On July 20, in the Cuiwei Palace, the palace maid presented a few silk horses and many jewels and jade: "Today is the birthday of the mother, and the concubine Niangniang specially ordered someone to send these congratulatory gifts." ”

Cai Ling smiled slightly, raised her hand to let her take it to the back, and her eyes stayed on Manyun, who was half-kneeling in front of the incense burner and lighting musk, only to see a thin person like a piece of paper holding incense in one hand and a fire fold in the other, the incense had already been lit, but the fire fold had not been collected, and the incense was lit with fire.

"Auntie, be careful." The palace maid beside him reminded.

Manyun was taken aback, she seemed to forget that she was holding the incense and the fire, and instantly didn't know whether to put out the fire or put down the incense, and in the panic, her hands were burned red by the burning incense, and the palace maid hurriedly went to help, everything was cleaned up, she only looked at the back of her hand that was burned to peel off, and her eyebrows did not wrinkle.

Cai Ling handed her a bottle of plaster: "My master's characteristics, using it will never leave a scar." ”

"Why did Niangniang mention Lord Yu again." At this moment, Manyun was staring at his brows in a worried state.

Cai Ling didn't care, but asked: "Are you willing to live in forbearance with the person you like without seeking fame?" Or would you rather forget about it? ”

Manyun thought that she meant the emperor, and said solemnly: "Naturally, I am willing to stay by the side of the person I like, maybe one day I will be able to see the clouds." ”

"See the sun?" Cai Ling smiled, "I see." ”

At this time, the palace maid came to report, but she didn't dare to speak.

Cai Ling reminded her that she had something to say, so she said: "When the slave maid came back from Si Zhen's room, I saw His Majesty coming in the direction of our palace, but when the slave and maid approached, I saw His Majesty going to the fork in the road. The slave and maid looked at the intersection twice, but saw that His Majesty had turned back again, and the slave and maid were about to kneel down to greet him. Who knows, Song Meiren suddenly appeared on the palace road......"

"And then?" Manyun asked hurriedly.

"Your Majesty took Song Meiren to Chengying Lake to enjoy the flowers." The palace maid snorted.

"Why don't you know how to keep Your Majesty, just say that our mother has been looking forward to Your Majesty." Manyun said hurriedly, then covered his chest and coughed twice.

"Slaves don't dare."

"You ......"

Cai Ling stared at Manyun, and a wry smile appeared on her calm face: "Don't embarrass her." As she spoke, she sighed lightly and walked out of the hall.

"Niangniang, where are you going?" Manyun hurriedly followed.

"Let's take a trip to Chengying Lake. Maybe I can run into it. Cai Ling said in a deep voice.

In the past, this Chengying Lake was called Mingyue Lake, and when my aunt was still in the middle palace, she often entered the palace, and she loved to sit by the lake and watch the sunset in the summer evening.

Later, the lake was renamed because of the obscurity of the concubine, but it was okay, the lake was still calm and waveless, reflecting a row of weeping willows on the shore and the brilliant color of the sky and the slanting sun, and flocks of dragonflies skimming over the water.

Cai Ling had just walked to the lake, and she noticed that the figures in the pavilion, one tall and one short, were facing away from her, and she could hear Song Meiren say happily from afar: "Your Majesty, is that a line of egrets?" ”

Cai Ling also looked at the sky and saw a line of egrets soaring neatly in the gorgeous colorful glow, as if in a painting.

"Lady Niangniang." Yude, who was guarding outside the pavilion, stepped forward and saluted respectfully.

Cai Ling lowered her eyes, smiled slightly, and looked into the pavilion again, and the emperor who was originally standing with his hands in his hands had already turned around halfway and gently hugged Song Meiren.

"Niangniang, you have also seen it, and now Your Majesty is enjoying hibiscus with Song Beauty." Yude was quite embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. The palace just went out for a walk, not to spoil His Majesty's Yaxing. Cai Ling's tone raised slightly, "Bengong will go back." ”

"Congratulations to the mother......" The voice did not fall.

"Yude!" The Emperor suddenly turned and called.

"The slave is here." Yude hurriedly responded, and said to Cai Ling, "Your Majesty should have seen you, and now it would be disrespectful for Niangniang to leave again." ”

Cai Ling was embarrassed: "Then the palace will go with you to invite a saint?" ”

"Thank you, mother." Yude made a gesture.

Cai Ling couldn't help but hook up a smile, walked to the pavilion, this smile had already been hidden, and curtstoy: "The concubine sees Your Majesty." ”

"Why are you here?" The emperor asked lukewarmly, and his gaze did not even fall on her.

Cai Ling stood up straight and said with a smile: "The concubine also wants to appreciate the hibiscus in this lake." ”

The emperor was stunned, turned his head to stare at her, and she only looked at the emperor with a smile.

Song Meiren was half-nestled in the emperor's arms, looking coldly at the person who suddenly broke in. Although I met in Ziwei Palace half a month ago, I didn't have a deep impression of her, I thought she was cold and arrogant, but now it seems that she is just a pathetic person who wagged her tail and begged for pity because her face gradually withered, and she couldn't help but despise her a lot, and even avoided meeting and saluting.

"If Sister Shufei is too bored, she can go and chat with other sisters, why bother here?" Song Meiren leaned into the emperor's arms again, pouting.

"Presumptuous!" Cai Ling glanced at Song Meiren coldly, "Where is this palace going, what should you do, how can you arrange it!" ”

"Your Majesty......" Song Meiren's delicate face suddenly pale, looking up at the emperor, her face full of grievances.

The emperor was still looking at Concubine Jiang Shu at this time, and a smile appeared in his unfathomable eyes, so he let go of one hand holding Song Meiren, and stood with only his hand, "You stand down." ”

"Congratulations to the lady concubine." Song Meiren showed a smug smile and bowed.

The emperor glanced at him coldly, and Yude hurriedly persuaded him: "Song Niangniang, Your Majesty is asking you to step back first." ”

Song Meiren pouted and reluctantly walked outside the pavilion and asked Yude: "What is going on with this Concubine Jiang Shu?" His Majesty was indulgent to her. ”

"You'll understand later." Yude gestured again and again to tell Song Meiren to hurry up.

In the pavilion, a warm wind suddenly blew, blowing ripples on the surface of the lake.

"Let's go back." The emperor was expressionless.

Cai Ling walked up to the emperor, smiled and grabbed his arm, and walked to the white jade bench, "Can you sit down and enjoy the hibiscus?" ”

The emperor sat on the stone bench without saying anything, his eyes did not move to the outside of the pavilion, and he could only look at Cai Ling.

"What do you like about her?" In silence, she tilted her head sideways and met her eyes.

A smile appeared on his handsome face: "What else could it be?" It's nothing more than being young and beautiful. ”

After a moment of silence, her clear eyes gradually became stained, and she only murmured: "Young ......"

Yes, she also met a good son in his prime in the most beautiful years, but her fate was twisted and turned.

When he fell in love with him when he was a girl, his heart was in Jiangshan Sheji, and he only regarded her as a dispensable transparent person.

Later, he married her as a wife, and there were no ceremonies such as worshipping heaven and earth, and the second was past the age of a woman to marry.

After three years of hard work in the Imperial Medical Bureau, although he has achieved a lot of skills, he was already the oldest of the harem women when he was named the concubine.

Today is her 22nd birthday.

At this moment, the emperor, who was sitting at the end, suddenly stood up, looked down at her, and raised one hand to put it on top of her head, and when she looked up, the hand only stayed in mid-air. Immediately, she smiled in relief and stood up with him.

"The concubine will go back to the palace." The smile was undiminished, and he curtsied.

"Wait." The Emperor said, "I will go with you." ”

The two of them were side by side with the lush Chengying Lake, and the emperor raised his hand to remove a wisp of willow silk in front of her: "Yuzhou flood, Song Taishou passed the door three times and did not enter, the court has always rewarded and punished clearly, Song Taishou sent his only daughter to the inner court, and I only hope to comfort the hearts of my ministers." ”

Those who are monarchs should focus on social welfare. When she designed to send Liang Mingyue into the palace, she knew the truth.

This time, she only nodded her head.

When I walked to Cuiwei Palace, I saw the palace maids gathered in front of the table in the hall, whispering. Manyun hurriedly went to ask, and Cai Ling raised her eyebrows and asked the emperor, "What treasures did Your Majesty send?" ”

The emperor glanced at Yude, saw him frowning and his eyes full of horror, and muttered: "Your Majesty is too cheesy, and the ten night pearls are still in the vertical arch hall." The character of His Majesty's royal pen ......"

"Yude." The emperor drank lowly, and Yude hurriedly stopped.

"Clouds?" Cai Ling asked, "What is it strange?" What did you tell them to bring in? ”

Manyun's hand trembled slightly, and when he raised his eyes, the fear on his face was half more than that of Yude, and Cai Ling suddenly understood, but he was stunned.

The emperor coldly ordered: "Bring it to me." ”

The palace ladies trembled and held a picture scroll out, the emperor raised his head, Yude went to unfold it, a red plum blossom branch on the plain white painting paper was flourishing, and two yellow orioles on the branches were lifelike.

"Lord Yu of the Tai Hospital sent someone to send it, saying that it was to congratulate Concubine Shuniang on her birthday." Facing His Majesty's gaze as cold as an ice cellar, the palace maid explained honestly.

Cai Ling's calm face gradually showed a smile of relief, and his eyes were unconsciously covered with a layer of water vapor, thinking about the beginning, the master said: I only paint landscapes and never flowers and birds.

"Clouds. Put the painting away and find a chance to send it to Moyuan Pavilion, you will definitely be able to sell it for a good price. Cai Ling didn't take another look, and said to His Majesty, "The small kitchen has boiled beef brisket, can Your Majesty accompany your concubine to drink a glass of birthday wine?" ”

That night, the emperor rested in Cuiwei Palace. But the next morning, it was still unhappy.

Manyun looked at His Majesty's back as he drifted away, and wondered: "Obviously I was still smiling last night, how do I know that I was sullen again this morning." ”

"It doesn't matter." Cai Ling dresses up in the mirror.

"How can it be okay?" Manyun began to chatter, "The harem masters are all looking forward to sleeping, if the mother is ......"

"Clouds." Cai Ling said, "Help me take out the painting of Lord Yu." ”

The scroll unfolded again, and when I looked closely, there was a cluster of purple flowers hidden under the red plum tree, which was a piece of Ziling.

I used to read the Baicao Sutra, but I didn't understand the difference between Ziling, Zhuling, and Poria cocos, and quipped: "These Lings are all no better than a Jiang Cailing." ”

Master's hand holding the book trembled slightly, and he laughed aloud after glancing at her.

Now, my fingers have rubbed this volume of new ink, and my heart has long been mixed.

"Niangniang, the slave will ask someone to take this painting out of the palace today." Manyun came to pick it up with both hands.

Cai Ling took the painting but held it firmly: "It's okay." ”

"Niangniang......" Manyun tightened his eyebrows, "Leave it in the palace, after all, there are many dreams at night, if your majesty sees it again, I'm afraid it will be bad for Niangniang." ”

"It doesn't matter." Cai Ling personally put it in the cabinet, turned his head to see the anxious manyun, and said with a smile: "I have to go to the vertical arch hall at three o'clock in the hour." Hurry up and pass the breakfast. ”

As soon as Manyun heard the words "Vertical Arch Palace", he immediately lifted his spirits, and his face, which was originally covered with clouds, quickly burst into smiles.

Cai Ling sat in the hall, looking at her figure as she walked out quickly, and couldn't help frowning.

At the end of last night, the emperor still hadn't closed his eyes, and Cai Ling couldn't sleep after tossing and turning, so he asked, "Can the ten night pearls be sent tomorrow?"

"You want?" The emperor asked.

"Concubines have always been greedy for money." Cai Ling said with a smile.

The emperor pondered for a moment: "I don't know what to give you after thinking about it." If I really like the Pearl of the Night, then it's best, if not, I'll think about something else. “

"I like it." Cai Ling smiled and turned her face to look at him, "But the concubine has a wish recently, Long En is mighty, I wonder if Your Majesty is willing to help the concubine fulfill her wish?" ”

"Tell me about it." The Emperor lowered his eyes to look at her.

"The concubine wants to see the new champion." Cai Ling said sincerely.

The emperor was noncommittal, and turned outward, leaving only the back of her head. In the early morning of the next day, the emperor dressed neatly and said coldly to the tent: "At three o'clock, the front hall is bowed." ”