This fierce party struggle that lasted for twenty years after the

establishment of the Houhui was a vigorous one. Two major cases of embezzlement of Mexican military salaries and Beijing-based police favoritism were investigated. Due to the widespread involvement, a large number of officials in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel were dismissed. The Cai Party and the Yuan Dynasty The party can be described as losing both sides.

At the end of the year, news came that Sejong fell ill, which caused both parties to cease their efforts.

In the end, the officials involved in the case were punished, which was Sejong's consistent style. Each official was punished fifty times, and the officials involved were demoted from the capital.

Jiang Weiren's memorial was not only the lead in this political struggle, but he happened to be the first-class leader of the Beijing Police last time. When the Cai Party impeached the Beijing Police for favoritism, he became an official involved in the case, and was eventually demoted back to Jiangling, under the leadership of Ren Xuezheng. job.

From the fourth grade of Imperial College Jijiu to the ninth grade of Zhou Xuezheng, as Yan Qing said that day, he was destroying his own future. If he left the capital this time, he would never have the chance to come back.

People in the court have always been in favor of others, and on the day he left Beijing, only Yan Qing saw him off.

When we arrived at the pavilion outside the city, it was time to say goodbye.

Jiang Weiren looked at the official road in the distance and said sadly: "Last year, Yan Lan and I went to Northern Xinjiang from this official road. This time, I was the only one on the road."

Yan Qing stood in front of him in a cloak, lowering his head. He kept his head down, as if he didn't dare to look into the distance.

"But you won't be like him. You will come back, right?" she asked softly.

After Jiang Weiren heard this, he felt a sudden pain in his heart, but he could no longer answer the answer she wanted to hear.

He laughed hard, as if he had exhausted all his strength before he could pretend to be normal and said: "There is no guarantee in life. We have a long journey ahead of us. This farewell may be..."

He did not finish his words. , but Yan Qing already knew what he had not finished saying.

"In your opinion, is this the last time we meet?"

Jiang Weiren looked down at her, as if he wanted to see her more carefully, and as if he wanted to remember her appearance today. His eyes were restrained and forbearing, making it impossible for anyone to see through the flaws in them.

"Shen Shunqin has a bright future, and he is good to you. He will never let you suffer any injustice in the future." There was still a smile on his lips, and it seemed that he really didn't feel any pain at all. "You can be happy, I Even if she is far away in Jiangling, she will still feel happy. "

Swan geese are in the sky and fish are in the water. If they are destined to just look at each other from a distance, he hopes that she is the swan goose in the sky, so even if he returns to the dust and mud of the earth, it will be okay. It's as sweet as glutinous rice.

She suddenly raised her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with fiery determination. She had always had such a temperament that she would never look back until she hit a wall. Now that it was today, of course she would not back down, so she stared at him and asked: "I'm only asking you this time, Jiang Weiren, do you have me in your heart?"

Regardless of the past or the future, she wanted to Yes, it’s just an answer, a result.

"No." He turned his head and said slowly without looking at her.

Yan Qing just smiled. It was probably the most desperate moment, but he felt calm.

She stood in the pavilion, the cold winter wind wrapped in fine snowflakes brushing her cheeks, and the smile on her lips seemed to be soaked in the biting cold air.

"Okay," she looked at him and said word by word, "Jiang Weiren, I wish you all the best from now on, and you and I... will never see each other again."

Mrs. Yan died of illness the following year. Spring time.

After hearing the news of Yan Lan's death, she fell ill and lingered on the bed for half a year, but in the end she couldn't keep him.

When they left, Yan Yongnian was still in Wenyuan Pavilion, and only Yan Qing was guarding the house.

"Qing'er, help your mother up."

Yan Qing saw that his mother's face looked better than before. He thought she was tired from lying down, so he helped his mother up as he was told. The maid held a pillow. Get behind her.

Mrs. Yan panted hard and suddenly held Yan Qing's hand in front of her.

"Son, I'm afraid my mother's health will never recover..." She said weakly, but Yan Qing's face turned pale with fear.

"Mom, what are you talking about!" she said in a trembling voice.

"Qing'er..." Mrs. Yan stared at Yan Qing closely, "The thing that my mother is worried about the most is you. You have to promise me something." In fact, Yan Qing could guess what his mother was going to say. Sure enough, Mrs. Yan Then he said, "Promise me to marry Shun Qin and stay with him from now on. He will take care of you. Don't worry, mother..."

Yan Qing lowered his head. He didn't say a word at first and just stood there. After a while, After a while, she raised her head and smiled at her mother, but the tears in her eyes fell uncontrollably down her cheeks, "Okay, mother, Qing'er promises you that you will live a good life with him in this life."

Mrs. Yan received her daughter's answer, and her face A pale smile appeared on her face, and she stretched out her hand to wipe her daughter's tears, "My daughter, do you know how long a life is, and I have some regrets that will be forgotten as time goes by..."

After saying this, Mrs. Yan struggled He took a few breaths, then waved to his daughter and said, "Good boy, you can go out... Mom wants to rest for a while..."

Yan Qing nodded, helped his mother remove the pillow, and carefully tucked the corner of the quilt for her. , before leaving, he turned back and said, "I'll see you later."

Yan Qing didn't know that it was the last time he saw his mother. The first thing he noticed was Mrs. Yan's personal maid. She found that Mrs. Yan had been lying upright, She didn't turn over for more than an hour. When she went to call her, she realized that Mrs. Yan's body was already cold.

For more than half a year after Jiang Weiren returned to Jiangling, he hardly interacted with anyone except going to the government office and serving his mother at home.

But since he was young, he has been well-known in the entire Jiangling Mansion. At that time, the parents in Jiangling Prefecture were educating their children, and they all wanted to be like the boy from the Jiang family, pass the exams, and honor their ancestors.

He was awarded the title of "Shuji Shi" at a young age, and everyone in Jiangling seemed to have a bright future. As expected, he later became a fourth-rank official in the court.

He came from a poor family, so it was not easy for him to achieve such an achievement, and it was naturally Jiang Ling's pride.

But now, now, he has been demoted from the capital and became a scholar in the state capital. Although he holds a court position, people say that he is a ninth-grade sesame official. With his low rank, he will never be able to stand out in his lifetime. Day.

Today, Jiang Weiren has gone from being the pride of Jiangling Mansion to being the joke of Jiangling Mansion.

Human relationships are always like this.

Once, Lord Chiang held a banquet in Jiangling’s Jiangfutai. Jiangfutai was also a disciple of Mr. Yan Ge. Everyone said that Jiang Weiren ended up in this situation because of the Yan family. Others ridiculed and looked down upon him, but Mr. Jiang thought of Mr. Yan Ge. , after Jiang Weiren returned to Jiangling, he took care of him secretly.

Jiang Weiren received the post from the Jiang family's servants, so he naturally wanted to go to the banquet.

Unexpectedly, King Cheng had nothing to do. He happened to come to visit and was invited by Mr. Jiang to sit down at the head. Seeing Jiang Weiren sitting at the bottom, he jokingly said: "Hey, isn't this our guy who said he will be the waist jade in the future?" Mr. Jiang? Why, you can’t stay in the capital anymore?”

Everyone here looked at Cheng Wang’s face. Everyone knew about Jiang Weiren’s father, but now they see that Cheng Wang is deliberately trying to kill him. He was embarrassed, and no one dared to say anything for him. Even those who wanted to become a king would help him and ridicule him.

Jiang Weiren sat upright in the banquet. No matter how the people around him ridiculed him, he kept his calm expression and said nothing. However, if you look closely at the hands held in his sleeves, you will find that the knuckles are swollen. white.

"Come, Brother Jiang," Zhao Cong walked towards him with a smile while holding a wine cup. He was so drunk that he staggered a little. "Have a drink with me!"

Seeing that Jiang Weiren was unmoved, Zhao Cong looked at him with a sneer, "Why, Mr. Xuezheng is putting on airs? Mr. Jiang is now in the ninth rank, and I am really scared!"

He was deliberately sarcastic, which caused a burst of laughter in the hall, and Jiang Weiren picked up the wine cup in front of him and drank. All.

Zhao Cong's eyes were full of contempt, and he smiled and returned to his seat. The few people below who were observing his words immediately walked up to Jiang Weiren with wine glasses and toasted him one by one.

These people all had higher official positions than him and had been officials for many years. The most naughty one could not be more tactful. Using Zhao Cong's words, they all said, "If Mr. Jiang doesn't drink, does he look down on us junior officials like Jiangling?"

Jiang Weiren said nothing. , just drank one cup at a time, and the wine cup kept being raised, but nothing happened.

Even so, his eyes were still clear and there was no trace of drunkenness at all. Those people were shocked by his bottomless drinking capacity, and finally had to give up.

Zhao Cong didn't know if he was really drunk or if he wanted to tell him, he suddenly said: "Speaking of which, that year you passed the palace examination, your father was very happy, for fear that others would not know how powerful a son he had.

He snorted coldly, then smiled contemptuously and said: "That night, I held a banquet and asked everyone below to toast him one by one. How dare he not drink? The dozen or so guards at the banquet were all from the palace. " The best drinker, your short-lived father, drank to death like that. Do you think it's ridiculous? Haha...hahaha..."

Those people just now also started laughing. Only Jiang Futai stood up suddenly. He stood up and stood between Jiang Weiren and Zhao Cong. With a respectful smile on his face, he said to Zhao Cong: "Seeing that the prince has drunk a lot, he is probably a little drunk. I ordered someone to take the prince back to his house."

He He was the chief of a state, so Zhao Cong would not give him any face on ordinary days. What's more, Zhao Cong was indeed very drunk at this moment. Master Jiang called his servants and walked out with Zhao Cong surrounded.

He was originally worried that Jiang Weiren would be provoked by those words. If he really made any confrontation in anger, then King Cheng would have more reason to punish him. But when Mr. Jiang turned around, he saw Jiang Weiren sitting up straight. Sitting there, motionless.

But when Mr. Jiang took a closer look at his expression at this moment, he discovered that his eyes were filled with scarlet red.

After everyone had dispersed, Mr. Jiang personally sent him to the door of the mansion. Before he left, he said in a low voice: "Tingchen, I know that the hatred in your heart will not go away, but in this situation, in Jiangling, In this place, King Cheng can hold back the sky with his hands."

"Thank you, Lord Futai, for your guidance," Jiang Weiren's voice was so calm that it was almost impossible to discern his emotions at the moment, "I understand."

"Fortunately, you were the King of England before. His Highness's minister often walks around Yan's house, so King Cheng doesn't dare to do anything to you, so he deliberately uses words to ridicule and anger you. "

Jiang Weiren naturally understood what he would face when he returned to Jiangling . What, what he is experiencing now is just what he expected.

Before going home that night, he stood at the wind vent in front of the house for more than half an hour. After the smell of alcohol on his body was blown away by the night wind, he dared to open the door and go in. However, the lights in front of the hall were on, and it was so late at night. He also saw that his mother had not rested and was still waiting for him.

Jiang's mother still smelled the smell of alcohol in his clothes, but she didn't point it out. She just waved to him and said, "Tingchen, come here. Mother has something to tell you."

He walked closer and sat next to his mother.

"In the past, my mother could understand you when you were pursuing your future in Beijing, but at that time, I thought that there was no one to take care of you. My mother could not let go for a moment in Jiangling..."

What the mother wanted to say, in fact, He had already guessed it.

"Ordinary people at your age have already married a long time ago, but you are also considerate and considerate of my mother's childishness. Look at the deserted home, what is it like?" Jiang's mother looked at him and said, "Tingchen, you are unfilial. There are three people who have no children. You can't let your father die in peace!"

Hearing his father being mentioned again tonight, Jiang Weiren felt unbearable guilt and even more pain. Thinking of what Zhao Cong said just now, he could Thinking of what my father looked like when he was in Prince Cheng's Mansion that night.

At that time, he had just submitted his name in the imperial examination. For the sake of his son's future and not to offend the king, he was naturally willing to endure anything, even if it cost him his own life in the end.

And now my mother is lonely. In the final analysis, it is also because of him.

Under his mother's scorching gaze, he finally nodded, and suddenly replied with a wry smile: "It's just that now, I'm afraid no girl in Jiangling is willing to marry her son."

When he was young, he was famous in the entire Jiangling Mansion, and at that time, among everyone He must have a bright future in his eyes. Although the Jiang family is not well-off, there are countless people who want to marry their daughter to the Jiang family because of his extraordinary intelligence.

But now, because of the past with King Cheng, who is still willing to marry the Jiang family.

But Jiang Weiren didn't expect that soon the wife of Jiang Futai would come to visit, wanting to discuss the matter with Jiang's mother.

Mr. Jiang admired Jiang Weiren from the bottom of his heart, not only because of Mr. Yan Ge, but also because of him.

Mrs. Jiang had a cousin named Xue, who was a doctor and opened a medicine shop in Jiangling City. She had two daughters in the family, and the eldest daughter was now at the age to be married.

This Miss Xue is Mrs. Chiang's niece. She has been well-born since she was a child. People have come to her door to ask for her hand in marriage since she was a little girl.

However, the Xue family's lintel was not high, and Langzhong Xue did not want his daughter to marry into a merchant family again, so he entrusted Mrs. Jiang to make the final decision on his daughter's marriage.

Madam Chiang is also in a bit of a dilemma. The children of serious official families have always been unwilling to marry the daughter of a merchant family. Moreover, the young men from official families in Jiangling are mostly hopeless playboys. In the eyes of Madam Chiang, she feels aggrieved. killed his niece.

When Mr. Jiang heard his wife's complaint, he thought of Jiang Weiren, who was not yet married.

Mrs. Jiang originally felt that the Jiang family was poor, and Jiang Weiren was not a good match because of what happened in Beijing and had issues with Prince Cheng's palace. However, she believed in her husband's vision and used the opportunity to visit Jiang Weiren's mother in the Jiang family. In the name of Jiang's mother, I mentioned the matter tactfully to Jiang's mother.

Jiang Weiren has always been taken care of by Mr. Jiang, and Jiang's mother is extremely grateful. Seeing Mrs. Jiang come to visit and take the initiative to mention this matter, there is no way to refuse.

When Jiang Weiren returned home, Jiang's mother mentioned the matter to him and asked him, "Tingchen, tell mother, what do you mean?"

Jiang Weiren did not answer for a while. He was indeed too young at this young age. It's time to start a family. I didn't want to think about it in the past because I carried my father's expectations on my shoulders and wanted to become an official and shine.

Later, he went to the Imperial Academy to study alone, and he studied hard day and night. People around him said that he was not enlightened, and it was said in poetry books, "A gentle lady, a gentleman is so arrogant."

But he didn't understand at all, and he didn't understand . I don’t understand what love is, I don’t understand how painful lovesickness is, and I don’t understand what it’s like to have someone in my heart—not daring to pick it up and not daring to put it down.

If he hadn't met that person, maybe he would never understand.

That day in the pavilion on the outskirts of Beijing, she asked him if he had ever had her in his heart, and he lied to her.

He is soberer than her, and he clearly knows that he is not the best destination for her, but the most painful thing in the world is this sobriety.

He will always remember her decisive look. She said: "I wish you success in everything from now on, and you and I will never see each other again."

Will we never see each other again?

That's fine...

He promised her father not to bother her anymore. Then from now on, her joys and sorrows will have nothing to do with him.

His answer "no" was his greatest deception and greatest accomplishment.

In this case, there is no need to look back.

So, he raised his head at this moment, his face no longer wavered, and said calmly to his mother: "As long as you are happy, I am willing."