The round trip took less than two months, and it seemed like years.

When I went, Chang'an had not yet fallen a winter snow, and when I came back, the palace wall had accumulated a thick layer of snow white.

The vertical arch hall is burning with earth dragons, warm like spring.

Yun He took a closer look at the table of delicacies presented in the dining room, left satisfied, and went to invite the emperor and the eldest princess Jinghe in the library to dinner.

As soon as he approached, he was smashed on the head by a book, and when he looked up, His Majesty was glaring at Jinghe on the side seat without hiding his anger.

Jinghe hurriedly got up and knelt on the ground with his knees plopped: "Jinghe implores the imperial brother to take back his fate." ”

"I thought you had a deep affection for Yang Taotao." The Emperor frowned and glanced at Jinghe in disbelief.

Jinghe continued to kneel on the ground, "My sister is young and ignorant, and she has done too many things to disappoint the imperial brother in the past. But my sister is unwilling to marry a crippled person! Moreover, Yang Taotao and Jiang Cailing have always had something to do with each other, although the royal brother can not care about it, but the younger sister is difficult to let go. ”

"Nonsense!" His Majesty looked at her coldly, and after a while, he said softly: "Do you know that Yang Taotao was injured for me, and I owe him an arm." “

"Since that's the case, then the imperial brother can naturally find a way to make up for him personally, and he doesn't have to ask me to marry that cripple." Jinghe argued, "Besides, even if the Empress Dowager agrees to this matter, my father will definitely not agree." Even if my father agreed, my sister would not succumb to her best of everything. “

"You ......" the emperor raised his right hand and pointed at Jinghe, but after a while, he only fell down to the desk, "You go." Let's get out of the palace. ”

Your Majesty is angry now, and it is estimated that he has no appetite for food.

Although Cai Ling was only wearing a thin shirt, she hurriedly followed Jing He out of the gate of the Vertical Arch Palace.

"You broom star, what are you doing with this palace?" The woman in the snow fox was delicate and luxurious, and she paused.

"The slave wants to clarify one thing with the eldest princess." Cai Ling buried all her pride, and she was already extremely humble, "The slave and Yang Duwei are just ordinary friends, and Yang Duwei also said that he will have nothing to do with the slave and the maid from now on." Her Royal Highness the eldest princess, don't be angry with Yang Duwei. ”

"Hmph...... Even you have come to deceive this temple. Jing and the evil smiled, "The people who used to sneer at the main hall are now begging the main hall to accept that cripple. But why did the main temple want to bury the good youth in the hands of that cripple? Tell me, have you ever heard from ancient times to the present that a man with a broken hand can still be a general in the army? The second half of Yang Taotao's life is over, and the palace is only glad that he didn't marry him! ”

The north wind whistled, and the cold wind and snow slashed across the cheeks like knives, and the pain was unbearable. She watched as the woman wrapped in the snow fox sat on the step with the support of the palace people, walked farther and farther, and gradually disappeared at the end of Yongxiang.

She had thought before that if everyone could be quiet and peaceful, and everyone would be brave enough to pursue what they liked, and abandon what they didn't like, life would be much simpler. But for the sake of simplicity, is it worth living in the world?

She only hopes that when her life ends a hundred years later, she will look back on the experience of her life, there are no regrets, and there is no one who can't live with her.

When she returned to the Vertical Arch Hall, she saw that the meal at the table was still intact, so she took the food box, picked out a few things that His Majesty particularly loved, and brought them to the library.

She put a few plates of food on the small table, and when she saw that His Majesty was reading the folds with her left hand, she said softly, "There must be a better way." ”

The pen in his hand froze slightly, and when he glanced over, his sword eyebrows and starry eyes had returned to his usual decision.

Later, he canonized Yang Mengming as a noble concubine.

What he owes Tao Tao, he has to repay it by bestowing his sister with thousands of favors.

Although the Yang family has lost a son who can lead troops to fight, it has one more Mrs. Yipin who can call the wind and rain in the inner court.

Since she was married to the court, life seems to be led by someone, she has already learned to be submissive, not arguing, and only waiting for five years to be released from the palace safely.

But this time, she actually opposed His Majesty's concubine as a female official in the inner court, and the voices of the hostile people in the court almost drowned her, but she knelt in the front hall of the vertical arch for two days and one night.

Many years later, there were still people among the people who whispered that Empress Ciren Jiang was jealous, and dared to prevent His Majesty from erecting Yang Guifei as a mere fourth-grade female official, and did everything she could to force His Majesty to suffer. That Liangxian Concubine was pregnant with a dragon heir at that time, and if her body was damaged at all, who could afford it, the officials persuaded each other, and Empress Ciren Jiang gave up!

In Ziwei Palace, the pond water is covered with thin ice, the bushes next to the Jiuqu Corridor are piled with thick snow white, and two plum blossoms are spit out their stamens in the whistling north wind.

Cai Ling stood on the long bridge and waited for the flowers.

"Sister Ling." The woman's lips in the snow fox opened lightly, and her chin lowered her eyebrows.

"Do you know what I asked you to meet?" Cai Ling said in a deep voice.

Meng Meng frowned: "Is it about His Majesty wanting to canonize me as a concubine?" Does Sister Ling mean that she wants me to resist the will? ”

"Hmph...... Resist?" Cai Ling said coldly, "Do you still have any plans to accept the order?" Where have you and him come to this, I won't think about it for the time being, do you have the confidence that after entering the palace, you can serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly and forget it? “

"For the sake of the Yang family and for the sake of my brother, I should do the same. Isn't this what you've repeatedly warned me, sister? I want to look at the big picture. Why do you do everything you can to get in the way of this? Do you know how much my brother hates you for this? Meng Meng put her hands in the fox fur sleeves and looked at her without complaining.

Will she and Tao Tao never go back to the past? Thinking of this, the momentum of finding someone to settle accounts suddenly disappeared.

"Sister, don't worry, I and Shen Tai are just playing on the spot, and now I am only glad that I am not married to him." Meng Meng whispered.

Cai Ling's dim eyes suddenly flashed with a glimmer of brilliance, "This is true?"

"If my sister doesn't believe it, you can take a look at the Shougong sand on my arm." After that, you have to roll up your sleeves.

"No need." Cai Ling saw that her words were conclusive, so she only advised, "The harem will not lose to the court, and you should learn to protect yourself from now on." ”

"Thank you, Sister Ling, for making it happen." Meng Meng bent her knees slightly, turned and left.

There is one more enemy in this harem. She pursed her lips and threw a pebble that pierced the thin ice in the pond and made a splash of three or four dots.

She smiled lightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of someone standing in the path by the bridge with her hands in her hands, and she turned her eyes to meet Yu Moyan, who was the supreme official of the Taiyi Bureau at the time.

She hurriedly threw another stone in her hand, plopped it up, and smashed another ice hole.

"Brother Yu......" she trotted to Yu Moyan and shouted loudly.

"Lord Jiang." A younger doctor was dodging out from behind a tree.

She returned the salute, and then looked at Yu Moyan, only to find that there was no joy in his deep eyes, so she swallowed all the words in her heart, and only asked: "Lord Yu is still used to life recently." ”

"Hmm." He only replied like this, and even the doctor with the medicine box was cramped, and couldn't help but move a few steps behind the tree.

"Lord Yu, this is just a diagnosis of the Queen Mother's peace pulse?" Cai Ling asked with a smile.

"Hmm." This time he nodded.

Cai Ling was still smiling, and said with her head bowed: "Lord Yu is busy, I won't bother." "Anyway, stay on the side of the trail.

When he passed by her, he left a slightly floral wind, and she suddenly spoke: "I have finished taking all the medicine I prescribed last time, and I don't know if I have recovered?" ”

His steps paused, and his two fingertips were already attached to her wrists through the sleeves of the skirt, and after a moment, he said, "The same recipe, eat three more pairs." ”

She snickered and nodded, as far as her eyes could see, a thin layer of red suddenly dyed on his cold face, which brightened up his handsomeness even more, and she couldn't help but take a closer look. He quickly glanced away and turned away.

The time in the palace is long and boring, some people are desperate to drill in, and some people can't help themselves, the former is Liang Mingyue, Yang Mengming, etc., the latter is Yu Moyan, and what about her? It's a bit of both.

It's just that why is Yu Moyan's attitude towards her hot and cold? If it weren't for the test just now, she would have thought that even Brother Yu would have to draw a line with her. Then these long days with no end in sight are really all endless suffering.

After waiting for another pillar of incense, the emperor hurried out of the Yujing Pavilion, and Yude chased after him at a trot in the dust. Cai Ling took refuge beside the trail and followed him when he approached.

As soon as he approached, he paused and stood with his hands in his hands, a plum blossom spitting out stamens beside him, and the fragrance of flowers was permeating.

Only then did she raise her head, look at him in astonishment, and after meeting her eyes, she smiled slightly: "Your Majesty wants to ask, why am I standing in this cold and snowy place, and I don't know how to wait in the warm pavilion?" ”

The emperor's originally cold face slowed down in an instant, and a little light lit up in his bottomless cold eyes: "Dare to speculate on the holy will?" ”

"Serving Your Majesty every day, you can't be a stupid person in the end." Cai Ling smiled, seeing that he was still waiting for her answer, she hurriedly replied: "I'm afraid that the old ancestor will be angry when he sees me." ”

"Hmm. The Empress Dowager is very angry with you. The Emperor strode ahead.

"Your Majesty, can't you deceive the slaves and maids?" Cai Ling followed closely behind him, "Is there no such relief?" “

"I'm not trying to comfort you." The Emperor turned his eyes to glance at her. She pouted, full of grumbling and only dared to vent to herself.

Returning to the Vertical Arch Hall to deal with government affairs and having dinner was no different from usual, until Yude came with a few Niangniang's signs, the emperor didn't look at it, and raised his hand to let him go.

Yude and Yunhe complained: "Concubine Liangxian actually came to the Vertical Arch Hall today to find Your Majesty, Zhao Zhaoyi has not seen the holy face since she entered the palace a few days ago, let alone Wei Meiren......"

Yunhe smiled slightly and turned his eyes to look at Cai Ling. Cai Ling felt a little guilty, knowing that it was his recent strong opposition to His Majesty's canonization of Yang Mingming that had caused His Majesty to be annoyed.

She slept late into the night in the hut when someone sat on the edge of the bed and gently pushed her in. She was so angry that she said in a daze, "I obviously locked the door from the inside." ”

After a moment of silence, the man had found enough space to lie down, and gently took her into his arms: "A small lock is difficult for me." ”

Sleepy and deep, she didn't want to delve deeper, and only leaned on her warm chest to enter a sweet dream.

The next day, she heard that the emperor had dispelled the idea of canonizing Yang Mengming as a concubine, and even though there were many whispers in the court, His Majesty only said: "My mind has been decided." ”

Wearing a vermilion court robe, Tao Tao, who had one sleeve but was empty, knelt on the marble floor of the inner hall of the vertical arch, "The minister has the courage to come and ask for the courtier's sister again." ”

"Do you know that I can protect your Yang family. I can crown you as the Marquis of Pingyang, hereditary replacement. The emperor persuaded.

"The minister is just a wasted person now, unable to serve the country, what about the marquis? But the minister's sister has always been thin-faced, and the minister is afraid that she will have accidents. Although the minister can't serve the country and the court, he hopes to give his sister a promising future. May Your Majesty be fulfilled. Tao Tao kowtowed three times.

His Majesty said, "You go back first." I'll think again. ”

Tao Tao withdrew from the vertical arch hall, faced Cai Ling, who was chased out, raised his hand and took out a silver ticket from his arms, and handed it to her: "This is the money owed to you, and you and I will have nothing to do with each other from now on." ”

"Tao Tao ......" She didn't reach out to pick it up, only looked at him sadly.

He threw the silver ticket in the air, and the north wind blew coldly, rolling it up and blowing it into the snow, and his words were cold without a trace of warmth: "Lord Jiang, please respect yourself." ”

For this reason, she took a day off and tossed and turned in the hut to ponder. It wasn't until the afternoon that Aunt Chun personally came to spread the word that the Empress Dowager wanted to see her.

She hurriedly found the purple clothes that the Empress Dowager liked, combed her delicate hair bun, took Xinpei's tea and went to Ziwei Palace with Aunt Chun.

Before she could say the greetings that she had thought about many times along the way, the Empress Dowager asked her straight to the point: "What are the conditions?" You just open it. ”

Her eyes widened, although she had already guessed that it was about Yang Mengmeng, she still wanted to ask clearly: "What conditions are available?" ”

"If you no longer hinder Meng Meng from entering the palace, the mourning family promises to ensure that you leave the palace safely in five years."

She smiled sadly, how could she negotiate terms with her ancestors.

"If you can put forward conditions, there really is a slave and maid."

"Say it." The Empress Dowager coughed lightly.

"The slave's aunt is still locked up in the palace, and even the biological mother of the eighth prince can move to the palace to live with her son, and the abolished prince is just a concubine, what is the use of imprisoning her mother? It's better to let my aunt go to the border gate. Cai Ling knelt down and pleaded.

"That's it?" Although the Empress Dowager is not angry after resentment, she is her aunt in the end, not really cruel to her.

"Hmm. That's all there is to it. Cai Ling said.

"The mourner promised you." The Empress Dowager instructed, "However, don't forget what you promised to mourn the family." “

The woman who knelt outside the inner hall of the vertical arch that night begged for His Majesty to canonize the Yang family.

Later, when a storyteller said this, he naturally didn't understand the reason, but only said that Empress Ciren Jiang was ambitious and knew how to use methods, and she pinched the emperor in the palm of her hand if she wanted to capture him. Although the emperor ignored her for a few days, he put an end to a troublesome matter in his heart. Empress Ciren Jiang was still a female official in the inner court until the beginning of the spring of the following year.