After Jing Zhen left that night, as he said, he never set foot in Yuntai Palace again.

On 12 April, news came from the front that because the two countries have always been friendly, there are not a large number of soldiers on the border. Coupled with their negligence in training, it only took more than ten days for the army of Nanyuan Kingdom to easily capture Jiuhe County, and then burned, killed, plundered, and did all kinds of evil in the territory of the Great Zhou. At this time, the imperial army led by Prince Ke was still on the way to the southwest border, and the future was uncertain.

During this period of time, the capital was rainy and rainy, and the night was damp and suffocating, making it difficult for people to sleep peacefully, and there were always nightmares. Ah Yuan sometimes dreamed that the two soldiers were fighting, floating corpses for thousands of miles, bleeding and drifting; From time to time, I saw Jingyu leading the troops to return triumphantly, but he handed over the emperor's blades at the city gate, and the brothers killed each other. I slept in a daze until dawn, and I didn't wake up completely until Cai Wei came to wake up.

Seeing her expression, Cai Wei said with concern: "You don't need to go to the Middle Palace to ask for peace for a while, the little master might as well be sleepy for a while." ”

Chonghui has been ill for a long time, and the queen has been exempted from the daily greetings of the palace concubines. Ah Yuan looked at the gloomy sky outside the window, and a bright yellow figure faintly appeared in front of him, so warm and bright, like a ray of sunlight after a long haze.

"No need." She was used to changing and washing by herself, so she didn't need these people to serve her, so she casually asked, "What about Qifang?" Why don't you see her again? ”

"The little master forgot, Aunt Qifang occasionally contracted the wind and cold, and took a few days off."

Ah Yuan bowed his head and said: "You live with her, you should take care of it more." She straightened the buckle on the placket, "Is the box of dendrobium given by the emperor last time still there?" “

Cai Wei said: "It's in the warehouse." ”

"That dendrobium is extremely nurturing, you can take it to her later, so that she can take good care of herself."

"Yes." Cai Wei's white face showed a slight look of confusion, "But Aunt Qifang is always going out these days, and the slaves and maids don't often see her." ”

Ah Yuan stopped what he was doing and said strangely: "Oh? Sick and still busy? ”

Cai Wei said: "The slave and maid don't know. I heard Baotong say that when she is not on duty, she always likes to go to the Treasure Hall, thinking that she has some old friends. ”

Ah Yuan nodded lightly, and after breakfast, he called Cai Wei: "You can accompany me to Xihe Palace." ”

She originally took advantage of her leisure to have nothing to do, and wanted to go to Shiquan to catch up with the old days, and asked about the situation in the palace by the way. Who knew that Cai Wei misunderstood her thoughts, but the emperor had not been here for a long time, and the little master of her family finally couldn't hold back and wanted to take the initiative to visit, so she said happily: "I heard that the emperor has been worried about the border war recently, and the little master should also go to condole, and the slave will go to prepare refreshments." As he spoke, he ran out quickly, and Ah Yuan didn't even have time to stop him. It's just that one person looked embarrassed and sighed secretly.

As the rain passed, the rain gradually stopped. The master and servant had just walked to the front of the Xihe Palace, but they saw Mei Xueshen wearing a water-blue lotus moon skirt that was mopping the floor, and was carrying an eight-treasure food box and coming out of the main hall. Looking at the footsteps, it seems that he is still sick, but a well-carved face is full of energy.

She walked down the jade steps, and when she saw that it was Ah Yuan, she said politely: "It is said that my sister is busy with affairs in the palace, why do you have to come to accompany me today?" ”

Ah Yuan didn't want to explain more to her, but just behaved like a courtesy: "Concubine see Concubine Mei, Niangniang Jin'an." ”

Mei Xueshen hurriedly helped her up, and Ying Ying smiled lightly: "What kind of mother is not a mother, she was still commensurate with your sister when she was surrounded in the autumn of that year." Why are you really sisters now, but you are different? ”

Ah Yuan lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes: "Niangniang's words are serious. Back then, I was naïve and ignorant, and I didn't know the difference between respect and inferiority; Now that she is a harem concubine, she should pursue a ritual system, so as not to make people laugh at it. ”

Mei Xue said with a deep smile: "In the entire palace now, everyone knows that my sister is favored. How can anyone dare to go against his sister and chew the root of his tongue behind his back? ”

Listening to her sour tone, it seemed to be very sarcastic. Ah Yuan knows Mei Xueshen's temperament, and no matter whether she is scheming or not, she is always kind to people on her face, and she will never ask people to come down from the stage in person. It can be seen that the emperor ignored her sick and weak body that day and left Huayin Pavilion late at night, which really hurt her heart.

Ah Yuan said respectfully: "It's all thanks to the blessing of the emperor and all the mothers, and the concubines don't dare to be spoiled." ”

"Don't dare? What else would you not dare? As he was talking, a girl's crisp voice came from not far away, "I thought you were different from those people, but I didn't want you to be such an insatiable and unpredictable person, this princess really mistook you!" ”

Ah Yuan turned his head to look, and suddenly his back was cold, and the person who came was the fifth eldest princess Qiyue. I haven't seen her for two years, but she has grown a lot taller, and her appearance has become more and more bright and magnificent. Those watery eyes were black and white, but there was anger beating faintly.

Although she is still young, after all, she is also the emperor's own sister, and according to the rules, Mei Xueshen and Ah Yuan must salute her. Qiyue didn't return the salute, but just faced the sun, staring at Ah Yuan with a pair of eyes: "Yuan noble? I'm really not worth it for the fourth brother! ”

Because Mei Xue was sinking by her side, Ah Yuan had a hard time, so she could only pretend not to hear it, and asked in a low voice, "Is the eldest princess here to see the emperor?" ”

Qiyue barely suppressed her anger, raised her pointed chin, and said proudly: "This princess is worried about the border war, and she is also worried about the safety of the fourth brother and the generals of the court. How can you be like people like you, who only know how to scratch your head and make gestures, and come to pester my seventh brother every now and then, making him uneasy! ”

Ah Yuan pursed her lips tightly and didn't dare to speak, and at the same time gently pressed Cai Wei's hand, signaling that she didn't need to say more.

Mei Xue Shen showed a look of shame on her face, and said respectfully: "What the eldest princess taught is that the concubine should keep it in mind. ”

Qi Yue said coldly: "It's good that you know." She glanced at Ah Yuan as if she had a vague look, "Don't be like some people, say one thing to your face and do another thing behind your back." Don't learn from her water-based poplar, shameless! ”

This is a bit too much, Ah Yuan couldn't help but say with a straight face: "People are terrible, please take back the princess's words." Since the concubine has become the emperor's person, the matter of innocence is the most important, and she can't afford to bear such a crime. ”

"You can't stand it? Can my fourth brother afford it? Qiyue's anger burned in her eyes, "Do you know that the fourth brother agreed to lead the troops to the south because of you!" If you hadn't broken his heart, he would still be an idle prince in the capital, how could he put himself in danger? You know, he has never been on the battlefield, if something happens to him on this expedition, how can you have a good conscience? ”

Ah Yuan's head buzzed, and she staggered back a few steps in a row. Holding back the pain in his heart for a while, ignoring Mei Xue's disdain beside him, he asked in a trembling voice, "What the eldest princess said is true?" How is he now? ”

Qiyue was about to attack again, but above the jade steps, a deep and deep voice suddenly sounded from behind: "I didn't know that my nobleman was so worried about the safety of a prince. ”

Hearing the prestige, I saw Jing Zhen dressed in a dark robe, looking coldly at the people below, his eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of clouds.

Everyone's expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly leaned down and knelt down, and said, "The emperor is safe." ”

Only Qiyue bent her knees slightly, and then eagerly climbed the stairs, and called him: "Seventh brother! ”

Jing Zhen waved her sleeves and shook off her clinging hand: "Xihe Palace, how can you be presumptuous and noisy!" Qiyue had never seen him so angry, and he stood aside in fright, completely at a loss.

Ah Yuan knelt there, only to feel that something seemed to be pulling on his chest, and he kept going down, but he couldn't touch the bottom. A heart hangs there, not up or down, and it can't even breathe smoothly. She was silent, but saw a shadow in front of her approach until it engulfed her completely......

She clearly knew that Jingzhen had always been wary of Prince Ke, but she had repeatedly expressed her concern for him. Now that Jingzhen is so angry, is it because he suspects that he has colluded with the forces of the Queen Mother and Prince Ke? Ah Yuan closed her eyes helplessly, her words and deeds today were too impulsive!

Suddenly, someone brushed her sleeves to dust off the fallen flowers on her shoulders, raised her head, and met Jingzhen's deep eyes: "Noble Yuan has nothing to say?" ”

Ah Yuan said to himself: "The emperor misunderstood, the concubines are just worried about the Great Zhou soldiers. ”

"Okay, okay." Jing Zhen Huo Ran smiled, he leaned down, and said in a very small voice in her ear, "Don't forget jì, my covenant with you." ”

What happened to him if he betrayed him, he didn't say these words, and she knew it. Jing Zhen promised her to return to the palace for revenge, and she would also help Jing Zhen fight the power of the Queen Mother in the palace. Their covenant, she never forgot jì.

"Until then, you are still my concubine, and you must abide by the duties of a concubine."

This was said aloud in front of everyone. Ah Yuan Muran nodded, looking at him with a gaze like ice, and suddenly felt the thread in his chest that was constantly being pulled stop struggling, and fell down.

"The war ahead is tight, and you don't have to come to Xihe Hall to bother me anymore in the near future." Jingzhen turned around and was about to leave, and before entering the hall, he glanced at the fifth eldest princess who was still stunned under the corridor, "Including you, Qiyue." ”

Mei Xueshen and Qiyue both took a sedan chair back to the palace, leaving only Ah Yuan and Cai Wei to pace slowly. The cool breeze came slowly, slightly relieving the dullness and stagnation in the air caused by the long-term rain.

Cai Wei muttered to herself in a low voice: "What does the emperor mean by that?" 'Before that', before what? ”

Ah Yuan pretended to sigh: "It's about before you abolish me." ”

Cai Wei was dumbfounded: "How could it be, the emperor likes the little master so much!" As long as the little lord no longer makes him angry, the emperor will definitely not abolish you! ”

Ah Yuan smiled helplessly, but she heard a person behind her urgently call her: "Noble stay!" ”