Qing Ling was startled and called in a low voice: "Little Qi......"

Luo Yao sighed, "Senior sister hasn't slept yet?" ”

Nonsense.

"Didn't you sleep too?"

Because you are breathing behind me, sighing and sighing.

"Slept. Already awakened. ”

"Uh......"

There was silence for a while.

Luo Yao asked, "What are you thinking?" ”

Qing Ling moved back slightly, widened some distance, and said in a low voice, "I didn't think about anything." ”

The two of them were a little apart, but they could see each other more clearly.

Luo Yao's gaze fell on Qing Ling's hand raised to his chest, and he saw that she was pinching a crystal clear and familiar purple jade ring. He groaned for a moment, and then hooked the corners of his mouth, and the arc was extremely bitter.

Qing Ling followed Luo Yao's gaze and looked down, only to notice it, hurriedly hid the ring back under his clothes, cleared his throat and asked, "Your father, are you better?" ”

Luo Yao said "um", and added, "You already asked before going to bed." ”

Qing Ling was stunned, "Oh......"

She really had nothing to say, and felt that she seemed to be carrying some unsightly emotions that she had to hide.

She remembered what Chun Yuyan had said, and asked thoughtfully, "You...... How old was your sister when your parents separated? ”

"It's still a baby."

"Oh. That...... Is it because her parents have been separated since she was a child that she has become so cold, and she always retains a suspicion emotionally, afraid of being hurt, afraid of being abandoned, and unwilling to pay more? ”

Luo Yao stared at Qing Ling for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said slowly, "Not all. When my mother left, she was too young to know what had happened. If my father and I had been willing to put more thought into it and give her more love, she might have been more cheerful and happier. Speaking of which, I, as an older brother, owe her a lot. ”

Qing Ling heard Luo Yao mention what happened when he was young, and knew that he was angry with his father because of his mother's departure, and he either practiced behind closed doors and didn't ask about the world, or he ran away from home and traveled all over the world, so naturally he didn't have much time to get along with his young sister.

"You were underage yourself at the time, so it's not difficult to understand that you are a little extreme, so you don't need to blame yourself." Qing Ling moved his arm, pillowed under his head, and changed to a more leisurely and comfortable lying position, "Although Ning Yan lacked some care when he was a child, it is precisely because of this that he has honed his ability to be precocious and capable, and in terms of martial arts and talents, he is the best among the ladies of our generation." Besides, haven't you helped her a lot in the past few years? If nothing else, if it weren't for you, she would have to marry my father a long time ago. ”

Luo Yao raised his eyes, and there was a hint of temptation in his eyes, "Senior sister, how can I be sure that I proposed to Your Majesty to help Ning Yan?" ”

Qing Ling's lips closed slightly, then smiled, lowered his eyes, and said, "That's right, you originally wanted to marry Ajing." ”

Luo Yao stared at Qing Ling for a moment, and the words that came to his lips hesitated in a few hesitations. Under the soft and hazy pearlescent light, the faces of the people beside him look particularly graceful and moving, so moving.

After a long time, he slowly spoke: "Actually, compared to Ning Yan, I am the one who has doubts, is afraid of being hurt, and is afraid of being abandoned. I've never had much confidence in the relationship between men and women. ”

Qing Ling slowly raised his eyes.

Luo Yao laughed at himself, turned over on his side, changed his position, rested one hand on his chest casually, put the other hand on his eyes, and pouted with a light smile on his lips that was not pleasant, "Because I have witnessed the scene when my parents loved each other very much when I was a child, I will be even more unable to accept their final separation." Even the love that people once gave desperately can't escape the end of the eventual parting of ways, and it's hard for me to imagine that there are any feelings in the world that can be indestructible. ”

Qing Ling looked at Luo Yao's side face, remembering the story he had told himself in the cave next to Zhuo Yuan about "swinging a sword and cutting love silk", thought for a moment, and asked later: "So, you are a person who is easier to give up......" She raised her arms slightly, propped up her head, her eyes were inquiring, but her tone was a little hesitant, "Then you, do you still want to be with Ah Jing now?" ”

Luo Yao slowly removed the hand on his eyes, looked back at Qing Ling in the dim light, and asked rhetorically for a while, "Senior Sister wants me to be with Ah Jing?" ”

Qing Ling only felt that one of her hearts was pounding uncontrollably a few times, which made her particularly uneasy in this cramped and narrow tent. In the air filled with the breath of the two of them, there was a kind of throbbing that slowly entered her lungs, just like that day when she was snuggling up to each other in the cave, she almost lost any sensory perception, only the sound of her heartbeat lingered in her brain and ears.

She looked at Luo Yao in a daze, then looked away as if she was dodging, slowly lowered her arm supporting her head, turned to lie down sideways, and quickly said, "Do you want to be with her, it's your business, ask me what to do?" I told you in Fuyu Shuize that as long as you and I don't infringe on each other's bottom line and cooperate well when necessary, I will do everything I promised you in the past. In the future, when Mu Chen has stabilized his position and I can do whatever I want, I will be reconciled with you and fulfill you and Ajing! ”

After saying that, Fang realized that he seemed to be answering too quickly, and he was a little unsteady and gasping slightly, so he raised his hand and pressed it to his chest, and just touched the ring under the placket, only to feel that the pearlescent light on the top of his head was like a mist diffuse, so that people could not see it really, and they did not feel confused.

Luo Yao also slowly looked away, staring at the pearl on the top of the tent for a moment, remembering that night in the bedroom of the Qingling Mansion, reflecting the halo of the shining silver bead clam lamp, she said with tears: "Even if you die a thousand times, ten thousand times, thousands of people point to me, ten thousand people spurn, I don't care." …… From body to mind, he can only belong to him, and he can only watch him alone for the rest of his life...... That's all I can live ......"

The pain of blood and tears torn out of his chest had long since dried up and he was numb, but he still felt confused, as if he had exhausted his vitality and could not shake the helplessness of a point.

Qing Ling beside him spoke again, his tone seemed to be much calmer, but the finger that touched the purple jade ring under the placket secretly clenched a little, "Xiao Qi, I've always been a little puzzled, why are you ...... Will you tell me about your deal with the people of Lieyang? With your cunning temperament, even if you are sure that I will not stir up the situation, you should have hidden such a thing......"

Luo Yao was silent.

Yes, that kind of thing really should be hidden.

But he still didn't hide it after all.

Is it because he really can't bear her alienation and indifference, or is it because he was unwilling to hide something from her from the beginning, so once the matter is a foregone conclusion, he can't wait to tell the truth in exchange for a little trust from her?

But what if she believed him? Even if he dissected the most secret vulnerability in his heart in front of her, what could he do?

For the object of dislike, people are always very ruthless. Luo Yao himself understands this truth.

To go one step further is to put everything you have into the hands of a woman who has no other in her heart, to be used, driven and even trampled on by her and those behind her. One step further is to disobey one's sincerity and decide to cut off one's obsession, but in this life, it may not be happier than one step forward.

He has been in doubt for a long time, afraid of being hurt, afraid of being abandoned......

After a long time, his voice sounded slowly, and it seemed a little ethereal and empty in the red silk tent that should have been warm and charming: "I just want to make myself happier by doing that." ”

~~

Qing Ling and Luo Yao's late-night conversation did not make any change in the relationship between the two. Afterwards, Qing Ling carefully recalled every word he had said, and secretly felt a little annoyed, always feeling that he seemed to have a bit of self-inflicted humiliation, and when he was alone with Luo Yao in the future, he often deliberately added some ridicule and sarcasm, trying to make himself seem like he didn't care about everything.

She maintained a superficial peace with him, and lived a daily life in a step-by-step manner, but she was also in peace.

On weekdays, in addition to learning to take care of the housekeeping with Ning Yan, Qingling still pays attention to the trends of the government and the opposition, and transmits some of her thoughts to Mu Chen in the form of secret letters at any time.

Regarding Luo Yao's deal with Lie Yang, she finally hid it. Whether it was Emperor Hao or Mu Chen, she only maintained the previous statement of "being suspicious", and constantly determined that the Marquis of Daze Mansion was the driving force behind this matter.

The reason for this is roughly due to three considerations.

First, after more than a year of confrontation at sea, the Lieyang army finally retreated from the attack due to the lack of supply in the rear and the soldiers' unsuitability to the water and soil, and moved the ships back to the sealed moat. Although Chaoyan was unable to relax his vigilance because of Lieyang's alternative offensive path, he still strengthened the defense of the army along the coast of Daze, but the current war troubles were temporarily resolved.

Second, if the threat of Lieyang is completely resolved, then Emperor Hao will definitely attack Jiuqiu again. Now that the Fang Shan clan is once again in control of the overall situation, they have learned the lesson of the last time, and they have taken the southern border and the various important positions in the army closely, once the war starts, I am afraid that they will take the opportunity to promote the disciples and build momentum. This is something that Qingling never wants to see.

Third, as Luo Yao said, Qingling also did not want to see the continuous wars in the Eastern Continent, and the people lived in water and fire. In the past, when he lived in Chongwu, he didn't have any experience, but later moved into Lingxiao City, and he rarely had contact with ordinary people. Later, when he went south with the army, Qing Ling came into contact with people like soldiers and pawns and small people in the market, and gradually understood the influence of politicians on all living beings, and began to feel ashamed and guilty about what he had done in the past to drill power and use power for personal gain.

Stopping the war and winning even a short-term peace for the Eastern Continent means more than all consummation for the thousands of Chaoyan and the people of Jiuqiu. Qing Ling felt that as the emperor of Chaoyan, he enjoyed the glory and privileges brought by this position, and he should also take measures to give back to the people. Therefore, whether it was for the benefit of the people in the past, she felt that she had made the right choice to help the good and curb it, but now she concealed the facts and prevented the war.

Even if the objects she concealed included Mu Chen.

Since Qingling married Daze, Mu Chen has never had the opportunity to meet her in the past year. He was dismissed from military office and spent his days in the palace, as if he had lost power before he was convicted of attempting to rebel. However, a discerning person can soon see that the eldest prince's "loss of power" this time is very different from the previous time. Although he was dismissed, the people who depended on him in the internal army still sat in a stable position, and Fang Shan's several impeachments and participation, trying to seize important positions from Mu Chen's supporters, instead set himself on fire, and were given empirical evidence to oppose the first army.

And Emperor Hao's attitude has never been clear. On the surface, although he dismissed Mu Chen's official position, he often summoned him to the palace in private, chatting with each other, and there was a lot of reward. Therefore, even the most adept at speculating on the emperor's heart in the court did not dare to draw conclusions and assert that the eldest prince would never make a comeback.

Qing Ling knew in his heart that Mu Chen, who had been on the verge of despair because of carelessness and credulity, would never allow himself to make the same mistake again......

Soon, in the second year after Qingling's marriage, on the eve of the birthday of the son of Daze, good news came from Lingxiao City again—

Mu Chen, the eldest prince of Chaoyan, made a marriage contract with Mu Linglu, the daughter of Mu Duan, the imperial historian, and married her as a side concubine on a certain day.