Chapter 211 Please (one more)
In the dead of night, a little wind slipped in through the window, blowing the candle and shaking it occasionally, under the warm candlelight, Zhou Gu vaguely saw the tenderness in Su Rong's eyes for a moment, and when he looked closely, the little girl sitting opposite was only smiling lightly, her eyes were calm, as if that moment was his illusion.
He retracted his gaze, lowered his eyes, and asked hoarsely, "Is there a book? You can read a book with me for a while."
Su Rong nodded, "Yes, I'll look for it."
She stood up, walked out of the inner room, walked through the painting hall, and went to the cubicle in the back building. Sure enough, there was a bookshelf with a lot of books in it. She found a travel note from it and held it in her hand. Then she took a few painting books and folded them back.
She handed the travel notes to Zhou Gu, then took the drawing book and sat down.
Zhou Gu took the travel notes and said to Su Rong: "Do you know why I love to read travel notes?"
Su Rong guessed, "Is there a dream of a ranger?"
Zhou Gu shook his head, "No, it's because I plan to go out for a trip after the rankings are released."
Su Rong was stunned for a moment, "You have already taken the scientific examination, why don't you become an official in the court?"
As far as she knows, most of the children of the aristocratic family will go out to travel and increase their knowledge when they are young.
"I have been studying with the crown prince in the East Palace these years. I have no chance to travel. I have always wanted to go out and have a look around so that I can better understand the people's livelihood so that I can be a better official in the future." Zhou Gudao: "I have discussed it with my grandfather, and the crown prince also agrees, and Qin Taifu has no objection. Therefore, after the scientific examination is released, no matter what ranking I win, if your majesty confers an official, I will temporarily hang up for the time being. Grandpa will greet your majesty."
Su Rong understood, "It turns out that this is fine."
"Others can't do it, but I can do it myself. Your Majesty will make this special case." Zhou Gu said softly.
Su Rong thinks about it, it is really impossible for others, but for Zhou Gu, his identity is much easier to realize, even if His Majesty is afraid of the Duke of the Protectorate, but such a small matter, he can still let go, "How long do you plan to travel?"
"Two or three years!" Zhou Gu was also not sure, "It's not just a simple tour, I will go to northern Hebei first to find out whether General Pingxi's mansion is privately raising soldiers and horses. In short, no matter where I go, I will do something for His Royal Highness."
Su Rong nodded, "This is also very good. If you stay in the capital, your hands and feet are bound, and you can't use it. After you leave Beijing, the world is so big, so it's easier to use it for whatever you want to do."
Zhou Gu let out a "hmm", lowered his head, and opened the travel notes in his hand.
Seeing him stop talking, Su Rong also took a picture book and opened it.
The room was quiet, the two sat opposite each other, there was the sound of pages being turned, and the sound of candles bursting out.
Zhou Gu didn’t really care about reading, but he just didn’t want to leave, and he didn’t want to let Su Rong go, but he heard Su Rong’s rapid page-turning voice, the same as when he was in Jiangning County, he seemed to be really reading the book seriously, and it didn’t affect him at all.
But even so, he didn't want to leave.
It took half a day to turn a page, which was extremely slow compared to Su Rong's speed.
After a long time, there was a knocking sound outside, Zhou Gu woke up, and before he knew it, it was already the third watch. He put down the travel notes he hadn't read for a few pages, and finally let himself and Su Rong go, and said in a hoarse voice, "Let's go!"
Su Rong nodded, and also put down the drawing book.
Zhou Gulin went out and looked back. He read seven or eight pages of his travel notes, while Su Rong took four picture books and read two and a half.
He retracted his gaze and stepped out of the door.
Out of the backyard of Yingkefang, Su Rong turned around and looked at Zhou Gu, "Let's say goodbye from here! Anyway, Huguogong's Mansion and Shen's Mansion are not the same road."
Zhou Gu wanted to ask her, what you said is that you and I are not on the same path, right? But what do you ask for something you know in your heart? He nodded slowly, "OK."
Zhou Gu stood on the spot, watching her quickly melt into the night and disappear. He let out a sigh of relief, and leaned back against the wall behind him. The dark night and the cold wall made his heart feel dark and cold.
Su Rong avoided the patrolling soldiers all the way, returned to Shen's mansion, climbed over the wall, and entered his yard.
Pushing open the door, stepping over the threshold, and realizing that someone was in the room, he clenched the sword on his body.
Su Xing said, "It's me."
Su Rong let go, walked into the room, and asked in a low voice: "Brother? You don't sleep, you come to my room to guard me, why don't you light the lamp?"
Su Xing held the lamp with flint, looked at her and asked, "Why did you come back now?"
Su Rong was helpless, because of this, she would never let him follow him to Nanchu. If it wasn't for her face being too much like her mother, Shen Xian and Uncle Xie have a deep friendship, and now everyone knows that their brother and sister are taken care of by her, which makes sense. She actually didn't want to live in this Shen's residence, it was too inconvenient to live with her big brother, she wanted to live in the East Palace more, although Prince Yan echoed the East Palace's strict rules, but for her, she was not restrained, without the burden of care from her big brother, she was more free.
Su Xing knew what Su Rong was thinking when he saw Su Rong's face, and explained: "It's not that I want to control you too much, it's because I'm in the capital, and there are too many dangers, so I just can't sleep tonight. When you were in Jiangning County, you didn't go home all night, and I didn't say anything to you, did I?"
Su Rong immediately put away the expression on his face, reflected on himself, and explained to him, "I went to the East Palace and stayed for an hour. After leaving the East Palace, I met Zhou Gu, and sat in the guest house for more than an hour before I came back late."
She softened her tone, gave him reassurance, and said seriously: "Brother, you really don't have to worry about me. You know that I have five hundred hidden guards, and I brought them all. In this capital, as long as I don't cause a catastrophe, I can protect myself."
Su Xing also understood, and rubbed the center of his brows, "I really can't sleep today. I wanted to talk to you, but I found out when I came in. You went out. I said that you didn't go to bed so early in the past. It turns out that you are not in the mansion."
Su Rong was not sleepy either, so he simply sat down and talked to him, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince heard Ye Guixue's accent in Duke Cheng's mansion during the day, and guessed that the person who had a marriage contract with him might be me, so he asked me to meet him and discuss some things. I should have come back early, but I didn't expect to meet Zhou Gushou outside the East Palace wall, so I delayed until now."
Su Xing looked at her, "Zhou Gu...what does he want from you?"
"I didn't do anything. I should have wanted to ask me something, but I didn't ask anymore." Mentioning Zhou Gu, Su Rong's tone softened a bit, and said softly: "He is extremely intelligent, the prince can guess it, and he can guess it too. After the ranking is announced, he will go on a tour. Just let me read the book with him for a while."
Su Xingze was also surprised, "Why do you want to travel after the announcement?"
Su Rong told Zhou Gu's original words.
Su Xing suddenly realized.
Su Rong flicked the wick, "Brother, he is not in good condition. There is still some time before the announcement of the list. You can see him more and talk to him. I hope he can let go and go his own way without burden. Don't be trapped by me because of me. This is not my original intention."
Su Xing remembered that Zhou Gu seemed to be in good condition on the day of the banquet held in Prince Rui'an's mansion, but he was a little silent. Now that Su Rong said this, it must be really not good. He nodded, "Okay, I will persuade him."
Su Rong shook his head, "You don't need to persuade him, just talk to him. Presumably what he wants to hear is not persuasion. Whether it is the old Huguogong, or the eldest princess Sheng'an, or the wife of the Duke, including himself, there must be enough people who persuade him."
Su Xing understood it and agreed, "Okay."
Su Rong smiled, and tilted her head to look at Su Xingze, "Since I have accepted Ye Guixue's dowry, I can't let him down, so I will leave this matter to my elder brother."
It’s not as cheap as getting one hundred thousand military power, so it’s okay to be sorry for others.
Su Xing sighed, "Okay, leave this to me."
The lights in the painting hall became brighter, Su Rong stopped, remembered something, and asked again: "Have you written to your parents and Uncle Xie?"
"Not yet." Su Xing shook his head, "I think it's better for you to write to them personally about the matter of you accepting Young Master Ye's marriage."
Su Rong thought about it too, stood up, and spread out his pen and ink, "I will write a letter now, and let someone send it to Jiangzhou as soon as the city gate opens tomorrow morning." After finishing speaking, she added, "Just write it to Uncle Xie, and he will show it to his parents."
Su Xing knew that she was lazy, and it would be troublesome to write one more letter, so he nodded helplessly.
(end of this chapter)