It was an acacia tree, and although it was not in flowering season, it was full of red and white flowers, but the branches and leaves were a little yellowish. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

"Master, shall we go back to the room? If Lafayette comes over and sees the master sitting on the tuyere like this, the slave and maid will be scolded again. Seeing that the queen was docile and allowed herself to add clothes to her, the personal palace maid Qian'er persuaded her further, while reaching under the queen's ribs, wanting to help her up.

However, the queen did not move, and did not seem to hear anything from the people who were close at hand, and her eyes only looked blankly at the acacia tree in the courtyard.

The snow grew heavier, and the tree sat quietly, but with every gust of wind it fell large yellow leaves and withered flowers—strange flowers, like a puff of red and white needles.

One by one, they fell silently to the ground in the raging snowstorm.

Strangely, it was already the harsh winter season, and the tree had already begun to shed a lot of leaves...... It seems that this acacia flower will not live long.

The wind was fierce, and the thick black clouds gathered and covered the sky, and the evening sky suddenly darkened, and it was as dark as the night. Seeing that the queen refused to move, Qian'er sighed helplessly and continued to persuade: "Master, the snow is heavy. Let's go back and rest, shall we? ”

Arut's eyes were empty, as if he hadn't heard at all, and didn't react.

"Master...... Let's go back. Stay for a while, the princess Hui is going to come to visit you-alas, the sky is getting fast, I don't know if the princess Hui is still coming......" Qian'er persuaded in a low voice, and the hand under the queen's side was slightly strengthened, and the thin queen was involuntarily helped up by her, as light as a leaf.

Qian'er helped her get up and said softly: "Let's go back to the room to rest, the snow is falling so hard, I'm afraid it's going to be windy." ”

However, before I finished speaking, I only heard a loud sound, and a gust of wind blew, which sounded like a ghost crying wolf.

Qian'er couldn't help but be startled, and wanted to help the queen back to the room immediately. However, when she just wanted to stretch out her hand, she suddenly found that the demented queen was no longer by her side, and she walked under the eaves alone, staring at the snow drops on the bluestone slabs outside the corridor in a daze, and then seemed to be conscious, slowly raised her head and looked at the acacia tree in the courtyard.

Suddenly, the snow fell very loudly, and the sound of the rattle drowned out everything, and the sky and the earth were just white, and the heavy snow curtain blocked all vision.

However, at this moment, the palace maid was horrified to see that the queen's face suddenly had an expression.

As if there was no wind, the sable cape slipped off Arut's body. Seeing the queen's expressionless face, at that moment, somehow, unspeakable fear captured Qian'er's heart, and she couldn't help but blurt out exclamation.

The snow was falling heavily, the wind was howling, and in the dark night, there was only a white patch. On the bluestone slab, in the thick snow, there are some withered acacia flowers scattered scattered.

Qian'er took a step, but when she saw the queen's eyes, she shivered smartly and took three steps back in a row.

"Duo, Duo." In the snowy night, there was a clear knock on the door.

"Who...... Who is it? Qian'er felt cold in her heart and asked in a trembling voice.

The knock came from the main entrance of the courtyard - who had come back from the wind and snow so late? Lafayette probably won't come at this time, and even if he did, he wouldn't call the door like this - who is calling the door?

"Duo, Duo." The knock sounded again, unslow. A voice cleared Lingling: "Concubine Hui has arrived, Qian'er, open the door quickly!" Concubine Hui's personal maid Jing'er said.

"Master Hui......" Qian'er breathed a sigh of relief, remembered, rushed to the side door as if she had seen a savior, and opened the latch, "Master Hui, the queen master, she ...... today"

The frightened look of the little palace maid obviously attracted the attention of Concubine Hui, who was visiting outside the door, and Concubine Hui and the palace maids and eunuchs entered the porch and received the umbrella of the bamboo skeleton of Concubine Xiang, and the thick snow shook off the umbrella and fell on the blue brick floor, like a ball of white cotton.

"What's wrong with my sister?" As soon as she entered the door, she felt a different atmosphere, Concubine Hui blurted out the palace maid who came to open the door, and walked over quickly.

"The emperor has gone—" The queen didn't know that anyone was coming, but she just cried out in her own free cry.

"Sister, calm down! Calm down! Concubine Hui quickly hugged her, grabbed the queen's shoulders hard, shook her body, and said loudly.

It seemed that Concubine Hui's words had an effect, and the queen stayed for a while, and the terrifying scream finally stopped.

The queen's face flushed, and under the snowy night, her eyes were blank, and she no longer had such fierce and terrifying actions, and looked out a little stupidly.

"Master......" Qian'er's sweat had already **** her long hair, and she asked in a crying voice, "Master...... What's going on? She, she's been quiet all these years - what's going on today?! ”

"Shut up! Do you want to induce her to have another seizure? Before the palace maid lost control, Concubine Hui shouted to stop. Qian'er was stunned, but after a long time, she came over tremblingly, took out a handkerchief, wiped the white foam from the queen's mouth, and asked in a low voice: "Master Hui, master, what's wrong?" ”

"Consciousness collapse...... Concubine Hui took the handkerchief, carefully let go of the queen's shoulders, and saw that she was quiet and no longer moving, so she let go of her hand and began to wipe for her, and said in a low voice, "If a person who is overly grieved is strongly stimulated, he will be like this when his mind breaks down - what did she see just now?" ”

Qian'er wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and said sneeringly, "No...... Nothing. The master looked at the flowers here for an afternoon - the master also knew that the queen master liked this. It's been quiet all the time, probably ...... Yes, maybe it's too dark and the wind is blowing loudly, which scares the queen's master, right? ”

Concubine Hui listened quietly, wiping the queen's face with a hand towel, while shaking her head and sighing: "It's just a snow, where can it ......be like this?"

Qian'er was stunned again, shook her head, and looked puzzled. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't help it.

Concubine Hui's hand towel covered the queen's face, rubbing it gently, and suddenly, she felt her face under the palm of her hand move, as if something hot and wet was pouring out. She hurriedly removed the handkerchief, and saw the queen crying again.

There was no longer any expression on that face, and the queen looked at the snow curtain outside in a daze, her shoulders shaking violently, and she sobbed. Concubine Hui and Qian'er followed her gaze, and in the dark courtyard, the flowers and trees were swaying in the blizzard, without a trace of abnormality. Large snowflakes fell densely, covering the bluestone slabs with a thick layer.

Concubine Hui looked at it, a little puzzled, but lowered her head and wiped the tears on the queen's face with a hand towel. However, suddenly, the quiet queen moved, hugged Concubine Hui tightly, and trembled.

"What's wrong? Sister, what's wrong? Concubine Hui asked softly, and although she was also very scared in her heart, she did not push her away.

In an instant, there was only the sound of whistling wind and snow in the courtyard, and the woman's intermittent whimpering.

Hui Fei looked at the courtyard, and the yellow leaves were falling in the wind and snow, mixed with residual flowers—red acacia flowers. Tears gleamed in her eyes. She gently lowered her hand and stroked the collapsed queen in her arms.

The Queen's gaze was fixed, looking into the courtyard.

"Snow ...... Acacia ...... Blood. Suddenly, faintly, Concubine Hui heard the queen in her arms say something, she was startled, and looked down at the queen, however, the queen's eyes were still in a trance. Concubine Hui could feel her body trembling constantly, hugged her tightly, raised her fingers tremblingly, and pointed to the snow curtain outside: "Blood, blood......"

She followed the Queen's gaze, and looked at the snow on the bluestone under the porch, and she saw the red dots above, the falling acacia flowers, and the withered yellow leaves—there was no blood...... Where is the blood?

"There...... It's all blood. The queen's hand trembled and hugged her tightly, Concubine Hui lowered her head, only to see that the face that had been blank was full of inexplicable fear, she just raised her head, her expression was broken, "It's all blood." The Emperor ......"

"The wind is so strong, the master is careful to get cold." Qian'er shook off the mink cloak that had just slipped, wrapped the queen, and said with concern.

The queen struggled for a moment, but as if she was afraid of something, she fell silent again, and regained the blank expression on her face, staring at the snow outside under the eaves in a daze.

"Snow ...... Acacia-" The Queen's eyes slowly condensed, and it seemed that it took countless efforts to say those words--The slender fingers grasped the garment, almost torn, and her eyes were still erratic, as if it was difficult to recover from fear and panic, "Look, look—the flowers are blooming!" ”

Concubine Hui looked at her finger in some surprise, but strangely enough, the queen was not pointing at any flower tree, but pointing directly at the snowflakes flying in the air. There, the snow was misty, and the pale red flowers of the acacia fell with the yellowish leaves.

"Sister is here......" At this time, the queen saw Concubine Hui, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"Sister......" Seeing the queen's appearance, Concubine Hui couldn't help but shed tears.

Of course, she knew why the queen was the way she was.

The queen's heartache, she and Concubine Yu actually feel the same way.

The violent death of Emperor Tongzhi brought them not only the grief of losing their husbands, but also huge embarrassment.

Although the imperial court had announced that Emperor Tongzhi had died of "typhoid fever", rumors about the emperor's other cause of death had quietly flowed out in one day.

Although all the people in the palace were silent, the Empress and Concubine Hui, who had the closest relationship with Emperor Tongzhi, were under unprecedented pressure.

Because they know very well in their hearts why Emperor Tongzhi died!

"How can this acacia flower bloom on this cold winter day...... Concubine Hui noticed that the queen's gaze was always lingering in one place, she followed the queen's gaze, and immediately saw the acacia tree that had bloomed.

"If you bloom, you'll probably die...... the queen muttered.

"These flowers are the children of this tree...... "The queen said as if talking to herself, and as if she was saying to Concubine Hui, "I will die soon after I am born, just like my children......"

Hearing the queen's incomparably sad voice, Concubine Hui couldn't help but feel a pain in her heart.

"Sister! Stop it! Sister! Concubine Hui cried.

Although no one told her, Concubine Hui knew that after the new emperor was established, in order to prevent the dangerous situation of "fighting for the country", it would be difficult for the queen's children to be saved!

"Sister, I know that you are good to me, you and I sisters get along, and we have always ......been like flesh and blood," the queen suddenly turned around and hugged Concubine Hui, "Can you help me think of a way to keep the emperor's flesh and blood......"

Hearing the queen's plea, Concubine Hui burst into tears, and she couldn't help but hug the queen.

"Sister......

"Sister, Huang Eniang has always spoiled you and loved you, you can help me talk to Huang Eniang and let me give birth to the child, okay?" The queen hugged Concubine Hui tightly and pleaded heartbreakingly.

Hearing the queen's cry, Qian'er and Jing'er waited for the little palace maids standing on the side, and they couldn't help but shed tears one by one.

Concubine Hui looked at the queen with tears streaming down her face, her throat choked for a while, she couldn't speak, she just nodded vigorously.

"Good sister, thank you......"

The queen looked at Concubine Hui fixedly, and a relieved smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"I really want to see him again, even if I want to see him!" As if remembering something, the queen lowered her head and said softly, with a faint blush on her face.

Hearing the queen say such a sentence in a trance, Concubine Hui thought that she was about to break up again, and her heart hung again. She didn't know that the queen suddenly remembered another person.

And this person also often appears in her dreams!

It is precisely because of this person, the fate of her and the queen, that a fundamental change has taken place!

At this moment, the door creaked open, and a group of eunuchs carrying lanterns walked in.

The queen and Concubine Hui turned their heads to look at each other, and saw the Empress Dowager Cixi, who was under the imperial palace with the support of Li Lianying, and the palace maids and eunuchs beside her.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager Cixi came so late, the queen and Concubine Hui were surprised, and they forgot the number of greetings for a while.

Concubine Hui was the first to react, and quickly pulled the queen, and the queen came back to her senses and hurriedly stepped forward with Concubine Hui to take over.

The two of them helped the Empress Dowager Cixi into the warm pavilion one by one, and the Empress Dowager Cixi glanced at the Empress and Concubine Hui left and right, and a trace of love flashed in her eyes.

"What just happened? Who's shouting 'blood' and 'blood'? Empress Dowager Cixi asked.

"The acacia flowers in the yard bloomed and fell to the snow, and my sister saw it and thought it was blood." Concubine Hui replied.

"This acacia blooms in winter?" The Empress Dowager Cixi said curiously, turned her head to look, and sure enough, she saw red stains in the snow, like blood.

"Someone, hurry up and sweep it, look at it weird and scary." Empress Dowager Cixi frowned and commanded.

"I know you sisters haven't slept at this moment." Empress Dowager Cixi said, "I can't sleep at this time, I don't worry about the queen, so I came over to take a look, I didn't expect Concubine Hui to be here......" She gently held Concubine Hui's fingers, smiled and nodded.

"Lan'er can't rest assured that her sister is always running over to take a look, besides, doesn't the emperor want Lan'er to take care of her sister more. ......" Concubine Hui supported the Empress Dowager Cixi, lowered her head, her eyes were red, and said softly, "My sister missed the emperor just now, and she was still talking about the emperor in her mouth, and she wanted to look at the emperor again......"

"The emperor is gone, and the queen must not be too grieved." Hearing Concubine Hui's words, the Empress Dowager Cixi's heart shrank, she was worried that the queen had found a short sight because of grief, so she immediately turned her head and looked at the queen with concern.

Seeing that on the night of this snowy day, the Empress Dowager Cixi did not avoid the severe cold and came to visit her in person, and the queen was moved and couldn't help but shed tears again.

Seeing the empress crying, the Empress Dowager Cixi knew that she must have remembered her husband Tongzhi who had just died (she wouldn't have thought that the empress was thinking about another person just now), and couldn't help but sigh.

"How is the queen's body today? Is there any discomfort? The Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to divert the topic from the sad matter of the death of Emperor Tongzhi, so she asked.

"Back to the emperor's mother, the daughter-in-law is just a little dizzy today, nothing else...... the queen replied softly.

The Empress Dowager Cixi looked at her carefully, and found that she was a little haggard except for her face, her eyes were red and swollen, and she had obviously cried just now, and she didn't see anything unusual, so she nodded.

"The queen must not be too sad and cry badly." Empress Dowager Cixi's gaze unconsciously glanced at the queen's already slightly bulging abdomen, and said with concern.

Hearing the words of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the Empress suddenly got up desperately, knelt down in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and bowed again and again.

"Ouch! You! You! What are you going to do? The Empress Dowager Cixi was shocked when she saw this, quickly got up from her seat, and stepped forward to support the queen, "It's a cold day, how cold it is on the floor!" You! Are you dying?! ”

"The daughter-in-law begs the emperor's mother, and I hope the emperor's mother agrees!" The queen looked at the Empress Dowager Cixi with teary eyes and said sadly.

"Hurry up! Get up and speak! The Empress Dowager Cixi was in a hurry, and pulled the queen's arm hard, asking her to stand up, and Li Lianying on the side also quickly ran over and held the queen's other arm.

"Get up, hurry up! You kid! Don't be so cheap, can you? That's a terrible thing! The Empress Dowager Cixi said hurriedly, "What do you want, let's discuss it, you must not do this!" Okay? Good boy! Get up! ”

The queen got up slowly and cried: "Please the emperor's mother, save my child and let me give birth to him......"

Listening to the queen's plea, the Empress Dowager Cixi was sad for a while, and she couldn't help but shed tears.

"Huang Eniang, I beg you, let me give birth to the child, give birth to ......" The queen cried, "Don't beat him, he is the emperor's own flesh and blood, your own grandson......"

"Miserable child!" Empress Dowager Cixi lamented.

As the supreme ruler of this old empire, she couldn't understand what it would mean for the unborn child in the empress's womb once the new emperor ascended the throne.