Episode 16 The deceased Zhu Yourong

On both sides are bamboo bushes, cannas, Taihu Lake stones, and large clumps of bluegrass against the wall. In the moonlight, the stone path between the flowers is deep, leading to the darkness in the distance.

Xiang Xiaoqiang has been to the Imperial Garden several times, and knows that if he walks a few dozen meters further, there will be a small round gate of the Imperial Garden.

But suddenly, a figure flashed out of the bamboo bush next to the path, stopped on the path, and stood motionless, staring at Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yuxuan expressionlessly.

Both were taken aback. Zheng Yuxuan was so frightened that he leaned against Xiang Xiaoqiang, covered his mouth, and almost screamed.

But immediately saw that this was Zhu Yourong's chief secretary, Wei Zijin.

"Oh, oh......" Zheng Yuxuan patted his chest and smiled slowly, "Miss Wei...... You're scaring me to death......"

Wei Zijin hung his hands and said lightly:

"Miss Zheng, Lord Xiang, please go to the imperial study to wait, Your Majesty instructs, take a walk in the garden for a while, please don't disturb others."

As she spoke, she looked at Zheng Yuxuan, then at Xiang Xiaoqiang, and lowered her eyes thoughtfully.

Zheng Yuxuan reacted, he was still clinging to Xiang Xiaoqiang! She blushed, quickly withdrew, kept a certain distance from Xiang Xiaoqiang, and resumed the posture of a marquis.

Zhu Yourong did not allow others to enter...... Xiang Xiaoqiang thought silently in his heart, and suddenly opened his mouth and asked:

"Am I someone else?"

Wei Zijin glanced at him and shook his head slightly. Xiang Xiaoqiang was overjoyed in his heart, and was about to thank him to enter, but Wei Zijin said:

"Your Majesty didn't say it."

Didn't say that? If you don't say it's not!

Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart was horizontal, and an impulse ran through his body, and he lifted his feet and passed. Wei Zijin's mouth opened for a moment, and he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it.

Zheng Yuxuan was stunned: Is this okay? …… also raised his feet to follow in, but Wei Zijin stopped her without hesitation:

"Miss Zheng, I'm sorry...... If you go in to the adults, you won't be able to go in......"

"You ......"

Zheng Yuxuan was about to be annoyed, but immediately reacted, looked the well-behaved Miss Wei up and down, seemed to understand something, nodded lightly, and said with a smile:

"That's right...... Okay, I'll go back, hehe, you bother......"

Wei Zijin bowed lightly and said:

"Good night Miss Zheng."

Zheng Yuxuan walked back slowly in the moonlight, unwilling and a little sour in his heart. She was gently jumping along the shape of the stone path, when she suddenly heard a "swish" in the bamboo bushes in front of her, and something was hiding in it.

Her scalp exploded, and she was about to scream, when she suddenly saw what looked like a small palace maid in the bamboo bushes. Zheng Yuxuan suddenly became bold, ran over and pulled her out.

"Oops...... Oops......"

A little girl begged for mercy pitifully, and was dragged into the moonlight by Zheng Yuxuan. When she saw it, it turned out to be Mrs. Li's little dog leg: Huang Xiaoju.

Now Zheng Yuxuan found a place to vent, pinching and twisting, screaming Huang Xiaoju, and teaching a lesson:

"What do you want to do? Yes? What do you think you want to do? In the middle of the night, follow Miss Ben and pretend to be a ghost to scare Miss Ben? Yes? Do you want to scare Miss Ben to death? What the hell do you want to do......"

Huang Xiaoju is like a puppy with his tail between his legs, squeaking and begging for mercy, and he doesn't dare to make a loud voice, otherwise Zheng Yuxuan will be heavier.

In the entire palace, Huang Xiaoju is most afraid of Zheng Yuxuan. even surpassed Mrs. Li and Zhu Yourong. Because Zheng Yuxuan likes to find fault with her as soon as he sees her, but he is rectified by Zheng Yuxuan, and Huang Xiaoju has no place to complain. Zheng Yuxuan's father Zheng Gongyin and Mrs. Li are hardcore comrades and political allies, and Mrs. Li does like Zheng Yuxuan more, so Huang Xiaoju knows that he was rectified by Zheng Yuxuan, and he was basically made white.

And Zheng Yuxuan likes to play with Huang Xiaoju in front of Mrs. Li, and pinch and twist it half-truthfully, pretending to be very intimate. In this way, even if Huang Xiaoju went to complain in front of Mrs. Li, Mrs. Li probably thought that it was just the girls playing around and would not take it seriously.

In normal times, Huang Xiaoju was so frightened when he saw Zheng Yuxuan that he took a detour, how dare he follow him. This is also sent by Mrs. Li, and it is also to follow Xiang Xiaoqiang, not Zheng Yuxuan. But she was more unlucky, and she still hit the muzzle of the gun.

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang walked cautiously through the imperial garden of the moon shadow, and suddenly, he faintly heard the sound of some kind of string music, accompanied by a soft female voice humming.

His heart trembled, and his voice seemed to be Zhu Yourong's. …… At this moment, there should be no one else in the Imperial Garden, and it can only be Zhu Yourong's.

He tiptoed past and followed the sound, and suddenly there was a large pond in the moonlight, and the lotus flowers in the pond were already budding. The surface of the water ripples as if nothing, and a full moon beats on the water waves, shining brightly and piercing the eyes.

More than ten meters away, a young girl sat on the Taihu Lake stone on the shore, with her back to him, holding a guitar in her arms, playing and humming wildly.

The nights of the beginning of summer in Nanjing are no longer cool. The girl wore a thin white silk shirt, and the waistcoat could almost be seen inside. For coolness, the sleeves are also rolled up to the upper arms, revealing two curvaceous arms. The fat black silk pants hang down obediently on the legs, and they are cool at first glance. Barefoot pulled a pair of clog slippers, one foot hanging, the other foot on the stone, very comfortable.

There was a small copper incense burner on the stone next to it, and the green smoke kept floating out, and it was soon blown away by the breeze. -- It's not like it's elegant, it's like it's smoking mosquitoes.

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at this scene stupidly...... This...... Could it be Zhu Yourong? …… Could this be the great son of heaven and the empress Zhu Yourong?

This is clearly a female college student who has just finished self-study at night!

Oh my God, it's like this, it's strange to have to let someone else in...... Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that he had broken in, and he was indeed too reckless. Zhu Yourong's relationship with herself has not yet reached this point, and she will not tolerate being seen like this by herself.

Xiang Xiaoqiang reminded himself very sweatingly: After all, this is not a female college student who has just finished self-study at night, this is the king of the Ming Dynasty and the supreme commander of millions of troops in the country...... It's okay to chase her by yourself, but you must pay attention. It seems that the "degree" has already been crossed by now.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was about to tiptoe back again, when he suddenly heard Zhu Yourong pluck the guitar strings a few times and sing softly in English.

……

"The song I am about to sing has not been sung to this day,

Every day I adjust the strings on my instrument.

The time has not yet come, the lyrics have not been filled, only the pain of hope is in my heart.

The stamens have not yet opened, only the wind sighs and walks by.

I didn't see his face, I didn't hear his words. But all I could hear was the sound of his footsteps walking behind me.

The long day was spent setting up a seat for him, but the lights were not yet on, and I could not invite him in.

I live in the hope of meeting him, but the day has not yet come. ”

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang had never heard Zhu Yourong sing, but he didn't expect Zhu Yourong to sing so well. Even though he didn't understand a word, he was deeply enthralled.

After Zhu Yourong finished singing, he lowered his head again, gently plucked the guitar strings, and hummed softly.

But Xiang Xiaoqiang had already heard that Zhu Yourong's humming was no longer natural, and he was trembling slightly, looking very nervous.

Xiang Xiaoqiang couldn't help but suspect that he had been discovered.

He wanted to go back quietly, but he knew it was too late. There was silence all around, and the grass beneath his feet would make a sound whenever he moved.

Xiang Xiaoqiang only now knows how quiet it is here, and only then does he know how sharp his ears will be when he stays here for a long time. He now understood how stupid he was when he crept over and thought he was hidden.

In the air, only Zhu Yourong gently plucked the guitar strings, making a clear and intoxicating sound.

Slowly, she followed the guitar strings for a few words, and then summoned up the courage to sing softly:

……

"The net is tough, but it hurts when I have to tear it apart.

I want to be free, but I'm ashamed because I want to be free.

I know for sure that the priceless treasure is with you, and that you are my best friend.

But I can't bear my house full of mundane things.

I was clothed in dust and the garment of death. I hated it, but held it tight with love.

I have a lot of debts, my failures are great, and my shame is secret and deep.

But when I came to pray, I trembled lest my supplication be granted. ”

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang even guessed, but he only understood one-fifth, and he didn't understand what it meant at all, but he thought it was very good, and the melody was very intoxicating.

However, he seemed to hear something unusual.

Zhu Yourong seemed to be crying. By the time I got to the second half of this section, my nasal voice became heavy, as if I had already shed tears.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart was pounding, hesitating, not knowing if he should rush forward and hug her at such a time.

He had such an impulse several times, and his intuition told him that as long as he rushed out at this moment and hugged her into his arms, the love between himself and Zhu Yourong would be complete.

If it was an ordinary girl, such as Qiu Yu, Xiuxiu, or even Zheng Yuxuan, he would have rushed out a hundred times a hundred times.

However, this is Zhu Yourong.

Every time Xiang Xiaoqiang wants to take a step, it always seems like a hand pulls him back. His heart was beating wildly, his face was sweating, and he couldn't hold on anymore. …… Oh my God, this is Her Majesty!

……

Zhu Yourong sat by the pond with his back to him for a while, sighed softly, raised his hand to wipe his tears, looked up at the moon, plucked the strings, and sang while shedding tears:

"My ** is a lot, and my crying is pathetic, but you always resolutely reject me.

This strong compassion has been woven into my life.

Sometimes I slack off, sometimes I hurry to find my direction;

But you are ruthlessly hiding......"

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang hid behind the bushes, listened to the crying singing, and gnawed his thumb. He was restless in his heart, if he could understand what Zhu Yourong was singing at the moment, he was willing to exchange 1,000,000 Ming Yang for it.

Zhu Yourong by the pond trembled and sang:

"I'm just waiting for love to finally give myself into your hands.

They want to restrain me with laws and regulations, but I always avoid them.

For I am only waiting for love, to finally deliver myself into your hands.

They rebuke me, and I know they have a point......

But......

I am only waiting for love, waiting for finally giving myself into your hands. ”

……

After singing this paragraph, Zhu Yourong stopped singing, but looked up at the sky, the guitar in his hand slowly slipped down, and "Puff" slid into the pond, floating on the water, emitting a circle of ripples in the moonlight.

Zhu Yourong looked at the guitar he loved in the water center, cried silently, his shoulders and back trembled uncontrollably, and looked at the moon again, covering his mouth with one hand, and wiping the tears on his face with the other.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was full of shame and fled, and when Zhu Yourong cried bitterly, he ran away lightly and quickly.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart was also sour, but he didn't know why Zhu Yourong was crying so sadly. He hated that he didn't work hard when he was in school, and now he can't understand the English lyrics. If you can understand it, at least you can analyze what Zhu Yourong is crying like this because of the song Zhu Yourong sang, and you can judge what to do, whether to take the risk of rushing out or quietly retreating.

If Zhu Yourong hadn't cried, but just sat by the pond in a daze, maybe Xiang Xiaoqiang would have passed. But now that Zhu Yourong is crying like this, it is already such a scene, he feels that Zhu Yourong may not want to be seen by himself like this, and he may not have a good result when he goes out.

……

After Xiang Xiaoqiang returned to the imperial study, he saw that the wall clock was almost two o'clock. Zheng Yuxuan is no longer in the imperial study, and Mrs. Li is not here. Probably because they were so sleepy that they went to sleep. In the four corners of the study, only four palace maids stood in an orderly manner, staring intently at the ground under their feet.

Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't feel sleepy at all, and decided to wait for Zhu Yourong here. After all, Zhu Yourong allowed himself to enter the palace tonight to meet him. I haven't met yet.

It was also very quiet in the imperial study, except for the "ticking" of the clock on the wall.

When he yawned for the first time, the voices of two palace maids came from outside:

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

Then came Zhu Yourong's cold voice:

"Hmm."

Xiang Xiaoqiang was excited, stood up, straightened his military uniform, put his hat under his armpit, and stood looking at the door.

Zhu Yourong walked in in plain clothes, sat behind her desk very casually, picked up a few folds on the table, looked at them, picked up a pen and signed it aside, and picked up the next one to read.

At this time, the palace maid came up with a tea tray and placed it on her table. Zhu Yourong shook his hand, didn't even raise his head, and said lightly:

"It's late at night, I don't drink tea. Ask the adults if they drink. ”

The palace maid was a little surprised, looked at Zhu Yourong in disdain, and then looked at Xiang Xiaoqiang. Motioned to Xiaoqiang to let her put the tea tray on the coffee table beside her.

The palace maid put down the teacup, smiled at Xiao Qiang very attentively, and then stepped aside lightly, beckoned twice, and motioned for the palace maids at the four corners to retreat as well.

"No," Zhu Yourong didn't look up as if he had eyes on the back of his head, and said coldly, "You don't have to retreat, just serve here." ”

Several palace maids didn't know what was going on, and looked at each other nervously, not knowing how His Majesty had fallen out with Lord Xiang. They stood cautiously in their place, looked at the ground, and replied softly:

"Yes."

Xiang Xiaoqiang understood that the voyeurism he had just now must have been discovered by her. He was glad he hadn't rushed out just now. Otherwise, it could be even worse now.

He coughed lightly and said carefully:

"Your Majesty."

Zhu Yourong didn't look up, but replied lightly:

"Lord Xiang, it's really hard for you to invite you so late. I already know about Baoding. Now if you have any ideas, you can tell me. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at Zhu Yourong like this, he felt extremely uncomfortable, and he had the heart to explain to her, and then he glanced at the palace maid standing in the four corners, how awkward it looked. The words were held in my heart for a long time, and finally rushed out:

"Your Majesty, we ...... We don't have to. ”

Zhu Yourong raised his face and looked at him in surprise, as if he had been offended. She just swept Xiang Xiaoqiang with her eyes, lowered her head to look at the music on the table, and said lightly:

"Xiang Qing, please respect yourself."

Xiang Xiaoqiang felt a pain in his heart, like being stabbed with a knife. Zhu Yourong in front of him is a complete stranger. This feeling is by no means the Zhu Yourong who called himself "Tingzhi", or even the Zhu Yourong who called himself "Teacher Xiang" before.

This Zhu Yourong seems to be familiar with each other, and he has only met him once.

…… By the way, it seems to be the feeling of a high-minded empress when I first saw her in the Changping Marquis Mansion on that cold night a few months ago.

At that time, Zhu Yourong was the empress of the Ming Empire in this time and space, and it was impossible for him to get within three feet.

And to her, she is just an ordinary person, and she can stand in front of the empress purely because Her Majesty the empress wants to see something fresh on a whim.

Now, that feeling seems to come back again.

Zhu Yourong also sat behind his desk as he did that night, while he sat on the chair under the hall. The distance seems to be closing rapidly.

What's even more infuriating is that this feeling is completely deliberately made by Zhu Yourong now.

Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't know where he offended her, and he offended so badly that she didn't leave any room at all. But Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that it was impossible to talk about it in this situation tonight.

A girl like Zhu Yourong, who is usually docile and kind, is very terrible once she makes a mistake, and the eight big horses can't pull it back.

The best way is to stop dwelling on herself tonight and let her calm down. There is Zheng Yuxuan in the palace, everything is easy to do. Go back and let Zheng Yuxuan and Zhu Yourong have a heart-to-heart relationship, find out the reason and then make a calculation. That's much better than being stupid here. Besides, there are still a few palace maids standing in these four corners, and they can't explain anything.

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang sighed, and began to bite the bullet and get to the point, as a general, he reported the details of the Baoding Arsenal Uprising to the empress, and introduced to her his idea of using air support to vigorously support this force.

It turned out that Xiang Xiaoqiang thought that Zhu Yourong had turned his face with him, and his plan was also unlucky. Unexpectedly, Zhu Yourong was particularly matter-of-fact this time, with a business-like attitude, and quite agreed with this support plan. She immediately approved the coordination of Xiaoqiang and the commander of the army aviation, and arranged the first airdrop to the Baoding rebel army within three days. At the same time, Xiang Xiaoqiang was asked to make a detailed plan on how to support and control this armed force, and she would arrange a meeting of the command to discuss it.

"Your Majesty," Xiang Xiaoqiang took the opportunity to say, "the minister thinks...... This army, or this rebel army, needs a name, at least when we refer to it next, we don't have to say 'this force', 'this force'. ”

Zhu Yourong nodded, frowned and muttered for a moment:

"Let's give Qing a name."

Xiang Xiaoqiang pretended to be silent for a while, and blurted out:

"The People's Guard's Taihang Mountain Column, how is it? Or called: People's Guard Taihang Mountain ** Brigade, how? ”

Zhu Yourong waved his hand:

"This Xiang Qing is more professional than me, so let's choose one from it and use it."

After Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart was hit, he finally ushered in a small comfort: Zhu Yourong didn't think about it, so he approved the former title of the team "People's Guard". In other words, this team behind the enemy lines of the Manchu Qing Dynasty already belonged to itself in name.

……

When it was almost four o'clock in the morning, Xiang Xiaoqiang came out of the palace, sat in the back seat of the car, and went home groggy.

Overall, it was a terrible night. I almost lost Zhu Yourong. Depressed, I don't know the reason yet.

Zhu Yourong is not only the backer of his career, but also the lover of his dreams. …… Fortunately, I have Zheng Yuxuan. If there is no Zheng Yuxuan, if you lose it this time, you may not be able to catch it back. But with Zheng Yuxuan, Xiang Xiaoqiang has confidence that it will not be so difficult to capture Zhu Yourong.

Suddenly, Xiang Xiaoqiang was awakened by a terrible thought of his own:

It won't be Zheng Yuxuan's Nizi playing yin with herself, one in front of her and one behind her back, right?

She won't ...... said that he would help himself chase Zhu Yourong, and secretly stumble on his legs, right?

Zhu Yourong's performance tonight is abnormal, if it is because Zheng Yuxuan said something to her and said something very unfavorable to herself, it would be very reasonable!

After all, what girl would want to help her lover chase another girl?

…… No, no, that's not true......

Xiang Xiaoqiang hugged his head vigorously and convinced himself that it would not be like this. However, this assumption still burrowed into his brain like a poisonous snake and made him shudder.