In the end, Bai Heng went out in advance to settle the account quietly, and the group broke up outside the restaurant, Li Zhuer said that he would settle the stone and Xiao Tao, and first go back to Yong'an Lane with them to divide the packed meals, and then take them back to the general's mansion to clean them well, Bai Heng and Lu Zhaoling went back to Uncle Niu's house to rest, and made an appointment to meet in the teahouse where they heard the story an hour later.

Seeing Li Zhu'er and the two children, Lu Zhaoling and Bai Heng walked side by side towards Uncle Niu's house slowly.

"That Chu Sheng, what's going on?" Bai Heng asked Lu Zhaoling on the way.

"The first time I saw him was almost two months ago, when I had just slipped out a few times, and was taken to Yong'an Lane by a wild cat that had been fed for two days, only to find that there was such a place, and I happened to meet Chu Sheng that day. I didn't have much money that day, but I gave it to the beggars. Chu Sheng didn't say anything at first, but then somehow he suddenly recognized me, drove me away and told me not to come again. I thought this man was strange, and I didn't know about him until he was gone and asked the beggars about him. After that, I often went to Yong'an Lane, and I also got acquainted with the beggars, and one day I had a whim, thinking that I could teach these children to learn something, which was more useful than giving them silver, didn't Chu Sheng just learn to play the piano to have today? I am most familiar with Xiao Tao and stones, so I will start with them. After that, I saw Chu Sheng for the second time in a few days, that is, a month ago, I told him my thoughts, thinking that maybe he could also teach the children to play the piano and sing songs, but I didn't expect him to be very disgusted, not only did he not want to teach the piano, but also said that I was nosy, saying that I was just a whim, and I would definitely not last long. The third time I saw him was today. ”

"Hmm...... That's the case......" Bai Heng thought thoughtfully.

"In the morning, I tried to convince him to show him the results of Xiao Tao and Shi's learning, but he was still like that, saying that he shouldn't have anything to do with people like me, and asked me what my purpose was in being good to them." Lu Zhaoling kicked the stone on the side of the road a little frustrated, "He seems to hate the people in the palace very much, and I feel even more angry when I see you today." Why, isn't Princess Yuquan very fond of him? ”

Bai Heng was silent for a while, as if hesitating whether to speak.

"What's wrong?" Lu Zhaoling looked at Bai Heng and frowned, and asked out loud.

"There is a little Lezheng surnamed Guo in the palace, I remember hearing the second sister say that Chu Sheng was recommended into the palace by him."

"This Guo Lezheng, is there any problem?"

He ...... I heard that there is a habit of breaking sleeves. ”

"Broken sleeves? So what-" Lu Zhaoling's voice was interrupted, and he suddenly stopped, looking at Bai Heng in disbelief, "You mean ......"

"There was a young male dancer in the palace who threw himself into a well, and there was a lot of uproar, which seemed to be related to Guo Lezheng, but in the end it was over."

"Why?"

"No one has conclusive evidence. Moreover, Guo Lezheng has been in the palace for more than ten years, and there are many musicians who have been trained by him, including many celebrities in front of the ladies of the palace. The situation in the harem is also complicated. Bai Heng was a little helpless in his words.

Lu Zhaoling stood in place and was silent for a long time.

The matter of Lezheng in the palace of Anping Kingdom is not something that she can control with a proton. She also wanted to blame Bai Heng for a moment, but the situation in the harem was complicated, and she also understood that it couldn't be Bai Heng's fault.

She finally spoke up and said the speculation: "So Chu Sheng, who was promoted into the palace by Guo Lezheng, is very likely to have been forced by Guo Lezheng......"

Bai Heng sighed softly: "Chu Sheng is a beggar, and it is difficult to be promoted into the palace according to common sense, unless Guo Lezheng has selfish intentions towards him. Coupled with his attitude towards hatred of the people in the palace, this is most likely the case. Now that he is in the palace, I am afraid that he will not be able to escape, and he is still under the ...... of Guo Lezheng Poison. ”

So Chu Sheng is now raised by Guo Lezheng......

Lu Zhaoling, who knew the truth, suddenly felt a huge deep confusion, she couldn't believe it, and she couldn't imagine that Chu Sheng would pay such a price when he entered the palace. She had seen Chu Sheng's pale, lifeless face with her own eyes, but she didn't know what kind of suffering Chu Sheng had suffered.

She remembered what she had done in the past two months, catching thieves, helping beggars, and weaving straw sandals for her elderly grandfather...... She even said to Bai Heng unashamedly that Jingyang City is quite peaceful.

At this moment, she felt that all that she had done was a little ridiculous.

At this moment, there are few pedestrians on the streets, and the people are full of food and drink to go home for a rest, and there is a quiet atmosphere around them. The tranquility and serenity of the city of Jingyang can be felt most vividly in the early afternoon. The sleepy air makes people yawn comfortably, and after stretching their waists, their bones are soft, and no one can help but sleep peacefully in this warm and peaceful city.

It's a carefree day.

But is it just a façade that covers up sin?

Lu Zhaoling stopped on this empty street for a long time, not knowing where to go next.

She didn't know how she got back to Uncle Niu's house and how she came to the teahouse. In a trance, she looked at Li Zhu'er who was dancing with her eyebrows, Bai Heng with a normal expression, listening to the noisy voices around her, and felt that this world had never been far away and strange.

It's night, Langhuan Palace.

This is a remote but quiet courtyard in the palace, there is a laurel tree in the courtyard, which was specially transplanted from the Western Regions when Lu Zhaoling entered the palace, but it grows extremely well in the not very fertile soil in the north of the Central Plains.

Now that the season has just turned into early autumn, the trees have been sparsely decorated with some tender yellow osmanthus flowers, and in the gentle night breeze, you can smell a faint sweet fragrance.

Lu Zhaoling and his clothes lay on the couch, looking at the lonely night outside the window. Chu Sheng's gray, empty eyes kept coming to her mind, lingering.

He is still in unimaginable suffering and humiliation.

Is there nothing that can be done?

Guo Lezheng is almost blatantly doing this kind of obscene and insidious thing in the palace, after the incident of the young dancer throwing himself into the well, the emperor must know it, the ladies of the palaces should also know, Bai Heng also knows, and now Lu Zhaoling also knows.

But there's nothing you can do?

At this moment, all the lights in the palace have been extinguished, and everywhere is quiet, filled with the sweet smell of the palace people's dreams. In this deep silence and darkness, perhaps Chu Sheng was struggling and crying, but no one would hear it.

It's desperate.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhaoling felt a pang of worry.

She got up and poured a cup of cold tea, bitter in her mouth. Putting down the teacup, a gentle night breeze blew in through the window behind her, brushing her scattered hair. She glanced back and decided to simply go out for a walk.

This is not the first time that Lu Zhaoling has wandered around the palace in the middle of the night, in the past, she loved to go to the lotus pond to see frogs, or climb to the rockery to see the stars and the moon. Walking alone in the empty courtyard of the palace, you will feel that the air is full of freedom and comfort.

And tonight's cool wind only made Lu Zhaoling feel bleak. What enveloped her was a dark night that was so thick that it could not be dissolved.

When she came back to her senses, she saw the rockery she often climbed. She sighed and sat down against the corner of the rockery. She sat quietly for a while, and when her thoughts gradually calmed down, she suddenly realized that from the beginning of the square, there was a faint sound of flute floating in the distance.

She hadn't seen anyone else in the neighborhood at night. Who will it be?

She got up and groped her way to the source of the flute.

The piper was not far away, Lu Zhaoling crossed the path under the rockery, and saw the thin figure in the pavilion at the end. The man sat facing the moonlight, his face turned sideways to Lu Zhaoling, and the bright light sprinkled down, as if dyeing his long and thick eyelashes silver.

Hearing the movement, the man paused in his hand, put down the flute and turned his face.

"It's you......" Lu Zhaoling was stunned.

"Zhao Ling." The man smiled at her, it was Bai Heng, "Can't you sleep?" ”

"Hmm." She replied sullenly, walked over to Bai Heng and sat down, "You play the flute so well." ”

"I haven't blown it for a long time, and I'm rusty." Bai Heng lowered his eyes and stroked the warm and cool jade flute in his hand.

"I don't understand, I just think it sounds good." Lu Zhaoling kicked the stone next to the steps.

Bai Heng sighed lightly and looked at Lu Zhaoling with a pitying smile: "Are you thinking about Chu Sheng?" ”

Lu Zhaoling didn't answer for a while, she raised her face and looked at the jade plate hanging high in the air. Tonight is the full moon.

Chu Sheng said that these people live in the world, like ants, even if they learn to read, practice martial arts, and play the piano, there will be no change. I didn't agree, I thought I could do something about it. ”

"Didn't you change the little peach and the stone?" Bai Heng said gently.

"The two of them are lucky, and they are also blessed by Li Zhu'er, but what about the others?" Lu Zhaoling lowered her head, and two strands of hair on her forehead fell from her cheeks, "...... What about Chu Sheng? ”

Bai Heng was silent.

"There are a lot of things in this world, even the most powerful heroes can't change them, right?"

"Zhao Ling, don't be too discouraged...... Bai Heng persuaded in vain. He knew how pale his words were, but he didn't know what else he could say at this moment.

"I can't save him, I know." Lu Zhaoling unconsciously reached out and touched the position of the scimitar on his waist, but he felt empty. She was stunned and looked down at her empty right hand.

Bai Heng looked at her dejected appearance, and couldn't help but reach out to cover her slightly pale right hand, and a slight coolness seeped into Bai Heng's palm on the fingertips: "It's not your fault." ”

"It's not my fault......" Lu Zhaoling felt the warmth coming from Bai Heng's palm, repeated to himself, and then muttered, "But I can't do anything." ”

The strength in Bai Heng's hand tightened.

There was silence.

A few sparse frog chirping were heard not far away.

"I'm going back." Lu Zhaoling stood up.

Bai Heng also stood up silently, without making a sound, and watched Lu Zhaoling's figure disappear behind the rockery.

"Zhaoling, I'm not as good as you."

He whispered to the empty path.

Lee Joo-ah has been irritable lately.

Bai Heng hadn't left the palace for several days. Lu Zhaoling, as always, came out every day to do good deeds, and went to the General's Mansion a few times to visit the stone and the little peach. But Li Zhuer felt that her whole person looked mournful, as if she was carrying something important, but she couldn't ask anything from her mouth.

Bother! Die! Finish!

Li Zhu'er looked at the absent-minded stuffy gourd beside her, and really wanted to go up and kick her.

At this time, it was close to dusk, Li Zhuer carried two packs of hazelnut crisp to take home for Shi and Xiao Tao to eat, the two walked back to Uncle Niu's house to lead the horse, passed by a tavern, and suddenly heard a shout from inside: "Yo, isn't this Li Zhuer?" How to dress like a begging for food. Then there were two laughs.

Li Zhu'er was very annoyed, and when she heard this voice, it was more like she had lit gunpowder, and she stepped into the tavern in two or three steps, and pulled the pigtail of this person's sideburns: "It's you again!" Su Qiqian! Why are you so annoying! ”

"Oops, hey, let go!" Su Qiqian bared his teeth in pain, and quickly slapped Li Zhu'er's hand away, "What's the matter, you're so angry!" As he spoke, he rubbed his pigtails aggrievedly.

"Look at you and laugh at me like that! What are you strapped all over your head! Li Zhu'er sat down at the wine table and taunted Su Qiqian's head.

This young man named Su Qiqian had a slender little braid, two sideburns hanging down on both sides, and the rest were tied together in a bunch at the back of his head. Not only does he have a strange hairstyle, but he also dresses exaggeratedly, and he also has a few jade wrenches on his hands.

Just looking at the eyebrows and eyes can be called handsome, but this outfit is ......

"It's called the prairie wind, it's fashionable at the moment, don't you think I'm full of wild charm like this?" Su Qiqian looked self-absorbed with a prodigal face, and threw a wink at Li Zhu'er.

The latter shuddered in disgust.

"His name is Su Qiqian, the one who asks for money, the one who asks for money, the one who asks for Qiankun." Li Zhuer introduced to Lu Zhaoling, "His father is an imperial businessman, he has nothing but money, vision, brains, and self-knowledge. ”

Su Qiqian was not angry, and greeted Lu Zhaoling with a smile: "Blonde beauty, dare to ask Fang's name?" It's an honor to meet you. As he spoke, he was about to take Lu Zhaoling's hand.

"Go away!" Li Zhu'er slapped his hand back, "She doesn't plan to know you!" Then he picked up Lu Zhaoling and was about to leave.

"Hey, hey, don't be in a hurry!" Su Qiqian hurriedly leaned over and grabbed Li Zhu'er, then leaned over to her and said mysteriously, "I have a big gossip to tell you." ”

"I don't want to hear it!" Li Zhu'er frowned and gave him a blank look.

"If you don't listen, you'll regret it." Su Qiqian was about to say something sneakily, when he suddenly came back to his senses and drove away a few companions who were drinking together at the table, and then said with a wicked smile and cautiously: "The Royal Highness of the Third Prince that you have been thinking about all day long is a broken sleeve. ”

Li Zhuer and Lu Zhaoling were stunned at the same time.

“…… Ha? Go, go, go! Less nonsense. Li Zhu'er kicked at Su Qiqian.

Su Qiqian dodged this kick very quickly, and continued to gossip unashamedly: "Don't believe it. Yesterday, he just asked for a handsome little student from Princess Yuquan, saying that he liked to listen to other people's piano play, so he directly let the little student live in his palace. ”

“…… That...... So what! Li Zhu'er looked at his troubled appearance, and was a little confused for a while, but she still didn't believe it, "It's not that I said it, I like to listen to people play the piano!" ”

"Tut-tut." Su Qiqian shook his head and sat back at the table, looking like he had insight into everything, "I have long felt that this third prince has a bit of a problem. He's fifteen or sixteen, right? Except for a mediocre-looking clumsy personal maid, there is no other young and beautiful maid, all of them are eunuchs and old servants, and their personalities are also very withdrawn, and they don't like to go out and walk around. Do you think there is a problem with him? ”

"You're the problem! Where did you know so clearly? Li Zhu'er couldn't kick Su Qiqian, so she kicked his stool to vent her anger.

"Zhu'er, just listen to my advice, what's so good about that third prince? You like to run to the palace all day long, how can there be freedom outside the palace? You listen to me, if the two of us are engaged, we will spend all day outside enjoying the mountains and rivers in the future, going wherever we want, I will follow you whatever you want, how good-" Su Qi persuaded with a hard heart.

"Dream on you!" Li Zhu'er stomped her foot angrily, turned around and ran out, not caring if Lu Zhaoling followed or not.

Su Qiqian looked at Li Zhu'er's disappearing back heartbrokenly, sad and crying.

"Ahem." Lu Zhaoling, who was still standing in place, coughed awkwardly.

"Oh, you're still here." Su Qiqian looked at Lu Zhaoling, his expression was aggrieved like an abandoned little daughter-in-law.

"You just said that the third prince asked for a little boy from Princess Yuquan, do you know that person's name?" Lu Zhaoling asked.

"I don't know." Su Qiqian shook his head, "I can't know everything, right?" ”

"Oh......" Lu Zhaoling was a little disappointed.

"It should be a luthier, if you want to know, I'll find a way to inquire." Although Su Qiqian usually speaks a little cheaply, he is very soft-hearted, especially when he can't see the girl sad.

"No need." Lu Zhaoling shook his head.

Is it Chu Sheng? She guessed in her heart.

"By the way, my name is Lu Zhaoling." She smiled at Su Qiqian, "I still have something to do today, I have to leave first, and I will thank you next time I have the opportunity." ”

"Thank me? Thank me, what? Su Qiqian watched Lu Zhaoling walk away inexplicably.

The person who was asked to come by Bai Heng was indeed Chu Sheng.

Since he saw the third prince in Yong'an Lane that day, he would come to Hanchun Hall for several days after that, saying that he was accompanying Princess Yuquan to listen to the play, so he asked Chu Sheng to come out to play the qin.

Yesterday, he directly begged Princess Yuquan, and even asked Chu Sheng to move into Yonghe Palace.

That night, Chu Sheng sat indifferently in the side hall of the back porch, waiting to be "summoned" by the third prince.

But nothing happened all night.

When a ray of morning light shone on his face through the window, he woke up suddenly, only to find that he had fallen asleep on the table at some point. He rubbed his numb arm, washed up briefly, and walked out of the room in a daze.

A huge Yonghe Palace, when you wake up in the morning, there is no lively and busy sound at all, only the gentle cry of birds, and the sparse footsteps and faint whispers of a few little eunuchs.

Chu Sheng walked slowly along a quiet corridor, and unconsciously came to the outside of the study near the main hall. The window was open, and he inadvertently glanced at it and saw Bai Heng writing next to the desk.

Bai Heng felt the sight outside the window, and also looked over and found that it was Chu Sheng. He put down his pen and said with a warm smile: "You are here, did you sleep well last night?" ”