Chinese New Year's Eve in Taiping City was particularly lively, and the courtiers were more lively than in previous years. Officials who usually don't move around with people discuss the coming year with each other, especially the powerful officials of the East Palace. In previous years, the Qi Palace, which was like a city, seemed to be deserted, but the Liu Mansion of Lu Guogong was as plain as usual, and it was even more indifferent than last year.

Approaching evening, Liu Ce was dressed and was about to enter the palace to attend the dinner, when Liu Zhixing followed. Liu Zhiming entered the palace early in the morning, and there were more women and children in the Guogong Mansion today, and there were fewer people. As a five-rank military general, Liu Zhixing repeatedly asked His Majesty the Emperor to attend this year's dinner, but he was rejected again and again, and he didn't even reach His Majesty the Emperor's case. Liu Ce boarded the carriage and looked at the family, and then looked at the streets with endless crowds. It's still the same as in previous years, but there is a big secret in my heart that no one knows.

Liu Zhixing held his breath in his heart and said, "Dad, I'll drive for you." ”

I don't know how many times I said this, and how many times Liu Ce refused. Liu Ce said: "I am not at home all the year round, and I am not allowed to go anywhere if I stay at home this year." Remember not to go out for a single step, and especially not to have anything to do with any of the royal family. ”

The two women seemed indifferent to the affairs between men, looking at the eager Liu Zhixing, how could they not know what they wanted to do? It has been more than a month since he returned to Taiping, and the emperor has not been announced to the palace once, Wu Jin pulled Liu Zhixing's sleeve and said, "Second brother." ”

"Sister-in-law, I know, but." Cunman said helplessly.

Liu Ce, who left in the carriage, said silently: "Wait for another half a year, it will be half a year." ”

Liu Zhixing watched the carriage slowly leave, and Wu Jin instructed Xia Er to keep an eye on the second son tonight. Mrs. Liu held Liu Zhixing's hand but didn't let go, and the old man told him many times before going out that he must not let Liu Zhixing go out for a single step.

A few people entered the courtyard gate and closed the gate tightly, and Liu Zhixing felt very strange during this time. The news that Xia Er brought back from Yang Chen was almost useless, and from the eyes and demeanor of her father Liu Ce, she could see that something big would happen tonight. smiled at Xia Er, hugged Liu Xiaoxiao and said, "Xiaoxiao, second brother will take you to eat." ”

Liu Xiaoxiao smiled stupidly and pinched Liu Zhixing's nose: "Second brother, if you lie to me again, you will be a big pig." ”

Liu Zhixing pinched Liu Xiaoxiao's ears with his backhand, and Liu Xiaoxiao, who was in pain, kept screaming. Xia Er on the side covered her mouth and snickered, she hadn't seen the second son so relaxed for a long time. Maybe only Liu Xiaoxiao in the world can make Liu Zhixing let go of his body and mind, and then he will look like a twenty-year-old boy next to his sister.

Yulian, who had been preparing for a long time in the palace, waited for the will by the xylophone, and changed into a palace robe in red. Tonight, Yulian played solo instead of rehearsing the pipa ensemble, and the body and mind of the red clothes were not on the music, but more interested in flowers and plants.

Yulian asked calmly, "Hongyi, did you say that he would arrive today?" ”

Hongyi, who cared about the two begonias that no one took care of them tonight, didn't seem to hear it, and turned her head to look at her sister with a sad face. Yulian plucked the strings boringly and thought about a young man, wondering if he was doing well in Taiping City, and whether the bride he was going to marry would be very good. At first glance, Miss Yang is a good girl, and everything is very good except for some spicy.

I don't know when the sorrow continues, and it takes a long time to practice a piece to get the meaning. The eunuch on duty hurriedly arrived, and the red clothes immediately lifted their spirits. Hongyi looked at the young and already young father-in-law Li, and shouted, "Little Lizi is here so soon." ”

Xiao Lizi said a little anxiously: "Sister in red, is the jade beauty ready, it's a little anxious over there." ”

The red clothes pretended not to hear, approached Xiao Lizi and quipped: "Why, there is no time to say a word." ”

Seeing Xiao Lizi's face flushed, Hongyi felt more and more funny. In the palace, this little plum is more interesting, and everyone else is lifeless. In fact, Xiao Lizi is also more grateful, that is, it is not red.

I saw a white-clothed Yulian walking out of the palace gate, and two maids behind her carried a double finch qin. took a few steps forward and said, "Is the time for Xiao Li's father-in-law to come?" ”

Xiao Lizi replied: "Back to the beauty, Mr. Wei has advanced the program of the beauty and ranked it first." Please also ask the beauty to walk a few steps quickly with the slave, it will not be good to delay the hour. ”

Walking out of the Qinglin Palace, Yulian looked at the layers of high walls, and Yulian's heart became more and more dull. I couldn't help but be more nervous in my heart, what would happen if I saw Liu Zhixing tonight. His hands were a little stiff by the cold wind, and he clenched his fists slightly.

Approaching the Taihe Palace, she suddenly saw a black-armored gun-wielding general, and Yulian closed her eyes tightly. Then he shouted, "Stop." ”

The leading general suddenly stopped and bowed, and Yulian slowly approached with the red clothes and said, "Big brother." "I don't know what to say, everything is silent.

Liu Zhiming slowly raised his head and glanced at Yulian, who was dressed in white, and immediately took a step back, and shouted very heavily: "The last general will see the jade beauty." Yulian was stunned for a moment, no matter what, she never thought that they would meet again like this.

Yulian said softly: "Big brother, he's okay." ”

Liu Zhiming, who clenched his fists tightly, only replied: "It's good." "I really don't know what to say. Yulian entered the palace and couldn't say that she was sorry for the Liu family, but she blamed the Liu family for not protecting her future daughter-in-law.

The two looked at each other for a long time and were speechless, and Liu Zhiming suddenly asked, "Is it good for Yumei to be in the palace." ”

smiled faintly, looking at Liu Zhiming, who looked nervous, and felt more warm in his heart. A hard-won greeting in the cold palace is like a bunch of flames in the cold wind. With a long-lost smile on his face, he said, "I'm fine, don't worry, big brother." Mrs. and sister-in-law are okay. ”

Relax and unwind, Liu Zhiming's smile is much gentler, and there is a lot of guilt in his heart. Since the day she entered Liu's Mansion, she has been a family, although Yulian has her own things to be busy, and she will return to Liu's Mansion as a family every day. From Liu Ce to the servants in the house, they all regarded this foreign girl as their own family.

Since Yulian entered the palace, she has not had a chance to enter the palace according to the etiquette system or blood relationship, especially what is Mrs. Liu's entry into the palace. There has been no news in the palace for months, and there is still no news outside the palace.

In the cold wind, the two of them said very little, Xiao Lizi looked at the time and stepped forward and hurriedly said, "The time for beauty has arrived." ”

Glancing back at Xiao Lizi, he saluted Liu Zhiming and said, "Big brother, I'll go in first." ”

Liu Zhiming bowed down and said to the soldiers behind him: "Congratulations to the beauty." "Both hands are clenched into fists, and some are only helpless.

Riding the foot, His Royal Highness Taihe, Yulian looked back at the vast square full of sadness. The moon in the sky was hazy and dotted with stars. is like my current self, a half moon obscured by black clouds. When the sky is full of stars, I laugh, but the half moon is lonely.

Behind him, he followed the red clothes into the Taihe Palace, as if only one person in the world walked outside the world.

The emperor smiled happily, and the queen stared at the jade lotus who came over. The civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty talked to each other, and the royal family toasted each other.

Walking into the seat, only a pair of eyes never left Yulian's figure, and Yulian felt uncomfortable. The prince's eyes were extremely strange, and Yulian avoided it many times and did not dare to look at it. Sit quietly at the bottom and wait for the feast to begin.

With his hands on his sleeves, he looked at Liu Ce who was talking to people from time to time, and then turned his head to look at Yang Chen, who looked down silently from time to time. I have never felt that there is no such uncomfortable place in the world, thinking of a petal of tangerine and putting it in my mouth, some are only bitter, not sweet.

Father-in-law Wei opened his throat and shouted, "Have a banquet." ”

The two maids placed the double finch qin in the center of the hall, and Yulian nodded to the queen and walked to the center of the hall to play: "Traveling in the Sky"

When the piano sounded, only a few people looked at the girl playing the piano, and only three people looked at the woman in the center of the hall. The prince took a sip of the wine glass and let out a cold sigh, and turned to the minister beside him to answer. Everything is unremarkable, as if nothing unusual is the same as in previous years.

From time to time, the crown prince looked at his father, who was not drinking today, and turned to His Royal Highness King Qi, who also paid attention to his father. The sound of the piano was in my heart, and I walked to the top of the hall with a wine glass and said: "Tonight, my father is not strong enough to drink, and this palace will drink it on his behalf." "Drink it down.

The emperor's face was withered and he smiled slightly, and the queen stepped forward to help the emperor get up. The emperor stood up and held the jade cup in his hand to his chest: "My body is really not as good as a day, and you can drink it freely." The princes and marquis, who were still present in the royal family, stood up and bowed down one after another.

couldn't help coughing heavily, reaching out to cover his mouth and nose and looking around. Especially looking at the queen next to him and Lin Xie, who was still sitting next to the crown prince Qi Wang. Look around and sit calmly without making any movements.

Yulian stroked the piano lightly and stayed out of the matter, and there was no one in front of her. The Taihe Hall of Nuoda didn't know a trace of warmth, and the song was finished. Slowly got up and walked to the seat, closed his eyes and said nothing, no matter what happened, he just didn't see it, he didn't listen, he didn't know. The red clothes stood quietly in the back, and they were scared.

Suddenly, I heard the emperor slowly shouting: "Shanyang Hou." ”

The old man who was over half a hundred years old walked out of his seat in a daze, and his heart was at a loss. Everyone in the seat knew that there would be a bird today, and the body seemed weak and walked to the center of the hall to listen.

The emperor stared at Shanyanghou: "I heard that this year's harvest in Suizhou is good." Suddenly, not only Shanyang Hou, but all the princes present were terrified. Most of the ministers and the imperial family who can receive invitations from the emperor today are former ministers who followed the emperor back then.

In the past 20 years, there have been few people who have been punished, and today I heard the emperor call out Shanyang Hou first, and everyone bowed their heads. In charge of the Taiping Minshan military tent, Yang Chengming is a second-class military general, and Lan Shanbo. Clenched his fists tightly, since Shanyang Hou was named, how could he be less.

Shanyang Hou replied respectfully: "Back to Your Majesty, this year's harvest in Suizhou is still good compared to other states, and it is much worse than in previous years. "I was scared. Recently, the corruption case has been hot, although he has not accepted bribes from the DPRK and China. In the 10,000 acres of fertile land in Suizhou, there are still a lot of filial piety in various departments. Since the opening of Dali Temple, a lot has been destroyed.

The emperor did not directly name them, but said: "That's good, they are all old people." Who doesn't have a few troublesome juniors. How old is Shanyang Hou this year? ”

Shanyang Hou chuckled in his heart and said with a wry smile: "Weichen has nine out of fifty this year and sixty years after the year." ”

Knocking on the dragon chair at will, he said: "Time flies so fast, I am two years younger than Aiqing, this body is really worse than one day." It's time to recuperate, and seeing that the old people are still there, I am happy from the bottom of my heart. It's a pity that I can't drink alcohol in this body. Think about the big bowl of wine and big pieces of meat back then, it's a pleasure to think about. ”

Immediately responded: "Your Majesty is not old, thousands of years. ”

The emperor suddenly smiled dumbly: "Old, old, still a thousand years." This world is still young after all, let's be an old bone. It's time to recuperate, I sometimes envy Brother Ping, drink tea, and see my grandson's. A smile on his face.

King Ping said with a smile: "Your Majesty has won the award." ”