The Duke of Chun'an took a sip of tea and said slowly:

"The Marquis of Lin'an's mansion is very beautiful, and there is a large Fuchuan pond in the back garden. When Chengyou played hide-and-seek, in order to win, he came up with the idea of ​​a flower pond.

"At that time, he didn't know how to swim, but he couldn't hold back his courage. He found a straw pipe and bit it in his mouth, and sneaked into Fujunchi. The little friends couldn't find Chengyou in the garden, so they swarmed to other places. At the place, Chengyou waited for a while, guessing that he would win, he got out of the Fuchuan Pond, but the bottom of the pond was full of water plants, which suddenly entangled his feet."

When the Prince of Chun'an said this, he gently rubbed the Biqing Xing kiln white porcelain teacup in his hand. He had heard about this three times before and after, and remembered it quite clearly.

Lin Chengyou struggled a few times in the water, and even lost the straw in his mouth. He called for help, but he had driven the servants away because he was afraid of being discovered by Xingzang. I thought that Lin Chengyou was with those little sons.

Just as Lin Chengyou was thrashing desperately, a girl doll appeared behind the flowers. The girl saw someone drowning, so she threw the kite in her hand into the water in a hurry, but unfortunately she was too weak, and she almost fell into the first time. Chizi, the second time the girl learned to be smart, she knew that the string of the kite was tied to the tree on the shore, although it was still unstable, but Lin Chengyou was already able to do light work at that time, and with this little strength, she climbed up.

Later, when the people heard the news and rushed over, they saw Lin Chengyou and a female doll sitting side by side behind a flower bush on the shore.

The servants wanted to step forward to serve, but Lin Chengyou was annoyed that they didn't arrive in time, so he asked them to step aside. The servants knew Xiaolangjun's temper, so he dispatched a few people to deliver the letter to Princess Cheng, and the rest of the people stayed by the side. waiting.

Because of this, the servants know what Xiao Langjun said to the little lady.

At that time, Lin Chengyou was soaking wet, and while wiping the water droplets on his face, he asked the girl doll, "Did you pass by here? Or did you stay here?"

The girl doll was holding the puppet in her arms and refused to speak.

Lin Chengyou asked again: "Why is your face full of snot, oh I see, you were hiding in the flowers and crying just now. Why are you crying, where is your grandfather and mother?"

The girl doll was very angry and shoved Lin Chengyou hard.

Lin Chengyou didn't get angry, he just smiled and said, "Tell me, who made you unhappy, I'm a grateful person, you saved my life just now, I can vent my anger for you."

The girl doll was still silent, Lin Chengyou looked at her: "The puppets in your arms are so dirty, why don't you let your mother sew another one for you?"

The girl doll cried out loudly.

Lin Chengyou was in a hurry and took off the sachet from his waist: "Don't cry, this is the pear flower candy made by the cook in our house. It's delicious. My sister likes it. The candy is not wet, you can try it."

The girl put the candy in her mouth and chewed slowly, Lin Chengyou saw that she liked it, so she simply gave her the whole bag: "My sister can't walk yet, or she can play with you, her name is Azhi, What's your name?"

After eating the candy for a while, the girl was finally willing to speak: "My name is Gu."

"A Gu?" Lin Chengyou asked strangely, "Why is someone called A Gu?"

The female doll was very unhappy: "A Gu is A Gu, what's your business!"

Lin Chengyou smiled and said, "Well, it's none of my business, but you saved my life just now. I can't leave you here alone. Do you miss your aunt? I'll take you to find her."

With sugar in her mouth, the girl started crying again for some reason. Lin Chengyou was helpless: "How about I take you to find my aunt? My aunt likes children very much, especially a girl like you, And she knows a lot of female relatives, so maybe she knows where your mother is."

A Gu thought for a while, and agreed with Lin Chengyou to pull her up. After walking a few steps, the group of young masters came back and saw that Lin Chengyou was holding a little lady in his hand, and they shouted together, "Da, give it to yourself. The divination is accurate, you have only met this girl once, yet you took the initiative to take her to play."

Lin Chengyou: "Nonsense! I think she's pitiful, and then I take care of her."

The boys continued to jeer: "But you've already held her hand. Da, you said to yourself, do you want to marry a daughter-in-law? According to the hexagram, you are destined to fall on the little lady. Is it from this girl? started?"

Lin Chengyou stepped forward and gave the man a kick: "You fart!"

A group of young masters soon got into a fight. The servants rushed to fight in all directions. A Gu also rushed to help Lin Chengyou with the puppet in his arms, but unfortunately he was too weak to get close.

After finally pulling it away, the servants hurried to change Lin Chengyou's clothes, A Gu caught up with the bag of candy: "Little brother, your candy."

Seeing this, the friends started to make fun of Lin Chengyou again: "Da, your wife wants to give you candy."

Lin Chengyou became angry, turned his head to the girl and said, "Don't follow me."

As soon as he finished changing his clothes, he hurried back to the pool to find A Gu, but unfortunately A Gu was no longer there. Princess Cheng wondered why her son was looking for people everywhere, so the servant told Princess Cheng what happened.

Hearing this, Yu Fengyu couldn't help but answer, "Who is Gu's little lady?"

The Prince of Chun'an shook his head: "A-sister-in-law heard about this, and immediately ordered someone to help Chengyou find this little savior, but there were too many guests in the Hou's mansion that day, and the family members of the old Houye's old department just came. There are hundreds of people, and the number of little princes and little ladies from each family can't be counted. It is strange that none of the officials who came to Hou's mansion that day came from Yangzhou.

"My sister-in-law thought that the accents in Jiangnan area are similar, and Chengyou has never been to Yangzhou, so I don't know if I heard it wrong. There is no news whether anyone brought the puppets to the banquet.

"It's been half a year since I was looking for it. The classmates of Chongwen Hall learned that Chengyou was asking about the whereabouts of the little lady, and they made fun of him when they met. Chengyou never suffered a loss in front of his friends, but because of this incident. Repeatedly ridiculed.

"At that time, Daoist Master Qingxuzi began to teach Chengyou to practice talisman. Chengyou was looking through the tombs in the temple, Qiusuo, and accidentally found a box with an ancient book and a copper cone locked in it. It's the cause of Chengyou's illness."

Yu Fengyu said in surprise: "Ancient books? Could it be that the records are talismans, and what is that copper cone?"

The Prince of Chun'an County said: "I don't know anything about Taoist talisman, but I only know that this talisman is very evil, and it came from a wicked Taoist who specialized in sectarianism a hundred years ago in Kunlun Mountains. , once worked hard for the dream of the person he liked, and used many means, but failed to get the woman, the evil way was unbearable, and vowed to practice the world's sorcery. Blame it on' talisman technique.

"'Wang blame does not live'?" Juesheng Qizhi said in surprise, "Isn't this a kind of hexagram."

The Duke of Chun'an said sarcastically: "It is named after the Taoist Zhou Yi, but it is actually related to witches, corresponding to the nine three lines, and there are worms hidden in the copper cone.

"That Gu worm was originally used by the witch queen of Nanzhao to punish the unfaithful, and the evil Tao introduced it into the Taoist five-element yin and yang technique, which can be described as more evil than evil.

"Once the copper awl pierces the skin, the Gu worm will burrow into the bloodline, restraining the sixth line of the sixth year, and destroying the sixth and second line. The man practiced this technique when he was young, and even at the age of comprehension, the worm would still be in his heart. In the veins, people are heartless and heartless.”

Yu Fengyu was stunned when he heard it. No wonder the little prince was eighteen, and he was not a woman. He thought that the little prince was not enlightened.

He patted the table and said, "Absurd, absurd."

Juesheng and Jizhi looked at each other in amazement. What kind of vicious curse is "unfeeling and heartless", is it more painful to be unrequited than to eat a heart? Otherwise, why would the evil way treat themselves like this?

The King of Chun'an County said: "The evil way is not enough, and he wants to harm others. In order to tempt future generations to practice this sorcery, he deliberately wrote down all kinds of benefits on the scroll. When I wrote that paragraph, I thought: As long as I practice this technique, when I grow up, I won't be confused about women's affairs. As a result, the words in the hexagram will not work. When I have practiced it, I will return to the Chongwen Museum and make a divination in public to see who dares to laugh at me.

"This child is not afraid of the sky and the earth, he made up his mind and said he will try it. When the Taoist priest Qingxuzi came over, Chengyou had already gone crazy. The Taoist priest didn't know what happened at first, until he found that the child had an extra piece on the back of his neck. Chiyin realized that he had been poisoned by gu.

"After that, Daoist Master Qingxuzi exhausted his life-long skills and failed to drive the worms out of Chengyou's body. It is for this reason that Daoist Master Qingxuzi refined the famous Liuyuan Dan, but unfortunately in the end he could only refine it. Cleaning up the demon poison has no effect on the gu poison, and every year when Chengyou attacks, he can only temporarily suppress the gu worms with medicinal soup."

With a thud, the door of the side room opened from the inside, and Duke Ang's face was full of anxiety: "Two little priests, can you draw the talisman paper?"

The Duke of Chun'an smiled slightly and stopped talking.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi sent the talisman paper in, and were kicked out by Lin Chengyou: "If today's affairs are not done well, honestly go back and receive the punishment."

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi slipped out of the view and got on the chariot, their minds full of things just now.

"I forgot to ask His Royal Highness the Prince, whether the senior brother found the little lady named A Gu later."

Juesheng shook his head: "Mostly not. If he finds it, His Royal Highness does not need the 'female doll' long and the 'female doll' short. You can tell Yu Fengyu who's the little lady."

"That's right. At that time, the senior brother was poisoned by Gu before he could find A Gu. When he was cured, he might have forgotten about it. Hey, 'A Gu', 'A Gu', why? There will be someone called 'Agu', if the senior brother heard correctly, will the little lady lie to the senior brother?"

Jue Sheng held his head and said, "Don't think about it for now. When we get to the Teng Mansion, we have to lie to Lady Teng according to the words of our senior brother."

Qizhi raised his sleeves and wiped his sweat. It was the first time he calculated someone, but he didn't know if it would work. Mrs. Teng didn't seem to be able to deceive her, but it was her senior brother who had offended her. He had known senior brother for so long, and he had never seen senior brother calculating. People have missed out on this.

Qinrenfang is not far from Qingyun Temple, and it took a long time to arrive. Juesheng and Qizhi went to Teng Mansion first. They were told that Teng Yuyi had been living at his aunt’s house for a while, so they diverted to Du Mansion.

When the two of them arrived at the door, there were already attendants waiting in the Du residence.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi have a clear intention to come, and the attendants are unreasonably enthusiastic: "The two priests, please come in quickly, the madam and the lady have been waiting for a long time."

***

Teng Yuyi was escorted by Madam Du to rest last night, but she didn't sleep soundly. As the day dawned, she vaguely heard someone in the next room exclaiming in surprise, and suddenly opened her eyes, Qiyun and Biluo lifted the curtains and said, "Miss, Madam Du. woke up."

Teng Yuyi lifted the bed and got out of bed: "What about Duanfu and Baizhi?"

"Duanfu is resting in the outer courtyard. The steward hasn't sent the news yet, and Baizhi and Hongnu have already woken up."

Teng Yuyi took three steps and took two steps to the adjacent room. The servants went in and out holding towels, and Du Tinglan was lying on the edge of the bed vomiting.

Teng Yuyi remembered the tragic death of her cousin in the previous life, and hesitantly stood up, lest the vision in front of her eyes would turn into a bubble.

Mrs. Du just thought Teng Yuyi was overjoyed: "Yu'er, come quickly, your elder sister is looking for you."

Du Tinglan raised her head and said softly, "Ayu."

Teng Yuyi ran over to pat Du Tinglan's back, worried: "Why did you suddenly vomit?"

Du Tinglan wiped her face: "My chest is a little blocked, just spit it out."

Her face was haggard, her forehead was covered in fine sweat, and she was clearly very uncomfortable, but she still did not forget to console her mother and cousin.

Mrs. Du worried: "I'm vomiting like this, I don't know if I should ask a medical officer to come and take a look."

Teng Yu thought for a while: "Sister is harmed by evil spirits, the ordinary Qihuang technique may not be the right treatment for the symptoms, and the little Taoist priests who are standing in the sky will come to the door, it is better to wait for them to see it before making a decision, so as not to use random medicines and evacuate the residual poison in the body. ."

Mrs. Du said: "Yes, yes, last night that little priest also told you not to take medicine indiscriminately, Qingwan, you go to the front yard to find the master and the eldest son, and say that Yiniang is awake, let them come to the backyard."

The servant girl responded.

Du Tinglan patted the edge of the bed lightly: "Ayu, sit down and let Ajie take a good look at you."

Teng Yuyi sat down according to her words, met Du Tinglan's gentle look, but felt that some words were more in her throat, she simply took the towel from the servant, and gently wiped the sweat for Du Tinglan: "Sister, are you feeling better?"

Du Tinglan took Teng Yuyi's hand and said softly: "I don't know why, I just remember going to Jingfu Nunnery with my mother to pray, I can't remember what happened next, you said in your letter that it will take a few days to arrive, why is it like this? You've come a long time ago? A-Niang said that you went back to the house with us. Could it be that you also went to Qujiang yesterday—"

Speaking of this, she seemed to remember something, and her face instantly faded.

Teng Yuyi's heart skipped a beat. In the past life, she searched for the murderer and found nothing in the end, but now her cousin is alive in front of her eyes, and she may soon find out the truth.

She said cautiously, "Sister, what's wrong with you?"

Du Tinglan was still stunned, her face was pale, and large beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Mrs. Du realized something, and hurriedly dismissed her servants: "One mother wants to rest, you should wait outside first. If the Taoist priest comes, please quickly invite them in."

Teng Yuyi didn't dare to come out. She was looking forward to knowing the truth, but she was afraid that her cousin would be too worried and leave the root of her illness. After hesitating for a moment, she helped Du Tinglan to lie down: "Sister, you can rest for a while, and then I'll wait for what you have to say."

Du Tinglan suddenly grabbed Teng Yuyi's hand: "I remember, last night, last night, I ran into something evil in the bamboo forest."

She trembled all over, and the words in her mouth became choppy.

"Good boy, why are you confused?" Madam Du said with red eyes, "Didn't A-Niang just tell you that Yu'er and Duanfu were in time to save you last night."

"Yes, sister." Teng Yuyi tried his best to comfort Du Tinglan, "that thing was beaten back to its original shape by the prince last night, it's just a stump of a tree, there's nothing to be afraid of, you are in the mansion now, we are here, who is it? Don't even want to hurt you."

Du Tinglan buried her head in her mother's arms, and she was so frightened that she wanted to shrink into a ball: "That thing chased me and said it was going to eat me, A-niang, I'm so scared..."

She couldn't help sobbing. She almost lost her life in the forest last night. The helplessness and despair that were about to die soaked into every pore. It was suppressed when she was drowsy, and now it's all inspired.

Mrs. Du's heart was almost crushed, since this child has been sensible, how has he ever been so rude.

She stroked her daughter's back over and over again: "This is confusing. I'll have to ask the Taoist priest for some spiritual relics later."

Du Tinglan suddenly remembered something, grabbed Teng Yuyi and said, "Ayu, you also went to the bamboo forest at that time?"

Teng Yuyi took Du Tinglan's hand: "Yes, I'm going, sister, that thing is nothing to be afraid of. Duanfu and I cut off the monster's right claw as soon as we arrived in the forest."

Du Tinglan's lips turned pale for a while, and she looked Teng Yuyi up and down to make sure that her cousin was intact, and nodded with confidence. Then, she seemed to be caught in a chaotic memory, and she started again.

Teng Yuyi and Mrs. Du leaned over to tuck the quilt on Du Tinglan's behalf. Du Tinglan was currently out of her mind and couldn't ask anything.

The two were busy, and Du Tinglan opened her eyes wide and looked around in panic, and suddenly said, "Ayu, besides that monster, have you seen anyone else in the forest?"

Teng Yuyi's heart was tense all of a sudden, she sat down on the edge of the bed again, held her breath and asked, "Sister, who else was in the woods at that time?"

Du Tinglan's words got stuck in his throat, his face became more and more ugly, and his breath became more and more disordered.

There were tears in Mrs. Du's eyes: "Son, why did you go to the bamboo forest? Who made you like this, are you still reluctant to say it?"

Du Tinglan closed his eyes, as if he was too remorseful, but also ashamed. Suddenly, as if he had triggered a nauseating memory, he fell down and vomited again, this time more violent and unstoppable than before.

Mrs. Du hurriedly stepped forward to pat her. She vomited endlessly, and sooner or later something would happen. Teng Yuyi couldn't hold her breath anymore and hurriedly stood up and said, "Auntie, I'll call someone for a medical officer."

As soon as he took a step, Du Tinglan grabbed his arm: "I'm fine, I just feel sick."

Teng Yuyi bent down and twisted the towel to wipe Du Tinglan's face, the back of her hand suddenly became warm, she raised her head in surprise, and found that Du Tinglan was crying silently.

"Sister."

Du Tinglan reluctantly supported her body and looked at Madam Du shyly: "My daughter is fascinated by her mind, causing A-Niang to be frightened. My daughter is ashamed. I beg A-Niang to take care of her health. I'm sorry, ma'am."

Teng Yuyi felt sour in her heart, and hurriedly said, "Sister, you are uneasy now. If you have anything to say, I will talk about it later."

Du Tinglan burst into tears, as if she was suffering in her heart. She was silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Aniang, Ayu, I was lucky enough to save my life. If I don't say something, I'm afraid it will be too late."

Madam Du and Teng Yuyi's heart jumped into their throats instantly, looking at Du Tinglan, they didn't dare to let out the air.

Du Tinglan dropped his head to his chest in shame: "Actually, Hongnu and I left Jingfu Nunnery to see someone."

Madam Du was trembling with anger: "I should have known... I should have known... You will not leave Jingshui Nunnery for no reason..."

Seeing Du Tinglan crying silently, she pushed her daughter in a hurry and said, "You kid... Tell me... Who is that person?"

Du Tinglan blushed to the point of bleeding, and tried to speak several times, but because she was too embarrassed, the words were stuck in her throat.

"Don't you want to kill your grandfather and mother?" Mrs. Du clenched Du Tinglan's hand and said in a trembling voice, "That person made you look like this, what else can you hide!"

Du Tinglan was heartbroken and sobbed and said, "...A-niang, don't be sad...I...I said."

She looked at Mrs. Du through the tears in her eyes: "Auntie can still remember that when Grandpa was an official in Yangzhou, there was a Qingming Festival, and I took Hongnu to Yinshan Temple alone for an outing."

Madam Du was stunned for a moment, then she rounded her eyes and said, "That day Shao Tang was going to accompany you, but unfortunately they had something to do in the school, so Shao Tang went back halfway. What, did you meet someone that day?"

Du Tinglan's tears flashed: "When I was viewing flowers in the temple, I happened to bump into a group of scholars who were fighting poems in the peach blossom forest. The man who won the championship... is a twenty-year-old son."

Having said that, she bit her lip tightly, and grabbed the collar of her chest with both hands, her knuckles turning white.

Mrs. Du almost fell to the side of the bed, Teng Yuyi hurriedly helped Mrs. Du, Du Tinglan also got up from the quilt in fright, Mrs. Du shivered and poked Du Tinglan's forehead, gritted her teeth and said, "How did you know this person? Yes, how did you get in touch with this person, tell A-Niang clearly, don't drop a word!"

Du Tinglan's eyelids were swollen like peaches, and she cried for a long time before opening her mouth: "This person is poor and has no support. He has been studying in the temple all the year round. He finally managed to get the bundles together, and he wants to go to Chang'an to take the exam next year. Especially outstanding, I just... I had a good impression of him, and we had exchanges from time to time, and he often gave me poems, because he was afraid of revealing traces, he used Caisheng as stationery, so that it would not be eye-catching and easy to pass."

Teng Yuyi was stunned, she had expected that her cousin was cutting the ribbon in the nunnery to pass a letter, and it really happened.

Mrs. Du nodded her head full of anger: "Very good, we have known each other since Qingming Festival last year, and it has been a whole year. Let me ask you, you have been in private contact with him for so long, has that person ever mentioned marriage? "

Du Tinglan said even more sobbing: "That person said that he has no fame, even if he came to ask for a kiss, my grandfather would not promise, so everything has to wait until he goes to Beijing to take the exam, and when he has a reputation, everything can be said. Later, my grandfather was recommended. When I was appointed as a doctor of Taixue in the Imperial College, my family was going to move back to Chang'an. Before I left, I was worried that he would not be enough for the exam, so I gave him all the body I had saved. The man gave him a golden hairpin from the family I promised that I would not marry unless he came to Chang'an for the exam next year, and he would definitely come to ask for marriage."

Speaking of this, Du Tinglan paused, as if recalling something, and the regret in his eyes grew stronger.

"After arriving in Chang'an, we communicated secretly, at least five days at the latest, and half a month at the latest, and we have never broken letters. Three months after our family arrived in Chang'an, he also set off from Yangzhou ahead of schedule. After arriving in Chang'an, he lived in a house in the south of the city. In Zhuangzi, I was afraid that he would be out of money, so he asked someone to send some of his body to him. At first, he was very enthusiastic, but as he got to know more and more people, he gradually stopped replying to me.

"Not long ago, he was in high school, Kuiyuan. I followed the address on the letter to find him. I didn't think he had moved out long ago. On the way back to the city, I met him drinking with friends in a liquor store. When I think about it, they are all children in clothes. I heard that the sage and several prime ministers boasted of his poetry and prose at the time of Yingju.

"I still had a glimmer of hope in my heart. He was so busy these days that he might not have the time to reply to my letter, so he asked the driver to stop, lift the curtain and look at him, but he pretended not to know me, and the man beside him A few friends looked at me and looked at him and laughed: 'That little lady has been looking at you, is it because she admires you?' I was shocked and ashamed, and immediately put down the curtain to let the driver go, and heard the man sneer: 'Where is it from? floating flowers and stamens.'"

Teng Yuyi was furious, and Huo Di got up and said, "Shuzi dare!"

Mrs. Du was also so angry that her daughter was always smart and self-confident, but she didn't expect to be planted in the hands of such a descendant. She only hated that her daughter had not recovered yet, and she was reluctant to scold her. Beat the chest.

Du Tinglan was afraid that her mother would be so angry that she hugged her while crying.

Mrs. Du gritted her teeth and said, "What happened later? Yesterday, the descendant asked you to go to the bamboo forest?"

Du Tinglan wiped away her tears and said in a low voice, "I was disheartened at the time, and when I came back, I thought that my self-esteem was nothing, and Quan Dang threw it into the toilet, but there were a lot of lingering words in those letters. If I don't ask for it back, there will be trouble sooner or later. I couldn't sleep because of this a while ago. I found out that he would go to the Jinshi Banquet on the Shangsi Festival. It happened that my mother was also going to Jingfu Temple to offer incense, so I went with my mother to take advantage of her. Mother went to Xiyuan to listen to the play, and asked Hongnu to stop him in front of the Yuedeng Pavilion. This time he readily agreed and asked me to meet in the bamboo forest next to the Yuedeng Pavilion."

Teng Yuyi was furious when she heard that her cousin and Hongnu in the previous life were strangled to death. At that time, they were on the exploration site and said that the footprints left by the man's short boots were found near the cousin's body. It turned out that a man really asked her to go to the bamboo forest that night.

She knew that the imperial court jinshi had always been difficult to pass the examination, and there were only a handful of people who had entered high school at a young age. She remembered that there was a very famous talent in a previous life. He went to the Censor's Desk and became the youngest counselor. Later, he was admired by Zheng Pushe and married Zheng Pushe's only daughter.

I remember that when the wedding invitation was delivered to Teng Mansion, it was only half a year after my cousin was strangled to death. Because it was the daughter of the famous Zheng family, the wedding day, the streets and alleys were crowded with ordinary people watching the fun.

Although Teng Yuyi didn't go to the banquet, he passed by the Zheng residence and saw the bridegroom who was welcoming her.

Thinking of this, Teng Yuyi's face got dark, and when he spoke again, there was a sense of coolness in his tone: "Sister, is that man named Lu Zhaoan?!"