Enter the Room

The hairpin ran to Yinyu Hall in a flash, and then ran back in a flash, panting: "Miss, Mr. Yuan, Mr. Yuan is still having breakfast!"

He also sent a message to Song Jiyun: "Master Yuan wants you to come over and have a cup of tea!"

When did this happen? And drink tea!

Song Jiyun went to Yinyu Hall in a hurry.

But when he didn't come the next day, Yin Yutang seemed to have changed.

The early morning sun shines on the green flower trees, and the dewdrops sparkle on the leaf tips.

Under the green and blue eaves, a row of black gold birdcages hangs.

Thrushes, mynas, orioles, parrots... they were chirping in the birdcage, this one jumping up, that one jumping down, no one was safe.

Yuan Yunzhong was standing in front of the birdcage holding a small bowl and feeding the birds.

Song Jiyun took a deep breath.

When did he raise so many birds?

Song Jiyun called out "Master Yuan".

Yuan Yunzhong raised his head and glanced at her, handed the small bowl to the waiter beside him, took the hot handkerchief from the little maid, wiped his hands, and said, "Here we come."

"Yes!" Song Jiyun responded, raising the corners of his lips towards him with a faint smile, and said, "I haven't been here for a few days, but I didn't expect that this place has become a bird garden."

"Not even close." Yuan Yunzhong looked like he didn't understand what she was saying. He handed the handkerchief that he wiped his hands to the little maid and replied matter-of-factly, "You want to build a bird garden? We need to raise a few more cranes and peacocks.”

Song Jiuyun was angry and looked him up and down intentionally.

He wore a lake-colored plain Hangzhou silk t-shirt. The light color and excellent drape made him taller and longer, with broad shoulders and thin legs. He looked like a jade tree in the wind, with a bit of freedom and ease, which was very pleasing to the eye.

She forgot about the words that were on her lips for a moment and looked at them a few more times.

Yuan Yunzhong raised his eyebrows and stared at her.

When Song Jiyun came back to her senses, she felt a little uncomfortable, but she immediately suppressed it and said calmly: "I see you have packed up, you should be able to go out, right?"

"What's the hurry?" Yuan Yunzhong said, and Shao Qing appeared out of nowhere, holding a tea tray with red lacquer and gold, and said to her with a smile: "Miss Song, have a cup of tea."

"No need!" Song Jiyun smiled politely, turned his head and looked at Yuan Yunzhong again, with a bit of displeasure in his eyes, "We still have to rush to Wensi Building."

With a leisurely expression, Yuan Yunzhong lifted up the beauty Yi who was sitting next to him. He reached for a cup of tea and said, "Wensi Tower is only two-quarters of an hour away from here, so there's still time."

In other words, yesterday he not only carefully read the regulations for the flower appreciation party she wrote, but also inquired about some matters related to the flower appreciation party.

Then why did he say that?

Song Jiyun looked at her puzzled.

Yuan Yunzhong didn't even look at her. He took a sip of tea and continued: "We are not the first to get the invitation. Why are we going so early?"

Song Jiuyun's eyebrows moved slightly.

Although she didn't know why Yuan Yunzhong said that, she had to admit that Yuan Yunzhong's words moved her very much.

Since they weren't planning to invite her, why should she follow those rules.

As for the Royal Director who sent her the invitation, she would definitely invite Magistrate Jiang to accompany him on such an occasion. There were so many people to socialize with, so what did it matter if she went early or late?

These thoughts flashed through her mind, and Yuan Yunzhong's voice came to her ears: "Have you asked about Magistrate Jiang?"

Song Jiyun quickly calmed down and said, "I am said to be from Ji County, Anhui Province. He was a Jinshi in the first year of Tianshun. He was a county magistrate in Ding County before. I don't know anything else."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Yuan Yunzhong with bright eyes.

When dealing with government officials, sometimes a small thing can be a breakthrough.

It would be better if we could get some news from Yuan Yunzhong.

Even if he didn't ask her, she would still find an opportunity to ask him.

Yuan Yunzhong's jaw is tight, and the outline of his eyebrows is sharper and clearer.

He was silent for a while and then said: "The magistrate of Ding County is in the seventh rank. Liang County is in the fifth rank because he has to assist in the affairs of the Imperial Kiln Factory in Jingdezhen. He was transferred from Baoding Prefecture to Liang County. Although he is far away from the capital, he was promoted to the second rank."

The implication is that there is also a background or a relationship.

Song Jiuyun rolled his eyes slightly, and simply took the opportunity to talk to him about Mr. Jiang: "I heard that Mr. Wang was looking for a maid for him, but I didn't hear that he was looking for a house for him. He should have an average family background and brought a female family to take office. I just don’t know whether I brought Madam here or Madam Ru.”

There is a house behind the county government office for the county magistrate to live in, which is free of charge. However, when some county magistrates took office, they would dislike it because it was not spacious enough or luxurious, so they would buy their own house or "borrow" it to live in the villa of a local squire.

A trace of surprise flashed in Yuan Yunzhong's eyes, as if he didn't expect that she would find out this information from the king's secretary.

Song Jiyun's almond-shaped eyes were smiling, and he said with a hint of slyness: "Master Wang is quite talkative sometimes."

Yuan Yunzhong also laughed, and his eyes seemed to be shining with stars: "He is in his fifties. At his age, he has never entered the Imperial Academy, so he should not be promoted."

Is he telling her that Mr. Jiang has no hope of promotion and might become the magistrate of Liang County?

Then she has to get along well with him.

Since Yuan Yunzhong knew so much, Song Jiyun certainly had to encourage him to continue: "Then do you know who was the examiner in the first year of Tianshun? Did some people in their generation have a smoother career and became senior officials? ?”

She looked happy and her cheeks were slightly red, like the plum blossoms reflecting the snow, she was particularly beautiful.

Yuan Yunzhong stared at her with deep eyes for a moment, and then said quietly: "The examiner that year has already become an official, and the one with the best career in that year is serving as the minister of the Ministry of Industry. However, there is still one of them in that year. The person in charge of the staff department is very thin. Although he is not a big official, he has not been in charge for more than ten years, so he is considered a veteran."

Such a veteran would naturally not be so honest.

Song Jiyun smiled even brighter, and she asked him a few more questions. If Shao Qing hadn't come over and said it was getting late, she might not have realized that the time passed so quickly.

However, Yuan Yunzhong knows so much, she will definitely get twice the result with half the effort when she meets Mr. Jiang.

She got up happily and took a sedan chair to Wensi Tower with Yuan Yunzhong.

Wensilou should be cleared.

The usually lively streets were filled with only a few people at noon. If you looked closely, you could see that they were all servants.

When they saw Song Jiyun's sedan, someone immediately stopped him and shouted in a low voice: "The county magistrate is here today. Anyone who doesn't care should go away quickly."

Zheng Quan's face changed.

In the past, when Song Youliang was alive, no one dared to talk to the Song family like this.

He stepped forward and wanted to reason.

But he was stopped by Song Jiyun, who stretched out his hand from the sedan curtain and handed over the invitation.

The bright red gold-sprinkled paper, the cyan curtain, and the soft white hands as snow-like frost kept the eyes of everyone outside the Wensi Building. Amidst Zheng Quan's sneer, he lowered his head and saluted.

Song Jiyun and Yuan Yunzhong entered Wensi Building side by side.