Return of the Swallow

The road into the mountain was very flat and the hillside was extremely gentle. Pang Xiao held Qin Yining's hand and walked in front. The group of people behind him followed them chatting and laughing, admiring the scenery along the way. When you are in a happy mood, no one will care even if the road is muddy and your shoes are dirty and your trousers and skirts are dirty. All you can see is the scenery and the people around you. Qin Yining whispered to Pang Xiao about the trivial matters of life. It was rare for them to put aside political affairs and devote themselves to nature. Qin Yining felt that his mood was particularly relaxed and happy. However, after walking for about half an hour, the mountain road became steeper. "This road is too difficult to walk." Bingtang put his hands on his hips, his face flushed with exhaustion, his forehead and temples were covered with hot sweat, and his hair was stuck to his face with sweat. Huzi stood next to Bingtang and fanned her with a big leaf. "Are you tired? Can I carry you on my back?" his tone was eager to try. Bingtang rolled her big eyes, pushed Huzi away, and took two steps on the slightly less thick mud on the roadside. However, the mud under her feet was too slippery, and she almost slipped and fell. "Ouch!" Huzi picked the person up with quick eyes and hands, and laughed: "I am a potato to begin with. If I lose my front teeth again, I will never be able to look back again!" Qin Yining panted and looked back at them. , shook his head amusedly. Looking around, the group of people on the way they came had already distanced themselves. Xie Yue, Xu Weizhi and the Jinghu Guards beside them had long been left far away, and almost no one could be seen. She and Pang Xiao walked in the front, followed by Jingzhe, Huzi and Bingtang again, Jiyun walked behind Bingtang, and Tang Xiu followed Jiyun cautiously, not daring to get closer to Jiyun than three steps along the way. . "It's been raining for two months, so it's bound to be difficult to walk on the mountain road. Fortunately, the hillside can't hold water, and there are vegetation and trees, and the Juhuang Mountain is mostly cliffs as it goes up. Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare to take it. I'll help you come up." Pang Xiao wiped Qin Yining's sweat with his sleeve, "After such a heavy rain, you can't go up ordinary mountains. It's easy to encounter landslides and mudslides." Qin Yining smiled and nodded: "You're right, I I came to climb the mountain with you after knowing that you had everything arranged, but Bingtang is right, this wet road is too difficult to walk on, and there is already a thick layer of mud on the soles of my shoes." Qin Yining held Pang Xiao's hand. He carefully moved to the roadside and rubbed the soles of his shoes on a big tree. Pang Xiao smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if there is dirt, the most important thing is to have fun. It turns out that your body is so good. Since you started following me, your body has been getting worse and worse. If you put aside the past, let alone let you walk like this." Even if you run up the mountain, you won't be so tired." Qin Yining shook her head with a smile, she didn't want Pang Xiao to think about the unpleasantness in the past. "My body is weak. Take good care of it and move more. It will get better slowly." Qin Yining looked back and said, "Mr. Xie and the others haven't followed up yet. Should we wait for them for a while?" "It doesn't matter, I'll arrange it." If there are people following them, they will walk up slowly. Let's continue walking slowly." Pang Xiao wiped Qin Yining's sweat again. He loved Qin Yining's current rosy face and sweaty temples. She seemed to have lost the composure and maturity forced by the world, and looked like a carefree little girl. It's just that his sister Yi was born with a rough fate. At the age when she should be most carefree, she was already busy with life. It was rare for her to have such a pure and relaxed time. Just taking her out for a walk would make her happy. She is so happy. Pang Xiao's big hand held her slightly cold and wet little hand, and he would give her a hand whenever her feet slipped or her face showed signs of masculinity. "When everything is over in the future, I will take you out to play more." Pang Xiao smiled, "You don't have to be bothered by these trivial matters anymore, and you don't have to worry about when we will be dealt with again. Just care about it. What fresh flowers are there, what rouge and gouache are available, just worry about the children." Qin Yining had a slight smile on her lips, the life Pang Xiao imagined was so beautiful that she didn't even dare to think about it. How could Li Qitian let them go? The situation is so complicated, the treasure has not yet been returned to its owner, and the Tatars are tampering with people behind their backs. Now that they are in this circle, it will not be easy for them to get out. It's just that Qin Yining couldn't bear to make Pang Xiao feel troubled.

"Okay. Didn't we agree before that I will only take care of the children and not care about anything else." Pang Xiao felt guilty, and his smile was tainted with a bit of sadness. Listening to the two of them talking, Mu Jinghu, who was walking with Jingzhe and the others, also thought of Qiu Feishan who was far away in the south. Although the two of them exchanged letters, it was not as reassuring as having someone right in front of them. I don’t know if his son will recognize him as his father when he sees him next time. When Mu Jinghu thought of this, he couldn't help but sigh. Pang Xiao's five senses were sharp and he looked back: "What's wrong? Are you tired?" "No way." Mu Jinghu walked very easily, "Such a mountainous road is not difficult for me. I just feel... This kind of time is rare, Let's end this troubled world as soon as possible." Pang Xiao pursed his lips and smiled, looking up at the lush green leaves covering his head. The precious sunshine fell from the gaps in the leaves, drawing mottled shadows on their faces and bodies. For a long time, just when Qin Yining thought that Pang Xiao would not answer Mu Jinghu, he heard Pang Xiao say: "Okay." Ending this troubled world is completely different from ending a period of rule. Pang Xiao may have to pay more to make this promise, maybe not just his life, but even a lifetime. The group of people walked upward for about two sticks of incense. At this time, their team was already very long, and the people were sparsely scattered due to physical reasons. Fortunately, there was only one way up the mountain. They walked in front and did not have to worry about those behind them not being able to find the way to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple. road. However, Qin Yining's long hair on the temples was already wet with sweat. Looking up, we are in the mountains, blocked by trees, and it is difficult to see how far we are from the top of the mountain, as if this rugged mountain road will never end. "Come." Qin Yining lowered his head and saw Pang Xiao squatting in front of him with his back to him. "Come up, I'll carry you." Qin Yining shook his head and patted Pang Xiao's back gently with his bare hands, "No, although I'm a little tired, it's not hard to hold on. You can't carry me until I can't walk anymore." Too late." Pang Xiao was a little disappointed. He turned back and looked down the mountain. He could vaguely see Huzi's figure carrying rock candy through the branches and leaves of the trees. Jiyun and Tang Xiu had already fallen further away. "Okay." Pang Xiao sighed and took Qin Yining's hand to walk up a relatively clean and gentle slope. "It's a shame that you have such good physical strength." Qin Yining was stunned for a moment before he understood what Pang Xiao wanted to express, and his face couldn't help but become more and more confused. It was so hot that he pinched his arm secretly, making Pang Xiao laugh. The mountains were silent, and their team had dispersed, so the laughter of Pang Xiao could be heard far away in the mountains out of thin air. "Is this Prince Zhongshun here?" Suddenly, a female voice came faintly from a distance. Qin Yining and Pang Xiao paused when they heard the sound. The voice was very familiar, but Qin Yining couldn't remember where he had heard it. Pang Xiao approached Qin Yining and whispered in a low voice: "It sounds like a queen to me." "Queen?" Qin Yining stared in shock. Pang Xiao turned around and made a gesture to Mu Jinghu at hand. Mu Jinghu nodded solemnly, and then quietly exited the path up the mountain through a bush that was not easily noticed by others. Jingzhe and the other four quickly walked behind Qin Yining, with guarded looks in their eyes. Pang Xiao saw that Mu Jinghu had gone to a dark place according to their previous agreement, so he raised his voice and asked doubtfully: "Who is here again?" "Is he really Prince Zhongshun? This slave is the Queen's sidekick. , the queen is here!" Qin Yining was shocked when he heard this, why is the queen here? Pang Xiao took Qin Yining's hand and led Jingzhe and the other four to the source of the sound. After walking for a while, a gentle slope of about two feet appeared in front of them. On the platform, the Queen, Grandma Sun and a guard were resting in the shade of the roadside trees in embarrassment. Pang Xiao hurriedly took Qin Yining's hand and stepped forward to salute: "I have met the Queen, my Majesty Pang Xiao." "Excuse me." The Queen touched the sweat on her forehead and said curiously: "Why are you here? " Qin Yining was sensitive to the fact that the queen's tone seemed different from her usual condescending tone. Her tone and demeanor when speaking to Pang Xiao now were like the mistress of an ordinary family, dignified yet intimate. Pang Xiao smiled and said: "Back to your Majesty, I felt very happy when the weather improved, so I took my wife out for a walk. I heard that there is a Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple on Juhuang Mountain that is very efficacious, so I came over to have a look." No. The traces had already been explored around. Pang Xiao thought for a while and asked: "The queen is here to play too?" The queen shook her head tiredly: "I came to Wanfo Temple to pray for the peace of the Zhou Dynasty. But I am not here. At that time, the mountain road was difficult to walk. Originally, I prepared a sedan chair and ordered someone to take me up the mountain. However, the sedan suddenly fell down halfway and almost threw me off the cliff. In order to save me, I brought a powerful The guard also broke his leg, so I had no choice but to order him to go down the mountain to send the guard for treatment. The guard couldn't walk, and he was followed by four young chamberlains who took turns to carry him. I don't know what's going on now." Pang Xiao said respectfully: "The Queen, for The sincerity of the people's prayers is really touching." When Pang Xiao wanted to speak to the queen, he bowed his head as expected, showing a respectful gesture. But his hand was always holding Qin Yining's behind his back, as if Qin Yining was his most cherished treasure and could not let go for a moment. When the queen saw how closely Pang Xiao treated Qin Yining, an unspeakable sourness spread in her heart. See how Pang Xiao treats Qin Yining? How many years has it been since her husband held her hand?