Ruoshui, the capital city of Rong State, has towering city walls, fluttering flags, wide and flat main streets lined with pavilions on both sides, and busy shops in front of them. Everything here shows the great strength of Rong State.
Su Yan lay on the window edge, rubbed his eyes, and asked Zuo Qing: "It's been a while since I came all the way from Hongji Town, and I have never seen such a prosperous scene. I heard that Ruoshui in the past was not as good as a small town in Chu State. What?
Is it time to prosper?”
The carriage walked leisurely and slowly through the streets, carefully avoiding the crowds of pedestrians. Zuo Qing closed his eyes and calmed down, and said unhurriedly: "The country cannot do without business. It can only rely on the people to farm. The country has not been established for a long time."
Maybe today."
Su Yan laughed at him, "It seems you really want to be a merchant? Why not join the Changsun family? Maybe the elder of the Changsun family will put you in high regard."
"Oh? You know the Changsun family very well?"
Su Yan seemed to be choked, and it took him a long time to organize his words, "Of course I understand that! My master is a know-it-all, there is nothing he doesn't know. I also know that there was a princess in the Changsun family in the early years, who married a politician.
Prince, I gave birth to Ge Zixiu, the most outstanding general in the Rong Kingdom."
Zuo Qing smiled and said, "It was renamed Yanzhen many years ago."
"Yan Zhen? Why did you change your name?"
Zuo Qing said: "I heard that it was because of her sister who ran away from home that she gave up her surname and changed it to the surname of his sister's biological mother. Do you care about that?"
Su Yan shook his head hurriedly, "I just asked casually, haha."
Zuo Qing opened her eyes and looked from her perspective. A new store in Flower Street was being renovated, and the plaque sent by the clerk was about to be hung. A woman stood under the plaque, with the shadow of the trees reflected on her face.
The carriage suddenly stopped.
"Why don't you leave?"
Yansheng seemed to say something, and the next moment he drove away in a hurry.
Su Yan opened the curtains and poked his head out, but saw nothing. He only saw a crowded crowd, which seemed to be busy. They all gathered towards the city gate. It must be that the government had posted a wanted order that had just been issued. The reward must be
Attractive enough!
A breeze mixed with the fragrance of peach blossoms passed by. Su Yan felt that it was very familiar, but he could not remember where he had smelled it.
Qishan Academy is located at the foot of the southeast peak of Ruoshui City, and most of its appearance is surrounded by ancient trees. Qishan Academy is adjacent to the imperial palace and hunting ground, so Qishan Academy has been hosting hunting events all year round.
The carriage stopped at the entrance square. At the other end of the square was the main entrance of the academy, located on the tenth bluestone staircase.
The entire academy is surrounded by green trees, with green bricks and tiles, pavilions and pavilions, and is very simple.
Su Yan turned around and looked at the way he came. This road was hidden in the woods, paved with stones, and covered with shade. Layers of trees hid the sunlight above his head. Everywhere he looked, there were mottled light spots and floating fog.
, the trees seemed to be sleeping among them, as quiet as a world outside the world.
After several days and nights of traveling, everyone was a little tired and speechless along the way.
After entering the second courtyard gate, a group of maids came up to take the luggage, and then followed quietly. No one said a word along the way. It seemed that under the influence of Zuo Qing's silence, the air became
solidification.
Su Yan followed the crowd through the labyrinth-like academy without thinking. The paths under his feet were as intricate as vines. The houses and pavilions he passed were of different shapes, some were extremely simple, and some were very exquisite.
It was the first time she saw such an academy, and she was indescribably curious. She also noticed that the clothes worn by the maids were all different. Currently, there were only three colors: plain, dark blue, and red.
Su Yan was immersed in his own random thoughts, when he suddenly heard a series of coughs coming from in front of him, and he suddenly woke up. Zuo Qing reminded him of the fork in the road, and ordered a few maids to stay at the mercy of Jinyun City, and she would lead Su Yan there.
Accommodation place.
As soon as Zuo Qing left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Suo Qingqiu gasped and said, "Hey! I'm finally leaving. I would be suffocated to death if we stayed together all the way!"
Jin Yuncheng's arm gently touched her waist, and there was immediately silence. Then he said to Su Yan in a gentle and friendly manner: "The master in charge asked me to arrange a place for you. How about you go to my place and stay for one night? It just so happens that we can
We came all the way here and didn’t even have time to talk, so tonight we’re going to talk and have a drink?”
Suo Qingqiu obviously would not agree. Su Yan naturally recognized the interest and was about to politely decline when a little girl suddenly caught up with him behind him. He hurriedly handed Jinyun City a letter and then left. Jinyun City watched.
After receiving the letter, he immediately threw Su Yan to Suo Qingqiu and hurried back the way he came. He didn't even have time to say hello. It looked like he was about to go out.
Suo Qingqiu finally got the opportunity to be alone with Su Yan. He smiled sinisterly and said, "Let's go, this big shot." After saying that, he took her to a tiled house built on the water and chose a room.
Elegantly, he threw her body on the ground and walked away.
Su Yan couldn't help but sit on the threshold, looked at Suo Qingqiu's back, and sighed: "A dog looks down on others!"
Zen Jingyuan, Xinghan Pavilion.
A dim yellow halo spread on the screen, flickering constantly and making people drowsy. Zuo Qing leaned in front of the desk and looked at the academy's accounts for the past six months. Yansheng placed the tea cup lightly on the table and listened to his master's deliberate suppression.
He couldn't help but frown as he coughed.
"Sir, it's cold at night and it's time to rest. Don't you have any shortage after traveling all the way?"
Zuo Qing felt strange. Su Ming must have returned to Rongguo to report that he was missing. Why was there no movement at all?
Yansheng was a little worried: "I'm afraid Su Ming will suspect the origins of those killers, so our plan..."
"First of all, the killers sent are all Jianghu people, so they can pretend to be Mo Fei so they won't suspect me; secondly, no one in the world can find out my details. What he can know is
It can only be the news I released myself. You have been following me for a few years, don’t you still know what I am capable of?”
Yansheng hurriedly said yes.
Zuo Qing said: "I haven't been back to Ruoshui for a long time. I haven't gone to say hello to my adoptive father yet. You go and arrange the carriage for tomorrow."
"yes."
One night flashed by, and then another. Su Yan waited for two days, but Zuo Qing didn't come, neither did Shen Yan, and Jinyun City didn't even set foot here.
Could it be that these people just threw themselves here and forgot?
She opened the west window, and fog began to form on the lake. In the fog, she could see blue bricks and black tiles, waterside pavilions, carved beams and painted buildings. It was like a fairyland, but it was a pity that it was so lonely and uninteresting!
When I was depressed, I saw a awning boat slowly sliding over from the ferry on the other side of the lake, gradually approaching.
The boat docked, and a cardamom girl came up. She wore a goose-yellow brocade skirt and a rosy face. She looked like a young lady from a scholarly family, but her appearance was a bit gloomy.
"President Sun Yue, I have met Mr. Su." Her voice was very soft, so soft that people almost had to prick up their ears to hear it clearly.
Su Yan finally saw a live person, and quickly held her hand, "I finally smell a bit popular! Did Zuo Qing ask you to come?"
She seemed to be afraid of everything here, including Su Yan, and even the name Zuo Qing, "It's the Lord in Charge! Mr. Su, here we have to call him Lord."
Su Yan couldn't help but frown, "There are so many rules. So what did he ask you to do?"
"They... are not! My lord said that you are well versed in the art of tea. It happens that Shu You Hall is short of a teacher, so I asked the students to take you there. You will first get familiar with the academy these days, and then you will start taking up your post at the beginning of next month."
"What did you say? Sir! Is Zuo Qing crazy?"
"It's impossible!" She was so frightened that her eyes were straight and her words were incoherent, "Sir, you must not call the adults by their names, and of course you can't call other people by their names. The student is saying that in this Qishan Academy, except for the servants,
He and students all have official positions, so you have to be careful."
Su Yan was worried in his heart, but he had to agree, "Yes, yes, what you are saying is that I am a newbie here and don't understand anything. I need you to teach me, a half-way monk...sir."
"How dare a student! You are a sir, and you will have to ask him for more advice in the future." With that said, he took the initiative to go into the house, picked up Xinrou, and led her into the boat.
Su Yan straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and left this inhospitable place.
Leaving the lake, passing through an ingenious stone forest, we were faced with a row of green tiles and red walls. Looking inside the wall from Su Yan's perspective, we could see only a magnificent hall and nothing else. Listen to Chang Sun Yue's introduction
, that is where important matters are discussed - Duanyun Pavilion, which is also the facade of the academy. Going northeast along the red wall, Changsun Yue suddenly stopped and pointed to the courtyard directly behind Duan Yun Pavilion, which was half hidden behind the woods.
I would like to kindly remind you that this is Zuo Qing's meditation courtyard and you must not disturb it.
Follow the red wall all the way to the end, turn right for dozens of steps and you will see another completely different courtyard wall. Passing through the moon gate is an almost withered bamboo forest. This is Qingping Hall. Changsun Yue whispered: "Qingping Hall"
The gentleman in the hall has a weird temper, sir, you'd better be more careful... This is what the student says from the bottom of his heart, let alone you, even the master in charge won't go around with her."
Su Yan didn't feel surprised at this time. Everyone here was normal. Even if someone with three heads and six arms appeared now, she could face it calmly.
Pass through the green bamboo forest, step onto the bluestone steps, follow the water flow in the canal, and go south until you reach Nanhu Lake. At the end of the road, there is a stone archway with the four characters "High Mountains and Flowing Waters" engraved on it.
There is a group of buildings in the center of the lake. From a distance, you can vaguely see waterside pavilions, water pavilions, watchtowers, covered bridges, and courtyards. The most eye-catching ones are two three-story pavilions built along the water, connected by flying towers, with exquisite craftsmanship.
Extremely shocking.
The curved bridge on the lake is paved with bluestone slabs and granite as the edge. The hooks are carved with crabapples and green bamboo patterns. After a few steps, it is replaced by winter plum powder and snow, and then there are flowers and fruits of four seasons.
Originally, it was only within a hundred steps from the shore to Lanshan Courtyard, but due to the curved bridge, it took a full 200 steps to reach the gate of Lanshan Courtyard.
After walking through the front yard and climbing the insanely long corridor, she found the place where she would stay tonight.
Su Yan had already walked so hard that his eyes were blurry, the soles of his feet were aching and sore, and all the bones in his body were about to squeeze out acidic water!
Changsun Yue didn't raise his head all the way, he fell down here, and he didn't dare to express his anger. He put the soft stuff on the bed, moved out of the room cautiously, and ran away.
Su Yan was confused by her behavior, and vaguely felt that this timid-looking young lady was deliberately teasing her.
Su Yan was about to enter the door when he raised his head and took a closer look - Chaoyun Pavilion.