After the meal, Bai Xi was still cheeky and refused to leave, saying that he wanted to talk more with Sister Zhaoling, so he followed him to the side hall. The two entered the house, Bai Xi took off the mutton fat jade pendant on his waist, played with it a few times, looked at it and said, "I remember that Sister Zhaoling entered the palace at the age of seven. I was seven years old and Shao, my father gave this jade pendant, I have been wearing it for eleven years this year, it is indeed a good jade, more white and clear than back then. Then he suddenly stretched out his hand and handed the jade pendant to Lu Zhaoling, "I prepared in a hurry, and today I can do my best to use this jade pendant as Zhaoling's sister's birthday gift." ”

Bai Xi's eyes are not as docile and kind as Bai Heng, but they are already narrow and long, and they are smiling at this time, which is quite flattering and silky.

Lu Zhaoling had seen this second prince for a long time, and unlike the cold attitude of other people in the palace, the first time Bai Xi saw her, he called "Sister Zhaoling" cordially and enthusiastically, and often took the initiative to chat and play with her. It's just that when he got older, he was much busier with his schoolwork and affairs as the second prince, so Lu Zhaoling didn't see him much.

Although she has always been grateful for the friendliness of the second prince, in Lu Zhaoling's heart, the friendship between the two is not deep, and this sudden birthday gift seems too precious, and she is unwilling to always accept the kindness of the second prince for no reason.

“…… No need. Lu Zhaoling shook his head and did not take this jade pendant.

Bai Xi couldn't help but stuff the jade pendant into her hand and shook it deeply, and a pair of narrow Danfeng eyes always had a loving smile: "Even if it is a thank you gift for today's dinner, you can accept it." Sister Zhaoling, in this deep palace, there are not all cold-eyed and affectionate people. ”

Lu Zhaoling's right hand covered by Bai Yu felt warm, and she looked at the clear eyes of the person in front of her without the slightest hostility, thinking of her eldest brother who was far away from her hometown. This felt reliable and warm, and even evoked the grievances and sourness in her heart that she never cared about.

She was in a trance, and held the jade pendant a little dazed: "Thank you." ”

The jade pendant also carried the warmth from Bai Xi's body.

--

Bai Xi, who left the Langhuan Palace, hurried back to his Kangning Palace, and after coming to the dormitory, he repulsed the subordinates around him, sat alone on a chair of eight immortals, whistled lightly, and a black shadow jumped down silently on the beam in the house. The black shadow knelt on the ground with his head bowed, and did not look up at the second prince with a distinguished status.

"Princess Tongguang has behaved differently recently, you go and keep an eye on it, and report her whereabouts to me all day tomorrow night." Bai Xi commanded to the black shadow.

"Yes." The black shadow opened its mouth, and its voice was hoarse and distant, not like a human voice.

Bai Xi waved his hand, and the black shadow crouched back a few steps, and disappeared without a trace.

--

On this day, Uncle Niu's family had something to do, and the father and son all went out, so Lu Zhaoling, Bai Heng and Li Zhuer walked around the street together to find a shop to have breakfast. The proprietress of the shop is an enthusiastic aunt, and she added half a spoonful of wonton to Bai Heng's bowl.

After eating a bowl of wonton, Li Zhuer shouted that it was not enough, her eyes rolled, and when she saw that there were rice wine dumplings, she said that she wanted to eat it, Lu Zhaoling stopped her on the grounds that "the little girl is not allowed to drink alcohol", but she couldn't stop it at all, and even Bai Heng had no choice but to buy a bowl from her.

"Have you ever drunk?" Lu Zhaoling asked Li Zhuer.

"Hmm...... Drunk! Li Zhu'er replied with a humble face.

"Don't eat much, just taste two bites, and I'll eat the rest for you." Lu Zhaoling ordered.

"Why! Aren't you a little girl too? Li Zhu'er was not convinced, and grabbed a small ball and stuffed it into her mouth.

"I grew up drinking spirits." Lu Zhaoling was full of confidence, stared at Li Zhu'er and took two bites, then stretched out his hand and asked Li Zhu'er to hand over the small balls.

"This wine doesn't taste at all, it's not intoxicating." Li Zhuer still wants to resist stubbornly.

"You'll be there in a moment. The rice wine has a lot of energy, it tastes mellow and delicious at first glance, it is not spicy at all, and it will get people drunk unconsciously. Bring it quickly, don't eat it! Lu Zhaoling said fiercely.

Li Zhu'er looked aggrieved and reluctantly refused to hand over the little balls, Bai Heng was amused by Lu Zhaoling's vicious expression, and he coaxed Li Zhu'er: "If you like it, you can buy it and eat it often, but only eat less every time, is this good?" I'll eat the rest of the rest for you today, and if I don't think it's intoxicating, you can eat more next time. ”

When Li Zhu'er heard this, she felt that Bai Heng was reasonable, so she was satisfied and entrusted the little ball to Bai Heng.

Lu Zhaoling looked at the obedient Li Zhu'er from the side, and admired Bai Heng's methods of coaxing the child.

However, after a while, Li Zhu'er still couldn't withstand the power of rice wine, her cheeks flushed, and the whole person became drunk. Lu Zhaoling had no choice but to send her back to the General's Mansion first.

For the rest of the day, there were only Lu Zhaoling and Bai Heng. Perhaps because he unexpectedly received the second prince last night, Lu Zhaoling became a little curious about the situation in the palace of Anping Kingdom.

Emperor Anping is almost at the age of knowing the mandate of heaven, but he has not set up a crown prince for a long time. As far as Lu Zhaoling knows, the eldest prince Bai Yu is twenty-seven this year, the second prince Bai Yu is only eighteen, the third prince Bai Heng has just turned sixteen, and there are a few younger ones below, a total of eight princes, and the rest are all princesses. In the past few years of living in the deep palace, there are always some rumors that Emperor Anping likes the second prince and the third prince the most. The second prince Bai Xi is dignified, full of poetry and books, diligent and studious, and good at riding and shooting, raised in front of the queen since he was a child, and his biological mother Concubine Xian is also virtuous and dignified. And the third prince Bai Heng's mother died early, he himself often called himself sick, unwilling to go out, it is rumored that he has a cold and withdrawn personality, and many people in the palace do not know why the emperor loves him.

She looked at Bai Heng beside her and felt that he was completely different from the rumored withdrawn third prince.

"What's wrong?" Noticing Lu Zhaoling's gaze, Bai Heng asked.

"Why don't you resemble the rumors in the palace at all?" Lu Zhaoling asked.

Bai Heng smiled and didn't answer Lu Zhaoling's question directly, but asked again, "Why do you want to sneak out of the palace?" ”

"It's too stuffy in the palace." Lu Zhaoling kicked a stone on the side of the road.

"yes, it's too stuffy in the palace."

As they spoke, the two of them came to a quiet meadow and found a dry place to sit together.

Bai Heng, who had been with Lu Zhaoling for half a month, was quite market-like at this time, he sat cross-legged on the grass, playing with a blade of grass in one hand, and continued lightly: "Living in the palace, I often feel that I am a sleepy beast. ”

At this time, there were only two of them sitting facing each other on the grass. Bai Heng lowered his head and lowered his eyes. Lu Zhaoling's gaze fell from his white forehead to the bridge of his tall nose, slid over the tip of his jade-like smooth nose, and stopped on his soft thin lips. She only felt that the deer in her heart was bumping, and she couldn't take her eyes off it.

"Do you know how my mother died?" Bai Heng suddenly raised his head, his expression was still faint, as if he was saying something unrelated to him, "The queen was jealous of her mother's favor, so she killed Concubine Zhuang's new prince who was less than one year old and framed her mother. The father knew that his mother was kind by nature, and said that he believed in the words of the concubine, and finally gave her to death. At this, his eyes became a little red, and he chuckled mockingly, "Poor mother still has that light as water until she dies, and her father gave her poison, so she drank it silently." ”

Lu Zhaoling looked at Bai Heng's face with a look that was different from usual, and his heart tingled for a moment. She moved forward, grabbed Bai Heng's shoulders and hugged him, patting him lightly on the back. Bai Heng buried his head in Lu Zhaoling's shoulder socket and was quiet for a while, and when he spoke again, he sounded like an urn, and it seemed to have a somewhat nasal voice: "My father once asked me if I wanted to be the prince." I said he was ridiculous. Zhaoling, I don't want to be a prince, I just want to leave Jingyang. ”

Lu Zhaoling wanted to comfort Bai Heng, but he didn't know where to speak. It was Bai Heng who protected Chu Sheng for her, but at this moment, she couldn't help Bai Heng.

"If I were a hero, I would be able to protect you." Lu Zhaoling muttered.

Bai Heng smiled softly, he raised his head, and his crystal clear eyes shone with a fine light: "Then thank Lu Daxia in advance." ”

--

It's night, Corning Palace.

During the day, the warm and hearty second prince sat alone in the unlit dormitory, leaning back, supporting his head with one hand, and gently tapping the arm of the chair with his fingers with the other. In the empty room, where no one else was, there was a faint rhythmic sound of percussion, "knock, knock, knock", with a little echo.

"Third brother, if you really keep to yourself, maybe in a few years, your father will point out a fief for you, and you will be able to leave this imperial city that trapped you as you wish. It's a pity ......"

Bai Xi sneered as if talking to himself. Then a dark shadow hoarse voice came from out of nowhere in the hall: "Your Highness, the letter has been delivered." ”

"Good. The third prince also did a good job of watching. ”

"What about Princess Tongguang?"

"Don't bother my sister Zhaoling." Bai Xi scolded gloomily.

--

Everyone in Jingyang City knows that Li Xuan, the general of Zhenguo, is the only daughter in the family, Li Zhuer. No matter how Li Zhu'er cried, went on a hunger strike, and even took scissors and said that she was going to kill herself, she would never let her step out of the general's mansion half a step as she wished, and even ordered her to be placed under house arrest for two months.

Early in the morning, the people in the General's Mansion heard the sound of father and daughter arguing in the eldest lady's room.

"You get out! I don't recognize you as a father! ”

"Pearl! Don't talk nonsense! Li Xuan, who was pushed out of the door by Li Zhu'er, shouted with a straight face, but everyone could see that he was very inward-looking.

"You still dare to murder me!" Li Zhu'er pushed hard angrily, turned her head and took the inkstone on the table and smashed it towards Li Xuan. "I'm not your own daughter! You're going to put me under house arrest for two months! Why are you putting me under house arrest! Why are you putting me under house arrest! ”

Li Xuan dodged the inkstone smashed by Li Zhu'er and the jade pillow that flew later, and said nothing to this daughter who pointed at his nose and scolded him with a bitter face.

"Master, Miss, ......"

"What!" Li Zhu'er glared and roared, so frightened that the family who had shrunk at the door and didn't dare to enter the house trembled.

"Yes, there is a girl who asks to see Miss...... Said to be a friend of the young lady. Jia Ding swallowed his saliva and said boldly.

It's Lu Zhaoling!

"Please let her in!" Li Zhu'er immediately ordered.

"Wait! First, invite the guests to my study. Li Xuan stopped Li Zhu'er, who came out of the way, and instructed the family.

"What! You won't let me go out, and my friends can't come to see me! Li Zhu'er stomped her feet in anger.

"Zhu'er, don't make trouble!" Li Xuan looked really angry, "Think about what kind of trouble you've been in the past few days!" After saying that, he hardened his heart and pushed Li Zhu'er into the house and locked the door.

It was indeed Lu Zhaoling who came to visit. She didn't wait for Bai Heng in the palace early in the morning, and she didn't see Li Zhu'er when she left the palace, so she was confused and a little uneasy, so she went to the general's mansion to take a look.

However, after waiting in the study for a while, what I saw was Li Xuan, the general of Zhenguo.

Li Xuan came to the study under Lu Zhaoling's surprised gaze, retreated from his subordinates, and carefully closed the doors and windows before turning around and meeting Lu Zhaoling's eyes.

Li Xuan's figure is not burly, but he is very upright, and he looks powerful. He stood still in front of Lu Zhaoling for a moment, exuding a majesty that was not deliberate but spontaneous.

Lu Zhaoling involuntarily sat up.

"You're a little girl's friend?" Li Xuan asked with a frown.

"Yes." Lu Zhaoling nodded.

"A few days ago, Pearl asked me to go to a foal, saying that it was for a new friend, is that you?"

"Yes." Lu Zhaoling nodded.

"What's your name, and what family is it?" Li Xuan asked again.

"Uh...... My surname is Lu, a country man, not a young lady from a big family. Lu Zhaoling hesitated.

Li Xuan was silent for a moment, and the eyes staring at Lu Zhaoling made her feel like a man's back.

"Do you know what kind of trouble you're in? Princess Tongguang. Li Xuan said.

Lu Zhaoling, who was suddenly identified by him, opened his mouth in surprise and couldn't say anything.

"It is already a felony for you to escape from the palace by yourself, plus the abduction of the third prince, if the Holy One knows, what will be the consequences, have you ever thought about it? You and your little girl will surely not be spared. ”

"I ......"

"What's more, you are the proton of the Liuguo, if the three princes of Anping are deceived by you, what kind of errand does they have outside the palace, and you are punished by yourself, how can the Liuguo deal with yourself? Not to mention the eunuchs, palace maids and guards on duty in the palace, one hundred and ten lives will be put to death by you. Now that someone in the palace knows about this, do you really think that the palace is important and no one can find out about your actions? ”

Li Xuan's words made Lu Zhaoling sit in place as if he had been struck by a lightning strike on a sunny day.

The room was nervously quiet for a while, Li Xuan looked at Lu Zhaoling with a panicked face, and finally sighed sadly, and said: "Zhu'er was less than three years old, and her mother died of illness, I always felt indebted to her, and unconsciously spoiled her like she is now." She is delicate and willful, and she has no friends who treat her sincerely, and if you want to make friends with her, I am happy for her. But you should not have caused such a calamity. ”

Lu Zhaoling gradually lowered his head, still silent.

"Did the three princes leave the palace with you today?" Li Xuan asked.

Lu Zhaoling shook his head.

"You should find a way to go back to the palace as soon as possible, and you don't want to see the little girl again today. When she visits her aunt in the palace in the future, talk to her again if you wish. ”