Chapter 635

A few days after the Yu and Sheng family's happy event,

the sixth day of the sixth month,

at the hour of Mao (six o'clock in the morning)

Although the time was early, the sun had already been up for a while.

Quyuanjie,

Marquis Yongyi's mansion,

in the horse racing track, Xu Zaijing, who had finished exercising and removed his armor, stood beside a flatbed cart, holding a wet towel, and was wiping the sweat on his forehead and cheeks.

The cool towel made Xu Zaijing sigh comfortably.

After wiping his cheeks, Xu Zaijing handed the towel to Huaxiang behind him, picked up a peach with green leaves from the flatbed cart in front of him, and said: "This fruit looks fresh enough."

A-Lan on the side smiled: "Young Master, this was just sent into the mansion from the manor just now when you and Qingyun Brother were fighting, they said it was picked this morning."

Xu Zaijing nodded repeatedly with a smile and said: "You have a heart."

After finishing, Xu Zaijing looked at another basket of things on the cart besides the fruit, then turned and left the horse racing track to wash up.

After having breakfast in his mother's courtyard,

Xu Zaijing and his elder brother rode their horses out of the Marquis's mansion.

Unlike usual,

today, after the two brothers left Quyuanjie, they did not go south to the Sheng family, but followed the carriage behind them and rode their horses north together.

On the way north,

many passersby were traveling in the same direction as the Xu family's carriage procession.

Until they left the inner city,

arriving outside the Old Suanzao Gate of the outer city, after crossing the large bridge over the Dragon-Protecting River, the Xu family's carriage procession stopped under the shade of the trees by the roadside.

While waiting,

the people in the city walked toward the outside of the city like flowing water.

After waiting for a while while fanning himself,

Xu Zaijing, who was riding on the back of the small Li horse, waved at the bridge over the Dragon-Protecting River.

Soon,

classmates from the Sheng family school like Changbai and Qi Heng were all following behind a carriage on horseback, walking toward this side.

Arriving nearby,

Xu Zaijing and his elder brother looked at Scholar Zhuang, who was lifting the curtain of the carriage at the head of the procession, and hurriedly bowed to greet him.

After Scholar Zhuang nodded in greeting, the group merged into the crowd and walked toward the north.

Today is the sixth day of the sixth month,

which is the birthday of Cui Fujun.

This prefect was a county magistrate in the previous dynasty, clean, loved the people, and was good at judging strange cases. It is said that he handled worldly affairs during the day and judged the underworld at night, and was quite divine. He died in office, and the local people built a temple for him. In the previous dynasty, he was titled the Ling Sheng Protector Marquis.

The current dynasty continued and added the title of Protector Duke. Cui Fujun has flourishing incense in the Great Zhou, and his status and impression in the hearts of the people are somewhat similar to Bao Gong Bao Qingtian in later generations, but his status is higher, after all, there is the saying of protecting the country.

In the legend of the "Mud Horse Crossing the River" of the Song Dynasty emperor who was later called "Wanyan Gou," it was this prefect who protected him.

Following the crowd heading north, after fifteen miles outside the city, was the Cui Fujun Shrine.

At this time, the area around the shrine was already crowded with people.

Xu Zaijing and the others dismounted and came to Scholar Zhuang's carriage, where the scholar was stepping on the carriage stool to get off.

Looking at the students who gathered in front, Scholar Zhuang nodded with a smile and led the people toward the Cui Fujun Shrine.

Besides fruit baskets, the servants and maids behind Xu Zaijing and the others were also carrying bamboo baskets filled with Chinese toon, which was another thing Xu Zaijing saw on his family's flatbed cart.

As for why they had to offer Chinese toon to this prefect, there were various explanations.

The group accompanied the scholar to finish offering the fruit baskets and Chinese toon, and when they returned outside the shrine, more than half an hour had passed.

Scholar Zhuang also instructed Xu Zaijing and the others on some words about being loyal to the monarch and loving the country, and being clean, fair, and loving the people like children when serving as officials in the future.

These students of Scholar Zhuang were either from noble or official families, and even if they couldn't pass the exams in the future, they could still be granted official titles.

They talked for a long time.

After the matter was finished,

Scholar Zhuang stood beside the carriage, shaking his folding fan and looking at the students in front of him with a smile: "The great ministers in the court are on holiday today, everyone doesn't need to return to the Sheng family with me, just arrange it yourselves."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing and the others looked at each other happily and bowed in unison.

Their voices were very loud, attracting the surrounding people to look over one after another.

After Scholar Zhuang got into the carriage,

Gu Tingye grabbed Changbai, who wanted to mount his horse and follow the scholar's carriage back to Jiying Lane, and said: "Changbai, even if you have some free time in the past, you were always cooped up in the Sheng family and wouldn't come out. We classmates rarely drink together."

"It's just right today, don't think about running away again."

After Gu Tingye finished speaking,

Xu Zaijing and the others nodded in agreement one after another.

Changbai struggled for a moment, looked at Gu Tingye who was holding his sleeve tightly, and Xu Zaijing and Qi Heng who were 'blocking' him, and could only nod helplessly: "I won't run, let go."

Afterwards,

the group mounted their horses together and walked toward Bianjing city.

Because there were too many people leaving the city, the group deliberately avoided the north gate, detoured, and entered the city from the Jin Yao Gate in the west.

It was still morning at this time, and the somewhat scorching sun was shining from the east; going west and then south, they could just walk in the shade of the trees.

Along the way,

the chirping of summer cicadas was constant,

and stalls selling fruits and Chinese toon could often be seen under the shade of trees by the roadside.

Today, business was quite good.

After entering the city,

they walked along the moat by the inner city wall for a while, arrived near the Tianbo Gate of the inner city, and continued walking east, which was the Jinglong Gate where the emperor accepted the surrender of Bai Gao before.

The group discussed which main store in the city to go to.

Gu Tingye smiled: "Third Brother, Changbai has never been to Pan Lou, why don't we go there!"

Hearing this, Qi Heng and Chang Feng looked at each other and smiled.

Changbai looked at his brother-in-law, who had a hesitant expression, with some confusion.

Looking at Zaihang's expression, Gu Tingye smiled and changed his target: "Jing Ge'er, what do you think?"

"Jing Ge'er?" Gu Tingye asked again, and followed Xu Zaijing's line of sight, who hadn't spoken, to look ahead: "What's wrong?"

Xu Zaijing shaded himself from the sun with his folding fan and said: "Looking at the few people who passed by in the distance, some look like that scoundrel Zhang Shipan."

Gu Tingye's eyes widened: "That thief surnamed Zhang, that stubborn prisoner who owes to be entered, dares to come out of the palace?"

Xu Zaijing narrowed his eyes, shook his head slightly and said: "When I looked over, the sunlight was a bit dazzling, and it was only for a moment, it looked a bit like him."

"Forget it, go over and take a look first! Giddyup!"

Saying this, Gu Tingye accelerated and ran forward.

Xu Zaijing tapped the horse's belly lightly, and the small Li horse followed spiritually.

Zaihang, Changbai, and the others behind had no choice but to accelerate.

When Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye arrived near the Jinglong Gate,

looking at the endless stream of people leaving the city from the inner city, the two couldn't insert themselves into the crowd at all.

Looking north, the people riding horses, sitting in carriages, and walking were endless, and there were colorful flags and wine flags by the roadside, and from time to time, the steam from the roadside stalls blocked their view.

The two stepped on the stirrups, stood straight, and looked north from a high vantage point, but only saw many backs.

"Jing Ge'er, did you see anyone?" Gu Tingye said.

"No." Under the sunlight, the shadows were heavy, making Xu Zaijing somewhat unable to see clearly.

Qingyun and Zhique behind them also helped to look.

But their eyesight was not as good as Gu Tingye's, so they naturally saw nothing either.

After Changbai and the others caught up, the two looked for a while longer, then turned into the inner city.

This also caused Gu Tingye and Xu Zaijing to fall behind,

on the way to Pan Lou,

Gu Tingye said: "Jing Ge'er, if it really is them, what should we do if we catch up?"

Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Tingye in confusion and said: "Second Brother, naturally it should be as it should be, if they shoot a few arrows at us, we will return a few arrows to them."

At the hour of Si (around ten o'clock in the morning)

Pan Lou Main Street,

east street entrance,

the sun was fierce, somewhat scorching.

Below the Sibao Studio, beside several luxurious carriages, a carriage stopped slowly.

The matron standing at the door hurriedly stepped forward to place the carriage stool beside the carriage.

A young lady dressed in a decent manner lifted the curtain and smiled: "Many thanks to Sister-in-law Zhu."

"You are welcome, Miss Fuyi."

While talking, Miss Fuyi carried two large food boxes, ready to step on the carriage stool and get off the carriage.

Seeing this, the matron hurriedly reached out to help carry the food boxes, and the maid Miss Fuyi thanked her a few more times.

After entering the first floor, the surrounding temperature instantly cooled down, making Miss Fuyi, who was frowning because of the sunlight, relax.

Afterwards, Miss Fuyi smiled, took the food boxes from Sister-in-law Zhu's hand, carried one in each hand, and walked to the second floor.

The second floor was even cooler than the first,

several noble young ladies of Bianjing were wearing beautiful summer clothes, talking and laughing while shaking the round fans in their hands.

Seeing Miss Fuyi going upstairs, Chai Zhengzheng stood up with a smile and said: "Finally here."

Looking at the confused expressions of the several noble young ladies on the second floor, Chai Zhengzheng smiled: "It's the cold food and drinks from those two families outside the Old Song Gate."

Hearing this, the noble young ladies in the building lit up, only one noble young lady sitting in the middle had a somewhat blank expression.

Gu Tingyi, who was sitting beside this young lady, leaned forward and smiled: "Sister Chuhong, the cold food and drinks in the capital are the most famous and delicious from the two families outside the Old Song Gate, shops elsewhere can't make their taste."

While talking,

Miss Fuyi had already opened the food boxes placed on the table with the help of other maids and served the cold food that was chilled with ice cubes on all sides.

"Young Lady, this is the cold noodle soaked in cold boiled water." The porcelain bowl was placed in front of Zhang family's Fifth Young Lady.

Afterwards, there were cold jelly, plain cold skewers, and other things placed in front of each noble young lady.

For a time, the aroma of food permeated the second floor.

Finally, Miss Fuyi took out a large five-colored porcelain plate from the bottom of the food box.

This porcelain plate was filled with fruit pieces of various fruits such as muskmelon, peach, apricot, plum, watermelon, etc.,

besides that, there were also dried fruits and preserved fruits, and at the bottom of the fruit plate was a layer of crystal-clear ice cubes,

just as it was brought out, the fruit pieces and other things on this five-colored porcelain plate faintly emitted white cold air.

"Wow, snow-threshold ice plate!"

A noble young lady shouted with joy.

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and signaled Miss Fuyi to divide this ice plate into smaller porcelain bowls,

after the things were divided, Chai Zhengzheng picked up a porcelain bowl and placed it beside the noble young lady beside Gu Tingyi, smiling: "Sister Chuhong, taste this ice plate. I don't know if you have eaten it in Northern Liao before."

When Chai Zhengzheng was talking to the young lady from the Lu Long Zhao family, Miss Fuyi was already carrying a porcelain bowl and walking toward the side of Rong Feiyan.

Before she got close, she saw Rong Feiyan waving at her with a smile, signaling not to send it over.

Miss Fuyi was stunned for a moment, then looked at Rong Feiyan who didn't have a single cold food item in front of her, and guessed something in her heart.

Miss Fuyi bowed and walked back to Chai Zhengzheng's side.

After whispering a few words to Chai Zhengzheng, Miss Fuyi turned and walked downstairs again.

After a while, Miss Fuyi returned carrying a fruit basket, in which were washed fruits that were not iced.

Handing the fruit basket to Ziteng, Miss Fuyi whispered in Chai Zhengzheng's ear: "Young Lady, just now when the servant went to buy fruit, I saw Xu family's Fifth Young Master's personal attendant Qingyun and Qi family's Buwei."

Chai Zhengzheng's eyes lit up, and she whispered: "Oh? Did you greet them?"

"I greeted them, Qingyun and Buwei were also riding horses to go outside the Old Song Gate to buy some cold food and drinks." Miss Fuyi replied.

Before Chai Zhengzheng could ask, Miss Fuyi continued: "They said they just came back from the north of the city, today is a holiday for the school, so they are going to Pan Lou with their classmates to have fun."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a smile: "It's quite a coincidence, you could even meet them."

After her eyes turned, Chai Zhengzheng walked toward Gu Tingyi and said: "Sister Tingyi, I heard that Xu Fifth Brother, Gu Er Brother, and my cousin are all having fun at Pan Lou..."

Chai Zhengzheng sending things to Qi Heng, although he was a cousin, was also a bit abrupt.

And Gu Tingyi sending them to her own brother was no problem.

Pan Lou,

third-floor private room,

there was no sound of talking in the room,

but the sounds of "crunch crunch" and "slurp slurp" of gnawing fruit and slurping fruit juice were endless.

From morning until now, Xu Zaijing and the others hadn't had a chance to drink a few sips of water.

The sun was big and the weather was hot.

Everyone was somewhat thirsty.

After entering the cool private room, everyone didn't care about their image and began to chew on the watermelon, peaches, and other fruits in Pan Lou that had been soaked in cold water.

After a while,

Gu Tingye threw a piece of watermelon rind to the side, took a handkerchief from his servant Zhique, and wiped his mouth.

"Comfortable!"

Just finished speaking.

"Hiccup."

Gu Tingye hiccuped again.

Afterwards, Gu Tingye looked down at the number of watermelon rinds in front of him, then glanced at Xu Zaijing's, and asked in confusion: "Jing Ge'er, you didn't seem to have any movement just now, how come it looks like you have more rinds in front of you than I do."

Xu Zaijing looked indifferent, just wanted to speak,

"Hiccup."

A moment later, Xu Zaijing said: "I eat watermelon without spitting out the seeds."

Hearing this, Gu Tingye gave Xu Zaijing a thumbs up and smiled: "Jing Ge'er, you aren't afraid of the watermelon seeds sprouting in your stomach." Hearing this, everyone in the private room laughed.

Chang Feng, who was sitting on the other side, after Zhique finished cleaning up the watermelon rinds in front of Gu Tingye, sat over with a smile and said: "Gu Er Brother, I heard that you and Sixth Brother went to Ruan Mama's place two days ago? How was the situation?"

"Cough."

Gu Tingye coughed lightly, then looked at Zaihang and Xu Zaijing with a guilty look.

"Chang Feng, where did you hear this gossip?"

"Gu Er Brother, my servant is familiar with Qiao Jiulang's personal attendant, I heard it from them."

"Tsk."

Zaihang spat the seeds into a porcelain plate on the side, looked at Gu Tingye and said: "Second Brother, if you went, you went, it's nothing. I won't go to Bai family Aunt's place to complain."

Gu Tingye smiled and looked at Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing smiled: "It's not like I haven't been there, Second Brother, don't be too addicted."

Gu Tingye widened his eyes and said loudly: "Jing Ge'er, what are you saying, how could I be addicted, I'm not Qiao Jiulang!"

Just as he finished speaking,

the announcement of Changbai's servant Han Niu came from outside the private room.

"Liang Sixth Young Master and Qiao Ninth Young Master are here."

Hearing this,

Gu Tingye looked at everyone with some embarrassment, with a hint of pleading in his eyes.

Outside the private room,

Han Niu, who was holding a half-eaten watermelon, led the two in with a smile.

A moment later, Liang Han and Qiao Jiu bypassed the screen and entered the private room.

Qiao Jiulang looked at the crowd with a smile and bowed: "Just now outside my room, I vaguely heard someone calling my name, I don't know which brother was talking about me?"

(End of chapter)