When Mei Rui pushed open the window, she saw that the sky outside the eaves was terrifyingly dark, and the clouds were stacked together, as if brewing a shocking sound, and Huaizhu belched behind her: "It's going to snow." ”

Now that the season is in winter, if you open a little crack in the window, you will feel that the cold wind is desperately drilling into the house, blowing in along the neck, arousing goosebumps all over the body. Huaizhu couldn't help but shudder, hurriedly walked over and closed the window, and complained: "On this cold day, what are you doing with the window?" It's not too cold! ”

Mei Rui leaned against the window with a smile, and through the thin window paper, she could hear the cold whistling of the north wind outside, and she said, "I'm not afraid." ”

She has always been not afraid of the cold physique, a pair of hands have never been cold in winter, Huaizhu and her in the same room, in the winter I like to sleep with her, hugging her and sighing: "Rui Rui, you are really a hand warmer." ”

But in the summer, Huaizhu disliked her very much, because the hand warmer stove in this winter was of no use in the summer, and if she got closer, she would be steamed and sweaty. But even so, when she was on duty in the Literature Museum, Huaizhu would come to her with a chilled fruit, poke her head in through the door with a smile, and shout in a slow voice: "Master Ruirui—"

The fruit was a reward she asked for from Concubine Rong, and she didn't bother to eat one, so she brought it to Mei Rui. But the sun was too strong, and after crossing half of the palace city, and thousands of mountains and rivers arrived at the Literature Museum, the fruits were steamed again, and Huaizhu was generally extremely annoyed, but Mei Rui felt happy, and put down the business at hand and pulled her in through the door.

There is a white locust tree in the literature museum, it is the flowering period in midsummer, lushly and green in the courtyard to create a shade, put two square low stools below, as soon as you look up, you can see a bunch of locust flowers in the top of the head by the wind swaggering, squirming on the ground, occasionally will fall on the top of the hair, but also for this huge palace city to add a bit of human touch.

Mei Rui has been in the palace since she was twelve years old, and now it has been seven years, and the palace maid can leave this immature palace city after ten years of entering the palace and return home to find relatives, but she is a little at a loss about the arrival of the day when she leaves the palace three years later, not that she likes this palace city and does not want to go out, but she can't find a place to return.

At least there is Huaizhu in the palace, which is considered a heart-to-heart friend, Huaizhu is on duty at Concubine Rong, no quieter than the Literature Museum, there are more people to see every day, and there are naturally more gossip news, and all the big and small things in this palace are Huaizhu told her, such as the news about the serious illness in the Taiji Palace recently.

Huaizhu pulled her to the couch, and said to her while undressing: "Hey, you don't know, that person's illness is probably unable to return to heaven, and countless decoctions are sent to her every day, but they are not good." Concubine Rong's eyes are swollen every day, poor to see, the prince is only eight years old, and he is about to be pushed to the Nine Dragons. She took off only one shirt and sighed, "You said that Empress Zhao is not the biological mother of the prince, if the prince becomes the emperor, can she still be the queen mother?" There is also the Lu Protector of the Forbidden Army, which is really a big deal! Didn't you look at it, after the emperor was not in good health, he directly transferred the forbidden army to surround the Zichen Palace, and everyone who entered had to be searched, even the queen mother was no exception. At the beginning, the queen mother was not happy, and she was on the same bar in front of the Zichen Palace, making a big noise, but the people under Lu Hujun didn't let them take a step, and in the end they couldn't, and the queen mother had to let them search. ”

Saying that, Huaizhu laughed: "I thought it was a majestic thing to be a queen, but it turned out that she was not crushed to death by a rootless person, so what does it mean to be a queen?" ”

Mei Rui glanced at her: "You can only say this to me, if you put it outside, it is enough to teach you to die a hundred times." ”

Huaizhu approached her with a smile, a pair of cold hands drilled into her arms, Mei Rui was so excited that she exclaimed, turned around and hid, Huaizhu chased after her reluctantly, a couch was so big, and Huaizhu was thrown down between the soft mattresses by Huaizhu after a few steps on her knees, Huaizhu held her hand and rubbed her face: "Rui Rui is so good." ”

I couldn't take her, I could only let her hold her hand, Huaizhu's hand gradually became warmer, and she also fell asleep in this pleasant warmth, the slight snoring came and went, Mei Rui didn't feel noisy, and when she closed her eyes, she dreamed of the water town in the south of the Yangtze River again.

*

A few days later, Mei Rui met Zhao Chun on the way to the Literature Museum, Zhao Chun is the nephew of the current Empress Zhao, and in the end there is the shadow of the Zhao family. Mei Rui still remembers that when she first met him seven years ago, he was still a teenager of the same size as herself, but seven years later, he was a head taller than herself, with starry eyebrows, stepping on black leather six-seam boots, the fine scale armor scattered a cold light in the cold winter wind, and the solid cotton clothes made him look extraordinarily tall and tiger-backed. There was also a column of guards behind him, and when he saw Mei Rui, he asked the guards behind him to stop, walked towards her with Wu Hook, and grinned: "Mei Fuzi, is this the upper value?" ”

Mei Rui belched: "Lord Zhao is making fun of me?" ”

He smiled openly, and there was no trace of gloom in sight, which was incompatible with the gloomy weather: "Why, others can call you master, but so-and-so can't?" ”

"They are stubborn in private, and it is frustrating to say it from Lord Zhao's mouth," Mei Rui said, the winter wind blew her a little cold, she glanced behind Zhao Chun, "Where did Lord Zhao come from?" ”

Zhao Chun said: "A certain person is looking for someone." ”

"Looking for someone?" Mei Rui was a little puzzled, Zhao Chun nodded and said: "The prince doesn't know where he went, he has disappeared for three hours, and Lu Hujun ordered the people from Nanya to be transferred." No, it's been an hour, and I haven't seen anything. ”

He heaved: "Yes, what you said reminded me that it was time to go on an errand, see you later, Mei Fuzi!" ”

With a wave, he returned to the queue, winked at Mei Rui, and led the guards behind him away.

Seeing his figure disappear around the corner, Mei Rui went to the Literature Museum again, she was actually very idle every day, and the people in the palace had their own things to do, and there were very few people who came to her to teach and study. Speaking of which, she received this idle errand, and she also had a kindness from Queen Zhao in it.

As soon as she entered the Literature Museum, she felt that the atmosphere inside was not quite right, and the little eunuch Xi Shun'er, who was good with her, pulled her cuffs and said to her with a broken face: "Master, something is wrong!" ”

"What's wrong?" There was a charcoal fire in the room, Mei Rui asked while taking off her cloak, and after a brief sweep, she found that the people in the hall were all sad faces, and she laughed: "What do you say, what about the clever tongue on weekdays?" ”

The Literature Museum is a quiet yamen, and the palace people in the museum get together to talk about the world in their leisure time, and Mei Rui sometimes has a few debates with them, winning or losing is not important, just enjoying themselves.

Now these sharp-tongued people are all silent, looking at each other and reluctant to speak, just blindly looking inside, Mei Rui raised her eyebrows: "Don't say it, right?" Okay, I'll see for myself. ”

This is right in their arms, as soon as Mei Ruifu stepped into the room, he saw a pink carved face, Xiao Xiaonian has been heroic between his eyebrows, he squatted under the table, vigilantly staring at the door, Mei Rui's feet were about to step in, he raised his eyebrows, and said sharply: "Who allowed you to come in?" ”

Mei Rui was stunned, and saw that he was wearing a large red shirt with a large group of flowers, a distant travel crown tied to his head, a golden hook around his waist, and a coat with a white fox fur collar, estimated to be seven or eight years old, and looked like a golden bone, so he guessed his identity. She stopped, stood at the door, slowly crouched down, and said to the ancestor under the table, "Is Your Highness playing hide and seek?" ”

The little prince's face was flushed with heat, and he glared: "What is this palace doing, do you need to ask?" ”

The prince lost his mother at a young age, and has been raised under the knees of Queen Zhao, who is stubborn by nature, the queen is not his biological mother, so naturally he can't control him, and the emperor dotes on him, and indulges him even more lawlessly, like a demon king in the palace, Mei Rui smiled kindly: "Naturally, there is no need, but isn't it uncomfortable for His Highness to squat like this, the slave maid is for the sake of His Highness's body." ”

When she said this, the prince really thought it was like this, but the child's stubborn temper rose, and he couldn't stop it: "What does this have to do with you!" You get out! Shut up, don't talk, don't snitch! ”

is young, and the kung fu of lust and inwardness has been learned ten percent, but with that slightly fleshy face, there is no deterrent, Mei Rui couldn't help but smile: "It's the slave who overstepped, but the slave and the maid heard that the leg is numb, and it won't grow tall." She slowly stood up and gave a thoughtful salute to the prince: "The slave and maid are retired." ”

The prince was startled at first, and just wanted to move his steps, but found that his feet were really numb after squatting for a long time, and the legs and feet raised by Jin Yu couldn't stand the numb and prickly feeling, and he fell to the ground as soon as his feet were weak. It was a real fall, and it hurt so much that his mouth was deflated, and he cried out.

Mei Rui gave Xi Shun'er a look, and Xi Shun'er slipped out in a playful manner, she turned around and bent down to coax the crying ancestor: "What's wrong with Your Highness?" ”

The little prince cried sadly, as if he wanted to vent all the depression in his stomach, Mei Rui kept bending over and looking at him, and after a long time, his waist bent a little painfully. But the little ancestor didn't pay attention to her, and she didn't want to quit again, so she simply followed into the belly of the table, clasped her hands in front of her knees, and made amends with a smile: "It's the slave maid who is not good, let His Highness move, and His Highness fell, but the man doesn't flick if he has tears, and His Highness will cry again, but he will attract the mandrill." ”

The prince, who was rubbing his eyes, paused, and sobbed: "Liar, the mandrill has seen it...... I met the Hongu ...... also kneel...... Hongu is the true dragon emperor...... Emperor...... ...... who is not afraid of ghosts and gods"

His eyes were red from crying, and the prince of the heavenly family was only an eight-year-old child after all, Mei Rui felt pity and said softly: "That's it, Your Highness is not even afraid of mandrills, so what else is there to cry about, men don't flick when they have tears, Your Highness should be stronger." ”

The prince was silent, his little shoulders twitched, and when he saw that he was about to cry again, Mei Rui hurriedly said, "Does Your Highness like to eat sugar cakes?" ”

She smiled and took out a package of oiled paper from her arms, which was neatly lined up with four pieces of sugar cake, a white and tender glutinous cake, and a red date pressed on it, the prince swallowed his saliva, blinked his eyes that still contained tears, and pointed to the sugar cake and said: "This thing, this palace has never seen." ”

Mei Rui thought for a while and said, "This is a snack from the slave's hometown, His Royal Highness has always eaten fine clothes and jade food, and it is appropriate not to eat it." "It is indeed the best idea to buy children with food, and the little ancestor who was still crying just now has been completely hooked by the sugar cake, he licked his mouth: "Can I eat a piece of this palace?" ”

"Absolutely." Mei Rui said happily and handed him a piece of sugar cake, he chewed and ate the sugar cake slowly, the soft and sweet feeling was still between his lips and teeth, he looked at Mei Rui with bright eyes, Mei Rui smiled, gave him the remaining three pieces, and said intimately: "Your Highness slow down, the slave maid will pour a glass of water for His Highness." ”

The prince ate the sugar cake and said, "Go ahead." She got out from under the table after answering, and her legs were numb for a while, and she held on to the edge of the table for a while, and was about to pour a glass of water for this pestering ancestor to prevent him from choking, when a chanting voice came from outside: "Lord Protector has arrived—"

The quaint door of the Literature Museum was pushed open, and it snowed outside, and the cold wind blew in the fine snow foam, and even the neat corners of the purple brocade robe were also raised, and a pair of clouds with treasure patterns and brocade stepped in, crushing the ice and snow that had fallen on the ground before it had time to melt, like clouds rolling and overturning in the sky, never merciful to the bitter cold of the world. The coldness of his eyebrows and eyes is innate, like an open window, and the wind comes and goes through the hall, leaving nothing in his heart.

He frowned, and said indifferently in a bow: "Where is Your Highness?" ”