Little Cardamom

Jiang Xu has always acted after making decisions. Before he left Beijing, he had already memorized by heart the route to the south and the map of Ling, Yu, and Quanzhou, where he would stop for a long time.

At the foot of Mount Xumin, about fifty miles away from Tonggang, there is a hot spring.

Although I can't make it to the nearby town where I can rest comfortably tonight, there is no problem in rushing to this hot spring later.

The two of them rode slowly, chatting one after another, and finally arrived at the foot of Xumin Mountain when the bright moon rose to the middle of the sky.

Perhaps the mountains here are remote, and the night sky is extremely blue, with stars and moonlight like water. Under the night, a hazy mist rises above a pool of hot springs, like a half-covered beauty, seemingly concealed, graceful and graceful.

When Ming Tan saw the hot spring, he seemed to come back to life.

"Hot spring, it's really a hot spring!" She got off her horse, and when she got closer, her tone became cheerful and brisk, "Husband, can I go down now?"

"whatever."

Jiang Xu settled his horse and stepped forward.

Having got the right words, Ming Tan impatiently began to untie her clothes, but just as she undid the belt around her waist, she thought about it again, and discussed with Jiang Xu: "Why don't I wash it first, my husband, make a fire, and I'm going to Pass the clothes in the water, and my husband will bake it for me, okay?"

"..."

Jiang Xu's hand on the belt around his waist stopped suddenly. After a long while, he said "um", turned around in silence, and went to pick up dry firewood.

Ming Tan ignored him, and soon happily played with the water. After Jiang Xu started a fire by the hot spring, she imitated the girl in the mansion to wash clothes, holding the clothes and rubbing them in the water in a decent manner.

"Okay, husband, here it is!"

Jiang Xu approached, took the clothes, and sat back by the fire, patiently hanging her small clothes, jackets, short shirts and skirts one by one on the temporary branch of the tree.

The dancing flames reflected his neat and clean outline, his sword eyebrows and starry eyes, his nose straight and his lips thin, and his half-pursed lips inexplicably set off his serious expression.

Seeing him roasting clothes, Ming Tan looked like he was looking at official documents, some wanted to laugh, and some wanted to tease him.

"Husband!" Ming Tan shouted suddenly.

Jiang Xu looked sideways.

Ming Tan saw the timing, bowed up a handful of water and poured it on him.

But Jiang Xudong didn't move, just quietly watched the handful of water she splashed ruthlessly half a foot away from him, then looked away, and said lightly, mockingly: "boring."

Ming Tan: "..."

There seems to be a cold wind passing through the forest.

Jiang Xu didn't realize it, and continued: "You are in the water, you are in a low position, and you have a long distance. If you want to splash water on me, you can't do it without internal strength. Of course, I don't want to let you It's useless if you have internal force to bless you."

"..."

"I think you are boring!"

How could there be such an incomprehensible man? Back when Liang Zixuan spoke, he would praise "Sister Tan is a shining pearl, even if she covers her face with a light veil, she doesn't hide her brilliance", but this man would only say "you can't do it", "you are boring", "this king is the best".

Ming Tan angrily turned his back, moved to the farthest corner from the shore and squatted, for the time being, he didn't want to see a certain His Royal Highness the God of War who was so powerful that there was no one in the sky and no one on earth, and my king was immortal.

However, the hot spring water is no different than ordinary clean water, the temperature of the water does not stay low, Ming Tan feels hot after soaking for a while, and wants to go ashore.

But at this moment she remembered that she couldn't go ashore naked, and the clothes were still in someone's hands. But she was so obviously angry, wouldn't it be embarrassing to take the initiative to talk to her now?

Just as Ming Tan was squatting in the corner, adjusting his breathing and struggling whether to initiate a conversation, a dangerous aura suddenly came from behind him.

Could it be... something in the water? The hairs on her back stood up, and she subconsciously turned around, wanting to scream.

But in the next breath, she was caught off guard and hugged into her arms, her screams were stuffed between her lips and teeth, turning into muffled murmurs.

After a long while, Jiang Xu let her go and let her breathe.

"Why did you come down?" Ming Tan asked in surprise.

"Anyway, the clothes will be baked for a long time."

"Then you also—"

"Don't move." His voice was low and hoarse.

Ming Tan was held in his arms, skin-to-skin with him, so he immediately noticed something.

Her scalp tightened, and she really didn't dare to move.

I don't know if the hot spring water was too hot, or she was too nervous, but for a moment, her heartbeat seemed to be much faster, as if it was about to pop out of her throat, and the base of her ears, cheeks, even her neck and collarbone were all pink. gosh.

Oh my god, although there is no one around, but this wilderness is full of scenes, she doesn't want to do anything in this place! Which good girl dares to do such a thing outside!

She was very obedient, frightened obediently, motionless.

But Ming Tan was still too naive, the man wanted to do something, and she couldn't solve it by obediently.

After a moment of stalemate, Jiang Xu retreated half an inch, Ming Tan slowed down, thinking that the crisis was temporarily lifted, he breathed a sigh of relief, and quietly moved his already numb feet.

Unexpectedly, the water waves behind her suddenly moved, and the loose strings in her mind tightened again, and there seemed to be ten thousand ants crawling on the soles of her moving feet. fell into someone's arms.

"Didn't I tell you not to move? It seems... the concubine really wants to throw herself into her arms and do something."

Jiang Xu's voice was low, his wide palms lingered on her delicate skin, and his tone was calm and breezy like "this king will do what he can to help you".

...?

No! I don't, I don't want to, don't talk nonsense!

Before Ming Tan could utter his rebuttal words, he was pulled into his arms and sealed his lips.

The waves of the hot spring swayed in circles, her eyes complained, and her voice sobbed, but they were all covered by the curling mist on the hot spring, and the moonlight also became ambiguous under the steaming heat. The birds and beasts in the forest who are accustomed to singing at night seem to be shy away, and there are only rough panting and coquettish moaning from the gaps in their teeth that they have endured so hard.

Not only did he lose face, but he also lost his face.

…

In the dead of night, there was a sudden sound of wind.

When the water waves returned to calm, Ming Tan was also extremely tired, and the accumulated fatigue of the past few days seemed to surge up all at once tonight.

When she was unconscious, she only remembered that someone had twisted her hair and dressed her again. The clothes were baked to be warm, and the small and middle clothes inside did not need to be leaked out, so they were made of the materials she usually used, and they were extremely comfortable to wear.

She didn't want to do anything, she didn't even want to lift her hand, and after getting dressed, she fell asleep lying on someone's chest.

After going on the road for the next two days, Ming Tan was uncomfortable, shy, always avoiding Jiang Xu's eyes. Jiang Xu didn't know why she was shy, it was just sex, and she did it a lot, what's the difference between being in a hot spring and being in a clean room?

On the return journey to the town where carriages and horses were previously suspended, the hardships of the journey were finally relieved.

With the experience of Tong Gang, Ming Tan no longer felt tired when he returned to Beijing in the carriage.

In fact, the return journey should have been much easier since he had nothing to do. Jiang Xu planned to take her along a section of the waterway around a rich place to satisfy her need to buy ten carriages to return to Beijing.

But Ming Tan suddenly became sensible, and he didn't buy much except for preparing souvenirs for relatives and friends in Beijing and China.

As soon as Jiang Xu asked, she seriously talked about Daxian's various livelihoods. There are still many poor and remote places like Tonggang in this world. Now that she is a member of the royal family, she should set an example and practice frugality.

Jiang Xu wanted to say something, but it was rare for her to have the heart, even if it was a whim, she shouldn't pour cold water on it, so she let her go.

As Ming Tan is sensible, he will be sensible enough to return to Beijing.

I went south to Lingzhou in midsummer, and now I am back in Beijing. It is late autumn in Shangjing. The weeping willows on both sides of the Xianjiang River are bleak, but the ginkgo is covered with golden patches along the street. When the wind blows, the city will be golden and fall, which is really beautiful.

Since Jiang Xu was away on business, he must first go to see Emperor Cheng Kang when he returned to Beijing. At the fork in the road, Jiang Xu ordered people to send the princess back to the mansion first, and then rode into the palace alone.

Dingbei Palace.

The carriages and horses stopped outside the door, and Ming Tan got out of the carriage.

Fushu Tete opened the door, and the servants went in two rows from the door, and stood straight into the second door, and they couldn't see the end at a glance.

"Welcome Wangfei back to the mansion!" Seeing Ming Tan getting off the carriage, everyone saluted and welcomed people in, the voice of greeting and greetings was extremely loud.

Ming Tan hadn't seen such a big battle for a long time, he felt nostalgic and flattered at the same time.

Fortunately, she has been away from Beijing for a few months, and she still remembers that she is the princess of Dingbei. She nodded calmly with a princess look, then curled the corners of her lips, and said warmly to Uncle Fu: "My lord and I have been away from Beijing for a few months. Uncle Fu took care of it, it's hard work."

"No hard work, no hard work, this is the duty of an old slave."

Uncle Fu is still as humble as ever, and his smile is as respectful and kind as ever.

"It's so vast outside, it's not as comfortable as our own house. Your wife must be very tired after having to travel outside for several months. You should go back to Qi'an Hall and rest. Miss Suxin and Miss Lu'e have married you and the prince a few days ago. Xin'er, who is returning to Beijing, is very happy, he has been so busy these days!"

Ming Tan nodded, accompanied by Uncle Fu, entered the mansion and walked to Qi'an Hall.

Needless to say, Uncle Fu puts all his heart and effort into her as a concubine. In the past, when Jiang Xu went out on business in Beijing, he would go there and come back, but he didn’t open the front door now, and all the servants lined up to welcome him all the way to Qi’an Hall. pomp.

Arriving at Qi'an Hall, lights and festoons were displayed outside the courtyard, and all the maids in Qi'an Hall were dressed in bright new clothes. I didn't know what to expect and thought that there was some kind of happy event in the palace.

There is a brazier at the gate of the courtyard.

Across the brazier, Su Xin and Lv'e said happily and obediently inside, "Congratulations to welcome the princess back to the mansion, please raise your noble feet high, step over the brazier, and welcome good fortune."

"..."

Okay, there seems to be a custom in Shangjing that those who return from afar have to step over the brazier.

Ming Tan stepped over.

Su Xin and Lu E rushed forward to meet her, and couldn't bear it anymore, calling Miss Wangfei one after another.

"Miss, why are you so thin!"

"Why are you still wearing this dress, my God, the embroidery on it is all off!"

"Did Miss suffer some crime outside?"

…

The two of you talked to each other without stopping, and they directly dragged her into the room without giving her a chance to speak.

Even Su Xin, who had always been prudent, kept looking at her nervously. The previous joy dissipated, replaced by red eye circles and a choked voice.

"Miss must have suffered outside, her face has become so thin, and her complexion is so haggard!"

Lue's emotions were also aroused, and she looked up at Ming Tan's bun: "That's right, there are slaves around, when did the young lady wear such a simple bun, it can't be called a bun at all.

"Aunt Yun came back a few days ago, and she even said that the young lady had a good life all the way. This is not a good life, she is clearly going to suffer! When did our young lady suffer such grievances!

"If I had known this before, Miss shouldn't have brought Concubine Yun there. Concubine Yun only knows how to wield swords and swords, so she doesn't know how to take care of others. If she had brought slaves, Miss would not have suffered such hardships and suffered such crimes."

Both of them have been serving Ming Tan since childhood, and they have never been away from Ming Tan for so long. They look at Ming Tan as if they were eyeballs.

While talking, the two surrounded Ming Tan and burst into tears.

Ming Tan was dizzy from the two crying, and after a while, she found a gap and shouted helplessly: "Stop, stop, those who don't know why the Dingbei Palace has been wronged by the two of you, are you ashamed? Are you two mourning, I just went out and returned, not resurrected from the dead!"

"Bah, bah, bah! Miss just came back, how could she say that word! Miss, please pay your respects to the gods." Su Xin looked worried.

"..."

Ming Tan couldn't help but couldn't hold back these two girls, so he obediently bowed towards the door.