Half in the river wind, half in the clouds

For the first time, Jiang Feng observed Li Longye up close without any pressure. He didn't have to look up at his noble face, didn't have to be afraid of his power, and didn't have to avoid his burning eyes. He took off his armor and was gentle and quiet. The man had sword-like eyebrows, a cold face, sharp edges, and deep eyes that were tightly closed.

Jiang Feng couldn't help but touch his inky black hair. He seemed to feel it, his brows gradually relaxed, and his broad chest rose and fell regularly.

In the sky, a full moon broke through the clouds, shining brightly.

It was late at night when Li Longye woke up from his drunkenness. The girl was sitting beside him with her legs curled up, looking up at the moon. He could only see her warm profile, which added a bit of charm under the cold moonlight.

Jiang Feng turned around, his face showing surprise, and even his voice became excited: "You're awake!"

She put on her painted skin again, returning to her original appearance. That fleeting true appearance must have been his dream.

The autumn night was chilly. Li Longye stood up and wrapped the girl in his cloak. Seeing that her nose was red, he asked in a deep voice, "Are you cold?"

Jiang Feng nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Li Longye was extremely greedy for the tenderness and companionship of this night, but when the alcohol and melancholy wore off, he regained his sanity and sobriety - there were still harder bones to chew!

He patted the girl's head and said, "Let's go. I'll take you home."

Although the girl hid her surprise, the instant brightness in her eyes did not escape the man's eyes.

Li Longye's face darkened. He stood up with an upright posture and walked away with big strides. Jiang Feng followed closely, rubbing his sore legs.

Turning faces is faster than turning pages!

Li Longye whipped the horse frequently as if punishing him, and the fat horse, after having eaten its fill of grass at night, was very respectful to its master.

Although Jiang Feng was anxious to see Shen Guxing, she had survived a disaster and cherished her life more. The sudden acceleration of Huang Congpiao made her scream and she grabbed Li Longye's arm!

As if encouraged, Li Longye held the girl tighter and kept exerting force with his feet. On the galloping horse, Jiang Feng could not see anything clearly, but felt the pain of the wind on his face. The man's breathing sounded like thunder in his ears, and the safe and warm embrace was like imprisonment.

A dim light was seen in the distance, and the yellow horse cried out, and in a moment it was there.

Shen Guxing was holding a lantern, standing tall and slender, like a statue.

Jiang Feng's heart ached suddenly and he made a move to dismount, but Li Longye just held him tightly and refused to let go.

She was furious. Such an ambiguous posture could easily be misunderstood.

Li Longye rode his horse and looked down at the mountains and pines, majestic and imposing;

Shen Guxing stood tall and straight like the wind and bamboo, with a cool and elegant demeanor.

The two of them confronted each other silently, and Jiang Feng felt very uncomfortable in the middle. Li Longye had no intention of letting her go, and she was at a loss for a moment in such a Shura field, so she could only cast an earnest look at Shen Guxing.

Shen Guxing's face was pale, and there was still blood on his body. He walked down from the horse, stretched out his left hand, and said in a trembling voice: "Afeng, let's go home."

Yes, Li Longye said "I'll take you home";

And Yi Ye said to her, "Let's go home."

Jiang Feng no longer hesitated, fiercely broke free from the right hand and grabbed Shen Guxing.

Li Longye saw the two hands clasped together, with a silver ring on each ring finger, the style was ordinary and nothing special. But he knew that for lovers, it must have a special meaning.

He opened his arms hopelessly, and the girl threw herself into the arms of another man like a swallow.

His face was grim, and without saying a word, he grabbed the reins, turned the horse around and rode away.

Shen Guxing held the girl tightly in his arms. He had always been gentle and kind, but at this moment he developed a crazy possessiveness and a sense of gain and loss.

Jiang Feng once again found his home in Shen Guxing's almost suffocating arms.

She stood on tiptoe, raised her head, and kissed the other's thin lips lightly.

Shen Guxing was surprised for a moment, and his mind went blank. Then he instinctively grasped the girl's slender waist, twisted her neck, and fiercely kissed her back.

……

The kiss was so long, profound and thrilling that both of them had red faces when they returned to their villa in Qingchuan.

The two families had been worried sick for more than twelve hours. They breathed a sigh of relief and did not notice the unusual blush on their faces.

In front of everyone, Shen Guxing just said that he accidentally fell off his horse and was delayed in returning home. Aunt Shen and Ruye just didn't believe it. They both pulled Shen Guxing to check his injuries and asked him the reason, but Shen Guxing avoided them without leaving a trace.

When everyone left, leaving only Shen's mother, Jiang's mother, Jiang Zuo and Shen Guzhi, Shen Guxing briefly explained what happened: the prince rebelled and fled to Zhongnan Mountain, where he met unlucky guy No. 1 and No. 2 and took them hostage. He thought the two would die, but he didn't expect that irreconcilable conflicts would arise within the other party, which eventually escalated into a bloody incident. The prince, as unlucky guy No. 3, was beheaded, and the two took advantage of the chaos to escape.

Shen Guxing did not mention a word about Li Longye. At least they reached a consensus: the entire bloody incident had nothing to do with Li Longye, Shen Guxing, and Jiang Feng!

Everyone opened their mouths in disbelief: The prince's rebellion is not something to be told as a story.

In the silence so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, Mrs. Shen chanted "Amitabha".

After a long while, Jiang Zuo said, "Why are these bloodlines of the Heavenly Family fighting against each other to such an extent?"

Shen Guxing nodded: "I'm afraid it's not over yet."

Jiang's mother looked sad: "The prince was defeated and executed, isn't that enough?"

Jiang Zuo said: "A reckoning is inevitable. The military commanders who attached themselves to the rebellion have been killed, but what about their subordinates and relatives? Who else participated in the rebellion? Those who knew about it but did not report it, those who secretly contacted them, and those who had interests in the rebellion can all be charged with the crime of treason!"

Shen Guxing's face was solemn: "Wu Sansi and his son were killed, and the Wu family suffered a heavy blow. Their cronies will definitely launch a crazy counterattack. The queen and the princess will never give up! And more importantly..."

Shen Guxing looked at Jiang Zuo, and they both understood. Shen Guxing continued, "Now the position of crown prince is vacant, and His Majesty only has two sons left. Prince Qiao Chongfu was disliked by His Majesty and demoted to the governor of Junzhou. And Prince Wen is still young, and His Majesty has never responded to his hope of crown prince. The Queen and her daughter are eyeing him covetously, and they are very much trying to emulate Emperor Wu."

"Will His Majesty really make Princess Anle the Crown Princess?" Jiang's mother didn't believe it.

Jiang Zuo felt that this situation was very likely, considering the weakness of Emperor Zhongzong and the strength of Empress Wei. Shen Guxing already knew that the Prince of Xiang was aiming for the throne, so he did not believe that the Tang Dynasty would repeat the mistakes of Empress Wu.

These things could not be told to outsiders, so everything became quiet all of a sudden.

Jiang Feng broke the silence, "Brother, are you going back to Chang'an tomorrow morning?"

After a mutiny, both civil officials and military generals were busy.

Jiang Zuo nodded.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and everyone was startled. Who would come so late at night? Shen Guzhi hurriedly got up and went out to see.

After a while, Bai Xingjian followed in.

Jiang's mother stood up quickly. "Why are you here? What happened at home?"

Chang'an City is at least half a day's journey away from Qingchuan Villa. It must be a big deal that made cousin Xingjian come here at night.

Bai Xing bowed briefly, "Aunt, someone from the Prince of Linzi's Mansion came to our house this morning to deliver a letter. My grandmother and sister A Fei will arrive in Chang'an tomorrow. I thought that since the old lady is coming, my aunt and mother can't be away. I hurried to Qingchuan after receiving the letter, but the city gates were already under martial law, and people were not allowed to enter or leave until midnight. I hope you don't mind me bothering Madam Shen."

Mother Shen said kindly, "It's okay. We have to make do with the emergency. It's not good for the old lady to arrive tomorrow and there will be no one to serve her."

Jiang Feng was puzzled: Why did the old lady and Ah Fei suddenly come to Chang'an? They had no plan to do so before. In addition, why did the people from the Linzi Palace send a message? When did their family have any relationship with Li Longji?

Mother Jiang frowned and looked at Mother Shen with some guilt, "I was originally planning to spend a few days in the mountains with my sister, but my mother-in-law suddenly came to Beijing, so I had to rush back overnight."

All daughters-in-law are trained little by little by their mothers-in-law. Although Mrs. Shen has not experienced the hardship of being a daughter-in-law, it does not mean that she cannot understand it.

I have never eaten pork, but I have always seen pigs running away.

She stepped forward and took Jiang's mother's hand, saying, "Our two families often visit each other, and there are many opportunities. If your old lady doesn't mind, she can also come and stay in the mountains for a few days. It will be a small token of our appreciation."

Jiang's mother expressed her gratitude repeatedly.

Madam Shen changed the subject and looked at Jiang Feng with a smile, "I do have an unreasonable request, and I hope that you can fulfill it. The old lady is coming to Chang'an, and the younger generation should wait for her respectfully. But I really like this girl Afeng, so I would like to ask you to keep her with me for a few days. I will go to the old lady's house and apologize in person."

Jiang's mother was delighted, but she didn't show it on her face. "Sister, you are too polite. It's rare that this girl can catch your eye. I'm afraid she is too casual and doesn't know the rules, which would make people laugh at her."

Shen Guxing originally thought that Jiang Feng would definitely go back with him, and he felt disappointed, but he didn't expect his mother to keep him, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed. Hearing what Jiang's mother said, he wanted to defend Jiang Feng: This girl is really great, she knows the rules very well, and she will never make a fool of herself.

"That's not right. I think this child is great. I'm just worried that my sister won't be willing to let him go."

Mother Jiang made a few more polite remarks, and someone came in to tell her that Aunt Jiang was ready and had packed her things. The group returned to Chang'an City in the thick night.

That night, the bright moonlight poured in, and the sleeping girl had beautiful eyes and brows. Then a man broke free from the shackles like a god and rode into her dream for the first time.

When Jiang Feng woke up in the morning, she was thinking about the messy dream. She saw the dark circles under her eyes and had to put on powder to cover them up. You Ran put on some light makeup for her.

Mrs. Shen's daily life was simple and interesting. Although she was a widow and a devout Buddhist, she did not live a life of dead wood. In addition to chanting scriptures and worshiping Buddha, she also enjoyed food, beauty, flower arrangement, burning incense, painting and reading poetry. She also paid special attention to health preservation and physical exercise, and walked five or six kilometers along the Qishui River every morning and evening.

That evening, Jiang Feng supported Shen's mother, and Shen Guxing followed them leisurely on the side. Jiang's mother spoke very little, and only Shen Guxing occasionally chatted. The setting sun lengthened the shadows of the three people, and Jiang Feng suddenly felt that the years were peaceful.

That night, Shen's mother left Jiang Feng alone. Jiang Feng had already prepared himself mentally, and what was supposed to come would eventually come.

Mother Shen knelt in front of the Buddha in a green dress, clasped her hands together and chanted sutras to worship the Buddha, and Jiang Feng also knelt behind her. Although she did not have any spiritual beliefs, she also hoped for the Buddha's protection at this moment.

After about half an hour, Shen's mother stood up and Jiang Feng stood up to support her.

Mother Shen took her hand, sat back in her chair, and said with a smile: "It's hard for you to be patient. Young people have active minds, and few can calm down."

Jiang Feng poured half a cup of tea for Shen's mother, "Buddha saves those who are destined to be saved, Madam, please keep a vegetarian diet. Today, the reeds are leaning against the jade trees, it is good to have a moment to bathe in the spiritual light."

Jiang Feng still politely and respectfully called her Madam, never pretending to be intimate and calling her "Auntie", and usually did not flatter or try to please her. He was polite and modest in dealing with people, neither rejecting people nor belittling himself. Such a distance made Shen's mother feel comfortable. She drank tea and smiled: "I heard from your mother that your grandmother also believed in Buddhism."

"My grandmother is a Buddhist and she likes peace and quiet. There are many brothers and sisters in my family, and we were naughty when we were young. My grandmother was afraid that we would offend the Buddha, so she never allowed us to go to her Buddhist temple." Lan and Fei might be able to do so, but Jiang Feng had never been to Grandma Jiang's Buddhist temple.

"It's normal for children to make some noise. Of my two sons, Zi'an only focuses on his studies and doesn't pay attention to anything else. He has been influenced by his surroundings over the years and can only recite 'Amitabha'. Yiye, on the other hand, has a calm temperament and a clear mind. He loves to study Buddhism. I think there is some affinity between them." Mrs. Shen looked gentle and proud when she mentioned her two sons.

"Madam is good at managing the household and educating her children, and outsiders all admire her." These words come from the heart, and are not false compliments. A mother who can educate such an excellent son is definitely not an ordinary person.

The topic shifted to Shen Guxing, and everything else went its natural way.

"I didn't agree with you two at first." Mother Shen said as she looked at Jiang Feng. Seeing that she was not surprised or shocked, she continued, "I think you know the reason. Although I don't object to Yi Ye's contact with you, I still have something that worries me, so I left you here alone today."

"Parents who love their children will make long-term plans for them. How could I not know how much the madam loves her son? Regardless of my family background, talents, virtues, or appearance, I am not the best choice, and I may even be a burden to Yi Ye. I also know that the madam must have many doubts. In front of the Buddha, I dare not tell a lie!" Jiang Feng faced the shrine with a firm look in his eyes.

She probably knew what Madam Shen wanted to know. Although she felt that she had a clear conscience, she was still afraid of what people said...

Seeing Jiang Feng's sincerity, Shen's mother was moved. But thinking of her son's lifelong happiness, she still took her hand and said in a trembling voice: "Rumors hurt people, I never believe them. But when it comes to Yiye, I still have to ask one more question, what are you... with the Prince of Zhongshan..."

Shen's mother was a lady who was brought up in a big family and attached great importance to reputation. Since she asked, it proved that she believed it in her heart. But she was kind-hearted and could not bear to question him about the relationship between men and women.

"Zhongshan County Prince was in charge of the Liangzhou Sujun Army and was good friends with my brother-in-law. In April this year, I went to my brother-in-law's house for a family dinner. During the dinner, I accidentally ate Aconitum and was poisoned. My life was on the verge of death, and the doctors in Liangzhou City were helpless. In desperation, the prince and my second brother took me to Qiushan to find a famous doctor, and we stayed in the mountains for more than ten days. That was... that was when the dispute started. But the county prince and I are innocent, and I..."

"Ruye said that the prince specially sent someone to escort you to Chang'an this time, and the person was General Xiao Li, whom the prince highly values?" Mrs. Shen interrupted Jiang Feng, her voice a little cold.

Jiang Feng unconsciously grasped his wide sleeves, lowered his head and hesitated for a while, then raised his head, his eyes were firm again: "Because the Princess of Zhongshan County wanted to see me, I had a big conflict with the prince, causing my father to be blamed by the prince. He was worried that I would continue to cause trouble if I stayed in Liangzhou, and my aunt came to Chang'an to handle the wedding, so he asked me to go with him. But I didn't expect that a few days after we set off, the Prince of Zhongshan County caught up with us in Fenglingjin and asked me... me to be a concubine..."

For the first time, Jiang Feng told outsiders the whole story of her dispute with Li Longye. Shen Guxing was considerate and trusted her, so he never asked. Jiang's mother asked several times, but she avoided answering.

She felt that Mrs. Shen had the right to know the whole story, not only her so-called innocence, not only her indifference to Li Longye, but also Li Longye's intentions towards her. When she knew that her future daughter-in-law was being pursued by a very powerful person, she still chose to respect Shen Guxing's decision, and she would be grateful; if not, she would accept it.

She didn't want to build her own happiness on the fear and helplessness of others, so she could only leave the choice of her destiny to others.

"You didn't agree?" If what Jiang Feng said was true, Shen's mother would look at her with admiration.

Jiang Feng nodded solemnly.

"Is it because of Yiye?" Will she add weight to the scale of love? Look, I didn't even want the prince, but I chose your son.

"No. No. It's not because of Yi Ye." Jiang Feng said anxiously, just like he denied it in front of Li Longye that day.

"I never thought that I could be with Yi Ye..." Jiang Feng whispered, his face flushed, "Until now I still feel it's unreal, like a dream. But it's a beautiful dream, and I don't want to wake up."

"What if I don't agree? On one side is my mother, and on the other is my lover. How do you want Yi Ye to choose?"

"Yi Ye can match a better girl! If Madam disagrees, it is understandable and I will withdraw." Although Jiang Feng was a little disappointed, he was not surprised by Madam Shen's statement.

Love is not everything in life, is it?

It's not that everything in the world depends on her, right?

She doesn't love Brother Guan or her cousin, but if she really marries them, she can live a stable life.

If she can do it, Shen Guxing can naturally do it too.

Besides, she had long understood that marriage was not a matter between two people, and it had been like this since ancient times.

Shen Guxing was talented and ambitious, and had a bright future, but because of her, he ended up being a commoner. If he broke up with his mother again, how good he would be to comfort his huge regret in life.

Mother Shen looked at Jiang Feng, and was really surprised by such a straightforward answer. She twisted the Buddhist beads in her hand and said carefully: "Yi Ye has fallen in love with you, and I also hope that he will get what he wants. Your mother should have told you that we have discussed the marriage with the Shouchun County Prince's family, but Yi Ye is determined not to marry the county princess. Seeing this, the county princess once suggested: Yi Ye can marry you as a co-wife... After all, the county princess is a royal branch and jade leaf, so this is not wronged for you. But from what you said, you even rejected the princess, so naturally you don't look down on my co-wife?"

Jiang Feng felt sad. Why did she believe that good luck would happen to her?