In July of the fourth year of the Tang Dynasty.

"You mean...... Mei Niang sent a message to Shangguan Yi to invite his family to participate in the Zhongyuan meeting the day after tomorrow. ”

Li Zhi's voice was very calm, as if it was the tone of a conversation between Su Ri.

"Back to the Lord, that's exactly what it is." Akiwa responded with a smile.

Li Zhi nodded, mumbled, nodded again with satisfaction, and then turned to Qinghe and said, "Since that's the case...... Then I'll have to help her get this done properly. Spread the word to the master, and said that Mei Niang misses the moon these days. I asked him to bring Yuming to the meeting. ”

When Qinghe heard this, he had nothing to promise, but he just glanced at Minghe and retreated.

Minghe took this look, but he was silent, listening to the sound of Li Zhi slowly tapping on the table with his fingertips. Then after a while, he said leisurely: "Lord, invite Miss Yueming into the palace so that she can see her mother?" ”

Li Zhi glanced back at him, but shook his head and said without saying a word, and said with a smile after a while: "A few days ago, Hong'er mentioned this child to me—"

He smiled and sighed, and after a while, he said, "It's also rare, after all, the two children at that time, but one ran faster than the other to tell me, saying that they would never see the other person again no matter what." Who would have thought that when the three-day period arrived, the most reluctant to leave Yueming would be Hong'er? ”

Restrained his smile, Li Zhi shook his head: "Hong'er, this child, since he was a child, he was spoiled by me and his mother, and he has no desires, just when there is nothing in this world that cannot be obtained." At a young age, he was like cultivating a fairy, big things and small affairs, but except for me and his mother, his younger brother didn't care at all. It's rare to have such a good boy as Yueming who can make him worry about it...... I am also very happy. ”

"The Lord is right. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, as the prince of a country, is indifferent and desireless, but it may not be all good things. It's just something like that...... If the mother knows, will she be worried again? ”

Minghe blinked and looked at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi patted his knees, got up, walked slowly to the hall, stood still, and looked at the courtyard outside the golden lacquer Zhu Gate from a distance, a team of attendants were hurriedly carrying things to the east, and their eyes were far away.

After a while, he whispered, "I know she's going to worry...... But so what? Children will always grow up, whether she or me, they can't really accompany them for the rest of their lives, not old, not dead, never leaving, not returning. ”

Li Zhi lowered his eyes, and his expression was as calm as a statue: "There will always be a day...... There will come a time ......"

As far as he said this, Minghe hung his head and trembled.

But he smiled for a while, shook his head and turned to look at him: "What are you afraid of?" I won't reveal these things to Mei Niang's side. It's you, it's so late, and you don't go back to take care of her, okay? ”

"Niangniang's side, the Yu sisters are here, this time Minghe is called, and it is also for the sake of not going to the Jiucheng Palace every day, please ask the Lord to time it!"

Ming and Wen replied.

When Li Zhi heard this, he frowned: "She's like this again...... Too lazy to worry about it...... Is. These things, obviously she can also call the shots, right? ”

"Lord, there have been some things recently, and they will inevitably be wiped on Niangniang, but the Lord is still ......" Minghe thought about it for a while, and said carefully: "It's better to take care of Niangniang a little." ”

"Something? What's up? Li Zhi raised his eyebrows, and Meng Keli remembered that a few days ago, Mei Niang had a dream, and immediately squinted: "No?" Those two children, really to this point? ”

Minghe kept silent.

Li Zhi nodded and sighed: "Okay, very good." ”

His expression was pale, and he said lightly: "Since they are not good, then I can only teach them one more - pass on my will, because I will patrol the Jiucheng Palace, all the officials will inevitably follow, and the Taiji Palace is unbearable, and the three sons of Liang Qixun are far away from the Jingshi, and it is inconvenient to go to the court, from now on, they will be exempted from seeing the court." ”

……

Li Zhi's will was like a bolt from the blue for Su Jie and Shangjin, who were actively preparing to accompany him in the Jiucheng Palace, to serve the left of the holy car, and even to the ministers in the court who were extremely looking forward to their companionship.

And for the two Helan brothers and sisters in the two princes' mansions, who seemed to be only one step away from the Taiji Palace, it was a huge thunder on the ground, which shook them on the spot.

After a long time—

It was really a long time before a few of them reacted, and at this time, Li Zhi and his wife had already taken the three brothers of the crown prince Li Hong and Li Xian and Li Xian to drive the Jiucheng Palace.

So, no matter how angry they are, how angry they are, how angry they are, it's just their own business.

Li Zhi and his wife in Jiucheng Palace, Li Hong, Li Xian, Li Xian, and the daughter of the Li family, Yueming, who was invited to Jiucheng Palace by Li Zhi's will, didn't know anything about it.

They probably don't really want to know – or rather, don't have time to know.

Because now they are busy with another thing.

"What?"

Jiucheng Palace, which was fortunate to be regarded as the emperor's bed, or the great treasure hall of the emperor's and queen's double holy bed, Mei Niang asked Li Zhi with a calm face: "What does Zhilang mean by this, is he actually going to leave the child in the palace to accompany Hong'er?" ”

"What's wrong?"

Li Zhi, who was taking a pen and concentrating on drawing a portrait of her, replied casually: "Aren't you very happy to see Hong'er these days?" ”

"Is Jiro the most pleased?" Mei Niang snorted with a cold face: "But I haven't thought about it, are people also happy?" ”

Li Zhi raised his head and looked at her with some surprise: "Doesn't Mei Niang like that child very much?" ”

"It's because I like it that I feel that she can't stay with Hong'er for too long." Mei Niang shook her head and said slowly: "A girl in the prime of her life, staying by the side of the prince of a country...... Jiro, if you act like this, aren't you afraid that the Virtue Award and Suqin will resent you in the future? ”

Li Zhi put down the pen, sighed, walked to her side, helped her shoulder, kissed her forehead gently, and then said softly: "Of course I know...... That's why I told the master about it first. He didn't object. ”

"How can the heart of a father be the same as that of a mother? It would be too arbitrary for you to just ask about the award, but you didn't want to ask Suqin. Mei Niang still shook her head.

Li Zhi was stunned: "Suqin? This kid isn't her ......."

"Zhilang, ......" Mei Niang shook her head, and asked softly after a while: "Zhilang, Zhilang, Princess Yuzhang was not born by the first emperor and Empress Wende, but Empress Wende, how did she treat her?" ”

Li Zhi was gloomy, and after a while, he said lightly: "Although the queen mother went early, and Sister Yuyao also left early, I still remember a little...... Sister Yuyao is very gentle, and the queen mother treats her very kindly. She is also really good to her mother, and to me, very good...... Especially with the eldest sister, the two of them are like biological sisters. Maybe it's because of the close age, the eldest sister can talk to her, and An Ning and the little sister, but they can't say anything. Even the second sister didn't talk much. ”

"That's it." Mei Niang didn't want him to recall these past events, but she didn't want to accidentally lead to old thoughts, so she hurriedly interrupted: "Men may not be able to think like this, but for women's families, most of them are mothers, that is, the child does not have any blood, only a nurturing feeling, and will also treat it as her own - especially this child, who is still a sensible, well-behaved, filial and considerate girl like Yueming." ”

She shook her head and sighed: "I don't like to hear something, I'm afraid that Suqin's heart for this child is a few points heavier than the award!" Jiro really shouldn't have summoned this child into the palace without asking her. ”

These few words really made Li Zhi a little dumbfounded-he had never thought of this. But he knew that Mei Niang was the most careful about these things, so he was annoyed for a while before he looked up at Mei Niang:

"That'...... If not, I will make another decree, saying that I will invite the master to enter the palace together? ”

"The virtue award is guarding Uncle Yuan, and he can't leave half a step. How can you say that if you enter the palace, you will enter the palace? What's more, in this harem, although he doesn't have any taboos, he is afraid that he always feels unliked......"

Mei Niang said this, but she wanted to say it and stopped.

Li Zhi looked at her: "That...... Suqin ......"

“…… She had decided to leave, so she couldn't be embarrassed anymore. What's more, this ninety percent palace ......" Mei Niang closed her eyes, and her eyebrows were full of sadness: "Mei Niang really doesn't want her to come back." ”

Li Zhi was silent.

He understands Mei Niang's thoughts.

Although it was for Suqin's sake, she was placed in this ninety percent palace under the pretext of being sick for a long time, guarded by Li Dehui. But in fact, with Li De Award and her temperament, in the past few years in Jiucheng Palace, the two are afraid that it is rare for them to see each other.

- After all, they have always cherished each other like jewels, so how can they ignore each other's reputation?

Fame is a thing that is kept for the sake of hypocrisy; Keeping for the heart is great virtue.

Both of them are truly virtuous and virtuous people, and they will never neglect themselves despite all the hardships. So in the years of Jiucheng Palace, it seemed that the two of them were together day and night, but in fact, it was also their most painful time.

This truth is not only understood by Mei Niang, but also by Li Zhi. So he has no words, and he has nothing to say.

Mei Niang didn't want to disappoint him, looking at his guilty expression, she couldn't help but comfort him: "But Jiro doesn't have to be sad...... Some things have to pass after all. It's just not right now. So Mei Niang thought that they still had to decide this matter by themselves. ”

Li Zhi looked up at Mei Niang: "They decide for themselves?" ”

"They decide for themselves." Mei Niang nodded and repeated: "In the end, do you want Yueming or not, continue to stay in the palace and stay by Hong'er's side." It is up to them to decide this. ”

Li Zhi looked at Mei Niang for a while before he said lightly: "That'...... If the master and Suqin don't want her to stay, what should they do? ”

"That's fate, she has no chance with Hong'er - at least not now."

Mei Niang said flatly: "If she has a relationship with Hong'er, then it will not be now, in the future, in the future...... One day, they will be able to see each other. ”

Li Zhi looked at Mei Niang, and only said after a while: "Does Mei Niang not like Yueming's child?" ”

"Quite the opposite." Mei Niang shook her head and said: "It is precisely because I like her too much that Mei Niang has a little selfishness." I hope she can leave the harem, this is the land of right and wrong, and leave our Hong'er. Because ......"

She didn't finish speaking, but Li Zhi also understood-

Li Hong is a good boy, and Li Yueming is even more.

But the problem between them is not only whether they are a good child, but also between them, which is the green seedlings that have gradually been revealed.

The real problem between them is each other's identity.

One is the prince of the Tang Dynasty and the prince of the country. Golden branches and jade leaves peony king.

One is the official and the end of the family, clothed rivers and lakes. Rootless and seedling-free rose lady.

…… They are not like Li Zhi and Mei Niang back then, only separated by an abandoned palace wall.

Li Hong and Li Yueming, what separates them is the entire Tang Dynasty.