The man he liked,

Yan Lan, went to garrison, and his station was Xiangzhou on Huaixi Road. Xiangzhou was adjacent to Bozhou. In order to prevent the rebellion of the chieftains in the south, the imperial court often chose to station heavy troops on Huaixi Road. Xiangzhou is thousands of miles away from the imperial capital. The soil and water are very different from those in the capital, and the conditions must be very difficult. Yan Qing's worries are actually greater than his anger towards Yan Lan.

But at first she had been angry. Yan Lan wrote a letter back to Beijing as soon as he arrived at the station. She was angry and refused to read it. Later, when her anger subsided and she wanted to read it, he actually stopped writing to her.

She had read the letter he sent to his parents, which was mainly to report that he was safe. He did not mention a word about the hardships of the station or the local customs, presumably because he was afraid that his parents would be worried.

Yan Qing was so angry that she silently scolded Yan Lan countless times in her heart. After a few days, Jiang Weiren came to the door, as if he knew what was wrong with her, and kept revealing the details of Yan Lan's stay in Xiangzhou.

Naturally, there was no need to taboo anything in the letter Yan Lan sent to Jiang Weiren, as all the good and the bad were reported, but in fact Jiang Weiren did not dare to tell Yan Qing everything he knew, so he picked up some of the customs and customs in Xiangzhou that Yan Lan mentioned in the letter. Tell her something interesting.

In fact, Yan Lan also said in his letter that he contracted damp-heat disease not long after arriving in Xiangzhou. Fortunately, it was close to Jiannan Road. Jiannan was famous for its herbal medicine. He took medicine every day, and the symptoms gradually subsided after half a month.

If Yan Qing found out about this, it would only add to her worries.

Yan Lan wrote the most diligent letter to Jiang Weiren. It talked about everything, not only what he saw and heard, but also discussed with him the southern border defense. He was far away from the capital and knew very little about the news from the Ministry of War and the Privy Council. Jiang Weiren would tell him when he wrote back.

Therefore, even Mr. Yan Ge often asked Jiang Weiren about Yan Lan's situation.

Yan Qing is now familiar with Jiang Weiren, and there are no strangers. Every time he sees Yan Lan's letters to him, they are always thick, and sometimes he feels a little bit offended, "Yan Lan's temperament is obviously very different from yours." , but he regards you as his best friend."

"He and I do share the same interests," Jiang Weiren sighed. "But I can only feel envious that he can get what he wants."

Yan Qing asked curiously: "Why do you envy him?"

"My ambition was to join the army when I was young. At first, I only loved reading military books, so I left my homework behind and was scolded by my master."

Yan Qing looked at him in shock, as if looking at another person , if she remembers correctly, this person has been known as a "child prodigy" since he was a child. He was a scholar at the age of twelve, passed the exams of Jieyuan and became a member, and entered the Hanlin Academy at the age of twenty. As a result, he now tells himself that he only likes to watch. Military book...

Yan Qing could only ask: "Then why didn't you join the army directly?"

"Because our family is poor," Jiang Weiren replied calmly without hesitation, "For children from poor families, the imperial examination is like Longmen. My father is devoted to I only hope that I can gain fame and honor my ancestors."

Yan Qing felt sad after hearing this. Although he and Yan Lan had similar ambitions, Yan Lan had the protection of his father and the support of his family, so he did not need to study hard to become a talent. Therefore, he can be willful and pursue his ambition wholeheartedly.

For Jiang Weiren, the only choice in his life was to study hard in a cold window. But just when he became a Jinshi, passed the imperial examination, and became famous all over the world, his father died in Prince Cheng's palace before he had time to share this honor. The grief she had seen in his eyes back in Jiangling was even more profound now that she recalled it.

The old practice of the Yu Dynasty was that the Beijing inspection was held at the end of winter every year. The so-called Beijing inspection was to inspect the officials in Beijing.

During the Beijing inspection at the end of the winter of the 19th year of Chenghua, Jiang Weiren became the first class A-level official, and he was considered the best among all the officials in the capital.

According to the practice of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the best officials in the capital inspection department will be promoted first or sent out. Considering that Jiang Weiren is currently serving as a minister of the Imperial Academy, it is likely that he will be sent out to become a high official in one or two years.

Yan Lan has also been promoted, and the commander of Xiangzhou Guards Station is also a military attaché of the fourth rank.

Yan Qing thought that her brother didn't want to return to Beijing anymore. She also knew that Jiang Weiren would have to leave Beijing to take up his post after the official decision was made.

She was depressed, and Jiang Weiren could tell from her normal expression that he wanted to make her happy, but he didn't quite know how to make a girl happy. What's more, Yan Qing, as Mr. Yan Ge's boss, had been with him since he was a child. Growing in a heap of brocades, there is nothing lacking.

Twenty years have passed since the beginning of spring. In the spring, people in counties and counties began to be busy, but the imperial capital was even more lively than in the cold winter. The noble children played Cuju and horse racing, while the female relatives enjoyed flowers and shared tea. Everyone went to their own places.

In early April, there is also the world-famous Daxiangguo Temple Peony Festival.

Jiang Weiren heard from Yan Lan that Yan Qing had a wild temper and had liked to follow him out of the house to travel around Beijing since he was a child. Especially when there were various grand gatherings or festivals, he would definitely go and join in the fun.

Jiang Weiren himself has seen this girl who is so brave that she dares to wear men's clothes and go to the flower houses on the edge of Qujiang River.

Naturally, he also remembered that that night, she was wearing a dark robe, which made her small face as white as the moon. She stood on the edge of the stone bridge, taking her shadow by the water, and it was as clear as a budding hibiscus. At that time The lotus lanterns all over the river, all the floating lights reflected in her watery eyes, became the most unforgettable scenery for him that night.

However, to Jiang Weiren's expectation, when he mentioned the Xiangguo Temple Peony Festival to Yan Qing, her interest was waning.

It wasn't that Yan Qing didn't want to go. She looked at Jiang Weiren's doubtful eyes and said slowly: "In the past, it was Yan Lan who accompanied me. He said he was accompanying me, but actually it was because he liked to have fun. At that time, the female family members in the capital Most of them will go, but I don't know about him..."

She tilted her head and recalled the past, shook her head slightly and said with a smile: "Although he really wanted to join the army to serve the country, he used to be just like those dudes in Beijing, and he always liked She was mixed in with the makeup, but she didn't really give me a sister-in-law

before I left." It's not like the two elders of the Yan family didn't think about setting a marriage for their son, but Yan Lan was in tit-for-tat with Yan Ge in order to join the army, and they were looking for him. Yan Lan was unwilling to choose the candidate, so it was so late.

If Yan Lan had married a wife and had a sister-in-law in the family, the situation would not be so deserted now.

It has been half a year since Yan Lan left. Jiang Weiren knew that Yan Qing kept thinking about his brother without saying anything, and he was worried and longing for him.

He softened his expression and lowered his voice, "This time Yan Lan is not here, can I accompany you?"

Yan Qing was stunned for a moment, but before he could answer, he heard Jiang Weiren continue with a smile: "The famous Xiangguo Temple Peony In fact, I have never been to the Flower Festival."

Seeing him smile, Yan Qing's eyes became brighter, and she raised her chin with a look of pride on her face, "Okay, I'll take you to see it!

" Xiangguo Temple is not an ordinary temple. Every beginning, middle and end of the month, it will open the trade of all kinds of rare things. Even in the streets and alleys around Xiangguo Temple, there are many shops hidden in them, which are good for eating and entertainment and attracting people to stop.

The most famous thing about Daxiangguo Temple is not this, but the peonies planted in the temple. Daxiangguo Temple has been a national temple since the previous dynasty. Buddhism was popular in the previous dynasty, especially in the imperial capital. The temple occupied a large area of ​​people's land. One of the three, Xiangguo Temple was expanded many times at that time, covering an area of ​​more than 100 acres. It was the center of Beijing. The most.

When Xizong destroyed Buddhism, he escaped the disaster because the memorial tablet of his biological mother, Queen Mother Xiaoren, was enshrined in Xiangguo Temple. Even today, many temples in Beijing are deserted, but Xiangguo Temple is still prosperous.

Many years ago, a certain abbot turned the back hill into a flower field to plant peonies. When the peonies were in bloom, they were moved to the front temple for pilgrims to enjoy. From then on, it became an old custom, and this happens every year.

Jiang Weiren originally paid tribute to the Imperial Academy. Although he left Jiangling early and came to Beijing, he was immersed in studying all day long. Secondly, he was also short of money. He basically never visited the most popular places in Beijing for fun, which was the Peony Flower in Xiangguo Temple. I have never witnessed such a grand event with my own eyes.

Yan Qing was so familiar with him. The two of them took a carriage to the chariot yard, and she pulled Jiang Weiren out of the carriage.

The Chariot Courtyard is still some distance away from Xiangguo Temple, but on this day in previous years, there were so many cars and horses in front of Xiangguo Temple that it was jammed. If you go to the main entrance by car, you will most likely be blocked there. The side of Cheluyuan is more remote. Although you have to walk a few more steps, you can avoid the pushing and crowding of pedestrians.

Jiang Weiren didn't have this experience. Yan Qing did whatever she said, and he just followed her.

She was not wearing men's clothes today, but she was dressed simply. She was wearing a light yellow skirt. She looked like a little girl from an ordinary family in Beijing. The beads on her head were also simple. Jiang Weiren saw Wu at a glance. The jasper hairpin in her hair was clearly the one he gave to her when she had hairpins.

He remembered that day when she said the hairpin was expensive and refused to accept it. Jiang Weiren knew that such a hairpin was not a rarity for the young lady from his hometown, but this hairpin was indeed valuable and was the most valuable thing around him. of the same thing.

His family has been poor since he was a child, and his salary was low when he first entered Beijing. Naturally, he did not have the money to buy such a thing. But the value of this hairpin is far beyond money for him, because it is his mother's dowry and a family heirloom. .

He left home when he was young, and before leaving, his mother gave him this hairpin, partly because it was worth a lot of money and could be pawned for emergency use if something unexpected happened to him, and also because she wanted to wait for him if something unexpected happened to him. There is always a gift for the girl you like.

These years were not without difficulties, but how could he dare to pawn his mother's things? On that day, the little girl with bright eyebrows held a small lamp ball and said with a regretful look: The hairpin was lost, and at that time he thought of his own hairpin.

She must not know that even the meeting that day was not a coincidence, and he didn't know what kind of evil possessed him. He only heard Yan Lan say that she would go to Xuande Tower every year in the Yuan Dynasty, and something unexpected happened. went.

At that time, he was waiting by the roadside and actually saw the carriage with the wooden sign of the Yan family. He followed it from a distance and saw that she was separated from Shen Zhu. He was originally a little afraid of being discovered by her, but he saw that she was alone. Stumbling in the crowd, just when he was almost knocked down, he reached out and took her into his arms without having time to think.

Her hairpin fell off. If he gave her one, would it make her feel a little happy? At first, he just thought this way. Until the day when she got the hairpin, he suddenly recalled his mother's words. If Meeting the girl of my dreams...

the girl of my dreams...

it turns out that I really met her, long before the Shangyuan fireworks, before the stunning glimpse of the Jinyu Tower, before the lotus lantern night in Qujiang, maybe in the palace of Prince Cheng in Jiangling. With a brief glance, he saw the compassionate tenderness in her eyes, and he had a clue of his current thoughts at that moment.

In the world of mortals, among millions of people, this one is the only one.

It's a pity that God has never had mercy on him. Someone has been by her side for many years, and they even got married after they got married. The ancients said that the right time, the right place, and the right people were not the same for him.

Soon after, he will be released from Beijing. When he returns to Beijing one day, she will be married.

At this moment, she was walking in front of her, the late spring sunshine was flowing on her clothes and hair, and her slender figure fell in his eyes. She didn't know that his heart was filled with sadness, which was unspeakable sadness.