"What? You don't even know how to call me brother?"

After Gu Yansheng finished speaking, he lifted up his robe and sat down next to Xiang Yi.

He had already sat down, and the three siblings came to their senses.

Not to mention Xiang Ning, who hadn't seen him for a long time, even Xiang Yi, who had just met him last month, looked at him carefully.

The sworn brother does have some abilities. This face is indeed his own face, but it doesn't seem to be the same.

Probably because he acted as a Taoist priest in the East Palace and did not reveal his true identity to others, so his appearance was always concealed.

Thinking of this, Xiang Yi hurriedly said, "The lobby of this teahouse is inconvenient. Why don't you go to the private room upstairs?" When

she mentioned it like this, Gu Yansheng's eyes couldn't help but fall on her. Not only did he think of that night , she dared to ride on horseback to lure Chen Fuyou away and let him escape...

If she had something wrong at that time, what would he have done...

Gu Yansheng did not let Xiang Yi anymore. Busy, smiling and looking at her with soft eyes.

"When you enter Beijing, you enter my territory. It's up to me to take care of things. Yizhen shouldn't be busy."

After he said this, Qiu Ying went out and when he came back, he led them to another place. A relatively remote tea house.

Xiang Yi didn't expect to change places, so he walked on the street and glanced in front of the previous teahouse.

But the two teahouses are not too far apart.

Xiang Yu and Xiang Ning didn't think about it as much as Xiang Yi. They were more curious about their sworn brother and looked at him again.

Gu Yansheng couldn't help laughing and asked Xiang Yi, "Am I not as good-looking as before?"

"How?" Xiang Yi waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes fell slightly on Gu Yansheng's handsome face, and he pursed his lips and smiled.

"Brother is still as charming and graceful as ever."

Gu Yansheng's eyes were filled with smiles.

Xiang Yu opened his mouth, "How does the eldest brother know that we are here? And why are we in the capital, and we seem to have met the eldest sister recently?"

He asked several questions in a row, which made Gu Yansheng and Xiang Yi laugh. "This matter is quite complicated," Gu Yansheng answered him briefly.

He said it, and Xiang Ning on the side said, "Such twists and turns are like listening to a book."

The little girl seemed to be hearing a rare scene, but Xiang Yu could feel the cold sweat in those short words.

He couldn't help asking Xiang Yi, "Eldest sister, you didn't even say a word to me?"

Xiang Ning also reacted, "You didn't even say a word to us!"

Seeing that she was so sick that she also followed the big fish, Xiang Yu turned around He rolled his eyes at her.

But the eldest sister didn't even mention a word to him.

Xiang Yi quickly comforted his younger brother, but Xiang Yu asked another question.

"So the Tan family uncle knows? He didn't capture the eldest brother for the Fengling Chen family?"

Tan Ting's change of attitude in this matter is very real and helped Gu Yansheng. Naturally, Gu Yansheng would not cover it up, but just looked at it. Xiang Yi glanced at it.

"Uncle Tan really helped us."

Xiang Yu was extremely surprised.

In his opinion, Tan Ting is the eldest son of the family. Just like his indifference to his sister, even if it does not harm the common people, he will not help.

He really couldn't understand, but he didn't say much.

The four brothers and sisters have not been reunited for a long time. Xiang Yu did not want to mention the uncle of the Tan family. He first talked about going to Boyun Academy to study, and then talked about the coming of spring in April in the capital, and many people from other places. Scholars came to the prefectures and counties in Gyeonggi one after another.

Now that the Jiangxi fraud case has been revealed, it has aroused the surprise and dissatisfaction of these scholars, who are mainly poor scholars. Even Bo Yun Academy is talking about this matter. Now there is some apparent estrangement between the poor scholars and the children of aristocratic families in the academy. .

Xiang Yi heard Tan Ting express his concerns about this before. After all, the imperial examination affects the upward path of the common people. Without the possibility of upward advancement, how can they hold back.

She couldn't help but ask Gu Yansheng.

"Brother, hasn't the three-committee trial of the case been completed yet?"

The case involved so many people, from the local small family to the Chen family in Fengling, as well as the imperial envoys and officials at that time. Who was involved in what? Someone secretly arranged something.

"This matter is quite complex and cannot be investigated in a short time."

At least the Fengling Chen family would not give in so easily. Although the Chen family did not have any ministers, they did have two local frontier officials, and the court also You have to think about it for three minutes.

After all, Prince Kuang is just a prince, and the emperor is not completely indifferent to court affairs.

"We have to wait a little longer."

He looked at Xiang Yi and asked her a few questions. Seeing that she was quite clear about the current situation, it was obvious that the Tan family uncle had discussed this matter with her.

Are they getting better?

I just don’t know, if the relationship between the world and the common people continues to intensify, will they still be like this?

In other words, at that time, will Tan Ting let Yizhen go?

...

Some people were having a tea party nearby, and some people found the location on the letter, but they didn't see anyone.

Tan Ting was stunned and asked Zhengji to ask the shopkeeper.

Most of the teahouses in the capital were busy. The shopkeeper only said that guests with the last name of Xiang came to drink tea, paid the bill and left.

But I don’t know where it went.

Why did he leave suddenly for no reason?

Tan Ting frowned and called the waiter over to ask again.

"Which table does the guest named Xiang sit at?" He added, "How many people are there?"

The waiter remembered it more clearly than the shopkeeper, so he opened his mouth and asked.

"It was originally two people, but then a person dressed as a lady came. Not long after we sat down, another very handsome man in red robes came. They followed that man."

Tan Ting couldn't help laughing . come out.

He knew that Taoist Gu was working for the East Palace in the capital and there was no way he would not show up in front of Yizhen.

But why did she only talk about having tea with her siblings, but didn't mention Gu Yansheng?

Tan Ting didn't want to think too much, but he couldn't help but think too much.

It's a pity that the waiter doesn't know where they went.

Zhengji looked at his uncle's face. His expression was so serious that he couldn't bear to say anything. The corners of his mouth were tightly pressed. Zhengji only dared to ask in a low voice.

"Why don't you go home first, and let people look for the younger one later?"

Tan Ting was speechless. He thought about Gu Yansheng's identity and thought about it secretly.

"Go and have a look at the tea garden in the alley behind."

Zhengji didn't know what the uncle thought. He also wanted to go home and call a few more people to find the wife, but he just followed the uncle to the door of the tea garden in the back alley. Unexpectedly, I saw several people walking out one after another, and the one at the head was the young master of the Xiang family.

The young master of the Xiang family was talking to the second girl, seemingly bickering, and then two more people came out from behind them.

The man was wearing a bright red brocade robe. He was tall and eye-catching. There was a suave air between his eyebrows. He lowered his head and spoke softly to the woman who came out last.

If it weren't for the distance between the two of them, Zhengji would have felt numb for his uncle.

He turned secretly to see the uncle's expression, but before he could see clearly, he saw the uncle step forward.

Zhengji felt nervous, fearing that the uncle was not that eloquent and would suffer a secret loss in this situation, but he heard the uncle call his wife.

"Seriously, Yizhen, why don't you ask your uncle and Ayu Ningning to come home?"

Xiang Yi saw him then.

Tan Tingli smiled carefully and without losing intimacy, walked between Gu Yansheng and Xiang Yi in two steps, and naturally held Xiang Yi's hand.

He always liked this kind of action recently, and Xiang Yi didn't think there was anything wrong for a moment.

"Why are you here, uncle?"

Tan Ting glanced at her quickly in anguish and said.

"Yizhen left me a letter, didn't you ask me to find it?"

"Uh..." Xiang Yi didn't mean that.

But Tan Ting didn't let her continue and asked Gu Yansheng at the side.

"Brother-in-law is here too."

This new title fell in Gu Yansheng's ears. Gu Yansheng was also stunned, but his eyes fell on the hands held by the two of them, and he looked at them for a long time before saying.

"Master Tan, you're welcome."

Seeing this, Tan Ting held onto Xiang Yi even more, and nodded with Xiang Yu and Xiang Ning.

"Ayu and Ningning have grown taller again."

He called them affectionately, just like the elder brothers-in-law who are loved by their younger brothers and sisters.

Xiang Yu and Xiang Ning were so embarrassed that they didn't want to talk to him.

The two of them reluctantly saluted him, "Master Tan is well."

Master Tan...

Tan Ting: "..."

Xiang Yi was still afraid that his brother would offend again, so he refused to do this. The old man wanted to change the topic and asked Gu Yansheng.

"Isn't the sworn brother going back?"

They were going to talk for a while, but someone from the East Palace came looking for Gu Yansheng, so they could only stop here.

Gu Yansheng nodded and said yes. He didn't stay any longer and just exchanged hands with Tan Ting again.

"Gu thank you Mr. Tan for what happened last time."

"It's a small effort." Tan Ting reminded again, "I don't know how long the case will be tried. It would be best if His Highness the Crown Prince can give instructions to end it as soon as possible."

Gu Yansheng knew that he the meaning of.

It seems that he really doesn't want the conflict between Shishu to be too serious, and maybe it's also because of Yizhen's sensitive identity.

His eyes fell on Tan Ting's hand holding Xiang Yi again, dropped slightly, and then moved away.

Gu Yansheng agreed, but called Xiang Yi again before leaving.

"Yizhen, let's see you another day."

After saying that, she glanced at Tan Ting deliberately.

Tan Tingli could no longer hold back his thoughtful smile.

But the wife beside him didn't feel the same way, and asked Xiang Yu and Xiang Ning.

"Are you going back now?"

Both of them said they were leaving, but Xiang Yi still wanted Xiang Ning to live with her. She showed her intention and went to see Tan Ting.

Of course Tan Ting agreed. This was a great opportunity to repair the relationship with their siblings.

"There happens to be a yard at home with flowers blooming all year round, which is perfect for self-cultivation. Ning Ning will move here today."

He invited her warmly, but Xiang Yu glared.

"Don't bother Sir Tan. I will take care of Ning Ning."

He refused so decisively. Tan Ting expected it, but Xiang Yi glanced at his brother again.

Xiang Yu didn't want to dwell on this matter anymore, and Xiang Ning said no.

"Ning Ning accepts Master Tan's kindness. As long as the eldest sister lives well, it will be fine. A Yu and I have been together since our mother's womb, and we are used to it."

In these words, Xiang Yu wanted to say something but didn't say it.

But seeing that it was getting late, the two of them bowed to Xiang Yi and Tan Ting and left.

In an instant, only Xiang Yi and Tan Ting were left.

Tan Ting saw that his wife was still looking at the direction where his brothers and sisters were leaving for a long time before she finally nodded, so he couldn't help but ask her in a low voice.

"Yizhen came to see my uncle, why didn't you tell me?"

Xiang Yi quickly explained to him that the eldest brother came here by himself.

Tan Ting had already guessed it, but thinking of Gu Yansheng's words, he said another sentence.

"Next time Yizhen sees your uncle, you must tell me."

Xiang Yi: "...Okay."

It turns out he values ​​his eldest brother so much.

The weather in the capital is gradually getting hotter, but this year's spring warmth brings with it a sense of restlessness and uneasiness.

Xiang Yi told Tan Ting one day that her father had a teacher who was both a teacher and a friend who lived in the suburbs of Beijing. When she came to the capital, there was no reason not to visit her elders.

That elder is the sixth old man of Haidong Qi family.

The people of the Haidong Qi family like to live a free life, and not many people join the officialdom. Therefore, the family is not very famous, but it is indeed a very old family, and has survived at least three dynasties without defeat.

Xiang Zhiyuan had been friends with Mr. Qi before. When something happened to him, Mr. Qi stood up and spoke for him, but he still couldn't get rid of his bad reputation.

Xiang Yi told Tan Ting that he was going to visit, and his original intention was to take his younger siblings with him.

But unexpectedly, the old man wanted to go with her.

"The sixth old man of the Qi family in Haidong? What a coincidence. I have been thinking about going to visit in the past two days." The

sixth old man of the Qi family in Haidong happened to be Tan Chaokuan when he first became an official. The superiors of the same yamen were very fond of Tan Chaokuan. Please take care of me. Tan Ting has been in Beijing these past few years and has to visit the old man every year.

When the two said this, they were both a little surprised. They were waiting for a good day to go. Mr. Qi even said this when he saw the two of them.

"I was still wondering if you couple would separate!"

Separation...

Tan Ting felt that if it had been done before, it would really be possible.

But it was different now. He quietly looked at his wife, and now she made everything clear to him.

The corners of Tan Ting's mouth curled up slightly, but he realized that he hadn't seen the old man for a year. Most of his hair had turned gray, and his energy was just trying to hold on.

Tan Ting thought that the old man was not well last year and it was getting worse this year, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't the old man take a look at the imperial doctor from the Tai Hospital?"

The old man smiled and waved his hand, "I looked at it, but birth, old age, sickness and death are human nature, and it depends on how many years you live."

After he finished speaking, someone came from outside. It turns out that the old lady is here.

Before Xiang Yi had time to visit the old lady, the old lady came. She was very sorry.

But the old lady didn't care at all. Unlike the majestic grandmothers next to her, Old Madam Qi asked someone to bring the suitcase over and smiled when she saw Xiang Yi and Tan Ting.

"Junior is here, that's just in time. Help me persuade the old man to take the medicine first."

After saying that, seeing that the old man had covered his mouth and turned away, the old lady said directly.

"Why, are you still showing off your temper in front of the juniors and not taking medicine? Do you wish you could die quickly and stay away from me?"

After saying this, Xiang Yi and Tan Ting couldn't help but look at each other.

But the old man didn't seem to care. He relaxed his covered mouth and said something.

"Even if you say some harsh words, I don't want to eat this bitter soup. I don't have a few years to live, so why treat me badly?"

After saying that, he covered his mouth again.

The old lady was so angry that she stepped forward to break him off, and even called out to Xiang Yi who was standing aside.

"Hurry up and bring me the medicine and drink it for him!"

The old man called Tan Ting in a hurry, "Yuan Zhi grabbed your wife and stopped her from coming to help!"

Xiang Yi: "..."

Tan Ting : "..."

But the old man finally ate the bowl of bitter concoction, and the old lady wiped the sweat from her head.

"You have to do this every day. Before you die, you have exhausted me to death..."

The old man said no, "I think you are getting stronger every day!"

After the old couple finished speaking, they looked at each other. The other party laughed out loud.

Xiang Yi was startled, and Tan Ting glanced at his wife.

It would be great if Bai Shou could still do this.

Only then did the old lady think of the two of them, remembering that the old man had just called "Yuan Zhi" and pointed at Tan Ting and asked.

"Is he the eldest son of the Tan family?"

The old man said yes, and Tan Ting stepped forward to salute.

But the old lady saw Xiang Yi again, "You are a girl from the Xiang family, right?"

Xiang Yi nodded quickly and saluted.

But the old man asked the old lady, "Hey, you know who she is?"

"How can I know who she is? I can only see that she is a dignified and polite lady."

The old lady explained with a smile.

"But I remember that Xiang Zhiyuan was undecided about his daughter's marriage and wrote to you to inquire. Tan Chaokuan heard about it and wrote a letter to ask you to put in some good words. Only then did Xiang Zhiyuan agree to the marriage. Later, each of the two families gave you a cart of wine."

The old man smiled while stroking his hands.

"You remember it very clearly, that's what happened."

The old man said, and whispered to Xiang Yi.

"The wine your father sent is much better than the wine his father sent!"

Xiang Yi pursed his lips and smiled, "As long as the old man likes it."

Tan Ting laughed and shook his head, "Then I will send you some delicious drinks another day. Come on."

But the old lady said no, "Your wine always makes me feel unhappy, and the old lady doesn't allow me to drink wine now!"

"That's true," the old lady nodded.

Neither Tan Ting nor Xiang Yi expected that their engagement would have such a past.

The old man said he wanted to find a letter from that year and show it to the two of them, and asked the old lady where the letter was. Unfortunately, it had been too long and the old lady couldn't remember it clearly. She looked through many mailboxes but couldn't find it.

The old lady said, "I'll find it later, and I'll show it to you young couple."

The two of them said hello.

In the evening, the two stayed at Qi's house to have dinner.

The old man took advantage of the opportunity of having guests and asked for a drink, but the old lady did not resist him.

Tan Ting drank a few drinks with the old man.

After three drinks, the old lady stopped the old man and told him not to drink any more.

"If you drink again, I will add two bowls of bitter concoction to you tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

But the old man said with all his heart, "I will drink to the end with Yuan Zhi today, and his drinking capacity is the same as his father's." It’s unfathomable! It’s better for the Xiang family, Xiang Zhiyuan only drank one cup.”

Xiang Yi choked.

It is true that her father... always walks and comes back lying down every time he drinks with others...

She is very worried about the future of her brother.

But no matter what the old man said, the old lady would not allow him to drink anymore.

"Have you forgotten where your problem came from?"

After hearing this, Xiang Yi glanced at the Tan family uncle who looked as usual and didn't even have a blush on his face, and asked in a low voice for no reason.

"Master, do you still want to drink?"

Tan Ting's eyes lit up when he heard his wife ask him, but before he could answer, he heard the old man discussing with the old lady.

"I don't have to drink, but Tan Yuanzhi can drink. Can I drink tea with him at the head office? I want to test how drunk the Tan family is."

The old lady: "..."

Tan Tingxiao When he made a sound, he had no choice but to glance at his wife helplessly, and said two words to her with a smile, so softly that he could almost use his lips.

"It's okay."

...

He said it was okay, and it really seemed like it was okay.

Later, at the request of the old man, the dining table was moved to the courtyard.

Under the newly sprouted grape vines, the cool breeze in the evening carries the warmth of spring. The gentle breeze is blowing the fragrance of wine, and a bright moon, half hidden and half visible, hangs on the tip of the eaves.

Tan Ting drank until the old man could no longer drink the tea, but his face remained as usual, and he could even speak and pronounce clearly.

The old man drank a lot of tea and became angry.

"The Tan family is so boring."

Tan Ting smiled and shook his head.

It's getting late, and the city gates will be closed if we don't leave the capital.

But before leaving, Tan Ting mentioned the current situation.

At these words, the old man put away his expression and sighed.

"Our Haidong Qi family has gone through three dynasties, and this is the first time we have seen the common people in such a situation. But whether they are ordinary people or ordinary people, aren't they all the same people? Who is more noble than the other? I think it is still the same after all. We need to coexist and coexist, but there always seems to be a hand stirring up the situation. "

That's right.

Tan Ting felt this way, and had mentioned this matter to the fifth old man of his family before.

Tan Ting inexplicably thought of the trouble with his father and the death of his father-in-law Xiang Zhiyuan.

I don’t know whose hands are playing with this great chess game in the world.

...

The old lady counted the time, reminded the two of them to go back quickly, and called Xiang Yi again.

"I think your Yuan Zhi may not be drunk. Go back and cook some hangover soup for him!"

Xiang Yi agreed, thanked the old lady, and boarded the bus back to the capital with Tan Ting, just in time to return before the city gate closed. to Jingzhong.

The moon rose high above the eaves, hanging there brightly.

The old man's eyes were also bright, and he did not appear drunk at first glance, but Xiang Yi felt that the breath around him seemed to be swirling in the wine, and his breath was burning in her ears.

"Master, let's drink some hangover soup when we get back."

Tan Ting tilted his head and glanced at her.

"Yizhen looks down on me?"

"How come?" Xiang Yi shook his head quickly, "It was ordered by Mrs. Qi."

Tan Ting said "oh" and sighed softly.

Xiang Yi didn't know why he was sighing. The carriage arrived at Tan's house just at this time. She got off the carriage and ordered the stove to make sobering soup.

From time to time, she came into the house with sobering soup, and saw him resting his forehead with his hands, closing his eyes and taking a nap. Before he walked in, she noticed the burning heat on his body.

She put the hangover soup on the table at Tan Ting's hand and said, "Uncle, wake up at the bar."

As soon as she finished speaking, the man opened his eyes.

The eyes were exceptionally bright at this moment, and in the next breath, hot arms wrapped Xiang Yi into his arms.

Xiang Yi was so frightened by him that he didn't dare to move.

"Master, don't you drink hangover soup?"

He didn't answer her, but asked her another question.

"Yizhen, let's have a baby tonight, okay?"

Xiang Yi almost came to his senses.

"But today is not the fifth day..."

The man pursed his lips and spoke again in an instant.

"In the future, we won't have a five-year relationship anymore. How about a two-year relationship?"

Xiang Yi: "..."

Not so good.

...

It's night, and the Tan family's old house in the capital is peaceful.

However, several prefectures and counties not far from the capital, where candidates from other places gathered, had been depressed for many days. Finally, that night, chaos suddenly broke out, as if they were thrown into Mars.

A large number of people poured into the streets, two academies were destroyed by fire, and a local government office was surrounded by scholars.

The prefect was horrified and looked at the scholars coming over.

"Are you, are you going to rebel?!"

The crowd was boiling, and someone said something at this time.

"If going against the will can bring about a way out for poor families like us, then go against it!"