The Red Mansions

Chapter 605 Looking Across the Threshold

Chapter 605 Looking at each other across the threshold, like a galaxy embracing autumn water...

Rongguo Mansion, under the flower wall in the southwest corner of Rongqing Hall, facing Xiren's concerned eyes, Yuanyang thought for a while, and said softly: "It may not be convenient, and you just gave me a letter rashly. Indeterminate rumors are raging."

She was waiting in the old lady's house, how could he send her a letter, for example, last time, did he just give her a single word, let someone pass it on, and it fell into the mouth of the servants, and it was passed around, maybe what would happen?

Xiren nodded, and said softly, "Sister Ping'er also said the same thing, maybe that's the reason."

For a while, she couldn't think of any other reason.

The mandarin ducks held the attacking little hands and combed the shiny braids of the girl with a duck egg face. Under the sunlight in the spring, her face became whiter and greasy like jade. Although there were a few small freckles, it was as beautiful as ever. She said, "Okay, I I know you are worried about me, but these are nothing, if he remembers, he will come to look for me, if he can’t remember, it’s nothing else, it’s nothing else, it’s nothing to wait on the old lady, in the future, he will cut his hair and become a nun go."

Anyway, since that day, she has recognized him for the rest of her life. If he doesn't want her, she will become a monk after a hundred years.

Under Xiren's beautiful eyebrows, bright eyes saw eagerness, and said: "If you want to say that, it is really my fault."

Yuanyang smiled and said: "Okay, I think it's really inconvenient to write letters. You can ask Qingwen, she probably won't receive any envelopes this time."

Xiren nodded and said, "Maybe that's the case, and there are."

At this moment, a beautiful figure flashed from the corner at the end of Chaoshou corridor, with picturesque eyebrows and smiling eyes.

Ping'er came from a distance, holding a letter in his hand, and jokingly said: "You two girls, you are biting your ears, what are you talking about?"

While talking, he came in steps.

Yuanyang approached with a smile and said, "Where did you come from?"

"This is a letter from the uncle to the old lady, please help deliver it." Ping'er smiled lightly.

Yuanyang and Xiren exchanged glances, and hurriedly said: "I'll go there now."

Then, he took the envelope and headed towards Rongqingtang.

At this time, Mother Jia was receiving the maple dew tea delivered by the servants, took a sip from the teacup, heard light footsteps, lifted her drooping eyelids, and said with a smile: "What's the matter?"

"Old lady, this is a letter from Uncle Heng from Henan." Yuanyang said with a smile on her face.

"Oh? Brother Heng's letter?" Jia Mu hurriedly put down the teacup in her hand, with a look of surprise on her old face, she smiled and said, "It's hard for him, he wrote me a letter from such a long distance."

"Brother Heng also sent a letter to the second master. It should have been a month ago." Yuanyang explained, and then came to the front, calling the maid to open the wax and pass it over.

Mother Jia nodded, took the reading glasses delivered by Fei Cui, opened the envelope, took out the letterhead, and read it.

Well, of course, the letter with Jia's mother did not have the words "the smoke in the willows piled up, vaguely your eyebrows", "cut the candles by the west window, and talk about military opportunities together".

These are the usual greetings of the younger generation to the elders, so that Mother Jia doesn't have to worry, and take care of her body. In addition, mentioning the two county examinations in March, with Baoyu's academic progress, she can try to pass the imperial examination. After returning to Beijing, we will worship our ancestors again.

After reading it, Jia Mu was suddenly surprised. She clearly saw a line of small characters at the end. She looked at it for a moment, her eyes showed a strange look, and she said softly to Amber and Jade: "Go and see if Baoyu has returned. He came over, I have a few words to tell him."

Hu Po and Jade hurriedly responded, and accompanied them out of Rongqing Hall.

After the two left, only Mother Jia and Yuanyang who was serving tea were left. Looking at the tall and bright girl, Mother Jia said in a complicated tone, "Mandarin duck, there is another letter in the envelope from Brother Heng. Take it and see."

The end of the letter mentions mandarin ducks.

Fortunately, Mother Jia didn't make a mistake all of a sudden, otherwise, seeing the lingering words on it, what would be in her heart...

Well, of course, this is impossible, not to mention that Jia Heng wrote the address on the letter paper, and glued the letter paper together with glue, and bound them together. There are words written on the title page, which can be said to be hidden in the envelope. letter.

That is to say, Mother Jia has lived to be over seventy years old, what hasn't she seen?

While talking, Jia Mu picked up the envelope and handed it to Yuanyang.

The mandarin duck was stunned when he heard the words, his duck egg face was as white as jade, his face turned red, and he said in a low voice, "Old lady, this..."

She also has one?

No, didn't Xiren just say that she didn't have any?

"Brother Heng, it's true. I put the letter in an envelope. I said, why are there so many pieces of letterhead? The final signature is for you." Jia Mu said as if reproachful, and immediately looked at the mandarin duck with kind eyes, He smiled and joked: "I think this greeting is fake, but writing to you is the truth."

"Old lady..." She said in a mandarin duck voice like a mosquito, and took the envelope and the remaining letter paper with trembling bare hands. It was not easy to read in front of Jia Mu, her oval face was flushed with embarrassment, and she lowered her head slightly. .

Looking at the shy girl, Jia Mu nodded and said with a smile: "Brother Heng has a heart. He misses you and wants to gossip. It's not good to write a separate letter. I thought it would be a few years later." , let you go to his house, he is now a uncle, the population of the East Mansion is sparse, even if it is to extend the heirs, there must be more concubines, the women outside may be vicious, they are not as good as our own mansion The people on board are honest and reassuring.”

In fact, putting the letter in this envelope is also saying that he has fallen in love with a mandarin duck.

It seems that they really like mandarin ducks.

Yuanyang's bright eyes drooped slightly, endured the embarrassment in her heart, and said hastily: "Old lady, you can't leave me here, I told the uncle that you still have to serve the old lady, and the uncle agreed earlier."

Jia Mu smiled and said, "Good boy."

Since love is so important, there is no need to say anything else. After a hundred years of her life, Yuanyang will be able to take care of some Rongfu.

Ningguo Mansion, Xichun Courtyard, the wing room is a studio, covered with curtains, warm and pleasant inside, with exquisite furnishings, the soft mid-noon sunlight passes through the window, and falls on a petite and exquisite girl.

Xichun was also unpacking a letter, looked at the writing on it, read it intently, closed the letter gently, put it in her heart, her eyes were dazed for a moment.

In the mid-noon spring light, a line of small characters was written on the letter paper, "Seeing the words is like meeting, and the letter is beautiful: Yangchun in March, peach blossoms and willows are green, this body is in the Central Plains, the situation is fixed, and it is late spring , Cherishing the moment of spring scenery, I can't help but think about the fact that I haven't seen my fourth sister in the past few months..."

The contents of the letter are some ordinary greetings, telling Xichun not to stay at home all the time, but to go to Huifang Garden more, and it is more of an earnest entrustment between brothers and sisters.

Xichun's pretty face saw the tranquility, and put away the letter. At this moment, Ruhua picked up the curtain and entered the studio. With a smile on his face, he said, "Girl, Master Miaoyu is here."

While speaking, Miaoyu entered the study and looked at Xichun, or rather her eyes lingered on the envelope in her hand.

She was a little curious before, why the man wrote her a letter and sent it through Xichun.

"Sister Miaoyu, you are here." Xichun looked at the girl in the moon-white monk robe, took the envelope, and said softly, "Sister Miaoyu, this is a letter from brother Heng."

Miaoyu took the envelope, nodded, and said softly, "I'm going back."

Suddenly, Xiumei frowned, looked at Xichun with clear eyes, and asked: "You didn't... peep?"

Xichun quickly shook her head and said: "I didn't look at it, it was glued together with glue, and there are names and surnames on the title page."

After saying that, after realizing it, her pink face pouted slightly, and she said coquettishly, "Who does Sister Miaoyu think I am?"

In fact, she was also a little curious just now, what would he write to Sister Miaoyu?

Come to think of it, it shouldn't be the booing and warmth between siblings like her.

Thinking of this, I don't know why, but I feel a little sad.

Miaoyu said "hmm" without saying much, and went back to the room where she lived with a calm expression and slow steps.

It's just that when he arrived in the wing room, he couldn't wait to come to the desk in front of the window, and quickly pulled out the glued letterhead. After a closer look, he saw the words "Master Miaoyu is dear to him" written on the title page.

His eyes flickered, and he couldn't help spitting secretly, this person actually called her teacher in the letter...

Gently picked up the scissors, and carefully cut off the dotted glue paint, only to see a line of words that seemed to be written like a dragon and a snake jumped into the eyes.

"Farewell for more than a month, I have a special relationship: Mrs. Miaoyu, the day before yesterday, I was free from official duties and bored, so I went to Daxiangguo Temple to pay off incense, listen to Sanskrit chants, and watch the forest of Duotuo steles. Suddenly, why do you need to ask more?" Floating life, only this is a dream, I recall that during the first month of the year in Kyoto, I talked with my teacher at night by candlelight, talking about mystical teachings, but the teacher's voice was clear and upright, and the words were pearls, and the teacher was not respectful, like a sparse cloud Reflecting the pale moon, not falling into emptiness, like green lotus blooming in the blue marsh, you and I look at each other across the threshold, just like the Milky Way embraces the autumn water... I hope that when I return, I will drink a good incense under the clear window Bitter tea, and then talk about Zen with the teacher to continue the relationship... paper is short, love is long, and it is too much to rely on."

Well, of course I didn't mention that when I went to Daxiangguo Temple, I went with Princess Xianning.

Miaoyu's cheeks were blushing, and her eyes lingered back and forth on the eight words "Farewell to the next month, I am so deeply attached", both reluctant to read it, and feeling angry.

This is a sentence of missing a couple, how could he use such a greeting?

It's just that, regardless of these things, I couldn't help but look down, and I was immersed in the emotional offensive between the lines after a while, and I felt like a surging tide swept my heart, which made people tremble and hard to hold on.

The sound is clear and the air is upright, and the words are pearls?Don't show off the beauty, don't fall into emptiness?

This is all about...hers?

It turned out that in his heart...

I couldn't wait to read on again, and when I saw the words "Autumn Water" shining across the threshold, I couldn't help being dazed.

The words inside and outside the threshold are still in my ears, and the girl who was proud and arrogant at the time was sulking for a few days because she didn't expect it to be... Looking across the threshold, the Milky Way embraces the autumn water?

Suppressing the beauty in my heart, I continued to look down.Her heart was trembling, her cheeks were burning like fire.

Talking about Zen continuation?This is... a continuation of the frontier?

Compared with Daiyu's letter, the meaning is quite cryptic. This letter to Miaoyu at this moment, because Jia Heng put his thoughts and jokes into the pen, and the language is intimate and natural, it is more like a sincere letter. , Fiery love letter.

After reading this, Miaoyu's face turned red and her heart shook.

Miaoyu pursed her cherry lips, looked over and over several times, then reluctantly put down the paper, her face was blushing, her bright eyes were as moist as autumn water, her heart was beating non-stop, and she murmured: "Amitabha , It's really... an evil fate."

I just feel that every word is shaking my heart, making people restless and full of demons.

There was even a strong impulse deep in my heart, Xingye doubled, and immediately rushed to Daxiangguo Temple...to place an order.

Well, Wenqing is actually a strong emotion, just like "Across the Ocean to See You", "Across Most of China to Sleep with You", etc., it is not surprising.

……

……

Henan governor's yamen, backyard, in the study

I don't know when, the night was shrouded, and the lights were just coming on. In Shenjing City, when Ningrong and Rongfu were unpacking and reading Jia Heng's family letters, Jia Heng was also reading the letter paper, put it down gently, and looked out the window at the cool night, silently lost in thought for a while.

This is a family letter from Beijing. It was written by Qin Keqing and Baochai. In order to help Baochai cover up, they shared the same envelope.

As far as the date of inscription is concerned, it is already a letter written a few days ago.

"Fenghuo lasted for three months, and the family letter was worth ten thousand gold."

Jia Heng's face was gloomy, his eyes were calm, he looked at the moon halo behind the plane tree in the distance, and murmured.

It is always many years later before people can appreciate the beauty of the meaning and rhyme of the ancient poems they recited in elementary and middle school, and realize the heavy weight of the words that carry emotions.

But Qing and Baochai's longing for him overflows between the lines. Although the paper is light, it is as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Qin Keqing's letters were plain and even trivial, and they talked about some things that happened in the family in the past month, including some relatives who came to the family after being knighted, and asked him when he would go home.

Baochai's letters still have a humble temperament, and there are not too many poetic words, but they are all ordinary greetings, asking him to take care of himself and take care of himself outside.

But it is precisely this kind of "no skill, all emotion" text that makes someone with gorgeous rhetoric and meticulous craftsmanship, for a while...

However, Jia Heng's letters to Qin Keqing and Baochai, Jinyang and Yuanchun are roughly the same.

"I only hope that the king's heart is like mine... So, after such a long distance, I wrote them right before, huh?"

Jia Heng paused for a moment, and quickly dispersed his chaotic thoughts. Under the lights, his cold and resolute brows remained the same as before.

"Is sir in the house?" Just as Jia Heng was thinking about it, suddenly, a clear and pleasant voice, as cold as melting ice and snow, came to his ears. Looking at it, he saw a pale red palace dress with a figure of A slim, beautiful young girl enters the study.

Princess Xianning asked in surprise, "Is the Master here?"

His gaze was involuntarily attracted to the young man standing behind the desk, and then he lingered on the envelope in his hand, knowing that it was a letter from home, he pursed his cherry lips, and his eyes widened by mistake.

In the past few days, the two have been together day and night. During the day, they went to inspect the embankment and went all the way to Guide Mansion. At night, Jia Heng enjoyed Princess Xianning's dance. Of course, since eating snow, they are also gradually moving from the snow mountain to the grassland.

Jia Heng nodded, and said softly, "Come here?"

Calmly, he gently put a few pieces of letterhead into the envelope, and put it in the ancient book next to him for the time being.

Princess Xianning's crystal clear eyes flickered, she pretended not to see it, she came to the side of the high table, lifted the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Jia Heng with the sound of "crash", turned around, handed it over, and said: "Sir, I just rehearsed a dance, do you want to watch it later, sir?"

"I won't read it today, I will read the official documents delivered by the counties later." Jia Heng took the teacup and said softly.

A look of disappointment flashed across Princess Xianning's Qingli eyebrows, suppressing the complicated and inexplicable emotions in her heart.

Most likely it was a letter from her family, and my husband misses her dearly, so... I am not in the mood to watch her dance anymore.

Thinking of this, I knew it was wrong, but there was still a sourness in my heart.

Princess Xianning changed the subject, and said in a clear voice: "Uncle said, Mr. Feng Jin came to the government office yesterday for the imperial decree of Uncle Yongning. In the past two days, the dissenting voices of the county government officials have decreased a lot. It took a lot of work.”

As Song Xuan, under Jia Heng's instruction, used the report material to clean up the morals of local officials in Henan and rectify the lawlessness, unsurprisingly, some complaints appeared in the Fan and Standard Divisions, privately saying that Jia Heng's politics was hot-tempered and cruel to the people.

For a time, Kaifeng Prefecture and the counties under its jurisdiction were undercurrents. Officials and gentry contacted relatives and old friends who were officials in Beijing by fast horses or letters. They were mainly officials from Henan, and hoped that they would impeach the court. Jia Heng was immediately transferred back to the capital, and another civil servant was selected to be the governor of Henan.

In fact, this is also the resistance to the reform that Jia Heng said. It is not just Jia Heng who can write letters. children.

In a clan society, when a scholar stands out, he often shelters the clan, and his clan will set up a Jinshi archway to praise him.

Moreover, a scholar from the county school, went through Tongsheng, Xiucai, Juren, and passed the exam all the way. How many teachers, room teachers, fellow villagers, and the same year should there be?

Although it does not necessarily form a tight organization, there are still some stress reactions to some extent.

After all, this is an era when scholarly public opinion controls the right to speak.

Therefore, Jia Heng did not wantonly punish or even destroy the entire gentry class, but used the reports and exposure of the common people to record the illegal deeds of the powerful and evil gentry, and attacked those who were really outrageous, catching the big and letting go of the small .

But despite this, there are still many voices of opposition gathered to Shenjing through various channels.

It's just because Beijing is arguing about the establishment of the country, and no one pays attention to it. Occasionally, there is a memorial, which is also approved by Emperor Chongping for corrupt officials, and everyone can punish them.

And when the inner eunuch was formally escorted by the guards of the Jinyi Mansion yesterday, and came to the governor's yamen with the imperial decree that Jia Heng, a member of the Jin Dynasty in the middle of the capital, was the third-class Yongningbo and his mother was named Mrs. Chaopin Gaoming, the noise disappeared instantly. .

No one knew that this Jia Jieshuai was an important minister relied on by the emperor. He had just been conferred the title of earl for his military merits, and he could not be impeached at all.

To put it bluntly, even if Jia Heng does evil, he can cover the sky with one hand, so dark that he can't see his fingers.

Jia Heng's face was silent, and he said in a cold voice: "They thought that I would return to the capital as soon as possible. Now that they see the imperial decree, they will know that they have kicked the iron plate and calm down again. They are nothing to be afraid of. However, they still have to divide and win over. We cannot allow them to confuse right and wrong."

Princess Xianning said softly: "Sir, I have written some of the situation today, and I plan to submit it to Shenjing for my father's imperial review, and my uncle will also go to the school to forcefully report the evil deeds of some local officials and gentry in Henan." .”

Jia Heng nodded, apologetically, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

This is the intention of him taking Xianning with the army this time. The so-called inseparable relatives, how can these powerful and evil gentry who "cry for injustice" thousands of miles away can compare with the words of the emperor's own daughter and brother-in-law.

"Sir, between you and me, why bother to thank you?" Princess Xianning walked to Jia Heng's side with brisk steps, her eyes could not help but glance at the family letter on the desk, and she frowned imperceptibly.

Well, several pieces of letterhead, I don't know how many she wrote to her husband?

Jia Heng approached, stretched out his hand to hold the girl's slender catkin, gently brought it into his arms, and said softly: "I wrote a memorial to the police of the summer flood in the Yellow River this afternoon, and I will send it to you tomorrow urgently." The secret performances were sent to Beijing together, and presented to the emperor for viewing."

Princess Xianning gave a soft "En", listening to the young father's words, Jingli's face was filled with joy again, the beautiful eyes under the willow-leaf eyebrows glanced at the envelope sandwiched in the ancient book, and for some reason , some shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, strange heart, even a little eager to try.

It seems like this can...

Ah, how could she do this?

Princess Xianning lowered her eyebrows and quickly concealed the strangeness in her heart, and said in a clear voice: "This morning, I saw that Mr. also wrote articles for the government officials in Huaiyang and other places. It's just that the officials in Huaiyang and other places don't know Mr. Take what you say sir to heart."

This morning, Jia Heng wrote papers to the prefectures and counties along the Yellow River, including Henan prefectures and Shandong Governor's Yamen, hoping to draw attention to the summer flood of the Yellow River.

In the afternoon, he wrote a memorial to Emperor Chongping. In addition, he wrote letters to the governors of Liangjiang and Nanhe, all of which were seen by Princess Xianning.

"Do your best and obey the destiny." Jia Heng pondered for a moment, then said solemnly: "However, regardless of other places, in the Henan section, there must be no mistakes. Only when the chaos here is just calm, the people will recover some vitality. If there is another flood It is difficult to restore the hearts of the people."

"Don't worry sir, the emperor will take this matter seriously." Princess Xianning said softly as she nestled her head into the boy's arms.

(End of this chapter)