the pomegranate fruit is ripe, the Ming family will pick out the best ones from the ripe fruit in the Mingxi courtyard and send them to the Shen family or the Pingnan Palace.

Although the Shen family and the Mingxi Courtyard of the palace also have similar pomegranate trees, and the pomegranates are also very good, the Ming family will not let Shen Hanshuang miss the fruits of the Mingxi Courtyard in this first place every year.

Because this tree was planted by Shen Hanshuang's parents with her, the meaning is even more special.

Ming Shuxue naturally knew about this, put away her ridiculous tone, and said seriously: "These are originally my cousin's, and I won't fight with my cousin." ”

Shen Hanshuang paused, a little surprised: "I'm joking, why are you still serious?" It's just a tree of fruit, where is it worth fighting or not? ”

Ming Shuxue didn't say anything more, but turned to smile and asked, "Is that fat tanuki slave gone again?" ”

Shen Hanshuang was a little concerned about her cousin's words, but she didn't ask immediately, and only continued according to her words: "I should have gone to my cousin's yard again." ”

"Little without conscience, my cousin hasn't come back for a few months, and it has forgotten who is its owner." Ming Shuxue couldn't help but complain.

Shen Hanshuang smiled and said: "I don't often stay in the house, naturally whoever feeds it, it will be closer." ”

Although the raccoon slave was picked up from outside when Shen Hanshuang returned to Luoyang last year, it didn't take long for her to return to Chang'an. The cousin took the tanuki slave and kept it in his own yard.

Later, when Shen Hanshuang returned to Ming's house, the raccoon slave would occasionally come to Mingxi's courtyard to stay for a while, but he obviously preferred his cousin Mingshubai's courtyard.

Recalling the scene when he picked up the raccoon slave, Shen Hanshuang's heart was slightly stunned-

At that time, it was on the mountain road back to Ming's house from the well-dressed mound of Shen Hanshuang's parents, Zhu Yinzhou met the dying raccoon slave with her.

She had the heart to save it, but she was worried that Zhu Yinzhou, who had always been happy, would not like these roaming creatures.

But to Shen Hanshuang's surprise, before she could ask, Zhu Yinzhou silently picked up the raccoon slave first, and took it back to Ming's house with her to find someone for treatment.

In this way, although Shen Hanshuang raised it in Mingxi Courtyard, it should actually be Zhu Yinzhou who picked up this raccoon slave.

Zhu Yinzhou treats people coldly, but he rarely has a little patience with this raccoon slave.

Later, although Zhu Yinzhou never allowed it to get close again, when it knocked over his pen holder, Shen Hanshuang, who heard the movement and hurriedly rushed over, found that Zhu Yinzhou was not only not angry, but also lightly tapped the eyebrows of the tanuki slave with the tip of the brush.

At that time, his eyes drooped slightly, and his eyes looked at it as helpless and spoiled.

Such an intimate and familiar action, they have never been married for three years.

Shen Hanshuang had secretly eaten this little raccoon slave at that time, and felt that in Zhu Yinzhou's heart, he couldn't compare to it.

Looking back now, Shen Hanshuang only felt that he was really blinded by affection at that time, and he actually put himself so low, everything was based on Zhu Yinzhou's attitude.

She is not a living pet who needs him to save or raise, nor does she lack the slightest bit of ethereal pity and pampering.

Shen Hanshuang no longer recalled the past, took Ming Shuxue to a place under the pomegranate tree, and said to her with great interest: "The wine I buried with my father and mother back then is under here, pick a good mood, let's dig it out and taste it together." ”

Ming Shuxue also said happily: "Okay! But we had to hide it from my grandmother and father, or we wouldn't have anything to drink. ”

"My uncle and grandmother also have them in their yards," Shen Hanshuang explained, "and they have more of them there than I do." ”

At that time, Shen Hanshuang's parents made wine at home on a whim, not only buried the wine jar under the pomegranate tree in her yard with Shen Hanshuang, but also quietly hid a lot in the yard of her mother and brother.

"I haven't heard my grandmother or uncle mention it all these years, and they probably haven't found out about it yet." Shen Hanshuang guessed.

When Shen Hanshuang's parents withdrew from others and took her quietly to the two courtyards to bury wine, her grandmother and uncle were out of town. When they returned, the soil in the yard had already been restored.

Ming Shuxue's eyes suddenly became a little more expectant and cunning, and she boldly proposed: "Then why don't we dig out the wine secretly?" ”

"Where are you going to steal alcohol?" Before Shen Hanshuang could answer, a gentle man's voice sounded from behind them.

Ming Shubai was temporarily busy with the shops in the city, and only then did he find time to meet Shen Hanshuang and Ming Shuxue.

Ming Shuxue's face changed, and she hurried before her cousin spoke: "Brother, you heard it wrong. ”

Ming Shubai approached, glanced at her, and did not debunk it, but only reminded: "Don't make trouble, be careful that your father will punish you for copying books after he comes back." ”

"As long as you don't sue, my father won't know anything." Ming Shuxue muttered quietly.

"When did I file a complaint?" Ming Shubai asked rhetorically.

"It's clear that every time you do something bad, you only care about the end of the story, so that your father will catch the mistake."

Seeing that Ming Shuxue's eyes dodged and no longer defended, Ming Shu Bai gently mentioned his intentions: "There are a lot of new books in the bookstore, I picked some for you to bring back." ”

"A few of them are a bit interesting, and you can relieve boredom when you have nothing to do."

The words fell, and the little guy who followed him stepped forward with a thick stack of notebooks.

Shen Hanshuang and Ming Shuxue glanced at each other, and they both saw disbelief in each other's eyes-

In addition to the account books, the eldest son of the Ming family, who has always only read the books of sages, also has a time to look through the books!

Ming Shuxue naturally knew her brother's thoughts, but she asked him with a deliberate smile: "Brother, are you evil?" ”

Ming Shubai glanced at her, ignored the ridicule in her words, handed over a box carved with agarwood in his hand, and continued: "This is a snail Dai, you can use it and try it, if you think it's good, I will order someone to buy it again." ”

The snail Dai comes from Persia, this thing is precious and rare, and it is priceless. The Persian merchant who had some business dealings with the Ming family was also in the hands of this one. Because there were not many people who could afford the price, and he didn't want to smash it in his hands, he got it in front of Ming Shubai.

If the two younger sisters think it's good, Mingshu Bai wants to buy some more. Although the price of this item is high, the Ming family is not unaffordable.

At this time, Ming Shuxue and Shen Hanshuang were even more surprised.

Not only the script, but Ming Shubai actually brought back the snail Dai for the women's thrush today.

Ming Shuxue only glanced at it and then retracted her gaze, and said with a smile: "I don't like to use this, my sister just keeps it." ”

Such a good thing, my sister was born the most beautiful, let my sister use it, Ming Shuxue was happy just by looking at it.

Shen Hanshuang disagreed: "If you don't want it, then I don't want it either, let my cousin take it back and use it for himself." ”

Shen Hanshuang had found out before that her cousin always seemed to have to let herself do everything. Since she returned from Chang'an, it has been even more obvious.

Seeing that her cousin insisted, Ming Shuxue had no choice but to respond first.

But she still plans to wait for her sister's share to be almost used, and then send her own one.

Shen Hanshuang took the agarwood box containing Luo Zidai from Ming Shubai's hand.

When she was in Chang'an, she heard Yu Nanyu, the daughter of the Shangshu of the Criminal Department, mention that a snail was worth two hundred gold. There are not many people who can afford to use snail dai, and if you have money, you may not be able to buy it.

No matter how good the color of Luo Zidai is, no matter how good it is, what eyebrows are worth spending so much money to paint?

Shen Hanshuang said to Ming Shubai: "This thing is really expensive, don't break the bank in the future." ”

"It's okay, there is no shortage of these things outside the body at home." Ming Shu Bowen said.

Because she is too lazy to apply makeup and remove makeup, except for banquets and other occasions, Shen Hanshuang rarely wears makeup on weekdays, at most she can only draw her eyebrows.

Yesterday, it was also because of this that Ming Shubai bought the snail Dai in the hands of the Persian merchant.

He didn't say much about this matter, but instead reminded Shen Hanshuang and Ming Shuxue: "Recently, people in Luoyang City have been panicking, don't forget to bring some people to guard you when you go out." ”

Ming Shuxue: "Is it because of the Jiang family?" ”

Ming Shu Bai bowed slightly.

Also thinking of the murder he heard about, Shen Hanshuang unconsciously frowned.

On the night of the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, all the Jiang family members were poisoned and died.

From the old man, the housewife, to the janitor, the Jiang family has more than 30 lives, and none of them survived. The yamen was too busy to do it, and he also transferred a lot of work from other places.

The summer was hot, and after the servants finished the autopsy, the corpse already smelled. On the same day, Jiang Jibai, who was the first assistant, was entangled in affairs and could not rush back immediately to prepare for the funeral.

Fortunately, because of his acquaintance with Jiang Jibai, Ming Shubai had already helped him arrange it almost. As long as Jiang Jibai returns, the Jiang family will be able to handle the funeral.

"There are rumors outside that Jiang Jibai is a lone star in the sky, and he has exchanged the lives of his whole family for his brilliant future." Ming Shuxue frowned and mentioned.

She didn't believe it, but felt that the hearts of those who spread it were hard and bad.

Shen Hanshuang knew that Ming Shuxue was clear about proportion, and she still didn't forget to advise: "These words are false, just listen to them, don't take them to heart." ”

"Okay, I'll listen to my cousin." Ming Shuxue said obediently.

When thinking of Jiang Jibai, Shen Hanshuang first thought of his young age to be able to become the first assistant, and stood with the left and right ministers in the court, but when he was a teenager.

Jiang Jibai and Ming Shubai are of the same age, but they have completely different juvenile experiences.

Ming Shubai was well raised by his family, with a gentle personality, friendly and courteous, and had enough confidence and ability to choose the path he wanted to take.

But Jiang Jibai, who always wears azure clothes, was very quiet, stubborn, stubborn, and desperate to get ahead and protect his mother when he was a teenager.

Jiang is a genius, but he doesn't need to put in hard work. Shen Hanshuang knew that he had still gone through many years of hard study day and night to become the champion of Lianzhong Liuyuan.

Originally, if he followed the path of his predecessors, Jiang Jibai would have to stay up for many years before he could gradually be promoted.

However, the first emperor was eager to seek talent, and the left and right ministers had their own political opinions, so the first emperor tried his best to promote talents from among the neutral officials who did not belong to any of their camps to serve in the newly created official position of first assistant, and divided the power in the hands of the two ministers.

The time and place are favorable, and now Jiang Jibai is finally in a high position, but the Jiang family has only the soul left overnight, leaving him alone.

It's embarrassing.

Although Shen Hanshuang and Jiang Jibai don't have much contact, they have met a few times after they met unexpectedly many years ago. When she got married, Jiang Jibai also personally sent a congratulatory gift to Pingnan Palace.

"When the Jiang family holds a funeral, I want to go with my cousin." Shen Hanshuang said softly.

"The murderer is still at large, but the dead should be laid to rest."

Ming Shubai agreed, and said: "I heard that Chang'an will send officials to thoroughly investigate the murder of the Jiang family, and the real murderer can't escape." ”

What he deliberately didn't mention was that the person arranged by the emperor was the new crown prince Zhu Yinzhou, and he was already on his way to Luoyang.

Shen Hanshuang didn't ask much.

The case will eventually be clarified, but people will not be able to come back from the dead.