The Qingfeng Pavilion where Xia Houshu lived was the rearmost courtyard inside the east side gate. There was only a bamboo forest between it and the school. Entering from the gate, what you saw was a huge water tank with water lilies planted in it and water lilies below.
There are several colorful koi carps. There is a wooden frame along the wall, and purple wisteria vines climb up the wooden frame, with leaves layer upon layer. When the flowers bloom, the frame is full of flower curtains, and the courtyard is filled with fragrance.
There are three upper rooms in the main room of Qingfeng Pavilion, all of which are occupied by Xia Houshu alone.
In the center of the main room, there is a round wooden table with four wooden stools carved with images of magpies ascending the plum blossoms. On the guest table on the left is a light blue crooked-neck vase with flowers, and on the right is a chessboard with chess pieces.
Not finished yet. The east room is the study room, with a set of carved sandalwood desks. On the table are neatly placed fine pens, inks, paper and inkstones. Behind the desk is a carved sandalwood chair, with hangings hanging on the wall behind it.
Several paintings depict simple flowers and plants. Although they are not works by famous artists, they are elegant and appropriate. There is a guqin by the window, which is covered with a thin white silk cover. A row of white sandalwood stands against the wall.
There are not many books on the wooden bookshelf and the ancient bookshelf. Most of them are piano scores. There are only a few unique porcelain vases and carvings on the ancient bookshelf. The west room is Xia Houshu's boudoir, and there is a
A folding screen made of white sandalwood. The white flowers decorating the screen are embroidered with light pink flowers. They complement each other with the bead curtains hanging from the roof. They are gentle and smart. To the north, there is a carved yellow pear wood embroidered bed hanging.
It is covered with a soft gauze curtain, and a moon-white embroidered sachet filled with petals and soothing incense is tied to each corner. Light pink embroidered quilts and pillows are neatly placed at the head of the bed; on the dressing table in the southwest corner
There are several boxes of powder and a large and exquisite jewelry box, the decoration is simple and elegant without losing the femininity of a woman.
There is a wing on each side of the main house for the maid and mother-in-law to live on duty. Yunxi lives in the east wing.
It's quiet outside and the temperature inside is just right. It's the perfect time to sleep well late at night.
Xia Houshu originally chose to live here because he hoped to be closer to the school and sleep a little longer before going to school in the morning. Who would have thought that after living there for so many years, he discovered that at night, this place became the quietest place in the house, except for patrols
Of guards, almost no one will come here.
About a quarter of an hour later, there was still no movement outside. I guess Yun Xi was sleeping so deeply that he didn't even hear her shouting so loudly in the main room.
For a moment, Xia Houshu felt a sense of loneliness and melancholy of a long night without anyone to accompany him.
However, this thought only passed by for a moment, and was soon lost in the darkness.
She sighed silently and gently rubbed her forehead with her fingers. In this situation, she couldn't sleep anyway, so she simply took her coat from the side and put it on casually, lit a lamp in the dark, and then walked to the window.
I opened the window in front of me, wanting to relieve my depression.
The window was opened, the moonlight was cold and the bamboo shadows were dancing in front of the window. Across the corridor was a row of tall cypress trees, like loyal guards, standing motionless around the yard.
A breeze blew through the open window and entered the room, instantly making the room cool.
Xia Houshu closed his eyes and quietly felt the softness of the breeze, but he vaguely felt that the wind carried a strange aroma of wine.
Where did the smell of wine come from so late at night?
The only thing separated from here is the Xiahou Family School, which should be deserted at this time.
Xia Houshu squinted his eyes and subconsciously looked in the direction of the wind. He saw a familiar figure sitting on the rockery behind the bamboo forest. He put one hand behind his head and held the wine bottle in the other. He had not taken a sip.
It's very satisfying to drink it in one sip.
"Are you having nightmares again?" Xia Houyi said with a smile, raising the wine bottle in his hand from a distance, "Are you interested in taking a sip?"
Xia Houshu shook his head without thinking. The wound on her arm had not completely healed, and Pei Lang had repeatedly told her to avoid spicy and stimulating food. Of course, she did not want to get hurt because of her impulsiveness and lack of self-discipline.
Against the doctor's advice, he left an ugly and horrific scar on his smooth arm.
Xia Houyi seemed to have expected Xia Houshu's rejection, and did not continue to persuade her, but took another sip on his own.
Two days ago, he saw Xia Houshu and Yunxi sneaking into the medicine house of Muchunyuan, so he guessed that she was injured and must have gone to Pei Lang to ask for medicine. Later he saw Pei Lang's
After I gave Xia Houshu a bag of pearls, I completely understood.
It's just that everyone has their own secrets. If Xia Houshu didn't take the initiative to tell them, he wouldn't ask.
The Chunxi Residence where Xia Houyi lived was close to the Changxu Hall where his eldest brother Xia Houyi used to live. After Xia Houyi left, Changxu Hall has been vacant. Except for the servants who are responsible for cleaning every day, Zhong Yuqing does not allow anyone else to come in and out at will.
Gradually, it became a bit deserted. Later, Xia Houyi moved into the yard next door and took about ten maids and servants with him. They made noisy noises every day, and gradually restored the atmosphere of the past. In addition, Xia Houyi made a lot of friends, and he usually came and went.
There are many people, and they often invite their close friends to Chunxi Residence to have a drink and talk. That area has become the most lively place in Dongpianmen. In order to avoid suspicion, the female family members of the mansion basically avoid Chunxi during the day.
Live away.
But tonight, Xia Houyi abandoned his excitement and hid in her remote courtyard drinking. It was obvious that he had something on his mind.
Xia Houshu stared at his brother's expression for a long time, and saw that there was indeed a bit of sadness between his proud eyebrows, but he still asked, "Why are you here?"
"Can't sleep." Xia Houyi's tone was a bit drunk.
Xia Houshu rolled her eyes at him and saw that although Xia Houyi was smiling on the surface, he was not as energetic as before. This made her have to wonder how much truth and how much falsehood he said.
Just as she was thinking about it, an unknown sigh suddenly came from the other side of the rockery, and she saw Xia Houyi jumping down from the rockery with a vigorous posture, and then walked slowly in front of her.
The brother and sister were separated by the window, one was outside the window and the other was inside the window.
The night breeze blew gently, with a hint of coolness in the warmth, spreading the aroma of the wine, making it seem like you were a little drunk from the smell.
Xia Houyi raised the wine pot in his hand again, looked at Xia Houshu with a smile on his face, and explained casually: "I got a pot of good wine today. I originally wanted to come and drink with you, but I saw that your room was quiet, and I was afraid of waking you up.
You, so I’m waiting outside for you to wake up.”
Xia Houshu's heart suddenly tightened when he heard this. So, he has been here for a long time?
So did he also hear himself talking in his sleep?
When Xia Houyuan and his wife decided to bring Xia Houshu back from Boyunguan, Xia Houyi was studying at Minglu Academy and did not know about it at first. Later, he heard that a boy from the mansion who went to deliver clothes to him told him that something big had happened at home.
I heard some things one after another. Xia Houyi was not yet thirteen years old at that time. After his eldest brother was killed, even though he knew that his sister, who had lived in Boyunguan all year round, was assassinated on the way back to Beijing and almost lost her head.
He could do nothing but be angry. But it was different now. Standing in front of Xia Houshu was no longer the weak second brother back then, but the future head of the Yue Kingdom.
people.
What would he do if he knew that her past experience was still haunting her like a nightmare?
Everyone has their own little plans that they don't want to be known about. Xia Houyi has it, and so does she.
Xia Houshu didn't intend to tell the truth, so he grabbed the jug from Xia Houyi's hand without explanation and took a swig. Unexpectedly, it was a jug of strong liquor. The spicy taste instantly spread from her throat to her nose, choking her and making her eyes burst into tears uncontrollably.
.
Xia Houyi reached out and patted her back, took the wine bottle from her hand, and said at a loss of whether to laugh or cry: "If you drink like you do, no matter how good the wine is, it will be a waste."
Xia Houshu glared at Xia Houyi with tearful eyes, and couldn't help but cough a few more times without even a chance to talk back.
Xia Houyi saw her tearful and embarrassed, and couldn't bear to continue teasing her. He just patted her on the back diligently, but couldn't help but smile on his face, and joked: "You are such an old person.
You are still impetuous in your work. Whoever marries you in the future will not come to me every day to complain?"
Xia Houshu was very surprised. Although Xia Houyi often made fun of her, she couldn't understand why his future husband came to Xia Houyi to complain.
Xia Houyi looked like he had read through her thoughts and said: "As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like the father. Now that the eldest brother is gone, of course you have to rely on me as the second brother."
"My father and mother are still here, and I can't find them on your head even if I think about it," Xia Houshu retorted.
"Which husband dares to report his wife's condition to his father-in-law? Naturally, peers are easier to talk to." Xia Houyi explained, "In other words, do you think that with our father's reputation, how many of them dare to say it in front of him?
Isn’t it yours?”
"That sounds like the truth." Xia Houshu rolled his eyes.
The topic just changed, and Xia Houyi never asked Xia Houshu what he had dreamed about.
Xia Houshu coughed for a long time before she finally felt better. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her face and corners of her mouth. She slowly raised her eyes, looked at Xia Houyi's handsome face and teased: "It's so late at night, you can't be so serious."
Just to get me a bottle of wine and laugh at my jokes?"
"So what?" Xia Houyi had a smile in his eyes.
"Really?" Xia Houshu didn't take it seriously. He reached out and patted his chest and asked casually, "Don't your conscience hurt?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Xia Houyi casually opened her hand that was clapping on his chest, raised his head and took a sip of wine, "I heard that you took Ling'er out during the day, and was scolded by the third aunt in front of her.
After a while, I came here specifically to comfort you."
"It's such a big deal, why would you bother to go there in person?" Xia Houshu deliberately looked flattered, but his eyes were full of disdain, "Everyone in the whole house knows about Third Aunt's temperament, and everyone doesn't know it."
Xiao? Now in this mansion, the only three people of the same generation are you, me and Ling'er. But over the years, how have you and my brother and sister ever had a good relationship with her? Especially matters related to Ling'er, she can't tolerate it in her eyes.
A grain of sand. Poor Ling'er, he has to bear so much at such a young age. I also feel sad for his misfortune and angry with him. But what's rare is that my mother didn't pay attention to this matter today. I look at this Ling'er, if he doesn't realize it anymore,
I’m afraid I’ll have to suffer a lot in the future.”
"If Third Aunt hears what you say, she will definitely fight you to the death." Xia Houyi said with a smile. Although he usually doesn't like to get involved in the affairs of the female family members at home, he is like a mirror in his heart.
"I'm not afraid of her if her advice is harsh to the ear." Xia Houshu said with a chuckle, "Besides, the third aunt is an elder and is not someone who likes to take the initiative to stir up trouble."
"I think you just relied on Third Aunt not to do anything to you." Xia Houyi said, "I remember that when Third Aunt first married into the house, she was gentle and generous, and she was also very kind to me and my eldest brother. Unexpectedly,
Third Uncle's condition suddenly worsened, and he passed away within a few years. Ling'er's body and bones also followed Third Uncle. It has been really hard for Third Aunt these past years, so don't mess with her if you have nothing to do."
"How many mothers have it easy? Has it been easy for our mothers these past few years?" Xia Houshu waved his hand and retorted, "If the third aunt doesn't even plan for Ling'er's future, she wants to do it for a junior like me.
If you worry about these trivial things, it’s not certain who will cry in the future." As she said that, she glanced at the wine bottle in Xia Houyi's hand, changed the subject and said, "Good wine must be paired with good food. It's really boring for you to drink alone like this."
Xia Houyi knew that this topic was inappropriate to continue, so he stopped talking.
After a while, he glanced at his sister and asked tentatively: "Seeing that you are so greedy, why don't I take you to a good place tomorrow?"
Xia Houshu frowned, raised his head and looked at Xia Houyi's expression carefully. After listening to his words, and then thinking about his abnormal behavior tonight, it did not seem to be a temporary act.
Xia Houyi didn't intend to explain too much, he just said: "Tomorrow at 6 o'clock, you take Yunxi to the lake first, and I will arrive later."
"Why don't you go with me?" Xia Houshu asked doubtfully.
"Aren't I afraid that going out together will be too ostentatious?" Xia Houyi said with a smile. Seeing the disbelief written all over Xia Houshu's face, he said, "I have important things to deal with."
Xia Houshu nodded thoughtfully and said, "I understand, swimming in the lake with me is just a pretense." This chapter has been completed!