"Fortunately." Li Gai also returned the favor.

The rank and authority of the Wupin Palace Guards were more than one level shorter than that of the garrison commanders, but after all, they were the people walking beside the emperor in the forbidden palace, and the glory was greater than the power - even if that glory was a little bit of brilliance from the emperor.

Although Li Gai had doubts in his heart, he knew that if the palace guards were not by the emperor's side, it was most likely a summons. Therefore, he temporarily suppressed the suspicion in his heart, and after the salute, he lowered his hand and asked, "I wonder what happened when Your Excellency came to visit late at night?" ”

The young guard envoy first smiled slightly, and then solemnly took out a piece of bright yellow brocade folded into a small square from his sleeve, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty's secret decree." ”

Seeing this, Li Gai did not slack off, bowed down on one knee, and made a great salute to the envoy who passed on the holy decree, and took the Ming Huang Mianjin with solemn hands.

After passing the will, the young guard lightly took the handle, stood up with a polite support, and then said respectfully: "When the lowly mission arrives, this will return to the decree, the hour is not early, and the commander will rest early." ”

Li Gai smiled and said, "Then let this official send the guard envoy a step." ”

The young guard quickly refused, "Thank you, please stay with the Commander." ”

The palace guard who had come to deliver the secret decree came suddenly, and he left in a hurry, and at this time, it was close to three o'clock in the night, and he did not want to leave that person to inquire any longer.

However, when he opened the square yellow brocade and saw a vermilion lacquer imprint printed on the right side of a row of abbreviated words, the doubts in his heart were diluted to a large extent.

The literal content of the secret decree was simple and clear, and the handwriting was recognizable, but for the content of the secret decree, he hesitated slightly, and then walked back to the desk, picked up the pen and quickly drew up a list.

Summoning a close attendant, Rigai sent the list down. When the attendant was gone, he took out of his bosom a fold of fire.

lit the corner of the bright yellow brocade as usual, and Li Gai's heart jumped unnaturally and unnaturally.

Similar to this kind of secret decree, it is actually very non-compliant and customized, in fact, it is equivalent to the emperor casually ordering one thing, and there is no solemnity.

In the past, Li Gai was the shadow of the emperor in the forbidden palace, and he said everything to his face. Later, his identity was no longer hidden, and he served as the commander of the Kyoto garrison, and lived outside the palace, and the emperor wanted to discuss things with him. It is inconvenient for him to always run to the palace, and the terms are complicated and waste time along the way, so he often "communicates letters" in this way.

Naturally. The people who preached this kind of secret decree, Li Gai almost recognized it.

However, the envoy of the emperor's side who came today behaved in a standardized manner, and his courtesy was relaxed, but it always made Li Gai feel that something was missing. But there is no big fault with it.

Could it be that you are overthinking?

Li Gai frowned slightly, directly pinched out the flame that had just been wrapped around the brocade with his fingers, and kneaded it into a ball and put it in his arms.

……

Beicheng, Prime Minister's Mansion.

At this time, the insects hiding under the roots of the trees began to move every night. The chirping of insects exchanged messages that belonged to them, though no one could understand them. But for people, such a sound has a certain sleep-aiding effect.

There was an oil lamp on the square table in the small hall, and the light was not very bright. Yahuan Xiaoqiang sat on a small stool at the table with a round food box in her arms. The light of the oil lamp only traced the outline of her slightly bowed back, not enough to reflect her shadow on the ground.

She looked like she was trying to keep her eyes open so that she wouldn't fall asleep, but her eyelids and eyelids were "fighting" uncontrollably.

It had been nearly five days and five nights since the door of the study on the opposite side was last opened. In more than fifty hours. The gentleman, who was a man of few words, liked to feed donkeys, and was secretly described by some people in the house as having a brain problem, except for a meal during the day and a trip to the latrine at night. Just stay in it all the time.

If he didn't know what he was doing inside, according to the instructions of the third young master, he was waiting outside the study with a food box, and Yahuan Xiaoqiang, who was ready to be on call, would probably think that the gentleman he had been waiting for had a problem with his brain.

When the prime minister was a person with a very regular life and rest, he rarely stayed up all night to deal with official documents, and even when he was so busy, he would not bring the servants of the whole house to accompany him all night. The Prime Minister's idea is also clear in the hearts of servants with a little seniority, that is, servants are also human beings, and servants need proper rest in order to serve the head of the family more energetically.

Therefore, Xiao Qiang, who is not in the habit of staying up late, suddenly failed to rest early for a few days after the gentleman came back a few days ago, and she was already sleepy at this time.

She didn't last long sitting on the stool in the shape of a 'chicken pecking rice', and almost fell asleep in a trance. When she suddenly came back to her senses, although her body was not planted on the ground, the food box in her arms fell to the ground by mistake, and with a "snap", a few dishes of side dishes were scattered on the ground.

Xiao Qiang was taken aback, and her sleepiness suddenly disappeared. Seeing that the fallen food box could no longer be recovered, her face froze, and then she subconsciously looked at the closed door of the study opposite.

I don't know when the door opened, maybe the sound of the food box falling to the ground drowned out the sound of the door opening? Cen Chi leaned against the door, his straight gaze just met Xiao Qiang's surprised and slightly trembling eyes.

"What's the matter with you?" Cen Chi's hair was slightly scattered, his clothes were slightly messy, and only the tone of his speech was as steady as usual, and naturally there was a trace of coldness that resisted others.

However, Xiao Qiang noticed that the two fingers that Cen Chi had just pressed on his chest hung down after he finished speaking, and he didn't know if he was frightened by the sudden sound just now or for some other reason. She took a step closer with some worry, and when she saw Cen Chi walking out, she quickly stopped and turned around.

Cen Chi walked to the middle of the hall and sat down on a chair near him, he glanced at the broken dish and vegetable residue on the ground, then raised his eyes to look at Xiao Qiang, took a deep breath and smiled slightly: "Scare me." ”

Seeing this, Xiao Qiang's heart was relieved, and she apologized while cleaning up the debris on the ground.

Cen Chi sat on the chair and watched Xiao Qiang squatting on the ground and preparing to pick up the broken disc with his hands, he shook his head imperceptibly, then got up and took the broom placed in the corner of the house, and handed it to Xiao Qiang: "Don't pick it up with your hands, it's not good to prick your fingers." ”

Xiao Qiang was stunned and took the broom, Cen Chi's seemingly casual words poured into her ears, and somehow, a trace of sweetness welled up in her heart.

……

Walking on the stone path that crosses the middle garden of Xiangfu, Xiao Qiang felt that the gentleman was walking slower and slower today.

In the past, when the two of them walked together, he always easily left her behind without her respect, but today, she has silently slowed down, and he can't even keep up with the rhythm.

After walking slowly for a while, about four feet away from the diameter of the garden, Xiao Qiang felt that the footsteps behind her suddenly disappeared. She looked back in secret fright, and saw Cen Chi holding on to a small tree, his eyes drooping, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

"What's wrong with you, sir?" Xiao Qiang hurriedly ran back and grabbed half of Cen Chi's arm.

"It's been a long time since I've been so busy, but I didn't expect my body to be a little unbearable." Cen Chi did not hide it, and said it calmly.

After taking a few deep breaths, he slowly pushed away Xiao Qiang's hand that was holding him, and said softly: "Fortunately, it's over, it's okay to take a little more rest in the past few days, don't worry." ”

Don't worry? How could she not be worried?

I don't know when it started...... It should have been two years ago, when he first arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion, right? In the year of close service, this gentleman, who is polite to everyone, but talented and introverted, has repeatedly solved problems for Xiangye and Young Master, and his every move has begun to tie her up, but her understanding of this bond was vague at that time.

A year ago, he temporarily left the Prime Minister's Mansion to travel far away, and she didn't have to serve in close quarters every day, and only had the opportunity to clean the single courtyard where he lived every once in a while. One day, she was in a daze in the study with a feather duster and was woken up by another sister who was traveling with her, and she realized that she had planted the seeds of affection for him in her heart.

But in her daily life, the servants in the palace bowed her head to the father and son, bowed her head and saluted, and she clearly knew that with her own identity, she was not qualified and could not get that emotion.

However, feelings are difficult to accept Zhikong zhì, the year he left, the love in her heart was also suppressed for a year, and finally when he came back a few days ago, he was about to be unable to hold it back.

So whenever she has the opportunity to be alone with him, her feelings are easy to jump out of the framework of reason and identity. Seeing him using the table as a bed, she couldn't help but want to blame and remind; Watching him feed the little donkey and talk to it at the same time made her feel weird; Usually there is occasional physical touch, even if it is just eye contact, she will blush in a heartbeat......

And at this moment, seeing that he had been working hard for several days and finally appeared unwell, she was already worried.

The hand holding him was pushed away by him, Xiao Qiang didn't know whether to advance or retreat in the air, and after being slightly stunned, she couldn't help but say with a slight sense of blame: "Since you are uncomfortable, you shouldn't have followed me just now!" ”

"Well, it was my mistake." Cen Chi smiled faintly, slid down next to the trunk of the tree, and sat at the root of the tree, "It's just that it's so late, I don't know what else to eat in the kitchen, my mouth is very picky." After taking a deep breath, he said: "At this time, the whole house is quiet, you go to the kitchen alone, I am afraid of being misunderstood." ”

"These things were originally ordered by the third young master, what is the misunderstanding?" Listening to his words for his own sake, although this intention was superfluous, Xiao Qiang still felt warm in her heart. But at this time, when she saw him sitting on the ground, she was even more worried, and while holding his shoulders and trying to help him up from the ground, she hurriedly said, "Get up quickly, don't sit here." ”