Chapter 88 Sword and Youth

Yesterday's peach cake was half given to Zhou Baoying, and Jiang Xuening felt a bit disheartened when she remembered it.

She lowered her head and eyes as she followed Xie Wei into the side hall.

Xie Wei didn't look at her either. He simply pointed at the piano table in the hall and said, "Practice the piano."

At this moment, Jiang Xuening didn't notice much.

Xie Wei has never spoken much, not a single word, and she has become accustomed to it.

Last time my heart was restless, but this time it has been slightly quieter.

After sitting down and playing, she still thought it was good and wanted to hear what Xie Wei said.

Unexpectedly, while listening to the piano, Xie Wei looked out the window the whole time. It wasn't until the sound of the piano had curled up that he turned to look at her and said, "When I started playing, my heart was still too flustered. I played a bit hastily, but the middle part was slightly better, and the end floated up again. Often, when you feel satisfied, you don't want to be satisfied anymore. Practice makes perfect, so it's better to be more familiar and calm."

Jiang Xuening glanced at her fingers and felt lost in thought.

Xie Wei said, "The timing of the hook is too fast, and the string sound is rapid. You need to wait until the remaining notes of the previous rhyme are almost gone before entering."

So, Jiang Xuening finally faintly sensed——

But this discovery has nothing to do with the qin.

Only related to Xie Wei.

He doesn't always smile, and the hint of smile that often lingers in his eyes is often polite, but with just a gentle smile on his eyebrows and eyes, he always feels like basking in spring breeze.

Perfectly flawless.

But in this side hall, he would frown and scold her coldly with a smile when there was no one else.

However, everything has faded today.

It's not cold, it's just mild.

Although there seems to be no difference in words and actions compared to usual, Jiang Xuening always feels as if she has become somewhat distant, separated by a layer.

This idea came too quickly and directly.

She didn't even have time to sort out where this feeling started, let alone know what clues could be traced.

My thoughts flew and in the blink of an eye, I returned to the piano.

"Zheng..."

Jiang Xuening tried again according to Xie Wei's words, but it was even worse than before and there was no way.

She looked at him somewhat bewildered.

The girl's gaze was a bit confused, as if she wanted to ask him something again, but she didn't dare to speak.

Xie Wei thought to herself, as if she had always been like this, somewhat afraid of herself.

Learning to play the piano is always useless.

He moved over to Jiang Xuening's side and gently placed the book on the edge of her piano table. Subconsciously, he bent down and wanted to place his finger on the string. However, as he leaned over, the wide sleeved robe fell on the slender arm of the girl, and he paused for a moment.

The matter of peach cake came back to his mind.

What does she consider him to be?

Or, what kind of person does he consider himself?

His expression remained unchanged, and Xie Wei directly reached out and moved the piano to the side.

The distance with Jiang Xuening widened.

With his eyes closed, he raised his finger and hooked the string to play the previous section before returning the piano to her, saying, "Try again."

This time I was close and could hear clearly.

Jiang Xuening roughly understood.

She gave it a try and it really improved a lot.

Just looking up at Xie Wei walking past the piano table, she felt even more that the feeling that had just crossed her heart was not an illusion.

Restraint, alienation.

The feeling of maintaining a distance, whether it is compared to the past smiling reprimands or the past whispers, should theoretically make her much more relaxed.

After all, from the beginning she wanted to distance herself from Xie Wei.

But now, while feeling relaxed, I feel that something is wrong.

But upon closer examination, I don't know exactly what's wrong.

If this short day may still be her illusion, then in the following days, this "illusion" will gradually deepen into a true perception.

It's really sparse.

Speaking in the same way as literature and teaching in the same way as the qin, Xie Wei is still the same Xie Wei as usual, or the Xie Wei that everyone in the civil and military fields of the Manchu Dynasty is familiar with. But he didn't have much temper anymore. Jiang Xuening dared not even reveal the slightest bit of stubbornness and stubbornness in front of him like this; There were no more idle pastries and snacks in the side hall, and he hardly brewed tea, let alone asked her to go and drink as he had done a few times before.

What does this feeling feel like?

It's like a person stepping out, taking a step back, and returning to their original place.

Jiang Xuening was inexplicably uncomfortable and uncomfortable.

Her intuition told her that something had happened secretly when she didn't know, or perhaps she had unintentionally done something wrong, but their contact was so extensive that she couldn't recall it.

Whenever I want to ask Xie Wei a question, I feel affected.

Where did she start when everything seemed normal?

As the day of the Feast of the Brave Marquis's Mansion Yan's coronation approached, Jiang Xuening gradually let go of other things and didn't have much thought to think about.

In her previous life, she prepared a birthday gift for Yan Lin, but in the end, she was unable to send it out;

In this life, she prepared the same gift, hoping to make up for the regret of the previous life and hand it over to the young man.

When leaving the palace for another rest, Jiang Xuening didn't even have time to inquire about the situation with You Fangyin, so she ordered people to go to the sword casting workshop in the west of the city.

In the notebook, it is always written that the sword must reveal its owner.

But in fact, the only ones who can truly forge a good sword are craftsmen. They never choose who to give the sword to, and those who can afford heavy gold are the "masters".

It is obvious that this "Jiang Er Miss", whom they are not familiar with, is such a wealthy "Lord".

*

As early as half a year ago, the coronation ceremony of Yan Lin, the young Marquis of the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion, had already attracted the anticipation of most of the capital cities. Many families with beautiful women waiting to be married were waiting for the day when the young man was crowned and given characters. The matchmakers in various places had already prepared a roster, waiting for the threshold of the Marquis's Mansion to be broken through after the coronation ceremony.

However, no one expected the current situation.

However, just half a year has passed, and the once prominent and courageous Marquis's Mansion, which can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Xiao family, is now on the brink of danger, with the whole family at any time at risk of falling into prison. In the past, people used to flatter and camp around, fearing that when the young marquis presented his coronation ceremony, he would not be invited and would only be ridiculed by the capital; Nowadays, they are distributing gilded invitations to various prefectures one after another, either closed door and not accepted or not returned, fearing any further involvement with the Marquis's Mansion and causing trouble.

Human emotions are cold and warm, but that's all.

Except for Jiang Xuening, most of the accompanying readers in the Yangzhi Zhai have little personal relationship with Yan Lin. Originally, they were mostly seeking benefits and avoiding harm without intending to go.

Shen Zhiyi couldn't resist going.

Not only will she go, but she will also go openly and openly.

Everyone was accompanied by the eldest princess. As soon as Shen Zhiyi said she wanted to go, she hesitated a bit. Then she heard Xiao Shu say she wanted to go, and the others were all thrown into the fire. It was not good not to go.

Everyone discussed and decided to go with Shen Zhiyi.

In this way, the future accident will be investigated, and it has nothing to do with the family behind them. It's just that they and their little girls accompany the Princess Royal Highness Princess.

So, on the eighth day of the eleventh month, everyone took a car together and set off from the palace, heading towards the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion.

Shen Zhiyi originally said she wanted to go with Jiang Xuening, but before leaving, she was called by Empress Dowager Xiao, so she had to let them go first and arrive later.

As a result, Jiang Xuening happened to be in the same car as Zhou Baoying.

After the incident of borrowing pastries last time, their relationship has become much closer. But Chen Shuyi, Yao Xi, and others seem to mind Zhou Baoying's favor towards Jiang Xuening. They are afraid that this little girl will be abducted and taken away by her fox spirit. Regardless of whether she is studying in the Fengchen Palace or gathering in the Yangzhi Zhai, they all pull Zhou Baoying and are very wary of Jiang Xuening.

Zhou Baoying was also confused and seemed indifferent to these things.

Anyway, with food in your mouth and chess in your hand, you can sit up all day without hearing anything outside the window.

Surprisingly, Zhou Baoying was in the same car this time, and she danced happily for a while.

After all, the peach cake from the last time was too memorable.

As soon as she got into the car, she hugged the big headrest and asked Jiang Xuening, "Sister Ning, they don't even let me talk to you or come to find you. These days, they almost crave me! Do you still have that peach cake?"

This is really a pot that can't be opened and picked up.

Jiang Xuening has been talking about it for several days.

Unfortunately, this was neither done by her, nor by her cook, nor by the imperial kitchen in the palace. Xie Wei has not mentioned any topics other than learning to play the piano or literature these days, as if there is no other relationship between him and Jiang Xuening besides the teacher-student relationship.

However

This seems to be a fact.

So Jiang Xuening became even more hesitant to ask anything, fearing that there might be something wrong that would offend him, or that he might show too much enthusiasm for that desire, causing him to think of old things and be afraid of her.

At this moment, she was sitting in the car, feeling a bit helpless. She gave a faint smile and said to Zhou Baoying, "There's nothing left. That's all. After half of it is given to you, I'll eat the rest."

Zhou Baoying's small face suddenly collapsed.

She frowned and complained softly, "If I had known that, I shouldn't have been so generous when Mr. Xie took it. I didn't even take a few slices myself..."

"Mr. Xie?"

Jiang Xuening was suddenly taken aback.

"You said Mr. Xie?"

"Ah." Zhou Baoying nodded in confusion, then pouted and said, "Sister Ning, you don't know. I took back a few pieces of the peach cake you gave me last time, and the rest was counted before going to bed at night before being put into a paper bag, hoping to save it for the next day. However, I didn't expect to be caught by Mr. Xie the next day when I secretly ran outside the hall to eat."

Jiang Xuening finally realized where she was wrong.

Zhou Baoying's steamed bun face was still a bit agitated. "I never expected Mr. Xie to be such a person! When he asked about peach cake, I couldn't help but answer. Before entering the palace to study, his father had taught him to respect his teacher, so I invited him to taste it. I thought he only took one piece, but how did I know he took all the rest? He even asked me what was wrong! They couldn't bear to eat it themselves..."

"..."

Jiang Xuening's thick and long eyelashes drooped down, feeling a bit dazed for a moment.

The sound of hooves clattering and the carriage swaying gently.

The things that were shrouded in her old memories of her past life suddenly became clear in the mist.

A gentleman who cooks far away is like some places where women are not allowed to enter ancestral halls, which is one of the most strict rules of noble families.

Xie Wei is a gentleman and a saint.

But at that time, she was just a rural girl who knew neither his identity nor the rules of this laborer. After listening to what the people in the mansion said to pick her up, she never doubted him. She only thought he was a distant young master who went to the capital to seek refuge with the Jiang mansion.

After encountering bandits, they wandered between the mountains and fields, unaware of the news from others, and even unsure of how to get out of the predicament.

High mountains and deep valleys, like a prisoner.

At that time, Xie Wei was not seriously ill and seemed to be just a bit weak, accompanied by a cough that he had been coughing since he first traveled to Beijing with her. He looked lethargic and didn't like to talk to people very much.

Jiang Xuening already knows that she is the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family.

But the other party is just a distant relative who can't get together.

She was afraid that others would think she was a rural girl and lose face in the capital, and she was also afraid that others would look down on her because of this. Therefore, even if she was in trouble, she wanted to summon Xie Wei to pick some wild fruits to eat and hunt some prey to satisfy her hunger.

The result, of course, is that it cannot be manipulated.

After falling into a difficult situation, Xie Wei held his qin diagonally on his lap and sat on the collapsed rock, watching the dim sky between the mountains.

He doesn't seem to hear any sound around him.

In fact, he seemed to be thinking about something more serious than adversity, as if he had entered another world. But Jiang Xuening couldn't understand at that time, so she thought this person was very disrespectful to herself, so she was still a bit embarrassed and angry.

I had no choice but to go by myself.

This is certainly not very down-to-earth.

But at that time, Jiang Xuening had no other choice. With her head spinning around, she forced herself to find a reason: this sickly seedling looked like it was about to collapse after just two steps. Not to mention going out to catch some wild chickens and rabbits, but also going out to pick some wild fruits. It's possible that even a single stumble could break her leg in the forest. At that time, wouldn't she still have to figure out how to carry this person with her? That's not worth it.

So I quickly adjusted my mindset.

So the skills that seemed very unpopular to the nobles in the capital on the farm finally came in handy.

There are no fruits in the mountains and forests in winter.

But she stumbled through a trap with her hands and feet, and luckily caught a foolish gray haired rabbit. She hugged it in her arms all the way back to the bottom of the mountain with great mood.

The foolish rabbit in the mountains has never seen anyone before, and when it was first caught, it was still struggling to survive.

But it was probably because Jiang Xuening was comfortable holding it, and soon it stayed peacefully in her arms.

She couldn't help but show off happily to Xie Wei sitting above, "Look! The rabbit I caught, are you good or not?"

Xie Wei heard the sound and finally turned his head to look at her. He also glanced at the rabbit in her arms, with a look of indifference from Chaochen in his eyes, perhaps even a hint of pity.

Jiang Xuening still reached out to touch its soft fur.

Xie Wei calmly asked her, "Do you want to start a fire?"

At that moment, her whole body stiffened.

Blinking his eyes, he couldn't bring Xie Wei back to his senses.

Because it wasn't until Xie Wei asked this question that she suddenly remembered: catching this rabbit was for food. She and Xie Wei hadn't eaten anything for some time, very hungry, very hungry.

She stood there without answering.

Xie Wei waited for her for a while, and when it was getting dark, he probably knew she couldn't answer, so he didn't ask again. Instead, he carefully placed the piano in a safe and sheltered corner before walking to the side to pick up firewood and start a fire.

The fire started to ignite.

The temperature around her gradually rose, and the not so intense flames soaked in the thick and dark night, illuminating her figure holding the rabbit tightly, swaying and casting it onto the ground.

Xie Wei stood in front of her.

He is much taller than him.

The light from the nearby fire reflected on his face, with different shades due to the depth of the outline. A pair of dark pupils gathered a radiance, and he only reached out to her to take the rabbit.

Jiang Xuening instinctively hugged him tighter and looked up at him, saying, "Let's eat something else. Let's go get something else..."

Xie Wei looked at her in silence and said, "Are you willing to eat the next one?"

She stood there in a daze, unsure of how to answer.

Xie Wei's hand still reached out.

She held the rabbit tightly and didn't want to give it to him. But it was probably because she exerted too much force and hurt the rabbit. It even took a bite on the back of her hand, causing her to release it in one go.

It rushed into Xie Wei's hands.

He unexpectedly took out a short knife tightly tied to his wrist from the wide sleeve robe.

At that time, Jiang Xuening only realized that this person was carrying a knife.

Now think about it, what kind of sickly young master from a distant room, a scholar with no strength in his hands, and what kind of knife does he carry with him? Anyone who hides a knife on their body is walking on the most dangerous path, always prepared for any accidents.

But at that time she was still foolish and didn't know how to think deeply.

Xie Wei grabbed the rabbit tightly and pressed it against the nearby stone, ready to use a knife.

But she stood beside trembling.

I think my eyes are red.

Xie Wei saw it and his movements stopped. After a while, he finally didn't say a word and walked away carrying the rabbit. By the time he returned, the foolish rabbit, which had just been bouncing around, had already been stripped of its fur, cleaned of its internal organs, and worn on a sharpened branch, gently perched on the fire by him.

This person even found some wild leaves and sprinkled them with spices.

Jiang Xuening hugged her knee and sat by the fire, burying her head and biting her sleeve before shedding any tears.

Xie Wei roasted the rabbit and handed it to her by breaking off its leg.

She looked at the golden skin of the rabbit leg, with oil seeping out from the hot fire, and some unknown spices. The torn pieces of fine meat were one by one, and she couldn't help but cry out "wow".

Cry until choked up, cry until hiccup, cry until out of breath.

Xie Wei had nothing to do with her.

The rabbit legs that were stretched out were not picked up by anyone, and they were not very familiar with her. They didn't know how to persuade her, so they had to put their hands back and eat them calmly beside them.

I ate half of it and saw that she was still crying.

He stopped and looked at her for a moment, then took out a clean handkerchief from his arms and opened it, placing it next to her.

There are not many peach slice cakes inside.

Just not much, carried in my arms, wrapped in a handkerchief, and crushed a lot, it doesn't look very good.

Xie Wei said to her, "If you can't eat it, then take this."

Jiang Xuening is still hungry after all.

She also knew that the rabbit had to eat, but when she thought about the way it had just obediently shrunk in her arms, she didn't want to eat it and didn't dare to. Although she couldn't bear to see this sick relative from afar before, she still picked up the handkerchief and picked up the peach cake inside to eat.

That's really the most delicious pastry she has ever eaten in her two lifetimes.

Sweet and soft.

===Kunning Section 115===

Even with tears mixed in, I didn't feel any pain.

But after all, there is only that little.

After eating, it actually aroused a feeling of hunger even more.

So he became very angry.

Angry that he was a spineless person, he still took the other rabbit leg handed by Xie Wei, continued to cry while nibbling on the perfectly roasted rabbit meat. He also found excuses for himself, saying, "Who, who dares it to bite me..."

Xie Wei quietly watched the fire nearby, as if he had smiled for a moment, then disappeared and remained silent.

At that time, the fire had been burning for a while.

The pine branches thrown in made a delicate popping sound.

Jiang Xuening actually doesn't quite remember what the rabbit tasted like anymore, but she still remembers the soft and sweet taste of the peach cake, and Xie Wei's clean white clothes hanging on the ground, stained with some smoke and fire dust, and stained with some black

In a desperate situation, many things are not worth considering.

I can do things that I usually don't dare to do, and I can say things that I don't usually say.

People may also be different from usual.

In the face of life and death, everyone peels off the layers of hypocrisy that exist in the mortal world, revealing their most authentic, perhaps the best, or perhaps the ugliest side.

But is it true that those who strive to live in a brief desperate situation?

Is it true that people who work hard and are busy camping in the glamorous world?

Jiang Xuening really doesn't know.

Zhou Baoying saw that she had been silent for a long time, with a trance like expression that was neither happy nor sad. She felt inexplicably uneasy, afraid that she had done something wrong. She carefully tugged at her sleeve and asked, "Yes, is there something wrong?"

Jiang Xuening's eyes flickered before she regained consciousness.

She curved her lips vaguely and let out a faint sigh, saying, "It's okay."

Xie Wei, this person has a heart that is even smaller than a needle.

The coachman who was driving the horse ahead stopped the carriage and reported to the inside, "Miss Jiang, the Sword Casting Workshop has arrived."

Jiang Xuening said to Zhou Baoying, "I'm going down to pick up something. Please wait a moment."

Zhou Baoying let out an "oh" and obediently sat in the car waiting for her.

The people in the Sword Casting Workshop had already prepared well, knowing that she would come to pick up the sword today.

That sword is three feet and a half long.

The sword edge is made of meteorite iron, polished to create ripples of sharp edges. It is not adorned with gemstones or cast with gold and silver like the precious sword used by Yan Lin before, but simply and straightforwardly reveals its sharpness.

As soon as the green front appears, the cold light is overwhelming.

In her previous life, without knowing the depth of the world, she only thought that Yan Lin was born into a general family and would also lead troops to fight in the future. She should have a sword that could kill people;

In this life, everything has gone through like smoke and dust. Looking at this sword again, it exudes a timely and brutal cruelty.

How much do you think of that young man, forever as fiery and brilliant as the scorching sun?

But God forbid it.

Jackals who reveal their fangs in secret are not allowed.

After showing her the sword, the swordsmith put it in a box and handed it to Jiang Xuening with both hands.

She unconsciously lifted it diagonally like holding a piano.

I had to wait until I walked out the door and arrived at the carriage, only to realize that the sword box was not a qin, it had to be placed flat.

*

Due to some delay at the Sword Casting Workshop, Jiang Xuening and Zhou Baoying's carriage arrived at the residence of the Marquis of Yong Yi at exactly the right time.

Perhaps due to the coronal ceremony of Yan today, the heavy troops originally besieging the mansion retreated to both sides.

At first glance, it doesn't look so scary anymore.

The guests who arrived were not many, but not so few. They were all in front of the door, handing out invitations one by one, and were led in by the smiling butler, as if there was no difference from the former glory of the Marquis's Mansion.

Shen Zhiyi set off from the palace, but arrived almost at the same time as Jiang Xuening.

As soon as I lifted the car curtain and saw her, I shouted, "Ning Ning!"

Jiang Xuening got off the car holding the sword box.

Shen Zhiyi jumped directly out of the car, ignoring the frightened face of the palace attendants. She walked over and picked up Jiang Xuening, then ran inside the gate of the Marquis's Mansion and said, "Let's go, let's see Yan approaching!"

Who in the mansion doesn't know her?

Not a single one stepped forward to stop her, everyone gave way to her.

She also asked the person next to her, "Where is Yan Lin now?"

The butler laughed and his face appeared very kind: "The Crown Prince is speaking with His Highness Yanping and the others outside the Qingyu Hall."

Shen Zhiyi then knew the direction.

When she was a child, she had come to the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion countless times and could walk with her eyes closed. At this moment, she didn't even want to rest for a moment. She pulled Jiang Xuening and ran around, bypassing the screen wall, passing through the hall, passing through the corridor, and finally saw someone outside the Qingyu Hall by the water.

Shen Zhiyi then extended her hand and waved it towards the other side, shouting loudly, "Yanlin!"

The people over there have all looked over.

The boy who was originally standing under the water corridor with his back to them was being arranged by Qingfeng with a crease at the corner of his new robe. At this moment, he heard the sound and turned his head to look at them. Seeing them, his originally flat eyebrows and eyes suddenly lit up like morning stars, burning and shining brightly.

Yan Lin first smiled at Shen Zhiyi and said, "You also come and join the fun."

After speaking, her gaze fell on the person next to her.

Shen Zhiyi turned her head and saw that Jiang Xuening was still standing there in a daze. She gave her a push, and Jiang Xuening was pushed forward two steps. She stood in front of the young man, somewhat caught off guard and at a loss.

Some days have passed, and the outline of the young man has become clearer and sharper than before.

But when I looked at her, everything softened.

"You're here too."

The originally most affectionate word "Ning Ning" was quietly buried in his heart, but he didn't want to call her "Jiang Er Miss" as unfamiliar as others, so he greeted her like this.

The precarious situation of the Marquis's Mansion seems to have disappeared at this moment.

He lowered his gaze and looked at the box she was holding, then smiled and asked her, "What is this?"

At this moment, Jiang Xuening realized that after a lifetime of life and death, she finally held the sword box in her hands and handed it to the young man. She looked at him and smiled back, "Birthday gift."

For you.

I wanted to give it to you in my previous life.

May you always be like this sword.