Ning Ke didn't know how she returned to Ning Mansion, and the secret that Old Man Hu told her was too intense, so that she couldn't accept it, and her mind was still in a trance at this time.

She couldn't sleep all night tossing and turning in bed, and the next day at dawn, she got up and prepared to go out.

Qingqiang also just got up to make breakfast, and when she saw her get up so early, she was also stunned, "Miss, why did you get up? Don't sleep for a while?"

"Can't sleep. Ning Ke stretched his waist and said lightly: "I'm going to go out later, you don't have to wait for me." ”

"Miss, do you still want to go out?" Qingqiang put down the work in her hand and looked puzzled, "Why don't you go ......with the slave maid?"

"No, I'll do it myself. Ning Ke shook his head, took a few steps, and suddenly turned around and asked, "Where did you say last time that very powerful painter in the suburbs live?"

Qingqiang blinked and thought for a while before she said, "Is Miss talking about Master Bai? He lives at the foot of the mountain outside the city, cultivating his own remote land and enclosing the land as a house." Miss, you can find someone to inquire about when you go out of the city, he is a great good person, and the money from selling paintings on weekdays is either used to donate incense to the temple, or to help the poor people around him. ”

"Okay, I got it. Ning Ke nodded, turned around to leave, and Qingqiang asked again, "Miss, didn't you say you didn't want him to paint?" ”

Ning Ke strolled out, and said without looking back: "I don't think the Lord Regent's painting is very good, but I still want to see Master Bai's works." ”

"The Lord Regent's painting is still not satisfied, Miss, your vision is too high, right?"

Qingqiang muttered to herself, and in the blink of an eye, Ning Ke had already gone out.

In the early morning, Kyoto is still waking up, in the mist, all the prosperity is hidden in it, and all the clouds and clouds have not yet surfaced, and the peace is beautiful.

The more you go outside the city, the scenery is more refreshing and pleasant, the autumn breeze is cool, and the fragrance of rice comes to your nose with the perfection of the harvest, which makes people feel refreshed and happy.

Ning Ke tossed slightly in the carriage, and fell asleep comfortably, and when he woke up, the coachman had already stopped, saying that he had arrived.

Lifted the curtain and took a look, the first thing I saw was a small courtyard at the foot of the mountain where the smoke lingered, the green bamboo was straight and elegant, around the front and back of the yard, the unknown flower vines on the wall climbed up, and bloomed a pink and white flower, stained with dew, crystal dripping.

This is it.

Ning Ke got out of the carriage, let the coachman go to the side to rest, and walked towards the courtyard by himself.

Before I reached the door, I heard the sound of morning work coming from inside, and the smoke curled and the aroma was charming.

It's so thick with fireworks, and it's a good and comfortable pastoral life.

"Buckle up. ”

Ning Ke raised his hand and knocked on the door made of bamboo, and soon there was a steady footstep sound inside, "It's coming, it's coming." ”

As soon as the door opened, a green shirt was the first to come into view, and then the thin and weak face of the person who came, who looked to be only thirty or forty years old, with white lips and red lips, a thin beard, black hair was only tied with a white hosta, and a few strands of broken hair fell from his forehead, adding a bit of free and easy.

"Girl, this is ......" Bai Mo looked at the masked woman in front of him and frowned slightly.

Ning Ke bowed his head slightly politely, which was considered a courtesy, "Hello Master Bai, the little girl is here to ask for a portrait of Master Bai." ”

"Oh, it turned out to be a painting, please come in, please come in. Bai Mo did not doubt him, opened the door humbly and politely, and led her in.

Ning Ke glanced along the road, there were piles of vegetables planted in the yard, which should have been turning the ground just now, and there were fresh soil marks.

Bai Mo sneered, cleaned his hands first, and then went to make a pot of self-fried tea for Ning Ke, Ning Ke tasted some, although it was a little bitter, but the taste was mellow, with an indescribable charm, and a little familiar.

"What does the girl want to draw?" Bai Mo prepared a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone in the bamboo liao, and then asked.

Ning Ke directly put a piece of paper on his desk, and opened his lips in a cold voice, "I want this." ”

Bai Mo picked it up and looked at it, his eyes widened instantly, and his hand shook, "You ......"

*

When Ning Ke left, he had a brand new painting in his hand, carefully framed, wrapped in silk cloth, which showed that his mind was solemn.

"Miss, will you go straight back to the city?" asked the coachman cautiously.

"Enter the palace!"

"Yes. ”

The coachman replied cheerfully, and drove the carriage straight to the palace, it was still early, just in time for the next dynasty, but it was said that the emperor had recently fallen ill, and the presiding officer of the early dynasty let the regent do the work for him.

Ning Ke got out of the carriage and happened to meet Chu Junyue at the gate of the palace, he was in the stars of many courtiers, Ning Ke did not step forward to say hello, and walked directly to the East Palace.

Unexpectedly, when passing by the Imperial Garden, I bumped into the Queen Mother walking again, and I couldn't get around it if I wanted to, so I could only go forward to salute.

"The Queen Mother is blessed. ”

The Queen Mother was very happy when she saw her, smiled lovingly and helped her up, and said softly: "Ke'er is always so polite, she said don't salute when no one is around, and the mourning family is not an outsider." ”

Ning Ke smiled obediently and did not refute.

The Queen Mother looked at her holding something in her hand and looked at her strangely, "What is Ke'er holding?

"No, no, no. Ning Ke smiled faintly, put the portrait behind him, and then changed the topic, "The Queen Mother has been in good health recently? Ke'er has been busy recently, and she hasn't been able to ask the Queen Mother for a good time." ”

The Queen Mother didn't get too entangled in the matter of the portrait, so she naturally followed her topic and said with a smile: "The mourning family has been doing well recently, thanks to Ke'er helping the mourning family to adjust before, and now it's all fine." ”

"That's good. Ning Ke smiled obediently.

The Queen Mother suddenly thought of something again, took her hand, and said in an urgent tone: "By the way, there are special products sent from Xishu in the Mourning Palace, and the Mourning Family is waiting for you to eat together! It's still early, Ke'er must not have breakfast, it's better to eat a little first." ”

"This ......" Ning Ke still had something in his heart, and hesitated for a while.

The Queen Mother was enthusiastic and persuaded a few words, but if Ning Ke didn't go, she was afraid that she would lose a piece of the old man's heart, so she nodded and agreed.

said that it was a specialty, but it was also some dry food processed from medicinal diets, Ning Ke made an excuse to leave after eating a few bites, and the Queen Mother was afraid that she would be hungry, so she packed some for her to take away.

The Queen Mother has always loved her, she was embarrassed not to, and she also carried it to the Prince's East Palace.

Last time, her persuasion was fruitless, and this time, she didn't know if the prince would be willing to go with her to the prison.

But if the prince doesn't go, the queen won't speak, and she won't be able to know what happened back then, so the key is still in the prince.

Just as she was about to enter, the palace gate suddenly opened, and the prince walked out of it.

He has probably been tormented for the past few days, his whole person has lost weight, and his face is haggard, but his eyes are still bright when he sees Ning Ke.

"Ke'er, you're here. ”

"Well, I just went to the Queen Mother, and I stopped by. "Ning Ke didn't want to say that he came to him, he always felt a little selfish, the prince had just been poisoned by his mother, and he came to persuade him, he was always a little unkind.

Who knew that the prince went straight to the point and said, "You go with this palace to see the queen mother!"

"Prince ......"

Ning Ke thought he had heard it wrong, but the prince had already strode away and walked ahead. She pursed her lips and hurriedly followed.

The crown prince wanted to see the queen, but the emperor did not stop him, and the matter was also handed over to Chu Junyue to be fully responsible, and Chu Junyue had no reason not to agree.

Considering that the prince and the queen had something to say, Ning Ke did not follow in, but just waited at the door.

The prince looked at her gratefully, took a deep breath, and then slowly walked inside.

It was a very short distance, but the crown prince seemed to have walked for a century, and his heart was conflicted, he wanted to see his mother, but he was afraid to see her, and remembered those unbearable memories.

However, Ning Ke was right, it was his mother after all, no matter what she had done, she was going to be beheaded, and he really should go to see it.

"Prince?" A messy and dirty figure huddled in the corner of the cell, hearing the footsteps, immediately raised his head and looked at it with a bright eye.

"Prince, is the prince really you?"

When the figure approached, the queen was overjoyed, bounced up from the ground, and rushed forward, "Prince! The prince is really you! The queen mother thinks you will never come again, the queen mother ......"

"What else do you have to say?" the prince stood far away, his face half-hidden in the shadows, looking a little ruthless and cold.

The queen was slightly stunned, but the hand that grabbed the iron railing tightened, and a bitter smile overflowed on her lips, "The queen mother knows that you are resentful...... But the queen mother is really not a spy, and the queen mother is really wronged......"

"Then why did you appear in the ruined palace in the middle of the night? Why did you fall for Ke'er's poison? Why did you hold a human skin mask in your hand? Why didn't there be any dead people under other palaces, but your palace did? Why did you want to kill you for fear that I would expose you?" the prince stared at her with red eyes, sentence after sentence, in an aggressive tone, and became more and more excited, "You say! You give your son an explanation! Why! Why you! Why is the spearhead of everything pointed at you!"

The queen cried and shook her head, "No! It's not the queen mother, it's not the queen mother!

"Okay! You explain! Erchen is here today to listen to your explanation!"

"Good....... Okay!" the queen nodded and paused for a moment before speaking.

That night, the queen mother received a secret letter from others and went to the appointment, but when the queen mother arrived, a man in black was stunned, and the queen mother didn't know why the human skin mask was in the queen mother's hand...... Also, the queen mother never thought of poisoning you, you are the queen mother's child, how can the queen mother bear ......"

After hearing this, the prince's eyes became more and more disappointed and painful, the corners of his lips opened a little, and then he laughed wildly, his voice getting louder and more excited.

"You say you don't know anything? Everything is framed by others? Do you think anyone will believe what you say? If you want to make up an excuse, can you make up a convincing one? How can you believe me like that? How can I believe you?"

The queen couldn't stop crying, and when she saw him like this, she was even more sad, "But what the queen mother said is the truth! The queen mother didn't lie to you!"

"You don't have to say it again! I won't believe anything you say!" the prince glared at her fiercely, angry and sad.

"I don't have a vicious mother like you!"

Roaring angrily, he turned his head fiercely, and rushed out without looking back, no matter how much the queen cried behind him, he couldn't hold back his footsteps.

"Why...... Why don't you even believe in the queen mother, why ......"

The queen slowly slipped to the ground, crying heartbreakingly, as if she had been overwhelmed, and there was no end.

It was her own child, and he didn't believe in her and was ashamed of her.

Why is this happening?

She lay in the dust, unable to lift her noble head any longer, and her cry whimpered low, miserable and miserable.

At this time, a touch of snow-white clothes appeared in his eyes, accompanied by the woman's cold voice, "I have brought the prince to meet you, you should also fulfill your promise, right?"

The queen smiled bitterly, her chin raised slightly, and she had a noble posture, "Since this palace promised you, it will naturally not break its promise, don't you just want to know how your mother died?"

The corners of her lips curled slightly, and a strange smile crossed her, "I can tell you, but you'd better be prepared." ”