When all the people in the hall heard this, they all immediately stood up. I kept in mind the rules of my grandmother's teaching when I was in the house, and along with the harem ladies, several princes and the marquis made a big gift for the emperor first. Then, before filing the case, he waited for the military officials under the hall to pay homage to the emperor and pray, and the emperor should pass before sitting back.

Before everyone sat down, they saw the palace banner stand up expressionlessly, picked up the wine glass and walked to the emperor, bowed down and said: "Long life to my father, my sons congratulate me again, may my father's territory be eternal and the blessings will last." There are all the mothers and brothers waiting here, and the sons are not feeling well, so they retreat first. ”

The smile on the emperor's face gradually stiffened when he was teased by the palace curtain. I looked at everyone, but I saw that the faces of several princes were only faint, as if they were used to seeing such a scene. Only the concubine on the other side looked at the emperor's dull complexion, like sitting on pins and needles, fidgeting.

"Confused thing, it must have been a few days ago when I got cold outside. Half a big person, you don't know how to take care of yourself! Concubine Ying bluffed in a deep voice, and then turned her head to the emperor and whispered: "Your Majesty, you don't know how to be polite, please don't blame ......"

"I've seen big and small scenes over the years, and he doesn't know what etiquette he has." The emperor sneered a few times, and then turned to the palace banner and said angrily, "A few days ago, you ran away from the people, and you worked hard for half of the government and the opposition to find you. Your mother is also a good person, and your second brother is even more knowledgeable and reasonable, and his writing is brilliant - look at you again! Don't say that you are not as smart as your third brother and fourth brother, and even your eldest brother's pure filial piety is not as good as it! ”

The emperor split his head and covered his face, and the whole hall was already silent. On the opposite side, Concubine Ying's mother was sweating like rain, but the palace banner still had a face without joy or sorrow, as if he had not heard his father's reprimand at all.

"Your Majesty, he ...... him"

"The sons are stupid by nature, and they know that without the benefits of their brothers, staying will only make their father angry." Gong Wan bowed deeply, and then drank the wine in the cup in one gulp: "Erchen will go back and think about it, and pray for his father's longevity." ”

His voice fell, and he turned and strode away without looking back. In the Qingjiao Palace, which was still full of people, the atmosphere suddenly dropped to a chilling freezing point. Everyone was holding their breath, only the emperor's chest rose and fell, panting because of anger and violent.

"What a good son you raised!"

Concubine Ying was stunned when she heard this, and then got up and knelt down. Concubine Li Guifei promptly wiped off the corner of her mouth with a smile, got up and stepped forward: "Sister, don't blame yourself too much, in the end, it is still Man'er who is not angry." You said that this kid is too, a good day for the Halloween, he is not awkward himself, he still has to come to the emperor......"

Seeing that the emperor who was about to instigate Li Guifei hated the palace flag, I secretly touched the palace curtain on the side with my elbow and glanced at the emperor.

The palace maid was so obedient that he immediately understood, put down the wine glass and got up and said: "Li Niangniang's words are not bad, father, today is your good day, why worry about that piece of dead wood." The dancing girl in the palace rehearsed a new song for your birthday, how about you take a look, and then eat some wine and food, so wait until dark, and the son also has a big gift to give to you! ”

When everyone saw the prince starting, they talked again, praising the palace for its pure filial piety and persuading the emperor to be relieved. When the music started, a group of fairy-like dancing girls wearing wide skirts and water sleeves entered the hall and danced to the music. For a while, all kinds of-for-tat confrontations in front of him seemed to be slowly dissolved by the music like a fairy. Everyone only watched the song and dance with interest, but I was depressed in my heart, thinking only about the palace flag that left abruptly.

That's not the Miyahata I know. When I first saw the city gate, when I saw Prince Huan's mansion again, the young man was so immortal, smart and smart. Why is it that in the Qing Palace today, in front of his parents, he acted stupidly and abruptly, and his words were stiff?

Thinking of him in my heart, this seat was not interested.

In this way, more than an hour has passed. From time to time, ministers come up in groups to toast the emperor, and the Hou Ye is in a high position, as the only foreign minister who does not belong to the royal family, he has naturally become the object of respect for the ministers. I know the amount of wine Hou Ye has best, and after a few glasses, his cheeks are already red, but he just holds on to the table to prevent himself from falling.

Concubine Li Guifei saw that the ministers came up frequently, so she took the depressed and happy Concubine Ying and the rest of the palace concubines to the side hall. I seized the opportunity, took advantage of everyone's moves, grabbed Guan Ju's hand and slipped out of the back door with everyone.

"Pu Jia, you stay, the prince will ask later, you said that I went to change clothes. He drank so much, and in front of the emperor, he will not embarrass you. ”

"Yes, the girl is really wronged. It's good to go out and breathe, the slave and maid look, there are really few people in this hall who are easy to get along with. Pu Jia said distressedly, "Guan Ju, you must take good care of the girl." Gongzhong Lusheng, don't go too far! ”

Farewell to Pujia, I took Guan Ju's hand and walked to the other end of the road. Drunk, I looked at the sky reflected like day by the bright palace lights in this palace, and took a few breaths of fresh and cool air in my mouth, before I felt a little clearer.

"Girl, where are we going?"

"Whatever, the farther away from the Qingjiao Palace, the better." I walked frivolously, turned around and pointed at Guan Ju's nose: "Don't tell Pu Jia when you go back!" ”

Guan Ju was stunned for a moment, then pulled down my hand and stuck out his tongue. I will smile in my heart, knowing in my heart - Guan Ju is the most eccentric, and I disdain Pu Jia's appearance of abiding by the rules and being cautious in words and deeds. I took her out to ventilate, she was willing in her heart, how could she reveal half a point to that one.

"Rest assured, girl, the slave has not drunk, and will remember the way back."

We turned left and right, walked around, bypassed several tall ** black halls, and passed through a chic and quiet plum garden, and the corner of a rockery appeared in front of us.

"Girl, I think this is a stone forest, let's not go in, lest we can't get out."

I was about to answer, but I heard a girl's scream faintly in the woods.

"Guan Ju, did you hear that?"

"What?"

"In the woods, someone is calling."

Guan Ju listened intently for a moment, but still shook his head at me in confusion. But I was more and more sure that the girl's voice was childish, but fifteen or sixteen years old, and although she was far away from us, she cried out miserably and sharply, as if she had suffered greatly. In addition to this, there seems to be a harsh scolding from the older eunuchs.

"Ahh The slave and maid also heard! Like... A little palace maid was lynched! Guan Ju was startled, turned his head to me and said, "Girl, don't move here, slave maid go inside to find out!" ”

I nodded, and Guan Ju quickly burrowed into the forest ahead. This place is remote, there is no one around, and there is not even a single palace lamp. A cold night breeze blew for a while, and I realized that I had come out in a hurry, and I didn't put on my cloak.

I was so cold that I stomped my feet again and again, but Guan Ju seemed to be lost in it, and he didn't come out after a stick of incense.

Just as he was hesitating to go in to find her, he suddenly heard a clear sound of music in the night sky—the music he heard in the middle of the night in the prince's mansion that day.

It's Miyahata.

I listened carefully, and the music seemed to be more obscure and bitter and sad than the tactful and bleak of that night. As soon as the sound started, my mind began to twist with the shrill tune; When the sound falls, it makes people feel melancholy and depressed.

The thought of following the sound of the music to him suddenly came to me, and I thought it was because the drunkenness had not faded, and though I knew that the thought was too crazy, my feet moved in the direction of the music as if I did not obey it.

The matter of Guan Ju and the palace maid has long been thrown out of the clouds. I walked around the rockery, across a long arched bridge, and walked into the dark depths against the cold night wind. However, there was no fear in my heart, and I almost instinctively confirmed that I was getting closer and closer to the poignant music.

After walking a hundred steps, I saw a small pure white and misty glacial lake in front of me, and a long and narrow path in front of me led straight to a simple pavilion in the middle of the lake.

I walked lightly towards the pavilion, but I saw the heavy warm cotton curtains around the pavilion, and a trace of candlelight spilled through the gap into the cold and dark air outside, as if the music was also leaking out in the slightest.

Outside the curtain, I stopped. Thinking that it was the sound of stepping on the snow, the people in the pavilion seemed to suddenly realize that someone was stopping outside the pavilion, and even the music stopped abruptly.

I was afraid that my intuition was wrong, so I didn't dare to speak rashly. And the people in the pavilion realized that there were people outside the curtain, and they didn't even ask, but just quietly faced each other inside. For a moment, all that remained in the air was the sound of the howling cold night wind. After a long time, I couldn't stand the cold, so I asked in a low voice: "Why don't you blow it?" ”

Caught off guard, the cotton curtain in front of me was lifted, and Miyahata's face appeared in front of me. The cold wind poured into the pavilion, the candles were blown and swayed slightly, and the rippling tenderness reflected on his handsome silhouette, and his surprised face became more and more pale.

I was still thinking about what to say, but I saw that Miyahata had already put down the cotton curtain and returned to the pavilion alone. I watched the light in front of me disappear again at a loss, and I felt a little depressed in my heart.

"Do you like to leave me alone in the snow and ice?"

"This is the Wangqi Pond, and beyond that is my mother's Wangqi Palace." Miyahata's voice came from inside through the cotton curtain, "This is the most unattended place in the palace, what are you doing here?" ”

His voice was like a cold night wind that blew through every inch of my skin, stinging painfully.

"You also played this tune on the night you left the Hidden Spring. Blowing again today, why? ”

There was silence again, and even the sound of the wind stopped in the middle of the lake in the depths of the darkness.

"Did you hear that day?"

"Hmm."

"Why did you come here to stand outside?"

"You didn't invite me in."

"Oh."

“…… You! ”

"I don't fight with you. Anyway, I don't wear a coat, and I'm not the one who stands outside and gets cold. ”

"Okay, you cold-hearted and cold-blooded Fifth Highness—"

I took a step before I opened the curtain and entered. But a hand reached out through the crack in the curtain, grabbed me by the collar, and pulled me in without saying a word.

Suddenly, the warm air rushed in front of me, and my eyes had not yet adjusted to the sudden bright candlelight. My feet swirled, my body lost my balance, and I was already pressed to the pillar by the palace flag.

I was about to shout, but I saw that Miyahata's face was less than an inch away from my eyes. The words were instantly frozen in my throat, and I knew that I was not without the strength to resist, but my body was rebellious and refused to move half a minute.

I gave up the struggle and closed my wet eyes in fascination.