No. 822 Constitution House

No. 822 Constitution House

No. 822 Constitution House
Two or three days before the New Year, the weather became much clearer.

After nightfall, bright lights were lit in the side hall on the west side of the Cheng mansion's backyard.

The copper stove was filled with charcoal, flickering, adding a lot of warmth to the house.

The ten-year-old Shi Hong sat behind the desk and waved to the four-year-old Tuoba Shiyijian.

Shi Yijian walked over slowly.

"Was your father killed by Shao Xun?" Shi Hong asked.

Shi Yijian was still young and didn't understand much, so he just stared at Shi Hong.

Shi Hong was stunned, then he lost his temper and said, "It seems that he doesn't understand. A three-year-old child is ignorant of the world and will probably recognize a thief as his father in the future."

Shi Yijian looked at Shi Hong twice again, and quickly lost interest in him, and planned to go to the yard to find his mother.

"Don't go yet, talk to me. You've been feeling depressed these past few years." Shi Hong quickly stood up and grabbed Shi Yijian, saying.

He subconsciously ignored the fact that Shi Yijian was a Xianbei and was still young. It was good enough for him to know some simple Xianbei conversation - perhaps he also understood a little Wuhuan language, but only "a little".

Of course, maybe he doesn't care and just wants to find someone to talk to.

"My uncle didn't teach me military science or martial arts, but found three scholars, one to teach me classics, one to teach me poetry, and one to teach me laws." Shi Hong said, "In fact, my uncle treated me very well. I was only one year old when I moved into the home of Sizhong Li Cheng in Yecheng. He also took me back to the old Cheng family home in Guangping and treated me very well."

Shi Yijian didn't want to listen to his noise, so he wanted to slip away with his short legs.

The bursts of laughter coming from the street outside the courtyard wall made him very yearning and curious. He wanted to climb over the wall and go out to have a good look.

"I wanted to change my surname to Cheng after my mother, but my uncle wouldn't allow it." Shi Hong sat back at the desk, propped his chin with his hand, looking confused.

Seeing that Shi Hong no longer restricted him, Shi Yijian turned around and left without any reluctance.

"Actually, I have no impression of my biological father. My uncle said he was extremely cruel, and my mother said he was ambitious. Perhaps they are both right." Shi Hong's voice came from far behind him: "Actually, I have seen King Liang a little more often than him. Unfortunately, he is not a good guy either. He comes casually and leaves in a hurry. Every time he leaves, my mother is sad for a long time..."

Shi Yijian rushed into the yard.

Wang and Cheng were admiring the plum blossoms in the courtyard under the starry sky.

The two had met for less than a day, but in fact they were not familiar with each other at all and their speech was somewhat awkward.

Wang occasionally looked at Cheng with pity.

Where Wang couldn't see, Cheng was actually looking at her with pity.

But I don't know why the two of them feel sorry for each other.

"Shi Le is in Shangjun." Wang sniffed the white wintersweet and said softly, "He and Liu Lugu are old friends. They met when the Dugu tribe was still grazing near Shengle. Liu Lugu said that he looked much older than when he first started farming in Xinxing, but he had not lost his ambition."

For some reason, Cheng felt a little annoyed after hearing this.

In the Cheng family, the word "big beard" is a taboo and cannot be mentioned casually. This is nothing, and it is completely understandable. After all, the Cheng family of Guangping produced a governor and a military supervisor, both of whom were officials of the King of Liang. Always mentioning the big beard will make people suspect that you still miss your old master, which is not good for your future, although the King of Liang may not care too much about these trivial matters.

However, Cheng's irritability was not caused by this.

She didn't delve into the reason, she just felt irritated - perhaps, she didn't dare to delve into her own heart. Women in troubled times are just a piece of meat in the eyes of others, and everyone subconsciously wants to grab a ray of support.

"If you want a letter..." Wang had just said half of her words when Cheng turned around.

She was weak by nature and always accepted everything that came her way. Turning around and not saying anything was already her greatest expression of dissatisfaction.

Wang reacted quickly and felt that she had said something out of turn, but she was too embarrassed to apologize and just remained silent.

There were footsteps again from behind.

Cheng was so familiar with her that she immediately turned around and saluted: "Sister-in-law."

Cheng Xia's wife, Li, returned the greeting and looked at Wang, saying, "Are you used to living here, Khatun?"

"Thank you for your hospitality, madam. I have taken care of all your expenses. I am very grateful." Wang replied.

"Is this Lord Dai?" Li looked at Shi Yijian who was standing quietly at her mother's feet and said with a smile, "He is so calm at such a young age. He will become a great talent in the future and command the Xianbei heroes. Compared to him, the two losers in my family are too naughty."

"Madam, you are too modest." Wang sighed and said, "As a surviving person whose country has been destroyed, I have to live one day at a time. How dare I expect too much?"

Li sighed softly upon hearing this and said, "This world is not easy for anyone."

In the past, Cheng family of Guangping had a younger aunt who was the wife of Shi Le. She overcame her declining trend and gradually began to move up.

Her maternal family, the Zhaojun Li family, had been in decline for many years and their fortunes were fading. They had hoped to revive their family with the help of the Cheng family, but all their efforts were wasted when Shi Le was defeated.

Today, the Zhaojun Li family is not ranked high among the aristocratic families in the world.

Later, they tried to curry favor with Generalissimo Lu Zhi, and just when they found a way, Lu Zhi became bedridden and resigned from his post.

After experiencing these two setbacks, the Zhaojun Li family had to turn their attention back to the Guangping Cheng family.

There are rumors in Pingyang that after completing this term as military supervisor, her husband Cheng Xia will be reused because Lu Zhi wrote a petition with tears and blood on his sickbed, and King Liang, thinking of their past friendship, sighed and planned to compensate the people of Hebei - the rumor is true or false, but Li believes it is true.

And if Cheng Xia is valued, then as a daughter of Li who marries into the Cheng family, she will naturally have to shoulder the responsibility of supporting her natal family.

This is also good for the Cheng family. After all, a general needs counselors and brave generals when he goes into battle. The Zhaojun Li family can exist as a subordinate of the Guangping Cheng family. As long as there are benefits, this is not a problem.

The two families' counties are connected, which is a match made in heaven.

"From what I heard from Khatun, she is actually a daughter of a scholar family. I wonder what she is good at?" Li asked again. "I am quite familiar with the Zuo Zhuan annotated by Kou from Changping." Wang said, "I read it again yesterday and gained new insights."

When life goes through great changes, you see more, hear more, and gain more experience. When you revisit the classics, you will indeed have new understandings.

Wang majored in this book, which shows that Guangning Wang did not train her as an ordinary woman, but went straight to Tuoba Xianbei Khatun.

"The Khatun is well-versed in knowledge and handsome, so there is no need to worry," Li said meaningfully.

Wang was a little confused when she heard this, but Cheng blushed and lowered her head.

Li covered her mouth and laughed.

At this moment, the sound of carriages was heard outside the courtyard wall, and soon there was a knock on the door.

Cheng raised her head, took a quick look, and then quickly lowered her head.

Li signaled with her eyes.

Several servants standing in the distance came forward and opened the door - this door existed long before the house was built, and was later blocked with bricks and closed, but more than a year later, it suddenly reopened.

As soon as the door was opened, more than a dozen elite soldiers rushed in from outside the courtyard wall.

They were covered with fake bells on the outside and wore armor on the inside. After entering the courtyard, they immediately occupied every corner and took away several servants who opened the door.

Wang was looking at all this in surprise, while Li and Cheng turned a blind eye and just stood aside with their heads bowed.

After a while, a man lifted the curtain of the car and slowly walked into the yard.

Behind him, more soldiers continued to pour in. When the number reached fifty, a lieutenant closed the gate again.

"Your Majesty." Li and Cheng bowed together.

Shao Xun nodded to Li, and Li understood and left.

"I just came from the Honglu Temple Guesthouse and I'm tired. Go prepare some soup." Shao Xun looked at Cheng again.

Cheng nodded, turned around and walked a few steps, then gave some instructions to the maid.

Wang was shocked when she heard Shao Xun's words and subconsciously squeezed her son's hand.

Shi Yijian cried out in pain and looked at his mother in confusion.

"Greetings to Dajin--" Wang no longer cared about her son and quietly took two steps forward.

"Wait, is Daya here?" Shao Xun turned his head, smiled apologetically at Wang, and then looked at Cheng.

"Reviewing lessons in the inner room." Cheng came back and said softly.

"Let him study hard and don't be lazy." Shao Xun nodded and said, "Since I started the army, I have fought dozens of battles, big and small, all over the Guandong area. How can I not have him as an official? I am not that narrow-minded. The disaster has passed, and the next step is to stop fighting and bring peace to the world. This is the place where scholars like him can use their talents."

Cheng responded gently and glanced at Wang intentionally or unintentionally.

Wang's heart skipped a beat. These words didn't sound right.

"Your Majesty..." Wang took another step forward and was about to salute, but she saw Shao Xun looking at Shi Yijian.

"As the saying goes, you can tell a person's future from the age of three. This child is quite good, and deserves the praise of Helan Nugen. It would be good for him to have more contact with Shi Daya." After Shao Xun finished speaking, he looked at Wang and asked, "Madam, you are new to Pingyang. Are you used to living here?"

Wang was a little confused. When she heard Shao Xun's words, she was still a little distracted. She just said, "Everything is fine."

"That's fine." Shao Xun was relieved, then smiled gently and said, "After running around for days, Mr. Dai and Mrs. Tai must be tired, so they should rest early."

After that, he turned around and left.

Twenty soldiers followed closely behind him and disappeared behind the corridor.

Wang looked a little dazed.

Shi Hong walked out of the side hall, glanced at Wang's mother and son standing in the courtyard, and suddenly said, "I heard everything just now."

Wang looked at him blankly, and Shi Yijian also looked over.

The ten-year-old boy said confidently: "You have been abandoned. I asked my three mentors yesterday, and they all said that Tuoba Yihuai is in the northern capital and is older, so he can be supported. Shiyijian is just a child, so he can only be a hostage, just like the story of the Khan in the desert."

Wang was struck by lightning.

Seeing her like that, Shi Hong became more confident and said, "But you can wait. My teacher said that the Tuoba Xianbei had a tradition of the younger brother succeeding the elder brother. Maybe Yi Huai will pass the throne to Shi Yijian in the future. Just wait."

After saying this, Shi Hong looked at Tuoba Shiyijian with a gloating look and said, "Shiyijian, stay with me. I'm bored to death."

It was only at this time that he showed some of the mischievousness that a child of his age should have.

Shi Yijian looked at him blankly.

Wang hugged her son and returned to her residence.

After nightfall, faint sobbing sounds were heard from a small house opposite the pond.

The voice was gentle and soft, with a hint of coquettishness in its bones, and seemed to carry a sense of self-abandonment pleasure.

(End of this chapter)