Qingjiang in the western suburbs of Beijing.

It is the autumn solstice of another year, and the maple forests by the Qingjiang River are dyed and red. The autumn is high and cool, and the riverside is full of pedestrians.

The autumn breeze on the Qingjiang River is blowing, bringing bursts of coolness, both sides of the official road have been blocked, and on the long riverside corridor, several men and women in brocade clothes are slowly walking under the support of the palace people.

"Auntie, hug ......" The little girl in the new red dress stretched out her arms to the woman in the brocade and golden hairpin.

"Hehe, is Ying'er tired? Come, auntie, hug. Ah Chou stretched out his arm and held the little girl in his arms, and wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead with a handkerchief.

Ying'er was weak and wanted to hug her after walking a few steps, but beside her, Tai'er, who was born on the same day and month of the same year, was running around lively.

"Tai'er, come to uncle!" Li Ziling held her daughter Fei Zhilan in one hand, and waved to the beautiful little doll not far away.

"Don't!" Tai'er is talented and intelligent, and she speaks and walks very early, "I want Daddy!" ”

He threw himself forward, and just as he was about to fall, a handsome man in black clothes squatted down and hugged him, smiling and holding him in his arms.

"Love Daddy!" Tyre kissed him on the face, the corners of his mouth curled slightly.

Standing by the Qingjiang River with Tai'er in his arms, looking into the distance, the scene of the four people watching the dragon boat during the Dragon Boat Festival a year ago came to mind.

The river is like a mirror, reflecting the appearance of the people on the shore, a year, not too long and not too short, the people in the mirror are more mature and stable, more points, the vicissitudes of suffering.

"What does Daddy think?" Tyel reached out and playfully tugged at the face of the Misty Devil.

"Daddy is thinking about your mother." He choked.

"Why don't you come to see Tai'er?" He pursed his cute little mouth, "Mother doesn't love Tai'er." ”

Li Wuqi smiled bitterly and pinched his little nose: "My mother has something to do, and I will definitely come back this year." ”

Tai'er's little head was like a rattle: "Don't come, Tai'er is angry." ”

He shook his head, he was so young, where did he know anything. The little naughty boy will be poor-mouthed, but a bit like his mother, stubborn temperament, sharp teeth. Ying'er looks like Ning Su, but not as similar as Tai'er's temperament.

From time to time, he could see her shadow on the bodies of his two children, and perhaps this was the reason why he had been able to endure the pain for so long.

His eyes inadvertently looked to the other side, only to see that under a huge maple tree, a quaint carriage slowly stopped, and the wind blew its curtains, revealing a woman's side face.

It was too far away, and although his eyesight was excellent, he still couldn't see clearly, but there was a sense of déjà vu, and a gust of wind blew, and the sand blinded his eyes. By the time he looked again, the carriage had already left.

Could it be that he misses that person too much, so he has a delusion?

He often regretted that if he could do it all over again, he would give her everything she wanted.

His heart often struggles between hope and despair, and the time that the Taoist chief said has come, but Ning'er, why are you late?

**

"Girl, what's wrong? It is said that the wind is cold now, you are weak, don't be infected with the wind cold. Last year, I was seriously ill, and even the blood was about to cough up, and I was sick intermittently for a year, but now I am getting better, and I must pay attention to it. Jinxiu put on a cloak for her, and said babblingly.

She leaned on the window of the carriage, looked at the scenery outside through the gap in the curtain, and smiled slightly wryly: "Where am I so weak?" The doctor said, this time it's good, it's really good, blow a little wind, and it doesn't matter if you take a walk. I can't even see such a beautiful scenery, I want to go down and walk and stretch my muscles. ”

Jinxiu looked at her own young lady, her beautiful face was like the moon in the sky, her eyebrows were like willow leaves and eyes like stars, and her smile was so touching.

Jinxiu's little head shook like a rattle: "Girl, don't look at those playing sons who look decent, if you meet a girl, you will definitely become a wild bee and butterfly." If you are frightened by them, you will not be able to make a row. The girl came to Beijing this time because of the instructions of Lord Shangshu, and if there is a dispersion along the way, the slave can't afford it. The girl is a well-known first lady with both talent and virtue in Junzhou, and if she recognizes those swingers, it will be amazing. ”

She was amused: "You also know that the false name is in Junzhou, and there are many ladies in the capital, where am I so eye-catching?" It's strange that others know. ”

"Be careful."

Splendid is conscientious, and she does not embarrass her. She had been weaker than ever since she came back to life, and she leaned against the window and rested well. Fortunately, you can also see a lot of scenery through the cracks in this curtain.

A Chou, Ziling, Qing Yu...... even remembered Bai Canglan who was far away in the dog.

In the past, a figure floated in front of her eyes, the past time seemed to be a curtain, and it would eventually come to an end, and after the curtain ended, in her heart, the person who would ache when she thought about it finally appeared in front of her for a long time.

Nothing to ......

No ...... How are you? Did Tai Er and Ying Er grow up?

She wanted to see them, but she was afraid to see them.

She is no longer her, but another woman who is not even familiar to herself - Nangong Xi, born in the Zhong Ding family, with the title of the first lady in Junzhou, the granddaughter of the retired old official Shangshu. She is sixteen years old this year, and a serious illness almost killed her last year, but when she woke up, she was no longer the woman she used to be.

She is Ning Su, who lives in the court, has good etiquette and copes with it, and naturally can easily adapt to this role, if it wasn't for the fact that she happened to bump into Nangong Xi's out-of-body soul by accident, maybe she still doesn't know where Lu Dao is wandering. She should be grateful to Nangong Xi, so she didn't easily reveal her former identity, and she didn't want to disappoint her family who loved her.

This time he came to Beijing, because Nangong Shangshu wanted to see his granddaughter, so he specially called him to the capital. Whether or not there was any other purpose, she did not know.

"Here we are."

Jinxiu helped Nangong Xi get out of the carriage, and looked up to see the five big characters of "Nangong Shangshufu" written on the plaque, although he has retired, but the emperor has granted permission to keep the word "Shangshu", which is an affirmation and appreciation of Lao Shangshu's achievements.

Someone had already come to greet him at the door, got into a small sedan chair and carried it into the instrument door. When she arrived at the inner hall, an aunt pointed to the lady in brocade clothes who came over and said, "This is the second aunt." ”

Nangong Xi bowed her head and saluted: "Second aunt." ”

The aunt pointed to a thin and glamorous lady next to her and said, "This is the third aunt." ”

"Third aunt." Nangong Xi saluted again.

"Oh, get up, get up." The second aunt hurriedly helped her up and looked up and down, and said with a smile: "It's really beautiful, it is worthy of the name of the first lady in Junzhou, and it is really talented and beautiful." ”

Nangong Xi smiled slightly, elegant and moving.

Nangong Xi's father was an official in Junzhou, and the second and third uncles were both officials in the capital, and the officials were not big, so they still lived in the Shangshu Mansion built by their grandfather.

"Come in, grandfather is waiting for you."

The second aunt took her hand and walked into the hall, Nangong Xi looked up, this hall has eaves and arches, finely carved, but it does not lose the atmosphere, it is worthy of being the home of the eunuchs of the past generations.

In the study, the faint smell of sandalwood lingered, and I saw a long-bearded old man sitting at the table writing.

"Dad, Xi'er is here!" The second aunt pulled her to the door and shouted.

When the old man raised his eyes, he saw Nangong Xi, and there was surprise in his eyes.

"Come here, let Grandpa see! My little Xi'er has really grown up! ”

The old man looked at her with emotion, this granddaughter was really beautiful, bright and square, and she really deserved to be the descendant of his Nangong family. When I left, I was waiting to be fed, and now I have grown into a slim girl.

The old man stroked his beard, nodded, and asked, "What books does Xi'er read when she is at home?" ”

Nangong Xi smiled slightly and said, "It's just four books and five classics, and some historical classics." ”

The old man was very happy to hear this, and nodded: "Have you read the history of the palace of this dynasty?" ”

"I've seen a little bit." Nangong Xi couldn't help but be a little surprised when he saw him ask about this.

"It's good to have seen it, it's good to have seen it. Now the emperor's harem is empty, alas, although the emperor's heir already has a son and a daughter, isn't there a person who presides over the harem? How can that be? The old man is worried about this, Xi'er is here, the best thing is that it is the antidote to the old man. ”

Nangong Xi suddenly understood something: "What does grandfather mean, let Xi'er enter the palace?" ”

"Ice and Snow are smart!" The old man smiled, "Sure enough, there is a shadow of me back then." You are both talented and beautiful, born in the Zhong Ding family, and you are the best candidate to become the Empress of Tianyuan. ”

Nangong Xi was silent, she felt funny in her heart. Hmph, the Zhong Ding family? Grandfather loved? She didn't even sit on the chair when she came, so she was busy sending her to the palace?

She knows the personality of the Devil very well, doesn't her grandfather know the way? Although she will see him sooner or later, it is very unpleasant to still be used as a pawn by the family.

"The emperor and the late queen have a deep affection, which is something that everyone in the world knows. Did my grandfather send me to the palace to live in the cold? Nangong Xi looked up at him, a pair of bright eyes sparkling.

The old man was taken aback, he didn't expect his granddaughter to be so bold and say such things bluntly, and couldn't help but be a little displeased: "You don't want to?" With your talents, you have great hope of receiving divine grace. ”

It is a well-known thing that she has a soft spot, and she didn't expect that the world has never given up on such a thing as exploiting loopholes in the harem in the past.

"Wasting a good youth, which woman wants to live in seclusion in the deep palace? Maybe my grandfather looked down on Xi'er, and she was much more beautiful in the harem. If the emperor really valued the stunning face, he would not dissolve the harem for the sake of the queen. Grandfather can't help but think of the emperor too lightly, right? ”

The old man was dumbfounded when he heard it, his granddaughter was really sharp, and he couldn't refute a word he said.

He shook his head: "Sure enough, Song'er spoiled you too much, and the spoils were all gone." Okay, you go down and rest first, the coming day will be long, let's talk about it later. ”

Nangong Xi came out, I don't know if what he said is right, if he wastes the opportunity to meet with Li Wuqi, it will be a pity. But when he thought of being sent into the palace as a chess piece to be manipulated, if he was really the queen in the future, wouldn't he want to seek personal interests for the Nangong family and be restrained?

She hoped that she would be the same as before, born in a small farm yard, and she would not have so many powerful relatives and troubles.

After Nangong Xi went out, there was an extra layer of shadow on the old man's face. This girl, if she doesn't listen to discipline like this, it's also troublesome.

"Hmph, doesn't Xi'er know that as a woman, it's impossible to do whatever she wants and act arbitrarily?" No matter how the little girl tosses, everything is under his control.