When the autumn color was thick, the golden ginkgo biloba spread all over the imperial city, rendering the palace gilt gold, and the army outside sent people to transmit the military information.

Ping Ning ran in front of her skirt, and Xiao Chulan followed not far behind her. His body didn't allow him to run as wantonly as Ping Ning did, so he could only follow her as soon as possible, watching her turn around and urge himself from time to time: "Brother Jiu, you hurry up!" ”

Xiao Chulan hooked her lips, as if as long as she was in front of her, her heart would be satisfied.

Cui Yanyu had just withdrawn from the main hall after reporting the military situation when he heard a sound.

"Cousin!"

He hurried back to the royal capital all the way, and he didn't have time to take off his uniform to enter the palace to face the saint, and the armor worn on the young man's body couldn't help but make his warm face hard, and the handsome lines had experienced the baptism of the battlefield and became distinct, like the outline of a distant mountain.

When her eyes touched the girl who came against the light, she gradually softened. The red and intense remnant sun fell on her light-colored dress, gorgeous and poignant, and he couldn't help but think of the blood-stained flags fluttering on the battlefield, and those stranded tragic memories came back one after another.

Cui Yanyu took a deep breath, restrained the murderous aura brought down from the battlefield, and hooked a faint and gentle smile on his lips.

"Pingning, long time no see. Are you okay in the royal capital? He touched her head. This girl is a lot more outstanding than when he left Beijing. "This is-" When she caught a glimpse of Xiao Chulan behind her, her smile faded, and she didn't know if it was perfunctory or what, she only bent the corner of her eyes and ignored the past.

"Nine Emperor Princes, Xiao Chulan. Brother Jiu, this is the cousin I mentioned to you, Cui Yanyu. "Pingning helped them introduce each other.

"His Highness the Nine."

"General Cui."

Under the respect, Cui Yanyu's alienation from Xiao Chulan was hidden, and the two simply said hello and stopped talking.

"Cousin, how is the war? Is my dad okay? ”

"Uncle is fine, the war... It's almost over. ”

Xiao Chulan sensitively noticed that he slightly mislooked away when he said this. Is something wrong?

"Cousin?"

Cui Yanyu looked at her and smiled unusually. "I was a little tired after three days and two nights on horseback. I'll have to rush back later, Anin..."

He silently glanced at Xiao Chulan and pressed Ping Ning's shoulder with one hand. "The war is almost over, so you should leave the palace and go home early. I'm not there, so I go to the house to discuss with Jingyu if I have something. ”

Cui Jingyu, Cui Yanyu's sister, Pingning's cousin.

After saying that, he couldn't help but press her shoulder. Ping Ning couldn't help but be stunned and nodded in response. "Okay, I got it."

With her words, Cui Yanyu breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're all right, take care of yourself. I'll go first. ”

"Well, you too."

Cui Yanyu hooked his lips reassuringly, turned around and smiled from his face, with a hint of solemnity in his eyes. When he walked past Xiao Chulan, he bowed his hand.

Ping Ning looked at him away from the shrunken back, thinking back to his demeanor, movements, and words just now, and a trace of uneasiness suddenly appeared in his heart.

The main hall is the place where the emperor's review is played. There was a "thud", followed by the sound of a clang, a clatter, a jade or porcelain, or both, mixed with the king's fury and the kneeling begs of the attendants.

Xiao Chulan patted her arm, glanced behind her, and said, "Let's go." ”

"Hmm."

Pingning was pulled out of there by him all the way.

In the winter, the sky has been overcast. Unfavorable war reports were sent one after another to the royal capital of the Rite Dynasty, ministers were constantly announced to the palace to discuss the war, and the people of the Imperial Medical Department were in and out of the imperial palace more frequently than before. From time to time, Ping Ning looked at the gray and depressed clouds and thought, "I'm afraid it's going to change." ”

*

The defeat of our army was reported to the royal capital, the Son of Heaven was furious, his body has been much worse than before these years, this series of stimuli rushed towards him one by one, so he finally attacked in front of the civil and military officials, fainted on the dragon chair.

The whole palace was panicked because of this change, and everyone in the Imperial Doctor's Department rushed into the emperor's bedroom in waves. One of the small medical officers was temporarily transferred - it was Shen Zhizhou, who had just entered the Tai Medical Department. She hurried back to get the medicine box and accidentally bumped into someone on the way.

The man gave her a hand, and she looked up and froze. Ping Ning looked her up and down.

"County Lord! The small ones didn't deliberately collide, the small ones..."

Pinning let go of his hand and picked up the medicine box that had fallen to her feet and handed it over. "Your Majesty's fainting is a state affair, so you don't need to care about these false courtesies. Go ahead. ”

Shen Zhizhou was still young at that time, only two years older than Ping Ning, and he had no experience when he first entered the palace, so he didn't know how to deal with this kind of occasion. At this time, I was relieved, took the medicine box and thanked him, and immediately ran away.

Shen Zhizhou was in a hurry, and he didn't notice that today's Pingning County Lord didn't even have a single attendant by his side. After she left, Ping Ning put on a fox fur and glanced at the outside of the fence where the clouds were gathering and the evil wind was gradually rising, and walked towards Zhengyang Gate, the first palace gate that the war report must enter the palace.

His Majesty was in poor health, and the Queen Mother, concubines, and some princes who had been "entrusted with important tasks" rushed to wait outside the palace. Xiao Chulan is dispensable in the palace, so he won't make up for this kind of excitement. turned around to find Pingning, but the female official attendant beside Pingning told him that the county lord was missing.

His Majesty's affairs are now the top priority in the palace, and they are not alarmed, so they can only scatter to find them.

The news of the defeat reached the royal capital, and it was no surprise that Pingning did not see anyone at this time.

Xiao Chulan clenched his hands, his heart tightened, and he turned around to look for someone.

He walked all over the palace, but he could not find her, and the weather became more and more gloomy, and it seemed that it was about to rain. He looked for many places, a layer of sweat was plastered on his back, and he threw the big one aside, his brows furrowed more and more, and finally he went from a quick step to a trot.

He is congenitally deficient, although he has been accompanied by Ping Ning to recuperate in the past two years, he has suffered less torture, and his body has improved, but he is still a little worse than ordinary people. After running and looking for a distance, he was already a little overwhelmed, and his eyes were black, and he had to hold on to the wall.

He leaned against the palace wall, his face was pale, and he looked up at the dead branch extending from above, and a wave of unwillingness welled up in his heart. I don't know how many times, he resented his useless body.

He shook his head, trying to keep himself awake. unexpectedly saw her on the overpass between Zhengyangmen and Qimingmen.

"Binh Ninh ——!"

He tried his best to shout, and the man heard the sound and looked over, and when he saw him here, he couldn't help but be stunned, very surprised.

She was about to get off the overpass, and Xiao Chulan also got up and staggered over. Ping Ning held him up, and he was even cold on his coat.

"Xiao Chulan, what are you doing here? Still wearing such thin, looking for death! As she spoke, she untied her fox fur and put it on his tiptoe, and she didn't forget to reprimand and nag in her mouth, which calmed Xiao Chulan's uneasy heart a little.

"Can you take care of yourself? Remember to take the medicine on time, and wear more when it's cold..."

The more Xiao Chulan listened, the more wrong she became, her words seemed to tell herself, what should he do if she was not there in the future.

grabbed her hand, frowned, and asked, "What are you going to do?" ”

Pingning looked away, and after a while. "I'm going out of the palace."

"Now?"

"Hmm. It's late, I'm afraid I won't be able to get out. ”

Seeing that Xiao Chulan was a little puzzled, Ping Ning raised his eyes and said, "A few months ago, when my cousin Cui returned to the palace, I asked him how my father was, do you remember?" ”

"Yes. He said that Hou Ye was fine. ”

"You think that's the truth?" Ping Ning lowered his eyes, "I haven't received a letter from my father for a long time, if it's really okay, I won't ask." In any case, it is true that His Majesty concealed the military situation, and if it were not for the urgency of 100,000, it would not have been possible for my cousin to rush back to the royal capital in person. I'm afraid that at that moment, the battle will already be... As for my dad... I've prepared for the worst. After that day, I have been waiting for the time to leave the palace, looking at the current situation, it should be almost the same today. ”

Pretty much what?

She looked up slowly, and the rain fell from above, smashing down on her face and sliding down her face.

"The news of the defeat has been transmitted back to the royal capital, but my father and they have not heard from them, even if there is only a glimmer of hope, he will never let the enemy's iron cavalry touch half of the land of our dynasty!"

The girl said sonorously, "If you don't return with victory, you will be shrouded in horse leather, which is my father's wish in life." So, the next message to come back must be—"

The sound of horses' hooves is getting closer and closer, with anxiety and urgency, and they break through the Zhengyang Gate in one fell swoop. Xiao Chulan suddenly understood something, and immediately covered Ping Ning's ears, but she stopped his movements.

The raindrops beat on the bricks and tiles of the palace, and the sound became faster and denser, as if to drown out the rest of the sound. The cavalry on the horse held high the battle report, raised his breath and mourned in a loud voice: "Report - Anhou, die in battle!" ”

An Hou died in battle. The god of war of the Li Dynasty has been defeated!

This sound was like thunder on the ground, and the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids were silent for a moment, and in the ears of the insiders in the deep palace, it turned into a long sigh that knew so early.

"Pingning..."

"I expected that there would be such a day, and it would be fine. Since I am the daughter of Anhou, this is what I deserve. Suddenly hearing the bad news, the lord of Pingning returned home in the rain to guard his father's spirit - this is a common thing. Anhou sacrificed his life for the country, if the Son of Heaven forcibly detains the county lord in the palace at this time, the people will definitely not be angry. I will not be summoned to the palace in the short term, and I can only be compensated more - this is in line with the people's wishes. ”

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, freezing cold, and falling on them. Xiao Chulan frowned and looked at her unbearably, when did she start planning all this? These days, when she talks and laughs with herself, what are she thinking about?

Ping Ning withdrew her hand from his, her ink hair was wet and stuck behind her, and the cold raindrops dripped indifferently on her shoulders along the hairpin, and she said in a deep voice: "Now, the military power should be temporarily handed over to my uncle." If I continue to stay in the palace, I believe that soon someone will use me as a hostage to coerce my uncle to surrender his military power. At that time, it was not known whether the Li Dynasty would face a foreign enemy or internal strife. My father fought for his country, and so should his soldiers, and he did not fall into the hands of others, and pointed his sword and spear at the people of the court. ”

She wrinkled her eyebrows and looked at Xiao Chulan, and said, "In the past three years, you are the person who knows me best, and now I want to do what I have to do." Come to me today, and don't stop me. ”

Xiao Chulan clenched his hands, took a step back, and turned his head to close his eyes. "Today, the county lord has not been found in this hall, and he was accidentally infected with wind and cold, and he needs to lie in bed in Bixi Palace to recuperate, and he can't see outsiders."

In this way, no one will use him as an excuse for her to return to the palace.

A smile crossed Ping Ning's face, "Brother Nine." Ping Ning is not here, don't let others bully. ”

After speaking, she turned around and looked sad, and before the guard could react, she rushed out of Zhengyangmen and ran into the street, crying bitterly for her father while running in the direction of the Hou Mansion without looking back.

Although he was reluctant, Xiao Chulan still took off the fox fur, and the fox fur with soft and snow-white fur easily slipped from his body to his feet, like a trembling heart hanging down weakly, turning into a pool of stagnant water, which flowed with the muddy water on the ground. He twisted the residual warmth of his fingertips, let go of the nostalgia in his heart, and silently returned along the same path, picking up the big piece that he had left behind and was still lying alone.

Xiao Chulan let out a long sigh, and the rain slid down his feminine and indifferent jaw all the way and sank into the placket. His face was pale like a white jade statue, and his lacquer-like eyes were more and more elusive.

In his lifetime, I don't know how many times he can let go of her?

On the same day, the county lord of Pingning was overgrieving because of the death of Anhou, and rushed back to the Hou Mansion directly from the palace in the rain, and fainted in front of the Hou Mansion.

After the emperor woke up, he heard the news for a long time and did not open his mouth, his eyes swept over the sons and concubines in front of the bed one by one, and finally issued an order to give Anhou a mourning honor and treat Anhou's family well.

The decree and reward arrived at the Hou Mansion, because the lord of Pingning was still asleep, it was the young lady of the Cui family, Cui Jingyu, who led the whole mansion to receive the decree and thanked the emperor for his grace.

Waiting for the people in the palace to go back, Cui Jingyu went back to the room, and the sleeping Pingning County Lord happened to be sitting there, and she raised her eyes and looked at it in good spirits when she came in.

Cui Jingyu handed her the holy decree, "Huh." ”

Ping Ning took it and pushed it aside without looking at it, and said, "What's wrong?" ”

Cui Jingyu sat opposite her, "My father and brother have already received the news of your departure from the palace, and the palace can't take care of this side for a while because of His Majesty's fainting, but it will be difficult to say in a few days." ”

"I am now grieving too much and causing a 'coma', and after a few days of 'waking up', my father's bones will be transported back to Beijing and I will ask His Majesty to keep filial piety for three years."

Cui Jingyu nodded, "I can't get married during the filial piety period, and my uncle died fighting for the country, so I don't believe that anyone is going to the door to propose marriage at this time for the military power of your Hou Mansion!" ”

Ping Ning raised his hand to support his forehead and said worriedly: "If you don't mention marriage, Your Majesty can still refer to marriage first." There is only one daughter left in the Hou Mansion, and the royal sympathy is the greatest possibility for me to give me a decent husband and take the opportunity to regain military power. Now that the war is tight, even if it is defeated, it is not impossible to fight, if Your Majesty bluntly says that he wants to take back the military power, can my Hou Mansion not give it? ”

"Take back the military power at this time? My dad and my brother can't fight this battle outside! Cui Jingyu's palm slapped on the table.

"Will be outside, the king's order will not be affected. My uncle has been through a hundred battles and knows it in his heart. This battle has been fought year after year, and His Majesty's health is getting worse day by day, and in the more than three years I have been in the palace alone, I don't know how much gold pill he has eaten. The way of immortality of the warlock, heh, this majesty of ours is really confused. ”

With that, Pinning shook her head, even feeling unworthy for her father. Such a king rules the country, and even if the battle is won, what can it be? "My uncle is only temporarily in charge of military power, his name is not right, his words are not good, and he is ultimately controlled by others."

Cui Jingyu looked at her and said, "Do you have a way?" ”

Ping Ning's eyes were empty, "Since my relatives can't help themselves, why should I cheapen others?" Fertilizer and water do not flow into the fields of outsiders, and the identity of Anhou's daughter can also stabilize the morale of the army. It's just that I'm going to wronged my cousin. After saying that, she couldn't help but smile bitterly twice.

Cui Jingyu's eyes widened, and a hint of surprise crossed her beautiful eyes. "What are you kidding? You're going to have to talk to my brother—"

"Alas... I took my cousin as my brother, but I never thought that one day I would marry him. Wait for the situation to be decided, and then withdraw from the family. If my cousin has someone he likes, I can also explain it myself. If I ruin his happiness, I will be guilty of greatness. ”

"No, no, no, where did my brother come from, I meant you!" Cui Jingyu stood up anxiously, how could her daughter's family's lifelong event be so casual? She didn't agree with Pinning sacrificing himself, even though it might be the best thing to do right now.

"Me?" Ping Ning's good-looking eyebrows were raised.

Cui Jingyu grabbed her hand and shook her vigorously to make her sober up. "What about the Ninth Brother before you, the Nine Emperors? Don't you like him? Can't he do it? ”

Ping Ning was stunned, and there was a light smile on his lips. Xiao Chulan...

"It's true that he is a royal family, but he has no real power, marrying me is a curse for him, not a blessing."

Cui Jingyu: "So, you like him?" ”

Ping Ning lowered his eyes and was silent for a while. He fulfilled her in front of Zhengyang Gate, and everything in the past three years is still vivid. If she is good to him, why should he treat her badly? Once upon a time, she also said that he was her best marriage partner.

"Time doesn't wait for me, I... And how? ”

Some jokes can't be made. If you have expectations for that half-truth and half-truth, you will only be left with a negative burden after many years.