Half in the river wind, half in the clouds

Such a hasty wedding date made the Jiang family very busy. Jiang Zuo's marriage had already made the Jiang family, who had just arrived in Chang'an, very busy, and they had to marry their daughter off in an even shorter time.

Jiang's mother was overwhelmed, but fortunately the Linzi Palace came to give instructions and asked the palace to handle all the ceremonies. Only then did Jiang's mother breathe a sigh of relief.

The obscure Jiang family not only wanted to marry the daughter of the Minister of Industry, but also wanted to marry their daughter to the prince as a princess, which made them proud. There were many more noble ladies visiting, and the door was almost broken down by the people they knew and didn't know. Jiang's father's old classmates and old acquaintances also came. After reminiscing about the past, Jiang's father couldn't remember who this person was.

While peeling melon seeds, Jiang Feng said to Jiang Fei, "Mrs. Dou Xiang and Mrs. Shi Shi are really sisters-in-law. No one can match their ability to change their expressions as quickly as they do."

Jiang Fei blushed and said nothing.

Jiang Feng also felt it was abrupt. After all, Jiang Fei almost married Dou Ding. Her joke was really embarrassing, so he tried to smooth things over: "Father was so focused on training the two brothers that he didn't expect that the sister would be the first to bring glory to the family."

Jiang Fei finally smiled at Jiang Feng. If this little girl was serious about praising someone, she could really praise him from the heart. Jiang Fei had just dealt with a group of nagging women, and now in this quiet flower room, she actually felt a long-lost sense of family.

It was strange that as the wedding date got closer, she was willing to get close to Jiang Feng. Chu Yan flattered her everywhere, but she found it boring.

Jiang Feng was talking and laughing in the midst of the flowers, which reminded her of the autumn evening in Liangzhou that year. On that day, a banquet was held to see Shen Guxing off. Everyone was sad about the separation and got drunk. Only her little sister was sober. She looked and saw that she and Gao Hui went out together. When she followed them out, she ran into Shen Guxing telling her his heartfelt story.

He said that the flower demon was so charming that he could not control his feelings. He promised her three letters and six gifts, and a ten-mile red dowry, but his little sister just shook her head firmly.

She was both envious and jealous at the time, and thought that she rejected Shen Guxing because she had Gao Hui in her heart.

Thinking of this, Jiang Fei murmured, "It's hard to predict what will happen in this world. You actually got engaged to Yi Ye. You've always been cautious, but once you make a decision, you act decisively and never drag your feet."

Jiang Feng also lamented the changes in the world. The days when the two of them fought like black-eyed chickens because of Gao Hui were gone forever.

"On the way back to Chang'an, King Zhongshan wished he could grow wings, but in the end he was one step too late." Jiang Fei seemed to be regretful.

Fortunately, he was a step late.

Jiang Feng didn't want to mention Li Longye again, so he asked, "Second sister, what kind of person is Prince Linzi?"

Jiang Fei suddenly became excited, and her originally fair cheeks now had a faint blush. She whispered, "He is like a peerless hero, brave and fearless, standing tall and upright, and shining like a star. In short, he is the most outstanding man in the world. Moreover, he treats me with great care and love. He is very good."

Jiang Fei used several affirmative sentences in a row, but then her tone suddenly changed, revealing a hint of sadness and confusion: "It's a pity that his mind is too deep, and there are too many things in his heart for me to see through. It's as if there is always an invisible veil between us, making it difficult for me to touch his heart."

Seeing Jiang Fei falling in love and worrying about the gains and losses, Jiang Feng decided to be a dog-headed military advisor and advised: "Sister, you married the Prince of Linzi, I don't know how many people envy you. Our family is a small family and a golden phoenix flew out, surpassing many wealthy ladies to be named a second-rank concubine. He also promoted my father to be the secretary of the two capital cities, and he rose from a ninth-rank border official to an eighth-rank official in the capital. My second brother was transferred to the eighth-rank Si Ge of the Longwu Army, and my brother-in-law was appointed as the right Lang Jiang of the Yulin Army. With such a prosperous life, others may see the glory and excitement, but my sister has to live alone in the palace. It's not enough to just rely on admiration for the prince."

Jiang Fei looked at Jiang Feng in surprise. Jiang Feng teased, "If you read too many storybooks, you can always tell some truths. Sister, just take it as a way to relieve your boredom. There are probably two kinds of women in a man's life: white plum blossoms and red plum blossoms. If you marry a red plum blossom, over time, the red one will become a smear of mosquito blood on the wall, and the white one will still be "the bright moonlight in front of the bed"; if you marry a white plum blossom, the white one will be a grain of rice stuck on your clothes, and the red one will be a cinnabar mole on your heart."

Jiang Feng saw that Jiang Fei was deep in thought and seemed to have heard what he said, so he added: "A man's heart is as deep as an abyss, let alone a person like him. Sister, you might as well not try to figure out his heart, but just think about how you attracted him in the first place. Sister, only if you have yourself first, others will love you and be attached to you."

In the harem of a wise emperor, those shady means and tricks are really not enough; blindly flattering and pleasing others will only become boring after a long time. Only a fresh and passionate life and true and profound love can touch people's hearts for a long time.

Jiang Feng was reluctant to say these words to Jiang Fei, who was very smart, yet sensitive and fragile. If he said it too harshly, this was Mei Fei, who was about to gain power in the Tang Dynasty, and Jiang Feng had seen her methods; if he said it too lightly, he was worried that she would take a detour and be abandoned by Li Longji.

Jiang Fei was silent for a long time, and finally raised her head and said firmly: "Although I married him, I also want to be a cinnabar mole on my heart."

The sixth day of November is an auspicious day for getting married.

Jiang Fei's wedding was arranged by the Linzi Palace with great ceremony.

The Jiang residence was packed with people. The banquet lasted for three days. Old and relative friends from Liangzhou, colleagues and classmates of the Jiang family father and son, and everyone who should and shouldn't have come came.

Li Longye and Princess Taiping also came to present gifts. Li Longye and Liu's husband had a personal relationship, so it was not surprising. But when Aunt Fangcao arrived with the gift, all the guests were surprised.

Jiang Feng had been in Chang'an for nearly half a year, and he only got along well with Zhang Yuyue and Zhong Shuwei. Today, facing a room full of beautiful girls, it was really hard to handle.

Those girls had lived in comfort for a long time, and were eager to read the gossip in Chang'an City with the attitude of entertainment to death. When they saw Li Longye's rumored girlfriend and Shen Guxing's fiancée, they wanted to strip her clothes to see clearly. Some of them were not kind-hearted and said sour grapes, and even made some sarcastic remarks.

Jiang Feng's advantage is that she has a good attitude and thick skin, and ordinary ridicule and slander cannot hurt her at all. In addition, Zhang Yuyue and Zhong Shuwei have defended her a lot. One is the daughter of the prime minister, and the other is famous for her fierceness, so the girls are afraid of her. Jiang Feng picked up the nonsense that the girls liked to hear and dealt with it until 3 p.m. The ladies in the main hall finally finished talking about topics that are not suitable for children, and sent people to invite the young ladies of each family, officially entering the second important link - taking advantage of such a good opportunity, the ladies in charge of the inner house are all there, and openly call their daughters out to meet them, and by the way, take a look at the temperament of other girls and whether they can match their sons.

When everyone first saw Jiang Fei, they already thought she was extremely gorgeous. Now that they saw Jiang Feng, they realized that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Jiang Fei was more beautiful than white plum blossoms and peonies. No matter how breathtaking, she could always be described. But Jiang Feng was no less beautiful than her sister in terms of color. She was another kind of beauty, lively and bright, like the bright moon in the mountains and the breeze by the lake. She was not simply aloof and indifferent, but instead exuded the fiery heat and vitality of sparks.

Mrs. Shen's attitude towards Jiang Feng was neither overly intimate as if for show, nor as cold and distant as everyone expected. Instead, it was kind and natural, polite and tacit. Only then did the girls accept the reality: Jiang Feng was really going to marry the elegant young man in Chang'an City.

During the dinner, Zhong Shuwei was in a very good mood and forced a table of girls to drink. Jiang Feng also drank two large glasses of wine. After drinking, he felt the alcohol rising, and left under Chu Yan's cover.

She staggered along the corridor to Jiang Zuo's study. Because the Jiang family was marrying off their daughter and getting married, they had to prepare for the wedding and welcome and send off guests every day. Considering the confidentiality of Jiang Zuo's work and the need for adequate sleep, they set up a separate study in the backyard and kept it locked on weekdays. Jiang Feng always went in under the pretext of cleaning, so Jiang Zuo also gave her a separate key.

Jiang Feng originally thought that since there were so many people around today, the study must be locked. But when she approached, she saw that the door was ajar. She was startled and pushed the door open.

He looked into the eyes of Shen Guxing, whose face was pale.

President Shen Gu stood tall, holding the one-foot-tall wooden doll with a big belly. The doll was made with exquisite craftsmanship, and from the outside it looked like it was carved from a single piece of wood. In fact, it was made of more than 100 pieces of wood of varying lengths, assembled through a mortise and tenon structure, and was hollow inside.

Jiang Feng hid the jade seal and the imperial edict inside. Because it was strong and would not break no matter how hard it was dropped, he kept it there casually so that it would not attract much attention. He brought it all the way from Liangzhou to Chang'an.

Finally he found out!

Jiang Feng sighed and closed the door.

"You really have this thing here?" Although it was unbelievable, the tone sounded like he had known it before.

Jiang Feng was a little surprised, but still explained: "Empress Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate by the current emperor, so she is not willing to do so. Although this edict is to make Prince Xiang the emperor and Prince Shouchun the crown prince, your majesty is now firmly in the court, and this is not something that can be easily abandoned with an edict."

Shen Guxing just didn't say anything, and looked at her with suspicion.

"You and I witnessed Li Chongjun's rebellion with our own eyes. Prince Xiang and his son must be planning something big. It's hard to say who will take over the country. Even if Prince Xiang succeeds to the throne one day, he doesn't necessarily have to make Prince Shouchun the crown prince. The succession of imperial power is the Li family's own business. Why should we get involved?" Jiang Feng continued, and stepped forward to pull Shen Guxing.

Shen Guxing did not hide, but he did not follow Jiang Feng either. He just said word by word: "Give them to me!"

Jiang Feng was stunned and asked, "Why?"

Shen Guxing: "You are right. The affairs of the court have nothing to do with a boudoir girl like you. Why do you have to wade into this muddy water?"

Jiang Feng: "What about you? What are you going to do?"

How are you going to stir up this mess, Yiye?

Shen Guxing shook his head, a little at a loss, and only murmured: "Don't ask..."

Jiang Feng insisted: "You want to hand it over to the Prince of Xiang?"

Shen Guxing responded negatively with silence.

Jiang Feng's heart was in turmoil, and he said coldly: "The Prince of Xiang is already old, so you should be offered to His Royal Highness the Prince of Shouchun."

In ancient times, Lu Buwei invested in a little-known hostage because of his rare goods. Today, Shen Guxing certainly knows who has more investment value.

Shen Guxing's body was swaying, as if he was unstable. "Ah Feng... I know you doubt me. But, can you leave it to me?"

"No!" Jiang Feng's voice was not loud, but extremely firm.

Shen Guxing: "Afeng, the Prince of Shouchun is determined to get the imperial seal and the imperial edict. It is not up to you or me. If we give it to him now, maybe we can get away with it."

"If you don't tell him, how would he know that the seal is with me!" Jiang Feng asked.

"Then how do I know!" Shen Guxing's voice suddenly became excited, his face flushed. "The human heart is hard to predict. How many people have died for this jade seal? Do you think Yuan Ying gave you the jade seal without anyone knowing? Do you think Dou Huairang let down his guard against you? Why do you think Prince Linzi married Jiang Fei? Do you think... Li Longye just simply likes you!"

Facing Shen Guxing's questioning, Jiang Feng was unable to resist. She was self-righteous and tried to cover up the truth, but she didn't know that various forces had already been keeping a close eye on her.

Amidst the lightning and thunder, she suddenly looked up, "What about you? Do you like me?"

Everyone tried every possible means to get it but failed, and instead it easily fell into the hands of a heartless person with a pure and sincere heart?

Shen Guxing laughed until tears came out of his eyes, "I wish this was just a wooden doll!"

Jiang Feng: "So, you are only after the Imperial Seal."

Shen Guxing was silent again.

Jiang Feng was completely disappointed. She thought that the perfect love she had was actually someone else's intention. But at this moment, she had no time to feel sad.

The imperial seal can only be in the hands of the rightful owner, and can only belong to the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who can be Li Dan, but preferably Li Longji. If it is handed over to the Prince of Shouchun rashly, who knows how many troubles will arise. Shen Guxing did not know the direction of history, and thought that with the imperial edict and the imperial seal, the Prince of Shouchun was a foregone conclusion.

She didn't know whether she was trying to save herself or she couldn't bear to see Shen Guxing on the wrong side, so she threatened: "Shen Yiye, either leave the jade seal or kill me."

As soon as she said it, she regretted it. To this day, she still had the wishful thinking that she could threaten Shen Guxing with her own life!

As expected, Shen Guxing didn't buy it, and said sadly: "If you can live well, even if you hate and resent me for the rest of your life, I will accept it!"

"But if you do this, our family will have no way to survive!" Jiang Feng said sadly.

"Now that this thing is in my hands, it naturally has nothing to do with you." Shen Guxing seemed to have made a perfect plan.

"You are in such a hurry to present the treasure. Are you sure that Prince Shouchun will be able to succeed to the throne?" Jiang Feng asked.

"What else? The emperor is incompetent and has lost his crown prince. He only has two sons left. Prince Qiao is a criminal and Prince Wen is mediocre. You know as much as I do about the plans of Li Longye and his brothers. It is clear that it is only a matter of time before Prince Xiang becomes emperor. And Prince Shouchun is highly regarded by Prince Xiang and is the legitimate eldest son..."

Shen Guxing looked miserable. He looked at Jiang Feng and added word by word: "This country will be in someone else's pocket sooner or later!"

Jiang Feng hated these rules of monarchs and ministers, and said helplessly: "Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there has never been an emperor who succeeded to the throne as the eldest son. In the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Prince Xi Jiancheng was killed and Emperor Taizong became emperor. Emperor Gaozong's eldest brother Li Chengqian was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou. Emperor Gaozong inherited the throne as the third son. The current Majesty also sat on the throne because his eldest brother Li Hong died suddenly and Li Xian was forced to commit suicide. According to this, even if Prince Xiang ascends the throne one day, can't history repeat itself?"

At this point, Jiang Feng had no choice but to speak more bluntly: "Yi Ye, Prince Shouchun cannot be the emperor. If you rashly give him the jade seal, you will really cause trouble."

Shen Guxing seemed to have never known Jiang Feng before. He asked in a mocking tone, "According to what you said, the eldest son can't become the emperor? Then who would not cause trouble? To that arrogant Li Longye?"

Jiang Feng looked at Shen Guxing in shock. It turned out that only after they had fallen out and clarified all the conflicts of interest could he see the inner grudges and suspicions. How could he believe that she and Li Longye were innocent? !

"If it were Li Longye, why would he wait until today!" Jiang Feng replied.

Shen Guxing looked ashamed and sad, "That's not what I meant..."

"Yi Ye doesn't go to drink, but hides here!"

Shen and Jiang were both startled. Jiang You pushed the door open and interrupted Shen Guxing.

Jiang You was not a big drinker, and he was already about 70% drunk. Seeing Jiang Feng was also there, he teased, "No wonder, it turns out that Ah Feng is here."

Jiang Feng suppressed his emotions, took a step forward calmly, and wanted to take the wooden doll from Shen Guxing's hand.

Shen Guxing just didn't let go, his face as cold as ice.

Jiang You did not suspect anything and just tried to mediate: "How can Yi Ye be so stingy! Although this wooden doll was given by Gao Hui, it is just a keepsake. What A Feng is thinking about all the time is you."

Shen Guxing's fingers trembled slightly, and he let go of the wooden doll in panic. Jiang Feng took it and pushed Jiang You, saying, "Second brother, take him away quickly."

Jiang You heard his younger sister's voice was strange, but he only wanted to get Shen Guxing to drink, so he said: "Everyone sent me to find you, follow me to the banquet."

After saying that, he pushed and shoved Shen Guxing out.

Shen Guxing hesitated and looked solemn, but he was finally dragged away by Jiang You.

At that time, he didn't know that this meeting would be the closest they would ever be to each other until the end of their long lives. From then on, the sky would be high and the water would be long, and they would drift further and further apart.

The appointment on Mount Zhongnan is empty, and the dream is broken under the apricot tree.