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Everyone practiced today's dance very well, and within half a day, the aunt who taught the dance allowed Xia Li and them to go back to the palace to rest.

After lunch, Xia Li wanted to take a nap, but the hall was too stuffy, so she didn't feel sleepy at all. Simply, she got up and said to the maid beside her: "Luo'er, you accompany the palace to the imperial garden for a walk, this palace is too stuffy." ”

"This ...... Mother, this will be mixed up outside, what should you do if you accidentally hurt you? Luo'er said cautiously.

Xia Li listened disapprovingly: "Isn't it just going out for a walk, where is there so much in case?" With that, he got up and walked out of the palace. Seeing this, Luo'er had to hurry up.

Inside the Imperial Garden

This is the first time that Xia Li has been to the Imperial Garden since entering the palace. She was amazed by the beauty of the garden, and she stopped and had fun along the way.

At this time, Concubine Mei was chatting with several concubines who had been friends on weekdays in the pavilion of the imperial garden, tasting pastries.

Suddenly, she saw a woman in palace clothes walking by not far away, presumably also the emperor's concubine. If she didn't pay attention to this kind of thing at all in normal times, there were so many concubines in the emperor, and it was normal for her not to know her. Only this time, I don't know why, she looked at the woman's side face and suddenly felt familiar.

"Peach, which palace is she from?" After thinking for a while, Concubine Mei still couldn't remember where she had seen her, so she raised her hand and asked the maid next to her, Tao'er.

By the time Tao'er stepped forward to see the face of the person Concubine Mei was pointing at, she had already walked away, leaving only a slender back for everyone.

"Niangniang, I'll chase you over now to help you inquire." Seeing this, Tao'er said to Concubine Mei.

"Hey, Concubine Mei, what future will the concubine in this harem that you don't even know have? Presumably that person is one of the daughters of several ministers selected by the Queen Mother for the emperor a few days ago. It is estimated that the emperor has not even seen her face now! Niangniang, you are deeply favored, why should you take her to heart? At this time, An Guiren, who was sitting on the side, said disdainfully.

Concubine Mei listened to her words and felt reasonable, so she said, "Forget it, there's no need." "Maybe it's my own dazzle. Thinking so, she quickly forgot about it.

Speaking of Xia Li, when she was wandering around the imperial garden, she saw a group of eunuchs and palace maids hanging exquisite ornaments on the trees in front of her, and her curiosity immediately rose, so she ran over there and stopped to look at them for a long time, so she didn't find Concubine Mei and them at all.

Because everyone was busy decorating the palace for Concubine Mei's birthday banquet, no one noticed her for a while.

was watching, suddenly, a little eunuch on the tree accidentally dropped the ornament in his hand, and was about to hit Xia Li, Xia Li was so frightened that he forgot to dodge, and at this critical moment, a man suddenly picked her up and took her to safety.

"Hey, why are you so careless! This is Zhaoyi Niangniang, can you afford to hurt her? Here, the frightened Luo'er scolded the little eunuch fiercely, "Fortunately, Zhaoyi Niangniang is fine, otherwise you won't have enough ten heads!" ”

"Niangniang, the slave didn't mean it, and I didn't know that you were down there, begging Niangniang for forgiveness, begging for forgiveness." The little eunuch was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

Seeing that he was not injured, Xia Li stepped forward and said softly: "This palace is fine, you don't have to blame yourself." Go and do things, it's not good to delay Concubine Mei's birthday banquet. ”

The little eunuch listened and kowtowed to thank him: "Xie Zhaoyi Niangniang, Xie Zhaoyi Niangniang." ”

"Let's go!" Luo'er said to him angrily, and then turned around and asked Xia Li worriedly, "Niangniang, are you really okay?" ”

"Don't worry, Hongu is really fine." Xia Li shook her head, and then looked at the man who saved her just now, "Are you ......?"

What a handsome man! Looking at the man's clear-eyed face, Xia Li sighed in her heart.

And when the man saw Xia Li, he was stunned.

"What's wrong?" Seeing him staring straight at him, Xia Li's face turned slightly red.

"Ahem," the man came back to his senses. He faked a cough and said to Xia Li: "The commander of the Royal Forest Army, Wei Wuxian, has seen Zhaoyi Niangniang, and he has been offended a lot, and I hope Niangniang will forgive him." ”

"Wei Wuxian?" Xia Li had heard of this name, and it was said that it was a popular person around the emperor.

"Niangniang......" Seeing that Xia Li lowered her head and didn't know what she was thinking, Wuxian spoke softly.

"Ah," Xia Li hurriedly raised his head when he heard this, "It turned out to be Lord Wei, this palace has admired your name for a long time, if it wasn't for the adults passing by in time, I'm afraid that this palace would have been smashed by that ornament, and this palace really has to thank your lord here." As she spoke, she bowed deeply to the innocent.

"Mother, don't be polite." Seeing this, Wei Wuxian stepped forward to help him, "Niang Niang is a golden branch and jade leaf, it is the duty of Weichen to protect you, how dare Weichen accept this great gift?" ”

Xia Li got up after hearing this, nodded and said, "Then thank you, my lord." ”

The two said a few more polite words, and then Xia Li saw that the hour was not early, so she took her leave and returned to Yaohua Palace with Luo'er.

Wuxian looked at Xia Li's back, and a strong sense of familiarity arose from the bottom of his heart.

Is that you? Are you back?

evening

Xia Li was having dinner in the palace when she suddenly heard a noise by the window.

The cautious Luo'er hurriedly ran to find out. She slowly opened the window and noticed a silver dart stuck straight into the window sill.

Looking around, she didn't find anything suspicious, so she carefully pulled off the dart and took down the note.

"Look, mother." Luo'er handed the note in her hand to Xia Li.

At three o'clock, the woods on the east side of Yaohua Palace were narrated, and there was no death.

Wei Wuxian? It's weird, he and I just met, what will happen if he asks me out? Xia Li looked at the note, and couldn't help but suspect in her heart.

"Niangniang, this note ......" Luo'er looked at Xia Li with a puzzled expression and said softly.

"No, maybe it's some of the guards who are idle and playing around. The note was nothing more than scribbled characters. After saying that, Xia Li crumpled the note and threw it into the flickering candlestick next to her.

She knew that there were too many secrets in this harem, so she didn't dare to trust anyone. What's more, one more person knows about it, one more danger, and of course she can't take this risk.

"I see." Luo'er listened and said no more.

Seeing that the note had turned to ashes, Xia Li relieved herself and continued to have dinner.

Xia Li's dinner was not very rich, not because Zhaoyi's status was not as good as other high-ranking concubines, but because Xia Li had always been concerned about his father who was an official in the court, and since ancient times, the ups and downs of the status of the harem concubines will directly affect the relatives of the officials in the previous dynasty, especially the rules in the harem.

The first taboo in this harem is disrespectful, and the second taboo is arrogance and lewdness. Therefore, Xia Li did not dare to compare with other concubines in terms of food and clothing, all expenses were just enough, and she never showed the limelight in this regard.