Inside the crimson carved wood panes and tulle curtains, Li Ni sat in front of the dressing table.

The high-hanging glass lamp exudes a strange color, on the gilded copper phoenix candlestick next to the case, the candle flame is bright and bright, and the diamond flower phoenix bronze mirror on the case reflects a young and delicate face, which is reflected by the candlelight, showing a much more ruddy color than the day. But this face, always indifferent and without superfluous expressions, does not seem to match her age.

For a long time, the sadness in Li Ni's heart lingered. As a young child, she couldn't understand why people kept killing, fighting, and even losing loved ones. Aren't those sergeants who died in battle also sons or fathers?

No matter how long it had passed, whenever she thought that her poor parents, especially her beautiful mother, who loved her the most, had left her forever, she felt sad in her heart, and tears could not help but roll in her eyes. Every time she lowered her head and turned around, trying hard not to let the tears flow, she didn't want to affect Yu'er, Uncle Wang, and Xuan Ming, if she couldn't help it, she found a corner as soon as possible, squatted down alone and hugged herself, like a wounded little beast licking her wounds, crying thoroughly.

Slightly darker-skinned, delicate-looking, graceful Bloom untied her hair in a bun behind her, gently combing her waist-length black hair. Xuan Ming has been taking care of her since she was born. Xuan Ming is different from ordinary maids, she can read her mind, understand her thoughts, she will accompany her crazy if she wants to be crazy, and she will never bother her if she wants to be sad alone. Li Ni has always regarded her as a sister.

Yiying's attendants and utensils are the most respected in the royal family, but this is obviously not according to the wishes of the two, and the tranquility at the moment is not easy to take away many Chunyue's maids.

"Boom. Li Ni called softly.

"Ah, princess. Xuan Ming responded softly as he brushed his hair.

Li Ni paused when she heard this, and said in disappointment: "I am the emperor's sister, and now everyone calls me the eldest princess." ”

"Isn't the eldest princess also a princess," Xuan Ming said disapprehantly, "You will always be my little princess, and I, ah, love to call you that." ”

Li Ni's expression relaxed slightly, and he continued: "The monthly holiday mentioned in the court today is your hometown, right?"

"Yes, that's my hometown. ”

"Are you homesick?"

Xuan Ming paused and said indifferently, "I don't want to." ”

"But your parents are there, and you grew up there. Li Ni asked.

"Since His Royal Highness King Yao rescued me in Chunyue and brought me to Dijun, my original home has nothing to do with me, my home is in Dijun. ”

"But now, Dijun's home is gone. When Li Ni said this, she felt even more lost, confused and afraid.

"Where you are, there my home is. ”

When Li Ni heard this, he sighed lightly and said, "You follow us, but where should we be safe?"

Xuan Ming said: "Princess, don't worry, King Yao will definitely recover the capital." ”

"Really, they are fighting like this today, and they want to keep Yu'er here, and my heart is still uncomfortable. ”

"No, princess, don't worry. Loud Ming believes in King Yao. Xuan Ming looked firmly into Li Ni's eyes in the bronze mirror.

Honk is always right. Li Ni calmed down for a while, and tried to stop thinking about it, "Xuanming, tell me about your hometown." ”

"Monthly off?"

"Well, there must be a lot of memories of you there, right?"

"I'm afraid it's just some unbearable memories. ”

"How so?"

"Yes, princess, there is nothing worth saying. ”

"No, you can hear it. "Li Ni really wants to hear about home.

"Alas, my princess, there are only poor mountains and bad waters in the land of the moon, and people can only live in poverty in the mountains and wilderness, what is there good. ”

Li Ni looked at Xuan Ming fixedly in the bronze mirror.

Blaze continued, "There are vicious beasts that attack us from time to time, and there are greedy toasts who rule over us. The people there were born poor and slaved. They toiled day and night on the lands belonging to the Chunyue nobles and the local tusi, and because they could not afford to pay the taxes and the medical bills of their relatives, they had to sell their children or themselves into slavery, and were bought and sold in the bazaars of the moon and other places, and even many merchants who bought and sold slaves made their fortunes. Princess, the monthly holiday is so sad, there is really nothing to talk about. ”

Li Ni turned sideways and grabbed Xuan Ming's hand, patted the position beside her, and pulled her to sit down, "I still want to listen, you can talk about it again." ”

Xuan Ming was sitting beside her, and continued a little helplessly: "The people of the moon have long been accustomed to going against the grain. Rich people like young moon rest slaves, because they are diligent and willing to work and can withstand beating and scolding, boys can do physical work one can top the other three, girls will do a lot of things, physique is good, work can be thick or thin, and most of them look a little beautiful, are bullied by the master, or directly sold to the Qinglou is also valuable. But when they are old or sick, they can't do much, and they end up miserable. Being able to return to the side of their relatives on monthly leave is the best outcome, but after they come out, they are displaced, and the changes in their families are unpredictable, and how many people have relatives to find. The master who remembered the old love threw them into the barn and horse pen, and fed them like livestock, and threw them into the street or the wilderness with a cruel heart, and waited for their death......"

Li Ni remembered what the minister of the palace said during the day, sighed and said, "No wonder Yuexiu wants to make trouble...... But isn't it true that the scholars say that the moon rises and sets, the place where the bard dreams of go?"

Xuan Ming looked at her and smiled and said: "In our opinion, those are all aristocratic lords who stay out of the matter, and when they meet the mountains and rivers and valleys during the moon break, they taste the delicacies of the mountains and wines, and they also spend a 'good night' in the Qinglou. ”

As she spoke, a smile gradually gathered on her face, "They don't understand the monthly holiday. It is where the moon rises and sets, and where the moon god dwells and shelters. There are steep mountains and rivers, and there are rushing rivers. The mountain is a jungle inhabited by birds and beasts, and during the day it is often filled with smoke, and only at night, when the rising moonlight lifts the clouds and caresses everything in the forest through the branches and leaves. At the foot of the mountain is a wide river that flows through during the day, only to slow down at night, and in the moonlight, fish float to the sparkling water, and river turtles climb onto the shore.

At the foot of the mountain and by the river, the people of the moon have multiplied and lived a mountain life under the blessing of the moon god for generations. They built wooden huts at the foot of the sunny mountains, cultivated fields on gentle slopes, women looked after their families and farmed, and men went to the rivers to fish and hunt in the forests. The men went out for a few days, and after a few mornings, they sang tunes and went home to show that this time the harvest was abundant. The children of the village ran out in groups cheering and bouncing to lead their father home. ”

Xuan Ming said, the expression on her face gradually softened, she raised her head, and there was little warmth in her eyes, "The children shouted loudly from afar, 'Grandma, Grandma,' and called the women out of the house, and each took his man home. That night, under the light of the moon, the whole village gathered together, lit a bonfire, poured local wine, sang and laughed, enjoyed the prey, sacrificed to the moon god, and thanked her for her favors, which was also the happiest time for the children......

Li Ni couldn't help but listen attentively and sighed: "This is really good." ”

"But it's such a simple and peaceful life, but it's getting farther and farther away from the moon holiday......"

"Is it because of Chunyue?"

"Although the nobles of Chunyue do not care about the life or death of the people who take a break from the moon, they are also one of the sources of suffering from the rest of the month, but the kings of Chunyue in the past dynasties understand that a stable rest is the guarantee of Chunyue's prosperity, so they still want to maintain a stable situation of the rest of the month. There are reasons for the more fearful people who are left behind, the destruction of their families and the displacement. ”

"What's that?" Li Ni asked.

"It's a ghostly beast. ”

Li Ni immediately remembered what happened in Longshan, and asked in surprise and fear: "Did the ancient books say that in the early days of the wilderness, the ghosts and alien beasts that ravaged the land and loved to kill living beings?

"I don't know, Princess," Xuan Ming shook his head in confusion, "but that's what the people on the moon off. ”

"But isn't that just a legend of the ancients?" Li Ni raised her voice with uncontrollable curiosity. She had been suspicious since that strange encounter, and she could still feel the pain and pressure of the thing's clawed withered hands around her neck, and she nearly lost her will when she plunged her fangs into its back, and then it vanished into thin air. They told Uncle Wang and Xuan Ming many times, and they always worriedly persuaded her not to think about it anymore, but how could she forget it, and now she secretly thinks to herself that when she is really afraid, she will find it and firmly pinch the dragon tooth. Today, Xuan Ming actually mentioned it, and she wanted to ask even more, "Now I know that it is true, but the legend records that those ghosts and strange beasts have long been led by the gods of heaven, and the beasts and ancestors of various places have defeated them, and after the gods have swept away these disasters, they divided the nine lands and selected wise men to lead them on their behalf to ensure that the people of the lands live and work in peace and contentment." In the Wenjing Pavilion, the ancient legends taught to us by the scholars are written like this. ”

Still shaking his head, he said, "I don't know how these ancient legends are recorded in the book. All I know is that more and more men are never returning from their hunting trips, that more and more villages are being attacked by horrible beasts and inhuman monsters, that many women and children are taken and found with only broken bones, and that entire villages are slaughtered and devoured overnight. But no one can say exactly what they are, because those who can see clearly will die. Princess, I don't think it's strange that you told the Emperor that you had met those monsters, and I didn't say that I was worried that you wouldn't forget the fright. And the moon is already shrouded in nightmares, the stars and the moon are dim, and I am afraid that even the moon god will no longer be able to protect us......"

"But I've never heard anyone say that...... Doesn't anyone care?"

"The princes are high and busy fighting for power, and the nobles and toasts are only interested in their own interests, and no one cares about the life or death of the mountain people. Something happened, and the yamen didn't want to waste their strength to investigate, so they sent someone to investigate hastily, and of course the yamen didn't want to risk their lives, so they made up an ordinary cause of the beast's scourge at will. Of course, such a matter is difficult to report to the political hall and the court, even if it finally reaches the hands of princes and high-ranking officials, no one will care, at most it is a simple approval document requiring investigation. ”

"But how did the ghosts of the Land of the Moon Rest come to the foot of Dragon Mountain again?"

"This ......," Xuan Ming shook his head and sighed, "I don't know ...... even more"

"But how is this good!" Li Ni whispered worriedly, "I'm going to talk to Uncle Wang tomorrow...... But Xuanming, I still don't understand why the nobles don't know about such things?"

Under the candlelight, Li Ni smiled lightly when she saw Xuan Ming and said, "Princess, because they are not monthly resters." They may have heard of it, but they live in the strife of the nine places, and they have no time to take care of it, and only in the mountains and fields between the sun, moon, mountains and rivers, what they see is the truth. ”