In the evening, Tan Ting read the manuscripts from Beijing.

The dichao records the transfer matters of the DPRK and the Central Government. Even those who are not serving as officials or are idle at home can also know the affairs of the DPRK and central government by reading the dicopy.

After briefly reading it, he glanced at the sky outside.

It wasn't too late. If it had been a few days ago, he would have probably been practicing calligraphy or reading for a while, and then went back when it was time to fall asleep.

But he thought about it briefly today and returned to the main courtyard early.

He didn't expect to reach the main courtyard, but saw the lights in the main room were dark. He was stunned for a moment and asked the two little maids playing in the corner of the courtyard.

"Madam, are you asleep?"

It's far from the time to fall asleep.

The little maids also shook their heads, "Back to the uncle, Madam is not asleep and not in the room."

Tan Ting breathed a sigh of relief.

If she went to bed early, he wouldn't know how to say what he wanted to say to her.

He entered the room, sat in front of the desk, flipped through the book, and asked Zhengji to simply bring Li Chengyun's letter and leave it in the main room to reply.

Li Chengyun is the third master of the Li family in Huaining and an old friend of Tan Ting.

In his letter, he mentioned something obscure.

When the prince went on tour the year before last, he found a Taoist priest from nowhere. This Taoist man was very knowledgeable and loved the prince. After returning to Beijing, he was recruited to accompany him in the East Palace.

Although there were some criticisms in the court at that time, this court valued Taoism and Taoists often appeared in the palace, so it was not a rare thing.

But I never thought that this Taoist's heart was far more than just seeking immortality, and he was gradually getting involved in major affairs of the court.

Especially this autumn, this man actually encouraged the prince to investigate the Jiangxi imperial examination fraud case many years ago.

This is an old case that has been settled for a long time. Both the government and the government know that there is nothing to investigate, so there is no need to waste energy.

I don’t know what the Taoist said in the ear of the prince. The prince once again ordered Dali Temple to investigate the matter again, but after two months of searching, nothing was found.

Tan Ting didn't pay attention to these things at first, but he received several letters from friends in Beijing in the past two days, all of which mentioned this matter. He also said that the prince now believed what the Taoist said, and he was still unwilling to find anything, so he actually tricked Dong Gongfu. I personally went to investigate.

Coincidentally, after the assistant minister of the East Palace left, the Taoist didn't seem to show up for a while.

Li Chengyun did not speculate too much, but just sighed a few words, fearing that trouble would arise in the court after the new year.

Tan Ting read the letter and couldn't help but glance in the direction of the capital.

Nowadays, the Holy Emperor's health is not good, and he asks less and less about matters in the court, and most matters are gradually entrusted to the prince.

The prince is a very kind-hearted person, modest and courteous, and good at listening to what others say.

In the past, everyone in the court believed that this was the character of a benevolent king, but now the prince believes in that Taoist man more than the court officials.

Throughout the ages, this has not been a good thing.

But no one knows where this Taoist came from.

Tan Ting shook his head and sighed quietly.

When he came to his senses, he not only looked out twice, but there was no sign of anyone coming back in the courtyard.

Tan Ting had no choice but to turn on the light and read Xianshu for a while.

But as the night went on, the courtyard became increasingly quiet, with very few footsteps.

The cold wind rolled up the icicles under the eaves and rattled the window lattice.

Tan Ting couldn't stop reading Xianshu, and he would glance out the window from time to time.

At this time, there is nothing going on in the family, so it’s time for everyone to go to bed, right?

Tan Ting looked outside twice more, was silent for a while, and called for someone.

"Where are you giving your orders, Madam?"

It was the same little maid who had been playing just now, who looked like eight or nine years old.

"Go back to the uncle, Madam is not giving any orders."

Tan Ting raised her eyebrows, and the little maid hurriedly said.

"Madam is carving stones in Qiao Yun's room."

Carving stones at Qiao Yun's place...

Her seal-cutting equipment and jade were all collected from Qiao Yun's room. Was she always carving at Qiao Yun's place, or After he returned home...

"Does Madam often carve stones at Qiao Yun's place?"

The little maid shook her head.

"In the past, my wife always carved stones in the main room."

After finishing his words, Tan Ting was silent for a breath.

Sure enough, it was because he came that she avoided him.

It was late at night and the wind was getting colder. Tan Ting glanced in the direction of the back room.

"Go and invite Madam back to the room."

As soon as the little maid left, Tan Ting continued to read Xianshu and became distracted. He flipped through several pages in a row, but he couldn't remember what he read.

Until there were footsteps outside the door, the door curtain moved slightly, and she lifted the curtain and walked in.

After entering the door, she looked towards him, as if asking him what he wanted her to do when he came back.

Tan Ting didn't give any instructions, but just looked at her hand - she was back, but she didn't bring back the printing equipment.

Tan Ting didn't know what to say for a moment, but she looked at him for a long time and didn't hear his response, but she waited until the sound of more drums came.

She seemed to understand and asked the maid to boil water before speaking.

"Do you want to wash up?"

Tan Ting hummed and asked when he saw that she was coming to serve him again.

"I'll do it myself."

She nodded calmly and sat in front of the dressing table to remove the hairpin ring.

She didn't have many hairpins to remove, so she only took off the silver hairpin and earrings, pulled out the box where she kept them, and put them in.

Tan Ting's eyes fell slightly and swept over the box.

The box is not big, and there are not many compartments in total, but most of the compartments are still empty, with only the first few compartments containing some not-so-exquisite silver ornaments.

She didn't pay attention to his gaze, but just washed up after he washed up.

The room was as quiet as usual. She sat beside the bed. Seeing Tan Ting put down the Xianshu, she blew out the candles, put down the curtain and lay down.

There is no longer a third person in the room, and there is no more noise and complicated things during the day.

There were just two people lying side by side on the same carved bed.

The moonlight was thin, and in the tent in the room with the candles extinguished, Tan Ting silently glanced at the person beside his pillow.

Regardless, he owed her an explanation.

Just because she didn't say anything or show it on her face didn't mean she didn't feel any grievance in her heart.

He really should say something.

Tan Ting has already thought about how to speak, and even if she doesn't mention it, he will provide more for her and the Xiang family.

I hope the grievances in her heart can be alleviated.

Just when Tan Ting was about to speak, he noticed the breathing of the person next to the pillow.

The breathing gradually deepened and became gentle and long.

What Tan Ting wanted to say in his heart completely stopped on his lips.

She fell asleep.

Only people who are extremely tired can fall asleep so quickly.

The thin moonlight became fainter and duller, and Tan Ting was silent for a long time.

He glanced at her one last time, gently pulled the quilt between them, and swallowed all the words he never found the chance to say.

Early the next morning, I went to Qiuzhaoyuan to say hello, and Xiang Yi went to the Flower Hall to be the director.

Before she left, she just bowed to Tan Tingqian without saying anything.

In the past, Tan Ting didn't pay much attention and felt that he had nothing to say to his wife. Now it seems that she has no intention of talking to him.

But when Tan Ting looked at her slightly thin back as she walked away, he couldn't help but think of the last time Yanzhi Leather was selling leather goods.

That must also be a misunderstanding.

Tan Ting sighed. He said some harsh words at that time, but he also let her go to the warehouse to get leather. She must not get too good leather.

He simply called for the warehouse manager.

"Which one did Madam take last time? Is there any better woolen material in the warehouse?"

Unexpectedly, the steward suddenly asked this, and detailed four pieces of fine woolen material and more than twenty ordinary materials.

"But Madam...didn't you come to the warehouse to get the wool?"

Tan Ting fell silent after saying this.

What he should have thought...

The manager of the warehouse didn't know what he was thinking, so he speculated, "Madam rarely comes to the warehouse. Every time she comes, she deposits and withdraws public items, and she has detailed accounts to check."

He asked Tan Ting, " Sir, do you want to check the accounts? I can bring all the account books over..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Tan Ting.

"No need."

Tan Ting rubbed his forehead, remembered something again, and ordered, "Don't mention it to Madam, I asked about the warehouse."

The uncle was always taciturn, and it was rare for him to say more than a few words.

The steward continued with these few words in his mind as if he didn't understand.

Tan Ting pinched his eyebrows a few times and inexplicably remembered what Qiao Yun said in Qiuzhaoyuan.

"Madam will never take bribes or embezzlement, and she has never touched a single cent of the Tan family's belongings!"

She has been married for three years, and she is clearly separated from the Tan family and her husband...

She wasn't who he thought she was.

On the contrary, she was as clean as a clear stream in a mountain stream, without a speck of dust.

Thinking of this, he called Zhengji over and gave some instructions.

Xiang Yi went to the flower hall to take care of family affairs as usual.

Today's servants were surprisingly docile. Xiang Yi finished taking care of the trivial matters and returned to the main courtyard in a short time.

Unexpectedly, they met Tan Jian and Yang Zhen on the road.

"Sister-in-law, let's go out and play!" Yang Zhen invited Xiang Yi.

Xiang Yi was stunned for a moment, "Going out to play?"

After she married into the Tan family, she was busy with work, and no one invited her out to play if it was inconvenient.

Tan Jian hurriedly explained that a troupe had come to the Shicui Restaurant on County Yamen Street, and they were singing all the popular playbooks in recent years, and he wanted to take Yang Zhen over to have a look.

Yang Zhen nodded repeatedly, "It's boring to be at home every day, but it's freezing and it's not convenient to run a horse race. Finally, we have an interesting theater troupe. Sister-in-law, hurry up and come with us. I asked the second master to book the best seat! "

This sister-in-law is really a lively child.

Xiang Yi couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.

But she doesn't have such leisurely elegance, nor does she have this kind of free time.

But just as she declined, someone suddenly spoke behind her.

"Let's go out for a walk."

Xiang Yi turned around in surprise and saw the man behind him.

Somehow, he suddenly appeared less than half a step behind her. He blocked the cold wind that flew towards him, but his breath also spread over him.

Xiang Yi stepped away to the other side unaccustomedly...

It was so cold, and the wind was filled with the chill of ice and snow.

As Tan Tinglue approached, he saw that she was not wearing a coat with a fur collar like Tan Jian and Yang Zhen. Under the thin collar, her fair neck was half exposed to the wind, and her fine hair continued to fall on her neck. Side slide.

Tan Jian and Yang Zhen both saluted him.

She also turned around.

However, the next moment he turned around, he took two steps away and distanced himself from him again.

Without looking at him, he lowered his head and saluted.

Except for the two of them, no one else noticed the suddenly widening distance between them.

Tan Ting glanced at her silently.

At this time, her younger siblings came up and pulled her, "Brother, please come with us. Sister-in-law, please come with us."

She still didn't respond immediately, but gave him a serious look.

His eyes were full of confusion.