The incident of Xie Wei's injury really caused a shock in Xinzhou City.

Fortunately, when the incident happened, there were not many people who witnessed it with their own eyes. The few who saw the whole story were all secretly sealed, and they dared not spread it to the outside world. Therefore, the gossip related to the "Second Miss Ning" is known to a very small group of people.

Most of them were regarded as assassins.

And in less than two days, it was spread with nose and eyes. In addition to the murders in broad daylight, such words as flying over eaves and walls, picking leaves and hurting people have been said, and some people swear that this must be the defeat of the Tatars, and it is difficult to vent their anger, so they specially sent someone to assassinate Master Xie. , to vent the ruthlessness of the heart.

"How else could it be a Tatar? Although he knelt down and begged us to negotiate peace, he still couldn't be reconciled. General Yan is a master of martial arts and is often in the army. Master Shao, is it ready to start? He was born in the imperial examination, but he is a frail scholar. How can he resist the assassin? But God blesses him, he has eyes, and he will not let him have any accidents. It will be difficult to succeed in the future! "

…

In the tea shed downstairs of the city gate, a few chattering tea drinkers were spitting all over their mouths when they talked, those who talked were dancing, and those who listened were attentive.

Weak scholar?

Jiang Xuening, who was sitting in the corner of the tea shed, only smiled silently when she heard this.

When Tongzhou encircled and suppressed Tianjiao, the scene of Xie Ju'an shooting an arrow through Xiao Dingfei's shoulder from a distance is still vivid in my memory. If you want to say that he is a "weak scholar", I'm afraid that Xiao Dingfei, who has suffered a lot, will be the first to jump up and smash this man's dog's head.

But in the end, the so-called "assassination" of Xie Wei was done by herself, and she would not go out to explain anything, but just picked up the teapot next to her, filled herself with half a cup of tea, and then looked diagonally across.

These days she is at the street market.

Originally, I just wandered around, but Xinzhou City is such a big place, and I always walked to the downstairs of the city gate. The blacksmith's shop that Xie Wei dragged her to look down from the top of the gate tower was right next to it.

It was probably approaching the beginning of spring, and things in the field would soon be busy, so there seemed to be a lot of business making farm tools, and the shop was quite busy.

The master with a gray beard was frowning and saying something to the little apprentice below.

Pointing at the stove for a while, pointing at the hearth for a while.

Blacksmith Zhou is one of the few old blacksmiths in Xinzhou City. After all, the town is not big, and the people come to him when they need anything, but everyone from near and far knows him.

It's just that what is the specific name, everyone can't call it.

The only thing that is easy to remember is that this man is very old and his surname is Zhou, so to save trouble, he is called "Blacksmith Zhou", or "Master Zhou" respectfully.

What the blacksmith shop does is blacksmithing, which is also a business, but it relies on the word "faithfulness".

All the plowshares that have been laid by him can't turn the soil after taking them back, or they cut corners and materials, and they are not enough, they can bring them to him. For so many years, there have been almost no mistakes, and it can be regarded as the best in the industry in Xinzhou City.

So Blacksmith Zhou is very popular nearby.

Like the buddy at the tea shop next door, ordering tea for them from time to time.

After all, it's hot in the blacksmith's shop, and you sweat in the winter, so you can't bear it if you don't drink more.

It's just that today's clerk made another trip to make a few pots of tea for them, but blacksmith Zhou couldn't help but look at the girl sitting in the corner of the tea shop.

The collar and cuffs of the snow-white Liuxian skirt have a circle of deep blue cloud patterns, and the outer hair is covered with a thin layer of primrose-colored crepe, and the eyebrows and eyes are not painted too much, so I feel that her appearance is like a flower coming out of Shiba, compared with the one in the temple. Bodhisattvas with gold-plated bodies look much better.

If he remembered correctly, this girl has been sitting there for two days, right?

If there was something wrong, he would not go into the blacksmith's shop while sitting there; if there was nothing wrong, when he came out these afternoons, he could always see her looking at the red-hot stove.

It's just that at the end of the day, she left.

The next afternoon came as usual, sometimes earlier, sometimes later.

Not only the blacksmith Zhou, but also many young and strong men and apprentices in the shop, but the girl is so good-looking, they only dare to sneak a glance occasionally, and discuss in private, but no one dares to go up strike up a conversation.

Today's sun seems to be gradually slanting.

The few apricot trees planted next to the blacksmith's shop had buds, and even a few sporadic ones bloomed on the branches. The pink and white petals are stained with a layer of twilight from the sky, which is really beautiful.

There are fewer pedestrians in the market.

The joking tea customers in the tea shop almost left soon.

The girl should be leaving too.

The blacksmith thought about it for a while, and after drinking tea, he rolled up his sleeves and tied them tightly on his arms. He took out the red-hot sword embryo inserted in the coals, and swung the hammer to strike hard.

He didn't stop to wipe off his sweat and take a rest until every place was beaten evenly, and he picked it up and weighed it.

In the end, I didn't think about it. When I looked up, I saw the girl walked to the edge of the apricot tree that bloomed early at some time.

Blacksmith Zhou couldn't help being surprised, he clearly didn't recognize her, but at this moment he subconsciously said: "Spring is late in the north, but the blacksmith's shop is full of heat all the year round, and the flowers and trees often bloom earlier than other places. It's been a year."

Jiang Xuening was slightly taken aback: "Really?"

The blacksmith Zhou said: "I think the girl has been sitting outside for a few days, only watching the blacksmithing in the shop, and never coming in, but what difficulties did she encounter?"

Difficulties?

It doesn't count either.

She just calmed down and wanted to sort out her own thoughts. Every time she came here, she just sat for the whole afternoon without knowing it.

Jiang Xuening shook her head gently: "Please worry about it, there is nothing difficult. I just went out for a walk and saw that the blacksmith's shop was always in full swing, and it was clanging and clanging. It seemed that your sword had been beating for several days. It doesn't work, I didn't pay attention to it for too long."

Blacksmith Zhou glanced at the sword embryo and laughed.

He touched the beard on his chin, and when he talked about his old profession, he became a bit hale and hearty, and said: "Steelmaking, originally the mine came out of the mountain and burned once, that is, pig iron. Just like this It is burnt red and tempered for thousands of years, and its impurities are removed, so that it can be pure, tough and tough, and it can be cut into gold and jade. What's more, steelmaking is a thing of the early years. Now it is smelting iron slurry. The utensils need to be 'ten thousand forged'. It can be done in ten days and a half months, which is very little."

Hundreds of steel refinements, ten thousand forged swords.

Jiang Xuening turned her gaze to the tall furnace for smelting iron slurry behind the blacksmith Zhou, her eyes flickered, and she said, "It's really not easy."

The blacksmith Zhou laughed: "How can this be easy?"

As he said that, he bent down and pulled the bellows on his head hard, and the fire in the stove suddenly became hotter.

Without raising his head, he said: "As long as people are alive, there are three disasters and five disasters. How can the sword avoid it?"

Jiang Xuening listened, raised her lightly closed eyelids, and only looked at the branch with pink petals blooming.

After the blacksmith Zhou finished his work, he got up and saw it, and couldn't help saying: "If you like it, girl, you can pick one."

Jiang Xuening stood still.

The blacksmith Zhou's eyebrows and eyes were mixed with a bit of the peace of an elderly person, and he said: "My little granddaughter sees this apricot blooming early every year, and she will fold two branches to go back to play, it doesn't matter. "

Jiang Xuening really loves the early-blooming apricot blossoms, and when she heard what blacksmith Zhou said, she also smiled, stood on tiptoe slightly, picked only a small branch that was only a little longer than a palm, and then bowed her head Bending over: "Thank you, Master."

A dozen or so apricot blossoms are piled up in three clusters on the branches.

Many of them have already bloomed, and some are still shyly holding buds, held by her slender and white fingers, which is really beautiful.

The blacksmith Zhou smiled and waved his hands again and again: "Whether it's worth it or not, it's just a flower."

As he said, seeing that the sun was about to set outside, he pointed to the sky: "It's getting late, isn't the girl going home yet? No matter how big the matter is, how big can it be? Go home and sleep the next day." The day will be fine."

Jiang Xuening closed her eyes and smiled, but didn't say much.

It was indeed late, and she thought it was time to go back, so she bid farewell to blacksmith Zhou.

The setting sun is falling to the west, and the market is empty and silent.

Jiang Xuening has gone far.

Blacksmith Zhou watched under the tile shed for a while, and saw that the girl walked away with her hands behind her back at some point, with apricot blossoms hanging loosely between her fingers, she seemed a little peaceful and transparent at will.

When Jiang Xuening returned to the General's Mansion, he happened to meet a few fine horses galloping from the side door, splashing some smoke and dust, but the first one seemed to have seen her and reined in the horses at the gate of the mansion.

Yan Lingao sat on the horse.

He was dressed in black and sharp, but he was very neat and tidy, but when he was looking at Jiang Xuening, his brows were slightly frowned, as if he had a lot to say, but he was no longer the random young man in the past, so he was silent for a while.

These days, she was wandering outside all the time, and she seldom met the people living in the mansion, not to mention that Yan Lin was always in the camp when she left early and returned late, so naturally she didn't even have a chance to meet each other.

I'm afraid Yan Lin is also thinking about Xie Wei's injury.

Jiang Xuening seemed to see his silence, so she smiled first and said, "Are you going to camp again?"

Yan Lin is no one else.

Although he didn't witness what happened on the city gate tower that day, he knew the general idea. Seeing that she seemed to be a normal person at this moment, it was difficult to speak if she had something to say.

He wanted to speak but stopped for a while.

He felt that other words were useless, so he only said to her: "Ningning, I'm on your side."

Jiang Xuening was slightly taken aback, and then smiled after a while, but she didn't take his words as a joke, but replied seriously: "Okay."

Then Yan Lin rode away again.

The rest quickly followed.

The horses quickly disappeared at the end of the street.

Jiang Xuening just entered the mansion, but walking halfway, she saw a deserted corridor, stopped for a while, and finally went forward along this corridor.

In the secluded courtyard, there are not many people serving it.

She entered the courtyard and stopped under the eaves. Jianshu who had just come out of the house with an empty medicine bowl saw her and was stunned.

At this time the door had not had time to close.

You can see from the door to the outside.

Maybe it was from Jianshu's stagnant figure and expression that he could see something, the people in the room paused, and turned to the window and said: "Aren't you going to come in?"

Hearing his voice, Jiang Xuening knew that the words were addressed to herself, but said: "No, today I just came to ask about Zhou Yinzhi's affairs, how did the investigation go?"

Xie Wei said through the window, "No news for now."

Jiang Xuening lightly closed her eyes, suppressed the bit of boredom in her heart, and said, "I'm always worried about this person. After thinking about it, it would be a disaster to keep him around in Xinzhou. It's better not to do one thing, but to keep going. Arrest him and lock him up to prevent him from doing bad things. After the investigation is clear in the future, if he is innocent, then let him go."

Xie Wei coughed softly: "Aren't you afraid that he will be angry?"

Jiang Xuening said: "What kind of resentment can a grasshopper have? He knows the current affairs very well, so he won't."

Xie Wei then said: "Then hand over the saber and qin to do it."

Jiang Xuening nodded, and stood still for a while, thinking about nothing else, turned around and wanted to leave.

Xie Wei suddenly asked, "Are you coming tomorrow?"

Jiang Xuening stopped again, looked down at the twig of apricot blossom between her fingers, and said, "Tomorrow, I will send Fang Yin and Ren Weizhi away from Xinzhou. I'm busy, so let's wait another day."

Xie Wei said, "Then it will be another day."

Jiang Xuening heard that his voice was the same as usual, but there was a bit of bitter taste of medicinal herbs in the yard, which made people's noses and tongues slightly astringent.

So my mind wandered, and I remembered that day again.

She turned the apricot blossom around slowly, and said: "Perhaps you are right, I am no different from the mediocre and ordinary people in the world. It's just that there are all kinds of people in the world. Some people like someone, and they have to do everything possible to get along with them." People are together. But some people like a person, or they just want the other person to be safe and happy, and they may not necessarily ask for a result. There is no difference between these two kinds of people. To me, Zhang Zhe is like a charcoal in the snow, a light in a dark room , Never cross the boat. Even if it will become "I used to like it", I don't want to hear people spoil his words. Xie Ju'an, don't mention him in the future, okay?"

Jianshu stood quietly at the door, not daring to move.

It was very quiet in the room.

Jiang Xuening couldn't see the expression of the people inside, and after a long silence, she heard a low and calm voice from inside: "Okay."

She also couldn't tell what kind of mood she was in at this moment.

When the draft blows, the pink petals tremble slightly.

Jiang Xuening lightly raised her hand, and before walking away, she silently placed the twig of apricot blossom on the window sill.

Jianshu couldn't help being startled.

After Jiang Xuening left, he first put the lacquer plate holding the medicine bowl aside, took the apricot blossom on the window sill, went back to the house, and presented it to Xie Wei.

He leaned on the soft couch under the window.

Zhou Qihuang's medical skills are undoubtedly superb. After several days of self-cultivation, the wound has gradually healed, except for his pale face, which looks a little less clear, and it doesn't look much different from the past.

Jianshu whispered: "The second girl Ning put it on the window edge just now."

Xie Wei stretched out his hand to take it.

There are still fresh creases on the broken stems of the twigs of apricot blossoms, and the pink and white petals that have just bloomed, in this north where winter is almost before spring, there is a kind of extraordinarily delicate and tender, even inconceivable.

Where does the apricot blossom bloom so early?

At that moment, he stared at the pink flowers on the branch, and felt that his heart seemed to melt away. There was a trance like a dream after he got his wish, but the smile on his lips added a bit of peace. Peaceful warmth.

Looking around, Xie Juan looked out the door.

The sun is setting and the surroundings are quiet.

Jian Shu didn't dare to disturb him, after a long while, he looked away, and then asked softly: "What the girl said earlier, the subordinate asked Dao Qin to do it?"

Xie Wei nodded.

Jian Shu bowed and wanted to retreat, but halfway back, he thought of something and stopped, as if hesitating.

Xie Wei looked at him.

Jian Shu hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Miss Ning Er means to catch someone alive and lock him up to prevent him from causing trouble. But what if..."

Xie Wei raised his brows slightly, his eyes never raised his gaze on the twig of apricot blossoms, he didn't care about Zhou Yinzhi, he just said indifferently: "Then catch him to death."