It always rained during the Qingming Festival .
As time passed, Chang'an had calmed down . The people who had passed away were not forgotten . They had been placed in the depths of people's hearts . There was an invisible power that had been peacefully accumulating in the streets that was going to burst out at any time .
There were officials fiercely discussing political affairs at the court meeting, then some military officers came forward with a new proposal, which prompted another new round of discussions . Shangguan Yangyu, who had been promoted to Grand Secretary by the prefectural magistrate of Chang'an City a month ago, narrowed his small eyes and stroked his thin beard as he was about to argue with the officers of the Ministry of Revenue .
A little boy was sitting on the throne, listening to their debates . Apparently, he could not totally understand what they were talking about, but he remained calm . His small hands tightly gripping his bright yellow clothes was the only indication that he was nervous and confused .
The ministers were all satisfied with the young Emperor's composed performance because he would have just been a naughty boy if he lived in a normal family . When they thought of this, they could not help admiring the man in the wheelchair next to the throne .
The wheelchair was very ordinary but unsightly in the solemn palace . However, it became less unsightly because of the scholar who was sitting in it .
He was wearing an old cotton jacket and holding an old book in his hand . He quietly read the book as usual as if he could not hear any noise in the room . However, most of the officers could not help focusing on him and trying to figure out his thoughts even when he just frowned due to fatigue .
So did the little Emperor . He quietly sat on the throne, enduring the boring political affairs, and tried to be focused and calm, just because his teacher was sitting beside him .
That scholar was his teacher .
He was the Eldest Brother of the Academy .
After the meeting, the relevant memorials to the throne and files were all sent to a side hall in the depths of the palace instead of the imperial study, where the little Emperor also went .
This was Li Yu's residence . When the Empress passed away, the party struggles ended and all the officers concentrated on political affairs and armament . Moreover, the Academy had no interest or ability in state affairs . As the Royal Sister, she was the most suitable candidate for that .
Therefore, she had to review the memorials and files every day, and the most important job for her was teaching the young Emperor how to handle government affairs . Just as the Empress had said before her death, he was her only brother left .
The Academy had not restricted her at all, but for some reason, since she moved back to the palace, she seldom stepped out . And as for the courtiers who were loyal to her, she never saw them .
The spring rain fell on the palace while the officers went out of the main hall . They could not help looking toward the depths of the palace and sighing . Most of them nodded toward the imperial study before they left .
After a long time, the door of the imperial study slowly opened . Ning Que washed his hands in a copper basin carried by a maid before he entered the rain, holding an umbrella .
Although the spring rain at this time was no longer cold, it was continuous . It was so light that no one needed an umbrella, but it felt different this time when they were walking into the rain .
Ning Que could not leave the city, so he had gotten used to walking around it on his feet . He went to the Old Brush Pen Shop and found that its walls had been fixed, but the old cat had gone . Then he went to the house on the bank of Yanming Lake, looking at the willow and lotus . He fell silent for a long time .
The Eldest Brother was staying at the Imperial Palace while the Second Brother was protecting the Academy . The Third Sister had gone but he did not know where to . Master Huang Yang had not yet recovered since being injured by the Abbey Dean, but he had left the day before yesterday . He said he wanted to go to the Xuankong Temple to seek advice from the Buddhist Sect disciples about some questions in his heart .
Many people died or left and there was always someone who would be concerned about or missing them . However, as Ning Que expected, besides the cat in the Old Brush Pen Shop and the lotus in Yanming Lake, few people still remembered Sangsang .
She was easy to forget—yellow-haired, black-skinned, hard-working, frigorific, and plain-looking . She was so inconspicuous, even being Yama's daughter, the successor of Light, or Haotian . She just vanished .
Ning Que received a letter from the maidservant and opened it . It was a receipt from the post office, in which there were notes that had been rejected . He looked at the notes and was reminded of a lot of things . He closed his eyes . He was feeling like a prisoner in Chang'an who was even unable to breathe .
He thought for a long time before he walked out of the courtyard . Looking at the coachman in front of the black carriage, he said, "What a waste it is for you to be my coachman . "
The coachman was Wang Jinglue .
He had delivered the message of General Xu Shi's death and worked in the Military Ministry since then . Nobody knew why he had become Ning Que's coachman .
Wang Jinglue said indifferently, "If you can do as you promised, I will do anything you want . "
Ning Que said, "Of course . "
Wang Jinglue asked, "Where are you going?"
Ning Que replied, "The Southern Gate . "
The black carriage moved forward quietly in the rain .
They reached the Southern Gate in a short time .
They stopped at the gate for a long time until the raindrops on the walls of the carriage had already evaporated . It seemed that the man inside the carriage had no idea of whether he should leave or enter the city .
All the soldiers and peddlers around the gate were already familiar with this carriage because it could frequently be seen stopping at the gate for a long time recently .
Many people focused on it, wondering if it would leave the city today .
Time passed slowly .
Wang Jinglue said, "There are some other places that you can hang out . "
Ning Que did not answer him . He sat inside the carriage, tightly holding the letter in his hand . He was once again reminded of that feeling he had when he saw the Empress jump down in front of him .
"Let's go," he said .
Wang Jinglue was going to turn around, and lifting his reins, he asked, "Where shall we go?"
Ning Que said, "Leave the city . "
Wang Jinglue was stunned, then he asked again, "Are you sure?"
Ning Que said, "If I can't leave the city, how can I kill people out there in the future?"
There was a pavilion to the south of Chang'an . Around it was a large field of weeds with a lot of cemeteries .
Ning Que first went to the joint tombs of the Emperor and Empress, then he went to the public cemetery of the Military Ministry . Many soldiers were buried there . At last, he went to Yan Se and Wei Guangming's tomb .
"When you leave, you should be able to see much in the future . But why can people only see the future when they are dying? What is the point of that for the people who are living?"
Then he turned to his left . There was a new tomb .
It was small, just as small as Sangsang .
There were only some clothes, half a box of notes, and two boxes of cosmetic powder from the Chenjinji Cosmetics Store in the tomb .
The Zengs were standing in front of it, holding each other's hand . Mrs . Zeng must have been weeping for a long time because her eyes were red and swollen . Servants were there cleaning the tomb .
Ning Que bowed and stepped forward . He said respectfully, "Father-in-law, you should take my mother-in-law back . "
Zeng Jing had not expected that he would see him outside the city, so he was shocked . Then he understood and cried out, patting him on his shoulders with relief .
Then they all went back home .
Ning Que stood alone at Sangsang's tomb .
He took the letter out and tore the notes apart . Then he burned one half with the receipt in front of her tomb and carefully put the other half in his pocket .
Then he left .
The black horse carriage approached Chang'an .
Listening to the rain, he sat inside, silent .
Suddenly, a blast of wind came from the north .
Yellow soil came along with the wind, becoming mud after being drenched by the rain .
The rain beat down and flowed down from the walls to the ground like a yellow curtain, which reminded him of the walls in the City of Wei .
The notes were sent to the City of Wei .
Sangsang had been sending notes since they arrived in Chang'an .
On this receipt, it said: "No one was found" .
No one was in the City of Wei .
Neither was Sangsang .
Ning Que cried inconsolably .
He jumped out of the carriage and ran into the rain .
The rain fell on his face and dirtied his tears .
The black carriage followed him .
The people passing by looked at him and asked inquisitively, "Why not get in the carriage? It is not a good time to enjoy the rain . It is too dirty . "
Ning Que wiped the dirty rain off his face . He pointed at the growing willow on both sides of the road and said, "It is spring, isn't it?"
Chapter end
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