The lantern scene of the Canglan River is a great beauty during the Lantern Festival. Every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, hundreds of wooden boats carrying various lanterns gather in the center of the Canglan River.

Looking from a distance, it looks like sparks sinking in the river, or like fireworks blooming in the water, which is a unique feeling.

This kind of grand scene is most magnificent from Linjiang Tower.

Therefore, Linjiang Tower became extremely lively as soon as night fell. Many people who had not been able to see the lights on the river yesterday came to join in the fun and broaden their horizons.

The crowd in the hall was noisy, making people's hearts become more and more impetuous.

Rong Shu and Rong Juan stood side by side by the window. Rong Juan looked impatient, but Rong Shu was an old man admiring the lights in the river.

"Are you in a hurry? Jiang Shenglin won't come today, but he will come tomorrow. This lantern scene is only for three days, and tomorrow is the last day. How can your Jiang family brother be willing to live up to such a beautiful scenery?"

Rong Juan He bit his lip and glared at Rong Shu, wanting to refute Rong Shu harshly. It could be seen that Rong Shu was so determined and confident, and he felt a little confused for a moment.

I wonder if there is any evidence that Rong Shumo is not real?

Just as he was thinking about it, he suddenly heard Rong Shu say "Hey" and said, "What happened to that boat?"

Rong Juan followed her gaze and saw several boats rising from the stern of a boat on the river bank. There was a wisp of white smoke, and the people inside were probably frightened, so they hurriedly ran down from the boat and headed towards the Linjiang Tower at the other end.

The man in the middle is wearing a brocade robe and a jade crown, and his temperament is as gentle and elegant as a jade tree facing the wind. Who else could it be if it wasn't Jiang Shenglin?

Even though they were far apart, Rong Juan recognized Jiang Shenglin.

She glanced further to his side, and her eyes instantly turned red.

Although the girl was wearing a curtain hat, her figure was graceful and graceful. It was obvious at a glance that she was a young and beautiful woman. At this time, he was probably a little panicked, and he was trembling like a bird in Jiang Shenglin's arms.

Jiang Shenglin would turn his head and say a few words of warmth from time to time, his brows and eyes full of love and care.

Rong Juan knew from the way Jiang Shenglin protected her that what Rong Shu said was true!

Jiang Shenglin really has a cousin who loves each other!

A surge of anger rushed from his heart to his forehead, but after the anger was filled with grievance and sorrow, Rong Juan almost bit his lip to suppress the soreness at the tip of his nose.

But she couldn't swallow this breath, so she turned around and went downstairs.

However, she had already reached the door and was about to open it, but she stopped dead in her tracks.

Seeing that she was motionless, Rong Shu thought for a moment and said, "Rong Juan, think about it. Now go down and have a fight with Jiang Shenglin. There are only two outcomes. Either the marriage will be canceled, or the marriage will not be canceled. But after you marry into the Jiang family, , and the Jiang family will not be allowed to see him from now on."

When the boat caught fire, Jiang Shenglin behaved a little more intimately to protect his cousin. Although it was not polite, he could still manage it.

If Rong Juanruo went down to make trouble, it would be like trampling on Jiang Shenglin's face.

In this case, how could the Jiang family treat Rong Juan?

As far as she knew, Jiang Shenglin's mother actually disliked Rong Juan very much.

After Rong Shu said this, he said no more and allowed Rong Juan to make his own decision.

Rong Juan seemed to have roots on her feet. It wasn't that she didn't understand what Rong Shu said. It was precisely because she understood that she didn't make trouble.

A large part of the reason why her grandmother valued her so much and why Qiu Yuntang gained face in the Hou Mansion was because of the marriage between the Cheng'an Hou Mansion and the Jiang family.

My grandmother mentioned more than once that my cousin and several younger brothers would all take the imperial examination in the future. It would be of great benefit to the older brother and younger brothers to have a noble family like the Jiang family as their in-laws.

As long as my brother and brother can be named on the gold medal list, no one in Beijing will dare to laugh at the Cheng'an Marquis Mansion for its lack of background.

Rong Juan always remembered that she was a girl from the Marquis of Cheng'an Mansion, and she wanted to earn such a legacy for the Marquis of Cheng'an.

The girl squeezed the fan in her hand without saying a word. The anger in her heart gradually disappeared, but her eyes became redder.

Rong Shu looked at her straight back and said: "What choice you want to make is your business, I don't care. I just want to take back the dirty water you poured on my mother when she was a child!" You said that my mother took away Aunt Pei’s wife, so my mother should abdicate in favor of her. Now I ask you, are you going to abdicate in favor of your brother Jiang’s sweetheart

? When I first married into the Marquis of Cheng'an, I didn't even know that Aunt Pei existed. You were better than her. What did you do if you knew about it in advance? Ask yourself, when you marry into the Jiang family, will you be able to send Jiang Shenglin to his cousin and not disturb him from now on?"

Rong Shu's face gradually turned cold.

"Don't think it's a huge injustice to offer tea and kowtow to my mother. I'll leave it at that. If you don't want to get married from Qinghengyuan, you can return the dowry that my mother prepared for you. If you don't return it, , I will go to the Jiang family to ask for it! There is no such thing as being obedient after getting a bargain!"

Rong Juan took a deep breath, held back the tears in his eyes, raised his head and said,

"Why don't you get married? I want to marry into the Jiang family openly. The Jiang family's brother has me in his heart, and I don't believe he would leave me for a cousin."

Rong Shu already knew how Rong Juan would choose.

It is not surprising that in his previous life, the Hou Mansion was in trouble, and Rong Wei was banned by the eldest lady of the Jiang family. When Aunt Pei came out of Dali Temple Prison, the first thing she did was to go to Jiang's house to see Rong Wei.

But at that time, the eldest lady turned away Aunt Pei, and she was shut out of the house.

At that time, Rong Chuan had just become pregnant with her second child. She was so frightened and angry that she couldn't keep the child.

When something happened to the Pei family, the Jiang family chose to stand by and watch. The Marquis of Cheng'an was in trouble, so it was naturally impossible for him to lend a helping hand.

Aunt Pei later begged Rong Shu.

At that time, Gu Changjin was already the censor of Zuo Qiandu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and was highly regarded by the emperor. For Gu Changjin's sake, the Jiang family would be more polite to Rong Shu.

When Rong Shu went to the Jiang family to ask for someone, Rong Juan was unwilling to go with her.

"I can't leave. What will happen to Sister Yin if I leave? I can't leave Sister Yin to be raised by that bitch." Rong Juan shook his head and said with a sick look on his face: "Besides, as long as I am still Jiang Shenglin's wife , others will be more or less scrupulous, maybe my father and... mother will live a better life."

At this point, she paused, raised her eyes and looked at Rong Shu, and said word by word: "Sister, I was not the one in the past. Sensible. "

People's sensibleness is learned through unforgettable lessons time and time again.

In the past, in the boudoir, Rong Juan was always proud in front of Rong Shu, like a peacock who always had high morale.

She, the second younger sister, worked hard to build her own reputation for Aunt Pei. She wanted to be top-notch in everything, including piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. She wished that everyone in Beijing would know that Pei Yun's daughter was not at all more expensive than other wealthy families. Female errand.

Marrying into the Jiang family was the most glorious moment in her life.

She thought that the Jiang family would be her support in the future.

But she doesn't understand that there are so many things to rely on in this world, just like the sand castles built on the seaside. When a big wave comes, they can't even retain their foundation.

Less than three years after marrying into the Jiang family, the arrogance in her body was no longer visible, like a peacock whose wings and feathers were plucked and its bones were broken.

"A person who wants to go out to enjoy the lanterns with the girl next to him when his wedding day is approaching, do you think he will respect you after getting married?" Rong Shu said lightly: "The Jiang family and Jiang Shenglin are not your support, nor are they the Marquis of Cheng'an. They cannot rely on the government.”

The overthrow of the Rong family in the previous life had already made Rong Shu see clearly the face of the Jiang family. She didn't like Qiu Yuntang, but she even hated the so-called hairpin family that was as sanctimonious as the Jiang family.

"What do you know?" Rong Juan became angry with embarrassment and blushed: "If the Jiang family is not the Jiang family, how could it be that Gu Changjin is? You think I don't know that my grandmother and father didn't agree with you marrying him at all, but you insisted on marrying him. Go over! I was so angry that my grandmother banned you for a month!"

Rong Shu was not angered by her, and just said calmly: "I married him because I liked him, but he is a petty official who only wants to take advantage of himself. How about it? If I like him, I will marry him. If I don't like him, I will divorce him without hesitation. "

You keep saying that Jiang Shenglin cares about you, saying it's for the sake of the Marquis of Cheng'an. Admit it, Rong Juan, you just don't want to part with the glory that this marriage brings. I don't care whether you marry Jiang Shenglin or not. As long as you dare to disrespect my mother." "Look, do you think I dare to go to Jiang's house to ask for a dowry from your future mother-in-law?"

He said without further ado.

Rong Shu didn't want to say any more, so he picked up the round fan placed on the table and asked Ying Yue to go outside to settle the bill.

"I will treat you to a play today. If you still want to continue watching the play, just stay and I will pay for it. If you don't want to, I will send you back to the Marquis Mansion now." After

saying this, she stepped forward. Out of the wing.

The wooden ladder going downstairs has to cross several adjacent rooms. When Rong Shu passed by Tianzi No. 4 room, he didn't know that the conversation between her and Rong Juan had fallen into Gu Changjin's ears.

Gu Changjin had been here for a quarter of an hour, but he hadn't taken a sip of the tea in his hand. When he noticed that the tea had cooled down, Rong Shu's canopy carriage had already left Linjiang Tower.

The second girl of the Rong family followed her and left.

I was originally worried that she would be bullied, but now it seems that my worries are unfounded. This girl has a sharp tongue and can stab people's hearts without drawing blood.

Gu Changjin put down his tea cup and slowly walked out of Linjiang Tower.

Chang Ji and Hengping came to pick him up, thinking that he was going back to Wutong Lane directly, so they didn't ask anything. When Gu Changjin got in the car, Chang Ji was overjoyed and said:

"The eldest son of the Jiang family is too timid, I'm just at the painting boat." After lighting up the cigarette, he ran off the boat in a panic. "Tsk, with just his skills, the people in the Cheng'an Marquis Mansion have the nerve to compare him to their master."

Gu Changjin didn't listen and looked at him. He walked out of the window and said calmly: "Go back to the Punishment Department. I have been staying at the Punishment Department recently. You will go back to the study to get me some supplies in a while."

Chang Ji was startled: "Now, are you going back to the Punishment Department now?"

"Well, Master Sikou I have been assigned two new cases. It is a critical period for exams right now. I must handle these two cases as soon as possible. Furthermore," Gu Changjin half-closed his eyes and said calmly, "I have to take the exam soon. ."

Chang Ji was a little surprised when he heard this.

The examination is held every three years. The fraud case in the scientific examination twelve years ago and Emperor Jiayou's thunderous methods still have lingering fears among the people in Beijing.

Therefore, every time there is a general examination, all the yamen will be ready to prepare.

Lu Sikou now values ​​his master more and more, which is a good thing for his master. The master has made meritorious service in both the Xu Li'er case and the Yang Xu case. He expects to be promoted to at least the fifth rank in this year's exam.

If you are lucky, it is not impossible to start from the fourth level.

Thinking of this, Chang Ji stopped asking any more questions, sent Gu Changjin to the Ministry of Punishment, and then returned to Wutong Lane to get daily necessities.

The duty room of the Ministry of Punishment was empty at this time. The Chinese New Year had just passed, and most of the ministers were still lazy and went home at the end of the day.

At this time, there was only one person in the entire Yamen, Gu Changjin.

Gu Changjin hunkered down at his desk to read the documents, forcing himself to focus all his attention on these official documents.

But as I watched, my mind suddenly recalled the conversation between Rong Juan and Rong Shu just now.

After Xu Fu completed the five rites with the Marquis of Cheng'an, he informed him that he was going to marry the eldest daughter of Marquis of Cheng'an in two months. At that time, he didn't even know who Rong Shu was and only thought she was Xu Fu. A chess piece placed next to him.

Little did he know that this girl had been scolded, grounded, and made fun of just to marry him and come to him.

At that time, she really liked him very much.

Only now, those likes are gone.

That's fine.

Didn't he stay away from her when they got married just to make her give up?

Now that she has finally given up, what's wrong?

Therefore, there is no need to feel uncomfortable, let alone heartache.

Even though he was a little attracted to her, they had only been married for half a year, so how could he not let her go?

Just why...

my heart is still cold, as if there is wind and snow, and it is desolate.

Gu Changjin almost laughed out loud at his worried look.

Gu Yunzhi, is there anything so desolate and heartbreaking?

A faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips. The man threw his pen, rubbed his eyebrows, stood up and opened the window.

The cold wind is blowing, the shadows of the trees are dancing, and the light of snow is lingering on the porch.

He pressed his chest and slowly lowered his eyes.

It was just a love affair. Once she left Wutong Lane, everything would return to where it started.

...

Time flies and it's February. After several heavy snowfalls, the gloomy sky in Shangjing finally becomes sunny.

Gu Changjin worked tirelessly in the Criminal Department day and night, almost never leaving home.

Rong Shu vaguely remembered that he had never been so busy at this time in his previous life. Although she was a little confused about him staying in the Ministry of Justice today, she didn't think much about it.

Rong Juan is scheduled to get married on February 28th. Aniang will go back to the Hou Mansion soon, so she will naturally follow her.

Gu Changjin was busy in the Criminal Department, so she was busy in Songsi Yuan. When she first married into the Gu family, she brought a lot of dowry, and she planned to move all these things back to Minglu Yuan.

It's not that she doesn't want to part with these things, it's just that these are extremely private things.

Then she said that the Babu bed was the bed she had slept on. When Gu Changjin and Miss Wen got married in the future, why not let them continue to sleep on this bed?

She didn't feel uncomfortable, they all felt uncomfortable.

Rong Shu still has some self-awareness.

Neither Gu Changjin nor Miss Wen, whom he had never met before, wanted to see any of her old things in Songsiyuan.

Therefore, she would not leave even a single thing that should be taken away. It would be best to clean up all traces of her in Songsiyuan.

After so much busy work, on the tenth day of February, Mrs. Shen sent someone to deliver the news that she had returned to Gu Mansion.

Rong Shudang returned to Qinghengyuan.

This day happened to be the start of the examination. The Imperial College gave all the supervisors a three-day holiday, and Rong Ze, the eldest son of the Rong family, also returned to the Marquis of Cheng'an Mansion.

Rong Shu had not seen Rong Ze since she got married. She always had a good relationship with her brother. When she returned to Qinghengyuan, she hurried to Shenyinyuan with her skirt in hand without Shen's urging.

The younger brothers and sisters in the family all liked this gentle brother. When Rong Shu arrived, Erlang, Sanlang, Silang and the third sister were all there. Among the younger members of the Rong family, only Rong Juan was absent.

Not long after Rong Shu sat down, he heard Rong Qi say: "After the eldest sister sent the second sister back to the Hou Mansion last time, the second sister stayed behind closed doors for two days and refused to see anyone. Sister, what happened to you that day? Where did you go? "

After the New Year, Rong Qi was already twelve years old, but she was still so naive and always wanted to ask questions that should be asked and things that should not be asked.

Rong Shu smiled and said: "Go to Linjiang Tower to see the lanterns on the river. The second sister probably suffered from a headache due to the wind blowing from the river that day. Besides, isn't it the day to welcome the bride soon? Maybe the second sister is too. Nervous."

He changed the topic with a few words.

Rong Shu guessed that Rong Wei probably didn't even tell Aunt Pei about what happened at Linjiang Tower that day, for fear that Aunt Pei would go to Jiang's house to ask for an explanation. She has always had a very strong temper, how could she let others laugh at her?

The reason why he didn't come to Shen Yinyuan today was probably because he didn't want to see her.

Rong Shu didn't care. She came here to see her eldest cousin, not to see Rong Juan.

After chatting with Rong Qi, they exchanged a few words. Seeing that the brothers finally walked away, Rong Shu hurriedly picked up a wooden box, walked over and handed it to Rong Ze, and said with a smile: "This is Zhao Zhao A birthday gift for my brother. "

Rong Ze's birthday is on New Year's Eve. Since Mrs. Shen is not in the Hou Mansion, Rong Shu naturally did not come to the family dinner on New Year's Eve, so there was no chance to give Rong Ze a birthday gift. .

Rong Ze smiled and thanked him: "I thought you were even angry with my brother, so that's why you refused to come to see me."

"How could that be?" Rong Shu said with a smile, "No one will be angry with you or my aunt."

After a pause, he asked curiously: "Brother, why didn't you take the exam this year?"

Rong Ze won the exam last year and thought he would take the exam this year.

Rong Ze said: "The teacher said that I have not accumulated enough and it is not appropriate for me to end this year. It is not just me, many of the Imperial College students who have passed the provincial examination will not end this year."

Rong Shu was a little surprised, but it was the gentleman from the Imperial College who refused to let him go to the lobby . What happened to my brother?

This is really a blind cat hitting a dead mouse.

There was a big turmoil in Jiayou's 21st year's examination, and all the candidates who did not participate in the examination escaped.

At that time, Rong Shu was very lucky that his eldest cousin did not end up in the end. Now, according to his eldest cousin, most of the students in the Imperial College did not end up in the end this year?

Is this... too much of a coincidence?

She felt something strange in her heart.

But after all, she is a boudoir girl trapped in the inner house. Official affairs are too far away from her. Even if she feels something strange, she can't think of a reason.

I had no choice but to suppress the confusion in my heart and not mention it again.

Rong Ze looked at Rong Shu's face carefully and said gently: "How is Mr. Gu treating Zhao Zhao well? If it's not good, don't hide it in your heart. You can talk to brother."

Rong Ze and Gu Changjin only met on the day of the wedding . They had met him once, but he knew Gu Changjin's name like a thunderbolt.

He was able to pick laurels from the toad palace before he was even crowned. He dared to risk his life to sue a large number of corrupt officials in Jinan Prefecture before he became an official. After becoming an official, he was able to support justice without fear of power and saved Xu Li'er's life from a factory guard. .

This should be the role model for civil servants in the world.

No wonder the husband sighed repeatedly, saying that he had not seen such a young man for a long time.

It’s no wonder that when my grandmother and third uncle met Zhao Zhao and Gu Changjin again, my mother-in-law lamented that they were short-sighted.

Rong Ze sincerely admires Gu Changjin, but admiration comes from admiration. If he treats Zhao Zhao badly, as his elder brother, how can he stand by and watch?

Among the several younger brothers and sisters, Zhao Zhao was the one Rong Ze felt most distressed about.

Rong Shu heard the protection in Rong Ze's words, and felt warm in his heart. He smiled and said, "Shang Ke, Mr. Gu is a good official. Zhao Zhao admires him very much."

Rong Ze heard the alienation in her words and raised his eyebrows slightly. , and just as he was about to speak, Zhu's voice came from behind him.

"We are all together today. It's rare that you brothers are at home, so you all stay with auntie to have a meal."

Rong Shu bowed his eyebrows when he heard this, and said in praise: "Then Zhaozhao stayed here shamelessly, who asked auntie to make steamed food?" Crispy cheese is the most delicious."

Rong Ze was interrupted by the two of them, so he swallowed his words and only glanced at Rong Shu.

The joyful smile in Zhao Zhaomei's eyes was undeniable. It was probably because the little girl was shy, so she said that, he thought.

After a lively meal in Shenyin Courtyard, as soon as Rong Shu returned to Qingheng Courtyard, Zhang's mother came to tell her that the second girl was here.

When Rong Shu heard this, he thought to himself: Could it be that Rong Juan still doesn't want to get married from Qinghengyuan?

After thinking about it, he handed the steamed cheese to Zhang's mother and said, "Mom, send this cheese to grandma's house. I'll go and meet Rong Zhuan."