Chapter 231 Mid-Autumn Festival (Part )

The morning light at dawn gently shines on the bricks and walls of Anle Pavilion, making it appear peaceful yet a little restless.

Of course, the so-called pink wall does not refer to a pink wall, but a wall painted with white lime. Bai Juyi wrote in "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" that "a glance back and a smile makes all the beauties in the palace pale in comparison." The two words "pink and rouge" here, in addition to referring to beauties, also refer to pink walls and black tiles, which makes them look much more elegant.

So, among the pink walls and black tiles, Luo Xiaobei walked along the corridor, stretching lazily, and then leaned against the pillar holding a grass stem in his mouth, just yawning and calmly looking at the streets that were already starting to become lively.

In fact, this lively atmosphere has lasted for nearly half a month. The whole city is celebrating, and the vendors are making a lot of money. The fruits and vegetables brought by farmers are in short supply. Even the various departments of the Imperial Guards are allowed to take leave in batches to participate in the celebration. It is a prosperous scene.

But today is different.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. After the Tang Dynasty recognized it as a national festival, it has been loaded with the meaning of playing with the moon, appreciating the moon, and reuniting with the family during the autumn harvest for hundreds of years, so it is called a festival.

In addition, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, this nearly half-month-long bustle will stop immediately, which means that after today, if you want to have any lantern festivals, you have to wait until the Lantern Festival. The city will also continue to be under curfew, and there will no longer be the grand scene of all-nighters.

Therefore, for merchants of all sizes, it was imperative to seize the afterglow of this grand event and let the wealthy people of Bianliang make one last burst of gold coins to achieve their goal.

So today's lantern festivals and markets will naturally be more lively and noisy than usual for various reasons.

However, compared to Luo Xiaobei, his interest was not very high. At most, he was just a little curious.

After all, being in Anle Pavilion, all the new flowers in the city combined are not as beautiful as a banquet in Anle Pavilion. The dignitaries who come and go every day are all those who are willing to spend money. Often, the cost and creativity of a banquet they hold are more attractive than several lantern festivals.

But today his master gave him a rare day off, and there was nothing for him to do in Anle Pavilion, so naturally he wanted to go and see what the sight of lanterns hanging all over the city was like.

Although Duan Chengtian did not allow him to act alone and promised to go to the lantern festival with him after he finished his work at night, the thought of going to the lantern festival with his master was really boring.

Luo Xiaobei was different now. He was already ten years old and had long since grown out of being a child. Of course, he thought he had grown out of that. So he didn't really like Duan Chengtian to discipline him. Just thinking about it made him feel bored.

Moreover, Luo Xiaobei was already familiar with most of the territory of Bianjing City. How could Duan Chengtian capture him when he was already ten years old? So he naturally thought of acting alone.

Tonight, most people in the city will go out to see the lantern festival. There are few takeout orders, and there is no need to worry about running into Duan Chengtian's men. It is simply the right time and the right people. It is time to have fun all night. Luo Xiaobei has already contacted some friends in advance. In the past two years, he has become the king of children in this area. Even if it is near Daxiangguo Temple, who doesn't know him?

Luo Xiaobei was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night, so he kept yawning. He didn't know why he was so excited. Maybe it was because he couldn't help but feel happy when he thought of Duan Chengtian's anxious look.

I just hope this long day will pass quickly and night will come soon...

He spat out the grass stems, pretended to be an adult, and walked back to the courtyard from the front porch, but suddenly he saw a figure sitting next to the stone table.

And it was obvious that the other party also saw him, and his originally solemn face showed a kind smile.

Luo Xiaobei hesitated for a moment.

This man seemed to be an old friend of Duan Chengtian. He had seen the two of them together in the past two days, but Duan Chengtian had privately warned him not to have any relationship with this man, so he was a little at a loss.

But immediately, the man waved to him.

Luo Xiaobei thought about it and finally walked over with gritted teeth.

"You are Xiaobei, right?"

"Yes."

"I heard from Brother Duan that you have mastered his Silent Art... He praised me, saying that many adult masters cannot match your speed."

"Hehe, it's not that great." Luo Xiaobei felt a little embarrassed. At the same time, he was secretly surprised that Duan Chengtian would actually praise him to others. It sounded like a lie no matter how he heard it.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously asked, "Are you also a bad person?"

The man just stroked his short beard and shook his head: "No, I'm just a quack doctor."

"Then why did you come to Anle Pavilion?"

"I have a disciple who should be only six or seven years older than you. I am here for his business."

"So that's how it is." Luo Xiaobei patted his chest and said confidently: "Your apprentice should also be studying medicine, right? Anle Pavilion is not short of doctors, but you can rest assured, with the face of my master and me, Luo Xiaobei, as long as your apprentice is capable, he can be guaranteed to thrive in Anle Pavilion..."

The man was stunned, then shook his head and laughed, touching Luo Xiaobei's head: "Since you have Brother Xiaobei's face, it should be good. I heard from Brother Duan that you are old enough to study. Have you chosen a teacher?"

"What book are you reading?"

Luo Xiaobei raised his head back in dissatisfaction, obviously not wanting his head to be manipulated at will, and then waved his hand casually: "Men of my generation should practice martial arts. Studying is useless. Look at my lord, he has made great achievements on the battlefield, which has nothing to do with studying..."

"That's not what I meant..."

"Alright, alright, let's stop here. If you meet my master, don't say you've met me. Remember, I have something important to tell you. I won't say any more."

Seeing that this man was as boring as Duan Chengtian, Luo Xiaobei naturally didn't want to talk to him anymore. Fearing that he would continue to nag, he fled away like the wind.

The latter just smiled and fell silent again, as if he remembered something, perhaps the disciple who was as naughty as Luo Xiaobei, or perhaps he thought of the idea of ​​studying and practicing martial arts.

But before long, someone came over.

"Brother Yang is waiting for me here again?"

Yang Shuzi turned around and saw Duan Chengtian walking towards him helplessly, rubbing his face.

He stood up and said solemnly: "I wonder if Brother Duan has..."

Duan Chengtian raised his hand to interrupt him before he could finish. "Alas... it's useless to ask me. Shangguan Yunque hasn't sent back any news. If there is any news, it will definitely be handed over to the Lord. How can I ask about it? And you refuse to tell me why the Lord wants to keep you in Anle Pavilion. How can I help you?"

Yang Shuzi remained silent, and finally he just clasped his fists and was about to leave.

Duan Chengtian was obviously speechless, but after frowning, he still took a few steps forward, "Brother Yang, don't blame me for not helping, I don't know the inside story. I just want to remind you that since you are here, don't have any thoughts, and don't think about leaving privately. Without the approval of the Lord, you can't leave even with my help..."

"Thank you."

After hearing this, Yang Shuzi was silent for a moment, nodded, and said no more.

Watching his figure disappear into the distance, Duan Chengtian seemed to want to say something but finally gave up.

In fact, he vaguely knew why Yang Shuzi was imprisoned here. You have to know that when Shangguan Yunque inquired about the news about Lin Shengshou and Xiao's father, he got the first-hand information from him.

Although he didn't know why Yang Shuzi had offended Xiao Yan, from this point of view, Tian Lixing obviously knew some secrets, otherwise Xiao Yan would not have kept him here. And although he was a free man, there were several bad people who were responsible for monitoring him in secret, and there was almost no chance for him to leave Anle Pavilion on his own.

Duan Chengtian could only pretend not to see it.

After working together for nearly two years, he has developed a sense of conviction and awe towards Xiao Yan, and he also knows that he is engaged in a dangerous matter involving the lives of countless people, and he cannot afford to let his emotions get in the way. Not to mention that Xiao Yan also took special care of Luo Xiaobei and said that he would invite a famous teacher to personally teach him as an apprentice. Duan Chengtian is even more grateful, so how could he take any risks for Yang Shuzi?

He looked up at the blue sky and sighed.

It is not easy to have such a life...

------

The morning light had already shone through the window, but Xiao Yan had not yet gotten up, which was rare.

Ji Ruxue started to clean the yard early in the morning, and then cleaned the house. She was busy inside and outside, as if she really regarded herself as Xiao Yan's maid.

This house is a little far from Anle Pavilion and was specially purchased by Xiao Yan after he returned.

The land in Bian Jing was very expensive, and there were many dignitaries in recent years. Zhu Wen did not have a good house to reward at the moment, so he could only reward Xiao Yan with a large manor in the suburbs. In this city, he had to buy something for himself.

The reason for deliberately staying away from the bustling city of Anle Pavilion was to seek some peace and quiet. There was no plaque of "Guanjun Marquis' Mansion" hanging on the door. Just a simple "Xiao Mansion" was enough.

Naturally, Xiao Yan's house had been cleaned by someone long ago, but Ji Ruxue heard that it was Yu Youshu who brought people to clean it personally. Although she didn't say anything, she suddenly cleaned it up on the second day, which was today.

In this regard, the dozen or so servants specially placed in the mansion by Yu Youshu naturally had to rush to follow the young mistress to make things difficult for her. However, they were rejected by Ji Ruxue, so they were panicked for a while.

Naturally, after getting up, Xiao Yan took a bath in the wooden tub while looking at the girl whose hair was slightly soaked by sweat. He pretended to be ignorant and smiled, "Practicing martial arts so early in the morning? You are so diligent, are you really planning to go out and gain experience in the martial arts world?"

"Humph."

After finally relieving her nervous and slightly jealous mood, Ji Ruxue was choked for a moment and immediately turned around and left.

Xiao Yan couldn't help laughing.

But immediately, Ji Ruxue poked her head out from behind the screen again, her face still cold.

"Is the water cold?"

"No."

After hearing this, the girl left again, but not long after, she came back again.

"Which robe will you wear?"

"You are the one."

After this happened several times, Xiao Yan finally realized that the girl had dishonest thoughts, so the next time Ji Ruxue came to ask, he made a gesture to stand up.

As expected, the girl blushed for a moment, but she didn't avoid it. She hesitated and said, "Do you want to wear the jade belt that King Qi gave me last time..."

But immediately, she noticed the mischievous smile on Xiao Yan's face, and she suddenly became bold and stared straight in the direction of the wooden barrel, quite provocatively.

She was obviously sure that Xiao Yan wouldn't dare.

However, Xiao Yan suddenly stood up. His bronze skin, still reflecting the sunlight under the water droplets, looked very strong.

Ji Ruxue's brain froze for a moment, and her beautiful eyes widened uncontrollably. After a moment of shock, everything from her neck to the tips of her ears turned red, and then she turned around and ran away with a flushed face.

"Bah! Shameless..."

Xiao Yan laughed loudly, then stepped out of the wooden barrel and used his inner strength to disperse the water droplets on his body, feeling very cool.

But soon he was helpless.

"Hey, give me a piece of clothing."

There was silence for a moment behind the screen, and then he threw a shirt over, but he didn't dare to reach over.

Xiao Yan laughed for a moment and said, "I'm going to go to Jiangnan in a while. Do you want to go?"

The girl behind the screen was obviously surprised: "Going south? Zhu Wen is going to attack Jiangnan?"

"It's not about leading troops." Xiao Yan said, "It's not just about going south of the Yangtze River... Zhu Wen wants to expand the imperial city, build palaces and Buddhist temples, and needs wood such as nanmu from Lingxi. Jing Xiang gave me this matter."

Ji Ruxue couldn't help but frowned, and wanted to go around the screen, but hesitated for a moment, and then simply covered her face with a light blue round-necked robe and leaned forward, saying: "Aren't you the Champion Marquis? Why do you want to do these things?"

Her voice was buzzing.

Xiao Yan just found it funny and said, "If I don't go to Jiangnan, I have to go to the Heavenly Master's Mansion. The Ghost King and the Underworld Emperor hate me so much that they will always put some obstacles in my way. It's hard to guard against them. And this trip is not just for the wood. The Chu and Nanping factions have been at war again recently. Jing Xiang also wanted me to represent the court to coordinate. Anyway, it's to avoid disaster."

"But didn't you say before that we can't leave Bianjing easily..."

"It's a different time now. The commanders of the Guide Army's infantry and cavalry are Yu Zhong and Wang Yanzhang. I trust them. I can stop them from using any means the Ghost King wants. Besides, there won't be a major war. Zhu Wen won't let me lead the troops. I might as well go out for a walk. This trip is not just to the south of the Yangtze River..."

Xiao Yan thought for a moment and continued, "Do you remember I said I would return you a sword? This trip is a good opportunity to ask for one."

Ji Ruxue's face was covered by her robe, and she just stood there in a daze.

After such a long time, she no longer minds this matter. It was originally a sword from Huanyinfang, and although it retained some of her memories, she could not bear to let Xiao Yan lose it.

When she thought of this, the robe in her hand was suddenly taken away.

"Oh..." The girl covered her face, but her eyes subconsciously looked through her fingers.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yan had already put on his underwear, which was really abominable.

"If you've made up your mind, let's go together. Don't you want to go out and gain some experience in the martial arts world? It's a good opportunity for you to try your hand." Xiao Yan put on his robe and said with a smile.

Ji Ruxue did not answer, but immediately turned back and came back holding a black gauze hat and a jade belt. She had regained her composure, as if nothing had happened.

She tied the jade belt on Xiao Yan with her own hands, while speaking in a muffled voice.

"Go."

Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh, and then looked at the slightly clumsy arms around his waist, and said, "I have to go to the palace tonight, so I won't go to the lantern festival with you guys."

"……Um."

(End of this chapter)