Chapter 89 Cherry Trees

An exceptionally ordinary box.

On the black painted surface, only a very sharp sword shape is cast on the lock buckle.

Yan Lin was at least from a general's family background. At first glance, she knew that this box was meant to hold a sword. So she laughed, but unfortunately, she didn't immediately reach out to open it. Instead, she deliberately asked her, "Is it heavy or not?"

Can a long sword made of refined iron mixed with meteorite not be heavy?

Jiang Xuening, a little girl with thin arms and legs, carried a sword box from outside the door and was dragged in by Shen Zhiyi. Even the pearl on her head was slightly crooked, and beads of sweat oozed from her forehead. Her hands were indeed going to be sore.

Upon hearing Yan Lin's teasing with a smile, she raised her eyebrows in anger.

At the moment, he only said, "Do you know that Chen hasn't picked it up yet?"

Yan Lin made a mischievous joke by chance, and she blurted out a complaint.

Everything is a playful intimacy.

Although there was no physical contact, their familiarity with each other was evident at this moment.

This can be completely different from the behavior of Yan Lin when she first set aside her relationship with Jiang Xuening when she encountered her on the palace path that day.

But at this moment, no one around expressed surprise.

Or even if there was a slight surprise, after a brief thought, it would be a relief: those who could personally come to the Marquis's Mansion and attend the Yan Lin Crown Ceremony in such turbulent times are all close friends with him. Even letting them know and see is not a big deal.

Watching Jiang Xuening's hands holding the sword box tremble slightly, her beautiful black and white eyes almost staring at her, Yan Lin couldn't help but smile from the corner of her lips. Finally, she stepped forward and picked up the sword box with her own hands.

The lock was lifted and the sword box opened.

Three feet of Qingfeng lay flat in the sword box, with the sky shining from the side. With a gentle tilt of his hand, the cold light flickered in everyone's eyes.

There was a momentary exclamation around.

Yan Lin looked at the cold blade, but suddenly fell silent.

With a slight movement in his throat, he looked back at Jiang Xuening in front of him and said, "Don't you have a sword scabbard?"

The young man's eyes were as dark as paint, and in that moment there seemed to be some moist mark passing by, but with a gentle blink, they disappeared without a trace.

She felt a sour swelling in her heart.

But he bent his lips and smiled, with a hint of stubbornness and radiance, speaking without any gloom, "The sword of a ranger only needs a scabbard, but the sword of a general doesn't. Even if he goes on a long journey, it won't be hidden in the scabbard for too long. The scabbard should be prepared by the person who collects the sword."

The sword of a ranger only needs a scabbard.

The general's sword is about to go to the battlefield.

Young people always show their sharpness, and when they grow up and mature, they become like a sword wrapped in its sheath, no longer pressuring others, with a maturity that has been polished by the world. But this kind of polishing, she hopes it doesn't come from the imposition of this tumultuous fate, but from the most genuine heart of the youth!

So, only give the sword, not the scabbard!

Yan Lin reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword. With a gentle turn of her wrist, the long sword was already in her palm.

It is no longer the sword that he used to use as soon as he saw it.

This sword is sharp and cold.

Even ferocious.

===Kunning Section 116===

The light reflecting on the autumn water perfectly matched the most secretive scene of Xiao Sha in his heart.

Upon seeing it, King Yanping couldn't help but clap his hands and praised, "Good sword!"

Shen Zhiyi followed suit and became curious, saying, "Call Qingfeng to compete with you and try the sword!"

Yan Lin smiled helplessly.

But at this moment, there was still a long time before the coronation ceremony, and there was indeed nothing to do. He waved his hand and called Qingfeng to fetch a sword to try with him. The expression on his face was still vaguely the same as before.

Jiang Xuening stood in front of the steps, looking a bit lost in thought.

Yan Lin looked back at her and said, "I really like this birthday gift."

Jiang Xuening couldn't laugh and said, "I'm afraid I might miss it."

Yan Lin smiled at her and a soft light flashed in her eyebrows and eyes. She said with great certainty, "No way. Anyone in the world may miss it, but I know you will definitely come."

Even in the future, perhaps I cannot marry you;

Even in the future, the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion was completely destroyed.

Believing that Ning Ning, who he had to wait for, would come was as natural as believing that the scorching sun would rise from the east and the rolling rivers would converge towards the sea, without any doubt.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening almost burst into tears.

The young man standing in front of her would never know that there had indeed existed such a possibility that he thought was impossible——

That's because she didn't come.

Yan Lin firmly believed that she would come to her coronation ceremony no matter what, and believed that she could wait. However, in the previous life, whether it was a delay or a robbery, she did not arrive and could not enter.

Perhaps it is precisely because of faith that there is such a deep disappointment.

Moreover, she not only failed to arrive, but also brought deeper despair to the young man.

In her previous life, she was really a very bad, very bad person.

*

Most of the accompanying readers in the palace came together, but the others were different from Princess Leyang and Jiang Xuening. Shen Zhiyi was able to pull people and ask for directions directly before running inside, but they dared not.

A post was posted at the door, and only then did the crowd enter.

Yao Xi hung her head and followed behind Xiao Shu and Chen Shuyi, looking at the profound and courageous Marquis's Mansion with an especially indifferent gaze. Just as they were about to enter the hall together, she heard a voice coming from behind.

Someone handed the post to the butler and whispered, "Zhang Zhe."

Although I had only heard it once in the Cining Palace, the cold, light, and almost non undulating voice was engraved in Yao Xi's ears, making her immediately recognize it.

This is self reporting when submitting a post.

Yao Xi's footsteps suddenly stopped, and she suddenly looked back——

Zhang Zhegang climbed the stairs, stood outside the lobby, and handed over a post.

Eyes folded, brows and eyes dull.

I didn't wear official attire today, only a simple and plain round necked robe made of fine Tibetan cloth, without any fancy attire or decorations. Standing with the guests around me, it didn't seem very obvious, and there was a kind of indifference that was difficult for others to notice.

But Yao Xi happened to see him at a glance.

Zhang Zhe, however, did not notice anyone else and did not take a glance in the direction of Yao Xi. He walked along with a few other officials from the Ministry of Justice who came with him towards the other side of the hall.

Yao Xi suddenly felt extremely resentful.

She stood there for a long time without moving a step, until she saw Zhang Zhe's figure disappear into the lattice of the diamond window sash, then clenched her fingers and forcefully suppressed the surging emotions in her chest, walking forward.

She was just absent-minded, walking forward but not looking forward.

Xiao Shu and the others had already walked to the front, but a man in a flying fish suit walked out from inside. With this turn, Yao Xi almost collided with this person!

Ah.

She caught off guard and was startled. She immediately took a step back and let out a low scream.

As soon as he saw a tall and burly man in front of him, he instinctively frowned and said, "You don't even take a look when you walk?"

Zhou Yinzhi can be said to be one of the few people in the Royal Guards who dare to attend the coronation ceremony, and his position as a thousand households is not low in the court.

But I didn't want to walk and almost got bumped into by this girl.

That's okay, it's a small matter, but the one who didn't want to walk without looking at the road actually said he didn't look at the road.

He remained calm with joy and anger, and his face remained unchanged at the moment. He knew that those who dared to come to the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion at this time were either wealthy or noble, and had a certain degree of support behind them. Therefore, he only bowed to Yao Xi and said, "It was an unintentional mistake, I have collided with the girl."

Yao Xi also saw that he was from the Royal Guards.

But her father was the Minister of the Six Ministries, a Cabinet Scholar, and a Crown Prince. How could he take this small household seriously?

Seeing the other party apologize, there was no expression.

She was a girl who bumped into a man on such an occasion. Her mind was inevitably more sensitive and she didn't speak. She rolled her sleeves and headed straight towards the direction of Xiao Shu and the others in front.

Zhou Yinzhi turned his head to look at her and asked his colleagues beside him, "Who is that, Miss?"

The colleague said, "From the family of Emperor Yao."

After finishing speaking, he suddenly let out a "hey" sound and smiled, "Are you also interested, Lord Qianhu?"

Zhou Yinzhi casually tugged at the corner of his lips and said, "Just ask casually."

It's just a little curious about the hatred and resentment hidden in the girl's eyes at the moment she just turned around.

People with too strong emotions are easily exploited.

Not to mention such genuine and obvious hatred?

Zhou Yinzhi didn't ask any more questions and turned towards the direction that Zhang Zhe had gone before.

*

Xie Wei arrived not too early.

Today, without going to court, his mansion is located next door. He neither rides a carriage nor carries a sedan chair, only carries a sword book. He walked out step by step and soon arrived at the entrance of the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion.

The butler saw him from afar and immediately bowed to greet him.

As early as when the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion was not in trouble, the Marquis searched through the court and thought about who to invite to take the character for Yan Lin. Unexpectedly, one day he went down to court with Xie Wei and had a brief conversation, which was considered a compromise. When he asked, Xie Wei was actually willing, and he was naturally overjoyed.

So it was decided to ask Xie Wei to take the character.

It can be said that among the many guests who came today, the most important one was this one. The butler almost personally led him in and said with a smile, "Master Xie has come. The Marquis has specifically instructed that if you come today, please come to his hall and sit down first."

Xie Wei was dressed in snow-white clothes, with cloud patterns as the base, appearing ethereal in the dust.

When stepping up the stairs, he looked like a banished immortal from the heavens.

He glanced at the butler and walked with him into the mansion, looking at the pavilions and towers on both sides. However, there was a dreamlike trance, and he only asked, "I heard that the Marquis has been sick these days. Are you feeling better?"

The butler sighed and smiled bitterly, "How can things get better now? Not long ago, he drank with the Crown Prince and refused to listen. However, these days, the Forbidden City has been away from mundane affairs, and it is rare to have time to be with the Crown Prince. Although his illness is not completely cured, his mood is much better."

"Is that so..."

Xie Wei blinked and murmured, "That's also good."

Yongyi Hou Yanmu lives in Chengqing Hall, right behind Qingyu Hall.

You will pass by Qingyu Hall when you go to Chengqing Hall.

Along the way, the rockery and bonsai, and the corridor back, can be seen that it is an old mansion, but many carved beams and painted rafters have been newly decorated, and the vegetation in the mansion is different from that of more than 20 years ago.

Xie Wei felt very unfamiliar walking here.

Qingyu Hall is facing the water, with koi swimming in the water. Near the end of the corridor, there is a tall cherry tree planted.

The leaves have already fallen off in the winter.

However, it grew extremely tall, almost crossing the roof, and some branches even reached the top of the hallway. When standing below, the tall and sparse tree shadows and edges under the gray white sky seemed to evoke its greenness in the scorching summer.

Xie Wei looked at him, unable to retract his gaze.

The butler saw him and thought he had some doubts about how a brave and resolute Marquis's mansion could tolerate this tree growing like this. He just smiled and said, "Don't take it for granted. This cherry tree was planted by Marquis himself for Young Master Biao in the past, and has been growing for over twenty years..."

At this point, he paused and his expression became unnatural.

I guess Xie Wei didn't know who he was talking about, so he added a half sentence: "It was the marriage between Xiao Yan and Xiao Yan back then, and he must not be a young prince..."

Xie Wei's fingers in front of him slowly tightened, as if this could also suppress some of the sudden surging things inside. He said slowly, "I see."

I have arrived in front of Qingyu Hall while speaking.

A group of young people gathered here. After watching Yan Lin and Qing Feng test their swords, they all applauded in unison. At first glance, when they turned around and saw Xie Wei, they were all startled and stopped to turn and salute, "I've seen Mr. Xie!"

Yan Lin looked at Xie Wei with a deep gaze and remained silent;

Although Jiang Xuening knew that Xie Wei was the master of Yan Lin and wanted to take his name, she did not expect to meet him deep in the mansion. She was stunned for a moment before bowing to the others.

This is half a beat slower.

Xie Wei noticed it, but didn't say anything, only said, "You don't need to be polite."

He turned his gaze and saw the long sword held in Yan Lin's hand, speaking to say something.

Unexpectedly, behind the cherry tree ahead came a meowing cry.

A flower cat with snow-white fur and yellow spots chased after some flying insect, and with exceptional agility, rushed out from behind the tree and ran towards the place where Xie Wei stood.

His pupils contracted and his body suddenly tightened.

Everyone was caught in the eye.

Jiang Xuening's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as she saw the little flower cat passing by her feet and about to rush towards Xie Wei. She couldn't help but think deeply about it. Subconsciously, she bent over and quickly reached out her hand to intercept the cat and pick it up!

The little flower cat fell into her arms and couldn't move forward anymore.

It panicked and waved its paws, meowing.

Everyone's gaze immediately turned to her, somewhat surprised by her sudden action.

Jiang Xuening, on the other hand, almost didn't lift her throat in one breath. She quietly glanced at Xie Wei, who was standing in the same place with a stiff body and didn't move a step. She casually raised her hand to gently stroke the little flower cat, and her wide sleeve robe covered most of the cat.

Her heart is still beating fast.

Xie Wei gave her a silent glance.

But she only hugged the little cat tightly, afraid that it would run out again. She smiled nonchalantly at the crowd and said, "I didn't expect that the Marquis's Mansion also has cats. They are really likable."