The night breeze is cool.

Qu and Bai Ling sat on an uninhabited promenade on the shore of Chunming Lake.

At their feet sat a low, knee-high table with freshly brewed tea.

The palace maids who followed them all the way stood at the entrances at both ends of the corridor and guarded, and when they met the palace people who were about to pass through, they reminded them to take a detour - the concubine Niangniang was relaxing on the corridor and should not be disturbed.

Bai Ling held the water glass and looked down at the water, Qu was throwing fish food little by little, and the colorful koi gathered from under the water, turning into an irregular but very beautiful colorful water feature in front of the two of them.

"Maybe I should go out and walk around like this every night in the future." Qu Shi whispered, "Lest you stay in the house all the time, your legs and feet are weak, and you can't stand for long if you want to...... What do you think? ”

"That's good." Bai Ling was a little surprised, "But why did Niangniang suddenly think of going out, did something happen?" ”

Qu Shi looked at Bai Ling, "That's exactly what I want to tell you tonight...... I want to do one thing, but I haven't made up my mind yet. ”

Bai Ling looked at Qu Shi quietly, signaling that he was listening carefully.

Speaking of this, Qu Shi suddenly stopped, "When you consulted last time, you said a feeling, I don't know if you still remember." ”

Bai Ling's voice was very soft, "Which one does Niangniang mean?" ”

"The last time you said that when you were talking to me, it seemed that my mother and my brother were watching our conversation right away." Qu said softly, "I've been thinking about this sentence repeatedly, and then I have some ...... A very special find. ”

"Huh?" Bai Ling held his breath slightly, "What kind of discovery did you find......?" ”

"I don't know what to say...... This thought also came to me during the past few days of mindfulness practice. Qu Shi smiled, as if what she was going to say next was extremely ridiculous, she looked at Bai Ling, "There are never secrets in the Chengqian Palace, you know...... What do I mean? ”

"Understood." Bai Ling replied softly, "Niangniang's food, clothing, daily life, every move has fallen in the eyes of many people. ”

Qu sighed lightly and leaned back against the pillars of the corridor.

“…… My mother was such a hard person to please. She said suddenly, her voice a little lower, even in this uninhabited corridor, she instinctively lowered her voice,

Bai Ling replied quietly, she put down the cup in her hand, and her body unconsciously leaned slightly in Qu's direction, listening intently to what she was going to say next.

This was the first time that Qu had taken the initiative to mention Mrs. Qu in a conversation.

"You've seen my second brother Qu Xiu many times." Qu Shi looked at Bai Ling calmly, "He's a very annoying person, isn't he?" ”

Bai Ling thought for a moment and said cautiously, "...... The sense of oppression he brings is indeed heavy. ”

Qu Shi laughed, "Many people don't like him, don't talk about anyone else, even Granny Shu has complained about him a few times, and scolded a few words in private." Sometimes I hate him even more, but every time I calm down and think about it, I feel that he is the most pitiful person in the world. ”

"Hmm."

"Before I met the emperor, my mother rarely asked me about it. I climbed trees, played in the water, and rolled in the mud like a boy...... She didn't care," Qu said softly, "At that time, although there were occasional grievances, and I don't understand why my mother's eyes never stopped at me, there were too many funny things at that time—I should have told you?" ”

"Well, I did." Bai Ling nodded and said, "Your eldest brother often took you to patrol the barracks and hunting grounds at that time. ”

"Yes, so the troubles at that time were often diluted by other things before I could think about it...... Children, it's all like that. A smile appeared at the corner of Qu's mouth, "But my second brother is different." At that time, almost all of my mother's efforts were in my second brother's career. My second brother himself also understands that the so-called Wenzhi martial arts, he will never be able to surpass the eldest brother in the latter, so he reads and writes in the house every day, if it weren't for the few times I couldn't stand it anymore and dragged him out of the study, he probably really put an end to all fun at that time. ”

"This kind of taste, people who have not experienced it will not understand," Qu Shi's gaze turned slightly sad, "I also understood it a long time later." No one in the world could really make my mother laugh except for my eldest brother. ”

Bai Ling's folded hands suddenly clenched.

Looking at the concubine's calm expression, she was suddenly struck by some kind of similar sorrow.

“…… It's really sad. Bai Ling said softly.

"yes." Qu Shi said softly, "So in the year after entering the palace, I don't know how happy I was." Originally, Qu Xiu's side had never been able to lift people, and his mother sighed at his parents every day, and everyone's faces were gray. But things were different after I entered the palace, and when she returned to Ning, she held my face and cried several times, saying that she never imagined that the daughter of her life was such a nobleman. ”

Bai Ling smiled a little distressedly, "This can be regarded as winning the attention of Old Madam Qu?" ”

Qu nodded, "It's not what I thought before, but since then, my mother has really cared more about me than before, and even when she saw me and looked at me, she couldn't help but laugh." It was like a dream during that time, and in the blink of an eye, everything was fine. The emperor treated me warmly, and my brother's career also went smoothly...... Although they have not been able to conceive the dragon heir since then, which has caused them to be nervous again, but that is all for later. ”

Qu Shi looked at Bai Ling and added, "I have been in the palace for eleven years, and Ah Tuo is my first child. ”

Bai Ling frowned, and she sighed softly, "These things...... I already feel very distressed just by listening to it, mother. ”

Qu Shi smiled a little embarrassedly, she looked away, and whispered, "But...... It's all gone. ”

"What did Niangniang mean by the thought of 'being aware of mindfulness'?"

Qu Shi was stunned, and then remembered that his initial topic had not yet been finished, but his thoughts had naturally flowed down the stream and extended to other places.

But after saying so much, she suddenly understood how to describe the idea she had had before.

Qu Shi lowered his head, "Actually, it's very simple, every move in the Chengqian Palace is watched by other people in the end, so I will think about it before I do things and talk on weekdays, and what will they think and think when this matter reaches the ears of my mother and brother...... After a long time, it naturally becomes a habit. ”

"That's why you feel scrutinized." Qu Shi said softly, "Even if they are no longer in the palace, they are still in my heart and have become my own cage." ”

"What Niangniang said today about 'things that have not made up your mind', is it also related to this cage?"

"Yes." Qu nodded solemnly, and her voice stopped again, "I think maybe next month, maybe a little later......"

Qu's voice was slow, as if even he was not sure what he was about to say.

"I want to put Ato...... Pick it up again with me. ”