Little Cardamom

Li County is much smaller than Pangshan County, and has only one main road that is not very wide. Fortunately, it is lively, with vendors hawking along the street at night and brightly lit.

The two of them passed by the inn where they stayed, Ming Tan pretended not to see, and kept interrupting to talk about other things, Jiang Xu pretended not to know what she was thinking, and followed her along.

When he was about to reach the west city gate, Ming Tan suddenly said: "By the way, my husband, I was in Jingjing county a few days ago. I heard people say that there is a snow-reflecting lake outside the west city gate. The color reflected on it is very quiet and beautiful.”

"Then why isn't it called Yingyue Lake?"

...?

Ming Tan didn't expect Jiang Xu to ask this question, Yu Ning took a moment to answer: "Maybe it's more beautiful when it snows?"

She held onto Jiang Xu's hand again and said, "Husband, let's go and see if it's okay, the West City Gate is ahead."

"The gate of the city has been closed."

"But my husband has a pass order."

Jiang Xu couldn't help but glanced at her: "You're thinking about everything."

"That's natural." Ming Tan said as it should.

When I rode alone at night to Shuzhen, it was already past the closing time, but my husband took out the pass, and the guards at the city gate let him go without saying a word, and it seemed that he did not reveal his identity.

Jiang Xu glanced at the west city gate not far away.

Li County is not a place where military strategists must contend for because of its superior geographical location. The city walls are simple and low, and there are only two people on duty on the tower at night.

"Hold tight." Jiang Xu reminded in a low voice.

Before Ming Tan could react, he was carried by Jiang Xu and flew up the tower, and then easily jumped down. Until it settled outside the city wall, the sound of "hug tight" seemed to still be echoing in my ears.

While Ming Tan was in shock, he felt a little irritated. He followed Jiang Xu's footsteps with his hands on his chest, and exclaimed softly, "Husband, you can actually fly people so high. I asked Yun Yi, and Yun Yi said that if she took People can only climb trees or roofs at most, and this city wall is much higher than the roof."

"You asked her what to do, and wanted her to take you out secretly?"

...?

Why is your husband so sensitive?

She just didn't want to see guests for a few days before, and she said she was unwell and needed to rest in bed, but one night when he didn't return home, she wanted to go out to get some air, so it was inconvenient to go out from the front door and called herself to say that she needed to rest in bed face, so I secretly asked Yun Yi.

She said with a guilty conscience: "No, I am a princess. If you want to go out, you can go out in a fair manner. Husband, don't judge a gentleman's belly with a villain's heart."

Jiang Xu pulled the corner of his lips lightly, nodded and said, "Well, I'm a villain, a concubine is a gentleman." Then he glanced at her belly.

Ming Tan pressed both hands in embarrassment.

Fortunately, Yingxue Lake is not far from the city gate, so they can be seen from a distance in just a few words.

Ming Tan couldn't help heaving a sigh of relief. Today, she dragged her husband out for a long while, her legs were already swollen and sore. If Yingxue Lake was farther away, she would have died before reaching the lake. stop.

Yingxue Lake is not big, but the water of the lake is indeed smooth and crystal clear. A small boat prepared by Yunyi was tied to the lake, with wine and food prepared on it.

Ming Tan didn't hide anymore, and directly pulled Jiang Xu to the boat: "Husband, come quickly."

After getting on the boat, Ming Tan was about to explain his arrangement to Jiang Xu, but Jiang Xu deftly untied the hemp rope, let the boat float with the water, and poured water for himself while holding the pot with downcast eyes. Had a glass of wine.

...?

"Husband already knew?" Ming Tanchi asked.

Jiang Xu didn't answer, just glanced at her.

Ming Tan couldn't help feeling disappointed and a little bit angry. Fortunately, she interrupted all the way to make excuses, and racked her brains to lure him to Yingxue Lake. He didn't expect him to know about it a long time ago, so what a surprise!

Seeing this, Jiang Xu pondered for a moment, and explained: "The dark guard saw that Yunyi was acting alone, and reported it to the king, but the king doesn't know what the princess has prepared."

Oh, not comforted.

But it’s all here, Ming Tan was silent for a moment, adjusted his mood, and actively poured Jiang Xu another glass of wine, and then, as expected in advance, led the conversation back to his childhood, talking to Jiang Xu about the time when he was a child. thing.

Jiang Xu listened quietly without interrupting.

"...I thought life would be much easier after my concubine sister left, but who knew that life would become more and more difficult. I have to learn piano, embroidery every day, and I have to go to Chang Guogong's mansion to go to private school." Ming Tan was short. I counted on my fingers, "Originally, my mother wanted me to go to Zhou's private school. The Zhou family is a scholarly family. There are many celebrities in the family. They are also very famous in the women's private schools in Beijing. Does your husband know why I didn't go in the end?"

"Why?" Jiang Xu replied with a face.

"At that time, Nanque West Street was not open, and it took a long detour to go to Zhou's mansion. You had to go out at the beginning of Maochu, so you had to get up at 3:30 Yinshi at the latest, but it was too early. Changguo Gong's mansion is much closer, Yinzheng Er It’s never too late to wake up.”

"When Maochu went out, why did he have to get up at three o'clock at Yinshi?"

"Washing, dressing, changing clothes, having breakfast... don't you have to get up at three o'clock."

Jiang Xu thought of all the things she had done when she got up in the mansion in the morning, and suddenly understood.

Ming Tan rested his chin and continued: "Fortunately, I didn't go. Zhou's private school is too scary. I have to study for three hours a day. I still have a lot of homework to do after returning to the mansion. If I go back to the mansion and learn something else, I will not be able to do it in a day." There is no need to rest."

Ming Tan babbled on about his time in private school, and how he was punished by his teacher for not being serious about learning the piano.

She said this to comfort Jiang Xu. She has lost her mother since she was born, and her father has not only been her daughter, but she has been in office for several years. She is always working hard in the mansion to become a model of noble girls in Beijing. For the hard work, it can be regarded as pity with him.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xu thought about it, and suddenly said: "When you were in private school, I should have gone to the Northwest Army. The northwest is very dry, and the army has a ration of drinking water every day. I remember that I went back to the enemy camp to spy on the army. He was found, got lost after escaping, and was exposed to the sun for two days, neither the king nor his companions drank a drop of water, and almost died of thirst on the way back to the camp."

"..."

Ming Tan was speechless.

Why does she feel that she has had a hard time? She is just studying privately, doing homework and learning some rules to embroider flowers. If she refuses to do it, no one will force her. Compared with her husband, this is really worth it It is pampered.

After imagining what her husband said about almost dying of thirst on the way back to the camp, Ming Tan felt distressed and didn't know what to say.

Jiang Xu hadn't realized what Ming Tan was talking about before, nor had he realized that he had killed the world in just a few sips, so he poured himself a drink, and even poured a cup for Ming Tan as well.

Ming Tan picked up the wine cup in a hurry and took a sip, put his other hand behind his back, and made a gesture quietly, that this topic can't go on, it's better to get down to business earlier.

Yun Yi waited for a long time until her back became stiff, and finally she saw Ming Tan move. She hid behind the tree, moved her neck, and stretched her waist.

After a while, there was a strange sound and it lifted into the air, and after reaching a certain height——

"boom!"

"Bang bang bang!"

"Husband, look!" Ming Tan put down the wine cup, grabbed Jiang Xu's sleeve with one hand, and pointed at the night sky with the other.

Jiang Xu raised his eyes.

Tonight, the night sky is as blue as blue, the moon is bright and clear, dotted with autumn stars here and there, clusters of fireworks rise into the sky not far away, bursting out dazzling brilliance on the night, and reflecting sparkling lights on the silent lake.

This fireworks is very special, never seen in Beijing before.

After the fireworks take off and bloom, they should be static, but they look dynamic, like a comic book, and the dynamics are coherent when they are flipped through. The fireworks are also one cluster after another, and their shape changes slightly when they lift off, very fast to form a picture of a man dancing with a sword.

Although the shape of the fireworks is not lifelike, Jiang Xu can already see that those sword moves were all used by him in front of her.

"Is it the king?" he asked.

Seeing that he recognized him, Ming Tan suppressed the little pride in his heart, and asked for credit: "Is it very similar? It took me two hours to draw it. I can't remember some movements. Thanks to Yun Yi who told me that I know." How to draw."

Jiang Xu stood up and looked up at the night sky with a serious expression he had never had before.

Ming Tan also got up and walked to his side, thinking brokenly: "I heard that Li County can make any kind of fireworks, so I asked Yun Yi to take my blueprint and come to Li County in advance to find someone to do it. I want to give it a try, but I can’t really make it in a hurry, but if I give it a little more time, maybe I can make it more like…

"Mr. G, after you return to Beijing, why don't you mention it to the sage, isn't there fireworks in the palace every year? I heard that the fireworks in the palace are also made in Li County, but the style is not new. I have seen it outside the palace several times. , It seems to be the same every year, maybe this year we can do something moving, such as a boy's New Year's greetings? It looks fresh."

"No."

"Why?" Ming Tan was puzzled, could it be that there are rules in the palace even for the style of fireworks?

"This is the trick you thought of for this king, why let other people see it."

He finished speaking slowly, and looked at Ming Tan with deep eyes.

Ming Tan was a little startled, he didn't expect him to say that at all, and after staring at him for a while, his ears felt a little hot again.

In fact, it sounded domineering, but she somehow felt a little happy and satisfied.

She lowered her eyes to avoid Jiang Xu's sight, then moved forward little by little, holding Jiang Xu's hand shyly: "Does that husband like the fireworks that A Tan made for you?"

"Yes, I like it."

"It's as long as my husband likes it. In fact, Ah Tan does this because he is afraid that my husband will feel sad when he sees the girl Qingyu and thinks of the concubine. Ah Tan hopes that my husband can be happier." Ming Tan blushed and bulged. Courage explained.

Jiang Xu kept looking down at her. Over the years, some people have sincerely done him good, but no one has ever said that they hope he can be happier. His life seems to have never had any connection with happiness.

After a long time, he held Ming Tan's hand back: "A Tan has a heart, this king... is very happy."

This was the first time he called her name, his palms were slightly wet, and he was sweating a little rarely.