There are only a few trees in the patio, but there are also birds chirping in it.

Duan Xue hated to bury her head, her right hand tightly covering her left wrist. She felt like a prisoner being interrogated, trying to get her to confess something secret. The moment she was seen just now, she not only felt embarrassed, but also ashamed, vaguely like the previous time, the crazy Zhu Gaoxu saw what she didn't want to show.

"What's going on?" Zhu Gaoxu's voice asked. There was no blame in his tone, and Duan Xue hated to hear distress and pity.

She looked up and glanced at Zhu Gaoxu quickly, and saw that there seemed to be some worry in his eyes. She still didn't want to answer, so she didn't say a word. However, she suddenly felt that in her heart, she might secretly hope that Zhu Gaoxu could carefully find the scars. In this way, you can feel his sympathy in addition to being embarrassed.

Zhu Gaoxu changed his question: "Who bit it?" ”

After a while, Duan Xue Ha finally spoke: "No one, it's me." ”

Zhu Gaoxu asked again: "Why do you want to do that?" ”

Duan Xue hated to fall silent again. She said in her heart: Because of Mu Bin's matter, and her confusion.

Mu Bin was killed by Duan Yang's family, but without Duan Xue's "help", Duan Yang's family would not be able to do it anyway.

Duan Xue hated not to tell Zhu Gaoxu or anyone about this. Mu Sheng is already a general under Zhu Gaoxu, if the Mu family knows what Duan Xue hated to do, she doesn't know how to face the Mu family. Duan Xue hated that incident often, and she had also exonerated herself...... She didn't want to kill Mu Bin, but she couldn't excuse the mistakes she made. It was precisely because she made a mistake that she was deceived, which directly led to Mu Bin's killing.

To this day, she still remembers Mu Bin's childish demeanor that pretended to be an adult, which was a face with the characteristics of relatives.

Not only did she blame herself, but she was worried. Duan Yang didn't know where she was, let alone what else to do, would she tell these things?

Every time Duan Xue thought of various things, his heart was full of confusion. She didn't know who she was, she couldn't forgive Duan Yang, and the Mu family couldn't forgive her; She didn't know what she was going to do or why she was living.

There is only endless numbness and confusion, like walking corpses. Those days are crazy, and she hopes that she can feel a little, and she hopes that there will be some anticipation.

Zhu Gaoxu's voice said: "If you don't want to say it, I won't force you, but you have to think about everything widely." I'll go to the study, and you'll be quiet here for a while. ”

Hearing that Zhu Gaoxu was leaving, Duan Xue suddenly felt an inexplicable fear in his heart, and suddenly felt very weak. She subconsciously grabbed Zhu Gaoxu's wrist with her backhand.

Zhu Gaoxu immediately sat down again, with doubts and waiting in his eyes.

Duan Xue's pale face gradually turned crimson, she silently untied her belt, and found that Zhu Gaoxu was staring at her intently, and she felt even more ashamed and embarrassed in her heart.

Duan Xue hated and handed over the belt, "King Han can ...... me like last time"

Zhu Gaoxu hesitated to take the belt: "Does this make you feel better?" ”

Duan Xue's eyes flickered, lowered her eyelids and trembling eyelashes, and nodded with a very small movement.

She struggled in confusion, and was tortured endlessly because of her mistakes and crimes. She felt real pain, but it was as if she saw some kind of light of salvation, even if it was only an ethereal light; And the person who punished her was Zhu Gaoxu, because of trust, so she was not too desperate.

At that time, the hatred in my heart will reappear, and the feeling of being on the streets on a rainy night.

On that cold and tired rainy night, she had just learned of her background and was walking on the streets in a daze. At this moment, there was a bright light in the distance, and a warm touch suddenly filled her entire heart. The lights of the carriage kept approaching, and perhaps after a long time, Zhu Gaoxu finally walked out and invited her to get into the carriage. Walking into the bright carriage covered with fur, she relaxed in her exhaustion for a moment, feeling warm and homely, and everywhere in her body felt a long-lost pleasure.

…… When Zhu Gaoxu walked out of the porch, it was already afternoon. It was a hot summer afternoon, and he reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Although Yunnan is like spring all year round, if it is sunny for too long in summer, it will still be very hot. Zhu Gaoxu heard that the Mu family had a villa in Dali, and suddenly thought that Mu Sheng was a person who could enjoy it, and Dali could store ice, but it was difficult to find ice in Kunming City.

In the morning, Zhu Gaoxu said that the matter of Jiaozhi was only considered at noon, and the decision was made in the afternoon. But now he didn't think about anything, he hated Duan Xue all noon, and he didn't have time to think about anything else.

At this moment, the eunuch Wang Gui came over, hugged his fists and said: "Lord, the former king of Annam, the queen Chen, asked someone to tell the slave maid that she has something important to discuss, please meet the prince." ”

When Zhu Gaoxu heard this, he guessed that the Chen family might have heard about the Jiaozhi rebel envoys, and he asked casually: "You told the Chen family, Ruan Jingyi and others the news?" ”

Wang Gui hurriedly said: "Lord Mingjian, the slave didn't say anything. However, the Chen family lives in the corridor on this side of the front hall, and there will always be a cheap maid with many mouths in the palace, and the slave maid will find out who has the long tongue. ”

"No need." Zhu Gaoxu frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Then I'll go see her first." ”

When Zhu Gaoxu saw Chen's residence, he would think of his completely failed Annan proposition when he saw her. Now that the Chen Dynasty in Annam has fallen, the situation has never developed according to Zhu Gaoxu's ideas. Annam first became a province of the Ming Dynasty, and now it is controlled by the rebels and re-established.

Chan wears a narrow robe lined with a low canneck, and squats down to salute. Zhu Gaoxu immediately noticed her collar, this kind of frank collar is also a type of clothing, it seems to be more common in the Tang Dynasty, but now it is rare for a woman to wear such a low frank collar clothes.

Zhu Gaoxu hugged his fists and said: "I don't know if the queen invited me, what is there to discuss?" ”

Chen asked, "I heard that the envoy sent by Chen Jikuo is a young female Taoist priest?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "It is said that he was born in a royal family. ”

Chen's face actually showed mockery, "It seems that the reputation of the Han King especially for female nuns, the reputation of the Tao has spread far and wide." Whether that is a real royal family or not is very suspicious, and I think it is difficult to say whether she is a Taoist priest. But the king of Han is that kind of preference, no matter how high or low, what is the way? ”

Zhu Gaoxu's face changed, he was stunned for a moment, and said, "The queen doesn't have to think about provoking me. ”

Chen's gaze shifted elsewhere, "I'm just speaking bluntly. ”

Zhu Gaoxu said calmly: "If I were so easily provoked, and what decisions I made because of joy and anger, I am afraid I would not be alive now." Back then, I carried my head for my father, but later not only did I not get the crown prince, but I was also sent to Yunnan. Have I blamed my father for not obeying his will? ”

When Chen heard this, she finally couldn't suppress her original fear and worry, which appeared on her face, and her voice changed: "Chen Jikuo wants King Han to recognize him as king?" What did they give to the king of Han, and what did they promise? ”

Zhu Gaoxu did not answer.

Chen suddenly took a step forward, raised his head and said in a trembling voice, "Am I still useful now?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu felt her great humiliation, and saw her fingers tightly clutching the corners of her clothes, and her fingertips trembling slightly in the sleeves. The cheeks are red for a while, white for a while.

He took two steps back, stretched out his hand to stop Chen's approach, and said, "I will reject the proposal of the rebel envoy, and the queen does not have to worry. ”

"Huh?" Chen raised his head and looked at his face, "How does King Han want me to reciprocate?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "There is no need for anything. I did not make this decision to benefit the queen immediately. There were officials in the palace who were also opposed to this negotiation, and I didn't bother to think about it, so I followed the advice of my staff. I'm willing to do that......"

"Why?" Chen Shi didn't wait for Zhu Gaoxu's last word to land, and immediately asked.

This question made Zhu Gaoxu think for a while, after all, he didn't have to carefully analyze the reasons for everything he did. Sometimes there is no reason at all, just feelings.

He muttered: "Originally, this matter was not necessary to agree to Chen Jikuo. And if I reject him, I will satisfy the queen...... Sometimes I want to be able to help others and make them happy. ”

When Zhu Gaoxu was thinking about it just now, he suddenly remembered his former girlfriend, her father was seriously ill and had no money to treat her, and then she left to find a man who had the ability to help her, and the method was not to borrow a small loan to go to the gambling table.

Chan still seemed confused, and she replied, "Why?" Why does King Han care about other people's feelings? ”

Zhu Gaoxu thought for a while, and then understood what Chen meant. It seems that people with high status in this era really don't need to care about what the people below feel, there is no need at all; And the Chen family is also a clan nobleman from childhood to adulthood, so he naturally understands. After all, there are too many people who want to be around the aristocracy and willingly endure all kinds of misery, because people who are dogs can usually treat others as dogs.

Zhu Gaoxu could not answer Chen's question, he said: "I just care. ”

He clenched his fists and said, "The queen doesn't have to worry, this king is very trustworthy in ordinary times, and if he says that he refuses the messenger, he will definitely do it." But I can't cope with the affairs of Cochin now, so please wait for a while. ”

After speaking, Zhu Gaoxu turned around and left. Chen seemed to be a little distracted, and there was no farewell gift, she stood there in a daze, her expression was very complicated.

He went to the door, turned back to me, and began, "If the queen wants to thank me......

"What?" Chen raised his head, and his eyes were deep and slightly exotic, like a pool of water.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Chen Zhengyuan has reached the age of reading and literacy, my son Zhan Yan will study in the Wenlou, let Chen Zhengyuan read." ”

Chen nodded and said, "Okay." ”

Zhu Gaoxu left satisfied. He has always felt that a person's education from an early age will affect his life, let alone a child who has a certain possibility of becoming a king in the future.