Soon after the end of the war, in order to restore production, the Qing Dynasty pursued a policy of recuperating with the people, and greatly delegated power to the localities, so the government affairs were light and simple. Lu Ji left the Empress Dowager's Palace, and there was no big event, so he took Wen Ping, Kang Chao and a few retinues out of Chengtianmen and went to the streets of Puchang City to wander around.

Seeing the continuous stream of pedestrians coming and going, shouting and beating gongs and drums, Lu Ji took a deep breath of the street atmosphere, and smiled at everyone: "Since I came out of this Chengtian Gate, I have felt a clear stream coming to my face, and the people are talking and laughing, not as lifeless as in the palace!"

Wen Ping said with a smile: "The master only said that there was a lot of talk and laughter outside the palace, but I don't know how many people squeezed their heads to enter this Chengtian Gate." The master is a long-time residence in the deep palace, working on government affairs, today occasionally have to go out for a visit, naturally feel that the Riba people are more clear than the spring and white snow, and we are different, for example, after the daily affairs are done, they will go around the streets, and find a place to rest at will, and they will not feel that the clear stream is not clear. ”

When Lu Ji heard this, he smiled and said: "Since you say so, then I will treat you today, take us to have a glass of wine, and by the way, taste the craftsmanship of this small people in the market." ”

After listening to this, Wen Ping laughed and said: "The master can be regarded as asking the right person, I Wen Ping has three good things in his life, one is a good soldier, and the other is good at practicing martial arts, these three are good wine." I've been in Beijing for many years, and I don't know what high-ranking officials are, but I know how many restaurants there are in this 100-mile radius, so I'll take you to taste the wine of the Drunken Immortal Residence, and let's go!" After speaking, he pulled everyone straight to the Drunken Immortal Residence.

When they came to the restaurant, the three of them sat down along the wine table, asked for a jar of wine, asked the shopkeeper to fry a few dishes, and chatted there.

Lu Ji looked at the drinkers around him, sometimes laughing loudly, chanting poems against each other, sometimes talking about the past and the present, and the disadvantages of the times, but he became interested and asked Wen Ping: "Why don't the drinkers here look like ordinary people in the market?"

Wen Ping paused and laughed quietly: "The master doesn't know, these drinkers are not ordinary villagers, they are all literati and ink writers, who often gather here, either to express their nostalgia, or to talk about the past and the present. ”

Lu Ji nodded, but saw one of the men with a handsome face, two brocade belts wrapped in a bun, and wearing a light blue brocade robe, and said: "I heard that a few days ago, my Qing court used the heads of captured Jin generals to commemorate those dead soldiers. ”

Everyone nodded, agreeing that they had heard of it. The man paused, raised his voice, and continued: "It's not that I, Ning Yu, are arguing about current affairs, but what this Qing court has done is against humanity. Heaven has the virtue of a good life, ants have a size of life, the swords and soldiers of the two countries are already devastated, the court does not want to compensate the living, reduce the killing, but behead the captives, and shed blood, in vain as an example for the people of the Qing Dynasty!" When the rest of the literati and writers heard this, they were first stunned, and then they all applauded.

Kang Chao listened to his remarks, he couldn't hold it back, and wanted to stand up and scold everyone, but Lu Ji held him down and whispered: "Don't be impatient!"

"That's a good point, what do you think should be done with those generals who refuse to surrender?" Lu Ji suddenly burst out of this sentence, breaking everyone's gossip at once. Everyone's eyes focused on the young man sitting at the table, dressed in a white brocade robe and wearing a white jade crown. Lu Ji was not ashamed at all, and was looking at the scholar named Ning Yu.

The scholar looked at Lu Ji with a smile, bowed to him, and said, "I look at Gongzi's look and clothing, I'm afraid he is a person who is entangled in economic affairs." I am an idle drunkard, without the baggage of officialdom, and there may be some words that are difficult to reach your ears. But since Childe asked, he will be ugly. Then, he picked up the wine glass, covered his face with his sleeve, drank a glass, and continued: "Throughout the previous dynasty, the ancestor of the world, Ji Gong, convinced people with virtue, conquered the country in the west, captured its lord three times, persuaded but did not surrender, so let it go three times, and became the lord felt his benevolence and righteousness, and was willing to return. If the court wants to become an upright country, it should practice benevolence and righteousness, imitate the sages, and treat the captives with sincerity.

Watching him talk eloquently, Lu Ji didn't say a word, just smiled and listened, but Kang Chao couldn't help it, and scolded: "Poor scholar, full of sour words, do you know what it means to govern the country, can you drive away the wolf-like Jin army with your mouth full of benevolence and morality? It's not my master......" Wen Ping saw that he was about to say something, and hurriedly poured a bowl of wine into his mouth, smiled at everyone, and said: "My brother has a big temper and can't go to the elegant hall, please forgive me." ”

Ning Yu Gongzi saluted Lu Ji and them again, and said, "This brother also has his own opinions, and it is inconvenient for me to say anything about him. ”

Lu Ji looked at his handsome son's appearance, but he was also polite, thinking that this person was virtuous and gentle, and it was inconvenient for him to refute it, otherwise he would seem to be rude, since he answered, he also listened, since he had his own opinions, then he gave up, and also got up and saluted: "We have passed here occasionally, and there are still some things to deal with, so we will leave for the time being." With that, he led the people towards the gate.

Just as he was about to stride away, a pink veil floated in front of his eyes, and he glanced at the two girls he had seen on the street a few days ago, and his heart suddenly swelled with excitement, but out of inner dignity, he deliberately did not look at the young lady. The young lady didn't care about him, she walked straight into the restaurant and shouted in a coquettish voice: "Cousin Ning Yu, I knew you were here!"

Although Lu Ji didn't look back, he heard the sighs of the literati and writers behind him, and knew that this young lady's beauty had aroused everyone's envy of Ning Yu, but he felt a sense of jealousy in his heart, and he was angry in his heart, and walked quickly onto the street. Kang Chao couldn't help but look back, and said to Lu Ji: "I didn't expect this scholar to speak sourly, but the girl is good-looking!" was suddenly reprimanded by Lu Ji: "Don't say it!"

Kang Chao was scolded by him, a little confused, looked at Wen Ping, and shrugged his shoulders. Wen Ping smiled mysteriously at him, and said to Lu Ji: "The whole world is not the king's land, the master is in charge of the world, even Ning Yu is the master's minion, what else is not the master's." ”

Lu Ji ignored it, and went straight to Chengtianmen with a sullen head.

"Cousin, what are you doing here?" asked the young lady who was still in the Drunken Immortal Residence to Ning Yu Gongzi.

Ning Yu said with a smile: "Just now, after listening to my acupuncture and disadvantages, a son had some questions, so I gave them one by one." ”

Only then did the young lady react and asked, "Is it the boy who just walked out?" The little maid also interjected: "Yes, not only Miss is familiar, but I am also familiar, as if I have seen it somewhere." ”

Ning Yu smiled: "Since you can't think of it, then don't think about it, save yourself from hurting your spirits, let's go back." After speaking, he got up and saluted the drinkers one by one, and said, "Say goodbye first, and let's continue our feelings here another day." The drinkers only looked at the beauty of the young lady, but they returned the salute hastily, and continued to watch intently until the three of them left the restaurant.

Lu Ji returned to the palace, and his anger finally had a place to vent, and he picked up the folds on the desk and smashed them on the ground, so frightened that the three palace maids hurriedly bowed down to pick up those folds. The palace maid headed by her is called Luo Chuan, the daughter of Jingzhou Thorn Shi Balhe, not only born handsome, but also resolute, a few days ago she was the one who held the lamp for Lu Ji, she suddenly asked: "Your Majesty, if you have anything wrong, just say it, why do you drop these folds?" Lu Ji ignored it and shouted: "Come on, copy the Drunken Immortal Residence for me!"

"My son has such a big temper, who is this provoking our king?" Everything is precious, at this time, the Empress Dowager Xu came to visit Lu Ji, and heard him angry outside the imperial study, so she walked in to take a look.

The three palace maids hurriedly got up to salute the Queen Mother, and the Empress Dowager Xu waved her hand to excuse them, and continued to ask: "I have never seen Your Majesty make such a big fire, what is the matter?"

Kang Chao was a little breathless, stood up, and said: "At the end of this matter, I will know, Your Majesty went to the Drunken Immortal Residence today to enjoy the light, who knows that a scholar who came from nowhere discussed national politics in vain, saying that my Qing Dynasty is a country of blood, which angered Your Majesty." ”

Empress Dowager Xu sat down on the dragon throne and said with a smile: "Just for this? My Ji'er is the king, how can the king have a sour book full of nonsense and useless?"

Seeing that Lu Ji closed his eyes and was silent, Wen Ping hurriedly stepped forward, hugged his fists and said: "The last general may be more aware of the twists and turns, that scholar has a cousin, who may be his childhood sweetheart, but she is rude and ignores His Majesty, such rude things, I am afraid that it will make Your Majesty unhappy." He said in a gulp, already knowing it in his heart.

When Empress Dowager Xu heard this, she sighed, and said with a smile: "My son is older, why are you still playing with a child's temper?" The two palace maids beside her both laughed, but Luo Chuan didn't laugh, just looked at Lu Ji quietly.

It was night, and the calm Lu Ji lay lazily on the bed, holding the back of his head with both hands, looking at the burning candle beside the bed, unable to sleep for a long time. He only felt that as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the smile of the young lady. And at this moment, there was a "squeak" and the door was pushed open.

"Who?" Lu Ji was shocked for a while, no one should dare to disturb him at this time.

When he looked at it again, it was the palace maid named Luo Chuan who was holding a new candle and walked in, and under the red candlelight, her face looked delicate, and her bumpy figure was wrapped in a lilac dress.

But at this time, Lu Ji's heart was full of the young lady, and he had no intention of looking at her, so he just moved his body and said lightly: "Put away this broken candle." ”

"Your Majesty can't sleep, do you have something on your mind?" Luo Chuan suddenly asked softly, this question made Lu Ji startled, and he suddenly doubted that her every move in the past few days did not look like a palace maid at all, but like a rather cultured young lady, could it be the idea of the queen mother. He hurriedly sat up, looked Luo Chuan up and down, frowned, and asked, "Looking at your appearance, it doesn't look like a palace maid, what flows from your eyebrows is the delicate beauty of Miss Qianjin, who are you?"

Luo Chuan hurriedly knelt down and replied, "I am Balkh's daughter, and I am ordered by the Queen Mother to serve Your Majesty. ”

Lu Ji listened, and immediately understood the twists and turns before and after, presumably the other two palace maids were also from famous families, he wanted to let her out, but he saw that her eyes were full of tenderness, and he looked at himself carefully, and he was a little unbearable in his heart, so he hurriedly raised his hand and said: "You get up, there is no one else here, I want to talk to you about my heart, you move a stool to sit." ”

"Have you ever had a feeling that as soon as you close your eyes, a person will appear in front of you, you will dream of her, and you will be indescribably happy when you see her?" Lu Ji looked into the distance and said stupidly.

Luo Chuan muttered, "I have, I have a story I want to tell to Your Majesty. ”

Lu Ji didn't expect her to say this, and she was ashamed of her abruptness just now, and hurriedly said, "But it's okay to say it." ”

"That was many years ago, at that time, Amma had only one daughter with me, and because he had no children under his knees, he pinned his hopes on me, and asked me to read the Four Books and the Five Classics, to learn to sing, dance, and sing, but I didn't want to, so he forced me, let the old butler always watch me, and how I longed for the outside world. Finally, one day, when Amma was not at home, I quietly slipped out with the old butler on my back. But I was not familiar with my surroundings, and I accidentally walked into a hunting ground. At that time, I was so scared that I missed my Amma, and regretted that I shouldn't have run out. Just as I was panicking and overwhelmed, a young man on horseback and a bow passed by. When he saw me crying there, he dismounted, and asked me where I was from, and where my home was, and I didn't know, and he was not impatient, but kept with me, coaxing me, and telling me not to cry, and then a group of adults came and took me out of the hunting ground. Since then, I have always had such a teenager living in my heart. From time to time I went to the hunting grounds, hoping to see him again, but he never showed up again, until the dynasty changed, and the hunting grounds came to life again, and I saw once again the boy in my heart, who I could still recognize, though he had changed and become unattainable. Luo Chuan raised his eyes as he spoke, and those clear eyes glanced at Lu Ji from time to time.

Lu Ji saw her stop abruptly, and hurriedly asked, "Later, did you meet?"

"See. Luo Chuan nodded, and continued, "But he has forgotten about me." ”

Lu Ji sighed and said, "That's a pity, you might as well tell me who he is." Those who can hunt in the hunting ground, except for the royal relatives and relatives, are those generals, you just have to tell me, and I will make the decision for you. ”

Luo Chuan was excited, he couldn't help frowning, and blurted out: "Your Majesty..." ”

Lu Ji nodded, sighed again, and felt that the atmosphere at this time was getting heavier and heavier, so he didn't want to talk anymore, but said, "I'm tired, you can rest well." ”

Luo Chuan got up and left with interest, and when he left, he still glanced back at Lu Ji, who was lying on his back, with tenderness and resentment in his eyes. She knows that this young man is up and down in the golden iron horse day after day, and the years have washed away his childhood memories, where does he still remember her at that time, not to mention, he may just be a passerby in his life, in a hurry, without leaving any waves. However, he left a world in his heart, a world on which he lived. Looking at his back, she sighed lightly and closed the door.