On the second day, Tuoba Tao, as usual, got up early in the morning, washed up, and went to the Taiji Hall early to watch the folds.

Emperor Tuoba of the Ming Yuan Dynasty sent Cui Hao to raise a book to sue the temple, and appointed Tuoba Tao to stay in the main hall and take care of all the affairs of the imperial court. And passed down the decree, the crown prince is both long and virtuous, and is the prince of the mandate of heaven. Ordered Situ Baima Gong Cui Hao and other six people to assist the crown prince wholeheartedly, and hundreds of officials performed their duties and obeyed government orders. The monarch and the minister are united to help the Great Wei Dynasty to be fixed forever and dominate the world as soon as possible.

Emperor Ming Yuan no longer lived in the Taiji Palace, but avoided the West Palace, but quietly came to the Taiji Hall from time to time to secretly observe them and observe how Tuoba Tao and the auxiliary ministers judged political affairs.

At the beginning, some ministers flocked to the West Palace to play Emperor Ming Yuan and Chen to play difficult problems. Emperor Ming Yuan avoided it, and just let the Zhongchang attendants preach in the middle: "I don't know the political affairs you played. The prince is intelligent and resolute, and has far-reaching knowledge. If there is any doubt, let your prince decide! ”

At the end of the day, the sun was in the west, and Tuoba Tao returned to the East Palace after dealing with the government affairs, regardless of the fatigue of his body, he ordered the inner servants to prepare to move to the Taiji Palace. Unexpectedly, the head of the guard, Dou Daitian, hurriedly came to report, "His Royal Highness the Prince, there is a young man at the door, and he looks like he is dressed like an extraordinary person. He claimed to have brought important gifts to congratulate King Taepyeong's wedding. Does Your Highness see or not? ”

"Young man?" Tuoba Tao's heart moved, "Let him come in and see the palace." ”

After a while, the guard brought in a young man, who was carrying a sandalwood box of great value. Tuoba Tao looked closely at the young man wearing a fine silk brocade robe, but he looked nervous and cowered, and entered the East Palace, his eyes secretly looked left and right, and his body trembled slightly, as if he had never seen such a world. His temperament and demeanor were extremely incommensurate with the brocade robe on his body, like a stolen piece of clothing.

Tuoba Tao saw it in his eyes, remained silent, and just asked him to hand over the box. Seeing that there was a lock on the box, he stretched out his hand to him and ordered in a low voice: "Bring the key, otherwise how will this palace open this box?" ”

The young man's body trembled slightly, and he handed over a wax-sealed envelope with trembling hands. Tuoba Tao took the envelope with his hand, his pupils shrank, and he saw that the envelope was written "Prince Taiping is personally opened, Qiyun respects", the font is graceful and upright, it is Qiyun's handwriting. His hands trembled slightly, and he asked the boy in as soft a voice as possible, "Who asked you to give me this box?" ”

The young man saw that he was dressed luxuriously, with crimson brocade and mink trim, and the gold thread embroidered with a five-clawed dragon pattern on the front placket, which was awe-inspiring. Zhilu Dao was His Royal Highness the King of Taiping who he was looking for, and replied in a trembling voice: "I don't know him either, I only know that Ludao was handed over to me by a young man." ”

"Young man?" Tuobatao's heart beat even harder, "What does he look like?" ”

The boy was at a loss for a moment, not knowing how to describe the appearance of the man entrusted to him. I regret a little in my heart that I shouldn't have coveted his silver ingot, in case something is not done by accident, and my head will fall off. After a while, the young man spoke, "Look at his appearance, he should be tall and burly." Pointing to the head of the guard standing beside Tuoba Tao, Dou Daitian said, "The figure looks like he imagined." ”

Tuoba Tao knew that it was not Qiyun himself, but the words on the envelope were exactly the same as Qiyun's, and he was a little surprised. I opened the envelope, and saw a key inside, which was the key to open the sandalwood box. Tuoba Tao asked him with a pleasant face, "Do you know what kind of place this is?" ”

When the young man heard this, he secretly said that something was wrong in his heart, and he hurriedly knelt down, "The villain said. ”

"Then you dare to come?" Tuoba Tao's voice turned, and he shouted coldly: "You hurry up and explain it to the palace from the person you met who gave you the box, and don't say half a lie." Otherwise, touch your neck and see how many heads grow! ”

The young man was so bluffed that he kowtowed again and again, and there was a "bang" on the green bricks, and he said: "The little one's name is Zhou Bai, who fled to Pingcheng, and he didn't eat or drink, but yesterday a man who looked like a sergeant fell in love with me." He gave me a piece of silver, bought a new dress for the little one, taught the little one some simple etiquette, and let the little one take the box and the envelope and risk death to come to the East Palace. ”

When Tuoba Tao heard this, he knew that he had been bribed, borrowed Qiyun's name, and handed him this sandalwood box. So, he didn't say much to him, and waved his hand to let Dou Daida take him back to receive the reward.

Tuoba Tao looked at the key in his hand and slowly inserted it into the keyhole of the sandalwood box. He opened the box and took out an object from the bottom of the box, his eyes frozen, and his body froze as if petrified.

Zong Ai, who was standing on the side, looked at his expression, and was a little curious, what would make the prince who had collapsed in front of Taishan and his color unchanged look like this. Zong Ai's eyes couldn't help but look at the object in Tuoba Tao's hand, which turned out to be a group of bamboo carvings.

I saw a small bamboo house standing on the bamboo carved chassis, and the yard in front of the house was tied with a fence, which was vaguely carved with flowers and bamboo, as well as poultry such as chickens and ducks, which was lively and lively. The windows of the small bamboo house are wide open, and you can even see the small tables and chairs inside. What is especially interesting is that in the courtyard, two people sit side by side on a deck chair, as if they are looking up at the sky and whispering.

Zong's love is puzzled, isn't it just a child's thing? Although the bamboo carving is also vivid, the carving is not excellent, and in some places it is slightly rough, which is extremely incommensurate with the exquisite sandalwood box containing the bamboo carving. But he held back the curiosity in his heart, after many years in the palace, he knew what could be asked and what could not be said.

Tuoba Tao looked at the bamboo carving in his hand without blinking, his eyes gradually reddened, and his fingers gently stroked the two villains engraved on it. If you look closely, some of the verdant bamboo pieces are still a little reddish, like blood stains left by a carving knife piercing your fingers. Looking at the reddish dots on the green bamboo carving, my heart was stinging and aching.

Tuoba Tao handed the bamboo carving in his hand to Zong Ai, who immediately bowed down and took it carefully. Tuoba Tao turned his back and stood with his hands in his hands. After a long time, I heard his cold voice and said slowly: "You go to the Internal Affairs Mansion and let them find a suitable place in the palace, not far from the Taiji Palace." Take this bamboo carving as an example and build a bamboo house like this for the main palace. And also...... Everything inside and outside the bamboo house is the same. ”

Zong Ai responded, carefully put the bamboo carving into the sandalwood box again, held the box in both hands, and bowed down.

Everything inside and outside the bamboo house, there can be a lot of things. But where are the people who look up at the stars with me? Tuoba Tao asked in his heart, rushed out of the door, clenched his hands into fists, and shouted to the sky: "Qiyun, Qiyun..."

Zong Ai, who had not walked far, heard the sound, and suddenly became agitated, and the box in his hand seemed to be unable to hold it. He paused for a long time, listened carefully, and did not hear Tuobatao's voice again, before shaking his head, holding the box, and walking away.